"Give me a minute to confer with my shipmates, will you?" Marnir asks before gathering the officers for a chat. "Sounds like a good deal to me. It's not the most exciting way we could use a wish, but it'll help us a lot in clearing this place out."
"I couldn't stand the thought of being eternally imprisoned like that," says Niobe. "What a horrible fate."
"I say free her, but we should be ready for a fight should she plan one."
Marnir orders Vailea to free herself, she promptly steps out of the fountain and stretches with delight. "So long! It's been so long since I've been able to do something as simple as this!
Millennia before the formation of the Eye of Abendego, in the heyday of the Age of Serpents, the cyclopes of Ghol-Gan ruled over much of the territory now claimed by the Shackles.
Many of their ruins still stand, including those on the remote island now known as the Island of Empty Eyes. During the days of Ghol-Gan, the cyclopes built a mountain retreat called Sumitha.
This retreat contained an underground vault known as the Eye of Serenity, which held an artifact called the lens of revelation. The cyclops seers of Sumitha guided their fellows in using the Eye and the lens therein for personal sojourns and divine introspection.
But with the waning of their civilization, the lens turned dark and the cyclopes abandoned Sumitha. Many cyclopes retreated into the Darklands, leaving only a handful behind, who gradually degenerated into
brutish savages.
Centuries later, sailors saw the eyeless statues on the island's shores and hillsides and gave the island its current name. Long since prized away by opportunists and treasure seekers, the statues' single
eyes-once represented by fist-sized gemstones-are now just empty sockets.
More recently, a band of pirates settled upon the Island of Empty Eyes. Led by a Mwangi wizard named Bikendi Otongu, they swiftly restored the Chelish fort and began quietly scouting the island's ruins.
Bikendi used powerful illusions to hide his people's presence from the cyclopes for many months, all so he could conduct his research
without interruption. Obsessed with dreams and alternate realities, he believed he could extend his life without relying on an undead apotheosis like lichdom-turning instead to the heartstone magic of night hags.
Using such a gem, he hoped to bind his soul in an arcane ritual,
preserving it as he separated his consciousness from his physical form. As his body passed away, his mind would remain vibrant and free to seek out the Dimension of Dreams, living on for all eternity in whatever world he could imagine.
To carry out his plan, Bikendi searched for the perfect gem to create a heartstone, carefully consulting the magic of ancient Ghol-Gan and looking for a flawless jewel among the ruins of Sumitha.
He found exactly what he needed in the lens of revelation, and moved invisibly among the cyclopes of Sumitha until he could steal away the
stone used in their ancestral divinations.
But to craft a heartstone from the lens, Bikendi also needed to cultivate a relationship with a night hag willing to help him. Thus
he made contact with a night hag named Lodhotha and offered her a hundred souls from captives taken in his raids in exchange for crafting such a heartstone from the lens that he could use for his ritual.
Lodhotha readily agreed, accepting Bikendi's hapless victims even as she
made plans to keep the new heart stone, called the immortal dreamstone, for herself. In the meantime, she feasted on the nightmares of those held in the fort's prison, raiding their dreams each night until she could harvest their souls for the dark markets of her nightmarish realm.
To fulfill his part of the bargain, Bikendi increased his raids, using the island as a base from which to assault passing ships. These efforts attracted the attention of the cyclopes, however, who discovered the lens of revelation was missing from the Eye of Serenity and rightly surmised that Bikendi's pirates had stolen it.
Ishtoreth sent warriors to test the fort's defenses, but the pirates held on, adding captured cyclopes to the allotment of souls due Lodhotha. Bikendi realized, however, that the giants would eventually overrun the fort, so he escalated his plans by imprisoning some of his own men-those who had shown fear or doubt in standing against the cyclopes.
This gave him enough souls to meet Lodhotha's quota, sating the hag's appetite and convincing her to craft the immortal dreamstone. Knowing full well that Lodhotha would rather use the stone on him than relinquish it, Bikendi anticipated her treachery, and sprang his
own trap before the hag could double-cross him.
Bikendi instructed his apprentice, Ederleigh Baines, to pickpocket the dreamstone when Lodhotha arrived, thus depriving the hag of her most significant weapon and preventing her from escaping into the Ethereal Plane as well.
Bikendi and his followers then slew Lodhotha, even as Ishtoreth's cyclopes began their final siege of the pirates' fort.
Ecstatic with his prize, and realizing that the dreamstone's magic would last only 24 hours following Lodhotha's death, Bikendi retreated to the fort's tower to attune it to himself, intent on completing his ritual before the cyclopes breached the outer wall. Unfortunately, not only did the ritual prove more challenging than Bikendi had anticipated, but without the wizard's arcane assistance against the cyclopes, Bikendi's forces were quickly overwhelmed.
The giants sank Bikendi's ship with thrown rocks, then broke through the main gates and slew the fort's defenders before turning their assault
on the tower itself.
Rushed by this impending doom, Bikendi missed a vital step in the ritual, shearing his soul and mind from his body, but failing to open the right portal to the Dimension of Dreams. Before he could correct this error, the cyclopes broke into his sanctum, destroying his preparations and reclaiming the gem that he'd stolen from Sumitha.
While the cyclopes then returned the lens of revelation to the Eye ofSerenity, Bikendi's spirit lingered on the Material Plane. His trapped ghost still haunts the fort in a fruitless effort to reclaim the dreamstone so he can finish the ritual.
vailea gives you all the information she can on the Ruins of Sumitha, and it's inhabitants.
G10. Is the dining hall, there are normally 3 or 4 Cyclops there at anytime cooking what food they have.
G11, G12 & G13. Are currently empty of any Cyclops, though loot could be found there.
G14. Is where most of the Cyclops sleep, so there will be a group there.
G15. Is the training hall, and the domain of Ishtoreth's 2nd in command Shaija. A vicious fighter. There are normally Cyclops in there training with her.
G16. Is a balcony overlooking the courtyard. Normally there are sentries on watch there, but with the numbers of Cyclops away hunting for food there are none there currently.
G17. Is the hall of champions, monuments to the past heroes of Cyclops society. Ishtoreth now uses it as his room, too fallen to really understand what the heroes represent. He is a Great Cyclops, and so very dangerous.
G18. Leads to the hall of the Oracles.
G19. The hall of the Oracles. She knows little of what is in there.
G20. The eye of serenity. Again she can tell you little of this room, it was a major artifact to the Cyclops of the Ghol-Gan civilization. It is also the Immortal dreamstone you seek.
G21 & G22. Unknown.
G23. Treasury. She was never allowed to see what was inside this room. I think you can guess what is kept in here.
She smiles and stretches in pleasure again, quite a sight on a female 16' tall! "I owe you a great deal!" She says sincerely, "Perhaps I will visit you in the future sometime and reward you further."
She then Plane shifts back to the Plane of water for the first time in centuries.
What are you doing now?
"Thank you Vailea," Manrir says, shaking her enormous hand before she shifts home.
"Right then, let's make a plan. I suggest either camping out nearby or making our way back to the Drake to get our wounds dealt with and get some spells back, then clearing out the remaining outside buildings to cut down on the reinforcements the leadership will call for when we deal with them." He looks around at the others. "Thoughts?"
"Wow! That's quite a story," muses Niobe. She stares up at the genie, mesmerised, until the tale is complete, then once Vailea vanishes back to the plane of Water, Niobe looks at the fountain wistfully for a short time. Finally she shakes herself out of her own thoughts and says, "I've exhausted quite a few useful spells; it would be good to get some rest. Also I've been battered up a bit. But I think we can do one better than Bikendi; if we can rout the remaining cyclopes of the island, then deal with the ghost, we shouldn't have to worry about anything else sinking the Drake or getting in the way of repairing the fort."
"I'm good to go either way. Just let me know Captain!"
Jane searches her packs. "Does anyone have a healing stick? I forgot to bring more potions. I can make a few, but not too many." Jane pulls out a pill and looks at it. "Oh, This will evaporate a potion to allow us all to benifit from it. if you're really hurt, come around and we can use it."
"I have my healing wand, Jane," says Niobe. "Here we go."
She produces the wand. "Who still needs help?"
What are you doing now?
Feeling refreshed and restored Marnir revisits Niobe's plan. "I think resolving the cyclops problem would go a long way to getting this island settled down," he agrees. "We should clear out the masses before taking on the leaders though, don't want to get too bogged down. Let's take a look in their dining room and see what we can shake loose."
HP 93/93
AC 23, touch 13, flat-footed 23 (+8 armour, +1 deflection, +2 Dex, +1 dodge, +1 natural armour)
Speed: 30ft
Fort: +14, Ref: +10, Will: +15 (+4 vs fear) (+2 to all from heroism)
Conditions: heroism, see invisibility, 7 mirror images,
Melee attack (+1 furious battleaxe): +12/+17 (+7 BAB, +4 Str, +1 enhancement, -2 Power Attack, +2 heroism)
Melee Damage (+1 furious battleaxe): d8+15 (+6 Str, +1 enhancement, +2 Arcane Strike, +6 Power Attack)
24/24 rds raging song remaining
"All right... let's see what we can find."
Reaching the entrance way you find your visit the previous day hasn't gone unnoticed. The entrance is guarded and there is a large female Cyclops in charge of the guards. So far you haven't been noticed, but any closer and you will be seen.
What are you doing now?
"Looks like they want to give us a proper welcome," Marnir muses, spotting the cyclopses waiting for them. "Let's not disappoint them, eh?"
Staying well out of sight and earshot of the waiting giants, Marnir offers out some of his magic to his shipmates.
Feeling strong and ready, Kung anxiously awaits Marnir's command to assault the fort.
Before resting, Jane takes a clw potion.
Looking into her recipes, Jane offers a suggestion.”I have a way for them to miss you about 50z of the time. Would you want to drink the potion?”
With all their spells cast Marnir leads the officers of the Drake into the fortress once again. Aware of the trap still strung between the columns he ushers the group around to the right, waiting to be spotted and for battle to be joined.
HP 93/93
AC 24, touch 14, flat-footed 24 (+8 armour, +1 deflection, +2 Dex, +1 dodge, +1 natural armour, +1 haste)
Speed: 60ft (+30ft haste)
Fort: +14, Ref: +11, Will: +15 (+4 vs fear) (+2 to all from heroism, +1 Ref haste)
Conditions: heroism, see invisibility, 7 mirror images, tactical acumen, haste
Melee attack (+1 furious battleaxe): +13/+13/+8 (+7 BAB, +4 Str, +1 enhancement, -2 Power Attack, +2 heroism, +1 haste)
Melee Damage (+1 furious battleaxe): d8+15 (+6 Str, +1 enhancement, +2 Arcane Strike, +6 Power Attack)
24/24 rds raging song remaining
Clearly you are expected, these Cyclopes are ready and alert, as you come into view they straighten up and growl dangerously.
Kung and Maddie. You get to start the dance.
Kung begins moving forward, tapping his peg-leg as his rage begins to flow. He focuses what concentration he has left on ensuring that his swings will strike true as he positions himself next to the crumbled opening in the wall.
HP 20+102/110
AC 21 touch 12 flat-footed 18 (+8 armor, +3 dex, +1 natural, +1 deflection/ring, -2 rage)
Displacement: 50% miss chance
DR 1/-, 10/adamantine (stoneskin, 0/100 damage reduced)
Speed: 40 ft
Fort: +14, Ref: +12, Will: +11 (+2 rage, +3 morale/inspired rage)
Superstition +6 competance vs spells/-like
Conditions: rage, accurate stance, stoneskin, displacement, grand destiny (0/2 used), tactical acumen
Melee (+3 furious greatsword): +23/+15/+20 (+9 BAB, +6 str, +3 enhancement, -0/-3 power attack, +2 rage, +3 competence/accurate stance)
Damage (+3 furious greatsword): 2d6+23 (+9 str, +3 enhancement, +9 power attack, +2 rage)
Ranged (javelin): +15 (+9 BAB, +3 dex, +3 competence/accurate stance)
Damage (javelin): 1d6+8 (+6 str, +2 rage)
21/21 rds Rage remaining
As agreed, Maddie will give the gift of Haste, then surge forward as Kung does.
Green surges forward with a roar.
Yellow moves up to join him, also scrambling gingerly over the rubble.
Blue and Orange hustle up the main path to encircle the party.
Red bellows something up to that terrace the overlooks the courtyard. The moves forward with a blood hungry look on her face.
Marnir, Niobe & Jane may now act.
"This probably won't work too well against giants, but..."
Kung whirls as the cyclops in tattered green rags starts to climb through the rubble; he brings his greatsword around in a wide arc towards the giant's belly.
HP 20+102/110
AC 22 touch 13 flat-footed 18 (+8 armor, +3 dex, +1 natural, +1 deflection/ring, -2 rage, +1 dodge/haste)
Displacement: 50% miss chance
DR 1/-, 10/adamantine (stoneskin, 0/100 damage reduced)
Speed: 70 ft (+30 ft/haste)
Fort: +16 (+2 morale/heroism), Ref: +15 (+2 morale/heroism, +1 dodge/haste), Will: +11 (+2 rage, +3 morale/inspired rage)
Superstition +6 competance vs spells/-like
Conditions: rage, accurate stance, stoneskin, heroism, displacement, grand destiny (0/2 used), tactical acumen
Melee (+3 furious greatsword): +26/+18/+23 (+9 BAB, +6 str, +3 enhancement, -0/-3 power attack, +2 rage, +3 competence/accurate stance, +2 morale/heroism, +1 haste)
Damage (+3 furious greatsword): 2d6+23 (+9 str, +3 enhancement, +9 power attack, +2 rage)
Ranged (javelin): +18 (+9 BAB, +3 dex, +3 competence/accurate stance, +2 morale/heroism, +1 haste)
Damage (javelin): 1d6+8 (+6 str, +2 rage)
21/21 rds Rage remaining
Following Kung and Maddie's into the fray, Marnir launches into his war song, his voice bouncing off the ancient stone of the ruins. He runs towards the nearest cyclops and attack, his blades flashing in the sun.
HP (113) 93/(113) 93
AC 23, touch 13, flat-footed 23 (+8 armour, +1 deflection, +2 Dex, +1 dodge, +1 natural armour, +1 haste, -1 inspired rage)
Speed: 60ft (+30ft haste)
Fort: +16, Ref: +11, Will: +16 (+4 vs fear) (+2 to all from heroism, +1 Ref haste, +1 Will & +2 Fort inspired rage)
Conditions: heroism, see invisibility, 7 mirror images, tactical acumen, haste, inspired rage
Melee attack (+1 furious battleaxe): +17/+17/+12 (+7 BAB, +4 Str, +1 enhancement, -2 Power Attack, +2 heroism, +1 haste, +2 inspired rage, +2 furious)
Melee Damage (+1 furious battleaxe): d8+19 (+6 Str, +1 enhancement, +2 Arcane Strike, +6 Power Attack, +2 inspired rage, +2 furious)
24/24 rds raging song remaining
Kung sends a Cyclops staggering as it picks it's way over the rubble towards him, it stumbles into Marnirs path and is again hit hard.
Maddie. Niobe. Jane?
The black tentacles smashing into the two cyclopes that were attempting to flank now continue their squeezing.
With the two attackers snared by her tentacles, Niobe moves to a spot where she can target them and with a quick word causes a small blue-and-red fire to appear in her hand, which she then hurls at the leading flanker (blue).
Maddie will take a 5' step behind Kung and then drop a wall of fire, with the heat radiating away from her.
Jane moves a little closer and tosses a bomb at Blue, and to cover orange with splash damage.
5 dmg splash, DC 14 Ref
Niobe casts her spell and large black tentacles emerge writhing from the ground, battering the two Cyclopes caught in the area.
Jane hurls her bomb, Blue howls as it is coated in fire. Orange twists enough to avoid the worst of the splash damage.
Maddie places a wall of searing fire across the Cyclopes.
Kung may attack.
Kung grunts and grimaces in joy as his sword bites into the cyclops' belly. He withdraws it and strikes again... and again and again, his grin stretching the biology of his face to its limits.
HP 20+102/110
AC 22 touch 13 flat-footed 18 (+8 armor, +3 dex, +1 natural, +1 deflection/ring, -2 rage, +1 dodge/haste)
Displacement: 50% miss chance
DR 1/-, 10/adamantine (stoneskin, 0/100 damage reduced)
Speed: 70 ft (+30 ft/haste)
Fort: +16 (+2 morale/heroism), Ref: +15 (+2 morale/heroism, +1 dodge/haste), Will: +11 (+2 rage, +3 morale/inspired rage)
Superstition +6 competance vs spells/-like
Conditions: rage, accurate stance, stoneskin, heroism, displacement, grand destiny (0/2 used), tactical acumen
Melee (+3 furious greatsword): +26/+18/+23 (+9 BAB, +6 str, +3 enhancement, -0/-3 power attack, +2 rage, +3 competence/accurate stance, +2 morale/heroism, +1 haste)
Damage (+3 furious greatsword): 2d6+23 (+9 str, +3 enhancement, +9 power attack, +2 rage)
Ranged (javelin): +18 (+9 BAB, +3 dex, +3 competence/accurate stance, +2 morale/heroism, +1 haste)
Damage (javelin): 1d6+8 (+6 str, +2 rage)
20/21 rds Rage remaining
Kung messily slaughters the hapless Cyclops.
Already badly wounded by tentacles and Janes bomb Blue screams and dies when Maddie drops a Wall of fire across the group.
Orange yelps in shock as he is grappled by the Black tentacles.
He thrashes about vainly trying to escape their obscene grasp.
Yellow moves up and swings at Kung.
His blow nearly gutting Kung in one flowing swing.
Red double moves to face Marnir. A very tough looking Female Cyclops, she grins with bloodthirst at him.
The party may now act.
Seeing the wall of fire hop up between her and the orange foe, Jane mixes another potion and tosses it at where she last remembered the orange foe being.
With his friends' spells causing heat to wash over him and giant tentacles spring from the ground, Marnir focuses all his energy on the foe in front of him. Pleased to see that the leader of the welcoming committee has stepped up to challenge him, he sings loudly with a broad grin on his face as he attacks.
HP (113) 93/(113) 93
AC 23, touch 13, flat-footed 23 (+8 armour, +1 deflection, +2 Dex, +1 dodge, +1 natural armour, +1 haste, -1 inspired rage)
Speed: 60ft (+30ft haste)
Fort: +16, Ref: +11, Will: +16 (+4 vs fear) (+2 to all from heroism, +1 Ref haste, +1 Will & +2 Fort inspired rage)
Conditions: heroism, see invisibility, 7 mirror images, tactical acumen, haste, inspired rage, fast healing 4
Melee attack (+1 furious battleaxe): +17/+17/+12 (+7 BAB, +4 Str, +1 enhancement, -2 Power Attack, +2 heroism, +1 haste, +2 inspired rage, +2 furious)
Melee Damage (+1 furious battleaxe): d8+19 (+6 Str, +1 enhancement, +2 Arcane Strike, +6 Power Attack, +2 inspired rage, +2 furious)
23/24 rds raging song remaining
Maddie slaps Marnir on the back and says "Go get em boss!". As she does, once again Marnir feels her power flow into him, granting him truly might thews.
Kung, though impressively bloodied by the cyclops' blow, doesn't seem phased by it in the least and simply continues swinging his greatsword. He slashes and swipes with as much vigor as he ever has.
HP 77+20/110
AC 21 touch 12 flat-footed 17 (+8 armor, +3 dex, +1 natural, +1 deflection/ring, -2 rage, +1 dodge/haste, -1 inspired rage)
Displacement: 50% miss chance
DR 1/-, 10/adamantine (stoneskin, 10/100 damage reduced)
Speed: 70 ft (+30 ft/haste)
Fort: +18 (+2 morale/heroism, +2 con (inspired rage)), Ref: +15 (+2 morale/heroism, +1 dodge/haste), Will: +11 (+2 rage, +3 morale/inspired rage)
Superstition +6 competance vs spells/-like
Conditions: rage, accurate stance, stoneskin, heroism, displacement, grand destiny (0/2 used), tactical acumen, inspired rage
Melee (+3 furious greatsword): +28/+20/+25 (+9 BAB, +8 str (inspired rage), +3 enhancement, -0/-3 power attack, +2 rage, +3 competence/accurate stance, +2 morale/heroism, +1 haste)
Damage (+3 furious greatsword): 2d6+26 (+12 str (inspired rage), +3 enhancement, +9 power attack, +2 rage)
Ranged (javelin): +18 (+9 BAB, +3 dex, +3 competence/accurate stance, +2 morale/heroism, +1 haste)
Damage (javelin): 1d6+10 (+8 str (inspired rage), +2 rage)
19/21 rds Rage remaining
Niobe & Jane finish off the bound and defenseless Orange.
Kung shows who is the real hard hitter, his blade flashing silver in several lethal arcs as he carves up Yellow
Marnir hammers Red grunts in pain, gritting her now bloody teeth and she stays upright.
Red swings back at Marnir
Only her first attack manages to hurt Marnir.
Maddie boosts her captain even more with a touch of Orcish rage.
The doors to the west fly open and with a bellow of bloody hunger a Great Cyclops lumbers out, with several more of his lesser kin following him.
The party may now act, again Kung and Maddie are after the others.
Seeing the doors bang open, Jane moves up 20 feet and quickly pulls out one of her nasty potions and drinks the contents. Which almost imidently come back up as a swarm of wasps spew out from her mouth.
The swarm moves towards the Blue and Orange foes. Stinging each in turn.
Marnir feels Maddie's touch a split second before the cyclops leader's blade comes scything at him, cutting down one of his illusions. Chuckling menacingly between verses of his song he presses his attack, Maddie's magic lending him even greater strength.
HP (113) 93/(113) 93
AC 23, touch 13, flat-footed 23 (+8 armour, +1 deflection, +2 Dex, +1 dodge, +1 natural armour, +1 haste, -1 inspired rage)
Speed: 60ft (+30ft haste)
Fort: +16, Ref: +11, Will: +16 (+4 vs fear) (+2 to all from heroism, +1 Ref haste, +1 Will & +2 Fort inspired rage)
Conditions: heroism, see invisibility, 6 mirror images, tactical acumen, haste, inspired rage, fast healing 4
Melee attack (+1 furious battleaxe): +17/+17/+12 (+7 BAB, +4 Str, +1 enhancement, -2 Power Attack, +2 heroism, +1 haste, +2 inspired rage, +2 furious)
Melee Damage (+1 furious battleaxe): d8+19 (+6 Str, +1 enhancement, +2 Arcane Strike, +6 Power Attack, +2 inspired rage, +2 furious)
22/24 rds raging song remaining
Maddie will slap Kung on the back and say "Go get em!"
Kung shifts his attention to the remaining Cyclops here by the entrance, his awareness already turning to the others that approach but his rage wanting to destroy the closest one first.
HP 77+20/110
AC 21 touch 12 flat-footed 17 (+8 armor, +3 dex, +1 natural, +1 deflection/ring, -2 rage, +1 dodge/haste, -1 inspired rage)
Displacement: 50% miss chance
DR 1/-, 10/adamantine (stoneskin, 10/100 damage reduced)
Speed: 70 ft (+30 ft/haste)
Fort: +18 (+2 morale/heroism, +2 con (inspired rage)), Ref: +15 (+2 morale/heroism, +1 dodge/haste), Will: +11 (+2 rage, +3 morale/inspired rage)
Superstition +6 competance vs spells/-like
Conditions: rage, accurate stance, stoneskin, heroism, displacement, grand destiny (0/2 used), tactical acumen, inspired rage
Melee (+3 furious greatsword): +28/+20/+25 (+9 BAB, +8 str (inspired rage), +3 enhancement, -0/-3 power attack, +2 rage, +3 competence/accurate stance, +2 morale/heroism, +1 haste)
Damage (+3 furious greatsword): 2d6+26 (+12 str (inspired rage), +3 enhancement, +9 power attack, +2 rage)
Ranged (javelin): +18 (+9 BAB, +3 dex, +3 competence/accurate stance, +2 morale/heroism, +1 haste)
Damage (javelin): 1d6+10 (+8 str (inspired rage), +2 rage)
18/21 rds Rage remaining
Niobe's tentacles continue to envelop the remaining cyclops.
Niobe continues launching flames at the bound cyclops (blue).