Age Of Worms Campaign (Phil)

[phil]

Vision in the torture chamber

The ruins of the room waver and fade,
replaced by a well-equipped torture chamber.
Wailing victims strapped to horrific
devices hang in the background from
chains. In the foreground stand two figures.
One is a handsome man dressed in
flowing robes. Facing him is a strange, sixarmed
creature that looks as much insect as
it does humanoid. The insect creature’s eyes
are hollow sockets containing a pinpoint of
light deep within. Its flesh is rotting and
festering, and the green robes it wears are
old and moth-eaten. The creature wields a
long green crystal rod in one hand, a cruel
hooked rod in another. In two other hands
it holds a jeweled gold box that it presents
to the man, who takes it and sets it upon a
table. He opens it and, using a pair of iron
tongs, withdraws a writhing green worm.
The man’s expression changes to one of
exaltation as he looks upon the worm…
and then the vision fades.

[phil]

Vision in the library

The chamber wavers and shimmers, and
suddenly a human man appears at one of
the desks nearby. A strange gray-skinned
humanoid creature with six arms stands
at his shoulder. The man studies a collection
of worn and pitted bronze disks
arrayed on the desk before him. Faint
etchings adorn the plates, and it seems
as if the alien figures and symbols writhe
together at the behest of some sinister
will. The gray creature points to one of
the plates, and a look of sudden comprehension
blooms on the man’s face. The
man, the creature, and the plates then
fade away, and are gone.

[phil]

Pictures : Vision of Kyuss before his ascension, Kyuss's Undead minions (left to right)

[phil]

29-01-2017 + 30-01-2017 Sessions

Characters : Whisper (Rod) - killed and revived, Oaken-Palm (Clem) - killed and revived, SeaPlatinum (Ziq), Marie (Ray) - killed and revived

Key events
- party defeated all undead minions in Kyuss Ziggurath
- party defeated the giant Overworm after it one-hit brought down Whisper
- party reincarnated Mak a human paladin of Pholtus into a halfling
- party defeated a Worm Naga sorcerer and a Lich Spell Weaver who brought down Marie and Oaken-Palm
- party saw 2 more visions (see posts below)
- Tenser found Balakarde notes indicating that the Ebon Triad Cult was probably a facade for Kyuss religion
- Balakarde notes indicated that Ebon Triad cult tried to overthrow the city of Alhaster 19 years ago but the Cult was defeated thanks to the intervention of Lashonna a female Elf spellcaster, however Balakarde believed the Cult was not destroyed and may still have its roots in Alhaster
- Balakarde notes indicated that he intended to go to Alhaster to meet Lashonna and try to find Rohrsk who was a local St Cuthbert high priest also involved in fighting the Ebon Triad Cult
- Alhaster is the capital of RedHand formerly a province who betrayed the Shield Lands during the Iuz armies invasion
- party transported via plants 30 miles from Alhaster and lodged at the exclusive The Deluxury establishment except Mary who was caught trying to dominate Armhin the Hotel owner and had to flee to the sewers while being hunted by a city Blessed Angel
- party found that Lashonna would probably be very difficult to meet but that she would certainly attend Prince Zeech (RedHand province ruler) 20 Years Rulership Anniversary Gala in 7 days
- Oaken-Palm and SeaPlatinum managed to convince and bribe Armhin to help them obtain invitations to the exclusive Gala
- Oaken-Palm and SeaPlatinum witnessed the public execution of 3 heretics from the Ebon Triad
- Mary found a secret trapdoor on the Traitor's Graves Island where the heretics corpses were left to rot
- Mary found Rohrsk who was trapped in the collapsed St Cuthbert chuch and turned into a ghoul 16 years ago
- Rohrsk revealed that he had been investigating the surviving Ebon Triad cult cell which he suspected was then located under a house in the south-east of town; the cult was apparently led by a hooded figure called "Mother Maggots"

Wealth acquired
- bag of holding III
- 500 ancient books about Necromancy including a Manual of Bodily Health+1
- Rod of Enlarge Metamagic
- Rod of Silent Metamagic
- 2 Chromatic disks for Spell Weavers magic storing
- Scrolls (CL17) :  Dimensional Lock, Create Undead, Slay Living, Harm, Speak with Dead x2, Enervation x2, Gentle Repose x2

Wealth spent/lost
- consumables and feather tokens
- 2,000GP to cast Awaken (previous session) by Oaken-Palm
- 1,000GP to cast Reincarnate by Oaken-Palm
- gold to summon dragon companion(s)
- 150GP in Bribes by Oaken-Pal
- 24,050GP for 2x CL15 Permanency Scrolls + 1x CL3 Darkvision Scroll + 1x CL3 See Invisibility Scroll spent by Whisper

Others
- achievement bonus : +0.2 ability score to each participant (=+2.7 points for those who attended all sessions)
- party members who level-up to Level 14 get 13,500GP; 185GP free per day for lifestyle expenses
- Next session Sunday 5th February 2017 2PM


Pictures : Undead Priest, Worm Naga, Lich SpellWeaver (left to right) :

[phil]

Vision when defeating the Lich Spell Weaver

The room melts away into darkness as the
air fills with strange and frightening whispers.
It sounds as if a hundred different
voices speak in a hundred different languages,
but an instant later, the voices have
joined into one and the language resolves
into familiar words. These words speak of
the prophecies of the Age of Worms, and as
they speak, visions of the prophecies coming
true manifest before you, allowing you
to observe the events as if you were a god
looking down upon a troubled world. The
visions are violent and horrific. Legions of
worm-eaten dead rise from soggy graves.
An immense and demonic tree explodes
into destructive life from the heart of an
unfamiliar city. A burning comet lances
down from the heavens to strike the earth
in a tremendous, mushroom-shaped cloud
of devastation. Another city, its town square
wreathed in a cloud of black smoke filled
with eyes, is held in the grip of shadows
that move independently from their source.
A cackling man attaches a clawed and withered
hand to the bleeding stump of his
arm, and the hand writhes into unholy life.
A city built in the heart of a volcano suffers
tragedy during a partial eruption that sees
the collapse of its southeastern quadrant.
As each of these scenes flash by, they are
accompanied by a crushing sense of certainty—
these events have already come
to pass. Yet finally, the whispering voices
speak of two more prophecies, and these
are accompanied by blackness. “A tripartite
spirit once again becomes one, and at its
advice are the mighty undone,” the voices
whisper. And then, “On the eve of the Age
of Worms, a hero of the pit shall use his
fame to gi􀈎 a city to the dead.” A􀈎er this,
there is only silence. It would seem that two
prophecies have yet to be realized.

[phil]

Vision when climbing the Ziggurat

The strange dark stain in the air wavers and
then grows solid. The peak of the Spire of
Long Shadows is restored, and affixed to
this peak is a fi􀈎een-foot-tall, three-footthick
trapezoid-shaped pinnacle of black
rock, ten feet wide at the base and five at the
peak. The monolith of stone shimmers and
vibrates with waves of energy, and something
strange and horrible writhes inside
its nearly opaque interior. Suddenly, a brilliant
red wall of scales fills the view, and
there’s a terrible sound of crumbling stone.
In an instant, an enormous red dragon is
winging away to the north. The spire’s peak
is in ruins, and clutched in the dragon’s talons
is the monolith. The vision fades, and
the dragon and its prize are gone.

[phil]

Pictures : Balakarde notes, Alhaster map, Blessed Angel (from left to right)

[phil]

05-02-2017 Session

Characters : Whisper (Rod), Oaken-Palm (Clem), Marie (Ray)

Key events
- party received invitations to Prince Zeech Rulership 20th Anniversary
- party defeated Ilthane the Black Dragon and her 4 kids
- party captured Alphonse a living homunculus alchemist (+20 craft alchemy, craft 200GP/day of potions/alchemical items at CL7)
- Marie manipulated Rohrsk to reveal the Ebon Triad cell location and dominated Furpotia (L2 expert, +3 Heal) the hospice caretaker
- party defeated another Ebon Triad OverGod Avatar
- party unveiled secrets written in the Ebon Triad unholy well (see next post)
- party discovered secret vault with ledger including names of key Ebon Triad leaders in various towns

Wealth acquired
- waterproof bag of holding II
- Elixir +1 Inh. Str, Elixir +2 Inh. Con, 2x Elixir (grants black scales) +4 inh NA / 15 resist acid if Draconic or Reptilian otherwise +2 inh. NA / 5 resist acid
- Huge size Alchemical Lab with ingredients to create 5,000 GP of poisons (of less than 100GP/dose), provides +5 circumstance bonus to craft poisons and allows to combine 2 normal doses into a double concentrated one (+2 DC, +50% duration)
- 30 doses of double concentration Giant Wasp poison (DC20; 9r 1d2 Dex; 1 save); 50 doses of double concentration Drow poison (DC15, unconscious 1min / 2d4 hours); 15 doses of double concentration Oil of taggit ingested poison (10min onset; DC17 unconscious 1d3 hours)
- Wand of Invisibility (CL3) 22 charges; Potion of Gaseous Form (CL7) x3; Potion of Bull Strength (CL7) x3, 6,000GP in gems and jewels; Scroll of Dimension Door; Elixir of Poison (Touch spell CL7, DC18, 1d3 Con, 6r, 1 save), Potion of Greater Magic Fang (CL7, +1 enhancement to all natural attacks) x2; Potion of Haste (CL7) x2
- periapt of health previously worn by Furpotia
- vault items : 12,000GP, 10 potions of cure moderate wounds, 10 potions of undetectable alignment, 10 potions of non-detection, 10 elixirs of truth, a wand of lightning bolt (23 charges, CL8), wand of haste (19 charges, CL8), 1 double Heavy Crossbow Distance +1 and Bane vs Humans when used by a Devil, 3x Sleeves of many garments

Wealth spent/lost
- consumables and feather tokens

Others
- achievement bonus : +0.1 ability score to each participant (=+2.8 points for those who attended all sessions)
- rules clarifications : spell sharing related abilities allow to share duration but do not allow to exceed any other spell limit based on single spell casting; rogue talents marked with * are exclusive, only a single one can be applied per sneak attack
- Next session Sunday 12th February 2017 2PM

Picture : Zeech Invitation

[phil]

Ebon Triad's Well of Triptych Knowledge (written in ancient Avolakia)

Avolakia writing uses its own alphabet—
a combination of hieroglyphics
and curved tangles that doesn’t resemble
any other known language. If translated
by someone fluent in this obscure
language (or by magic), the carvings are
revealed to be monstrously vile prayers
to Kyuss.
A recurring theme in the prayers is the
mention of a ceremony known as The Ravenous
Awakening. This ritual involves the
animation of huge numbers of undead
who are then led like cattle into vast banquet
halls, where they present themselves
to the feasters for consumption.
The passages suggest that Kyuss
himself is trapped in some form of large
stone monolith. He managed to partially
escape this prison once, 1,500 years ago,
but he was unable to maintain his freedom
for longer than a few short months
before the defeat of his armies by a force
the avolakia refer to only as the Enemy
forced him back into his monolithic
prison.
More obscure mentions include reference
to a location (phonetically translated
as M’theskuss) called the Writhing Tabernacle,
the place the avolakias seem to
hold as the most holy site of Kyuss. Mention
is also made of their great allies and the
Voice of Kyuss and the Consort of the Five-
Faced One, the eternal dragon Dragotha.

[phil]

5-02-2017 Session

Characters : Whisper (Rod), Oaken-Palm (Clem)

Key events
- party attended Prince Zeech Anniversary Gala
- Whisper impressed the nobles while shooting birds without shaming Prince Zeech
- Whisper won the skull throwing game
- Whisper impressed the nobles with extraordinary pantomime performance
- Whisper impressed the nobles with his great toasting skills
- party managed to pretend they were eating the basilisk steaks
- Whisper managed to defuse the awkward situation following Prince Zeech's cake statue accident
- party discovered that Lady Mahuril was some kind of wormish abomination linked to the Ebon Triad
- party met Lashonna who revealed that they should find Dragotha the Dracolich's phylactery location
- Lashonna explained that the Order of the Storm imprisoned Kyuss and stole Dragotha's phylactery 1500 years ago
- Lashonna indicated that the Order Of the Storm's stored al its knowledge in a extraplanar Library
- Lashonna indicated that the party should go to Tilagos Island where a portal will be activated in 4.5 months
- party transported to Ans Neomis, defeated Jeanne and freed Oaken-Palm daughter

Wealth acquired
- scroll of greater restoration purchased by Whisper
- necklace with a small skull (worth 2,500GP) won by Whisper

Wealth spent/lost
- consumables and potions
- 110GP for Sage advice and wrapping services
- 6 elixirs of truth offered to Prince Zeech
- 1 dagger+1 offered to Prince Zeech
- 7,250GP spent by Whisper to acquire a scroll of greater restoration
- 25,000GP spent by Whisper to cover future costs of True Resurrection
- manual of bodily health and elixir of constitution and black scales elixir

Others
- achievement bonus : +0.1 ability score to each participant (=+2.9 points for those who attended all sessions)
- party members (PCs only) who level-up to Level 15 get 16,500GP; 240GP free per day for lifestyle expenses
- rules clarifications : size changing spells have no effect when someone is under a polymorph effect
- Next session Sunday 19th February 2017 2PM

Pictures : Balakarde journal, Lashonna, Oaken-Palm daughter

[phil]

19-02-2017 Session

TPK ...

Characters : Whisper (Rod) - killed, Mary (Raymond) - destroyed

All Whispers and Mary's possessions were lost.

25-02-2017 Session

Characters : Oaken-Palm (Clem), Sencia (NPC), Master Sebuay Chao (Rod)

Key events
- party entered Tilagos Island and completed the 4 trials
- party vanquished Krathanos the Shackled Conqueror, GodKiller Titan in 1.5 round
- party routed the other adventuring group who was also attempting to obtain the Fountain knowledge
- party activated the Fountain of Dreams and participated to a Vision 1,500 years old
- party saw Lashonna as a Gargantuan Silver Dragon who fought Dragotha and was promptly defeated
- party helped the Order of the Storm to escape and hide Dragotha's phylactery in Kongen-Thulnir in the Rift Canyon

Wealth acquired
- any scrolls, potions, items purchased by the party
- monk robes given by Lashonna
- vial with liquid allowing to destroy Dragotha's phylactery
- titanic long warhammer
- circlet of charisma +2 and cloak of resistance +3 obtained by Oaken-Palm by trading with Lashonna
- winged boots obtained by Mr Chao by trading with Lashonna
- 4 potions of fly

Wealth recovered from Mary's belongings
- cloak of Elder Vampire (+2 enh Charisma, suppress one vampire weakness 3r/day as an immediate action)
- talisman of the Sphere
- ring of Mind Shielding

Wealth spent/lost
- consumables and potions
- costs for various permanency spells (double standard price)
- titanic long warhammer traded away to Lashonna
- cloak of Elder Vampire traded away to Lashonna
- draconic potion of NA and acid resistance traded away to Lashonna
- 5,000GP to reincarnate the Roc King

Others
- achievement bonus : +0.2 ability score to each participant (=+3.1 points for those who attended all sessions)
- party members (PCs only) who level-up to Level 16 get 22,500GP; 315GP free per day for lifestyle expenses
- new Level 16 characters get 94,500GP out which 28,350GP for magic items (14,175GP single item max value)
- rules clarifications : area of effects that partially cover a creature (at least a 5'x'5' area of the creature) are considered to affect it entirely
- Next session Sunday 5th March 2017 2PM

[phil]

04-03-2017 Session

Characters : Oaken-Palm (Clem), Sencia (NPC), Master Sebuay Chao (Rod), Olympia (Raymond)

Key events
- party explored Kongen-Thulnir in the Rift Canyon and killed & beheaded a Wyrm fiendish Green Dragon
- party heavily wounded and routed a weird Fang Dragon and befriended the giants
- party routed 3 Gargantuan Blue Dragons
- party destroyed the Mother of All Carrion Crawlers
- party opened the Vault and destroyed Dragotha's phylactery
- party hounded Brazzemal a Wyrm Red Dragon into his lair and killed him there
- party looted Brazzemal corpse, took his 2 rings, removed one of scales to create a treasure map
- party planted an oak in his lair and studied the location there for teleport purposes
- party went back to Lashonna manor in the morning but she was away
- party chilled at the inn and played darts until the evening then met Lashonna
- Lashonna revealed that Dragotha lair should be in the very western deepest part of Wormcrawl Fissure
- Wormcrawl Fissure is the deepest part of Rift Canyon western edge, constantly covered by heavy fog
- Brazzemal's lair seems to be located in the easter & less deep part of the Wormcrawl Fissure
- According to Lashonna and Sencia, it would take ~40 days for Dragotha to forge a new Phylactery

Wealth acquired
- any scrolls, potions, items purchased by the party
- ring of major inner fortitude (negates 4 ability dmg and 2 ability drain)
- ring of greater cold resistance
- ring of invisibility (activation command word is "Zrinith")
- un-assessed amount of wealth was left at Brazzemal's lair

Wealth spent/lost
- consumables and potions
- costs for various permanency spells (double standard price)
- vial with liquid allowing to destroy Dragotha's phylactery

Others
- achievement bonus : +0.1 ability score to each participant (=+3.2 points for those who attended all sessions)
- party members (PCs only) who level-up to Level 17 get 28,500GP; 410GP free per day for lifestyle expenses
- new Level 17 characters get 123,000GP out which 36,900GP for magic items (18,450GP single item max value)
- rules clarifications : unless otherwise noted, line of effect is required to target a spell; source severance does not work on Supernatural abilities; casting a spell while inside an anti-magic field has no effect (=does not function)
- Next session Sunday 12th March 2017 2PM

Pictures : Brazzemal, Dragotha's phylactery

[phil]

12-03-2017 Session

Characters : Oaken-Palm (Clem), Sencia (NPC), Master Sebuay Chao (Rod), Olympia (Raymond), SeaPlatinum (Ziq) - killed and revived

Key events
- party went back to Brazzemal's lair in the Wormcrawl Fissure on the 3rd day after the Phylactery Destruction
- party killed 2 Gargantuan Blue Dragons and routed another older one
- Sencia had a vision of Balakarde spirit and felt a tugging toward the northwest
- party destroyed Brazzemal (again) and other accompanying undeads
- Master Chao and Olympia were drained Constitution points
- 30,000 various coins transported to Eligos mansion in Greyhawk city
- Sencia opened a magic purse which freed a fragment of Balakarde spirit

Wealth acquired
- any scrolls, potions, items purchased by the party
- CL20 scrolls given by Lashonna : 5x Deathward + 1x Shrink + 2x Disintegrate
- magic purse infused with a fragment of Balakarde spirit currently granting to the bearer : +10 insight bonus on all Knowledge skill checks and Spellcraft checks; +2 luck bonus to Intelligence and Wisdom

Wealth spent/lost
- consumables and potions
- costs for various permanency spells (double standard price)
- cost to recover drained Constitution points
- 22.75K GP spent by Olympie for various scrolls
- 30K GP spent by SeaPlatinum for a huge permanently animated floating disk

Others
- achievement bonus : +0.1 ability score to each participant (=+3.3 points for those who attended all sessions)
- rules clarifications : emergency force sphere has similar limitations as Wall of Force and consequently it fails if its surface is disrupted by an object / creature
- Next session Sunday 19th March 2017 2PM

[phil]

19-03-2017 Session

Characters : Oaken-Palm (Clem), Sencia (NPC), Master Sebuay Chao (Rod), SeaPlatinum (Ziq)

Key events
- party routed Zulshyn the Azata Lillend and took the statue with the Artist spirit fragment
- party convinced Thessalar to leave his fortress and took a piece of ectoplasm with the Slayer spirit fragment

Wealth acquired
- statue infused with the Artist fragment of Balakarde spirit currently granting to the bearer : +10 insight bonus on all Craft and Perform skill checks; +2 luck bonus to Dexterity and Charisma
- ectoplasm (in a vial) infused with the Slayer fragment of Balakarde spirit currently granting to the bearer : +4 insight bonus on all Initiative checks; +2 luck bonus to Strength and Constitution
- within 100' of Dragotha, following additional powers will also manifest :
- Artist (statue): The character gains immunity to fire. All living creatures within 30 feet (including the character) gain evasion and a +10 luck bonus on Reflex saves.
- Scholar (purse): The character gains a +10 insight bonus on caster level checks to overcome spell resistance, and the save DCs for his spells and spell-like abilities increase by 2. All other living creatures within 30 feet (including the character) gain immunity to fear and a +10 luck bonus on Will saves.
 - Slayer (vial with ectoplasm): The character gains a +20 insight bonus on attack rolls. All other living creatures within 30 feet (including the character) gain immunity to paralysis and a +10 luck bonus on Fortitude saves.
- Items with bonded spirit can be traded (standard action to retrieve unless already wielded, move action to hand-over but provokes)

Wealth spent/lost
- consumables and potions and scrolls

Others
- achievement bonus : +0.1 ability score to each participant (=+3.4 points for those who attended all sessions)
- party members (PCs only) who level-up to Level 18 get 36,000GP; 530GP free per day for lifestyle expenses
- rules clarifications : dimension door can be cast without line of sight of destination point (as previously played); the radius of any  effect centered on a creature is calculated from the edges of the squares occupied by this creature; spells / SLA without any V/S/M/F visible components cannot be spellcrafted nor counterspelled; counterspell requires (1) to perceive that a spell is being cast and (2) to be able to individually target the spellcaster
- Next session Sunday 26th March 2017 2PM

Pictures : Thessalar, Zulshyn, Balakarde spirit (left to right)

[phil]

26-03-2017 Session

Characters : Master Sebuay Chao (Rod), SeaPlatinum (Ziq) - killed and revived, Olympe (Raymond) - killed and revived

Key events
- party entered Dragotha's lair and defeated various minions and guardians
- Olympe placed a teleport destination beacon on a ledge outside the lair and inside one of the lair's room
- party killed a DragonWorm, a Balor and a Nightcrawler
- Master Chao permanent buffs were dispelled
- party was defeated by Dragotha and Master Chao managed to flee with his companions bodies
- SeaPlatinum teleported back the party to MagePoint on D+10 2AM

Wealth acquired
- gold (included in regular WBL party loot)
- a magical signet ring bearing a silver rose symbol
- a fragment of a silver scale
- a magical rod

Wealth spent/lost
- consumables and potions and scrolls and gold to buy consumables
- 2 Lashonna's scrolls of Death Ward
- 11,000 GP to resurrect Olympe and remove a negative level

Others
- achievement bonus : +0.1 ability score to each participant (=+3.5 points for those who attended all sessions)
- rules clarifications : the caster of Time Stop is aware of the spell duration; light and darkness spells can be used to auto-counter (as counterspell) or auto-dispel (on the same target) each other as long as the dispelling/countering spell is the same level or above than the spell to be dispelled/countered, if the spell is not used to counter/dispel, then the highest spell level spell suppresses other opposing spells in the overlapping area, except for daylight which automatically revert illumination to prevailing light conditions in any overlapping area with a darkness spell (see Paizo blog)
- Next session Sunday 2nd April 2017 1PM