This is the campaign journal for the first of two simultaneous Age of Worms campaigns I will be running. This one will be played at a friend's house in Olive Branch, MS.
Character background: Sotek Kaz-vascu, Poison Dusk Lizardman sorceror (written by the player)
150 years ago the Black Wyrm Kazadrikal chose a
section of the Mistmarsh as his lair. The site was
already occupied by a tribe of Lizardmen, both normal
and Poison Dusk. The attempted to fight the Wyrm, but
to no avail. As a condition of their surrender, for
sparing their lives, the tribe was to serve the
dragon. The first act of the dragon was to mate with
the sturdiest females of the tribe, of which only a
few conceived, and even fewer survived birth. This
cadre of half-dragons was raised by the wyrm, and
given preferential treatment as the guards of his
lair.
All those with sorcerous talents were slain by the
dragon, as he feared no physical threat. Over time,
the half dragons mated with the local tribe, further
watering down the dragon's bloodline. Always watching
the half-dragons took away any of the tribe that
showed sorcerous ability. Born into that draconic
legacy is Sotek, a poison-dusk lizardman. At birth,
and through "childhood", such as it was, he exhibited
no outstanding characteristics other than a presence
he seemed to have. This presence grew as he grew,
unbeknown to him, this was his magical ability
developing. In time,word of him grew, which
inevitably drew the attention of the half-dragons.
Learning he was now an outcast or "Kaz-vascu" (Blood
of Black Wyrm) sought by the dragon's guard, he fled
the tribe. Only his innate camouflage ability allowed
him to remain free as long as he did. during this
time he became more aware of his abilities, learning
to call them at his command. Unfortunately, he had
not yet mastered them when the dragons guards caught
up with him. Luck was with him then, for a group of
adventurers found him first, and the Half-Dragons, not
wanting outsider involvement let him be taken, rather
than risk the human's discovery of the Wyrm's presence
in the Mistmarsh. Sotek was bewildered by the sight
of the humans, but anything was preferable to certain
death at the claws of the Black Wyrm. Yet again
Sotek's luck took a turn for the worst, for these were
not the stalwart adventures of legend, but cutthroats
& slavers. They sold Sotek off to the Emporium as an
oddity, when they came to Diamond Lake. Constantly
shackled at the wrist, he is prevented from casting.
In the time he has served there, he has learned the
Common tongue, and has developed a hatred for his
captors, and a desire to destroy them. For he has seen
that no matter the race, POWER is all that separates
Slave & Master, and power is what he shall have. But
first, he has to get free...
Sotek's intro
Reaping 1, 595 CY
It has been almost a year, by your reckoning, since those humans sold you to the Emporium, and many times you have thought that it would have been better to have been captured by the half-dragons instead, and returned to become a meal for Kazadrikal. Put on display as "The Amazing Chameleon Boy," you are taunted, spit upon, and thrown food at nightly by the patrons of the Emporium. The only thing that kept you going was a desire to escape, and a desire for revenge on those who "sold" you Zalamandra, mistress of the Emporium.
You have managed to make a few friends, though, during your captivity (neither of them human): Tom Shingle, the misshapen contortionist, can barely speak, but from what you can understand, he's something called a "boggle"; Shag Solomon, the "wild man of the north," is very articulate, and has helped you learn the humans' language. Shag tells you he's a "quaggoth."
It was Shag and Tom that plotted to help you escape shortly after midnight. Using the greasy substance that Tom can excrete from his skin, you've slipped free from your cage, and Shag has returned to you the some of the things taken from you when you where captured a year ago: your sling, and a few ceramic bottles of "dragon's breath." Tom and Shag have given you a bit of coin as well. It's been a long year, but at last you're free!
Not knowing where you're going, you've traveled about an hour outside of town. Exhausted, you've taken shelter in an old, abandoned building for the night.
Phoebe, Cole, and Xandril's background (player written)
Phoebe: female Aasimar cleric of Myrhiss, from Hardby
Cole: male Tiefling spirit shaman
Xandril: male wood elf fighter
Once upon a time, not so long ago, a lovely wood elf woman was attacked and killed by brigands. Her spirit was unable to rest peaceably, and she rose again as a ghost and began to haunt her neighborhood in Diamond Lake. Her husband, Xandril, sent out word for help to put her spirit to rest. He knew of a group in the Gnarley Forest who knew of such things, as well as several neighboring temples.
Answering his plea were two unusual beings. Phoebe was a cleric of Myhriss on a quest to stamp out ugliness in the world. She appeared to be a quite beautiful human woman, though there was something “different” about her. Cole was a young spirit shaman just sent out on his quest for wisdom and experience. He was an attractive man, though usually he remained cloaked and hooded. He also had something of an unusual air about him. They met as they both arrived in the small wood elf community to answer the call for help.
They worked together and were able to put the poor elf’s ghost to rest as it should be. Working closely together, they sensed the difference in each other and recognized it as similar to the difference in themselves, though opposite sides of the coin. After the ordeal was over, they felt loathe to part without sharing their stories to the one person they felt would understand. So over a long dinner in a private booth in a quiet tavern, they shared their stories.
His: He was born in Diamond Lake, son to a woman who was assaulted and raped by a mysterious “human” smelling slightly of brimstone. All the superstitious townsfolk believed her cursed and when she began to show as pregnant, they were calling her child “demon-spawn” before he was ever born. She had few people still willing to call her friend, mostly those that had known her mother and her mother before that. One such old woman helped her deliver the baby in secret when her time came, while the woman’s husband stood guard outside in case those damned Cuthbertians found out and tried to interfere. He was born a healthy child, handsome as a Monday’s Child is wont to be. If only it wasn’t for those tiny horns on his head, he perhaps could have redeemed his mother in the eyes of the town. His mother was grief-stricken when she saw him, for she knew the townsfolk would never allow him to live. The old woman agreed and she bundled up the baby in a blanket, had his mother kiss him goodbye and she took him away. She smuggled him into the Gnarley Forest and left him with a tribe of woods-people she knew of. Not many people knew of the tribe’s existence and she felt the baby would be safe there. They were good people and she knew they would teach him to overcome the nature of the blood within him. He did grow and prosper in the tribe and remained hidden from outsiders. The tribe’s Spirit Shaman noticed at once his innate powers and when Cole came of age, the head Shaman took him in as his apprentice. Cole learned much of the natural and spiritual world and has now been sent on his quest to seek the wisdom and experience needed to take over for his master when the time comes.
Hers: Phoebe is the daughter of Angela, a cleric of Myhriss in Hardby. Angela encountered a truly beautiful man and fell madly in love. They were eventually married and had a daughter. Unbeknownst to Angela, her husband was an Aasimar – his beauty the result of the blood of angels somewhere in his family line. Phoebe grew up beautiful and healthy, a happy childhood with her parents in Hardby. She followed in her mother’s footsteps and became a cleric of Myhriss, joining the small following in the city of Hardby. She aids her mother in answering calls for assistance from the nearby communities, as well as frequent trips to her the sister temple in Greyhawk City.
In that one night of sharing stories, they fell deeply in love. They realized they could never be together in a conventional society so they have chosen to take up the life of adventurers. Perhaps someday they can find a place that will accept them together.
Xandril, the wood elf who had sought their help, is hired muscle for one of the local mines. His wife never liked him taking on the job, and he feels that perhaps her strong feelings on this matter prevented her from resting in peace, and opened her poor soul up to what happened. He feels he must immediately leave his position and seek to do good in the world in order to help her soul find peace. He seeks out Phoebe and Cole as they prepare to set out together in their new lives. He asks if he may join them as a protector, in order to repay the kindness they have shown him. Perhaps he will find some meaning in life in a world where people still need him.
Phoebe and Cole, intro
Freeday, Richfest 7, 595 CY
Having helped the spirit of Xandril's wife on to the next world, you both thought it was time to move on, and leave this desolate little town.
But this morning Xandril came to you, asking for your assistance again. He seemed very excited. It seems he had been playing dragonchess last night with a friend of his, the son of the garrison cartographer. There have been rumors flying around town about a trio of adventurers from Greyhawk in town, who are here to explore the nearby Stirgenest Cairn. From what you've heard, though, they're not likely to find anything, as the Stirgenest was looted long ago, as were most of the cairns in the Cairn Hills.
But Xandril says his friend has found a map to another nearby cairn, labeled the "Whispering Cairn," which he believes has not been explored. He and his friend are planning to seek out this Whispering Cairn tomorrow. Xandril would like the two of you to accompany them. If the Cairn truly has not been explored, then there is the possibility of finding great treasure.
Xandril has given you directions to an abandoned mining office, about an hour northeast of Diamond Lake. You are to meet Xandil and his friend there tomorrow at mid-morning.
Alandria's background (player written)
Alandria is a female, half-elf, fighter.
Alandria's parents met while her father was attempting
to gain permission to learnteh secret of elven mail.
her mother enamored with this strange man, so
different from all others she had met, and wanting to
rebel against the stoic nature of her elven community,
ran away with him, Fast forward 2 years, With a
young child at her feet, being the wife of a
weaponsmith no longer seemed so exotic and exciting to
Alandria's mother, so one night while her family
slept, she left. Alandria's father took it hard.
While he had loved his wife, he had alsways wanted a
son to teach the trade to. Now he had no wife,and
only a daughter, one whose features only served to
remind him of her mother's betrayal. As she grew up,
he used her as little more than slave labor around the
forge. She grew strong and operating the bellows,
carrying scrap metal. The long hours made her tough,
and gave her stamina. Always watching her father as
he worked, she learned some of the trade, and would
practice in the forge late at night. Her father
eventually discovered her secret and although mad at
first he learned she could actually handle herslf
around a forge, and gave her, her own tools. From
that point on she openly worked the forge alongside
her father. After a few years, she wished to learn to
use the weapons she had made. Bored with swords &
axes, she chose the spiked chain for it's exotic
appeal. Her father was less than pleased be her
decision, as he considered the chain to be too flashy,
and not practical. Fast forward two years. Alandria
has become proficient with the spiked chain, and bored
with weaponsmithing. After they had the same argument
fo the 100th time, Alandria decided it was time for
her to leave. She too had the wanderlust of her
mother, and would not be content to work the forge
forever. Her first adventures have led her to Diamond
Lake, following tales of the unusual ore it produces.
Change second paragraph of Phoebe and Cole's intro to the following, due to a character change from another player:
But this morning Xandril came to you, asking for your assistance again. He seemed very excited. It seems he had been playing dragonchess with a friend named Festus, a local prospector whom many consider eccentric. His friend claims to have discoverd a previously unknown cairn, about an hour north of
Diamond Lake. There have been rumors flying around town about a trio of adventurers from Greyhawk in town, who are here to explore the nearby Stirgenest Cairn. From what you've heard, though, they're not likely to find anything, as the Stirgenest was looted long ago, as were most of the cairns in the Cairn Hills.
Xandril's intro (wood elf fighter)
Freeday, Richfest 7, 595 CY
When the hunting became bad, and you could no longer provide for you and your wife, you took a job with a elven mine manager in Diamond Lake, Ellival Moonmeadow, from the distant elven kingdom of Celene, who has a monopoly on local silver-mining operations. The job was easy to get, since Ellival will only hire elves. But the job is not a pleasant one. Every day you have to scrub his fancy swanboat to clean off the pollution from Diamond Lake. It's dirty work, fit for an orc, but it's all you could find. You sometimes think that Moonmeadow and his grey elf agents from Celene don't regard you as 100% elvish.
But now that your wife is dead, and Phoebe and Cole have helped you lay her spirit to rest, it's time to move on. But getting out of Diamond Lake will require money, and that's something you don't have much of.
Last night you were playing dragonchess with an old prospector named Festus. Most people in Diamond Lake think Festus is more than a bit eccentric, but he has been a good dragonchess opponent. Also with you was a half-elven woman named Alandria, whom you had recently met. (She reminds you of your dear departed wife a bit, but you'd never tell her that.)
Festus was a bit drunk, apparently celebrating. He told you he had found an unexplored cairn that would make him rich, and he asked you to help him explore it. There are rumors of a trio of adventurers from Greyhawk who are in Diamond Lake to explore the Stirgenest cairn, but from what Festus has told you, the Stirgenest cairn was looted long ago. But Festus says this one hasn't been explored, at least not to his knowledge, and no one in town knows the Cairn Hills like Festus, except maybe Dietrik Cicaeda, the garrison cartographer.
Somehow during the conversation, Alandria was invited too. You figured that Phoebe and Cole, who helped your wife's spirit move on to the next plane, might be helpful to have along while exploring a cairn, so you told them about it this morning. You're sure that will be okay with Festus.
You're all to meet at mid-morning tomorrow at an abandoned mine office about an hour north of town, which Festus says is close to the cairn entrance.
Festus (human rogue) background (player written)
Festus, born in 545, has lived in and around the area all his life. He has spent his life wandering the hillsides in search of the elusive 'mother-load'. Although he has spent most of his life outdoors he unfortunately isn't very skilled at it. This resulted in long periods living on scraps of food and drinking water from questionable sources which, combined with too many days alone in the hot sun, has lead to him becoming quite addled in his old age.
Festus's intro
Freeday, Richfest 7, 595 CY
You've finally done it! You've discovered a previously unknown cairn, and you're going to be rich, rich beyond your wildest dreams!
There are rumors around town about a trio of adventurers from Greyhawk, who are going to explore the Stirgenest cairn. But you know that all they're likely to discover there are some teenagers making out. That cairn was looted long ago, like almost all the others.
Except yours. Better keep your discovery quiet, else those three from Greyhawk might try to jump your claim.
But ancient cairns can be dangerous places. You'll need some help plundering its riches. You've confided in a friend, a wood elf named Xandril, who has been your regular dragonchess opponent for about a year now. He's a tough guy who works for the mine manager Ellival Moonmeadow, cleaning that fancy swan boat of his. You know Xandril hates his job, and his wife died not long ago, so he's looking to get out of Diamond Lake.
That was last night at Lazare's Dragonchess Parlor. There was also a half-elf woman there, name of Alandria. You told her too, against your later, and more sober, judgement. But she seemed pretty tough for a woman, and it might be good to have a third person along going into a potentially dangerous cairn. There'll be plenty of gold to go around, even when split three ways. As long as no one else gets wind of your plan. You did tell Xandril not to mention it to anyone else. Or did you? Last night is a bit of a haze.
Anyway, the three of you are going to meet at midmorning tomorrow, at an abandoned mining office near the cairn.
Alandria's intro (female half-elf fighter)
Freeday, Richfest 7, 595 CY
Your wanderings have brought you to a small mining town called "Diamond Lake," and after just a few days there, you were thinking that it was time for your wanderings to take you elsewhere, quickly.
But last night you met a wood elf fellow named Xandril, one of the few elves you've even seen in this town. You were at possibly the only decent establishment in this town, Lazare's Dragonchess Parlor. Xandril was playing dragonchess with a local prospector named Festus.
Festus was a bit intoxicated, and was going on about how he had discovered a cairn that had not be explored. He was asking Xandril for help exploring the cairn, and somehow you got invited along, too.
You're supposed to meet Festus at midmorning tomorrow at an abandoned mine office about an hour north of Diamond Lake. Festus says the unexplored cairn is nearby.
Sotek's Journal
Journal Entry, Day 1
Sotek is free. Shingle and the quaggoth came up
with a plan for me to escape the emporium. i am still
unsure what they hope to gain from my freedom, but i could
not pass up the chance. Sotek is still exhausted from my
ordeal, and have decided to rest in an abandoned structure
for the night.
Journal Entry, Day 2
I awoke to the noise of manlings outside the building i
hide in. they are waiting for something, i hope they leave
soon, i will die before i allow myself to be captured.
More manlings have joined the other two. Although there
are five of them, two are apparently females and one of the
males is old, perhaps they are here as breeding pairs and
are going to eat the old one for strength.
The manlings tried to enter the building so i hid and
observed them after warning them not to enter, which they
did anyway. One of the females seized T'Zal, the small
lizard with which i have a strange bond. i attempted to
free T'Zal, but decided it would be better to flee the
building rather than be trapped inside. Outside I
confronted the female that holds T'Zal, and although it
resisted my strength ebb, my magic knives struck it and it
released T'Zal. Once they saw my power, they decided to
negotiate. they saw the benefit in having me as an ally
rather than an enemy and we are apparently off to gain
treasure from a manling burial mound or mine depending on
rather you ask the boy or what must be his elder. They are
a motley group, the female that seized T'Zal is called
Phoebe, and is a priest of one of the human gods, although
I am not familiar with which. She is repulsive with soft
pink flesh and strange lumps on her chest, although judging
by the looks from the males in the group, she is appealing
by their standards.
There is a female fighter, Alandria, with a bizarre weapon
that can reach out to strike you without being thrown.
Xandril, a fighter although by looks barely out of his egg,
he carries an immense sword. Festus, the older male, Sotek
thought him to be the elder of Xandril, but they tell Sotek
they are human & elf, although Sotek doesn't fully
understand what they mean, Sotek will accept it. Last is
Cole, a strange manling with powers similar to mine, though
he looks different from the others, keeping himself hidden.
Sotek have caught glimpses beneath that cowl, that caused
me to think he was a Half-Dragon come to take me back to
the Mistmarsh. Sotek does not like that.
At the urging of Festus, we agreed to be partners on this
quest, signing our names to a document. He says this will
assure us all of an equal share of treasure. This sharing
concept is odd to Sotek, but if it means more treasure for
my hoard, then I will agree. We were lead to the burial
mound by Festus, why manlings bury their dead and do not
eat them is strange. It is a waste of meat and dishonor to
the dead not to eat them. manlings? The mound is old. Far
older than anything I have seen save the Wyrm. It has
scents of things long dead and animals. Strange whispers
fill this place, although none of us know what they are
saying.
Further in, we found a strange object. Whatever it purpose
once was, it is broken now, and the glyphs that cover it
are as unknown as it's purpose, but apparently Festus knows
something about it, for he studied it for some time and
decided it was treasure. It was too heavy to take though,
so we left it there. At last we come to something
interesting. A strange green curtain blocks further
passage ahead of us, and to the left the alcove is painted
with a strange scene, but before we can investigate, three
large wolves crawl out of a hole in the collapsed right
passageway. They stink. The wolves attack immediately,
but the hatchling elf Xandril and the elf female Alandria
dispatch them quickly. They taste better than they
smelled, but none of the others want any. More for Sotek.
I crawl in to the wolf den, as all of the manlings are too
fat to get through the narrow tunnel, but I only find a
blue glass lamp, a armband, and a broken marble finger.
Junk. However, the group thinks the lamp is a good find,
and I find out why after I see the passageway opposite the
cave-in. It is a painting of several passageways leading
off from a central room, and all of the passageways end at
a glowing colored glass lamps, of which the lamp I found is
an exact match for. Only manlings would paint pictures of
a lamp.
We passed through the curtain, harmless of course, to find
a room that matches the painting, only this room has a
large stone box with a stone man on top of it.
The stone man is missing a finger, so Cole gives him the
one we found. Damn manlings already giving away treasure.
We hung the blue lamp, but found that the red lamp is
missing. The stone box sits on a big arrow, so we pointed
the arrow at different lanterns to see what we would
happen. Dumb, very dumb. The yellow lantern opens a weird
tube that takes people down to a passageway lined with
statues, but sealed by a large stone slab, we of course
destroyed the slab. There are more glyphs here like the one
on that strange artifact near the entrance, and Festus says
they are very old form of the language of air creatures. I
have no idea what he is talking about. There is a strange
bed here made of stone but with whirling air above it.
Festus was apparently very tired and laid down on it. He
did not think much of it as a bed, as he got up rather
quickly. We also found some strange tools of very nice
workmanship, and some chain armor. How odd for manlings to
coat themselves in metal that way, how do they swim? One
section of the tomb was blocked by a strange brown mold,
that resisted even my acid.
It is very cold her and is making me sleepy, perhaps that
bed would be useful after all. Unable to bypass the mold
we returned to the lantern room.
We then turned the box to the green lamp passageway. This
was a bad idea, the ground rumbled an then fell away
revealing a dark pit. Soon we could hear the sounds of a
large number of scuttling insects. At first I was hungry,
thinking of a snack for myself and T'Zal, but what came out
from the hole was no snack. It was a swarm of beetles, all
carrying the acrid scent of acid and leaving a trail of
caustic slime behind them. With them walked a strange
insect creature, with one eye and razor sharp legs. I
climbed on top of the box as the fighters in our group
readied for the approach of the swarm & beast. The swarm
was dealt with quickly by the use of dragon's breath and
alchemical fire. The slasher beast was harder to kill but
it was dealt a might blow by the hatchling elf and soon
succumbed to our power.
With the ropes in our possession, Festus was able to
construct a remarkable system to ferry us down in the pit.
Perhaps his knowledge of such things is due to the strange
brew upon which he is so dependent.
Within the hole we encountered another passageway, which
led to a short series of rooms. The first of these was a
chapel with strange dark markings and an aura that sapped
our strength. From behind one of the stone pews, which
were sized for giants, came a large beetle, too big for
even Sotek to eat. Thinking a beetle to be of little
trouble, I did not involve myself in the fight until I
noticed it had the ability to spew acid. This drew my
interest, but the creature was slain before I could draw
near to study it further.
Once out of the chapel , we felt
our strength returning and checked out the room directly
across from the chapel. It contained a strange orange
powder that covered most of the room, and of course another
swarm of acidic beetles. Do all insects in this tomb have
this strange acidic ability or does it come from this
powder. Perhaps just a taste? no the party looks at Sotek
oddly enough as it is. We recovered more treasure from the
body of another fallen adventurer, we also have found
another odd ring, marked with an eight pointed star. The
dead manlings armor also bears the star.
We continued only
a little further down the passageway before we came to a
short set of stairs descending into dark water well over
the head of even the tallest of us. Being the best swimmer
of the group and not weighed down as the others were, I
swam off into the darkness to search for treasure. I hid
so that I would not be detected, but an invisible creature
lurking in one of the alcoves saw Sotek and struck before I
could react.
I awoke to find that Phoebe & Cole had rescued and healed
Sotek. It seems the invisible creature was actually a
elemental of water and had been lurking in the dark pool.
The creature was attacking the party with a fury but after
I was restored to consciousness, our group gained enough
courage from my presence to defeat the beast, which
dissipated into the pool leaving no trace behind. A search
of it's lair yielded more treasure, which led us to decide
to return to the abandoned building to rest and divide the
treasure we had already accumulated.
Excuse my ignorance, but where can I find the resource that contains the poison dusk lizardman race? Thanks.
Excuse my ignorance, but where can I find the resource that contains the poison dusk lizardman race? Thanks.
MM III. It's "Search Inside" enabled at Amazon, so you can look it up even if you don't own it.
Thanks. Another question:
How do you deal with some of your PC races having level adjustments? Did you start them all off at 1st level or did you allow the characters with standard PC races to begin play at 2nd level?
How do you deal with some of your PC races having level adjustments? Did you start them all off at 1st level or did you allow the characters with standard PC races to begin play at 2nd level?
I just started them all off at 1st level. The characters with an LA just won't level until they reach 3000 xp.
I did make "no LA greater than +1" a requirement during character creation. I didn't want too big a power gap among the PCs.
This is the campaign journal for the first of two simultaneous Age of Worms campaigns I will be running. This one will be played at a friend's house in Olive Branch, MS.
I like your rich character set-up quite a bit Philarete. It was a pageturning good read.
Sotek's journal, part 2 (player written)
Journal Entry Day 3
After resting at the abandoned building we returned to the water-filled room with the intent of searching the second side chamber. Again, Sotek was chosen to scout out the chamber based on his swimming ability (if the manlings wore less metal they would not need Sotek to swim for them). As I approached the dark chamber, a creature swims out of the passageway and attacks Sotek. It misses Sotek due to the protection of his mighty scales. I swim back to the stairs as quickly as possible so that I can warn the other less buoyant party members…and because I cannot use my powers underwater, but Sotek does not tell them that. The creature follows soon after, but by then the elf manlings (elflings?) are ready for it. Its’ claws dig furrows in Xandril’s arms and Xandril looks shaky for a second but quickly recovers. The creature seems a little surprised at Xandril shrugging off his attack, but does not have long to ponder this as the party crushes the creature in the following seconds. Now that Sotek can get agood look at the creature, it seems to have been already dead, though it moved through the water as fast as Sotek. It has a long raspy tongue, again much like Soteks’. Phoebe says it is a lacedon, but I am beginning to think the other party members make up things to tell Sotek. Among the treasure the creature has required are a short sword and… the red lamp! Why is it underwater? What a strange place…
We return again to the chamber of the stone box, this time to try the orange lamp. Another tube appears, but Festus does not like the look of it. Having seen Festus up close over the last few days, perhaps the tube does not like how he looks either. Nevertheless, Festus is right for the finds that the tube is trapped and would have crushed any who used it. Stupid cairn… The idea to light all of the lamps is brought up and agreed upon. Other than sparkling flashes of colors across the room, it seems there is no harmful effect. Sotek mentions to the group that we should open the stone box. Even Sotek has bad ideas… Xandril heaves against the side of the lid and shoves it aside to find a trap of fire. Flames shoot out from the opening scorching Xandril, luckily it is not fatal, and Phoebe is able to heal the elfling with her powers.
Festus discovers that the chain holding the blue lamp goes up into the shadows and ends in yet another passageway. Why would someone build a place like this? He discovers a stone face at the end of the passageway, and tells us he is very wary of it. He asks us to wait here for the day while he returns to town. I ask him to leave his mule here so that we can at least eat if we get hungry. He does not agree… I think he is saving it all for himself and says s, which causes the other party members give me that strange look again. Maybe they always look like that. We wait.
Journal Entry Day 4
And wait. Festus returns and ascends into the tunnel. He discovers that the passageway just before the face is indeed trapped. How does he do that, and what did he get in town? We all bypass the area he warns us of and crawl through the mouth. Is this what it feels like to be eaten? Once past the face, we find a huge room with a narrow plank crossing a pit filled with lead balls that cover the floor about 10 feet below the plank. The walls are honeycombed with holes, hundreds of them. BEES!!! Sotek hates bees!! Festus tells me there are no bees, but Sotek is not sure if he believes that. Once again Sotek is chosen to go first. One day, when I am a full grown dragon, they will pay for ordering Sotek around… But for now, Sotek must do, what Sotek must do. Cole offers Sotek a spider as a bribe, and tells Sotek that it will enable him to climb like the spider does. Sotek does not know if this is true, but the spider is tasty. I crawl on the bottom side of the plank, as the group believes this will allow me to avoid the traps they are sure are there. Halfway across the plank, I sense a sudden movement from the side, and then Sotek blacks out.
When Sotek comes to, Sotek is lying on the lead balls next a strange beaked tentacle faced slug. I don’t know what happened, so I ask… The lead balls shot out of the walls and struck Sotek while crossing the plank, and Sotek fell off and landed on the lead balls. I was knocked unconscious, and my fall attracted the “grick”, which is what they are calling the slug-thing. They had scarcely told me this before a childish voice began congratulating us on our victory. Cole seemed excited about this, as he claims he is a “spirit shaman” as if I did not know what a shaman was… Anyway, he continues to speak to this voice and convinces it to show itself. Stupid manlings! An apparition of a young male manling hatchling with a broken neck rose out of the lead balls and floated slightly above them. It started in again with it’s praise for our victory… even dead manlings talk too much!!! Suddenly it’s face changed becoming a horrific ghoul in appearance. Sotek is not saying he was scared, but if Sotek had been wearing manling clothes instead of a loincloth, it would have been very messy in those clothes. Stupid dead manlings!! The child-ghost-thing returned to it’s normal (?) appearance and Cole managed to get it to tell us who it was and how it came to be there. It’s name is Alastar Land or something like that, and it wandered in here several decades ago. It found this room and was struck by the lead balls and fell to it’s death...heeheehee… It says it will open the door at the end of the plank if we bury it. Sotek thinks this is a good thing if it will go away. The group agrees to help the annoying ghost-child, although Sotek tried to intimidate it into helping us now. Stupid dead manling too stupid to be properly frightened by a dragon. Bah! So again we leave the cave, with little treasure and head to farm belonging to Land family. All we find are empty graves… Why do manlings not stay dead? Cole is able to find that the graves have been dug up by five other manlings, who then went on to the old farmhouse nearby. Apparently only four left, according to the tracks. We of course are going to the farmhouse, which prompts Sotek to ask, what is a farmhouse?
As we get near the farmhouse, Sotek smells something strange. Sotek hides like the chameleon, so Sotek sneaks up and sees a weird furry bird creature. Festus says it is a “chicken-bear” and that they are very mean. If Sotek was half-chicken, half-bear he would be very upset as well. The group comes up with a plan. The fighters will wait beside the gate and when the chicken-bear comes out they will attack it. Now how to lure it out? Festus says we need bait… NO! NO! NO! Sotek says he will not be the bait anymore. So the party picks Cole. Cole steps up and shoots his bow at the chicken-bear but misses. How? This thing is BIG! It seems to get the creatures attention though and it rushes out of the gate after Cole. Right into the waiting attacks of Alandria and Xandril. I shoot it with a few of my magic-knives and it goes down fairly easy. It does NOT taste like chicken. Festus searches the farmhouse and finds a dead chicken bear, and lots and lots of blood. Someone suggest we cut open the dead chicken bear, while the others search the farmhouse further. We get a few coins and an arm. It does not taste like chicken either, and is very gamey. The group does not approve of Sotek eating the arm. They are very greedy… They take the remaining part of the arm, which has a strange mark on it. We decide to go back to the town to find out more. Well, they decide, Sotek will not go anywhere near the Emporium, unless we are going to destroy it.
Sotek sits outside of town in the woods feeding T’Zal insects. Actually T’Zal and myself insects, Sotek is very hungry. The story relayed to me of the trip to town is as follows:
The party finds that the coins from the bodies we have found are very old, and would stand out if sold in town, so we keep those secret, also the eight pointed star is the mark of a group of manlings called the seekers, who may still be around. We keep that hidden too. The group then goes to the Feral Dog… mmmm, dog is good to eat… anyway they go to the Feral Dog to find out about the mark on the arm. Xandril is challenged to a game of knife-throwing by a female elfling and wins. I do not know what he won though… Festus is gambiling on the dog fights and meets a pale white half-orc. This half-orc has the same mark as the arm, only on his forehead. Sotek has heard that manlings will sometimes put their mark on their livestock so that someone cannot steal it. Perhaps these manlings belong to someone who does not wish someone else to eat them. Sotek is in trouble if this is the case. Festus learns that the men who wear that mark went to the farmhouse to get the bodies, unfortunately they got greedy and one was eaten by the chicken-bear. They took the bodies to a creepy manling that lives in the old observatory near town. Since only the bodies of his family will do for the ghost-child we decide to head off to the observatory to get them back. Now if someone will tell Sotek what an observatory is…
Sotek's Journal, entry 3 (player written)
Journal Entry Day 5
The group has decided to rest until morning before we go to the observatory. This way we are
fully rested, and none of the manlings want to risk fighting a necromancer at night. As we approach the observatory, Sotek thinks this manling pick bad place for a lair. It is up on a hill and visible from all sides. If Sotek was trying to do something he did not want manlings to know about he would have picked a better place. Sotek thinks the group should set whole building on fire, then bury all bones inside in hole at the Land farm. This way would be quickest and noone have to fight anything. The group does not agree. Ssssss!! Sotek thinks the rest of the party wants trouble instead of treasure, but Sotek will go along with party…for now. The only door is up a set of stairs older than Festus. Festus agrees and spends time checking them for anything odd. Sotek thinks old man staring at stairs for 10 minutes is already odd enough. Festus does not find anything wrong with the stairs, but decides the locked room under the stairs looks more interesting. Somehow he is able to unlock the door, but Sotek does not think he has a key… HA! All that is inside is old rusty tools, which of course Festus wants to take. He is unable to do so however, as he is attacked by a little dirty creature. It looks to Sotek like it is made of dirt and bone and scraps of cloth. It is apparent to Sotek that it does not want to share. So we kill it, but not before it bites Festus several times. It collapses into dust after it is dead, so Festus takes the rusty tools. Phoebe thinks the wounds made by the scrap gremlin look funny, and heals his wounds. With everyone ok, we go to the door on the stairs, which Festus stairs at for 10 minutes. Festus then tells Xandril to open the door, but the hatchling elf finds it locked. So Festus uses his invisible key. Sotek wants one! Xandril opens the now unlocked door. Big Mistake!! Three crossbow bolts hit Xandril in the space of a second staggering the hatchling. Alandria steadies Xandril and they rush in the room. Inside three skeltons with crossbows hide behind a makeshift barricade. At least until the fighters charge the barricade. Then they stand and draw scimitars and attack. Well at least two of them do, the third grabs another loaded crossbow and fires at Cole. With the second crossbow empty it draws it’s sword, but by Sotek’s magic knives and undead disruption magic finish off one, as the others are reduced to bone piles by the party. Sotek takes the remaining loaded crossbows as he notices they are covered with poison. Only Sotek is trained to use poisons and stupid manlings would only hurt themselves. I show poison to Phoebe and she heals Xandril hoping to prevent the poison from spreading. Phoebe thinks these might have been three of the bodies we were looking for. Good, only one more and we can make stupid ghost-child go away.
We go through the nearby door to find a short hallway that leads to several cramped bedrooms, which we of course, search anyway. Behind a drawer Festus finds a bag of old coins. Good more treasure. Another door opens into a large dining room, with the bodies of several well- dressed dead manlings arranged in chairs around a long table. The chair at the head of the table is empty and the table is covered with food. FOOD! Sotek has not eaten in a day, except for the few bugs he could catch, and none of the manlings want to share any of their food with Sotek. Sotek is no dummy, he pokes the nearest body, and it does not move. So Sotek pokes the next body and it does not move. Good! Sotek goes to the empty chair and grabs some food, while the party watches from the door. Suddenly, the dead manlings all start talking. Sotek drops the food and jumps out of the chair. The dead manlings all stop talking and slump over. Sotek gets back in the chair and the dead manlings all start talking again. They say “Filge is great!” and “Filge is handsome!” and more about how powerful Filge is, but Sotek does not listen, Sotek think that Filge is crazy. Sotek continues to eat the food, which Pheobe verifies is safe to eat, but noone wants to join Sotek. Sotek even pushes one of the dead manlings out of it’s chair to make room, but it keeps talking while on the floor and noone wants it’s chair anyway.
The party searches the room and grabs the candlesticks, and the silver utensils at the table, but Sotek does not mind, because he is not using them. They also search the kitchen and pantry and we take all of the food available. Good idea! Finally the party tells Sotek it is time to go upstairs, so Sotek grabs a few things and says goodbye to the dead manlings.
A big set of stairs takes us up to the next floor, where we find the necromancer, Filge’s bedroom. At top of stairs is a statue of an ugly little man with wings like a bird and a sword, inscribed “FILGE”. But it only sits there. There is a large bed in one corner, next to which a small bandaged figure stands on a pedestal holding a silver tray with a woman’s head on it. The woman’s tongue is out-stretched with a silver coin at it’s end. Sotek wants is, but the party says no. Festus finds odd-colored glass tubes on desk labeled “Necroturgents”, Sotek does not like them, there is something odd about the tubes and it makes Sotek uneasy. Phoebe finds a book near the bed, and Sotek can almost smell the power coming from it. Sotek wants that book!!! Festus puts the book in his pack and will not let Sotek have it. Ssssss!!! Sotek takes the coin instead and the manling head starts yelling “Intruder! Intruder!”. Sotek cannot make the head shut up. Dead manlings talk more than living ones. Stupid manlings, when dead you are not supposed to talk! Now whatever upstairs, will know we are here. With no other choice we climb the next set of stairs… Sotek is tired of having to say the word mistake.
There is Filge standing in a sunken area in the center of the room with a blue body cut open on a table in the middle of the space. Four large foul looking tanks stand at each corner of the platform with stairs between the northern and southern set of tanks leading to the table. We of course attack. Again that mistake word. The tanks rupture and three of them release undead troglodytes. Sotek cannot stand for this, it is one thing for manlings to desecrate their own dead, but to do the same to one of the reptilian races is too much. Unfortunately the fourth tank contains a larger undead thing, this one resembles a cross between a manling and a bear. They all grab pieces of pipe and start toward us. Our fighters and Festus move toward the undead while Cole fires arrows and Sotek fires the crowwbows he took from the skeletons at Filge. Sotek is unable to hit Filge and instead uses his power of strength ebbing. Sotek is able to drain some of Filge’s strength which causes him to stumble but he recovers and casts a spell at Sotek. Sotek feels like he is in a fog, everything seems a little odd to Sotek and he can feel his powers dim. Cole is able to fire off more arrows, but unable to do any real damage to Filge. Meanwhile the hatchling Xandril is unable to deal the undead any serious damage, while they are punishing him with the pipes they carry. Sotek strikes Filge with my magic knives but he is able to return the favor with a spell that leaves Sotek paralyzed. No Sotek is only able to watch as the hatchling is struck a serious blow that leaves him unconscious. Festus, who has been looking pale and weak since he was bitten earlier is also struck a powerful blow and staggers back behind Phoebe who is keeping the undead from attacking Cole and Sotek. Cole moves out from the protection of the stairs and is able to cast a spell on Xandril, but there is no immediate effect. Perhaps he is too far gone…
Alandria also is having trouble dealing the undead more than superficial damage, but they are having as much trouble injuring her. Xandril regains consciousness as Alandria moves to cover his prone body. The hatchling is able to gain his feet and rushes in to delver a killing blow to one of the reptilian zombies, but is soon struck another powerful blow and reduced again to unconsciousness. Festus, moving to his rescue is also struck down. Sotek, recovering from the paralysis is able to finish off one of the other zombies, freeing Alandria to advance on Filge.
Alandria is able to pass between the remaining zombies without being hit. The zombies turn to follow her allowing Xandril , who has regained conciousness to get to his feet and again draw his weapon. The hatchling is able to strike the remaining trog zombie, but is in return struck by the bugbear zombie and again knocked unconscious. Sotek climbed over the edge of the stairs and moved to cut off the stupid manling Filge. Alandria advanced on Filge as well cutting off his escape. Filge attempted to cast a spell, but apparently was unaware of the reach of Alandria’s chain and he was struck down. The last zombie bashed Cole to the floor and then moved in to strike Alandria, but Sotek was there to distract it with his punching dagger. Sotek and Alandria flanked the beast, while Phoebe moved in to assist. The zombie was able to strike Alandria a mighty blow, and Sotek feared it would finish her off, and then turn on Sotek, but she was able to kill it shortly thereafter. Sotek used this opportunity to ease Festus’ burden of the Filge’s spellbook, but was unable to understand any of the writings within. Phoebe was able to revive the fallen party members and we took what little loot was left to be found in this chamber. We took our hard won treasures into town, Sotek was disguised, and traded the spellbook to the town mage Allustran in return for identifying the items we had. The mage offered us a few magical trinkets for sale, but we refused for now. He also mentioned undead in the Mistmarsh, but Sotek does not remember any. We sold off the supplies we no longer needed, and were preparing to return to the Cairn, when Festus’ health took a turn for the worst. It seems he had not fully recovered from the bite he had received and now looked as though his flesh was rotting off. We have decided to rest in town until he recovers, if he does…
Sotek's journal, entry 4 (player written)
Journal Entry Day 6
Phoebe is treating Festus, hoping he will recover from the disease he picked up in Filge’s tower.
She thinks he will recover, but he looks very bad.
Journal Entry Day 7
Phoebe announces that Festus is cured of the disease, but he still needs to rest for a few days to recover his strength. In the meantime, some of the other party members journeyed to the City of Greyhawk to sell off some of our surplus treasure and pick up some Masterwork Weapons for the fighters & Festus.
Journal Entry Day 12
Festus is back to normal, the fighters have new weapons, and I have four more vials of Dragon’s Breath, so we have decided to return to the Cairn. Sotek has studied the symbols he has been seeing and has learned some of the language spoke here. The so-called whispers are saying “Get out!” and “Intruders!” But Sotek does not listen to them and we pass through to the lantern room. First we go to the Brown Mold that barred our way earlier. Sotek easily dispatches the mold with magical frost and we are free to search the room it was guarding. In an alcove, we found a basin full of more of the strange orange substance. Sotek was hungry, so I ate some. It was not bad, so Sotek climbged into the basin and began to eat more.
Meanwhile, in the room, the party discovered several half-finished carvings of the same type of manling that was on the stone box ion the lantern room. Also there is a large dark egg-shaped object on a pedestal at one side of the room marked with a symbol that Festus says is “Ogremach” an evil elemental prince. Sotek does not know what that means, and decides to stay in the basin eating the orange stuff. It is kind of like gravy. Cole decides that he want the egg and touches it. Sotek knows better than to touch the eggs of others, but apparently manlings do not. The egg hatches into a large rock-manling, that seems very unhappy. Cole says something to it, that makes it even madder, then runs to the other side of the room. This leaves only hatchling Xandril next to the rock-manling, so Sotek drains the rock-manling’s strength. This weakens the rock-manling enough for Festus to move to a flanking position with Xandril and deliver a serious blow with his dire pick. Alandria moves up to help but misses with her spiked chain as does Xandril with his greatsword. Sotek injures the rock-manling futher with his magic knife spell. Festus’ weapons seemed designed for tie type of monster and he connects with both swings and the creature staggers from the blow. Festus seems the only one capable of truly injuring the creature and with his next blow he reduces it to rubble. There is nothing else of interest here, save the quality tools of the stonemasons, which Festus takes, so we head back to the lantern room.
Back in the lantern room, we climb the chain leading to the room of the ghost-child, only to find that he is gone, and the door that barred our way before, is now unlocked. Sotek does not miss the ghost-child. The room beyond is large and round with narrow woalkways, some of which have fallen, spanning a deep well and leading to a central platform that surrounds a column of rushing air. There are four alcoves around the outside of the pit and each is intricately carved with scenes of tall manlings, some in battle, some in peace. As the party spreads out to investigate the panels, Festus steps out onto one of the bridges and instantly two armored manlings emerge from the column of air. They wear armor that appears long out of style with the armor Sotek has seen other manlings wear. They carry two swords each and rush to attack Festus. Alandria and Xandral hurried to reach Festus, but Sotek easily overtook them both. Cole approaching from the other direction moved up to the column of air, while Phoebe circled the outside of the pit toward the fight. Festus saw that we arrive too late to be of assistance, so he ran past both the fighters and Sotek, which caused the two air warrior manlings to turn on Cole. Festus, Xandril, Alandria and Sotek reahed the bridge at that time and Cole circled the air column to reach us, the two air warrior manlings in pursuit. Sotek drained the strength of one of the manlings as Xandril and Festus blocked them from crossing the bridge. Alandria’s chain is able to cross the gap and strike the weakened one, but Festus is unable to defend himself from the one he faces and is knocked unconscious. While Sotek casts his remaining spells at the warriors, Pheobe casts a spell on Festus to heal him, but it takes a while to have effect. Meanwhile, both air warrior manlings turn on Xandril and he is critically injured and the party fears his death. The weakened one approaches Alandria and the other turns to attack Sotek. Sotek decides this has gone on long enough and uses his wand to shatter on of the warrior’s swords. The creature still advances and Sotek destroys the other sword. While this is occurring, Festus has regained his feetand he and Alandria are able to destroy the weakened manling warrior and it collapses into dust. Cole says something to the remaining warrior about chastising and the warrior reacts as if struck by a weapon. Unfortunately, it seems to blame Sotek for this, and despite having no weapons, it pummels Sotek with its’ fists. Sotek calls on the party to surround the creature and destroy it before anyone else can be injured, and it too soon falls too dust.
Out of spells, and with several of the party wounded, we use what healing remains and decide to rest for the day, before we press on.
Journal Entry Day 13
Rested, we return to the column of air room and Phoebe decides that she will be the first to enter it. She is instantly whisked out of sight, and the remainder of the party tries to decide of they will follow. Cole and Sotek decide at the same time and we jump into the column together. Sotek needs to make sure that if something has happened to Phoebe, then Cole will not be left alone up there to touch things. The upper room contains another stone box, and another carved scene depicting a black sphere being guided by a demonic figure holding a strange talisman, while another tall maniling wearing a silver headband opposes him. The figure with the headband turns and says, “Speak my name.”
As none of know his name we leave.
Phoebe says that she has a spell that will allow her to read some of the glyphs we have found while searching the cairn, but she will have to rest until tomorrow to have it available. So the party decides to rest today instead.
Journal Entry Day 14
We returned again to the air column room and Phoebe cast her spell. She learned that this cairn was the tomb of Zosiel and that the strange broken object near the entrance lead to someone named Izosial are something like that and that Izosial and six others ahd constructed a rod of seven pieces to defeat the Wolf-Spider Queen. Sotek remembered that the name of the Wolf-Spider Queen was Miska, but when he told the party, they all laughed at Sotek for some strange reason. Stupid manlilngs! Apparently this rod is very, very powerful, so of course Sotek wants it.
Phoebe approached the mural and spoke Zosiel’s name. The stone box below the mural cracked and we were able to open it to find two blood soaked horns, a silver circlet and a strange box engraved with chaotic runes that held a talisman like the one in the mural. Later divination magic was able determine that the circlet made you wiser, and it being pretty Phoebe snatched it up and wore it. The horns Cole took, and the gave Sotek the talisman as it was discovered that only one who wields arcane magic such as Sotek could use the talisman. It supposedly allows the wielder to guide a sphere of annihilation. Sotek does not want to be anywhere near such a sphere, with or without a talisman. There being no other treasure to be found, we return to the lantern room and take all the lanterns and depart the cairn.
We are on our way back to town when we come across an overturned and partially burned wagon, the driver and horse dead from puncture wounds and poison, their skin turned red. Pawing through the remains are two small cloaked figures, behind them is an opened chest filled with silver.
Knowing no fear Sotek approaches the figures, who upon closer examination are actually kobolds. They ask Sotek who he is in the True Tongue, and Sotek decides to reveal that he is actually a Great Wyrm. The kobolds recognize true power, and quickly pledge to obey. Sotek waves the rest of the party closer, and one of the kobolds, hands Sotek a note from their clan chief about a Devil Box and the dire need to close it. The kobolds say they are seeking one of their number who would be capable of closing the box and trapping the Devil inside, but that he is being held at Zalamandra’s Emporium. THE EMPORIUM!!! Sotek is instantly outraged by the mention of that place, but it does bring back a memory of kobold captive called Reptile Boy that may be the one they speak of. The party also wants to free Reptile Boy, so we will return to the scene of my imprisonment, BUT THIS TIME SOTEK WILL SEE ZALAMANDRA CRAWL ON HER KNEES BEGGING FOR THE VERY FREEDOM THAT SHE DENIED SOTEK!!!
Just for reference, I've inserted Devil Box (issue 109) into the Adventure Path following Whispering Cairn. The last paragraph of Sotek's Journal entry 4 is the beginning of Devil Box.