DARKSUN: RUINS TO DESTRUCTION

DARKSUN: RUINS OF DESTRUCTION
SEGMENT 020
ADVENTURE THREE: BLACK FLAMES
01/01/17

21ST DAY OF 5TH MONTH MID DAY

It has been nearly a month since coming here. The most loyal of loyal agents and spies. S’kin’di , a T’chowb, has been in the Yaramuke ruins for longer than he had hoped. His queen suggested that was activity here in the ruins.

Not questioning his queen, he gathered his supplies and came here. Most of the first weeks were spent bartering the loyalty of the Silt Runners and Gith that called Yaramuke home. Once that was done he began to search around for whatever there was.

Little remained of use. As a precaution, he set a trap within the warehouse. He trapped several undead within its basements. If the trap didn’t kill the intruder then the undead would.

He found and plundered a mage’s tower. When his queen came, they discovered the power of The Wall. So much magic and psionics were released when Yaramuke was destroyed that a field of negative was formed around the ruins. Creatures of great power lose many of their senses. Only sound and taste remained.

By the wisdom of his queen, he was told to alert her of intruders. Persons that could undermine her hopes of power that were still too weak to be affected by the fell magic.

First he saw the aarakocra in the air. Then the other four. An elf, a half-giant and two humans. Correction- on closer inspection a human and Farcluun. His queen will reward him greatly to stop this upstart and his minions. First- contact the Silt Runners then his queen……

DARKSUN: RUINS OF DESTRUCTION
SEGMENT 021
ADVENTURE THREE: BLACK FLAMES
01/24/17

21ST DAY OF 5TH MONTH NIGHT

“What do you see?” Demands the draconic Farcluun. “What has the magics I wield revealed?”

Not wanting to anger him further, the elven earth cleric wilder begins as she motions for the others to be quiet and be still. “Before us are large double doors made of metal and a wood I do not recognize. They have images of some sort mythic creature’s head on it.”

“Tell me ALL of it.”

“It appears not all of the palace was effected by your magics. We see about 15ft of the first floor. There are no towers or taller structures visible.”

“Good. Very good.” He reaches forward and finds Tanis whom was not paying attention. His taloned claw grips into the Soulknife’s shoulder. Then his form shrinks and becomes more human. His grip is still strong however and pains Tanis. “Lead the way.”

Torruk is surprised as how easy the door opens as he pushes on them. Turkulkhan takes to the air with several hard flaps of his wings. He is happy to be free of the rope. Let Tanis enjoy it. The doors part and a long hallway can be seen. Tall obsidian pillars once supported the roof…. Which is not here. It was not affected by Farcluun’s time magic. Turkulkhan from the air can see the entire first floor laid out before him.

As they stroll through the area they decide this could have even been big enough for small parties.

“Tell me everything.” Farcluun reminds them…. Complete with a powerful and painful squeeze. “Details.”

With a brief whimper of pain, Tanis begins to describe how their reflections can be seen on the highly polished floor and columns. Ahead of them the hall splits in two with a red velvet curtain in the center. “Go.” The dragon firmly demands.

With minor hesitation, Tanis pulls the curtain aside. “What is behind the curtain?”

“A grass courtyard.” Answers Tanis. The grass is dry and a bit crunchy to walk on but he steps in. The curtain almost slips from his grip as Farcluun steps in. Tanis is certain that if the curtain fell and struck the dragon he would be punished. Curious, Torruk follows and with the toe of his boot touches the grass that has now been trampled. Anywhere else, he would be flogged for walking on the grass instead of around it. Delphia looks in and shrugs silently. Someday she will own such a courtyard. Perhaps now is the time to work towards that goal. She waits until Tanis begins to talk about the walls and next curtain doorway before moving away from the main party.

Turkulkhan flies up and notes the dining rooms and kitchens. Three bed rooms also. Then he sees the elf sneaking away. She is heading towards a hallway leading to tubs.

“ow” whimpers Tanis as Farcluun pulls and twists his body around as the dragon instinctually tries to hear and take in his surroundings. “Two more pillars… polished. Hallway ahead of us……” It pains him to look to behind him and the sides but does so. “Two…. Hallways or exists on each side.”

“Bah. I seek the scroll…. Move.” He demands.

“Large room…. Huge tables…. Red wood…. Elegant…. Dozens of chairs…. Also same wood…..” Tanis continues.

“We are not here for furniture.” He reminds them.

“End of the tables… plush chair. Three doors.” He grunts as Farcluun walks into one of the massive tables and actually moves it by bumping into it. Tanis needs no reminder to know Farcluun could seriously hurt him with his hand on his shoulder.

“The door is …” Tanis begins. =crunge= “… to your right.” He finishes.

“Clumsy fool.” Farcluun snarls.

Tanis wants to say YOU were the one to walk into the door jam but doesn’t as he notes the plastic cracked and chipped from the grazing hit.

Tanis looks up and sees Turkulkhan as he flies up in the sky with the stars showing. Tanis thinks the birdman should show the monster man around.

“Two more doors to either side.”

“Go the closest one. DO NOT SKIP ONE.” He growls with great menace.

Fearing he will be the “next” leader…. The half-giant is quick to open the door for them. He steps back just as quickly as Farcluun forces Tanis forward.

“Well…?”

“Bedroom. Chest. Mirror.”

“Search it! Search it all!” Then he stops and stiffens up causing Tanis pain. “Where is the elf?!? She should be here!”

Having heard that, Turkulkhan shifts from flying further down the hall to locating Delphia.

DARKSUN: RUINS OF DESTRUCTION
SEGMENT 022
ADVENTURE THREE: BLACK FLAMES
01/24/17

21ST DAY OF 5TH MONTH NIGHT

Delphia takes short and soft steps to the right. Feeling safe as she can no longer hear the others, she enters the closest hallway. Portraits of a woman dressed in fine clothes can be found on the walls. Her eyes are fierce and full of energy. Whatever she thinks.

She spots another door and heads that way.

Behind this light door she finds an extremely light silky emerald green silk robe. It screams wealth and other hedonistic reactions in her mind. She is quick to take it. She checks out the dresser and combs there but leaves them. She walks through the next door and finds three large in-ground tubes. Though there is no water here, she guesses these were once large heated tubes of water. She smiles a knowing smile and begins to back track.

She goes up the hall and looks at each portrait again. She envisions her own face painted there with the fine clothes and jewels. Some day.

She finds a door and checks it for traps then opens it. It is a bedroom. A bed, dresser, mirror and small stool are here. Then she spots the bird man flying over head. Whatever. She follows the hallway and comes to a large dining area. Sliding her elven fingers along the polished red wood she eyes the chair at the head of the table.

Though not a throne, it is obviously the queen’s chair. She sits in it and finds the sense of power good. After a few moments here she gets up and peers through the closest door. A large cooking area. Boring and too close to work. She moves on to the next door.

Pantry. Complete with wine. She looks for a glass but finds none so she drinks from the bottle as she looks for food. She finds baking supplies but nothing made. Too bad.

She wanders back into the large dining room when the bird man calls to her. “Farcluun noticed you are missing. He wants you to join us to search for the scroll.” He calls out.

“Foey”.

DARKSUN: RUINS OF DESTRUCTION
SEGMENT 023
ADVENTURE THREE: BLACK FLAMES
01/24/17

21ST DAY OF 5TH MONTH NIGHT

“Do not wander off little elf…. I may have need of you.” Snarls the old man as she rejoins the group.

They come to a smaller cooking area and table. They look it over and search it.

“This is not the kind of area a secret door used by a ruler would be!” He snarls. “A ruler would have it near a place of respect.”

Delphia immediately thinks of where….. behind the chair she sat in….. “Perhaps we should return to the large dining hall.” She suggests.

“Do you know something I do not?!?” he snarls as he pulls Tanis along towards the direction he believes she is at. He whimpers some again. “Weakling. This is not pain.” He snarls and squeezes making Tanis’s collar bone bend. He goes weak in the knees and nearly loses consciousness.

They return to the hall and sure enough, there is a secret door behind some hangings near the chair.

They go down the spiral stairs and exit into a short stairway. Turkulkhan is beside himself. He is meant for the open skies…. Not tight constricting underground spaces. Farcluun enjoys his misery and makes him go first and describe whatever he sees. He wants details, even of the walls and ceiling which makes the birdman look at everything . What he sees amazes him.

“What do you see?”

“Coins. Bags of coins. Gray polished stone floors with large black glass columns. Two doors and two exits. Turkulkhan and the others move into the hall and begin to pick up coins as quietly as possible. Delphia takes off her protective jacket and lays it on the floor. She begins to place gold and silver into it.

“Forget the coins. What of the doors and exits?” snarls Farcluun as he loses his patience. Tanis’ s vision swims from the pain.

A room with pieces of art. No scrolls. Farcluun doesn’t even pause when they open a room with gems. Delphia is still collecting coins. The gems are secured to the walls to create a hypnotizing effect. It is Farcluun, unable to see, they keeps everyone moving. They discover a room with metal cover books. Delphia quickly comes with her heavy jacket when summoned. She and Tanis look at the books. She cannot read so little comes of it to her. Tanis, unknown to the others, can. These ledgers describe money movements and budgets when the city once existed.

Going down the hallway, they find another doorway. A weapons room! Most of the weapons are gone but with a shift of a rack, two metal daggers and a long sword are found. The next room was possibly once an armory of shields and protective armor. Now is is merely a room with empty models and hangers.

They find a strong and reinforced door. The half giant batters it but it is Farcluun that psionically opens the door after being led to it. As the door blows open, coins burst and bounce everywhere. The coins are two to three inches deep within the room. Tables with carefully stacked coins are on either side. To the back is a bed and a large feather attached to a rope hung from the ceiling. A mirror with cosmetics and perfumes are here also.

Delphia sneaks a perfume bottle while pretending to look around. She is really now trying to fill some pockets with the coins. While shifting through the coins Tanis discovers a trap door under the treasure.

Success!

DARKSUN: RUINS OF DESTRUCTION
SEGMENT 024
ADVENTURE THREE: BLACK FLAMES
01/24/17

21ST DAY OF 5TH MONTH NIGHT

A spiral staircase leads down deeper into the palace. Looking into the first room, they spot a series of book shelves. Farcluun demands them all to search around. He takes his hand off of Tanis for a moment. When he reaches up again, Tanis shifts his body and voice causing the strong supernatural creature to grasp Turkulkhan instead. He nearly crushes the lighter and thinner bones of the birdman. He squawks in pain and nearly drops to his knees.

They spend a long time here looking in the books that they cannot read. Finally Farcluun decides the scroll is not hidden here. Turkulkhan says there is still another door. This door, like the last one, is very strong. Wards once protected this door. Farcluun easily opens it.

Books. More books. As they look around, Tanis notices cracks in the walls. Is the spell wearing off? It allows them to spot a secret panel and search it. A black scroll tube with embossed images of stars and runes.

“GIVE IT TO ME!” Farcluun demands. Tanis nearly throws it at him. “I can feel the magic within it. With this I can amass an army to take Raam and make it my own.”

Delphia glares at the dragon’s back. She knew it!

“You have served me well little ones. You served as my eyes and hands and rewarded me with the scroll. In turn I should reward you. There is one small issue however. I cannot trust you to not mettle in my affairs.” His body begins to reshape and become the dragon again. “So, I will save you from the curse as I promised. I will save you- THROUGH DEATH!!!!”

He lunges forward seeking any of the four of them. He misses them despite his speed and strength. Large chunks of stone and mortar are ripped free with each mighty swing of his claws. He stands between them and the door out.

Turkulkhan and Tanis manage to get around him to the sides but cannot leave still. Sensing his prey may escape, the dragon blindly castes magic. Thick deep webs fill much of the room and well into the hallway and stairs. Using a torch, they begin to frantically try to burn their way out.

“FOOLS!” Farcluun screams and swings wildly again. He collapses a book shelf onto himself by accident. He pushes it aside and snarls again.

Suddenly, Delphia spots something through the webs. A light. “FIRE!” she yells. A fireball rips through the webs and sets books and papers on fire. Tanis and Torruk take some fire damage.

“You are the Fool Farcluun.” Calls out a figure walking through the burning wisps of webs. She is dressed like a noble woman in a green robe and wears many necklaces, bracelets, rings and other jewels.

“That scroll belongs to me. It was my research that revealed the scroll could remove the curse but that it can also be used to control the thousands of undead contained here. They, through the scroll, are mine!”

She charges forward and incredibly leaps up and over the toppled shelves and transforms into a dragon!!!!!!!!

The impact it great and shudders the palace. The impact is so strong that the scroll flies from the hand of Farcluun and bounces past the group. Tanis and Turkulkhan flee through the doorway as the two dragons wildly swing at whatever moves within the library. It appears he is not the only one made blind by being here. Delphia and Torruk try to move away but four metal weapon and armored zombies step up.

“I will kill you Albech-Re!” snarls the male dragon. That makes Delphia pause for ½ second. That was the name of the Sorcerer-Queen of Raam that disappeared a few years ago. It was presumed she was dead. The wilder cleric is struck down by a zombie while she is distracted. Torruk pulls her aside. He has a choice….. save her or save himself by getting the scroll.

So, what ever happened to this Story Hour thread? It's been almost three months since your last post. Did the campaign fold or did you just decide to stop posting?

I, for one, had been avidly reading along.

Johnathan

With no comments or the such I stopped posting on ALL of my games and Storyhours..... even my Eberron ones. Perhaps I will begin to post again if there is interest.

Ah,so the game's still going on, you just stopped posting due to lack of feedback. I'm glad the campaign's still going strong - it sounded like you guys were having fun.

As an aside, I have two current Story Hours of my own, one of which I've posted (at the present time) write-ups to 15 full adventures and had one person post a comment; the other has write-ups for 35 full adventures and two or three bits of behind-the-scenes background information and has had, to date, no comments whatsoever.

Rather than assume that nobody's enjoying those Story Hours, I've looked at the number of views each thread has received and noticed that every time I add a new Story Hour post the number rises at about the same rate. Judging by the number of posts and the number of views, I figure I've got just under a hundred readers of each Story Hour. The fact that the ratios of posts to views keep pretty much stable tells me that the people reading my Story Hours are continuing to do so. And that's some positive feedback right there, even if I don't generate a whole lot of "I'm enjoying reading your Story Hour" posts. Plus, I enjoy having my Story Hours to look back on, even if I don't get any feedback from other readers - they're serving a positive purpose to me, being able to go back and check on past details that could influence future adventures.

I'm not telling you not to feel the way you do, just offering up my own views in the subject. And the lack of updates to this thread eventually prompted me to post, even if it was just to find out if this campaign was a done deal or what.

And now I know. Do as you feel best with regards to continuing posting or not; I for one will be reading if you choose to do so.

Johnathan

Talking to the game group, they want the storyhour to continue also. Sooooo..... stay tuned.

Eh. Campaign is dead. Had hoped to do more but players want their Eberron instead. Sorry