AAR: [5H] Vengeance for Bamor (2020-05-07 1800 GMT)

The current version of the Earthdawn West Marches Discord campaign, effective Jan 1, 2020

Moderator:etherial

ChrisDDickey
Posts:1011
Joined:Sun Nov 27, 2016 10:02 pm
Re: AAR: [5H] Vengeance for Bamor (2020-05-07 1800 GMT)

Post by ChrisDDickey » Fri May 08, 2020 6:38 am

From the journal of Zil, Windling Elementalist and Follower of Garlen. 
Last year I and a group of companions traveled to the Kier of Bamor to open it up, and were dismayed to find all within dead except for roving gangs of Cadavermen and Ghouls. We left, but some of them returned a few months ago with the intention of clearing out the undead. They did clear out most of the uppermost layer, and learned that there was a Horror of the type DespairThought laired somewhere in the lower levels, But wounds forced them to leave the rest of the kear for a  followup expedition Volkir/Shokunin & Xeviouz/Waijhou having talked to a Horror Stalker and wishing to join their ranks, decided to prove themselves to the Horror Stalkers by organizing an expedition to destroy the DespairThought. 

We reentered the kear by the usual way, and finding the main square deserted, made our way to passage where the previous expedition had last fought. We found that deserted as well. We followed indications and eventually came upon a very old dwarf and his cadaverous pets. The old dwarf spoke in a childlike manner, yet looked cadaverous, and it was not until after the fight that I realized he had been still alive. His pets were two large cats, a dog, and a lizard, all undead but returned to a mocking semblance of life. After the fight we found an old Baby blanket, embroidered with the name "Eloco Dar" and we reasoned that this might have been one of the one of the children given up to the horror by their parents all those many decades ago. He had been living alone ever since, with no parent or companionship except the pets the horror had raised for him. 

By Garlens grace I was able to heal most of our wounds and we continued on after only a short break.

Down in a lower level market, we encountered 5 other creatures. 4 middle-aged elves, whom we again think were probably given to the Horror by their parents as infants or children, and a horror construct they called "Mother Sorrow".. In the initial moments of the fight Duban was struck by several arrows and almost killed. I was totally useless in the fight spending all my time trying and failing to pull threads to cast "Grove Renewal" upon him. Fortunately the others managed to dispatch these poor souls with little effort. During the fight the elves begged for death. Afterwards we found what appeared to be a schoolroom, with projects in vivisection, torture, and other grizzly subjects. Duban was much wounded, so we retired for the night and proceeded the next day. 

In the final confrontation of the day, we came upon a chamber with a magic circle inscribed init. The chamber was occupied by two stone Caryatids, two shadowy Cadavers (not apparently related to cadavermen in any way, other than that they seemed to be spirits reanimating cadavers), and a Despair Thought. We got in a nice defensible position and waited for them to come to us. the two Caryatids were big and slow and gladly came up to us. They were easy to hit, but their large amount of stone armor made them very difficult to damage. The shadowy cadavers held back a little while before engaging. Then Volkir suddenly ran forward, jumped over the shadowy cadavers and swung at the Despair Thought. There were groans from some members of the party as he disappeared behind the blind corner, as Duban had been preparing to cast a buff spell upon him, and now he was isolated out of sight from most of us. He did two mighty blows and did grievous wounds to the Horror, but did not slay it. The Horror did much magic upon him, and caused Volkir's voice to ... become cursed. Everybody except me succumbed to Volkir's horrible voice and could not remain standing. Since they could not stand, they could not move at a pace faster than a crawl, so they could not attack the Horror. 

I blasted various stuff with my lightning bolts, and Volkir attacked the Horror from the ground. We both did hits, and we could tell the horror was on it's last... pseudopod. The Despair Thought started to slither away. Just as it was about to reach a stairway, a huge eyeball appeared in the circle. It spoke to the Despair Thought, and told it that it was disappointed at how easily it had been bested. It then seemed to withdraw it's animating essence, and the DT, already almost dead died in truth and shriveled up into a husk within minutes. The two shadowy cadavers also collapsed, and the Caryatids frose. Then the eyeball vanished.

We examined the magic circle, and decided that the Horror was not simply in Astral Space, but very far away, and simply using this circle as a focus to Project himself here. The circle itself had not been built by any sane name-giver, but seems to have been constructed by the horror. We learned that the horror had a name of two parts. The first was Ag'xgai the other was Nlyath'Lyvxenzair. We learned it was not safe to simply destroy the magic circle, but it would need to be painstakingly disassembled if we desired to do that. We explored the keir thoroughly, and decided that we had cleaned everything except the magic circle and the floating eyeball. the eyeball we could not locate, except that we figured the magic circle would probably allow it to come to the kear, and maybe allow a sufficiently skillful caster to open a portal to where it was. We decided that we had no way to confront the Horror, and we record our findings for others, or for ourselves when we achieve Warden status. 

During our further explorations of the Kaer, we found a few thread items, a set of chainmail that Duban took,a nd a helmet that Volkeir claimed. 

Montaugh
Posts:203
Joined:Thu Dec 19, 2019 1:49 pm

Re: AAR: [5H] Vengeance for Bamor (2020-05-07 1800 GMT)

Post by Montaugh » Fri May 08, 2020 2:32 pm

My name is William Carver I am a Fifth circle Scout, Third circle Thief and tenth circle fool...

I am returning from Bamor for the third time. I fear it will not be my last time upon returning to the cursed horror blighted place. At least I don't need to dream darkly about that horror now, it is dead. I would like to say that we killed it, but we did not.. let me start at the beginning..

I was approached by Xeviouz and Vlolkir, they were as haunted as I was about what happened to the people of Bamor. While I tried to forget what happened though, they were driven to defeat the horror within that place. They made contact with Aljalima Karufa a Horror Stalker... they actually go out and hunt horrors down. This Aljalima Karufa said he would train them if they killed the horror within the Kaer.

So, we brought Zil and Dubhan along with us. The travel to Bamor was easy, I had been there a few times now and could find the place easily, I had contemplated taking a new route there just to get some more practice in, but Xeviouz and Vlolkir seemed to be in a hurry to die fighting the horrors inside. Because of the large tentacles that we had encountered the last time I was there, I decided to bring along a battleaxe this time. I figure hit once, hit hard, and leave something in pieces.

The upper floors of the place were thankfully barren and empty.. aside from the dead bodies. We should return just to burn the dead rather than leave the bodies as fodder for the horrors to return to life, but we were battered and beaten again so that will need to await for another time.

We made our way down the stairs into the second lair of the Dispairthought horror. We found a warped dwarf with two cats, a dog and lizard all warped by the same things. This warped dwarf lowered his hand engaging us as if we were dogs, and to my horror the others all laid down, even Vlolkir who had lunged at the dwarf the first chance he got. If this thing, not even a true horror could command our group to simply lay down for the slaughter I feared we were in grave trouble. Luckily the others arose quickly and engaged in the battle, it was a hard won fight but Upon defeating them we found a baby blanket with the name Eloko Dar in a small nest that he slept in. Stitched over and over again in the blanket was we are sorry, forgive us...

We rested and healed up as best as we could, and pressed on. We found another group of people twisted by the horrors. One of them shot an arrow that nearly killed Dubhan in a single blow. He was knocked down and I tossed him a healing potion to drink before taking shelter behind a pillar to attack targets of opportunity as they presented themselves. These people went down a lot faster, Vlolkir attack leapt at one and struck it down quickly with his two weapons, while another asked Xevioux why he wouldn't kill him as he bashed away at it. Once more we were victorious.

We took time after this fight to retreat out of the Kaer and to heal up for the day before heading back in. We engaged the horror, his animated stone creatures and shadowy cadavarmen that freeze you in place with a tough. We had paused in the hallway and prepared to engage. I could hear the other things but I could only see a single target, so I attacked the stone creature. The others engaged it as well, and then.. then Vlolkir moved, he flew across the battlefield in a sudden burst of movement and engaged bellowing out "I accept your welcome!" or some such, then I heard the sound of combat. The world went black after that, all that existed was the pain of that horrible chaos that came from the voice of Vlolkir. All I could do was collapse onto the ground and lash at the nearest things I could sense. The pain was crippling as everything I had ever done, all the bad thoughts flooded back onto me, I was useless.

It felt like an eternity had passed and then we met the despairthoughts master. It was unpleased with the lesser creature and killed it. WE didn't stop the horror, it had failed so badly in its masters eye that it deserved to die and so it did. What was this thing we now face.. all we saw of it was an eyeball about two or three meters wide, with the pupil as if it was worms falling forever in on itself. It appeared in a magical circle that allowed the horror to communicate with others. We did learn something for all our troubles, have the true name of the Horror of Bamor Ag'xgai Nlyath'Lyvxenzair.

I left its name there as a warning to others carved in the stone. We have avenged Bamor from one of the horrors that brought about its doom, but we have learned of a far greater threat in its master's appearance.

After that we left, some people found some items within a vault of Bamor, but I was done. If I never see Bamor again I will be happy but, I fear I will need to return someday to face the horrors within. I miss the simple life of exploration, why did I have to poke to bears of Bamor. I brought the others back here thinking we were ready and brave and strong, I find myself continually broken against the place barely hanging on to my own sanity it feels like some times. At least the despairthought is dead and I won't have to see its maggot like body squishing across the ground walk on its pale hands welcoming me into its home. Now I get to have nightmares of worms tumbling into eyes the side of a wagon, wondering and fearing just how large the creature those eyes belong to really is... Of interest though was a chainmail that seemed to have come from wyrmwood. Perhaps I will see about launching an expedition to wyrmwood, they must have survived the scourge unharmed for the most part like Throal did. I could use a good win right about now and some good news.

William Carver

Shokunin
Posts:136
Joined:Fri Nov 24, 2017 1:50 pm

Re: AAR: [5H] Vengeance for Bamor (2020-05-07 1800 GMT)

Post by Shokunin » Tue May 12, 2020 11:46 pm

From a roughly bound loose stack of loose paper titled 'Vlolkir'

I am returned from cursed Bamor. I am caused to be shamed by our failure in that place. Our leaving and our inability to stand in the face of the foe there has cast my eyes down. My karma did not come, the dawn after our flight. I fear losing my path in cowardice. I know my companions are conflicted in their own ways. We make Throal and go off about our own business but cannot escape the memories of Bamor. Warrior Xeviouz and I spend time in taverns, I start fights often. There is trouble and shouting. An adept comes to us and asks us of what we've seen and what we would do. Aljalima Karufa speaks to us of the horoi and how they may be battled. We hear of methods and strengths not now available to us. She and others of her kind, stalkers of horoi, gather and tell us we may join them on their Path and gain these talents if we follow their ways and prove ourselves in Bamor. I am ready, Xeviouz agrees. There are debts of blood and honor to be paid and in the ring of steel I will find redemption.

We find others for the battle ahead. Some powerful friends we have journeyed with beforetimes. There are Carver the scout and thief but not the bad kind, Zil the elementalist who follows Garlen, and Dubhan the most exceptional magician I have seen with great wisdom and power at his disposal. We prepare to go to the home of evil. I have my armor, which is an old suit of legends, I have my own life's threads tied to it, and it makes me safer than I have ever been in the past. And for this battle I have the warpaint of our moot, the blood red skull and tears painted. The beasts shall know me as I slay them.

The upper chambers are empty but it is not quiet in Bamor. We travel down corridors still piled with dead, some by our hands. We come to unknown crossroads and having no knowledge of Bamor in the deeps we head towards the sound we hear. It is the singing of a child, and yet I am not fool enough to believe there could be a child alive here. We come to a chamber and see a thing, it is small like a dwarf and clearly not a child. It has a dog. If they are alive in Bamor they are not namegivers anymore and will be slain. I charge the dwarf creature, and am forced to fall from the air by some strange curse it has lain on me. The others fall as well. We are beset by the dog, and other creatures it calls out of the darkness of ruined chambers nearby. The others are fighting hard, I am surrounded. There is little to remember in the strike of claws and teeth and swords until the dwarf creature falls and the animals are put to. Bamor is quieter now but there is no rest in this city of forsaken traitors. We proceed through hallways half remembered by we who were here before, searching for the great stairways down, until we see elves. They are strange. Stranger still is the thing that takes a shape like a troll and walks among them. The great learned wizard Dubhan tells us it uses magic on the elf things, and who better to know than such a mighty mage?We charge the creatures as an ensorcelled shaft flies past me and strikes who can only be Dubhan from the call of pain. I hear there is magic being used by the thing which profanes the shape of a troll, and so I seek that foe. With quick strikes I lay it low and am now far away from my companions in the dark with arrows flying everywhere. I rush to take vengeance on the one which struck Dubhan. She flees well but I am faster. The elf-things beg us to slay them. I know not why but I am happy to oblige. We once again bring silence in this hateful tomb.

Our wounds are great and there is only so much sword work that can be done before thirst weakens a warrior. We leave the filth of Bamor and sleep outside under cold stars, with Zil making hot food and good fires and beds for us. In the morning there is little left of the last days agony, but still the object of hate lives and we are not done. Back through stinking passages and chambers of carrion we go, searching for the stairs down. We find them, and descend underneath the scrawled words of the creatures of this place, welcoming us. As we reach the chamber of descent again, there is something there which I have not seen before. The magicians call it a circle, and it glows and grates horribly on the eye. The worm is there, and its servants as well. They come to us as our magicians are casting spell magic on us to grant strength, but I fear being held in place by these things, there are spirits of awful icy cold and the living statues which are so hard to kill. I dash through an opening in the statues, leap over the shades, and am face to face with the horror worm which speaks in namegivers' heads. It is called a Despairthought so say the stalkers back in Throal. Whatever it may be called, to me it is a worm, and it shall ever be a worm, and it deserves no more than my boot. My mace and my sword strike out in the darkness, and I wound the beast mightily. It is flung over into its own coils and struggles to get up. But then, its voice rings so loudly in my head, I yell from the pain, and it is not my voice I hear, it is sounds of the creatures of this place, and the pain is overwhelming. I fall, and in the stairway I can hear the others fall. One shade returns to strike at me and I am paralyzed on the ground. The worm wriggles away, still stealing my voice to use as its weapon. I try to use rocks the way Carver has shown, but I cannot strike true from the ground. The others are battling the worm's servants behind, and manage to make good blows. I am nearly able to rise again, but then the circle flairs up and an awful eye forms. Its pupil is a cascading pit of worms. It speaks in our heads of foulness and lies. I spit my defiance at it but my voice is still stolen. The eye lands on the worm, and the worm melts into nothing. The remaining servants fall still.

More silence now in Bamor, more dead and blood on the ground. The worm is slain and my honor is satisfied. We are wounded and greatly wearied. The return to Throal this time is not in fear but there is little joy. I go to weave my threads to this Path, that I may learn enough to slay all these beasts where they hide down in the dark.

Post Reply