Episode 13 - Escaping the Sandbox

In which our heroes engage in some multi-dimensional travel, burglary and rescuing.


Having listed to the alien's odd request and after a brief sampling of it's wares the band agreed. It wanted a psychic amplifier retrieved from a band of reavers. The reaver's base was located in the space between worlds and had wards and devices to warn them of the alien. However the band possessed 'unique mental signatures' which should allow them to pass undetected. They would only have to worry about a few prying eyes.

The alien then opened a transplanar gate to the space between worlds. Some of the band felt disorientated by the weird, alien landscape but due to either mental resilience or lack of imagination soon took it in their stride. The space between worlds appeared as a great velvet expanse. There did not appear to be any ground and here and there could be seen lights or specks. Their alien employer pointed one out and they traveled towards it.


Soon the object resolved itself to be an irregular boulder. It was hard to gauge it's dimensions as there was nothing with which to reference it against. A little later the alien called for a halt and informed them it was near the limit at which it would be detected. The band would have to go on alone from here.

As they got closer they could make out two entrances. One had the appearance of a pier and two large doors, which were closed. The other resembled a large cave entrance. While the band immediately filed that as 'deeply suspicious' they went to have a look anyway. The cave went further into the structure and they could make out flickering lights within as well as the sound of bickering in some guttural tongue. The band volunteered Scawl to go look.

Inside Scawl soon found a massive cavern. Pride of place went to a large heap of coins of many different types. Gold, silver, bronze, copper and several metals Scawl could not identify lay about in fused clumps. Standing about were several small lizard-men. Using his arts Scawl managed to distract the creatures and then ushered the rest of the band into the rest of the complex.

The band quickly found the commander's room. While it contained what they sought it also held a Hobgoblin Princess. She imperiously demanded her release and return. The band vacillated between rescue, ignoring or stabbing the Princess. The debate was interrupted by the guards bringing her a meal. The fight was brief but drew the attention of the other guards. More fighting ensued and the band eventually decided to rescue the Princess and return her to Babylon.

Returning to the alien creature they asked to travel to Babylon in their world instead of returning to where they left. The alien complied since one location in the material was pretty much like another. The band stepped through into a hot dusty street. Hobgoblins were everywhere, engaged in the business of buying, selling, gawking, entertaining. Also present in the city were some dwarves, ferocious bull-men, centaurs and snake people. All going about their business. No-one seemed to recognise the princess and when asked about her most remarked that wasn't that the cause of one of the old wars with the dwarves? It seemed she had been gone a long time.

Nonetheless the band managed to get a large reward for returning the princess. With some of the money they purchased a copy of the Laws of Babylon and then asked the alien for one more transit. To Constantinople. The alien agreed reluctantly and deposited them into what to the band's rustic eyes as a very similar city but with many more dwarves and far less hobgoblins.

Episode 12 - I do like a siege besides the seaside.

So the band visited the Ghoul King, Brettanus to see if he could be of any help in the coming conflict. The King and his ghastly court were intrigued by news of a new intelligent race and inquired as to how they tasted. The band politely replied that the did not know. Brettanus ordered Joruth to venture with the band to the surface and bring back some leg of human for the court to try. Donning some ancient armour and a mace that had seen better millenia, Joryth obeyed his liege.

The band then snuck across to the copse where the humans were hiding. Perrin and Cheet conspired through various woodland arts to approach the monsters undetected. Cheet then summoned a pack of wolves to attack the invaders from the other side. While they were distracted by the wolves the band attacked and, with Joryth's aid, they quickly defeated them. They then took back some leg of human to Brettanus and his court. The Ghoul King proclaimed these new creatures to be very tasty. The band beat a hasty retreat in case they also went on the menu and wondered what to do next.

They decided to plan their next move in a tavern. They quickly set on the idea of fortifying it on the basis that a last stand with a wet bar was the best of a bad situation. The remaining townsfolk soon gathered and offered their own opinions. Some wanted to flee, while others thought surrender could not be so bad. The Dwarves were not so bad, what with the roads, trade, food, law and order, etc. These Humans could not be too different. The band filled them in on various conversations they had had with charmed humans and their casual talk of murdering / brutally enslaving the incumbent races. They also pointed out that the human's creator was Bane, accounted as being a total bastard even by the standards of the local divinities. The remaining townsfolk then looked more worried, went back to being indecisive and panicking.

It was about this point Scawl decided the alchemist Sala might be of use. Travelling to her house and store he found the low elf leaving on a cart. Impressed with her presence of brain Scawl advised her to make for Mamucium. This was mainly so he could find her later. Sala gave Scawl a deadly poison and left.

The band then went about deciding how to best poison the approaching army and went to investigate. A day later saw them watching the humans on the march. The humans traveled in the manner of dwarves, making a fortified camp each night. Three elite humans were riders of savage winged beasts that had the manner of giant hexapedal eagles. Using magic, stealth and a dissembling guise they snuck in and poisoned a number of humans and one of the beasts. During the day they hid from the patrols of the flying things and also ran from some misshapen giants wreaking havoc on the lawless countryside.

The humans eventually brought things to a head by flying directly over the walls and telling the city the fate awaiting all poisoners, crucifixion for the first offence. Fortunately the band had made it back to Deva and engaged the humans, their mounts and despite the human leader bringing Bane's divine power to the battle, managed to prevail. This was in no small part due to Scawls creative use of his telekinetic powers to 'surprise' one of the beasts in a sensitive place, causing it to flee.

The band then wondered what to do about the remaining humans. Cheet suggested unleashing the ghouls upon them and so they went to ask a favour of Brettanus. The Ghoul King was welcome to the idea since their first taste of human had been so good, they could not resist the allure of more. That evening the entire ghoul court went on procession down to the human camp and slaughtered them all. They then proceeded back before morning leaving a torn and desolate camp. The band promptly organised the city to loot it. Strangely, the coins of the humans were sharp triangular objects made of iron. But the rest of their stuff was well made, if odd.

A few days later as the looting was coming to an end the band were informed they had a strange visitor asking for them at the inn. It was the strange being from the silver mine  near Navio. It had a little job for our intrepid band and could promise the location of some artifacts of Law amongst it's payment.

Episode 11 - Spring is here and so are we.

After a winter with little to do but get the local fence addicted and suborned the band turned it's attentions to the wider world about them. Or at least, those bits they were interested in. What held the band's greatest interest was a controlling interest in the pubs, taverns and alehouses of the land. Who was in charge was largely immaterial but to their minds a network of pubs meant trade, working agriculture and a series of defensible points. This would hopefully counter the rising chaocity and keep the Watchers down. The fact that pubs contain alcohol, lodgings and wenches may of also been a contributing factor.

Early spring saw the lizard-folk trading their excess, infertile eggs with the town. The band lost little time ensuring that they handled the actual transactions. This potentially avoided a riot when the lizards asked if they could have some halflings (or children, dwarven is hard on saurian mouths) to feed the child of Tiamat they were raising in the swamp. The band managed to get them to accept cow instead and hurried off to the lovely ladies of Beshaba to confirm their suspicions of what the phrase 'child of Tiamat' was referring to. Who better to ask about potential disasters and calamities than the Servants of the Mistress of Misfortune?

The servants of Black Bess happily informed them that yes, a child of Tiamat was most likely a dragon. The also informed them that Ana, the waif and stray they had found (kidnapped?)  had the makings of a feared Doommistress. They also mentioned that she was planning an expedition to the south to spy on the Humans and check to see if her parents were okay. The ladies were excited by the prospect of a dragon in the area advising that it indicated chaos was on the rise, which was a holy thing. Lastly they alluded to knowing a ritual that would summon such a beast and then running real fast. They advised a human would make a fine material component for such a ritual. The band thanked them for their counsel and gave the matter of summoning the dragon to their enemies serious thought.

The party also then decided to check up on Ashrak and his new apprentice Myrdanus. On reaching the swamp and noticing the large impressive ziggurat almost near completion. They were decidedly creeped out by whatever it was the dead necromancer was up to and decided to to pester him. Instead they returned to Mamucium to travel with Ana.

Discovering Ana and company had left already the band took the path south to Viroconium and Ana's home village. After a day's travel they came upon a small empty camp. Showing signs that it was in use Cheet transformed and scouted about for the people. His senses were overwhelmed by a oily, loathsome scent on the air. While the miasma masked other scents it clearly was coming from the east. Venturing that way the band discovered disturbing signs. Clawed footprints and trees ring-barked by tentacles were worrying and they pressed on. The next thing they found were two bodies. The creatures had only the most superficial resemblance to people. While they had arms, legs and a head they had a fishy, amphibian appearance with bulging eyes, webbed feet and odd, but functional spears as weapons. One appeared to of been victim to being brought down by multiple foes while the other had been stabbed in the back of the neck, killing it instantly. Scawl determined that the attacker was either eight feet tall or had dropped out of a nearby tree onto their victim. The band proceeded through the woods a little more cautiously, looking upwards a lot.

After another mile they reached a circular hole in the ground, about 30 ft across and almost identical to the one in Coccium. Seeing as how only three of the band were present they decided discretion was the better part of valour and beat a hasty retreat and continued to Ana's village. Over the next two days the band thought it odd that they did not catch up with her. Nor did they find her at the outskirts of the hamlet.

The band discovered the hamlet overrun with humans, all working industriously fortifying the place. There were about a hundred of the creatures, most engaged with cutting trees and making a palisade with watch towers while a few stood guard. While the band could not find Ana they did find a low elf named Jake. Jake seemed rather unconcerned about his new masters. Sure they yelled at you and pushed you around but so had the dwarves. They were gearing up to invade Deva. There were two odd things that even Jake had noticed. First there were no human women to be seen and the humans did not bother the local women. The band decided that such unnatural perversions should not be allowed to exist. The band told Jake that there was a secret entrance to Deva and gave him the location of the nearby Watcher hole.

The band then travelled to Deva, noticing wear the Human scouts were hiding out. The much reduced town was in a panic. About ten bravos were manning the walls and the rest were running about like headless chooks. Scawl pointed out that surrender was a bad idea since the humans were going to enslave the remaining populace. The band decided that a message should be sent to Caius and he could rally his troops for the city's defence. They also wondered if they should let the ghoul's of the under-city know that Deva above was about to undergo a change of ownership.