Volume 4 Number 4
I'm
not addle-coved, am I?
I know I feel like it somewhat. I've heard so much, I feel like it
all is too much, and no one out there listens to me. OK, I'll deal
with the first part. Bwimb is dead. That's right, Bwinb, the
paraelemental lord of Ooze. This is bad. You know what worries
me more though: No one knows who did it. Sure, there are berks everywhere
claiming to have done it, but no real support for anyone. Therefore,
there is someone out there with the power to kill near gods is hiding out
there, and that scares the frack outta me. It makes me think about
that supposed Sterling Slash group claiming Primus was dead (obviously
false, as we proved he was there afterwards). However, it really
worries me. You know what else is though. Except for two contributors,
I don't even know if anyone reads this rag. Please, I want to know
what's going on. What's with everyone dropping of the planes!
I.
Role Call
Nothing has changed here. No news to report. I'll report it
next week anyway though, to keep all our readers aware.
II.
Where was I?
This is for comparison for Yogi's other campaigns. This is the year
Hashkar 126 (for those on Sigilian calendars), approximately 7 months after
the completion of the Great Modron March, and about two plus years since
the original swallowing of Plague-Mort. For those keeping track,
that is about four and a half since a certain elf and his party first accidentally
used rotten pomegranates to go to Baator... And yet we still trek on...
III.
When we last saw our heros...
Our heroes prepared to enter the heart of Baator, as Xandar decided to
read what notes he could read from the message tube he got back from the
prime. It mentioned that he was holding Janfri, their friend, until
they came to deal with it. That wasn't good. Maybe after the
current venture...
Ready for assassination of a certain Kyton (Quamith, precisely), they started
trekking across the Staircase after hiding their roses (the device of which
was used to identify them as the "Heroes"). After 6 hours of tiring
walking, they got near the landing with the doorway to the doorway to Jangling
Hinter, the chain city of the Kytons. There, Xandar cast his invisibility
spell upon himself, Teb, and Melana, while people exchanged some clothing,
and Glaradrin added make-up and hair coloring to all heroes. No point
in taking chances...
Then they entered through the door they know (with no sign they were seen),
and enter the back storeroom of a chain dealer. The room, walls,
doors, etc are all made of chain. The entire city seems chained up,
as they seen after sneaking out of the store. The chains went up
into the clouds above to be attached to something. The streets are
large chains, attached and securely safely so that no one may fall through
them. The city swayed with heavy winds, and the rain made everything
slick and unpleasant, especially with that smell...
They walked almost non-chalantly walking down the streets, seeing the many
Baatezu varieties, the other races of undetermined origin, and many humans
and other planar races walking about the street with their own business.
Among them were many kytons also, both of large size and smaller size.
The larger ones seemed to be patrolling, and as Morningstar noted, one
was following them since they entered the city. They continued to
the shop where they first made the deal with the spigon baatezu that helped
them end the Iron Shadow when it was here. The shop was now one large
lump of melted and reformed iron. Apparently somebody didn't like
the deal...
Looking around, they found a human dealing chain. With some garnish
spread, they got him to both tell them where to find Panos Queil, the fortress
owned by Quamith, and payed also enough to keep him from spreading the
knowledge that they were looking for him. No body does anything for
free, particularly in Baator.
They turned around back the way they came, which was the straightest way
to the kyton quarter, where Panos Queil was, and both AJ and Morningstar
noticed that they were still being followed. They decided to stop
in the rain and enter the Rust Link, a inn that specialized in merchants,
here in the Merchant Quarter (Isn't that convenient?) There, they
got rooms, and met to plan now that they were in the berg, and to lose
their tail. Two of them became visible again, and they went back
near the original looks (but not really) as to both fool their tailer and
to still avoid obvious detection by the kytons looking for them.
It turned out that would be enough.
They left again into the worsening storm. Slippery links were walked
upon, and the whole city swung in the wind. However, most beings
seemed not to notice the change. After a couple minutes and they
determined they weren't currently being followed, they headed for the kyton
quarter and then stupidly decided to just head right down the main streets
heading for the fortress. They had not gotten two blocks when they
were accosted by a large kyton, the first one they ran across. Fortunately,
they ran into a Kyton that wasn't in the mood for combat right then.
He gave them a verbal tongue lashing, and then sent them back to the Merchant
quarter. The heroes did so, but just after the kyton stopped watching
them, they headed back, realizing it might be smarter if they stuck to
the alleys this time. This proved more intelligent.
As they crept across the town, the were called aside by a hideously ugly
woman in a dark alley. Curious, they followed her to a darkened meat
house (which was spooky in and of itself, as the "meats" all looked to
be intelligent species of humanoids...). There, they could finally
see the half-orc for what she was. She knew information that would
help them, but only if they would help her. Her party had been sent
to retrieve the "spider shield" from the large fortress in the Kyton Quarter
(this sounded very much like Panos Queil, so the heroes were more than
happy to play along), but they met a testy group of baatezu, and the party
was decimated. She was also hit with a disease, and she was just
happy to get back to Sigil alive. When the heroes agreed to the mission
(having been promised to get the reward promised to the original party),
she told them about a special secret entrance into the building, through
a STONE cellar on the building. This was odd, but the heroes believed
it and also were told to go through the swamp below the city to get to
it. She led them to the way down, and then left, happy to have the
weight of the job off her shoulders.
The heroes moved a few hundred feet through the swamp, and found the stone
cellar and entered through the secret entryway (required them to get wet
through submersion), and found it as described. Well, not quite.
They also found a black pudding attacking them right away (safe in a stone
sellar, but think of what it could do to a chain city...). The battle
was punctuated by first A.J. using his sword to severe into two separate
puddings (and them attacking a removing some of the luster from his borrowed
magical plate armor), and a flurry of fire spells hitting it from the group's
spellslingers. Needless to say, it was toasted *duck*.
Climbing out of the pit, they found themselves in another "meat room".
After gathering together, they decided to climb the tower (as opposed to
the direction they heard dog barks from the next room in the level), and
wanted to climb the tower (using what else, but a chain ladder).
Teb approached first (he was sent forward because he was still invisible,
and then three iron cobras popped out of the floor (they sensed his weight
on the chain floor) and started attacking him. They were quickly
cut down by the group (a good thing to, with a particularly lethal bite
and no one able to cast neutralize poison). They ascended the tower
then.
On the second floor, they found a door out of the fortress, a doorway (chains
still, of course) further into the floor of the fortress, and the chain
ladder still going much higher up. They decided to explore the floor
and found a bedroom next with a midnight snack (dead tiefling) and large
stone urn they couldn't open. Further into the floor, they found
more rooms available, and a fiendish "art" gallery. They decided
that was a place they didn't want to go into, and hence went back to the
landing with the chain ladder. Up the tower they went again, still
staying as quiet as possible to avoid detection.
The top of the tower is where they both struck sparkle and hit the blinds.
They found Quamith's alter (chain crisscross, of course), a collection
of his books on a chain bookshelf, and a censer burning over a jar surrounded
by chains. However, they didn't get to explore long, as they were
discovered from the landing below (they were no longer very quiet), and
they heard many kytons assembling below them. They were stuck up
there!
At first, neither side wanted to brave the chain ladder. As the heroes
debated what to do atop the tower, the kytons made their own plans.
They started opening up the chain ceilings 20 feet up, and closing it again
quickly to trap them, and maybe have them fall to the landing where the
kytons waited. They would get the heroes either way, even when they
threw down the books and the emptied censer. Then, they started throwing
down their lightning bolts to scorch all the kytons (chain conducts well).
However, it conducted too well, and at that rate, all of the heroes were
getting wounded by this too, especially as the spellslingers we beat with
the ready chains anytime they showed their faces. By this time, almost
all the healing was gone (especially, as Ed was too far from his deity
to get much in the way of spells.
Then the heroes tried to break out of their little hole. Morningstar
and Xandar flew down the hole, A.J. fell down the distance (for no damage,
as the potion Melana shoved down his throat protected him), and Teb and
Glaradrin jumped and tumbled into the fray. Melana climbed down once
the fray was close, and Ed followed just to take hits, as he had no weapon
that could wound them. During the battle, Quell'Ath fished the little
jar out of the spiked chains and opened it. He was hit by a dart
trap, and as the poison slowly etched through his system, he took the wand
and oil found there and went down. By the time the battle was over,
he was sweating profusely. As for the actual battle, it was marked
by many attempted but failed beatings of A.J., Teb and Glaradrin doing
well, Morningstar making telekinetic punches, and Xandar switching swords,
tossing one blade to A.J., and dropping his other sword. That, and
Melana got a great beheading of Quamith, though they only found that out
afterwards when searching the body.
The chain doors we rattling with the stomping feet of many more kytons
coming. The heroes decided that discretion was the better part of
valor, and ran back the way they came. It was a bit of the chase,
but they were not followed into the cellar. Their fear of the black
pudding was still too much. This gave the heroes time enough to get
out.
The chase through the city was harried, but the heroes finally got back
to the staircase and retreated to the Planewalker's Guild. They finally
seemed ready to rest.... More with #4.5
IV.
When we next meet...
Tagalong Game: Sunday, November 21, 1999, at 1 P.M. in the Pfeiffer Hall
Main Lounge. I should be there by noon, for those who need character
work or want to deal with their experience.
V.
Bazaar Bargains
This issue, we have Messages across the Planes. Owned by a young
human mage by the name Darmid. Seeing a gap where people can have
needs, he runs a message service. However, the messages are sometimes
good and sometimes bad. You see, he only uses many altered message
spells. In fact, aside from some battle spells, it seems to be all
he carries. For 25 gold pieces, he'll send a message of up to 10
minutes. However, it doesn't always get through (some planes seemed
shielded against it), he can only contact the outer planes, astral, and
the Prime Material, and the messages can be interupted. It isn't all that
dependable, but if you need to get a message somewhere fast without caring
who listens, this is great. The service is not guaranteed as one might
guess, and it only seems to work a little over half the time, however,
getting a message home to say you'll be back as soon as you find the right
portal has never been easier, if you can tolerate the service.
VI.
Jo-Ann's Bulletin Board
I place this board up with yet no responsibility for what gets put on it.
I make only two rules in regards to this board. One, I want nothing
promising or directly causing violence. Two, no extreme factional
screed. A little word her or there is fine. But this ain't
you soddin' podium. Just use it to get in contact with other cutters,
or spread general messages. If not, Downbeat will make your brain-box
into mush. Thanks, and hope this is good.
Jo-Ann
That goes double from me, plus Tokkon will want a piece of you too!
Mara
Not much today. I'm finally catching up, so these will come out quickly
for a
while. However, my psycho class is over, and I can work hard again.
So expect the
Notes to come back with a vengance. I still have one more due after
this one, plus
we play tomorrow. Oh, the humanity!
Yogi
Do
you want to say something clever, useful, or just put something on the
board. Then give it to the management, and it will be posted.
Or you can post it yourself. Just let us know.
The Management
VII.
Footnote
Keep safe all of you. A planewalker doesn't always get many friends,
and each of those is very important. Never forget that, wherever
you may roam (and regardless of portal lag).
David "Yogi" Ugorek
DUgorek@hotmail.com
Http://www.oocities.org/TimesSquare/Dungeon/4848
"No, I ain't afraid of the powers striking me down. I just like the
*cough*
the air here in Sigil..."
-Another Nameless Athar