A History Lesson

A millennia has passed since The Vindicators saved the world from Obhiggan, the Elder God of Spiders, and their actions have had a lasting effect.

Gygaxian authority across Primordia has dramatically declined. Most of the Churches have been closed, the priests have been expelled, and aside from the rare missionary, are unknown to many of the modern population.

The name “Michael Jackson”, mythological hero and silver tongued lover of children, became a rallying cry for the victims of Gygax’s Inquisition, and resistance movements have purged the world of such assholery.

Where previously faith magic healed the masses of their plagues and afflictions, science has reigned supreme for several generations, and plague doctors with their leeches and mercurial potions are learning how to manipulate the humors of their patients. Unfortunately it is difficult to tell true experts from charlatans and snake oil salesmen, and such scoundrels have become commonplace as well.

The city of Greyhawk was the last bulwark of political power for the Gygaxians, however with the people’s secular revolution and the backing of King Malmehem, the last shrine of the Gygaxians was burned over a decade ago, and the vast city has been claimed by the King and renamed in his honor.

Similar stories are told of all the theocratic states across the globe pizza shaped disk, the parishes having been divided into secular counties and states, with hereditary monarchies ruling over all.

Scientific research has largely replaced arcane study, the secret of steel manufacture is widespread, and the attention of the mundane universities has been turned to alleviating the many famines and related pestilences that have become commonplace since Gygax abandoned this realm. Wizarding communities have been ridiculed and eventually chased out of large population centers, their power a threat to the secular governments. Many of their magical enclaves are now hidden in the wastelands or, if rumors are true, have found their way up to the small blue moon Selune.

The only faith-magic that is openly practiced is that of the Druids. They do what they can to aid the common-folk, but strive to remain neutral to the political games and intrigues of the various monarchies, and the Druids lack hierarchical organization to prevent war in the manner that the Church formerly did.

With the true clerics gone from the world, undead are more common, and have become a rampant threat to the communities far from the safety of city walls and watchmen.

While one would expect the same to be said of demons and devils with Gygax’s paladins also gone from the world, the fiends are curiously absent. Legends and rumors dictate that with the celestial forces gone, the devils gave chase choosing to pursue their ancient enemies rather than remain behind to establish a foothold on Primorida, but this doesn’t adequately explain the lack of demons and their cults. Fey cults have risen to fill this power vacuum, and while it is supposed that they do actively oppose demonic activity, even this doesn’t fully explain the phenomenon.

Session 0 Summary

While visiting Stenchdale, Lorde the Tiefling Warlock and Jesus the Human Cleric, were drawn into a conflict as a rampaging hoard of lizardfolk attacked the ferry town. Fighting valiantly, they were none-the-less taken out by the overwhelming numbers of lizardfolk warriors.

Session 1 Summary

Awaking in a tent under the tender ministrations of Purvis, the local druid come to town to aid with the recent plague outbreak, Jesus and Lorde met Malin the Human Sorcerer, and Barbados the Fallen Asimar Barbarian. Lending aid to the sick and injured townfolk, the new allies investigated the lizardfolk attack, learning that a coordinated attack at such a convenient time as a plague outbreak seemed vastly out of character for the savage and primitive lizardmen, and it was suggested that something more than met the eye was going on.

Agreeing to strike out to further investigate the lizardfolk motivations, the party was ambushed along the trail by animated blighted foliage, and upon defeating these they discovered a dessicated plague victim body hidden amidst the blighted bushes. With the clues piling up regarding the mysterious plague, the heroes continued on to the last known location of the lizardfolk village.

Upon arriving there, they discovered an abandoned site with an ancient astronomical structure. Further investigation of the structure revealed a storage room below containing a magical candelabra and a shadow monster. Following the path of migration out of the abandoned site, they eventually located the occupied encampment of the nomadic lizardfolk.

Seeing that there was an unusual lack of activity within the encampment, the protagonists investigated further ultimately discovering that the lizardfolk had contracted the plague when they attacked Stenchdale, and their shaman had gone north with a “Robed smelly person”. Resolving to follow these actors north, the party was set upon by a ghoul as they slept, evidence that the rumours of roving undead were true.

Session 2

As the heros began to break camp from their site near the Plagued Lizardman Settlement, they discovered a passing merchant dwarf and his bodyguards. As they conversed they discovered that this dwarf was headed in the same general direction, and he agreed to pay them to add to his protection.

It was about this time that the perceptive members of the party began to notice an unusual abundance of ravens and the birds appeared to be more interested in the party than the dying lizardfolk.

Under this unceasing gaze the protagonists continued along, making camp that night upon a high hill to provide protection. Antagonizing the birds however proved to be a costly mistake when upon dying the birds, now determined to be undead, exploded into blinding clouds of grave-dust.

Seeing that the undead avians were only attacking the cloud, the heros backed off, and in time the murder dispersed. Doubling the watch, no further issues were encountered that night, and the following day brought them to the Aldermeyer Swamp Outpost.

Here they enjoyed some simple luxuries and took on work from the Boss, agreeing to slay Kobolds in exchange for bounty.

Striking out once more they found the small dragonfolk and slew many of them, accumulating a sizable reward when they returned to the outpost. They discussed the plague with the outpost’s crazed shaman and decided to strike north to the barrow mound the following day.

Arrived the next afternoon at the mound, they systematically chewed through a host of ghouls eventually discovering a devious ghast on the bottom level who informed them that Doresain would not be denied. Finding a note on it’s dead-again corpse, they determined that the lizardfolk shaman and the odd-smelling one were headed north to a particular cave in the mountains.

Session 3

Continuing to follow the road north from the barrow mound, the adventurers arrived at the edge of the swamp and found The Swamp Edge Inn, a 3 story keep serving as the last bastion of civilization before the dread swamp beyond.

Coercing information from a drunk fur trapper, the heros discovered that there was a hidden road leading to a secretive town deep under a mountain, a similar description to that of a note found on the dead ghast at the barrow mound.

Retracing their steps, they managed to locate the hidden road and entering the cave faced magical illusions meant to protect the place from outsiders. Convincing what passed for the local constabulary, a gruff man named Bran, that they should be allowed within, where they met the wizard Everis, a wood-elf illusionist who agreed to look into this lizardman shaman they spoke of.

Taking on some work, they travelled into the caverns deep below, discovering a variety of lethal mushrooms before locating a village of myconids, strange fungal creatures who use spore magic to communicate. Learning that the missing person they sought had been turned into a spore-servant of the myconids, the protagonists negotiated his release and returned him to the town, but not before suffering several near fatalities due to gas-spore mushroom infection.

Saving their infected friends with resources gathered from the deep-dark and the swamp nearby, they travelled on searching to make some quick cash with kobold bounties. Shaking down one of their victims they managed to learn the location of his lair, and marked it well with a dick-butt and the cleaned skull of the turn-coat kobold.

Camping in a shrine they fought off a coordinated attack between a ghoul and a will-o-wisp, and explored the flooded monolith finding a wealth of treasure.

They returned to Denton Under Omen to prepare.

Session 4

Learning that a lizardman shaman matching the description of Pat’s tribesman had been spotted near Denton, the brave adventurers went out to investigate.

Finding the reptilian sick with plague, they restored him sufficiently to interrogate him, and learned that he was bringing infected rats to Denton Under Omen. He informed the group that he had been promised by a sweet smelling man in thick robes that if he did this, his village would be granted eternal life and be immune to disease.

Correctly inferring that this was a ruse and the eternal life would be a ghoulish one, the heros returned to Denton Under Omen to warn them that some of the rats escaped. Hiring Bran to help them track, they returned to the campsite to find it abandoned, the shaman having fully given over to zombiehood.

Defeating the lizardman-zombie, they tracked the rats to a narrow warren where Jesus crawled forward and used a thunderwave, which killed most of the rats but also buried him alive. His allies were able to dig him out just in in the knick of time before the brave saviour suffocated.

Moving on they explored more of the swamp discovering more and more obelisks and beginning to find a pattern to the stones.

Upon arrival in Zerburg, the heros discovered a prosperous town, but learned that it had been in a state of decline for the last 10 years, ever since the enormous black arch on the north side of town had ceased accepting their offerings. Previously when the people would leave their tithes of gold, food and 7th sons, they would be taken in, but now the gold is taken by thieves, the food by animals, and the children beg for their food or wander into the swamp never to return.

After sacrificing some of the beggar children and spreading their blood across the smooth surface of the arch, a doorway opened and admitted them. Within they found the place empty and abandoned. After following the main paths into a 3rd basement level, they discovered a sealed stone door.

Opening the door, they met the former priest of the temple. Questioning the ancient undead one, he explained that all the devils, priests and acolytes had left the temple to take the fight to the very gates of heaven. Upon hearing the name Doresain, he explained that the Prince of Ghouls had once been vassal to Yeenoghu until the demonlord was imprisoned by The Vindicators and a vampire lord. Since then Asmodeus had taken the fight to Gygax. He posited that perhaps with the opposition gone, Doresain had seized on the opportunity to fill the power-vacuum.

Moving into the crumbling library, they discovered a few possible locations that the plague-bearer may be travelling to next, settling on investigating a cave near Farfall next.

Session 5 Summary

As the heroes explored further into the Arch of Dispater, they soon discovered the gruesome history of that place as spirits of the former staff and students began to emerge.

Their attempts at telepathic communication with the spectres revealed shrouded thoughts, and they were able to piece together that when the place was abandoned, those in charge simply locked the door, leaving the others behind and dooming them to a slow lingering death. The furniture had been burned for warmth, every morsel of food consumed all the way down to the alchemy ingredients.

None-the-less the protagonists were able to locate a hidden away recipe book in the alchemy laboratory that had escaped the wrath of the abandoned people, and the heroes were able to glean the workings for a potion of water breathing.

Upon stepping outside of the Arch, they met a new ally, Ryn, a high-elf druid also investigating the source of the deadly plague and agreed to join forces in common cause.

Travelling next into the Aldermeyer Swamp once more, they located the monolith most likely to be the location of one of what was appearing more and more to be just one of many plague rituals going on in the region.

Before they could travel into the inner reaches they were ambushed by a hoard of zombie lizardpeople. After dispatching those, they discovered to their horror that these were the same lizardfolk who weeks ago had been plague stricken near Stenchdale. As the truth of the plague began to unfold they moved into the sunken abyssal reaches of the monolith.

Fighting their way through Kuo-Toa worshipers of Dagon, and their horrifying pets, they soon found an inner chamber where a Kuo-Toa priest was speaking with a ghoul. The priest fled, and the ghoul was slain, so the party gave chase in time discovering a prison cell where some unfortunate surface dwellers had been locked away, just out of arm’s reach of their bag containing several potions of water breathing.

Session 6 Summary

Continuing from the submerged prison, Jesus and Barbatos decided to return to the surface. As the adventurers turned to leave, they noticed that one of the locked away adventurers in the prison had not yet drown. This was an orc by the name of Horkus who joined their ranks promptly.

Moving through the garrison, The Mötlëy Crüë discovered the soldiers had cleared out in a hurried fashion, suggesting they were walking into an ambush ahead. True to their supposition, the next chamber revealed the priest and a score of Kuo-Toa soldiers poised for the attack. After some desperate negotiations, they were finally able to convince the priest that he had been setup by the ghouls and that his people would be destroyed as had all others who had dared to bargain with the fiends. Finally relenting and agreeing to let them leave in peace, the Mötlëy Crüë returned to the surface finding only Barbatos who informed them that Jesus could not abide the foulness of Zeroburg and had returned there to cleanse the land of the hideous black arch and all its denizens.

Making their way next to Farfall, they convinced the local constabulary to allow them a night’s rest in the jail, and then struck out first thing with a deputy as their guide for a nearby cave rumoured to be large enough to accommodate a ritual.

Finding said cave, the Mötlëy Crüë were able to ambush a pair of ghoul guards, and made their way inside. Here they found stacks of caged plague-rats and voices from the next room discussing the plan. Through this they learned that a ghoul named Darakhul was the chosen of the Ghoul demi-god Doresain and had been charged with spreading this plague, in order to create an army of zombies sufficient to destroy the town of Blackmoore to the southeast.

Defeating this cadre handily, destroying the plague-ridden rats and cramming the broken body of the still animate leader into a rat’s cage, the Mötlëy Crüë next travelled to Blackmoore, discovering there a walled city where gnomes were forbidden, and the activity of rogues rampant. It was here, in the Rat’s Shade tavern that they encountered a fiend that was supposed to be entirely gone from this realm centuries ago, a hyena-like gnoll working for the New Blackmoore Panthers, the local organized crime gang. They also discovered a rival gang, the Original Blackmoore Panthers who had schismed from the others some time ago.

Session 7 Summary

Making their way to the former gnomish factory and dam, the Mötlëy Crüë managed to break into the place, throwing caution to the wind, and with that caution a large cloud of mustard gas as well.

Inside they discovered their intrusion had caused the factory to begin to startup on its own, certain gem studded panels coming to life, and a few autonomous humanoid constructs beginning their startup sequence. Initially attacking the first of these complex humanoid machines, they soon discovered a method to change the programming, causing one of these robots to begin following their orders.

Building a simple bridge to span the gap between crumbled dam parts, they inspected the beanstalk that still remained centuries after collapsing the dam. Their flying monkey began the arduous journey way up into the clouds above to see what could possibly be atop a beanstalk thousands of feet high, while the rest of the Mötlëy Crüë broke into the next section of the ruined factory. Fighting with several guardian automatons, and discovering the former supervisor’s office, they turned up a large safe, cracked it, and discovered a small fortune in gold left behind when the former occupants had been lynched by the city below.

While this was all happening, the hapless flying tiefling made his way to the highest point, discovering there a large next occupied by a winged female humanoid. She sang a sweet song to him, encouraging the young creature to remove his garments and allow himself to be tied up for a naughty time, but upon successfully binding his wings and limbs, she shoved him out. He regained his senses in the nick of time to free himself and narrowly avoid being crushed in the rocky river below.

With his lack of gear, the team decided to put the last surviving automaton to work building a ladder to the top, and then left to return to the town. Pulling the caged ghoul from the river, and presenting it to Minister Baylor, he granted them access to the merchant’s quarter and encouraged them to smuggle the monster to his waiting inquisitor above. Disguising himself as a rich noble, Malin was able to purposefully stride right past the gate guards and deliver the caged fiend.

Taking a contract from a giggling hyena-like man who claimed to be with the New Blackmoore Panthers, Barbados slipped into the merchant’s district and assassinated Bart the Drunk along with Bart’s wife and one of his children. Unable to find the other child, Barbados set the shack ablaze and escaped back to the Rat’s Shade.

Upon returning to the gnomish ruins, they discovered the beanstalk severed and collapsed into the remains of the reservoir, and around the remaining stump shattered and exploded remains of the worker robot, leading them to conclude that some mishap had befallen the automaton causing it to fail catastrophically destroying the beanstalk in the process. Searching the lake, they were able to recover the magical dagger and a flask of water breathing potion along with a few gold pieces, but realized that searching out the other gear would be futile.

Session 8 Summary

Inquiring once more at the Rat’s Shade, the Mötlëy Crüë was approached by Samael Jackson, scion of the great Samwise Jackson. They were informed of what Samael knew about the brutal murder of Bart the Drunk and most of his family, and that the killer was unknown at present, but could be identified by the daughter of Bart that had escaped the slaughter.

Deciding that it would be best to hide Barbatos, the Mötlëy Crüë did their best to cover up his unearthly beauty and made him appear boring and unremarkable. Formulating a plan to pin the murder back on the New Blackmoore Panthers, they schemed with Samael, and learned that many centuries ago, Samwise had teamed up with an otherworldly crime syndicate in order to increase the power and reach of the Blackmoore Panthers. This arrangement had steadily become more and more distasteful as the syndicate was revealed to be run by a powerful vampire with designs for god-hood. It was only in recent years, specifically as the power of the Gygaxians began to wane, that gnolls began to appear on Primordia once again. Their brutality proved to be more than Samael could tollerate, and he separated the Original Blackmoore Panthers from the syndicate run by the hyena-men.

Deciding that it would be best to lure the gnoll pack-lord out into the open to capture, interrogate and place full blame for the murders on his head, they bargained their way into an audience with the fiend. Convincing the giggling madman that the time was ripe to make a strike against Samael, he followed the Mötlëy Crüë into an ambush. A fierce battle later and the gnoll’s forces were destroyed and he himself was bound, paralyzed by ghoul poison and under the rigors of a hold-person spell. After interrogating him, they turned him over to the authorities, who promptly hanged the gnoll in an elaborate spectacle.

Next moving to the edge of the Aldermeyer swamp, they located a recently used ritual site, and crossed paths with a group of eladrin pilgrims. These fae-elves revealed the nature of the relationship of the Feywild to the material plane, and made contact with Florian Foxfleck, a feylord of the Winter Court and subject of The Queen of Air and Darkness. Lord Foxfleck suggested the Mötlëy Crüë locate one of the remaining Gygaxians and learn what they can, further explaining that there were still some being held in the Malmehem dungeons.

Deciding that a quick stop at Cold Mountain to obtain the wisdom of their fine craftsdwarves would be best served, they boarded a ship bound for both destinations and got underway.

A sail barely visible on the horizon promised that the trip would not be an easy one though.

Session 9 Summary

Having booked passage on board the merchant vessel “Corso” headed first for Cold Mountain then for Malmehem, the Mötlëy Crüë saled for the better part of a day that felt like a month. As the sun set of this first impossibly long day, the lookout notified Captain Feder that there were sails on the horizon aft. They decided to outten the lights and anchor in place, in the hopes that the trailing vessel would be unable to track them in the dark.

The sun rose the next morning revealing that the tailing vessel had done likewise, and as they sailed throughout this day the crew gossiped and revealed to our heroes that a friendly ship would approach, a neutral ship would back out of visual range, however a threat would sit on the horizon as this was doing and wait for the best opportunity to attack.

Tensions were high throughout the day, and by night time the decision was made to illuminate every light on the ship and make merriment in the hopes of drawing in this mysterious threat.

The sharp eyes of the protagonists picked out a small dinghy sitting just outside the circle of light from the Corso. Swimming out to the small craft, Pat drown one of the spies and threatened the other, taking the later captive aboard the Corso.

Torturing the man, they discovered he held firmly to a mysterious oath he had sworn, but were able to glean some information with crafty questioning. He revealed that they were hunting dragons for bounty and searching for someone, and let slip that he was quite knowledgeable about religion. Seeing they could get no more from him, Horkus magically healed the man’s torture injuries and they released him to return to his ship and relay their desire to parlay.

They saw no more of the mystery vessel until they had sailed past the coastal cities and started down the southern coast around the White Cape. Here they found the ship waiting for them. The previously captive sailor hailed them as they approached and signalled peaceful intentions, and so drawing up near to the ship, the Mötlëy Crüë sent their most goodly members aboard to learn more.

They met Sir Captain Anabus Pendar, and his mannerisms suggested that he was a paladin of the former church. He openly discussed their hunting of the dragons nearby, and offered a share of both the bounty and recovered treasure to aid him in destroying this nest.

Noting that Horkus had divine power he took the half-orc into his quarters and privately discussed his true mission. Once he had accumulated sufficient resources, he intended to resume his hunt of a succubus-pirate who had been raiding for some time. He asked Horkus to swear an oath not to reveal this information, but Horkus refused.

Anchoring off the frozen ice floes jammed into the shoals of the White Cape, they took smaller vessels as far as they could, then picked their way across the ice, murdering polar bears as they went, much to Rynn’s dismay.

Rynn rallied, however, and was able to use her special powers to locate the lair of the dragons and together they assaulted the frozen cave. An intense battle ensued between a barely mature white dragon mother and her five wyrmling offspring, ultimately ending in a victory for the heros with only two of the wyrmlings escaping with some of the treasure hoard.

Session 10 Summary

Having successfully slew the young white dragon and three of its five hatchlings, the Mötlëy Crüë setup camp for the night. Near dawn they detected a presence outside the cave mouth, and found that kobolds had gathered in ambush around the mouth of the cave. They were easily able to surmise that the Wrymling had called in whatever support it had managed to muster in its short life thus far.

Preparing a head-on attack, the Mötlëy Crüë ascended and confronted the kobold menace. They found over a score of enemies laying in wait, with reinforcements in form of owlbear riding sorcerers quickly engaging them. A pitched battle ensued, with the paladins below holding the line within the cave, and the Mötlëy Crüë making up the spear-head assault. Decimating and scattering the kobold forces, the heros retired and rested.

The following day, they negotiated with some local tribals, hiring on a score of their hearty folk to begin excavating the scattered hoards of wealth within the dragon’s cave.

Each night between excavations, a white wyrmling would return, flying circles around the cave, looking for an opportunity. Having enough of such behaviour, the Mötlëy Crüë employed Rynn’s divinations to locate the remaining wyrmlings, finding that one had moved east, and the other to the southwest.

Deciding to seek the eastern wyrmling first, they Mötlëy Crüë found at that location a village of kobolds, with a fully population. Attacking the tiny folk, the protagonists were able to quickly annihilate the threats and the white wyrmling dragon, ending with electrical storms raging, and the women and children of the kobold village huddled in fear in the center of town.

Session 11 Summary

As the kobolds cowered from the slaughter immediately preceding this moment of peace, the Mötlëy Crüë aggressively persuaded them to follow the dragon-god Tiamat’s newest incarnation as a lizardfolk named Pat. Pat-The-Avatar together with their champion Horkus were able to correct some errors the kobolds had mistakenly been practising in their religion, and eventually came to understand that praying to the god-of-storms was the only correct way to please Pat and by proxy, Tiamat.

Instructing their new cult to gather their supplies to move their village to the white dragon’s cave, they gathered the last of the loot. Moving on from here to the previous location of the sibling wyrmling, they found an empty cave but evidence showed that the other kobold community had moved en mass and may or may not have all drown while trying to cross the ice floes.

Debarking with the paladins, they sailed for the small town of Gayklub where our protagonists met with the owner of the club that the town had been named for. Collecting the bounty, they resupplied and moved on to Cold Mountain where they divided the spoils, and bid fairwell to the paladins.

In Cold Mountain the heros discovered a hill-dwarf town built along the base of the mountain in four tiers; a place unnaturally cold where the shadows danced with purpose and sometimes bit the unwary, and where clouds covered the sky most days of the year.

It was on the second tier that they discovered a young man named Fester who showed them an old ruined inn with the sign of a turnip mostly faded above the door. The man claimed this place served as a magical connection between the town of Cold Mountain, and another very distant realm consisting entirely of air by the name of Aura. Fester claimed he was quick enough to make it all the way through the inn and back out without being bitten by the undead shadow monsters that haunted the place. More importantly, he bragged he could evade the one particularly nasty monster with long stabbing claws that was able to move between the shadows, and had killed a mighty barbarian not so long ago with very little effort.

Further investigation of the town revealed more about its shadowy nature, and the Mötlëy Crüë learned that the mountain above was pocked with many caves hiding tiny crossings into the Realm of Shadow, where there was no sun or stars, and night reigned eternally. These paragons of virtue briefly travelled into the Shadow Realm, but decided against lingering long enough to accomplish more than a cursory exploration, but not before discovering that it was from The Realm of Shadow that the sinister undead shadow monsters bled into the streets of the town each night. After making their way back to the town, and finding that days had passed in Cold Mountain while only hours went by in the black lands, they decided to rest.

Barbados and Pat both decided to keep watch through out the dark night, standing outside of The Turnip. Here they discovered much to their chagrin that these undead shadow monsters were a force to be reckoned with once the dark of night emboldened the creatures to gather in greater numbers. The heros bravely fled into a neighbouring house, selflessly sending the residents out to confront the monsters, where the unarmed people met their demise. The town constabulary was able to quell the shadows and decided to bring the duo back to the jail to learn more of how these events had transpired to result in the deaths of two citizens and two guards. Barrister Horkus was summoned to represent the two, and after making a legal plea and a sizeable donation to the guards’ vacation account, the two were released to him.

The group reunited and struck out north headed for Hendelforge, and from there to County Bradlock to look further into Lord’s dubious claim of heritage.

Session 12 Summary

Approaching Hendelforge, the Mötlëy Crüë negotiated entry and found a wonderous hill-dwarf city carved into a pair of hills. The first hill featured vaulted halls with houses carved into the walls and sophisticated ventilation bringing up cool air from below and pushing the smoke up and out the top.

Finding accommodations, they group moved about the city learning what they could. In the neighbouring hill a visiting circus was performing and Cirque met one of his former comrades. Lorde obtained a library card for the deepest layers in addition to meeting his distant cousin Percy. Percy explained the lamentable situation of the Bradlocks; the castle and county had been abandoned, the fortune spent. All that remained was an estate in the 4th sublevel of Hendelforge and a single retainer, Castelan Beatrice. None-the-less Percy agreed to accept Lorde’s claim if he could bring his mother to Hendelforge to backup his claims.

Ulfgar discovered that the master-smith of Hendelforge, Brendell, had taken his sickly son away to Brisbane Tower to seek the advice of the wizards who resided there, and determined that this would also be a good place to seek advice about his own sick mother.

At the tower, the heros attacked and slew the apprentice of Wizard Brisbane, and stormed the tower clashing with his horrific and powerful guardians. Paying the wizard for the slain apprentice and damage to his constructs, he agreed to let them stay and speak with Brondell.

Session 13 Summary

The wizard Brisbane agreed to allow the Motley Crue to the top floor to speak with Brondel and his ill son Dendel.

Speaking with Brondel and learning of the boy’s symptoms, Dr. Warlock determined that the boy seemed to suffering from too much sugar. Bringing this up to the father, he said that he had been told this before, and that he kept strict tabs on the boy’s eating habits, and had made an corporal example of a servant who defied the strict no sweets rule, but even so the boy continued to be ill.

Venturing out of the tower as they passed through the dining area, they noticed the armour constructs that they had fought earlier had gathered the pieces of the slain one and layed it out on the table, and appeared to be grieving.

Meeting with the dwarven merchant who was dropping off the last of the supplies, they convinced him to give the necklace that showed the way to the tower to them, on the promise that they would find him in Hendelforge and return it in 2 days.

Scouring the surrounding wilderness for a plant Lorde knew would help the boy, they were attacked by Ogres. Upon slaying these giant-kin they found a finely crafted javelin with the etching “Congratulations Lucky on your promotion to corporal! From Sue”

Bringing the plant back to the tower, they discovered the armoured guardians holding a wake for their slain comrade, one seeming to mime praying from a book with the others wearing black veils.

In the sleeping chamber above, they found the slain apprentice wrapped in bandages, and Brondel still worrying over the boy.

Cooking the plant into a useful cocktail, they were able to temporarily cure the boy of his symptoms, and upon interrogating the boy, learned that a gremlin was sneaking out from under his bed at night to give him sweets. The Motley Crue offered to escort Brondel back to Hendelforge, and he offered a reward of 1000x (10gp total) the normal bounty on boggles if they could capture and slay the one that continued to poison his son.

They carefully setup an ambush in the boy’s room, nailing lathe diagonally across all rectangular openings in order to prevent the boggle from teleporting, and night after night managed to keep the creature from giving sweets to the boy by being as unstealthy as possible. Eventually they kept the less-stealthy of their group out of the room and managed to trap the creature. Upon interrogating it, they learned that a local Warlock was summoning armies of evil Redcap gnomes, and cruel Meenlocks for some unknown nefarious purpose.

Offering a reward of their choosing, Ulfgar requested that Brondel lay an enchantment on his katana to make it cause more damage. Brondel agreed to this, and leant Ulfgar a patched loaner sword for the month it would take to add the enchantment.

Following the instructions of the Boggle, they located the encampment of the warlock, only to find a group of tribals going through his possessions, the warlock nowhere to be found. Frightening the tribals, the Motley Crue quickly slaughtered all but one, and discovered that these tribals attacked with clay pots full of mud mephits. Interrogating the surviving tribal, they learned the location of the tribal village and the direction the warlock had fled.

Pushing through the thick foliage, only Ryn with her druidic abilities and Cirque with his flight were able to get close to the magically speeding warlock. He responded to their efforts to communicate with attacks, eventually slaying Cirque and making good his escape through teleportation.

Mourning the loss of their dear and cherished comrade, the Motley Crue took refuge in a cave, only to discover a drunk wood-elf passed out near the back. Deciding to bring this drunk-monk with them, they then approached the tribal village. The chieftain agreed to parley, and they were able to learn that although the tribals had formerly worshipped the Fey lady known as The Summer Queen, recently a group of wood elves had gifted a necklace to the chieftain, and he suddenly understood that only the elves could be trusted and committed the tribal forces to fight against the fey former allies.

A diplomatic bungle resulted in escalating hostilities, and with the slaying of the chieftain the tribals began throwing their clay pot-mephit weapons, and rolled out a huge clay pot filled with an abnormally large mephit with special powers. One of these special powers was to breathe an enormous cloud of toxic gas that poisoned and blinded the group resulting in the second casualty of the week, Coco. Exploiting the unaligned nature of the mephits, they Motley Crue allowed them to attack the tribals, and seeing that the fight was lost, they remaining warriors fled back to where the women and children tribals were hiding.

Session 14 Summary

Having slaughtered the threats in the village, the Motley Crue looted and interrogated the tribals. Convincing them to make amends with the fey, they travelled back to Hendelforge.

Checking in at the Brewer’s guild Ulfgar sponsored Thorn as an associate of the Guild and paid the relevant filing fees, then hired the smith to create daggers from Cirque’s horns.

Hearing of a local snake cult, the Motley Crue tracked down the cave and discovered those involved were all strange snake people. Some looked completely human with snake eyes, some had entire snake heads, and one was encountered in a ritual chamber that was nearly fully a snake.

Along with hoards upon hoards of mundane snakes, this abomination was performing a complex ritual around a snake shrine. Sending his sea of snakes after the interlopers, they retreated and waited while a trap killed their enemies, giving the snake-man abomination time to make good on his escape.

The Heros then made camp in the cave and waited the dawn to decide how to deal with the situation.

Session 15 Summary

Making camp in the Yuan-ti cave, the Motley Crue discovered sounds coming from a crack near the rear where the snake-priest had escaped.

Investigation revealed living rock formations that hungrily attacked the Crue. Barely escaping with their lives, the brave adventurers decided to retreat and recover.

During this additional rest, voices and movement were heard from the entry tunnel. A pair of black-skinned mean-tempered elves were discovered and slain.

Finishing the rest, they moved back towards where the drow had come from, and discovered the elves had enranged an umber hulk, a massive armored tunnelling creature with hypnotic eyes. Unleashing this creature on them, it tunneled into their area and wreaked havoc until it was finally put down, allowing then to capture and interrogate one of the drow handlers.

This drow revealed that the dark elves were working in concert with the Yuan-ti snake folk to take advantage of the power vacuum left behind by the fleeing Gygaxians.

Taking this knowledge back to Hendleforge, they rested and recuperated while Thistle was given a task by the Brewers Guild to deliver 500 gallons of their trademark beer to the great city of Malmehem.

Convincing his new allies of the value of accompanying him The Motley Crue bought a wagon and mules and prepared for the journey.

Session 16 Summary

Travelling out from Hendelforge, the Motley Crue tried to make better time by whipping up their mules and driving at breakneck speeds, which resulted in the unfortunate wreck of the beer wagon with subsequent efforts making it worse before finally getting the situation resolved. As they made repairs to the barrel on wheels, they got to meet some of the nastier wildlife of the region in the form of displacer beasts, mutant hunting cats that are able to appear to be in a different place than they truly are.

Having slain these monsters, the heros placed several of the hides inside the barrelwagon in the hopes that the beer would preserve the hides.

Travelling on and camping along the road, Pat’s watch revealed a group of bumbling kobolds. The lizardperson convinced the kobolds to take her to their leader, then slaughtered all but one, which the lizardfolk captured and brought back to interrogate. The captive revealed that they followed a human named Brother Bastion who had the powers of “God”. Further questioning revealed that the kobolds were not exactly sure what god Brother Bastion followed, and assumed it was Tiamat, or possibly Bahamaut, but the captive realized he had never actually asked.

When the caravan was stopped on the following day by an army of kobolds, the Motley Crue made an example of their captive, slaying him brutally and scaring off the others.

Next stop was a logging camp, where the Crue bribed their way in with beer, then stole much of it back while the revellers slept off their hangovers, replacing the missing beer with urine and blaming it all on one particular logger who was whipped for his supposed crimes.

The next leg of their journey brought more opposition looking to score some “quality” beer from Hendelforge, this time in the form of bugbear raiders on Worgs who used more advanced hit and run tactics to try to wear down the heros. None-the-less the protagonists won the day, defeating them all and recovering a magical javelin.

Finally nearing the city, the stalwart and honourable adventurers determined that something must be done to make up for the beer losses accrued during the adventure. Fishing out the displacer hides, they filled the barrel with water, and steeped some mushrooms and spicy herbs creating a potent tea which they added and tasted. While not the Hendelforge Golden Lager they had started out with, the blindness and euphoria it brought made them sure it would be a success.

Finally reaching the racist city of Malmehem, Malin was allowed through, as were Ulfgar and Ryn and eventually Thistle with some negotiation, however the more monstrous members of the party were instructed to wait outside the gates with the most poor, where they put their skill to good use healing the sick and lame, and inciting discord against the Malmehemians.

At the brewer’s guild, they Crue managed to convince them to accept the beer and Thistle was promoted from associate to full-member, while Ryn was rejected for not being a member and told to leave.

As the high-elf wandered the city of humans, she was accosted by a fellow high-elf who questioned her presence there, and invited her to meet with Archmagister Alejandro. Upon learning of her pedigree, the mage offered several times to teleport Ryn from this troubled place back home to Selune to be with her people while they waited out the troubles here. He further explained that the Asmodean devils had easily overrun the constellation known as Mechanus, the realm of perfect order, and were now embattled at the very gates of heaven. It was unknown how the devils managed to circumvent their requirement to keep the demons at bay, acknowledging that they were seeking to understand how this occurred. He was uncertain which side stood a better chance at winning over the others, and admitted that if whatever allowed the devils to ignore their commitment to fight demons could be reversed, Asmodeus would surely lose.

He further explained that currently there was a power vacuum all over the continent, with the forces of Doresain vying for control of the west, while the fey lords sought to overcome various elven factions for control of the east.

Session 17 Summary

At the High Elf Wizard Tower, Alejandro reiterated to Ryn that the devils used to be kept busy fighting demons, but that currently they are no longer busy with that for some unknown reason. He explained that his divination magic was unable to directly observe the devils due to some sort of protection they had implemented, and that his spies had stopped reporting back leaving him clueless to the current disposition of the devilish army. When Ryn inquired further, he explained that he could send her and her ‘servants’ to the plane of Mechanus where the devils are currently engaged. He also offered a reward for any of his agents she could bring back alive, but explained that in order to send her to the plane, he would need a tuning fork forged from native metal of that place, or at the very least a piece of the native metal that he could forge his own fork, but that he had no knowledge of where to find more of the metal, as his agents had taken the last of it.

Malin then decided to attempt to obtain a blueprint of the level one sewers, and so ventured forth to the Ministry of Records. There he made his way to the Public Works cage, and got a look at the level one sewer map. Upon attempting to sneak into the room to steal the plans and related waste water documents, his invisibility unexpectedly failed revealing his intentions and a fracas ensued. The man escaped the building, but his allies were accosted and Thistle struck a guard and was arrested. Malin returned in the guise of the Brewmeister of the Local Brewer’s Union and was able to negotiate the release of the others, but Thistle was hauled off to jail.

In a strange act contrary to his nature, Malin put himself in harm’s was to help this new comrade, by breaking into the drunk tank of the local jail and helping Thistle escape. As they fled, Thistle released several other prisoners and as the moments passed the prison break attracted more guards and eventually one of the wizards showed up, blasting the escaping Thistle and a guard, slaying both. Continuing his strange behaviour, Malin selflessly went back for Thistle and carried him to safety.

Reuniting with their allies, they rested and plotted their assault on the sewers and extensive dungeons below the town, while the guards in the town began searching for the two fugitives and any clues related to the theft of the sewer plans.

The next morning, the group ventured into the waste pipes by the seashore. Within the sewer system itself, they were assaulted first by a strange more powerful shadow monster, then by a pack of ghouls, capturing one of the latter and coercing it to lead them to its lair. As they carried on through one of the passages they realized perhaps too late the treachery of the ghoul.

Session 18 Summary

Having been lead into a poison trap by the chaotically evil ghoul, the Motley Crue damaged the floor in their attempts to escape and fell into a lower level. They quickly discovered they were on a crumbling mezzanine overlooking a vast lecture hall with a purple glowing portal at one end. Every surface of the hall was covered in strange flesh and here and there faces and hands emerged from the surface.

Further investigation revealed the area was swarming with Maw Demons, medium sized fiends with a wide toothy mouth across their shoulders instead of a head and neck, as well as a Barlgura, a powerful ape-like demon.

The did righteous battle with these monsters, beating them back to the portal and moved inside to investigate while Horkus stood on the hall-side of the aperture and performed a ritual to close the gateway. As this ritual progressed, the Crue could see the flesh covering the walls began to dessicate and fall away revealing statues of several Saints of Gygax, the portal shrinking with each crescendo.

On the far side of the portal the Crue discovered a frozen alien world with strange stars and a vast nebula crossing the sky above. Beneath the ice and snow they found more of the strange fleshy material, and even as they dug deeper they were unable to find bedrock in this abomination of a world.

Passing back through the gateway, Horkus was able to close it permanently. It was then that the heroes discovered one of the statues’ stone swords was hilted in brass. Releasing a catch caused the hilt to fall to the floor, and after some investigation Horkus was able to turn on the sun-like blade of the sword.

During the subsequent rest, a wraith wandered into the area, and was chased away.

From here they explored more deeply before finally coming across a thickly bound wooden door. As Pat explored options to unlock the door, Lorde rubbed himself down with Oil of Etherealness and moved through the door, becoming reasonably sure that the area was indeed the dungeon. Passing out the other side of the 4th level down, he found a community of strange humans who seemed rather healthy in spite of appearing to live a life devoid of sunlight. Convincing them of his benevolent intentions, they provided guidance to the entry of the 4th level dungeon and he once more travelled into the Ethereal Plane. As he did this, Ryn was able to spider her way through Pat’s bore-hole and bit a prisoner, causing the guards to investigate and giving her a chance to ape-up and open the door for her allies.

They slaughtered the guards and freed many of the prisoners, fighting their way down to the 4th level where they discovered an odd prisoner with white makeup on his face and a tattered red robe who directed them to a very sick Gygaxian acolyte. Upon curing the plague-ridden man, the man insisted they take the shady red-robed man with them.

Finding the human guide from before, he refused to take them back through the village, leaving only the option of travelling through a dangerous set of tunnels polluted with trolls.

Session 19 Summary

Battling their way through the troll warrens, the Motley Crue barely survived the numerous troll encounters. Lorde consumed a piece of troll bone marrow.

Upon finding a safe space, they discovered it was inhabited by a badly wounded elf boy who related to them that he was sent to capture a troll as his coming-of-age quest. He showed them the silver spike he would have needed to hammer into the skull of one of the brutes and so make it vulnerable to his charm magic.

Resting here, those on watch discovered a dwarf and a halfling that happened by. After talking to them a bit it was apparent that they were up to something, but the dwarf was reticent to speak and hushed the halfling, so they chased him away with fear magic. Alone, the halfling Samwell gladly explained that he was here searching for a dragon’s hoard, specifically a staff for a client of the thieves’ guild, and he planning on carrying 2000 gp back for himself.

Searching out from here, they checked all the largest rooms they came across until they found a room filled with sewage, with a few piles of coins poking above the surface of the water. The coins slide down revealing an enormous clawed foreleg covered in black scales. Retreating and sending in Thistle with a pair of mud mephits, he threw the pots but the dragon was barely inconvenienced by it. Lorde then ventured closer and the dragon toyed with him, blasting him with its acid from a single nostril only but causing substantial damage to the tiefling.

Outside the tunnels they reached the coast, and had a discussion with the two priests they had rescued from the dungeons. The Red-robed priest, Ixon, urged them to return to the Arch at Zeroburg, and Malin discovered that an entity has been trying in vain to contact him through his book. Ixon recognized Doresain and explained his suspicions that he was trying to establish his own kingdom on this world.

The Gygaxian priest Abeus instead suggested they accompany him to Selune and find the disgraced paladin Kelvish who had fled there before the war.

Checking in at the port of Malmehem, the Crue met Gebhardt who ran a fense out of one of the warehouses. After trying unsuccessfully to sell some carpets and candles to Malin, he suggested that if they were looking for Sir Pendar, his usual hunting ground was along The White Cape.

Session 20a

Lorde, Barbatos and Thistle struck out on their own to further rouse sentiment against the king, and having witnessed the brutality of the king’s new brutish Domovoi fey enforcers, convinced an unlikely pair of allies, a half-orc Paladin by the name of Perry, and a halfling rogue-monk by the name of Reed to join their exploits.

Deciding the best course of action would be the first commune with his patron, Lorde lead the troupe into the wilderness outside of the city where they discovered that the strange spider-deity was not the only creature who grew more powerful during the full moon. Indeed they fought off a wererat on the way to the ritual site, and then a werebear, narrowly managing to slay them both and maintain their lives.

Completing his ritual and confident that he had the spider-god’s blessing, Lorde next lead his companions into the sewers of Malmehem. It was here they discovered patrols of hounds, Blink Dogs, that could teleport short distances, as well as a giant dog, a Yeth Hound that could fly and cause terror with his howls.

Triumphing over these enemies they ventured deeper still, revisiting the village Lorde had seen previously, only this time it was devoid of both the adults and the teenager he had spoken with only days before. Given the frequency of werecreatures in the wilderness, they leant credence to their theories about the nature of the strange village.

Returning again to the underground springhouse Lorde had previously found during his ghostly haunts, he used his new-found comrades to make an easy ascension into the prison dungeons.

With some prisoners returned and the guard doubled, they crept up to a card game played by the latter and ambushed them, discovering that some of the guards had been supplemented with purple-blue skinned fey similar to goblins but more refined, wearing barber’s aprons and carrying straight razors. These Siabhra were able to teleport through shadows and proved a worthy challenge, however the heros triumphed and planted the beans collected from the stalk at Blackmoore. The beans produced blue fires, toadstools, strange eggs, pink frogs, and a small animated stone statue that ridiculed Lorde endlessly.

With the allies moving to the level below to engage the next group of guards, Thistle waited behind on the upper level with Lorde, stabbing the tielfling in the back and revealing his true nature – a doppleganger. When Lorde quickly got the better of him, he used the stolen monk abilities he had gained from the true Thistle and fled rapidly. The animated statue, finding this hilarious, began stepping on the pink frogs to destroy Lord’s property, inadvertantly revealing the frog’s true nature as polymorphed Ankhegs. The army of thickly armored car-sized acid spewing ants began tearing through the stone of the prison and devouring the terrified prisoners.

The protagonists released as many of the mostly innocent prisoners as they could and fled the scene, assuming the Ankhegs would be drawn next to the vibrations of the city above.

Session 20b

Meanwhile with Lorde, Barbatos and Thistle leaving to cause their own brand of chaos, the rest of the Motley Crue ventured to the seediest tavern they could find, the one with the sign of a Sun and Three Seeds, which was way more seedy than the one down the street with the Sun and Two Seeds.

Here they found a bluish goblin-like razor-wielding fey Siabhra of their own, also playing at a game of cards. When one of the player cheated, he violently slew the offender, and a bar-fight broke out. Ulfgar valiantly save the few prostitutes in the pub from danger and any shred of innocence they might have retained. Guards were summoned, Enemies Abounded, and the larger brutish fey enforcer called a Domovoi was tricked into tearing into his allies and civilians. Eliminating the evil minions of King Malmehem, the Motley Crue wasted no time capitalizing on the atrocities to foment more disfavor for the sinister king.

Rejoining Lorde and Barbatos, the Crue boarded a ship, and sailed for the White Cape, but enroute they were intercepted as the sun set by one of the flying Yeth Hounds with a Domovoi enforcer riding. Battling through the magic and causing massive collateral damage to the ship, they never-the-less won the day and managed to get the ship beached in order to begin a massive repair project, as Ulfgar became intimately acquainted with some farmer’s daughters that were then shanghaied.

Finally arriving at the White Coast, they found 2 hulls of ships wrecked and burned to the water line, one full of dead knights, the other polluted with fiendish ichor. Following the trail inland they discovered ogres, and slaying them, and ogre village. Retiring to the ship to regroup and prepare, the ogres took the opportunity to fortify at the tree line. Taking advantage of their lack of intelligence, the Crue circumvented the fortified line entirely and raided the less well defended village slaughtering the women and children.

Finally setting the whole place to blaze they waited the response from the ogres.

Session 21 Summary

With the plumes of smoke blackening the sky over the burning ogre village, the Motley Crue decided to follow the trail north east and see where these ogres had been travelling. Along the path, Barbatos was charmed, and it was quickly determined that a succubus was doing it as he spoke lovingly about his new fiendish girlfriend. Rounding a corner they discovered a pair of hell-hounds waiting for them. As they fought these fire-breathing dogs, the succubus appeared and summoned another one before escaping to the ethereal plain.

Having dispatched these monsters at a heavy cost, Ryn had one of her summoned wolves find a safe place to camp, and they holed up for the night inside a wolves’ den. One by one the group felt the charm of the succubus try to worm its way into their brains.

From here they struck out out at midnight, arriving at the destination of the footprints at dawn. Finding an ice cave, they crept inside and discovered a naked and shivering Sir Pendar, as well as a robed human that was frozen to death around a small encampment guarded by a single hell-hound.

Taunting the hell-hound. out, they ambushed and slew it. Ulnar found a necklace containing part of his mother’s soul on the corpse of the robed man, and the person’s journal confirmed that he was the apprentice of Winky, the One-eyed Wizard whom had slain Ulfgar’s father and left her with an illness that none could cure. Together they determined that the cube strung on the necklace contained part of his mother’s soul. With this new knowledge they lead Pendar back to the coast.

Arriving at the coast, they found the ship 500 feet offshore, full of holes and listing badly. Ryn transformed into a shark and began to swim out towards the ship as huge boulders came raining down on the rest of the Crue, a hill-giant laughing from on top of the nearby hill. Fighting their way to the top, they slew the giant and his ogre comrade hiding out nearby.

Meanwhile Ryn helped the few living crew aboard the ship fashion a raft of barrels and netting, and turning into a shark once more she towed the raft to shore. Horkus, the first mate, the first mate’s boyfriend, and the surviving farmer’s daughter, Gretchen joined them. Together they developed a plan to draw out the succubus, where Pendar would arrange a wedding between himself and Gretchen knowing that the succubus Theth would never tolerate him to find love.

While camping on the Ice Floes, Ryn heard the caws of a murder of crows, but did not investigate, only realizing the next day that previously it had been crows the heralded the zombie plague.

Back at the ice cave, they arranged the wedding, and just as the vows concluded, the succubus showed up. The Crue ambushed her while Ryn and Lorde slathered Pat in Oil of Etherealness, allowing the lizard person to wait in the ethereal plain to ambush the succubus when she inevitably fled there. The plan worked, allowing them to finally slay the slippery fiend.

Now the Crue waits for the Oil to wear off and bring Pat back to them.

Session 22 Summary

While waiting for Pat to return, Horkus seemed pleased that the ceremony was proceeding well in the orcish fashion, complete with a melee. He wished to resume the wedding ceremony now that the succubus was busy in the Ethereal Plain. Sir Pendar explained that wedding was just for show to draw out the succubus, but Horkus insisted that they were already united according to orcish custom, and if they sought a divorce, they would need to complete the divorce ritual. This entailed each spouse finding a rock, and armed only with that fight to the death, the survivor being granted the divorce. Horkus then went on to explain that next Sir Pendar and Gretchen would need to consummate their union in front of everyone to prove their virility. Balking again, the unexpected couple protested, and Horkus agreed to meet them halfway, giving them a backlit sheet where the observers could see only the silhouettes. Barbatos however was able to sneak a peek.

As they newly-weds were getting dressed once more, there was a crash near the entry of the cave, a pair of ogres having broken barrels of pitch and lit the stuff on fire. Horkus created a blast of wind to carve a path up the burning ramp, and the Motley Crue filed up and defeated the ogres.

With no sign of Pat, the worst was feared, but with no way to get to the Ethereal Plain, they decided to go back to the ogre village to collect fingers now that most of the adult ogres were dead.

On the trip there, they came across a lone ogre singing to himself beside a campfire, with 3 body sized sacks next to him, 2 wriggling and 1 still. Easily slaying the monster, they opened the bags, and discovered that they contained three hags, Dysasha, Granny Jay, and a dead one that the others seemed to have no regard for now that her usefulness was done.

Dysasha was startled to learn of the Doresain plague, and offered a bargain: The Motley Crue would escort her and Granny Jay to Lorde's mother, Jasmina Bradlock. With three hags, a coven could be formed and they could consult with demons to find out what is happening in the Abyss. Dysasha gave Ulfgar a varnished eyeball, and told him that once he had found Jasmina, he was to point the eye at her and Dysasha would know where to find them and arrive shortly there-after. Granny Jay decided to join the Motley Crue personally for their travels.

At the ogre village, they chased away a wolf pack that had gathered, and collected fingers from the slain child ogres, being unsure if they had been orphaned before they died or not.

From here they struck out North East across the frozen wastes, and came across a tribal village of seal hunters. Attempting first to negotiate, they decided the asking price was too high and threatened the villagers and stole their sleds and dogs.

That evening, Ulfgar kept watch and heard a nearby wolf voice calling to a distant pack. Going out to the wolf, he found an exceptionally large and monstrous version of the creature, similar to a warg, but with fully white fur and a breath of icy murder. Round and round he fought with the creature, once chasing it away only to sting it with an arrow as it fled and causing it to return to the fight once again. Chasing it off once more, he limped back to camp and woke Ryn who took next watch. During her time, she ventured back into the tundra and becoming a wolf herself she howled until finally attracting the wounded Winter Wolf. She healed the monster earning its respect and warding off a pending attack from the pack.

Finally leaving the arctic and entering into a dense and ancient forest, they arrived in a small isolated village of trappers building a wicker effigy of a huge gnoll. Learning that tonight is Gnollgnacht, the night of double new moons, Ulfgar began to explain the history of the holiday. Hearing this, Granny Jay explained that she had been one of Michael Jackson's Vindicators, and that she had played a pivotal role that night.

She explained about how she and Michael Jackson had ventured with their helpers to a tropical island in the north filled with dinosaurs. Here they discovered a portal to the Abyss that was beginning to open, to allow a hoard of demons to invade during the double new moon. Finding as well a powerful vampire Lord by the name of Darius Demarko entombed nearby, they released the undead monster, dominating him with magic and sending him through into the Abyss to fight, while they fought the demons that made it through. Fighting off wave after wave of Gnolls, undead Gnoll Skeletons commonly called 'Witherlings', Ghouls and the Ape-like Barlguras, they successfully fought off the invasion and closed the portal saving the world. The legend of Michael Jackson's Vindicators was then commemorated in the holiday of Gnollgnacht.

Session 23 Summary

Having learned of the encroachment of the zombie Ravens, The Motley Crue continued through the wilderness, eventually coming across an encampment with a smoldering fire and figures sitting around it. Approaching this camp, they discovered several of the figures frozen to their seats, the others appeared to have tried to rise and attack the offender and were quickly killed. Investigations around revealed these were bandits, and were killed by a large wolf creature.

Finding the road, they began to make better time, but were overtaken by a Frost Giant. Attempting to trade thoughts, Lorde discovered that the Giant was looking for his lost dog.

The next day they spotted a caravan along the road. Catching up, the Crue found that the caravan had been crushed by a huge boulder and looted.

They tracked down the giant, slew it, and camped in and around its corpse. Morning revealed more crows gathering. They also found one of their sled dogs, badly burned from the fight, and nursed it back to bald health.

Heading south next, they arrived in Gayklub during a rave. The Crue partied with the fabulous people here and spent the night. Morning revealed a hoard of zombies approaching rapidly with clouds of crows in the skies.

The Motley Crue helped the denizens of Gayklub flee the town, headed for Cold Mountain. With the hoard hot on their heels, they used spells to slow the zombies as much as they could before finally creating huge swaths of fog which blinded and confused the monsters, giving the Gayklubbers enough of a lead to safely get into Cold Mountain.

Besieged by an endless hoard of Zombies, the Crue searched for leaders and located a pair of ghouls which they successfully assassinated, causing the hoard to lose its coherency and begin to disperse into the surrounding countryside.

The Heros decided next to venture into The Turnip, and so Ulfgar fired up his Sun Sword to max brightness as the rest created as much light as they were able. This bought them the space they needed to move without being molested through the Turnip and down to the lower levels. Here they discovered a dry lake-bed with some damp looking areas and a few glittering spots. Along the right-hand wall there was a raised path, with dimly glowly flickering gemstones in alcoves nearly lighting the way. Barbatos walked down into the lake bed finding a handful of gold coins and being attacked by an ooze creature that lived under the sandy floor of the dry lake.

Escaping that, they found a marble temple carved into the walls and ceiling of the cave system. They found an enormous door behind a worn and pitted alter, with doors to the sides. The largest door was firmly locked and secured, so much so that it attacked anyone attempting to break in with fire. In a side room they discovered a priest named Peter and 2 acolytes Bambi and Cherry. They begged for the Crue to share their memories, and when they proved resistive a potent charm spell convinced half the party to begin telling stories. Those that still did not capitulate came under mental and physical attack, and found that when they harmed one of the enemies they all seemed to take damage from it. Eventually the beings turned to red slime and fell apart, however upon further investigation the Crue discovered the source of these projections was actually an Oblex hiding in the privy and sending forth tendrils in the shape of memories it had consumed.

Finally defeating the monster for good, they raided the former priest’s quarters discovering a holy symbol and a single well-constructed arrow.

The large door in the main hall still resisted opening, but they found that the left-most door went deep into a cave tunnel and eventually emerged back in the temple. They soon discovered that this temple was not identical to where they had been before, the large door opened to reveal an empty chamber and the hidden stack in the priest’s quarters held instead a holy book of Janus. As well the temple was decayed in subtly different ways. Barbatos began to study the holy book of the dying god Janus “The Doors of Perception”.

Moving past this area, where there had previously been a dry lake bed there was now an actual lake. Following example of The Vindicators in the dry lake side, they began construction of a raised path along the leftmost wall while several of them rested.

Coming up out of the basement of The Turnip they found a bustling business instead of the haunted ruins. Although the building was in good repair, the magic of the place was not present here in the Shadow Realm. One of the Patrons wore familiar red robes and a white porcelain mask, and they came to find that his name was Uziel and he was a cleric of Dispater. Pendar tried to slay the person but was overwhelmed by a Hold Person spell. Uziel requested the Crue to guide him back to the Prime Realm and then from there to Zeroburg so he could learn more of the arch they had described to him.

The evil priest explained to them the celestial history of Gygax, how he created Asmodeus as his most beloved son to be the guardian against demonic encroachment, and how Asmodeus slowly became enlightened by the methods of the demons and gathered power, but was still bound by the pact with Gygax that it was his responsibility to keep the demons from the realms.

Keeping Pendar in a Held status, they guided Uziel back to Cold Mountain and leaving the knight and his wife there, the rest struck out for Hendelforge. Here Lorde was able to confirm what Uziel had told them, finding that the exact wording of the contract left a curious loophole. Although Asmodeus was responsible for keeping the demons from invading the rest of the galaxy, nowhere did it state that he couldn’t outsource the task.

Session 24 Summary

The Motley Crue awoke in Hendelforge to find those few residents that kept the Druidic faith to be busy sending out their older children with ribbons in their hands. These teens were instructed to tie ribbons around hazards such as thorn bushes. Further inquiry revealed that this was called “The Bawming of the Thorn” which was a rite in preparation of tomorrow’s “Ceremony of the Turning” where all 7 year old children would be blindfolded and taken into the wilderness and left to find their way back. Two druids were on-hand and would be disguising themselves as animals to watch over these children, and meanwhile the townsfolk would build an enormous smokey fire and make a tremendous amount of noise to serve as a beacon to help the children find their way back. Horkus of course was unimpressed, the Orcish tradition being to leave the child in the wilderness without any of this coddling or help finding their way back. Only the strongest children should be allowed to return.

The caravanners, upon learning of the impending party, began making excuses to delay the departure.

Shortly after the teens were sent out with their ribbons, a pair returned calling for help. They expressed their fears of a large iron bull found prowling the forest.

Barbatos went out to investigate while the others researched, smithed and brewed, and the Asimar was able to locate the Gorgon, along with an odd masterwork status of a child tying a ribbon to a thorn bush. The Gorgon breathed a cloud of toxic gas on the barbarian, which he barely resisted. Barbatos promptly returned to the dwarven city to gather reinforcements.

Returning to the clearing, they discovered not one, but two of these monsters. Ryn was able to lock one of them down by summoning fairies and instructing them to polymorph the creature into a turtle, and having other cast the ‘fly’ spell on Lorde who dropped the turtle into a nearby pond and then began blasting at the remaining bull. Rarely was a shot able to penetrate the thick iron armor on the monstrocity, but eventually they were able to destroy the creature. Lorde then dug a deep hole and when the second Gorgon finally emerged and attacked, they had one of the remaining fairies polymorph it once more, they then dropped it into a hole and buried it, smothering the creature.

Dragging the statue and the Gorgon corpse back to Hendelforge, Lorde worked through the night to prepare a remedy from the residue found inside the Gorgon and was able to restore the child.

As the Ceremony of the Turning dawned, the children were sent out into the forest blindfolded, Ryn initially followed in the guise of a squirrel, which Malin immediately killed. She tried again as a raccoon and met another druid also in the guise of a raccoon, and they got busy within a groundhog warren.

Ulfgar convinced the second druid to turn him into a squirrel, and the former dwarf went out into the forest to scare the children. This second druid was very displeased with his actions and dumped him into the nearby pond.

While this was going on, Barbatos was picking up all the bitches and hunks and taking them back to Percy Bradlock’s estate. As more and more showed up, eventually a madam arrived, bringing beds, mirrors, and shackles, and began selling pleasures to other townsfolk. Percy was pleased that there was income pouring in once more.

As darkness set in the final child made their way back to Hendelforge, but the second druid was reported to be missing. Investigating the disappearance the Motley Crue discovered the corpse of the man being feasted upon by a pair of zombies. As they dispatched these foes, more and more crashed through the foliage and our heroes realized that the hoard had reformed and made its way here.

Summoning more fairies most of them flew through the darkness above the hoard, locating two of the ghoul leaders who had taken up longbows to better defend themselves against the previous failures at the hands of the Crue.

Slaying these two, they located another, this one a ghast emitting a horrible cloud of stinking fumes. Eventually slaying this one as well, they were able to cause the right flank of the hoard to fragment. The Crue returned to Hendelforge to regroup and form a plan.

In Hendelforge they discovered Uziel, the red robed and white masked priest of Dispater had been turned back by the same hoard, and had returned to meet with them. The Crue began to rethink and arrange a new plan.

Session 25 Summary

Joining with their allies once more, the group discussed the options before them. Sir Pendar was determined to stay and lend aid to the besieged dwarves, while Uziel the Asmodean cleric urged them to flee to the coast and sail west now that half the zombie hoard was defeated and there was a relatively safe way to go. Granny Jay told them she had found a secret way through the Fairie Realm they could use to flee north.

Ultimately Ulfgar handed over the hag-eye to Granny Jay and bargained with her to go as far as County Bradlock and wait there for one week. Malin opted to accompany Uziel west, and the rest of the Motley Crue decided to stay with Pendar and free the dwarves.

Climbing up to a lookout on the hill surrounding the town, the Crue were able to pick out three potential targets in the vast densely packed hoard.

Several options were discussed, before the Crue settled on fortifying their cart, armouring and blindfolding their giant goat, and then ploughing through the zombies to get to each target. As a backup, they had Pendar begin drilling the dwarven soldiers on a flying wedge maneuver. These dwarves would be held in reserve and upon receiving a signal from the Motley Crue they would fight their way through the hoard to provide backup.

Implementing this plan, The Crue began forcing their way through to the first target, discovering an ogre zombie which they were able to eventually dispatch. With the delay, the hoard was able to encroach on the cart and bog it down, but the heros quickly freed it and were able to resume their progress to the second target. Along the way a few of them were pulled from the cart at times, however they were each able to quickly regain the cart and fight on.

At the second target they discovered several ghasts, and signaled to Pendar to begin his approach to reinforce their efforts.

Continuing to fight through the hoard they managed to free the cart and rescue those who were pulled off several times more before arriving at the third target.

It was here they discovered a ghoul that was more heavily armored than the previous ones along with a pair of archers. The plan began to fall apart as Ryn’s pixies were freed of their indenture to her and turned on them, dropping Lorde from his flight, and polymorphing Ryn into a turtle.

Finally defeating the ghouls, Pendar caught up and carved a path out of the hoard, leading the heroes into the forest and forming a defensive circle to allow them to rest a moment.

Session 26 Summary

Making their way back to Hendelforge, the Motley Crue found that the Bradlock Brothel, although popular with the underclasses of Hendelforge and bringing in enough wealth to prop up the expenses of the Bradlock estate, was causing quite a stir among the affluent neighbours.

During this time, Ulfgar discovered that Gretchen Pendar was with child, and if her estimations were to be believed, the dwarf was the father. Although among dwarves a pregnancy is normally a joyous occasion, dwarves are forbidden from fornications with non-dwarves. The result is invariably an abomination called a derro, a wickedly insane creature that abhors sunlight. Dwarven society traditionally will immediately put a newborn creature of this kind to death, and will punish the dwarf who parented it severely. Given these circumstances, Ulfgar decided the best course of action was to end the pregnancy, but was unable to convince Gretchen of the wisdom of consuming the poison necessary to do so.

Finding Sir Pendar preparing to leave for Malmehem, they discussed their options once more, finally deciding that they would part with the holy knight and head north to County Bradlock. It was during these discussions that a man named Ashton came along looking for the Motley Crue. Although initially denying that they were the ones he sought, eventually Horkus admitted to being the leader of the Crue. With relief Ashton offered 50gp up front, and another 100gp upon delivery if the Crue would take a wagon full of "Textiles" to the Port of Malmehem, to a man by the name of Frederik the Spice Lord. Ulfgar conversed with Ashton, soon discerning that he was likely a member of some sort of crime syndicate. He paid out the rest of his gold to the man, hiring him to poison Gretchen Pendar.

The delivery contract was contingent on the crate remaining unopened until time of delivery. Horkus accepted the contract, then he and Ryn checked the crate to make sure it was not full of slaves. Upon hearing Ryn's knocking through the crate, Horkus took it to be the pleas of hapless prisoners and began trying to open the crate, triggering a magical trap that detonated killing all those around including the assassin Ashton, and revealing a gilded purple cube contained within. Immediately a wraith emerged from the purple cube and attacked Horkus until he fled out into the sunlight at which time the wraith slipped through the ceiling and began murdering the denizens of Hendelforge.

The heros moved up to the streets above, finding a trail of victims with freshly risen specters being created as the wraith murdered its way through the city. Finally catching up to the monster in the 4th and uppermost level of the city, home of all the aristocracy including the Pendar Estate. A swift battle resulted in the slaying of the monster, but it was determined that the smart move would be for the Motley Crue to leave Hendelforge immediately understanding that Horkus, being an orc, was very likely to quickly become the patsy for the crimes.

Investigating the gilded purple cube, Horkus found a dessicated husk of a human within, and managed to determine that this was an assassination attempt against the mysterious Frederik the Spice Lord. As they fled the town, they informed Sir Pendar of this discovery, but the knight feared he would have insufficient resources to accomplish an investigation into the matter in addition his goals of finding the disgraced Sir Kelvish who was rumoured to be hiding among the high elves on the small blue moon Selune.

Moving into the wilderness north of town, they travelled four days, in that time discovering a spider-cocooned farmer and a bounty hunter supposedly looking for a missing child. Sending him after the husk, he agreed to take it with him and try to collect the bounty using it.

Finally making it into the County Bradlock, Lorde constructed a welcome sign, and Ryn discovered signs already in place, hidden in the druidic way, that warned off all comers, insisting that the area was dangerous.

Session 27

In the dense virgin forest of County Bradlock, the Motley Crue discovered an alien lacy fungus and determined it was an invasive species from the Fey Realm. While it didn't seem to be harming the local flora, its pervasiveness suggested that the fae were heavily entrenched in the area. During this investigation, a Quickling sped past Barbatos punching him squarely in the nuts before fleeing.

Locating a cave, the heros discovered six evil Redcap Gnome inhabitants. After doing righteous battle with these villains, the protagonists were able to determine that these Redcaps were garrisoned in this cave as soldiers, and were able to further speculate that they were likely troops of the Winter Queen of Fae who had been rumored to be at war with the scattered elf tribes in the region.

The following day, the group discovered an abandoned village filled with escaped pigs. Magically speaking with the animals, Ryn discovered that they had previously all been humans, and one day woke as pigs with no explanation of how. After suggesting that the Fae may be responsible, the pig agreed that there had been rumors of Fae interference, but as this was a common scapegoat for all manner of unexplainable problems, it had not been given much credence. A giant badger was discovered predating on the helpless pigs, and was quickly slain but not before killing a farmer-pig which strangely remained in pig form after its death. The Motley Crue decided against consuming the flesh of the fallen pig.

The Crue spent that night in the Meeting Hall in town, and once asleep were attacked through their dreams by Meenlocks, and physically by Sihabra, commonly known as 'Wicked Barbers'. Ulfgar lost an eye to the latter, and installed the glass eye of Winky The One-Eyed Wizard in its place with restoration magic laid on the wound and patched up for a few days to finish healing.

Continuing along the road, the heros soon were stopped by an elf mounted upon a strange purple and blue giant spider, flanked by guards on standard giant spiders and a few other elves mounted on more common giant beasts. The elf acknowledged that it was unusual for them to have such spidery mounts, but refused to elaborate further as they did not trust the Crue. The elf did warn them against traveling to Castle Bradlock, stating it was guarded by brutish Domovoi, and went so far as to relate that these creatures were not beholden to the Winter Queen of Fae and were likely mercenaries. She expressed that the Bradlocks were all dead, and that the elves were happy they were gone as Sir Operius Bradlock had brought the might of his inquisition upon them centuries ago.

As the party continued along the road after leaving the elves, they discovered a battle raging on between more Redcaps and strange humanoid-spider monsters called Ettercaps. After defeating the Redcaps, the Ettercaps attacked the Motley Crue but were eventually defeated.

Session 28

The Motley Crue continued their trek to Castle Bradlock, finally arriving to find Domovoi Fae mercenaries patrolling the walls and cleared land surrounding the place. Lorde was able to bluff his way into the only liveable structure, the gatehouse in the wall, there finding the Domovoi captain and convincing him that the Crue were envoys from The Queen of Air and Darkness and that they would have new order soon.

As the Crue waited for an opportune moment to act, the true emissary of The Queen arrived, a human warlock named Madfinger Goldenstone with a retinue of Redcaps and Quicklings. Ingratiating himself with Madfinger, Lorde learned that the arch-druid of the area was trapped in a large dead tree that was growing through the main keep, and that the centipedes infesting the bailey seemed to be coming at the sleeping druid's behest. Impressed with the Crue's ability to overcome the warlock's mighty Redcaps, and struck a deal with Lorde. If he was able to slay the druid, the castle would be his, and if Lorde was able to further destroy the elves that live in the local area, he would be granted the whole county once the Fae ruled.

Finding a secret entrance to the 2nd sub level below the keep, Pat lead the way with the Sunsword, and the rumoured wraiths were nowhere to be seen. They moved past the ancient baths and up into the 1st sublevel finding centipedes ankle deep guarding the tree-prison of the arch druid.

The Motley Crue was able to destroy the tree, freeing the druid who awoke furious and attacked them, accidentally slaying Barbatos. Finally able to calm the powerful druid, he was very confused. He explained that he wanted to help them, but insisted that he must meet with the other druids first and determine their disposition towards the recent events before he could act. He expressed remorse for slaying their ally, and offered to perform a ritual of reincarnation if the Crue could gather the needed components.

Session 29 Summary

Ryn flew with eagle’s wings to the wood-elf encampment where she startled the guards and roused ire and mistrust. Samantha, the leader of the wood-elves, finally settled on imprisoning Ryn for a time while she attempted to corroborate the story with Gandarius, the Arch-Druid.

Eventually relenting and allowing Ryn to contact the Arch Druid herself, Ryn was able to assuage the elves’ fears and eventually reunited with Gandarius to discuss tactics.

With the elves in place to begin hit-and-run attacks against the much greater Fae Army, Ryn passed word along to the rest of the Motley Crue that the elves were prepared to assist.

Pat then snuck close to the trailing Domovoi, and struck a bargain with them to turncoat and attack the Redcaps once battle was brought. The Domovoi, having completed their previous contract and owing no loyalty to the servants of The Queen of Air and Darkness agreed to modest terms and prepared for when the battle was fully underway.

Granny Jay made her presence known, and additionally brought word of a ragged and weak dwarf that had been vainly trying to find them. She revealed that she had taken much delight in leading him in circles, and was waiting for the perfect moment to reveal to him that the pig he ate back in the prior village was in fact a person.

This dwarf proved to be none other than Brondel, the dwarf who had created Ulfgar’s Katana and welded a ghoul hand onto the axe of Barbatos.

The reunited Crue attempted to sleep, but each time they were assaulted by Meenlocks and Vile Barber Sihabra before finally moving much farther away and taking refuge in a cave.

The day of the battle finally upon them, they sent the invisible Granny Jay ahead to watch for the start of the battle. Upon seeing the blue smoke of her signal, they rushed in, quickly spotting two taller figures dressed in black robes. Attacking the first with fire and lightning they quickly forced the warlock into retreat. Then were able to take out the second with a single arrow, this one being a weak apprentice.

With the Fae Army scattering under its lack of leadership, the Motley Crue began to track the escaped warlock, eventually tracking him to a fairie ring.

Gandarius took leave of them at this point, explaining that he must meet with the Grand-Druid at Midsummer and they would debate at that time the stance of the druids as a whole.

Casting Fairie Fire on the circle of mushrooms and stepping through, the Crue found themselves stranded in a land even more fantastical than the one they left, where the sky was eternally stained crimson and gold from the sun that hung low but never set.

With Maddfingers trail going cold in this realm, they offered the Domovoi a bargain, they would relinquish the remaining time if they fae brutes could locate a fairy ring back to the Prime Realm for them.

Session 30 Summary

Travelling through the bright and unearthly beauty of the Kingdom of Summer, The Motley Crue tollerated Brondel's nervous ramblings about various cautionary tales of the Fae. As he expounded on the various cautions imparted to him by his mother, his mouth suddenly vanished. Always quick on the draw, Lorde blasted the offending Sprite to glitter, but the dwarf needed surgery and magic to restore his missing mouth.

As they tended to the smithy, Ulfgar found that the Sunsword began calling to him. The artifact was upset that they had killed any undead in a long time, and demanded that they give up their current endeavours and begin forming an inquisition against the foul undead. Ulfgar placated the sword for now, but knew it would only be a short time before it hungered for violence once more.

Moving through the realm of Summer they soon came across the smells then sights of a brewery, discovering a Gygaxian monastery run by human pilgrims from Primordia. The good natured monks offered their flavorless barley-porridge and beer and gave them a place the sleep for the night. Cries from the basement could be heard, and upon inquiring, they were informed that the bishop, Father Ross had been stricken after he had accidentally consumed Fae food. The flavor was so great that he lost all desire to eat anything else and had begun starving himself to death.

The Crue took pity on the man and researched his malady finally determining that the addiction was a form of curse. After removing said curse, he was restored and thankful. After debating philosophy with Horkus for some time, many of the monks were convinced that the quiet lives they had been living were in fact wrong, and that only by following The Fury of the Storm could allow them to properly serve Gygax.

Taking to the road once more, they followed their Domovoi scouts up a hill and beheld a clear line of demarkation where the climate went abruptly from 70 and sunny to 30 and snowy as if separated by an invisible field, but lost none of it's beauty as it transitioned.

Only a short distance into the frozen forest, the Domovoi became concerned by a lightning struck tree ahead, and looking back there was a tree leaking sap where no tree had been only moments before. All at once the trees became animate, the sap covered tree splashing acid, as the lightning struck tree worked spells related to its element. Finally defeating these creatures, the Crue fled as more and more of the trees animated and began hurling boulders.

Making it safely out of the grove of Treants, the Domovoi stopped and pointed ahead. In the midst of the clearing was a mushroom circle, and standing beside it was a half-frozen Maddfinger and beside him stood a humanoid covered head to toe in gauzy material that left little to the imagination. This woman's beauty was such a gaze upon her without the clothes would blind a person, and she burned with such an inner fire that the snow melted before it could touch her.

The woman explained that she was an emissary from the Queen of Air and Darkness. She offered a bargain in the form of a truce between the Queen and the Motley Crue, neither would step into the realm of the other, and the Queens forces would cease their invasion. She told them that the failure Maddfinger was no longer beloved by the Queen, and was banished. They could treat him as they saw fit. The Queen would remain their enemy however, and would tolerate no further aggressions from them. The Abominable Beauty then lit the mushrooms with fairie fire and stepped aside allowing the Crue to pass beyond.

Arriving a desert in the cold of night, the heroes executed Maddfinger and searched for an oasis. Soon finding a hut with a strange green scaled humanoid dragonborn named Djemidor he offered to allow them to rest for a price, and it was soon revealed that he had been an adherent of Tiamat in a nearby town of Salasar where such practice was forbidden, and was thusly banished here. He spoke of the priest of Tiamat, the black dragonborn Brevarr.

Granny Jay offered Ryn a deal to take her unborn child from her, but Ryn refused. She instead got stung in the belly by a giant scorpion before taming 7 of the monsters with magic and took them as mounts, heading west.

Pat's alien lizardperson nature took form each time they turned north, the direction of their ancient homeland, a yellow frill popped up from their neck.

Session 31 Summary

Striking out from the scorpion cave, the mounted Motley Crue pushed their giant scorpions hard, driving them to the point of exhaustion before turning on them and attempting to slay their mounts. This conflict caught the attention of a pair of hungry hill giants who joined in the fight, finally slaying the scorpions, but ignoring the Crue’s attempts to speak with them. As the giants began to devour their scorpion prey, Horkus sent bolts of lighting from his storm down on their heads, enraging the giants and causing them to pummel the orc until he was just a stain on the rocky ground.

Ryn then turned into a similar giant vulture and scooping up Ulfgar flew high up into the air allowing the dwarf to rain arrows down on the giants right up until he slipped, and without the benefit of saddle or bindings, fell hundreds of feet to create his own stain upon the earth.

Fleeing the scene, and leaving expert smithy Brondel to his own fate, the remaining Crue continued on their way finally arriving at Salazar. Finding the dragonborn town in a sad state, walls crumbling, no guards and perhaps most suprising of all, very few dragonborn, with unruly kobolds making up the bulk of the population.

On the advice of the beggar Shedinn, a White Dragonborn, they checked into Hoss’s Steak and Seahouse, the only remaining saladbar in Salazar, but found the premises empty and helped themselves to room keys.

Heading next to a soaring cathedral that Ryn had staked out, they first met the janitor, a mentally challenged Blue Dragonborn named Na’gar, and then met the high priest, an elderly Bronze Dragonborn Medrash. He explained along with the lay-priestess and administrator, Copper Dragonborn Da’ar, that a zombie hoard had attacked the town, and been driven off. After some divinations, they decided to mount a counter-offensive against the likely source, gathering all able bodied fighters of the town. This crusade was never heard from again, and left the town without the bulk of its Dragonborn population, and now the kobolds have left the mines to the south and taken over much of the town.

Da’ar assisted the Crue in finding out more about Asmodeus’ contract, putting together more of the puzzle and learning that a powerful Vampire Lord had been installed as lord of the Death Dells in place of Yeenoghu, and was sending his servant Gnolls into the Abyss to keep the other demons locked down, fulfilling the contract and leaving the forces of Hell to take the fight against Gygax.

From here they met a female Red Dragonborn riding a large wingless beastial dragonborn known as a Drake. This heavily armored red, who went by the name Herann, sized them up. Agreeing to let them speak to her master, the Black Dragonborn Pandjed, she lead them into a run down residential area. Entering a small house bearing a mark of the five headed dragon, they met Pandjed and he explained that he was in league with Tiamat who had sworn fealty to Asmodeus even though she was not directly within the hierarchy of the Nine Hells. He explained that the armies of Hell had captured Mechanus, the Plane of Perfect Order, and now the clockwork warriors of that place served Asmodeus.

His own queen Tiamat intended to take over Primordia, and as such Pandjed was willing to assist the Motley Crue in chasing out the ghouls and their demon allies. He offered them use of his champion, Herann for 3 days, but needed her back after that for some other tasks. Herann was anxious to join, her lover Kriv had joined the crusade, himself leading the muscle, to serve under priestess Surina bringing the magic to try to defeat the ghouls and demons and end the plague. Herann was was anxious to learn of Kriv’s fate.

The Motley Crue were pressed for time once more, trying to decide if it was best to track down the Giants who likely had possession of Ulfgar’s magical artifacts while the trail was hot, or if they would be better served taking the fight south and finally ending the plague.

Session 32 Summary

Awaking to a new day in Salasar, the Motley Crue found the familiar town steadily losing ground to disorder as the vicious kobolds grew more bold and were seen shaking down the dragonborn populace.

Gathering the proffered camels and the aid of Herann the Red Dragonborn Paladin of Tiamat, they decided to venture east towards the site of the fight with the hill giants days earlier. Herann expressed the urgency of her need to turn back, and after being pressed, revealed that the Order of Tiamat was preparing to enter the temple to Bahamaut and slay the few remaining priests with the help of a spy they had planted there. Rakeet offered to teleport the mighty warrior back, and caused a great show of magic, but in the end the unholy knight remained where she was, and stormed off with disgust.

Taking the salt flats to save time, they discovered a trio of Copper Dragon Wyrmlings hunting, but managed to hide the camels and shelter well enough to avoid even the sharp eyes of the dragons.

Continuing on they located their destination, discovering there bone shards of Horkus and the crushed skeleton of Ulfgar, each with every trace of metal and any objects of worth taken, the clothes and leather reinforcements carelessly torn apart. With no sign of Brondel, they decided to follow the heavy footprints of the giants. Eventually coming upon a curious site, a vast flock of sheep circling the pair of giants and Brondel’s head protruding from a large sack conversing with the pair of brutes, and a set of sheep spitted over a fire to feed the monstrous appetites of the savage giants.

Enacting a clever plan, the Crue summoned hyenas that chased the sheep out into the desert causing the giants to storm off after them. The heros quickly recaptured Brondel and brought him to relative safety.

The dwarf explained that the giants had captured him, taking him and all the spoils of the fight to an enclave of fire giants, there trading for the flock of sheep.

Travelling through the scablands to the south, the Motley Crue encountered a gargantuan bird the size of a school bus with wings well over a hundred feet across. Discussing amongst themselves, the determined this to be a legendary Roc, a monstrocity created by the magically gifted Cloud Giants during their great war with dragonkind, and using these mounts were able to send their warriors into the skies after their hated foe. Thankfully their camels were deemed too small to be a tempting treat for the great raptor, and it left them all unmolested.

Next they discovered a vast wide and deep fissure in the midst of the scablands which emitted foul clouds of toxic gas and heat. A giant-sized ramp switched-back down the nearest side of the fissure and the Crue cautiously made their way down to a river of lava below, finding great piles of coal and iron being carted from a landing back into the mountainside through colossal iron doors that hung open and unguarded. The Azer slaves worked at this task tirelessly and greeted the Motley Crue with vague indifference. Efforts to communicate gave the Crue an understanding of what to expect within, and they hid and waited for the opportune moment, divinations revealing the Sunsword to be held within. Hearing the great doors begin to close half of the Crue made their way into the Fire-Giant’s foundry and discovered curious machines, cranes and gantries moving around over rivers of molten magma. The foundry was closing down for the day, the Azers filing away to their barracks, the Fire-giants doing the same to theirs, leaving only an ancient and grizzled giant that tended the fires through the night ensuring that the magma didn’t dam up.

A few of the heros made their way up to the master’s forge while others hit the elderly giant with ghoul poison causing him to fall into the magma river and begin to drown. Hearing the crash, the master of the forge, a great armored Fire-giant stormed from his private suite and rescued his ally, allowing the heros to break into the closet and remove the Sunsword Hilt and a curious rod, along with a great haul of coins.

Making their way back into the foundry, some of them were discovered and the giants began hurling huge chunks of iron at them, chasing them from the foundry and pursuing them up the switchbacks. Losing track of them in the dark of night, the master-smith giant discovered Brondel and the camels, and hurled the dwarf over the edge to his death, placed the camels in his pockets, and then gave up on pursuit of the intruders.

Below Killvar disguised himself as an Azer just in time to be discovered by the grandpa-giant who scolded him in the strange tongue and shooed him back inside. The master then closed the doors to the foundry as the remaining Motley Crue gathered at the top and began planning how to rescue their new comrade.

Session 33

Kilvar awoke within the Azer slave barracks inside the Fire-giant Foundry. He was quickly recognized by Hermorlug, the leader of the Azer slaves, who recognized him as not one of his own Azer. Upon physical inspection, Hermorlug discovered that Kilvar was wearing an illusion, and after trying a few languages found they could communicate with dwarvish.

About this time a misty cloud flowed under the locked outer doors to the foundry, and this cloud grew until it dwarfed the Fire-giants and then became a Cloud-giant, the magicians of the giant Ordnung, and out-ranking all but the aloof Storm-giants. Hermorlug translated as the Cloud-giant inquired about why the boss Fire-giant had contacted him. Upon hearing of the recent incursion, the Cloud-giant demanded to know the status of a weapon the Fire-giants had been constructing for him. Learning that the thieves had made off with a pair of critical objects, and that the weapon could not be completed without replacements, he commanded that the Fire-giants send a runner to their lessers, the Stone-giants, and order them to raid the local lands to find suitable items. He advised that the Fire-giants would be responsible for payment to the Stone-giants for this task, implying that even though they were of a lower caste, the Ordnung would demand fair payment for service.

The Cloud-giant then began playing spells and wards about the place. As the requested runner made ready to leave, it tripped an alarm spell angering the Cloud-giant. With the giants distracted, Hermorlug handed Kilvar a scroll containing a Fire-elemental, and advised him that both the Azer and Fire-giants were immune to fire, but that the elemental may give him a distraction, then ushered him towards the giant’s living area and the warrens beyond.

As Kilvar made his way through the warrens, his allies waited above while Lorde played with his rod, which by this point had fully cocooned him in a spider’s web. The Fire-giant runner made his way to the top of the smoking rift, and upon noticing Pat and the camels, he shooed them, then stepped over the snarling Pat and made his way east, cursing the vermin that always seem to accumulate near ‘civilization’.

Ryn summoned birds to feast on their previously slain companion Brondel, and was able to shake a finger and an eyeball out of the bird.

The Motley Crue chased down their shooed camels, and observed three Copper-dragon wrymlings flying and calling in terror as an enormous bird with wings well over 100ft long called a Roc chased the dragons. The Crue chose not to get involved and the Roc slew the wyrmlings as the heros made their way back to the Fire-giant rift. Poking Lorde’s cocoon, they discovered it was empty, and so cast divination spells to locate Kilvar and in time found him as he emerged from a rock pile.

Travelling now through the desert they came across the Roc once more consuming the wyrmlings, when an Ancient Copper-dragon flew overhead raging at the murder of its offspring. A brief battle ensued, the Roc was slain by the Dragon with some small effort of the Motley Crue, and the dragon expressed its gratitude through its grief.

Camped in the desert Ryn tried to Reincarnate Brondel, and a giant pea pod eventually grew and deposited a Halfling Male who initially had no memory of his previous life. Rakeet advised the confused creature that he was likely Arthur, Son of Gygax, Rightful King of All. The Halfling took the bird-man’s words to heart and the suggestion of Gygax seemed to begin sparking memories.

The Crue headed west from here, then south to where it had been suggested that the Dragonborn crusade had travelled weeks earlier. They discovered a ruined citadel clearly built by giants given the size of the place, and also discovered a desert rat that was following them. Upon destroying the rat, it became a Quasit, a lesser demon commonly used for spying and assassination. Approaching the citadel the protagonists were overwhelmed with a wretched smell of disease, rot, vomit and defication, and soon found that every surface of the citadel was covered with diseased flesh and pustules that erupted into Stinking Clouds. Ryn tested a new spell, and Awakened a section of the diseased flesh which spoke cordially with her and advised that he had emerged from a tear deep below the citadel, and that his existence was pain. Ryn suggested he leave the wall he was attached to, and he agreed, slithering north into the desert wastes.

Smashing through the main gate the Crue fought and killed many ghouls, then battled with a spell casting ghast which fled, leading them to a goat-demon called a Bulezau that emitted an aura of disease. They slew this creature, but Ryn’s summoned bears died in the fight, and within a minute became zombies. The Crue retreated to regroup and come up with a better strategy against the citadel and the Plague Bearers within.

Session 34 Summary

Rejoining the rest of the Motley Crue at their desert camp, Lorde brought with him Malin, the sorcerer having apparently reached similar conclusions regarding the source of this plague.

Together, the reunited Crue approached the Blighted Citadel, and upon gaining sight of the Citadel’s Killing field - the cleared area immediately surrounding the walls - they found hoards of dragonborn zombies milling aimlessly about, these likely being the failed crusaders. The heros carved a path through these monsters, dodging spells from a ghast high in the battlements, and broke open the door once more.

In the Bailey, they found fleeing ghouls and chased and destroyed the spell-casting ghast before making their way into the keep. In the hallways they destroyed a cluster of bulezau demons and then found their way deeper into the sub levels.

In the dungeon cells below the Crue noted many dead priests of Bahamaut, and one living Paladin, the Gold Dragonborn Kriv whom Herran had been seeking, although he feigned being unaware of the Red Dragonborn Paladin of Tiamat.

Continuing down below the worked stone, they moved through hot caverns possessing a similar sulferous stench to the Fire Giants’ Foundry, and soon discovered a ritual cavern full of magma rivers where Surina, Priestess of Bahamaut-turned-follower of Doresain was praying before a portal to The Abyss.

The portal spawned bulezaus, then the mythical evil hyena-men - gnolls according to the ancient texts – returned to Primorida for the first time in a millennia. The gnolls fought the demons, then turned on the Crue. Pat grappled and carried Surina throught the portal, depositing the priestly ghast in the Abyss and capturing a glimpse of huge armies of bulezau and gnolls fighting over the portal, and a powerful vampire watching over the forces as they vied for control.

The Motley Crue weighed their options, knowing that the portal would close slowly in time if the demons could be kept out of Primordia, or it could be closed from the other side rapidly, trapping the caster within the Abyss.

Session 35

After camping in the portal room for a few days, the Motley Crue noted that the diseased flesh covering the walls and floors had begun to dessicate and peel, and the portal shrank a bit. No longer able to accommodate the passing of Bulezaus, only Quasits and the occasional Gnoll was able to pass into Primordia.

Lorde travelled into The Abyss and located the vampire that was commanding the Gnoll legions. He found out the vampire’s disposition and invited him to pass through the portal into Primordia to feed on a High Elf, the vampire’s favorite food. The vampire chased Ryn around until the Sunsword was brandished causing him to flee back into the Abyss. Malin followed the vampire through and began to dispel magic on the far side causing the portal to shrink by half with each casting. Invisible Quasits revealed themselves as they fled towards the portal to stop Malin, but the Crue held them off until he managed to close the portal fully, trapping himself in the Abyss with the vampire and clashing armies.

The Crue then travelled up the remaining tower and discovered a laboratory full of used up and dried out chemicals along with various preserved body parts and a few mummified bodies on slabs. One of the bodies rose after being attacked revealing itself to be a flesh golem.

After a brutal fight, Ryn discovered a Manual of Golems, and could potentially create an abomination similar to what they had encountered.

Continuing up the tower, they discovered a room guarded by two Fire-Elemental Myrmidons and four Flame Skulls, with a large chest at the opposite end.

Taking the fight to the monsters, the heros slugged it out weathering fireballs and soon discovered the chest was actually a Mimic. Finally triumphing over these creatures, they walked away with the pockets full and a variety of new magical items to allow them to continue on their respective quests.

As they rested and recovered in the room, the Flame Skulls reformed themselves after a short rest and attacked with a barrage of fireballs once more, slaying the Paladin Dragonborn Kriv and seriously injuring Pat. They fled to the roof where the guardians did not follow, and discussed splitting up the Motley Crue for a time to each pursue their own goals, Lorde to locate his mother and find a hoard of treasure, Pat to return to their homeland to prove their worth to the tribe and hopefully produce offspring, and Ryn to do Ryn things.

Session 36a

Having ended Doresain’s plans to infect the world with his zombie plague, The Motley Crue separated to each achieve their own goals.

Lorde travelled south in search of funding to rebuild his family’s power, and hearing of the possibility of substantial riches, Kilvar joined the tiefling. The duo made their way to the homestead of Jasmina, Lorde’s mother. Upon arrival they discovered Lorde’s half-brother Samael, a mutant resembling a humanoid frog as well as Granny Jay taking tea with Jasmina.

Excited to see her son well and having gained power, Jasmina was proud to learn that Lorde and his Crue had ended the plague, although she had some trepidation that Doresain would not take such a defeat lightly.

The matronly Night Hag suggested that Lorde help her repay a debt to a privateer named Rendomar on Two-Pac Island, adding that he should be able to accrue quite a substantial sum of money if he was successful. She gave him the location of a small yacht hidden in a cave near Zeroburg, and the tiefling set out for the swamp town.

In Zeroburg he surreptitiously slew an orphan at Dispater’s Arch, gaining access within and found that the spirits that inhabited the arch had been busy refurbishing the temple, preparing for new cultists. They spoke with the lich Benito and relayed their success against the zombie plague. The lich offered them a single object of their choosing as reward, and upon picking up a Bag of Tricks they found themselves teleported outside of the arch, the door gone.

From here Lorde and Kilvar sailed to Two-Pac Island, finding it inhabited by foul goblins and bugbears lead by the human wizard Rendomar. The mage spoke of a treasure hoard kept by the pirate Greenbeard, an alien creature called a beholder. Beholders were known to have a spherical 10 foot diameter body, with a large toothy mouth and a single large eyeball, this body covered with additional eye stalks, each of these stalks having some manner of magical ray that could be fired with deadly effect. The creatures were known to be incredibly vain and narcissistic to the point of psychosis. The treasure was to be looted and brought back to Two-Pac island, half of the take going to Rendomar, the other half to be divided as the crew saw fit. Rendomar suggested they go immediately, Greenbeard was known to be at sea hunting this time of year and his hoard should be less well-protected.

Lorde set off with Kilvar and a group of Hobgoblin privateers who had been trained by Rendomar, and sailed quickly to the a densely forested volcanic island. Fumes and burning ejecta rained down from the exploding mountain above, and the group soon located a hidden cove. Within these confines they discovered 3 anchored vessels, 1 burned down to the waterline, 1 appearing to be half disassembled and being used as parts, and the 3rd in seaworthy shape. Investigations revealed that upon the beach there were alien clawed sea creatures with whip-like tails and long toothy jaws. The tiefling, duergar and crew of hobgoblins beached their yacht far down the shore and attempted to approach on foot, but attracted the attention of a pair of the alien sea creatures, Kopru, one small one large. The small revealed quickly that it possessed charm abilities, the larger being a simple brute, but mighty. Quickly dispatching these creatures, the privateer gang used Bottled Breath Potions to swim down below the surface and found an underwater hole leading through wide trapped passages eventually into the beholder-pirate’s lair. In this lair they found dozens of creatures matching the description of Greenbeard complete with a green beard, eye patch and shoulder parrot. As they began slaying these creatures they soon discovered that some of them were zombie versions of the pirate, while others appeared to be fungal growths full of deadly spores, altered into his likeness. Dispatching all the monsters the crew eventually located a passage in the ceiling covered by a convincing illusion of rock.

Above they found the treasure hoard, mostly converted to coin easily amounting to the expected 150,000 gp value. They also discovered a journal kept by Greenbeard suggesting that the host of beholder-like guardians below had once been duplicates of the narcissistic alien that had been dreamed into existence, and then slain by the original (or possibly slaying the original and replacing him) with those killed by the death-ray eyestalks becoming zombies. The natural fungi of the cave had likely been similarly twisted by the magical dreams of the alien.

Locating another illusion-masked passage out of the treasury and up into the toxic fume filled caldera above, Lorde and many of the hobgoblins climbed up the crater and then down the mountain to find the alien sea creatures performing rites to the titan Dagon similar to those performed by the kuo-toa encountered in the swamps near Zeroburg. The tiefling managed to make contact with these aliens, and explained the similarities to the kuo-toa, meanwhile Kilvar and Kovur snuck out to the seaworthy ship, and Shod filled his pockets with treasure and stole the yacht the crew had originally arrived in. A running fight between the two on the complete vessel and the fleeing yacht resulted in catching the attention of the evil sea creatures and Kilvar and Kovur fought against one of the brutes and one of the smaller magical aliens as Shod fled with more of the monsters in pursuit.

Kilvar nearly died at the hands of the sea monsters, Lorde managed to save him diplomatically, and the remaining hobgoblins were able to load the ship with the hoard over the course of the next few days.

Sailing south along the coast, the privateers spurned Rendomar and arrived several days later in Gayklub, hiring wagons and soldiers to escort them all first to Cold Mountain, then on to Hendelforge. Paying the hobgoblins for their help, Lorde then found Percy and invested his treasure hoard with the Lord of Hendelforge who agreed to use the money to hire builders and engineers to aid Lorde in his reconstruction tasks. Percy, who had been raised as a noble and was trained in the required administrative tasks, suggested to Lorde that they would need to attract a population that could engage in some sort of industry, perhaps logging as had been the county trade prior to its downfall. They would also need to stockpile food, spears and shields, and find allies, as once a keep was built it would inevitably attract aggressors until one was soundly defeated and the might of Bradlock proven.

Keeping all this in mind, Lorde began completing his activities in Hendelforge, planning next to travel to the County Bradlock itself in the hopes of securing an alliance with some of the elven tribes that he had aided against the Fey previously.

Session 37a

Leaving Hendelforge after ensuring that only the foreman of the dwarf engineers could access Lorde's hoard, the tiefling along with Kilvar and their hobgoblin allies, Percy Bradlock and the pilgrims, and also 40 soldiers from Gayklub interested in the promise of freedom and tolerance, traveled north and west, soon finding Jasmina, Lorde's Night hag mother, in the company of his banderhob half brother Samael, and Granny Jay. They also took on the services of a Hobgoblin archer named Shaggy who had recently slaughtered the incompetent goblins under his leadership, and had begun looking for more reliable goblinoid allies.

Jasmina expressed concern that one of Lorde's accomplices had very recently arrived in Gayklub and freely spent a small fortune while bragging about his successful heist of Greenbeard's hoard. She further related that word of their success had reached both Rendomar and Greenbeard and now both actors were actively hunting for them all. She expounded that she would love to be able to simply murder Rendomar, however the nature of her debt to him prevented her from taking direct action against him and gave him protection against her magic. She further explained that even if Rendomar somehow died, her debt would pass along to any living heir, and so the debt needs to be paid or his entire family annihilated.

Arriving on the border of County Bradlock, the adventurers located the town where all the residents had been turned to pigs. They were able to locate a family of the swine living under a porch and the hags surmised that fey magic had morphed the villagers, such displays being typical of the consequence of communities failing to meet their end of a fey bargain.

With the fey forces largely gone from the area, the hags set to work freeing the family from the curse and over the course of several days had great success turning the three piglets back into human children.

Percy established a residence in the recently abandoned town and offered to coordinate building a new road to connect the county to Hendelforge.

With the followers settled, Lorde, Kilvar and the hobgoblins next set off for the wood elf village.

Meeting with Samantha the leader of the wood elves, Lorde sought to form a mutual defense pact. The woman explained that her tribe remembered well the tiefling and his Motley Crue and offered her dozen warriors to aid Lorde in the event of an aggressor. She lamented that her best warrior, Adoc, holder of the sacred Moonblade had left days ago to slay a menacing hydra and had not returned. Her scouts had located the hydra's lair but there was no sign of the monster - it having likely eaten all the prey in the area and moved on. The rangers were unable to find any remains of the elven hero. If the Moonblade could be recovered and convinced to accept one of Adoc's cousins such a display might be enough to get the surrounding wood elf tribes to gather and further discuss the prospects of mutual defense with the Bradlocks.

Lorde took Samantha and her honor guard back to Oinkerton to meet with Percy and the soldiers, then the warlock lead an expedition to find the Moonblade.

With the aid of one of the elf scouts, the heros located the lair and discovered a tunnel too small for a hydra to fit. Squeezing through the tight tunnel they found a wood elf with a curved sword - the missing Adoc and his Moonblade - keeping company with a female elf commoner with coal black skin, what Kilvar recognized as a hated and evil drow elf. Adoc ashamedly explained that the hydra had proven too powerful and he had fled into these tight confines where he happened upon Moirane, his dark elf companion who was outcast from her people. He quickly fell in love with the dark skinned maiden and decided to let his people think him dead.

The heros tried to convince Adoc to return the sword to his people, but he said he could not, as long as he lived the sword was bonded only to him. Moraine refused to travel up to the surface, instead convincing him to go deeper into the ground with her.

Tensions escalated and the seeming drow revealed herself to be more than she appeared as she effortlessly climbed across the ceiling of the cavern and opened a portal to the abyss. From this portal she summoned a demon that looked like a wax candlestick with a single glaring eye and poisonous tentacles what would later be identified as a Yochlol, a handmaiden of the demon goddess of the drow, the Spider Queen Llolth.

As the battle wore on Moraine was injured too severely to maintain her guise and revealed herself to also be a Yochlol. With both demons bested, Moraine turned into a toxic mist and fled as her ally was slain and Adoc who had fallen in the battle bled out in spite of Lorde's attempts to revive him.

Each of Hobgoblins tried to attune to the sword in turn but the blade rejected their non elven heritage.

Corpse of Adoc and Moonblade in tow, the Crue were ambushed on their return trip by 5 strange brass constructs, one for each of the party. These assassins resembled a capital letter "I" made of brass with legs, a single glass eye and a single arm which immediately hurled a javelin then drew a dagger and closed. These creatures were easily dispatched and exploded as they died. Lorde managed to utilize the owner's manual from a gnomish construct encountered earlier in his adventures to deactivate one of the creatures, and found that another which had been caught in a web eventually self destructed.

As the last of the robotic monsters died, another wave of assassins appeared, this time shaped like the Roman numeral 'II' bearing two arms, two eyes and twice the toughness. As the last of these fell, 'III' shaped assassins appeared with three eyes and arms. Holding down the last on this wave, the creatures were compared to religious references and it was discovered that these were the foot soldiers of the Demi-god Mechanus whose realm had recently fallen to the forces of Asmodeus. Puzzled by this revelation, the heros discovered that there were a total of five varieties of these clockwork soldiers and braced themselves for two more waves. The 'IV' group followed the previous pattern, as did the 'V' group except that these had a paralyzing breath weapon. Even in spite of this advantage Mr T pitied many fools and soon the enemies were dispatched and no more followed.

Who had sent these assassins after them? Lorde and Kilvar felt relatively certain that they had no quarrel with Asmodeus - the lich-priest Benito in the Arch of Dispater seemed pleased with their triumph over the ghouls and their plague. Certainly an alien creature such as Greenbeard didn't have such resources at his disposal. Realizing that they now had native metal from the Clockwork Plane of Mechanus, Lorde and Kilvar sought to reunite with Ryn and use her connections to the high elves in conjunction with the metal to make their way to the contested realm and get the answers they needed.

Session 36b (38)

Having gained passage aboard a vessel travelling within a few miles of the island of Pat’s people, the lizardperson was forced to swim the last distance due to the humans’ reluctance to venture any nearer to the deadly place. This was with good reason, as Pat’s people were indeed watching the white sails approach, and beheld the foreigners with murderous intent. Native lizardfolk dealt severely with foreign poachers, for the humans dwarves and elves, referred to collectively by a draconic word that means ‘food-that-speaks’, travelled here to hunt dinosaurs. These villains were well-known to take the strongest and most beautiful of the mighty beasts, taking only trophies and leaving the rest to rot.

The lizardpeople knew on an instinctual level that taking the old and infirm beasts for their dinner and toolmaking was not done strictly for safety’s sake. Indeed they understood the natural order of things much as did the druids of the mainland, and knew that the strongest and healthiest prey must be left alone to mate and produce better offspring.

It was with these thoughts in mind that a collective of the mightiest warriors of the tribe watched the shape debark that ship and swim rapidly towards their shore. The scaled humanoids’ curiosity piqued as the shape swam close enough to reveal that it was not a hated human, but rather a lizardperson similar to themselves. As they watched, a plesiosaur, a hostile and opportunistic sea creature with a snake-like head neck and tail sprouting from a fat finned body began stalking the approaching lizardperson.

Quickly the warriors took action, the mad-warlock using his strange occult powers to zap himself to the newcomer while the reserved and highly skilled monk darted across the surface of the water barely getting wet. The others plunged into the surf, intending to swim out in the more traditional manner, but these roused the attention of a vastly overgrown crocodile the size of a house that saw a tasty meal enter its domain. The first to greet the newcomer were shocked to realize that this outlander, while carrying traces of the stink of humans about them, smelled also like their tribe, quickly recognizing their cousin Pat who had left many years earlier.

Where a single lizardperson was a tempted target for a plesiosaur a group of the dangerous tribals here in the deep quickly dissuaded the sea-monster, and it retreated, searching for an easier meal. The giant crocodile however merely saw an opportunity for five meals rather than two, and gave chase attacking savagely. Together the reunited lizardfolk quickly defeated the great beast, and were able to drag it up onto the beach, taking its head as a trophy and filling the gaping mouth with select cuts of meat with which to hold a celebratory feast to welcome home their wayward cousin.

Back at the tribe’s village, the honorary chieftain, Hrrelg, was much less pleased to see Pat. It was said that Hrrelg had been hunting a problematic Allosaurus with the late chieftain Dratlougu. Hrrelg had returned from that expedition alone, explaining that the monstrous beast had slain their chief, and that with his dying breath Dratlougu had named Hrrelg to be his successor. This story was taken fully at face-value, as deception was unknown to the simple lizardfolk, and Hrrelg now stood as chieftan.

The jealous new leader suggested that Pat had spent too much time among the humans and was no longer part of their tribe, however Pat managed to convince the tribe to maintain an open mind. Consternated, Hrrelg demanded that Pat prove they had not become like the humans, and suggested travelling to a nearby island to the east where there existed a small human settlement. Handing the herpanthropic hero a sack of eggs, he demanded that Pat sneak into the castle of the humans and plant the eggs somewhere that they would not be found before they could hatch, in the hopes of disrupting these hated humans and possibly destroying them once the hungry deinonychus’ hatched. With the village looking on, Pat had little choice but to accept the leader’s demands.

The following morning Pat and their heroic cousins gathered up these eggs and set out, following the beach with an eye to the sea watching for the neighbouring island to come into view. Before they made it that far, Pat and their comrades first discovered a ship sitting anchored off the coast, and a longboat beached guarded by a single man. With appreciation of their naturally stealthy lizardfolk allies, Pat left the ignorant man staring out to sea, and silently followed the tracks into the jungle soon catching the sounds of a large dinosaur in distress.

Bursting forth from the weeds and shrubs, the scaled killers found a gang of poachers surrounding a stegosaurus, ropes tied to its armor plates and holding it bound as they stood back spearing the monster. The allies were able to dispatch these humans nearly effortlessly, freeing the frightened monster to lead its nearby young to safety.

Next moving back to the beach they accosted the watchman who quickly surrendered and rowed the lizardfolk out to the anchored ship. As they approached the humans noticed that the ship was full of their enemies and began to rain arrows upon Pat and the allies. The crazed warlock used his unholy magics to gain quick access to the ship and they forced a surrender. Bargaining with the ship’s captain, they sailed in style to the destination island, debarking and camping, having been told this island was free of all beasts large enough to be a threat.

Locating the human castle and discovering a unique race of Pangolin-folk residing in a village built against the gates of the fortification, Pat was able to determine that the humans appeared to be some ancient order of Gygaxians, long removed from civilization.

The group snuck into the castle under cover of darkness, working their way through the sewers into a latrine in the castle’s servant’s quarters. Following a lone guard through the dimly lit hallways, the heroes found passages into the dungeons and ventured forth, working their way past curiously already-sprung traps and eventually finding a hallway with odd stark white plants growing from out of a large doorway. The hall adjoining this plant-room lead to a mostly collapsed room with ancient excavations featuring a coffin lying open and empty on the floor which had apparently once been immured in the wall.

The white-plant room contained a large ruin of a ring that periodically would crackle and open a portal for a few brief seconds that blew dry hot wind from some far-off place. Buried beneath the plants covering the floor there was revealed to be the bones of hundreds of dog-like humanoids which seemed to have long-ago stormed out of the portal ahead and died against a redoubt built across the room.

Ducking through the portal during one of its momentary openings, the group found themselves in the Abyss, specifically they were able to surmise this particular realm to be called “The Death Dells” based on what Granny Jay had shared with Pat. This was the place where Michael Jackson’s legendary Vindicators had done battle with the gnoll forces of the demon-lord Yeehnoghu. Pat was able to accurately recall the legend, relating that these ancient heroes had supposedly magically dominated a vampire and sent it through this very portal into the Abyss, and trapped the undead creature along with several treants, large intelligent and animate tree-monsters similar to the ones The Motley Crue had battled in the Feywild.

Indeed they had arrived in this evil place in a narrow valley containing several such Treants that seemed to have been the source of the white plants and vines that had escaped into Primordia through the brief portal openings in the centuries since. Surveying the land from atop the ridgeline, the lizardfolk saw that outside of this unique valley, the rest of the land was a hot dry savanna teeming with prowling hyenas.

Pat and their crew made contact with one of the massive treants and offered the tree-monster the sack of deinonychus eggs to raise as protectors, which the plant creature gladly accepted.

With evil hyenas gathering along the ridges, the lizardfolk retreated back through the portal to the dungeon of the castle, and as they picked their way over the redoubt that had been dug from the floor, they found the bones that crunched under their feet began to stir and animate into witherlings, undead skeletal gnolls.

The lizardfolk saw the overwhelming number of the undead monsters and retreated back into the hallway, holding the door closed against the pounding of the monsters within. They were greeted in the hallway by a curious man with deathly pale skin and the faintest flicker of red pinpricks of light behind dark eyes. Pat lit the Sunsword and the man yelped and retreated behind the corner calling for a truce. Pat agreed and he identified himself as Lord Wolfgang, adherent of Gygax and victim of a vampire attack centuries ago after colonizing this island as a missionary. Vampire Wolfgang put the gnoll witherlings back to rest, honoring his promise of peace to Pat and their compatriots.

Leaving the castle the following day, the lizardfolk used several dead herbivore hadrosaurs to bait the predatory sea-creatures away while they swam across the sea, making their way into the swamp in search of the chieftain.

Here they were ambushed by the Froghemoth, a savage tentacled monstrosity that attempted to swallow the lizardfolk whole. After a difficult struggle, the Froghemoth was vanquished and a partially digested feathered head-dress was recovered from the monster’s stomach that was identical to what a chieftain would wear.

Session 37b (39)

Rhoz and Drip returned to the village and had the others run interference while they snuck to the shaman Trox’s hut. There the wizened old lizard cast the headdress into a fire that smoked with mind-altering fumes and they scryed Hrrelg feeding the froghemoth and commanding it like a pet. Next they saw the new chieftain feeding the old chieftain Dratlouqu to the monster, and finally a vision of Hrrelg praising Gruumsh for his success. The shaman told the heros that the first lizardfolk on this island chased out orcs from the volcano’s tunnels and tubes, and suggested they look for a shrine there.

At the volcano they located a magma tube with ancient orcish cave paintings, and followed it down into a wide room supported by columns and statues of various orcish demi-gods and godlings. At the forefront of this room there was a statue of Gruumsh surrounded by a plinth carved with intricate blood channels.

With a sacrifice of their own sanguineous fluids they summoned the temple’s guardian, a spirit called an Eidolon, the ancient creature revealing its origins as a combination of all those that died here over the centuries. For additional blood offerings the guardian spirit yielded more clues confirming that Hrrelg had sacrificed young lizardfolk here and was able to take on a new form as part of his pact with Gruumsh. It offered additional details for more of their lifesblood however it was enraged at Drip’s counteroffer of urine. The spirit took up inhabitance within the statues, chasing the herpanthropes out of its temple.

Upon finding their way back to the village once more, they plotted how to overthrow Hrrelg, finally settling on challenging him to a trial by combat.

Pat fought the treacherous imposter chieftain who used his powers to become a Giant Crocodile but Pat was too mighty even for that savage of a beast, and ultimately slew Hrrelg. The lizardfolk of the village cheered and engaged in a huge lizard-orgy.

During this celebration, Rhoz searched Pat’s new hut, which they now owned by right of conquest for having defeated Hrrelg. There he found iron spearheads and a copper ritual dagger, which Trox was able to scry with and they discovered further treachery, watching Hrrelg sell lizardfolk young to human slavers in exchange for their high-tech metal weapons.

Deciding that such evil must be fully purged, the heros returned to the ancient temple with a dozen lizardfolk warriors with them. Confronting the Eidolon they managed to keep him busy while the warriors variously pulled down the statues and died horribly, crushed to death by the possessed statues. Wearing down the spirit, Pat dealt the death-blow to the Eidolon just as the temple collapsed. Only Rhoz and Drip managed to narrowly escape, and feared the worst for Pat when a giant crocodile smashed its way free of the rubble and then turned back into Pat, now with added Giant Crocodile power.

They briefly rested, then were attacked by waves of strange brass-skinned mechanical creatures. The first group were Hexadrone tunnelers, attacking the heros from below, the second wave Heptadrone sharpshooters. Finally defeating the constructs Pat parted ways with their cousins, and began making their way towards Malmehem in the hopes that working with the other Motley Crue they would be able to figure out more information about these clockwork assassins.

Session 36c (40) Summary

Having travelled across the breadth of the known world as a pregnant elk with Rakeet and Arthur on her back, Ryn negotiated passage to her home of Selune. As soon as the teleportation had completed, Ryn noticed that the mithril daggers her grandfather had gifted her before she left began to exhibit magical characteristics once more, due to being near to the Mithal, a magical tower that dominated the skyline of Selune City, and broadcast its energies into the silver specked blue epoxy-like substance known as mithril that most construction here was made from.

While detained in customs they met a Gith-Yanki Paladin named Gehrig who was also meeting with Sampson, Ryn’s grandfather. After Rakeet forged the needed paperwork, they were released and found their way to Sampson’s office in the Cartographer’s department, meeting several high-elves there who were plotting with the map-maker. Learning that these high-elves were converts in the service of Gygax, they all agree to unite purposes to achieve the common goal of overthrowing the King of Malmehem. Ryn and Rakeet explained to Sampson that their companion, Arthur, was a reincarnated former ruler of Malmehem and there could be a legitimate if quite convoluted claim for him to sit on the throne.

It was generally agreed that regardless of their path forward they would need to destabilize the existing government. The existence of an apostate Gygaxian Paladin named Sir Kelvish that could give some aid was then revealed, the man supposedly residing in the Selunar town of Yemthalas.

On their way to Yemthalas, the Crue and their high-elven allies encountered Star Spawn, hideous aberrations from beyond the stars. These creatures, a hoard of smaller ones consisting of a tear-drop shaped body with 2 legs a mouth and eyes commonly called grue, and one larger creature commonly called a brute, vaguely humanoid but with tentacle arms and as large and strong as an ogre, attacked without provocation but were quickly subdued.

Continuing on through the crystalline flora of this strange world, the Motley Crue eventually located Yemthalas, but had arrived too late, the town sacked and burned out, only a single surviving woman able to relate that strange crystalline devils had attacked the place, overwhelming their meager defenses and capturing the wayward knight.

Scrying for Sir Kelvish, the Crue discovered him to be hanging upside down legs embedded in a solid mass of crystal covering every surface of a containing cave. Tracking him by his possessions, our heros invaded the cave doing battle with with the hideous devils made entirely of crystal, the fiends becoming large expensive carbunkles in defeat.

Reviving and aiding Sir Kelvish he explained his apostasy, having become frustrated with the seemingly politically motivated crusades of decades past. He had abandoned his vows to shelter here amongst the poor elves in the outlands of Selune. He related that although many of the devils did indeed abandon Primordia, some remained hidden in positions of power and influence, particularly the adherents of the arch-devil Mephistopheles. He explained that these fiends preferred to hide behind illusions and move amongst the mortals in order to corrupt them into evil. He further revealed that his remaining contacts in Malmehem had witnessed the chaos brought on by the Ankhegs that some mysterious actor had released months before, and that as a result the Fey power there had been reduced. The Fey and the Devils fought against each other for influence over the existing government.

The man offered a bargain to the present members of The Motley Crue. His former squire, a man called Bringham, was imprisoned in the old Gygaxian dungeons within Malmehem city. If Ryn would be willing to accept a Geas – a magically binding vow - to liberate Bringham, he would offer the truename of a powerful devil that was currently imprisoned in the frozen Hell called Stygia for reasons unknown. Using this name, Ryn and the others would be able to bargain with the fiend for his information, power and influence and perhaps use him to figure out a way to bring about the upheaval they sought.

Accepting this Geas, Ryn was given the names of this fiend known as Lomodock. Some called him Lomodock the Afflicted, while others called him Lomodock the Outcast. He was known to many as D’aco al’Ulhazred, and for a time was known as The Bane of Gestrel to the people who resided in the town of that name. The fiend’s truename, which would give Ryn limited protection against him and would reduce his ability to resist her spells, was revealed to be Lomodock Bostron Onnag Or’uloth.

The elderly knight cautioned them to make sure they only summoned the fiend into a carefully crafted Magic Circle, and to be wary of the bargains they’ll need to strike with the devil, as any such agreement was binding to all parties on a divine level. He cautioned them as well to ensure they spoke his names accurately and completely.

The Crue then returned to Selune City, rejoining Sampson and relating all that had happened. They sent one of the devil-carbunkles to the offices of the proctor of demonology for study while they rested and recuperated from their previous adventures.

Session 37c (41) Ryn’s Renegades

Returning once again to Selune, Ryn was able to speak with a physician. Learning that her baby was neither fully elf nor fully human, she seemed none-the-less pleased that it was healthy and significantly farther along its term than previously expected. Although the exact due date was difficult to predict, the doctor told her to expect to begin labor in a week or two, and be mindful of the baby’s hooves.

Going next to the Cartographer’s guild, Ryn revealed all that she had learned to her grandfather Sampson. Shortly after this exchange, her parents burst into the room, her father Illoquiel overjoyed to see Ryn well, while her mother Karendora whined about Ryn’s appearance and attitude, very nearly demanding to see a manager before realizing the futility of complaining to herself. Arthur was able to invoke his strange connection to Gygax to calm Karendora. Sampson revealed that his health was poor, but implored Ryn not to worry.

After securing an invitation to King Malmehem’s diplomat’s house for a formal dinner, Ryn and her helpers learned that the vizier to King Malmehem kept close contact with the king, shunning the company of all others, and that the King had struck bargains with the fey before the arrival of the vizier. It seemed likely that the vizier was in fact a fiend, likely a devil, trying to tempt the King into Corruption. It was suggested that while the fey were directly at odds with the devils, they were ill-equipped to deal with such fiends; the types of bargains the fey tended to make were often ironic and served to teach the victims a lesson, but the devil bargains were among the blackest deals possible and often resulted in the corruption and loss of one’s soul.

Ryn’s helpers were able to convince Sir Kelvish to return from his self-proscribed banishment, and they gathered in the Department of Demonology. Here they learned that the carbunkled left behind by the Crystaline Devils radiated high amounts of magical energy, and that they were impervious to all manner of punishment enacted on them.

Ryn worked with Dr Hernibel and his star pupil Deboro to draw the appropriate geometric shapes, and upon their suggestion the carbunkles were placed within the circle to focus Ryn’s control over the devil.

They summoned the devil, and Lomodock appeared before them, his twisted red-scaled draconic shape leering at Ryn. He bargained with the high-elf, offering her three answers in exchange for getting a man named Rigley Myers, a simple basket weaver in Malmehem appointed into King Malmehem’s council.

Ryn asked her questions and Lomodock revealed the King’s Vizier Ceveron to be a fiend, offering a name for the imposter of Zovra the Wicked, an agent of Serach The Fallen. Serach was once known as Zariel beloved of Gygax and Field Commander of his armies. Unable to let go of her wrath, she fell from Gygax and became the arch devilress of Avernus and leader of the armies of Asmodeus. Upon further probing, Lomodock finally uncovered Zovra’s intense fear of rabbits. In addition to this information Lomodock taunted them with the knowledge that Ryn and the Motley Crue were being targeted by assassins from Mechanus.

Upon return to the teleportation department, they passed by the diplomat’s office and found it empty, the diplomat curiously and abruptly recalled back to Primordia.

With hesitation, Ryn and her minions teleported back, however the conjuration was disrupted and they ended up well over a mile from the city gates of Malmehem. As they began to to approach, resounding cracks split the sky and a group of tentacled flying Modrons, Octodrones by name, attacked with mental blasts. Fleeing the attackers, Ryn and the party were next attacked by Novodrones, extremely tall and unbelievably fast Modrons. Ryn became a badger and tunneled to safety as her minions risked their lives to defend her. Eventually winning the day, she was finally able to approach the gates of the city.

Session 42 Summary The Gates of Malmehem

Having received a Sending directing each of Lorde, Kilvar and Pat where they needed to be at what time in order to seize control of the Strings of Fate once more, they found Ryn Rakeet and their new ally Gehrig a mile from the city gates of Malmehem.

As they informed each other of their adventures, and debated back and forth about how to proceed. The gates were heavily fortified, and Wanted posters were displayed, the bounties indicating the live capture of The Motley Crue for questioning surrounding the ankheg riots of weeks earlier.

Mid-decision many of them felt a strange sensation as if someone were Scrying on them from afar. Pat, Lorde and Kilvar were subsequently targeted by three Decadrones towering gargantuan letter “X”s made of metal and inscribed with lights and runes. These enormous robots began to play-back recorded spell chants as glowing runes formed around them and magic missiles flew madly at their targets. The metal assassins punished The Motley Crue, however the heros won the day, finally destroying the constructs.

Escaping into the dungeons and moving through the Troll-Warrens, they quickly found themselves surrounded by trolls and before they scared off the giant-kin Lorde was slain.

The surviving heros stole away with his corpse, soon finding the lycanthrope village. The small boy, Giles who had befriended Lorde previously was very dismayed to find his friend deceased, and offered The Motley Crue a safe place to rest while the adults of the village wreaked havoc as giant-rats during the full-moon.

Pat caught and slew a cat and poured its blood onto Lorde’s spider statue and silver dagger, soon finding themselves in the dream-realm of Atlach-Nacha. After bullying their way into the presence of the far-removed diety, striking a deal for Lorde’s soul in exchange for 12 monthly virgin sacrifices to the Elder-god.

Ryn created the needed unguents and perform a Reincarnation for Lorde, the body becoming encased in fungus before bursting open, spiders pouring out and leaving behind a drow-elf.

Session 43 Summary

The Motley Crue woke in Wererat Village as most but not all of the adult lycanthropes returned from their hunt. Rested and ready, the heroes followed the lycanthropic guide to a perfectly smooth tunnel twelve feet in diameter. The odd twists and turns, and the way the tunnel seemed to be bored straight through all manner of material, soil, rock and even metal recalled to them tales of a gargantuan monster called a purple worm that was known to bore tunnels such as these. The knowledge gave the Crue pause, but they shouldered on eventually finding a place where the bore hole went directly into a chamber guarded by human soldiers of Malmehem.

The Crue gained the confidence of the humans and were welcomed in. They learned that the purple worm had broken into the barracks and ate many soldiers before they were finally able to drive it off. Since then they had been keeping watch and requesting reinforcements from above, but with the efforts being devoted to rebuilding the ruined city and keeping the peace, help was scarce. The Captain mentioned that in addition to the worm attack, now he was losing a soldier nightly and was certain it was not from the worms or from any other monster from without given the level of watchfulness from every known entryway.

Scrying for the missing guards revealed a strange still water well and no further indication of the missing guard. A subsequent locate object on one of the blocks making up the well revealed that it was directly below their feet. The puzzled protagonists searched the area, finally finding a secret passage to a strange abandoned torture chamber housing the well from Ryn’s vision.

Finding only an odd large pearl left behind when the previous occupant, the Crue finally waded into the well. Discovering it to be a portal to Aqua, the Elemental Plane of Water they worked their magic to allow them all to breathe, then tying together ropes to allow them to find their way back, they swam into the world comprised entirely of water. Swimming in a direction that felt like down, they soon discovered a snot-covered soldier from the barracks. This soldier upon seeing the Crue swam even further down and they followed him to a coral formation with a large cave in the middle.

Within this cave there was no light, for the coral was so tightly woven together to allow not a beam through. Bringing forth their driftglobe the Motley Crue were startled to see a vertical row of three eyes open, as a strange prehistoric fish-creature larger than a horse revealed itself. As Lorde tried to telepathically communicate with the monster it tried to read his thoughts, however the tiefling-turned-drow elf was able to stop it before it learned anything more than his deepest desire – the rebuilding of his family’s lands and privledge.

The creature, an ancient aberration called an Aboleth whom they decided to call Cloud bargained with the Crue offering the help realize this heredity goal, in exchange for bringing it someone with a great deal of knowledge it could consume and learn from.

Agreeing to these terms, the Crue filled several flasks with the mind-controlling mucus of the fish and returned to the barracks. They managed to smear the substance on the guard captain and his lieutenants. Some of them were charmed and began to make their way towards the well and Cloud with many of the common soldiers following with half of The Crue below deceiving the to follow. Alarmed by these goings on, the non-charmed lieutenants attacked Lorde as Kilvar and Gherig brazenly triggered a magical trap engulphing themselves within an incendiary cloud. As the last of the soldiers moved into the water and were attacked by Cloud’s minions, the Crue joined Lorde in defeating the wiser soldiers and restored the dying Gherig.

Moving next into the prison level above, the Crue discovered and rescued Brigham Young, fulfilling Ryn’s geas and also rescued both Sir Pendar and Alejandro the high-elf dean of the magical university along with some of his professors. Gherig, unimpressed by the brazen acts of murder of his companions, lost interest in aiding them further in their crimes, and parted with The Crue to seek absolution for aiding these fiends.

Fleeing back to the Wererat Village the Motley Crue were warned away, with the wererats explaining that they all were at risk now after the prison break and all must now flee. The Crue found their way to the limits of The Troll Warrens before resting, then used spells and trickery to navigate while avoiding the fierce trolls finally finding a sewage river. Pat became their Patodile form and the rest piled aboard to navigate Shit Creek and see if it lead out, or if it lead deeper.

Session 44: Shit Creek

Sailing on the Patodile along Shit Creek the Motley Crue braved disease and thieving humanoid roaches called “roachlings”. They managed to chase off the roachlings and their leader and sailed on to reach Leavings Lake.

Moving across the dark enclosed body of water, they soon heard slurping sounds which proved to be teams of Worker Ankhegs which sucked up water and returned to a tunnel guarded by a Soldier Ankheg. Next a Scout Ankheg would emerge to make sure there was still water available before returning to send out another team of workers. The Crue detected whiffs of fresh, clean air coming from the Ankheg tunnel promising a path to the surface.

Testing the soldier by polymorphing one of the scouts, they determined the best course of action was the direct one, and bulled through the tunnels, pausing to send lamp oil and a flaming sphere into the Queen Ankheg’s egg chamber Aliens-style before dashing to the surface.

They evaded pursuit of the furious Ankhegs and during a brief rest they noticed a rustling bush. Chasing what turned out to be a Kobold, they drove the creature and the rest of its kind into the open with an Eversmoking Bottle and met human Brother Bastion who claimed to be the leader of the diminutive dragonfolk.

The Gygaxian priest explained that he was an adherent of Saint Bahamaut the King of Good Dragons. As Kobolds were unwanted failed creations of the Queen of Evil Dragons, Tiamat and were born with an instinctual need to serve a Dragon, Bastion convinced this group to resist their evil nature and serve The Platinum Dragon Bahamaut. It was these Kobolds who had been keeping Sir Pendar, Brigham Young, Alejandro, the two professors and the merchant Bolocki alive in the dungeons, their tiny bodies able to squeeze through the tight tunnels where some safe passage could be found. Brother Bastion exposited that Gygax the Creator had spared those few priests still pious and holy throughout the purging wrought by King Malmehem. He was dubious that Brigham Young had truly discovered a new path to Gygaxian faith, but welcomed in the unconventional adherent anyway, agreeing to provide a haven for the escapees of the Malmehem Dungeons.

With disguises and draft horse polymorph spells, the Crue made their way into Mahmehem with a merchant, finding those in the city preparing for the week-long Brewfest festival which would peak mid-week with the blue moon Selune coming into her quarterly fullness.

Sneaking to Balaki’s shop, they found the tailory occupied by a pair of loafing guards. Disgusing as a Guard Captain the protagonists confronted the layabouts who were scolded and sent away, leaving the Crue to occupy the shop freely. Balaki wasted no time finding the business card Rigley Myers had given him at the previous year’s Union Conference.

Resorting to the favored stealth method, the Crue slipped into Rigley’s basket shop and confronted the man. He was unwilling to participate in the Crue’s plans to get him onto The King’s inner counsel, and resisted their encouragements until Ryn was able to charm the man, who promptly fell in love with the pregnant elf.

Telling the heros about his father’s unusual sudden wealth, his attempts to flee, and then his subsequent lethal accident by a horse and carriage in the street in broad daylight with nobody actually looking at the event, they asked to search his establishment. Investigating the basement of Rigley’s shop, a hidden room was located that housed a summoning circle and a journal detailing Rigley’s father striking a bargain with Lomodock and then reneging when it came time to split the profits with the Cult of Mephistopheles. The journal also contain a page with the intricate details of an infernal calling spell scrolled out.

Session 45: Political Games

Ryn continued to keep Rigley charmed each time he began to bicker with her, finally sealing their commitment to each other with a ring created from druidcraft.

A young boy, Hammy by name, stopped by the shop to see his friend Rigley and purchase a large basket from him. Seeming dubious about Rigley’s revelation of his new fiance, as Rigley had never one mentioned a girlfriend to Hammy, he none-the-less expressed his dismay at being informed that it would take several days for Rigley to be able to deliver. Hammy informed Rigley that without a burnable container for a clay given to him by The People’s Liberation Army.

Lorde offered to assist him in exchange for an introduction to the PLA, and the two went off to local bars eventually bargaining for an empty cask that they stuffed with straw. Hammy was confident that if he completed his mission for the PLA they would help him find out who had summoned the Ankhegs that slew his parents and made him an orphan. Lorde then began negotiations with the Wooderworker’s Union to bring logs and lumber to them from County Bradlock, and was given a writ to bring in logs.

Pat meanwhile had urged Ryn to polymorph them into a small mangy dog with cute eyes, which the hidden lizardperson used to gain access to a pub being used as a meeting house for the Red Nationals. The lizardperson learned that there were over a dozen different resistance factions, none of them cooperating with the others due to differences in ideology. Indeed even within this very faction there was dissent as the meeting ended in violence, with Pat becoming their normal lizardperson once more and commanding attention. They ingratiated themselves with the Red Nationals and as initiation were tasked with murdering the Green-beret wearing Inspector Clouseau.

Kilvar tracked Sir Pendar into Poortown and was soon able to zero in on the house where Mrs Gretchen Pendar had taken up residence in her husband’s absence. Knocking the woman unconscious, Pendar fulfilled his end of the bargain by giving the blue-skinned infant Derro to the Duergar. Kilvar found that the infant screamed whenever it was in direct sunlight, and the poor creature’s skin reddened nearly immediately with sunburn. Taking the baby back to the basket shop, he handed it over to Ryn to care of.

As they gathered together, the wall of Rigley’s shop shattered, and three Tridrones and a Decadrone showed up to attempt to assassinate the Crue. Once defeated, the guards began to show up and ask questions, including Inspector Clouseau.

Luring Inspector Clouseau into the basement, The Crue murdered the guards that were with the inspector, but he managed to teleport away to safety before they killed him.

Tracking down the inspector’s residence, they discovered evidence of an active investigation into their doings. With no sign of the inspector, they burned the house.

Session 46: Dead or Alive You’re Coming With Me

With a fire raging around Inspector Clouseau’s home, The Crue sans Kilvar decided to take an active role in helping. Locking Rigley in a room at the Woodworker’s Union hall, Ryn, Lorde and Pat along with some new allies rushed to help. Elisha the Amish Cleric and Nevie Sticks wood-elf sorcerer joined The Crue saving people and buildings from the catastrophe. During the chaos Lorde managed to sacrifice a pair of orphaned children to his patron Atlach-Nacha with his go-between, The Spider in the Mirror offering to take the souls and negotiate gifting them to their Patron a day earlier than the full-moon of Selune. Pat then brought Rigley to the steaming and blackened quarter, and together The Crue emphatically placed him as the hero once again.

While this was happening, Kilvar had been distracted with watching the delicious looking people walk past the union hall until he noticed a duergar like himself hustling through the waning crowds of people in the streets. Following the grey dwarf, Kilvar found a bar full of only duergar and met with the twins Mit and Tim whom he had worked with previously. The Twins expounded that they had been smuggling goods with the other duergar patrons at the pub through the teleportation circle at the Wizard University and since it had been captured and looted by the city guards, they were now stranded here. They mentioned their desire to break into the Wizard University run by the high elves and had problems with traps and guardians. The female bartender Taswaen commented about Kilvar’s face, expressing concern. Indeed Kilvar was forced to admit that in addition to the invasive cannibalistic thoughts, he had noticed that the diseased flesh around the ghoul eye and ear had grown together and perhaps even grown larger since it was added.

Kilvar joined Mit and Tim and learned the hidden path through the ruins and rubble under the city, finding a guardian snake creature watching carefully over the entry hole into the foundation of the tower.

Reuniting, The rest of The Crue was interested in hearing about Kilvar’s findings regarding a possible entry into the Wizard University. Following the route once more, The Crue stormed through the hole finding the guardian within more than prepared to repel invaders. With Lorde and Nevie banished to a wasteland in another world, the rest attempted to run through the guardian’s lair as gravity reversed directions and fire and toxic gases wore them down in addition to the guardian’s attacks.

Fleeing directly into the path of city guards and a strange wizard named Samael who were in the process of placing the crated contents of the tower onto a teleportation circle Pat shape-changed into their giant crocodile form as the sounds of metal footsteps clattered down the stairs from above.

Session 47: Pickup Fight

Battered and bruised, Ryn Kilvar and The Patodile continued to fight against the strange wizard Samael, as the Guardian Naga returned to its lair to await the reappearance of Lorde and Nevie from their banishment.

The fight turned desperate, even in spite of Lorde and Nevie discovering that distances were not equal in the realm they were banished to, the pair managing to put themselves back into the fight after running forward through what they determined to be the realm called Borton. Also known in some texts as Avernus the first of The Nine Hells, Borton is a land of constant warfare ruined cities and fleeing refugees.

As the group reunited, the sounds of steel boots clattered down the stairs above and the Motley Crue braced themselves for a final desperate throw. The soldiers arrived from above including Sir Semil whom they had tricked with charm magic days earlier. The situation seemed dire when the booming voice of Sir Pelleus, Lord Commander of the City Watch called for parlay and laying down of arms, even going so far as to threaten the devilish wizard Samael. Sir Pelleus seemed genuinely distraught at Samael’s attempts to slay The Crue in spite of the commander’s orders to capture them alive. In a fury the evil wizard vanished with a boom, and The Lord Commander invited The Crue to the gate house leading to Old Town to chat.

The man relayed The King’s wishes to meet The Crue as opportunity to rub elbows with celebrities is rare. Sir Pelleus expressed his desire to fulfill The King’s request, however he was hesitant to do that, so long as The Crue remained criminals. The excellent spy network of The City Watch had caught on to many of the crimes our heros had committed, and The Lord Commander demanded 200 gold as weregeld for each slain commoner, and 300 gold for weregeld per trained soldier.

As The Crue balked at the staggering sum being requested of them, Sir Pelleus expressed an opportunity. He explained that the royal treasury would be happy to offer to pay for their crimes if they could recover the coronet, scepter and gold scale-armor robes of Pope Bacitus, which currently reside deep under the city in The Archive of the Knights of Solomon. Conveniently enough, Sir Pelleus’ workers had recently uncovered the entry to this museum of sorts, and he was now in need of someone brave enough to delve into its secrets and come back with those needed objects.

Agreeing to his terms, The Crue brought Brigham to the guardhouse, and ventured to the residence of Gretchen Pendar. At the woman’s house they quickly discovered that after selling Ulfgar’s soul to a fiend called “The Lonely One” Sir Pendar had lost his way and fallen into evil claiming to have discovered a better way and attempting to recruit the heroes to the cause of his dark master, however they wanted no parts of it.

Bringing the terrified woman with them, they rested and then set out. They found the archive to be flooded on the lower levels, the water burning the nose as if strongly acidic.

Wading through the waist deep water, they marveled at the exhibits, learning that The Knights of Solomon used six-legged lizard-monsters called basilisks to turn their quarry to stone with their magical gaze. They further learned that this quarry was a fiend unlike either the chaotic demons of The Abyss nor the orderly and lawfully-evil devils of The Nine Hells but rather a third type called a yugoloth that resided in the constellation of Hades. These yugoloths hailed from a place between the stars much like the Yuan-Ti or Lorde’s patron Atlach-Nacha, and had arrived in this galaxy as refugees of a war in that place. It was suggested that these yugoloths were responsible for the demons that plagued the many worlds, and that these neutral-evil fiends had tempted Asmodeus to rebel against his father Gygax and lead to his fall. The only consolation was the great success of The Knights of Solomon, as many of these yugoloths were safely locked away in the flooded archives below.

Relieved to learn that what they sought was likely to be in the upper levels which hosted memorials to the hero-priests themselves, the Motley Crue soon found these upper levels to be plagued with kobolds who’s scales had turned from their normal amalgamation of myriad colors to all black. Putting their heads together, the determined that it was very likely these kobolds were in the service of a black dragon, as the magic radiating from a sleeping adult or ancient dragon not only alters the environment, but also twists these diminutive creations of the archdevil Tiamat causing them to take on aspects of the dragon they serve such as coloration and behavior.

They battled between full-body and perfectly detailed statues of the ancient knights. Drowning and annihilating these toughened kobolds they found the kobold chieftan to be wearing the desired items and quickly defeated him and his pair of trained basilisks with Pat turning slightly to stone before being saved by Ryn’s Greater Restoration magic.

Session 48: The Dragon’s Servants

Concerned with the sounds of combat and magic, guard-captain Nina LaFuerte offered her support to The Motley Crue. Disinterested with the current predicament, Pat and Nevie wandered off to investigate their own affairs while the rest of The Crue checked out the archives to the west.

In these wider shorter glass cases The Crue discovered perfect statues of champion-bred basilisks complete with immaculately detailed barding masterfully carved into the cold marble.

At the end of the archive Kilvar discovered a door marked “employees only” behind which was a workshop previously used to clean and maintain the statues. One of the knight statues was laying on a bench, a crack in his shield filled an unusual compound as means of repair. Over this statue and the surrounding benches though were half-completed traps of kobolds and various other junk. None of this was as important as the kobolds hiding in this junk who flung vials of acid and also of alchemist’s fire, a compound that ignites when exposed to air.

Fighting through the flames, the Crue pushed the kobolds back and discovered a bunk room, and a partially caved-in chapel mostly constructed of marble. This latter room was full of basilisks grazing on the stone of the place, while the bunk room was full of traps. Avoiding the chapel, the Crue next encountered a room with a handful of classier beds which had been converted into corrals for basilisks, complete with kobold-sized saddles for the monsters, but with none of the actual monsters present.

Battling next into a swanky single room that appeared to have once been for the bishop of the place, they slaughtered more kobolds and discovered a hidden stairway leading below where the rest of the kobolds in the in the area were preparing to flee. The hidden room contained evidence of the worst parts of the Gygaxians with various torture implements crowded into the room. Here the kobolds attempted to flee up a skinny tunnel to the surface but were slaughtered as they left.

As Ryn shape changed from a skunk back into an elf, her water broke, and after a remarkably easy labor Ryn held in her arms a squalling baby boy that continually shape changed into various animals every time he got upset. With better understanding of the nature of her infant, Ryn was able to determine that she had produced a changeling.

Expanding the narrow tunnel with an army of badgers, Lorde lead the The Crue back to Sir Pelleus. Pleased with the heroes returning the holy accouterments he pardoned our protagonists of their crimes. With these holy relics requiring a Gygaxian priest to work, they attempted and failed to convince Brigham Young to take up the charge, the young minister refusing to aid The King in any way unless he renounced the proclamation barring the open worship of Gygax. Feeling frustrated, The Crue once more resorted to charm magic and the reverend adorned himself with the vestments.

With his vizier away, opportunity to speak to the King directly was knocking, and so Sir Pelleus offered then to take the newly-forgiven Motley Crue to see King Malmehem. Sir Pelleus demanded that they relinquish their weapons and spell components. Ryn was able to load a few critical items into her bag of holding and Nina offered to search the bag for Sir Pelleus, with a wink to her new allies, allowing the contraband to slide.

The found The King lounging in a conservatory garden watching nubile 18 year olds doing all manner of lustful and sinful things. Pleased to make their acquaintance he listened to their implication to accept Rigley Myer into his counsel, convincing the king that Rigley was a full member of The Motley Crue. The King was still disinclined to repeal his anti-Gygax laws. Convincing him to accompany them to Rigley’s father’s shrine to Lomodock, they performed the ritual, however this time Lomodock was uncooperative, the draconic devil easily leaving the circle on the floor, casually explaining that without the actual magic circle spell he was free to move about as he desired, and his biggest desire at the moment was the eat Brigham Young. The magic of his new vestments protected the reverend until The Crue finally managed to polymorph and then banish the devil, and this display was enough to convince The King that fiends were a real threat. The King then resolved to go confront Ceveron about the accusations.

Session 49: The Trouble with Abishai

Amidst the hustle and bustle of the first day of the holiday Brewfest, during which the small blue moon Selune remains full for a week, Rigley Myers and The Motley Crue were approached by fans clamoring to meet their heroes. This quickly became a mob, and The Motley Crue found their way to Rigley Myers’ basket shop to rest and recover.

As they fled the riot, Lorde was approached by a young girl who begged him to make her a warlock. He suggested she meditate on the concept of Atlach-Nacha on her own.

While resting, Ryn was visited by the druids Silvia Whiteberry and Anaheim the Emancipater, which were chased away by Lorde allowing the high-elven new mother to rest.

The Crue learned more about the demon that was summoned by King Malmehem, finding out that when it was bound to Mercer’s Lake the fiend immediately dove into the lake itself and began corrupting the area. Sir Pellius expressed concern that with such a guardian, the summer fey were absent, making it easier for the devils to perform their evil acts more or less unopposed.

Kilvar began to notice more symptoms of his ghoulish affliction, with a patch of necrotic skin having appeared on his chest as a result of the various diseases and curses that had weakened him recently. An attempt to cure him with turn undead resulted instead with Kilvar himself being turned and fleeing the holy might of Gygax.

Sir Semil then lead The Crue to the wizard tower, intending to take advantage of the absence of Ceveron to confront his apprentice Samael.

The guards had befriended a Sphinx that guarded one of the many entrances to the mage-tower to allow them passage, however The Crue were frustrated in their attempts to befriend the creature. The Crue instead returned to the subterranean passages that lead to the Guardian Naga, speeding through its area and making their way up through the mostly-empty mage tower.

Confronting Samael in his magically darkened halls, he revealed himself to be a black abashai – a fiend twisted by the magic of the demi-goddess Tiamat, Mother of Dragons into a draconic devil. With careful planning and use of sunbeams to defeat the magical darkness of Samael’s lair, the Crue left him unable to use many of his dark-fueled abilities and quickly defeated him.

They found on his deteriorating corpse an Amulet of the Planes, a powerful object allowing the user to cast the Planeshift spell, albeit with some risk. Also on his person was a tuning-fork, made of metal from Csalas the 8th Layer of Hell, which would allow the Amulet to target that realm when successfully casting the Planeshift spell. The threat of this object was that on an unsuccessful casting, the user could end up anywhere in all the firmament. Also found in his lair was a curious board that allows a caster to place both a sending spell and a divination spell such as scrying to allow communication far beyond the normal scope of either spell on its own.

Lorde was disturbed to find that his shadowy spider-shaped handler had apparently been destroyed, the devil Lomodock appearing in his place. Explaining that he had done Lorde a favor in removing the spider, he revealed that this aberration had ostensibly been stealing the souls Lorde had spent his efforts sacrificing, and was planning to betray the warlock. Lomodock assured Lorde that he would smooth over things with Atlach-Nacha and suggested the drow consider grooming a soul in order to increase its value.

Fetching Alejandro the Archmage, Kennig the tongue-less and fingerless surgeon, and recently rescued Tobias the Anthropologist and Historian back to the mage tower, The Crue prepared to make the leap to Selune in the hopes of finding a nanny for Ryn’s baby and a cure for Kilvar’s ghoulish condition.

Session 50: Bang Zoom Straight to the Moon

With the teleportation ritual in full swing Sir Pelleus made an offer to Nina LaFuerte to continue her efforts to save the world with The Motley Crue and offering her a stipend of 300gp in exchange for upholding The King’s interests with regards to to the decisions The Crue makes in the world.

With a crack and momentary vertigo, the heroes arrived on Selune during the week of full light that this side of the moon experiences each quarter. Selune City had transformed, the tall blue buildings having reduced their walls to reveal open crystal lattice beneath allowing the fullness of the sunlight to shine unobscured. The pure sunlight shined on high elves meditating and communing quietly with each other, the height of what such elves would call a true rager of a party. They witnessed an air elemental servant hoovering up the dust of the street and seemingly deliberately colliding with some of the haughty high elves walking by covering them in filth, suggesting these “mindless” servants had some animosity for their masters.

Ryn made her way through the nearly silent Mage University tower, up to find Sampson her grandfather. Happy to meet her new offspring, he was hesitant to accept the tiny shape-changer, deferring such child-rearing to her parents whom she visited next. Gladly accepting care of their grand-thing, Ryn’s parents asked that she return to enjoy the end of the festival.

The rest of The Crue followed a lumpy humanoid hiding under a robe. A high-speed chase through the silent sunny streets lead to them cornering what was revealed to be a Yuan-Ti. This cultist of The Serpent Queen Among the Stars accused The Crue of stymieing their efforts, revealing that they had planned to create a cure for the Zombie Plague that they intended to sell for huge profits, had struck a deal with Green Beard the beholder who had become even more paranoid as a result of his interactions with The Crue and turned all his attention on tracking down their families to exact revenge. This snake-person expressed his frustration that when his agents had finally gotten ahead of The Crue and tried to break into the Malmehem Mage’s Guild Tower immediately after it had been sacked, his people were slaughtered by the Guardian Naga there, proving there was no hope of getting ahead of The Crue. Acknowledging their worthiness as a foe, The Yuan-Ti tipped his hat and called for a truce. Admitting that with the animosity his agents hold for The Crue would prevent them from ever acting as an ally, he none-the-less offered to help where he could if The Crue agreed to avoid his people in the future. He offered a gnome he knew to be hiding out in Blackmoore who could create the Planar Tuning Forks required for the Planeshift spell if he was provided with metal native to the desired plane. Additionally the snake-man stressed that demons could not enter into the Prime Realm plane without being called from this side, and that a devil could never call them as per their ancient agreement, and so the demonic incursions encountered thus far had certainly been coordinated from this side. He suggested freeing the powerful demon-lord Yeenoghu from his imprisonment within a canopic jar would likely unbalance the devils threatening the Gates of Heaven and force them back into their proper roll as guardians against demoninc incursion. As a show of good-faith, the Yuan-ti offered a young girl who had recently tried to join their cult, seeking power. Lorde recognized her as Havalina the same woman who had attempted to convince him to take her on as a warlock.

The arch-mage Alejandro took The Crue before the Counsel of Mages where Lorde was able to relate the tale and the mages considered how to handle the current situation.

Next locating Killroy the Healer in order to cure Kilvar of his ghoulish affliction, the man suggested that in order to draw out the necrotic energy that was slowly subverting him into an undead monster, they would need Purple Crystals that were grown by a blue dragon who lived out in the The Blue Wastes.

Lorde and Pat took Havalina out into The Blue Wastes and sacrificed her in an icy cave inhabited by mephits. Lomodock encouraged Lorde to groom a soul into sin and help it grow in power, rather than sacrificing the minor souls he had been up to this point. The Crue rested here, learning that the ice mephits were afflicted by wyverns.

Locating a small elvish farming village, The Crue learned that they were vassals of the previously mentioned blue dragon and were preparing to send their annual tribute. Ryn convinced The Elder to allow her to accompany him in place of his daughter to pay this tribute, with the rest of The Crue following from a distance of a mile.

Ryn and The Elder took the wagons through a vast sandstorm into the dragon’s realm, while the rest of The Crue were harried by wyverns. Ryn negotiated with the powerful dragon showing proper humility and obeisance and pleasing the being. It negotiated a trade with Ryn taking a variety of wands staves and rods in exchange for a needed Purple Crystal.

Returning to Killroy the Healer’s cave, the man was able to perform surgery on Kilvar removing the diseased flesh, drawing out the necrotic energy and stitching up the now half-blinded, half-deafened duergar.

Session 51: The Boys People are Back in Town

With Kilroy the Healer displeased with their curiosity, the Motley Crue was ushered from his cave and soon found themselves before the gates of Selune City.

As Ryn visited her parents and her baby changeling, some of the others ventured into the Artisan’s District within the city and obtained an unsharpened mithril scimitar and a bowl of the prerequisite materials to make more of the sparkling blue substance, all of this at high cost to Ryn’s credit.

Continuing on to Sampson’s office in the Cartographer’s department, they persuaded the elderly elf to sneak them into the library, where Lorde was able to confirm the workings of Planar Travel with regards to the requisite tuning forks, the book reiterating that the Planeshift spell would not function without a fork created of metal native to the desired destination. Even so, the spell was inexact without having a target such as a teleportation circle. He also was able to make a copy of the ritual that would allow a person with proficiency with a musical instrument as well as the ability to craft a tuning fork, to create one of these planar tuning forks.

Returning to Sampson’s office, Ryn attempted to scry for her former druid master Barnswallow. Finding the elf in a dark tunnel with perfectly smooth walls as if bored by acid, she was able to surmise that Barnswallow was attempting to track a purple worm. Ryn found this to be strange, as the monstrosities were not native to Selune instead originating from the larger white moon Luna.

Half of The Crue ventured forth to check on the availability of hiring mounts, eventually bargaining with a giant-lizard seller who agreed to give a discount in exchange for Ryn polymorphing him into one of his herd that he might better understand them.

The rest of the heroes climbed to the top of the crater lip, all the way up to the Sky-port where there was a Gith-Yanki ship moored, patiently waiting for the end of Brewfest so that they could complete their business and move on. Striking a bargain with the captain, he allowed his ship’s mage to teleport The Crue out to the crater Ryn had previously scryed in exchange for them merely subduing the mighty worm and giving the monster over to the Gith-Yanki for their purposes.

After gathering the rest of the protagonists the Gith-Yanki Mage teleported them out to the crater where Barnswallow was last spotted. Venturing into borehole that yielded the most recent footprints and wormsign, The Crue located both the druid and the monster. Fleeing to the surface, they did righteous battle with the gargantuan worm, Pat and Ryn were both swallowed, and Kilvar poisoned nearly to the point of death. Finally subduing the creature as promised, the Gith-Yanki Mage revealed himself from his invisibility and teleported them all back to Selune City.

Several of The Crue snuck into a High-elf REI and stole several bundles of silk cordage. Guards were summoned, but Nina LaFuerte managed to keep them all from the dungeons.

Heading back to the Wizard University Tower, The Crue found Alejandro sitting on the stairs, sobbing into his hands. The high-elf had been fired from his job as dean, and the tower on Primordia was to be filled with monsters to safe-guard the remaining secrets. Lorde offered his county as a home for the jobless mage which cheered him up. The mage cast teleport however the unlikely proved to be the result, and the Crue suffered a teleportation mishap causing harm to them all and sending them many miles from their intended destination of Blackmoore.

Waiting for night, The Crue were able to determine their location to be somewhere between the central mountain range that split the continent, and the mysterious Dead Forest. Traveling through the night into the blighted land, The Crue discovered the sounds of many footsteps around them, but were unable to pin down whomever or whatever was stalking them.

Session 52 The Dead Forest

In the dark of night, The Crue continued to be stalked through the blighted forest by unknown actors. These antagonists eventually attacked, revealing themselves to be zombies riding undead warhorses. As their attacks progressed, The Crue soon discovered that the attacks were far too coordinated to be ordinary zombies and soon found the puppet-master, a wight giving the undead tactical guidance and imbuing them with greater mobility. After facing down the wave of attackers, The Crue recovered as best they could, fleeing south only find themselves in the terrifying presence of a zombified adult brass dragon. The dragon breathed its stank breath on the heroes, but was soon trapped in webs and taken apart piece by piece until finally destroyed.

The wight then revealed itself again, expressing its marvel at their triumph, and informing them that they were worthy of meeting a being called The Dreadlord that rules over The Dead Forest.

Offering the zombie warhorses to speed their travel, they set off west travelling all night. With the dawn, the wight expressed his desire to hide away from the hated sun, and offering to meet them at dusk. The Crue debated fleeing south through the day, but decided it unwise as it could leave them exhausted and facing possible hostility. Waiting out the day, the wight returned with more zombie horses and zombie soldiers.

Hours later they arrived at a clearing in the lifeless trees and found a sizeable village. The air carrying a familiar sour lemon stench they found the denizens of this town to be zombies being puppetted to perform the duties of ordinary townsfolk, all the way down to the children mock playing.

The wight lead The Crue to a hill surrounded by a wooden picket, with a longhouse at the pinnacle. Within the picket they found more wights some of them bearing the trapping of spellcasters. Within the longhouse, they were brought before the ruling wight wearing an iron mask; The Dread Lord Tremblar. Insulting the Dread Lord by refusing to pay him proper respect, he none-the-less invited them to join him in eternal unlife as wights. When they refused his generous offer, the dismayed lord of Brightmoore and the surrounding Dead Forest suggested they capture him a replacement dragon. The Crue refused this as well, and left the town. Becoming magically lost in The Dead Forest The Crue decided to trigger a failure from the Amulet of the Planes leaving it up to fate to decide where they might end up.

With a crack the heroes found themselves and a significant portion of the land and dead trees they were standing on to be in a strange world of open sky as far as the eye could see. A strong wind blew up from below whipping around the clod of dirt they stood on, this island beginning to break apart in the gale, the leaves fluttering up, and the rocks falling away, revealing more open sky below. Their ears began to pop as the realization dawned that they were rapidly falling. Lorde began to levitate causing he and Kilvar who clung to the rope tied about his waist to shoot rapidly into the sky compared to the rest of The Crue. Ryn quickly polymorphed Pat into a giant eagle and then shape changed herself into the same, grabbing Nina and arresting their decent.

Locating a curious hamlet called Bora seeming to be constructed on a cloud bank, they landed and found the cloud to be squishy yet solid enough to walk upon. Air-Genasi emerged from the buildings to marvel at the strange arrivals.

Mayor of this town, Sirocco greeted them introducing them to his wife Mistral. Lorde learned that this world, Aura, hosted 3 large cities, Khamsin, high altitude Trade Winds, and nearby Southerly Buster. Mayor Sirocco informed them that a trader was expected soon.

The Crue then variously traded, bartered, and stole from the local apothecary Gibli and awaited the arrival of the trader.

Session 37d (53) Captain Lafuerte’s Orders

As The Motley Crue waited in the Auran town of Bora for a trader to arrive in order to purchase transport to one of the larger cities, Captain Nina Lafuerte pondered over a recent mission with the city watch, laid out by Inspector Clouseau. As she turned the brass pommel of The Sunsword over in her hands, she wondered if such a relic would have changed the outcome and helped her and her comrades locate the missing boy quickly enough to save his life. She drifted off into her memories.

In the dream-state she found herself once more in the barracks of Malmehem. A group of lower ranking soldiers stopped to salute her, and as she raised her hand in reply she found curiously that she was holding that same brass pommel. Inspector Clouseau approached her, exactly as before, telling her of Lord Bucknell’s missing heir and the pressing urgency to recover the boy alive.

The feelings of deja vu continued as Nina assembled a team of her finest agents, picking the brutes Gun and Raz, the firey and stealthy Enid, Nasdaq the stockbroker, and finally Caddie with her powerful spells.

Captain Lafuerte divided her team, sending Caddie and Enid to the Royal Library, Gun and Nasdaq to ask around town, and taking the brutish Raz with her to the Bucknell Estate.

The wizard and monk with the help of a librarian were able to locate a family history of the Bucknells learning that Devon was the last heir of the Bucknell line. Speaking with a teacher of his, they learned that the boy was one of the most goodly of the children that attended school there, and in spite of frequent bullying by Lester Fisher, young Devon never fought back, instead apologizing for whatever offense spurned said abuse.

The pair interrogated the bully Lester finding out that this fledgling sadist delighted in causing harm to Devon above all others due to the boy’s good nature. It was revealed that Devon was frequently seen at the local tavern The Sickle & Drop helping the burdened family who ran it.

Meanwhile at the Bucknell Estate Nina and Raz found a resistive butler who quickly caved at Raz’ veiled threats. Eventually being intimidated into granting an audience with his master, Lord Bucknell proved dismissive. Admitting that he rarely made time for the boy, leaving his rearing to the butler and the various school teachers, the pompous lord blustered about the time being wasted and left them once more to speak with his butler. The man then told Nina and Raz about the younger Bucknell’s predilection for giving aid to those less fortunate, most lately having taken up with giving aid to a woman called Hentrietta at the tavern The Sickle & Drop. He told them that the boy had confided in him that they recently lost a baby and he was helping them with disposing of refuse and cleaning up to give the woman time to properly grieve.

Gun and Nasdaq spent this same time walking through the quarter watching for suspicious persons and soon found one. A cloaked and suspicious man slipped a coin purse away from an unsuspecting passerby and fled into an alley. The pair found him counting his loot, and Gun used his prodigious strength to literally shake the man upside down, causing a large amount of evidence to fall from his pockets which Nasdaq quickly gathered, undoubtedly to be cataloged later. Upon interrogation the shady man confessed to having seen the young Davin Bucknell helping out at The Sickle & Drop.

Reuniting at the tavern, these Peace Officers shared their information and confirmed the story with Henrietta. The woman added that Davin had been mentioning hearing voices from the shadows imploring him to join and help on some mysterious and untold task. She had warned the boy against listening to these voices, and feared that whomever it was had kidnapped the child.

Searching the alley behind the bar, Nina and her agents discovered hoof-prints and deer fur, quite out of place for an urban setting such as this. They further discovered there to be badger fur as well, and finally strange chewing marks on the wood siding of a nearby building, as if something with metal jaws had been gnawing there.

As they put these clues together the learned Caddie paled and suggested that perhaps these signs were all part of the same monster – a Leucrotta – rumored to possess the legs and belly of a deer, the upper part to be that of a badger and possessing the same metal jaws needed to create the bites noted on the buildings. These monstrocities who were able to perfectly mimic voices and sounds, were created by, and served the demon-lord Yeenoghu. The legends and fables surrounding this powerful demon suggested this so-called Lord of Rapacity was currently held prisoner in his own layer of The Abyss, called The Death Dells. The myths implied his jailer was a vampire. Caddie was able to correctly conclude that these Leucrotta were likely attempting to use the boy in some plot to free their lord.

As the implications of this new insight took hold in Nina’s mind, the thoughts were interrupted by nearby screams of panic. The heroes turned to find plumes of smoke rising from the nearby quarter and raced to perform their primary duty as protectors of the city.

Finding a large beetle spraying highly caustic acid which quickly dissolved buildings and bystanders alike, the team rushed to the attack. No sooner had they dispatched this vile creature before they discovered another, this one gargantuan in size. With skill and determination they brought down the monster, saving the city once more. The victims thanked them for their help, expressing that with the trickster summer fey gone, these monster attacks were becoming more frequent, and without the brave city watch, the city would surely fall.

Resuming their quest, the Heroes of The Watch followed the trail out into the wilderness. As night set in, they soon found their quarry as they were attacked by the evil Leucrotta. Three of the monsters harried and attacked the brave watch-people, who were able to slay two of them and drive off the third. Following the now concentrated hoof-prints they soon located the den of these demonic monstrocities, discovering the crying child contained within a ring of candles and adjacent to a closed book with metal angel’s wings locking the tome and ensuring the protection of its secrets. A female voice called out to the boy from the shadows perfectly mimicing a variety of the Davin’s authority figures imploring him to open the book for them, then threatening him when he refused.

The heroes quickly took action, defeating the monster and saving the boy. As they returned to the city, they were warmly greeted and praised for their heroic deed.

Nina emerged from her reverie, finding herself once more in the Auran town of Bora, still holding the brass pommel of The Sunsword. She then reached into her bag and pulled forth the book with the folded angel wings. She felt it call to her, imploring her to perform acts of charity and good-will, hinting at the secrets it could reveal to person given over to goodness.

Session 54: Aura The Elemental Plane of Air

The Motley Crue languished for a few days in the hamlet of Bora helping out at the potion shop to pass the time, waiting for a trader to arrive.

At long last they spotted an object in the distance with a long black tail. As the object grew in size, the denizens of the hamlet began to panic, telling the heroes to take cover lest they die screaming in flames.

Soon the object grew near enough to recognize that the object was a flying shed and the black tail appeared to be a cloud of smoke. The object rapidly descended and with a jarring impact flew to pieces in the cloud paved street. The shed lay on its side, burning slightly as a hatch opened and eleven deep-gnomes, also known as Svirfneblin piled out bearing a twelfth who had not survived the landing. Lorde quickly ran to aid, however the gnome was truly dead and only resurrective magic would have even the tiniest chance of saving the lady-gnome. Realizing this the tiefling-turned-drow offered instead to give last-rights. The gnomes accepted his offer before rolling the woman off the side of the cloud into the endless gulf of air below.

Against the sane advice of the townsfolk, the Crue negotiated passage aboard the vessel, and aided the gnomes in the repairs. Refueling and debarking they sped through the atmosphere in what amounted to a barn with a large firework attached to it, and within a few hours reached one of the three large cities, this one called Southerly Buster.

It was here that their old comrade Barbatos had coincidentally ended up, having booked passage here following his adventures in The Clockwork Realm of Perfect Order. His former allies were unable to recognize him with his new body of a Fire-Genasi however his mannerisms quickly affirmed his identity and soon they were adventuring together once more.

Barbatos related to his united friends that there was rumor here that the entire city was slowly sinking, and further inquiry revealed that it was theorized to be caused by some manner of blockage far below preventing the updrafts from keeping the city at it’s proper altitude.

Learning of a lucrative governmental grant to one Faigy Cohen, a deep-gnomish inventor and tinkerer who was investigating and attempting to solve the problem, the Crue went to Gnometown. Along the way they passed a startlingly familiar building – The Turnip - identical in every way to the building of the same name in Cold Mountain and the leaning familiar form of Fester-the-Quick who had previously offered to fetch rare objects from Aura when they had first met the boy in that dwarvish city on Primorida. Realizing that this trans-dimensional tavern was their ticket home, the Crue agreed to return once they had dealt with Faigy Cohen.

Gnometown revealed itself to be a district of the cloud-city with only squat half-sized buildings, many of them emanating the sounds of industry typical of gnomes. Evading a guardian golem that endlessly patrolled the quarter, the Crue soon found the office and warehouse of Faigy. Squeezing through the tiny door, they discussed with the svirfneblin the sinking issue. She showed the protagonists three large lobster-shaped bronze machines she had built from ancient specs and refitted with parachutes for the decent, and inflatable balloons for the returning ascent. Faigy put forth the theory that a large clod of dirt had collected over the centuries from the filthy foreigners that came and went, and that would be sufficient to obstruct the needed updraft.

Agreeing to brave the crushing pressures below in the lobster-cans Ms. Cohen had constructed in exchange for large gems, the Crue debarked.

They fell for what felt like an eternity as the bronze contraptions protecting them creaked and groaned with the increasing air-pressure. Soon they spotted the aforementioned dirt-clod, however closer inspection revealed it to be an enormous 300 foot wide turtle-monster with huge hills of dirt accumulated on its back.

The fearless adventurers landed on the thing’s back and began using the claws of the mechanical lobsters along with powerful gusts of wind from Ryn’s spells to clear the tons of accreted soil from the monster as the unintelligent creature raged at the perceived threat. The great turtle spit rocks and sprayed clouds of stones at the mechanical lobsters battering and denting the hulls and causing the high pressure air to rush in with powerful hisses.

Finally clearing the last of the dirt, the heroes wasted no time in releasing the balloons and ascending out of reach of the angry turtle. Bringing the wrecked machines back to Faigy they revealed their success and the gnome was able to confirm that the city was once more flying as it was intended to. She gladly paid them the agreed upon gems and hurried off to warn the town of the now approaching turtle monster and ready defenses.

Always ready to help those in desperate need, The Crue leant their aid to the townfolk by wishing them good luck with their turtle problem and retreating into The Turnip but not before Kilvar stole a strongbox from Faigy’s office.

Within The Turnip the Crue found the expected undead shadows but the minor ones were skittish in the sunlight of Nina’s sunsword. A larger shadow king tried to brave the sunlight but was quickly dispatched after only draining some of Lorde’s strength away. The mighty adventurers moved to leave on the Cold Mountain facing door of The Turnip when sweet Ryn was attacked by something far more sinister from out of the shadows. This creature, known colloquially as a boneclaw due to the four foot bony claws that extended from its semi-corporal skeletal body, shadow-stepped away with the badly injured high-elf. Without hesitation the warriors tore open the hatch leading below and there confronted the terrifying wraith-like creature. The monster fled deeper into the tunnels beyond, and The Crue pulled Ryn from the dark passage, making their way without delay out through the front door.

Once more in the familiar shadows of Cold Mountain, they were approached by a merchant named Pruitt Darkwater who recognized Pat and invited them and their comrades to his home for a meal of fresh venison and a business proposition. Kilvar made a detour to the local dwarvish temple, the dwarves being one of the few people who still kept faith with Gygax. He attempted to sell a set of holy symbols to the priest, explaining that he was an apostate and wished to be rid of the symbols of his former faith. Infuriated with such a blasé offer, the priest seized the symbols and chased the duergar out of the temple.

In the streets Kilvar decided to count his proceeds from Faigy’s strongbox. Using his magical tricks to trip the trap without harm to himself, he failed to detect a magical rune on the bottom of the box that became a fire-elemental myrmidon upon being revealed. The guardian chased and fought the dwarf until he dumped all the stolen coins, which it then gathered and left, ostensibly in an attempt to return the booty to the impossibly far world from which it was stolen.

Later in the Darkwater home, a lavish meal was offered and Pruitt asked Pat about the possibility of hiring one of their kind for protection duty over his caravans. Agreeing to meet the Crue in Blackmoore in two weeks, they made plans to leave first thing in the morning.

Session 55 Summary

Kilvar and Ryn rested in Cold Mountain while Barbatos, Nina, Lorde and Pat ventured up the titular mountain seeking to close more of the Shadow Crossings and further reduce the number of undead shadows that threatened the city. Magically Suggesting to a local scribe to chronicle their efforts, the Crue drew upon their previous success and used Nina’s Sunsword to destroy a few of the smaller portals. Next turning their attention upon the Bowl of Fire, a 200 foot span of eternally burning flames legendarily created by famed paladin Sachs Goldmeyer to block off the largest shadow crossing and keep the most terrible of the undead shadows contained within the Shadow Realm.

Here Pat attempted to leave an offering of their own blood on a single gold coin and then rang the bell in order to gain the blessing of fire resistance, however they were still burned. The attending scribe informed them that the value of a sacrifice is not a concrete value. A poor man giving a single copper coin is a greater sacrifice than a rich man giving 100 gold coins. With this in mind, Nina offered up her cherished locket. She was then able to walk through the fire without issue, and upon reaching the bottom of the cauldron, she thrust the sunsword into the vast blackness, however she was unable to muster sufficient willpower to close the portal and the sunsword was defeated until such time as it could recharge in sunlight.

Returning in the day with Ryn and Kilvar, the former created magical sunbeams and turned herself into a giant eagle, while Nina gave up her lucky coin to once again gain resistance to fire. Together they assaulted the darkness, but once again it resisted the attempt causing the blade of pure light to wink out again. Recharging the sword again with the light of the sun, and a blast from Ryn’s sunbeam the pair made a third and final attempt, this time defeating the dark portal which burst with enough force to cause a flair that consumed Ryn’s eagle form plunging the elf into the flames without protection. Thinking quickly, she was able to conjure a tidal wave and followed it out of the inferno.

Kilvar then in clear defiance of Gygax, stole the clapper to the bell for the fire-resistance shrine, as well as the various offerings that had been left by the pilgrims.

While all this was happening, Pat had decided to remain behind at the temple and learn what they could about Gygaxianism in the hopes of shedding the boon that was claimed by the burdonsome Atlach-Nacha. It was here that the mighty lizard-person witnessed two abnormally large and beautiful eagles alight on the alter. True to form, the warrior began firing arrows past the eagles, and they quickly turned into a pair of Fidel Angels, the diplomats and messengers of the Gygaxian celestial hierarchy. They expressed their displeasure at Pat’s acquiescence in Lorde’s murderous rampage against the innocent, and the warlock’s support of the evil Atlach-Nacha, and offered the lizard-person a chance to change the direction of their life and regain control of their soul. They cryptically handed Pat a ring with the carving of an eagle and relayed the message “show this to the wife of the captain”. They then vanished with the crack of a teleport spell.

Collecting themselves, they took benefit from Ryn’s wind walk and rapidly traveled to the town of Blackmoore. Finding out that the Yuan-ti organization known as The Triple S Corporation had packed up and abandoned their warehouse just hours earlier, The Crue went to the place and discovered the gnome Inaroe VanGnommen waiting for them with bags packed. The young gnomish musician explained that for some bizarre reason her Yuan-ti captors had taken a particular interest in the sky a few hours earlier, and had then begun a frantic exodus abandoning her to her fate. She quickly took interest in the ritual Lorde showed her, and agreed to assist them provided they could find her a suitable workshop.

With the intolerance that Blackmoore had for gnomes the Crue decided it best to take Inaroe to Cold Mountain and seek working space and accommodations within the gnomish quarter there. As they wind walked once more, they passed over a curious settlement in the wooded wilderness south of the central mountain range. This place offered a lake with a cluster of buildings and fields beyond those, surrounded on every side by dense forest and not the slightest evidence of a road or even a path leading to or away.

They continued on to Cold Mountain where they were able to secure a two-month lease on a workshop for Inaroe and arranged adequate supplies and equipment to get her started.

Kilvar invaded the locked up home of Pruitt Darkwater and a magical trip sent him to a wet labyrinth with a fierce minotaur pursuing him. He quickly chased the monster off, and eventually found his way out of the maze, only to discover that the house of Darkwater was meticulously trapped and warded, much more so than one would expect of the “honest merchant” Pruitt claimed to be.

The Crue then made their way skyward once more, intending to investigate the curious isolated community before continuing on to Blackmoore. As they circled the farming community, they noted that while the humans of the village were not primitives, they lacked any sort of “advanced” technology. The houses were all very plain and nearly identical, with the only unique building being a sort of nondescript meeting house and chapel.

The Crue met with these technophobes and learned they were a sect of pacifist Gygaxians and were content to live within the safety of to town, and expressed anxiety at the idea of going into the dangerous forest surrounding. The Crue were satisfied with this explanation and were about to continue on their way when a woman came screaming into the square, expounding that her child had ventured into the forest. The leader shook his head and expressed his regret that the child was sure to die.

Unabashed, Pat rushed into the dangerous forest, finding the forest floor to be knee deep with bones and discovered the child surrounded by dire wolves the size of bears. Chasing them off, Pat rescued the child but found themselves confronted by a terrible fey lord known as The Erlking, The Lord of the Hunt and his shadow hounds. This fey lord rode towards the lizardperson on his supernaturally fast mount doing righteous battle as the rest of the Motley Crue began the slow transformation from their cloud forms into their physical shapes. They fled with the child back to the village, and they had all crossed out of the tree-line into the relatively safety of the village when Ryn was struck down. As the elf fell, she transformed into one of The Erlking’s shadow servants and joined The Wild Hunt.

Session 56 Erlking Ryn

Stunned at the loss of their druidic comrade, the Motley Crue regrouped in the Amish village of Mennomere debating what to do next. It was then that a wave washed out of the still lake and deposited an elderly woman on the beach. The woman identified herself as Greta Olfricson protector of the Amish community as well as a small clan of sea elves that lived at the bottom of Lake Fischer. Greta explained to the Crue that these simple unorthodox worshipers of Gygax had happened upon this lake and clearing many generations ago while escaping persecution of the corrupt orthodox Gygaxian authority. Their arrival had coincided with The Wild Hunt during which The Erlking takes his hunters away from the forest into distant lands leaving the surrounding forest relatively safe for a few days. These Amish had setup camp and when The Erlking returned they became trapped. Seeing as how the cruel Gygaxians of that time would be unable to pursue them through the Erkling’s domain, these refugees setup a permanent settlement, cut off from the world. Greta further expounded that as of the last druid-meet she had retained the title of the greatest shapechanger amongst the druidic ranks. In most recent years however, she has spent much of her time asleep in the guise of a great fish buried in the mud at the bottom of the lake waking but once per year to do righteous battle with The Erlking. She expressed her desire to be done with the mantle of protector and sought a younger druid to take her place.

Greta informed The Crue that they would be able to recover their lost ally if they were able to capture her in her new shadow form and then drown her in the lake. Herself and the elves should then be able to bring her back to her original state alive and well.

The Crue hatched a plan and invaded the forest, resisting waves of fear. A flying giant crocodile bite later and the shadow hawk was floundering in the water and soon drown and dissipated.

The Bellringer’s Feast layed out, The Motley Crue joined in the festivities as the Amish folk prepared for the taxing week ahead. The intention was to ring the bell of the church in proper challenge to The Erlking and then hunker down within its fortified walls and wait out the night praying to Gygax to protect them. This behavior would continue nightly until the druid holiday of Lammas, at which time The Erlking would lead his hunt to some unknown hunting grounds and on Wiccrhys his Wild Hunt would occur.

The restored Ryn joined her allies as the last of the Amish filed into the fortified church and rang the bell using the clapper Kilvar had stolen from Cold Mountain which gave some additional protection to the pacifists hiding within.

The Crue then did battle with The Erlking testing their spells and might looking for weaknesses. They understood that he would return each night, regardless of his being killed or driven off, and so used their time to work on an alternate way to defeat the creature.

After successfully driving him off that first night, they brainstormed on how to prepare for the following night’s battle. They determined that the best strategy would be to wear him down until he could not resist a planeshift spell used to banish him to Csalas the 8th Layer Hell.

The following night with this unique strategy in mind, they once more summoned The Erlking. He arrived this time on a flying dog-like fey mount known as a Yeth-hound. They battled once more, rediscovering the Yeth-hound’s vulnerability to sunlight, the creature becoming banished to the Ethereal Plane. While the monster was so banished, Ryn managed to get close to the fey-lord and successfully cast her planeshift spell with the intended consequences. The Erlking was safely sent away to Csalas and would be unable to conduct The Wild Hunt this year. With it’s master gone, the Yeth-hound was able to move only far enough out of The Ethereal Plane to make itself visible, but remained intangible and unable to further harm either The Crue or the Amish they were protecting.

Greta thanked The Crue for their aid and the Amish celebrated their protectors. Lorde took aside one of the young Amish men and introduced him to the terrible evil known as Atlach Nacha. Ryn expressed her wish to challenge Greta for her position however requested a way to do so without killing the old woman. Greta said she would agree to a non-lethal contest for her mantle provided Ryn would swear to return to Mennomere each year at this time to protect these Amish and sea-elves. Ryn accepted these terms, and they agreed to meet under the next full-moon to perform the contest and hand off the power should Ryn succeed.

Session 57 Summary

After resting a night with the Amish of Mennomere, the Motley Crue Transported via Plants to a large tree near to Blackmoore. Here they found a ship waiting in harbor for Pruit Darkwater and guests. Captain Frederick the Spicelord welcomed them, honored to be in the presence of such notorious heroes. Pat showed her Eagle Ring to Frederick’s wife Helena and the cautious lady was at first suspicious, but soon accepted Pat’s sincerity. Helena explained to Pat that she was the head of the Hidden Light sect of Gygaxian adherents, and with her comrades she engaged in intelligence gathering, espionage, and rarely assassination against the enemies of Gygax.

Meanwhile at the library Ryn and Lorde gathered information, and at the smithy’s Kilvar and Barbatos collected some weapons.

Pruit Darkwater finally arrived, and Pat discovered upon seeing him writing that his ungloved hands were horribly deformed, almost appearing to bend backwards in a way entirely unlike that of someone with an ordinary defect or injury. The mighty lizardperson brought this up to their new-found ally Helena who found it odd as well and added that her divination magic revealed absolutely nothing of the man, as if he was somehow entirely unaffected by her spells. She expressed confusion at this having never encountered such phenomena in all her years of fighting the enemies of Gygax. She further assured Pat that even so, her husband had been friendly rivals with the man for years, and at times they had helped one another out, Frederick being master of the seas, and Mr. Darkwater champion of the roads. She was sure he wasn’t exactly a goodly man, but had never known him to commit overt evil.

They soon all boarded Frederick’s ship and enroute Pat and Ryn investigated a shipwreck, locating a treasure hoard guarded by a Giant Octopus. With their pockets a little more full, they continued on and soon sighted a mysterious island known to change location seemingly randomly and referred to on Ryn’s map as “Gilligan’s Island”.

The Crue investigated the island, finding castaways stranded in some manner of curse. Barbatos left his seed, and Kilvar left his bloody mark, while Pat brought the concept of Gygax to some lizardfolk and Ryn and Lorde seemed to get along a bit better.

With the rest of their Wind Walk they made their way to Zeroburg.

Session 58 Summary

Reuniting with Frederick The Spice Lord’s ship The Spicy Maiden, the Motley Crue relayed the details of the strange cursed island then settled in for the remainder of this leg of the voyage. By dawn The Spicy Maiden was navigating the River Zero along freshly dredged channels and even encountered another ship leaving the inland port. Helena expressed her concern, as more often than not, times of prosperity for Zeroburg also mean times of great evil.

Helena’s concerns were quickly actualized as upon debarking the Crue discovered a population of displaced refugees and quickly learned that when the cult of Tiamat in Salasar had stormed the Temple to Bahamaut they had awakened a sleeping guardian deep below which singled handedly defeated the attackers and then proceeded to drive out all of the chromatic dragonborn along with a significant population of the town’s kobolds. These refugees fled south and took up new residence in Zeroburg and the surviving priests of Tiamat took possession of the Arch of Dispater, rechristening it as The Arch of Tiamat.

With this influx of chromatic dragonborn and kobolds as well as the guidance of the evil priests of Tiamat, the town has once again begun to prosper. It was rumored that a hero had emerged during the defeat at the Salasar temple to Bahamaut, a powerful dragonborn Kurtz the Green who with his allies, Charlow the White, Jocon the Block, Sephrad the Blue, and Marles the Red had caused sufficient damage to the temple’s guardian to turn the monster back and give the rest a chance to retreat and escape the town. Since settling in Zeroburg, Kurtz the Green and his comrades had contributed to the town’s prosperity by conducting raids against the Kuo-Toa in the swamp, bringing back hoards of wealth.

The Motley Crue decided to track Kurtz the Green into the swamp, first realizing that the trail seemed to be covered by magic similar to pass without trace. Next turning to Ryn’s divination magic they were able to detect the magic left by the spell of the evil dragonborn. They soon discovered a beached barge and a campsite, and continued until they were able to locate the barbaric raiders. Setting an ambush, they attacked, but the ferocity of Marles and the magic of Sephrad along with the cunning of Kurtz himself soon found The Motley Crue overmatched. The quick thinking of Ryn’s reverse gravity spell turned a defeat into a stalemate, and Kurtz, Sephrad and Marles fled back to The Arch of Tiamat abandoning the corpses of Charlow and Jocon. Ryn confirmed their whereabouts using her scrying as well as discovering that the Motley Crue was now considered an enemy of Tiamat for their crimes against her priests.

The Crue attempted to gain access to the underwater crypts of the swamp’s resident Kuo-Toa but the fish-men were overly paranoid since the raids of the dragonborn and The Crue gave up and turned back without a fight.

Avoiding the town of Zeroburg the Motley Crue spread rumors about the docks spreading confusion and conflicting reports of the goings-on in the swamp before departing for Salasar.

Pat collected oysters for Lorde but finding none with pearls, the lizardfolk sold the mollusks off and paid a visit to the Temple of Bahamaut. Meeting Da’ar Copperscale newly installed head priestess, Pat heard the alternate version of events. The followers of Tiamat had indeed invaded, and slew many of the defenders – indeed it looked as if the end was nigh. Gygax in his mercy saw fit to wake an ancient defender who had been asleep for centuries beyond record. This champion stormed out from below, did righteous battle with the invaders and turned them back, then chased them and banished them and many of the kobolds from the town entirely. The hero then transformed himself into a great gold dragon and flew off to the North-East to begin a new inquisition against the enemies of Gygax.

Session 59 Summary

Under the guidance of the paladin Hebron Silverclaw, the Motley Crue explored the passages below the Temple to Bahamaut as the silver dragonborn recalled his experience of the battle for the temple. His first-hand account revealed a dwarven warrior who stormed out of the below depths with sword and spell laying waste to the evil chromatic dragonborn assailants before driving the survivors from the town completely along with a substantial percentage of the kobold population. This mysterious champion, who revealed his name to be Aurum, then transformed himself into a golden dragon and took to sky exclaiming that he must find his old ally Operius to begin a new inquisition. The excited paladin could not guess if the dwarf was the true form, or the dragon, and stated that neither would surprise him given the magic the being wielded.

Worked stone gave way to damp natural caverns with the smell of seawater, and soon revealed a grotto stretching over a hundred feet down through sunlit sea water. Lovely corals sheltered swarms of tiny fish, and the magical sunlight that brightly lit the natural aquarium showed glints of gold peaking out of the mud at the bottom as well as a sunken treasure chest.

Pat and Ryn-turned-giant octopus swam to the bottom and drew up the chest, as the tiny fish revealed their voracious appetite and sharp teeth. More a nuisance than a threat over such a short swim, the heroes dispatched a few and ignored the rest, discovered a strange potion within the chest, in addition to various potions of healing and gold coins. Hiding from the tiny fish, they managed to uncover even more coins in the mud of the bottom, a veritable hoard of cash wealth.

Swimming into an adjoining passage, they discovered a darkened cavern with a vast array of bronze bars forming a cubic cage some 1000’ feet on each side and containing a three dimensional maze with an exit to the sea, and several exits into unknown areas deeper down. Exploring only so far as the sea, they discovered a second ship anchored not far from their ship The Spicy Maiden.

Kilvar and Barbatos, bored with the underwater exploits went on a kobold raid in the town, braving traps and the cowardly diminutive dragon-kin finding a wealth of tools and potions.

Returning to The Spicy Maiden they were informed of the stout foreigners that had arrived on the nearby ship The Fighting Eel.

Traveling to the foreign ship, The Crue discovered it to be full of half-orcs who claimed to be a contingent of traders from the distant orcish Empire of Kholgazdrun. A wizardly half-orc attempted to convince The Crue that their intentions were strictly trade, however their armaments and a few slips of the tongue revealed their true intentions as an expeditionary force. Likely the precursor to a larger invasion force, the The Crue decided to slip into the holds of the ship and see what they could make off with regarding evidence. They managed to snatch the log books and a small chest from the near fully-orc blood captain of the vessel, then fled southwest to the Plague Citadel to regroup.

Here they were able to confirm their suspicions, and upon traveling back to Salasar found only smoldering wreckage of The Spicy Maiden and no immediate sign of The Fighting Eel. Ryn searched the waters for her ward Greta finding the elderly druid in the guise of a dolphin, and learned of the horrific slaughter that had befallen Frederick and crew. The women had been carried off west aboard the orcish ship. The Crue wind-walked once more and slipped aboard the vessel again, finding only a single remaining captive tied up in a large sack below decks.

Formulating a clever plan, most of The Crue hid aboard The Fighting Eel while Ryn and their queer but excited ally Pruitt Darkwater waited on top of a log ready to spread fiery illusions and distracting mischief. The battle raged through the ship with Barbatos bravely holding off many of the half-orc crew and putting actual fire to the sails as Kilvar raided the wizard’s private room and Lorde escaped with the captive woman. Pat worked their shapechanging magic becoming a Patodile and eventually bursting the ship with their huge legs and tearing it to pieces. Together they drown and slaughtered the surviving orcs and returned to Salasar to await the full-moon.

Summary Session 60

The Motley Crue were able to enjoy a day of relaxation in Salasar before duty called once more. During this time Pat learned that Helena of the Sisters of the Hidden Light was not faring well in dealing with traumatic events of the previous day, and was given refuge by Da’ar at the Cathedral to Bahamaut.

Helena revealed to Pat that the lizardperson was the last best hope for their cause. The woman explained to Pat that the Revered Anne Bonnie, the as-of-yet unsainted patron of their order, had given her a mission in the form of visions.

Not realizing Pat was already aware, Helena reiterated the story of the Vampire Demarko and his criminal organization, offering Pat the location of a Planar Tuning Fork tuned to The Death Dells in the Szakadek Abyss. She implored the lizardperson to obtain the Fork from Selune and then defeat the Vampire in the Death Dells in order to free the demonlord Yeenoghu. The hopes were that in doing so the balance would be restored and force an ending to the war in heaven between the devils and Gygaxians.

Kilvar decided to capitalize on the impending battle between Ryn and Greta by hiring kobolds to build a slap-dash Thunderdome, and arranged for a WWF style competition featuring Camel Jumping, Kobold gladiators, dragonborn mud wrestling, a “wedding” for Barbatos and a melee between him and Pat to lead up to the final event between the Druids.

The event went off without a hitch, netting a tidy sum in both fees and gambling proceeds, a more powerful Ryn, and an uncertain marriage status for Barbatos.

Lorde communed with his patron, Atlach Nacha. The drow-elf related the current status, and then felt his powers drain as the spider elder god completed their pact while explaining that they would soon come to this world to consume all life.

When Lorde expressed his displeasure with this arrangement, Atlach Nacha offered him a one-month pact to retrieve an artifact called the Jade Spider and bring it back to Salasar for the next full-moon to prove his devotion.

Lomodock expressed his concern with Lorde’s continuing deals with the Spider Elder God offering first to hide the drow-elf in Tor’kossag the third of the Nine Hells. He next suggested perhaps finding a new patron, perhaps a fey-lord or a fiend. Lomodock admitted to knowing of the Jade Spider and if Lorde was set on seeing this deal through, he could find the Jade Spider in the treasury of the Emperor of The White Kingdom, a level of the Szakadek Abyss adjacent to The Death Dells which could be reached via a teleportation spell.

Session 61 Terrible Lizard-bird-things

Lorde’s handler, Lomodock approached him with a few possibilities if the idea of beginning a new and terrible pact with Atlach-Nacha proved to be too horrific for the Drow-Tiefling. Lomodock offered Barachiel, a celestial demigod revered by the drow who sought to balance the darkness and evil of her brothers and sisters with spells of fire and light, and was the only of their ilk that could give a patron healing magic.

Next on the list was Vassago a demon of chaos and insanity who gifted spells of burning and torment to a disciple.

A Leanan Sidhe had expressed interest in The Motley Crue, not towards Lorde as such, but rather do the curious high-elf druid Ryn. Lomodock suggested that the warlock could likely leverage this interest for a pact, and would gain powers of trickery as a result.

Finally there was known to be a sentient weapon, a crystal dong called Pew! That was once wielded by the mighty Michael Jackson during his adventures with The Vindicators. It was known that some part of Michael Jackson’s psyche remained within the weapon, and could grant the wielder some of the powers of the dancing singer including protections, curses, and smites.

Lorde took these options into consideration, along with the likely outcomes and consequences of striking a new pact with Atlach-Nacha. Even so, he offered to wed Barbatos to Vemmel to solidify the union started back at the Thunderdome.

These matters attended to, The Crue became clouds and traveled to Pat’s homeland. Here it was discovered that the balance between prey and predator had been disrupted. The prey dinosaurs had evolved alphas that were too smart and efficient for the predators to be able to catch adequate food, and as the population of the prey dinosaurs grew, they consumed all the available plant-life and were likely to soon run out. Ryn explained that this could result in devastation to all the inhabitants of the island, but seemed unable to make the lizard-people understand this. The party learned of a prophesy that weeks before a great-hunt was meant to happen that would have taken the alphas among the prey dinosaurs resolved this issue, and pondered the possibility that this was the intended purpose of The Erlking who had been banished to Czalas before it could perform its function.

Once more amongst their people, Pat seemed pleased to find their hatchling progeny thriving, and staged a competition to select a hearty cousin for their bargain with Pruitt Darkwater. Agreeing to offer baksheesh (a tip or bribe showing respect and appreciation) to the Tribal leaders of a herd of sheep, and a reward of a second Necklace of Prayer Beads for Pat, the rather odd merchant/illusionist(?) took his new comrade and headed southeast towards the mainland.

Moving next to the eastern island, our protagonists discovered new plumes of campfires that on closer inspection revealed themselves to be small newly founded colonies of orcs. Proceeding to the castle of Wolfgang the Gygaxian vampire, they found the structure to be held entirely by orcs. Next slipping into the depths of the dungeon, discovered there that the room adjacent to the portal room had been bricked up and sealed with lightly enchanted mortar. Breaking into this room caused enough noise to roust the orcs above and the Motley Crue worked to free the immured vampire from his tomb, only to find that he had been driven mad by his blood-lust. As the savage and toughened orcs fought down from above, the Crue fought a retreating action against them as well as the frenzied vampire, back into the portal room. Pat managed to turn the undead bat, chasing it to the ceiling, and then barricading the door and using Ryn’s staff to create a tree to serve as bracing as they reconstructed the massive portal ring.

Lorde then used his conjuration spells to power-up the ring, and they fled into the terrible realm known as a-Halal Elarasztja, or The Death Dells.

Session 62 Return to a-Halal Elarasztja (The Death Dells)

The Motley Crue stepped out of the portal into the familiar hot and humid valley of a-Halal Elarasztja, or The Death Dells as the tales of the commoners named it. The treants that the Crue had left behind previously showed signs of corruption, the deinonychus eggs also left here had hatched and spawned mutant flying saurians that now perched in the branches of the evil trees and watched The Crue hungrily. All around broad leaved vines with long thorns reached for the dim red sun that burned in the sky, and sought the fresh blood that Pat left wherever they walked.

The tops of the ridges, some 400 feet above the valley floor, betrayed the hot stillness with frigid gale-force winds, and as Ryn explored ahead in the form of a giant eagle the high-elf found herself blown far ahead. She steadied herself just in time to avoid a hail of crossbow bolts from ramparts built atop the ridges, defending a town tucked away at the bottom of the dale.

Ryn revealed her true nature to the defenders – a shabby group of mishapen dwarves and humans – who brought her before their leader. This leader turned out to be her former ally Malin who had carved a niche here for himself since being lost in The Abyss of Szakadek following their triumph over the plague-spreading ghouls. The former ally Rakeet had also found his way to this horrible place, and was being kept in a cage by the sinister sorcerer. These two mortals had survived in this hostile plane of endless hunger surrounded by the malformed and damned inhabitants by taking what they could find from the gnoll raiders.

Malin’s advisor, dwarf Oryx Ablemine, expressed interest in the neighboring community of Lacking, explaining that in his mortal life he had been a Master Smith, and Lacking was rumored to have a Baleforge, a forge hot enough to craft demonic weapons. He suspected that the town also hid wealth and resources such as coal, steel, and food enough to sate the endless hunger that all here felt.

Having spent some time in this place of barely contained chaos, the endless hunger made itself manifest in our heros. Ryn conjured goodberries which seemed to stave off the worst effects of this new curse, as they planned to venture towards The World Tooth a steep conical mountain peak that the town of Lacking had been built upon.

Ambushed by gnoll raiders, the heroes discovered that among the gnolls were individuals cursed with vampirism, this place suiting such monsters well with a sun dim enough to not be a threat. Slaying the raiding party, Rakeet banished the vampire gnoll into a demi-plane and continued along their way.

Finding the strange feature known as The World Tooth some of them marvelled as how appropriate the name was for the ivory-white mountain that stood in stark relief with the surround dusty brown hills.

Session 63 Summary

Looking up at the ivory cone, the Motley Crue gauged the town above. This town, Lacking by name, perched atop the pinnacle of what indeed looked like an impossibly large tooth. The ground from which this tooth projected was broken and caving away suggesting that white bony mountain had thrust up from below. Upon closer investigation, the Crue found that this strange formation continued below the ground for some distance and seemed to open up into another world.

As they plumbed these depths, the ground gave way beneath Ryn and Kilvar and no amount of searching revealed the location of these two.

As The Crue walked the perimeter of this strange cyclopean tooth, they discovered a skeleton crucified facing the dim stationary sun in the sky with a wooden stake through its ribs where its heart would be. Sharp fangs protruded from the jaws of this skeleton which revealed itself to be a hunger maddened vampire as Rakeet removed the stake from its chest. The quickly animating skeleton buried those fangs in the neck of the bird-man and began to drain his life-force.

As the vampiric skeleton fed, flesh began to crawl across the bones, and the others took action to try to break its hold, recently rejoined Barbatos wrestling the monster along with Pat. A disintegration ray from Malin caught all 4 of the closely matched combatants, and resulted in a severely injured Pat and 2 piles of dust that were formerly Barbatos and Rakeet.

A tag-teamed banishment sent the vampire safely away for a short time, and the surviving Crue made their way up the enormous tooth following crevasses and caves. They soon located a pack of ghouls arguing over a corpse, but these enemies fled at the sight of a lizardfolk Gygaxian priest, all save one ghoul. This one explained his background as a scholar, who died in an unfortunate accident many decades before at the former Greyhawk university.

This undead scholar stressed that in his years of hiding at that place of learning, he never killed, but rather fed exclusively on the corpses brought in for study. Even after his years of exhaustive study gave way to discovery and expulsion by the university administration, he swore that he only inhabited graveyards and never once pulled a child from their bed at night, feeding only on the children already dead.

The scholarly ghoul plead with Pat to absolve him of his sins and put him to death immediately that he might not be given chance to be tempted into sin, with luck instead his soul would be released from this endless hunger and returned to the bosom of most holy Gygax. These requests the priestly lizard-person fulfilled, releasing the ghoul to whatever oblivion awaited him.

Continuing on to the town of Lacking, The Crue met with Reverend Tidus Zayne, a priest wearing somewhat familiar vestments of a porcelain mask and flowing robes, these latter being of an ochre color rather than the red robes they had seen on similar priests before. The nature and truth of these priests eluded them, but the Crue realized that they could call on a resource that had been lost to them previously by using the scroll of true resurrection they possessed to summon back to them their orcish comrade Horkus. Performing the rites as described on the scroll, they tempted back the soul of their lost ally as they bargained with Gygax to allow his cherished child of the storm to rejoin them in his fabulous magnificence.

While this was happening, Barbatos found himself once more in Limbo within the plane of Chaos, called Tornaca to the learned. Without a body, he flowed past the constantly changing matter of this place seeing objects rapidly change shape and material change its very state from flesh to stone to water.

The former aasimar-turned-genasi focused his thoughts and found the vestige of order that hid itself within this world of constant flux, and was greeted at the door by a familiar gith-zerai monk called Shift Ohnnel who greeted him with small surprise that the soul had found itself in familiar circumstances to those before. Once more the priest offered to assist Barbatos with the warning that the toll to his body would be heavier than previously. With this understanding, he took the disembodied spirit down into the fires below the protected monastery. Within these sacred fires of order, the gith-zerai encouraged the spirit to focus on once more creating a body of the living fire. After much effort, Barbatos found himself embodied and requested that the priest return him to the foul-abyss that he might once more endeavor to save the world.

The again-mortal genasi found himself with his friends again, and found the waiting form of storm made orc-flesh that was Horkus. The orc warned that the ochre robes of Reverend Zayne likely meant he was an adherent of the evil Mephistopheles and had likely taken at least some training on the 8th layer of the Nine Hells of Pokol, specifically called Czalas.

Confronting Tidus Zayne with this information, the ochre robed priest evaded the question but slipped up enough to reveal the truth. He did indeed appear to have been abandoned in this place by jealous superiors, with no allies left to summon him back. In spite of this imprisonment he retained the powers Mephistopheles had granted him, and remained faithful as he awaited an opportunity to escape this foul prison.

The reunited allies ventured down the mountain and back to the town of Scant where they reunited with Oryx Ablemine and send him in wind walk cloud form back to Lacking to investigate the Baleforge and see if he could make the evil creation work once more.

They moved on to the Valley of the Portal but found the ring still and without energy surmising that the orcs on the other side likely destroyed the ring on their side to prevent the return of the enemy Motley Crue.

With this information, the Crue despaired momentarily. The edict of Gygax prevented spells like planeshift to allow escape form the lower planes, much in the way that it prevented those in the middle planes to planeshift directly into Mennyorszag, the Seven Heavens of Gyagax.

Together the old allies returned to Lacking and Barbatos went into the maintenance tunnels below the Baleforge to slay a burning tar-ghoul that had been placed there by the previous smithy in the erroneous hopes that it could provide sufficient heat to power the unholy forge. Barbatos battled and slew this burning ghoul and then took its place, using his fire powers to heat the demonic construct until Oryx was able to properly sharpen and hone the mithril swords Pat possessed.

Traveling down the World-Tooth they discovered another layer of The Abyss of Szakadek this one appearing to be fully enclosed by shaped bone, the World Tooth seeming to truly be an impossibly large tooth bit through the layer above.

Reverend Zayne postulated that many such crossings are rumored to exist within the infinite expanse that is Szakadek.

Venturing down to the base of the tooth, the Crue found the dentition to be rooted in a diseased flesh landscape that stretched in gentle rises into the cavernous darkness beyond their vision.

Exploring this place revealed numerous bone-mold sepulchres and mausoleums all crawling with common ghouls and a few more notable beings of similar creation but with more cunning and intelligence in their bearing.

Following a general path, they soon discovered The Palace of Doresain sitting lonely on a projection of flesh so diseased as take on the nature of stone, and a bottomless pit surrounding it on all sides. A single guarded causeway spanned the impossible void, and they were warned by Titus that in such a place a void could fall away into infinity without ever finding bottom.

Making their way around the palace they soon discovered the ruins of what had once been a second causeway that had connected to a much lower area of the platform the palace was sculpted atop. Taking flight they approached this second door and with great effort opened it and entered into a labyrinth that stretched into endless darkness at every intersection.

Their loud activities woke a minotaur-like demon called a goristro that chased them until finally slain. The injured team anxiously sought a place of safety to rest and recuperate while their thoughts drifted to their lost friend Kilvar and that elf they put up with Ryn.  

Session 63.5 (64) Journey to the Center of the Earth

Having fallen through a portal, Ryn and Kilvar found themselves in a dark tunnel. Lacking the wretched odor of The Abyss of Szakadek, Kilvar found the surrounding environment to give him a curious sense of excitement. Indeed he was able to surmise that this strange twist of fate had somehow brought him to his homeworld, although to a portion he had not yet traveled in his lifetime.

The duo soon found their eyes sufficiently adjusted to see that they stood in a collapsed train tunnel, the rails beneath their feet lending more credence to Kilvar’s suspicions, as only the duergar used such thin gauges for their rails, the importance of low costs outweighing such folly as safety, leaving the extravagances of permanent construction to the absurd and backward mountain dwarves. Behind them, partially obscured by the collapsed ceiling the pair found a steel door covered in acidic slime, a not uncommon sight in the depths except that the slime was not of a variety either of the present Motley Crue recognized.

Voices ahead revealed a group of conspiring revolutionaries, and after a tense introduction the rebel leader Aleister Craubane investigated the fabled slime, curious that a pair such as these could emerge from a collapsed tunnel. Discovering the slime to be an alkilith, a demon that once summoned to the middle realms had the ability to create portals back to The Abyss of Szakadek and bring more of his kind through, the duergar and elf were able to convince the gathered revolutionaries that they harbored no love for demons. This understanding settled, they were let in on the plan.

The great and powerful demon Tor’onech, once heralded as the liberator of the duergar people from the sinister Illithid mind-flayers, had quickly become a slaver in its own right, demanding endless blood sacrifices from the duergar people. The revolutionaries that Kilvar and Ryn had come across were hatching a plot to put the demon down for good.

To this end, they must first acquire the tools for the job. In this case the recently dead King Dalodack Warmhide was being transported from city to city in duergar tradition so that all were certain of his passing. As he lay in state in his opulent train cars, so did he wear the artifacts of his station. Such sacred objects were exactly what would be needed to slay so powerful a demon as Tor’onech.

The train turned out to be a hideous abomination called “The Pain Train”. A blending of magical construct with the flesh of a duergar who agonized wailing caused the nickname “screamer” to accurately describe the hideous machine. Such punishment was reserved for the most rare circumstances, not for committing a particular crime itself, but for the even more shameful act of getting caught.

Derailing the screamer and invading the train, the revolutionaries fought their way through the elite royal guardsdwarves. Finally reaching the King Dalodack Warmhide’s body, they stole the corpse and all its trappings, fleeing into the darkness behind the temporary safety of the illusion of a tunnel collapse.

Most of the rebels made their way to The Crusty Beard hotel in the middle of the dazzling lights and sounds of the duergar city of Dhagwohr. Ryn however discovered a duergar city-druid and introduced herself to Sabbatha Baddichus. Miss Baddichus welcomed the strange fellow with slight reservation, the ways of country-druids being rather distinct and weird. Sabbatha implored Ryn to donate to the legal defense fund for a Dr. Emerald Kingsley who among other things had authored a book detailing druid culture and rituals. Ryn placated the druidess and took time to rest in the safety of her abode.

Ryn caused a scene and go the attention of the guards. The elf claimed to be present to pay homage to Tor’onech, and the guards happily accommodated her placing her in chains in line to be murdered and sacrificed. The druid user her rhino form to break the chains and flee, causing much chaos.

Ryn eventually reunited with the rogue faction, and the haggard and bloodied Sir Aleister Craubane began discussing plans with them all for a final assault through the sewers into the Blood Pyramid where the hated Tor’onech bathed in a constant influx of fresh blood.

Session 63.6 (65) Summary

In their penthouse suite of The Crusty Beard hotel and casino, Aleister Craubane brought Kilvar, Ryn and their allies a barrel full of potions and news that the chaos wrought the previous day had caused the guards to double at The Blood Palace. The priest suggested the duergar et al infiltrate the lair of Tor’onech via the sewer system that carried away the used corpses after the demon was finished with them.

Divining that this course of action would yield the most positive results, this duergar revolutionary force fought their way through the spectral spirits of the victims of the demon’s hunger, many of said victims become ghostly white spectors while some of the victims became the more powerful translucent black wraiths. Both evil undead creatures drained life force from the rebels, but they fought their way through until Aleister turned them with the power of his diety. The priest remained behind to hold off the undead once they rallied and watch the rebels’ backs while they went above.

The demon’s throne room proved to be an obstacle in and of itself with various platforms towering above the floor below, the flying fiend using a firey whip to pull victims off the platforms and drop them below. Even so the coordinated efforts of the freedom-fighters won the day, destroying Tor’onech in a terrible explosion that ruined the pyramid.

A dying Aleister congratulated them on their success and placed a geas on Kilvar to take the king’s armor and axe with him and keep it from this realm for 50 years before returning it.

As the city devolved into chaos with the death of the tyrant, the heroes returned to the train tunnel and after subduing the ooze-like demon, an Alkilith, that had originally created the portal here, they returned to The Pale Kingdom to search for their allies and capture the Jade Spider.

Session 66 Pale King’s Palace

From the base of the vast tooth, Kilvar Ryn as well as Kathra, Kilsok, and Rhianna ventured out into the dim mouth-like cavern with its necropolis city. What became of Jilly and Nabu only the gods of this forbidden place knew. In the distance they could barely discern a second tooth with what appeared to be an impossibly large sword piercing up from another layer below and the silhouette of a stone castle guarding the base – something entirely unlike the grave-styled architecture of the mausoleums and monoliths of this place.

As Ryn and Kilvar debating their next move, Kathra decided that with his armor and magical axe, he was now king. As a king he needed to determine a way to re-take his kingdom back in the Earth-plane of Terra and so he set off towards the tooth and the castle. The others discussed in private their plans to murder the usurping duergar and offered a substantial bounty to Kilsok and Rhianna who pursued the newly-annointed king.

Kathra, using his new axe’s powers slipped into a nearby gravestone, and as Kilsok attacked the stone, the king dropped into the grave beneath finding a spell-casting ghoul. Kilvar and Ryn caught up and together they caused the stone to tumble down atop the ghoul caster and the king, however the latter was able to use his innate invisibility to slip away and make good his escape.

The group then collected themselves and continued towards the tooth and castle, Kilvar donning his previously looted priestly raiment. They soon discovered Reverend Tidus Zayne, ochre robes torn, blood seeping from behind his porcelain mask. With healing medicine they restore the injured cleric who described the rest of The Motley Crue leaving him on the side of a vast chasm and going into the back door of the Pale King’s palace.

Taking them to the chasm, Ryn was able to turn them all into bats and flew into the maze.

Meanwhile within the maze, the rest of The Motley Crue found themselves with supplies running low as they wandered in the constantly changing maze for days without end. They had slain the goristro that ruled the labyrinth each day with varying success, however after the previous victory Pat and Horkus had become frustrated with the rest and stalked off, vanishing into the winding passages and had not been heard from since.

When the goristro reformed this day, the Crue was ready for it, and with the sounds of combat drawing Ryn and Kilver’s party closer, the Crue caused the minotaur-like demon to suffer a feeblemind spell reducing the creature’s intellect to that of an earthworm. The group reunited over the drooling fiend, and followed its tracks until they discovered the sought-after treasure of The Pale King.

Barbatos charged ahead and woke the guardians of this place, a pair of bone-dust creatures, one of which was able to drain the life of the barbarian and reform itself into a ghoulish spellcaster. This undead mage began throwing powerful deadly spells and the Crue was barely able to triumph without dying themselves.

Gathering as much of the treasure as they could hold and discovering the coveted Jade Spider atop a rod, they investigated the doors leading out. The silent door revealed a crumbled part of the palace that dropped into the infinite dark depths below, the door with no voices revealed a Tanarrukk, a demonic being similar to an orc with a barbed hide and a thick tail, chained to a loop in the floor. Begging to be freed and offering knowledge of how to navigate out of the labyrinth, they Crue freed him. The sounds of this emancipation summoned the sounds of heavily armored ghouls from a third door stomping down the stairs to investigate.

Session 67 Trusting the Tanarukk

Upon learning that Kathra Godgahr was a guest of Doresain, and that The Pale King’s forces were now hunting for Kathra’s compatriots, the Motley Crue used spells and subterfuge to hide themselves as ghouls and infiltrate the Pale King’s Palace. Their hopes of locating the wayward Kathra and the stolen Axe and Half-plate of the Duergar king were soon banished as the demi-god Doresain thwarted their attempts and slew Kilvar and Kilsok. With heavy hearts for their fallen comrades the Crue returned to Lacking to rest and recover.

In the spire-town Barbados was able to fire up the Baleforge once again until Ryn was able to conjure a replacement in the form of a Fire Elemental. Upon realizing its eternal imprisonment within the confines of the Baleforge the heartbroken Elemental drew portraits of its fiery family as it lamented its fate to never see them again.

Returning below to the Pale Kingdom, the Crue flew high above before arriving at the strange castle guarding the second tooth and an impossibly large sword that protruded from the ground to the high ceiling of the fleshy cavern.

The castle proved to be owned by Lord Operius Bradlock, uncle of Lorde and ancient enemy of the legendary Michael Jackson and the Vindicators, and its battlements were patrolled by an undead wailing spirit known as a banshee. Making their way through the castle the Crue discovered more banshees and the death-knight Bradlock himself. The mighty fallen paladin was quickly persuaded of the truth of his nephew’s claims, and took into consideration their proposal that aiding them in slaying the vampire above and releasing the demon-lord Yeenoghu might yield for the damned knight the atonement he sought. He sent the Crue away as he pondered the new possibility of release from his eternal guilt and torment.

The Motley Crue then gathered on the battlements facing the sword, seeing below busy activity of Hezrou demons bringing casks filled with metal spoils of war to the edge of the various rivers of molten rock. They upended enough casks to create a metal slick on the surface then dipped one of the unlucky demons who emerged injured but well armored in the solidifying metal. Over all of this a six armed snake torsoed female shaped demon called a Marilith observed and directed.

The Crue walked down the fuller of the enormous sword and did battle with the demons, slaying several of the Hezrou and nearly defeating the Marilith who barely escaped the fray.

Session 68 Questionable Allies

Astride the gargantuan sword, on the layer of Fire and Steel within The Abyss of Szakadek, the Motley Crue wrestled barrels of iron and steel up to The Pale Kingdom above. Lorde and Ryn then returned to blast the massive blade with thunder magic, weakening and then sundering the landmark. With a cacophonous rend the blade of the impossibly long sword dug a long furrow through the floor of The Pale Kingdom before falling into the layer below. This took a great deal of the ground with it and caused the nearby Bradlock Castle walls to crack with the strain.

They rested and planned within the castle, scrying on their lost ally Kilvar. They found the duergar laid in state on a strange marble slab in the midst of a ritual being performed by the god-of-ghouls Doresain himself. They used this knowledge to teleport to the ritual site, steal away the corpse of Kilvar and teleport back. They then teleported a final time taking steel, corpse and allies to the layer of the Gnolls, A-Halal Elarasztja known colloquially as “The Death Dells”.

Within the town of Lacking they offered the steel to Oryx Ablemine. Shortly thereafter the effects of the ritual became known as Kilvar began to rise as Ghoulvar, however Pat righteously slew the undead abomination. Ryn attempted and failed to reincarnate the duergar, and so pat called upon the help of a planar ally which took the form of a deva of Gygax. This angelic being offered to raise this dead dwarf but in exchange Pat would need to save his damned soul. Pat agreed and accepted a geas and the deva left promising to return in 3 days to complete their end of the bargain.

With time on their hands, the Crue scouted the surrounding area as clouds, discovering several training camps for the gnoll warriors, a frightful idea as the untamed might of the gnolls had always been more than enough to cause trouble, and with organization the monsters would be an even greater threat.

The Crue also discovered an oddity in this dry and merciless land – a small creek. They followed this water body upstream, finding that it flowed forth from a gigantic fanged humanoid skull that protruded from a hillside. Around the back of the hillside there was a stockade filled with blood-drained gnolls and the heroes witnessed a few of these to be taken into the open fanged mouth of the cave-like structure and then re-emerge some time later further drained, their vampires handlers looking flushed with blood.

Session 69 Training Grounds

The Motley Crue spent their days waiting for the resurrection of Kilvar by conducting raids against the training grounds of the gnolls in the surrounding dales. Even with Ryn’s incorrect map they were able to scatter and disorder a few of the training enclaves.

Lorde bargained with the ancient Lord Operius Bradlock to make an assault into the bowels of Vampire Demarko’s palace, while the Crue attacked the weakened village of foodstock gnolls.

Before the Crue began the agreed upon assault, they instead scryed and then teleported into the chambers that held the demonlord Yeenoghu’s remains. The sounds of Lord Operius Bradlock’s assault raining down from above, the Crue began to restore the missing organs to the mummified corpse of the demonlord finally restoring the fiend as they defeated the vampire’s attempts to stop them.

True to form, the demonlord had no honor and began to threaten the Crue however they were able to teleport away leaving the fiend to restore his power on his own.

They made their way back to Primordia with the help of Lorde’s mom Jasmina who inducted Ryn into a coven. Together they summoned an additional nighthag and were able to summon the rest of the Crue in the manner that one would summon a demon.

Gathered at Jasmina’s cabin in Aldermeyer Swamp they celebrated their great victory over the powers of darkness, assured that the machinations of the devilish invasion of the higher heavenly planes was thoroughly disrupted.

The great victory achieved, the Crue parted ways, each tending to their own business while they waited for the effects of their efforts to ripple out from The Abyss of Szakadek.

Session 70 Epilogue

With the Vampire Demarko put down, and the Demon Lord Yeenoghu released, all the Motley Crue could do is wait for the impact to be felt in the Nine Hells and with luck put a stop to the war against Heaven. The troubling words of the angel weighed heavily on the hearts of the heros. What could “His voice has not been heard in some time” possibly mean?

With these heavy thoughts, each of the Motley Crue went out into the world to address their own designs.

Lorde met and struck a new pact with Modea Gillette, a celestial patron and leader of a group of fiery elemental Azer who had escaped slavery of the fire giants with her help.

Lorde and Kilvar found themselves in Hendelforge, in the company of a merchant caravan being lead by Rukkil Blackshield, the dwarven engineer Lorde had hired months earlier to reconstruct the Castle Bradlock and build roads and bridges connecting the county to civilization. Inquiring about his presence here, the dwarf, not recognizing the now drow elf, explained that he had been fired by Lorde Bane Bradlock the Tiefling only a few weeks prior. Lorde was able to convince the dwarf that he was indeed the proper heir, and that he intended on exposing this impostor whomever he was.

Lorde researched Modea Gillette, and learned that she had once been a mortal thief who had stole a Sacred Fire Scroll from the giants. The brutes had tracked her down and slew her, however her soul went on to reside within the magic of the Scroll she had stolen. Upon being returned to the giant enclave, she was able to spiritually reach out to a captive gnome, convincing the diminutive slave to fashion a body for her similar to the golems using the Sacred Scroll as the needed shem to power the construct. The gnome crafted a body from glass, the resulting construct shining searing light. Modea Gillette then lead a slave revolt and became the protector and guide of the Azer people, seeking a place they could call their own.

The group purchased some luxury goods and headed north together, with the added temptation of a festival to officially open the castle. The recently resurrected Kilvar seeming to be particularly interested in the promise of an antique auction set to coincide with the festival.

The pair of wagons became mired along the trip when a large group of shambling mounds made a surprise attack, however the quick thinking of Katina Ristove and the mighty smites of Hebron Silverclaw teamed well with Kilvar’s sly attacks and Lorde’s mighty spells.

The days of travel wore on until the group happened upon a pair of giants tormenting a beautiful humanoid woman. The team managed to suggest the cursed formorian giant away, and then ganged up on the hill giant, the astoundingly lovely woman crying out in such a beautiful way that all the travelers were deafened. Even in this state they managed to handily slay the brute.

Investigating the woman, the group deemed her to be some form of powerful fey creature, although of a type rarely documented. Her beauty was such that gazing too long upon her caused pain to look at anything else, her voice a thing of such resounding quality that all other sounds seemed like rusty hinges, and as Kilvar discovered her touch caused such burning lust as to redden the skin. The duergar so charmed this fey creature, call Gerolinda or simply Lin, that she quickly became enamored of him and powerfully jealous of any other attentions.

With Lin in tow, they soon saw that they approached the first of their destinations – the town of Oinkerton. 

Session 71 Lordy Lordy

In the town of Oinkerton, Lorde and Kilver’s third of The Motley Crue along with Katina Ristov, Hebron Silverclaw, Rukil Blackshield, Gerolinda and the two humans found chaos and a giant-hunting ranger.

The wealthy of the lands had gathered to try to be the first to greet the new Lord Bradlock and take a peek at the rare antiques rumored to be offered for auction as part of the celebration of the completed castle.

Percy Bradlock was seen running frantically through the restless hoards of affluent travelers, and was stopped and questioned by the group. These unknown faces were treated by the man with the deference due to aristocrats, and without revealing their true nature, this extension of The Motley Crue was able to glean from the man that he had put his hedonistic days behind him after seeing the example of Lorde. Indeed when the tiefling returned from his adventures and took up his post as Lord of County Bradlock, the man felt disappointed in the change in his uncle, and resolved to do right by his family name and do what he could to continue the original goals of restoring the county and castle along with their name and wealth.

These surrogate Motley Crue soon learned that the grand-nephew of Lorde had done much to secure the town from the marauding fomorians and hill giants. The chaos of the town was revealed to be a result of the stout stone bridge linking the castle to the town had been lost in some unknown manner.

Hitching up the wagons and venturing fourth they group found the ruined bridge and noted the distinct smoothness of what could only be disintegration magic. The source of this destruction was then revealed as Green Beard the Pirate Beholder disintegrated the second wagon as hundreds upon hundreds of goblins ran screaming from the trees. A pitched battled ensued, the anti-magic field caused by the beholder’s gaze frequently spoiling well-layed magical plans. In the end the Crue and Friends won the day, the goblins turning and fleeing as the forest burned around the dead pirate.

Wounded and weary, the Crue made their way to the castle, hiding Rukil away and joining the false Lorde for a great feast. Here they found a ruddy dwarf paladin by the name of Aurum and quickly surmised that he was in fact a golden dragon in magical disguise. Bron attempted to dispel the magic surrounding the impostor Lorde which caused him to react by hiding behind a greater invisibility and calling for guards.

Session 72 Which Lorde?

Following the dispel magic assault on the false Lorde Bradlock, the Motley Crue fled into a side passage quickly escalating into a fight with false Lorde’s ally, Aurum the ancient golden dragon hiding as a dwarf.

Escaping the fight, the Crue followed Rukil into secret passages beneath the castle. He explained as they went, that he and his workers had been able to chase out much of the evil that lurked below, clearing 3 levels before coming across a level so thick with wraiths that there was no chance of destroying them all with any means known to the dwarf.

From here Kilvar and Ninib carried out secret missions, first going into Aurum’s room. Here they found a sleeping gold dragon and stole a pair of exquisite swords before retreating.

The Crue spied on the false Lorde, ambushing him in his room and fending off guards, they were able to slay the impostor, discovering in his death throws that he was a dopple ganger posing previously as Thistle then after the attack in the Malmehem dungeons as Lorde.

Aurum discovered the truth about his slain ally and left in a huff after becoming his true dragon self.

Lorde was able to move the wealthy carriages across the ruined bridge, and worked with Percy to get things moving along for the auction.

Meeting with Modea Gillette, Lorde was told to begin summoning her Azer and putting them in their new home, and she would send along her servants who could help restore Lorde.

With the auction back on, the rogues waited for night and broke into the room the auction items were being stored in. Here they discovered a great deal of magic mixed with mundane luxury items. A large tank containing the skeleton of a horse, a rack of canes and staves with an emanation of magic from somewhere in their midst, a small wooden box – locked and chained shut, a large metal statue that stretched to the ceiling, a rack of suits of armor – the tracings of magic twisting from somewhere within, stacks and rolls of fancy carpets and tapestries with one particular roll emitting the tell-tale magical webs, and finally the magical bust of a marble warrior holding out a book and clutching a shield tightly. This last was damaged severely, but an eye, part of the nose and the mouth of Nina LaFuerte could be seen, and tucked in the armpit holding the shield could be seen a bronze glimmer.

These rogues accidentally woke a helmed horror, which quickly woke the large statue which turned out to be a bronze golem. Fleeing with their lives, they awaited another opportunity.

Session 73 Auction Day

In the Bradlock Auction, the bidding was fierce, but after it concluded, the trickery and back alley dealings ruled.

Many of the objects ended up in the cave of Katina Ristov now consecrated to Lorraine Williams the anti-saint of lawyers, including the destructive black Orb of Annihilation that Kilvar coveted.

With the majority of the collection safely stowed Lorde began bringing more of his promised Azer wards and placed them below the castle. Tina began the slow process of creating a permanent Teleportation Circle to aid their transition.

Meanwhile Ryn and Barbatos traveled to Cold Mountain, gathering a well constructed Planar Tuning Fork for Torveny, as well as a more fragile Planar Tuning Fork for Selune.

Here Barbatos was approached by the Gith-Zerai monk who had twice resurrected him. This monk bade the Aasimar-turned-Fire Genasi repay one of his restored lives to convince his elf-druid companion Ryn to join him and together to free Torveny of the remnants of the broken hellish army that threatened to destroy all of creation.

The duo joined a team and Planeshifted to Torveny. Here Ryn made contact with a mechanical druid. This worshiper of the land explained that much of the invading army of salt-devils had fled when their leaders, Dispater, Mephistopheles and Serach had abandoned their own objectives. Now only a small contingent of the salt-devils remains, these buried deep within the mechanical plane at the core. Here their leader, Ceveron was attempting to destroy the Chaos Stone that powered this world and allowed it to give order to the rest of the galaxy.

As the robo-druid lead them deeper it explained that Ceveron was here with some sort of fey-lord. Further interrogation revealed that this fey-lord matched the description of The Earlking whom the Motley Crue had banished to Czalas previously.

Evading the monstrous frog-like Slaad that randomly spawned from the Chaos Stone, the Crue finally located the enemy salt-devils, Ryn and Barbatos along with their helpers got the drop on a pack of the fiends and their decadrone artillery.

Session 71b (74) Anti-Divine Retribution

The battle with the Salt-devils raging, the Ryn and Barbatos of the Motley Crue worked with their new allies even as a familiar figure joined the battle field.

The face of the Erlking, but with elk antlers, goat horns and boar tusks were all supported on the body of a bear with cat claws and a scorpion tail. A burning red ring of magically heated steel burned the neck of the fey-lord, and his eyes reflected the madness of a tortured and desperate animal.

The Erlking caused a magical earthquake which collapsed the ceiling and pinned the salt devils under the debris. The heros made quick work of the trapped devils, wiped the memory of the Decadrone with a Feeblemind spell, and then began to wrestle with The Erlking attempting to remove the burning collar.

The cursed object was freed of the fey-lord, but it sought the neck of anyone nearby and soon it was thrown into the glowing Chaos Crystal.

The recovering Erlking regarded his chosen, Ryn and explained that during his time as a captive of Ceveron he had witnessed much. When the Motley Crue defeated the vampire Demarko and freed Yeenoghu, the leaders of the army of salt-devils had fled. Dispater with his wealth, Mephistopheles with his magic, and Serach with her might were all rumored to be exhiled from Asmodeus’ Nine Hells of Pokol along with their armies. Ceveron had strict orders from The Dragon Queen Tiamat not to become directly involved in the war, and had dutifully remained on the sidelines. Now that the war was over, he took decisive action against Torveny attempted to disrupt the Chaos Crystal. After turning The Erlking on this task, the fiend Ceveron had fled to Selune and intended to make The Motley Crue pay directly.

Quickly following to the blue moon, Ryn, Barbatos and company found flocks of savage wyverns flying into the city slaughtering its population and destroying buildings. Following the flow of dragonkin they soon discovered Ceveron using the Elven Obelisk of Power to bring the monsters in from every corner of the moon.

They slew the fiend and raced through the failing university building before they found the body of Ryn’s grandfather Sampson. She utilized her True Resurrection ability and brought the elderly elf back to life before racing next to her home. Her parents slain, she was about to give up hope for her babe until the toddler dropped its invisibility and took comfort from its mother.

Together they returned to County Bradlock to rejoin the rest of The Motley Crue.