Through the Black Ring
Recovering the guidestone of the Orad Commanders
General Summary
The Forbidden City of the Phoenix: Chapter VI
Report DateFebruary 10th, 1000 PCE
Report CreatedApril 10th, 2019
LocationsHippopo Territory
Previous Session
Synopsis
With four days left until their scheduled rendezvous with Goland Revize, the party continues its search for the Ornish Moon Vault. They are retracing the steps of the Seven Sentinels hoping to discover the location of Eldorado. Heading north on the Radium River, they encounter a mysterious monumental arch composed of jet black stone.
Detailed Summary
"What do you mean, sprayed?"
The party left the sand flats and continued travelling north on the final stretch of the Radium River. They encountered a shattered war canoe and nearby traces of animal droppings. A brief search of the broken canoe showed signs of tusk marks, and beneath the wreckage the party found a sunken chest containing many silver coins (Pachuco Talons, 1 gp equivalent). Inspection of the marks as well as the animal leavings on the shore indicated the presence of hippos. After ensuring their own immediate safety, the party secured the treasure chest and whatever other salvage was to be had.
"Let me tell you something about hippos..."
The crew returned to their own war canoe and advanced with caution. They soon encountered a herd of nine hippos including a deadly bull hippo. The party took the herd by surprise and engaged them from range as Rob tried to animate entangling vines to hinder the animals' approach. Zen reached out with his mind and grappled with the bull hippo's animal intelligence. After three attempts, Zen finally imposed a restful slumber on the massive rampaging beast, leaving it drifting towards the riverbank a mere 40 feet from the party's firing line. At this point the party easily overcame or drove off the remaining pygmy hippos.
Player Characters
William Benjamin
Rob
Marsala
Edmund Andrew
Zyatok "Zen" Hangi
Matthaeus "Math" Mannheim
Everest Bell
Jayne
William Benjamin
Rob
Marsala
Edmund Andrew
Zyatok "Zen" Hangi
Matthaeus "Math" Mannheim
Everest Bell
Jayne
Missions Completed
- Acquired 4 Discovery Points towards locating the Moon Vault (uncovering the Orad Guidestone [3], asking the Commanders about the Guidestone [1])
- Moon Vault Mission: 7 Discovery Points (accumulated total)
Notable Treasure
- 890 Silver Talons
- 628 Battery Discs (fully charged)
Character Rewards
- 3600 experience points were awarded to each party member after the March 2019 sessions.
Characters Interacted With
Adelle Mirodar
Adner
Orad Commanders
Balok
Adelle Mirodar
Adner
Orad Commanders
Balok
"They don't have flat teeth.
Look it up."
Look it up."
The Black Archway
"Necromancy? When is that ever good news?"
Content to let the massive animal sleep safely, the party continued downstream and encountered a mysterious landmark, a black stone archway spanning the width of the river. Marsala the Houngan rose to his feat and called upon the spirits of the land to show him unseen emanations of magic. He detected first two and then a total of four loci of spiritual disturbances indicative of necromancy.
The rest of the party investigated the indicated areas and discovered four unmarked graves concealed beneath the undergrowth. After some debate, Everest and Edmund unearthed one of these to reveal a rusted capsule containing decayed human remains and corroded mechanical parts. Within the debris, they uncovered hundreds of tiny metal filings and a nameplate labelled: "Commander Stacy Wynn." When Math touched the Renewal Station key against the filings they started to move and crawl on its magnetic surface.
The dial matched Oliver Chastain's magic circle.
Meanwhile Zen and Jayne began searching the black arch. They found statues carved out of black stone built into both ends of the structure facing away from the river. One statue held up a trumpet and gestured as if to blow into it and the other held a hand to its ear as if straining to hear a distant sound. Jayne climbed across the top of the arch and discovered an image carved upon the top of its apex keystone. The inscribed image depicted the globe of the earth surmounted by a hammer-shaped symbol. Edmund searched inside the stone horn and found a circular dial marked with seven symbols, including the now familiar sun and fire sigils.
While his comrades puzzled over the strange scene (some travelling through the archway forward, backward, blindfolded, etc.), Math moved under the archway, dove into the water, and discovered that the structure actually constituted a complete ring encircling the width of the river. He swam down and inspected the lower part of the ring and found a textual inscription partially obscured by river muck and algae. Rob and Zen inspected the text and determined it to be written in the Precursor dialect of Old Ornish.
The Riddle of the Black Ring
The Orad Commanders
"Is it something you sense? Or something you feel?"
Edmund, Jayne, Rob, and Zen began trying to parse the inscription for clues. While they attempted to translate the text, Marsala conferred with his sterling raven and deemed that the necromantic auras were likely the mystical residue of a significantly traumatic psychic event. Edmund and Everest proceeded to dig up and sift the other grave sites in search of further clues but turned up nothing except dust, rust, and more of the unusual metal filings discovered in the first grave.
Seemingly oblivious to his crewmates' efforts, Math reached inside the stone horn and randomly turned the dial to the bird-shaped symbol. In response, the inscribed image atop the ring began to glow with white light and the entire structure started to hum with electrical life. Suddenly, a pair of lightning bolts arced from the ring and struck two of the grave sites. The burst of energy electrocuted Marsala and Everest and infused the metal scraps strewn within the tombs with invigorating force.
Out of these graves movement began to stir. The tiny filings were now independently moving and fusing to form appendages and joints linking metal scraps and fragments of bone together into stunted human shapes. The party responded with horror but also curiosity. Jayne suggested talking to the animated figures, but before anyone could act Math decided to turn the dial once more and serendipitously activated the sun sigil. This caused the listening statue to slide aside revealing a hidden guidestone carved with a crude map.
The grave shades stopped moving and observed the party. When Math approached holding out the Renewal Station key the figures knelt in respect and exclaimed in a hoarse metallic whisper: "Gift of the Moon Messengers!" They spoke in the Old Ornish tongue and seemed willing to communicate so Everest quickly tinkered with the ancient Emissary Communicator recovered from the Renewal Station and managed to get it working in fine order. Placing the device on Zen's ears and mouth, Everest explained that the machine would allow him to translate his understanding of the modern Ornish language into the older Precursor dialect of Ornish and vice versa. Zen advised Marsala to get out the Memory Mirror and proceeded to serve as spokesman for the party during a brief parlay with the figures, undying shades of the last Orad commanders, perished during the great Mindfire Pestilence between 150 and 200 PCE. Believing the year to be 171, the shades were astonished to learn they were long dead.
Zen asked about their culture, about the end of their civilization, and about the location marked on the revealed guidestone. As they related their story, Marsala activated the Mirror and the party observed a series of silent images illustrating the exodus of the old Orad Empire and the construction of the guidestone, which had been built as a beacon for surviving refugees seeking to return to their ravaged homelands. Commander Wynn referred to messages received from the moon and other satellites and explained that the last Ornish colony at Renewal Station 3 had been trying to make contact with or even travel to the source of these extra-planetary signals. But the Orad commanders' time ran out. Mindfire madness killed them before they could reach the "Hammer of the Gods."
"Better turn this again..."
Realizing that Zen carried the Mindfire, Commander Wynn warned him and his companions about the inevitable onset of madness that would follow. Showing no trace of fear in the sight of the Mindfire legacy, Zen shared the commander's warning with the party. He sang a song celebrating the movement of the Equinox sun and the commander responded by saying that song had been originally written in her time in honour of Apollo's sky chariot. Her people had been moon worshipers but came to honour the sun after pursuing the secrets of Apollo's legendary heavenly vehicle.
Falling Action
"We don't fear the fire."
Edmund drew up a copy of the map depicted on the guidestone, which was fortunate because after the commander shades departed the stone crumbled into the river along with the entire architectural ring. Math, awed in the presence of more Renewal Station magic, carefully gathered up the remains of the four commanders and stowed them for safekeeping. Marsala conducted a ritual to initiate his spirit sight and spent much of the rest of the day tense and brooding over unseen images.
The Guidestone Map was carved into a single slab of black stone and depicted islands marked with identifying symbols: a waxing moon, a waning moon, a full moon, and a man-made structure.
Conclusion
"That settles it. Hot dogs for everyone!"
Approaching the mouth of the river, the party came into view of the tradepost hamlet of Ah-Mun. The local officer of the Silver Raven Court, a riverboat captain named Balok, waved in greeting from the shore and motioned for the party to paddle towards the inlet jetty of Ah-Mun. Balok would later perform a routine inspection of the party's ship and equipment, but first he interviewed the party to gauge their intentions in the domains of Silver Lake. Establishing a good first impression with their host, the party discussed local trade and politics. Balok explained that the Silver Clans were not at war with the Vril, who travelled freely on the watercourses of Silver Lake. He warned the party that travelling in a captured Vril war canoe could attract unwanted attention from the wrong sort of travelers. The party pressed Balok to sell them his keelboat, but the captain politely refused until being pressed to name a price of 6000 silver talons (1 talon = 1 gp), a sum too dear for the party to pay. After an amiable conversation and a less than appetizing meal, the party hired Balok to convey them to Lowdown Island, the land of the Elzar Margraves and likely location of the Moon Vault.
Campaign Info
Party
Previous Adventure
Report Date
10 Apr 2019
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