Sigil. Session LV
September 19, 2009
7th day of Unity in the state of Order, YFHR 128
The Day of Humility
The back of the temple lacks the facade of the front, appearing unfinished. Eki thinks the maze is meditative rather than actual.
The place was called the Oraculus. A place where pilgrims or truth seekers came to gain a glimps of the future. This was the receiving area. It was once in Sigil as part of the Clerk's ward. Back then, it was called the Ward of Masks. The pools in the entrance were for purification (spiritual and otherwise).
Zoe goes to the clean pool and gets some of her power points back.
Examining the central room, we find statues that best match Zoe's dream. Svanna was here; and was moved. She was purified in the pool and then moved into this room for a time. We think Ludvik traveled with her until he was awoken by Zoe's scream.
On the other side of the Oraculus stands three gates. Guarding them is a fire giant. Chryseis believes the fire giant isn't natural. It is, perhaps a manifester's dream? Zoe hypothesizes that this place is Her Serenity's dream.
The fight is nasty, but we prevail.
Chryseis puts the giant's sword into her bracers - gaining bracers of giant strength +4.
Zoe examine sthe portals with the potion we got from Hyzik.
We go back to the library and retunr to the bunk room to rest. Eki seals the library.
During the down time Ludvik tells us his tale.
First day of the center rule in the state of Order, 128 F.H.R.
Chastity day ending.
A long eventful day of unraveling the library's secrets, battling its monstrous guardians and escaping its bounds has finally drawn to a close. Having plunged through the Ourouboros portal, our heroes set out to explore a ruined edifice adrift in a twilight sky. There they encountered and fought a trio of the mysterious grey men during which their gith companion betrayed and abandoned them while their lost friend Ludvik suddenly resurfaced. Reunited they plunged ahead only to have their path blocked by a stalwart fire giant guardian. An epic battle ensued, ending in the guardian's defeat. With the path to a trio of portals open before them, our heroes decided to retreat to the security of the vast Library to rest for a night and a day.
The noisy crowded streets of the Lower Ward seem far away as our canny cutter from Crossguard lane while away the hours in the lost Sigillum library. The betrayers betrayed, Shaglin and Toggle, alternate sleeping and standing guard. Ludvik, as is his habit, broods quietly by himself; concerned for his missing sister evident to those who know him.
Chryseis will spend some time reading her book on Hephaestus, as well as any others that are handy (and that we know aren't full of minotaur.) During the still hours when most of the party is asleep, she will pray and mediate on her experience with the fire giant's weave, and the bracer. After all, the helm and the bracer have been with her since her birth... and now they're both empowered with the strength of defeated foes. They're still reminders of the ultimate mystery of her existence...
Chryseis can call on Athena to weave a meal for the party. It's a little bland, but hearty. She will also try to talk to the more devout of the two men they've fallen in with. During quieter moments, she'll try to engage him in conversation and learn a little bit more about him. She's not trying anything specific, aside from her usual impulse to tend to the well-being of those around her, especially followers of Athena.
We got a glimpse of what was on the other side of the portals, didn't we? Chryseis, despite always being a little uncomfortable with it, is inclined to trust Ekikos' feelings on which way to go next. Though maybe, the endless gray sand isn't the most attractive option...
The mystery of the controlling book and his link to the Library nags at Ekikos' thoughts even as he tries to assist Chryseis in her tasks. He will also jon Shaglin and Toggle in their guard duties, chatting with them about growing up Hellenic in Sigil.
WHen he has free time, he will try and meditate on the control book and his strange feelings about the book. Why can he feel this place as he does? For what reason did the grey men obey him? Is this linked to his meditations as a cypher, his tatoos or the strange spirit now bound in his flesh? The young man will spend hours trying to quiet his thoughts, replacing confusion with harmony.
As for the course to follow, Ekikos has no strong compulsion towards any gate, so logic dictates they try the most harmless looking one forst, the one leading to a large room with tunnels.
Zoe will spend a lot of time trying to bring Ludvik up to speed, answering his questions and trying to see if he has a deeper link to his sister than just the knife.
Getting anything out of Ludvik is as frustratingly difficult as it ever was. By and large he keeps to himself once he's gotten answers to his few questions. Thereafter he rests or pokes around the library a bit out of curiosity.
When he tires of answering her questions, she'll try to spend some time in quiet contemplation, exploring the depths of her own mindscape. She is very curious (and terrified) of the grey men.
There are now so many mysteries surrounding them.
What did they mean when they called the dagger a shard.
Why are they collecting them
For what do they search outside of Harbringer house
Can they only be seen in the mindscape and through Harbinger house's mirrors
Why did they obey Eki - was it the book or something more?
Within the Midnight Forest, the disembodied Guide draws Zosime to the wellspring. Within its murky depths they review rippling images of Harbinger House's myriad rooms, of the Sigillum library's shifting nature and of the Oraculus adyton with its maze-patterned floor. Considering the dreamlike quality of the latter, the empowering effects of the pool from which Zosime imbibed and the puzzle-like nature of the library itself, it's the Guide's opinion that the Sigillum faction, at least in part, was comprised of some sort of mentalist tradition not entirely divorced from the power of the wild. Unfortunately, they may have inadvertently lost ground in their efforts to expand their understanding by ignoring the primal aspects of the wild in favor of erudite research and experimentation. That's mere conjecture though.
Their full names are Shaglin Wert and Anicetus Northman. 'Toggle' is actually only the latter's nickname; something he's called because of his steadfast demeanor. Both are distantly related; Shaglin is the grandson and Toggle the son of two cousins; neither can agree on whether that makes them second or third cousins however. Shaglin is definitely the more talkative of the two; his story sounds all too familiar. He and his extended family live in the Lower Ward's Central District near the Ditch. Most are Godsmen longshoremen who work at unloading ore from Ditch barges in the Industrial Stitches. Shaglin often takes mercenary jobs to make ends meet through a Garianis middleman when work in the Stitches is scarce. He swears most of it is above board and harmless. Escorting and protecting Djhek'nlarr seemed relatively easy and lucrative; that is until she led them through a mirror smack dab into the middle of the Lady's mazes. He intends to spread the word that the gith isn't trustworthy if he ever makes it back to the Cage alive.
Having rested and finally restless, the lot of you finally gather your things late Chastity day. Making your way through the ancient Sigillum library, the six (or seven or eight) of you sequentially pass through the rotating portal at the center of the room with the ourouboros mosaic floor. Each of you jostles around as you emerge from a freestanding arch at the end of a earthen island facing the indistinct outline of a temple-like facade. Entering the ruined structure, your group traverses the small antechamber and adyton room with its monstrous wall sconces until you're once more standing in the open plaza at the rear of the earth island. Overhead, the a leaden sky roils and flashes with silent lightning. The indistinct outline of the slain giant guardian remains where it fell the day before; a mere blur blotting out the center. Behind it stands a trio of freestanding archways each with a glowing blue planar pathway.
Ekikos proposes to go through the first arch Zo analyzed, the one leading to stone corridors. If everyone agrees, he'll jump into the portal first, ready for trouble.
On his guard, our young cipher steps through the freestanding archway placidly rippling with luminescent blue energy. Sinking into the portal's surface Ekikos is swept away from the ruined courtyard of the Oraculus only to step out of another glowing archway a world away. The rough-cut cavern in which he finds himself is akin to being inside a gargantuan piece of cored coal. The glints and highlights of a distant fire play off the black stone walls, promising a great bonfire somewhere ahead.
One by one the companions follow Ekikos across the planar divide; the gold-skinned statue with her raccoon rider, the resplendent aasimar, the reincarnated priestess and finally the two nervous pikemen. Inching cautiously forward, our heroes spy a large cavern dominated by a stupendous bonfire. The flames apparently roar up from a cleft in the dark rocky floor, and its heat is a formidable presence. Next to the rift stands a featureless black granite building with no openings except for a wide archway directly facing the fire. From behind, Shaglin offers his assessment: "Bloody hot. Is... is this Tartarus?"
Ekikos barely feels the warmth of the fire around him, as the tattoos on his arm of the Plane of FIre helps to shield him from the temperature. Looking at Shaglin, the young Hellenic quips with a half smile. "Or this could be the Foundry. Plenty of fiery caves in the multiverse."
Zoe will jump down from Chryseis' shoulder, and go ahead a bit; mostly to peek around corners. She tries to get a good gauge of the cavern from a safe distance. She'll look to Eki to see what he's thinking. "Are we going in ... there?" she points to the black building while shrinking back from both it and the heat.
"...or the Forge..." Chryseis murmurs quietly in response to Ekikos' statement. Gripping her living bolt of lightning, she follows Zoe.
"I don't know, Zoe. Perhaps we should get a better idea of the lay of this cavern before we venture closer to that building. We don't want to be attacked from behind by something wandering around."
Ekikos seems to zone out for a few seconds then his eyes flutter and he looks at his companions " You are right Priestess. This is a workshop, but not the one you think. It belongs to a man named Pherecyde, one of the Sygilum. We should be wary, there will be guardians." So saying, unless someone stops him, Ekikos will start to advance in the cavern.
"..how did you..." and Zoe is talking to where Ekikos was.
Zoe scurries ahead and glances carefully down the side-corridor from the shadows; she'll continue into the cavern only once she's sure there's nothing within her sight.
Chryseis cocks a curious eye to the young monk, then hefts her shield and follows. She signals the two spearmen to stay close.
Skulking, the tiny raccoon keeps to the concealing shadows along the rough hewn wall as she quickly investigates the right hand tunnel. Peering around the bend in the wall reveals that the tunnel dead ends after a dozen paces at another stone archway containing a glowing blue portal. Rearing up in front of the portal is a creature unlike any the wily Cager has ever seen; a snake-bodied humanoid with crackling flames dancing along the creature's blackened, fiery-red scales and spines. Having spotted Ekikos striding boldly into the central chamber, the creature hisses angrily, hefts a spear threateningly and begins slithering forward.
Striding forward boldly, Ekikos sees a pair of the same guardian creatures rising up as expected out of the flaming cleft to challenge him with raised spears.
Friday, November 06, 2009
Sigil. Session LIV
September 11, 2009
7th day of Unity in the state of Order, YFHR 128
The Day of Humility
Eki puts a hand on the Gray Man's shoulder and orders him to stop. The Gray Man turns his head 170 degrees to look at Eki. Eki successfully grapples him. He has a strange urge to step away and let the Grey Man go free; but he resists it.
A Grey Man tries to disarm Linni, and successfully knocks her blade away.
Eki manages to push a Grey Man off the cliff. It doesn't scream as it falls; instead it seems fustrated. Djkek'nalarr draws a short sword and attacks us! Shagglin and Toggle assist her. After pushing us back, Djkek'nalarr jumps off the cliff, saying that all of the wisdom of the Sigilium are hers! Shagglin and Toggle stand pennitant before Chryseis.
Zoe gets grabbed from behind by a Grey Man. She screams, and it begins to search Zoe and then her pack. She tries to struggle from the Grey Man's grasp, but she can't. It demands she give him the shard. The Grey Man grabs Ludvik's dagger from Zoe's back, drops her and goes back throught the door from which it came. The remaining Grey Men walk towards th gate, and step behind it. When Linni chases them, the Grey Men fall to the ground and collapses into a heap of empty clothing.
Ludvik appears on the scene, rushing to find Zoe. He heard her scream. He drops his bow and tries to follow the Grey Man through the doorway. Eki forces open the door.
The Grey Man steps away from the door and flows back into the pool beyond. He cuts the air and then collapses into the pool in a heap and is gone.
September 11, 2009
7th day of Unity in the state of Order, YFHR 128
The Day of Humility
Eki puts a hand on the Gray Man's shoulder and orders him to stop. The Gray Man turns his head 170 degrees to look at Eki. Eki successfully grapples him. He has a strange urge to step away and let the Grey Man go free; but he resists it.
A Grey Man tries to disarm Linni, and successfully knocks her blade away.
Eki manages to push a Grey Man off the cliff. It doesn't scream as it falls; instead it seems fustrated. Djkek'nalarr draws a short sword and attacks us! Shagglin and Toggle assist her. After pushing us back, Djkek'nalarr jumps off the cliff, saying that all of the wisdom of the Sigilium are hers! Shagglin and Toggle stand pennitant before Chryseis.
Zoe gets grabbed from behind by a Grey Man. She screams, and it begins to search Zoe and then her pack. She tries to struggle from the Grey Man's grasp, but she can't. It demands she give him the shard. The Grey Man grabs Ludvik's dagger from Zoe's back, drops her and goes back throught the door from which it came. The remaining Grey Men walk towards th gate, and step behind it. When Linni chases them, the Grey Men fall to the ground and collapses into a heap of empty clothing.
Ludvik appears on the scene, rushing to find Zoe. He heard her scream. He drops his bow and tries to follow the Grey Man through the doorway. Eki forces open the door.
The Grey Man steps away from the door and flows back into the pool beyond. He cuts the air and then collapses into the pool in a heap and is gone.
Sigil. Session LIII
Saturday, 15 August, 2009
7th day of Unity, State of Order, Day of Humility/Night of Pride, YFHR 128
We start opening books.
Mathematics
Geometry
Algebra
Notes on magic (open on the table)
Behvaiour of Beholders and Beholderkin - black cover with brass clips. Found a plaque.
Planewakers of the Realms
Behavior of Insects Vol I, II and III - makes Zoe hungry.
Giants and Giant king. A Sphinx came out.
It poses Zoe a riddle.
Your pray I become once I'm heard
but seize am I with but a word
I live only as I am sought
but cease to be if I am caught
So hunt me now with your mind's eye
And tell me please, oh what am I
The answer is : you are a riddle.
The Sphinx gives zoe the control book and disappears.
Chryseis puts the put together.
Eki feels very good when the book is in his possession.
Chryseis tries to put the book in order, but the rooms don't move. After much puzzling, Eki realizes that by touching the arrows along the edges he can control the way the rooms shift. It takes a long time before we get the rooms in the right order. Chryseis and Djkek'nalarr solve it. Once the rooms are in the right order, the 16th room comes back into being. It's the portal room.
we step through the portal and there are clouds and fog banks. No sun or stars, just a roiling sky. The floor is stone and dirty. Thick shards of earth fall through a purlescant sky.
The place is very foggy and insubstantial. It seems as if the place is both magical and physical combined. Zoe says her dreamscape of the forest is this place, and she no longer sees the world as the duality to which she is accustomed.
The double doors of a small temple open, and two grey men launch an attack on Linni as Eki just walks past. Eki guesses that we're on the ethereal plane (the gray void). It might be a demi plane. The Grey Men say "She has the reflections" and calls her Harbringer. They then draw weaposn from tehir arms and engage.
Saturday, 15 August, 2009
7th day of Unity, State of Order, Day of Humility/Night of Pride, YFHR 128
We start opening books.
Mathematics
Geometry
Algebra
Notes on magic (open on the table)
Behvaiour of Beholders and Beholderkin - black cover with brass clips. Found a plaque.
Planewakers of the Realms
Behavior of Insects Vol I, II and III - makes Zoe hungry.
Giants and Giant king. A Sphinx came out.
It poses Zoe a riddle.
Your pray I become once I'm heard
but seize am I with but a word
I live only as I am sought
but cease to be if I am caught
So hunt me now with your mind's eye
And tell me please, oh what am I
The answer is : you are a riddle.
The Sphinx gives zoe the control book and disappears.
Chryseis puts the put together.
Eki feels very good when the book is in his possession.
Chryseis tries to put the book in order, but the rooms don't move. After much puzzling, Eki realizes that by touching the arrows along the edges he can control the way the rooms shift. It takes a long time before we get the rooms in the right order. Chryseis and Djkek'nalarr solve it. Once the rooms are in the right order, the 16th room comes back into being. It's the portal room.
we step through the portal and there are clouds and fog banks. No sun or stars, just a roiling sky. The floor is stone and dirty. Thick shards of earth fall through a purlescant sky.
The place is very foggy and insubstantial. It seems as if the place is both magical and physical combined. Zoe says her dreamscape of the forest is this place, and she no longer sees the world as the duality to which she is accustomed.
The double doors of a small temple open, and two grey men launch an attack on Linni as Eki just walks past. Eki guesses that we're on the ethereal plane (the gray void). It might be a demi plane. The Grey Men say "She has the reflections" and calls her Harbringer. They then draw weaposn from tehir arms and engage.
Sigil. Session LII
Saturday, 4 July, 2009
6th day of Unity, State of Order, Day of Kindness, YFHR 128
We make a plan of attack, believing the plants in the plant room have recovered from our previous incursion. Eki, Linni and Zoe take turns throwing jars into the room. The plant attacks Eki with a mustard dust. A different plant attacks and Shaglin and Toggle are charmed. Eki too. The battle descends into chaos as we try to save our friends and destroy the plants.
After a long combat, we prevail and free our friends.
We spend the better part of an hour searching through the burned rubble of the room, but we find nothing. After that, we take our time and clean ourselves up.
We enter the lounge. There are 2 books on the table that have magical auras:
The history of halfling horticulture and Mercenary and Guard corner. Chryseis dispels the auras and pockets the books.
Other books in the room:
Rise and fall of the Illithid Empire I, II and III
The Elemental plane - Ouroboros attacks!
After the combat, Chryseis gathers more components (teeth and hide). Nothing in the book.
We continue searching.
The reading room has a glowing ceiling. The bookshelves hold 27 numbered volumes. There are 11 books on the table (3 opened and 8 closed). 2 books are magical (abjuration).
Saturday, 4 July, 2009
6th day of Unity, State of Order, Day of Kindness, YFHR 128
We make a plan of attack, believing the plants in the plant room have recovered from our previous incursion. Eki, Linni and Zoe take turns throwing jars into the room. The plant attacks Eki with a mustard dust. A different plant attacks and Shaglin and Toggle are charmed. Eki too. The battle descends into chaos as we try to save our friends and destroy the plants.
After a long combat, we prevail and free our friends.
We spend the better part of an hour searching through the burned rubble of the room, but we find nothing. After that, we take our time and clean ourselves up.
We enter the lounge. There are 2 books on the table that have magical auras:
The history of halfling horticulture and Mercenary and Guard corner. Chryseis dispels the auras and pockets the books.
Other books in the room:
Rise and fall of the Illithid Empire I, II and III
The Elemental plane - Ouroboros attacks!
After the combat, Chryseis gathers more components (teeth and hide). Nothing in the book.
We continue searching.
The reading room has a glowing ceiling. The bookshelves hold 27 numbered volumes. There are 11 books on the table (3 opened and 8 closed). 2 books are magical (abjuration).
Sigil. Session LI
Saturday, 4 July, 2009
6th day of Unity, State of Order, Day of Kindness, YFHR 128
Zoe stays hid.
We learn more about the monsters we're fighting from a book titled Sagillium Sagmentium. It talks about Her Serenity, provides maps of Sigil and geometric diagrams that depict eldric runes from the streets.
Minotaurs represent the mazes of Her Serenity.
Formians represent the workers of Her Serenity - the Dabus
Sphinx represents the puzzle that is Sigil
Ouroboros - the unity of rings. The physical embodiment of Sigil.
Cockatrice - there's no wood cut for it, but Her Serenity has the weave of the Cockatrice behind her.
The Control book is a series of unbound pages, each stamped with a symbol of the house. The portal room is hidden until the control book is complete.
Elementary Engineering
27 volume encyclopedia set
We search all the books, but find no plaques.
In the theater room/lecture hall - we find several desks and chairs as well as a stage with a lectern. Therein we find a crystal that controls sound. Linni takes care of it. Chryseis notices 2 knots of magic - the first is a magical scarf. Linni trades Zoe the crystal for the scarf. The books in the room are as follows:
Actors and acting - magic hand to open. Find nada.
Tales of the theater. ditto. Nada
Stage craft nope
Plays, play-writers and performances - nope
Oratory - nope
Great plays of Arborea - nope
Make up and costume design - nope
Order of the Open Eyed Owl. Plaque.
Back in the Scriptorium we go through the unopened books.
Diabolical dialects and diction - no, but the alphabet matches those on the plaques.
Sigils, symbols and sighs. Find a plaque.
Language translation dictionaries. Find a minotaur. Eep!
After its defeat. We check the other books. We take the books from the lab and bring them into the scriptorium.
Alchemy studies - nada
Elven wrights and measures - nada
The complete laboratory - nada
The philospher's handbook - npe
Everyday Experimental Procedures - find 3 formians and the plaque.
In the alchemy storage room, we collect the alchemy fire bottles and intend to do battle once more with the plant room.
Saturday, 4 July, 2009
6th day of Unity, State of Order, Day of Kindness, YFHR 128
Zoe stays hid.
We learn more about the monsters we're fighting from a book titled Sagillium Sagmentium. It talks about Her Serenity, provides maps of Sigil and geometric diagrams that depict eldric runes from the streets.
Minotaurs represent the mazes of Her Serenity.
Formians represent the workers of Her Serenity - the Dabus
Sphinx represents the puzzle that is Sigil
Ouroboros - the unity of rings. The physical embodiment of Sigil.
Cockatrice - there's no wood cut for it, but Her Serenity has the weave of the Cockatrice behind her.
The Control book is a series of unbound pages, each stamped with a symbol of the house. The portal room is hidden until the control book is complete.
Elementary Engineering
27 volume encyclopedia set
We search all the books, but find no plaques.
In the theater room/lecture hall - we find several desks and chairs as well as a stage with a lectern. Therein we find a crystal that controls sound. Linni takes care of it. Chryseis notices 2 knots of magic - the first is a magical scarf. Linni trades Zoe the crystal for the scarf. The books in the room are as follows:
Actors and acting - magic hand to open. Find nada.
Tales of the theater. ditto. Nada
Stage craft nope
Plays, play-writers and performances - nope
Oratory - nope
Great plays of Arborea - nope
Make up and costume design - nope
Order of the Open Eyed Owl. Plaque.
Back in the Scriptorium we go through the unopened books.
Diabolical dialects and diction - no, but the alphabet matches those on the plaques.
Sigils, symbols and sighs. Find a plaque.
Language translation dictionaries. Find a minotaur. Eep!
After its defeat. We check the other books. We take the books from the lab and bring them into the scriptorium.
Alchemy studies - nada
Elven wrights and measures - nada
The complete laboratory - nada
The philospher's handbook - npe
Everyday Experimental Procedures - find 3 formians and the plaque.
In the alchemy storage room, we collect the alchemy fire bottles and intend to do battle once more with the plant room.
Sigil. Session L
Saturday, 20 June, 2009
6th day of Unity, State of Order, Day of Kindness, YFHR 128
Chryseis heals Eki and Shagglin, who was also injured.
We go through the south door. Djkek'nalarr and Chryseis talk. The Hellenic guards seem fustrated and sheepish. We get a rush of fresh air as we open teh door. The room looks like a small island in a floating sea. Chryseis, Eki, and Linni hack their way in. The room as 5 large 10' wide clay pots, overgrown with threes and plants. Chryseis gets hit by a bloom of pollen. She deviates her path and climbs willingly into a pot. A big plant grapples her.
We fight the plants and eventually manage to free Chryseis, but not before a second plant joins into the fray. Once freed, we return to the bedrooms where we tend to Chryseis and our injured. Once cleaned off, she heals herself. She holds a mass, and we clean up and rest. That night Chryseis reads the book of Hephaestus.
7th day of Unity, State of Order, YFHR 128
We find a storage room with candles, and library paraphernalia. Zoe takes a magnifying glass. There are three books in the south-east corner.
Invoices and Inventory - find another plack.
Library Supplies - nada
Book keeping - nada
The next room is well lit and has a big table with 13 chairs. Chrystal spheres on silver tripods light the room. There is one chair upended with drops of blood on the cushion. There are 31 books in the room. One book resonates magic -- it is called the Network of the Known planes. We move it to the other side of the room.
The other books include:
a 27 set of encyclopedia
Sagillium Sac
Elemental Engineering - contains a plaque, is trapped and 3 formians form.
Everlasting Elves of Evandor
We fight the formians. They are most interested in the one who opened the book. Chryseis and Linni take alchemical ingredients from the formians.
Saturday, 20 June, 2009
6th day of Unity, State of Order, Day of Kindness, YFHR 128
Chryseis heals Eki and Shagglin, who was also injured.
We go through the south door. Djkek'nalarr and Chryseis talk. The Hellenic guards seem fustrated and sheepish. We get a rush of fresh air as we open teh door. The room looks like a small island in a floating sea. Chryseis, Eki, and Linni hack their way in. The room as 5 large 10' wide clay pots, overgrown with threes and plants. Chryseis gets hit by a bloom of pollen. She deviates her path and climbs willingly into a pot. A big plant grapples her.
We fight the plants and eventually manage to free Chryseis, but not before a second plant joins into the fray. Once freed, we return to the bedrooms where we tend to Chryseis and our injured. Once cleaned off, she heals herself. She holds a mass, and we clean up and rest. That night Chryseis reads the book of Hephaestus.
7th day of Unity, State of Order, YFHR 128
We find a storage room with candles, and library paraphernalia. Zoe takes a magnifying glass. There are three books in the south-east corner.
Invoices and Inventory - find another plack.
Library Supplies - nada
Book keeping - nada
The next room is well lit and has a big table with 13 chairs. Chrystal spheres on silver tripods light the room. There is one chair upended with drops of blood on the cushion. There are 31 books in the room. One book resonates magic -- it is called the Network of the Known planes. We move it to the other side of the room.
The other books include:
a 27 set of encyclopedia
Sagillium Sac
Elemental Engineering - contains a plaque, is trapped and 3 formians form.
Everlasting Elves of Evandor
We fight the formians. They are most interested in the one who opened the book. Chryseis and Linni take alchemical ingredients from the formians.
Sigil. Session ILIX
Saturday, 6 June, 2009
6th day of Unity, State of Order, Day of Kindness, YFHR 128
We race back into the scriptorium and examine the bookshelves in the corner. There are 8 books in all. We search the desks and the papers, but find nothing that would match the book of Control. As we are checking the books we find one of the book plates. Then a cockatrice comes out of a book.
Eki narrowly escapes beign poisoned by its gaze. Linni dives in and pins it to the ground. She then stuns it. Eki backhands it while Chryseis electrifies it, it dies.
Chryseis examines the weave of the beast. They take the head.
Eki finds that he can sense the other rooms. He understands how they move.
We go to the music room. There are various instruments in the room and 11 books on the shelves. The sheet music seems to hold the music of the spheres, with mathematical notation.
Modern musical measures (there's a counter at the back of the book, showing how many times the book's been opened).
Romani Rhymes (3 book set)
Slavic improvisation
Heroic Ballads of Yvesguard
Marches and Martial music
Demonic Percussion Technique
Dustmen Dirges (grey cover)
Harmonies of the Multiverse (blue cover)
Madrigals of the Heavenly Host
Arcadian Acoustics
Ribald Rhythms of Pan (green leather) -- find a book plate
And a minotaur climbs out of the book. We fight it. After it dies, Chryseis takes two of the horns and a big handful of its mane.
We follow Eki to a new room with an alter in it. There are three people here. A female gith and two Hellenic males. The Gith is 6', stocky with sallow skin and short braided black hair. She wears jewelry and a hoodless cloak covered in beads. She is named Djkek'nalarr. They came in to this maze via the World Serpent Inn. She introduces Shaglin and Toggle.
We search the pillows and the alter, but find no book plate. We invite the others to join us in our quest. Djkek'nalarr is interested in mapping this pace and has impolyed Shaglin and Toggle for protection. They just want to get back to Sigil.
We enter a smithy and search it. We find gold ingot, and Chryseis finds several lengths of high-grade carbon steel (good for making masterwork chainmail). Zoe finds a box within the tin, inside are 20 magical ingots - glowing blue, each with the name of a Dwarven god stamped on them. The smithy seems to be more of a laboratory than a smithy.
There are nine books here to search. A primitive encyclopedia of metallurgy (9 book set). Chryseis keeps the book on Hephaestus. As she opens it to read it, Hephaestus' hammer comes out of the book and attacks. We manage to defeat it.
Eki opens one book and it exploded! Eventually we find another book plate.
Saturday, 6 June, 2009
6th day of Unity, State of Order, Day of Kindness, YFHR 128
We race back into the scriptorium and examine the bookshelves in the corner. There are 8 books in all. We search the desks and the papers, but find nothing that would match the book of Control. As we are checking the books we find one of the book plates. Then a cockatrice comes out of a book.
Eki narrowly escapes beign poisoned by its gaze. Linni dives in and pins it to the ground. She then stuns it. Eki backhands it while Chryseis electrifies it, it dies.
Chryseis examines the weave of the beast. They take the head.
Eki finds that he can sense the other rooms. He understands how they move.
We go to the music room. There are various instruments in the room and 11 books on the shelves. The sheet music seems to hold the music of the spheres, with mathematical notation.
Modern musical measures (there's a counter at the back of the book, showing how many times the book's been opened).
Romani Rhymes (3 book set)
Slavic improvisation
Heroic Ballads of Yvesguard
Marches and Martial music
Demonic Percussion Technique
Dustmen Dirges (grey cover)
Harmonies of the Multiverse (blue cover)
Madrigals of the Heavenly Host
Arcadian Acoustics
Ribald Rhythms of Pan (green leather) -- find a book plate
And a minotaur climbs out of the book. We fight it. After it dies, Chryseis takes two of the horns and a big handful of its mane.
We follow Eki to a new room with an alter in it. There are three people here. A female gith and two Hellenic males. The Gith is 6', stocky with sallow skin and short braided black hair. She wears jewelry and a hoodless cloak covered in beads. She is named Djkek'nalarr. They came in to this maze via the World Serpent Inn. She introduces Shaglin and Toggle.
We search the pillows and the alter, but find no book plate. We invite the others to join us in our quest. Djkek'nalarr is interested in mapping this pace and has impolyed Shaglin and Toggle for protection. They just want to get back to Sigil.
We enter a smithy and search it. We find gold ingot, and Chryseis finds several lengths of high-grade carbon steel (good for making masterwork chainmail). Zoe finds a box within the tin, inside are 20 magical ingots - glowing blue, each with the name of a Dwarven god stamped on them. The smithy seems to be more of a laboratory than a smithy.
There are nine books here to search. A primitive encyclopedia of metallurgy (9 book set). Chryseis keeps the book on Hephaestus. As she opens it to read it, Hephaestus' hammer comes out of the book and attacks. We manage to defeat it.
Eki opens one book and it exploded! Eventually we find another book plate.
Sigil. Session XXXXVIII
Saturday, 9 May, 2009
6th day of Unity, State of Order, YFHR 128
We step through the portal and exit into a square room with four doors. On the floor is a red moasic covering only the lower quarter of the room. We open the door to the south and enter into a much larger oom holding bookshelves and 8 desks. It's a scriptorium of sorts.
After a few minutes in the new room, the doors close automatically and Eki feels nauseated. When we open the door that we came in through - there's a brick wall beyond. We examine the room. It looks as though the scholars just up and left. The writings on the desks are in an older form of planar common.
The north wall is covered in scroll pigeon holes. The west wall holds a bookshelf. There's a large ink stain against one wall. The ink at the desks has solidified, and the quills are brittle; but the paper is still good. There is no dust nor any smell of decay common with old writings.
Saturday, 9 May, 2009
6th day of Unity, State of Order, YFHR 128
We step through the portal and exit into a square room with four doors. On the floor is a red moasic covering only the lower quarter of the room. We open the door to the south and enter into a much larger oom holding bookshelves and 8 desks. It's a scriptorium of sorts.
After a few minutes in the new room, the doors close automatically and Eki feels nauseated. When we open the door that we came in through - there's a brick wall beyond. We examine the room. It looks as though the scholars just up and left. The writings on the desks are in an older form of planar common.
The north wall is covered in scroll pigeon holes. The west wall holds a bookshelf. There's a large ink stain against one wall. The ink at the desks has solidified, and the quills are brittle; but the paper is still good. There is no dust nor any smell of decay common with old writings.
Sigil. Session XXXXVIII
Saturday, April 18th, 2008
4th day, 4th rule, State of Charity YFHR 128
Day of Unity
Light drizzle.
Shopping for supplies. Sent Hyzik a note.
Waiting in the portico of the temple when a 1/2 aphasian bald man stops by. He was carrying Hyzik. We chat and spend some time together.
Night of sloth.
Storms and lightning.
5th day, 4th rule, State of Charity YFHR 128
Day of Forgiveness
Eki takes Hyzik to the Ubiquitous Wayfarer then sends an astral seeker to the Factol, asking for a visit. The factol is indisposed, but Patroclus has been authorized to deal with our requests. We meet him in the guard lounge on the factory floor of the Great Foundry and make our requests.
Eki visits Fell.
6th day, 4th rule, State of Charity YFHR 128
Patroclus arrives in Cross Guard with your supplies. We go to the Keg and Cask to talk. Patroclus gives us an unsigned letter that warns us that two godsmen have died and another two have gone missing. Warns us to take care.
We go to talk to Hyzik and give him the bad news - we cannot tell him the full tale. Back to the Athenium and pray. There we find a brace of virgin guards heading out on patrol. We take our mirror and go to find the best place to catch the reflection of the Gate house. Chryseis brings along the brace to make certain our mirror returns home safely.
We step through the portal and arrive in Harbirnger House. Trollan takes us to the dreamer's room. When Zoe examines Svanna's blade, she is seen from the bottom of a pool of water.
We go to Nariel's room. The mirror looks out into crossguard. A gray man is skulking around Eki's house, watching Hinrik's forge. He strikes at the mirror and it shatters.
The doors to the abyss are pride open, but decide not to venture within. We close them.
The other doors lead to a staircase. We're on the middle landing and they seem to go on forever.
Trollan blesses us and signs to us as we depart his company.
Saturday, April 18th, 2008
4th day, 4th rule, State of Charity YFHR 128
Day of Unity
Light drizzle.
Shopping for supplies. Sent Hyzik a note.
Waiting in the portico of the temple when a 1/2 aphasian bald man stops by. He was carrying Hyzik. We chat and spend some time together.
Night of sloth.
Storms and lightning.
5th day, 4th rule, State of Charity YFHR 128
Day of Forgiveness
Eki takes Hyzik to the Ubiquitous Wayfarer then sends an astral seeker to the Factol, asking for a visit. The factol is indisposed, but Patroclus has been authorized to deal with our requests. We meet him in the guard lounge on the factory floor of the Great Foundry and make our requests.
Eki visits Fell.
6th day, 4th rule, State of Charity YFHR 128
Patroclus arrives in Cross Guard with your supplies. We go to the Keg and Cask to talk. Patroclus gives us an unsigned letter that warns us that two godsmen have died and another two have gone missing. Warns us to take care.
We go to talk to Hyzik and give him the bad news - we cannot tell him the full tale. Back to the Athenium and pray. There we find a brace of virgin guards heading out on patrol. We take our mirror and go to find the best place to catch the reflection of the Gate house. Chryseis brings along the brace to make certain our mirror returns home safely.
We step through the portal and arrive in Harbirnger House. Trollan takes us to the dreamer's room. When Zoe examines Svanna's blade, she is seen from the bottom of a pool of water.
We go to Nariel's room. The mirror looks out into crossguard. A gray man is skulking around Eki's house, watching Hinrik's forge. He strikes at the mirror and it shatters.
The doors to the abyss are pride open, but decide not to venture within. We close them.
The other doors lead to a staircase. We're on the middle landing and they seem to go on forever.
Trollan blesses us and signs to us as we depart his company.
Sigil. Session XXXXVII
Saturday, April 11th, 2008
3rd day, 4th rule, State of Charity YFHR 128
Day of Unity
It's a beautiful clear day.
Zoe continues researching her dream with Hyzik.
Ekikos and Chryseis talk.
Walking back from the clerk's ward, Linni joins in a child game of hide and seek in a back alley.
Eki buys a copy of a poet's work for 2sp, and gives the poet 1cp for the recitation. Her name is Llylwyn.
Later the group finds Hinrik in the Keg and Cast. He's sittling alone inside. The place is pretty busy. We buy some alea nd return to Hynrik's forge. There we tell him about Naryll and the children. He is very saddened by this news.
Chryseis and Hinrik chat. We dark when she come sout. Nariel stared too long into the Abyss and it changed her. She left him, aware of the change within her and before she could harm the children.
That night Linni breaks into Hinrik's forge and makes herself at home. Hinrik arrives, startled to find her in his home.
Eki, Zoe and Hyzik go to an inn to discuss the book. Hyzik identifies the book as the Grimoire of Pestillential Thought. Eki decides to toss it off Suicide falls. Does so; but now it would seem that the book can write on Eki's skin.
Zoe spends the night with Hyzik.
A few days later, Chryseis receives an invitation to brunch with the godsmen Factol at an hour before peak. We arrive and are taken to a n elegantly decorated swite of rooms. The Factol says the remnants of the Sigillian faction went on to found the Incanterium.
Saturday, April 11th, 2008
3rd day, 4th rule, State of Charity YFHR 128
Day of Unity
It's a beautiful clear day.
Zoe continues researching her dream with Hyzik.
Ekikos and Chryseis talk.
Walking back from the clerk's ward, Linni joins in a child game of hide and seek in a back alley.
Eki buys a copy of a poet's work for 2sp, and gives the poet 1cp for the recitation. Her name is Llylwyn.
Later the group finds Hinrik in the Keg and Cast. He's sittling alone inside. The place is pretty busy. We buy some alea nd return to Hynrik's forge. There we tell him about Naryll and the children. He is very saddened by this news.
Chryseis and Hinrik chat. We dark when she come sout. Nariel stared too long into the Abyss and it changed her. She left him, aware of the change within her and before she could harm the children.
That night Linni breaks into Hinrik's forge and makes herself at home. Hinrik arrives, startled to find her in his home.
Eki, Zoe and Hyzik go to an inn to discuss the book. Hyzik identifies the book as the Grimoire of Pestillential Thought. Eki decides to toss it off Suicide falls. Does so; but now it would seem that the book can write on Eki's skin.
Zoe spends the night with Hyzik.
A few days later, Chryseis receives an invitation to brunch with the godsmen Factol at an hour before peak. We arrive and are taken to a n elegantly decorated swite of rooms. The Factol says the remnants of the Sigillian faction went on to found the Incanterium.
Sigil. Session XXXXV
Saturday, March 14th, 2008
Chryseis acts as liaison with Factol Ambar of the Godsmen for a week. Then, when Factol Ambar is asked to come to the Barracks, he politely declines. The requests become more and more strenuous until a delegation of Harmonium are turned away from the Foundry. Narcovi is angry and believes that Factol Ambar should be charged as part of a conspiracy against all of Sigil. But cooler heads prevail.
Chryseis goes through her required training. She has her backers who believe that conspiracies tend to bust wide open at her very appearance. She is becoming quite the legend.
Zoe investigated her dream fo the strange podium.
There's been no Lady sightings in the past month.
Zoe and Chryseis visit Factol Ambar. He entertains them in the administration part of the building. The Factol wanted to hear their personal experiences in Harbringer house, in the hopes of finding the missing godsmen. Zoe and Chryseis try to tell him what they've seen and ask questions regarding Svanna and the Grey Men. He doesn't have full answers. Just more pieces. The grey men relate to Harbringer house and its source. He asks us for oaths of secrecy about the house.
He offers Linni aide; as she is, technically, still a godsmen.
He believes Svanna has been a guest of Harbringer House these past few years. She was brought to them by the Dabus. Much is unknown and unexplored in Harbringer House. Of the unaccounted included a gril they called the Dreamer. She never wakes. If a caretaker approaches, they fall catatonic. They eventually learned how to enter her dreams and speak to her. She hasn't aged and deosn't eat. She was kept in a room near the Harbringer's dinning hall. The room was breached. Perhaps she's been taken or wandered out of the Godsmen-controlled area.
As for sightings of the Grey Men, there've been many in teh Harbinger House. The Factol was injured by one in an attack. He doesn't know if there was just one, or many.
We learn that the Farseer is also missing. The Farseer was in Harbringer House when the Godsmen arrived, some 60 years ago.
The injuries and the malevolent force in the house makes the Factol reluctant to resume operations and to send more caretakers into potential danger.
The caretaker of the house Bereth replaced old Favor; and now she too is missing.
1st rule, state of conflict.
We give the key to Akin.
We get a cold iron short sword for Chryseis, from Hinrik.
After an evening service, Linni and Chryseis approach Ismine. They sit in a nearby pew as Linni tells her story. After the Law Shredder killed her, she was in a desert. She walked for days, weeks. Then she found a cave. The walls were first plane and organic and slowly became more man-made. When she could walk no more, she sat before a mirror. In it she saw images. Beautiful and horrible in their turn. She saw people she knew, people she didn't. Then she saw Athena.
She broke through the reflective surface into the Harbringer House, where Chryseis found her. It seems one of the Law Shredder's victims did escape. Ismine is shocked and amazed and happy. She re-introduces Linni to Melissa and Media.
Eki gets the bracers - they are infused with magic that should protect him.
The Harmonium get a report about the book. It's sentient. It's uncooperative and insists on speaking with its master. Ekios. Yougros son. So, Eki gets the book.
3rd day of unity, state of order, 128 YFHR
Day of Charity
There's a clear sky. WE can see the full curve of the city. Tensions continue to rise: civil disobedience is on the rise. Many give the Law Shredder the motive of trying to take down the standing order -- and now the Harmonium patrols are being attacked by masked bandits. Intent on finishing what the Law Shredder began.
Ekikos is home, and stays the night. He goes down stairs to make tea and catches Aelia sneaking in. She seems distraught, so they chat. Aelia is still seeing the smith's apprentice. He wants to marry her, but Yougros disapproves. She worries about Sarros. He's a determined godsmen. He's seeking opportunities to better his position and find money. Seems Sarros looks up to Eki.
Sarros works at the Armour works across from the Back Sails. After Eki agrees to speak to Sarros, Aelia goes to bed.
During the night bandits put graffiti on the Athenium. We gather as a neighborhood to help clean it off.
That day, Eki visits Sarros at the Armoury. After briefly cleaning himself, Sarros accompanies Eki to the black sails for a chat. It seems Sarros has hooked up with a new faction. Eki listens, while plying the lad with more and more alcohol. Once drunk, he takes Sarros to meet Chryseis.
Saturday, March 14th, 2008
Chryseis acts as liaison with Factol Ambar of the Godsmen for a week. Then, when Factol Ambar is asked to come to the Barracks, he politely declines. The requests become more and more strenuous until a delegation of Harmonium are turned away from the Foundry. Narcovi is angry and believes that Factol Ambar should be charged as part of a conspiracy against all of Sigil. But cooler heads prevail.
Chryseis goes through her required training. She has her backers who believe that conspiracies tend to bust wide open at her very appearance. She is becoming quite the legend.
Zoe investigated her dream fo the strange podium.
There's been no Lady sightings in the past month.
Zoe and Chryseis visit Factol Ambar. He entertains them in the administration part of the building. The Factol wanted to hear their personal experiences in Harbringer house, in the hopes of finding the missing godsmen. Zoe and Chryseis try to tell him what they've seen and ask questions regarding Svanna and the Grey Men. He doesn't have full answers. Just more pieces. The grey men relate to Harbringer house and its source. He asks us for oaths of secrecy about the house.
He offers Linni aide; as she is, technically, still a godsmen.
He believes Svanna has been a guest of Harbringer House these past few years. She was brought to them by the Dabus. Much is unknown and unexplored in Harbringer House. Of the unaccounted included a gril they called the Dreamer. She never wakes. If a caretaker approaches, they fall catatonic. They eventually learned how to enter her dreams and speak to her. She hasn't aged and deosn't eat. She was kept in a room near the Harbringer's dinning hall. The room was breached. Perhaps she's been taken or wandered out of the Godsmen-controlled area.
As for sightings of the Grey Men, there've been many in teh Harbinger House. The Factol was injured by one in an attack. He doesn't know if there was just one, or many.
We learn that the Farseer is also missing. The Farseer was in Harbringer House when the Godsmen arrived, some 60 years ago.
The injuries and the malevolent force in the house makes the Factol reluctant to resume operations and to send more caretakers into potential danger.
The caretaker of the house Bereth replaced old Favor; and now she too is missing.
1st rule, state of conflict.
We give the key to Akin.
We get a cold iron short sword for Chryseis, from Hinrik.
After an evening service, Linni and Chryseis approach Ismine. They sit in a nearby pew as Linni tells her story. After the Law Shredder killed her, she was in a desert. She walked for days, weeks. Then she found a cave. The walls were first plane and organic and slowly became more man-made. When she could walk no more, she sat before a mirror. In it she saw images. Beautiful and horrible in their turn. She saw people she knew, people she didn't. Then she saw Athena.
She broke through the reflective surface into the Harbringer House, where Chryseis found her. It seems one of the Law Shredder's victims did escape. Ismine is shocked and amazed and happy. She re-introduces Linni to Melissa and Media.
Eki gets the bracers - they are infused with magic that should protect him.
The Harmonium get a report about the book. It's sentient. It's uncooperative and insists on speaking with its master. Ekios. Yougros son. So, Eki gets the book.
3rd day of unity, state of order, 128 YFHR
Day of Charity
There's a clear sky. WE can see the full curve of the city. Tensions continue to rise: civil disobedience is on the rise. Many give the Law Shredder the motive of trying to take down the standing order -- and now the Harmonium patrols are being attacked by masked bandits. Intent on finishing what the Law Shredder began.
Ekikos is home, and stays the night. He goes down stairs to make tea and catches Aelia sneaking in. She seems distraught, so they chat. Aelia is still seeing the smith's apprentice. He wants to marry her, but Yougros disapproves. She worries about Sarros. He's a determined godsmen. He's seeking opportunities to better his position and find money. Seems Sarros looks up to Eki.
Sarros works at the Armour works across from the Back Sails. After Eki agrees to speak to Sarros, Aelia goes to bed.
During the night bandits put graffiti on the Athenium. We gather as a neighborhood to help clean it off.
That day, Eki visits Sarros at the Armoury. After briefly cleaning himself, Sarros accompanies Eki to the black sails for a chat. It seems Sarros has hooked up with a new faction. Eki listens, while plying the lad with more and more alcohol. Once drunk, he takes Sarros to meet Chryseis.
Sigil. Session 44.
Saturday, 28 February, 2009
5th day, 3rd rule of the 128th year of Factol Hashtorn's Reign.
Night of wrath (most probably).
The fight is over. The Law Shredder is dead. The Cambion is driven back to the Hells, and the ominous orb is destroyed.
A tense silence falls across the room. A large crater sits over which the ominous orb once stood. The Law Shredder, an angel and a host of dead demons are scattered about. We are all damaged, but alive. There is a circle of bloody bodies at the edge of the crater. Ekikos stands amidst it. Casting caution to the wind, he stretches his hand into the portal. It elongates. He says "This is a one way trip I believe." And he climbs out of the portal.
Trollan is weeping. Chryseis goes to examine the Law Shredder. Ekikos asks Zoe to take care of Trollan. Linni is alternating between joy and illness; she settles on screaming for joy and kicking the remains. Ekikos goes to examine the angel.
Chryseis gingerly picks up the Dwarven greatsword. She feels an awful grinding in her chest that is eerily familiar. She wraps the sword in the ratty blanket. Zoe goes to console Trollan. Trollan is crushed by the fact that the Lady ignored him.
Chryseis casts detect magic. There are three distinct magical auras in the room: The Dwarven sword is quite powerful. The Law Shredder's chained shirt (moderate abjuration) and small bloodied item at his belt (a kama) are also magical. The workmanship is strangely familiar. It seems to be silver -- it's the Law Shredder's harbringer blade. She gingerly pulls the shirt from the body. She also takes his head.
The angel has three auras on her. Her forearms are covered by bracers (moderate abjuration), a longsword, and a dagger; much like Ludvik's.
Ekikos goes to explore the room to the east of the ... ritual room. There is a mirror in there that looks into a street on the Lower Ward in Sigil. While digging around, he finds a book in a sack. It is bound in tanned and blackend flesh. Its cover bears a seven-pointed star. Chryseis looks at the book (after asking Athena's aide to read it) and a single line is written out upon the page "You want my knowledge, master?" Chryseis closes the book.
Chryseis looks at the dagger, and thinks about Svana. The dagger seems to drink the blood, but in truth it flows through it and falls to the floor. The blade seems to shimmer a bit; but nothing seems to occur.
Ekikos and Linni perform the grisly task of moving the bodies of the 13 victims into the small room to the east; laying the bodies out in state away from the Law Shredder & the demons.
There's a grinding of stone in the corner and sparks fly. Chryseis is the only one who heard it and saw it from the corner of her eye. She turned to look and it was gone. She warns us that someone else might be here. The room seems unsound as we examine it. The walls and wood are warped.
Trollan is muttering in his mourning. "People always heeded my words, they flocked to me but I was guarded for fear that I influenced them too much. Then one day a priest came to Ecstasy and told me about the Lady of Pain" He'd never met someone who ignored him before. He was infatuated. He waited so long for the Lady to come to him. Someone who beguiles with his voice, was himself beguiled. He proclaims his intention to turn the people away from their love of the Lady and then return to clean Harbringer house and calm the keepers. Then he will wait there for the Lady.
Trollan and Chryseis do the heal thing.
Trollan goes into the small room and dips his short sword's silver blade into the mirror. The mirror reflection bows, and the region near the ditch is reflected. When he swirls his sword in the mirror again, blood gem park appears.
Zoe jumps through the mirror. She falls out of a tenement building's window that faces the street. Aaaa!
3 or 4 score followers have massed. There are a lot of spectators (mostly Doomguard), and a good smattering of them have signs that carry signs saying "The end is nigh", and "The end times are among us". There are at least seven squads of Harmonium in the area.
Chryseis walks up to a squad. Learns that Measure III Drillix is in charge of the scene. He's also the day watch commander of the Lower Ward garrison. She finds him and they talk, briefly. The Harmonium push the crowds back 10 paces. Not everyone's too happy about this, but the thick red line broke no intolerance.
Trollan approaches the gathered. His followers cheer, the crowd swallows him, and some start to chant his name. The Doomguard raise an equal cheer, believing this to be the beginning of the end. Trollan climbs up atop the fountain and speaks to the gathered masses. As Trollan talks, hryseis spots Kit. He's one of the ones holding Trollan up. Trollan tells his followers to go to Extasy. He puts Kit in charge of the masses. Kit heads out of the park. Chyrseis flags him down and speaks to him asking him to seek out his sister when he returns to Ecstasy.
The Harmonium none-too-gently clears a path. As the followers move along, a score or more spectators fall into line. Apparently, they're on their way to Ecstasy too.
It's drizzling still. We accompany Trollan to another portal, and he heads back to Harbringer house through a reflection.
On the way back towards Cross guard, we go looking for Lunch.
We go to the Foundry gates. Wrought iron and 3 stories tall. After a check, we are escorted in to see the Factol, across the factory floor.
Factol Ambar leads us further into the Forge; trying to find a quieter place to chat. He leads us to a one-story, two-room house in the middle of the factory floor. Its walls are made of green glass.
There, we tell him our tale from when we went to Kurst on through the situation at the Harbringer house. After hearing the tale, the Factol is stunned. He turns away from us. They've not had a blade to get into Harbringer house. And without one, they've been out of contact with the house for about a week. Chryseis gives him the blades we found--giving him a way to get back into Harbinger house.
He leaves, intent on getting back into Harbinger house.
About 10 minutes later--Patroclus comes in. He comments on Eki's tatoos. They chat and Patroclus invites Eki over for dinner on gluttony night. Afterwards Patroclus guides us out.
We head towards cross-guard. There's a crowd around the well outside the Athenium. Some of them are chanting derogatory things. A third are wearing colors and a third are wearing Athar colors. Athar protests are not uncommon, but this time there's a large number of Zeus priests. There's also a squad of Harmonium women present to keep the peace. As we get closer, we hear something that carries over the voices. It dawns on us that it's Ardallas, son of Hephaestus. He's returned.
Chryseis walks in amidst the crowd. Eventually the Hard heads loose their patience and threaten to scrag the lot of them if there's no order here. Ardallas comes out, kneels before Chryseis, and kisses her robe. He's been waiting for her for 2 days. The locals start throwing wrotten um... vegetable matter at the hecklers and dumping chamber pots over them. The Athar make a hasty retreat.
Ardallas starts wooing Chryseis.
Saturday, 28 February, 2009
5th day, 3rd rule of the 128th year of Factol Hashtorn's Reign.
Night of wrath (most probably).
The fight is over. The Law Shredder is dead. The Cambion is driven back to the Hells, and the ominous orb is destroyed.
A tense silence falls across the room. A large crater sits over which the ominous orb once stood. The Law Shredder, an angel and a host of dead demons are scattered about. We are all damaged, but alive. There is a circle of bloody bodies at the edge of the crater. Ekikos stands amidst it. Casting caution to the wind, he stretches his hand into the portal. It elongates. He says "This is a one way trip I believe." And he climbs out of the portal.
Trollan is weeping. Chryseis goes to examine the Law Shredder. Ekikos asks Zoe to take care of Trollan. Linni is alternating between joy and illness; she settles on screaming for joy and kicking the remains. Ekikos goes to examine the angel.
Chryseis gingerly picks up the Dwarven greatsword. She feels an awful grinding in her chest that is eerily familiar. She wraps the sword in the ratty blanket. Zoe goes to console Trollan. Trollan is crushed by the fact that the Lady ignored him.
Chryseis casts detect magic. There are three distinct magical auras in the room: The Dwarven sword is quite powerful. The Law Shredder's chained shirt (moderate abjuration) and small bloodied item at his belt (a kama) are also magical. The workmanship is strangely familiar. It seems to be silver -- it's the Law Shredder's harbringer blade. She gingerly pulls the shirt from the body. She also takes his head.
The angel has three auras on her. Her forearms are covered by bracers (moderate abjuration), a longsword, and a dagger; much like Ludvik's.
Ekikos goes to explore the room to the east of the ... ritual room. There is a mirror in there that looks into a street on the Lower Ward in Sigil. While digging around, he finds a book in a sack. It is bound in tanned and blackend flesh. Its cover bears a seven-pointed star. Chryseis looks at the book (after asking Athena's aide to read it) and a single line is written out upon the page "You want my knowledge, master?" Chryseis closes the book.
Chryseis looks at the dagger, and thinks about Svana. The dagger seems to drink the blood, but in truth it flows through it and falls to the floor. The blade seems to shimmer a bit; but nothing seems to occur.
Ekikos and Linni perform the grisly task of moving the bodies of the 13 victims into the small room to the east; laying the bodies out in state away from the Law Shredder & the demons.
There's a grinding of stone in the corner and sparks fly. Chryseis is the only one who heard it and saw it from the corner of her eye. She turned to look and it was gone. She warns us that someone else might be here. The room seems unsound as we examine it. The walls and wood are warped.
Trollan is muttering in his mourning. "People always heeded my words, they flocked to me but I was guarded for fear that I influenced them too much. Then one day a priest came to Ecstasy and told me about the Lady of Pain" He'd never met someone who ignored him before. He was infatuated. He waited so long for the Lady to come to him. Someone who beguiles with his voice, was himself beguiled. He proclaims his intention to turn the people away from their love of the Lady and then return to clean Harbringer house and calm the keepers. Then he will wait there for the Lady.
Trollan and Chryseis do the heal thing.
Trollan goes into the small room and dips his short sword's silver blade into the mirror. The mirror reflection bows, and the region near the ditch is reflected. When he swirls his sword in the mirror again, blood gem park appears.
Zoe jumps through the mirror. She falls out of a tenement building's window that faces the street. Aaaa!
3 or 4 score followers have massed. There are a lot of spectators (mostly Doomguard), and a good smattering of them have signs that carry signs saying "The end is nigh", and "The end times are among us". There are at least seven squads of Harmonium in the area.
Chryseis walks up to a squad. Learns that Measure III Drillix is in charge of the scene. He's also the day watch commander of the Lower Ward garrison. She finds him and they talk, briefly. The Harmonium push the crowds back 10 paces. Not everyone's too happy about this, but the thick red line broke no intolerance.
Trollan approaches the gathered. His followers cheer, the crowd swallows him, and some start to chant his name. The Doomguard raise an equal cheer, believing this to be the beginning of the end. Trollan climbs up atop the fountain and speaks to the gathered masses. As Trollan talks, hryseis spots Kit. He's one of the ones holding Trollan up. Trollan tells his followers to go to Extasy. He puts Kit in charge of the masses. Kit heads out of the park. Chyrseis flags him down and speaks to him asking him to seek out his sister when he returns to Ecstasy.
The Harmonium none-too-gently clears a path. As the followers move along, a score or more spectators fall into line. Apparently, they're on their way to Ecstasy too.
It's drizzling still. We accompany Trollan to another portal, and he heads back to Harbringer house through a reflection.
On the way back towards Cross guard, we go looking for Lunch.
We go to the Foundry gates. Wrought iron and 3 stories tall. After a check, we are escorted in to see the Factol, across the factory floor.
Factol Ambar leads us further into the Forge; trying to find a quieter place to chat. He leads us to a one-story, two-room house in the middle of the factory floor. Its walls are made of green glass.
There, we tell him our tale from when we went to Kurst on through the situation at the Harbringer house. After hearing the tale, the Factol is stunned. He turns away from us. They've not had a blade to get into Harbringer house. And without one, they've been out of contact with the house for about a week. Chryseis gives him the blades we found--giving him a way to get back into Harbinger house.
He leaves, intent on getting back into Harbinger house.
About 10 minutes later--Patroclus comes in. He comments on Eki's tatoos. They chat and Patroclus invites Eki over for dinner on gluttony night. Afterwards Patroclus guides us out.
We head towards cross-guard. There's a crowd around the well outside the Athenium. Some of them are chanting derogatory things. A third are wearing colors and a third are wearing Athar colors. Athar protests are not uncommon, but this time there's a large number of Zeus priests. There's also a squad of Harmonium women present to keep the peace. As we get closer, we hear something that carries over the voices. It dawns on us that it's Ardallas, son of Hephaestus. He's returned.
Chryseis walks in amidst the crowd. Eventually the Hard heads loose their patience and threaten to scrag the lot of them if there's no order here. Ardallas comes out, kneels before Chryseis, and kisses her robe. He's been waiting for her for 2 days. The locals start throwing wrotten um... vegetable matter at the hecklers and dumping chamber pots over them. The Athar make a hasty retreat.
Ardallas starts wooing Chryseis.
Sigil. Session XXXXIII
Saturday, 31, January 2009
5th day, 3rd rule, state of dominance, 128 YFHR
Day of Forgiveness
Along the way, we learn that the new woman is Linni - back from the land of the dead. She has two silver blades, Harbringer blades; and is no longer a tiefling. Now she is human.
Trollan says they are abyssil demons called Dredges. He claims that holy weapons work well against them and that we should use thunder instead of lightning against them. They can unleash clouds of poisonous gas. We receive the blessings of Athena, and we move in. The fight does not last long, and other than retreating to the corridor until the gas fades, we are undeterred.
In the room beyond we find a blue pulsing sphere. There are glyphs in the floor and walls that seem to relate to teh Abyss. Around the base of hte globe are 13 captives. All are cut by a number of slashes; most are weak, one has collapsed and all are injured.
From the far door, a demon walks in. Eki punches him. They fight. Zoe tries to free the victims. A group of smaller demons enter the room and engage Chryseis and Eki. When the smaller demons die, they release a plume of acid. The acid kills the captives. Amidst the chaos a beautiful woman enters the room through the door on the opposite side of the room.
She tries to convince Trollan that she's the Lady, but he sees through her illusion.
Trollan attacks the globe and invokes the lady's name. We assist.
She unsheathes her sword and says "Slide, slide into the Abyss. Leave your cage behind." She then kills the first captive. Chryseis moves to stop her.
Then Sougad enters. Linni rolls under the globe and attacks him. Sougade calls the angel Nariel.
Saturday, 31, January 2009
5th day, 3rd rule, state of dominance, 128 YFHR
Day of Forgiveness
Along the way, we learn that the new woman is Linni - back from the land of the dead. She has two silver blades, Harbringer blades; and is no longer a tiefling. Now she is human.
Trollan says they are abyssil demons called Dredges. He claims that holy weapons work well against them and that we should use thunder instead of lightning against them. They can unleash clouds of poisonous gas. We receive the blessings of Athena, and we move in. The fight does not last long, and other than retreating to the corridor until the gas fades, we are undeterred.
In the room beyond we find a blue pulsing sphere. There are glyphs in the floor and walls that seem to relate to teh Abyss. Around the base of hte globe are 13 captives. All are cut by a number of slashes; most are weak, one has collapsed and all are injured.
From the far door, a demon walks in. Eki punches him. They fight. Zoe tries to free the victims. A group of smaller demons enter the room and engage Chryseis and Eki. When the smaller demons die, they release a plume of acid. The acid kills the captives. Amidst the chaos a beautiful woman enters the room through the door on the opposite side of the room.
She tries to convince Trollan that she's the Lady, but he sees through her illusion.
Trollan attacks the globe and invokes the lady's name. We assist.
She unsheathes her sword and says "Slide, slide into the Abyss. Leave your cage behind." She then kills the first captive. Chryseis moves to stop her.
Then Sougad enters. Linni rolls under the globe and attacks him. Sougade calls the angel Nariel.
Sigil. Session XXXXII
Saturday, 17, January 2009
5th day, 3rd rule, state of dominance, 128 YFHR
Day of Forgiveness
The combat continues, and it seems to get worse. Zoe manages to get un-stuck from between the statue and the wall, and asks Trollan to make Chance stop. Trollan tries, but Chance believes that he must obey the dice - the dice don't lie. As Eki and Chance grapple, Zoe uses far hand to snatch the dice and give them to Trollan. Trollan threatens to destroy them; but it doesn't stop Chance. He declares that it wasn't Sougad's lucky day either. He runs Eki through, but fortunatelly Trollan and Chryseis manage to heal him. Chryseis manages to disarm Chance and scoops up the short sword. Chance tries to evade, but is blocked by Chryseis. Eventually he falls backwards into the mirror.
Eki tries to destroy the mirror and fails. He offers to play a game called 3 Dragon Ante to get his sword and dice back. He wins. We leave.
We see a woman in red int he corridore. She claims to be neither a Harbringer nor a Keeper. She walks through doors we cannot enter. She warns us that if Sougad's here then she doesn't have much time.
We go to the commons, where we encounter Sulran. He's scared almost witless. He says Sougad came through here. The Lady to the lawful good ones away. Chryseis finds a body int he laundry's was basin. We go back into the hall and try various doors.
We enter a large room whose walls are covered in mirrors. There's a large circular stairwell int eh center. Chryseis sees the forge in which she was found. As she walks by one mirror we hear a crack and a woman falls out; grabbing at Chryseis and calling her Athena.
The stairs lead to a landing. Sitting on the landing is a 1/2 elven man. He suffers when we make too much noise. The images in the mirror seem to collide when he looses his concentration. We learn the woman in red is named Nariel; and he gives us directions to her current location. He suggests we hurry. He is called the Farseer.
We follow the Farseer's directions and are met by 5 short piles of shambling flesh.
Saturday, 17, January 2009
5th day, 3rd rule, state of dominance, 128 YFHR
Day of Forgiveness
The combat continues, and it seems to get worse. Zoe manages to get un-stuck from between the statue and the wall, and asks Trollan to make Chance stop. Trollan tries, but Chance believes that he must obey the dice - the dice don't lie. As Eki and Chance grapple, Zoe uses far hand to snatch the dice and give them to Trollan. Trollan threatens to destroy them; but it doesn't stop Chance. He declares that it wasn't Sougad's lucky day either. He runs Eki through, but fortunatelly Trollan and Chryseis manage to heal him. Chryseis manages to disarm Chance and scoops up the short sword. Chance tries to evade, but is blocked by Chryseis. Eventually he falls backwards into the mirror.
Eki tries to destroy the mirror and fails. He offers to play a game called 3 Dragon Ante to get his sword and dice back. He wins. We leave.
We see a woman in red int he corridore. She claims to be neither a Harbringer nor a Keeper. She walks through doors we cannot enter. She warns us that if Sougad's here then she doesn't have much time.
We go to the commons, where we encounter Sulran. He's scared almost witless. He says Sougad came through here. The Lady to the lawful good ones away. Chryseis finds a body int he laundry's was basin. We go back into the hall and try various doors.
We enter a large room whose walls are covered in mirrors. There's a large circular stairwell int eh center. Chryseis sees the forge in which she was found. As she walks by one mirror we hear a crack and a woman falls out; grabbing at Chryseis and calling her Athena.
The stairs lead to a landing. Sitting on the landing is a 1/2 elven man. He suffers when we make too much noise. The images in the mirror seem to collide when he looses his concentration. We learn the woman in red is named Nariel; and he gives us directions to her current location. He suggests we hurry. He is called the Farseer.
We follow the Farseer's directions and are met by 5 short piles of shambling flesh.
Sigil. Session XXXXI
Saturday, 3, January 2009
5th day, 3rd rule, state of dominance, 128 YFHR
Day of Forgiveness
We have returned home.
The fog has lifted and a light drizzle makes visibility good today (we can see about a mile up the curve).
Trollan says we need a mirror large enough to be a portal. When we step outside the shop that holds the portal to Kurst, Trollan kneels and prays to the lady. We try to provide him cover, but he is devout in his duties and ignores the evil looks he gets from people who pass by.
In new market we find a tinker's shop selling a metal mirror. We suddenly hear a loud thunder clap; the ground shakes. We run outside and a small dust cloud is settling into the central district. Eki runs off to find the source of the noise.
Chryseis negotiates a price of 33 gold for the mirror.
Eki finds his way is blocked by a brace of hard heads and doom guard who are closing in the area. One of the overpass bridges collapsed. There are a few dead Dabus in the rubble. Apparently the Dabus have been overbuilding the area for the past 4 days. The hard heads blocked off the area yesterday and locals assumed the collapse was imminent.
Eki runs back to us with the chant.
Near the ditch we find a beggar willing to help us. We pay for his time. In the industrial sector we find a good view of the Gatehouse. Chryseis prays for our protection, we set up the mirror and Trollan draws his shortsword. It's curved and made of silver. He plunges the blade into the mirror's surface. The quicksilver blends about. He kneels down and scoots through. We follow, leaving a rather confused beggar holding the mirror.
It feels like we've stepped through a portal. We step out on a solid wood floor. It's Dimmer in here. We see a man sitting in a chair. Trollan calls him Horace, but he doesn't answer. Instead he keeps chanting: "Chaos dance, chaos murder, the Abyss is what I yearn."
A nearby office contains administrative duty rosters, inventories, etc. Also included are the journals of the administrator. There's a journal on the desk. Several pages have been torn out, but the last few pages are intact.
Of the residence several resistents have seen a strange woman wandering the halls.
2D 3R Sate of Doom (3 days ago)
Bad open. 2 escaped. Believed something bad is going on.
We organize the papers and find files ont eh inmates. Zoe starts looking for Svanna's name, but time is an issue.
Eki finds a survivor in the mess hall. He claims everything is his and welcomes us to the domain of "Astral". Eki's sure he's a barmie. Trollan identifies him and ask what he's doing here. Astral and Eki fight, and Astral seems to mimic Eki's abilities. Eki, Zoe and Chryseis manage to take Astral down. Chryseis stabilizes him and puts him in a cell where he can rest.
In the kitchen we find two humans at work. A man is running from pot to pot, putting various ingredients in. A woman is dressed in a burlap sack, tied with a piece of dried razor vine. She's sniffing the pots. She asks if we've come for dinner, or are we dinner. Her name is Graella and she says that Narin is moving today. She approaches Chryseis with her butcher's knife. Je ferme la port.
In the entry way - the mirror shows a view into the park of the Infernal and Divine.
We meet up with Verina. She says there's a darkness that's come to the house. She heals Eki with a touch. She says the caretakers have stopped coming and she's had no visitors for a long time.
We go back to the carpet room and try to track the Law Shredder by scent.
Harbringer house is most confusing. Doors side by side lead in completely different directions. Each major door seems to be some sort of portal to ... somewhere else. Every mirror is a window into a new and different place; some seem familiar but most do not.
In a room lined with statues of important Godsmen, we meet Chance; a man to whom luck is very good. We can't seem to not fight him, and every move we make against him seems to rebound against ourselves. We are defeated before we can begin.
Saturday, 3, January 2009
5th day, 3rd rule, state of dominance, 128 YFHR
Day of Forgiveness
We have returned home.
The fog has lifted and a light drizzle makes visibility good today (we can see about a mile up the curve).
Trollan says we need a mirror large enough to be a portal. When we step outside the shop that holds the portal to Kurst, Trollan kneels and prays to the lady. We try to provide him cover, but he is devout in his duties and ignores the evil looks he gets from people who pass by.
In new market we find a tinker's shop selling a metal mirror. We suddenly hear a loud thunder clap; the ground shakes. We run outside and a small dust cloud is settling into the central district. Eki runs off to find the source of the noise.
Chryseis negotiates a price of 33 gold for the mirror.
Eki finds his way is blocked by a brace of hard heads and doom guard who are closing in the area. One of the overpass bridges collapsed. There are a few dead Dabus in the rubble. Apparently the Dabus have been overbuilding the area for the past 4 days. The hard heads blocked off the area yesterday and locals assumed the collapse was imminent.
Eki runs back to us with the chant.
Near the ditch we find a beggar willing to help us. We pay for his time. In the industrial sector we find a good view of the Gatehouse. Chryseis prays for our protection, we set up the mirror and Trollan draws his shortsword. It's curved and made of silver. He plunges the blade into the mirror's surface. The quicksilver blends about. He kneels down and scoots through. We follow, leaving a rather confused beggar holding the mirror.
It feels like we've stepped through a portal. We step out on a solid wood floor. It's Dimmer in here. We see a man sitting in a chair. Trollan calls him Horace, but he doesn't answer. Instead he keeps chanting: "Chaos dance, chaos murder, the Abyss is what I yearn."
A nearby office contains administrative duty rosters, inventories, etc. Also included are the journals of the administrator. There's a journal on the desk. Several pages have been torn out, but the last few pages are intact.
Of the residence several resistents have seen a strange woman wandering the halls.
2D 3R Sate of Doom (3 days ago)
Bad open. 2 escaped. Believed something bad is going on.
We organize the papers and find files ont eh inmates. Zoe starts looking for Svanna's name, but time is an issue.
Eki finds a survivor in the mess hall. He claims everything is his and welcomes us to the domain of "Astral". Eki's sure he's a barmie. Trollan identifies him and ask what he's doing here. Astral and Eki fight, and Astral seems to mimic Eki's abilities. Eki, Zoe and Chryseis manage to take Astral down. Chryseis stabilizes him and puts him in a cell where he can rest.
In the kitchen we find two humans at work. A man is running from pot to pot, putting various ingredients in. A woman is dressed in a burlap sack, tied with a piece of dried razor vine. She's sniffing the pots. She asks if we've come for dinner, or are we dinner. Her name is Graella and she says that Narin is moving today. She approaches Chryseis with her butcher's knife. Je ferme la port.
In the entry way - the mirror shows a view into the park of the Infernal and Divine.
We meet up with Verina. She says there's a darkness that's come to the house. She heals Eki with a touch. She says the caretakers have stopped coming and she's had no visitors for a long time.
We go back to the carpet room and try to track the Law Shredder by scent.
Harbringer house is most confusing. Doors side by side lead in completely different directions. Each major door seems to be some sort of portal to ... somewhere else. Every mirror is a window into a new and different place; some seem familiar but most do not.
In a room lined with statues of important Godsmen, we meet Chance; a man to whom luck is very good. We can't seem to not fight him, and every move we make against him seems to rebound against ourselves. We are defeated before we can begin.
Sigil. Session XXXX
Sunday, December 20th, 2008
4th day, 4rd rule, State of Dominance, 128 YFHR
The day of Diligence (continued)
We are in Kurst, amidst a bar fight in the Undead Unicorn. An archer stands behind his three companions--all of which are determined to kill Trollan. It seems we 4 are the only ones able to stand between Trollan and his assassins. Trollan's companions are split between a group willing to stand up and fight, and a group uncertain of what to do.
The Archer cries out "Strike down the Lovers of the Lady before they doom us all!". After a few pot shots, Zoe runs to Trollan and tries to quickly hand him a healing potion. Chryseis is forced to stay close to Trollan just to keep him alive. Ekikos managed to take down the archer and between his martial prowess (and Trollan's amazing speaking ability), the assassins surrender. Ekikos takes the archer's bow and arrows, and we depart with Trollan and his followers out the back way before the watch can arrive.
We exit the back door and loose ourselves in Kurst. After some careful asking, Zoe manages to find the local beggars and gets good advice on which streets to avoid and where we can hole up. A serving wench (Yared) at the Quartered Man gives us space in the back of the stables. She provides day old bread and water. It gives us a safe place to talk and plan.
We tell Trollan about the fate of his followers in Sigil. He beleives it would have been different had he led them personally. We learn he too was a prisoner/guest of Harbringer House. It seems he saw the Lady there.
After gathering some information, Chryseis goes to the guard and inists to see the commander (Vrel Zarhasclar). She convinces the guard to call for the senior Sargent (Quarz), but it takes some doing. Eventually she convinces the first guard to go straight to the commander. Chryseis talks to him alone and the mere threat that the Lady might seek out Trollan is enough to grant us exit from the city of Kurst.
One hour after sunset we return to the gate and go through the many gates of Kurst. On our way out a madman charges us screeching that "She's not ready." and some nonsense about more deaths and it's not time. We race through the gate and the Captain strikes the madman down.
We move away from the city and camp.
That night Zoe dreams in the midnight forest. In the well she sees Ludvik and the glass woman talking about Svanna. She can't understand the language. They talk, the glass woman crys and they embrace. Svanna doesn't talk and Ludvik's dagger melts and flows through the cracks in the floor. The images fade when the glass woman plunges her hands in the pool of quick silver. Zoe is left with the unsettling feeling that Ludvik did not wake up.
5th day.
In a tree near the city's edge we manage to pull a few shinnies from the bones. 5 gold rings, 2 platnum rings and a key. We cut the hanged man down and lay out the dead properly before returning to the portal. The portal key is indeed a key. We can now return to Sigil.
Sunday, December 20th, 2008
4th day, 4rd rule, State of Dominance, 128 YFHR
The day of Diligence (continued)
We are in Kurst, amidst a bar fight in the Undead Unicorn. An archer stands behind his three companions--all of which are determined to kill Trollan. It seems we 4 are the only ones able to stand between Trollan and his assassins. Trollan's companions are split between a group willing to stand up and fight, and a group uncertain of what to do.
The Archer cries out "Strike down the Lovers of the Lady before they doom us all!". After a few pot shots, Zoe runs to Trollan and tries to quickly hand him a healing potion. Chryseis is forced to stay close to Trollan just to keep him alive. Ekikos managed to take down the archer and between his martial prowess (and Trollan's amazing speaking ability), the assassins surrender. Ekikos takes the archer's bow and arrows, and we depart with Trollan and his followers out the back way before the watch can arrive.
We exit the back door and loose ourselves in Kurst. After some careful asking, Zoe manages to find the local beggars and gets good advice on which streets to avoid and where we can hole up. A serving wench (Yared) at the Quartered Man gives us space in the back of the stables. She provides day old bread and water. It gives us a safe place to talk and plan.
We tell Trollan about the fate of his followers in Sigil. He beleives it would have been different had he led them personally. We learn he too was a prisoner/guest of Harbringer House. It seems he saw the Lady there.
After gathering some information, Chryseis goes to the guard and inists to see the commander (Vrel Zarhasclar). She convinces the guard to call for the senior Sargent (Quarz), but it takes some doing. Eventually she convinces the first guard to go straight to the commander. Chryseis talks to him alone and the mere threat that the Lady might seek out Trollan is enough to grant us exit from the city of Kurst.
One hour after sunset we return to the gate and go through the many gates of Kurst. On our way out a madman charges us screeching that "She's not ready." and some nonsense about more deaths and it's not time. We race through the gate and the Captain strikes the madman down.
We move away from the city and camp.
That night Zoe dreams in the midnight forest. In the well she sees Ludvik and the glass woman talking about Svanna. She can't understand the language. They talk, the glass woman crys and they embrace. Svanna doesn't talk and Ludvik's dagger melts and flows through the cracks in the floor. The images fade when the glass woman plunges her hands in the pool of quick silver. Zoe is left with the unsettling feeling that Ludvik did not wake up.
5th day.
In a tree near the city's edge we manage to pull a few shinnies from the bones. 5 gold rings, 2 platnum rings and a key. We cut the hanged man down and lay out the dead properly before returning to the portal. The portal key is indeed a key. We can now return to Sigil.
Sunday, November 01, 2009
GM Binders
Wow. Look at all the dust.
It's been a while since I've been here.
My new campaign is scheduled to start soon. After the meet-and-greet the players and I agreed upon a system (Pathfinder) and a background (HarnWorld). So that left me time to try and crank out the best resource any GM can have - a binder containing a series of odds and sods upon which your game will rely. This time around I'm also keeping an electronic version of my binder this time -- a series of directories and links to files on my computer.
I did a lot of looking around, trying desperately to find the old articles I based my last GM binder on years ago. I found lots of good advice, but most of it was very generic--and very few folk seemed willing to post details about what their binder contains. I have the contents of my last campaign's binder; but the older binders have long since been de-constructed, with some parts filed and others recycled. The last campaign's binder lost cohesion and organization somewhere around mid-campaign, about when my plot went off the rails and various plot threads were completely lost. It's something I'm trying not to repeat in this game.
My binder has the following sections:
Next step: making characters and fleshing out the starting point for the adventure.
Wow. Look at all the dust.
It's been a while since I've been here.
My new campaign is scheduled to start soon. After the meet-and-greet the players and I agreed upon a system (Pathfinder) and a background (HarnWorld). So that left me time to try and crank out the best resource any GM can have - a binder containing a series of odds and sods upon which your game will rely. This time around I'm also keeping an electronic version of my binder this time -- a series of directories and links to files on my computer.
I did a lot of looking around, trying desperately to find the old articles I based my last GM binder on years ago. I found lots of good advice, but most of it was very generic--and very few folk seemed willing to post details about what their binder contains. I have the contents of my last campaign's binder; but the older binders have long since been de-constructed, with some parts filed and others recycled. The last campaign's binder lost cohesion and organization somewhere around mid-campaign, about when my plot went off the rails and various plot threads were completely lost. It's something I'm trying not to repeat in this game.
My binder has the following sections:
- Cover. This is the first time I've created a cover page for my campaign. It's an letter page poster in black and white featuring the name of the campaign as well as a short piece of poetry designed to give a general feel for the game. It was fun to create and helped me focus the game and come up with the game's theme.
- Places. These are the places in which the game will run. I won't copy everything into here; a piece of the gaming map, a few small articles of the places the party will live in or travel through should be enough. Often, if the article exists elsewhere, I'll include a blank page with the name of the article and where to find it.
To start the list is pretty short, but it will grow with time:Place name Citations Dunir Kanday module pxx, xx, xx; Dunir article; \Harn\Kanday\Dunir\ Kanday Kanday module; HarnWorld pxx; HarnDex pxx; \Harn\Kanday\ - People. This includes both copies of the PCs as well as lots and lots of NPCs. I start with a randomly generated list of names using EBoN and the Harnic chapters. I tend to create a list of about 100 each: female first names, male first names, clan names, other race names (25 elves (Sindarin), 25 dwarves (Khuzdan), 25 halflings, 25 orcs (Gargun)). These are just lists (no space for anything else); usually done up in 3 columns.
I also include a grid that looks something like this:Person Race/Age/Sex Notes/location/Appearance/Game Info John Smith H:M:42 Local bloke on the road to Dunir. Brown hair-balding, brown eyes, average height/build, ruddy complexion. See Stats pxx. Thomas Public H:M:33 Local farmer. Likes his pigs. Just north of Dunir. Brown hair-curley, brown eyes, tall & thin. Animal Handling (pigs) 12, (other) 6 Jane Smith H:M:18 Unmarried. Shy. Won't talk to the PCs if her father's not there (John Smith). Dunir. Brown hair (long, straight-under a cowl), blue eyes. Petite. Cha 14 Peter Principle H:M:22 Talkative but doesn't know much. Willing to help, but clueless. Random. Brown hair-straight, cropped short, average height/build. Bookish. Knowledge (local) 6
The grid lets me keep track of NPCs without worrying about stat-blocks. If an NPC requires something more than a single skill or stat (which I list in the notes on the grid), then I'll make a stat block and reference it in the grid.
This time I'll also create a quick reference sheet of names for the locations (especially to detail the people in the party's home town). - Rules. This section includes house rules, conversion rules (in my case from 3.5 d20 to pathfinder -- a free download from Paizo), and any other small articles that help me run the game. If we limit the number of books available to be used, I'll include that list here too.
- Background details. Typically I include a price list, articles on general lore, and any other small article that seems relevant to the background setting. I also include copies of anything given to the PCs as well as rough notes as to when and why the item was given out. Often, as the campaign progresses, most of the additional details I add to a location are stored here.
- Logs. Notes about the campaign. I start with the date and the weather and the party supplies all the rest. By keeping notes I can better deal with unfinished plots and party interests. Some nights the notes are detailed, other nights they aren't. I usually try to go back and write up my thoughts on the gaming session -- as much for creating a summary for the next game as to help with plots.
- Adventures. If I run an adventure, I either print it out and add it to the binder, or at least make a notation that the adventure was run. I try to include a brief summary of "how it really went". This section is a summary of the logs and deals only with the adventure and not all the other events that occurred while the adventure runs.
- Monsters, Treasure, and Monies. This section (I hope) will be pretty slim. I don't want to recreate the universe; but I will use it to keep track of what monsters the PCs fight, what treasures they get, and what they spend their money on. If there's anything unique to the game--I'll include its details here.
- Maps. These are empty (unlabeled) maps of various places the party might visit. I collect random maps that fit my setting and rely upon them heavily. If the party visits one I'll include a rough page of details and label the map so that, should they return, the ancient alter, secret hide-y holes, and pigeon coups will be right where they last found them.
Next step: making characters and fleshing out the starting point for the adventure.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Sigil. Session XXXIX
Sunday, December 14th, 2008
4th day, 3rd rule, State of Domiance, 128 YFHR
The day of Dilligance
In speaking with Hyzik at the Incantarium, Zoe learns of a Locksmith in New Haven who's interior arch is a one-way gate to Kurst. We need manacles or chains to open it, but Zoe promises not to tell anyone. He can't tell Zoe how to get back.
Hyzik is a raccoon of mystery. He won't tell Zoe who his master might be, refuses to allow her to meet him, and then gives her a gift. The gift is a bracelet. In return for the gift, she is asked to tell the Incantarium all about the device.Hyzik tells he he's also supposed to convince her to join the Incantarium.
Eki buys rations for the trip. We pray at the Athenium, and get an extra set of masterwork manacles at Zoe's insistence. We then go to the Locksmith's in New Market.After passing through the portal (the shop keeper pretends to ignore us); we come out in a tangle of razorvine. The air is warm, and it is dark here. To the left, int eh far distance we see the spire. To the right - mountains.
There's a mummified corpse in the center of the razor vine. Near the city wall are more tangles of razor vine. The vine seems centered around a long-dead tree.We walk around the city wall. The walls are taller than the buildings within.
Along the way a mummified body hanging off the tree and riddled with razor vine speaks to us. His head turns 180 degrees on his neck to face us.He tells us the city is a trap. They'll let us in, but we won't get out. If you try to leave make sure you have a place to go. You need a definite goal and proof of a place to go back to.
We talk briefly about this, but still approach the gate. The guards let us in without question. They look almost bored. They come out and flank the entry with pikes. We enter. The wall is 30 feet thick with several gates and lots of murder holes. One guard recommends we try the Undead unicorn if were looking for bub.The place resembles parts of the Hive. A ghetto, like sandstone court. We get barked at. Listening to the gossip, we hear a few familiar names. One cutter called "The Burger". We think he's Torves Giljaff. He use to be an Ather Factol.
Most people are paranoid about the wall watch, and fearful of pressgangs. We see a few "public buildings". A tavern has a plackard of a quartered man.There's talk of someone called the Baron. The wall watch commander is Baron Yrel Zonthascar. We continue to wander about. We see men wearing amber colored robes. Assuming they are Lovers, we follow them. They are well armed.
We enter the Undead unicorn, leaving the four on the. Inside is a table of Lovers - and Trollan is amongst them. The folk in the door draw weapons and attack Trollan. His group rush to his defense. As do we.Sigil. Session XXXVII
Saturday, 15 November, 2008
Session XXXVII
2nd night, 3rd rule, state of Dominance, 128 YOFHR
Night of Gluttony
We're in Extasy.
Eki runs into the church, and the rest of us follow. He burbles like the Jabberwoky and attacks the Lawshredder. Chryseis joins into the fray while trying to get the Lovers to evacuate. Some run out the open doors, but most go to the alter. A priest amongst them invokes the Lady for protection.
The Lawshredder kills one woman, and the fire kills another. The Lawshredder dies when the building, fully aflame, collapses upon him. The wolves arrive in time to help get the remaining Lovers out of the building before it collapses.
Eki was greviously injured by the Lawshredder, and Chryseis is barely able to pull him out of the building. She tries to heal him, but he does not respond. She cries quicksilver tears, and suddenly, Eki is not burnt.
The Dark Hunter tries to heal Eki. He gasps. He lives! The Dark Hunter and his hounds (Moon dogs) heal the others. He departs as the sun starts to rise. The temple falls in on itself.
Day of Charity
The Sun Master arrives. She is radient in gold. She is flanked by three Solars (angels) she questions the survivors and learns about us. When we tell her about the modrons, she sends a Solar to fetch them. We are then welcomed to her Sol Rise Tower.
We're lead down amber colored stairs to a palatial set of rooms. Shortly after arriving, we are greeted by a livered servant by the name of Andas. Eki asks for a bath and change of clothes. We poke about. The rooms have a balcony that overlooks the town.
We spend time in the palace sleeping, eating and wandering about. In the afternoon, we are called to see the Sun Master. We learn the names of the dead.
Baldod, Dwarven cleric. Killed in the Ambitious Dabus Inn.
Kalise of the Faterinty of Order (the Philospher's Court)
Derrick the Blue, a Mercykiller
Modron
Evaine in the temple
Jaliba the Relaxed died when the temple collapsed
Eki gets a little bottle of petal wine and leaves it beside Artimore Far's sleeping form atop a pillar.
Sigil. Session XXXVI
Saturday, 2 November, 2008
Session XXXVI
2nd night, 3rd rule, state of Dominance, 128 YOFHR
Night of Gluttony
Weather: light rain, picking up with a light wind.
We head back to Grossef's paints, looking for Ludvik. We pas a few contigents of Hard heads going our way. There's an unusual number of people out tonight. The streeds grow more and more crowded as we approach Blood Gem Park. Mercykillers are trying to control the crowds.
There's a sizeable throng of dustmen and dabus in the park -- working to clear the park of the dead. We find Ludvik nealing atop the wall of the park. He joins us, looking somewhat green.
He was attacked by mind rats. We find a quiet spot and use the dust of creation to make a lilly. Narcovi is in the park ranting. Chryseis goes to talk to Narcovi. Narcovi is furious! She is shaking, she's just that mad!
Narcovi charges Chryseis to retrieve the LawShredder. Turns out the LawShredder killed Tenscore just a few hours ago; while Tenscore was returning from delivering the mancatchers. Then the LawShredder had Tenscore's body delivered to the Barracks by sedan chair.
Chryseis returns to us and tells us Narcovi's We leave them alone. The factol was consoling the women in blue. He comes towards u, motioning that he wants to talk. The factol takes Chryseis away for a few minutes.
When she returns, we learn that the Lawshredder's real name is Sugad. He and Trollan were both int eh Godsmen's care. The Godsmen believe both these men are just one step away from ebcoming gods. Trollan believes that the Lady holds him in high regard.
One of their first victims was their sheppard. Chryseis got his files. Trollan the mad grew up in Extasy. He arrived in Sigil six years ago, singing his love. The Dabus brought Trollan to Harbringer house.
Sugat killed for 7 days. Each of the 9 victims was terrified at death. Incidental vidence led the investigators to believe that he was frightened off his last victim by supernatural beings. Sugat comes from Athos and was the ward of an evil wizard. Sugat causes fear, seems know everyone's aximatic essence and can grab someone doing lightning damage.
He needs to commit 13 ritualized murders, using each to gain in power.
Both Sugat and Trollan escaped at the same time. But the Factol doesn't believe they were working together.
With the lilly formed, we return to the tennament and go up to the 4th floor. Seems a mercy killer went through here recently. Eki goes up on the roof and finds two people standing there. They are wearing the light blue and gold robes of hte mages. Hyzik speaks to the male. When he comes back, we learn that he can't come with us. The mages are happy that they've found a new portal.
We say goodbye to Hyzik and use the fabricated lilly. It opens the portal and we go through. It leads to a large rose garden, bursting with life.
We find a blood trail and muddy foot prints. It's really dark. There's only starlight to work by. We follow what little trail there is to an archway leanding out of the garden. Beyond are sewn fields and a pastoral town.
Lanterns are hung off pillars of various heights. The pillars seem randomly placed throughout the fields, and the town. A few houses are even built around pillars. The pillars are hexagonal basalt plynths.
The pillars in the near distance are occupied as a person sits atop each one. A halfling atop a nearby pillar coughs gently, interupting our conversation as we try to figure out where to go. He welcomes us to Extasy. His name is Artimore Far. Eki agrees to bring him some local ale when we pass back this way.
As we wander into town, another halfling stops. When he sees us he tries to run away. Eki catches him, and eventually we learn that his name is Gander. He's president of the welcoming committee. He's running to inform the twon that two bodies have been found. One was in the hall behind Melissa's house and the other is at the inn of the Impulsive Dabus. Revelhold run by Madame Pelani.
A woman we pass later informs us that the Dark Hunter has instigated a curfew.
Eki encounters a modron. It tells us that its command unit was injured. It asks us to follow it. It leads us to a cubed shaped quadron splayed on the ground. It's been sliced apart with six cut marks. We search the area and find a note pinned to the eyelid of the quadron. We find three partially consumed nut shells.
As we're looking about, a large sineous silver hound pads up to us and howels. We are quickly surrounded by more hounds. After a bit the Dark Hunter arrives. We learn from him that three more have died in similar fashion.
We inform him of the Lawshredder and his intent. We head to the temple district, leaving the modrons behind. There we meet Anjoliva and Evane. They are headed to the Temple of the Beloved. They are Lovers. We patrol the ground. Zoe catches the smell of woodsmoke in the air. Eki spots the fire on the second floor and calls out to warn those inside.
Sigil. Session XXXV
Saturday, 11 October, 2008
Session XXXV
2nd night, 3rd rule, state of Dominance, 128 YOFHR
Night of Gluttony
Weather: light rain, picking up with a light wind.
Logu's bathpowder is behind the temple of Corellian, wheras Grossif's paints is a bit closer along Doomguard walk. We head to Grossif's paints.
There's a fair bit of traffic around Blood Gem park - even for this time of night. The Lovers have taken over the park. Locals who used the park as a neutral meeting ground (the region is home to many nasty nature deities including the savage hunters). Chaositech's are also in teh area, which is only adding to the madness. The LOvers are beign harrassed. One group is having handfuls of drek thrown at them. The hard heads are hard pressed to keep the peace.
In the center of the street a cultist is arguing with his sister. She wants him to return to Extasy with her. He believes the Lady loves him and will hear no ill of Trollan, who is still out there - converting locals.
Ekikos finds the warehouse. We head slowly down the alley to find it occupied by a young Tiefling female. She's trying ot paint in the rain. She's painting the Lady! She sees us and loosk weary. When asked, Zoe doesn't think she's seen the Lawshredder, but then again seh's a chaositech, so it's hard to tell.
Zoe and Hyzik wander off to look around the building. Cryseis and Ekikos knock. The door opens and Grossef runs out screaming about the graffiti on his walls. Eventually he speaks to Cryseis and Ekikos, admitting that this is his shop, but then he runs down the street looking for a hard head or the watch to report the graffitti and demand that something be done about it. A young lad ends up andwering Chrseis' questions. He's Grossef's assistant.
Eki hears something on the second floor. When he goes to investigate, he sees the Lawshredder. He yells to Chryseis that the Lawshredder was trying to sneak across the beams over Chryseis' head.
Zoe is outside and sees someone race by the window. Hyzik helps her get up to the ledge. She tries to open the lock and fails.
Eki follows the Lawshredder and tries to confront him, yelling all the while. The Lawshredder escapes via an open window, and Eki follows him across rooftops. Outside, Chryseis follows on the ground, and meets up with Zoe and Hyzik.
Zoe attacks him with her wilder powers while Chryseis runs to find the Hard heads she saw earlier.
After a mighty chase, the Lawshredder escapes through a newfound portal just at the junction of the chimney and the building of a tennament. Zoe is up on the aquaduct, when it happens.
The Lovers start chanting. Near the end of their ritual, the Lady appears! She floats down the street and enters Blood Gem Park. Wherever her shadow touches, the Lovers are ripped assunder. She passes serenely in, then disappears.
After her passing, there is only the sound of a woman wailing. The woman runs into the park and cradles the body of a young man.
Cryseis asks Hyzik to look at the portal. Eki and Chryseis barge into the tennament and demand to get to the roof. Hyzik is able to determine that the portal key is a white lilly. He says it leads to a flower garden.
They all come back down to street level. Chryseis sends a runner with information to the Barracks to speak with Narcovi. As she's organizing the remaining Hard heads, the Godsman's factol comes to Blood Gem Park. They are sickened by the sight.
Dabus have arrived and begin cleaning up the blood.
Zoe gives the factol her winskin to clean his mouth. Chrysis and the factol speak briefly.
We try the friendly fiend, awaking him -- to his displeasure; but he doesn't carry living keys. He suggests we try the temple district for a white lilly.
Sigil. Session XXXIV
Saturday, 27 September
Session XXXIV
1st nigth, 3rd rule, State of Dominance, 128 YOFHR
Weather: light rain, picking up with a light wind.
Ekikos is hurrying back home from the gymnasium.
Ludvik's strange experiences continue. He sees reflections of other places in the armour and steins at the bar. His sister's eyes are looking back at him.
Chryseis leaves the barricks and goes to liberty hall tavern. Bells announce the hour of antipeak. Then, something moves to her left in the shadows. A silohette of brickwork seems to move towards her. It's the lawshredder, and he attacks.
Chryseis leads the lawshredder towards the light, he tries to bluff with an attack, then tries to trip her, and fails. Cyrseis continues to edge towards the tavern, and blows her wistle. The bells are ringing loud for anti-peak; and the wistle cannot pierce their din.
Ekikos sees the fight in the light, and starts to run.
Ludvik hears something, and we go outside to see what's going on.
Zoe and the Lawshredder engage in psionic battle. He stumbles and she fires lightnigng against him.
The Lawshredder attacks Chryseis, cutting off part of hte sheild and tears into Chryseis's shoulder. The resonance from the blade starts to shake her from within. He pulls out his blade and attacks again.
Chryseis heals herself and continues edging towards the tavern.
Ludvik draws his sword and engages the lawshredder, stabbing him in the shoulder.
Ekikos arrives.
Zoe fails to keep the lawshredder down in the psyionic battle, but strikes him again with lightning.
The Lawshredder starts laughing insanly and dancing around Ludvik. He sings: "I am the howling winds, the swirling pandamonium, I am chaos. I am death."
Everyone is hit with chaos. Ludivik is confused. We feel the Lawshredder's pain, suffering more and more as the Lawshredder heals.
Ekikos grapples the Lawshredder, but is unable to maintain the hold as the Lawshredder wriggles free.
Chryseis steps back and heals herself.
Ludvik steps back and fires two arrows at the Lawshredder. Both hit.
Ekikos grapples him again, and again the Lawshredder wriggles free.
Zoe again strikes the Lawshredder with electricity.
Chryseis flanks and stabs the Lawshredder, but the tip catches in his armour and doesn't strike deeply.
The Lawshredder stumbles back, as the Harmonium guards pour into the scen.
The Lawshredder disappears; we believe he's within 4-5 city blocks.
Chryseis gives order and the squads fan out with hounds to try and trace the scent. Ekikos climbs up on a roof to get a better view. He climbs back down when Narcovi arrives. Narcovi starts interrogating everyone. She's pissed. Then the factol shows up. We go with him and meet his wife, Hope - a beautiful woman who is the facton's spiritual leader.
We answer as many questions as we can. We learn that the Lawshredder is an athasian.
Come morning the Lawshredder's not been found. The Hardheads even used divination, but have had no luck.
Zo gets a lot of sleep on the way back.
2nd Day, 3rd Rule, State of Dominance, 128 YOFHR
Weather: Light drizzle.
Ismine calls the petitionners forward for Linni's funeral. A lot of Godsmen show up. The Athenium isn't large enough to hold everyone. Many congregate ont ehs tairs and around the well.
Ismine has used prior funds to purhcase bread and it is handed out to those attending. The gods are invoked, prayser are said. The insense is lit and Prioress Ismine speaks as a friend of Linni. Afterwards the dress is taken down from teh wall of the temple and it leads the procession to the Mortuary. Women follow. Lini is enterred at Ellisium and then the procession goes home.
When Ludvik returns home, Hinrik is in the forge talking amicably with CryFalcon. He heard about the attack. Ludvik agress to walk with CryFalcon and they go off.
Narcovi found an inatact bronze disk and metal rod at the site of the fight last night. The white powder found at the previous murder scen was taulk. The Lawshredder is the source of a lot of gossip around the city. We learn that three warehouses stalk taulk; they will be investigated.
P3, Logu's path powder (close to teh Armoury) and Grossip's paints (also int eh lwer ward).
CryFalcon found another witness to Linni's murder. Baskkix 3 fingers. He picked Linni's possessions while high on bub. He gave CryFalcon what he found. Cryfalcon asks that Ludvik return Linni's possessions to the priori. Baskix also provided a peacock feather quill. Cryfalcon hopes to divine the Lawshredder's location using the quill. CryFalcon gives Ludvik a gift and then departs for the Lady's Ward to find further clues to the Lawshredder's location.
Hyzik comes to visit and we chat. He introduces Zoe to the Wayfarer inn; it's a tavern in the lowar ward that's filthy with portals. Go inside, buy a drink, flip a gold coin in the air and you're in teh Clerk's ward. The tavern's in the Dwarven neighbourhood. Zoe accompanys him there, sees how it's done, then heads home.
Chryseis requisions something for protection against the forces of Chaos. Tenscore arrives a bit later with a scroll of protection from Chaos and a mancatcher. She also gets a potion to see invisibility or darkness or something. She's told it lasts for 1/2 an hour.
At dusk we meet up with Hyzik at the well.
Sigil. Session XXXII
Saturday, 30 August, 2008
Session XXXII
7th day, Center rule, State of Dominance, 127 FHR
Day of Humility (Continued)
Chryseis is doing paperwork in the barracks when she hears the Narcovi is on her way.
Ekikos is working on his fetish
Ludvik, Zozime, and Eliath are in the Hive, travelling to the site of the second murder.
Ludvik, Eliath and I visited a faction barracks where a Tiefling named Quari the ancient, and a hafling named Defiant Mumrot live. According to Mumrot, the killer turned into a mephit and flew away when startled. Quari says Mumrot was drunk. Mumrot describes the attacker was as tall as Ludvik, with red hair, and wearing a red or green vest. His tale grows grander with each telling.
After some searching, I find a bloody quill in the haystack. Ludvik examines the window for damage, or blood. He sees that the slidebar has scratchmarks at the meet-point; the window might have been forced open at some time. On the floor is a powdery residue. It's some kind of fine grain sand (ground down mineral maybe). It smells burnt. It's very soft and touching it reduces it to ash. Eliath and I part company here. Ludivik and I return to the hard-head barracks to update Chryseis on our news and show her the things we gathered.
In the garrison, Chryseis is waiting for Measure III Narcovi to arrive. When Measure III Narcovi does arrive, Chryseis is called out into the grand hall, where Measure III Narcovi gives he a field-promotion for her great work on this case. Now, Notary IV Chryseis, stands at attention and listens while Narcovi lectures the gathered on the proper drive and verve that a hardhead should have. Narcovi is an empassioned speaker. She says that she wants to reward Chryseis' ability that there are no limits to the job. Once done, she takes Chryseis to the records room to review the evidence that Chryseis had collected and compairs it with the evidence from 7 years ago.
At the barracks, Chryseis informs us that the first murder was of Favor, Believers, on blood boil street in the lower ward. There a note was found on the body. Ludvik identifies the watermark on the paper as coming from the Lady's ward business of Pembrum's Parchment and papers. They're not far from the city courts. When we get there we realize it's the same bunkhouse as where we found Eliath living under an assumed name. Chryseis speaks briefly with the landlady about the murder. As she does, I notice the Dabus at the end of the street. They're acting like they are cleaning out the drain near the edge of the city, but they have no tools and the drains are running well. I call out good-morning when they pass, and one waves back!
We learn from the landlady (Elteva) that Old favor was a kind soul. He was retired, and liked to play backgammon. The door to his room appears to have been either bashed or forced in. The front door may have been open. Elteva admits that, while it is supposed to remain locked, some of the tennants here are not as careful with it as they should be. We search the room. It's been well cleaned, and finding anything is difficult. There are small shiny bits of metal in between two bricks in the wall against which the cot rests. The shiny bits, once extracted, seem to be very delicate and slightly melted (but otherwise featureless) brass disks and small iron rods. They crumble into dust when touched. We manage to get a few pieces into a twist of paper.
Chryseis and I go to visit the Friendly fiend while Ludvik stays for tea. The friendly fiend, friendly as ever, invites us in for tea and cakes. He itendifies the nutshells as material components for a confusion spell. But what we found was not reduced to ash. He believes that we're dealing with some sort of ritual/edrich magic, not arcane magic. The sale of bronze disk and nail-sized iron rods are restricted by code. They are arcane ingredients to befuddle the mind and induce madness. We also learn that ritual magic is often foor the long-lived. The rituals using these goods definitely have a chaotic bent. He identiies the black sand as powdered onyx, which is related to death. Chryseis summizes that the murders are focused on murder/death/chaos. The first murder was for insanity, the second for a circle of death, and the third for confusion. She posits that these murders are to some dark god; much like Torranna the Grey served in our adventure with the Citadel of Fire and missing barmies.
As we're talking, a 5 1/2-foot tall half-elf enteres. He's dressed in Amber colored robes with a silver laminay scarf and silver hair. He asks politely for directions to Blood Gem park. He is also prominently wearing a pendant that depicts a stylized version of the .. um ... city of Sigil's seal. The Friendly fiend tries to disuade the young male from wearing the pendant in the city, as it will attract much unwanted attention. But he is steadfast in his belief that the pendant is a good thing. He acts like a bespotted human!
We learn from the Friendly Fiend that there have been several arrivals recently, all founding a religion dedicated the The Lady. They call themselves the "Lovers of the Lady". It's a bit hard to believe.
Ludvik stayed with Eltiva and had tea. From her he learned that Old Favor was cloven in two by one long bloody gash. There was blood everywhere. There was some jibberish scribbled on a piece of parchment on the body. Something about law trembling where chaos rules. Old favor said he worked for the factol and cared for the barmies as some sort of caretaker.
In return for the lore, we tell the Friendly Fiend about our adventures in BiTopia.
As we leave, we meet up with Ludvik and decide to head to Blood Gem park to see what's going on. We catch sight of the barmy half-elf buying some kind of scented candle from a worried merchant. Chryseis manages to trade a coin with him, and learns that the barmie is from .... Unfortunately, not far from the quickly-closing merchant, we found the barmie. He'd gathered a crowd with his attire, and the crowd was not happy.
We defended the barmie and we learn that he follows Trolen, the prophet, the belover. Trolen was in Extacy yesterday. He then heads out to Blood Gem park. A dabus arrives to brush the area clean. He bumps into Cryseis and acts like we're not there.
Chryseis headed back to Crossguard and the garrison to report what we've learned. Ludvik and I meanwhile went on to Blood Gem park. We see a portal open int eh door of a nearby tennament. A half-elven woamn stepped out. These visitors are creating quite the interst. There are 15 or so gathered in the park. Most of them are human, some elves and a few Asimar. All are dressed the same. Some are begging, some are prophetizing. The prophetizers are also dodging thrown items. Many have small gifts of candy, scented candles, even flowers.
We watch for a time. The hardheads are around watching and trying to stop a riot from happening. Most of the spectators seem divided into either a group intent on driving the Lovers away (or at least silencing them), and the others half waiting for the Lady to arrive. I escort a raccoon or two out of the park, but other than that - we're nothing more than spectators. I half want to stay and see if She does show up. Then again, even my curiosity's not that strong.
Back at the barracks, Chryseis learns from Ismine about Dirk's murder. A dwarf named Caldorn ordered a masterwork Dwarven blade to be made. It seems the blade was stolen then used to kill Dirk. Chryseis writes a note for Narcovi to explain all she's learned thus far.
The next day Chryseis is visited by Narcovi's assistant (Tenskor). There's been another murder. This time it's in the Lady's Ward in the city court. A govenor was killed in the study.
Sigil. Session XXXIII
Saturday, 15 September
Session XXXIII
1st day, 3rd rule, State of Dominance, 128 FHR
Day of Chastity
Weather: light rain, picking up with a light wind.
The dabus are painting hte tennament across the way, but they have no paint and their cans are empty!
Tenskor reprots that the govenor (a minor clerk) bled out over a pile of parchment. It's not so much who was killed, but where he was killed atha will make tongues wag. Tenskore doesn't beleive that this one can be hushed up.
Zoe spent the night at a beggar's firend's house - a coal skutter. When she wakes there's root stew to share and his wife is making bread. Z helps out where she can in the house to repay for the night and what food she eats.
Chryseis visits Hinrik's forge, but Ludvik isn't up yet. It's just after daybreak. Nestor is working the bellows at the forge. Chryseis leaves a message with Nestor and returns to the Athenium about the time that Ismine gets up.
Ludvik is awoken by a repetitive dripping sound. It's the rain. He gets up and dresses quickly.
Zoe makes her way back to crossguard.
Ludvik's father, Hinrik, is puttering around in the kitchen. He offers his son cheese for breakfast. Ludvik learns that the foundry is taking all the coal that comes in, sending prices through the roof.
A boy hammers a long parchment to Finash's corner post (after paying for the right). The sign draws a crowd. Seems the Believers of the Source are seeking workers to build the funicular track around Sigil.
Ludvik enters the shop. Yougros and Nestor are there and Nestor passes along Chryseis' message and not much else. Ludvik heads to the temple to see what's up.
Zo attends the woman's service at the temple first thing in the morning.
We all meet up on the temple's stairs and compare information. Chryseis learns that the quill is not magical. We take the quill to Wingar to get his opinion of it. He says it's expensive and suggests we try asking about it at the various magic shops in town.
We head out to Untra's Arcana in the Lady's ward. Along the way we pass Petitionner's square. The square is filled with a crowd here to watch an execution. The execution is Kriton, who kills by strangling the victims with his own chains. We don't stop to watch the demon at his work.
Ludivik directs us to Untra's Arcana. The shop smells of insense and fresh paper. One wall is a scroll case. Another wall holds stacks of paper. The clerk admits it's mostly for show. There's nothing arcanely special about the shop or its contents that Chryseis can see. The cler denys selling magical components or the quills.
We spot the type of paper used by the murderer in the shop. The clerk says that particular paper is more for missives and personal correspondance than tomes. When asked, the clerk recognized a general description of the law shredder. He says the man was effite but became abusive when he learned the price of hte paper. He bought 13 sheets and left. That was 4-6 days ago. The clerk checks his records and finds that on the 2nd day, 2nd rule, 12.5 x 8" 50 ml sheets were sold for 6g5s rings.
We go to visit the friendly fiend to have him identfy the black dust we found at the last muder scene. He suggests we try the Dwaren Gem exchange for the opal dust. We meet the Fiend's assistant. Belaca - a raven winged humanoid with firy eyes ina white shift. She's enthalling and does all of the Fiend's cooking. She's also very shy and demure.
Ludvik waits outside. Zoe gives Ludvik the Fiend's regard.
We head to the Wizard's mark in the Shattered Temple district. A fiend (8' tall insect-like carapace, lots of pointy edges and mandibles) and a thiefling have set up a stall. They are recruiting for the Tenari for the Blood War. Such recruitment drives are not uncommon in Sigil. The big one in back is known as Amerin (Stuttering Amerian to be specific). He is known to recruit for both sides.
The Wizard's mark is an eclectic and cluttered shop. A male elf with silver hair and a slight limp approaches us. He seems ageless and is very slender. The shop sells the quills. Says someone came in and stoll about 13 quills from the jar in which they were stored. After Chryseis leaves, Ludivk confirms that the shop sells the various spell components we've found at the murder sites. Seems they too were stolen aroudn the 1st or 2nd of last week. The clerk adds to our general description of the law shredder.
Back at the garrison, Chryseis learns that there was a white powder fond at the murder scene. Ludvik learns that the talk of the day is about the murders. There are lots of comparisons circling about the similarity between these murders and those of the lawshredder some 7 years ago.Rumors are circulating about a Harmonium task force acting under the belief that the lawshredder has returned.
A gaggle of govenor clerks say they saw the body before it was removed. The dabus came in immediately to clean up the mess, and they were still there 8 hours later! As Ludivk is travelling from place to place, he thought he saw the crazy-haired man in the window's reflection. He turns, but hte man is not there. He pulls out his dagger and looks into the reflcetion. Beyond the govenors he sees a darkened street and the city Barracks. He heads there.
Near the singing fountain he sends a message to Chryseis by astral streeker. At the barracks he pulls out the dagger and calls on Svanna for help. In the reflection of the dagger he sees a nearb clocktower - it's showing the time of 3h past antipeak. He hears Svanna's vice. Her words are jumbled. Sougad's is out. She let him out. He's not supposed to be out. He's hunting. You're in danger. Avour said we were never supposed to talk to him. Svanna has seen a lot of people getting hurt. You can see so much through the windows.
An ebondy skinned man is red armour falls with 5 cuts across the chest.
Trolan got out. She let them out. Favor left. Things are changing. The house may no longer be safe. Ludvik promises to find her and keep her safe.
The local harmonium guard interrupts his reverie and tells him to move along or be arrested.
Chryseis gets three messages. The second is from the faction's alchemist who has identified the white powder as talk. The third is from Ludvik.
Zoe asks Aurilus to deliver a message to Hyszik (whom, it seems Aurilus nows). Chryseis send soff a report to Narcovi. Zoe's Ma packs her a double lunch.
Zoe and Chryseis get together and head to teh garrison y sedan chair. Chryseis pays a light boy to light the way. We find Ludvik near the Barracks. Chryseis goes inside teh barracks to find Narcovi. She speaks to her in her office. Narcovi accepts the possibilities of oracular visions.
Zoe and Ludvik go to a nearby tavern (Liberty Hall Tavern). It's a hardhead tavern and Ludvik has to spin a yarn or two to get us out of the tavern.
Sigil. Session XXXI
Saturday, 2 August, 2008
Session XXXI
7th day, Center rule, State of Dominance, 127 FHR
Day of Humility
It's early morning. There is a light haze covering the city.
Linni was found murdered this morning, outside the Ascention drinking hall. A hard-head patrol is there now. Aurillius tells the Prioress and the other priestesse the news. It seems there's a confrontation between the godsmen and the garrison as to who has juristiction. The drinking hall is a guild hall to the Godsmen, and Linni died on their territory.
Women arrive at the Athenium for morning service. They must have overhead some of Aurillius's news. Ismine is at a loss. She sends Aurilius to the scene to wait for us, then asks Chryseis to look into it. She moves quickly to provide comfort to the locals. Chryseis meets up with us at the well. Ludvik knows the Ascention as a huge godsmen bar. We gear up and go.
Just before leaving, we pray to Athena for clarity and victory. The Ascention is in the Foundry distcti in Grey Steam Path (just off Ash Row). It's located behind the Foundry. The Harmonium is limiting foot traffic into the area. Chryseis is recognized by the present hard heads, as the people guarding the site are the night watch from the local garrison.
Corvo and the Githyanki bar owners are arguing juristicition. Lini's body is still on the ground, covered with a blanket. It lies half hidden behind a waterbarrel at the entrance to an alleyway running along the outter wall of the Ascention. It's easy to believe no one noticed her for a while, especially if it happened during hte night.
The Githyanki is named Jullius. He doesn't want hard heads in his bar.
Corvis shows us Lini's body. Her face is frozen in panic and fear. She's been cleaved in two with a deep slashing weapon across her right breast. The second slash is from her left rip to the right hip (which is exposed and broken open). The third slash cuts deeply into her left thigh. She died from shock and bloodloss. Indeed, the alleyway is sticky with her blood.
There are no signs that she fought back. She's lying on her spears. Her knife is still on her belt and her hands and arms bear no wounds. The magical strands around her have been cleaved. Something fairly strong happened here. The ground is covreed in blood from the body. There are spatters around the water barrel where the altrication seems to have started.
Corvis continues. THe first harmonium guard ont eh scene foudn the body. The altrication started in the street and finished in the alleyway. People heard the scremas but the hard heads have found no witnesses to the murder. He found burn marks on her forarms. These are incisistant with burning, but resembles the burns caused by electrical discharges.
Ludvik wanders into the spectators to try and pick up the chant.
The Alley was is swept relatively clean, so there's not much junk to go through. There are two sets of prints in the alleyway; one smaller (lini's) and the other is larger. I find 3 mostly intacted (cracked and dried out) nut shells. Touching them seems to make them descintegrate into dust. Chryseis thinks they might have been material components, but it's odd that there would be anything left of a material component after the spell has been cast.
The Hag's eye believes the nut shells are used to create some sort of glamour effect that causes confusion.
Ludvik finds a wolfhound that looks familiar. The dog is standing at the edge of the crowd, as if waiting for him. Ludvik follows and the wolfhound leads him around the corner of a nearby tennament building. There, Ludvik meets CryFalcon, a friend of Melissa's. He knows a lot about Ludvik's adventures. He calls the dog Shuck. Cry Falcon is a human man, in his mid 40s with only a greying frige of hair around a bald cap. He has silvery eyes and a wound on the left-side of his jaw that healed into a ragged scar. CryFalcon tells Kudvik to pass the word that Narcoi should come and look at this murder.
The Lawshredder is back. The person resonsible for 7 murders a few years ago, just up and disappeared without ever being caught. CryFalcon believes Linni was the third Lawshredder murder of this set. Last time the first murder was a chaotic victim - this time it was Sodd Dirk. The smith makes the weapon and then is run through with it. Each victim after the 1st dies with one more slash thant he last. The LawShredder's pattern is that all who die will be lawful faction members.
Ludvik returns and tells us the dark of it. A small figure gets my attention. I meet him in the alleyway across the road. It's a human (about 8-9 years of age, standing a head shorter than Eki). He's a street urchan of my aquaintance named Erchand. He saw the killing. He saw Linni struggling with someone big. The attacker was a big man with crazy hair, human eyes all bugged out. He had a big sword and he cut her down. Then, after she fell, he took her sword. He thinks the big man rifled through her pockets.
After he cut her down there was a red light that went out of her body. It danced along his blade and up his arm.
The Hag's eye also finds a small piece of paper, pinned to Linni's cloak. The message is scrawled in blood, and reads: "Chaos is the only law. Washed clean of the blood of order". Chryseis collects the note and keeps the pin.
While Chryseis is talking to Corvus, a small contingent of Godsmen approach. Chryseis sends Corvus off with a quick note written to Narcovic. The Godsman's factol comes to review the scene. Chryseis tells him that she bleives the Law Shredder has returned and gives him a good summary of events, thereby gaining his support. He asks for updates on the case as it unfolds. He gives her a token so that she can speak with him again.
After he leaves, Chryseis speaks with the Innkeeper. From him she learns that Linni closed up the place with the Innkeep. There arew only a few people in teh bar then. It was a regular night. Chryseis speaks to the remaining three who are still here. One who was deep in conversation with Linni before she left, had left early, but the converation was not remembered as cold or unusual, rather she was catching up with him. The three present readily vouch for the other three who left. The bar is well appointed and clean. The Innkeeper belives Linni left at 4 or 5 in the morning.
Back at the garrison, Chryseis checks but she finds no local records of murder in the district. She looks up Sod Dirk's murder. The reports say that his body was found by an assistant in the morning. He was killed the night before. He was run through once. No signs of the sword, but there was an empty scabbard on the floor near the body. The murder was investigated by Ismine.
Ludvik spreasds the chant in little bitopia. Learns that there's a private group who are buying rights to the entire spikeward edge. They want to build a steam furnicular around the edge of the city.
While Chryseis is doing paperwork, she learns that Ismine thought Sod Dirk's murder was related to burgularly and nothing more. Chryseis finds one other murder that sets off alarm bells in her metal head. She makes copies of the various reports. She sends out request for information about similar murders.
I run into Eliath and go looking for information.
Chryseis recieves notice that Narcovi received Chryseis's note. Narcovi is on her way to the local garrison. The HW garrison had found records of a murder of an Athar. The body was discovered in an Athar Bunkhouse of Powers row. It was a Borear female, 25 years of age, named Vienna of the Athar. SHe was found with a terrified expression on her face and 2 deep cuts to her flanks. There was a note pinned to her hide with the same message as we found on Linni. There were two others in the bunkhouse that night. Kuari found the body. There was a depsoisiton from Monrot, but Monrot stank of alcohol. SO the office did not include the deposition.
Ludvik went looking for the bunkhouse and ran into Eliath and I. He talked in sway into the bunk house in question and convinced an amicable 1/2 ling to show us the murder site. The 1/2ling claims Vienna's attacker had big hair and turned into a mephit.
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