The party strikes a deal with the giant guards. They're convinced there's no lucre to be had here anymore, and that Cadrilkasta has been killed by something below. In return for free passage and a pile of treasure, the heroes agree to bring back the head of the giant chief Jubbek. Supposedly Jubbek is a hill giant of unmatched cruelty...
Below the party quickly finds opposition in fire and hill giants loyal to Jubbek. The hill giants are all mutated and deformed, having had one of their arms torn off. During a fierce battle, the party's golem falls into a trap and is shunted off to a side room. Fortunately, this room is the lone one without giant prisoners eager for revenge...
The XP Tracker has been updated.
WHEW!! I was going to say, no way he could survive 7 rounds wit 3 giants...
Moving quickly the party enters the room with the giant slaves. Rift drakes watch over the pits, but thankfully the golem landed in the empty one. The fight is fierce, but the party overcomes the drakes and euthanizes the feebleminded and mutilated slaves.
No one wants to delve deep into what master would create such horrors. For now there is only Chief Jubbek.
The party presses into the chief's "palace" and finds it heavily guarded. A quick spell from the sorcerer slows movement down, allowing the party to concentrate. Ostarious, invisibly, moves Oryx around the room to quickly dispatch the chief. After the fight it's not long before the other giants fall.
The treasure haul is massive, though the artifact of the Shard of Wrath eclipses them all.
Before resting for the night, the party deposits the erstwhile chieftain's head at the feet of General Stom. The general makes good, removing the remaining giants and heading for the Mindspin Mountains.
That night Makesh's vision is chaotic and a knot of strange sights and sounds. Whatever it means, one thing is clear, the next shard lies deeper in Guiltspur...
Descending through a mist, the party arrives in an ancient complex. They're immediately beset by visions and haunts of the past. Thassilonian ghosts fill the environs. Foes both arcan and undead try to thwart there arrival.
It doesn't take long to discover that this was once a place dedicated to dweomercraft and research. It also doesn't take long to discover that this place is still extremely deadly. After doing battle with a "curator" the party pushes through into numerous rooms loaded with esoteric and arcane knowledge...
The party presses deeper into the depths of Guilstpur. They begin to wrap their heads around where they are. The place is an admixture of museum and research lab. Rooms of esoteric knowledge and horrible experiments abound. One room in particular gives them struggle as they free, and kill, a young silver dragon. The dragon had been in stasis for more than 10,000 years, and sought the release of death. Traps, waking nightmares, and strange dimensional portals litter the complex, but the party presses on...
Session XLVII: 23-Apr-20
Moving through fantastical rooms and dealing with more waking nightmares, the party enters an amazingly long hallway full of thousands of elegantly carved columns. After dispatching a pair of animated colmuns, they walked the half mile to the end of the hallway. There they came upon an immense chamber.
This vast cavern’s limits recede off into darkness, as do the inky black waters of the lake that takes up the chamber’s extent. The ceiling rises to form a cathedral-like space above. Stalactites hang here and there, some of prodigious size, while two irregular rows of stone pilings lead south, out across the waters. Using a spell of Air Walk they struck out. It wasn't long before they did battle with a monstrous creature from an impossibly old time. Arrow and spell save the day though!
The party hunts down the lair of the fantastical Mother of Oblivion and finds it a trove of magical items and valuables. Laden with treasure, they return to the vast cavern and continue to explore while the airwalk works.
Moving south, the party eventually finds an island upon which once stood a mighty tower which has long since tumbled. Hank finds that there's more than the ruin lets on, as there is also a shaft which leads down nearly three hundred feet to a new level covered in illusion. Ostarious uses an arcane eye to explore its depths, and then westward to find a purple worm den, a vast pit to the Underdark, and a strange metal tower...
Exploring west the party encounters a drow huntress who triess to bring the party back to her mistress. Instead violence erupts and the party heads there on their own. They do eventually find an instant fortress nestled into a corner. The leader of the band known as the Deep Hunt, Xaivanshee Rasivrein offered an alliance; she would offer her services and huntresses in turn for a single use of the Shard of Sloth. Her deal was rejected, and after magic-laden battle, she was killed and her tower taken by the Pathfinders.
Finished with the massive cavern complex, the party descends the chute to another level, this one nearly 300' below the last. Immediately they're met with a trapped door, easily handled by Hank, but presaging that which was to come. The next two massive rooms required fights against immense creatures - each unique, but both worm-like.
The fight against a colossal worm left both Makesh and Abe dead, but use of magic restored both. It's not lost on anyone that the guardians will only become deadlier beyond...
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After the near defeat, the party uses their instant fortress to sleep the night and start fresh. Exploring the satellite rooms, the first provides conundrum, not combat. After a complex question and answer period, the party releases what they assume is an angel stuck in a demon's body, and destroys a demon stuck in an angel's body. Aevaenthial promises to provide aid in return.
Moving onward the party solves a tricky situation. The strange magics which affect Guiltpsur were only dimly noticed, but upon seeing the source, were discovered to be evil in nature. Through magic and intimidation the party sends the newly found leng ghoul Morcruft into the Abyssal Reactor. It destroys the ghoul, but not the crystal. Eventually Makesh must do it from afar to avoid abysium poisoning.
The ghoul did give the party some actionable intelligence before expiring. He warned of a glittering skull monster in the final room to the west. Indeed, it turns out to be a dreaded demilich. Warned to the nature of the foe, the party prepares with a fair amount of magic. With a proper assault, the awakened demilich Mesmalatu is felled before she can bring her power to bear!
With Mesmalatu defeated, for now, the party takes the treasure the demilich left behind. It includes a massive sapphire that unlocks the whisperstone nearby. After consulting it for additional information on Leng, Guiltspur, and Thassilon, the party jumps into the portal to Leng...
Upon arriving, they were immediately beset by a flock of nightgaunts. Oryx's blistering invective set the stage for arrow, magic, blade and bullet to finish them off. Within the massive doors stood two ghoulish guards, also easily dispatched.
The portal apparently leads to the outside of a massive temple complex. Inside the shard awaits.
The party pushes into the temple proper, immediately encountering a gang of 8 Leng ghouls. While the ghouls don't attack immediately, the partty does. Despite the rush, one of the ghouls manages to get far enough away to call up reinforcements. Nevertheless, the magic and weapons brought to bear proves too much.
Within the temple are also a group of massive and strange creatures known as gugs. One among them seemed to possess true intelligence, but it didn't save him. The twisted and evil creatures fell to the heroes.
With room and time to breath, the party encountered an intimidating phase door, and opted to pass it for the time being, instead following the halls into a massive room full of strange moon-beasts summoning something... terrifying.
<--boom
The party makes solid work of the moon-beasts. After they their defeat the shoggoth, limited as it was, fell soon after.
Finally, with determination, they came to the lair of Cadrilkasta herself! Stricken with the curse of the shard, she didn't fight to her fullest. Still the battle was hard. Once the party won the day, they found themselves swimming in treasure!
On our way out of Guiltspur, we are sure to retrieve Henry's golem.
also, should we try ot get some of the RP in here, before the session?
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Dizzy from the confrontation and triumph over Cadrilkasta, the party explores the final area in this pocket of Leng. It's a quick battle against a Spider of Leng. The trip bears fruit as they recover some impressive treasure.
No one misses Leng.
Once back to the Prime Material Plane, a message arrives from Venture-Captain Shiela Heidmarch. The entirety of Pathfinder leadership, including two members of the Decemvirate have arrived in Magnimar. Rumor has quickly spread that the seven pieces of the Shattered Star are now together.
Upon teleporting to the city, the party finds it abuzz with activity. The question on everybody's lips, should the star be reforged? While at first it seems like a horrible idea, one thing gives everyone pause.
The Pathfinders have invited a party of adventurers who claim to have faced Karzoug in combat. They also have a wizard Pathfinder who has claimed to have faced Krune.
The Runelords seem to be returning, a future that could mean total devastation. The experts conclude that the Star of Xin represents early Thassilonian magic, before the corruption of the Runelords,
before virtue became sin.
The decision is made, the Shattered Star will be reforged.
I love this idea! I'm excited about this plan!!! LET'S EFFING DO IT!!!!
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The day of the reforging arrives. Pathfinders and aristocrats gather on the Irespan to reforge the Shards of Sin into the Star of Xin. The ritual goes exactly as planned, and the mighty artifact is made whole once again!
There is some time to celebrate, and indeed, Venture-Captain Heidmarch gifts each of the Pathfinders a wayfinder of endless doorways.
Unfortunately, it doesn't take long for things to go horribly, devastatingly south. The reforging of the Star of Xin sets off an earthquake. The immediate threat is a giant shriezyx, but it is easily defeated with the help of Nym the Enchanter.
The earthquake leads to the threat of a tsumani, so the party quickly moves to protect the city. Through shouted words, and directed violence they work to save as many as possible. It is finally throug hthe use of a literal miracle that the wave itself is thwarted.
Throughout the city, there are strange magics as the monuments in the city come alive with occult powers and monsters heralding the return of Xin rampage. In time the Pathfinders wend their way back to the Heidmarch Manor, where Sheila awaits.
It appears the reforging caused the lost Island of Xin to erupt from the sea. Clearly, this needs investigating...
Sheila is about to set off to her library when an exhausted man arrives at the manor.
He nearly collapses before finding a bench and placing himself upon it. He's too out of breath to introduce himself, but it's unnecessary.
"Gentlemen," Sheila explains, "This is a contact of mine, Toth Bhreacher. He is the founder of the Golemworks, an expert on Constructs, and played a role in uncovering the Skinsaw murders a few years back. Is suspect that he'll tell us something of vital importance once he catches his breath."
The man nods, eventually finding his wind. He gives the speech in one, very long breath, “Ma'am, there are constructs washing up all long the coast. They range from simple things to massive clockwork leviathans. I think they were smashed upon the field that miraculously protected us, thank the gods.
Still, I think I know what their myriad husks on the shore mean. Since all the shards returned here, I've been deep into every book I could find on the matter. You see, all of the runelords had varying degrees of mastery over the crafting of constructs, but as far as I’ve been able to deduce from writings recently recovered from the Therassic Library below Jorgenfist, it was their original leader, First King Xin, who was the most talented of them at this art. His entire city of Xin was supposedly protected by an army of golems and constructs, all commanded by one man—Xin himself. As he grew old, Xin apparently sought a way to achieve immortality by transferring his soul to a sort of clockwork reliquary, but before he managed to complete this task, the treacherous runelords sent a rune giant assassin to end his life. That was when the seven shards of the Sihedron were scattered, each claimed by one of the seven runelords. And there, information about Xin grows sparse—the empire left the city to fall into ruin, and rumors that Xin’s ghost haunted the site persisted until the end. Now, the thing that worries me is this—those destroyed constructs that washed ashore with the tsunami, along with the clockwork monsters that yet lived, all bore the unmistakable flourish of Xin’s touch. Because of this fact, combined with the ominous storm clouds on the horizon, I fear that the activation of the Sihedron may have activated much more than a single artifact. I fear that the island city of Xin itself has awakened!”
Sorry, sir...I showed up late & assumed you'd done the intros. :-)
The party - armed with artifact, grit, and experience - heads to the Risen Isle of Xin. The entire palace seems to be made of deteriorating crystal. Within they find the dead body of Kin Xin himself upon a throne, though the body seems to refuse its fate. Within the first few rooms the party finds themselves surrounded by magic, foes, and items of immense power.
Foremost among them is the Flamma Horacalcum. Bristling with power, the flame allows a glimpse into the past. though the crystal palace is the deadliest trial they have ever faced, curiosity drives them ever inward.
"artifacts, plural" FTW
After some brutal fighting, the party clears the ground floor of the Crystal Palace. They indulge their curiosity by shining the light of the flamma horacalcum throughout the floor. Visions of Xin's life provide glimpses into the events before and during his rise, as well as his fall. Some of them may even give the party insight on the trials ahead...
Not looking forward to an underwater excursion, the party takes the magic stairs upward to the second floor. There they find more leftover clockwork foes (and a few hungry crystalline oozes.) The flamma horicalcum continues to shed literal and metaphysical light on the story of the Great King of the Runelords.
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The party continues to fight their way through the palace. It seems like there's a foe at every turn. The flamma horacalcum continues to be a boon as the insights to the past may very well provide advantages against foes within the palace. The final foe on this floor is a massive marut, who was destroyed, but not permanently. The party catches their breath to determine their next move.
Final session of 2020
The party pushes through to the vaults of the various starmetals, where Xin himself worked his legendary magic. Each room presents a different challenge and theme. After rooms of horacalcum, adamantine, and djezet they find a pair of oozes which turn into the King of Kings, Xin.
The party pushes through more skymetal vaults, inching ever closer to.... something? No one knows what to expect at the end of this magical journey. Each room presents increasingly dangerous foes, and increasingly fantastic treasure. Assuming there is one vault for each metal, they know there are but two remaining...
The final skymetal vault contains a marilith, but not for long. The party brings her down before she can land a solid blow!
To the final level the party travels. Within are the remains of Xin's private laboratory. Gears, magic, and metal lie everywhere. A final pair of visions presages the return of an erstwhile assassin. The graveknight rune giant mistakes Abe for Xin, but it matters not. The party continues their path of destruction...
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Post adventure closure:
Oryx Aiat walked away both satisfied and saddened with his time with his adventuring party. Knowing the world lost such mastery and drive in Xin and his creations, and having a hand in that left a dark mark on his spirit, but it had to be done. Madness does not help move the world towards "the perfect shape of things". He regrets not having the opportunity to judge Xin and keeps a couple small gears hidden on his person of the reliquary as reminder of the dangers pride and the absolute need for the judgements he brings to the world. Looking back at the party, he ultimately happy the growth he saw with them. He can't recall a time where he felt the need to "inspire" them. Each honed their skill, never slacking or falling back. As much as Oryx can have friends, given his disposition, he considers them such.
Looking forward:
After a very, very short break after all the events (2 days is more than adequate when there's so much work to do), Oryx would implement Phase 2 of his plans. It is one thing to have the 'motivational' skills he has, to push people and creations, it’s another to have the resources to make things happen as well. Oryx would take his accumulated wealth to found "Truth's Anvil" in Magnimar, a nincubator of skills and technology. He would financially support all sorts of people. Only those who can survive his gaze and eloquence could stay, but would have access to support otherwise that might be problematic. From bakers, songwriters, thieves, and smiths ... those who look to rise and be the pinnacle of their craft are welcome if they can survive it.
Looking really forward/retirement/death:
Oryx would eventually look for another devotee of Brigh to take under his guidance. The world's need of 'guidance' is never done. He would train this person to be a better version of himself. His beloved armor and sword would never go to this person ... they must instead push someone to create as he did and the quality and power must exceed his. Instead he would see his arms donated towards to a paladin or Hellknight. Just as worn gear much be replaced, once his protégée shows they're set, he would retreat to join the clergy of Brigh and live out his last years in getting to finally learn the crafts he has pushed so many other's to master.
Bigger][b]Session VXIV[/bigger]
The party opened the door to the final room. The walls of this cathedral-like chamber stretch nearly a hundred feet into the air above, towering sheets of black crystal along which dance ripples of strange energies. Crumbled shards of crystal litter the floor, while an immense Sihedron rune has been carved into the floor in the center of the chamber. The energy rippling on the walls congregates upon a strange crystal the size of a man’s head, embedded in the center of the rune and pulsing as if to the rhythm of an unseen, crystalline heart.
The battle opened with a fantastic amount of magic power. Prismatic walls and hot winds of death appeared in the flicker of the Flamma Horacalcum. Arrows, blades, and prayers followed. At the last a bullet fired from Hank's gun shattered the reliquery. Desna must have laughed, for Hank's form was that of one of the original traitors to Xin, Sorshen....
With the destruction of the clockwork reliquary, Xin’s long-tormented soul is finally released to travel to the Boneyard, and the last vestiges of his invested power seep from his palace. Your actions and trials endured on the risen isle of Xin are in large part unseen, but word and rumor of your actions there spread nevertheless (word spreads faster, of course, if you help!). Your reputations as great Varisian heroes were already established, especially since you aided Magnimar against the tsunami. Magnimar’s lowest wards will rebuild, and though many citizens are orphaned or widowed, the general consensus is that had you and the Sihedron not been there to protect them, things would have turned out much worse. For this, the survivors are grateful, and while some may blame the deaths of their loved ones on the Pathfinders—and by extension you—most recognize your bravery in their live-saving efforts during the calamity and the subsequent heroics to send Xin’s palace back to time’s dark depths, where all must someday fall....
Ostarius remains for some time in Magnimar, aiding in the rebuild, and occasionally taking on small tasks for the Society. But as weeks turn to months, what started as just a hint of a feeling becomes increasingly clear - Magnimar is no longer home. Perhaps nowhere is. A life of luxury and relaxation leaves much to be desired.
So, he vanishes. No warning, no note, no farewell. The rare attempts at divinations simply fail. All that remain are whispers... Whispers from all corners of the Inner Sea; whispers of a strange magician in a cloak of flame, seeking rumor of ancient ruin or artifact, before fading yet again.