GoCorral

This session was held in person. Trajan and Will showed up and Ben attended via Skype. Avery and Jamie were absent, so we explained away reasons for their characters to be doing something else.

Through the Gates

As Jamie was otherwise occupied we decided to table his journey into Erebos for the meantime. Tagenadi sent another message to the party, “I may have to stay longer than originally anticipated. I’m learning many things from Hades and time may flow a bit differently down here in the Underworld. By the way, the Gate to Hell in the Lich Shade can be bypassed by making it not be there or going around it.”

Sabriyya decided she would wait for Tagenadi’s return before venturing into the Lich Shade again. She put up her feet at her home in Mars’ Oasis. The rest of the party returned to the monolith in the desert and walked down the steps into the crypt. Inside they found the pooled shadow blood of the nightcrawler still on the floor. The group used a few minor spells to collect the blood in a bucket without touching it. They hoped to sell the nasty stuff as spell components later on.

Going off of Tagenadi’s advice, Hektor shot a dispel magic at the gateway to Hell. That brought it down. Beyond was a 30 foot long corridor ending in a large iron portcullis. Aldarian searched the area for traps and pronounced it clear. The rest of the party went forward to take a look at the portcullis and the room beyond.

Spying through the portcullis the group saw a vast dark room. The ceiling must’ve been 40 feet high and massive columns made of bones towered up to the ceiling. The four columns were 20 feet around and split the room into nine parts, like the vertices of a tic-tac-toe board. Six massive sets of doors were along the side walls of the room. The other end of the room was out of sight.

Two levers were on either side of the door. Aldarian used his mechanical know-how to deduce that pulling both levers at the same time would lift up the portcullis. The elven thief looped a rope around one lever while Torin used his spear to push down the other. The portcullis lifted and the party was granted access to the next room. They entered cautiously, looking everywhere for danger.

All Are Dead

After a few steps a booming voice echoed through the chamber, “All who trespass in the Bane’s Tomb will die!” A large undead warrior in plate mail, carrying two flails, stepped out from behind one of the closer columns. “And all who live in the Bane’s Tomb are dead!” A horde of wights stepped out from behind the columns as well. The wights’ flesh was the color of earth and dust swirled around them constantly.

The party of casters threw up various control spells to keep the undead from reaching them. A blade barrier and Evard’s black tentacles. The big dude made it through the blades and the tentacles. The wights went through the blades and around the tentacles. Torin dropped a wall of stone to cut them off. The big guy shouted, “Go get the cavalry!” and charged forward, trampling the party. Some of the wights split off to go to the sets of doors in the room. Hektor zapped the big man with a maze spell, incapacitated him for a few rounds.

The wights broke through the wall of stone with supernatural speed. Amalius remembered too late that the creatures were dust wights, creatures of the earth, who moved through stone as easily as a human walks. Hektor kept his cool and stopped the wights with an acid fog. A few other damage spells cleaned off most of the remaining wights.

Unfortunately, Aldarian got too close to one of the wights. He felt a thickness in his lungs and he knew that soon he would turn to stone. Torin healed him, buying a few seconds of time. Amalius racked his brain, and remembered that dust wight petrification can be stopped with a stone shape spell. Unfortunately, no one had that prepped today. Amalius sent Aldarian a minute or so in the future to forestall the petrification.

The big man came back, but a barrage of disintegrates turned him to ash. Unfortunately for the party, his earlier orders were still being carried out. Five of the sets of doors had been opened and the wights were bringing forth “the cavalry.” Five huge human looking beasts composed of dozens of rotting corpses lumbered towards the party. Amalius, Torin, and Hektor huddled in the corner of the room. Amalius split his mind in two and cast three lightning energy walls. The wights and the giant beasts charged through the walls. Torin was grappled by one of the beasts. Hektor announced a retreat and took Amalius to the stairs at the entrance to the tomb. Torin used his boots of teleport to escape as well.

Aldarian was still left in the tomb. Amalius teleported back in at just the right moment to grab Aldarian and escape. Amalius called upon his vast knowledge to think of a place that would have a scroll of stone shape. The answer came to him, Restnor’s Point. Hektor brought the party there. Torin and Amalius were able to keep Aldarian in the pink with time jumps and heal spells. Soon a cleric arrived from Restnor’s Point’s temple to Hephaestus. The cleric cast the scroll and saved Aldarian.

The cleric was glad to help, as Restnor’s Point is part of the Alliance. After a brief chat with him, the party sat down to strategize their next move. Hektor felt delving into the Lich Shade was a waste of time. Greshen Dale was set to join the Xorians this very day! Realizing their error, the party brainstormed a way to stop the negotiations and treaty signing between Greshen Dale and Xoria. The best plan they could come up with was teleporting to Greshen Dale, marching into the negotiation room, shouting, “I OBJECT!” and then seeing where things led from there.

Last Minute Diplomats

Torin used his boots to get the party to the wizards’ city. As Alliance representatives they were led to the negotiation room by some Greshen Dale civil servants. Torin threw open the doors to the negotiation room and shouted, “I OBJECT!” just as planned.

The room had a large oval table with wooden chairs surrounding it. At one end sat three leaders of Greshen Dale, Talon, Krodius, and Loshok. Talon was the dromite sorcerer leader of the Greshen Dale Council. Krodius was the elven leader of Greshen Dale’s Sky Patrol police force. Loshok was a human wizard on the Greshen Dale Council who represented the business interests of the city.

At the other end of the table sat three human Xorians and two dragovinians. The party recognized one of the dragovinians as Barejando, the last of the Rages commanding King Jevaninada’s armies. Barejando glared at the party as they entered.

Talon spoke, “Ah! The Alliance has chosen to send us a team of diplomats after all. Let us rearrange the table then before you begin your debate. Perhaps the Xorians should sit on our left while the Alliance members sit on our right?”
The Xorians agreed and shuffled their seats over. Amalius, Hektor, and Torin sat down, while Aldarian waited outside.
Talon said, “We have already heard the arguments of the Xorians and were about to sign a treaty with them. Now that you are here, what do you have to say?”
Torin said, “What have the Xorians promised you in exchange for becoming their subjects?”
Talon said, “Essentially… Immortality for the best among us. Many of us are wizards who wish to continue our research long after our normal lifetimes.”
Amalius said, “You wizards would lose your autonomy to the Xorians. The Xorians will suck up the magic of the city and use it in the war, leaving Greshen Dale a broken shell of its former self. Becoming dragovinians would damn you to Hell and isn’t true immortality anyway. The strongest dragovinians, the Rages, have already had their numbers thinned by the Alliance. Couldn’t the same happen to the sky wizards?”
Barejando had a sour look on his face after the remark about the Rages, “Greshen Dale shall retain its internal system of government as long as it is loyal to the Xorian cause. And while the dragovinian form is not invulnerable, it is far superior to any mortal form. I am ten times as strong as I was when I was a mortal.”
Hektor said, “What of the gods? If you turn your back on Zeus and the other Olympians to join the new Xorian god, you risk the wrath of the Heavens!”
Barejando laughed, “HA! Zeus? He is close enough to death that it makes no difference. The other Olympians are divided, fighting amongst themselves. Ares is on our side and he holds the thunderbolt! The old gods will not stop the Reaper from taking his place in the sky.

A few more arguments went back and forth. Eventually, Amalius asked for a recess. The Alliance met outside.
Torin asked, “What’s on your mind Amalius?”
“I was using my telepathy in there. Talon, the Greshen Dale leader, he’s not a wizard. He’s a psion!”
Hektor said, “So what can we do with that?”
“I’m not sure.”
“I’ve been thinking. The dragovinians have their dragon god. Do you think they offered something more than just immortality to the Greshen Dale Council?”
Torin said, “What do you mean?”
“I have an idea. Let’s go back in and I’ll do the talking.”
The recess concluded, the party went back into the negotiation room.
Hektor spoke, “If you’ll allow me to digress for a moment, good councilmen of Greshen Dale.” Talon nodded his head. “Thank you. Now, Barejando, Blendegad seeks to become a true god, correct?”
“Yes. Once he is he will smite all non-believers.”
“Of course. And he will reward his faithful upon becoming an almighty god, correct?”
“Yes. I and all other dragovinians will be rewarded. Our wings shall be returned and anything will be possible for those blessed with immortality.”
“But Blendegad has promised something more for the truly faithful, has he not? He’s promised you and a few others in the Xorian Empire, a place at his side. Godhood along with the Repear!”
“He has said this. Jevaninada, the living and dead Rages, many others, and I will all rise to become gods. Rivaling the Olympians in power, but with unified purpose instead of internal squabbling.”
“Yes. And the god of magic, you have promised that these gentlemen of the council will take over Hecate’s position?”
“Yes I have.”
“But what of Terroc the Betrayer, to whom you have already promised the mantle of god of magic! You cannot have two gods of magic! Or three or four! How many promises have you given, Barejando? Too many I think!”
Barejando sat in his chair, glaring at Hektor. His arms lay flat on the table with tensed muscles, ready to leap up and throttle the mortal.
Talon said, “I think we have heard all we need to make our decision. We shall announce our decision later today.”
Barejando and the others stood, respectfully bowed, and took their leave. On the way out, Barejando said to Hektor, “Meet me off-city and we’ll see if your magic is as strong as your words.”

A few hours later, the Greshen Dale Council announced that they would remain neutral. Both Xorians and Alliance members would be allowed into the city to do business, so long as no fighting broke out.

The party was still low on spells after the encounter in the Lich Shade. They didn’t want to risk meeting Barejando, with so few resources. They accepted the neutrality of Greshen Dale and stayed in the city for the night.

The next morning, Amalius organized a personal meeting with Talon to talk about his psionic abilities.
“So… My mental powers tell me that you are also a psion. You seem to be pretty well off up here. Could you give me any tips?”
“Sure! I’ve always found versatility to be the best source of power. For example, psionic power lets you do some crazy stuff with magic,” Talon snapped the fingers of his right hand and the chairs, table, and lamp in the room all turned to crystal, “and arcane power can be used to turn the magic off.” He snapped the fingers of his left hand and the crystal objects reverted to their former materials.
“Wow! So you’re a wizard and a psion.”
“Indeed.”
The two talked a bit more, before Amalius had to leave.

Breaking with the Ancestors

The party went to Bradel Fields to finally sort out the engagement between Cassandra and the Björn. They called an Alliance Council meeting. Arendil, Titandra, Junai, Kig, Logan, Torin, Amalius, Aldarian, and Hektor assembled in the Council Chambers. The party updated the Alliance on the situation in Greshen Dale. Conspicuously missing from the meeting was Astyanax.
Amalius said, “Now that the Greshen Dale business is out of the way, where is Astyanax?”
Arendil said, “He has gone to Dalleer to negotiate terms for his daughter’s marriage alliance. Before leaving he formed his army of goblin slaves that keep order in the streets. The goblins are led by Astyanax’s friends from the Knights Guild. They’ve been doing a remarkable job of restoring order. I feared the goblins would only make things worse, but it appears I was wrong.”
Amalius said, “Excellent! We’d hoped to negotiate with the Björn. We’ll leave immediately to assist Astyanax.”
“Before you go there is another matter we must discuss. We have been talking while you were away. We believe given your lineage, that keeping you as a member of the Alliance is not fitting. Amalgami destroyed the last Alliance through betrayal. You have already shown that you are willing to do so. Despite the aid you have offered us, I fear we can no longer trust you Amalius.”
“But what of the works of my father, Amalganus? He formed this Alliance! He was the light that brought you together!”
“Yes, but perhaps he left before his taint could truly be seen. It is the Council’s decision that you be exiled from Bradel Fields.”
Amalius sputtered and was at a loss for words for a few moments. He composed himself and said, “Will you at least allow me to speak with Astyanax first? Perhaps he thinks differently.”
“If you wish. We have not informed him of our decision yet. However, the decision remains valid without him. We had a quorum and the vote was unanimous.”
“I see.”

A little sad for Amalius, the party left for Dalleer. Upon arrival they were led to a room in the Björn’s mansion. Taken through the luxurious rooms they arrived at a small parlor where Astyanax sat, talking to the Björn’s Prime Minister, Terolio. The Björn stood next to the table on his flying carpet. The Björn’s outfit was quite ridiculous. A third gem eye on his forehead, gigantic gloves, boots with skates on their ends, and an old grey cloak. Amalius identified the gem eye as an Eye of Expose, meaning the Björn would always know when someone directly lied to him.

After exchanging pleasantries the party sat down. Astyanax and Terolio updated them on the situation. Astyanax had promised Harbinston as the dowry for Cassandra. The village had long been a point of contention between Dalleer and Bradel Fields. Formally declaring the village to be in Dalleer’s territory should settle the dispute. However, where is the territory line drawn beyond the village? Astyanax and Terolio both felt a straight line across a latitude would be most appropriate, but which latitude to pick? During the explanation he Björn interjected a few inappropriate comments that everyone else ignored.

Feeling the discussion was beyond them, the party adjourned to another room. Amalius had an announcement similar to the one he made at Greshen Dale, “Björn is a psion, and he isn’t human.”
Torin said, “He isn’t human? What do you mean? He looks human.”
“Yeah, but he’s not. His brainwaves are different or something. I can tell he’s not human.”
“What is he then? An elf with his ears trimmed?”
“I don’t know. He also can’t be a very good psion, he’s not smart enough. He’s only got an average brain as far as I can tell.”
“So what do we do?”
“I don’t know. Hektor, what do you know about the Björn?”
Hektor said, “Well, he’s an insane leader that is always picked by the last leader, who was also insane. He appoints a prime minister to do the actual ruling, and that guy is usually competent.”
“But what about this Björn. Where did he come from?”
“Nobody really knows. He must’ve just been a commoner before the last Björn appointed him.”
“When was the first Björn?”
“About 500 years ago. Where are you go-”
“Holy shit! The Björns are all the same person! He must be faking his insanity! He rules usinga shadow leader. He’s probably dominated Terolio and is speaking through him right now to Astyanax. And that’s why he lives so long, because he’s not human!”
“That actually makes a lot of sense,” Hektor said. Torin nodded in agreement.
“I’ll try and contact him with telepathy. Let’s see if he responds.”
|björn. can you hear me?|
|oh yes! loud and clear! did you have something to say thinky man?|
|uh… aren’t you also a thinky man?|
|no no. that’s terolio. he does all the thinking. i just do all the skating. woosh! woosh! skates!|
|uh right… nice talking to you.|
|bye thinky manilius!|
“I don’t know what to think,” said Amalius. “Let’s just wait and see what Astyanax and Terolio decide in the morning.”

The Great Lump Versus…

The next morning the party awoke to bells ringing throughout the city. “Is it for the engagement?”
A servant answered the party’s question, “No sir! An army is right outside the city walls!”
The party quickly got dressed and ran to the eastern walls. Outside were the people of Dorrowsan who recently joined the Xorians.

The city of Dorrowsan itself had moved. It’s ice buildings and towers were visible on the eastern horizon as the sun rose behind them. The people of Dorrowsan were assembled on the fields east of Dalleer, each wearing armor and holding a weapon. Chirrigar stood at the head of his army in a black robe, with ice armor on top. He held his scepter over his head and shouted in a voice that could be heard for miles, “People of Dalleer, I am here to fight for your city! Send out your leaders so that we may negotiate terms!”
Torin, Amalius, Aldarian, Hektor, Astyanax, Terolio, and the Björn all headed out to speak with the fire giant.
The Great Lump spoke with a rumbling voice, “I will be quick. I have an arrangement with the Xorians, but I am not so sure how well that sits with me. I wish to join this war, but I do not know which side. I wish this battle to be one of single combat. Your best against myself. The winner will take both Dorrowsan and Dalleer under their wing.”
The Alliance members talked it out amongst themselves. It seemed like a good idea to them so they agreed. Chirrigar said, “Then what shall the weapon be? Mano-a-mano or magic-a-magic?”
“Magic! Definitely magic!”

The party talked it out again and decided that pooling spells on Hektor would be their best shot. He’d use his death spells and if all those failed he could go in with Korm and hope to get a lucky vorpal decapitation. Hektor got magicked up while Chirrigar did the same. The battle began!

Both combatants started off with dispel magics. Hektor’s did a bit better and he cast an irresistible dance upon Chirrigar. The fire giant resisted each of Hektor’s spells, only taking light damage from disintegrates. Amalius assisted by identifying the spells Chirrigar cast and feeding this information to Hektor through telepathy.

Eventually both casters ran out of their big guns. Hektor went in for the kill with fly and improved invisibility. While close up, Chirrigar brought up a spherical wall of stone to prevent Hektor’s escape. They traded blows in the dark, and Hektor lost. His unconscious body fell to the ground and Chirrigar prepared to break through the stone walls and declare victory.

During the fight, Amalius and Björn had been conversing. Björn admitted to having psionic powers that could take down Chirrigar if necessary. The two psions agreed to team up against The Great Lump if Hektor fell. When Amalius felt Hektor go down he let loose with a dominate. Chirrigar froze within the dome. The Björn began slowly attacking his mind with other powers.

Amalius ordered the fire giant to heal Hektor. Chirrigar began expending cure spells on Hektor. When Hektor awoke, Chirrigar said, “Your companions have magically compelled me to heal you. I was going to do so anyways but apparently they didn’t trust me.”
Amalius commanded Chirrigar to not communicate or call for help by any means. Amalius then telepathed to Hektor, |we’re going to get you out of there, just hang on a minute. the björn’s planning something.|
Amalius asked the Björn, |what are you doing?|
|i’m trying to get the lump to kill himself obviously.| The Björn let loose with another death urge power, which the Lump resisted. |tell your mage to give the vorpal dagger to the giant. when my magic works, he’ll cut off his own head.|

Amalius relayed the instructions to Hektor. Hektor passed Korm into the hands of Chirrigar. For a brief moment, Korm considered taking over the fire giant’s body, but reason relented. The dominate effect would override the dagger’s control. After several attempts at breaking the fire giant’s will, a death urge succeeded. The Great Lump brought the dagger up to his neck and cut straight through.

Hektor reclaimed and sheathed Korm. He picked up the fire giant’s massive scepter. As he touched it, the mace shrank in his hands to match a size more fitting for a human. Hektor took a few practice swings with the mace and felt its power over the people and city of Dorrowsan. He touched the head of Chirrigar and teleported to the top of the wall of stone with the head. He kicked the head off the mound and shouted to the Dorrowsan people, “I am your king now!”

The allies rejoiced while Hektor toured his new subjects. There was some discussion if Hektor would be allowed to keep the scepter, if it should be given to the Björn, or if another more suitable wielder existed.

Wanna be a Member?

Later that evening Amalius sat down with the Björn for a discussion. Amalius wished to know more about why the Björn appeared as a human, but was not. The Björn smiled slyly and said, “Wanna be a member?”

The Björn said, “Alright Amalius. I’ve heard quite a deal about you from my servants. They say you’re a spy and a traitor. Why should I trust that you won’t pass what I tell you on to others?”
Amalius answered, “There is truth in your words. I have held allegiance to my children above the struggles of the Alliance. You are well informed and may know that they were thought dead – only to be returned to me like hermit crabs: foreign minds wearing the bodies of my beloved family. I fear that they are lost in the psychic seas, their minds adrift.
“You are the Björn Telepath, a master of mind and visionary of the third eye. I too am a sailor on such seas, but finding my beloved family seems beyond me. If you say to me that you can help me accomplish my goal, you and your cause will be bound to mine and I will swear my utmost loyalty to your secrets. I have beheld the wrath of gods, descended into the depths of hell, slain beings of immense power in my search – if you say to me that you can help me find my family then I will pledge that fearsome determination to the Björn Telepath and swear to uphold all of its secrets.”
The Björn said, “You have much that is unresolved in your life, Amalius. I think first you must prove yourself to me before I train you. I think a fitting first task would be to discover the truth about your family. Tell me what happened recently when you rescued them. That may hold a key to the truth.”
“Hermit crabs, king, their bodies are the same but the occupants foreign. They know me and tell stories of my father and of tablecloths. All false – I was raised in Greece by my kinsman and know nothing of the life my ‘wife’ speaks of. Nor does she know of the experiences I know and hold to be true. I know that there is truth in my story and falsehood in their’s…”
Amalius brought forth Korm, “A gift from my grandfather… an item well beyond the mundane life my ‘wife’ knows. While I came to acquire it only recently, I know it from my childhood. And now it is in my hand – a link to my version of the truth, not hers.”
“So in your opinion, the family you rescued holds the bodies of your family but not the minds?”
“I remember her flesh and her smell. And the children too feel familiar to me… Yet there is a third opinion that I hesitate to bring forth.” The Björn looked at Amalius expectantly. Amalius spoke slowly, “Korm, would you grace us with your… story?”
“Of course master! You see Björn, Amalius has no family. He dreamed them up after he left Greece. He never got married. Never had children. At least not while I knew him. We’ve only been separated for three years and ‘his kids’ are all at least five. Makes no sense to me.”
Björn said, “Hmmm… You said this dagger was a tool of your grandfather’s?”
Amalius said, “Yes. A ‘man’ known for his treachery.”
“And a man known for his devotion to Eris, goddess of discord. Does this situation not seem chaotic, bringing discord to your mind? I think this little toy may be lying to you.”
Korm said, “Hey. Whatever floats your boat, man. I know what I know and I say what I say.”
“It is true that this one could be lying. He is certainly loyal, but not to me.” Amalius continued to speak as he pondered the situation, “Then what of my dreams? And what of my wife’s? Hers seem so far removed from any truth. It was my grandfather, Amalgami, that honed my talents, not some fisherman.
“It seems to me that there are two options: Her memories have been altered – for what reason yet I do not know. Or… hmmm. If she spoke the truth, then my skills have sprung from nothing, and the dagger too. She knew of my capture by Xoria, and so if she does speak truly, then my dissonance must have come from Xoria. If Korm speaks the truth… and I am a bachelor, I was once again waylaid in Xoria… then she would be manufactured… and my memories of her too…
“Oh god.”
“Yes?”
Amalius said, “I would go on to spy for Xoria held ransom by my own thoughts. If I am truthful in my own words, why is their dissonance in my wife’s story? I would have served without question for their safety. Why pester me with such a petty ploy as to alter her memories.”
The Björn said, “I don’t know. But you must find out the answer.”
Amalius said, “It would seem that Xoria is a constant piece and my answer must lie there. Amalgami was many things, but the subtly of this and the intricacy of such mental manipulation would have bored him.”
The Björn speculated, “Someone besides your wife and children who was present at your capture would know the truth.”
“Or someone who knew me in my youth. I must travel to Greece then. The names and faces of the men at Colchis are long gone to me”
Amalius new psicrystal, Black, spoke, “I have a different solution. Remember what Devanane the assassin said? The man responsible for capturing us and our family is a halfling named Stanton. He MUST know.”
Amalius said, “The albino…… Yes. In the forest… I beg your leave, kind king, to seek out the albino dragovinian.”
Black said, “We can crush his mind. Squeeze the answer out of him.”
“His flesh may not burn, but his mind will.”
Björn said, “Yes. Do this. Afterwards, return to me. Tell me what you have learned. Then we will see if you are ready for training.”
Amalius left with a new mission in mind.