Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer Creatures
Frozen Sick
D&D Beyond Basic Rules
Basic Rules (2014)
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Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer CreaturesFrozen SickD&D Beyond Basic RulesBasic Rules (2014)Sign in to view your library & saved favorites.
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Tetrevess says “Let’s secure and explore this place. It’s a wonderful home base. To the coatl, he says- we would welcome your continued company and support. I don’t wish to kill this creature when it wakes- perhaps it will submit to our rule, now that the Mythalar is under our control. but if not, we may need your help. “. The adventurers explore the time device and then complete their rest, Tetrevess scribing the spells into his book.
(can we just claim rulership of the city, tell all the mages, nothics and etc to serve us or leave?- alternatively, was thinking maybe we just take this section with us? Tetrevess remembers the balcony which amplifies his voice, he could cast tongues and stand out there and make a declaration. Can we fly it someplace out of this cave of ice?or use control weather to thaw the local area?). Very fun concept.
He’d like to make a Galven Magen, for himself, maybe to help guard things when we’re not around..
Yes, Tetrevess can make 1 magen. For more, he'll need to obtain additional quicksilver, but otherwise very do-able. They're programmability is limited, but they make competent guards. Don't forget, though: your hp total decreases by an amount equal to the magen's CR. For galven, it's 3hp.
You could take just the Spire of Iriolarthas. You're under it right now, the room with the stars and the devil's and the Giant Spindle was at the top. The ball is still going in the main entrance hall, and VENERANDA, (the brain in a jar on a helmet horror) is also present. The ball is being enjoyed by three more brains in jars, which you'll see if dispel magic is used to end the ball.
You didn't find it before, but there is a chest holding an abracadabrus, also a dozen bottles of magically preserved 2000 year old wine (somehow worth only 50gp each?!)
Info found in the library (eventually)
If disaster ever struck the city, the wizards could exploit the power of the obelisk to turn back time and avert ruin. The schematics contain instructions for activating the obelisk, which requires a staff of power as a power source.
The command word to reopen the magic door to the star-filled chamber is “Saldrinar,” which also happens to be the name of a long-dead Netherese archmage.
The command word to deactivate the force field around the spire is “Olostin.” If this name is spoken aloud within Iriolarthas’s study, the force field surrounding the spire and the Ythryn mythallar deactivates permanently (Avarice had already done this.)
The areas with the mythallar and the library are Iriolarthas' lair. Teleportation magic is suppressed in these places except short range line of sight travel like misty step. DD is out.
Edit: forgot to mention, this effect fades away after 10 days once Iriolarthas is destroyed.
(Small) Spoiler:
This actually means that the coatl didn't appear from another plane, but rather was already nearby when Sam summoned her. This is actually in the book, but she's not supposed to harm another creature, but I figure a sleep bite won't really hurt the thaluud (tomb tapper)
Tomb tappers, like the sleepy on3 are magical creations of the Netherese. They are sentient to a degree greater than magen, but cognitively limited. They venerate earth elementals and magic items, believing these things nearest to the source of all magic. They are thus practicing a religion in liberating magical items from mere mortals, as they see it. These things are basically truffle pigs. They'll find the valuable thing you want, but they want it for themselves. Also, they dig for it.
You'll also see the obekisk. A sixty-foot-tall obelisk of black stone, its surface covered in arcane runes, projects from the ground. A thin crack has formed on one side, stretching from the obelisk’s base to its middle. You know it doesn't work, but it can be activated
Twtrevess recognizes that the magic runes inscribed on the obelisk represent all eight schools of magic. If the check result exceeds the DC by 5 or more, the character also identifies runes relating to chronomancy, the art of magically manipulating time.
Activating the Obelisk. If the characters retrieved Iriolarthas’s staff of power and Veneranda is with them, she insists that the staff be used to activate the dormant obelisk. Any character who succeeds on a DC 20 Intelligence (Arcana) check can verify that this task is not beyond the staff’s power, although it would take at least half of the staff’s charges to accomplish.
You've also got Professor SKANT with you, still. He's an expert on Vampirees, wine, Netheril and the tarrasque. Given you have a scroll of the latter, he shares all he knows, summarized as follows:
The legendary tarrasque is possibly the most dreaded monster of the Material Plane. It is widely believed that only one of these creatures exists, though no one can predict where and when it will strike.
A scaly biped, the tarrasque is fifty feet tall and seventy feet long, weighing hundreds of tons. It carries itself like a bird of prey, leaning forward and using its powerful lashing tail for balance. Its cavernous maw yawns wide enough to swallow all but the largest creatures, and so great is its hunger that it can devour the populations of whole towns.
Legendary Destruction. The destructive potential of the tarrasque is so vast that some cultures incorporate the monster into religious doctrine, weaving its sporadic appearance into stories of divine judgment and wrath.
Legends tell how the tarrasque slumbers in its secret lair beneath the earth, remaining in a dormant state for decades or centuries. When it awakens in answer to some inscrutable cosmic call, it rises from the depths to obliterate everything in its path.
Sam would reach out to the other cotal aspect of the world serpent and do the appropriate sacrifice in its honour, with this understanding Sam would start look at his life choices differently knowing he can’t repent for some of his sins he would still cling to the war domain and cleric hood but be a bit more cautious. Afterward he would study a bit about the sarruk empire on what books and scrolls he would find. Then go to the professor and ask “here do you remember if their were any magical weapons or workshops to create or purchase before the doom”
“So Sam and angus- if we take this place- do we take the whole city or just this spire? We could probably pull the spire away from the rest of it and use it as a flying tower fortress. if we take the whole thing - I do want to make sure the other inhabitants are in control. It seems like these ancients rules with fear and power, not my style but that might be easiest for now- especially if most everything here is evil…” Tetrevess says.
he spends his time learning all he can from the professor, and the library.
“Well it depends Tetrevess, we still have mulamaster to liberate if it’s that one’s intent” pointing at Ched aunt then turns back to the others “we could either take this to mulamaster to show strength but we would reveal are hand to the red wizards, alternatively we could drop it of somewhere in Chult as no one would dare to look for a floating city and we could improve and rebuild the city in general”
Prof. SKANT would inform Sam of the nature of Netherese quasi-magic, and that most items were only magical within range.
<Having one not near a mythallar would be rather like a cell phone with no service.>
"...Later in Netherese history, shortly before the fall of the empire, the use of heavy magic would become common. Extremely potent, the magic was manifest arcane energy, with no truly material aspect, yet resembling in all ways actual matter. Indeed, you could put a real egg and a heavy magic egg from the party on a scale and it would be perfectly balanced. Drop both in a flask if water and the water woukd rise the same amount. Yet, the egg or even the essence of the egg need not have existed elsewhere prior. That is, it js not a conjuring nor an evocation or even a transmutation. However the Netherese created heavy magic is a secret lost to time, it seems, and may not be possible after the substantial limits Mystra had placed in the use of magic in the realm since the death of Mystrl at the hands of Karsus. Perhaps this shift is why the netberese understood magic so differently than we do in the modern era, as it more closely reflected their experiences."
(Ooc- If we take the whole city, this would be the best looting I’ve ever done in any game of D&D lol).
we will find the penguin and invite him to join us- maybe we can find a way to extend his consciousness.
Tetrevess uses the materials and his own life force to create a galven Magen (subtracting 3 hit points permanently) He names him “Fulgar”.
(Could we get a map of the city- and are there other things we haven’t explored we should do in game vs hand waving?)
”I’m not sure we can fight off the red wizards yet, even with this newfound power. This arcane place would make quite a target for them. But perhaps, if we have the right alliances- we could set things right.
. Maybe we can improve or restart the defenses of this city using the powers of this device, it seems we can power devices in range of it far easier than outside. or recruit some support from those creatures that are here. Angus- what would you like to do next?”
Morwena considers what she should share with Samogri, but decides at length there is no harm. All a game of mental Dragonchess for her. "Actually, I have it on good authority that D'arlon Ma has found something of interest here in the North and has left Mulmaster, already. That city was sympathetic to us for a time, or at least willing to look the other way, but while it was a reasonable seat of power for the Zulkirs in exile, it is the Regent of Thay we oppose and finally, we have a way to draw him I to the open. I am off to meet with my mentor once more, but first I have to retrieve something from home."
"Chadderlay," Morwena asks her nephew, "would you care to accompany me?"
<You guys don't need me DMPCing around with Morwena, but she's still present in the story, just not with you. Also let's Chad come back if @Brian_Avery returns, but no issue if not.>
Chad looks uncertain, trying to discern Morwena's motives. "Why do you suddenly need something from Thay? Why didn't you just bring it with you?"
"All things in time, dear boy. If you must know, it hasn't even arrived in Thay yet, but I'm expecting it in the very near future. And with it, we can ris the world of the slavery and tyranny, of the living znd undead, that the Rege t's long rule has wrought."
"No Morwena. Its impossible. The Zulkir of necromancy has contingencies for his contingencies' contingencies. And he knows we're traitors to Thay. We'll never make it out if Thay so long as Szazz Tam rules. And no one, not even you and Darlon Ma and an army if Red Wizarss, can depose him. Fa e it, it's impossibke to remove Szazz Tam from power."
Morwena waits patiently for her nephew to finish before delivering the final note of her rehearsed rhetorical banter.
"I always told your mother what a clever boy you were."
"Don't you say another word about.." Chadderlay interrupts, but Morwena stops him with a gesture and a conceit. "You're right, Chadderlay. Thay and all the Realms will never be free so long as Tam rules, and nobody can remove him from power. So the solution should be obvious to one so sharp." She let's her words hang in the chill air for a long beat before concluding, Szazz Tam mist die."
So, do you want to go to Thay first, or Netheril? Honestly up to you.
<also, sounds like we have a new player joining, sats he's planning on Paladin. We good with that?>
Sounds great!
I’m ok with either quest- what do we want to do?
Cool
Shall we roll for it?
Sure!
(chaddelrly’s player (Brian) hasn’t been on DDB since May 9, previously very active. Hope nothing bad happened. Would be good to add another couple people.)
I’ll roll a d6 1-3 is Thay 4-6 nethril hear we go
5
<Gravity's player reached out recently. But then went dark, so anyone's guess there. Fortunately, either way you go, you're in an open world not a dungeoun, so new players csn just be people that you meet without breaking immersion. Looks like Thay it is, then. I'd suggest travelling with Morwena, but you can get there however you want. >
(Erm shall we say for the sake’s of the game that Sam isn’t giant size when we go to Thay DM)
“Wait morwen we will go with you right T”
(Can we get a refresh as to how things are in thay, what we are up against, and how we should get there? How far is it from where we are now?)
T is on board with accompanying Morwena. Is there a teleportation sigil sequence for the city we are in? If so Tet will learn it before we go, so we can get back “home” easier.