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Review Svartaland, Season 03.5
Svartaland, Season 04 Svalskörde / The Cool Autumn
Session 62
The Red-Gold Company turned over the archaeologists to the authorities of Messersachs. Baron Bart Van de Berg
examined the papers found on them identifying Hersir Karl Bruni, a baronet from Drasland, as having employed
them. The Baron groaned audibly, though, revealing uncertainty about the area's boundaries, even with Krem
Kleij's apparent confidence in the shrine location belonging to Messersachs County. The Baron recovered though
and was rather dismissive, stating the responsibility rested with the new bondsman and not with them. He advised
the party to "let it go" for now, promising that he would consult with the baronet about the detained archaeologists.
The company also debated whether or not to surrender certain confiscated items from the archaeologists, mainly a
magical haversack, and whether they should reveal that they acquired a cursed necklace, taken off a Xorn. Ultimately
they surrendered the magic backpack but kept the rest secret.
During the next five days, the Red-Gold Company scouted locations and occupation rights east of Messersachs for
their bastions, cliffside and roadside locations which Baron Bart later approved for construction. The government
provided dwarven engineers, masons, lumberjacks, carpenters, as well as building materials at no cost to the party.
High-level magic users, however, for spells like "Rock to Mud" were not readily available. Desiring special
facilities, such as Workshops and Arcane Studies capable of crafting specialty goods and magical items, the
adventurers patitioned the government for hirelings with special skills and knowledge. On their own, they
started advertising for and hiring a major domo, cook, guards, and maid servants locally. Lands were then
cleared and reshaped for the bastions. Timador also met with the Viscount Ludwich Mefni of Messersachs and his
wife, Fru Solphie, at their request. They were aware that Timador had petitioned for the installation of a
permanent Teleportation Circle. Solphie was pleased with this, as her own circle in her her home had been
conscripted by the military for use during the war. With another nearby circle being established, Solpie
hoped that hers could soon be decommisioned and sole control of it returned to her.
The Red-Gold Company next traveled 55 miles overland to Kleinhafen, a port city west of Hartewald. They
arrived the night before the Cool Autumn Festival being held on Day 109. After a long rest at the Dragon-shaped
castle, they met with skalds (to help document their exploits), artists (for rendering their portraits), and a
herald (to review the required ceremony procedures for them to join the Svarta Peerage). Some of the party's
family members also arrived to witness the knighting of their children and siblings. Following the actual
oath-taking ceremony (and the receiving of wolf-themed identifiction and ceremonial gear), Timador received
a Sending message from Shaman Chjell. The goblin chief related to the wizard troubling signs of activity
near the pujkes' egg caverns, where Chjell was aware that the company had previously explored and modified an
underwater ziggurat. (He also knew that the Company had recently been traveling by ship near the location.)
As the Shaman was only somewhat concerned and he didn't indicate any immediate danger--and he likely expected
they party would need to be slow trailing by ship to investigate, Baron Bart suggested that "The Red-Gold Knights"
first participate in the autumn festival in Hartwalde, socially mingling with regional nobles.
At the festivities, Stroop performed for Princess Fahari of Tief Liegend, and his songs earned 40 gold pieces
and her admiration. The Knights also participated in a seasonal magic item auction, acquiring a Potion of Supreme
Healing and a Wand of the War Mage +2, while also selling off some of their own redundant or lesser powered
items. They elected then to revisit the ziggurat area to see what Chjell was on about. But, the Knights decided
to keep the sigil's of the ziggurat's teleportation circle their own secret. Timador cast the Teleportation
Circle spell himself instead of accepting the Baron's offer to supply someone to cast the spell for them. However,
instead of landing within the ziggurat, the Knights found themselves teleported atop a 200-foot stone pillar
in a desolate volcanic wasteland, surrounded by ash, high winds, and a murky night sky. As the pillar top was
already occupied by several wooden crates and barrels, several of the party had to steady themselves to prevent
from falling off.
The night air was tinged with sulfurous gases, and obscured by a dense volcanic haze. It was 25 degrees colder
than from where they had just teleported. Trying to gauge their actual location, they noted that Eyeqweetas was
either veiled behind the overcast sky--or it just wasn't up there anymore. Some scattered stars were visible but
nothing looked familiar. Searching through the wooden crates, they found food and homesteading supplies. Pinned
to one of the smaller sacks was a note from "Vraspir the Variscite." Vraspir's note indicated "Hey: I'm coming
back for this stuff soon, and I'd appreciate you leaving it alone. It's just common stuff that I need and took
me time to assemble. It's worth 250 gold. If, for some reason you feel entitled to it, just take this bag of gold
instead. Or, better yet, leave it all." The party left it alone for the nonce. In fact, Timador added in 25 extra
gold coins inside and signed a new note (or appended the old one) with something akin to "I contributed for your
cause, signed, The Scarlet Pumpernickel."
At the base of the pillar, a shivering humanoid, Hereward the Rhyme-Ruffler, a bard from Belanore (an elven city
on the isle of Kraldjur) was spotted by Stroop and Sagon as they descended and explored. Hereward revealed that
his own party of adventurers had recently discovered the underwater ziggurat and it's teleportation circle. They
intended to use the location as a base of operations, but, when they tried to teleport back to it, they accidentally
teleported to this same pillar instead. Choosing to explore this new location, his group battled with a "frost-fire
dragon" in a lava tube cavern a mile or two away to the west. Hereward said he had been magically frightened and
forced to flee. Thereafter, having to endure hotter- and then colder-than-expected temperatures, the poorly dressed
and equipped Herewald was unable to adequately rest and recovery.
Yrsa cured the bard's exhaustion, and the company, after talling a short rest themselves, rode their pair of magic
horses to where Hereward had indicated--to confront the dragon (and possibly recover the magical gear... I mean, the
bodies of Herward's companions. In the tunnel, Timador's owl scouted ahead and discovered a giant fire lizard and
two Salamanders, sparking combat. The owl--taking damage--was lost in the conflict. Yrsa hit back gainst the fire-based
creatures with Sacred Flame, Kime struck with force arrows, and Voglefest (transformed into a Giant Ape) dealt massive
damage. From the south then, a largish red and white colored dragon arrived. Sagon raced forward to fight it directly
and Stroop and Timador landed ranged damage via Eldritch Blast and Lightning Bolt. The dragon's attacks and breath
weapon wounded everyone in the front ranks, but Timador's final Lightning Bolt struck it down. The dragon's death
scream was anwered with an even louder scream heard echoing throughout the caverns, hinting at an even greater threat
nearby, possibly the dragon's mother.
The next session will be held live and take up immediately from there. It is difficult, however
to determine what day and time it actually is, possibly around 18 o'clock. If they surviive, the
Red-Gold Knights is able to long rest whenever they wish.
Session 63
Whatever made the roar that came from the southern area did not attack immediately. Yrsa took the opportunity to cast
some healing magic and then moved farther back. She witnessed the cavern entrance to the east, the one the knights
had descended into the lair, suddenly covered over with a wall of ice. As there still wasn't a direct attack, the
party did what they could to heal themselves further with potions and Keoghtom’s Ointment. Then a 20-foot radius sphere
of blinding ice particles appeared, almost totally obscuring the yet-unexplored westward cavern. Arrows and
missile weapons were shot and tossed into the freezing mist, perhaps hitting something within or beyond, as a nine
foot tall blue-skinned woman with icy white hair--and a two-handed sword--stepped out of the mist toward the monk. She
appeared hurt in the left shoulder. She slashed at Sagon, and a melee ensued, with most of the adventurers getting in
at least some hits against her. The monk managed to knock the frosty woman prone, and that seemed just enough physical
damage to also disrupt her polymorphed form.
An adult white dragon appeared in her place, a bit cramped in the narrow tunnel, but she was still able to squeeze and
squirm and right herself. She breathed out a cone of frost. Many in the front ranks took considerable damage and Stroop
was frightened by the dragon's aura. The knights took advantage--as the dragon was constrained--to more easily strike
against her. As soon as she could, though, the dragon repositioned her wall of ice and frosty sphere, and, immune to
its effects, she stepped inside of the sphere and used her long reach and tail attacks to bite and slash out at her nearby
opponents. The visually obscuring nature of the frosty sphere tipped the scales and now it was the party members who
were attacking at a disadvantage against her.
At one point in the contest, when the party was split by a wall of ice, Timador managed to cast a Dispel Magic
spell on the frosty sphere. But, just moments before, the dragon, who had found herself badly wounded, sought to
retreat by employing Misty Step to teleport herself 30 feet away into the western tunnel. As all of the party
members had moved back to avoid her attacks and breath weapon, they didn't see or hear her movement. Then, on her next
action, she filled the cavern in front of her again with another frosty sphere.
Believing the dragon nearly defeated at this point and not wishing her to escape, Sagon raced through the freezing damage
and through to the other side and found her in a cavern junction. The wide shaft angled northwest toward the exit. Also,
a cul-de-sac chamber stretched back toward the east where the knights were still positioned. The dragon used her breath
weapon and tail attacks on Sagon, dropping his hit points to dangerous levels. But, as the party members were telepathically
linked, the monk was able to relay the dragon's position and the cul-de-sac cavern's dimensions back to the others. Timador
readied his lightning bolt using a 5th-level slot, and he waited for Yrsa to Stone Shape an opening through the
cavern walls and into the cul-de-sac. Yrsa created a hole through the stone allowing the wizard a view of the dragon.
The lightning damage was enough to finish her off.
The party then headed south deeper into the caverns, making a quick search for threats before attempting to rest. They
also sought to discover what the crashing sounds heard in that direction were. Kime had seen the dragon's Wall of Ice
quickly melt away and believed that other masses of ice in the otherwise volcanic lair were likewise doing so. They
ventured down a wet and slippery tunnel, which joined up into a metal tube lining a vertical shaft. Icy
chunks were dropping down and piling up at the bottom. A glint of plate armor was seen under some of the pile. A sword
also dropped down. A rope was tied to Stroop and he slid down the tunnel to get a better view of the situation and to
retrieve the sword using Mage Hand. Then, as Sagon on another rope slid down to assist Stroop with heavier items,
their combined weight was enough to trigger a pressure plate concealed in the cavern floor beneath the wet slush. The
seemed to trigger the flooring of the metal tube to flop open and downward, and the icy mass fell 160 feet down into
magma, which was rather cool, but still hot enough to destroy most anything dropped down into it.
Sagon climbed up to get a better look at the ceiling area, and saw bodies and adventuring gear frozen inside the ice
(apparently the dragon's larder/refrigerator). He was also able to perceive a chamber further back and up and over, and
he noted in the ice where the dragon likely burrowed through the ice and then refroze the openings behind her. Stroop
and Sagon did what they could climbing up to save the items before they dropped into the magma--tying ropes to what they
couldn't physically handle themselves. Kime remained behind fartherest up the shaft to anchor support ropes,
but Timador also went down to help ensure the others saved the best stuff by casting Detect Magic. Two magma
mephits also appeared, coming up from a side chamber in the shaft from further below. Even wounded and depleted of most
of their spell slots, the Knights were able to kill these minor foes quickly using cantrip spells.
The session ended there with the party members having achieved enough experience for 11th level. It should be, by their
reckoning about 19 or 20 o'clock on Day 109. They can Long Rest at any time they choose. But whether they choose afterward
to explore further is up to them.
Session 64
The Red-Gold Knights worked to seal off the shaft leading to the underground volcanic areas (just in case a Red Dragon
might have been down there). Then, they began working their way through the masses of ice that the white dragon had built
up to seal off her inner lair. Enough slushy water was escaping from the ice and flowing down, that the party decided to
go up to the surface to see if they could get inside using the other old lava tibe entrances they spotted earlier. One
set of openings led to a small cavern area that showed signs of someone having camped there, but not too recently. Another
entrance led to the other side of the dragon's ice, but those chambers also contained an assortment of Basilisks and angry,
pychic mushroom men.
Once those creatures had been defeated, the party gathered up a clutch of Basilisk eggs and also made their way into the
White Dragon's inner chamber, where she had a magic chair and nine enchanted water opals. Using Inentify spells, Timador
was able to determine that the opals had been enchanted using some type of 7th level Necromancy spell called Oneiros
Oubliette. The spell was intended to imprison and torture the souls of the recently dead in a dreamworld created from a
horrible memory, and also as a way to stow away the dead body along with some of its gear and/or other small items. The
body and items would be lost forever if the magic were dispelled. But, the magic chair (Marastol) provides a way for
someone to enter the dreamworld prison, apparently intended as a way to further torture the soul. But, it can also be
used to try to convince the emprisoned soul to follow the user of the chair back into the real world.
Before teleporting home, the party discovered the partial corpse of the bard Hereward; something had stripped away his
flesh and some bones of the shoulder and lower jaw. As there was not enough left of him to cast Speak With Dead upon,
the party was unable to learn what had happened. Timador, though, placed a few more gold coins into the money pouch
left behind by Vraspir.
Session 65
After returning to Messersachs via Fru Mefti's home teleportation circle, the Red-Gold Knights sold off the Basilisk
eggs to parties interested in using the newly hatched Basilisks to guard important treasures. The party then returned
to their new bastions in order to supervise final construction and to give orders to the new hirelings as to their
duties and which items they should begin crafting. The party also required twelve days to train up to 11th level.
Near the end of their training, they were summoned to Messersachs at the request of Baron Bart Van de Berg, who had
arranged with them to meet with a trio of hags: Auntie Kinsifter, Brenda Hyrr, and Sahgae Behg, representatives of
the Ninefold, the Coven of Covens Synergy Sisterhood. These nine hags have been researching and battling with King
Azalin, the lich who is based in Avon Leigh, part of the land north of the Norr Mountains that was not naturally
part of TheWorld. This new land and the mountains south of it is rich with Faerz'ress magic, which the hags claim
was residue left behind after 10th-level magics were employed to move this land. The hags also revealed that during
the 162 Season World War when the world's population was busy fighting and defending itself from the other City States,
other lands to the far east, southeast, and southwest were also attached to TheWorld.
These hags (and the Svarta government, which has its eye on annexing Norr) were particularly interested in the
northern lands, and have been in conflict with the lich Azalin, even having bested him on a couple of occasions. But,
due to his unded nature, he just reforms and comes again to cause trouble. Knowing this, the hags were also spying on
where Azalin reforms. They believe they have worked out the most likely spot, where he must also be storing his
phylactery. Due to how Faerz'ress screws with Divination and Conjuration spells, especially Teleportation, the hags
concluded that Azalin must be reforming somewhere beneath one of the Avon Leigh buildings in the northern part of
Temple Square. They intend of storming the place, hoping to find and destory his phylactery.
The Red-Gold Knights meanwhile, along with a second strike-force, are intended to cause distractions, hopefully
keeping Azalin too preoccupied to thwart the hags in their mission. The Red-Gold Knights have been assigned the task
of destorying (or stealing) the lich's airship, "The Skywraith," said to be a spelljammer craft powered by a soul
drive, and capable of reaching nearby moons. The Svarta government is especially interested in the capture of this
ship, hoping their wizards can reverse engineer it. Escaping with the ship will prove quite difficult, though, as
the party will have to not only reach the ship safely, but one of them wil also have to hook themselves up into the
soul drive and attempt to pilot the craft with no prior knowledge of how it operates. There is some hope, though,
as the soul of the wizard/warlock Ogdium, inside of Sagon's Ring of Mind Shielding, says that he is an off-worlder,
and he has at least some basic knowledge of how a spelljammer is supposed to operate.
The party is expected now to finish their training, and then the hags will teleport them to the Norr complex known
as Preicis Industry. There, they will ride the Witchpriest Colafar's steamwagon underground to Fort Framlin and
meet up with the Svarta forces stationed there under the command of Macgram Grimhide. They will then travel to
Avon Leigh, mostly underwater, and then meet up with some of the hag's spies to learn the latest developments and
to receive maps of the lich's keep and hanger area for his skyship. They are to head in when the other strikeforce
begins attacking the Lich's keep, where the lich is believed to be stationed, along with his human son, Irik, also
believed to be a formidable wizard himself.
Session 66
The party spent time planning, particularly against the Lich's Power Word Kill spell, aiming to keep their hit points
over 100. Yrsa cast aid, granting 15 temporary and maximum hit points to herself, Sagon, and Timador. Kime purchased
winged boots for 4,000 gold pieces, and Timador crafted a cloak of protection +1 and three doses of dust of disappearance.
They also prepared scrolls containing the "fizzy wizzy" spell to counter the Norr region's disruption of divination and
conjuration magic.
On Day 122, the party met Commander Lars Erik at the Brig in Messersachs. The three hags—Auntie Kinsifter, Brenda Hyrr,
and Sahgae Behg—teleported the party to the Preicis Industry area using one of Barin Dorf Trender's socks. Then the
party traveled 16 hours by steam wagon to Fort Framlin.
The mission was a three-pronged assault: The Red-Gold Knights were directed to steal or destroy the small, Sky Ship
housed in a tower, The Hag Team were to seek out the Lich's phylactery to stop the Lich from regenerating indefinitely,
and The Strike Team were to bombard a Meteor Storm and Call Lightning attacks on the Keep and the wyvern pens. They
planned to coordinate with the meteor strike by having Timador signal the strike team by popping his familiar into her
pocket dimension just before they entered the sky ship's hanger.
The party's recommended path was a difficult route: 10 miles overground followed by 30 miles underwater travel in the
WissenSchaft region. Upon exiting the river, the party met Rasalka, a dread doppelganger double-agent, disguised as
the succubus Rose-Thorne. Rasalka, maintaining her disguise, had gotten her squad of Fomorian giants drunk on drugged
wine. Just over 3 miles into their trek through the Verdurous highlands, the party spotted a small group of trolls,
including a two-headed ettin troll, who were holding two winged humanoids, the aarakocras Llemu and Danci. After a
short debate about whether or not the party had time to save the captives or not, the red-gold knights attacked them
and dispatched the trolls. The party harvested the remains of the trolls for potential potion components and to ensure
that they would have no regeneration.
Session 66.6
The freed aarakocras, thankful for having been saved, provided details about a large troll ambush along both trails
leading down from the highlands. They then revealed a alternate third path that the bird humanoids, possessing limited
short-range flight, were able to use instead. The party decided, with their own abilities, that they could also make
use of their steep way in order to avoid a "metric shit ton of trolls."
Once successfully into the farming valley area below, the party sneeked into position. Then, they cast Telepathic
Bond and Aid spells to ensure communication and increase endurance for the potential battle ahead. Kime
cast Pass Without a Trace and Timador utilized his bastion's recent creation, dust of disappearance, to gain
seven minutes of invisibility. Thus, they were able to make their way undetected to the keep's stone walls. Kime
used her recently constructed winged boots to fly Yrsa and Timador over the 40-foot barrier while the monk and bard
just casually walked up and down. Soon, the entire party reached the hanger's spiral staircase entrance.
Once positioned near the hanger door, Timador gave the pre-arranged signal by recalling his familiar to her pocket
dimension. Six seconds later, the meteor storm struck the nearby keep and wyvern pens. Sagon, still invisible,
rushed inside, closely followed by the rest of the party. They faced various enemies in the hanger, initially some
guards and a gnome mechanic, but then later went up agains a high-level Wizard, Eldritch Knight, and Barbarian.
The gnome mechanic (Mezzron) released some lightning bolt glyphs before surrendering. The Wizard "Snoden" cast a
Chain Lightning spell against the party to great effect, while some of their damage directed against him
seemed to be taken instead of the much sturdier knight, who was acting as the wizard's shield. The party, however,
were eventually victorious. Mezzron and Flad, the axe-wielding woman who had agreed to surrender, were spared and
taken aboard the sky ship, where it was hoped that they would prove useful.
Once aboard the craft and with the roof opened, Sagon donned the soul drive helmet and, assisted nominally by
Auggie Daddy, who provided basic knowledge of the controls, slowly worked out how to operate the ship. Yrsa and
Kime, however, first needed to manually winched the chain ladder back up that had been deployed by mistake. With
the ladder retracted, Sagon activated the levitation field, causing the ship to float straight up at 30 feet per
round. Timador employed more Dust of Disappearance to make everyone invisible again. A couple of remaining wyvern
noticed the ship rising, but saw no crew aboard, so they were uncertain if they should be attacking or not. One
chased the owl familiar instead, to no avail and Timador snapped her away into her pocket dimension soon afterward.
Sagon then experimented further with the sky ship's controls, deployed the wings, and turned them into a sail.
Timador, then, standing at the stern, cast Gust of Wind, utilizing the spell's strong winds to increase the craft's
forward speed by 15 feet. Thus, the party lumbered out of the Avon Leigh tower in the dark but were soon wwell on
their way to successfully bring the captured vessel to Fort Framlin.
Apart from the magic air ship, a wand, face scarf, black set of plate armor, and a jagged two-handed sword were
aso determined to be magical. The next session will start in the night sky as the party drives the ship off.
Session 67
Continue to Svartaland, Season 4
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