Lazy Saturnday

Dael’s Adventure Part 15 (the Finale!)

Start from the beginning

So when we left our story, 4 of the original Diviners had shed their disguises, revealing themselves to actually be flaming skulls firing lasers from their eyes, whilst the giant gears works of the tower that we were standing on had seemed to freeze in time for a brief moment. As the gears in the tower began to turn again Solei was the first to spring into action, laying into one of the flaming skulls. The newly befriended Manticore took a swipe out of another. Several of the Darkstalkers appeared and began harrying Solei and the Manticore in return, knocking out Hubert’s pet. Honch swung his hammer at one of them, knocking him off the gear with a Wilhelm Scream and then charged across the gear face, using it’s spin to gain momentum and barrel into the other Darkstalker, knocking him over as well. This one managed to catch on to the gear, but ended up having to drop away or he would have been crushed Indiana Jones style as it spun to mesh with the main one.

I laid into the skull the Manticore had taken a swipe at, batting it down with my staff, and then punching it repeatedly so that it spun so fast the flames went out and it fell down into the clockwork below. Mortia Turned Undead, sending on of the skulls fleeing. A pair of Dark Creeper arrived on the scene about this time, and I managed to take one out, but was the only one to be able to avert my gaze in time to avoid being blinded. Undeterred by his lack of sight, Honch was able to finish off the remaining one who he had be battling. Hubert healed Mortia and she healed the Manticore. In the confusion I’m not sure who laid the blow that felled the final skull, I suspect it was Vyrez, however once it was extinguished the gears froze again and we made our way to the top of the tower, as we stepped out there was some sort of dreamlike change and we found ourselves on the face of the clock, facing Darkness

Darkness gave a vitriolic monologue about how everything was anyone’s fault but her own, everyone was out to get her, and if she couldn’t have her way she’d burn the whole world down. This of course could not stand, as that’s where I keep all my things! I got the drop on her and tried hitting her with my staff, but it barely seemed to damage her, so I switched to fists and feet, but was changing stance was too slow and I wasn’t able to connect. Hubert began tossing acid at her, then she reached out and punched Vyrez and I, setting us on fire… maybe due to the dream-nature of the battle the fire didn’t actually hurt, however next time I hit hurt with my fists, it felt like I was on fire, so I switched back to the staff and trying to stun her. She teleported over to Hubert who evaded (semi-successfully) and healed Vyrez. Solei sent her shadow dog on Darkness, and began calling down Eldritch Blasts upon her. I finally managed to connect with a pressure point with the staff, stunning her long enough for Vyrez to pile in and finish her off!

At this point the clock face shattered, the pieces falling to the ground hundreds of feet below, but somehow we stayed where we were and able to make our way back inside the tower, which had resumed normal size and proportions. In fact, when we reached the streets below the city had mostly returned to normal, and the sun was just beginning to rise. Aside from Cilla and ourselves almost no one had any sort of recollection of the night. Hubert and Mortia go tthe “job” at Eight Arms. Solei and Vyrez went off with some vagrant. Honch showed me how to drink Vodka and make Borscht.

When I came to enter these last notes I was very much afraid I’d have to write everything down again, that due to the effects of the dream my notes would not have been recorded, but as opened my journal I noticed a small note in the front written in someone else’s hand. It read simply “You’re welcome. -D.” Somehow I doubt the Friar Slatebow will believe it, but hopefully the rest of my excursions in the city will be enough to satisfy the requirements of my pilgrimage.

I hope you’ve enjoyed hearing about Dael’s adventures, and I look forward to doing more in-character writes up in the future for Dael and other adventures!

Dael’s Adventure Part 13

Start from the beginning

In the central hallway a giant water form emerged. Hubert explained that it was a water elemental but didn’t have any great advice on how to deal with it. So Vyrez tried stabbing it (splish) and I tried punching it (splash) to no effect. Then we noticed a small whirlpool in each of the six rooms. The first whirlpool investigated had some sort of terrifying dream nightmare beast full of blades and pain. Hubert later said dispatching them was as simple as hitting them in the “no-no” place, and that he’d dispatched one easily, but none of us saw it. Further it became apparent that some of the whirlpools contained icy monsters that were practically indestructible. Finally there was occasionally a third type of water monster, a smaller elemental I guess? This was easily dispatched and each time we did so all of the other whirlpools (and the monsters within) would dissipate and then reform. Better still, doing this seemed to hurt the big watery monster in the center of the room. I won’t bore you with the precise details, suffice to say Honch and Vyrez were both on deaths door, and if it had taken us but a minute more Vyrez would probably have bleed to death from the wounds inflicted on him by the Stabby whirlpool monsters. Fortunately I was able to move through the water fairly quickly with a slightly modification to the Sake Stumble Home technique and get to the last of the vulnerable monsters after which the water began to recede and the monsters disappeared. Then Solei, Hubert and Mortia were able to stabilize Vyrez at the very last moment.

After a brief rest we climbed the stairs and were able to make it not only to the third floor, but eventually to the roof. Honch suggested an area of the ward that had practically no lights as the likely “home” of Doldrums, and using another ladder that Hubert produced from his wonderous cloak we were easily able to travel from roof to roof and arrive at what turned out to be the Post Office. Solei let us in as it was closed for the night. After searching the building to no avail we ended up congregated in the break room trying to decide where to go next. I examined the “coffee” which was so old it had practically turned into tar, and Honch worked some sort of cooking magic on it, turning into not just palatable, but exquisite espresso with decorative foam on top. Just then the center of the break room opened up into a yawning abyss, a whirlpool of form and darkness that was hard to look upon. We fastened Solei’s grapnel hook to a wall and descended as there seemed little other option in this dream scape. It turned out to be the appropriate choice, as the whirlpool, after a brief disorienting journey deposited us in a great plaza in what may well have been the center of the Red Light District. Moments later a great stepped  Ziggurat raised out of the ground, as if multiple separate dreams where colliding. From the top burst Doldrums who proceeded to whinge that Darkness was so angry, and only she’d be able to keep her happy or something along those lines.

Dael’s Adventure Part 12

Start from the beginning

Upon “defeating” Desire we returned to the Drawing Room, where Honch was indeed encaged.  However Desire’s henchmen were ready and waiting for us. A square room, with one end raised higher (where Honch’s cage was) with a smaller rectangle in the middle of the room full of pillows. So many pillows in fact that moving threw it was a bit difficult. Arrayed at the back of the room were two Dread Reapers, a Hexer and a Shadowcaster.

I threw a couple of feints at one of the Reapers and then proceeded to Honch’s cage but, being unable to pick the lock while wildly swinging on the cage I abandoned him and returned to the fight. After a couple of attempts things were looking pretty dire, so I abandoned him and returned to the fight. The Shadowcaster apparently had some sort of Aura that made it hard to see or connect with her minions, and Vyrez was knocked out of the fight , and then Hubert shortly after also succumbed. Finally it was down to just the Shadowcaster left, and upon realizing that Solei and I pretty much had the combat in hand she fled through some magical means. Her retreat may have also been precipitated by Honch’s escape from his cage, which he finally managed via main force.

Mortia was able to revive Hubert who was able to revive Vyrez. We then scarped off to the Baker Guildleader’s house where we’d previously set up as temporary home base. Cilla was able to do a little for Vyrez’s weakened state, but some of the effect of Dread’s curse on him were too strong to completely remove apparently.

It was decided we’d stop in the Adventurer’s district to see if we couldn’t find some sort of magic item to finish curing Vyrez, but the entire district had been transmogrified by the dream into essential the biggest tavern ever. I succumbed to temptation and join in the revelries whilst the others looked for something that might help. Eventually they gave up, and I finished up the song I was singing as payment for the fine spirits I’d been drinking and then lead the party out of the tavern, and we proceeded on towards the Red Light district where the penultimate diviner was likely located.

Knowning this was likely Doldrums’s domain it was little surprise that the area was rather boring, what was interesting was that as we proceeded the area got more boring… less shops, less differences in the streets. We eventually entered a tenement building that was particularly boring, and entirely empty. As we proceeded the second floor was basically identical to the first. The third floor was literally identical to the second, the rooms number 2A, 2B, etc … after a bit more going up, and then going back down we discovered we were trapped on the second floor. After many false starts and much experimentation we eventually broke through the walls and smashed open one of the pipes therein. From this pipe flooded water which slowly filled the floor, gushing down the stairs, but fortunately not pouring down from the floor “above” us… as the water reached waist high, forms grew out of the water and battle was joined.

Dael’s Adventure Part 11

Start from the beginning

After a brief discussion we decided the mostly likely place that Solei would be was the Noble District, which conveniently was just a short ways away from the park area… We had no trouble at all crossing the wall and entering the dark, yet somehow jovial swamp surrounding the area. Once there we discovered a series of guarded areas which… well this is going to sound crazy, but we were able to discern the patrol patterns of the guards, and use that to sneak by them. After skirting through a half dozen different estates we finally found the Lord’s Manor where we suspected one of the Diviners was located. Hubert was sure it was Doldrums, which would have made sense considering the ease with which we slipped by the guards.

We found a side entrance that lead to the wine cellar. No one seemed to have a plan so while Hubert, Mortia and Vyrez discussed the situation, I liberated and sampled a few of the finer vintages. I’d just started on sampling a very fine white grown not too far north of the Monastery when it was decided to venture deeper into the mansion looking for Solei. We talked to a servant (very snooty) from whom we discerned that Solei was to be some sort of “Entertainment” … My supposition that it was to be some sort of gladiatorial fight turned out to be wrong, instead she was held in a cage suspended from the ceiling, and apparently she was to be auctioned off as a slave later in the evening.

Unable to come up with a plan for busting her out on the spot, Vyrez tried to mock start a duel with me, but he basically said “I challenge you to pretend to have a duel” which kind of gave the ruse away before it even had a chance to be swallowed. Hubert decided there was little point in waiting and lofted a vial of acid at the support holding the cage but it had little noticeable effect. Meanwhile the guards were trying to escort us out so I did my best to get their attention and then lead them on a merry chase through the crowds, drawing them away from the rest of the party. The orchestra managed to switch to an amazingly timely tune and as I drew them away Hubert put up a ladder, which Mortia climbed; however she was unable to pick the lock on the cage, so I followed up the ladder, drawing the guards after me which ended up being more than the ladder could easily support. Vyrez valiantly held the ladder up as the comedic climbing continued. Then the music stopped and Desire appeared and offered to release Solei if we’d stop interrupting the proceedings. We agreed and move from the Drawing Room to the Parlor where we had a very long and interesting discussion about Darkness’s plan; Desire’s willingness to allow for someone else to enact it; injustice and inequality in whom is considered a civilized race. His arguments where actually fairly persuasive and reasonable, and he seemed willing to work out a favorable deal in exchange for us letting him fake his demise and granting our desires we’d assist him in bringing equality to civilization on the continent. Of course the first step is to rescue our erstwhile companion Honch who apparently was also to be sold into slavery but we somehow missed him amongst the slave cages in the Drawing Room.

Dael’s Adventure Part 10

Start from the beginning

We barely had a chance to exchange greetings with Mortia and Hubert before Dredd and his 2 cohorts joined battle. Well, that’s not exactly true. We were in a large room, 6 sided, but not hexagonal, rather more like a square with two corners cut out. In a big arc around the back (and sides) where the “cut outs” were was a large raised wooden and metal platform without railing or adornment. A tight spiral staircase surmounted each end of this platform so there was a sort of central area surrounded by this raised stage. If you’ve ever been in a church you might be forgiven for thinking there were stained glass windows, except these were all done in blacks and reds, and even the reds might be better described as black. I didn’t really get a chance to examine them until after the fight, which is probably for the best. I won’t describe the actual content of the pictures, suffice to say the scenes they depicted were terrifying and had I known their contents before hand I’d been much more hesitant to engage Dredd and his malefic minions.

As I said Dredd finished his monologue about how scary he was, which lacked a certain weight seeing as he’d claimed Teawrecks was more terrifying and we’d already bested the metal beast. However when Solei accepted his baleful deal to trade her presences for our previous companions, with a logic that only seems to work in dreams, she disappeared and they returned, and Mortia was evidently quite upset for before anyone could react she was calling down magic upon them. Honch moved up to attacked the heavily armored one on the left while Hubert stepped forward and tossed acid at Dredd. Vyrez judged the distance to far to reach any of them so drew a pistol and began firing upon Dredd. It took me but a second to get my bearings, and I vaulted up the stairs on the right, focusing my Ki and rolling forward to deliver 17 Fist That Silence the Tiger just as the Hexer began her incantation. After only 4 blows she reeled back and collapsed. Dredd then cast some foul magic which made everyone so afraid of failure that failing to connect was physically painful. Hubert later told me that this was called Kakorraphiophobia, but I suspect he’s making it up; that can’t be a real word. This ended up working against them as we were as able to dodge as they. Honch meanwhile had stuck to his oeuvre and knocked the other minion off the platform and then come down on top of him like a ton of bricks (or an angry half-ork, which might be worse.) For a brief period I was pretty sure that Dredd was not a person at all, but rather a suit of armor piloted by spiders. Fortunately I was unable to communicate this to the rest of the part because Mortia had put a zone of silence on us, and as it turns out this was some sort of dreadful illusion put in my head by Dredd. However with the full focus of the party on him Dredd was not able to stand up to our combined might.

Unfortunately Solei was not returned to us upon Dredd’s demise, so after a brief rest we continued on, heading to the last major landmark in the area, the Silo. We found it without too much trouble, and climbed it where we were set upon by some more ghosts and Shadow folk. We managed to dispatch them, but during the fight Honch got into a tug of war with one of the ghosts over one of Hubert’s potions and together they vanished 80 feet or more below to whatever was at the bottom of the Silo.

Dael’s Adventure Part 9

Start from the beginning

Fortunately for us  Teawrecks wasn’t very observant and we were all able to sneak past it. We quickly decided we’d try and lure it into the elevator shaft and so I trailed it to give warning if it  came back whilst the other three devised a cunning plan involving steel cable and industrial strength mayonnaise. Fortunately the mechanical beast made it’s way back just after they’d completed the trap. Solei hanging from a rope in the elevator shaft got it’s attention and pulled herself up just in time, the dinosaur slipped on the mayo-slick Honch had prepared and then tripped over the steel cable tripwire Vyrez     had strung in front of the the elevator shaft. Or it would have worked, except Vyrez had tied one end of the wire to a barrel, and the other to the support that Solei was hanging from. The monster did end up going down the shaft but was able to launch itself across and land 3 floors down. Unfortunately it also drug the support that Vyrez and Solei were hanging from after it, and if Honch and I hadn’t been very quick to rescue them they’d have gone down the shaft after the terror.

Apparently Mayo is flammable! Who knew? Well, Honch is a cook, so I guess he did, which would explain why he lit a couple of torches and tossed them down onto the now Mayonated monstrosity, setting it aflame. Then the three of them started hurling the spikes they’d prepared as a fallback defense down at the Teawrecks. With the terror looking a little worse for wear the three of them decided to descend in the elevator with the remaining spikes to try and finish it off. Turns out it was doing better than expected and had stopped, dropped and rolled, putting the condimental fire out. They got past it, but it then leapt on top of the elevator car. I tossed the remaining Mayo and just to be sure the remains of my liberated jar of whisky on top, hoping to reignite the flames of it’s demise. Solei and Vyrez enacted some complicated plan which involved rubble and flying, the exact details of which I’m still a little unclear on, while Honch rode the elevator back up. Honch used a spike to rub sparks off the elevator cable and reset the undying thing back on fire and finally we were reunited a few floors above the beast. Solei was suggesting going back down, but I could see the elevator cables didn’t look to sturdy so I lowered the elevator back down empty and sure enough it was stupid enough to climb in, as the elevator struggled to come back up to us Honch hammered the cable while Solei cast some sort of mystical power at it and moments before Teawrecks returned to our floor to wreck us the cable snapped sending it plummeting dozens of stories to it’s destruction.

We made our way to the bottom, and were pleased to find a distinct lack of the remains of Mortia and Hubert in the rubble. However we found a magic gem, which nearly killed Vyrez, and a note that said: “They haven’t been eaten, it’s worse than that. -Love Dredd”.

Upon exiting the tower and heading to the next spire we eventually found Dredd and he offered us a terrible choice, one of us would have to trade our lives for that of our captured companions. Solei quickly accepted the martyrdom, but both of our missing companions were returned within a hairs breadth of death.