Session18

After drinking the potion of youth Vizizes skin begins to tighten and regain its elasticity. The whites in his eyes from old age slowly disapear and his pupils once again regain their sharpness. Eventually the process halts when Vizize appears to be about middle age. Although his scars and wounds remain he no longer looks like the destroyed testicle sack he did before and permanently gains +1 charisma.

The boat is where you left it at the rickety old docks.

After getting yourselves all on the boat and under Tally's direction the boat begins to slowly make its way down the stream again. The soft sounds of the wooden oars breaking the waters surface and the current sloshing against the side of the boat once again remind you of how calm and serene the place seems. Drifting downstream you pass by a few other ruins of what look to be other mages or people who have tried to set up permanent residence here to avoid death. However all of them have been corroded by time to be nothing but rubble.

(DC 12 Wisdom saving throw) or lose memories

''you feel memories slipping from you. Cycling through the things you know trying to figure out where the gaps are missing you realize you no longer remember the faces of anyone you knew. Your parents, your friends, enemies, Even those around you, though you remember why you're all here, and the names of everyone. You can't put face to name.''

A few more hours pass and the rivers current steadily picks up. Not to fast, but enough so you no longer need to paddle to keep a steady speed. You notice the bluish lilac grass fields that follow the river bank eventually begin to turn to a dark brown color.

(PLAYERS ATTEMPT TO EXIT)

You can feel a force inside you fighting against your will, (tally DC 20 charisma saving throw)

FAIL - THE BOAT CONTINUES ON ITS PATH
Unable to shake the force inside himself tally is unable to direct the boat to shore. Eventually with the increase in currents the river pulls the boat down stream a significant distance before Tally eventually feels the control of his body returning as it guides to the boat.

SUCCESS/FAIL (the house is magical and appears wherever they land, however the check determines where they exit, at delzimmer or ammathar)
The thick brown grass flows out across the land as far as you can see, however a very light mist prevents you from seeing more than a kilometer or so away from you. Trudging forward for some time you eventually see what appears to be a cliff or wall of some kind. It's height continues up so far through the heavens it appears from your perspective to be endless. It extends in both directions as far as you can see.

A small trail of smoke can be seen rising above the tall grass not to far from the wall.

As you eventually approach close enough to it now you can see it's made of natural stone. But it's incredibly smooth and forms an almost perfect naturally carved surface. Small cave entrances can be seen dotting the wall about every kilometer or so along it. About 50 or so feet from the wall in a small clearing of grass is a small wooden cottage. Relatively newly built, no more than a few years old and well maintained. A patchwork rock pathway leading up to a thatched door. On the porch near a pile of firewood sits an interesting looking creature. His body long and slender, with long shaggy furred hooves. Small black horns protrude from a white fox mask that covers his face. (satyr) a few clops can be heard as he stands up to greet you. inside the small cottage is a lavish meal set out on the tables, meats, cheeses and all manner of expensive wine. The smell of freshly cooked garlic bread still lingering from the pot oven in the corner.
 * Hello, I'm linus. Nice to meet you. You look tired, would you like to come in and rest for a while.
 * tries to convince them to come in and eat a meal.
 * tells the player he acts as a guide to help lost souls get out
 * because he's a fey memory magic doesn't work on him.

(IF THE PLAYERS EAT)

After making merry and eating what could only be described as a heavenly meal. The masked satyr leans back and pats his tummy. "Well, shall we go see grandma peng now and get you on your way to the after life?"

---If the players try to exit through the tunnels they simply come back out where they started

---players cannot leave because they ate food, follow the river to grandma peng.

Following the river bank toward the end, you notice the viscosity of the water in the river has become a fair bit thicker. The slopping of the water against the banks has all but stopped and is replaced with a fairly disgusting squelching. (players can investigate to see faces and twisted body shapes being dragged along with the river toward the end)

(DC 12 Wisdom saving throw) or permanently lose +1 intelligence.

Slowly the river begins to tapper down, as it becomes thicker and thicker almost like a gel or custard. At the end you can see a kind old lady with a large pot of soup. A white stone archway with a strong light coming out of it behind her. She notices your presence but doesn't seem bothered by you. As you get a little closer she reaches her hand into the end of the river and pulls out an ethereal humanoid form. The somewhat transparent form begins to weep.

(Soul) "I'm not ready to pass on, I have so much left to do. My kids are waiting for me at home. The harvest is coming!".

The old lady warmly attempts to comfort it.

(Granny Peng) "It's okay, you're just a soul now, you have no body to return back to, have some of grannys soup to make you feel better".

And she ladles out a bit of what looks to be chicken noodle, and somehow the soul drinks a mouthful. Almost immediately the look of stress and fear on the souls face is replaced with calm and perhaps a little confusion. It looks around for a bit before looking down at it's self.

(soul) "What was I.... Who are..."

The old lady interrupts "Yes yes, I know you're confused. Through the archway behind me. Go on now, It's okay".

As the soul begins to wander through the gateway in a half daze she turns her eyes toward you.

(Granny peng) "More fleshy bodies coming through my rivers again. Well no matter. It appears the weave of fate has brought a resolution at last. I am granny peng. My job here is to send souls onto wherever they belong. Every few days however a bunch of you idiot bodied people keep trudging through and messing up the damn place and the raven queen has been furious. Now as you are partly to blame for this" and she fingers toward tally and vizize. "and you have eaten the foods here. That means you'll do me a favour, or slowly waste away here and join the departed in the after life".
 * wants you to kill the lich responsible for tearing open the river and redirecting it.
 * lich resides at ammathar.
 * (if asked how they are at fault she just responds) actions have consequences. And your actions have had plenty.
 * shes only one of many grandma pengs
 * time moves differently inside for most people time moves slowly, although items and things brought from outside tend to age at their normal rate.
 * will allow them to exit through the caves that lead to the ammathar forrest, where the boat was taking them anyway however they must kill the lich that resides there.

Players exit through the tunnels;

When you make your way through the dark and winding cave tunnels after a few short minutes you find your way to a light. At first you think perhaps you think you're coming back out the same entrance you entered from but as the surroundings come into a clearer vision you realize you're on a small hill. No sign of the brown grass or river to be seen.

players exit near delzimmer.
There are not tracks directly in your vicinity however In the distance you can see some wheat fields so likely civilization is not too far away.

(Perception) reveals a small house in the distance, likely a farmhouse of some kind. (14+) you also notice the wheat has mostly all wilted and rot.
 * an old farmhouse with a long path that leads down to a road, the windows in the house are smashed in the door is broken. Near the side of the house what looks to be a storm shelter or cellar with metal doors are chained shut. Even from outside the house and a reasonable distance away you can smell the stench of rotting corpses.
 * perception 12 hears a shuffling and banging from the storm cellar. (BONECLAW)
 * inside the house is a very simple kitchen and dining area, and a hallway which looks like it leads to the bedrooms. 2 animated skeletons and 4 zombies that have yet to notice your presence seem to be half shambling around or just staring facing toward a wall.
 * following the road leads the town
 * the town is empty and all the homes seem to have been smashed in. Dead bodies litter the streets and shambling zombies can be seen around every corner.
 * IF THE PLAYERS TRY TO ENTER THE TOWN TO FIND PORTAL, THEY MEET FRANCOI, A FRENCH GUY LIVING THE SEWERS WHO SURVIVED THE ZOMBIE ATTACK.
 * HE CAN TAKE THEM TO THEM TO THE OLD ADVENTURERS GUILD (bleeting yew) WHERE THE PORTAL WOUDL BE LOCATED.
 * IF QUESTIONED HE KNOWS THAT THE ZOMBIES COME FROM THE AMMATHAR FOREST BUT THEY ALWAYS STAY INSIDE AND NEVER VENTURE FURTHER.
 * The place is smashed up no clues as to where or why.

players exit in ammanthar
As you stand at the mouth of the cave exit looking from your position you can see a deep and overgrown swamp. The remains of some ruins at least several thousand years old. The green mist from within tally immediatly explodes out and shoots of at incredible speeds towards a 100 or so foot tall circular wizard tower built of dark mouldy stone. Probably the only standing building in amongst kilometers of ruins.

--''vizize can make an intelligence check to see if he recognizes it as his residence. While a lot older and moldier definitely the tower where vizize conducted most of his experiments at the height of his power.''

--whoever is leading to make a perception check 18+ to notice the ambush

--players attempt to exit; before you can even take a few steps outside of the cave immediately a veritable wall of nets come flying at you by a bunch of zombies laying in wait ontop of the cave from which you exited. While the net throws are uncoordinated and terrible, the sheer volume of them flying at you is a scary sight.

Combat 2 flameskull, 12 minion rules ghasts.(REMEMBER 1HP ON THE GHASTS)

(Roll 3 d20, +10 against players AC). Players need to beat the highest roll or be netted

Immediately after a barrage of fireballs come slamming at your faces.

At the tower
There are no doors or windows as far as you can see. However there is black charred line drawn on the stone that resembles the shape of a door.

Not far from it about 20 feet away from the wall of the tower is small but relatively wide, about 10square stone platform with a white quartz gemstone in-bedded at the far back of it, on the side furthest away from the wall. A small lever on the side of it.

(looking around perception 14) you find a tiny wooden door no bigger than a few centimeters.

(pulling the lever) the gemstone lights up and shines a bright light at the door.

Players need to put the tiny door infront of the light to cast a shadow.

---

Inside the circular room are two statues of a beautiful elven queen, her hands outstretched and a hole piercing through her chest on both statues, a red liquid flows freely and heavily from the hole down her hands into a small hole beneath the statues. Above you the smooth stone walls taper upward forming an upside down funnel. At the very top a small 5 foot hole with golden arcane runes embedded around it.

---once all the players are inside the door disappears behind them turning back to solid stone again.

(just regular water tinted red through some natural means, perhaps an algae)

Players need to block up the holes so the water rises and they can get through the hole

-

As you rise up through the water and go through the hole the roof your heads eventually breaking the surface at the top. You see around you what could only be described as a torture room. Despite being dimly lit you can make out all manner of horrific implements. Pulling yourself up past the metal grates that serves as a barrier between the water that is now being directed out through the small holes in the edge of the tower. You notice a table with what you assume at first to be a long dead leathery skeleton body. Until you notices its chest rise very slowly. Almost imperceptibly.
 * lorenzo
 * experiment
 * was the last to be chosen for the blessing.
 * has been tortured for a few hundred years by a lich obsessed with obtaining true immortality.
 * the lich doesn't reside here, he lives in a catacombs he designed for himself in the ruins of the old elven queens castle.

Literred around the room are mostly just tools, and vials filled with odd looking liquids and sometimes body parts. Some of which you recognize, some you dont. However there is a wooden door leading into an adjacent room.

Inside the room are shelves upon shelves filled with books. And on a glass table an odd looking urn with a large fanged mouth on it.

The books contain notes and experiments on how to achieve true immortality. Many bearing fruit and arguably ingenious work. A lot of it formed from some of the basic ideas vizize had in his youth however actually tried and tested. The oldest of the books that talk about lichdom and the proccesses involved seem to mostly be blanked or ripped out. The newest book however detail his experiments with cloning and creating a backup version of himself. It talks about how a person could leave a portion of their blood and soul and in such the case that the original would die, the clone would then awaken retaining the memories of the original. However it was still deemed as a failure because arguably the clone would be a separate identity to the original and therefore not truely immortal.