Campaign of the Month: April 2011

Planejammer: The Spelljoined

The Silver Citadel
Nuke it from orbit, it's the only way to be sure...

Dinya and Kenari share mental images of what we remember of the ship.

MIND LINK: KENARI, LENATA, VEDIS, DINYA AND EF UTAN

We enter and go through an access shaft. Mel uses the control panel on the wall to try and access the computer system. Primitive tubes!

Pattern of burns and laser bursts along balcony so looks like AFTER when the Parasol Patrol was here. Mel says do we want to check the radiation room since they couldn’t before?

We’re being watched by cameras on the wall. Finn feels a shiver as the dimensional anchor about the space seems to flicker for a moment. Etsuriko grabs a camera off the wall and hands it to Mel.

Etsuriko and Mel and Dinya go to radiation room. Moderate lvl radiation readings as Mel opens the door. One tube has a being in it with a stencil: STARSHIP WARDEN. Computer workstation in upper right corner. Mel
looking for computer logs. Med readouts on figure show in stasis, encrypted notes about a parasite infestation. Statis, life support and a mid level force field. Mel accesses files – ALIEN FACEHUGGERS.

VIDEO FEED OF CAMERAS ALONG THE BALCONY. Generation Ship called the Warden that came from North America on Earth.Crate pops and has racks meant to hold things double the size/thickness of a quarter. Crate behind guy in tube is cracked and that’s what is leaking RADIATION.

We all port and step to the island with the access tunnel. Mel activates the elevator as Finn and Kenari see froghemoths swimming in the water and about half way down as we see it going into the floor…
we’re used to the fields of portals and this is almost like going through a portal but we’re still in the same place on the other side. Weird shifting feeling. 5 more minutes to the bottom floor. We notice another fluxuation in the anchor – borderline power outage.

Could it be a time shift? Finn attempts to scramble the “portal” – reasonably sure he did “something.” Etsuriko notices his psionic circuitry is being shinier than normal.

Mel’s emotion sense picks up on a dozen or more as the tube lowers down.

Ef Utan powers up with scrolls: Shield, Badgers Ferocity, etc.
Kenari activates Shield necklace.

Platform island in large pool with human tubes on one side and android tubes on the other. Long tadpole pool on the right. Movement in room to the south and some to the east.

Lenata casts GLIMPSE OF TRUTH. Lots of cameras on all four walls around us near the ceiling. Ef ferries us across the pool. When Finn gets closer to the wall with all of the bodies behind it he gets a tingling sense
near another door and wall as well. Door to chronomancers is def trapped with lots of electricity. Finn touches it with his hand with the Illithid circuitry. Some of it flows out, reconstructs and goes into the pad.
The anti=personnel field drops and the door clicks open. Each tube has a creature in it – Elves, Elan, Dwarves, etc. South end is a staged area with machinery and Gieger-ish Illithid craft to it. In the center is a large
broken sphere with signs of activity and recent work done. Len does heal checks inspecting tubes and Mel looks for computer records. All are “rated” but no definition as to what the rating is. (Human – Class 5 etc).
Cables connect to the machinery down south. Finn looks for a control panel. Ef casts Diamond Spray on the cables and takes 22 points of dmg as it blows out with a big burst of energy and Ef giggles. Dinya facepalms.
The lights in the room drop to low light levels. The doors click shut and a faint buzz as the anti-personnel field goes up. Finn casts a summoning dampening field. 100ft per 10 rounds.

Tubes start to explode. Kenari flickersteps to the door and pulls some wire out of the wall to deactivate the field. Mel goes to use the panel to open the door as the tubes boom. Finn and Etsuriko arrive at door and Finn
uses circuitry to get the door open as more tubes explode.

Room south, Illithid tech everywhere – to the right is rows of bodies in tubes with machinery. MIND BLAST. Four Illithids crouched down among tubes that Ef hits with Magic Missile.

Finn stealths and searches for machinery since he’s not fighting. 32/28 – a lot is broken but some reasonably intact. Three power stones pulled out of it fully charged. Acid Short Sword. Two hours wandering so far.

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Lenata's Scribblings
Cleric's research

The Ancient Brethren

Before anything there was nothing and out of this nothing Came the Ancient Brethren.
- Old Celestian text over the Gates of Wisdom

Before the existence of any Gods or even the Planes, there were the Ancient Brethren. The average person doesn’t even know of their existence and anything they may know or heard of relating to them comes from unsubstantiated rumors and myths.

The Ancient Brethren consist of an uncertain number of entities; however, most learned scholars consider the following to be among them; Asmodeus, Jazirian, The Serpent (Mok-Slyk), The Spelljammer, The Lady of Pain.
Their roles in the creation of the multiverse are merely speculation and legend.

A derided and hotly contested segment support that an Illithid God, Ilsisine*is also one of the Ancient Brethren.

Jazirian Couati God, Lawful Good, His realm known as Uroboros, the Gates of Wisdom, could be found in Solania, the 4th of the 7 Heavens. The Ruby Palace of Sardior was said to appear here on its way through the Planes. Jazirian with Ahriman established the fundamental principles of planes: the Unity of the Rings, the Rule of Threes, and the Center of All, creating the ring-shaped cosmos. Jazirian was killed by Merrshaulk.

Rumor: It is said that Mok-Slyk was the one who taught Vecna magic

Ilsisne “Great Brain or Powerful Brain” patron deity and creator of the Illithids. Oryndoll is considered a holy place. Based in the Caverns of Though in the Outlands. Foes of Ilsisne include Lloth.

Asmodeus – Prince of Darkness, he who is most feared, keeper of the Rovagug, the Rough Beast. Asmodeus is often considered to be one of the Ancient Brethren. Prince of Darkness, one of the rulers of Hell, one who is Most Feared. Penned the contract of creation. He is the one who keeps the Rovagug “The Rough Beast” trapped in the Pit of Gormuz, the only key to its prison kept by Asmodeus.

Celestian: The Far Wanderer, Oridean God from Oearth. One of the major powers worshipped on the Rock of Bral. Celestian got along with other gods of travel from other pantheons (Ie Desna) but especially his brother Fharlanghn the Far Traveler also from Oerthian Panthion. Celestian has several astral devas at his disposal whom he could call for aid when needed. There is a College of Celestian on the Rock of Bral (Lenata Starborne graduated from there) and a large temple in the Barrier Peaks on Grayhawk. Portfolio: The cosmos, stars, space, firmament, sky, wandering, exploring, traveling, dreams
Aliases: Celestain
Domains: Travel, Wildspace, Knowledge, Trickery, Psionics
Superiors: None
Allies: Dalt (GH), Delleb (GH), Fharlanghn (GH), Heward (GH), Keoghtom (GH), Lendor (GH), Murlynd (GH), Pelor (GH), Procan (GH), Rao (GH), Velnius (GH), Xerbo (GH), Zagyg (GH), Rais (SJ/GH), Muamman Duathal/Marthammor Duin, Sehanine Moonbow, Hermes, Puchan, Selne (FR)
Foes: Erythnul (GH), Hextor (GH), Iuz (GH), Tharizdun/Dark God (GH), Vecna (GH/RL), Wastri (GH), Elder Elemental God, Great Mother, Ilsensine
Symbol: An array of seven “stars” (a diamond, amethyst, sapphire, emerald, topaz, jacinth, and ruby) blazing with the fire of distant suns on a black circle.

celestian.jfif

Labelas Aneroth: “Lord of the Continuum” he guards against those who would alter history. Little known Elven God of Time, longevity, the moment of choice and history, has few followers. No known alliances or conflicts with other Gods. Lives in the realm of Arvandor on the plane of Arborea.

Desna: Varisarian Goddess, one of the original 8 deities but instead of building Golarion, she built the Heavens, Ancient Goddess of Freedom and Luck with aspects in travel. Desna strongly opposes Lamashtu and actively hunts the demigod, Ghlaunder. Night hags hate Desna. Desna is an enemy of Xhamen-Dor.
Desna’s home is Cynosure, a demiplane on the material plane in a castle known as Sevenfold Cynosure. It can exist simultaneously in Elysium and Cynosure if she wishes it.
desna.jfif

Sekhmet “The Lady of the Slaughter, Avenger of Wrongs”, Chaotic Neutral. Violently opposed to the “Pale One” and those that follow that dark deity. Goddess of Women and vengeance.

Istus – The Goddess of Fate is the Baklunish goddess of fate, destiny, divination, the future, and honesty. Her symbol is the golden spindle with three strands. Three aspects; a cold maiden, a haughty noblewoman and an old crone. She has a strange cloud-like companion who is a Prince from the Demiplane of Time. Istus dwells in the Web of Fate.

The Lady of Pain – One of The Ancient Brethren, She does not This enigmatic being serves as the ruler of Sigil. None know her origins, or even her nature; she has existed for as long as Sigil has, and Sigil has been known almost as long as mortals have existed on the planes. Never speaking and rarely intervening, she acts only through her servants, the dabus. Resembling the dabus in some respects, the Lady appears as an expressionless female, hovering a few inches above the ground, never making a sound. Her pale face is ringed by a crown of blades, protruding from her flesh, and those whom her shadow falls across are flayed alive, sliced to ribbons by her very nature.

There are almost as many theories about her origins as there are citizens of Sigil; some serious, others less so. Some claim she is merely a fiend, the first being to discover Sigil and thus taken by it to rule. Others claim she has her origins in the ancient past of the multiverse, a contemporary of the Serpent or the Dark Powers. Still others claim her a daughter of Poseidon, an advanced form of dabus, or even seven giant squirrels on each other’s shoulders with a ring of levitation and a costume.

She does not allow Gods to enter her domain though clerics are tolerated. Illithids are not seen in Sigil though they do send spies and emissaries there. Etsuriko is the only living person known to have heard her speak.

The Spelljammer – The Spelljammer is a legendary ship which looks like a gigantic manta ray, and houses an entire city on its back. All spacefarers (people who live in wildspace) have heard of the Spelljammer but very few have ever seen it themselves. It is this ship that gives its name to “spelljamming”, “spelljamming helms” and anything else connected with spelljamming. The ship has been reported to have been seen in countless spheres for as long as records go back. Even some groundlings (people who live on planets that have very little or no commerce with spelljamming communities) have legends about it. There are hundreds of conflicting legends about this ship, and a mythology has developed about the ship that is similar to the legends surrounding The Flying Dutchman.
The Spelljammer is one of The Ancient Brethren.
spelljammer.jfif

The Serpent (Mor-Slyk by the ancient Flan peoples) is an entity of godlike power, believed to be the personification of arcane magic.
The Serpent appears as a long, snakelike, semi-transparent entity. The Serpent’s head bears draconic features, and several dorsal ridges run along its back.
Relationships
The Serpent is said to be a member of a group of unfathomably old entities known as the Ancient Brethren, which though similar to gods, are not exactly gods, though some beings honor them as such. The Lady of Pain, Asmodeus, and Jazirian are also sometimes said to belong, or to have once belonged to this group, and supposedly Vecna is a descendant of the Ancient Brethren. There may also be a connection between the Ancient Brethren and the draedens and baernoloths born before the multiverse began.
The Serpent is believed to have personally instructed Vecna in the ways of magic. Vecna’s mother, Mazzel, told her son that the Serpent gains its power by devouring the souls of those who honor it.
Other rumors include that the Serpent is a guise of Asmodeus, or that the Serpent doesn’t exist at all. Perhaps it is only Vecna’s own madness and insight whispering back at him from within the darkness of his own one-eyed skull.
Source The Great Library of Grayhawk

Mordenkainan – Oerthian archmagis (30th level spellcaster) and leader of the Circle of Eight on Grayhawk. Vecna may have destroyed the circle of Eight on his first attempt at becoming a greater deity. Mordenkainan is credited with creating a great many useful and powerful spells. It is said he inhabits The Tower of Urm and uses it as a vehicle to travel the multiverse,

Estevaan – One of the top movers and shakers of Sigil, Estavaan the Merchant Lord is head of the Sigil Office of the Planar Trade Consortium.

Black Monolith – with glowing lights projecting an image that shifts. (We had a vision of it while walking the spiral path on the desert planet) Melisande Denaris recognizes it as Guidance.

Eclavdra – Eclavdra is the leader of House Eilservs and the most powerful priestess of Lolth. Her former consorts include Lyme, Derakhshan, and the demon lord Graz’zt. She also has a son, Athux. Eclavdra now serves as Lolth’s chief diplomat, as well as the supreme mortal ruler of her organization and religion. Eclavdra is a powerful, ravishing drow priestess of Lolth. She is known for her cruelty and complex scheming, and her total lack of compassion. She eliminates rivals before they can become threats.

Luigi – The Beholder (Owner of the Laughing Beholder)
the famous beholder and tavern keeper. Luigi is an extremely wise and knowledgeable beholder who is one of the very few members of his race to understand the beholder’s destiny to learn and to teach. Luigi is a civic minded and well-liked citizen of Bral and spends most of his time listening to the rumors of far spheres and great adventures.

Luigi is more than happy to share information with anyone who cares to seek the answers from him, but he has an infuriating tendency to withhold vital knowledge. He cannot reveal knowledge that would upset the balance of the cosmos and on many occasions that could depend on something as simple as an adventurer knowing where to find a fabled ruin or a reclusive hermit. All he asks in return is a story or song for his many patrons.
The Laughing Beholder is rarely troubled by bullies or hoodlums. Large Luigi’s powerful magical abilities quickly put an end to trouble virtually before it starts.

This is where Commodore Vedis Valentine worked for years as the head tavern wench before she became an adventurer. Luigi also warned the Spelljoined that the Illithid were using the Chronomancers as batteries and using Fate Eaters within the Loom to clean up their changes to avoid being noticed by the Fates and Fortunes. It was also he that explained the significance of the Spelljammer tattoos in their ability to be “unstrung from fate”.

  • Mindflayer Wizard* – A couple possible theories
    Illithids eschew magic in favor of psionics, those that choose to study wizardry over psionics are often ostracized and disconnected from the elder brain. They must achieve immortality via undeath instead of merging with the Elder Brain, becoming Illithid litchs called alhoons. These alhoons are only concerned with their own survival rather than that of the hive.

Strom Wakeman is an alchemist and explorer from Grayhawk. Wakeman, an enterprising trader and scholar of Underdark exotica, allowed himself to be captured by the Illithid on one of his expeditions. With a non-magical mixture of various herbs that Wakeman named laethen, he was able to preserve his consciousness through ceremorphosis, and learned to use his psionic powers to keep from having to consume brains. Thus, he worked against the Illithid plots from within. The legend of the Adversary was born from his frequent sabotage, though the actual acts were never connected to him. The players’ characters in the adventure become his agents in stopping the illithids’ plans, as his own movements rely upon secrecy from his “fellow” illithids.

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The rest of the battle...

Illithid does a Mind Blast. Dinya knocked unconscious. Kenari grabs another leash and teleports another Fate Eater. Mel casts Cosmic Truth on Illithid. 3 rounds confused.

The Fate Eater attempts to attack Ef and ends up flat footed as it misses. Another attacks Etsuriko. Lenata attempts to intervene but fails to twist it’s fate. 21pts dmg to Etsuriko.

A Fate Eater moves down to get Dinya and Lenata casts Holy Smite that gets everybody but does 56 to the Illithid. It wakes up Dinya, however she is Shaken for 3 rounds.

Ef attacks a Fate Eater 3 times for 68pts of dmg. He hits one and channels a Dispel Magic effect into the strike, causing the light animating to flicker in the Fate Eater.

Vedis strikes the Fate Eater with Sardior’s Fang for a crit and dumps another Dispel effect through the attack for 28pts of dmg. Primordial Surge causes -2 to Fate Eater.

Etsuriko does a flurry of blows for two strikes for 19pts. Mel does a Mind Thrust for 32pts dmg. It misses attacking Mel and she detects a similiarity when Leodette would influence time.

Lenata casts Greater Dispel Magic and all of the light goes out of it as it collapses. The other one gets pissed off. Dinya attacks the Fate Eater for 18pts dmg. slash/force

Ef does a crit on the Fate Eater and slices it in half as part of it lands in Finn’s lap. “My pants! These were given to me by the Queen of America!”

Lenata channels to heal everyoe as Mel dismisses the Bubonic Plague on the ship and activates the ship filtration systems. Can Mel make an innoculation for the disease so we can all get shots?

Etsuriko goes over to the Penumbra and it’s a bit of a mess. A few crewmen are down/lost and one in major shock as she was a man before she got bit. Another crew member was an expert cook and now just wants to make weapons. Takero says the 3rd ship took off in the phlow headed for Greyspace. Mel plays target practice with the Fate Eaters in the phlow. The dead ones on the deck get to be put in the freezer for later cultivation as there are Feats for eating Fate Eaters. Ken ports Lenata over to heal what crew we can. Ef hacks the Fate Eaters floating in space. Dinya is restored.

Mel takes us on a tour of the ship and shows off the Planar Appeture Drive to Dinya. In there set in the core is Cat Herder, her weapon. Like an older version? Whaaat?

Vedis gets back to piloting the Penumbra and we take off to chase the 3rd ship towards Greyspace while Lenata sleeps to get her spells back. Mel uses her sensors to try and find the Illithid ship.

She picks up a disturbance in the phlogiston of the wake of a ship. We come upon the sphere Crystal gate for Greyspace as Mel notices the difference and the fire pots on the shell that act like stars.

We make it passed the chancey part past the outlying Beholder world and maneuver through the Grinder and continue in system past the sun towards the center of the system and Oerth.

Mel scans from orbit and finds its riddled with planar transit points and moderate time displacement. A particularly strong sense of a cluster of gates on one of the continents. A real dense array of necromantic magic in the norther part of the continent. Oh that’s a dark kingdom ruled by Iuz, a demigod. What’s with this geocentric system? – Mel

Mel does a sensor check on the Barrier Peaks to look for the fallen ship/Silver Citadel as we think that might be a Fate Eater factory. After 20m she zeroes in on a large mass of metal there and picks up something shielding it somewhat and there’s a dimensional anchor affecting the structure. We can take a shuttle down to Oerth. It’s rough, but Mel gets us down safely. We port and flicker step down wit the group as we’re parked on a flat shelf of rock barely big enough 150ft up. Skies are darkening and it’s starting to rain. A wide variety of tracks of creatures over an extensive period of time. Most start near that metal wall and lead out of the valley space. The metal wall has faint lines in the metal about 15ft square in the side of it.

**Blessings of Luck and Resolve and Protection From Evil from Lenata – +2 morale vs. Fear. If you fail you can end spell for a +4 morale bonus. +2 AC etc.

Ken works to open the field to get to the metal wall and thinks she MIGHT be able to open it. Ken manages to open the door….

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Nomad Preparations
Kenari's followers and their battle plan

Clerics:

Bennu – 5th lvl Human Cleric of Bast – Pilot – 0, 1st, 2nd, 3rd – PILOT

Garrick- 4th lvl Dwarven Cleric of ______ – 0,1st,2nd

Shariti – 2nd level Elven Cleric of ______ – 0,1st

Raziya – 2nd level Elven Cleric of ______ – 0,1st

The clerics will cast the following:

0 lvl: Guidance (+1 on attack roll, saving throw or skill check for touched creature)

1st: Bless (+1 on attk rolls and saves against Fear)

1st: Divine Favor (+1 per 3 levels on attack and damage rolls)

1st: Magic Weapon: Weapon gains +1 bonus

1st: Obscuring Mist*

2nd: Magic Boulder (like Magic Stone, 3 boulders)

2nd: Magic Siege Engine – Siege Engine gains +1 on targeting and damage rolls


Bards:

Kerrigan – 3rd lvl Half-Elf Bard

Raelin – 1st lvl Human Bard

Shedinn – 1st lvl Catfolk Bard

Nyx – 1st lvl Gnome Bard

Umbero – 1st lvl Half-Elf Bard

The Bards will cast:

Inspire Courage +1 (1st)

Inspire Competence +2 (3rd)

1st: Abundent Ammunition

1st: Enhance Water


The Plan:

Obscuring Mist will be cast so when they come out of the Gate it will provide cover.

The Bards will sing to give +1 to attack and +2 to skills.

The Clerics will cast Bless, Guidance, Divine Favor and Magic Weapon or Magic Siege Engine to add another +4 to attack.

The Bards will cast Enhance Water to make containers of flammable alcohol and bind it to a flask of alchemist fire that they will attach to a ballista arrow (or other ammo).

They will then cast Abundant Ammunition to make a lot of them.

Hopefully this will make decent explosive arrows that they can use in a surprise attack!

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End of Game Initiatives
Game Night 3/10/23

fate-eater.jpg

Location

The Artful Driftdodger (Bridge)

Ongoing effects

We ended at the top of Combat Round #3

Initiatives

22 Illithid – Staggered – 2 to hit, saves, checks
19 Kenari ^
18 Melisande
17 Fate Eater
16 Lenata
16 Fate Eater
15 Dinya
15 Ef Utan
11 Etsuriko
10 Fate Eater (22)
9 Vedis

Bridge_Battle.jpg

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All Hands on Deck!
Oerthward Bound

Theridon conversation remembered – the destruction of the Elder Brain kicked him into the future through the Ether Gap. Friendly ghost? Could he help us scout the Illithids since he’s an undead?

Dodger’s sensors – distortion effect hits the ship. rod of light runs through Lenata through the deck and a booming flash from the bulkhead wall side of engineering. A figure in black armor with a pole arm appears. Dinya the Grave Cleric. Kenari met her, right? The silver frog ship I think… you’ve got the heads?

I tell the rest on the Penumbra and grab Vedis and we port over to the Dodger. Finn sits up and goes “I’m in charge right?” as Etsuriko tells him to lay down and takes command while Vedis is gone.

Mel scans Len, no disease, no radiation, no parasites. Detecting faint like readings from time manipulation effects. She gets a sense of “debugging.” Len is out cold, faint white glow. Luck based magic? Ken whispers in ear “Im going to go pilot the ship now, kay?” Nope, she’s out. Mel recognizes the great relic “Cat Herder” used to jump start the “other ship.”

Dinya was at Loom, investigated Loom and it pulled her here. There was a lot of “goo.” Illithid goo influencing the Loom perhaps? Leodetta the Time Mage is still good and not Illithid. Is the goo still on the blade? Silver shit? Can we analyze it? One other difference, it’s a whispy ectoplasmic variant that quickly disappears. Mel scans it though and picks up a psionic signature and luck magic. FateEater goo? Chronomancer goo the Illithids drained?

Dinya and crew took lightning bracers from Frog Ship that was powering it. Bracers combined with their items keyed them to be able to go to the Loom from there.

There’s a brief flare of light from the Med Bay and Len sits up. “What just happened?” I no longer have any arcane anything anymore. All of my arcane magic is gone! I no longer have access to it for some reason. Whatever happened changed me so that everything is Divine. Something happened to her Fate line to change her. What Dinya followed to get here was her Fate line. Dinya touched the threads attached to her weapon and sliced off the goo with a Smite. The goo was adding chaos to the mix.

There are obscure tales of Sardior the Dragon mettling in races to produce more Psionics, as Vedis talks about gentically modified Elans and Maenads.

ALL HANDS ON DECK, CONTACT AT EXTREME RANGE.”

Ken ports Vedis back to Penumbra with Len as Ken and Dinya stay on Dodger. THREE SHIPS coming in quick on the 20ton range. Average nautiloid is 40tons. Giving off a familiar and unpleasant tentacle based signature.
Etsuriko wakes up Finn with “wakey powder.” Why do you think I was asleep? I know she was holding out on me!

Len casts Blessing of Luck and Resolve on everyone on Penumbra. +2 on Fear saves. Dinya aura has +4 saves on Fear effects.

Ef casts Shield, Bulls Strength, Fly and Badgers Ferocity.

Mel fires the Dodger at the lead ship that blows up in fireball 200ft across…in the Phlow… shockwave created from explosion as we make Reflex saves as the other ships blow up too. 20pts dmg to shields of each ship.
Etsuriko makes sure nobody ported over on the Penumbra and Ef helps. Mel uses her sensors and emotional sense to see that the ship has gotten more crowded as an Illithid holding three leashes holding Fate Eaters.

The Illithid lets go of the leashes so Ken grabs one and teleports a Fate Eater out into the Phlow. Mel Mind Thrusts the Illithid for 29pts who takes it in stride. Lenata teleports onto the bridge with Vedis who readies her Fang. Dinya swings at the Illithid but misses. Ef uses Dimension Door to go to the bridge of the Dodger. A Fate Eater takes a bite at Vedis but misses. Etsuriko Abundent Steps to the bridge. A Fate Eater misses a chomp.
Vedis attacks with the Fang and hits doing 1pt WIS dmg + 8pts dmg and then crits with Mind Blade for 13pts and -2 to checks.

Ken ports back and Mel casts Life Bubble on us all. Lenata effects the luck “Tugging Strands” and makes the Illthid miss Mel. Len then tries Chains of Light but it makes its save. Dinya swings at a Fate Eater and misses badly (-2 to hit) Ef attacks Illithid. A Fate Eater hits Vedis and for a moment she forgets how to wield two weapons at once. Etsuriko uses her fans to attack a Fate Eater to stagger it, hits a few times and then slips and becomes flat footed.

The Fate Eater then disappeared and 3 more showed in it’s place. Ken grabs the other one that still has a leash, just misses getting hit, and ports another one off the ship.

Mel makes the bridge air toxic and rust colored suddenly on the Dodger. She then gives one of the Fate Eaters the Bubonic Plague. Len touches the Fate Eater and casts Homeward Bound, dismissing it back to its place of origin. POINT TO REMEMBER

Dinya attacks a Fate Eater, hits one and then strains her back for 1pt of STR dmg. Ef full attacks the Illithid, and so does Etsuriko. Illithid attacks Etsuriko but Len tugs and keeps it from hitting her. Vedis uses Energy Push/Wilder Surge on Fate Eater smacking it against the wall – +1 checks/attks for next 3 rounds.

LIFE BUBBLE LASTS FOR 12 DAYS.

THOUGHT: If the Fate Eaters are found still floating out in the Phlow after the fight, could we capture one, keep it in a stasis on the ship and analyze it using the Artful Dodger to find out what it is exactly?

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Lenata's Journal #35

Journal bar lenata
It’s been a long time since I have had the chance to enter anything here but recent events indicate that keeping a log is not only wise but necessary. Luigi gave us our marching orders, so to speak and clues as to why some of us are harder to trace. The tattoos the original members of our group woke up with in the beginning, keep us “unstrung from fate”. We are on our way to Oerth/Grayhawke by way of the Hive both for information and cyberware upgrades. Anything to boost our resistance to the Illithids or make us harder to find, harder to kill.

We were still in the sphere’s when I heard the call that 3 strange ships were coming up behind us and closing fast. Being outnumbered we chose to flee and I had the opportunity to see/feel Penumbra move. Oh is it beautiful, and amazing, I have never flown so fast before. We leapt ahead of our pursuers and before I knew it we were at the border of the Phlogiston. As the three ships crossed the boundary there was a huge explosion as their combustion engines caught in the Phlo and set off a chain reaction. (Obviously not from around here or they would have known better.)

We kept the quick pace for a while longer just in case but I did inquire to the ship how long this was possible. With relief, she replied 24 hours at top speed before it started compromising systems. I took the speed down to something more reasonable which was still fast compared to many ships. Our trip through the Phlo was thankfully uneventful. As we approached Realmspace we encountered no ships. We skirted around the less desirable planets of Glyth and H’Catha. I chose to navigate through a relatively new (15 years old or so) asteroid field – The Boneyard. I felt confident I could navigate it and it saved us two days versus going the long way around.

Of course the asteroid field wasn’t an asteroid field…it was a haunt. A very powerful one. First a Drow warrior appears on the deck, when Etsuriko attempts a slight bow, she walks right through her and the bulkhead. We see the flashback scenes of the battle, of ships resembling metal elven ships with unbelievably destructive weapons. We see ships and rocks twisted together and glimpses of bodies strewn about the wreckage. The palpable feeling of relief as the metal ships are sailing away and the absolute terror as they sent their final destructive volley behind them that ended the ships whose wreckage we sailed through and whose collective anguish and suffering created the haunt. We and our living ship triggered it. I was able to navigate the remaining field with a mental note to research a way to somehow put these poor souls to rest.

We were nearly to the hive when our ship was rocked in the sonic blast of another explosion, this time from directly in front of us at the hive! Then I became aware of an odd thrumming, pulsing wave. I was coming from behind us, I turned to see what it was only to catch sight of another ship screaming into view, I barely had time to nip the Penumbra out of its way. This odd metal pronged ship slammed on the brakes, and drifted sideways and only just managed to avoid crashing into the Hive. Someone was very lucky, I wouldn’t want to face Taj after crashing into the Hive, much less after it had already blown up first.

Naturally, since it’s a ship I hear “DIBS”. There’s someone flying it I thought, they’ll probably object to your “dibs” but have at it Fen. KenariKenari Sanura, Etsuriko and Ef decide to step on over to the other ship and politely inquire “WTF?” (Knowing Kenari) I message Taj and identify our ship as belonging to us and remind her of who we are. Unbeknownst to me her mate in full battle gear already appeared on the other ship called the Artful Driftdodger. Realizing who was there with Etsuriko, he seemed disappointed he didn’t get to kill anyone and blipped over to our ship. Once again, he recognized someone, in this case Fen, seemed disappointed he wasn’t able to crack any heads, barked orders that we were to dock immediately but that we were confined to the two ships and disappeared.

The other ship and the Penumbra dock at the Hive and the Commodore, Fen, Melchior and myself go over to the other ship to join our companions. The exterior is metal, all metal and design is unlike the ships I am familiar with. With two long arms extending in front and the body of the ship in the rear, it doesn’t resemble a ship of the sea or a n insect or sea creature as I am accustomed to. The interior is sleek, metallic, shiny, different. It doesn’t feel like a ship that I’m used to, nothing like the Penumbra of course which is a living entity in its own right. I’m used to ships’ helms having a palpable feel to them, I don’t have to be near it, just being on board is enough. I don’t feel this ones, which is strange.

The operator of this strange craft appears with our companions and I had to struggle to school my expression. It was very like looking in a mirror in some respects. She introduced herself as Milesande, an Aasimar like myself with elven ancestry. She’s taller than I am but thinner with black hair where mine in white but the eyes and facial resemblance is unmistakable. The commodore elbows me, “See, see I told you in one of the timelines you had a kid, I told you! Strong genes!”

What she didn’t know, doesn’t know, what none of my companions know is that Aladan and I have a daughter. When I was on one of my extended missions with the EIN, I was covering diplomatic relations, I was also covering my pregnancy and her birth. I stayed with her as long as I could but duty called. Very few know of her existence and she is being raised in secret for her protection. Only from the sanctity of a powerful temple do I dare scry to check on her, and so my contact is few and far between. Seeing Melisande was a shock, but it gave me hope of my daughter’s survival and success. The group were talking but truthfully I was distracted. She asked if I would mind some kind of testing to see how closely related, how many generations separate us and I agreed. Suddenly, Melisande’s face sharpened and her focus shot to the window “Squidfaces, 5 o’clock!” she yelled

Scrambling we flew up, out, around to greet our unwelcome guest. The Commodore attempted a mind thrust but couldn’t beat their spell resistance, bastards. How the hell did an Illithid and a Ulitharid get in the Hive, much less undetected? The Illithid was floating 30 feet in the air at upper deck level and the Ulitharid was on the dock. Etsuriko appeared on the dock behind the Ulitharid and I could see she used her hand. There seemed to be a delay between the strike and when he crumpled as if every bone had been broken simultaneously. Blood fist strikes again. We all rained damage onto the Illithid until finally Melisande used a Polar Vortex to turn him into, well, calamari slush.

We dragged the remains into her ship, to the “Med bay” for her computer to study. Turns out she and her computer can do better upgrades to us faster than the bugs can. With the use of Nan nites?

Oh, I forgot, shortly after we docked Fen realized he was allowed to leave the ships and went to the bar, he reappeared, inebriated, after the fighting was done of course.

Going to close this for now. Will continue tomorrow after we hear from Taj and know the whereabouts of our other ships and crew. I should have my upgrades selected and implanted within a week or so. Exciting but slightly scary to have something poking around in your brain case making upgrades like you were a ship.

L

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Etsuriko - Journal Part 31
IRL Game Dates: 1.27.23, 2.10.23, 2.24.23

Anya,
We are safe at The New Hive. Will post this before we take off.

After we returned Luigi to Bral, we took off for the Hive. On the way there, we had a long & meandering conversation regarding whether or not we were being tracked and if so – how and by whom. Near the edge of the crystal sphere Vedis, Lenata and Ef Utan are struck by a vision of a cat’s cradle of threads that run across everything and everyone – feeding into huge looms – and running through us on the bridge.

In case our current bout of paranoia wasn’t enough – the vision prompts a discussion of the fates. But paranoia takes a back seat to the three ships Kenari and Ef Utan spot coming up fast behind us. Really fast. Lenata hits it ( Penumbra can move!) and we make the sphere….but the three ships coming up behind us are keeping up. Except…well, I don’t know what kind of ships they a or where they are from – but when they leave the sphere and hit the Phlo they explode. Because they are spewing fire behind them. So not from around these parts?

Fen and I spend quality time assembling the still (priorities) and it turns out that my ability to manipulate ki energy means I can fly the Penumbra!!! The Captain can also pilot – so she spends most of her time getting flying lessons from Lenata (my turn will come). And your Uncle learns to use the consoles in the helm room. It’s a fairly uneventful trip to the New Hive – except for the debris field. The Bonecloud debris field (that only appeared 10-15 years ago) is a huge haunt. Specifically, the debris is real – but the ships and people you see – not so much. The Haunt is strong too – as an especially graphic appearance causes all of us to experience some nausea. We notice that some of the Haunt ships resemble the ships that tried to chase us out of sphere and blew up.

It takes a while to get through the debris field, but Lenata is able to do so skillfully. Near The Hive, things get interesting. There’s a huge shock wave and a disruption and we realize that part of the asteroid The Hive sits on has exploded. Lenata tells us that there is a pulsing sensation coming from somewhere behind The Hive. And as that explosion happens – another ship – different looking – and again, not from here appears and races towards us. Lenata does evasive maneuvers and the other ship does not crash into us. I, Kenari and Ef Utan hop over to the other ship and realize it’s Melisande – we had met her briefly in the dreaming (and she gave Kenari a gun, so Kenari is a fan) and Melisande realizes she had traveled to what she calls “pre-gap” time, so she is really excited to see us.

5 Hive ships appear and the next I know – Kattar is on the deck barking at everyone. He’s a little charged up and looks as ready to fight as he is to talk. Melisandre does a fantastic job of grovelling and he seemed a bit mollified – though I later heard he hopped over to the Penumbra too and barked at your Uncle that he was responsible for everyone’s behavior.

We are allowed to dock at the New Hive, but not allowed to leave our ships – so everyone else wanders over to Melisandre’s ship to check it out. Although – Fen is allowed to leave. Membership has its privileges. The Captain notes that Melisandre is a psionic like she is and we go through introductions. It would appear that Melisandre is a descendant of Lenata’s…

While we are getting to know one another – Mel yells out “tentacle faces 5 o’clock”. Out the port window we see two – an Illithid and an Ulitharid. The Captain quick tries a mind blast to no effect. I abundant step outside and hit the Ulitharid with Quivering Palm. He drops. The others make quick work of the 2nd Illithid. Especially when Mel casts some kind of Polar Vortex…Fen shows up then and starts yelling at us “Am I the only one doing my job?”

We haul the corpse in to what Mel calls her “med bay” and she starts doing some technical things to it. Not going to lie Anya – I was only paying half attention to most of this conversation. Until they get to the bits where we can kill Illithid more effectively, it’s just not that meaningful to me. But I think that’s what they were getting at. Melchior is summoned by the Shintak – apparently she wants the gunslinger to be Sheriff for a bit – so he’s going to stay at The Hive.

But eventually, the Shintak herself deigns to appear. We are put through Kenari’s gatekeeping protocol. I believe it is 7 Stars protocol now – so you probably know it (Detect Evil, Detect Aberration, Detect Psionics, Detect Compulsion, Heal & Bio checks – good grief – not suspicious or anything) and once the Shintak’s people clear us she is joins us onboard The Artful Driftdodger (which is the name of Mel’s ship). Mel is really good at the kind of etiquette that Taj Pach likes (Mel actually has etiquette skills so that’s a damn fine start right there) and she and Taj Pach have a long conversation regarding surgeries, enhancements, bioware, something called nanny mites. Mel is going to help us all out with some enhancements in preparation for going to the Underdark.

There is another long conversation about using the Illitihid Lord as a shield or maybe a weapon or a virus. I’m not really sure. But eventually the Shintak asks us what our plans/next steps are. Captain Vedis (Commodore – I should be saying Commodore) explains that we need to get to Greyspace/Oerth/Greyhawk specifically because that is where the Illithid are going to do whatever it is they are planning. So we don’t have a plan, per se, more of a solid idea about how to cause chaos. Ef Utan asks Taj Pach about the the Illithid Wizard we keep seeing in our visions. Taj Pach explains that she and Tavist met him once – when they were fighting the Illithid – and it was a brief meeting. But Strom Wakeman was a wizard from Sigil who figured out an alchemical way to save his personality during his conversion and he has been fighting the Illithid from the inside for years. She tells us that if Strom wants to talk, he will find us – but that we will pretty much definitely not find him – so don’t waste a lot of time trying. Taj gives the Commodore 2 scrolls of Word of Beckoning as well as 1 each of a Cat’s Grace & Bull’s Strength (mass). She also tells the Commodore that her sword, the Fang of Sardior, may well be enough of a relic on it’s own to take out the Elder Brain.

There’s some more back & forth on possible plans. Apparently the Artful Driftdodger has really good weapons that have quite the range on them. The Shintak spends some time talking to Penumbra before she wanders off. She does tell me though that the Serenity is in dock getting some upgrades courtesy of 7 Stars (nothing is ever free). We are reunited with our friends from the Nomad and Serenity. We tell them about our next mission and make it clear it’s basically a suicide run. The decision is made to tuck Serenity & Nomad into The Harrowing with all non-essential personnel which takes a few days to accomplish. Mel performs various surgeries and upgrades. Turns out one of Ef Utan’s descendants is also on this ship (ahhh Fate) and true to form, your Uncle tries to proposition her. It’s ok though – he gets distracted when he discovers there’s a cat on board and he wanders off to find a brush. So I don’t believe you will have a new Aunt anytime soon.

Anya, the Shintak never did explain what happened at The Hive. She didn’t seem all that surprised to be confronted with a dead Illithid Lord. She did, however, seem angry. As angry as I have ever seen that bug. She spent a bunch of time staring at your Uncle so the Phlo knows what she conveyed to him. And as for the Hive…well, if I had to guess – she is prepping for war. One thing I noticed was that when she was told by the Commodore that the Illithid are breeding fate-eaters (as a way to avoid detection by the fates) she emphatically told us to tell her where when we find the location so she can organize a strike mission. And she seems especially close to the Githyanki right now. So Anya, much as I’d like to tuck you into The Harrowing too – I know you won’t go. But keep your head low and your weapons close.

Auntie E.

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Surgeries and Strategies

Taj shows up with her retinue. Welcome, but I’m sure you won’t mind that we all go through the Kenari Protocol now that you’re here. (Hey she remembered!)

*Detect Evil, Aberrations, Psionics and Compulsion – Bio and Heal check by the surgeon

I’d like to be invited onto the Penumbra. Sure, but would you like to see what we killed first? Why wasn’t I informed?

With fabulous but obivously insect oriented ettiqute Melisande addresses the queen bug with all the laboratory results she could need. We enter the med lab and Melisande shows the Illithid lord on the med table with the holo scans. “What do you want to know?”

If we get more than one Illithid lord brain with the node, can we triangulate the location of the Elder Brain?
Could we turn it on enough to create a camoflouge brain scan? What about removing the “node” and turning it into a Species Graft surgery? Mel – “That’s something to research!”

Melisande shows off her surgery methods vs Xixchill methods. Hers can be done in 6-8 hours including recovery.

A xixchill messenger runs up to Fen and hands him a scroll with a wax seal on it with the symbol of a WHEEL on it. Finn opens to read beautiful calligraphy in common.

“We’ve been trying to reach you about your spelljammer’s warranty.” with a locker address in Waterdeep XD

A moderately tall human woman with an armored bodysuit similar to Melisandes show up, looks in, and fades back out again. (Finn notices)

Melisande has a dark sense of humor and an unwavering loathing of Mindflayers so she’s definitely willing to help.

Taj is interested in the tech but she knows it’s only temp here so she’s more interested in what they’re planning to do next. We ask Taj about the Illithid Magic Users:

There was a mindflayer who helped the 7 Stars from the inside during their past campaign. After heavy divination they were able to identify a human sage named Strom Wakeman from Sigil who had concocted an herbal concoction that had allowed him to preserve his consciousness after going through the Illithid change. Met briefly in the hallway of the Overmind complex. Other than that, no idea where he is now.

Could we create an infection for the brain to affect the Overmind instead of a bomb? Might be more effective.

Can hook us up with a scroll to summon Taj or Kattar. Vedis gets two scrolls of word of beckoning.

Drow are at war with Illithids, and if I recall Kenari met one that particularly hated Illithids. Dude with a pretty mace that Kenari hopped around following once. Tavist also has a Drow baby.

A little hockey puck sized thing flies into the room, zips around and hovers above Melisande’s head. “Oh good I’m starting to get them working again.” “Smile for the camera!” She hits a button and then sees the puck’s perspective.

We discuss the possibilities of spells that could be caused Permanent. RESISTANCE

CAT’S GRACE AND BULL STRENGTH MASS SCROLLS

Ask Taj about making Wonderous Items for us to use the Detect Abboration spell at will. (THEY LIVE)

Taj detects Vedis’ sword as being a psionic heavy hitter – a Divine Psionic Relic – The Fang of Sardior. dedicated to the Dragon God of Psionics.

Etsuriko describes where they fought the Overmind before, and Mel says it sounds like the storm in the gap of the Ethereal above the City of the Seven Seraphs. Could the Overmind be setting itself up in the Citadel of Planes?

The Serenity is in drydock getting a refit. Melisande’s ship has big guns that can fire from a bigger distance than ours.

Our crew were happy and incarcerated after the drunken brawls they got into. We should get them out and stash our ships in the Harrowing so we can bring them with us for easy access.

Fin suggests painted mascots on each others ship and gets nicked by a chonker tortise cat.

Ken asks Melisande about a resource for the chronopartical exotic matter and she remembers a lab that made one once before it disappeared. Can we interface the time machine with her ship or the Penumbra?

If the Silver Citadel is where they are creating Fate Eaters, what if we disrupt that and remove their cover from messing with reality?

Githyanki envoy shows up demanding an audience and Taj is off.

Ef Utan and Ella Sorpic meet as Finn tries to hit on her and Ef warns her off.

Could we use Cereberal Parasites as a form of attack? Could we ask the Githyanki?

We gather our cohorts on the ship and move the other ships into the Harrowing, and then head to Oerth and Greyhawk. Melisande quizes the planes people about the Artful Dodger being safe in the Phlow.

Melisande invites Lenata over to learn to pilot the Artful Dodger as Aspodel pilots the Penumbra.

STRATAGIES

1. Can we give the Illithids fleas with Cereberal Parasites?
2. If the Silver Citadel is where they are making Fate Eaters, if we launch an attack that removes their generation will that prevent their cover from doing more to reality without getting attacked by the Fates/Fortunes?
3. Can we make a bomb for the Overmind? What if we infect the Overmind with a disease?

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Artful Driftdodger Medical Report - Summary

Full genetic scans of all subjects analyzed and added to the medical database.

Anomalies and analysis noted on each individual subject
MediComp_Display.jpg

Subject: Fenelyn

M Human
Augmentations Installed: Dark Vision & Synaptic Accelerator Mk 2 (Wis)
Additional: slight traces of fiendish DNA (Cerebrelith), less than 10% the usual for a tiefling

Subject: Etsuriko

F Human
Augmentation Installed: Dark Vision & Synaptic Accelerator Mk 1 (Dex)

Subject: Kenari

F Pahtra
Augmentation Installed: Synaptic Accelerator Mk 2 (Wis) and Ferocity Species Graft

Subject: Vedis

F Species Unidentified
Augmentation Installed: Synaptic Accelerator Mk 1 and 2 (Wis & Int)
Additional: Markers of external psionic augmentation of her genetics

Subject: Lenata

F Aasimar (Planetar)
Augmentation Installed: Maze Mind, Sonic Vocalyzer (Harmonic)
Additional: Genetic ancestor of Acting Captain Melisande, confirmed,. Undetermined number of generations.

Subject: Ef Utan

M Human
Augmentation Installed: Adv. Darkvision Capacitors & Synaptic Accelerator – MK 2 (Str)
Additional: Genetic ancestor of Ella Sorpic., Undetermined number of generations

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