Post by hubertbartels on Aug 12, 2018 15:38:35 GMT -5
The morning was clear and cold; from the heights of the High House, perched on the top of the hill called the Brow, you could see miles and miles. To the north, the cold plains of Numeria, to the south, the Dagger river flowing past Iadenveigh into the Echo Woods and the River Kingdoms, to the west, the broken and barren lands of the Felldales and finally, to the east, you could see the smudge of the Smokewood and the plume of black smoke trailing southward from the Choking Tower.
Right after breakfast cooked by Istovar, Gunnet showed up with a box. Gunnet told the party that they had found some items from Ilarris’ caravan wagon. In the box were some healing potions, some jewelry and a collection of arcane scrolls. Gunnet added that the Varisians in the lumberyard had been told about Ilarris’ treachery. They would spread the word to any other Varisians they came across as well as making sure that the Technic League knew. Ilarris would have a price on her head if she ever left Iadenveigh. And since Jevik died in defending his pigs from the yaoguai – Iadenveigh was in need of a new pig farmer. Some of the town milita would help Ilarris move in and help her with chores at first.
Whenever the party was ready to examine the well at Old Skeleton’s farm, they needed only to come to Gunnets’ house and let him know. Obin and Istovar told him that the party was ready now.
Leading the party across Iadenveigh, Gunnet brought them to a small abandoned farm on the east side of Badwater. He showed them where the cap stone lay over the well and whispered a few words to disarm the glyph. Then he left.
Istovar and Obin easily shoved the 450 lb capstone aside. Looking down the unfinished well, they determined that it was about 30’ deep. Then a large swarm of blue glittering things boiled out of the well. This was the same swarm that killed Old Skeleton. Astrovel quickly hit it with lightning, then Obin and Istovar beat at it and within moments, they had destroyed it.
They descended into the darkness. Istovar was the only one that could not see in the darkness so Astrovel offered his flashlight. At the bottom, they found six inches of water and a hole through a metal wall that led into the space ship.
Exploring a bit further, they found a display panel that was still active. It played a loop, showing a man and an invisible stalker, talking as the man worked on the panel. The invisible being named the man as Master Xoud.
Deeper in the wreckage, the party found a huge hall, once used as a android foundry. Here, they fought several deformed androids and their leader, Seerath. Seerath, also a deformed android, believed that the Dominion of the Black had boarded their ship in space and that she would not lose her mind. The party tried to reason with her but had to kill her.
There were tubes in the facility to create the androids. The machinery was obviously defective as the next android the party decanted – collapsed into a necrotic ooze. They stood back from it and killed it.
Scrambling across the stone and mud rubble, the party found three gearsman in the back half of the android facility. They did not move until the party began firing at them. The gearsmen demanded that the party lower their weapons and submit the traitor, Cassandalee. Then they would be spared. The party smashed up the gearsmen instead.
Going deeper, into the facility, the party opened a door into a guard post. Doors leading out of the guard post read, Nanotech Laboratory and Canister Access. Another, more heavily built gearsman stood in the way. “Primary Objective complete. Fugitive exterminated but remains required per Unity Directive 1. Submit traitor Cassandalee or face termination!”
Again, the party destroyed the robot. Determining that opening the door to the Cannister Access would be a bad idea, they entered the Nanotech Laboratory. Here, they found the invisible stalker they heard at the start of the wreck, asking for news of his master, Furkas Xoud. The party asked for more information – and Sashasho talked, mentioning that Xoud had found Cassandalee’s body here in the Laboratory, told Sahasho that he would be back, teleported himself and the body to the Choking Tower. That was seven years ago. Sahasho was still under the conditions of his summoning and could not leave. Could the party, perhaps, banish him back to the Elemental Plane of Air?
Astrovel said, yes, he could. Tomorrow, when he had the spell prepared. Sahasho gave them leave to go but not take anything in the Nanotech Laboratory.
The next day, Astrovel sent the invisible stalker back home. Then he assembled a power pack from the batteries that the party carried and brought the facility online. The wizard made sure that the damaged android facility would not create any more horrors and the poisonous mutagenic gas in the Cannister Access area would be neutralized. It would take a few years but Badwater would no longer be creating mutations in Iadenveigh.
After receiving 500 gp and a construct-bane bow from the Deadeye Council back in Iadenveigh, the party got ready to head into the depths of the Smokewoods to visit the Choking Tower.
Leaving in the morning and walking all day, the party settled down to make camp in the wilds near the Smokewoods. That night, Eramus was visited in his dreams by Longdreamer. The being, an emissary of Desna and a guardian of dreams, had recently returned from a long trip to find a foul-smelling tower erected in her woods. Curious, she tasted the dreams of those inside – but found only the dreams of ravenous carpets of flesh-eating worms feeding on the body of a man – always the same man – whom the worms know as Furkas Xoud. She would like the party to go investigate as she is too large – being a large, space-moth – to enter the tower. In return, she offers her glade and cave as a place to rest and stay and she can even communicate with others far away through dreams or carry the party across lands.
Eramus agrees and suddenly knows how to find her glade. The next morning, he tells the others. Their travels bring them to the edge of the Smokewood. They thought that they would find it hard to travel within the forest but here is a broad, beaten out path. Istovar identifies it as made by hill giants. A few miles later, they find the hill giant camp – three crude lean-tos and a firepit with a spit and wheel. Three giants are watching a fourth turn the wheel and a whole stag – hide, horns and hooves – stuck on the spit.
When the giants see the party, they invite them to come to their meal. They also tell of a metal monster nearby that killed many more of their clan. Could the party take care of their problem? The hill giants offer many items as reward.
The party goes out, stomps the Warden Robot, comes back and is not surprised when the giants betray them. Eramus charms one – and it serves as a giant meat shield from the fury of the other hill giants. With all the hill giants down and the sole survivor sent packing, the party is ready to enter the Choking Tower.
Right after breakfast cooked by Istovar, Gunnet showed up with a box. Gunnet told the party that they had found some items from Ilarris’ caravan wagon. In the box were some healing potions, some jewelry and a collection of arcane scrolls. Gunnet added that the Varisians in the lumberyard had been told about Ilarris’ treachery. They would spread the word to any other Varisians they came across as well as making sure that the Technic League knew. Ilarris would have a price on her head if she ever left Iadenveigh. And since Jevik died in defending his pigs from the yaoguai – Iadenveigh was in need of a new pig farmer. Some of the town milita would help Ilarris move in and help her with chores at first.
Whenever the party was ready to examine the well at Old Skeleton’s farm, they needed only to come to Gunnets’ house and let him know. Obin and Istovar told him that the party was ready now.
Leading the party across Iadenveigh, Gunnet brought them to a small abandoned farm on the east side of Badwater. He showed them where the cap stone lay over the well and whispered a few words to disarm the glyph. Then he left.
Istovar and Obin easily shoved the 450 lb capstone aside. Looking down the unfinished well, they determined that it was about 30’ deep. Then a large swarm of blue glittering things boiled out of the well. This was the same swarm that killed Old Skeleton. Astrovel quickly hit it with lightning, then Obin and Istovar beat at it and within moments, they had destroyed it.
They descended into the darkness. Istovar was the only one that could not see in the darkness so Astrovel offered his flashlight. At the bottom, they found six inches of water and a hole through a metal wall that led into the space ship.
Exploring a bit further, they found a display panel that was still active. It played a loop, showing a man and an invisible stalker, talking as the man worked on the panel. The invisible being named the man as Master Xoud.
Deeper in the wreckage, the party found a huge hall, once used as a android foundry. Here, they fought several deformed androids and their leader, Seerath. Seerath, also a deformed android, believed that the Dominion of the Black had boarded their ship in space and that she would not lose her mind. The party tried to reason with her but had to kill her.
There were tubes in the facility to create the androids. The machinery was obviously defective as the next android the party decanted – collapsed into a necrotic ooze. They stood back from it and killed it.
Scrambling across the stone and mud rubble, the party found three gearsman in the back half of the android facility. They did not move until the party began firing at them. The gearsmen demanded that the party lower their weapons and submit the traitor, Cassandalee. Then they would be spared. The party smashed up the gearsmen instead.
Going deeper, into the facility, the party opened a door into a guard post. Doors leading out of the guard post read, Nanotech Laboratory and Canister Access. Another, more heavily built gearsman stood in the way. “Primary Objective complete. Fugitive exterminated but remains required per Unity Directive 1. Submit traitor Cassandalee or face termination!”
Again, the party destroyed the robot. Determining that opening the door to the Cannister Access would be a bad idea, they entered the Nanotech Laboratory. Here, they found the invisible stalker they heard at the start of the wreck, asking for news of his master, Furkas Xoud. The party asked for more information – and Sashasho talked, mentioning that Xoud had found Cassandalee’s body here in the Laboratory, told Sahasho that he would be back, teleported himself and the body to the Choking Tower. That was seven years ago. Sahasho was still under the conditions of his summoning and could not leave. Could the party, perhaps, banish him back to the Elemental Plane of Air?
Astrovel said, yes, he could. Tomorrow, when he had the spell prepared. Sahasho gave them leave to go but not take anything in the Nanotech Laboratory.
The next day, Astrovel sent the invisible stalker back home. Then he assembled a power pack from the batteries that the party carried and brought the facility online. The wizard made sure that the damaged android facility would not create any more horrors and the poisonous mutagenic gas in the Cannister Access area would be neutralized. It would take a few years but Badwater would no longer be creating mutations in Iadenveigh.
After receiving 500 gp and a construct-bane bow from the Deadeye Council back in Iadenveigh, the party got ready to head into the depths of the Smokewoods to visit the Choking Tower.
Leaving in the morning and walking all day, the party settled down to make camp in the wilds near the Smokewoods. That night, Eramus was visited in his dreams by Longdreamer. The being, an emissary of Desna and a guardian of dreams, had recently returned from a long trip to find a foul-smelling tower erected in her woods. Curious, she tasted the dreams of those inside – but found only the dreams of ravenous carpets of flesh-eating worms feeding on the body of a man – always the same man – whom the worms know as Furkas Xoud. She would like the party to go investigate as she is too large – being a large, space-moth – to enter the tower. In return, she offers her glade and cave as a place to rest and stay and she can even communicate with others far away through dreams or carry the party across lands.
Eramus agrees and suddenly knows how to find her glade. The next morning, he tells the others. Their travels bring them to the edge of the Smokewood. They thought that they would find it hard to travel within the forest but here is a broad, beaten out path. Istovar identifies it as made by hill giants. A few miles later, they find the hill giant camp – three crude lean-tos and a firepit with a spit and wheel. Three giants are watching a fourth turn the wheel and a whole stag – hide, horns and hooves – stuck on the spit.
When the giants see the party, they invite them to come to their meal. They also tell of a metal monster nearby that killed many more of their clan. Could the party take care of their problem? The hill giants offer many items as reward.
The party goes out, stomps the Warden Robot, comes back and is not surprised when the giants betray them. Eramus charms one – and it serves as a giant meat shield from the fury of the other hill giants. With all the hill giants down and the sole survivor sent packing, the party is ready to enter the Choking Tower.