They Are Returning! [30.5.08]

Long time no play, but we’re back in a very enjoyable and everntful session.

We also started using the “specific critical hits” house rule in this session.

Session Date: 30.5.08
Game Date: 385 TME (to The Modern Era) Spring
Present Players: Mickey (Verena), Koby (Tristan), Effim (Diadora), Alex (Felix)
Day 32 in the Maze.
Start Time: ~12:00
NPCs Met: None.
Rooms ExploredThings Done:

• Verena used Limited Wish to Raise Felix from the Dead. The very difficult and emotional ceremony ended with Felix very much alive (although weakened by the experience) and with both him and Verena sharing a new “tattoo” or scar (of Mystra’s Holy Symbol) – he on his chest and she on the palm of her hand.
• Felix rested a bit and then Raised Diadora from the dead. She returned as Megana, a noble elitist who thought that all males where her servants (and later on believed that Verena was her servant too). Megana (which will later return) likes baths, clean clothes, wine, meat and basically everything that Diadora hates. She commanded Felix to do her bidding and shut up; he, annoyed, doused her head with water, and she, in return, blasted him with fire. Wisely Felix decided to let it go and Megana went to sleep, as did Felix, until he could raise Tristan (whom Megana greeted with “Yuck! What is that thing?!”) the next day. Verena took the time to have a headache and write a scroll.
• Celandriel and Felix had a short chat before Felix went to sleep (Cel doesn’t sleep) about gods. Cel once again said that he doesn’t acknowledge any of Felix’s gods, and mentioned Delom, God of Death, as an example of a true god. The only thing strange about this is that Cel did recall the god Deneir the last time they talked, but this time he didn’t remember him. [Alex - please sit down and have one conversation with Cel on the subject, maybe even with the others helping you, since these discussions are starting to get repetitive, and you don't recall their details later. One conversation, maybe with Tristan and Verena in the area, with someone making notes of it, should help you more].
• Diadora woke up as herself, not remembering that she died, was raised or who Megana is. Verena and Felix decide to drop it and behave as if nothing happened.
• Felix revives Tristan and you all move along.
• Tristan and Diadora once more experience the depressing effect of the Black Mold.
• In the narrowing granite corridor you encounter a Living Reverse Gravity Spell and while you all investigate it, Tristan and Felix disappear and the creature attacks Diadora and Verena. The spell has little effect on nimble Diadora, but Verena suffers quite a few “bounces” before she decides that perhaps attacking from the distance is better. Very quickly, however, Diadora and Verena dispatch of the creature, with Diadora’s lightning frying him to a turn and Verena’s acid finishing him off. [Well done for an excellent battle. You really made quick work of the creature.]
• Meanwhile, Felix and Tristan appear in a completely different corridor, made of sandstone. Tristan enters a rage, Felix Calm Emotions him, and then the two, without further ado, start walking. Felix stops only to ask Tymora what will be his fate in the next hour (”Great Peril!”, Tymora answers) and to send out a Clairvoyance eye to see what Diadora and Verena are up to (it sees nothing).
• Felix and Tristan finally reach a room with Han, warrior of Nadar, and Kuri. Tristan is filled with an urge to fight Han, and the two have a magnificent duel [it was quite short, actually. It took us (especially me) some time to determine damage, effects, concealment, etc. but the whole thing took 6 rounds, which is absolutely amazing. You've built yourself quite a character, Koby.] while Felix and Han’s monkey-toad like companion quarrel over a jar [I'm kidding. Felix made a good call when he grabbed the thing's jar. He did a lot less damage without it, believe me. And choosing to focus on healing Tristan was the right thing to do - as was the idea to cast Fly on him]. Tristan won, and what happened later (becoming a Warrior of Nadar and who Nadar is) he will tell you later.
• Tristan gave Han a proper burial, not touching a thing of his equipment (great roleplaying decision) and Kuri and his jar vanished with a screech into thin air. Tristan then told hold of Felix, said “We are ready now” and the two returned to Diadora and Verena.
• Verena and Diadora, meanwhile, kept walking, marking with chalk their way. They suddenly encountered a middle-aged, moon-faced elf Wizard (evoker) who said that his name is Runir Alandel and that he is waiting for his friend Jolan. He had quite a jolly, somewhat naive air about him, and he took Megana’s (yes, she returned) behavior with a lot of humour, casting Mordekainen’s Magnificent Mansion and inviting her in. Verena chose to stay outside with him, drinking a glass of “spiced” milk. Jolan then appeared on the scene, and he and Runir chatted a bit, and both of them had no idea what maze Verena was talking about (”this is the Academy at Thule”). Verena told them that her friends were missing and Runir suggested calling Myrista (or Myr, as they called her) the Academy’s Divination Master. She at first sent her aide, being busy, and then appeared herself – in a very bad mood. She never heard of the maze either, nor did she know any of the gods Verena mentioned. She left to continue her scrying, and Runir gave Verena a tour of the place [I didn't have time to describe it properly during the session so: the Academy apparently consists of several building. You were in the main one. It's a large, sprawling building, five stories high and three stories below the ground - which hold the battle rooms, the main battle hall, the laboratories and "a lot of storage". The Master's Hall and the Master's Complex (which is where you are) occupies the entire third floor, with the rest of the floors holding classrooms, libraries, senior students' and continuing students' dorms, conference rooms, exam rooms, the sick bay and private dining rooms for the senior students and staff. The paintings you saw on the wall are of battles and people's portraits - some of them of creatures of unknown race or kind. You passed a few Masters and aides on the way, most of them warrior like, some of them with holy symbols like that Myr had on her person and others with other strange symbols [or no symbols at all] – quite a few with the symbol that you will later learn is Nadar’s]. After the tour you decide to rest in Runir’s Mansion, talking about magic and the gods with him. You learn about daemons, and that magic, as Runir believes, doesn’t come from Mystra or the weave. You eventually arrived at the mansion and when you walked in you found yourself back in the corridor you were in before you met Runir, with Diadora sleeping on the floor a few feet from you. As usual, when she woke up she remembered nothing of what happened, much to Verena’s frustration, especially when Tristan and Felix reappear, and think her “confused” as well. We leave you with Tristan eager to move on, Diadora agreeing with him but a little confused about the change that he went, Verena with a splitting headache, and Felix just happy that nobody died this time…
• We ended the session with you all leveling up, if I’m not mistaken. Welcome to level 16! Only 4 (or so) levels to go!

Enemies fought: A living spell of Reverse Gravity, Kuri the Guardian Night Vush, Han[on] Ibilixian Diamoncrusher Warrior of Nadar on earth.

One Liners: “I think it’s evil” Felix analyzes a demonic looking creature with a soul jar in one hand, a sacrificial dagger in the other and an aura of darkness around it. ” I’m a stick and I wouldn’t touch her!” Cel compliments Diadora.

Things found: What does Celandriel know? What’s with Diadora? What happened to Tristan? Who is Nadar? Who were all the people Verena claims she met? Where is this mysterious Great Academy (in Thule – but where in the Nine Hells is Thule)? Why are Celandriel and Tristan suddenly such good friends? And why are Diodora and Tristan in such a hurry?

End Point: ~10:00. You’ve spent almost four days in the maze inside the maze (day 34 in the maze).