Post by hubertbartels on Dec 23, 2023 14:28:36 GMT -5
The Lost City of Ythethn
It was three months after we unleashed terror and revenge on the Sons of Malar and destroyed their tower. Three months in which Melandrian and Rinaldo poured through the materials that we had recovered from the cult’s hidden library, materials that would help us weaken the power of Auril and return the sun to skies above Ten Towns.
Melandrian had learned of the location of the crashed Netherese city and the dangers that the city would hold. The mythral at the center of the city was still active, a powerful artifact that could be used to banish Auril’s power over the weather. But to gain access to the mythral, we would need a ritual. To unlock the ritual, we would have to investigate the eight spires of wizard towers within the city. Furthermore, the power of the mythral had a corrupting influence on all magic users not from Ythethn; it would slowly warp them in the horrid forms called ‘nothics’.
To avoid this fate, Melandrian had made talismans for each us – they would allow us to be in the city without falling to corruption. Having been given the talismans, we threw a wild party in Bryn Shander, loaded up the Spelljammer and left for the three day’s journey to Ythethn.
We left the Spelljammer tied up near a gap in the glacier hiding the ruined city and descended into the mountain. The first thing we find on the final bridge into the city is a ruined servitor. These are huge constructs created by the Netherese to protect their cities. Inga guessed from the rime covering the remains that it had been destoryed a ten day ago. We are not the only ones in the city. Rinaldo spotted several gargoyles flying over the city. Looking at the tracks around the ruined servitor, we found several booted footprints as well as the hoof prints of a few pack goats. The trail led off into the city.
We decided to start with the nearest tower of magic – which was the Tower of Abjuration. After detecting and bypassing the Glyph of Insanity on the door, we climbed the stairs to find a runed anvil and a runed hammer on the top floor. Six guardians stood watch until we approached the anvil, then attacked. After destroying them, we were able to study both the anvil and the hammer. It was an Anvil of Disruption and can be used to destroy any magical item. Melandrian proved this by smashing the hammer into the anvil, shattering the magical hammer. Carved into the wall was a inscription to “Shield your Heart with a Wand of Netherese Oak”.
Before leaving, Melandrian heard voices in his head. They seemed to be coming from a door. The door was sticking so Inga forced it open, revealing another room with three nothics whispering to each other. We destroyed the horrors. The room had been set up as a research chamber but we only able to recover a map of the city.
Map in hand, we started traveling to the next tower of magic. On the way, we stopped at the Magical School stadium. Our visitors had been here – they left several smoking corpses and two dead pack goats on the field. Above their heads, a mythril trophy cup hung in the air. As Inga entered the field to have a closer look, a voice invited her and her team mates to enter a contest with the reigning magical team for the championship. Inga looked at Melandrian and the others and all agreed to join. Spectral forms filled the stands and a ghostly team formed before us.
Twenty minutes later, we were the clear winners. The mythril cup descends to us as the victors and the spectral forms slowly disappear. We award the cup to Singe. Then Inga goes over to examine the bodies. They were all from Luskan although dressed as people from Ten Towns.
Our next stop is the Tower of Conjuration. Arriving on the top floor, we found four spectral hands guarding a miniature tower. Approaching the miniature tower caused the hands to block our way. Inga pulled out her sword and we went to work on the guarding hands until they disappeared. Examining the miniature tower closely, we determined it was a Tower within a Tower and touching it caused it to open a portal. Rinaldo heard three voices in his head, inviting him inside so we all entered the portal.
We found ourselves in a cozy room, lined with lots of Leomund’s Tiny Chests. Three purple skinned hags were sitting in comfortable chairs at a table with a teapot. The hags introduced themselves as Aunties Pillage, Plunder, and Pinch. Melandrian immediately claimed guest-rights. The three hags winced but reluctantly agreed. This was important because it meant that the hags could not harm any guests they had.
We had a pleasant time. The hags had been trapped in this demi-plane for a long time so they were glad to talk. We finally agreed that we would set them free as long as they took an oath not to harm us. On their part, the hags provided us with information and several items – including a Netherese Oak wand for each of us and a phylactery of the Netherese wizard that was in the spire with the Mythral. When the hags left, we looked into the Leomund’s Tiny Chest and found some other interesting stuff. There was also an inscription on the wall – it read, ‘Summon a Flame in the Palm of Your Hand.’
We used the cozy demi-plane to rest before continuing.
It was three months after we unleashed terror and revenge on the Sons of Malar and destroyed their tower. Three months in which Melandrian and Rinaldo poured through the materials that we had recovered from the cult’s hidden library, materials that would help us weaken the power of Auril and return the sun to skies above Ten Towns.
Melandrian had learned of the location of the crashed Netherese city and the dangers that the city would hold. The mythral at the center of the city was still active, a powerful artifact that could be used to banish Auril’s power over the weather. But to gain access to the mythral, we would need a ritual. To unlock the ritual, we would have to investigate the eight spires of wizard towers within the city. Furthermore, the power of the mythral had a corrupting influence on all magic users not from Ythethn; it would slowly warp them in the horrid forms called ‘nothics’.
To avoid this fate, Melandrian had made talismans for each us – they would allow us to be in the city without falling to corruption. Having been given the talismans, we threw a wild party in Bryn Shander, loaded up the Spelljammer and left for the three day’s journey to Ythethn.
We left the Spelljammer tied up near a gap in the glacier hiding the ruined city and descended into the mountain. The first thing we find on the final bridge into the city is a ruined servitor. These are huge constructs created by the Netherese to protect their cities. Inga guessed from the rime covering the remains that it had been destoryed a ten day ago. We are not the only ones in the city. Rinaldo spotted several gargoyles flying over the city. Looking at the tracks around the ruined servitor, we found several booted footprints as well as the hoof prints of a few pack goats. The trail led off into the city.
We decided to start with the nearest tower of magic – which was the Tower of Abjuration. After detecting and bypassing the Glyph of Insanity on the door, we climbed the stairs to find a runed anvil and a runed hammer on the top floor. Six guardians stood watch until we approached the anvil, then attacked. After destroying them, we were able to study both the anvil and the hammer. It was an Anvil of Disruption and can be used to destroy any magical item. Melandrian proved this by smashing the hammer into the anvil, shattering the magical hammer. Carved into the wall was a inscription to “Shield your Heart with a Wand of Netherese Oak”.
Before leaving, Melandrian heard voices in his head. They seemed to be coming from a door. The door was sticking so Inga forced it open, revealing another room with three nothics whispering to each other. We destroyed the horrors. The room had been set up as a research chamber but we only able to recover a map of the city.
Map in hand, we started traveling to the next tower of magic. On the way, we stopped at the Magical School stadium. Our visitors had been here – they left several smoking corpses and two dead pack goats on the field. Above their heads, a mythril trophy cup hung in the air. As Inga entered the field to have a closer look, a voice invited her and her team mates to enter a contest with the reigning magical team for the championship. Inga looked at Melandrian and the others and all agreed to join. Spectral forms filled the stands and a ghostly team formed before us.
Twenty minutes later, we were the clear winners. The mythril cup descends to us as the victors and the spectral forms slowly disappear. We award the cup to Singe. Then Inga goes over to examine the bodies. They were all from Luskan although dressed as people from Ten Towns.
Our next stop is the Tower of Conjuration. Arriving on the top floor, we found four spectral hands guarding a miniature tower. Approaching the miniature tower caused the hands to block our way. Inga pulled out her sword and we went to work on the guarding hands until they disappeared. Examining the miniature tower closely, we determined it was a Tower within a Tower and touching it caused it to open a portal. Rinaldo heard three voices in his head, inviting him inside so we all entered the portal.
We found ourselves in a cozy room, lined with lots of Leomund’s Tiny Chests. Three purple skinned hags were sitting in comfortable chairs at a table with a teapot. The hags introduced themselves as Aunties Pillage, Plunder, and Pinch. Melandrian immediately claimed guest-rights. The three hags winced but reluctantly agreed. This was important because it meant that the hags could not harm any guests they had.
We had a pleasant time. The hags had been trapped in this demi-plane for a long time so they were glad to talk. We finally agreed that we would set them free as long as they took an oath not to harm us. On their part, the hags provided us with information and several items – including a Netherese Oak wand for each of us and a phylactery of the Netherese wizard that was in the spire with the Mythral. When the hags left, we looked into the Leomund’s Tiny Chest and found some other interesting stuff. There was also an inscription on the wall – it read, ‘Summon a Flame in the Palm of Your Hand.’
We used the cozy demi-plane to rest before continuing.