Wandered Roads 38

Wandered Roads of Varisia
Session 38
January 31, 2015

Campaign Timeline

Take a Closer Look

Fireday, 5th of Neth

Checking Out the Love Shack

After a good long rest in one of the bedrooms, the group is ready to continue their search for the next fragment of the shattered Sihedron Star. Vexeron summons another magical servant. This one looks unmistakably like the Elf, Daellin, but wearing a butler’s outfit. He is lovingly named D’jour Ch’ker and is instructed to go down the hall and open each door. They open without incident Carefully, the party examins the rest of the rooms in this hallway and all appear to be small yet comfortable bedrooms. The engraving on the end of the hall, which is the same as on all of the non-trapped doors in the hallway draws some interest. Daellin checks it out closely and is ready to touch some of the symbols, thinking they may be connected to some magical trigger but he is dissuaded of this action by his companions. D’jour is asked to go touch the symbols instead while everyone else stays safely back. When D’jour touches the runes, they glow briefly and then a secret door opens in the wall.

The Runelord's rumpus room

The next room appears to be another bedroom, but this one is larger and much more lavishly appointed. The domed ceiling is inlaid with mother of pearl and a four poster bed dominates one wall of the room. Double doors lead to the north. Vexeron casts a See Secrets spell with the plans to maintain it, hoping to find any secret doors, hidden traps or concealed treasures.

Passing the double doors into the next chamber, the group finds another 8 sided room with a high, domed ceiling decorated with fading erotic murals. Stone benches line the walls and the floor is covered with a multi-colored mosaic of a sunburst. Fearing a magical trap, the mosaic is carefully stepped around.

The next room is a small space, 10x10 square with a door leading out of each of the 4 walls. The floor of the room is taken up by a pool of cool, clear water that seems to be fed by an underground spring.

Exploring the Workrooms

Keeping to their protocol, the group takes the door to the left first. This room is large and eight sided, like several previous rooms, with a high domed ceiling. This room appears to be some sort of alchemical laboratory and Daellin and Vexeron are quite intrigued by many of the containers and items on the stone tables. Daellin accidentally knocks over some containers on one table, causing a minor explosion. He continues his search more carefully and manages to find some sort of magical, waxy ointment in a small container.

an ancient alchemical workshop

A large corroded metal urn attracts Vexeron’s attention. Through a dirty glass lid, he can see a thick, grey substance. It seems to undulate and move slowly inside the urn. He examines it through the glass and quickly realizes that it is a magical substance commonly used in the enchantment of weapons and armor. He believes that it could be used to at least temporarily enchant quite a few items, though he does not have the time, material or expertise to make the enchantment permanent. A discussion about the material and how to best transport it is had. Realizing that it would be too difficult to carry the entire urn around (weighs over 300lbs), Vexeron decides to test it out here in the lab and coat some of the parties weapons.

As he opens the lid, he quickly finds out that his initial analysis of the substance was incorrect as a glob of the grey ooze whips out and splats him in the middle of the chest. He can hear the corrosive properties of the ooze beginning to eat its way through his shirt and armor. Quickly, the tendril of ooze is severed and someone throws the lid back on the pot. Embarrassed, Vexeron merely shrugs and the party moves on.

The next room explored is to the north of the fountain room and is another eight sided room, similar to the others with a high, domed ceiling. This room has several stone platforms draped with white sheets. They have sets of manacles set into the stone at each corner. Metal shelves are at the foot of each platform. All are empty but one. A large tome sits on one shelf. A quick examination reveals 3 magical scrolls tucked into the pages of the tome. The book and scrolls are taken.

A Maddening Worm

Next, the group checked out the final door leading from the pool room. Again, the group sees an eight sided room with a domed ceiling. This one appears to be some sort of summoning room and was in a state of disarray. A summoning pattern fills up most of the floor, and broken furniture litters the space. Across the room, a heavy bookstand can be seen, knocked on its side with a large, black tome laying on the ground next to it. Immediately, Daellin enters the room and starts to head for the book, but Vexeron stops him and tells him that something is wrong in this room. He senses unfinished magic, as if the summoning circle was somehow paused in mid enchantment. He tells Daellin that as long as he does not cross the summoning pattern on the floor, he should be fine to cross the room. Carefully, the Elf makes his way along the outside edge of the room but it turns out that just being near was enough to trigger the unstable magic in the area.

except with an axe, of course

A blast of smoke and unsettling swells of sound fill the room. As the smoke clears, a huge worm like creature fills the center of the room. The beast wields an icy axe in one tentacle and a magical wand in the other. The creature immediately attacks, sending an aura of madness over everyone. Having to fight physically and mentally, the fiendish abomination proved to be a tough opponent, though quickly the party put it on the defensive. It’s madness inducing power turned friend against friend or reduced victims into temporarily babbling idiots. The beast utilized the wand constantly, apparently using it to heal its wounds. The battle was long and hard, but eventually the Heroes of Sandpoint were victorious. They took from it the magical axe, the wand and then gathered up the black tome, which appears to be magical as well.

After resting momentarily, the group headed back toward the Chamber of the Grey Flame, having explored everything in this area of the complex. They moved through the chamber, re-lit the torch using magic to float it up to the top of the dais so they would not again trigger the summoning of demon mouth orbs. They got the secret passage to open and followed it. 

Only the Penitent Shall Pass

After following a hallway and descending some stairs, the group ended at a dead end. On the wall was a painting of Runelord Sorshen, arms outstretched as if to welcome one into her embrace. Thassalonian writing was carved into the wall as well, though it could not be read. Magical and mundane searching did not reveal any secret doors but eventually someone noticed that the paint near the feet of the painting was badly worn off. After some time, it was discovered that kneeling and kissing the feet of the painting triggered teleportation magic.

Kiss My Feet!

Everyone took their turn kneeling in front of the painting and eventually found themselves standing on a stone platform overlooking an enormous underground waterway. The room is filled with the sound of water cascading down from an opening in the ceiling immediately to the east of the tower. A fine mist of moisture fills the air.

Underground Lake

the waterfall feeds the underground lake

The walls of the large cavern appear to be covered in pale, glowing moss and lichen. Three rowboats are tied off to the pier. A monstrous carving of a demon justs out of the wall of the cave just to the north of the dock, its hand outstretched in greeting. A Thassalonian word is carved into the stone below the demon. A quick examination reveals that grasping the demon’s hand teleports one back to the mural that they had just come from.

Far across the lake to the south, another stone landing can be seen with a large metal door leading into the stone wall. The lake narrows and continues to the west.

Session Photos

Daellin trips the magical summoning circle

Kallin and Ehlyna join the fray

Session Notes

We played this session over a month ago and it has taken me FOREVER to get it typed up and posted. We are ready to play again this weekend (once a month is SUCH A LONG TIME but it's better than nothing and we do play for about 6 hours at a time!) We are having so much fun on this current part of the campaign, at least I am and I hope the others are as well.

Characters Present:

Kallin Hawkril, Half-Orc shaman and budding Priest of Pharasma - played by +Daniel Ernst
Calina - Varisian Human archer and scout - played by +Carol Coburn
Daellin Silvanthalas, Elven Farstrider Ranger - played by +Ben Lipe
Vexeron, Human wizard - played by +Greg Grady
Ehlyna Fuzziface - Dwarven Warrior - played by +Jodi H
Samad Aldhul, Human ex-mercenary - played by +JeCorey Holder
Vosk, Half-Orc Pathfinder who gets the job done, no matter what - played by +james schaffner 

and +Jason Woollard as the DM