Niore Session 2
Not sure if I mentioned this anywhere else, but sessions are supposed to take place on Tuesday evenings/nights, though this one was shifted to Wednesday for various reasons. However, this isn't an LJ update guarantee - I'll write the logs any time between sessions when I have the time and inclination.
For the moment, the Aurah's job is slightly complicated by the fact that the party is becoming trapped in a cycle of finishing the one scenario and and starting - but not finishing - another within the same session. The problem with this is that if I need to build encounters (fights) or situations depending on the direction they are headed next, I may soon need to start inventing whole scenarios on the fly, which will both be difficult and bad for continuity and quality of storyline. Hmm, must fix this soon. Also, need to do a skill challenge soon. Just feels like time for one. Also, I'd like to note that Ash and Werall (I think) STILL hasn't chosen their cantrips, and they should do that and tell me so before we get too much further.
Players! If I leave out any plot-relevant or otherwise significant information, please comment and let me know. These journals are as much for my reference as to what you know as they are for keeping non-players (and non-YET players) up to date on events.
Current Level: 5
Current Layer: Hub
After defeating the nymph and earning her escort through the forest, the party heads toward the center of the wild magic zone. As they move, the magic becomes more intense until they finally reach a clearing, where there is a large blue lizard, a guardian lightning naga named Lieth, a portal to the Nether, and, surrounding Lieth and the portal, a circle of magically-charged orbs linked by a glowing force field of lightning. The field seems to be feeding energy into a lightning-element orb - guarded by Lieth - in the center of the ring. A small blue snake, surrounded by a small lightning field, had been following the party and, as a creature of lightning, slips through the force field to inform Lieth of their presence. Lieth then greets them and says she cannot not allow them to leave, starting combat.
During the fight, the orbs randomly shuffled elements amongst themselves at the end of each round, turning to thunder element once hit with the opposite of their original element. The thunder shuffled as well until all the orbs became thunder-aligned and the barrier (which allowed powers with the lightning keyword, and ONLY the lightning keyword, to pass through) fell, allowing the party to finally attack Lieth, who took potshots the whole time.
About the time of Lieth's death, the thunder orbs crumble to dust and the lightning orb's collected power begins to go out of control, creating a rapidly-expanding lightning storm whose expansion slows as it moves outward. Appearing with the small snake (who slithered into the forest during the fight) on his shoulder, a cloaked man appears and promises the party that they won't again interfere with the North Hand. He then flees as the area of the wild magic zone intensifies and expands very quickly through the space of two hours' travel, extending past Priana's cabin. The party grabs Priana and runs toward the city, resolving to return in a week or so after the lightning storm - though not the wild magic - dies down.
Upon returning to the city, the party splits up. Werall enters the city guard's tower to give a brief, very glossed-over account of the naga battle, omitting any mention of the North Hand. The guard gives him a small reward for his help and then sends him away. Additionally, they did not notice Book standing outside because, unbeknownst to the party, the lightning storm knocked out the power of his magitech tracking bracelet.
From there, Werall, Book, and Zeke head to the Mistress of Whispers. This time, they notice that both the contact from the bar and the cleric who teleports them to the Mistress' domain are both wearing holy symbols of Shar. Upon seeing the Mistress, Werall gives the detailed, full account of the party's woodland adventure as promised, and in return the Mistress tells him the location of the thieves who took the books and suggests that the earrings are somehow connected to the book.
In the temple district, Ash goes temple-hopping for information on the orb ritual and the North Hand. He gains brief information from the temples of Silvanus and Selune, telling the latter that their rival temple of Shar may be hidden in the red light district. Upon visiting the temple of Mystra (goddess of magic), he receives cryptic and not very detailed information from the high priest/archmage there, who seems extremely reluctant to give him anything useful and says that he will handle it on his own, effectively trying to shut Ash out. However, he does give Ash a one-time-use ear cuff that can be crushed to contact the archmage if Ash gets any new information.
Extremely annoyed, Ash makes one last stop at the temple of Shaundakul (goddess of portals, caravans, and exploration). There, he meets the high priestess Haruna, a rather easygoing and irreverent changeling woman (presumably - it seems to be her standard form) who very directly tells him what she knows about the ritual. According to Haruna, the ritual is intended to spread the wild magic zone and, in the process, often destroys the Nether portal within. She also mentions that genasi and changelings are the result of prolonged to wild magic.
Afterward the party reconvenes at a tavern and is about to swap information when Ash heads to the bar and fails to trip from mushroom ale, at which point he demands something stronger and is handed a glass of "Toad Woad," failing to notice the last item on the bar's list of then rules: "All woads lead to wuin." Upon drinking half the glass, Ash passes out and begins communing with the Glorious Toad God while tripping. The conversation is highly trippy and Ash forgets most of it, coming away (or rather, recalling) only something about Book's book and that the North Hand is noble (?). Toward the end of the conversation, the party notices a sign above the bar that says "Next Stop: Nine Hells - 10 minutes" and realizes that the bar is, in fact, the Wandering Inn of the Glorious Toad and decides to get the hell out of dodge before it teleports away from Niore.
Having recovered, the party heads to the bar where the book thieves' hideout is located. There, Ash causes a stir with the bartender while Book and Werall try to head for the back room to hunt for the thieves. Unfortunately, Ash causes a bit too much of a stir and gets said thieves and their lackeys called on him. A brief bar fight ensues, ending with all patrons and the bartender fleeing the premises, the lackeys dead, and the two thieves, a tiefling rogue and a changeling assassin, managing to escape. In the back room is a correspondence with someone named Jelia that states the rough time and location of the hand-off, to be completed the following evening. Afterward, the party loots the inn and then burns it down.
Somehow, the Aurah feels she fell a little short in her DMing. Must confer with players for critique.
For the moment, the Aurah's job is slightly complicated by the fact that the party is becoming trapped in a cycle of finishing the one scenario and and starting - but not finishing - another within the same session. The problem with this is that if I need to build encounters (fights) or situations depending on the direction they are headed next, I may soon need to start inventing whole scenarios on the fly, which will both be difficult and bad for continuity and quality of storyline. Hmm, must fix this soon. Also, need to do a skill challenge soon. Just feels like time for one. Also, I'd like to note that Ash and Werall (I think) STILL hasn't chosen their cantrips, and they should do that and tell me so before we get too much further.
Players! If I leave out any plot-relevant or otherwise significant information, please comment and let me know. These journals are as much for my reference as to what you know as they are for keeping non-players (and non-YET players) up to date on events.
Current Level: 5
Current Layer: Hub
After defeating the nymph and earning her escort through the forest, the party heads toward the center of the wild magic zone. As they move, the magic becomes more intense until they finally reach a clearing, where there is a large blue lizard, a guardian lightning naga named Lieth, a portal to the Nether, and, surrounding Lieth and the portal, a circle of magically-charged orbs linked by a glowing force field of lightning. The field seems to be feeding energy into a lightning-element orb - guarded by Lieth - in the center of the ring. A small blue snake, surrounded by a small lightning field, had been following the party and, as a creature of lightning, slips through the force field to inform Lieth of their presence. Lieth then greets them and says she cannot not allow them to leave, starting combat.
During the fight, the orbs randomly shuffled elements amongst themselves at the end of each round, turning to thunder element once hit with the opposite of their original element. The thunder shuffled as well until all the orbs became thunder-aligned and the barrier (which allowed powers with the lightning keyword, and ONLY the lightning keyword, to pass through) fell, allowing the party to finally attack Lieth, who took potshots the whole time.
About the time of Lieth's death, the thunder orbs crumble to dust and the lightning orb's collected power begins to go out of control, creating a rapidly-expanding lightning storm whose expansion slows as it moves outward. Appearing with the small snake (who slithered into the forest during the fight) on his shoulder, a cloaked man appears and promises the party that they won't again interfere with the North Hand. He then flees as the area of the wild magic zone intensifies and expands very quickly through the space of two hours' travel, extending past Priana's cabin. The party grabs Priana and runs toward the city, resolving to return in a week or so after the lightning storm - though not the wild magic - dies down.
Upon returning to the city, the party splits up. Werall enters the city guard's tower to give a brief, very glossed-over account of the naga battle, omitting any mention of the North Hand. The guard gives him a small reward for his help and then sends him away. Additionally, they did not notice Book standing outside because, unbeknownst to the party, the lightning storm knocked out the power of his magitech tracking bracelet.
From there, Werall, Book, and Zeke head to the Mistress of Whispers. This time, they notice that both the contact from the bar and the cleric who teleports them to the Mistress' domain are both wearing holy symbols of Shar. Upon seeing the Mistress, Werall gives the detailed, full account of the party's woodland adventure as promised, and in return the Mistress tells him the location of the thieves who took the books and suggests that the earrings are somehow connected to the book.
In the temple district, Ash goes temple-hopping for information on the orb ritual and the North Hand. He gains brief information from the temples of Silvanus and Selune, telling the latter that their rival temple of Shar may be hidden in the red light district. Upon visiting the temple of Mystra (goddess of magic), he receives cryptic and not very detailed information from the high priest/archmage there, who seems extremely reluctant to give him anything useful and says that he will handle it on his own, effectively trying to shut Ash out. However, he does give Ash a one-time-use ear cuff that can be crushed to contact the archmage if Ash gets any new information.
Extremely annoyed, Ash makes one last stop at the temple of Shaundakul (goddess of portals, caravans, and exploration). There, he meets the high priestess Haruna, a rather easygoing and irreverent changeling woman (presumably - it seems to be her standard form) who very directly tells him what she knows about the ritual. According to Haruna, the ritual is intended to spread the wild magic zone and, in the process, often destroys the Nether portal within. She also mentions that genasi and changelings are the result of prolonged to wild magic.
Afterward the party reconvenes at a tavern and is about to swap information when Ash heads to the bar and fails to trip from mushroom ale, at which point he demands something stronger and is handed a glass of "Toad Woad," failing to notice the last item on the bar's list of then rules: "All woads lead to wuin." Upon drinking half the glass, Ash passes out and begins communing with the Glorious Toad God while tripping. The conversation is highly trippy and Ash forgets most of it, coming away (or rather, recalling) only something about Book's book and that the North Hand is noble (?). Toward the end of the conversation, the party notices a sign above the bar that says "Next Stop: Nine Hells - 10 minutes" and realizes that the bar is, in fact, the Wandering Inn of the Glorious Toad and decides to get the hell out of dodge before it teleports away from Niore.
Having recovered, the party heads to the bar where the book thieves' hideout is located. There, Ash causes a stir with the bartender while Book and Werall try to head for the back room to hunt for the thieves. Unfortunately, Ash causes a bit too much of a stir and gets said thieves and their lackeys called on him. A brief bar fight ensues, ending with all patrons and the bartender fleeing the premises, the lackeys dead, and the two thieves, a tiefling rogue and a changeling assassin, managing to escape. In the back room is a correspondence with someone named Jelia that states the rough time and location of the hand-off, to be completed the following evening. Afterward, the party loots the inn and then burns it down.
Somehow, the Aurah feels she fell a little short in her DMing. Must confer with players for critique.