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Aphonion Tales: Ravenskrag and the Shadowline, a preteen D&D game (lightly edited notes, COMPLETED on 1/20/23)
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<blockquote data-quote="CPaladin" data-source="post: 8815830" data-attributes="member: 7030144"><p>Session 51 (September 25, 2022)</p><p>20 Chund</p><p>They pass through the pool of corruption; Ashaltir can feel the corruption pushing against his holy bubble, but it holds. They quickly emerge into a room with a fair number of skeletons and bones; some froglocks, some snake spines, and a few human skeletons.</p><p></p><p>A dark shadow coallesces in the middle of the room.</p><p></p><p>“Who bids me pass? Thrice I will ask, who bids me pass?”</p><p></p><p>“A band of adventurers.”</p><p></p><p>“Adventurers, you seek the blood of those who serve the usurpers?”</p><p></p><p>“Was that a question or a statement?”</p><p></p><p>“Uliths are bound to speak in my way. What do you seek?”</p><p></p><p>“The matrix.”</p><p></p><p>“Wise, all seek the matrix. Even those who have corrupted this land and inhabit this tower seek to take and corrupt the matrix, though they constantly fail.”</p><p></p><p>Merreep says, “It’s good that they fail. We don’t seek to corrupt the matrix or the land, but to bring the matrix back to those who made it.”</p><p></p><p>“The land is already corrupted by the hands of the usurpers, but perhaps you will fare better with the matrix. What do you offer me for passage, that you may seek your deaths at the hands of those who now hold the matrix?”</p><p></p><p>“Aleep notes that you view the Shadow as usurpers.”</p><p></p><p>“For so they are, for they have usurped the planes of the ulith. They have extended those planes into this region, and seek to corrupt it as well. Once, we were the greatest, supreme throughout the abyss, and now we are but a handful hiding in corners. Only one of our princes remains. How are these creatures not usurpers?”</p><p></p><p>“Then perhaps the first thing that Aleep’s friends would offer you is that they plan to use the matrix to greatly discomfit them.”</p><p></p><p>“And what is the second thing you would offer? The first thing that you would offer was the death of our enemies and their discomfort and the destruction of their holding here. What else would you offer?”</p><p></p><p>Runor muses quietly, “I don’t suppose we could offer this the Palood. I don’t think we could guarantee it, or that it would be wise.”</p><p></p><p>“Some precious silver?” Aleep holds out a handful of five silver pieces.</p><p></p><p>“Yes, treasure! It has been so long since I sat on treasure. A like amount from each of your companions, and you must each swear that you will devote your life to the discomfiting of the enemy!” As the ulith speaks, her voice takes on an even more maniacal tone.</p><p></p><p>“I swear that I will spend my life struggling against the powers that currently rule in the Shadow,” says Runor. Once they have all so sworn, the ulith is satisfied.</p><p></p><p>“Take this. I do not know if any of you can use it. They thought to use it against me. It did not work. I am ulith.” The ulith rolls over one of the corpses nearby, and reveals a metallic rod of a reddish color.</p><p></p><p>Merreep says, “Why did it not work on an ulith? What are ulith, anyway?”</p><p></p><p>The shadowy form seems offended. “Why did you not bring a powerful and well-trained magus with you?”</p><p></p><p>Now it is Aleep’s turn to be offended. “Aleep is of considerable power. Aleep has seen mention of uliths in old books. They were ancient enemies of demons.” He does not add that most of the authors seemed to believe that the demons had wiped out the uliths.</p><p></p><p>“Yes. Most ancient enemies of the demons are no more. But my Prince escaped, and so I escaped.”</p><p></p><p>“Who is your prince, may Aleep ask?”</p><p></p><p>“You may not. If I told you his name, it would give you power over him.”</p><p></p><p>“Surely there is some title or use-name that would have no power over him.”</p><p></p><p>“Hmm. I fear that the Vails have been turned into rivers of lava and fire for the torment of those who meet them, but he was once known as the Prince of the Vails.”</p><p></p><p>Aleep suspects he was a minor princeling, forgotten and thus allowed to survive.</p><p></p><p>They turn to examining the brass rod. It is enchanted, with enchantment magic, and not inherently evil—if anything, it is inherently good.</p><p></p><p>Runor takes the rod.</p><p></p><p>The ulith says, “I believe it can only be used to bind two more.”</p><p></p><p>“Seems useful. I think I will likely encounter some demons in the future.”</p><p></p><p>“Oh, you will. There are several demons here that serve them. It is not like they have any major ones, except the one that serves the high priest. But they are not willing to risk it, because though it might defeat me, if it did not, they would have nothing that could stop me. They sought to use it to bind me, but they would have to know far more of the uliths than the savages do to bind me. Still, even without knowing all the words, you should be able to bind demons with it.</p><p></p><p>“You should not need to face the major demon, if you seek the matrix. It almost always remains at the top of the tower, with their high priest. It has only descended on a few occasions. Once, when the servants of Banahog breached the front door, it descended to fight them and drive them back. And at first, its master and it tried to take the matrix by force, and were thrown off by the matrix like a rag-doll. I’m not certain what a rag-doll is, but I like that turn of phrase. But I distract you… you must head on, and bring defeat to our mutual enemies.”</p><p></p><p>They travel out through the passageway of worked stone and into the tower proper. They begin traveling up a flight of winding stone. Suddenly, instead of being worked stone, the walls and then the steps turn to fused crystal—clearly ancient elven work. They have no choice but to climb at first, though they know that they ultimately wish to descend. They eventually emerge from the spiral stair in the center of a large circular room, with doors out in multiple directions. They have no indications at all of which way to go.</p><p></p><p>They decide on the southern door at random, and Ulgorio is eventually, with effort, able to pick the lock. They follow a series of winding passageways, past a few dead-ends that look like they were once cells before something burst the doors open from the inside with great force. Eventually, they come upon another door, which seems to have been formed from some sort of crystal stone. The handle turns easily, and they enter a large room. In the center of the large room, there is an unusual apparatus, almost like a forge, with an anvil and tools for working on it, but with no source of fire or heat. [This is a coldforge, which requires psionics to operate, but none of the PCs could recognize it.]</p><p></p><p>A group of humans stands gathered around the forge—most in dull gray robes with a leader in robes of black and red, with flames on them.</p><p></p><p>The leader looks at them with surprise as they enter through the door, and appears to assume that they are also servants of the snake-people.</p><p></p><p>“What are you doing?” calls out Merreep.</p><p></p><p>“We were attempting to operate this coldforge. But no matter what we do, nothing works. Our lord said that if we could make this work, we could make weapons that would strike down the servants of Banahog effortlessly. We've done everything! We have offered it blood, we have pounded on it with hammers, we have begged, we have pleaded, we have crawled --it does nothing.”</p><p></p><p>“It might need a blessing. I know some religious stuff and may be able to bless it,” says Runor.</p><p></p><p>“You think blessing it might help? By the way, welcome to the services of the Lord of Flame and Death. I have not seen you before, I think.”</p><p></p><p>“Are we trying to make it work?” asks Merreep.</p><p></p><p>“The lord said that we would be able to make weapons that would strike down the servants of Banahog if we could but make this forge work. This forge, which was left here in ancient days by the great enemy.”</p><p></p><p>Merreep has no doubt that by “the great enemy” he means elves. Since he hasn’t realized he’s talking to a group that contains elves, she figures that he’s never actually met any—they are all but unheard of in the Shadowlands, except in responding to assaults at the Shadowline. She says, “Perhaps we need to give them more fiery light.”</p><p></p><p>Aleep interprets that as a command to attack and unleashes a fireball.</p><p></p><p>The fireball immediately drops all five of the figures in the drab robes, but the leader remains. As the group rushes into battle with him, the priest calls out, “Ulfashi, attend me!” and with a sulphurous cloud of smoke, a glabrezou appears. He also casts a spell and closes many of his open wounds.</p><p></p><p>The glabrezou strikes Bartix with its two smaller claws, but misses with its two great claws and its bite. Ashaltir smites the demon mightily, drawing its attention away from Bartix.</p><p></p><p>Runor inflicts dreadful wounds on the priest with a spell, and while the enemy priest attempts to respond in kind, he misses. After some frenzied additional fighting, Runor inflicts more wounds on the priest, and he collapses to the ground with a terrible scream.</p><p></p><p>The glabrezou laughs at his master’s death. He reaches out a dreadful claw, plucks a tattered gray thing from inside the priest’s body, and says, “Mine.” With that, he disappears.</p><p></p><p>They find a few potions on the priest by detecting magic, as well as noting a strange power that isn’t quite magic, but still is visible with a detect magic effect, emanating from the forge. [This is of course psionic energy, which they are able to figure out—not the first time they’ve encountered it, though none of them have any psionic abilities. They have now slain the third-ranking priest in the complex.]</p><p>[End Session 51]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="CPaladin, post: 8815830, member: 7030144"] Session 51 (September 25, 2022) 20 Chund They pass through the pool of corruption; Ashaltir can feel the corruption pushing against his holy bubble, but it holds. They quickly emerge into a room with a fair number of skeletons and bones; some froglocks, some snake spines, and a few human skeletons. A dark shadow coallesces in the middle of the room. “Who bids me pass? Thrice I will ask, who bids me pass?” “A band of adventurers.” “Adventurers, you seek the blood of those who serve the usurpers?” “Was that a question or a statement?” “Uliths are bound to speak in my way. What do you seek?” “The matrix.” “Wise, all seek the matrix. Even those who have corrupted this land and inhabit this tower seek to take and corrupt the matrix, though they constantly fail.” Merreep says, “It’s good that they fail. We don’t seek to corrupt the matrix or the land, but to bring the matrix back to those who made it.” “The land is already corrupted by the hands of the usurpers, but perhaps you will fare better with the matrix. What do you offer me for passage, that you may seek your deaths at the hands of those who now hold the matrix?” “Aleep notes that you view the Shadow as usurpers.” “For so they are, for they have usurped the planes of the ulith. They have extended those planes into this region, and seek to corrupt it as well. Once, we were the greatest, supreme throughout the abyss, and now we are but a handful hiding in corners. Only one of our princes remains. How are these creatures not usurpers?” “Then perhaps the first thing that Aleep’s friends would offer you is that they plan to use the matrix to greatly discomfit them.” “And what is the second thing you would offer? The first thing that you would offer was the death of our enemies and their discomfort and the destruction of their holding here. What else would you offer?” Runor muses quietly, “I don’t suppose we could offer this the Palood. I don’t think we could guarantee it, or that it would be wise.” “Some precious silver?” Aleep holds out a handful of five silver pieces. “Yes, treasure! It has been so long since I sat on treasure. A like amount from each of your companions, and you must each swear that you will devote your life to the discomfiting of the enemy!” As the ulith speaks, her voice takes on an even more maniacal tone. “I swear that I will spend my life struggling against the powers that currently rule in the Shadow,” says Runor. Once they have all so sworn, the ulith is satisfied. “Take this. I do not know if any of you can use it. They thought to use it against me. It did not work. I am ulith.” The ulith rolls over one of the corpses nearby, and reveals a metallic rod of a reddish color. Merreep says, “Why did it not work on an ulith? What are ulith, anyway?” The shadowy form seems offended. “Why did you not bring a powerful and well-trained magus with you?” Now it is Aleep’s turn to be offended. “Aleep is of considerable power. Aleep has seen mention of uliths in old books. They were ancient enemies of demons.” He does not add that most of the authors seemed to believe that the demons had wiped out the uliths. “Yes. Most ancient enemies of the demons are no more. But my Prince escaped, and so I escaped.” “Who is your prince, may Aleep ask?” “You may not. If I told you his name, it would give you power over him.” “Surely there is some title or use-name that would have no power over him.” “Hmm. I fear that the Vails have been turned into rivers of lava and fire for the torment of those who meet them, but he was once known as the Prince of the Vails.” Aleep suspects he was a minor princeling, forgotten and thus allowed to survive. They turn to examining the brass rod. It is enchanted, with enchantment magic, and not inherently evil—if anything, it is inherently good. Runor takes the rod. The ulith says, “I believe it can only be used to bind two more.” “Seems useful. I think I will likely encounter some demons in the future.” “Oh, you will. There are several demons here that serve them. It is not like they have any major ones, except the one that serves the high priest. But they are not willing to risk it, because though it might defeat me, if it did not, they would have nothing that could stop me. They sought to use it to bind me, but they would have to know far more of the uliths than the savages do to bind me. Still, even without knowing all the words, you should be able to bind demons with it. “You should not need to face the major demon, if you seek the matrix. It almost always remains at the top of the tower, with their high priest. It has only descended on a few occasions. Once, when the servants of Banahog breached the front door, it descended to fight them and drive them back. And at first, its master and it tried to take the matrix by force, and were thrown off by the matrix like a rag-doll. I’m not certain what a rag-doll is, but I like that turn of phrase. But I distract you… you must head on, and bring defeat to our mutual enemies.” They travel out through the passageway of worked stone and into the tower proper. They begin traveling up a flight of winding stone. Suddenly, instead of being worked stone, the walls and then the steps turn to fused crystal—clearly ancient elven work. They have no choice but to climb at first, though they know that they ultimately wish to descend. They eventually emerge from the spiral stair in the center of a large circular room, with doors out in multiple directions. They have no indications at all of which way to go. They decide on the southern door at random, and Ulgorio is eventually, with effort, able to pick the lock. They follow a series of winding passageways, past a few dead-ends that look like they were once cells before something burst the doors open from the inside with great force. Eventually, they come upon another door, which seems to have been formed from some sort of crystal stone. The handle turns easily, and they enter a large room. In the center of the large room, there is an unusual apparatus, almost like a forge, with an anvil and tools for working on it, but with no source of fire or heat. [This is a coldforge, which requires psionics to operate, but none of the PCs could recognize it.] A group of humans stands gathered around the forge—most in dull gray robes with a leader in robes of black and red, with flames on them. The leader looks at them with surprise as they enter through the door, and appears to assume that they are also servants of the snake-people. “What are you doing?” calls out Merreep. “We were attempting to operate this coldforge. But no matter what we do, nothing works. Our lord said that if we could make this work, we could make weapons that would strike down the servants of Banahog effortlessly. We've done everything! We have offered it blood, we have pounded on it with hammers, we have begged, we have pleaded, we have crawled --it does nothing.” “It might need a blessing. I know some religious stuff and may be able to bless it,” says Runor. “You think blessing it might help? By the way, welcome to the services of the Lord of Flame and Death. I have not seen you before, I think.” “Are we trying to make it work?” asks Merreep. “The lord said that we would be able to make weapons that would strike down the servants of Banahog if we could but make this forge work. This forge, which was left here in ancient days by the great enemy.” Merreep has no doubt that by “the great enemy” he means elves. Since he hasn’t realized he’s talking to a group that contains elves, she figures that he’s never actually met any—they are all but unheard of in the Shadowlands, except in responding to assaults at the Shadowline. She says, “Perhaps we need to give them more fiery light.” Aleep interprets that as a command to attack and unleashes a fireball. The fireball immediately drops all five of the figures in the drab robes, but the leader remains. As the group rushes into battle with him, the priest calls out, “Ulfashi, attend me!” and with a sulphurous cloud of smoke, a glabrezou appears. He also casts a spell and closes many of his open wounds. The glabrezou strikes Bartix with its two smaller claws, but misses with its two great claws and its bite. Ashaltir smites the demon mightily, drawing its attention away from Bartix. Runor inflicts dreadful wounds on the priest with a spell, and while the enemy priest attempts to respond in kind, he misses. After some frenzied additional fighting, Runor inflicts more wounds on the priest, and he collapses to the ground with a terrible scream. The glabrezou laughs at his master’s death. He reaches out a dreadful claw, plucks a tattered gray thing from inside the priest’s body, and says, “Mine.” With that, he disappears. They find a few potions on the priest by detecting magic, as well as noting a strange power that isn’t quite magic, but still is visible with a detect magic effect, emanating from the forge. [This is of course psionic energy, which they are able to figure out—not the first time they’ve encountered it, though none of them have any psionic abilities. They have now slain the third-ranking priest in the complex.] [End Session 51] [/QUOTE]
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Aphonion Tales: Ravenskrag and the Shadowline, a preteen D&D game (lightly edited notes, COMPLETED on 1/20/23)
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