Road of the Dead and Dying

 13th of Reaping High Summer

Overnight events.

As the party rests, Tibaltuous is reading the books from the shadowplane [DM: blogpost] that they had acquired under the theatre in the undead lands near Enstad.

Graxxuzazz decides to take back the book of Orcus" the portly but athletic lizardfolk hand 'lent' [his words] to the bard. This large tome - found in the Lost city of Herodia - made of what feels like leather

but is not and appears to suck in the light, appeared to be a 'bible' to Orcus. Various cult/ insane authors wrote of their god/patron and his life so far. It is an.. extensive read.. 13 books or testaments. 54 of the 666 Abyssal Psalms  (one for each layer of the abyss Orcus Has/had sway over) The Black Darkness. The final 'book/testament' in the large tome does not open or allow any to open to those pages.

Tibaltuous notices this and a tussle ensues with various abilities being used to keep or snatch up the book. After some back and forth  [DM: to some laughter and merriment of the group] The bard and sorcerer come to a compromise and read the bible of Orcus together, alternating paragraphs and pages at times. They actually spend their watch reading the time, fully engrossed in the book.

This does not bode well for the two seasoned members of the party, Gothi and Doc. Hester, new and not knowing the history of ancient evil artifacts and such and how they have affected a previous party member [DM: blogpost], just looked and felt troubled.

Some further activity happens where Gothi while on guard that night, tries to inject a paralysis venom from her spider companion, but the athletic but portly Graxxuzazz is able to fight off the venom and confront the ranger. Tibaltuous awakes, and casts hold person on Gothi! Doc jumps up aiming both pistols back and forth at the group and book having finally had enough as Lars the vampire/warlock boy expresses his disbelief at the group.

Graxxuzazz polymorphs into a giant eagle and Tibaltuous jumps on board with book in hand and the

two fly off into the night. They find a safe spot to land after noting a long line of twinkling lights in the night. Taking a closer look they see a wagon train on the main road. Appearing to be moving Westwards.

The two find a safe spot to land, reading the tome more, finishing book two. By this point they are exhausted, the tome seems to be very difficult to read. Taking their full concentration.

Map of area [blue dot is party location]

As the sun starts to rise the sorcerer and the bard note that the long line of twinkling lights was a wagon train. an army, looking to be in full retreat. The army of IUZ.

The Defeated Army

As far as the eye can see a column of troops, humanoids of all sizes, humans, orcs, goblinoids, giants and ogres and more. The standard of IUZ's skull hangs at an angle from a wagon filled with wounded soldiers.

Looking beaten, injured and defeated, head West. Wagons filled with wounded troops roll and creak onwards, some dead and dying are left at the side of column, most tossed carelessly out of the way. Carrion eaters flying and crawling, already pick away at the dead and dying soldiers, the living heedless of the those being eaten. 

As the Fellowship watch, a small group quickly mark where a comrade is dead, piling rocks on top of the covered body and leave a sword stuck in ground, helmet hanging on it. The six wearing torn black leathers, one holding a standard of a blood
stained white rose on green. They stand for a moment, and there is a murmuring from the six, all hold a similar handax up high for a moment to the shallow rock covered grave. Then one by one rejoin the column trudging westward, dirty faces tired and worn - defeated.

On the edges of the  long column, outriders leave and return.. scouts possibly. With spyglass and scope, Hester and Doc are able to note a small contingent of riders  further along, at the top of a small hill, maybe 300 feet from the column , appearing to be watching, the standards are indistinguishable from this distance. Using the magically enhanced spyglass the group appears to be possibly the leaders of this defeated army. What appears to be a large muscular red-skinned ogre riding some type of two legged lizard. In thick furs, even in the hot summer day. A standard hangs unmoving in the windless day. 4 fanged green snakes about to lunge on a red background. Two goblins, also hold a standard with the fanged skull of IUZ nearby. Nearby are at least 10 or more fully armoured humanoids standing ready, a white cloaked female human, long black hair, 1/2 the height of the ogre stands nearby. The woman seems to be in an animated conversation with the ogre.

The party hide the wagon and keep a watch on the retreating army through out the day. They need to head East along that road. With an army albeit a wounded and defeated one it appears in the way, they need to wait. 

Doc decides to recover the body of the fallen soldier during the night, stealthily going to the shallow grave and removing the rocks. The wagons a weary soldiers on the road move on, not noticing. Using his enhanced strength the 1/2 orc easily carries the body back to camp. Where the newest party member Hester calls upon his god Celestian to speak with the dead. The priest is able to garner a few pieces of information from the cryptic and belligerent recently dead soldier. 

Tibaltuous and Graxxuzazz read the third book of the Bible of Orcus. The two appear to become quite engrossed while reading not noticing or hearing anything. A shake of the shoulder bringing them out of their trance-like reading of the black-covered tome. 

Gothi's reptilian scavenger [dinosaur-like raptor] has grown now nearly 2 feet in height and comes back with a horses hoof bloody tendons dragging with a horse shoe still attached. Gothi notes the scavenger
has a ring - silver with a single ruby inset - on one of the creature's long fangs. Distracting him, with some tasty spiced deer jerky, she is able to pull it off the tooth, without losing a finger! The fine looking ring appears to be worth a great deal to the ranger's practiced eye. Perhaps Graxxuzazz or the new priest, Hester may be able to detect if the bauble is magical...

During the nightly stop, a familiar face appears in the campfire set by Gothi. Lady Cowl, the untrusted [by the party] and enigmatic head of OverLord Romack's secretive intelligence forces. She advises the group that Lord Royce's forces had indeed laid siege to Axegard. Then, the Lady confronts the party on the torture to one of her agents that had been following the Fellowship in Wayberry. [DM: Blogpost], Getting somewhat upset at the attitude of the heroes and even swears - unsightly for a Lady of her standing one would think - cuts short the dsicussion without providing key information she says she had  to the group.

The next day, the long wagon train is gone, the wounded and retreated all gone. Dead and dying still line the road, the scavengers with multiple legs and winged now.. feast.

As they journey Eastwards towards Axegard, the Fellowship all receive a message - group Sending it seems - from Lady Cowl.

"Fellowship, pardon my uncouth language during our last interaction. The loss of my son to the

illithids, as well as the betrayal of others in the organization has strained my patience and more beyond measure it seems.

"We deal with an enemy that can impersonate ANY. Loved ones, those most close and more. Be on your guard against this, trusting even a most familiar face can be your peril.

"The last information I will give you is free and to form even a somewhat  tenuous level of trust: your tower looks to be 90 miles Northeast of your last known position. This image of the area may be helpful.

"To Overlord  Romack's victory!" Message ends, no option to reply.

They each receive an image in their mind of a map of the area, the tower appears in the high hills near a small village. Probably 4 days East from Axegard by fast horse, they estimate maybe a week maybe more by wagon - unless they can acquire some more draft horses... next step, meet with Lord Royce!

Battle at the Sentinel Tower

We say goodbye to two comrades and hello to a new member in the Fellowship.

12th of Reaping, High Summer

With some of the party on the wagon and some walking, the Fellowship head south skirting the Lost city of Herodia and are on their way towards their next goal, to reclaim their flying tower.

With Gothi riding Morsel, her cavebear out front, the party make good time even with the slow wagon and some of the Fellowship walking. The ranger is able to find a safe haven amongst a large stand of trees so the party can rest.

The party decide to rest [DM all have 1 level of exhaustion]. A smokeless fire is setup by the experienced ranger, and then Gothi heads out and does some hunting. No luck involved, she brings down a deer as well as three rabbits. Bringing back the kills, she prepares the meat and all eat well. Even a nice stream with fresh water to parch dry and smoke filled throats.

The party have finally got ahead of the smoke and it appears the wind is blowing Eastwards at this point.

Tibaltuous and Kantif take 1st watch. The rest of the heroes rest and and some gentle snoring starts. An hour before midnight, the two hear the flap of large wings above. In the star-filled sky, the large forms of what appear to be a wyvern flying to the West. Appearing at this point heading towards Marlbridge.

The two note humanoid riders on the wyverns before they fly out of sight. Both know the forces of IUZ

use wyvern for the airforce. Overlord Romack use griffons, although either side use other flying creatures especially amongst mercenary crews. Then a large creature with at least double the wingspan of the wyvern floats over above. A few moments pass and then a screech floats back echoing across the land. Both know from discussion with Overlord Romack's forces that this area is probably No-Mans-land, neither empire in control of the area.

 Kantif and Tibaltuous a while later, start some conversation during the 4 hour stretch, Kantif seems troubled and finally mentions his father, an assassin of some renown. This brings up Tibaltuous' bounty-hunter interest. Mentioning his true name - Varis Kaleer, the bard/bounty-hunter does not know if but once an alias is mentioned - Harland Keer - Tibaltuous knows that one! With a 10,000GP  bounty for assassination of a prominent merchant of Greyhawk. Tibaltuous takes out a small well-worn leather tome with heavily thumbed pages and with quill and ink makes some notes on this with a gleam in his eye, talking about hunting him down. Kantif feels a great need to find his father and appears to come to a decision in the night.

The rest of the night passes without incident, and the party move on, the horse slightly refreshed but heavily laden with the heavy wagon and load - Cube. With Gothi on Morsel ahead, the party moves out.

They are able to travel, making good time for a few hours. Then Gothi smells smoke. She recalls there is a village - Waverly - ahead. Having spoke to other rangers, she knows a little of the area. There is a valley ahead where the village is and there is one of the beacons - Sentinel towers, used for communicating over long distances - on the far side of the valley. There is probably 2 or 3 hundred people. She thinks it is forest fire but something else as well. The Fellowship come over a rise and see what was the village is now burned to the ground. On the far side is the beacon and what

appears to be a rope bridge from another promontory where there is a small tone and wood building. a zig-zag path climbs up to the building.

The party hear the shout and laughing of large creatures.. GIANTS. 

Then they see what appears to be a hillgiant confronting a wagon on a small road, as well as a firegiant up by the building. The hillgiant grabs what appears to be a human by the leg and with his other hand, brings down a tree trunk club onto what looked like a gnome crushing the small creature. As the party discusses strategy, the hillgiant swings down again, crushing the rearing horse in one blow.

The party jump into action each knowing the tactics and capabilities of the others. Doc, aims his long musket at the hillgiant while the rest of the party move up the steep path to engage the firegiant.

Kantif moves up quickly nimbly moving up the paths to the building. The rogue/monk sees a demon flying under the rope bridge. He notifies Gothi in the party with his ear ring of messages. Demons and giants. 

Gothi marks the firegiant and looses multiple arrows at the firegaint, each one doing effective damage to the massive giant. The blast of Doc's musket echoes around the valley, the musket ball doing critical damage to the hillgiant humanoid. His divine energy form the Raven Queen empower the shots even more.

 Graxxuzazz invokes the power of his sorcerous god and blasts the giants. Tibaltuous' voice rings out empowering some of the Fellowship to health  as well as being able to move
further and closer to the giants and demons. 

A figure up by the beacon appears to be engaged in battle with a demon. The heroes engage all as they make towards the beacon. 

Fighting back and forth against demons and giants, the Fellowship are able to finally overcome the forces of IUZ. The rope bridge cut near

the end of the battle, the party had a difficult climb  - or use magic - to gain the high height of the sentinel tower. There looks to be a large crystal or mirror that is cracked and broken.

The party greet the cloaked figure near the beacon. A tanned-skinned and furred humanoid named Hester. Mix of a human and a tabaxian. Wearing dark blue scalemail, shield [heraldry; Dark circle with starts in it] and a mace in the other hand.

Hester agrees somewhat reluctantly and suspiciously to join the Fellowship for now, after learning of the party's overall plans and fight against IUZ and the BlackRunes.

Kantif at this point decides he must follow his heart and advises the party he will be leaving to find his father - last heard to be in the town of Fax on the Wildcoast in BlackRune territory.

Thogra, who has plans and more of his own decides to accompany Kantif as his goal was to travel to Fax as well. The two part with the Fellowship, somewhat emotionally as they had become quite close comrades. Heading Northeast, the stealthy two rogues, one a monk and one a priest of the god SET, fade into the distance.

The party with a new ally now, head towards their next objective. recovering their Flying Tower!

Escape from the Lost City

 12th of Reaping, High Summer

Location: The Lost City of Herodia

The heroes of the RedWater Fellowship still breathe heavily recovering from the battle with the followers of Orcus. Graxxuzazz still lays in a coma, Tibaltuous talks to his newly acquired sentient sword. Deciding to look for treasure in the surrounding caves and rooms, the adventurers see a cavern to the Northeast that is filled with webs. 

Discussion on resting and Thogra mentioned calling on his god - SET - but that would take some type of payment - not monetary. The party - with that in mind - explore to find a safe place to rest. There is a cavern to the Northeast but it is filled with think webs. Various pieces of discarded gear, old boots, broken sword can be noted as Doc explores, torch held high. Glittering eyes.. many of them.. look down from the webs. Large spiders scuttle about on the webs that fill the cavern to ceiling height 30'-40' up. The party makes ready weapons and then with a blast of Doc's musket engage the spiders.

Burning webs and launching missile weapons, the Fellowship attack. 

Doc calls the power of the Raven Queen to bless the party, which helps all with their attacks and dodging the webs being slung down by the giant spiders.

Gothi fires her bow hitting multiple spiders and taking one out. 

Tibaltuous - with Sir Lawrence in hand - steps forward with Doc. As a spider spins a web down and engages. Tibaltuous swings high putting the blade deep in the bloated body of the hairy spider.

Doc flaming sword in one hand and pistol in the other, fires and swings.

The spiders scuttling about the webs put up a valiant fight but the conclusion is foregone. All the spiders dead and looting taking place. 

Various bodies bundled up in webs, mostly near husks, their fluids drained by the spiders. Gnolls, lizardfolk and human remains found so far. Golden goblet, a baby's cradle [fine wood], various coinage, silver edged longsword and scroll, as well as a finely crafted staff. Later on Graxxuzazz is able to identify it. Cugel's Staff of Spellstoring.

The cavern ends and waves of evil still emanate from the statue of ORCUS, not far away. The party decide to head back to the room they shared with the lizardfolk. As they head towards the long stairs, the drumming starts again, coming from passageways to the South.

The party, try to ignore the continual drumming and with torch held high, head up the stairs.

Kantif the rogue/monk in front carefully moving forward, Tibaltuous carrying the portly - but athletic - Graxxuzazz, then Doc and Thogra carrying the portable ballista [used by the gnolls in the last battle] and Gothi with Morsel [her cavebear] bringing up the rear. The ranger keeps a keen eye behind them to ensure no ones comes upon them unnoticed.

Kantif peers around the corner and hears and then sees two gnolls chatting and yipping softly [laughter it seems]. The rogue/monk watches for a while and then one gnoll moves off and there now is only one gnoll. The party prepares, 1st step will be to cast Silence 15. radius and then attack in the quiet. The gnolls are cut down after they lobbed flaming bottles of oil at the party.

It does not appear any more enemies are nearby. Gothi and Kantif explore the previous area the party rested in [DM #5], and it appears the area has not been entered into. Fortunately for the party, Graxxuzazz is able to recover from his coma and wakes up [DM: rolling % he rolls a 6 and it was 6 minutes later comes out of his coma]. The party inform the lizardfolk sorcerer of the past events.

Graxxuzazz feels it is like Deja-vu. 

Everyone is asleep, no one appears to be on guard. The sorcerer then remembers.. where he has been..

Graxxuzazz had dreamed deeply..

He is in a vast court, pillars of skulls hold up a giant rib-caged ceiling, blood drips from the giant ribs, a

presence fills the far end in darkness, then the glimmering light of Elyssius god of the lizardfolk.. but.. something is wrong. What appears lying before a large fat goat headed demon.. Orcus, the god looks to his prophet calling out, "Why did you fail me, my Prophet!" and gasps one last time as a giant blade swings down at his neck with a spray of blood..

Gothi dreams of the foretelling of Pyra..

A figure stalks her prey through the forest. The environment changes as the two are now in the vast colossus F.ERA. Gothi looks around and feels again at home, family and content. The figure stalking the foreclaimer reaches down and raises a crossbow, the bolt dripping blood. She cries out in anguish as she fires the bolt catching Gothi in the neck, blood sprays as Gothi turns to see Pyra there, crossbow in hand on knees unbelieving and crying..

Doc dreams.. 

Waking up to see the vast entrance to the lands of the dead, a wide river

on one side a road of skulls on the other, Doc in a small boat nears the vast gates.. He sees the masked porcelain face of the Raven Queen. His heart swells in pride devotion and more for his goddess. She reaches out to Her Paladin and then.. pauses and turns away, disappearing into the gate as the giant doors close with a thundering clang.  Doc cries out, falling to his knees, nearly tipping the boat over seeing his visage in the river, a bloody skull, armour and weapons all dripping rivulets of blood. He was an undead Anti-Paladin.

Tibaltuous dreams..

On stage about to do to be lifetime performance for the CUBE, all the crowd prostrate and worshipping the CUBE, they turn to hear the bard's speech  and all aghast and afraid as he gurgles and coughs and gags. Tibaltuous cannot speak, he has no jaw, only a bloody tongue hanging dripping blood..

Kantif dreams..

Is on a mission against elvish allies of the BlackRunes. With deft skill and speed he follows his target - an elf -  through the streets of the town of FAX,  finally the figure goes down an alley

and Kantif knows this is the last chance to strike. He pounces his blade driving deep in the back and through heart and out of chest. The assassin's grin of satisfaction turns as gasping in sudden pain he looks down to see the blade protruding from his own chest, a chuckle behind and he sees his father's elvish face with a leer and grin, then Kantif choking on blood..

Everyone wakes up at the same time gasping and calling out covering in sweat. [DM: all have one level of exhaustion] The brazier of blood sits there, the blood in the device swirling slightly. The trail of blood entering and exiting the room from previously as the bard had been carrying on his back. The party hear a faint laughter as the dreams fade..

The party decide it must be destroyed and discuss ways to do this. Graxxuzazz recalls it was near artifact level so it will be very difficult to destroy. Coming upon a final option, the party decide to toss the artifact into the crevice to the South.

Looking about, Kantif hears the chittering and squeaks of the bats in the area.

He takes it there, blood sloshing around and looks into the dark. The rogue/monk as he hurls the artifact into the gloom. With a clatter, banging and more, it falls from sight the echoing clangs of the brazier banging into walls continuing for some time.. until.. silence.

The drumming echoes up from below and from the light across to the southwest. A number of bats flutter around at the disturbance.

IUZ's Brazier of Blood is thrown away. The party feel better.. seems the artifact had definite effects on the party. All are still exhausted though. The party decide to take a short rest.

Kantif and Tibaltuous stand watch as the party rests after Kantif reactivates the pit trap by the door.

The Fellowship are able to finish a short rest, only the slowly dwindling sounds of the bats in the Southern hall and room could be heard. The drumming throb had not started back up again, which was.. troubling.

Gathering their gear and the small ballista, the party exited the room and headed South carefully and quietly so as not to disturb the bats. A few fluttered around, but not many.

The party come up the stairs out of the dark and into a strange view. There is a red haze to the North all along the horizon from the sun. Then the party smells smoke. The party realize they started two fires previously and these have become a raging forest fire, smoke clouding the sky as far as the eyes can see.

Gothi, ranger, thinks the fireball that hit the gnoll camp potentially started a raging forest fire to the North with the amount of time that has passed.

The adventurers decide to move North towards the forest fires, to rejoin up with their wagon and Lars.

Moving as quickly as their exhausted bodies could move, they travelled the old ruined road North.

The Fellowship struggled under the weight of the small ballista, but persevered and moved on, knowing they left Lars and the CUBE possibly in a dangerous situation now with the forest fires.

Early evening, and the party are sweating under the gear and load of loot taken from the Lost city. Coughing every once in a while as billows of smoke drift past, they trek up the old ruined road. Passing the gnoll outpost, all the trees in the area are burned and black. Then Gothi hears it, even as Morsel's ears raise and the bear growls. gnollish yips and barks, then a whump of what the party knows is a fireball going off. The adventurers, drop their loot and equipment and race ahead. Coming over a bluff they look down into a burning battle.

At a crossroads, the Fellowship's wagon is stopped at a tree fell over the road. Lars - the vampire boy - is crouched holding on to the reigns of the rearing horses attached. One horse is already dead, multiple arrows protruding from the body. The other three are neighing and trying to break free from harness. At various vantage points gnolls with great bows can be seen, shooting at Lars now. A burning tree and screaming gnoll falling from it show where Lars assumedly cast a fireball to detonate.

The whole area is covered in drifting smoke from the forest fire. A dead bugbear lies at one side of the wagon, a casualty of the vampire boy's defense no doubt.

The party make ready and leap into the fray!

Graxxuzazz goes first, [DM: a rare thing]. Casting scorching ray and pumping hos natural sorcerer ability into it to increase the rays and range. The smoke makes it difficult, but the rays of fire cut into the gnolls. 

A massive 20' long red and black centipede bursts out of the ground and moves forward towards the horses. A number of gnollish archers duck out of sight at the surprise
attacks by the sorcerer. Lars is hit by an arrow and it looks to hurt the boy. Kantif leaps forward off the bluff, using his monkish abilities to parkour down and race forward. Yelling up how to assist, Lars, calls back "kill that giant monster centipede!" The monk/rogue fires his hand crossbow but the bolt. But with the smoke the bolt hits a tree near the giant inset. Doc teleports down and races forward to also support Lars and the wagon. Firing his pistol but the bullet bounces off the exoskeleton of the scuttling insect. Firing again, this time the crack of the shot echoes around the area and the bullet hits.

Tibaltuous peers into he smoke and dawns his mantle of inspiration - to give some of the party a reactive move and temporary hit points.

Using the extra move, the bard casts heat metal on one of the gnolls and it starts to screech in pain as the metal smokes.

Gothi draws her bow and looses an arrow after marking the centipede. Slipping slightly she drops the bow and then is able to retrieve it.

With a curse, Gothi sends Morsel forward. The cavebear grows and roars in glee leaping into battle.

The battle continues, with gnolls going down and the centipede killing a horse. One gnoll throws a flaming oil flask at the wagon and catches that and some of the party on fire.

A lizardfolk leader appeasing to be a spellcaster of some type invokes

and billowing yellow cloud of caustic smoke on Lars, Tibaltuous and Kantif. All three are affected by the acidic vapours and cough and gag.

The centipede goes down and the gnolls are vanquished. The lizard humanoid seeing his companions dead or dying, decides to retreat into the smoke.

The party more tired and injured release the dead horse and with two horses now, discuss quickly the best route. Lars advises going back north to the main road, is nigh impossible. 

The wagon fortunately being made mostly of metal the Fellowship is able to get the fire put out quickly. Gothi ponders a way to come up with a magical spell to create water seeing all the forest on fire around.

With some of the party on the wagon and some walking, the Fellowship decide to head south skirting the Lost city of Herodia and are on their way towards their next goal, to reclaim their flying tower!

Map of area: