Equipment found on the body of the vault guardian in the Vault of the Forgotten:

• a steel-hafted masterwork halberd (imposes a −2 penalty to attack rolls due to its unusual heft, but deals 1d12 base damage) (310 gp)
• a suit of +3 dwarven plate (with an engraved symbol of Moradin) (17,200 gp)
• a +3 ironwood heavy shield (9,157 gp)
• a ring of protection +3 (18,000 gp)

Runic inscription on the door to the Vault of the Forgotten:

Let the forgotten ones remain forgotten
[failing that,] Let only the children of stone remember
[failing that,] Let woe shroud the world

There were also symbolic runes along the edges of the door—a repeating pattern of four runes, roughly interpreted as follows:

• death
• release, freedom
• spring, resurrection rituals, rebirth
• the harvest festival, consumption

A legend lore spell, cast by Nikephoros, concerning the Vault of the Forgotten, yielded the following:

By darkness wrought, in woe’s name serves; wielded once against eternal stillness; sealed away against temptation. The worthy may use it in need; who considers himself beyond corruption, must refrain above all.

A divination spell, cast by Mara, asking after the best way to retrieve the Gem of the Serpent from the (at the time, not yet identified/named) Vault of the Forgotten, yielded the following:

Beware the guardian’s ire, for the ones who sealed the vault held none among you in esteem. Yet the greatest danger comes after success.

NPCs encountered in session 2020-05-30:

• Centurion Emil Varga (Imperial Army Intelligence)
• Arcanum Centurion Xenia Galanis (Imperial Army Intelligence)
• His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Nikephoros IV (sovereign of the Empire of the Most Holy Dawn)

Monsters / opponents encountered in session 2020-05-30:

• an undead dwarven defender, guardian of the Vault of the Forgotten
  • destroyed

Locations visited in session 2020-05-30:

• an ancient dwarven vault in the Parthikan Mountains
  • later identified by Arcanum Centurion Galanis as the “Vault of the Forgotten”
• a small Imperial town just south of the Parthikan Mountains
• personal estate of Nikephoros the bard, in the countryside of Itanis Province
• the city of Celdanna (capital of the Empire)

Experience earned for session 2020-05-30:

• 2,000 XP (for characters of 16th level), or
• 2,500 XP (for characters of 15th level)

At the close of session 2020-05-30, the date is 17th Neroi, 1129 A.D. (by the Celdic Calendar). The player characters are in the city of Celdanna?.

Loot recovered from the two ‘entombed’ undead, destroyed in the villages of clans Droch and Glod:

• two (2) minor icehearts (market price 24,000 gp each)

Each minor iceheart is a fist-sized chunk of magical ice, which glows with a blue-white light from within. On command, a minor iceheart can produce the following effects:

• ray of frost (at will)
• control temperature (3/day)
• sleet storm (3/day)

These particular minor icehearts also have a faint aura of evil.

NPCs encountered in session 2020-06-13:

• Arcanum Drungarios Michael bin Haddad (Imperial Army Intelligence, External Assets Division Chief)
• Florin Sala, mayor of the town of Brineci?
• Tenoch, a half-elf trapper living in Brineci, friend of Mayor Sala
• Dinu, a young boy of clan Droch of the ‘uphill folk’ of the Mol Mountains

Monsters / opponents encountered in session 2020-06-13:

• On the site of the village of clan Droch:
  • a ‘soldier of winter’
    • destroyed
  • a ‘winterspawn’ (undead) winter wolf
    • destroyed
  • a frost worm
    • slain
  • an entombed
    • destroyed
  • three icegaunts
    • destroyed
  • a frost giant scout
    • departed without engaging
• On the site of the village of clan Glod:
  • an entombed
    • destroyed
  • five icegaunts
    • destroyed
  • many ghosts of ‘uphill folk’ (an entire clan’s worth)
    • many discorporated, remainder in process of discorporation when party left the area

Locations visited in session 2020-06-13:

• the city of Celdanna (capital of the Empire)
• the town of Brineci, in the foothills of the Mol Mountains
• village of clan Droch, in the uphills of the Mol Mountains
• village of clan Glod, in the uphills of the Mol Mountains

At the close of session 2020-06-13, the date is 24th Neroi, 1129 A.D. (by the Celdic Calendar). The player characters are in the town of Brineci?, in the northern foothills of the Mol Mountains.

Monsters / opponents encountered in session 2020-06-27:

• In the yikarian (“yak folk”) outpost of Sun’s Eye:
  • one yikarian sorcerer (ruler of Sun’s Eye)
    • slain
  • two yikarian priestesses
    • one captured
  • six enslaved stone giants
    • three slain
  • one dao
    • slain
  • two yikarian warriors
    • slain
  • many yak folk civilians

Locations visited in session 2020-06-27:

• yikarian (“yak folk”) outpost of Sun’s Eye, in the Jade Province of the Yikarian Empire

NPCs encountered in session 2020-06-27:

• clan Droch, of the “uphill folk” of the Mol Mountains (freed from yak folk captivity; 87 people in total)
• seven former yikarian slaves (freed from yak folk captivity)
  • four humans (citizens of the Empire)
  • two half-orcs (members of an orcish tribe from far to the south)
  • one elf

Experience earned for sessions 2020-06-13 and 2020-06-27:

• 5,000 XP (for characters of 16th level), or
• 6,000 XP (for characters of 15th level)

(This experience award is to be applied upon return to town.)

At the close of session 2020-06-27, the date is 26th Neroi, 1129 A.D. (by the Celdic Calendar). The player characters are encamped in the wilderness near the yikarian outpost of Sun’s Eye, in the Mol Mountains.

DM: ====== OUT OF BAND MATERIAL FOR SESSION 2020-06-27 BEGINS ======
DM: Linking the adventure log for reference: https://br.obormot.net/Darklands/BlindingAreItsMysteries-AdventureLog
Robomot: Beyond Ragnarok : Blinding Are Its Mysteries (adventure log)
DM: The date is 26th Neroi, 1129 AD by the Celdic calendar. It is morning, and you guys have just spent the night in a conjured tent (courtesy of Ankremis's Rod of Splendor). The night has been uneventful; no one has pursued you, nor have there been attacks from any local wildlife.
DM: With you are nearly 100 rescued civilians - the entirety (87 individuals, variously men, women, children) of clan Droch of the "uphill folk" of the Mol mountains; plus seven rescued slaves (four humans, two half-orcs, one elf) who had all been captured some time ago
DM: You are encamped very high in the mountains - less than an hour's hike from the yikarian (yak folk) outpost which you attacked
DM: You have a prisoner: a yikarian priestess, whom you captured during the attack and intend to interrogate.
DM: She is currently unconscious (due to injuries sustained in the battle) but stable. She is securely tied up (one of the villagers you rescued applied his skill with ropes).
DM: (Note: the priestess had a magic staff, which is now in your possession. I'll describe the staff if requested.)
DM: First things first: prior to reviving the yikarian priestess and commencing the interrogation, are there any precautions you'd like to take? Or are you satisfied with having tied her up and confiscating her magic equipment [of which she just had the one thing]?
SabinDeus: i think having Nikepheros standing ready to countersplel with GDM in case she has any Still spell shenanigans
SabinDeus: and also DImensional Anchoring her
SabinDeus: is sufficient
DM: Alright
DM: Dimensional Anchor lasts for min/lvl, so given that, probably you guys will want to have a rough outline of what it is you want to get from your prisoner, prior to commencing
DM: So, let's hear it
SabinDeus: The main thing I want to get out of her is if the yak folk are collaborating with the necrodragon bro and what the nature of that is
DM: Alright
DM: Now, remind me, who in the party speaks Infernal? (No one speaks the yak folk's own language, of course, and though you don't *know* the priestess speaks Infernal, it's a good bet she does; the outpost's leader, the sorcerer, certainly did)
SabinDeus: i do
SabinDeus: Nikephoros seems to not
SabinDeus: but he has tongues as a spell known
DM: k.
DM: Now, I've got y'all's Sense Motive mods written down but I don't have Diplomacy or Intimidate... did anyone bother to take any of that? (It's ok if not or not much, just asking for completeness)
Oliver: I did
Oliver: One sec
Oliver: Diplomacy 24, Intimidate 17
DM: Alright
SabinDeus: Nikephoros only has Bluff, in case it's relevant
SabinDeus: since i have his sheet open
DM: And does Ankremis speak Infernal or have Tongues
DM: (can Tongues be cast on another person? I forget)
SabinDeus: it can
DM: Cool, cool
DM: Alright. So, one of y'all casts a cure or two on the priestess, and she groggily comes to. After momentarily struggling, she realizes that she's quite bound, takes stock of her surroundings, and simply glares at you with a deep and intense hatred.
DM: Do you launch right into the questions?
Oliver: Yes!
DM: Alright
DM: Well, one of the first things you realize is that this priestess actually speaks - or, at least, understands - Celdic. She tries to hide it, of course, and pretends not to understand what you're saying when you speak amongst yourselves in Celdic, but clearly she does
DM: Anyway, in response to your questions about what the yak folk are up to and what is their relationship with the Withered King, or, really, anything, she just glares at you silently
Oliver: Oh almost forgot... zone of truthf
Oliver: DC 19
DM: Cool
DM: That will come in handy if you can get this priestess to say anything at all :p
Oliver: Diplomancing doesn’t pay off, eh?  Anyone got detect thoughts?
DM: I mean, what do you have to offer her? Just asking her nicely ain't gonna do the trick no matter what your skill modifiers are
SabinDeus: that DOES remind me
SabinDeus: that I did say i was going to use detect thoughts
SabinDeus: and just see what she thinks about when we ask questions
SabinDeus: the DC will be 22 for that
DM: Alright
DM: Now, I forget if this was asked and answered during the session, but just fyi, with your Arcane Sight you can perceive that this priestess has access to 6th level divine spells at this time
DM: With that said, let's roll that Will save...
Armesan: Also re: what do we offer her, if she cooperates and speaks truthfully she gets to live (and Mara would suggest we offer to release her back to her people before the priestess is woken up
Armesan: Also re: what do we offer her, if she cooperates and speaks truthfully she gets to live (and Mara would suggest we offer to release her back to her people before the priestess is woken up)
DM: !try 0;hidden_bonus
* Robomot rolls attempt for Obormot\Arcturus: (hidden_bonus) 1d20 < 5 = 5 > + 0 = 5
DM: Ok
DM: That is definitely a fail
SabinDeus: nice
SabinDeus: ok so
SabinDeus: good people ok with killing her, right? she is super evil
SabinDeus: I'm happy to let her live if we get info on the bigger evil
Armesan: Right I'm okay with that
SabinDeus: but we need to be able to threaten for that to work
SabinDeus: ok
Armesan: but if she cooperates she gets to live and  be sent back to her people
Armesan: is Mara's stance
SabinDeus: I'm fine with that
DM: Alright
DM: btw could I get a K:religion check from someone
SabinDeus: but also detect thoughts
SabinDeus: so
SabinDeus: sure
SabinDeus: from my L15 sheet or L16
Armesan: !try 20;religion
* Robomot rolls attempt for Armesan: (religion) 1d20 < 8 = 8 > + 20 = 28
DM: 15
DM: Also that's good enough
DM: So never mind
SabinDeus: !try 13
* Robomot rolls attempt for SabinDeus: 1d20 < 5 = 5 > + 13 = 18
SabinDeus: ????
Armesan: Look I have one job when it comes to knowledges
SabinDeus: I put a bunch of points in on L16
SabinDeus: so
DM: Alright, brief aside (this is re: she is super evil), then I have to afk a bit, and will provide results of questioning with Detect Thoughts when I come back
DM: The yak folk worship a deity usually called the Faceless God
DM: (And indeed that staff this priestess had - which radiates conjuration and necromancy, of moderate strength - has a head of ivory carved as the bust of a yikarian, but with no face)
DM: The Faceless God is definitely an evil deity, and his priests are also generally evil
DM: Theirs is not a cruel or sadistic sort of evil, but more of a blank, uncaring, and ineffable evil
DM: The Faceless God, and his priests, cares greatly for his yikarian followers, and absolutely not at all for anyone else
DM: The priests of the yak folk god epitomize the yikarian attitude toward all other races and creatures, which is that they're tools to be used as they please, and not in any way, like... people
SabinDeus: yikarians are people, and people are cattle
SabinDeus: right?
DM: Correct
SabinDeus: cool
SabinDeus: so super duper fuck them
DM: (Likewise, the life of a slave of the yak folk rarely involves any sort of deliberately cruelty, torture, or anything like that; they don't, generally, abuse their slaves, any more than humans abuse, say, cows; indeed they take care to keep their slaves alive and healthy... but only to the degree it's necessary to keep them working as hard as possible)
DM: (This you know from the previous times you've had occasion to rescue the odd human from yak folk captivity)
DM: Anyway, afk a bit, then will proceed with the info
DM: Alright
DM: So, probing the yikarian priestess's surface thoughts, two threads of thought jump out at you at once
DM: First, there's shame at her predicament: "captured," she thinks, "by uncivilized brutes! what disgrace and failure!"
DM: Second, however, there's a certainly that retribution will come soon: "the Emperor - blessings of the god be upon him - will rise from his Lotus Throne, and step down from our mighty peaks and stride forth to set the animals in their place!"
DM: (Yes, she really does think in this formulaic fashion; consequences of priestly training, one imagines...)
PhelanArcetus: If it's a huge highly punished crime to not say things like that you'll learn to think that way too
DM: It's also clear that she doesn't think of your attack as, like, a thing that you guys did of your own accord for your own reasons; she doesn't seem to think of you as individuals with an agenda or any such thing. She really doesn't think of you in particular, at all, but just of humans, as a sort of undifferentiated mass, lacking in culture or any real thought or reason
DM: Now, when you ask the question about whether the yak folk are collaborating with the dracolich...
PhelanArcetus: keeping my private internal bet: transaction, they get some stuff and slaves and he gets his ice hearts
DM: The priestess, while outwardly never wavering from her hostile glare, mentally sneers, thinking "what foolish animals, to think of glorious and mighty Yikarian Empire *collaborating* with undead filth! How they would tremble, were they to see us receive this 'Withered King' as humble supplicant, and graciously grant his meek request!"
PhelanArcetus: (as her cooperation is limited to failing a will save, I guess we'll get to kill her.)
DM: Still, for all the spin, you perceive images in her mind, of helping the leader of Sun's Eye - the sorcerer who is, it turns out, known as "Old Goatbeard" - craft several of the icehearts, for their side of what does indeed seem to have been a bargain with the dracolich
DM: They delivered the artifacts, then waited for the Withered King's undead minions to work their magic and bring snowstorms down upon the uphill folk's villages, then moved in one by one, surprising the villagers as they huddled in their yurts
DM: The priestess doesn't seem to know anything about the dracolich's purpose in all this, or what his undead did to the emptied villages after the people had been removed... the matter seems to concern her not at all - she simply doesn't consider it
PhelanArcetus: of course not, they're not people
DM: Oh, and as for your generous offer to let her get if she cooperates, the priestess (a) doesn't believe you (really, she just doesn't take your words to mean anything or to communicate any intent), and (b) seems to hold that cooperating with you is, like, a betrayal of her god or something (it's not clear; she doesn't explicitly think of this, it's just an attitude you get a sense of)
PhelanArcetus: well I suppose it's possible some of these yak people, but not her, might have known some details but of this location, almost certainly only this goatbeard guy
SabinDeus: well
SabinDeus: he is dust
PhelanArcetus: yep
PhelanArcetus: and giventhis attitude I feel like any of them would only know if it was academically interesting to them
Armesan: yeah sounds like she's toast then
DM: Alright
DM: ANything else?
DM: Any other questions or interactions before you execute your prisoner?
Armesan: I mean....it sounds like she isn't actually going to give us anything willingly and our main question has been answered
DM: It does sound like that, yes
Armesan: Well in any case Mara has no further questions
SabinDeus: yeah I think we got all we can
Oliver: ?
DM: Alright
DM: So, having received no cooperation from the yikarian priestess, you execute her. She meets her death stoically and without fear.
DM: The rescued villagers and slaves, who have been watching your interrogation from afar, cheer the death of one of their former captors.
DM: This concluded, you now begin your slow trek downslope, to return the people of clan Droch to the part of the mountains they call home, and to escort the freed slaves to Imperial territory.
DM: This will take about three days. You expect to arrive at the town of Brineci sometime on the 29th of Neroi.
DM: (Or perhaps late on the 28th, if you get lucky with the weather and are not delayed by any dangers or threats.)
DM: As you are expected at Stoneheart on or about the 5th of Pyr, and the remainder of your journey should take no more than 4 days, you will - the gods willing - have a couple of days to spare, which time you can use as you see fit.
DM: Now let us see if anything untoward happens on the way downslope.
DM: !roll 3d100
* Robomot rolls dice for Obormot\Arcturus: 3d100 < 28 18 94 = 140 > = 140
DM: !roll 2d4-1
* Robomot rolls dice for Obormot\Arcturus: 2d4 < 2 1 = 3 > - 1 = 2
DM: !roll 1d6
* Robomot rolls dice for Obormot\Arcturus: 1d6 < 5 = 5 > = 5
DM: !roll 8d100
* Robomot rolls dice for Obormot\Arcturus: 8d100 < 26 72 67 14 68 53 27 1 = 328 > = 328
DM: !roll 8d100
* Robomot rolls dice for Obormot\Arcturus: 8d100 < 67 73 87 56 76 72 30 90 = 551 > = 551
DM: !roll 8d100
* Robomot rolls dice for Obormot\Arcturus: 8d100 < 12 99 22 88 95 21 85 2 = 424 > = 424
DM: !roll 2d8
* Robomot rolls dice for Obormot\Arcturus: 2d8 < 3 8 = 11 > = 11
DM: !roll 2d100
* Robomot rolls dice for Obormot\Arcturus: 2d100 < 23 67 = 90 > = 90
DM: Ok.
DM: The first two days of travel are uneventful.
DM: On the third day, soon after you break camp and set out, a small party of yak folk catches up to you.
DM: Your first indication is when massive rocks begin to fall upon your procession from the cliffs above the path you're following; a pair of stone giants are quickly seen to be responsible.
DM: When you engage them, the yak folk strike; they attack with arrows and spells.
DM: There are eight attackers, not counting the two stone giants. You quickly slay the giants; the yak folk retreat at once.
DM: As you would have to leave your charges to pursue them, you let them go. They don't come back.
DM: Several of the villagers are injured in the attack, though none fatally. A few cure spells and some splints for broken bones later, you're back on your way.
DM: A couple of hours later, however, storm clouds begin to gather, and a powerful blizzard rolls in.
DM: Scouting about for shelter that could hold a hundred people, Pallas finds what looks like a spacious cavern in a nearby valley, and you make for it with all haste.
DM: The leading edge of the storm catches up with you as you're entering the valley; the wind makes the going hard, and the falling snow obscures sight... but as you slowly make your way to the cave entrance, you see, silhouetted against the driving snow, massive shapes moving your way, passing through this valley from its far end.
DM: Humanoid in shape, but much bigger.
DM: You hear the sound of a great horn being blown; and a trumpeting sound, like an elephant's call, answers it.
DM: We will pick up this encounter tomorrow.
DM: ====== OUT OF BAND MATERIAL FOR SESSION 2020-06-27 ENDS ======

At the close of the out of band material for session 2020-06-27 (logged above), the date is 28th Neroi, 1129 A.D. (by the Celdic Calendar). The player characters are in a nameless valley, in the wilderness of the northern Mol Mountains (at approximately the upper reaches of the territory inhabited by the “uphill folk”).

NPCs encountered in session 2020-07-11:

• several dozen dwarves: guards, wilderness guides, medics, etc.—personnel manning a series of outposts and way stations throughout the Underdark

Monsters / opponents encountered in session 2020-07-11:

• three yak folk (possessing three of the rescued “uphill folk”, members of clan Droch)
  • two slain
  • one escaped
• a party of frost giants
  • jarl Skrymir
  • a grizzly mastodon (the jarl’s mount)
  • a spirit-speaker (shaman)
  • a blackguard ‘champion’, possessed / ridden by a jahi (an incorporeal undead parasite)
    • champion slain
    • jahi returned to jarl Skrymir
  • seven frost giant warriors
  • at least one frost giant scout
• a purple worm
  • slain

Treasure found during the journey to Stoneheart:

• a large (1″ diameter) pearl
  • discovered at the bottom of a small natural pool in the Underdark wilderness
  • moderate-strength magic aura of the universal school
  • no detectable magical properties

Experience earned for session 2020-07-11:

• 1,000 XP (for characters of 16th level)

At the close of session 2020-07-11, the date is 3rd Pyr, 1129 A.D. (by the Celdic Calendar). The player characters have just entered the Great Vault, within which lies the mountain-city of Stoneheart.

NPCs encountered in session 2020-07-25:

• at the Overlook
  • Administrator Vilann (Coordinating Director at the Interim Headquarters of the Dwarven Unified Army, at the Overlook)
  • Jaris ‘Landslide’ Uruk (former strike team leader, now in charge of special operations for the Dwarven Unified Army; based at the Overlook)
  • Tarja Icethorn (former commando, member of Landslide’s strike team; now on assignment as arcane specialist at the Overlook)
• at the Court of Memory
  • duergar portal warden
• in Sigil
  • Kylie, a tiefling tout
  • Harys Hatchis, a wizard and pitch-man
  • Rule-of-Three, a cambion
    • rumored to be a son of the demon lord Graz’zt, the Dark Prince
    • currently posing as an old githzerai
  • a vrock demon (name unpronounceable)
    • allegedly reformed, no longer evil, and now serving a titan

Locations visited in session 2020-07-25:

• the Overlook
  • plateau abutting a wall of the Great Vault
  • location of the Interim Headquarters of the Dwarven Unified Army
• the Court of Memory
  • extraplanar duergar stronghold
  • located on a cube hurtling through the void of Acheron
  • plays a role in the duergar afterlife
  • contains a permanent portal to Sigil
    • connects to a duergar foundry in Sigil
• Sigil, the City of Doors

At the close of session 2020-07-25, the date is 6th Pyr, 1129 A.D. (by the Celdic Calendar). The player characters are currently guests at the Interim Headquarters of the Dwarven Unified Army, at the Overlook (in the Great Vault).

Sale of materials in Celdanna and Sigil:

• a steel-hafted masterwork halberd (imposes a −2 penalty to attack rolls due to its unusual heft, but deals 1d12 base damage) - 310 gp
• a suit of +3 dwarven plate (with an engraved symbol of Moradin) - 17,200 gp
• a +3 ironwood heavy shield - 9,507 gp
• a ring of protection +3 - 18,000 gp
• 2x minor iceheart - 24,000 gp ea.

Total: (24000 * 2) + 310 + 17200 + 9507 + (18000 / 2) = 46,508 gp, 50 sp

Purchasing in Sigil:

• Pearl of Power L3 - 9,000gp

Map of the Demonweb received from Tarja Icethorn:

NPCs encountered in session 2020-08-08:

• at the Overlook
  • Nektarios of Krontis, senior attache to Her Excellency the Imperial Ambassador at Stoneheart
• in a bar in Sigil
  • Unnamed drow

Locations visited in session 2020-08-08:

• Sigil, the City of Doors
• The Demonweb (66th layer of the Abyss; extraplanar domain of Lolth, the Queen of Spiders)

At the close of session 2020-08-08, the date is 7th Pyr, 1129 A.D. (by the Celdic Calendar). The player characters are currently exploring the Demonweb.

Treasure received from unnamed drow in Sigil:

• Small iron pyramid (square base), approx. 1″ across (Demonweb teleportation key)

Items received from Rule-Of-Three:

• Solid (?) lead box, approx. 1.5′ × 1′ × 1′
• Sheet of paper listing three passwords to open the box thrice:

“Life is change”
“Progress is destruction”
“Chaos is eternal”

Monsters/opponents encountered in session 2020-08-22:

• in the false desert
  • advanced fiendish hieracosphinx
    • defeated, questioned, left alive
• at the Seat of the Triad
  • drow wizard
    • defeated, questioned, left alive
  • drow priestess
    • defeated, questioned, left alive
• in the derelict building
  • four shape-shifting jackal-headed humanoids (posing as humans)
    • combat engaged at session end

Treasure acquired in session 2020-08-22:

• hoard of the hieracosphinx
  • rod of alertness
  • arcane scroll (CL 9th) of ice storm and illusory wall
• possessions of the wizard and priestess defeated at the Seat of the Triad
  • wand of cone of cold (CL 10th), 8 charges
  • worn cloak of old leather
    • aura of moderate transmutation
  • magic short sword
    • aura of evocation
  • magic mace of blackened steel
    • evil-looking, forged with decorative designs of jagged spikes and teeth
    • auras of evocation and necromancy
  • small silver sphere, approx. 1″ across (Demonweb teleportation key)
  • small bronze star, approx. 1″ across (Demonweb teleportation key)

At the close of session 2020-08-22, the date is 7th Pyr, 1129 A.D. (by the Celdic Calendar). The player characters are currently exploring the Demonweb.

• Loot from Drow Patrol
  • Magic Flail
    • flail +1
  • Magic Ring
    • ring of protection +1
  • Mithral Chain Shirt

• Loot from Shrines
  • Platinum coins
  • Gems: 2 emeralds, 1 ruby
  • Magical Boots
    • boots of speed
  • magical ring
    • ring of spell turning

Monsters/opponents encountered in session 2020-09-05:

• in the derelict building
  • four canomorphs (jackalweres) posing as humans
    • slain
  • drow patrol
    • one drow captain
    • six drow warriors
    • one drider
    • all slain
• at the Dimensional Interface
  • marilith
    • encounter avoided (PCs hid within the structure while the demon passed by)
• at the drow complex
  • one drow warrior (patrolling)
    • slain (body hurled into the void)
• at the shrine of chaos and evil
  • human cleric of Lolth
    • slain
  • acolytes
    • escaped
  • drow shadowdancer
    • escaped
• on the walkway northwest of the shrine of chaos and evil
  • a man in black (“Vlad Tolenkov, Prince of Night!!” [???])
    • encounter in progress at session end

At the close of session 2020-09-05, the date is 7th Pyr, 1129 A.D. (by the Celdic Calendar). The player characters are currently exploring the Demonweb.

Monsters/opponents encountered in session 2020-09-19:

• on the walkway northwest of the shrine of chaos and evil
  • Vlad Tolenkov (Prince of Night!)
    • defeated; escaped
• on the Nightworld
  • two blood fiends
    • one slain, one escaped
  • two abyssal ghouls
    • destroyed
  • approximately two dozen ghasts
    • half destroyed, half escaped
• in the Celestial Cyst
  • advanced bodak (transformed human (?))
    • slain
      • reverted to a humanoid form after being slain

Locations visited in session 2020-09-19:

• the Nightworld (hilltop, vicinity of portal to the Demonweb)
• Empyrea, the City of Tempered Souls
  • on the Platinum Heaven, fifth layer of the Seven Mounting Heavens of Celestia

NPCs encountered in session 2020-09-19:

• in Empyrea
  • squad of hound archon guards
  • Dyadic, Guardian of the Extremities (a sword archon)

At the close of session 2020-09-19, the date is 7th Pyr, 1129 A.D. (by the Celdic Calendar). The player characters are guests in the city of Empyrea, on the plane of Celestia.

Monsters/opponents encountered in session 2020-10-03:

• at the crypt beneath the willow tree
  • skeletal groundskeeper
    • disengaged without combat
• at the teleportation platform east of the Celestial Cyst
  • company of drow minions of Lolth
    • two wizards
      • slain
    • eight crossbowmen
      • slain
    • four arcane guards
      • three slain; one turned against others to assist PCs

Locations visited in session 2020-10-03:

• the “Frozen Lands”
  • accessed via a standing portal in the Demonweb
  • portal exits into a cave; frozen, wind-swept landscape outside
  • another plane? a Prime world? a demiplane or pocket reality? unclear
• the Demonweb Pits
  • darkest part of the Demonweb, where terrible monsters and unspeakable entities dwell

NPCs encountered in session 2020-10-03:

• in Empyrea
  • Doctor Lazaros (a human petitioner)
    • born, lived, and died on Irra, in early 8th century A.D. (by the Celdic Calendar)
  • unnamed warden archon
• in the Demonweb
  • unnamed drow warrior
    • conspirator against Lolth? (unclear who/what he served)
    • killed by unknown assailant as he jumped off a Demonweb walkway into the Demonweb Pits
• in the Demonweb Pits
  • the Glorious Arachno-Communist Collective
    • a collective intelligence, made up of innumerable spiders
    • loyal followers of Lolth
    • opposed to drow followers of Lolth

Items received in Celestia:

• packet of chewable pieces of medicinal tree bark, infused with nutrients and other health-augmenting substances
  • given to PCs by Doctor Lazaros, to be taken once daily with breakfast for a week

At the close of session 2020-10-03, the date is 8th Pyr, 1129 A.D. (by the Celdic Calendar). The player characters are within a temporary structure of the Glorious Arachno-Communist Collective, deep in the darkness of the Demonweb Pits.

DM: ====== OUT OF BAND MATERIAL FOR SESSION 2020-10-03 BEGINS ======
DM: So, when we left off, the spiders of the Glorious Arachno-Communist Collective, having greeted you and introduced themselves, have offered their friendship and alliance against your mutual enemy: the demon Gethshuq
DM: The Collective are staunch worshippers of Lolth, unwavering in their faith and reverence for the Demon Queen of Spiders; yet they despise the drow who worship Lolth as well, and resent the dark elves' presence in the web of their goddess
DM: Gethshuq, in particular, the Collective consider to be a traitor to their kind, as he collaborates with the drow, rather than opposing them; they have long sought the demon's demise, and now that you are here, are enthusiastic about helping you achieve your objective
DM: To elaborate on the terms of what's being offered - the spiders do not think they would be much use against Gethshuq himself (he is much too powerful), but he will certainly have arachnoid and demonic minions supporting him in any battle at his lair; these secondary targets, the Collective assures you, they can largely or entirely neutralize (freeing you to focus on Gethshuq alone)
DM: They also suggest that (if all goes well) they can also try and delay any drow who come to Gethshuq's aid from reaching the battle - not for long, but perhaps long enough that you can slay the demon before reinforcements can join the fight
DM: For this aid, all that the spiders want is Gethshuq's fallen body: they plan to devour the demon, and grow closer to their goddess thusly.
DM: So, the question is - do you accept the offer?
DM: (Depending on your answer, there'll be a bit more to this conversation)
Oliver: I think a middle ground can be reached. Iirc, we just need the heart?  And it will be used to kill some powerful Drow, so we can point that our too.
Armesan: Yeah if all we need is the heart then they are free to devour the rest of him
PhelanArcetus: that matches my recollection as well. So assuming that we all recall our needs correctly, sounds like someone in the party with diplomacy needs to explain that and make the counter-offer
Oliver: I believe that would be ANkremis
Oliver: 'I think we might possibly be able to work out a compromise... We need his heart(s?) to help us off some hoity toity Drow big bad.  How about some teamwork: We kill him, take the bits we need, you get the rest.  Deal?'
DM: Alright
DM: Let me have a Sense Motive check (from whoever has it, not necessarily Ankremis), and a Diplomacy check
Obormot\Gaia: (And yes, it's just the heart you need)
Oliver: !try 24
* Robomot rolls attempt for Oliver: 1d20 < 5 = 5 > + 24 = 29
graynjah: !try 20;sense
* Robomot rolls attempt for graynjah: (sense) 1d20 < 20 = 20 > + 20 = 40
Oliver: Some inspire competence might be handy
graynjah: no, it's fine
DM: Though the spiders seem at first to be alarmed by the idea of you taking Gethshuq's heart, they are entirely mollified when you reassure them that it's for the purpose of killing an enemy drow
DM: (You get the sense that they at first suspected that you wanted the demon's heart for the same reason as they did... but you assure them that you have no interest in worshipping Lolth, and their concerns are put to rest)
DM: "We extend, therefore, the limb of friendship!", proclaims the omnipresent, chittering voice of the Collective; the great tower of spiders that rises from the "floor" of the structure you're in leans forward alarmingly, the myriad spiders comprising it shifting around each other as the tower flexes and bends toward you
DM: As the very tip of the tower of spiders bends toward Ankremis, a large and intimidatingly colored tarantula perched on the end holds out one of its forelegs; a tiny jumping spider, so small that you can barely see it but for its oversized eyes, scurries out along the tarantula's leg and and, looking up at Ankremis, holds up one tiny leg, as if offering a handshake
DM: (Ankremis, I assume, returns the gesture...)
DM: The tower of spiders straightens out; a ripple passes through all the many and varied arachnids in front of you, below you, all around you, that you realize is an expression of excitement...
DM: Some details of what must now follow, remain to be worked out.
DM: The Collective will not deliver you directly to Gethshuq's lair, nor adjacent to it - it would be much too dangerous
DM: They can, however, bring you to a nearby node... and, to aid you in planning your assault, they can also show you a map.
DM: It is a local map, not a map of the whole Demonweb - but it is up-to-date. And here it is:
DM: https://br.obormot.net/attach/Darklands/BlindingAreItsMysteries/Demonweb_spider_map_medium.png
Robomot: image/png (254x245; 325 KB)
DM: Map key:
DM: The three spiders stacked on each other (top left): the Fane of Eclavdra
DM: East and slightly south of that, the two spiders stacked on each other: the Crystal Tower
DM: Directly to the south of that, marked with a black spider: the lair of Gethshuq
DM: Small spiders, just off the walkways (there are four of these): standing portals
DM: The arrangement of six spiders, unconnected to anything: that is a "you are roughly here" indicator
DM: You can surmise that you jumped into the Demonweb Pits from the walkway to the southwest of where you are now (by the southern-most portal shown on the map)
DM: The Collective tell you that they can return you to the Demonweb at any point *at least* one connection away from any of the three major locations in the area (the Fane, the Crystal Tower, Gethshuq's lair).
DM: (The most obvious such point would seem to be walkway due north of your current location... but if you prefer another point of re-entry, that's your call)
DM: We will pick up from here on Saturday.
DM: ====== OUT OF BAND MATERIAL FOR SESSION 2020-10-03 ENDS ======

Local map of part of the Demonweb, shown to the party by the spiders of the Glorious Arachno-Communist Collective:

Map key:

• The three spiders stacked on each other (top left): the Fane of Eclavdra
• East and slightly south of that, the two spiders stacked on each other: the Crystal Tower
• Directly to the south of that, marked with a black spider: the lair of Gethshuq
• Small spiders, just off the walkways (there are four of these): standing portals
• The arrangement of six spiders, unconnected to anything: that is a "you are roughly here" indicator

You can surmise that you jumped into the Demonweb Pits from the walkway to the southwest of where you are now (by the southern-most portal shown on the map)

Monsters/opponents encountered in session 2020-10-24:

• in the prison cube of the kirin
  • a marilith
    • slain
• in the lair of Gethshuq
  • Gethshuq (unique advanced bebilith demon)
    • slain
  • four fiendish giant tree frogs
    • slain
  • elite drow strike team
    • drow priestess
    • five drow dark snipers
    • all slain
  • three drow strike teams
    • fled

NPCs encountered in session 2020-10-24:

• in the Demonweb
  • Moonstone, an imprisoned kirin, divine servant of Pelor
    • freed from his prison; returned to the celestial realms

Treasure acquired in session 2020-10-24:

• taken from body of defeated marilith
  • weapons
    • Large scimitar +2
    • Large corrosive scimitar +2
    • Large chaotic longsword +2
    • Large mighty cleaving longsword +2
    • Large battleaxe +3
    • Large unholy battleaxe +3
  • jewelry
    • six gold bracelets (three per hand)
    • gem-studded gold tiara
    • no magic auras
• taken from defeated drow strike team
  • dark snipers (5); each had the following
    • heavy crossbow +1, seeking
    • mithral shirt
    • screaming bolt
      • all within 20 ft. of bolt’s path are shaken (DC 14 Will negates)
    • striking bolt
      • +2d6 force damage & knocked prone (DC 14 Ref negates knockdown)
    • poisoned bolts (non-magical) (4)
    • additional doses of poison (4)
    • cold iron bolts (non-magical) (20)
    • scrolls (all at CL 11)
      • haste
      • slow
      • glitterdust
      • incendiary slime^CM
      • web
      • grease
  • one dark sniper also had the following:
    • silver sphere teleportation key
  • priestess
    • mithral breastplate +1
    • cold iron heavy mace +1
    • scrolls (all at CL 13)
      • mass cure moderate wounds
      • invisibility purge
      • prayer
      • darkbolt
      • silence
      • sanctuary
    • blue cube teleportation key

Items acquired in session 2020-10-24:

• heart of Gethshuq
  • cut out of the demon’s just-slain body
  • dripping with blood, and twitching occasionally
  • does not look delicious

At the close of session 2020-10-24, the date is 8th Pyr, 1129 A.D. (by the Celdic Calendar). The player characters are within a temporary structure of the Glorious Arachno-Communist Collective, deep in the darkness of the Demonweb Pits.

Ankremis is taking:

 - The cold iron heavy mace +1 from the priestess
 - 1 seeking +1 heavy crossbow (4 remain)
 - 20 cold iron bolts (80 remain)
 - 3 screaming bolts (2 remain)
 - 3 striking bolts (2 remain)

Castor is taking

• Scrolls
  • incendiary slime
  • web
  • haste

DM: ====== OUT OF BAND MATERIAL FOR SESSION 2020-10-24 BEGINS ======
DM: So, after defeating Gethshuq and the drow strike team, and driving off the drow reinforcements, you spent a bit of time investigating the demon's lair
DM: In the center of the massive tree, taking the place of a trunk, is a roughly spherical bole, about 30 feet in diameter; and, as you discovered, it is not entirely solid, but has internal structure, and some hollow spaces
DM: Climbing carefully inside, you found several things...
DM: First - a larder of sorts, where Gethshuq kept web-wrapped prey, for future consumption
DM: A handful of preserved victims hung there, suspended in webbing; several humanoid, a couple of other sorts... all were quite dead.
DM: Second - hidden in a concealed hollow, a pouch or package of some sort, thoroughly wrapped in webbing, and what feels like leather underneath. What is inside, you can't tell without opening it.
DM: Third, in the very center of the bole, where the interior roots come together from all sides, instead of simply meeting in a tangle, they extend further - into what appears to be a rift or portal.
DM: The rift seems natural (not made or sustained by any sort of magic) and, as far as you can tell, stable.
DM: You cannot see much through it... on the other side appears to simply be... well... dirt. Soil of some sort.
DM: Do you further examine or take any of these things? Or, do you leave everything alone and depart?
Oliver: I think the obvious thing is detect magic / evil
DM: Magic: none
DM: Evil: yes
DM: This whole place is suffused with evil
DM: There's really no making out any individual evil auras, if any, here
PhelanArcetus: I would think we look at the leather thing at least
DM: Certainly none of these objects are *unusually* or *strongly* evil, or they'd stand out even so... but you couldn't say that they're not evil at all
DM: Alright
PhelanArcetus: the portal thing I am... not gonna say
PhelanArcetus: someone might veto me on the leather thing
PhelanArcetus: but it seems worth investigating
DM: Well, as I said, it's tightly bound in webbing - you'll be tearing or cutting that outer layer open, to get at what's inside
DM: Which you can certainly do without any trouble
DM: I'll let some time pass for other folks to comment before proceeding, I guess
Armesan: leather yes, dirt portal....probably best not to?
Oliver: might as well cut open the webs here
DM: Alright
DM: As you're cutting open the pouch, Pallas, at the last moment, spots something amiss, and cautions you to desist; careful inspection reveals there to be a trap of sorts - a small bladder of sorts, fluid-filled, attached to the inside of the web wrapping, such that had you continued cutting, you would have ruptured it and released whatever is inside, all over yourself and/or the contents of the pouch
DM: You cannot say what is in the bladder... poison, perhaps, or a strong acid... who knows
DM: Further inspection suggests that there are probably more of these... a sort of anti-theft device, it would seem, to punish tampering
DM: You can probably slice the webbing open without disturbing the bladders, now that you know they're there... though you wouldn't bet your life on it.
SabinDeus: Oliver: The unseen servant does it
DM: The small incision you've made so far lets you see a little bit past the webbing; what's inside does indeed appear to be a leather pouch or small pack, perhaps large enough to hold a book or two.
DM: Unseen servants cannot, sadly, do things like this
SabinDeus: got that out of the way before he said it
DM: In any case, you've spent as much time here as you reasonably can; if you want to mess around with this pouch any further, you'll have to take it with you.
DM: If no one tells me otherwise, I will assume you do exactly that.
DM: If instead you want to do something else to it, prior to grabbing it (something that doesn't take more than a minute or two), or if you want to leave it behind, let me know.
Oliver: <SabinDeus "Oliver: The unseen servant does "> Yes, this
Oliver: We have a number of means of cutting at range
Obormot\Gaia: Do you?
Obormot\Gaia: Like what
Obormot\Gaia: (Note that I already responded to the "unseen servant" comment: the servant can't do stuff like this)
Armesan: No, throwing Mara does not count as "cutting at range"
Armesan: (before anyone suggests it)
PhelanArcetus: I'm not convinced we have methods of *precision* cutting at range, which seems to be what we need
Armesan: but given my saves I might be doing it anyway
PhelanArcetus: it sounds like it might best equate to a disable device check?
Armesan: I...don't know who if anyone has that?
PhelanArcetus: as it seems the goal is to separate the package from the bad stuff without getting the bad stuff on ourselves or the package
PhelanArcetus: and that's me
Armesan: do we have that?
Armesan: oh?
Armesan: oh
Armesan: well by all means then
PhelanArcetus: this sounds like the sort of puzzle Avarak likes to take apart logically
Oliver: Mage hand. I expect castor has TK.
SabinDeus: I had one prepped
SabinDeus: But I used it in combat
SabinDeus: Sad we don’t have a rogue
graynjah: good thing druids are omnipotent right?
DM: Mage Hand can't do this either :p
DM: Oh you mean just cut it, rather than cut it precisely
DM: yeah
DM: Totally
DM: And, yes, a successful Disable Device check will let you do it too
DM: So if someone has that skill, by all means roll
DM: Or if you want to just do it telekinetically (by Mage Hand or TK), that's cool too, let me know
PhelanArcetus: I will do the disable device
PhelanArcetus: !try 23;disable
* Robomot rolls attempt for PhelanArcetus: (disable) 1d20 < 7 = 7 > + 23 = 30
DM: Cool
DM: You carefully separate the web wrapping from the leather pouch, without disturbing any of the fluid-filled bladders.
PhelanArcetus: (this is where we discover it's his pornography stash)
DM: The pouch itself does not appear to be trapped or otherwise dangerous, and you untie the strings securing it for a look inside...
DM: The contents turn out to be a number of rolled-up sheets of parchment or paper - all clearly of different provenance, as they are consistent in neither size or composition - and also a number of what look like tuning forks
DM: The latter, you identify as forked rods - the foci for Plane Shift to certain planes of existence.
DM: (We will handle later the question of whether you can determine what planes they are for.)
DM: The scrolls - those you can read (which is not all of them, at least not without the aid of magic) - appear to be letters of safe passage, issued by various rulers and potentates, of an impressive assortment of planes of existence, many of which you recognize, and also a number of other realms (possibly Material Plane worlds? but you cannot be sure) which you do not recognize
DM: At this point I believe you have no further business here in Gethshuq's lair; presumably you take all this stuff with you and leave
DM: We will, again, handle further details of this stash later.
DM: ====== OUT OF BAND MATERIAL FOR SESSION 2020-10-24 ENDS ======

Items acquired in session 2020-10-24 (out of band material):

• nine forked rods (foci for plane shift spell)
  • Acheron
  • Arborea?
  • Baator?
  • Carceri?
  • Gehenna?
  • Pandemonium?
  • (unknown; likely a demiplane or pocket realm)
  • (unknown; likely a demiplane or pocket realm)
  • (unknown; likely a demiplane or pocket realm)
• many letters of safe conduct, issued by a variety of rulers and powers, both planar and otherwise
  • (TBD)

Monsters / opponents encountered in session 2020-11-07:

• in the Demonweb
  • drow shadowdancer
    • PCs evaded her long enough to be called back to Irra (via Vicara Zorae’s calling ritual)
• in lair of Vicara Zorae (in the Underdark of Irra)
  • Vicara Zorae (drow high priestess of Lolth)
    • at session end, engaged in combat
  • eight drow acolytes
    • one slain
    • seven still alive

At the close of session 2020-11-07, the date is 9th Pyr, 1129 A.D. (by the Celdic Calendar). The player characters are in the lair of Vicara Zorae, drow high priestess of Lolth, in an unknown location within the Underdark of Irra (their home world).

Monsters / opponents encountered in session 2020-11-14:

• in the lair of Vicara Zorae
  • four quaggoths
    • slain

At the close of session 2020-11-14, the date is 9th Pyr, 1129 A.D. (by the Celdic Calendar). The player characters are in the lair of Vicara Zorae, drow high priestess of Lolth, in an unknown location within the Underdark of Irra (their home world).

Monsters/opponents encountered in session 2020-11-28:

• in the lair of Vicara Zorae
  • Vicara Zorae
    • slain

Treasure acquired in session 2020-11-28:

• taken from the body of Vicara Zorae
  • black-enameled poison-tipped-spiked mithral full plate armor (magical)
    • +3 drowcraft glamered spiked mithral full plate
      • tiny hollow channels run along the inside of this armor, linking the armor’s poison reservoirs to the tips of the armor’s spikes; any contact or injury poison may be poured into the reservoirs, where it is carried to the spikes by capillary action; a single dose of poison is enough to poison an opponent twice (the second time at reduced DC for residual poison)
      • drowcraft armor is energized (and has a higher enhancement bonus) when within an earth node or in a region of certain other natural Underdark phenomena; but it decays in a matter of weeks or days when exposed to sunlight
  • ring (magical)
    • ring of protection +5
  • amulet, in the shape of a spider (magical)
    • “legs” were dug into skin on Vicara’s chest, had to be torn off
    • spider amulet
      • the amulet’s legs dig into the wearer’s flesh when donned, dealing 1 point of damage (and 1d4 damage must be done to remove the amulet, as it does not “let go” on its own)
      • +5 natural armor
      • as a free action, wearer may use a rebuke undead attempt to imbue a spell cast in the same round with the Evil descriptor
      • as a move action, wearer may grow four spider legs (as the spell, BoVD, but may also be used to attack, 2 attacks per round, considered secondary natural attacks [−5 penalty], deal damage as claw for the wearer’s size, lethal damage, piercing)
  • ring (magical)
    • ring of freedom of movement
  • strand of prayer beads (engraved with prayers to Lolth)
  • circlet (magical)
    • circlet of the weave
      • +1 insight bonus to AC
      • +5 insight bonus on Spellcraft checks
  • vest (magical)
    • vest of resistance +5

At the close of session 2020-11-28, the date is 9th Pyr, 1129 A.D. (by the Celdic Calendar). The player characters are in the lair of Vicara Zorae, drow high priestess of Lolth, in an unknown location within the Underdark of Irra (their home world).

Monsters/opponents encountered in session 2020-12-12:

• in the (former) lair of Vicara Zorae
  • alchemical ooze creature
    • destroyed

NPCs encountered in session 2020-12-12:

• in the (former) lair of Vicara Zorae
  • clan of (formerly) enslaved duergar
    • interrogated and released; the duergar fled the lair, heading for parts unknown

Treasure acquired in session 2020-12-12:

• taken from the personal chambers of Vicara Zorae
  • nine assorted tomes (some with accompanying notes)
    • all but two (see below) are in Undercommon
    • Plants of the Middle Regions
      • botanical reference on Underdark plants (with illustrations)
    • Commentary on Structure
      • mathematics text
      • lots of diagrams and formulas
      • geometry, trigonometry
      • loose-leaf worksheets with unexplained calculations
    • On the Character of Minerals
      • geology text
      • written in dwarven
      • very dense, technical, jargon-filled
      • accompanied by partial translation into Undercommon (with notes on in-progress sections)
    • Descent
      • subtitled “Being a Disquisition on Proper and Improper Paths”
      • theology text
      • margins filled with margin notes
      • sheaf of loose-leaf papers with further commentary
    • Book of the Continuum
      • reference on magical theory, spell structure, etc.
    • Names of Those Who Serve
      • reference on demonology and conjuration of outsiders (focusing on the Abyss)
      • written in Abyssal (using the Infernal script), with footnotes and frontmatter in Undercommon
      • one page (describing the demon Gethshuq) is bookmarked
    • To Prostrate Oneself Before Inimitable Nature, And Offer One’s Mind As Instrument of Horror, Pain, and Death
      • a.k.a. “the Khalazza book” (so-called for its author, one Nym Khalazza)
      • science, alchemical instructions (focusing on poison), philosophy
      • BANNED IN THE EMPIRE!
        • possession of this book is a crime!
    • Let Thy Child Become Thee!
      • collected works of “the Bard of Luurnel”
      • poetry, prose, illustrations
      • theme is religious and esoteric; invocations of Lolth; faith; devotion; religious ecstasy
      • compiled and edited by Nendra Zorae
      • dedication: “For my daughter—may she realize the dreams I never dared to dream”
    • Untitled
      • ???
      • “book” only in a loose sense
      • some sort of experimental format?
      • weird origami exercise?
      • structured reading?
      • maybe a game or activity?
      • confusing writing style
      • sexually explicit text
      • written in same handwriting as the various notes, translation, etc. (Vicara’s?)
  • miscellaneous low-level spell scrolls (divine)

At the close of session 2020-12-12, the date is 9th Pyr, 1129 A.D. (by the Celdic Calendar). The player characters are in the lair of Vicara Zorae, drow high priestess of Lolth, in an unknown location within the Underdark of Irra (their home world).

Treasure acquired in session 2021-01-02:

• recovered from alchemical materials storage room in the (former) lair of Vicara Zorae
  • six vials devilseye poison
    • injury; DC 21; 1/round for 4 rounds; 1 save ends; special (1 point of SR); affects outsiders otherwise immune to poison

Monsters/opponents encountered in session 2020-01-02:

• in the (former) lair of Vicara Zorae
  • three trillochs
    • one destroyed
    • two banished

NPCs encountered in session 2020-01-02:

• in the (former) lair of Vicara Zorae
  • Akordia Zorae
    • middle-aged drow priestess
    • new matriarch of clan Zorae
  • drow acolytes, members of clan Zorae
  • all peacefully departed, promising never to return
• traveling through the Underdark
  • small settlement of duergar
    • provided part with lodging for a night
• remote dwarven outpost
  • various dwarven soldiers & civilian
• the Overlook (in the Great Vault, vicinity of Stoneheart)
  • various dwarven clerics, healers and specialists in spiritual afflictions
• Stoneheart (capital of the unified dwarven nation)
  • His Resplendent Majesty, Yrtunnen the First, Sovereign of the Vaults and Protector of the Deeps, etc., etc. (a.k.a. the King-at-Stoneheart)
  • various dwarven officials, diplomats, and other important personages
  • Her Excellency Sotiria Chondrogionnis, Imperial Ambassador to Stoneheart
• the town of Brineci
  • Centurion Pavlos of Gitron, (soon-to-be-former) garrison commander of the Imperial garrison at Brineci and toll keeper for the Brineci border post
  • Decarch Philokrates, an officer of Imperial Expeditionary Force Gamma under General Origenos

Experience earned for sessions 2020-07-25, 2020-08-08, 2020-08-22, 2020-09-05, 2020-09-19, 2020-10-03, 2020-10-24, 2020-11-07, 2020-11-14, 2020-11-28, 2020-12-12, and 2021-01-02:

• 9,500 XP

At the close of session 2021-01-02, the date is 25th Pyr, 1129 A.D. (by the Celdic Calendar). The player characters are in the town of Brineci?, in the northern foothills of the Mol Mountains.

Avarak took the vest of resistance +5 and a cloak of resistance +3 is up for sale.

Locations visited in session 2021-01-16:

• Imperial army camp at Brineci?
  • 1st Brigade (approx. ~4,500 strong) of Expeditionary Force Gamma currently encamped there
• Territory belonging to the yikarians (a.k.a. the yak folk), in the northern peaks of the Mol Mountains
  • many small outposts and settlements
  • one major city
  • one apparently-warded location (details unknown)
• orc lands, on the continent’s eastern coast
  • unnamed fishing village
  • Krallen (another fishing village)

NPCs encountered in session 2021-01-16:

• at the army camp at Brineci?
  • General Origenos, commander of Expeditionary Force Gamma
  • Arcanum drungarios (1st class) Aliz Arvai, senior Arcanum specialist for EF Gamma
  • various soldiers and officers of EF Gamma
• at unnamed orc fishing village
  • a village elder (?) (unnamed)
• at Krallen (orc fishing village)
  • Haig, a fisherman (half-orc)
  • Bogosh, Haig’s younger half-brother (half-orc)
    • the party previously rescued Bogosh and Haig from yak folk captivity
  • Mannig, Haig’s wife (orc)
  • Khav, Haig’s father (orc)
  • Gurgen, chieften of Krallen village (orc)

At the close of session 2021-01-16, the date is 27th Pyr, 1129 A.D. (by the Celdic Calendar). The player characters are in the orc fishing village of Krallen, on the continent’s eastern coast (east of the Mol Mountains).

NPCs encountered in session 2021-02-06:

• orc fishing boat captain
• two orc sailors

Monsters/opponents encountered in session 2021-02-06:

• during ocean voyage to Raknallar
  • bandits
    • one orc
    • several goblins
    • all killed
  • ocean giant warrior
    • old, very powerful
    • missing one eye (scarring suggests violent cause)
    • killed

At the close of session 2021-02-06, the date is 5th Dimiurgos, 1129 A.D. (by the Celdic Calendar). The player characters are aboard a small fishing boat, approaching the orc city of Raknallar, on the continent’s eastern coast (east of the Mol Mountains).

Locations visited in session 2021-02-20:

• Raknallar
  • orc city in the Fjords of Raknal
  • de facto capital of the land of Raknal
  • seat of power of Gahar, the anassa (the “chief of chiefs”) of Raknal

NPCs encountered in session 2021-02-20:

• in Raknallar
  • (all listed here are orcs unless noted otherwise)
  • Hasmig (aunt of Gurgen)
  • Varteni (daughter of Hasmig, younger cousin of Gurgen)
  • the Crone (priestess of Luthic?)
  • Luronn (half-orc; rabble-rouser, street orator, and general disturber of the peace)
    • he seems to possess frost-related power similar to Avarak’s
  • Gahar (anassa of the orcs of Raknal)
  • various orcs & half-orcs in Raknallar

At the close of session 2021-02-20, the date is 6th Dimiurgos, 1129 A.D. (by the Celdic Calendar). The player characters are guests in the house of Hasmig, in the orc city of Raknallar, in the Fjords of Raknal, on the continent’s eastern coast (east of the Mol Mountains).

NPCs encountered in session 2021-03-06:

• in Raknallar
  • orc clan chieftains
    • One-Hand*
    • Club-Foot
    • Glass-Eye
    • Bald Zerak*
    • Red Whip
  • unnamed “blue” (psychically talented) goblin (“encountered” via dreams sent to Castor/Nikephoros/Pallas)

Locations visited in session 2021-03-06:

• orc city of Raknallar
• army camp near Brineci? (housing the 1st Brigade of Expeditionary Force Gamma of the Celdic Imperial Army)
• Celdanna (capital of the Celdic Empire)

Experience earned for sessions 2021-01-16, 2021-02-06, 2021-02-20, and 2021-03-06:

• 3,400 XP (for characters of 17th level), or
• 4,800 XP (for characters of 16th level)

At the close of session 2021-03-06, the date is 20th Dimiurgos, 1129 A.D. (by the Celdic Calendar). The player characters are in the city of Celdanna?.

Locations visited in session 2021-03-20:

• monastery of the Host of the Three Suns, in the countryside of Celdanna
• tower of Archmage Leah, in the countryside of Celdanna
• clan hold of jarl Skrymir, in the northern Mol Mountains
• lair of the snow weird of the Mol Mountains

NPCs encountered in session 2021-03-20:

• abbot and monks of the Host of the Three Suns
• Archmage Leah (plus various attendants and minions)
• various frost giants of jarl Skrymir’s clan

Monsters/opponents encountered in session 2021-03-20:

• outside the clan hold of jarl Skrymir
  • two frost salamanders
    • slain
• in the lair of the snow weird
  • two frost-giant-shaped, rune-covered ice golems
    • destroyed
  • one coldfire-breathing insectoid monster
    • combat engaged at session end

At the close of session 2021-03-20, the date is 23rd Dimiurgos, 1129 A.D. (by the Celdic Calendar). The player characters are in the lair of the snow weird, in the northern Mol Mountains.

Monsters/opponents encountered in session 2021-04-03:

• in the lair of the snow weird
  • one coldfire-breathing insectoid monster
    • destroyed

NPCs encountered in session 2021-04-03:

• in the lair of the snow weird
  • snow weird

Experience earned for sessions 2021-03-20 and 2021-04-03:

• 3,700 XP (for characters of 17th level)

At the close of session 2021-04-03, the date is 24th Dimiurgos, 1129 A.D. (by the Celdic Calendar). The player characters are at the army camp near Brineci? (housing the 1st Brigade of Expeditionary Force Gamma of the Celdic Imperial Army).

NPCs encountered in session 2021-06-26:

• in Rem:
  • Tariz of Samalla (governor of the province of Rem)
  • Saffron (halfling guide and ??? in Governor Tariz’s service)

Items acquired in session 2021-06-26:

• gifts from the dwarves (received during audience with the emperor):
  • a copy of the Runic Transcription Field Manual (abridged edition), by Tarja Icethorn
    • Castor’s gift
    • a compact book, bound in mithril, with hinged panels and plates of mithril that protect edges of book, and also permit user to easily hold it open with one hand
    • abridged edition omits glyph identification catalogue, and features a greatly condensed section on recovering from transcription mishaps; otherwise identical with complete edition
  • a copy of Forms of Ancestral Thought, by Khassis Kar-zim
    • Nikephoros’s gift
    • a massive, doorstopper-esque tome, nearly two thousand pages, tiny print on thin paper; seventeen appendices, five indexes, seven different parallel systems of content organization
    • chronicles the history of symbolic representation in dwarven culture, from the depths of antiquity to modern times, with a special focus on symbolic forms having to do with perception / philosophy / magic (which, according to the author, are all the same thing)
      • topics e.g.: evolution of runes; magical properties of language; etc.
  • the rune of levitaxis
    • Mara’s gift
    • a thin (fingernail-thickness) plate of adamantine, approx. 8″×10″, rolled edges (for stiffness and to make easier to hold); continuous row of engraved runes around perimeter of upper surface; one large, complex rune in center
    • (other three plates identical except for the runes in their center)
  • the rune of cryokinesis
    • Avarak’s gift
  • the rune of synopsis
    • Pallas’s gift
  • the rune of morphopoiesis
    • Ankremis’s gift

At the close of session 2021-06-26, the date is 19th Angelos, 1129 A.D. (by the Celdic Calendar). The player characters are in the city of Celdanna?.

DM: ====== OUT OF BAND MATERIAL FOR SESSION 2021-06-26 BEGINS ======
DM: During the three-week period from 29th Dimiurgos to 19th Angelos, which Castor, Nikephoros, and Ankremis have spent engaging in research and research-related activities, the other members of the party have (with the exception of a brief trip taken by Avarak and Mara to the province of Rem) had a good deal of free time to pursue certain projects
DM: FIRST, Avarak has had a chance to look into putting to some good use the pile of frost salamander claws (two full sets!) which you all recently liberated from the frost salamanders to which they were attached
DM: Well, firstly, as a fallback option you can always sell the things. There are a number of potential buyers, some of them nefarious, but the highest offer comes from one of Celdanna's fine institutions of higher learning, whose natural philosophy department will pay a hefty 2,000 gold pieces per set of claws (plus a signed certificate of authenticity and notarized account of the items' provenance).
DM: That aside, the claws may be used as optional components in the creation of almost any kind of well-known sort of cold-based magic item (anything from a ring of fire resistance to a staff of frost) in place of the usual materials, reducing the item's cost by anywhere from 20% to 50% (depending on the item).
DM: In your consultations with various of Celdanna's magical crafters, some also express the view that it should also be possible to use the claws to craft some sort of magical garment or accessory that would more directly/specifically evoke the essence and power of the creatures from which they were taken... the exact properties of such an item would be difficult to precisely predict in advance, but to get an idea of the general sort of thing this might be, think of something like a Cloak of Arachnida.
DM: SECOND, Pallas has spent some time (making use of Nikephoros's estate in the country, so as not to attract attention) experimenting further with the Gem of the Serpent; and specifically, trying to determine whether its powers can function via spells, rather than melee attacks.
DM: The short answer to that question turns out to be: no.
DM: There is no sign at all of the Gem's power imparting any special effect to spells cast by its bearer.
DM: What is more, the Gem seems to exert some resistance against the bearer of it even casting any spells at all; having entered the state of attunement to the Gem, one feels a certain impatience with the precise gestures, words, and thoughts required for spellcasting, a restlessness, that makes it difficult to concentrate on the act of casting.
DM: Indeed, Pallas reports sensing an eagerness from the Gem; a desire, almost, to be used. This is a new development; since the Gem was freed from its crystalline-sculpted prison, after its initial, intense outburst of zeal (so vividly felt by Mara, who was the Gem's liberator), it has been psychically quiescent, merely offering up its power to whoever would bond with it. That has now changed; the weeks and months of being stowed away in Mara's haversack - removed only for experimentation or weapon-crafting (of weapons which still have not seen use) - seem to have made the Gem restless.
DM: Regardless, the attempt to discover or devise any synergy between the Gem of the Serpent and spellcasting seems to be a bust. It's physical attacks, melee, which seem to be required for the Gem's power to work.
DM: ====== OUT OF BAND MATERIAL FOR SESSION 2021-06-26 ENDS ======

Locations visited in session 2021-08-28:

• temple of Stribog, in the countryside of Celdanna
• the orc city of Raknallar, in the Fjords of Raknal (on the eastern coast of the continent)

NPCs encountered in session 2021-08-28:

• at the temple of Stribog:
  • high priest of Stribog
  • various clerics and acolytes

At the close of session 2021-08-28, the date is 25th Angelos, 1129 A.D. (by the Celdic Calendar). The player characters are guests in the house of Hasmig, in the orc city of Raknallar, in the Fjords of Raknal, on the continent’s eastern coast (east of the Mol Mountains).

NPCs encountered in session 2021-09-11:

• in Raknallar:
  • drungarios, 1st class Daon of Shem
    • commander of Second Brigade of Imperial Army Expeditionary Force Gamma
    • commands Imperial troops currently stationed in Raknallar
  • Sahak the Sage
    • old orc, priest of Gruumsh
    • once companion to Anzor the Serpent-Killer

Monsters/opponents encountered in session 2021-09-11:

• in Raknallar:
  • the Crone (high priestess of Luthic)
    • slain
  • mivilorn (demonic elephant/dog monster)
    • slain
  • magic snake staff
    • destroyed

Experience earned for sessions 2021-06-26, 2021-08-28, and 2021-09-11:

• 4,200 XP (for characters of 17th level)

At the close of session 2021-09-11, the date is 26th Angelos, 1129 A.D. (by the Celdic Calendar). The player characters are guests in the house of Hasmig, in the orc city of Raknallar, in the Fjords of Raknal, on the continent’s eastern coast (east of the Mol Mountains).

Locations visited in session 2021-09-18:

• the orc city of Raknallar, in the Fjords of Raknal (on the eastern coast of the continent)
• orc town of Graygold
  • in the southernmost reaches of the land of Raknal, on the continent’s eastern coast
  • built around a passage into the Underdark
  • main trade outpost between the orcs of Raknal and the duergar (gray dwarves) of the Underdark
• various duergar outposts and minor settlements
• various regions of the Underdark

NPCs encountered in session 2021-09-18:

• in Graygold:
  • Nurlak of the Lavish Rewards (orc merchant lord)
  • various orc guards and retainers of Nurlak’s household
  • various orc townsfolk of Graygold
• in the lands of the duergar:
  • various gray dwarf guides, scouts, guards, etc.
• along the Underdark route to the southern continent:
  • strange duergar hermit (unnamed; possibly crazy)

Monsters/opponents encountered in session 2021-09-18:

• in the Underdark:
  • prismatic roper
    • slain
  • as-yet-unidentified monster
    • combat impending as of session end

At the close of session 2021-09-18, the date is 28th Angelos, 1129 A.D. (by the Celdic Calendar). The player characters are traveling through the wild regions of the Underdark, beneath the Storm-Wracked Sea that separates the mainland of Irra from the unexplored southern continent.