New Frontiers #101

[GM Mad]

New Frontiers #101

The Guardians stay in Ansimont continues. Outside of town Baron Validar wraps up his conversation with Jacob of Eldath, a former Deville and one time champion of the gladiator arena in Akorros.

As they take their leave from the priest, Rek reaches into his pack and offers the priest one of his rations. "It is not much, but it fills the belly," he says as he tosses it to him.

"May the Green Goddess bless you," Jacob says accepting the ration. "I thank you for your generosity."


Back at the Amber Waves Inn, some of the Guardians are chatting with the new Duke.

"I am not of noble birth. I come from a simple home where my family raises horses of some standing." With a thoughtful look, "There are many things which I would wish to see in years time: peace, prosperity not only for the rich and noble but for the poor and unfortunate. A family, though all these are far from our grasp.

I do not believe I have the stomach for politics nor wish to, Your Grace. Perhaps become a Battle mage beneath our Arch Mage, to protect our lands, and when I am not called upon, research and pass on the knowledge I have learned and raise fine horses, perhaps even marry.

I am but a simple man with simple dreams."

"And there is a place in Cynalon for men such as yourself," the Duke states. "Knowing what you want at such a young age gives you a very good opportunity to get it."

[GM Mad]

Later that evening, the Guardians are reunited. Sherra reveals what she overheard at the Devir Warehouse that uninvited guests are coming. Baron Validar plans for the arrivals and the plan is modified slightly after Sir Corley makes some suggestions.

Lyonessa sends Dusk out into the night for an extra pair of eyes. The owl has superior nighttime senses and flies overhead in a large circle at first. Sherra and Regnak also move outdoors and select secluded hiding places.

The Guardians are split up amongst the two rooms that they share. Baron Validar, Sir Acerion, Sir Belfor, Chareos and Squires Moonshadow and Flint are in the room with the Duke. Sir Corley, Ivy, Lyonessa, Phelan, and Squires Sara and Jocasta are in the other. Time passes as everyone waits for the arrival of the uninvited guests.

Finally as the clock nears midnight, Dusk spots movement and telepathically relays what he sees to Lyonessa. The doors to the DeVir Trading Company open and a pair of covered wagons ride out. A pair of horses pulls each wagon and a single driver controls them. The wagons are slowly directed through the deserted streets of Ansimont. They reach the Amber Waves Inn and come to a stop.

Four men emerge from the back of each wagon and go inside. Both Sherra and Regnak observe this and note that they are plainly dressed. No armor or obvious weapons can be seen. The drivers remain with the wagons.

Inside the Inn, the men move as quietly as they can, but they are not trained in the art of stealth. Creaks and groans from the wooden floor are plainly heard. From the sound of it, the men are nearing the door to the women’s room, where they believe the Duchess to be staying. The handle is grasped and the door swings open.

At that moment, Ivy casts Hold Person and several of the men in the group stop moving. The door to the other room swings open and the Guardians come rushing forth. Clearly the men were not expecting any type of resistance! From the looks of them, they are not fighters of any kind and are lacking in weaponry. A few do have daggers.

Those that can still move try to run back down the stairs, but Sherra and Regnak block their path. They meekly surrender, drop their weapons, and plead for mercy.

[GM Mad]

GM Notes:

The men are basically your typical workers in town, not adventuring types. Sherra and Regnak secured the drivers before coming up stairs. It didn’t take much to over power these guys.

To save some time, here are the answers to some of the more obvious questions that they’ll be asked.

Who are they working for?

They will swear that they are working for Charles Ansimont. They collected people on his direct order.

Where were they to take you?

Back to the DeVir Warehouse. Charles is waiting for them there. There is a platform and winch arrangement inside the warehouse. The Duke, Duchess, and any mages were to be placed on the platform and then lowered deep into the earth. They’d estimate that the platform goes down a shaft about 300’ deep. None of them have ever gone down the shaft. Only Charles has been down there. Sometimes supplies are sent down the shaft. Just who or what unloads the platform is unknown to them.

Did they take Myveria?

Yes, she was grabbed just like you were supposed to be. A sleeping agent was laced with her and Phelan’s food. They came once they were safely asleep and took Myveria away. She was placed on the platform and lowered down. That was the last they saw of her.

Are these men evil?

For the most part no, but clearly they are not all that nice either. Sir Acerion will note a tinge of evil in a few of them, but it’s mild at best. Most of the men were just obeying the orders of their town leader. They were to come to the inn, take those previously indicated to them, load them into the wagons, and then drive back to the DeVir Warehouse. The area outside the inn remains deserted. There’s no one out to notice any of this going on.

Now what?

[Validar]

Baron Validar of Pyris -

The group that comes in heads for the Duchess' room, but they are easily stopped. There are eight men captured, plus another two drivers. Interrogations begin and some interesting, if disturbing, information is revealed.

They were to get the Duke and Duchess and also any mages. and supposedly they were acting on Charles Ansimont's orders. Either he has been replaced or he works for the Devilles or is somehow enthralled by them. In any case, there is some concern about what is exactly happening here.

Validar will address the group. "We will keep these men here in custody. They may be acting on orders, but they also are engaged in an immoral act. We will decide what to do with them later. At this point, we do not know who we can trust. I also want that serving wench Sherra saw found and arrested. She'll not get away with such treachery."

"We will have to go to the source of this problem. If Charles is there, then perhaps we can get to the bottom of this issue. Duke, I would humby request permission to apprehend and take into custody Charles Ansimont, once he is located."

"For now, the Duke will remain here, with Sir Belfor, Sir Acerion and the squires as guards. The rest of us will head to the warehouse in the wagons. Likely we will not be noticed or stopped before we get there and with luck we should be able to enter without any opposition. From there, we will find this shaft, and find out what is trully happening here."

"I want Sherra and Regnak to slip out of one of the wagons and cirlce around for an alternate entrance. It cannot hurt to have multiple prongs to our presence. Lyonessa, if you would have Dusk fly about the area ahead of us and let us know if there are any men about outside the warehouses before we get there?"

"We may be forced to split up to complete that which we need to do. It is not my preference, but I will not have the Duke joining us on an underground expedition and he must continue to be guarded. Hopefully, going to the warehouse will answer more questions than it creates." Which would be a change, Validar thinks to himself.

"We'll have two of us drive the wagons, cloaked for some secrecy. The rest will be split between the two wagons, the one to the rear with Regnak and Sherra to fascillitate them sneaking out more easily. Hopefully we will have no bloodshed, but do not assume that the 'Charles' we find is not a threat to us. He could be some sort of doppleganger."

[Corley]

Sir Corley:

The long waiting is finally over. Lady Lyonessa relays the enemies progress as seen through the eyes of her familiar, Dusk. Thus Sir Corley is more than ready to engage the enemy once they show! The creaking of the floor gives away their position and tells us that they are right outside the door!

The door slowly opens and Lady Ivy invokes the power of her goddess. Several of the men cease moving. Confusion follows as the others rush in from the other room and the men try to run, only to find their path blocked! It seems as if they were only workers and otherwise not a threat to us. They are easily subdued and questioning follows.

“It seems that we shall be visiting this DeVir Warehouse,” Sir Corley notes. “It will be good to get the bottom of this mystery!”

Sir Acerion and the squires are to remain here with the Duke and the prisoners. Before departing, Sir Corley will say to Sir Acerion, “I know you would rather accompany us, but rest assured my friend I will strike a blow to the enemy in your name!”

Once at the wagons, Sir Corley will take a seat in the back. None of these men was wearing armor before, so it would be difficult to pass off as one of these men.

Before riding off, Sir Corley will whisper to Baron Validar, “Since Lady Sherra is the only one of us who knows where this warehouse is, she’ll need to be in the first wagon to provide directions. At least until we get close enough.”

[Ivy]

Ivy:

Ivy holds her breath as she hears the men approaching. She nearly forgets to breathe! As the door opens, she casts Hold Person and several of the men stop in their tracks. Their defeat soon follows and it is clear they were not prepared for any resistance.

While Ivy is pleased that no blood was spilled, their acts were criminal and thus they may face punishment in the future. But now is not the time to worry about such things. They explain that those they capture are lowered down a shaft deep into the depths of the earth.

“Could we be dealing with drow here?” Ivy can’t help but wonder. “Or something else that lives down in the depths? If they do have Charles under their control with magic, then I have a spell that will remove it. I’ll just need to get close enough to him to use it.”

Baron Validar lays out his plan to attack. We are to use the wagons to ride back to the warehouse, however Sir Acerion is to remain behind to guard the Duke.

“I must go with them,” Ivy tells her beloved with a hug. “They might need my healing skills against whatever they face. I hope that both of our exploits this evening prove to be uneventful. We’ll be back before you know it.”

Ivy will wrap herself up in her cloak to protect against the cold and climb into the rear wagon. She holds her mace tightly, confident that they can handle whatever enemy opposes them.

[Xander Churr]

Regnak

"May the Green Goddess bless you," Jacob says accepting the ration. "I thank you for your generosity."

“And the Lady of Mysteries bless you.”

Four men emerge from the back of each wagon and go inside. Both Sherra and Regnak observe this and note that they are plainly dressed. No armor or obvious weapons can be seen. The drivers remain with the wagons.

Looking to the area Sherra is, he catches the moonlight with his blade shinning it toward her and moves forward silently. The driver is merely leaning against his knees looking at his hands. Not much of a guard he thinks to himself as he quietly moves about the wagon and drags the driver to the ground. Lashing out with his fist a few times the driver lays unconscious. Looking to see if Sherra needs help with the other driver Rek then moves into the Inn, shortsword and morning star in hand.

Moving up the stairs with Sherra he sees those who enter begin to move forward. With his shortsword out before him (offhand) and his morning star in his right. He waits for them to come closer.

“Do stay awhile.” They meekly surrender, drop their weapons, and plead for mercy.

Ivy wrote
“Could we be dealing with drow here?” Ivy can’t help but wonder. “Or something else that lives down in the depths?

“Or both. Though what would drow want with spell casters?” he asked curiously “Don’t they possess mages in their own right?”

Rek takes up his position at the rear of the second wagon, whomever is to drive he asks them, "Just run your hand to your hair line, when the time comes for me to depart."

[Chareos]

Chareos


“Thank you your grace.” He says in reply.

"For now, the Duke will remain here, with Sir Belfor, Sir Acerion and the squires as guards. The rest of us will head to the warehouse in the wagons. Likely we will not be noticed or stopped before we get there and with luck we should be able to enter without any opposition. From there, we will find this shaft, and find out what is trully happening here."

"I want Sherra and Regnak to slip out of one of the wagons and cirlce around for an alternate entrance. It cannot hurt to have multiple prongs to our presence. Lyonessa, if you would have Dusk fly about the area ahead of us and let us know if there are any men about outside the warehouses before we get there?"

Taking a look at the drivers, Chareos notices how they are dressed. Looking about the others he realizes that none are as plainly dressed as they, though… Moving to his pack he takes out his old riding gear that still harbors, travel worn marks about it. “I may be able to pass as a driver in this, though my staff and sword may have to remain in the wagon.”

Dawning the garb and pulling a hood from his old robe up he takes the driver seat of the first wagon.

Who are they working for?

They will swear that they are working for Charles Ansimont. They collected people on his direct order.

“Could this be why Anismont has known relative peace? A deal made to keep his dwellings safe.” He asks out loud.

[Validar]

Baron Validar of Pyris -

“It seems that we shall be visiting this DeVir Warehouse,” Sir Corley notes. “It will be good to get the bottom of this mystery!”

"Indeed it will. It has been a question for a long time and lately a bigger problem than originally expected." Validar makes a note to be sure to visit all of the sizeable settlements in Pyris one of these days to make himself aware of the main people there.

Before riding off, Sir Corley will whisper to Baron Validar, “Since Lady Sherra is the only one of us who knows where this warehouse is, she’ll need to be in the first wagon to provide directions. At least until we get close enough.”

"Alas, you are correct." Validar will make this adjustment and Sherra will have to make herself as sneaky as possible. He is confident that she will be up to the task.


“Could we be dealing with drow here?” Ivy can’t help but wonder. “Or something else that lives down in the depths? If they do have Charles under their control with magic, then I have a spell that will remove it. I’ll just need to get close enough to him to use it.”

“Or both. Though what would drow want with spell casters?” he asked curiously “Don’t they possess mages in their own right?”

"I would not be surprised. We have been encountering drow with our enemies of late. This may be one more connection to them. We must be prepared to face them."

"As for the drow and their needs, remember the wands we found? Perhaps they are capturing mages to bind to their dark magick weapons. That would be a foul purpose indeed and would require us to deal with such an abomination in totality."

"I do not think Charles, if it really is him, is an enemy, so try your magick. We must be aware that it could be someone disguised as him."

“I may be able to pass as a driver in this, though my staff and sword may have to remain in the wagon.”

"Keep them hidden at your feet, in case we need to be ready for a fight. But I expect them to let us roll right in. These men were not expecting opposition; there is no reason to assume that those at the warehouse would expect any different."

"Of course, this could be a ruse to draw us to the warehouse and split our forces, but that is a risk we have to take."

“Could this be why Anismont has known relative peace? A deal made to keep his dwellings safe.” He asks out loud.

"That is something we must consider as well. That Charles is acting not out of evil, but out of preservation of his town. In any case, we shall know soon enough."

[GM Mad]

Post Continued:


The Guardians continue to unravel the conspiracy that exists in Ansimont. The sleeping agent laced into their food was purified by Ivy’s spell, thus it was ineffective. So when the men came to collect the Duke, Duchess, and spellcasters, they found fully awake adventurers! The men surrendered without a weapon being drawn. The men answer questions put to them and it is learned that Charles Ansimont himself ordered this action and that the group was to be taken to the DeVir Warehouse. There, they were to be lowered into the depths of the earth for some unknown purpose.

"We will have to go to the source of this problem. If Charles is there, then perhaps we can get to the bottom of this issue. Duke, I would humbly request permission to apprehend and take into custody Charles Ansimont, once he is located."

“You may proceed,” the Duke announces. “Do what you think is best in this matter. We will await your return.”


While the men are being held in one room of the inn, the Duke and his guards are stationed in another. The Guardians move out of the inn and into the waiting wagons. Chareos takes the reigns of the first wagon and following Sherra’s whispered directions, leads the procession through the deserted streets.

Dusk keeps pace overhead, providing an owl’s eye view of the town below. The DeVir warehouse is reached. Dusk notes no movement in the area. Sherra and Regnak slip out of the wagons before reaching the warehouse without notice. A rear entrance is found, but the door is locked. The lock proves to be no obstacle to Sherra and the pair enters through the rear.

Out front, the large entry doors swing open as the wagons approach. Men move the doors aside to allow the wagon’s passage. The wagons ride in and the doors close behind them. Chareos can see only a few men here, along with Charles Ansimont.

The Guardians spring out of the wagons and the men are quickly overpowered. Again, they were not expecting any trouble and are not warriors. Charles Ansimont is secured. When that happens, Phelan rushes the man, his dagger drawn.

“Where is she!?” the obviously agitated man demands. “What have you done to Myveria?”

“I don’t know where she is now,” Charles calmly answers. “All I know is that the master desired her.”

Ivy casts Remove Magic on Charles, a combat version of Dispel Magic. The affect on Charles is immediate. He’s knees buckle and the calmness he had before his gone. It is clear that some magic was controlling him!

During this time, the rest of the warehouse is scouted and secured. Near the back is the winch and platform arrangement described to you. Sherra estimates that there is enough rope to go down at least 250’.

Once he is calm enough, Charles tells his tale. “There is a monster down there that controlled me and others. I don’t know how it made contact with the surface, or even how this shaft was built. There was a woman who founded this trading company. Zora DeVir was her name. We met and she invited me to warehouse. I normally wouldn’t have been interested in such a thing, but there was something about her that compelled me to do so.”

“The next thing I knew, we were being lowered into the earth. There’s a small landing area down there with a small lake next to it. As I wondered why we were here, something from underneath the lake surfaced. It was the monster!”

“Zora called it an ‘aboleth’, but that name had no meaning to me. This aboleth was a monstrous fish, some twenty feet long with four tentacles around it’s head. It had three large eyes. The beast looked at me, its will boring into my mind. It’s controlled me and my thoughts ever since. It wanted magic users and so I gave them to it. A few other locals were brought down to meet the aboleth, while others were just following the orders given to them.”

“Those mages given to the aboleth are controlled by it. When it has several under its control, it swims off with them down into the lake. I don’t know where they go from there.”

“Baron Validar, you must go down there and kill this monster! It has caused much hardship and suffering for many years now!”


Now what?

[Lyonessa]

Lyonessa:

"I want Sherra and Regnak to slip out of one of the wagons and cirlce around for an alternate entrance. It cannot hurt to have multiple prongs to our presence. Lyonessa, if you would have Dusk fly about the area ahead of us and let us know if there are any men about outside the warehouses before we get there?"

"Of course, Baron," Lyonessa replies and communicates to Dusk what she needs him to do next.

Dusk keeps pace overhead, providing an owl’s eye view of the town below. The DeVir warehouse is reached. Dusk notes no movement in the area.

"All is quiet," Lyonessa says softly. Her hopes and fears of her sister mix with the upcoming confrontation, making her a little anxious.

The Guardians spring out of the wagons and the men are quickly overpowered. Again, they were not expecting any trouble and are not warriors. Charles Ansimont is secured. When that happens, Phelan rushes the man, his dagger drawn.

“Where is she!?” the obviously agitated man demands. “What have you done to Myveria?”

“I don’t know where she is now,” Charles calmly answers. “All I know is that the master desired her.”

"Phelan, wait!" Lyonessa calls out, rushing forward before he can injure or kill Charles. Ivy casts her spell and then a horrible truth is revealed.

Lyonessa will try to remember if she has heard any tales or legends about an aboleth before. Anything that might help them defeat the creature or give some insight to why it would want magic users.

[Corley]

Corley:

The warehouse and Charles Ansimont are secured as easily as the men back at the inn. None of these men have the skill to be any real threat to us without resorting to trickery. The outcome is never in doubt.

Lady Ivy casts a spell that seems to free Charles Ansimont from some dire influence. He relates a tale of some monster down in the depths of the earth and begs the Baron to go forth and destroy this creature. As for what this monster is, it too is unknown to the young knight.

“Charles is correct, we must go confront this beast who has been controlling the town and kidnapping mages. However, we must take measures to ensure that we don’t fall under its influence either.”

Turning to the spell casters present, Sir Corley will say, “Do any of you have protective magicks that would prevent us from being controlled like Charles was?”

[Ivy]

Ivy:

"Where is she!?" the obviously agitated man demands. "What have you done to Myveria?"

"I don't know where she is now," Charles calmly answers. "All I know is that the master desired her."

"Phelan, wait!" Lyonessa calls out, rushing forward before he can injure or kill Charles. Ivy casts her spell and then a horrible truth is revealed.

Ivy rushes to join Lyonessa. “Stop, Phelan! Violence won’t solve anything!”

If it comes to it, Ivy has will cast Command on Phelan and order him to move away from Charles.

Ivy casts Remove Magic and whatever enchantment in control of Charles is lifted. He’s seems to be free and relates a chilling tale. Some giant fish below our feet is responsible for this and it is the one who wants the mages, taking them somewhere underwater!

“It’s almost too incredible to believe!” Ivy notes.

“Charles is correct, we must go confront this beast who has been controlling the town and kidnapping mages. However, we must take measures to ensure that we don’t fall under its influence either.”

Turning to the spell casters present, Sir Corley will say, “Do any of you have protective magicks that would prevent us from being controlled like Charles was?”

“Protection from Evil spells are known to block Charms, so that may protect us. I have Protection from Evil 10’ Radius in memory. However, those under its protection cannot move more than 10’ away or be unprotected.”

“Do you recall the magical ring I was given as part of my share from Twin Forks? With it I can walk upon water like it was solid ground. It might come in handy when facing a waterborne foe.”

Ivy will be ready to go down the shaft.

[Acerion]

Sir Acerion:

“I must go with them,” Ivy tells her beloved with a hug. “They might need my healing skills against whatever they face. I hope that both of our exploits this evening prove to be uneventful. We’ll be back before you know it.”

"Of course you must go," Acerion says, complete acceptance in his tone. "They will have need of your gifts, my love. I too hope that the night is uneventful, but I believe it can not be so until we get to the bottom of what is happening here."

Acerion watches his comrades go, giving a wave and a nod to those who look back. He settles in with the rest of those whose job it is to guard the Duke and remains vigilant throughout the night.

________________________________________________

ooc: Sorry for the delay in posting all. Between work, the holidays and recovering from this nasty cold, it hasn't left time for anything else lately.

[Sherra]

Sherra:

Before riding off, Sir Corley will whisper to Baron Validar, “Since Lady Sherra is the only one of us who knows where this warehouse is, she’ll need to be in the first wagon to provide directions. At least until we get close enough.”

"Alas, you are correct." Validar will make this adjustment and Sherra will have to make herself as sneaky as possible. He is confident that she will be up to the task.

"Makes the most sense," Sherra agrees. "No need to worry about me. I'll manage just fine," she adds with a grin.

While the men are being held in one room of the inn, the Duke and his guards are stationed in another. The Guardians move out of the inn and into the waiting wagons. Chareos takes the reigns of the first wagon and following Sherra’s whispered directions, leads the procession through the deserted streets.

Using her Armor of Blending to hide her, Sherra crouches near Chareos. She will direct him with words so soft that they barely reach his ear despite her lips nearly touching him. Once there is no need for direction, she slips out of the wagon, landing noiselessly and makes her way around the back.

Dusk keeps pace overhead, providing an owl’s eye view of the town below. The DeVir warehouse is reached. Dusk notes no movement in the area. Sherra and Regnak slip out of the wagons before reaching the warehouse without notice. A rear entrance is found, but the door is locked. The lock proves to be no obstacle to Sherra and the pair enters through the rear.

"This won't take long," Sherra whispers to Regnak upon seeing the lock. True to her word, the pair slip inside soon enough.

There isn't anything that could be considered a struggle as they round up the men easily enough. It's tense for a moment when Phelan gets a bit hot-tempered, but the situation doesn't go any further. Having nothing else that needs her immediate attention, Sherra begins to explore the warehouse, looking for clues or anyone trying to hide themselves.

During this time, the rest of the warehouse is scouted and secured. Near the back is the winch and platform arrangement described to you. Sherra estimates that there is enough rope to go down at least 250’.

Sherra lets out a low whistle as she looks down the shaft, getting an estimate of the length of the rope. She catches most of Charles' story and rejoins the others.

Depending on what is decided about how to handle the decent and pursuit of this monster, Sherra offers a suggestion, "I can lower myself down without need of the platform if you want me to scout first, Baron. The noise of the platform might give us away if the monster is nearby. With my boots and armor I'll be silent and undetectable. Plus if this creature can detect magic or magic users, I won't be likely to show up to it, or be of much interest to it."

[Validar]

Baron Validar of Pyris -

Entering the warehouse and subduing the men there is a simple matter, completed with no loss of life. The men quickly surrender. Charles is seen and also 'dealt with' by Ivy, breaking some enchantment upon the man.

Once himself again, Charles explains what he knows about the monster down below, called an aboleth, whatever that may be. Some sort of fish or amphibian, with huge tentacles and some sort of mind-numbing abilities. Validar recalls his childhood and the many years spent reading endlessly and listening to stories from Lars, his father's scribe. He recalls some legend about ancient aberrations, including the illithids, beholders and aboleths. Unfortunately, his memory does not include anything more concrete about their abilities. The story of their appearance made them seem as nasty and abominable as Mindlflayers or worse. Apparently they must have some of the same mental powers as these other aberrations. Certainly they are told to be just as malevolent as their 'cousins'.

“Those mages given to the aboleth are controlled by it. When it has several under its control, it swims off with them down into the lake. I don’t know where they go from there.”

“Baron Validar, you must go down there and kill this monster! It has caused much hardship and suffering for many years now!”

"This Zora DeVir could be an alias for one of the Devilles, especially as the names are so similar. But even if not, we must end this affront to the people here and end the danger that exists. By your words, this Zora, whoever she may truly be, has been guilty of kidnapping and possibly worse. Her evil will be ended, as will that of this aboleth."

“Charles is correct, we must go confront this beast who has been controlling the town and kidnapping mages. However, we must take measures to ensure that we don’t fall under its influence either.”

Turning to the spell casters present, Sir Corley will say, “Do any of you have protective magicks that would prevent us from being controlled like Charles was?”

“Protection from Evil spells are known to block Charms, so that may protect us. I have Protection from Evil 10’ Radius in memory. However, those under its protection cannot move more than 10’ away or be unprotected.”

"That is not the best of situations, but we shall have to manage I should think."

“Do you recall the magical ring I was given as part of my share from Twin Forks? With it I can walk upon water like it was solid ground. It might come in handy when facing a waterborne foe.”

"That is true, although if you leave the rest of us, we will be no longer protected against the enchantment of this beast. We cannot take the chance that we will have to face those of our own party. We will be forced to make a single frontal attack this time."

Sherra lets out a low whistle as she looks down the shaft, getting an estimate of the length of the rope. She catches most of Charles' story and rejoins the others.

Depending on what is decided about how to handle the decent and pursuit of this monster, Sherra offers a suggestion, "I can lower myself down without need of the platform if you want me to scout first, Baron. The noise of the platform might give us away if the monster is nearby. With my boots and armor I'll be silent and undetectable. Plus if this creature can detect magic or magic users, I won't be likely to show up to it, or be of much interest to it."

Validar gives Sherra's suggestion some thought. "It is a good thought and against another foe I would heartily agree to your offer. However, we cannot assume that the creature only responds to magic or that there isn't some other method of detection down there, or perhaps other enemies as well."

"I do not wish to take the risk that the beast might still ensare your will and you will be alone. You may not be a mage, but neither was Charles. Also, as the beast is also apparently living in the water, we are not going to be able to surprise it or attack it without it being aware of us. We could consider putting oil on the water and burning it, but we do not know if we could risk anyone else there. We will have to kill it by normal, direct methods."

"We will go down the shaft and approach the edge fo the shore. Those have missile weapons and spells will be the rear rank, fighters to the front. There will be nothing subtle about this battle I should think, unless we ourselves are somehow ambushed. I dare think we are strong enough to fight our way out of such a situation."

Validar will assemble some of the soldiers to operate the winch for them so as not to split up their forces and weaken their assault abilities.

"Apparently those who are enthralled by the beast are able to breath water, from the sounds of it. But then we have no idea where they were taken or how to find them. For the moment we will need to defeat the monster and proceed from there. Hopefully they were not taken underwater to stay for we shall have a difficult time to recover them."

"In any case, we must be prepared for a terrible battle. If the creature has abilties even similar to a Mindflayer or a Beholder, then we will be facing a powerful enemy, potentially in it's own environment. Hit it hard with magics and long-range weapons immediately. Do not hold back, fro any reason. And keep in mind that if it can control people's minds, it may have other illusionary or mind-altering powers."

Validar will ask Charles a few questions before they decend:

"Does this Zora DeVir live here and is she in town? (If so they will look to attack or capture her first.)

"Have you been approached by or met any other associates of Zora?"

"Was it the aboleth who controlled your actions or Zora? Do you get the impression that Zora was controlling the aboleth or that they somehow worked together?"

"Did the creature have to somehow re-exert control over Charles or did it last the entire period of years?"

[GM Mad]

Post Continued:

The Guardians have seized control of the DeVir Warehouse, capturing Charles Ansimont and those following his orders. Phelan demands that Charles tell him where Myveria is, but stops short of doing any harm to the man. Ivy casts a spell and Charles is no longer being controlled. He tells the group that he was being controlled by something called an aboleth, and that it dwells down below. A platform is used to reach the aboleth cavern down the shaft.

Baron Validar has a few questions of his own.

"Does this Zora DeVir live here and is she in town?”

“No, she does not. In fact, I never saw her again.”

"Have you been approached by or met any other associates of Zora?"

“None that I’ve been consciously aware of.”

"Was it the aboleth who controlled your actions or Zora? Do you get the impression that Zora was controlling the aboleth or that they somehow worked together?"

“I went to the warehouse because Zora asked. I guess you could say that she was influencing my choices at that time. After I met the aboleth, it was controlling me. I would say that they Zora and the monster were allies in a fashion.”

"Did the creature have to somehow re-exert control over Charles or did it last the entire period of years?"

“It lasted for years, but I would regularly go down and see it.”


Suggestions are made, but Baron Validar decides to have everyone go down and confront this aboleth. Soldiers from camp on the edge of town are summoned and they take control of the prisoners. The Guardians step onto the platform and begin their journey into the depths of the earth.

The platform is slowly lowered down the shaft. After about two hundred feet, the shaft opens up and you emerge into a large cavern. Much of the cavern is covered with water. There is a small beach along one side. The platform will land on the beach.

Looking around you spot a woman standing on the beach. It is Myveria! She’s just standing there, very still.

Looking out into the water, about sixty feet off shore from Myveria you see what must be the aboleth! The monster resembles a plump fish, some twenty feet long from its bulbous head to fluke-like tail. Its body is blue-green with gray splotches with a pinkish-tan underbelly. Three slit-like eyes, purple-red in color and protected by bony ridges, are set onto of one another on its head. Four leathery ten-foot long tentacles protrude from its head. Lastly, the smell of rancid grease fills the air.


GM Notes:

The platform is still in mid-air, some fifty feet up. The aboleth is about 90’ away from your location. Myveria is much closer. This post will be the last chance you have to cast any preparatory spells.

Now what?

[Chareos]

Chareos-

“Do any of you have protective magicks that would prevent us from being controlled like Charles was?”

“Unfortunately not my friend. Most spells within my arsenal are geared to offensive. Though Fly, Invisiblity and Polymorph Self will be useful, I should think.

"Apparently those who are enthralled by the beast are able to breath water, from the sounds of it. But then we have no idea where they were taken or how to find them. For the moment we will need to defeat the monster and proceed from there. Hopefully they were not taken underwater to stay for we shall have a difficult time to recover them."

"In any case, we must be prepared for a terrible battle. If the creature has abilties even similar to a Mindflayer or a Beholder, then we will be facing a powerful enemy, potentially in it's own environment. Hit it hard with magics and long-range weapons immediately. Do not hold back, fro any reason. And keep in mind that if it can control people's minds, it may have other illusionary or mind-altering powers."

“And if we are to fight those who are controlled like in Rennydale?” the young mage asks curiously, “If this beast allows the breath of water, those who were taken may be used as pawns against us.” He furthers the point.

Chareos will cast Fly then Invisible upon his person and hover over the group. When the beast is seen he will cast a Fireball directly over the giant fish, then Iron Spikes.

[Xander Churr]

Regnak-
Having nothing more to add Regnak goes down the rabbit hole with the others, as the others are gathered close Regnak will cast bless on those around him. Bringing his morning star and shortsword to bear he will move to engage the fish when the time comes.

[Lyonessa]

Lyonessa:

The platform is slowly lowered down the shaft. After about two hundred feet, the shaft opens up and you emerge into a large cavern. Much of the cavern is covered with water. There is a small beach along one side. The platform will land on the beach.

Looking around you spot a woman standing on the beach. It is Myveria! She’s just standing there, very still.

Still trying to think if any lore about aboleths comes to mind, Lyonessa's heart jumps at seeing Myveria standing there. She almost calls out to her, but realizes something must be wrong. She doesn't appear to be moving.

Looking out into the water, about sixty feet off shore from Myveria you see what must be the aboleth! The monster resembles a plump fish, some twenty feet long from its bulbous head to fluke-like tail. Its body is blue-green with gray splotches with a pinkish-tan underbelly. Three slit-like eyes, purple-red in color and protected by bony ridges, are set onto of one another on its head. Four leathery ten-foot long tentacles protrude from its head. Lastly, the smell of rancid grease fills the air.

The monster is horrible looking, and doesn't smell much better! Lyonessa will prepare her Hold Person spell to use on Myveria in case she is commanded to attack them. She doesn't want to have to fight her and that spell will be the best way to not harm her.

[Corley]

Sir Corley:

"This Zora DeVir could be an alias for one of the Devilles, especially as the names are so similar. But even if not, we must end this affront to the people here and end the danger that exists. By your words, this Zora, whoever she may truly be, has been guilty of kidnapping and possibly worse. Her evil will be ended, as will that of this aboleth."

“I went to the warehouse because Zora asked. I guess you could say that she was influencing my choices at that time. After I met the aboleth, it was controlling me. I would say that they Zora and the monster were allies in a fashion.”

Sir Corley holds his chin with one hand and appears deep in thought. “It seems to me that this Zora DeVir almost has to be one of the demoness’ we hunt given how easily she influenced Charles. Zora, Krazzora. DeVir, DeVille. Too similar, as you noted Baron and if we are dealing with an underground threat, then it could be an ally with the drow. That would explain why we haven’t encountered the kind of foes we were expecting here in Ansimont. They already had something here that would do the job for them.”

Having nothing else to add, Sir Corley steps onto the platform when we are ready to descend. He’ll have his crossbow at the ready during the descent. The young knight will squeeze a few shots off before the platform touches ground. From there he’ll race to engage, the bulbous enemy.

[Ivy]

Ivy:

"Of course you must go," Acerion says, complete acceptance in his tone. "They will have need of your gifts, my love. I too hope that the night is uneventful, but I believe it can not be so until we get to the bottom of what is happening here."

“We will return as soon as we can,” Ivy tells her betrothed. “It will seem much longer than it really is.”


The question of how to resist charm spells comes up.

"That is true, although if you leave the rest of us, we will be no longer protected against the enchantment of this beast. We cannot take the chance that we will have to face those of our own party. We will be forced to make a single frontal attack this time."

“I will try to remain as close as I can to you,” Ivy offers. “And pray that this spell will give us some protection.


Ivy listens as the Baron questions Charles.

“It lasted for years, but I would regularly go down and see it.”

This raises concern in Ivy. “Clearly, we are not dealing with a simple charm spell here. Charms can be potent, but they shouldn’t last as long as Charles suggests nor can they force you to do things you normally would not do. No, we are dealing with something far more powerful and controlling. I cannot say for certain that a Protection from Evil spell would block this power. I fear we might have to strike fast against this monster before we fall under its influence.”

Ivy has a Silence spell available and will offer it to anyone who wishes it. She’ll cast her Protection from Evil spell right before the platform emerges into the cave for maximum duration. Once on the ground, she’ll try to avoid Myveria, allow Lyonessa and Phelan to deal with her. Instead, Ivy will move towards the monstrous fish once the area affect spells have struck and attack with her mace.

[Validar]

Baron Validar -

The Guardians manage to thwart the plot to capture some of their group and also succeed in recovering Charles Ansimont from the evil that ensnared him.

After questioning Charles, they learn that the plot that plagues this town is one that was set in motion and then left to continue. Whoever Zora DeVir may be, she doesn't sem to be taking an active role here any longer.

Sir Corley holds his chin with one hand and appears deep in thought. “It seems to me that this Zora DeVir almost has to be one of the demoness’ we hunt given how easily she influenced Charles. Zora, Krazzora. DeVir, DeVille. Too similar, as you noted Baron and if we are dealing with an underground threat, then it could be an ally with the drow. That would explain why we haven’t encountered the kind of foes we were expecting here in Ansimont. They already had something here that would do the job for them.”

"So it would seem. The levels and depths of the evil alliances we face seem to grow with each passing encounter. Still we must strive to combat this evil, even unto our last breath should that be required of us."


“Do any of you have protective magicks that would prevent us from being controlled like Charles was?”

“Unfortunately not my friend. Most spells within my arsenal are geared to offensive. Though Fly, Invisiblity and Polymorph Self will be useful, I should think.

"Yes, indeed. Strike it with the most potent of your magicks as soon as you see the beast."


“It lasted for years, but I would regularly go down and see it.”

This raises concern in Ivy. “Clearly, we are not dealing with a simple charm spell here. Charms can be potent, but they shouldn’t last as long as Charles suggests nor can they force you to do things you normally would not do. No, we are dealing with something far more powerful and controlling. I cannot say for certain that a Protection from Evil spell would block this power. I fear we might have to strike fast against this monster before we fall under its influence.”

"That is certainly a concern, then. And all the more reason to strike at it quickly and effectively. Certainly it IS evil and therefore, your Protection should avail us somewhat, even if not a complete blocking of its powers. I cannot stress enough that we must destroy this evil with all of our abilities quickly. I wish we had Argent here to assist, but then perhaps she would be the most vulnerable as well. In any case, we must triumph."


"In any case, we must be prepared for a terrible battle. If the creature has abilties even similar to a Mindflayer or a Beholder, then we will be facing a powerful enemy, potentially in it's own environment. Hit it hard with magics and long-range weapons immediately. Do not hold back, fro any reason. And keep in mind that if it can control people's minds, it may have other illusionary or mind-altering powers."

“And if we are to fight those who are controlled like in Rennydale?” the young mage asks curiously, “If this beast allows the breath of water, those who were taken may be used as pawns against us.” He furthers the point.

"We seek to rescue those we can. It is all we can do. Try to destroy the aboleth, and hopefully the control of the beast will be gone with its death. That is the beat and most effective way to fight those who may be controlled."

Ivy ofers up a Silence spell and Validar suggests that they use it on an bolt that Corley can shoot at the beast. If the creature's control is vocalized, then this may help in protecting them. "Get rid of the shaft as soon as you see it," Validar offers.

Validar reminds everyone to try to stay within Ivy's Protection Spell as best as they can. Chareos will hit it with spells, Fireballs first and then Magic Missiles. Regnak can use his Magic Missiles as well.


As the platform is lowered, Validar can see a woman down below and it is obvious by the look on Lyonesssa's face that thi is her sister. Perhaps the breast has not yet taken her down to its watery lair. "Or perhaps she is not prepared for the journey?", he thinks to himself.

They also see the beast amidst the smell of rancid grease. Validar remembers hearing something about the grease smell from his stories, but what it means, he does not know. Looking to Lyonessa again, he sees that she is preparing to cast a spell at Myveria and so considers that is in good hands. Between her and Phelan they should be able to control her.

Validar signals to attack with his sword, but Corley has already loosed the shaft allowing the others to cast their spells. Everyone has seen the enemy and as one they attack from range.

Once on the ground, Validar will go along with Ivy and attempt to attack the foul aboleth.

[Sherra]

Sherra:

Validar warns against her working on her own in this case. Although she feels she could succeed in what she suggested, Sherra accepts Validar's suggestion and stays with the group.

As the lift is being lowered, Sherra can see the creature as well as somone who looks like Lyonessa. It must be her sister, although she wonders why the woman is standing there.

Seeing that battle will begin before they can even reach the ground, Sherra readies her bow. She will begin firing arrows immediately after Corley fires his crossbow. If her arrows seem to have no effect, she will switch to her ice arrows.

[Acerion]

Sir Acerion:

“We will return as soon as we can,” Ivy tells her betrothed. “It will seem much longer than it really is.”

"As it is with so many things in life," Acerion says in reply.

There is nothing else to do but wait and remain vigilant until word reaches them that everything is once more safe in this town.

[GM Mad]

Post Continued:

The Guardians have entered the lair of the aboleth, the foul creature that has been controlling Charles Ansimont and most of the town for many years. It is a horrible fish-like creature that smells foul. It’s half in/half out the water of the small underground lake. On the shore stands Myveria, Lyonessa’s twin sister.

Before going down the shaft, Chareos casts Fly and Invisibility on himself. Regnak Blesses the group. Ivy casts Protection from Evil and then places Silence on a crossbow bolt carried by Sir Corley. The lift then is lowered down the shaft in silence.

Upon opening into the lair, Phelan spots Myveria and calls out to her. Thankfully the silence muffles his attempt.

Chareos moves off and away from the field of Silence. He casts Fireball, targeting it at the aboleth. The spells streaks forward and the strange fish goes up in flames!

Sir Corley fires the Silenced crossbow bolt at the aboleth and Sherra adds a few arrows of her own.

The flames from the fireball die down and you’re horrified to discover that the aboleth isn’t there! All the spells and missiles struck was a large rock in the water! It was only an illusion! What you hope is the real aboleth surfaces from deeper in the lake!

On the shore, Myveria begins to move and prepares to cast a spell. With the Silence now gone, Lyonessa casts Hold Person first and Myveria stops moving.

The platform touches ground and the aboleth continues to move closer. It’s still out in the lake, about 100’ feet away. Phelan rushes off towards Myveria.


GM Note:

All that Lyonessa can recall about aboleths using her Lore ability is things that have already been mentioned by others. No new information.

Now what?

[Lyonessa]

Lyonessa:

On the shore, Myveria begins to move and prepares to cast a spell. With the Silence now gone, Lyonessa casts Hold Person first and Myveria stops moving.

The platform touches ground and the aboleth continues to move closer. It’s still out in the lake, about 100’ feet away. Phelan rushes off towards Myveria.

The spell goes off successfully and Lyonessa breathes a sigh of relief. Who knows what spell Myveria might have been casting against them. Suddenly Phelan leaves the relative safety of the protective magics and rushes off towards Myveria.

Too late to grab him and not risking leaving herself, Lyonessa calls out, "She's held not harmed Phelan. She's the safest I can make her until this is all over."

Hard to say if that rash young man even heard her. Lyonessa will need to be careful for it seems the aboleth was an illusion. She will stay focused on Myveria and Phelan, prepared to use a Command spell if her sister breaks free or she wasn't even really there.

[Sherra]

Sherra:

Sir Corley fires the Silenced crossbow bolt at the aboleth and Sherra adds a few arrows of her own.

The flames from the fireball die down and you’re horrified to discover that the aboleth isn’t there! All the spells and missiles struck was a large rock in the water! It was only an illusion! What you hope is the real aboleth surfaces from deeper in the lake!

Sherra is glad she didn't use any of her few remaining magical arrows since the monster turned out to be just an illusion. Unfortunately a big part of their plan is ruined, those spells and the chance for surprise lost. Nothing to do now but hope the aboleth they now see is the real thing.

Unless redirected, Sherra will draw and fire two more arrows at the closing aboleth and see if this one is the real deal.

[Validar]

Baron Validar -

The Guardians attack, while a few also see to Lyonessa's sister Myveria. Sir Corley fires the Silenced shaft and Chareos let's loose a Fireball. Taking a moment to look, it seems that while Myveria was ready to try and cast a spell, the group took care of her already. "Get her secured and onto the platform! If we have to get out of here, then I want to be ready!"

Looking back at the results on the aboleth, Validar is disgruntled to see that they only managed to attack a large rock made to appear as the aboleth itself through some form of illusionary magick.

"Chareos! Hold your next attack for a brief moment. Regnak, fire your Magic Missile at the creature!" Validar says using his sword to point out the large shape. "We'll see if this is the real thing or not. Be ready in either case. Keep up the regular ranged attacks regardless. One we identify it as real, then hit it with your magicks!"

Validar will step off the platform and stay within Ivy's Pretection spell range for now. If this is the fish, then hopefully, they can prod it to come closer, if not, they will have to retreat. Validar has the plan for extraction already in his mind.

[Ivy]

Ivy:

"As it is with so many things in life," Acerion says in reply.

Ivy smiles in response as best she can, but it’s clear that she’d rather not go. Already she is breaking her vow not to be apart, but it is for a good cause.

"That is certainly a concern, then. And all the more reason to strike at it quickly and effectively. Certainly it IS evil and therefore, your Protection should avail us somewhat, even if not a complete blocking of its powers. I cannot stress enough that we must destroy this evil with all of our abilities quickly. I wish we had Argent here to assist, but then perhaps she would be the most vulnerable as well. In any case, we must triumph."

“Yes, I agree,” Ivy adds. “From its description, this thing is completely unlike any race as we know it. Since they seem to prey upon us, I should be able to battle it without limitations.”

Ivy steps off the lift when it lands. What we thought was the enemy is revealed to have been an illusion. But then another appears. She holds her mace in her hands and is ready to rush the enemy.

“Just give the word, Baron.”

[Corley]

Sir Corley:

Talking and planning has ended. The time for action has come! Sir Corley holds the silenced bolt in his crossbow and is ready to fire. As soon as a target prevents itself, the bolt is fired and normal sounds quickly return. Alas, the target wasn’t flesh and blood as he hoped!

“Zounds!” the young knight exclaims. “We’ve been tricked!”

Another enemy appears and as per the Baron’s instructions, Sir Corley will fire his crossbow at this new target to determine if it is real or not. When the call to charge is given, the crossbow will be dropped and his great sword unsheathed.

[Chareos]

Chareos

Seeing his fireball lick at the water and diminish only to see a rock in its place Chareos lets out a growling curse as he flies above.

"Chareos! Hold your next attack for a brief moment. Regnak, fire your Magic Missile at the creature!" Validar says using his sword to point out the large shape. "We'll see if this is the real thing or not. Be ready in either case. Keep up the regular ranged attacks regardless. One we identify it as real, then hit it with your magicks!"

“So be it!” Chareos will await to see the fish really is a fish. If the Magic missiles fissle on contact, Chareos will cast an Iron Spikes at the beast. If it does not fizzle Chareos will cast his second fireball(ioun stone) into the beast.

[Xander Churr]

Regnak

As magic and arrows fly forth Ragnak awaits the order to move forward, though the hopes of a quick and decisive battle are far from grasped.

"Chareos! Hold your next attack for a brief moment. Regnak, fire your Magic Missile at the creature!" Validar says using his sword to point out the large shape. "We'll see if this is the real thing or not. Be ready in either case. Keep up the regular ranged attacks regardless. One we identify it as real, then hit it with your magicks!"

Rek looks to Validar and cocks an eyebrow, “How in Mystra’s name?” he says as he looks upon the Baron. Then looks back at the giant ugly fish. “Must be some kind of mind reader or sorts,” he reasons to himself as he doesn’t realize how the Baron would know of his spells.

Rek will cast a Magic Missile into the new creature and await its outcome.

(Rek never had a conversation about his spells nor does he know the Guardians' openness of spells.)

[Validar]

(Sorry for any confusion, but the assumption here is that lots of things are said 'off-camera' and as Regnak's spells were posted in a public area, he at least made some mention of them at some point.)

(Perhaps he mumbles in his sleep?)

(In the future, for everyone's benefits, please make note about anything which is public, but not common knowledge. It's hard to keep track of things, especially when assumptions can be made.)

[GM Mad]

Post Closed