Ust Delmah: Story so far
Eclip’s Adventure Notes of the Ust Delmah. (Wold Surface Drow!)
A diverse group of drow were summoned by a dream and secretly lead into the drow temple complex where we meet Firbral (youngest sister to Matriarch Larvanya) and General Kahlag. They gave us eight a mission deliver scroll in exchange for ancient drow scroll the Red Dwarfs found, and to investigate the ruins were the ancient scroll was found. They told us that we drow once lived on the Surface in the time before.
A Dwarf named Charzak starts as our guide on the surface world is to take us to the dwarfen hold that found the scroll. The Dwarf [is] unhappy about playing nurse maid to a group of tenderfoot drow, leads us to a bar in a two bit town. A bar fight breaks out between us and some goblins and orcs. Later while waiting for our guide some youths try to attack us with an arrow.
Traveling on the surface, the days are unbearably hot, but the sunsets are wonderfully to behold. We descended from the first plateau via a Gnomesh box lift device. Gnome names are ”H'ex and W'ing Nuut” they talk funny. Passage was 1sp each. Nika made pass at Eclip. Something about wanting a bed warmer.
Charzak tells finally tells us were we are going. "For a bunch of greenhorns you haven't done to badly. By nightfall we will be in South Dangdrum. We will stay there for the night and hopefully get an early start in the morning. We are going to be cutting across country for a few days and then make our way off the plateau and over to Edenmoor, where we will pick up some river transport. Hopefully we will be able to sue the river to avoid most of the Red Hills. We will then cross through the Crescent Valley and into the Scab. All in all should take us about 3-4 weeks to get there."
Town of South Dangdrum. Open sewers in the street and lots of poor workers and beggars. Stayed at Bs BednBreakfest inn a good place. Son Bart liked Spirit (Riding dog companion). Nika tried to get Eclip alone, Eclip told her No.
Traveled across plateau for a few days to gnome town with a magic portcullis that transports us to the bottom of the plateaus. These gnomes talked in one word turns and were cousins of the other gnomes. Passage was only 3cp for all. Both Eclip and Yersinia are fairly sure that this portal was never made by or thought up by gnomes, or probably not by any of the other current Woldian races, as it definitely smacks of unique and extremely powerful magic not mechanics.
Passed through town of Huxwell without incident, but party was harassed by large squirrels a short time later. Also, Nika apologized saying she respected me, and it was all a misunderstanding.
In the city of Edenmoor a retched place where there is little law and order. The caption of the boat charges an outrages fee of 10gp each for passage up river. Unfortunately during the first night, the boat it was attacked by four on board and more on the shore. They strung a giant net across the river to catch the boat. We took out the four on board, Spirit was badly wounded, and so were Dane, Nika, and Corwin. We drove the four attackers on the shore off, but the ship was snagged in the net and crashed on the rocks. Everyone was thrown about in the wreck, but the boat is permanently grounded on the rocks.
We discovered our guide Charzak was missing along with the ships strong box and two of our party members Xiean and Yersinia. The captain was dead, but the first mate was alive and is now the captain. We took what we found on the dead and stored what we couldn’t use on the mule. We had decided to rest on the barge and set out the next day, but Nika accidentally caused the barge to break free of the rocks while several of us were still aboard.
Before we could leave, we were again attacked this time by some sort of watery dead. After defeated them we set out across land to make our way to the Crescent Valley.
The Culverwood gave way after a day to the Red Hills. After a few days we were starting to run low on water and stopped at an oasis of sorts. While there Corwin and Eclip entered the oasis forest looking for water while the rest of the group remained at camp. They were surrounded by odd creatures who were the self appointed defenders of the red hills. We managed to avoid a battle, but were told to leave.
Having water, we continued until we came to east/west road. Shortly after crossing it we discovered an old hidden giant’s barracks where we spend the night. Unfortunately, two ogres were using a secret room off it for their lair. It was a hard battle but we prevailed. In the Ogres’ lair we found an old mural on the wall depicting surface drow directing other humanoids.
We continued on our way, the mountains got steeper some of our number were having a difficult time, but finally we started to descend in to the Crescent Valley. After a few days we made it to the Halfling village of Humble. It was luckily for them we arrived when we did for they were beset by Svirfneblin and Grimlock. A drow warrior (Isilme) was there too, having been sent to bolster our numbers. The Halflings were very appreciative of our help and welcomed us with a grand party.
We go directions to the Red Dwarf clan, and set out north into the Scab. The nights were freezing and it rained frozen water. Past the valleys borders we came across a group of dwarfs working. We parlayed and they invited us into their camp. Unfortunately these were dark dwarfs and they attacked us. A fellow drow (Talzar) had already been captured by the dark dwarfs, but he managed to free himself and help in the fight. We would have lost that battle except that a group of the real Red Dwarfs showed up lead by Charzak.
Charzak and his men lead us to the Red Dwarfen Hold. Where we were made to wait in a storage room while some dwarf politics took place. The Clan chief we were to meet had the bad timing to die. Charzak became the new Clan chief, luckily he honored the deal. We traded for the old drow scroll and would be shown the way to the ruins. While in the Dwafen hold we visited the Magical Catacombs shop. Also, we were treated to a training session by the dwarf’s captain of the guard. It was more of test of him against all of us, in which he quickly defeated us.
A few days later [we] set out with our new dwarf guide. One of the Scab dangers were hidden dead falls. Solid ground would open up swallowing the unwary traveler. This happened to our guide (Fremble) as we approached a large building that was said to be a sanatorium.
Having lost our guide we asked for help at the sanatorium. At first we were distrustful of the wild eyed people, but soon found it to be a place of refuge. The leader (Jedian) a high level druid gave us a vision potion that give us clues to our future, and for exchange for our help with a new well, they sent a guide (Brother Calin) with us to the temple ruins.
On our way to the cave we took shelter in a small cave, first having battled the large boar that was inhabiting the cave. Eclip felt bad about having to kill the beast.
The ruins were infested with a masked undead, that would frighten even the most sturdy of fighters. Lucky for us our dream showed that a tribe of lizard men were attack the undead. Working with them we avoided the undead and entered the temple. We found many things including a magic stone. We also found the necromancer behind the undead and fled the ruins with a mummy hot on our trail. The necromancer was desecrating the graves of the long dead drow to make his undead.
Having lost the mummy we returned to the cave, but were followed by a group of young lizard warriors who wanted a share of what we found. We gave them the non-magical items we had found, not waiting to leave with bad relations between the drow and lizard men.
We returned to the Sanatorium we were surprised to find that they had rescued our lost dwarf guide (Fremble). We had thought he was dead. Jedian the Druid shorten out trip home by transporting us from his sacred grove back to Humble in the Crescent Valley.
In Humble we hire passage down river from a hobbit and his boat (Bidego Zonrich Wiggletoe Springbottom Sharpear the III). Bidego took a liking to T’Shalla and tried to woo her. His ship must have been magical, because to took us all the way back to Dradah Delmah in a single day. And to the drow city concealed at the bottom of a huge sinkhole in the Blackheart Woods on the Second Plateau of New Elenna. Also, the only river is an underground one running through the huge caverns. Yes it must have been a magic boat.
We were greeted openly as returning heroes, despite the warnings when we left for the need of secrecy and danger of other drow factions. Later after the celebration of our return was over, we meet with the elder’s. Nika informed us that the old scroll was a type of map, and the rune covered stone is some sort of compass. It point the way to the First Home, but it needs a key. Currently it is pointing the way to the missing key. The Key lays in the unmapped lands across the Dragon Bay. There are rumors of more drow refugees there. They may or may not be friendly. The key they believe will look like a stone dagger, small though more like a fine dagger. We are to go find it and bring it back.
We were taken across Dragon Bay by Bidego’s boat. He was happy to see T’Shalla again. There was a great storm as crossed, but we made it safely. We bid farewell to Bidego and went ashore. Bidego said he would wait for us for a while.
It didn’t take long before we were ambushed by a handful of large crocodiles that could turn invisible. We beat them off and continued on our way. The land is inhabited by large and small lizards. It took us several days to cross the 2nd Plateau to Hammerhold Castle. It sit 5000’ feet above a village (Bray?). It took a day are two just to descend the road that switched back and forth. We continued on through Bray.
During one day we meet a farmer (Hubert) and his family (wife-Mary, daughter Eliza, son-Hecter). We saved his boy from a mean pig while Hecter was playing at being a Knight. Hubert invited us to stay the night. He told about other drow who have been raiding here about and that it would be wise to keep our heads down. Hubert had once been a soldier. That night the farm was attacked by the very drow Hurbert warned us about. He had us sit the fight out as he and his hired hands took care of it. One drow even tried to kidnap Hecter, but the boy drove him off. We tried to follow the tracks the next day, but they had been removed.
We continued on for a few days until coming to a steep cliff to Closefuddle. We took a clever lift down the cliff. The cliff face was pockmarked with caves. Halfway down eight bandits jump out of the caves onto the lift and tried to rob us. We killed two and captured one before they set fire to the lift and jumped to safety using their large cloaks to slow their fall. We managed to put out the fire and were give an award by the lift crew after a little misunderstanding.
We traveled through denser jungle for the next few days. Water and food are starting to get short, so we are having to slow down and hunt. One evening Talzar’s bird Ava spotted movement in tall grass near our camp. Eclip and his dog (Spirit) went to check it out. He encounters five hungry raptors. He managed to hold them off until help arrived in the form a hungry T-Rex. Eclip and Spirit escaped to regroup with the rest of the party. Unfortunately, two of the larger raptors followed him and attacked the group.
Larien's notes of the group's further adventures, as conveyed to her by the group members (picking up as of August 3, 2007).
The two "mega" raptors are dispatched quickly, and some of the meat is cut up for future use. Unfortunately, dozens and dozens of very small, dark red ants are attracted by the blood. Isilme is bitten and contracts jungle fever. The group flees and eventually finds a suitable place to make camp. Fortunately, Isilme feels much better in the morning, and the group presses on (still in the jungle east of Dragon Bay).
The following morning, a small red lizard approaches the edge of the camp. Fearful of more red creatures, Isilme slaps at it with the flat of his blade. The annoyed creature, which calls itself a Fairy Lizard, immediately makes the group's mage Talazar disappear! It then turns into a large parrot and flies away, and Fintarian takes an ill advised shot at it with his bow. By the next night, the group realizes they're several days East of their intended course. Before they can decide what to do they're awakened by a strange carving sound on the trunk of the large tree they are resting in. Fintarian recognizes one of his arrows at the base of the tree -- it appears bloody, with some small pieces of flesh still clinging to the barbed tip. In the trunk of the tree is a small note, written very clearly, carved deep into the wood by some type of tooling device: "Lesson Not Learned".
Choosing to backtrack, another day passes before the group encounters some humanoids. Although the humanoids vanish back into the jungle to the north, a dead ape is found along with a terrified infant ape A debate ensues regarding what to do, with Isilme and T'Shalla prepared to kill the infant ape in the belief that it would not survive. Suddenly, hundreds of shiny, glowing objects appear and quickly surround the party. The jungle then parts itself, creating a clear two foot wide path due East. The glowing lights start heading in that direction. Some seem to turn around and beckon the group to follow.
Fintarian takes charge of the young ape (later named Mowgli), and the group decides to follow the new path. The wild jungle slowly turns to natural beauty (lush oaks and pines), and fairy sounds are heard along with more of the glowing lights. Immortal fairy magic is at work, which is borne out by the appearance of a naked Nymph on a Unicorn, and a Satyr. The Nymph calls them to some sort of court, and they are transported yet again, this time near a lush lake. Sitting on a toadstool near the lake is the Pixie Lord, who recounts the history and reappearance of King Ebryon, the Fae King. Xesor is granted a wish, and is changed from a sharpshooter into a wizard.
The Pixie Lord shares one more thing: "Keep in mind, the Fey have a mind of their own and when Ebyron went silent, we all had a choice to chose our friends and alliances. Not all the Fey are loyal to Ebyron, so keep in mind, if your attacked by Fey, they are not of his court and you may defend yourselves as needed, however, if you call out to me, the Pixie Lord, twelve times fast, I will send you aid to better deal with them. Only once is necessary, but if your willing to fill my pint sized ego, then you are indeed in need of help."
The group is then transported several days closer to their destination (heading East into the hills). Almost as soon as they arrive 11 Stirges attack, but the party kills them quickly and sets off to the East. At the end of the day a cave is discovered, which upon investigation smells of death, decay, or carrion coming from deeper in. There is also a tunnel inside, a natural shaft for storm run off and likely an entrance into the earth. While exploring the wet and muddy tunnel, Isilme slips and falls, and then Eclip falls trying to catch him. Ultimately the rest of the group follows behind.
The shaft proves to be not-so-natural after all and leads to a round cavern. Xesor is knocked unconscious and near death when he has to jump from the tunnel to the cavern floor, but he is quickly healed. The group then discovers Gaerin (JAY-renn), a long-lost member of House Bralfah, laying peacefully in an underwater pool in some sort of magical suspended animation. He is brought to the surface and revived. The pool also turns out to have healing properties for those of good alignment.
The only way out of the cavern besides the way they came in is a metal door whose wheel mechanism has seized up. Eventually the group manages to turn the wheel enough to escape through the door into a tunnel, where they hear sounds of torture beyond. But before they can investigate further, a man in white appears back at the magical pool, identifying himself as the God Domi. He asks the group to free those being tortured and to lead them back to the magical pool. It seems evil drow from another house have enslaved dwarves and gnomes to mine this area for ore and precious metals for several years. They also use undead to aid their effort.
Two slaves are of particular interest to Domi: Brick, and a high priest, Aahx Finebeard. Domi provides some holy symbols to thwart the drow poison (which allowed them to capture many of the slaves in the first place), enough for the group and a handful of slaves. He advises freeing the slaves during the afternoon rains and letting them kill the drow, so as not to draw the group into more danger than necessary. He also tells the group that the key they seek is not here, but in the main abode of the evil drow somewhere to the East. It also seems that the pool (and many other things throughout the Wold) was created by a race of long departed magical beings called the Teluci.
Waiting until the afternoon as Domi instructed, the group proceeds down the tunnel and slips into the next room, which is filled with bones and dead bodies. They also find two Ghouls and a Ghast who are promptly destroyed. The group sees a hole in the ceiling and hear the voices of some drow torturing a gnome slave. The evil drow cut off the gnome's ears and throw him down the hole. Fintarian manages to catch him, although he takes damage from the impact and the frantic gnome's struggles (who has also been blinded). Fint, T'Shalla and Xesor takes the gnome to be healed at the magic pool while Gaerin uses a grappling hook to secure a line out the hole in the ceiling.
Once the gnome (named Phonter) is healed by the pool, he is informed of the group's good intentions, and Doni's role in things. In short order the group is up the rope and through the hole, although not before Xesor falls and injures himself badly (and then heals himself in the pool). The hole leads to the slave pens, and after Phonter explains things, the gnome and dwarf slaves are released (including Aahx and Brick) and head down to the pool for healing.
Before the job can be finished, the evil drow guards return, and fighting ensues. The ex-slaves quickly rout most of the evil drow, but the evil leader Cespah and a few guards are shooting anyone who tries to leave the mine. The group rises to the challenge, and although Gaerin is mortally wounded during the ferocious fighting, a cure spell saves him. Cespah identifies himself as a member of House Bancurpi before being killed.
Most of the former slaves opt to leave for their homes, but a few stay to create a shrine to Domi. An entrance to the Catacombs is discovered, and the group decides to stay a few days in order to buy supplies, rest, and plan their next move. About noon three days after the battle, a slave merchant is spotted approaching with a few wagon loads of gnomes and dwarves. As the slave merchant will be expecting to deal with drow, Phonter asks for the group's help once again, and they agree to act as stand-ins for the dead Cespah and his gang.
Gaerin plays the role of the new drow leader, and seeks to draw in the slaver Godfred and his men while the group assesses the situation. The bluff seems to work, and while the price for the slaves is negotiated, a halfling opens a hatch on the enclosed wagon and quietly climbs onto the roof, joined moments later by a female drow. Deciding that nothing more can be gained by deception, Gaerin sneak attacks Godfred and the battle begins in earnest. Although Eclip's animal companion Spirit is killed, and Xesor and Fintarian are nearly killed, the group ultimately prevails.
The halfling is introduced as Airin Moondancer Turnbell from Crescent Valley, while the drow woman is Athena, a pretty and charismatic priestesses of House Bancurpi (Phonter calls her a Priestess of Jancassis). Both were captured by the slavers, and ironically Athena was on her way to visit the mine at the time. It turns out that Cespah used to be Athena's consort, but was assigned to the mine as a punishment. Athena begins to quarrel with the group, wondering why House Bralfah is interfering in the affairs of House Bancurpi (presumably by compromising their slave-powered mine), but she quickly lets the matter go. Instead, she invites Airin to accompany her to the Bancurpi settlement, complementing the halfling's skills and resourcefulness.
Phonter is loath to have any dealings with Athena despite her aid against the slavers ("one good deed is merely a pebble against the mountain of evil your people have inflicted on ours"), but he agrees to provide her food and water on the condition that she's gone by tomorrow. In the meantime, the group frees the gnome and dwarf slaves, and Eclip heads into the jungle to tend to Spirit, noting that he will gone about a day. The group also offers to escort Athena back to the Bancurpi settlement, and she accepts.
While discussing where they are relative to Airin's home in Crescent Valley, Athena describes it as follows. "I haven't heard of Crescent Valley. There is a large sea to the north, plains to the east, a swamp to the south, to the west beyond the jungle is the bay of dragons and to the northwest beyond the jungle is a strip of impassable mountains they call the Scab." Airin replies that, "Crescent Valley is a small valley in between the Scab and the Red Hills. Just East of the Dragon bay and south of the scab..." She's at a loss to explain the magic that dropped her into the clutches of the slavers, or how to safely make her way home.
The next day around noon, Eclip reappears with a new Leopard companion. The group decides to get moving, as it will take several days to get to the Bancurpi settlement. Seeing that Airin is without an immediate plan, Eclip invites the halfling to "join our humble group." He also notes that the group had once been to Crescent Valley. "[W]e fought off some monster in a small town of Humbleford on our way to the Scab. On the way back we got a lift from a Halfling boat captain. He seems to have a crush on T'Shalla. By the way I'm Eclip."
Current through Feb 21, 2008
