... Once the second wraith is disposed of, the party finds itself in what must be a Dark Trader outpost somewhere below the surface of Syranix. It could be an abandoned part of the sewers or might have even been constructed for this purpose...
The various tables are littered with partially animated corpses, a variety of necromantic supplies, miscellaneous tools, torture implements and the partially destroyed desk/bookshelf area.
The area seems be heavily trapped ).
But through observation and deduction some things can discovered without risking various trapped areas.
This room is old, the Dark Traders maintained this area off and on for centuries... salvaging their strange supplies from who knows where.
The wraiths you destroyed were weak, weaker than the earlier traders you destroyed. Why? Because they were quick replacements sent on short notice. They weren't sure of what to do.
Also, the first wraith had a type III bag of holding with more necrotic implements as well as a lesser rod of empowerment. The other wraith had nothing magical as far as you could tell.
With the other wraith down, Terex stashes his wand and 'says' Based on what Gift just ran into, we should be very careful here. I'll look around for traps and things."
The little dragon takes his time searching around, disabling traps when he finds them. This isn't the first time they've used this place. Probably they keep this hideout for any time they need to do something here.
"I agree. Let me know when it's safe and I'll dispatch the zombies."
Rollo takes measure of this secret chamber of the Dark Traders. The Sage is extremely interested in their activities, further plans, and any other cells about the area.
This definitely complicates things here; but, perhaps, we can turn this to our advantage.
Gift nods, and asks Rollo
"If you want to have a look at the books and documents I saved, best let Terex check them out"
She shifts some of her internal powers and then fishes off healing.
She swings her blaster behind her back and has a look around the areas Terex has cleared.
The party waits as the small dragon spend a good hour slowly and carefully clearing a variety of dangerous necromantic traps spread around the area. Once Terex is done, you begin an analysis of the outpost, using protocols created by the organization and recording results in standard log books (and GIFT's memory banks, I assume).
One of the books that survived is one of the older log books. It records some Dark Trader agents tracing what seems like the phylactery first to the museum and then to one of the upper levels. They determined that it was held in the Gondalfo Manor (a name that's new to you). The Gondalfos seem to a strange, decadent group, greedy for all things strange and obscure, maintaining a "hall of pleasures where objects and individuals are kept indefinitely for the Gondalfos' amusement. The Traders a variety of unspecified problems themselves getting to the higher level of in Syranix though it seems there are guards against undead in the various levels.
The original mission decided that leaving the phylactery where it was, was safe since the Gondalfos were unlikely to give it up and it's location was known to the traders. And they found the Gondalfos "kindred spirits".
Other sections of the book describe various other small missions the Traders did over the years, assassinations of various individuals, contacts with those selling supplies of interest. The traders maintained a number of contacts such as Estes to do their bidding but were generally frustrated with their reliability.
After about three hours, you have gathered all the information you can and the appropriate course of action is destroying all of the original material and heading back to the surface - Rollo is in charge of covering as many magical traces of your presence as possible while those with survival work to destroy all physical traces.
Actually getting to the surface is a challenge. You know the two wraithes dimension doored from Syranix city but you don't the coordinates they used. Once you to get to the surface, you'll be able to study the copied the texts in more detail. . And now you know several ways to (possibly) get to the next level as well as other clues.
Terex isn't very good at hiding the traces of the group's presence--at least, not directly. What he does do is check everyone's work, playing at being an investigating Dark Trader and telling the others if he sees any remaining signs of the group.
So we have a gem now, combined with a password we could go through the normal entrance. We even have a target now. So the question is, how do we want to approach this? We at least seem to have gotten the Dark Traders off our trail for the moment, so we've got a bit of time to work with, but I have a feeling we're attracting other attention.
Rollo does indeed take his time examining the documents found amongst the Dark Trader's things.
The Sage finds the failure to actually procure the Phylactery from the Gondalfos. He spends a good amount of time studying their findings, attempts, failures.
We could attempt to infiltrate these Gondalfos? We research them. We learn more about their habits, vices. We target their co-conspirators to, perhaps, slide our way to their Estates.
The Dhampir then erases any trace of their presence here.
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We could attempt to infiltrate these Gondalfos? We research them. We learn more about their habits, vices. We target their co-conspirators to, perhaps, slide our way to their Estates.
Arlo agrees with the dhampir, going over the same notes as Rollo. The dwarf sees several references to Žemėia in the older log books, making his blood boil.
She works on getting them back.
"I think I can trace the root back and Teleport us to the surface, I am a Nomad, after all, porting is kind of my thing."
Arlo pats GIFT on the back.
"Well, kiddo. If you think you can do it, I believe in you."
The dwarf paladin uses his new godling ability from his Lineage Domain, Inspiring Word (Sp), on his android daughter.
She closes her eyes and thinks back over the journey here, recanting the path v the dimensions but most of all where they had been staying.
Then she brought up the image of where they were living
"Everyone hold hands"
So, back in your apartment in the Sports Complex, the party begins further efforts at decoding the information taken from the dark trader complex.
The traders made a long effort to observe and understand the Gondalfos but were limited by their inability to go through the gate. The text is left intentionally obscure though you may be able to decode more as you go.
The Gondalfos are apparently member of a very long lived race, since notes on the same person appear 100s of years apart. All seem to have some level of strange obsessions.
Joven: middle-aged appearing humanoid male, apparently has some authority in the great gambling hall. Apparently collects certain kinds of beetle carving, which occasionally looks for Syranix Jewelry shops.
Rospail: 30s-ish appearing female. A Patron of the arts. Seems very taken with a particular shade of yellow combined with red. Occasionally appear in better Syranix galleries.
Mirnami: Androgenous and ageless. Sometime can be seen standing by the cliffs and reciting poetry. Seems to collect perfectly spherical pebbles.
The documents mention also that the second level is a strange maze of gardens, cafes, cemeteries, and so forth, lit only by moonlight with ghostly fairy servants serves the strange old families or whoever enters (for gold). And they confirm the third level is wild land often used for hunting with a few family houses there also.
Rollo gathers all the paperwork procured from the Dark Trader base of operations. The Sage studies them, as the others begin gathering more information.
After they arrive Gift is relieved, she had done it. She made her excuses and made her way to her room where her Mech-bike lay in parts. With the way things are she needed to get back to fixing it.
Arlo tried to sleep throughout the night, having his quarters next to his daughters. The nobler dwarf started to look like his old curmudgeon self.
Curious as to the mechanical noises coming from the garage Lucien goes over there. After watching for a minute, he steps into her field of vision. "Would you like some assistance with that?"
Curious as to the mechanical noises coming from the garage Lucien goes over there. After watching for a minute, he steps into her field of vision. "Would you like some assistance with that?"
"O hi Blue, yes please, the leg servos will not respond, I think it's a power loom problem but I just can't pinpoint it."
She has happy to see Blue and shows him the plans she has of turning her mech into something more fitting for the city,
"The spider tank stuck out too much and the hoverbike has no real use now I have worked out how to port us properly. So I needed to turn it back into something that can guard us or here. I thought a huge tiger-like thing would make intruders think twice, you know as it walks around the grounds. It still has security drones. So his prime mission is still in place. But the really cool part is I get to ride it. I even got a hat just for doing that. It's called a Stenson, where ever Stenson is."
"O and it has a bigger power unit, so you can charge you power cells for your pistols with it."
As Gift finishes her device, Rollo is diving ferciously into the copies of the salvaged texts. In these, he discovers a few more things. The Dark Traders are impressed by the Gondalfos' decadent appetite for destruction. As part of their plan, they prepared several stories of planar destruction which they were thinking of feeding to one or another of the family. The stories include a general who betrayed his armies, a Druid who sold access to the sacred and several others (including the story of prime minister Boreneas of Žemėia, who, according to the story of the Traders, allowed them access to that land. At a point, a few years back, it seems Boreneas was actually in Syranix but what became of him afterward, or whether he is still here, was unknown to the Traders). The aim of these stories is to get one of the Gondalfos so excited they would take in some agent of the Traders. The Traders had constant problem of not being able to trust their agents, however...
Ugh, I already don't like these Gondalfos. Though probably not as much as you dislike them, Arlo, Terex comments as Rollo reports on his discoveries. So it sounds like keeping up with three-ball won't get us closer to what we want. Well, beyond keeping us in Syranix with somewhere to stay. I'd rather not try to appeal to this appetite for destruction, so... which of the three do we want to look for? It'd help if any of us were good with art or poetry...
Rollo raises an eyebrow at Terex' comment about It'd help if any of us were good with art or poetry...
The dhampir laughs.
Yes, if only.
With a few arcane words and a simple hand gesture, the Sage cast Telekinesis; and within a few seconds a majestic violin is seen floating to Rollo.
The Sorcerer then cast Mirage Arcana. Appearing around him is a full Symphony Orchestra!
He plays.
Stops working.
"Is it me or is there an Orchestra playing close by?"
That's not clifftop poetry, yellow and red painting, or beetle carvings, and it's definitely not perfectly spherical pebbles, as impressive as it is, Terex points out. From the sound of it these people are super picky about what they like. Maybe we can buy some of these kinds of things?
Ugh, I already don't like these Gondalfos. Though probably not as much as you dislike them, Arlo, Terex comments as Rollo reports on his discoveries.
Arlo stares at the journal entry on Boreneas, trying to commit it to his angry memory. "It appears a reunion with the former Prime Minister is long, long overdue."
It's early-evening/late afternoon, Rollo's orchestra of levitating instrument plays a haunting and beautiful melody out to the fields of the Athletic complex and onto a couple nearby streets. After an hour or so, a small group of spectators has gather near where the party is. Mostly they're just workers or scribes stopping for some entertainment. But once the performance stops, one spectator stays. She's dressed in long, silk robes that shift color and texture as she moves and she introduces herself as Lidylia Cornfu, an impresario of unusual performances.
"It is such amazing luck that I found you now. You simply must come to my next event, 'The Wolves Of Spring'. It is a celebration of the chaotic, the beautiful and the unexplainable. We will meet on the next Day Of Steel at the base of cliff on South coast. Come, I will see that you perform." With that she swirls her robes and is off before any further questions can be asked.
Terex stares after Lidylia for a bit. Okay, that is a suspiciously convenient invitation. Though I guess you were playing for a while. Still, it's an opportunity. Even if none of our targets show up we'd probably at least meet more of their kind of social circle this way.
The little dragon turns his attention to Arlo. I'm behind you all the way, Arlo. What does he look like?
The dhampir just continues to play; a knowing smile on his face.
She stands back and looks at her mech
Now happy she jumps onto its back and activates it. Riding Spider out of the stables.
The little dragon turns his attention to Arlo. I'm behind you all the way, Arlo. What does he look like?
"Boreneas was the first halfling to hold the position of Prime Minister of Valian, a country rivaling Dwarfhome in size and power. But Valian and Dwarfhome were allied countries for most of Valian's existence, working together to defeat the Sorksan Horde, a once-massive orc and ogre warband.
I met Boreneas once, a year..before the end. He seem like any personable politician at the time. If he's still alive, here in Syranix, and he's responsible for unleashing The Dark Traders on Žemėia.." Arlo trailed off into his own dark thoughts.
On Boreneas, the Dark Trader's notes are fragmentary. At one point, three years ago, a note reads "It seems our contact Boreneas, who served us in Žemėia, has come to Syranix and is staying at [fragmentary address]. When Z.. contact him, he promised to relay any contact with the Gondalfos to him..." Then a years ago "Seems we have lost contact with Boreneas so we will using the alternate plan...
As the other contemplated the team's next move, Gift and Blue too her huge reconfigured 4 ton riding mech out for a walk around the city. Standing come 10' high it loped throw the streets to the local park.
She just hoped its claws did not cut up the paths too much
"That charger will come in quite handy. I have spells that can do the same, but they're not a sure thing and have to be managed carefully." Blue says to Gift while mech-riding.
She smiles a blue flies alongside her
"Great, I felt we need something more intimidating, after that fight at the gambling hall."
While Gift and Blue's jaunt doesn't yield any obvious clues, she is approached by the twelve year old who wants to know her secret for building mechs.
Gift jumps down off spider and looks at the child.
"Hello there, well that is a big question... do you know anything about the magic disapln called Physics?"
Spider sits and looks around scanning the area.
I think that a performance at Lidylia Cornfu's would be most beneficial.
The dhampir prepares for the performance by ordering a new closet of clothing.
Yes, and while we're waiting, I think I'll keep chatting up some of the servants and vendors. I'll just tell some stories about weird people I've seen that sound vaguely like the people we're looking for, and see if I get any stories in response.
EggBard, the child who approached Gift, is only just learning the basics of mechaniques, which is taught along with grammar, alchemy, mythos and other subjects in Magister David Ortense's school.
...
Over the next few days, Terex talks to the vendors on Colonnade street above the sports complex as well as the various maintenance people going through the sports complex. One of the Vendors has an aunt who occasionally sells beetle carvings to one Joven... Armaund and Minna around moving full time to gathering information in the city proper and basically setting up a safehouse for the Organization.
...
When the time of Lidylia Cornfu's event approach, a runner sends a card the day with a note stating "You are invited to 'The Wolves Of Spring'. This is a costume event so if you come dressed as Wolve, flowers, or other things appropriate to the theme, it would be grand. Suitable magic is included." the note arrives with five potions
Arlo looks down at the alter self potion and walks over to his android daughter.
"GIFT, honey. What do you think of us going as a duo? You choose a theme and we'll both go as that thing. A real father/daughter event."
Terex makes sure to coordinate his efforts with Armaund and Minna, letting them know who seems like a trustworthy source of information and who tends to gossip too much.
The little dragon examines the potions with interest. They must have done something to boost the duration of the magic. I can't imagine that the party will only last for three minutes, he comments. I'll probably go with just the default anthropomorphized wolf. It will compliment more creative ideas to have one 'ordinary' member.
Rollo smiles a bit at the potions. The Sage does some study of them; prior to the group's usage of them.
He cast Detect Magic.
Source Adventurer's Armory 2 pg. 3
Requirement(s) Katapesh
Your experience with magic items clues you in to their properties more quickly than others. You can identify the properties of a magic item using detect magic in 1 round.
"GIFT, honey. What do you think of us going as a duo? You choose a theme and we'll both go as that thing. A real father/daughter event."
"O that's a cool idea dad, humm what do go as"
"Hmm. Well, if what a remember about alter self is true, we could become small-sized. How about sprites? Fey favor the Spring. And ever since I..", the dwarf faltered, trying to put words to his transformation, "..accessed my power, I've felt a little too exposed".
"But if anyone asks, this was your idea that I was forced into. I may be your father, but I still have a reputation to uphold."
"Foxes, the race that becomes foxes, I forget their name, but we could get as two of them with fox masks as well."
She grins at her dad an evil child grin and says in a cute voice.
"What my dads a demigod forced into have two little cute fox ears'
She tugs at his ears.
"little fox ears on the grumpy old man...Sooo cute"
So with Armaund, Minna and Terex working on the information gathering network, it grows moderately quickly. Minna has the idea of creating message delivery service using little drones she creates and asks Gift for help with this. And so the time passes until Lidylia Cornfu's event is scheduled.
Heading to the cliffs, still maybe a mile from the designated location, Blue, in the lead, hears a sharp cry from off the path. Heading a few hundred feet in that direction, you see, down in a tide pool, what looks like two party goers, an older half-elf and a younger female human, each with festive donkey ears, surrounded by a four strange and threatening creature - the creatures look like a cross between a scorpion and a wolf, with slick, oily jet-black fur. The two are so far fending off these attacks so. The scorpion's tails seem to be glowing with a pale fire.
She liked her look as a gift as kitsune most of all the ears, Which she felt she may keep. But what she liked best was her dad as one. Image here
"hehe cute ears dad"
She had been riding Spider with any of the others who wished to.
Her father on with her, when the call came up, Seeing Blue dart off and down. she goads Spider to the clifftop.
Seeming what is going off she gives a moment for the others to get off
then command Spider to jump down the cliff and land next to the party endangered party go'ers.
The 8 ton mech lands with a ground-shaking thump and showing its claws and razor-sharp teeth growlers a sound so deep the sand underfoot vibrates.
"You mean Kitsune," Terex comments idly when Gift struggles to think of the species name.
He seems a bit distracted, perhaps because he's still getting used to being bipedal. Or maybe it's the hands, given how he's looking at them. The little dragon had gone for the form of an anthropomorphic gray wolf, as he'd suggested, with his various magical items hidden under a loose shirt.
It takes him a moment to register what's going on when he hears the scream, and another to realize he can't fly over and sting something right now. Instead he vanishes from sight and draws his wand of scorching ray, invisibly maneuvering into a good position to fire it.
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She liked her look as a gift as kitsune most of all the ears, Which she felt she may keep. But what she liked best was her dad as one. Image here
"hehe cute ears dad"
Arlo grimaced slightly at GIFT's ribbing of his new fey features, but smiled to see his android daughter's smiling face. "Don't get used to it, dear."
GIFT had been riding Spider with any of the others who wished to.
Her father on with her, when the call came up, Seeing Blue dart off and down. she goads Spider to the clifftop.Seeming what is going off she gives a moment for the others to get off
then command Spider to jump down the cliff and land next to the party endangered party go'ers.
"Wait! WHAT! AHHHHHHhhh!" The dwarf paladin's concern fell to deaf ears as Arlo hn ags on for dear life as GIFT commands Spider to jump down the cliff. Mildly annoyed, mildly euphoric to be alive, Arlo gets off the mechanical tiger and brandishes his dwarven waraxe at the scorpion wolves.
"Leave them alone, you ugly bastards!" As Arlo barked his threat, the dwarf felt power coursing through himself, shaking the ground around him.