Wraith Assembly 1476.09

Party travels for two days. Encounters some zombie hordes. Easiliy taken care off. Climbing plateau. Freezing cold.   Pass through three battlefields, centuries old. Helagu related. Investigate one site. 20,000 plus dead. Three sets of footprints. Recent, within 24 hours. Human. Prints appear in random patterns. Ribs of fallen chief snapped off recently - Prince Andari of the Barbranid Empire, good battlefield commander - for Warlock magic

1. Speaking with the dead in question.
2. Used for summoning of a patron
3. Attempt to gain strength/abilities of the fallen.

  Essen takes three ribs for himself.   Fog starts to rise out of the earth. Whispers in the fog. Common. "...number of power" "...or not see" "...first witch". Ophion remembers that Mama Tet would know the answers; she grew up with the Witch Queens in the shadow of the Sorcerer King.   Glimpses of figures in the fog, still at war.   Ophion hears strong deep voice whispering from the future "...this wraith assembly she speak from behind the Unknown Vale, and anoints her succesor persons" Spoken by the wearer of the crown of a long destroyed undead boy-king - Kord Moebius - underground, surrounded by a throng "...anoints the First Witch of the Great Age, the Age of the Undefining".   Essen hears, from the past, are the dead telling of what the three warlocks were saying (the dead were repeating phrases from the last 24 hours) ..."sharper than the horn of the god ...swifter than comets of green... 12 lost worlds looking for the lost 13th."   Spirits reach for party. Ophion and Gundaek back away. The other hear the three warlocks speaking in the past about the party "What does Tempest Viridi see(1), or not see(2), or not want to see(3)?" "Death has come to raise it's throne on this strange world."   Essen now lookin with human eyes (possessed by a Helegu warrior), looking to cast something on the party. Gimblenock paralyses Essen. Ophion exorcises the ghost.   Dwayne possessed by a Barbranid warrior, as is Essen. The others can see an overlay of the ghost possessing them.   "The great Toreja braved the currents of the deep void, of force of will crossed the threshold."   Gimblenock tries to speak to the ghost. "Where is the great Khan Jamulka? Did we win? What about Brahnels' gate and Volk's Bridge?"   Ophion tries Hideous Laughter. Fails. Has a feeling of floating in a sea of bliss (Jari's daughter?), tries again. Fails.   Essen rejects the spirit. Dwayne attacks the party. Goes through Grundark and into Gimblenock (the ghost despises gnomes).   Missing line = left behind this mortal world......the Great Beyond.   Multiple people to become ONE person. Possibly the party*   Ophion tempted with answers in return to restoring Mephistopheles to power and gaining intel on Vulerai. Denied.   Party rests.   Travelling agin. Dwayne notices the feet of a wicker man, ash scattered around. Burned remains of three humans in protective circles. Investigate circles. Different set of three warlocks. NOT those from the future. Ophion and Essen note the symbolism of the "Coven of the Sun Child's Rage". The Sun God exists in the Wyrding. The Sun Child burnt them all rather than allow them to pledge to a witch.   Some in the party notice cigar smoke and evidence of Loa ritual near the Wicker Man. Size 13 footprint. Not Mama Tet.   Some in the party see black woman 6"4' passing by. Another warlock. Mohawk. Another walked between Ophion and Gimblenock, touching G. He did not feel anything.   Next day, more battles. Older. Sarpadian. 700-800 years old. At night, Will-O-The-Wisps appear. Gimblenock, Essen and Dwayne dig for treasure. Each has to fight a creature on their own.

• Gimbleock fighting a Zombie Master (aspect of Baron Samedi). Destroyed with assist from Ophion. Gains Keoghtom's Ointment (d4+1 doses. Regains 2d8+2 hit points. Cures poison and disease.)
• Dwayne fights Skeleton Warlord. Demolishes Skeleton. Gains Scroll of Fire, Earth, Air and Water Serpents, gifted to Ophion.
• Essen fighting Undead Ilithid. Dwayne takes it out. Potion of Gaseous Form. Essen gains Wand of Secrets.Gundark gets Potion of Invisibility. Dwayne gets Staff of the Adder, command word is "DAWN", gifted to Essen.
• Ophion gets third level spell scroll (player choice). Gimbelnock gets Cap of Waterbreathing - command word "SEAWEED".

Four days of travel. Mist and fog are now permanent. Come across another ancient battlefield. Majority of bodies are non-human (dragonborn, orcs, goblins). This is at least 1,500 year old.   Keep climbing. More cigar ash. More Loa footprints. Appeared during rest. Nine sets of warlock footprints through the party's camp. Ophion and Gimbelnock notice ghosts walking through the camp and group.   Climbing up. The fog gets thicker. Dark fog, similar to a storm bank.   Dwayne on guard. A large, emerald green creature leaps out of the fog and lands in front of him. An emerald dragon, gargantuan in size and with timeless eyes that miss nothing. Dozens of two dimensional figures scatter in it's wake. Looks at the party individually.   Kimacuda who spoke on behalf of the Starless Communion at the Palanquin Convention appears standing at a fire in front of acacia trees. The sky is moving in slow motion.   "There was a time when the people lived peacefully beneath the canopy of the deepest dark of the rainforest
Those among them who were talented in mysteries (arcane) were sent to the village of the shrines to hone their powers, before being sent out among the people to serve.
For generations the people lived peacefully, living as their ancestors had lived before them.
But history comes and history goes, and history was visited upon the people.
The Semud, who lived beyond the rainforest of the people invaded in numbers too numerous for the people to resist
With soldiers as numerous as fire ants on the rainforest floor, the Semud advanced slaughtering all who opposed them and enslaving all who submitted
In desperation the Elders taught the children in the village of shrines the words that would destroy the Semud magicians.
Secretly each of the children were taught another Word, one that when spoken would compel the children to obey.
The words that would destroy the Semud magicians when spoken by the children would consume them at the time of speaking, life for life
The people could not risk the children failing to speak the words or rebelling once they learnt of their fate.
The most cunning of the children learned of the Word and their fate when speaking the words.
Refusing to die for Elders who had betrayed them and the people who who had forsaken them the children planned
A gift from the Loa, gave the children momentary power to overcome their teachers
Each teacher was assigned 2 children and to succeed all the teachers would need to be defeated at the same time
A single living teacher could simply speak the Word and the children would be sent to their fate, regardless of how many teachers were taken by the Wyrding
Among all the children, one teacher was charged with training the 2 youngest, the 2 weakest, the 2 most likely to lose heart and not act against their teachers
It was decided that the youngest should use the Loa gift first and when they succeeded to put a lit lantern in the doorway of their hutch
This way if the youngest failed to act the hands of the other children would not be shown
On the morning the shrines were to be honoured, the children would wake and be active before the teachers, so their movements would be unremarked
When the Semud soldiers and their battle magicians reached the village of shrines in the days following, they found nothing but the charred remains of 13 adults, a 13 pointed holy sign left for the Loa and the cooling embers of the first and now last village of the people
  Dwayne talks to Gundark about 'The Professor'. The Green Dragon is the Vizier of the King and Queen and they are waiting for us at the top of the plateau.   Party see a man/woman from the future. Sim Arclight, the first witch of the Age of the Undefining.   Gundark finds floating white crystals in the air. Very thick fog (<10 feet visibilty). Can constantly hear the undead. Thousands of them.   Grundark sees visions. Ophion leads him on.   Keep travelliing. Near the top.   Climbing thin stairs. All bar Gundark see a couple of Green Dragons circling party, about a half-mile out.
Three different dragons. Look to be taking turns circling.
Grundark realises 3-5 other hominids have travelled ahead of party.
Essen checks. Definitely 5.
Two distinct groups.
One had an incoporeal passenger.
Party comes to a fortified ruin. Sarpadian bodies scattered. Fresh earth. Ejected out of the walls (?). Drawn out by something. About 30 bodies in total. Think Roman Praetorian Guard. Essen investigates.   No bones taken.
Fresh bones with flesh recently removed (human).
Not teeth, but filleting knives.
Evidence of a fight.
Ophion noticed a whole lot of Eldritch Blast effects.
Evidence of bodies reforming (?).
All skeletons have arcane scrimshaw.
Skeletons reanimate at night. Two of the skeletons are from the group of 5 who came through yesterday (Lvl 14 and 16 Warlocks).
  Symbols of Kord Moebius on skeletons.
Party moves on. Gundark fails CON check.
  Party reaches top. The mist rolls in. Two tiny green dargons appear in the mist. Whispers in Draconic, 'The Professor'.
  Ophion replies, 'Not the Professor, his brother.'
  A gargantuan green dragon slams to the ground, same as Dwayne spoke to last night. 'Needs Professor' and flies away.
  Ophion turns into Rueben to prove his existence. Swears on his blood to Gundark. O answers Essen's questions about past.
  Four purple lights emerge from the fog. Look like spectres, one pulsating.
 

• Dwayne takes 10 Necrotic damage.
• Doesn't wake up.
• Same to Grundark.
• Next is Ophion.
• Critically fails 'wake up' roll.
• Essen attacked by
• Hypnotic Spectre.
• Giblenock Fireblasts it.
• Ophion takes another 10 necrotic.
• Responds with Hellish Rebuke.
• Ophion takes down Hypnotic Spectre with a Fireball.
• Essen takes down two regular spectres with Sunbeam.
• Third flies away.
• One of effect - Necro damage equal to level added to one attack. User takes equal damage. CON checks over next three days (11,13,15), if failed 2d8 hit points.

  NEXT DAY   Party avoids undead (zombies, wights, skeletons) during travel. That night, baby green dragon rests between Gundark and Ophion, looks at Gimblenock, says in Common 'Warlock? Wraith?' Touches Essen 'Wraith Assembly?' Keeps insisting.   Sniffs Gundark 'Professor? The Bad Thing? But Professor will stop the Bad Thing. Uncle Arky says this is the Professor.'
Claws Gundark across the face and darts away into the fog.
Reach final plateau. Vast battlefields. Huge forest. 50 miles across.   Party sees a crowned figure - Phraates, one of the Warlock Kings - level 20 warlock. HP 145.AC 18. Essen sees two invisible companions with him. He whispers "State your coven.' 'We have none.' He disappears.  

• 64 psychic damage and Stun to failures. 32 damage to pass (Ophion, Dwayne).
• Two more warlocks appear. Eldritch Blasts to Dwayne. Gundark dragged towards enemies.
• Maddening Darkness. Party is encased in darkness.
• Dwayne Dimension Doors out of darkness and attacks Phraates. 18 damage.Knocked prone. 30 damage. Maddening Darkness ends. 32 damage.
• Ophion casts Evard's Black Tentacles on the two warlocks.
• Gimblenock acrobatically crosses the field WHILST drinking a healing potion.
• Phraates uses Word of Pain on Dwayne on Gimblenock.
• Warlock 1 attacks Gimblenock with Eldritch Blasts. 2 attacks Dwayne for 24 Radiant damage.
• Ophion fireballs the warlocks for 28 damage.
• Dwayne again attacks Phraates for 20 damage.
• One warlock falls to the tentacles. Ophion hits Phraates for 25 with Firebolt.
• Gimblenock Firebolts Phraates.
• Phraates walks past Dwayne - Attack of Opportunity for 7. Grabs Warlock 1 and planeshifts away.

That night, whilst the party sleeps, one of the Bakenzenzi appears - 7"2', shapeshifter, - with an acacia tree behind him. Milky Way behind him.   "I speak of a girl, the sixth child of ten.
The stealthiest.
The nastiest.
While hunting in the deep forest
She drank from a well.
A well that drew water from a much older time.
With eyes buring bright
She returned to the forest hut with her siblings.
One by one.
One per week
Her siblings died.
Her eyes were dry while her siblings filled theirs with tears
On a liminal night
At a liminal time
She took her 2 remaining siblings to drink from the well
She alone returned
Her siblings now fuelling her
  ONE OF THE WITCHES - ENTARIATH
A WEAKNESS REVEALED.
Previous story was for Sili.
One of the children never graduated - FIND THE WORD OF POWER TO CONTROL SILI**
Next day. Climbiing to final plateau. All bar Dwayne and Gimblenock fail. Dwayne saves Essen and Ophion. Reach the top. The Wraith Assembly is happening (a meeting of warlocks) to choose the new Witch.   The 50 mile desolation is a pucker mark from one of Arcetutheis' tentacles when it last penjetrated this reality.

• Holocene was built by the Dolg Catar before the Carkade and Alin arrived
• It rested upon a green dragon warren used for hundreds of thousands of years
• the Star Warrior lead the last of the Dolg Catar at Holocene when he fought the Alin
• After the Alin were defeated , Holocen sunk into the warren of petrified wood of the Green Dragons

The party sees a glimpse of Kunoh grabbing Rueben.
Therian Coven - Skeleltons on lower plateau. Party agrees to use their name of questioned   Kord Moebius - "The Great Toreja braved the currents of the great dark..."

• Statue of Toreja in the middle of the room. Skeletons on floor. Fetishes on the statue.
• Ophion examines fetishes. Flashes of Musaset and Siadrake, leaders of covens who have entered already. Essen rfecognises a symbol of the Great Old One Karthis T'Chellar (?), draws power from the Great Horned One, placed by Kord Moebius.
• Move on to a limestone cavern. Pass through a door and see the Wraith Witch. Ophion gives name.

"All hail the great Belial (lieutenant of Asmodeus)."
The Wraith Witch is the gatekeeper of the event.
Purpose of the Wraith Assembly is true anoint the first true Witch since the Sarpadian Empire.
A Witch is a warlock who has thrown off their patronage to become a patron in their own right.
Head deeper into the fortress. Find 6 petrified dragon eggs. Grundark removes them.   "...anoints her successor persons..."   Shield (+5). Legendary. Blue. Round. Star decal. Dolg Catar. Magical, requires attunement. Gundark picks it up. Gundark and Essen to determine who you wield it.   A skittering is heard. Skar and her coven have transformed themselves into thousands of rats and are heading for party.   ESSEN ROLLED 21 INVESTIGATION   MEPHISTO'S BROOD - FALSE NAME GIVEN FOR ENTRY
Essen finds nothing hidden.   Rats - Auto Crit. Resist most physical. All attacks against swarm have disadvantage. AC = 14. Rats are a female making herself into the swarm - Skar.   Rats swarm. Hit Dwayne, Gimblenock and Essen.  

• Ophion casts Cloud of Daggers (3rd Level) in front of Dwayne.
• Essen casts Dispel Magic. Swarm is Spell Level 17. Advantage succeeds. Cohesion of swarm broken.
• Gimblenocks casts Dazzling Colours. 35 HP of rats go blind (1/7th of swarm).
• Grundark takes magic shield and moves to support Dwayne. 13 damage first attack. 9 damage second.
• Dwayne hits for 10. Sweeping Attack for 22.
• Cloud of Dagger for 15.
• Ophion hears "Vault loves Ophion. Ophion loves Vault" Feeling of being embraced by a Giant Squid.
• Essen rolls INT.
• Ophion disperses another swarm with Firebolt and heads towards the tunnel.
• Essen casts Sunbeam. 38 damage. Two swarms dispersed.
• Gimblenock casts Firebolt. 17 damage. Follows Essen and Ophion through tunnel.
• Essen casts Spike Growth.
• Cloud of Daggers deals 11.
• Skar cancels Swarm spell and backs away from party.

  Party heads down into tunnel. Dim light. Flourescent algae.   Party finds a series of chambers. Three sarcophagi per chamber. The elite dead of the Dolg Catar.   Plundered by tomb raiders in the past.
Gundark and Gimblenock see floating figure. Moving through a mirrored space. Notices G & G and vanishes. One of the Alin.
Party can hear Kord Moebius calling out about Toreja. Same speil as last time.   Further down. Emerald green light.   Path with steps - two painted, transperent black children head down. Grundark smells treasure.   Party head toward emerald path. Notice secret doors that cannot be opened.   Draconic text spiralling on the walls. Becomes glowing the further down. Dwayne notices a baby green dragon, which scurries away when noticed. Grundark hears "What is the colour of the deep green?" The illusion breaks away to reveal a huge cavern. Crystals hanging from the ceiling. Precious metals and treasures abound. A gargantuan Green Dragon. Vines and plants are growing.   Gender discussion occurs and the dragon demands Essen step forward.
Parent dragon is 80". Babies are about 3".
Gimblenock takes eggs from upstairs and places them on the ground.
Magic sigils floating in the air. An underground library.
Tempus Viridi, the vizier to all green dragons in existence.
Gimblenock upsets the dragon, wets himself and is now Frightened.
An older green dragon becomes visible, swoops up the eggs and disappears.
Tempus wants Reuben.
Kord Moebius rants about the "horror below us (Tempus Viridi)".
  Party goes down some steps into a chamber containing an egg. Tempus says 'The Professor knows. This is the horror the Witches fear. It's older than the Alin."   Message for Gimblenock to send to Rueben - "Professor Rueben. Ophion says you're a dick. Tempus Viridi needs you in Holocene. An egg against Toreja. Warlocks are choosing. NOW! Your brother is alive."   Rueben is not on this plane. Spread across all planes. In the Time Void.
Holocene is Kunoh's birthright.
"I am not your puppeteer. That is someone else." - Tempus Viridi.
  "Memorandum understood and understood. Inform Tempus Viridi, his will acquiesced. Implements successful. Respectfully await a tick-tock mind. Ophion. Questions."   Tempus Viridi touches Grundark on the head which switches places with Rueben.   Rueben walks toward Tempus Viridi and offers his respect and service. The dragon storms off and demands Rueben solve the puzzle of the egg.   The black children appear. The scenery breaks away to reveal the Milky Way again.   "What is an automoton? A grotesque machine imitating life
What is a machine? Dead pieces acting together to simulate work
What is life? Many dead pieces working together grasping for the elan vital
What is a witch? Many pieces simulating one
What is a story? Half truths wrapped in lies simulating a truth
Time past and time future
Introductions are made."   Everything goes dark except for a younger Mama Tet who appears, looking young and displaying more of her power. Talks in riddles about time. Talks about the Witches.   The egg reads "Vault loves Reuben. Vault loves Ophion. Vault loves everyone. Everyone love Vault. Vault saves all. All love Vault. All hail Vault." Green tendrils seep from the egg.  

THE EGG IS VAULT.

Discussing ways to shift the Valt Egg into the Time Void, when Rueben is replaced by Gundark.   Sim Arclight's voice booms through the caverns, everyone sees what it looks like. Commands the faithful warlocks of the Wraith Accord to descend and destroy the party.   A HORN BLARES   Tempus Viridi asks why it should help the party. It goes to restrain Gundark. Natural 20. Poison seeps out of its scales.   Dwayne and Gimblenock grab hold of Grundark. Ophion grabs a hold of the dragon's torso, 40-50 feet down (Tempus Viridi is 180 feet).   There's a minute of flying, followed by a bang (Time Void portal) and the party is back in the First Halls of the Green (the Green Dragon's library), an arcane lacuna, frozen in time.   Tempus drops the dwarf, now Rueben. Giant vines are moving beneath the floor and walls, erupting and entwining the walls.   Tempus demands Rueben solve the problem of the Egg in 24 hours. Threatens Grundark.   Rueben is hunting for information on how to deal with the egg.   Essen casts Divination and meditates.   Ophion looking for info on Time Voids.   Rueben and Gimblenock find information on the Elder Things.   Gimblenock has a Hypernova Artifact (Apocalypse-class weapon), stolen from a noble of Jorentes.   Ophion finds that ancient dragons are not bound to the planes, nor spaces. Dragons are descended from The Places themselves at the time of the remaking of existence, crossing wherever they choose to.   Dwayne builds a book fort resembling a motif of a bird. The Osirian - the symbol of the Xerarch (a leader of the Alin).   Ophion and Essen investigate ways to activate the Osirian. Discover there is one beneath Holocene. The are rumours of a huge Osirian that can teleport to the Alin homeworld.   Ophion notices Dwayne creates a pyramid vista, the Alin homeworld, out of paper. The Jaguar World according to the Karkade.   Gimblenock finds a Ring of Resistance vs. lightning.   Party notices Ruebens' veins and eyes are turning black. Essen and Gimblenock hear a buzzing coming closer.   Rueben is in the Otherwhere. Huge shapes in the dark. Architeuthis. The Book of Creation is in front of him. Using the ink to find the answers. All hear a ticking sound. Getting louder and slower. "How did the Alin Xerarch move the object out of this space?" - It cannot.   The final battle chamber between the Alin and the Dolg Catar. Rueben can move the egg outside of time, bringing it to the attention of Architeuthis. Party needs to get to the Osirian.   Tempus Viridi arrives.   Tail wraps around Ophion and lifts him. Rueben makes the case.   Party teleported to a chamber, back into time. Wooden chamber from earlier.   Kord Moebius commands the Wraith Assembly to kill the party.   A baby green dragon briefly appears. The party follows it through a small opening.   Gimblenock out first. What were the lower levels of Holocene. Skeletons everywhere, some Alin. External courtyard. Kord Moebius is sat on a stone block.To his right is another warlock, Caraticus Angon, the Spear.   Magic is easier in the courtyard.   Gimblenock and Rueben note pieces of bronze visible in the courtyard. Party stealths past. A golden light is briefly visible. Moebius and Agon are illusions.   Rueben notices the warlock casting the spell. Smells the poison gas. A green dragon is perched on the well. Leaves a small amulet at the well.   Party formulates a plan. Rueben and Gimblenock (invisible) out first. Dwayne and Ophion out next when Mobius springs trap.   Professor floats into the air. Kord Mobius appears 40 feet in the air.   Gimblenock grabs the amulet, which resembles the Osirian as a badge.   Moebius flies another 120 feet up with Rueben.   Ophion Faerie Fires the area where the warlock was sighted. He responds with Eldritch Blasts and drags Ophion 320 feet toward him. O responds with Hellish Rebuke (6 damage).   Gimblenock dashes after warlock, to encounter four Trolls. Attacks warlock, Vologases. 27 damage. Sees the last possessor of the amulet in his mind, additional 6d10 damage. 68 total.   Dwayne Dimension Doors to Kord, grabs Reuben and teleports back to ground level.   Essen casts Spike Growth at the archway the trolls are emerging from.   Kord Moebius drops to the ground and casts Power Word Kill on Ophion.   Spike Growth deals 15 damage. One Troll on Essen, one on Gimblenock, two on Dwayne.   Something is trying to worm into Gimblenocks mind. Tries to convince Gimblenock to turn. Gimblenock takes Vologaises down to 2 HP. V Dimension Doors out.   Dwayne tears through Trolls while smoking a big, fat cigar that does not smell of tobacco and gets a visit from Mama Tet. Dwayne becomes Mama Tet.   Mama Tet casts Fireball on the area. Kills the Trolls and Ophion. Casts Meteor Swarm on Mobius. 67 Fire damage and 54 Bludgeoning.   Moebius disappears over the horizon. Mama Tet swaps out with Dwayne. Gimblenock turns into an Alin, and goes to activate the Osirian.   Sim Arclight appears with the rest of the warlocks. "Stop the Servant of the Ink."   Rueben grabs Gimblenocks amulet. Valt appears and embraces Rueben. Architeuthis appears. Gundark comes back in.   With the whole Wraith Assembly hunting them down and having brought down 2x Phyrexian Horrors that nearlly killed them, when they see a Shaggoth rolling towards tehm, Dwayne uses the Helm of Teleportation and gets out of there, returning to Solis Major