16 Turniki 3020, Avantir, Ocean Empire

Vulk uses his psionic healing powers, boosted by the Staff of Summer (and the spell Defanged Serpent as a power stunt), to heal first Aldari, then Raven. By the time he gets to Ser Bizwyk (CS on Defanged Serpent), the man has stopped breathing. But he is able to neutralize the poison, and then revive him by more conventional means. By the time he gets to Barii the boy is mostly dead. Fearing a failure after such rapid, intense use of his power, he puts the boy in Stasis, as his mother, the house cook Karin, looks on.

They rig a method of getting the boy upstairs to a bedroom, and begin to ponder what the fuck just happened. Then Captain K’Jurol burst in with the news of Mariala and Dr. Lurin Ar’Hanol. (and when is Devrik going to notice her name?!)

Devrik, assured the rest of the Hand will remain vigilant in his absence, and at the urging of Raven, accompanies Vulk  and the Captain back to the Sea Foam Inn. There they find Mariala keeping the crowd at bay, and demanding Vulk save Lurin. Vulk approves of her casting of Stasis, and assures her it will last more than long enough. Devrik whips the table cloth off the table (leaving plates, cups and lit candles standing) and they use it to make a crude litter which the four carry through the streets… to little apparent reaction from the jaded Imperial citizens.

At Bekatia House they gather both dead friends in Mariala’s bedroom, where Vulk prepares to heal and then revive them. Draik gives his friend a little pick-me-up, and Vulk becomes a meth-addled speed demon, esp. after Toran uses Zyna’s Tap on him to clear his fatigue.. Casts Smile of Kasira on himself (CS), then scores another CS on his psionic healing talent. Wreathed in glowing green energy, he neutralizes the poison in both victims simultaneously. Dari revives fully, but Lurin requires mouth-to-mouth from Mariala to recover.

While Draik makes his CSI: Avantir investigation into the kitchen, the food and the poison itself, Mariala sends one of the house servants back to the Sea Foam Inn to recover the chocolate tort, if possible. Servant Yon Frigan (called Yon Yon) is a self-starter with some real initiative, and Mariala is grateful when  he returns with dead rats instead.

Devrik whispers, “That chocolate torte looks a lot like a dead rat..”

A plant alkaloid would be bitter, says Draik, but this didn’t seem to be. Only Aldari didn’t finish his because he didn’t like the taste, but he might just not like shellfish. The poison is also different, if no less lethal, than the one that killed poor Therok. Both are native to eastern, southeastern, and south central Ishkala, tropical to semi-tropical plants — information he gleans from his herbal book (gift from Vulk).

They question the staff, using Truth Sense and find no lies are being told. Erol tries out his newly mastered Violet Eye spell, asking if the poisoner is in the house, and gets an ambiguous yes/no answer. Consults with Mariala, who tries it herself, asking if the poisoner was invisible. She gets an unequivocal NO! For an answer.

Jeb, who has been sick all day with a nasty head cold, asks Vulk if he should eat the food left outside his room for him, in light of the recent attack. Vulk takes the tray back downstairs, where Draik determines that the mustard (a key ingredient in the shrimp dish)was poisoned, and gets his first full sample, confirming his suspicions. Cook Karin make the mustard herself, last batch about a tenday ago.

Given the Ishkala origins of the poisons, Erol tries Violet Eye again, asking “Is the poisoner affiliated with Ishkala in any way?” Once again, he gets an ambiguous yes/no answer.

Given Draik’s new certainty about the poison, the Hand clears out the kitchen (to Karin’s dismay – all that wasted food!), and scientifically array it at Mariala’s suggestion, to see if the rats who eat it die. While Devrik gently plays the pipes, they watch as the rats come out (Mariala nerves herself, but watches from inside, thru a window). The rodents enjoy the feast and waddle away healthy and happy.

Erol tries one more time with Violet Eye, asking directly if the Cook Karin put the poison in the food. This time he gets a resounding YES! (CS). Mariala casts the same spell and gets the same YES! answer. While there’re doing that, Vulk has lain down, with Devrik watching over him, to project his ethereal form out of his body. He searches the house for invisible or ethereal presences, and finds nothing save for a tattered ghost, hardly more than a cold spot in the cellar it’s so old. Devrik feels bad for it, and promises to research it.

Mariala uses her psionic abilities to peer into the cook’s mind, after she is prompted to remember some lost time two days prior, on her way home form the market. There is a block in her mind, and Mariala is unable to pierce it, seeing only two large, mesmerizing eyes – which is all Karin can be made to remember.

Similar probing of their waitress at the tavern, Betha, turns up no similar books in her mind, and suspicion turns to Captain K’Jurol. He volunteers to have his mind probed, after admitting to missing time three days earlier on his way home from the tavern that night. Mariala find the same mesmerizing eyes and an absolutely solid wall blocking off a small part of his memory.

At this point the Hand and family retire to the Extradimensional Mansion (the group should come up with a. name for the house) for assured safe food and a good night’s sleep. Devrik casts one of his new Vularu spells, reads the Tarot, and peers into the Flames of Xydona before bed. The nine hours of the Vularu spell result in one of the most vivid dreams of his life – the image of an old house, in an old neighborhood, next to a small park with a very tall fir tree. He knows it is somewhere in Avantir, and that it bears very strongly on the future of the Hand of Fortune.

The next day the group spread out to search the city for this building, having little more to go on. They all have some success in narrowing it down, but it is Draik (with a CS) who actually find the place, in the southern Fourth Circle. That afternoon, the Hand gather in front of the house, which appears abandoned. They decide to just forge ahead, despite Draik suggestion they just burn it down (Devrik likes!). After knocking, and Toran jiggling the handles to a sea shanty he learned on shipboard, Draik and Toran race to pick the two locks on the front door – amazingly Draik succeeds (needing 10 or less and rolling 1) just beating Toran; less amazing is Toran’s success.

Once inside the single large room at the front of the house Vulk draws the musty curtains. Place is empty of all but dust. As they move toward the doors leading deeper into the house, they are transported through a disorienting array of steps, to be plopped down, nauseous  and confused, in an ancient underground temple. Vulk pukes Ito a nearby shrubbery. Toran shows off his new Yalva skills by lighting a Sphere of Sholakas in his hand to light up the gloom. Draik determines the plants (and the humidity, despite the relative coolness of the temple) mean they are likely in a subtropical-to-tropical locale.

The doors north and south are magically sealed, a massive stone face blocks the east. Toran convinces Mariala to perform a charming gavotte on the symbol-marked stepping stone in the central pond, while Draik and Vulk click the gemstone buttons Vulk discovered while testing the water pouring from the cobra-head statues at the west end of the pool. Hilarity ensues for the GM, as they dance about, press buttons, and continually unlock and lock both sets of doors without realizing it.

Eventually Toran discovers that the northern doors are unlocked now. Vulk picks up a stone torch, and lights it from the ethereal flame flickering on one of the wall torches.

They are wary of the decorated central plates in the corridor, not stepping on them. But Draik sets off a trap nonetheless, and darts rain down on him, Mariala and Toran. Miraculously, all three avoid being hit, although a few darts stick in clothing or bounce off armor. Toran studies the floor carefully thereafter and identifies the trapped plates. 

Most everyone else traverses the hallway safely, and then Devrik makes a running start, leaps, and floats over the whole distance. He is using a new Vularu spell, Horrid Hover (but doesn’t realize that he has finally  triggered a latent psionic ability of telekinesis).

In the Statue Puzzle Room, they fairly quickly solve the puzzle, only triggering the dart trap once, as the pointer faces the north wall. Erol is hit by a dart and thought for a moment that it was a poisoned one, starting to panic until he realizes it has not pierced his armor. When the third button resets to the south, Toran figures it out and they light all four beacons and unlock the door.

Toran is meticulous about checking for trapped floor plates as the Hand proceed east down a short corridor.

In the ruined alter room, Mariala casts a Read spell to translate the stone slab. “What weapon did Darmok wield at the Bridge of Tanagra?”

They spend some time trying to solve the riddle, eventually realizing the answer may once have been on the carved mural that now lies in pieces on the floor.

B’okiri pour form a hidden entrance, and attack. Erol nets one on the weapon arm, CS ruining the creatures counterstrike.

Toran hurls his Chaos  Spear of  Shazirka at one, singes it, but doesn’t stop its attack. He counterstrikes then, and his battle-axe slices through its muzzle.

Mariala’s Syncope of Shala puts four of the six to sleep.

Erol’s opponent attacks with a mankar, Erol CS blocks with his trident and is able to follow up with a Tactical Advantage, stabbing his trident into the little guy’s stomach – but still it doesn’t go down!

Then an arrow from Draik’s short bow hits its left thigh, finally bringing it down and opening the femoral artery. It quickly bleeds out.

Devrik attempts an Orb of Vorol, but is forced to abort the Form.

More of the little buggers pour out of the hole, and the attack continues. Erol damages another, takes a hit his belly armor absorbs, while Toran’s muzzle-wounded opponent blocks the Khundari ninja’s next attack.

Vulk attempts Weavers Web from the Staff of Summer, but it misfires, engulfing not only the two B’okiri they are fighting, but Erol and Toran as well. Erol manages to quickly rip himself free, but Toran is more firmly stuck. And annoyed.

A B’okiri hurls a slingstone at Draik, who merely moves his head aside slightly to avoid the missile.  It instead strikes Toran’s webbed would-be opponent, who is rendered insensible.

Draik takes another B’okiri with another arrow, this time in the right calf; it goes down, but isn’t out.

Devrik attacks with the Holy Sword of St. Helathor, and his opponent counterstrikes, slicing across Devrik’s right hand – he drops the sword! Vulk uses his psionic healing talent to patch up the wounded hand, after another round of Mariala’s Syncope takes all the remaining little buggers out of the fight.

Mariala fails to cast Tongues, to question the prisoner(s), so Vulk performs his own ritual to the same end. While the others interrogate, Toran attempts to open the doors to the south – CS with Lockpicking, and yet no luck! Even his magic key fails to pierce the magic holding them shut. 

Similarly, attempts to Dispell the enchantment on the doors fails, in a bit of a fiasco – Vulk attempts to bolster Mariala’s attempt, fails, she prepares to cast but Devrik bumps into her while trying to help with his own version (CF), and the whole thing comes to naught. Erol succeeds in casting the spell, but it proves ineffectual against the temple magic.

“Vulk fails to cast dispel to assist Mariala, and when she begins to cast her spell, Devrik rushes to stop her so he can cast Dispel to assist and accidentally shoves her instead.” – Devrik

Draik fails his claustrophobia test, and refuses to enter the small tunnel whence came the B’okiri. Toran enters alone, able to see thanks to his darkvision. Comes on a lone guard watching through the eastern hidden door/peepholes, and attacks. The creature dodges, then counterstrikes, but fails. Toran then cuts his right leg from under him, finishing him off with a blow to the chest.

Erol has had enough of Draik’s hysterics and, on hearing the clash of arms within, goes after Toran. He grabs the stone torch from Vulk, and squeezes through the opening. Halfway to Toran he is ambushed by a second watcher, from the west. Erol brilliantly blocks, and then stabs, but the B’okiri dodges. 

Devrik ignites his holy sword and enters the fray, crushing the skull of Erol’s opponent into flaming ruin.

Vulk, after several minutes of cajolery to try and get Draik to enter the tunnel, finally gets him in a headlock and drags him in, kicking and screaming (but quietly, Darik’s not stupid).

Toran and Mariala operate the mechanism that lifts the doors east and west, the group exits east into the Antechamber. Toran uses his mundane lock picking skills to open the ancient, rotting doors into the main chamber.

Confrontation with Ambassador Mai Shin, who reveals himself to be Thuron Yan (who the group has trouble remembering – they’ve killed so many people, and burned down so many buildings in the last 2-3 years).

Some invisible force keeps Devrik (first) and the others from moving more than two-thirds of the way down the aisle. Thuron Yan monologues, explains his revenge plan and reasons:

In the year 2894 SR, Thuron Yan was born into a noble family on the island and nation of Yaro. Located in the tropical archapeligo southeast of the Ishkala continent. A precocious child , he was sent to study at the Imperial University of Ty Kyen when he turned 16. There he found his great passion lay in botany, alchemy and medicine.

At the age of 20 he met a stunning woman, unlike any he had every seen before, with pale skin and flaming red hair and eyes greener than any emerald. He was attracted by her exotic beauty, she found his intelligence appealing, and the two began a love affair. His family, once they learned of it, did not approve and insisted that he return home, now that his education was concluded.

He refused, and was prepared to defy them, no matter the cost, for the love of Axziga the Fair. In turn, Axziga was prepared to reveal her greatest secret to her lover, believing now that their love was true. But when the young man learned that his great love was, in fact, a red dragon in human guise – he freaked out. He had, since childhood, been possessed of a terrible fear of reptiles, and most especially of snakes. Seeing her in her true form, he went practically catatonic, and when she reverted to human form he fled from her in horror.

Hurt as she was by his reaction, Axziga was prepared to overlook it once he calmed down and had time to consider, to realize she was the same as she’d always been, and that he loved her. But it didn’t fall out that way in the end. His horror and disgust were bone deep, and knowing that he had enjoyed congress with a reptile sent him almost mad. Her every attempt at reconciliation was rejected, and the final time with harsh and hurtful words. He then departed to return home to his family.

Axziga’s pain and sorrow turned quickly to anger and grief at that point. She secretly followed her former lover back to his home, spying on his every move. When he all too quickly agreed to a marriage his parents had arranged, her anger and grief turned then to rage and vengeance. On the eve of his wedding day, she cast a terrible ritual she had learned long before, from priests of ancient Pagonia in the West — she caused him to become a creature part man and part snake. His family drove him away in horror, forcing him to flee his homeland.

When Axziga caught up with him in the jungles of Vavau, she gave him one last chance to return to their great love – surely now he could understand how he’d hurt her, and must repent of it, having experienced it himself. But still he could not look on her without revulsion clear on his face. Then the last of her own love died, and she became as cold and cruel as all of her race are said to be, casting a second great ritual, this time a curse. He would be condemned to live in this hated form for eternity, unable to die, always an outcast from all civilized people.

It took him almost two decades to find a way to suppress the curse, although only for a time – always he would eventually revert to his hybrid snake form. It was after that when he first met Olbu, a young man cursed with lycanthrope, and took him on as his eyes, ears, and hands in the world of Men when he could not go there himself. He in turn helped the young were-tiger adapt to his condition, and to find him a harem of women he could turn into were-tigresses.

Over time the snake man and his were-tiger associates traveled the world, looking for a cure for Thuron Yan’s cursed condition. Olbu and the other weres seemed much less interested in a cure for themselves, but remained loyal to their benefactor. Thuron Yal amassed fortunes over the decades, spending them as needed in pursuit of his goal. He also gathered a tremendous library of esoteric tomes, and taught himself, mostly, the ways of magic.

In time he and his companions settled in the Valley of the Golden Orchid, on the island of Kensuai, in the nation of Couri, neighbor to own lost homeland of Yaro. They built a comfortable villa and settled into various routines. And while Thuron Yan failed to find a way to reverse his condition and his curse, he did eventually learn of the whereabouts of his former lover.

Almost thirty years ago he and his were-tiger entourage infiltrated the ancient temple in Okara that the now reclusive red dragon had made her lair. They battled through and slew most of her B’okiri servant/worshipers before confronting the dragon herself. Even defeated and faced with a dragon-slaying artifact, Axziga refused to lift the curse, further foretelling that if he did kill her, then no power above or below would ever be able to remove it.

He slew her anyway.

Since then he has taken over her former lair and her minions (turning the easily manipulated B’okiri into his own minions/worshipers), keeping both as a back up retreat. He has also focused his efforts on circumventing his curse by transferring his mind into another body. He had died twice, prior to his encounter with the Hand of Fortune, and each time his snake form was become even more reptilian, more monstrous, and less human. He fears he will eventually become only a snake, losing his humanity forever. To stave off that day he fights the cold, emotionless aspects he feels growing within him, striving to be kind and compassionate where he can afford to be. But each new iteration of eternal form is colder, more ruthless, and less human…

Once he finishes his backstory he then summons a water elemental. The elemental goes first for Devrik, reeking as he does of the hated fire-stink. Our hero is battered, but retains his feet and his weapon.

Erol throws one of his Blast of Norinos grenades at the elemental, but it seems to have no effect on the creature. Devrik’s holy sword does, however, causing a steaming wound that quickly fills in as the elemental pulls back in dismay.

Vulk uses the Staff of Summer to summon an earth elemental, which will take four rounds. Mariala summons her own water elemental (name?), which takes two rounds. Draik moves to place himself in front of the concentrating Vulk, to protect him should the elemental attack. Which it does, and Draik dodges, drawing it away.

Toran keeps trying Stavin’s Arrow, but all except one attempt fails. The successful one does do some damage to the water elemental, however. Once the two elementals are fully engaged with each other, it frees up everyone’s attention for the Big Bad™.

Erol’s eye is caught by the Snake Lords gaze, and he is Charmed, despite the power of his new helm-of-not-being-possessed. He stands frozen. Vulk casts Kasira’s Armor on Erol, not realizing his friend has been charmed. 

Between the Kasira’s blessing and Erol’s magic helmet, when Thuron Yan Commands Erol to “defend me!” the Charm has been broken, and the command doesn’t take. But Erol, aware of the command, plays along and moves forward to take up a defensive stance in front of the Snake.

After her own water elemental appears and engages the first one, Mariala casts Resistance on herself.

Devrik considers summoning a fire elemental, but even under the best conditions (and these are far from that) it would take much too long. Instead he casts Immolation on himself — with a CS.

Erol whirls to launch a surprise attack on Thuron Yan, who is indeed taken aback to find his Charm/Command combo has failed. But his shockingly fast snake reflexes save him, as he sinuously evades the hero’s trident thrust at his belly (CS vs CS).

But the attack has the advantage of causing the Snake Lord to release his psionic wall that was keeping the others at bay. Devrik glides forward, a manshape of living ethereal (?) flame. As he does, Draik looses an arrow into the swam of B’okiri who have emerged to watch their Master kill the intruders – again he hits one in the left thigh, severing the femoral artery. As it bleeds out, its fellows charge forward, to Vulk’s exasperation.

Thuron Yan whips two blades from his side and cross cuts them through Devrik’s neck in a blinding move, decapitating the man! Except he’s made of flame, and so instead the blades pass harmlessly through him.

Erol invokes his Extratemporal psionic talent, with CS. His next attack on Thuron Yan is dodged, and the snake counters with his massive tail/body. He sends the gladiator flying into the swarm of B’okiri. Erol spears the first to come at him on his trident, lifts it up above his head and hurls its dying body into the water.

Mariala figures a sleepy spell ain’t gonna cut it this time, and unleashes her Fire Nerves spell. The B’okiri collapse mid-charge, mewling in pain. Thuron Yan just grimaces and glares at her, but isn’t incapacitated. 

A lone B’okiri, with more guts than brains, attacks Flame Devrik™ from behind, and gets a scorched blade for his trouble. The creature then decides discretion is the wiser option and retreats. Draik is having none of it, however, and once again his arrow finds a thigh and the femoral artery… another one bites the dust.

Devrik tries to cast Arkel’s Fiery Ribbons, but the distraction of the back stabbing B’okiri attack is enough to force him to abort the Form.

Vulk invokes a holy curse on Thuron Yan.

Mariala sends a second and third attack of Fire Nerves, keeping the B’okiri down and further discommoding Thuron Yan.

Doesn’t stop him from blocking Erol’s next attack, however, and again countering with his tail. He takes Erol’s legs out from under him this time, and lunges in with both falchions to end the gladiator with another decapitation move. But Erol successfully blocks and rolls back to his feet, protected by Kasira’s blessing.

The earth elemental finally appears, and is immediately set onto the enemy water elemental— the three-way elemental battle shakes the very ground and threatens the structural integrity of the ancient temple! Bad elemental kicks a watery foot into the earth elemental’s groin, sending chips of rock and dirt flying in a spray of water.

Toran fires a cross-bow bolt at the Snake Lord, but even as he’s fighting Devrik and Erol he manages to snatch it out of the air! It distracts him for a critical instant, however, and Devrik finally gets off Arkel’s Fiery Ribbons. The rainbow-colored flames slam into the snakes’ torso, engulfing him, and he screams in agony before collapsing to writhe and burn on the floor for a moment, before dying.

With his death, his summoned water elemental is freed, and saying “enough of this bullshit,” it vanishes in a spray of mist. Mariala dismisses her own elemental, with great thanks. Vulk has an idea for his earth elemental… but for the moment it just stands and waits.

While Toran sings (beautifully) an ancient Khundari funeral dirge, Vulk invokes the blessings of Kasira on the snake corpse of Thuron Yan, after which Devrik summons all of his pyrokinetic and magical Yalvan power to fully immolate the body, eventually turning it to fine ash and presumably ending the ancient curse that would otherwise revive and restore the man.

Afterward Erol pisses on the ashes, to the embarrassment of his companions.

Vulk utilizes his earth elemental to help Toran search for any hidden recess where loot might be found, and indeed, they find a small, well concealed chamber where Thuron Yan has hidden his recovered library (as much of it as the Hand didn’t loot themselves the year before). It is a tremendously valuable find, almost incalculable, really. It contains books, tablets and scrolls from across much of the world, on a variety of subjects both arcane and mundane.

Now, how do they get home again…?