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It does not take long to pry some of the boards loose and slip into the empty shop. Sadly the only thing inside are cobwebs and dusty empty shelves. Climbing back out into the alley the kobolds attention is drawn toward the street on one end of the ally. Perhaps one of the local inhabitants know something about portals or what factions might be involved over here on the shadow plane.
"I have never been here... Skyrahk, they sometime not kill you when you talk to the fleshies... maybe you ask?"
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The kobolds, not use to being out in the open and above ground like this cautiously peak out of the alley, then nervously step out. To their surprise the few people on the street seem to pay them no mind. Just as the kobolds start to get their nerves a wash of blackness eclipses the otherwise dim light of the city as a massive form blots out the light from above. The few fetchlings on the street prostrate themselves before the figure in the sky and whisper the name "Argrinyxia".
Seeing an opportunity Skyrahk approaches one of the fetchings and learns a few things.
on the Shadow Plane. As its name would suggest, the
city rests at a coterminous point with Absalom’s location
on the Material Plane. The locals are used to strangers
winding up in the city, by mistake or by odd turns of
fortune.
The great wyrm umbral dragon Argrinyxia, the
Shifting Lady of Ebon Scales, rules Shadow Absalom. By
her decree, planar portals and gateways are prohibited
within the borders of the city without her blessing. The
sole exception is a stable planar portal located in the
city’s heart, a site that matches up with the Material
Plane equivalent of Starstone Cathedral. Those lost in the
Shadow Plane are urged to exit via the strange portal in
the city’s heart, as it always returns those who entered the
Shadow Plane to their previous point of entry.
While dozens of factions operate within the
planar city, two are of interest to the PCs’ expedition. The
Onyx Alliance maintains several safe houses and bases
within the city. The alliance’s headquarters is probably
located somewhere within the city, though only its
members know for sure. A second organization, known
as the Light-Weavers’ Guild, is comprised of several
resident d’ziriak hives that make their living by adding
luminescent accoutrements to clothing and armor. The
light-weavers maintain a longstanding grudge against
the Onyx Alliance, based on some past slight unknown to
the people of Shadow Absalom.
Fazgyn starts looking for anyone with luminescent accoutrements... if he sees anyone with some, he'll signal the others, "Maybe we could ask them where they got that..."
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Faz'gyn notices some flashes of light over by and old boarded up church. As the kobold's approach they notice a group of fetchlings in rags slumped against the entrance of the old church. Each of them is excitedly holding a crystalline prism that lets of a faint glimmer of light. The fetchlings do not seem to notice the kobold's approach as they each snap their prism which emit a vibrant, multicolored light. The light flows into each fetchlings eye's like water going down a drain. The ragged fetchlings all seems to slump over and only seem to smile or giggle when the kobold's try to speak with them.
A strange voice suddenly echoes in each of the kobold's heads. It is a strange monotonous voice accompanied by a strange clicking and humming sound. "Mmmmm they are no use to you now. Mmmmmm they are under the influence of a powerful narcotic, mmmmm but perhaps I can be of assitance.
Turning around the kobolds see a tall insect like creature covered with strange glowing symbols. "Mmmmm I am Y'zilix and I believe that we may have a common goal".
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"Hmmmm..yes I wish the portal closed as well...Hmmm I had hopes when I saw you exit the alley." He looks down at the addicts, "Hmmm the narcotic comes from rogue exiles from my hive. Such practices are frowned upon in the collective...Hmmmmmm unfortunately we do not currently have a means of stopping it. The strange creature seems to look expectantly at the kobolds, "Hmmmm....we can work together yes?....hmmmm
Fazgyn pokes and prods at the fetchlings. "Yesssss.... these are done... but who is thissssss?"
"How we do thissss..."
"Yes. Maybe we work together. But you cross us, you go boom!"
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"Hmmm....you are new here....hmmmm let me catch you up to speed. The imbeciles of the Onyx Alliance disregard the rules of our city’s matron....hmmm the great Argrinyxia. She has forbidden the creation of any planar gateways without her express consent—consent only given in the form of one of her vaunted scales....hmmmm. Unable to retrieve such a blessing on their own, the alliance managed to trick one of great Argrinyxia’s whelplings into stealing such a scale...hmmm. Now, that misbegotten child, the wyrmling Shadrixis, has been gifted a lair as an offering from the Onyx Alliance...hmmmm. Were you to retrieve the scale and slay the whelping, then it would be a simple matter to close the portal that intrudes on your world. Of course, this would also accomplish my goals."
"What are your goals, strange one?"
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"Hmmmm....I will take you there....hmmmmm, but perhaps you should regain your strength first."
After a good rest Y'zilix leads the way to the Wyrmlings tower. soaring edifice of darkened violet stone looms in the city’s skyline, some four hundred feet above. Jet-black dirt extends a hundred feet around the tower in a sizable mound that obscures the spire’s base. Engraved in the hills around the tower are strange symbols, each the size of a standing human. There are no visible entrances to the tower, though a single tunnel descends into the hill surrounding the spire.
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"These magical etchings correspond to the magical runes commonly found on d’ziriak hives. Normally these symbols glow with luminous energies, indicating ownership of the region to a given hive."
"Shall we?"
Before moving toward the tunnel, Varanog uses the wand to cast mage armor on himself, and everyone else.
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The underground tunnel opens up into what was once a vast circular chamber. Portions of the northwest and southeastern sections of the room have collapsed. Three pillars rise up twenty feet to a stone ceiling above, each of their sides covered in black marble polished to a reflective sheen. A perfectly spherical mirror floats in the air at the northern end of the space, roughly two feet in diameter. An audible hum emanates from the orb and echoes throughout the room.
Before entering, Athrax drinks a few potions and extracts.
"Ooh! Another kind of portal!"
Athrax taps the orb to see where it points to.
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Fazgyn shakes his bag of broken locks... "oooh... a portal... mmm... maybe we set more traps, that wasssss funsies!"
He inspects the room for traps,
"The room is clear of any traps... what do you make of thissss portal?"
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As the Kobolds investigate the room Athrax boldly walks up to the orb and touches it. The mirror at the back of the room before Varanog frosts over and a new image forms. A large open landing comes into view with an open view of the dark sky above. At the center of the landing appears to be a pile of treasure and hovering 20 feet in the air above the loot pile is a strange orb of swirling dark energy.
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Fazgyn had been fiddling with his ventriliquist's doll... startled when he looks up... he quickly realizes what happened and follows. (lest something bad has obviously happened)
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The mirror transports the Kobolds to the top of the spire. Crisp air swirls around the unguarded edges of the spire’s apex. Polished mirrored marble covers the circular floor, spreading out in a forty-foot radius. A pile of gleaming copper coins with a dragon-shaped indent rests on the northern end of the platform. Beyond the edges of the platform, the dim lights of the city below are visible, accented by multi-colored glyphs adorning the sides of what appear to be massive termite hives in the distance. A floating mirror-like sphere rests in the southern edge of the platform, while a larger sphere floats in the center. The central sphere lacks the mirror-consistency of the gate and instead swallows the already dim light of the region like a black hole.
A shadow suddenly passes over the group as an umbral wyrmling passes over head before making a slow arching turn and landing before the Kobolds. "YOU DARE INTRUDE ON THE LAIR OF THE MIGHTY SHADRIXIS!!" it snarls at the kobolds.
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Athrax downs an elixir.
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