The Creation Schema:THE FINAL BATTLE FOR POSSESSION OF THE SCHEMA

[megamania]

EBERRON
04/23/05
SEGMENT 072
“RAIL WRECK” PT 22

The roots rise and fall in and out of the water creating many excellent places for predatory creatures to hide. The druid warns everyone to be on the watch for critters.

Looking around, they see the tree is surrounded by dark brown water with areas covered by floating seeds and plants. It is near impossible to tell how deep the muck and murk is. A muddy patch of an island is 10 feet away. Then the main land is another 10 foot jump after that. 50 foot from there is the burned hulking remains of a car. Another car is sticking out of the water. Only about 15 feet of the 70 feet of car is visible. The engine car is not visible. It is submerged, destroyed beyond recognition or somehow taken away.

Taskerdoo tries for the burnt remains as the others make for the submerged car. Even as the half-giant wades into the water, Sharshek can hear something sliding into the water. “We have company!”

“Crocs or something worse?” asks Cedious as he leaps onto the island then turns to the submerged car. He looks at the water’s depth on the ½ giant and decides he can handle it. It is roughly three foot thick. He needs to swim it but that’s okay. He laughs at the face of danger. Even the toothy kind.

The half giant hauls himself onto the car. It is slick with wet oozy moss and mud. The human is impatient to climb out of the water as he hurries to the rail car. Gnarl nearly falls in complete with rider as he makes it to the shore. Even the main land is wet and muddy. Not good.

Cedious swims to the side of the car and begins to climb along the roof when suddenly two large claws spring from the water and grasp his two legs. The legs are nearly sliced off. A large shelled creature rises to the surface. The weight of it nearly pulls the strong halfling in. Blood trickles down from his legs. The druid looks at the creature. “CHUUL!”

“Help!” yells the rogue.

Sharshek leaps into the water to attack. Black sand is about to when he notes a second creature rising from the water on the opposite side of the submerged car. He goes after that Chuul. The druid leaps back to the island but misses. His wolf becomes embedded in the thick and sucking mud. The first Chuul squeezes even as Cedious frees one leg since it is greased from his own blood.... He grunts from the pain again. Long tentacles reach out from the creature. They wrap around the tattered remains of the leather boots and begin to search for the flesh within.

The human fighter gets in a solid hit but it only cracks the thick shell. The druid’s wolf pulls free and struggles to the land. Using the acquired wand of magic missiles from the mage, the Druid fires the wand. Air whistles out from under the shell as the energy from the beam heat the creature. Black sand misses his attack as his weapon bounces off of the thick shell. The creature gets in one good pinch through the window of the car. He withdraws from the window. He can’t get a good enough strike through the window so he makes for the door. Unknown to him, the creature is thinking the same thing but instead has swum to the front of the car to the submerged section.

Cedious squirms and turns to attack the tentacles. He does little damage but keeps the tentacles from striking. In return, his leg is nearly severed as the Chuul squeezes again. Sharshek’s next attack bounces off. Gnarl and the druid leap into the water. The halfling frees himself from the wolf so as not to drown him by accident. With magic fang activated, the wolf goes to attack. The druid calls up more spells to attack with.

Black sand leaps in and delivers a powerful strike that breaks the shell but if it hurt the Chuul, it doesn’t show it. The second Chuul tries to climb up the roof to attack from the roof but can not climb. Its hard claws can not gain any leverage on the rooftop. Cedious delivers a powerful jab then passes out from blood loss and pain as the chuul squeezes and begins to pull. The three adventurers and the wolf all make their attacks as they surround and flank the creature. Now it seems to want to leave with its meal instead of standing around to be attacked. The second chuul sinks into the murky water. Even as the first begins to slide into the water with Cedious, a fatal blow is delivered thus saving Cedious.

Black sands watches for the second one that the others were even aware of. Cedious is given a potion and comes to. He gets more potions from his pack as the others look around for danger.

“I think I prefer bad dreams to my food attacking me.” Says Cedious as he lies down on a damp seat and closes his eyes from exhaustion.

 

[megamania]

EBERRON
05/07/05
SEGMENT 073
“Boddynoc’s Grand Scheme”

It took MANY days and several encounters with the Sahuagin but Boddynoc Grinkle and Asunder crossed the northern area of the Thunder Sea and reached the shores of Darguun. Asunder, being a warforged, had no need for food, drink or air to breathe. Boddynoc, as an undead did not need these basic things of survival either.

Boddynoc thought long and hard about what to do. He truly wished to destroy the cleric but no. He had a purpose. He was to find the Creation Schema and use it. He was to create the first warforged nation. From here, he could continue his studies and create better warforged creations. He smiled at the afterthought.

On the way, he and Asunder had plundered several sunken ships. Using two packs of holding he has filled the packs with gems and magical items. Soon he planned to reach Sharn. He still has notes and copies of the schema in storage there. They were his and he was going to take them back.

However, first he had one more thing to do. He was going to the Mournlands. He was going to set up a base of operations. The perfect place- the Whitehearth Cannith foundry. If any goblins or bugbears got in the way- too bad for them.

 

[megamania]

EBERRON
05/07/05
SEGMENT 074
“RAIL WRECK” PT 23

[DM NOTES- Only half of players could make it today and I myself had to go to work thus cutting it short. We still opted to play some however.]

Cedious changed his clothes. He escaped with his life but not with his pants. Then without pause, he entered the partly submerged car. Taskerdoo joined him quickly. He was beginning to see that this roguish halfling required both eyes to watch over.

While the rogue found some minor jewels and a bag, Taskerdoo found a snake and its nest. He was careful to avoid it and not disturb the nest. Cedious found the bag had a pass for the Morgrave University in Bonel’s name. There was also an ID that fit the description of the woman they were seeking but not the name. She had two aliases even then. Cedious thought little more of it. She was here but how long ago?

Next they shifted through the burnt remains of either another car or possibly the engine. Finding little they explored the immediate area. Black sands and Sharshek merely hung out and watched for Chuuls or other dangers (as do players that can not make it).

Gnarl the wolf friend of the druid found several trails that traveled the general area of the two cars. Some were very well used and recently used. Animals going to the water most commonly used these. Several other trails lead away into the jungle.

Deciding there was nothing else to find here, they left allowing Gnarl to decide which trails to use and track it

Nearby, Gnarl found the remains of two dead raptors. They had a few sword cuts and one had two heavy and thick arrows in the body. These were fresh kills, within the day. “We are not alone.” Adds the druid.

A few hours into the trip, they are attacked by a magic using small dinosaur with weak wings (Ambush Drake) Gnarl and Sharshek find themselves weak and tired after being attacked by the creature’s bite. Its breath weapon has slowed down Black sands and Cedious. They still prevail but are at a loss to what the creature was. They do know they need to rest –and soon.

Further on the trail they decide to camp. They climb a tree to about 30 feet up and rest. During the night, they hear a series of birdcalls and whistles that seemed odd. Nothing could be seen. Odder yet was when sounds of something fast moving and a thud sound off in the utter darkness.

Cedious- curious and very Kender like can’t stand not knowing what has happened. Even the bird calls are gone.

He carefully climbs down and finds…nothing. He frowns at this and returns to his post.

The next day the group discovers a small scroll tube hanging from a branch over the main trail. Not caring it is a trap or not, Cedious checks it out. He reads it out loud for all to hear.

I AM WATCHING YOU

“I am watching you too.” Says Cedious as he stares into the brush as if seeing someone. Nothing.

They continue on. The marsh is giving away to a forest setting. They set up camp again within a tree. This time, Taskerdoo accidentally disturbs several large monstrous mantis creatures. The battle goes quickly with little risk though Black sands nearly falls out of the tree when charging on the thick but rounded limbs.

As I said- a very short session.

 

[megamania]

EBERRON
05/15/05
SEGMENT 075
“Dark Lanterns”

Viorr Maelak stared at the scroll for a long time. He tapped his fingers between thoughts as he tried to decipher the evidence before him. It was not the first time he and a House had conflicting agendas. He knew it would be far from the last time also. However, this time other groups were involved.

He picked up the letter again and reread it to himself once more-

I followed the four newest warforged spies to the Cogs. They seemed to have some idea of the lay out. Either they have been here before or have been given maps that included the recently discovered chambers of Undersharn. Once they felt they were free from being seen, they presented weapons that were hidden within their shells. At least one of these forged were a mage of some sort.

They went first to the Naga pit we shutdown last month. They were not there for the pit but for something else. They spent a few hours searching then left. They went into the newly discovered section further east
And ran into an Emerald Claw division. Battle broke out. The strangest thing that occurred was in the midst of the battle House Cannith magewrights and their warforged agents came into the battle also.

The Cannith mages were winning when suddenly the warforged on their side turned on them. They joined Blade’s men and together destroyed both opposing teams. On the Emerald Claw was a series of bags. They looked through these bags and found something that excited them.

Using the arcane eye, I was able to see it. It was a domed disk about 5 inches diameter. It had runes and what looked to be either cracks or a shore line map. On the backside there were rods and keys sticking out. I heard the words CREATION SCHEMA mentioned.

At this point I was surprised by a creature of the dark and missed any opportunity to follow the warforged. They can only be going to one place- Mournlands.

Once my wounds are attended to, I will report.
Lucan Stellos
He knew his agents well. If Lucan felt this was important enough to contact him directly with a scroll then it was VERY important. This was the second time the term CREATION SCHEMA was mentioned within a letter of activity from one of his agents. The other involved an Aurum spy that fled the city after the warforged agents of Blades killed her mentor Bonel Geldem.

Were they connected? If so, he needed to learn more and quickly.

 

[Cedious]

*sits in his chair leans back and thinks*
hhmmmm interesting

 

[megamania]

EBERRON
05/21/05
SEGMENT 076
“RAIL WRECK” PT 23

On the third night of walking the group are once more disturbed at night. Taskerdoo’s keen ears pick up a sound in the forest that did not fit. Concentrating, he focused and looked up to see a warforged dressed in a dark green cloak about fifty feet above them. He calls attention to this even as he pulls out the wand of Magic Missiles. The war-forged creature takes several shots before it gets out of range and disappears into the night.

The next day leads to a wary leaving of the safety of the tree. It seemed little if anything approached the tree except for the warforged that was incredibly sneaky. They travel about two hours until they approach a large clearing. The clearing leads to a high rock cliff that seems to go forever. Perhaps this is what keeps the dinosaurs from wandering out of the area known as the Talenta Plains figures Shelshek.

Cedious can see four openings to caves directly across from them. The path they are following seems to wander towards them. However, the field between the forest edge and the caves is high grass and low shrubs. Taskerdoo warns of good places for ambush by many of the creatures that live in the plains. Black Sands suggests his own theories on this- “Bring it on.”

A few hundred feet onto the opening leads to strengthen the reality of the Druid’s fears. There are signs of a battle. He and his wolf companion search the area. Cedious and the others find clues also. There are footprints of warforged and a large bipedal lizard or dinosaur. Piecing together the clues, they figure a large group of warforged traveled through here. A T-rex or something of this sort was hiding within a small glen of tall bushes and surprised them. It tore into the group destroying many before they decided to run away. Dozens of trails can be found of fleeing warforged. The chewed and spit out remains of one warforged remain. The creature decided the obsidian and metal didn’t taste good. The parts that are wooden are rotted and in part digested.

“Be careful…. We heard it three days ago. The creature is real.”

“I’m thinking about the trails of fleeing figures. Where did they go?” wonders the human fighter.

“Let’s go to the caves. It seems the trail leads there.” Suggests Cedious looking across the field to the rock cliffs.

Continuing across the plain, the hired adventurers of House Cannith watch for hidden dangers of dinosaurs, warforged and other creatures. They do not forget the “I’m watching you.” Scroll. They figure it came from that warforged stealthy figure they saw in the tree. A skilled warforged was very dangerous.

Finally reaching the cliffs they looked at each opening. They were spread across an area of 500 feet. There is a lot of action coming in and out. Small reptiles, large mammals and many warforged have come in and out of these caves. They decide on the closest cave opening and enter.

 

[megamania]

*sits in his chair leans back and thinks*
hhmmmm interesting

behave

 

[megamania]

Finally got the film developed- here are some scenes from Starvos Island and what would have happened if players decided how to run a game in Talenta Plains-

 

[megamania]

The two above were when the PCs faced the mutated creatures in the dragon shard mines and then when they came to the dragon etched door.

Below is the diner car but with a T-Rex coming for dinner.

 

[megamania]

EBERRON
05/21/05
SEGMENT 077
“THE CAVES”

Gnarl and Taskerdoo take the lead with Cedious close behind. At about thirty feet behind is Shelshek holding a lantern. Black sands follows close to him.

The cave is filled with trails. Warforged have come in and out of these caves. Some walking, some running. Occasionally other tracks are seen but they are old or disturbed. About 125 feet into the cave they discover the caves is a series of branching caves. Tunnels crisscross within with tracks of warforged coming in and out. It is impossible to follow a single trail.

Following the trail Gnarl stops. The druid tries to pick up what is wrong. “Slow pain. Dragon. Slow”
Is all he can pick up. Understanding his companion quickly, Taskerdoo warns the group of a possible Ambush Drake being ahead.

They move up and indeed a drake attacks with its breath weapon. Prepared for it, the group force their way through it then attacks the drake. It attempts to defend itself but with all five attackers attacking at once it can only stay so long. Cedious lands the final blow.

Looking around, the group finds some gems and coins in the corner. They collect these and sort through the rest of the drake’s lair before moving forward.

Then Gnarl becomes excited. “Human”

“Gnarl has found the scent of a human. Its old but fits the time of the missing spy.” They thus begin to follow the trail.

Moving slowly now, the group find a halfling burial chamber. There are several spots cut into the walls to lay bodies and there are several stone boxes also. All of the boxes have been opened and thus disturbed. The keen eye of Cedious spots the body of a warforged. Slowly they enter and split up to explore the 50x75 foot room. Shelshek goes to the warforged body and is attacked by an undead creature.

This creature looks like a gaunt, nearly skeletal corpse, its rib cage filled with horrid, writhing viscera. The creature’s tongue is its most noteworthy feature –long, cartilaginous, and clawed.

The human fighter is forced to hold the creature back as the others rush to his aid. It was hiding within the burial boxes. The druid attacks at first from the distance with the wand of Magic Missiles then has his wolf bring him in. The others surround the creature and attack. Cedious discovers the tongue is as dangerous as gross as it strikes him. The wolf leaps onto the jarred cover and bites at the undead (ugh!). For the effort, the undead backhands Taskerdoo hard and nearly knocks him free from the wolf. They drive the creature into the stone box and begin to stab at it within. Cedious empties holy water onto it which makes it shriek in pain. Trapped, it succumbs to the batterment given to it.

Feeling it is safe once more, the group goes back to checking out the burial chamber. Taskerdoo is uneasy doing this but feels the spirits are gone. The remains are not what makes a halfling a halfling.

Hidden within the stone coffins are more warforged, parts of warforged and their equipment. “At least the undead thing (Mohrg) was tidy.” Quips Cedious.

Continuing to follow the trail left by the human, they discover a few strips of cloth with blood on it. Gnarl confirms this is human blood. The human looks to be badly injured but moved on.

They travel about 500 feet and find themselves in a large open cave. A few feet within it is the mortal remains of a female human that fit the description of the spy. She hugs a cloth wrapped book and in hand holds a glowing dagger (Bane vs Human). Looking into the book, it is the very journal they were searching for. She has little else on her. Rather than follow the trail out, Cedious leads the group through the far end to exit. (oops!)


Cedious, not being very cautious, hurries through the tunnels to leave. He trips a Fusillade of Spears and takes many hits. Cursing he takes more curative potions and leads on. “Should we slow down?” asks the human of the group. Cedious is already moving onward.

He finds another trap but doesn’t trip it. However he goes to disable it and trips it then. A falling block clips him doing minor damage. Cedious sighs and begins to take his time leaving.

DM NOTE [ Somehow they weaved in and out of cavern tunnels full of traps and undead and ran into little of it. Leaving they only got a small taste of it.]

Cedious finds another trap and wedges the tripping stone so that it can not go off. Thankfully, they arrive onto a trail they know. A large human, a human, a small human and a dog with heavy weight on it.

“Finally” thinks Cedious.

They begin to leave.