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Menexenus's Age of Worms Campaign Journal
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<blockquote data-quote="Menexenus" data-source="post: 3329788" data-attributes="member: 8951"><p><strong>Session 14: To Blackwall Keep</strong></p><p></p><p><em>13th of Flocktime</em>. The party had just killed the Faceless One and felt the ground rumble. They quickly rifled through the Faceless One's journals to find some information about what might be happening. The following quotes are the relevant journal entries that the party was able to find. (Only Thorash was able to read the language that these journal entries were written in.)</p><p></p><p> "Glory Be to the Lord of Secrets! I finally stand in Vecna's own Dark Cathedral! I walk His labyrinth and drink in His mystical power. It is humbling to know that my Undead Lord once trod these very same steps! Here I will be able to uncover and comprehend secrets that never would have been possible before. Here I will be able to unlock the secrets of multiplying Vecna's power ten-fold. The pieces are coming together. The Ebon Triad will be invincible!"</p><p> </p><p> "At last the riddle of this place is solved. In ages past, a great being known as Kyuss rose above the petty warlords who fought and struggled for material gain. Mighty Kyuss is the herald of the Overgod. Although he has been long imprisoned, his return is finally at hand! Soon, he will sound the clarion call to the faithful. The three sundered faiths shall be made whole!"</p><p> </p><p> "The undead our agents spotted must be located and captured. If they bear the Worms of Kyuss then they perhaps hold the final answer to our research. We must find the worms and the undead hosts that carry them. If they are not here, then we must send agents to the Rift. If Kyuss himself, or his agents, cannot shepherd in the Age of Worms, then we shall do it ourselves so that the Overgod may live."</p><p> </p><p> "The Ebon Aspect stirs within the pool, but it is still not ready to emerge. Our Champion needs to continue gaining strength. It will achieve its full strength on Devil's Night - when the barriers between Oerth and the Lower Planes are at their weakest. But even then, it will not emerge without an extraordinary sacrifice. Usually, we would sacrifice Unbelievers. But to call forth an Aspect of the Overgod will require more. To form the Unholy Union, the individual churches must perish. Grallak Kur is the only one who is aware of what must happen. I dare not tell Theldrick, as I am unsure what his reaction would be. But the sacrifice will be well worth it. The Ebon Aspect will be gloriously powerful. The carnage and destruction that it sows will be marvelous. News of its power will be spread far and wide, and the Ebon Triad will win many converts. When the Unholy Trinity is forged and the Overgod rules over all Creation, we who sacrificed our lives to bring It into existence will sit by Its side in eternal glory!"</p><p> </p><p> "As Grallak Kur has foretold, a group of adventurers has come to make the sacrifice that is necessary to summon the Ebon Aspect. May my death be pleasing to You, O Whispered One! But they come too soon! If only we can delay them for a week or two, Our Champion will rise at full strength. And then the horrors in wreaks on the world will truly announce the presence and power of the Overgod! Theldrick is a competent commander, but I don't know how long he and his temple will be able to repel the enemy."</p><p> </p><p> "Clearly Smenk has betrayed us. His use is at an end in any case. He must be eliminated. After he is dead, we must send agents to the Mistmarsh, across the southern hills. I believe that we will find what we are looking for there, among the lizardfolk. If the calculations and portents are correct, the time for covert action is at an end. As the Age of Worms begins, we must strike hard and fast to prepare the coming of the Overgod."</p><p> </p><p> "The filthy heathens have destroyed Theldrick and Grallak Kur. My temple is next. It sickens me to think of their presence in the Maimed Lord's unholy labyrinth, defiling our altar and laboratory. But it is necessary, and I have made my peace. Soon I will be no more. But my death will allow the Ebon Aspect to be born. If only I could live to see its horrific visage... If only I could live to witness its destructive power... But that is not to be. I console myself with the knowledge that the first meal of the Overgod's Champion will be the battered corpses of those who have slaughtered me. These adventurers will have the honor of being the first of many killed by the Overgod's Champion! Glory be to mighty Kyuss, herald of the Overgod! Glory be to the Ebon Aspect, oerthly manifestation of the Overgod! Supreme Glory be to the Unholy Trinity, whom we have worked to unite! I pray that my labors have been pleasing in the Overgod's sight, and that It will accept my soul into Its eternal service."</p><p></p><p> Alees reported that the black pit in the cathedral area is now bubbling. It seemed to be the source of the intermittent tremors that the party was still feeling. The party expended 7 charges on the wand of cure light wounds in order to get the party back to full health. When they think they are ready, they took up positions in the Cathedral and waited for whatever was coming.</p><p></p><p> A couple minutes later, a large 6-armed creature rose from the pool, dripping sticky black fluid. Three of its 6 arms ended in stumps, as if the hands had been removed. The thing's face was like a skull with only one eye looking out. The party went to work attacking the vile creature. Katawan was an expert marksman with the new masterwork crossbow he had looted from the Vecna temple. He struck the beast in critical location with 3 out of 4 arrows. Killick moved around behind the creature to flank it. The creature almost knocked Killick backwards into the pool, but Killick held fast. The thing itself cast spiritual weapon on Alexander, and later moved it to Katawan. The spiritual weapon seemed more effective than the creature itself. He attacked with teeth and claws, but was unable to do significant amounts of damage. For a few seconds, a fire lit up in its eyes, and it seemed more difficult to hurt, but that effect went away quickly. Thorash tried to deliver a Death Touch, but the creature's spell resistance caused it to dissipate. Alees helped out by using the Wand of Cure Light Wounds to heal the damage that the spiritual weapon had done to Alexander.</p><p></p><p> Despite all the dire warnings found in the Faceless One's journals about the invincibility of the Champion, the Ebon Aspect was slain by the party in less than half a minute. It fell back into the pool with a dull splash and returned from whence it came in humiliated defeat.</p><p></p><p> Once the party was sure it was all over, Alees went back to the Vecna temple to continue looking for secret doors. She found many, but only one of them had anything interesting behind it. She found a third Kenku nest containing 300 gp and 2 small diamonds. This search took Alees about 4 hours total. The party gathered up its swag and returned to the surface.</p><p></p><p> One of the guards at the top of the elevator shaft, when he heard of the party's victory, asked them what they wished to be called in bard songs that would sing their praises. Aside from suggestions like "The Super Squad", "The Beatles", and "The No-Carrots", the party was unable to come to consensus on a fittingly heroic moniker.</p><p> </p><p> <em>14th-16th of Flocktime</em>: Those who had suffered permanent Wisdom damage at the hands of the Allip had this damage healed by clerics at the town's expense. Father Jierian healed Killick's wounds. He pumped Killick for details of Killian's death, and continued to insist that his death was impossible. Amariss (the high priestess of Wee Jas) healed Katawan's Wisdom damage. She asked for tales of how Thorash had helped the party. She said she was proud of Thorash and confided that he was her most capable operative. </p><p></p><p> After all the party members were back to full strength, Allustan asked to meet with them. He told the party that he had received a letter from a colleague and friend of his who worked as a battle mage for the Greyhawk militia stationed at Blackwall Keep (3 days southeast of Diamond Lake). She wrote that rangers have been spotting zombies full of green worms that are very difficult to kill in and around the Mistmarsh. Allustan said that, in light of the things the party had shown and told him, he thought that these zombies merited closer inspection. He wished to travel to Blackwall Keep to examine the evidence that the Militia had found. Since the party brought the potential danger of these green worms to his attention, he asked if they were interested in accompanying him. The party agreed. He told them he was making preparations to leave in a week's time.</p><p> </p><p> <em>17th-22rd of Flocktime</em>. Alees and Thorash headed to Greyhawk to sell their wares. The other 4 party members remained in town. Occasionally, they were called to testify in the trials of Smenk, Dourstone, and Filge. Later in the week, all 3 trials concluded and a verdicts were reached. Smenk was found guilty of numerous crimes including murder, rape, and kidnapping. He was sentenced to be hanged by the neck until dead. Dourstone was found guilty of aiding and abetting banned cults. He forfeited all his possessions and was sentenced to 10 years of hard labor in the mines. Filge was found guilty of grave-robbing and necromancy. He also forfeited all his possessions and was also sentenced to 10 years hard labor.</p><p> </p><p> <em>23rd of Flocktime</em>. Alees and Thorash returned from Greyhawk and distributed the proceeds to the other party members. Allustan bought riding horses for any party member that didn't already have one. He did not ask for compensation.</p><p> </p><p> <em>24th of Flocktime</em>. The party headed east on the Urnst Road. After a long day of travel, the party made camp at an abondoned farmhouse called Shank's Rest. Allustan had been very complimentary to the entire party during the trip, but especially to Alexander. He admits that he never thought Alexander was capable of such rapid advancement. He admitted that, at the current rate, Alexander would be more powerful than he in a matter of weeks or months. Allustan shared war stories with the party. He talked about his own apprenticeship and the missions he was sent out on. However, when asked for the identity of his old master, Allustan declines. He said that he and his master had not parted on good terms, and it is something he doesn't like to think about.</p><p> </p><p> <em>25th of Flocktime</em>. After sleeping in a bit from the long journey the previous day, the party began following a newer, less traveled path, that led south.</p><p> </p><p> <em>26th of Flocktime</em>. In the afternoon, Allustan thought that the party should be coming up on Blackwall Keep soon. He said that it was hard to miss the Keep since it sat on the highest hill overlooking the Mistmarsh. Katawan looked in that direction and could barely see smoke on the horizon. At that moment, lizardmen sprang an ambush on the party from the side of the road. 3 lizardmen and a leader were on the left of the road while 3 lizardmen and a large blackscaled lizardman with long arms and a greatclub were on the right. The surprise caused Alees's mount to bolt. It sped away back to the north carrying Alees with it. Alexander fireballed the group on the left, leaving only one lizardman alive. Killick entangled the group on the right, leaving only one lizardman unentangled. The remaining lizardman on the left broke and fled into the brush. The unentangled lizardman on the right formed up for battle. He was followed by the blackscaled lizardman who, with a cry of rage, broke free of the the tangles and moved at remarkably high speed to the edge of the entangled area. Both enemies were quickly beaten to near death, and they ran away to the south (towards the Keep).</p><p></p><p> The party captured the 2 lizardmen that were entangled and saved the leader lizardman from dying. They used goodberries and cure minor wounds spells to bring the leader back to consciousness. Alees returned with the frightened horses. Allustan offers to do some reconnaissance ahead and cast Invisibility on himself. The party interrogated its prisoners (Alexander in Draconic and the others in Common, which the leader understood). They learned that the lizardmen were fighting for a black dragon named Ilthane who had helped the Tanglebranch tribe gain supremacy among the Mistmarsh's lizardmen in exchange for service. After having consolidated the lizardmen tribes by force, the lizardking now felt powerful enough to renew his raids on nearby human settlements. The newly built Blackwall Keep stood in his way, so it was his first target to be destroyed. The lizardking had sent his greatest warlord with an army of hundreds to complete the task.</p><p></p><p> Allustan returned and said that he saw red smoke coming from the keep, which was a Greyhawk militia sign for help. The smoke was a good sign becaue it meant that the keep had not yet fallen. However, Allustan had seen that the keep was surrounded by small bands of lizardmen like the band they just fought. He had counted 40 lizardmen in his immediate field of vision, but that was only part of the battlefield. </p><p></p><p> He said he would use a scroll of Teleport that he keeps for emergencies to return to Diamond Lake and gather the Greyhawk militia garrison and bring them back to relieve the siege. He told the party that it would be 3 or 4 days before the militia could arrive. He asked the party to do what it could to prevent the lizardmen from taking the keep until reinforcements arrived. He also specifically asked them to do what they could to protect his friend and colleague Marzena, who might still be inside the keep. Alexander suggested that Allustan take the lizardman leader back with him for further interrogation, and Allustan agreed.</p><p></p><p> Katawan moved forward to check the situation for himself. He saw a small squad of lizardmen moving along the road in their direction. He returned to the party and told them what he had seen. The party surmised that they might have been alerted by the sound of the Fireball. They set up an ambush at the fireball blast-site and waited, but the lizardmen did not show up when they were expected. Katawan moved forward to provide an early warning system to the rest of the party. Alees took the horses and prisoners away to hide them.</p><p></p><p> Just after dusk, the lizardmen finally showed up, but they were in significantly greater numbers than Katawan had seen the first time. The party was quickly enveloped by about 20 lizardmen, 3 leaders, and 2 large blackscale lizardmen with greatclubs. Will the party be able to fight its way out of this swirling melee? Tune in next time!</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Menexenus, post: 3329788, member: 8951"] [b]Session 14: To Blackwall Keep[/b] [I]13th of Flocktime[/I]. The party had just killed the Faceless One and felt the ground rumble. They quickly rifled through the Faceless One's journals to find some information about what might be happening. The following quotes are the relevant journal entries that the party was able to find. (Only Thorash was able to read the language that these journal entries were written in.) "Glory Be to the Lord of Secrets! I finally stand in Vecna's own Dark Cathedral! I walk His labyrinth and drink in His mystical power. It is humbling to know that my Undead Lord once trod these very same steps! Here I will be able to uncover and comprehend secrets that never would have been possible before. Here I will be able to unlock the secrets of multiplying Vecna's power ten-fold. The pieces are coming together. The Ebon Triad will be invincible!" "At last the riddle of this place is solved. In ages past, a great being known as Kyuss rose above the petty warlords who fought and struggled for material gain. Mighty Kyuss is the herald of the Overgod. Although he has been long imprisoned, his return is finally at hand! Soon, he will sound the clarion call to the faithful. The three sundered faiths shall be made whole!" "The undead our agents spotted must be located and captured. If they bear the Worms of Kyuss then they perhaps hold the final answer to our research. We must find the worms and the undead hosts that carry them. If they are not here, then we must send agents to the Rift. If Kyuss himself, or his agents, cannot shepherd in the Age of Worms, then we shall do it ourselves so that the Overgod may live." "The Ebon Aspect stirs within the pool, but it is still not ready to emerge. Our Champion needs to continue gaining strength. It will achieve its full strength on Devil's Night - when the barriers between Oerth and the Lower Planes are at their weakest. But even then, it will not emerge without an extraordinary sacrifice. Usually, we would sacrifice Unbelievers. But to call forth an Aspect of the Overgod will require more. To form the Unholy Union, the individual churches must perish. Grallak Kur is the only one who is aware of what must happen. I dare not tell Theldrick, as I am unsure what his reaction would be. But the sacrifice will be well worth it. The Ebon Aspect will be gloriously powerful. The carnage and destruction that it sows will be marvelous. News of its power will be spread far and wide, and the Ebon Triad will win many converts. When the Unholy Trinity is forged and the Overgod rules over all Creation, we who sacrificed our lives to bring It into existence will sit by Its side in eternal glory!" "As Grallak Kur has foretold, a group of adventurers has come to make the sacrifice that is necessary to summon the Ebon Aspect. May my death be pleasing to You, O Whispered One! But they come too soon! If only we can delay them for a week or two, Our Champion will rise at full strength. And then the horrors in wreaks on the world will truly announce the presence and power of the Overgod! Theldrick is a competent commander, but I don't know how long he and his temple will be able to repel the enemy." "Clearly Smenk has betrayed us. His use is at an end in any case. He must be eliminated. After he is dead, we must send agents to the Mistmarsh, across the southern hills. I believe that we will find what we are looking for there, among the lizardfolk. If the calculations and portents are correct, the time for covert action is at an end. As the Age of Worms begins, we must strike hard and fast to prepare the coming of the Overgod." "The filthy heathens have destroyed Theldrick and Grallak Kur. My temple is next. It sickens me to think of their presence in the Maimed Lord's unholy labyrinth, defiling our altar and laboratory. But it is necessary, and I have made my peace. Soon I will be no more. But my death will allow the Ebon Aspect to be born. If only I could live to see its horrific visage... If only I could live to witness its destructive power... But that is not to be. I console myself with the knowledge that the first meal of the Overgod's Champion will be the battered corpses of those who have slaughtered me. These adventurers will have the honor of being the first of many killed by the Overgod's Champion! Glory be to mighty Kyuss, herald of the Overgod! Glory be to the Ebon Aspect, oerthly manifestation of the Overgod! Supreme Glory be to the Unholy Trinity, whom we have worked to unite! I pray that my labors have been pleasing in the Overgod's sight, and that It will accept my soul into Its eternal service." Alees reported that the black pit in the cathedral area is now bubbling. It seemed to be the source of the intermittent tremors that the party was still feeling. The party expended 7 charges on the wand of cure light wounds in order to get the party back to full health. When they think they are ready, they took up positions in the Cathedral and waited for whatever was coming. A couple minutes later, a large 6-armed creature rose from the pool, dripping sticky black fluid. Three of its 6 arms ended in stumps, as if the hands had been removed. The thing's face was like a skull with only one eye looking out. The party went to work attacking the vile creature. Katawan was an expert marksman with the new masterwork crossbow he had looted from the Vecna temple. He struck the beast in critical location with 3 out of 4 arrows. Killick moved around behind the creature to flank it. The creature almost knocked Killick backwards into the pool, but Killick held fast. The thing itself cast spiritual weapon on Alexander, and later moved it to Katawan. The spiritual weapon seemed more effective than the creature itself. He attacked with teeth and claws, but was unable to do significant amounts of damage. For a few seconds, a fire lit up in its eyes, and it seemed more difficult to hurt, but that effect went away quickly. Thorash tried to deliver a Death Touch, but the creature's spell resistance caused it to dissipate. Alees helped out by using the Wand of Cure Light Wounds to heal the damage that the spiritual weapon had done to Alexander. Despite all the dire warnings found in the Faceless One's journals about the invincibility of the Champion, the Ebon Aspect was slain by the party in less than half a minute. It fell back into the pool with a dull splash and returned from whence it came in humiliated defeat. Once the party was sure it was all over, Alees went back to the Vecna temple to continue looking for secret doors. She found many, but only one of them had anything interesting behind it. She found a third Kenku nest containing 300 gp and 2 small diamonds. This search took Alees about 4 hours total. The party gathered up its swag and returned to the surface. One of the guards at the top of the elevator shaft, when he heard of the party's victory, asked them what they wished to be called in bard songs that would sing their praises. Aside from suggestions like "The Super Squad", "The Beatles", and "The No-Carrots", the party was unable to come to consensus on a fittingly heroic moniker. [I]14th-16th of Flocktime[/I]: Those who had suffered permanent Wisdom damage at the hands of the Allip had this damage healed by clerics at the town's expense. Father Jierian healed Killick's wounds. He pumped Killick for details of Killian's death, and continued to insist that his death was impossible. Amariss (the high priestess of Wee Jas) healed Katawan's Wisdom damage. She asked for tales of how Thorash had helped the party. She said she was proud of Thorash and confided that he was her most capable operative. After all the party members were back to full strength, Allustan asked to meet with them. He told the party that he had received a letter from a colleague and friend of his who worked as a battle mage for the Greyhawk militia stationed at Blackwall Keep (3 days southeast of Diamond Lake). She wrote that rangers have been spotting zombies full of green worms that are very difficult to kill in and around the Mistmarsh. Allustan said that, in light of the things the party had shown and told him, he thought that these zombies merited closer inspection. He wished to travel to Blackwall Keep to examine the evidence that the Militia had found. Since the party brought the potential danger of these green worms to his attention, he asked if they were interested in accompanying him. The party agreed. He told them he was making preparations to leave in a week's time. [I]17th-22rd of Flocktime[/I]. Alees and Thorash headed to Greyhawk to sell their wares. The other 4 party members remained in town. Occasionally, they were called to testify in the trials of Smenk, Dourstone, and Filge. Later in the week, all 3 trials concluded and a verdicts were reached. Smenk was found guilty of numerous crimes including murder, rape, and kidnapping. He was sentenced to be hanged by the neck until dead. Dourstone was found guilty of aiding and abetting banned cults. He forfeited all his possessions and was sentenced to 10 years of hard labor in the mines. Filge was found guilty of grave-robbing and necromancy. He also forfeited all his possessions and was also sentenced to 10 years hard labor. [I]23rd of Flocktime[/I]. Alees and Thorash returned from Greyhawk and distributed the proceeds to the other party members. Allustan bought riding horses for any party member that didn't already have one. He did not ask for compensation. [I]24th of Flocktime[/I]. The party headed east on the Urnst Road. After a long day of travel, the party made camp at an abondoned farmhouse called Shank's Rest. Allustan had been very complimentary to the entire party during the trip, but especially to Alexander. He admits that he never thought Alexander was capable of such rapid advancement. He admitted that, at the current rate, Alexander would be more powerful than he in a matter of weeks or months. Allustan shared war stories with the party. He talked about his own apprenticeship and the missions he was sent out on. However, when asked for the identity of his old master, Allustan declines. He said that he and his master had not parted on good terms, and it is something he doesn't like to think about. [I]25th of Flocktime[/I]. After sleeping in a bit from the long journey the previous day, the party began following a newer, less traveled path, that led south. [I]26th of Flocktime[/I]. In the afternoon, Allustan thought that the party should be coming up on Blackwall Keep soon. He said that it was hard to miss the Keep since it sat on the highest hill overlooking the Mistmarsh. Katawan looked in that direction and could barely see smoke on the horizon. At that moment, lizardmen sprang an ambush on the party from the side of the road. 3 lizardmen and a leader were on the left of the road while 3 lizardmen and a large blackscaled lizardman with long arms and a greatclub were on the right. The surprise caused Alees's mount to bolt. It sped away back to the north carrying Alees with it. Alexander fireballed the group on the left, leaving only one lizardman alive. Killick entangled the group on the right, leaving only one lizardman unentangled. The remaining lizardman on the left broke and fled into the brush. The unentangled lizardman on the right formed up for battle. He was followed by the blackscaled lizardman who, with a cry of rage, broke free of the the tangles and moved at remarkably high speed to the edge of the entangled area. Both enemies were quickly beaten to near death, and they ran away to the south (towards the Keep). The party captured the 2 lizardmen that were entangled and saved the leader lizardman from dying. They used goodberries and cure minor wounds spells to bring the leader back to consciousness. Alees returned with the frightened horses. Allustan offers to do some reconnaissance ahead and cast Invisibility on himself. The party interrogated its prisoners (Alexander in Draconic and the others in Common, which the leader understood). They learned that the lizardmen were fighting for a black dragon named Ilthane who had helped the Tanglebranch tribe gain supremacy among the Mistmarsh's lizardmen in exchange for service. After having consolidated the lizardmen tribes by force, the lizardking now felt powerful enough to renew his raids on nearby human settlements. The newly built Blackwall Keep stood in his way, so it was his first target to be destroyed. The lizardking had sent his greatest warlord with an army of hundreds to complete the task. Allustan returned and said that he saw red smoke coming from the keep, which was a Greyhawk militia sign for help. The smoke was a good sign becaue it meant that the keep had not yet fallen. However, Allustan had seen that the keep was surrounded by small bands of lizardmen like the band they just fought. He had counted 40 lizardmen in his immediate field of vision, but that was only part of the battlefield. He said he would use a scroll of Teleport that he keeps for emergencies to return to Diamond Lake and gather the Greyhawk militia garrison and bring them back to relieve the siege. He told the party that it would be 3 or 4 days before the militia could arrive. He asked the party to do what it could to prevent the lizardmen from taking the keep until reinforcements arrived. He also specifically asked them to do what they could to protect his friend and colleague Marzena, who might still be inside the keep. Alexander suggested that Allustan take the lizardman leader back with him for further interrogation, and Allustan agreed. Katawan moved forward to check the situation for himself. He saw a small squad of lizardmen moving along the road in their direction. He returned to the party and told them what he had seen. The party surmised that they might have been alerted by the sound of the Fireball. They set up an ambush at the fireball blast-site and waited, but the lizardmen did not show up when they were expected. Katawan moved forward to provide an early warning system to the rest of the party. Alees took the horses and prisoners away to hide them. Just after dusk, the lizardmen finally showed up, but they were in significantly greater numbers than Katawan had seen the first time. The party was quickly enveloped by about 20 lizardmen, 3 leaders, and 2 large blackscale lizardmen with greatclubs. Will the party be able to fight its way out of this swirling melee? Tune in next time! [/QUOTE]
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