What has happened since then ...
Well if Horacio asks for the details on the end, I cannot turn him down. Welcome back to the boards buddy. Following is a pretty brief summary of how we got to where we will be when the last session goes up. A much more detailed account is at the site md3 pointed out, but instead of using his link, try this one
http://d20.xocomp.net/campaign.htm. Go to Crucible of Defense II and scroll to Session 21. That is where my last log stops and the new lore keeper takes up the duties.
When last we left, Syd and Nick had both been struck down by the calamitous misfortunes of both Wild Magic and friendship with Wang. And now ... we return you to DragonStar.
Low on ammo and healing patches, the party begins to fight a slow, protracted battle with the guards of the Temple. Slowly the party moves upwards, higher and higher into the Temple. Reaching the fourth floor, the party is surprised by a quartet of guards. A combination of heavy fire and flash bang grenades results in all of the party except for Milo being pushed down a well into a holding area deep underground. Large frogmen surface, attempting to eat the party but are no match for the still conscious and armed party members.
Milo escapes from the room with the three guards, Sovereign Gluing the door shut in order to prevent them from following him.
Underground, shouts can be heard through one of the walls. Blowing a hole through, the party found themselves in a prison area, with several people stuck behind bars. Among them was G'Banrak and Gordon, a genetically modified Human from a different planet (Gordon is Syd's player's new character)
The party began another battle, this time fighting to leave the Temple entirely. At one point, Wang's stupidity nearly killed Orendil when Wang, hoping to distract a trio of guards, gave away the party's location. The volley of grenades wounded several party members and in Orendil's case, nearly killed him.
Meanwhile Milo wandered through the Temple. What guards were up top were too wounded or tired from the fighting to challenge him, and he quickly found a fire escape exit, leaving the Temple behind.
Amio, who had been waiting for the party to give him a signal to attack, finally became overly impatient and mounted his own attack on the Temple, plowing through the guards at the front door and penetrating through the already softened defenses.
Below ground the party managed to stumble upon a hanger with two hover tanks and several guards. By this point, the Temple had taken extensive casualties and the guards were highly demoralized. It wasn't long before two soldiers jumped into the tanks and began to drive off. They hadn't counted on Zoltan or Gordon, however. Jumping on the tanks before they could get going, Gordon and Zoltan took control of both and piloted them back. Looking through some of the crates in the hangar showed quite a bounty of confiscated equipment. Unfortunately, several crates bore traps and after opening the last one in the room, the ceiling began to descend at a rapid pace. Working together, two crates were saved but the rest were destroyed and any way back in the Temple was lost to the party.
Using the comm gear, the party debated whether they should try to force their way back in the Temple in order to topple it. Eventually though, it was decided to leave. Milo assured everyone he could escape on his own and after stealing a boat, managed to meet up with the party outside. Using Milo's new boat and the party's tanks, the party moved on to the town of Southport, hoping for some healing and a little rest. Southport, however, was in ruins and so the party was forced to settle for a smaller nearby city, Gillian.
Gillian had suffered badly, and many of its structures were damaged beyond repair. While in Gillian, Alahandra took it upon herself to determine the source of the Wild Magic that had by not killed two of her teammates. Alahandra managed to discover that several of the party's possessions were cursed to exude a Wild Magic aura. In the process several Wild Magic affects take hold, the most important one causing all dead bodies in an incredibly large area to animate as Undead. Most of the party rids themselves of the cursed Wild Magic items, but Zoltan keeps his instead, exultant in such an anti-Magic ability.
Driving the two tanks through the hordes of Zombies, the party moves south to another town yet to be hit by the creatures currently ravaging most of the planet. The group purchases a large number of items before continuing on.
Moving again towards the City of the Gods, the party soon started encountering large creatures as they had before. The first few were not aggressive but it wasn't long until they came to Frieth, which had just been leveled. And the creature that had destroyed it was still there, floating above the city. Engaging the Storm of Vengeance, the party eventually drove it off but lost one of the hover tanks in the process.
Moving on, the other tank was lost soon after to a Deepspawn. Walking, the party continued to move towards the City of the Gods, letting nothing get in their way. Until the Witchlight Marauder attacked. Pouring down a nearby mountain like some monstrous avalanche, the Marauder landed in the party and began to sow death and destruction. Wang was eaten before Amio arrived in yet another hover tank stolen from the Temple of the Frog. The Marauder was driven off and the party went on, soon making their way to the city of Qom.
There, Zoltan finally got rid of his Wild Magic cursed armor, and the party replenished much of their supplies. They also soon met Super Commie, another genetic experiment like Gordon, although they obviously hailed from far different planets. (Super Commie was Wang's player's new character)
In Qom the party learned that the Tower of Glass projected an impenetrable force field about a very large area around it, including the City of the Gods. However, a hold in the force field had recently opened, allowing the creatures plaguing the countryside to escape from the City of the Gods. So to reach there, the party could either circle about the field and enter through the hole on the other side, or alternatively they could try to use the underground tunnels in the area to go underneath the force field and come up on the other side.
The party debated the best route, and eventually decided to chance the tunnels leading under the field. Receiving a guide, the party headed underground.
The guide brought the party further and further into the caverns, but it wasn't long before even he no longer knew what way to go. Coming to a huge area filled with garbage (hundreds of feet across) the party slowly began slogging their way through the horrible mess.
They camped in the mess for the night and the next day continued forcing their way through the piles of refuse. Suddenly, several large piles of garbage rose up around the party and a blob began to engulf Zoltan and Super Commie. The horrible smell the party had put up for a day intensified a thousand fold at the approach of the garbage monsters and most of the party found themselves helplessly retching as the creatures began to attack.
Zoltan was absorbed into the large Flesh Jelly that had engulfed him, and Super Commie was only spared that fate by G'Banrak's
Cone of Cold, which froze and killed the Jelly, freeing Super Commie. The refuse heaps were gunned down slowly, but not before they managed to kill Orendil, breaking his bones with their surprisingly strong pseudopods. A quiet
Wish from G'Banrak brought him back to life, however, and soon the party began to race through the garbage as more blobs began to form about them.
At the end of the refuse field, the party found a door and jumping through, slammed it shut. On the other side was more garbage yet, as well as the force field, blocking access to a large metal platform. As blobs began to form in the garbage, Jhelai jumped onto the intercom, imploring who ever was on the other side to lower the field and allow us through. The field was lowered and the party managed to escape into an impeccably clean metal corridor.
A large cleaning robot was busily cleaning the corridor beyond, and had apparently been the one to lower the field for the party. He had been cleaning the corridor for so long that he could no longer count the number of years, he informed the party. He remembered organics once, but all that was left in the Tower of Glass were robots now and so his duties were greatly lessened than what they had once been.
Showing the party the way out, they emerged from the underground tunnel into the bright light. Surrounding them was a mechanized, robotic army. Two humanoid robots, apparently waiting for the party's entrance, quickly approached and demanded the party turn over their weapons and surrender peacefully. Gordon and Super Commie were both against it but at the urging of the rest of the party, eventually gave up as well.
Time passes with the party confined to the Tower of Glass. Boredom reigns, as there is little to do, until one night a large Uthek breaks into the party's room. Introducing himself as Gorath, he explains he had been trying to make him was into this room for days now. (Gorath is Zoltan's player's new character)
With Gorath to help spur them along, the party soon manages to break out, although Super Commie and Jhelai are left behind in their cells. Moving through the Tower of Glass, the party manages to find a storage room containing hundreds of boxes. After much searching only Alahandra has found her equipment when suddenly Milo opens a box and releases a very small metallic orb with a number of eyes attached to its head. Introducing itself as MBK-808, it offers to help the party find anything they want, since it had been trapped in here for a long time and had memorized where everything went. (MBK-808 is Nick's player's new character)
MBK-808 was captured when he attempted to turn off the shield generators in the Tower. Feeling that was probably a good idea, the party agreed to help him out and went to the power control center of the tower. After fiddling with the controls for a minute, Milo manages to disable them. Shortly afterwards, MBK begins firing
Disintegrate rays, destroying the consoles and preventing anyone from fixing them. Warning klaxons begin to sound and the lights dim with a red emergency set coming on.
Without power, the elevator that had taken the party to the control floor no longer works. MBK blasts a hole in the bottom and the party drops down as much rope as they can, hoping to at least be able to get a little lower. MBK blasts another hole through the doors at end of the rope and the party one by one swings inside.
By some strange twist of fate, the party managed to make it to one of the hangars on the Tower of Glass's upper floors and finds two aircraft capable of holding four people each. Orendil and Milo jump into a ship each and begin trying to learn the controls while MBK goes about disintegrating the hangar door, which no longer opens without power.
Amio and Gordon hold off guard robots that burst into the room but knowing the Tower reactors are not working anymore, the party soon turns to escape. Orendil takes off before the hangar door is opened wide enough and badly damages the wings of his craft, but somehow manages to crash below with minimal damage. Milo pilots his out although the firefight between the party and the robots, it doesn't go far before he too, is forced to lang. Gordon flies out using a magical item and Alahandra makes it out under her own power. G'Banrak jumps upon Gorath's back and he promptly teleports them away.
Back on Aphex, Gorath and G'Banrak appear. Gorath quickly reveals to G'Banrak that he was a bounty hunter hired to capture her, and that she had walked right into his. G'Banrak is shocked by this, but thinking quick, uses a
Wish to force Gorath to bring her back to the party and help them defeat whatever evil was causing all of the destruction on her planet. Afterwards, she would willingly allow him to bring her to his superiors.
Appearing back on Thonia, the party witnesses as the force field suddenly lowers, leaving both the Tower of Glass and the City of the Gods completely defenseless to the outside. Thousands of Zombies that had been outside of the field begin to pour into the surrounding region, as does the robot army evacuating the Tower of Glass.
Obtaining a vehicle from a passing squad of robots, the party quickly made their way to the City of the Gods, in time to witness the beginning to an enormous battle between the robotic armies of the Tower of Glass and the automated defenses of the City of the Gods. Asking MBK, who originally came from the City, on how to get in, the party abandoned their vehicle and made their way towards a tunnel in the southern wall.
As the party approached, however, MBK suddenly levitated upwards and began raining fire down into the party. The party returned fire with gusto, but strangely enough just when they thought MBK was done for he'd suddenly appear completely healed. It wasn't long before the party realized that every time they killed MBK his remains were teleported away and another teleported in his place. Likely the number designation he had originally given them reflected how many MBKs there really were.
Finally realizing the MBK must be subdued, Gorath casts
Power Down, temporarily turning MBK off. The party quickly ties his eyestalks in such a way so that he can only see in one direction, and then mount him on a pole so that he can only see upwards. He wakes up shortly afterwards, but the party refuses to let him down and instead leave him out there as they enter the City.
Moving through the trap laden tunnel, the party gets Gorath to power down another guard robot before coming to an elevator. Taking it up into the City of the Gods, the party finds themselves standing above a large network of clear tubes, with pods racing through them. Standing before an empty tube, it isn't long before an empty pod races up. Getting in, Milo plays with the controls for a few moments before the pod takes off.
It deposits him in a room full of armed guard bots and his pod is powered down. The party exits from the pod, except for Amio and Gordon who were hidden. The pod takes off, separating Gordon and Amio from everyone else. The rest of the party is put into a new pod with one of the robots and begins to fly through the tubes again. Along the way, they notice another pod in another tube pass by with what looked to be another MBK riding in it.
They arrive in another room, looking much like the cells in the Tower of Glass. They're left there to wait and decide to take the chance to rest.
Meanwhile, Gordon and Amio, wondering why the car had gone strangely quiet, decided to look about. After their shouts went unanswered they blew a hole in the back seat and realized the car was empty. Jumping up front, they tried to pilot it but soon landed in what seemed to be a maintenance bay. Gordon attempted to take a repaired car but all the cars were powered down. In a fit of temper, Gordon began to systematically destroy all the cars and repair robots in the maintenance bay.
Some time later Milo calls Gordon over the communicators and the party begins to search for their lost two members. Instead of finding them instead, they find holding bays containing Fire Giants, Frost Giants, and bears. The idea that the City of the Gods is actually some kind of zoo, or maybe even a repopulation ship, begins to float about in some of the party's minds.
Finally, after much searching, Milo manages to discover Amio and Gordon. Reunited again the party makes their way to one of the large observation tower and exiting their pod, takes the elevator to the topmost observation deck. There they have a clear view of the two robot armies clashing below them, as well as the horde of zombies mixed in between them. In addition, the party catches sight of more of the same kind of huge monsters that have been plaguing the planet, emerging from another tower. They watch enraptured until a few of the more powerful robots begin firing at the towers. Milo quickly lowers the blast doors just as several guard bots enter the room.
The party dispatches them and decides to go back to the ground floor in order to make their way to the tower that the monsters are emerging from. As they enter the elevator, however, they are shocked to see an MBK in it. MBK-703 to be exact.
As the MBK is not hostile, the party rides the elevator down with it. When they quickly shoot past the ground floor, all eyes turn to the MBK. It reveals that it has orders to take the party to its master and is soon disabled and attached to another pole.
The elevator shakes and loses power, the doors opening into a large circular room, the walls lined with incredibly smooth tunnels, bored by some creature. It isn't long before the party finds out what kind of creature as a Beholder, wearing an incredibly advanced suit of armor floats down one of the holes and attacks.
Combat ensues and the Beholder is downed, but barely. The sounds of more Beholders begin to echo from the tubes and soon two more emerge. The party begins to fight again and Milo is petrified. G'Banrak and Gorath teleport back to the observation deck, taking as many of the party as the can. Gordon and Amio are left behind, however, and are soon captured and put into stasis pods.
After a quick debate on whether or not Gordon and Amio were savable, the party decides they don't have a chance and sets out for the center tower, from which the large monsters are emerging. Using a combination of fly and levitation magics, the remaining party (Gorath, Alahandra, Orendil, and G'Banrak) soon find themselves at the main tower.
Milo suddenly finds himself flesh again, as a figure is seen flashing out of the window. Not drawing on the subject for long, Milo begins climbing down, using his communicator to contact the party and give them his location. On his way he runs into Jhelai who had been tracking the party's comm chatter. Joining up with the rest, they enter the center tower.
Moving through the tower, they encounter a number of robots but few are hostile. Heading to the main chamber of the tower, the party discovered the tower's AI, which happily greeted the party as some of the first organics it has seen in a long time.
Close questioning reveals the City of the Gods is indeed a repopulation ship that crashed onto Thonia a long time ago. The AI's constellation records to not match with any known set, although certain extrapolations suggest that the ship is actually one hundred and ninety thousands years in the PAST. The AI scoffs at that idea, however, and is convinced its calculations are incorrect. All the AI knows of Thonia is that an Empire of Beholders rose up on Thonia and managed to take control of three sectors of Dragon Empire space for several hundred years using a combination of technology advanced far beyond the Dragon Empire's and the Beholder's natural abilities before the Dragon Empire managed to force them back.
And now that Milo mentions it, yes, the ship was carrying Beholders as part of its repopulation project.
The computer reveals that it would know more if the party helped reconnect some of its vital systems. A few Beholders have escaped and are running havoc about the ship. The AI hasn't been able to contact any of the other ship AI's in some time and its databases only hold so much information.
Meanwhile, Super Commie, in an effort to retrieve his equipment from the Tower of Glass, encounters MBK-703. Together they both begin to make their way towards the City of the Gods, trying to avoid the giant battle that still rages about the city.
Also meanwhile, Gordon wakes in his stasis pod, noticing that both him and Amio have been freed. At least, theoretically. Amio's pod is open but there is no Amio in sight. Shivering in the cold air, Gordon begins climbing through a nearby tube, hoping to find a way out. And maybe some clothes.
Super Commie makes his way to the City when he is attacked by a spectral little man. He unleashes a series of powerful kicks and when he appears unaffected by Super Commie's weaponry, Super Commie takes off running (the first of the undead party members, Wang, comes back with a vengeance)
Gordon, naked, meets up with Super Commie and MBK. Not having a gun, Gordon stays quiet on the MBKs true nature. The MBK indicates there is a disturbance in the center tower, and Gordon and Super Commie agree to go with it to check the disturbance out.
In the center tower, the party had navigated through a series of traps to reach the computer consoles in the center. Along the way Jhelai had fallen through a trap door, but he assured the party he was ok down below. Working on the consoles, Milo quickly began removing strange orbs from their circuitry, rewiring them for the AI.
The MBK led Super Commie and Gordon through the tower to the computer center, and led them through the deadly traps that peppered the floor. Suddenly, the entire party was reunited again. It wasn't long before combat broke out and Milo was struck by a death ray and fell to the ground, dead. The MBK was disabled finally and as the party mournfully began to try and repair the computers without Milo, Milo rose from the dead!
Milo looked strange for a second, but shook it off, shrugging at his predicament. Going back to the AI, it was delighted at the party's success. It had regained dozens of its original operations and could sense serious Beholder activity on the lower floors.
The party debated what should be done. Some favored heading back and warning the Dragon Empire of the threat while others advocated direct action. In the end, the decision was put off until the third floor, which the AI assured the party was a storage floor, was explored.
Taking an elevator to the second floor, the party came to a large hole leading down into the third floor. Looking down, Gordon and Milo could make out Jhelai moving out below. Jumping down, Milo yelled out in greetings even as Milo yelled at shock. To him it seemed that Undead were attacking and leveling a recently acquired gun let loose a torrent of energy destroying Milo in the process.
Rapidly the rest of the party jumped down and a firefight erupted. When the blasters cleared Gordon, Orendil, Milo, and Jhelai all lay dead. Soon they began to come back from the dead. And then the horrible truth came out.
The Zombies swarming outside had been raised because of a Wild Magic effect Alahandra had caused. As long as she lived anyone died on the planet would come back to life shortly afterward as one of the Undead. And they all instinctively knew not only that killing Alahandra would not only release them from their torture, but also where they could find her. Milo had fought against the urge, and slowly what was left of Gordon and Orendil did as well.
Suspecting Jhelai would not be so understanding, however, the party tied up his corpse. Leaving Jhelai's cursing and screaming tied up body, the party decided to head to a small island on the next floor.
Underneath, Milo assured everyone, lay a Beholder nest. Moving down the party fought their way through strange flora and fauna, being attacked from the ground and the air. Gordon fell again upon jumping into the lake at the center of the next floor and encountered the huge creature that lived within it. As the last undead breath was choked from him, however, he summoned a Spectre to his side. As he regained consciousness, he was surprised to find the Spectre he summoned was Syd.
Moving to the island, the party dispatched the violent plants that guarded it and then began digging to find the entrance. Syd used
Polymorph to turn Milo into an Umber Hulk, allowing the party to quickly find an entrance in the earth.
