Aeolius
Adventurer
After a bit of a hiatus, BPAA is back...Chapter 92 will appear next Monday 
(reprinted with permission from www.lobi.com)
Beneath the Pinnacles of Azor'alq: Book 10, Chapter 91
CHARACTERS: Ferlius (krakidan), Xmador (triton), Dubheasa (Malenti), Storm (sea elf), Cilvia (tiefling mermaid), Nee'Kaa (oceanid), unnamed water genasi, unnamed chuul, Crakle (liverock gargoyle), sharkling
COMPANIONS: Mulan (Plasmanta; Cilvia's Familiar), Croceus (Agathion; Xmador's golden crown), unnamed cuttlefish construct (Ferlius), Smalt (foo sea lion, Dubheasa)
TOPICAL NPCs: Stinger (anemonoid cleric), Meir (greenhag), Xaetra (spectral hag), Orrok (sea bugbear), Zander (shade), unnamed half-dragon (deep)/half-hag (night)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= CITY RUINS =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Having briefly explored the ruins of the Almati city, Nee'Kaa, Ferlius, and Dubheasa find themselves in awe of both the original architecture of Those Above and the more recent renovations wrought by the morkoth.
Far below, the remains of an ancient cathedral rest remarkably intact. Its high vaulted roof, now cloaked beneath a layer of silt, conceals the contents of the building beneath. Its northernmost wall, seemingly reshaped by magic, holds a massive mural depicting the banished Panzuriel surrounded by faithful morkoth followers. The southernmost wall has yet to garner the attention of the morkoth, for its windows and doors remain as they had for thousands of years; forced open by the surge of the sea and destroyed by the ravages of time.
Though shards of stained glass still cling to the circular opening which once housed the uppermost window, it is through this portal that the greenhag Meir vanished, in search of the source of streaming bubbles.
While the oceanid Nee'Kaa and malenti Dubheasa were quick to follow, Ferlius found himself mesmerized once more by the image of Panzuriel, for it was as his own reflection.
"An airstone!" the hag had shrieked, delighted at her discovery.
Yet the stone had served to lure the unsuspecting hag into the clutches of the morkoth. Wounded by a volley of urchin bolts, Meir stared at her morkoth assailant and the ornate crossbow he carried. While the anatomy of the morkoth was far from her own, the hag was certain that the creature was smiling.
Descending into the cathedral, Dubheasa, Nee'Kaa, and Ferlius examined their surroundings. The spacious quarters afforded by the walls of the structure contained little, save the ruins and rubble of the lost Almati civilization. Fragments of stone have been arranged in piles upon a floor of broken tile. Atop each mound, the artifacts of Those Above have been arranged. Golden chalices, silver rods, and statues of pink marble are seen amongst gemstones, coins, and decoratively-bound tomes.
Enraged at the ease with which the morkoth had surprised her, Meir calls upon her innate powers, transforming her likeness into that of an emerald-hued octopus. Twisting her tentacles, Meir summons a second power.
"Strike now!" she screams "While he is weakened!"
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= SEA OF DREAMS =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Within the Sea of Dreams, the sea elf Storm and genasi Eerietae stare in amazement as their benefactor, a golden-skinned hammerhead shark, frightens the approaching sea larvae. Eerietae, who seldom used her elemental powers so openly or offensively, stared at the palms of her hands, where streams of water had recently emerged.
Awakening from the communal dreamscape, Storm is granted a vision. Within her mind, she sees a shark caught within the nets of Those Above. Though of grayish hue, the shark is also a hammerhead.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= NEXT MORNING: KELPIE ATTACK =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
His mind exhausted from the kelpie's recent assault upon Cilvia, Ferlius sought the solitude and darkness of the depths, to gather his thoughts and explore his most recent transformation. Now gifted with phosphorescent envenomed ink, the half-kraken sensed there was something more.
Enveloped by darkness, the krakidan's skin pulsed with a light of its own. Ejecting a small cloud of ink, he watched as the surrounding waters slowly dissipated the luminous mass. Tensing his muscles he tried once more.
For the briefest of moments, the ink which emerged was black as midnight. Then, seconds later, it erupted in a brilliant display of sapphire and teal.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= THE NIGHTHOUSE: MORNING =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Aware that the varicolored sea lion had granted her the gift on invisibility, Dubheasa had momentarily forgotten that not all creatures of the deep rely solely upon vision, to sense their surroundings.
The sea bugbear had drawn his blade, wary of unnaturally shifting waters.
Fearful of the kolocanth's wrath, Smalt returned to visibility. With him, Dubheasa was similarly restored.
"Quite a talent." Orrok exclaimed, assessing what had occurred "What else can he do?"
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= THE SHALLOWS =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Within the shallows, Nee'Kaa found herself admiring the form of the sharkling. While less than a fathom in height, the creature seemed the perfect amalgam of Thal and Those Above. His skin abrasive and brown, the sharkling borrowed many traits from the nurse shark.
Once the pearled pages had been collected, so that the wizard's amongst the party could scribe their impermeable spellbooks, Ferlius, Nee'Kaa, and Cilvia collected the other artifacts found within the opened clamshells. Before the effects of the light cast by Cilvia's familiar faded, Ferlius found himself drawn to the lavender-hued pearl.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= THE NIGHTHOUSE: AFTERNOON =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Within the greenhag's quarters, Cilvia remained perfectly still, as the living sea stars crawled upward. Once positioned, the stars served not only to conceal but also to protect.
"Sun stars." Meir remarked "They shall protect you from the likes of this."
Gesturing for Cilvia to follow her, Meir returned to the lower level of the Nighthouse, where the overturned cauldron had been seen. Slowly lifting one edge of the cauldron, she reached beneath it. When her hand emerged, it was grasping a writhing serpent star. Yet this star was no mundane creature, for it bore talons on the tips of its five legs and a central eye within its body.
"The demonstar." she began "A pet project of mine. Just as I transform the kelpie's essence into a serviceable weapon, I will try to make use of this abomination."
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= HAG HUNTING =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Returning with her newly formed homunculus, Nee'Kaa watches the scene unfold around her.
As Xmador approached his ensnared quarry, the woman's body grows limp.
Reacting instinctively, the liverock gargoyle known as Crakle moves forward to save the woman from drowning. " the woman...brings her to the surface. Yet, as he summoned the words of a suitable spell, the woman's bloodied skin began to slough away, clinging to the net as if on thorns.
Her eyes turning from the lair of the bonehag, Dubheasa watches as a single form emerges from the darkness. A lone cockatoo, it's feathers black as soot, soared upward from the overturned hull.
"Hungry!" it cried "I want my supper!"
Clutching her trident, the malenti looked down, into the eyes of the bonehag Peg.
"No!" Orrok screamed, closing on the hag. "You shall not have her!"
Feeling her limbs growing stiff, Dubheasa is suddenly filled with an inner warmth, spreading from the hand which held tightly to her trident.
"Do not look upon her eyes!" the kolocanth screamed "Use the hag claw!"
Reaching within a belt pouch, Orrok produced a set of iron shackles.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= THE NIGHTHOUSE: EVENING =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Her eyes attuned to the sounds of beauty, Storm swam quietly towards Cilvia, as the tiefling mermaid called upon the skills of the bardess Danae, whose soul she now shared. The song was one composed in the tongue of tritons, which Storm also spoke. Humming quietly, Storm listened to lyrics about a living ship of shell trapped within the depths of the sea.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= THE NIGHTHOUSE: FOLLOWING DAYS =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
To the horror of all who witness the discovery of the hidden trapdoor on the bottommost level of the Nighthouse, the carcass of Zion the octoman, rises upward through the opening.
A newfound sense of purpose coursing through her veins, Nee'Kaa conversed tersely with her homunculus, constructed in the form of a man-of-war jelly. Within her heart, the oceanid was torn between the bond she shared with her companions, and that of the hags whose blood she shared.
Channeling her rage by sparring with her imagination, Nee'Kaa recalled the quarterstaff of orichalcum, held in the hands of the golden statue placed by the morkoth near the Almati ruins.
While mindful of the decomposing corpse, the shade Zander clears the passage. He places the body of Zion within a fold of cloth, which then shrinks within his ebony palm. Emerging from the darkness, the spectral form of the unliving hag addresses the party.
"It seems that the morkoth have been more industrious than I imagined." she begins "This chamber is within the bedrock of Almat itself. I no not where it leads."
Pointing a gnarled finger into the darkness, Meir summons magical lights that drop downward, illuminating the chamber. The light also reveals the presence of dozens of eel-like hagfish, which had been feeding upon the remains of Zion.
"The granddaughter of Tempest was also know as a hagfish." Xaetra remarked "She was the blood of my blood, after all. That reminds me, I must soon scry upon the coveys of the abyssal hag. It is foretold that Tempest shall return."
Inside the exposed chamber, the party finds a makeshift laboratory. The waters, here, are unnaturally cold. Nearest the northern wall, a collection of polyps and anemones clings to an outcropping of obsidian stone. On a stone table to the west, several small crystals pulsate with inner light. To the east, a familiar sight is seen. A small statue representing Panzuriel holds a glowing emerald sphere. A massive marine pudding envelops the southern wall. The floor below undulates rhythmically, reminding the party of Synsaal, the Barrier Between Worlds.
(reprinted with permission from www.lobi.com)
Beneath the Pinnacles of Azor'alq: Book 10, Chapter 91
CHARACTERS: Ferlius (krakidan), Xmador (triton), Dubheasa (Malenti), Storm (sea elf), Cilvia (tiefling mermaid), Nee'Kaa (oceanid), unnamed water genasi, unnamed chuul, Crakle (liverock gargoyle), sharkling
COMPANIONS: Mulan (Plasmanta; Cilvia's Familiar), Croceus (Agathion; Xmador's golden crown), unnamed cuttlefish construct (Ferlius), Smalt (foo sea lion, Dubheasa)
TOPICAL NPCs: Stinger (anemonoid cleric), Meir (greenhag), Xaetra (spectral hag), Orrok (sea bugbear), Zander (shade), unnamed half-dragon (deep)/half-hag (night)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= CITY RUINS =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Having briefly explored the ruins of the Almati city, Nee'Kaa, Ferlius, and Dubheasa find themselves in awe of both the original architecture of Those Above and the more recent renovations wrought by the morkoth.
Far below, the remains of an ancient cathedral rest remarkably intact. Its high vaulted roof, now cloaked beneath a layer of silt, conceals the contents of the building beneath. Its northernmost wall, seemingly reshaped by magic, holds a massive mural depicting the banished Panzuriel surrounded by faithful morkoth followers. The southernmost wall has yet to garner the attention of the morkoth, for its windows and doors remain as they had for thousands of years; forced open by the surge of the sea and destroyed by the ravages of time.
Though shards of stained glass still cling to the circular opening which once housed the uppermost window, it is through this portal that the greenhag Meir vanished, in search of the source of streaming bubbles.
While the oceanid Nee'Kaa and malenti Dubheasa were quick to follow, Ferlius found himself mesmerized once more by the image of Panzuriel, for it was as his own reflection.
"An airstone!" the hag had shrieked, delighted at her discovery.
Yet the stone had served to lure the unsuspecting hag into the clutches of the morkoth. Wounded by a volley of urchin bolts, Meir stared at her morkoth assailant and the ornate crossbow he carried. While the anatomy of the morkoth was far from her own, the hag was certain that the creature was smiling.
Descending into the cathedral, Dubheasa, Nee'Kaa, and Ferlius examined their surroundings. The spacious quarters afforded by the walls of the structure contained little, save the ruins and rubble of the lost Almati civilization. Fragments of stone have been arranged in piles upon a floor of broken tile. Atop each mound, the artifacts of Those Above have been arranged. Golden chalices, silver rods, and statues of pink marble are seen amongst gemstones, coins, and decoratively-bound tomes.
Enraged at the ease with which the morkoth had surprised her, Meir calls upon her innate powers, transforming her likeness into that of an emerald-hued octopus. Twisting her tentacles, Meir summons a second power.
"Strike now!" she screams "While he is weakened!"
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= SEA OF DREAMS =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Within the Sea of Dreams, the sea elf Storm and genasi Eerietae stare in amazement as their benefactor, a golden-skinned hammerhead shark, frightens the approaching sea larvae. Eerietae, who seldom used her elemental powers so openly or offensively, stared at the palms of her hands, where streams of water had recently emerged.
Awakening from the communal dreamscape, Storm is granted a vision. Within her mind, she sees a shark caught within the nets of Those Above. Though of grayish hue, the shark is also a hammerhead.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= NEXT MORNING: KELPIE ATTACK =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
His mind exhausted from the kelpie's recent assault upon Cilvia, Ferlius sought the solitude and darkness of the depths, to gather his thoughts and explore his most recent transformation. Now gifted with phosphorescent envenomed ink, the half-kraken sensed there was something more.
Enveloped by darkness, the krakidan's skin pulsed with a light of its own. Ejecting a small cloud of ink, he watched as the surrounding waters slowly dissipated the luminous mass. Tensing his muscles he tried once more.
For the briefest of moments, the ink which emerged was black as midnight. Then, seconds later, it erupted in a brilliant display of sapphire and teal.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= THE NIGHTHOUSE: MORNING =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Aware that the varicolored sea lion had granted her the gift on invisibility, Dubheasa had momentarily forgotten that not all creatures of the deep rely solely upon vision, to sense their surroundings.
The sea bugbear had drawn his blade, wary of unnaturally shifting waters.
Fearful of the kolocanth's wrath, Smalt returned to visibility. With him, Dubheasa was similarly restored.
"Quite a talent." Orrok exclaimed, assessing what had occurred "What else can he do?"
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= THE SHALLOWS =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Within the shallows, Nee'Kaa found herself admiring the form of the sharkling. While less than a fathom in height, the creature seemed the perfect amalgam of Thal and Those Above. His skin abrasive and brown, the sharkling borrowed many traits from the nurse shark.
Once the pearled pages had been collected, so that the wizard's amongst the party could scribe their impermeable spellbooks, Ferlius, Nee'Kaa, and Cilvia collected the other artifacts found within the opened clamshells. Before the effects of the light cast by Cilvia's familiar faded, Ferlius found himself drawn to the lavender-hued pearl.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= THE NIGHTHOUSE: AFTERNOON =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Within the greenhag's quarters, Cilvia remained perfectly still, as the living sea stars crawled upward. Once positioned, the stars served not only to conceal but also to protect.
"Sun stars." Meir remarked "They shall protect you from the likes of this."
Gesturing for Cilvia to follow her, Meir returned to the lower level of the Nighthouse, where the overturned cauldron had been seen. Slowly lifting one edge of the cauldron, she reached beneath it. When her hand emerged, it was grasping a writhing serpent star. Yet this star was no mundane creature, for it bore talons on the tips of its five legs and a central eye within its body.
"The demonstar." she began "A pet project of mine. Just as I transform the kelpie's essence into a serviceable weapon, I will try to make use of this abomination."
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= HAG HUNTING =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Returning with her newly formed homunculus, Nee'Kaa watches the scene unfold around her.
As Xmador approached his ensnared quarry, the woman's body grows limp.
Reacting instinctively, the liverock gargoyle known as Crakle moves forward to save the woman from drowning. " the woman...brings her to the surface. Yet, as he summoned the words of a suitable spell, the woman's bloodied skin began to slough away, clinging to the net as if on thorns.
Her eyes turning from the lair of the bonehag, Dubheasa watches as a single form emerges from the darkness. A lone cockatoo, it's feathers black as soot, soared upward from the overturned hull.
"Hungry!" it cried "I want my supper!"
Clutching her trident, the malenti looked down, into the eyes of the bonehag Peg.
"No!" Orrok screamed, closing on the hag. "You shall not have her!"
Feeling her limbs growing stiff, Dubheasa is suddenly filled with an inner warmth, spreading from the hand which held tightly to her trident.
"Do not look upon her eyes!" the kolocanth screamed "Use the hag claw!"
Reaching within a belt pouch, Orrok produced a set of iron shackles.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= THE NIGHTHOUSE: EVENING =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Her eyes attuned to the sounds of beauty, Storm swam quietly towards Cilvia, as the tiefling mermaid called upon the skills of the bardess Danae, whose soul she now shared. The song was one composed in the tongue of tritons, which Storm also spoke. Humming quietly, Storm listened to lyrics about a living ship of shell trapped within the depths of the sea.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= THE NIGHTHOUSE: FOLLOWING DAYS =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
To the horror of all who witness the discovery of the hidden trapdoor on the bottommost level of the Nighthouse, the carcass of Zion the octoman, rises upward through the opening.
A newfound sense of purpose coursing through her veins, Nee'Kaa conversed tersely with her homunculus, constructed in the form of a man-of-war jelly. Within her heart, the oceanid was torn between the bond she shared with her companions, and that of the hags whose blood she shared.
Channeling her rage by sparring with her imagination, Nee'Kaa recalled the quarterstaff of orichalcum, held in the hands of the golden statue placed by the morkoth near the Almati ruins.
While mindful of the decomposing corpse, the shade Zander clears the passage. He places the body of Zion within a fold of cloth, which then shrinks within his ebony palm. Emerging from the darkness, the spectral form of the unliving hag addresses the party.
"It seems that the morkoth have been more industrious than I imagined." she begins "This chamber is within the bedrock of Almat itself. I no not where it leads."
Pointing a gnarled finger into the darkness, Meir summons magical lights that drop downward, illuminating the chamber. The light also reveals the presence of dozens of eel-like hagfish, which had been feeding upon the remains of Zion.
"The granddaughter of Tempest was also know as a hagfish." Xaetra remarked "She was the blood of my blood, after all. That reminds me, I must soon scry upon the coveys of the abyssal hag. It is foretold that Tempest shall return."
Inside the exposed chamber, the party finds a makeshift laboratory. The waters, here, are unnaturally cold. Nearest the northern wall, a collection of polyps and anemones clings to an outcropping of obsidian stone. On a stone table to the west, several small crystals pulsate with inner light. To the east, a familiar sight is seen. A small statue representing Panzuriel holds a glowing emerald sphere. A massive marine pudding envelops the southern wall. The floor below undulates rhythmically, reminding the party of Synsaal, the Barrier Between Worlds.
