Alright, we've got somethings coming down to the pipeline in the next few months. Chief among these, at least on my radar and as far as gaming goes, is the eminent release of Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition. Many of you are not enthused about this, and don't plan on "upgrading" (I use the term only in sense that the number 4 is higher than the number 3.5). I'm very excited but I understand your trepidition.
And you're not the only ones with fears. It doesn't take much digging to find doom and gloom surrounding all information about D&D4E that is coming out in July. Not everyone is going to update to the new edition, and one of the bigger players decidedly not joining on the bandwagon is Paizo Publishing.
The fine folks at Paizo are the people who published Dragon and Dungeon magazines until recently (when the licenses were returned to Wizards of the Coast so that they could create an online version of these fine print magazines). Paizo jumped right into their next project, a monthly hybridazation of the two magazines called Pathfinder. I have not yet taken the time to purchase one of the Pathfinder issues/modules -partly because of the price ($20 each) and partly because I already have a lot of stuff.
Just a few days ago, however, Paizo announced that they would not be going to 4th Edition. Instead, they're going to continue with the d20 system, which they (and many others) feel isn't broken but definitely could use some tweaks. So they announced the open playtest of the Pathfinder RPG - D&D 3.75 to the rest of us. They have Alpha Release I out already available as a free download. There is a lot of interesting things in there, and I'd like to incorporate a lot of it into our D&D campaigns going forward. I will hold off on full incorporation until the rest of the Alpha releases come out (the first one only covers cleric, fighter, rogue, and wizard, skills, a lot of feats, races, and some spells) but there are things that I'd like to use in the next session.
Here's a breakdown of things I'm incorporating now that affect all characters:
* Starting hp for a character is max class hp PLUS the PC's Constitution score. This is a one time boost. Existing characters get to add their Constitution score to their total hp.
* Racial ability score increases. Essentially all the races get a +2 to a different attribute. Here's the breakdown:
Dwarf - +2 Con, +2 Wis, -2 Cha
Elf - +2 Dex, +2 Int, -2 Con
Gnome - +2 Cha, +2 Con, -2 Str
Half-Elf - +2 to any one attribute
Half-Orc - +2 Str, +2 Wis, -2 Int
Halfling - +2 Dex, +2 Int, -2 Str
Human - +2 to any one attribute
Adjust your PC accordingly.
* New feat progression. Characters gain new feats every odd level, starting at 1st (3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, etc.). The old way was every third level, so this equates to more feats for all characters.
* Character death occurs at -10 - current level instead of just -10. So a 1st level character dies at -11, and a 20th-level character dies at -30. Easy to calculate and should keep PCs alive longer.
* Sneak attacks and criticals apply to all creatures - including undead, elementals, and constructs.
* Sneak attack damage only applies once per round, but is multiplied with a critical (same multiplier as the weapon).
* A wizard can now Overcast. What this means is they can cast ANY spell out of their spellbook by taking a full-round action and making a Spellcraft check. The DC is 15 + (spell level x 3). Metamagic feats cannot be applied to overcasting. If the check fails the caster is fatigued. If the caster is already fatigued and fails the Spellcraft check, he is instead exhausted. If an exhausted caster fails the Spellcraft check he falls unconscious for 1d6 hours. This one I'm going to watch a little more carefully to see if it gets abused (or if it's too hard or too easy to overcast). Thoughts welcome.
* No one in the Age of Worms campaign has a cleric, but Turn/Rebuke Undead is replaced by a Positive/Negative Energy Burst. The cleric can use this ability a set number of times per day (same as Turn Undead) and it creates a burst of energy in a 30 foot radius. Creatures healed by positive energy are healed 1d6 + 1d6/2 cleric levels beyond the first and undead are harmed by the same amount. Undead get a save for half damage. Evil clerics do the same thing except with negative energy.
* Specific feat changes. Cleave becomes the following: As a standard action make an attack. If it hits you get a free attack against another foe in your reach. Great Cleave becomes the following: As a standard action make an attack. If it hits you get a free attack against another foe in your reach. You can continue this for every foe in range but you cannot hit a foe more than once. Dodge becomes the following: +1 dodge bonus to AC.
I'd like to incorporate skill changes as well, but I'll wait on that one. Additional there will be more feat changes but I'll wait to incorporate those along with the combat maneuver bonus (CMB) to replace clunky grapple, disarm, trip, and sunder checks.
I encourage everyone to download a copy of the free Alpha Release I from Paizo's website (http://www.paizo.com/) and take a look at the changes. We'll try these out and see how they work.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Age of Worms Campaign Update 2/28/2008
CHRONICLE VAULT 20080228, FROM THE LIBRARY OF RHAVUS THE FIEND-SAGE ...
Readying 26, 595 CY
Leaving the Tomb of Icosiol the Wind Duke behind them, the companions set their eyes north. Allustan had given them directions to the crystal tower of Malakara the Mad Mage, though these directions were as vague as "go north to the Nyr Dyv and follow the shore." Duke drove his caravan with Argo and Klaus while Kong rode on his yak. Kaspar kept pace on foot.
They left on Readying 10, as cold winds blew and snow began to fall. It was the beginning of the winter season, and travel became treacherous. The companions did not want for food, however, as Argo was a skilled tracker and found game in the rolling Cairn Hills with ease. For ten days the heroes rode north, meeting up with the shore of the massive Nyr Dyv (which when translated from Ancient Flan means "Lake of Unknown Depths") and following its jagged length of land for many days.
On the tenth day out they came upon something odd. Or rather, they heard something odd - the sound of metal clanging against metal. Kong could definitely tell it was from further north, and that it sounded like battle. But as they continued on their trek, through the snow flurries and frozen hills, the sound did not abate. Indeed, it seemed to actually get stronger.
As the cloudy day began to pass into evening they finally came upon the source of the mystery as well as their destination. On a peninsula, stretching out into the Nyr Dyv like a decrepit finger, was a magnificent crystal tower. And surrounding the crystal tower was a sphere of flying metallic debris, completely encasing the building. They approached cautiously, knowing now how the site had gotten its name (Point Harrow). Duke identified the metallic chunks as being extraplanar in origin, perhaps from the Elemental Plane of Earth or the Infernal Battlefield of Acheron - he wasn't quite sure which. The sound of the metal chunks slamming into each other and the stone-studded ground made conversation difficult.
The companions stood there, staring at the raging Metalstorm before them, and tried to come up with ways to get inside. Argo could see that the ring of metal was not terribly wide - perhaps 100 feet or so. However, considering the speed of the chunks and their size it would have taken someone with great dexterous skills to get through unscathed. Duke suggested some spells to help, most of which would require him to rest. Considering the lateness of the hour, the heroes decided to wait until morning to tackle the Metalstorm.
They made camp not far away, though few of them could get any rest with the clanging of the Metalstorm so close. Klaus didn't even try to sleep. He stayed up and stared at the raging torrent of planar material, trying to deduce some way through it. In the morning the dwarf rogue announced he had found a pattern amongst the debris. Every hour or so a large piece floated by, keeping the small pieces at bay. There was a narrow window of opportunity where they could sprint through the Metalstorm with a smaller degree of risk.
The heroes decided to chance it. They also decided to leave Duke's caravan and Kong's yak outside so as not to risk them. They waited for the exact moment, and when Klaus shouted go they made a break for it. Everyone managed to get through the Metalstorm unscathed, except for the barbarian Kong who was clipped in the shoulder by a medium size piece of shrapnel but managed to stay on his feet. They beheld the crystal spire of the Mad Mage Malakara.
The tower itself was unadorned except for a platform a hundred feet up. Duke cast fly on the heroes, and they all got up without a problem. A pole stood out from the wall of the crystal tower, and as they landed a voice intoned "Grasp, and speak the beauty of chaos." In turn the heroes tried multiple things, but it was Kong who triggered the entrance by speaking the word "chaos" while grasping the pole. Instantly he was transported inside and the rest of the heroes followed suit.
They found themselves in a large chamber, with an ornate throne at the far end and a desk and dozens of large paintings on the walls. Sitting on the throne was a wizened old man, with steel gray hair and piercing emerald eyes. This was Malakara the Mad Mage at last. He asked them their business, and when Duke responded that they were there about the Age of Worms the Mad Mage grew serious. He told them that the Age of Worms was approaching, and events have been occurring in accordance with the nefarious plotting of Kyuss the Wormgod. Many portents and predictions have come true in the past few years. Two prophecies regarding the Age of Worms had yet to come to pass, however.
The first mentioned the reunification of a tripartite spirit, which Malakara had no idea what it meant. The second went as follows: 'And on the eve of the Age of Worms, a hero of the pit shall use his fame to gift a city to the dead.' It was likely that Loris Raknian was trying to accomplish this particular prophecy during the Champion's Games - but that doesn't mean there aren't other ways to accomplish this feat. The situation required more investigation.
Malakara mentioned he had an acquaintance who was obsessed with Kyuss and the Age of Worms. The wizard Grimoire Barackus, infamously known for abandoning the King of the Dwarves in the Palace of Orcus years before, researched the origins and cults of Kyuss obsessively. Grimoire disappeared a few years ago, however, but Malakara had some of his notes still. The other wizard made several trips to a site far to the south, in the Amedio Jungle, where Kyuss rose from mortal to god. There, in the jungle city of Kuluth-Mar, Kyuss' apotheosis reached fruition in the Spire of Long Shadows.
Given the scant information to go on, Malakara suggested that the heroes visit Kuluth-Mar and try to find everything they could on Kyuss and the Age of Worms. While they did that, the Mad Mage would use his resources to find Grimoire. After a small amount of deliberation the companions agreed to visit the Amedio Jungle.
After they agreed to go, Malakara made them an offer. He knew that they possessed a fragment of the Rod of Seven Parts, and he did not try to hide the fact that he wanted such a powerful artifact. The Mad Mage offered a magical item to each of the heroes in exchange for the item. The companions considered it, but felt that the fragment could help them in their struggles going forward. Malakara scowled, but informed them that if they wanted to try and use the fully assembled artifact against their foes he knew where three pieces were - in the possession of Dorian McKnight, High Inquisitor of St. Cuthbert in the Free City of Greyhawk.
Malakara told them that Grimoire used to travel to Kuluth-Mar aboard an airship called the Sunshadow, piloted by the enigmatic Captain Shadowstalker. Shadowstalker was known to spend much of his time in the hall of Grunther Moradinson, King of the Dwarves, in the recovered halls of Radruundar in the Lortmil Mountains. The Mad Mage directed the heroes' attention to one of the paintings on the wall that depicted the grand throne room of Radruundar. The insane wizard bade them step through the painting and it would transport them to the dwarf king's hall.
A little leary, though seeing little other choice, the companions stepped through the painting and emerged in the middle of Grunther's hall. They were immediately accosted by dwarven honor guards as well as Grunther himself. When Argo explained who had sent them, the dwarf king greeted them with a hearty welcome and ordered a feast. Servants scrambled out and laid a table with luxurious meats and spices from around the world.
Grunther, they discovered, was once a man who lost his arm in the infamous Tomb of Horrors. He traveled with the famous Heroes of Dragon Fyre - Toka Desseana, High Priest of Pelor and King of Bloodstone; Rugrunt Garoul, gnoll swordsman extrodinaire; Loncer Amorocco, half-giant dragon slayer; and Malakara the Mad Mage to name a few. After a few quests they found the legendary Axe of the Dwarvish Lord, which Grunther took and eventually it turned him into a dwarf. But not just any dwarf - the rightful King of the Dwarves, recreating Clan Moradinson.
The companions managed to ask about Captain Shadowstalker, and Grunther grunted that the elf was around. He sent a servant to summon him, and after a few minutes he returned accompanied by a thin, fey person who looked like an elf. But his skin was smokey gray and he moved with unnatural grace. Captain Shadowstalker refused to take them to the Amedio Jungle, and just as he was walking away Duke mentioned that they were following in the footsteps of Grimoire Barackus. That stopped him, and moments later he told them the Sunshadow left in an hour - they'd better be on it.
Thanking their host, the heroes gathered their things and made quick preparations to leave. Right on time they left the halls of Radruundar to a valley just outside where the Sunshadow was moored. It was a magnificent ship, very similar to those that sail on the water - but this one floated upon the air. The heroes were shocked to see that the crew of about twenty or so were identical to Captain Shadowstalker! They moved with unnatural grace and spoke not a word to the heroes as they boarded. The captain, identifiable by his garb, told the companions to stay out of the way of the crew during the voyage. With that, the Sunshadow leapt into the sky and they charted a course south.
Over the Kingdom of Keoland they sailed, quicker than any other form of transportation save teleport. The heroes kept themselves busy during the voyage, but it was only three days before they crossed the Jeklea Bay and then into the steamy Amedio Jungle proper. The thick canopy of trees obscured vision and made sailing difficult, but on the fourth day out the Sunshadow stopped in a large clearing. Captain Shadowstalker told the heroes that the ruins of Kuluth-Mar lay a few miles away, but this was as close as the Sunshadow came - the ruined city was cursed.
The heroes disembarked from the great airship and headed into the thick of the jungle. Swarms of mosquitos and the thick humidity made the travel long, but eventually they came upon the ruins of a city - Kuluth-Mar. In the center stood their target, the Ziggurat of Kyuss, which was shaped in all defiance of gravity. As they stepped within the ruins of the city, their vision became hazy and splotchy, and like oil running over a canvas the landscape around them shimmered and changed. They found themselves standing amidst thousands of human figures, all chanting the name "Kyuss" in prayer. Upon the ziggurat itself stood a handsome man in ornate plate armor upon a throne of green stone. A black circlet sat upon the man's brow, and both the armor and circlet were marked with a symbol of an overlapping skull and scythe. At the apex of the ziggurat balanced a fifteen-foot-tall black stone monolith shaped like a trapezoid. All around them Kuluth-Mar stood at the height of its power.
In a flash the vision disappeared, replaced by the ruins of the jungle city that occupied the site in the present time. The vision they had just seen was definitely Kyuss himself, Duke recognized, and the symbol on his circlet and armor was an archaic holy symbol of Nerull. A bit shaken but otherwise no worse for wear, the heroes continued on carefully through the ruins of Kuluth-Mar.
Further in they came upon a strange ring of obsidian that encircled the ziggurat itself - the ring was thirty feet high and ten feet wide. Inscribed upon the surface, Duke found, was a phrase repeated over and over in Draconic - "Kyuss forever bound." The heroes found this slightly disturbing, but Argo clambered up over the wall and to the other side.
Where he found the ground to be writhing with green worms, the same kind found in spawns of Kyuss. As long as he kept moving the worms didn't bother him, but something about it gave the halfling ranger a bad feeling. The rest of the heroes climbed up to the top of the obsidian ring but none of them dared jump down.
As they stood around, trying to decide what to do, Argo noticed movement in the entrance to the ziggurat. It was a humanoid figure, carrying a sword and a shield, along with two massive beetles. The three of them charged forward, faster than the halfling anticipated, and upon closer inspection he found the beetles to be undead creatures and worms to be covering the undead figure. Two large worms served as the undead monstrosity's eyes. Argo fended their attacks off well but knew that things were not going so well.
With a mighty bellow Kong leapt to the ground and joined the melee, and soon Klaus and Kaspar joined as well. The undead beetles were voracious foes, and the Kyuss knight was a skilled combatant. Many wounds were suffered, but Kaspar was struck with an idea as they were down to their last leg. The elf monk pulled out the tip of the Rod of Seven Parts and commanded it to heal the Kyuss knight - which of course had the opposite effect. The positive energy ripped through the creature and sent it collapsing to the ground. The undead beetles were dispatched as well, and the companions decided a tactical retreat was in order so that they could lick their wounds and heal up before entering the ziggurat itself.
They made their way back to the Sunshadow, where they rested for the night. Captain Shadowstalker used powerful magic to heal all of their wounds, though he did not explain how or why. The companions got up the next morning determined to find out all they could about Kyuss and his plans for the Age of Worms.
Session Updates
So, sorry about the lateness on this one. Almost a month late! Grrr to myself.
Quest Cards Completed
* Speak with Malakara the Mad Mage
Quest Cards In Progress
* What's Ilthane Up To?
* Recover the Rod of Seven Parts
* Follow Grimoire Barackus' Trail to Kuluth-Mar
XP Recap
11th-level 11,300
12th-level 7,400
'Till next, Game On!
"Weird" Dave Olson
Dragonfyre Gaming Association
weird.dave.dfga@gmail.com
Readying 26, 595 CY
Leaving the Tomb of Icosiol the Wind Duke behind them, the companions set their eyes north. Allustan had given them directions to the crystal tower of Malakara the Mad Mage, though these directions were as vague as "go north to the Nyr Dyv and follow the shore." Duke drove his caravan with Argo and Klaus while Kong rode on his yak. Kaspar kept pace on foot.
They left on Readying 10, as cold winds blew and snow began to fall. It was the beginning of the winter season, and travel became treacherous. The companions did not want for food, however, as Argo was a skilled tracker and found game in the rolling Cairn Hills with ease. For ten days the heroes rode north, meeting up with the shore of the massive Nyr Dyv (which when translated from Ancient Flan means "Lake of Unknown Depths") and following its jagged length of land for many days.
On the tenth day out they came upon something odd. Or rather, they heard something odd - the sound of metal clanging against metal. Kong could definitely tell it was from further north, and that it sounded like battle. But as they continued on their trek, through the snow flurries and frozen hills, the sound did not abate. Indeed, it seemed to actually get stronger.
As the cloudy day began to pass into evening they finally came upon the source of the mystery as well as their destination. On a peninsula, stretching out into the Nyr Dyv like a decrepit finger, was a magnificent crystal tower. And surrounding the crystal tower was a sphere of flying metallic debris, completely encasing the building. They approached cautiously, knowing now how the site had gotten its name (Point Harrow). Duke identified the metallic chunks as being extraplanar in origin, perhaps from the Elemental Plane of Earth or the Infernal Battlefield of Acheron - he wasn't quite sure which. The sound of the metal chunks slamming into each other and the stone-studded ground made conversation difficult.
The companions stood there, staring at the raging Metalstorm before them, and tried to come up with ways to get inside. Argo could see that the ring of metal was not terribly wide - perhaps 100 feet or so. However, considering the speed of the chunks and their size it would have taken someone with great dexterous skills to get through unscathed. Duke suggested some spells to help, most of which would require him to rest. Considering the lateness of the hour, the heroes decided to wait until morning to tackle the Metalstorm.
They made camp not far away, though few of them could get any rest with the clanging of the Metalstorm so close. Klaus didn't even try to sleep. He stayed up and stared at the raging torrent of planar material, trying to deduce some way through it. In the morning the dwarf rogue announced he had found a pattern amongst the debris. Every hour or so a large piece floated by, keeping the small pieces at bay. There was a narrow window of opportunity where they could sprint through the Metalstorm with a smaller degree of risk.
The heroes decided to chance it. They also decided to leave Duke's caravan and Kong's yak outside so as not to risk them. They waited for the exact moment, and when Klaus shouted go they made a break for it. Everyone managed to get through the Metalstorm unscathed, except for the barbarian Kong who was clipped in the shoulder by a medium size piece of shrapnel but managed to stay on his feet. They beheld the crystal spire of the Mad Mage Malakara.
The tower itself was unadorned except for a platform a hundred feet up. Duke cast fly on the heroes, and they all got up without a problem. A pole stood out from the wall of the crystal tower, and as they landed a voice intoned "Grasp, and speak the beauty of chaos." In turn the heroes tried multiple things, but it was Kong who triggered the entrance by speaking the word "chaos" while grasping the pole. Instantly he was transported inside and the rest of the heroes followed suit.
They found themselves in a large chamber, with an ornate throne at the far end and a desk and dozens of large paintings on the walls. Sitting on the throne was a wizened old man, with steel gray hair and piercing emerald eyes. This was Malakara the Mad Mage at last. He asked them their business, and when Duke responded that they were there about the Age of Worms the Mad Mage grew serious. He told them that the Age of Worms was approaching, and events have been occurring in accordance with the nefarious plotting of Kyuss the Wormgod. Many portents and predictions have come true in the past few years. Two prophecies regarding the Age of Worms had yet to come to pass, however.
The first mentioned the reunification of a tripartite spirit, which Malakara had no idea what it meant. The second went as follows: 'And on the eve of the Age of Worms, a hero of the pit shall use his fame to gift a city to the dead.' It was likely that Loris Raknian was trying to accomplish this particular prophecy during the Champion's Games - but that doesn't mean there aren't other ways to accomplish this feat. The situation required more investigation.
Malakara mentioned he had an acquaintance who was obsessed with Kyuss and the Age of Worms. The wizard Grimoire Barackus, infamously known for abandoning the King of the Dwarves in the Palace of Orcus years before, researched the origins and cults of Kyuss obsessively. Grimoire disappeared a few years ago, however, but Malakara had some of his notes still. The other wizard made several trips to a site far to the south, in the Amedio Jungle, where Kyuss rose from mortal to god. There, in the jungle city of Kuluth-Mar, Kyuss' apotheosis reached fruition in the Spire of Long Shadows.
Given the scant information to go on, Malakara suggested that the heroes visit Kuluth-Mar and try to find everything they could on Kyuss and the Age of Worms. While they did that, the Mad Mage would use his resources to find Grimoire. After a small amount of deliberation the companions agreed to visit the Amedio Jungle.
After they agreed to go, Malakara made them an offer. He knew that they possessed a fragment of the Rod of Seven Parts, and he did not try to hide the fact that he wanted such a powerful artifact. The Mad Mage offered a magical item to each of the heroes in exchange for the item. The companions considered it, but felt that the fragment could help them in their struggles going forward. Malakara scowled, but informed them that if they wanted to try and use the fully assembled artifact against their foes he knew where three pieces were - in the possession of Dorian McKnight, High Inquisitor of St. Cuthbert in the Free City of Greyhawk.
Malakara told them that Grimoire used to travel to Kuluth-Mar aboard an airship called the Sunshadow, piloted by the enigmatic Captain Shadowstalker. Shadowstalker was known to spend much of his time in the hall of Grunther Moradinson, King of the Dwarves, in the recovered halls of Radruundar in the Lortmil Mountains. The Mad Mage directed the heroes' attention to one of the paintings on the wall that depicted the grand throne room of Radruundar. The insane wizard bade them step through the painting and it would transport them to the dwarf king's hall.
A little leary, though seeing little other choice, the companions stepped through the painting and emerged in the middle of Grunther's hall. They were immediately accosted by dwarven honor guards as well as Grunther himself. When Argo explained who had sent them, the dwarf king greeted them with a hearty welcome and ordered a feast. Servants scrambled out and laid a table with luxurious meats and spices from around the world.
Grunther, they discovered, was once a man who lost his arm in the infamous Tomb of Horrors. He traveled with the famous Heroes of Dragon Fyre - Toka Desseana, High Priest of Pelor and King of Bloodstone; Rugrunt Garoul, gnoll swordsman extrodinaire; Loncer Amorocco, half-giant dragon slayer; and Malakara the Mad Mage to name a few. After a few quests they found the legendary Axe of the Dwarvish Lord, which Grunther took and eventually it turned him into a dwarf. But not just any dwarf - the rightful King of the Dwarves, recreating Clan Moradinson.
The companions managed to ask about Captain Shadowstalker, and Grunther grunted that the elf was around. He sent a servant to summon him, and after a few minutes he returned accompanied by a thin, fey person who looked like an elf. But his skin was smokey gray and he moved with unnatural grace. Captain Shadowstalker refused to take them to the Amedio Jungle, and just as he was walking away Duke mentioned that they were following in the footsteps of Grimoire Barackus. That stopped him, and moments later he told them the Sunshadow left in an hour - they'd better be on it.
Thanking their host, the heroes gathered their things and made quick preparations to leave. Right on time they left the halls of Radruundar to a valley just outside where the Sunshadow was moored. It was a magnificent ship, very similar to those that sail on the water - but this one floated upon the air. The heroes were shocked to see that the crew of about twenty or so were identical to Captain Shadowstalker! They moved with unnatural grace and spoke not a word to the heroes as they boarded. The captain, identifiable by his garb, told the companions to stay out of the way of the crew during the voyage. With that, the Sunshadow leapt into the sky and they charted a course south.
Over the Kingdom of Keoland they sailed, quicker than any other form of transportation save teleport. The heroes kept themselves busy during the voyage, but it was only three days before they crossed the Jeklea Bay and then into the steamy Amedio Jungle proper. The thick canopy of trees obscured vision and made sailing difficult, but on the fourth day out the Sunshadow stopped in a large clearing. Captain Shadowstalker told the heroes that the ruins of Kuluth-Mar lay a few miles away, but this was as close as the Sunshadow came - the ruined city was cursed.
The heroes disembarked from the great airship and headed into the thick of the jungle. Swarms of mosquitos and the thick humidity made the travel long, but eventually they came upon the ruins of a city - Kuluth-Mar. In the center stood their target, the Ziggurat of Kyuss, which was shaped in all defiance of gravity. As they stepped within the ruins of the city, their vision became hazy and splotchy, and like oil running over a canvas the landscape around them shimmered and changed. They found themselves standing amidst thousands of human figures, all chanting the name "Kyuss" in prayer. Upon the ziggurat itself stood a handsome man in ornate plate armor upon a throne of green stone. A black circlet sat upon the man's brow, and both the armor and circlet were marked with a symbol of an overlapping skull and scythe. At the apex of the ziggurat balanced a fifteen-foot-tall black stone monolith shaped like a trapezoid. All around them Kuluth-Mar stood at the height of its power.
In a flash the vision disappeared, replaced by the ruins of the jungle city that occupied the site in the present time. The vision they had just seen was definitely Kyuss himself, Duke recognized, and the symbol on his circlet and armor was an archaic holy symbol of Nerull. A bit shaken but otherwise no worse for wear, the heroes continued on carefully through the ruins of Kuluth-Mar.
Further in they came upon a strange ring of obsidian that encircled the ziggurat itself - the ring was thirty feet high and ten feet wide. Inscribed upon the surface, Duke found, was a phrase repeated over and over in Draconic - "Kyuss forever bound." The heroes found this slightly disturbing, but Argo clambered up over the wall and to the other side.
Where he found the ground to be writhing with green worms, the same kind found in spawns of Kyuss. As long as he kept moving the worms didn't bother him, but something about it gave the halfling ranger a bad feeling. The rest of the heroes climbed up to the top of the obsidian ring but none of them dared jump down.
As they stood around, trying to decide what to do, Argo noticed movement in the entrance to the ziggurat. It was a humanoid figure, carrying a sword and a shield, along with two massive beetles. The three of them charged forward, faster than the halfling anticipated, and upon closer inspection he found the beetles to be undead creatures and worms to be covering the undead figure. Two large worms served as the undead monstrosity's eyes. Argo fended their attacks off well but knew that things were not going so well.
With a mighty bellow Kong leapt to the ground and joined the melee, and soon Klaus and Kaspar joined as well. The undead beetles were voracious foes, and the Kyuss knight was a skilled combatant. Many wounds were suffered, but Kaspar was struck with an idea as they were down to their last leg. The elf monk pulled out the tip of the Rod of Seven Parts and commanded it to heal the Kyuss knight - which of course had the opposite effect. The positive energy ripped through the creature and sent it collapsing to the ground. The undead beetles were dispatched as well, and the companions decided a tactical retreat was in order so that they could lick their wounds and heal up before entering the ziggurat itself.
They made their way back to the Sunshadow, where they rested for the night. Captain Shadowstalker used powerful magic to heal all of their wounds, though he did not explain how or why. The companions got up the next morning determined to find out all they could about Kyuss and his plans for the Age of Worms.
Session Updates
So, sorry about the lateness on this one. Almost a month late! Grrr to myself.
Quest Cards Completed
* Speak with Malakara the Mad Mage
Quest Cards In Progress
* What's Ilthane Up To?
* Recover the Rod of Seven Parts
* Follow Grimoire Barackus' Trail to Kuluth-Mar
XP Recap
11th-level 11,300
12th-level 7,400
'Till next, Game On!
"Weird" Dave Olson
Dragonfyre Gaming Association
weird.dave.dfga@gmail.com
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