Adjo's Journal (45 of 46)
Aug. 19th, 2009 03:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bluegargantuaHi,
Many wizards through the ages have claimed the mantle of "greatest". For my money, I'd be happy to doff my hat to Mordenkainen. The man really knew what a wizard needed. This mansion lives up to its name and I don't have to deal with my rambunctious companions. Considering that we're about to go confront Orcus, I feel a few creature comforts are in order.
So we flew back to Icewatch to consult the records about fire cults in the far north. The records were spotty at best, but there was mention of some explorer or other who could be found in a charming little dive called The Six. So we wandered over to see if we could meet with this person.
The Six gets its name from the stuffed and mounted six-headed hydra that graces the interior. This has apparently given Kestrel some ideas. She was wondering why we don't collect more trophies. Sadly, our trophies have either been artifacts of potent evil that need to be destroyed, or enemies that dissolve, explode, are lost when their lair collapses around them. Frankly, our biggest trophy is the Dauntless. Perhaps after this matter with Orcus is cleaned up, we can travel about the commonwealth in Dauntless and serve food and drink wherever we stop. The novelty of a flying tavern would be sure to draw customers.
Anyway, the bartender is some half-elf named Merek and after some dickering, we traveled downstairs to meet with some Kobold oracle. She(?) told us that the book is located near "the burning waters". I am thoroughly unimpressed. Telling us it's near [fire related adjective][noun] is pretty much a given. However, it did jog Merek's rather extensive memory and he told us of a pair of dormant volcanoes north of the ice giant lands. There are any number of hot springs nearby which are called burning waters. Merek is, apparently, some sort of immortal god-champion whose gotten tired of the gig (or his god doesn't have much call for him). So he drew us up a pretty accurate map and we headed to the north end of nowhere.
The isolation apparently gave the fire cult a false sense of security because we basically just walked into the place unchallenged. (Interesting side note: Every single word in the Dwarven language is derived from an older word that meant stone) There were gibber patrols and such but they were easily avoided and it was pretty simple to follow the corridors down to the hottest spot we could find.
At the central chamber, we found a wide causeway over bubbling lava to a set of steps that ascended up to a ledge where a giant brazier held the fire book aloft. Hoping to avoid spending time on the causeway, we advanced as far as we needed and the I set up a portal that came out next to the brazier. Thrace was the first one through.
So she discovered the Dragon.
It was a huge red dragon who'd gone from fire all the way to magma (and his name, predictably enough, was Infernus). It whistled up it's son, a dragonborn-like creature who rushed up and hammered Thrace and then turned its attention to us. Well, perhaps Kestrel got its attention with the massive amount of damage she did to it. Or perhaps it was concerned by the disintegration spell I sent gnawing its way through the creature's hide. In any event it rushed down to engage us and called up a couple of fire giants out of the magma to menace us.
He spit fire on us and we soon evacuated through my portal onto the platform. There followed an interesting series of exchanges where the dragon would rush up to the platform, Kestrel would hit it with some skull-cracking effect and then teleport it back to the far end of the causeway forcing it to charge again. A rather comical effect, but the laughing was over when it finally got stuck in and we all suffered from the heat roiling off the creature.
The fire giants finally manged to haul themselves up on the platform, but Hendel and Alanna took care of one and Kestrel so badly damaged the other that I was able to drop it in a hail of magic missiles. Now we're left with just the Dragon and his misbegotten son (whom Thrace has taken to calling Dick-face so you know he's really ticked her off). Although she spent most of the combat under various status effects, Thrace shrugs off Dick-face's immobilization and laid into him, eventually putting him out of the fight. This made daddy Infernus very angry, and he sent us reeling with a potent fear effect and promptly hammered us all, but we pushed back and eventually we dropped the fell beast.
Hendel rushed down to secure the door (we had made rather a lot of racket) while Kestrel and I examined the book. By now we're quite adept at freeing the book from the Orcite bonds and sending the book into hiding was trivial here in the heart of the volcano. I tossed it into the lava pool and it was time to make a hasty exit from an exploding volcano. Luckily, I was able to gift my comrades with the power of flight and our progress from the caldera was swift.
A good night's rest and a long flight back to Icewatch. There are only two books left, Earth and Spirit and they were in Orcus's possession. The question was how to wrest them away. The answer was provided by the kobold oracle who provided a surprisingly clear prophecy. Although denied the other books, Orcus would attempt to use Earth and Spirit to force his way into the mortal plane where he'd simply kill everyone on the planet and use that to fuel his rise to godhood. The oracle even suggested that the point of incursion would be somewhere on the Dragonwall. That narrowed it down to a mere few thousand miles of wall, but Merek suggested that the central keep would probably be the most like spot on the wall.
So now we're at the head of an army. The temple of the Raven Queen has loaded us down with combat types (as well she should -- it's her bacon in the sling). As we left on our long flight to the Dragonwall, an ancient gold and silver dragon showed up to help. Hendel also called in a few favors and we have a fleet of dwarven ornithopters traveling in our wake. It seems Hendel is something of a minor king and thus has that kind of clout. I also received notice that Vecna will be sending us some help. It's help that will have to be carefully watched to be sure, but our interests align very tightly in this matter so it's mostly after the party's over that I expect to exert my greatest vigilance.
With all the help Dauntless is rather too crowded so I've retreated to my magnificent mansion to eat, drink, and be contemplative, for tomorrow we send an overcompensating demon with a big rod back to hell.
I've got a feat that let's me cast at-wills as minor actions -- which leads to some ludicrous 3.5 sorcerer effects. Also, I'm hoping for the next game we can sort speed through the heroic levels and slow down on the epic because man you're a bad-ass at epic level.
later
Tom
Many wizards through the ages have claimed the mantle of "greatest". For my money, I'd be happy to doff my hat to Mordenkainen. The man really knew what a wizard needed. This mansion lives up to its name and I don't have to deal with my rambunctious companions. Considering that we're about to go confront Orcus, I feel a few creature comforts are in order.
So we flew back to Icewatch to consult the records about fire cults in the far north. The records were spotty at best, but there was mention of some explorer or other who could be found in a charming little dive called The Six. So we wandered over to see if we could meet with this person.
The Six gets its name from the stuffed and mounted six-headed hydra that graces the interior. This has apparently given Kestrel some ideas. She was wondering why we don't collect more trophies. Sadly, our trophies have either been artifacts of potent evil that need to be destroyed, or enemies that dissolve, explode, are lost when their lair collapses around them. Frankly, our biggest trophy is the Dauntless. Perhaps after this matter with Orcus is cleaned up, we can travel about the commonwealth in Dauntless and serve food and drink wherever we stop. The novelty of a flying tavern would be sure to draw customers.
Anyway, the bartender is some half-elf named Merek and after some dickering, we traveled downstairs to meet with some Kobold oracle. She(?) told us that the book is located near "the burning waters". I am thoroughly unimpressed. Telling us it's near [fire related adjective][noun] is pretty much a given. However, it did jog Merek's rather extensive memory and he told us of a pair of dormant volcanoes north of the ice giant lands. There are any number of hot springs nearby which are called burning waters. Merek is, apparently, some sort of immortal god-champion whose gotten tired of the gig (or his god doesn't have much call for him). So he drew us up a pretty accurate map and we headed to the north end of nowhere.
The isolation apparently gave the fire cult a false sense of security because we basically just walked into the place unchallenged. (Interesting side note: Every single word in the Dwarven language is derived from an older word that meant stone) There were gibber patrols and such but they were easily avoided and it was pretty simple to follow the corridors down to the hottest spot we could find.
At the central chamber, we found a wide causeway over bubbling lava to a set of steps that ascended up to a ledge where a giant brazier held the fire book aloft. Hoping to avoid spending time on the causeway, we advanced as far as we needed and the I set up a portal that came out next to the brazier. Thrace was the first one through.
So she discovered the Dragon.
It was a huge red dragon who'd gone from fire all the way to magma (and his name, predictably enough, was Infernus). It whistled up it's son, a dragonborn-like creature who rushed up and hammered Thrace and then turned its attention to us. Well, perhaps Kestrel got its attention with the massive amount of damage she did to it. Or perhaps it was concerned by the disintegration spell I sent gnawing its way through the creature's hide. In any event it rushed down to engage us and called up a couple of fire giants out of the magma to menace us.
He spit fire on us and we soon evacuated through my portal onto the platform. There followed an interesting series of exchanges where the dragon would rush up to the platform, Kestrel would hit it with some skull-cracking effect and then teleport it back to the far end of the causeway forcing it to charge again. A rather comical effect, but the laughing was over when it finally got stuck in and we all suffered from the heat roiling off the creature.
The fire giants finally manged to haul themselves up on the platform, but Hendel and Alanna took care of one and Kestrel so badly damaged the other that I was able to drop it in a hail of magic missiles. Now we're left with just the Dragon and his misbegotten son (whom Thrace has taken to calling Dick-face so you know he's really ticked her off). Although she spent most of the combat under various status effects, Thrace shrugs off Dick-face's immobilization and laid into him, eventually putting him out of the fight. This made daddy Infernus very angry, and he sent us reeling with a potent fear effect and promptly hammered us all, but we pushed back and eventually we dropped the fell beast.
Hendel rushed down to secure the door (we had made rather a lot of racket) while Kestrel and I examined the book. By now we're quite adept at freeing the book from the Orcite bonds and sending the book into hiding was trivial here in the heart of the volcano. I tossed it into the lava pool and it was time to make a hasty exit from an exploding volcano. Luckily, I was able to gift my comrades with the power of flight and our progress from the caldera was swift.
A good night's rest and a long flight back to Icewatch. There are only two books left, Earth and Spirit and they were in Orcus's possession. The question was how to wrest them away. The answer was provided by the kobold oracle who provided a surprisingly clear prophecy. Although denied the other books, Orcus would attempt to use Earth and Spirit to force his way into the mortal plane where he'd simply kill everyone on the planet and use that to fuel his rise to godhood. The oracle even suggested that the point of incursion would be somewhere on the Dragonwall. That narrowed it down to a mere few thousand miles of wall, but Merek suggested that the central keep would probably be the most like spot on the wall.
So now we're at the head of an army. The temple of the Raven Queen has loaded us down with combat types (as well she should -- it's her bacon in the sling). As we left on our long flight to the Dragonwall, an ancient gold and silver dragon showed up to help. Hendel also called in a few favors and we have a fleet of dwarven ornithopters traveling in our wake. It seems Hendel is something of a minor king and thus has that kind of clout. I also received notice that Vecna will be sending us some help. It's help that will have to be carefully watched to be sure, but our interests align very tightly in this matter so it's mostly after the party's over that I expect to exert my greatest vigilance.
With all the help Dauntless is rather too crowded so I've retreated to my magnificent mansion to eat, drink, and be contemplative, for tomorrow we send an overcompensating demon with a big rod back to hell.
I've got a feat that let's me cast at-wills as minor actions -- which leads to some ludicrous 3.5 sorcerer effects. Also, I'm hoping for the next game we can sort speed through the heroic levels and slow down on the epic because man you're a bad-ass at epic level.
later
Tom
