Redmark Date: Third Age—April 19, 1331

(Writeup to come!)

Redmark Date: Third Age—April 19, 1331

A good long talk

Standing at the entry to the cave, Lundie suggests to Fire Wilow that she stay outside, as she is deathly afraid of the Copru. Once it is decided that she will cast invisibility on herself and wait inside the boat the group took to get across the small moat. During this time the group learns from Fire willow and a little deduction that the Copru may have been formed by a kobold, which is now a kobold-lich. Marcus and Quintos surmise that this Kobold-lich is Kredigag. (See session log #25 for details).

Near the end of the conversation Quintos (or was it his owl) sees some movement out of one of the eyes of the sculpture on one of the walls outside the cave entrance. Quintos gives chase and sees 2 figures running down the hall way from this viewing port. Only to figure, that the party has lost the element of surprise. Due to this the party decides to charge into the cave.

The group is encountered by 3 witch doctors and 3 tribal warriors in the entry room of this temple(?). With every party member doing their part they make quick work of the potential attackers. With two trying to flee only to lead the party to a secret door. Which the party opens and soon find that a much larger room awaits them.

Loot Report

Nothing more than the lint found in our pockets

Inside the medical area the party spotted a gruesome medic performing horrible experiments on all sorts of bodies…or what would once be considered bodies. Horribly malformed and mutilated, the bodies began to stir, waking and pursuing the heroes. Instinctively attacking, the party set to work and laid waste to the foul creatures, and eventually setting upon the mad doctor himself. Realizing it was another undead beast, nothing was off limits and his destruction was swift (but not painless).

Beyond the medical bay stood a long narrow hallway with no doorways, only a left turn many feet down. Following the hallway, the heroes turned the corner and immediately felt the presence of all things wrong, unholy and foul. Sensing urgency in the situation, the religious leaders (Marcus and Lundie) burst through the doors in front of them and stared in awe at the desecrated temple. Large enough to appear as though it did not belong in this small of an area but small enough to feel as though it was constantly closing in on them, this room was wrong and unholy. As the heroes began making their way into the sanctuary, shrines to Margon were noted and immediately four large spirits appeared and attacked. These large 8-foot tall creatures resembled what was left of some form of human, but far too tall and certainly ghastly.

Wading in, these spectral monstrosities flew in and around the combatants and hit immensely hard. After nearly being felled by wicked blows from these four kings, the party focused fire and took them down one by one. Striking hard and fast they were able to pick the kings off, and had the foresight to destroy them completely with radiant magic. Having defeated the enemies and knowing that their escape was looming, Lundie and Marcus could not leave the sanctuary in such a state. They chose to spend time and forego some rest in order to cleanse the temple as best they could with their limited time.

Seeing one ominous staircase at the back of the sanctuary the party struck out, determined to find their exit. Down the seemingly endless steps laid a single door in a small landing area. More and more foul energy emanated from behind the closed door and the heroes booted in the door to face whatever evil lay beyond.

Inside this carved out cave of a room lay the plague maiden herself. The leader of the Conclave of Dreams, corrupted with undead energy, cackled and whispered something in a language our heroes could not speak. Choking on the noxious fumes, the heroes saw a way out and set out to lay this awful creature to rest. Struggling against the horrible aura that this woman (or former woman) had upon her, Marcus and Quintos teamed up to take her out in hand-to-hand combat while Lundie focused his holy damage upon her in an attempt to striker her from existence. Ghost Dancer, sensing the need of the group threw a series of support spells and damage spells, drawing both attention and her ire. Each contribution was of enormous help but each hit they dealt to her in turn dealt damage to the heroes from her overwhelmingly corrupted body. The tide suddenly turned when the last of her minions was struck down by Quintos, allowing the full force of the party’s resources to be poured onto her in a flurry of glorious battling fury. After mere moments she was felled and the party were able to escape the nightmarish compound.

They did not manage to set fire to the compound, nor did they ensure that they recovered the bodies of any that had wandered in before them. What became of the Lost Conclave? I guess we will find out if anyone ever stumbles upon it again. Perhaps the Chromatic Wizards will find a more suitable location for this awful resting place.

Redmark Date: Third Age—April 19, 1331

A Thorny Situation

The party makes their way toward the volcano lake where they believe the Chromatic Wizards to be. On the way, they notice an increase in the intensity and frequency of the seismic tremors shaking the island. As they approach the lake where the volcanic crater lake resides, they see a boma—a tall thorn fence—that surrounds a village. The party hails the villagers, who open the gate, and stand ready to defend their village.

Ooh! Candles!

As Fano, the Talking Chief comes out, along with Umlet the Shaman, Ghost Dancer kneels to show respect, and gives them an offering of candles as a gift. He shows them how to light them. The villagers all go nuts for this amazing display of technology. With that, they are invited into the village.

The Chief tells the group of the lake that houses the volcano crater with a lake and island in it. To which, Quintos replies: “So we’re looking for an island within a lake within volcano within another lake within an island within an alternate universe within a vortex?”

Short answer: yes.

Going to See the Chief

The villagers take the party to see the chief, who lives on a houseboat a hundred yards from shore. The chief is a stone idol, and it speaks through The Talking Chief—who goes into a trance and talks with a deeper, crustier voice.

Cannibals Love Making VLTs (Villager, Lettuce, and Tomato Sandwich)

The Talking Chief tells of how the cannibals on the island have tormented their tribe, raiding it frequently to harvest villagers and devour them. He pleads for help from the party. He has seen their great magic: candles. Surely the heroes can help them defend against cannibals.

“We have killed many cannibals already,” Quintos says. He begins to tell the tales of their conquests on the island, with Ghost Dancer jumping in to provide the visuals with his illusion spells. The villagers are in awe.

“You have indeed killed many cannibals,” the Talking Chief says. “But we must cut off the head of the snake for the danger to be truly eliminated.”

The Copru

As it turns out, the head of the snake lives in the volcano crater. The Copru. Whether this is the name of a single beast or a hive of beasts, the party knows not. But the Copru is powerful enough to have imprisoned the Chromatic Wizards, who live in the crater, too.

Upon uttering the name “Copru,” Fire Wilow squeaks, and freaks out, burrowing deep into Lundie’s beard. (Lundie meanwhile, naively believes that he will one day find a “female” dwarf, not realizing that none exist…)

New Spells

Quintos learns a new spell from one of the ancient scrolls recovered by the party. It is powerful magic from the First Age. It is a spell that is good for a single use. It creates an anti-magic zone in which magic fails, creatures have disadvantage, and movement slows by half.

Into the Volcano to Battle the Copru, Free the Chromatic Wizards, and Kick Monster Arse

The heroes are paddled to the volcano crater in outrigger canoes. Intensifying earthquakes rock the island, making it difficult to even stand at times. In the volcanic crater lake, they find an island with a ruined temple. Beyond the pillars at the front of the temple, they see an ominous cave. Ivamel shrugs and says, “All you fragile, magic-using people, get behind me and let’s go kill some stuff.”

What awaits the party? Will they survive? Will they liberate the Chromatic Wizards—and will the wizards help the party get themselves and their buffalo herd back to Redmark? Or will heroes meet their untimely end?

LOOT REPORT

Just some rancid squid