Ulgrotha: the Spiriting

Party: Rollo, Taurio, Sorval, Zantaroth, Vultha, Iskren

 Xivaskir 19

After rendez-vousing with Rollo and retiring for the night, the party bunkers down in their airship for some peaceful sleep. 

They awake the sound of masonry crashing down, rush out and see the Blessed Shade, a massive island that floats over Shademurk, listing to the side, with old ruins falling down onto the town, in the vicinity of the Boros Barracks and the nearest city wall. The ruckus and fallout are loud enough to be heard quite some distance away, so it is probably not looking good for those who dwell in that area.

Hoping that the Boros guild will keep matters in hand, the party sets off to the portal and heads to Ulgrotha by inserting and removing the silver coin Iskren carries. A gateway opens and leads into a void.

The place the party arrives at has a raised platform which is surrounded by strange petrified trees, on which small glowing red orbs sit. A group of pillars keeps the ceiling up, a massive carving of a face sits on the wall opposite the only door the chamber has. A bunch of smaller pillars, apparently sliced in half, stand before the carved face. The floor has some stale puddles of water through which the roots of the trees snake.

As the party approaches the door, elaborately carved figures on it come alive! A skeletal ball rolls into the fray, distracting the group as two strange creatures sneak up from behind. The frackas that ensues is quite spectacular, leaving but the group standing in the room. As they take in their surroundings, Taurio discovers his greataxe (it was on his back the whole time), the others find a longsword with an emerald set in the hilt and a leather armour. 

Emerging from the underground portal-hall, the party finds themselves popping into a forest. A massive, misty forest. All that stands out to the party is a sole tower from which they emerge, they find themselves further from civilisation as they know it, but they are undaunted by this development. Sorval extends his divine sense and spies a cluster of undead beings nearby. Iskren attempts to parlay with the undead. Ihsan, the leader of the undead, wastes little time to sow discord between those that arrived and his master, implying Sengir to be a corrupting influence and Serra's mercy to be denied to him. Zantaroth feels like he heard enough and steps in to violently end the conversation. The second brawl of the day goes well for our heroes, ending with them eventually slaying the evil spirits.

Afterwards, the clerics of the group exchange information on their respective callers from this realm, Zantaroth calls upon the Spirit of the Bear (accidentally summoning a Spectral Bear) in order to get information. The bear informs Big Z that they have vanquished forces of Sengir and Serra, that an alliance is made between those two to fight Autumn Willow. It also informs Zantaroth that an alliance with Autumn Willow is possible if the party earns the right to do so. When Zantaroth requests more information, it explains retrieving the corpse of Ihsan from Sengir's domain would be a good start. Before disappearing, it tells Big Z that going to the Dark Barony can be done by crossing "The Great Bridge" and passing through the Koshun Mountains, or by going to An-Havva and taking "The Carriage Road".

A discussion ensues where the party tries to figure out who their actual allies are. Sorval, meanwhile, finds some scraps on a nearby skeleton (probably belonging to an adventurer who died less than a month ago), including a Pointless Dagger, a map, a receipt from the An-Havva Inn and a note stating the bearer to be diplomatic envoy for the township of Aysen.

Considering their injuries, the party then decides to take a quick rest, bandage some wounds and eat a bite, before deciding on their next course of action

Shademurk: Arc's Close

Session: Vultha / Sorval / Iskren / Zantaroth / Taurio

Xivaskir 13 - 16

Zantaroth returns to the Clan Slitz' homebase, meets up with Eyjafjallajökull and passes on some moderately expired murkfish. The shaman takes a good look at the purple meat.

For a couple of days, he investigates it until he becomes bothered enough to call for aid.

A mighty acquaintance arrives, going by "Shariff". The probably magician brings a mighty vision onto Eyjafjallajökull through thoughtful application of stone.

Three from five one false, three from five one falls.

One to the realm of Angels,

One to the realm of Dark,

One to the realm of Fae Spark,

One to an Ancient Land,

One to Spirit's Stand.

From five to three, her hand you see.

From five to two, unleashed anew.

Zantaroth remembers a couple of words from that, which Eyjaf tells him to tell to Vultha. As Zantaroth queries how to get there, Eyjaf calls on the aid of Shariff again in order to transport Vultha to Shademurk.

Xivaskir 17

Arriving at Shademurk, at the Old Temple, Zantaroth takes out his medal of Vultha-tracking and locates his friends with ease. They look worse for wear after the vicious encounter that has Sorval riled up.

He informs them that the mystery meat was bad news and communicates to the party what he remembers.

Three from five, one falls 

angels dark ancient land 

one is spirit, and one is fey 

five to two, unleashed

Iskren, Sorval and Vultha put forth theories what this might have to do with them. The consensus leads to the Nephilim trapped under the city and the seals involved with it, with each seal being linked to a source of mana. The party then briefs Zantaroth on the happenings here.

As they walk back to the temple, they decide to track the Spider-creature that assaulted Wellgar, following the tracks outside of the walls where it eventually dives off into the Murk proper. 

 

They then split up in order to prepare themselves for their journey, with an agreement to go to the Fogger at earliest convenience around noon and to the Izzet Mines afterwards. 

Sorval and Taurio head to the Boros Barracks

Vultha heads to the Nightstreet where Har-to Pro'nounce resides.

Iskren and Zantaroth stroll to the Temple again.

 

Sorval and Taurio meet Tri-Toe, Wojek Corporal, worried about the ashen lizard Sorval keeps company with. After a brief interaction, Tri decides Sorval is Vultha's Guard-mother and lets the pair in.

Walking to the reception, the two hear a commotion at the door, coming face to face with a Deathpact Angel named Athra, a high ranking Orzhovian. Coming in Feather's stead, she explains in curt terms that attempts have been made on the lives of the party and it has fallen to her to stop these. 

After Sorval talks through the things that happened, she says that the Lady of Radiance is known to her, cautioning Sorval to keep an eye on Iskren and their coin before leaving. The Boros pair decides to go to bed after this, recovering their strength for ordeals to come.

Iskren and Zantaroth meet Wellgar, with Iskren asking to hold a service. Wellgar endears himself with Zantaroth by showing genuine interest in him and explains the manyfold charities they do.

The trio goes down to the catacombs, has a fruitful discussion with Wellgar there, learning the name of the Nephilim (the Gnashing Agony) and that Iskren carries the final seal with him.

Afterwards, the pair goes to the Green Apricot, where Zantaroth gets a well-deserved rest in a chair.

Thaya explains that a group of thugs asked about Iskren and left a calling card. That ends their evening on a bright note with Iskren giving Thaya the rest of the evening off.

Vultha arrives at Nightstreet and investigates the summoning circle there. Finding a ring of small toadstools set around the circle, some ivy creeping through the floor and symbols that were at least less visible last time the party came here. 

A voice whispers at Vultha, asking him to break the chains by bringing and shattering the crystal. Vultha assumes the voice he has been hearing a while is the Nephilim, asking him to return things to their original state. Har-to Pro'nouns warns Vultha that the voice he hears means ill.

Har-to also mentions that the circle leads to his homeworld but refuses to say more on the matter.

With much to ponder Vultha then heads to the Empty Net, where he feasts on a 'kebob in broth' before going to sleep.

Xivaskir 18

The next day, at the Fogger, Sorval tells Iskren he has been assigned the mission to protect Iskren better by an angel. Iskren shows their coin to Sorval, who sees some similarities with the stolen emblem he carried, but fails to see a fundamental similarity. The group feels it best to assume it also would be a seal, explaining why it was taken. Furthermore, Vultha explains he found a differences at the portal in the Nightstreet hideout, changing into a more natural shape. 

Sorval suggests leaving the plane and going to Ulgrotha, which Iskren concurs as a good idea.

Sadly enough, Krovek happens. And there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Eventually, Krovek leaves to report to captain Eliander in Sorval's stead with vital ideas of how things should be, including Sorval fighting the End Troopers, an invisible Rakdos cultist group.

Taurio considers it a good idea to send out his own report through the official channels, eventually winding up with Iskren's offered aid in a secret script. Iskren adds a little bit about donations as they write the letter. 

Having finished this, the party checks on the Ebon Fang and fly it to the Izzet Mines. Upon arriving at the industrial complex, they are hailed by a small flying ship, which requests them to set down outside the Mines proper in order to identify themselves.

The guard-goblin is a little distrustful initially, but mentions some problems in the 'martial field', which the party jumps on as a way to get easy access. She sends the party off with Foreman Jeff to shaft 337a.

Jeff mentions various outside forces that intervened and how they barricaded off a bit of the tunnel to keep them away. When queried on the nature of the troubles, Jeff mentions they are fighting mainly undead. 

The party, moderately excited to get their weapons out again, decides to solve the problems right here and now, busting down a barricade and causing great havoc on all the beings in the mine.

The invaders, mainly rakdos barbarians, a blood witch and massive undead ogres, are defeated after a long hard battle with the party gaining access to the Ulgrotha portal.