Noldair 3
Namo
The group faces a tough decision in regards to Namo, the doppleganger. JL, Herman, Prentice and Tyke attempt to commune with Plon. They move up to one of the spires and make the attempt using Divine and Arcane magic with a little Psionic energy added in for good measure. Things start looking bad, so Tyke attempts to channel the conjection of energy into his staff of spell storing. A cone of energy zaps into Tyke's staff, 4 types of energy identified but only 3 were visible. Tyke takes 27 damage while the others connected take 13. All 4 are knocked prone and required to make a reflex save. Prentice fails his save and begins to fall off, he's saved by JL's grep. Tyke's staff meantime has changed to something like ivory, covered with symbols glowing with a purple energy which soon fades. No one involved recognizes the symbols. Rondax however, remembers similar symbols on the skins of zebanaurs. Zandox, Rondax's witch-doctor was hurled 20' when he read the symbols. He also suffered from a buzzing for 5 days following the incident.
Statues
The group discusses what to do with all four people freed from their stone prisons. Worried what the Baron may do with the Tedroxian and Millisant. Marlo is not that major of an issue. Decide to send those who want to leave the city off to Tedrox. Prentice approaches Millisant about going to Tedrox. Millisant reveals that she knows about the Chalice of Noldair. She decides to stay with the group for a time. Rondax will provide entertainment for the evening.
There are concerns about the Tedroxian line of family succession due to Julian's past and present condition. Winston Stongwall is the baron and is usually a reasonable man. JL claims he can not get involved due to familial matters. JL vouches he can get him to the Baron of Tedrox, and will vouch for his identity. Julian wonders about JL's ties to Tedrox's nobility and still concerned about JL's true identity. Prentice steps in to mitigate the disagreement. Noldair is located in Irelia and JL may have broken international law since he is a member of a Ghantran army. Marlo agrees to go to Tedrox since he was never really tied down to a particular city. In the meantime, Rondax has asked for secrets. Marlo tells Rondax he was looking on the North East side of the city at a stone dome. It was 20's wide with an old idol located at the dome. The idol was silver metal covered with gems (several hundred powers).
The entire group heads out of the city in preperation of the required Teleport. Prentice, JL, Tyke and the freed souls leaving for Tedrox will teleport to the Ghantran embassy there. At the end of the teleport, the travellers find themselves in a small stone cell, its only exit a stone door with a barred window. The group hears footsteps approaching. A wrinkled old man with one eye looks into the cell. He identifies himself as the turnkey. Announces that all teleports to the embassy are rerouted to the cell. He informs the group he will announce their arrival to Ambassador Renard Stormslayer. JL admits to Julien that the ambassador is his 2nd cousin. The group decides to escape the cell instead of waiting for the ambassador. At first the look resists Prentice's Touch of Freedom, but then it melts. JL leads the group out of the cell and immediately an alarm spell erupts. The group heads down a hallway to a staircase. The guards approach and demands the group puts down their weapons. JL informs the guards of his identity which surprises Julian since JL never mentioned his family name. Renard meets JL at the top of the steps.
Introductions are around the group. Julien Steelshield, Marquis of Everrot, discusses real vs fake status. JL apologizes to Renard for the intrusion. Julien questions JL on why he didn't mention his family name, which Prentice uncessfully attempts to explain away the inconsistancy.
Ambassador Stormslayer
Renard explains that he has had some problems with assassination attempts, which is why the cell was added. Renard knows about the old history in Tedrox. JL promises not to involve anyone from the family. Renard offers to take him out if he is inconvenient. Renard wants to know what Julien's intentions are. If Julien asserts his claim, the family may implicate JL in fraud, which would put Renard's position in jeopardy and tarnish the Stormslayer name. Renard offers to have a wizard work a forgetful charm, to make Julien forget everything since he woke up. JL waffles on the decision, does not want to involve anyone in the family.
JL tells Renard that he needs to talk to some people, in an attempt to work out some details in advance. JL goes out the back door and heads to the Baronial Palace.
Julien's Affairs
Julien grows impatient and asks Prentice how long he thinks things will take. Prentice attempts to placate Julien, but has no idea himself.
Meanwhile, once JL arrives at the palace, he is escorted in to meet the Baron. JL immediately realizes that the baron has put on more weight since their last visit. The baron admits that he's very glad to have Marcellus cooking for him. JL pushes onto the topic at hand, but Strongwall gives his answer to Baron Randolph's question to JL. He is on board with Randolph's plan provided Randolph can contain Gagneria.
JL explains the situation to Strongwall. He is understanding of JL's position. Strongwall offers to take care of the situation. He can not afford to lose the current scion of Everrot. Allies of Everrot will not stand by quietly if Strongwall attempts to replace him. Other noble families, not happy with the baron, may offer assistance to Julien if they discover his existance prior to the situation being resolved. Former issues like this one were resolved either through peerage or through Civil War. Since the baron rules over both individuals, Julien must bow down to the baron to take a noble seat. The baron offers JL dinner, but realizes that the issue should be resolved as soon as possible. The two discuss other issues including the recent orcish ongoings. When he learns of the orc trade with Kawann, he offers to send a group over there to determine the level of orcish involvement.
Julien has grown very desperate at this point, he wants to be involved in the process of determining his future. In addition, he trusts no one. He does request an update on the status of the meeting, despite no one at the ambassador's house being privy to JL's conversation. Marlo, on the other hand, just wants out of the embassy and desires to avoid any political involvement.
Zesa, the daughter of a Blood Chieftain, and Julien both worried about her complicating things. Prentice attempts to gloss over acceptance of the marriage. In reality, the marriage may not be legal in any barony. JL returns to the embassy. When he informs the others of what has been decided, Renard is surprised at JL's route and the outcome. The group gathers their things and leaves for the palace. Once outside in the open, all three of the visitors are surprised by recent advances (the button was recently invented and was very popular in Tedrox).
They approach the palace and are admitted entrance. Once inside, they are immediately ushered in to see the baron. JL, Prentice, and Tyke are discharged as the Baron takes over the matter. The group takes their leave of the baron and the palace. Once outside and a block away from the palace, they teleport to Ghantra.
Baron Randolph
- Note: I have nothing on this meeting. I can't remember if it took place that evening or outside of earshot. If anyone involved remembers anything, please update.
At Noldair
Rondax & Millisant go for a ride while the rest of the group waits around the camp for JL, Prentice, and Tyke to return. While spending the night on the plains, Rondax has given Millisant the wemic name of Formax, meaning little funny person.
The next morning, the group is back together and begin the trek back into Noldair. Millisant reminisces about her shopping experiences near the West Gate, which also housed a musuem just inside the city.
The group heads north outside the wall to reach the west gate, which they reach without incident. The gates are mostly intact. They can see the palace to the southeast. The gate is guarded by stone statues, most likely golems. Not wanting to take a chance with the golems, the group presses on to find a hole in the wall, up off the ground. Bono makes it up to the opening on his second attempt to climb. Once up, Bono lowers a rope to the group. Tyke casts overland flight on Rondax to ease his way over the wall. Once on the other side, the group finds itself in a fairly open space, some statues remain standing, but most of the area is not in good shape.
Looking around the group finds a fairly intact warehouse, formerly owned by the Southern Star Trading Company. The door of the warehouse is intact and closed. Rondax flies up and discovers the building is mostly one open room covered in rubble from the roof. There's metal boxes on the ground, as well as a white marble box on one wall and a pile of tusks against another wall. The pile is being used as a bed by a huge reptile, a creature with 9-12 heads total. Rondax waves to the creature. The creature replies with a snort and a gout of flame which hits Rondax for 12 dmg.
The Hydra
| 0 | Hydra - Surprise | Fires upon the group | | | | |
| | | Rondax: hit 8 dmg | | | | Rondax: hist 13 dmg |
| | | Rondax: miss 4 dmg | | | | Bono: miss, 0 dmg |
| | | Prentice: hit 7 dmg (resist 1/2 15) | | | | Herman: miss, 0 dmg |
| 1 | Hydra | | | 2 | Hydra | |
| | | Rondax: 2 heads hit, 1 crit, 22 dmg | | | | Prentice: 3 heads, 3 hits, 33 dmg |
| | | Sol: 2 hits, 39 dmg | | | | Rondax: 3 heads, 2 hit, 16 dmg |
| | | Prentice, 2 hits, 20 dmg | | | | JL: 3 heads, 2 hit, 25 dmg |
| | Bono | Cat's Grace | | | | Sol: 3 heads, 1 hit, 14 dmg |
| | Prentice | Summon Monster 7 - Avoral & Kn. Check | | | Bono | hit, 29 dmg |
| | Herman | Doom | | | Prentice | Cure Moderate Wounds |
| | Rondax | 3 hits : 53 dmg | | | - Avoral | 2 hits, 22 dmg |
| | JL | Dimension Door into warehouse | | | Herman | through D.D., Ray of Hope -> Rondax |
| | Sol | Follows through Door | | | Rondax | 2 sets of hits, 35 dmg, 25 dmg |
| | Tyke | Lightning Bolt - sv 20 dmg | | | JL | 2 hits, 27 dmg |
| | | | | | Sol | 2 hits, 30 dmg |
| | | | | | Tyke | Disintigrate, sv failed. Dead Hydra |
The Avoral remains for some time and using its true seeing, the door is excessively trapped., 1 metal box has a glyph of warding. Nothing else is hiddden in the warehouse, although a marble pedestal with a dancing nymph was mentioned. Tyke dispells both traps. Avoral looks around the near area and identifies the musuem to the north as a point of interest. The Avoral then heals Rondax before returning. The group loots the warehouse and then calls the dwarven contigent to pick up the treasure for safe keeping.
The Musuem
The group heads off to the museum. The trip takes 20 minutes and when the group arrives, they find a building with smooth pillars and a domed roof, plated with a peculiar metal. The friese is almost complete. Millicent says that in her time, there were some strange stuffed creatures located outside the museum. A sunken staircase leads to a stone door which is initially stuck, but forced by Rondax. The door leads to a dusty underground corrider. The group heads to the back of the museum.
The first door leads into a rat's next. The second room turns out to be a storage room, used to store bones. The third door is locked & trapped, but opened by Bono, which leads to a second storeroom, this one triangular shaped and filled with pottery. Bono finds a small bag with 3 pieces of amber, each containing an insect. Off of that room is a doorway leading into a second triangular room, this one filled with weaponry, all bronze and copper. Four items are identified as magical. The next room contains even more armor, most of it more archaic. Between the two rooms, the group outfits Rondax, Herman, and Prentice with armor. Also located within the armor is a pair of chain gloves for JL. Once he puts them on, they appear to sink into his skin, and actually make him feel more dextrous. The next room is filled with misc. objects such as figurines, bowls, incense burners, and various other sundries. Inside one of those bowls is a small golem, extremely strong for it's size which hits both Bono and Rondax before Sol is able to trap it in a bronze pot.
The next room contains a full size marble statue of a Griffen, former steed of a king who fought Tanoth, now a hole. Nothing unusual about the stonework. Next room is filled with glass cases filled with mineral specimens, 100 pieces or so, many of them are quite valuable. The exit off that room leads into a straight corrider with four more rooms off of it. The first is empty, the second contains rotted clothes. The third contains ceramic discs covered with family crests and names. The fourth door is sealed. Bono fails to find the trap and then fails to pick the lock, setting off the trap. A second attempt at unlocking the door succeeds. The room is filled with parchments and scrolls. The paper is protected from humidity by a chained salt mephit. Detecting magic identifies 6 scrolls of interest. The remainder is mainly composed of Fresian manuscripts.
The front round room turns out to be aa single room, a statuary. There are few complete pieces, most have been broken. There is a pedestal with a hidden panel containing a drawer with an Amulet/Pendant on a gold chain (magical). The talisman belonged to Crowlos III who dealt with the nether world. It is a symbol of his power in the underworld.
A chill passes through the room, dropping the temperature several degrees. White lights appear in pairs. Revealing Nagas. One approaches and whispers in Infernal. When no one responds, it switches to the common tongue. They want to know what we want. JL responds that we really don't want anything, except to loot the museum. The Nagas are not pleased.