Session 39: Occulus, Orbs, and Tomzo

Visiting Occulus - We Get “Taken”

Rest after leave Thalmos‘s. Taking turns on watch.   Heading back. Things return to normal size in the forest and fauna.   The traps at Occulus palce are now marked in red. Mr. Wong asks if we were successful and gives us refreshments.   Kamquat was the fruit Stormy Smoking Mountain liked.   In the Grand Library. “You have returned two! Your brains have succeeded well! Wonderful!”   “2 counter markers! I get 582 points!” Occulus said.   Thalmos and he are talking through a mirror. Thalmos is jsut 30 points ahead of him. It’s a complicated game. Tables and chapters.   Rashid Fen Rey asks “humbly” about the gateways. Sometimes gates and where they lead change. “Would 3 more orbs be of interest?” We want a map of the gates. He draws up something for us. Mr. Wong give it to us on exiting his domain. He also gives us a blue feather. This feather may be used once to open any gate. Map with 3 gates and the keys.     Mr. Wong will give us a few more rations. We leave behind a map of the encampment with the orbs.   Out of the cave, we look at the map. 9 hells, Limbo, and Carceri (City of the Cursed) and the SPIRE. He picked the worst of the places. The laugh is on us!    

Heading to the Outlands

We follow the path. It’s a different gate. Whew!   [aloud]At a river crossing with a rivine. Cernan Aelar walks up to the edge of the stream, prays, two luminous green wings unfurl from his back. Shimmer takes off after him, “A friend who can fly!”[aloud]   Rashid, half way across the stream, was dangling on the rope. The ground on both sides shakes a little bit. Nasty critters appear on the side with Shimmer, and Cernan.    

Roll Initiative!

Thoradin son of Thorlum and Shimmer take out the first one. Shimmer claims the credit.   The creatures (Kruthicks) attack us! Battle! (17 not hit, 18 does hit.)   (after we killed several of them)   Stormy’s been the one hit the most. Urgh.   Stormy gives Landis a pair of daggers from her personal stash.   We move away from the area. Do a short rest so we’re all recovered to full.    

The Outlands - Meeting Tomzo and Pearl

Ahead, the rocky outcropping is the stone bridge. Through it we can see the Spire. We were in the outlands already. Lol! (We were in it the whole time.)   We head toward the Spire through the grassy plain. About the time we get hungry. We smell something roasting. It smells so good!   Stormy spots a small camp. Maybe a fire. Late afternoon. Cita sees two figures there and a small fire. People are humanoid-shaped. Cita and Stormy SUPER SNEAK!   We see one figure with a shiny head. We were sure there were two. “What are we sneaking up on?”   Silly conversation about sneaking up and sharing dinner. We’ll share iced cream! They’re excited.   Tomzo (green skin w/ spots, boy like a Peter Pan lost boy) and Pearl (big round pearly head, construct made of pearl)!   Rashid draws them a map of where the spheres are to get Occulus "back" for getting the laugh on us.   Tomzo and Pearl in council by themselves. “How much trouble are we in? Maybe it’s not really Cernan.” - the pair. “This is like that time we put the itching powder in the Dragon’s bed? This is BAD!”   ”Cernan, are you adopted? Hey, are your adopted parents like half elves?” They come back out. “Hi Cernan, you’re not supposed to be here. Go back!”   “Why am I not supposed to be here?” Cernan asked.   Tomzo: “'Cause it’s dangerous. There’s this silver-haired witch that wants you dead.”   Stormy: “We killed her.”   Back and forth: Why isn’t the sword evil anymore? Arabeth blessed it. Stormy does the flowers.   Stormy: So you two have something to do with Cernan being in Verdenhold.   Cernan: Who told you to send me there?   Tomo: Maybe it would be fair if we told you the story? Like 28 years ago, first of all my dad’s a pain in the butt. Every once in a while we do things for him. He sent them a message to save the last of the Astrals. There’s this other plane, so there was this noise. There were two women fighting next to this cottage in a nothing of a place. The white-haired one was saying all these mean things. We didn’t like the mean one. She stuck her black sword in the other one. And laughed and spat on her. The white-haired one said, “It is done. I finally found and killed the last of you.” Stepped through portal box. No healing potion would help. And then she died. You know how hard it is to concentrate on a spell in the middle of battle when you’re wounded. A mother is the one that can. A pile of firewood turned into a bassinet—with the last Astral. So we took you to the place and gave you a good name.   Rashid: Your father wouldn’t have just one eye. Yes he does. (Odin? - no Dougan.)   Stormy: Sings our history song! Everyone is enraptured!   Tomzo: Gives Cita more itching powder.

The gate cities lead to the planes. At the top of the spire. So you have to find a gate to the City of Doors. The lady only lets you in if she wants to let you in or out. Don’t make her mad. The city is hers. She and the gods don’t get along so well. They can’t get into the city.

Tomzo’s dad is a god. He can’t get in.

Who is the lady? “She’s the lady of pain.” Both her own or others. don’t look at her or talk to her. Study anything not in her direction. There’s people that know where everything is at. If you can get anywhere, it’s from the city of doors. I know a place.

He’ll draw how to get to Sigil on our map. Go spinward and keep the spire to your right. The gate is in an area of broken rock—a flat stone with 4 metal pins. Put your hand down on the pin in the middle of the rock and think of a butterfly. The Dwarf has to do it (<- we’re being fooled).

Does he know Carrak? They know of him. The theory goes that Carrik is the original beholder. What we have met is a splinter of Carrik. The only splinter to exist. The center eye of Carrik.

Cita thinks Carrak is looking for his own story.  

Stories told

Rashid: tells them of Frostgrave and how Landis came to be.

Stormy: Name of the clockwork bird? Not get answer.

Cita: Tells the story of the exploding cow. “Find Indarin it said.”

Stormy: Tells the story of the kings square game to get people to help us.

In The Cage. all sorts of weirds

The Fated—take what they can and exploit. HQ is the Hall of Records; you may find a record of the worlds in the planes.

The Sensates—sensing things. Have the ultimate sensation. Civic Fest hall. They also collect stuff—sensations. Might be able to connect it to things.

Fun stuff

a few adventure guilds and stuff. (Multiple thieves guilds.)

best zoo

Back to sharing stories and questions

Cita shows them Hubai. They KNOW her. His dad is Dougan!

fave food? Maybe mice?

The sword—Dakkan’s Faith--no that was wrong. Dugan was given that in the faith that he would find a path—the gift helped him along the path. (But she really has Nightfrost, the other one!) He had made it special for him. Over time he added magic to him.)   Tomzo wants to trade for Nightfrost for a secret about her grandfather’s sword. Cita agrees. He says, “Have you ever told the sword who you are?” She says who she is and the sword glows infinitely bright. It likes her. It is now a plus 3 sword!   Tomzo and Pearl will draw the gate cities to the outer planes. There’s a few gates to shortcut to places. Your intent means something—it’s weird.     We’ll help them hunt the tiger. Though Stormy doesn’t want to kill it if we can avoid it.