Norman Smith
Norman Smith
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
A frail old man, but with nimble fingers that can flip pages as quickly as he can read.
Facial Features
Large bushy eyebrows
Identifying Characteristics
Yellow robes and a pointed conical hat.
Apparel & Accessories
Wears bright yellow robes, carries his orb most of the time.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Norman was a librarian in the Cynic's Rot library for the majority of his adult life. He occasionally interacted with adventurers who came through looking for forgotten lore or to research their enemies.
Over time, Norman became enamored with the stories they would tell of what was going on in their lives and would be jealous of the attention the adventurers would get from the ladies of the town.
Norman decided to become an adventurer, creating his own spellbook from what he had learned and setting out to the center of the adventuring community- Talen'Lith.
Sexuality
Norman is Heterosexual, and has a particular taste for younger ladies. He was married to his now ex-wife, but their relationship emotionally ended years before, and they only made it official shortly before he left for Talen'Lith.
Education
Norman is highly educated, both in traditional methods and his own learning he had done while being a librarian.
Employment
Currently a freelance adventurer, sage, and diviner.
Intellectual Characteristics
Extremely intelligent and observant, Norman feels strongly that information is the key to any obstacle.
Morality & Philosophy
Norman won't go out of his way to assist people, but also avoids actively engaging them in harm. His newfound feelings on life has led him to be somewhat callous to people who are not attempting to better themselves.
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Norman has a strong desire to become a well known adventurer, mostly to try and solidify his name in history but also to get the ladies.
Savvies & Ineptitudes
Norman has not really developed himself as a combat wizard, in general he focuses on information gathering and utility spells, but has a few evocations in his arsenal. Norman is extremely intelligent and savvy about how adventures go as well as general monster knowledge.
Vices & Personality flaws
Norman is pretty driven to impress when around ladies, and a bit of a pervert.
Hygiene
Norman is fairly fastidious in his grooming habits, making sure his long beard is clean and brushed. His yellow robes tend to grather a lot of dirt and grime as well, but he tries his best to keep them clean.
Social
Family Ties
Ex-Wife
Daughter (around 18yo)
Religious Views
Norman is a pragmatist, he recognizes the impact the gods have had, but does not directly spend much time working on religious matters.
Hobbies & Pets
Mr. Squeakers his fiendish bat familiar.
Speech
Speaks similar to a '20s newsman.
An older librarian who had a mid-life crisis and decided that he could become a great adventurer.
Current Location
Talen'Lith
Alignment
Lawful Neutral
Birthplace
Cynic's Rot (Kingdom of Banweal)
Children
Current Residence
Talen'Lith
Gender
Male
Eyes
Hazel
Hair
White (formerly brown)
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Pale
Height
6'
Weight
140
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The Lunar Temple
Having just escaped the city of Crowharf in the Illithid nation, we were on route to the Lunar Temple as directed by Jaadoogar, the Guru who wrote many pages on lycanthropes we found in the Cynic's Rot library. He informs us that we will have another month of travel through another portion of the Hallow Tears to make it back to the Cloudripper mountains where we can climb to the highest peak and find the Lunar Temple.
He says that one would be unable to find it without a guide, but as a cartographer I took that as a personal challenge. But before we reached the temple, he said that Azurite must "show dominion over the animals of land, air and sea" in order to prove her worth as a Were-Panther. He asks her to take down a triceratops that we spot, grazing on the edges. We all assist but he IN-sists that she must strike the final blow barehanded. The creature was soon to gore Azurite deeply, possibly even killing her, but I forsaw him tripping and failing to strike true. A few well placed strikes and the creature was down by her hand (or claw), and as she dug into the side of the creature she changed into a full panther. Jaadoogar explains that she has mastered her animal form and can now change at will.
Next is the creature of the sea, and we pass close enough a beach that we spot a killer whale. I prepare her as best I can, with water breathing and haste, and send Mr. Squeakers in as a distraction, as the hydrophobic (in more ways than one) Moro stands on the cliff edge. She evicerates the whale and leaps from its corpse in animal form onto a nearby seal, just as a true big cat ambush predator would.
Finally is the sky, having followed the pattern, I rearrange my spell book and have magics that would assist better prepared. Jaadoogar takes us near a nest of giant eagles as we scale the mountains to reach the temple. I take to my flying carpet and endow Azurite with magics to fly. She flying pounces on the unsuspecting creature and takes it to the ground; which in this case is quite fatal. It's made comes from above to attempt to avenge its fallen, and inspired, and weave an enchantment that also causes it to plummet, smashing itself on the ground. Azurite consumes the creature she defeated and her claws in her panther form grow fiercer and tougher.
Finally, as the moon is soon to reach another full night we reach the Lunar Temple, the outside adorned with a huge stone directly mimicking the moon, every detail is exact. Inside is stranger still, appearing as a glass box floating through the sky, Jaadoogar describes this as a portal among the realms. When Azurite enters, a panther enters from the other side and mimics her movements as closely as the faux moon mimicked the true. Eventually they touch and my divination came true that she would hold onto her sense of self in the face of this trial. They merge and become one, and as they do she falls unconscious. Nothing seems to wake her, but Jaadoogar informs us that this is natural, and she will awaken when the moon has passed and he lights a candle to calm her spirit.
She awakens and tells us a few things about her experience, that she met other were-creatures, and has joined a group she refers to the Just-us league, but they call the Zodiac. She also informs us that they are concerned over the threat of Tloques Popolocas (or PapaLoco as they called him). He is a sun-worshiping vampire whom was released when Azurite and the others raided Tamoachan.
I hand over a copy of Jaadoogar's notes, and he wishes us well in our journey home but will give us a final gift, and we hold hands and close our eyes only to open them in a strange alley. We had teleported to the city of Zarald, hundreds of miles south of Talen'Lith. Divine magic is so... imprecise.
Guru JaaDooGar
Azurite Temple- being bitten recently by a creature and having some weird dreams came to me asking for my help in researching her condition. I searched through my meagar library but was unable to come up with much of an answer; so we went to the grand library in Cynic's rot; where I hold a platinum membership for having been the head librarian there before my shift into adventuring.
Some simple research, combing through the 20ft tall rolodex that houses their card catalogue, we discover some infromation from a author named Jaadoogar, and he describes and illustrates in depth- 12 different lycanthropic forms and their transformations. (And a self-help book) None matching the description, we check out the history of who brought in the scattered papers that comprise Jaadoogar's works. We are informed it was brought in by that wacky "Rainbow Wizard" Tim back in Talen'Lith.
We return home and find Tim selling bagels. Discussing with him Jaadoogar and his work, he speaks of their duel at a game of chance on a floating gambling barge. Tim suggests that he could help us locate the man using scrying, and attempts to get Norman to agree to reveal a location and description of the "Lunar Temple", a location that Jaadoogar gave up his life's work in the form of those documents to protect from being taken on the gambling table. Tim scrys the man, and finds him in a jail, across the continent- the Illithid controlled city of Crowharf.
Discussing the route, it would take us through the blighted lands of the Hallow Tears, a treacherous path that would have few if any opportunities to hunt or forage. Azurite's transformations would turn her into a bloodthirsty killer on the full moon, and we couldn't have that happen in a ship or city. We take some items from Spell Check, including Murk's bag of holding and fill it with rations, relying on my Decanter of Endless Water to quench our thirst. We also invited along young Moro Goldworthy, charge of Spell Check as he is a formidable fighter. Tim supplies us with a strange candy that when eaten, creates a rubbery sphere around us and would protect us until morning while Azurite raged with the moon at full.
A few weeks into our journey, even before we reached the Hallow Tears, we came across a trader, whom was sobbing and washing blood out of his home. The man informed us that his family was dead or missing upon his return, that his son and brother in law that were misshapen were killed and his wife and daughters whom were in better physical condition were missing. We hear a second sobbing and not trusting the man, we evacuate him before investigating. It was one of the daughters, who was hidden under the stairs. She told us who had done this, a man with long black hair who had an axe that cast an odd shadow; that of a skeletal hand. Azurite recalled seeing a similar axe in the Hidden shrine in Tamoachan, and connected that also with the vampires from the Potato Abbey. This Tloques Popolocas as we later found out seems to be recruiting vampires as an army. I attempt to calm their nerves and we can't do much to help, so continue on. In hindsight I wish I had given them some money at least.
We eventually make it to the Cloudripper mountains, and find at the top a horrifying sight. Where we approached from is green and verdant, beautiful lively colors in a deep summer palate, on where we were going- barren. Nothingness. Just a dusty path through blighted lands. What trees we did see were desiccated husks, and what animals we came across were bony or emaciated. Moro managed to catch one at one point and was disgusted to find yellowy flesh where a healthy pink should be. It is hard going, but we double our speed by alternating rests on my carpet. Weeks into the trip we come across a short house, dug into the side of a hill, and see smoke emitting from a chimney.
We approach the house and cautiously knock, perhaps the resident has found a way to survive out here and would be willing share their experiences? Opening the door was a orange Tabaxi, with striking Sapphire eyes, whom Azurite identified as Feinted Stone, a lover she left in her homeland. He invited her in and dropped a dagger, which I promptly pick up and hand back to him. Though it was a ruse! he slammed the door in mine and Moro's faces and attempted to kill Azurite before Moro busted through the door and we took him down. Upon his face hitting the floor, he reverted to his true form; a doppleganger. Dopplegangers can read minds you know, and this one preys on those who are worn and weary from travel through here, eager to accept any slight hope, no matter how obvious a trap.
Though hope was in short supply and did not deter us when another week had passed and crossed through a burnt village, but mysteriously one home was standing and active- we could smell great food and hear laughter. As we approached the laughter and the silhouettes disappeared. Entering the house we found a grand hall full of food, to which moro gladly partook of, and fled upstairs, of all places, in a place that shouldn't have even had a room the size of the great hall, let alone a second floor.
As Azurite attempted to deter Moro from eating the suspicious food, I attempted to determine the nature of the house. The whole placed reeked of magic, and the more I looked the more evidence there was that the house may be haunted and these items manifested from the Ethereal plane directly, in a similar manner of a ghost. I attempt to parlay with the house, and come to realize that it means us no harm, I was allowed to leave without incident, we were provided food and shelter, and it seemed both intriguing and convenient enough to stay a while. Over the next few days I attempt to learn more about the house, and eventually its figurative walls seem to come out (haha). It seems to want for nothing but to serve those who pass through, providing comfort and ease to the weary. I ask its name, and it replies "The Littlest Cottage", which I promptly shorten to and anthropomorphize it more with the nickname "LC" or "Elsie".
I spend another day or so attempting to find a source of "Elsie" and better understand what made her, but our goal was more pressing. We wave a fond farewell to Elsie and continue our journey. Azurite informs while Moro rests that on the final night she had a dream, where she saw a panther who had many objects arranged around a table with scales. She placed some items on the scale and the world cracked around her, as they did not balance. Eventually she places a baby's rattle and a sickle on either side of the scale and they balance, resulting in acceptance by the panther and a sense of balance within herself. In hindsight, this appears to have been a test of her spirit, to find what balance she will keep in the world.
More grueling travel and we eventually reach the city of Crowharf, a strange city with people so happy and productive that it seems utopian. We gather rations for our return trip early, in case we needed to make a hasty exit from the city. Locals inform us of the jail location and we head over there under the guise of investigating another crime for Jaadoogar from another city we arrange for a meeting. He explains more about the city and that the people of the city are interchangeable, literally swapping personality and memory with each other as a means of control and reduction of inssurection among the populace for the Illithid masters. He also tells us of the Lunar temple, a place where we can go and allow Azurite to fully control her lycanthropic abilities. So we handily just remove him from the situation with a few well placed illusions between myself and Azurite, and abscond the city with great haste. (not the spell).
(continued in The Lunar Temple)
The missing
We hear that some of our archers have not been checking in. They've been at home because of the quarantine but still normally check in.
We decide we're gonna go check it out but get stopped at the wench and flail, where there had been disappearance and murder. A githyanki had it's brain and spinal cord extracted and several humans were missing. We hear that a local fortune teller was also missing, and go to investigate. Hearing there was a trap, azurite triggers it several times until it has shot several javelins into the porch.
Inside we find a similar grisly sight. The fortune teller was also sans brain and spine, and several members looted her house before we left. Continued toward the constable, we talk to him about the missing members and get the address. We find one of the members girlfriend there and Norman uses detect thoughts and delves into her memories, uncovering a memory in a drunken stupor of seeing an imposing figure controlling the others and leaving her as insufficient.
After each of these we attempted to trace and track back to the source and while unsuccessful, we triangulated their entry point from the old city.
Norman alarms the bridge they're using and we position across it to catch the predators. It turns out they were invisible and Doug manages to catch sight of them, strange jellyfish creatures being led around by blank eyed humans.
We follow them and Wynn communicates with them, finding out they are searching for sources of psionic energy.
They finally lead us to a location and say they're feeding, and we find below the streets a sleeping kuo-toa.
We head back up and are waiting for the"extraction team" and eventually a cart pulled by a mass of brains formed into a large humanoid shape pulls up and there are 2 lizard men with tentacles instead of jaws in the cart. A fight breaks out and there are issues damaging the creature, gronk is stunned by psychic power and Wynn's shadow blade is absorbed by the brain creature. Eventually the enemies fall and we hear from the jellyfish creatures that their food is gone. Wynn realizes what's going on and runs down into the sewer, azurite runs too and gets there first, to find a huge illithid taunting us with the dead kuo-toa.
After mind blasting us all and killing Doug's dog he teleports away.
We lick our wounds and attempt to prepare better for the next time. A shopping trip and a talk with Murak give us lots of new information, exaggerated by Dazy blurting out everything she's been holding back regarding Zellix, Roofus and Dazys dealings with him and their other misadventures. Doug has a meltdown and says he's done with the guild.
As this comes to a head, we spot some smoke creatures and follow them. They lead us across into the old city and to a pair of Nothics feeding on an unfortunate man. Investigations come to the conclusion that he was one of the missing, and he was leading a jellyfish around before his death.
The smoke monsters also lead us past a random polar bear, and the city seems significantly more chaotic than normal. It seems it's almost changing the moment you turn your back instead of days apart.
Eventually the smoke creatures lead us to a tower in a clearing. The tower has strange lines across it's surface, pulsing with power and dozens of presumably kidnapped people around it. At the top we spot the illithid, who laughs at us and taunts before going into the tower.
The tower seems to tear at reality with pulses. It shifts the terrain around us, and seems to summon strange creatures made of chaos. Norman summons a tidal wave and creates an opening to the tower, and gronk rushes in to climb to the top and stop whatever is happening. The tower pulses with the eyes of the humans around and creates beasts that tear into the party. Suddenly our weapons switch among the party, gronk glaive in the hands of Doug, azurites dagger in Norman's hand, chaos ensues as we scramble for alternate weapons.
Doug targets the tower and that seems to weaken it, but more and more chaos creatures are formed and the party goes down one by one. Gronk and Dazy begin to target the tower itself, weakening the chaotic power and returning weapons to proper hands.
Insane creatures with the torso of an Archer for a head appear and snipe down azurite who has tried to escape to the tower for safety, and she bleeds out as gronk battles beside her. Norman is taken down, his now motionless body still hovering on the flying carpet.
Doug is sniped off the wall of the tower and falls, healed briefly by a potion from Dazy, but the insane geometry pulls him partially into the ground and he escapes only by Dazy pulling him out.
Gronk grabs azurites body and jumps from the tower, and begins to tear the archers apart while Dazy and Doug finish off the last bits of power of the tower.
Beaten and broken, the party retreats to tell of the fate of the missing, some struck down by the party but many sucked dry by the power of the tower. We vow to return and find that illithid and stop him.
Grasping Alchemy 101
Greetings, I am Norman Clark, aspiring archmage. You have come to my lecture on a recent event I participated in. Initially this seemed to be a very simple mission. Accompany the local herbalist as he replenished his supplies. Generally a pair or trio is enough to handle this but due to limited board listings at the moment, 8 adventurers answered the call. While it watered down the reward money, it was very nice to have the extra bodies. Trouble began when it appeared that the local bridge the herbalist used to cross a small river was washed away. It visibly disturbed our employer and he was unaware of another route that would lead to his preferred grounds. Some innovative use of the local Flora had us creating a new rudimentary bridge to cross with.
After this we reached the first goal, retrieving giant wolf spider hair. The trees were covered in thick webbing, and I hoped to smoke out some spiders by starting a small fire. Unfortunately I underestimated the flammability of the webbing and cooked one of the spiders alive on the nearby web. This burned off the hair we sought. A small more careful fight and we achieved our goal with little trouble. This impressed the Tortle, who asked us if we were willing to take a more difficult job as we had some overwhelming force. We agreed for additional pay, and were asked to gather a special mushroom and several imps, preferably alive. The cave that contained both had several entrances, and I flew my familiar, Mr Squeakers in to scout. Unfortunately the imps had taken other forms or become invisible using their innate magics. Upon physical entry we stumbled across one imp and our Bard convinced him to come with us. A discussion occurred with the others requiring us to disable one and apparently awakening a creature that had been asleep in the back of the cavern. It appeared as a living stalagmite, with a single eye and thin whipping tentacles that would wrap around my allies and attempt to drag them to a toothy maw. I identified the attack method of the creature and feed an ally with a timely use of magic missile. Despite the tough exterior we were able to fell the beast and return with all the requested supplies.
Thank you for listening to my lecture. It will be available on magic mouth per request with a one month order period.
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