Players (Characters)
Scott (Filthy Ike)
Jeremy (Flynn Flamm)
Rachel (Lotus)
Tom (Nathaniel Graythorne; Brother Jakob)
DM: Catherine
Enigma is generally the picture of poise, but today at Lonely Sparrow she is bruised, singed, sweating, and grateful to be alive. It has been a long day. Barely twenty-four hours ago, she was a Serpenti noble in Melmershaulk, and a master spy. In the space of a day, a year's work has gone up in smoke, and she is grateful to be alive. She speaks.
"I have been a spy among the Yuan-Ti for nearly a year, but only recently have I pieced together their history. Here is what I have learned.
"Serpenti children learn in school that they are the pinnacle of civilization, and never doubt it all their lives. Sure, the vast desert holds the ruins of ancient civilizations, and occasionally a wandering tribe will take up residence in a crumbling ruin and fancy themselves a nation. But until recently, none could hope to challenge
the might of the great serpent. Then two summers ago, she had reason to doubt herself.
"For ages unremembered, the myriad races of Marruspawn had wandered the desert as fractious tribes or howling and writhing abominations, the legacy of a long-gone people known as the Marru, whose legacies are common in the desert. The Marru left behind ruins and rubble, magic and machines, sandblasted landscapes and oceans of glass. The Marruspawn--their created servants--were a testament to their skill in spawncraft.
"In ages past, the mighty kingdom of Serpenti had paid the ascetic tribesmen little heed. The jackal-heads were too lost without their masters to be of either use or threat. Yet two summers ago, the Marruspawn suddenly began to unite across the desert. From the western shores to the eastern cliffs, they declared themselves Mizram, the Empire of Thirst, right rulers of all Semferia. Cities were rebuilt, ancient magic awoken. Hierarchies and armies and laws materialized as though they had never slept.
"Serpenti did what she did best; sent spies among them. They saw Marruspawn prophets proclaiming the return of the Marru. They said that the Marru commanded their servants to rebuild the ancient empire in all its glory, covering all Semferia as it ought. Renew Semferia to the desert it once was, and make it a fit dwelling for their masters. Once pleased with their work, the Marru would return in glory to iniate the second age of the empire. United by vision and devotion to their masters, the tribes arose as one and swiftly conquered the high desert.
"The terrible day came when Mizram marched on Serpenti. Right past her border villages, shattering her walls and defenses, they came straight to her capital and surrounded it. Their black heads and golden robes continued legion by legion over the hills; Melmershaulk seemed to float on a sea of black sand.
"A tall figure with a dark bearing emerged from the sea and announced himself as Wisdom, the high prophet of the Marru. He challenged Serpenti, saying, 'We are the builders of Mizram, and the heralds of the Marru. The land on which we stand belongs to the Marru by ancient right, and we claim it for the Empire of Thirst. The time of a Semferia divided among lesser peoples is over; Armageddon has come, and then a new age! Prove yourselves fit servants of the Marru or here meet your end.'
"At this, the Serpenti high cleric Ansennet is said to have smiled, and he replied, 'We have always longed for an empire, and love the sands nearly as much as you. Too long have the cool lands of the north sat at ease, and the wild tribes of the south run amok. For order and ancient glory, we gladly proclaim this your land and ourselves your humble servants. Today, Mizram has grown to touch the eastern sea.'
"Wisdom replied, 'We judge you strong servants, but strength must be proven by deeds. This shall be your task to prove your worth: Lead the way into the North; learn the land, weaken the peoples, and destroy or test every people East of the Stonetower Mountains.'
"So Serpenti became a province of the empire that day. Mizram changed her currency from gold to tseferu, her language from Yuan-Ti to Marru, her lands from grass to desert, and her god from Mershaulk to Senneth. She paid a hefty, yet bearable, tribute to her new lords, and her formidable spies and assassins were perpetually in demand. Yet Serpenti was otherwise given autonomy; Mizram agreed to leave her rulers, traditions, and peoples intact, and to visit her cities only in small numbers and rarely.
"Of course, Serpenti was two-faced. Many of the snakes genuinely loved bringing about an empire, even if it wasn't theirs yet. But ever-proud, they bristled under many of Mizram's changes, and found loopholes. The nobles adopted the use of tseferu pieces, and demanded them in payment for all the tools of war and nobility; gold became the currency of the nameless purebloods, and another means of their oppression. Marru was spoken in public, but Yuan-Ti in private.
"Serpenti already had a cult to Senneth--tiny, but a bitter rival of Mershaulk nonetheless. She was far too devoted to her dark god to give up even a single cleric, and maintained Mershaulk's temple in full glory. But to impress their Marruspawn visitors, Serpenti would trade temples between the priests, so she could claim Senneth held the place of honor on the hill. Mershaulk himself was driven to jealousy by this, and proclaimed that should Senneth's temple ever stand higher than his, they would see how Serpenti liked serving Senneth alone for an hour.
"But Serpenti undertook one command wholeheartedly, and far exceeded what was asked: the conquest of the north. Asked for or not, her spies were everywhere, her saboteurs busy toppling kingdoms from within. We all know firsthand the devastation she wreaked, but her strength is in subterfuge and sabotoge, not open warfare. In the end, her rival Westlay tricked and outmaneuvered her. In her zeal to impress her new masters, and her fear of defeat, Serpenti committed nearly everything to the assault on White Sands--and lost it all.
"A few days passed. The dust had barely settled upon Melmershaulk, and the image of the Ninja Mongoose Rockstars still grated on the serpent pride, when Mizram returned to Melmershaulk in thunder. Of course, it was against their contract for Mizram to enter a province in force, and Mizram took contracts very seriously. Yet the army skirted every defense, ignored every protest, and entered every major city. A burly Marrusault stood on every streetcorner, and the sky turned black with Marrutact wizards.
"Then the voice of Wisdom boomed in every city, from a thousand illusions. 'Good servants of the empire, you have served well this past year; the north is weakened, and the south is subdued. Your zeal is admirable, and your subtlety enviable. Yet you have failed at the test of strength the Marru set before you; the time has come to lead the assault on the north, and we find you paralyzed. The foes you were sent to smite now stand poised to destroy you. Great you are, and great you have been, but not great enough for a place in Mizram. We bid you glory at the end of your age, and speed the coming of the ancient empire.'
"The slaughter was total. Neither abomination nor pureblood, child nor grandmother, Serpenti or Marruspawn, priest or beast, bird, angel, devil, or grasshopper was allowed to leave the city. The blood-channels of Mershaulk's temple overflowed onto the streets as Mizram spared none. In the chaos, I was able to move about the city disguised as a Marrusault soldier, but the legions were organized and tight-knit; without alias or background, I was quickly discovered whenever we crossed paths. I hid in the city walls, while overhead the city burned. The legions were called out of the city one by one and every soldier counted. They remained and watched as the city turned to ash.
"Mizram then departed to the north. As as soon as they were over the dunes, I struck out West. Melmershaulk is nearest the edge of the Serpenti teleport shield in that direction, and I hoped to avoid Mizram. Others survived, but not many; I saw footprints, tentative groups of one or two striking across the desert to villages which had been--for now--ignored.
"Mizram is on the move, and will certainly come to Westlay soon. I feel certain that she will be offered the same options: prove her strength in service to the Empire of Thirst, or be destroyed."
Enigma's tired voice trembled as she spoke these last words, and then she stepped aside. Minellin stood to address the group, sharing a more pressing bit of news.
"A week ago, the goblin city near Waecleft emptied. They swarmed over the hills and road like locusts, their masters herding them more than commanding. Waecleft, sat oblivious and idle while three thousand goblins approached.
"We, the Last Watch of the Ten kings, have taken an oath to serve the ten kings and their cities, and to remember their ancient alliance, so it has always been our place to inform and not to interfere. Yet I could not allow Waecleft to remain ignorant of the coming storm. I summoned Mary to the gates of the city with the dire news, but they answered only that Waecleft was closed and would admit none. Feeling that the situation was perhaps a bit more dire than they realized, I transgressed slightly against my oath, and sent Mary to sneak inside.
"She found the city locked in a civil war long frozen in stalemate. The three heroes of the city--Jearn, Borin, and Bearn, all brothers--were divided. Bearn stood with the paladins of the Order of the Narrow Way, and demanded abolition of the monarchy, justice for the people, and most importantly that Waecleft loose its mighty cavalry and destroy the goblin city. Jearn stood with the Elite Guard, swearing undying allegiance to King Edward, who saw Bearn and his uprising as treason. Borin took no side, but begged for peace and reconciliation.
"Of course, none was to be had. Even had his monarchy not been at at stake, King Edward believed the city was in danger. He had barely dared to slay the spies of the powerful Serpenti, and feared her retribution. He was certain that if Waecleft made itself visible and powerful, she would invite destruction. No, the best strategy was to close the gate and wait out the storm. It was not the strategy Jearn would have chosen, but Jearn was champion, not king. King Edward felt that Bearn's demands were treasonous and suicide, and would not budge.
"Bearn was no less unwavering. Too long had the people of Waecleft endured well-meaning but ultimately unjust laws, the unavoidable result of having a city run by one man. It was time to appoint judges, to abolish unjust laws, and to rid the city of monarchy. Bearn believed that the goblins, if left unchecked, would multiply until they were a serious threat, and Edward's unwillingness to confront them was one more example of the failure of monarchy. Bearn believed that only in open battle, bringing Waecleft's mighty cavalry to bear, could the city be saved.
"Both sides believed the fate of the city hung in the balance, and each viewed the other as a traitor to the people. As the hour grew later and the circumstances more dire, each became more convinced that he must win. Of course, the fighting was rare and downright civilized. They spent as much time in debate and diplomacy as they did trading blows, and even what blows were given resulted more in well-treated prisoners than casualties.
"Mary assessed the situation and decided to bringnews of the goblin threat to Bearn. They would be on the city within the week. Bearn summoned Jearn, Borin, and King Edward to yet another diplomatic meeting to share the news and come, if they might, to terms. Jearn was alarmed, but King Edward was unmoved, and declared that the Kingsmen had always taken Bearn's side. This, he said, was a trick to sway his resolve--and even if it was not, Waecleft was secure against any assault. The king stormed off in a huff, but Bearn and Jearn talked long into the night.
"The next morning, the city was shaken by wonderful news: Bearn had announced the surrender of the Order! The barricades were already dismantled, the prisoners released, and on every corner stood a paladin of the Order of the Narrow Way, shouting at the top of his voice that Edwards was king over the entire city. And then a few hours later, the city was shaken by terrible news: King Edwards was dead! Bearn had impossibly stolen past all three layers of the Elite Guard, entered the palace, the king's very chambers, and--unthinkable act of treason--struck him down! There could be no mistaking it. He sat weeping at the very scene, and openly confessed what he had done.
"Of course, he was executed immediately for high treason, though widely considered to have gone mad. Now, rule of the city would normally have passed to Edwards' oldest son, but he in fact left no heir. The law stated that the reigning champion was to take up the throne--in this case, Jearn. The Waecleftians were swiftly honor-bound to their new king, and where eighteen hours earlier they had been a divided people in stalemate, they now followed their leader with zeal. Jearn immediately opened the gates of the city, declared war on the goblins, and rode out into the night with five hundred horsemen.
"The cavalry of Waecleft even now rides on the hordes of the goblin army; they will meet in two days, just north of where Rogar first recruited you to our service.
"The tide is rising, and the storm is upon us. Yet we know too little about our foe. We have too little time for Enigma's methods; I must send the Ninja Mongoose Rockstars into the south, to strike Mizram where it is weak, assassinate her heroes while they feast, and learn how they can be stopped.
"Yet, one does not simply walk into Mizram. I shall procure tools for you, and send scouts. In about two weeks' time, I will send you; help where you can until then, but try not to get killed in any way.
"In the mean time, I believe Waecleft could use your help. Her cavalry will destroy the goblins easily, but I hear that many wizards of Mizram ride with the goblins. I fear to lose any of Waecleft's fine horsemen; we may need them before the end. Go to the Desolation of Kelzun and await the coming of the goblin army; destroy the heroes and mages."
Minellin passed out some equipment, and the Ninja Mongoose Rockstars set out for the Desolation of Kelzun. On the way, Nate reaffirmed Minellin's message: try not to get killed in any way. Lotus thought this was ridiculous -- "how can you say you've really lived if you've never died?" In any case, Nate disguised the party as hobgoblins, and they teleported in near the cliffs where Kelzun had first attacked them. Ahead, a group of four horsemen from Waecleft scouted -- and they were quickly met with poisoned arrows fired from within a nearby cave. Three were paralyzed, while the fourth moved to find cover.
Jakob stepped into the cave mouth and grabbed a goblin, throwing him into a marruspawn spellcaster at the back of the cave. The impact broke the goblin's neck. Ike ran across the way and tossed his rope up the cliff face. The goblins and marruspawn focused their attention on Jakob, but the arrows could not find their mark, and the wizard's Flesh to Salt spell caused only minor harm. "You are no hobgoblins; you're the ninja mongoose rockstars!" Flynn began singing, and Jakob rolled through the goblins and stood on the wizard's head. Ike fired four arrows into the cave, placing one right through the marruspawn's head and killing it. The fleeing goblins were quickly picked off by Flynn, Jakob, and Ike. The still-conscious scout from Waecleft led his companions' horses, with their paralyzed riders, back toward the main attack group.
From the hilltop, Ike spotted the goblin army a mile and a half away. Two walking siege tower constructs moved near the front of the army, and six marruspawn wizards were interspersed among the 3000 goblins. NMR teleported half a mile behind the group of goblins while Flynn gave the party haste and started singing, and then used a dimension door to get Ike within range of the rearmost marruspawn. His five arrows dropped the spellcaster (189 damage, one crit.) A group of goblins started moving toward where Ike had shot from, and two of the other wizards took a sand form. Nate dimension doored the group into position to strike another two wizards, and Ike's five arrows killed one and wounded the other. The remaining wizards took sand form and disappeared into the crowd. Nate created an image of a large group of archers on a hill, which kept the attention of several goblins while NMR teleported back to the cliffs.
Nate, Lotus, and Jakob then took the form of simple goblins and walked into the army. Nate positioned himself behind one of the marruspawn and probed his thoughts. He sought the following information:
- What are the numbers and strength of the marruspawn army? Over 10,000 strong, with many elite units.
- What are the most powerful creatures you have seen among your allies? A blue dragon that creates storms, an undead sand dragon, a withered old lady with scary eyes who doesn't wear armor, and the marruspawn national champion.
- What is the attack plan for northern conquest? Several simultaneous strikes to force the northern kingdoms to fight divided. The main attack will happen in two weeks time, and this attack is just another maneuver in setting it up.
- How powerful is this attack force? 3000 goblins, six marruspawn wizards of equal power, two siege towers, and some anti-archer help is incoming.
- Are the wizards telepathically linked in any way? No.
- What effect does this sand form have? It makes the body into an ooze.
- Is your mind protected from spells via Mind Blank or a similar effect? No.
Nate, Lotus, and Jakob walked through the pack to find the next marruspawn. Nate's feeblemind failed, but Jakob's Divine Surge and Lotus' arc lightning seriously wounded him and took out some nearby goblins. Lotus hit the caster with another bolt of lightning, and Jakob tossed him airborne, giving Ike a clear shot from his far-away hilltop. The marruspawn's body landed on top of a goblin, killing it. Several nearby goblins surrounded Jakob and Lotus, and one or two managed to slightly scratch them. Nate cast confusion on a big pack of goblins, while bluffing the others into thinking he'd tried to cast a spell on the obvious infiltrators. Lotus used a dinosaur stampede to clear an escape path through the now packing up goblins, and Jakob took down those who had him surrounded. Ike sent some arrows in to further sow confusion. The confused goblins started brawling, and various other goblins piled on, thinking they'd identified the "bad guys" from within the scrum. Nate, Lotus, and Jakob walked toward the next spellcaster, and Nate's feeblemind took full effect.
Meanwhile, a pack of three marruspawn wizards and a powerful-looking Marruspawn abomination teleported in next to Flynn and Ike. Flynn's Dimension Door took the two to just a few yards in front of Waecleft's cavalry. Ike fired a pack of arrows back toward the cliffs, severely wounding one of the spellcasters, and Flynn turned Ike invisible. But the spellcasters had dimension doors of their own, and they made a quick assault on Flynn, allowing the Abomination to tear his body apart in the few seconds before they fled the oncoming cavalry. The casters left behind a pit of mud to slow Waecleft's army somewhat. Nate feebleminded the final spellcaster within the main assault group as those who'd just killed Flynn teleported to assumed safety within the goblin army. Lotus used a second dinosaur stampede to cause more confusion.
Ike, upset that Flynn had just been killed, fired a pack of arrows at the casters a quarter-mile away, killing one and seriously wounding another. Lotus' Flesh to Salt left the wounded one barely standing. Jakob boulder rolled through several goblins, stomping the wounded marruspawn caster's head in and knocking the Abomination to the ground. It stood up and approached Jakob as the remaining wizard tried to disintegrate him. Nate's feeblemind wasn't quite enough to take down the remaining wizard, but Ike's arrows, including a headshot from a quarter mile away, were enough for the kill. At this point, only the abomination, a large pack of goblins, and two siege towers remained.
The cavalry advanced, and Flynn's spirit heard "oh my God, it's Flynn Flamm!" as a cleric started working on reviving him. Flynn responded inaudibly "oooh, I can give you a ghostly autograph. Woooo, don't steal my stuff." Lotus tried to flamestrike the abomination, but it resisted. Jakob and the abomination started clawing at each other, but only the Abomination was able to land solid strikes. Ike focused his shots on the abomination as the badly wounded Jakob tumbled through the crowd. Lotus used Ice Flowers to wound the Abomination and keep it from pursuing, and as Flynn was raised, he began singing to inspire the cavalry. Over the next few minutes, Ike wore down and eventually killed the Abomination, while Lotus' dinosaurs and Nate's confusions left the goblin army in ruins. Once the cavalry finally got into position, they met little resistance, and were easily able to chase down all of the goblins.
Everyone but Jakob reached level 15.
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