"I wonder if that was from the pastrami rueben I had yesterday?"
Showing posts with label Friedvale Campaign. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Friedvale Campaign. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 7, 2017
Session 10 report, Freidvale campaign
Not much to report. Huge info dump on the players. They made it into Gustavus Kinder's underground complex and learned many things about his people. I will type up Gustavus' story later for reference sake. To sum up, there is a class war in the underground complex, with Gustavus controlling the food and the workers controlling the water supply. The players decided to side with Foreman Jakob, because Gustavus struck them as thoroughly repulsive. Gustavus is protected by four behemoths he calls 'Seekers' who seem to be neither alive nor dead and were sown together from the bodies of fallen workmen. We shall see what awaits our party in the coming struggle.
Monday, September 11, 2017
Session 9 report, Freidvale campaign
When we last left our heroes, Brog was poised over a large 30' long, 20' wide metallic barrel in the middle of an underwater cave, whilst 4 large zombies began harassing the player characters down below. Brog leapt to the ground to join the fray, heroically twisting his ankle in the process. I could bore you with details of the battle, but suffice to say the zombies, even rather large ones, were no match for the PC's. Having dispatched this final obstacle in the pursuit of their quest, the PC's pondered for no small amount of time what they should do next. The guard who had wandered into the cave after them offered his opinion, and was quickly shushed by Brog with threats of having various body parts amputated by a sword.
They decided to enter the device of Kwalish and see what could be seen. They found ten levers and 6 seats, and a hatch in the aft section. A disembodied voice began speaking to them and asking them questions. The PC's did not seem terribly curious about a talking metallic barrel, but did ask HAROLD (as the device introduced himself as such) if he had any offensive capabilities. Harold responded by extended his pincers and snapping them menacingly.
The PCs decided on a course of murder and mayhem, and were about to order Harold out of the grotto and into the spears of the many imperial soldiers outside, when the undine Brog had spared a few scenes ago appeared in the water, offering to open a portal to her homeland to transport the crew to safety. Brog readily agreed, and away they went.
During this time, the guard watch haplessly and silently, and was promptly forgotten by the PCs until a few scenes later.
The PC's appeared in what appeared to be the ruins of an underwater city. The undine who brought them hence (her name was Nightsong) spoke with her father, the leader of the undines, Cloudburst. He allowed as how he would do no harm to the PCs, since they had saved his daughter's life, but he would need speak to the council on what to do with them, since they couldn't be allowed to leave now that they knew the location of the undine's hidden sanctuary. They were taken to a holding area for 8 hours, which consisted of a large bubble of air beneath the water on the floor of whatever seas they had found themselves in. Brog attempted a diplomacy role, and he conducted himself rather well, all things considered. He did not sway the opinion of Cloudburst, however, and the PCs set watches over the next 8 hours, deciding to rest the spell casters and gather their wits about them.
The PCs were joined with two other denizens of the holding area, Blackthorn the Druid and Terra the Rogue, who had been heading toward Freidvale by boat on a mission of mercy before being swept away by a storm. They found themselves in the same predicament as the party. Unsure of their next course of action, they decided to all rest until the leader of the Undines returned. It was at this time that someone thought to question where the guard was, who had, in fact, been left in the grotto.
Karsh took the first watch. During his watch he saw a small octopus crawl out of the water and scuttle it's way towards their makeshift camp. Alarmed, Karsh woke Brog and pointed to the octopus approaching them. Brog rolled over and began snoring (with disdain for his easily unsettled friend). Karsh then heard a voice in his head, asking if he might, perhaps, have any shrimp. Karsh said he did not, never questioning for a moment that the voice in his head belonged to the octopus who had crept quite close to him. Then the octopus (for this was indeed a telepathic octopus) asked if the person sleeping near Karsh might, perhaps, be a ranger. Karsh allowed as Brog was indeed a ranger. Brog became interested in the conversation at this point and roused himself. The octopus introduced himself as Arthur, and went into a sales pitch as to why Brog should select him as his animal companion when the time presented itself.
Arthur quickly donned an eye patch and showed that he could quadruple wield 4 daggers simultaneously, whilst still maintaining maximum speed on land. He could also release a cloud of ink to confound his enemies (which, he assured Brog, was much more impressive in the water than on dry land). He demonstrated his ability to jet backward at amazing speeds through the water, launching himself like a torpedo through the water into the air bubble and into the arms of Brog. Lastly, he could even pick pockets with all eight of his tentacles.
Brog, nonplussed by this display, asked Tannis if she would like the octopus, stating he wanted 'a cool animal companion, like a wolf or a bear.' Brog's loss was Tannis' gain, and the monk and octopus became fast friends. The matter of how they would keep Arthur's skin moist once they returned to the surface world was left unexplored for the moment.
I grow weary of my own session report. Yadda yadda, King Cloudburst asked a favor of the PC's, find some missing undines and I'll let you free, they explored the undersea ruins of Atuan, found some dead bodies, found a strange man fleeing some sharks, decided the man was bad and left him for the sharks, he ordered the sharks to attack the device, the sharks were dispatched and reverted to human form, they questioned the old man and found out he had killed the corpses they found because his people were running out of water because of a revolt of the proletariat among his people, an undersea city enclave known as the Helenites. Oh yeah, Vociferea got to cast zone of truth on the old man, Brog and Karsh stabbed things, and Arthur and Tannis bludgeoned and stabbed things.
To be continued.
They decided to enter the device of Kwalish and see what could be seen. They found ten levers and 6 seats, and a hatch in the aft section. A disembodied voice began speaking to them and asking them questions. The PC's did not seem terribly curious about a talking metallic barrel, but did ask HAROLD (as the device introduced himself as such) if he had any offensive capabilities. Harold responded by extended his pincers and snapping them menacingly.
The PCs decided on a course of murder and mayhem, and were about to order Harold out of the grotto and into the spears of the many imperial soldiers outside, when the undine Brog had spared a few scenes ago appeared in the water, offering to open a portal to her homeland to transport the crew to safety. Brog readily agreed, and away they went.
During this time, the guard watch haplessly and silently, and was promptly forgotten by the PCs until a few scenes later.
The PC's appeared in what appeared to be the ruins of an underwater city. The undine who brought them hence (her name was Nightsong) spoke with her father, the leader of the undines, Cloudburst. He allowed as how he would do no harm to the PCs, since they had saved his daughter's life, but he would need speak to the council on what to do with them, since they couldn't be allowed to leave now that they knew the location of the undine's hidden sanctuary. They were taken to a holding area for 8 hours, which consisted of a large bubble of air beneath the water on the floor of whatever seas they had found themselves in. Brog attempted a diplomacy role, and he conducted himself rather well, all things considered. He did not sway the opinion of Cloudburst, however, and the PCs set watches over the next 8 hours, deciding to rest the spell casters and gather their wits about them.
The PCs were joined with two other denizens of the holding area, Blackthorn the Druid and Terra the Rogue, who had been heading toward Freidvale by boat on a mission of mercy before being swept away by a storm. They found themselves in the same predicament as the party. Unsure of their next course of action, they decided to all rest until the leader of the Undines returned. It was at this time that someone thought to question where the guard was, who had, in fact, been left in the grotto.
Karsh took the first watch. During his watch he saw a small octopus crawl out of the water and scuttle it's way towards their makeshift camp. Alarmed, Karsh woke Brog and pointed to the octopus approaching them. Brog rolled over and began snoring (with disdain for his easily unsettled friend). Karsh then heard a voice in his head, asking if he might, perhaps, have any shrimp. Karsh said he did not, never questioning for a moment that the voice in his head belonged to the octopus who had crept quite close to him. Then the octopus (for this was indeed a telepathic octopus) asked if the person sleeping near Karsh might, perhaps, be a ranger. Karsh allowed as Brog was indeed a ranger. Brog became interested in the conversation at this point and roused himself. The octopus introduced himself as Arthur, and went into a sales pitch as to why Brog should select him as his animal companion when the time presented itself.
Arthur quickly donned an eye patch and showed that he could quadruple wield 4 daggers simultaneously, whilst still maintaining maximum speed on land. He could also release a cloud of ink to confound his enemies (which, he assured Brog, was much more impressive in the water than on dry land). He demonstrated his ability to jet backward at amazing speeds through the water, launching himself like a torpedo through the water into the air bubble and into the arms of Brog. Lastly, he could even pick pockets with all eight of his tentacles.
Brog, nonplussed by this display, asked Tannis if she would like the octopus, stating he wanted 'a cool animal companion, like a wolf or a bear.' Brog's loss was Tannis' gain, and the monk and octopus became fast friends. The matter of how they would keep Arthur's skin moist once they returned to the surface world was left unexplored for the moment.
I grow weary of my own session report. Yadda yadda, King Cloudburst asked a favor of the PC's, find some missing undines and I'll let you free, they explored the undersea ruins of Atuan, found some dead bodies, found a strange man fleeing some sharks, decided the man was bad and left him for the sharks, he ordered the sharks to attack the device, the sharks were dispatched and reverted to human form, they questioned the old man and found out he had killed the corpses they found because his people were running out of water because of a revolt of the proletariat among his people, an undersea city enclave known as the Helenites. Oh yeah, Vociferea got to cast zone of truth on the old man, Brog and Karsh stabbed things, and Arthur and Tannis bludgeoned and stabbed things.
To be continued.
Friday, June 9, 2017
Session 8 report, Freidvale campaign
Nobody reads this, so I'm just going to summarize for myself: Party finds a boat, the Farsight, Brog argues with the first mate, they go to the fortress to ask if any ships are leaving, Fallister talks his way aboard a different ship with two casks of mead, turns out the captain (Slosh) is a drunk and takes a liking to Brog. The person guarding the boat is a bit cross-eyed.
They finagle a ring of free action from Captain Slosh, Tannis interviews first mate Jacque. They are warned about a giant squid. Karsh frees an Undine from a net. They start diving on the west edge of the crater. The Undine from the previous scene on the boat directs them to Kwalish's lair. They find the way barred by a giant hermit crab. They dispatch the crab with little difficulty. They enter Kwalish's lair and see a barrel like device in the center of the room. They also find a desk with the last words of Kwalish written on it. A soldier from a different boat enters the cave, having followed the group to the illusory rock wall. Brog decides to open the portal atop the barrel, finding 10 levers inside, seats for 6 people, and room for provisions inside the device.
They finagle a ring of free action from Captain Slosh, Tannis interviews first mate Jacque. They are warned about a giant squid. Karsh frees an Undine from a net. They start diving on the west edge of the crater. The Undine from the previous scene on the boat directs them to Kwalish's lair. They find the way barred by a giant hermit crab. They dispatch the crab with little difficulty. They enter Kwalish's lair and see a barrel like device in the center of the room. They also find a desk with the last words of Kwalish written on it. A soldier from a different boat enters the cave, having followed the group to the illusory rock wall. Brog decides to open the portal atop the barrel, finding 10 levers inside, seats for 6 people, and room for provisions inside the device.
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Session 7 report, Freidvale Campaign
You don't have to wait long for a party of PC's to seek revenge when they've been wronged by a corrupt Lieutenant. Such was the case this day as the party sought Lt. Faber for setting them up with some mean ogres. They returned, predictably enough, to an empty office faintly smelling of smoke. They found the remnants of a burnt note in the wastepaper basket, which Vocifera repaired using a mending spell. The note was from the ex-captain Skarros, instructing Faber to go to Lord Bartimeus' house to find a device called Chronos. The party left quickly to try to save Bartimeus. They arrived at the manor just in time before Faber finished him off. A heated battle ensued, dominated mainly by Brog slaughtering the rank and file soldiers and Tannis occupying Lt Faber in combat, preventing him from using his bow. Vocifera dispatched one of the guards while getting Fallister back on his feet, and Karsh did his part slaying two guards as well. There was also a bit of business with a goblin dog and a fit of hideous laughter. Faber saw the writing on the wall and stepped onto a mystic glyph which teleported him... somewhere else. Tannis saw to Bartimeus' wounds and gave him blood to drink. The remaining soldiers surrendered. (They had obviously never heard of Brog and his 'interrogation' techniques.
When Bartimeus revived, he told the group that the glyph teleported down to the slave pens. So Faber was trapped. They threw the remaining guards and bodies of the others into the glyph, then headed downstairs. Faber proved recalcitrant, and challenged Brog to a duel, which Faber promptly lost in one hit. (He was already very wounded.) They found on his body a sending stone, which they used to contact Skarros and tricked him into coming to the manor alone. Once Skarros entered the room, Tannis grappled him successfully and threw him into the glyph. The party threw Faber's body in after him for good measure. Fallister gave a convincing pitch to Skarros: Either cooperate and tell the group all he knew, and they would guarantee he would not be killed for his crimes, or they would let him starve in the slave pens. With little recourse, Skarros agreed.
Skarros filled the party in on what he knew of project Guyver. Guyver referred to the dam that kept the waters of Lake See from flooding the northern plains of the Eastern Empire. The Emperor of the West planned to destroy this dam, flooding much of the arable land in the East and their capital city, effectively devastating their ability to make war before war had even started. They needed the Apparatus of Kwalish to enact this plan, using modified eggmen as bombs. This was why Dr. Jessup was testing explosions in the harbor and looking frantically for the apparatus, which was believed to be in the bay at Freidvale.
With this knowledge, the party turned Skarros over to Lord Fatsbury, the only local authority they could trust. They headed to the Temple of Abadar where Gorgio held residence, and informed him of Dr. Jessup's plans. Gorgio declared the debt the party owed him paid in full, and agreed to sell his soul to Malrond in exchange for becoming High Priest of the church of Abadar. Gorgio gave the group a note with his seal on it to take to Malrond, which they did, in exchange for a scroll that would release one person from hell.
Before he left, Bartimeus left the party with a final tidbit: The Apparatus was believed to be in an underwater volcanic crater somewhere in the bay....
All loose ends tied up, the party called it quits for the night.
When Bartimeus revived, he told the group that the glyph teleported down to the slave pens. So Faber was trapped. They threw the remaining guards and bodies of the others into the glyph, then headed downstairs. Faber proved recalcitrant, and challenged Brog to a duel, which Faber promptly lost in one hit. (He was already very wounded.) They found on his body a sending stone, which they used to contact Skarros and tricked him into coming to the manor alone. Once Skarros entered the room, Tannis grappled him successfully and threw him into the glyph. The party threw Faber's body in after him for good measure. Fallister gave a convincing pitch to Skarros: Either cooperate and tell the group all he knew, and they would guarantee he would not be killed for his crimes, or they would let him starve in the slave pens. With little recourse, Skarros agreed.
Skarros filled the party in on what he knew of project Guyver. Guyver referred to the dam that kept the waters of Lake See from flooding the northern plains of the Eastern Empire. The Emperor of the West planned to destroy this dam, flooding much of the arable land in the East and their capital city, effectively devastating their ability to make war before war had even started. They needed the Apparatus of Kwalish to enact this plan, using modified eggmen as bombs. This was why Dr. Jessup was testing explosions in the harbor and looking frantically for the apparatus, which was believed to be in the bay at Freidvale.
With this knowledge, the party turned Skarros over to Lord Fatsbury, the only local authority they could trust. They headed to the Temple of Abadar where Gorgio held residence, and informed him of Dr. Jessup's plans. Gorgio declared the debt the party owed him paid in full, and agreed to sell his soul to Malrond in exchange for becoming High Priest of the church of Abadar. Gorgio gave the group a note with his seal on it to take to Malrond, which they did, in exchange for a scroll that would release one person from hell.
Before he left, Bartimeus left the party with a final tidbit: The Apparatus was believed to be in an underwater volcanic crater somewhere in the bay....
All loose ends tied up, the party called it quits for the night.
Monday, February 6, 2017
Session 6 report, Freidvale campaign
The heroes rested after having ousted Captain Skarros and his noble payee, Hong Weitung. Corporal Wiggins had also gone missing, along with several other members of the Imperial garrison at the fortress of Freidvale. Tannis had a fitful sleep, dreaming of a dark shadow that was sniffing the air, moving ever closer towards her. It was decided, after much discussion, that the group would next investigate Lord Bartimeus' slave pens. On the way there, sharp-eyed Vocifera noticed a darkened humanoid shape slip into an alley behind them when she turned around. The group quickly pursued, but found no tracks whatsoever. Once again, the keen eyes of Vocifera noticed that her shadow was not quite tracking with her own movements. When she nervously reported this to the group, her shadow broke away into humanoid form. The being stated it was following 'the master of the cards' (Tannis) and that it could 'smell them'. It said that others would soon follow. It also stated that while it served the master of the cards, it could not follow them into direct sunlight.
Quite alarmed by this development, Tannis immediately set about obtaining some means of obfuscating the cards so that others would not pursue them. It was determined through the knowledge of things Arcane that a simple bag of holding would shelter the cards from detection, which the group quickly procured from Pascal the bookseller. Their detour concluded, the heroes continued on to Bartimeus' manor. The passed town square where holograms depicted various criminals local and national who were wanted for assorted crimes. The group recognized Captain Skarros and Corporal Wiggins and Hong Weitung as a trio of wanted men.
Lord Bartimeus, who had no servants it would seem, opened the door himself, wrapped from head to toe in rags to shelter him from the deadly sun. He led them to the slave pens where two of his 'cattle' had been abducted and murdered. It had been too long for Brog to track the murderers, but he didn't notice a splash of blood on the wall, which Bartimeus decried as being horribly wasteful. There was a passage leading to the undercity, orc territory according to Bart. The heroes resolved to investigate the tunnels, but not before Bart warned them not to head west through the tunnels, as this was the abode of unsanctioned undead. Brog rejoiced that he would finally be able to put his orc-slaying skills to good use.
The group was not long into orc territory when they stepped into the midst of an ambush. The orcs and their Wererat ally had the element of surprise, but it mattered little. Brog made short work of three of the orcs, while Karsh slew the vicious wererat, but not before it scratched him in the face. Thanks to the healing efforts of Vocifiera, Karsh was kept curse and disease free for the time being. The final orc dropped his crossbow and plead for mercy. He escaped with one foot intact, the other in hand (thanks to Brog), but not before he admitted to taking a bribe from some imperial soldiers to let them pass through to Bart's slave pens. Even better, the group had made it to level 3, at 5230 experience points.
The next stop was a return trip to the Fortress, where they visited Lt. Faber, who was furiously filling out paperwork in the absence of his Captain. When questioned, he wiped sweat from his brow, checked the forms, and informed the group that Captain Skarros himself had investigated the crime scene, and that they had received an anonymous tip that the slaves had been murdered. The tip came in the form of a note, Faber reported, that had vanished after the investigation. Before the group left, he handed them a bill for the capture of the leader of the Crimson Claw gang, and asked if the heroes would do him the favor of capturing the criminal. His last known location was at the ruins of the Chapel of Saint Mel, outside of Freidvale.
At the ruins, the group found a single corpse bearing the mark of the Crimson Claw, it's neck having been broken by intense blunt force trauma to the head. Something large and powerful had hit him over the head. Only moments later, two immense, hideous humanoid creatures stepped onto the road behind the heroes. They made their intentions clear a moment later when they threw javelins at the group.
Tannis was quickest and charged, getting pummeled within an inch of her life for her trouble. Vocifera and Fallister managed to get her back on her feet, while Brog and Karsh managed to slay one of the ogres (for Brog recognized the creatures for what they were). Tannis had few hit points and few options left, so she hit the remaining ogre with all her might... a critical hit! She slew the ogre with a single blow.
The group set about investigating the altar and the statue which were still largely intact in the ruins. Tannis checked the altar and detected a crack between it and the stone floor of the chapel. Fallister set the statue aright, putting a stone quill in its hand, which opened the way to a crypt beneath the altar. They also heard a disturbing moaning coming from the crypt. Vocifera detected an undead monster close by, then proceeded to blast the bajeebers out of it using channel positive energy. Saving her last remaining channels for healing, Karsh and Brog bravely stepped into the crypt, ghost-touch swords in hand. The gifts from Lord Fatsbury served them well, as they were able to dispatch the wraith, but not before its chilling touch drained Brog of some of his vitality....
Inside the tomb, the spirit of Saint Melrose awakened, and the luminous being greeted the heroes, granting them his Sacred Quill as a reward for letting his spirit rest once again and purifying his chapel. Using the quill, they translated the document they had received from Gnosh the locksmith, and learned of a secret Project codenamed Guyver. It seemed Dr. Jessup was working on some sort of bomb that relied on living beings for its activation. But what was he planning to destroy? The note did not specify, but it did state the urgency of locating the Apparatus of Kwalish, a device that was crucial to the Emperor's plans....
Quite alarmed by this development, Tannis immediately set about obtaining some means of obfuscating the cards so that others would not pursue them. It was determined through the knowledge of things Arcane that a simple bag of holding would shelter the cards from detection, which the group quickly procured from Pascal the bookseller. Their detour concluded, the heroes continued on to Bartimeus' manor. The passed town square where holograms depicted various criminals local and national who were wanted for assorted crimes. The group recognized Captain Skarros and Corporal Wiggins and Hong Weitung as a trio of wanted men.
Lord Bartimeus, who had no servants it would seem, opened the door himself, wrapped from head to toe in rags to shelter him from the deadly sun. He led them to the slave pens where two of his 'cattle' had been abducted and murdered. It had been too long for Brog to track the murderers, but he didn't notice a splash of blood on the wall, which Bartimeus decried as being horribly wasteful. There was a passage leading to the undercity, orc territory according to Bart. The heroes resolved to investigate the tunnels, but not before Bart warned them not to head west through the tunnels, as this was the abode of unsanctioned undead. Brog rejoiced that he would finally be able to put his orc-slaying skills to good use.
The group was not long into orc territory when they stepped into the midst of an ambush. The orcs and their Wererat ally had the element of surprise, but it mattered little. Brog made short work of three of the orcs, while Karsh slew the vicious wererat, but not before it scratched him in the face. Thanks to the healing efforts of Vocifiera, Karsh was kept curse and disease free for the time being. The final orc dropped his crossbow and plead for mercy. He escaped with one foot intact, the other in hand (thanks to Brog), but not before he admitted to taking a bribe from some imperial soldiers to let them pass through to Bart's slave pens. Even better, the group had made it to level 3, at 5230 experience points.
The next stop was a return trip to the Fortress, where they visited Lt. Faber, who was furiously filling out paperwork in the absence of his Captain. When questioned, he wiped sweat from his brow, checked the forms, and informed the group that Captain Skarros himself had investigated the crime scene, and that they had received an anonymous tip that the slaves had been murdered. The tip came in the form of a note, Faber reported, that had vanished after the investigation. Before the group left, he handed them a bill for the capture of the leader of the Crimson Claw gang, and asked if the heroes would do him the favor of capturing the criminal. His last known location was at the ruins of the Chapel of Saint Mel, outside of Freidvale.
At the ruins, the group found a single corpse bearing the mark of the Crimson Claw, it's neck having been broken by intense blunt force trauma to the head. Something large and powerful had hit him over the head. Only moments later, two immense, hideous humanoid creatures stepped onto the road behind the heroes. They made their intentions clear a moment later when they threw javelins at the group.
Tannis was quickest and charged, getting pummeled within an inch of her life for her trouble. Vocifera and Fallister managed to get her back on her feet, while Brog and Karsh managed to slay one of the ogres (for Brog recognized the creatures for what they were). Tannis had few hit points and few options left, so she hit the remaining ogre with all her might... a critical hit! She slew the ogre with a single blow.
The group set about investigating the altar and the statue which were still largely intact in the ruins. Tannis checked the altar and detected a crack between it and the stone floor of the chapel. Fallister set the statue aright, putting a stone quill in its hand, which opened the way to a crypt beneath the altar. They also heard a disturbing moaning coming from the crypt. Vocifera detected an undead monster close by, then proceeded to blast the bajeebers out of it using channel positive energy. Saving her last remaining channels for healing, Karsh and Brog bravely stepped into the crypt, ghost-touch swords in hand. The gifts from Lord Fatsbury served them well, as they were able to dispatch the wraith, but not before its chilling touch drained Brog of some of his vitality....
Inside the tomb, the spirit of Saint Melrose awakened, and the luminous being greeted the heroes, granting them his Sacred Quill as a reward for letting his spirit rest once again and purifying his chapel. Using the quill, they translated the document they had received from Gnosh the locksmith, and learned of a secret Project codenamed Guyver. It seemed Dr. Jessup was working on some sort of bomb that relied on living beings for its activation. But what was he planning to destroy? The note did not specify, but it did state the urgency of locating the Apparatus of Kwalish, a device that was crucial to the Emperor's plans....
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Session Four Report, Freidvale Campaign, part 2
I'm going to level with you guys, I know I've got the sequence of events out of order. I believe the correct order was you talked to Corporal Wiggins, he implicated Menfa, a witness who claimed that Li Hao perpetrated the murders, and then Menfa quickly cracked under interrogation from Karsh and admitted that he had been threatened to frame Li Hao to free Tan Shuhui (Centipede) after Hong Wei Tung had bribed the Magistrate. They then went to see Li Hao, gave him 2/5ths of the Scorpion gold, and Li Hao was promptly arrested. They busted him out of jail and went to confront Hong directly at his manor. Fallister advised waiting for the Lizard to return, but Brog was certain the Toad (Li Hao) was invincible and could help them beat Hung (who turned out to be the Snake of the Poison Clan). All would have probably gone according to plan, had not the Scorpion been waiting at Hung's manor in hiding and instantly hit the Toad in his weak spot, his ears. Li's kung fu was broken, and the party now faced the Snake and the Centipede (who had just that day been released from prison) without Li's help against them. The party agreed to call it a night then.
You are currently at 3440 xp each. You need 1560xp each to advance to 3rd level (total 5000).
You are currently at 3440 xp each. You need 1560xp each to advance to 3rd level (total 5000).
Monday, December 12, 2016
Session four report, Freidvale campaign
The players convened at a party thrown for them by the Duke of Friedvale, the honorable Lord Gormless Fatsbury. Attending the party were numerous persons of import, and Brog seemed determined to speak to each and every one of them, with or without the Bard's help. Their first attendee was Lord Malrond, the official ambassador to Hell for the city of Friedvale. Their conversation was rather productive, where Brog learned he could procure a Get-Out-of-Hell-Free scroll if he aided Malrond in convincing the Good Bishop Gorgio (another party goer) to sign over his immortal soul in exchange for the High Priesthood of the church of Abadar (still the 'official' religion of the Empire, although it is rumored that the Emperor has himself made deals with Asmodeus, ruler of the 9 Hells.)
Next, the trio of Falister, Tannis and Brog spoke with Bishop Gorgio, and his assistant, Postulant Clark. They asked if he would be willing to sell his soul for the High Priesthood, upon which the good bishop made it known that he would do so only if he were assured of a prominent place in Hell upon his demise....
Brog also had a brief conversation with Lord Bartimeus, who was quite obviously not human. Bartimeus asked if Brog would be so kind as to exonerate him in a small matter involving the illegal feeding upon non-slaves. Lord Bart stated that he was innocent of any non state-sanctioned feeding and that someone had planted a body in his stables to discredit him. Brog agreed to help investigate later.
Sharp-eyed Tannis noticed one of the guard corporals acting suspicious. Corporal Wiggins was sweating profusely, eyes darting nervously. When Fallister questioned him, Wiggins said, "Not here, it's not safe. Meet me at the [name escapes me] Tavern at dusk tomorrow."
Grog spoke to Lord Kinrei and his body guard Virasu Leafcutter (an elf) and inquired why elves were tolerated at this party. Lord Kinrei allowed, rather sheepishly, that this elf in particular was only allowed in because he was Kinrei's slave and body guard. When asked why he was here from the capital, Kinrei explained that he was seeing to Lord Bartimeus after he complained of bad dreams. Lord Kinrei was an expert in the Eastern Healing Arts of directing the flow of chi through the body using acupressure and acupuncture, and he was assisting Lord Bartimeus with these dreams. He asked to examine Brog's aura, touched him in the middle of his forehead, after which Brog had a strange vision but could remember none of it. Lord Kinrei allowed as how Brog had a very bright future ahead of him, and then Brog excused himself.
It was around this time that Brog had the presence of mind to ask about when the next full moon was due. It just so happened, through his knowledge of astrology, that Fallister recalled that the next moonrise would occur in just a few minutes. Brog dragged Fallister to the stables (as he began sprouting long whiskers) while Tannis appealed to Bishop Gorgio for help in removing the curse from their friend. Bishop Gorgio said he would lend the services of a priest in his service who was also attending the party this evening, but the Heroes of the City had to agree to help him ascertain what Dr. Jessup was up to in the harbor at Friedvale. Numerous explosions had been witnessed in the bay, and Gorgio wanted assurances that his assets at the docks were not in any jeopardy. Tannis hastily agreed and led the good priest to the stables where Brog was wrestling furiously with the now transformed bard. Fortunately, Brog was armored head to toe, and the vicious wererat failed to inflict any damage on the valiant ranger. The priest removed the curse from Fallister, who instantly regained his human form.
The final party guest consulted that evening was Hong Wei Tung, a wealthy silk merchant's son. Lord Hong informed Brog that he had made a grave error, that the Black Hand Murderer was still at large and that the identity of the murderer was one Li Hao. [Much excitement from Vocifera as she looked over her notes from previous sessions.] When asked how he knew this, Lord Hong stated that the person they had apprehended was at his residence when several of the murders were perpetrated, so the person they had caught could not be the real murderer. The party remained unconvinced, but said they would investigate, if for no other reason than to ensure their good name and that they remained in the good graces of Duke Fatsbury.
With the final interview completed, the party took their leave of Fatsbury Castle and retired for the evening, leaving watches and taking their ease and recounting tales of their exploits to Karsh and Vocifera.
It was decided the following morning that they would keep their appointment with Corporal Wiggins that evening after interviewing Li Hao at the Inn where he was staying. The party made a deposit at the Temple of Abadar on 9th street, and then proceeded to the inn where Li was reputed to be staying. At the mention of the Centipede and the Black Hand Murders, Li promptly picked Fallister up by the throat with one hand. Fallister hastily convinced Li that they were friends, and the smooth talking bard even got Li to admit that he was none other than the Toad, the fifth of the last pupils of the Poison Clan. Li stated that a share of the gold belonged to him and his friend, the Lizard (whom he did not identify by name), and the party agreed to give two fifths of the Scorpion gold to Li and his friend. They went to the bank, gave Li his money, saw a bunch of guards coming their way and wished Li well and then ducked down an alley. The watched as Li promptly beat the stuffing out of the guards, but then another guard approached and seemed to convince Li to stop fighting. The group left together and the party left satisfied that Li was in good hands.
The rest to follow in Part Two.
Next, the trio of Falister, Tannis and Brog spoke with Bishop Gorgio, and his assistant, Postulant Clark. They asked if he would be willing to sell his soul for the High Priesthood, upon which the good bishop made it known that he would do so only if he were assured of a prominent place in Hell upon his demise....
Brog also had a brief conversation with Lord Bartimeus, who was quite obviously not human. Bartimeus asked if Brog would be so kind as to exonerate him in a small matter involving the illegal feeding upon non-slaves. Lord Bart stated that he was innocent of any non state-sanctioned feeding and that someone had planted a body in his stables to discredit him. Brog agreed to help investigate later.
Sharp-eyed Tannis noticed one of the guard corporals acting suspicious. Corporal Wiggins was sweating profusely, eyes darting nervously. When Fallister questioned him, Wiggins said, "Not here, it's not safe. Meet me at the [name escapes me] Tavern at dusk tomorrow."
Grog spoke to Lord Kinrei and his body guard Virasu Leafcutter (an elf) and inquired why elves were tolerated at this party. Lord Kinrei allowed, rather sheepishly, that this elf in particular was only allowed in because he was Kinrei's slave and body guard. When asked why he was here from the capital, Kinrei explained that he was seeing to Lord Bartimeus after he complained of bad dreams. Lord Kinrei was an expert in the Eastern Healing Arts of directing the flow of chi through the body using acupressure and acupuncture, and he was assisting Lord Bartimeus with these dreams. He asked to examine Brog's aura, touched him in the middle of his forehead, after which Brog had a strange vision but could remember none of it. Lord Kinrei allowed as how Brog had a very bright future ahead of him, and then Brog excused himself.
It was around this time that Brog had the presence of mind to ask about when the next full moon was due. It just so happened, through his knowledge of astrology, that Fallister recalled that the next moonrise would occur in just a few minutes. Brog dragged Fallister to the stables (as he began sprouting long whiskers) while Tannis appealed to Bishop Gorgio for help in removing the curse from their friend. Bishop Gorgio said he would lend the services of a priest in his service who was also attending the party this evening, but the Heroes of the City had to agree to help him ascertain what Dr. Jessup was up to in the harbor at Friedvale. Numerous explosions had been witnessed in the bay, and Gorgio wanted assurances that his assets at the docks were not in any jeopardy. Tannis hastily agreed and led the good priest to the stables where Brog was wrestling furiously with the now transformed bard. Fortunately, Brog was armored head to toe, and the vicious wererat failed to inflict any damage on the valiant ranger. The priest removed the curse from Fallister, who instantly regained his human form.
The final party guest consulted that evening was Hong Wei Tung, a wealthy silk merchant's son. Lord Hong informed Brog that he had made a grave error, that the Black Hand Murderer was still at large and that the identity of the murderer was one Li Hao. [Much excitement from Vocifera as she looked over her notes from previous sessions.] When asked how he knew this, Lord Hong stated that the person they had apprehended was at his residence when several of the murders were perpetrated, so the person they had caught could not be the real murderer. The party remained unconvinced, but said they would investigate, if for no other reason than to ensure their good name and that they remained in the good graces of Duke Fatsbury.
With the final interview completed, the party took their leave of Fatsbury Castle and retired for the evening, leaving watches and taking their ease and recounting tales of their exploits to Karsh and Vocifera.
It was decided the following morning that they would keep their appointment with Corporal Wiggins that evening after interviewing Li Hao at the Inn where he was staying. The party made a deposit at the Temple of Abadar on 9th street, and then proceeded to the inn where Li was reputed to be staying. At the mention of the Centipede and the Black Hand Murders, Li promptly picked Fallister up by the throat with one hand. Fallister hastily convinced Li that they were friends, and the smooth talking bard even got Li to admit that he was none other than the Toad, the fifth of the last pupils of the Poison Clan. Li stated that a share of the gold belonged to him and his friend, the Lizard (whom he did not identify by name), and the party agreed to give two fifths of the Scorpion gold to Li and his friend. They went to the bank, gave Li his money, saw a bunch of guards coming their way and wished Li well and then ducked down an alley. The watched as Li promptly beat the stuffing out of the guards, but then another guard approached and seemed to convince Li to stop fighting. The group left together and the party left satisfied that Li was in good hands.
The rest to follow in Part Two.
Monday, November 14, 2016
Session Three Report, Rogues and Ninjas
Our brave heroes discussed their plans at length on how to capture the Black Hand Gang, perpetrators of a series of heinous murders on the Freidvale waterfront. Some wanted to parade Oberon along the docks until the killer took the bait. They eventually decided to take some of the gold they had acquired from Oberon that bore the symbol of a scorpion and spend it at the Skinny Puppy Tavern, hoping that the killer would hear word of this and track them back to Oberon's house. Fallister was chosen to carry out the mission with his silver tongue, while Karsh would provide backup should things go south.
And south they went. The bartender, a Halfling named Rolf, immediately tried to drug Fallister when he flashed the scorpion gold and asked for a drink. Fallister was not so easily drugged, rolling high on his Fort save. Karsh readied his sword, a half orc in the tavern readied her axe, but Fallister quickly de-escalated the situation with some calming words. Fallister agreed to give the bar patrons 50 gp in exchange for foregoing any hostilities, and the denizens of the Skinny Puppy readily agreed. Karsh was dispatched to fetch the additional gold, while Fallister lost 4 copper in a game of Old Maid with two scarred elves named Benny and Joon. When Karsh returned with the gold, the bartender offered Fallister another drink, just to show there were no hard feelings. The drink was drugged yet again, and despite profuse apologies from Rolf, Karsh and Fallister quickly took their leave.
The party made preparations for attack back in Oberon's basement. They didn't wait long. Karsh stood guard by the door, shadows flickering in the dim candlelight. He heard the tiniest creaking of the floorboards above them at midnight, and quickly woke the others. Moments later, Joon, one of the elves from the Skinny Puppy, leapt from the shadows to attack. A vicious brawl broke out, with Joon expertly diving between Karsh and Brog without a scratch to flank the half orc between herself and her compatriot, Benny, who had appeared in the stairway. The party launched several tanglefoot bags (at the walls), while the fighters and rogues exchanged blows. Brog was brought low by a strike from Joon, but was quickly revived by healing from Vocifera. Meanwhile Karsh and Brog had managed to deal considerable damage to Benny, who was spitting blood. The tide finally turned when Tannis grappled Joon, rendering her largely helpless as she was unable to break the grapple. The monk rained blows down upon her, while Karsh pursued the fleeing Benny up the stairs. The party converged on Joon and rendered her unconscious.
The party debated on whether to revive Joon or let her bleed out. Brog was the voice of reason on this one, wanting to question her first. Vocifera healed her enough to stop the bleeding. Joon promised not to cross the party again, saying they had learned their lesson. The party kept her weapons and magical items: a rapier, a returning dagger and a magical belt, but let Joon live to fight another day. An additional reward for their efforts was that they had earned enough experience to reach level 2.
Having been a night of considerable energy expenditure, the party set watches and rested. They didn't rest for long as a crash from upstairs woke the group and brought them to full alert status. A man in red emerged from the staircase, did some nifty martial arts moves in rapid succession, and left little doubt in the party's minds that this was the infamous Centipede, believed to be the perpetrator of the Black Hand murders. The Centipede moved quickly and disarmed Karsh, who immediately drew another weapon. Vocifera threw her returning dagger, only to have it snatched from the air by the nimble Centipede. His hands now full, the party attacked him in earnest. Tannis struck true with her oddly-named weapon whose name I can never remember or spell, Brog hacked away with his twin axes, and Karsh landed some shots with a long sword. Were it not for their recently acquired new abilities, the party might have been doomed, but instead they prevailed after a tough fight. Even Vocifera landed at least two critical hits with a regular dagger when her healing spells were exhausted. They bound the defeated foe hand and foot and brought him to the fortress for trial.
Lord Gormless Fatsbury, Duke and ruler of the city of Freidvale, was delighted by the news that the killer had at last been apprehended, and he invited the party to a... well, a party at his castle. Brog, Tannis and Fallister accepted while Vocifera, fearing she would be discriminated against as an elf, stayed in Oberon's basement with Karsh. They needn't have worried, so it turned out, as Lord Gormless revealed his master at arms was a Drow, a dark elf. The Duke explained his love of the undercity of Detropolis and his fascination with the races that populated it. He brought the three heroes to his armory and gave them special gifts, hand wraps for the Monk, a sword for Karsh and an axe for Brog. Lord Fatsbury explained that these weapons were used in the Third War for the White Plains, and area filled with the undead, and that each of the weapons had the special quality of enabling the wielder to affect non-corporeal creatures. He then led the party down to his stables where he introduced them to Caius, a trained rhinoceros mount that he had personally ridden into battle in their youth. He also showed them Cassiopeia, a dire bat mount, and Brutus, a giant spider mount ridden by his Drow master at arms.
The session was ended just as the other party guests arrived.
And south they went. The bartender, a Halfling named Rolf, immediately tried to drug Fallister when he flashed the scorpion gold and asked for a drink. Fallister was not so easily drugged, rolling high on his Fort save. Karsh readied his sword, a half orc in the tavern readied her axe, but Fallister quickly de-escalated the situation with some calming words. Fallister agreed to give the bar patrons 50 gp in exchange for foregoing any hostilities, and the denizens of the Skinny Puppy readily agreed. Karsh was dispatched to fetch the additional gold, while Fallister lost 4 copper in a game of Old Maid with two scarred elves named Benny and Joon. When Karsh returned with the gold, the bartender offered Fallister another drink, just to show there were no hard feelings. The drink was drugged yet again, and despite profuse apologies from Rolf, Karsh and Fallister quickly took their leave.
The party made preparations for attack back in Oberon's basement. They didn't wait long. Karsh stood guard by the door, shadows flickering in the dim candlelight. He heard the tiniest creaking of the floorboards above them at midnight, and quickly woke the others. Moments later, Joon, one of the elves from the Skinny Puppy, leapt from the shadows to attack. A vicious brawl broke out, with Joon expertly diving between Karsh and Brog without a scratch to flank the half orc between herself and her compatriot, Benny, who had appeared in the stairway. The party launched several tanglefoot bags (at the walls), while the fighters and rogues exchanged blows. Brog was brought low by a strike from Joon, but was quickly revived by healing from Vocifera. Meanwhile Karsh and Brog had managed to deal considerable damage to Benny, who was spitting blood. The tide finally turned when Tannis grappled Joon, rendering her largely helpless as she was unable to break the grapple. The monk rained blows down upon her, while Karsh pursued the fleeing Benny up the stairs. The party converged on Joon and rendered her unconscious.
The party debated on whether to revive Joon or let her bleed out. Brog was the voice of reason on this one, wanting to question her first. Vocifera healed her enough to stop the bleeding. Joon promised not to cross the party again, saying they had learned their lesson. The party kept her weapons and magical items: a rapier, a returning dagger and a magical belt, but let Joon live to fight another day. An additional reward for their efforts was that they had earned enough experience to reach level 2.
Having been a night of considerable energy expenditure, the party set watches and rested. They didn't rest for long as a crash from upstairs woke the group and brought them to full alert status. A man in red emerged from the staircase, did some nifty martial arts moves in rapid succession, and left little doubt in the party's minds that this was the infamous Centipede, believed to be the perpetrator of the Black Hand murders. The Centipede moved quickly and disarmed Karsh, who immediately drew another weapon. Vocifera threw her returning dagger, only to have it snatched from the air by the nimble Centipede. His hands now full, the party attacked him in earnest. Tannis struck true with her oddly-named weapon whose name I can never remember or spell, Brog hacked away with his twin axes, and Karsh landed some shots with a long sword. Were it not for their recently acquired new abilities, the party might have been doomed, but instead they prevailed after a tough fight. Even Vocifera landed at least two critical hits with a regular dagger when her healing spells were exhausted. They bound the defeated foe hand and foot and brought him to the fortress for trial.
Lord Gormless Fatsbury, Duke and ruler of the city of Freidvale, was delighted by the news that the killer had at last been apprehended, and he invited the party to a... well, a party at his castle. Brog, Tannis and Fallister accepted while Vocifera, fearing she would be discriminated against as an elf, stayed in Oberon's basement with Karsh. They needn't have worried, so it turned out, as Lord Gormless revealed his master at arms was a Drow, a dark elf. The Duke explained his love of the undercity of Detropolis and his fascination with the races that populated it. He brought the three heroes to his armory and gave them special gifts, hand wraps for the Monk, a sword for Karsh and an axe for Brog. Lord Fatsbury explained that these weapons were used in the Third War for the White Plains, and area filled with the undead, and that each of the weapons had the special quality of enabling the wielder to affect non-corporeal creatures. He then led the party down to his stables where he introduced them to Caius, a trained rhinoceros mount that he had personally ridden into battle in their youth. He also showed them Cassiopeia, a dire bat mount, and Brutus, a giant spider mount ridden by his Drow master at arms.
The session was ended just as the other party guests arrived.
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
Illandria Campaign Lore: Kwalish, Greatest Inventor of our age
One can hardly make their way through the streets of any modern city without witnessing several of the great inventions of Kwalish, a great mechanist and a great arcanist whose accomplishments far dwarf those of any other inventor of our age. Air dirigibles bring goods and passengers from remote settlements to the capital; our walls are guarded not only by stout men at arms with bow and arrow and pike, but also by troops armed with pistol, powder and musket; at night our streets are protected by constables outfitted with night goggles, repeating crossbows, sending stones; the list goes on an on....
While his inventions have made an enormous impact on the world around us, surprisingly little is known about his personal life. He was born a locksmith's son in Y.L. 292 in the small village of Mundts. As a boy he showed great aptitude for the trade, a bit too much aptitude for the liking of local law enforcement. When the boy was found one day working at picking the lock on the community chest in the mayor's private chambers (his excuse being that he wanted to see if it needed repairing) he was given two choices: 3 weeks in the stocks or be branded with the sign of a thief. The boy chose the former punishment, although he did not serve his full sentence by any means. The sheriff found the stocks, his armory and his purse all empty the following morning. The boy had vanished into the night.
Kwalish set off to seek his fortune in Y.L. 303. He travelled north to Grand Marsh where he booked passage upriver to the Capital City, hoping to lose any pursuit in the crowded streets of that thriving metropolis. He lived for a short time in a hovel a few blocks away from the dwelling of the eremite, Landis. Landis had been a famous lecturer and a professor of Abjuration in the School of Arcane Arts in his younger days, but had retired from the public life long ago and sought to spend the remainder of his days in solitude with his books and his thoughts. It was perhaps fate that brought Kwalish to the back door of the famous Abjurer very early one spring morning. Landis later reported that when his alarm spell triggered and he saw the scrawny waif at his door, his first inclination was to let the wards trigger and incinerate the young upstart then and there. But first with amazement and then fascination, Landis watched the boy set to work upon deciphering and then disabling the magical wards, one by one. The boy was obviously too young to have had any formal training, and though he had missed the alarm spell, he showed a preternatural skill at perceiving and decoding magical glyphs. Like tumblers for a lock, Kwalish could sequence them and even roughly disable them by scratching off just the right mark. Rather than leave the boy to possibly perish with the slightest mistake, Landis opened his door swiftly and invited him in for breakfast. Kwalish accepted and spent 4 years as an apprentice, during which time he learned to incorporate the magical and the mechanical. Upon completing his apprenticeship, he left Landis' inner city keep more secure than he had found it and received a letter of recommendation for acceptance to the University in the school of his choosing. Kwalish is believed to have had no further contact with Landis after the day he left.
Kwalish began attending University in the year Y.L. 307. He was at first unaccustomed to the highly competitive atmosphere of academia, and he made no friends during his studies. His masters reported he was only an average student but had a voracious appetite for knowledge. He was frequently disciplined for attempting to access books off limits to first year students, and he asked questions incessantly about the lowest levels of the library which only tenured faculty were allowed to read. It was at this time that he lost all his hair during a mishap with a locked door in a library. Kwalish had apparently, finally, met his match with a lock he could not pick. He then shifted his studies from magical locks to magical keys and eventually received his doctorate in the school of Transmutation in Y.L. 313. His primary achievement was the Key of Kwalish, which was held at the University until Y.L. 320 when it was discovered the item held in the University Museum of Magical Artifacts was in fact, a non-magical fake. Kwalish was sought for questioning but he had moved far to the West by this time to the city of Hartgestein.
It was in the western empire that Kwalish came into his own. Blueprints for new designs flew off his desk. His most profitable venture was selling the plans for firearms to the imperial army. He could have rested on his laurels with this achievement alone, but he went on to invent the dirigible, which he also sold for military and commercial applications. In 329 Y.L. the law finally caught up to him. Kwalish was arrested by special police for suspicion of theft of University property, but he was quickly pardoned by Emperor Spanks for outstanding contributions to society. The Key was never located and never returned.
Retiring to the outskirts of Freidvale in 330 Y.L., he began laboring on his magnum opus, what would become known only as the Apparatus. The device, when completed, would allow 5 men and a pilot to explore flora and fauna under the sea. Breathing was enabled by a conduit that channeled air directly from the Elemental Plane of air, and the device could crawl like a crab or shoot backwards like a crawfish at high speeds. It was also capable of floatation. Kwalish and his crew made a fateful 10 day voyage to the bottom of Lake See to seek the lost city ruins of Opsalathys. They returned successfully, but Kwalish refused to expound on whether or not he reached the city ruins.
Tragedy struck soon after the expedition to Opsalathys. Kwalish become ever more reclusive, and no further work was produced from the normally effusive creator for the next two years. It is not known why Kwalish took his crew and the Apparatus into the bay at Freidvale in the winter of 332, but Kwalish, his apparatus and its crew were never heard from or seen again. Some have postulated that a malfunction resulted in the death of all hands and the destruction of the device. Some believe he became mentally unstable in his later years. It has even been speculated that he found a great undersea paradise and his descendants live there still. Many wizards and mechanists alike have searched the bay extensively for the marvelous Apparatus of Kwalish, but none have ever found it or its creator's remains.
While his inventions have made an enormous impact on the world around us, surprisingly little is known about his personal life. He was born a locksmith's son in Y.L. 292 in the small village of Mundts. As a boy he showed great aptitude for the trade, a bit too much aptitude for the liking of local law enforcement. When the boy was found one day working at picking the lock on the community chest in the mayor's private chambers (his excuse being that he wanted to see if it needed repairing) he was given two choices: 3 weeks in the stocks or be branded with the sign of a thief. The boy chose the former punishment, although he did not serve his full sentence by any means. The sheriff found the stocks, his armory and his purse all empty the following morning. The boy had vanished into the night.
Kwalish set off to seek his fortune in Y.L. 303. He travelled north to Grand Marsh where he booked passage upriver to the Capital City, hoping to lose any pursuit in the crowded streets of that thriving metropolis. He lived for a short time in a hovel a few blocks away from the dwelling of the eremite, Landis. Landis had been a famous lecturer and a professor of Abjuration in the School of Arcane Arts in his younger days, but had retired from the public life long ago and sought to spend the remainder of his days in solitude with his books and his thoughts. It was perhaps fate that brought Kwalish to the back door of the famous Abjurer very early one spring morning. Landis later reported that when his alarm spell triggered and he saw the scrawny waif at his door, his first inclination was to let the wards trigger and incinerate the young upstart then and there. But first with amazement and then fascination, Landis watched the boy set to work upon deciphering and then disabling the magical wards, one by one. The boy was obviously too young to have had any formal training, and though he had missed the alarm spell, he showed a preternatural skill at perceiving and decoding magical glyphs. Like tumblers for a lock, Kwalish could sequence them and even roughly disable them by scratching off just the right mark. Rather than leave the boy to possibly perish with the slightest mistake, Landis opened his door swiftly and invited him in for breakfast. Kwalish accepted and spent 4 years as an apprentice, during which time he learned to incorporate the magical and the mechanical. Upon completing his apprenticeship, he left Landis' inner city keep more secure than he had found it and received a letter of recommendation for acceptance to the University in the school of his choosing. Kwalish is believed to have had no further contact with Landis after the day he left.
Kwalish began attending University in the year Y.L. 307. He was at first unaccustomed to the highly competitive atmosphere of academia, and he made no friends during his studies. His masters reported he was only an average student but had a voracious appetite for knowledge. He was frequently disciplined for attempting to access books off limits to first year students, and he asked questions incessantly about the lowest levels of the library which only tenured faculty were allowed to read. It was at this time that he lost all his hair during a mishap with a locked door in a library. Kwalish had apparently, finally, met his match with a lock he could not pick. He then shifted his studies from magical locks to magical keys and eventually received his doctorate in the school of Transmutation in Y.L. 313. His primary achievement was the Key of Kwalish, which was held at the University until Y.L. 320 when it was discovered the item held in the University Museum of Magical Artifacts was in fact, a non-magical fake. Kwalish was sought for questioning but he had moved far to the West by this time to the city of Hartgestein.
It was in the western empire that Kwalish came into his own. Blueprints for new designs flew off his desk. His most profitable venture was selling the plans for firearms to the imperial army. He could have rested on his laurels with this achievement alone, but he went on to invent the dirigible, which he also sold for military and commercial applications. In 329 Y.L. the law finally caught up to him. Kwalish was arrested by special police for suspicion of theft of University property, but he was quickly pardoned by Emperor Spanks for outstanding contributions to society. The Key was never located and never returned.
Retiring to the outskirts of Freidvale in 330 Y.L., he began laboring on his magnum opus, what would become known only as the Apparatus. The device, when completed, would allow 5 men and a pilot to explore flora and fauna under the sea. Breathing was enabled by a conduit that channeled air directly from the Elemental Plane of air, and the device could crawl like a crab or shoot backwards like a crawfish at high speeds. It was also capable of floatation. Kwalish and his crew made a fateful 10 day voyage to the bottom of Lake See to seek the lost city ruins of Opsalathys. They returned successfully, but Kwalish refused to expound on whether or not he reached the city ruins.
Tragedy struck soon after the expedition to Opsalathys. Kwalish become ever more reclusive, and no further work was produced from the normally effusive creator for the next two years. It is not known why Kwalish took his crew and the Apparatus into the bay at Freidvale in the winter of 332, but Kwalish, his apparatus and its crew were never heard from or seen again. Some have postulated that a malfunction resulted in the death of all hands and the destruction of the device. Some believe he became mentally unstable in his later years. It has even been speculated that he found a great undersea paradise and his descendants live there still. Many wizards and mechanists alike have searched the bay extensively for the marvelous Apparatus of Kwalish, but none have ever found it or its creator's remains.
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