Malta Session 60: The Devil-Bound Sorceress, Back to Bugibba, and Dog Delivery

The Grotto 

We begin this week’s session in a heated battle against the grotto's volcano resident ash giants and a villainous hell-bound woman. Our characters are able to defeat three of the giants and a massive fire elemental before eventually the battle separated the heroes of the Bonded Mind. Lex and Marco faced two dark winged devils while hell-bound woman was found by Jabari- scrying from the magma casting vile spells at us. Jabari discovers her casting chamber, one filled with a lava pool and a dozen more ash giants. Jabari informed the rest of the characters; Lete and Carlo responded. With the party sufficiently separated out characters defeated the winged creatures and drove off the female summoner. 

We find 5 “large” +1 heavy pics, 12 CWS potions, remains of a brooch of shielding, scroll of cloud kill, two ropes of climbing, +1 flaming composite long bow (Str +5)

As we gather treasure the lava pool begins to lower; also, the veins of glowing lava begin to recede. When it does it reveals magically carved symbols, indicating her as a devil-bound sorcerer and was using the volcanoes to open a portal from Hell. She was well on her way when we busted in. However her survival surely portends a mythic encounter when next we meet.

After, our characters return to the occult oracle to report out victory and assure her the grotto is safe. She asks Lex about 'the organization' and is there a place in the organization for individuals like Carlo? Yes, there’s room for individuals of all professions. How can she be of usefulness? Lex hopes for guidance in the future and hints at the Egyptian Lich. The oracle asks Carlo if he would consider the grotto a suitable monastery? She could assist Carlo. When Carlo expresses concern about the resident druid, the oracle offers to present a case to the druid that a monastery would serve them well in both short and long term against a common enemy (Egypt). We know how to contact her should be need.

After this our characters return to the ships where Jabari off loads some rum and fresh goods for the individuals who stay at the grotto. Before long, we are on way back to Malta and by the next afternoon we arrive to the harbor of Bugibba. 

Gone only two days our characters arrive to port and discover that about a third of the new sailors are interested in gaining citizenship in Malta; they present various questions about how long we plan on staying, and if we had any property that needed attended?

This sparks conversation on how long we are going to be in Bugibba. .. two days.

We start the process of sorting crew and coordinating trade routes with some sailors scheduled for Ghallis rock in two days and the rest leaving in about five days on Malta trade routes.

NOTES**

Ships to take to Ghallis Rock: Bonded Mind, The Blood Prince (armed) and the Tender.

Ships on Trade Routes: Tunisian Gallant, the Dread Cyclopes (armed). As well as the Algiers after being repaired.

420 total sailors.

Later that day our characters head to the Dog Park race track to deliver the dogs to the halflings free from debit. This extraordinary gift brings calls for celebration and for the rest of the night we drink and eat and spend time with dogs.

During a drinking contest with one of the halflings proprietors he asks Jabari if he is still perusing his plan? He elaborates, did Jabari still aim to corner the shipping food market in the Mediterranean and would it happen to include Sicily? The proprietor asks us if we have heard of the great treasure of Sant’Alfio on the eastern slopes of Mount Etna? He happens to know where the treasure is. If he tells us where the treasure is he would ask for Nobility in Marco’s homeland to insure prosperity for his family. Marco agrees. The man produces the finest brandy he has to commemorate the agreement.

He then tells a story of gold statues tall as giants as well as a tale of a chestnut from the great tree could restore forests and farmland for 10 miles around.

We begin Wednesday's session the next day wrapping up business and prepare for Ghallis Rock in two days. 

Mount Etna

Malta 59

We begin our session flying onward to the beach filled with abandoned sailors. Lete thinks to bring a couple sailors along and posts them for watch duty, one apiece for the gateway rocks. We can see where it appears the Egyptian navies had towed shipwrecks to sink around these treacherous rocks. We meet Edna Kravack, a wandering half ogre war priest , and witness her tending to the wounded of some 300 beached men and women, using both skill and magics to render aid. Jabari and she make conversation as she made her rounds, and led to our offer to sail all who wished to go to Buggiba, and offered crew positions on our fleet. She was suspicious, but willing to sail forth with what she hoped was kindred spirits in Jabari, as she adhered to the Greek pantheon. She claimed to have been prisoner to the Jailor as Rob was, and doesn't really know how much time she lost to his plots. We learn of giants living on the other side of the island. The old volcano is alarmingly warm.

We fly up the mountain, but close to the ground. We see signs of giants. We spot a particular verdant spot that we figured to be the druid's grove, and another spot a little higher up that appeared to be inhabited. As we approached the top, we hit a magic dead zone. We headed back down, Marco, Eva, and Carlo toward the grove, the rest of us to the other place, which ended up being Zeryph, the oracle of occult. Carlo answered a mental alert and joined us. Marco met the merchant Bluath and the druid Moffetta, and made friends and negotiated for the dogs we came for, plus a ship dog for himself and Eva as a pet aboard the Blood Prince. A total of six dogs are bought for the halfling dog racers in Buggiba. A lot of personal information and interaction happens with the oracle. She describes a spiritual awakening that occurred over a three day mystic fugue that corresponds with the destruction of the Jailor's prison, and release in Paola. She has seen Carlo dominate the visions she sees, and is most excited to meet him. She believes their destinies are tied. She reveals a vision of his bloodline, and tearfully tells him of the Jailor's hatred of his family heritage. He mentions he would need her most when he gets his monestary founded, with the prospect of such an academy exciting her very much. Lex offers her a position, but she seems much more interested in Carlo. Edna is here as well, and it is in this meeting that she reveals her secret past and connection to the occult forces that are now bursting into the world. The meeting gives Jabari a +1 story bonus to occult skill unlock checks. It is also revealed that Jabari and Edna are long lost cousins. We are told that a group of younger, bigger ash Giants have recently joined the original giant inhabitants of the island. Since their arrival the volcano has started to warm and awaken. We all agree to check on that.

The giants, we are warned, like to throw stuff, and with that warning we find ourselves entering a large cave that opened into an even larger cavern. The cavern was warm, as the center of the volcano appeared swollen with magma and rivulets of lava. A group of four Giants stepped out of the center walls, and Battle! In the following rounds they were joined by a dark angel that stepped out, and a fiery woman that had not stepped out, but was visible within. We paused the game in mid battle.

Malta Session 58: Journey to the Grotto, Meeting Melik, and the Mythic Frogantuan

We pick up this week's session with the characters dividing up some treasure and completing a trade at the Ripae. In the end our characters had 20k in gold each and end up spending most of the day at the exchange.

Next our characters interview twenty prospective sailors; we get an impression that half are looking to improve their situation as news of our renown has spread, while the other half seem to be unemployed and downtrodden. These individuals we delegate to the Dread Cyclops and are ordered to ready the ship for seaworthiness. They are hired on for a silver a day while the ship is in drydock.

(the 6 ship names: Blood Prince, Bonded Mind, Tender (on contract), The Algiers, Dread Cyclops, and Tunisian Gallant.)

Now ready to set sail our characters leave The Algiers and the Dread Cyclops behind to be serviced in Bugibba harbor; we leave the Tunisian Gallant behind as well, our characters set sail to the Grotto in hopes of new experienced crew. 

Finding ourselves on The Blood Prince as the Tender finds ways through debris strewn waters and about an hour into our trip, we each hear a voice in our heads, but don’t at all understand the language then it suddenly stops. Another few minutes go by and again we hear something then it stops. Lex however seems to believe its a racial language but the second ‘communication’ was a different language. It happens a third time this time in rapid words.

Carlo reaches out mentally that he speaks common, then the voice comes again first to Carlo then to the rest of our characters. He says he is Melik and asks permission to approach and land our our deck. We are intrigued, accept the request and eventually a large muscular giant with crimson skin, smoldering eyes and black horns appears.

Melik

Carlo welcomes him, as do we all. The creature named Melik says he has come to know of our characters through his own investigations and would like to negotiate a relationship ie. ‘pacting.’ 

He calls forth a magical mansion and bids our characters enter to palaver over fine drink, smoke and food. 

Inside we learn that Melik comes from a long line of the noble efreeti and begins an hour long tale that indicates Melik as wish grantor.

He reiterates that we have gained his notice and that he is a 'Noble genie' and someone to have on their side. He tells us that if we can come to an agreement then he will not be compelled to grant a wish that would surely make enemies of us. 

Jabari mentions the Imol Egyptian family but eventually it comes back to Acererak the lich. Jabari asks what is the nature of the pact and to whom? A: To whom ever it would be they would have to complete a task before the pact is sealed. He would rather not fulfill the wish of a Lich, but eventually Melik laments, eventually the Acererak would have to deal with.

During this negotiation Jabari completes an aura read and ascertains Melik to be Lawful and Evil. We converse and agree that Melik would be an asset to have. So what needs to be done to secure a pact? Jabari Asks. Our enemy's, Melik states, most local base of power is Selmunett Island because of the heavy influence of necromancers there. Since coming to the Malta region Acererak been searching for key items toward his goals, one of them is an ancient crown of Melik’s ancestors. Melik believes his crown to be at Selmunett Island and is being held secure for the lich's return.

**Selmunett Island:  Northeast of Malta lies Selmunett Island, this island caters to the darker desires and demands of the Maltese.  It is a local custom that those that stay on Selmunett after dark can report no crime and have no crime reported against them.  The priests of Malta turn a blind eye to the gambling halls and houses of ill repute that populate this island. Of late however word has begun to circulate of Egyptian loyalists using Selmunett as a trade pipeline between Egypt and Greek reformists in Korinthos Greece.  Selmunett is also known for its black tar, a bubbling fountain, located on the southern coast.  The tar bubbles up between a boulder called the bleeding stone. Selmunett Tar is coveted for its waterproofing and ability to patch ships damaged at sea.

Jabari: We accept the responsibility of retrieving Melik’s family crown (an item that could compel Melik.) Melik thanks Jabari and ceremoniously pulls out an ancient scroll and signs it with his blood then slides the document over to Jabari who signs it and leaves his arcane mark. The contract binds their two lineages; and once the contract is signed the scroll solidifies into a heavy brass tablet and what follows is an exchange of energy and power between Jabari and Melik.

Once we get the crown Jabari is to reach out to Melik (via an expenditure of a mythic point) once our characters reach Hurricane Harbor. Melik eventually ends the mansion spell effect but before he goes Jabari would like for the crew to see the efreeti off to assuage any fears of the genie.

Our characters raise anchor and spend another few hours on the ocean before we see an array of six Egyptian ships spread out about a few hundred yards from each other. Flares go off from what is the vanguard of the Egyptian blockade. Jabari commands the crew to divert around.

It is when we are about a thousand yards away we hear voices from the ships hailing us. We raise the Bugibba colors as response. It is very well, we are not threatened but are informed our ships will simply be turned away if we stay our course.

Leyline 

Jabari follows the signs of the seas to the Grotto and come to an area where we can hear voices. Our ships turn west to enter the grotto, it is here where we see an Egyptian ship leaving after dropping off sailors. Closer now we see that the people are being attacked by a sea-frog with long tentacles for arms.

We are attacked by a mythic version of the sea-tenticale frog. Our characters beat on it until it fled back into the ocean waters but it was Lex to delivered the fatal blow when the creature attempted to retreat after the rogering from Lete.

After this our characters experience a mythic surge and see visions from our past and future lives and realize the Grotto is a leyline power nexis.

We gain our 11^th character level and our third mighty mythic tier. :) 

Malta 57

With the night's chicanery fresh in mind the players seperate for the night. Marco and Eva stayed on the Blood Prince, Lete aboard the Dread Cyclops, Carlo and Jabari aboard the Bonded Mind docked next to the Algiers, the boxer crew aboard the Tunisian Gallant, and Lex at the Gypsy's Heart. The only action came to Carlo and Jabari, as the foiled ratmen returned in a do or die attempt to steal our treasure. At the players hands, they died. Not a serious challenge, but enough to interrupt and make impossible a full rest for them.

At our usual communal breakfast, we set two goals. One, we investigate the west tower, with two primary concerns. We want to ensure that Ossum and Nemo have left as promised, and we want to check for surviving "refugees". Second, we give our ships some time in dock to complete their sea-worthiness. Towards that effort, we decide that after we check on the tower, we all set sail in the Bonded Mind to the Grotto, to pick up likely crewmen for our fleet.

We set out on an ancient stone path toward the mysterious west tower. About halfway, we see a smattering of large droppings of stone scattered across area, as if they had fallen from above. These turn out to be large clumps of adamantine ore, and most of the larger ones are marked with unusual unique, but associated, arcane marks.

About half of a maile away from the tower, we see a group of five people, standing amidst a few squat stone structures that figured to be some sort of outbuildings for the tower. They were made of the same ore we had found along the path. The people were one human, four halflings, all men. We approach. They seem to recognize most of us. The meeting is tense, both sides wary of the other. They are a group of alchemists. They have been mining the adamantine ore. They have seen Ossum and Nemo in and about the tower, but not in a couple days. They think one of them stole the project they have been perfecting, and hidden in the tower. It is a new weapon, their attempt to help bust the Egyptian blockade. It is an adamantine construct wasp swarm. They stole the only ones they had completed. They are very new, and the alchemists have huge gaps in knowledge , saying they behave completely differently depending on if they are individuals or a swarm. They have no idea how to stop them as a swarm. The human was very helpful, instructing Lex how to control an individual one with command words   Lex and Jabari were greatly enamored; Carlo and Marco much less so. They spoke of a frightening lady that had been in the area, last seen a fortnite ago ( a fortnite ago also marked the arrival of Ossum and Nemo). One of the halflings recounted a conversation he had overheard between Ossum and Nemo. They remarked their mutual dislike and unease for her, and swore to never work for or with her again.

We head on to the tower sporting four visible entrances: a door about ten feet off the ground, with no stairs or platform present, but perhaps had been rotted away or ruined ; a pair of balconied windows set upon opposite sides of the tower; and a door set atop the tower. We chose to go in from the top. The top looked as if it had suffered a barrage of magical attack or energies. Lex and Marco went into the dark tower, down a ladder, and essentially found the column of the tower to be filled with traps. The simplest was a break away ladder step that dumped a load of stone and bricks into the most   devious, a configuration of webs that suspended two casks of adamantine construct wasp swarms. When the casks hit the floor, the swarms exploded. Lex cleverly trapped them in one of the balcony rooms, where they eventually calmed into a dormant state. Lex used the command word once they were dormant to collect them all into some pottery we found in the other chamber. We found evidence of all three villains having lived here, the pair of men more recently than the woman. We also found a pair of bodies at the bottom of tower, concealing a small sack exuding a magical aura. The sack and the magic ring it held were thickly covered with poison, as were the wasps (which we knew) and all the surfaces of doors and handles. The bodies caused a psychic vision in Jabari's mind. He tasted the copper tinge of blood deep in his throught, and felt the burning hunger of bloodlust. He also felt the self-loathing that only a monster who knows what she is can feel. She was some sort of psychic vampire, driven to drink the powers of her victims. We return the swarms to the alchemists, where Jabari indicates he will try to influence Ripae to open an avenue of access for them to acquire the expensive diamonds they need for their components.

When we return, we pay a visit to Ripae, where we are met by the bank Manager. He takes us on a tour, showing us our new vault, alone on its own level. We speak of amenities and protections. He introduces us to an architect/engineer who shows us building plans for three different warehouses close to the docks. We are given our choice of the three. Finally, we are assigned and introduced to our own personal banker, dedicated to serving all of our needs. The bank manager asks some detailed questions regarding our ships and business interests, which allows him open our shipping lanes to banking business, and the scheduling of such.

We end looking forward to sailing together again on the morning tide, to the Grotto, and all the inherent distractions along the way.

Malta 56

We start the morning with most of the group joining the fire chief for breakfast. It was decided that here forth we would refer to the fire chief by his nick name, Belo, for the sake of brevity. Jabari was still enjoying the tender ministrations of the grateful Kakakombi and would join the group late in the breakfast.

As they sit down, the group sees an unusual pair at the bar. A dark skinned swarthy warrior with an impressive bastard sword sat next to and ate with another paler man. The warrior seemed apprehensive, reaching for his sword, but relaxed visibly and quickly, and the pair left without incident. We would meet them and discover their identities later that evening. Breakfast is friendly, and news and concerns are discussed. Lex expresses concern about Zimo and his band of gnolls, based on Tabu's reports of their increased numbers and fervor. Belo seemed unimpressed and unconcerned , though he did say he was generally not in favor of just eradicating any particular group. Belo mentioned that night watches had reported a big increase in sightings of ratmen in Buggibas harbor the past several nights, with no real conclusions about their activities or motivations. He also mentioned some reports of "troubles" at a tower west of town, well out of his usual jurisdiction. The tower, he believed, harbored refugees of the Paola incident. We decide to spend the day viewing and collecting a pair of ships from the other side of the harbor and investigate the tower either late that night or the next day.  Lex received a message from Pennyworth that Nemo would be at his his door later in the evening, to talk and offer what assistance he could.

The two ships are easily located among the abandoned vessels. An Italian galleon named the Blood Prince proves a real treasure. Not only is she easily capable of being armed with cannons for war, she is outfitted with a certain level of luxury that recalls to Marco the vibrant dreams of his youth, complete with wild visions of high adventure upon the open seas. It's counterpart, a Greek galleon called the Dread Cyclops, appealed to Jabari in a reminiscent sense. It was perfect fixer upper that hailed to an era of classic ship building best described as old school Greece. She also was capable of bearing arms of war, but in need of a good crew and some TLC. Farther inland, a much smaller ship, the Tender, and her captain Kedrith Wynn, were hired to accompany our growing convoy as a satellite ship, to provide ship-to-ship communication and transport. We come to terms with a 6 month contract, at 200 gp per month. Jabari pays his first month up front, in silver, and arranges for him to take half of our current crews out to the two new ships later that evening, and join them in sailing over to the Buggiba harbor.

Later, as the time for Lex's meeting approaches, the rest of the party goes to his room separately, invisibly, and stealthily to await the meeting hidden in a rope trick inside the small chamber. At about ten o'clock a knock on the door opens to Nemo , the pale man from the bar at breakfast, saying he is here to provide him escape. Lex hesitates, saying he was expecting Ossum. Nemo assures Lex that Ossum is close by, produces a scroll in one hand, reaches out the other, and says to take his hand so that they may go. Sensing an impending teleport, Lex leaps into action, scoring a hit with a phase locking short sword, and the rest of the group follows suit, spilling forth from the hidden rope trick. Evagarra spots the invisible Ossum in the hall, the other, darker man from breakfast   She would track his eventual escape, just before Nemo accepts his defeat when the teleporting Ossum disappears with the scroll as the phase-locked Nemo is left behind. Questioning ensues, as Carlo and Marco offer his life and meager provenance for the truth , and the whole truth behind their plots and plans. He accepts, and begins a couple hours worth of tales, albeit truthful. He reveals a new name, Sarru-Dairi, the Egyptian family of minor nobility that is most aggrieved by our inadvertent plundering of the the merchants Ingoll. When pressed, he admits to their plans to sink our two ships, the Algiers and the Bonded Mind. We decide to walk him to the docks, but are met by our crew in the courtyard, who confirmed his gloatful tale, and report that the Algiers is sunk in the harbor. Living up to our word, he is spared with his life, a dagger and 100 gold. His equipment is forfeit (and will be detailed later) and we hasten to the docks. Lete was able to prevent the attack on the Bonded Mind, but the Algiers was subject to a passwall spell that allowed the waters that sank her into the hull. Carlo would not allow her to sit in the harbor, however, and used his prodigious talents to lift her, spilling the waters from the same hole. The paswall was dispelled, and she was gently sat back upon the waters, in need of repairs from exposure, but afloat.