Ur
For some backstory, see also Talathees#Original_Ur_Campaign_Notes
Characters
Saul, the barrel chested monk/bard, played by John.
Kojax, the humorless and disciplined swordmaster, by Jacob.
Academis, the wizened historian and dabbler in mysterious magics, played by Jess.
Andrew the enthusiastic engineer, played by Omega.
Fabian Maximillus the hanky-wielding aristocrat, played by Brant.
Treewalker the Pathfinder-Ranger elf, played by Brant.
Darnell Armand the oversized brawler from Zareph, played by John.
Story
To the Caskets
The party trekked east, acquired certain caskets, toured Osiris, and then came back to pursue their quarry, the legions of Branok who had previous sacked Talathees and then turned their attention north.
Pursuing Branok
With a group of dedicated sailors-turned-soldiers dubbed the Wolves, Kojax led the force on the trail of Branok's army after hearing that an ancient mountaintop alert system had been triggered for the first time in generations.
The Wolves passed through the Broken Lands en route to Druid Grove where they found hundreds of orc corpses stung by wasps, some also speared. There they met Faunus McClavie who told them of his master Rasha's successful attempt to repel Brokan's forces, and advised the party that the army now travels south, back towards Talathees to obtain passage by sea to Alathyth where Branok believes the Breastplate of Ahkad resides.
Pursued by Branok
The Wolves traveled back through the Broken Lands (on a much smooth route advised by Faunus), had costly skirmishes with Branok's forces, and fled south towards Talathees.
After another costly skirmish and a week of travel across the cold brown hills, the party encountered the Cooper family, who had fled Talathees during the attack and were only now, some 7 weeks later, returning to the city.
Defense of Talathees
Upon arrival in Talathees, the party found General Veronus to have taken firm control of the city and was proceeding quickly with repairs, improvements, and fortifications.
As Branok's army approaches, Veronus is assassinated, Kojax skewers the half-orc known as Red with a crossbow bolt through the eye socket, and Colonel Flavius has a nervous breakdown, turning over his family treasure to Kojax.
Saul gives tells a powerful tale of heroism and vengeance from the city wall as a prelude to Brad's announcement of Veronus' death, Kojax's new role as commander of the city, and his own rank of executive officer (XO) to the Commander. The citizen soldiers accept the changes with renewed hope and pride, and preare for the onslaught.
A bloody battle follows, with the casketed warriors striking down orcs like so much cordwood, falling only to angry ogres. Andrew races from ballista to ballista offering guidance and repairs while Kojax and the Wolves hack through orcflesh and Academus causes disruptions, delays, and illusions to foil the enemies' operations.
In the end, Branok himself enters the blood-slick city, is injured badly by Brad's charging lance, unhelmeted by Academus' sorcery, and finally cut down by Commander Kojax. Branok's final words, though, are haunting:
He that deceiveth The Master, He that shall cause the blood of the Loyal to spill, This wretched soul shall perish in fire, The Master maketh great wonders, And maketh fire come down from the heavens in the sight of men, And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever, For the Master's power is complete, And they that deceiveth the Master shall perish in flames. Academus... shall... suffer...
Abduction of Saul
For 17 days, the party engaged in the rebuilding of Talathees:
- Academus studied and pondered the recent events (and Branok's final words).
- Andrew advised the defense forces on additional defense preparations.
- Kojax brooded, planned, and signed paperwork occasionally, growing restless.
- Saul tended to the dead, and the bereaved.
- Brad took over all operational details of running and rebuilding the city.
- Fabian Maximillus negotiated government support for rebuilding his shipyard.
Then one brisk January morning, as Academus and Fabian made their way towards Kojax's simple apartment, a mad priest, foaming at the mouth, clawing his own chest raw, and dragging a diseased dog along, ran up to Academus and said, in a trance:
THE END DAYS HATH COME WHEN THE MOON SHALL BE AS BLOOD AND WATER AS THE VENOM OF THE ASP AND THE SEA DOTH BOIL, AND DOGS BLEED INTO THE EARTH, WHILE THE NEW MASTER STALKS, OUT OF HIS MOUTH A SHARP SWORD GOETH, THAT WITH HE SHOULD SMITE DOWN THE UNFAITHFUL, AND HE SHOULD RULE THE NATIONS WITH A ROD OF IRON.....
The priest then spontaneously ignites from the inside out -- a sequence of events Academus recognizes as a sign of demons.
Simultaneously, an inn owner runs up to Academus from the other direction to announce that Saul was kidnapped in the night.
Pursuit of Saul's Captors
The party fans out to collect evidence, and is soon on the trail of Ace Braylee and his crew, whom they track to Camp Argent 30 miles outside the city. A violent altercation follows, but all combatants survive after Ace and others are gravely wounded throws in the towel.
Ace explains that his crew was hired by a woman named Katrina to kidnap Saul. Ace and his crew are carried back to Talathees to be imprisoned (but not before Fabian nearly burns the prisoners and the tavern down).
The party comes to learn that Katrina left (with a large wooden box) recently for the islands of the southwest aboard a trading vessel, and the party pursues aboard Fabian's pleasurecraft.
As they approach, the water seems to boil as they traverse a huge school of fish.
Academus summons himself a vision of Saul's whereabouts, and sees him crucified in a cave on an island.
At the first island encountered, the party learns that the merchant vessel belongs to one Ovid Battista, a shrewd and obese merchant with a penchant for pretty girls, who travels with a 4 huge lizardman bodyguards. His crew unloaded the planned shipment of tools and grains, and left with just one passenger, a beautiful scarlet-haired woman, and her cargo.
The next day, the party's pleasurecraft was boarded and inspected (and taxed) by Valenti Monrovia's men and informed that Battista travels west, towards the Isles of the Black Ether.
The next day, the party spots Battista's anchored ship and goes ashore to search for Saul. With no firm leads evident, the party is advised to consult the wise old hag Eminscu (accompanied by her troll servant Maleluca). After testing the party by telling her troll to slay them (and the troll being handily cut down), the hag informs Academus that he is both marked and warded ("some irony, yes?"), and provides directions to the Temple of the Cobra, where Saul is supposedly held.
The night, the party witnesses a group of 50-dark robed men standing in a 50-yard pentagram formation, black candles in hand, and chanting:
By those four animals that hold up the world itself, And by the light and the earth and all its creeping things, By the gates of Paradise, By the six golden candlesticks, Audi ergo et time ergo, Hear me now and be afraid, Oh noxious spirit, Oh destroyer of worlds, Oh grand dragon of the underworld, For it is I that summon and command thee....
In a short while, the chanting ends, and the acolytes progress in an orderly and silent fashion out of the clearing and the party moves in to investigate.
An Assassin Cometh
While scrounging, a fireball approaches, revealing itself to be a flaming demon of the Gortegag (assassin) variety. Both accompanying Wolves are seized with terror. Wielding a nine foot flaming scythe, it sets Kojax as its target, while four small gibbering 3-armed minor demons pursue Academus. Kojax defends with expert parries while Academus draws a magic circle to keep the beasts at bay.
In the end though, one Wolf is pierced through and subsequently beheaded, Kojax is felled by a mighty chop across the chest, and Academus' attempt to banish the assassin is too costly for his mortal frame to withstand, and he falls unconscious. The beasts make off with the Helm but do not harm the old man.
Assault on the Black Ether
The party rests the night and uses some of Terreth's powerful elven herbs to heal their wounds enough to push forward towards the Temple. The entry tunnel, 200 yards deep, slithers serpentine into the mountain, lit by slowly pulsating, humming blue stones every 10 yards, allowing mosaics and carvings of snake worship and human sacrifice to be seen.
An inner chamber, similarly lit, contains four priests, four lizard men, two podiums, an altar, a pit, a kettle suspended over crimson coals, a weapons rack, and a crucified monk.
The priests begin a lecture and issue their demands to Academis, to give up his knowledge concerning the summoning of a certain demon. The party opens fire with crossbows and the priests send in the lizardmen to slay the warriors. Bloody combat ensues; the party emerges victorious, though barely so, and sails back to Talathees, taking Ovid Battista's ship along with them.
Homecoming
Saul begins rebuilding the monastery and giving public performances of "The Rise of the Swordmaster and Defense of Talathees". Andrew works on a pistola-style crossbow with some success and romance with none. Kojax trains, broods, signs paperwork for Brad. Fabian attends to his business interests and shacks up with Penelope, the 16-yr-old daughter of a laborer. Academus heads to the Library of Leng to research next steps. All is quiet for several months, and Talathees is stable, growing, rejuvenated, optimistic.
Call for Help
Academus summons the party to Zogby via his Swift Tern Fredrick. On the way, they stop in Osiris, get directions from Jamar the dockmaster, some intelligence from Damus concerning the proclivities of Abdul Mezetlan, who is a wealthy merchant with whom Talathees has some financing deals in the works. They dine at the royal palace of King Abdullah as diplomatic guests. Fabian dances the night away with various noblewomen, and finally gets along well with a servant girl Akila. Andrew disappears that night to the mansion of a noblewoman Febi Ebonique and her husband Zahur Ebonique.
The next morning, the heads to Zogby and arrives a week later, locates Academus and bodyguard Vulso, to learn that Academus has been advised that the only appropriate help for the Katrina-Helm situation must be had from a Demon Master, and that one resides in Sri. The party presses on to that great and mysterious city.
Exploration of Sri
A week later, on approach to Sri, they are surrounded by six war brigs and boarded by Captain Aishani and her men. Swami Kashyap is brought aboard, carried on a small platform as he chants and waves incense sticks during the ship inspection. The Swami pauses silently and gazes into Academus' eyes, but then moves along. The ship passes inspection and Aishani welcomes them warmly on behalf of Emperor Krishnashandra to the great city.
After a misstep into the rough part of town, the party makes their way to the palace and its 20' walls and is directed to the administration office to set up an appointment. Fabian schmoozes his way in, describes the situation, and an appointment is set with the Minister of State Yafeu Wamukoto in a marble outbuilding within the palace walls.
The Minister allows Academus (accompanied by 3 palace guards) to go visit the Demon Master Arch-Mage Batzharikahn, deep within a horrific labyrinthine dungeon, despite the mage having been declared an enemy of the state six months previous. Batzharikahn says he'd consider helping the party if they were to bring him the melon-sized ruby possessed by the dragon Methusela in the Hammu Range.
DragonQuest
Not so easily convinced, the party fans out to gather intelligence.
Academis devours knowledge at the Grand Library of Sri and sends a request for guidance back to the Mad Elders via Fredrick. Kojax develops a concealed weapon and then visits the Black Lotus Inn to speak with Darpak, a footsoldier of the criminal underworld of Sri. There (after a few judiciously placed gold pieces), he learns that word on the street is that the Emperor had ambitions to raise an army and invade the Suijeng Basin and conquer the capital Vishnu. To that end, Arch-Mage Batzharikahn was developing potions that would allegedly create undying and perfectly loyal colonels for such an army and needed royal infant blood to do so.
Academis reports back the legend of Karunasindhu and an approximate location to begin searching for the dragon. Fabian spends some time at the Temple of the Eternal Flame and then meets with the Minister of State again, and then gathers corroborating information from Darmesh, a wealthy merchant.
Kojax and Fabian have a brief meeting with Captain Aishani. She reacts coldly to a question about operational plans of the army or any suggestion that Batzharikahn should be helped, and then with apparent bemusement to Fabian's whirlwind summary of the party's quest.
Meanwhile, Andrew studies at the Temple of Rati (goddess of pleasure).
Finally, Academis consults with Vanita in the deserted Temple of the Monkey and resolves that the trek north to go dragon-hunting is the best option. Kojax and company are skeptical but defer to Academis. Andrew is extracted from the Temple of Pleasure and the party rides north with haste.
Seven days on horseback into primeval rainforest on a well-traveled trade route along the banks of the great Nesratu River, the party is (incompetently) ambushed by Zemar Ajani and his crew of blowgun toting natives. A crossbow bolt from Kojax cripples the foolhardy bandit, and a perfect illusion of a giant cobra scatters the natives.
The party arrives in the village Jabalpur referenced both by Vanita and Darmesh and sure enough a statue to Karunasindhu is present. The local merchant/guide Debashish is quickly located, and hired to take the party across the river and into the Hammu Range to seek the dragon-worshiping tribes of the high country.
Five days ensue of close calls with forest creatures such as a bull elephant, a huge colony of 12" scorpions, an enraged tiger, and a 30' python, but the party eventually arrives at the primitive village in the cool mists of the cloud forest. From campaign notes:
Primitive village, dragon-headed totem pole, feathered headdresses, penis-gourds, eating grubs and leeches, topless native women, big nose-rings, toucans in twig cages, yummy dried iguanas hanging, naked children playing, spears and blowpipes.
Academis meets with the village elder, and, through Debashish as interpreter, convinces the elder that the party has come to worship. Two native guides are assigned, and late that afternoon, the party arrives on the pebbly banks of a cool and misty mountain lake. Rounding the bank, they discover a cliff wall with a cave entrance in the lake. Academis, Kojax, and a Wolf wade in, neck deep, and enter the cave.
Within, they discover a huge internal cavern; Academis creates light, and they find three 3' broken eggshells, and the massive skeleton of an ancient dragon, apparently coveting a moss-covered melon-sized ruby. The 25' baby dragons now make their presence known, slithering and splashing in the water menacingly, and there is some debate about how to escape the cavern unscathed.
Meanwhile, out on the bank, Andrew and Debashish try to quell the concerns of the two native guides who now are objecting strenuously to the foray into the cavern, while Fabian heroically wades part way into the water, crossbow in hand.
Academis then casts magics which allow the group to incredibly walk on the ceiling. Intrigued, the three serpents emerge to observe, three great toothy heads gazing up at the upside-down party. Kojax approaches, lies prone, and aims carefully at the great unblinking eye of one of the beasts. His expert shot appears to strike true, and all three disappear into the deep with a startled thrashing splash. The party makes haste and exits the cave with ruby in hand, defying gravity.
The native guides have run off, with Debasish following, and the party rides like the wind down off the mountain and back towards Sri.
"Complicated Politics"
Upon return to Sri, the party is met by Captain Aishani at the gates, and escorted to the Security Ministry, past a civilian rabble-rouser calling for war upon Vishnu. Within the Ministry, Deputy Minister of Internal Security Bhanu Balachandra explains that the quest to seize the helm back from demonkind is shared by the government of Sri. He requests that the party turn over the ruby for transfer to the demon master.
The party refuses and dances on thin ice within the Ministry for over an hour, finally leaving with only a single spell and punch thrown -- combined with some tricky verbal convincing by Academis.
The party cogitates on the situation for a while, corroborates parts of the government story with Vanita, witnesses a woman being carried away by guards crying "My baby!", and finally resolves to continue the negotiations, this time with weapons bared. A tense standoff follows, with the government finally allowing Academis to personally deliver the ruby to the demon master.
After doing so, the government then proposes that the party go on a diplomatic mission to Vishnu on their behalf to quell rumors of war and ensure continued peaceful trade. The party agrees and leaves immediately.
The following dawn, the ship captain calls the passengers to the deck, where the 14-man crew now wield swords, and announces, "It gives me no great pleasure to do this, but I must insist that you disembark immediately." The ship is out of the sight of land, and the orange sky of dawn provides little warmth.
Coup d'état
The party engages Captain Taranga in a brief conversation in which the Taranga claims that his assassination orders are directly from Emperor Krishnashandra. Finally, Kojax can tolerate the disrespect no longer, fastdraws a throwing axe, and cripples the captain's right arm in a flash. Butchery ensues, Academus is gravely injured, and Andrew is beheaded in the mêlée.
In the aftermath, as next steps are being discussed, Captain Aishani's ship is spotted, and the deck is cleared of carnage in preparation for being boarded. A half-truth is concocted and Taranga stumbles through his role in the ruse while Kojax prepares for any additional blade-work needed. Aishani expresses her skepticism about the stated mission and the results of its execution while Habib professes his love for her in the background.
Aishani says she has two captives aboard and they turn out to be Craylock and Majesto, with whom Academis is allowed to meet. Craylock claims the Emperor already possesses the Helm of Akhad!
Academis meets with Aishani and they review the recent goings-on, including:
- Emperor's multi-year history of growing ambition for power and conquest
- Massive build-up of Sri's military resources, including R&D into a Sataghni (huge cannon)
- Demonmaster Batzharikahn's royal-infant-sacrifice activities
- Aishani's own infant's death 8 years ago
- Academis' observance of the arch-mage's comfortable quarters
- Aishani's observance of the emperor's new helm
- Aishani's skepticism that a just emperor would assassinate a foreign head of state unprovoked
- The emperor's sudden interest in the Emerald Emir, which is dedicated to locating Akhad's armor, and the emperor's recent acquisition thereof
- The fact that demons love war, chaos, and suffering (and hence would favor a Sri-Vishnu war)
They resolve to ally and consult with Minister of State Yafeu Wamukoto at his retreat 2 miles outside the city. Craylock and Majesto are released and the other ship sent on to Vishnu with a message composed by Aishani.
Wamukoto, Craylock, Majesto, and the party secretly plot a coup, in which Craylock and Majesto will assassinate the Minister of Security and his Deputy, while Aishani and the party infiltrate the palace in search of the Emperor. With Wamukoto's assistance in disguises, intelligence, and protocols, and Aishani's familiarity and recognizability within the palace, the party gets all the way to the threshold of the Emperor's quarters, guarded by two massive ogres.
Aishani attempts to persuade the brutes without success. Academis dazes one with a spell, and Kojax instantly slays the other with multiple blinding brain-scrambling stabs.
Aishani quietly enters, and after Academis casts a spell, the party is able to observe through the closed doors.
She says a few quiet words to the two human guards within, who then allow her to approach the Emperor's bed. Two concubines are curled up at the foot of the oversized bed, and Aishani convinces one to leave the room, but the other resists and Aishani pummels her into unconsciousness, awakening the emperor and amusing the two guards.
The party enters at this point -- the guards advise they wait a moment for the "cat fight" to conclude. The emperor blinks sleepily, unaware of his fate. Academis dazes both guards and approaches the helm. Kojax approaches the emperor and says (something like):
On behalf of people of Talathees, it is time for you to pay for Andrew's death!
Aishani plunges a knife into the shocked emperor's jugular, Fabian buries a crossbow bolt in his vitals, and then Aishani straddles him and plunges the blade into his face three more times. The emperor dies quietly, without any fuss or struggle. Academis grabs the helm and an expensive necklace and Kojax requisitions a magical broadsword from the weapons rack before the new Prime Minister enters the room and advises the party as to the best exit route.
Execution of the tactical part of the coup is complete; the Prime Minister next addresses the political part with great apparent success. The party (including Craylock and Majesto) are afforded proper foreign dignitary status once again, and Aishani herself (now Commander Aishani) offers to provide transport for the group back to Zogby.
The Helm's Promise/Hrothgar's already dead...he just doesn't know it yet.
The party went and attained council from the Mad Elders. They spoke of a way to rid the helm of evil, and that to guide them the party should find "One of brute, and one of grace," back in Talathees. Captain Aishani accompanied the crew back to Talathees on a Sri - Man 'o War ship.
Back in Talathees, the crew came upon an elf and a human on the docks. The elf, Treewalker, (and his brute henchman Darnell Armand), was looking for a man named Hrothgar. As he was asking for Hrothgar's whereabouts, he went into a daze and spoke of the Helm of Akhad, and vaguely about how its evil may be banished.
After settling administrative matters with Brad, the party forged north in pursuit of Hrothgar, who held both another piece of Akhad's armor and perhaps the key to removing the evil from the Helm of Akhad.
After more than a week at sea and a brief encounter with a sea monster (the party wisely fled), they docked in Argyle to re-supply.
Shortly after arriving, Treewalker spotted a vessel of Icelund, and while the rest of the party proceeded to acquiring supplies and finding a hot meal, he and Darnell approached... and attacked. Darnell was grievously wounded in the encounter, but Treewalker dropped the three Icelundic warriors and subsequently slit their throats and carved a "DEATH TO HROTHGAR" message on a table top within the lower deck.
The overt bloodshed summoned the flying gnome police of Argyle, who deftly took the survivors into custody.
Hours later, with the rest of the party pondering Academis' stomach-troubles in the Green Bean tavern, the accused were questioned by a mysterious cat-eyed legless mage. Treewalker claimed that his acts were not murder, but rather the opening volley of a war between elven Glimmorwood and the barbarians of Icelund. The mage was convinced, and offered the aid of Argyle once the military campaign begins in earnest. (Whether he speaks for the whole of Durkin is unknown.)
Seeking out Icelunders without their throats slit, the party ended up in front of a popular brothel, just in time to have a chat with a swaggering drunken Norseman. The party persuaded him (violently) to accompany them to the docks, whereupon they requisitioned the Icelundic vessel and sent their Talathesian vessel home and continued north.
After a brief stop in Saint Germaine to acquire Icelundic blond wigs and furs, the party pressed on to Saint Vincent, where the locals had no ill will for the Icelundic raiders, leading some to suspect collusion with the barbarians. A guide was hired, and the party continued north.
Upon docking in Icelund as their guide advised, and approaching a small village of primitive mud huts, the party was called upon to halt by the village leader and his burly guards. Niceties degenerated rapidly after one of the guards was inadvertently kicked unconscious by a party member's horse.
A brief argument ended when the village leader drew his 6' sword and threatened Treewalker's life. Darnell quickly attacked from behind with his closed fists, knocking the leader unconscious. This act provoked the guards into a berserker rage, and immediately committed them to slaughtering the party. Grievous bloodshed followed. Treewalker lost his left leg at the knee, and one of the Wolves was nearly killed. All the village guards were killed or incapacitated, and as Darnell looked up from the blood-spattered mud in which he sat, and a now-recovered Academis rode up to help, a village elder began applauding the slaughter. ...