Session 20 - Prisoners and Parasites
General Summary
From Laura's Journal
XVII Martius, AUC MMCIII
Well, I for one was not enthusiastic, I did not want to go back to Lugdunum. Especially not after getting rid of that parasite that came from the red monster. But we heard the battle in the night and Kleeck read his auguries and back we went. It was very changed, and Kleeck’s direction form Apollo proved well interpreted as we found old old wrongness and a story about it in the temple. The story is deeply disturbing and supports the facts of The Journal of Varis Cornelius Cithreth, Seer of Lugdunuml that we found on our first visit. Or at least the end of this story matches. The part about gods before gods is well and truly beyond this simple Gnome. Kleeck was getting stuck on it and I suppose that is as it ought to be because the Gods or at least Apollo are his Calling. Diana has some to do with mine, and I thank her for her gifts especially when they aid the small creatures, but I am no cleric or pontifex! That a great evil was long trapped here and recently released is clear. That it has a name is also clear, but whether to ascribe the name “King Maagog” from the inscription on the wall to the evil that was released when the inscription talks of gods before gods and other blasphemies is another question, and not I think for the likes of us right now. Not at least until we are away from here and safe. As we could not get anywhere on the information we had, and Kleeck’s communication with the Vopiscus Opius came to naught, we went to explore the temple further. The bodies near the alter had Wraths attached. Fighting air! Fegh! I truly prefer my opponents to be solid or at least something I can sink a weapon into! At least these did not spray gook all over like the jelly stuff in the sewers! However, they were as apt to play with out minds as to actually fight. Laying fear on me so that I ran right out of the temple; putting Bandua and Kleeck to sleep as if it were a lovely tranquil summer afternoon rather than the middle of battle! I overcame the false fear and got back into the temple just as they ran Hassan off under the effects of a fear spell or something similar. Mkali is the only one who seemed to be able to just ignore it all and fight. What he thought when I ran… ah well. We did dissipate them eventually, hopefully that means they are killed. I do wish dead things would stay dead! We found some treasure but no more clues in the temple so went on to resume our systematic survey of the town, expecting to find more lizard folk and yuan-ti shades or spirits, but not live anything. The shades are enough to keep us from being too brazen I think. We checked the hospital next and to our horror, delight, and surprise found living prisoners elf and human alike. I say to our horror as they were all infected one way or another either with the horrid tadpole parasites or a raging fever and something in their blood. Kleeck near wore himself out healing them all, and Hassan nearly lit us all on fire burning the ejected parasites. He was actually a bit more controlled about it than when the first one came out of me, but UGG!!!! I would be delighted never to deal with that infection in anyone ever again! I don’t think the healing I have achieved with Diana's help would have been match for these horrors at all, so am doubly glad Apollo shares so much of his grace with Kleeck! Anyhow the now freed prisoners had little to add to what we know, only that they were captured inside the empire on the river and brought here. My assumption now is that anyone missing after the fall of Lugdunum is likely gone for good. After serous discussion of safety, the former prisoners went to the workshop to wait for us and we went on to the arena somewhat dreading the carnage Kleeck had described from his flyover. As expected, all inside were dead, luckily the non-human guards seem to have accepted their deaths and did not challenge us. Snakes in the bathhouse were another issue! They were huge and not from this far north I am pretty sure. I probably should have tried talking to them as they seem to have been just snakes, but as everything else remotely reptilian here has wanted to kill us, eat us, implant things in us etc. my reaction was to fight. I am going to have to think on this and perhaps talk to Kleeck when we get to a campsite that seems safe. It seems so strange to react to a natural creature by fighting, but this journey is changing all of us. I would talk to Bandua, having known him longest but the oldster would probably just brush it off We then found where the Wyverns had laired, and their pile of treasure was quite nice. Their eggs were also quite crispy. So, I now have a lovely Gladius of Diana, that appears to give light and may prove better than my current Gladius against some foes. Not a weapon to use when sneaking about though so I will have to be choosy when we expect to fight. We have another building or so to check out and then we shall have to collect the survivors and move on. I don’t know what we will find elsewhere. If Kleeck thinks the pontifex will not help us in unraveling the mysteries of the temples I wonder if Nemasus is the best place to go. On the other hand, it would be good to talk to the perfecta and see if she can shed some lite on the history that seems to be boiling up again! It is getting late I hope we can finish our survey and get out of Lugdunum to camp tonight. I don’t think I would sleep well within the walls at this point. Too many parasitic tadpoles!
XVII Martius, AUC MMCIII
Well, I for one was not enthusiastic, I did not want to go back to Lugdunum. Especially not after getting rid of that parasite that came from the red monster. But we heard the battle in the night and Kleeck read his auguries and back we went. It was very changed, and Kleeck’s direction form Apollo proved well interpreted as we found old old wrongness and a story about it in the temple. The story is deeply disturbing and supports the facts of The Journal of Varis Cornelius Cithreth, Seer of Lugdunuml that we found on our first visit. Or at least the end of this story matches. The part about gods before gods is well and truly beyond this simple Gnome. Kleeck was getting stuck on it and I suppose that is as it ought to be because the Gods or at least Apollo are his Calling. Diana has some to do with mine, and I thank her for her gifts especially when they aid the small creatures, but I am no cleric or pontifex! That a great evil was long trapped here and recently released is clear. That it has a name is also clear, but whether to ascribe the name “King Maagog” from the inscription on the wall to the evil that was released when the inscription talks of gods before gods and other blasphemies is another question, and not I think for the likes of us right now. Not at least until we are away from here and safe. As we could not get anywhere on the information we had, and Kleeck’s communication with the Vopiscus Opius came to naught, we went to explore the temple further. The bodies near the alter had Wraths attached. Fighting air! Fegh! I truly prefer my opponents to be solid or at least something I can sink a weapon into! At least these did not spray gook all over like the jelly stuff in the sewers! However, they were as apt to play with out minds as to actually fight. Laying fear on me so that I ran right out of the temple; putting Bandua and Kleeck to sleep as if it were a lovely tranquil summer afternoon rather than the middle of battle! I overcame the false fear and got back into the temple just as they ran Hassan off under the effects of a fear spell or something similar. Mkali is the only one who seemed to be able to just ignore it all and fight. What he thought when I ran… ah well. We did dissipate them eventually, hopefully that means they are killed. I do wish dead things would stay dead! We found some treasure but no more clues in the temple so went on to resume our systematic survey of the town, expecting to find more lizard folk and yuan-ti shades or spirits, but not live anything. The shades are enough to keep us from being too brazen I think. We checked the hospital next and to our horror, delight, and surprise found living prisoners elf and human alike. I say to our horror as they were all infected one way or another either with the horrid tadpole parasites or a raging fever and something in their blood. Kleeck near wore himself out healing them all, and Hassan nearly lit us all on fire burning the ejected parasites. He was actually a bit more controlled about it than when the first one came out of me, but UGG!!!! I would be delighted never to deal with that infection in anyone ever again! I don’t think the healing I have achieved with Diana's help would have been match for these horrors at all, so am doubly glad Apollo shares so much of his grace with Kleeck! Anyhow the now freed prisoners had little to add to what we know, only that they were captured inside the empire on the river and brought here. My assumption now is that anyone missing after the fall of Lugdunum is likely gone for good. After serous discussion of safety, the former prisoners went to the workshop to wait for us and we went on to the arena somewhat dreading the carnage Kleeck had described from his flyover. As expected, all inside were dead, luckily the non-human guards seem to have accepted their deaths and did not challenge us. Snakes in the bathhouse were another issue! They were huge and not from this far north I am pretty sure. I probably should have tried talking to them as they seem to have been just snakes, but as everything else remotely reptilian here has wanted to kill us, eat us, implant things in us etc. my reaction was to fight. I am going to have to think on this and perhaps talk to Kleeck when we get to a campsite that seems safe. It seems so strange to react to a natural creature by fighting, but this journey is changing all of us. I would talk to Bandua, having known him longest but the oldster would probably just brush it off We then found where the Wyverns had laired, and their pile of treasure was quite nice. Their eggs were also quite crispy. So, I now have a lovely Gladius of Diana, that appears to give light and may prove better than my current Gladius against some foes. Not a weapon to use when sneaking about though so I will have to be choosy when we expect to fight. We have another building or so to check out and then we shall have to collect the survivors and move on. I don’t know what we will find elsewhere. If Kleeck thinks the pontifex will not help us in unraveling the mysteries of the temples I wonder if Nemasus is the best place to go. On the other hand, it would be good to talk to the perfecta and see if she can shed some lite on the history that seems to be boiling up again! It is getting late I hope we can finish our survey and get out of Lugdunum to camp tonight. I don’t think I would sleep well within the walls at this point. Too many parasitic tadpoles!
Rewards Granted
250 Experience Points
Missions/Quests Completed
Minor Milestone - Cure the infected prisoners
Character(s) interacted with
Prisoners from the Hospital
- Althea Amastacia - Grey Elf
- Melita Flavia Gisgon - Desert Woman
- Kemit Jeb-As - River Woman
- Flavia Mania - Hill Woman
- Cyprianus Mantius - Hill Man
- Caius Florius - Hill Man
Report Date
05 Dec 2020
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