Sooo ... Gorbash went and had a chat with one of his dragon friends, and now we're apparently supposed to go on some kind of suicide mission because attacking a flying fortress - the Death Star, basically - is somehow a reasonable thing to do???
Captured by a wine storm
It's been a long time, but we're now back in Rifts for a while. We took care of some rescues and went back to Magestar ... by way of a ley line storm. The water turned into wine, and as a plot twist, the wine had healing properties. Surprise! Our armours were getting fixed, Booker reunited with his Cyber-knight girlfriend Joan, and after seeking the advice of a wizard, had Bally/Barry/the symbiote removed from him by Gorbash. The Chosen One is now a bit more squishy than before, especially as we gave away the protective medal to those White Rose people as a token of good faith.
I'm not foreshadowing or anything
Having defeated the group of spider creatures, we had eventually made it to the bottom of the stairs and found the other troll we were looking for, along with six trolls in a singing circle. That was the end of the last session.
In this session, we took on a couple of Spites - the creature that stung the trolls and infected them with murdery larvae! We also had to deal with the trolls, but the ones that were too far gone, we murderised and the ones that could be saved were knocked out and saved.
We realised that the Spites were coming out of a hole in the ground, and plugged it to stop further attacks. As a reward we were given the title "Defenders of Erdugald" and given a blue gem that will glow when Erdugal is threatened, which means we're supposed to come running to help save it again.
Oh, and it turns out that the Old Prios symbol Valgai's carrying is actually a spider symbol of some kind. THE PLOT THICKENS. Except not right now, because this is our last Symbaroum session for a bit. We're doing a few boardgaming sessions and then it's off back to either Godbound or Rifts, but we'll be back in Davokar eventually.
In this session, we took on a couple of Spites - the creature that stung the trolls and infected them with murdery larvae! We also had to deal with the trolls, but the ones that were too far gone, we murderised and the ones that could be saved were knocked out and saved.
We realised that the Spites were coming out of a hole in the ground, and plugged it to stop further attacks. As a reward we were given the title "Defenders of Erdugald" and given a blue gem that will glow when Erdugal is threatened, which means we're supposed to come running to help save it again.
Oh, and it turns out that the Old Prios symbol Valgai's carrying is actually a spider symbol of some kind. THE PLOT THICKENS. Except not right now, because this is our last Symbaroum session for a bit. We're doing a few boardgaming sessions and then it's off back to either Godbound or Rifts, but we'll be back in Davokar eventually.
Spider bugmen shouldn't exist
The ominous footsteps turned out to belong to a group of enemies the GM wasn't entirely sure we'd manage to defeat before they murdered us (thanks) - but we did succeed. It took a while to beat all the Arachs and the mummy creature and draghouls and rage trolls with larvae goitres and stuff like that. It was messy.
Even Xanatha ended up getting permanent corruption, because "the Spider King rises" and it's all very bad when creepy spider bugmen type creatures attack. Especially when those aren't even supposed to exist, they should stay being a myth.
Erdugald isn't very nice, but on the plus side (which I meant to mention two posts ago but forgot) Valgai now has Witchsight, and that's ever so handy.
Even Xanatha ended up getting permanent corruption, because "the Spider King rises" and it's all very bad when creepy spider bugmen type creatures attack. Especially when those aren't even supposed to exist, they should stay being a myth.
Erdugald isn't very nice, but on the plus side (which I meant to mention two posts ago but forgot) Valgai now has Witchsight, and that's ever so handy.
Is Davokar in Narnia?
Turned out that yes, ice trolls could get out. While we were camped up inside Elindra's witch circle, four of them came sniffing about, along with an abomination and an undead that sort of looked like a mummy. Luckily, we kept quiet and they went away - and we weren't going in the same direction anyway. Not that we got lost on the way or anything, not at all.
When we did get our bearings again and set off in the morning, we eventually came across a troll in fancy clothing, but he was badly injured. There was a stinger left in his neck - apparently he had been attacked when asleep - and his friends were infected too. With some nasty parasite thing, eww.
How to solve this? First by removing the stinger remnants so he can actually regenerate, and then by letting the pet spider poison the troll to kill off the parasite but not the troll - using healing to make sure of that.
Anyway, it turned out the troll was Damaka, one of the two trolls we were tasked by that arch troll to find. Well, here he is, and we just saved his life, yay! And there was Erdugald as well, the mysterious place, which turned out to look like a tower.
A very moist tower, that also played with our senses because we're not trolls. Going down into the structure we eventually came across a dead troll, who looked to have had the same idea as us, i.e. use poison to kill the parasite. Unfortunately he also killed himself in the process.
And then we heard FOOTSTEPS approaching ...
When we did get our bearings again and set off in the morning, we eventually came across a troll in fancy clothing, but he was badly injured. There was a stinger left in his neck - apparently he had been attacked when asleep - and his friends were infected too. With some nasty parasite thing, eww.
How to solve this? First by removing the stinger remnants so he can actually regenerate, and then by letting the pet spider poison the troll to kill off the parasite but not the troll - using healing to make sure of that.
Anyway, it turned out the troll was Damaka, one of the two trolls we were tasked by that arch troll to find. Well, here he is, and we just saved his life, yay! And there was Erdugald as well, the mysterious place, which turned out to look like a tower.
A very moist tower, that also played with our senses because we're not trolls. Going down into the structure we eventually came across a dead troll, who looked to have had the same idea as us, i.e. use poison to kill the parasite. Unfortunately he also killed himself in the process.
And then we heard FOOTSTEPS approaching ...
Killing with the cunning use of surprising the monster to death!
We came across a goblin stockade, which turned out to only be the door to an underground cave system, where a goblin called Arag was king. He didn't know the other goblin king we had befriended many sessions ago, but agreed we seemed nice and friendly and invited us (minus Elindra and spider, who were hiding at the time) inside.
The goblin turned out to have what we needed, and there was talk of Valgai poisoning the mead barrel and we could take some goblins with us to the lindworm, but Murmei thought it was somewhat barbaric to murder everyone, including children, when the goblin king was actually being really friendly and helpful.
While waiting, Elindra and the spider killed two of the guards outside and made it look like big spiders had attacked. Because that way we'd have snacks for the lindworm. It's just that inside, at the goblin party, the king was actually consenting to have a hunting party coming with us to slay said lindworm. Ho hum.
When the "spider attack" was discovered, the hunting party was sent out with us to try and find and kill the spider. Seeing as how the spider was obviously Hairy Dog, we were in a bit of a pickle ... And as the party divulged what had been learned in the cave, the WAY OUT appeared. The goblins were told to go "over there" and search and we'd search somewhere else and re-group later. Basically, we walked down the path to freedom and didn't look back.
Walking all night, on the edge of the forest, Valgai noticed something strange ... it was a big worm-creature of corruption rising up to stop us getting out of the creepy bubble thing. It failed, and again it was Murmei who got to land the killing blow, much to his surprise. But we got out, FINALLY.
And lastly, we came across an injured old elf in a burned down hut, with bodies of ice trolls around. The ... the ice trolls can actually leave Korratix' Domain?! Like the creepy wolf said they could?!
The goblin turned out to have what we needed, and there was talk of Valgai poisoning the mead barrel and we could take some goblins with us to the lindworm, but Murmei thought it was somewhat barbaric to murder everyone, including children, when the goblin king was actually being really friendly and helpful.
While waiting, Elindra and the spider killed two of the guards outside and made it look like big spiders had attacked. Because that way we'd have snacks for the lindworm. It's just that inside, at the goblin party, the king was actually consenting to have a hunting party coming with us to slay said lindworm. Ho hum.
When the "spider attack" was discovered, the hunting party was sent out with us to try and find and kill the spider. Seeing as how the spider was obviously Hairy Dog, we were in a bit of a pickle ... And as the party divulged what had been learned in the cave, the WAY OUT appeared. The goblins were told to go "over there" and search and we'd search somewhere else and re-group later. Basically, we walked down the path to freedom and didn't look back.
Walking all night, on the edge of the forest, Valgai noticed something strange ... it was a big worm-creature of corruption rising up to stop us getting out of the creepy bubble thing. It failed, and again it was Murmei who got to land the killing blow, much to his surprise. But we got out, FINALLY.
And lastly, we came across an injured old elf in a burned down hut, with bodies of ice trolls around. The ... the ice trolls can actually leave Korratix' Domain?! Like the creepy wolf said they could?!
Maybe the next place we go is peaceful
So, having survived eight creatures last time, we were now face with three big ones and a boss - all thanks to the number of things we had slain in total. The forest is apparently keeping score.
After a brave fight, where none of us died, Murmei (!) managed to land the final blow on the Death Prince, much to his own surprise.
We decided to head back to Rafe the gardening wraith to stay the night, as it seemed relatively safe, and gave him one of the satnav flowers. The next day we used one of said flowers to find some more things: the colour of an elk, and an old wizard playing a convoluted boardgame with a raven.
While Elindra chatted away to the raven, Valgai had a chat with the wizard and traded questions and answers. As it happened, the wizard had cast a time stop spell and was waiting for the raven to die of old age (so he wouldn't have to part with his fancy wand artefact), but it was of course a magical raven, and the game had lasted for 300 years already. The wizard got the last bit of info he needed and disappeared.
Later on, we came across a number of realistic-looking stone statues and a basilisk that wanted us to go kill a lindworm and cut out its eyes as a trophy. It gave us a dragonslaying sword as help. Diplomatic as ever we gave the sword to the lindworm and tried to trade info, but it went so-so. It wants to snack on some tasty goblins, but we're friends with goblins these days, and besides, we've not actually found any so far, so how that'll work out is anyone's guess.
After a brave fight, where none of us died, Murmei (!) managed to land the final blow on the Death Prince, much to his own surprise.
We decided to head back to Rafe the gardening wraith to stay the night, as it seemed relatively safe, and gave him one of the satnav flowers. The next day we used one of said flowers to find some more things: the colour of an elk, and an old wizard playing a convoluted boardgame with a raven.
While Elindra chatted away to the raven, Valgai had a chat with the wizard and traded questions and answers. As it happened, the wizard had cast a time stop spell and was waiting for the raven to die of old age (so he wouldn't have to part with his fancy wand artefact), but it was of course a magical raven, and the game had lasted for 300 years already. The wizard got the last bit of info he needed and disappeared.
Later on, we came across a number of realistic-looking stone statues and a basilisk that wanted us to go kill a lindworm and cut out its eyes as a trophy. It gave us a dragonslaying sword as help. Diplomatic as ever we gave the sword to the lindworm and tried to trade info, but it went so-so. It wants to snack on some tasty goblins, but we're friends with goblins these days, and besides, we've not actually found any so far, so how that'll work out is anyone's guess.
Can we run away now?
We came across a clearing, of sorts ... It was sort of an island, but instead of water around it, there was a deep abyss and a rickety rope bridge. We carefully crossed the rickety rope bridge one by one and had a look around. Turned out it used to be a village and they all belonged to a cult, and sacrificed themselves.
We found a troll metal sacrificial knife in a sarcophagus, and decided to skedaddle before night would fall. Watching from the other side of the rickety rope bridge, there were ghosts and skeletons and it was like Halloween had come a month early. They didn't cross to our side of the bridge, though, so we got out of there.
And then we found another clearing and a hill with twenty graves on. Eight or nine of them cracked open and we just about managed to fight them off when a bloody Death Prince emerged. Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...
We found a troll metal sacrificial knife in a sarcophagus, and decided to skedaddle before night would fall. Watching from the other side of the rickety rope bridge, there were ghosts and skeletons and it was like Halloween had come a month early. They didn't cross to our side of the bridge, though, so we got out of there.
And then we found another clearing and a hill with twenty graves on. Eight or nine of them cracked open and we just about managed to fight them off when a bloody Death Prince emerged. Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...
Ice trolls are dicks
We were in Runvid's Cairn, about to disrupt some runes on gholem-type statue things. We succeeded, and they didn't come to life when we passed a certain point on the map. Instead, we found a room with a tomb, and a shield on the wall. A shield that, as it turned out, gives out bolts of lightning when you touch one of the rocks on the burial mound thing.
After various unsuccessful attempts at disabling the lightning trap (we later found out you're not supposed to be able to) we gave up, and left. Turns out the forge thing was best left alone as well, so Murmei was right to insist not to become a blacksmith. Of course later he took the skill anyway, because it meant he'd be able to patch up Knightlight himself.
We continued our journey and came across the Fortress of Solitude. Despite his previously flawless negotiation tactics ("hi, let's be friends!") Murmei was unsuccessful with the ice trolls, who decided the party would be best eaten. The party disagreed, almost wiped, but finally took out the lot of them, and got a fancy magic spear in the process.
Turned out there was a ginormous wolf creature, who had apparently eaten a dragon previously, guarding a big door inside the ice cave. Elindra talked to it, but it wasn't being helpful either. Apparently there's a portal to another realm behind the door, and the ice trolls want to take over this world, but so far they haven't come very far ... and besides, they're also trapped inside a big bubble you can't simply walk out of.
At any rate, we got out of there, found a treehouse, rested up, and we left off having found a couple of dead ice trolls and a dead boar, and the air was getting chilly again ... to anyone not wearing a cold immunity ring.
After various unsuccessful attempts at disabling the lightning trap (we later found out you're not supposed to be able to) we gave up, and left. Turns out the forge thing was best left alone as well, so Murmei was right to insist not to become a blacksmith. Of course later he took the skill anyway, because it meant he'd be able to patch up Knightlight himself.
We continued our journey and came across the Fortress of Solitude. Despite his previously flawless negotiation tactics ("hi, let's be friends!") Murmei was unsuccessful with the ice trolls, who decided the party would be best eaten. The party disagreed, almost wiped, but finally took out the lot of them, and got a fancy magic spear in the process.
Turned out there was a ginormous wolf creature, who had apparently eaten a dragon previously, guarding a big door inside the ice cave. Elindra talked to it, but it wasn't being helpful either. Apparently there's a portal to another realm behind the door, and the ice trolls want to take over this world, but so far they haven't come very far ... and besides, they're also trapped inside a big bubble you can't simply walk out of.
At any rate, we got out of there, found a treehouse, rested up, and we left off having found a couple of dead ice trolls and a dead boar, and the air was getting chilly again ... to anyone not wearing a cold immunity ring.
Deliberately breaking the Left Hand Rule
So curse the old guy's sudden but inevitable betrayal. Because Elindra's spider-talking was non-verbal, he didn't notice her doing that - instead he focused on Murmei's knowledge of different languages, and him speaking with the giant in particular, to decide he was a demon and ... battle ensued.
RIP crazy old man.
We found the Tomb of Horrors, or at least the Cairn of someone or other. The door was locked, but we made it unlocked and headed inside. It was full of pit traps. Fortunately (even the spider-weary in the party agreed on this term) Elindra has a pet spider who can crawl on things other than the floor.
Eventually we found a big room with a ritual anvil, so the party decided Murmei was somehow best suited to become a blacksmith and turned an ordinary axe into an axe that makes you blind when you carry it, even if you're dragging it behind you on a rope. He also only narrowly missed out on taking permanent corruption during the forging, and wasn't keen to have another go making another perfectly usable weapon useless - despite both Valgai and Elindra thinking it would be great to have a blacksmith in the party.
It was basically a good old-fashioned dungeon crawl, and there's more where that came from!
RIP crazy old man.
We found the Tomb of Horrors, or at least the Cairn of someone or other. The door was locked, but we made it unlocked and headed inside. It was full of pit traps. Fortunately (even the spider-weary in the party agreed on this term) Elindra has a pet spider who can crawl on things other than the floor.
Eventually we found a big room with a ritual anvil, so the party decided Murmei was somehow best suited to become a blacksmith and turned an ordinary axe into an axe that makes you blind when you carry it, even if you're dragging it behind you on a rope. He also only narrowly missed out on taking permanent corruption during the forging, and wasn't keen to have another go making another perfectly usable weapon useless - despite both Valgai and Elindra thinking it would be great to have a blacksmith in the party.
It was basically a good old-fashioned dungeon crawl, and there's more where that came from!
Breaking plots since 2002!
We're still stuck inside some kind of witch's circle thingy and trying to find our way out - supposedly by finding some tricky questions and their answers. Apparently some questions we might come across aren't the questions sought, they're just there to trip you up.
There was a tree with an axe in it. Nearby we found a really old guy who kept ranting about demons. Maybe we were demons too? We were supposed to attack him, but instead managed to calm him down long enough to hear that he was a demon hunter who had sealed a demon in the tree with the axe. An artifact axe he was bonded to, in fact, and as he was aging, the seal keeping the demon in was getting weaker. He was having a heart attack at this point, but we Medicated him and let him rest ... and read his diary. And investigated the axe.
Setting fire to the tree didn't work ... so we chopped it down. Didn't seem to stop the tree from still displaying signs of possession, but the old geezer could no longer sense it, so we figured we'd probably killed it or something. Later, the guy showed signs of being in much better health than he had been, in fact he kind of looked years younger, but that MUST be unrelated and not at all a sign of demonic possession ... right?
We later came across what we thought was an unusually large troll, but turned out to be a sleeping giant. Murmei woke him up to speak with him, and wasn't horribly murdered in the process. The giant was suitably entertained by some stories of our adventures (although less thrilled by the rusty flute-playing) and gave us a few pointers on how to proceed with our quest.
There was a tree with an axe in it. Nearby we found a really old guy who kept ranting about demons. Maybe we were demons too? We were supposed to attack him, but instead managed to calm him down long enough to hear that he was a demon hunter who had sealed a demon in the tree with the axe. An artifact axe he was bonded to, in fact, and as he was aging, the seal keeping the demon in was getting weaker. He was having a heart attack at this point, but we Medicated him and let him rest ... and read his diary. And investigated the axe.
Setting fire to the tree didn't work ... so we chopped it down. Didn't seem to stop the tree from still displaying signs of possession, but the old geezer could no longer sense it, so we figured we'd probably killed it or something. Later, the guy showed signs of being in much better health than he had been, in fact he kind of looked years younger, but that MUST be unrelated and not at all a sign of demonic possession ... right?
We later came across what we thought was an unusually large troll, but turned out to be a sleeping giant. Murmei woke him up to speak with him, and wasn't horribly murdered in the process. The giant was suitably entertained by some stories of our adventures (although less thrilled by the rusty flute-playing) and gave us a few pointers on how to proceed with our quest.
Let's have a pre-emptive NOPE
The making-a-rat-drunk experiments continued, but we eventually had to let the little fella go. If there was poison in that wine, at least it wasn't meant for rats.
As luck would have it, we could now finally start our journey into Davokar! You know, the thing we were supposed to have done ten sessions ago but got side-tracked when Murmei was put into protective custody.
On the very short road leading into the forest, we found a small camp of witchfinders. The wine was mentioned. They took one look at it and said it was very bad mojo indeed. There was darkness in those bottles, make no mistake. As they knew what to do with said cursed liquids, we gave them the rest for safe disposal, while we continued into the forest.
We were attacked by a Skullbiter named Steve, and after much deliberation decided not to attack the group of them we found a bit further away, because while we could take down one of them (somehow, it has stupid levels of armour) we couldn't guarantee the same with a whole group. When it was killed it turned into a pile of earth with a piece of a runic spear in it. Interesting.
Near a place where it was fabled a dragon had been taken down ages ago, there seemed to be a witch's circle protecting the area. Somehow we ended up in a bubble of sorts, by a cottage occupied by a ghost we decided to call Rafe. Apparently in order to get away from there, we'll have to come up with some very tricky questions and the answers? We ... we might be stuck for a while.
As luck would have it, we could now finally start our journey into Davokar! You know, the thing we were supposed to have done ten sessions ago but got side-tracked when Murmei was put into protective custody.
On the very short road leading into the forest, we found a small camp of witchfinders. The wine was mentioned. They took one look at it and said it was very bad mojo indeed. There was darkness in those bottles, make no mistake. As they knew what to do with said cursed liquids, we gave them the rest for safe disposal, while we continued into the forest.
We were attacked by a Skullbiter named Steve, and after much deliberation decided not to attack the group of them we found a bit further away, because while we could take down one of them (somehow, it has stupid levels of armour) we couldn't guarantee the same with a whole group. When it was killed it turned into a pile of earth with a piece of a runic spear in it. Interesting.
Near a place where it was fabled a dragon had been taken down ages ago, there seemed to be a witch's circle protecting the area. Somehow we ended up in a bubble of sorts, by a cottage occupied by a ghost we decided to call Rafe. Apparently in order to get away from there, we'll have to come up with some very tricky questions and the answers? We ... we might be stuck for a while.
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