Session 10 part one!  The feeling of pursuit and uneasiness dogged the crew as they evaded and clambered through the Kimmerian Steppe and abruptly turned direction northward after they had traversed a river south of a great lake leaving the memory of terrain containing Mount Forp behind.  With incredible perseverance they managed to keep going northward on the other side of the body of water, stopping only to partake of the dwindling food and drink and lay quick traps for the large creatures still on their trail.  After more days of travel and more days of the necromancer hearing one sided conversation in his head from Regulus, they found a larger plateau that had the beginning of construction of a war camp.  However this camp was clearly suited for larger humanoids whilst mimicking a facade of human like propriety and homeliness.  Cutting and tooling implements were present along with tents made of multiple cloaks of fallen wanderers and sounds of domesticated farm animals were heard.  The bard and barbarian went forth to investigate.  (The ranger, my only missing player, stayed with Rianorix and his family.  The latter insisting they were close to his kin.)  As the PC's took their time encircling the camp, noting the start of walls and the grisly remains of bodies and a large pit they dared not look into at this time, the more alert of the group motioned for them all to hide, and fast!

After taking cover and hunkering down, within minutes, the hulking form of mountainous apes, horrific ogres began to filter into the camp expressing confusion after tracking their prey here only to lose them amidst the surroundings.  The bard stealthily slipped off to the last tent to see the glittering of coinage and gems within.  As he took cover there, he noticed coins sliding about and shifting as he watched by the curtain to see what the ogres were doing.  All at once, as the cryomancer launched a spell and the necromancer sent his flesh golem out, the bard saw the chitinous form of a giant scorpion free himself from the coin pile with a blackish dripping stinger that forebode death to the recipients of it!  The runegraver and paladin were at the ready as the barbarian launched a full assault to one of the ogres!  The few remaining zombies under the necromancer's sway were easily crushed to death as the largest ogre of all wielding a terrible spiked mace leapt from the pit and bashed the hapless forms to the ground grunting at his companions to slay the others.  As this happened the farm animals (presumably food for the ogres were cut loose and spread like maddened beasts concerned for their own survival!)  The bard summoned a convincing illusion of a terrible elemental of earth that sent one ogre running while a more courageous one fought back.  The paladin, barbarian, runegraver, necromancer and cryomancer dealt death to the other ogres.  (In this entire campaign, I as a Referee have never rolled this poorly; SEVEN natural one rolls went to the ogres as what I thought would be a tough fight turned easy.  Apart from surprise rolls and a few others,  I roll in the open.  The screen hides my notes and minis.  I also had a bunch of 2 thru 5 rolls also.  Ogres and a giant scorpion that couldn't hit the ground if they tried.) 

After the largely one sided melee was done and the ogres bested, a thorough investigation was formed and much coinage was discovered.  After securing the goods but finding no edible food that would be delectable to human taste it was decided to soldier on to the town.  Along the way they saw one older but strong looking human, clearly armored but also bearing the sigil of Apollo, they hailed him to see what he had to say...
End Session 10 part one, part two to follow!
 

Last edited by MrManowar (7/16/2019 9:54 pm)

At long last, sorry for the delay... Session 10 part three.

Howling winds and pouring rain torrents washed over and pushed back as an ominous bulwark warding off intruders as the PC's made their way to the graveyard wherein the earliest founders of Helios were interred.  Upon their arrival at said gloomy locale they could see a skeletal speaker giving orders to vicious ghouls whose slavering tongues and frantic gestures indicated a charismatic speaker riling up a monstrous audience driven by emotion and instinct.  The paladin through his enchanted communication with his sword knew these ghouls were from the far flung plateau of Leng.  How did they get here?  Earth and grass was shoved and mislaid as new warriors rose up to answer the rhythmic chanting.  Even the crows fled this hideous gathering of unlife and hope itself retreated to more hospitable environs.  The necromancer had his flesh golem and the ever present commentary of Regulus pattering away.  No words needed to be spoken at this abomination despite the frenzied pronouncements of the undead speaker directing this horde when malevolent eyes turned on the PC's.

Action sprang from all sides as the barbarian and runegraver and necromancer fanned out whilst the paladin was first in the fray as the bard surveyed the battlefield.  The flesh golem bashed it's way through as the speaker summoned more foes from a realm most dreadful.  Nightmarish creatures began to fill the gated confines as the PC's struck down some foes and absorbed blows delivered from the necrotic realms of the grave!  Soon, the speaker sensed another overwhelming presence as Regulus whispered in the ear of the necromancer that he would get the necromancer a new grimoire of spells.  As rain lashed down the PC's were weakened by the slashes although most avoided the paralyzing effects of the ghouls.  The necromancer was not so lucky as in his paralyzed stance he directed his golem to smite.  All the remaining PC's struck down foe as they came near to the end of their lives however the golem bore the brunt of the attacks as it was the biggest target.  The speaker cried foul searching the skies and landscape in vain for the mysterious benefactor who aided the PC's unaware that it was a being more evil than it was.  As the last blows fell, so did the golem.  The speaker then retreated to another dimension vowing to revisit harm on the PC's as the last vestige of evil intent was driven from the town of Helios.  As the other PC's made their way back to Helios to tell of victory, the necromancer remained behind trying to assemble and reanimate the golem.  "Having some trouble son?" Regulus asked.  "I procured a grimoire for you."  The demon exclaimed pointing to the speaker's book.  "Yeah, you didn't really help at all!" The necromancer responded then gestured towards the fallen golem; his powerful asset.  "You want that back?  It'll cost you, a finger or a toe.  Your choice." Regulus stated.  The necromancer extended the hand that he didn't use for his somatic gestures and the demon smote a finger from it and then the golem arose, seemingly as good and sturdy as it ever was.  The cackling laughter was all that broke through the rain. 

Meanwhile, once the PC's arrived at town they saw that the rallied townsfolk had driven out the hyena men and celebratory functions were beginning.  Then, a stalwart guard rushed a figure covered in leathers that appeared to be flayed human skins now in bonds to the PC's.  He identified himself as the new voice for the Lady of Chains and that she wished to broker a deal with the PC's.  Flabbergasted at this new turn of events but wary of what it forebode, the PC's ordered the constabulary to take him into custody.  Tonight was a night of reward, the town was free.  As the festivities began the necromancer and flesh golem slunk back into the town as lurkers avoiding defeat.  End Session 10, Session 11 soon...

As in I need to get that up quickly as Session 12 is coming up in a couple of weeks!

Session 11, part two.  The autumnal festivities commenced quickly as night fell and reverie was underway.  The Lady of Chains would appear periodically, as a forthright strumpet or a high backed noble whispering advice under her illusory nature to the PC's.  Soon, the "Merrie Band of Mice and Men" began their acrobatic display and foray into Helios proper enthralling and enrapturing the crowd with a display most delightful as celebratory natures took over before the onset of an upcoming winter.  As the night progressed (nights were much longer than days now), soon the minstrels and entertainers moved to a square of Helios that to the PC's began to look like a classic combat enclosure and their sense of unease grew.  Without warning amidst the drunken crowd, the band lifted masks and veils showing they were rat men and women!  They mobbed the PC's and combat broke out.  The crowd thought this was "part of the entertainment" and drinks were passed around.  Quickly, shouts of help were heard from upper stories and the bard noticed that his new friend the sage inhabited one of the houses now cordoned off from their egress.  As the crowd drank, imbibed, hurled curses, shouted or spat encouragement or derogatory comments, combat albeit subdued occurred. 

From differing places, the bard, paladin, ranger, necromancer (due to civilities kept his flesh golem back) and cryomancer engaged with the rat men whose numbers showed an all out assault!  Within minutes, the sewers were spewing forth hordes of giant rats and a swarm of them of which the necromancer quickly webbed up the grates to protect against more of this disease ridden vermin from infiltrating the town.  The paladin was bitten, but was immune to the lycanthropic disease they spread.  As pitched battle progressed, and rat men were cut down and the PC's took wounds but did not contract the same moon driven affliction, the crowd in a drunken frenzy began to get involved thinking it was a strange play performance that encouraged others to engage.  One hapless crowdman drunk on glory and ale tried to aid the PC's but only succeeded in setting himself on fire and dying a horrifying death in flames with a smile on his lips.  As the PC's were whittled down bit by bit, they struck down rat man after rat man, then the paladin looked up to the upper stories.  It appeared a mysterious flying creature was directing this attack.  Other shadowy creatures lurked above from rooftop to spire.  The rat men were merely a decoy.  Winged evil took flight to one house in particular at the end of a street and it was clear that whatever was in that house would not be safe.  Moving the crowd aside, the PC's dispatched rat men left and right and took up positions to assail the house.  Then, the bellows and shouts from the scribe could be heard!  He was a prisoner there and the winged creatures seemed to be moving to execute him!  The PC's knew they needed his intellect to find the Repository of Illysaes!  Gritting teeth and holding weapon and readying spell, they moved in!

End part two, part three soon... then Session 12 as we play this weekend!

Session 12, part one!  And so the study begins... In the aftermath of the great autumnal festival, the PC's spent time in serious study with the sage trying to decipher the true locale of the Repository of Illysaes.  The rest of Helios spent their time harvesting and gathering as the winter years would soon be upon them all.  Already fell swift black winds swept down the crevasses and crags of the Spiral Mountain Array.  With an erudite scholar at their disposal, the more learned of the PC's were able to canvass many olden texts and while the more well traveled PC's were able to proffer information that filled in gaps the tomes were missing.  After much chance and heated discussion alongside veritable texts that made informed decisions, the PC's located the general region of the Repository.  Now, they had to set out amidst the gathering cold and frost as some flakes swirled about in the air.  After conversing with the stabler and wainwright, it was agreed horses would be employed as well as the stabler as travel was hastily planned north of Helios to a tendril of the Spiral Mountain Array.

A cold blustery morning greeted the PC's as they departed Helios for the north towards the foreboding Spiral Mountain Array determined to find the Repository of Illysaes.  Feet tread over cracked land as progress north was made inexorable.  An occasional shiver or grimace was seen as cold settled in and curses were muttered at the rapidly dwindling light of day.  After days of travel with ill hunting conditions, the few creatures they saw kept their distance and own agenda.  At long last they found what appeared to be a man made plateau of sorts although weather and erosion had left damaging marks.  There were pillars and stonework, ruined sculptures and signs of what may had been a great artistic center.  Now, they noticed tracks of wolves and their scat and bones of lesser mammals that probably was the meals of the former.  As the early night descended upon them, howls began to envelop the PC's.  Soon from all angles a wolf pack slunk toward them, three quite large wolves with reddish eyes led the pack of fang and claw and slavering jaw toward the PC's.  The bard quickly settled into arcane babbling wherein he was able to converse with the other wolves.  He learned of the disease/sickness/necrotic insanity that drove the larger wolves in their midst.  Battle broke out as the flesh golem battered wolf body and the PC's concentrated attacks at the bard's direction avoiding the "normal" wolves.  The ranger picked off some with well aimed bowshots while the barbarian, runegraver and paladin engaged in melee with the sickened and maddened wolves.  The necromancer directed the flesh golem to destroy while the cryomancer kept the pack at bay with magics that accelerated the wintry conditions to create a buffer zone. 

Before long, the diseased wolves fell slain and warily the normal wolves approached and offered guttural snarls and yelps and howls that the bard understood and quickly conveyed to the other PC's.  A lonely cellar was found stuffed with the bones of lesser animals who probably entered here but never escaped.  After thorough investigation of the cellar, a coin was found of curious mintage, one bearing the bust of Illysaes on the obverse and archaic language amidst runes on the reverse conveying welcome passage to the Repository.  Convinced they were in the right place, they checked against the maps they had.  After some conflicting information on their outdated maps was corrected, they dug and found a cylindrical chamber with mysterious buttons.  Only one could enter at at time and so it was they descended the cylindrical chamber to a mysterious underground chamber.  Ruin and debris were strewn about.  Once the PC's cleared the rubble and righted the track of the chamber, smallish wheeled almost human robot like contraptions beeped and whirred as they began a "diagnostic" that launched a repair sequence on the claustrophobic chamber they traversed upon.  Dank smells, no light, multiple passageways met them down below.  It appeared much had changed topographically compared to the old maps they had.  Nothing to do but thrust ahead, but which way?

End part one of Session 12, part two coming.

Thanks for the kind words Hackhamster!  I'm trying to keep the same feel throughout the write up.  Here goes the next part of Session 12.

Session 12 Part Two!  The lambent torchlight cast eerie shadows as the misshapen room was revealed.  Seismologic shifting had definitely produced the strange layout alongside what must have been vigorous digging by things trapped beneath.  Three gaping portals were seen in the dusty gloom.  Skittering, scraping and dripping noises emanated from all passageways.  It was chosen to go right relative from the transportation tube.  Cautiously making their way, the PC’s found various fungi, some giving off faint luminescence, others exuding a deathly odor.  Puddles of murky liquid dotted the uneven floor as giant leeches lumbered and slid toward the PC’s eager for a taste of blood!  Melee broke out and soon the PC’s had slain the loathsome creatures feeding them only a little before the final smite of death.  After the sounds of battle had died down, two more distinct passageways were discerned.  One sharply upended and angled downward in a ruinous dead end but some locked chests were found but not all could be opened.  The decided not to risk the contents and eschewed hacking or bludgeoning them open and instead brought them back to the transportation tube area.  The other passageway led to a narrow tunnel of sorts with watermarked erosions and patterns in the tight wall space.  A rolling noise in a repetitive pattern was heard ahead.  With the ranger in the lead, he quickly leapt across the path of an oncoming boulder that promptly smashed into the runegraver.  With the runegraver toppled back, the cryomancer and bard discerned it was a magical trap that reset itself once the boulder reached the eschaton of its trajectory.  The paladin, bard and barbarian used their combined might to break off a stalactite and other larger rocks and block the path of the boulder.  Once that barrier was in place, the PC’s wound their way in a line down the narrowing cleft.  This too ended in a dead end as the “walls” seemed to have smashed together.  Debris collected there and amongst rotting fabrics, broken statues and a bashed in trunk, another of the coins of Illysaes was found. 

Now the PC’s had to backtrack again to the initial room with unexplored paths.  The dust had been disturbed alerting the PC’s that something was in here after they left and marks and tracks led both ways.  The paladin boldly moved to the centermost passageway intoning Apollo as he strode.  A large red colored being with gleaming teeth and stump like wings and elongated nails and claws tore at him from the shadows and the strikes ran rivulets of blood as the PC’s jumped back in alarm!  As the battle ensued with red coarse haired nail/claw/teeth monstrosity other degenerate gibbering humanoids with bulbous eyes and deadened faces moaned as they raised crude weaponry that still had bits of bone and brain and hair on them from their last kill.  Eldritch energies swirled about as the color spray from the bard blinded the newcomers and the battlelust filled PC’s engaged the terror the paladin faced whilst the necromancer, cryomancer and ranger methodically struck down those bereft of sight.  Ere long, the PC’s slew the coarse haired red creature whose deadly nails were slick with the blood of the PC’s it mangled.  Draughts of healing were passed about as the PC’s caught their breath and wondered what lay beyond in the unexplored territory.

Being as stealthy as they could, the slow traversing saw them find one gaping hole that looked like some rather large forgotten thing under the earth had haphazardly gouged forward was a choice better left undisturbed.  They then move on the fragmented ground that sloped and staggered downward as if granite icebergs of varying heights had crashed and coalesced to form a rudimentary staircase that led to a passage with a large pool and a waterfall that had water runoff from above pouring its contents into the cold depths.  From the far side of the pool crab men were feeding humanoid appendages to something beneath the murky surface.  The ranger was incensed as some of his favored enemies in their presumed arrogance to be alive in his presence had him reaching for bow to send a torrent of arrows at the offending beings!  Giant crabs began to emerge and the bard frantically began speaking to them in the clacks and clicks of the claw to try to get them to stand down.  The necromancer sent the newly raised gruesome pallid degenerate folk at the crab men to buffer the attacks while the PC’s advanced.  The barbarian ran, plunged into the water and swam to the shore by the waterfall toward the crab man leader whose torso was struck by arrows from the ranger.  The cyromancer sent a powerful blast of cold that bestowed death to those whom the ranger did not shoot, the paladin did not smite and the runegraver did not hack.  At last the bard was able to get the normal oversized crabs to not behave in a hostile manner to the PC’s and they lumbered off into the depths of the pool not to be seen again that night.  Meanwhile the barbarian noticed shining luminescence beyond the waterfall.  As the PC’s passed under the drenching cold water, they noticed that gone was the uneven rock, earth and misshapen ground.  In its stead was the top of a broken staircase that gradually became hale and complete with a platform containing a closed door as well as an armored living being with a canine head but completely humanlike athletic body and a golden orb that gave off striking bluish light that cast the room in its tones.  “Have you come to visit the repository?  Do you have the tokens of invitation?” the strange guard asked in almost regal tones.  The PC’s produced the coins and the guard nodded in approval and opened the portal to a field of mystic energies and led them a building within a maelstrom of colors that looked nothing like architecture seen on Hyperboria.  “Welcome to the Repository of Illysaes” the canine headed guide intoned as he unlocked the front door and led them into the cavernous reception hall with the gilded blue orb hovering beside him…
End Session 12, Session 13 to follow soon!  The Repository of Illysaes is found!

Last edited by MrManowar (12/12/2019 10:10 pm)

Session 13 part two: Ultimately, with the newfound knowledge gained, the PC's decided to head back to Hyperboria leaving this wondrous library behind.  Before leaving, they conversed with the bard who had stayed to reside in the enclave of books and other tomes of lore.  She told them of frost giants who attempted to gain egress, but were repelled.  With that in mind, the PC's departed and entered the chamber with the dog-headed muscle bound guardian to go back to the ruins of the cavern that led them here.  After farewells were exchanged, the PC's strode beyond the waterfall to a scene quite different than the corpses of the crab men they left behind upon entering the Repository.  Gone were the carcasses and in their stead was a coven of fish-men cultists babbling incoherencies to Xathoqqua while grotesquely limbering about giant frogs that were stationed about the pool.  With the macabre ceremony interrupted, the shaman gesticulated wildly and arcane energies filled the air and the cultists turned their ire on those who would dare disrupt the festivities!

Combat ensued immediately as water splashed and hissed about.  The giant frogs attempted to consume the PC's and several had to cut their way and sever tongue and mouth amidst the foul saliva-like goo they were covered in.  The bard and the ranger and necromancer kept the shaman and his sorcery at bay as the paladin, runegraver and barbarian smote death down on the cultists.  The ranger then turned his attention to the fish men after taking a wicked spear thrust to the torso.  The shaman's frenzied magic affected them all to harm, but eventually he was slain as the PC's triumphed over the cult.  Blood and gore infected the water and the PC's were sure the sounds of battle probably alerted whatever other nameless horrors were lurking.  How long had they been gone anyway?  Unsure of the answer to that question, they groped about in slow progress wary of potential danger.  They could see remote signs on the floor and walls of their previous passing, but also new signs indicating some other beings not even remotely humanoid must have traveled the paths of the eerie cavern.  After winding through the same paths they went in an earlier time, part of the ceiling "came alive" as stalactites began falling upon them!  After some were pierced, the PC's hacked away at these creatures who struck with harm from above.  It was only then that the PC's noticed the strange fungi that weren't there before.  After hurried and tense conversation, it was determined that some fungi emitted a dust that could kill the PC's (a fate the necromancer wasn't averse to the others experiencing) and some fungi if they moved close enough; would shriek a wail to awaken the dead and living alike that the PC's realized their precarious situation.  Careful maneuvering would be required to avoid the perils that seemed innocuous in their almost serene stillness.  The plan they concocted almost worked until one of them set off the piercing shrieking thing at the end of the cavernous path.  Deafened and paranoid, they ran heedless of anything wishing to get back to the main room where the strange cylindrical chamber could take them above ground and to freedom from the dark depths.  Out of breath and hearing of a slow pursuit behind them they were surprised to see that the "diagnostic" metallic creatures not only cleared away the rubble, but fixed all but the superficial damage to the chamber.  Automated heads swiveled at the PC's arrival as the little animated creatures began to usher them one by one to the surface.  The paladin exited last in time to see the chamber door close on a vision of tentacle and teeth...

Once back at the surface, they encountered their stabler looking starved and frantic, the horses lean and gaunt, but that was not what surprised them most.  That awesome sight belonged to a large squarish entity seemingly made of muscle and sinew close to the horses that clearly seemed to be leaving the northern harsh climes for more hospitable lands much warmer in the face of the oncoming winter.  With only an hour or two of daylight left, the PC's decided to rest and comfort the stabler and feed the animals and themselves with the meager rations they had left.  The bard worked on communicating with the massive beast resembling a crude flesh waggon as the necromancer reunited with his flesh automaton which was as implacable as ever. 

Instead of heading back to Helios however, the PC's decided to head further up this tendril of the Spiral Mountain Array to investigate the rumor of frost giants.  With the few hours of daylight they had, they made their way up.  The PC's found a solitary frost giant seemingly guarding a cave of sorts along with a languid large wolf.  Both seemed to be quite relaxed and not on alert.  The PC's then hatched a plan of surprise and moved into position.  Shortly thereafter, weaponry sprang to life as the PC's attacked the unsuspecting wolf and giant!  The giant roared in fury and smote the runegraver to the ground bleeding out in death throes as the ranger and barbarian assailed the wolf.  The flesh golem and paladin valiantly flanked the giant to engage him in exchanging blows.  The necromancer eschewed healing the runegraver in favor of summoning a scythe that could remotely hack at the giant.  The beleaguered paladin quickly ran to lay hands on his fallen comrade before death could finally take him.  As the melee was ongoing, on a higher cleft face, more and more frost giants were gathering to watch the spectacle.  Also, more winter wolves crept to the cliff face, all watching in rapt attention.  Soon an especially large frost giant and his hideous wife strode forth to observe.  Not a word was said as the PC's slew the wolf below and after sustaining many grievous wounds, the PC's ultimately slew the giant.  At last, the hulking titan of the giants stood up and bellowed loudly "YOU WHO HAVE SLAIN ONE OF OURS!  YOUR DEATH AWAITS!  IN THE THROES OF WINTER YOU SHALL FALL,  I HARALD EVENDAEREN PROCLAIM IT TO BE SO!  WE WILL BATHE IN YOUR BLOOD AND YOUR ANCESTORS WILL RUE THE DAY THEIR PROGENY ESCAPED THEIR LOINS!  WE COME!  WE COME!  WE COME!!!"  A raucous chorus of battle cries emerged from the frost giant clan from above and the PC's knew the only recourse was to run.  They fled and tumbled in their haste down the slopes as some flakes fell before seeing the large frost giant and his wife kiss in some bloody embrace while hoisting weapons up high!

Endurance and sturdy constitution was needed to march through the night to get back to Helios.  In time they learned they were in the Repository almost two months although it seemed like hours or days to the PC's.  Worn out, barely upright and in some cases dragged or born by the fleshly waggon creature, they at last were behind the closed doors of the outer walls of Helios.  Frigid air exhaled, it was time to sleep.  Then time to contemplate what their actions had wrought....

End Session 13, Session 14 coming soon!  Happy New Year everyone.
 

Session 14 part two...  Sickness and decay.  Death and finality of all mortality.  The grim march to the south towards the crossroads unveiled the picturesque setting of death, rot and decay... so thought the necromancer of the party.  The rest of the PC's were unsettled at the seemingly early demise and rot encroaching in on all quadrupedal and botanical specimens they encountered.  Even more shocking was the rapidity of birds plummeting from the sky to crash as a mess of flesh, feather and bone to the unyielding ground as cold and wind embraced all with their chill embrace.  While the snows were few, ice formed on beards and other clothing as the PC's trekked onward to the godforsaken crossroads.  No sign of life was seen as barrenness and emptiness was displayed, like an unsettling painting with no subject.  At long last in a kind of tragic somber journey they arrived at the locale that others shunned.  With cloaks and furs wrapped tight as if to ward off impending malicious superstitious attempts to make them succumb to the death they've seen, they at last came to the treacherous ground known only as "the Crossroads".  Unsure where the other hard tracks of road led to, the ominous creaking and swaying of the cages housing shapes and bones put them on heightened alert.  Two other things captivated the PC's attention.  Namely: the tall shape in a blackened cloak with an enormous scythe reaping dead crops as if it was casually cutting down people and a befuddled crow man, Costigan Bran himself talking to something that wasn't there.  All was not well with Bran, as gone was the musculature and bravado and surety of his spellcasting ability.  Now, a grim, gaunt creature with open sores and every third word spoken was punctuated by a horrific hacking cough that also saw a fluid mix of phlegm, blood and maggots and other parasitic creatures defile the ground with each emission.  While observing and planning strategy, crows began dying from above and with each carrion bird dead, the crow shaman himself grew stronger despite his frail frame.   The deathlike reaper kept reaping the surroundings and the PC's noticed an eerie emblem of a necklace it wore glowed and pulsated with a strange energy.  At long last, the PC's could endure this hideous spectacle no more.  Time for action.

"Sick, so sick" Bran half spat/coughed out the words... "the book, gone!  The Crow God must come..."  Arrows filled the air from the ranger and the ice-focused caster of the group aided with a magic dispel.  To the shock of the PC's Bran laughed and informed them he had performed the spells needed hours ago.  A dying crow god raised itself from the summoning circle, it too afflicted with leprous and scabbed over flesh and dying and the reaper turned from its monotonous task to fell the PC's or anything that should be swept under its blade.  The necromancer sent its flesh automaton into action as the paladin's sword intoned on how these devilish being must be destroyed!  The barbarian and bard launched shots from bow and strange ballistic object the bard had recovered in the previous adventure.  Auras of illness and manifestations of harm arose as the battle ensued.  Bran himself hurled epithets alongside spells as his rapidly decaying body seemed to fall to illness as the PC's discerned he was attached to the book they had left at the Repository of Illysaes, another plane of existence.  The flesh golem stolidly took attacks as it doled out harm to the reaper even though its commander the necromancer was not able to overcome the spells of Bran and dropped unconscious bleeding out.  The barbarian and ranger focused attacks on the summoned crow god thing from beyond as the bard and paladin closed in to Bran.  The ice flinging cryomancer dodged pursuit and flung spells as though fortuitous and fickle luck was entirely on his side.  A pervading sense of dread struck all but the grim determined paladin and the cryomancer laughing while frozen cold spells as well as a greatly timed melee strike aided the group.  The crow god in dying throes stuck the paladin and bard grievously and the bard stumbled away from the god-thing close to the reaper.  The barbarian summoned the meteor strike from his enchanted weapon as the ranger went down to spill his life blood on the hardened ground.  The strike was amazingly successful as the reaper wailed in anguish and as it died it's emblem released what looked like glowing sparks of comet/star-like life to careen away.  With a dextrous maneuver the bard managed to snag one of the tiny fiery creatures in a trap and it behaved like a trapped wasp, but not damaging the bard.  At last, the paladin cut down the crow god summoned as he tried to hold his own wounds together knowing that only victory or death awaited him.  As if though Apollo smiled upon the cryomancer who was not a worshiper but somehow evaded most of the harmful effects; said cryomancer unleashed a killing magical ray that brought down the crow shaman into a pile of parasitic death and fraying crow feathers.  The remaining PC's hobbled to their downed comrades as the the cryomancer (who surprisingly didn't get hit much) surveyed the bleak and unwelcoming crossroads.  Then the flakes of snow began to fall.

A hurried trek home to Helios ensued.  Items were snatched from the decaying bodies but it was far more preferable to recount stories of glory by a roaring fire than to mumble tales of triumph in bitter cold.  The flesh golem carried his weakened master as the other PC's assisted the wounded ranger and barbarian.  When the comforting walls of Helios were spotted on the next cold day, the PC's didn't expect to see a younger frost giant there.  The bald headed giant with a long beard and many arcane sigils and runes carved across his massive chest was dictating a sort of lex talionis judgment to the citizens of Helios in light of the PC's slaying one of their own.  He guffawed loudly seeing the wounded and bedraggled state of the PC's and announced in seven days the frost giants would answer should the town not sacrifice one of their own for the death of the giant.  As the giant spellcaster teleported out, the necromancer changed his physiology and morphed to a cloudlike gaseous form to observe what went on when the teleportation was complete.  In that incorporeal state, the necromancer learned that the frost giant clan would inevitably break their word and attack the town.  The question was when.  Then the spellcasting giant whirled about knowing they were watched and sent out eldritch energies to close the vaporous incorporeal trail to Helios.  The necromancer escaped the closing exit just in time and collapsing on the ground in front of his comrades and town leaders, he informed them of an upcoming dire peril...

End Session 14, Session 15-A transitional session to follow soon!

Session 15 was played in early February and if it seems like a shorter writeup, it was a shorter session by my decision.  We were due to get a major snowstorm that night so I called the session earlier so those who drove didn't have to contend with the oncoming storm.  Session 16 will be a longer writeup as we played that session on Feb. 29 I think.  I'm setting the stage for some other things that will introduce new adventures as well as weave back into the story earlier things that were left alone, for now...

Long time no write up, mea culpa indeed!  I have the Session 16 notes but haven't had a chance to add them here yet.  As to the question Eli, playing online... didn't work out as I'm just not a great technical person.  I tried Zoom for simple things and realized I just didn't have the patience to try that.  Also, due to several of us working from home online, we realized just from talking to each other we didn't have the patience to sit for a gaming session like my normal ones.  They ranged from the shortest (about 4 1/2 hours to the longest almost 9 hours) as we play once a month. 

Having said that, we will be playing Session 17 this weekend, in person, in a socially distanced place meaning not my Manowar gaming room where the first 16 sessions were played.  So, about that session 16 writeup huh?  I better get that going or else Ghul will fulfill the KS dice set before I post SOMETHING about this... hahaha!  Here better get going...

Last edited by MrManowar (7/28/2020 10:59 pm)

It's nice when they bite on the hook!  I like that shadowy foreshadowing.