Day 259 Continued V (Below the Lighthouse): They were tired but it was Boris’s turn to be the slave driver. The packed up the loose treasure and decided to address the dwarven trunk later, “Sloth, Skull-Crusher grab an end we gotta clear this shell shack!”. The joint was a skeleton scallop. Behind was their trail of carnage. Ahead empty chambers. There were two things of note. The first was a creepy murky pool in a corner – no thanks. Second a bunch (dozen of each) of spears and tridents each with an inlaid ruby shard of more than passing value. Their tired minds took a bit of shaking to come up with a non-time consuming solution. The weapons were bound into a sizable fag and then dragged along by two more mooks. Proceeding right along, they came to a hastily vacated and then an unoccupied guest rooms. The super-secret scallop base of evil was defeated. They went back to their pirate captives.
The two, Blurp and Blap were caught in mid gnaw on their restraints. The pirates did not know what to think. The hobos had disappeared into the forbidden temple of Dagon a couple of hours ago and were now back and showing no signs of slinking around. Boris, rather than using simple intimidation decided to go with a bit of a salty tale. He told the two tied up pirates that the hobos were in fact Dagonites and they had just returned from a meeting with Sir Keven. The pirates were confused as to why they had to be bound but as simple inventory control specialists they understood cargo and the related importance of good manifest documentation not the whims of cultists, “Oh. Ok. Did you really need to kill Neal and Bob? I sorta liked them..” “Nah I hated Neal he always smelled like cheese” “He did, didn’t he…Well who are we to question our employers? Boris leered down at them before untying the pair and directing the pirates to take point back to the cistern chamber. They marched down the steps back into the watery caverns taking an alternative path than whence they came. Boris seemed certain some sort of betrayal was coming.
No such thing happened.
Up and out then down to the beach. The pirates were getting confused. Things were too quiet and when they came upon body parts, blood and gore they knew something had gone wrong. Once again these guys were not super bright. They told the hobos they would run back up to the cistern chamber and rally the rest of their mates from the stronghold. Something had gone seriously wrong. The gang waited down on the beach poorly feigning shock or concern or something. A whole bunch of pirates streamed down a few minutes later. The charade, which frankly had already worn out its welcome, carried on a bit longer until the new first mate (purportedly replacing the old one we had murdered) took a good look at the hobos, “Yarg yu ain’t be no Dagonites and certainly not new recruits. YARG! Yu be the scourge of our little operation and if I was to guess all our employers are now dead. Grind me along the barnacles”. He stretched open an eye to get a good look at the hobos and quickly came to a conclusion, “Arrg! We be done here boys pack yer bags all hands back to the Sweaty Roach! Yarg. We have no quarrel with you. We shall return to our home waters. We be done here. Yer lighthouse awaits”. With that the pirates mobilized. The tide was high and would not be wasted. The gang watched the process until the ship rolled up anchor and oars broke water. The Sweaty Roach began its egress from the sea cave and the gang fell back to the cistern chamber to creep back up into the lighthouse for some desperately needed rest.
Day 260 (Back in the Lighthouse): All rested up and feeling spry. Boris declared they would figure out how to turn the lighthouse back on. He wanted to deliver a complete victory to the sage-king. Within the pirates common room was another extra-large bronze door into the lighthouse proper. Ramrod popped it open and they once more entered the strange chamber of tiled walls (thousands; interlocking), the burning globe and the smoky/ foggy obscurement at the top of the massive hollow tower. Up the great stone stairs they went. Rising nearly 200 feet to an oddly shaped platform engulfed in mist. They had reached the gallery. Now they just needed to find a way into the lens room. Walking around the smoky/misty platform seemed to be the course of action. Rounding the second corner they came face-to-face with the source of the strange obscuring cloud – a dragon sitting on its treasure horde. Grey and emitting smoke sorta like Pig-pen’s dust cloud. It was not huge a meager eight feet in length but it looked like it welcomed a fight as it deeply inhaled filling its bellows. Raul could not see what was going on so he did not get a chance to promote mediation. Boris saw only target for his axe. Let there be battle. The fearsome lizard took to the air and blasted a bunch of hobos with its smokestack breath causing a Versamage and Skull-Crusher to drop to the ground in spastic coughing fits. The dragon then swooped down.
Oh oh.
The hobos just realized that they were at least a hundred feet up with only a low wall keeping them from falling to their doom and the dragon was most certainly trying to make some hobo splats. The little beastie tried valiantly but it really was outgunned. It happened so fast the dragon did not have any chance for course correction. Afterwards they found a lever and reactivated the lighthouse. The mission was done.
Boris and Ramrod reflect upon a job done. What will tomorrow hold?
They made their way back to Saemish to await the speed boat back across the Bay of Dreams to the city of Pascdak. By the time they had returned it was late afternoon. Their escort directed our heroes to a nice inn within the market district and told the gang that they would be collected in the morning to once more have audience with Keczarr Du.
Day 261 - 265 (Closing up shop in the Dreamlands): During this time our hobos were lauded for a job well done. A regal dinner that included the official recognition and title of Heroes of Aman Marath. They were also geared up for the return to the waking world that included a few quality scrolls. Also, they petitioned the Oberkommando of Crom (Spine-Snapper) for Skull-Crusher’s release so that he could endeavour to Make Crom Great Again (MCGA!) in the Waking World. This took some payment to lock up but the Cromites did like the idea of Skull-Crusher using his Crom given courage to crush his enemies for valor. Skull-Crusher did not fear his destiny by Crom!
After taking care of these things and fully recovering from the expedition they once more stood before the sage-king prior to departing for the cavern of the sleeping demon lord -Chothargkrul. “Take this gift for the sage and tell her of its source. Whatever you do not wake the slumbering catastrophe and do not breath deep of the mists and definitely don’t speak it’s name. Travel the up the shrouded chasm. Climb until you arrive. Lialbelgoth will be able to give you basic directions to your destination. May the Heroes of Aman Marath one day return to our slumbering shores”, Keczarr Du closed things as the gang was once more lead to the docks for another ride in the dudes speed boat.
They went north at a preposterous clip. About three hours later (many leagues beyond the Bay of Dreams and Pascdak) they docked along a shear rock face, a mighty mountain range ominously staring down. There was a hidden stairwell that climbed high up the nearly vertical rock face before terminating before a narrow trail that lead into the mountain range.
“A couple more hours down this path and we will reach the cave. We will rest there and in the morn you can descend into the pit”, the guide gave the details and not much more.
Evening began to pull its dark sheet over the Dreamlands as the Lucky 13 stood before a black scar along the rocks. “That is it. The rift leads to the Dark Dreamer. Camp is over there”, the guard lead them to a site that was clearly used periodically with camp basics awaiting unpacking and setup.
The final evening in the Dreamlands passed. Well at least for now…
Day 266 (To the Cave of the Sleeping Demon LordàThe Real World): The final breakfast was prepared by the Sage-King’s men and then the Hobo (Lucky) 13 descended into the inky abyss. The demon was colossal and indescribable in its wrongness.
Tippy-toe-tippy-toe.
Do NOT wake the Sleeping Prince of Darkness.
Tippy-toe-tippy-toe.
Around the backside of the blasphemy was the chasm which the beast’s smoky breath filled. A little bit of this then a little bit of that and then our goobers began the slow ascent from the Dreamlands. A thousand years or perhaps ten minutes later the front line crawled over a ledge into a smoke filled chamber. There was another chamber beyond that was dimly illuminated but obscured by the smoke. They rolled on in. It was a living chamber of utilitarian nature.
“Ah! Who the hell are you!!”, a woman rose up on here twenty foot long serpentine lower torso her eyes glowed red and her hair writhed. The sage was a greater medusa and well bad things happen when you startle them. Sasha caught the gaze and turned to stone.
“We are emissaries of Keczarr Du the sage-king. We have a gift!”, shouted Raul.
“What in the hells! You can’t just come sneaking into a girls home without announcement!”, yelled Lialbelgoth as she turned round producing and then putting on a pair of darkened glasses that had a strangely comedic fake nose attached.
“Geez. I’m sorry but you can’t just creep up a crevasse and slink into someone’s home”, this second admonishment was a little softer after noticing the casualty -Sasha the rock ranger.
Boris presented the gift. Lialbelgoth for the time being put aside on an ornate table, she felt that she was now on the clock. Things were explained. The sage feeling a bit bad, even though it was totally a likely outcome and not her fault, about how things played out reduced her normal service fee for information greatly.
The gorgon figured they were somewhat more than hundred leagues southish of Liwil. They would need to go NW in search for a headwater that lead to the river Sarn. Follow it through the mountains and then head north of the confluence. This would lead them to Deepwater where they could attempt to book passage up the Sarn. She was not an expert of the lands beyond her mountainous range but she knew where Deepwater was, more or less, and she knew of the Cult of the Basilisk due to having some distant relatives in the adjacent wilderlands. “Nasty bunch them. Nowhere near as cultured as myself, if I don’t say so”, was a little bit of post-shadowing from the sage. I guess she was warming up. The people there would know the best way back into the heart of the Basilisk Hills. We were actually just below the southernmost extent of the Basilisk Hills.
Now our sorta lucky 13, err 12 (statues don’t count), just needed to figure how to manage having a petrified ranger whom weighs over 400 pounds.
Luck seemed to be absent as a trail finder was exactly what they needed right now not a yard ornament.
The B-Team: Boris, Ramrod, Raul, Sloth, Willy, Sasha, Wendul, Gurn, Katre, Herbert, Camillus, Lady Versamage & Skull-Crusher
ROLECALL
Raul the Voyager (MD9) 273427 xp +10% <360000> CRT 1d12/III
Fezzi-Gig (Neut: XXXX) Sword
Serious wound: permanent loss of CHA -4,
Removed one of his own nostrils.
Boris the Dwarven Lord (D9) 375352 xp +10% <400001> CRT 1d20/IV
Serious wound: permanent loss of CHA -3, carved up face
Wound: Bad leg (-5’ MV)
Multiple Injuries: lost 25 teeth (7 remaining), drools a lot CHA -1
Serious Injury: Brain Drain -2 INT
Serious wound: permanent loss of an eye (-1 to missile fire)
Ramrod the Cloned Magsman (T9) 182533 xp +5% <280001> CRT 1d20/II
Serious wound: Bad Back (-1 stone CC)
Scars: Neurological damage to hip, noticeable limp (-5’ mve)
Missing eight teeth talks with a lisp
The Henchmen
Sloth the Bopper (L8) 203747 xp +10% <390000> CRT 1d20/IV or 1d6/G (vs. s, m)
Missing ten teeth
Sasha Plasha the Warden (R7) 128456 xp +10% <200000> CRT 1d10/III
Missing three teeth
Gurn Hammerhand the Dwarven Swashbuckler (D5) 33144 <36000> +5% CRT 1d12/III
Wendul the Magician (W6) 54892 <80000> 5% CRT 1d8/I
Camillus the Myrmidon (F6) 58073 <64001> +5% CRT 1d20/IV
Willy the Reformed Burglar (T6) 33280 <40000>10% CRT 1d14/II
Agolloch the Eye of Purity (Lawful; XXXX) Sword
Katre Elf-Girl and Swordsman Conjuror (E3) 13333 xp <16000> +0% CRT 1d8/II
Lady Versamage Knight Errant (K6) 63176 xp <85000> +5% CRT 1d16/IV
Herbert the Master Gnome Trickster (G3) 12569 xp <30000> +5% CRT 1d8/III
Skull-Crusher the Hellebardier of Crom (A3) 6143 xp <12000> +5% CRT 1d8/III
Elapsed Campaign Time
(702 b) days at beginning of session (Dreamlands)
689a (Bunny Group Newville) Busy until 779
707d (Ding-We Gang Liwil)
Join us for session Two-Hundred-and-Ninety-Six when we ask the questions:
Will we announce ourselves before creeping into someone’s (something’s) home in the future?
Well it looks like we is still lost just not in a multi-dimensional sorta way so what do we do?
When will actually ask smart questions of beings that we meet?
What are the chances that someone in Deepwater can undue a stoning?
But first how do we travel through a mountain range without breaking our pathfinder?
Tale of the Tape
Sasha was petrified by a startled greater gorgon sage
Note: Marble or granite is 168 lbs. per cubic foot. Flesh is 61-67 pounds per cubic foot. That means that a three-fold weight increase is about right for basalt or granite.
KILLS
Shadow Dragon
LOOT
Ruby shards (24) @ 100 gp each
Spell book (MU) 1st & 2nd (ALL), 3rd (2), 4th (1)
Assorted gems (47) @ 10 gp each
Ceremonial bowl glass with gold inlay 125 gp
Jeweled plate mail inset sapphires 300 gp
Jeweled dagger sacrificial with ruby inset in hilt 100 gp
Silk robes 60 gp
Wand of magic detection (12 charges)
