The hidden

THE HIDDEN
08 DROBIN THE CRAZED
SEGMENT 069
“MAZE O con”
5/18/14

LHARVION 6, 999

As they move with Truth leading several attackers strike from around a corner in the darkness. ½ Orcs! And worse yet- ½ orcs dressed in law enforcement outfits of Yrlag (huh?!?). They all miss as they were striking from around a corner. Truth defends himself as the others step up and beat them down.

Once defeated, the main question remains….. why are the law enforcers involved here and is Tuskin d’Tharashk involved?

THE HIDDEN
08 DROBIN THE CRAZED
SEGMENT 070
“MAZE O con and MAZE P”
6/01/14

LHARVION 6, 999

Moving on, the group reaches a locked door and a hallway branching off. They decide to try the door. A minor fire trap is activated that burns off a few loose flakes of tarnished metal from Truth. They break through the door and enter a small room with a shelf within it. Mixed with the random books are several scrolls and statues of gargoyles. The value of the statues is low enough they leave them be. Witt however spots a small book that interests him. Truth also finds a book on the bottom shelf.

The book Witt finds is bound by dark human skin with fanged teeth on the cover. It is translated as the Book of Vile Deeds. Truth would have taken it from him if not for the book he found. It is a metallic blue with a small solid silver ball that works as a latch. This Manual of The Planes talks about manifest zones.

They move on after RAF decides to “rearrange” the shelf and the statues. “opps.”

They enter a very large room with a clear snake-like motif. They are snakes, nagas and dragon headed giant snakes (Linnorns) depicted on the walls. In each case the eyes are holes. These holes are between 1 inch and 12 inches in size. Persia begins to look around when Cy notes there is movement within a few holes. Even as everyone has entered the room snakes slide out of the smaller holes. Seven very large snakes arrive and immediately begin to attack. They are held back by everyone as RAF tears into them.

Going down the next hallway they spot another giant snake but this one has a large lump within its gut. It is moving very very slowly. Guessing it has recently had a big meal (maybe of ½ orc guard) they cut and gut it. What they find surprises them. It (was) a human dressed in brown and black robes. The eyes have slits like a serpent with patches of small fine greenish-yellow scales (like a snake). Truth finds a pendant on him that is made from stone. It has an inscribed image of a full moon with a sickle on it. A drop of something (possibly blood) is depicted on the tip of the weapon.

Around the corner they find another cultist. He is alive!

Truth goes to him and the man dies in his arms. He was referring to someone as being crazed and working with…… dies before he can complete it. They move on and pass through an open door. A long hallway is before them. The hallway is lit by several globes of electric all along one side of the hall. As they get closer, the hairs stand on end and the two warforged attract small but harmless streaks of electricity. Persia can just make out something is beyond the electrical barrier. Some sort of room or space. Roadie looks around and spots a secret panel and opens it. There is a lever in the very back of it. To reach it, he will need to stretch his arm all the way to his shoulder to touch it to pull. Uneasy he still does it. Several of the electrical orbs move aside like a parting curtain.

The room here is small. Possibly ten foot by twenty foot. A shelf and a bright purple silk carpet are all that appears to be within the room. RAF eyes the carpet and to be safe- goes to stomp on it in case it is alive or a trap. The mimic shapes into life and attacks him! It takes a few moments but the group surrounds it and beats it down. The bard is prepared to take some with him but in its death, the fine looking carpet becomes a rough textured greyish-green lump. “eh!” and tosses it aside. Truth looks about and finds little of interest except for one book. “The Book of the Dark Raven”. It speaks about another plane that collects evil and can release it. In Xoriat it is called- Ravenloft. Everyone is looking at Truth strangely as he is trying to sound out the words and symbols of the language of the crazed and nightmarish.

Another room has three six foot tall statues of human mages. They are covered by glowing Lichen. A few secret panels are found here which produces a small amount of gold and silver. Also within this room is an alcove shrouded in green energy. A teleport disk can be seen on the other side. Since they only have a Red and a Blue key they cannot enter the space.

THE HIDDEN
08 DROBIN THE CRAZED
SEGMENT 070
“MAZE P con”
6/01/14

LHARVION 6, 999

Ahead of the group is a corner. It has a very reflective side to it. Curious, RAF, Truth and Persia stride directly up to it. All three see a mirror reflection of themselves that mutates. RAF becomes thinner and frail; Truth decays and crumbles apart while Persia feels helpless and lost. So overcome by the effects of their reflections, both RAF and Persia fall down into a sitting position and stare into space. Truth holds his thoughts together but remains seeing a horrible reflection of what he worries will become of him. Malachai comes up to help but is also caught up in horrible visions of him being chased and caught. Dozens of hands that seem to grow out of the very air pull and tug at him. So frightened and overwhelmed by this sight he pulls out his great sword and eyes a distracted Truth. The following swipe leaves a hefty mark on the artificer.

The others fear a magical attack and decide to start with the mirrors. There are two mirrors, one on each side of the corner’s walls. The one mirror is easy to spot and attack. Both Cy and Tom destroy one but still the four adventurers remain not themselves. The Marshal Bard prepares to attack again. Careful not to look directly at the remaining mirror, Cy, Tom and Roadie strike at it. The angel makes it hard with several arrows glancing off of the mirror but one arrow strikes it solid (confirmed crit) and shatters it. Malachai pulls back his swing just in time.

After a few repair and healing spells, potions and oils are used, they move on. The day’s long trek and battles are beginning to show on the team. Before resting, they find another room with yellow colored energy screen and a glyph on the floor. Looking to release some aggression, RAF purposely steps on it hoping it is a summoning trigger of some sort. He is not disappointed. Four small bulky brown creatures materialize. Looking at these one eyed creatures, Tom and Malachai say they are aberrational Mad Slashers. RAF says they are dead as he pounds into them. After destroying them, he returns to the glyph and tries to reactivate it but nothing happens. “Needs to recharge”. Suggests Truth. “We can return then.” Answers RAF.

A locked door is opened by Roadie and inside is a large statue of an orc holding a huge sword with strange inscriptions on it. Truth translates them as “Soul Drinker or Drinker of Life” He neglects to mention it is written in Xoriat. They decide this is a good room to rest in as they can relock the door and it is the only clear means to enter.

THE HIDDEN
08 DROBIN THE CRAZED
SEGMENT 071
“MAZE Q”
6/01/14

LHARVION 7, 999

The first doors they encounter are pushed open. Being careful they enter this very large room. Several spilt coins are found on the floor. More out of curiosity than greed, Witt and the Marshal Bard pick them up.

Some of the group head to a corner where Truth has found a trap door. Others go the opposite way after seeing a large mysterious statue in the darkness.

Truth opens the trap door and finds nothing- it is a false door. As he turns to warn the others of a possible trap a Shadow Mastiff appears. The group there is quick to destroy it. They then join the group that went the opposite way.

There is a trap at the doorway. They break the door down and use it as a bridge to cross over the now exposed pit. The large statue is of a mutated, scaly, demonic frog like creature that is roughly 20 feet tall and across. Looking about, they find a secret panel here. Within it is a summon monster designed for a black bear (like Tom Garvin’s animal companion) and a glowing Longsword +2.

Across the room is an open portal. RAF walks directly up to it. After a moment of looking at it, he reaches for it. Solid. It is a one-way portal. Disappointed, the warforged fighter looks for entertainment elsewhere.

They find a small room with signs of being occupied recently. Possibly a camp spot by the ½ orcs or the cultists?

They continue down a short hallway when the people in the back suddenly appear frightened. Something has come through the portal! A Barghest! Cy charges it at full speed and incredibly kills it in one shot!

They pause at a door. It has been attacked with an axe.

“What could be on the other side?” asks the bard to Roadie.

THE HIDDEN
08 DROBIN THE CRAZED
SEGMENT 072
“MAZE Q”
7/14/14

LHARVION 7, 999

Breaking through the locked door, the group continues down a twisting hallway that leads to another door. The two trap locators spot a possible nasty trap. There are dozens of small ¼ inch holes angled down at them on one side and three larger holes on the opposite side.

The artificer attempts to disable the trap but instead activates it. An oily spray like mist shoots out of the smallest holes. Everyone watches in amazement as the two falls back as a series of sparks fire out from the larger holes and frooooosh! There is a fireball made. “Hurry! It may reset itself.” Calls the warforged artificer as he moves to the door.

“Is that also trapped?” calls out Persia, the cat folk.

“Two traps back to back….” He begins to disagree then spots a tell-tale sign of a spell powered marking. Again, in an attempt to disable it, it is tripped. A very large monstrous scorpion appears. (have to include what Jeff calls summoning traps- XP Generators). The creature is hard to contend with as the hallway is narrow and twisting at the entrance to the doorway. Only three to four people may even attempt to battle the creature. The reddish black overly thorny shell hints at a bit of fiendish qualities also. The damage it ignores also hints at it as the group find it is harder to defeat than they figured.

Still, it goes down in time. The door is also locked but quickly opened by the picking skills and they carefully enter the next room. It is a large and apparently empty room with a pair of double doors, a narrow hallway and a red energy doorway for possible exists.

Persia and Roadie check out the narrow hallway as RAF looks at the double doors. Truth peers at the red door. Spiral stairs that lead up- a way out! RAF holds off breaking down the door seeing this could be a place for the others to rest and recover.

In the narrow hallway are two shallow alcoves. Within each are piled skulls. Roadie thinks them to be a mixture of human, orc and the cross breeding of the two. Persia accidently spills a pile which makes Roadie suck in his breath. No trap activated or undead howling allows him to calm down.

The catfolk spots something within the mess on the floor. A few coins and a metallic mask. Turning it over in her hands she discovers it is shaped to resemble a skull. She takes it to Truth whom is more interested in leaving than looking at things the catfolk has found. Especially since the last item she found ended up being dumped on him and may or may not be what is causing his metal components to peel and flake like they are corroding from old age.

Witt hears the words Skull mask and moves over quickly to have a look. Cy and Tom remain in the center of the room watching for more summoned creatures. Even Fuzzy is looking.

Truth has detected no magic (poor roll) and has no issue with the strange priest to take the mask. He puts it on immediately. Nothing. &%#@*. At least it looks cool.

In 24 hours he will learn the mask is magical and allows a better Death Touch ability at range. The player is very happy.

They decide to camp here and agree to go up the stairs once rested.

THE HIDDEN
08 DROBIN THE CRAZED
SEGMENT 072
“SURFACE INTO MADNESS AND CONFUSION”
7/14/14

LHARVION 8, 999

Using the red crystal rod, Truth activates the door and everyone passes through. RAF is first to climb the stairs that are tight and narrow. He can see a bit of light above and soon reaches the top. They exit onto the ruins of a black stone building within the swamp. There is no sign of Drobin the crazed druid but then he does hear something. Even as he turns while hefting his weapon he feels magical energy course through him and his mind.

The bard, having a suspicion that trouble is ahead, begins to gently sing a song of inspiration and empowerment. He is just out of reach of the power of the two Seugathi that guard the exit.

Most of the party stumble about and barely leave the stairway. They are being called to and manipulated by the aberrational creatures of madness. Truth is unaffected and works his way to the surface and makes the creatures concentrate on him instead of the others. Tom Garvin also follows suit.

The battle goes poorly (and that is with me forgetting to control the group with Control the confused power). Each round, the majority of the adventurers find they are unable to act as they want to.

Eventually one of the creatures goes down allowing the others to surround the remaining creature. It is defeated but the group moves away to heal and recover. They leave behind the swords and wands.

Tom Garvin and his animal companion Fuzzy find a trail in the swamp recently used and follow it.

The moons are getting high in the oncoming dark sky.

THE HIDDEN
08 DROBIN THE CRAZED
SEGMENT 074
“THE MADNESS OF DROBIN”
7/14/14

LHARVION 9, 999

In a few hours the group discovers Drobin. He is surrounded by several ½ orcs including one that is familiar to them- Tuskin d’Tharashk!

The water bubbles and emits a blue light as the crazed druid summons something from the water. A large crayfish with tentacles for a mouth begins to surface.

Suddenly- Drobin is blasted, fireballed, and shot all at once. He begins to laugh a hearty but creepy laugh that everyone, even those 120 feet away can hear. He is blasted, shot and covered with a flaming sphere. He never stops laughing and welcomes Truth and the group.

The half-orcs and Chuul surge forward even as RAF charges forward. He avoids the ½ orcs and gets after the insane druid. The ½ orcs, except for Tuskin swarm the warforged. Lightning streaks through the minions and takes them down- much to the amusement of the druid. “Laugh this off-“ screams the warforged as he charges into the druid…. And misses.

The bear named Fuzzy cuts off Tuskin. Not fazed by it, he draws a weapon and prepares to attack the animal companion. The other melee fighters face the Chuul before it can attack the ranged people hoping to drop the crazed kidnapping Druid.

A powerful blast from Truth drives into the druid’s chest. He laughs then with sudden and eerie clarity, he says he will see Truth again then the fires erupt and he becomes a green energy encased skeleton before exploding. The laughter drifts in the air as pieces rain down into the swamp.

The bear claws and bites at the ½ orc. The claws make him shudder as he is torn up. The bite occurs on the neck and shoulder even as something is telling the bear to flee. It steps back just in time as a bundle of sticky and slimy snake-like mass falls out reaching for the bear.

Witt and Cy burn it. What in the world was that?!?

The Chuul does what it can to attack the others but becomes confused and can only try to avoid the attacks. It doesn’t last long once RAF joins the group pounding of the aberration.

They find a small bag with little of worth within it. Only crazed scribbles are there- Drobin was not into were creatures as they first believed. He worshipped the moon and how it affected people. It drove him crazy and consumed him with madness and the willingness to work with the aberrations in the swamp.

In the morning, Tom Garvin looks about and is happy to say they are only a day or two from Yrlag.

Unseen by them, as they walk through the swamp away from where Drobin was killed, a single bright blue bead floats to the surface. Then another.

THE HIDDEN
08 DROBIN THE CRAZED
SEGMENT 075
“WHILE BACK IN YRLAG”
7/14/14

LHARVION 7, 999

“Knock Knock”

“Hello… Mr. Truth?”

“Room service- I’m coming in.” Maggie says while putting in a master key. She pauses and listens again before turning the key. The door creaks loudly as she pushes it open. She has a fresh blanket and new water. She is used to organic residents…. Not warforged.

“Oh I’m sorry- are you asleep?”

Nothing. On the bed is a large warforged. He has been here for a long time now. Physically he is fine but his mental state went from unstable to non-existent. Having never been this close to one before, Maggie feels they all look alike. She moves quietly, replacing the water and checking on the bedpan.

Feeling the warforged could use some light, she quietly lifts the window shade. The light is not on him so she feels it will not bother him. “Sleep tight Mr. Truth.”

Maggie quietly leaves the room and relocks it.

=======================================================================================

Silvermane quietly reads a tome she found a few months ago. It breaks down the local history of some settlements that are now mere ruins. She reads about black crystal skulls and their powers. She reaches over and grabs her sixth marsh apple. She gets up and rubs her stomach. “Need proteins.”

============================================================================================

The forest slowly becomes wetlands and then swamp over the days of walking. The Black Fyre Clan is coming, They have been paid in gold to kill someone. They like to kill. The lead gnoll turns to his clan- “This is where…. We will find…. The Truth.”

THE HIDDEN
09 ROAD TRIP
SEGMENT 076
“BLACK FYRE CLAN”
7/27/14

LHARVION 11, 999

The team reaches Yrlag and goes to their rooms. After a good night of sleep they set out to look for means of income. They note the inn keeper is watching them carefully. “He seems concerned” says the Bard Marshal to Roadie. He nods in agreement but they continue onward.

Many people on the wharf seem to give them room to move through. RAF doesn’t mind the respect. Cy and Tom suspect there is something behind it. Truth spots a few of the 1/2 orc deputies moving along side of them. They seem to be pretending to not notice them.

Truth purposely directs the team into a connecting bridge and the deputies are caught unaware as they round a corner of a warehouse. “Hello. How are things going?” asks Truth.

The deputies are surprised and stumble on their words. “Good day. Everything is good.” The ½ orc stumbles out. “How long have you been bad?”

“A day.” Says Persia, the catfolk.

“Says much. Will you be leaving again?”

“Soon perhaps.” Adds the other officer.

“Need money and looking for employment.” Answers Truth as he continues to try to figure out what is going on.

“We must continue our patrol. Please excuse us.” And the three ½ orcs quickly move on.

“Whenever were they that respectful of us?” wonders Cy.

“I like it.” Adds RAF. “It is about time.”

They continue towards the docks looking for employment. People continue to make way for them as they go. They reach Croc’s Way- a large and raised bridge that allows taller fishing boats to enter the docks themselves. They climb the steep walkway and at the top see people moving away. At the bottom of the bridge are several large and armored Gnolls. One has dark fur and seems to be the leader. She (based on the multi-breasted armor plate she wears) barks and yips something them points to them. Suddenly a foul smelling creature attempts to attack Cy from behind.

“Dretch!” Calls out Witt.

Cy, Witt and Persia with the Bard attack the summoned fiend while the others direct their attention on the Gnolls. They fire arrows and spells onto them after the dog-men fire their cross bows at them. RAF charges into the mass.

These are not the gnolls they faced in the mountains a few months before. They are seasoned warriors and based on the activity of the dark furred leader, a cleric of an evil god. After RAF’s heavy slam, this leader works her way to the back of the group and heals herself.

With the dretch quickly being destroyed, the others turn their attention to the gnolls as the melee experts move in. Witt tumbles and bounces through the group of gnolls and tries to attack the leader. He uses his newest toy- the metal skull mask. He has come to understand how it works. It creates a stronger Death Touch power once per day with limited range ability. The evil cleric howls as the mask becomes energy and streaks away from the cleric / rogue’s face and strikes her. She overcomes the death effect but still takes serious damage. She wants that mask for herself now.

RAF, used to cutting down opponents every swing is stymied as he needs several attacks to take down a single gnoll. Tough buggers.

In time, they kill the leader and try to leave one gnoll alive for answers. (tell that to RAF).

They succeed and learn they were hired by the Emerald Claw to hunt them down in Yrlag and kill them.

The ½ orcs arrive to retain peace in large numbers (conveniently once there was only two bloodied gnolls remaining) They add that yes- they were aware someone had put a bounty on the adventurers but didn’t know who. Witt is very curious about how much. They don’t know- it doesn’t matter to them.

The Captain suggests they should leave town for a while until this blows over. He has heard of a very good paying job that involves leaving town for over a month. They should go to the Grotto’s tavern. Grotto- the local Wayfinder head can help them from there.

The friend look at each other to decide and the end result is they will travel and speak to this Grotto (which the bard has heard of) and learn more.

THE HIDDEN
09 ROAD TRIP
SEGMENT 078
“CURIOUSITY”
7/27/14

LHARVION 21, 999

Malachai and Roadie comfort Tom Garvin. (slipped my mind and notes- The gnolls killed his animal companion Bear (R.I.P. Fuzzy). He has now lost two wolves and two bears since coming to Yrlag. Is this a sign to not have one or should he pick a different kind of animal?

The first mate has tried to befriend Truth. He talks about anything a mage may have interest in. Truth is polite but wishes just to study his scrolls on the language of the Xoriat. He is also still flaking. A few of his plates are taking on a texture also. This bothers him. He wonders what is causing this- the ashes from the urn? His exposure to arcane energies? Being around draconic Prophecies? Or the regular use of his polymorph ring that allows him to become human to be with lady Silvermane?

LHARVION 27, 999

RAF is confronted by a crew member. He readies himself for a battle. A fight is the last thing on the sailor’s mind.

“Your markings…. You were a Breland Honor guard?” He asks humbly.

“Yes. In Wroat. I guarded the military hero’s burial ground for several years as the war came to an end.”

“Thankyou. Thankyou and let me say how proud I am of you. I am Clip Frome. My father and brother are buried there. They died in battle during the war on the Thrane border.” The man holds out a hand and RAF is unsure but raises his hand also. The man does his best to hold it and shake it with authority and feeling. Overcome by feeling and emotions of his laid to rest family, he excuses himself and goes below deck. RAF watches him and looks down at his outreached hand. “Humans are strange” he mutters and returns to watching the distant coast go by.

BARRAKAS 3, 999

Smead asks Truth to follow him below where the crew cannot eavesdrop.

“Why?”

“I wish to tell you a secret about the cargo on this ship.”

Smead begins to talk more about the old paranoid woman. “Did you know her husband explored the swamps? Only he wasn’t looking for treasure or ruins. Dang fool was always looking for glowing marks.”

That gets Truth’s attention.

“Wife was always trying to get him to stop. But he wouldn’t. No sir, he was out there more than home. Rumor has it she got around near the end- if you understand my meaning.” He elbows the warforged with a smile and a wink. Truth is lost on everything said except the part about glowing marks.

“How do you know about this?” asks the warforged.

“Don’t look at me- It weren’t me!” and the shifter laughs. “As for the intrigue…. I ah get bored watching over the miss’ stuff so I found some reading material one night. Some sort of journal.”

“What did it say?” asks Truth with interest.

“Something like on the DAY of NINES everything natural will become unnatural from being natural to unnatural from once being natural. Crazy stuff. Crazed ol’ widow.”

“Day of Nines!.... may I also see this book?”

“Ahhh…. Errr…. Shouldn’t be showing you that stuff. It’s the miss’ stuff. Say- did you know we have a dead body on board?”

Above on deck, Persia is requested to the captain’s cabin. She is wary about this. She has seen how the captain looks at her. But she goes anyway. The captain is sitting on a very soft couch with one foot on a hassock. He greets her and welcomes her into his private quarters. He asks her to sit next to him while patting the space. It is unlikely she can sit there without touching him.

“You look lovely. I find the body fur…. Beautiful to behold. Wine? Its Aundairan.” He says with a great deal of charm.

“No thankyou. I do not drink often and I am comfortable standing. What did you wish to speak to me about?”

And above all of them, in the crow’s nest, is Roadie. Bored, he enjoys watching the seas from here. In the distance he can see another ship. The sails are tied and secured. Curious.

“Dead body?!? Who?” asks Truth still thinking about the possible Prophecy that is written within a book somewhere in this vast holding area.

“Why her son of course. Did you know he died under mysterious causes.”

“Oh?”

“For instance- His eyes are blue. As in the pupils are dark blue and the whites of the eyes are light blue. Do you want to see?”

Can’t show me a book due to the rules and morality but you can show me her dead son? Thinks Truth. “Yes. Yes I would like to see.

They walk to the back of the 50 X 50 storage area that is completely full of wrapped furniture and crates of belongings. There, in the back most corner, is a wooden box roughly six feet long and three feet wide. It is nailed shut.

“It is nailed… how did you see….” Truth begins to ask the first mate. The first mate is smiling and holding up a crow bar and a hammer for afterwards. “If you please- as the first mate I am not allowed to mess with her stuff.”

“No sir. Really- I don’t want any wine. And perhaps you shouldn’t have any more yourself.” Says Persia gently removing the captain’s hand from her thigh.

“The fur…. It covers your entire body?”

Would gutting him get her killed by the crew? She begins to wonder.

Roadie covers his eyes and looks closer at the ship ahead of them. He sees no crew or passengers. It seems to be caught up in thick seaweed. Maybe it has run aground?

He leans over and begins to call out what he has seen.