KC's Age of Worms

Game Master Kobold Catgirl

Rodrigo watches as the lion finishes off the devil, and then desummons it to go home and lick its wounds. He flaps down to his companions, clutching at his own wounds. "Can anyone heal me please? Bleeding my own blood here!" he says a with a hint of panic in his voice. Never come that close to dying before. How scary...one more hit from that devil and I'd have been a goner.

After his wounds are taken care of, he nods agreement with Tanith. "That sounds reasonable. I forgot to tell you guys this, but I'm pretty sure I can teleport all of us pretty much anywhere on Oearth now. I've been building up from my door trick, and I feel that I'm ready. The caveat being I need to be able to visualize our destination. The less I know about where we're going, the less accurate the jump will be."

"That... is a good trick. Though I'm going to miss the cardio."

Watching the devil get its throat torn out, Eben furrows his brow and then gets the attention of the group's resident expert on other-dimensional beings. "Hey, Clunk..." he says, addressing the inevitable over Rodrigo's shoulder, "When we kill devils or demons like that, are they dead-dead or just sent back to Hell or the Abyss dead? That quasit mentioned the demons we killed are still summon-able, so I'm wondering if taking these guys out now reduces Visciannix's minion pool at all or if we're going to wind up having to face that crew again sometime."

"I cannot attest to the beliefs of that entropic abomination," Clunk says, "but extraplanar interlopers such as myself or these fiends will remain dead when killed here. Only creatures summoned short-term will be able to re-spawn back on their home plane. Rodrigo's unfortunate servants, for instance.

"Perhaps those demons were more temporary summons than you had assumed. Or perhaps the loathsome mosquito was lying."

"Wow. Good thing you heal fast from pretty much anything, then. Too bad we didn't kill that last one, though. Having none of your agents return from a mission is about as strong as message as we could send, but maybe a terrified lone survivor is good enough. Hey, maybe Visciannix is one of those bosses that routinely kills minions who fail her!"

"I don't know, Devils are supposed to be all lawful and efficient, right? Killing minions that fail is a waste of resources."

"You send them off on a suicide mission or something instead. If they succeed, good. If not, they were useless anyway."

"...That actually may have been why those specific ones were sent after us, come to think of it. They did seem kind of bumbling."

"Though not bumbling enough to not get somewhat lucky." Carina takes off her cap and holds it out to Farrukh. "Would you like to borrow my hat for a bit? The dealer said it helps with anything that tries to mess with your mind, like fear."

"You sure you don't need it? It seems to have saved your life quite a few times."

"So have the rest of you. Besides, you're carrying the rod piece--I think you should have every advantage possible."

Look, chasing Farrukh away from the party would have worked if a damn cat hadn't jumped up and started chewing on the devil's mini.

Farrukh shrugs.

"All right then."

"Good kitty. Wow you have a high pain tolerance," Astraden says, watching the lion tear the hamatula and itself to pieces. She lopes back to where the others are gathered and releases a couple healing bursts.

Channel positive energy (healing): 6d6 ⇒ (2, 5, 5, 1, 5, 2) = 20
Channel positive energy (healing): 6d6 ⇒ (5, 2, 1, 2, 5, 4) = 19 [2/6] [80/80]

"I can cast magic like that, but it's pretty expensive, for some reason." Astraden shrugs. "And it only lasts like half a day. But if we get a big stash of jade in Magepoint I can cast it for about 250 gold worth per day. And I can make the scryer see anything we want - us armed and armored, us dead, a dog - our imagination is the limit."

Trickery domain nets me false vision, which I've been ignoring because of the material component.

The priestess looks back along the path and whistles. "Lynwerd! Here horsey! Grazing time's over!"

The horses trot back over, seeming confused as to how they got so far away from the group. They lack Bermintrude's laser-focus when it comes to keeping the party together.

The group continues its journey.

15th of Wealsun(June), Year 595 — Day 76 of the campaign.

It is early Starday morning when the group breaks camp for the last time. The sight of Magepoint is just peeking over the nearby horizon.

Gentle hills and full green trees cradle the southern reaches of the coastal village of Magepoint. Wide streets, plentiful greenery, and pleasant wooden buildings speak of peace and ease, yet the community buzzes with activity. Clearly the village prospers. North of the village lie the dark blue waters of the Lake of Unknown Depths, and rising from a rocky island about half a mile out is a pale blue castle surrounding a tower capped with a vast faceted dome that glitters like a blue jewel. A twenty-foot-wide stone causeway runs from the village shore all the way out to the castle.

Carina stretches and sighs as she looks over the quiet village. "This place looks nice enough. So, where should we visit first?"

"Wonder how deep the lake is?"

"I could hop into the lake and see if I could find out." Carina looks at the lake with more than a little anticipation. "It could be fun."

"Well, we could just march up to the castle and ask to see Manzorian. But maybe it would be better to get an inn room, wash up, put on some clean clothes and not look like we've been on the road for days before demanding an audience with someone who's poweful enough to squat in Tenser's old house..."

"Better to get an inn room, take a lake sounding, and then go meet Manzorian, I'm sure you mean."

Astraden goes to her saddlebags. "Carina, I've got five hundred feet of rope, and we've got the rope of climbing. We can just attach Clunk to the bottom and lower him to the lakebed, then measure how much of the rope has water on it when we pull him back up. We gotta find out how deep this lake is."

"Hmm. But what if we just ask Manzorian? He'd probably have checked the lake's depth by now. He is a wizard, you know."

"I do not favor this plan," Clunk says. "That said..."

The disguised inevitable steps away from the group, turns, and bows. "We have arrived at a major settlement, and I must for now take my leave of you all while I take some time to reacquaint myself with this new age." It raises one hand in a stiff, awkward wave. "Should any of you need to speak with me, I am. Eighty-four-point-two-two-two-zero-one-two-two-two percent. Certain that you will be able to locate me speedily within this diminutive settlement."

"Bye Clunk! Have fun!"

Carina waves to Clunk as the inevitable turns to leave.

"Anyway, a chance to freshen ourselves up before meeting Manzorian sounds like a good idea. I wonder if the locals would mind me making use of the lake..."

"They probably would. Most commoners are offended by even basic hygiene."

The first thing Astraden does in town is seek out a magic item crafter.

Diplomacy to gather info: 10 + 3 = 13 hours: 1d4 ⇒ 2

Once she tracks one down, she unties her leather phylactery and shows it to the individual. "This thing already empowers positive energy . . . could you enchant it to also grant mental clarity?" She's ready with a sack full of platinum bars should the crafter be able and willing to make this modification.

Adding headband of inspired wisdom +2 to phylactery of positive channeling: +2 headband of Wisdom x 1.5 = 2000 gp x 1.5 = 6000 gp.

"Do you guys have any idea how big the Nyr Dyv is? You're not going to be able to sound out the lowest point on a day trip from Magepoint. You'd probably need to boat out fifty miles or more to get to the middle. And I'm pretty sure a few hundred feet of rope won't cut it. But it might make a good fishing line if you want to try and get the attention of a sea monster, like the one we ran away from back in the tomb..."

He waves farewell to the inevitable as it... well, clunks off. "Bye Clunk! Thanks for everything! Pretty sure that devil fight could have gone down a lot worse if you hadn't been there! Don't go killing anyone for minor infractions of the law!"

Clunk smiles slightly. "That would be disproportionate, and outside my jurisdiction, regardless."

"They probably would. Most commoners are offended by even basic hygiene."

The first thing Astraden does in town is seek out a magic item crafter.

[dice=Diplomacy to gather info]10+3 [dice=hours]1d4

Once she tracks one down, she unties her leather phylactery and shows it to the individual. "This thing already empowers positive energy . . . could you enchant it to also grant mental clarity?" She's ready with a sack full of platinum bars should the crafter be able and willing to make this modification.

Adding headband of inspired wisdom +2 to phylactery of positive channeling: +2 headband of Wisdom x 1.5 = 2000 gp x 1.5 = 6000 gp.

The local magic item crafter, a gnome with one slightly overlarge eye, examines the phylactery closely. "Sure. It'll be tricky to combine the schools, but I can do it."

The group heads to the local inn: The All-Seeing Eye. Equipped to cater to the nuanced tastes of powerful visitors from all over the world, the All-Seeing Eye rivals the finest inns and eating houses of the Free City. The sprawling three-story building houses a collection of well-appointed rooms, a grand ball room, two skilled chefs, and many other minor comforts expected by the rich and powerful.

The group is greeted as they enter the inn by a very familiar face: Eligos's friend, Celeste. The disguised eladrin grins as she walks up. "Excellent! You're here!"

Celeste, first meeting.

Eben... does not grin. "Oh. You." He looks around warily, then grudingly admits, "At least it's nicer digs than the Crooked House. Doesn't have Tarquin's homey charm, though. How did you know we'd be... wait. Were you one of the ones scrying us?"

"Thanks a lot. I'll come back in a week or so to check on the progress. Contact me, Astraden Limhaare, if it's done earlier. Think my group was heading for an inn, so just send a messenger," Astraden tells the gnome. "Can I get your name, by the by? I think other members of my party might be interested in your services."

After paying the gnome (up front), Astraden unties Lynwerd from the post outside and rides up to the All-Seeing Eye. She arranges stabling and feed for the beast and enters just as the pedestrian members of the party walk up. She falls into line behind Farrukh, then breaks into a grin upon seeing the group's contact. "Hey there! What a strange twist of fate, that we both ended up in the same inn?"

Astraden:
"The name's Pattlewarrick," the gnome says. "Kinkan Pattlewarrick. Feel free to send your friends my way! I can always use the business."

"Scrying you?" Celeste blinks. "No, we just had advance notice. Manzorian's a hard guy to keep truths from, even without messenger sparrows showing up. We've been waiting a while."

The group is greeted as they enter the inn by a very familiar face: Eligos's friend, Celeste. The disguised eladrin grins as she walks up. "Excellent! You're here!"

"And so are you!"

Carina gives Celeste a wave hello. "Waiting? What, for us?"

"Will do!" Astraden tells the craftsman.

She steps forward to shake Celeste's hand. "We were just stopping here to get rooms and freshen up before crossing over to the castle. You mind waiting a little longer?"

"I don't, but you might have to." Celeste shrugs. "The archmage is out at the moment. He's not in town. Or Plane. And what's the rush? Come on, I've got to introduce you to some people."

"And what's the rush?

"Something about the imminent destruction of the world in a plague of undeath."

"It can probably wait."

"See, this is what I'm talking about." Celeste waves a hand. "Remember when we first met, and I said not everything's about you?" The eladrin crosses her arms. "Well, turns out, everything's about you.

"At least, that smuggling operation I was looking into was. Kind of. I'll explain in a moment, but you lot have got to fill me in on all this stuff. Or maybe you can force our stubborn and stubbled colleague to spill the beans. C'mon."

Celeste takes the party into a small meeting room behind the bar. There, in a sort of lounge area with couches, needlessly large chairs, a glass coffee table holding bowls of colorful toffees and nuts, and a peculiar blob that seems to be filled with some sort of gravel-like substance, the members of Spiny's Six find two individuals seated upon a sofa. The two seem to be getting along well, despite looking almost entirely opposite one another. One is a squat dwarf dressed in very fine attire, while the is a thin elf woman in almost rag-like garments with a lean, almost wolfish look.

The dwarf they recognize after a moment's pause: It's Eligos.

"Hey, Eligos! Dwarfiness is treating you well."

Eben gingerly pokes the 'blob' to make sure it doesn't try and eat him. Then again. Then, finally, in spite of its lack of animation, distrust of the new wins the day and he sits in a chair, looking askance at the oddity.

"Well, see, I knew we were more important than you realized..." he says, finally warming a bit to the eladrin now that the implied snub she'd given them on their last meeting is acknowledged as a falsehood. "Even if it does take the impending apocalypse to prove it, I always knew I was destined for big things..." He pulls his chair around to face their (newly) dwarven friend and his companion. "Eligos! Still alive and still hairy! Glad to see Zyrxog hasn't come back around. Unless he has. This... isn't a reincarnated Pollard, is it?" He says, nodding to the elven woman. "And if you're not Pollard, nice to meet you. Name's Eben MacTeague."

Rodrigo smiles and waves at their old acquaintances. This place seems interesting. Can't wait to see what we find out here.

"I am Rodrigo."

Eben gingerly pokes the 'blob' to make sure it doesn't try and eat him. Then again. Then, finally, in spite of its lack of animation, distrust of the new wins the day and he sits in a chair, looking askance at the oddity.

Farrukh, meanwhile, is knowledgeable of all ooze types and revels in flopping gracelessly on a helpless effigy of his hated enemy.

Carina takes a seat on the nearest couch and waves hello to Eligos and his elven companion. "I'm Carina."

"Now, may I ask what this is all about?" She scratches her head in confusion.

Eben gingerly pokes the 'blob' to make sure it doesn't try and eat him. Then again. Then, finally, in spite of its lack of animation, distrust of the new wins the day and he sits in a chair, looking askance at the oddity.

"Well, see, I knew we were more important than you realized..." he says, finally warming a bit to the eladrin now that the implied snub she'd given them on their last meeting is acknowledged as a falsehood. "Even if it does take the impending apocalypse to prove it, I always knew I was destined for big things..." He pulls his chair around to face their (newly) dwarven friend and his companion. "Eligos! Still alive and still hairy! Glad to see Zyrxog hasn't come back around. Unless he has. This... isn't a reincarnated Pollard, is it?" He says, nodding to the elven woman. "And if you're not Pollard, nice to meet you. Name's Eben MacTeague."

"Pollard isn't dead," Eligos says, frowning.

"The name's Cymria," the elf says, offering a hand. "Pleased to make."

"Now, may I ask what this is all about?" She scratches her head in confusion.

Celeste comes in and sits down in one of the chairs, shooting Farrukh an irritated look. "It's 'all about' the Gem of the Flanaess nearly turning into a wight-infested warzone. I'm so sorry I had to miss that."

She clasps her fingers together. "Ugh. There's so much news. How about we trade off? I tell you something you missed, and you tell me something I missed. Where've you been? What made you leave so suddenly? And what's all that about 'scrying'?"

Tanith greets Celeste and then Eligos and the feral elven woman warmly. Eligos in particular gets one of the big Kordite's signature hugs.

"Before we get too involved with discussing important world-saving things we should talk about the fiends that may or may not be spying on us. From what we've seen Magepoint is a nice place and I'd hate to see them show up and tear down the place."

Bah, ninjad!

"We recovered a fragment of some important rod from a Wind Duke's tomb and now the forces of Hell are spying on us apparently, waiting for a point when we're vulnerable. They already ambushed once on the road on the way here. They might try it again. I'm looking forward to kicking their bony asses again."

"And Tanith wrestled a dragon."

"Yeah, how are we involved in smuggling? I mean, apart from that stint we did for Smenk." Astraden grabs a large handful of nuts and drops a few in her mouth, then climbs onto the sofa next to Eligos and sits on the back. "How's it hanging, Eligos? And new person? I'm Astraden, by the way." She extends a hand over Eligos' head, proffering it to the elf.

Only after filling her mouth with nuts does the priestess finally address Celeste's question. "MMmm. Well. 'Sall started wif the smugglin I menshioned." She chews. "We ended up clearing out a cult of the Ebon Triad, right below this town called Diamond Lake. Most of what they were into is probably unrelated to the Age of Worms, but we found this weird little worm in a jar . . ."

Damn classes, distracting me from pbps so I get ninjaed :(

"Pfft. Celeste rolls her eyes. "There are more vagrants with social disorders and unresolved emotional issues than you can shake a stick at in this town." She tips her head towards Cymria, who scowls. "The adventurers alone would make attacking really stupid, but then you have people like me." She cracks her knuckles. "And trust me, if you're a devil, you don't want to give an eladrin an excuse."

"Not to mention this place being under Manzorian's protection," Eligos says lightly, as he reaches for a toffee. "I highly doubt any osyluth would have the 'nerve' to so much as come within ten miles of Magepoint. Manzorian may speak softly, but he would easily have the power to join the Circle of Eight if he so desired."

"Anyways," Celeste says, "wrestling a dragon, huh? Okay. My turn. That smuggling ring I was investigating? Turns out, a certain little cephalopod we all know and love was the hub for it. I had to K.O. a lot of squirmy shapeshifters before I could be sure of it, though." She pops a nut into her mouth. "Shum of 'em were shtar'ing 'o break free on 'eir own of 'is kernterl." She swallows and clears her throat. "Some of them were already breaking free of his control," she repeats, "when I got to them. Sounds like he didn't bother to collect any of his old agents.

"Okay, now your turn. What's that about a dragon?"

"Right, putting that in order: we left the city because we got a message that Diamond Lake was under attack by a dragon. Who happened to be a dragon we'd messed with before- she was into the whole 'age of worms' thing- so her attack was kinda our responsibility. Then when we got back and Tanith wrestled her into dead dragon meat, we kind of stumbled across an ancient tomb. Which was where we found the piece of rod Tanith mentioned and why devils are on our tails now."

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (4) + 19 = 23

A master of social interaction, Eben is alive and alert to every nuance. As Elgios speaks, Eben's eyes narrow, and his hand flashes across the table...

"Ooo! Toffee! Didn't notice that..." Eben says, reaching for a piece himself.

"But anyway, we're pretty sure the devils are only one of at least two parties that are scrying on us. We had someone peeking in on us in the tomb even before we claimed the rod."

The toffees are very old and very stale—the kind one's grandmother keeps on a table in the sitting room and never actually eats.

Eligos seems to like them.

Ugh. Ribbon candy.

Eben chews and chews and chews, looks discreetly around for a convenient napkin, and finally resignedly swallows. Some of the candy is still sticking to his teeth, though.

"So... didhuhum..." –his bottom and top molars stick together for a moment– 'Did. You. Come across Zyrxog itself? We owe it some pain, but wouldn't mind hearing it died before we got the chance."

"Oh, no, it was long gone. Sort of. I'll get to that."

"Right, putting that in order: we left the city because we got a message that Diamond Lake was under attack by a dragon. Who happened to be a dragon we'd messed with before- she was into the whole 'age of worms' thing- so her attack was kinda our responsibility. Then when we got back and Tanith wrestled her into dead dragon meat, we kind of stumbled across an ancient tomb. Which was where we found the piece of rod Tanith mentioned and why devils are on our tails now."

[dice=Sense Motive]1d20+19

A master of social interaction, Eben is alive and alert to every nuance. As Elgios speaks, Eben's eyes narrow, and his hand flashes across the table...

"Ooo! Toffee! Didn't notice that..." Eben says, reaching for a piece himself.

"But anyway, we're pretty sure the devils are only one of at least two parties that are scrying on us. We had someone peeking in on us in the tomb even before we claimed the rod."

"Well, that's a bundle of news, and no mistake." Celeste whistles through her teeth. "No idea who's watching you. I could maybe look into it if you can get me something more to go on, but scrying is a pretty lazy business."

Cymria speaks up. If it happens when you're in town, try to get word to me immediately. Subtly, I mean. I have a spell that can let me get an image of the scrier. If any of you are wizardly-inclined, I could even teach it to you." She shrugs. "At a low rate!"

She says the last part like it's a big deal.

"Anyhow," Celeste says, "my turn."

She reaches into her pocket and draws out a tiny roll of paper. "Like I said, a hawk popped by a few days ago with a little message tied to its leg. It made a lot of noise and refused to leave. Luckily, we ghaeles have a way with beasts, so I was able to get the letter from it." She twirls the message in her fingertips. "It's for one Eben MacTeague."

"Ooo?" Eben makes a pleased noise while his tongue is trying to scrape the last bits of toffee from his back teeth. "Who's it from? Anlathi is the only one I can think of that does animal messengering, but she tends to use cats. But I guess birds are better for long distances. And don't know why she'd write to me in particular. Anyway, easy to find out..." He holds his hand out to Celeste. "It's always so nice to show up in town and find you've already got mail..."

The letter is written in two hands—the majority in straight, inked print. At the top is smaller, messier handwriting in what seems to be pencil or charcoal.

The messy charcoal reads,

Hey, Ebonen, Anlathi hear. Was wanting to contact you already, but didnt know til now where you wood be, before your friend came by.

And Ebon. Hes bigger. Im not even sure he's pure dinosaur! I dont know how fast they grow, but hes very VERY big now, it's really wierd weird. Im sure hes fine. No predator around here could challenge him, not even an owlbear or probbaly not even a wivern. We will keep looking for him. Just wanted you to know. Again I am very sorry. I let you and your dead lost friend down.

Below, in ink, is a more personal message.