Kal-Zinan, City of the Dwarves

KAL-ZINAN, CITY OFTHE IRON GATE
In the heart of the Zinandar Mountains lies the fortress-
city of Kal-Zinan, the largest dwarven stronghold
to be found in hule. Here the secretive ironmasters of
the dwarves forge arms and armor unmatched anywhere
in the world, using the molten rock of the Zinandar
volcanoes to smelt their ores and ire their furnaces.
Contrary to legend, dwarves cannot eat rocks or drink
molten iron, so many levels of Kal-Zinan are devoted to
other trades. Vast subterranean granaries and storehouses
ring the city’s central forges, protected within Kal-Zinan’s
mighty ramparts. he mountainsides and vales
surrounding the city are home to high pastureland, hayields,
and terraced gardens, where dwarven herdsmen
and ield workers provide Kal-Zinan with a basic level of
subsistence in times when it proves impossible to import
grain and vegetables from the human realms of Thule.


THE MOUNTAIN REDOUBT
Dwarves are relative newcomers to Thule, and were the
last of the major races to arrive in this land. A barbarian
race of ierce warriors, they settled in the defensible
vales of the Zinandar Mountains, battling the native
cyclopes, minotaurs, and subhuman troglodytes that
haunted the region and isolating themselves from the
world outside. Kal-Zinan was established as the stronghold
and hall of the dwarven chief in the year 833
AR, and over the centuries the hardworking dwarves
continued to carve out its galleries and expand its
defenses. Around 1200 AR, the dwarves of Kal-Zinan
discovered the secret of smelting iron, and they quickly
mastered the working of ever more challenging alloys.
Kal-Zinan maintained a policy of strict neutrality in
the afairs of other Thulean cities down through the years.
he dwarves proited by selling arms and armor to all
customers, as well as organizing mercenary companies
to ight in others’ wars. hey became so set in their ways
that they stood by and did not intervene when Lomar’s
army attacked Hurhun, the longtime trading partner and
friend to Kal-Zinan. But that neutrality was sorely strained
just this year (early M2 2214 AR) when raiders from Marg pillaged a caravan
bound for Quodeth and seized many dwarves, including
an important Master, as slaves. his was not the irst time
Marg had acted in this way, and it provoked great anger
in Kal-Zinan. he Council of Masters is now (M2-2214 AR) divided
between traditionalists who want to ransom the abducted
smiths and merchants, and militants who want to ally
with Quodeth or Lomar to punish Marg for its actions.

CITY DESCRIPTION
Kal-Zinan is carved into a mountainside. he great
gates at the foot of the mountain lead to a grand stair
that ascends through a magniicent gallery chamber
until it emerges on a plaza open to the air two hundred
feet above the gate. Broad ramps suitable for
aurochs-drawn wagons lead from the gates to the city’s
storehouses and stables. Most of the Kal-Zinan’s dwellings
lie along balcony-like “streets” high above the
city’s massive gate and are open to the sky, although
workshops, granaries, and the great forges are located
deeper in the mountain.

Houses of Waiting: Visitors to Kal-Zinan are not
allowed to wander around without escort. he Houses
of Waiting comprise a small, guarded foreigners’ quarter
where guests are expected to remain until summoned
or granted permission to leave. he Houses include half
a dozen small inns and taprooms, along with several
shops where dwarven goods are displayed, a bazaar, a
shrine dedicated to the Nine, and meeting-chambers
where visiting merchants can discuss their business with
Kal-Zinan’s masters.

Red Shield Company: One of the leading mercenary
companies of Kal-Zinan, the Red Shields are a
band of one hundred veteran dwarven warriors who
have fought all across Thule, from Katagia to frozen
Nimoth. The Red Shields specialize in siegecraft and
military engineering, although they take any sort of
work that comes their way. The master of the company
is Groma Narn, a fierce dwarf woman of middle years
who took over the Red Shields when her husband was
killed in battle ten years ago.

Road of Smoking Waters: To facilitate trade, the
dwarves of Kal-Zinan built a great stone road from
their mountain stronghold to the city of Hurhun
long ago. Steaming hot springs, geysers, and roaring
fumaroles line the road for the last fifteen miles or so
before it reaches the Iron Gate. Hurhun was destroyed
in 2087 AR by the legions of Lomar, but the road remains
intact. Merchant caravans coming or going from
Kal-Zinan skirt the dangerous ruins.

Kal-Zinan (Small City, pop. 7,320 within the walls)
City of the Iron Gate, City of the Dwarves
Home to the legendary dwarven iron masters,
Kal-Zinan is a mountain fortress surrounded
by the geothermal features of the Zinandar
Mountains.

Authority: The city is governed by High Master
Bhul Drez-Kath. He is the head of the Council of
Masters, the city’s governing body.
NPCs: The vast majority of Kal-Zinan’s inhabitants
are dwarves, although a small number of human
merchants from Quodeth, Lomar, and Marg are
usually visiting at any given time.
Aybrel Arn is a young human woman who makes

Aybrel Arn

a comfortable living in the Houses of Waiting
as a broker and go-between, arranging agreements
between visiting merchants and the
masters of Kal-Zinan. She is acquainted with
most of the city’s ruling masters, and can be
very valuable to visitors who otherwise might
not know how to approach the right dwarf.
Durmuth Ursk, High Servant of the Gray Lord, is
the high priest of Nergal in Kal-Zinan and the
foremost priest in the city. Many mercenaries
and armsmakers look on Nergal as their
patron, and few would take on a new task
of any signiicance without seeking Nergal’s
approval first. He leads the council’s militant
faction and pushes for war with Marg, and
any human power that gets in the way.
Tarm Orth-Nhul is an example of a very rare
breed, a dwarven sorcerer. He is known
to hire out his services for the right price.
Most of Tarm’s magic deals with earth and
stone, and he is sometimes known as Tarm
Stonebreaker.

Trade: Kal-Zinan is renowned for its metalwork,
especially ironworking and other advanced
alloys. The dwarves also excel in stonework
and often sell their services as roadbuilders and
engineers. In return, Kal-Zinan imports foodstuffs,
textiles, and luxury goods.

Concerns: The dwarves of Kal-Zinan seek to
guard the secrets of advanced metallurgy,
hoping to maintain their monopoly. Knowledge
of ironworking is already well established in the
human world, but they vigilantly guard the techniques
for making steel and more exotic alloys.

Rumours (2214 AR):
1. A cult worshiping Lorthnu’un of the Golden
Chalice has taken root among the poorer dwarven
miners, who believe that the Great Old One
can guide them to untapped veins of gold and
gems. 
2. An evil artifact known as the Eye of Braug—
the mummiied eye of the last cyclops king in
Zinandar—is buried in a deep in the city’s
under-vaults, but the priest Durmuth Ursk is searching
for it and wants to claim its powers for his own.

Session #27 25/2 to 21/3/2214 AR (lvl 8-9) - The Golden Ghost #2 - Hydra

Finnris, Aeshma & Vorstag (Zerda player absent)

25/2/2214 Reach Kal-Zinan
26-27/22124 Meetings
28/2/2214 Leave Kal-Zinan with dwarf emissary
7/3/2214 Battle with Hydra
8/3/2214 Land at coastal dungeon Tareb-Nur the Haunted, fight undead
14/3/2214 Return to Quodeth
15-21/3/2214 Meetings & shopping to 21/3/2214

Storm clouds above Kal-Zinan - by Aeshma (Judith)

After leaving the haunted iceberg it takes us a further week to reach Kal-Zinan up the Swiftice River as numerous locks have been installed by the dwarves to enable ships to reach the upper reaches of the river. When we arrive the dwarves appear tense and unhappy.

They initially assume we are emissaries from Quodeth, sent in response to a request by the dwarves for a meeting. As we are here we offer to meet with the Kal-Zinan Council to listen to whatever caused them to contact Quodeth. It appears that Margish slavers have kidnapped one of the Craft Masters of Kal-Zinan, master Bronn.

The dwarves are intent on retaliation but are presently undecided whether to seek an alliance with Lomar or Quodeth – Lomar’s army is renowned across Thule, but Quodeth’s navy offers the dwarves the most direct access to Marg.

We are invited into the city and taken to the Houses of Waiting until an opportunity arises for us to meet with the Council. In the meantime, the local grapevine is in full working order as a messenger from a broker arrives to invite us to a meeting. Aybrel Arn is apparently a highly regarded intermediary with the dwarves and offers to act for us, for a 5% commission. Aeshma is cautious about her having ulterior motives as the commission is so low, not to mention her eagerness to meet with us, but Vorstag chooses to proceed.

While at the meeting, Finnris shows her the dwarf-made greatsword and asks if she knows anything about it. She responds that the marks on the blade show it was made by the noted smith Tarm Orth-Nhul, sometimes called the Stonebreaker. She offers to send word to him so he can meet with Finnris. Vorstag negotiates a trade for twenty iron spearheads and ten iron-bound shields in return for the Sedarnel’s trade goods.

At the same time, Aeshma is at the tavern talking with members of the dwarf militia who have been called up as war with Marg seems likely. They say that the High Priest of Kal-Zinan, a follower of Nergal, seeks the long lost Eye of Braug, the last of the Cyclops Kings, which is alleged to be a artefact of great power.

It also transpires that the Innkeeper is an agent of the Guardians of the Nine who tells us that a cult to Lorthnu’un, the Lord of the Golden Chalice, has arisen amongst the poorest of the dwarf miners who are hoping that he will lead them to wealth.

The next day Finnris and Vorstag continue arranging the trade with Aybrel Arn, and Finnris meet Tarm Orth-Nhul. The dwarf sorcerer identifies the greatsword as the Sundersword which he forged some forty years earlier for a Lomari warrior. The sword’s thunder power was not working so Tarm reactivates it and offers it to Finnris for a further 1000gp which the barbarian duly hands over. Once told of our encounter with the Ghost Ship of Nimoth, Tarm points out that as Captain Bruneval was cursed, he has by now returned and will be seeking vengeance. If we defeat him again, Tarm’s suggestion is to take his bones to land and bury them as his curse was to wander forever.

The following day we are summoned to meet with the High Council of the dwarves. Previously the dwarves had been able to ensure the return of their people by paying a ransom to Marg, but this time the Margish seem to want to establish their own iron-working craft using master Bronn to teach them. We offer to travel to Marg to try to find him – the prospect of Margish warriors armed with iron and steel weapons would tilt the balance of power.

The Council assign Tarm Orth-Nhul as their emissary to Quodeth and we are asked to convey him back there to meet with Queen Deyane. The High Priest of Nergal takes on a similar mission to meet with the Lomari.

On the way back to Quodeth, we encounter a hydra that seizes one of Tarm’s guards and takes him away to devour. We try to follow but are hindered by a dense mist. We find a ruined cyclops fort and go ashore on the chance it may be using the fort as its lair, but we find only skeletons.

A week later we safely reach Quodeth.

Session #26 1-25/2/2214 AR (lvl 7-9) - The Golden Ghost #1 - Bruneval

1/2/2214 Finnris & Vorstag return to Quodeth with the Vorzin expedition from the Moon Door.

Grand Vizier Ibland Posk has died, Dredan Taroth becomes Grand Vizier. Oruk-Maneth, High Priest of Mithra, joins the Royal Council; Captain Azarde Two-Blades becomes a full member.

11/2/2214 Group leaves Quodeth on the Crescent Moon, bound for Kal-Zinan to trade for steel.
18/2/2214 Encounter ghost ship lodged in iceberg; explore and fight Draugr. Finnris wields the Spear of Azura to destroy the undead hordes.
25/2/2214 Reach Kal-Zinan
_______________________

Draugr

The Ghost Ship of Nimoth - by Aeshma

We spend several months in Quodeth, disturbed only by Finnris and Vorstag travelling to Lake Haal to rescue Tyanna Vorzin. We make some purchases and take the chance to improve our skills: Finnris and Zerda’s servant Thagnar learn the fundamentals of ship handling from Aeshma who, in turn, studies Benthic, the ancient language used by cultists and creatures of the Dark. Finnris learns to speak the Dwarven language ahead of his planned visit to Kal-Zinan.

We plan to take the Autumn Moon around the peninsula from Quodeth and sail up the Swiftice River to get as close to Kal-Zinan as possible. Vorstag makes an arrangement with Princess Jania Sedarnel to take 10,000gp of luxury goods to the Dwarven city to be sold and steel weapons purchased. He agrees to a 10% commission.

During the Long Night the Grand Vizier Ibland Posk dies – apparently of consumption but this is widely doubted. Kallesh Gan of the Church of Mithra is assigned to investigate the Vizier’s death and while as yet he has no proof, he does not believe it to be down to natural causes. Zerda too asks the Queen for her permission to investigate and this is granted.

Sometime later Prince Dredan Taroth invites us to dine and conversation turns to politics. With Ibland Posk’s death, Prince Dredan has acceded to the rank of Grand Vizier leaving a vacant spot on the Royal Council. Amongst the candidates mentioned are Duke Baerad Vorzin, Princess Jania and Oruk Maneth, the High Priest of Mithra. Aeshma speaks for the latter saying the people of Quodeth might appreciate the stability offered by the respected Church of Mithra.

In Quodeth’s main Arena Finnris fights a captured Beastman chieftain, defeating him in record time. A disguised Zerda moonlights as his announcer and promoter. After the bout he visits the gypsy fortune-teller who warns him of danger from the ice, displaying the cards: the Skull; the Glacier; and the Deceiver.

We depart Quodeth and the first week passes uneventfully, but as we round the Halberd Peninsula a mysterious fog descends. Aeshma orders the sails to be close reefed and we inch our way forwards. From the fog looms a large iceberg, a Nimothan longship embedded near its peak. Getting closer we can make out several corpses frozen in the ice.

Our curiosity aroused, we decide to investigate. On the far side of the iceberg there is a shelf low enough to bring the Autumn Moon close in enabling us to disembark, while Thagnar takes the ship clear of the ice.

Carefully we move up the icy slope towards the longship and are unsurprised when four of the corpses tear free of the ice to attack us. We recognise them as Draugr, formidable ice zombies. However formidable they might be, they are little able to block Vorstag’s axes or Zerda’s blades, but it is Finnris and the mighty Spear of Asura that prove their nemesis.

With our opponents defeated we approach the frozen longship that is half buried in the ice. Vorstag grows to giant size, finding easy footing despite the ice. Finnris leaps aboard the longship, awakening the Draugr on board, followed by Aeshma. Several of the Draugr are repelled by the Spear of Asura and turn their attacks on Zerda and Vorstag. In response Zerda summons a Flaming Sphere that rolls about the ship, burning the undead.

We soon destroy these Draugr and move to investigate the cabin, the door to which bears the symbol of a golden spiral. Finnris enters first and spots a well concealed compartment in addition to a not so well concealed undead ambush. Two more Draugr flank a Frost Corpse: Captain Bruneval. Inhuman cold emanates from him and for a few seconds Finnris is poisoned by the sickening chill.

It proves a temporary inconvenience for the mighty barbarian as once more the Spear strikes home, destroying Captain Bruneval. Aeshma goes to shield bash the last Draugr but smashes it through the cabin wall. She follows and cuts it down. Vorstag tries to follow but catches his foot on some debris and trips, his giant form more than sufficient to shatter the remaining timbers of the cabin.

Finnris grabs the strongbox that is now revealed as well as the two Atlantean steel swords that had been wielded by the Captain. Not wanting to awaken more undead – we can still see numerous corpses frozen beneath the ice – we hurry back to Autumn Moon to review our loot. It comprises a mixture of coins, fine scrimshaw and assorted art objects. There is also a collection of maps and the Captain’s journal, written in a confusing mixture of languages that will take some time to decipher.

Between the pages of the journal are dried, pressed flowers that Zerda recognises as Atlantean herbs that do not grow on Thule. Also we find 14 Uka nuts which have healing properties and an Atlantean Hydrostat. Reviewing at the maps we can recognise the geography of the Dragon’s Maw and an inscription written in Atlantean refers to the Sea of Mists.

As we continue our voyage to Kal-Zinan, Zerda settles down to decode the journal…


_______________________

Over the next week as the Crescent Moon sails to Kal Zinan, the party learns the following.

The Story of Bruneval.

From historical knowledge - The Ghost Ship:
Long considered a tavern tale in the coastlands
of the Sea of Mists, the Golden Ghost has been
sighted from time to time for well over a century.
A Nimothan warship with ragged yellow sails and
shields of gold along its gunwales, it is often seen
as a glint on the horizon in the setting sun. Those
who have managed to overtake it have been dismayed to see a flying ship, sailing on a clinging
mist many fathoms above the waves, glowing with
a curious light. Ships that draw too close have
their hulls torn apart from under them as though
running aground in the middle of the sea, leaving only shipwrecked castaways to spread their
dubious tales.
The ship’s tattered ensign bears the mark of the
corsair Bruneval, who plundered his way across
the seas long ago. He was a scourge to Nimothan
refugees fleeing their land during the coming of
the great glaciers that entombed Nimoth. Many
tales claim that the holds of the Golden Ghost are
filled with the loot of Bruneval’s many victims, or
that maps and charts holding clues to secret caches
ashore might be found on board. The lure of Bruneval’s gold has drawn many to seek the ghost ship,
but none have brought her home.
Little known in modern Thule is that Bruneval was less a corsair than a smuggler, and his fell
reputation was first spread by people he refused
to help escape. He was branded a traitor to the
Nimothan people, and hundreds of deaths were
blamed on his refusal to carry refugees to safety
unless they paid exorbitant sums. Embittered by
the hatred of his own people, Bruneval became
a scavenger as well, picking over the bones of the
shipwrecked and frozen dead to take from them
treasures they no longer needed.

Deciphered from Bruneval's Journal:
During his scavenging, he encountered a handful of survivors from an Atlantean colony in a
mountain valley not far from the coast. These
refugees had abandoned their former master,
a wizard they called Viondor, who claimed his
mastery of magic could hold the glaciers at bay.
When his servants rebelled and refused to stay
in this frozen land alone, he laughed and said he
had already planned to replace them with magical
automata. Cast out, they straggled to the coast with
faint hope of rescue or escape, but faint was better
than none. Bruneval was intrigued by the mysterious wizard and bartered passage from Nimoth
for detailed directions on how to get to Viondor’s
tower. He resolved to return some years later when
the mad wizard had died and he could have his
pick of the spoils. While his crew was ignorant to
his deal with the Atlanteans, he became worried
that the Atlanteans would tell their tale to others
and betrayed them, cutting their throats and
casting their bodies into the depths so the secret
would be his and his alone.
Bruneval made good on his plans a decade later.
He anchored in the rocky bay where the Dauthur
River flows into the Strait of Nimora and led a
hand-picked crew of treasure hunters upriver.
They found the forgotten tower, but discovered to
their dismay that the automata of the Atlantean
wizard were very much still in operation. Bruneval
found strange domes of iron and glass below the
ground, and gardens of strange flowers with gardeners
that seemed human but weren’t. Escaping
the gardeners, Bruneval pressed on into the tower
and snatched a few Atlantean relics, but he fled
when his instincts screamed he was being watched.
He and his crew raced downriver, pursued by the
howling winds of a gathering blizzard.
When they arrived back at the ship, the bay froze
around them. Captain Bruneval hurled most of
the Atlantean artifacts overboard, thinking their
curse had brought the storm. One of the artifacts
exploded, breaking their icebound ship free from
the bay—but the ice continued to grow instead of
melting away as they drifted...

The journal ends with Bruneval fearing his feckless crew is about to mutiny, and his swearing an eternal curse upon the lot of them.

Once deciphered, the journal includes maps of
what Bruneval called “The Dragon’s Maw,” a series
of sea stacks and natural arches that marked the
bay where the Dauthur River flows into the Sea of
Mists. It relates his trek upriver, including signs
that frost giants inhabited the area (though he and
his crew did not meet them), encounter with
icy sentinels that guarded the river approaches
to the Tower of Viondor, the subterranean caverns, and strange
domes with their floral gardens.

The Atlantean Blossoms (1 dose each remaining) - Blossom Effect
White neverwinter The imbiber gains protection from energy (cold) for 1 hour
Violet feverfew The imbiber gains advantage on saves vs. disease for 24 hours
Blue star lily The imbiber gains the effect of casting divination
White snowdrop For 1 hour the imbiber’s cold spells gain +2 attack or +2 DC
Yellow vibrid plumeria For 1 hour the imbiber’s charm spells gain +2 attack or +2 DC
Red winerose The imbiber gains advantage on saves vs. poison or drugs for 24 hours

For the eyes of Yentüll, Head of House Saväschu, of Katagia

For the eyes of Yentüll, Head of House Saväschu, of Katagia

Dear Father,

Thank you for your letter. I appreciate the olive branch you have extended to me, but this gesture only further demonstrates my reasons for leaving Katagia.

The Diluvials believe that we Atlanteans are entitled to more than other races: that we stand to inherit the riches of Atlantis, that we are more deserving of this than other races. You, by this mantra, believe I should carry on your lineage by overseeing one of the family businesses. That, because of my birthright, being your only son and heir to House Saväschu, that it is my duty to come into the fold. That is not my way. It never has been. I believe each of us should be free to carve out our own path, and that each person, no matter their creed, colour, gender or ideology, should be free to pursue their goals – their dreams. I do not believe Atlanteans to be above others; I do not believe myself to be any better at running a business than anyone else; and I do not believe that I should do this just because you wish it.

I never abandoned the family – you abandoned me, when you sided with the Diluvials, who then arranged attempts on my life. I left because these people threatened the lives of my sisters if I did not. I left to protect those I love, and you did nothing. I do not need your forgiveness father – you need mine.

If you no longer want the business in Ren Shaar, then sell it. Name your price, and I will gladly make an offer. If I don’t buy it, I can arrange its sale with one of the nobles of Quodeth – I now know quite a few.

I may have left Katagia, but I am still a Saväschu – just one who follows a different path to you; and I believe that, in generations to come, my House will be all the stronger, tolerant, and open-minded for it.

Give my love to mother, and tell my sisters that I miss them very much.

Regards

Zérda

Magic items for sale in Quodeth to M5 2214

1. Bag of Holding - 2000gp
2. Boots of Striding and Springing - 1000gp
3. Cloak of Elvenkind - 1500gp
4. Gloves of Swimming and Climbing - 1000gp
5. Goggles of Night - 1000gp
6. Keoghtom’s Ointment (5 doses) - 500gp
7. Wand of Magic Detection - 1000gp
8. Various +1 weapons & shields - 2000gp each
9. +1 leather cuirass armour - 3500gp
10. +1 chain cuirass armour - 5000gp
11. +1 bronze cuirass armour - 6500gp
12. Potion of Climbing - 50gp each
13. Potions of healing - 50gp each
14. Cloak of Billowing - 200gp
15. Potion of Growth - 250gp
16. Potion of hill giant strength - 250gp each
17. Ring of mind shielding - 2000gp
18. Ring of swimming - 2000gp
19. Perfume of Bewitchment - 50gp each
20. Ring of Warmth - 2000gp

Tuesday session #15 5/10/2213 to ca 1/2/2214 AR (lvl 7-8) Voor Darayn #4 - end

Tsathoggua

The Dead Dread Lord of Voor Darayn - by Aeshma

We examine the shrine and determine that it has recently been repurposed for the worship of Set. Leaving Cassandra, Ayilda and Marrek there to recover from their injuries, Aeshma, Vorstag, Zerda and Finnris head quietly up the stairs to confront the ritualist.

This time our plans to be stealthy have been successful and the witch is oblivious to our presence as her ritual reaches its climax. Our first sight of her is before a great statue of the toad god, Tsathoggua, standing above a recent sacrifice with blood still dripping from a dagger.

Aeshma takes a few more steps forward, and uttering a quiet prayer to Mithra she flings her sacred chakram at the witch. Despite a displacement effect, the chakram strikes true and staggers her, disrupting her concentration on the ritual. She turns with a snarl of anger, summoning a Fire Shield around her as she meets Vorstag’s attack. Aeshma and Finnris close to melee while Zerda hurls two javelins at her.

Using her magic, she forces Finnris to attack Aeshma, but fortunately the priestess is able to block him with her shield. A dretch starts to coalesce from the bold dripping from her wounds, but Vorstag destroys it just as it forms. Then Aeshma knocks her prone with a shield bash and finishes her off with a blow from her scimitar.

A debate ensues as to who should have the Cloak of Displacement that is only put in abeyance when Aeshma bundles it up and puts it in her pack to be decided later. We then go to investigate a squat, ugly building that exudes an aura of menace. Carefully opening the doors we find it holds a shrine to Tsathoggua. In one of the shrine’s back rooms we find two chests containing the tribute sent by Lomar – 100,000sp and assorted art objects – and Zerda finds the witch’s spellbook.

The witch, Alsuvess, had apparently been a student of the Katagian mage Ebbon, a master of conjuration, and the secrets written in the book are intended to empower a conjurer’s magic. Zerda carefully packs it away for later study. Returning to the main chamber, Aeshma encourages the destruction of the idol of the toad god. It resist our efforts until Finnris strikes it with the Spear of Asura, shattering it. Just to make sure, Aeshma drips holy water over the shards and they bubble and dissolve.

With only Tur Nyaan’s white marble palace remining to be explored, we finally rest for an hour. Looking at the palace exterior, we decide against trying the main doors and instead enter via a collapsed section of wall, disturbing the jungle creatures that had taken up residence in there.

The doorsv leading onward are crafted from heavy bronze, but both Vorstag and Aeshma spot a faint lightning motif etched on the metal. Thinking it is likely to be a trap we flick a copper coin at the doors and are unsurprised when the coin is melted in a crackle of electrical energy. Vorstag and Finnris confirm that the front doors to the palace are similarly warded.

Zerda activates the Cube of Meng and we are able to safely open the doors and enter Tur Nyaan’s treasure chamber. The vast room is filled with gold and gems; a magical fountain forms and reforms over a central pool in shimmering curtains of water. Facing the pool is an unmoving, hooded figure sat on a throne.

We are initially cautious as legends abound of wizards whose power extends beyond death, but Finnris goes forwards and nudges the figure. The ancient, mummified corpse topples off the throne and its skull rolls away, only to be grabbed by Finnris as a momento.

Vorstag’s glee at the mountains of treasure is dampened when Aeshma discovers that, like the treasure hoard in the Ziggurat of Meng, this too is illusory, with only about one coin in a hundred being real.

Exploring the rest of the palace the only other room of interest is draped in rich velvet and contains some kind of scrying device that appears to look back into the past. It may be connected to the Serpent Folk who, in their fight against the elves, pulled great beasts from the past to fight against their enemies. Zerda is unfortunately unable to discover how to activate it and decides to recommend to Queen Deyane that it warrants further study.

Having recovered, Cassandra, Marrek and Ayilda come and meet up with us. We leave them to pick through the illusory treasure to find anything genuine while we go to find the escaped Serpent Wizard.

Following the direction of his retreat we find a partially dilapidated building and cautiously enter. The wizard proves far less adept at hiding than his archer allies and is easily spotted. Aeshma and Finnris move to attack, but the wizard tries to enspell Aeshma with its gaze. She is able to shake off that enchantment, but seconds later it attacks with a Hypnotic Pattern that Finnris withstands but that catches Aeshma.

Zerda blasts the wizard twice with Burning Hands that it proves incapable of dodging, then, along with Vorstag and Finnris, moves to surround the wizard. With no way out, the wizard tries to beg for its life. Vorstag wishes to spare it, to take it back to Quodeth as proof, but the other believe that it is too dangerous and duplicitous and over Vorstag’s protests, it is killed.

We return to Quodeth and report, first to the Vizier who appears to be afflicted with consumption, then to the Queen and her advisors. The Queen announces she wishes to reward our efforts. Prince Dredan suggests making Zerda Baron of Anselmo and sending him to explore the Jungles of Meng, conveniently getting him out of the city for a while… Zerda demurs and is instead given a commission as Captain in the Queen’s forces.

Vorstag asks for the same and is made a Sergeant. Though saying nothing at the time, the Half-Giant is unimpressed with the offered rank and later spends considerable funds convincing senior officers that he too should be given a commission, so a month or so later he is promoted to lieutenant.

Finnris is given a pouch of 1000gp and a letter of introduction to Kal-Zinan as he still wishes to return the steel sword he bought to the dwarves who made it. Aeshma says she is content serving the Church of Mithra, but is asked by the Queen to join her Court.

Tuesday session #14 5/102213 AR (lvl 5-8) Voor Darayn #3

The Snake Pit Fight at Voor Darayn - Aeshma Account

Aeshma, Zerda and Cassandra meet up with Finnris, Vorstag, Alyilda and Marrak who had earlier killed a serpent guard and were in pursuit of its injured cohort. Sprinting ahead of the others Aeshma and Vorstag manage to catch up with it on the Dragon Stair and are able to kill it before it can raise the alarm.

To give us time to bandage the wounded we rest an hour in a derelict building while making plans to continue. With a view to retaining our advantage of stealth, our initial plan is for Zerda to use magic to assume the form of the killed serpent guard, but then the conversation moves to the ghasts in the mausoleum and whether it would be a good idea to continue upwards to Voor Darayn’s peak while leaving that threat behind us.

An initial idea of Cassandra fireballing the inside of the mausoleum is dropped based on the noise it would make, but she then suggests a new spell: Tidal Wave, less explosive and hopefully more subtle. It proves an overly optimistic hope… Unable to target the spell accurately, she manages to catch only one ghast in the wall of water, and that one only a glancing blow. Vorstag, Finnris, Zerda and Aeshma then enter the mausoleum to fight them.

As the fight begins, Cassandra is targeted by another serpent guard archer who had been hidden further up the track. The arrow strikes the sorceress, nearly killing her, and driving her to seek cover behind a pillar. With the fight against the ghasts well in hand, Ayilda and Marrek hurry after the retreating serpent guard.

From the top of Voor Darayn we hear a demonic screech and, even as the last ghast is killed, we know without doubt any hope of stealth is long gone. Cassandra, incensed by her near death experience hurls a fireball after the serpent guard, catching him just as he ducks into a tunnel, then he vanishes from sight, still pursued by Ayilda and Marrek.

Once inside they discover a shrine, a robed serpent wizard and a group of dominated Lomari – as well as the serpent guard archer. The two of them are the target for numerous attacks, but all miss until the wizard summons a swarm of snakes that surrounds them. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the Lomari soldiers move to attack, injuring Marrek. Between them they are able to kill the swarming serpents, but just as it looks like the tide has turned, Ayilda is frozen in place by the wizard’s magic, an easy target for the Lomari soldiers...

The rest of us hurry to cover the intervening ground and reach the tunnel entrance just as two Vrock demons swoop down on us. Their first strike is more than sufficient to knock down the already injured Cassandra, and only Aeshma’s last minute intervention with the Healing Light of Mithra is enough to save her life.

Finnris hurries to defend her and in his fury lands two mighty blows on the demon with the Spear of Asura. Cassandra pulls herself to her feet and throws a fireball at the mob of dominated cultists, using her magical talent to reduce its effectiveness around Ayilda. Then the Vrock that had been injured by Finnris screeches again, stunning Vorstag. Aeshma moves up and knocks it prone with her shield, allowing Finnris and Marrek to take advantage of the opportunity to kill it. Zerda then nearly kills the other Vrock but it survives long enough to tear great gouges in Vorstag, critically wounding him.

The Lomari soldiers rush forwards and once again attack Marrek, leaving him seriously injured. Then the wizard casts Evard’s Black Tentacles, trapping everyone apart from Cassandra who just able to scramble free. As she is adjacent to Vorstag, Aeshma is able to cure some of his injuries and both are able to struggle free from the lashing tentacles. Zerda is then able to break free and lands the killing blow on the last Vrock, but then he too is surrounded by the Lomari.

Between us we manage to kill the Lomari soldiers, clearing the way for Zerda to get to Ayilda just in time to save her life with a timely healing potion. The adjacent serpent guard ttries to hit her with his scimitar but misses, despite her being prone. The serpent wizard flees out the other end of the tunnel, but the guard is trapped. He tries to escape up some stairs but is caught by Vorstag’s harpoon which has the ability to drag him back towards us.

It is somehow apropos that the serpent guard is killed by Cassandra’s magic before it can get away. Much as we want to rest and recover from the fight, we are not sure we can risk it – from above we can hear the sound of a ritual reaching its climax…