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[5E] The Age of Worms - Solid Snake's Campaign
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<blockquote data-quote="SolidSnake_01" data-source="post: 7555126" data-attributes="member: 63254"><p><strong><u>Gray Fox Journal: Heart of Darkness</u></strong></p><p></p><p>It took some doing, but the group finally managed to reach consensus on what our immediate path forward should be. Everyone decided that exploration of the ancient city far to the south where Kyuss was believed to have amassed his power was the logical decision. It was obvious, even to Jordan. But the ancient knight couldn’t help but inject complication into the plan by insisting that assembling the Rod of Seven Parts should be our priority. His conspiracy theory was quite extensive and took nearly an hour to explain, threatening to draw us away from the task at hand. I waited until he was done before informing him that leaving the Rod with the Archmage Tenser was a part of the plan to draw enemies off of our trail while we gathered more information on Kyuss. It would be foolish to fight the Wormgod’s minions while tangling with the Nine Hells over the artifact. </p><p></p><p>“Do you play Dragonchess Jordan,” I asked him.</p><p></p><p>“I must admit it has been some time since I enjoyed the game. Why do you ask Treig,” Jordan responded.</p><p></p><p>“Often novices to the Game will protect their most powerful piece at the expense of victory, believing that it will grant them dominance in the later stages of the conflict. We are merely in the Opening now. Temporarily leaving the Rod with Tenser is part of the larger plan to achieve exactly what you are hoping for.”</p><p></p><p>Jordan raised an eyebrow. “Very well.”</p><p></p><p>Negotiations with Tenser were much less stressful. He agreed to nearly every request we had. It was obvious that the Age of Worms prophecy was a priority for him. That had me a bit concerned. GIven the enemy we would face and the environment we would be subjected to, we needed specific weaponry, countermeasures, and knowledge. Also, we would have to start working as a team and not separate entities that did not trust one another. Tenser provided his castle to be our base of operations, allowing us to research the Amedio jungle, repurpose our equipment, add suitable items to our inventory, and train with each other. We were even able to gain more companions on our expedition: Verdre and Kio. Verdre was Etona’s cousin and a battle-hardened druid. Kio, a student of Tenser’s, was no longer human.</p><p></p><p>“I assumed that given the type of adversaries you would be facing, it might be wise to bring individuals who would not be subject to necrotic transformation. Kio,” the archmage said as he introduced the mechanised man, “has had his spirit transferred into a construct. Consciousness in the Inanimate is not new. My time on Mechanus has greatly advanced my research.” Tenser then looked over to Rey. “I understand that you have an owlbear that travels with you. If you wish it, I could perform the same ritual I used on Kio. I doubt she would fare well where you are planning to go.”</p><p></p><p>“Once you...transfer Obi’s spirit into this object, what will happen to her body,” Rey asked hesitantly.</p><p></p><p>“We would keep her body in stasis until your return,” Tenser responded.</p><p></p><p>“What if her new body was...destroyed,” Rey continued.</p><p></p><p>“There is a phylactery embedded into the constructs that houses the spirit. It can be removed and if returned to me intact, I will be able to perform the ritual to regraft it back to its original host.”</p><p></p><p><em>A ghost in the machine.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p>The archmage had Cymeria give a seminar on the composition and maintenance of constructs. I made everyone attend. In addition we ran military drills every morning. The rest of the the time went by quickly. I spent a large portion of it learning all I could about our destination by attending scrying sessions, speaking with sages, and doing my own research in the library. I also worked with Etona and Verdre to develop a silent signaling system based off of their homeland’s native language. This would allow us to communicate without alerting our enemy. </p><p></p><p>When the day finally came for us to travel to Kuluth-Mar, we were ready. Well, almost. I had one last piece of business before we were transported. I tried to see Tenser after his meeting with some ambassadors from Mechanus. Apparently they had a piece of the Rod on their plane and were enthusiastic, as much as automatons can be, to verify that the largest piece had been found by one of their allies. Tenser confirmed that it was true and even gave our group the credit for discovering the artifact. </p><p></p><p>After bidding the Inevitables a good journey, the archmage turned to me.</p><p></p><p>“What can I do for you Treig.”</p><p></p><p>“I know that you have given much already, but I have one last personal request. If I survive this expedition, I would like you to use your contacts in Greyhawk to secure me the position of Master of Games. It has recently become available.”</p><p></p><p>The wizard smiled. “I can think of no one better suited for the task than you.”</p><p></p><p>“I am glad to hear you say that.”</p><p>__________________________</p><p></p><p>The sickening sensation of falling into an endless void was quickly replaced by the oppressive humidity of the jungle. We had arrived as the sun began to set, per our elven companions. Etona and Verdre insisted that we journey at dusk to obscure our approach. Everyone was on edge, including Jordan. He had summoned his infernal armor almost immediately, sensing the gravity of our situation. Cymeria had transported us to the exact point we had tasked for her. Hard to do, even for a mage of her talents. Kio scanned the surrounding area before we embarked.</p><p></p><p>“Sixty life forms detected. All entities native to the environment.”</p><p></p><p>“What about those that are not native,” I asked.</p><p></p><p>“No such entities detected in range.”</p><p></p><p>He wasn’t very comforting.</p><p></p><p>As we had practiced in simulation, some of our group scouted ahead to ensure the path forward was clear of enemies while the rest took defensive positions around our most vulnerable members. It didn’t take long to find the ruins of the ancient city. The ziggurat was the only structure still standing, surrounded by an obsidian wall over thirty feet tall. For a moment, the landscape melted away and reformed. We were standing in the ancient necropolis watching thousands of Kyuss’ zealots chant his name as he sat in a throne atop his spire. And then just as quickly as the vision came, it was gone.</p><p></p><p>We approached cautiously, dodging parties of roving trolls and Yuan-ti, the savage snake people often spoke of in lore. Upon the dark barrier encircling the spire was a phrase in draconic which was repeated over and over: “Kyuss forever bound.” Apparently a group of very powerful magi, the Wardens of the First Watch, sealed Kyuss and his followers within the structure long ago. The secrets to his past are within for any brave enough to face them.</p><p></p><p>Scaling the wall was a simple matter. We did so with mundane means as I was worried our group was becoming too reliant on magical enhancements. <em>Always leave yourself a way out</em>. While atop the wall, Etona, Rey, and Verdre circled the perimeter while I kept an eye on the remaining party. The mechanized Obi also stayed, given that she was no longer very silent. Frankly, I felt more comfortable with a steel owlbear guarding my back. </p><p></p><p>I saw it before I heard it. The chittering screams of giant worm-infested beetles scurrying back towards the ziggurat. Something had gone wrong. Instinctively I moved towards the elves, but stopped and held my position when I saw what they had called to their aid: an undead knight. It summoned the beetles and leapt atop one of them as one would a steed. The knight hadn’t moved his forces before a silver streak cut through the dark and severed the worm-ridden leg from his pelvis. <em>Etona</em>.</p><p></p><p>The divine power seemed to play havoc with both the knight and the beetle, but they recovered quickly. Despite the lack of an appendage and a grievously wounded mount, the knight pulled himself back on and rode towards the elves. Egan was saying something.</p><p></p><p>“Should I make a distraction to get their attention?”</p><p></p><p>“What did you have in mind,” I replied distracted.</p><p></p><p>Just then a thunderstorm formed inside the compound. Ozone filled the air and thunder echoed through the forest. I turned on the warlock in horror. <em>What have you done?!</em></p><p></p><p>“What about that,” Egan exclaimed in triumph.</p><p></p><p>“Probability of survival has dramatically diminished,” Kio intoned.</p><p></p><p>I agreed with him. Our chances had been altered. The only good news was that our sniper was doing serious damage to our foes. So much so that they took refuge behind the remnants of a collapsed building. The stone prevented Etona from getting a clean shot, which meant that we would have to get this done on the ground. I looked over to Jordan, who had murder in his eyes. I think he was very close to letting the devil take control of him and collect Egan’s soul. Though I am not sure he would get it. Apparently Egan has promised it to a number of entities already. Either way, we had to get off this wall or whatever was in the jungle was going to finish what the spawns of Kyuss did not. I tried to diffuse the situation and move forward with a sound strategy, so I pushed Egan off the wall. I am not ashamed to say that it felt good.</p><p></p><p>Like the rest of us, he floated to the ground unscathed. The amulets given to us by the aarakocra let us ride the wind unharmed. We hit the ground softly with surprise. The earth shifted under our feet, green worms breaking the surface and burrowing back down again. Maybe Etona had the right idea after all. I tried to ignore the disgust roiling in my stomach and kept moving us forward. That’s when Jordan activated his ring. We were immediately surrounded by a field of ancient spirits, I imagine his ancestors. The ghosts burned away the worms, clearing a path of protection for us as we moved to intercept the guardians hiding within the courtyard.</p><p></p><p>We fell upon the wounded beetles violently. At this point, Rey had joined us on the ground and quickly moved within Jordan’s protective circle. She had a front row seat to Jordan’s savagery. Once both insects came into contact with his protective field, it melted right through their carapaces. Jordan leapt upon them, tearing them open with his burning gauntleted fists. It sounded like an egg cracking and the sight of all those wriggling worms spewing out of the broken body was enough to almost make me sick. I’ve been in dozens of battles, seen men do unspeakable things to one another. I would carry this scene in my nightmares for all time. </p><p></p><p>Despite my nausea, we were doing quite well. Our only foe was hiding within the ruins of an old building, his allies completely annihilated. So why did I still feel so uneasy? Almost as if in response to my question, the universe showed me. From the entrance of the ziggurat, two more creatures appeared. Over seven feet tall, with pale skin, and draped within rotten feathered wings. They held aloft blades made of dark stone. Where their eyes once rested now protruded green worms. Once the most noble of all creatures of the multiverse, now reduced to thralls of Kyuss. Suddenly the phrase “Goddamn it” really had meaning.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="SolidSnake_01, post: 7555126, member: 63254"] [B][U]Gray Fox Journal: Heart of Darkness[/U][/B] It took some doing, but the group finally managed to reach consensus on what our immediate path forward should be. Everyone decided that exploration of the ancient city far to the south where Kyuss was believed to have amassed his power was the logical decision. It was obvious, even to Jordan. But the ancient knight couldn’t help but inject complication into the plan by insisting that assembling the Rod of Seven Parts should be our priority. His conspiracy theory was quite extensive and took nearly an hour to explain, threatening to draw us away from the task at hand. I waited until he was done before informing him that leaving the Rod with the Archmage Tenser was a part of the plan to draw enemies off of our trail while we gathered more information on Kyuss. It would be foolish to fight the Wormgod’s minions while tangling with the Nine Hells over the artifact. “Do you play Dragonchess Jordan,” I asked him. “I must admit it has been some time since I enjoyed the game. Why do you ask Treig,” Jordan responded. “Often novices to the Game will protect their most powerful piece at the expense of victory, believing that it will grant them dominance in the later stages of the conflict. We are merely in the Opening now. Temporarily leaving the Rod with Tenser is part of the larger plan to achieve exactly what you are hoping for.” Jordan raised an eyebrow. “Very well.” Negotiations with Tenser were much less stressful. He agreed to nearly every request we had. It was obvious that the Age of Worms prophecy was a priority for him. That had me a bit concerned. GIven the enemy we would face and the environment we would be subjected to, we needed specific weaponry, countermeasures, and knowledge. Also, we would have to start working as a team and not separate entities that did not trust one another. Tenser provided his castle to be our base of operations, allowing us to research the Amedio jungle, repurpose our equipment, add suitable items to our inventory, and train with each other. We were even able to gain more companions on our expedition: Verdre and Kio. Verdre was Etona’s cousin and a battle-hardened druid. Kio, a student of Tenser’s, was no longer human. “I assumed that given the type of adversaries you would be facing, it might be wise to bring individuals who would not be subject to necrotic transformation. Kio,” the archmage said as he introduced the mechanised man, “has had his spirit transferred into a construct. Consciousness in the Inanimate is not new. My time on Mechanus has greatly advanced my research.” Tenser then looked over to Rey. “I understand that you have an owlbear that travels with you. If you wish it, I could perform the same ritual I used on Kio. I doubt she would fare well where you are planning to go.” “Once you...transfer Obi’s spirit into this object, what will happen to her body,” Rey asked hesitantly. “We would keep her body in stasis until your return,” Tenser responded. “What if her new body was...destroyed,” Rey continued. “There is a phylactery embedded into the constructs that houses the spirit. It can be removed and if returned to me intact, I will be able to perform the ritual to regraft it back to its original host.” [I]A ghost in the machine. [/I] The archmage had Cymeria give a seminar on the composition and maintenance of constructs. I made everyone attend. In addition we ran military drills every morning. The rest of the the time went by quickly. I spent a large portion of it learning all I could about our destination by attending scrying sessions, speaking with sages, and doing my own research in the library. I also worked with Etona and Verdre to develop a silent signaling system based off of their homeland’s native language. This would allow us to communicate without alerting our enemy. When the day finally came for us to travel to Kuluth-Mar, we were ready. Well, almost. I had one last piece of business before we were transported. I tried to see Tenser after his meeting with some ambassadors from Mechanus. Apparently they had a piece of the Rod on their plane and were enthusiastic, as much as automatons can be, to verify that the largest piece had been found by one of their allies. Tenser confirmed that it was true and even gave our group the credit for discovering the artifact. After bidding the Inevitables a good journey, the archmage turned to me. “What can I do for you Treig.” “I know that you have given much already, but I have one last personal request. If I survive this expedition, I would like you to use your contacts in Greyhawk to secure me the position of Master of Games. It has recently become available.” The wizard smiled. “I can think of no one better suited for the task than you.” “I am glad to hear you say that.” __________________________ The sickening sensation of falling into an endless void was quickly replaced by the oppressive humidity of the jungle. We had arrived as the sun began to set, per our elven companions. Etona and Verdre insisted that we journey at dusk to obscure our approach. Everyone was on edge, including Jordan. He had summoned his infernal armor almost immediately, sensing the gravity of our situation. Cymeria had transported us to the exact point we had tasked for her. Hard to do, even for a mage of her talents. Kio scanned the surrounding area before we embarked. “Sixty life forms detected. All entities native to the environment.” “What about those that are not native,” I asked. “No such entities detected in range.” He wasn’t very comforting. As we had practiced in simulation, some of our group scouted ahead to ensure the path forward was clear of enemies while the rest took defensive positions around our most vulnerable members. It didn’t take long to find the ruins of the ancient city. The ziggurat was the only structure still standing, surrounded by an obsidian wall over thirty feet tall. For a moment, the landscape melted away and reformed. We were standing in the ancient necropolis watching thousands of Kyuss’ zealots chant his name as he sat in a throne atop his spire. And then just as quickly as the vision came, it was gone. We approached cautiously, dodging parties of roving trolls and Yuan-ti, the savage snake people often spoke of in lore. Upon the dark barrier encircling the spire was a phrase in draconic which was repeated over and over: “Kyuss forever bound.” Apparently a group of very powerful magi, the Wardens of the First Watch, sealed Kyuss and his followers within the structure long ago. The secrets to his past are within for any brave enough to face them. Scaling the wall was a simple matter. We did so with mundane means as I was worried our group was becoming too reliant on magical enhancements. [I]Always leave yourself a way out[/I]. While atop the wall, Etona, Rey, and Verdre circled the perimeter while I kept an eye on the remaining party. The mechanized Obi also stayed, given that she was no longer very silent. Frankly, I felt more comfortable with a steel owlbear guarding my back. I saw it before I heard it. The chittering screams of giant worm-infested beetles scurrying back towards the ziggurat. Something had gone wrong. Instinctively I moved towards the elves, but stopped and held my position when I saw what they had called to their aid: an undead knight. It summoned the beetles and leapt atop one of them as one would a steed. The knight hadn’t moved his forces before a silver streak cut through the dark and severed the worm-ridden leg from his pelvis. [I]Etona[/I]. The divine power seemed to play havoc with both the knight and the beetle, but they recovered quickly. Despite the lack of an appendage and a grievously wounded mount, the knight pulled himself back on and rode towards the elves. Egan was saying something. “Should I make a distraction to get their attention?” “What did you have in mind,” I replied distracted. Just then a thunderstorm formed inside the compound. Ozone filled the air and thunder echoed through the forest. I turned on the warlock in horror. [I]What have you done?![/I] “What about that,” Egan exclaimed in triumph. “Probability of survival has dramatically diminished,” Kio intoned. I agreed with him. Our chances had been altered. The only good news was that our sniper was doing serious damage to our foes. So much so that they took refuge behind the remnants of a collapsed building. The stone prevented Etona from getting a clean shot, which meant that we would have to get this done on the ground. I looked over to Jordan, who had murder in his eyes. I think he was very close to letting the devil take control of him and collect Egan’s soul. Though I am not sure he would get it. Apparently Egan has promised it to a number of entities already. Either way, we had to get off this wall or whatever was in the jungle was going to finish what the spawns of Kyuss did not. I tried to diffuse the situation and move forward with a sound strategy, so I pushed Egan off the wall. I am not ashamed to say that it felt good. Like the rest of us, he floated to the ground unscathed. The amulets given to us by the aarakocra let us ride the wind unharmed. We hit the ground softly with surprise. The earth shifted under our feet, green worms breaking the surface and burrowing back down again. Maybe Etona had the right idea after all. I tried to ignore the disgust roiling in my stomach and kept moving us forward. That’s when Jordan activated his ring. We were immediately surrounded by a field of ancient spirits, I imagine his ancestors. The ghosts burned away the worms, clearing a path of protection for us as we moved to intercept the guardians hiding within the courtyard. We fell upon the wounded beetles violently. At this point, Rey had joined us on the ground and quickly moved within Jordan’s protective circle. She had a front row seat to Jordan’s savagery. Once both insects came into contact with his protective field, it melted right through their carapaces. Jordan leapt upon them, tearing them open with his burning gauntleted fists. It sounded like an egg cracking and the sight of all those wriggling worms spewing out of the broken body was enough to almost make me sick. I’ve been in dozens of battles, seen men do unspeakable things to one another. I would carry this scene in my nightmares for all time. Despite my nausea, we were doing quite well. Our only foe was hiding within the ruins of an old building, his allies completely annihilated. So why did I still feel so uneasy? Almost as if in response to my question, the universe showed me. From the entrance of the ziggurat, two more creatures appeared. Over seven feet tall, with pale skin, and draped within rotten feathered wings. They held aloft blades made of dark stone. Where their eyes once rested now protruded green worms. Once the most noble of all creatures of the multiverse, now reduced to thralls of Kyuss. Suddenly the phrase “Goddamn it” really had meaning. [/QUOTE]
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