Something Wicked This Way Comes (Inactive)

Game Master Fanguar

Did we get it out? I thought it was too big to fit out of the crack in the wall. We had the Boggards working on digging it out. I still have getting it out of the wall on my to-do list.

It got dug out the day you spent studying the murals. I believe Rose used magic to speed it up. (It happened in January real time.)You also have the cultist journal.

Re:Time: I believe this is the 3rd day since you've left town.

Alright. Sounds like we have a plan. Haruk and I are translating murals and reading the dead guy book. Molsabar is getting a hand with his crafting. The rest are going to town to check in with the other Knot and purchase supplies.

Xanos walked to the wall of Daemonic murals and continued his translations. He detatched his hand and sent it with Molsabar.

Xanos has Craft Wonderous Item too, and the hand has Cooperative Crafting, so it gives Molsabar a bonus to his crafting rolls and doubles his progress.

We might need to wait until the group gets back from town with the supplies to craft the lyre. Cutting the crafting time will be a huge boon!

Alright. Sounds like we have a plan. Haruk and I are translating murals and reading the dead guy book. Molsabar is getting a hand with his crafting. The rest are going to town to check in with the other Knot and purchase supplies.

"Oh sure, send me to town with the two vampires, why don't you?" says Rose. She lets out a big sigh, and hands the Eyes of Vetra-Kali back to Xanos. "If we're short a vampire or two at the end of this, they'll have brought it on themselves." She gives Albrekt a watchful look.

Sounds like a plan to me!

Since the rules are so ambiguous about how crafting works, Molsabar could probably start crafting with what we have on hand (cutting the wood from just the right tree or something). We do have a dead Treant downstairs. Seems fitting. Cut a branch off and start shaping it or something?

"When you make contact with the other Knot, ask them where to start recruiting. We need to begin repopulating the Horn now." Xanos said as Rose left. "The Baron may also have ideas of where to start looking for those of suitably flexible conscience."

Are we still on the same day as when I used the accuser devil to scout the second floor(I think it was the 2nd), or have we slept and regained our per day abilities?

Albrέkt chuckles dryly at Rose's bravado, then nods dutifully at Xanos' instructions;

"Indeed Der Horn schall haf new blut... Vun way or another..."

Presume we'll be gone for a few weeks rather than mere days? Might as well spend all the time we need sourcing and taking delivery of required materials (as well as meeting/recruiting/press-ganging).

Sariana, as usual, shakes her head at the bravado and by-play between the rest of the group, preferring to simply observe and consider where she was going to feed once back in Farholde. The taste of warm blood practically danced on her tongue.

Sari can make runs back during the night if need be to deliver supplies etc. So yeah, if we've got things to do in town we might as well stick there for a while.

If we can procure a wagon I can summon my Plague Steed to pull it. We can load it up with our larder - like the Child Catcher's wagon from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang :)

Are we still on the same day as when I used the accuser devil to scout the second floor(I think it was the 2nd), or have we slept and regained our per day abilities?

Pretty sure it's the day after that.

Are we not actually bypassing the guardian daemons yet?. Also, while you all know that fortifying the horn is necessary, the PCs don't necessarily know that, or for how long. This will become evident in game, once you visit the upper sanctum and read that book. But for now, its seems a touch premature to be sourcing ballistae and what not.

"Why would not send the attractive, living female to go into town, looking to barter and purchase goods?" Haruk replies to Rose.

Turning to Xanos, he asks "Do you still need me to summon one of my devils to assist you in repairing the golem?"

We can leave ballista off the supply list for now. Xanos always plans long term, so he's making contingency plans that are farther ahead then is probably necessary.

"No, though I have another task for it. We need to survey the surrounding forest, particularly around the area of the escape route teleportation throne. We want secure and hidden secondary site in case we need to leave this place quickly." Xanos answered Haruk.

"Also, I want to know what the apex predators in the area are. Can your scouts handle that?"

So, Molsabar and Lefty are getting started on Crafting, Haruk is reading the important book, and Xanos is translating the mural (or vice-versa if Haruk wants to swap jobs).

Meanwhile, Sariana, Albrekt and Rose are going back to town. They are meeting with the Baron to broker sales of our loot and place orders, meeting with the other Knot to trade info, and starting a recruitment push in the seedier places in town.

Sound about right?

So, you definitely *did* want one of my devils to get some materials to help fix the golem. Is that no longer the case cuz we're sending the trio back to town?

I... honestly don't remember. The golem can wait though. There's a bunch of things to do before we worry about that.

Meanwhile, Sariana, Albrekt and Rose are going back to town. They are meeting with the Baron to broker sales of our loot and place orders, meeting with the other Knot to trade info, and starting a recruitment push in the seedier places in town.

Sound about right?

Ja Voll Old Vun!

Remember once we've got the Bag of Holding - Rose can carry the vamps around like Pokemon.

Molasbar empties out his haversack and gives it to Rose.

"This will make a little dent in the stuff that needs to be carried."

Without the bag of holding, it will probably take a couple trips to town to transport all of the loot. Even with vampires as porters.

Albrekt, I choose you! Smite Attack!

Rose nods, taking Molasbar's offered bag. "The Baron will be pleased with these rewards . . . I'd say our mission is already looking like a success."

When the trio does leave for town, since Molasbar cannot start crafting until the supplies come in, he will busy himself with a very careful search of the entire premises. He'll take Handy with him.

To keep it simple, he'll start at the caverns level with the boggards, going in the order of the room numbers on the map. He'll use his everburning torch, and look at everything in darkness as well. He'll use detect magic every where as well. In every room, he'll take 20 to search. When he is searching the boggard huts, he'll leave Handy outside to make sure the boggards don't try to pull a fast one and move stuff from one hiding spot to another. I know it will take days and days to do this, but this is what he'll work on when he can't be crafting or actively exploring with the others. Taking 20 gives him a perception check of +41, or +43 if Handy is aiding. Each day, he'll take all three investigator extracts as Detect Secret Doors, until he has scanned the whole place with the spell. Just in case we've missed anything. Just in case any boggards are holding out on us.

Before she leaves Sari will instruct the boggart tribe to follow Molasbar's orders and aid him in whatever he asks for. The usual threats will be offered. :)> not a very good very good vampire smiley...

Before he leaves Albrέkt seeks out Halthus, checking if there is anything the former Son wishes him to do, or obtain, on his behalf whilst in Farholde...

@Sarina: Mmmm. More Fangeface than vamp methinks!

Rose gathers the inventory of valuables and discusses the crafting materials that will be needed. Then she is off to see the Baron.

Happy to roleplay or just handwaving the conversion so others can continue their crafting plans.

@Xanos: For every day that you spend analyzing the murals you can make one Knowledge (arcane), Knowledge (religion) or Knowledge (planes) skill check (DC 25) to determine whether or not you decipher a ritual. There are three total.

@Haruk: Reading the tome, you see that it is a holy book and perhaps the last surviving copy of “The Dirges of Apollyon” upon this mortal plane. It details the long history of the “Sons of the Pale Horseman” and recounts their efforts to transform this world into a daemon’s playground. While somewhat interesting, what makes this tome truly priceless is what can be found at the end. Written in a shaky hand, the last pages detail the last days of the cult, the defeat of Vetra-Kali and the formation of a great seal preventing his return. Most importantly, it ends with a ritual that would destroy this seal and call Vetra-Kali back to this plane.

@Molasbar: Your search is intensive, but will eventually bear fruit. You will find that one of the nameplates in the trophy room pops out and can be turned to the left and the right, like a combination lock. You can also make out a fain aura behind it. (DC30 disable device to open.).

@Albrekt: Halthus does request some general provisions, as there isn't any food in the place any more. Also, he mentions that he used to be the Horsemen's torturer, so if you felt so inclined, repairing the torture chamber would allow him to take up his old post. It would cost 1600gp to fix the torture chamber.

@Rose/ Away team: We can handwave a fair bit of this but I need some information: What, if anything, do you report to the fourth knot? What, if anything, do you report to the Baron? How long are you planning on staying in town before you return. It should be 3 more days for the first Baron order to come through (I think this was a bag of holding?). For everything else: 25k of stuff can be sold immediately, the rest will take another week to offload. Everything on Xanos' list, except the underwater crossbows and balistae can be found in town. The others will have to be ordered and custom built, and will take like a month-ish. For magical items, town base value is 4400gp, so any magic item less than that value has a 75% chance of being found. Anything else can be ordered, but will take 1d4 weeks to arrive. Crafting materials are also available.

I have a +15 Knowledge Arcana. Can I take 10, or do I need to roll?

Molasbar eagers goes to work on the trophy room plate.

Disable device 1d20 + 16 + 1d6 ⇒ (7) + 16 + (3) = 26

Close, but not on the first try. If there are no adverse affects to trying again...

Disable device 1d20 + 16 + 1d6 ⇒ (6) + 16 + (6) = 28
Disable device 1d20 + 16 + 1d6 ⇒ (15) + 16 + (3) = 34

...a few tries will end up getting it.

Sari doesn't know anything about the 4th Knot, or the Baron - so she's pretty much just in town as muscle. She'll make herself useful ferrying supplies back and forth. Do want to stay in town long enough to get the Wand of Silence Albrekt and I are teaming up for though. (Although I'm happy to buy it by myself Gross Bruder if you want your gold for other things.)

@Kleine Schwester: Happy to spend the coin on the Wand of Silence :)

@All: Think the away team should stay away for as long as necessary? 1-2 weeks minimum makes sense to shift all the wealth (and provides us with plenty of segue-way RP'ing whilst Molasbar plays Indiana Jones and Xanos/Haruk work on their Pinky and the Brain tribute act :).

@GMFang: Will sort out some rations for Halthus. If we're to bring onboard more non-monstrous retainers into the fledgling evil organisation then a Cauldron of Plenty or Sustaining Spoon might be a consideration (save on rations/foodstores etc)

Regards 4th Knot and the Baron. Rose is one of his, so would make sense for her to handle the info-flow? The vamps will be there for muscle and gravitas in any negotiations. As for the 4th Knot, will see what they have learned, need to check on their modus operandi while we were reclaiming the Horn...

*Edit* - I changed some text below from an earlier version, deciding to be more secretive.

Remember how we saved a follower of Vetra-Kali? He's the first sacrifice for our 222-day ritual. Let's make sure he stays comfortable . . . and trapped.

Rose is supposed to be an inside woman for the Baron, so when the passing of information happens, you should NOT be there. Rose will explain to the Baron that she and Molasbar have ingratiated themselves as members of your Knot, that we have found an ancient temple that contained lots of treasure--treasure that can be sold to the Baron and that the Baron can resell for profit. The group is now desiring crafting materials to create magical equipment and strengthen itself for the time when the attack on the Mitrans will come. Mostly true info but concealing any mention of Vetra-Kali to make the event seem less important than it is. Unless the Baron already knows about that part.

When the trading happens with the Baron, that's when Rose comes along with the vamps, since it's the group that's trading.

I showed up to this game a bit later, and I missed or forgot what the deal with the 4th knot is. Who are they, and who do they work for?

Remember how we saved a follower of Vetra-Kali? He's the first sacrifice for our 222-day ritual. Let's make sure he stays comfortable . . . and trapped.

Aye - his name is Halthus... think he's the least of our worries regards the sacrifices... best we don't kick things off until we've all the ingredients in play.

I showed up to this game a bit later, and I missed or forgot what the deal with the 4th knot is. Who are they, and who do they work for?

I'm in the same boat as you, but we're the Seventh Knot (I think) so the 4th are presumably a more senior group of Cardinal Thorn's agents. Exactly what their current job is... I have no idea.

If told who they are and what they look like Sari will happily spend otherwise unaccounted for time shadowing them and finding out what they are up to - new Gaseous form ability should help there!

We're the 9th Knot. The 7th are the Farholde agents. The 4th are the "lost" Knot who were looking for the Horn... GMFang can confirm as I could be getting my knots in a tangle :)

oh right. The missing knot. Forgot about that plot thread.

During a break from his translation wor Xanos made his way up to the temple.

"Ezra, I would like a few moments of your time." he said to the empty room. He knew the wraith could hear him.

"Were there others to come here recently? Within the last month?"

@GMFang: Regards reporting to the 7th Knot - we'll let them know that we have taken most of The Horn and our scholars are researching contents uncovered thus-far. We do however require items to fortify our hold on the place... We'll let Rose do the discussion with The Baron.

Prior to Xanos talking to Ezra

Haruk walks over to the necromancer, book in hand. "I've figured out how to free Vetra-Kali. It's going to take quite some time, as it requires several sacrifices spread of a very specific number of days."

"I thought as much. The Horn is Vetra-Kali's sanctum on the mortal plane. It is his center of power. He is a Daemon Lord, second only to thr Horsemen themselves, who are as powerful as gods. For him to have been defeated and banished here took an act of nearly godlike magical power. Undoing it will require power of equal measure."

"Much of that will come from the Horn itself. It is designed to spit in the eye of the gods. I helped design this place. My original plans were never intended to channel and amplify the power of a Daemon Lord, which is why I broke from the Sons in the first place. They cast their lot in with the Horsemen. A fairly sensible plan, all things considered, but not one I could allow myself to be a part of."

"I only saw the completed Horn once before now. At the the time the horn's activation was all just theories I had concocted over the years as I moved from experiment to experiment. Vetra-Kali and the Sons must have figured out a way to make those theories work."

"If my estimations are correct, the ritual will take nearly six months, involve a vast expendature of resources, and be... not subtle."

"When we start this, it wI'll be a call to arms. A challange to Mitra's own power. He will send powerful servants after us. We must be prepared."

@Xanos: Make the rolls (just put them in a spoiler), as each attempt takes a whole day. Odds are that you'll succeed 3 times before the rest of the party returns, but it'll give us an idea of how much of that time you 'waste' on this research

Re: Knots: Ya I got them mixed up. Albrekt has it: The 4th is the missing one you were looking for. You are the ninth knot. The 7th knot is your 'backup' in Farholde. The knots are Cardinal Thorne's agents to bring about the return of the Church of Asmodeus to prominence. The 7th knot are the only ones that some of you might have met previously in the AP (I cant remember who, if anyone was in the game when we were still in the Cardinal's mansion.)

@Xanos: If you are asking Ezra about the 4th knot. He previous acknowledged that he devoured them. All that remains of them are the wraith-spawn that now serve him.

@Molasbar: It takes some finagling to figure out the proper sequence to open the hidden safe, but eventually you succeed and it opens with a rasp of stone against stone. Within the hidden cavity you find: (#Lootz) 55 pp, a ruby worth 350 gp, and a set of manacles of cooperation

Regarding wraiths- That's what I thought happened. I just couldn't remember if we'd gotten that information from Ezra yet. So, nevermind skip that question.

So that's the mystery of the 4th knot solved. They're all wraiths now.

"Speaking of preparations, would you like me to summon my Zebub and send it up to the third floor for a look around?"

I am assume Xanos agrees, so Fang, same deal as the last time, it goes upstairs, via greater teleport, and invisibly pokes around. When it has five minutes left to it's time here, it comes back to me and replays what it's seen.

"Yes, but warn it to keep it's distance from anything that looks religious in nature. A lower planes creature getting near the site of the seal may set off a ward alert."

Regardless of if Rose heads to meet the Baron, Albrέkt will seek out the Cocytian (7th Knot) Knot, at their residence at the Drunken Angler Inn.

The brute will assume the form of the lanky old scholar worn previously as he journeys slowly through Farholde...

Pleased by the stash he found in the trophy room, Molasbar continues his detailed study of the whole interior of the Horn. If Lefty isn't with him for parts of it, he'll make sure Xanos and Haruk know where he is working and what he finds, checking in every couple of hours. You know, just in case he suddenly disappears.

If possible, Rose would join Albrekt to meet the 7th knot after meeting with the Baron.

Sari will stay at some distance from meeting the 7th Knot. They don't know her, she doesn't know them and having a surprise up ones sleeve is always good so she watches the meeting from a distance.

Absolutely Rose - will let you and GMF decree if this is occurs before or after meeting with Herr Baron...

The doddering old wanderer enquires at the Drunken Angler for Elise or Drosten (think there's also a pair of twins whose names escape me...) and if necessary will leave a message telling them that Opa Langenschlaf Necril: Grandfather Longsleep has returned to Farholde and is asking after his dear friends...

@Albrekt/Rose: You folks pretty much have control of the order in which the events occur. It doesn't really matter the order, in this case. The twins are Trik and Trak.

Albrekt has little difficulty is making contact with the 7th knot and Elise shows up to listen to your report. I can't remember if Rose has met the other knot yet, but if she hasn't, Elise will demand to know who she is.

@Haruk: I think the party gave Albrekt the amulets that allows you to command the daemons, so if your little summoned demon tries to ascend the stairs, they will try to stop it. Greater Ceustodaemons have permenant see invisibility, so that doesn't really help. (Let me know if I am mis-remembering).

I want to do the Hounds ritual! I want flaming doggie pets!

@Rose/Sari: Makes sense (for Rose) to meet the Cocytian Knot before reporting to Herr Baron? Means she has potentially more leverage and intel for him (should she wish to broker some favour with the noble - know I would :) As such I'll forge ahead with the interaction, and Rose' meet with the Baron can be held offline or spoiler'ed?

Wearing the skin of the weathered scholar, Albrέkt flashes a smile of crooked and yellowed teeth at Elise's demand;

"Frau Zadaria... Zhis delightful kreature is Fräulein Silversting. Ein schervent of Herr Baron und zher kause..."

The vampyr-in-eldars clothing eyes Elise curiously;

"Ve haf all but konquered Der Horn. Pray tell, how doez zhere affairz ov your Cocytian Knotten fare in our schtread?"

GM, can the dog ritual or the mudmen ritual be performed more than once?

Also, if we use more impressive guard dogs (perhaps Advanced dogs, or Wolves) will we get more impressive hell hounds?

Are the creatures Summoned (bound to a particular service, and will keep coming back in order to do it, like Hex and Vex), or are they Called (if they die they are gone and either dead or released from service)

Xanos put the last notes on his translation. It was done.

"Here," he said to Haruk, handing him the sheaf of paper. "These will be of interest to you. The Hellhounds and the Nightmare steed seem to fit your purview."

"The mud men will make suitable guardians in the mud pits in the caverns."

"Should you require me I will be in the laboratory."

It was good to feel accomplished again. He felt like he was on the threshold of regaining his former power. he was close. It would not be long.

The first step was to repair the damage the Mitrans had done to him. Turn his weaknesses into strengths. This hand had been a successful prototype, but now was the time to move forward.

The ritual was elaborate. The whole floor was covered in a spiral of symbols in black and white. Esoteric writings noting energy flow and very specific locations of the body, written out in careful form that were reminiscent of mantras, and also math. The blending of physical and metaphysical. Of his many lifetimes, one was spent studying the mechanics of the body. It's fragility and its unexpected strengths. The ways in which muscle, blood, electricity, thought, and magic all combined to create movement and form.

Many considered Necromancy to be anathema to life. Albrekt in particular reveled in the polarization of it. He was wrong though. Even his goddess was wrong. There was no polarity. Life and death were the same. Ever bound together in an endless cycle, feeding on each other with no purpose but to further it's own existence. The eternal creation of self, and the destruction of self. A spiral.

It was a problem. The problem. At some point he would solve it, but for now, he would use it.

His hand was a piece of himself. The first one had merely been a test of animation. This time it would be a test of creation.

The hand lay at the center of the spiral. He let the blood flow, let the power flow, and spoke one word.

"R̭̩̪͖͚̦͈͑̆̃̅̍̍͗i̪̜͇̝͂ͥͤ́s̪̙̍ͨ͐ͣ̔͒̿ẻ͝.̰̪̠̬̿ͩ̆̃̌̚"

There was no shuddering, no twitching to motion. One moment it was a dead thing, shriveled with rigor mortis. The next it rolled it's fingers gracefully and flipped itself palm down, standing on it's fingers and then leaping to the nearby table.

It crawled into the metal reinforced glove that waited for it. Then it and it's mate worked together to help Xanos shrug into the harness he had made and tighten the straps.

It was a pair of sleeves that attached to the bracers the Mitrans had locked to him to drain away his power. They were different now. He had altered them. Now they were attached to metal caps that covered the stumps of his forearms. Inside them, instead of the meat of Xanos' arms were coiled chains and a surprisingly powerful clock-spring. The manacles' silver runes were stained red and re-written. They were his now.

The sleeves ran beneath the bracers up to a pair of pauldrons. The straps criss-crossed over his chest. Attached to the back was a long cape and hood.

When he was finished, both hands clicked into place on their wrist caps.

Well begun was half done.

Xanos looked at his hands, moving them, getting use to the weight, the sensation. He could not feel them. They were his, but not a part of him any longer. A blessing and a curse.

Why stop at two though?

Out of his pack he pulled more hands. Sergeant Blackerly of Branderscar. The witch hunter Sir Balin. The Triton leader from their voyage on the Frosthammer. The cavalry captain from Ballentyne.

He'd been collecting for some time now. He'd known where this was heading. The Mitrans had sought to cripple him by taking his power, his dignity, his hands. They'd sought to kill him by inches when they thought they couldn't kill him outright.

They always were such small thinkers.

The ritual was still primed. The hands went into the center. Another flash of blood and power was all it took. It wasn't quite as strong as before. These hands were not him after all. Still, the first time he had done this with his own first hand it had taken a great deal out of him. Now, he could create four at once without much effort at all. As far as tests went, today had been a resounding success.

The new hands also went into spiked gauntlets. The wrist openings were sealed up. He clipped the chains to his broad belt, and the other end to the gauntlets. The hands hung from the wide rings he'd installed on the reinforced belt. Their chains hung from them, nearly brushing the floor.

Casting Animate Dead and adding 4 more Crawling Claws to my controlled minion list. They are all in Spiked Gauntlets (which provide armor, and also act as Familiar Satchel). The chains attached to them are about 8 feet long. I can detach them easily, but for general purposes, they have a "reach" of 10 feet.

Truly macabre and truly awesome. I need to step up my game :)

PS - I forgive the sacrilegious prose in your first post lol