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Axes and Anvils

Tag Archives: caskbound

The Gathzar Stash

20 Saturday Mar 2021

Posted by fictivite in Uncategorized

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Tags

caskbound, play report, rumbleseed

Played 3/20/2021 IRL, 12/11/2122 IG.

Clan Rumbleseed Dwarves

  • Thoreson Grimeater (Anders) Berserker, Chef, Healer.
  • Vanmil Glowhide (Kriss) Vanguard, Adept, Jeweler.

Clan Caskbound Dwarves

  • Devron Leveller (Mark) Berserker. Chosen, Mason.
  • Korvask Wyrt (Michael) Vanguard. Enchanter, Scholar.
  • Dandel “The Dan” Deeptunnel (Simon) Berserker. Carouser, Miner, Brewer.

On the Way

Ivo got clipped by shrapnel from the imploding Void ship, and some kind of residue on it knocked him out, sinking through his resistances and endangering his life. The dwarves were determined to get him to safety in Stoneshadow. Also, The Dan was challenged to a drinking contest with some of the Void sailors, and they gave him something with some cosmic blood or something in it that knocked him right out. Meanwhile Captain Del thanked Vanmil for protecting her during the battle by giving her some sun-infused honeymead.

Neeveedia, the sorceress, gathered the dwarves for an update on what they were about to do. The captain agreed to detour to pick up the dwarves because they would be useful as “marines” for the upcoming assault on the Gathzar Stash. The captain was after some magical throne within the stash that would allow her to flush the life out of someone and bring someone dead back to life, and doing this would let the captain break one of the four curses she carried (placed by the daughter of a dead man, broken by his return to life.)

Lord Zularia pursued them; a champion of law and order, devoid of compassion or respect for nuance, the zealot had acquired Blokka Wedge (a member of the Coven alongside Neeveedia) and planned to revive the Angel of Vengeance that had been destroyed. He was determined to get to the throne, and since it only worked once per century, whoever reached it first would be the only one to use it. Neeveedia shared a map of the interior of the stash, showing them where they could get into the forest of pools, and warning them about the mysterious Guardian of Veins.

Angel Assault

With a jolt, the Void ship came under fire from Zularia, in hot pursuit. Vanmil and Korvask assisted the helm, Busaris, in coaxing more speed from the Void ship. Zularia released an angel to attack them, first trying to force them from their path and then assaulting the helm. The commotion of its landing woke the Dan, who joined the fray as the dwarves battered the angel. It was defeated and recalled to a magical shield Zularia carried. Redoubling their efforts, the Sunspinner pulled ahead, sure to reach the stash first. Devron led a brief service to remind the dwarves of their strength and history, bolstering their Resolve.

The Gate

They arrived at the gate, which appeared open and undefended until an energy maze manifested around it, complete with stalking guardians. Vanmil and Kovask combined their resources to touch the maze and sense the mind directing it. Vanmil shared the image with Neeveedia, who told them the wizard was Father Siski, a cultist dedicated to protecting darkness and mysteries.

The adventurers divided into four teams. With Siski running the maze, Neeveedia preferred to stay back and guard the ship and crew. Captain Del and Busaris and some crew headed into the maze to flank Siski. Vanmil and Korvask concentrated through the maze, preventing Siski from shifting and adjusting the modular maze protecting the pulpit and the gate. Devron led the rest of the Fellowship through the maze, closing in on Siski.

Vanmil and Korvask baffled and defeated Siski, preventing his full control of the maze, polluting him with horrific thoughts and marking the dwarven trail with runes. Devron’s infiltrators kept up steady progress towards the center, eventually ambushing him before any of the maze guardians could catch up to them. Devron’s massive attack with his mace drove the wizard apart into a swarm of bats that swirled away as the maze broke up.

Zularia’s ship boomed into view as Busaris took over the pulpit and generated a new maze to keep the zealot back. Dragging Ivo’s unconscious form, the Fellowship joined with the captain and headed into the tunnel that accessed the stash.

Guardian of Veins

As they passed through the stash, they found a mass of dead intruders that were arranged sitting, waiting. Witch lights settled into them, beginning to wake the corpses, so the Fellowship moved on fast.

As Zularia burned through the maze protecting the gate, Del’s map key artifact and Vanmil’s helm control opened the gate; the Gathzar ghosts liked the air of killing that hung around Vanmil. Elsewhere in the compound, the Guardian of Veins was forming. Hustling in to find the throne room, they were ambushed by the Guardian of Veins. Korvask barely survived a massive bite by sacrificing his enchanted shield (which he willed to re-form before they left.)

The Guardian of Veins began to rise as soon as it was defeated, so the Fellowship moved fast. As Del finished the resurrection ritual and Zularia burned through the last of the gate defenses, the Fellowship collected a magical ring crown, enchanted orcish polearm, magical garrotte, and magical axe as well as some arm-loads of expensive trophies. They raced to the balcony overlooking the Stone Forest of Pools, leaping down and using Korvask’s connection to the Mind Shard Nexus to look for home.

As Zularia was bogged down fighting the reanimated dead and his angel was ambushed by the Guardian of Veins, Captain Del’s curse triggered monsters rising from the gates, so she ran to take another exit and abandon ship. The Fellowship found the synched portal and jumped through, headed back to Stoneshadow at last.

Veinsluice Forge

At last the Fellowship returned to familiar lands, reaching the Forge by tumbling out through the Mind Shard Nexus that coated its inner walls. They met with the sub-archon of Clan Caskbound, in their clanhome Whiskey Forge, finally telling their tale.

3 Ledger.

Into the Void

02 Saturday Jan 2021

Posted by fictivite in Uncategorized

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Tags

caskbound, play report, rumbleseed

Played 1/2/2021 IRL, 12/10/2122 IG.

Clan Rumbleseed Dwarves

  • Ivo Flynt (Imre) Support, Gunsmith, Engineer, Delver.
  • Thoreson Grimeater (Anders) Berserker, Chef, Healer.
  • Vanmil Glowhide (Kriss) Vanguard, Adept, Jeweler.

Clan Caskbound Dwarves

  • Devron Leveller (Mark) Berserker. Chosen, Mason.
  • Korvask Wyrt (Michael) Vanguard. Enchanter, Scholar.
  • Dandel “The Dan” Deeptunnel (Simon) Berserker. Carouser, Miner, Brewer.

Awakening

The Dan boarded the corpse of the giant sea monster, adrift in the Void and petrified. Following the light of the Nexus of the Mind Shard, he found the Fellowship that had been banished when the Sea Thresher fell out of the world. The shard melted as it shone into Korvask, and resonated through him to wake the others, transforming their petrified state back into living flesh. Vanmil was dismayed to discover her samples taken from the Seathresher were not thawing as well as she was, and might lose their potency.

Busurus was a dwarf, and the pilot for the void ship Sunspinner, and she accompanied the Dan in. She carried a keg of his award-winning brew, to help the Fellowship rouse. Once most of them could walk (Ivo was slow to thaw, and Korvask was deeply involved with the Nexus) the Fellowship hauled their gear and companions along as they returned to the skiff, and from there, to the void ship.

The Sunspinner

The Fellowship boarded, meeting Captain Del and Neeveedia, a wizard. The Sun Spinner was eager to get underway, as they were in something of a race with other ships, all pursuing access to the Gathzar Stash, a void pirate treasure vault.

Neeveedia chatted with the Fellowship as they rested, helping them get an idea of what was going on. Yaru, a wizard known to the Caskbound dwarves, sent an amulet of the sea with the Dan. If they entered an astral pool, Yaru might be able to sense their signal and pull them back to Stoneshadow.

Neeveedia proposed they help the Sun Spinner break into the Gathzar Stash. Within was a famed Forest of Pools. The pools were portals that opened to many worlds, and that would be a safer way to return home, rather than trusting to Yaru’s vigilance, skill, and commitment. Plus, treasure. The Dan confirmed that Caskbound and Rumbleseed kicked in a lot of treasure to mount this rescue, and it might be nice to compensate them somewhat. The Fellowship decided to pursue the Gathzar Stash, their homesickness could wait.

The Spiral Current

The Sunspinner reached the Spiral Current. It was an energy twist that ran through space, assisting fast travel. Those on the deck of a void ship would have to face their fear, and if they held firm, they would exit the current near their destination. Those who failed would be hurled into the deeps of the Void, and it could take weeks to travel back to traveled routes.

Since Captain Del was under 4 curses, she didn’t ride on the deck; too much feedback. Busrurus needed to run the helm, and some of the Fellowship volunteered to ride out the trial. Korvask and Vanmil weathered their fearful visions, only Thoreson shivered in the face of his; they exited somewhat near their destination.

The Eyedrinker

Before they could refocus, the Spiral Current pulsed, and another void ship sailed out. It was the Eyedrinker, a horrible vessel with a tattooed elf at the helm and a horned demon captain screaming encouragement as the helm belched out waves of undead to board the Sunspinner.

The Fellowship acted quickly, with the Dan working with Ivo to weaponize the last of his brew, firing it as an incendiary to set the side of the Eyedrinker aflame. Korvask painted a multiplying rune on the ballista spear, so it split and jammed many spears into the side of the oncoming void ship.

Boarding Action

The Eyedrinker fired out a cloud along its whole deck, launching a wave of undead through the Void to board the Sunspinner. Battle was joined, with shadowy wraiths zooming across the gap between ships first and tangling with the berserkers. Ivo raced up to the helm deck to get a better line of fire on the helm of their attacker. He sniped the elf at the helm, so the captain had to stand in.

Vanmil tried to take on the helm, but overloaded, unprepared to direct its intricate energies. She fought the undead clambering up the side of the ship, closing in on the helm, protecting Busurus. As the berskerers Thoreson and Devron battled waves of undead, the Dan managed a running start and a heroic leap, clearing the distance to land on the deck of the Eyedrinker, blasting out a gust of flaming alcohol and torching some of the undead.

Scuttling the Eyedrinker

The Eyedrinker shuddered when its helm-elf was shot down. With the helm absorbing the captain’s attention, a shadowy elf ambushed the Dan and stabbed him with a barbed dagger that forced him to be silent. The Dan was about to be overrun, but Vanmil and Ivo combined fire on the helm and sniped the captain. Rudderless, the Eyedrinker began its implosion.

Korvask won free of his attackers, scooping up a grapple line the captain tossed him. He leaped up on the railing of the Sunspinner and bet it all on a long shot, hurling the grapple towards the Dan–and hooking him! The Dan fell off the Eyedrinker, badly injured, just before the Eyedrinker imploded with helm feedback.

The embattled Fellowship managed to hold out against the last attacks of the boarding undead before the corpses lost their animation with the destruction of the helm that spewed them out. Vanmil charged to the captain’s rescue and diluted the hostile focus on her long enough for her to survive the rush.

Captain Del thanked the Fellowship for their assistance, and the Sunspinner set a course to continue their race to breach the Gathzar Stash.

The Fellowship received 3 Ledger they can redeem when they tell the tale. The Dan received 4.

The Meat Mine (part 2)

31 Thursday Dec 2020

Posted by fictivite in Uncategorized

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Tags

adventure report, caskbound, rumbleseed

Played 11/14/20 IRL, 4/20/2122 IG.

Clan Rumbleseed Dwarves

  • Ivo Flynt (Imre) Support, Gunsmith, Engineer, Delver.
  • Thoreson Grimeater (Anders) Berserker, Chef, Healer.
  • Vanmil Glowhide (Kriss) Vanguard, Adept, Jeweler.

Clan Caskbound Dwarves

  • Devron Leveller (Mark) Berserker. Chosen, Mason.
  • Korvask Wyrt (Michael) Vanguard. Enchanter, Scholar.

The dwarves prepared their defenses, expecting the shadow elves to close in as soon as it was dark enough for them to jump through shadows in surgical ambushes. Ivo climbed a tower and worked on enhancing one of the crude cannons from the pirate ship, looking to take aim at the elven ship. Korvask assisted, enchanting chained cannonballs designed to tear up the mast and sails. Others worked to prepare bile barrel explosives, and to organize the disoriented and fearful pirates.

Ivo fired the cannon at the platform where the elven commander Lady Litiska set up her operations, damaging the mast supporting the platform so it listed almost to the waterline, but the cannon was badly damaged and it was risky to use it again.

Thoreson and Devron took the Sea Scout and flew over the elven ships, dropping explosives on one of them and sinking it. In the process, Thoreson fumbled the bombs, so while one of the ships sank they didn’t have enough explosives to try to sink the other one.

Unexpected Rescue

Lady Litiska and her agent Nevesti signaled frantically. An unnatural fog sprang up, blanketing the surface of the sea. The elven ship was scuttled, further out to sea. As the sun sank, the Sea Witches made their move, sending monsters swarming over the elven position.

The dwarves took a risk, sending a boat out to rescue the elves from their precarious and damaged platform. Vanmil swirled the fog out of the way with her adept energies, and Devron helped pick up the contingent of surviving elves. Lady Litiska was still haughty, but toned it down in the face of annihilation the hands of the Sea Witches.

Now What?

Regrouping on the central platform, the dwarves allied with the humans and elves to survive the Sea Witch threat. Litiska revealed she was tasked with retrieving the Elemental Lodestone from the Seathresher’s head; a rare object that allows for the creation of a flying wizard tower or dimensional nexus. It was the occult biology of the monster that allowed it to navigate dimensions.

If they could get that, the greatest treasure in the meat mine, and then escape, then the elves would forget the offenses of the pirates and dwarves in seeking to loot their site.

Devron and Thoreson had their own reasons for wanting to delve into the fleshy chambers underfoot, and the dwarves agreed to assist the elves and retrieve this treasure. They could keep anything else they found on the way, so long as the elves got what they were after.

Racing Through the Veins

The humans pulled back from the site with the elven survivors. Only Nevesti accompanied the elves into the deadly corpse. She brought along a pixie, Plick, who could provide light and scouting service.

Buzzfeeders burrowed out of the walls of the fleshy passages, attacking, and the dwarves sorted them out in short order. They also faced a platecrawler, a larger parasite growing desperate as the life energy of the Seathresher waned. Eventually they battled their way to the resonance chamber in the head where the lodestone should be; the burned passages through flesh seared by the flame constructs that Iskavol controlled diminished their hopes they would get there first, and sure enough, the lodestone had been wrested from its seat in the monster’s head. Their treasure was gone.

Stuck in Its Craw

Devron was determined to get to the craw, as there was a legendary treasure that might be found there. Thoreson was keen to travel deeper in towards the heart, though he was not forthcoming about why. The adventurers headed into the throat and found the craw, and Devron cut and squirmed his way into the grinding organ. He emerged, unspeakably befouled, but clutching a large chunk of secretions and debris.

Clearing it off, he revealed the Maul of Forbiddance. The weapon was a mace with the skull of Hazandar, one of the Gods of Ur, mounted as its head. Hazandar could head-butt creatures from other worlds, forcing them out of this one. Suluun, a mighty hero of Bloodcrag a thousand years ago, met her end diving into the Seathresher and blasting it out of Stoneshadow. The Maul survived in the monster’s craw, and now Devron possessed it.

The Sea Cone

Korvask and Vanmil were working together to sense the energies in the decaying monster. They felt the Sea Witches working their way into the flesh from the other end, the tentacles and ventral side. Vanmil detected a swarm of life in the corpse. She realized the elven word for this monster roughly translated to “sea cone” not because of its shape, but… there were some pine cones that only opened to release their seeds in the heat of a great fire.

What if the Sea Witches summoned this beast and sent it against the elven navy for the express purpose of getting it killed? The dwarves realized there were many unborn young through the corpse that were rousing, and the Sea Witches were here to harvest them and cultivate a whole mass of gargantuan sea monsters. It was almost too late to stop them, and this modest force of warriors was not enough to stand against the Sea Witches and their horde.

A Desperate Plan

The Fellowship steeled themselves to try a bold strategy. They fought their way back to the resonance chamber where the lodestone had been seated. From here, the dimensional reverberation traveled through the whole beast, allowing it to move between planes.

Devron was determined to pit the Maul of Forbiddance against the presence of this corpse in Stoneshadow. Perhaps it could be driven out of the world altogether. The other dwarves had the opportunity to escape before the attempt (and the elf did, taking the pixie with her.) Thoreson wanted to go deeper into the body, and was not ready to escape. The other dwarves decided to stand together, and gamble all their fates on the outcome of this bid to deny the Sea Witches their monstrous prizes.

Devron dug deep in his Resolve, and hurled himself and the Maul of Forbiddance against the seat of the lodestone. Impossibly, the still-potent energy of the God of Ur resonated through the fibers of the Seathresher’s corpse, driven by inexorable dwarven stubbornness.

The entire body of the Seathresher, and all it contained, were driven from the plane, cast out into the Void…

Ledger

The Fellowship banked Ledger they could redeem when they tell the tale.

Thoreson, Vanmil, and Ivo banked 3. Devron banked 4. (He succeeded in an additional objective in service of the clan.)

The Meat Mine (part 1)

14 Saturday Nov 2020

Posted by fictivite in Uncategorized

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Tags

caskbound, play report, rumbleseed

Played 10/24/20 IRL, 4/20/2122 IG.

Clan Rumbleseed Dwarves (Last adventure 1/19/2122 IG)

  • Ivo Flynt (Imre) Support, Gunsmith, Engineer, Delver. (Apprentice, Tella)
  • Thoreson Grimeater (Anders) Berserker, Chef, Healer.
  • Vanmil Glowhide (Kriss) Vanguard, Adept, Jeweler. (Fleshpacter, Fishel)

Clan Caskbound Dwarves (Last adventure 9/10/2121 IG)

  • Devron Leveller (Mark) Berserker. Chosen, Mason.
  • Korvask Wyrt (Michael) Vanguard. Enchanter, Scholar.

Control the Meat Mine!

The Seathresher, a mythic sea monster, washed up on the shore of a distant island. The dwarves wanted to secure control of the beach grave to harvest as many of the rare and wonderful materials from the corpse as possible, but there was sure to be competition.

Rumbleseed Background

Torala Dunn (Clan Rumbleseed, House Dunn patriarch) sent Ivo to lead Rumbleseed agents, including Thoreson and Vanmil. The group had to be small, as they could only reach the site quickly if they traveled by airship. Dunn sent Master Delter, a human wizard who could take on the form of a crow, to find a nearby Clan Caskbound airship that was searching the coast for something. Delter returned with word the Caskbound dwarves agreed to a joint venture.

The dwarves were in the Shallows, away from the Various Garden expedition, because some of the expedition leaders were worried about Thoreson’s increasing irritability and morose disengagement, and the fights he picked with locals (friends, foes, and concerned healers) were becoming a problem. Vanmil agreed to go with them, haunted by memories of the sky (which she had not seen before she went out into the winter snow.)

Caskbound Background

Yaru, the dragon wizard, reached out to Korvask almost 3 months ago. She was worried because the sea witches used her life force and Crossroads magic to open a portal big enough to drag an epic monster into this world’s seas, and they sent it against the elves, who slew it with their navy.

Five weeks ago Yaru hired them to look for where the monster corpse washed up on the beach, to make sure it died. While the Sea Scout airship (piloted by Nymeer, a Caskbound topsider who captained the craft) was scouting remote island beaches, they were intercepted by Master Delter, a human wizard who could crowshape. Keen to confirm the monster was dead, the dwarves agreed.

Thorn Peak

The Sea Scout airship would meet the Rumbleseed dwarves at a local mountain peak, distinctive from a distance. Ivo, Thoreson, and Vanmil packed up plenty of containers to harvest magical and culinary material from the corpse, and Ivo brought his granddad’s trusty long rifle as well as a big load of explosives. Ivo’s apprentice Tella brought porters along to help carry the gear, and took responsibility for getting them home safe; she wouldn’t go along. Vanmil didn’t bring Fishel, who was not keen to visit the surface in violation of treaty (and common sense.)

The airship couldn’t easily land at the meeting site, so the dwarves struggled to manage getting the gear up to the ship (especially the explosives, that swung wildly in the wind at one point). There were also some embarrassing falls, but no one toppled too far down the mountain, and everyone made it up into the airship.

Thoreson shared out some exquisite nibbles, specialties of his style and his clan, and the Caskbound dwarves shared The Dan’s award-winning Beetle Back brew. With proper gifts and etiquette out of the way, they headed for the Grave Beach.

The Approach

They closed in on the site, seeing the smoke from several campfires rising into the afternoon sky. Nymeer let Korvask peer at the site through her spyglass, and Korvask persuaded her to let Ivo use the treasured device too.

The dwarves spotted a mass of human warriors who apparently dismantled a couple ships and built scaffolding to support efforts to harvest materials without touching the toxic corpse any more than was needful. Cannons from the ships were mounted on platforms and towers, guarding the site. The bloody waters around the corpse were thick with poisoned and crazed sharks.

There were also two ships from the Desell Glade’s elven navy standing off a ways. Boarding parties took a couple of the platforms, pushing the humans back, and the situation looked tense.

The dwarves agreed to pursue a closer look, so the Sea Scout buzzed the site as fast as possible, evading the cannonfire from the platforms and the magical and ballista attacks from the elven ships. Even from a good height, the stench was nearly unbearable.

As they zoomed closer, Ivo spotted his target. Torala warned him the elven assassin Lady Sann was expected to be supporting Lady Litiska, and instructed him to kill Sann if possible for the honor of the clan. The elves had wraith-like shadow warriors, led by Lady Sann! Before the elves could reposition, the keen-eyed dwarf swapped the spyglass for his rifle scope, and used his granddad’s monster hunting rifle to pull off an exquisite shot from the swaying airship that exploded the elf’s head before she knew she was in danger–Lady Sann was no more.

Vanmil picked up elemental conjuration magic of an unfamiliar type from the central platform, strange flaming constructs haunting the site. Also, the humans seemed to be ensorcerelled somehow. Korvask recognized the amplified work of the wizard Iskavol, member of the secretive Keyin Protectorate, a loose and secretive network of mages (and sometime-partner of the wizard Yaru, who was also a member.)

The Sea Scout circled around to drop off the Fellowship for a ground approach. Nymeer stayed with the ship.

Under the Influence

The Fellowship approached the head of the mighty beast with caution. Ramps and platforms had been placed there, and tough-looking pirates guarded the entry. They were led by Darveen, previously a bandit who clashed with Rumbleseed and was driven out of a lair. His partner was a wizard, Carroway, that the dwarves though they slew, but he looked healthy enough now. Darveen met them at the platform.

He was not himself. Vanmil could see the nimbus of influence that saturated him and his pirates. The Fellowship name-dropped Iskavol, and Darveen took them to her. On the way they passed mounds of harvested flesh, and big barrels full of explosively flammable bile and secretions.

The horned wizard Iskavol had a powerful enchanted gem she was using to control the pirates, and a brazier to summon and control the flame constructs (flamejekts) she was using to keep the elves back and root around in the monster corpse.

Negotiations Begin

Her ability to maintain control of the situation would apparently last until sundown, as the shadow-jumping elves would easily dispatch the pirates in darkness. Still, the dwarves negotiated with Iskavol, who granted them access to the top half of the monster if they helped her maintain control.

Ambush!

During negotiations, a handful of shadowbounder elven skirmishers attacked the humans. The dwarves knocked them down ruthlessly, but didn’t score any kills on the retreating attackers.

Negotiations Continue

Iskavol pulled back into the ship cabin lodged in the corpsemeat, and the Fellowship geared up to approach the elf-posessed platform connected by walkways.

Vanmil humbly apologized to Thoreson, who still resented the interference that tore the Conqueror Worm from him in the Gilded Tower. Thoreson was not ready to accept an apology.

The Fellowship approached the shadowbounders, and a confident shadow-stepping commander agreed to speak with them. Captain Demros was confident in his position and unimpressed by the interlopers; he would claim the Grave Beach for his glade. The Fellowship contested his claim, but he did not recognize they had any rights in this situation.

Negotiations End

Talks deteriorated to the Fellowship attacking, but the uncanny elves were nimble and evasive. A counter-attack pounced at them from the shadows, but the Fellowship fended the elves off.

Captain Demros pushed off in a boat, headed back to the ship with a handful of his people and some meat treasure from the platforms. Ivo knew the tense captain could dodge a bullet–so he took aim at a barrel of explosive bile. His aim was true, blasting the elves at point blank range and scattering their boat to kindling, so they could only fall into the waters boiling with enraged sharks.

Misdirection

The pirates were groggy, coming out from under the influence, and the suspicious dwarves returned to Iskavol’s throne area. After there was no response to knocking, they opened the door to find she had a burned escape route into and through the corpse. She took the things she wanted the most from the find, and retreated, leaving the pirates and dwarves on their own. The flamejekts started to wane and flicker, soon to extinguish.

Chasing her energies, the Fellowship headed to the beach, where there were traces of a big teleportation spell. The wizard had likely escaped some distance, enough to be out of reach for now.

Not Over Yet!

As the sun sank towards elven domination, the Fellowship had to act fast.

Vanmil and Thoreson got to work checking the eyes for Everlamp, a mystical substance generating an eternal shine. Iskavol had drained the big eye, but there were other smaller eyes–Vanmil found one that had enough Everlamp for her purposes, and she harvested it successfully.

Devron was quietly looking for something specific. He prayed to his mysterious god, trying to sense whether there were any traces of recognizable energy in the corpse. If there were, the impressions were too faint to be detected in a quick look. He wanted to stay for a deeper dive.

The Fellowship wiped out Lady Sann (for sure) and Captain Demros (probably) but they also “chased off” Iskavol and “liberated” the pirates led by Darveen and Carroway. If they were going to get more treasure out of the site, they would have to deal with murderous humans and elves, knowing more treasure-hunting factions could arrive at any moment.

Ledger

The Fellowship banked Ledger they could redeem when they tell the tale.

Thoreson and Devron banked 3. Ivo, Vanmil, and Korvask banked 4. (They succeeded in additional objectives in service of the clan.)

The Dragon in the Tower

25 Saturday Apr 2020

Posted by fictivite in Uncategorized

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Tags

caskbound, play report, strange mission

Clan Caskbound, played 4.24.20 IRL, 9.10.2121 IG.

This adventure was a Strange Mission, with shared GM duties, classified as History (it really happened!)

  • Devron Leveller (Mark) Berserker. Chosen, Mason.
  • Dandel “The Dan” Deeptunnel (Simon) Berserker. Carouser, Miner, Brewer.
  • Korvask Wyrt (Michael) Vanguard. Enchanter, Scholar.
  • Zuuker (Andrew) Support. Topsider, Brewer.

Return to Ryvolko

The Fellowship returned to Ryvolko and The Beetleback Brewery. They met with Magistrate Plaxton, who dropped in for a drink. He was salty that they withdrew directly overseas and did not check in with Ryvolko. Still, their return was well timed, as the city faced a strange threat. Constructs of water had appeared in the city, and when fought back, they glowed with an arcane sign that belonged to Yaru, a local wizard. Another local wizard, Iskavol, went to check on her tower on a nearby island about an hour away by airship. She left yesterday, and since then three more water constructs have emerged and menaced the city. Would the dwarves take a look?

Roll Tide!

Three massive water constructs converged on the brewhouse, and the Fellowship leaped into action. They broke two down, and narrowly saved the magistrate as the third blew through the wall and targeted him; Korvask defended him as only a vanguard could, and the magistrate struck the killing blow with his hidden prosthetic forearm cannon.

To the Tower

The Fellowship packed up and headed out at once. Nymeer let them take the Sea Scout airship, with Zuuker at the helm (as he was a topsider trained on the controls.) They were well underway when the airship started spraying smoke.

Outside, goblins mounted on bats swirled around the airship, hurling smokebombs, queuing up fire bombs. The Fellowship fired the Sea Scout’s new deck guns at them, then the goblins formed up to all hurl bombs at once and Zuuker fired a heroically aimed shot, blasting one bomb and triggering the others, spraying fire all over the goblins and their bats. They retreated in disarray.

The Portraits and the Door

They reached the lonely tower, and inside they found a foyer with a massive spell set into the floor connected to two portraits of children on the walls. Devron tried to lead the way across the spellwork, but he was repulsed, and the aspect of the portraits darkened and twisted towards something evil.

The Fellowship flanked Devron and charged at the opposite door, hurling him into it with his full berserk momentum, smashing through the door and going deeper into the tower.

The Crossroads Chamber

The other side of the door was stairs going down, and as Devron toppled painfully down them, the rest of the Fellowship followed to discover a chamber with walkways over a central pit with a shaft in the center, supporting an orb. The room got colder, and they spotted Iskavol trapped in the orb.

They approached, and Devron reached through the magical crystal somehow, from his center to its center, bypassing the surface; he could led the Fellowship in, or pull the wizard out. He pulled Iskavol out of the orb to rejoin them, and as he did, the central column cracked and released foul magical waste wraiths that flowed up at the Fellowship, who dispatched them swiftly; Korvask repelled the mystic assault with his Shard Shield, and only Zuuker succumbed to the corrupted monsters harvesting insecurity and fear and armoring themselves with it.

A Net of Orbs

Iskavol earnestly explained that there were ten orbs in the extradimensional interior of the tower, forming the Crossroads, and she knew where the Crucible of Waves was–that would be the one causing these water construct problems. The temperature continued falling in the Crossroads Chamber, so they headed for an exit as the exits were magically iced over. The ice repelled a few attacks, so the Fellowship rammed Devron into the barrier and broke it enough for them to slip through. Iksavol quoth the command word “YehBASsik” and calmed the ice defenses down so they could continue to the chamber with the Crucible of Waves.

A Dragon, Chained

The orb was on a stand, and a 30 foot dragon chained to the floor was dazed and somehow draining its blood in crystal drops, its essence pinning the orb open. The Fellowship examined the situation, and Korvask’s enchanting and scholarly lore combined to reveal that the markings on the orb base were those used by the sea witches; they had somehow infiltrated, and were keeping the portal open using the dragon’s life force. The Fellowship considered trying to go through, but peering through the orb suggested that the other side was crush depth. As they looked through, something on the other side spotted them.

Flood and Fighting

The portal released a column of high-pressure water, with a massive tendril and some horrible sea creatures included. The room began filling with water at an alarming rate, and the dwarves retreated far enough to form a plan.

Iskavol dove into the pool and used her magic to free the dragon from its chains. As it reared up, the tendril from the deep grappled it, and the dragon bit out chunks of its flesh so its acid blood flavored the water. An eel-like swimming nightmare closed with Devron as the rest of the Fellowship dragged Korvask to the stand, where he used his knowledge of mystical writings to dislodge the orb and snap the portal shut.

The severed tendril thrashed around the room, and the flood of water dragged the Fellowship out of the chamber and down the hall towards the deep shaft in the Crossroads Chamber.

A Dragon, Revealed

The injured dragon leaped over the chasm to the central column and sagged down, weakly calling for help. The Fellowship and Iskavol cautiously approached, and the dragon revealed she was Yaru; she asked them to keep her secret, and they agreed.

Iskavol helped Yaru resume her wizard shape, and Yaru explained that the sea witches had somehow infiltrated her tower and caught her unawares, trapping her and draining her life force to hold theCrucible of Waves open. She did not know why they did this, or what they accomplished in addition to sending some water constructs through the streets of Ryvolko (and possibly targeting the magistrate specifically.) The danger was now past, and it was time for the Fellowship to leave the two wizards alone in the tower.

The Fellowship earned 3 Ledger, and this tale is historical.

Movement Runes (Enchanter Upgrade)

24 Friday Apr 2020

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Here is a new upgrade for enchanters who can access Caskbound clan secrets.

MOVEMENT RUNES [ENCHANTERS]

These runes enhance the bearer’s ability to move through an environment.

  • Needs of the Beast. Each of these runes evokes a kind of animal. When activated, these runes convert your needs to the needs of the animal for air, food, or water. Usually runes will focus on one kind of need, but masters can invest more to make broad-spectrum need substitution. These runes are most often used to imitate fish to allow water breathing or imitate desert creatures to minimize water needs. Dark uses for the depraved or desperate can evoke predators and scavengers, to eat raw meat or carrion. Some are cursed, invoking the hunger of birds who need to eat constantly to survive.
  • Grace of the Beast. Each of these runes imitates a movement ability of the animal it evokes. Generally, movement is increased or expanded, and spending a resource can grant a feat of motion. Examples include the wall-scuttling ability of spiders, the patagia gliding of cave lizards, the swimming of sharks, and the leaping of cats.
  • Friction Control. These runes allow the bearer to adjust friction on a touched surface. Some focus on making objects slippery, some focus on greatly increasing resistance to motion, and some are flexible enough to do either or do both with a sliding scale. Motion reducers are often put on locked gauntlets to protect against disarmament, or doors to make them difficult to open while the rune is engaged.

Each rune type has many, many sub types that have specific effects and durations negotiated in exchange for the creation and activation costs.

 

Crystal Light

18 Saturday Apr 2020

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Clan Caskbound, played 4.17.20 IRL, 8.30.2121 IG.

  • Devron Leveller (Mark) Berserker. Chosen, Mason.
  • Dandel “The Dan” Deeptunnel (Simon) Berserker. Carouser, Miner, Brewer.
  • Korvask Wyrt (Michael) Vanguard. Enchanter, Scholar.

The Fellowship returned to Whiskey Forge in Stoneshadow. On the airship trip back from the skyfall crater, Korvask felt unsettled, the Nexus of the Mind Shards uneasy in his bones.

Delivering the Gift

The Fellowship immediately got an audience with subarchon Sabado and told him about the Nexus. He was not an expert, but could understand the potential implications of what they retrieved, so he arranged for an audience with Archon Basrencru, who placed a Friendship Rune with his seal on a clay tablet for them to authorize a visit to the Veinsluice Forge and a meeting with Master Smith Eelee. Helbek was also summoned, as an expert scholar and treasure of the clan; he was delighted at the possibilities of what Korvask had retrieved and carried within.

Veinsluice Forge

The Fellowship passed through the central exchange of the clanhome, taking in the sights and sounds of the Remembrance Day celebration of all dwarves who fell in service to the clan. Moving deep under the clanhome, they placed the Friendship tablet in the belt buckle of the giant stone guardian statue protecting the forge, which was the museum, vault, and prestige crafting center of the clan. The statue allowed them passage through the deep vent corridor, the only way in and out of the heavily warded and protected compound below.

They witnessed the glorious 30 foot tall statue carved by Mad Marga; it was one of her signature sculpts, so obviously nude, but draped in canvas. Within was an Ur Shadow, cosmic energy traces left behind by Hellifino.

Master Smith Eelee and her apprentice Kaskel met them, and MS Eelee suggested relocating the Nexus to coat the wall behind the statue would be excellent placement. Then she went off with Helbek to review some of the new pieces while Kaskel offered hospitality to the Fellowship (after pitching the idea that heroes like them could ease the way for an enterprising adept smith to found a master forge in Khundrukar.)

The Portal

The Dan was at loose ends, but Devron invoked Hellifino and the Gods of Ur, drawing on the Ur Shadow, ritually blessing Korvask and attuning to this chamber. Korvask meditated on Caskbound and the ancestors and the Gods of Ur. Something else was in the energy of the Nexus, a hostile force; it stirred, taking in all the focus on dwarven ancestors from the festival above, possibly reaching out into the guardian statue, now perhaps posing a danger as the dwarves attuned to it and to this warded place.

A shimmering crystal pool formed, an interface to again enter the Nexus. Korvask extruded two mind shards so his companions could escort him, and together the Fellowship delved into the Nexus.

The Founder’s Shadow

Moving into the crystalline cave-like environment, steeped in a red-tinged yellow glow, they explored the other-dimensional space. Traces they left behind pulled together to form a giant stone dwarf shaped like the clan’s founder, who came at them with a massive shield and hammer. They battled the echo, and put it down. As it crumbled, they continued following the light, closer to the heart of the Nexus, looking for the force that resisted them.

The Crystal Guardian

Cinder-bodied behemoths with crystal armor and weapons lurched out of the walls at them, and desperate battle followed. They survived, smashing the hulks apart, and Korvask spotted the energy trace that was flowing through the crystal forming their opposition. His recognition forced it into a liquid crystal form, and it snapped out blades and attacked.

The Dan smashed it with one hit, seemingly, as it sprayed apart to avoid his blow. It re-formed and surged at them, impaling them on crystal spikes, vicious and fluid; the more they hit it, the more pixelated it became, unable to render its smooth shapes with such ease.

Finally Korvask launched at it with a devastating shield bash, knocking it apart, arresting its energy in a frozen kernel in the crystal. As he drove his shield through its essence, he captured some of that essence in the defensive weapon.

The Heart of the Nexus

A liquid crystal form rose, freed from within the defensive shape that had grown around it, and accepted the dwarves (specifically Kovask) as its guardian shape. They were gently returned to the surface, and the Nexus swelled up around the statue and up the back wall, gleaming with yellow light (and dislodging the canvas around the magnificent nude statue.) Korvask decided to stay connected to the Nexus. Devron offered worship to Hellifino for their victory, and for the new crown jewel of the Veinsluice Forge.

The Shield Shard

This sturdy vanguard style metal shield can attune to its bearer. In combat, the bearer can choose an incoming attack to dispel, and the shield flies apart under the impact, inflicting 4 Vitality to everyone (but the bearer) in melee range and totally negating the hit. If the bearer chooses to use this ability after damage is revealed, the bearer must spend 1 Resolve. The shield can reform in about 1 minute if the bearer spends Resolve, or 1 hour on its own.

Bearer of the Shard

11 Saturday Apr 2020

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caskbound, play report

Clan Caskbound, played 4.10.20 IRL, 8.25.2121 IG.

  • Devron Leveller (Mark) Berserker. Chosen, Mason.
  • Dandel “The Dan” Deeptunnel (Simon) Berserker. Carouser, Miner, Brewer.
  • Korvask Wyrt (Michael) Vanguard. Enchanter, Scholar.

The Beetleback Brewery

The Dan leveraged Clan Caskbound resources to smooth the way with the Magistrate of Ryvolko to open a brewery and tavern in the City of Spires. After months of shuttling supplies back and forth over the sea and working tirelessly to rehabilitate the brewery from its sturdy dwarven bones and patching up the human structure atop it, they were ready to open.

The Dan also acquired an apprentice, Zuuker Roth, who ran a successful tavern in Whiskey Forge. Zuuker wanted more than professional competence, trading in his tavern for a chance to study the secret arts of dwarven brewing under the award-winning brewer The Dan. He eagerly set to the work in the Beetleback Brewery, acquiring human staff and running the place to exacting standards.

Opening Night

As The Dan looked after all the details and handled hosting duties, Devron settled in as security and Korvask used his bloodbrush to paint a brilliance rune on the mantle of the fireplace, preparing it to breathe out a whimsical display of fire-fly like witchlight illusions on his command, for ambiance.

Over seventy patrons could fit in the establishment, and the grand opening drew far more than that, with people cycling through and enjoying the exterior of the building as well as the inside. (Apparently humans require room to dance to properly enjoy anything.) The Dan’s custom brew to please the human palate (and capacity) was popular. Patrons were a bit rowdy, but Devron’s stern presence kept things from getting out of hand.

The visitor from furthest away was the sorceress Shoyara, all the way from Stoneshadow. She even brought her apprentice, who avoided eye contact with the Fellowship.

The Magistrate of Ryvolko

When Magistrate Plaxton arrived with his bodyguards, Korvask triggered the rune of brilliance, and the humans were awed by the display. The Dan presented the magistrate with a custom-built fanny-keg like the one he carried, which the magistrate appreciated.

Plaxton confided in The Dan that two days ago something fell from the sky, landing not far from here in unclaimed territory. Plaxton considered the opportunity to investigate to be a good test for his new neighbors from Caskbound; how they comported themselves and managed success (and also how they handled success) would instruct him on how to view them.

What’s Up?

The Fellowship managed some quick conversation in the midst of the roaring party, and also found local contacts to consult to find out more. Kroy, the cleric to the Church of Unsteadiness, was present and had been seen chatting with Tangler earlier. Kroy agreed to get them up to speed on the situation if The Dan would install a shrine to the Church of Unsteadiness as a lean-to or area within his new tavern; functionally, it would serve as a place for incapacitated revelers to be laid out to recover in relative comfort and privacy. The Dan agreed.

Kroy reported speculation that the object that fell was keenly pursued by several factions because wizards believed it was a peculiar material important for their work. She had a sample (not from this skyfall, but a previous one) that was a crystal that Korvask instantly recognized as a mind shard. The yellow material matrix could be imprinted with a mind’s pattern, by one who knew the art, and could also serve as a conduit for remotely controlling constructs.

So far, Kroy knew of four expeditions pursuing the skyfall. Daggerface led a cohort of orcs. Lord Fangbox led a Mosobdian expedition, with Straybeam piloting a skyship and the wizard Scheduler providing mystical guidance. Two wizards, Iskavol and Yaru, formed an expedition loosely affiliated with the Keyin Protectorate but mainly in service to the secretive network of mages. Clan Caskbound’s Fellowship would be the fourth. The others had about a twelve hour head start.

Towards the Skyfall

Leaving Zuuker in charge of the party, the Fellowship recruited Nymeer and the Sea Scout, taking off at once with minimal supplies. By mid-morning they saw the tower impact cloud over the site that somehow had not dissipated over the last couple days. They did not want to fly into the cloud, so the final approach would be on foot.

The edge of the cloud had a balloon and basket airship drawn by geese, landed and magically warded; the Fellowship did not want to enter so close to where the wizards had touched down. Circling around, they saw the Mosobidian airship of Lord Fangbox, and continued around the perimeter. They saw an orc airship, still in the air and awaiting a signal. Steering clear of the other expeditions, they landed and left Nymeer with the ship as they continued into the murk of the cloud.

Seeking the Impact Crater

The Fellowship heard the sounds of desperate battle between a wizard and bestial foes nearby in the fog. They chose not to interfere, keeping a low profile as their dwarven senses helped them stay grounded in the disorienting fog. Using the poor visibility to their advantage, they found their way to the edge of the crater. Past mining experience suggested something large tunneled nearby underfoot, so they moved with stealth and speed. They heard sounds of orcish battle nearby, and it didn’t sound like the orcs were winning.

As they slid down using a rope to anchor them so they could retreat quickly if need be, they pushed through the destabilizing waves of thought that rolled from the rock at the center of the crater, far too intact to have fallen naturally. The Dan, accustomed to resisting the mental strains of carousing and drinking, saw the strange burned crystal ooze out a fresh yellow shard.

Korvask’s excitement grew still further. Mind shards were useful material, but their source was not well understood. If this was a Nexus of the mind shard, it could be a connection to a whole set–and it could be capable of growing more. A Nexus was multi-dimensional, and attuning to it could allow access to its inner workings. He bravely took up the shard and stepped through its surface; the skyfall rippled like water, and he vanished into it.

At that moment, a couple armored burrowing monsters launched out of the side of the crater at Devron and The Dan, who cut them down and warily awaited Korvask’s return.

In the Nexus

Korvask entered the crystalline chamber, majestic and alien. He felt the presence of the Nexus of the Mind Shard coursing around his thoughts, and he projected admiration for it as both a scholar and an enchanter. The alien presence was open to him, and they connected; it looked through his present moment and sensed how Clan Caskbound had corrupted the ecology of the Caskbound Pocket with their weaponized alchemy in the founding of the clan, and harnessed that mutated wilderness to their own ends, and it reacted aggressively to the threat they represented. The Nexus snatched at control of Korvask, to neutralize him.

As a vanguard trained to move for no force, Korvask managed to hold out. The wave rolled out at his companions outside the Nexus, and as they staggered under the assault, more burrowing creatures more hideous than the last lurched out of the earth at them, threatening them with acid; they defended their minds and bodies.

Korvask, inside the Nexus, did not react with aggression; instead, he focused on the worse threats the dwarves contained. The Nexus slowed its push, and Korvask used his bloodbrush to paint a connecting rune on the crystal. Connection was vulnerability, and the Nexus boldly explored his psyche further. It was stranded in an alien place, projecting ideas he could not contextualize, focused on its own defense. Korvask was profoundly successful in attuning with it, and they formed a partnership.

For a moment, Korvask could see through all the creatures the Nexus had planted a mind shard into, that were operating as a hive mind in its defense. He chose to relinquish control of them, and his intuitive sense of the workings of the mind shards was such that he dissolved them and retrieved their essence, freeing the creatures from the Nexus.

The skyfall dissolved from around his form as the Nexus folded itself into his psyche and bones, and his eyes gleamed gold as he stepped forth carrying the Nexus inside. The magically anchored fog over the impact crater was released, and began to drift apart.

Escape

The Fellowship retreated with speed and stealth, taking advantage of the confusion of the released slaves of the Nexus and successfully avoiding the other expeditions. As soon as they reached their skyship and Nymeer, they set course directly for Caskbound; this victory and cargo was too precious to risk detours.

The implications of acquiring a living Nexus of mind shards was worth 3 Ledger, and the clan’s prestige and strength would both increase, raising the total to 5.

Yivica

05 Sunday Apr 2020

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caskbound, play report

Clan Caskbound, played 4.3.20 IRL, 5.23.2121 IG.

  • Devron Leveller (Mark) Berserker. Chosen, Mason.
  • Dandel “The Dan” Deeptunnel (Simon) Berserker. Carouser, Miner, Brewer.
  • Korvask Wyrt (Michael) Vanguard. Enchanter, Scholar.
  • NPCs: Helbek and Nymeer.

To Yivica!

On the airship voyage back, the corrupted dwarf Droktho told them of Yivica, the colony Lorcrow relocated from Ryvolko after the heavy losses at Scream Peak. He gave them the location and directions to reach it, as well as the lantern codes (communicating by blinking lights) to communicate with the defenders of its airspace. He told them to keep an eye out for the Gorebug, a red airship, and its captain Prug Chor.

With Droktho turned over to the loremasters of Whiskey Forge and the archon informed of the need to send enchanters to reinforce the Seal Chamber, the Fellowship made some rapid preparations to check on the Yivica colony. The Dan discovered his signature brew, Beetlejuice, was award winning! He laid in a stock to share with the colony as a gift. Korvask prepared a book with the history of the clan’s activity since the separation, and Devron acquired a wheel of expensive troll cheese; a bit of an acquired taste, but it slowly regenerated, an excellent “cheese starter” to keep a family supplied. (Cheese is holy to Ellifino, his patron God of Ur.)

The Fellowship once again crossed the waters, a five day voyage by airship, passing over the sea witches without incident. They were intercepted by the Gore Bug, but the captain recognized the lantern code (Korvask had a knack for it) and agreed to escort them in.

Meet and Greet

They closed in on Yivica, a straightforward keep built over the entry to a quarry and mine that was used to supply its materials. The archon, Seddven, met them with his pick, Javis, at his side. After the initial introductions, they entered the great hall, geared for long-range defense, and met with the rest of the clan in a great celebration with cave strider drumsticks for everyone.

Upon discovering they were scholars, Seddven mentioned to them that artifacts from the Old World, when it was only humans and neither dwarves nor orcs had been created yet, had been unearthed nearby. Helbek was enthusiastic and torn; he wanted to catch up with the colony, but also see these rare finds, which were not extant in the Stoneshadow. Korvask assured him he would check it out, and if the find was legit, involve the elder. Satisfied, Helbek decided to stay in Yivica while the rest of the Fellowship checked out the site.

The Tomb

The next day the Fellowship caught up on rest after the exhausting celebration the night before, heading out in early afternoon. Nymeer cut the day-long slog to a couple hours by airship, with Javis pointing the way by air. The canopy was too thick to land the ship, and tying up was problematic since the active jungle life could pose unpredictable threats, so the Fellowship asked Nymeer to return before dusk the following day.

Lowering down to the site by cable, they met with the chief academic on site, Reskin. The dwarves had discovered the tomb by accident a month or so ago, and he had burrowed into it and found a stone box at its center. Since the fire wasps on site were easily antagonized, he drafted the Fellowship to help carry the massive stone box back to the campsite nearby, where they put it in a shallow pit they used for fires and covering things they wanted to keep away from local wildlife.

As a mason, Devron was able to concoct a solution out of the local plantain wine that dissolved the seal on the stone box. Opening it, they found a mummified corpse covered in jewelry, holding a skull-sized rounded stone. The stone had a fascinating texture and coloration, especially interesting to Reskin, who began guarding it jealously.

Korvask was especially intrigued by the jewelry, depicting (possibly deifying) a six legged jungle-lizard thing, and the numerous little statues in the box.

The Fellowship also met three orc scouts who were assisting the dwarves; Tarhun, a hulk who was a bit dopey. Ixandra, a calculating and sly jungle orc. Grell, a suspicious warrior.

Stone Warriors

In the dusk hours, as their studies continued, flaming javelins were hurled into tents. The dwarves reeled as attackers swarmed out of the treeline. The Fellowship were quickest to respond, springing into battle as the other dwarves scrambled to put out fires and gear up.

The dwarven victory was swift and decisive, leaving the attackers sprawled all over the site. With closer examination, the attackers were human, daubed in mud for camouflage and possibly religious reasons.

The Fellowship identified a dazed stone warrior and tied him up, asking Tarhun to try and communicate with him. The stone warrior apparently shared some language roots with the orc language, and mainly threatened them; when asked why he should be spared, he said he would go to his god and demand their deaths if they killed him. They shrugged and let the orc bash his head in. The orcs dragged the fallen stone warriors over to the burn pit and ate some of them.

Ixandra reported she had come across the trail of the stone warriors, so they could be tracked; considering the darkness, and the futility of killing more of them for the sake of killing them, the Fellowship passed.

The stone warriors mounted another raid in the night, this time focused on the stone, but they were easily repulsed.

Bait and Switch

Reskin was eager to get his prize stone back to Yivica. The Fellowship formed a plan with his input. Send all the dwarves and the orcs on foot, giving every indication they had all the loot from the tomb. Then the Fellowship, Reskin, and Tarhun would wait by the tomb and catch a ride back with Nymeer before dusk.

The dwarves and orcs obediently packed up and headed out. While the Fellowship waited by the tomb and the day wore on, an enterprising stone warrior managed to rope a cave king as a mount, and rode on the Fellowship. The brutal dwarves made short work of the bipedal monster and its giant jaws, killing the stone warrior as an afterthought.

Pickup

The sun went down, and in the gathering gloom the Fellowship tried to rig a beacon. Using lanterns wasn’t going to be bright enough, and they tried to make a fire in the wet jungle and only succeeded in wasting The Dan’s fanny keg of the good stuff. Korvask used his blood brush to sketch out a sizable rune for brilliance, pouring life force into it, and it shone up to illuminate the canopy overhead.

Hours late, the Sea Scout limped into the airspace overhead and lowered a rope. They climbed up, distressed to see the fire wasp scoring and bat goblin corpses hanging from the carriage. Nymeer and Javis fought off several waves of attackers that damaged the airship some, but they could limp back to Yivica.

On the trip back, Korvask was suspicious of Reskin’s content contemplation of the stone; as a scholar, he should be trying to interact with it. They experimented some, to the point of rapping on it and licking it. Korvask persuaded Reskin to agree to take the stone to Whiskey Forge to look it over, provided he could go along and retain ownership and control of the stone.

Conclusion

Once again the Sea Scout carried them over the waves, back to Whiskey Forge. Upon presenting the stone to the loremasters, they discovered it was a basilisk egg. Basilisks had not been seen for decades at least, maybe centuries. The stone was likely two to three thousand years old, and could yet hatch if exposed to some kind of draconic royal jelly. At least, that’s what legends suggested. No one was in a hurry to hatch a basilisk.

Scream Peak

05 Sunday Apr 2020

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caskbound, play report

Clan Caskbound, played 3.27.20 IRL, 4.28.2121 IG.

  • Devron Leveller (Mark) Berserker. Chosen, Mason.
  • Dandel “The Dan” Deeptunnel (Simon) Berserker. Carouser, Miner, Brewer.
  • Korvask Wyrt (Michael) Vanguard. Enchanter, Scholar.
  • [Gudrun Caskbound (Iris) Mauler. Enchanter, Scholar, Armorer.] Character present, not player.
  • NPCs on the expedition: Nymeer, Helbek, Scout LePeek.

Possibly Relevant Details

Once the airship was some distance away from Ryvolko, their human guide, Scout LePeek, revealed that he was not totally forthcoming about where they were headed. There was a mine where the dwarves were based, and he spent a month and a half there at one point (for undisclosed reasons) and that’s how he learned some Dirit, their native language. They have a pretty friendly arrangement with the local orcs, who scout and hunt for them, but the Krung Throneshadow doesn’t want to look soft or admit they collaborate with dwarves.

This sounded highly unlikely to the Fellowship, who viewed their scout with fresh distrust. Still, one way or another, they had to investigate.

Rithbod and Scorns

They set the airship down, leaving Gudrun and Nymeer to protect it. Scout insisted they should intercept an orc, Rithbod, and his scorns, or ranger guards in the jungle. They navigated through the jungle well, reaching a vantage point where they could see Rithbod and the scorns feasting on some local animal they brought down. Scout went down to talk to them, and the nervous dwarves followed when violence didn’t immediately erupt. Rithbod spoke decent Dirit, and urged them to follow as he took them to the other stumpies.

On the way they were attacked by more of the bipedal jungle lizards, almost mount sized, called cave striders by the orcs. The battle was fierce, but the dwarves and orcs won through; Rithbod stuck it out, even though his scorns ran into the jungle to regroup later.

The Dwarf Gate

The Fellowship, led by an orc and a human, reached a hidden fold of the mountain with a rickety bridge stretched across a couple rocks to a back door into the mountain. Wary, they crossed the bridge to find a shaft sunk into the rock centuries ago, looking neglected. As they entered the mountain, they encountered another orc, Locrag, who was assigned to aid the dwarves that resided in this place. He led them to their kin.

The Fellowship met the local dwarves in a spare, utilitarian forge storeroom common room chamber in the mountain. They were introduced to the leader, Chimur, an enchanter engineer with an enchanted locked gauntlet, Hellbiter; a bane weapon against the infernal. His pick, Sagaba, and shield, Inoru, as well as Yabar and Droktho (who was currently assigned to guard duty deeper in.)

They celebrated together, draining The Dan’s gift keg and singing the old songs together, both delighted to fill in some gaps in times past. Finally, some answers.

Previously, at the Dwarf Gate

Over 400 years ago, the orcs approached Lorcrow, at Ryvolko. They were struggling with a problem that outgrew their shamanistic solutions, and they thought dwarven enchantment could help. A massive fire demon they called Mruloor was pushing out of a volcano, and they could not contain it.

As a proper Bloodcrag enchanter, Lorcrow knew how to use volcanoes to flow lava into channels and create large-scale binding runes. He led his people in an assault on Scream Peak, the mountain overhead. Again and again they drove at the demon’s forces, conjured out of thin air with infernal energy and flame and bone. Lorcrow lost his brothers and his son in the final assault, but the dwarves bound Mruloor long enough to construct the Seal Chamber to keep the demon restrained for centuries more.

The battered clan could not stay under Scream Peak, for the leaking infernal energy was too much to subject them to day after day for years on end. A handpicked elite stayed to maintain the site and its enchantments, and the rest were granted a nice location for their colony, protected in the Krung Throneshadow, relatively nearby. Lorcrow would not allow travel and visiting back and forth, to minimize the risks and preserve the secrecy. So most of the dwarves left, and over the centuries, those who remained dwindled to a handful.

Since the orcs handle hunting and defense, the main casualties were from leaking infernal energies pooling in them in secret; rigorous as their testing is, it is difficult to be vigilant decade after decade, and there were lapses.

The Seal Chamber

The Fellowship was keen to see the seal chamber, center of the runic defense of the site. Chimur and Inoru escorted them, and they met with Droktho along the way. Korvask detected infernal energies accumulated in Droktho, and quietly alerted the Fellowship.

When they reached the lava-baked column that anchored the seal chamber, they were alarmed to see how it had deteriorated. A surge of infernal energy shoved up out of the lava, creating a massive energy and lava cave king lizard that roared at them and attacked. Slagging weapons, they managed to batter it down to slop apart, and they withdrew.

Now that they knew the seal was badly weakened, and they knew the location and story of the Dwarf Gate, they could return to Whiskey Forge and send some specialists out to shore up the defenses–with orc permission, of course.

Covering and Defending

Lorcrag, the orc assistant, agreed to work with the locals and get permission to bring more enchanters out to anchor the site–as long as the dwarves weren’t preparing for expansion or war. They agreed.

The fellowship insisted Droktho return with them, as his infernal contamination could compromise the site at any time. He flatly refused, and as a vanguard, challenged them to move him. They let it go–but The Dan was a carouser with long experience in manipulating dwarven honor. He got Droktho drinking, regaling him with tales of Whiskey Forge, and tricked him into promising to come take a look.

In the sober light of morning, Droktho’s vow held, and he grudgingly left with the Fellowship. They began the long trip back to the airship, and from there, back to Whiskey Forge. Once they arranged for reinforcement of the Seal Chamber, they would check on the colony to see how the rest of the dwarves had fared in the Throneshadow.

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