the Kyri Chronicles - last updated 22 Oct

[Plane Sailing]

Amidst the black-painted walls there is a chamber of horrors - a tall robed figure is visible in the far corner of the room, chanting a spell - and between her and the top of the stairs is the escaped cabalist and a series of horrific, slimy be-tentacled creatures. Two of them are small aberrations which ooze noxious acidic vapours which harm everyone within 10’, and a third is a medium aberration with grasping tentacles surrounding a sucking, lampreylike mouth.

Ynnsfeardh moves first and strikes at one of the small aberrations with his kama - which promptly disintegrates in the acid body! Mentally he resolves to *not* use his fist on these creature! Lysander draws his spare dagger and strikes it into the same beast, killing the creature at the cost of a dagger. Crail moves to engage the cabalist and K’tal attempts to shoot the creature with his crossbow, since he no longer has sufficient psychic energy to perform concussions.

The lampreylike creature attacks Lysander and quickly latches on to him, and an awful sucking sound starts. Crails’ opponent concentrates on casting defensively and starts peppering Crail with magic missiles. Ynnsfeardh makes a magnificent tumbling leap over the heads of all the combatants and attempts to strike the leader of the cabal (who must be the one known as “the Blessed”) who responds by scorching him with firebolts - one of which is evaded but the second one strikes home, seriously wounding him. Lysander wounds his attacker, but it then sucks huge mouthfuls of his blood, seriously weakening him (DMs note: in my campaign blood drain attacks reduce Str first, and when that is all gone they reduce Con. Having them reduce Con straight away is too nasty for my liking ) .

Although K’tal is not being terribly effective with his crossbow, the odds don’t look terribly appealing to the Blessed, so she runs up onto the ceiling with her magic slippers and spends a round opening a trapdoor onto the roof. Another crossbow bolt misses her and she ducks out. Ynnsfearth moves to give Crail a flanking attack on the cabalist, but the cabalist hits Crail with another brace of magic missiles, seriously wounding him (and with the blood loss he sustained from the gibbering mouther, he falls unconscious).

Lysander manages to kill his creature just before it sucks him dry, and the remaining acidic aberration disappears in a puff of summoned smoke. The final cabalist falls to the company and they take stock of the situation. Lysander is drained and wounded, Crail seriously so and Azrin is hovering on deaths door.

 

[Plane Sailing]

They start to make their way downstairs but find their way blocked by a blazing fire that the unattended flaming sphere started down in the bookshop (Azrin is going to be mortified about the amount of information that has been destroyed!). The doors are all heavily barred with iron, so they get everyone up through the skylight and onto the roof, and then use rope that Lysander had been carrying to lower everyone to the ground and safety.

A crowd are gathering already, and a bucket chain is dousing the nearby buildings to prevent the fire spreading - but it is clear that the bookshop itself is not going to be put out until it is reduced to a shell. The crowd gather round and Lysander raises his voice, allows his Charisma to pour forth and tell people of the great victory that has been won.

The crowd recognise the company as the ones who had dealt with the wererat problem and hoists the heroes aloft, shouting their praises. Lysander sends a messenger back to the temple suggesting to Daros that tomorrows holy day ceremonies should probably have a good sermon, as he expects that there will be a higher than average turn-out! The heroes are carried back to the Queen of Cups where Barnabas is pleased to see them and sorts them out with rooms where they can rest and enjoy the toast of the people. Words get around that there will be a big feast arranged for Holyday afternoon in the heroes honour, tomorrow. In the meantime, they need to spend some time resting and recuperating from the battles of the day.


Before exiting the bookshop, a quick search did turn up the following things:

· A diary with writing in a language that isn’t familiar (Azrin can check it once he is conscious and active again)
· A wand which looks like a sturdy burnt twig with silver around the base. (wand of burning hands)
· A golden ring with a single ruby setting (both these from the defeated cabalist) (+1 protection)
· An arcane scroll (change self, invisibility, haste)
· Two potions, one of which is iridescent blue (the colour of healing) and the other effervescent yellow.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Late that afternoon Auriel returns from her time in the nearby grove, swapping information with a witch who had summoned her with an animal messenger. The nearby council of witches is concerned with rumours of continued evil-doing by the renegade Belak, whom Auriel had encountered with others way back in the early days. Apparently there have been sightings of strange, possibly undead plants, and the council would like Auriel and others to investigate in the near future.

Auriel is stunned at the amount of activity which has gone on in her absence, and helps them out with some lesser restoration spells to help alleviate the problems of blood loss suffered by so many of the party. They all rest up overnight at the Queen of Cups and then since it is holyday most proceed to the temple for the morning services, while Auriel hangs around outside and K’tan retires to his residence at “The Wyvern”.

During the service, Azrin appeals to Asura to understand the thoughts of people in the temple, and amidst all the general babble of voices he hears one distinct tone

“Not long to wait, this afternoon, and our plans come to fruition - Mwha-ha-ha!”.

He can’t pinpoint who this is, but takes note of a number of shady looking characters towards the rear of the temple and reports his findings to the others.

They know that this afternoon they have been invited to a feast in their honour, and suspect that a trap may be set there, especially since many of the top merchants will be there and at least one of the Cabal (the leader) has escaped. Azrin also tries to get another word with one of the local acolytes who had tried to tell him something a few days earlier - but despite the acolytes presence in the service, he doesn’t manage to speak with him.

They all decide to go along to the celebration in their honour, but remain watchful. This probably spoils their enjoyment a little, and the songs in their honour go unheard and the women who fawn over them go unloved.

DMs note: Ah, paranoia!

 

[Plane Sailing]

Late evening of holyday a messenger boy arrives - can they meet with someone up at the old bell tower. Suspicious, but they agree they must go. As they proceed up Chatterstreet a call is heard from the narrow alley they are passing “Hey, Heros!” and a sneakily aimed crossbow bolt pierces Azrins side. Before the ratman figure - it looks like Squim again - darts back into the alleys.

Lysander and Auriel charge directly after him, and Crail and Ynnsfeardh duck into the next alley along to attempt to cut him off. Azrin treats his wound and moves a little further into the alleyway.

Past the next junction, Lysander sees Squim and moves to attack him, backed up by Auriel - but suddenly two turbaned Mendonnan assassins appear out of the shadows, surrounding the two of them, and one gains a vicious flanking attack on Lysander. Their kris knives are poisoned and both Auriel and Lysander drink deep of the venom.

Meanwhile, two more cloaked rogues have leapt from doorways around Crail and Ynnsfeardh, striking at them, and Azrin (alone in another alley) suddenly finds himself flanked by rogues too!

 

[Plane Sailing]

Ynnsfeardh tumbles past Crail and his opponent, allowing Crail to get a flanking attack before stepping aside to prevent being flanked himself. Auriel gets a mighty critical hit with her spear and nearly impales one of the assassins, critically wounding him. He attempts to tumble away but draws an AoO from Lysander who breaks his neck with a snapping kick before continuing to whittle away at squim. Lysander uses his intimidate skill to attempt to enrage Squim, and is successful - the ratman hacks away with more determination than ever, but to little effect this time.

Azrin gulps down a potion of firebreath and breaths at one of the rogues flanking him - and uses the moment when the rogue evades the breath to dash past him and attempt to meet up with his friends again. Crail leaves Ynnsfeardh to handle their two rogues to go and protect Azrin, the monk downing one of his rogues at the same time. Auriel manages to kill the assassin behind her, and then runs back round to the fight near Azrin. She gets into difficulty as she is flanked by two rogues and seriously wounded. Lifting her arms up she transforms into an eagle and quickly flies up onto the guttering.

Lysander finally cuts Squim down, cleaving his head from his neck. Azrin invokes a spiritual scimitar of Asura to start hacking away at one of the enemies after calling upon Asura to bless his companions. Auriel returns to normal form and starts summoning four badgers, which appear and quickly kill one of the rogues.

While Lysander comes round to the main body, Ynnsfeardh finishes off his opponent and Auriel leaps 20ft from the building, attempting to hit the remaining rogue - she misses and nearly knocks herself out! While Crail prepares to send the rogue to his maker, Azrin steps between them and with a perfect leopard punch kills the villain.

Phew!

The party take stock. Whilst all seriously wounded and many of them poisoned, they are all alive. It is worrying to see the assassins from Mendonna here, they are known far and wide as experts in dealing death. Even more worrying, all of the rogues who attacked them have the shaven heads and soft features common to Singharese - just like Azrin and Lysander. What is this, an invasion from Singh or what?

 

[Plane Sailing]

Query: is it better for readers if I post in short segments, or would longer segments be better?

Should I use longer segments until I'm back to the current position and then return to shorter segments after that?

Feedback appreciated!

 

[Plane Sailing]

They retrace their footsteps back to the Queen of Cups, and Lysander flags down a guard, and asks him if he can find out whether Squim escaped from custody, or was released. The message comes back a little later - he was released on orders from the Baron...

Barnabas sets them up in a couple of his best rooms that night, and his wife Maria tends to them with her healing skills.
In the early hours of the morning, both Lysander and Azrin wake, with a sudden feeling of wrongness. They quickly rouse their companions and check the inn, but there is nothing to be found. Crail can see a strange glow from over in the east, and these three decide to pay a visit to their temple.

Storm season has clearly come in with a roar, as rain lashes down and the wind howls around them as they make their way along the main boardwalks towards the temple. They encounter some city guards who have orders to clear people off the streets, but Lysander is determined to make his way to the temple of his god. The guards are torn between their loyalty to the baron and their respect for the Jazumai, and in the end agree to escort Azrin and Crail back to the inn, leaving Lysander to proceed alone.
He finds the temple doors locked.

Shinning up the side of the building, he has a strong sense of evil from within the dome, the sanctuary of the temple. Returning to the ground, he breaks down one of the back doors into the temple. He starts to creep down the passageway when with a howl two hell hounds leap out of the hall in front of him and an evil acolyte, wearing hastily donned armour and with a huge flail appears behind him. He is engaged in combat, and despite his skill the fiery breath of the hounds and the cleric who boxes him in behind are quickly whittling him away. In desperation he calls upon his new sorcerous talents and defensively casts “Daze” at the priest - and then uses his movement action to dart past the dazed opponent and back out into the rain.

Incensed at the obvious desecration of his temple, even more angry that he had to retreat from the battle, Lysander returns to his friends. They decide that it is not safe to remain at the Queen of Cups because enemies at the temple will be on their guard and may be preparing a counterstrike. They leave quickly in the night and return to the old belltower, where Crail once more picks the lock and lets everyone in. They settle down for the night and attempt to heal their wounds and prepare once more.

Come morning, Crail hears trumpets being blown up at the keep, summoning the townspeople for an announcement. While the others pray and prepare, he goes and mingles with the crowd, moving to listen to the announcement. Up on the battlements, he sees the well-known figure of the Baron, giving a proclamation. In the background, Crails keen eyes make out a tall, robed figure standing in the shadows - not the Blessed, but with a head shadowed by a large hood.

The Barons announcement is shocking. Apparently, because of the breakdown of law and order, as exemplified by the assassination attempt on the brave adventurers, but seen also in the fire up on west hill, the wererats killing guards and the general disruption caused by the street festival... so he is declaring martial law. Carrying of weapons will be punishable by death. Alkanar, Lysander and all of the acolytes from the temple are to be arrested on sight, since their temple has failed the town - and the temple is now given over to new forces of law who will be maintaining order in the town. Able bodied men should report to the militia. The town gates will be sealed and nobody will enter or leave the town.

As he finishes, an enormous, skeletal fiendish humanoid appears on the battlements beside him, lifting aloft a huge scythe and lashing the air with a terrible scorpion sting.

 

[Old One]

Query: is it better for readers if I post in short segments, or would longer segments be better?

Should I use longer segments until I'm back to the current position and then return to shorter segments after that?

Feedback appreciated!

Use the longer ones to get caught up...then switch to the "nibbles"!

Old One

 

[Plane Sailing]

Ah, you spoilt my attempt to have the longest thread with no comments

I'll post in longer chunks until I get current - although with the old boards still closed it is a little difficult to remember where I'd got up to!

Cheers

 

[Plane Sailing]

The crowds run from the square in some panic, and Crail moves along with them, making his way back to the bell tower. He doesn’t like the sound of this *one bit*

After his companions finish their praying and spell preparation they all hear the town criers repeating the Barons words - apparently flanked by a pair of enormous goblins with glowing purple eyes. Azrin recognises a fiendish creature from Crails descriptions, and he surmises that a gate must have been opened to a fiendish plane from somewhere in the vicinity. That would match up with the extreme sense of evil that Lysander sensed at the temple the previous night! But how to close such a gate? It is beyond Azrins planar knowledge at the moment - but he is sure that there are a couple of books within the temple library which will give him the answers he needs. Of course, the temple seems to be overrun by fiendish creatures and probably an evil subcult of Asura...

First, they need to find allies. Crail goes off to make contact with K’tal, sticking to the back routes. Even so, he sees the bony fiend with a number of frightened militamen terrorising a baker out on his rounds, and then later narrowly escapes from a huge, fiendish megaraptor stalking round the back ways. K’tal has heard the news and is happy to join up with the company in attempting to bring true order back to the town.

In the meantime, Auriel takes her own walk around the town - much quieter now, with far fewer people around. She notices a couple of turbaned, hawk-nosed men in one of the streets and doesn’t pay them much attention - but they apparently recognise her and shoot at her with their hand-crossbows, poisoning her slightly again. Thankfully she manages to escape and work her way back to the bell tower. It definitely isn’t safe out at the moment, and the enemy have good descriptions of them to work from.

They spend a considerable time planning how to break into the library and collect the necessary books - a frontal assault is out, since they wont have the time to look through the library if they are trying to protect themselves from the cultists, yet somehow they have to get Azrin in there since he’s the only one who knows what books to collect.

A plan is drawn up. That night, Auriel and Azrin sneak up to the temple, to the wall adjoining the library. Auriel casts stone shape and makes a hole that can be wriggled through. Azrin then quaffs the potion of invisibility which was recently found, and works his way into the library, taking off some of the books in order to get into the building. The library is occupied - Felgar is sitting at the table, regarding the doorway and idly tearing pages out of one of the books.

Holding his breath, thanking Asura for luck, Azrin creeps around the back of the library, selects the books he needs, then carefully wriggles out the hole once more. He replaces the books in the shelf behind him as he leaves, and then he and Auriel camouflage the hole and return to the bell tower.

The books have the answers he is looking for. This kind of planar gateway can be closed by channelling energy into it - although it needs to be a concerted effort, as it will be a difficult task, especially if the temple has been desecrated as they anticipate.

Meanwhile, Crail and Lysander move carefully round the town to visit some of the houses of the more devout worshippers from the temple, to see if they can track down what has happened to Alkanar and the temple acolytes. Soon they find a household where one of the acolytes, Sheena, is being sheltered. The other two are at locations further a field in the town, although nobody is sure of the whereabouts of Alkanar. It seems likely that he is being kept prisoner somewhere for a future sacrifice at a major holyday ceremony which would be in a couple of days time. With assurances of faithfulness, the worshippers agree to spread the word to the other acolytes

Crail then goes to attempt to locate some of his friends from the old thieves guild, from before the ratmen came. After a days searching he follows up rumours of the girl Laidly, and makes his way to an abandoned warehouse near the Chatterstreet gate. He picks the complex lock to gain access, and is nearly turned into a pincushion by crossbows, but Laidly recognises him and holds their fire. A short reunion ensures, and although the band of rogues will not aid in any direct assault, they are happy to provide a distraction up at Westgate, to draw attention away from the temple end of town.

They spend the next day, Waxday, resting up and contemplating all that has happened within the last week. Lysander re-dedicates himself to the path of the Jazumai, practicing his swordplay and prayers more. Crail turns his thoughts from roguish ways to more direct combat and Azrin concentrates on new prayers from some of the books which he took from the library.

Current roster:
Lysander: Jazumai 5 / Sorcerer 1
Auriel: Witch 5
Crail: Rogue 3 / Fighter 1
Azrin: Priest 3 / Monk 1
Ynnsfeardh: Monk 4
K’tal: Mage Savant 4