1. Quests

DON'T DRAGON FUSION - OPEN INSIDE; Chimera Complication and Return to the Merger's Tower

Completed
Quest Group

Loose ends: the black gem in Jirel's possession; who sabotaged Lamwen's Lich ritual?; Dwarven technology in possession of an Elven archmage

Participants: Cornix the Beaker, Jirel Flyr, Sukemoru Uzuto, Ariana Yaxiri, Ambriel

Locations: Tower of the Merger


Short summary:

Jirel gathered a crew to slay the Unknown ChimeraCornix the Beaker avenges himself by destroying the vile creature.

After successfully taking the Chimera down, the party climbs further up the tower, until they are assaulted by a nest of Ether SpidersProving too tough to take down, they cleverly enlist the help of the Ghost Maid, and the path is cleared.

At the top of the tower, they find the still-living corpse of Lamwen Darr, the Merger, locked in a failed ritual that was to ascend him to Lichdom.

After ending the ritual, rather violently, the Haunt is released. From what would be the Merger's phylactery, a black gem is recovered. Jirel takes possession of it.


Cornix's Report post.

Readable version of the report here.

Visual, prettier version of the report here.


Full report: Uzuto

The Quest to Kill the Chimera

This is Uzuto Sukemoru. Knowing that Jirel Flyr and Cornix the Beaker were interested in returning to the Tower of the Merger to exact their revenge upon the Chimera below, I offered to assist them in the endeavour. As I did so, I noticed Ambrielsitting in the bar and approached them. After hearing of the Chimera, they joined us as well. As we were all meeting to go on the quest, a woman named Yaxiri Ariana who was familiar with Ambriel approached us, deciding to join as well.

After 3 days of travel to the Tower, Cornix was able to convince the Maid to let us in as we prepared to deal with the Chimera. Jirel used her dog to lure the Chimera into a better position for us to strike, and then we proceeded to kill it with ease. Jirel explored the Chimera’s lair and found the corpses of four bugbear pirates and Onyx the Drake.

We proceeded to explore the upper floors of the Tower, finding spiders and defeating them each time. While the first group of spiders we found were normal, the second group of spiders seemed to be far more intelligent and mutated, while the third group of spiders was capable of phasing in and out of reality.

At the highest floor of the tower we found Lamwen Darr, attached to a strange machine with his heart floating in a magic circle. Once we had defeated the spiders in the room with the assistance of the Maid, we destroyed the heart, killing Lamwen and sending him to the afterlife. With no further business on this plane, the Maid soon followed.

We gathered all knowledge that we could from the Tower and then had a funeral for the bodies, burning them. After barricading the doors from the inside, we Recalled to First Landing.

- Uzuto Sukemoru 



Full report: Cornix

Wiki page is Work-in-Progress

🜋 Cornix the Beaker 🜋
the penitent Disciple of the Lady of Graves
the Scholar of Alchymy, Reborn in Fire
courteously presenteth


 DE TURRI ONYCHIS ꕥ

the Second Treatise on the Lands
to the South of First Landing
known as the Spire Hills
with the Focus on
the Edifice to the Southeast
named the Onyx Tower of the Merger
as well as the Dangers and Curiosities
that were Encounter'd within



Capitulum I: Chimaera immortua

Reader,

Mine name is Cornix, and some knoweth me as the Beaker. I am a repentant follower of the teachings of the Mother of Souls, and but a student of the Great Work and of the Mysteries of the Art. In this report, I intend to present findings mainly, but not exclusively, of the Undead variety, some of which mayst be surprising 'r utterly unnerving. I hope that thou findst the following work satisfactory. 

Some time ago, I visit'd the Onyx Tower with a party of oth'r Adventurers - Jirel Flyr, 'Broken Ear', an Elven Ranger; Seeker Wrynn, an Iruxi Cleric of Nethys; and lastly, a Unknown Warrior who walketh with Dusk, Solas Arais. Thou mayst read furth'r about that Quest in mine oth'r work - De Terris Australibus - if thou wilt, O Reader; it couldst provide thou with furth'r insights and clarifications. 

Understandably, Jirel and I were feeling unfulfill'd after the events that did transpire there, and thus we gath'r'd individuals willing to help us settle the matter - Uzuto Sukemoru, a Unknown Monk; Ariana Yaxiri, a Unknown Sorceress of the Draconic Bloodline; and lastly, Ambriel, the Lightbringer of Iomedae, a Unknown Champion blessed by the powers of the High'r Spheres. It took us three calm summer dayes under the warmth of the ⚙Sunne to reach the Tower. They pass'd without any incidents (we did witness a number of Hippogryphs flying far in the distance, but those did not pose a threat and did not require a detour), and while the Sunset Sea wast filling them with a gentle marine breeze, we instead fill'd them with idle conversation and planning. However, a rath'r considerable part of the former wast conducted in the language of the Dragons, and thus I wast largely unable to participate in any meaningful way. 

Upon reaching the imposing edifice, we discov'r'd a Blackened aftermath of an explosion around the entrance, but the door itself wast not affected by this savagery in the slightest. I managed to convince the Nameless Maid (who, of course, didst not remember us) to allow us inside once again. The interior remain'd largely the same as we hath left it, and I conducted a tour of sorts around the rooms. Please referreth to mine previous work, De Terris Australibus, if thou desirest a full description, O Reader. The only worrisome circumstance wast the fact that the bookshelf which Jirel collapsed ov'r the entrance to the dungeons below wast now moved aside, and traces of oth'r activity couldst be found, namely footprints of four furred bipedal creatures. 

Mine heart is gladden'd that at least mine newest companion, a Cobble-mite by the name of Lapillus, couldst thoroughly enjoy the feast of ashes that wast once again presented to us by the Nameless Maid.

We discuss'd our next course of action, which first and foremost involved the Unknown Chimera that fester'd beneath, and devised a devilishly effective scheme. I prepared for the exorcism diligently, which mainly did include brewing particular alchymical tinctures, both for myself and for mine companions:

  • 🜱Pomum ambrae aphantasmatis, also called Ghost Charges, those of moderate intensity - a rath'r recent addition to mine formulary, and incontrovertibly potent against all things besmirched by Undeath;
  • 🜂Phiala igni media, colloquially known as Ignis alchymistae modestus, ‘r the moderate Alchymist's Fire;
  • Mutator cordis draconis, named the moderate Drakeheart Mutagen by those who art uninitiated;
  • Elixir vitae minor, the Lesser Elixir of Life;
  • Owlbear Claws (Talismans mention'd previously in mine oth’r work, De Terris Australibus), which I used to enhance Ambriel's blade; and Potency Crystals, which I affix’d to Ariana's Handwraps of Mighty Blows


Meanwhile, Jirel produced traps from h'r bags, which she assembled around the trapdoor, and then reveal’d an enchanted onyx figurine of a canine by the name of Walter, or Dubs for short. Our plan involved luring the Unknown Chimera through the trapdoor using Walter, right into our traps, where we wouldst meet the monstrosity with our bombs, claws, fists and steel. Ambriel and myself both issued prayers to our respective Patrons (mine Lady grant’d myself the boon of enhanced reflexes), and Jirel unleashed Walter the Onyx Dog into the passages below. The scheme work'd spectacularly. The Chimera made itself stuck inside the narrow corridor while pursuing Walter and Jirel with maddened voracity, and when it dislodged itself and enter'd the room, it activated one of the traps, and wast assaulted by a joint barrage of attacks. Our preparations bought us precious time, negated both the monster's ability to fly and its maneuverability on ground, and allow'd us to catch it completely off-guard. It snarled at us in tongues, one of which I couldst recognise as Draconic. When it bled, its blood wast black as the darkest fermentations of Nigredo, and soon enough, it succumb'd to its overwhelmingly grievous wounds. Thus did Jirel and myself fulfill our well-earned revenge. 

A sketch of the Chimera is included with the main text, alongside an exhaustive summary of the latter's qualities.
Chimerae art the archetypal example of an unnatural beast composed of an unsettling and monstrous mix of wildly incongruous component creatures: more often than not, a lion, a dragon, and a goat. Each head presenteth its own challenges, and the pair of wings that groweth from the shared back alloweth the Chimera to be a nimble flyer. Feral, hateful, and ravenous, the Chimera wilt attempt to devour any creature it seeth, but sometimes a strong-willed master is able to compel this monster to serve as a guardian, 'r even a mount. While they art often press'd into service by more intelligent beings in this manner, it is also not unheard of for a Chimera to keep a herd of unintelligent animals - lions, goats, 'r even serpents - as both companions, and a steady and secure source of nutrition. The Chimera that we hath encount'r'd beneath the Tower wast of the red variety - the one which couldst breathe 🜂Ignis from its draconic head. Thankfully, this one didst not maintain an entourage of animals, but its hunger wast only intensified by decades of captivity, starvation, and the fact that it wast transformed into one of the rapacious Ghouls. Its nature also meant that it wast quite resistant, if not outright immune, to diseases, poisons, and venoms of various kinds. 


Ambriel and Jirel investigated the dungeons, discovering half-eaten (but thankfully not infected) corpses of poor Onyx the Drake, and the four Bugbears, adorned in pirate outfits and equipped with small, rusty daggers. They must hath left the previously mentioned traces and moved the bookshelf to enter the lower chambers and meet their unfortunate and gruesome demise there. Ambriel and Jirel return'd some time lat'r, with the ruined, decaying, but completely mundane dress of the Nameless Maid, and the contents of the lockbox, both of which we saw during our previous visit. The items in question were a pair of broken Alchymist Goggles (which I managed to repair), a charged Staff of Fire, and a considerable bundle of notes in Elven which employ'd a peculiar cipher to conceal their meaning. Upon studying them lat'r, I discov'r'd that they described a ghastly ritual, one of the many which the Merger consider'd in his search for a type of Unknown capable of retaining intelligence. This particular ritual wast ultimately discarded, since he would hath been eternally plagued by perpetual and insatiable hunger.


Capitulum II: Latibulum aranearum

The Maid, who wast unsettled by the brief presence of the Chimera, said that she wouldst fetch h'r Master, but we lat'r found h'r voice on the second floor, and she reveal'd to us that the study wast in utter disarray, filled with cobwebs and dust, even though she claim'd that she hath cleaned it only half a day prior. She added that something wast preventing h'r from ascending furth'r up the Tower, and gave us reluctant permission to investigate in h'r stead, which we promptly did. She implored us not to use fire inside, but alas, we were forced to disregard this plea soon enough. 

The door open'd to a pitch-black room. The weakened illumination from the kitchens reveal'd only a corner of the chamber, but mine eyes couldst always see well in the dark, and even before Ariana enchanted h'r amulet with the magic of Light, the interior stood afore myself clear as day. The floor wast made of the same type of stone that the Tower consisted of, and a generous layer of dust and cobwebs cover'd everything in sight. Upon the walls, there were two portraits: the first one depicted an Elven family consisting of a father, a mother, and their son; the second one wast in a more informal style, as it seem'd to be a self-portrait of an Elven man in his prime - presumably, Lamwen Darr himself. 

The rest of the study wast filled with bookcases and skeletal models of various creatures glued to their stands and treated with 🜘Sales aeterni, also known as the Timeless Salts, to prevent deterioration and lock them in a singular moment of time - a goat upon a rocky slope, ruminating the artificial grass; a galloping horse; an owl sitting on a branch; a hawk diving from above for a kill; a wolf in a low, menacing hunting stance; a bear catching salmon from a river; a lion roaring proudly; and most impressively, a wyvern soaring through the air. In one of the corners, there wast a sturdy lockbox, in anoth'r a desk with a stack of papers and a quill, in yet anoth'r an Alchymical laboratory.

Multiple drawings of these skeletons are peppered throughout the pages.


We couldst not observe ‘r perceive any signs of life within, and proceeded to explore, but this fervent investigation wast tragically cut short by a great many spiders descending from the ceiling right on top of us. 

While some of them were imposing, the vast majority were diminutive, and flock’d togeth'r in large swarms - a weakness that mine bombs couldst masterfully exploit. I ling'r'd until they tried to overwhelm us with numbers, and executed almost all of them with just two projectiles, namely 🜂Phiala igni media and one of the peculiar baubles of the Unknown who goeth by the name of ‘the Nomad’ - this one turn'd out to be not unlike ⚕Thuribulum morbiferum minus, a lesser Blight Bomb. Meanwhile, Ariana finish'd off the remaining swarms with h'r fiery magics. The bigger spiders proved to be no match to us, eith'r, despite their attempts to infect us with their venomous mandibles 'r immobilise us with their cobwebs, and were slain one by one by our claws, beaks, fists, arrows, and blades - even those that attempt'd to flee. 

The study wast not damaged by the fire, and we return'd to our exploration. I determined the dead creatures around us to be Dream Spiders and their brood; their venom is well-known for being the base component of an infamous, orally-ingested drug called 🜬Tremor, 'r Shiver. The Alchymical laboratory wast rath'r standard, with no residual substances remaining, and the notes that lay on its table crumbled to dust after exposed to the softest touch. The lockbox, which wast not locked at all, reveal'd its contents to be as such - an exquisitely crafted, Elven bastard sword, enchanted with azure light-magic; a bundle of Elven coinage; five ampoules filled with the green tincture of 🜬Tremor; and a registry of transactions written in Elven. These papers were also damaged, but not outright ruined; only some of the transactions couldst be made out. They showcased that Lamwen Darr hath dealt with a lot of clients to fund his ghastly research. Among them were mainly military officials and drug dealers. The last orders were yet unfulfilled - an 'Enchanted Blade' for 'General Julius' and 'five (5) doses of Shiver' for 'Mme. Asp'. The final bunch of papers that wast located on the desk also dissipated to dust, to mine utter dismay, but I couldst read a single sentence before the fact - 'Today is the day', once again in Elven. The books on the shelves were, unsurprisingly, touch’d by disheartening deterioration, but we managed to salvage some of them. Since more tomes were retrieved from the upper floors, too, the full list wilt be presented lat'r in this work, O Reader.

We proceeded upstairs, and were greeted by even more cobwebs. This room wast not simply full of them like the study below - no, here webs not only cover'd walls and corners, but the entire space wast thronged and suffocated by gossamer strands, some of them tough'r than the oth'rs. Visibility wast limited even for myself, due to the webbing smoth'ring our vision. To move through these threads of silk, we needed cutting weapons, be they blades 'r our own bodies. In the middle of the room, through, there wast a big purple carpet, strangely untouched by the infestation, and thus safe for traversing. 

A sense of unease wash'd over Ambriel, and they noticed piles of books trapped in bags of cobwebs, hanging from the ceiling, along with strange, noose-like strings… and monsters, waiting to ambush us from above, which we couldst later identify as the Web Lurkers.

A drawing of one such creature and a short summary are both present.


Web Lurkers, also known as Ettercaps, art deviously cunning, grotesque Aberrations that dwelleth within spider lairs. They art capable of speaking with their arachnid neighbours, whom them often actively cultivate and shepherd, and crafting elaborate silken snares. When someone unwittingly steppeth upon their webs, Ettercaps art able to instantly sense the presence of their next victim, whom they infuse with potent venoms and trap within gossamer prisons. 


Despite the disadvantage, we dealt with the enemies efficiently. The webbing wouldst often catch projectiles and leave them tangled mid-air, and moving around wast a challenge in and of itself, but the monsters attempt'd to flee when their prey became the predator, only to be ended before they couldst reach the floor above. When the fight wast concluded, we clean'd out the cobwebs, disarm'd the traps, and retrieved the hanging tomes, some of which were still in readable conditions.



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