AAR: [8M] Vengeance 2020-10-30 2300 GMT

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Sharkforce
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Re: LFG: [8M] Vengeance 2020-10-30 2300 GMT

Post by Sharkforce » Sat Oct 31, 2020 6:19 am

From the Journal of Zivilyn, Windling Magician: Vengeance

Some people are just impossible to find. I've spent far too long trying to track down Vralino to discuss tracking down her father and my apprentice, and when I finally track her down in Throal (which is thankfully *much* easier to navigate than the town she lives in these days), she just talked to me for an hour and a half about wanting to reconnect with her dad without me getting so much a word in edgewise. Well, at least in the end she committed me to the task of tracking down Jarock, which is ultimately what I had come for in the first place. Apparently she needed a couple of days to round up a few others though. Haze and Howler were much more patient than I was.

In the end, we would be accompanied by Azurea, Thorkell, and another Troll who I met for the first time named Lazulin. I suspect that I was not the best of company, as I was somewhat distracted with worry over Nib's disappearance. I did my best to prepare the others for the very real possibility that the group of adepts was dead, but I'm pretty sure it never quite got through to Vralino.

We headed to their last known destination, a Niall to the east and north of Skyreader Island called D'Janduin. The locals there hadn't heard anything about the expedition since they left the town, but knew that they had gone further northeast chasing rumours about some unnaturally primitive Trolls. After Vralino wandering around aimlessly talking to random people for a while, we were able to get an audience with the Lahala who pointed us in the right direction. I think in her heart of hearts she must suspect the truth, and was unusually distracted, even for her.

A few days into the mountains, it became evident that there were some unusual tracks in the area; a very large boar travelling alone, something large and bipedal, and some large cats. Also some espagra droppings, which did not seem unusual at the time. The adventuring party had been through the area as well, but we couldn't find any consistent trail after so long, just the occasional sign; a months-old fire pit here, or a proper latrine there. Sadly, while I had hoped for better news, we eventually came across the site of a battle with bones scattered all about. Vralino desperately tried to find some sign that it wasn't the ones we had come looking for, but it was all too obvious; her father's thread equipment was among one set of bones, and we found sign of equipment known to the others in the party to belong to Mazor, Redsun, and Mal. And of course, Nib's prized wing ornaments. He was so proud of those.

While most of us were distracted, however, a pair of large twisted lions had been stalking us. They jumped from ambush and knocked down Vralino and Thorkell, tearing at them with their claws and teeth and attempting to weaken our resolve with their fierce roars. They were unnaturally fast, and appeared to have been warped by some horrid magic that caused them great suffering as they appeared to be in a constant state of hunger, their rib cages showing. We put an end to their suffering, then did our best to collect the remains of our friends so that they could return with us.

Still, there was the matter of what killed them; the wounds on their bodies were not all obvious, but it didn't look like lions, twisted or otherwise, were the cause, and in any case we needed to find whatever was altering these poor innocent creatures for ill ends. Azurea communed with the earth and learned that there were a number of fell beasts that offended the land (likely other altered beasts), but there was one large one in particular that carried a particularly offensive piece of earth with it that was the worst of all.

We continued tracking, and I think all that time I've spent trying to teach Howler how to track is finally beginning to show through. Either that, or he just smelled some pork. Either way, we found more mutated beasts, three of them this time; a snake that melted into ooze when killed and which seemed to blend in to the rocks around us quite well (I think it was a witherfang originally, but as with the others there was definitely something very wrong with it), a large boar that reminded me of the stories of razor boars I had heard of around Grakor with flecks of metal all across its body, and a mountain espagra that seemed almost to have muscles ripping themselves free of its skin. Whoever did this will need to be dealt with.

Still no closer to our true quarry, we continued our search, and came down into a valley and spotted a cave that all of our tracking seemed to point to. Azurea's communion with the earth had indicated that the large creature bearing a piece of poisoned earth was what had killed our friends, and we felt that we had found all the other corrupted creatures, so we prepared for a difficult fight.

I'll admit that I am no expert on Trolls, but this thing did not look much like a Troll to me. Certainly I would not like to have called it a Troll while in the presence of three actual Trolls. The rumours of "primitive Trolls" may have been pointing to this monstrosity, but it reminded me more of an ogre, although even then there was something terribly wrong with it. It was grossly oversized, and unnaturally durable, and there was a second spirit inside of it that raged at us each time we attacked. It seemed to almost be impervious to to weakening effects, and could see Haze even when he vanished from sight. It had both a male and female form, which it seemed to switch between with ease, and could recover from severe wounds in an instant.

In the end, it fell also, and we set about cleansing it's foul lair of the implements of torture we found there; alchemical equipment that had undoubtedly been used to transform the creatures we had encountered, cages where they had likely been kept, and bones from its many victims. There was also a bag with a journal in it, mostly rotted away, that indicated this thing's maker had likely been slain by it. Another one of those blasted scourge cultists.... will we ever see the end of them? I should have recognized the perversions of nature that they so often create.

And so that was it. Nib was avenged, although I don't feel any better for it. The poor beasts whose suffering we ended I feel a little better about, but I wish I didn't have to worry about how many more might still be out there. There is too much unfinished business around Barsaive that needs a final end, and I worry that we few may not be enough to stem the tide. Why must every victory always feel like it has too high a cost?

predajey
Posts:344
Joined:Mon Jun 15, 2020 9:27 am

Re: LFG: [8M] Vengeance 2020-10-30 2300 GMT

Post by predajey » Sat Oct 31, 2020 6:34 am

The following is a recollection from Vralino Hammer-Shield, a 16 year old Ork girl who grew up avoiding society. By this time, her father has been missing for a couple months. The text remains unaltered to maintain its authenticity (Certain terms and names written wrong to keep in character). It is written in Or'zet.

I can't find him anywhere! My dad's gone! AGAIN!!! I really need him to make a few things for the orphanage. If he doesn't do it, I'll have to pay Thorkell to do it! We're a non-profit organization!!! Doesn't he understand the impact he has on society!?! There are kids that depend on him! He promised he'd stop by weeks ago! He's so irresponsible! Anyway, I ran around gathering some of the guys I know. I haven't been out with Thorkell in a while, so he was my first stop. Of course, I can never tell when he's talking to me or talking to himself. Still, the way his cape billows, even when there's no wind, he's like the poster child for adventure! Then I found Zivilyn, or I guess more accurately, he found me. I gave him the same proposition I gave Thorkell, but for some reason, he didn't respond, so I guess he's in. Oddly enough, when I asked Lazulin, I got the same reaction. I mean, I know my dad is tough as Obsidimen, but is it really that hard to believe he's vanished? Finally I asked Azurea. I was lucky to find her in town, but again, no response. It's like a terrible foreboding, or maybe I'm just not explaining myself very clearly? Yeah, it's probably that second one, because when I found them the day we were heading out, none of them were ready to leave!!! I had to send each one to go retrieve their equipment and then I had to wait for them to return to our gathering spot! Today's off to a horrible start, but at least I'll be able to finally find my dad!

We stopped off in dad's last known location. Djurjurim is near Camping Aja, and we came across the dwarf couple that he stayed there with. They were flirting with me, so I flirted back. They were able to point us to the laha... allah... the town leader, who told us which direction dad went and what they were looking for. We headed that way and picked up a large number of interesting tracks, but since they were going after rabid trolls, we kept our focus on the two legged tracks.

I don't feel like doing this. We found dad. His shield was broken. He's nothing but bone. There's nothing left of him. This isn't even worth burying. I couldn't believe it. I searched excessively to find proof that this wasn't him, but everything indicates it's him. I'm taking him home, but first I need to kill what killed him. Oh, we also found some weird lions. Luckily I wasn't alone. I couldn't really deal with them at the time.

We continued along the trail. The giant wolf, whoever it belonged to, found the trail and guided us. We killed an espagra, a snake, and a boar. None of these seemed to be responsible for dad's death. They were too easy to kill.

We came to a large valley. At the end of the trail was a cave, and a giant troll was there. This was probably what killed dad. I decapitated it. I'm taking its head home. Not sure where I'm going to put it, though. I guess I could just attach it to the wall outside. Hopefully Trayckid doesn't try to move it anywhere. The others found some weird poultices and such. I identified some of the plant components. There was also a letter. Thorkell handed me a bad of dad's bones, the ones that fell out while I was dragging him to the troll's lair. He fixed up the armor so no more would fall out. With the ogre's head on my back, my dad's shield in my left hand, and his hammer on my waist, I dragged his armor and skeleton back to Trayckid. Maybe I should just retire. I've lost so many friends to adventures, and now my dad. And I think mom started going out, too. I hope she does ok. We'll see how I feel when another opportunity arises. I just want to go home and sleep.

bronzemountain
Posts:606
Joined:Fri Feb 21, 2020 10:02 pm

AAR: [8M] Vengeance 2020-10-30 2300 GMT

Post by bronzemountain » Sat Oct 31, 2020 2:17 pm

AAR: Vengeance
GM: Dvarim
ECR: 8
Difficulty: Medium

Player Rewards:
Lazulin: 19000 LP, 900 SP, 3 TIPS
Zivilyn: 19,000 LP, 900 SP, 3 TIPs
Vralino: 19000 LP, 900 SP, 3 TIPs
Thorkell: 19000 LP, 900 SP, 3 TIPs
Azurea: 19000 LP, 900 SP, 3 TIPs

Alternate Rewards:
50% off: 'Rare Materials' (Espagra scales, Razor Boar hide) & Witherfang Venom

GM Reward: Juniper (7,500 LP, 650 SP, 3 TIPs)

Downtime:
Lazulin: Research 9
Azurea: Alchemy 4/10 (Booster Potion 2 days for 2, Small Light Quartz 4 days, Absorb Blow charm 4 days)
Zivilyn: Animal Training 8/18, Research 5/24, Item History 6/17
Thorkell: Craftsman 23, Forge Weapon (efficient) 10/21, Forge Armor 8/19, Item History 4/19, Research 6/17, Enquire re: Enchanting
Vralino: Item History 5/16, Alchemy 1/8 (Booster Potion)

Summary:
Vengeance! The Twins have been slain, those stranger ogre siblings. The bodies of the fallen Adepts have been collected and transported with deep reverence and respect (just ask Vralino!). There is evidence that the Twins (and many other corrupted beasts) were the work of one Brizius Bonecall. There is also evidence that Brizius is involved in a much greater scheme that threatens great harm to the region.

Xzandrate
Posts:382
Joined:Tue Apr 07, 2020 8:28 pm

Re: AAR: [8M] Vengeance 2020-10-30 2300 GMT

Post by Xzandrate » Sat Oct 31, 2020 5:00 pm

***The intricately covered ice blue journal contains a single blue crystal on the centre, with the simple gold lettering below it 'Lazulin' ***

Page 12

Weapons can be hones, weapons can be forged, weapons can be engraved, but most weapons will chip, some will bend, and in the worse cases some will break, regardless of the quality or strength. Such has happened to band of the adventurers that I knew of. The windling wizard Nib, studios and steady; the elven archer Malonin Tyrnith, exact and calculated, the troll archer Redsun Thandrun, just and honourable; the windling beastmast Mazor, brave for his size, and finally Jarock Hammer-Shield, the solemn dreamer. We did not know this for certain when Jarock's daughter Vralino sought me out. Contrary to logic, she felt this was a rescue mission, she is obviously Jarock's blood. I knew all of these people, so I would help resolve their legends.

Vralino had his staunch companion Thorkell, and a pair of individuals I had not encountered yet. First was Nib's master from Skyreader Isle, Zivilyn. Not only was he a wizard, but also a shaman and an elementalist as well. Speaking of which, Vralino had initiated to the ways of elemental magic since last we travelled as well. The second was the shadow Azurea from Irondelve. This was a strange encounter, the very reflection of myself taken form. She had oddly coloured eyes as well, one blue as my own, and the other dark. She dealt with shadows, and capable combatant, was worried about healing and purifying the land first and providing for it's peoples secondary. While the entire encounter was unsettling to me, there was a wash of comfort as well.

The group of us set out to retrace the steps the previous group took more than two months earlier. We started in D'Janduin. I asked who in this town had the greatest number of books, as that is where Nib would have gone. The woman named lahalla held these books and spoke with us. She directed us to the mountains where they were hunting ogres she thought.

We retraced their steps as best we could, and a eventually we found what I feared we would, the equipment and remains of our fallen comrades. The others grieved and investigated the area. Azurea melded with the earth and recounted a large thing that had fell upon them that the earth did not like. This was our target.

We encountered some local wildlife and drove them away, though the party was slightly worse for wear. A defensible position was found and camp was made. The next day we found the home of our quarry. A hulking ogre carrying a large corrupted stone club.

We clashed like the crack of thunder in the clouds as they collide, we each in turn tore into the beast for vengeance. To our surprise he had a rider in the astral who would strike back at us if we tried to take advantage of positioning. We continued to beat it down repeatedly, and finally it collapsed. Vralino took her father's hammer and finished the beast.

The party functioned well, each is a well refined weapon, though some more cumbersome than others. Zivilyn is a very adaptable ally, providing just what the situation called for. He reads the battle well and multiplies our advantages. Thorkell has trained since last we adventured, now not only does he forges blades into killing tools, but he has forged himself into one by walking the path of the warrior. Vralino was greatly improved, though still fights with a distraction. In this case it was obvious the source and I do not fault her for it. This ordeal seems to have tempered her somewhat, we shall see how deep that runs. Finally, the reflection Azurea, she was capable both on and off the battlefield. I feel she is more a natural weapon and can be honed into a greater asset with more direction. Either way, I somehow felt she would take care of that which I could not. Finally, myself, I feel that my directions were disregarded as I was seen as an adventurer of less experience, I must make more clear my

It's seems this creature was a creation of some twisted individual, and part of some master plan. It appears something is working directly against my own goals and wants to drive the people back underground. More fighting is in my future. But first we honour the weapons we have retrieved and the work they have done for the people.


***A great Iced Claw adorns the bottom of the page ***
Image

verse86
Posts:269
Joined:Tue Jun 16, 2020 11:16 pm

Re: AAR: [8M] Vengeance 2020-10-30 2300 GMT

Post by verse86 » Wed Nov 04, 2020 4:18 am

Thorkell's Journal
Time moves differently in the forge. Three months has gone by in the blink of an eye. Who should come through my door but Vralino. I received a letter from Vralino to come to Throal to meet her. She has not heard from her father for some time. Although this is apparently not unusual, she is worried nonetheless. I made my way to Throal where I met up with her, Azurea, Lazulin, and Zivilyn. After speaking with Zivilyn, I found out her worries are justified. It seems he went on a journey with Zivilyn's apprentice Nib who has also not returned.
We set out for Kampung Gajah, their last known location. We spoke to several people in town including an odd dwarf couple and the lahalla. The lahalla keeps studious track of who comes through her town. Her records showed them coming through and leaving for the mountains, but never returning. She had assumed they just went straight back to Throal. The look on her face spoke volumes.
We left out immediately for the mountains hoping for the best. We found a set of large bipedal tracks that seemed unusual for the area. We followed these tracks for a few days. They led us to the scene of a battle where we found skeletons. Vralino recognized some items that belonged to her father, but seemed to be looking for anything that could prove it was not him. Zivilyn confirmed some other items as belonging to his apprentice Nib. Of course some creatures decided this was our weakest moment and ambushed us. They were some kind of mutated lions. Once we gained our composure, the creatures were dispatched fairly easily.
Vralino was practically despondent. She scooped her fathers remains into his armor and dragged him along, completely unaware that much of his remains were falling out. I fashioned a cloak around the armor to keep any further remains from falling out, and put the remains that had fallen out into a sack. Our task was not yet done. We learned of their fate, but we needed to learn what did this.
We continued to track the bipedal creature. Before finding our quarry, we were attacked by a mountain espagra, some strange snake, and a boar as hard as metal. The espagra had a nasty freezing breath, but our team dealt with it swiftly. I decided to focus my attention on the snake since most of my team mates had not noticed it. I did not want them to be surprised by this thing. Azurea noticed me attacking at something and dealt with the snake for me. We then focused our attention on the boar.
After some more tracking we finally found our quarry, a large ogre creature. Something was strange with it, there seemed to be a female spirit inside it that could attack behind him. It could even switch forms so that the male became the spirit. Despite its formidable nature, it stood no chance against the sheer wave of rage that came crashing upon it. Vralino's gahad must have taken over because she took her fathers hammer, a blunt object, and used it to decapitate this creature. We found the notes of someone named Brizius performing experimentation on the creatures in the region.
The success of our mission rang hollow. I worried about what would happen to Dviel without my supervision, but I decided to follow after Vralino to her home in Trayckid. She hung the head of the ogre out front of her orphanage. The rot was becoming nearly unbearable. I convinced her to let me clean it off and "preserve" it with some hides. I also fixed her father's shield and made a coffin for him. I don't really know how to comfort her, but I will do what I can.

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