Session 41 recap

The party:

Hector, a 13th level Archontean fighter

Vul, a 13th level Archontean magic-user

Julia, a 14th level Archontean cleric of Lucreon

Melnax, a 7th level elf

Bjorn, a 8th level Wiskin assassin

Susarra, a 10th level Archontean fighter (retainer)

Scylla, a 9th level Archontean ranger (retainer)

The party spent a long time discussing the various puzzles pieces before them and the possible solution. After theorizing for an hour [game time and real time] they decided on two possibilities, the second of which was the correct answer. As they finished building the correct structure on the table, a secret door in the southwest corner of the room slid open, revealing a short narrow passage that led to a simple undecorated chamber. A stone pedestal stood in the center of the chamber, surrounded by four simple stone benches. Atop the pedestal lay a a piece of yellow silk which appeared to be wrapped around a small object. Coco ritually cast Detect Magic with nothing visible in the room appearing magical until Hector unwrapped the yellow silk, revealing a pair of architect’s dividers, which did have a strong magical aura.

Returning to the main tomb area, the party used the Thoth Patrol Method™ to open the sarcophagus, revealing he mummified remains of Phocion, surrounded by desiccated flowers, pure white sand, and several valuable objects including two rings, a rod, a cube of obvious Rudishvan manufacture, and a platinum cloak pin set with lapis. Bjorn immediately pushed the button on the Rudishvan device and it began to project a ghostly image (similar to that of Akla-Chah) of Phocion as an old man which began speaking in Mithric about several matters including the principles of proper architectural design, emphasizing the four key components of proportion, uniformity, consistency, and economy. The second portion of the recording was Phocion modestly describing his dividers describing their properties before lamenting the greedand deception he could see in his comrades’ eyes. The last part was Phocion explaining that he devised one last ‘great work’ meant to keep the dividers secret until ‘one who was worthy’ proved capable of understanding Phocion’s life work and the ‘proper combination of beauty, function, and strength’.

Deciding to continue searching for the clay heads that presumedly contained the memories of Hector, the goblin, and the Wiskin, Exploring the caves around where the magical trap had been, they discovered the skeleton of a dwarf lying crushed under a large piece of stone in a dead end passage. Moving the stones and searching the body revealed an inert dwarven life stone and a ring forged of alternating swirls of yellow and white gold, with a large shaped piece of jade mounted on it which detected as magical to Coco’s ritual.

Continuing to search the caverns the party found a chamber with a large flattened rock formation which resembled a round table. On it rested three tarnished upside down silver cups. Bjorn threw rocks until he knocked one over, revealing a scrap of parchment. Moving into the chamber they found that the parchment read “Discord – return to the Citadel at once. The Master needs you” and was sealed with an image of a sunburst. Nothing was found under any of the other cups and the party continued their exploration.

Moving through the passages that surrounded the Temple of Besa the party found a chamber that was coated with a pale blue lichen. Cautious exploration did not reveal any negative effects of the lichen, and the party made their way through the chamber and down a passage that led to an obvious secret door, through which they found a room they had previously visited contains trash and a dwarf skeleton reaching towards a Rudishvan object of unknown function. Bjorn used an Akexia’s Useful Pole to knock the cyclinder over but nothing happened.

Returning the way they had come the party found a passageway that appeared to wind down towards a deeper part of the Halls. Continuing past it they found a large cavern, the center of which contained a large pond of crystal clear water. As Hector approached the pool he noticed not only a skeleton in rotted leather at the bottom but also a translucent jelly-like creature floating atop the water. Bjorn threw a torch at the creature, causing it to flow towards shore and attach itself to Hector, damaging him and beginning to eat its way through his armor. Hector activate the flaming sword capability of the Rod of Lordly Might and the oars was able to dispatch the strange creature before it destroyed Hector.s armor. Bjorn dove into the pool to revive a dagger he hard thrown at the beast and found a metal box next to the skeleton. Examining the box back on dry land it was found to contain four pearls.

Returning to exploration of the passageways, the party found a six foot diameter hole in the floor of one of the passageways. Exploring down the hole they found that it quickly led into a worked chamber of Archontean manufacture. A wooden table twenty feet in length stood in the center with four five foot long benches encircling it. The table was full of delicious looking and smelling exotic food set in simple wooden and copper serving vessels including spicy vegetable dishes, a succulent smelling roast, cups of wine, and a quivering sweet pudding. The walls were decorated with ancient and faded frescoes showing naked diners at a feast enjoying both a variety of Archontean dishes and each other.

Coco began casting Detect Magic as a ritual but the noise soon attracted the attention of the Rudishvans Vatapi and Tataka who were surprised to see the party again. After a brief conversation the pair invited to party to dine with them, saying that they had set out the grand feast for whoever might happen to drop in. Born found this highly suspicious and decided to solve this conundrum buy exercising the Bjorn Doctrine™, i.e. throwing a dagger at the chest of Tataka. Despite his aim being true the dagger seemed to have no effect. Hector followed this up by attacking with the rod of Lordly Might in spear mode, damaging Tataka and causing his appearance to change into that of a large humanoid tiger creature. Coco summoned an Invisible Stalker, instructing it to “kill the Rudishva”. Tataka chanted “ILVALA ILVALA ILVALA” and the illusion in the room faded as the the vegetable dishes became moldy mushrooms, the wine water, and the desserts lichen patched together with water and mud. The succulent roast congealed together and rose into the form of a third, apparently Rudishvan creature, which immediately drank potion and disappeared. Vitapi used a wand to cast a Cone of Cold on part of the party, causing Bjorn to drop from the ceiling and lay dying on the floor. Coco attempted to paralyze one of the creatures with a Rudishvan Useful Palm of Correction, but he beasts magic resistance enabled it to ignore the effects. Julia healed Bjorn but Vitapi fired another Cone of Cold, killing Bjorn and dropping Coco. Susarra gave Coco a potion after a Fireball from Tataka’s wand further injured her and killed Melnax. A pitched battle began, with the party slowly whittling down the creatures, with the invisible Ilvala appearing as she tried to cast a Fireball from the fallen Tatiana’s wand, finding it was out of charges. With all of the creatures wounded and no longer resembling Rudishva, the Invisible Stalker departed. After dispatching the final creature, Hector revived Coco with another potion and Bjorn and Mlenax were brought back to life with the last two charges on the Jade Cup of Life Restoration.

Image courtesy of Artvee

Following a passage that led back to the room where they had first encountered the “Rudishvans” Bjorn finally got to look behind the curtain that had piqued his curiosity. Down a short hallway lay a chamber where gouts of dried blood stained the walls, while two piles of human and other bones occupied the northeastern and southeastern corners. Two scorched varumani corpses hung from hooks, dripping blood onto the floor. The west wall featured shelves built into the stone containing twenty-one life sized heads made of clay, modeled to reflect different types of creatures; some human, some humanoid, some varumani, and some utterly exotic. Three of the heads resembled Hector, the goblin, and the Wiskin. The party quickly smashed all of these (finding a platinum key to the Obsidian Gates in the process), and the memories of all three returned immediately.

They learned that the goblin’s name was Niskim, and she had led a party of goblins sent by King Weskenim to locate the Scepter of the Goblins. The Wiskin’s name was Kormak and he had become lost in the bliss pollen and fallen prey to the memory trap while exploring the Nether Reaches with his party. He revealed that they had spoken to Olaf the Bee Keeper who had told them that there was an odd looking scepter in the upper reaches of the giant bees’ hive. They then looted the furniture room and finding many valuable, magic items, and books, and discussed there next moves while Julia returned to town via the rug to have they magic items identified.

R.I.P.:

Bjorn and Melnax, frozen to death by a Cone of Cold [revived with the Jade Cup of Life Restoration]

Foes defeated:

Translucent ochre jelly

Three humanoid tigers