**We left on 1026/06/15.**
Tess and Thora in Hollow World 2003/12/17
=========================================
Alphatian social statuses:
slave
servant - belong to a household
freeman - registered shop farm or business
gentry - 10,000gp in bank or business with branches in more than one city
aristocrat - spellcaster
lord or lady - military officer, 10,000gp in bank, or large business
prince or princess - daughter or son of king or queen
king or queen of a province
empress or emperor
You can't improve social status by marrying.
---
Alphatia are at war with the Heldannic freeholds. The Heldannic freeholds
did have Oostook, which was Gnomish, but the Heldanes have been pushed off,
and are now limited to hit and run raids.
---
Milennian Empire - who's going? Get a copy of Grey's map from Glenn.
Tess + Mark Sutherland + Sara + Nienna Telrunya
Thorhild
Remus + Thora
Roland + Safranna
**500gp for flying ship (fast yacht) + 100gp/week**
Milenian Empire is at war with the Jennites, nomadic horse people,
which the Milenian Empire is slowly winning. The Jennites are to the west.
4 days travel by yacht from Alphatia (Andare) to Milenian Empire (Corisa -
the capital). The captain of the yacht, the Windrider, is called Captain
Sazdi.
They speak Mileanian in the Mileanian Empire. Neathar is the common language
of the Hollow World, but the average person doesn't speak it.
They don't allow tomb robbing, bribery, or cheating at athletic sports here.
The Temple: male in armor with spear (Halav), woman with gold crown (Petra)
Tess talks to a scholar, Thora talks to a priest. There are 100s of clerics
here and 1000s of servants and slaves. It's a castle. There was a fountain
here when they got here, before the Mileanian Empire. On either side of the
fountain are Petra and Halav. The water from the fountain is holy. The
temple was build around the fountain. The water of the fountain has healing
properties. People become oracles by drinking directly from the fountain.
If you're not chosen, you're blinded permanently. The guards are there to
prevent people drinking directly from the fountain.
Middle-aged priestess talks to Thora and Remus. The priestess will direct
them towards the oracle in Petra's Garden, but only those who should find
the oracle will find the oracle.
The oracle resides at the Garden of Petra. Thora and Tess gather
information: oracles are a national treasure, so people are wary about
stating where they are. The oracles never leave their place. The oracles
can only be found if they wish to be found. Those that have gone looking
for the oracle in the past have gone down the Traomean Road, which is the
road to Traomeaneus. The oracle deals harshly with interlopers. The garden
is north of the Traomean road.
There are two parallel sets of currency:
copper/silver/gold/electrum/platinum meadallions
emperors with holes through them (for major purchases)
Creatures of Zargos (the deity of the night) will be affected by water from
the fountain.
**Tess buys a map of the Milennian Empire.**
Major deities here: Halav, Petra, Matera (women and childbirth),
Proteus (Old Man of the Sea), Zargos (night). Minor: Asterius,
Faunus (fate), Ixion, Khoronus, Koryis (slaves), Palatarken (magic),
Tarastia (justice), 12 Watchers (crafts), Valerius (love),
Zirchef (forest travels).
Petra doesn't like slaves. Clerics of Petra free slaves, but as they are
following their god's law, they cannot be tried for that crime.
We go to Dophius. We get searched by customs for contraband and escaped
slaves. Illegal religious symbols: i.e. symbols of Zargos. They are doing
footraces, chariot races etc., outside Dophius. Warhorses for buying, sell
them back at good price.
Not on road of Traomeanius, but on the village of Lethos, there is a giant
harassing people. 30' tall giant. Road to Traomeanius is well patroled
and safe. City of Traomeanius has a 100' bronze statue of some warrior.
Traomeanius looks to be a city of 10,000 people. These people use gyms a
lot. The olympics are held every 4 years, and the winner gets to ask for a
boon from the Emperor.
Ground smoking is the first sign of the giant's presence. Giant strides
through smoke and clubs stuff. They give exact location where giant
typically attacks. The giant only attacks occasionally. (Information from
guys at two gyms.)
Safranna is as good at hiding as Tess. Thorhild is half as good as Tess at
hiding, and has something to camouflage herself if she is naked. Roland
can't hide. Thora isn't great. Remus is slightly better than half Tess in
wolf form.
Thin stream of smoke from cooking fire. Tess heads over to investigate.
There's a permanent campsite, with 6 obese humans of medium size. They have
weapons and armor, some of the armor is damaged. "This one's tasty, hope
the next one's as good." "Mmm, plump, lots of juice." Cave with a 12' tall
entrance. One of them yells, time for the second course. One of them goes
to get it, they come out dragging a living child. There's a giant in the
cave, and there's several in a cage in the cave.
Tess comes back and tells everyone. Tess gets Barkskin +5 natural AC, as
does Remus and Roland.
The humans yell, and the giant says something and smoke comes out of the
ground of the ravine as the giant exits the cave. A human changes form into
a giant pig with glowing eyes. 3 more change form, one moving up to Tess.
Entire area in ravine is covered to a depth of 5 foot of smoke.
We rescued their master's child, a mother slave, a father slave, and two
slave children.
Loot
====
We found two Eversmoking Bottles that were linked to the pipes (we know
command word to start it).
Giant: masterwork club, elaborately worked copper bracers (they're magical
and change shape), 6 potions (5 of which are identical). There is a
magical book by the latrine with some pages torn out. And there's a
long spear. In a carefully lined box, there is a chicken foot on a leather
thong (it would fit Tess' neck).
Arni, Thorhilde, Remus, Safranna, Roland, Tess, Thora
=> full shares: Safranna, Roland, Tess, Thora, Thorhilde, Remus
Monetary treasure:
** begin divided ** Safranna, Roland, Tess, Thora, Remus, Thorhild - 6,000gp ea. 6-way
18,000 gold medallions (18,000gp worth - 1,000gp went to parents of slaves)
1,800 coins with holes in them (18,000gp worth - 1,000gp for slave owner wife)
- already subtracted off the 2,000gp to Mistress and slaves
** end divided **
** begin divided ** Safranna, Roland, Tess, Thora, Remus, Thorhilde - 2,750gp ea.
1,000 emperors (7,000gp worth - 3,000gp went on flying boat for a month)
1,300 gp gem
8,000 gp blue diamond
200 gp various gems
** end divided **
Everyone gets 300 gold emperors (coins with holes in them), and 3,000
gold medallions. Gems - Tess.
25,000gp Bracers - Remus - Bracers of AC +5
18,000gp Talisman of the Cockatrice foot + box - Tess - glove slot
touch people and turn to stone once/day
137,500gp Magical Book - THORA USED - Tome of Understanding +5
32,000gp Long Spear - THORHILDE - crafted by a priest of Petra,
Long Spear +3 of Deflecting (+1 from Complete Warrior)
- DC 20 Reflex save 1/round
8,000gp Club - Roland - Club +2
Potions -
1,500gp 5 of Cure Moderate Wounds
600gp 1 Potion of Shield of Faith
10,800gp 2 Eversmoking Bottles
- These prices are not halved. Total value 233,400gp -> 116,700gp.
=> 19,450gp each
**500gp for flying ship (fast yacht) + 100gp/week**
THORA OWES 19,850gp
The Academy of the Arcane is in Corisa, and they have sages of magic there.
Slaves can be freed by their owner. Often on a particular date, or when
their master dies. If you capture someone it's spoils of war.
Living costs: 50gp for a family for a year in the village of Lethos.
The madam would talk with us in the evening. We give the woman 1,000gp as
her husband has been lost, and the slaves are released and we give them
1,000gp to set up farm. We talk to a village offical about releasing the
slaves. This is a prosperous village.
The village wizard has spells that help crops grow. 1st level spell -
help crops grow. Tess gets that spell.
People go north to east from Lethos to find the Garden of Petra.
Talismans they can make in Dophius
==================================
Talisman of the Chimera - breath fire 1/day
5,940gp Talisman of the Faerie - gaseous form 1/day, obscuring mist 1/day
Talismans they can't make here
==============================
Talisman of the Golem - 5 kinds, allows you to control golems
Talisman of the Griffon - bonus save vs. fear
---
Tess looks for a Thieve's Guild in Corisa and doesn't find it. He
commissions a Cloak of Resistance +5 to be made. Thora takes 6 days
to read the Tome of Understanding +5.
**~1027/07/20**
We find a temple near the Traomean Road. It's a monastery of Tarrastia.
They meditate on the nature of laws, justice vs. mercy and so forth.
This is the main temple to Tarrastia in the Milenian Empire. Tarrastia
doesn't have an oracle. We continue to wander around looking for the
Garden of Petra.
There's a valley with rock terraces, the air is alive, amazing waterfalls,
especially green plants. It is a very lush, overgrown area. The valley is
different to outside. This sounds like the Garden of Petra. We hear
laughter, but don't know where it is from. We come to a clear area with
bubbling pools, moss-covered rocks, and there is a small crude clay
statuette of a woman on one of the ledges.
An old woman comes out walking with a walking stick. We have found Petra's
garden. "Minora and her companion Arni are here - they are safe here, as
are you." She says, "Please do not go down these paths," gesturing to
paths on the other side. The woman is blind, and goes back inside a cave.
We go down a path recommended by the old woman. We see Arni and Minora,
they are solid, and alive. They flew through the earth (as ghosts). They
would like to accompany us to the outside.
The oracle was preparing bread and olive oil for us. Tess helps bring out
some feta cheese and goat's milk. People come to the oracle to ask
questions. She will answer 3 questions for each of us. The oracle's eyes
are milky-white, she is clearly blind.
"The dragon of the green tower knows, when you meet them, ask them" - how
to obtain the Staff of Life.
Minora and Arni returned to life here in the Garden of Petra. Safranna
wishes to remain undead, as does Thorhilde.
**It is now 1027/08/01.**
The oracles regards Safranna and Thorhilde remaining undead and their
deities thoughts on the matter: "You should speak with Lord Forend or
Lady Zardonia. They have answers to questions you do not know to ask."
Thorhilde asks, "What would Thor think?" "Petra has said to me that Thor
has said that a warrior should fight honorably, and use the gifts that
your own nature has given you, not someone else's." Thorhilde wanders off
to contemplate this.
Thora asks, "Can Thora or mortal magic create Treants, guardians of the
forest?" "It is not possible for mortals to create life, merely to
change it."
Remus asks, "How do we complete Alamir's sword?" "You are not able to
complete the sword." Second question, "What is the best beer in the
world?" "The definition varies by the person ... for you ... I believe
it would be a beer after a hard day's fighting." Q3: "Given that animals
normally live in harmony with nature, why do supposedly intelligent
species spend so much time destroying it?" "It's in their nature."
Safranna asks, "Are Freyja and Petra the same deity?" "No. They are
good friends."
Tess asks, "Which elements within the Second Shadow and Eyes of the
Serpent are limiting collation of useful intelligence on the Schatten
Alfen?" "I cannot tell you anything about it, the information is warded."
Q2: "Will the Schatten Alfen attack the Shadow Elves?" "As far as I can
tell, no." Q3: "Who killed the librarian in Serraine and why?" "They
were killed by Yegor, Vasilev's retainer, to prevent them from talking
with you."
Safranna asks, "Have I been magically influenced to remain undead?"
Answer: "Partially."
Thorhilde chooses to rejoin the living. The oracle says, "I seen you
have grown by the choice." The oracle brings over the clay statuette and
holds it over Thorhilde's body while chanting. The statuette glows while
the oracle is chanting. Thorhilde gasps about halfway through, and then
gasps again for breath 5 minutes later.
Darielle and the oracle chat for a while. Mark Sutherland has several
questions to ask in private of the oracle - Mark will ask some questions
about the organization that has been hunting down and killing
shapeshifters.
We go back to Traomeaneus, sell the horses, and get on the yacht and go
to Alphatia. 1 day to Traomeaneus, 6 days to Alphatia.
**1027/08/09** (stayed overnight at Garden of Petra)
Thorhilde change her mind, because she was afraid of dying, and that's
why she wanted to be a vampire. She wasn't going to let her fear beat
her.
We go to see Lord Forend in Alphatia. He is the minister for trade, and
he was at court quite a lot. Spidersilk robes are signs of being a
spellcaster. His eyes flick to Safranna, when Thora asks if he has any
experience with undead. Lord Forend asks to take a sample of Safranna's
blood to test for something. Roland leaves hoof marks on the polished
wooden floorboards as we head inside to the lab to test the blood. Lord
Forend takes a blood sample from Safranna. Lord Forend is testing for
the presence of something in the blood.
History lesson: Safranna is infected with vampirism. I use the infected
precisely. Alphatia invented Vampirism. We, invented it to produce a
better kind of Alphatian. The results were not ideal and many people
had side effects. And many extra strains were produced that had
particular side effects. The most common side effect is psychological
damage. Safranna appears to have the pure strain (of the undead
disease), which means she will not be psychologically damaged by it. The
condition does have side effects. Their is a tendency for the condition
to twist and become the damaged kind, when it is transmitted - but it
won't become twisted in a particular person who has the pure strain,
though their progeny will almost certainly become psychologically
damaged. There are still side effects, but the side effects are not that
of a typical vampire - you will not become a monster, and less you were
before. For a short time, someone could withhold against the damaged
strain, but not forever.
Lycanthropy was a disease created by the Alphatians, and there is a
pure strain of that disease. Lycanthropy also becomes twisted. Thora has
a pure strain of lycanthropy, as does Remus.
It has been known for those who are damaged to hunt those who are not
damaged. Those who have the pure strain are immune to the damaged
version of the disease.
Safranna goes to talk to Lady Zardonia about pure strain vampirism.
---
The Alphatian enchanter can complete Alamir's blade. It would take a lot
of time, some special components, and lots of money. DM will tell us if
and what material components would be required to complete it. T'zaz
should be able to complete it when she improves as an enchanter.
---
There is a dragon that lives in Sundsvalle in a green tower. The dragon
is curled around the tower. It has claimed a section of the ruins of
Sundsvalle as its turf - you have to pay the dragon a toll to investigate
its part of the ruins. Some people charge tolls to go through some gates
in Sundsvalle - others get about this by going over the wall, or whatever.
When people take pot shots at the dragon, the dragon wakes up sometimes,
and kills some of them.
**1027/08/10**
Thora gets dropped off at Alphatian Neathar. Tess picks up his Cloak of
Resistance in Corisa and picks up Minora and Arni as well. Thora is picked
up on the way back. We head back to Sundsvalle to talk to the dragon of
the green tower.
**1027/08/17**
Thora tells Tess which two deities the Graakhalians worship.
The dragon is female and is curled around the Fire Slayers tower. (i.e.
The Firefighters ruined building.) The dragon has 4 people manning a
blockade, and they ask for the toll. We ask to talk with the dragon. We
go up to the top of the tower to talk with the dragon. There is an open
platform to talk to the dragon. The dragon is jade green in color.
The dragon would like us to recover a claw. It is a tiny claw, no more
than 6 inches long. White, polished to a high sheen. It should be fairly
much indestructible. It is a minor artifact.
There are several unlooted locations in this city. Some of the
inhabitants did not survive. Their abodes abide. Their houses remain.
Tess looks at the pink tower, two towers to the right of that, that is
the one that you seek. There are constructs and guardians there. The
base of the tower has been entered and some creatures live within. That
area itself is not very safe. Most creatures that abide in that area
leave for the night, as undead roam that area at night. An army of undead
marches through that area. They are organized. Everyone who has come
across them has fled. The tower itself is nearly indestructible. The
former owner is dead - she gives us the name.
He was a powerful mage, a member of the Grand Council (the 1,000 most
powerful mages in the country). He had no servants, he used magic for
his needs. His tower was very well built and survived the earthquakes.
He was paranoid about people assassinating him. He was in his tower when
bad things happened, and was never seen again. People assume his tower
had bound creatures inside that killed him. No one has been inside the
tower. His tower was constructed by him.
Undead army is ghostly, dressed in uniforms of the Alphatian Army. They
don't talk. They don't go into buildings, they just patrol. They will
challenge people, and don't believe people who state their business -
even rightly. They believe their job is to guard the area. Their patrols
are groups of 25.
**1027/08/18** (After memorizing.)
6 people going into tower initially:
10 min/level = 160 min
Minora - Barskin (+5 AC), Resist Energy (Fire),
Remus - Barskin (+5 AC), Resist Energy (Fire),
Roland - Barskin (+5 AC), Resist Energy (Fire),
Safranna - Barskin (+5 AC), Resist Energy (Fire),
Tess - Barkskin (+5 AC), Delay Poison (16 hours), Resist Energy (Fire),
Thora - Barskin (+5 AC), Resist Energy (Fire),
There is a giant insectoid construct on a nearby road.
A woman, called Selaire, was being chased by a dog with red eyes. We
go to her base. The woman stops and snarls at us after we figure out
that she's not human.
There's murder holes in the walls and the ceiling of entry corridor.
There's a staircase. Door to the right. 3 doors to the left. Doors
ahead. Party stays in the more secure stables and searches while Tess
checks the other rooms. T'zaz found a secret door in the stables. We
continue searching.
Continuing 2003/12/19
=====================
While searching a room, some people burst in. "Kill these fools and
then secure the ground floor." "Yes sir." - said in Alphatian by a
male voice. The 6 hobgoblins are in full plate, with bastard swords
and large steel shields. With two flame strikes, Thora takes down 4
of the hobgoblins. One trips as he tries to jump out the window,
falling heavily. Tess tries to knock out the last one and yells at
him to surrender. Thora casts Finger of Death on the outside the
window that Minora missed with a javelin. Hobgoblin yells in
Hobgoblin, "You only live once," and tries to charge Remus, as
Tess knocks him out. Thora casts Cure Light Wounds on Tess. Tess
retrieves Minora's javelin.
**Full plate, heavy steel shields, bows, and bastard swords are
masterwork.** We take one hobgoblin with his equipment with us back to
see the others. All of them were wearing an identical ring with a
small gem on it. The other jewellery is relatively crude.
The armor and sword are probably enchanted. The full plate armor is
+1. Bows and swords are non-magical and not masterwork.
**600gp for the assorted jewellery, rings are worth about 60gp each.**
**The rings are Rings of Protection +1 - we have six of them:**
- Thora, Remus, Minora, Mark Sutherland, Roland, Thorhilde
The unconscious hobgoblin will wake up in about 3 hours. Their
equipment is clean and neat. Thora wakes him up with a Cure Critical
Wounds. He refuses to talk. Tess ties him up. We go back up and find
that the other bodies have been dragged away through the locked door.
Thora is wearing Nightvision goggles.
We find a room with a corpse. The room is sky blue. There are a
parade of animated creatures on the wall. On the rear of the door
are bloody marks. The bones are of a human child. Child has
spidersilk robes and their are bloody finger marks on the door.
The figures on the wall repeat. A bit of the wood paneling is
loose. In a hollow, there are some feathers, rocks, and papers.
The style of clothing of the child is male. The papers have a
drawing of the child on a cloud. The corpse of the child is a
few years old.
Next room. A smashed window. A bed has been moved over next to
the window, and a scrap of rags tied to a bed post. There is bird
poop everywhere here. There is a wardrobe with female clothing.
Tess takes some of the clothing that may be useful for a disguise.
We come across a classroom with a blackboard. The diagrams on the
blackboard are basic theory of evocation. Two simple books with
primers on the nature of magic.
Next room. A bathroom. The water still runs, and stinks a bit
when it first comes out.
**Children's toy golem.**
We find a secret door in the child's bedroom. There are clouds
on the ceiling. They move. In the secret door, there is a golem
made of iron. (This is the only child's bedroom on this level.)
The golem is a runic guardian, and very powerful. It can uses
the spells enruned on it. It is controlled by jewellery. The
person it was meant to guard would have had some jewellery. Tess
searches out the window where someone had climbed out with a rope
from the bed.
**1027/08/19**
**We think the jewellery to command the Runic Golem may be in a bird's nest**
We follow the hobgoblin bodies that were moved, using Stone Shape
to go through two doors with high quality locks. A fire spell
goes off, but Tess evades it. Remus smells the smell of a cat.
There is a magical alarm on this corridor. Guards and wards appear
to be in effect on this castle. It causes confusion at intersections.
Lots of spells get thrown back and forth. Remus gets confused in the
fog. Tess climbs around the outside of the tower.
After many spells, the catman offers to surrender. Tess knocks him
out. There are 6 dead hobgoblins. The catman was the guy giving
orders. They appear to be living in this area.
The library: Knowledge (Arcana), Alphatian Local History, Alphatian
politics.
We kill the guardian statue, and start exploring that section of the
tower. There is a transparent shield with bird guano on that lets
birds in and out, but prevents other stuff passing through. There is
another similar roof, which doesn't allow birds in or out, where it
appears a dragon tried to get in.
There are translucent things that can go through walls. Undead
created by evil thoughts, Malices. We come to a room with a translucent
robed figure, knealing in thought, before an altar with a staff on it.
A Gray Philosopher (undead) contemplating something creates the Malices.
If they ever solve that conundrum, they become as if a god. We kill the
Gray Philosopher, it looks up at us and laughs evilly as it dies. The
altar is to Razud. Thora picks up the staff. The staff appears
non-magical to T'zaz.
Minora opens two rooms with Stone Shape. In the two rooms there is
another altar to Razud.
We found the piece of jewellery that can probably be used to control
the golem. T'zaz activates it by telling it to move. Tess runs around
trying to yell commands at it, which failed. If the jewellery is dropped
it stops at the jewellery. Tess picks up the jewellery and it attacks
and stuns Tess. Aldara drags the jewellery away, and the runic golem
followed that and stopped attacking us.
The catman escaped. We run after him and catch him. Battle ensues.
2003/12/22
==========
We hunt down the catman. He cast Horrid Wilting, then Wall of Stone,
then did an illusion which we followed. Then Remus tracked him down
with scent to an abandonned building. Tess heard the guy in the
building, followed him through to a room. The catman was looking out a
broken window. Tess attacked the wounded catman and killed him.
Searching for the claw. Tess searches (taking 20) in the compartment
where the Runic Golem was, and the two labs which had excellent quality
locks. Tess also searches the library and the area where the Grey
Philosopher was. Tess doesn't find anything.
**Treasure from the tower**
From 12 Hobgoblins:
2,500*12 - 12x +1 Full Plate
1,170*12 - 12x +1 Heavy Steel Shield
2,000*12 - 12x +1 Ring of Protection
2,333*12 - 12x +1 Bastardsword
700*12 - 12x masterwork Longbow
---------
9,003*12*0.5 = 54,018
Loot from catman et al.:
90,000gp - 9,000pp
5,000gp for 18 gems (total value is 5,000gp)
-100gp for 10 minute consultation from enchanter to identify heavy gold band
Loot found from catman et al.:
257gp - Heavy Darkwood Shield
1,170gp - Heavy Steel Shield +1 of Ghost Touch (it's not translucent)
90,000gp - Heavy Gold Band - powerful, T'zaz doesn't know what it does
- Enchanted IDs it as Ring of Regeneration (not vampiric)
5,000gp - Bracers of Archery, Lesser (+1 bonus to attack rolls with a bow)
16,000gp - Belt of Strength +4
priceless- Staff of Life - different people see it differently, it appears
to be a different staff at different times. It's an artifact.
- cure any malady, any sickness even death, limits unknown
- there are runes on the Staff, she examines it with Read Magic
- 3 command words, 1st at bottom of staff (50%), runes circle
staff, 2nd is written in middle of staff and scrunched up (30%),
last at top (20%) - they don't know the effects of these
-------------
151,113gp after multiplying magic items by 0.5
Total: 205,131.5 => 27,351gp per full share (13,675gp for half share)
Ring of Protection +1: Mark Sutherland, Minora, Thorhilde, Thora, Remus, Roland
Belt of Strength: Thorhilde
Bracers of Archery, Less: Minora
Staff of Life: party item
Full share: Tess, Minora, Remus, Thora, T'zaz. = 5
Half share: Roland, Safranna, Arni, Thorhilde, Mark Sutherland = 2.5
**1027/08/21** (2 days looting, T'saz in library)
We go to Andare. T'zaz works on identifying stuff with reference
materials.
**1027/08/22**
Tess does Gather Information on the dragon:
- the dragon used to live further north
- some say it was held prisoner by a mage, who wished to experiment on it
- the dragon is now quite powerful
- the dragon has been there for a few years now, most of the time
Sundsvalle has been wrecked
- When it arrived it recruited some of the people who collect tolls to
its cause, and has 100s if not 1000s of people living there. It is
setting up its own fiefdom. There is most likely some magic item that
is creating food.
- It is a Jade Dragon. It is a neutral dragon, tend to be good. Often
mistaken for chaotic Green Dragons. They are moderately powerful as
dragons go.
- The dragon has been pretty busy looting the area for its own purposes.
Its minions have been looting the area under the direction of the
dragon.
- It breathes a cloud of poisonous gas.
T'zaz will need a couple of days.
The Gray Philosopher was a cleric, not the mage. The claw would be on
the personage of the mage. The catman was a Rakshasa, a shapechanging
humanoid. It's possible the mage was not at home when Sundsvalle was
struck by the quake. The dragon suggests leaving the staff with it,
until we recover the claw.
The dragon says that the Claw has the power to call creatures, to
summon them, even in the Hollow World the dragon believes. It has other
powers, but that is the one for which the dragon wants it. The dragon
will consider it to be a fair trade, if we can get it a copy of the
book on the deities.
Tess does Gather Information in the underworld in the ruins of
Sundsvalle to find out who the hobgoblins and Rakshasa were selling
stuff through.
The mage was a member of the Council. Many members of the Council went
to Glantri to attack it, so he may well have been in Glantri rather
than in Sundsvalle.
The jewellery is used to command the golem, but only by the golem's
creator. The runic golem can find the jewellery if someone is wearing
it. If someone else has the jewellery, the runic golem will attack them.
They're good at guarding, jumping in front of blows etc.
The claw: if you kill a creature, you can summon more of that kind of
creature - and that's only for about a week or so. (Info T'zaz found out.)
The dragon is interested in various works on magic, philosophy and the
arts. Minora and the dragon talk about philosophy for a while. Minora has
been considering not returning to the outer world, she wants to stay home.
The dragon wants some books from the Millenian Empire, and wants Minora to
explain them. Minora is happy to do so. She'll think further about whether
she stays in the Hollow World or leaves.
**1027/08/23**
Tess buys +10 Open Lock and +10 Disarm Trap Thieve's picks: 20,000gp
Others get some items made too.
**1027/09/15**
Information on the Schatten Alfen:
250,000 population
We get a ride out with the Alphatians. We don't get dosed, we have to
stay below decks.
Tess makes trade arrangements before he goes: they are willing to sell
stuff and drop it at a drop off point.
Minora found a shield in Davinia that has patterns from the Millenian
Empire culture.
Glenn will send us info on what T'zaz found out from the enchanter about
completing the sword.
**back around 1027/10/04**