Eranex the Runemasked's page

Face-Palm wrote:

lisamarlene wrote:

A good explanation of why Texas is behind the curve right now...

Please. I can't take any more. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts.....

Too lazy to put up a Joker "you get what you deserve" meme but...yeah...

I thought it was "you only get what you give".

I don't recall complaining about it. I have to agree greatly that this is the significantly more pleasant option.

Sessions Twenty and Twenty-one

Given their unfortunate situation, it behooved the Charter of the Greenbelt to secure as much possible information on their newfound opposition as possible. From the reports relayed to me after the fact, Genio attempted to scry upon either the sequestered soul of the original Armagk or his would-be reincarnation; both attempts were blocked by a powerful ward, suggesting either the tribe's shamans had shielded their leader or, more likely, he had moved or been stored in a warded area. Unable to secure information on the leadership itself, they then turned their attentions to his underlings, and focused their efforts on learning everything they could of the composition of his army.

Researching the reports from Drelev's field commanders, they were able to determine that Armagk's forces were composed of approximately four thousand total members, not counting the addition of the harpy flocks. Evaluating the enemy's potential strength against the meager defenses of the allied armies that would arrive in time for an immediate assault provided grim prospects; as a result, the decision was made for the Countess and the Magister to remain behind to oversee the first phases of reconstruction and fortification of the city and to manage the military forces that were already present, while the General, Warden, Diplomat, and Investigator were charged with the duty of escorting Drelev's common folk across the Hooktongue Slough in evacuation to the safety of Tatzylford. Given the grim reputation the group had already forged for themselves in the boggards' realm and at the death of the Swamp Scar's chief resident, their passage was unobstructed and delayed by no casualties more severe than insect bites and minor injuries, and with the Arachnean sorceress's aid they were returned to Drelev within hours of their safe arrival.

The current location of Armagk's camp was some few days' journey north, and any would-be approaches to Drelev territory would likely come along the Siltstrand River winding southeast through the badlands until it meets Lake Hooktongue along the shores of the fortress-city. Thus, in the interest of obscuring and obstructing the enemy's attacks in as many ways as possible, the maiden of the black wood was dispatched northward on wolfback to rendezvous with the commanding officers of the remaining Drelevian forces. She arrived within two days, aided by magic, and was escorted to speak with the leaders of the outrider forces, informed of her approach and instructed by Elegy via her uncle to focus their efforts on harrying the lizardfolk and delaying their approach in the event of a hostile action.

The commanders - one Lionel Eigan, a halfling warrior from the heartlands of the Olori south, and one Terin Sethran, a human and former field ranger of Olorunium's northern borders - reported to Lilith the full extent of their knowledge of Armagk's forces, their composition, and their behavior and movement patterns, suggesting and confirming many of Lilith's own suspicions, including presuming the fact that their camp had ceased to migrate was indicative of them finding what they sought - most surely the blade of Armagk the First - in the latest burial mound their encampments had surrounded. She in turn informed them of the change of power in Drelev, though she rescinded the details of the decline of the city and the true nature of the Duke's falling, desiring not to introduce further demoralization into the already-beleaguered outriders.

While one force of lizardfolk, the shamanry, the zothian herd, and their harpy companions remained within the area of the tomb, the rest of the forces were sent en-masse to the south, prompting the Drelevian forces to move into full withdrawal, laying guerrilla traps and sparse ambush attacks in their wake, aided by Lilith's skill, alchemy, and fey talents. The delay with her aid was immensely successful, slowing the lizardfolk armies with several grievous injuries and severe landscape obstructions that it was nearly a week later than expected by the time they came anywhere near close to Drelev's closer holdings. By then the majority of Iomrall's own forces had arrived along with two flights of wyvern-riders from Shadrach, and Weuland's four infantry and two cavalry units were near to arrive within no more than two days from the south, having been routed through Shadrach lands to avoid marching through the Slough.

It was at this point that the Iomrallans came up with yet another of their classic "crazy enough it has to work" plans. To add further delay to Armagk's forces' approach, Elegy enlisted the help of her uncle once more, applying polymorph spells to herself and Errol, to make them both appear to be lizardfolk; then, armed with Errol's fey blade, they approached the armies at a place quite distant from Drelev, posing as a warlord and an attendant shaman. Naturally, Armagk's forces sent out scouts to investigate these strangers and identify their tribe; Elegy, however, refused to answer the question, and merely informed them forcefully that they followed a fraud, and the true Armagk reborn now stood before them.

Though I was not there to see it, the effect must have been convincing; the Lizardfolk, after a display of wrath from Errol, reported back to their camps and commanders and within a few days - after a few repeated presentations such as this - there were notable amounts of infighting and conflict within the enemy camps. To add to the effect, Rupert prepared a magical draught for Jaekah that transformed him into an even larger specimen of dragon, a red in his case, in which form he carried the polymorphed Errol and Elegy and invisible Rupert across the sky over the enemy armies, while the unseen mage and the visible "shaman" cast out lava flows and geyser bursts across the landscape, supporting their earlier claims and demands with shows of powerful, world-rending magic, and in later such flights - for yes, this action was repeated for a few days in a row - were accompanied by the Shadrachian wyvern-riders in their dragon-helmed armor and spiked spears.

Within less than a week, the enemy armies were in chaos, and it was only a matter of a few days further for the united forces of the Stolen Lands to surround them, outnumber them, and elicit a forced surrender. The lizardfolk were marched to an encampment, disarmed, and a watch set over them and rotated in shifts every few hours.

At which point, I was informed. The sending that stirred me from my actions elsewhere was vague and unexplained; I had to make use of a pair of long-saved scrolls to familiarize myself with Drelev via scrying - having never had reason to visit the place in the past - then teleport there. I arrived to find Elegy waiting for me and, in her usual roundabout and overly-complex way, attempting to explain the situation; I simply asked her to allow Lilith to tell me the full story, since she had been left in command of the situation on the ground. Elegy was quite clear, however, that the time had come to make my alliance with Iomrall and my place in the Long Game known as public knowledge; so rather than allow her to merely whisk us to Lilith's camp with magic, I deigned to assume my true form and carry her through the air, making a full spectacle of my arrival at the containment camps where the captive Talon Lords had been interred.

Lilith explained, in great detail, how the forces of the humanoids had managed to rout the attacking force and take the majority prisoner, and suggested that, as a rival in the Long Game, their numbers would make a vast advantage to my own forces, as well as sending a clear message to their masters - Armagk and his lord, Cuorvhain the Conqueror - that this land was not for the claiming. Knowing that the leadership was likely not convinced by Errol's ruse did not take away the potential benefit of many of the grunt soldiers believing they had been cowed by the true heir of Armagk's legacy; I agreed that we could use this to our advantage.

They also presented me with some unfortunate information - that the Queen of Thorns, former ruler of the Stolen Lands, had been sighted again, and in the years she'd been missing had apparently taken on the form of a linnorm, a disturbing prospect only worsened by their affirmation that she had allied with the Queen of Forgotten Time. Knowing that her presence being made public could only herald an all-too-soon return, I informed them of my own intents to make ready for imminent attack - either from her or from the Conqueror - as well as alerting them to my actions since our last candid conversation.

In addition to making alliances, coercions, or evictions of tribal creatures and other uncivilized residents of the lands surrounding the Greenbelt - cooperating with and aiding those willing to be helpful or at least non-hostile toward us, removing or threatening those judged to be a danger or a potential tool of an enemy - I had put myself to the task of arranging an alliance with our closest neighbor, the gold wyrm Garaudhilyx, who dwells to the south in the mountains walling Weuland. Apparently their lords had taken to heart the alliance Iomrall had made with me, and approached the old gold for his blessing and his aid; he had been fairly impressed by their willingness and their humility, and had agreed to serve as their representative and overseer as I have done for Iomrall. Negotiating an alliance, and all that came with it such as assigning territory borders and judging the true allegiance of the area's resident creatures, was difficult and sometimes touchy, but not a task beyond either of our abilities, despite the differences that dared interrupt our shared goals. Nevertheless, a compromise had eventually been reached, and secure of our southern ally I had turned my attentions to rallying my own position in the Game.

But in addition to being handed a vast horde of lizardfolk - nearly an entire tribe! - I have also been given the unspoken task of bringing the residents of the swamp to heel, lest Ilthuliak return and be able to rally allies from within the western heart of our territory. Meanwhile, Elegy, Lilith, and their companions have set their eyes north, to sever the remaining link that holds the Talon Lords' loyalties in place - Armagk the Twice-Hatched himself. Should he fall, there will be nothing standing in the way of the Talon Lords turning away from their current master.

At the same time, it might be all the invitation Cuorvhain needs to bring his full wrath to bear against us....

She's still in the story - she's the party's ally and representative in the local "game" of draconic conquest in my group's homebrew setting - but she hasn't come back into a prominent position yet as far as the plot goes.

Cheapy wrote:

If you had the opportunity --- wait, let me start over.

If you had the time to make a class of your choice, what would it be? Would it be based on any popular depictions?

cheese don't count.

Well, I'm already pretty happy with the Masquerade Reveler, despite it being an "archetype", but as to what other classes I might design--only time will tell, hmm? ;)

*clawprint of approval*

I've been known to entertain a waltz or tango from time to time.

The next poster is just a pawn in the game of life.

It appears I missed one. This will need to be rectified.

Interludes Five and Six

I brought the travelers to the edge of Lake Silverstep, answering what few questions they had regarding the nature of our adversaries before leading them through the falls along the lake's eastern border and into the tunnels leading to my father's long-abandoned demesne. As always the tunnels were partially flooded and narrow, rendering the caverns comfortably cold (at least for myself) but forcing me to assume human form to enter and bypass the initial passageways. I brought up the rear of the group, defending the Duchess and her retinue while the huntress Lilith scouted ahead and I provided her with information regarding the first defenses of the area - a trap concealed within a waterfall, which would flush intruders back out into the lake if triggered - via message. She easily, perhaps too much so, disabled the activation rune and allowed us to bypass uninterrupted into the first open chamber of the caverns.

There, she took up a position along a horizontal breach in the wall while the warriors made their way into the room and took up positions along the ascended land shelf to the east, overlooking the drop that had created a deep pool in the western half of the room, long since filled to the point that even the solid shelf upon which they stood was still several inches submerged. Lilith detected movement in the water, and as we moved into the room our presence was greeted by the arrows of a pair of Scathsidhe, the Shadow Fey. Both missed in their initial ambush, and Lilith's aim struck true and ended one before she could draw again; I plunged into the frigid water to end the second before it could escape. Meanwhile, from chambers ahead the sounds of battle attracted the attention of two more skilled soldiers, dreaded Exodite troops; their rush to join the fight resulted in them being caught unguarded by Takeshi, who drove the pair back a step with his initial flurry of attacks. Jaekah and Errol were swift to join the assault, as was I once my quarry was no more, while Duchess Elegy provided tactical and magical aid from the rear. The enemy quartet was swiftly vanquished, allowing us a moment to recuperate and assess the situation.

We ended up, somewhat unintentionally, dividing the group temporarily; Lilith traveled north to the adjacent chamber, then returned reporting the area overrun with moving shadows she was unwilling to investigate alone. Errol backtracked to a passage we'd passed near the entrance of the chamber where the battle had taken place; this in turn wound about to the room to the east, from whence the Exodite soldiers had emerged. Thankfully, due to the conjoined nature of the multiple crossing paths, we all ended up once again in the same locale, and were able to swiftly regroup to continue our journey forward. The paths from the adjacent chamber forked yet again, one heading northeast and one southeast, divided by a waterfall; Errol attempted to lead us down the latter, but the group otherwise unanimously chose to northerly path and the outvoted swordsman relented and followed moments later.

This turned out to be the most advantageous decision, as the northeastern passage opened into the dwelling place of the Scathsidhe sorceress Herrketta, aide and compatriot of my quarry, and three of her minions. The group busied themselves with the lessers while I moved to make my assault on the witch herself, only to find myself trapped within a wall of force that prevented me from both reaching her and escaping via physical means. Forced to use my limited resources to escape, I retreated back into the previous chamber. Apparently recognizing me, or at least of what I was capable, Herrketta called for aid, summoning both a small squadron of Exodites as well as Orsig himself.

The ankou began his assault by bearing down upon Lilith and Jaekah, only to be driven back by the furious blows of the cavalier's relentless axe and claws, and aided by magic that rendered his fangs and talons cold-iron bound and frost-forged. I in turn, through the aid of magic, bypassed the intervening walls and resumed my natural form at Orsig's flank, pinning him between myself, Takeshi, and Jaekah. Realizing himself surrounded and outmatched, the ankou cast forth his shadowy duplicates and fled for more advantageous terrain, leaving us to deal with the imitations whose claws seared the flesh no less than the real. Thankfully their mettle was far less than that of Orsig himself, and Takeshi and I disposed of them with ease; the delay, however, was enough for Orsig to make his way to the shadowy chamber to the west, call forth the trio of formless Nihiloi there, and relocate to Herrketta's side and bring his assault to bear against Lilith. The huntress, impressively, was in no mood for the slayer of fey's cunning, and simply finished him off with a brutally efficient shot to the head.

The Nihiloi were another story. Lilith and Jaekah had difficulty making contact with the creatures' insubstantial forms, and their relentless barrage of tenebrous tendrils held us at bay for a time. This delay was enough to allow Herrketta, shaken by Orsig's swift and brutal demise, to retreat with her surviving Scathsidhe and the Exodites along with their commander, whose name we never received, via shadow walk from an adjoining chamber out of sight, with the nearest of us - Errol, shoved into that distant corner of the room by one of Herrketta's earlier spells - just too far away to intervene in their escape. Nevertheless we persevered, and as Errol and Elegy were able to move to our aid we finished off the Nihiloi trio and forced the one remaining Exodite to retreat deeper into the cavern. Once assured Orsig and his entourage were truly destroyed, we gave chase.

The winding caverns only became more compressed and aimless as we moved deeper within, but Lilith's exceptional skill aided by the mossy growths in portions of the damp cavern allowed us to keep pace with our quarry until at last we reached the final chamber of the lair. There, much to our dismay and horror, we found the final member of Orsig's cadre, a Fetchling priestess named Ebana, astride the abominably-animated skeleton of a silver dragon who could only have once been my father. The glimmer-kin woman was unrepentant and disinterested in the fates of her compatriots; she had the objects for whence she had come, for in her hands she gripped a scythe whose markings identified it undeniably as Vesper's Ray taken in her preferred shape, and the flickering ultraviolet glow form behind her revealed the location of the Nether Knot. There was little debate or discussion before Lilith let fly with an arrow, striking the priestess fiercely but throwing her - or allowing her to willingly fall - backwards off her draconic mount, and concealing her from sight and further attack, thus allowing her to counterattack with spells and mend her wounds while the group could only attempt to batter our way through my father's desecrated remains, while a trio of Shae burst from the darkness at our flank to prevent escape and aid in the Nether Priestess's assault.

Her opening assault was a vile blasphemy that struck most of our number still and silent, most notably Lilith who was then felled by Silverstep's frigid breath. I, Errol, and Jaekah were less affected (which makes me question Errol's allegiances, but now was not the time for such things) and were able to maintain the forward attack as well as lay spells at the feet of the Shae to mitigate their affect on the group until the others could recover from Ebana's opening salvo. Thankfully she had deemed it more necessary to spend the next several castings tending to her own wounds and weaknesses, including creating a magical shield against further attack after being struck by the expanding wave of one of Errol's fireballs. Elegy quickly tended Lilith's wounds, but there was not time yet enough to do more than bring her back from the brink of death, and the huntress was unfortunately doomed to spend the entirety of the battle unconscious, though thankfully alive.

Delayed by our magic, we were thankfully spared further assault from the Glimmer Sisters, and could focus our attacks more thoroughly on battering our way through the skeletal monstrosity. When at last Takeshi, wielding his exotic blades in reverse to better shatter the relentless bone, delivered the finishing blow, I was swift to claim the space once held by the massive skeleton and resume my true form. It only took a few more attacks to bring Ebana to her knees, and after being assured by my newfound compatriots that there was no need for her alive, I crushed the shadow cleric in my jaws. With she and the skeleton defeated, dealing with the Shae was a simple task swiftly accomplished.

Errol and Elegy, true to their word, were able to close the Nether Knot without Ebana's aid, and seized Vesper's Ray from her broken corpse - resuming its original rapier form in Elegy's hands - and presented it to me immediately. While I am pleased to find my mission completed, the weapon secured and the Knot destroyed, the cost of my father's bones being desecrated so has cast a pall of sorrow over our success. Thankfully Elegy was possessed of magic that was able to prevent such necromancy from being performed on his remains ever again, and with its protections I will be able to properly see to his burial. My only consolation is that the evidence, between the damage to this portion of the cavern as well as to his skeleton itself, points not to Ebana as being the one to take his life, merely an opportunist who seized his remains for her own use after she, Orsig, and their companions claimed the area for their own use. Rather, the destruction to the area clearly by acid and spell points to a more sinister fate for my father - death at the hands of a powerful rival, one aligned with that particular element.

And the only green or black dragon of such power known to this area of which I am aware is the Queen of Thorns herself - Ilthuliak.