Worldbuild24 - The Fundamental Planes

 Skipping foward a couple of regions is the Astral Sea and Elemental Chaos. They had books about them and a lot of adventure descriptions, but I ran out of time to include them. Hence the short write-up. They were always a later priority due to how remote planar travel is in games, even if starting from 4E meant it was more common than other editions, bar Planescape.

The Fundamental Planes

Geography

Earthern Dagger, The – An earthburg of the Elemental Chaos, this infamous rock is feared for its erratic worldfall from its Plane to Earth. Many Dragons and wizards have tried to establish lairs and been driven off by other inhabitants or inimical environments as the mountain returns to chaos. Now it is home to the mercury dragon Tananzinaen. He is a great and cunning wyrm who once acted as an associate of young dragons to establish territory for benefits. Chased away by his own missteps, he serves whoever may pay him, reaping havoc and treasure, the wrath of a near God.[i]

Frost Spire – An island of rock and ice in the Sea of Howling Souls, home once to a might frost Giant. Jarl Hargaad was a mighty Viking and built a hoard plundered from dozens of domains within the Astral Sea, the cities of the Elemental Chaos and settlements of Earth. Following his death raiding Gruumsh’s realm. His followers hid his body and his island beneath a storm. His hoard has flooded since mortals of Flotsam and elsewhere find washed-up treasure. Some say the island was Kord’s spear, pinning down the Primordial Suulkar of oceans and water, between life and death.[ii]

Haemnathuun – Among Primordials, Haemnathuun the Blood Lord was exceptionally depraved. Both gluttonous and apparently lewd, his wicked impulses against the Gods gave rise to the blood fiends in his image, which were the inspiration for vampires. In the Dawn War, he invaded the Astral Sea and was slain with a mighty shearing blow, left to drift in the silvery void. Agents of the deities known as astral stalkers claimed the corpse and remain there. The flesh of such a being is potent, and many rumours say Dead Gods and dead primordials do not lie forever.[iii]

Hevastar – Great and beautiful is the Bright City. Among the Astral Sea, one realm throngs with High Traders, pilgrims who have saved for a lifetime, angels and the swaggering holy dead. Hevastar is the place where Ioun, Pelor and Erathis, the King and Queen of Light, walk among their people. A great silver lagoon surrounded by earthmotes and buildings grand. The greatest libraries and scholars are found here. Hevastar is so holy, that even the devils of the Nine Hells hold an embassy here and do no obvious wrongs. For the unfortunate beyond, the border islands are more akin to Earth.[iv]

Homelands of the Genies – All throughout the Elemental Chaos, the Genie races try to maintain some form of organisation amid the change. The dao have carved clusters of earthburgs into the Great Dismal Delve, the court being the Seven Mazeworks. The efreet’s City of Brass has achieved a trade position amid the fire far outside its mere origins. For the djinn, they have no more cities, so the Court of Ice and Steel is merely the greatest freehold, wrestled from fled Primordials. The marids are even fewer and haughty, so they have nothing permanent but their Padisha’s Citadel of Ten Thousand Pearls.[v]

Inchoate Mysteries, Temple of – A cathedral-like building floats in the silver mists. It is home to a sect of Giants who sided with Erathis and the Gods during the Dawn War. Astral giants seek the pursuit of knowledge and invention yet cherish their own privacy. Requiring sign and portents from their goddess to welcome others.[vi]

Sea of Howling Souls – A small location of elemental consistency amid the swirling vortex, the “sea” is a bowl of near-freezing water about fifty miles in diameter. Held in place by a storm of such ferocity that the liquid does not disperse. Even at its most calm the winds kick up the snow and spray. It is only notable because it forms a connection to Earth and so can provide dangerous passage, and it houses the legendary Frost Spire.[vii]

Vyc Zaleeth – Between seas of water and fire is a spire of rock. This is a monastery of the Githzerai, where they ponder chaos and develop counterbalances through mental discipline. Generations have trod the halls murmuring a constant stream of chants and mantras. For those lost in the Elemental Chaos, it is a vital place to compose, so long as you leave the petty conflict of the Planes behind.[viii]

Anthropology

Gith – Somewhere between a Demi-Human and Humanoid race, the gith’s origins have been lost in time to the machinations of the hideous Mind Flayers. Soon after the Dawn War they plotted and brought forth rebellion, slaying their masters wherever they could and driving them into the Underdark. Yet there was division. Those who sought power without became the Githyanki, fierce Dragon-riding raiders of the Astral Sea, building a city out of a dead God. The Githzerai sought power internally and retreated to the Elemental Chaos as monastical people, to perfect their emotional balance against the roiling vortex. Dire enemies mostly.[ix]

High Trade, The – Many students have and will ask as to the predominance of merchant stories to map the Earth. Why do such expeditions as the Elven Merchant Fleet and the windswept caravans of Jungo make their way across hostile wilderness when spelljammers and other Planar vessel travel father and in less time? The difference in returns in the primary motivator. A nigh-irreplaceable, magical and heirloom vessel could easily cross the world and return in a matter of weeks, but with only a single ship’s cargo. Far more valuable trade, from Gloomwrought, distant Sigil or Hevastar and unearthly currencies are their exclusive domain.

 

---

[i] See Draconomicon Metal p.148-153

[ii] See Revenge of the Giants pp.98-123

[iii] See Open Grave pp.120-127

[iv] See Manual of the Planes pp.94-96 The Plane Above – Secrets of the Astral Sea pp.61-64 Dragon Magazine #371 pp.19-31

[v] Scattered throughout Manual of the Planes and Secrets of the Plane Below – The Elemental Chaos

[vi] See Revenge of the Giants pp.79-83

[vii] See Revenge of the Giants p.91

[viii] See Draconomicon Metal pp.130-137

[ix] See 4E Players Handbook 3 p.8, The Plane Above – Secrets of the Astral Sea pp.94-96

Worldbuild24 Alt-Numinor

I never actually put much thought into the small Mid-Atlantic contient, it was mostly going to be a place to store the central island from the Points of Light/Nerath setting I had been cribbing from. There had been some chatting on the OSR discord about Hyperboreans and other weird occult nonsesnse as a run on from discussing the AD&D retroclone, Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea. Neatly collecting Atlantis as well. The name is derived from the phonetically spelling CS Lewis used in That Hideous Strength for Númenor. As the club had only ever heard it said by Tolkien.

Eventually all manner of references that I didn't want to elaborate on, or I thought were going to be too out of place ended up there. But I never did get around to fleshing it out. Geography-wise, imagine Greenland, Iceland and the Mid-Atlantic ridge down to the tropics was one long triangular landmass, with lots of islands and bays. A regular lost world of weird animals and cultures . Especially, Warcraft Trolls down in the south, fighting the Dinosaur-riding Mesoamericans from Magic the Gathering's Ixalan.

Alt-Numinor

Geography

Bleakmire – By the description one might believe this to be the Fenreach, but it is farther land. The southern reaches of Alt-Numinor are badly drained and form a smothering marsh of grey fog, stinging insects and strange beasts. Home to the outcastes of the Continent. Dinosaur-riders, mutants, fleeing hordes of the Karralak Mountains and the Aventine Vikings and Half-Elves. Rumours speak of bats that drink blood, kobolds by the thousands and enormous crocodiles.[i]

Fire Peaks, The – It is most untruthful to attach the archipelago and the Sunset Sea with Alt-Numinor. But there is little else, as the sea of the Endless Blue surrounds the islands which touch that half-Continent. The chain of volcanic islands that mark the end of the Known World. The Elven Merchant Fleets says they are inhabited by cannibals, savages and flesh-hungry beasts. The mutant former lords of the Night Men. The largest volcano, Hellkiln, is home to a red Dragon. Infernus is a veteran of the Arkhosian-Bael Turathi Wars. And bears the all the world hatred for that.[ii]

Karralak Mountains – To the north of the unknowable Alt-Numinor, there lurks a curtain which separates three wars. The frozen Giants and what few Humanoid servants they have driven over the ice to their ocean-bound home live in a state of war against all. The rime-shrouded islands ae home to the Human folk, the Northmen and Sea-Men who fight for carcasses of fish, whales and seals. And both seek the greener forests of Shurral Deren. A single city which houses a third of all the Half-Elves and the other casts-offs. When the passes thaw the north is red, they say.[iii]

Methenarea the Meadkeeper, Ice Glacier of – Where the crown of Alt-Numinor touches the Whale Sea is where Moradin rested after the defeat of the Primordials and the end of the Dawn War. There he built a fortress of polar ice and befriended the silver Dragons there. When he tired of snow, he entrusted the line with twelve barrels of mead, that revealed the future to the drinker. Champions of Nerath left saddened for they could not change the future. They say time has melded the fortress into the surrounding glaciers and the mead drawn down to two barrels. Yet dragons still guard and test the worthy.[iv]

Shurral Deraen – In Antiquity it is said the Elven Merchant Fleets by sail and magic reached every corner of the world and wrote it down on lost maps. They left their people on Alt-Numinor and the Half-Elf descendants cling to its eastern coast. Awaiting a single ship every hundred or more years. One third live is the northern city, protected from the horrors of the Karralak Mountains by a brood of silvery Dragons. Which they awakened by magical pact to destroy invaders. Should they fail, the world may not know for decades.[v]

Tomb of Horrors – In the southern Alt-Numinor, where the Bleakmire fills with flesh-tearers and blood-drinkers, lies the resting place of the demilich Acererak. Here he has constructed a great dungeon-barrow beneath a skull-shaped hill, daring those foolish enough to enter. Few return and such acts have inspired a city of necromancer to grow nearby. Skull City is home to the Bleak Academy and worshippers of Acererak and fouler spirits. It is ironically a safe place to supply, as they are ever eager to see the yet doomed enter the dungeon. Some doubt that Acererak truly rests there.[vi]

Wrathwood, The – There is a forest in a valley that has never known the axe. Or tongues of flames by those who seek docile trees. For this forest defends itself against all animals, so that even the insects show it reverence. Only those who do may dwell inside, which leaves little more the the Fey. The trees are tall as castle turrets, dressed in ropy red bark and magic hangs in the air. The Elvish Merchant Fleet says such bark may be found in Jungo, but otherwise resembles Alt-Numinor. Coming through the Feywild is the only known path.[vii]

---

[i] Inspired by Primal Power p.130

[ii] See Draconomicon: Chromatic Dragons pp.134-141

[iii] Inspired by Draconomicon: Metallic Dragons pp.66-67

[iv] See Draconomicon: Metallatic pp.124-129

[v] Inspired by Draconomicon: Metallic Dragons pp.66-67

[vi] See Open Grave p.201 4E Tomb of Horrors pp.84-117

[vii] See Primal Power p.132

40K System - Eytry

Forgeworld suffering from low materials and morale

Though Eytry is the star, the focus of the system is on Subprodey (Sub-Sector Production Eytry), the sole Forgeworld in the subsector.

Due to the chaos caused by Waagh!! Gazmaxx, two mining worlds have been cut off and a major local export centre on Kastor's Folly will take centuries to rebuild. The reduction in material has been noticeable, with varying levels of downtime reported in many factory-cities. This is seen as a deep moral threat by the ruling Techpriests, as they believe menials not working means they will inevitably slacken and turn to evil things without holy toil.

So, they have instituted compulsory make-work programs, having items be tediously assembled and disassembled to keep the population occupied for the usual, beyond human hours they work. This has only highlighted to the menials that they are not engaged in holy toil and instead are being pointlessly driven to exhaustion when they do not need to be.

Labour movements are not a thing that comes to the minds of those who live in the techno-theocracies, but Omnissiah cults are. And so a new sect is spreading, one which proclaims that the human body is an imperfect machine (hence cybernetics) but like all machines it needs maintenance and wears out with use. The Biological Machine Movement demands an end to the make-work and possibly increased extended downtime to rebuild and hone the bodies of the workers until production can return to normal. This obviously is being treated as a form of tech-heresy, but far too many people now have precious free time their parents or grandparents could not have imagine.

This moral and production crisis is the greatest challenge faced since the possibility that Waagh!! Gazmaxx might have diverted to Eytry and the planetary leadership needs someone to blame. The members of the Magos Biologis are being held for a lot of things now. Their report on Bawahayat was destabilising, their need for mutagens from Nazgool is a crime (despite centuries of approval) and now the Flesh-Heresy has emerged on the Machine God's holy world.

This is an attempt by the meat-dabblers to seize control of the heart of the subsector. The Magos/Arch-Magos/Forge Masters are about to declare a synod, in order to properly chastise the Genators.

The "meat-dabblers" are divided on how to respond to this. The Biomachinists uphold the only way to beat the accusations is to take them on in the synod. Decry those who do not know their place and present with the weight of evidence and oratory behind them that they do long accepted holy work. The Neogenesis Movement, who are the ones who work most closely with the mutagens in an attempt to produce more useful and pliable life. Their opinion is that the synod will be rigged, and so it is best to flee to some remote monastery for a generation or two, until normal production renders the problem moot. The Flesh-Radicals only have some Magos Biologis leadership, they recruit from the lower ranks of the tech-priests. They see this as an opportunity to usurp control for a new generation of leadership, ones under 200 years old. They have a rough thesis of grievances and are willing to let the menials have their time for now. So long as they occupy the attention of their Forge Masters unaware of their retirement to various remote monasteries.

Also consuming the efforts of the ruling authorities is fending off repeated calls from Vito and Chiron about the Skitarii. Such levies would be very useful in pushing the Orks off Warworld Ajax and it would free up production to resume.But the Skitarii are needed to keep a lid on the Biological Machine Movement, particularly when it’s suspected they could erupt into rebellion as the synod approaches. Maybe a few could be spared, but the so-called “Unenlighted” (not to their faces) demand many more than Subprodey is comfortable to send. Currently Subprodey is sending stockpiles of older exports and equipment from more volatile complexes, in case the stockpiles fall into heretic hands. But they are also using those to meet quotas, as there is a fear they will be found unworthy if the wider Adeptus Mechanicus find out how badly they have botched the Credo Ominssaih.

In an attempt to bolster incoming material, the older system mines that were abandoned for falling below yield are to be reopened. The only issue with that is the workforce to squeeze the last dregs out of the planetoids. Vac-Scavs have lived on the periphery for thousands of years as mining complexes become abandoned and crews disappear to live on scrap and low-grade ore. They resist the Skitarii attempting to force them back into labour and have the heretical knowledge to use and maintain their equipment, becoming another drain on Subprodey’s attention.

Stormbringer Wolves Upon the Coast Session 10

I was very tired when I ran this and was very tired when I wrote this. So, I made many lenient mistakes, and it didn’t go down too badly.

The party was defending themselves against the enraged Praetorians and it was a tough fight, much back and forth was had with the javelins doing nasty work in the first round and the constant chips of damage, fumbles, parries and critical hits stacking up against both party and Legionnaires. Praetorians were getting hit so often that I decided to implement a 2-hit rule. Should their ancient armor be penetrated twice, it falls off. That sped things up massively.
The players will need to take their armor in for repairs in the next port to be fair.

Althrow Tam’s salamander in the helmet proved useful with it’s 2d10 fire blast. Though they were careful after it told them it could only do it 3 times an hour or perish.

After the fight they wanted to rest, and the rest of the players arrived. The barnacle encrusted door frightened them in their low state, fearing the ultimate evil beneath the isle was behind it. Yerstor, or Yerstar as the player reminded me (suffered a head injury that scrambled their name) wanted to explore a nearby chamber since the map was only direct. He and Hrafnkel went into the chamber and saw a glass cuboid. Against the best wishes of everyone, he broke it and obtained the horn. Over the fervent desires of everyone, he blew it.

The party decided to rest. Rather than roll for encounters, I abstracted it with the Sea-Things attacking and the Gelt-Promised and such arriving to pay homage and defend them. First 4 and eventually 28 in total loyal undead. A roll was made to see how many dead survived the fight (being 1 HD vs 2 HD) with Sigmar contributing assistance with a combat roll. Althorw Tams continue to sleep on the flagstone and with a Sorcerer’s POW, Phantasm was learned.

In the end 28 dead remained, allowing the party to finish their rest. Struggling to hear the rotting and salt-dried voices of the Gelt-Promised, they realized they will serve the horn-blower for a time. And the Virtue of Reason wondered if it affected all dead. So, they went up to floor 3, the Legionaries defensive but not automatically hostile with their leadership dead and blew the horn again, assembling the dead of both brothers. Marching them down, they were confronted by some Sea-Things coming out of 3A, and even though the Legionnaires dealt with them, they decided to end it.

There was some confusion about if the breaching tube, bladder-lined Room 4 or the disturbing umbilical cord (Door) beyond was the real connecting point. Sending in two Vinegar-Drinkers to tear up the bladder while they dislodged the breach tube just provoked more Sea-Things who destroyed them. So Sigmar squeezed her wings through and assisted, with more undead coaxed to follow her and lay waste to the umbilical and bladder before the room began shaking as the breaching tube became dislodged. Sigmar returned and with the Sea Things separated, the horde moved on.

With more than 50 undead warriors, I had to convince them to use them to destroy the enemy and not fight it themselves, as I was worried the evil below would be a long fight. We negotiated for only a few undead to be destroyed fighting the Deep minds in the room with the giant barnacle, which the players were interested to find out there was a door beyond and it wasn’t the ultimate evil.

Heading below they smelt dirt and saw the ghostly white shoots and realised something was up. Weird growth had to be linked to the dead king and princes ramblings about a druid down here. The saw the arc-druid through the film and wondered if the horns were real or part of a headpiece. Wary of the film being permeable only one way, they sent a bonded dead, one of Fionna’s warriors, through with instructions to walk in and back. They were right as the skeleton stopped at the oily barrier as the arc-druid looked up at the intrusion. He grabbed and tore off the skeleton’s arm and sword and began to scrap at the door with it, trying to cut away at the binding plates that kept him in check. Seeing the skeleton not respond to commands and the arc-druid attempting an escape, the dead were ordered forward thorugh the film. And the party followed behind.

The arc-druid was surprised but not stunned by what came before him and while he worked, he exchanged some muttered banter with the party. They asked him his name, which he had forgotten. Theya sked him his goal, to escape and re-establish the primacy of the druids, overturning all the Invader had done and burning their built cities. I rolled on the 12-round power up table and got him increasing in size, swelling as he chopped at the door.

That disturbed the party and knowing that this was the source of all the deeper corruption on the island, order the undead to attack. This was a bit of a boon for me, as I didn’t need to run combat with all the summoned animals and they didn’t need to account for the 50+ undead warriors, they cancelled each other out.

I did forget to roll more than one attack for him a round though, meaning his massive Attack/Parry and 2d4 + d6 damage merely hurt them and didn’t paste them. But for some it was a close fight, the fists dealing critical hits and smashing through armour. The second-round power was the rushing seawater which amped up the tension. On the third round it was bark-like growth in the skin, giving 4 AP to his 1d10+2 already. When Althrow Tams burned with the salamander’s fire, it cauterized his wounds and when not, the undead were reduced by d6 from the animals.

And yet it was the luck of the dice that got him. On the fourth round, Hrankel dealt a critical hit after the rest wore him down, severing the head with a round to spare for the water. The undead were ordered to clear a path and there were many tricky footsteps to get through the gauntlet of traps, mostly resolved by stepping on the bone and flesh of the dead who were pushing through the traps in reverse. 16 dead followed them from victory. Hrafnkell began carving the flesh from the arc-druids head to make a trophy.

Now out, it was a matter of marching back with the dead to collect the treasures of Dainéal as he was quickly dispatched by forces, he craved and the treasure looted. The dead on level 1 brought them up to 23 warriors. The monks provide a more uneasy bunch, very grateful for removing the vague horror that they had spent their lives around with understanding, but not keen on letting the undead up the rope. With the head of the arc-druid thrown down and stepped through, unpleasantly squelching, Sigmar flew up on her healed wings, no longer covered to Orate at the monks. She did not speak their language but rolled a Critical, so they got the gist. And when a warrior angel whop slays evil demands the pagan dead get off holy ground, the monks were very accommodating so long as they got off the island as soon as possible.

Sigmar flew down while the party and dead were climbing a rope to scrape the rapidly decaying skull of the arc-druid into a box, as she did not trust the dust itself. Some 5500 hacksilver was the treasure along with the goodwill of the monks. The crew were quite unhappy about the undead but the party are monster-slaying heroes after all.

The party debated using the dead to row or getting a new ship, buying cloaks to conceal the undead nature of that crew. After the session the players realised the dead could walk underwater.

Hranfkel wanted some reward but not magic for doing such a deed and Scarsabad came from underneath a rock to honour it. The deal was that Scarsabad would imbued/transformed into Hrafnkel’s axe, making it a Demon Weapon. Hrafnkel did not share with the party if he took the deal or not. Scarsabad said the Powers that be were impressed by how they slew such a local planar power and should they so desire it, the alternative of killing the Deathless was now just as valid as serving and enticing him. For if he was dead, so would most of the opposition to the plane being brought into alignment.

Stormbringer Wolves Upon the Coast Session 9

Session 9 started with only two players present for the first part, Miklas Domonkos and Sigmar. A generic +20% for select skills and a +1d6 for damage was given out to represent the invisible party members. Heading west since the way north was blocked by the skeletons, they encounter room 14, with two watchers facing each other, a rusty hammer a bag and stone shelves. They rush the watchers, knocking them over and severing the heads. But setting them off.

Six Gelt-Promised shamble forth. The party notice one hand is cupped open and their rusty swords are held in their scabbards The party are sure they are infectious given how the remaining flesh bulges and rots around the gold rings. It is realised they want something, on the mention of money they first dammed traitor flashes a number with their free hand. As the hacksilver is poured in, it is absorbed, turning black and oxidized. After the first two topple over, the two realise they don’t have enough hacksilver to pay the rest and draw weapons. Fighting goes back and forth, as the dead can parry and were warriors in their own times. It takes a while, and the party are wary of the gold rings, I roll POW x 5% and it passes like a Call of Cthulhu Luck check. Hrafnkel puts the rings in his bag.

Passing into the larger room 13 with the cage of blades and the fire which banks itself as they approach. Seeing it’s built into a helmet and the cage is blades, they initially think about pulling it, since I elaborate on the fine workmanship of the blades before deciding to leave it to Althrow Tams, new Sorcerer of elemental fire. A good roll from the player even if elemental water or earth could have literally busted the dungeon wide open.

They continue the vague directions of Dainéal Ó Ceannaigh, turning north at the intersection. They see the room with a whirling ball of horse teeth. The walls were bitten and chewed, they were suspicious. Sigmar step forth and battled with it, the ball could not yet bite through her armour, but scattering the ball meant they saw it clump together again. I say they can pass a Doge roll to run through or two Parry rolls. They go through fine. The remaining players except for Hrafknel’s player turn up.

From the awful smell and images on the door into room 19, they choose not to go through. Heading into room 20, wary of the light. They are shocked to see a chimney with natural light. Theya re disturbed by the leeches which play inside the ribcages of Fionn Ó Ceannaigh’s Bonded Dead and on his own. Fionn is well preserved, very taunt despite retaining his hair and tattooed skin. He listened to the party’s woes, rubbishing Dainéal’s claims and offering his own interpretations, which always emphasis himself as the rightful king. He said there are darker things beneath the rock, and the Invaders (always vague) locked away someone druidic. He offers the party free passage and treasures of the floor if they return to kill Dainéal. He mentions how he can’t tattoo anyone anymore as he’s the only one with skin and indicates the fine set in the corner. He confirms the chimney goes up to the surface.

Yrestor asked if they could prove he was truly immortal, since he was questioning how one could claim to be a king when dead. Fionn said a king (semantically) remained a king even in death, and if he was to be struck by a blade, he would not die. Sigmar felt a crawly thing drop from the ceiling and told her to be quiet. Yrestor passed an ambush roll and cut him nearly down. Outraged, Fionn orders his dead forward and the rest of the players surge forth and finish hacking him down. The Bonded Dead are possibly confused, their oaths no longer apply (there’s no description of what happens if they are still present, though they remain and the curse of undeath is tied to the three lords).
The party waste no time in hoisting away the body, taking the tattoo set and stripping it outside, cutting off the head to present to Dainéal.

The crawly thing reveals itself to be a Demon of Law, Slivec. A Centipede with mantis-like forelegs and head. It has been hot on the trail of Scarsabad, who slipped ahead. It was willing to offer whatever was available to sway to the party to the side of Law. Sigmar is offered the power of a Champion of Law, but not the virtues as Slivec cannot just summon friends. It is questioned why the restriction of agents of Law and Chaos working together is being ignored and Slivec says because they need to bring the plane into alignment so it can be fought over, after is different. Silvec also turns its body into a coiled amulet for Sigmar, the concave shape filling with the blood-red potion. Healign Sigmar’s major wound, but the healing and rushed investment costs her 1 CON and 1 POW. It marks the most direct route to the horrors below. As a boon for Yrestor, a noble of a deeply Lawful place, Silvec invests itself/imparts (not certain), a Virtue of Knowledge. Which does not raise Yerstor’s intelligence to 4, leaving it at 3.

The party set off, avoiding damage from the horse teeth. They run into two Vinegar-Drinkers as the reach the intersection. Seeing them swagger and stink, they use offer some of their wine, the dead let the pass. Reaching the room with the blades and fire and Althrow Tams pulls out the blade, subdues the salamander within and wears the helmet. They take the blades after I emphasis how nice they are. They take a detour to room 11, and Sigmar uses her pike (somehow carried through as they forgot they left the crew outside). To open the coffin and avoid the weeping tar, avoiding the pike igniting from the boiling tar with a POW x 5% roll. King Ceannaigh burbles his speech, the party understand the sons are both self-serving and agree to the demands, though they continue to question what kingdom, Ceannaigh cannot remember but says the mainland. They lay Fionn’s head and decide to kill Dainéal on the way out.

Passing to Room 15, Yerstor trips down the stairs not being explicitly careful. Gets banged up. The darkness and slime are unnerving, the water constant. Six Sea-Things are in the large antechamber with the ornate door that requires two descriptions before they remember it. But a positive reaction is rolled and they merely rattle their horrible spines and the party warily advance weapons drawn but not engaging. Yerstor has been relying on the Virtue of Knowledge, the player enjoying the 80% wrong information and acting on it anyway. But when grasping the freezing door, it passes and Yerstor does not tear his hand away despite the cold. Althrow Tams uses the fire elemental to warm the handle so Yerstor can remove his hand and the door can be opened. Seeing the Legionaries and the remnants of the battle in front of them, they argue about the contents of the room until a roll suggests the medallions and they wear them to pass. Passing into room 5, Yerstor takes the fresh bread as good rations.

In room 10 they see the platform and trap, but it never counted on the Winged Folk of Myyrrhn. Sigmar retrieves about 1000 hacksilver worth of treasure, with some on the platform tipping down before they realise they have filled a pack and that’s enough for now.

In room 14 the Praetorian Legionaries move to kill but the Lictor stops them, she’s bored and wants conversation. She discusses that the prison is an arc-druid they couldn’t kill and that she binds the seal. The party have stolen the rations of the dead and only her ommand keeps them from attacking. When asking about the empire, the party explain it’s gone and with a smirk she dies and crumbles to dust. With that the party realise that the monks thought they were keeping the seal, but really were the outer seal, the primary seal has just been broken. The Praetorian surge forth to kill the ration-thieves.

Miklas Domonkos’s player says they might drop out due to scheduling and disengagement.

40K System - Wraith

Ag World filled with mutants

Nazgool is slightly more distant than Terra around a slightly more active star. The abundant foliage has evolved to harness the radiation as well and is harvested for nutripaste processing. The radiation-drenched ecology poisons the more fragile humans, and the deradding process creates vast pools of toxic waste.

Much of the population of Nazgool has been condemned over three and a half thousand years to suffer mutations.

The nobility, deep within the bunker-mountains of the Nine Capitans, remains pure and interact via a series of increasingly tainted chain of administrators.

The nobility doesn’t want to admit to the Imperium at large that 2 billion people are outnumbered 5 to 1 by the mutants. They insist that the radiation merely makes it impractical for extermination and so purification is used to ensure mutant serfs’ touches are removed from food.

The governing family has been replaced four times in its history, as each has failed to address or deal with the mutant problem with violence or diplomacy. The first was a mere 300 years after colonisation, when mutations became an issue and much of the popualtion including the governing family was exterminated except for the mountain people.
The second was some 900 years later when they tried to eliminate the muatnts and replace them with sevitors. Incurring the wrath of the Administratum for late production, the techpreists for subordinating their workforce and the bunker population for being preyed on to become sevitors.
The next family was overthrown some 800 years later for attempting to negotiate with the mutant administrators for higher quotas and was slain in a religious civil war as heretics.
One thousand years later, the next dynasty attempted to make sevitors of the mutants themselves and found they could not effectively subjugate without leaving their mountains and the tech-priests refuse to operate upon unwholsome flesh. Forcing a coup.
The current one, some 500 years old, ignores the issue.

Most formal aspects of Imperial society are restricted to the bunkers and tunnel-voidport Ramga, meaning the mutants have been left to grow and thrive in moderate ignorance. They know they are mutated and hated, but they also have a dozen PlantNations with separate cultures and traditions, though still stratified and feudal. With a variant of the Emperor’s Holy Body sect, which pertains to the redemptive power of consuming blessed food and so in a way, deradding themselves. Becoming closer to the Emperor in spirit and also body for those of the eastern sects.

As Tech-Priests do not concern themselves with mutants, the maintenance has been left to the cult of the Pure Machine, a Omnissiah-derived monastically order which delivers demonstration-sermons in the name of Saint Khamool, an acolyte who fled into the wilderness in the early days when mutations were just starting to be detected as a widespread issue. Their control of the domestic bio-fuel makes them indispensable, even for the nobility. They believe in replacing mutated body parts with cybernetics to maintain purity of form. While the sermons are highly specific, enough general knowledge has accumulated in heretical codices to give the limited middle-class an esoteric knowledge of mechanics and sciences.

These codices are the illegal export alongside the toxic waste surreptitiously used by Magus Biologius to hasten the evolutionary process (mutating) of test animals.

The worse mutations come from the void-miners, where mutants are used in even more unsafe conditions than normal because it’s expected they have higher radiation tolerance. A dozen station-cities hover over the moon and asteroid belt, refining the minerals for simpler needs. Here the Tech-Priests huddle in sealed quarters and dispatch increasingly mutated servitors with directions. A fierce hatred exists between the mutants and the Mooners, whose underground mines were sealed before the mutation issue was prevalent and don’t have more than usual. No other atmospheres exist.

Stormbringer Wolves Upon the Coast Session 8

Trekking north back to their karvi, the players feel the unhappy eyes of the bird druid upon them as they set sail.

Rather than sail south, they use their enchanted map to sail north to the lair at 07.05, much to the annoyance of the chaos and law demons Scarsabad and Slivec, who was awaiting them in the sea to place them in a situation that would make them agreeable.

Sailing north, the find an island covered in seabird guano, mushrooms and a tower. They let the girffons loose and they run amok eating seabirds. They collect mushrooms. In the tower they find a sitting swordsman, covered in a layer of dust, occasionally mumbling and staring away at nothing.

They try talking to him, inspecting the sword, touching him and hitting him with an axe. When touched or swung at, the swordsman did a fancy figure of eight with the big two-handed sword to block incoming attacks. After all of that, Sigmar had gotten hit in the arm and Hrafnkel had been blocked. They all decided to leave and maybe sell the mushrooms and not eat them.

It was mentioned there was another island present, and they sailed adjacent, a rocky island with a burning light atop a tower.
Landing not at the main beach, the climbed up to the windswept top to find a monastery and beacon. The griffons were let go on the beach, but the seals had slipped into the water. The crew were put to work clearing out some rubble where some skeletons were seen. Meeting the monks, they were chatted to, and reasonable discussions were made that they weren’t raiders, acting more like tourists.

In the discussion, Abbot Caoinleán hinted that since they PCs were known for their heroics on Ruislip, it would be a great boon if they could help, they locate missing brother Conall.

The party split up, searching the different sections. Sigmar tries to climb the large rock since she cannot fly until her wings regrow her feathers. She fails the roll and as per the text is swept off the rock by the wind. And roll determines she is not swept over the sea cliff but hits the island ground, she is reduced to below 0 HP yet she does not die due to the ring. She merely screams for hours. Also, her left leg is broken by the Major Wound and she loses 2 DEX permanently.

Eventually it’s Yerstor and Hrafnkel who successfully edge down the moss-slick steps to find Conall’s body in the cove’s waters, pecked at by gulls. Carrying the body up is both challenging and slimy.

With the thanks of the Abbot, Caoinleán has a brainwave, these are heroes who slay monsters. The abbey exists to keep whatever evil below trapped; would it not be better if the heroes slew the monster below. He conveys this and that there is no intrinsic reward but moral. The party figure out there is probably something material underneath. They leave the crew to keep digging, since they found a sack of silver and some armour.

The go into the drystone room that functions as the centre and pull up the boards. The intricate bone seal is deeply suspicious because that much writing must be keeping something big in. It shatters easily and the party descend by ropes.

The sound of waves, the salt on the walls and the dead crabs in room 2 tell them that this place floods. Moving left they come to a large door which they open and are hit by a wave of seawater that extinguishes all but their lantern (from the young kingdoms) and sweeps away Miklas Domonkos.

The rest decide not to follow him and go up to a chamber with a big sarcophagus which they decide to open after everyone is gathered. They catch up with Miklas Domonkos as he lies in the doorway to a room with a shiny door at the end. Sigmar notices the walls don’t meet up with the floor. Hrafnkel crosses the room and the floor tilts, sending him to plunge into the fetid pool below. He is attacked by the five huge, blind white eels. The remaining members led by Yerstor, quickly cross with a tied room to a rocky outcropping. Allowing them to abseil down into the melee. The eels cannot easily penetrate Hrafnkel’s armour but he takes a few bites, Yerstor gets an eel under his armour and does him great pain (critical hit). Swords are fumbled into the muck yet all eels are killed.

The party sees an orange glow to the north and a blank iron door to the south. They push with all their strength and their combined strength as a roll, pushes the door open (the description for Floor 2 Room 12 and 10 say the door is locked on the room 12 side and both explicitly say there is no opening for the door).

They enter a room filled with rotting furniture and gold decorations, many skeletons which do not surprise them in the last when they get up. But don’t attack, the near whisper of Dainéal Ó Ceannaigh declares his traitorous brother Fionn is the cause of the Isle’s malignance. He gives instructions on the rooms to take as far north or west then as far west or north as one can go.

Heading north, a Witness was rolled for the cross-junction. They seem it, are disturbed by it and Hrafnkel walks up to it. After the creaming starts, he tries destroying it, eventually turning it away from them. But 7 skeletons, draped in Dainéal’s furs block the northern passage.

Figuring now was appropriate time, Scarsabad in the form of an enormous spider finally tracks the players down and offers them a lot of needed power now to serve Chaos and bend Deathless to their will. Hrafnkel will not and cannot partake in any sorcery but will accept the idea of a Chaos Champion with an enchanted axe, which Scarsabad doesn’t have the facilities to provide at the time. Althrow Tams signs up to become a sorcerer on the spot rather than study for months. Rolling Fire for the controlled element, Althrow Tams loses a point of CON as the fire sears through.

The rest say the prefer Balance under the elemental temples or Law.