[Return to Freegate and defending the ritual from attack.]
[This session took place May 17, 2003. We were playing Champions 5th Edition with the Second Edition Fantasy Hero supplement.]
Player Characters
Tim, a Wizard - male human from the Free City of Freegate, graduate of Outlands University
Dangar Stonekleaver – male dwarf from the Northern Dwarven Kingdom
Mord Worldfist – male dwarf bodyguard [and handler] for Dangar
Wendell Dorshield III – male gnome, Captain and Architect of the Yardbird
Malwyn – male High elf fighter and military expert
Darkfox – female human thief from Freegate, secret ID of socialite Karlyn Gryphshaw
Session Begins
November, 12 IC
After the attack at the Northern Dwarven Kingdom (NDK), the Yardbird headed back south to Freegate with Keybreaker and the Outlanders aboard. To avoid any possible entanglements, Wendell had the Yardbird take a route directly over the Great Nef. While this avoided enemy attacks, the high altitude reduced the Yardbird’s airspeed and it did not reach Freegate until November 12, two days before the conjunction.
The Yardbird landed at The Yard, where security was noticeably tighter. They were met by Arthax Earthshaker, a representative of Outlands University. Arthax informed the Outlanders that there had been several attacks on the University and The Yard that seemed to be attempts to stop the Ritual of Unmaking. As a result, he, Arthax, was sent to escort the Outlanders and Keybreaker directly to the University.
Arthax had a wagon to carry all of their luggage and the Outlanders plus an experienced driver. Everything was loaded into the wagon and they made their way into town. When they approached the Guards at Far Gate [the city gate allowing entrance from the Western Rim], Arthax produced a badge from his robes and the wagon was waved into the city. The trip across the bridge to the central mesa and then through the Adventurer's Quarter was tense, but uneventful.
While traveling the main street through the New Town ward, the wagon was ambushed. Masses of black tentacles sprouted up from the ground both behind and in front of the cart, entangling the horses. Two carts full of thugs then pulled out of alleys, boxing in the wagon the Outlanders were on, and attacked. All of the thugs wore a set of long metal claws on their hands. Darkfox recognized the favorite weapon of the Fordsway Mob, the primary thieves' guild in Fordsway, by reputation.
The fight was relatively short but intense. For reasons known only to himself, Dangar jumped into one of the carts full of thugs and was nearly killed by them. Only the quick action of Arthax, who cast a spell that created a whirling field of cobblestones around Dangar and himself, kept Dangar from being killed by the thugs. The Outlanders killed most of the thugs and finally drove away the rest before continuing to the University.
Passing through the Student's Quarter, Darkfox noticed snipers on top of several buildings. Before she could warn the Outlanders about them, the snipers were each grabbed from behind and apparently pummeled. Then others stood up and gave her the "All Clear" sign used by her guild – Freegate thieves had reclaimed their turf from the interloping Fordsway thieves.
November 14, 18 IC
The Outlanders spent the next two days confined to the University Grounds. The University Guard was at full alert and all classes were cancelled until the 15th. The upper floor of the HET building was prepared for the Ritual of Unmaking and various last minute preparations were completed.
The night of the Ritual, every wizard in Freegate was pressed into defending the University. The walls of the University Grounds were lined with wizards and University Guard, ready for battle. The Gate of Knowing was completely sealed and warded [including the “secret” student entrance] and the Outlanders (minus Dangar) were stationed on the roof of the HET building as a final line of defense. The Yard was also on high alert, with additional repeating ballistae in place.
As midnight slowly approached during the dark night, the Black Moon was eclipsed and the Ritual started. For the Outlanders on the roof, the first sign of trouble was the sudden sound of alarms at The Yard followed by the steady "thump-thump-thump" of the repeating ballistae being fired. Periodically arcs of lightning would reach up from a gnomish wizard and strike a flying attacker.
Shortly after this started, the sounds and lights of spell fire started coming from the eastern wall of the University. The walls there were under attack by the same mysterious flying creatures, underlit by the light from fireballs and other attack spells. This continued for several minutes until a flight of the creatures topped the western University walls directly across from the HET building!
While the Outlanders observed the fighting at the wall nearest them, five of the dark, hulking creatures dropped directly out of the sky above them, crushing the portions of the roof where they landed. The Outlanders reacted quickly and attacked the creatures, desperately trying to keep the creatures from ripping a hole in the roof and attacking the Ritual below.
The Outlanders were lucky and able to drop one of the creatures early, but the tide of battle slowly turned against them. Fighting heroically, the Outlanders delayed the creatures the precious final seconds the Ritual needed to be completed. Suddenly, just as one of the creatures tore through the roof, there was a thunderous silence, followed by an engulfing flash of darkness. The silence and darkness lasted for a small eternity and then rushed back into the ritual space below. The Ritual of Unmaking was complete and the Orb destroyed!
Knowing they had failed, the creatures ceased their attacks everywhere and started to withdraw. The final creature fighting the Outlanders snarled, "You have won here, worms, but you have made powerful enemies. Lord Taurkauld will not forget this affront. He will open the Vault and destroy you all."
The creature then turned and started flying away. With a, "Oh no you're not," Tim cast a final spell at the creature and killed it – its corpse falling down into the deep canyon surrounding the city.
November 15, 18 IC
The party honoring the Outlanders was legendary.
Session Ends.
Adventure Ends.
NPCs Met
Arthax Earthshaker – representative of the Outlands University and wizard of some skill.
Happening Off-Stage
Wendell later used his Rod of Engineering to shape the stony remains of the creatures into one-meter diameter spheres. They will be incorporated into a memorial to the successful completion of the Ritual and to honor all those who died to make it happen. The final form of this memorial is currently up for debate.
With the competition of the University Annex on the West Rim, the HET building on the University Grounds is no longer needed by the HET. Therefore, the building will now house the newly founded Thaumatic Engineering Department, chaired by Wendell Dorshield III.
As word of the Orb Commission and its accomplishments started spreading, the Outlanders became something of celebrities. Dangar was declared a National Hero by the NDK and Mord was permanently assigned to keeping Dangar from dying an embarrassing death for a National Hero. This will keep Mord busy for some time.
A guild war between the Fordsway Thieves' Guild in Freegate and the various Freegate thieves' guilds started brewing. Life started getting dangerous in the local underworld and roof tops over the next several months as the war heated up.
Monteflurio finished attuning the Sorcerer's Rod to himself. He will start experimenting with tapping into the power of the Rod over the next several months, using the family lore he has access to. The magic field around his home starts increasing as a side effect of this.
DM Discussion
[This is the end of this adventure. Next posting will be a summary of events happening over the next 5-6 months in-game before the next Tim’s Outlanders adventure begins.]
Flight of the Yardbird
Previous session: Session 15 [URL]
Next Session: Between Adventures [not edited yet]
No comments:
Post a Comment