Cue Cut-Scene!
Dark, mysterious room. Portal The QK’s body drops in a heap.
Voice: “Even with all my gifts, you still failed, Ortis? Maybe some bench time will help you.” > Energy crackles, armor … skeleton … barely anything left. Kicked aside. “When need something done right, do it yourself.”
On with the show
Last time, we wanted to track down the QK. Also, Surdak.
Get the Crackling Claw … goes to Saraid.
Find hole in a tunnel that the QK came from, peering into a glimmering wall of light. The Stream of Souls?
Various FabU tables, including all Heroic stuff! VVVVV
Mizzle investigates the portal. Neither the TBs nor Sara help.
The portal seems like it will cause shock to move through it. Could be warded against the worst … a Ritual could do that (Small Area).
Grimoire - Preservation!
Sara and TBs don’t help.
18! Huzzah! And an Opportunity – Information!
→ Will be able to get there without the shock, but extended stay is not going to be good … not damaging, but the overwhelming ether of the SoS will create euphoria, then sublimation into the SoS.
Into the Stream
Step 1
Make it in … outcropping of rock … move onward (tick tick tick) following the trail of the QK.
In the stream, we can see … we are not alone! Small creatures (Nascent Demons, eating emotions and memories of the dead souls …)
We go on …
High Threat Area … so encounter roll a D12. But Mizzle can drop to a D10.
Hop from one spot to another …
Fleshy, cancerous growths, being eaten by Nascent Demons … taking on their aspects … like huge, rotting potatoes …
Step 2
Lose Light, gain MP.
Travel is okay …
Area where the bloated pustules are forming … the infected root of a tree, gouging into the stream, parts of the roots being knocked out …
The QK’s path leads that way … like it came from the roots.
NB - At the time, a question was raised about whether this was Grandfather Oak’s roots. In retrospect, it seems more likely the roots from one of the infected area of the Dancing Forest.
A creature comes out of the roots, closing the passage behind.
“Ah. You have done me a service. I don’t have to keep looknig for you all!”
It’s Surdak!
“Give up the squirrelkin!”
“Over our dead bodies!”
“That Can Be Arranged!”
He has with him a Decay Esprit.
Battle!
Round 1
- Surdak = Ex Vitalis on TBs!
- M studies → Gives us all the stats … and it’s a False Surdak! “We’d like you to release the QK from bondage.”
- Decay Esprit - Slams Mizzle! Damage and Weak.
- TBs - Fire at both of them! The DE seems vulnterable to it.
- Surdak - Mark of Breaking at Sara (target)
- S - Punches with the QK’s Crackling Claw!
Round 2
- Surdak - Ex Vitalis the Acorn Pixie. But immune to Poison!
- TBs - Barrage of Fire! Take down the DE …
- Surdak - Consuming Orb – ouch, also he gets MP back.
- M - Faithful companion - AP heals! TBs and Surdak (damage the undead!)
- S - Same thing! And Grim Resolve to do some more damage.
Round 3
- Surdak - In Crsis! Ex Vitalis on the TBs! 25 Poison, heals back 12. Vulnerable to Fire!
- TBs - Hit! !
- Surdak - Orb on Sara. Ouch! Also, Counterattack with Crackling Claw, Clearly! Nearly take him down!
- M - AP heals Saraid and Surdak! Mostly on her, to control the attack on Surdak.
- S - Eat his lunch!
Spell Buffet! Also, defeated! (( Surdak exits the puppet before it can be captured. ))
“I should have known better than to trust this body!”
Mizzle tells Surdak we’re still willing to talk!
Puppet mask - dead body inside, which dissapates into the Stream of Souils.
Mask remains - Respirator – TBs get it (Resist Poison; Immune to being Poisoned)
We go on …
Sara talks to the bits of root.
Heal for Mizzle and TBs - thanks, AP!
Way is blocked through the growths. Saraid takes point … tries to sway the plant. It works!
Inside … but all are Shaken. But we’re out of the stream.
Growths are in here, too. Out of the Steam, but in Surdak’s Place of Power, which we need to figure out. Threat Level D20 … so “only” a D12 (thanks, Mizzle).
Sara rolls for travel … and we run into trouble. A swarm of Nascent Demons … can we run away?
DEX+INS roll. Mizzle has the Insight to Run Away! TBs help (cover fire!)! Seems dodgy, we try more … we make it away … except one demon spots us … cute little starry eyes …
Raises a flipper, and inches away … it’s the demon of Zenit Eyes!
Saraid pick it up.
The TBs are … really not sure about this (they are a lot closer to their size.)
“Let’s see if we can make you folks not feel okay …”
As we walk along, the chamber seals up. “This is my domain! Bwah-ha-ha!”
A visage becomes visible behind the roots … Surdak!
“I will have the squirrelkin … then I can find Ambra!”
Mizzle tries to talk him down, but the TBs note his brain is probably not working well .
Two blobs drop down, two Mishappen Vessels arise.
Round 1
- Surdak - Bloating Sickmness infesting both Vessels. Bloated! Vuln to Physical
- M - Study! Surdak is known. Vuln to Poison! Resist fire, light!
- Misshapen 1 - vs TBs - Screeching Assault!
- TBs - Fire at the MVs ! Both end up in Crisis, and are Vulnerable to Fire!
- Surdak - MV attack Screeching Assault - Misses M and S (and it hurts the MS)
- S - Crackling Craw on MS 2 and Surdak. MS is vulnerable to Bolt!
- Misshapen 2 - Screeches at M and S.
One of the MVs shuffles and kicks a little piece of bone (“Skull Fragment”) – Mizzle realizes it’s the Quiet Knight.
Round 2
- Surdak - Nauseating Horde - reabsorbs MV 2, healing up.
- TBs - Barrage at the MV with Fire. Destroy it! Explodes in a bunch ichor. Information! The Skull Fragment contains the QK’s trrapped soul … we just need to destroy the vessel to free it!
- Surdak - Consuming Tide on M -
- S - Ex Vitalis … miss, but invokes a Bond to Lady Ambra. Zap – with Vulnerable Poison damage … and Saraid recovers 19 hp!
- M - Arcanum of Storm Crow - on the Skull Fragment. Ignores Resist and Immune. 30 HP! Crisis! A shadowy figure begins to rise up out of it … and take a defensive stance in front of Mizzle.
Round 3
- Surdak - cannot puppet, so Putrid Disgorge on the Acorn Pixie … immune to Poison, but Weak.
- TBs - Equipment swap - Microwave Rifle
- Surdak - Nauseating Horde - a new MV will appear …
- S - punch Surdak out. Hits with a bunch of damage.
- M - Leaf Strorm from AP. Slows him.
Round 4
- Surdak - Bloating Sickness - Bloats MV 1
- TBs - Microwave time!
- MV 1 - Screech at TBs … resisted damage but Slow.
- S - Ex Vitalis! - Hits! Takes Surdak down!
… poison seeps into the roots … the chamber shudders … the MV, being puppeted, also writhes …
M dashes and grabs the Fragment …
All is sealed up … but the roof shows day light … but that will take too long to climb …
M - Prisma shouts out, “This is bad, ! Scary! Don’t want you all to get hurt! I wish I could take you all with me and get out of here!”
Prisma grows to enormous size! Grows wings! Grabs us! Bolts for the ceiling!
Surdak spends an UP to escape!
We are … where?
We are over the Dancing Forest!
We can see pockets of the same corruption as in the Stream of Souls!
Mizzle shatters the skull … a ghostly figure rises from it, replete in the same armor as the QK, in a less decrept form.
Hands his sword, and he dissipates … to the Stream of Souls … Mizzle bids farewell … “My name was Ortis … I thank you for freeing me from my servitude …”
Mizzle vows to make his name remembered.
The Sword is a small fragment of Sir Ortis.
Mizzle’s face – he is crying unashamed.
Saraid is proud of Mizzle.
TBs are overwhelmed by the dramatic magic.
Wrap-up!
D&M dark next week.
Back on the 14th
Then dark 3 more weeks.
Then the 11th. Unless M is too woozy.
5+2+1 = 8 ==> 14! Level Up!
Going forward …
- Things in the forest
- The elves (and New Thule, and evacuees)
- Squirrelkin nearby (Rose, Jenny Tarot)
- Druid Lixana knows about demons and so forth.
The Little Demon is still with us. S just needs to figure out how to talk with them (Mizzle does a ritual?)
(Looking at S’s next class.)
Rewards … things we found while searching for a way to escape.