Post by Bandgoat on Jan 14, 2015 15:58:20 GMT -6
Abadius 29, 4708 – Early Morning
--,
I feel we are making progress toward our goal. I think we have the components needed to battle Karzoug, we just need to combine them with our weapons, find the exit to Runeforge, and figure out where to find the runelord of greed.
After Soril was revived, we rested another day to fully recover from our harrowing battle with our mirrored likenesses, preparing for another foray into the Shimmering Halls of Illusion. Upon our return to that chamber, we gathered up some broken shards of mirror, since they detected faintly as illusion magic and could possibly be the component needed to infuse our weapons against Karzoug. The corridor opened into an immense cathedral of polished ivory flagstones. Mirrored walls rose to a height of nearly a hundred feet, where the vaulted ceiling arched majestically. Four immense chandeliers hung from golden chains and brightly illuminated the entire room. At the center of the cathedral, a three-step dais of polished wood supported a peacock the size of a wyvern, its feathers spread regally behind it. The creatures eyes seemed to hold a great depth of wisdom and intelligence, knowledge that should be mine, if we are to prevail against the ancient Thassilonian runelords. The sight of the peacock statue reminded us that we have come across several instances of peacocks: the quill pen we found in the shrine of Lamashtu, the history of the Thorassic Monastery, and the references we found in the library under Jorgenfist to the Peacock Spirit of ancient Thassilon. We recalled that the research into the peacock spirit was very circular – only vague answers not totally understood. Soril let us know that the peacock statue was an illusion and that nothing was actually resting on the dais. As we began to investigate the area, a secret door in the chamber opened and out poured half a dozen copies of the same person, all looking prepared to fight us with magic. They said something belligerent, beginning a fight.
They attacked us with familiar spells: phantasmal killer, fireball, and scorching ray. I responded by closing to engage them in hand-to-hand fighting. Soril conjured several walls to screen us and damage them. Lai’Ki pelted the illusionists while Ryll attacked one of the casters with a fury of strikes, bolstering herself with angelic power. Nala threw acidic bombs at them while Gorm moved between enemies, harassing the enemy wizards. Tolgun concentrated his attacks on one caster, almost smashing him into oblivion. Soon after, Soril spewed a cone of acid over several enemies, killing two; I pierced one enemy through the lung, dropping it; and Lai’Ki put the finishing touches on the last foe.
By then, we had noticed that all of the enemy spell casters were identical, even down to the gear they were carrying. Soril believed they were simulacra. They had some decent magical gear that would help us reequip or be sold for a tidy sum, if we can ever get out of this place. We found nothing else in the mirrored room, so we continued our investigation through the now-opened concealed door. Bookcases full of tomes and scrolls lined the cozy chamber’s walls and a reading table with several matching chairs sat atop a thick rug in its center. A peacock made of gold stood on the table holding a single stick of incense cleverly positioned in its tail feathers. A heavy wooden door exited the room through the opposite wall of our entrance. A figure lay slumped in the chair in the far corner – the body of a man wearing rich robes and a cloak made of peacock feathers. He clutched an elegant mirror in his hand and a book and a quill sat on the table before him. There were definitely some magical items in the room. He had a magic robe, a headband, a ring, and a cape. They were very nice and should be useful to us. The corpse appeared to have died quite recently, though the magical properties of Runeforge could skew that appraisal. The room seemed to be filled with religious essays on the subject of the Peacock Spirit; though, like most texts on the subject, they were maddeningly vague and coy as to revealing any details on the deity. This was exacerbated by the large volume of reading materials. We knew from our previous research that Xanderghul, the runelord of pride and illusion had basically devoted his entire kingdom to the worship of the Peacock Spirit. The corpse looked like it died mere moments ago, the book in his lap appeared to be an extensive journal written in Thassilonian, that required about a day to read. We took it with us and read it after we had finished exploring the halls of illusion. There were no signs leading to a direct cause of death of the corpse. Though he was an old man, the magic of Runeforge should have kept him alive. We also found the wizard’s spell books, which included many illusion spells. We went through the only remaining door in the room to further investigate. There was a long hallway, opening up into a large room, doors on either side. The door to the left opened to a closet revealing a pile of bodies stacked in a well-organized heap, looking just like the wizards we had killed, though elderly versions of them. The open room down the hall was strangely shaped with another door on the far wall. Once a fine library, the books held in that large chamber along with the bookshelves that once held them had been destroyed by fire and force. The devastation seemed complete, although we found a magical tome that had miraculously survived somewhere under all the ruin. A sizable alcove extended from the room into what may have once been a large reading area, but this too had been ruined. The door to the right was another closet, but it was stacked floor to ceiling with more dead bodies, over a hundred of them. The last room contained only three plain items of furniture: a large bed strewn with silk ropes, a writing desk, and a free-standing armoire. We found nothing magical in the room. The armoire contained a few items of mundane clothing. Soril cast a spell of detection on himself and took a path checking the Shimmering Veils for any more illusory objects.
With that, we decided to spend some time to heal and read the journal. It belonged to an illusionist, a devotee of the peacock spirit, and a faithful subject of Xanderghul named Vraxeris. The bulk of the journal cataloged Vraxeris’s studies and the development of an improved version of clone that effectively granted him immortality. The drawback was that each time he switched bodies, he lost a portion of his own knowledge and experience, forcing himself to relearn much with each incarnation. At several points in the book, he also speaks of how with each new clone, the debilitating dementia that lurks at the end of his life manifests a little sooner — with each new body, his effective lifespan shrank, a phenomenon known as “replicative fading” by some scholars. It seems obvious that the dementia finally struck soon enough to prevent him from creating a new clone, and thus finally, death claimed him. A wizard could use the journal to rebuild Vraxeris’s version of improved clone, but the research for creating this powerful spell is particularly onerous and would itself consume most of a lifetime. Nevertheless, the journal should be worth a large sum of money for this information alone, and if word of its contents were to spread, all manner of unscrupulous wizards would doubtless do much to claim it by more violent means.
Of more immediate interest to us were the journal’s notes on more recent events. Specifically, the Runeforge pool, which had apparently lain dormant since the fall of Thassilon ten millennia ago, awoke, inciting the follows of the runelords here in Runeforge to vie for its control, each hoping their faction’s patron would be the first to emerge back into the world. The wardens of envy, tried to disrupt the awakening procedure, prompting the other factions to attack and destroy them. It seems a shame they were unable to disrupt the process fully. Perhaps some clues can still be found that will aid us in stopping Karzoug’s return. A Runeforge denizen called Azaven absconded with the bodies of the followers of Belimarius, presumably to experiment with them in the necromancy wing of Runeforge. Perhaps the clues we seek can be found there. Another denizen, Athroxis, the warden of wrath, turned on Vraxeris, nearly killing him before he escaped back to his lair. Vraxeris was able to determine that it was indeed Karzoug who now quickens and nears rebirth. It would seem that most, if not all, of the other runelords would have wished to stop his return. Perhaps we can use this to our advantage, when the time comes. I recall that he was most at odds by Alaznist, the ruler of Bakrakhan. Perhaps we can trick Karzoug into thinking his old rival is attacking, and then we can strike while his attention is turned elsewhere – but this is a conversation for later.
Vraxeris explained that he was able to survey the world outside Runeforge via astral projection, gathering information about Karzoug’s lair of Xin-Shalast. Though he does not give explicit directions to the ancient city, perhaps we could find such information in the halls of transmutation, with the followers of Karzoug. No doubt they have been frantically trying to hasten their masters return. What Vraxeris was able to determine was that the spires where Karzoug’s body was hidden were inaccessible to him, warded against astral travelers by an occlusion field. He surmised that as long as Karzoug’s runewell is active, a physical approach could be deadly. He went on to theorize that weapons infused with the powers of illusion and enchantment could be the key to uncovering a weakness in Karzoug’s fortress and to fighting Karzoug himself, should his reawakening be successful. More or less listing the precise items needed to enchant our weapons, we made sure to gather the necessary parts for the recipe. I believe we are ready to enchant our weapons, though we are determined to gather as much information as we can before doing so.
Of particular interest was Veraxeris’s reference to a “master circle” constructed in the halls of wrath that could enable us to leave Runeforge once we are ready. Therefore, that must be our next area of exploration.
Unfortunately, there were no entry dates in the journal, so we do not know how long ago these events occurred, though it would not surprise me to learn they happened quite recently: only a matter of years or even months. It sounds like the other runelords may be near to awakening, too. We will have to decide what is to be done with them, though Karzoug remains our first priority. Upon further discussion about what to do next, I believe we have just about decided to clear out the entire Runeforge to gather equipment for upcoming fights, learn as much as possible about Thassilon and the awakening runelords, and make Runeforge safe for future use against them (or perhaps destroy it so it may never be used again). We decided to rest and prepare for an incursion into the halls of wrath, preparing for countering evocation powers. After that, we will probably explore the transmutation halls to see if we can learn as much as possible about the whereabouts of Xin-Shalast. Since that would be an exploration of six of the seven halls, we will probably also explore the necromancy hall, allowing Ryll to bear the full power of her deity’s holy wrath. We will most likely return to the conjuration sewers and may possibly confront Jordimandus rather than deal with him.
Firm plans are finally starting to form. I am feeling more hopeful than I have been in a long time. I believe we will be capable of stopping Karzoug’s claim over Varisia so we can finally end this threat to our way of life.
- E
--,
I feel we are making progress toward our goal. I think we have the components needed to battle Karzoug, we just need to combine them with our weapons, find the exit to Runeforge, and figure out where to find the runelord of greed.
After Soril was revived, we rested another day to fully recover from our harrowing battle with our mirrored likenesses, preparing for another foray into the Shimmering Halls of Illusion. Upon our return to that chamber, we gathered up some broken shards of mirror, since they detected faintly as illusion magic and could possibly be the component needed to infuse our weapons against Karzoug. The corridor opened into an immense cathedral of polished ivory flagstones. Mirrored walls rose to a height of nearly a hundred feet, where the vaulted ceiling arched majestically. Four immense chandeliers hung from golden chains and brightly illuminated the entire room. At the center of the cathedral, a three-step dais of polished wood supported a peacock the size of a wyvern, its feathers spread regally behind it. The creatures eyes seemed to hold a great depth of wisdom and intelligence, knowledge that should be mine, if we are to prevail against the ancient Thassilonian runelords. The sight of the peacock statue reminded us that we have come across several instances of peacocks: the quill pen we found in the shrine of Lamashtu, the history of the Thorassic Monastery, and the references we found in the library under Jorgenfist to the Peacock Spirit of ancient Thassilon. We recalled that the research into the peacock spirit was very circular – only vague answers not totally understood. Soril let us know that the peacock statue was an illusion and that nothing was actually resting on the dais. As we began to investigate the area, a secret door in the chamber opened and out poured half a dozen copies of the same person, all looking prepared to fight us with magic. They said something belligerent, beginning a fight.
They attacked us with familiar spells: phantasmal killer, fireball, and scorching ray. I responded by closing to engage them in hand-to-hand fighting. Soril conjured several walls to screen us and damage them. Lai’Ki pelted the illusionists while Ryll attacked one of the casters with a fury of strikes, bolstering herself with angelic power. Nala threw acidic bombs at them while Gorm moved between enemies, harassing the enemy wizards. Tolgun concentrated his attacks on one caster, almost smashing him into oblivion. Soon after, Soril spewed a cone of acid over several enemies, killing two; I pierced one enemy through the lung, dropping it; and Lai’Ki put the finishing touches on the last foe.
By then, we had noticed that all of the enemy spell casters were identical, even down to the gear they were carrying. Soril believed they were simulacra. They had some decent magical gear that would help us reequip or be sold for a tidy sum, if we can ever get out of this place. We found nothing else in the mirrored room, so we continued our investigation through the now-opened concealed door. Bookcases full of tomes and scrolls lined the cozy chamber’s walls and a reading table with several matching chairs sat atop a thick rug in its center. A peacock made of gold stood on the table holding a single stick of incense cleverly positioned in its tail feathers. A heavy wooden door exited the room through the opposite wall of our entrance. A figure lay slumped in the chair in the far corner – the body of a man wearing rich robes and a cloak made of peacock feathers. He clutched an elegant mirror in his hand and a book and a quill sat on the table before him. There were definitely some magical items in the room. He had a magic robe, a headband, a ring, and a cape. They were very nice and should be useful to us. The corpse appeared to have died quite recently, though the magical properties of Runeforge could skew that appraisal. The room seemed to be filled with religious essays on the subject of the Peacock Spirit; though, like most texts on the subject, they were maddeningly vague and coy as to revealing any details on the deity. This was exacerbated by the large volume of reading materials. We knew from our previous research that Xanderghul, the runelord of pride and illusion had basically devoted his entire kingdom to the worship of the Peacock Spirit. The corpse looked like it died mere moments ago, the book in his lap appeared to be an extensive journal written in Thassilonian, that required about a day to read. We took it with us and read it after we had finished exploring the halls of illusion. There were no signs leading to a direct cause of death of the corpse. Though he was an old man, the magic of Runeforge should have kept him alive. We also found the wizard’s spell books, which included many illusion spells. We went through the only remaining door in the room to further investigate. There was a long hallway, opening up into a large room, doors on either side. The door to the left opened to a closet revealing a pile of bodies stacked in a well-organized heap, looking just like the wizards we had killed, though elderly versions of them. The open room down the hall was strangely shaped with another door on the far wall. Once a fine library, the books held in that large chamber along with the bookshelves that once held them had been destroyed by fire and force. The devastation seemed complete, although we found a magical tome that had miraculously survived somewhere under all the ruin. A sizable alcove extended from the room into what may have once been a large reading area, but this too had been ruined. The door to the right was another closet, but it was stacked floor to ceiling with more dead bodies, over a hundred of them. The last room contained only three plain items of furniture: a large bed strewn with silk ropes, a writing desk, and a free-standing armoire. We found nothing magical in the room. The armoire contained a few items of mundane clothing. Soril cast a spell of detection on himself and took a path checking the Shimmering Veils for any more illusory objects.
With that, we decided to spend some time to heal and read the journal. It belonged to an illusionist, a devotee of the peacock spirit, and a faithful subject of Xanderghul named Vraxeris. The bulk of the journal cataloged Vraxeris’s studies and the development of an improved version of clone that effectively granted him immortality. The drawback was that each time he switched bodies, he lost a portion of his own knowledge and experience, forcing himself to relearn much with each incarnation. At several points in the book, he also speaks of how with each new clone, the debilitating dementia that lurks at the end of his life manifests a little sooner — with each new body, his effective lifespan shrank, a phenomenon known as “replicative fading” by some scholars. It seems obvious that the dementia finally struck soon enough to prevent him from creating a new clone, and thus finally, death claimed him. A wizard could use the journal to rebuild Vraxeris’s version of improved clone, but the research for creating this powerful spell is particularly onerous and would itself consume most of a lifetime. Nevertheless, the journal should be worth a large sum of money for this information alone, and if word of its contents were to spread, all manner of unscrupulous wizards would doubtless do much to claim it by more violent means.
Of more immediate interest to us were the journal’s notes on more recent events. Specifically, the Runeforge pool, which had apparently lain dormant since the fall of Thassilon ten millennia ago, awoke, inciting the follows of the runelords here in Runeforge to vie for its control, each hoping their faction’s patron would be the first to emerge back into the world. The wardens of envy, tried to disrupt the awakening procedure, prompting the other factions to attack and destroy them. It seems a shame they were unable to disrupt the process fully. Perhaps some clues can still be found that will aid us in stopping Karzoug’s return. A Runeforge denizen called Azaven absconded with the bodies of the followers of Belimarius, presumably to experiment with them in the necromancy wing of Runeforge. Perhaps the clues we seek can be found there. Another denizen, Athroxis, the warden of wrath, turned on Vraxeris, nearly killing him before he escaped back to his lair. Vraxeris was able to determine that it was indeed Karzoug who now quickens and nears rebirth. It would seem that most, if not all, of the other runelords would have wished to stop his return. Perhaps we can use this to our advantage, when the time comes. I recall that he was most at odds by Alaznist, the ruler of Bakrakhan. Perhaps we can trick Karzoug into thinking his old rival is attacking, and then we can strike while his attention is turned elsewhere – but this is a conversation for later.
Vraxeris explained that he was able to survey the world outside Runeforge via astral projection, gathering information about Karzoug’s lair of Xin-Shalast. Though he does not give explicit directions to the ancient city, perhaps we could find such information in the halls of transmutation, with the followers of Karzoug. No doubt they have been frantically trying to hasten their masters return. What Vraxeris was able to determine was that the spires where Karzoug’s body was hidden were inaccessible to him, warded against astral travelers by an occlusion field. He surmised that as long as Karzoug’s runewell is active, a physical approach could be deadly. He went on to theorize that weapons infused with the powers of illusion and enchantment could be the key to uncovering a weakness in Karzoug’s fortress and to fighting Karzoug himself, should his reawakening be successful. More or less listing the precise items needed to enchant our weapons, we made sure to gather the necessary parts for the recipe. I believe we are ready to enchant our weapons, though we are determined to gather as much information as we can before doing so.
Of particular interest was Veraxeris’s reference to a “master circle” constructed in the halls of wrath that could enable us to leave Runeforge once we are ready. Therefore, that must be our next area of exploration.
Unfortunately, there were no entry dates in the journal, so we do not know how long ago these events occurred, though it would not surprise me to learn they happened quite recently: only a matter of years or even months. It sounds like the other runelords may be near to awakening, too. We will have to decide what is to be done with them, though Karzoug remains our first priority. Upon further discussion about what to do next, I believe we have just about decided to clear out the entire Runeforge to gather equipment for upcoming fights, learn as much as possible about Thassilon and the awakening runelords, and make Runeforge safe for future use against them (or perhaps destroy it so it may never be used again). We decided to rest and prepare for an incursion into the halls of wrath, preparing for countering evocation powers. After that, we will probably explore the transmutation halls to see if we can learn as much as possible about the whereabouts of Xin-Shalast. Since that would be an exploration of six of the seven halls, we will probably also explore the necromancy hall, allowing Ryll to bear the full power of her deity’s holy wrath. We will most likely return to the conjuration sewers and may possibly confront Jordimandus rather than deal with him.
Firm plans are finally starting to form. I am feeling more hopeful than I have been in a long time. I believe we will be capable of stopping Karzoug’s claim over Varisia so we can finally end this threat to our way of life.
- E