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Session Logs of a D&D 5e Campaign in the homebrew world of of Sycharia.  DM: Eric Mason.

The Lost City of Khaoritan - The story so far

Session logs of the Lost City Campaign

01 Lost City of Khaoritan-Session 0

Introductions and a drunk satyr gets arrested

The following Session 0 took place more than 2 years before the start of the campaign

After two years of study at Sanctum Exin (the college of explorers), the final lecture was given by the famous Lord Vital McGillam, author of My Travels in the Ischarlin Wilds (a required text for students).

Students headed over to The Manticore's Tail inn for some adult beverages and a last chance to socialize with other students before everyone is sent on their two year mission to study with an Exinate exploring Sycharia. Graduation would take place tomorrow morning.

The first to enter was Ssoshu - a quiet some-what cold pureblood wizard - who quickly took his place in a dark and quiet corner of the bar, never wanting to stand out or bring attention to himself. Not talking to anyone, he simply watched the crowd, biding his time for a moment to leave.

The next to enter was Li-Chow, a congenial Chang Cao monk, who smiled and greeted acquaintances and found a seat by the fire to play his lute, quite well, but quietly.  Always friendly, but never needing to be the center of attention.

Finally, the bar became a party with the entrance of Strummer, a dandy kenku rogue, and his friend, the boisterous satyr, Jadi.  Strummer and Jadi, slapped backs, shook hands, and found Li-Chow to request a lively drinking song.

After about an hour and a half, Jadi had managed to find a few other friends willing to partake in some hard alcohol, whereupon she grew even louder, more obnoxious, and filthy drunk.

Seemingly on a dare, Jadi hopped on a table began to sing a brash drinking song, and, as satyrs are wont to do in their Broken Fangs homeland, did so completely naked.  Two guards, attempting to relax from a long day in the cold, were forced to act.  They demanded she clothe herself and get down off the table.  One made the mistake of grabbing her leg, which is satyr for, "Let's fight!"  She slammed the guard with her mug and planted her hoof in the other one's mouth jumping off the table.  At this point, she charged and head butted the guard in the chest. Before his partner could smash her in the head with his club, Li-Chow and Strummer took action. Li-Chow grabbed the guard's arm and convinced them to settle down.  Jadi was arrested and taken to jail. (Her friends would later discover that she was formally expelled by her master and sent back to her homeland.)

At this point, the future adventurers were treated to a brief history of the fabled city of Khaoritan by none other than Vital McGillam. (see The Legend of Khaoritan)

Then in a surprising turn of events, High Exinate, Uther Capertill (who is also Ssoshu's foster father), entered and declared that the graduation had been cancelled and that all Exinate students must leave the city immediately - an "event" had occured in the inner city.  He addressed Vital and told him to leave for the coast post-haste.

Before Lord McGillam could leave he was accosted by an overly dramatic tiefling in a black cloak and pretentious mask.  He demanded that McGillam take him to the Lost City of Khaoritan.  McGillam refused (and refused Ssoshu's request to accompany him) saying, "The Borunai will never accept you." The tiefling, who McGillam called Belloq, left in a huff declaring, "I will find it without you, and if anyone gets in my way, I will kill them as I did the others!"

Two years pass:

Ssoshu traveled with his master professor and a human druid (Carolyn) to research ruins in the Roxterre Wood.

Strummer accompanied Jadi to her homeland then studied with his master tomb raider in the great ancient cities of the Deliverer Barrens.

Li-Chow traveled with his tomb raider master to the Spine Islands to research an ancient island civilization rumored to have once had under water cities.

Finally at the end of their archeological missions, their masters explained that the Exinate Order had fallen out of favor with the church and the king of the Northern Kingdom.  Thrown out of Doheag, the Exinates were looking to establish a new headquarters in the desert city of Larakesh. The students should travel to the city to meet their classmates and help with the process.

Individually, the explorers (now official Exinates) arrived in the scorching, sand blown Larakesh Tent City.

Campaign begins next week outside the gates of the crowded desert city of Larakesh.

02 Hookers, Hookahs, and Bully Boys

After meeting two infamous members of the Ash Bastards, the party enters Larakesh to seek a jungle guide

Arriving separately in the Larakesh Tent City after two years studying Sycharian history, the party found each other quickly.  Approached by two leonin city guards paid to search for Exinates, they were forced into a tent where two hooded figures sat behind a low table filled with food, water, and wine.

The two men turned out to be Brodin and Crofindel who then requested their help in discovering the Lost City of Khaoritan using a map they discovered in Barovia. After a brief conversation, they gave them the Map to the Temple of Isxiltahar and a Sending Stone with instructions only to use it to contact them if they found a powerful Khaori artifact in the Lost City.  Cro also recommended a rumored guide named Dorthim with gambling problems who led the original expedition to the temple. They wished them good luck and then hurriedly left on a mysterious mission to the west in the Deliverer Barrens.

The party got in line to enter Larakesh and stumbled across an old acquaintance, the satyr, Jadi Spiralhorn. Strangely she insisted on bringing her ass into the city.

First stop was the Mak'Ha Bazaar, a market filled with all races of merchants and thieves.  After purchasing much needed supplies and filling water containers at the public cisterns, the party visited the Aljamjama booth to purchase Trader Pendants allowing them to stay in the city for one week.  The agents of the Aljamjama extracted a contract to provide services at a time to be named later for a task to be named later and 12 gold per person. (Li Chow received a racial discount.)

After procuring pendants, the party set off to find The Grasping Monkey casino in search of Dorthim the jungle guide. With some success at the tables on dice, cards, and lizard races, the party was successful in discovering that he might have been at Meltath's Hookah Bar.

On the way there, the party was approached by two courtesans intent on business or an easy pickpocket (they were unsuccessful at both).   Unfortunately they also found themselves trapped in an alleyway by a group of ruffians known as the Bullyboys.   Unprepared for 4 trained Exinates, the Bullyboys quickly retreated.

Arriving at the bar, they were approached by Isha Hilan, the proprietor of the "upper rooms."  Strangely forward, she offered 20gp if the party would be willing to continue their assault on the Bullyboys.  She revealed that Dorthim was supposed to meet them to negotiate his substantial debt in the town square only moments from that time. If the party would send a message to the Bullyboys, they could find Dorthim and help her at the same time.

The party agreed and traveled only streets away. Using stealth and tactics, they quickly dispatched a group of 8 ruffians saving a badly injured Dorthim and headed back to Meltath's to regroup and negotiate with the dwarf.

03 A meeting with the Atra

The party is accused of a crime and makes a deal with the Atra of Larakesh

Waking up early in the morning at in the rooms above Meltath's, the party attempts to negotiate with Dorthim.

A group of city mercs enter the establishment and arrest the party on serious charges: Interfering with Legitimate Business

Escorted through the town the party notices several people covered head to toe in the city doing menial labor (much like a burka)

Arriving at the Museum of Graak which also serves as the city hall and residence for the Atra, Ezkeet - and intimidating old leonin - (Lord of Commerce) for the city of Larakesh, they witness a man paying the Price of the Sun for illegally selling donuts from his hotel room.  He was tied to a rock slab for 3 days - water and shade must be purchased.

The party has a hearing where they are found guilty of interfering in city business.  The Bully Boys are under the protection of the Aydin Clan and Khan Manjar, a seemingly powerful figure in the city, demanded that they be punished.

It became clear that the party were pawns in a scheme by the madame of Meltath's Hookah Bar, Isha, to confront Khan Manjar for allowing the Bully Boys to extort her street prostitutes. By accepting payment for services, the party violated the law that limits what businesses visitors to the city can engage in during their stay.

After a few moments, the mate of the Atra, a stern leonin female who also serves as chief of the mercenary police forces, called the party and a young leonin back into the other portion of the building.  The Atra proceeded to loudly chastise the party for their actions. Then, changing his demeanor entirely, expressed his fondness for Exinate explorers.  He told them of his Quest for Glory (a leonin cultural trait) to build the greatest museum of Khaori artifacts in Sycharia.

Then, as punishment, he required the party to enter the dangerous Ischarlin Wilds with Dorthim as guide to find the Temple of Isxiltahar and recover any valuable artifacts for the museum.

Realizing they had no choice, the party set about provisioning themselves for the journey all the while being obviously followed by Aydin Clan agents and the Bully Boys. (They also discovered that the owner of Scummage Traders will purchase ancient artifacts - illegally)

Entering the Jungle, they party were attacked several times by dangerous fauna, but arrived relatively intact after 3 days travel with their guide.  They rested for the night at the mouth of a crumbling entrance to what they hope is the 3000 year old yuan-ti Temple to Isxiltahar. It is here they hope to find a clue to the location of their true goal, the Lost City of Khaoritan.

04 The Cursed Temple

The party delves into the deadly cursed Temple of Isxiltahar

Before entering the temple, the party helps a young paladin named Tokard on the run from Lisusua Borunai

Entering the temple, the party was quickly challenged by spider, a deadly pit, velociraptors, and decided to take a rest.

Finding the journal of a dead Exinate, they continued on into a treacherous room of electric eels and dark curses.

Finding an ancient sarcophagus, they opened it and found an ancient tome (+/-100gp or more to the right dealer, museum quality - perfectly preserved) and the mummified remains of a malison yuan-ti priest.

In another room, they discovered the lost Emissary's Stone - a 1,500 year old artifact said to have been made from the very stone where the Emissary prayed and first connected with the Doheaga gods.

All but Athoz touched the stone and received a vision.

After encountering three mummy snakes, Athoz and Li-Chow were infected with Lesser Mummy's Rot or some form of it. (-1 HP per day which is permanent until cured, cannot benefit from natural healing)

Entering the idol chamber, Athoz grabbed the idol and the room sealed and began to crush them. Athoz also found a strange note under the idol written in ancient innish.

FInding a crack in the wall, Athoz and Dorthim the Guide tore away at the wall opening the crumbling temple to reveal a ledge over a 75' waterfall into a deep pool of water and a rushing river.

Dorthim - using a 19 slight of hand and a 23 shove - grabbed the idol and pushed Athoz away escaping through the crack.

The party followed only to find themselves surrounded by 24 frog warriors and Belloq, the disgraced Exinate from their past. Dorthim's poisoned dead body was thrown into the waterfall. Belloq holding the idol taunted the party.

Athoz, not wanting to lose the idol, dove for Belloq and grabbed his foot. Belloq fired off magic missiles, but Athoz hung on to the teifling's ankle for dear life.

Both fell from the ledge.  The rest of the party jumped to safety as the Grung fired poison arrows fruitlessly after them, not wanting to hit their employer.

05 The Cursed Ones

In which the party escapes Belloq, saves Jadi, is followed by a mummy, gets healed, and investigates a murder

Session 1 - January 22, 2021

It was a busy couple of sessions - so here goes nothing.

Fall down a waterfall and seriously injure a rival named Belloq - possibly turning a rival into an enemy but escaping with a strange note and map along with loot including the Xitalian Book of the Dead. They also found several religious rings of jade and inscribed jade beads along with a magical plain banded ring of steel.

Regroup and track a group of Grung who have taken Jadi and Steguk the Ass prisoner

Stealthily moving around the large group of Grung, Athoz masterminds a rescue for Jadi.

In the middle of the rescue, the grung are attacked by a sandstorm which materializes as the mummified Priest of the cursed Temple of Isxiltahar, Am-Ha-Raths.

The mummy pursues them but is attacked by 2 large lizards that tear it to shreds.

Session 2 - January 31, 2021

After returning to Larakesh, half the party stayed outside the city while the other members entered the city sold loot and negotiatied healing at the Temple of the Doheaga (new gods) and the Temple of the Primal Gods.

The party first heads to the Museum of Graak to speak with Ezkeet, the Atra (Chief of Commerce) of the city.  They are greeted by the grim Ri'Lahn who turned them away until they are healed of their diseases and curses.

Strummer spoke with Shalyn, the priestess of the temple, who asked if he had come across any clues to the location of the Lost City of Khaoritan.  They showed her the note, but she was unable to decipher it.

They party outside regroups with Tokar and watches as a man on a stretcher is dropped off at the edge of the city by a group of Grung and picked up by a group of black clad Chang cao mercenaries.

Ylanna sneaks close and is convinced the injured man is Belloq.  The rest of the party boards the lift down into the city and rejoins the group.

The party then sold their good and bought needed supplies and went back to the Museum while Ssoshu copied a spell (Glyph of Warding) into his spell book.

The party went to the museum to get paid for their hard work and received 50 pp from the Atra. Ezkeet asked them to get the items appraised and to get a provenance from Orbach at the Ascension Pillar.

At the strange shop of antiques, the party discovered that Belloq's assistant had dropped off the Idol of Isxiltahar for some reason.

A powerful sandstorm began and the party retired to Neilan's Coffin for rest.

The next morning, the party was able to dicipher the strange note from Lord Vital McGillam from the book in the Atra's library called "My Travels in the Ischarlin Wilds." They read the passage The Legend of Khaoritan. The passage read, "Lost City Location In Five Pieces Five Locations. Find All. Leave Idol its cursed."

The Atra made them employees and gave them them right to stay in town as long as they remained in his employ.

Informed of an attack on Orbach's shop (Ascension Pillar), the party investigated and found the shop destroyed.

The evening came and the party headed to The Spice Trader Guild (the local bank) to find the Idol...they were turned away by some belligerent halflings saying the bank was closed.

Finally, the Cursed Ones return returned to Neilan's Coffin for rest planning to visit the bank the next morning.  Li-Chow played his music for a group of drowlings

Image from forgottenrealms.fandom.com

06 The Curse of Am-Ha-Raths

The Atra's Expeditioners face the mummy's curse and set out to find another clue to the Lost City

The PCs found themselves on the trail of the missing Idol of Isxiltahar after a night's sleep in Neilan's Coffin

In the Spice Traders Guild, the local bank and bond, they requested an audience with the head trader.  Unfortunately, the head trader was occupied with a visit from Lord Belloq's chief representative.

Suddenly, there was a commotion from the upper quarters. The teller was tossed down the stairs, the halfling's neck broken.

The sounds of crossbows echoed through the stone entryway and Aydin Clan and Aljamjama guards rushed in to investigate.

Athoz and Li-Chow pushed their way through to the upper quarters and discovered the chief banker's quarters destroyed, guards dead, and the wall torn open to reveal a secret elevator into the bank vault.

There was a fight with the mummy's revenant. The PCs stole the idol.

The PCs went to the museum

Belloq was there trying to pawn off the fake idol.  He accused the PCs of killing his asst.

PCs arrested and were questioned by Ri'Lahn.

At night the mummy attacks.

The PCs defeated the mummy

Game 2

Standing before the idol and a pile of the mummy's dust, Ssoshu said the words from the Xitalian Book of the Dead and consecrated the museum as the new home of the idol, putting the spirit of Am-Ha-Raths to rest (until some unlucky soul attempts to disturb the idol again).

Ezkeet took the PCs deep into the vaults of the museum where he keeps his greatest treasures and gifted them a book that contained the log of the head porter of Lord Vital McGillam's first Exinate Expedition into the Ischarlin Wilds.

Disillusioned now with Belloq, Ezkeet took the PCs to the Hookah Lounge where they enjoys smoke and wine and their first taste of Jajahn Spice.

Ezkeet agreed to outfit their first journey to discover the next clue to the location of the Lost City of Khaoritan. He quipped them with 3 donkey including Steguk the Ass, apparently a permanently polymorphed dwarven thief under the protection of Jadi.

Heading out into the Wilds, the party had two momentous encounters. One encounter with a Bracer of Trib and some orcs affiliated with the Grey Ax pirate fleet.

Following the tral of the orcs, the party survived an encounter with Executioner Vines near the Screaming Lake but lost track of the orc trail as it merged with a larger obvious trail into a valley some half mile away from the lake shore.

There the party discovered a huge encampment of yuan-ti, a group of the Pureblood Revolutionary Army who were obviously practicing military maneuvers.

Bravely and stupidly, Strummer crept close for a look with Athoz.  From there, Strummer decided to infiltrate the camp and discovered a massive group of cells of slaves filled with human, Borunai tabaxi, and members of the pirate fleet.  After a confrontation with a female pureblood lieutenant, Strummer snuck away and reconnected with the party. They continued on their journey to the location of the 1st Exinate Expedition.

After stealthily leaving the territory controlled by the Pureblood Revolutionary Army, you traveled along the edge of a Teeth of Chavalt, spine shaped mountains shrouded in mist. Moving quickly through the difficult terrain, on the second night you realized you were being stalked by an enormous lizard - it pressed you to travel non-stop day and night until you arrived in a mist shrouded valley below the Teeth - Suffering from 2 levels of exhaustion, you were forced to stop and make camp hoping the mists would hide you from the stalking beast. Stummer and Athoz during their watch, found the remains of several yuan-ti near the opening of a cave. Months old, that discover led you to a pool of water where you found the years old remains of dead warriors...we will begin there.

07 The tragedy at the Fortress of Jylan Tak

The party infiltrates the ancient fortress and frees the spirits of the curse Takaran Guard

Taking repite in a a low valley near the Teeth of Chevalt, the party hides in the mist, builds a low fire and listens carefully for the stalking allosaurus. In scouting the area, Strummer and Athoz discover the disintegrating bodies of years dead yuan-ti and nearby a pond with a nearly impossible to see old camp with rotting skeletons in chainmail armor.  The mist is thick granting only a few feet of vision in the dim evening light.

The Atra's Expeditioners carefully studied the rotting remains the yuan-ti malisons, nearly completely destroyed by time and plan growth, some four years old.  Moving on to the campsite some 300 yards away, they closely examined the rusted chainmail, noticing the queer silence of animal life in the dimming evening light and ever thickening fog. A familiar symbol was faintly visible on the armor - a red bear claw, the sign of the Sky Peak Jarl Clan of Hobgoblins - possibly this was the remains of the lost platoon mentioned by the shop keeper in Larakesh.

Suddenly visible in the fog about 60 feet away was a cave like hole in the side of the sheer cliff, the sky above obscured by fog and trees with dark arms reaching across the space above.  Moving toward the cave entrance, the party was overtaken by the curse of the fortress.

The party were sudeenly transported to the 2,000 year old battle between the Khaori Empire's oppressive campaign to wipe out the Takaran Guard. Forced to fight one another and the phantasmal guardians, they survived the onslaught and fought the specters that guard the place.

Entering the twisted vapor filled caverns, Li Chow and Strummer fell victim to the next barrier, the Fog of Sorrow, as they crunched through the bones of those treasure seekers not so lucky to have hardy companions. Saved by the quick thinking of their party, they made it to the door to the fortress itself, hidden under the rubble of rock and debris felled by the cataclysm itself.

Making it through the rune trapped doorway after a short rest, they entered the ancient armory of the guard.  Raided by the Jarl Clans during the Necromatic Wars of the 6th century, not much of value remained except three runestones of elven design bearing unique magical powers.

After a card game with undead hobgoblins, the party entered the council chamber of General Bahgran.

The general asked them to engage with him in a battle to regain his honor to fulfill the Takaran Oath to the primal champion (now the god, Tuis).

The party defeated the general, and the curse on the great citadel was finally ended after 2,000 years.

08 A hurricane and a dangerous test

Where the party is nearly washed away and defeats a magical river dragon

03/26/2021 Game

Travel

Dead Mule

Hurricane

Flash Flood

Capture

Prisoners of the Lisusua Borunai

An ancient tradition and a dangerous task

04/09/2021 Game

Tracking the Rivomaath

Revealing the Pureblood Revolutionary Army threat to Chief Blackening Sky

Fighting the Rivomaath

A celebration

Lana is invited to consider joining the Lisusua Shaman

09 Heading to K1c

Leaving the relative safety of Mitanta, the Exinates head back into the Wilds in search of the next clue to the lost city

04/17/2021 Game

I- The party starts in the Borunai village

A- Having breakfast

1- Ssohsu talks with Tornscale and inquires about his current reputation among the Borunai.  Tornscale replies the Ssohsu should still keep his head down.  Ssohsu asks about the old shaman woman.

2- Li-Chow suggest we re-examine the rubbing we made of the map on the bottom of the first cursed statue

3- Athos is still sleeping off the poison

4- The party learns the tribe is very worried about the Yuan-Ti army.  They are holding a big meeting with all the tribes

a- The meeting will be held "far south-east" of this village

5- The party shows the sketch of Lord McGillams map to Tornscale and his wife

a- The wife informs the party of the route McGillam took

b- Ssohsu learns Uther Capertill was looking for McGillam but was captured by pirates and sold to Yuan-Ti

B- The party runs into the leader lady on there way out

1- The party is lent a boat but informed that these things are not owned, they are of the forest.  The party has as much right to a boat as any and there is no reason we can not take one

2- The party learns the Borunai have special wooden weapons

C- They barter with a craftsman named "Take a long piece of wood and hit it with a hammer"

1- Li-Chow barters to have a staff made

a- Will take 17 days

b- The craftsmen tells us who can bless the staff to purify water

2- Strummer has some armor made from the carcass of the Rivomaath

a- Will take 14 days

3- Ssohsu barters for a staff

a- Will take 14 days

D- The party decides to explore K1c since McGillam went there first

E- Ssohsu seeks out and speaks with the old shaman lady.  Seeing her headed into one of the lifts, Ssohso darts forward and tries to enter the lift with the old woman.  Her guards block the way but Ssohso calls out to her.  As Ssohsu is asking her to speak privately, Li-Chow barrels up from the rear shouting at the old woman about a blessing.

"What a loudmouth boor!", Ssohsu thinks to himself.  He hisses under his breath, "You'll regret interrupting me again, Li-Chow!" and fades into the back of the party.

1- Li-Chow interrupts and asks for a blessing.

a- Ssohsu was offended by this interruption and leaves, feeling as if he missed an opportunity

2- The old lady tells Lana she had a dream about her having monkey arms

II- The party takes a boat that a fisherman was using down the river towards Lake Miza'al and K1c

A- As the party travels down the river, they notice some Borunai are hunting close by, as well as an odd flock of birds.

1- The party realizes the flock are creatures the size of 3 horses each and are watching us from above.

B- When we get to the edge of the lake in the evening, the algae and fungi start to glow and get thick.

C- We decide to camp at the mouth of Lake Miza'al

1- Strummer and Athos take first watch

2- Tokard and Li-Chow take second watch

a- Poison darts start coming out of the woods.  We are attacked by Vegepygmy

b- The enemy regenerates when wounded or cut down but the party soon learns they can be destroyed with fire

III- The next morning the party encounter hundreds of Vegepygmy at the lake so they abandon there boat and follow along the north side of the lake, west towards K1c

A- The party sees a metal thing coming out of the center of the lake 20ft

B- There are no enemies, only algae creatures

C- Approaching the mountains at the end of the day we see the huge flying creatures once again.  We assume we are being tracked

D- We rest for the night

1- Strummer and Athos take first watch

a- Strummer attunes to the cards he got from the ghosts in the time loop dungeon and accidently summons a crazy ghost bugbear.

2- Tokard and Li-Chow take second watch

a- Li-Chow notices lights, "almost the color of the sunset" a days walk to the north towards the failing obelisk.  It vanishes with the sunrise

E- Li-Chow tells Athos about the lights

1- Ssohsu remembers reading about this in Lord McGillam's journal

IV- The party heads through a thick old oak forest

A- The party notices some huge, earth shaking, monsters they have never seen before

1- They avoid them and notice more massive monsters, 45' herbivores, referred to as "Titans of the Forest" by the Borunai

B- By evening, the sun is not going down.  The party notices the lights coming from the south

C- Lana notices the oaks are 1 or 2 thousand years old

D- We come to the edge of a glade where the flora changes to those of rich color and there is a calmness.

E- We find an old obelisk and some hairless ape-like naked humanoids with bright colored eyes and broad noses and distinct pointed ears

1- Strummer feels the obelisk contains all the answers

2- Ssohsu sees lemmings

3- Athoz feels like taking a nap

4- Tokard is feeling dread that these things are heretical and should probably be killed

5- Li-Chow feels the obelisk contains all the answers

F- Li-Chow wants to examine the obelisk but Tokard objects because he feels as if it's evil

1- Tokard becomes fixated and frozen

1- Li-Chow questions the obelisk for confirmation that he is a "chosen one".

a- He learns he will soon see his adopted father and that answers await in Larakesh

G- Ssohsu wants to eat the creatures but his thirst for knowledge overcomes his hunger so he explores the obelisk"Ooooh myyyy", Ssohsu giggled hungrily as he peered forward at the juicy looking creatures.  What were they he wondered?  Oh so delicious to be sure!  Ssohsu glances up from the tasty looking snacks to the obelisk and suddenly remembers where he is.  "Illusions upon illusions but what's this?!"  He examines the old script on the base of the obelisk.  A travelling stone of some sort, but how?!

1- Ssohsu reads, on the obelisk, about how the obelisk once facilitated instantaneous travel.  He knows this isn't typically possible on this continent

H- Athoz overcomes the feeling he needs to nap

1- Athoz decides to take a nap anyway and gains a full rest

2- Athoz vandalizes the obelisk

I- Lana approaches the obelisk and begins reading

1- Lana notices the creatures are faye

J- Strummer sneaks up to the obelisk

1- It's covered in Cahori script talking about the greatness of the Cahori empire.  It appears to be historical script

2- Strummer finds lines of script that also appear in a scroll he has in his possession

3- He also finds information about his people serving as important emissaries for the Cahori empire

4- All the faye creatures disappear when Strummer attempts to cast magic (in an attempt to comunicate with the faye creatures), enraging the ape creatures

K- The party makes a slow cautious exit as weird shit starts happening to everyone.

L- The party leave the obelisk and Athoz notices a leaf falling very slowly.  Time is moving super slow

V- The party take a full rest and it is still night

A- The party travel under slowed-time conditions for 2 days to K1c

10 Of bogs and bullywugs

The party sets off in search of K1c and nearly runs into some nasty natives

Are you there Pras?  It's me, Tokard.    I awoke today, with my companions, camped out West of Lake Miza'al.  Thankfully, the time distortions had subsided and reality had returned to the ways Pras intended.    As usual, nobody knew where to go or what the hell to do.  Oh Pras, why hast thou forsaken me?... I felt... something.  Forgive me Pras for I have not sought your guidance in some time.  Perhaps, with prayer, I might speak once again with your deva for direction.    After a time, Lana was convinced that she was able to gain insight from the wonderfully terrible forces of nature you have gifted to us lowly beings.  The audacity!  Only you can give such insight.  Either way, the party decided to follow her false prophecy, and do you know where it led us?  To a Pras forsaken swamp!    Along the way, the bird-man found a rotten old spear; crude from the day it was formed.  We took a short rest and headed out during the hottest part of the day.  With the blessing of your malevolent breath on our shoulders,  signs of unrighteous beings soon revealed themselves.  Webbed footprints and bloody remains by a lakeside.  We were blessed with your tears of rage as it began to rain.    As we traveled, Lana, once again enlightened by your creations, detected signs of life on the winds.  Strummer scouted ahead with that flea-ridden feline Athoz in tow.  Without the benefits of your divine influence through myself, I wrote them off as dead.  Surely the wilds would return their flesh to the earth but you chose to spare them to bring back word of what was ahead.  Once again, your wisdom makes fools of us all.      My wayward companions brought tales of frog-like beings just over a bluff to the north, surrounding a strange, old structure.  Against my expectations, our group of misfits decided to push on in glorious darkness to confront the heathens.  I followed, ready to parlay as usual with godless primitives.  We reached their camp and began to look around.  It was a smelly old shit hole.  Suddenly, there were sounds of a scuffle and when I called upon your light I was struck dumb by what I beheld.  My ignorant companions were fully engaged in the righteous slaughter of the unbelievers!  I later learned that Strummer, the weakest among us, was so overcome with your infallible wisdom that he did not hesitate to strike down the first godless primitive he saw!  The glorious bloodbath had begun!    We cut down the unbelieves as quickly as they arose.  My companions, possessed by your wondrous spirit no doubt, left little glory for myself.  Then, a shaman of one of the false gods arose and called down a storm of light.  As he tried to wield your all-mighty power he did little more than strike down all the nonbelievers in a 20ft radius... then, within a 60ft radius!  By your hand Pras, the enemy struck down most of his companions and mine as well.  Your justice knows no sides.  What I don't understand is why you chose to bless Li-Chow, the most wayward of my unworthy companions.  Just as I thought your will was to take us all into your presence, he leaps from nowhere, and strikes down the unworthy shaman in a single blow, saving half of my undeserving companions.  Why do you toy with me oh Lord?    Forgive me Pras, I have no right to question your omnipotence.      With the blood of your enemies anointing our bodies and the perfume of their bowls in the air, we proceed boldly to where you have led us oh Pras, the sight of the ruins known as K1c.Tokard the fallen15th of Lithlohan, 2019 AF

11 Into the Excavation and Beyond

Game Notes

After a rash and hurried battle with a tribe of Bullywugs, the Expeditioners entered a metallic trapdoor hidden behind an ancient structure of ruined Khaori stonework.

Underneath the trapdoor, the party entered a strange excavated cavern, obviously at one time buried by the Cataclysm.  The Expeditioners were quickly attacked by strange plant using skulls as hosts, but they were dealt with in short order. After a brief exploration, they searched an abandoned campsite, finding notes from the McGillam Exinate expedition some twenty years before. Under the structure, The Expeditioners discovered a large cavern excavated during Vital McGillam's first expedition. The location was infested with carnivorous plants.  In the abandoned camp, party discovered several notes left behind by the crew.

The excavation is literally a hole in the earth filled with once beautiful Khaori granite buildings. Inside are research materials and old maps of the region, scribal materials, minor finds left behind for later retrieval - plates, hilts, etc with Khaori inscriptions. Messy handwritten notes from McGillam explaining the finds (and that he suspects the real finds are at K1a).

After a rest interrupted by Clawfoots dropped into the cavern by some clever bullywugs, the party was alerted to a whisper coming from a northern cavern.  There they discovered a Borunai prisoner, Sand Whisper. After nursing her back to health, they settled down for a much needed rest in the abandoned camp.

In several hours, Sand Whisper informed them in a well spoken common, that the "god" of the bullywugs had devoured her traveling companions and that the monstrous carnivorous plan would awaken soon for its next meal.

Not content to wait around, the party went in search for the creature only to find themselves in a battle where Athoz was briefly engulfed inside the creature. However, Yllanna's ice knife finished off the carnivorous plant unfortunately injuring Sand Whisper in the process.

Healing up, the party then searched the cavern and discovered a secret door in a wall to the east.  Strummer decoded the secret clues and inside they were greeted by an illusion of Vital McGillam.

Key notes on the interaction with SSAMS

Key Note: "McGillam believes there may be artifacts behind a large wall that may hold clues the exact layout of the Cliffs of Insanity and therefore the location to the hidden entrance to Khaoritan at K1a, K2, K3, and K4"

Explanations that the map to Khaoritan is literally the destroyed metropolis of Khaoritan canal network that is now dry chasms protected by a powerful permanent illusion cast by the last dragons of Sycharia to seal off Khaoritan from discovery forever.

Inside the ancient structure was discovered a magical device call the Semi-Sentient Arcane Mapping Servant.

SSAMS: "Activation of Central mapping device failed. Please supply arcane power surge." (cantrip "25% recharged", lv 1"50% recharged" lv 2 "100% recharged"

"Semi-Sentient Arcane Mapping Servant activated - patent pending Illumar the Artificer."

"Old Common - Verily, prithee supplwth thoust favor-ed lingueth by speak ye thy following words in ye language, "Life and Peace through the Khaori."

Adjusting language parameters

"Please supply Khaori Empire location of interest."

"The following locations are available for display and transport via via galvanic interface marker.

"Galvanic interfaces are arcane monoliths used for transport through the Khaori Kingdom - nearest galvanic interface not at expected coordinates. Nearest interface located a 21 24 71 east south east. Interface 3311 located at Eastern Coastal Empire Storage Facility - Monolith activation code 33113233. 3,239 locations available to display. Correction: 1,222 locations available to display. Correction: 541 locations available to display. Reimaging locations. 12 locations available for display.

Khaori Alchemist Complex (K1a)

Khaori Arcane Academies (Cannot display - Location not at expected coordinates - Correction: 11 locations available for display)

Fortress of Jylan Tak and Takaran Guard Headquarters

Master Illumar's Artificers Conclave (K3)

Forest City of Larakesh in the Deliverer Woodlands (monolith code available - 4227331)

Temple of the Twelve (K4)

Eastern Coastal Empire Storage Facility (K2)

Capital City of Khaoritan (Error - Unable to comply - Unauthorized user - 1d10 psychic damage to all within 100ft - screaming of bullywugs heard from outside door)

Kingdom of Ghimlinor and Mt. Vylnilninyr (Cannot display - Location not at expected coordinates. Correction: 10 locations available for display)

Human Capital of Roxregal

Western Marches - Khaori Regional Capital

The God Star - (Error - Unable to comply - Unauthorized user - 1d10 psychic damage to all within 100ft - screaming of bullywugs heard from outside door)

12 A new ally or a dangerous foe?

The party travels back to Mitanta with Sand Whisper

A Quick Video Update from on YouTube

13 Attack on Mitanta Village

The Expeditioners attempt to rescue hostages in the Village of Mitanta

A video update this week

14 Facing a powerful new enemy

Game Notes for 6/18/21

The party rescues the hostages

Baron McKintis invites them to meet him in Larakesh

The Mikanta Borunai fly in to the rescue

The Agents of Tidestone fight but then flee into the forests with Lilibet McDivitt

Chief Blackening Sky is mortally wounded with a necrotic poison

Shaman Running Willow succumbs to the Entrapment Spell cast by the Warlock of McKintis.

15 Damned if you do

After the attack on Mitanta, many things are set in motion

The party regroups in Mitanta

Offered a ride on the backs of the Jangua flying lizards, they are plopped down into the jungle to search for the fleeing Agents of Tidestone and their leader the Lady Lilibet.

After tracking the agents for nearly a day, they find them camped and vulnerable.

A might battle ensues, and the party kills the agents and captures and seriously weakened Lady Lilibet still recovering from casting a powerful curse on the shaman of Mitanta.

Lilibet offers a truce in return for passage back to Larakesh as their prisoner and will release the curse on the shaman if she is returned to Baron Aspire McKintis alive.

The party continues to scout for K1a the ruins of the ancient Khaori Alchemists Guild.

They find it overrun with yuanti members of the PRA.

After freeing the hostages and helping to drive out the Tidestone invaders of the Borunai village, the party faces a stark choice: Now what? As the remnants of the invaders are sought by the Jangua on their quetzalcoatlus mounts and Lisusua river hunters, the village assesses their losses and prepares to bury their dead. Sand Whisper is taken to the sacred chamber for a mysterious ritual, and the K1a Excavation, the ruined remains of the ancient Khaori Alchemists Guild awaits. Or will the party accept Baron Aspire McKintis' invitation to meet him in Larakesh.

16 Into K1a

The Expeditioners enter K1a, the ruins of the Khaori Alchemists Academy

After casing the PRA encampment, the party determined to sneak into the ruins by quietly taking out the two guards.

Lana became a spider and infiltrated the location.  She discovered a group of Borunai and non-Borunai prisoners.

The party returned and found the guards missing.

Entering they discovered the prisoners and dispatched the guards who were brining food to the prisoners.

The party tried to convince the Borunai to go with them into the ruins, but they refused and escaped the somewhat abandoned camp.

3 explorers who were hired by Belloq offered to enter the ruins with the PC, but Ssoshu cast web on them and Strummer opened the secret door and closed it behind the party.

Exploring the ruins, the PCs came upon a strange group of fungal creatures, but they chose to leave them alone.

Discovering an elevator, they descended into the rest of the ruins.

Li Chow scouted ahead and found a Khaori Teleportation Obelisk and the bodies of cannibalized Exinates.

Ssoshu discovered a garden gate and the party became trapped in an illusion.

4 cursed children (abyssal wretches) and a teacher (shadow horror) joined them in the illusion which began at the Cataclysm (Ash Fall) and ended months later when the children began to starve to death one by one.

Making their way to Lord Tyn'al's laboratory, they defeated the cursed founder of the academy.

The Story of Lord Tyn'al's Alchemists Academy

Lord Tyn'al used the children to build power for his phylactery to become a lich by draining their health and souls. Cut off in the middle of his experiments by the cataclysm, trapped in the ruins of the guild, he kept himself alive but attempted the lich ritual too soon trapping himself and transforming into an undead cursed with insanity. The children and the teacher eventually died of starvation, their souls trapped in the vortex of Lord Tyn'al's insanity.  The Exinate expedition fell victim to the hunger curse eventually going insane and resorting to cannibalism.  Vital McGillam never made it to the laboratory. He instructed to his team to seal off the ruins with a secret door in hopes of returning someday to find the clue to the location of the Lost City.

17 Returning Home to Chaos

While the PCs have been out discovering the location of the lost city, Larakesh has gotten more complicated

The PCs awoke to a very complicated Larakesh upon their return.  There is too much...let me sum up.

The Dark Problem with the Drowlings

The Drowlings (a derogatory term - they prefer the elvish derivative - Dusindar), frustrated after years of refugee status, are hearing a message of revolt from the Church of Blood.  No longer content to be second-class citizens after hundreds of years of slavery in the Duchy of Perthenum, they came to Larakesh to be free only to be persecuted once again by the people of the desert. Many are refusing to work causing real problems for the Atra, Ezkeet. But, after a meeting with emissaries of Xitalia, leader of the PRA, and fierce opposition from Shalyn, the Priestess of the Temple of the Primal Gods, now some might actually be sold into slavery because Ezkeet fears his city is in danger from the yuan-ti.

3 influential Drowlings, friends of Balthanyr, and acolytes of the Church of Blood have gone missing. Their employer, the owner of Khan's Guard Armorer, will pay for information about his friends and employees. They went to church one night, and never returned.

The party, in an act of goodwill, secured the right for drowlings to own businesses under the control of Neilan's Rest, their new hotel. There is some skepticism in the community, but Balthanyr, the leader of the dusindar in Larakesh, is hopeful this is a first step after his conversation with Li Chow and Ssoshu.

The party has decided to investigate the Church in hopes of finding the missing drowlings and earning the good will of the community.

Neilan's Rest or Sanctum Sanctorium

The party spent 15,000 gold to purchase an older somewhat slummy hotel.  It is run by Balthanyr, a scarred half-elf with a bit of a history. The hotel will generate 300 gold per week (or more if it can rid itself of the 20 families of drowlings that call the roof home at night). Each game, a member of the party will roll a d10 for the hotel.

1-3, the hotel loses money this week (-100gp),

4-7 the hotel makes 300gp,

8-10 the hotel makes 500gp.

Improvements to the hotel can be negotiated with the GM.

There are 10 loyal employees that work the facility along with 20 drowlings families that help keep the place safe, clean, and repaired. Key employees.

Balthanyr - general manager- former gladiator in the Albaneer arenas.

Lucio - a retired goliath ranger from the Sky Peak Jarldoms

Mariah - a drowling sorcerer adept

2 halfling rogues named Hop and Tami

Georgio, a somewhat talented cook

The basement does have a secret entrance to the sewers where drowlings sometimes meet in hiding.

There are dead things in the sewers lately....piles of bones that seem to move.

Ezkeet, Lord of Commerce, and a reluctant politician

Thankful for the gifts the party brough him. Ancient coins, an old tattered notebook, and 2 sets of ancient Takaran half-plate, the atra is overwhelmed by problems in the city.

The drowling strike is a major complication to his big Ashfallend festival.

Then there's the murder of the mortician and the arrest of Bilben Dootleder, for the murder.  As leader of the Bully Boys and a loyal lieutenant in the city to the Aydin Clan, this has caused more issues with the powerful Khan Manjar, leader of the clan.

Plus, High Monk Trylthein and his traveling companion, the old monk Hy Chi Low, are here to get the atra's leave to confront Baron Aspire McKintis. Ezkeet wants nothing to do with all this low country politics between the Doheaga Religion, the Northern Kingdom, and Tidestone.  Larakesh is the Switzerland of Sycharia, and Ezkeet wants it to stay that way.

Finally, there is the issue of the growing Church of Blood.  The tent has grown, and now hundreds of his citizens are attending the nightly services, especially with the arrival of the "Messiah," Aspire McKintis.  At first he thought this was just another weird cult, but now he knows it is connected to Tidestone. Too late to run them off now without risking a fight with Tidestone.

Finally, there is the visit from the PRA - the Pureblood Revolutionary Army.  Shalyn thinks selling drowlings is a good idea to get them out of the city, but the atra isn't about to sell people into slavery - but then there's the issue of the offer of priceless gold artifacts and the fear the yuan-ti could attack the upper fields, a major source of food for the city.

OH and the Feast of Ashfallend is tomorrow night. Games glorious games, food, drink, festivities and money and taxes for the city galore.

Lord Belloq - maybe not such a bad guy after all? Then again...

Lord Belloq apologized for their first encounter as Athoz was prepared to rip off his other leg.

Belloq explained that he has searched for the lost city for more than 20 years.

He was a former Exinate, until he was expelled from the order for walling up a group of Exinates into the Khaori Alchemists Academy K1a when they started eating each other.

He has offered a massive sum of money for the party to work for him in finding the lost city on the condition that they bring him and only him to the city when they go. 5,000 now. 20,000gp when they find the city. Any provision that they need. This beautiful house in Larakesh after they return, plus his gratitude.

Finally, he said his spies have told him that Khan Telket has arrived in the Larakesh Tent City - and there was a recent theft of poisons. Khan Telket is a dangerous man and brother-in-law of Khan Manjar, the leader of Aydin Clan.

Belloq doesn't really care much for the atra, but upheaval in the city would be inconvenient while he awaits his family's healer from Buyuk Saray.

Oh. and Lord Belloq has blue-grey skin and red horns.

Aljamjama and the GM railroad

The very quirky group of Agents of the Aljamjama came calling after they were spotted by Athoz following the group.

Using a dangerous poison made from the sandworms of the spice mines, they captured the party and asked them a series of very odd questions.

Their leader, a lady sorcerer of some sort, spoke to someone invisible, and then let them go saying,

"Yes, mistress.  They seem honest, but they are close to discovering the location of Khaoritan. What if they survive the trials? Yes, mistress. Hidan Hidash. Adan haram hidash, sheolim Khaoritan. Hidan hidash. You will repay your favor now. There has been killing in the city.  An arrest has been made, but we have suspicions. Interview the suspect. Find out if he is telling the truth. If not, find the real killer.  Then your debt will be repaid, and we will tell you of the Temple of the Twelve."

18 Intrigue in Larakesh

With a possible assassination and a murder mystery to solve, the Expeditioners will be busy

After being thrown into the whirlwind of intrigue in Larakesh, the PCs must decide what to do next.

Investigate the Church of Blood

Solve the mystery of the murdered mortician, or

discover who will be assassinated tomorrow night on the Feast of Ashfallend

What will they do?

Strange Meetings with a new religion

The party decided to continue on to attend the service at the Church of Blood.

Welcomed by the Lady Lilibet, they watched a loud, entertainment filled service of hundreds of worshippers.  They got their first glimpse of Ja'lan the Prophet, the leader of the church.

Aspire McKintis entered and spoke of the "gospel" of the Beloved, Grosh al' Dryn.  In a strange moment, he displayed the power of the McKintis Spear to open a gate into the Void Plane, the prison of their god.

After the service, they were taken to the Baron's wagons under heavy guard and in a rather mundane meeting, the Baron attempted to get them to join his cause.  The party instead pressured him into confessing his evil of attacking the Borunai.

The Baron claimed the uncivilized Borunai are servants of the Ischarlin Shamans, the enemies of his god.  He only wanted information about the whereabouts of the shamans.  This may or may not be true.

In an act of goodwill, he gave them some information about the last known whereabouts of the missing dusindar (drowlings).   They had gone to visit some merchants from Yue selling weapons in the Larakesh Tent City.

Battle with Clan Telket assassins

speak with Atra on the potty.

Speak with Ri'Lahn

Go back to Neilan's Rest

Investigate the mortuary.

19 Death cometh

A mystery to solve. An Assassination to stop.

The Unnamed Party of Explorers uncovered a nefarious plot to assassinate someone or steal something or some other evil doing, and brought their concerns to the Atra, Ezkeet the Mighty, and his mate Atin (lawkeeper) Ri’ Lahn.

The alarm raised, they headed back to Neilan’s Rest to regroup and patch their wounds.

On a lark, they decided to head to the mortuary to investigate the recent murder. They uncovered a grisly scene of bodies missing parts, blood splattered on the floor, and a grate leading into the sewers. It was then, Athoz noticed his ancient Takaran Bow glowing a foreboding blue. Undead lurk not 30 feet away.

Will they return to the Museum of Graak to protect the atra, or delve into the filthy sewers promising an encounter with the undead?

20 The aftermath of the attack

Game Notes for 10/16/21

In the cold, dark hours of the night after the Feast of Ashfallend in Larakesh, the Unnamed survey the bloody remains of a battle that nearly took the life of the atra.  They watch as his mate prays to the primal gods for healing of a powerful poison ravaging his body.  Upstairs, the bodies of three assassins lay eviscerated and frothing with blows from the poisoned scimitar of Athoz.  A mysterious incense pot smolders, the ghostly spirits of long dead desert raiders vanished into smoke and the pungent smell of ancient spices. What remains is the labored breathing of the old lion, the silence of the drowling servants who stand watch nearby, and the mystery of who planned the assassination of the mother and father of modern Larakesh.

Investigated the attack. Discovered the Atra was poisoned with Demon Blood Poison required an herbal remedy made from demon blood.

Questioned Belbin Dootleter. Pointed them to the former assistant of mortician fire for "stealing shit" from the mortuary. Also noted that the toughs from Yue have been around and spending a lot of time with Khan Manjar.  Worked closely with Commander Redoan for most of the day.

Visited the Khan's Guard Armory

Attempted to interview Khan Manjar and Khan Telket. Failed and were attacked by Clan Aydin thugs

Stummer overhears conversation implicating both khans in the attack.

Warned of problems at the Church of Blood.

Witnessed the battle between Aspire McKintis and High Monk Trylthein ending with the bishop's death and more than 100 killed or injured. Brief appearance by the other two barons of Tidestone, Lleolamnir the Curse and Grimlish the Usurper.

The Feast of Ashfallend in the 2019 in Larakesh will never be forgotten. Thousands came from across the north to see the spectacle of the last city devoted to the Primal Gods, but what followed will be whispered about far and wide as travelers rush from the scene of death and destruction. An assassination attempt thwarted by the Unnamed filled the air with murmurs of a coming chaos. Rumors of Xitalian yuan-ti capturing slaves in the Wilds. The body of High Monk Trylthein lay among hundreds of followers of this mysterious God called Beloved. Word spread of how people seemed to ignore the boiled bodies and the battered remains of the sacred bishop of the Doheagan Religion as they uncaringly packed and traveled west into the desert. Guards carried the wounded to be cared for as many families came and carried the bodies to the city to be buried. With the morgue closed, their bodies were prepared in the hot sun as the lonely priest of the Temple of the New Gods prayed over each. Some blamed the Church of Blood, some  blamed the atra, some believed the half-drow brought evil with them, and some wondered if what they saw heralded another coming cataclysm. Truly, Sycharia was forsaken, cursed by the gods and doomed to war and death. Where were the gods the day Trylthein died? Why do they allow such suffering and war in the south? Who will come to save them in the face of these new forces?

21 A New Companion

After the death of High Monk Trylthein, the party regroups to solve two mysteries

The Unnamed find themselves exhausted in the sweltering sun helping to carry the wounded to tents outside Larakesh and to load the bodies of the dead onto carts.  The streets of Larakesh are filled with the wailing of family members following behind them as they move the bodies through the narrow alleys to the place prepared for them in front of the Temple of the Primal Gods and the small building next to the mortuary dedicated to the New Gods.

Ri' Lahn stands by with more than 2 dozen guards and Commander Redoan keeping order.   Agents of the Aljamjama and Clan Aydin also do their part to help with the wounded and dead.  Even the Whispers, dressed in black garb, have come from Meltath's Hookah Bar and the Otel Choi Beleu to comfort the women and families bringing water and food to those who are preparing the bodies.

Standing with his hands on his hips at the front of the ramshackle building devoted to the new gods, is a scruff faced, salt and pepper human in a hooded robe and a large wide brimmed hat.  By each body, he kneels and prays performing and unction using oils handed to him by a stocky older dwarf.  Suddenly, the haggard looking priest calls to Li Chow and waves him over.  A red headed priestess, Shalyn, of the Primal Gods begins speaking loudly from the steps of the temple.

The party is left with several mysteries.

Who killed the mortician, and why?

Who poisoned the atra, and why?

Where can they possibly find demons blood in the matter of only a few days before the atra dies?

What they already know.

Lamnyr, the local herbalist, sold demons blood for a tidy profit to two parties in the last 3 months.   A group of weapons merchants from Yue and Abal Haram, the former assistant to the mortician who now works as the stock manager at the Dusty Rest, a middling inn just west of the Makha Bazaar.

Belbin Dootleder claims he knows nothing about the murder of the mortician.

Strummer overheard a very interesting conversation between someone in the Otel Choi Beleu, headquarters of Clan Aydin.

The Church of Blood was quickly packing up and moving west to Buyuk Saray, a city far on the other side of the desert.

22 A trip to the Spa and back into the Wilds

01/14/2022 After a strange encounter with Rashiki, the party has a spa day, gains a new traveling companion, and teleports into trouble

This session log covers 4 game nights in November & December 2021 and January 2022.

Game 1: The party chases down the murderer of the mortician in Larakesh and discovers that the necromancer is using body parts to summon the spirit of an ancient demon called Xibalban. The necromancer is killed by the party and they recover demons blood to heal the atra. The Xibalban flesh golem escapes into the Khaori Obelisk in the sewers.

Game 2: The party delivers the demons blood to the herbalist to make the cure. The Atra starts to lose control of the city as Shalyn, the priestess of the temple of the primal gods, and the Khan of  Clan Aydin plan to overthrow his 20 year rule. They meet with Rashiki, an old tabaxi, who (among other ridiculous things) says that he has given the location of the Temple of the Twelve to Belloq. He sent Belloq to the Temple of the Restful Lily, an ancient spa, located in a magical book, to get healing for his injured hip.  The party followed and Li Chow took a bargain from one of the mistresses of the temple.

Game 3: After investigation, the party discovered that the temple was actually being run by three hags from Evernigh. A battle ensued. The hags were defeated. Athoz did some exercise and Strummer got his wings and feathers treated by Ilmar the Dark Elf to add a lovely deep ruby color to his wing tips and head.

Game 4: The party destroys the cursed paintings and removes the curse on Belloq and Li Chow. The book ends and the party arrived back in Larakesh with Belloq only to discover they were being secretly shadowed by Hy Chi Low the entire time.

There is a reunion of the two foster sons of Hy Chi Low, Li Chow and Belloq.

Strummer is told that the kenku have translated a portion of the Yogen Scroll and believe that their destiny is in the Ischarlin Wilds.

The church of the Doheaga Religion is sending Bishop Fiorina Etral to hold the atra accountable for the death of High Monk Trylthein. They intend to arrest and question all those who had contact with Baron Aspire McKintis - including the Daj Modan - a group of explorers that work for the atra.

Clan Telket is planning to kill the party for their role in foiling the assassination of the atra, Ezkeet. The party has initiated an intrigue with Clan Telket - They discovered that Clan Telket controls 11 units - 5 infantry, 5 artillery, and a unit of assassins. Balthanyr will continue to build forces and generate income for the party.

The party bought lots of stuff...

The party met Belloq in Rashiki's Paper Goods and discovered that Rashiki is secretly a mythical creature called a Couatl.  The creature spoke telepathically to the group and mentioned his people, a group called the yuankenu. The couatl spoke directly to Strummer about an ancient prophecy and promised to speak to the group in their dreams.

The party traveled into the sewers and activated the Khaori Obelisk and teleported into the Ischarlin Wilds a mere 1/4 mile from the Temple of the Twelve, an ancient step pyramid that survived the cataclysm.

After being discovered by a patrol of the Pureblood Revolutionary Army, Ssoshu convinced Captain Jusskahn that they were there to join. The party met a friendly yuan-ti named Lt. Ista who invited them to stay with him and his wife, Synat. They also meet their 4 children, Mykal, Ixta, Ribi, and Tahn.

The party is taken to meet Xitalia and to witness a binding ritual controlling the Xibalban. Xitalia quickly discovered their ruse and told the Captain to return in the morning. She seemed very eager to explore the uses of a group of Exinates including pureblood who was the protege of Uther Capertill.

The party sat down for dinner with Itsa and his family.

23 The Temple of the Twelve

01/29/2022 Xitalia enlists the help of the Daj Modahn…oh, and a demon does, too.

After bargaining with Belloq and Rashiki, who seems to be more than just an old tabaxi wizard, the party delved into the sewers of Larakesh once again to activate the Khaori Obelisk. This time, Ssoshu used a code given to him by Belloq, and the party was teleported outside of the ancient Temple of the Twelve. There, they met a group of yuan-ti pureblood children in an open field only to be discovered by a Pureblood Revolutionary Army patrol in search of the missing kids.  Escorted into a village around the mighty pyramid structure, they met the Lady Xitalia, the leader of the growing yuan-ti forces. A suspicious malison captain, send them under guard to spend the night with the children’s father. The party was invited in for stew in hopes of discovering more about this new danger.

The home of the yuan-ti family.

Dreams. Belloq awakes screaming.

The village. Massive excavation pulling up caches of ancient weaponry. Armoring triceratops. A black smith complex. Rice paddies. Slave pens. Non-yuan-ti foremen and slave masters. Well made huts of planed wood and roofed with bark. A road stretching to the east where the occasional wagon appears with fish loaded into barrels in the back.  Regular patrols of well armed guards. Hunting parties returning sometimes with carcasses of large animals, panthers, bear, giant lizards, and slaves in cages. 160 or so non-yuanti. 300+ yuanti.

Meeting with Xitalia.

Entering the temple

General Shatyl's Torture Room

Athoz: After you reluctantly fall asleep, you fall into a dream of hunting deep in the Ischarlin Savannah of the Mikanta region of your youth. You and your father track a group of yuan-ti through the tall grasses. You lose sight of them in the shadow of the great mountain to the north. You silently creep closer to the cursed cliffs of insanity, but suddenly a shower of poison rains down on you and the other members of your tribe. Just a boy, your father covers you in his great shield made from the hood of a mighty triceratops. The warriors fight valiantly, but most are killed by the poisons. You and your father, covered in blood, barely escape into the maze of cliffs. But, your father succumbs to his wounds and collapses. As his last breath leaves his body in the darkness as day ends, you turn to your father, struggling not to cry, and look into his strong eyes, when his face begins to change into a reptile. Feathers sprout from above his head, and he says, “Athoz, my sister is in Xitalan. She thinks she is a demon. Help her remember who she truly is. Reunite the yuankenu. Only then, will you find your answers.” You look to the sky and see a dragon gazing down on you.  You awake in a cold sweat with these words ringing in your ears, “Reunite the yuankenu.”

Ryan: Once inside the Temple of the Twelve, the PCs will have a lot of puzzles to solve. I will only describe the basics of each room. If you want more descriptions, you’ll have to ask.  Fair warning. I figured I’d give you a heads up.

Strummer: When strummer falls asleep, he falls into a strange dream. He see himself working when he was a young hatchling helping his mother carry bags of grain to the store house. It is hot and humid and the bag is far heavier than he is. He drags it along the ground making a trail in the warm dust. His mother turns and pecks him lightly on the seagull shaped white feathers in his head “Leaves fall on water, you need to pick it up or the bag will tear and the grain will spill.” “Yes, ma’am.” He turns and hefts the burlap up into his arms. He falls heavily on his back, the bag pushing the air from his lungs. Dust in his eyes, he blinks and look up to see the shadow of his mother. It changes before his eyes growing taller. Her silhouette shifts and her head seems to grow horns. Belloq leans down and says, “Boy, you’ve spilled the grain. Now the rats will come. snakes will come to eat them. Are you a snake, boy?” “No, sir?”“Are you sure?”He looks at his hands as they cover in scales and his legs become a serpent’s tail.

Suddenly the shadow of a dragon blots out the sun. Belloq grabs him up in his hands and says, “Find my sister. Tell her to wake up! The kenku are on the move! Read the scroll and bring your kin home!” He screams so loud the sky turns black and shifts into the form of a mighty couatl. “I am Muut Itzamnaaj! I am the watcher who waits! The hammer of Usukun will show you the way!”

Strummer awakes and looks over at the sleeping Belloq and ponders the dream in the night unable to sleep again.

Scenes.

The home of the yuan-to family.

Dreams. Belloq awakes screaming.

The village. Massive excavation pulling up caches of ancient weaponry. Armoring triceratops. A black smith complex. Rice paddies. Slave pens. Non-yuan-ti foremen and slave masters. Well made huts of planed wood and roofed with bark. A road stretching to the east where the occasional wagon appears with fish loaded into barrels in the back.  Regular patrols of well armed guards. Hunting parties returning sometimes with carcasses of large animals, panthers, bear, giant lizards, and slaves in cages. 160 or so non-yuanti. 300+ yuanti.

Meeting with Xitalia.

Entering the temple

Bee Room

Seasons Room

Final Battle (end game here)

24 Ancient Betrayals/Deadly Challenges

The Daj Modan face the next challenges to discover the location of the Lost City of Khaoritan

After accepting the offer from Xitalia and the ancient demon, Xibalban, the Daj Modan made their way through the deadly room of Hell Bees, which seemed to be some kind of inter-planar Realm of Dread created to torture the long dead General of the Xitalian Empire, Shatyl. To help them out, the demon recited an ancient song,

"Shatyl, whose sweetness hid her lies, a queen denied, a queen to serve in death.

Ravnish, who so feared death, dies eternally in the cold of winter.

Ahn'kath, whose mind so great, remembers nothing of his fate.

The empire betrayed Usukun made them serve the shame they sought to rule. So shall they until the empire reborn. "

What deal did they make with this demon? Enter the Temple of the Twelve to find the Soul Gem containing a piece of Xibalban's essense. The demon promises to use it to leave Evermorn and return to the realm of Hell in Evernigh. Xitalia seeks the gem to control the demon and to find the location of the Lost City. The Party hopes to find the gem, get rid of the demon, get the location of the Lost City of Khaoritan, and discover the plans of the Pureblood Revolutionary Army.

It will be a busy day.

Along with Lord Belloq and Captain Jusskhan, the party now finds themselves locked in another magical room filled with leaves, mounds of dirt, strange carvings on the walls, and a skeletal ribcage in the center. Is this a safe place to rest before the next challenge?

Session Highlights: 02/05/2022 In the Lady’s Days of Nahpran in the 2019th year of Ashfall.

The eternal punishment of General Ravnish nearly ended in death for several of the party members.  Li Chow, Athoz, and Strummer all made several attempts to discover the way out of the room, pouring water into a basin with an acorn shaped indentation. Finally, they realized the stone shaped like an acorn might open the door.  Instead, placing it there brought the room to life as a twisted amalgam of a yuan-ti and an oak began to grow in the center of the room screaming in pain and the winds of spring blew throughout the room.  The basin changed shape into the shape of a flower.   In summer, the monsterous crows presented a major challenge. They immediately took out Ssoshu, but Li Chow leapt to the rescue with a potion of healing. Lord Belloq reasoned that the room could be moved into fall with a feather from a crow. The heroes nearly perished attempting to pull a heart from the living tree and placed it into the basin moving the room to winter, killing the suffering Ravnish, and opening the door.

The next dread realm ended in death for Captain Jusskhan as the ancient cursed General Ahn’kath repeated the same day over and over. However, with clever banter from Strummer and Ssoshu, they finally convinced the General to open the door to the Temple of the Twelve. Unbeknownst to the heroes, 4 days passed by in Evermorn.

Finally entering the ancient abandoned temple, the party took a long rest in a room filled with sarcophagi and graffiti. Solving the riddle of the door, they beheld the audience chamber of mighty statues of the Primal Champions and must discover the secret to entering the inner chamber where they will discover the fate of Khaoritan, a powerful gem filled with the soul of a demon, and hopefully a way out.

25 The inner chambers of the Temple of the Twelve

Game Notes for 02/12/2022

The 15th day of Nahpran in the 2019th year of Ashfall.

Session Highlights and Notes:

Investigate the statue room. The PCs noted all the names and races of the Twelve Primal Champions

https://www.scabard.com/pbs/campaign/336854/group/647759

Statues have symbols of the gods as well as names and races.

Book on alter has articles of the lives of the primal champions and their teachings. The magical book, is a treasure trove of pre-Xitalian Empire world data. There is a listing of all of the fallen primal gods and the names of the Ischarlin Shamans. Athoz took the book for safekeeping and put it in his haversack

The heroes took the book, solved the puzzle, and found some serious treasure in the ancient temple offering room.

They heroes traveled down a 100 yard corridor and found a room in a cavern with 4 Khaori Obelisks and a pulsating small pyramid topped by a red Demon Soul Gem. Laying before the pyramid was a dust covered sheet of mithral cloth and a strange metal orb.  Looming over the central dais were two massive stone statues.  Unsure of what to do next, the party decided it would be best to check in with Ssoshu and Llana.

26 Wrapping up the Temple of the Twelve

Game Notes for 03/19/2022

The Daj Modan found themselves in the Obelisk Chamber of the Temple of the Twelve, a transportation nexus for the Khaori Empire. Whereupon they summon a demon, fight a giant statue, and scout a hostile pirate town. (Leveled to 6th)

They found a shining 8' diameter orb that contained a message from Lord Vital McGillam with this message:

Exinate's meet in Yultic as soon as possible.

Code for Storage Facility Obelisk near Red Sands Cove code 23 degree 16 minutes west (thats a 5 I think) 74 degrees 19 minutes north (north is 8)

(watch for the pirates - they are not friendly. Uther and I found that out the hard way.) Travel southeast.

Watch for the Uaachaton and the grung (also not friendly).

Sand Whisper will send scouts for you.

Gamlyr tells me that one of the obelisks still works.

When you arrive I will give you exact directions to Khaoritan.

We must discover the pieces of the Stave before Baron Aspire McKintis. He will use them to find the Stave and the Orphans to release Grosh al' Dryn from the void plane. Oh...and trust no one.

Gamlyr's voice "You can't talk forever...you'll run out of time...

"what do you mean run out of"  beeeeeeeeeep.

Belloq summons the spirit of the Xibalban using the head of Abal Haram (see Xibalban entry for more)

The demon dug a hole in the rock to the surface.

The party activated the obelisk also activating the defense systems and teleported to Red Sands Cove.

There the party discovered the pirate sanctuary and 45 captive Borunai natives.

Li Chow and Strummer scouted the town for more information in hopes of freeing the tabaxi.

27 A Strange New Companion

Where the party frees some prisoners and gains an ancient robot as a new ally

What happened:

After scouting Red Sands Cove, the party decided to help free as many of the Borunai captives as possible.

While planning the attck, they were "arrested" by a strange armored figure claiming to be from the Ischarlin.

The armored figure, called Chains by his friends, then relented in favor of the priority of freeing the Evermorn natives.

The party attacked, fought off several pirates, and were able to free two cages of Borunai before the alarm sounded brining the Agents of Tidestone.

After escaping and being left behind by the Borunai, the party made camp is a safe seluded location only to realize they were being shadowed by grung.

What now:

The party is still under "arrest" by the armored knight who is taking them south east to a Ischarlin Shaman.

The party is also traveling south east to get to the village of Yultic to warm them of an impending attack from the Pureblood Revolutionary Army and to meet with Lord Vital McGillam, the most famous explorer in all of Sycharia.

28 Of grung, Uaahchaton, and bad dreams

Where the party travels in Eastern Yashix and gets attacked by lizards of unusual size

The party takes a rest in the wilds.

Li Chow has a terrible dream about a demon calling him to retun the book he took from Belloq.

Ssoshu dreams of his foster father, Uther, emaciated in a cage in a dark ruin and hears the voice of something called Muut Itzamnaaj and Tamoachil.

The grung harried the group for several miles as they traveled toward Yultic including an attack with nets.

Herding the party into a deep, dark valley, the grung seemed to hang back after being lectured by Belloq.

In the valley of the Uaahcheton, they party were ambused by stealthy allosaurus, and working well as a team, the party fended off the attack.

Heading deeper into the valley, they discovered a dark cavern. Inside Strummer found a nest of eggs and the mighty Queen Blue and her mate, the lords of the valley.

In the middle of the battle, Belloq noticed a group of panther riding Borunai warriors and a leader who, using a staff of druidic magic, charmed the allosaurus into passivity.

However, Athoz, saw their hesitation as an opportunity to strike the killing blow.

29 Of Borunai, Stories, and Honor

Outside the cave of the Uaachaton, the party meets the great Chief of the Yashix

After two grueling fights with the Uaachaton, the party finds themselves surrounded by Borunai warriors on Ischarlin Panthers outside a dark cave den of the mighty beasts. While some seek to find Yultic, Athoz is driven by another goal - honor and glory. What happens next might be the stuff of legend.

The leader of the Yultic Borunai, Covered Mountain, declared that Athoz would be allowed to fight the Uaahchaton to gain honor and glory. Athoz abliged and singlehanded defeated the mighty beast. After cleaving the beast's head from its body and holding it up for all to see, the chief declared him Uaahchatona-ye, Slayer of the Stalking King.

That evening, the party shared a meal with the Borunai warriors. Athoz told the story of defeating Belloq and impressed the chief.  The chief begrudgingly told the story of Lord Vital McGillam's arrival and then told the story of how the Borunai fought with the Ischarlin to defeat the gods and send the gods of Evernigh back to their world through the Maelstrom Deep. In the night, Strummer had a strange dream where he was told to help a being - he saw a mighty battle raging over a wide battlefield, then flew into a temple in an ancient ruined city where he was visited by two gold skinned figures, a man and a woman, who begged him to help release them.

The following day was a busy one. They traveled on the back of panthers across the wilds an into Yultic Valley. There, they finally reunited with Lord Vital McGillam and the odd shaman, Gamlyr Magebreaker. Chains recieved new orders. The party was told of a guide who can bring them to Mount Nuangi, the location of the Lost City of Khaoritan. Carz the Ravager, an orc pirate who once went to the city, is in the city of Olym in the Makanta Region to the north. After the party revealed that the Pureblood Revolutionary Army was coming to attack the village with allies from Tidestone.

Vital announced that that they must convice the Chief to mobilize and prepare.  Sand Whisper served as the translator at the council of elders meant to discuss the arrival of the outsiders. There, Strummer worked to convice the elders of the danger, but the chief was still doubtful of the yuan-ti being organized into an army. However, emissaries of Xitalia ariived at the gates with the chief priest of the army, Ilthiz Yi.  The Lady Xitalia demanded a tribute of 100 Borunai to add to her servants, but the party and the warriors attacked the emissaries and Ilthiz-Yi escaped into a dimension door spell. The party spent the night planning and awoke to a catapulted fireball into the village damaging the temple.

In the morning, after the catapult attack 2 things happened.

Gamlyr returned with an offer for evacuation for the villagers if that is what you choose. The Lisusua have agreed to bring boats east of the village in the swamp. But, they can’t get past the catapult on the ruins by the river.

The PRA sent a rock with a message as well. 24 hours to give the tribute of 100 villagers and for your refusal, you must also give Chief Covered Mountain as tribute. None of the villagers will be harmed but will be treated as honored servants of the Lady Xitalia as they travel to Khaoritan. The chief’s life is forfeit as sacrifice to Isxiltahar.

30 The Battle for Yultic Valley

The Daj Modan and the Borunai plan their defense against the might of the Pureblood Revolutionary Army

As you stand sweating in the heat of the burning temple and the blazing morning sun of Yultic Valley, you head into the war room of Chief Covered Mountain. The cool is refreshing as you enter a large circular tent carpeted with fur and woven blankets with walls made of wood and skins.

In the middle of the room is a circular table. On the table is a large map painted on skin of the Yultic Valley.  Lord Vital McGillam leans over the table with his unkempt white hair and unshaven face looking worried and haggard. Behind him lost in thought is Gamlyr, the Ischarlin shaman. Beside him is Sand Whisper conferring with her father quietly and her broad shouldered, black furred brother, Climbs High Cliffs. The map is covered in large and small stones representing the forces of the PRA and the people of Yultic Valley.

Vital sees you walking in and says, "Do you see here...the valley narrows before the walls to the west. On the east, the swamps make travel challenging and hiding easy.  But here, the ruins on the eastern shore, this is the catapult. We must find a way to protect the walls. We must slow their advance. We must protect the north side of the swamps if people are to escape."

Climbs High Cliffs retorts, "Escape! We must not! We will not! We will fight until they are all food for the jungle."

Sand Whisper replies softly, "We will die. Our children. The elders. No, this is not the will of Lithlothein."

31 Dunkirk in the Wilds

The bloody battle to save the village of Yultic 5/21/2022

On Ixsildawn, the 7th day of Nyrlindas, the ninth month of the year 2019 after Ash Fall, in the sky a bright comet danced across the face of the full moon Rygel, and a mighty battle was fought deep in the Ischarlin Wilds. Trapped between the forces of the Pureblood Revolutionary Army, the Daj Modan masterminded a strategy with the Borunai tribal leaders to defend against the massive forces arrayed against them.

In the east, the Panther Riders overtook the smaller force of yuan-ti and used the captured catapult to blast the troops into submission. 10 units scattered, 125 yuan-ti killed. 6 panthers and panther riders were killed along with 20 warriors.

In the west, the party led the defense of the western wall against insurmountable odds long enough for the Lisusua tribe to bring in their river boats to rescue the defenseless villagers. In a mighty battle, the Borunai archers stopped the triceratops battering rams from destroying the gates and killed more than 200 yuan-ti and scattered nearly 20 units. 10 heroic panther riders were killed along with just 18 warriors.

Before the powerful archer units of Tidestone joined the battle, a light appeared in the sky as bright as a blazing sun. From the light came the floating figure of Gamlyr Magebreaker bringing the battle to a halt and announcing, "Behold! The kenku are on the move!!"

From the dense forest surrounding the valley came an army of kenku dressed as peasants. An older kenku in a dobok stepped forward into the blood red waters of the river, surrounded by injured warriors and huffing triceratops as kenku moved like shadows through the ranks touching the purebloods and malisons calming their rage with some kind of touch.  Then in the eerie quiet and the slow rush of the river, the kenku says in a whisper for all to hear, "I would speak with Master Strummer."

32 Treaties and New Chapters

Game Notes 6/4/2022

From the dense forest surrounding the valley came an army of kenku dressed as peasants. An older kenku in a dobok stepped forward into the blood red waters of the river, surrounded by injured warriors and huffing triceratops as kenku moved like shadows through the ranks touching the purebloods and malisons calming their rage with some kind of touch.  Then in the eerie quiet and the slow rush of the river, the kenku says in a whisper for all to hear, "I would speak with Master Strummer."

As Gamlyr and the kenku held the forces to a temporary armistice, Strummer and the party negotiated a meeting aboard the Ischarlin Sky Ship.

Li Chow met with the Vital who shared a drawing make by Uther Capertill.  Lord Vital tells the party they must find Carz the Ravager in Olym. Years ago, a group of pirates discovered a hidden entrance into Khaoritan.  Going through the main gate will lead them right into the hands of the yuan-ti that are there. The secret entrance is the only way.  He showed them a map found in Uther's notes.

The Daj Modan arrived in the Town of Olym on Balorsmaw, the 9th day of Nyrlindas, the ninth month of the year 2019 after Ash Fall at the start of the Festival of Merit.

Strummer will meet with Thrit

Party is honored by Covered Mountain

Chains receives a ping from the north (Shaman came online)

Yuan-ti claim victory

Thrit stands outside the gates and Xitalia's contingent watches some 150 yards away

The wounded being tended by the Borunai healers

Gamlyr remains hovering with the bright light in the sky behind him

Covered Mountain stands with his son and daughter

Lord Vital speaks with party

Xitalia will allow kenku as replacement for Borunai tribute

Covered Mountain refuses to speak or participate in any way, but he is shamed and offered his life as payment for his inability to defend the tribe declaring Climbs High Cliff the new chief. Climbs High Cliffs declares that the rite of vengeance will be honored for this attack

Xitalia demands that Covered Mountain be handed over and the party as her employees

Thrit explains that unless the peace is unconditional, they will not go with PRA.

Sand Whisper will travel with the party by order of Lithlothein.

Sky Ship - Ancient metal made to look like wood. Quarters beneath deck entirely of metal.  Where the wheel of the ship would be on the stern instead is a series of rods.  When touched a transparent image appears of complex runes and symbols.  Harpoons with chains and without Gear driven. Attacked by

Mikanta - Black soils with yellow waving grasses and short trees see a herd of hairy elephants, massive bulls 4x larger than a normal cow. Transitioning into a fog and mist filled swamp of black trees. Land rises into a long ridge of low cliffs. After a series of uninhabited rocky forested islands with arid trees and black basalt rocks. Then see Olym.

Drawing by Uther

Sand Whisper gave to Athoz, the Vine Spear - +1 Spear, Casts Entangle - DC15 Strength Save or be restrained. Can be thrown 100 feet.

33 The Festival of Merit

In the town of Olym, the party finds games, new friends (or rivals), and another clue to the Lost City.

The Dragongalers

As the morning light of Evermorn touches the glistening waves of Targum Reach hundreds of feet below, Sand Whisper keeps watch on the deck of Gamlyr’s sky ship with Athoz. She sees him, quiet and brooding, as he spots the docks of his hometown. He does not look pleased to return. She turns to look at the black blood left by the terrifying fight with demonic gloomstalkers the night before and watches as Chains, the strange metal automaton, works to remove them entirely. Suddenly, the ship dives and everyone rushes to the deck to see what caused them to fall out of their bunks. Gamlyr speaks for the first time in three days, “We are here. I go to see my brother. Follow my instructions, Synthetic. Now, get off my boat!” Suddenly, you free fall 200 feet until Ssoshu casts a well timed spell slowing your descent into the water 100ft from the dock with an audible, but harmless, splash. Athoz reaches the dock first. A broad shouldered orc says, “What the fuck!? Holy shit. Athoz, Athoz Ironmane? Well, I’ll be an aurock’s left nut. Athoz is home!” He laughs loud and long. “I always thought you were a wet pussy! Now I know for sure!” From the look on Athoz’s face, you know Olym will be an interesting town.

The party quickly booked rooms in the Grim Sentinel.

They located Carz the Ravager workin on the docks. After some convincing, he shared a story of his trip to the gates of Khaoritan 10 year in the past with Captain Bonafi of the Lydias Shade.

He was on a team of Red Flame orcs that came in last in the Festival of Merit 3 years ago, and is unable to return home because of the shame.

If the players will say he is a part of their team, he will take them to the Red Flame controlled city of Parthem and then share the location of Khaoritan on Mount Nuangi.

The party entered the Festival of Merit as The Black Crows and competed in several events. They came in first place in the preliminaries. After armwrestling, herding horizonback tortoises, gathering rice, solving riddles and mazes, they will now compete to become the 2019 Champions of Merit by finding an amulet deep in the Emerald Grotto, an underwater cavern in the Targum Reach. The Dragongalers, a group of mercenaries from Tidestone will compete against them.

Goblin crier with flyers showing locations of games and prizes. Explains the top two teams will compete in the Test of Merit to become the Champion of 2019 and hold the medal of merit for the year.

34 The Emerald Grotto

The party wins the Festival of Merit and gets to know the Dragongalers

A strange vision

After entering the corridor revealed by the crash of rock and stone caused by the death throes of the giant shark, Athoz and Chains find themselves in a dry, warmly lit chamber. The watery environment gives way to a cavern dotted with trees and pools of water. The walls are covered in vines of green ivy interspersed with colorful flowers. Part of the cavern is open to the sky. In the middle of the cavern is a sphere of pale light surrounding a crystal pedestal, upon which rests a golden pendant attached to a fine golden chain.

The suddenly the party is all together in the chamber and a vision washes over you all.

The light around the pedestal fades as a spectral figure in the form of a male human rises from the amulet. He is dressed in leather armor and a tattered red cape and wears a shield. Suddenly his face changes to a woman's and then to a young girl. Her face is framed by curly brown hair and bears a melancholic expression. She pleads, “I am imprisoned. Please help me.”

Suddenly, the ground vanishes beneath your feet, and you fall, tumbling through a vortex of golden light. You fall deeper, deeper, deeper, then suddenly stop. The golden light subsides, and you find yourself suspended in a pitch-black expanse. You feel water buoying you. A vermilion light appears in the distance, illuminating the melancholy warrior, who is shackled to the ground by disgusting strands of a fleshy, crimson substance.

She raises her gaze to the heavens and, sobbing, chokes out, “Ash Flower, I beg of you. Guide those with the power to save me to the site where first I prayed to you.” She looks around, and her eyes settle on you. “Oh, gods, there you are! My name is Kuani. I am lost in darkness. Long ago, I prayed to the Balance Bringer in the heart of a temple of evil. I beg you, take my jewel and…”

You feel consciousness leaving you, as if the pressure of the water were crushing the life out of you. The girl’s voice is the last thing you hear before you pass out. “Save me. Please.”

35 Important Meetings in Olym

After the party is separated, Athoz leads a mission to rescue his friends and save his status as a bachelor.

The morning after the Festival of Merit, Athoz gets a choice...marry his cousin Raissha Rainshard or never see his friends again. After waking, the party had the opportunity to do some shopping in Olym. Notably, they traded a Flying Saddle for a Ring of Invisibility that doesn’t function as expected. When the person uses the Ring, they actually are able to see only in the Ethereal Plane making it seem like everyone else is invisible. Athoz used the party’s considerable wealth to purchase a Belt of Giant Strength. Strummer was notably missing in the morning.

After shopping, the party was found by the captain of the Olym Watch who escorted them to a party in honor of the winners of the Festival of Merit at the compound of Achilah, Regent Chief of Olym and grandfather to Athoz.  After a delicious meal, Chief Achilah announced that Athoz would marry Raissha Rainshard in the morning and Raissha would take over as Chief of Olym. Achilah had mismanaged the finances of the city trying to build his fleet of ships, and purchased, on loan, 3 galleons from Baron Aspire McKintis of Tidestone.  However, the ships were sunk in an attack by Grey Ax Pirates in Red Sands Cove.

The party went to the School of Virtue to meet with Raissha. There they discovered that Athoz’s fiend from childhood had grown into a brilliant scholar, who has no interest in marriage or taking over as Chief.  They discuss the issue, and the party suggested that Achilah could build an alliance with Ezkeet in Larakesh and utilize the party’s ownership of Neilan’s Rest and inn as well as their control of drowning businesses in the town to regain his fortune.

Raissha agreed. The party would go complete an “honor quest” and Raissha would find a way to help them escape the city as well as trying to discover the location of Strummer. The Village of Dimih had sent a request for aid to the Rainshard Clan after a series of unexplained disappearances. The party left immediately out the back door to head north to Dimih.

When they arrived in Dimih, the party discovered the town was plagued by Nuppuribo, foul demons only seen during the Primal Wars against the forces of Evernigh thousands of years ago. In investigating, they discovered that a group of fishermen has found a chest containing a book.  The book contain a ritual to summon an alkilith demon who opened a portal to Evernigh. The party went in search of an abandoned goblin bandit hideout to destroy the demon.

36 The Demon of Dimih Village

The party enters a cave to discover the source of the demons in Dimih Village

The mysterious cave was hidden behind a blurry field of powerful magic opening a gate into Evernigh.  Chains attempted to enter first, but immediately fell unconscious, his systems unable to adjust to the alien world’s energies. (Perhaps next time he tries to enter a demiplane of hell, he can interface with the God Star to recalibrate his sensors.). The party cautiously entered to find the campsite of two of the missing fishermen. The leonin fishermen called out, “Have you come to sacrifice your soul to Evanrahlit, Demon Lord of Evernigh?” When the party immediately said, “No,” they were attacked. Dozens of squatty, filthy maggot infested nupperibo crawled out of the rocks and attacked. The party cut through them, leaving disgusting piles of gore throughout the cavern which Athoz set ablaze. Entering the next cavern, they discovered a deep underground lake with boulders floating on the surface.  The water was supernaturally cold, but the party worked together to get to the other side. Athoz left across the rocks with some help from Li Chow using his Eagle Whistle. Ssoshu held Lana, who had transformed into a mouse, while he flew across to the other side.

Finally, the party found an ancient destroyed temple to a minor demon named Evanrahlit.  There a poor fisherman had been possessed and using a small leonin child had opened the doorway to Evernigh.  The once powerful demon had been transformed into a alkilith by its god, Au Puch the Sun Thief, for its failure in the Primal Wars. After a mighty battle with the demon, it escaped back into Evernigh to face its punishment leaving the party battered and disgusted by the battle with the ooze-like demon. Li Chow rescued the small child wrapped in cloth in a basin and the demiplane faded leaving them standing in an abandoned goblin hideout.

38 On to Dobbel Post

After leaving Olym to travel to Parthesh, home of Carz the Ravager, the party faces the deadly challenges of the Makantan wilderness!

The party chose the shorter, more dangerous path to Parthesh.  All except Athoz in the party were assaulted by the wails and screams of long-dead ghosts in in the forest.

After sleeping in a Tiny Hut, the party awoke to find a large clearing, a battlefield, in fact, where a gargantuan demon fought many orcs and goblins.  The carrion birds hovering overhead soon made their presence known as they swooped down upon the party.

A blood curdling screech pierces the air. Feathered, avian wings stretch out and test the air before folding back against the large humanoid’s hunched back, which is matted with greasy fur. Its abnormally long arms, dense with lean muscle, end in raptor-like claws that scrape the ground. It opens its jagged beak wide and calls again—this time, a harsh squawk—as its hyperextended legs compress, ready to launch.

39 Four Months Later

The Party Arrives at the Entrance of Khaoritan

After four months of travel and struggle in the Tural Mountains, led by Carz the Ravager, a somber, sarcastic orc dock worker from Olym. You trudge through a thick cloud like mist, with cliff walls looming on either side of the nearly impassable trail to the peak of Mt. Nuangi. Beset from attacks from roaming demons and strangely corrupted beasts, you ran out of food and water weeks ago. Relying exclusively on magical good berries and magically created water from Athoz Ironmane, you are all exhausted beyond words. Even staying in Ssoshu's magical sanctuary at night has not kept you immune from the mental exhaustion of constant struggle and the brutal elements.

Time has lost all meaning in these clouds, no sunrise or sun set, only utter darkness at night and grey gloom and choking smoke from the fissures in ground. The hellscape has led to fights and animosity among your own party. You have often wondered if Carz is only leading you to your death. Then, as you imagine this will be one more day of struggle without reaching your goal to find the entrance to Khaoritan, a powerful wind begins to blow.

Several of you fall to your knees to simply keep from being blown down the steep path. The mists clear in a shocking instant and the blinding light of the sun forces you to cover your eyes. Strummer clings to Li Chow's arm to keep his balance. Chains braces himself against a boulder closing his visor to scan the now visible landscape. In the cliff wall ahead of you, you see the ornate entrance to a dark temple built into the mountain side. Two mighty statues of cloaked figures seem to guard the 20ft tall clearly elven designed doors.  Sitting on the top of the doors is a life-size statue of a dragon with its wings outstretched, made of metal and sapphire. Each of you feels an overpowering awe. Athoz drops to his knees with a look of fear in his eyes. Carz falls prostrate before the vision. Then, the statue of the dragon closes its wings. It is no statue at all. Its eyes flash. It roars shaking the rocks around you like a tremor. It lifts into the air blasting you with a gale of wind. It lands only 30 feet in front of you, a towering menacing presence of pure power.

You blink and avert your gaze. Only Chains stands unmoving. Then, in an instant the dragon is gone. Standing before you is an elven woman; she wears a sapphire gown and a silver diadem and black and silver boots of pure metal.

The world seems to stop as she says in a near whisper clearly audible to you, "I am Choris Ptisi, Companion of Muut Itzamnaaj the Eternal, who has touched the mind of Mortinirious the World Dragon, Chosen of Tamoachil the Greatest of the Primal Champions, Guardian of Khaoritan. Why do you come to the Shrine of the Sun Speaker? Answer truthfully or know my wrath."

Chorus Ptisi, guardian of Khaoritan, turns her gaze back to Chains, "I see you have awakened. Construct of war, creation of Igmar Blaevarsson, what say you, Chains, keeper of the Jewel of the Three Prayers of the Sun Speaker? Will you brave the horrors within the Shrine of the Sun Speaker to prove you are up to the task that is the Broken Heart of the Yuankenu, the cursed realm of Khaoritan?!?"

She responds, "Yes, Li Chow and Ssoshu. We have met. Many times in fact. I have watched you on behalf of Muut Itzamnaaj. I was there when you defended my friends, the Borunai. I saw you when you brought peace between the yuan-ti and kenku. I saw you defeat the vengeful spirit of Am-Ha-Raths in Larakesh. I saw you enter the Temple of the Twelve. I watched you befriend this construct of the Ischarlin. For mortals, you have shown the character and the tenacity to earn my notice. Jilyn Tak Champion of Bosha, or as you call him, Tuis, has seen you Li Chow and remembered a fragment of his life before godhood. But, it is only the yuankenu who can enter here, Li Chow. For those who enter by my leave do so only to end the curse of Khaoritan and end the suffering of the sister of Muut Itzamnaaj, the mighty Tamoachil, Sun Speaker of the Gods."

40 The Shrine of the Sun Speaker

The party fights through the chaos of the shrine and meet the Sun Speaker

Rest does not come easy in the Shrine of the Sun Speaker, but, somehow, you find 6 hours of quiet while surrounded by the ancient statues and in the light of the stained glass. The memory of the seductive apparitions you fought hours ago lingers in your memory, but for the firt time in months, you are not sleeping in the elements of the Nuangi mountains. Facing the gibbering mouther, its mutilated eyes and gore filled mouths, plagues your restless dreams. You know on the other side of this shrine is the entrance to Khaoritan, the goal you have been seeking since that hot day in Larakesh where you received your quest from the mysterious Orphan Siblings, the exiled heirs to the thrones of Tidestone. Before you is a 10 foot high stained glass window glowing in the darkness. It is inscribed with ancient symbols.

Two rows of black stone pillars marbled with white veins support the vaulted ceiling of this hall, the floor of which is polished to a mirror-like sheen. Ornate brass braziers rest at the feet of four of the pillars, and faint music fills the hall. Before you is a towering mosaic of stained glass depicting a maelstrom of color, within which are nine symbols. The image shifts even as you stare at it.

The party first met a mysterious traveler, Elida MacAlister, a priest of the Doheaga Religion. MacAlister, the last of a party of hunters sent by the church, explained that he was following a criminal who may be in the shrine somewhere. The party gladly accepted the companionship of this new person, as healing was in short supply.

Chains made the decision, after viewing the complex set of symbols on the large stained glass window, which was obviously some kind of puzzle, to get huge and bust through the darn thing. Most everyone was shocked when everyone was pummeled by a powerful, and distinctly demonic, wave of psychic energy. Carz and Strummer both suffered a mysterious curse as a result. Chains attempted to pass through the chain filled passage beyond the window, but was overwhelmed with the desire to fall prostrate and worship Apuch the Sun Thief. Ssoshu, as he has been wanting to for likely quite a while, turned the construct into a gnat to help him escape. Lucky, because the chains would have been the death of Chains.

Elida, kind soul that he is, prepared a remove curse spell. An hour later, the party decided to check out a nearby corridor filled with stone trees and, unfortunately, giant spiders and drow driders made of web. After several rounds of exciting battle where Carz did some serious damage, Chains got huge again and blasted them with fire breath, and Ssoshu the Ever Proud of Himself mode some impact. Strummer hid behind the legs of the now giant suit of armor that is Chains and managed to get off some great sneak attacks on the enchanted enemies.

After the fight, the party search a nearby repository of scrolls and discovered a book with the answer to the riddle of the window. However, passing through the passage was still difficult, and the party discovered a strange hole at the end of the hall leading to a crystal filled chamber.

41 The Zugat Honor Patrol

Game Notes

As you ascend a long dark tunnel, the light from the crystal altar cavern, the prayer site of Kuani the primal champion, disappears into blackness. Behind you see a dark chasm where once you stood. Suddenly, an aching begins in the front of your head growing until it nearly overcomes your ability to stand. You hear in your minds and see the image of the elven woman you met before entering the shrine - the Dragon named Choris Ptisi - guardian of Khaoritan, "Good. I sense you now. You made it through the Trial of the Sun Speaker. I sense she spoke to you. The apotheon - chosen of three gods - Kuani, sister to my mistress. And now, It is proven. My choice is true. You are the heroes she foretold to me so long ago. No, go. Find allies. The armies of the Sun Speaker have conquered and soon they will discover its secrets, and if they do, all of Evermorn is lost." Then the pain fades. The image fades with it and is replaced by a blinding light in front of you and a wave of warm, humid air - the first you've felt in months.

Exiting the tunnel where you spoke to the ancient primal champion who calls herself Kuani, you are blinded by the bright light of the blazing sun shining over the massive crater that is the Lost City of Khaoritan. You stand on a rocky outcropping some high above the forest floor, a thick tangle of jungle trees - a canopy of rubber, mahogany, cocoa, myrtle and acacia. You are surrounded. Below you is a clearing where you see at least ten armored soldier with crossbows and longbows aimed in your direction. To your left and right, another 10 soldiers. Then a voice from above you says, "Hold it there! Walk slowly to your left. Down the path into the clearing. No sudden moves or you'll look like bloody thornbush before you hit the ground, adventurers."

42 Into the Jungle

Bad dreams, foul mouthed fey, and a new companion

The Party fully rested after a taxing day and were treated to a strange nightmare. They were visited by a figure calling herself the Sun Speaker.

The hobgoblins explained that they are trapped in Khaoritan by a curse that lets no one leave after entering. They are seeking an ancient relic called Zohil, the sword of vengeance, once held by a legendary clan chief. They have lost all hope of ever finding it, and, now, only hope to live in peace or die honorably. Three of their number recently went missing on their way to Xamani Village, an outpost of the RXE.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows over the dense jungle of Evermorn, the party found themselves huddled around a crackling campfire, the glow of its flames flickering in the darkness. Around them, the sounds of the jungle echoed eerily, the rustle of leaves and the distant calls of unseen creatures creating an atmosphere thick with tension.

Their meeting with the hobgoblins led by Colonel Ig'Naar had left them with a grim understanding of the perilous journey ahead. With the promise of a somewhat friendly village of yuan-ti on the horizon, they set off through the thick undergrowth, wary of the cursed city that awaited them.

Their progress was slow and cautious, each step fraught with the looming threat of danger. It was then, amidst the ruins of an ancient civilization, that they stumbled upon a scene of terror unfolding before them.

A group of vile creatures, their forms twisted and malevolent, surrounded a lone figure in their midst. Samonella, the tiefling sorceress, stood defiant against the onslaught, her magical prowess the only barrier between her and certain death.

With a battle cry, the party leaped into action, weapons drawn and spells at the ready. Strummer, the kenku rogue, darted through the shadows like a ghost, his keen eyes scanning for vulnerabilities in their foes. Li Chow, the serene monk, moved with grace and precision, striking out with fists empowered by divine energy.

Chains, the enigmatic warforged, unleashed a barrage of arcane spells, the crackling energy of his magic illuminating the darkness with bursts of light. Ssoshu, the arrogant yuan-ti wizard, sneered in disdain as he conjured dark tendrils of magic to ensnare their enemies.

Eli, the cleric bound by duty, called upon the power of the New Gods to shield his companions from harm, his faith unwavering even in the face of overwhelming odds. Together, they fought as one, a well-oiled machine of destruction.

The battle raged on, the air thick with the clang of steel and the crackle of arcane energies. Red caps and boggles fell before their onslaught, their twisted forms crumbling to dust beneath the relentless assault of the party.

But victory was not easily won, for even as the last of their foes lay vanquished, a sense of unease settled over the group. Two red caps had managed to slip away, their mistress, a hag named Ehdira, now alerted to their presence.

As they caught their breath amidst the ruins, Samonella approached the small chest that had been the focus of the creatures' attention. With a careful incantation, she triggered the glyph of warding, revealing the prize within – a magical ring inscribed with the ancient words, Xiltica Y'thrzzz.

As the party gazed upon the mysterious artifact, a sense of foreboding washed over them. Little did they know that their journey was far from over, and that darker dangers lurked within the cursed city of Khaoritan.

But amidst the tension and uncertainty, Colonel Ig'Naar's words echoed in their minds. The honorable old hobgoblin had entrusted them with a solemn task – to find any information on his missing soldiers, Privates Dolli, Miklar, and Jahbert.

With the weight of this new responsibility pressing upon them, the party knew they could not afford to falter. Their journey through the jungle had only just begun, and already they faced challenges that tested their strength and resolve.

Determined to honor their promise to the Colonel, they set their sights on the nearby village of yuan-ti, where rumors of their missing comrades might be found. With each step forward, they moved closer to uncovering the secrets that lay hidden within the depths of the ancient city, and closer to the truth behind the mysterious Stave of Ischarlin.