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Starday, Arodus 20th, 4710
The death worm
Around mid-morning on the second day of its journey, the adventurers’ caravan came upon an archeological site. A group of people were digging near a huge statue called the Crouching Jackal. It seemed they had discovered some buried ruins, including a tunnel entrance. The leader of this expedition was a dark-bearded dwarf named Gravlet Truther. Toba was very excited to see him, as he was one of her uncles. After the mysterious death of her father, Tib, when she was still a child, Toba had been raised by her uncles in Katapesh. Uncle Gravlet seemed suitably impressed with what Toba had become, solid as a block of stone and carrying a powerful-looking greataxe of black metal. He invited the travelers to rest for lunch, and they swapped tales.
The diggers of the area were awed to learn that they were in the presence of the heroes who had liberated Kelmarane and slain the Carrion King. The companions learned that some vultures had been spotted circling around an oasis to the east. They had not yet reached the Deep Well of Paradise where they needed to fight some undead, but there was still likely something noteworthy over there. As she talked to her uncle, Toba almost let slip that they had the Scroll of Kakishon in their possession, but she was quickly shushed by Fawzy.
After leaving the dig site, the caravan reached an oasis a few hours away. Indeed, there were vultures circling above it, and the four adventurers cautiously approached, leaving the other travelers behind. In the beach of the oasis, the companions saw the remains of a furious battle: several corpses of gnolls and hyenas littered the ground. They were badly mangled and seemed to have been the victims of a huge monstrous creature, which had among other things melted their bodies with acid. A large quantity of snapped ropes could be found nearby. Abdelmotaleb surmised that the gnolls had tried to capture something like a giant snake, but that their plan had backfired.
While the companions were searching the area for treasure or more signs of what had happened, the ground began to rumble, and soon, a monstrous worm of enormous size emerged from the earth. It began furiously attacking the adventurers, who retaliated with their powerful weapons. It was a difficult fight, as Toba and Fawzy were bitten by the creature, but they were able to defeated it, and it crashed to the ground. The adventurers weren’t sure what it had been, but they looted the gnolls’ treasure and returned to the caravan to get some help from the camels to move the worm’s carcass far from the water, so it wouldn’t get contaminated. As they did so, Garavel told them that he had seen the light of the sun glittering on something metallic on a faraway dune: someone else had watched the adventurers’ heroic fight against the gigantic worm.
That night, Zemeyset asked Fawzy and Kelonis to look at the scroll again, to continue his studies, but the others refused and said that it would be safer if it remained in Kelonis’s magical bag for now. A “Lord of the Rings”-like tension mounted between the old diviner and the elven cleric about the precious relic, but eventually, Zemeyset nodded and left the tent quietly.
Garavel finished his tale about the Firebleeder, how it had survived somehow the attacks of the Legion of Wands, and how it might one day come back to life if Rovagug made his way out of his prison. Toba was terrified to hear that all this time, the Firebleeder’s carcass slumbered below Pale Mountain, so close to Kelmarane.
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Sunday, Arodus 21st, 4710
Guardian of the Oasis
In the morning, the companions were informed that the guards who had stood watch during the night had heard some mysterious creatures stalking around the camp; but they had not been attacked. Abdelmotaleb checked for tracks around the camp and discovered those of two gnolls.
The rest of this third day of traveling went by without any trouble, until the caravan reached the oasis that had once been called the Deep Well of Paradise, but was now known as the Hell of Eternal Thirst by the travelers of the desert. Toba and Kelonis spotted a large flying creature circling the sky above them. The group once again left the bulk of the caravan behind and approached the dangerous oasis by themselves. The flying creature approached and landed near them. It was a lammasu, a great being with the body of a lion, the wings of an eagle and the head of a bearded man. It seemed very powerful and wise, and told them that he was the guardian of the oasis and could not allow them inside, for it was cursed. However, the companions were able to convince him that they were great heroes who had a chance to remove the curse.
The lammasu, who was called Assad Ashraf-Asim, looked at them in silence for a time, and agreed that they seemed powerful and that their intentions seemed pure. He also sensed the strange dual nature of Fawzy/Vardishal and was intrigued by it. He decided to let the companions explore the oasis. He told them that the two-headed giant that Gravlet had told them about had ceased to haunt the region some years ago, and that it had perhaps been slain by the paladin Fadiyah Al’Qirym. He also said that he had fought the four unholy imams of the oasis many times, and had defeated them, but as they were vampires, they had been reborn every night. He had not been able to find their sarcophagi. He also said that the source of the curse had been a vampire from the land of Geb. The heroes wondered if this villain was still hiding within the oasis…
Kelonis informed the group of the various ways of truly killing a vampire: by exposure to running water or to sunlight, or by staking them through the heart and then cutting their head after anointing them with holy water. Since the group had no holy water, and Kelonis lacked the powdered silver to create some, it seemed that sunlight was the group’s best option. If they could find the vampires’ sarcophagi and expose the sleeping vampires to sunlight, then they would truly be victorious where Assad had only been able to reach a stalemate. Since night was about to fall, the group decided to wait until the following morning to explore the oasis: doing so at night seemed like suicide.
The heroes took turns standing watch with the help of Garavel’s guards that night. From afar in the darkness of the oasis, they heard some strange cries and howls of madness… perhaps those of the four unholy imams themselves?
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Moonday, Arodus 22nd, 4710
Dawn’s Swift Burning
The following morning, the adventurers approached the oasis from the east, where they found an opening in the vegetation. They neared the central lake, noticing that the water was foul, oily and smelly. As they progressed, they were attacked by aggressive animals on a few occasions. While these beasts posed no real threat to the mighty heroes, they showed that nature itself was corrupted by the influence of the vampires.
On the two islands in the middle of the lake, and near a waterfall to the south, the adventurers caught glimpses of something shiny – perhaps gold. On the other side of the lake was a tall obelisk. Assad had told them it had once been blessed by Sarenrae, but that it had lost its holy powers when it had been defiled by the vampires. To the south, on a steep rise, they saw the ruins of the old temple of Sarenrae. They reached it by using a combination of climbing and magic. Within the shadows of the temple, they found an old bloodstain in the middle of which rested a beautiful sword decorated with sun symbols: the holy sword of Sarenrae. Standing watch in the temple, though, was an enormous two-headed skeleton: surely the remains of this ettin they had heard about!
As a fight began with the skeletal giant, a dark spectre emerged from the bloodstain on the floor. Alas, it appeared that the brave paladin Fadiyah had perished in this place, and that her soul had become corrupted by the foul influence as well. A brief battle followed where the adventurers spectacularly defeated the two undead enemies, destroying them without receiving a single wound. As she died, Fadiyah’s spirit was dragged, moaning painfully, back into the bloodstain. Guessing it was the source of her corruption, Kelonis cast a Remove Curse on the stain, causing it to disappear. The adventurers sensed that some of the evil had left this place, and that hopefully, the paladin’s soul had found rest at last. Toba took hold of Fadiyah’s sword, Dawn’s Swift Burning, a sword that was especially powerful under the light of the sun.
The group then left the temple and climbed back down. Fawzy swam through the foul water to the base of the waterfall, where he found a beautiful golden crown. However, just as he took it, three foul undead beings emerged from the water and attacked him. Four others soon appeared near the beach where Toba, Abdelmotaleb and Kelonis were waiting. The adventurers once again prevailed and destroyed these enemies, but Toba was bitten by one of them, and her wound seemed pretty bad – it risked growing infected…
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Moonday, Arodus 22nd, 4710 (continued)
Down the well
The adventurers explored the two islands in the middle of the lake and found some scattered treasure of gold and brass there, but no signs of the vampires. Next, they examined the burnt remains of a shrine and graveyard north of the lake. The gravestones had all been defiled by the undead. The group noticed a well that led into darkness. Using skill and magic, they made their way down the 40-foot-deep shaft and found themselves in a cool, dark, humid chamber that contained four sarcophagi. The heroes felt their hearts quicken as they realized they were in close proximity to the resting fiends. Since they weren’t sure exactly how to deal with the undead, and didn’t want to wake them up and risk getting their very lives drained, they cautiously climbed back up.
They found Assad the lammasu and spoke to him. He was pleased to hear that they had freed Fadiyah’s soul and recovered her holy blade. He promised to help them with his own divine spells the following day when they returned to fight the undead. Between him and Kelonis, they would be able to protect the entire party against energy drain.
So the group waited for the rest of the day along with the people of the caravan. Nori the merchant grumbled at this delay, but was quickly convinced that cleansing the oasis was important not only for the greater good, but for trade in Katapesh. Kelonis also took the time to properly cure the wounds Toba had taken while fighting the aquatic undead, to ensure she did not succumb to ghoul fever.
After sunset, around the campfire, Garavel told his companions the tale of the founding of the city of Katapesh, and the deal the humans had to make with a mysterious stranger wearing a red turban. It was rumored that alien sailors sometimes navigated between worlds and came to Katapesh to trade strange and dangerous merchandise. It was said that those strange and inhuman beings rewarded those who traded with them with rubies, but that when they were displeased with a trader who failed to provide some promised goods, they would claim the unfortunate’s soul and bring them, captive, to be sold on sinister and faraway shores.
The adventurers took turns standing watch during the night. There was no attack on the caravan, but the sounds of unholy prayers could be heard from within the dark jungle, and the wind carried the whispered name of Urgathoa, goddess of disease and undeath.
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Toilday, Arodus 23rd, 4710
The mark of Urgathoa
The following morning, the four companions returned to the well with Assad, who protected them with various blessings granted to him by Sarenrae. They returned to the dark chamber and tried to remove the lids as quietly as possible. Alas, the first one was heavier than expected and ground noisily against the rest of the sarcophagus, awakening the vampires. Kelonis, who had been standing ready, drove a wooden stake into the heart of the vampire sleeping in the open sarcophagus, but the three others emerged from their resting places as clouds of vapor, only to quickly rematerialize into their solid forms.
The men who had once been holy imams of Sarenrae were now gray-skinned and gaunt, with eyes that gleamed with a vile green light. They bared their fangs attacked the heroes. And yet, for all their menace, the undead were easily defeated, since the companions were protected from their deathly touch. One by one, the vampires were slain, causing them to return to gaseous form and seek shelter in their sarcophagi. Once the battle was over, the four adventurers opened all sarcophagi, where they found the wounded vampires, again in solid form, and put stakes in each of their hearts. Then, using some rope, they climbed back up and brought the vampires’ bodies with them. Under the merciless light of the sun, all four of the unholy imams were reduced to smoldering ashes… Their curse of undeath had been lifted at long last!
The group found some healing potions and a ring of sustenance among the vampires’ possessions. Despite this victory over the four fiends, the adventurers still felt a menace in the air and a foulness in the water. The oasis was still corrupted…
They traveled through the jungle toward the obelisk. Toba and Assad removed the circle of blackened skulls that surrounded it, and Kelonis blessed it to remove the taint of Urgathoa’s worshippers. It seemed the obelisk had been restored to its holy state, and the heroes felt a wave of security and well-being emanating from it.
The last element to cleanse seemed to be the central lake. During his time guarding the oasis, Assad had detected that a powerful source of evil seemed to emanate from the bottom of the central portion of the lake. Kelonis blessed Fawzy with the power to breather underwater, for the monk was the only one who was immune to the corrupted lake’s foul influence. Although it was an unpleasant task, Fawzy began to swim down and looked for the source of the evil. A Daylight spell had been cast on Tempest, so he could see well underwater. He finally located a mosaic of stones that had been arranged in the likeness of a fly, the unholy symbol of Urgathoa. Fawzy dispersed those stones, and even broke some of them, before swimming back to the rest of the group. As he did so, the companions began to notice that the water seemed to be slowly clearing up. It seemed that their job was done, and that the oasis had been restored to its sanctified state. Assad thanked them profusely and said he would remain for a while to ensure that the haven remained safe for travelers.
The group returned to the caravan and Abdelmotaleb spoke with Garavel, telling him this oasis should be claimed by Almah to profit from its good location and use. The bearded man nodded and said he would discuss it with the Pactmasters in a few days. That night, the heroes celebrated their victory. Toba took it a step further and consumed some pesh with the merchants Radi and Svert.
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Wealday, Arodus 24th, 4710
Fire and blood
The caravan began another day of traveling in the desert, leaving the oasis and Assad behind. Things were calm for most of the day, but in the afternoon, the travelers became aware of a dust cloud growing larger as if from another incoming caravan. They soon saw that in fact, it was a group of raiders quickly moving to attack! The enemies were mostly humans and gnolls, but they had a few hyenas with them, as well as an ettin. A few of the merchants screamed in panic, but Garavel and the adventurers remained calm and began preparations for the upcoming battle. They took a defensive position in front of the merchants and camels.
The raiders rushed the caravan, howling to the glory of Rovagug and the Carrion King. The back of the caravan was protected by Toba, Kelonis and three guards; a large group of gnolls, hyenas and the ettin advanced from that side. At the front stood Abdelmotaleb, Fawzy, Garavel and one more guard, protecting that flank against some black-robed human raiders armed with scimitars and bows.
“Fire in the hole!” yelled Toba as she threw a Fireball from her necklace, blasting more than half of the gnolls and some hyenas in a spectacular explosion.
A brutal battle began. Half of the human raiders charged, while the others fired arrows. Fawzy went to attack the hyena near the middle of the convoy. Abdelmotaleb and one guard shot at the raiders; Garavel and Hayia met the attackers in melee and tried to protect the archers. Fawzy killed some hyenas with some help from Kelonis, who attacked with his sword, as well as with a ghostly crossbow he had summoned with a spell. In the back, Toba threw another Fireball, and was hit by javelins and then the morningstar of the ettin. The three guards near her were wounded by the gnolls but fought back bravely. The gnoll leader, a large female, hung back behind her troops, casting Magic Missiles at Toba and Fawzy.
Many gnolls and human raiders died, the caravan guards all got wounded, but none of them fell. Most merchants were cowering behind their camels; Zemeyset was also hiding, not wanting to risk being hit by stray arrow. The only merchant who fought was Radi Hamdi, who backstabbed a gnoll with his spear.
Fawzy came to Toba’s help, circling around behind the ettin. Toba jumped up, cutting off one head with her black axe. The ettin’s remaining head roared in surprised anger but was then cut too! The enormous being crashed down to the ground; Fawzy barely avoided it. The female gnoll hissed in rage and cast a fire ray at the monk, but he dodged it and jumped at her. He struck the magic-casting gnoll, but she resisted his attempt to stun her. Toba and a guard came to Fawzy’s help. All the other gnolls were now dead, and on the other side of the battlefield, Abdelmotaleb and Garavel had routed the human raiders; only two of them who had managed to flee.
The gnoll leader stepped back and unleashed a wave of flames at Toba, Fawzy and the guard, but they survived the heat, and Fawzy punched her mercilessly, killing her. Abdelmotaleb cast a Longstrider spell and chased the fleeing raiders, also killing them.
Once again, the companions were victorious. Everyone in the caravan had survived and all the attackers had died. Kelonis healed everyone’s wounds. The soldiers and Garavel were proud to have fought at the side of the mighty Protectors of Kelmarane; the merchants were relieved to have been so well defended.
After a few more hours of traveling, the caravan stopped and rested for the night. In the evening, Garavel told another tale from Shazathared, the legendary and magnificent Marid poet. It was about the City of Brass, a dangerous merchant city on the plane of fire where cruel efreeti lived and used humans as slaves. But it was said that on rare occasions, great heroes from the material plane rose up to challenge them. Perhaps the Protectors of Kelmarane themselves would do so one day?
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Oathday, Arodus 25th, 4710
The thief
The caravan continued its journey through the desert for another day. By the end of it, they were less than one day away from their destination, Katapesh. Everyone was still in good spirit from the previous day’s victory, and no obstacles were faced this time. The caravan met a few other wandering merchants and pilgrims, but all were peaceful.
During the night, Fawzy and Kelonis took turns standing guard. During Fawzy’s watch, he heard a startled scream from Zemeyset’s tent, followed by a flash of light and a yelp of pain. The dark shape of a man came running out of the tent. Fawzy, who had been trained to run faster than any normal person, caught up with the thief and subdued him: it was Radi Hamdi the merchant and he had stolen Zemeyset’s backpack, which contained his spellbook. All of the travelers were woken up by the noise of this altercation, and were surprised by Radi’s actions. The adventurers tied him up and prepared to interrogate him.
Toba searched him and found some rubies. When asked if he was working for a man with a red turban, Radi shook his head and replied that he sometimes did jobs for Father Jackal. Toba informed the others that Father Jackal was a well-known crime boss in Katapesh. Radi had overheard Toba talking about the Scroll of Kakishon to Mother Temir in Kelmarane. Since then, he had wanted to steal it and sell it to Father Jackal. He believed it was surely worth tens of thousands of gold pieces… He said he simply hadn’t been able to resist such a temptation. When he had tried to steal the artifact from Zemeyset’s tent, he had triggered the Alarm spell that the wizard kept as protection every night. Anyway, the companions knew he’d had no chance to steal the scroll, since it wasn’t even kept by Zemeyset, but they kept that part quiet.
The group decided to turn him to the authorities. Radi tried to ask for their forgiveness, but even the normally merciful Fawzy wasn’t willing to grant it: trying to steal the Scroll of Kakishon was far too grave an offense…
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Fireday, Arodus 26th, 4710
Amwyr’s beauties
Near the end of the final day of the journey through the desert, the caravan came in view of Katapesh, the sprawling metropolis on the shore of the Obari ocean. All of them had been there at least once before, except for Abdelmotaleb. The size of the city and its crowded chaos were a bit overwhelming for the ranger, who made sure to keep Hayia coiled around his body to avoid any incidents. He also had to control himself when he spotted, amidst the thick crowd of merchants, pilgrims, beggars and soldiers, some gnoll slavers bringing their captured wares into the city. But he knew that attacking them in here would bring dire consequences.
The caravan made it through the gate some time later and parted with the merchants Nori and Svert, who thanked the heroes again for their protection. They brought the traitor Radi to the authorities, but left Garavel and his men in charge of handling the paperwork. Instead, the four adventurers and their old friend Zemeyset accompanied Amwyr Yuseifah back to his grand mansion. It was beautifully furnished, and a large group of slaves, servants and eunuchs welcomed their master home: it was clear that Amwyr was a very rich man.
Amwyr directed his slaves to tend to the adventurers’ needs before retreating to his quarter for some time to wash up and hear how his business had fared in his absence. Later, he met the companions again at his grand dining table, where the honored guests were treated to a sumptuous meal served by beautiful slave girls. Some of the women fanned the characters for their comfort, while others danced or sang for their entertainment.
After dinner, Amwyr gave each adventurer a bag containing a thousand gold pieces, as he had promised, and he also clapped his hands and motioned for his twelve most beautiful slaves to line up in front of the group. All of the women were extraordinarily gorgeous and wore only the strict minimum of clothes to remain barely decent. They were of various shapes, sizes and origins; most were human, but there was also a half-elf and a Halfling among them.
All of the companions, except for Kelonis, felt very awkward to be put in this situation, but they saw a chance to save some of these unfortunate women. They looked at them and spoke with them to get a better idea of which ones were most suitable to be set free. Abdelmotaleb had a hard time making his choice, as he knew that, upon his return to Kelmarane, he would have to face Undrella’s ire. These women here were all so beautiful that their sight would surely anger Undrella. In the end, he chose the golden-haired half-elf, a delicate flower with a beautiful singing voice and a talent for playing the lute. Amwyr winced when the ranger chose her: she was his most prized possession. That only confirmed to Abdelmotaleb that he had made the right choice.
Kelonis made his selection much more easily, quickly choosing a sultry, large-breasted beauty from Taldor.
Toba didn’t know who to pick, as she was oblivious to these women’s charms. Amwyr specialized in selling attractive female slaves, so there were no male dwarves available here. Toba tried to find a kind soul who worshiped Sarenrae. She picked one who seemed like a nice local Katapeshi girl who had been taken from her village by gnoll raiders.
Fawzy was morally opposed to owning a slave and already knew that he would merely set one of these women free while asking nothing in return. He tried to find a girl who could survive outside of slavery, and met a raven-haired woman with a fierce but muted beauty in her eyes. He learned that she hailed from Andoran and once served among the Gray Corsairs, a fleet that fought slave galleys and freed slaves being carried across the Inner Sea. Alas, ironically, she had been captured during a battle about a year ago, and forced into slavery where it had been expected she would fetch a tremendous price due to her great beauty. Fawzy, touched by her story, chose this woman.
The adventurers eventually left Amwyr’s mansion; it was now dark, and Zemeyset guided them to Rayhan’s abode, close to Castle Clarion, south of the city and outside the city walls. They finally reached the three-storey house, which was surrounded by a wall and a few smaller buildings. The old mage rang a bell, and a mute servant came to answer. Zemeyset knew him as Eramin, and asked to see his master. Fawzy noticed something strange in Eramin’s eyes, but the gray-haired man nodded and quietly opened the gate, leading the group through the garden to the main building of the estate. The heroes stepped inside a beautifully furnished living room and were greeted by a lovely young woman with short brown hair. She wore a light red robe and seemed as though she had been about to head to bed; despite the late arrival of the travelers, she received them with a warm smile, hugging Zemeyset like an old friend. The old man introduced her to the rest of the group as Kazim, the daughter of his old friend Rayhan.
Kazim seemed rather surprised to see such dangerous-looking guests in her home, especially since they brought with them four scantily-clad beauties with them. But when Zemeyset asked if he could speak with her father, Kazim’s smile faded and she burst into tears: she announced in between two sobs that Rayhan was dead!
Zemeyset was flabbergasted. Kazim informed him that he had passed away from of a terrible disease just a few months ago. She had been staying here since then, wondering what to do with the mansion and its extensive library. Zemeyset, once he had recovered from the shock of his old friend’s death, asked for Kazim’s hospitality and the permission to use Rayhan’s library to investigate an important magical artifact. Kazim nodded and said that Zemeyset and his companions were welcome to stay, but that she only had three guest rooms to offer. Some of them would have to go stay at the nearby Cliffside Inn.
After a brief discussion, it was decided that Zemeyset would stay at the villa, along with Kelonis, Fawzy and their two slaves. Abdelmotaleb and Toba, with their slaves, would stay at the inn. Kelonis still carefully kept the scroll in his magical bag, and it would be nearby for when Zemeyset would need to study it directly.
Since it was late, everyone got settled for the night. Fawzy was a gentleman and made no demands of his slave, Medra. They decided to sleep in the same bed, but both wore their clothes. They tried to fall asleep, but it was made difficult due to the sounds that emerged from Kelonis’s room. It was clear that the pragmatic elf had wasted no time in starting to “make use of” his slave Teski.
At the inn, Abdelmotaleb and Toba each booked one room for them and their slave. Abdelmotaleb felt a bit uncomfortable with the lovely half-elven girl, the shy Lirissa. He took the time to get to know her better and learned that she had been born into slavery and had been trained her entire life to be a perfect slave, from high-society etiquette to singing and playing the lute. What’s more, her virginity had been preserved, which explained among other things why Amwyr seemed so reluctant to part with her. Respectful of her delicate nature, Abdelmotaleb did not take advantage of her, only asking for a massage.
Meanwhile, Toba quickly discovered that her slave, Sarmara, was not the shy and devout worshipper of Sarenrae she had pretended to be back in Amwyr’s place. She seemed a lot wilder than that, and when she noticed that Toba carried some pesh in her pack, she suggested that they get high and have a laugh.
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Starday, Arodus 27th, 4710
Return of the blade
The following morning, the group met at Kazim’s place, where Eramin served everyone breakfast. They spoke more with Kazim, telling her about their adventures, but not mentioning the Scroll of Kakishon specifically. She seemed like a sweet girl and the companions learned that she was a follower of Abadar and a junior member of the Pathfinder Society, like Kelonis. She was not a wizard like her father, but did possess some magical powers, which she claimed came from her mother’s side, who apparently had some djinni ancestors. She was in fact a sorceress with some level of mastery over the element of air.
Later that morning, Fawzy, Kelonis and Toba went to the temple of Sarenrae, where they were rewarded for bringing back the holy sword, Dawn’s Swift Burning. Then, Kelonis went to visit the Pathfinder Lodge to report to the local venture-captain, Aurora Steelbloom. Toba went to visit her uncle Kipp at his shop. Meanwhile, Abdelmotaleb had remained behind at Kazim’s mansion. Not having the brains or the desire to take part in the research along with Zemeyset (who had already begun hungrily going through his deceased comrade’s library), Abdelmotaleb decided to relax in the huge bathroom. He was visited there by Toba’s slave, the lusty Sarmara, who had become particularly interested in the menacing ranger when Toba had warned her to stay away from him because he was “dangerous”. Abdelmotaleb grinned and fully enjoyed Sarmara’s company; she didn’t have wings or claws, but he could still have a lot of fun with her...
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Arodus 28th-Rova 6th, 4710
What is Kakishon?
During the following week, Zemeyset remained in Rayhan’s library for many hours every day, tirelessly poring over ancient manuscripts to try and figure out the purpose of the Scroll of Kakishon. Meanwhile, the rest of the group worked hard to sell the large quantity of valuables and weapons they had looted during their adventures. Katapesh was the best city imaginable to do something like that. It was full of life at all hours of the day and night, and the companions found themselves constantly surrounded by a myriad of chaotic sights, sounds and smells both pleasant and repulsive. They met with countless merchants as they strove to sell their things, and looked for powerful magical items they might buy to add to their arsenal. Beggars also frequently hounded them, and Fawzy gently gave away some of his hard-earned money to these desperate people.
Kelonis was especially suited for these mercantile deeds, as he was not only gifted of a quick wit and a talent for negotiation, but he even saw this activity as something sacred to his religion. Kazim also came with him, as her knowledge of the city was quite extensive, and she was also a good haggler. Fawzy and Toba tagged along, not really taking part in the haggling, but acting as porters and bodyguards, for the streets of Katapesh were rarely safe, especially when carrying treasure.
Fawzy and Kazim ended up spending a lot of time together and saw in each other a kindred soul, for they were both idealists who dreamed of the betterment of mankind. Fawzy helped the young woman deal with the recent loss of her father, sharing his own sad story of how his father had been corrupted into a vile undead, and how he had released his soul by slaying Xulthos.
Kelonis presented a detailed report of his adventures to the Pathfinder Society, only omitting to mention the Scroll of Kakishon. Indeed, the adventurers were quite worried about keeping the presence of the scroll secret, fearing that it could be stolen. They wanted to wait at least until they knew what it really did before speaking of it to the Pathfinders. Kelonis seemed to enjoy the slave he had received from Amwyr. The magnificent Teski tended to her new master’s desires in the bedroom every evening, but Kelonis also told her to help Eramin around the mansion during the day. She obeyed without a word, although she definitely did not enjoy the chores.
Fawzy was much kinder to his slave: he gave almost a hundred gold pieces to Medra so she could buy a weapon and find a ship that would lead her back to Andoran. Indeed, she wanted to join the Gray Corsairs again, as she still firmly believed in their noble goal despite her unpleasant experience of captivity. If anything, it had only strengthened her beliefs. She asked Fawzy to join her, but he couldn’t accept, as he was too badly needed here in Katapesh. They spent one night together where Medra got a chance to properly “thank” Fawzy for all he had done, and the following day, she left for Andoran.
Zemeyset made some progress with his studies and found that Kakishon was actually a magical realm created long ago by Nex: a different world shaped to be like a paradise, a retreat for the archmage. He was very excited, as it meant that perhaps Nex had taken shelter in that place all those millennia. Zemeyset was convinced that the Scroll of Kakishon could be used to open a gate to that mystical realm: if he could unlock this secret, the companions could travel to this otherworldly paradise and meet with Nex himself, the greatest mage who ever lived!
In fact, Zemeyset surmised that this was exactly what Andrathi had done five hundred years ago. He suspected that he had not directly used the Scroll of Kakishon to destroy Jhavhul as had first been believed. Rather, he had probably used the scroll to travel to Kakishon and had learned there some of Nex’s most powerful spells, either from the man himself or from ancient tomes he had left there.
Alas, it seemed that Andrathi had been forced to learn the spells too quickly, which had caused his untimely demise when he had destroyed Jhavhul. The war had been going on, and he had not had the luxury of studying the complex magic at his leisure. But now was a time of peace in Katapesh. There would be time to fully explore and enjoy the pleasures of Kakishon. Zemeyset smiled and assured his friends that they had some good times ahead of them.
Now that they knew the nature of the scroll, the group decided that Kelonis could present this to the Pathfinder Society. He began making preparations with Kazim for a reception at the mansion and the entertainment of the honored guests.
Meanwhile, Garavel had done his business in Katapesh, negotiating various things with the Pactmasters and trading some goods in the big city. He was now ready to return to Kelmarane. Since they weren’t sure how much longer Zemeyset’s research would take or how long they would remain in Kakishon, the companions asked Garavel to return to Kelmarane without them and bade him farewell.
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Toilday, Rova 7th, 4710
The reception
That evening, the most eminent Pathfinders of the region were received at Kazim’s mansion. Their leader was Venture-Captain Aurora Steelbloom, a tall and lithe half-elf woman with long blonde hair and a cheerful attitude that belied her position of authority. Also present were Marzuk Mus’ad, an elegant man with a thin beard; Badra, a serious-looking woman of great beauty, dressed in a red gown; and Tamir, a tough-looking bald Halfling dressed in purple.
Kazim played well the role of hostess, although she remained politely in the background as the heroes were the points of focus for the evening. Marzuk and Badra seemed to somewhat look down on Kazim since she was only a junior member of their order; they were much more interested in what Kelonis had to say, and also to meet the rest of his adventuring group. Fawzy and Zemeyset helpfully replied to many questions, but Abdelmotaleb and Toba felt out of their elements in this fancy reception and mostly remained silent.
During dinner, most of the discussion surrounded the past adventures of the Protectors of Kelmarane and the nature of Kakishon and Nex. The slave girls Teski and Sarmara helped Eramin to serve the guests while Lirissa played beautiful music on her lute. Marzuk drank way too much and was soon flirting outrageously with Sarmara, who seemed to appreciate the attention. Badra sneered at him, while Tamir entertained everyone with his seemingly endless collection of jokes.
After dinner, the guests were led back to the downstairs living room, where Kelonis spoke about the nature of Kakishon. He presented everyone with some well-scribed parchments explaining the main elements of his theory. He believed that it lay beyond the means of any mortal spellcaster – even one as powerful as Nex – to create another world of such magnitude as Kakishon was supposed to be. He believed that only the gods themselves, or creatures of ancient and strange races could perform such a feat. He therefore surmised that perhaps Nex had imprisoned a god or some members of those races and had controlled them into creating Kakishon for him. He also explained that in other worlds, magic could work very differently, and that even time could pass at a different rate than on the material plane.
Afterwards, Toba, Fawzy and Abdelmotaleb entertained the guests with spectacular displays of weapon skill. They all performed exceptionally well, and it was clear that everyone was most impressed. Finally, Zemeyset showed the Pathfinders the fabled Scroll of Kakishon. Aurora and Tamir’s eyes widened in amazement at seeing this incredible relic. Badra also seemed impressed, but there was a strong edge of jealousy in her eyes – why couldn’t she be the one to have found it? So late in the evening, Marzuk wasn’t all that interested in ancient scrolls anymore, and was instead spending his time kissing Sarmara behind a large potted plant.
Later, the guests left, very pleased with what they had seen. It was clear that Kelonis’s future in the Pathfinder Society looked bright indeed – assuming he didn’t perish horribly in Kakishon for some reason. Aurora warmly thanked the adventurers for bringing this fantastic discovery to her attention, and she assured them that she would keep its presence quiet until they wished it to be revealed to the Decemvirate, the grand masters of the Pathfinders. As they said their good-byes, Fawzy complimented Badra on her exquisite beauty. The gorgeous woman smiled confidently, as it seemed that she often received such praises from admirers. But at the same time, Fawzy noticed that Kazim looked away with a hurt look in her eyes. It seemed that perhaps she had feelings for him, but that she felt insecure being in the presence of more attractive women such as Badra or Amwyr’s slaves.
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Oathday, Rova 9th, 4710
A traitor among the Pathfinders!
Fawzy was meditating in the garden of Kazim’s villa at night. One day had gone by since the feast with the Pathfinders, and Zemeyset was still busy researching the realm of Kakishon. He and Fawzy were the only people who were awake at this late hour: Kazim, Kelonis and Teski slept in their bedrooms, Eramin in his small cabin, and Abdelmotaleb and Toba were at the Cliffside Inn. While Zemeyset was kept up by his obsession with Kakishon, Fawzy’s ring of sustenance had finally begun to take effect, and now, the monk needed only to sleep two hours every day, and didn’t even need to eat anymore.
It had been a quiet night so far, and Fawzy felt peace within himself, and without as well, as the soft nocturnal breeze rustled the leaves of the garden’s trees. Suddenly, though, the silence was broken by the scream of a woman. It was a scream of fear and surprise, and it was quickly followed by another scream of pain. Fawzy immediately got to his feet; the screams had come from Kelonis’s room: it must be Teski, his slave, who was in distress!
Fawzy wasted no time and jumped up, crashing through the window into Kelonis’s dark bedroom. He couldn’t see much, but there were several shadowy shapes in the room. Some of them held knives whose blades glittered dimly in the moonlight. One of the shapes was lying on the ground, and two others were struggling against each other on the bed. Fawzy felt some movement to his right: one of the assailants was attacking him! He dodged a stab from the knife, and punched wildly at his attacker. The blows connected, and the enemy fell to the floor.
Fawzy turned toward the struggling figures and understood that Kelonis had drawn his blade and was fighting for his life. Fawzy came to his help and knocked out his enemy. The elf then hurried toward the shape lying on the ground and murmured a quick prayer to Abadar: he was healing the knife wound that Teski had been dealt. Then, he cast another spell, and the chains of Tempest began glowing softly. Fawzy could now see that their two enemies had been black-clad human assassins. Kelonis and Teski were both naked, but now was not the time to worry about modesty. Teski’s abdomen was covered in blood, but it seemed that Kelonis had fully closed the wound and restored her to health.
The door leading to the living room was open, and Fawzy feared that Kazim and Zemeyset might also be in danger.
“Go, I’ll take care of things over here,” said Kelonis, holding Teski against him to comfort her. He also indicated his handy haversack with a nod. It lay at the foot of his bed, and both men knew it contained the Scroll of Kakishon, their most precious possession.
Fawzy rushed to the living room, and noticed at the last moment that three men awaited him there in ambush. Moving as fast as lightning, he struck them with his fists and feet in a flurry of blows that left them all lying on the floor, unconscious. Only a moment later, the door to Kazim’s room opened and two more black-clad assassins came out. One of them carried the unconscious form of the young woman over his shoulder. Once again, Fawzy struck quickly and fell the first man. But the second one quickly grabbed Kazim and placed a dagger at her throat.
“Move and she dies!” he growled at the monk.
“Surrender!” said a commanding voice from behind Fawzy. It was Kelonis.
The man was immediately overcome by the magical power of Kelonis’s voice, and he lowered his weapon, giving Fawzy the opportunity he needed. The monk struck, but against this man and the previous one, who had dared to harm Kazim, he used lethal force.
Leaving Kazim in the care of his elven friend, Fawzy quickly climbed up the stairs toward the library. There, two more assassins tried to ambush him. Fawzy was lightly wounded by one of their knives, and while he was fighting them, he noticed that Zemeyset was nowhere to be seen. The papers of his desk littered the ground as if a struggle had taken place. Near the desk was a small form also dressed in black, who carried a bulging bag over its shoulder. As it turned to look at him, Fawzy recognized the ugly, bald head of Tamir the Pathfinder under the hood of the black cloak.
“S$&#!” exclaimed the Halfling before reading a scroll and vanishing.
Fawzy beat up his opponents and tried in vain to locate Tamir, in case the Halfling had gone invisible. He called for help, and Kelonis, Teski, and a newly revived Kazim came up. Unfortunately, neither spellcaster was able to locate the Halfling, although they noticed that one of the skylights in the ceiling was open. It seemed that Tamir had disappeared, and so had Zemeyset. But at least, they still had the Scroll of Kakishon.
This time, it’s personal
Kelonis and Teski returned downstairs to get dressed, and then they helped Fawzy and Kazim to round up and secure the prisoners. A few minutes later, the old servant Eramin showed up in the living room, looking scared and holding a knife. At least he had not been attacked. In all, there had been nine assassins, two of which were now dead. All seven others had been spared by Fawzy and were now unconscious. Searching them, the companions found some rubies: could they also be working for Father Jackal, just like Radi Hamdi?
Kazim went off into the night to go warn Abdelmotaleb, Toba and the Zephyr Guard about what had happened here. Meanwhile, Kelonis revived three of the assassins and questioned them. Two refused to answer, but one of them offered a few pieces of information in exchange for his freedom. He indeed worked for Father Jackal, whose lair was at the One Source merchants’ guild in the docks district. They had come here to try and steal a valuable magical item. Tamir had been leading the operation and had magically transported some of them on the roof. They had wanted to take the scroll from the old wizard there, but had been surprised not to find it in the library. Meanwhile, the rest of the assassins had snuck inside the house from the main entrance under the effect of a silence spell – which explained why Fawzy had not heard them.
When asked why Zemeyset had been captured, the thug shrugged and said he would probably be questioned and used for ransom. Tamir had likely placed him in his magical bag. The Halfling had also ordered for the rest of the guests to be captured and their belongings searched for an ancient scroll. While the thugs had been creeping around the bedrooms, Teski had heard them, and had alerted Fawzy and Kelonis with her screams.
Kelonis asked the man what kind of guardians Father Jackal had working for him, he heard about “the boss, a lady with two weird birds that can turn people into stone”, more thugs, Khair Al’Din (a powerful war priest), a mummy, some fish-men and a mysterious and very dangerous monster lurking beneath the water in a cave that “even the fish-men were scared of”.
Once he felt the man had revealed everything useful he knew, Kelonis respected his promise and let him go. Soon after, Abdelmotaleb and Toba arrived at the mansion and were brought up to speed. Some time later, Kazim also returned, bringing a patrol of Zephyr Guard with her. The adventurers explained to the soldiers what had happened, including the abduction of Zemeyset, but omitting to mention the Scroll of Kakishon or the link to the One Source guild. The guards checked to make sure everything was all right and assured Kazim and her guests that they would take care of things. Then they left, taking the six remaining prisoners and the two dead bodies with them.
But in fact, the companions did not want to leave the matter to the guards. It felt personal, and they believed they would know no rest until Father Jackal was dealt with. What’s more, Zemeyset’s life was in great danger. They decided to attempt a rescue operation themselves.
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Tamir’s case
The four companions, with Kazim at their side, first went to the Pathfinder Lodge. Indeed, Kelonis was seething with anger at Tamir’s treachery. Kelonis was very strict about obeying the rules of his order, and it greatly annoyed him that so many of his peers acted chaotically and only used their position within the guild to rob tombs and acquire treasure for themselves.
Even though it was still dark outside, the companions were allowed inside, and after a few minutes, Aurora Steelbloom came to see them. She had been roused from sleep but had taken the time to don her armor and arm herself. She listened to the adventurers’ tale and her eyes narrowed in anger when she heard about Tamir’s treachery. Yet she did not sound very surprised: there were always some shadier individuals among any group of Pathfinders, and Tamir was definitely one of the least trustworthy at the Katapesh Lodge. What the companions told her seemed to match what she knew, because her agents had told her that indeed, Tamir had frequently visited that One Source warehouse in recent months. But of course, she had not suspected that it was the lair of the infamous Father Jackal.
Aurora told Kelonis and Kazim that rescuing Zemeyset from the clutches of the crime boss sounded like a great job for two of her most zealous and trustworthy agents: themselves. She wished them good luck and assured them that Tamir would be taken into custody if he had the nerve to return to the lodge, but she believed that such an event would be highly unlikely.
The Jackal’s Price
Next, the companions headed to the dock district and observed the One Source building for some time, as the sun was slowly coming up. There were several large double-doors leading into the warehouse, and a smaller door leading into the offices. As they day started, they saw some activity beginning as several slaves and their overseers came out of the building to load crates into carts.
Yet, the group feared that the city guard would harshly punish them if they attacked members of a merchant guild. They decided to try and negotiate first. Kelonis wrote a note telling Father Jackal that they wanted to negotiate, and to meet them at a nearby tavern. Fawzy took the note and went to knock at the door to the office. A rough-looking man answered and took his note, and the monk noticed some recognition in his eyes. Most likely, the staff of the warehouse had been informed of the adventurers’ descriptions.
Fawzy and the rest of the group then headed to a nearby tavern, where they cautiously waited for Father Jackal as they had breakfast. After about an hour, a young boy came in and gave Toba a piece of parchment, before leaving. Kelonis practically tore it out of the confused dwarf’s grasp and read it first before handing it out to the others.
“Your friend is now my guest in my lair. If you would see him alive again, you will agree to my price. I want the Scroll of Kakishon – you would surely agree that a life is more than fair a trade for such a treasure, yes? Place the scroll in a box, weight the box with stones, place a light spell on the box, and throw the box into the sea from Kazim’s villa tomorrow at sunset. When I have the scroll, your friend will be returned unharmed. If I do not receive the scroll by sunset, your friend’s blood is on your hands.
Father Jackal”
Yet it was clear to the companions that they did not wish to part with the scroll. If they had been worried about it falling into Zayifid’s hands, they were convinced that it would be even worse for it to fall into Father Jackal’s hands instead. There seemed to be only one course of action left open for them: going into the warehouse and rescuing Zemeyset by force.
Raiding the One Source
Before going in, the party returned to Kazim’s villa and the Cliffside Inn to fetch their slaves. They gave them the task of distracting the Zephyr Guard so that they wouldn’t patrol close to the warehouse; a task that would hopefully be made easier by their jaw-dropping beauty.
Then, the five companions entered the One Source building through one of the double-doors. Inside, the enormous warehouse was filled with wooden crates. Around twenty slaves worked hard at packing, unpacking and moving things, under the watchful eyes of six mean-looking thugs armed with whips and long knives. Directing slaves and thugs alike was a beautiful silver-haired woman with the pointed ears of a half-elf. She wore a glittering chainshirt and a magnificent purple cloak, and there was a rapier at her side. In one hand, she held the leashes of two ugly birds that looked like reptilian, overgrown chicken, but which the adventurers immediately recognized at cockatrices. Kelonis had warned them ahead of time that they could turn to stone with a touch, and that they should be avoided at all costs.
The half-elven woman turned to face the companions once she became aware of their presence, and seemed to recognize them. Her thugs got ready for battle, and the slaves cautiously walked away. The adventurers said they came for Zemeyset, but the lady did not seem to be open for negotiations. She released her cockatrices and ordered her men to attack.
Kazim was the first to react, and she wove the currents of air around the group to magically enhance their speed. Toba, Fawzy, Hayia and Kelonis strode forward and engaged the thugs in battle. Abdelmotaleb unleashed his deadly projectiles, and within a few moments, the half-elven woman fell to the ground with five arrows lodged into various vital parts of her anatomy.
The battle was swift and brutal. Both cockatrices attacked Toba, but the dwarf nimbly dodged their attacks. Both birds were slain by Abdelmotaleb’s arrows, and soon, only two thugs remained standing, all other enemies having been slaughtered. The two survivors surrendered and were captured by the companions. Fawzy told the slaves to escape the warehouse. Although he knew that they would still not be considered free men in Katapesh, as it cost fifty gold pieces to earn one’s citizenship, they would be in no danger from Father Jackal anymore.
Briefly questioning the ruffians, the companions learned that Father Jackal’s lair was underground and could be reached via a trap door in the lady’s bedroom, in the offices part of the building. The group left the two bound thugs in the warehouse and headed toward the door leading to the offices.
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Oathday, Rova 9th, 4710 (continued)
Below the warehouse
The group explored the offices of the One Source merchant guild warehouse. They found a storage room with some smuggled goods, where Abdelmotaleb and Kelonis spent some time arguing whether to keep these valuable items for themselves or to give them to the authorities, as indicated by the law of Katapesh. Also in that room was a sarcophagus that contained some human remains that had been desecrated with excrements and animal carcasses.
Another room contained some papers about the One Source business, and beyond it, in a room that served to house the cockatrices, the group found a trap door leading down. The underground tunnels below the warehouse were dimly lit by torches. In the first room, a dormitory, the companions captured a sleeping man who also worked for Father Jackal. They questioned him and learned that Father Jackal and likely Zemeyset as well were in a far section of the complex, beyond a bridge in a water cave. They learned that the red-turban-wearing stranger was called the Captain of the Sunset Ship and was currently nearby, a guest of Father Jackal. The captured man also said that the mummy upstairs, Nubkaura Inyotef VIII had killed his father, Nubkaura Inyotef VII on the day he had ascended to adulthood. “Eight” had apparently been a vile monster even in life, as he sacrificed awakened animals and his own concubines to dark powers. Nevertheless, it was his father, “Seven”, who had risen up as a mummy and had taken a habit of frequently desecrating his son’s remains for vengeance.
Shortly after they let the man go as per their agreement, the companions heard the sounds of more people approaching the barracks. Five more thugs entered the room, where they were ambushed and quickly defeated by the adventurers.
Continuing their exploration, the companions found a room that contained an ornate and empty sarcophagus, and then they went to a storage room that featured four mysterious statues: one of a spider-headed man holding spiders, with three devilish beings kneeling before it. Those last three were in fact gargoyles who attacked the group, but were slain without doing any serious harm.
Next, the party entered a large cavern filled with an underground lake. Abdelmotaleb spotted a few fish heads observing them from the shadowy waters and shot one of them. The group then headed north and passed through a simple dining room, then approached a room with a locked door. Toba “picked” the lock (with her greataxe) very noisily and the group entered a strange bedroom that featured an altar to Rovagug that was covered in dried blood. In a corner of the room, a skinny dog was bound tightly and eyed the companions with fearful eyes.
Tamir strikes again
While Abdelmotaleb was trying to calm down the beast, the group was attacked from behind. Kelonis and Kazim, who were still in the hallway, bore the brunt of the damage at first. The assailants were a man in plate armor and who wielded a greataxe, as well as Tamir. Kazim was badly wounded by a Spiritual Weapon that the man cast at her, and Kelonis was wounded by the man’s real axe as well. Tamir summoned a Hellhound who attacked Kazim from behind, and then he shot bolts of fire at Kelonis from his wand.
Kelonis eventually retreated into the room and channeled healing energy on his companions. Fawzy took his place and attacked the armored priest of Rovagug while Toba came to Kazim’s aid against the Hellhound. After a brutal battle, Fawzy struck down the war-priest Khair. Abdelmotaleb shot an arrow in Tamir’s chest, and the Halfling fled. Covering his escape, three ghouls attacked Fawzy in the dining room, but the monk tumbled past them and ran after the Halfling, entering a disgusting temple to Rovagug that was decorated with two mounds of corpses. The air was quite foul, but he hurried toward a far door that opened into a long tunnel. At the end of that tunnel was a closed door. Yet Tamir was nowhere in sight!
Fawzy returned to the rest of the group to find that the Hellhound and the ghouls had been slain. Kelonis healed everyone’s wounds, and the group looted Khair’s equipment and set the dog free after calming it down and feeding it. They went to the temple of Rovagug and down the hallway, whose far door was now open – was it Tamir who had opened it?
They emerged into another cave with a lake. A sturdy wooden bridge could be used to reach the other side, but of more immediate interest was the small rocky island in the middle of the water which bore a glowing sword. Kelonis used his magical powers to teleport to the small island… and fell into the water with a loud splash!
The rest of the group wondered what the hell had happened, and they saw some dim multi-colored lights flashing below the surface of the water. An instant later, Kelonis reappeared in their midst, dripping wet, and he collapsed to the ground.
“Weakened… Get me away… From the water…” he gasped.
Fawzy and Toba took hold of him and dragged him back to the hallway. Abdelmotaleb tried to cure him with a wand of Cure Light Wounds, but to no avail. After a minute or so, Kelonis regained his strength and said that the island had been immaterial and he had passed right through it. Below the water, a strange monster had attacked him: a spherical aberration with a huge eye in the center of its body and two more eyes at the end of tentacles, which could all fire magical rays of energy. He had barely survived the onslaught before teleporting back among the group. None of the companions knew what this mysterious creature was, but now they understood why the thug that Kelonis had questioned in Kazim’s villa had been so wary of the “thing living in the lake”.
The group returned to the cave and Kelonis summoned a dog, whom he sent to walk over the bridge. The unfortunate canine was attacked when the lake monster, a hideous, glistening ball with tentacles and pincers, paralyzed it with its eyes and grabbed hold of it in its claws. As the monster dove back underwater, it was hit by an arrow from Abdelmotaleb.
The group then hurried to the other side: Fawzy, by running over the bridge, Kelonis, by using a Dimension Door to bring him, Kazim and Toba on the other side, and Abdelmotaleb, by climbing on the cave’s ceiling with his magical slippers.
On the small rocky beach on that side of the lake, a door led deeper into the dungeon. Toba again used her axe to break it down, and the group entered the hallway beyond...
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Oathday, Rova 9th, 4710 (continued)
Rescuing Zemeyset
Abdelmotaleb examined the ground of the tunnel carefully and noticed many frequent and recent tracks: some were of human feet, some of a Halfling’s feet (surely Tamir), and others were those of some strange humanoid he couldn’t quite identify. What’s more, he saw the signs of a body being dragged to the door on the right: could it be where Zemeyset had been brought?
Toba once again used her greataxe to “unlock” the two doors leading to a prison room. Inside, within a shallow, stinking pit whose bottom was filled with a layer of filth and which was covered by a thick metal grate that required more “lock picking” with the axe, the party found Zemeyset. He was dirty, bruised and unconscious. After being revived by Kelonis’s magic, the old mage thanked his companions for saving him. He confirmed he had been attacked by Tamir and his goons the night before, and that he had been brought here, where he had been interrogated by Tamir, Khair and a bearded man with a long brown coat who was surely Father Jackal. Thankfully, his will had been strong, and he had refused to answer their questions about the location and the functionality of the Scroll of Kakishon.
Since Zemeyset was in no shape to fight, Kelonis used a Dimension Door spell to bring him to the safety and comfort of an inn where he could rest until they (hopefully) defeated Father Jackal, and then he returned to his companions with another such spell. The group considered laying an ambush for Father Jackal in the prison room, but after a brief discussion, decided to continue exploring the dungeon instead.
The next room they visited contained a magnificent black and gold rug, as well as four statues of a jackal-headed man. The group carefully made its way through the room, trying not to touch the rug, but as they did so, the statues began shrieking in alarm, surely alerting Father Jackal and his minions of their arrival (if for some reason they were so hard of hearing that they hadn’t heard the cacophony of Toba bashing through three locks in recent minutes).
Three doors led out of the room, and the group went left. It led to a nicely furnished living room, where a strange-looking creature was playing cards while sitting on a sofa. It was dressed in a long robe and wore a red turban. It looked mostly humanoid, but closer inspection showed that its limbs seemed unlike those of a human, and the texture of its skin and the shape of its eyes were most inhuman indeed. The adventurers made a link between this creature and the red-turban-wearing being mentioned in one of Garavel’s tales.
The being didn’t seem hostile and introduced himself as the Captain of the Sunset Ship. He was a customer of Father Jackal, but seemed displeased with the crime lord’s ability to deliver on its promises. The Captain seemed to be aware of the adventurer’s identities already, and also of the fact that they had the Scroll of Kakishon in their possession. He offered to buy the artifact for a sum of fifty thousand gold pieces, but the adventurers refused. The Captain seemed disappointed but let it go at that. A brief discussion revealed that the Captain came from a world called Leng, and traveled across various worlds aboard his magical ship. He came to Katapesh every few years. When asked if he had anything to do with the founding of Katapesh, or what was the race of the Pactmasters, he remained very elusive. The companions briefly searched the following room, which the Captain had said was Father Jackal’s bedroom. They were surprised to find that it was nothing more than a filthy den that seemed to be used more by an animal than by a human. In a wicker basket, they found Zemeyset’s stolen items, including his spellbook.
Against Father Jackal
Next, the group went south through a pair of double-doors. They entered an enormous temple with a gigantic idol of Rovagug to their left, and a large opening in the right wall that led into a dark cavern. In the temple waited three people: a bearded man that matched Father Jackal’s description, Tamir, and a mummy dressed like an ancient lord of Osirion. At the sight of the approaching adventurers, Father Jackal cravenly began apologizing for the way things had turned out, and begging the group to spare his life. The companions agreed to take him and Tamir as prisoners instead of killing them, but they weren’t willing to let the mummy go, as it was an evil undead. A brief discussion followed where Nubkaura Inyotef VIII argued with Abdelmotaleb about the nature of mummies and the desire of every human being of avoiding death after a brief existence of a few mere decades.
Yet the inevitable combat soon began. Father Jackal had never planned on surrendering, in fact, he had just been trying to get closer to the group to use his magical sleep-inducing gaze. As he did so, he transformed into a monstrous half-man, half-jackal creature. Kazim and Hayia the snake met his gaze and fell asleep. Toba drew her axe and found herself facing Father Jackal himself. Kelonis and Fawzy attacked the mummy, who was also being shot by Abdelmotaleb. Meanwhile, Tamir stayed further back in the temple, hiding behind a pillar and shooting his wand of scorching ray.
Father Jackal let out a high-pitched scream, and from the darkened cave to the west, a muffled roar answered. The companions heard the sounds of a large creature slithering toward the temple in the darkness. Soon, this battle would get even deadlier!
Abdelmotaleb’s mighty arrows struck true, and soon, Nubkaura Inyotef VIII was slain for good by the undead-hating ranger. Father Jackal, however, was much more resilient, and by a combination of agility, armor and magic, he avoided most of the adventurers’ attacks. In the mean time, he struck powerful blows with his axe, and bit with his jackal’s maw as well.
Suddenly, a monstrosity straight out of a madman’s nightmare emerged from the cavern and into the temple. It looked like a gigantic skull in a mass of green gelatin, made mobile by a cluster of thick and foul-looking purple tentacles. The creature began attacking Fawzy, causing damage not only with its tentacles, but also with the acid that coated its head. When Fawzy struck back, he suffered greatly from the acid, as he had to hit with his bare limbs. The unfortunate monk soon found himself grappled and badly wounded. Father Jackal positioned himself for some dirty attacks against Fawzy, who soon lost consciousness from the multiple wounds he had suffered despite his ki-fueled defense.
Kelonis was also grappled by the monster, but he channeled energy to his companions, healing his own wounds and theirs as well. Fawzy regained consciousness and drank a healing potion to try and recover. Meanwhile, Abdelmotaleb had been kicking Hayia and Kazim as he shot arrows, and they had also recovered their senses. Kazim cast a Haste spell on everyone, and Hayia went to help Toba against Father Jackal.
During this time, Tamir had been casting Scorching Rays at the party with his now smoking and almost depleted wand. Abdelmotaleb shot several arrows at the skull-headed monster, causing massive damage, but it was Kazim who finished it off with a volley of Magic Missiles. The thing crumbled to the ground in a vile mess of gelatinous tentacles.
“No!! The Emkrah!! This cannot be!!” roared Father Jackal.
He began attacking the adventurers with renewed rage, and behind a pillar, Tamir shot Kazim with a well-aimed Scorching Ray. Badly burned, the young woman responded with her own air magic and shocked the Halfling with a bolt of electricity. Tamir shuddered in pain, with smoke coming out of his ears. A moment later, Fawzy stood up from where he had been prisoner in the coils of the Emkrah’s tentacles, and he rushed Father Jackal, hitting his head with a mighty kick. The crime lord’s spine snapped, and he fell to the ground, dead.
Tamir immediately threw his wand down to the ground. “I surrender!” he said, holding his hands up in the air.
Only an instant later, he was riddled with arrows by Abdelmotaleb and fell to the floor, where a pool of blood started forming around his small corpse.
“Why did you do that??” asked Kazim to the ranger, her eyes wide with surprise and anger. “He had surrendered!”
“Oh really?” said the Abdelmotaleb, feigning ignorance. “I hadn’t heard. Sorry about that.”
The Jackal is dead
The companions had survived a deadly fight against the dreadful Father Jackal and the mysterious skull-headed monster he had called an ‘Emkrah’. After healing their wounds, they searched the corpses of their foes, and as they did so, the Captain of the Sunset Ship came to see them and once again offered to buy the scroll for a large sum of money. When the group turned down his offer again, he told them they could come to his ship at a later time to see if they wanted to buy anything from his unusual wares.
Abdelmotaleb looted the pearls from the many eyes of Rovagug’s statue. The companions finished searching the dungeon, noticing that the watery monster from the second underground lake (which Zemeyset had called an ‘Eye of the Deep’ when told about it) had left the area, but only after killing the fish-men of the first lake.
The companions went back above ground and went to retrieve Zemeyset from the inn, and sought out their slaves as well. It seemed that Teski and Sarmara had done a good job of distracting the Zephyr Guards away from the One Source warehouse, but Lirissa hadn’t been as canny as her colleagues, and had gotten arrested for misdemeanor. Abdelmotaleb, fuming, went to the closest garrison and paid a fine to have her released. It was clear to him that he needed to teach the too-sheltered girl a few things about how the real world worked.
Everyone spent the rest of the day relaxing at Kazim’s villa. They had been through much danger since their rude awakening the previous night, and they all needed some time to rest. But most of all, they were happy to know that Zemeyset and the Scroll of Kakishon would never be threatened by Father Jackal again.
Fireday, Rova 10th, 4710
The Captain’s wares
The following day, Zemeyset resumed his study of the Scroll of Kakishon. He believed that within a few days, he would be able to unlock its secret, and the group would be able to travel to that world and hopefully find ancient secrets, fabulous wealth, and perhaps even what had become of the archmage Nex.
In the morning, the group identified and split up the loot they had found during their attack of Father Jackal’s base. Then, they went to see the Captain of the Sunset ship to sell him some of the items and to see what he had to offer. Many of his products were intriguing, but quite expensive. The companions were interested by a globe that showed a view of Kelmarane (and could be shaken so it looked like the city was besieged by some kind of fiery doom), but it was too expensive to be seriously considered. It was the same thing for a beautifully illustrated book of some of the tales of the legendary marid princess Shazathared, who was, according to the Sunset Captain, currently being held prisoner by an efreeti lord in the City of Brass on the elemental plane of fire. Abdelmotaleb ended up buying two small items, a very life-like statue of a frog, and mummified monkey paw that contained a mysterious silver key.
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Here are the characters at level 9:
Toba (NN Female Dwarf Rogue, Level 9) – Worships Sarenrae
Str: 18 Dex: 18 Con: 24 Int: 7 Wis: 8 Cha: 9
AC: 24 HP: 143 Fortitude: +11 Reflex: +11 Will: +3
Initiative: +8 Speed: 20’
Melee attacks: lifestealing greataxe +13/+8 (1d12+8, x3)
Ranged attacks: +1 heavy crossbow +11 (2d10+1, 19-20)
Feats: Martial Weapon Proficiency: Greataxe, Weapon Focus: Greataxe, Toughness, Power Attack, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Vital Strike.
Traits: Missionary, Pesh Addict.
Skills: Acrobatics 15, Bluff 5, Climb 12, Escape Artist 9, Intimidate 7, Knowledge: local 6, Knowledge: Religion 2, Perception 11, Sense Motive 5, Sleight of Hand 7, Stealth 15.
Languages: Kelish, Dwarf.
Main equipment: Lifestealing Greataxe, Chain Shirt +3, Amulet of Health +2, Holy Symbol of Sarenrae, Phylactery of Faithfulness, Ring of Feather Falling, Ring of Protection +2, Necklace of Fireballs, Gauntlets of Ogre Strength +2, Belt of Dexterity +4, Cloak of Resistance +1, Heavy Crossbow +1.
= = = =
Fawzy/Vardishal (LG Male Human Monk, Level 9) – Worships Iomedae
Str: 18 Dex: 18 Con: 14 Int: 10 Wis: 18 Cha: 13
AC: 25 HP: 100 Fortitude: +9 Reflex: +11 Will: +11
Initiative: +8 Speed: 60’
Melee attacks: flurry of blows +15/+15/+10/+10 (2d6+7 +1d6 cold) (with Tempest)
Ranged attacks: javelin +10 (1d6+3)
Height: 5’11”. Weight: 200 lbs. Age: 25.
Feats: Improved Grapple, Dodge, Scorpion Style, Improved Unarmed Strike, Stunning Fist, Maneuver Training, Weapon Focus: Unarmed, Extra Ki, Deflect Arrows, Improved Initiative.
Traits: Reclaiming Your Roots, Courageous.
Skills: Acrobatics 21, Climb 11, Escape Artist 11, Intimidate 7, Knowledge: History 5, Perception 15, Sense Motive 14, Stealth 12, Survival 5, Swim 8.
Languages: Kelish.
Main equipment: Tempest, Ring of Sustenance, Ring of Protection +1, Amulet of Mighty Fists +1, Cloak of Resistance +1, Bracers of Armor +2, Headband of Inspired Wisdom +2, Monk’s Robe, Belt of Physical Might (+2 str/+2 dex), Boots of Elvenkind.
= = = =
Abdelmotaleb (NN Male Human Ranger, Level 9) – Worships Gozreh
Str: 16 Dex: 18 Con: 14 Int: 8 Wis: 12 Cha: 9
AC: 23 HP: 121 Fortitude: +11 Reflex: +13 Will: +7
Initiative: +6 Speed: 30’
Melee attacks: +1 frost fire outsider bane scimitar +13/+8 (1d6+4 + 1d6 cold, 18-20)
Ranged attacks: +1 mighty (str +3) composite longbow +16/+11 (1d8+4, x3)
Favored enemies: Gnolls (+4), Undead (+2)
Favored terrains: Desert (+4), Underground (+2).
Animal companion: Hayia, medium viper.
Feats: Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Endurance, Weapon Focus: Longbow, Blind-fight, Many Shot, Deadly Aim, Improved Critical (Longbow).
Traits: Gnoll Killer, Reactionary.
Skills: Acrobatics 12, Climb 10, Handle Animal 3, Heal 4, Intimidate 11, Knowledge: Dungeoneering 3, Perception 13, Ride 8, Sleight of Hand 10, Stealth 14, Survival 15, Swim 4.
Languages: Kelish.
Main equipment: Halberd +1, Composite Longbow +1 (+3 str), Mithral Chainmail +3, Ring of Feather Falling, Slippers of Spider Climbing, Amulet of Health +2, Cloak of Resistance +1, Fire Outsider Bane Frost Scimitar +1, Belt of Dexterity +2, Lesser Bracers of Archery, Ring of Acrobatics +2, Bag of Holding Type 2, Efficient Quiver.
= = = =
Kelonis (LN Male Elf Cleric, Level 9) – Worships Abadar
Str: 13 Dex: 14 Con: 12 Int: 16 Wis: 22 Cha: 16
AC: 27 HP: 90 Fortitude: +10 Reflex: +7 Will: +14
Initiative: +2 Speed: 20’
Melee attacks: +1 longsword +8/+3 (1d8+2, 19-20)
Ranged attacks: Light crossbow +8 (1d8, 19-20)
Cleric Domains: Nobility, Travel.
Height: 6’5”. Weight: 180 lbs, Age: 140, Date of birth: Erastus 29th, 4570.
A tall, handsome elf with dark hair and golden eyes. His demeanor is haughty and superior. He wears an elegant cloak over an ornate plate armor.
Feats: Selective Channeling, Scribe Scroll, Extra Channeling, Heavy Armor Proficiency, Leadership (domain ability), Dodge.
Traits: Seeking Adventure, Forlorn.
Skills: Appraise 12, Diplomacy 12, Heal 11, Knowledge: Arcana 7, Knowledge: History 9, Knowledge: Religion 15, Knowledge: Planes 11, Linguistics 8, Perception 9, Sense Motive 10, Spellcraft 15.
Languages: Common, Elven, Kelish, Draconic, Gnoll, Ignan.
Main equipment: Wayfinder, Light crossbow, Longsword +1, Full Plate Armor +3, Heavy Wooden Shield, Cloak of Resistance +2, Hat of Disguise, Ring of Protection +1, Handy Haversack, Periapt of Wisdom +4, Ring of Feather Falling, Phylactery of Positive Channeling.
= = = =
Kazim Xobhadi {Cohort of Kelonis} (LG Female Human Sorceress, Level 7) – Worships Abadar
Str: 8 Dex: 16 Con: 13 Int: 10 Wis: 12 Cha: 20
AC: 17 HP: 53 Fortitude: +3 Reflex: +5 Will: +6
Initiative: +7 Speed: 30’
Melee attacks: dagger +2 (1d4-1, 19-20)
Ranged attacks: Ranged Touch +6
Bloodline: Air Elemental.
Height: 5’5”. Weight: 120 lbs, Age: 24, Date of birth: Lamashan 27th, 4685.
A pretty, well-mannered woman with short brown hair and a kind look in her eyes.
Feats: Eschew Materials, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Combat Casting, Improved Initiative, Toughness, Dodge.
Skills: Appraise 4, Bluff 9, Diplomacy 6, Intimidate 9, Knowledge: Arcana 7, Knowledge: Planes 8, Linguistics 2, Spellcraft 8, Use Magic Device 9.
Languages: Common, Kelish, Auran.
Main equipment: Amulet of Natural Armor +1, Belt of Dexterity +2, Cloak of Charisma +2, Bracers of Armor +1, Ring of Protection +1.
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THE END OF ETERNITY
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Moonday, Rova 20th, 4710
A window to Kakishon
It had been ten days since the companions had rescued Zemeyset from the clutches of Father Jackal. The old mage had since then recovered from the ordeal, and had continued studying the scroll with a renewed passion. Finally, he gathered the four adventurers, as well as Kazim, at the villa one evening. He very excitedly announced that he had, at long last, unlocked the secrets of the scroll. Even though the item had been somewhat damaged during its millennia of existence, and had seemingly been even more damaged when Andrathi had used it as a weapon against Jhavhul, it could still be used as a portal to Kakishon.
Zemeyset performed a brief magical ritual, his fingers tracing glowing arcane symbols in the air, his lips muttering ancient and forgotten incantations. Suddenly, the scroll hovered above the table, facing the rest of the companions, and its appearance change to that of a very realistic map. The adventurers could see a clear blue sea surrounding many islands of different shapes and sizes.
“My friends,” said Zemeyset with a voice full of elation, “behold the wonder that is Kakishon!”
It almost seemed as though the characters were viewing not a map, but rather a window very, very high in the sky above the magical realm. Zemeyset indicated that it was indeed somewhat the case. By speaking a longer version of the ritual, he would be able to open a true portal to Kakishon, rather than a small window, and by naming one of the islands, they would be able to travel to it. The old man showed his friends some of the larger islands, whose names were part of the ritual: Khosravi; Khandelwal; The Serpent Isles: Sorror, Sarygamysh and Azzabes; The Isles of the Night: Rukhsana, Rishindra and Demirji; Aliskiren; and the largest and central island, which was simply called: Kakishon.
It was apparently on that island that was located Nex’s magnificent pleasure palace, and if the ancient archmage was indeed still in the realm he had created, he would most likely be residing in that structure. Zemeyset also explained that there existed buildings called Waypoints on the beaches of the major islands, which served as shelters from which magical galleys could be called to transport visitors from one island to the other with the help of magical items called ‘charms’.
Since it was possible that their arrival in Kakishon might be dangerous, Zemeyset suggested to his companions to get a good night’s sleep in preparation for their trip the following morning. They would have to be ready for anything.
Indeed, the rest of the evening, Toba, Abdelmotaleb, Kelonis and Kazzim celebrated the tremendous discovery that Zemeyset had done. Eramin and the three lovely slaves served them food and drinks and seemed to share the excitement as well, even though they would not be traveling to Kakishon until their safety could be ensured. Nevertheless, they celebrated with moderation and went to bed early. Fawzy was the only one who did not take part in the festivities, as he instead decided to meditate on the upcoming adventure.
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Toilday, Rova 21st, 4710
The escape
There was a buzz of excitement the following morning as the five adventurers: Toba, Fawzy, Abdelmotaleb, Kelonis and Kazim gathered in the villa’s library, where Zemeyset would be performing the ritual to open the portal to Kakishon. Sarmara and Lirissa had remained at the Cliffside Inn, and Eramin and Teski had been asked to stay downstairs, just on the off chance that a dangerous guardian might step out of the magical gateway. Even Zemeyset’s trusted owl familiar, which had gone mostly unnoticed by the adventurers in recent events, had been left outside, safely perched on a branch of one of the garden’s trees.
The heroes were ready for anything, holding their weapons in their hands. Zemeyset solemnly began the ritual, performing a more elaborate version of the gestures and incantations from the night before. The room soon began to vibrate with potent magic, and strange mystical hues began to color everything and everyone. A conjured wind started flowing around the library, rustling the leaves of parchments and making the companions’ cloaks flutter. As Zemeyset continued his spell, his eyes began to glow with an eerie white light. Energy crackled around his hands and around the Scroll of Kakishon as well. The wind grew in strength, rattling the bookshelves and blowing through the adventurers’ hair. The heroes began looking at each other skeptically. Was this the way things were supposed to be going?
Their nervousness rose by a notch as they noticed that, while a portal did seem to be opening in a section of the library, the Scroll of Kakishon was starting to emit smoke. Zemeyset did not seem to react, entirely focused as he was on the ritual. Meanwhile, the wind continued to grow in strength, and soon, books and loose items were drawn into the portal, which swirled like a strange tornado. A moment later, the companions began to have trouble keeping their balance, as even they felt the tug of the portal that seemed to want to suck everything into it.
Some of them tried to question Zemeyset, but their voices were drowned by the fury of the wind.
It started to become really, really difficult to keep one’s footing, and soon the companions had to hold on to something, pieces of furniture or ornaments on the walls, to avoid tumbling toward the portal. Then, Zemeyset and Hayia were sucked into the void by the force of the wind! The companions shouted in surprise and shock, and then Kazim lost her grip and was drawn in as well.
Listening only to his courage, Fawzy let go and voluntarily let himself be sucked into the portal, soon followed by Kelonis whose grip finally slipped. Only Toba and Abdelmotaleb remained. They held on mightily, but eventually, even the objects they had been holding on to were torn off by the now-unstoppable force of the wind, and they too disappeared into the portal.
The companions found themselves in a cyclone of chaotic colors and deafening wind. They seemed to be falling down amidst a huge funnel of clouds. Below them, they saw the clouds light up as if they were on fire, and soon, they saw shapes forming out of those clouds. They seemed to be human warriors at first, who were somehow being carried up by the magical winds. As the heroes passed these people, though, as they were being hurled downwards while the other ones were being propelled upwards, they saw that they looked like fierce elemental warriors: djanni and efreetis.
The force of the wind was so strong and so disruptive that none of the companions could make their voices be heard above the roar; nor could they fire projectiles or concentrate on any kind of magic. Likewise, the elemental soldiers seemed unable to do anything harmful, even though they appeared quite hostile.
There was a great number of warriors that went up… and entire army, it seemed. The last one of them was a hulking red-skinned warrior of tremendous size, clad in an iron armor and wielding a huge curved sword. Horns adorned his head, and a bright yellow light shone in his eyes as he glared at the heroes. Some of them guessed his identity, but only Fawzy knew for sure who he was. He felt an overwhelming sense of hatred welling up from inside him. It was Vardishal, who had recognized, to his great surprise, his ancient enemy: the efreeti lord Jhavhul.
Among everyone in the storm, it seemed that Jhavhul was the only one who was powerful enough to act despite the chaotic disruptive energy: he pointed a fist toward Zemeyset, and a mighty ray of energy shot forward from a glowing ring on one of his fingers. The ray grabbed hold of Zemeyset and by its magic, it dragged the old man toward Jhavhul. Zemeyset tried to struggle, but it was in vain: there was nothing he could do to escape the mighty efreeti, especially not without his magic. Jhavhul’s enormous hands clenched around the old man’s frail body, and he erupted in a booming, cruel laughter, the only sound that was audible over the fury of the maelstrom. The last thing the companions saw was the shape of Jhavhul disappearing high in the clouds above them… holding Zemeyset and the Scroll of Kakishon…
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Welcome to Kakishon
The tumult of the whirling clouds was replaced by a blinding white light, and then darkness as the companions were suddenly dropped into warm water. They struggled in surprise, trying to hold their breaths and swim upward.
A few minutes later, they all found themselves on a beach. They had all made it there, with the help of magic in the case of Kelonis, who was clad in his heavy armor. Above them, the sun shone high in a clear blue sky. The weather was warm. Around them sprawled a pristine beach of light sand, caressed by the gentle waves of the sea; beyond the beach, the shape of an island rose in low hills which were covered by thick, luxurious tropical vegetation. It was an idyllic sight, but it was lost on the companions at the moment, as they collapsed on the shore, panting, desperately trying to comprehend the enormity of what had just happened.
Jhavhul was still alive.
So was his army.
It seemed that, just as the characters had just entered Kakishon, these enemies had just been let OUT of it.
And now, Jhavhul had in his possession Zemeyset and the Scroll.
And the adventurers had nothing… They were stranded in Kakishon. If there was a way to return to Golarion without the Scroll, only Zemeyset had known about it.
They were truly and utterly f&@@ed.
A chaotic conversation ensued, in which the adventurers frantically discussed what had just happened, what it all meant and what was likely to happen to them and to those they cared about. Fawzy was still reeling from the fury of Vardishal, who seemed more alive than ever within him. He sensed that the spirit of the templar was flabbergasted to learn that Jhavhul was not dead as had been believed for five hundred years; rather than killing him and his army, it seemed that Andrathi had used the Scroll to imprison them in Kakishon…
Kelonis looked haggard. The normally confident and somewhat arrogant priest of Abadar looked more confused than his companions had ever seen him. He stared numbly out toward the sea, barely responding when the others spoke to him. He could never have believed that opening the portal would have such dire consequences. Now, he struggled to extrapolate the meaning of this reversal of fortune. Where would Jhavhul be released? Would he appear in Kazim’s villa and lay waste to Kakishon? Would Kelonis and his companions be responsible for the death of tens of thousands of people, for the destruction of one of the major cities in the entire world? And if so, would he go down in history as the worst Pathfinder who ever lived?
Kazim was sitting, miserable, on the sand. She was sobbing uncontrollably. Just after they had rescued Zemeyset, he had been captured yet again, and now, it seemed that Jhavhul and his army would appear within the villa of her father – the last thing she had left of him. They would likely murder her old friend Eramin and everyone she had ever known and cared about. And there was nothing she could do about it, because she was a prisoner of this place now! If Jhavhul had been kept here for five hundred years, what hope did the five adventurers have of ever escaping this prison, now that they were deprived of the wisdom of old Zemeyset, and most importantly, of the Scroll of Kakishon?
Thankfully, some other members of the party recovered more quickly from the shock. Abdelmotaleb and Toba looked around and were pleased with what they saw. Sure, they were prisoners in a foreign world, but the weather was nice, the beach was beautiful, and there seemed to be tasty fruits and plenty of game in the jungle beyond. In fact, they felt that they were merely at the beginning of the most exciting adventure of their lives!
Yet as they looked around, they noticed that a local predator had been attracted by the commotion of their arrival. A huge reptilian monster emerged from the water. Its scales were of a deep red color, and it sported six heads at the end of long, slender serpentine necks. A hydra!
The creature slowly lumbered toward them, hissing from all of its mouths, and the companions reacted quickly. Toba shot a crossbow bolt at it, and Kazim blasted it with Magic Missiles, but it was Abdelmotaleb who truly shone, piercing the creature with many arrows and slaying it before it could even reach them. He shouted in victory, dancing on the warm sand. The appearance of the hydra and the comical sight of the normally foul-tempered bearded ranger celebrating his own skill shook the rest of the group back into action. They had to find a way out of here. They had to do something!
They examined the body of the hydra and Abdelmotaleb took a few of its red scales as trophies. The group also noticed that, further down the beach, was a stone dock and a beautiful building made of yellow marble and alabaster. They recognized that location as one of the Waypoints that Zemeyset had told them about.
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What now?
Kelonis cast a Fly spell on Abdelmotaleb so the ranger could take a look at the surrounding landscape from far above. Abdelmotaleb saw that they were on a large island, which was mostly covered with jungle. It did not seem that they were on the central island of Kakishon, which had been Zemeyset’s destination. So something clearly had gone wrong, but at least they had appeared close to a Waypoint. Judging by the form of the island, he thought they were at one of the islands to the “northwest” of Kakishon – but nobody remembered its name. Further in the jungle, about a day’s walk from where they were, Abdelmotaleb saw some stone buildings within the jungle – probably the site of a city of some kind.
Abdelmotaleb flew back down, and the group headed toward the Waypoint, which was a few hundred feet down the beach. As they did so, the ranger examined the ground for tracks and found signs of recent passage of mundane animals, but also tracks of the hydra and of a pair of gnolls. He felt a surge of rage upon discovering that, somehow, some of his hated enemies had made their way into Kakishon!
The companions explored the Waypoint and found it mostly empty, though clean and hospitable. Kelonis and Kazim were able to use magical receptacles in the building to summon some food and drinks. The stone pier looked sturdy and well-made, but its edge was charred and melted as if by a great fire. Could this be the work of Jhavhul? The companions remembered that Zemeyset had said that magical ships could be made to appear in locations such as this one, but they lacked the magical ‘charm’ required to do this…
Since they didn’t have many options, the characters decided to head into the jungle and follow Abdelmotaleb’s lead toward the city he had seen earlier. The vegetation was thick and tangled, so they progressed slowly. It was the first time any of them had been in a jungle. They were used to the heat in Katapesh, but they had never dealt with such overwhelming humidity. They had to struggle against biting insects, but at the same time, they marveled at the beauty of the fauna and flora around them.
Vardishal’s presence had somehow returned to its more muted form within Fawzy’s mind, but still, the monk felt ill at ease in this place, as if he didn’t belong. He sensed that Kazim and Kelonis felt the same way as well. They seemed to have more trouble than usual expressing themselves. Kelonis was recovering from the shock of recent events, and had mostly returned to his usual determined self, an adventurer in a dangerous place just trying to stay alive. What’s more, he realized what a great opportunity the exploration of Kakishon was for a Pathfinder. Kazim, however, merely followed the others meekly. It was clear that she was still overwhelmed by her emotions. Fawzy decided to give her some time to recover before trying to talk to her, though. She was still too shaken up.
The group trekked through the jungle for several hours. It wasn’t easy, and Kelonis had to use magic to be able to handle the humidity and heat in his plate armor. Abdelmotaleb guided them; even though he was unfamiliar with this kind of terrain, so great was his skill as a ranger that he was able to keep his bearings and even catch some game on the way. Indeed, they had brought no provisions with them as they had gone through the portal. They depended on Abdelmotaleb’s hunting skills to keep them fed. Every now and then, the ranger climbed up a tall tree and observed the surrounding landscapes, making sure they weren’t getting lost.
Suddenly, the group was attacked by a band of gnoll hunters! They were shaggy beasts, their fur decorated with red paint. They looked larger and even more feral than the gnolls of Pale Mountain. Two of them were archers who were perched on tree branches. Another one was a roaring brute of great size, not as big as the Carrion King, but still quite impressive. The last one seemed to be a shaman of some kind, and he called on some nature magic to animate the surrounding plants to try and entangle the party. As he did so, he directed his animal companion, a large jungle boar, to charge toward Hayia and Abdelmotaleb, who were at the front of the group.
The combat was quick and intense. Abdelmotaleb was wounded by the raging barbarian’s greatsword, while Kazim and Hayia were shot by the archers. Everyone was able to avoid getting caught by the entangling plants. Kazzim hastened the movements of her companions, and Abdelmotaleb slew the barbarian quickly with his deadly arrows. Fawzy climbed up a nearby tree and jumped from branch to branch to attack one of the archers. Meanwhile, Kazim cast a Gust of Wind and blasted the other archer, sending him tumbling to the ground, where Kelonis went to attack him. Toba drew her axe and went to help Hayia against the giant boar.
Soon enough, the heroes were victorious and all gnolls were slain – even the shaman, who had also turned into a giant boar. It seemed that the gnolls on this island were quite strong. It would be quite a challenge to fight a large number of them. The group looted their enemy’s gear, which included a druidic scroll, a magical greatsword, and a large number of coins marked with Nex’s symbol and face.
The party continued through the jungle until it became too dark to safely keep moving, and they made a camp. The mood was pretty subdued on this first night in their “prison”. They eventually went to sleep, with Fawzy standing watch for most of the night: indeed, he barely needed to sleep thanks to his ring of sustenance.
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Kakishon – day 2
Message from the creators
Nothing dangerous visited the adventurers’ camp during the night, but as they had their breakfast the following morning, Kazim, who had been sitting with her back to a tree, suddenly fell down. To her surprise, she discovered that the tree, although it was still visible, was now immaterial. She and Kelonis examined it and detected some strange kind of chaotic magic emanating from it. And then, it disappeared altogether from sight!
While they pondered this strange phenomenon, an enormous snake attacked the camp. The companions fought tenaciously; the reptile was able to bite Kelonis, but was eventually slain by the heroes. It was clear that Kakishon would be quite, quite dangerous for regular, non-adventuring folk. Abdelmotaleb collected a few scales from this snake as well.
The party continued traveling through the jungle. Abdelmotaleb regularly climbed trees to get his bearing, and he saw another village located further along the beach, on the northern side of the island. Around mid-day, the group began seeing stone statues throughout the jungle. They seemed old and covered with vegetation. Some represented warriors, others scary beings perhaps designed to present warnings to intruders. The group finally reached the stone city Abdelmotaleb had seen from afar the previous day, but they saw it was now in a state of ruins. It looked abandoned, yet Abdelmotaleb found some human tracks on the ground. Recent tracks.
Fawzy and Abdelmotaleb decided to enter the city and see if the two of them (who appeared unarmed, as Abdelmotaleb could hide all of his weapons in his magical quiver) could make peaceful contact with the locals. They left the others behind (only taking Hayia with them) and walked amidst the crumbling buildings. Now and then, they heard the tell-tale signs of a pebble being stepped on or caught sight of a shadow moving between two buildings: they were being observed. Finally, they reached a large temple that was decorated with strange statues of monstrous reptilian beings. There, they were surrounded by the village’s guardians: around twelve mummified humans, their skin gray and taut over their bones, who wielded primitive bows and spears. The two adventurers had come in peace, but were ruthlessly attacked by the undead.
A battle ensued, but the two heroes and their snake prevailed against the corpses, and soon they were the only ones standing in front of the temple. Kelonis, Kazim and Toba had heard the sound of battle but only joined them after it was finished. As they examined the bodies, Toba noticed a brightly-colored parrot watching them from atop a building. The companions suspected a ruse, wondering if perhaps this bird was the familiar of an enemy magician. Nevertheless, the parrot flew down toward them, and Abdelmotaleb held out his wrist to allow it to land on it. The ranger noticed that the bird looked at him with strangely intelligent eyes, and that a small piece of parchment was tied to its leg. The ranger took it, but couldn’t read its contents. As he passed it to Kelonis, the parrot went to sit on a nearby rock.
The message was written in Common – a language only Kelonis and Kazim among the group could read. The elf read it out loud:
“Long ago, visitors to these islands received a greeting from the Imprisoner. You shall receive the same.
‘Greetings and welcome, brave hunters, to the Serpent Isles. Here you will find a hunt to satisfy your thirst for challenge, danger and adventure, a tale to be told as you relax at the Pleasure Palace. Your task is simple: you must hunt down the Golden Ram and take its horn. There are many challenges to be faced on these islands, but only by sounding the ram’s horn can you call back the ship that will bear thee hence. Do not think to cheat the hunt, as the Golden Ram is under my protection; this is a test of skill and skill alone, of courage and cunning, not raw power. One ram’s horn you must sound and present to the boatman to gain passage. The other horn is yours to keep, as a trophy and reward for your daring. May Fate smile upon you and guide your aim.’
The Imprisoner is gone now. But his world remains. A world we created. You have only just arrived but we must know if you are ally or enemy, capable or inept. Complete the Imprisoner’s task and we shall have a greater one for you, one to help fulfill your heart’s desire. Give this egg to the boatman, and he will bring you directly to us. We have much to discuss.”
The adventurers wondered what egg the scroll was talking about, yet when they looked where the parrot had landed, they noticed that it had mysteriously disappeared, but seemed to have laid a strange blue egg on that rock. They carefully took the egg with them. Then, they discussed the meaning of the message. It seemed that Kelonis had been right earlier, when he had presented his theory to the Pathfinders: Nex had not created Kakishon, but rather, he had enslaved some creatures who had built this world for him. Also, it seemed that Nex was not in Kakishon, which was rather disappointing. But at least the companions had a clear goal now: Abdelmotaleb would use his skill to track down the Golden Ram, and they would take its horns and gain the ability to call the magical boats of Kakishon.
Abdelmotaleb had seen, during their journey through the jungle, the tracks of a great hoofed creature among others. Could those have been made by the Golden Ram? He would have to backtrack and follow them for a while.
Before leaving the ruins, the group explored the dark temple and found another statue of a strange reptilian creature; it had only one eye that was made of a bloodstone, which they took. They also pillaged several ceremonial objects that were made of gold.
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Kakishon – day 2 (continued)
Cacophony in the jungle
The group went looking for the tracks that, hopefully, belonged to the Golden Ram. They followed them for a few hours, and once again, Abdelmotaleb’s great survival skills were invaluable. At some point, though, as they were walking through the jungle, a terrible cacophony surrounded the group, driving Abdelmotaleb and Hayia temporarily deaf. It stopped after a few minutes, and Fawzy climbed up a tree and saw that the animals of the jungle had been disturbed by the noise, but that something big was coming through the trees toward the source of the sound. He gestured to the others to seek shelter, so they all climbed up trees or began to levitate by magic, except for Toba who hid in the undergrowth.
Suddenly, a huge monstrous creature appeared close to the characters: it was a ten-headed hydra, a much larger specimen than the one they had fought the previous day. Roaring furiously, it attacked the companions despite their high vantage points. Hayia and Kazim were so badly bitten by the multiple heads that they almost died. Only Toba had remained unnoticed by the monster, and she crept forward cautiously as it raged and tried to eat her comrades. Fawzy struck the monster and Abdelmotaleb fired his powerful arrows at it, but it was Toba who slew the beast by surprise, slicing great sections of its body with her greataxe. With a chorus of cries of agony from its multiple heads, the hydra collapsed to the ground.
The group recovered from the ordeal, with Kelonis bringing Hayia and Kazim back to consciousness with a wave of healing energy. He detected some chaotic magic in the air, with an aura similar to the one he had sensed near the disappearing tree earlier. The group pressed on for a while, but eventually had to stop for the night.
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Kakishon – day 3
The golden ram
During the night, Toba had a strange dream that she was walking on a desolated island full of dead trees. She made her way to a graveyard, where a strange cat was waiting for her. But when she approached to try to pet it, it ran away, leading her to an eerie bronze mausoleum whose front door was partially melted as if by a great heat. Fused into the door were the skeletal remains of a humanoid, and as the cat neared them, it hissed loudly and Toba woke up. As she spoke about this with her companions in the morning, Kazim said she had experienced the same dream the night before.
After a few more hours of walking through the jungle, the group reached a region with plains of tall grass to their left and swamps to their right. They followed the ram’s tracks into the plains. It was faster to walk here than in the jungle, but still, in many places, the grass was as tall as a man and blocked visibility. Many snakes of various sizes laired in the grass, but it was a trio of strange, white-furred and four-armed apes called Girallons that attacked the group. They were ferocious, but presented no serious threat to the mighty adventurers, and were easily slain.
Upon reaching the top of a small hill, the group saw the fishing village that Abdelmotaleb had seen the previous day. It was a few hours to the north of them – but since the ram’s tracks headed northeast, the group didn’t investigate the village. Abdelmotaleb was confident that they were gaining ground on the ram now. He noticed some fresh droppings near the tracks and believed they were about to find the creature. He asked Kelonis and Kazim to remain behind for now, so the stealthier members of the group could try and ambush the ram.
Abdelmotaleb, Hayia, Fawzy and Toba traveled very quietly and eventually found the golden ram in a clearing, drinking from a stream. It was a mighty beast who seemed to be covered entirely with gold. Fawzy accidentally made some noise as he approached, and the beast looked his way, but then it resumed drinking. The group was able to attack it by surprise. Fawzy, Toba and Hayia rushed it as Abdelmotaleb shot arrows at it. The golden ram was completely unprepared for their sudden attack, and it was too slow to react. Surrounded on all sides, it was dealt severe damage by Toba’s axe, and its hide was pierced by Abdelmotaleb’s merciless arrows. The great beast lost its balance and toppled to one side, hitting the ground and dissipating into a cloud of gold dust. The companions, surprised, couldn’t stop the wind from spreading the dust out of their reach, but part of the creature’s body had remained behind: seven golden plates adorned with runes, as well as two golden horns. One was hollow and could be sounded, while the other was also decorated by a rune.
The two men, the dwarf and the snake returned to where they had left Kelonis and Kazim. The two spellcasters recognized the golden plates as containing powerful spells most likely written by Nex himself, and the rune-marked horn as a horn of the golden draught, capable of healing dangerous curses or rendering someone almost invulnerable.
Abdelmotaleb was very pleased with the hunt: he had used every instinct, every amount of skill he had ever learned, and he had been able to lead his group into a stealthy ambush that had led to the demise of their prey without any loss on their part.
Gnolls!
The group guessed that with the hollow horn, they would be able to call one of the Nexian galleys. Along the way back toward the Waypoint, they decided to explore the fishing village as well. As they made their way toward it, suddenly, Fawzy and Kazim both felt very dizzy, and for a time, they switched bodies. It was a very unusual experience for both of them, and it brought a generous dose of chuckles from the rest of the group. Fortunately for them, the effect only lasted a short while. Kelonis grunted as he noticed that more of the chaotic magic was at work. He did not like this one bit.
The group carefully approached the fishing village and realized that it was in fact inhabited by a large tribe of gnolls. Abdelmotaleb tried to convince the others to raid the village, but nobody else seemed interested. They were much more eager to return to their world and fight Jhavhul.
Night was about to fall, so they made their camp nearby, trying to make it as hard to see as possible from the gnoll village. They had to struggle very hard to convince the stubborn ranger not to leave during the night to go fight gnolls in the darkness, all by himself. For the first time, Abdelmotaleb volunteered to stand watch during the night, but of course, the others did not trust him, and Fawzy and Toba continued their usual turns. Much to Abdelmotaleb’s surprise, they were not attacked during the night.
However, during the two hours that Fawzy slept, he had the same dream as Toba. A shadowy form walked at his side, and he knew it was the essence of Vardishal. He tried to communicate with the cat, but the animal did not respond. Nevertheless, Fawzy promised it that he wanted to help its master.
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Kakishon – day 4
The Nexian Galley
When he woke up, Fawzy felt something tugging him toward the south, and the name “Isle of the Dead” was on his lips. He also remembered feeling a strong surge of emotions and recognition from Vardishal when he had seen the cat. Discussing this with Kelonis, they realized that, although they had initially believed that the cat had belonged to Nex, it seemed instead that it was Andrathi’s familiar. But could this mean that the bones in the bronze door were the remains of Andrathi? What had happened to him? Had Jhavhul killed him?
After a few hours of walking along the beach, the group made it back to the Waypoint. Standing near the blackened edge of the pier, Fawzy sounded the horn, but nothing happened. The group waited a few minutes, then decided to each try and sound the horn one by one. Still, nothing happened. Abdelmotaleb tried to convince the others to return to the gnoll village and take some of their fishing boats, but while they argued, they finally saw a large ship appearing over the horizon. As it approached, they saw that its prow was decorated with a horned head and that it was steered by some strange golden ram-headed humanoid creature. There didn’t seem to be any crew manning the oars or the sails, but there a few passengers on board, who watched the adventurers with bewildered eyes. One of them was a gorgeous woman with long, thick black tresses, and with her were four bare-chested, blue-skinned janni eunuchs.
As the ship approached the dock, the woman hailed the companions in Common. Kelonis and Kazim replied to her and soon, she switched to Kelish so everyone could understand. She introduced herself as Neshari, a slave of Dilix Mahad, one of the concubines of Lord Jhavhul, the ruler of Kakishon. The companions were wary of this woman, but they soon understood that she wasn’t dangerous or even evil, only having been brainwashed since birth to believe that Jhavhul was a just and benevolent ruler. The adventurers informed Neshari that they had seen Jhavhul and his army when they had entered Kakishon through a magical portal, but they remained very evasive when answering her follow-up questions. Neshari obviously seemed puzzled and frustrated by their lack of cooperation, but it was also clear that the scantily clad woman was merely a slave and used to obeying orders, not to be assertive, so she did not dare to anger the dangerous-looking adventurers by questioning them further.
She welcomed the companions on the ship and told them that it had diverged from its course, most likely when they had sounded the horn. She had been on a journey from one of the other Serpent Isles back to her mistress’s home at the Pleasure Palace of Kakishon, where Lord Jhavhul ruled over his entire realm. She seemed to be unaware that Jhavhul had left Kakishon already.
The companions examined the helmsman and noticed that it was a construct, but when they tried to give it the blue egg they had received from the parrot, Neshari asked them to wait. When they told her how they had gotten it, she said that perhaps it had been a poisoned gift from the Proteans, dangerous enemies of Lord Jhavhul. She said that the Proteans were creatures of pure chaos, who wanted only to destroy Kakishon and everyone within it. They were devious and could take many different shapes to confuse their enemies. Their true forms resembled nightmarish reptilian creatures with many fangs and claws. The companions were reminded of the strange statues they had seen in the ruined city: had those people worshipped the Proteans as gods? Lord Jhavhul had been waging war on the Proteans for a very long time. The heroes learned that Jhavhul had placed troops on many different islands, and that in addition to fighting the Proteans, he had to fight some of his former soldiers who had rebelled against him.
One of those factions was comprised of gnolls who had initially come from Golarion, but had now grown into feral tribes that lived on the Serpent Isles. Rumors said that they were under the control of evil spirits called Divs. But much more dangerous were the Shaitans, spirits of the earth who had once served Jhavhul but who had “ungratefully” rebelled against him. They were led by the warlord Obherak, but Jhavhul had been able to banish them to one specific island – the desert wasteland of Khandelwal. Neshari also claimed that her own mistress, Dilix Mahad, was the only Shaitan who had remained faithful to Lord Jhavhul, even though she was Obherak’s sister.
Neshari tried to convince the companions to come to the Pleasure Palace with her, where Lord Jhavhul would surely give them a warm welcome, as strangers from the world of Golarion were unheard of in this place, at least in her lifetime. The companions knew that Jhavhul wasn’t at the Pleasure Palace anymore (which they did not share with the slave girl), but they suspected that many of Jhavhul’s minions might still be located at that place, and that it might be very dangerous to go there. On the other hand, what Neshari had told them about the Proteans had made them wary. So they decided to make a neutral choice: they would follow Fawzy’s promise to help the master of the cat in the dream by traveling to the Isle of the Dead.
Neshari wasn’t too happy to hear this, as she didn’t think there was anything useful in the Isle of the Dead, and that it might even be dangerous, but once again, she lacked both the strength of character and the strength of arms to try and sway their minds. Kelonis flirted with her and was easily able to make her agree with the group’s decision.
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Neshari
Once the helmsman of the magical ship was given the command to head toward the Isle of the Dead, the ship began to move by itself in that direction. According to Neshari, it would take about a day and half to reach that destination. She showed the companions a beautiful map of the realm of Kakishon. Although they weren’t able to convince her to part with it, Kelonis made a copy of it within his Pathfinder Journal. Fawzy, Kelonis and Kazim spent several hours with Neshari, asking her many questions about the various islands.
Another faction in the world of Kakishon was the dwarves of the island of Khosravi. They had been living in this world for a very long time, and had helped Nex build many mighty war machines. But in time, the dwarves had divided into several warring clans. Most of them followed Lord Jhavhul’s orders, although it was rumored that they had also been approached by the ‘traitorous’ Shaitans.
Of Nex, Neshari had heard nothing more than the companions. As far as she knew, he had not been seen in this world in a very, very long time.
The ship navigated along the coast of Sarygamysh, the island where the companions had landed a few days before. Then, it approached the neighboring island of Sorror, another one of the Serpent Isles. It was truly a beautiful sight to behold, and soon, evening fell, and the passengers of the magical ship dined together under the starry sky. The four janni eunuchs had stayed mostly silent up until then, and they didn’t seem comfortable speaking with the adventurers, especially since they did not speak the Kelish dialect like Neshari.
Fawzy spent some time talking with Neshari, alone with her by the ship’s railing. In addition to being attracted to her alluring beauty, he was very curious about her life in this strange world. The young woman answered his questions in earnest, as perhaps she too felt some attraction for the powerful monk. Only when Fawzy asked her about her family and the state of the other humans in Kakishon did she grow evasive. Eventually, Fawzy’s gentleness and empathy won her over completely. A tear slowly fell down her cheek, and after hesitating for a long time, she admitted that she was in fact not human. Just like the Proteans, she was a creature of chaos. Her race had always been slaves in this world, brought here eons ago by Nex himself. They had the ability to take the shape of any humanoid, so they could please their master and his honored guests. When Fawzy asked to see her real appearance, she shook her head and shed more tears. She said her true form was hideous and that she didn’t want him to see her that way.
Fawzy understood that Neshari and her race had been enslaved by Jhavhul and had been brainwashed to think that they were unworthy creatures of chaos, who should count themselves lucky to have been brought into slavery instead of being slain outright. She was blindly obedient to Jhavhul simply because she had never known anything else, and the concept of “good” was something alien to her, as she believed that the strong took what they wanted, and the weak had to serve them, always.
Fawzy later shared his thoughts with Kelonis. The elf seemed disappointed, because he had been planning on bedding the attractive slave girl that night. But his interest had waned to nothingness now that he knew that her real shape was surely something far less desirable than what his eyes could see. He suspected that she belonged to the race known as doppelgangers back in Golarion; indeed, he could understand the interest of using such creatures as pleasure slaves. As soon as the master got bored of one shape, he could simply command the slave to take on a different one.
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Kakishon – day 5
The Isle of the Dead
After another day of sailing, the magical ship brought its passengers to the Waypoint of the Isle of the Dead a few hours after nightfall. It lacked the marble shelter that had been at the Sarygamysh Waypoint. The adventurers would have rather not visited the eerie island in the dark, but they had no choice. They decided to let Neshari return to the Pleasure Palace with the ship, knowing they could call another one once they were ready to leave. After saying their good-byes to the lovely shape-shifter and her eunuchs, they set foot on the island.
Past the stone pier (which was also blackened as if by a magical fire), the group passed between columns showing Nex in various roles such as scholar, wizard and warlord. They felt a sense of great peace as they moved through that area. Although it was dark, they recognized the shape of the island from their dreams. To their right, a low hill rose, and they saw the outline of a dark building atop it: the mausoleum. Making their way through the copse of dead trees, they saw the shape of the cat walking ahead of them. Like in the dream, it was leading them past the trees, through a graveyard, and finally to the mausoleum itself. The bronze building was decorated with pillars holding statues of fantastic beings, as well as with other carvings of Nex. Its doors were ajar, and their thick bronze surface was damaged as if by some furious fire magic. Infused within the metal were the remains of a blackened human skeleton: someone had clearly died a horrible death here.
The cat entered the mausoleum, but the doors closed behind it. A vaporous being seemingly made of all four elements suddenly appeared in front of the doors and said:
“Why do you come here? What do you seek? This place was made for those who are dead. Why do the living trouble the endless sleep, the final dream?”
The companions answered that they were here to speak with the spirit of Andrathi, to try and help him. They sought information to help his lover Nefeshti and to stop his nemesis Jhavhul, who had escaped Kakishon. The gaseous being asked them a few follow-up questions, but the answers of the adventurers were all along those lines, and finally the creature disappeared.
Then, a carving of Nex on the right side of the door also addressed the party:
“Truth is the most terrifying thing in the world, and the most enchanting. Dare you face it? Dare you use it? Answer truthfully and enter.”
The companions spent a few minutes giving various honest answers about their quest here and about themselves, but none of them allowed them to get past the closed doors. Kelonis sensed some very powerful magic around this building, clearly the work of Nex himself. After everyone wracked their brains in vain for quite some time, Abdelmotaleb was struck by a simple idea that turned out to be the right one.
“Truthfully.” He said, and entered the building.
The rest of the group understood that Nex had played a prank on them – apparently, the ancient archmage had a sense of humor. They entered the mausoleum, which was illuminated by magical floating lamps and decorated with moving mosaics of Nex’s life. On the other side of the room was a huge sarcophagus of white marble adorned with a single rune. To the right of it was a statue made of various materials, which lay on the floor, its clay feet broken. To the left was the skull of a large dragon. Strangely, the cat was sitting on top of the sarcophagus and was idly licking itself.
When the companions were all inside the chamber, the dragon skull slowly levitated in the air and its eyes began to glow with a red light. It welcomed them here and said it was called Venema Shodair and that it was the guardian of this place. The companions introduced themselves and explained that they had come here because of a dream in which they had seen the cat. The dragon skull told them that the cat’s name was Spooky and that it had, as they had suspected, been Andrathi’s familiar a long time ago. Andrathi had come to this island to take refuge shortly after his arrival in Kakishon, and he had befriended Venema. He had told her about the war between Jhavhul and Nefeshti, and the way he had found himself in this realm.
Unfortunately, Nex was already long-gone by then. The dragon had no ideas on his whereabouts and had been waiting for her master’s return for a very long time. Andrathi could find no way to leave Kakishon, and eventually, Jhavhul had tracked him down to the Isle of the Dead and had slain him just outside the mausoleum: it was indeed his bones that were now infused in the bronze doors.
The companions winced at this horrible death and asked the dragon if they could help Andrathi’s spirit. She said that they could try to escape and fight Jhavhul. She believed that he wanted to return to the House of the Beast, where he had tried to free Xotani the Firebleeder, one of the Spawns of Rovagug, five hundred years before. She did not know why he wanted to do this, but the consequences would surely be catastrophic. She also said that time normally passed at the same rate in Kakishon as in the real world, but that recently, the Proteans had become more active in trying to unmake reality in this plane, and that perhaps their efforts had rendered the passage of time out of synchronization with reality. But whether time was now moving more slowly or more swiftly, she had no idea.
Fawzy decided that he would at least take care of Spooky now that Andrathi wasn’t here anymore. The cat came down from the sarcophagus and went to rub itself against Fawzy’s leg, purring loudly. The monk wondered how the animal had survived for hundreds of years, and Venema told him that Spooky was a very unusual cat, and was now infused by Andrathi spirit. That was how it had been able to reach the companions in dreams. However, it was vulnerable, and they would need to shelter it from harm.
Kazim asked about Venema’s origins, and the group learned that she had once been a brass dragon that Nex had befriended. Some time after the creation of Kakishon, Nex’s nemesis, Geb, had sent a horrible monster to try and kill him. It had been called the Eater of Magic, a colossal creature that was immune to even Nex’s most powerful spells. Venema had given her life to protect her master, and she had later been brought back as a higher form of undead. She had learned that Nex had found a way to kill the Eater of Magic in the mean time, by dropping a huge stone spike that had hovered in the air by magic.
When asked for advice on how to escape this realm, Venema said that the Proteans might have a way to allow the adventurers to do this, but that they were untrustworthy. The dwarves of Khosravi might or might not have a way of escaping, but surely they could craft useful items for the companions if they were befriended. She knew of a smith called Artel Norrim who lived among them and harbored a strong hatred for Jhavhul.
The companions showed Venema the egg that the parrot had given them, and she also suspected that it had been made by the Proteans. She explained that the Proteans could not exist for a long time in Kakishon itself. Instead, they lived in a kind of shadow-copy of Kakishon, called Andakami, or the Isles of Not. She gave an explanation regarding the Ethereal Plane that only Kazim really understood. The only way to reach that place was to go “over the edge of the map”, something that could perhaps be accomplished by giving the egg to the helmsman of one of the Nexian galleys.
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Kakishon – day 6
After spending the night resting in the bronze mausoleum, the companions called another Nexian Galley from the pier of the Isle of Dread the following morning. They began a quiet journey that would take them around the long island of Kakishon, to the south, toward Khosravi. Fawzy took Spooky with him; Kelonis lent him his Handy Haversack so the fragile cat could have a place to hide in case of danger, but the monk decided he would try to buy one of those useful items from the dwarves of Khosravi if he got the chance.
Kakishon – day 8
Arrival on Khosravi
Around mid-day two days later, the group docked at the Khosravi Waypoint. In the dome of yellow marble near the docks, they were greeted by Paragrunis, a gentle guardian naga who lived in that place, along with his daughter Rorillia. The companions learned from him that the smith Artel Norrim (who was in fact an Azer, a dwarf-like creature from the plane of fire) lived in the city of Glimmerhold. The dwarven clans of the island of Khosravi had been waging war upon each other for the past few centuries, and it seemed that the dwarves of Glimmerhold were the final, victorious clan to emerge from the bloody conflict. They had recently defeated the army of Deepanvil in a great battle.
Paragrunis did not understand the dwarves’ need for bloodshed, and he remained quietly at the Waypoint, protecting it from marauders and looking after the egg that his wife had left behind when she had gone on some mission with a group of Shaitans.
The group left the Waypoint after refreshing themselves and taking some provisions for the 5-day journey to Glimmerhold. The landscape of Khosravi was barren, rocky and mountainous. It was much more inhospitable than the Serpent Isles, and in fact, the heroes wondered why Nex had created such an unpleasant island in his paradise. Only Toba seemed to appreciate the rocky expanse. As they made their journey deeper inward, the companions saw the remains of a great number of huge, ruined and fantastic war machines scattered all over the landscape. It was clear that many great conflicts had taken place here in ages past.
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Kakishon – day 9
The next day’s travel was interrupted around noon, as the group was resting near a river. For a minute or so, an aura of chaos surrounded the group again, causing Kelonis and Toba to switch bodies. The experience seemed quite unnerving for them, but Abdelmotaleb was greatly intrigued and hoped that the next time such a thing happened, he would swap bodies with Kazim so he could “cop a feel”.
As the companions were recovering from the confusion, the water of the nearby river became agitated, and a huge water elemental surged out of it and attacked the group. The heroes defeated it, but once again had a sign that chaos kept acting up around them. Kelonis saw it as a sign that they could not trust the Proteans (against whom he was morally opposed), but Abdelmotaleb suggested that perhaps they were just trying to intimidate them into answering their offer and going to see them.
Kakishon – day 11
Dirt farmers
Another two days of strenuous walking through the badlands of Khosravi. The companions wished they had mounts of some kind so they could move faster and more comfortably. Fawzy was especially frustrated, since he needed to slow down his brisk pace considerably to wait for the slow-moving Toba, Hayia and Kelonis.
Now and then, the group saw the remains of small dwarven villages made of sturdy stone, but all were abandoned, and many showed signs of violence. As they approached Glimmerhold, they began to pass by some small farms whose houses looked more like stone bunkers. Few plants grew on the hard, arid ground, and the farmers seemed to toil endlessly for little gain. The group stopped at a few of those farms and spoke with the inhabitants, who all seemed miserable and famished. It appeared that the citizens of the Glimmerhold dominion were not very prosperous.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen thin dwarves,” said Fawzy in surprise.
The farmers mentioned that some monsters were roaming the countryside, giants and flying creatures with black wings. They believed some foul magic was afoot.
Later in the day, a wind picked up a huge cloud of dust around the group, and the particles solidified into a hideous reptilian form with a huge snake body, massive paws and two tentacles ending with sharp fangs.
“It’s a Protean!” exclaimed Kelonis.
“It’s a Naunet Protean!” corrected Kazim pedantically.
Regardless of the nature of this suddenly appearing creature, it attacked the group savagely. It was strong, but the heroes were stronger still, and killed it rather quickly. Once it was dead, it dissolved back into dust that got scattered by the wind. The group wondered if it had really been one of the Proteans, or merely a creation of their magic: they had heard that the Proteans could not live for a long time in Kakishon itself. But they had also heard that the Proteans could take many forms…
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Kakishon – day 12
The group continued their journey toward Glimmerhold, and at one point, they passed through a rocky field whose surface contained a number of strange craters from which emerged foul-looking fumes. Abdelmotaleb and the spellcasters understood that monsters had crawled out of those orifices, and that the smoke was toxic. They did not know which creatures had emerged like this, but Abdelmotaleb saw many gigantic humanoid tracks heading away from the field in various directions.
As they kept progressing southeast, the group noticed that three flying creatures were circling high above them. The most sharp-eyed members of the group realized that they were flying rams which carried riders. They did not respond to Toba’s attempts to contact them, and flew away after some time.
Kakishon – day 13
At the gates of Glimmerhold
The journey finally ended as the group came in sight of Glimmerhold, a magnificent and massive dwarven city built in the middle of an artificial lake. Four strong stone bridges led to gates in the city’s walls. Now that they were close to the city, the group saw a lot of merchants and miners heading toward it, so many in fact that there was a lot of traffic on the bridges. The guards at the city entrance seemed to painstakingly examine and question everyone coming in. After being confronted by so much chaos, Kelonis seemed strangely comforted by such a level of formality.
While the adventurers were waiting for their turn to enter, they suddenly heard some screams around them, and the dwarves pointed at the sky and screamed in their language. Toba translated: “The Doomguides are coming!”
Indeed, a number of the flying rams appeared from a hole in the clouds and dove toward that packed dwarves on the bridge. Six of them came flying toward the bridge the characters were on, and as they got closer, it became clear that their riders were armored dwarven women who bellowed strange war cries. However, there seemed to be something evil about these lance-wielding warriors: their eyes glowed red and they had horns.
A great wave of panic surged among the dwarves. Some of them frantically tried to enter the city, but the guards were trying to close the gates to bar entrance into the city. A nearby cart was overturned when a mule panicked, and two miners got caught beneath it. Behind the companions, a lone dwarven child stood atop a cart, crying for her mother and presenting a perfect target for the attackers. The Doomguides began their assault; their lances killed some of the dwarven innocents, sucking their souls.
The heroes sprang into action. Abdelmotaleb fired arrows at the dragon-winged rams, killing two of them and sending them tumbling, along with their riders, into the water far below. Kelonis shouted to rally the dwarves around him, leading them toward the gates. Using the force of his charisma, he was also able to convince the guards to open the doors and let the population inside. One of the Doomguides rushed him, but he defended himself valiantly, bolstering the courage of the frightened dwarves. Kazim came to his aid by casting several volleys of Magic Missiles.
Toba struck one of the Doomguides as she passed by, but then she calmed down the panicked mule by knocking it out with the flat of her greataxe. She then went to help the miners pinned beneath the wagon, but she had to get help to be able to lift the vehicle. Meanwhile, Fawzy went to fetch the frightened child and protected it from the Doomguides, slaying two of the raging female fighters as they got closer to the people on the bridge.
Once all six of the attackers were dead, the companions entered the darkened city of Glimmerhold with the remaining dwarves still on the bridge.
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Kakishon – day 13 (continued)
Artel’s forge
Pandemonium was raging inside Glimmerhold. The huge crowd of dwarven commoners was frantically buzzing inside the main plaza, as parents looked for lost children, wounded people cried out in pain, and soldiers tried to maintain order. Kelonis and Kazim argued with the gate guards about why they had tried to close the doors on their own people. Fawzy was able to give the little dwarven girl back to her frightened parents, and Toba soon called for Kelonis’s help to heal the wounded. Most of the dwarves spoke the dwarven tongue between themselves, but a few spoke Common and could therefore communicate with Kelonis, Kazim, and Fawzy, who had recently begun learning that language during the long trips aboard the Nexian Galleys.
It seemed that the Doomguides were soldiers of the Deepanvil clan, who had been believed to have been defeated almost a year before. But it seemed the defeat had not been as complete as the Glimmerhold dwarves had hoped for, and now, their enemies seemed to be back in force and with strange powers at their disposal.
Once they had done what they could to help the commoners, the heroes sought out the smith Artel Norrim. They got directions to his forge, which was on the top level of the enormous bunker-like city. Along the way, they noticed that the population seemed to be living in abject poverty, and they saw no temples of any kind in the city.
The companions reached Artel’s forge and entered it through massive metal gates. Inside, molten lava ran through channels around a rocky island upon which a thick-bodied Azer and four strange little fire creatures (Magmen) worked on crafting a breastplate. An almost painful heat permeated the room, and it was difficult to communicate over the deafening sounds of the lava falls and of Artel’s hammer striking the metal breastplate. As the group approached, they were stopped by a small flying creature made of fire. His name was Farid and he told them that his master, Artel, was too busy to talk to them. He seemed quite unpleasant. Then, a bald dwarf dressed in a rich green velvet robe entered the forge. His name was Chamberlain Kagmar, and he told the adventurers he had heard about their exploits on the bridge. He thanked them for their help and invited them to a banquet at the King’s court that evening. He also ordered Farid to let them see Artel.
Artel was a gruff and unsophisticated creature, but he shared a hatred of Jhavhul with the group. He examined their weapons with an expert eye, whistling appreciatively at their most potent items such as Tempest, Zayifid’s scimitar (now wielded by Abdelmotaleb) and Toba’s lifestealing greataxe. Much to the adventurers’ disappointment, he had no idea how to leave Kakishon, but he offered to craft some fire resistance rings for them if they could bring him some rare crystals from the summit of the Black Spire. He believed that such items would be invaluable in surviving the scorching environments that Jhavhul loved to surround himself with.
A curse on Glimmerhold
After parting with Artel, the group went to an inn to get some lodgings for the night. They noticed that the accommodations were dirty and miserable; this was in stark contrast with the grandiose dwarven architecture of Glimmerhold.
A few hours later, they answered the chamberlain’s invitation and headed to the lower levels of the city – which were also the most lavishly decorated. It seemed that here, no expense had been spared to surround the nobles in splendor. As the group entered the banquet room, they saw that every dwarf noble who was present was dressed in the finest fabrics and wore many glittering jewels on their fat fingers. They all looked overweight, much unlike the servants who tended to their needs. King Ezelgar, the ruler of Glimmerhold, stood on a throne on the far side of the room. His beard was gray like iron, his nose was sharp and hooked, and his small dark eyes glittered angrily. The platinum crown that rested upon his brow was decorated with many sharp horn-like protrusions.
Yet the most remarkable person present was not the dwarven king, but rather a magnificent woman in a splendid red dress. She had long crimson hair and a golden skin; she also seemed to be at least ten feet tall. The adventurers bowed before the King as he greeted them, but Abdelmotaleb gaped stupidly at the giant woman, completely smitten with her. “She could really hurt me!...” he thought, and for some bizarre reason, this really appealed to him.
King Ezelgar (who addressed the group in Common) invited the adventurers to join the feast, and he said he was pleased with the help they had provided at the bridge. By speaking with him, they learned that in the victory over the Deepanvil Clan a year before, the entire enemy army (comprised of male warriors) had been annihilated, but the women of the clan had remained alive, as they had fled before the Glimmerhold dwarves reached their city to butcher them. Now, King Ezelgar bitterly observed that the Deepanvil women seemed to have gathered some strength and were harrassing his good subjects.
Fawzy was disgusted by the obscene wealth that the ruling caste of Glimmerhold seemed to hoard about themselves, leaving the population to starve. He made those feelings very clear, which seemed to greatly annoy the King and his followers. During the meal, the adventurers had to chit-chat with the nobles, and tried to remain diplomatic. Kazim made a rather bad impression, as she tried to support Fawzy’s views, but she wasn’t assertive enough to sway the stubborn dwarven minds. One of the nobles made a joke about the elves which infuriated Kelonis, and with a rare lack of self-control, the normally diplomatic cleric criticized the dwarven race in front of everyone. It seemed the group was quickly alienating the nobles around them.
The one who seemed to be having the most success was Toba, as several of the nobles stared at her openly, apparently considering her to be a great beauty. One broad-shouldered noble invited her to his apartments for the night.
Meanwhile, since Abdelmotaleb couldn’t understand any of the languages being spoken at the court, he kept on staring at the beautiful giantess. She noticed and seemed highly amused by it. After some time, she addressed him in Kelish, much to his surprise. She had a thick accent, and she explained that she had learned the tongue from her parents. Abdelmotaleb learned that her name was Iqilma and that she was the daughter of Warlord Obherak, the ruler of the Shaitans. Her home was on the island of Khandelwal, but she was here to act as a liaison with the dwarves of Glimmerhold, the allies of her father. Together, they wanted to unite and fight Jhavhul.
Of course, Iqilma was flabbergasted to learn that Jhavhul was now gone from Kakishon. Abdelmotaleb gave her a very messy summary of their adventures so far, but she got more detailed information by questioning Fawzy and Kelonis. She seemed extremely excited that Jhavhul was gone, and said she couldn’t wait to inform her father.
Later, when Kazim asked him about the origin of the conflict between Glimmerhold and Deepanvil, King Ezelgar told the tale of his ascension to the throne after the evil Deepanvil dwarves had killed both his parents. As per dwarven tradition, he had to perform a quest to gain the right to claim the crown, and he went to fight a great black dragon called Angrammora. Along the way, he had help in his quest from the forge-priestess Helrun and from pilgrims of the Mistbreather Clan, who had been persecuted by the Deepanvil dwarves. In the end, Ezelgar was victorious and he killed the dragon, but unfortunately, his beloved Helrun perished in the battle. Once he returned to Glimmerhold to be crowned king, he welcomed the Mistbreather Clan in his new kingdom.
Everyone clapped in appreciation of the king’s tale, and Kelonis followed him in describing the group’s victory over the hideous Carrion King. Soon after he finished, however, some of the dwarves began coughing or even collapsing on the ground. Kelonis himself began to choke, but soon recovered.
“It’s the curse of the Deepanvil!” growled King Ezelgar.
Indeed, the panicked dwarves and surprised adventurers realized that every drop of alcohol had become poisonous, and that every item of gold (including those belonging to the heroes) was turning to lead. The King excused himself to go meet with his generals, and the nobles also started leaving the room. Iqilma bowed to the companions and left by passing through a stone wall. The companions decided to return to their inn for the night. Ironically, Fawzy did not feel too sorry for the dwarves: it seemed that the curse affected mostly the selfish nobles…
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Kakishon – day 14
Menace in the water
The following morning, the level of panic had risen by one notch among the dwarves of Glimmerhold. With frightened voices, they claimed that the black dragon Angrammora had returned to lay waste to their beloved city!
The heroic adventurers swiftly responded and went to the city gates, where they learned that the creature had devoured every guard who had attempted to kill it; it was now lurking in the lake that surrounded the city. There were confusing reports about the nature of this monster, some claiming that it could breathe acid like a black dragon, others stating that it had nine heads. The companions magically protected themselves against acid and ventured unto one of the bridges. With them came a small squadron of guards who had readied some oil and torches: indeed, Kazim knew that the heads of a hydra could re-grow twofold if cut without cauterizing the wound first. That had never been a problem when the companions had fought hydras before, but this time, the more vulnerable body of the creature would likely be out of reach, underwater.
When the monster struck, the adventurers indeed came to the conclusion that it was a strange dragon-hydra hybrid, and not the dragon Angrammora that King Ezelgar had killed many years ago. They fought bravely as a team: Toba chopped off some heads and Abdelmotaleb fired the burning arrows that the dwarven guards handed to him, expertly searing the neck stumps. Meanwhile, Fawzy struck with non-lethal damage to disable the heads without allowing them to grow back. Kazim used her magic to help the group, and Kelonis healed everyone’s wounds. In the end, the heroes were victorious, but alas, it came at the cost of the lives of a few dwarves who had been devoured by the terrible foe. Kelonis had to use a lot of healing magic to heal the group as well, as they had all sustained grievous wounds in the fight.
The Black Spire
The group wasted no time and began their journey toward the Black Spire. Artel had told them that it was about half a day’s distance from Glimmerhold, but it took them the entire day to reach it. Indeed, they had to stop along the way to help some helpless dwarven farmers stave off the attacks of vicious giants the likes of which they had never heard about: thin, hideous brutes who stood twenty-five feet tall and whose mouths drooled putrid black slime. Strangely, broken chains surrounded the ankles, wrists and groins of these monstrosities. Abdelmotaleb recognized those beings as the ones who had emerged from the craters they had seen previously.
A number of Doomguides also circled above the group, but Abdelmotaleb was able to make them flee by shooting some of them with the incredible range of his mighty bow.
Some time after nightfall, the group came within view of the Black Spire. The enormous spike of stone was driven into the ground and surrounded by the bones of a gigantic, nightmarish creature. At the top of the spike, the companions could see some old ruins within which flickered a dim, eerie light. The sounds of combat drew their attention, and they made their way to the site of a battle between some large humanoids whose skin looked like stone, and foul undead with sharp fangs. The four warriors, whom the group recognized as Shaitans, were able to drive away the undead, which went to hide amidst the enormous bones of the Eater of Magic.
The group approached the Shaitans and introduced themselves. The Shaitans were soldiers under the orders of Iqilma. They had come here on the heels of some Deepanvil dwarves who seemed to be up to no good. They said that the rest of their party had gone up the spire to confront the dwarves, and that they had been asked to secure the base of the pillar.
The companions climbed the stairs leading to the summit of the Black Spire. Once there, they were attacked by three vicious manticores that were flying over the area. The heroes sustained wounds from the spikes these monsters shot at them from the air, but they were able to kill them all, mostly thanks to Abdelmotaleb’s arrows.
Once they were healed, they examined the manticores’ bodies and noticed some saddles on their backs: they were perhaps the mounts of some of the Deepanvil dwarves. The group quickly searched the summit and found some of the crystals Artel had asked for. Using the tools he had given them, they harvested the four crystals they could see, and then they approached the ruined monastery that stood nearby. Abdelmotaleb saw many tracks of dwarves and giants heading inside; what’s more, Kelonis and Kazim felt a deep wrongness in the aura of this place. They decided to venture inside the ruins and see what the Deepanvil dwarves were up to…
Hi! Just a word of appreciation for your work. I just finished reading it, and enjoyed it very much.
Quite impressive material, for a holyday campaign... I also liked the twists your introduced to change the adventures as written; they seemed quite logical to me. No snags to interrupt the flow of the story.
It's time for me to begin on your Rise of the Runelords campaign thread...
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Ah, thanks a lot for writing this. I was beginning to wonder if anyone was reading anymore.
Alas, we played our last 2 games of the year last weekend. My friend's wife has come back from her extended vacation so he will now go back to his full-time job of being husband and father. We're hoping he'll be able to join us when we start Curse of the Crimson Throne later on, but we don't know for sure if he'll have time.
Btw, this friend is the one playing Fawzy and Abdelmotaleb.
Kelonis is my DM-PC.
Kazim is Kelonis's cohort and therefore an NPC.
Toba's player (aka our Savage Tide DM) has only played about half of "Howl of Carrion King", 1 game of "House of the Beast", 0 games of "The Jackal's Price" and 1 game of "The End of Eternity". So Toba's almost an NPC too. When he's not around, Toba is played by Fawzy's player.
Zemeyset was also played by this person, and since a wizard is more complex to play than a Rogue, I decided to remove that character from the group.
I had fun tweaking the adventures a bit to make them "smoother" in my opinion.
It's strange, the first adventure was BRUTAL, it seemed way too hard for our group. I had to tone down two of the boss encounters because the PC's would've been slaughtered.
The second adventure felt just right, the fight against the Carrion King was (as expected) difficult, but they managed.
The third and fourth adventure have been very easy so far. They haven't really been challenged except MAYBE by the last encounter of the 3rd adventure.
I think the plot of the first two adventures is pretty solid and fun to run.
The plot of the third and fourth adventures is interesting and original, but quite vulnerable to players not "playing along". I was fortunate that my player was quite easygoing and followed the story. But I can imagine some DM's having a very difficult time running those adventures with "troublesome/stubborn" players.
The fourth adventure is a bit too sandboxy for my tastes. It describes some interesting encounters, but I find there is too much of the adventure that will be: "OK, you guys walk on this island for X days and have Y random encounters. First random encounter. You meet a bunch of Z monsters. Roll initiative." That's why I decided to flesh out the adventure by inserting "Clash of the Kingslayers" in the middle of it. My player loved it and said it fit very smoothly in there.
My next updates should be up soon, then this thread will go on a long hibernation until next summer, which should give you plenty of time to read my Rise of the Runelords thread, which I hope you will enjoy because I LOVED that campaign!
Alas, we played our last 2 games of the year last weekend. My friend's wife has come back from her extended vacation so he will now go back to his full-time job of being husband and father. We're hoping he'll be able to join us when we start Curse of the Crimson Throne later on, but we don't know for sure if he'll have time.
Btw, this friend is the one playing Fawzy and Abdelmotaleb.
Kelonis is my DM-PC.
Kazim is Kelonis's cohort and therefore an NPC.
Toba's player (aka our Savage Tide DM) has only played about half of "Howl of Carrion King", 1 game of "House of the Beast", 0 games of "The Jackal's Price" and 1 game of "The End of Eternity". So Toba's almost an NPC too. When he's not around, Toba is played by Fawzy's player.
Zemeyset was also played by this person, and since a wizard is more complex to play than a Rogue, I decided to remove that character from the group.
Too bad my batplane is due for revisions, you could need another player to liven up things a bit. :)
The plot of the third and fourth adventures is interesting and original, but quite vulnerable to players not "playing along". I was fortunate that my player was quite easygoing and followed the story. But I can imagine some DM's having a very difficult time running those adventures with "troublesome/stubborn" players.
In that, you are somewhat helped by your habit of using DM-PC's. As you did in Rise of the Runelords (already read through "Burnt offerings"), you can seemlessly introduce plot elements, hooks and whatever you need through them, if your flesh and blood players get headstrong or aren't taking the bait.
Still, it's more elegant to flow around the obstacle, as you also did in Howl: "they wouldn't dream of selling the Scroll of Kakishon? Fine! Scrap the competing buyers, enter the Pathfinders..."
Summer next year ? Ouch... :)
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Summer next year ? Ouch... :)
All of my close friends are married with children, and I find it interesting to see how the amount of time each of them has "for themselves" outside taking care of the wife and kids varies wildly from one household to the next.
Unfortunately, my main Legacy of Fire player is very far on the "can't spare ANY time for RPG's" end of the spectrum. I've only been able to play with him in the summer in recent years since his wife & kids spent the summer outside the country.
But now they're back, so... RPG season is over. :(
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Kakishon – day 14 (continued)
The mountain awakens
The group entered the dark monastery. It seemed to have been abandoned for quite some time, but Abdelmotaleb saw tracks of giants and dwarves going down into the basement of the place. The group followed these tracks. They entered a huge room; at its center was a pit filled with a great quantity of discarded weapons and parts of siege engines. As the group went around the pit, they were attacked by two more of those disgusting thin giants who had been hiding within. As the group fought back, Fawzy was able to stun one of the giants, but the other one grabbed him and almost managed to devour him; thankfully, though, it was slain by Toba and Abdelmotaleb before it could do so.
Once both giants were dead, Abdelmotaleb and Kelonis said they thought they could hear a voice chanting a ritual in the distance. What’s more, the elven cleric felt a strange buildup of power in the area. The group continued to follow the tracks of giants, going into one of the dark hallways that led out of the room. They walked down a long corridor and went past some doors which led into an active forge within which they found three huge fire elementals and a multitude of tiny ones. A brutal battle erupted with the elementals. Kazim was able to blind them temporarily with a Glitterdust spell, which enabled the rest of the group to kill the enemies one by one. Fawzy had been protected from fire by Kelonis, and he struck mightily against these foes: Tempest had now become a truly deadly weapon against fire creatures such as these, and the ice-covered chains extinguished the life essence of the dangerous elementals.
Fawzy examined the room and found some adamantine ingots. The group wondered how come the forge was still active after all this time – was it being used by the Deepanvil dwarves? But as Fawzy put the last ingot in his magical bag, the ground shook beneath the feet of the characters, sending everyone except the nimble monk sprawling. It seemed that an earthquake was affecting the Black Spire. Suddenly, the corridor the group had come from tilted at a sharp angle, and Kelonis and Kazim, who had still been standing in it, glided down painfully toward its bottom. Toba managed to grab hold of the wall near the forge, and Abdelmotaleb was able to simply walk on the walls with his magical slippers. He saw the corridor behind him change shape, as some openings closed and some new ones appeared where solid walls had stood before.
The “earthquake” stopped for a few moments, and was soon replaced by loud, powerful thuds every few seconds. It seemed as though the vibrations were those of a titanic creature walking. Kelonis and Kazim joined the rest of the group via Levitation, and everyone saw through a nearby opening the starry sky of Kakishon. The dark landscape around them was moving: it seemed that the Black Spire was somehow in movement… !
Fawzy received a Fly spell and went to take a look outside. The many tiny fire elementals of the forge had escaped and were now skittering over the back of what seemed like an enormous creature made of stone. What had previously been the Black Spire was now a moving four-legged colossal being made of stone. The companions wondered if something had been done with the remains of the Eater of Magic in order to animate such a colossus – and now it seemed they were inside this thing. They had no idea how to stop it, but it seemed that it was heading toward Glimmerhold…
The adventurers hoped that they would find a way to stop this monstrous construct before it could reach the dwarven city. Following one of the corridors, they went into the “tail” part of the creature and found a strangely shaped room inside of which four prismatic crystalline columns were spinning madly. Beyond it was another dark chamber that had one wall made of ice. Fawzy and Toba quickly crossed the room, but were attacked by the ghost of a dwarven monk. The adventurers felt fear when looking at this apparition, but only Kazim was severely shaken by it. After a brief fight, Fawzy showed that his fighting style was superior to the dwarf’s, and he slew him.
Beyond the pillar room, the ice wall bore dwarven runes on its surface. They said: “The obstacle thaws to your faith”. Toba was able to make the ice barrier melt with a prayer to Sarenrae. The group entered the alcove, within which they found a great treasure, including several potent magical items. What’s more, Kelonis detected that the magical aura of this place kept it out of time, meaning that they could take the time to recuperate.
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Kakishon – day 15
Helrun’s fury
Unfortunately, when the group emerged from the extra-dimensional space a few hours later, they were surprised to see that it was daybreak outside, and that the colossus had almost reached Glimmerhold. It seemed that the time distortion had collapsed at some point during the night.
Once again, Fawzy flew outside of the moving mountain and saw that a large number of Doomguides now flew around the Black Spire, chanting battle cries and blowing on war horns. As the colossus advanced, it crushed some farms and some unfortunate dwarves who tried to flee toward Glimmerhold, which was now quite close. Using magic, the group made its way down one of the construct’s legs and entered an old dormitory where they found the skeletal remains of many dwarves and fought a strange monster made of smoke. Then, guessing that the way to stop the construct could be found in its head, they returned toward the opening near the forge.
Fawzy went to scout ahead and indeed, he heard some chanting coming from the colossus’s maw. Now, the construct had begun its siege of Glimmerhold. It was ramming the walls of the sturdy dwarven city, its legs wading in the lake surrounding it. On the walls, the dwarven defenders were firing projectiles from their crossbows and siege engines, but they seemed to have little effect on the construct. They also had to deal with the Doomguides. Some of the most courageous dwarves tried to jump down on or to climb on the construct, but most of them fell to their deaths or got crushed by the creature.
Fawzy went to get the rest of the group. Kelonis cast some Fly spells on everyone and they all made their way inside the huge monster’s mouth. They entered a large temple to Torag, the main god of dwarves. It seemed that a great battle had taken place there, as the ground was littered with the corpses of dwarves, Shaitans and foul monsters. In the middle of the temple stood two defiant figures: the stout form of King Ezelgar and the statuesque silhouette of Iqilma. Around them stood five hostile-looking Shaitans, and at the far end of the temple, beyond an altar, a gray-haired dwarven woman was lodged inside the wall of the temple. Only the upper half of her body protruded from the stone.
“… and now, Ezelgar, you will finally pay for leaving me to die!” she was ranting. “I will crush your miserable city and you and the Mistbreather dogs will suffer for all the harm you’ve done to me and my people!”
And then she motioned for the Shaitans to attack the King and the Warlord’s daughter. The enemy Shaitans fought with their bare hands, but they had very long claws. Iqilma also fought only with her fists, but King Ezelgar wielded a two-headed dwarven urgrosh. The heroes sprang into action as one of the Shaitans noticed them and attacked. Fawzy and Toba struck the stone-skinned enemy. Kelonis tried to Command all the Shaitans to surrender, but none obeyed his magic. Kazim hastened the group’s movement with her air magic, and Abdelmotaleb shot arrows toward the far end of the room, against Iqilma’s foes.
Snarling with rage, the dwarven priestess encased in the far wall gestured and a wall of stone appeared to block the adventurers from the rest of the room. Fawzy and Toba finished off their enemy, and as they struck the final blows, it fell to the ground and transformed into a hideous, much smaller monster with a thin body and a wide mouth filled with fangs.
“Those things aren’t Shaitans,” said Kelonis, “they’re Totenmaskes, shape-shifting undead!’
Fawzy and Toba began hacking at the stone wall, but meanwhile, Kelonis brought Kazim, Abdelmotaleb and Hayia to the other side of the room with a Dimension Door spell. King Ezelgar was nowhere to be seen, and yet, one of the Totenmaskes lay dead near where he had been standing a few moments before, and the other one seemed to be fighting something invisible. Meanwhile, Iqilma was fighting two other Totenmaskes who had treacherously taken the forms of her followers. She fought valiantly and even though she had sustained a few wounds from their claws, she seemed extremely resilient.
Kazim used one of her newfound scrolls to cast a black ray of negative energy toward the dwarven priestess. Unfortunately, she completely missed her mark.
“You’re terrible,” said the dwarven woman before unleashing a black ray of her own which blasted Kazim, turning her skin deathly pale and making her collapse to her knees. “That’s the way it’s done, little girl!” she said with a dry chuckle.
Kelonis cast a Dispel Magic on the woman, but it had no visible effect, and soon he too was blasted by a dark ray that drained some of his life energy. Hayia went to attack the dwarven priestess, but she was unable to hit her. Kazim drew one of her wands and pointed it at the dwarven woman with a shaking hand, blasting her with Magic Missiles.
Meanwhile, instead of attacking the dwarven priestess, Abdelmotaleb shot arrows at the Totenmaskes who were threatening the beautiful Iqilma. He really wanted to show her how skilled he was with his bow. What’s more, he really hated undead.
He unleashed a merciless volley of arrows that pierced the bodies of the false-Shaitans, killing both of them and forcing them to transform back into their disgusting real forms. Iqilma gasped in surprise and turned to look at Abdelmotaleb in complete admiration. The ranger giddily jogged toward her despite the remaining menace of the dwarven priestess: he couldn’t take his eyes off of the Shaitan lady, especially not now that so much of her red dress has been torn by the enemies’ claws (and by one of his own arrows). Only a few crimson shreds still barely clung to the magnificent curves of her golden-skinned body. As soon as he was close enough, Iqilma grabbed him in a tight embrace and kissed him passionately. The ranger was so overcome by bliss that he almost dropped his bow…
At that point, a section of the stone wall collapsed and Fawzy and Toba emerged from it. The mighty dwarven rogue rushed the closest enemy: the last remaining Totenmaske. It was able to dodge her greataxe, but it was struck by an invisible weapon an instant later: King Ezelgar’s blade skewered it and cut its torso in two. As the monster collapsed in a heap of gore on the ground of the temple, the King chuckled and thanked Toba for her assistance. Toba had recognized that the way the invisible king had struck was very typical of skilled rogues…
Fawzy rushed toward the dwarven priestess and struck furiously all around her. Even though she was stuck in a wall and would have, one would think, presented an easy target, he missed all of his attacks and punched/kicked several holes in the solid wall.
“You people are pathetic,” snarled the gray-haired woman.
Kelonis might have been weakened by her negative magic, but he still had some tricks up his sleeve and resented being called pathetic. He decided to use one of the cheesiest spells ever created and surrounded the immobile priestess with a zone of Silence, forbidding her to cast spells. The dwarven lady’s mouth twisted in a grimace as she silently cursed the elf, but before she could try to do anything else, her neck got severed and went tumbling down to the ground. Kelonis cancelled his silence and the victorious King Ezelgar soon reappeared. He was giggling like a little boy. He walked over to the dwarven woman’s head, picked it up and spit on it, showering her with insults in the dwarven language.
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Return of the King
The companions only had a few moments to enjoy their victory. Abdelmotaleb kept on kissing Iqilma. King Ezelgar kept on gloating over his enemy’s head. Kelonis helped Kazim to her feet, and Toba and Fawzy ensured that all enemies were truly dead. But soon, the ground began to shake violently and stones started to fall from the ceiling.
“This bloody thing’s collapsing!” growled the king. “Everybody out!”
Everyone headed toward the exit, except Kelonis who hurried to loot the magical items from the dwarven priestess’s body.
“Kelonis, there’s no time!” shouted Fawzy. “We have to go now!”
“Almost… done!” replied the greedy elf, who rushed to follow his fleeing companions just in time before a huge slab of stone crashed down where he had been standing.
Iqilma gently squeezed Abdelmotaleb’s hand and said “See you soon… my savior!” before merging into the stone body of the colossus. The ranger reluctantly followed his friends who, along with the king, flew toward the safety of Glimmerhold’s ramparts. Below them, they saw that the enormous construct was collapsing, revealing in places the tremendous bones of the Eater of Magic that had somehow become surrounded by stone to form this deadliest of all war machines. Now, the enormous contraption crumbled into an enormous heap of stone in the waters of the lake, leaning heavily against the walls of Glimmerhold. It moved no more and would become a terrifying monument to the vengeance of the Deepanvil clan.
Many of the Doomguides had been slain by the arrows of Glimmerhold’s defenders, and the survivors turned and fled. No one knew if they would be back for another attempt at revenge one day, but it was clear that it would not be soon. As the companions flew toward Glimmerhold, a great cheer went up from the population and the army that was massed around its battlements. At first, King Ezelgar smiled with pride at what he took for praise from his subjects, but it soon became clear that the dwarves were cheering for the newcomers who had heroically defended them from the Doomguides, the nine-headed hydra and now this animated colossus.
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Kakishon – day 15 (continued)
A taste of victory
The curse of Glimmerhold was now lifted: gold returned to its natural hue, and the dwarves could once again consume alcohol. There was much rejoicing among the nobles, but Fawzy questioned the King: had the curse really changed anything for the common folk of Glimmerhold? After all, they lived such miserable lives already. The King nimbly dodged the issue by claiming that the resources of Glimmerhold had been drained by the recent war effort, but that things would improve from now on. It was clear that he was a very skilled politician.
Abdelmotaleb then left to go look for Iqilma, but the rest of the group went to give Artel Norrim the crystals they had harvested. The smith gladly rewarded them with the rings of fire resistance he had crafted. When Fawzy questioned him about King Ezelgar, he was dismayed to see that Artel didn’t seem to mind his tyrannical rule very much. But still, Fawzy was troubled by the fact that the priestess had told King Ezelgar “you left me to die”. He had heard him call her Helrun, but that seemed to be the same name as the one he had heard from the King’s own tale: apparently, she had once been his lover, but the King had said she had died while fighting the black dragon Angrammora… Something just didn’t add up.
Later, Fawzy was approached by a few dirty dwarves who were trying to form a kind of resistance. They had noticed that he seemed to be opposed to the king. The dwarves informed Fawzy that the current nobles of King Ezelgar’s court were all former members of the Mistbreather clan, and that it was rumored that they worshipped the demon-goddess Lamashtu. They were the ones who had abolished the worship of the dwarven gods such as Torag. Unfortunately, the rebels were a small minority, as the rest of the dwarves were so lawful-minded that they obeyed their king no matter how miserable their living conditions were. It seemed there would be little hope for a quick revolution, and Kelonis reminded Fawzy that their quest to defeat Jhavhul was more important than improving the lives of “a few smelly dwarves”.
Meanwhile, Abdelmotaleb found Iqilma in her chambers. He invited her to have a drink with him at a local tavern and they got to know each other a little better. They were both on high emotions thanks to the recent victory, and for some reason, Iqilma seemed to be responding very well to the gruff ranger’s advances. He was incredibly attracted to her despite the fact that she was so much larger than him, but she told him that she was a shape-shifter and could ensure that they would be “fully compatible”. After a few drinks, they headed back to her apartments and got to know each other a lot better…
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Kakishon – day 16
The Warlord’s daughter
The following morning, Kelonis and Abdelmotaleb went to the King’s court to get a reward for defending Glimmerhold. The ranger wore a huge smile because of the blissful night he had just spent with Iqilma. Kelonis glared at him balefully.
“I hate you…” he said bitterly, for the first of many times.
Kelonis was able to convince the greedy dwarven king to reward the group with several bags of gems for their efforts. Also present were Iqilma and her four remaining Shaitan warriors. She gave her good-byes to King Ezelgar, announcing that she would be returning to her father’s domain on Khandelwal. Later, she made arrangements with Abdelmotaleb so their two groups would travel together. Before leaving, though, Abdelmotaleb visited Artel Norrim one last time and asked him to craft a medallion for Iqilma, using one of the bigger gems that King Ezelgar had just given him.
The adventurers left Glimmerhold with the five Shaitans and traveled through the barren landscape of Khosravi toward its Waypoint on the northern shore. The trip took another five days of arduous walking. It was made safer and more pleasant this time due to the presence of the Shaitans: indeed, even though a few local predators attacked the group, none could provide a serious challenge for so many powerful warriors.
The Shaitan warriors were tall and mighty in body, grim and obedient in spirit. As daughter of the warlord, Iqilma seemed to have a status of princess and they obeyed her, even though she seemed to be quite young for a Shaitan. The stone-skinned warriors often glared furiously at Abdelmotaleb. They knew about his relationship with Iqilma, as one of them had walked in on them by accident earlier while they had been together in her room back in Glimmerhold.
Iqilma was much more fun-loving than her grim compatriots. She was very curious about Golarion and asked many questions about that world she had never seen. Abdelmotaleb answered what he could, and told her more about his life, such as his imprisonment by the gnolls when he was a teenager and the fort he had built to strengthen the order of the Severed Paw. But he was unable to answer many of her more esoteric questions, and for these she turned to Fawzy or Kelonis. She seemed fascinated by Nefeshti and dreamed of becoming a heroine like her; her infatuation did not seem to be shared by the Shaitan soldiers: after all, the Templars of the Five Winds had been their enemies before they got trapped in Kakishon.
Even though Iqilma bonded more easily with Fawzy and Kelonis on an intellectual level, she still spent her nights with Abdelmotaleb. It seemed that she had lived under her father’s tight control all of her life and was rebelling in what ways she could: Abdelmotaleb was exciting, unpredictable. Kelonis grew more and more jealous of the ranger’s success with the lovely Shaitan.
“I hate you…” he repeated every morning.
Iqilma was very pleased when Abdelmotaleb gave her the medallion that Artel had made. She said it was the first time that anyone had ever given her a gift like this. Abdelmotaleb learned that Iqilma had not been allowed to openly have any lovers because of her father’s strict rules, and none of the Shaitan soldiers dared to disobey him. She had taken a lover in secret, but she was a strange creature indeed: a sphinx. Abdelmotaleb nearly choked when he heard that: this girl was truly incredible and seemed to share his questionable attraction to half-animal hybrids.
Iqilma told Abdelmotaleb more about her life, growing up in the Pleasure Palace. She described some of its splendors, and said that some chambers had been inaccessible even to Shaitans, and probably kept some of Nex’s more powerful secrets. Abdelmotaleb learned that Neshari’s mistress, a Shaitan who still lived in the Pleasure Palace, was the sister of Iqilma’s father, Obherak. She foolishly loved Jhavhul, but Iqilma said that Jhavhul had never truly loved any woman except Ymeri, the Queen of the Inferno. Ymeri was an extremely powerful being, almost a goddess, and Jhavhul would never be able to make her love him.
In the mean time, he had kept a harem here in Kakishon, but he was distant and brutal with the women he picked. Some years ago, when Iqilma was still quite young, Jhavhul had tried to bring her into his harem, but she had refused. He had beaten her for daring to defy him, and her mother had to come to her defense. Unfortunately, in his rage, Jhavhul had killed Iqilma’s mother. These events had led to Obherak’s rebellion against his former master, and almost all of the Shaitans defected and went to live on the island of Khandelwal.
It was clear that Iqilma loathed Jhavhul’s brutality. The efreeti lord’s rage was all-consuming: he had been the one who had damaged all of the stone piers at the various Kakishon Waypoints. Abdelmotaleb assured Iqilma that he and his friends would do everything they could to find and destroy Jhavhul. He could see that the young Shaitan was torn between the desire to accompany them on their grand adventure and get revenge upon the one who had killed her mother, or to remain in Kakishon with her father and the rest of her people…
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Kakishon – day 20
The group reached the Khosravi Waypoint and summoned a galley to take them to Khandelwal. During the three-day trip to that island, they were attacked by an enormous two-headed bird, but they were able to kill it without taking any casualties.
Kakishon – day 23
A few days later, the adventurers and the Shaitans arrived at Khandelwal. It was a huge island surrounded by a ring of jungle, but at its heart was a vast expanse of desert. The Waypoint was heavily guarded by Shaitan warriors; it was a good thing that the adventurers were with Iqilma, otherwise they might have encountered some resistance from the Shaitans.
Another journey began, this time across the sands of Khandelwal. It would take five days to reach Warlord Obherak’s keep, known as the Golden Bowl. Along the way, the travelers encountered several dangerous creatures and strange chaotic phenomenon, but nothing too dangerous. On the last day before they reached the Golden Bowl, a group of gargoyle scouts approached them. It seemed they worked for Obherak, and they flew back toward the fortress to announce the arrival of the Warlord’s daughter and her unusual guests.
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Kakishon – day 28
The Earth Seed
The group finally reached the Golden Bowl. It was a large crater in the sand which contained an ancient temple of Nethys. Its guardian was a beautiful white-haired female sphinx named Zulfiqar. She and Iqilma happily greeted each other, and Abdelmotaleb understood that this creature was Iqilma’s secret lover. However, Zulfiqar’s face soon grew stern as she addressed the adventurers:
“As per the law of my people, none may enter the temple unless they answer a riddle.”
“Oh, here we go!” said Iqilma, rolling her eyes.
“Some might find riddles to be a cliché, but I find them quite delightful,” continued the Sphinx. “So, mortals: answer this if you can: ‘I build up hills and tear down mountains. I make blind eyes see and make seeing eyes blind. What am I?’”.
The companions thought about this for a few moments and couldn’t come up with anything obvious.
“A river?” said Abdelmotaleb after a while.
“False!” replied the sphinx with a victorious smile. “You may not enter the temple!”
“Err, actually, my friend was a bit hasty in answering,” said Kelonis. “He seems to have a problem keeping his stupid mouth shut!” he added, glaring at the ranger. “The answer is, of course: a god.”
“False! That is not the answer!” said Zulfiqar.
“But it is an answer,” replied the elf with a grin. “Gods are all-powerful: they can create or destroy mountains, make mortals blind or cure them of their blindness. It is a valid answer and as per your own laws, we may proceed within.”
“But… that’s so cheap! It’s too easy an answer! You can’t have good riddles anymore if anyone can just answer something so generic!”
“Well, that’s really not my problem, now, is it?” replied Kelonis with a smug grin as he walked past the frustrated white-haired sphinx.
Obherak’s lair was an unusual place designed to be easily navigated by the earth-gliding Shaitans. Iqilma opened a round stone portion of the temple’s floor, which led to a deep shaft, and she indicated that the companions should go into it by magic. Using levitation, they went down the shaft while Iqilma and her soldiers merged into the stone. The companions entered a huge underground room that was shaped like two opposed hollow ziggurats joined at the base. In the middle of the room floated a huge block of brown stone that was decorated with many golden runes in an unknown language. To their horror, the party saw that a bizarre reptilian creature was kept captive inside the stone block: it seemed to be partly fused within.
As the companions approached, many Shaitans emerged from further in the lair to witness the return of Iqilma and her warriors. The greatest of these was Obherak himself, an impressive-looking Shaitan who carried a massive falchion. His grim face was overcome by one of his rare smiles as he embraced his beloved daughter, and the two spoke for a while in the Terran language. Iqilma seemed to be giving him the latest news about the dwarven realms and Jhavhul’s departure. Obherak turned a stern glare toward the adventurers as he examined them one by one while is daughter introduced them. Abdelmotaleb tried to look innocent, because Iqilma had told him that her father wouldn’t approve of her relations with a human.
The adventurers explained to Obherak that they were trying to return to Golarion, and the warlord replied that he was indeed capable of sending them back there. He pointed at the hovering block of stone and told them that it was called the Earth Seed and had been one of the primordial building blocks for Kakishon. He believed he would be able to use it to send the companions away from Kakishon. However, he needed them to accomplish something for him first: he wanted them to go to Andakami, the Isles of Not, and to slay all the Proteans there. He grinned at the unconscious body of the captive Protean he kept within the stone: it was clear that he hated those chaotic creatures.
The companions didn’t really feel like going to fight a huge number of Proteans, and wondered why Jhavhul had remained a prisoner in Kakishon all this time if the Shaitans were able to make him leave. Obherak smiled and said that Jhavhul was never informed of this fact. The Shaitan Warlord wanted to remain in Kakishon and rule here with his people. He had no interest in leaving.
“So that is my offer, mortals,” said the mighty Obherak. “Venture beyond the edge of the world and destroy my enemies. If you succeed, I will send you away from Kakishon. What say you?”
… TO BE CONTINUED NEXT SUMMER…
All of my close friends are married with children, and I find it interesting to see how the amount of time each of them has "for themselves" outside taking care of the wife and kids varies wildly from one household to the next.
Unfortunately, my main Legacy of Fire player is very far on the "can't spare ANY time for RPG's" end of the spectrum. I've only been able to play with him in the summer in recent years since his wife & kids spent the summer outside the country.
But now they're back, so... RPG season is over. :(
I know that... I only managed to finagle one gaming night a month (complete, 'til dawn) from my non gaming "blonde". Just wait until the kids are grown, people!
Next year, so.
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Kakishon – day 28 (continued)
Choosing a side
The characters discussed among themselves for a while before answering Obherak. They were not sure who to trust: Jhavhul’s former allies, or the chaotic Proteans? The choice was clear in Kelonis’s mind: the Shaitans had proven helpful, reliable, efficient and true to their word so far. Besides, they were already opposed to Jhavhul. The Proteans were creatures of pure chaos who were trying to destroy Nex’s greatest creation; in his mind, they were not to be trusted, and the decision of which faction to help was a no-brainer. The other members of the group seemed to lean more toward helping the Shaitans as well, but were afraid of making the wrong move.
Abdelmotaleb suggested taking more time to think about the choice and visiting Nex’s Pleasure Palace first. He told the others that there might be valuable secrets within, not only in the form of magical items or strange creations that the Pathfinders should discover, but also more information about the Proteans: their strengths and weaknesses, and how Nex managed to imprison them and control them. The others agreed that it made a lot of sense, even though Abdelmotaleb’s transparent true goal was to spend more time with Iqilma. Kelonis also mentioned that they might find useful and rare spell components at the Pleasure Palace, for example some special ointment to see through the illusions the Proteans might use against them.
Fawzy, Kelonis and Kazim were especially eager to return to Katapesh to try and stop Jhavhul. They feared he was causing much destruction in their homeland, and it was pretty much entirely their fault. The problem was, of course, that they had no idea how to stop Jhavhul: he was, from what they had heard, far more powerful than anything they had ever encountered before. Their only idea at the moment was to use the Scroll of Kakishon to imprison him again, but Kelonis wasn’t even sure he would be able to use it himself: perhaps they would need to find Zemeyset to perform such a ritual, assuming of course that the old diviner was still alive…
So the companions announced to Obherak that they accepted his offer: they would use the egg the Proteans had given them to travel by boat “beyond the edge of the world” to the Isles of Not, where the Proteans dwelt. In exchange, upon their return, Obherak would use the Earth Seed to send them away from Kakishon. The group also negotiated for an escort, so Iqilma and her four guards would go with them again.
Kakishon – day 33
Sands of Khandelwal
It took five days for the group to return to the Khandelwal waypoint. The journey through the desert was mostly uneventful: none of the savage creatures of the sands were strong enough to provide a challenge for the five heroes and the five Shaitans. Abdelmotaleb enjoyed his nights with Iqilma; the four Shaitan warriors seemed quite bitter to see their mistress debase herself like this with a mortal, yet none of them had dared to be the one to deliver such delicate news to Obherak back at the Golden Bowl. The adventurers understood from this that many genie warlords had a “kill the messenger” outlook on life.
One of the Shaitan warriors was an old veteran called Decrid. He had fought on Jhavhul’s side in the war against the Templars of the Five Winds. He questioned Fawzy about the strange chains around his wrists: he recognized Tempest, the weapon of Vardishal. Fawzy stated that a new group of heroes had taken over the cause for which the templars had once fought.
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Kakishon – day 36
Capsized!
For three days, the adventurers and the Shaitans traveled on a Nexian Galley toward the Pleasure Palace. The trip itself was very enjoyable: the weather was nice, the scenery was beautiful, and Kelonis provided nourishment by magic. Unfortunately, the travelers were treated to two very unpleasant surprises when they reached their destination.
First, the Pleasure Palace was in ruins.
Second, while they were approaching the pier of that waypoint, a gigantic turtle attacked their ship and capsized it. Everyone was thrown into the water. Only Abdelmotaleb was able to cling to the size of the ship with his magical slippers, but it seemed like a temporary solution only, as the broken vessel was now sinking. Two of the unfortunate Shaitans were devoured by the turtle. Taken by surprise, it was clear that the companions were not able to defeat such a huge monster, and the Shaitans, as earth genies, were out of their element as well. Iqilma and her two remaining Shaitan warriors swam toward the bottom of the sea to merge into the ground where they would remain safe.
Meanwhile, Toba had been hit on the head when the ship had capsized, and was now barely conscious and sinking fast. Fawzy went to save her, then swam toward Kelonis, who teleported the trio to shore. Kazim used a Gaseous Form spell to turn into a cloud of bubbles that floated up toward the surface. As for Abdelmotaleb and Hayia, they were able to swim to the shore while the turtle was busy eating its two victims.
Everyone gathered on the beach, dripping wet and in shock. Kazim regained her solidity next to her companions, and soon after, Iqilma, Decrid and the other remaining Shaitan, Strilkas, emerged from the sand. Decrid grimly stated that they had been attacked by Kirhosk, a dragon turtle dubbed “The Turtle King”, a creature that had once been the terror of the seas of Kakishon, until a sorcerer from Jhavhul’s army had charmed him and turned him into the guardian of this harbor. Now, it seemed that with the absence of Jhavhul and most probably this sorcerer among many others, the Turtle King had reverted to its natural destructive instincts.
Soon, the shipwrecked crew was greeted by a band of janni eunuchs and slaves led by a woman who introduced herself as Dilix Mahad. Iqilma treated her with contempt and asked her to show her true appearance. With a sigh, Dilix transformed into a tall, purple-skinned Shaitan. Of course, the two knew each other: Dilix was Iqilma’s aunt, Obherak’s sister, and was considered a traitor by her people because she had chosen to remain with Jhavhul rather than follow them into exile. Despite this tension, Dilix welcomed the newcomers to the Pleasure Palace – or at least, what remained of it. The group learned that when they had activated the Scroll of Kakishon, a magical cyclone had taken effect here, trying to suck Jhavhul back into the Material Plane. The efreet lord had been affected, but he had also been able to bring a large part of his army with him. It seems that he had only left behind those that would be useless in his conquest: eunuch slaves, pleasure girls, and some wives from his harem, such as Dilix, who now seethed with anger and shame at this insulting and ironic turn of events.
Among the other inhabitants of the Pleasure Palace was Neshari, Dilix’s slave, whose ship had also been attacked by Kirhosk upon her return. At the adventurers’ request, Dilix and Neshari gave them a tour of what remained of the palace. It was clear that it had until recently been the most magnificent building they had ever seen. Even in its ruined state, a lot of it was still beautiful. It was truly a shame that it had been targeted by the uncaring arcane fury of the Scroll of Kakishon. Unfortunately for the companions, the secret places of the palace were still inaccessible. They were underground chambers sealed by heavy doors and potent magic, and hadn’t been damaged by the cyclone. It seemed that Nex’s greatest secrets were still out of reach for now.
A feast took place that evening, where Dilix discussed with the mortals and with her nice while slaves served them delicious food and drinks. It seemed that leaving the Pleasure Palace by ship was out of the question while Kirhosk still roamed the waters. Dilix informed the companions that the beast laired in an ancient Sahuagin temple about 500 feet away from the shore. The group hesitated between traveling to the next nearest Waypoint on the island of Arinze, and slaying Kirhosk. To help sway their minds, Dilix mentioned that the beast likely had a massive treasure hoard in its lair. What’s more, she told Kelonis that she would reward him with some magical unguent used for the True Seeing spell if they returned after slaying the beast.
Dilix also spoke about her life serving Jhavhul, not only in Kakishon, but also before, as a soldier in his army, before she had become one of his wives. He had built the fortress that was now called the House of the Beast. It was located on the slopes of Pale Mountain, because below that peak slumbered, in ages-old agony but not in death, the spawn of Rovagug known as Xotani the Firebleeder. Jhavhul’s goal was to revive this abominable creature, an act which would of course have cataclysmic repercussions for all of Katapesh, and even neighboring countries like Osirion. His plan to achieve this was to cast a thousand wishes. He had used mortals for this endeavor, granting them one wish of their own for every two wishes that they uttered to further Jhavhul’s own goal. Thankfully, he had been stopped by Nefeshti and the Templars of the Five Winds before he could reach that number of a thousand wishes, but Dilix didn’t know how many he had left to complete before Xotani was restored to life. She guessed he had been well over halfway done, though.
The companions had also heard before, from Kardswann himself, that the Templars of the Five Winds had not only wanted to stop Jhavhul from reanimating Xotani, but they had also wanted to stop his insane overuse of wishes, which was straining the very fabric of reality. Wish-magic was something very powerful and very dangerous, and no-one had ever attempted to cast so many of them in the same location.
Later in the night, Dilix and Iqilma spoke together in Terran: perhaps there was some remote hope that Dilix could rejoin her brother’s clan now that she had been spurned and abandoned by the efreeti lord she had loved. As the companions headed to bed in quarters that the inhabitants of the palace had set aside for them, Kelonis gestured to Neshari and another pretty shape-shifting slave to come and entertain him for the night.
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Kakishon – day 37
Against the Turtle King
The following morning, the group had some breakfast, but they left some space in their stomachs for the large slice of revenge they were about to get from Kirhosk the Turtle King.
Kelonis used his magic to enable the group to move easily and to breathe underwater. Following Dilix’s directions, they went below the waves and traveled to the entrance of a huge cave that had been carved in the likeness of an enormous shark’s maw. Within, they saw many bones, old victims of Kirhosk. A large shaft led to the bottom of the temple, but it was guarded by two statues. Only one was still functional as a golem, and the companions were able to dispatch it without too much trouble, mostly thanks to Fawzy’s powerful fists. Abdelmotaleb couldn’t easily use his deadly bow underwater, so he had to rely on his icy scimitar instead.
The companions went down the main shaft, finally making their way into an immense cavern where they faced the gigantic dragon-turtle. Kazim quickened their movements with her air magic as they swam toward the behemoth. Fawzy, Kelonis and Kazim took damage from the steam cloud that the Turtle King breathed on them. Abdelmotaleb, Toba and Fawzy fought the dragon-turtle in close combat while Kelonis healed their wounds with channeled energy and Kazim shot Magic Missiles. Even though Fawzy took some heavy damage from the creature, he was also the one who caused it the gravest wounds. Within moments, the Turtle King was slain by his flurry of blows!
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Kakishon – day 37 (continued)
The dragon’s hoard
The heroes spent some time exploring the Dragon Turtle’s lair and found a sizeable treasure hoard in the lowest cave. On the sides of the main shaft, they also found two sacrificial chambers, one of which still held the desiccated corpse of a gnoll, which fortuitously still carried two magical items as well, one of which was a bag of holding that was given to Kazim. Upon their return to the Pleasure Palace, the group was received with renewed respect by the genies and slaves, for they had done what had been considered almost impossible: killing the Turtle King! As promised, Dilix Mahad rewarded Kelonis with some magical ointment.
Later in the day, the group gave their farewells to the denizens of the Pleasure Palace and called the galley that would bring them to the Proteans. While they waited, Abdelmotaleb spent more pleasurable time with Iqilma, who gave him a bracelet of friends she had found in the ruins. This item would allow the ranger to summon the Shaitan Warlord’s daughter once, but only as long as they were both present in the same world.
Finally, the galley appeared, this one also piloted by a golden-hued ram-man-construct. Abdelmotaleb gave the blue egg to this creature, whose eyes began to glow green. The galley left the pier of the Pleasure Palace, and the companions waved good-bye to Iqilma, Dilix, Neshari and the others. They began a naval journey toward The Isles of Not.
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Kakishon – day 38
The edge of the world
For over a day, the ship traveled between and beyond the islands, heading roughly northwest. Like the others, it moved not only thanks to its sails, but also because of the many oars that were magically animated at both of its sides. As usual, the helmsman remained silent and seemingly oblivious to the presence of the companions, but it seemed to be directing the ship toward a specific destination.
The night of the second day of travel drew close. The shores of Sorror and Khandelwal had disappeared in the distance. The adventurers perceived a subtle change in reality. Colors seemed more muted, as did sounds, although there was a strange echo to every noise that occurred. After some time, Toba and Fawzy, and later the others, became aware of a loud, constant noise in the distance ahead of them. They soon understood its meaning: they seemed to be navigating toward the edge of the sea. It was as if the world of Kakishon simply ceased to exist beyond a certain point and the waters of the sea fell into nothingness. Of course, the Nexian Galley would be carried into the chasm as well…
A period of panic overcame the characters as they realized what “beyond the edge of the world” meant, but they decided to trust in fate and in the Proteans and they just braced themselves for the fall. When it happened, it seemed as though the galley plummeted for at least a mile down the high waterfall. Hayia and Kelonis were thrown overboard; the others were shaken by the violent plunge, until the ship came to a sudden stop at the bottom of the fall. Thankfully, everyone had survived with only bruises. The ship’s structure was still intact, as was its helmsman.
Kelonis and Hayia were helped back on board by the rest of the group. The ship seemed to be in a thick bank of fog, and in fact, instead of floating on water, it now seemed to be floating on some particularly dense fog. Once everyone was back on board, the helmsman guided the ship away from the waterfall. After about ten minutes, some lights could be seen ahead. The ship came to a stop at a crescent-shaped harbor at the bottom of a large hill of dark mist. A passageway led inside. Abdelmotaleb asked the helmsman to give him back the blue egg, but the creature remained silent and unmoving. The group then disembarked and went into the tunnel. Its walls were pulsating with veins of various colors and its shape was ever changing. It seemed as though they were in the throat of a fantastically large creature, and it was clear that they were in an environment of pure chaos. Kazim and Kelonis were especially affected by that, and the elf even threw up in a corner.
The group found two side-caverns in the meandering hallway, which were both closed by disgusting irises that opened when Abdelmotaleb shot them. Inside were pools of glowing green acid. Shriveled pods hung from the walls. As the group exited these caves, they noticed three black man-sized lizards following them from the way they had come. What were those things?