Story So Far - The Deciders
Session 4
We start back with the Keeper of Records asking The Deciders what brings them to the Great Library of Nulakakaram. Lyceecia appeals to this mechanical person, offerring to be helpful in whatever issue they may be having. Zurvan peers into the depths of Time and prophesizes they will be able to help, and will be rewarded for such efforts.
The Keeper is grateful for help and leads the party to the heart of the building. Crystals glow with an ancient magic as massive gears turn in an ever-moving dance, but with an unusual stiffness and periodic jolting. Something is clearly wrong, even without having any knowledge of how this works. Lyceecia scans the Health of this tech, finding the damage and knowing it is leaking energy. The Keeper offers the original schematics to aid in repairs, and it and Lyceecia head back to the workroom.
Meanwhile, Andarielle has made her way back downstairs to find the rest of the group. She enters the workroom, which by pure Luck the Keeper had left unlocked. And with the barest of intention, her Journeying word opens the safe and disables all the wards thereon. Inside she finds a bunch of papers and a crate of 10 Celestial Shards. Overcoming temptation, Andarielle recognizes that taking these now might endanger their mission, and so instead she just shuffles things around in the safe to fuck with whoever looks in.
As Andarielle creeps towards the door, Keeper and Lyceecia come in. Quick thinking on both of our godlings convinces the Keeper that Andarielle was scared and lost and just trying to find the rest of the party. However, the safe leaves the Keeper in a state of mistrust, but allows Lyceecia to take a shard and the schematics back to the heart.
The power restored, Lyceecia and Zurvan spend a little dominion to make the change permanent (while also giving some directive for them to be kinder to their Timeworn neighbors). As thanks, the Keeper gifts these new master theotechnician allies with the Celestial shards, explaining that the automatons can't use them directly as their directives prohibit it. Each member of the pantheon absorbs a shard, Lyceecia takes 2 to build her artifact, and the other 3 are left in the safe.
The party leaves the darkness of Nulakakaram, travels the night road once more, and returns to the life of Arcem. The streets of Lavello are scarce and bare, and we learn of the various happenings while the party has been away. Some administrators in Lavello went to Dovico to learn about this new cult, though no action has currently been taken.
As well, Lady Vittoria Sforza abdicated her throne, succeeded by her son Lorenzo Sforza, who immediately called off the wedding to Fiora Barbarigo. However, Lorenzo is still holding the massive banquet in Fidenza, and most of Lavello is still invited and are attending. Finwe is unable to find her Razor contact and assumes she is with the rest of the city at Fidenza.
We end as the party returns to a bustling Fidenza, each with their own tasks and goals in the city.
Session 3
We open on a cloaked figure, a montage of them asking various groups for information and travelling the world. We see them at The Talented Rock, and then at Finwe's Cult. They make their way to Dovico, and then we see them at the entrance of the Night Road.
Our pantheon has just finished their respite in this ancient ruin, long forgotten, when a figure approaches through the Unending Night. Andarielle approaches our heroes, hands outstretched and assuring that she means no harm. Using her word of Journeying she has been tracking her old acquaintance Finwe, as Andarielle's quest for vengeance leads her to The Shadow and Finwe is her only known contact. The party agreed to help Andarielle if she also helps them in their current endeavors, and thus the pantheon grew.
The end of this Night Road is an inky portal, opening to worlds unknown. The building on the other side has collapsed, but the pile of rubble is no problem for Lyceecia. Her word of Earth easily moves our heroes into open air, where the party sees another fragment of the shattered world. Unlike Arcem, this place is cold and lifeless, abandoned to decay in the Void. There is no sun, only a dim glow quickly swallowed by the shadows of the ruined city. The Unending Night surrounds the city wall like a curtain.
Zurvan leads the way, as darkness can not hinder the word of Night. All of the buildings seem on the verge of collapse after a millenium of neglect. We see their contents strewn about, clearly ransacked and looted. And then we hear a scurry of feet, a flutter of wings. As a corner is rounded a dark shape, no bigger than a house cat, darts into a door. Our heroes are not alone.
As they travel further into the city the creatures become more bold. No longer do they run, but instead keep pace with the party, stalking, waiting. A swarm of the creatures surrounds the party. Zurvan uses his word of Time to look into the future and sees these creatures will attack imminently if not appeased. Andarielle assures them the panthoen means no harm, they are simply explorers who can help. Offers of sustenance and help defeating enemies piques the interest of the creatures, who lead the party to meet their queen.
High atop the watchtower, Rani watches her people and these intruders. Supposedly these strangers can help, but all Rani sees is beings with the ability to infiltrate her safe house. If these few can enter this dying realm, what is to stop... it...
The pantheon easily scales the wall with Lyceecia's Earth word and find an odd "throne" room. The entire tower seems filled with shiny things, valuable gold and silver mixed with scraps. The queen is a powerful winged figure, concerned for her hive. After some tense conversation, Zurvan pours his power into the night suffusing this city, hardening the defenses and making the space hostile to any invaders. Assured that her home is safe, the queen allows the heroes to take what they will from her hoard. As well as a warning to stay away from the center of the city, as the metal men bring only death.
In the center of the city the party finds a large building surrounded by a wall. Each opening in the wall is guarded by an automated gun turret requesting identification. Andarielle uses her Journeying word to find a hole in the defenses and gets the party inside. The walls inside are lined with books, untouched by flesh for a millenia but still dusted and well kept. We hear the crackle of electricity and the creak of mechanical movement. But more than anything, the party feels the pull of immense divine power from the bowels of the library.
Andarielle grabs a book at random from the shelves, her word of Luck guiding her to Foundational Theories of Theotech and Healing the World. In response, an autonomous helper rounds the corner, asking how it can be of assistance. It asks for identification, but Finwe's quick thinking confuses the helper, who goes off to speek with the Keeper of Records. Andarielle uses her word of Deception to turn into a helper unit, allowing the party to head to the basement unmolested by other helpers.
The basement of the library houses many labs and workshops. The pull leads the party down the hall, where they find the helper unit talking at a door. Confused by the situation here (a unit brings down these 3 strangers, while leaving a 4th unguarded) and sends away the "malfunctioning unit" to run a diagnostic. Andarielle heads back upstairs to keep the party from getting in trouble, while the other 3 enter the lab.
This room has been kept in unusually good condition, as has its main inhabitant the Keeper. Where the helper units show various states of disrepair and neglect, the Keeper seems to have prided itself with staying in peak condition. The room itself is full of machining tools, with a metal safe in the corner radiating unimaginable diving power.
We end as the Keeper asks what brings the heroes to the Great Library of Nulakakaram.
Session 2
A monster has been unleashed. Personal goals can be put on hold to track down the abomination and keep others from harm. Zurvan uses his gift of Time to guarantee the Pantheon can track down the monster.
The trail ends in Dovico, a small farming community. Lyceecia asks around and learns the local medicine woman has recently been sowing discord in the townsfolk. Our godlings confront this woman, who uses lies and shadows and trickery to try and fool the party. A short battle insues, the monstrosity having revealed itself, and ends when Lyceecia drags the shadow monster down into the earth. It begs and pleads for its life, to no avail.
The town is told a version of what happened that paints the medicine woman as a hero who died fighthing the shadow. Lyceecia establishes her cult using this town as a foundation.
After a quick rest, the pantheon decides to journey into the Night Road. More of the monstrosities attack the party, but Finwe's smashing is especially effective at bringing them down.
We end as the party comes across an ancient, abandoned guard tower, a small refuge of peace in the chaotic void of Uncreated Night.
Session 1
We open as the sun rises over a crisp, clear morning on a ship sailing into Fidenza. Our Pantheon have all travelled to Vissio to further their own goals.
- Zurvan has heard rumors of an ancient artifact that can disrupt the undead, held by Lady Vittoria Sforza in Fidenza. Hopefully this can be used to free the dread sailors in The Ulstang Skerries.
- Lyceecia wants to hire Head Artificer Cosimo Malapietra to develop some tech that can aid those of The Bleak Reach.
- Finwe has a contact in Lavello. Razor Lavinia Rossi might be able to help set up some underground railroad situation to get slaves out of The Patrian Empire, if the price is right.
- Baldr is seeking a powerful grimoire, believed by The Academy of Thought to be in the possession of Magistrate Alfonso Cellini of Venosa
