Meet 153, Adv 16, 3/21/26

We decided to go and visit Rash Ma’Luud, Sultan of the 3rd Storm. There was a portal to take us to the Air Plane and after we made sure to eat and get ready, It was Heatmonth 17th, 1:30AM when we stepped up to the portal. Stoneribs seemed unhappy and informed everyone that we needed to stay close and together, there was not much land here. We roped each other together and then followed the mighty Stoneribs through.

We found ourselves lying flat on a wooden surface. The wind was horrendous and we felt like almost twice our normal weight. Staggering to our feet we took a good look at our surroundings and gasped in awe. We were on some mighty tree, 300’ wide easily, the edges curled up. We were standing on the trunk of the tree. Behind us it curled up almost 200’ , tufts of branches and leaves whipping along there maybe a quarter mile away. Big featherless birds were milling about there, watching us. IN front of us – the trunk went off for miles, going straight down as far as we can see . The entire wooden tree was free falling in some cloud bespoked sky, spinning like a 6 mile long wooden integer sign, the spin giving us the illusion of gravity.

Amidst the howling wind, Stoneribs pointed down trunk, yelling that we needed to go that way. And to stay out of the troughs. We started walking, everyone checking their rope again and again. There were indeed large troughs in the wooden surface, 3 to 6 feet deep and seemed to be scored into the wood. We walked along, slow at first but the strangest thing, as we made our way away from the far end of the integer tree, our weight and the pressure and wind seemed to diminish, making our trek easier.

We did hear a rumble and did spy a speeding river of water racing down the trunk through the trough, speeding past us at 90 or so miles per hour. Stoneribs grunted and led us on. We saw great birds, tremendous and majestic. There was a sphere of water just floating through the sky, far enough away that we wouldn’t hit it, but Stoneribs said it was about as much water ass a good sized lake.

Great gasbags, the trailing tendrils, and other strange figures flew along in the storm. We could see other integer trees in the distance, spinning in the eternal storm, the size of a planet, a torus of wild air spinning in space.

Fuck. We don’t belong here.

We could see some city or something built into the trunk as we got closer to the middle. There were blue skinned thin and smaller people here, with feathers and flaps of skin under their arms. They seemed friendly and were tending to some thick moss. Weight and pressure was not less than normal, maybe 80%. They identified themselves as Aerans and were kind enough.

At the city itself, we could see all types of creatures and figures, massive birds, columns of air, even a few beholders. The Sultan’s palace had the minarets and the golden onion dome. What seemed to be silvery gold threads ran off from the city to just OUT there. What seemed to be the size of a longboat was all loaded up, a pair of hooks holding it suspended from one of the golden threads. Then there was a building twisting noise and then WHAMPH!! The ship sped off so fast it left a ghostly after image of itself and then disappeared. We came closer and eventually after going through a few functionaries, made our way to the Sultan’s audience chamber.

Rash Ma’Luud was djinn. Tall, powerful, turbaned, he was shrewd and met with us with a guileless expression and bit of a smile. We talked to him about who we were and our conversations with Oblord Seven and Countess Respidrii.

One of the things we gleaned pretty quick, the Sultan was unlike the other 2 rulers. Oblord Seven was slow, thoughtful, and cautious. Countess Respidrii was impulsive, hot headed, and excitable. The Sultan? He was smart. Cunning. Careful. And we were dismayed to discover, not interested.

Air acts as transport and messenger service not only for Helen, but other elemental lords from all over the spectrum as well. He is the only one to have any use of the Flowstring, the most volatile aspect of the refined Hadesnium. No one else will even touch it. He uses the flowstring to expand his network to other nodes, other worlds, other planes. As he said, if you aren’t expanding your business, you’re contracting. Status quo is never good enough.

He runs a section of the Flowgates right through the heart of Water for Princess Alecta, oxygenating a section of mid and deep fathoms for her so that she and her people can directly handle the pressurization herself. He does the same for Fire, redirecting his Flowstrings to run concordantly across the Forges of Fire to allow her refineries to operate at maximum efficiency. He is one of the only ones who doesn’t produce a good for trade – instead he’s the only one who provides a service. He gets a small cut from Water as payment.

When we were realizing we needed some time to talk, he offered us a flying carpet to ride, we took it out (another djinn drove it for us), and sailed though the plane of air for a bit talking. This was not going to work out. He had no reason to do anything, Air is well situated in the center of things…and if we push too much, what would stop him from just having a conversation with Queen Helen Back on his own, blowing our plans out of proportion? We signaled to go back and once there, thanked Sultan Ma’Luud for his time and left the palace.

It was 3 hours down trunk again, through ever deepening and increasing force and gravity before we came again to the gate to Fire. Passing through we sort of pissed of the Countess’ people. “We are not a waystation!” We made our way through and out, heading back to Earth.

From there we were treated better and made our way through the Earth caverns to the passage to water. Stoneribs let us know that when Ghostbear goes to Water, he does a spell so they can breathe underwater. Then he transforms into an Orca to make the swim easier to Princess Alecta’s coral palace. This limited our number who can go. We went through the group, how many spells we had left, and settled on 2 going through – Wilhelm and Connal. Two water breathing spells. Wilhelm could turn into a harbor seal, Connal had the ring of free movement. Plus as a harbor seal, Wilhelm should be able to talk to just about anything under the water.

The spells were cast, he left his gear here, and Wilhelm transformed into harbor seal, the two of them rolled through the gate and ended up in the elemental plane of water. There was an outcropping of some stone platform here, 50’ long, 30’ wide, the portal was in a cave at the back of the platform, a rain of gravel over an open hole. The water was clear, visibility was astounding. We could see for miles in all directions. Some swimming figures, rays slowly flapping under water, sounds from all types both above and below.

While looking about a merfolk wandered over, seemed to be a triton. Asked who we were and Wilhelm said…”Seal. Adam Seal.” We talked briefly about visiting and having to see Princess Alecta. The triton looked us over and took a guess, “Fetch quest? You need something?” He was willing to lead us to the Coral Castle and we set off – Wilhelm easily swimming and Connal doing that weird monk running under the water thing with the ring of free action. The Triton thought it was odd as hell and muttered about the oddity of fetch quests.

A bit under a mile away we arrived at Coral Castle. The area around it was set up with weird baffles of Flowstone, capable of turning the current in any direction quickly. The castle was large, and anchored faintly in the water here. There were floating fields of seaweed and glowing lichen. Whales, and elementals, and gilled creatures and sahaughin and even crab people milled about. We were escorted to Princess Alecta’s audience chamber where the youthful nereid was giving audience. Our concern was briefly if she would recognize either of us and the answer was no – not as a seal and not Connal most likely. He stayed back in the crowd for now.

Wilhelm took point in conversation, buttering the Princess up and then segueing over to the need for a deal with Helen. Unlike Sultan Rash, Princess Alecta had the emotional fluidity of a 15 year old girl. She was mercurial, quick to show her emotions, and when she learned that Helen Back and the goblins talked poorly about her even though she acts as muscle and vault for the Sword Bitch, she took umbrage. She called out 3 names and 12’ cyclones of water sped towards her, angry with her wrath. She pointed to a shimmering hole in the elemental plane just outside the ground of Coral Castle, 20’ wide, 6’ wide, and ordered them to “go through and vent her displeasure on the goblins there!”

3 water elementals stormed through and the people in Princess Alecta’s throne room applauded her decisive action. They then talked about the split and changes, the dropping of fire and supporting earth and air…

And then through the hole stormed in what had to be, Eternal Goblin Queen, Executioner in Maglubiyat’s Name, Helen Back. She was tall for a goblin, over 6’. Green and red hued skin. Clan in midnight purple scintillating spiked platemail, she held a sword of pulsing obsidian that  distorted the water around her. A pair of demon horns sat proudly on her head, curled back and were encircled by a halo of hellfire. She had a set of 25’ wings and she strode across the water as one would ground, literally burning her footsteps into the wet surface as if she was pouring molten lead.

And she was angry, eyes fixed on Princess Alecta who had quieted right down, and pointed one hand at the now cowering nereid. “Princess Alecta! What in the names of the demon princes do you think you are doing?!!?”

Alecta tried to deflect and grew terrified. Helen was right up there, majestic and sinister. Many goblins had died. She has other problems than this shit. WHY would you dare do that?! Alecta tried to talk about the new deal and her disdain for Alecta and her efforts. So Helen rightly asked, “Who told you this thinly veiled line of bullshit?!” And Alecta, and many others in the audience chamber all pointed to Wilhelm disguised as the harbor seal and said, “Him. Adam Seal.”

Wilhelm made a split decision as Helen glowered at him. He twisted in the air, fins and legs pushing, made an Immelman turn and raced for the nearest window trying to escape. Helen had a single swing and her sword smashed against Wilhelm’s back, laying his flesh wide open and dropping his hit points to half or less with a single blow. Connal ran for the nearest portal and joined Wilhelm in open water, the two of them orienting themselves for the distant portal back to earth just a bit over ¾ a mile away and swam/ran as fast as they could.

Connal COULD have outdistanced Wilhelm but stayed at the seal’s pace, the two of them barely escaping the suddenly shifting currents of the flowstone that Princess Alecta “tried” to adjust before they escaped. Helen was giving pace but she was not as fast as either of the fleeing adventurers so instead used her demonic powers and gated in a 20’ long, 4’ diameter mass of green and black amorphous creature with 4 dozen snarling and drooling biting mouths along its entire body. It hit the water hard and swam after the two of them. 80’ away for now, and swimming at Wilhelm’s speed.

8 minutes to the portal. Wilhelm could maintain top speed for 2 before he would need to start making checks. Connal could go 5, 6 since he was slowing to Wilhelm’s speed. They raced off, the gibbering mouther on their tail. As expected, on minute 3, Wilhelm began gasping and moaning, pushing himself on. By minute 5 they were hoping a shark would arrive, the seal was leaking a line of blood behind him half a mile long and it would hopefully arrive and interrupt the mouther’s approach. Did not happen. Instead, Wilhelm began to slow and the mouth closed. 80’. 50’.

20’.

2 to 3 minutes still to go to the portal. Connal could tell Wilhelm was not going to make it unscathed. So he turned in the water, feet braced behind him, the druid shot past like a lion, and the monk smashed into the mouther with his dagger out, getting in the way as it latched on and the 2 of them ran on, grappling and stabbing and biting one another. Briefly Wilhelm thought to slow and help but Connal had already put on his own speed, dragging the mouther with him, yelling at Wilhem to “Go! Go!”

Less than 2 minutes away. Connal was being chewed up, losing strength from the bites and other temporary ability scores. The ring gave him a benefit though and 2 of the mouths fell away, leaving a single one, still biting and chewing at the monk. The platform of stone was right there, Wilhelm skimmed along the flat surface, angled up, and hit the portal to the elemental plane of earth at 21 miles per hour. He blew though as a seal to the other side, flying over his gathered friends, rolling to a stop, and gasping for breath, eyes wild.

Connal was just ahead of the mouther as he too ran through the portal, skipped along the ground, skittered to a stop, rolling twice before rebounding up, soaking wet, dagger out, looking back at the portal.

Waiting.

The mouther did not come through. And we could see and hear nothing on the other side. Wilhelm turned back to a human and the water breathing spell ended, Connal and the druid spending a few minutes choking out and spitting up the water that was in their lungs. We shared what we had learned and decided, it was time to get out of here and now. 9:30 AM, Heatmonth the 17th. We made our way back to the gate to the prime material plane and stepped through.

The Goblin Warren was a mass of gathered and walking goblins. Hundreds were milling about, called west to the far side of the entrance of the city where Queen Helen was giving orders. Amidst the mess, Shim cast invisibility on everyone and we held Stonerib’s hands as he took us once more walking on the cavern wall and ceiling up and over and around to the other side. We entered the building, closed it behind us, and returned to our friends who at his point had to abandon the hut, leaving a single hour still on the clock, but reset won’t occur until 10 pm tonight.

We talked and stayed hidden. As it stands, Helen still doesn’t know it’s us, assuming it’s another animal and a single human fucking with her. She had to have gotten an earful from Alecta. The thought was she was going to go and visit the other nodes and see what’s going on. If and when she leaves, would be our window to step through and run the gauntlet through the Warrens.

Ghostbear used one of his major spells, Planar Ally, to watch Queen Helen for the next 24 hours and let us know the moment she steps out of the prime material plane – that is our clue to move. We talked about what we were going to do. We hoped to rest and get spells back. The gathering outside was already over and the goblins were returning to their respective warrens. For the 2nd one, Stoneribs and Connal were going to head to the Overwatch and do their damage up there, take them out and keep the chain gates open between 2 and 3. The rest of us were going to kill as many goblins as we could and support Darius as he and Geronimo tanked the juggernaut.

It was 10:15 now on Heatmonth the 17th and we were hoping to get what rest we could.

2nd Campaign, Session 1. 3/18/26

After taking a few months in RL off, the group had wanted to roll on with the characters that had successfully plundered B5, The Horror on the Hill. Missing our gnome, the player had rerolled another one, Fighter thief this time, and we picked up the foray to The Slavers (A series) story with A1, Slave Pits of the Undercity. Again - 26 session commitment, meeting every other week. I warned them that this was a Gen Con tournament module, designed to be more deadly and dangerous than a normal B/X adventure - 40% chance of death.

They said they were ready - let's find out together over the next year how it goes.

Write up follows:

According to some, for the last several seasons, organized bands of pirates and slavers have made a living by raiding the coastal towns on the Dyrian Sea. Ranging from Onnwal to the Wild Coast, they have descended quickly and ruthlessly on the small towns and villages, and carried off innocent citizens into the night. Although these marauders were not approved of by the lords and rulers of the lands they raided, they were allowed to continue their depredations. Being far enough from Karameikos, the local minor and feuding amongst the lords and the lack of funds prevented all but an occasional naval battle with the villains and the slow fortification of towns. Bribery was often a more effective method of protecting one's lands from the incursions of these avaricious seawolves.

Recently, however, the slavers' attacks have become more frequent and vicious. Believing their prey to be weak and helpless, the raiders have burnt entire villages and pulled down the waits of towns. Women, children, and whole families have disappeared; and though bribes are accepted, the agreements are ignored. Vast tracts of the barbaric coastline have been reduced to ashes, left barren except for packs of wild dogs.

The lords have finally become determined to take action, forgetting their petty squabbles to unite against the marauders of the yellow sails. Through information gained from escaped slaves, and those fortunate enough to have been found and bought by families or friends, the lords have learned they refer to themselves as The Syndicate and traced the slavers to a port from which they launch their swift attacks on the coast — the despoiled city of Highport. The Specularum Exploring, Guarding, and Adventuring Guild has gotten the ok from the Duke’s envoy as well as the King of Jector to combat these rogues. Even King Thor, the Orcish lord from the Broken Lands, who many had said was behind these attacks, have given his support to end these attacks.

Some who have lost kin and fortune to the reavers have advised taking a fleet and crushing the outpost, but cooler heads have prevailed. They have pointed out that such a base is undoubtedly well-defended and that the slavers, if alarmed, might arrange that loved ones and kin are never seen again. Instead, they have chosen a plan at stealth. Your band of adventurers (and supposedly another band) have been gathered together and will be sent to infiltrate the base and destroy the leaders of this evil band. Caution is recommended, for the true strength and extent of the Syndicate is not known, but they seem to be stronger and better organized than encounters with their small raiding parties would Indicate.

The weather has warmed slowly and the snow receded. The ice on the Dyrian Sea melted and smaller ships have once more plied the waters. On the 15th of Airmonth the first of the big Cogs left the quay to bring tradegoods east and west, which meant we were to gather soon.

On Airmonth the 29th, 195 A-30. The party gathered on the main docks of Karameikios, staring up at the 4 ton merchant sloop, the “Hawk’s Tail”. Captain Artina, Human, male, mid 40’s, was going to take us 6 days east on the Dyrian Sea to Highport. This will place 3 days past the direct reach of the Duke’s Frigates and in open waters. The smaller cities and towns on the Dyrian Sea in this area are a loose confederation, and often have little or ties to one another. For our safety and the safety of the ship and crew, the “Hawk’s Tail” does NOT fly under the Dukes’ flag or the Karameikios flag, instead it flies under the Feresco Merchant House. Ostensibly, the ship and its wares are in the market to see rare furniture grade hardwoods and will be using Highport as a base. 3 weeks is the window of time we can stay at the docks before the Hawk’s Tail should leave and then return a week or 2 later to keep up appearances.

As per the agreement, food is being covered for the party and Thobar will be once again carrying for the group, acting as porter. Captain Artina wants us to make sure we do not cause any undue attention to us while in Highport since we don’t want to be chased out.

The city itself is run and ruled by a Lord Keleborn, The Meek. He is known to be an ineffective ruler but we don’t have more particulars yet. Once we get to town, our contact is Father Falder, one of the last priests in town. He can be found at Temple Way, in the Temple of Uller. The 6 days passed with little concern. The air was cold and crisp, the wind favorable, and the company pleasant. We all caught each other up on what we had done and any new skills or abilities we had gathered since.

On Birthmonth the 5h, @ 2:30 PM, we came around the western edge of Inlet Bay and rode the Hawk’s Tail to the largest quay in Highport. The city is situated on a large rise of land, going almost 220’ at the top of the highest point, giving the entire city the look of being on the side of a sloping bowl. The bay was dirty, smelled, and was in poor condition. The jetties to protect the shore line had rents and holes in the stones, and the docks themselves could have been better maintained. ON the east and west quay was a schooner with yellow sails. Furled, but very much yellow.

Captain Artina was talking with the Dockmaster, some coins were exchanged, papers signed, and then it was done. 3 weeks from today and we’d have to sail out of dock. 2 weeks to return to Karameikios and come back to keep up appearances (and get more food and trade goods) if we have not resolved the issue yet. He let us know that our contact was Father Falder at the Temple of Uller while in town.

We left the ship and after getting a brief heads up of the city, made our way northward and upslope to Temple Way. The city was fairly well sloped, and over time, many cobbles had disappeared, leaving pot holes and standing water. Also, it appears that whatever sewer system was in place was no longer working. Instead, an over street series of troughs had been dug and ran down via gravity to the leeching pools to the east end of town. It gave the place a deep feculent smell.

We went up slope past the warehouse district, slums, mercantile houses, crafting halls, and mid tier level housing before we arrived at Temple Way. 8 massive temples and grounds were here; Thor, Idun, Odin, Uller, Thrym, Gruumsh, Frigga, and Vidar. Each one was 2 to 3 acres of grounds and had a temple on place. However, some fire had run through the west end of town, burning the 4 temples there. They were closed up.

At the Temple of Uller, we entered the grounds, picked through the unmown grasses and around the over grown flowers. The place, like the rest of town, was tired, worn, and in need of repair and sprucing up. We entered the main Cathedral and looked around. The place was set up more like a keep than a temple. Arrow loops, bracings for the door. Father Falder was a human, almost 50, tired and worn. He was warm and happy to meet us. He had 2 others at the Temple. Brother Ontant the Dwarf, fighting looking type, missing a leg on his left side, a peg leg was there. There was also Braliance, Half Orc youth, 12 years old, novitiate to the Father, and more elbow and joints than anything.

We got more of a heads up from them of Highport. Lord Keleborn, the Meek, is referred to as the Cuck by the populace. His 3 year son and 9 month old daughter he had with Lady Gailinda had pronounced lower teeth and a greenish cast to their skin than their 1st child, 7 year old Karto. Town has been on the down swing for a while, but it really cratered after King Thor of the Orcs sent some recruiters down here 6 years ago, riling up the people, emigrating a number of half orcs from the heart of his kingdom, and crashing the economy. Then the fires 4 or so years ago that ate half of Temple Way and too many other buildings was the death knell. If they had a better leader, things would get better, but for right now, momentum keeps Highport moving.

There are 4 criminal elements in town: Pirates, Syndicate, and 2 smaller groups that run numbers and gambling, and the other runs brokering and sex trade. None of them are any sort of defacto leadership and seem to be scrambling for whatever parts they can consume. As for the Syndicate, Father Falder has an idea. The Temple of Gruumsh was one of the ones that had been burned 4 years ago and the main Guilds opted not to fund the rebuild of the place. Instead they sent their people in, took everything that was not nailed down, and deconsecrated the land. Most of the other temples have done the same.

But, over the last 3 months, with the biting cold, they have seen the odd smoke coming from the chimneys and a person or two wandering near the front of the grounds. Braliance dared to go over there to look around, saw some slave wagons (empty) and half orcs on location but was roughed up and his coin pouch taken. If they do operate there, they are mostly under cover. Maybe something below ground? Three main people: Slave Lord (unnamed), Valeria (travels occasionally), and Marquessa (She comes from some other locale infrequently).

The old priest of Gruumsh before he left, dropped off the secret door key to the back of the temple to Father Falder once they learned the Uller priest was not leaving the area. He told us where to find it (back of the temple, south end, there is a marking of downward “v”s at the stone). We would have to sneak on grounds.

There is a criminal element at night, most of them will not go after larger groups, but a single, pair, or trio walking might be fair game. We wanted to check the place out and Fjord was going to make a copy of the key that we have, and a few of us were going to walk about. Some went to the temple of Thor and Thrym, made an offering of candles and prayers, and then walked by the other 4 burned locations. Gates were chained and locked, lots of burned stone and stunted vegetation. Generally unused. We did note that the lock in front of the Gruumsh temple was new and painted to look rusty. There was a channel, open sewer, that ran behind the temples, filled with water, urine, scat, and filth, that we could try to walk through to get to the back (south) end of the Gruumsh grounds. And from the front, we could see a section of the back 12’ wall had caved in, leaving a “V” with a 2’  tall wrecked area.

Back at the Temple of Uller we talked about options and it was decided that Fjord and Hrimvar would sneak onto the Thrym grounds, get to the back corner where it abuts with the Gruumsh ground, and scale the wall there and walk around. Fjord activated his ring, went invisible, and was hoisted up, hands on top of the wall.

Where we slammed them on set glass up there and took terrible damage (called shot) to his hands. He stifled a yell, came down, and sobbing, went back with Hrimvar back to the Uller Temple. Some healing was doled out but the half ogre was going to hurt until tomorrow. That’s when we learned from Father Falder that he could also provides service in name of Uller for the party: Remove curses, heals, blesses, regenerations, neutralize poisons. It had a cost (from 500 to 5000 crowns), but good enough for us.

We split up into 3 sets of watched the Gruumsh area during the night. Hearing activity between 3 and 6 AM only. They were orcish, couldn’t make out what was said, but there was also…ghouls? Ugh! We gathered back and on Birthmonth the 6th, 8 AM, talked about what our next action was going to be.