The Creation Schema:THE FINAL BATTLE FOR POSSESSION OF THE SCHEMA

[megamania]

THE CREATION SCHEMA
SEGMENT 237
6/24/06
“The Attack of White Claw”

The two ships flew along the west coast of Morlock Island and reached the northern most point. Below them were rolling hills that were covered in thick evergreens. From reading her notes, Lady Elaydren knew within these hills were caves where savage humanoids lived. These simple creatures stayed well hidden and rarely venture beyond their sub-terran homes.

“Ask the captain to have the ship stop here.” She asks the first mate. He runs off to give the word. A warforged fighter walks up to her.

“Why do we stop here?” it asks.

She stares out over the forest and the land. “Have you ever had a hunch?”

“A .. hunch?” asks the warforged.

“I can not explain it but I feel watched and the watcher means us harm. They do not scry us magically or else I would know. No, they are below hidden within these trees … somewhere.”

“Then why stop?”

“At the very least it is the last thing they may expect. From reading the notes I have on the island there are several natives here. To the north are savages and to the south there lives something … supernatural. It was these that drove House Cannith away along with the costs of maintaining the island within the reaches of Fellfrost.”

The warforged bodyguard looks out as if to mimic her actions. It doesn’t understand but that is not why it is here. It is here to protect her.

Fifteen minutes go by then Lady Elaydren asks the ships to move forward again but slowly. The whole time she watches the forest below. Suddenly there is a crashing sound to her left. She turns to look and sees a white dragon on the deck of the other ship. It tears the deck up and breathes ice into the exposed levels below. Men, woman and other persons scream briefly. The creature turns and looks at her then becomes invisible.

“Battle stations! It is a dragon!” she yells as she withdraws two wands from her forearm sheath.

Under her breath she curses the crazed white dragon for its savage attack. The ship is heavily damaged and most of its crew is dead. It continues to fly straight. If the captain was killed then it will continue on that course and end up somewhere in the frozen wastes. She needs that ship!

She studies the sky looking for signs of the creature. Clouds swirl suddenly. It was there but not now. Where is it now?

Suddenly the ship is struck again. The invisible becomes visible again. A huge white dragon that wears a belt of some sort. The bucket has an anvil and a hammer on it. Then the creature turns invisible again and leaves the ship.

“How do we hit what we can not see?” asks the warforged as it withdraws a large hammer.

“Cover me Strike. I need a moment to prepare a spell.”

Strike steps closer to her. She withdraws a piece of paper and a white feather. She draws a crude picture of the belt buckle the dragon wore and casts a spell to locate the buckle.

The dragon hovers before the ship. It is thoroughly enjoying this game. It waits for the ship. This time it will go for the arms that hold the cursed fire creature in place. It will plummet into the waters below and die. Must destroy the fire creature. Closer…closer….

Suddenly twin fireballs strike it and a magical hammer strike it. It screams in pain. The fire elemental fires at it also. “The pain!……it hurts!” screams the dragon in its own tongue. It folds up its wings and plummets to the icy waters below.

“THAT is how I deal with intruders.” Says Lady Elaydren in triumph. Strike bows to her and the crew cheers her. In her mind, the tropical wind blows softly with the scents of fruit and blossoms. The people there bow to her and others cheer her name. “Queen Elaydren. All hail Queen Elaydren…. Master of Xen’drik.”

 

[megamania]

THE CREATION SCHEMA
SEGMENT 238
6/24/06
“Mutiny and Betrayal”

Capio and Cider look over at the ruins of the ship below. It has been two days now and still they have not returned. The time for concern is here.

“Do we go to find them?” asks Capio as he watches the water lap onto a piece of a bed from the crashed ship.

“Perhaps find the artifact and we can gain the reward instead of the overconfident halfling.” Offers Cider.

“I can wait with the ship a little longer but if we are to find them and the artifact they seek someone needs to find them now.” Adds the captain Cedious hired.

“Capio, with some men we can do that quickly.”

“Who will protect the ship?”

“I can protect her well enough for 24 hours. Go. Go and retrieve the adventurers or at least their bodies and the treasure they sought.”

Capio and Cider think over this and look at each other in wonder. Finally Cider speaks up. “We will need 10 men.”

“I give you twelve.”

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Two hours later the two adventurers reach the ground with twelve men. They begin to follow the trail left by the fire elemental that Cedious had followed. The captain waits and waits. He doesn’t move for one hour. His second in command comes up. “Your orders?”

“Set sail. Once more we have the Griffon Wing under my control.”

 

[megamania]

The saddest thing is ... since this is all background info, the players still don't know they don't have a ship to leave by. Evil DM! Eeeevil!

 

[Solarious]

And my black heart flutters with joy.

 

[megamania]

speaking of evil .... am I still going easy on Cedious and the others?

 

[Solarious]

I'll keep saying that until you pull out the Mournlands potion consequences and screw Cedious royally from behind. I don't really mean it, but I have a reputation to maintain and there is no such thing as "It can't possibly get worse"!

Speaking of which... how did you run Drogan's Trap? I'd like to steal those mechanics for later use.

 

[megamania]

Have you ever made a paper box?

1. Draw a square
2. Draw five more equal sized boxes and shape to make a cross
3. In the center label A, B, C, D, E, and F
4. The four exits will link to the "side" or "plane" that is connected
5. Give each side / plane/ room a unique quality
6. I complicated it some by having each "plane" change systematically. Seasons, Weather, day vs nite etc....
7. Set up a means to "escape" the trap. In my case it was locating the two emeralds and placing into the empty eye sockets of the dragon within the sculpture room.

 

[megamania]

THE CREATION SCHEMA
SEGMENT 239
7/08/06
“Escape only to Run into White Claw”

Cedious cuts the windows free and they carefully climb out. The four surviving ½ Golems (The Forgotten) follow them. Using ropes and any magical means available they reach the ground and run. It is not for another ten minutes before the tyranids learn of their escape.

The clouds are low and dark gray. A storm is coming. They follow the tracks of the creatures hoping to find their homes without incident. The wind begins to blow and visibility quickly drops to less than ten feet.

Suddenly there is an extremely cold blast of air that forms ice on many of the adventurers. Before them a huge form is barely visible within the storm.

“Is that a dragon?!?” asks Talon as he prepares to battle it.

“I hope not- it is HUGE!” calls out Pebbles whom is still recovering from her first contact with the fiends known as tyranids.

Cedious pulls out a dart and throws it at the creature. It merely bounces off its thick armored hide. Pebbles calls up a newly acquired power. She hiccups then burps out a ball of flame that strikes the dragon dead on. It screams in pain and rage. It was fireballed just a few days ago. These intruders need to die. The eleven archer fires a few arrows at it. One is blown away by the wind but the other two hit. These hurt but not like the fire-belching dwarf before her.

White Claw, a Huge Dragon vents her full rage onto the dwarf. Chunks of metal are peeled and leather straps torn as the dragon beats, claws, bites and slams the heavily armored dwarf into the ground. She staggers backward and collapses behind the front line. The Forgotten move up rallied by the heroic actions of their new friends. They accomplish little except for a distraction.

More fire related attacks are used as Talon uses his flaming sword on the dragon new. The dragon realizes it is time to withdraw but the constant onslaught keeps her on the ground. She is defeated and falls dead. The group is quick to check out what she has for treasure. They find only two things- a ring of invisibility and a belt of giant strength.

Pebbles asks for the belt while Cedious keeps the ring. (more trouble for the DM)

 

[megamania]

THE CREATION SCHEMA
SEGMENT 240
7/08/06
“The Magma pit”

As the adventurers reach the dropping edge of the ridgeline they begin to look for the airship. Pebbles is feeble and barely alive from her encounters with the tyranids and the white Dragon. A new strategy is devised. Heal up and recover. However, they can not seem to locate the airship. It is dark now and the wind is still blowing snow. They had hoped to be able to see the ship’s fiery ring in the distance even with these conditions. No luck. However, Cedious can see a faint glow of the magma as it reaches the surface. This is the home of the fiends.

“I can turn invisible and check it out.” Suggests Cedious.

“I don’t think that is a good idea. We can’t be there to help you if you need it.” Mentions Talon.

“They will know you are there.” The leader of the Forgotten states but in the end is ignored as Cedious turns invisible and strolls towards the area. He is careful to give a wide birth to a patrol of ten of the creatures as they stand in a loss group not far away. Cedious is enjoying his newfound freedom.

As he reaches the rip in the earth where the magma bubbles and boils he discovers it is hard to see clearly. The fumes and rising heat blur his vision. This doesn’t deter him once he locates a cave entrance he makes for it.

There are several creatures here and he is careful to avoid them including using his other ring to levitate and move along the ceiling of the cave. Light is limited here. It appears the creatures have dark vision. Joy. He decides to go only as far s he can see then turn back.

The cavern starts as a 10-foot wide fifteen-foot high space then opens to a large space. He sees several of the gaunts (long clawed versions) and avoids these. Then he spots a version he has yet to see before (warrior) and decides maybe it is time to leave. Then the draft below changes and the creatures suddenly all turn and begin to look in his general area (keen scent) and he begins to hurry now while trying to remain stealthy.

The creatures begin to call out an alarm in their fiendish tongue. Cedious begins to run along the ceiling and leaps into the air outside and floats on the blowing wind and snow. Once in what he considers a safe range he lowers himself and runs on the ground. He runs to where the others said they would wait. They point out the trouble that is coming. Looking down, dozens of these creatures had blended in with the magma. Many of these are now following Cedious’ trail.

“I had warned you.” States the ½ Golem leader. “They see and smell everything.”

Cedious gives him a quick “enough” look then the group moves on. It is quick to determine the fact they can not outrun the charging patrols.

“We need a plan.”

Talon looks grim then looks directly at the eyes of everyone, especially the halfling. “Last Stand.”

Pebbles repeats him. “Last Stand.”

Cedious breathes hard through his nose. “Very well, before they get here lets get a good position and set ourselves up well to better defend ourselves.”

 

[megamania]

THE CREATION SCHEMA
SEGMENT 241
7/08/06
“Tyranid Swarm”

“Time to figure out these bracers.” Says Cedious in a hurry.

Pebbles touches and finally concentrates on her bracers with the coin design on them. A couple of gold coins appear in her palm. “Great but useless for now.” Adds Cedious.

“What do those bracers do?” he asks Ippikak.

“I am not certain if they are even magical.”

Cedious glares at the elf. There is more to those than the buying of them in Fairhaven. Ippikak rubs the bracers then one of blue gems. It begins to glow then disappears. Beside him a blue glow begins. The glow enlarges and a confused Stone Golem wearing armor appears. “Where am I?” it asks of them.

Cedious smiles. This creature looks strong and gullible. But mental note- ask Ippikak more about these bracers. “We are on Morlock Island and we are in need of your help. Can you help us?”

“Where is Elderich? I should return to him.” The magical creature shows intelligence unseen in most golems.

“He will be here soon but first- we have company!” says Cedious as he notes the closing horde of creatures.

The group forms a circle around Ippikak and prepare to fight the two dozen tyranids that rush to them. Ippikak begins to fire away before they get too close.

The Golem squashes a bug with each slam while the others take several strikes to crush one. Soon they are surrounded completely. Then comes a much bigger creature. It stands ten feet tall with four scythe like claws each longer than great swords. Spear like points dripping with venom or acid protrude from its stomach. Ippikak turns his attention to this new creature.

He shots it with 10 arrows, each magical, before the creature drops. In this time, one Forgotten is killed and several serious hits are scored on the party. However, in the end, Cedious and his group are left standing.

“That … that wasn’t so bad.” Pants Pebbles wiping blood of hers and green icor of theirs from her brow.

Cedious smiles big. “I know what to do. Push some more buttons and lets go in and get the Schema.”

Even as everyone turns to admonish him for the thought Ippikak is activating the Bracers once more.