Level 0 - Intro
8 commoners find themselves trapped in a mountain cave, experiencing flashes of vision from another world. An entity approaches, wreathed in colorful flames, causing the lush vegetation around him to wither and withdraw in an aura. Referring to one as Tyrix, he inquires about an experiment that Tyrix has been preparing. He is not to be disappointed. After gaining their composure, the group breaks free of their pods, killing Sylvan creatures as they go. In the chambers below, they encountered another pod blocking their way. Tyrix, now using a different host breaks free, using his influence to corrupt another member of the group who attacks in unison. They overhear activity below after slaying Tyrix. Creatures making preparations to leave. The group runs in, George Foreman tying a stalactite to one while it plunges into lava, and they dispatch the others. Lancaster Kane notices the source of their attention, grabbing a ”seed” from floating within a goblet and threatens to eat it. Snake encounters a man climbing out of what used to be a table, but is in fact a coffin. This man, Vilhelm, entreats their assistance in return for his own. They have a lovely conversation, he and George become good friends, he acquires Fayyad’s autograph, and they make their way to the peak of this floating island for a final battle for escape. Vilhelm’s dumb and disgusting, but surprisingly debonair friend Vim Brio and he escort the party to a manor on their airship before leaving.
Aldori Manor
- Jamandi Aldori treats everyone gathered to a feast and brief presentation headed by Ioseph Selemius, the Lord Mayor of Restov. They meet several new adventurers, talk and drink into the night with the plan of meeting back up in the morning to be granted their new charters to carve out the infamous Stolen Lands with the backing of Restov.
- Hijinx awakes to a noise coming under the door. Just in the nick of time, she catches a man coming in and the party does their thing (in which they efficiently eliminate all signs of life). Intruders, in the castle! Distant thuds fill the manor as the portcullises drop down, sealing off the upper levels.pper levels. They fight their way through the first group before George Foreman realizes something. This isn’t a lethal invasion at all! This is a hyper-interactive dramatic play! After engaging in the shared suspension of disbelief, the party works through the manor, befriending a Frost Giant and rousing the previously dispatched Amiri, Harrim, and Valerie.
- Now on to helping the lady of the Manor. As they talked with the captain of the guard, they smell smoke coming from the west. The manor has been lit on fire! (This acting troupe is dedicated; it smells JUST like real fire!) Whoever is behind this, they strongly oppose Brevoy’s expansion into the Stolen Lands, swordlords or not. They do their best to snuff out flames, gather their strength and head for a showdown. After dealing with an old acquaintance of Fayyad’s, Nishkiv the Knife, they rescue Jaethal from torture and Tartuccio the gnome from smoke inhalation and exhaustion. They handily take down a group of Black Tear “assassins” while Jamandi duels with two Frost Giants. After beheading one, she is briefly overwhelmed by the other. As the giant comes to trade blows with the group, Jurgrindor (their newly befriended Frost Giant companion) convinces the other to leave with him.
- The next morning, refreshed, adventurers gather to receive their charters. As Jamandi moves on to the final charter for our heroes, Tartuccio moves to the stage and demands everyone’s attention. He knows who the mastermind behind last night’s events: none other than our OWN Fayyad the Fearless! He even has irrefutable proof: the very brooch Fayyad wears displays the symbol of Brevoy’s chief rival, the country of Pitax. To come so boldly into this house, Fayyad has nerve beyond his common sense indeed! This could be settled only one way: a duel for Fayyad’s honor. As Fayyad readies his sword, Tartuccio calmly observes. He makes no movement beyond the observation of his finger nails. Fayyad has made no specification what type of duel. Tartuccio accepts a battle alright, but a battle of wits. After pressuring Tartuccio in front of a now bloodthirsty crowd, Fayyad takes the coward down a peg before he leaves. Unbothered, Tartuccio snags a charter for himself and stalks out the door, glancing malevolently back at Fayyad.
- Free to begin their adventure proper, our adventurers prepare. Shopping, crafting, haggling, and inconveniencing to no end, they make their way to the borders of the Stolen Lands. Now onto the topic of travel. Hijinx of course has her noble steed Artemis, the corgie-dog. As for the rest, they prefer to travel in style. Linzi included, who has tagged along for research and writing purposes. They convince a coachman and his defeated, milquetoast nephew Paul to come aboard as their personal chauffeurs rather than deign to pay common transportation fees. Why milk the cow for a nominal fee when you can OWN the cow and get its milk whenever you want?
- Our reverie is short lived, however, as a hindrance rears its ugly head across the roadway. How indeed to bypass a construction of such durability and hardness?? Its implementation is like nothing any of our fair party have before witnessed! Cunning, strong, stable, devious in its design. I have included a photograph for reference. Shudder, dear reader, at its venomous touch! While distracted pondering whether to throw the horses over yon fair barricade, our group is accosted by a party of bandits! And it will a-cost them dearly. Cost them their humanity. After an even first round, Snake and Lancaster ramp up their bloodlust to a degree I have witnessed only once before by a ravenous sabertooth in the frozen North! As Snake is lost in his rage and cleaving a man in twain with his bare (or should I say bear) hands, Lancaster lops the head neatly off another as dressing to string behind the coach. Yet even this is not enough to sate Snake’s anger. He appears behind the bandit labelled only as “the gay one”, picks him up in a questionable embrace and impales him upon Fayyad’s modest spike once and for all. George Foreman, in an act of mercy and heroism, contrives a rather clever trick from his experiences with the finest acting troupe he has ever seen back from Aldori Manor. He outfits him with a blood pack and “impales” him upon his spear. After a very tasteful and fittingly dramatic soliloquy from our bandit he thus “dies” and is able to sneak away with his life. But not before one last round of questions from George. We find poor Paul by the river, tied up and gagged when he went to gather water for tea. He missed the opportunity to prove himself to his new self-inserted surrogate father figure, Lancaster.
- Now prepped for travel again, and only a day away from Oleg’s Trading Fort, we make ready to hit the road once more.
- Our next chapter has yet to be written…