02/23/2023 Virtuous Age Session 37: That Got Their Attention, Still September 21st, and The Exhibition Before The Main Event.

We begin tonight’s session with the wave of magical energy that was released with the destruction of two artifacts. The legendary Rod of Cancellation and Tiamat's Grand Arena of Religious Awakening. The mythic wave of magic had a wide-ranging effect. Five of the cursed pillars released mythic power when destroyed. Weather one individual of a group of five or one zealot fanatic who gave up 5 mythic power points to this purpose, they immediately know something is awry- their mythic power restored. 

Obviously our antics does not go unnoticed.

When we regain our senses after the explosive release of mythic power we see the tower remains but removed from the plane associated with the ziggurat. After long ages past, the tower is now returned to the prime world; older than we remember it. Aevum has assessed an hour has passed, it remains September 21. 

Aevum realizes places like this were displaced during ages past and somehow over time became is mythic place. Aeveum now confirms this tower is from when our world was a demiplane.

We exit the tower and approach the veil to the ziggurat casting protective spells along the way.

When we pass through we are immediately in a storm. Streaks of black or purple color strike out at various points. We cannot see the Laketower house, but we can occasionally make out a large shape near the lake house during the brief flashes of stormlight. Our characters hear the wind and sometimes voices; in our heads is a prayer to Tiamat. Something is telepathically blasting the prayer. (-2 on concentration checks) 

On the SW sandy side there is obviously a sand storm foreshadowing a hazard for when our characters approach near the ziggurat. 

Suddenly the storm stops, seemingly held in time. We are the hit with negative energy. With our vision somewhat restored we see the multiheaded hydra at the LakeTower House including a number of undead- the ones we had fallen. 

However between our characters and the Hydra there are eleven individuals ahead - 4 half dragons and 4 knights of Tiamat, a fencer, a priest and finally ‘The Necromancer’.

Our characters defeat all save for the knights of Tiamat, 3/4 of them staggered for most of the fight and the 4th fucked up pretty bad. 

As we fight we see the undead have mounted the hydra and less than a minute away- two rounds away. 

02/16/2023 Virtuous Age Session 36: Shadow Hill, Tiamat’s Grand Arena and Mythic Tier 4

We begin tonight’s session after a full night’s rest after defeating the opal dragon, Commander and the SilverSnitch.

During the watch Kron and Zaigan witness Binki’s change in behavior and confidence. We wake with our 8^th character level and 3^rd mythic tier now fully realized.

Aevum will takes clues and realize the day is September 22^nd or the 23^rd and slowly we realize we are ravenously hungry. We find out later it is actually the 21st  

Our characters decide to visit the nearby village. Here there are humans, living beside fetchlings, giant blooded races, half orcs and halflings. It appears to be a farming trade village with several small farms are spread out about a half mile.

There aren't any visible weapons among the people, we attract a lot of attention. Two ogre-blooded individuals stumble out of a nearby building with wheel barrels come toward our characters.

Eabrossi waves to them, they approach cautiously. The two apologize (in draconic language) that they were unprepared for our visit. Eabrossi explain we are not who they were expecting. Eabrossi successfully communicates our intentions that we are not a threat.

We get to the beginnings of the village of about a dozen buildings and one longhouse. A couple comes hither.

In common and in the elven language: Welcome to the village of Shadow Hill. Eabrossi responds in kind in both the elven and giant tongue. The woman is named Majorie, and the man named Mak- he seems a bit uncomfortable in our presence. They have been here for about 30 years. 

We ask them some questions. The dragon creatures came about 10 years ago and in the past two years things have intensified.

The couple leads us along a path and a fork in the road; they point out the way to the Halfling village Shelltop. We travel on and explain how we have eliminated the leprechaun.

They explain. Tribue is once a month but the dragon kind return every two weeks- a couple dozen with wagons for transportation of supplies. For the tribute 6 ‘draconians’. Sometimes they take people but most of the time they just come down to exert their authority.

Just as we arrive at the residence/farm Kron gifts Mak with a shortbow and some arrows. A gift, in return for the hospitality of food.

Our characters realize these two are leading us and whatever potential danger we bring, away from the main village.

Our characters admire the property and we are quickly led to the house and invited in.

Eventually a human visitor calls and heads straight for Mak, it is Jack their son. In the back the two argue about the bow. Kron and Aevum follow. Aevum introduces himself and asks about the absence of weapons. Kron and Aevum make fast friends with Jack and Mak. Aevum gifts Jack with a magical bow.

Inside the abode food is being prepped- it’s fish. As the meal process proceeds the atmosphere relaxes and Eabrossi attempts to perform a song. We are asked a lot of disorganized questions about our accoutrements and panache.

Words are exchanged and eventually talk of the Opal dragon comes up. Kron assures them the threat of the Opal dragon has ended. Kron even shows off Shieldbreaker to the shock and awe of all.

We share good good food and drinks  

Eabrossi ask about the names of dragons they have heard of: Ashaq is a name they mention, a three headed one and some humanoid dragon-kind. They mention Tâmtu who came here two years ago and is the one responsible for banned weapons.

Majorie describe a wyrm that blot out the sky. It’s size is incomprehensible and seemingly impossible to run away from. It destroyed their neighbor village Danbury by befouling the very air making it toxic.

A Natural 20 indicates it September 21^st.

Shortly after our meal Kron suggests we head back toward the Zigguarat domain and address the problem of the Grand Arena of Tiamat and use the twice be damned rod of cancellation on Tiamat’s arena-artifact. 

When we leave the village we see 6 draconic humanoids flying towards us. With 3 rounds of prep we easily thwart them and- using the spells we have active, our characters make further haste to the Grand Arena.

We get to the border between planes and pierce the veil into the demilplane. Our characters are met again with severe storms in the Ziggurat domain affecting our senses and slowing our progress. 

We eventually make our way to the area at the back of the ancient tower.

In the Tiamats Grand Arena are the remains of walls that serve as pillars that seem to be the focus of Tiamat symbolism and magic. 

Tena touched the rod of cancellation (the leprechaun’s legacy item) to the pillar and both artifacts are destroyed. 

Our biggest victory yet against evil dragon-kind! Our characters attain our 4^th mythic tier! 

02/09/2023 Virtuous Age Session 35: Lake of Shadow and a Place of our Own

We begin tonight’s session in the giant-sized LakeTower house moments after Kron defeated the opal dragon void dragon spawn of the shadow dragon. After a minute of healing and spell casting our characters hear the organ begin to play up stairs. Our characters cautiously head to the top floor. For Eabrossi the music is fantastic but not performed as well as it could be.

The top floor is found covered in sixty foot radius of deeper darkness, Aevum's daylight spell created a thirty foot radius around him where existing light conditions prevailed. Flying from the darkness our characters encounter a swarm of horrific chatteringskulls, their wailing sounds carrying supernatuarl effects. While battling the skulls, we spy SilverSnitch climbing off the pipe organ high chair. Zaigan and Kron break free from the skulls and deliver their attacks on the Leprechaun. Desperate the SilverFuck uses his Rod of Cancellation to drain Kron’s Earthen Flail and called battle axe of all their magical properties.

SilverSnitch and “Commander” flee from us, down the ornate spiral stairs, and we pursue them. After a long chase Aevum's Chronal Lance slows the hasted pair enough to defeat them before they escape through the fourth floor's portal to the shadow plane. When SilverSnitch the Shadow King dies Aveum finds he is no longer restricted from Necromancy.

Kron and Aevum are now masters of the Lakehouse and islet domain having defeated the Opal Dragon and Leprechan cohort.

Recovered from SilverSnitch

+1 club (Russ), amulet of natural armor +3 (Josh), grey bag of tricks x2day (Binki), metamagic rod reach lesser (Josh), rod of cancellation (Russ), wand of mage armor 42 charges (Butch), wand of memory lapse 30 charges (Butch), wand of shield 42 charges (Josh)

Recovered from the Commander, dressed with markings and Tiamat insignia.

+2 rapier (James), crystal ball (Russ), gloves of climbing and swimming, ring of evasion (Butch), wand of lightning bolt 35 charges 6d6 (Butch), wand of sending 21 charges (Russ), wand of stone skin 21 charges (Josh), wand of whispering wind 13 charges (Josh)

The top floor is dominated by a pipe organ of enormous size where Eabrossi find a book of musical composition containing a new masterpiece. The pipe organ is a sinister looking artifact, its full powers never realized by SilverSnitch.  The Shadow King could only use it to summon creatures from the large skulls that decorated each side of the organ.

Aevum provides phantom steeds that allow us about an hour distance from the planar overlap and the shadows of the LakeTower. And about a quarter mile away is a community and it is very early in the morning. There are several areas to camp or the there’s the village, after some discussion we decide to make camp in a series of low hills and brush.  Our rest isn't interuptted and we will pick up after a long rest. 

01/26/2023 Virtuous Age Session 34: SilverSnitch, The LakeTower, and Death of the Opal Dragon

 

We begin tonight’s session in the giant-sized LakeTower house in hostile pursuit of SilverSnitch.  Our characters step into the fourth floor. Here a large rug, desk with a mysterious mirror on the wall. A strange coral-like wall (ancient dragon scales) obscured the far end of the level, hiding the sources of two blue lights. A strange shadow-well sat ominously in a corner. It was this well where this rooms shadow monsters retreated to. 

We decide to run to the fifth floor. This room reveals itself as a bedroom. At this time our characters hear an organ from an upper floor. The room is magical and contains three dragon skulls, there is a pervasive aura of fear here. 

Continuing up to the next level and the sound of the organ our characters eventually come to a magical are of guards and wards. With this in our path our characters decide to investigate the rooms we passed up below.

In the room with the giant bed, there is giant cutlery and carved initials in the table. The letters KN as if a giant carved them. There is a chest and the bed radiates magic. Eabrossi examines the chest and triggers a trap that unleashes three swarms. The bed also proved to be fun when Kron tested its comfort only to be attacked by a couple of bears.

Retreating back down to the room with the coral-like wall. Here we find a scrying table, the desk with the overturned mirror and the shadow well. The well is about 5’ in diameter and is filled with shadow stuff. There are three drawers in the desk, it does not appear to be trapped. 

Tena and Aevum decide it would be an idea to move the magic mirror over the shadow well. When we move the mirror it reveals papers and works on the desk. 

We find a list of strange words. First five words are scratched and the last is likely a password. One of the drawers contains a black cloth cover for the mirror. In the second drawer are five finely worked old dragon scales and capable of being enchanted. The third drawer has a lot of masterwork expert tools of small sized.

With what we hope is the password for the guards and wards we head back up the stairs to encounter a couple of bodaks. After dispatching the two undead we head up to the guards and wards and state the password. It seems to work and we proceed to the seventh floor.

One section of this room has newish potted plants. Between them is a shadow well. A urn that emanates light. A large semicircle of stone and the lapping of water- a fountain. Large lilly pads are in the fountain but still no organ in sight. 

We continue upstairs.

On the eighth floor we find SilverSnitch, an elf woman, and a sinister individual in the room holding palaver. Five shadows also here the woman is the figure from Ziagan’s fever dream- the Opal Dragon. SilverSnitch is the cohort of the Opal Dragon. 

The battle was fierce. Kron defeats the opal dragon, a void dragon spawn of the shadow dragon.