The Standalone Chronicles

Game 12, Operation evil

25/8/1563BM

We see our heroes, or rather in this case villains. Come together in the city of Vodras, some called and some by chance but all brought together by the powers of chaos. First we have the cured Alex, who is a pawn to his patron Nalmori’a, he was called here directly by his patron to serve a purpose. Second we have Athriesh a fire Genasi who is a scholar and minorly devout worshiper of Gzentlhi, the god of unified chaos, he was called here directly as well. Next is Arelohc a doctor and experimenter who lived in the city of Vodras and seeing the city come under the new rule of Lady Emra he investigated. Last is Steve, a small forest gnome brought to the city by truly chaotic means and come in search of destruction and drugs. The four of these people come into the council chambers where in Emra has taken the place of the throne from king Uriel Ventris. Emra is a women with long red hair and wearing a light shimmering green dress yet a pair of dead set and hungry eyes. In the room as well is the count Monty Chello, who acts as the regulator of the council and handles the cities finances. The Arch duke Francis Hapsburg, who specializes in commerce and with the help of his many wives. Barron harkonen, who is in charge of law and order and runs guards. Not present is Tyrel Calisto who is the acting Sovereign of Nashel and currently in Nashel acting on previous orders. Lastly is Maestro Magellan Montessori who was recently killed by Emra. The four villains entered the chamber along with their entourages, Arelohc brought a contruct creature shaped like a crocodile and Athreish brought four animated corpses and two animated skeletons and a raven familiar. This group of chaotically brought together people was tasked by Lady Emra to plant these small red orbs into the ground in a specific pattern. Being given the rough locations and than told that the orbs would find their exact spot when getting closer the group splits up to plant these devices.

Athreish uses identify to see what these orbs are and is able to tell that they are a form of anti-magical zone for specific types of magic such as sending and scrying. Arelohc goes and places the two orbs into the ocean, seeing briefly the leviathan that has taken up residence in the port. Alex does to an empty house and plants an orb, looking around and noticing the general trend that many of the houses in the city, over half are empty. Athriech as well goes into an empty house and places an orb, as well getting many orbs in the county side. Steve has been wondering the city and exploring, killing a few passing people that looked at him the wrong way, spreading chaos and making people disappear. Arelohc goes to a location and finds it to be an abandomed leather working shop, planting the orb and going into an upper room and starting to write reports on the fellow people he is working with. Steve near this building and seeing Arelohc go in follows stealthily and goes about ransacking the place, turning it up in hopes of a lock box but finding nothing expect tools, which he indeed takes and steals. Alex and Athreish meet up and start to work together to finish off the orbs, Alex and Athreish go into a home which ends up having people in it, Athreish with a heavy handed attitude sees a man with a sword in his hand and does not hesitate for a second to kill him at once. with the last orb to be placed Arelohc comes to a come that has six people and performing his duty to these quiet and fearful people he makes the most brief conversation. After placing the last orb a small red flicker is emitted and the city of Vodras comes under magical protection. Before going back to the council chambers the group makes a quick stop at the main base of the guards, the house of Barron Harkonen. Testing the waters in a way and acting without any remorse Athreish fireballs a group of armor wearing guards and when even questioned and attempted to be stopped does it again, killing a dozen guards in but a few short seconds. A commander, a higher up asks if they have orders from the barron, Athreish says no but Arelohc says yes, under duress the commander is fine with this and insists the loyalty of all the men here. The purpose of this simply being to collect armor for his animated corpses and skeletons.

Going back to the council chambers to ask again of Emra what is needed, and she lets them be off to do what they want, with Arelohc giving a report before the rest of the group arrives. Hlyenna is also present, a women with shorter black hair and tight fitting dress, she is absently mindedly creating small little trinket like items, crystal and stone work pieces, like an artist that uses pure thought. Emra wishes they to lay devastation and traps to the city. And with Emra being able to create from mere thought and ideas she being used to make things to help in this, Athreish requests a spell scroll of shatter and she ablidges, making what looks to be a spell scroll of shatter and he also requests a scroll of earth tremor and while observing her pull this paper out of thin air and dot it with ink he sees a truly different looking form of scroll and is puzzled, still taking them both for later. Steve requests tar and fire to burn down the city, he is given a jar with fire placed inside and a bucket of tar. Alex asks for caltrops and ball bearings, the caltrop being made of solid granite and the ball bearings looking like pearls. Arelohc doesn’t ask for any items and goes about his own business. The group spends the afternoon looking at the ruins of the magic tower of Maestro Magellan. Searching the area and seeing the ruined teleportation portal, and also discovering and finding many things. Steve finds a small black cloth that he soon learns act as a portable hole. Athreish finds a large collection of spell components worth over 1300g in total. Alex is told by Nalmori’a about a special object in a dresser drawer up stairs and so retrieves it, finding an ankh shaped tuning fork, not knowing what exactly this is he puts it away, but is confronted by Athreish and questioned, getting into a tussle over this Athreish outright attacks Alex, Alex responds by breaking a window and jumping out to escape, but Athreish responds and fireballs the general area, turning Alex unconscious. Athreish stabilizes him and looks at this fork, leaving the body behind. Alex comes back in about an hour and his mood worsens. Being a servant of Nalmori’a and acting mostly like a slave is having a great toll on his stability. Steve kills another random civilian by pushing him into the hole and closing the hole up.

During this expedition Arelohc goes about and talks to the people he did earlier today and questions them. He talks to a man and gets a decent amount of info about them. He talks about the state of the city, how food is a limited resource and the traditional coin based economy is shutting down, more bartered goods being traded and the people not working much but being simple deterrence for things. When Arelohc is asked about Emra and who’s side he is on he answers that he is on his own side.

29/8/1563BM

The group has had a few days to cause chaos, Steve doing good work at pure destruction of the city taking whole neighborhoods of the city in beautify flame. Emra has gathered them back to help take down the priest of Luhaso, who are providing help to the people of the city, adding far to much order for this time of chaos. So the group is sent out the task of dealing with them, however they see fit. Arelohc talks briefly about the goals of the organization and if perhaps keeping them alive would be of actual help, Emra not caring one way or another sends them off. The church of Luhaso has tall outwards towers and normally welcoming it is at this time not, a shelter for the needy but still a place of fear. Barging inside the group prepared to fight open up quickly. Short exchanged of words are had before the fight starts when Athreish starts to cast a spell. The priests able to react go first, summoning a holy defender and spiritual weapons to protect the masses of people behind them. Alex bring our fairy flame and covers the air in bright colorful lights and hides, Athreish marches the zombies forward and are attacked by defender until they exhaust it. Arelohc, using an exct shot with his musket, blessed with unholy magic from Emra and being purely skilled, he kills one of the priest in one shot, felling her in an unceremonious manor at once. Seeing the danger the head priest casts a dome of force to protect herself, the remaining priest and three people. Undeterred Athreish teleports inside the dome and uses a necrotic arrow to harm them. Steve tries to run and attack in but is stopped by the wall so instead throws his bucket of tar and lights it aflame. Arelohc wants to keep the priest alive perhaps and so says that if they lay down their weapons they will be kept alive, the head priest unfazed says she “will do anything in service pf Luhaso” but the other priest says “faith is not worth dying for” and drops her weapon. This matters not at all to Athreish and he unleashes a lightning bolt on the both of them, killing them both. They raided the rest of the church, finding many spell components and important and valuable treasures of the church, including the master copy of the book of Luhaso and a vial of angle blood. Arelohc goes back to Emra once again and voices concern, Emra shooting this idea down and telling him that he is not allowed to leave. Steve continues to work slowly at destroying the city neighborhoods. And Athreish explodes the bridges that cross the river. 

34/8/1563BM

Athreish, Steve and Alex go and raid the estate of Monty Chello while a this point Arelohc has gone into hiding. The group breaks into the house and taking the loot quickly, finding some magical items and also expensive and valuable treasure. They also find Monty Chello in an upper room at the table with a two others, seeing this they question him and while he tells the technical truth he avoids the actual truth, he says he serves the council but the group finds this non satisfactory and so Athreish uses a hold person to keep him still while they search and fid documents indicating conspiracy, the coldness of the action and the seeming indifference towards it. Athreish brings Monty Chello back the council chambers to Emra and she decides what will be done with him. Alex continues to investigate the house and finding the vault, and the keys opens it to find a large portion of the wealth of the city, pure bars of gold and platinum, gems and stones but also deeds and promissory notes, business contracts and the like, all totaling to over 40,000 gold. Taking this all back to the chambers Emra is rather satisfied.

37/8/1563BM

After being held for a time Monty Chello is brought out and set up for a public execution, in the morning a set of gallows is brought out and a croud is gathered, it must be forced, Alex uses his suggestion and silver tongue while Athreish uses pure scare tactics and fear. Over a thousand people witness this execution where Emra “sentences” him to death for treason. The execution is quick and the plain body left to stay in the street. Emra leaves the city bounds to send out a message to those of importance, her declaration to the world. She also formally disbands the council and places the remaining members under house arrest. 

Music

Unease https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbLo3GTyaYs

Vodras theme https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMi0peElNm0

Battle music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtqRjGP3uoY

Game 12.5. Caleb’s artificer’s tomb

3/1/1564BM

On this day a group of adventurers has meet together at a small town named Valenrush, about 4 days south of Kotusen. The hero’s meet in a guard house, given a quest to go stop the local ork problem, it has been fine the past month but recently they attacked a human farm and burnt the home down, and broke a mans arm. Taking the job we go off towards the ork camp, talk to Orks briefly and if we beat the “strong one” the Orks will leave, go into the dungeon and it’s a maze, fight some spherical robots that arnt hard but very strange. Encounter two weird black circle things that annihilate items around it, but pass it. enter the final chamber, fight a minotaur and more sphere robots, defeat the boss with medium difficult. Loot the camber and look at the tomb it is of “_”. Leave the chamber and tell the Orks to leave, they do, we rest for the night and get our reward back at the village.

Game 13. Revolutionary dragons and death

30/7/1563BM

In the port city of Resh’har, two agents of the draconic empire have stayed Varnswood the red dragonborn and Elysium the black dragon born. Each working for the outward arm of the agency of the draconic empire they have both had long and loyal carriers doing the jobs for the empire. At this moment they are at stay in Resh’har, were an important vote is to take place, a vote with both the electorate council and the people voting to determine if military funding should be increased. Our two dragonborn meet in a small room a week before the vote to finalize plans on what to do, deciding that they should sway the electorate and the people in the vote to not vote for this proposal and save the money. They also plan to spend time during the week talking to some electorate and to work to guarantee a spot within the people assembly. One effort they do is make some posters and hire a group of bored kids to put them up around town, a couple gold for the distributed information is well worth it. posters in large black text reading “peace is revolutionary”.

The two of them go and visit the offices of known electors. First they visit Heskan Kinbrad who is a blue dragon born, asking the lizard folk secretary first and quickly getting in. He was in the middle of writing down a speech and he supports the anti military expansion, thinking it in the best interest of the citizens to keep the money and use it on other projects. Feeling good the two of them go to the next electorate, this the office of Kriv Thores who is a black dragon born and has a red dragon born secretary, an odd mirror to Varnswood and Elysium. Kriv is quite in favor of the war and thinks that the possibility of needing to defend themselves is high. Varnswood uses a bit of magic to peer into his head and sees that he was reading in his office, not using his time for official duties and keeps that sliver of information tucked away in case it is needed. Lastly they visit Perra Kepeshk a green dragon, the door answered by a kobold servant who lets them in just fine. Perra isn’t busy per say but she is enjoying an afternoon tea with her wife and discussing possible pros and cons about the bill, our two players come in and have an informal chat with her and use some persuasive arguments, the biggest one that matters to Perra is that if needed the electorate people council can always vote on the issue again later. Varnswood and Elysium feeling accomplished for the time spend the rest of the week refining their plan, Varnswood making a speech himself and other small activities.

The night before the council the two of them camp out in the square to get first spots in line, by the early morning a good few people have built up on both sides both pro and anti-military expansion. Our two however work for what is really needed, getting inside the chambers and starting to influence. The two of them sit apart and both work to get different groups. A blue dragon born comes up to the council and speaks about how if citizens want to give a speech or talk to come and inform him. Varnswood talking the initiative goes down and pleads hard to get a later spot, the dragon born initially can give him 5th from last but with a little persuasion, and a nice fist full of gold he manages to squeeze his way into 3rd from last place, just behind the two final closers. Than once people are ready and seated the long process of speeches begins. Twenty five speeches in total, some of various lengths and compositions but still taking a great deal of time. we see speaches from the three we meet, Heskan with a nice anti-military speech. Kriv with vitriolic pro-military speech and Perra with a speech wherein she talked about being undecided but fell in favor to the side of anti-military. Other citizens give their speeches, of far varying degrees of quality and content, some concerned directly about the money, others about what idea this will send to the empire, still others with personal interests in expanding the military. Varnswood goes up, chanting and espousing the rhetoric that he works directly against, like a false demiurge saying exactly what the people want. The opener of “I love the revolution, I love democracy” and “glory to the revolution” he makes points about security of the military being used in far off lands, your sons and daughters taken away. A point about how this is taking money away from people and leaving them dry, taking away from educational opportunities, and that this initiative is fear based and these people will not live in fear.

Than the last step, the electorate and the people are broken up into small groups of ten people each and each group must decide one way or another which way they fall. Elysium gets lucky and plays a few words of reference form the speeches given, working and changing the opinions and he does a vote by simple majority and his group is anti-military. Varnswood has another challenge, by preliberal luck his entire group is pro-military and its an uphill battle of convincing to get even a few people to saw to his side, but with his silver tongue he manages to squeeze out a anti-war vote. The groups are called back together in the main chamber and each small group says allowed their decision. In the end the electorate have eight votes for anti-military and two votes for pro-military. The people have seven votes anti-military and four votes pro-military. Meaning the bill passes fifteen to six, the city of Resh’har will not support and expansion of military.

 42/8/1563BM

Alex, slave of Nalmori’a wakes up in a jolt, the quick memory of blood and blunt force lingers in his mind. He looks around and sees a troubled landscape, moss with shades ranging from green to blue and purple, thin spear like trees with carved faces within them and a sky that is a light bloodshot color, like an animal slaughtered and left in a shallow puddle. Hearing a loose scuttering around him, and eventually coming face to face with him, Nalmori’a. a tall beast like thing around 15ft tall, his body is like a scorpion or centipede with an uncountable number of small legs, his body coming up and forming a more human torso with two main arms, thing and gaunt but outstretched. His face like a white pale mask, showing an expression of anger. Looking at each other for a few moments before Nalmori’a speaks. “we lost” in deep anger as his mask comes and shatters apart and forms back to together. Nalmori’a also mentions about “first the hat and now this” a reference unknown to Alex. Nalmori’a has a simple goal here, get Alex to agree to coming back and once again being under control, coming and wrapping himself around Alex like a constrictor snake or an earwig, whispering things in his ear, lies and spun up tales. Alex however is having none of this, not exactly knowing how this works he just wants to die and be forgotten, to be free for once. Nalmori’a says “I cannot make you forgotten, so go, you unfit one of attempts” and Nalmori’a skitters away back into the forest of faces. Not exactly knowing what to do Alex wishes for peace, for solitude and the tides of vorpal space agree. As Alex walks he enters into a field of yellowish grass, like that of a early fall a very gentil breeze comes through and sweeps along the grass. Looking at his body for the first time he notices quickly that it looks like that of before he was trapped by Nalmori’a, he attempts to summon the sword and is fully unable, not feeling even a slight bit of power. He lays down In the grassy field and feels something so dearly missed, freedom.

Music

Resh’har theme https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CY97XoaEjFg

Electorate theme https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygmAixdOscc

Nalmori’a theme https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzWsLaolyLw

Vorpal space theme https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbLo3GTyaYs

Game 14. The Arena

28/8/1563BM

The city of Ketsi is a bustling city, yet one built on the back of a great freedom of work and opportunity. Here in a group a quickly assembled people come together. The bi-monthly tournament is conducted, one of the few free events in the city. Thusly the large stadium is filled with spectators. The leader of this entire operation is Savras, the champion of Hyesal who, with the power of his god challenges those who wish to be tried. Combatants will come in and Hyesal judges them and sends down a challenge to face them outright, while the fights are often rather quick the commentary between fights gives fighters time to prepare and rest.

In this area many people have to fight on their own but our four characters today have been matched together for a large battle. We have Manfried Adison, a human who carries a sword and a dagger and looks like rather graceful, hoping to display his dance of swords to the crowd. We have Jonathan Coltrane a half elf in his middle years who dresses in darker robes of black, he who has lived in the city of Ketsi for a while making his life as a criminal charlatan yet who also has fine magical prowess, taking the opportunity to earn some coin. We have Namaril, a figure who looks quite human but with a set of faint gold wings behind and golden irises. He wields a masterful sword and shield and a fine set of chainmail. Lastly, we have a familiar sight, Sufantheil who traveled over to Ketsi hoping to gain even more money and to test out his bought weapons, now wielding the red wyrm bow. Before any for the fights starts they observe a few as a group before getting ready for their own. They see the pattern of Savras giving a few words, the crowd chanting a few phrases and the with the fighters on the field something is summoned onto the field, but unknown means a monster or group of monsters is summoned. One battle is dozens of small worms that duck in and out of the sand, another is a pair of bird like assassins and a tornado of fire spewing forth, yet another is a large metallic golem of sorts that seems to glow bright. Than this group goes down and talks briefly about all of their respective skills and abilities and perhaps how to deal with what they may fight.

The first fight, the four of them enter onto the field, passing the special stones of intinction, when touched they provide a barrier against death, if one falls in battle they are instead left hanging on by a thread of life and to walk off the field as they are out, still earning them praise but Hyesal wants a good fight, not death. Savras says is his booming voice “here we are to witness another test of ability, a grand fight sent from out lord Hyesal, oh Hyesal delight us with a challenge” he walks off the field as the crowd chants “the flame favors the righteous!” “the flame favors the bold!” “the flame favors the winner!”. At once areas of flame fill the arena and out from them walk smaller creatures, lizard like in shape and made of living flame, out players brace for the battle and have but a few moments to cast a spell before it starts.

Manfried opens with a flourish at one of the ones close to him, Sufantheil pulls out his musket and gets started with a bang and hits on dead on, Johnathan seeing these creatures are made of fire uses a magical acid splash to deal damage to some further away. Namaril attacks one of the largest fire skinks with his blade, using divine magic to slay it in one fell swoop. Manfried attacks the same one again, Sufantheil ducks behind a mote of fire and is able to attack one with stealth. Namaril is hit but the small fire sword of the skinks, it does a little but of burning but quite manageable. Johnathan seeing the acid splash work does it again. Manfried is hit with some spit from the tiny fire skinks. Namaril hit and kills another one with his furious blade. Manfried uses a special magical ability and captures four of the small skinks in a hypnotic bubble, making them completely transfixed and out of the fight. Sufantheil attacks again with his bow, changing position and landing a strong hit. The remaining larger skin hits Namaril. Jonathan continues with his pelting of acid on some of the skins that are still approaching. The smaller skinks attack, and one of with the greatest luck and impeccable timing strikes at Manfried and takes down his death shield, this does remove him from the fight yet his magical pattern is still up. Namaril continues to fight the skinks that are surrounding him, not able to down them just yet. Sufantheil uses his bow and strikes another skin down from afar. The skinks still persistent attack Jonathan and deal some fiery damage. Jonathan continues his retaliatory acid splash, it having been a very good amount of damage delt so far over this fight. Johnathan and Sufantheil continue to pick the smaller ones off and Namaril down those that are surrounding him. All that remain are the four that are trapped in the hypnotic bubble, so in a means like execution Sufantheil and Namaril attack each one on its own with one fell swoop to kill it, and at end the all the skinks are dead. The fire stops and the crowd cheers at the victory, and a well fought fight. Our fighters having taken a little damage, and Manfried taken a lot, all go back to lick their wounds and prepare for the next fight. Taking about an hour, getting patched up they area ready for their next fight, Manfried casting a song of rest to help heal his teammates.

The next fight occurs, Savras applauding how glorious of a fight the first round was and hoping for a wonderful second fight. The crowd resounds again in expectation the thrum of excitement. The words are chanted once again “the flame favors the righteous!” “the flame favors the bold!” “the flame favors the winner!”. Pillars of stone erupt from the ground and three large dog like beasts come up from the sand. Spined and quilled like a porcupine and like a hairless mangy wolf, these beasts unknown to this world yet summoned for the glory of combat. At once Sufantheil takes position up on a pillar and ducking down to hide. Johnathan uses the hast spell on Namaril to boost him in combat. The beasts are getting closer yet haven’t gotten close enough, a large wail sound from one of them sending Manfried in a short term shock of fear. Namaril has his wings become more visible and he starts to fly, gaining a short burst of speed and grace, using this he attack one of the beasts closest to him. Johnathan uses his shadow powers to summon out a darkened wolf made of void like darkness and this wolf charges at the beasts. One beasts tears it apart in one move with its powerful jaws, snapping its neck and returning it to the realm it came from. Namaril uses a divine energy and rebukes some of the damage done back on its self and the beast takes radiant damage from the holy power of Namaril. Sufantheil aims and fires his musket at the furthest beast, hitting well from his vantage position. Namaril is hit hard by another beast and his death shield is taken away so he exists the fight, but not with to much speed to him as he can still help without fighting. Manfried once again uses a hypnotic bubble to trap two of the three beasts and delay the onslaught. Sufantheil switches to his red Wyrm bow and activates it, the arrows glowing with a fire like energy. Johnathan casts haste for a second time but on Manfried this time to give him a boost. Namaril is slowed by the ending of haste on himself and is able to boost those remaining. Sufantheil hits a beast that is changing at them, dealing damage with his great bow. Johnathan moves away from the approaching beast and hits it with a firebolt. Manfried sees the beast is by the pillar, moves in and hits it once with his sword than moves away and casts shatter on the pillar, this causing the pillar to fall and hit the beast dealing a massive amount of damage and slaying one of the beasts. Namaril uses a shield of faith on Manfried to protect him even further. Sufantheil hitting again from his towered position, with Johnathan climbing up on the pillar to get out of the way as well. the two beasts still trapped in the hypnotic bubble are frozen while the fighters still on the field get a brief moment to prepare. Manfried moves up to attack, Johnathan summon the shadow wolf back and it moves to attack as well, lining up a shot Sufantheil hits one beast, setting it free from the illusion it was trapped in, and then the shadow wolf and Manfried strike, and Johnathan getting a stray firebolt in as well, this killing the second beast and leaving only one left to take down. Manfried drops the hypnotic bubble and the third and final beast is set free, the wolf changing in and attacking with violence, a “you wont kill me again attitude” and knocks this very large beast prone onto the ground. Manfried is able to dash in and attack as well. Sufantheil having a bit harder time hitting it adjusts position but misses his shot. Johnathan uses a mind spike to hits its psyche. Jackson does a ceremonial flourish and notices its weak spot, killing it with exact precision. Victory is celebrated, Johnathan uses dancing lights to make firework like displays of magic, Manfried also uses pyrotechnics to light up the sky in celebration. The team decides to call it a day and watches a few other fights that occur, thinking to themselves about how honestly they think they had the hardest matchup of the games. At the end of a long day they go to collect their pay. One hundred gold for Sufantheil and Johnathan and seventy five for Namaril and Manfried. Feeling accomplishing they part ways.

Music

Ketsi theme https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIpJBOD8-yw

Gladiator arena https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0r53d5-yHKo

Fight music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAGm9MTyRJ8