D&D 4e Game, Homebrew Setting, Houserules

[Iunnrais]

{{PM'd insight roll results}}

"Si tepoha tenpiswo wer molis ekess wer obsule ekess wer treskri di mitne. Tira si majak coi ekess wux? Usv tira si sone wux? Sjek si sonea wux, nomagqe wer hewa tepohada ti dronilnra ve ekess tafiaf vesk ghent shio... shar hak tenamalo, sjek si majaka coi ekess wux persvek martivir, nomagqe batobot ornla qe wer ir batobot dronilnric thirku persvek goawy di nomeno? Si shilta ti sjerit douhvy."

"I have here the key to the portal to the world of light. Did I give it to you? Or did I eat you? If I ate you, perhaps the mage had not brought me to meet Vesk after all... but then again, if I gave it to you in peace, perhaps that would be the catalyst instead? I cannot yet decide."

[bac8434]

Something in the way this dragon speaks indicates that he is not fully grasping his own situation. Listening to him, Ancor makes the logical leap that, for some reason, this dragon cannot properly discern past from future, and he has even less of a grasp of the present. The dragon is clearly struggling to control himself, that much is evident from his movements and the strain in his voice. However, he is not struggling against harming the party, as one would expect him to be given the... history they share. This, combined with the way that the dragon never speaks of the present, indicates to Ancor that the dragon must somehow exist in both the past and future. That is the only logical conclusion that solves for all of this dracolich's behaviors and subtle indicators. He has knowledge of both, but cannot readily distinguish them.

The dragon also looks, worn, for a lack of a better term. Its eyes indicate a sort of sorrow, combined with fear... as if it is scared of something yet to happen, but already mourning what has passed. Clearly it wants help, Ancor thinks, or else we wouldn't still be standing here. It wants help to change something that it knows will happen, but hasn't yet.

Nudging Melech, Ancor says (with a diplomacy of +10 if necessary), "Mighty dragon, I do believe that we share a common goal. I know that you wish to see the Necromancer removed from this realm, so that it can become the land of dreams, as you call it, once again. Help us, and you will get what you seek."

[silarion]

Fine for monday

[bac8434]

I'm also still fine for monday

[Iunnrais]

Monday it is then.

[powerslave84]

God what did I miss?

[Zabasaz]

HOW TO DEFEAT THE TARRASQUE IN 3 EASY LEVELS

1) No particular feats required.
2) No particular items required.
3) Be a wizard of level 3.
4) Put on your robe and wizard hat.
5) Cast Command Undead on an allip (it's a CR 3 monster, if you can't find any just learn to cast Summon Undead.)
6) Cast Silent Image in front of the Tarrasque or Invisibility on yourself.
7) Have the allip attack it. Every hit will take off 3 wisdom on average with no saving throw, and the Tarrasque has an abysmal touch AC, with no way to hit incorporeal targets.
8) Once at 0 wisdom, it'll be unconscious until its ability score is restored. Cast Unseen Servant and have it shovel dirt into the nasal passages and lungs of the disabled Tarrasque so it can't breathe.
9) Per the MM, regeneration does not restore HP lost from suffocation, so it will be stuck at negative hit points, at least until some foolish adventurer unpacks the dirt from its sinuses.

Congratulations! For defeating the Tarrasque, you're now a level 4 wizard, with 1 XP away from level 5. Make some wealth by opening a Bar and Grill on its back.
For added hilarity, take the Precocious Apprentice feat and with some mildly lucky rolls do this at level 1.

[bac8434]

Let's see. We convinced the Dracolich to give us the key to the portal, and exited the shadow realm, but we were still stuck at the top of the real iron tower, with the Well of Storms far down below us. Of course, Neris was already there, and demanded that we give him our little shadow mimic, so he could craft it into a weapon to kill the dragon below (the same dragon we drugged earlier). We refused, not wanting to give Neris any more power, and not too keen on letting him absorb the power of the well. We fought Neris, but he had strong magical defenses and our attacks had little effect. The dragon came up to see what was on top of his tower, and started swearing and attacking us, letting Neris duck into the tower amidst the chaos. We convinced the dragon that Neris was the bigger problem, and they began an epic duel at the bottom of the tower, their magic canceling each other out. During this fight, Estia and her undead minions poured into the tower. Estia had a servant with her wearing an amulet that caused vines to grow around him, and the vines were the only thing allowing Estia to use her powers because they fully covered the iron. We killed the guy with the amulet, but Estia somehow managed to crawl into the dragon's throat, taking control of him. Using the dragon's power, she smashed through the wall to expose a lever, opening a floor pit leading to the well. We ended the night with our party running down the stairs trying to get to the well, with Neris close behind.

[Iunnrais]

So! XP for this last session...

Conversation with the Future Maekrix Hargast: 1000 xp
Fighting Neris to Retreat: 6000 xp
Driving Estia Tellach away and forcing her to use her last resort: 7000 xp
Defeatubg Estia's Escort: 1600 xp
Diplomacy with Maekrix Hargast (Present): 3000 xp
Fighting under conditions of severe attrition: 3000 xp bonus

Total: 21600 xp
Split Between 5 Party Members: 4320 each

Everyone WILL have levelled. You can't not have.

Summary for Melech: After conversing with the future Maekrix Hargast as a dracolich (seen above), the party agrees to help him in exchange for assistance. That assistance was to be in the form of the gate key to the prime material plane, which would also enable them to lock it from the other side, as well as a promise that he'd hold off the undead army (and Estia) as long as he could-- he admitted that this would not be very long, given that he was undead, and the Necromancer... well, I think you can see the issue.

The party returned through the gate to find themselves in daylight once more. Neris was there waiting for them, saying "About time you showed up." He also casually used telekinesis to grab the gate key from them, inadvertently preventing them from locking the gate behind them. Neris then stated his intentions.

Despite the party's disasterous efforts back in town, revealing his presence to the fae by bringing a faun into his presence while he was draining Sylvia Forest of Quintessence, he believes himself to now be powerful enough to see about collecting Quintessence directly from the Well of Storms. Obviously, Nestia cannot be allowed to do so, but if Neris gains access to it, he will be able to destroy her (if not her entire court) and finally be able to challenge and defeat the Necromancer-- his obsession and goal for the past ten thousand years or so. All they have to do is defeat Maekrix Hargast down below, gain entry to the Well, and let him do the rest.

Of course, defeating Maekrix Hargast will be difficult, to say the least, if not impossible. Hargast is a fully grown Red Dragon, as powerful and nasty as they come, and this is his home turf. He needs to create a weapon to destroy the dragon-- and he needs the Mimic Shadow to create it.

After some debate, particularly from Ancor, the party says they won't agree to allow Neris to have the shadow, which may or may not be sapient in its own right. Neris says it wasn't a request, and that they had no choice. That was when the fight started.

Neris proved to be almost every bit as powerful as he claimed-- wounds inflicted on him healed instantly, and that was when it was possible to hit him at all! He was nearly impervious to weapons in the first place due to his Mage Armor, and deflected magical attacks via a circle of protection. But with some timed tactics, the party discovered chinks in his armor and slowly but surely bled Neris of the quintessence that was healing him.

And then Maekrix Hargast himself showed up in the middle of the fight. Seeing the party, he recognised them from the shipping caravan so many months before, and likewise recalled his oath of vengeance against them. Swearing at them most foul, he dove directly at them and blasted them with flame, while Neris snuck around behind them all and dashed down the tower towards the Well.

The party somehow managed to convince Hargast that they were there to help. He didn't quite believe them, but was convinced enough that Neris was a more pressing trouble, and quickly dove after him.

The party followed, merely watching the fight between the massive red dragon and Neris for a while. And that was when Nestia's undead army finally broke through, carrying her in a sack.

Estia's personal guard attempted to sneak her past the dragon and Neris both, via the back way, but the party intercepted and drove her into the middle of the big fight, mostly staying out of it themselves. They killed her guard, but due to a magical amulet of growth, apparently related to (or even made from) the faun's crown, she was able to stand up and regain her powers despite the tower of iron. She began commanding the dragons themselves... first the little ones...

And then Maekrix Hargast threatened to tear Estia limb from limb. And her guard was defeated. She was alone, and in desperation, sought the last recourse she had--

She allowed herself to be swallowed by the dragon.

And in doing so, became the dragon.

Suddenly, the stalemate fight between Neris and the dragon suddenly became much more one-sided, in Estia's favor. In fact, she used the dragon's knowledge to open the large trap door leading to the Well, and dove down it.

The party at this point is exhausted, in almost every way imaginable. Supplies (including potions) are low. Health is low (healing surges almost all used). Powers have been exhausted. Tricks (such as the alchemist's fire) have been used. There's almost nothing left. And Estia is heading for the well-- presumably about to gain nigh-ultimate power.

Neris shouts to the party: "Now! Don't you see! The weapon is the only way! Give me the shadow!"

But instead, the party heads downstairs towards the well, despairing of hope but determined to give it another shot... to defeat Estia in combat before she gains the power of the well. Neris follows after, now pleading, begging the party to see reason.

TO BE CONTINUED...

[silarion]

Out of character: Subtitle for adventure last session is Brutal Smashing by DM for 4 hours.

I have 7 acids left and 1 Alchem fire.

In Character as we run down: "Perhaps we should consider giving her the shadow. To be fair, it seems sentient in only the most oblique way, and although I would prefer neither of these two to gain the power of the Well of Storms, at least Neris was once human, and his plans are theoretically scrutable to other humans. I think the necromancer getting the power would be worse than Neris."