Chronicles of the Accursed (Group 2)

Quote from Faux_Beau >>

(Did we search the cultists and Firion for items?  Surely let's get the archmage's spellbook)

Quote from Mister_Whisker >>

Firion....collapses, his body contorting and twisting, before slowly standing up again as a zombie under the control of the Astral Lich.

His soul has left his body, the lich says, its voice echoing with ancient power and knowledge. His essence retreated into another vessel. Yet Entropy shall find him, as it does all mortal things.

(OOC: Since Firion had apparently arranged a way to transfer his soul to "another vessel" if he was killed, I'd be shocked if carried his main spellbook on his person.  But, yes, good point!  We would definitely loot Firion, the 5 cultists, and the 2 kobold dragonshields who were killed in the fight.  Even if there's nothing immediately useful to the party, perhaps we'll find something valuable enough for bartering.  

If we're not getting a Long Rest before the confrontation with Zolgu, I keep hoping that we'll at least have time to pick up a few items that could help us before we leave the Radiant Citadel or when we first arrive back at the Shaded Isle.  A Scroll of Aura of Vitality or Mass Healing Word could be useful if we have an extended battle or face waves of enemies.  Anything that could reduce damage would improve our chances of surviving, like a Potion of Resistance to cold, necrotic, or acid damage. I don't know how many dragons we'll face, but if we do, a Scroll of Protection from Dragons could be a fantastic way to protect our back-liners.  And given Hildegard's penchant for mounted combat, we really need to pick up a lance for her.  I doubt we'll be able to acquire a Dragonlance, but even an Adamantine Lance would make her a very potent striker!)

Searching through the regurgitated mess of indigestible stuff that Vitarek spit out shortly after eating Firion, you find a Bag of Holding. And inside of said bag there is indeed a spellbook of incredible craftsmanship, with strange gold spirals adorning the black cover

Flipping through it, you find the following spells inscribed in what you hope is red ink:

Cantrips:
light
mage hand
prestidigitation

1st Level:
disguise self
mage armor

2nd Level:
detect thoughts
invisibility

3rd Level:
dispel magic
fly
lightning bolt

4th Level:
—

5th Level:
cone of cold
scrying

6th Level:
—

7th Level:
—

8th Level:
mind blank

9th Level:
—

You have a feeling that, for the right buyer, you have an incredibly valuable tome on your hands, even if it is evidently not the full breadth of Firion's arcane knowledge.

Regarding the kobold dragonshields, you find nothing of any real value. Just crude spears, hide armor, and leather shields. The same things you confiscated from Snog and Dehra. The dead cultists have better gear; each of them was wearing half-plate armor.

Quote from mamoduck >>

 "Agreed," Nickeline says, hurrying along to keep up with Tamphalic and Hewelathan. She asks Lady Selariel if she has any tokens or items belonging to any of her associates which Nickeline could borrow to attempt to contact them.

Selarial would likely some token or similar item that she has used to contact Lord Akkron or one of his servants directly to get her briefing about what was transpiring and her role in stopping it. Something like a sending stone.

Quote from Mister_Whisker >>

Regarding the kobold dragonshields, you find nothing of any real value. Just crude spears, hide armor, and leather shields. The same things you confiscated from Snog and Dehra. The dead cultists have better gear; each of them was wearing half-plate armor.

We definitely take the half-plate!  Korba helps to remove it from the cultists, figuring that we can just leave their bodies here to be claimed by the entropy that the Astral Lich is always talking about.  Korba already wears Mithral Half Plate that we scavenged from an earlier fight with the cult, but even mundane half-plate is valuable!  (The party has powerful magical items, but we haven't acquired that much "treasure" that we haven't spent.)  Korba carries another Bag of Holding that we acquired earlier, so someone else can take the one from Firion's gear.

Hewelathan-Bear suggests, "Maybe the Lich can tell us whether there are any of this other gear is magical?"

Quote from Mister_Whisker >>

Selarial would likely some token or similar item that she has used to contact Lord Akkron or one of his servants directly to get her briefing about what was transpiring and her role in stopping it. Something like a sending stone.

On finding that Selariel does have a way to contact someone on the Shaded Island, Hewelathan-Bear gives a roaring cheer, "Grrrreat!!  Even better!"

If it is basically a Sending Stone, he proposes Sending a message like this:

Shards transferred.  Firion killed but soul fled.  Captured Arkhavel Spike and Dragon Vessel.  Zolgu escaped, empowered with dragon heart. 
Party returning.  Requests status on island.

Hewelathan is happy that the spell forces him to omit any mention of the Astral Lich or the items that they traded for its help.  As Jodie suggested, there's no use in worrying about that problem until they've defeated the Cult of the Dragon Lord Sserah Nightbane!

(OOC: @Mister_Whisker - I think that we're done on the dead god's body, and our focus is on getting back to the Shaded Isle now.

Did you want to role-play our departure?  Do we need to solve a "fox, goose, and bag of beans" puzzle to get everyone up to the Ethereal Cruiser?  Or can we just say that between the Astral Lich's Teleport and the flying creatures -- Selariel, Perdita, and the dragons -- we're able to get everyone up to the Ethereal Cruiser and make it back to the Radiant Citadel after an hour or two? 

Also, once Nickeline reminded us that she could not contact anyone on the Material Plane from here, I think that we would have reordered everything so that we looted the bodies and returned to the Ethereal Cruiser before taking a Short Rest.  That way, we could rest aboard the Cruiser while the autognomes were piloting it back to the Radiant Citadel, getting us back slightly faster.)

Quote from Ben_Evolent >>

(OOC: @Mister_Whisker - I think that we're done on the dead god's body, and our focus is on getting back to the Shaded Isle now.

Did you want to role-play our departure?  Do we need to solve a "fox, goose, and bag of beans" puzzle to get everyone up to the Ethereal Cruiser?  Or can we just say that between the Astral Lich's Teleport and the flying creatures -- Selariel, Perdita, and the dragons -- we're able to get everyone up to the Ethereal Cruiser and make it back to the Radiant Citadel after an hour or two? 

Also, once Nickeline reminded us that she could not contact anyone on the Material Plane from here, I think that we would have reordered everything so that we looted the bodies and returned to the Ethereal Cruiser before taking a Short Rest.  That way, we could rest aboard the Cruiser while the autognomes were piloting it back to the Radiant Citadel, getting us back slightly faster.)

(OOC: I'm fine saying that everyone gets on the cruiser/rides Nordaka back to the Citadel if everyone is fine with that. Sorry, Vitarek isn't going to let anyone ride him; he's an a powerful red dragon. Convenience for humanoids is the last thing on his mind.)

As the cruiser departs, Smiler lounges like he owns the place.

"Such a fun little dance we had," he says wistfully, twirling a strand of his wild hair around one finger. "Would that we could do it all over again... It has been fun such that I have not had in centuries..."

Meanwhile, the Astral Lich watched you go dispassionately. The burning embers of ancient magic in his eye sockets remain impassive, but his posture suggests he is satisfied by the way events unfolded.

Soon enough, you find yourselves back at the Radiant Citadel... with two adult chromatic dragons in tow! Balbor is in his shop when you arrive... hiding under his counter at the sight of the mighty dragons! But as you approach, he peeks out at you.

"So... you have returned with new friends, then?" Balbor says nervously. "That is good... yes? Well... Balbor hopes the ship is still in good working order."

"The cruiser should be completely fine." Tamphalic tells Balbor.

Ruby turns to Tamphalic and speaks in Draconic with greater fluency than her common affords

"I believe I can now control the dragon flame.  If you know this spell, can you copy it in my spellbook?"

((Tamphalic would of course be willing; but up to the DM if allowed on the trip.))

Quote from Secretfool >>

((Tamphalic would of course be willing; but up to the DM if allowed on the trip.))

((Yes, go ahead))

Quote from Mister_Whisker>>

As the cruiser departs, Smiler lounges like he owns the place.

"Such a fun little dance we had," he says wistfully, twirling a strand of his wild hair around one finger. "Would that we could do it all over again... It has been fun such that I have not had in centuries..."

Hewelathan-Bear had only seen Smiler once before, when he appeared before the doors of Talice's crypt.  He's not really sure what to make of the elf, but he says, "If you stick with us, you'll have a chance to 'dance' again.  We're racing back to the Shaded Isle to help defend the people who helped us.  We expect that the remainder of the Cult of the Dragon Lord Sserah Nightbane will soon attack the island if they have not already.  And now that Firion was killed, they will probably be led by Zolgu, the white-scaled Kobold who fled from that last fight."

Meanwhile, the Astral Lich watched you go dispassionately. The burning embers of ancient magic in his eye sockets remain impassive, but his posture suggests he is satisfied by the way events unfolded.

Hewelathan-Bear, never a fan of undead and feeling some responsibility since they gave the Astral Lich two powerful items, looks down at the Astral Lich and the dead god's body as the Ethereal Cruiser sails away.  He grumbles quietly to some of the other party members: "I don't think that we would have survived that last fight without the lich's help, and I'm glad that Jodie secured its assistance.  But I fear what we may have empowered there."  Hewelathan suggests that if they survive the battle with Firion's cult and eventually defeat them, he may be interested in researching how to defeat the Astral Lich and returning (along with anyone who is willing) to take back the evil artifacts the party gave it.

"So... you have returned with new friends, then?" Balbor says nervously. "That is good... yes? Well... Balbor hopes the ship is still in good working order."

Korba backs up Tamphalic, saying, "Yes, it should be fine: we left your autognomes to protect your ship while we visited the body of the dead god.  It was well away from our fight with the dark wizard, the kobold sorcerer, and the lich."  His tone sounds serious but casual, and it may be unclear to Balbor whether his comment is meant to be a statement of fact, an exaggerated tall tale, or some sort of joke.

(OOC: I think that we still owe Balbor the Card Sharp's Deck.)

Quote from Faux_Beau >>

Ruby turns to Tamphalic and speaks in Draconic with greater fluency than her common affords

"I believe I can now control the dragon flame.  If you know this spell, can you copy it in my spellbook?"

As I understand copying a spell you already know is cheap and fast.  Can Tamphalic teach Ruby Fireball?  It would free her to learn two new spells- Phantom Steed and Haste

Copying the Book. You can copy a spell from your spellbook into another book. This is like copying a new spell into your spellbook but faster, since you already know how to cast the spell. You need spend only 1 hour and 10 GP for each level of the copied spell.

 "How could I not help a fellow dragonkin wizard" Tamphalic says with a smile and on the cruiser he scribes the fireball spell into Ruby's spellbook, and will explain to her how the spell works exactly.

Quote from Ben_Evolent >>

On finding that Selariel does have a way to contact someone on the Shaded Island, Hewelathan-Bear gives a roaring cheer, "Grrrreat!!  Even better!"

If it is basically a Sending Stone, he proposes Sending a message like this:

Shards transferred.  Firion killed but soul fled.  Captured Arkhavel Spike and Dragon Vessel.  Zolgu escaped, empowered with dragon heart. 
Party returning.  Requests status on island.

Hewelathan is happy that the spell forces him to omit any mention of the Astral Lich or the items that they traded for its help.  As Jodie suggested, there's no use in worrying about that problem until they've defeated the Cult of the Dragon Lord Sserah Nightbane!

(OOC: @Mister_Whisker - Assuming that Selariel sent a message like the one Hewelathan suggested during our ride back to the Radiant Citadel, did we get any response back about what's happening on the Shaded Isle?)

Quote from Ben_Evolent >>

Quote from Ben_Evolent >>

On finding that Selariel does have a way to contact someone on the Shaded Island, Hewelathan-Bear gives a roaring cheer, "Grrrreat!!  Even better!"

If it is basically a Sending Stone, he proposes Sending a message like this:

Shards transferred.  Firion killed but soul fled.  Captured Arkhavel Spike and Dragon Vessel.  Zolgu escaped, empowered with dragon heart. 
Party returning.  Requests status on island.

Hewelathan is happy that the spell forces him to omit any mention of the Astral Lich or the items that they traded for its help.  As Jodie suggested, there's no use in worrying about that problem until they've defeated the Cult of the Dragon Lord Sserah Nightbane!

(OOC: @Mister_Whisker - Assuming that Selariel sent a message like the one Hewelathan suggested during our ride back to the Radiant Citadel, did we get any response back about what's happening on the Shaded Isle?)

The message comes back from the Shaded Isle:

Island attacked. Dark forces swarmed en masse, but driven back for now. Called reinforcements, both sides. Cultists have something big coming to the island.

"It sounds like it's safe to go back, for now," Nickeline says after hearing the message. "I don't like the sound of "something big coming to the island" but there aren't many things bigger than a dragon, and even few that are bigger than two dragons."

She tries not to think about how many dragons the cult has under its control.

Quote from mamoduck >>

"It sounds like it's safe to go back, for now," Nickeline says after hearing the message.

"Yes," Hewelathan-Bear agrees.  "Safe to return, but we shouldn't delay our return too long."  

How late in the day is it on the Radiant Citadel?  We have to make our way from Balbor's docks to a Teleportation Circle that they can use to return to the Shaded Isle.  But IIRC, we passed through a market on the way to the docks, and if it's still open, we may be able to buy some supplies without too much delay.  Or maybe Selariel knows a trusted vendor who may be will to sell us some potions or scrolls even if the market itself is closed.  Hewelathan thinks that it may be worth the delay.

Hewelathan would leave it to Jodie to attempt to sell off the 4 suits of half plate that they took from the cultists, either to Balbor to some other merchant.

Hewelathan also insists that Jodie take the Ring of Acid Resistance, given the way that the Remnant of Sserah targeted her in their previous fight.

Quote from Ben_Evolent >>

Quote from mamoduck >>

"It sounds like it's safe to go back, for now," Nickeline says after hearing the message.

"Yes," Hewelathan-Bear agrees.  "Safe to return, but we shouldn't delay our return too long."  

How late in the day is it on the Radiant Citadel?  We have to make our way from Balbor's docks to a Teleportation Circle that they can use to return to the Shaded Isle.  But IIRC, we passed through a market on the way to the docks, and if it's still open, we may be able to buy some supplies without too much delay.  Or maybe Selariel knows a trusted vendor who may be will to sell us some potions or scrolls even if the market itself is closed.  Hewelathan thinks that it may be worth the delay.

Hewelathan would leave it to Jodie to attempt to sell off the 4 suits of half plate that they took from the cultists, either to Balbor to some other merchant.

Hewelathan also insists that Jodie take the Ring of Acid Resistance, given the way that the Remnant of Sserah targeted her in their previous fight.

For simplicity's sake, the sets of armor are each worth 1/2 their base value (so 375 GP for each set). Before trying to haggle... they're literally scorched from a giant battle. Balbor will happily take the suits off your hands and polish them up for resale.

Quote from Mister_Whisker >>

For simplicity's sake, the sets of armor are each worth 1/2 their base value (so 375 GP for each set). Before trying to haggle... they're literally scorched from a giant battle. Balbor will happily take the suits off your hands and polish them up for resale.

(OOC: Fair.  Plus we have 300 gp leftover from Talice's crypt, so that's 1800 gp total.  That would be enough to purchase 4 uncommon items and 2 common items at standard prices.  Do spell scrolls and healing potions cost less than that, or is that a special house rule in one of my other games?  A Spell Scroll (Level 3), Potion of Resistance, and various magical weapons are all listed as uncommon.)