The Butterfly Campaign Session Logs

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Rumple C
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The Butterfly Campaign Session Logs

Post by Rumple C »

Thanks kindly to all who played or passed through the campaign. In order of (awful) memory... CD, Ronan, Orangetree, Twin Axes, WitchDoctor, Xanathar, OGR, Paazin, WildWombat, Zelknolf, Boom, and others whos name escape me. I hope you enjoyed while you were involved, however briefly.

Below are the session logs from the sessions, written for the benefit of all, containing what the PC's think they know. All spelling mistakes are mine, and I make no apologies for them! Excerpts from stories from Orangetree and CD have been quoted, and art from Orangetree and Twin Axes has been linked.

Hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed living it.

The main cast

Ander - A silver haired half elf, with a high opinion of himself.
Golinar Goldforge - A dwarfern Orator and warrior.
Gwylla - A grumpy and fearsome dwarfern axewoman.
Hala Rendor - A thayan priestess of Oghma.
Robert Twobellies - An Obese mage, mute.
Susana - A hin sorceress, obsessed by beauty.

...

Golinar, Ander, and (another dwarf) witness the attack of five men and women on Dina and Jakor at the Anglers inn. They come to the rescue. They are well rewarded for saving them with a ruby each. A very odd pair Dina and Jakor seem desperate to hire protection. The party undertakes to help them further (in return for more gems).

...

Deep within the Silverwood the group found the bodies of the "friends" of Dina and Jakor. Four men, all seeming having been killed without a struggle, their throats cut where they lay on the grass. Twobellies was the first to see the flash of red amongst the trees, and though he shook with fear alerted the party to the impending attack. The red robed wizard and his bodyguard fell in the fray to the axes of Gwylla and Golinar, and the sword of Ander. A small supply of potions and scrolls was recovered from the wizard and his guard. A closer inspection of the dead men showed their hands were calloused and strong. Ander would note that such hands mark them as sailors from the rope scars, something he saw often in the isles.

Dina and Jakor were shaken when told of the murder of their friends, though the red robed wizard seemed to bring no recognition. Jakor talks softly of being all alone now, and that their needs for the group is great. He promises further reward if the party will continue to act on their behalf. He and Dina seem more than a little desperate.

...

Cooter, Gwylla, Golinar, and Twobellies travel to the old (human mined) copper mine Jakor contracted them to clear (though he was very vague on "why"). They locate the mine without incident, guided by the elf Luer'i'thil. The first level is completely clear... though there is sign of just how old the mine is from the rockfall and state of the place. What is remarkable is just how clean the ground is. Completely free of dust and debris...

Image

*Artwork by Twin Axes

Descending deeper into the mine has the party on edge. The air is thicker here, and humid. The humans begin to become uncomfortable, though the dwarfs barely notice. Golinar is caught unawares as a oozing acid creatures drops from the ceiling, just missing him, but finding its way into Gwyllas chainmail before being dispersed with axe blows.

A few oozes later the party attempts to cross an ancient rickety bridge, twobellies bulk sending him through the ancient timbers... only to be caught by his belly. As he flails in place Gwylla goes to help... and Golinar holds two oozes at bay by himself at great personal danger though he takes the pain without complaint like a true dwarf. Deeper again they travel, hacking oozes in their wake. As robart falls behind he hears a noise following them... a man who attacks... and then transforms into a rat, scoring a bite on Golinar.

Perhaps he followed them in.. for there are no signs that he lived here...

The party find an underground lake, filled with milky scaled blind fish. Cooter amuses himself by playing with them and treating them a golden waterfall which sends them to the deeps.

At the bottom most level of the mine the party finds and defeats an even larger ooze (or collection of oozes?) which releases a myriad of (very, very clean) metal items as it is ruptured. The mine has been cleared as best the party is able, and Jakor speaks of hiring guards and a few miners until he finds just the right "blue crystal"...

...

Golinar and Twobellies patrol the mine, spending long uneventful weeks watching labourers make it safe again. A dwarfern expert has been hired to sniff out a large blue crystal, the size of a human arm. As Golinar and Twobellies watch the milky white fish they seem them dart into an underwater passage. Shortly after a labourer finds them, warning of swarms of rats above, devouring all in their path. Golinar and Twobellies rush up to see for themselves. Alas, it is true, a mass of rats biting and clawing at each other swarm the passages of the mines. Golinar and Twobellies retreat to the lower levels, finding Dina, Jakor, and a labourer. Twobellies leads them to the underwater passage. The labourer does not surface with them, presumably drowning on the way.

Dina in particular appears highly distraught. The group pauses for a moment to think of the dozen or so dead miners that must have fallen to the rats. Eventually they regather and advance deeper into the caverns, where they see a blue crystal, in amongst many lrge mushrooms. As they advance Twobellies brushes against a mushroom, which lashes out at him. More do the same, and a battle is joined. The group is able to put them down easily enough. The mushrooms having almost no weight within them, and cutting and breaking easily.

After gathering the crystal they follow the caverns further through a myriad of tunnels. Eventually finding their way back to the surface. Jakor promises a full explanation in a few days time after he and Dina have rested.

...

As Golinar, Gwylla, and Robert seek out Jakor and Dina they are confronted by a brutal scene. Jakor body, with his throat slit in his inn room. The party questions the room guard who appeared to have been charmed. She is not able to give much information beyond a nice man in red who entered the room earlier and left with the woman (presumably Dina). In one last gesture of determination Jakor seemed to have left the party a clue - a small picture of a broken tower, written in his own blood. Robert recognised it as possibly a broken tower to the east of Rivermoot. The party sought out the Marshall to tell him of the murder - and ran into another group of adventurers. They were enlisted and the now much larger party went in search of the Red Robed man and Dina, following their presumed trail to the broken tower.

Outside they found a group of gnolls who were put down in quick order by the axes of the dwarves, and the missiles of the others.

Inside Gwylla walked into an ambush on the third floor where a brutal fight ensued against tall blond humans. Not only did they wield weapons but magics as well. Robert went down with a sword in the guts, and Golinar took a viscous axe blow to the helmet that sent him reeling back. Despite this, the party was able to emerge victorious. There was no sign of Dina, but the group did find red robed ones... dead in another presumed ambush. There was a mix of consumable magics found, a holy symbol of Umberlee, as well as a small sum of high value coinage.

The party left, the trail seems to have gone cold...

(for now)

...

Thre is much more discussion over Torpic. The party is suspicous of the stranger to Rivermoot who showed up shortly after the mine was recomissoned. Ander, Susana, Gwylla, Golinar, and Robert follow him as he leaves Rivermoot. Ander picks up a chanting noise from the nearby farms and the Gwylla confronts the hiding man. Susana identifies him as having some kind of connection with the cowled wizards of Amn. After threats back and forth the group pledges to help find and give Dina over to his care (in return for 2000 gp each). They agree though some hold doubts as to wether he is leading them to an ambush. They party and Torpic heads to an old manor in the Silverwood, where they attack and are attacked by presumed minions of the clergy of Umberlee. In a brutal fight Ander goes down after taking a mace to the ribs, but quick healing sees him live.

Almost as soon as the party has won they make out two tied and bound women in the manor. Dina, and an adventurer - Hala Rendor. As soon as Hala is freed she goes about healing the party. Torpic makes his way over to Dina, and then turns a wand on the party. He demands they move back...

As they move forward there is a crashing sound from outside the manor. Risking a glance out the window Torpic yells out it is the red Wizards, and the party must join him in fighting them off...

...

The group hastily frees three captives in the room, who quickly arm themselves. Quick looks out the window show a group of large muscular orcs with grey tinged skin. They are identified as "Thayan Orcs", magicly bred and infused with the blood of demons! Not only this but three red Wizards are also there in the fringes of the group, clearly the leaders. One seems to have a magicly augmented voice, and shouts out demands at the manor for them to free "The Pilot". After some stalling from the party and a few stray missles the manor is attacked!

The fray is brutal and fierce. Torpic goes down, his head caved in by an orc. Anders scoops up his wand, but not knowing the command word he stashes it away for now. Multiple times party members are beaten down, but quick reactions and healing consumables means that no one dies. Eventually two of the red wizards follow the orcs in, seeking to turn the tide. They prove dangerous foes with their spells of magical force and confusion. It is a close thing, but the party wins through in the end, taking a red wizard captive, and chasing the last out into the forest.

The leader of the red wizards is defient to the last, summoning flaming hounds from one of the hells to engage the party. Once again the party wins through, barely.

Back at the manor the captive is tortured and questioned - much to the consternation of a few of the earlier prisioners. Gwylla in particular shows no qualms about breaking his fingers to get the answers they need. The party learns of their leader "Kossom Slass", a wizard with a reputation for taking risks with the lives of others, but little else. Robert Twobellies is slowly overcome by his fear and hatred of his former Red Wizard captives and stabs the wizard in the neck, shaking all the while.

Also of note is what was found on the body of the leader...

The group is able to identify...

A magical short sword that is able to spit a gout of flames once. It can be recharged by the light of the morning sun. (Masterwork, Burning hands 1/day)
An amulet that augments the wearers voice so it can project further, often used for shouting out commands on the battlefield. (+3 perform (oratory))
The wand of lightning (2 charges remain)

There is also a scroll of Tongues... that in theory would allow Dina to speak with the group...

And a note

Breem,

I trust you are enjoying your little excursion to the marches? Perhaps next time you will think a little more carefully about the proper chain of command, no?

In any event – consider this. If you bring me the pilot alive, your slate will be wiped clean and all is forgiven. You will do well under me. If the pilot dies, well, your slate will be broken, and I will take great pleasure in enslaving your children.

Also, be a good chap and return via the enclave in Soubar if you please. The princes blade has been completed and is ready to be collected. They know you by sight, and the code is “The prince is owed”. I trust it will be worth the time and considerable expense we have poured into it.

Kossom Slass


(It is also marked with a wizards sigil, two steepled hands with a burning circle beneath)
.
...

Dina summons the group from the manor to meet her in Silverymoon.

In a room above the Smiling Satyr they find her, in the company of a pale man (Muir). Offering them a seat she begins to speak, explaining about the "Tongues" spell found in one of the Red Wizards spell books that lets her do so. She swears them all to secrecy and explains the following. She was the relieving pilot on a ship that sails between worlds, colloquially known as a "Spelljammer". The ship in question was attacked by pirates possibly because of its cargo (Smuggled rubies). It crashed in the icy wastes far to the north. The helm which allows it to fly has been damaged, and is in need of repair. Gwylla in particular was very skeptical but a shield made from an otherworldly wood everntually proved the truth of Dina. She was allowed to the keep the enchanted shield.

Image

*Artwork by Twin Axes

She needs the help of the group to repair the helm, and leave this world. What she offers in return is a fortune in smuggled rubies, and the riches of worlds.

She answers many questions...

Jakor was a member of the crew (first mate) in addition to others found killed by the red wizards in the Silverwoods.
There was a sailor who fled the others when they reached civilization, what happened to him is unknown, but presumably he is how other groups found out about the crashed ship.
A very few nations own "spelljammers" but none know how to make the helms, her knowledge of how to potentially repair one is worth the wealth of kingdoms.
The ship is called "The Butterfly" which reminded Hala of one of the prophecies of Aulando.
Their next destination lies "south" though she was not specific with the where or why.

They are each given four rubies with which to equip themselves for the journey. (Robert and Anders will also be provided the same information in a private meeting off camera, and the same sum - 750 gold).

Muir is also given away by lack of a shadow (where his hands should be) as being a Tiefling. After much shock the group accepts him as being needed. In particular Dina seemed adamant he is needed.

...

The party (Gwylla, Golinar, Redmond, Robert, Hala, Muir) meet Dina again. Hala speaks of the prophecy of Aulando that may mentions the "Butterfly" which she recounts to the party.

The star in the north trailing light
The maidens drain and sailors sight
Powers gather and nations game
Lacking heart and lacking shame

Fools covet and saints greed
Seeking power unwise indeed
Powers gather and nations test
The broken bu’erfly at rest

So sayeth the wise Alaundo


- Seventh Portents

She also mentions a gnome that was mentioned (by a helpful scribe) to be also looking into Aulandos prophecies, and was thought to be headed out High Hold way. Dina informs them of their destination. Serpents Edge, in the Western Heartlands. The group head out, and overnight in The Anglers Inn, in High Hold. Dina heads upstairs for rest, but the others strike out chasing rumors of a gnome about town. Eventually they find him in the crypts outside High Hold, where he apears to have animated some of the corpses. They group deal with him, but find a greater oponent in a Mummy which drags itself up and out of its tomb. Eventually they are able to beat it into dust, despite their weapons being largely innefective.

The gnome himself was alive at the end of it all, but seems mostly deranged. Clearly he thought of himself as something of a prophet, and spoke of raising bhaal at the bridge. The party paid little heed to him after they realised he was most likely insane. He was given over to the guards at High Hold and the party continues on its way to the Heartlands where great adventure awaits!

...

In Rivermoot Dina gathers the group and speaks of a need to return to the copper mine where a valuable artifact was abandoned during the flight from the rats. They are tasked to retrieve (but under no circumstances to use) a seemingly normal deck of playing cards. The party ventures to the mine, finding it swarming with thousands of rodents. Every step is like wading through a river of vermin. They scuttle over boots and legs, occasionally nipping at flesh. The stench (needless to say) is something awful. The group work well together and push their way down into the depths fending off both seemingly spontaneous bursts of swarm activity and rat-men ambushes.

Eventually they reach the lowest level of the mine where they fight a very hard pressed battle against large were-rats who regenerate their wounds. The party curse their lack of silver or magical weapons. As they finally defeat the last of the rat-men warriors, and push off the swarm - a rat-man sorcerer flees through a magical gate. Without hesitation Gwylla jumps though, and is swiftly followed by the others with varying levels of dread.

One gut-wrenching and churning journey later they find themselves stripped of all items, and clad in simple black robes. Exactly where they are is a mystery. The group sets out to make sense of their situation and find the rat-man sorcerer. They come across strange oddities. Statues of things that make no sense, automated forges... and vast corridors long since abandoned. The party is able to scavenge some improvised weaponry and armor through breaking up ancient furniture. Hala showing some skill in such.

Robert discovers that he is able to speak in this place.

After much exploring and accidental combat (and fleeing of giant automations)... the group re-gather in the original room... starting to feel hunger and first - and worse yet Hala and Robert unable to regain any used magic. Robert lacking his spellbook, and Halas connection to her god seeming weak and distant. The party is already battered and bruised when a small swarm of rats backed by the sorcerer attacks. The party is able to win through in the end - and find a deck of cards in the rat-man sorcerers pocket.

After a little debate the "portal" card is used to call forth a portal, dumping them back in the mines - where they find a great pile of equipment (theirs) piled nearby. They return to Rivermoot. Robert seems greatly saddened by having known, and lost his voice again.

...

Shortly after the group has returned to Rivermoot they meet in the house dina rented. As they discuss their mis-adventure the bristly hair on the back of gwyallas neck stands up. She begins to have the feeling that they are bing watched. Robert alo has the same feeling... and realises that they are being scryed upon. As Dina becomes aware she cautions the other prcs into silence and fetches the spell books that the party recovered for her. Turning page after page she eventually finds what she is looking for and is able to turn back the magic... losing the scribed spell in the process.

She seems unsure of wether the scrying was inteded to locate robert... or use robert as a focus to track her. Either way is it presumed that the caster is a Red Wizard... and should be dealt with approriately. Dina was able to determine that the scrying came from the North east... Looking at the map, the only settlement worth mention is Winters Edge. The group is dispatched to find the scryer... and eliminate the threat.

The journey is a dangerous one through wild lands. Worst of all is an orc ambush, where they slide with abandon down a steep gully either side of the party. A shaman cast a spell which called forth the very soul of winter and chilled Golinar to his soul, yet with his stout dwarvern heart he was able to battle on, despite the hoar of frost that coated him. The fighting is fierce and the parties resources depleted. They recover a few useful items from the shaman who led the attack.

Pressing on, they make Winters Edge, where they learn of a Red Wizard staying in the inn. After much arguement about risks, bribing of guards, and failed attempts to enlist the local potion maker in their task the group settles on a plan to fake a fire and smoke him out in to an ambush. As they enter the inn to scout... they find him having breakfast in the taproom. He looks up with rhummy eyes... and back down. Robert is able to identify him as Thom. A powerful diabolist... or demonologist with notoriously bad eyesight. They quickly shuffle upstairs. Robert pleads with the party to leave due to the great danger they are in... and so they do. Despite the objections of Ander.

Returning to Dina they find Gwylla who had earlier stormed off. Dina is disheartened by the news of the wizard, and of the group running. However, what is done is done. She declares that she can no longer travel with Robert. As he turns to leave she calls him back. He is not yet released from his duties. Instead he will pave the way for her to go to the Moonshaes, even as she travels south into the western heartlands.

The company of the Ruby Death is split. Redmond, Hala, and Gwylla will go with dina to Serpents cowl far to the south, in search of old snake magic. Meanwhile Golinar, Ander, and Robert head to the Moonshaes to fufil a mission of great importance - the notes of which as handed to Robert along with a sum of rubies for their expenses. Muir is bribed to stay safe in the marches until Dina calls upon him again... it is implied that he is enormously valuable to her efforts to rebuild the butterfly, because of his tainted blood.

...

Moonshaes Group (Dina, Gwylla, Hala). (Zelk has excused herself from the pc of Redmond who is presumed to be resting from recent injuries and off camera for the forseeable future).

The group arrives in the heartlands. Walking over the boareskyr bridge (where Bhaal fell to Cyric) they make their way to Soubar, to rest for the evening. The place has surely seen better days, being run down and filled with low lifes and despair. The party stays at the Wandering Way - a converted inn that seems on the brink of collapse. There seems great potential for trouble, but Gwyllas harsh stare keeps the trouble makers at bay.

After an awful sleep interupted by tavern brawls and a possible stabbing the party leaves in the morning. They make Serpents cowl and speak with the locals about the history of the place. It was once the Yuan-ti city of Ss’thar’tiss’ssun, laid low by war. It has been warded against their return. It is here that Dina hopes to find "a weave node", a site of great power.

The party ventures inside and finds ancient warnings. Great statues and altars lay, covered in dust. There is a brief scuffle with a bug which the party bests easily. Further into the compound there is another - this time another bug, with a great set of pincers, that charges like a great bull, scattering the party left and right. Dina and Hala are felled in short order, with Gwylla falling back - the bug in pursuit. Gwylla is able to bring Hala back from the brink during the chase. Hala in turn heals Dina, and they rejoin the fray. Dina expends all her magic in the fray, and it is only then that Gwylla and Hala are able to bring the bug down - Hala striking the final blow, and caving in its chintinous skull.

The party limps out to lick their wounds, and plan their next move. Dina seems adamant they must return...

...

The WHL group (Ander, Golinar, Robert). Robert and Golinar are "off-screen" following rumours...

The group arrives in the isles with Dinas notes and the crystal recovered from the copper mines. Dina wishes it "empowered" by a weave node. It is spoken that there is one off-shore near the isles. Ander is nursing a mug of cheap ale when he hears tell of a mermaid who has been seen by sailors recently. Leaving the tavern to seek more information he comes across a hin and druid discussing the same story with a local guard. The hins name is Susana, and the druid Bu. Bu is adamant there is no mermaid, and that it is fanciful sailor stories. A gnomish woman nearby declares it absolute truth - and in fact that her airship is running "mermaid tours" for 7 gp a head (including wine and apples). Bu storms off as the gnome woman invites Susana and Anders aboard the ship. He seems angry at the potential for harm coming to the mermaid from such clumsy interaction.

The airship flies out to sea, and soon spots a great pod of dolphins, with a silvery streak following. Susana seems to recognise the mermaid, and the ship moves down closer to see. Susana is lowered on a rope ladder to speak with the mermaid, but falls as the ship banks... and crashes into the sea. She loses consiousness in the water, but is born back to the surface by a dolphin... who changes into a man... the druid Bu. The mermaid swims around them both, darting in and out, touching Susanas hair.

There is chittering between Bu and the mermaid.. who takes Susana in her arms, and swims around with her cradled like a child. Anders meanwhile leans over the whole scene, trying to get Bu to ask her about what he seeks. He catches the mermaids eye with his fine half-elven features... and she seemingly invited him into the water as well...

After more excitable chittering between Bu and the mermaid Susana is returned to the rope ladder by the reluctant mermaid... who leaps into the air... and dives under, swimming away in a silvery flash.

The group returns to land, Bu choosing bird form over flying in the airship.

Ander strikes a deal with Susana - in return for her and Bus help in finding the weave node (talking to the mermaid) he will tell them why... (and so he does, mixing truth and lies with great aplomb).

Bu later informs them (not being privy to the why of why the group seeks the site) that the mermaid also asked that Ander beings some handsome friends, for the mermaids sister on the next full moon, so that they may all swim together. Bu seems willing to cast the spells needed for the party to breath underwater...

...

Far south in the heartlands...

Hala makes it known that she is seeking hirelings from Soubar and Serpents edge. As can be expected in such an unruly land, the full gauntlet of thugs and scum turn up. Hala recruits judiciously with her allotted funds, eventually choosing three hirelings – a huge half orc, and two humans. She refuses the services of four others, who leave – their contempt clear.

The newly enlarged group heads down into the ruined complex (again). It is as dark and desolate as last time. This time however, with more sword arms the group is able to press to the second level, fighting another few large beetles in their path.

The second level holds more statues and presumed temples... but none seem to be the site of power Dina is looking for. In one remote flooded corner Hala spots something down in the water... and heads down to investigate. Bones.

Shortly after she enters the water, ripples move to meet her own, and a huge snake drags her from her feet, and under the water. The party jump to her rescue, hacking into the snake. In a few brief, bloody moments she is freed. Gwylla brings the remains out of the water, and notes that they are dwarf bones. She also finds a small rune stone, which she tucks away for investigation later...

The party proceeds on, facing a handful of large spiders, before concluding they have searched all that can be searched. The way further down appears to be warded... from below. Suggesting the Yuan-ti may still be in the levels below.

As the dis-spirited group returns to the surface they find five figures awaiting them. The four of the prospective hirelings, and a gnome with a crossbow. They demand gold. When Gwylla moves to push through them, they attack. Thugs they may have been, but well equipped killers they were not. The battle is brutal, and short, and once again blood coated the weapons of the party. They were left where they fell, a testament to the folly of foolish greed.

As the hirelings are paid and thanked and wander away, Dina turns to Hala and Gwylla. She is clearly unhappy, and seems almost lost. For a moment they see her drop the mask of competent wizard, and that below it she is a truly homesick and scared woman. That evening she speaks to Gwylla of the fallen dwarf and take the time to read the runestone found... by the dying embers of the fire she reads aloud the translated rune...

To the kin who may seek us out, know this. The great city of Kanaglym is lost to both time and memory, and I fear it will remain lost. Pride was our downfall, for ‘twas pride that brought us low.

No longer shall the forges sing
No longer shall the picks ring
No longer shall we know anything

I watched kin wander away into the tunnels, bereft of any sense. I watched them sit and starve to death, forgetting to eat. I watched our city wither and die. Our city was great and powerful. Our forges which were powered by the weave of the land itself now lie abandoned. Our warriors who were without measure now starve, their living weapons left in the armoury. Our king who was wise beyond reason, sits on his throne and stares at the wall.

Know that I am the last, and I must leave this place to tell its tale.

I beseech thee, kin. Find us.

Kargnag, son of Kanaglym.


“Living weapons?, if they speak of the metal which lives... then this may be what i seek! For it is only in sites of power that the metal may take a life of its own. Gwylla, Hala, we must find the lost dwarfern city of Kanaglym!”

...

Meanwhile, on an isle in the distant ocean...

The group prepares for their forthcoming journey under the water. It is decided that it would be prudent to appease Umberlee in advance, as she was denied the earlier drowned death of Susana. And so it is that they seek out a priestess in the town of Caer Kingsbay. They find her standing in the shallow surf, a knife in her hand, and blood dripping from the other. She smiles as they approach... and Ander a feeling he has seen her somewhere before...

She was Selma of Umberlee, yet he knew her as Selma the Sow, a girl from the village he grew up in. And a girl he teased and belittled as a child. In a twist of fate, ‘twas now her who held the upper hand. She extracted concessions and sacrificed from each of them. Roughly sawing off some of Susanas beautiful golden hair, and making Golinar bleed into the sea as she had done. Robert refused to cut himself, and she rebuffed him, telling him his denial of Umberlee would be remembered... all the while smirking at Ander as she took her petty revenge upon him.

His task was the most onerous and demanding. Travel to Ruathym and retrieve a helm of water breathing from Throgar of Valkur, who had forsaken Umberlee the bitch queen for Valkur, lord of war on the water. Throgar was said to be a great beserker, and it seemed a very dangerous task. The group set out with heavy hearts, wondering how they could take his prized helm.

The weather on route to Haven in Ruathym was spectacularly good and calm. Even seasoned sailors remarked they didn’t remember the last time it was this good. It was almost like the calm before the storm...

They found Thorgar celebrating his last raid in the field outside Haven. He had celebrated by getting drunk with his crew, and killing his brother over a dispute in who killed the most warriors. Atop his head sat a horned helm, surely the one they were sent to find. They approached carefully, and Golinar found common ground with Throgar when he introduced himself as a warrior. Throgar called for the mead, and as there was a shortage of cups, dipped his own helmet into the ale to drink from. The helm was passed from person to person, even Golinars tiny dwarf wife, Susana, who looked far more attractive than he remembered than the last dwarfern women he had seen.

Susana wandered off to use the “bathroom” and surreptitiously cast detect magic, identifying his axe and helm as magical. His axe he had left buried in the ground, next to the body of his brother. Susana used the spell “Prestidigitation” to create a crude copy of his axe...

Meanwhile the conversation with Throgar had taken a turn for the worse when Golinar was far to honest in his conversation with the beserker. He wanted Thorgars helm. Thorgar refused, and instead challenged Golinar to take it from him in combat, if he wanted it so much. Ander weighed in, talking up Golinars battle prowess and how he could likely defeat Thorgar with just his beard. Thorgar called for his axe, and Susana called out that she would fetch it for him...

As the other northmen (and women gathered around) Susana quickly dragged her faux axe over, placing it in the hand of the very drunk Throgar. Meanwhile she dragged his original axe into a hollow in the snow... amazingly no one noticed. Throgar whirred his axe in a great circle, cutting deadly arcs in the air. As he pulled back to swing at Golinar... his axe snapped at the haft.

He stared at the handle in his hand, a look of drunken incredulity on his face. Ander and Golinar were quick to jump on the situation, convincing him with blistering oratory, smoothness, and deceit that Valkur had deserted him. Shamefaced he offered them the helm to keep their silence. All to quickly they agreed and hurried for the ship that would take them home... a long hour later... their ruse had not been discovered, and they set sail for Caer Kingsbay.

Image

*Artwork by Twin Axes

They found Selma again, and returned the helm. Ander belittled her again, as they traded testy barbs, and eventually he spurned her demands of attention, walking off as she shouted after them of her hatred for Ander.

It would seem that they had dealt with Umberlees possible wrath, while earning that of Selma. Only time would tell how this would affect their journey to the depths of the ocean...

...

In the heartlands Dina turns to a ritual to divine the wherabouts of Kanaglym...

Meanwhile in the isles the others are preparing for a refreshing swim in the ocean...

Ander, Golinar, Robert and Susana meet Bu who takes them to the awaiting mermaids. As the sun dips low on the horizon they enter the water enchanted to both swim like fish, and breathe the same by Bu. Golinar seems to struggle with the concept that he can now breathe underwater, and keeps his mouth clamped firmly shut, sinking to the sea floor. Slowly all eyes turn to him, as after a few minutes he is forced to expel the expended air from his lungs, as his brain demands he breathe. As breathe he does, water. The mermaids laugh, and cavort, and play with the group. The silvertailed mermaid attempts to wim off with Susana a few times, but Bu herds them back to the group (as a dolphin). Eventually Susana present Silvertail with a small silver mirror as a gift, and is soon suurounded by the other mermaids who greedily fight over the trinkets she passes out. Eventually the mermaids begin to lose interest and swim away into the ocean, and Silvertail leads them back to the shore they came from.

Bu translates their questions on finding a site of power under the water.

The mermaid speaks of an old place, a volcanic vent that used to amplify magic, many years ago. Then the shark-men came and built a great temple over it. Sometime in the years since the sharkmen deserted the place for reasons unknown, yet the merfolk dare not return.

The group sets out led my the merwoman and Bu. As soon as they arrive she flees, clearly afraid of what lies below. Bu enchants the party again, notably allowing them to move freely under the water. Down they swim, Bus warning about time spent here reverberating in their ears. The sea below is cold and ominous.

They swim down to the sea bed, and head for the ancient wreck of a ship. Susana spots a dark shape moving overhead, a shark. It heads straight for Robert, trying to swim over Golinar who gut it with two swings from his axe. Within a few seconds the sea is tinged red with its blood. Quickly they move away, overhead they see more sharks streak, moving for the carnage they left behind them. They cannot help but remember the words of Selma of umberlee who warned Robert that he has denied Umberlee and would suffer for it. A few moments later they gain the lee of the broken ship. A savage tidal surge sends them towards its barnacle encrusted side. Susanas small form is lifted high and swept straight towards the ship... but golinar catches her by the leg. Holding them both safe by clinging to seaweed. The current is gone as quickly as it came.

Moments later the surge returns as they pass through a great coral arch. Susana is again caught in the current, and scraped painfuly over the coral, opening many small cuts upon her. Tiny little swirls of blood drift into the water...

Minutes later four hammerhead sharks find the party. The combat is a vicous one. Golinar is largely able to hold his own in the fray, but Ander is caught between two sharks. His sword arm is seized and the shark thrashes back and forth, trying to rip it from his body. His rapier drops from his hand towards the sands below as he passes out from pain. Robert is close at hand, and moves through the water with surprising grace. He loops an arm over the thrashing shark, and stabs inwards with his butchers knife, again and again. The shark releases Ander who slowly sinks. Golinar hauls him to the surface, where they expel the water from Ander and force healing draughts in. There is no time for rest however, the thrashing and blood in the water brings more sharks.

The group swim down as fast as they can. Overhead the ocean churns as dozens of sharks rip into the carcasses. One shark seperates from the rest, and slams into the shield on Anders back. Golinar, ever the quick thinker moves forward, and slams it right back with a powerful jab of his axe. The shark recoils, before streaking back up to feed above them.

The party makes haste towards the shelter of a reef, where they find a small opening. The enter...

And discover chambers, seemingly grown out of the coral itself. Jellyfish sit in the water here, trailing great tendrils. The group moves further inwards, before emerging in a great carvern. Towers of coral grace the water here, raising high. Robert removes Dinas crystal and it thrums in his hand, pulling them onwards. It leads them to a great temple of the shark men, evident from the motifs on the wall. Sharkmen sacrificing lesser races, victorious in battle and so forth. Deeper into the temple they find a great alter, that radiates and glows in time with the crystal in Roberts hand.

Five fish men swim over and around the alter, they spot the party and move in... Golinar and Ander close the gap quickly. Robert following close. Susana, near to helpless under the water without her magic remains back, clutching her small dagger and hoping for the best. As Golinar and Ander collide with the fish men, Robert moves his hands in a deliberate fashion and calls upon his magic to summon forth a sea creature to aid the battle. To his surprise two sharks apear in the water, and swim towards the fish men. Even with the sharks on their side, the battle takes a dire turn, as Golinar bears the brunt of their attack. Their spears thrust through his soft leather armor, yet by force of will he battles on. Again and again they thrust, and again and again their spears find their mark, the barbed tips doing as much damage on the way out as in. Susana seeing the desperation of the situation swims as fast as he can towards them, praying that somehow she will be able to make the difference in the fray...

Golinar swings a blow and drops a fishman... then realises he has left himself wide open. The fish man stabs, just as golinar is able to reverse his axe...

Its spear skids of his shield, even as his axe bites deep into its skull, having cleaved down between its bulging eyes. Moradin, is he was watching would have been proud and his tenacity and skill in such a foreign place.

Golinar yet lives and breathes, but his blood streams out of multiple wounds. Surely he will not make the return journey. He looks at the others with a resignation in his eyes... and Robert once again begins to move his hands in a deliberate fashion, concentration upon his face. A single bubble forms at his finger tip...before all hells burst loose and the chamber is transformed into a violent swirling maelstrom of air and water. After a few disorientating moments the wind gust has risen to the ceiling of the temple, and Robert gestures them upwards where they clear their lungs of water. Ander produces a familiar wand of healing, and touches its tip to Golinar.

Ivavu

The wand tip glows for a moment, before blasting Golinar savagely back in the water, a moment of shock later the party reslises that he has not been hurt, but healed beyond all measure. Far more than should be possible from the lightly enchanted wand. Ander with a disturbing smile turns the wand on the others, painful blasting them back in the water. Clearly something in this temple has been amplifying magic...

Robert swims to the temple alter, waving Dinas crystal through the glow. It begins to pulse bright, as the lights over the alter dim. even as it does so, water begins to swirl behind them... with looks of panic the group waits for the lights of the alter to fully dim before they swim away, as quickly as they can. Behind them the temple surges and roils as some great force is awakened. By the skin of their teeth they escape outside the temple entrance, and up to the cavern above. Ander leads them through a hole in the cavern, where they find the rising sun to greet them. They strike out for shore, and are met by bu along the way.

Back on firm land (where Bu departs again) they celebrate, each reflecting upon what they have acheived. Susana in particular is especially radiant, blessing each of them in turn. With crystal in hand and companions at his side, Robert turns to face the sun, wondering what his next contact with Dina will bring...

Image

*Artwork by Twin Axes

...

In the Dusty Dragon inn, in far away Serpents Cowl, on the edge of the forest of Wyrms, a young and very lost mage locks herself into her inn room, leaving Gwylla and Hala standing outside. They are given strict instructions that under no circumstances should they enter.

They hear the occasional scratching and shuffling noises of Dina moving around some hours later. Followed by her voice, speaking in some terrible awful language that sends a vague sense of dread up the spine even of the battle tested and stout Gwylla. She speaks, and awaits for a moment as though listening to an answer, before speaking again a handful of times. Eventually there is more shuffling noises and Dina opens the door looking drawn and pale. On the hem of her robe is chalk marks and beyond her on the floor are overturned candles and the vague rubbed out chalk outline of a summoning circle.

She looks to Gwylla and Hala with bloodshot eyes.

"It is done, I must send to Robert now, and have the others come to us, I know how we may find the path to Kanaglym".

Leaving the door open, she moves to a spellbook on her deak flipping through its pages. A short time later she stops and carefuly intones, sigils vanishing from the page as she speaks...

Though they stand thousands of miles away both Hala, Gwylla and Robert hear the same words spoken by Dina...

"Robert. All well. We need you and the others. Gather companions, travel to Serpents Edge. Perpare for travel and war beneath ground. Tell Golinar, Kanaglym. Dina."

...

After a long journey at sea, and a long wait, the split groups finally regathers themselves in Serpents Cowl. Gwylla and Hala meet with Golinar, Robert, Ander, and Susana in the Dusty Dragon Inn. The group trades stories, even as Dina finds them. Dina is surprised to find Susana with them, but allows her to remain with the group, providing she goes with them into Kanaglym. Ander is given a map, and away they travel. Dina remaining behind, pleading fatigue.

They follow the map she gained from her divinations, which leads them to a gnomish mine. They speak to the elder who allows them to pass through for ten gold each... where they find themselves in the Undermoor. A dark section of caves that runs under the High Moor.

Susana calls forth a ball of light to illuminate the darkness. A myriad of twisting caverns and passages soon have the party well and truly lost. After some misadventures they stumble upon an old dwarvern road which leads them through a small outpost.

They come to a ruined bridge, where the group decides to cross. Ander jumps in, and finds a treacherous current awaits him, even as Gwylla takes a running jump. The current sweeps Ander up against the middle piller, which shifts under Gwyllas weight. She jumps again, even as Ander pushes off with powerful strokes. Gwyllas stubby legs propel her to the other side, while Ander is pushed against the far wall by the surge of water from the toppled pillar. With much difficulty and no small effort the group crosses with the aid of ropes. Susana and Robert in particular struggling with the journey and almost drowning.

The battered party dries out.

After more twists and turns the party comes to another ruined bridge, which Gwylla is able to clear after a painful misjump. With the aid of some ropes, they cross again... and find themselves in Kanaglym.

It is eerily silent . Surreal almost. Some undead haunt the hauls, and orc bodies are found. The group finds some forges, but they lie dormant, and there is no sign of recognition from the altar. Ander who presses ahead of the group, finds himself in a great webbed room. He brushes against a web... and the room erupts with spiders, who burst from great sacks upon the wall.

His sword flicks out, killing one, but two more take its place, then three and four, in short time he is surrounded in spiders. Gwylla and Golinar come to his rescue, but find themselves covered in spiders as well, which crawl through their armor, biting at any exposed flesh. They are forced back to the hall. Robert covering their retreat with a great burst of flame from his body which turns the webs to smoke as soon as it hits.

The group regather down the hall... when they realise that Ander did not escape with them. With heavy hearts Golinar and Gwylla return to the room, ever wary of spiders. They recover his body, and a pair of twinned war axes from the wall.

They fall back to the great well of Kanaglym to regather and rest. Hala cradles the head of Ander in her lap. The sneer for once, gone from his face. Reaching into her pack, she reminds the party of the scroll they recovered from the crazed gnome, so long ago in High Hold. It is agreed it should be used to bring Ander back...

Hala chants over Ander, imploring Oghma to return his soul to his body, so that he may continue learn the story of Kanaglym, and bring the knowledge back to the world. The scroll begins to glow brightly at the edges... the glow shifting to her hand, then to the chest of Ander, where it begins to pulse. Black venom is forced from his wounds... and his eyes flick open.

Image

Image

*Artworks by (forgetful) Twin Axes
12.August.2015: Never forget.
Rumple C
Bard
Posts: 3561
Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2004 9:38 pm
Location: The ceiling.

Re: The Butterfly Campaign Session Logs

Post by Rumple C »

Thanks kinThe party rests around the well, Gwylla and Golinar take the time to mull over their axes and solemnly consider what happened to the once proud city. Robert and Hala spend their time in prayer and study while Susana wonders allowed at many things. Eventually she parches her own throat and hauls up the bucket from the well. She drinks her fill, before Ander reaches over and drinks the rest.

Both settle down, looking slightly disorientated.

Ander shuffles back a little... as Susana begins to talk again, asking bizare questions such as who am I? and what am I? Hala turns her attention to Susana, and it is soon clear that she has lost her sense of identity. A detect magic spell confirms the water is the likely cause, when it radiates a powerful necromancy aura.

They question Ander as well, but he seems to convince them that he is fine... just irritated with the whole situation
orangetree wrote:*Written in a slightly different handwriting, very standardised with less unique styling.*

My name is.. or 'was' Susana.

It is hard to say. I don't even know how I am able to write, or if these words are discernable, because I have not actually written before. I awoke beside a well, in a city of darkness... with no memory of who I was.

No memory at all. I didn't even know what I was... only that I was surrounded by giants, and that for some reason the light was always upon me. I felt a need to hide and flee... confused. Panic and dread filled me, of an emptiness inside that was only silent to every question I could ask...

...why am I here?

... what am I?

...what is my name?

I had no answer to them. Not a single one! Gods... what happened to me? I know I was supposed to have a name... but I don't know what it was.

My hair was burned in the escape from the city... it seemed appropriate for it to happen. Whoever I was before, was an 'immaculate' woman, to say the least. That I seem to be in charge of her body now is something I dread- but hope to give back in one piece. I just don't feel the same need to do so much... work. What is the urgency of looking beautiful? I think I look okay... I guess.

I styled my hair as best I could- but obviously, nowhere nearly as well as my old self did. It has taken me some time to learn of this place... that I exist in.

...Faerun.

This world is called Faerun. There is the force of Magic and apparently I am capable of sensing- and wielding it. Dear gods... I sensed such a magic for the first time, and it was the most incredible rush I had ever felt. Like being tickled from my head to my feet... I felt light and giddy. I had to stop myself, because it was just so addictive to feel such... such power.

I am also a halfling... which explains why everyone else is so big, I guess. Apparently, we live in a world with many races... and I am 'not' a dominant race, judging by the lack of chairs my size. This seems to be a world of humans, and humans are everywhere. What are we to them? Just... playful things to amuse? Or are we equals?

Humans make me wary. They speak so loud and... are very strong, able to pick me up if they wanted to. I feel like I shouldn't trust everything they tell me. I can't explain it. Does my species have some kind of ingrain prejudice? I hope not... I feel like I would want to trust people.. but I don't know.

I made contact with another of my species, named Belle. The gods must have sent her, as she educated me on all the basics of my life and my nature. Many people have of course been helpful, to tell me little parts of my life as I followed the clues in my journals, and posessions. They seem to tell me positive things. I haven't heard anyone speak a word of hate- though this could be a kindness on my condition, or... was I _really_ just a drop of sugar in this world? It would almost be a relief if someone hated me. Then I would know I was not perfect.

Belle told me many things. The nature of men and woman (of course), our relationships to the gods... and food and wine. We also spoke of magic and my difficulties in the Lady's college. Apparently I am also a 'sorceress'. It is why my magic does not work as others... I am still capable of using it, but such power can be frightening and I have to learn their limits.

She asked me why I did not stay with her family in the moonshaes... but I have no answer. I wish I did... why did I join these people? What possible motivation could I have had? Judging though from my journals and possessions, I seem to have done some very strange things on whims of fancy, or need of coin. I hold a conch shell which... feels like it should be important, but I don't remember why. I also seem to have a diamond, that showed I earned the favour of the Yuan-ti in some way... again, I don't really know how or why.

Waking up in this world... I... I am just so confused. But I am also grateful for the many friends that seem willing to help me find myself again. I don't know if I could ever be Susana once more... but... I think it would be nice. Susana seems... okay? If I was anyone to judge anyway.

So now I will journey, to recover my memories... to understand myself better, the nature of my magic... this world... humans... and maybe even, more wine.
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*Artwork by OrangeTree

With little othe option they press on, hoping that soon enough they will complete their task and be able to return to the surface.

Gwylla pushes ahead as is her want, and soon finds her self set upon by a large centipede like monster. Then another, and another. She calls upon her comrades to fall back to a doorwell and like the practised group they have become they do so, hacking at the almost mindless monsters as they come through the door way, one by one. Eventually, and covered in slime and gore Gwylla clambers over the piles of bodies, followed by the others.^

They find themselves in a great throne room, though all organic items have long since vanished, no doubt eaten by time and the crawlers. Behind the throne hangs a great shielf, made of the same grey green metal of the axes Golinar and Gwylla found earlier, covered in hundreds of intricate dwarfern runes. Golinar strides forward, before reverently lifting it down from its position. He tells the party it details the lineage of the kings of Kanaglym, and is a true relic of the city, though it is not magicked at all.

Leaving his own shield in its place, Golinar honors the city by strapping the shield to his arm, and carrying the kings into battle, knowing that the very nature of the shield (living metal) will keep it fresh as the day is was forged.

The party presses on, Gwylla spotting a spider just as it reaches for her leg from beneath a bridge. A short battle ensues, with Hala finding herself poisoned. A little magic later...

They find what they presume to be the forge in question, its shape unusual, seemingly almost a religous object. Robert lights the forge, before waving the crystal back and forth through the flame, using tongs for the purpose. The crystal pulses in time with the flames... eventually draining them with a whoosh.

The coals smolder for a long moment, before bursting into life again. Four flames leap out of the forge and attack the party. Susana rediscovers her magic, though it helps her only briefly as the flames scorch her. She falls, and the rest of the party presses back into them, taking painful burns as their weapons disperse the flames.

They return to the well to rest, before making the long trip out.

As they rest... Robert stands at watch, lost in his own thoughts. He sees rather than hears the clatte of something as it comes within the light from his ring... a great abomination of fur and humanoid. An elfin torso upon a spiders body. He bangs his knife on the floor even as he moves back from the thing. The others awake in varying states of dress and awareness. Lightning bolts fly out of the darkness as well, It soon becomes apparent that the drider is not the battle, but only the spearhead. Gwylla leaps past it, clad only in a rough tunic, followed by Golinar. The two dwarfs soon find themselves in the greatest of danger as they find four dark skinned elves advancing upon them. With grim resolution, and no little eagerness they charge into poor odds... meanwhile behind them...

Hala, Robert, Ander, and Susana battle the Drider, and try to shrug off the spells thrown earlier. Hala in particular finds herself unable to speak, and thus heal the others. Ander sends arrow after arrow into the fray, keeping his distance, Robert chooses his targets carefuly, sending spells back at the drow and drider. Susana moves back even further knowing how vulnerable she is to the towering tall folk and their ruthless blades.

Back at the rear of the battle it is going poorly for the dwarves. The badly injured Golinar waves for Gwylla to fall back, and he leads by example, the bunched battle opening up as two of the drow chase him down towards the drider. Gwyllla shuffles back as well, having taken wounds that would have felled a human. The lone female dwarf pauses and points her flail at Gwylla before spitting out a word in their cruel language. Gwyllas limbs froze. With casual smirks the two drow who remained at the rear of the battle advances on gwylla relishing her expression as they swing their weapons in great circles...

Back behind Gwyllas plight Robert finds himself in his own personal battle with a drow who is battering him senseless. He takes blow after blow, and is clearly close to being overwhelmed. He swings out of desperation, to pressed to safely use his magic...

And the drider falls between the efforts of Ander, Hala, and Golinar, who turn their attention to the remaining drow. Halas voice returns and she sets about bringing the healing of the binder to the battle. Ander continues to keep his distance, picking well his targets in the poor light.

Gwylla finds her strength return just in time to fell one drow of her own, her anger and edge of "Low Swinger" crunching into and cutting through drow plate.

Then... it is over. As quickly as the battle started, it ended. The party was a mess of wounds, but they yet lived. With hurried words and fear of further drow they gathered their things. Gwylla took the time to pick over the drow corpses. And so they left the abandoned city of Kanaglym. Having perhaps learnt why it fell from all maps.

Back in Serpents edge they talk with Dina on their expedition. Of concern is Susanas condition, it does not take long for Dina to point out that Ander has also lost his memory though his natural inclination was to hide it, rather than question it as Susana had. After no little discussion it is presumed that the water likely came from the fague plane, through a weakness in the divsion. There is likely little that could reverse the effects of the water beyod magic of the most powerful type. Dina suggests she knows someone who may be able to help... but that person can not be found on this world, and Susana and Ander will need to continue to help her.

Golinar takes the opportunity during tan uncomfortable pause to pass out some of the items recovered from the Drow. A wizards staff to Robert known as "The Dead Tongue" with necromatic and divination powers. A shield to Hala that sports scrolls beneath its leather covering that hint at the relationships between gods, in particular the gods of creation Oghma, Milil, Deneir, and Gond. Ander is given a ring that refuses to be worn by anyone of non elven blood, and Susana is given some small trinket of jewlery, Golinar pointing out how her former self appreciated such items.

Holding the crystal that they had worked so hard for Dina pointed them all north, towards Silverymoon, where she had an item that had been commisioned. Once that was within their grasp... all they had to do is travel to the butterfly. Surely they had overcome the worst of their grand quest...

...

The party returns to Silverymoon where they meet in the Golden Oak.

Gwylla announces her intention to go to Felbar and report of the re-discovery of Kanaglym. Hala and Robert decide to go to Auvendell (along the way).

In Auvendell Robert learns more of his staff, and a link between it, himself, and "elsewhere". It may be possible for him to learn more by directing the ability of the staff to speak to others upon the staff itself...

Hala has her shield unpicked, and historical and important papers removed. They seem to contain many significant records unknown to the chruch of Oghma...

Gwylla returns to Felbar where she had been exiled. Announcing her presense at the gate she was allowed entrance because of the news she carried. After giving her account of the rediscovery of Kanaglym her exile was lifted. Her face may have smiled. It was hard to tell.

...

The group meets again the Sorlars Smiling Satyr, and discuss the upcoming expedition to the Butterfly. Dina seems a little depressed, and tipsy. Robert decides it is a good time to turn his thoughts to his staff, and try to figure out the link between "Dead Tongue", himelf, and the otherplanar entity. He turns the magic of the staff upon itself...

And finds his consciousness elsewhere. A few moments later the group becomes concerned as his body has gone rather slack-jawed. The decision is made that they should "go after him" by sending their thoughts to find his. Dina is somewhat confident she can make this happen through using the recovered Red Wizards spell book, and slightly altering a spell.

They submit to her magic, and find themselves elsewhere. A grey featureless plain, where Robert stands. As they appear, he whips around, staff raised, though stops short of attacking them. He tells them that he has been there for "A day" though it was barely ten minutes before they followed him. Also, it seems he has his voice here. The group talks over scenarios and possibilities, all of which lead nowhere, until a spell of detect magic is cast which seems to draw activity to them... shadows swirl around them, and solidify into a great hound.

It seems to know Robert, and it engages them in conversation, and the party learns of how Robert "sold" his voice on the prime plane in return for the safety of his family (to no avail). The hound though, has no rights over the voice outside of the prime... which is why Robert is now back in possession of it. The problem for the hound being, that if Robert has it, he does not. It is inferred that the hound uses it as a link to walk the prime. Ander threatens the hound, who responds by calling two more to his side. Shortly after, Robert makes the decision to attack, and the party follows suit. The battle is a violent one, with much magic thrown, drawing sinister attention from other beings...

As the party stands victorious wondering how to return, a spark of light flies from the hound into Roberts chest to no obvious effect. The shadows begin to gather again, stirring in the void, and a great inky spider steps out towards them. The group meets with early successes in their battle, but the tide soon turns as Gwylla and Golinar are felled in quick succession. Hala keeps the party alive, though her most powerful healing spells were used in the earlier battle. Robert having expended the bulk of his magic uses the magic of Dead Tongue to drain life from the spider unto himself, shrivelling its side, and sending the horrid thing scuttling backwards where it watches them with malevolent eyes. The party takes the moment to regather and quickly use what few healing magics and potions remain to them. All to quickly though, the battle is joined again, as the spider lurches forward on jittery legs. Gwylla, Golinar, and Hala meet it head on, though all stand near death. At the last, it is Gwyllas axe which swings true, cutting deep into its bulbous throax, and severing its spine.

The party stands, barely, drenched in gore, and totally spent. Once more the shadows begin to gather, though this time they whirl around in a maelstrom, plucking the party on by one, and flinging them upwards and away... where they find themselves back, sitting around a table. Dina was very apologetic for what appears to have been a bungled spell. She had accidentally "lost" them, and they had in fact been very far away, luckily she had the means to bring them back with her "deck of many things".

In any event, as they briefly discussed, alls well that ends well...

The party file out to gather supplies, rest, and mull over just how wise it was to listen to Dina. Ander stayed behind, and talked on the nature of Spelljamming.

...

The party meet once more, all ready to depart for the icy wastes of the north. They share one last drink with Sorlar before leaving, and Dina settles her bill. Ander tips sorlar almost an extra two platinum coins and asks he forgets they were ever there. The group heads west towards Rivermoot. In the hills they interrupt a goblin war ceremony... by bringing war to them. At one point Gwylla is almost buried in goblins, through she seems to enjoy the press of numbers, and battles through regardless. Ander also holds the line quite effectively in his new breastplate. Robert was sent running down the hillside with goblins streaming after, but with the aid of Susana and Hala they were able to defeat them, and return to the front line.

The group presses on into the hills were Robert spots two white specks far to the north against the grey sky. He tells the party, though there is little they can do, other than be wary of the potential large fliers.

They move on again, descending into a steep alpine valley, where they meltwater from the icy wastes runs off. The white specks seen earlier, now look like great white birds, perhaps, and the group seeks shelter, fearing they could be dragons. They find a small cave littered with bones. There is a small sack in the corner which holds a few gems, and a jar of ointment (which smelt fantastic). As they listened to the great wing flaps overhead, and the roars of dragons, another figure ran into the cave, a great warty green figure who skidded short upon seeing them.

A troll...

The group eyed the troll as warily as the troll eyed them. Gwylla in particular made threatening gestures with her axe. Eventually the troll sat down in the mouth of the cave, looking glum. After a while it began pointing at Su, then its mouth and belly. Su tossed it a scrap of wolf meat, rather than herself. The troll scoffed it down, but did not seem sated. Hala (who understands Draconic) was able to determine the Dragons above (now obvious from their speech and shape) were engaged in a courtship ritual. Shortly after the dragons flew west, and the troll leant out to see if they had gone. Gwylla took the opportunity to attack it in the flank. They defeated it handily between them all. Su fortunately having brought alchemists fire, and being able to burn its remains.

The group head out again, making the great glacier, after fording some bitterly cold meltwater rivers. Following Dinas directions they find the chasm where the wrecked Butterfly lay. What complicated things was the small force of skeletons and zombies that worked upon freeing it from ice under the direction of a man who was wrapped in heavy furs. The group mull over what to do, and it is decided that an unprovoked surprise attack is the most prudent option. Gwylla and Ander were made invisible by su, and they ran towards the man. Unfortunately Gwyllas loud clanks made the man turn, where he saw the others (Hala, Su, and Robert) further behind and called his workers to attack.

The mage disapeared in a cloud of darkness, though it did little to dissuade Gwyla and Ander who crashed in regardless, swinging at where they remembered him last stading... and killing him in two blows. They then fled back to the safety of the icy land bridge, Robert slowing the advance of the horde with a well placed web spell. Hala, Gwylla, and Ander held the land bridge against the horde, while Su and Robert send magic and missles into the fray. Eventually the party won out through superior tactics.

Victorious, the party moves over to look at their prize, a wrecked spelljamming vessel, encased in ice. Robert makes a disturbing discovery, the wizard was wearing red robes under his furs. Ander and Su spot a trail that leads south and east, into another chasm. The group follows the trail, finding an old complex, with a few stray zombies. All indications point to it being an old temple of Aurilites. The group move to the bottom level (of 3) where they find two figures, a man who looks like he has a withered arm, and a taller broader figure. The man with the withered arm calls out, in a voice that Hala recognises. He thinks the group is the wizard from the Glacier upstairs, though as they do not reply to him, he quickly realises it is not, and commands his undead bodyguard to kill them. A mummy raises itself from a nearby pool of water, and an awful magical fear washes over the group. As one they turn to run, though Halas screams seem a little less sincere than the others.

They flee in a blind panic, pausing at the entry way upstairs, as the fear becomes less pressing. They dither over what to do next, but flee again when they hear the mummy approaching. Outside the weather is quickly turning nasty. They move to a sheltered spot, and set about riding out the storm. They gather inside a lone tent, and huddle for warmth. Hala relates a tale of her half brother Vahn, as Ander moves out into the storm...

...

Ander had been grumbling the entire time over their "strategy" to retreat from the remaining wizard and his undead minion, who monopolized the only good shelter from the coming storm. Knowing they'd only have to face the mage again (with him now warned of the party's presence), Ander decided to try and tip the scales a bit in his favor. Instead of freezing with the others, he walked off into the blizzard, disappearing...

Much to everyone's surprise (likely including his own), Ander returned to the party as the storm cleared not as a member of the living dead. He reported that he'd returned to the complex where the mummy was seen, and privately spoken with the man who accompanied the red wizard (Tylan) who claimed to be the Butterfly's primary pilot, while Dina was the second backup. Tylan told him the red wizards were going to "let him have" the Butterfly once they were done studying its Helm. Ander could tell the man did not really believe that, but what other choice did he have? He also said that the wizard Vahn was very powerful, and "one step away from lichdom" (Ander doesn't seem to know what this means, but repeats it anyway).

Ander proposed they join forces to take out the remaining Red Wizard, since his party had no means to take over the Butterfly even if they wanted to.

Tylan blamed Dina for the crash, as he claimed it was her dealing with pirates and (stolen?) rubies that had brought the Butterfly down. He agreed to turn on the mage, to turn his own undead creation against him, if he had Dina delivered to him bound and gagged. Ander agreed to these terms, and took rest within the complex. Once the storm cleared, he returned to the party.

After relaying this information, Ander proposes a plan: The party deliver Dina as promised and simply free her once the wizard is dead. Once that is done they can decide what to do with Tylan. Ander thinks the man seems reasonable enough, unlike these red wizards nutters who animate parts of their bodies with unlife, and there shouldn't be any cause to kill him. Ander's also rather convinced Tylan wasn't lying; he had all the marks of someone who passionately believes what he's saying. He's also desperate to recover the Butterfly, and Ander believes he can talk the man into helping the party get the Butterfly flying again.

He's also quite curious to hear what Dina thinks of all this, though while she is still asleep he tells everyone of the concern he saw on her face when she laid eyes on the frozen Butterfly. Ander is not so sure Dina can get her flying again on her own.

...

The party throw around a lot of possibilities and scenarios with how to fool Tylan or Vahn or such. In the end Dina emerges from the tent and is confronted with Tylans accusations. She admits to little, but is adamant she will not be given over to him, even as a ruse. She does however suggest that Hala could be given to Vahn to bribe him into replacing Tylan with Dina, or she could summon a demon using her cards and send it into the complex. The party rejects both suggestions.

Ander departs to try to strike a better deal with Tylan. Ander makes his way down to the complex where he convinces Tylan to return with him to try to convince the party of his version of events. Tylan follows him back to the plateau. Dina is horrorfied to see him, and tries to convince the party to attack him (and his tame mummy). Tylan speaks with eloquence and passion and apparent truth that paints Dina as a mutineer and smuggler and turncoat whos actions were responsible for the deaths of many. One by one the party step aside... or even side with Tylan. In the end only Susana supports Dina fully.. and a desperate dina starts to reach into her pocket. Hala warns her, but a desperate and slightly hysterical reaches into her pocket... and pulls forth a deck of cards... Hala runs at her, but slips awkwardly on the slow. Dina throws the deck of cards to the ground, and magical hells break loose.

Random effects shoot out strange liquids and lights, grow Hala to giant size, and call forth a blue skinned demon. The party meets the demon head on, Ander managing to use his wand and calling forth a lighting bolt.. which flares and strikes the demon... and half of the party as well. The demon falls, and shortly after Roberts magic fells Dina. Gwylla makes sure she is dead by burying her axe in Dinas skull. The party scramble through the magical effects gathering up the cards... which seems to calm the magic.

And so it was, that the Company of the Ruby Death killed their employer Dina. Tynal thanks them, and asks for their aid in killing Vahn, so he can reclaim his ship. The party agrees, and they set off to find Vahn. Hala approaches him to warn him of forces coming from the Marches. Vahn responds aggressively to her bluff. Hala tries to pre-empt his hostilities by changing her approach, and throws down her weapons, trying to draw near. Unfortunately Robert hears the crash of metal on stone and starts casting, Golinar screams a battle cry... and Vahn realises the danger, lashing out at Hala, even as he speaks. His magic starts to paralyze her, but she shrugs it off. He vanishes. The party scramble around looking for him, before realizing that he has used a dimension door spell.

They find him in the level above, where he throws a few spells, including a cloud of evil looking gas. The party best him, suggesting he was not fully prepared for a direct attack. He is able to door to the surface, where a fly spell sees him fleeing south towards the valley. The party emerge to see him silhouetted against Selune. Tylan gathers them around, and asks for their help. He makes no grand promises, but he does offer shares in the Butterfly, and his aid in seeking magic that will return the memories to Ander and Susana. Tension remains between Susana who seems very upset at the death of Dina and the rest of the party...
orangetree wrote:Today I write of Death...

They killed Dina.

I did my best to save her, I did everything I could to prevent anyone dying, but it was impossible. Death Himself was there, and someone was going to die. The risks to save everyone were too high for me to take, and could have resulted in my own death. The only thing I could do was watch as the blade struck her face, and blood poured into the snow as a river. It turned black as our hearts, and the icy wind cracked skin white as bone, with the sound of a harsh snap.

She was betrayed... and they say she betrayed 'us' first. Perhaps it will make them rest easier, but I know the truth. 'We' demanded her to sacrifice herself, and drove her to these acts out of basic survival.

That it was the woman we served who died, is something I can not so easily dismiss. Friends attacked friends, because of a single lie of her past- her conduct with us meant nothing. Are we so pure that none of us have secrets? I am fortunate that I can not remember any secret I suppose.

When the truth came out, her life was forfeit- to the dwarves in particular who seem to regard a secret as a hostile act. Words seem important to dwarves, their presence or absence... and always the anger inside them. Pure rage, that could only come from merciless destruction of their foes. The strongest I was among had become judge, jury and executioner. The idea that more was going on then what they saw, was lost. All they know is how to kill, and they had a reason to kill... that was all they needed. Machines... the dwarvern people, are machine-like, and it is impossible to reason with a machine.

I have lost my most likely chance of getting my memory back, and resigned myself to the fact that I will now have to re-discover, who I am from now on. It is a bit like dying all over again, with the last bit of hope gone now. I suppose in a way it is a good thing though. I can now accept that who I am... is who I am. I need not try to be anyone I am not.

The death of our old leader, has thrown everything into disarray. I would not be surprised if Ander has struck a more useful agreement with the new captain in secret, shielding this from us and orchestrating all of this. Time will tell what the rest of our fates will be under this arrangement. I will be prepared for any betrayal upon me though. I will not be caught off guard.

The captain is dead, long live the captain...

We killed her to get a new captain- narrated to be the true and real captain, much as a King even though we know nothing about him. It is accepted he must prove to be worthy of us, yet... they already accept his command. We do not even have the old one for guidance into what his particular plans are, only his word and recent actions- actions I find suspicious. His collusion with the red mages, his raising of the dead... are these really the acts of a captain we would want?

Apparently, yes.

Dina being an alleged thief, was too much of an 'accusation' to bare. Our oath to our previous captain meant nothing... it was broken without a consideration or debate among us and in the heat of battle. Truly we are without a shred of honour, and I was ashamed to be among them and party to her death. Ashamed that I could do nothing, but lament that I must continue on now with this terrible secret of murder. How I wish I could forget it... but another drop of the water, could kill me according to Robert.

I doubt the money will be as lucrative under the new command, nor will be see as much greatness. I doubt greatly this 'man' will give us all that Dina promised, especially to me. I know human men by now, I am nothing at all in his eyes but a child. They tell me Dina would never have given us what she promised either, but how do we know? She had kept her word on everything so far.

Now I am but one lass, with a blank life... yet looking at my journals, I am outraged by how much I allowed loss to define who I was. I refuse to do so this time. I may have lost Dina, and my memories... I may have lost my only chance to regain them- but I have not lost my life, and this is something I could learn from instead.

My life begins anew, as a soldier of magic. A seeker of fortune, and gold. I refuse to feel any further guilt upon things I could not help. If they say Dina brought her fate upon herself, then I will accept she commanded her own death. In a way, this is true... she died, and was therefore, not fit to command. She did not see betrayal when it was right in front of her face and died mercilessly by the crew. How long can the new captain keep this group from killing him, I wonder? Who would want to lead these people?

That I lose more then the others in this with this death, is something I must accept. They will not help me regain my memories... and perhaps they are not memories worth having. Things happen for a reason. I have to believe that maybe... there is some reason I am not who I was, but someone new. If I am lost, I must be found eventually... right?

We hunker in the snow and ice, and I have spent several days thinking back to that day. The icy breeze makes me shiver in my tent. I hold it back with a little prestidigitation spell on my sleeping bag. (I love how that spell keeps my toes warm.) Among the small items I found from the battle is a little candle. I use it as a reminder of the lost soul of Dina. As it burns away, I can feel her spirit moving on into the darkness.

Hala said we could talk to her in the spirit world, but I have nothing to really say... I don't think she would have anything to say to us either, and I would be surprised if she speaks to us. Her desires were simple... and we have denied them. Life must go on though, and we must endure the coming battle.

I ask myself, why I do the things I do... be a soldier of magic. I suppose I do need to work to understand this strange land of adventure. To test and learn who I am.

I look to my allies and wonder, if they consider me a betrayer or simply soft hearted. My actions were to protect Dina from death, not from punishment if they deemed it necessary. There is a difference, isn't there? I suppose my soft heart makes me appear to have betrayed them, and perhaps they would kill me for it some day unless I can explain my actions. It is a situation where I can not show any weakness though, as that could result in my own death too. What companions have I gained, that I can not be myself with?

I look to the ice and ask it to enter my heart. Fill me with your shards, that I may become as cold as the wind. Destroy the sympathy that I feel, and let me become as -they- are... indeed, the path of a sorceress is one of death and destruction. For my power as I see it results in endings, not beginnings. I have the power to destroy scores of ordinary men and giants... to end their lives in the blink of an eye.

I did not earn this power... but I have it.

My amnesia is a... difficult thing to acknowledge, especially as I am not the only one suffering from it. Ander, has the same. He has no memory at all, yet... does not show any sign of struggle or concern for it. He acts well enough that- it has actually made the others question -my- competency. They must think I am 'faking' it to do less work. How strange is that? Ander is capable despite amnesia, and therefore there must be something wrong with -me-.

It makes no sense! Why is he so capable and I am not? It might be the result of age or the paths we have taken in life. Our amnesia has blocked our identities and memories... but certain instincts remain. Is it possible Ander has 'more' instinct then I do? Susana- I- must have lead a very sheltered life perhaps, as I do not possess skills that would grant me confidence in using them or to make decisions that would impact our group severely. While he woke up in the body of an able-bodied man I... woke up as an ill-equipped beauty queen with powers I can barely understand. (I got rid of the skirt- gods... I imagine Susana would try to find a way to make it work this far North.)

I have had to practice my power to learn their limits carefully, else I would destroy my companions. Yet all my efforts seem to demonstrate a lack of ability in their eyes.

I am starting to resent Ander for being so capable. It makes a mockery of my condition. I have given up hope that I can ever get my memories back, and... Hala seems to think she is able to help, but I think she is just trying to cheer me up. The powers required to undo what has happened to me are extraordinarily rare, and more useful for other things then my memory. They are spells of legend that could re-write history... I am not worth such a spell.

I suppose I feel a little better with Robert though. He was.. reasonably kind to me, as has Hala been. Humans seem to get on well with halflings, I guess. I was told many find our race... 'annoying'. I wish I knew why.

The sleep spell I have learned is extraordinarily dangerous, and I'm not so sure it is very useful against powerful creatures. I have to learn exactly how it manifests itself, and protect my allies from it.

I am currently tasked with how to defeat someone with a dimensional door spell... it would seem obvious to me. Use spells that prevent the casting of spells. Silence perhaps, or other minor tricks. If that doesn't work, then something stronger would have to be used. A spell to restrain him? The sleep spell 'could' be used... if one is very careful. Perhaps the priests can pray for a more useful spell?

If all else fails, just set fire to everything. -That- is something we can do...

I haven't slept very well, and it isn't the temperature.

The toil in releasing this strange ship is burning my hands with the cold. Praise humans for being so big, these giants can move boulders like nothing. The dwarves too seem very adept at dealing with ice as if it were stone.

The loss of our leader, has hit me quite hard. She was the only leader I had ever known. I guess I was looking for guidance in this world, and she seemed to be the only one willing and able to offer it. Not just to this world, but to many worlds. I don't know if she will go to her own gods, or if she will be cast to the courts of faerun's pantheon, but I will hope she has found a place to call home.

I have a nightmare... or dream. It is both I think. Because in a way I am two people now. I am the nightmare watching the dream, and the dreamer seeing the nightmare. Which one am I? The dreamer tells me, "I could have done something" to prevent Dina's death. To which the nightmare says, "no... it was not possible." Then I see what actions I could have taken... I could have attacked my own group, just as they had turned so quickly against Dina. Kill them all with a spell if I must.

... but that isn't in me to do.

Then I am shown how if I truly felt that way, then I could have taken the blow instead. I could have shielded Dina in self-sacrifice.

...and that isn't in me either.

Instead, I chose inaction when things got to the point of violence. I did nothing but watch as they cut her to pieces. I did nothing as she defended herself from her employers. Then, When the dust settled and I could at last take action, I left one of her rubies upon her body (which I'm sure, one of us stole afterwards, damning me for my sentimentality.)

I wish I could have asked more about the hin, and why I might feel the things I do. Do we naturally ascribe to violence? Or do we shun it? Are we peacemakers, or war-makers? Hypocrites that leave others to do the fighting for us?

What am I?

I wish my group could be a little nicer to me. I didn't want them to kill each other but now that it has happened, a precedent has been set. No life is sacred, even amongst ourselves. They could kill me, if it became convenient without thought (Unlikely as it is at the moment- somewhat) Is life really so cheap here? This world of death, where all we do is deal death until it comes upon us... where everyone _must_ be a warror, or face death... is this really the life I lead here? Is this my life and what I wanted? What rumour must be heard, before I am targeted to be destroyed with no mercy?

I think I am starting to understand why I went to the church of Sune. Perhaps I saw too much of this world? Who knows. I don't even know how to pray to Sune any more, so I am not too bothered about it. I did spent a lot of time at the temples though, reading all I can about the world.

I suppose I should try to be more an asset to the group, but I don't know what more I can offer to them. Hin are naturally annoying to them I heard. If I help, they get angry. If I don't help, they still get angry. Maybe they are just naturally angry people?

I have continued to think on how to beat someone with a dimensional door spell. It would seem to me, the easiest obvious answer is to trap them in some way. Explosives perhaps on places that he might try to portal through. Early incapacitation seems the most likely way to stop it... so I am still wondering if a zone of silence spell can be created. Maybe from one of Dina's cards?

These cards actually intrigue me. There is... an attraction to it I can not define. I don't know if the others feel it but... it's like I can sense chaos and chance within them, and the hands of fate no longer able to grip me as easily. When I feel probabilities changing, I can almost sense myself going mad with the ideas that can come about such a situation. The strange- almost rebellious nature of this magic... is so enticing. It speaks volumes of Dina's character, that she would use such an artefact.

...though chance brought us to her, and chance killed her... she lived by chance and luck, until it ran out. I will miss her, but I will learn from her death.

I have spoken to Tynal at length, speaking to him of my memory loss. The captain does not seem bothered by it. I suppose because he does not know who I was before, so therefore there is no real change to our relationship that 'I' don't know who I am either. He is a little less optimistic then Dina on getting my memories back... but that might be because he is more of a realist.

It looks like its back to work for me, there's a lot more ice. I hope Tynal will let me look at the engine of this ship. I'm really intrigued to look at it and...

...I want to feel the magic it might hold.

I have seen the spell of reincarnation from the fresh perspective of a new-born halfling.

In my journals, I note that I had spoken to a druid called Bu, with a great interest in reincarnation. The idea of throwing the die into one's identity and physical appearance is so.... interesting. Can it not be considered a blessing to see life from another perspective? However my current interest is probably not the same as what it was before. I suspect that the old me, wanted to escape her life in some way... I can't really blame her for thinking that. Our race can be rather... weak. However we certainly did escape that life of pampering! I hope if the old me is watching, she will appreciate the irony.

I think I've adapted to the circumstances. I've even found several advantages to being smaller then most other races. If one wanted to see life from another perspective there are safer, more temporary spells to do that. Reincarnation is completely different... it's the turning of the great wheel of life. New sands of time itself flow into the hourglass...

To see someone re-born is... indescribable. Seeing it happen to someone I know felt... a little sad. If one accepts such a spell, is not the caster now a parent in some way? Are we... responsible, for that new life and all the directions it might take? Therefore as parents... what else can we do, but simply 'let go' of the new life... to give it the chance to flourish, and do as they may, knowing the burden we may carry upon their actions? Of course this person is now an adult, with an adult mindset, and has lived a life and creed with their own moral compass. We do not pass on anything in that regard, much as we hope they will appreciate a new life.

I was faced with such a difficult dilemma. There is word to suggest that Dina is a terrible, horrible person but no physical evidence, besides the rubies she holds. If we attacked someone for having rubies, I think we'd all be branded criminals by now. I'm not sure if I was a lass of justice, but I think I was one of fairness. When she was killed, I accepted there was nothing I could do...

Hala, did not.

Gods Bless Hala... she is quite inspiring really. While I complain and do nothing, she actually -did- something. She was able to take hold of that dead soul, and spin the wheel of life, granting Dina a new form to exist in... and give hope that she might return home after all. While physically the body is very different... I can see her, in those eyes. From experience though, I know how the body can be a play-thing of the mind. Eventually, instincts take hold... one will do certain things without thinking... until you realise, you might not be who you were any more. Halflings can have such... strong instincts.

I am so impressed by Hala's power... and strength of conviction. I am not sure why she did what she did, but I believe it is because she is a good woman, with a great respect for life. Virtues that could get many of us killed, but... I prefer to live knowing I am with such a person. She asked my council on what we should do... and I admitted I did not know- though... I did feel we should set Dina free, going as far as to return all that she once had. Hala had done so much, I said I was willing to take the risk from this point if she turned on us. But I believed in Dina..

Even so, Hala refused. This was very much her responsibility, and I can respect that. I know she didn't do it 'for me' exactly- I never really thought about what others might be going through... that there might even be another that felt as I did.

We lost Dina, and her special cards. She fled to a place unknown. I feel a connection to Dina though... when she said she had nobody else to turn to, my heart melted. This was the woman who took me, when I had nobody else to turn to. When I was alone in a strange world, with strange people... this woman effectively 'raised' me in the last few weeks, sending us on our errands and completing her tasks that would benefit us all. How could I deny her anything when she looked so alone?

I kind of feel like I know what she is going through, and I hope she can be restored- or find joy in experiencing such an exotic form. Her issues are... far more pressing then my own anyway.

There will be... consequences to these actions. Though I was not exactly an instigator of these events, I can not deny I supported them. I will explain myself to the Captain, and see what will happen. He seems a fair man... I hope. I hope he can understand that, I would have done the same for him too.

As for Dina, I know we will see her again. Will be be as friends, or foe though? What are her true colours? Could she perhaps... make peace with the captain, and go home together? Surly co-operation is better then fighting...

I pray Dina, please be safe... you have cheated death, and have been granted a new life. Please, use it wisely... find a way to get home even if it looks impossible... we've just seen, nothing is final.
...
Cloud_Dancing wrote:The Dream was dead. What could Hala do but wonder at the days events. Their leader Dina was dead. In Hala's hands was the precious deck carefully wrapped in a strip of wool, stacked as it was found upon the taiga of the great Glacier that edged the Spine of the World.

It was a suicide. All her lies and machinations horribly came to surface. She had failed and sacrificed her life.

The dream lost? It was freedom. It was a way out of all her problems. It was a way to put this world behind her and become something entirely new and wondrous. It was to to be a planes traveler.

And now that dream is dead.

But sometimes people don't stay dead.

She stared down at the frozen corpse, the skull hacked in twain. Hala whispered the sacred words. Then Hala laid her ear down to the blue lips of the woman who had guided them into many trials and tribulations.

“Do you wish to live again?”

As the dust (snow) settles the party regather their thoughts over a few days. Tylan immediately puts the mummy to work, continuing the excavation the Thayans had started with their undead... and that the party had interrupted. Robert painfully deciphers Dinas personal runes on her spellbook and adds several new scrolls to his own. Hala speaks the the body of Dina, asking two questions "Why did you kill yourself?" (through attacking), and "do you want to live again". She is answered with a ghastly wheeze... "Yooouuuuu kiiiilllleeeddd meeee", and "Needdd toooo gooo hoooommmeeee". The group heads back as one, Hala persuading them that supplies are needed should vahn return, scrolls and the like. After much deliberation they agree, deciding that splitting the party is not prudent. Little did they realise that hala had taken the time to stuff Dinas remains back into a magical sack, with the intention of having her raised.

They travel on to rivermoot, making haste, pausing only to fight a hill giant who foolishly attacks them upon a high mountain trail.

While there Hala slips away overnight, seeking out local druids. She implores them to reincarnate dina, and they are swayed by her arguments, and offerings. After many rituals, Dinas form warps and twists from that of a female human, into that of a gilled male elf. She breathes again, though it is labored as her gills suck air. The druid advises that she will need rest, and will likely be disorientated and incoherent for the next half day. Hala feels the press of time keenly, and heads back to Rivermoot at speed. Hala returns, and begins to weave a tale of her supply gathering. Alas, she is a terrible liar, and both robert and ander who know her well, realize she is being deceitful. They pull her aside and grill her, until she admits the truth to them. they are both alarmed, and with Hala, slip away to see her, taking Cael the elven ranger, and Susana.

They find Dina (the now male aquatic elf) in a washer womans tub, filled with salted water. She does not look happy. In fact she is a great mess of confusion, fear, and anger. Hala attempts to talk with her, but it soon becomes evident that she cannot. They then remember that she could communicate only via a "tongues" spell... and Robert now held her spellbook. Hala persuaded him to rip a page out of it, with the "tongues" inscribed. Dina snatched it greedily, and read, committing the spell to memory. She then cast it, and turned her confusion and anger upon Hala. She was equal parts accusatory and desperation. She implored them for her spellbook, and deck of cards. Robert was adamant that she would not have the spellbook again. Hala on the other hand, eventually relented, and returned her cards to her, after an augury spell provided guidance of "Weal and woe" if it were to happen. (Good and bad).

By this time Ander had slipped away, alarmed by Halas actions, and Dina being alive again. He sought out Gwylla in Rivermoot, and told her what he had seen. They awaited the return of Tynal. Cael had also become alarmed as he realized that "the betrayer" Dina now lived again, and he left before the others, seeking to also warn Gwylla and Tynal. As the cards were returned to Dina, she shuffled through them, eventually pulling forth the portal card, stepping through it. Her hand reached out, and snatched the card behind her... she was gone.

Robert was not impressed. Susana seemed sad more than anything else. Hala on the other hand... well, it was hard to tell. Certainly there would be consequences to face when she returned to confront Gwylla and Tynal. And so there were, many heated words. Gwylla even threw a punch at one point, though she swung wide. Tynal however... took the news better than expected. Despite looking on the edge of a heart attack, he recovered and said that his debt had been settled with Dina, in the manner that Hoar prescribed. As she had inspired his crew to turn against him, so he had done to hers. That she lived again, and may be a threat again in the near future was unfortunate... but there was little that could be done about it now. For Halas transgressions though, he said they could be repaid by her service. Hala agreed.
Cloud_Dancing wrote:Image

The scarlet velvet curtain was thrust aside, Halanni stumbled through, and there was Vahn. Her half-brother's bright blue eyes bore into her, wreathed in the sigils tattooed on his bald pate. Hala clutched at her belt for her dagger and found she was only wearing her brief orange harem silks attached by gold adornments to her cinnamon flesh.

Vahn reached out his arm, the one wrapped reverently in swaths of red silk and black silk bands. Each band embroidered with magical sigils and wrapped tightly around his arcane limb. The black leather glove twisted and flexed as it reached for her neck. She found a soft leather collar now held her slender neck captive. He drew up a leash and clipped a golden chain to the ring attached to the soft leather collar binding her neck.

Then with a harsh tug, Halanni was dragged to him, to his chest, against the red robes. Passing the leash to his free hand he felt down the side of her neck with his gloved hand. She could feel the bones of his fingers and hear the flex of dried, dead skin. The young woman turned away, her thick hennaed hair shifting to the side smooth as a curtain of silk. The hand reached and grabbed her cheeks then pressed her chin upward.

His dark face shadowed hers. His subtly slanted eyes were kohled and glided. His hawk-like nose was austere above his lax chiseled lips which betrayed years of indolent living. He gathered her up close and forced his lips against her rouged ones. The young priestess struggled against the slithering press of his tongue and unnatural coldness it spread.

“You will obey me.”

The words echoed as they vibrated through her skull. Then he shoved her to her knees, then pushed her on to her back. He knelt down, his thigh against her chest as she struggled for breath. The Red Wizard shook his head and whispered darkly over her.

“You choose look like a slave, so you will be a slave. My slave.”

With a wave of his hand, young Halanni was frozen in place. She struggled to move, but no amount of effort could rouse even a flick of her finger. She was a statue. She was still as stone. Time stopped, all but for the screaming of her own voice, trapped inside her skull.

The gloved hand rubbed up her supple thighs and tore the silks there away. Gold beads felt to the floor in a waterfall of patters. Halanni's throat screamed, but only a harsh hiss escaped. The Red Wizard lowered himself over her held body, his hands stroking her sienna flesh and to cup her firm breasts possessively. His red robes splayed out to cover her as they spread like blood across cracked white marble.

“You are mine. You will always be mine.”

Hala woke up with a scream, then shoved her sleeve into her mouth to stifle the sound. The priestess looked wildly around. Disorientated as she was, she quickly saw the rough boards and plastered walls of the Rivermoot Inn surrounded her. Her covers lay on a pile on the wooden floor and she lay there drenched in sweat. Her neck felt rubbed raw. Her hair was matted up into knots from thrashing about. Her pillow was damp with tears. Thus the chill of the night suddenly became apparent despite the fact she was fully dressed in her blue robes and socks.

Hala set her feet to the floor, then immediately froze. The floor of her room was puddled with briny water and flecked with seaweed. There in the shadowed corner throbbed two insistent glowing eyes. A long arm, skin greenish, fingers long and webbed, pointed at out her. A sibilant voice hissed from the shadows.

“You did this to me!”

A deck of thick ivory cards appeared in the webbed hand.

“Pick one, Hala. Choose your fate. Either way the Butterfly will be MINE!”

A single card fell to the floor. The symbol of three cups fell face up. It was the three Fates. Hala scrambled forward to grasp the card.

She was alone and lying flat on her back in her single bed. Slowly, as she sat up precisely on the edge of the bed, she caught her breath. She was alone.

Hala gathered her things, she moved to the door of a nearby room, knocked, then begged urgently, “Please, can I sleep beside you tonight?”
A day later the group depart back for the glacier, with six laborers Tynal had hired to help them uncover the Butterfly. The trip was uneventful. Upon returning they found orc sign... and their mummy who had been hacked in half by a great many blows, and thrown down the crevice next to the butterfly. The party sets out to rout them from nearby fortifactions, as Tynal pointed out. They encountered a lone sentry outside a great old gate set in a hillside. He was dispatched with a few well placed arrows. The party enter, and begin the wet work. They move through ruthlessly killing orcs, felling a score and a half, despite being set upon from behind. The complex broke into rough tunnels where large spiders were seen. The group decided in a thorough approach to complex cleaning, and attacked. Hala and Gwylla suffered nasty bite marks with a poison that numbed limbs... and they retreated back after dispatching the spiders. They stumbled out to rest so that Hala could call upon Oghma for magic to remove the poison. Alas, their preperations to camp were cut short by a group of determined orcs and ogres that left the ruins, and headed their way, following the obvious tracks in the snow they had left. Perhaps two dozen orcs, and four ogres.

With the best fighters barely able to carry their equipment, they retreated into the icey wastes, the death maddened orcs in pursuit. It is obvious that they are ill prepared to outrun the orcs, and a place is chosen for a desperate last stand. A narrow path that winds up a hill and snow drift. Gwylla and Hala busy themselves pushing snow aside so they have a firm footing. Cael stakes arrows in the snow, ready to shoot as many of the giantkin as he can, and Su and Robert prepare their own components. Hala in particular is in a desperate state, as she sees their deaths in the approaching horde.

At Gwyllas direction the snow in front of them is melted with a burning hands spell from Su, turning it into a mushy treacherous slope. Robert casts a web spell as the orcs get within range, causing great confusion, and Cael lets fly with a few thunderstones which go wide. The web spell is used to great effect, as it strings out the attackers into something managable. Many fall to the arrows of Cael, and sling stones of Hala. Robert and su send spell after spell into the orcs and ogres, causing angry yells, and startled panicking. Gwylla stands like a rock in the pass, sheer determination, and her magical axe keeping the orcs and ogres piling up around her.

...the heroes triumph, despite the odds stacked against them. A battle worthy of the bards to be sure.

Image

*Art by Orangetree
12.August.2015: Never forget.
Rumple C
Bard
Posts: 3561
Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2004 9:38 pm
Location: The ceiling.

Re: The Butterfly Campaign Session Logs

Post by Rumple C »

ThanThe party regroups to the excavation site to lick their wounds, and plan a return to wipe out the rest of the orcs, and prevent any more attacks. They duly do so, and trudge back to the orc caves, finding them without a watch on the entrance. The party proceed carefully. Ander boldly takes the lead... and walks into a spring loaded spike trap, which goes through his boot. He painfully pulls his foot free, and heals the wound, though his boot is left with a ragged hole. They shortly discover orcs who attempt clumsy ambushes, but are driven back by the superior strength and arms of the party. Dead orcs tend to be skinnier than most, hinting at lean times.

They proceed further than last time.

Eventually Ander finds himself in an orcish shouting match with a far off orc. They trade threats an insults, Ander's mostly related to being an elf and how they are going to butcher all the weak orcs. The orc responds with how he will kill all the elves and rape all their women. What Ander soon realizes is that the orc is trying to draw them onwards, probably into a trap of some sort.

They proceed carefully, before finding another spring loaded trap. Judging from that, and the loudness of the shouts, the group figures that the orcs wait around the next few corners. They fake a very noisy injury to one of the group, and the orcs bellow and yell, and run towards the party, only to be met by a fireball from Robert. The orcs stagger on in shock, only to fall to their own trap, and the the stubby mace of Hala, and the eager blade of Ander. The group fights well, and orc bodies begin to fill to corridor. A larger below is heard, and an ogre pushes his way to the fore of the rabble. The party turn their magic and weapons upon it, and fell it, though not before it catches Hala with a brutal blow which sends her reeling back in a daze.

They party press their advantage and devastate the remaining orcs.

They find the cavern the orcs had retreated to. It seemed a safe room of some sort. There were supplies of fur blankets, and water in barrels, and some poor weaponry. Swaddled in cloth was a small orc child. Ander dispatched it with his sword, without pause. Hala seemed outraged and angered, though she found herself at odds with Robert, and Susana as well, who reminded her that leaving it alive would only be cruel and possibly very dangerous. When they found another child it was Hala who asked Susana to kill it.

Susana slit its throat.
Cloud_Dancing wrote:Image

Dead babies. Visions of dead, little, mossy green orc babies, little faces, squinted up at her, squalled, then were stabbed by flying daggers. Rivulets of blood jerked from their little bodies. Ghoulish faces, grim, stared at her accusingly, “It is just an orc!” She tore out her fists to beat at them all. She beat out the fire in their eyes. She snuffed the life out of them.

Of course she knew nothing of babies. They were the slave's job to care for. Whisked in to feed at mother's breast, whisked out of the harem before they disturbed the calm. Just as she had been whisked away to her nursery and then brought back weekly into her mothers sad graces until the day she first bled. Then she rejoined the women, was groomed, was dressed, was shaved, and was henna painted. On rare occasions her father would call for and she would be paraded around for his friends.

Ever elegant Thass would ask questions of her to show she was wise in trade and clever with figures. He would stroke at his slick black beard and smile warmly at her. He was proud of his progeny. Then she would be dismissed to kneel behind the screen and then lovely Nuala, her older sister, would be trotted out. She was leaner, more graceful, striding like a warm willow in the wind. Her answers were shrewd and calculating as she shifted her long elegant fingers in emotive gestures. The men were captivated, lost in her sapphire blue eyes. They could easily cede to such a woman's demands, but truly, they desired the flesh and fortune of Thass Embian Tam. With fine wine, food, and promises he drew them close and allured them with the sheer possibilities of fortune.

There were no babies, but the babies men owned and claimed. There was no mother for those green little grubs, those innocents, no place for them in the human world. No door would be opened and no cradle warmed. The greater good, was a great cruelty. They had killed all the orcs peoples of those caves. They had crawled deep into their orc caves and explored every crevice to eradicate them. The only choice was to finish what was started, close your eyes as daggers sliced, blood spurted with jerk, and the spatters hit the floor, then painted the metal of your boots.

Back at camp, Hala washed the blood from her armor and the blood from her mace. The snowy peaks were biting cold, but the warmth of the big bonfire kept one half of her roasting hot, the other half numb, so she rotated often to roast evenly. The night was cold and dark, the winds whistling mercilessly. Robert had made stew, good flavorful stew that fortified the soul as well as the body. Ander passed around a bottle of brandy. Her ow bottle of Westgate Ruby was a boon, but it did nothing for the hollowness inside that threatened to yawn and swallow her up.

She shivered and muttered quietly in the direction of the stout, black bearded wizard, as she uncorked the bottle of red wine, and softly said, “I don't want to sleep alone tonight, not with him out there.” She waved her hand around at the sky with a chaotic fling.

“You can share my pelts Hala, if you wish.”

She did indeed wish that and not much later went directly there to where Robert slept. Her eyes leaden with the musky red wine, she then slipped in beside him under the furs and blankets, curled against his warm belly, and drew his shy arms around her chest.

What did it matter? They all would be dead someday. And this was the sweetest moment in life, before the wave broke.

Image
orangetree wrote:In war, there are no innocent people.

I am a warrior of magic.

That is what I tell myself.

I know I did what had to be done. Of course, I was naive to think that orcs simply sprang as moss in a cave. They were as us. They had children, and they grew into the murderous, vicious, evil creatures of destruction that we fight every day.

We killed many orcs. I conserved my magic, aiding when the orcs acted in a more organised fashion. Though of course, tactics to an orc generally meant grouping together, and attacking as a swarm. They are not that imaginative, but I would be wary to underestimate any of them.

We descended deeper and deeper into the icy caves, slaying orcs and even a few ogres. The blades did really well, and we were knee deep (myself head deep) in the blood of our enemies. Each of their deaths brought us closer to victory. The freedom I seek to see worlds no other had seen.

With all the orcs dead, we came across their breeding pit with a few survivors. Two orclings, no more then babes, one slain on sight, before any decision could be made.

We found the other, huddled in cloth, with a spot of blood on his forehead. A tribal marking of some kind? It showed that orcs do have some kind of 'symbolism' mentality. I wonder if they will consider us their angels of death after this.

But I am a soldier of magic, and a soldier is just following orders. I did not see any distinction between an orc child and a full grown orc. Both will kill, and have no sympathy or the ability to empathise. We can not judge these creatures by our own standards. They are not even as wild animals. They are evil!

Hala, who expressed the most distress of the situation, was given command. I offered her the choice. What do we do, with an orc baby? It's life was hers... as a priestess, all life is her responsibility in some way and I do not envy her in that. What a burden it must be, to choose who lives and who dies... Will she kill it? Or will she set it free, knowing it will grow into a killer? What will her god tell her?

Perhaps we do _not_ know that will be the case... perhaps there can be such a thing as orc heroes...

... but not on this world.

I saw Hala's hesitation. I was sympathetic, it was the same hesitation I felt before I rationalised the situation. I was confident Hala would reach the same conclusion... indeed in this situation, I needed someone else to reach the same conclusion to validate my own. Without memory, I can only act on what I have seen and done...

Watching Hala, I gave her another offer. As leader, it is acceptable for her to 'order' another to do it... and that I will whatever she asks. A soldier just follows orders after all, even a soldier of magic.

She asks me to kill it painlessly... so with the aid of my sleep spell, I sang the orcling a little lullaby. It slept, knowing the greatest peace it could ever know in its short life... and will go on, to an even greater peace.

I cut the orcling's neck, with my sharp dagger.

It's- 'his' eyes locked to me, and I found myself staring at it. I was surprised to find light in the creatures eyes. The light of an intelligence... and for a moment I regretted that our battle had brought us together in this embrace.

"Hush little orcling, don't you cry... because I will be with you, until you die. "

I will not let him die alone of course. Such is all I could give him.

He will not kill, or harm anyone... nor will he have any progeny.

None survived our attack... and we will not be in their songs, or in their memories. All that will be known, is how an orc tribe simply died in a haze of furious blades and a strange magical sleep, before the cold of the ice entombed their blooded bodies. The ice will preserve these orcs for a long time... many died with a smile on their face. No doubt dreaming of the most horrible of wars with our kind.

I felt we did what must be done... the stakes are too high now to allow us to show any weakness.

... and yet, my spider familiar, acted very strangely with me today. It somehow looked at me, with a betrayed look in its multifaceted eyes. I do not know how that is even possible... spiders don't have expressions.

... and I felt alone, with no company... and nobody to tell me, I had done the right thing.

...only myself.

Our daily work continues as the labourers work to free the Butterfly. Our own responsibilities are quite basic, to clear away the beasts that might take an interest on the ship, or to make a meal of us. The work is monotonous, though necessary. We rest, we fight, we rest again to fight. We fear the mage that might come, and then we rest again.

I have slain so many beasts that I wonder if I have become de-sensitised to the casual destruction of these things. It is war I tell myself, and I am a soldier of magic, am I not?

When we are not fighting, I find myself thinking of my companions, and especially Gwyl. I don't want her to leave, and I don't know how I might convince her to stay. I know everyone else wants her to stay too.

Then I think of myself, when there is so little of 'me' to start with. It's like I don't exist in my head, and when I think of it too much it hurts. I have no identity, no...

*scribbles*

I just don't know who I am, or what I am supposed to be. Everyone expects me to be something, some person- but who am I really? I fear that without memory, what if... this is my true self? The person I am supposed to be, without prejudice of experience? What happens if I get my memory back?

I had to confront the person I was, and maybe it was silly... but I went through all the possessions, and the strange number of dresses I must have worn. They seem to be so... dangerously casual, that I can not imagine wearing them. Still I knew I had to, in order to 'see' this person.

I carefully slipped on the first dress. A curious fiery red skirt that came up to my knees and tight bodice. I thought it would be too small, but it fit so well once actually placed upon my form. It must have been measured to fit me- that is, my body exactly. I drew a breath, and conjured up a small mirror, to look at me... at her.

She... looked at me back, and... yes, it was a pretty dress- that I was wearing. I stared at the image, not really feeling like it was me. It looked like someone else... and she seemed unhappy?

"Hi... I need to talk to you," I said- and she said to me as well.

A mirror of my reflection, what would she have to say to me though that I couldn't say back?

"We met before, once, didn't we?" I asked her. "I'm who you are without memory... so... I must be inside you all the time, am I not? Did you fear me as much as... I fear you?" There was nothing but silence, and I couldn't help but worry that if anyone saw me talking to this image they would think me insane.

An idea struck me. I knew a way to see her...

I cupped my chest and stretched my arms out, performing the spell of eagle's Splendour. I felt as if I was flying and my skin glowed. I stared at the mirror again and I- I just stared at the beautiful woman in front of me. I didn't know how to put on these clothes in the perfected methods she knew, but the spell seemed to fix all the blemishes. Her hair- my hair was radiant in gold. I leaned forward, as if drawn by some strange force... I felt a strange feeling... and I wanted to touch her...

only for my prestidigitated mirror to destroy itself, as soon as I made contact with it.

"Oh gods," I said feeling a little angry. So this is who I was? A beauty queen with little other aspiration in life? I tore off the dress and cast it back to my bag, not knowing what else to do. I paced quite angrily for a few more minutes and got my more normal clothes on.

Who am I! Someone... please just tell me. I feel so alone, I can't-

But I have to keep going. I have to fulfil my duties to my new captain. I can't let anyone else know how distressed I am, otherwise... they might not trust me any more. That strange halfling girl in the mirror... I can't be her! I just can't!

... but when I look down at myself and feel her blood pumping, her hair getting in the way of my eyes... I know she will never leave me alone.
...

Golinar Goldforge had been spending time amidst the Dwarf strongholds in the area, telling them of the rediscovery of Kanaglym, in the wake of Dinas "Betrayal". Word reached him of a group of ill prepared humans headed north into the wastes carrying equipment for ice cutting work. Golinar recruited four engineers based upon his new ly earned respect, and set out after them.

He finds Tynal and the party clumsily cutting free the Butterfly, using poor technique, and with very real chance of causing further damage to the vessel and themselves.

Golinar rejoins the group, and the orcs (under their leader "Strikle") take over the excavation.

Gwylla turns in for the night, leaving the others catching up around the brazier. A large figure is seen trudging over the horizon... a giant!

It shuffles towards them, showing itself to be a zombie. The party move to engage it, and it is cut down, without causing any serious harm.

A chill wind blows, and the perty splits again, leaving Hala and Ander standing watch, their eyes seeing well in the low light of the night.

Hala makes mention of feeling ill, and that she will send Robert to stand with Ander. She heads towards the camp.

An hour later Ander still has not heard from either Hala or Robert, and grumbling, he heads to try to find either one of them. There is no sign of Hala, it would seem she never returned to the camp. The party gathers to find her. Foot steps in the snow show that went south. They find another zombie giant flanked by two shadows. The fight is a tough one, with the shadows sapping the strength of Gwylla and Ander. It is the eventual magic of Susana and Robert that saves them. The foot prints left by Hala show that she stopped nearby, and was met by another pair that seemed to land in the snow out of nowhere. Her foot prints then vanish from the snow.

There are further vocal mutterings of Hala being a traitor by Gwylla.
orangetree wrote:What... do I do?

When the time comes to make a choice,
I do not know which route to pace.
Do I stumble and fall, feign ignorance,
or do I march with grace and eloquence

I never knew that this small heart,
crafted by a goddess I know little about,
could feel the pain of knowing,
the world will be dividing.

The heart and the head speak,
telling me I must get what I seek,
guard myself in dreams and sleep,
Beware of the shadows that creep.

What is my loyalty that it can not be,
for few are more loyal then me.
I have no past except what I see,
Attack and defend us they decree.

The gods of death are watching,
Urugalan's eyes are telling,
I just want us all to keep going,
I don't want... an ending.

Cloud_Dancing wrote:Frozen in ice for so long,
Tempered in fire.
And Your words
Held close to my heart as my shield.
Wise leaves to be treasured.

Time has slowed down to each pinprick,
Of each crystal of ice.
You are there.
Warm furs, warm fire,
And surprise.

Pick breaks ice,
Your hands glow fire-warm,
How well I know them.
Tears drain away,
Only to pool like candle wax.

Smoky clouds hide the night from the day.
Night is what we live for.
One can shut the canvas,
Watch the silhouettes against the fire,
Then writhe in the desperation of desire.

How can one say that I am home?
Here among the ivory blue
Halls of Ice
Yet, I am home
In the fire of each furious kiss.

Knowledge is the extreme delicacy of a man,
Spread out like Your book of leaves.
To rub your fingers across the scribed page,
And to know the depth and breadth of his fire;
To know the cold reality of his ice.


Hala's Theme Song:

Ravel's Bolero
http://www.youtube.com/embed/3KgpEru9lhw
Cloud_Dancing wrote:The Song of the Butterfly
Part 1

Her broken wings struggled,
Nations watched her fall.
Here in the glacier we find her frozen,
Blood slowed to a bare beat.

Through many toils and tribulations.
We climbed with resilient steps.
Red Wizards took me,
The Butterfly freed me,

Into the world of dreams,
We traveled, stripped bare.
Empty Halls, shadows of the dead.
The Deck of Fate returned.

Delicate, powerful, flower,
Your words woven so carefully.
Entranced the company,
Made your mission ours.

The fight went on, traveling to distant lands.
Danced with the mermaids in the depths of the Moonshaes.
Struggled through the dead halls of the YuanTi in the Heartlands.
We fought on, growing in strength.

Into the depths of Kanaglym,
The lost city of the Dwarves.
The silent halls stole our memories,
Drowned them in black water.

The dark elves advanced,
Dwarven axes went to work,
Blood spotted the black tiles,
Spells flew from all sides.

Crystal clutched in hand,
Power flowing freely,
We emerged.
Two memories lost.

Image
...

Over the next few weeks the dwarves and labourers make progress towards freeing the Butterfly. Eventually they free it enough that Tynal is able to clamber in, sit upon the spell jamming helm, and raise it onto the glacier proper. As he carefully sets it down, wary of damaging it further, the labourers begin the grim work of emptying the dead out of it. Row upon row of bodies are set out, killed in the crash. The party joins in the repair work, ever wary of a return of Vahn, or Dina, or Orcs for that matter.

Some hours later, a single figure walks back into the excavation site, telling of an encounter with Vahn, that saw her whisked far away, and into battle. It was Hala. She was met with a frosty reception at best. She was directed rest, and repairs renewed with vigor. Golinar lent his working dirges to the task, much to the enjoyment of the dwarfs. A series of whispers begins amongst the group, though who started it was unclear (to some). "Dina is coming..." The dwarfs take up the cry, and two figures crest the horizon. A large giant skeleton and zombie. Dangerous to be sure, but no great threat to the experienced party.

The real threat soon emerges, with both Dina AND Vahn revealing themselves with magic thrown at the group. With magic threatening both front and rear Ander goes for Dina, with Robert and Su behind him. Golinar, Gwylla, and Hala turn their weapons towards Vahn.

Ander is hit by a horrifying visions then a flaming magical arrow, as Dina disapears into a ball of inky darkness.

Gwylla starts to see phantom in her mind, and swings her axe at visions in her head, threatening foe and friend alike.

Yet... between the dwarves, and skill of the party, the wizards are dispatched, despite their great magic.

Su and Hala (Women!) are saddened by the the death of their former leader, and brother (respectively). The party begin to relax, at last they can stop having to look over their shoulders all the time...

...

WOOOSH!

A great gust of wind scatters the group. Roberts cloak catches the wind like a sail, and he is swept of the edge and into a crevce where he lands in a snow drift, some fifty feet below. Looking around in surprise and panic, the remaining party see two ships flying through the air. They land, and two score figures pour out, laughing and pushing each other... presumably the Spelljamming pirates that damaged the Butterfly in the first place. They are confronted by Golinar, Gwylla, and Ander. Meanwhile Hala and Su send down ropes to the others who were blown into the crevices. A small but heated discussion is had, and threats exchanged on both sides. Gwylla chooses to answer Pirate ultimatums with her axe, and the fight turns ugly, very fast. Golinar is sent reeling back under the press of several pirates, while Ander is caught by a paralyzing magic. Gwylla calls for them to fall back to the bridge. A large Bugbear who had picked out Ander earlier as being fine rape material takes the time to lift the helm from his paralyzewd head, and punch him full in the unprotected, and indefensible face. Ander falls back like a felled log.

Meanwhile Robert fumbles with the rope, his large frame making it almost impossible to climb out. He rummages in his pack for a scroll, and casts from it. A magic window forms which he steps through, appearing back at the top of the crevice. He sees a desperate fray forming around a narrow patch of glacier, with steep drop offs on both sides. With a grim smile he begins to cast, a gust of wind giving the pirates a taste of their own medicine. Several are blown over, and the press of battle begins to turn back in favor of the party, and not a moment to soon, as Golinar wobbles dazed, fighting on instinct alone.

Pirates begin to call a retreat!

Some break off from the fray, and run back past Ander, dragging him to the two pirate vessels, which take to the skies. Behind them, the remaining pirates curse, but sell their lives dearly.

... and it is over. Ander gone, Vahn and Dina dead.

Tynal is hauled back via rope and makes his case for continuing repairs on the Butterfly, and going after Ander. He even manages to sway Gwylla to his side.

...

Weeks later, as Su, Golinar, Gwylla, Hala, and Robert stand upon the deck of the Butterfly, staring out at Realmspace they hear tale of a Dashing Silver Haired Elven Pirate, who's wit is as sharp as the ram on his ship. They look at each other, and nod. Tynal turns the ship, and the head towards the stars...
12.August.2015: Never forget.
Rumple C
Bard
Posts: 3561
Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2004 9:38 pm
Location: The ceiling.

Re: The Butterfly Campaign Session Logs

Post by Rumple C »

orangetree wrote:Decisions, decisions...

I am not a decider.

I can not choose easily.

I lack memory and experience to know, right and wrong... good and evil... the way things should be, compared to the way things are. Who am I to judge what it is, that must be? Fate does not allow one to go without making a choice. To make none at all, is to walk away and is itself a choice To do 'nothing'... is certainly a 'valid' choice, but a choice nonetheless with its own consequence.

And so it came to pass, that I made my decision.

I betrayed Dina, as she attempted to take the Butterfly from us. I condemned her to another death once more, with my own magic aiding her demise instead of safety. My captain... my first captain, had taken the aid of a dangerous enemy of Hala. Her brother... Vhan. It was a line too far...

But that is not all I have done.

We sail now, in a ship of dreams. I have seen faerun as few others ever have. I can see it the way the gods themselves must see it, and how insignificant we must be. Realmspace lies before us, and the strange things that exist beyond... beyond all things.

I work on the ship, learning everything I can about the art of spelljamming. I have sailed port to port, and have seen many strange and wondrous lands. We have stayed on the relatively safe places, the captain is... not too keen on exploring the unknown. (I'm sure Dina would have.)

Despite all this, I am not whole... I am incomplete. I pressed the captain on when we might journey to restore my memories, but alas... the captain did not have a way. He had no contacts, or any way of even beginning to work out a way to get a miracle spell.

That died, with Dina.

I will be as I am... forever.

I have condemned myself and Ander, to wonder the stars with no memories of our past. There does not seem to be anything we can do... was it worth it? I remind myself that it was not 'I' who condemned Dina, but mainly Gwyila, who threw the first axe and set us upon this path of no return. Perhaps Dina was indeed a terrible evil upon the world... but she was one I was comfortable with and felt I could understand. Her... chaos, was beautiful, compared to Captain Tyval. It is no wonder she rebelled. She wanted to feel excitement... adventure... riches... but so many died for it. So many were killed... all for nothing. That is probably why Tyval plays it very safe and keeps such a close eye on everyone now.

I believe it is not what Dina wanted and I know I will always dream that we could have sailed the stars together, with her body restored, even with Captain Tyval beside us. It is a dream, that can never be.

I have become more comfortable, in understanding myself. The person in the mirror, no longer seems quite as a stranger, as she is now a familiar gaze. I don't even mind dressing myself up in the curious clothes I once had, even if I am not really sure why I do it.

After all this adventure, I have also realised, just what a sorceress truly is. It is not simply a soldier of magic as I once thought... I don't know if the old me understood quite so well... as I do... but...

Those as me, touched by magic, do not merely exist in the world... We _create_ the world around us. Just as the weave binds all of reality, and we shape it, we craft the future. We undertake the terrifying responsibility of altering the fates of those around us by invocation of power, making a coin flip heads where once it might have hit tails... a life might die, where instead it lives... Perhaps that is why, a sorceress is not something one can choose to be... it is what we are. We have so little control, of our own fate... and that is not a bad thing. Such control would make us gods... and we are, very mortal.

So... very mortal.

My actions allowed the butterfly to spread her wings... and I know, it will create many a storm in the multiverse...

... and now that I have seen so much, and gone so far... what of me? What of my lost memories... that make me feel so hollow and empty. And what of the goddess, I once believed in. Should I not... try once more, to understand her? Or do I start life all over again.

Perhaps my story... is not yet over. It is one more decision, to make...
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Re: The Butterfly Campaign Session Logs

Post by Brokenbone »

Cool story bro.
ALFA NWN2 PCs: Rhaggot of the Bruised-Eye, and Bamshogbo
ALFA NWN1 PC: Jacobim Foxmantle
ALFA NWN1 Dead PC: Jon Shieldjack

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Re: The Butterfly Campaign Session Logs

Post by kid »

Holy fek I can't believe I read all that.
Damn nice, rump, guys, sounds like it was a blast.

Please send Rumple my warmest regards.
May he rest in peace.
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Re: The Butterfly Campaign Session Logs

Post by Brokenbone »

PS - who else retires as a space pirate in ALFA? We should all so aspire.
ALFA NWN2 PCs: Rhaggot of the Bruised-Eye, and Bamshogbo
ALFA NWN1 PC: Jacobim Foxmantle
ALFA NWN1 Dead PC: Jon Shieldjack

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Re: The Butterfly Campaign Session Logs

Post by Rumple C »

Cloud_Dancing wrote:Image

The Window

The sea of stars shifted stunningly in rotation from Hala's vantage at the great rounded glass window which faced the all-too-close surface of sacred Selune. In the distance, the Tears of Selune orbited, the light of the distant sun illuminating their surfaces. There was no mystery in Selune now. Instead there was wonderment in stalking the streets of a small station there upon her glowing white surface.

An azure dragonfly slowly drifted in from afar, gaining size at approached the docks and the seemingly delicate ship slowed lightly to join with the docks. Its windows exposed the fertile crystal orb of Aber-Toril with its shifting clouds. It contained a world of tiny people full of despair, joy, clarity, and full of madness. She'd never have to look at their faces again and they would never hunt for her again.

They had arrived on Selune in close quarters, ragged, and unwashed in one of the few intact compartments attached to the helm of the starship. Their gems were welcomed, changed into currency, and that coin spent on equipping themselves to be a true spacer crew. She splurged. Hala gently touched the ornate longsword at her hip, the weapon of a true follower of Oghma.

Halanni ran her long fingers through her new haircut. It was short bob cut in angular sections that fringed her face in fiery red waves and was beaded with silver clasps polished to a liquid shine. Her new dress shimmered in a deep red swath that flowed down her back and over her hips, the silken fabric woven with silver so it shimmered like the stars.

Once it was repaired, the Butterfly was a sight to be seen. Her hulls were once beaten and bruised, were now shinning and smooth. Now the crew was now able to stride the spacious deck, run fingers along her ornate brass fittings and scrollwork, and then admire the many polished wooden inlays that framed the oval glass windows. They each found their own quarters curved in compartments along the hull. Many rooms still lay empty soon to be filled with new crew members to take up where the last crew left off.

Words like phlogiston, portals, and wildspace now filled her mind. When Tynal taught Susanna and Robert, Hala, and Golinar watched and listened. She smiled more now than she had during their trials on Toril. Mostly it was because how a Giff, a strange bulbous creature with a great maw, had told her of Sigil,the city of doors, and the knowledge that lay within its libraries.

There were promises to be kept. She had repaid most of her debt to Tynal. She promised she would find away to get Susanna and Ander their memories back. Knowing Ander was out there somewhere was enough. She knew he'd survive by his wit and clever tongue. Though she had promised Robert nothing, she felt that there was an unsaid pact that lingered between them that would last well into their lives as spacers.

Still, it haunted her that she would never know what Dina had been after in the end. Halanni now knew why she had desired the ship and why someone would be willing to give up her life for it. The Butterfly was beautiful and elegant with her solar sails spread out against the starry sky as the dock workers and engineers repaired their reflective surfaces as they finished up the outer repairs.

Dina's final cry to go home still echoed hollowly in her chest. The emotion was tangled with the horror of watching Vahn fall to the ground, his blood coloring the snow, scarlet against white. The end of the Embian line now lay buried deep in foreign snows which melded him slowly into the ice. Side by side with Dina he would stay entombed for time to shift far into the future. And would those that found him would wonder then how a Red Wizard and a Sea Elf ended up so far from their homelands?

It all would be a distant memory soon.

Hala peered down at the journal before her and read the finishing words:

Return to the Marches,
The Rauvin streaming silver,
Rivermoot's sleepy rest,
Plans set in motion.

Upon the glacier,
We met the true Captain.
Our patron cracked,
Her careful facade, then died.

Oh, motions of fate,
That can be done, can be undone.
I tried to remake Dina,
She came back something different, but still sadly the same.

Betrayal? Forgiveness? Revenge?
Unexpected, conscripted into service.
Sent into service,
All is in balance once again.

The Orcs challenged us,
The hunt was on.
Every one dead,
To the last innocent scion.

My brother, still lingered,
Wanting more of me,
Than I ever could give.
He took me away.

Alone. His eyes burning into me.
Telling me my uncle is dead.
My mother is free?
Or sold to the highest bidder?

His dancing eyes challenged me,
I held him tight.
Raised my arm for the killing blow,
frozen, remembering our childhood delights.

Running through the wood,
Unseen.
Riding through the mountains,
clinging to horse flesh.
I arrived, to frowns and a fight.

As the Butterfly was righted,
Dina rose again.
Vahn alighted,
Spells blazing.

“Brother, leave this place!”
I cried.
And with an axe blow,
He died. He fell and died.

Sea Elf and Red Wizard,
Frozen in glacial ice.
Locked for a thousand years,
In eternal embrace.

The Butterfly rose,
Her wings limp, but glowing.
The air shifted around us,
And we climbed aboard.

Two dwarves, a halfling,
A human, and a half-elf.
Lifted off that day.
Freed from Toril's sphere.

Now linger for a moment at our tale,
For it is all true.
If you fight for a dream,
Your dream becomes within you.
12.August.2015: Never forget.
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Re: The Butterfly Campaign Session Logs

Post by Rumple C »

Twin Axes wrote:The final battle with Vahn the Necromancer, near the broken Butterfly in the icy waste.

Image
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Re: The Butterfly Campaign Session Logs

Post by Ithildur »

((good stuff. This is what ALFA needs moar of.))
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Current main: Ky - something

It’s not the critic who counts...The credit belongs to the man who actually is in the arena, who strives violently, who errs and comes up short again and again...who if he wins, knows the triumph of high achievement, but who if he fails, fails while daring greatly.-T. Roosevelt
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Re: The Butterfly Campaign Session Logs

Post by Rumple C »

Twin Axes wrote:NOTES FROM A SPELLJAMMER
or
Faerun seen from above

Many moons have passed since we found those bodies in the woods. Several humans, arranged around their camp fire, throats slit. And nearby, the red wizard still hovering over his victims. His final mistake. That night I first tread on a path that would take me all across the northwest of this continent, over mountains, into caves, mines and ancient halls, under water even, and finally all the way up here in the heavens, floating on a contraption only glimpsed as a rumour in the tales I used to pore over in Sundabar’s great library. The Butterfly, Spelljammer ship! How my family used to worry that I never showed aptitude for their finicky goldsmithing, or any hunger for the gold coins that it garnered. I seek a different treasure. My eyes have seen things that nary have grazed their deepest dreams. Who could have imagined what the light of Selune would look like reflected by a sea of clouds – beneath you! And all around, the countless stars! This is richness.

Gradually the world of the spheres has shifted from hazy notions to reality as hard and visible as this writing hand before me. Mysterious, unknown races have come aboard our ship, we have heard tell of powerful magic, traders and pirates, wars and alliances, all strangely similar to the life on Faerun, yet coloured by the fantastic strangeness and glory of life among the stars.

Yet, Toril calls me back to itself. Ever I lean over the railing, gazing down through the rifts of clouds of a morning, and Faerun goes drifting by down there, hills, forests, rivers, fields…and all the small creatures with all their small business. Plowing, mining, trading, ruling, robbing, killing. It all seems so far away, like one of those tales from the library that led me out into the world. Yet I feel the pull of the earth that would gather me to itself, send me plummeting and bury my broken bones in a pile of dust. Such is the fate of dwarves. We come from the solid rock, and we are reclaimed by it in the end. No matter how far we drift.

Little Susana has already left the ship. She was set down among the isles we visited on our travels. She thought she might still have some friends there. I wonder if they will recognise her, she being doubly removed from them – first by losing her memories at the Well of Kanaglym, then by having spent these months traveling the heavens with the rest of us. I doubt any one of us could walk the ground again with the same unshakeable belief in its solidity.

Hala and Robert seem the most at home in our new setting. It is as though they were made for this life, and just didn’t know it until The Butterfly shook loose from the frozen waste and rose with a shudder to the skies. Being a mage, Robert was always attuned to the arcane energies that exist outside our senses, and he certainly has had dealings with otherworldly planes before. And there are some places where your bulk is reduced to the weight of a feather, and then he doesn’t have to huff and puff so much when dragging that great belly around. Hala has found the perfect backdrop to her colourful persona. Faerun always seemed to small to contain her. There was constant drama swirling and eddying where she went, and she seems just right on the deck of a space travelling ship.

My shield cousin Gwylla, on the other hand, seems less of a natural inhabitant. She was born to cut swathes through orcs and trolls, and I wonder if she finds the squishy flesh of space pirates to her axes’ liking. Still, she will survive. Like so many of our shield maidens, she is hard on the outside, and the inside too. She is already a household name in Selune’s taverns.

And Ander, that silverhaired rogue of a half elf. Taken away by pirates, yet to judge by the stories that have drifted to us from the outer sphere, he lived to tell the tale. And more than that, he is reputed to have taken over the command of that bunch and now spreads terror among the traders! That lad always had a dangerous streak in him, and after tasting the Water of Kanaglym, something dark and sinister came over him. Maybe he is yet another one who has found his unlikely place among the stars.

And so it will be. Either you adjust and stay, or you drift back to Faerun. One by one we go, we who have too much unfinished business left down on the ground. Soon it will be my turn. The ancient secrets of Kanaglym, which we stumbled upon when working for Dina, call to me in my dreams. Sender, the axe masterfully wrought out of living, untarnishable metal, that I claimed in the sad, abandoned halls, was mayhap made to one day help free that place from its dark shadows. And dark those shadows were indeed. Would that I could bring to light the glory of the past, so tantalizingly revealed in the line of kings inscribed on the ornate shield we recovered. I pray to the Morndinsamman that the ancient kingdom will one day resonate with dwarven voices again.

The light of Selune fades as The Butterfly sinks into the clouds. Soon we are enveloped in a thick mist, through which the stars above are faintly glimpsed from time to time in the rifts. Then a darkness begins to appear below us. Shapes of brown and green appear. A mountain. A river. And far off, the twinkling lights of Faerun’s houses as their inhabitants prepare for the oncoming night.
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Re: The Butterfly Campaign Session Logs

Post by Heero »

Guys, this really sounds best ever.
Heero just pawn in game of life.

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Re: The Butterfly Campaign Session Logs

Post by JonnyJerny »

"this really sounds best ever"
[22:46] <Ronan_> I once stabbed a man in Reno just to watch him bleed.
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Re: The Butterfly Campaign Session Logs

Post by Rumple C »

I'm not letting Jern have the last word.

TLDR: Space pirates.
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Re: The Butterfly Campaign Session Logs

Post by Twin Axes »

Arr...nostalgia.
"[T]he dwarvern people, are machine-like, and it is impossible to reason with a machine." - Susana
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