Our mini-adventure was intended for a one shot, but we played it in 1-2 hour bursts due to players failing IRL fortitude and will saves.
Exploration Extreme - Live at Nalaam (Part 1)
It is the year of 501 After Our Victory. Unbeknownst to
most of the party, a superstar team of Risuri spies are currently infiltrating a conspiratorial conference in another plane. But that is the least of your worries. Instead, their adventure takes place in the libertarian paradise of Nalaam, sitting high atop the Penance Peaks. The independent city state sits between the borders of Drakr, a nation of philosophical doomsayers, and Chrysillir, a nation under the iron grip of the Clergy. In the streets of Nalaam, the
decadent playground, money and mana flow freely. Under the rule of a cabal of powerful wizards, the infamous den of inequities harbour many crimes and cruelties the rest of the world forbids. Only criminals who cause damage are expected to repay their dues in equivalent coin. And unfortunately, each member of the party committed a crime they could not afford.
Things have moved quickly. Only fifteen minutes ago, the party was collected from their cells. Now, they find themselves escorted by a patrol of guards through Nalaam’s arena, guided by a long-haired, suited up man whose face you are yet to glimpse. The walls around them occasionally shift, redirecting their route to ever increasing altitudes. Eventually, the suited man turns, revealing a skeleton visage instead of a face to address the crew:
Please welcome our criminal crew:
Ulek Draugak. A half-orc two-handed fighter with
The Family Man trait. The softly spoken blacksmith (with a gentle New Zealand accent) got himself involved with the wrong crowd to help his blood relatives. Played by someone outside of the regular crew.
Ziz. A goblin alchemist (trap breaker/winged marauder) with
The Doctor trait. She's a med school dropout who was banned for her enthusiastic but unsafe work practices (like experimenting with volatile concoctions to cauterise wounds) and decided to put her chemistry training to use elsewhere. She'll cheerfully heal her companions just as readily as she'll blow stuff up. Despite her abysmal wisdom, she's intelligent enough to aim bombs away from the companions she's trying to keep alive. Played by Ella's player.
Lam. The lammergeier/giant vulture animal companion/unwilling accomplice of Ziz. Ziz "liberated" (stole) Lam from a rich collector of exotic animals. He'd probably be quite happy if someone liberated him again and put him in a wildlife sanctuary or something, but as it is he was raised in captivity and doesn't really know any better or how to survive in the wild. Ziz believes Lam is a brave volunteer prepared to sacrifice all in the name of medical science, but really he's just a very obedient but confused bird who's inhaled too many alchemical fumes. Also played by Ella's player.
Simon. A blue skinned alchemist kobold with
The Arsonist trait. Earlier this season, Simon assisted an elite squad of Risuri constables in tracking down a man that could move metal with only his mind. For his services, they brought him and his fellows a suit. Simon loves fire (previously fed Angharad nachos reduced to ash) and is teased relentlessly by other kobolds. The party took a liking to him, and Panda's player decided to play him in this adventure. Unbeknownst to the player, Simon is here on a mission from his spymaster.
Lorenz. A blue haired gnome bard with
The Thief trait. He grew up with kobolds before travelling the world to steal from magic stores, until he was finally arrested in Nalaam. He's played by Angharad's player, who despises both gnomes and bards.
The skeleton's teeth chattered: “Zo! Will see you now” He tilted his top hat towards a now-parted wall, which revealed a viewing suite that sits atop the arena.
Wizards worked their arcane magics atop the bloodied snow that layers the arena floor. To the party's left and right, thousands of seats were being filled by commoners and travelers of every class. Directly ahead, the wall of the arena were open to only a ledge, giving a clear view of the Penance Peaks.
Now, to the contents of the suite. Most occupants were undead, hovering on the edges of the suite, setting up luxurious furniture, refreshments, browsing clipboards, chatting, or sipping refreshments. Only three occupants sat: Dallatonna Elzarro, the party's lawyer, and Lord Kulp, master of the arena, politely listened to the story of the other occupant, some creature who looks sickly only in skin-tone.
“And of course, production insurance did not cover decapitation!”, the undead creature laughed, “That was the last time our associate producer requested the service constructs to ‘get ahead’”. Dallatonna looked deeply concerned, before politely laughing alongside her cackling host.
The skeleton accompanying the party then introduced the sitting undead creature as Zo!, the most famous undead in all of Nalaam.
“Yes. Yes! You’re everything I was hoping for,” exclaimed the undead showman while looking over the new arrivals. “Oh Dallatonna, you’ve truly outdone yourself. They’re so exciting, so energized, so—”
“—alive?” finished a ghast woman wearing well-tailored clothing as she looked up from her clipboard. Zo! frowned at the blunt observation and tried to respond, but Dallatonna intervened: “My clients, no doubt this is all happening a little fast, so let me explain. Under exceptional circumstance, I have negotiated your release with the leadership of Nalaam. They will pay your debts to the city, but there is a catch.”
Zo! visibly bounced in his seat with excitement as Lord Kulp spoke: “You will be required to explore the depths of Nalaam. Our city is not founded on solid mountain, no. There are tunnels that run deep, littered with solidified crystals of mana. But investigations into the deepest tunnels have revealed strange, mishappen bodies and tremors. We want someone to investigate.”
The skeletal mogul waved his hands. “Oh, but Lord Kulp, we couldn’t just send a single crew. No, Nalaam’s greatest triumph deserves far more production value.” He hopped up from his chair and gazes out at the Arena, now drooped in shadow by the setting sun. He paced and gesticulated: “Imagine: underdogs from the streets of Nalaam, the mysterious depths, untold secrets, limitless adventure—all broadcast before a live audience in our greatest production yet!” He spun to look back at the group, his lipless mouth smiled gleefully. “Exploration Extreme! Live at Nalaam!”
The ghast with the clipboard clapped politely before interjecting. “To translate, you’re scheduled to explore part of Nalaam’s underground accompanied by a professional tele-illusionist crew and production team. You will find exciting things and be thoroughly entertaining. Any questions?”
Zo! laughed, “Always straight to the point. Please meet the associate producer, Wazasha Kevir.”
The party asked a few questions, before Zo! ushered them to makeup. After donning more-beautiful faces and some last-minute bartering with a skeleton merchant, Zo! returned.
Everyone rolled a charisma check, to see who appealed most to the skeleton mogul Zo!. Lorenz out from everyone else and led away for a private chat. Apparently he’s a very stylish, highly charismatic
gnome kobold and it might improve the profit margins of the show if he were to showcase a sponsoring company’s gear. He received two options:
- The Drakran weapon company, Scorched Earth (slogan: "Why end the fight when you can end the world?"), has offered a weapon augment that increases the first damage dealt each turn by +1d6
- The Malice Lands boutique fashion label, Clashwear (slogan: "Dress to impress"), offered a variety of accessories that increase AC by +2 if the wearer has moved in the last round.
Lorenz naturally, chose the stylish choice of
Clashwear.
The party were escorted to an impromptu portal chamber and introduced to the production team. Accompanying the party on their adventure was: Wazasha Kevir and her underling ghasts to produce the show, several skeletons with magical crystals that transmit instructions to the arena illusionists, and two six-legged metal constructs, one of which held a tray of appetizers for the party.
Lord Kulp spoke an elfish phrase ("the best revenge is to live"), in a last minute check of Vekesh mystics in the party. If there is a mystic, he would have liked to warn them of the dangers of Marblemaw. Fortunately, the party did not recognise the language. The party entered the portal, which teleported them deep below Nalaam. A tunnel with embedded crystals leads deeper into the earth. Before beginning the exploration, Wazasha offered to show the party the introduction reel to tonight's show. They gladly accept, and she activated her arm-brace to project a small three-dimensional audiovisual illusion:
Zo! spoke with great enthusiasm and showmanship: "Welcome citizens and visitors of Nalaam to tonight's entertainment! I'll be your host for tonight's evening, Zo! You may recognise me from the tele-illusionist hits:
The Hydra Needs Six Wives"
The illusions coalesced to a depiction of a woman standing in a swamp. Two hydra heads emerged from the water. They then lunged down, latch onto the woman, and fight over her.
Zo! continued: "
Dance Mummies"
The illusions shifted two a mummified mother and daughter, both in wigs, blush, and fake eyelashes. The mother scolded: "You better score perfect tens, or I'm breaking your last canopic jar." The illusions cut to a scene of a snake, crane, and sphinx raising cards with a 10, 10, and 9 printed on them, respectively. The shattering of clay is heard 'off-screen'.
Zo! announced: "
The Real Housewights of Sid Minos"
The illusions formed a pale-skinned undead abomination, who speaks directly to the tele-illusion crystal: "Of course I'm going to that skinny ghoul's dinner! Without me, they'd have nothing to talk about."
"And who could forget the show that had dwarves from Drakr travelling to Nalaam to wed the objects of their desire..."
The illusions shifted to reveal a heartfelt scene of a church, filled with a large audience, a dwarven groom and a beautifully-dressed bridge, obscured by a veil-
Zo! introduced the last show of the reel: "
I now pronounce you husband and knife!"
-the dwarven groom pulls back the veil to reveal the barrel of an upright rifle. The pair begin to passionately make out.
The crowd of Nalaam cheered in excitement, many recalling the tele-illusionist masterpieces of Zo! The undead mogul liplessly smiles, convinced that tonight's show will double the size of his superyatch. "And now" he spoke quietly, with great anticipation, "let me introduce you to tonight's underdogs..."
The illusions shifted to reveal Ulek, repeatedly hammering a glowing blade. The illusion shook, as if the ground was rumbling. Stoically, the half-orc continues his work as the 'camera' zooms out slowly.
Zo continues: "He forged his legendary blade from the thousand of weapons of his conquered foes. He went too far for his family and now he's going further. Give it up for the bold, the strong,..."
The camera zooms out enough to reveal Ulek is not in a workshop, but atop a volcano. Ulek holds out the blade with thick gloves over the crevice, and the volcano erupts, leaving the illusioned Ulek shirtless.
"...the steamy, Ulek!"
The crowd roared with wolf whistles and applause, before Zo! continued: "This dream team has flown the world, providing alchemical cures that has the hierarchs blushing. There's no substance they won't steal, no experiment they won't preform. Meet the Queen without a spleen: Doctor Ziz and her assistant Lam!"
Applause bellowed through the arena at the illusions of a figure atop a majestic bird, raining needles from the sky.
"Off the coast of Sid Minos lays the Crypta Heriticarum, the Vault of Heresies. Only one has raided it, evaded its traps, and returned with more treasure than a lich can use in their unlifetime. Give it up for the radiant, the daring, the swift: Lorenz!"
Similarly, applause echoes at the illusion of an Indiana-Jones sequence of a gnome darting through elaborate traps to score an artifact.
"Now, we've all heard of the scaled flame, the daunting ashbringer, who picks buildings to the bone. Meet the kobold responsible for burning a collective area the size of Elfaivar. Tonight, he'll set more than just your hearts alight, give it up for Simon!"
A final applause booms out at the illusions of a kobold standing triumphantly atop a flaming building as it topples towards the audience. Many darted from their seat to avoid the collapse.
Wazasha deactivates her arm brace, rolling her eyes. Much of the party bicker about the untruth of their introductions, but Ziz is thrilled to be called a Queen...the details of course, do not count.
The party begin heading down the tunnel, light dramatically by the production crew. Occasionally, the ground shakes with tremors. Eventually the party reached a thin metal strip that outlined the cross-section of the tunnel. Simon deduced that this must mark a threshold beyond Nalaam, for no crystallized mana can be seen ahead. Corroborating his hypothesis, Simon threw a crystal from the wall behind him ahead, which promptly disintegrated. They cross this metallic threshold and continue into the depths.
Unbeknownst to the party, this metallic strip marks the threshold between Lanjyr and the Marblemaw's actively-projected demi-plane, which currently holds his favourite world: a demi-plane of demonocracy era dwarves that worship him as a god. The dwarves of this world know this threshold to be the membrane, and are forbidden to cross it.
As the party continue into the crystal-less tunnel, they find something strange cemented into the walls...misshapen bodies. Some dangle from the ceilings and others grasp from the walls and floor. These are not pale undead creatures, but are red in colour. The party spent a great deal of time poking them before moving further into the deep, gruesome arteries of Marblemaw's masterpiece...