Old World» Group One

Iraklis, Nika, Omri, Dorc.

Player characters

Player characters associated with Group One.

Quick reference

Procedures

Standard operating procedures.

Watch order

(See Timekeeping and Rest.)

Watches in a typical travel/adventuring day:

1. Travel/exploration/adventuring
2. Travel/exploration/adventuring
3. Foraging/downtime
4. Foraging/downtime
5. Rest
   • Dorc on watch; others asleep
6. Rest
   • Iraklis on watch; others asleep

Marching order

(Left is forward)

Single-file (narrow passages):

I D O N m

Double-wide (wider passages / outdoors):

D N m
I O

Acquaintances

Characters that have been encountered by Group One.

Travelogue

Locations that have been visited by Group One.

Item catalog

Special items that have been found by Group One.

Bestiary

Creatures that have been encountered by Group One.

Party inventory

Party Currency: 17pp, 981 gp, 560 sp

Plot Loot

• Drawing, on bark, of a vine-like plant, growing amid many other plants that clearly depicts a subterranean assassin vine, in the “hanging gardens” cavern of the Lower Caverns (2024-10-19; from goblin corpses)
• Diary in a well sealed leather pouch (2024-10-19; from tiefling corpse)
• Drawing on bark, perhaps a map? (2024-11-02; from goblin corpses)

Loot to be Vendored

• 4 chunks of Amber (100gp ea)
• Strangely beautiful formations of salt crystal (can sell as 'abstract sculptures' to the right buyer)
• A bloodstone (??? gp; 2024-12-07)
• A zircon (??? gp; 2024-12-07)
• A golden yellow topaz (??? gp; 2024-12-07)
• Chunk of Amber (??? gp; 2024-12-28)
• Piece of Rose Quartz (??? gp; 2024-12-28)
• Onyx (??? gp; 2024-12-28)
• Hematite (??? gp; 2024-12-28)
• Tourmaline (??? gp; 2024-12-28)
• Silver Chalice lined with Lapis Lazuli (??? gp; 2024-12-28)
• Hematite (??? gp; 2024-12-28)
• Onyx (??? gp; 2024-12-28)
• Moonstone (??? gp; 2024-12-28)
• Chunk of Lapis Lazuli (??? gp; 2024-12-28)
• Bloodstone (??? gp; 2024-12-28)
• Alexandrite (??? gp; 2024-12-28)
• Chain Shirt (from D'orc)
• Masterwork Chain Shirt (2024-10-19)
• Masterwork Composite Shortbow that needs new string; (2024-10-19)
• High quality steel knife usable as a dagger, but 1d3, not throwable (2024-11-02)
• Masterwork chain shirt (2024-12-07)
• Iron Crowbar (2024-12-28)

Loot to be ID'd

• Charm necklace with 6 attachment points (2024-12-07)
  • Charm of the fateweaver (1/day immediate action: reroll climb or acrobatics)
  • Charm of the grand master (1/day immediate action: +5 dodge vs a ranged attack)
  • Rising sun, half obscured (???)
  • Miniature hourglass (???)
  • Bloodstone eye in a pentagon (???)
• vial of "probably ingredients for a potion of speed" (2024-12-07)
• 2 vials of ??? (2024-12-07; skeleton in waterfall pool)
• vial of ??? (2024-12-07; slippery path skeleton)
• Elaborate charm made of feathers radiating moderate conjuration (2024-12-07)
• Pot of paste ??? (2024-12-28; ghoul lair)
• Silk dust pouch radiating faint transmutation (2024-12-28)
• vial of ??? (2024-12-28; stirge lair - h)
• vial of ??? (2024-12-28; stirge lair - i)
• Steel Container with Beans. Probably a shaker or maraca (2024-12-28)

Loot to be Distributed

• A silver Pearl (??? gp; 2024-12-07)
• Masterwork Heavy Longbow; Repaired (2024-09-28)
• Masterwork shortspear made of polished bone, excellent blade; x3 crit (2024-10-19)
• Skin paint that enhances resistance to spells (2024-10-19)
• elixir of bestial aspect (2024-10-19)
• fetish of the survivor (2024-10-19)
• Ornate, decorative bronze breastplate set with onyx (2024-11-02)
• 3 vials of shadow essence (2024-12-07)
• 10 flasks of alchemist's fire (2024-12-07)
• 4 vials of potion of healing (2024-12-07; 2024-12-07)
• 4 vials of alchemical solvent (2024-12-07)
• 2 flasks of acid (2024-12-07)
• vial of antitoxin (2024-12-07)
• Masterwork quarterstaff (2024-12-07)
• Magical greataxe radiating moderate necromancy (2024-12-28)
• Pot of bleed weapon smear (2024-12-28)
• Scroll of spider climb and meld into stone (2024-12-28; remove disease used)
• 10 tindertwigs (2024-12-28)
• 3 smoke sticks (2024-12-28)

Already Distributed Loot

• Leafweave Armor (2024-09-28) ￫ D'orc
• Obsidian Ritual Dagger w/ 18-20 threat, but fragile; needs repair ￫ Omri (2024-09-28)
• Alchemical Recipe: Spiderbomb (2024-09-28) ￫ Iraklis
• Shade Cloak (2024-09-28; 2024-11-02) ￫ Mule 1
• 2 replacement bow strings (2024-09-28) ￫ Omri
• Masterwork longbow (2024-12-07) ￫ Omri
• Scroll of remove disease (2024-12-28) ￫ Used on Omri

Adventure log

2024-08-10

• Kar 7th through Kar 15th, 300 R.C.
• XP: 1,000
• Locations & landmarks:
  • Old guard tower_G8 (~10 miles west of Dusthill_G9)
    • Not visited; only seen from afar
  • Cool grotto_G5 (~50 miles west of Dusthill_G9)
  • Goblin warrens_G4 (~60 miles west of Dusthill_G9)
• Creatures encountered:
  • three goblins
    • two slain; one taken prisoner

2024-09-07

• Kar 16th through Kar 18th, 300 R.C.
• XP: 900
• Locations & landmarks:
  • Outcast cave-village_H3 (~10 miles south-southwest of the goblin warrens_G4)
• Creatures encountered:
  • giant cobweb spider
    • avoided
  • giant desert snake
    • slain
  • grick
    • driven off

2024-09-28

• Kar 19th through Kar 21st, 300 R.C.
• XP: 1,700
• Locations & landmarks:
  • Strange crystal cave_I4 (~15 miles south-southeast of the outcast cave-village_H3)
• Creatures encountered:
  • carrion crawler
    • slain
  • ooze swarm
    • destroyed
  • bugbear?
    • spotted from afar only
  • phase spider
    • chased off
  • some sort of telepathic mushroom or something??
    • adopted by Omri
• Items acquired:
  • from an old skeleton found mouldering in a subterranean pool below the outcast cave-village_H3:
    • 1 silvery pearl (worth 100 gp)
    • 4 sizeable chunks of amber (worth 100 gp each)
    • coins (all rather old):
      • 17 pp
      • 431 gp
      • 130 sp
    • leafweave armor
    • masterwork heavy longbow, made from the massive horns of some animal (lacking a bow string)
    • druidic sacrificial ritual dagger (18–20 critical threat range, otherwise as masterwork dagger; made of obsidian, with a bone hilt; needs to have its hilt re-wrapped for combat use)
    • alchemical recipe for a spiders+web sling bullet / grenade (requires spider eggs as ingredient)
      • UPDATE: This is known as a spider’s nest bullet
      • also a few other parchments, all too water-damaged to be readable
    • Note: Carved into the inner surface of the armor, and carved in the end caps of the scroll case where the alchemical recipe, et al., was kept, was the same symbol: the sun disk of Pelor, within a circle made up of a twining pattern (which could be vines, or snakes, or just abstract)
  • received from Andoras’s people, in gratitude for the party’s aid:
    • shade cloak (cloak of strange material, claimed to completely protect wearer from sun when worn)
    • two replacement bow strings, made out of strange, exceptionally strong fiber

2024-09-28 (addendum)

Instructions for traversing the Lower Caverns_J3 to the Master’s domain_J3 (received from Andoras and the other outcasts):

When you find the entrance, descend; out of the caverns nearest the entrance lead two paths—take the left-hand path. Make your way deeper, always descending; you should soon find a large vaulted cavern with water flowing through it. Swim upstream to the first branching; then take the other branch downstream until you come to a narrow beach at the bottom of a canyon.

From this beach there is a steep ascent, and you may climb up to the canyon top. Take the second of two passages, and follow it until a great void opens before you. This is the hardest part. There are paths across, but they are treacherous; watch your footing here, as it is a long way down, and a fall means death. Look for an opening level with that which you came through.

Having crossed the void, follow the passage until you come to the top of a cliff; descend and once again take the left-most path. Soon you will emerge into a large cavern, and at the far side will rise another cliff. Now be wary, as at the top of that cliff is the guarded passage to our people’s realm; you will certainly be seen before you’ve reached the foot of the cliff, and you’ll be challenged if you approach.

2024-10-19

• Kar 22nd through Kar 25th, 300 R.C.
• XP: 800
• Locations & landmarks:
  • the Lower Caverns_J3 (passage to the Master’s domain_J3; ~20 miles south of the outcast cave-village_H3)
    • partially explored
• Creatures encountered:
  • a lot of bats
    • some incinerated, the rest driven off
  • some sort of tiny, deformed gremlins with psychic powers
    • driven off
  • ambulatory, tentacled, carnivorous mushrooms
    • slain 
• Items acquired:
  • from the skeletal remnants of a party of goblins
    • masterwork spear (polished bone, with an excellent steel blade; 4 lbs.)
      • for a goblin this would be a spear, but a Medium-sized humanoid uses it as a shortspear (but with a ×3 critical multiplier, as a spear)
    • misc. gold coins, totaling 170 gp (4 lbs.)
    • some sort of alchemical paste, in a well-sealed earthen jar (1 lb.)
      • not clear if intended to be applied to skin, or a weapon, or armor, or what; alchemical analysis required to ascertain
      • UPDATE (2024-12-28): identified by Iraklis as a skin paint, which enhances resistance to spells when applied
    • some kind of potion
      • faintly magical (transmutation)
      • may be identified either via alchemical analysis or with magic
      • UPDATE (2024-11-02): identified by Iraklis as an elixir of bestial aspect
    • drawing, on bark, of a vine-like plant, growing amid many other plants
      • UPDATE (2024-11-02): this clearly depicts a subterranean assassin vine, in the “hanging gardens” cavern of the Lower Caverns
  • from the skeleton of a tiefling
    • misc. spelunking equipment (rope, etc.)
      • all rotted or otherwise ruined
    • several potions or alchemical substances
      • all dried up, spoiled, etc.
    • masterwork chain shirt (25 lbs.)
    • masterwork composite shortbow (2 lbs.)
      • needs new string, otherwise in decent shape
    • a number of odd, strangely beautiful formations of salt crystal, packed in a well-padded pouch (15 lbs.)
      • no inherent utility or value beyond the mundane (it’s just salt), but may perhaps be sold as “abstract sculptures” of sorts, to the right buyer
    • a rat skull with various feathers, teeth, claws, and other animal parts woven into and onto it with string and fibers
      • faintly magical (abjuration)
      • UPDATE (2024-12-07): identified by Iraklis as a fetish of the survivor
    • diary, in a well-sealed leather pouch (2 lbs.)

2024-11-02

• Kar 26th, 300 R.C.
• XP: 800
• Creatures encountered:
  • several phantom fungi
    • slain
  • a subterranean assassin vine
    • encounter inconclusive
  • a large stand of yellow mold
    • not really a “creature”, just a mindless fungal growth
    • thoroughly destroyed
• Items acquired:
  • from the skeleton of some kind of wolf or similar canine:
    • an ornate, probably mostly decorative, bronze breastplate (wolf-sized and wolf-shaped), in which a number of onyx gems are set (40 lbs.)
  • from the shattered skeletal remains of a human:
    • high-quality steel knife (1 lb.)
      • can be used as dagger, but only 1d3 damage, and not shaped for throwing; masterwork
    • shade cloak (1 lb.)
  • from the skeletal remains of a handful of goblins:
    • 100 sp, 120 gp
    • dried chunk of some sort of mushroom (1 lb.)
    • drawing, on bark, perhaps a map?
    • some sort of potion, once
      • held in a container of hardened leather
      • destroyed by an unfortunately-aimed acid splash

2024-12-07

• Kar 27th through Kar 28th, 300 R.C.
• XP: 900
• Locations & landmarks:
  • a strange oasis in a system of canyons within a mesa_J4 (~10 miles east-northeast of the Lower Caverns_J3 entrance)
• Creatures encountered:
  • an ironthorn tree
    • encountered in the canyon entrance to the mesa
    • slain and burned
  • a small gang of goblins
    • encountered within the mesa; the goblins ambushed the party
    • all slain (one was briefly questioned before being executed)
  • various weird plants
    • variously:
      • carefully avoided
      • splashed by nauseating liquid from exploding falling fruit of
      • entranced by pollen of
  • bugbear?
    • seen in the shadowy recesses of a cavern, watching the party
• Items acquired:
  • from the pile of bones at the roots of the ironthorn growing in the entrance canyon:
    • a silver pearl, a bloodstone, a zircon, and a golden yellow topaz
    • a charm necklace (delicate golden woven chain, with six attachment points for hanging charms)
      • five charms, attached to the necklace (hanging from five of the six attachment points, by short lengths of silver chain); all are magical (faint transmutation):
        • a tiny golden spindle
          • IDENTIFIED: charm of the fateweaver
        • a tiny hollow glass flower
          • IDENTIFIED: charm of the grand master
        • a rising sun, half-obscured by the horizon
        • a miniature hourglass
        • a bloodstone eye within a pentagonal setting
  • on several skeletons, found within a set of twisting cavern passages in the middle of the mesa:
    • 40 gp
    • masterwork chain shirt (25 lbs.)
    • 3 vials of some dark substance (a)
      • UPDATE (2024-12-28): identified by Iraklis as shadow essence
    • 10 flasks of alchemist’s fire (10 lbs.)
    • vial of some substance (b)
      • IDENTIFIED: potion of healing
    • 5 vials of some substance (c)
      • UPDATE (2024-12-28): identified by Iraklis as alchemical solvent
    • vial of some substance (b)
      • substances marked with the same letter (e.g. “(b)”) look to be the same
      • IDENTIFIED: potion of healing
    • vial of some substance (d)
      • UPDATE (2024-12-28): identified by Iraklis as quicksilver, suspended in stabilized blood (of some animal, unclear what exactly)
        • ingredient for a potion of speed, probably
  • on a skeleton at the edge of a pool at the bottom of a great waterfall, deep within the mesa:
    • 2 flasks of acid (2 lbs.)
    • 2 vials of some substance (e)
    • vial of some substance (f)
      • UPDATE (2024-12-28): identified by Iraklis as antitoxin
    • masterwork quarterstaff (4 lbs.)
    • masterwork longbow (3 lbs.)
  • on a skeleton at the bottom of a slippery path up the side of the waterfall:
    • vial of some substance (g)
    • 2 vials of some substance (b)
      • IDENTIFIED: potion of healing
  • jammed into a crack in the rock wall of a narrow passage past the great waterfall, deeper into the mesa:
    • an elaborate charm, made of several beautiful feathers
      • moderate conjuration

2024-12-28

• Kar 29th through Saelis 2nd, 300 R.C.
• XP: 1,200
• Locations & landmarks:
  • within a small valley, at the end of a winding path up a hillside, is a cave entrance, the rocks nearby smeared with strange symbols in what looks like blood
    • about 15 miles east-northeast of the strange oasis_J4
    • the symbols are reminiscent of sigils of certain dark cults (of demons and such evil things)
    • the party did not enter this cave, but noted its location and moved on
• Creatures encountered:
  • all of these were encountered in the strange oasis_J4
  • some ghouls, with a ghast leading them
    • destroyed
    • the ghast was adorned with some sort of skin paint, formed in the shape of symbols that Dorc found vaguely familiar
  • some kind of… undead… meat jelly
    • found in a blocked-off cavern at the back of the ghouls’ cave-lair
    • left undisturbed
  • many stirges
    • killed in large numbers
    • the stirges in this oasis exhibit bizarre variation: some of them have fur, some have feathered wings, some have dragonfly-like wings, some have curling proboscidae, some have faceted eyes, others are oddly-shaped in various other ways
  • a yellow musk creeper plant
    • killed, burned with acid
  • plant-zombified goblins
    • destroyed
  • several dog-sized jumping spiders
    • they seemed friendly (or, at least, non-hostile)
    • they attacked the stirges that had attached to (and were drinking the blood of) several members of the party
    • the spiders seemed to be drinking said blood from the stirges’ stomachs
• Items acquired:
  • taken from slain ghast:
    • a well-made and vicious-looking greataxe
      • moderate necromancy
      • the axe’s blade was smeared with some viscous substance
  • found in ghouls’ cave-lair:
    • iron crowbar
    • a chunk of amber, a piece of rose quartz
    • a small clay pot, with a thick paste in it
      • this is the same substance that the greataxe-wielding ghast’s skin was painted with
    • a small clay pot, with a viscous substance in it
      • this is the same substance that was smeared on the blade of the ghast’s greataxe
      • IDENTIFIED: bleed weapon smear
        • 4 uses remaining in the pot
  • on several skeletons, lying amid a grove of deadly plants, where stirges were lairing:
    • coin pouch with 110 gp in old coinage
    • a small silk pouch with some sort of dust or powder in it
      • faint transmutation
    • vial of some substance (h)
    • vial of some substance (i)
    • scroll of spider climb, meld into stone, and remove disease
    • gems: an onyx, a hematite, and a tourmaline
    • a cylindrical steel container, ~6″ high and half as wide, the lid secured with resin
      • when shaken, the contents rattle around; they sound like dried beans
    • coin pouch with 10 gp in old coinage
    • packet of 10 tindertwigs
    • 3 smokesticks
  • beneath a yellow musk creeper in an open-ceilinged cavern, amid the bones of its victims:
    • pile of miscellaneous coins: 110 gp, 330 sp
    • a silver chalice with lapis lazuli gems
    • an assortment of gemstones: a hematite, an onyx, a moonstone, a chunk of lapis lazuli, a bloodstone, and an alexandrite
  • harvested from kills:
    • a whole bunch of stirge meat