Ankhelos

The Myste-Hass Calender

10/01/2023

Six months has passed in the town of Myste-Hass. The Tower of Dariss is under renovation. The city is busy again, people flocking into Myste-Hass. Tonnes of new businesses have been established, and the Market Place is thriving.

The Helvettian Garrison has been reestablished, alongside a new defensible position in Briudor. They establish it as a new settlement. A trade route, with businesses and new homes are set up all along Myloch's Way.

Bear leaves the council, and Andro is disgraced and removed. As such, The Arena is reopened, and the silent stalkers become a feature which people actually go to see.

In the time that has passed, Corym experiments with the Genai Stones in the basement of the Temple of Dariss. He casts a bunch of spells which are then sucked from his body, and then washed back into him with an explosion that knocks him unconscious. The stones are pulped.

Rasvyn does some private research on the ring of souls he procured from Ravaran's order. He discovers that another device was used to get the souls into the rings.

The group reminiscences on their day trip to Ulungar, relaying the news of Jovinis's death, finding that the warg had killed the horses, visiting the mural of Ankhelus again, and retrieving the bags of holding.

Reinholt buys Yusuf, a new horse.

Maolmhuire lays on a lovely buffet at the Temple of Garr.

At the Temple of Garr, Maolmhuire challenges his apprentice Finrick for casting healing spells on those that look ill, just in case they don't go to Garr. Finrick is in his late thirties, but he has seen some years. Harbinger gives Finrick a warning, if he betrays them, no quarter will be given.

Della is the new commander of the Helvettian Garrison.

Maolmhuire requires the skull of a dwarf scholar called Sartine. She may know the location of Ankhelus's realm, she may also have the answer of how to stop the souls going to him.

Her tomb is at a juncture between the shadowfell and this realm. An individual, Brin Gorrat, may be able to give advice.

Reinholt sends a messages to Bern, who says she is worried. Things are bad, and there are creature which wait outside her house at night. She says that there is a feign on the hill, and we should meet there in three hours.

Maolmhuire lines up the acolytes, giving them strict instructions - to avoid deaths in the temple and keep the far room locked. Maolmhuire has a raven called Grief.

Maolmhuire has a new cart, but its an old florists cart and yellow. He leaves it to be repainted.

They head out on Reinholt's magic carpet, but Maolmhuire makes himself look like Reinholt because he doesn't want to be seen on the carpet.

A town crier is calling business and news in the Market Place, he says something about excavation as the group moves past. Gartok turns into a dire bear and runs out, almost hit by the militia.

On the north side of the cliffs, there is a burnt out cart. There are also a bunch of worn coffins - empty and left to the elements.

The group arrives at the feign, a stone circle of six pillars and an altar. They trek back to Bern's Hut, looking for tracks and untoward things. There are dulled scratches on the door.

Rasvyn opens the door and goes in. It is orderly, but crowded. The fire is not lit. On the upper balcony, there is a single bed for a short person and a large bed next to it. Then, there is a bed downstairs as well.

One of the jars on the shelf has three assorted eyeballs in it.

Bern emerges from behind a stone. She looks older.

When the moon is full, on several nights, a large black creature with horns sweeping back from its head, demonic in nature, sent by someone. It appears and tries to get in.

Bern says you cant kill Ankhelus. You can only banish him for a period of time. He can be defeated though. The problem is that the old ones are out. They have domains, and can be worshipped and gain power from it. They crave the seats of those above, some more than others. They don't get on. They were here first, but unseated by the six prime deities.

Ankhelus would have held domain of the realm of the dead. But, he is not a god, and he doesn't care for the affairs of living, beside the power they give from worship and each death. Creatures of limited intellect are of no use to Ankhelus.

Bern says she would trust nothing that you hear of the gods right now. She's enjoying slowly dripping out choice information.

One of these individuals has a domain of deceit and deception, to get you to do things in the name of your god. There are two, long ranging and planned out deceptions - Amaris. The second is more careful with his title.

They are doing what Fate did, sitting between you and the gate, intercepting you prayers. The gates were opened and they slipped out. One is just a formless abomination, that just swells and consumes. One is concerned with corruption and disease. There is one of wrath. Gilas and Zisar are others.

Bern tells us that Tempress came and changed the world, removing the order that was set up by these entities. The world was run by scaled folk then. Goliaths were prevalent, but slaves. Then, Tempress was cast down.

The creatures crave the more powerful souls.

He is flesh, but he will hide behind his minions.

Maolmhuire mentions Satine, and Bern refers to her as a funny child. He says that she knew how to stop the souls. But, first we must understand how she creates a true connection with Garr.

Sartine was a few hundred years dead.

Bern seems keen to bring Sartine's skull here. Although, she does not know how to go between the realms.

She knows where the dwarven hold is, but it is guarded by Mother. She is all about what you want, but not how you want it.

The hold is a mine for precious metals and materials which would have built Bruidor. It's cut into a valley of the mountains, near where a shrine to Fate was established. There are two stone pillars which indicate the grand entrance.

Maolmhuire mentions the Tome of Stamatan. It is sacrificial magic.

The hold is not far from Buridor, to the west of the city. Bern says that we must do something to avoid being seen by Mother. She sees a long way. She can't see into Bern's stones.

Bern has a keepsake from the area in her hut. She doesn't know of any reason magical transportation wouldn't work.

There is ten days until the full moon. She hides away in the wilds when it visits, it stalks the wilderness.

Bern wants Tabby dead.

Reinholt messages Ravaran, asking if he could help. He says he could avoid her gaze. He then appears. He says that at one time, they were in corporation with Mother. He suggests he could send someone needy to distract Mother.

Her home is a mere four miles from Bruidor.

Mother is afraid of her home, the Divine Plane. She does not want to return there.

The group plan to travel to the hold as fast as possible, via teleportation. Then keep a watch for Mother. If her scry is spotted, then Rasvyn will cast a anti-detection spell. They procure a twig that Bern ahs kept form that area.

Reinholt asks Bern to look after his horse, Yusuf. The group then move an hour back towards the burnt out cart. Then, Dramos teleports the group and Altibo to a tree in the valley, slightly below the mine.

The group arrives. Bruidor is in sight, and they are on the side of the mountain. There are a lot of booted prints, of different sizes and different directions on the hillside.

The group heads north half a mile, then west for a mile. There are fresh footprints, heading towards and away from the hold. They are booted and human. There are cart tracks and groups of people.

The stone pillars come into view, carved with dwarven geometric designs. The arch is large enough for a giant to fit inside. Everything is quiet. A bird flies off.

Gartok casts pass without a trace, but they do require light when they head into the darkness. The ground slopes down, and they travel downward on a straight corridor for forty minutes.

The first sound is a hubbub of voices, like a crowd of individuals talking. They are speaking elvish and common. Dramos and Gremlin sneak forward, down to where the corridor opens widely into a huge, naturally-formed cavern. The ceiling is about one-hundred foot up with a myriad of buildings, with lights strewn between the streets. It's well illuminated. There are dark-skinned and pale-skinned elves. It's a town, Brantlguran. There are ogres.

Those hanging around the first building are wearing the robes of a learned wizard. They are clustered around a number of locations.

Hootie listens - hearing about some humans doing a job for Gendar, others needing more food and general conversations.

Hootie does a sweep, where there are lots of decaying buildings. In the central area though, there are newer buildings and a more established town. There are goliaths, grey-skinned dwarves, halflings, dwarves and tonnes of races. In the central section, there is a golden minotaur with arms outstretched and a glowing circle etched onto the ground.

The party decides to just introduce themselves as travellers from Myste-Hass and Bruidor. Harbinger covers Altibo's wings with a blanket.

One of the robed figures spies the group, and waves. He is very welcoming. He is a representative of the Narusian Corporation. The organise of Naruse is a bunch of learned individuals looking to further the benefits of all races.

There are only a few rules - avoid violence, no unnecessary violence, no cheating fellow trade, 10% of profits go to the Naruse, be civilised, good people.

It is a city, but without the strife of the outside. He recommends the Rising Moon in the centre of town. Stay clear of the minotaur statues, that is for use of the order.

Dramos asks about joining the Narusian Organisation. They said that they haven't observed us yet, and another conversation will be needed at a later date.

26/01/2023

Altibo says he will stamp three times if he sees an evil doer.

There is a four story, large arena type building. The back wall is illuminated by a green glow. There are support struts to support the ceiling and pillars.

The people are of mixed wealth, all moderate.

Reinholt bribes some street sleepers for details about who is really in charge of the city. He discovers there is conflict between the bigger houses. The duergar have quite a push, which creates bad feeling because its a dwarven settlement. The Naruse are supposedly in charge.

The duergar are bringing stuff up from the lower levels for selling. The giants are just pushing their weight around - a family of them who have come in from the mountains.

There is a shop area, with canopied tables.

There are a number of armoured individuals walking around, but no one appears to be wearing a uniform.

The group explores a small circular trading post, surrounded by tents, and filled with a bric-a-brac of items.

Kohrmon, the shopkeeper will do trades and purchases. He is particularly interested in swords that can kill plants, because dangerous, dark weeds inhabit the tunnel on the left-hand side of the chamber.

Kohrmon will take deposits on items, which must then be collected within a month.

If you go to the extremes of the cavern, there are a tonnes of abandoned properties which are yet to be occupied.

Kohrmon also advises not going further than the arena or the palace, where the giants who think they are in charge live. There is a couple there.

The group buys a large number of items.

Mal casts identify on the matt black shield that interests Harbinger, and tells her to buy it in order to remove it from the access of other people.

The man has acquired all the items from those that have gone below, bought back stuff and died below. All his rings sell out immediately.

The man is very concerned about the Ring of Souls which Rasvyn is wearing. Lots of people around here are refugees from the north and would be willing to take retribution freely on anyone related to those rings.

There are twenty people who are in charge, then there are those which actually rule, but they have a community which has opened its arms to all communities.

Firir Chald, a priest true to Dariss is running the Arena, training people to protect people against the undead. The dead are buried past the arena, and they come back sometimes.

Maolmhuire asks about Brin Gorrat. Kohrmon claims he has never heard of Sartine or the spire of Ankhelus.

Goldor is head of the mining operations for the deurgar. Dver-Hotz over the other side of the settlement.

Rasvyn and Maolmhuire find a book on a trade stand that has maps of how the settlement used to look, and what's on the lower levels.

Rasvyn also picks up a book on how to create rations and one on the migratory pattern of the black bears with a small section of map north of Bruidor.

The group heads to the Rising Moon, a building that was of dwarven origin and then extended upward. A dwarf, Ordig, with a short-cropped beard greets Dramos.

Things wander out of the side tunnels and occupy the buildings on the outskirts of town.

The group takes "The Bunk" which is the entire top floor and eight beds, in bunk bed format, booking it out for a couple of nights. Ordig advises the steak, steak of the night.

There was a group in there last night, but he claims that they set off after finding a mithril vein.

Ordig has been here for four years, but in the past seven months things have become busier after those from the north started taking refuge here. A war in the north kicked off, praying on spell casters. The Neruse managed to make a deal with him, Ravaran, to keep him out.

The deurgar are coming in and speaking about money, debts and arrangements. Apparently the barman owes 300gp, he claims they have a share in the building.

Others are talking about finding a locked room lower down where they store something valuable, but they can't get in.

Someone else was talking about a soul getting ripped right out.

Maolmhuire heads upstairs and wraps up the Matt-Black Shield, leaving it in the corner.

Gilsin is a spell component salesman, left of the Rising Moon, about twenty doors down where there is a sign with a sack on it.

Corym and Harbinger leave to head to the component shop, leaving the others at the bar. Gilsin, the shop owner, is a tiefling - white, thin, with dark horns, one of which is cropped. The man provides everything asked at relatively cheap prices.

Reinholt checks the room carefully before bed.

Harbinger stables Altibo near the door of the nearby stable, not locking the gate just in case.

Rasvyn attempts to scry on the magic circle near the minotaur statues, but it fails. There is clearly a magical protection over this central area.

Rasvyn uses private sanctum on the room for the night.

Harbinger asks Maolmhuire about the shield. He says little, only noting that it should be destroyed.

In the night, Reinholt makes a sneaky attempt to identify the shield. Grief sees him, and the cleric diverts.

After a full night of rest, the group breakfast and discuss their plan. Maolmhuire indicates that Sartine was a follower of the true scriptures of Garr. She understood the difference between the body and the soul, the part needed by Garr and the corpse. She knew how souls were transferred over, and how dangerous it could be if someone intervened in the bridge between life and death. She perfected a spell, a methodology or something that would stop anyone from being brought back.

Dramos believes Ankhelus that he is some kind of demon.

The device she created has not been finished, the name roughly translates to "manor".

Corym casts augury and gets the response - "A place of death, a mile long and wide. The dead don't sleep, the living can't hide. Deep below the mountaintop, past Dver-Kadrik."

Brin Gorat was a lower level which had a calamity causing many deaths. After that, it became a holy place where the dead were taken in remembrance and ritual.

Dramos picks up a rock from outside the Rising Moon.

Maolmhuire picks up the Matt-Black shield. He hears a voice who wants to get as far away as possible. Maolmhuire says that he is going to set him free. He asks Maolmhuire to hold him. Then, he wraps the shield again and leaves.

The group procure Altibo and head on towards Dver-Kadrik. As they move towards the zone, they see someone running towards the zone. Dramos uses his cloak to catch up with man very quickly, but the human seems very furtive. Harbinger pursues on Altibo, panicked to see Dramos move off like that. Apparently this human is running messages for Samuel, who runs messages at the arena.

The party heads on, but a dark-elf, Flyrrhh, bedecked in robes comes out towards the group. He has foreseen the groups coming. He says he cannot let them pass, because they are not strong enough.

A violent undeath begins in Kdarick. It will give you an end that is not fit for any. He claims that the group does not have the strength and will to face what's there, even though they admit to defeating Morthel.

He doesn't listen to reason, smashing into Gartok, then backing up towards Dver-Kadrik.

23/02/2023

The group tries to push forward, then a line of electrical energy bursts towards Flyrrhh. A woman, Gisen, comes into view, enforcing some rules. There are two other individuals, both of which spell casters. She apologises to the group. But, they also indicate that Flyrrhh will need to spend a week in to stockade.

Some punishments include death. Taking a life leads to death.

When Ankehlos is mentioned, the woman is very intrigued in what the group knows. They have one of the Silent Stalkers. Harbinger tells them that there are others who know about the issue in Myste-Hass.

Reinholt breaks the chain for the burial ground.

The air is mossy, with a weird green mist. There are tonnes of graves and mausoleums, many in the past twenty years. There are bones scattered around. There is quite a variety of quality. Maolmhuire is collecting the scattered bones. He places them in sacks and puts them in canvas sacks on Altibo's back.

Harbinger tells Altibo to keep an eye on Dramos.

In the mist, Maolmhuire catches a glimpse of a large number of undead briefly. But, whilst pressing on, a massive bone creature attacks. Harbinger and Altibo finish the creatures, as Corym rakes the lands with dawn. When he dies, the other spirits evaporate.

Dramos sees some words scrolled on the back of the cave, where the tunnel narrows and the mist thins. "Brothers take heed, the crawling god lies in the shadows behind. She cares not what rights we chant to apease (spelt wrong on purpose) her bottomless hunger, or tortures we enact in her name." The text is in common and has been here for some time.

The cavern beyond is naturally formed and pitch black. It splits into two passages about sixty feet into the tunnel. A stone pillar splits the passage.

A streak of blood is sprayed up the left-hand wall. There are relatively new, humanoid tracks that head right. The left tunnel looks untraversed.

Hootie scouts the left passage. Here the walls are covered in a phosphorescent fungi. There are several caverns and additional exits. There is a jelly-like substances on the floors though.

To the right, there is a long corridor into a large cavern with crystalline formations in the walls. Rasvyn investigates the crystals, it begins to glow vibrantly and the wizard disappears. Gartok follows and also disappears.

There are footprints going towards both exits in this room, but none that go towards the crystals other than Rasvyn and Gartok's footprints.

Corym follows.

The first two emerge in a large cavern with another set of crystals on the wall. There are two exits which have light coming from, but the rest is dark. The goliath can hear someone one speaking in giant, talking about moving something.

Corym emerges into a smaller cavern where he can hear running water.

Reinholt sends a message to Rasvyn, who informs them that Gartok is with them, but not Corym.

Corym turns left and follows his route. He finds a chamber filled with a grey jelly-like material, surrounding gestating eggs. In another chamber he sees a waterfall and large body of water.

Reinholt sends a message to Corym asking where he is. He says that his location is unknown. He's near a large waterfall that is quite noisy. He says he's alone. He says there is no immediate danger, but he is lost.

Gartok seems to be directly ahead, even though the passage splits into two. Gremlin scouts left. The cavern opens out, one lit, one massive. There is a corpse of a monstrous creature here as well, cyclopes with a chest.

To the right, there is a chamber filled with jelly and eggs. Little worms are in the jelly.

Harbinger uses her locate creature spell to find Rasvyn.

Rasvyn casts comprehend language to help understand the giants. They set off towards the cyclopses, using druid craft to mark which way they've been with little flowers.

It turns out there are multiple chambers with jelly-like, gestation pods.

Continuing, they emerge into the dead-worm chamber. Here four massive cyclopes appear. Rasvyn and Gartok also arrive in this chamber, from an another passage.

The creatures make Harbinger vulnerable to thunder and lightening damage, then combat begins.

ROLL INITIATIVE.