The Brink [of Madness] Act 1, Scene 1

[TristenC]

Game thread #1.

Adventure Began:
3rd (Moonday) of Reaping: 8AM
[3rd day of 7th month. Full Greyhawk Calendar details Here]

Current Time:
11:50 AM, Moonday the 3rd of Reaping

Roll Call: and effects

Ke'Sha [Bishgada] Male Halfling Necromancer (Undead Lord) (16) (97/97 Hps) (67 w/o familiar)
Death Pact (until activated)
Cloak of Bravery (+4) [Expires 4 PM 3rd of Reaping]
Air Walk [Expired 3rd of Reaping]
Rary's Telepathic Bond
Find Traps [Expired]

Allikhain Gellantra [Tarlyn] Female Human Necromancer (Philosopher) (15) (36/36 Hps)
Rary's Telepathic Bond

Jagrinder [Nocturno] Male Tusked Elf Cleric/Mage (12/12) (60/60 Hps)
Incense of Meditation: expires 8:00 AM Day 2
Phantom Armor: [12/12] AC 3
Stoneskin: [9/9] or expires 11:00 PM Day 1
Rary's Telepathic Bond

Axid [Styrius] Male Dwarven Psionicist (16) (83/83 Hps)
Rary's Telepathic Bond

Jack o' Shadows [Chris107] Male Human Thief (19) (67/67 Hps)
Rary's Telepathic Bond

Landro [Rainshadow] Male Firbolg Fighter (12)
Fighter (12) (84/84 Hps)
Rary's Telepathic Bond
Diminution (expired)


====
MIA
Braiden Forgedheart [Dark Omen 67] Male Dwarven Fighter (16) (82/82)

Nanes-II [Scary Wizard] Female Half-elf Priestess of Magic (16) (41/41 Hps)

[TristenC]

Months ago Sorril Venir, a legendary Paladin, and his companions disappeared without warning. They had discovered a powerful divination spell, and used their combined resources to sense a horrible corruption. As a Paladin of Heironeous, Sorril was well-known for traveling the world and destroying evil. So great was his reputation that even those from far away lands or other worlds heard tales of him before long. Eventually a mephit arrived, carrying a scepter containing the image of Sorril to his main temple in Nyrond. The object itself was a two-foot long scepter made of a silvery iron alloy that bore no tarnish. It was topped with a crystal globe about three inches in diameter, in which could be seen the distorted and twisted face of Sorril; a handsome, dark-haired man in his early forties.

The priests tried everything they could to free him, including massive circles of devotees and advanced rituals; nothing worked. Wizards of the land did their best as well, whether for reward, knowledge or challenge; but they too failed. Eventually it was determined, through powerful magics, that the only way to free him would lie with the source of his imprisonment... and then there was the message delivered by the mephit:

“If you continue to probe the unknown, you’ll only discover new and faster means of inevitable destruction. You are not even the masters of your surface world. Do not presume to meddle in affairs far beyond you. Disturb not the Labyrinth of Madness again, and live a little while longer.”

Mental contact was eventually made with the entrapped Paladin, but only a few surface thoughts could be gleaned from him:
-Great magic… twisted and corrupted
-Madness beyond reckoning…
-Flesh reshaped… serpentine horror!

The danger was too great, but the implied threat was just as foreboding. Word went out from there to Greyhawk city and many lands across Oerth. Only the most powerful, experienced adventurers even stood a chance to survive where Venir and his group had failed. The first party of adventurers to meet the qualifications was presented with the scepter and the promise that more adventurers would be coming as they could.

A high-level Paladin trained by Sorril himself, was given direct charge of the scepter, guiding the group to the Labyrinth and setting up a base-camp for any new arrivals. Porters, tailors, cooks, and dozens of other support staff were commissioned by the church to accompany them to the site. The journey took them far beyond the borders of the Black Ice, into the depths of the twisting frozen mountains. There, after several weeks of freezing winds and treacherous paths, the mountain was approached. Colossal, jagged and impossible to conquer, the mountain eventually revealed a path that seemingly led only two-thirds of the way up the mountain… Relying on local “guides”, paid or forced to assist, the group made the lethal climb. The trail, if such it could be called, broke into a hidden valley on the interior… one lush with tropical life in the midst of the frozen landscape, sheltered by the mountain itself…

Not to be dissuaded, the adventurers plunged onwards into the heart of the jungle. There they found a primitive culture that spoke a language no being outside that valley had ever heard. Only through magic could they be understood… and revealed as a fearful, superstitious tribe of hunter/gatherers who feared the ‘snake gods’ living on the other side of the curiously lush crater. Hacking and hiking their way through the thick growth, the group reaches a cavern seemingly naturally forming the mouth of a gaping serpent… The land itself was fertile and rife with creatures of prehistoric origin… indeed, the first night a group of two-legged scaled monsters that stood the height of a man and hunted in packs picked off some of the party’s stragglers and support. Cries of strange animals and dying people set the tone for the next morning. Early the group was roused by Lena Gallus, Sorril’s favored trainee, and an accomplished paladin in her own right.

“I cannot go in with you. It has been forbidden by my order to risk myself as well unless absolutely necessary…” Her hardened countenance betrays only a hint of the injustice she must feel at being prevented from seeing to her mentor’s rescue personally. “From what we can learn, this is the entrance to the Labyrinth… it goes some distance into the earth…” With a solemn gaze the half-elf hands the scepter bannered with an array of strange sigils and topped with her mentor’s tortured image to Jagrinder, catching his eyes before she lets go. “Find a way to free him… if you can. but destroy whatever did this.” Closer inspection of the banner reveals a series of twenty sigils, each unique but similar in style… The gaping maw of the cavern awaits you…


[OOC: This is a good opportunity for the group to get some interaction with each other in as players are finalizing their character bits. I'd like to get all characters fully fleshed-out over the next week. The support camp will remain at the mouth of this cave and will be the starting point for secondary characters in the event of a Player's initial character's demise... unless someone uses "Raise Dead" or "Resurrection" ]

[Sigils on the scepter's sash, in order:]

[BishGada]

When Lena hands the scepter to a half-elf, a small but muscled halfling, wearing sandals to his feet and covered with large to his size faded colored coat approaches her.
Underneath his coat, torn green cloths, that once might have been short pants and a shirt, can be seen.
On his neck and waist he is wearing trinkets made of bones, small seeds and roots worked and woven around.
His eyebrows, ears and lips are pierced with tiny artifacts that doesn't shine but rather help camouflaging his appearance. But the most disturbing thing that usually catches the eye of the observers first is the small winged, evil faced creature wrapped at his shoulder and looking around with smug face.

The jungle they came across left his mark on the halfling appearance. Covered in mud, wet with rain and sweat, the halfling keeps his short cloths and sandals and the flapping coat above. Seemingly undisturbed by the weather and surrounding conditions.

At the spot he stood before approaching Lena and the second half-elf one would see a small group of undead serving him. Not that it diminishes any tension or contempt towards him from the group of people gathered at the camp, but on their journey the few that marched with him learned to know their usefulness and his full control over them.

With no special introduction and complete ignorance of the disapproval on the Lena's face, he asks in his small quiet calculated voice, "If we fail, how will you retrieve the scepter? Does it hold any magical or other special powers to help us with the mission?"

[TristenC]

Lena's face remains stoic and betrays no sign of what she personally might feel towards the halfling Necromancer. If your group fails and we have some word of it, or we fail to hear anything from you for 4 consecutive days, the second group will go in. As to the scepter's power: some of the greatest priests and archmages from this world and beyond, including some of your companions here in this camp, have used the most powerful divination magics to discern what they can. So far, all indications are that it stores the soul of Sorril Venir and that it is practically indestructible. No other powers or abilities have been able to be discerned.

Turning to include the rest of the group, scribes have made copies of the 20 sigils embroidered on the scepter's banner, should you wish them. Though you will also have the original with you.

[BishGada]

"Where did the scepter come from? Was it in the tomb Sorril disturbed or was his soul projected to the artifact at another place?" the halfling asks, his eyes glitter with curiosity.

[TristenC]

The scepter was delivered by a mephit after Sorril disappeared with a warning. [from the first paragraph of the intro post... The warning is in red in the intro post]

Months ago Sorril Venir, a legendary Paladin, and his companions disappeared without warning. They had discovered a powerful divination spell, and used their combined resources to sense a horrible corruption. As a Paladin of Heironeous, Sorril was well-known for traveling the world and destroying evil. So great was his reputation that even those from far away lands or other worlds heard tales of him before long. Eventually a mephit arrived, carrying a scepter containing the image of Sorril to his main temple in Nyrond. The object itself was a two-foot long scepter made of a silvery iron alloy that bore no tarnish. It was topped with a crystal globe about three inches in diameter, in which could be seen the distorted and twisted face of Sorril;

[BishGada]

=================================
(OOC: Yeah... I read it. I just don't know what "mephit" is and regardless I wondered if it was brought by the mephit from the tomb or from a different location. "Eventually a mephit arrived, carrying a scepter containing the image of Sorril to his main temple in Nyrond." a mephit arrived from where?
But I guess it is not critical )

[TristenC]

====
Ah, I see.
A Mephit is basically like an imp but from one of the elemental planes instead of the lower planes. So they are creatures of fire, water, air, etc

Since Sorril's disappeared in the Labyrinth and his soul is trapped in the scepter, the presumption is that it was sent from the labyrinth. It isn't explicitly stated in the intro, but that is the intent.

[tarlyn]

Allikhain communicates telepthically with her familiar Quasit, Binky.

Binky, darling, can you communicate with the lower planes and find out as much information as you can about this scepter.

It might help us. Though doing something involving a Paladin is kind of revolting but this should be fun, fun, fun.

Looking at the others she says "Binky will ask around and see if he can find out anything more for us."

[TristenC]

Allikhain has to ask several times before she gets a telepathic response from her familiar Binky. Even then, he replies with his typical demeanor... UUUUUGGHHHHH... fine. The quasit vsnishes from sight and she feels rather than sees him perch in a nearby tree. Oh, $#it.. you mean do it now? Ugh.. all these paladins are making my nethers itch. Ok, 6 questions, toots. Whatcha wanna know?

[Nocturno]

Jag looks at the symbols. Quietly wonders how they will aid in his journey.

Breaking a small silence, as the others are clearly concentrating.

"I have a bad feeling that the impossible journey here will be the easy part of all this."

He will straighten his robes, and rub his holy symbol.

"Who will be doing the scouting? I'm not much for entering rooms. But I do enjoy clearing them."

[BishGada]

Ke'Sha ignores the question and just goes to his group of undead checking his packs are ready for the entry to the tomb.

[Styrius]

Axid volunteers to scout. In a very even but somewhat offput tone he replies: "If one of you would happen to have parchment and ink I will look ahead in the cave and describe what I see. Forewarned is forearmed. Whomever does the note taking or map making will need to be quick."

[BishGada]

Ke'sha does add a word, or suggests any help to the group, just seems ready to move and maybe a bit irritated that they didn't enter the tomb yet.

[TristenC]

One of the camp members offers Axid parchment and a pencil (how is Axid proceesing?}