Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Rel" data-source="post: 5250708" data-attributes="member: 99">********Before I get back into the action I need to mention something that I forgot about that should have taken place prior to the last entry.  After their encounter with the Dweller (whose name prior to becoming "the Dweller" was revealed as Mikel by the way) they made a stop at the nearby plateau of Semma, specifically the city of the same name.They were in the neighborhood and Zanne wanted to check in with Zhomkar, another of the agents of Vond.  Zhomkar had been trying to locate the original "Gift from Vond" that the PC's had been tasked with delivering in their first adventure but which had been swapped with a fake.  Because Ambassador Harrix (who had turned out to be a doppelganger) had presumably been murdered somewhere in Semma, Zhomkar hoped that the original Gift had been stashed there somewhere.He was correct.  He'd actually located it in the sewers of Semma City a few months after he was exiled from Opkhar and retrieved it.  After doing so he'd sent word back to Vond who had responded by telling him that he was to remain as a spy for Vond in Semma and to hold onto the Gift for now UNLESS Zanne showed up, in which case he was to give it to her.  So Zanne showed up and Zhomkar gave it to her.Zanne was puzzled over why exactly she was to have such a gift but she took the Urn and, with great anticipation, opened it to finally discover what it contained...It was empty.  (I wish I had a picture of stobil's face when this was revealed.)Zanne studied it and it was clearly magical.  It emanated the same sort of "preservation" magic that the fake had.  She couldn't determine more than that without additional study so she thanked Zhomkar and returned to the ship where they proceeded on to Karak Tor...********The enemy was at the gates, but those gates were indestructible.  If the Arcanon Confederacy were going to keep coming after Karak Tor then they'd have to go through the mountain.  But with most of the surviving populace inside the walls they had enough manpower to double the patrols for any signs of tunneling.  Still, they all silently wondered how long it would be until the AC could summon another demon like that...The PC's rested up from the battle and informed the Dwarves that they would need to journey to the top of the mountain once again.  The Dwarves provided them with more of their special liquor that aided them against the thin air and frigid cold of Mayaheine's realm.  The group piled on extra clothing and ascended via the great lift.They arrived at the top to find a sizable group of Dwarves gathered to defend the upper end of the lift in the event that the Arcanon Confederacy tried to enter the city that way.  No regular airship could fly that high but they weren't certain about the Eladrin Winged Ships, several of which the AC still possessed.  The PC's bade these Dwarves farewell and began trudging toward the mountain top with Astavian and Eshik sharing the weight of the Dweller's huge mace.No Yetis or Ice Trolls assaulted them this time around and they arrived at Mayaheine's ice fortress without incident.  They were greeted at the door by one of her servants bearing the typical markings of being bald with faintly glowing eyes.  Still there was something familiar about him that they couldn't quite place.They were quickly led inside where Mayaheine stood as before, studying the ice crystals in which she said she could see all that was.  She turned to greet them and very nearly smiled.Astavian and Eshik lay the great mace on the icy floor and said, "We have freed your brother from his torment.  He is afflicted with the Mist no longer.  We offer his mace as proof of our deed.""Fools.  I'm omniscient!  I need no proof of your deeds!  Nonetheless, you accomplished within a year what my pitiful servants were unable to do for generations..."  She gazed pointedly at the servant that still lurked at the back of the chamber.  This was the spark that their memories needed:  That was Rhazul, the one time head of Mayaheine's Black Moon Cult, whom King Klo of Opkhar had executed and whose body vanished mysteriously afterward.  He looked different with no hair and mustache.Mayheine's voice interrupted their moment of recognition, "You have returned and it is now time for your reward.  Each of you have a question or immortality to claim.  What shall it be?"This was something they had discussed at length on their journey from Semma and many ideas had been put forth.  But one of them was not debatable and that was the question that Mialain stepped forward to ask, "How can we locate the Nexus?"Mayaheine replied, "There are a number of ways."  Then she paused...(At which point the players all audibly groaned.  They'd been anticipating that Mayaheine was going to be as literal and difficult as possible with her answers and they were certain that they were going to have to use up all their questions to pin her down on things like this.)...and said, "I could tell you where it is now if you wish.  But I could also tell you that it may not be there by the time you get to it.  I think the most useful answer I can give you is that, if one of you takes my offer of immortality, that person will be able to know the location of the Nexus, given your other capabilities right now."Eshik stepped forward and said, "Then I choose the immortality."Mayaheine DID smile at that point, which was worrisome to say the least.  "Approach me."  Eshik did.  "You are sure of this?" she asked.  "It comes with certain...obligations."  Eshik simply said, "I am."The rest of the party watched as Mayaheine casually snapped off a large ice crystal and stabbed Eshik through the heart.to be continued</blockquote>

Verification