DM Asgorath's world shaping plots of shapely shapeliness

[DM Asgorath]

Divination Gone Bad

Synopsis: Desperate to find the alu-fiend to have her revenge, Nawiel literally cuts a deal with the devil (or, in this case, the demon) after Akornita asks Valaklith to perform a divination on the bag of gold Nawiel received.

Little did the trio know that in order to garner glimpses of wisdom from Lolth, a worthy sacrifice had to be offered. Gel'dala ordered the Yath'abban to bring a human child to the altar, ready to sacrifice him in order to please Lolth for the divination.

Obviously against the idea, Akornita, Nawiel and Sussuri tried to stall time to look for an alternate solution, but there were none to be found. Akornita then offered herself as a living sacrifice, in exchange for the life of the child.

Pleased, Gel'dala accepted, but then Akornita tried to escape by opening a gate leading to Ysgard and trying to run away with Nawiel, Sussuri and the child.

Divine intervention by Lolth, though, redirected the gate to the Abyss, where an army of hungry demons led by a balor jumped on the trio almost immediately, killing Akornita while the child ran away.

Sussuri and Nawiel had to fight a mighty balor on their own, but the creature was just too powerful for them both. Angered and irritated by their constant use of stealth, the Balor grabbed Akornita's body and incinerated it in a cloud of ash and cinders.

Tired of fighting, the two tried to parlay with the balor, but the demon had his fiendish servants bring him the runaway child, now captured, and forced the two to assist powerless to his life and soul being devoured by the unholy creature.

The balor then mocked the two for having dared to try make a fool of Lolth herself, and sent them back to Sshamath to live with the burden of their failure and the consequences of their actions forever.

Back to Sshamath, the duo were greeted by the Charnag Maelthra, that arrested them for having violated Sshamath's laws regarding planar travel and summons.

In the meantime, Akornita's soul traveled to Eilistraee's realm in the Abyss, where she met Eilistraee herself who clothed her spirit in flesh and send her back to the material plane, after a brief struggle with her mother who was trying to claim Akornita's soul.

For the soul of the child, sadly, there was nothing to do, and the kid is now suffering eternal torment and pain in the realm of Lolth. The Spider Queen had indeed managed to claim another victim.

Participants:
Nawiel
Akornita
Valaklith
Sussuri

Rewards:
Very Bad outcome
Xps

[DM Asgorath]

The Queen's Gambit, part 3

Synopsis: the OSR travels to Bridgefort, meeting the Countess alongside her trusted aid Sharazad, a calimshan woman. After a brief introduction, the Countess (disguised as an adventurer so as not to draw suspicions) explains them to have been assaulted by some cultists screaming hymns to Shar and being subjected to a dimensional anchor by a "wizard of some skill", thus preventing teleportation.

The group then follows the planned route, passing through the lizard marsh at first. Thanks to some good show of diplomatic skills, Aaron manages to persuade the local lizardfolk to let them pass through the land in peace.

While on their way to the troll claws, though, they are ambushed by cultist assassins, who almost managed to kill the Countess. After having recovered from the wounds, the group then proceeds towards the Troll Claws passing through the Trollbark Forest's outskirts, wherein they encounter a small group of trolls guarding a bridge.

An unsuccesful attempt at negotiation results in the group having to fight against the creatures. The battle was fierce and arduous, but in the end, the group prevailed. Just while they were proceeding with their mission, though, a huge nightwalker appeared from a pool of darkness formed on the ground, attacking the group and trying to get to the Countess.

Seemingly invincible, the adventurers could only witness in shock to their weapons and spells being absolutely useless against such a powerful being. Matthew heroically (and foolishly) offered to stay behind while allowing the adventurers to run away, keeping the nightwalker at bay.

Mournful, the group reached the troll claw hills, wherein they were ambushed by throngs of hungry trolls, led by an equally hungry, but much more lethal, chieftain. The monumental battle ended with the victory of the forces of Light, but just while the group was rejoicing for the victory, the nightwalker appeared again from a pool of darkness, this time holding Matthew's dead body into his right hand.

Another battle against the creature ensued, with the adventurers still failing to hurt the creature. Just when the situation looked hopeless, though, the sun rose, weakening the creature and shattering its invulnerability.

Now vulnerable, the creature was defeated by the adventurers and the remaining bodyguard of the Countess. Matthew mangled and dead body stood on the ground, lifeless, before Gina succesfully managed to bring the courier back to life.

Happy for the succesful outcome of this last struggle, Elvina then noticed that the dimensional anchor preventing the Countess from being teleported had waned, thus teleporting the whole group inside Baldur's Gate. The Countess was then escorted to the Ducal Palace, wherein she held a meeting with the Dukes, while also praising the Knights' bravery in escorting her to safety, before dismissing them. The Order of the Silver Rose knights then happily returned to their keep.

For once, the forces of light have won over the forces of darkness.

Participants:
Elvina
Seth
Aaron
Missy
Isabeal
Gina
Elias

Rewards: xps or gold

[DM Asgorath]

Journey to Evereska

Synopsis: Laitae decided to travel to Evereska with the aid of an Evereskan ranger of Doron Amar (Falathar Keeneye). After having teleported to the Halfway Inn, the duo reaches the last elven city in the continent, wherein they are greeted by none other than Xan, leading the watch at the main gate.

Xan directs the sun elven wizardess to the Fountainheart of Shimmering Gold, wherein Laitae is to discuss the matter with the gathered four high priests of Evereska: the high priest of Corellon (a sun elf), the high priest of Sehanine (a male moon elf), the high priest of Aerdrie Faenya (a female avariel), and the high priestess of hanali, Hamalitia Everlove.

After the initial shock in encountering a winged elf (who is something of an open secret amongst Evereskans), Laitae asks for the priests' aid in curing the plague.

Most of them, though, are reluctant even to metion the cure, let alone parting with it, especially because it would be used on non-elves, and allied with the Zhentarims at that.

After some fruitless attempts at convincing the priests that the humans should be helped, Laitae manages to turn Hamalitia to her side by mentioning innocent kids and an elf-friend who is infected as well.

The priests, spiteful for the treachery and backstabbing of the humans of Triel and Soubar, decide to apply the Lex Talionis, that is: to each and everyone his due. They hand Laitae a small single use vial containing a milky white, luminescent liquid, telling her to give it to the elf-friend. The council of priests then dissolves leaving Laitae to figure out what to do with said single-use vial.

Rewards: Gold

(Note: if I see someone, ANYONE, metagaming this topic's information, I'm going to spank him real good)

[DM Asgorath]

Meeting Gildenfire

Two adventurers decide to travel by plant to the High Forest, at the approsimate direction in which Ivan is sure to encounter the Gold Wyrm. Upon arrival, they are greeted by orcish war drums, at which point Ivan and Caelam both start warding up before being ambushed by an orcish patrol.

One of them unwittingly (and luckily) summons the wyrm Gildenfire when he starts roaring in dragon shape. The dragon appears, spewing flames on the orcs and destroying them completely, before approaching the two adventurers.

Gildenfire is explained the situation with the plague of maggots, and being mentioning Evereska convinces the dragon that the duo are working for the good of all. The dragon then explains the story behind the plague of maggots

Evereska did indeed find a cure, but since it was (and still is) in ever-dwindling supply, the elves of the city could only part with a handful of vials. To dilute the cure, the druids of the high forest, alongside Gildenfire, pooled their resources and knowledge, and in the end, managed to come up with a formula capable of healing the plague.

Gildenfire then hands a tablet written in druidic to one of them, after having him swear an oath of secrecy concerning the tablet (that is, he must not mention it to anyone save for his successor). The tablet contains the ingredients and recipe for the cure.

Rewards: XPs or Gold

(Warning: same as above. ANYONE metagaming this information will be spanked really good. No exceptions)

[DM Asgorath]

The Trial
(of Franz Kafk-errr, DM Asgorath)

Participants:
Nawiel
Valaklith
Sussuri
Akornita
Ailee
Xercia
so many that I cant' remember them all, sorry

Judges:
Shurdriira Helviiryn
Seldszar Elpragh
Felyndiira T'orgh
Tsabrak of the Blood
Ilphryssin Arkentlar

Sinopsis:

The three unfortunate drows were brought to the councill hall for trial. The councilors first gave word to Bel'iira Sshamath, who took full advantage of her social skills to turn the crowd's opinion to her favor, witty remark after witty remark. She explained the situation by using carefully weighted words and accused the three of having unsuccesfully attacked the Yath and having violated Sshamath's defences and rules.

The three didn't make a very good case of themselves (thanks to near non existent social skills), and only furtherly aggravated their position by candidly amitting to have:
1) asked the temple of Lolth for aid in a divination (therefore looking like perfect fools)
2) Tried to snatch away a sacrifical offer (a child legally owned by a traveling handmaiden of lolth)
3) Opened a gate inside Sshamath.

Ilphryssin largely managed to exculpate his organization from Sussuri's actions, whilst also making the conclave look far less incompetent than what the Lolthites were hoping. In the end the three were sentenced to 50 whippings each (Akornita kept talking and was sentenced to 150 instead), to pay the City the sum of 250.000 gold coins each, and to be subject to a Geas.

the geas will force them to go to the LOWERDARK (yes, lowerdark) and slay a dangerous monster for the Conclave's amusement within 12 days. Should they succeed, they will still be banished from the City, but will be left alone. Despite this, the Yath emerged victorious and, most importantly, competent, using this victory to regain the prestige it lost with the attack of a few months ago.

Rewards: XPs

[DM Asgorath]

Lolth's Revenge, part 1

Sinopsis: The most faithful and loyal servants of the Spider Queen heed the call of the Ulathallar Bel'iira....Lolth's thirst for revenge must be quenched with the blood of Her enemies....the group travels to the Abyss, signing a deal with the powerful and cruel entities of that realm....soon, the surface shall know fear....

Participants: protected from scrying
Rewards: xps, other unexpected consequences.

[DM Asgorath]

The Fate of Triel

Sinopsis:

Laitae Lafreth rallied the forces of good and split them in two groups, one to go to Soubar and distribute the cure and the other to go to Triel and just do the same. At the same time, the Zhentarims, fully aware of Laitae's plans, took 40 zhentilars from Darkhold's reserves and sent 20 of them to the areas outlying Soubar and the other 20 to watch over Ambrose as he approached the defenders to parlay.

His offer was simple: cede the cure to them, and it would have been distributed equally amongst the villagers, apart from that, no one would have been allowed to get any closer to 10 miles from Triel. Laitae refused and asked for safe passage to Triel to parlay with the elder, to which Ambrose consented.

Laitae, of course, was unaware that the Elderman had already been cured. She had to deal with a cold elderman who was far from cooperative. Laitae gave Trabo a few bottles of the cure to be spread to those afflicted, asked him to spread the news of the cure being now available, and then teleported back to the encampment.

In the meanwhile, the group of Soubar set camp at Boareskyr bridge and started spreading the cure, up until the point where a small warhost of orcs, followed by strange maggot-like snakes, marched over the town and started slaughtering and killing its inhabitants. The knights and their allies did their best to save as many inhabitants as they could, the orcs and the snakemaggots killed. Despite heavy losses sustained by soubar's population, the town was safe...then a giant maggot emerged from the ground, causing earthquakes and attacking the defenders. After a long and tense struggle, it was defeated like everything else. Soubar was saved, albeit not in a pristine state....but the plaguebearer was nowhere to be found.

In the meantime, the goodies stationed at the camp 10 miles away from Triel had to discuss the next course of action. Attacking the zhentilar forces was not a good idea, since it would have taken time, and time was of the essence. Eventually, they decided to part with the cure and let the Zhentarims distribute it to the ailing masses. Ambrose, in the mean time, asked Zarlathur and his malarite buddies to camp at the road leading to Triel, ready to kill any villager who would have tried to make its way to the goodies' camp to get the cure.

In Triel, things were looking fine...before a small infected child started running and screaming through the town about "stenchies" being around killing people. The local zhentarims then got out of the hilltop moat to have a clear idea of what was going on, and the sight was nightmarish. All the bodies of those who died of the plague (150+ bodies) started to reanimate as plague zombies, and then went on a killing rampage across the town and its surroundings. The plaguebearer then manifested himself, casting earthquakes and firestorms all over the town, destroying its buildings and scorching the earth. The zhentarims then fell back to the fort, trying to prevent the undeads from getting inside.

A few dozens of villagers managed to reach the moat and barricaded themselves inside the granary, whilst everyone else was left to himself.

A few villagers escaped Triel and started running towards Thundar's ride screaming for help, but the malarites, mistaking them for people seeking for the cure, killed a good share of them, thus delaying the notification of the attack. Those who managed to get through the malarite blockade (with 10 minutes of delay, which were A LOT and cost Triel many lives) warned the knights and the zhentarims of the ongoing slaughter.

Ambrose then agreed to a cease fire with the goodies and together, they joined forces and teleported to Triel. The fight was fierce and intense, as they had to battle one hundred and a half of plague zombies. Many were felled by the creatures' bites and claws. Those who survived finally saw the plaguebearer, taunting them for their stupidity and thanking them for having contributed to the slaughter.

The plaguebearer was assisted in the fight by another gigantic maggot. The endboss was as though as humanely conceivable, but in the end, it fell. At that point, everyone realized that all has been for naught, as Triel had been razed to the ground and its land blighted. Those 100 villagers who managed to barricade themselves into the granary thanked the zhentarims for their help, and offered to swear fealty to Darkhold and restart their lives there, growing crops for the black network.

Despite everyone's best efforts, Triel is now irredeemably lost, erased from the maps by the actions of a single orc.

Rewards: XPs, whose amount depends on how "veteran" characters have been in my storyline.

[DM Asgorath]

Lolth's Revenge, Part 2

Sinopsis: The Ulathallar, Bel'iira Sshamath, gathers the faithfuls for planning the next move of the plan. What happens inside their meeting place is best left to the daring and to the schemes of the Spider Queen herself...

Participants: Secret
Rewards: XPs or Gold

[DM Asgorath]

The Lady and the Cavalier

Sinopsis: A cute fuzzy black cat approached Ameris as he was relaxing outside the FAI and instantly demanded his attention. After some cuddles and a small treat, the cat gave a mournful glance to the South and started heading there.

Ameris and his companions followed the cat all the way to the abandoned chapel just north of Beregost, at which point the cat started hissing towards the chapel's gates.

Thinking (rightfully so) that something wicked was afoot, the four adventurers entered the chapel only to be instantly assaulted by raised undeads.

As they kept descending down the chapel, they fought skeletons, wights, wraiths, some undead mages and, finally, a cultist leader, screaming his rage at the four for having interrupted the ritual before being cut down.

The cat then reached the cultist's hand with its right paw, pointing to his benefactors a bone the cultist was holding in his right hand. Ameris identified the bone, a right human femur, and thought the matter was over, for the worst.

Surprisingly, the cat jumped atop an evil altar located in the same room and pawed a small ring, making it fall to the ground. The ring had an inscription in Thorass in its inner band, a riddle...

After solving the riddle, Ameris noticed in stupor that the cat's features were starting to disperse and lose consistency, becoming translucid and almost ethereal...a ghost. The cat then managed to talk before disappearing.

"Find...her...you...are...her last...hope...thank you..."

Befuddled at the notion of a talking ghost cat, and with only a faint trail to follow, the heroes are left with the greatest riddle of them all to solve: how should they proceed?

To be continued....

Participants:
Ameris
Eldarian
Grainne
One other whose name I do not recall

Rewards: XPs

[DM Asgorath]

Where Drows Dare

Sinopsis: Still having to survive a dangerous monster hunt in the Lowerdark, the three exiled ones from Sshamath and their bodyguard Go Rok are greeted by an emissary of the Conclave who explains them the objective of their dangerous quest. They are to slay an elder ooze, whom the Conclave calls "the Scion of Ghaunadhaur", which is located in the Lowerdark and surfaces from time to time to hunt drows. Leaning heavily against the Lolthites, the emissary gives them a warning to facilitate their task:

"Do not rely on magic. the creatures of that place have adapted to it in weird ways".

They descend to the lowerdark by using a magic rope and find themselves into a humongous plain with no light or plant life whatsoever. At first, everything seems quiet, but then Akornita casts a spell.

As a result, countless strange abominations burst from the ground and attack the group, feeding on their wards and magic stuff. Hurriedly, they run away without relying on a single spell and stumble upon another strange, yet non hostile, "thing". In order to see it better, Sussuri uses a scroll of blindsight, but this only causes more and more of the weird aberrations to burst from the ground and attack.

The "pacific thing" then runs scared towards the giant plain, only to be swallowed in one hit by a humongous maw that came out of the ground. Scared, the four followed the trail of slime before finally catching up with the elder ooze.

The fight was tough and dangerous, but despite this, the adventurers prevailed, finding a small purplish gem in the remains of the ooze....

Thinking that the worst was over, they were all surprised to see Nazeera waiting for them at the exit, her blades coated in a strange greenish goo, and flanked by a twisted, demonic child (the same child who the trio earlier led to the abyss). The alu-fiend engaged them all, slashed each of them once with her blades, and then disappeared, leaving behind a small parchment detailing the effects of the poison she used to coat her blades.

Scared, tired, and shocked by the demon child, the four returned to the middledark and encountered the Emissary, who collected the fines and sent them their way.

Participants:
Sussuri
Go Rok
Akornita
Nawiel

Rewards: XPs

[DM Asgorath]

Alas, poor Hinzel

Sinopsis: having traveled to Sshamath looking for Annabel Gaebiels, recently taken prisoner by the Lolthites, a group formed by Myhun, Aiden, Ivan, Hinzel and Za'than establishes contact with the yath'abban Irrtana, who organizes a meeting between them and the Ulaththallar Bel'iira Sshamath.

Bel'iira invites them into the Qu'ellar Sshamath compound, and as soon as they cross the main gate, an effect of faerie fire envelops them all, thus preventing them from hiding or turning themselves invisible.

The negotiations then begin, with the group offering to return the artifacts in exchange for Annabel's life. Being the egotistical debased creature she is, though, Bel'iira demands Hinzel to turn himself in instead as a sacrifice to Lolth in exchange for Annabel's life.

The surfacers desperately try to reason or bargain with Bel'iira, but to no avail, as the Ulaththallar makes it quite clear to them that at this point, Lolth can be appeased only with blood.

Myhun tries to intervene in a hostile way by threatening the drows to break his staff of the magi, but the powers of the Mythal which encompasses the city kicks in, wracking the wizened wizard in agonizing pain and forcing him to the ground, powerless.

At that point, Bel'iira reveals her true colors, taunting the surfacers for their stupidity in having willingly walked into the spider's web and asking for a pint of their blood as well, before telling the surfacers that Ulgoth's Beard and Greenest have been raided whilst they were down there "negotiating".

Forced to comply to Bel'iira's request, the group does as ordered, whilst Hinzel offers himself as a sacrifice to Lolth. Bel'iira takes Hinzel's soul and sends it screaming into the abyss, ready to be tortured by Lolth herself. (Temporarily) satisfied, Bel'iira sets the surfacers free, whilst also telling them where to find Annabel. The surfacers' exiting steps are muffled by the invocations and prayers of the drows gathered inside Qu'ellar Sshamath, soon echoed by the faithfuls in the streets.

Lolth had taken her revenge on one of the defilers.

Participants:
Hinzel
Myhun
Ivan
Zathan
Aiden

All of the arac tinilith group
Nessa
Israe'anna
Xercia

Rewards: XPs

[DM Asgorath]

A Dance with the Ravens

Summary: two adventurers were having a chat inside a chamber in durlag's tower before the air grew to be exceedingly cold and stale. After a few moments, shadows coalesced within the room, at which point the two adventurers were attacked by strange humanoid beings made of pure shadowstuff.

Realizing that they might have chosen a bad place to have a chat, the two try to escape, only to be attacked by more shadows and humanoid figures. As they fight, they hear a cold, emotionless female voice taunting them and laughing at their plight.

Almost at the point of reaching the exit, they meet two drow, evidently scared and haunted by the same feminine, bodyles voice. The two sides are almost to the point of killing each other, when one of the surfacers tries to talk some sense into them.

The woman then goads them to tear at each other's throats, reminding the two drow of what happened to their "friends". An insult flinged by the drow to the woman prompted her to open another shadow gate, spawning six deceased drow reanimated into zombies. They prove extremely tough, and they manage to kill one of the two drow scouts and downing one of the humans.

The three remaining individuals decide to set aside their differences and fight through the shadows and the natural denizens of Durlag's tower to reach safety. Almost at the exit, the voice offers the drow safe passage back to the Ud if he accepts to spread the tale of what happened.

The two adventurers are left alone and try to cross the gateway leading to the outside, only to find out too late that the exit door is in reality an extremely powerful illusion, masking a gate leading them both to the shadowy netherese maze.

There, they encounter a seemingly beautiful, yet deathly pale, woman, who (in a surprisingly civil way) tells them that she has had enough of adventurers daring the netherese maze (which she considers as her home) and that she will take drastic measures should the sanctity of her home be violated, asking them to spread the tale of her presence. The woman (whose main distinction apart from wearing antiquated clothes is a single black raven of darkness following her around) makes it quite clear that she has no hostile intentions towards the surface, as long as she is left undisturbed.

With some polite questioning, the adventurers learn that the woman is the one who built the netherese ruins ages ago. The "woman" then smiles at them, revealing two sharp, jutting canines, and then opens a shadowy gate, bringing the interlopers back to the Prime.

Feeling very lucky (and feeling to have just survived an encounter with an undefeatable foe), the two go their separate ways, bent on honoring the agreement stipulated with the vampiress.

Rewards: XPs

[DM Asgorath]

A Game of Tag, part 1

Sinopsis: A certain shady organization tasks a lonely adventurer with a reconnaissance mission. What happens at that point, remains hidden in shadows...

Participants: Secret
Reward: XPs, having impressed the right people

[DM Asgorath]

Mission to Greenest

Sinopsis: The merchantess Cheryl organizes an expedition to the halfling settlement of Greenest. A few adventurous individuals heed her call, depart for the green fields and reach the encampment of the survivors.

Dharva Scatterheart, the self-styled "queen" of Greenest, welcomes the adventurers in the makeshift camp the survivors of the raid made, and narrates them the ghastly scene of Greenest's destruction.

Without further ado, and giving the halflings all the supplies they can spare, the adventurers travel to Greenest escorted by a halfling scout named Pim, still in grief over the loss of his wife and son.

The righteous reach the town, only to find it infested by the desecrated, reanimated halflings craving for their flesh. It takes them a while to clear the barn at the beginning of the town, and the help of Marigold's angel.

As they continue the venture into the village, they start hearing a cheery, merry melody, making the situation even more appalling. Dozens of halflings have been impaled to the ground, their bodies almost stripped clean of flesh by their undead former brethren. The only reoccurring theme in such a slaughter is represented by a few names either carved on the bodies of the impaled halflings, or composed with the severed appendages of halfling bodies.

When the adventurers reach the center of the village, they are greeted by a handmaiden of Lolth and her half-fiendish daughter, who taunt them and tell them that Lolth has had her revenge: even if they manage to cleanse the village from its curse, it will be a very meager victory.

The group tries to charge the two drow, but the half-fiend opens up a portal leading to the abyss: hordes of demons pour into the material plane, causing a furious battle for survival, during which Pim is severely injured by the death throes of two balors.

The last creature to enter the plane is a balor lord, who then proceeds to taunt each and everyone of those gathered (especially wesley and triss). The creature seems invulnerable, but Cheryl smartly (or luckily) remembers of the two drow females. Marigold, Cheryl and Aelcar concentrate their attacks on the two, who seemingly vanish after having been severely wounded.

The balor's invulnerability fades, leaving it vulnerable to attack. It doesn't take long for the adventurers to finally take the unholy creature down, which is sent back to the abyss, albeit laughing.

Having finally cleared Greenest, the group assists to the scene of a dying Pim refusing any healing, so that he can be reunited with his deceased family. They return to the halfling camp with Pim's body, telling Dharva the news.

The hin is overjoyed by the news, and promises them all that Greenest will be rebuilt, even better than before, and that the Good Folk of the green fields will be forever in their debt.

Reward: Gold or XPs