Opelenean Nights III

Alex said: I would say it generally took me 10 minutes or less, and often I did it on the fly.

Now that’s what I wanted to hear!

I actually converted a 3.5 supplement without too much problem. A couple of the monsters took a minute, but only because I didn’t understand why I should keep some of the abilities (why is this giant lizard immune to sleep and paralysis?)

So, that, and almost completely replacing/rerolling the treasure, was all it took.

Yeah, Alex mentioned over PM that he had a similar experience converting 3.x material to ACKS. The other way (i.e. ACKS to 3.x), not so much! It’s very encouraging, as I have a LOT of 3.x material (and 2E material, and 1e, and Basic, and PF, and S&W, and LL, etc…what’s wrong with me?).

Nothing! I just wish I had more ACKS product to sell you.

Must...write...faster

:wink:

I never used to buy as much material, for a variety of reasons. However, as I’ve gotten older, and other commitments have impinged on my RPGing time, lots and lots of pre-baked content has become a boon…which is what I tell myself so I don’t feel bad about having enough adventure material to last from now until the heat death of the universe.

I've always been an avid consumer of pre-baked content. I tend to view them as campaign "ingredients" which I then spice and mix together to create my jumbo. I handcraft the centerpiece dungeons or encounters, and then customize the pre-baked content to fit with my framework. 

(I've sometimes wondered if it would be worth trying to license the various dungeons I used for the original Auran playtest and releasing my Auran-ACKSified versions.) 

Can you elaborate on “centerpiece” dungeons/encounters? What does that mean? How does the centerpiece fit in with the rest? I guess, generally, what technique do you use to personalize your use of published content?

Also, I wonder how many direct replies this format can take before it breaks? :slight_smile:

In ACKS, under "Creating the Region", I wrote:

 

"Within that map, the Judge should place around 45 static points of interest. One-third of these should represent the settlements, towns and castles of the humans and demi-humans, while the other two-thirds (30) should be dungeons (including lairs or special areas). Of the 30 dungeons, we recommend 3 large dungeons each designed for about 6-10 sessions of play; 10 dungeons designed for 1-2 sessions of play; and 17 small “lair” dungeons designed for a half-session of play, i.e. 1-3 encounters. Each point of interest in the regional map should initially receive one paragraph of description."

The centerpiece dungeons are the large dungeons designed for 6-10 sessions of play. These are not quite megadungeons, which are designed for an entire campaign's worth of play, but they are larger than the more common "lair" dungeons. Some examples of large or centerpiece dungeons are the Caves of Chaos and the Caverns of Thracia. 

I have a somewhat formulaic approach to setting design that makes it relatively easy to adapt modules into my setting. It works more-or-less like this:

  1. There were at least one and preferably two ancient, evil kingdoms that occupied the area previously ("Evil A and B")
  2. There was at least one good kingdom that occupied the area previously.
  3. There is a known present-day political threat that is distracting the authorities that will develop over a period of years.
  4. There is an unknown but potentially catastrophic threat that will develop a period of years. Maybe more than one.
  5. Often the political threat is from a descendant-heir kingdom of Evil B (the more recent evil) while the catastrophic threat is from Evil A, or an evil so evil that it predates Evil A. 

Within that framework, there's usually a place I can slot in almost any module that satisfies the aesthetics/tropes of the setting (e.g. desert setting for Opelenea, icy northern setting for Jutland). Then it's just a matter of equating the villains with either the past threats Evil A and Evil B (if it's an undead crypt or abandoned ruin, for isntance); with the Political threat (if it's an enemy garrison or camp, say); or Catastrohpic (if it's a wizard's tower).

Within the context of ACKS play, this framework also works nicely to drive the players towards domain-level action. Some players don't like to conquer everything for the sake of power and glory and want to feel like Good Guys. So, in this framework, as they uncover the catastrophic threat, when they discover that the powers-that-be are blinded by the short-term political games they are playing, they feel justified in seizing power for the greater good.

 

 

 

 

Session Thirty-Three

On the 5th of Innelen, the party was fully recovered and set out to find the Crypt of Badr al-Mosak. Skirting an orc village they spotted in a rocky valley, they reached the purported site of the Crypt around sundown. Their map had led them to ancient stone amphitheatre with a statue of Bel, the Slaughterprince, standing in its center. As the party approached, a palpable sense of dread overwhelmed them, and all but the most hardened fled. It took some time to regroup, at which point the shadows hung long in the west. Rakh declared, “The light of Imran does not shine there.” “We must destroy that baleful statue,” agreed Suad.

Shikra summoned her berserkers, and ordered one of them to attempt to topple the statue. The berserker was surprised to discover that the statue slid easily when pushed – so surprised that he stumbled and fell into the pit the sliding statue revealed, vanishing out of site. The berserker had uncovered a vast channel into the earth!

Zoya quickly belayed herself onto several hundred feet of rope and dove into the pit, relying on her ring of feather fall to allow her to gracefully drift down. The ring saved her life, for 80’ down something cut her rope. Using her spear, she guided herself onto a balcony 90’ down, and noted that the pit continued at least another 60’ further. Clambering up to the pit’s rim, she took advantage of her supernatural buoyancy to bounce back and forth along the pit until she came to the point where her rope had been cut; there she found a cunning scythe-trap, which took her long, tense moments to disable.

Meanwhile, on the surface, Suad surveyed the constellations. “The zodiac signs suggest that Ethlyn will die tonight,” he warned gravely. “No, they don’t!” Ethlyn squeaked. “Can you read the stars, girl?” the mage frowned. Rakh put his clawed hand on Ethlyn reassuringly. “Don’t worry. It is in Imran’s name we are killed. We are counted among His sheep to be slaughtered.” Suad laughed. “Imran’s not around at night.”

Senef had now clambered down to join Zoya on the balcony 90’ below. Just as he was about to land on the balcony, Zoya waved him off. They had spotted scorch marks on the floor. Zoya pointed left and right, north and south; 4 doors, each guarded by statue, each seemingly trapped. This was a place of death. She called for Suad to divine whether there were any secret doors – his magic found one portal to the south, behind a menacing bladed door. Low crawling on her hands and knees with a 10’ pole prodding every inch before her, Zoya reached the door and, after minutes of careful prodding and knocking, succeeded in opening it with her 10’ pole. Beyond was a great hall, dominated by a statue of Badr al-Mosak, coins gleaming like a golden trail.

It was by now almost 8:20pm; it had taken Zoya almost 2 ½ hours to clear the path for her comrades. The joined her in the great hall as she investigated the statue. However, Shikra – having witness the party’s near death from the traps in the Temple of Set – refused to advance and hung back by the balcony. It was thus the warlock that fell prey to the dread spectre which emerged from the darkness of the pit. Shikra’s screamed as her life-force ebbed away. Senef was able to destroy the spectre with his magic, but Shikra was reduced to a shadow of her former might. [Shikra lost two levels of experience, reducing her to 3rd level, from this random encounter.]

The Fated had hardly finished dealing with the spectre when a band of tomb-wights fell upon them. These were dispatched without tragedy, and the party found a pile of booty – possessions from the wight’s living days. These included a bronze-bladed jambiya, a spell scroll, a scroll of protection from genies, and two potions of invisibility. The part resumed its slow and careful exploration of the Crypt. Each step was measured; each flagstone prodded.

By 10:00pm, the party had made its way through two secret doors and reached an octagonal room marked by a large, black obelisk. “Want to check for traps?” asked Mahmud. The obelisk responded: “Extreme caution must be applied.” The obelisk could talk! “What did you just say?” asked Mahmud. “Do not suppose too much!” it responded. “Who are you?” “Despair if you continue thus!” “Why shouldn’t we ask questions? “Another tactic might prove better.” “Are you real?” “Extreme caution must be applied!”


Disappointed that the obelisk was merely a charlatan’s oracle, the party advanced deeper into the dungeon, coming upon another vast pit. This one stretched as far as they could see both up and down. As they watched, a still-animate mummy hurtled down the pit in front of them. Then a still-animate mummy hurtled down the pit in front of them. Then a still-animate mummy hurtled down the pit in front of them… On a hunch, Dornethan fired a marked crossbow quarrel into the pit. It plummeted out of sight…and a second later reappeared at the top of their line of sight, plummeting downward. And a second later reappeared at the top of their line of sight. “It’s an endless loop!” shouted Suad. Unwilling to explore such a potentially dreadful trap, the party turned back inward to the complex.

They entered a square room with a metallic cube, 10’ on a side, laying in its center. Senef climbed up on Rakh’s back to get a peek into the cube, and immediately fell into a hypnotic trance, slumping off Rakh’s back. After being roused, the shaman tried again to glimpse into the cube, and again, fell mesmerized.  “Easy way to deal with that,” said Balen, as he hurled a fireball.

After the detonation, the party was able to gaze into the cube safely. They saw the charred bones of our human-headed skeletons; these must have had hypnotic powers, they surmised. They also saw the scorched ruin of what had once been a grimoire or holy book. “It can’t have been a very powerful grimoire if it got burned from a little fireball,” said Balen. The party quickly convinced themselves that the loss of the millennium-old book was certainly irrelevant to their quest and not worth dwelling on.

With further investigation of the Crypt the part found a second metallic cube, unfortunately empty. The Fated also discovered two more endless looping pits. One of these pits was filled with falling items and treasure, which seemed to have been equipment of a party of adventures that had clambered into the endless pit and gotten trapped. Still unwilling to risk exploring the endless pit, the Fated decided they did want to extract its treasure. Senef did this by taking control of the very wind itself and using it to blow all of the items onto the safety of the ledge, a powerful demonstration of shamanic magic.

The items recovered proved most marvelous, most of them seeming to date to the classical era of the Auran Empire. Suad claimed a crystal ball with clairaudience, gazing vindictively at Balen’s now-inferior crystal ball. He also took a cursed helm of alignment change, although he didn’t don it. Senef found a scroll case that was tightly sealed and showed signs of having been battered and crushed, as if a desperate adventurer had tried to get it open in a time of need, and failed. Within was a scroll of miracle! “Poor bastard,” the shaman said, gazing at the skeleton drifting through the endless pit.

The party returned to exploring the Crypt. They now discovered a temple courtyard featuring an altar to Sakkara. Zoya crept towards the altar to search it, and was shocked to discover all of her magical items began to vibrate. A voice whispered in her ear: “Sacrifice to me and thou shalt receive my boon.” Zoya wanted no part of such a pact – but Shikra did. The nearly-lifeless warlock offered up her claw of Ymmu M’Kursa and the shroud as well, irreplaceable artifacts of the lost Zaharan Kingdom. The items vanished and Shikra felt her life-energies renewed…

Whilst this was going on, Zoya had searched the last unopened exit in the Crypt and deemed it safe to open. It revealed a long, narrow stone bridge, set some 60’ above a series of dozens of tombs. All of them were open, and horrible deathly moans emitted from them. By crystal ball the party saw that the tombs were filled with mummies, spectres, wights, and shadows. Senef called on the spirits to divine what would happen if the party attacked. “The Malatath below will bring you terrible woe!”

“The Malatath!” exclaimed Suad. “The Malatath was the army of undead that the Efreeti Pasha used to fight Al-Sindor during the Empyrean War… but it was destroyed.” “I guess he mustered a new one,” said Mahmud, drawing his sword for battle.

 

Session Thirty-Four

The party was on the verge of attacking the Malatath. Suad suggested before they plunge into battle that they explore the crypt one last time, whilst his divination magic was active to detect secret doors. For twenty minutes the party marched to and fro within the crypt, exploring every crevice and corridor, to no avail.

They might have reverted to their foolhardy attack on the massed undead had Shikra not asked Barnabas for ideas. The bat-like familiar had a different spatial sense of the crypt because of its aerial echolocation. “Have you looked up the endless tunnels?” it squeaked. With his spell soon to expire, Suad raced from pit to pit, in each one spotting a secret door above. “There’s an entire level above us!” he cried. Getting to one of those secret doors would be no easy task, though, for the wind whipping through the tunnels was prone to hurl debris onto climbers at high velocity. After brief deliberation, they decided to try for the secret door at the top of the southern pit, which seemed to have the least dangerous debris. Zoya led the expedition, scaling upwards with a rope belayed behind her. The rest of the party followed successfully, though few escaped damage from debris and falling objects.

At the top, they confronted a room filled with the scintillating glimmer of a million beams of light. Visibility was merely a foot, as the beams were so bright as to burn the eyes of those who gazed at them for too long. Wary of traps, Shikra summoned her berserkers to lead the way forward. Each berserker took a different route. The first of these was burned alive. The second was disintegrated. The third was frozen. The fourth was teleported behind them, down the endless pit. The party realized that some, but not all, of the beams of light were deadly – and so began a terrible process of trial and error, with every error sending a summoned soul back to the darkness. Eventually the party concluded that the way ahead would demand low-crawling fifteen feet forward and right; standing up and advancing to where the walls angled inward; jumping to clear a beam 1’ high; then laying back down and low-crawling forward another 20’ to ancient stone steps that ascended from t he chamber.

Zoya was the first person to make it through alive. Dripping with sweat, she crawled up the steps – and stopped in horror. The Efreeti Pasha waited beyond, his gigantic figure looming down as if waiting to see if any foolish adventurers would survive his terrible trap. In his hand he clutched a stoppered bottle – the very bottle that their crystal ball had shown holding Shadalah!  She fell back to warn her friends. Knowing that the efreeti pasha could hurl devastating area-of-effect spells at will, they decided they had to split the party. The first wave would be led by Mahmud, who was immune to the efreeti’s powers because of Cyclone of the Four Quarters. His attack would be supported by Suad and Zoya, both invisible. Ethlyn, Rakh, Sapphira, Senef, and Androcles would be in the second wave, while Umar, Ceara, Dornethan, Shikra, and Balen would be in the third wave.

Complications immediately ensued. When Mahmud reached the top of the steps, the Efreeti Pasha had vanished, and a dozen wraiths and spectres loomed there instead. Mahmud’s charge came to a screeching halt – where was his foe? Cyclone of the Four Quarters continued to roar in Mahmud’s hand, and he decided to press on! A moment later Suad’s magic dispelled the illusion that hung over the room, causing the undead to vanish and the evil genie to be revealed. Seeing only a pair of foes, the genie raised its hand and brought down a ball of flame into the scintillating room where the second wave was waiting. Ethlyn, Rakh, Sapphira, Senef, and Androcles went down.

Mahmud began striking at the Efreeti, but its huge size and magical protection made it hard to hurt. The Efreeti forcibly fought back with its great fists. As the genie struck each blow, the sheik’s amulet around the paladin’s neck began to glow and deal damage back to the monster. As the creature winced in pain, Suad knocked the bottle in its hand open, freeing princess Shadalah! She crawled towards the exit in terror. The enraged Efreeti incinerated Suad with a pillar of fire. Then the genie slammed Mahmud again. This time his amulet could not protect him. He went flying backwards, on the verge of death (1hp). Balen rushed forward, surrounded by the protection of a ward against genies, and gave Mahmud a chance to get back on his feet and lay on hands. While Mahmud was recuperating, Zoya stabbed the creature from behind, sprayings its hot ichor everywhere. Before she could escape it pounded her into the ground, then sent a ball of flame onto Umar and Ceara.

Mahmud steeled himself for one final charge. “Even if you could strike me down, I shall only be sent back to my home plane,” taunted the Efreeti Prophet. “Even your Prophet could not destroy me!”  


“The Prophet didn’t have Cyclone of the Four Quarters!” shouted Mahmud. He charged, leaping upward and bringing the magical blade in a 360-spinning arc. Wind, fire, earth, and sea combined to cleave into the genie. The Pasha howled and vanished in smoke and sulfur. Victory was theirs! But at such terrible cost! Rakh died of his wounds, praying to Imran next to his friend Mahmud. Umar and Ceara had taken grievous injuries and died in agony. Zoya, too, bled out from agonizing wounds. Androcles was dead before the party got to him; only a torso even remained, his legs having burned off. Of Sapphira, there was merely mangled bones and burned flesh; of Ethlyn, a red stain and bone shards. Senef might have been able to use the miracle scroll to save everyone, but his eyes had been burned out by the fireball, and he could not see to read it. He died with no one able to heal him.

There was no way to get the bodies of the fallen through the beams of light and down the endless pit, so the party left the bodies of their friends behind to take Princess Shadalah to the Oasis of the White Palm. Their upward passage stirred the interest of some terrible creatures in the well beneath the amphitheater. Shikra calmly reached into her bag of fantastic creatures and dropped a sea serpent into the well. This solved the problem. “We don’t have time for this right now,” she muttered.

During the trek, they noted a curious fact: By placing Mahmud’s amulet on Shadalah’s palm-glyph, a curious message became visible: “city of the phoenix over the house of set where sleeps salvation there speak atmopryeetno”. Suad recognized the former as the city that Al-Sindor had founded in Opelenea, and the latter as the name of his djinni vizier.

A day later, overwhelmed with mixed emotions, the Fated reached the Oasis and presented the Princess to the Sheik and his son, Hassan. The betrothed were tearfully reunited and the grateful Sheik poured out gold and silver and silks in reward. His most treasured gift, however, was ordering his cleric, Nadron, to read from the miracle scroll: “I beseech you, Imran, to return the Fated to us here in the White Palm, spiritually and physically whole.” Imran’s purposes were well-served by this, and the fallen of the Fated appeared, there in the shade of the White Palm which Al-Sindor himself had planted.

Alas, greed ever grips the heart of men, and the Fated could not help but recall that Badr al-Mosak was said to have been the greediest man who ever lived. Where was his fabled treasure? Clearly it must lay beyond the Efreeti’s chambers! The Fated set out to the Crypt again, arriving on the evening of the 7th of Innelen. By 6:30pm they had gotten back to the chamber of scintillating beams. Here, Balen and Androcles proved the value of Imperial siege craft, cunningly rigging a set of pullies with enough strength to carry a sack of gold on rope across the room of beams. The ceiling, it turned out, was not guarded by any deathly lights!

Advancing past the Efreeti’s chambers, the Fated came upon what they had sought: the fabulous treasures of Badr al-Mosak. Hundreds of pounds of silver, gold, and platinum. Ornamental masks, magical weapons of crystal and armor of golden chain, gems, and jewels… And the Star Gem of Shah-Pelar on a pedestal in the center. The way in was heavily trapped – much of the floor was an illusion that gave way to a pit of acid. Careful prodding finally led a pair of berserkers to the pedestal. They lifted the fabled Star Gem from its pedestal – the pedestal rose an inch as the weight of the gem was lifted – and beams of power filled the room. Instantly the berserkers within were petrified. The Fated nearly fainted with shock; had any of them been in the room… Wazir, the most accurate member of the party, quickly made a bundle of coins about the same weight as a star gem and tossed it into the room. His aim was perfect; it landed on the pedestal and pushed it back down, turning off the deadly beams.

That was the last of the traps that the Fated encountered in the Crypt of Badr al-Mosak. Soon they were buried in their body weights in coin, showering in silver, playing in platinum. They were rich! Moreover, some of what Badr al-Mosak had entombed were fabulous items from legend. Suad unrolled a beautifully woven Opelenean carpet and, speaking the word “soar” in Old Opelenean, began to glide about the room. It was a flying carpet! He also claimed a marvelous wand capable of detecting traps. Shikra found an obsidian wand tipped with a skull, a wand of ear, and a brass ring stamped with the symbol of elemental air – a fabled ring of djinni summoning!

Laden with treasures from the ages, the party made the trek back to the Oasis of the White Palm. 

Fantastic! I was re-reading this adventure not too long ago in preparation for my own campaign. It’s great to see it played out.

 

Session Thirty-Five

Flush with cash from their success at the Crypt of Badr al-Mosak, the party relaxed in the Oasis for the next week. During the week, Senef’s spiritual communion confirmed that the Temple of Set below the Oasis was connected to the nether planes; the party had the entrance sealed up, as their experiences in opening such gates had so far been quite dismal.

On the 13th of Innelen, Hassan and Princess Shadalah were to be married, and the Fated, as heroes of the hour, were invited. The party presented the bride and groom with a marvelous gift – a 6,000gp diamond placed atop 60,000 silver pieces. Zoya wept tearfully at the wedding, largely over the size of these gifts; but the generosity was well-calculated, having been exiled from the Imperial lands to the north, having a secure relationship with the Sheik seemed vital. The Sheik, patriarch of a gift-based culture, had to reciprocate and so he awarded the party with ownership of the Sandvoyager’s warehouse and compound.

At the wedding, the Sheik’s aunt, Najma, visited them. “It is not fitting that so many promising young men be left unwed to cause trouble! The Sheik has sent me to find a first wife for each of you.” Ethlyn immediately spoke up. “What about me? Do I get a first husband?” The eagle eyes of the predatory matriarch gazed at her. “I didn’t realize you were ready to give up your decadent lifestyle and settle down for child-rearing. I’ll let the Sheik know to get you a good man…” Ethlyn demurred. Mahmud, however, being Opelenean by birth, found the idea of marrying into the Sheik’s tribe appealing, and asked for a suitable companion be found, “intelligent, curvy, with nice hips, and knows how to use a sword!” With love in the air, Dornethan blustered and bothered Rakh until he convinced the Thrassian to give him the philter of love they’d found in the Crypt. Meanwhile, Rakh had found a strange attraction growing with the slave-girl Kerina, whom he was teaching to sword-fight.

On the 14th of Innelen, the party departed the Oasis to seek out the City of the Phoenix. They had traveled only a day-and-night from the White Palm when they were ambushed by a sorcerous sphinx. The great beast unleashed a scouring wind upon them that slew a half-dozen of their camels, and badly wounded several party members. A camel fell on Wazir’s head, cracking his skill and addling his brain, and Balen had several torn tendons and ligaments. Seeing the the party was still in fighting shape after its ambush, the sphinx took wing to escape. Rakh was having none of it – he leaped onto Suad’s flying carpet and soared into the air, where he tore the sphinx to pieces.

After defeating the sphinx, the party decided to search for its lair. Even with Suad’s crystal ball and flying carpet, this still took the better part of several hours. The lair turned out to be a crumbled Zaharan ruin with broken statues and shattered columns, barely visible under centuries of sand. Within the party found silver and gold coin, rolls of silk, engraved tiger teeth, emerald stones, several potions and scrolls, a spellbook, and two treasure maps to the Howling Emptiness. The first led to “The shrine of the Zeolites / Where burn the fires bright”; the second led to “The pool of azure hue, whose waters renew.”

With Balen and Wazir temporarily incapacitated, the party headed back to the Oasis. Rakh Sphinx-Bane was not above boasting, and Kerina was quite impressed by his bravery. “Do you still have the philter of love?” she asked. “We should drink it to seal our love forever.” Rakh immediately went hunting for Dornethan to get the potion back, but Dornethan was hunting Ceara to get her to drink it. Balen, a professional military man, tried to stay above the shenanigans, but when Suad suggested this was because the fire-mage was so…flaming… things degenerated.

The bickering was still going on when the party departed again the next day, again intent on finding the City of the Phoenix. Their south-easterly trek was interrupted after a few leagues by a panicked Barnabas. “Most wicked and voluptuous mistress of darkness,” he squawked. “I have espied a large village of orcs a league from here.” “How large?” “It as bounteous with orcs as your chest is bounteous with... bounty.. 300 or more orcs.” Zoya volunteered to scout ahead to see what had the bat so flustered.

Shrouded by an invisibility spell, an elven cloak and boots, and her own innate stealthiness, Zoya crept towards the site of the village. It was, if anything, larger than Barnabas had reported – at least 300 orc warriors, plus an equal number of orc-wives and twice the number of brood. There were ogres, and a troll, too. The village’s “buildings” were just camel-hide tents, but they were surrounded by a rampart of sandstone and rock, and the vile banners of nine warbands fluttered. The village wall looked newly constructed – some incursion from the Waste to the south.

The Fated toyed with the idea of attacking the village by themselves, but they decided on a more strategic approach. Returning to the Oasis, they recruited three score camel archers from the tribe and brought them forward near dawn. Suad and Balen took to the heavens in their marvelous magical carpet, taking a place well outside of bowshot above the orc village. And then Senef begin a great and terrible spell – the calling of a dragon. As his chant ended, Marduthiamak, a dragon of the earth, erupted from the sands. I will serve you, for a time, the copper-hued dragon announced. “Go to the orc village to the south-east of here. Slay every beastmen there,”  commanded Senef.

The Fated had timed their attack perfectly – just after dawn, as the nocturnal orcs were settling down exhausted. Dozens of orcs died still asleep, scorched by the dragon’s breath. Dozens more died to its claws as it cleaved and rended through them. When the shaman emerged from his yurt, Balen fireballed him from above. Orcs that tried to flee the fortress found squads of camel archers everywhere, peppering them with arrows. It was a slaughter. 275 orcs were killed in the fort or trying to escape; another 275 were captured. Only about 110 orcs escaped the abattoir…

And now it was time to loot! 

 

Session Thirty-Six

Looting the orc village took the rest of the day.  The party gathered some 12,000gp in trade goods including dozens of gazelle horns, jars of rock oil, bags of coffee, bottles of Opelenean wine, barrels of Kemeshi beer, and bundles of camel pelts. They also gathered about 8,00gp in coin, gems, and trinkets, and a few magical items including a Zaharan axe. The Fated gave the camel archers much of the coin.

Back at the Oasis, the Fated turned over their orc captives to the Sheik. The Sheik, in turn, left it to Mahmud to decide their fate. Just as the path of the sun is fixed and unchanging as it moves across the heavens, so to was Mahmud’s inexorable sense of justice. The more morally flexible tribesmen were outraged – “Mahmud is too rigid,” “Mahmud does not know when to bend” – but the paladin did not yield: The orcs were slaughtered and their placed on stakes in a radius around the Oasis by Mahmud Orc-bane

After distributing the trade goods to the tribesmen in a great feast, the Fated set out for their third trek to the City of the Phoenix. This time, they reached it. Zoya scouted ahead. Much of the city was in ruins, its once-proud buildings reduced to collapsed mud brick strewn below dunes of sand. Some structures were still intact, though – much of the great walls, a citadel, and a mosque near the center. The former palace was also visible, though mostly buried beneath a tell of sand. Invisible and inaudible, Zoya dodged giant scorpions near the mosque, and bypassed a sinister old graveyard, eventually exiting by climbing over the tell.

While Zoya navigated through ancient ruins, some other shenanigans were afoot back at camp. Barnabas used a prestidigitation to steal the philter of love from Dornethan, and delivered it to Shikra. Shikra, meanwhile had used her alchemical skills to disguise Suad’s potion of telepathy as a philter of love. (Sadly, the alchemical disguising process was not perfect, but what were a few side effects among friends? Even if the friends didn’t know what those side effects were going to be?) Barnabas carried the disguised potion of telepathy back to Dornethan and attempted to place it back in his pack. But this prestidigitation was not successful, and Dornethan felt the bat’s fumble. Assuming that the bat was stealing his potion, Dornethan went into a rage and charged at Shikra, attempting to grapple her. Somehow, the slow, weak warlock managed to fight off the assassin, leading to chortles from the other party members that he had been “bitch-slapped”. Only Zoya’s return ended the brawl as she restrained her henchman.

The next day, 19th Innelen, the party headed into the City of the Phoenix. As they crossed the city walls, they were confronted by a genie, who demanded they state their purpose. “We are here to call forth that which Al-Sindor placed here!” said Senef. This was, unfortunately, the wrong thing to say. Four other genies appeared, armed with composite bows. A fierce fight ensued. Balen dealt deadly damage with a fireball, but succumbed to arrows a moment later. Rakh, in a berserk frenzy, began hurling his Zaharan axe at the sky born genies. Strangely, each time he threw the axe, it slowly dragged itself across the sands and returned to his hand – was it an axe of very slow returning? Actually, Barnabas the bat was invisible and using prestidigitation to drag it back each time.

Advancing forward, the party came upon the feet of a once-great statue. “I am Al-Sindor. Witness my great works!” a carving at the feet said. Here, Mahmud spoke “atmopryeetno”, the magic word that would summon Al-Sindor’s promised weapon of law. But nothing happened. The Fated decided to try speak the word again at the mosque.

Before the party could advance again, a score of genies arrived. Flying invisibly overhead, they launched a rain of arrows.  Mahmud’s amulet of detection didn’t provide nearly enough warning to avoid the ambush. Withering bow fire from the magical monsters left Shikra bleeding on the ground. It was clear retreat was the only option. Balen managed to throw a phantasmal force to screen the retreat, and the Fated fled… and kept fleeing for a league.

The Fated had destroyed an Efreeti Pasha. They were not going to let a few dozen lesser genies stop them. On the 20th of Innelen, the party decided to strike back. Senef summoned up a gale-force wind that swirled about him. The wind’s force was enough to turn back arrows and ground flying creatures. Better still, it raised up a great cloud of dust that limited visibility to only 20’, and helped reveal any creatures attempting to lurk invisible creatures within. Packed tightly within the dust cloud, the party advanced into the ruined City of the Phoenix.

As they reached the city’s mid-point, the genies attacked. Their onslaught came from every direction at once. But Suad had a surprise waiting for them: A 10-headed hydra, summoned with a scroll. Between the hydra, Mahmud’s genie-slaying prowess, and Rakh’s hasted frenzy, two waves of genies were slaughtered.

Dust still swirling about them from gale-force winds, the party made it to the mosque. There they were confronted by another half-dozen genies, with a genie champion and genie sorcerer in command. As the fighting began, Mahmud spoke the word of power: atmopryeetno. The ground trembled, and everyone fell to their knees. Everyone save Mahmud and the hydra, who wreaked havoc on the fallen genies. Then thunder struck from the heavens. The roof of the mosque shattered open.  And the Vizier of Djinnis appeared, summoned by the ancient magic of Al-Sindor…

Session Thirty-Seven

The Great Djinni Vizier gazed down at the mortals who had summoned him. He paused. “Lo! What mystery is this? Where be the Evil One whom I have awaited? Has you circumvented what was Fated?” “We slew him, your Eminence,” responded Senef.

“A thousand years ready to confront and now I am denied the hunt? He is banished to the Sphere of Fire, and your circumstance is hardly dire. The link to his Summoner is alleved. By what means hast thou accomplished this deed?” “Well, I stabbed him with my sword. It’s called Cyclone of the Four Quarters. It was made after Al-Sindor’s time to kill genies. It was, you know, the back-up plan,” explained Mahmud, somewhat worriedly.

“The blade thou carry is an abomination – a hole in the Logos, a tear in the elements of creation. Remove it from my sight, lest I cast thee into the blight.”  “Sorry,” said Mahmud, who retreat. Senef coughed. “There are several other threats to the land that we could use your help with,” said the shaman.

The Great Djinni shook his head. “With the Evil One banished, my long servitude is fulfilled, to return never hence. But for thy deed, I must recompense. Ask of me one wish for thee.”

A wish! Mightiest of mortal magic! An opportunity to change the world for good or for ill. But how? “Excuse us, your Eminence, we will need a moment to discuss,” said Senef. The Djinni gave them until sundown. It ultimately did not take long. Wishing for direct attack against their foes seemed too risky. Wishing for forgiveness by the Empire seemed too indirect.

“I wish that the most valuable treasure hoard in Opelenea be brought to us!” said Mahmud. “As you wish!” said the Djinni. And, behold, it was before them – platinum and gold, gems and jewelry, and magic items abounding. When the party examined these items, Suad and Ethlyn recognized them. “These are the weapons and armor of Eranth Bellos, the great hero who fought with Al-Sindor. He vanished in an attack on the undying wyrm Utuk Xul, who slumbers in the bottomless pit of the Howling Emptiness.”* [*A pit the party had visited in Session 28]  

Balen and Mahmud soon discovered that Eranth’s blade, Drakoneus, was sentient, and it recounted the tale.

“Eranth Bellos came to Opelenea during Al-Sindor’s great crusade. Here he met his friend and companion, the wonderworker Ishmerai ibn Bakr. Together they fought alongside the Prophet to Opelenea against the Efreeti Pasha that the desperate Zaharans unleashed on the land. In time they were victorious. When Pazar sunk and Moradask was sacked, many ancient books of Zaharan lore came into their possession. Ishmerai became enthralled with a tale he read in Zaharan myth, supposedly told to Uragasi by the ancient dragon Krios. It spoke of an undying wyrm called Utuk Xul, who slumbered in a bottomless pit in the Howling Emptiness, with treasures and wonders from an age undreamt of.  Pride and greed inflamed, Eranth and Ishmerai departed for the Howling Emptiness and sought out the Endless Shaft thinking they could destroy Utuk Xul. I was forged for the destruction of dragons, and a dozen of these beasts had Eranth and I slain together. But no such dragon as this had we ever faced. My powers were not enough. Eranth died to the dragon’s terrible bite and Ishmerai to its fetid breath. For a thousand years since have I cursed my name and wept bronze tears for shame that I failed my purpose and my master. But now I shall have revenge! For Utuk Xul has the power of an archmage, and surely he shall scry the location of his treasure and come for it! Then we shall slay him!”

The Fated knew that a loose pile of treasure in the City of the Phoenix was no place to fight a dragon. They decided to transport it to their underground lair in the Oasis of the White Palm. But how? Shikra had the way – bringing forth her ring of djinni summoning, she brought forth a lesser genie and commanded him to carry the treasure to the Oasis and hide it in the vault below, concealed with illusion. Such was the djinni’s power that this deed was done in an hour and a half – before the party had even returned to the Oasis!

The Sheik was in awe. “A djinni has brought great treasure to this Oasis! How can this be?” The Fated hurriedly explained it was their reward for defeating the Efreeti Pasha, and silenced his protestations with huge sums of gold. They then set about working on a defense for the Oasis – Repeating Ballistas. Balen, an expert in siegecraft, found that the Djinni could create wooden objects on command, and so within a few minutes, four of the Empire’s elite artillery weapons were at hand.

At nightfall, working from a telepathic image from Drakoneus’ metallic mind, Suad used his crystal ball to scry on Utuk Xul. The great dragon was already at the City of the Phoenix! His mighty wings cast a terrible shadow over the palace. His rotting hide was a purplish-black, his flesh pitted with open wounds unhealed. In places, bone was visible. His was a terrible visage.

When dawn broke, the party was summoned to the Sheik’s tent. A strange being was in audience with the Sheik – an androgynous man in voluminous robes concealing his entire body. Suad instantly recognized it as a Child of Nasga, like they had fought in the Howling Emptiness. “Great Utuk Xul seeks only the return of his treasure hoard. If it is returned promptly, he will spare your Oasis from annihilation,” the creature hissed. The Sheik was already under its charmed controlled, and Suad soon fell under it. “My friends will do this, of course,” said the Sheik. “Yes, we’ll have it to you in two days,” said Suad.

The creature slithered away, leaving the stunned group to decide what to do next. Senef’s first step was to dispel the charm. He then began to divine some options. What happens if we return the wyrm’s treasure to him?” The direction the wind will blow may change with the breath of diplomacy.” What happens if we fight the dragon? Ammonar welcomes his martyrs home. What happens if we kill Utuk Xul? From the canopic jar, vengeance comes from afar.

“He’s…a dragon lich!” sputtered Shikra! “We will all die! I have said this before, but now I really, really mean it!” said Suad.

So it was that on the 22nd of Innelen the party humbly presented itself to Utuk Xul’s vizier, returning their wished-for treasure as well as offering up a valuable scepter and silver necklace as tribute. The Child of Nasga, accepting the tribute, gazed at them with its sinister snake-like eyes. “Is this all you offer Mighty Utuk Xul for your crimes against him?”

Shikra stepped forward and produced The Skull of Garath, the evil artifact they had found in the Temple of Set. “I offer this prized relic.” This evil offering saved the Fated, and perhaps the Oasis. “It is accepted. Go now and tell your Sheik that this City is now claimed by Utuk Xul. Let none intrude upon his domain, save to bring tribute each month.”

“Overall, I think that went well,” said Suad. 

Nice. That seems like the kind of trouble my players would get in to. Did the Fated get any XP for taking Utuk Xul’s hoard back to civilization, however briefly? I know I would have to face that argument in a similar situation.

“I wish that the most valuable treasure hoard in Opelenea be brought to us!” said Mahmud. “As you wish!”

As I read this, I was reaching towards the screen, slo-mo, shouting ‘Noooooooooooooooo!’, as I imagined behind the screen the players all reaching out in unison to press the big red “Give Me Trouble” button.

I was thinking the same thing.

“Here’s the most valuable treasure hoard in Opelenea being brought to you… by the most ancient evil in the land!”

You have to be impressed by the fortitude of the party though. When you get a Wish offered to you and somehow, it turns out that you end up giving treasure away instead of gaining treasure, you might wonder if adventuring is not really your thing.

But they keep on keeping on…

They got the XP, yes. They brought treasure back to civilization.

We allocated all the treasure, gave out the magic items... up until late in the session, they were planning to fight Utuk Xul.  

I do wonder what I'll do if they kill Utuk Xul and take the treasure. That seems like an interesting loophole...

Session Thirty-Eight

When they got back to the Oasis of the White Palm, the Fated realized that the Sheik was still under the sway of Utuk-Xul. “My friends, thank you for the wonderful briefing on the status of my friend, the Vizier of Utuk-Xul,” said the Sheik. “Did he say when I could pay him more tribute?” The Sheik’s son, Hassan, pulled Mahmud aside. “What is wrong with my father? How can you save him?” “We’re not sure what to do,” explained Mahmud. “We’ll think of something soon.”

The Fated did not linger in the Oasis to sort this out, instead setting out immediately to explore the Desert of Desolation. Following the ancient map they’d found in Al-Sindor’s library, and battling past a gang of five trolls, they came to an unfinished Zaharan pyramid. The structure had never had its final outer surface built, so it was still stepped, like a ziggurat. A tunnel gradually descended downward from the surface into the pyramid, intersected mid-way by a shaft that led downward from one of the steps. Senef explained that the tunnel was used during construction of the pyramid, and would have been sealed by dropping a great block of stone down the shaft when the pyramid was finished.

The party resolved to explore the ruin. Shikra promptly summoned a pair of berserkers, and these intrepid warriors were sent forward into the tunnel. They got as far as the intersection with the shaft before being torn apart by ghouls that dropped from above. Seeing the hideous things scamper off into the darkness, the party decided to approach with great caution.

They made it past the shaft without attack, finally reaching a three-way intersection. The path forward led deeper into the pyramid, while to the left and right it branched into alcoves, obviously intended as smaller tombs and chapels. These were smeared with filth and blood, for they had become the lair of ghouls – many ghouls. Many, many ghouls. The dungeon exploration turned into an all-out battle as cannibalistic undead descended on the party from every direction.

The party might have been overrun, had Balen not evoked a new dweomer, a circle of protection which kept the undead at a 10’ radius from him. Shikra used her dark arts to take control of the nearest undead and forced them to fight their own. Then Mahmud, Androcles, Rakh, and Sapphira waded into battle, cleaving down the left and right hallways leaving a line of bodies in their wake.

The fighters had just driven the enemy back when a Great Ghoul Sorcerer revealed himself, hurtling a bolt of lightning down the corridor from down the darkened tunnel. The fighters pursuing the ghouls were outside the blast area, but the rest of the party was struck. Suad, Zoya, Ceara, Ethlyn, and Wazir were all incapacitated instantly, while Balen, Shikra, and Senef were badly hurt.

Balen responded to the attack by blasting the Great Ghoul Sorcerer and his bodyguards with a fireball. That was insufficient to destroy it, so the fighters regrouped to charge the Great Ghoul. Androcles was paralyzed by the Sorcerer’s bodyguards, and slain a moment later, and Rakh was left paralyzed as well, though Sapphira managed to drag him back to safety. Balen sustained a barrage of magical fire, while Umar and Dornethan fired missiles. Eventually the Great Ghoul Sorcerer was slain along with his minions.

The aftermath of the battle proved not nearly as dire as it had seemed during the thick of the fighting. Androcles was dead, and Wazir had lost a leg, but the rest of the party suffered no more than minor scars and, in Suad’s case, a missing finger. The mage promptly declared himself “Suad Nine-Fingers” and turned towards searching for loot.

The Great Ghoul had accumulated a substantial treasure pile. The Fated surmised that he must have been raiding Zaharan tombs and crypts for years. Of particular interest was his library of ancient tomes. These were partially damaged from Balen’s fireball, but fortunately the Great Ghoul’s spellbook was intact, and it had several never-before-seen spells: Fist of Stone and Pillar of Sand. The Great Ghoul’s library also contained notes on his various magical items, including a wand of paralyzation and an amulet against crystal balls and ESP.

With this rich trove, the party marched back to the Oasis of the White Palm, returning on the 24th of Innelen.  Senef turned his healing arts towards restoring Androcles and Wazir. Though a shaman, Senef was an apostate who had learned the Empyrean spell restore life and limb. Androcles was restored, but perhaps Senef’s shamanism bled through, for it was a partial reincarnation – and it seemed the incarnation was neanderthal, for Androcles returned brutish, hairy, and ill-visaged. Wazir was next. He returned outwardly normal, but his connection to the divine was severed, costing him greatly in spiritual power.

Despite seeing these worrisome complications, Balen asked for Senef to heal him as well. The war-mage had taken several maiming wounds that left him aching and slow, and he wanted these cured. This cure went quite well; Balen was shaken a bit by the trauma, but would be fit for action within a fortnight.

While their comrades were recovering, the rest of the party turned towards other matters. Shikra and Suad began studying the many books they’d found in the Great Ghoul’s library, and added to their repertoires.

Senef began proselytizing within the Oasis. With his ability to call dragons, raise the dead, and cure disease, the Besherab nomads soon fell in awe of the shaman, whom they called “Speaker With Dragons” and “Voice of the Desert.” 143 converts adopted his faith.

Zoya sent funds and missives to her spies in Ber-Gathy. 10 days later, she got back quite interesting reports. Bathsheba reported, “The Emperor in Aura is near death. He is not expected to survive the season. When word reached Alakyrum, the Exarch of Opelenea began calling up his legions.”  Kavus reported, “I have continued to listen for reports of caravans lost in the Howling Emptiness. A total of four major caravans have now gone missing!”

Mahmud decided to seek a cure for the Sheik. His first plan was to have Senef dispel the charm, but this failed miserably – twice. The Sheik came to say Mahmud, deeply troubled. “My friend, I fear Senef is in league with our enemies. He has twice tried to ensorcel me, and only my iron willpower has saved me from his enchantments. Something must be done!” whispered the Sheik. “Ah…I shall handle it, Your Eminence,” said the confused Paladin.

Mahmud now asked Suad to attempt to dispel the charm. Suad approached the Sheik. “Your Eminence, Mahmud sent me. He fears that Senef has cast a spell upon you. May I have your leave to dispel it?” “Of course, my friend.” This time, the dispel was successful. Clarity fell over the Sheik’s features. “No! I have been charmed by Utuk-Xul. But that means my friend Mahmud has also been charmed! Come quickly…”

The Sheik hastily grabbed Suad and dragged him to the paladin’s presence. “Free him of this sorcery now, mage!” Suad obligingly “dispelled” Mahmud. “Ah, thank you for rescuing me, Your Eminence,” said Mahmud. “No, it is who must thank you,” said the Sheik. “Had you not sent Suad to me, we would both still be charmed!”

“I am not ungrateful. My friend, it is time I introduce you to the wife I have selected for you…the lovely Alia.” And here our chronicle must temporarily halt in the interest of modesty, for as to the intimacy between husband and wife, even Imran’s light must not illuminate it.

Fist of Stone                         Range 150’

Arcane 1                                    Duration: instantaneous

This spell blasts its target with a fist of solid stone conjured from the elemental sphere. The target suffers 1d4 points of damage per level of the caster. A successful saving throw versus Blast reduces damage to half. 

Pillar of Sand                         Range 120’

Arcane 2                                                Duration: 1 turn

The caster brings a pillar of solid sand (sandstone) into existence. The pillar of sand can be as large as 1,000 cubic feet. It cannot have a diameter of less than 10’. The pillar of sand must always be conjured in contact with the ground. If the caster desires, the pillar can bond itself to any surrounding nonliving material if its area is sufficient to do so. Its most common use is to create a raised dais or perch for archers, or as a “plug” to fill doors or hallways.

The caster can also create the pillar vertically resting on a flat surface but not attached to the surface, so that it can be tipped over to fall on and crush creatures beneath it. The pillar is 50% likely to tip in either direction if left un-pushed. Creatures can push the pillar n one direction rather than letting it fall randomly. Pushing the wall in one direction requires a successful Open Doors proficiency throw. Creatures with room to flee a falling pillar can do so with a successful save versus Blast. Creatures of ogre size or smaller that fail the save take 10d6 points of damage. The pillar cannot crush larger creatures.

Once created, the pillar of sand will last for 1 turn, or until dispelled. The pillar may not be evoked so that it appears where objects or creatures already are.