Search Posts
The thunder of massive horn blasts echo along the canyon entrance to Xin-Shalast. All along the battlements of the Black Fortress, the dark forms of giants can be seen manning stations. Giant patrols can be seen leaving the gates in two separate locations, covering the road into the city proper. You have a few moments to decide what to do before they are upon you.
Did we lose Lym?
Praxim easily kills one of the flying creatures before they get too far. The second twitches and jerks as Everon's possession takes control. Just seconds before the deva swoops in to kill it...
Two of the creatures go down under the sudden assault. The remaining two flap their wings furiously, gaining altitude rapidly. They both pull brass horns from their belts, blowing as they retreat. From high up on the towers, all around the black fortress, horns ring out in answer...
The ruined road branches here, a narrower route leading around to the west while the main thoroughfare passes through a looming stone wall flanked by glossy black towers. It seems to be some sort of ancient gateway to the city proper. A dark mass of gritty, rocky ice presses up against the fortress’s northern face, the ancient lava flow apparently stopped (but only just) by the stone walls. You start down the road, doing your level best to be quiet and sneaky. Suddenly, the cccrrrack of a thunderstone sounds high above in one of the towers above you. Within seconds, four creatures swoop down from the height to hover above you. The creatures are vaguely humanoid, with a vulture's head and wings for arms. Each holds a great bow drawn and taut in it's taloned feet. The lead creature croaks at you in broken Common. "Who are you? What is your business in the city?"
As you crest the rise that leads into the valley, the entirety of the city opens up before you. This tableau defies belief. A narrow mountain pass opens into a glacial valley extending north and then turning to the west at the base of the vast mountain at the far end. Filling this valley is an ice-capped city of enormous proportions. The near end is mostly blocked by a huge fortress of smooth black stone, with multiple towers rising from its high walls. Exiting the bailey of this fortress is a massive causeway of gold that dominates the city
The eastern slope of the valley has been partially subsumed by an ancient volcanic flow—nearly a quarter of the city appears to have been so buried. That section is now little more than a great mass of ice, with the jagged angles and peaks of ruined structures poking through its topmost layer here and there. Where the valley curves slightly to the west, the structures, if anything, grow even larger, becoming truly gigantic as they climb up and over the rocky spur. At the far end of the valley, the city abuts the lower slope of a truly massive peak. Yet the city builders appear to have taken no heed of this change in slope, for the great causeway merely elevates at a steep angle and continues to climb the incline in a nearly straight line, transforming into an immense stairway. Additional buildings cling precariously to the mountain face alongside the causeway, growing even larger and more impressive as they ascend. The gigantic buildings finally give way a few thousand feet above, but the mighty road continues to wend its treacherous way to just below the mountain’s peak. There, a spired citadel looms, its size and proportions truly magnificent. It, too, fails to summit the mountain—instead, its topmost spires end just below the dominant face of a stern man, carved into the peak of the mountain and surveying the city below. The otherworldly quality of this strange panorama is further reinforced by the sound of the cold winds slicing across the high peaks, making strange cries and shrieks in the thin mountain air
Step 1: get past that fort.
Go simple to start would be my suggestion.
Looks like E or F is walled. Maybe an area where guards might be. E (and F) is a massive fortress complex that guards the road into the city. Keep in mind that many of these structures are multiple stories high. You can see the breadth of the city because where you are is elevated from the rest of the valley. Humanois-sized structures are closest to where you are. ('G' and the Artisan District. As you pass H into the Jotunburg district, the buildings become giant-sized. The face of Mhar Massif is carved in Karzoug's likeness (there's a picture on the map.) That mountain is all the way to the north end, past the city itself. It looks down upon the whole valley. That is your ultimate goal. Or doom. Hard to say at this point. 8)
You are at the southern most point where the road enters the map.
I'm going to try and post a map of the city and environs tonight so you have a better idea of what you're looking at. Finding an abandoned area doesn't look like it's going to be a problem. There are hundreds of those.
We just need to identify a spot on the outskirts of the city we could teleport to safely if need be. Then simply step in/out of the boundary, and teleport again if need be. This is the problem. You needed to fast for three days to be able to identify that boundary. There is no set 'line' to find. This also precludes just going back and forth from Castle Lym while within the confines of the city. I'm really not just making this up to make your lives more difficult btw. In addition, this is not the field that surrounds Mhar Massif that you've been warned about, that is something entirely different.
Getting ready to get back into it today. Answering some questions: Is that hundreds of thousands of medium-sized people or large- and huge-sized people? Yes. Although the city is far below that peak capacity now. Large swathes are uninhabited. GM, not sure if you realize, but Rexil’s initiative is +4 in mountains and hills, assuming this qualifies. I did not, thanks. To the best of our knowledge, if we were to teleport out of here, could we teleport back? After some conferring among Tomaru, Lym, and Everon, you determine there is something very odd with the fabric of reality here in Xin Shalast. It's as if the boundary between this plane and some other plane is very thin. Short answer: you could not teleport with any confidence you'll land where you want to. Within the confines of the city? No problem. Outside the city environs and back? Not so much.
I will be on vacation starting today. This is the last post until next Monday. It may be worth having discussions on how you want to proceed into the city. You know there is some type of barrier that you must get through the approach the Mhar, and that Karzoug's greatest lieutenants carry some sort of way to do so. These reside in the city...somewhere. I want impress on you the scale of Xin-Shalast. 'Cyclopean' is the way one website put it. At it's zenith, the city could hold hundreds of thousands, it's not too far from that now. This is fairly sandboxy, but I will tell you now that if you go the frontal assault mode, we can end right here and I'll write an epic ending post. :) Not that I expect you to do that. Except maybe Thordak, especially Thordak. 8P.
The gilded road continues through the narrow gorge for a mile or so. The walls of the gorge soar 300' on either side. A sharp wind whistles high along the gorge walls. Moss and lichen grows along the sides of the road where it meets the cliffside, the lack of sunlight at the bottom creating a perfect environment. The road climbs a slight rise, a gradual upturn that plays out in a smooth curve. When you reach the crest, your breathe is taken away. Before you a great valley stretches for several miles. You are at the narrow opening of the valley, and the road leads down and into it. From here you can see the great city of Xin-Shalast filling the valley from side to side and end to end. No less than six active volcanoes line the vally, three on each side. The far end of the valley is capped by the Mhar Massif, home of Karzoug the Claimer. In a sign of his great power, the entire mountain face has been carved in his likeness. It stares down upon the city, grim and foreboding. The golden road bisects the valley, passing through a massive fortress not far from where you stand. The dark forms of giant guards walk the walls, and flights of some winged creatures wheel overhead, keeping watch. Beyond the fortress, the city crawls with activity. The western side is filled with structures of all shapes. The ones closest to the fortress are sized for humanoid-type creatures, but as your eye moves closer to the Mhar, the scale of the buildings grows to giant-sized proportions. The eastern side of the city is mostly covered by deep lava flows from some ancient disaster. Even from here you can see that a significant part of the city was buried in that catastrophe. Far off in the distance, nearest the mountain, a couple of huge edifices can be seen dominating the skyline. Xin-Shalast bustles with activity. All over the city, shapes move and work, drilling in formations barely seen. Dragons wheel over head in lazy circles. Smoke pours from forges and workshops all over the city, and the stench of mine activity fills your nostrils. There can be no mistake: Xin-Shalast is preparing for war.
The frost giant, devastated by the combined attacks of Thordak and Praxim, falls when Lym's fireball washes over him. The weakened storm giants are defeated by the combined efforts of Everon, Rexil, and Lym.
The cave is only just big enough to house these giants. It is some sort of guard post, and each giant is carrying a horn to sound an alarm. Why none of these did so is unknown... The cloud giants carry nothing of value, but the their leader the frost giant does: +3 greataxe, pot of cure serious, +2 breastplate, ring of feather falling.
Rexil and Thordak hit each giant as they emerge from the cave. They continue their assault on their respective targets, weapons flashing red with the carnage. Quorthane adds to the fight, while Praxim's arrows fly. Both giants fall dead from many wounds. A third storm giant charges out, along with a much shorter, but much stockier, frost giant. The storm giant catches Everon's spell fully, its face turning a sickly hue. The frost giant, spotting Thordak, swings his magical greataxe, catching the dwarf in the ribs!
Two more cloud giants rush out onto the ledge. Ignoring, or not seeing, Rexil and Thordak they slam their massive shoulders into Harcane and Chaurik, knocking the elementals back over the ledge!
The weakened giant makes a feeble attempt to retreat back into the cave, where more giants are emerging.
Hey all. I'm offering a new home-brew game here. I'm not making it exclusive, but anybody from here will get strong consideration. I don't have a current game I'm playing, I'm definitely interested.
A right nasty donnybrook breaks out as the elementals make their appearance. Harcane slams a granite fist into the severely wounded cloud giant, sending him tumbling over the edge to crash upon the road 60' below. Chaurik and Quorthane set about the weakened giant, pummeling him mercilessly. Thordak has flown up where he can see the ledge and the cave beyond. Rexil preps a boulder, Everon casts a spectral hand spell.
I will be largely unavailable starting tomorrow until the following Monday, so about the next 10 days. I may be able to check in briefly on my phone but won't be able to do any long or complicated posts. Please GMPC me as needed. Step in front of incoming rocks. Got it.
Thordak flies upward towards the rock-covered ledge. Harcane slams the cloud giant that Praxim wounded, killing it. The other two strike the weakened giant. It steps back away from the edge (out of sight) drawing it's club. It's feeble swing missing an elemental. The sound of more giants can be heard, charging from within.
Everon's spell grabs the cloud giant targeting him. The giant turns ashen gray and slumps against the covering wall.
Praxim's arrow barrage strikes twice, causing a roar of pain from a giant. The other arrows bounce off of the rocks above. Lym's spell hits another. Thordak drinks a potion.
The cloud giants heave their boulders at Praxim and Lym. One hits Praxim , and the other hits Lym . Rexil moves up into a protective position, Tomaru begins his spell. From somewhere above, you can hear the roaring voices of other giants, possibly from a cave deeper in the cliff face. More are about to join the fray...
A flash of movement above you and to your left provides a split-second of warning before two huge boulders come crashing down on you. One crashes into the ground near Thordak, exploding into a thousand splinters. The second slams into Everon, knocking him back!
High above the road you can just make out the heads of two giants as they duck to grab more boulders. The ledge they are on is covered from the road, and the climb near vertical from where you stand on the road.
Part of me is also considering just burning all my 8th level spells on Nine Lives on the other party members. It would take away my biggest nuke spells...but wow would it make us really really hard to kill. Really? That is a cool spell!
One thing you can do to address the high level vs goblins or other is use the troop type. I ran a short-run homebrew where the campaign topped out at 6th level with an orc assault on a keep. Normally 6th level chars can beat orcs of any number: the orcs can't hit, and PCs kill one per attack. I used all troops against them and it was an epic battle that really was touch and go. I ended up having to house rule a few Feats (like Mobility) for use against troops, but it was fun.
I'll give you both urban and mountain, so the choice is yours. answer: I would say yes, an alignment change would be warranted.
And a fourth flippin' attack! Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!! Finally, Praxim will be able to inflict some actual damage. No doubt, start carrying your own weight. Slacker.
Before we enter the city, please work on your next level - 16!
As you prepare to head north to Xin-Shalast, Svevenka appears again, this time clad somewhat more modestly in a robe of woven mist. "I came to wish you luck, and give you some final advice. First, within the city live many giants, lamias, and others. This you know. But there also is a race of creatures called skulks. These are descendants of the city's original citizens. They are divided into two factions: the relatively peaceful 'Spared', and the vampiric servants of the Hidden One. This is a creature I have battled before, to no lasting result. It may be useful for you to seek out one of the Spared, for they will have greater information on the current state of the city. And there will be few, if any, other factions that will be willing to help you." "Second: the great peak of Mhar Massif is close to the realm of Leng. The denizens on the mountain have created an occluding field around it to protect the mountain fastness. I suspect there must be methods or devices to help protect from the occluding field's magic, but I do not know what they may be." she says to Lym. "This may be the keys of which you speak, for I know of no other place where you made need a key." ---------------------------- Following the ghostly road north, you reach the edge of the Fens of the Icemist. Immediately there is a change, as the phantom waters are joined by an ancient road paved with flat stones that have a faint sheen of gold to them. The road itself is 100' wide, its surface patchy here with swabs of ice, but providing a welcome flat surface upon which to travel. The region you are passing through is lined with high peaks on either side of the road. Several active volcanoes churn among these peaks. You count no less than five of these within your sight. Ash and fire mix high in the frigid air to turn the skies dark, a permanent state of dusk over the valley. Several miles further north, you feel more than see the valley beginning to open up. The city must be near.
"I have not been close enough to the black giants to describe the runes to you." Svevenka says ruefully. "I just know that where they go, whole tribes of giants cower in fear. Not just the small ones, like your ward. The big ones, from the clouds and the storms as well." "Rest now. I am sorry to have woken you in the middle of the night. The darkness is my closest ally when facing potential foes. Nothing will harm you here in the Fens. In the morning you will find your road." And with that, she turns away and walks away, fading into the dark mists around the hut. ------------------------- The next morning comes quickly, but you are fit and well-rested. Svevenka was correct: there is a faint path illuminated through the Fens near where your hut is placed. It leads north into the Kodars, towards the highest of the high peaks. Xin-Shalast, and Karzoug the Claimer, await...
We are fast approaching the final stage: Xin Shalast and the Mhar Massif. I will try to get a map of the valley and the city up, but this is going to be very sandboxy in how you explore the city and approach the mountain. You could go straight for the mountain and Karzoug, or you could explore the city for information on what is going on, or any combination of the two. I will say assaulting the Mhar Massif will take all of your strength, (and a couple of levels), don't take it lightly. Karzoug has several lieutenants spread about the city that are easier taken separately. You have been warned.
"Truth be told," she says to Tomaru, "I do not know why you are here. I have been observing you for the last three days. I can see you are fasting, The only reason one would do that is to find the road to the accursed city." As Svevenka speaks, she engages each of you, but it is on Praxim that her eyes linger most. "The waters carried the news of my kin, Myriana, and the role you played in her salvation. The waters told me of your arrival. Beyond that, I know little. Whitewillow has returned to some level of normalcy, but it will never be what it was without Myriana's presence." she says sadly. "I will help you as I can. I will open the Fens to you. You may come and go as you please, and rest here. The powers that dwell in the city have not - as yet - penetrated the mists to find me. It is only a matter of time before they do." She moves closer to the group, addressing Everon. "This last leg of the journey will be the greatest challenge. The power that is awakening in the city will be a severe test for all of you. It has been gathering strength now for decades. The city is swarming with giants of all types, converted to evil. Some willingly, some enslaved. They are the most minor of what awaits you. More than that I cannot say." "And that," she says coming to Praxim, "brings me to you." The nymph places a hand on his arm, standing uncomfortably close. "Your ward may be valiant and true, but the powers that wait for you have been enslaving whole tribes of giants to their cause. There are giants there that I have never seen before. Massive, black skinned, covered in red runes. They rule over the tribes in the city. Be careful." She draws away, her fingers slowly running down Praxim's arm as she separates.
I didn't realize it at the time, but we went to the Halls of Wrath after that. Very apropos, I believe. Once again, it was brilliant in the timing even if we didn't know it as a group. Javell and I had some PM conversations about how Thordak was going to handle heading into Wrath, but that was it.
And if you go a bit further, you get to the part where Praxim, the holy paladin, suggested shoving their dead companion's body into the bag of holding like a heel of yesterday's bread. Lol, 'holy' doesn't mean 'sensitive'. Luckily wisdom prevailed and Thordak was spared having to see Aurora dumped out of the bag like spare change and butterscotch candies from your grandfather's pockets.
You went very deep for that. Thank you. You are most welcome. It was my pleasure, believe me.
Here is the ending of the saga of Lamatar and Myriana: if you wish to see it, I did. The final scene in Whitewillow is near the end of the page.
It just occurred to me when rereading the Whitewillow passages, THIS from Thordak: Thordak can only stand and stare into nothing as he replays the images in his mind. His heart breaks for the ghostly image because he knows her pain of loss. He walks up near her, an obvious look of compassion upon him. "I'm sorry. I'm so very sorry," he says in a pained voice. "I lost a lot of loved ones meself to the savage brutes and will be servin' me own brand o' justice upon 'em. But 'tweren't no love like that," he confesses, shaking his head, "no love like that," he repeats, his eyes downcast as he replays the images again, wishing there was something he could've done to stop the terrible events. After several moments he snaps out of his reverie and looks back to the dryad ghost, "What can we do ta ease your pain, lass? Anythin', anythin' at all, just name it." Which of course lead me here: to this gem. You can't make this stuff up...except we did. Now on to new moments of greatness!
|