Interesting developments in Starfall. After a classic comedy of errors resulting in the ousting of Ozmyn Zaidow and the Black Sovereign being only partially cured of his adictions, weakness, and madness; we found the royal treasury had been plundered and spent on some sort of secret project in or near Silvermount. This was concerning to all involved, as the city needs major public works and improvements. Food, water, and basic sanitation are all lacking.

More pressing, however are the armies. 3 armies of dragon-kin have seized the territory north of the the city and are currently skirmishing and jockeying for position there.

The closest group, in the South calls itself “Kordarsilstrix” (or “the Kordies”), implying a certain familiarity with technological wonders and horrors of Numeria. They are seemingly not religiously-affiliated and have the home-court advantage, holding their fortified positions and apparently had a deal with Zaidow to allow him to do…whatever it was that he was doing. We were able to speak with them, they claimed to be harmless and merely defending what was theirs. They hold the South, and face troubles from the North and the East. I could tell they were withholding information, and was not entirely surprised to learn they are believed to be under new management, and mostly likely picking up where Ozmyn left off. Fortunately there is a large gap between spying on a master craftsman of dark technology and being able to complete his work.

To the East is a band sworn to Tiamat and Dahak known as “Malsviitcogsvent” (or “The Malleys”) are unambiguously brutal and evil. We raided several of their pickets in an attempt to Stir Up Trouble. Little else is known except that they believe a powerful draconic artifact exists in Silvermount that will allow them to do as the servants of Dahak often do…rampage and destroy.

To the North, unable to really reinforce Starfall, are allies from the 7th Dragonwing. The label “blueboys” seems to be sticking, though I am at a loss to explain how anyone got to that name. I suspect goblins were involved, because it is nonsensical.

We have come up with a plan to “stir up trouble” and incite battle between the two factions. It is dangerous, but these things often are.

First, we have retrieved the defunct brain cylinder that once contained Therace Holiyard. A quick scrounge retrieved the brain of a condemned and executed criminal. A further series of carefully crafted lies and intelligence leaks have ensured that anyone with a nose for intrigue has heard the tale of Ozmyn Zaidow’s disembodied brain being wired into a torturous alien machine that forces him to share his knowledge with whoever possesses said device. This is, of course, nonsense. I doubt anyone on this planet knows how to repair the machine or install a brain into it. But as long as spies (and the Malleys and Kordies that pay them) believe we have Zaidow’s secret knowledge, they will want it.

Phase 2 was simple enough in a town full of necromancers and “alternative diet” barbarians. We purchased a dead badger that had been destined for someone’s stew pot and had it turned into a burrowing messenger. I composed a very convincing letter offering sale of the brain cylinder to the Blueboy Captain and our skeletal messenger began digging it’s way toward inevitable capture with specific orders to maximize the possibility of it getting caught. Since it did not arrive at the 7th dragonwing encampment, I believe our “secret” is out.

The sale is scheduled a few days from now in a cave we serruptitiously investigated. We added a few mundane pit traps and Mr. Mistoffeles has kindly scribed several gold coins with Explosive Runes. Combined with the eversmoking bottle, the cavern, and whatever other madness we can cook up there should be more than enough chaos to cause problems for both armies.

In the meantime, we’re killing some time hunting the Kyton nests around town, and I’ve asked the Queen if she knows a decent bard. I would love to have a boost in my ability to convincingly lie when we “accidentally” drop the worthless brain cylinder and run away, leaving to forces of fools to fight over it.

Two other notes: I’m still contemplating how much information to give the goblin. Chompers is not known for his ability to lie nor his ability to keep a secret. Quite the opposite in fact.

And I do hope I can grab some downtime with Bas, it’s been a while and I could you some pleasant company in a more pleasant locale.

Dear mom and dad,
We stopped a night market and killed a their that would otherwise steal from an outstanding individual.
Running right now so ill try and write more later.

Love Flynn

Entry 204, Day 193, noon

Scrapwall remains much as we left it, though some vestiges of civilization have crept in. The Steel Hawks and Redtooth’s Raiders maintain a shaky peace and a relatively protected barter zone has been kludged together. I spoke with Sevroth of the Steel Hawks and Redtooth of the Raiders and they pointed us in the direction of our quarry.

I also conjured up a stone wall near the Swap Shop which they think will improve security.

We are pausing for lunch, while the local cultists are weak and are unlikely to pose a threat, they are probably going to be quite a hassle to track down. Many places to hide in a junk sea.

Entry 205, Day 193, evening

I feel a bit foolish.

The cultists were weak, but they didn’t run, because their masters used the same trick I used with Abbot Costello. We burst into their den and one of them unleashed the power of a Gate scroll. He was lucky the backlash did not kill him, but his lack of experience with such magics still led to a side-effect. Along with the Hamatula and Faceless Devil that suddenly joined the party a Dracotaur and a flaming goblin…thing fell into the world and crashed through the ceiling. They immediately began (continued?) fighting each other while we engaged the devils.

Melee was confused and chaotic, the devils were killed, the cultists were killed (and partially eaten, in the case of the ones felled by the goblin) and then, strangely, the goblin joined us. He acted as though I was familiar, and chose to finish off the faceless devil with his flaming teeth.

Cautiously, I approached him and tried to find out what was about. He gave a long, dtailed, and completely meaningless explanation of his adventures (goblin communication is terrible) before saying, “I dunno, I’m YOUR problem now!” and then opening every container in the room looking for food.

After getting him drunk on what remained of my White Lightning (to keep him for destroying the paperwork we found) I cast Legend Lore on his unconscious body. I have transcribed what I saw to the best of my ability as follows.

_It begins with a vision.

The mists part, and I see a young goblin, sleeping in a glass tank in some mad wizard’s workshop. The evil wizard is occluded, I cannot see his identity, but it matters little. The goblins entire tribe was abducted from some magically-blighted land. They are being turned into weapons by the wizard, and reiterating their hatred for magic.

The vision moves forward in time, but is quickly covered with a sign saying, “scene redacted for your sanity,” in flowing, cursive draconic. Truly my god is kind.

Chompers successfully chews through the bars, he is free for the first time in his life. He stumbles around the workshop, nothing smells tasty. Chompers sees a bird outside the window and leaps out to chase it. I hear the sound of a fall, a thud, a groan, and then the scampering of goblin feet.

Again with the sign, again I am grateful.

Time moves on, a band of hearty adventurers bursts into the wizard’s workshop, Chompers covered in chains and manacles that weigh twice what he does. The evil wizard throws open the cages and all of Chomper’s unfinished (yet still dangerous) brethren charge the heroes. Chompers is dropped in the ensuing chaos, struggling to get at the evil wizard’s half-finished dinner.

At the climax of the battle, the dark priest (heroes’ side) of Nerull calls forth a magical vortex which begins sucking the goblin-beasts out of this world and into the negative material plane, along with the evil wizard’s laboratory. Chompers sinks his teeth into a wall but is eventually torn free. Time seems to slow down.

The priest is struggling to maintain his spell, the wizard is throwing a spell of destruction at the priest, Chompers is about to strike the event horizon of the vortex, the barbarian is trying to find his bitten-off hand, Chompers is crying because the chicken wing he was trying to eat just disintegrated, and the shadowdancer is swinging his sickle from behind to remove the evil wizard’s head.

Suddenly I am outside the tower, watching it explode. I sense there are a few survivors.

Now I am in the desert, the Abbess of The Dawnflower raises her hands to greet the morning sun. She smiles, today is full of hope and promise, here in Katapesh. There is a sound from far away, as of a screaming goblin…

Chompers crashes into the sand, headfirst, somehow surviving. His chains and manacles are shattered, broken things. She sees this wretched creature before her…

She takes him in, tries to teach him. He learns some sense of civilization, but in katapesh there is always someone who needs their face eaten off. A rapid flurry of scenes of attempted teaching, wandering the countryside of Katapesh, helping people, terrifying people, getting attacked by people, eating people, and several scenes redacted for my sanity.

The Abbess is now exhausted, frustrated, and being chased by Pactmaster mercenaries seeking revenge on Chompers. She prays to her goddess for guidance and deliverance. The runic circle of summoning magic appears at Chompers’ feet…

I cannot see them clearly, I would be struck blind. I see instead charicatures, images implying their identities. I am seeing the gods.

Sarenrae says, “Alright, somebody ELSE gets to take this ball of teeth and trouble for a while.”

“Not it!” says Cayden Cailean, followed quickly by Desna, Iomedae, and Torag from their poker game.

“You must be joking,” says Abadar without looking up from his book, while Asmodeus tugs at his collar and says, “While my great and unfathomable plans will certainly use the beast, er, now is not the right time. Yes, just not the right time.” He mutters “just as planned” under his breath, but no one is fooled.

Eyes turn to Venkelvore, who is stuffing his face with cheetos. He looks up to say, “Screw you guys, I don’t even know why he’s worshipping me, hell no. I renounce all claim to him.”

Norgorber tries to hide behind a curtain, but Sarenrae drags him out. “You, you still owe me for that bullshit in Tijuana. You take him.” He looks around, terrified, and his eyes land on Apsu, who acts like he wasn’t paying attention.

“Hey, Apsu, um, I promise I’ll help you with that thing, come on bro, help me out here.”

Apsu sighs, thinks for a moment, and rolls his eyes. “All right,” he says, “I think I have a place I can stick him that won’t break too much.”

Appollyos the Devastator, the strongest dracotaur bloodrager to ever ply the mercenary city of Arcadia was playing a dangerous game. If he won, he would have the greatest sorceror alive as his slave and plaything. If he lost, they would cut off his arms. He tried to cheat, but was caught. Instead of losing, they cast him out into the maestrom of the planar boundaries. He tumbled through the storm of non-being, until he saw a small green thing flying at him while screaming, ‘hungreeeeee!!!!!!’

I see the battle, I see the death, I see the goblin look at me and speak. His grinning words echo with a strange gravity:

“I’m YOUR problem now.”

I open my eyes, I am lying on the trash-pile of a floor with a pounding headache. The spell is cast, the information is perturbing. The words haunts me.

Well, such is life._

He’s dangerous, he’s psychotic, he’s just a short confused stumble from acts of horrific and monstrous evil…He’s like the rest of my band of hearty heroes, I suppose, which is probably why he’s here. His name is Chompers, and he’s apparently my problem now.

Mr. Mistofelees finished off the last of the cultists in town with magic missiles, I believe we shall check in on the monastery across the river. I would like to investigate that ghost, and I think Casandalee is curious to see a ghost up close and personal. It should be educational for us both.

Entry 203, Day 192, Evening

It has been a while.

I fell out of the habit of writing things down, first from being too busy, then from having to burn my old journal (it picked up some kind of pink mold) and recopy it. But I suppose I should recap the last month and a half.

I spoke to Binox again, and it would seem he no longer recalls our previous conversations. Some further investigation proved he has what Mist referred to as a “memory leak.” He loses most of his memories, including all knowledge of our previous conversation. He knew he controlled the power source we had gathered for him but believed he had always controlled it. In spite of this communication barrier, I believe I managed to impress upon him the need to set up a regular “burn patrol” to go out each day and cook/kill anything in the alien-befouled caves.

Some other members of his “court” are self-aware constructs as well. As beings of function, doing something about (or even noticing) their mechanical king’s growing madness is difficult, but not impossible. We discussed some courses of action, but they will take such measures in their own time. I wished them luck.

After that business, we went in search of a deadly ghost said to be poisoning the land. We found a ghost, (if I recall my studies in “101 undead horrors” it was actually a Bhuta, but that is a petty distinction) and put it down. We wandered further, did battle with a giant froghemoth that had been blighted, and finally stumbled upon the beast causing all this death and decay.

Honestly, I would have preferred if it had been a ghost, at least ghosts make sense. This beast was a living, incorporeal ooze monster, a creature of indescribable yet awful colour from the outer realms which rendered most of my anti-ghost tactics useless.

Most, but not all. Force spells and judicious violence still won the day, but Mr. Mistofelees spent several hours taking notes on the beast afterwards. It flew with maddening speed, disintegrated with a touch, and tried to decay and devour people (body and soul) simply by looking at them (though with no eyes, its “look” was an alien concept).

The next day was spent repairing the damage that this blob of ruinous energy had done to people.

The day after that I was eaten by a giant mutant crocodile before walking around inside a horrid rotting corpse. The Dominion forces came to this world in a “drop ship.” So named, presumably, because it drops from the sky and crashes. The ship, a living thing, dies from this impact but its crew survive to colonize and conquer. The rotting carcass of the beast causes mutations and madness nearby (hence the aforementioned crocodile) which I only survived when Susie was kind enough to transform me into an air elemental.

A rather freeing sensation, really, I should try that again sometime. But I digress.

The inside of the ship was the inside of a rotting carcass, albeit one with tissue as hard as steel. It was horrid, smelly contained “traps” in the form of bursting pustules and “treasures” in the form of the vile organic tools and weapons that the Dominion uses. Some of the “crew” remained, still doing maintenance and repair work and defending their ship despite it being dead, pointless, and a waste. They looked like flying horseshoe crabs, with dangling tentacles below the main body and threw lightning to little effect. I have taken to always dosing everyone with lightning resistance before a major delve, as it simplifies matters when I have an opportunity to use a breath weapon.

We met the ship’s brain, which was depressed and angry about being left to die, it asked us to get revenge for it (we agreed, since the Dominion presence must be destroyed) then it tried to kill us to “make sure we were strong enough.” I suppose being half-dead and blinded by the pain of a slowly-rotting body makes logical thought difficult.

The dominion cave was strange. We fought cybernetic spiders, found intellect devourers, were confused and disturbed by scaly, slimy, living wallpaper. We met a mutated Black Dragon named Maukui with a taste for self-augmentation and a fascination with technology, I managed to talk our way out of a fight and even get some helpful information out of him. He told us of the Dweller in the Dark who leads the Dominion forces and of The Surgeon, a Kyton who is apparently more “mellow” than the two factions we have been having trouble with.

Part of the way through fighting more cyber-spiders Flynn spontaneously attacked the Surgeon, despite the fact that a great big scary dragon thought she was “dangerous”, and apparently because he thought it would please the Kyton he is currently “trying to convert to good.”

So after he was rendered helpless and bleeding on the floor I managed to talk Ms. Paajgat out of killing or “improving” him. It was not easy, but we worked out a peaceable settlement and I eventually put the boy back on his feet. His Magoo-like luck has its limits, it would seem.

I do not recall particularly interesting details beyond that, teleport circles, strange techno-organic constructs, a hideous alien and its hideous alien minions throwing spellwork and claws and tentacles at us.

Part of the deal with Maukui was to give him back a technological device he had been studying. He only described what it looked like, a tripod with wires and things on it. We told him we were looking for a mind. Sadly it seems the two were linked, and we simply did not understand what the other wanted. Rather than kill a dangerous black dragon while tired and battle damaged we elected to follow the letter of the agreement, removing Casandalee from her tortuous prison but leaving the prison for Maukui to find.

I am sure he is enraged by this “betrayal” but frankly, I had and still have higher priorities than fighting a mutant black dragon. We teleported back to Pete’s place. I took an hour to meet with Binox (for the first time, again) and convince him and his minions to burn whatever might still be alive in the other alien caverns.

After that we went home to Torch, where demons had attacked.

They were not particularly powerful demons, but they were enough to overpower the guards and torture poor Mr. Costello for several hours. He is still shaken up and I spent several days working with him. I have also given him a sort of “plan B” should something like this happen again. A scroll of Holy Word is expensive but will deal with most lower-order monsters. Anything tough enough to handle that is too tough for ANY measures I have the resources to set up, and likely so powerful that their mere arrival would kill anyone tring to stand up to them.

We did some crafting, we rebuilt what was damaged, and we got a body for Casandalee.

Sandy is…odd. Even by the standards of spirits who used to be androids who were tortured for several decades and are demigod-like tech-spirit AIs. Well actually maybe she is perfectly normal by those standards, I would not know. She shows signs of trauma but also other things. Her powers are strange and magical, yet also NOT magical, and do not make a lot of sense. Her psychology remains people-ish, yet also decidedly alien. Bas and I have had several conversations with her, separately and together, as she becomes re-acquainted with both having a body and relating to beings that are not evil torturers.

Flynn went home to visit his parents, and ended up getting an engagement ring made of barbed wire from his girlfriend. I have repeatedly counseled against this, but I suspect I need to take more active steps. I do not like fighting former allies, but that appears to be the course we are on.

Mist is talking about “if only we had a cranial bomb, this would all be easy.” For my own part I am thinking marks of justice.

On the bright side, she did give him useful information. The Kytons currently trying to mass-convert people to their “cause” have been named and we have leads on them. We went to Chesed and dispatched one in his sewer-borne home. We rescued several tabloid journalists in the process and filled them in on what is really going on with the abductions, the League, and the Kytons.

We then sniffed around and found one of the cults dedicated towards bringing back The Terror Within. He is a devil-lord, and apparently he dies a lot. His intent is to devour Susie’s soul and be reborn, and his cult is promised earthly rewards for making it happen via slow-but-steady sacrifice and ritual. Most of the cult worked a fishing corporation and performed their sacraments in a nearby graveyard. It was a fairly simple matter to study them, follow one home, and capture/interrogate him.

After he gave us everything he knew, I stuffed him in a portable hole, summoned a Hound Archon and asked it to take the cultist somewhere out of the way, like the capital city of Brevoy, and do something that would keep him from returning to his wicked ways. I don’t know if this resulted in bloody judgement or attempted rehabilitation, but the archon returned my magic item and it no longer had a cultist in it. It also didn’t have my rope, but such is life.

The cult was based in a somewhat run-down mansion. They all met because of the disappearance and apparent kidnapping of their friend. We slipped in as quietly as possible, (teleportation magic is so useful) and proceeded to subdue and store the household staff while the cultists met and muttered in their basement shrine.

The battle was short but fierce, and we were lucky enough to have their leader survive. After interrogation we have leads on two other cells. One is in Scrapwall, where life is cheap and organization is nonexistent and the other is in Starfall, where we will not be going just yet.

I dislike judging the wicked, but that’s what the blessings of summoning spells are for. I summoned a whole pack of Hound Archons, including (surprisingly) the one who came last time. I quickly told the five of them the situation (powerful servant and worshipper of a devil lord, gave useful information, needs a summary judgement). They walked over as one, each laying a hand upon him, and the they were gone, along with my other coil of rope. (note to self, buy more rope).

I do not know what happened to him, but I have my suspicions. An archon’s teleportation ability can only bring 50 pounds of material with it. One of my books concerning planar beings had a somewhat apocryphal theory that a group of outsiders who were truly “in synch” could sort of “pool” their carrying capacity and bring larger objects with them, possibly even doing more than simply teleporting or teleporting to a place where plane-shifting was easier.

The theory also stated that such a sensation would be akin to being ripped apart at the seams and then forced back together, incredibly painfully.

Ah well, judgement. We will be heading to Scrapwall tomorrow, tonight I will be purchasing more rope and more soap.

We went through the city sewer to deal with some robots and release some journalists.

Mal and Susie are spending time trying to find the locations of some Devil Cultists. They want to wait til the suspected cultist go toward a graveyard to perform a ritual. We go to a mansion to find the cultists and go to the basement. We took out the group of cultists.

We went back to get cured. Then went back to the ship. We found several organic doors that fell to the chainsaw. Mal spots a Black Dragon through one door. Mal is talking to a Black Dragon. We agree to get a piece of tech from a creature called the Dweller in Dark Places.

Dear mom and dad,

So we found the Dominion of the Black’s ship and killed everything inside of it. In short, we did a service, that will mostly go unnoticed or thanked, and are returning to Torch soon. So after a quick stopover there, I will be heading to Hakados to tell you guys all about this.

See ya soon,
Flynn.

P.S. Please tell Madam DeFlay that i cannot read the messages that she is sending me, and would appreciate it if she used common next time.

We finally finished off the critters from the Dominion ship and cave. We found the “brain” we were looking for. It was on something called a tripod in a portable painting that moves. We are heading back to Torch to recuperate, and prepare for the next phase of this adventure. I sure didn’t know what I was getting into when I agreed to take over from Vidon. But it’s okay now. Still am not sure what to make of Flynn. Between Susie and Mal they have managed to keep me alive and helped out with enhancements on armor and weapons.

After talking to the Dr we enter a room that has green walls and yellow pustules. We find a couple of pits that are plasma generators.

We made it to the final room and got hit with fire and Azuma got hit with some kind of black ray that seemed to hurt her badly. Flynn dies. Susie raises him and we head to the last room.

We find some insect-like creatures that used brains on their backs to power their abilities. Azuma stole all three of my kills. We went back to talk to the brain of the ship and it decides to attack . Azuma did some damage but my ball and chain did not. So I changed to the chainsaw and stole the kill from Azuma.

We got some sponges that will hide our real intentions from the leader of the Dominion. We see a very large mechanical scorpion.

We get attacked by a creature that we can’t identify.

Entry 199, Day 111, Noon

We destroyed the altar, fortunately it had not spawned more chaos beasts and Rim’s chainsaw was maximally effective. Technology may be intimidating and have an air of…sterility to it, but I cannot deny the efficiency of what Harkness has called “industrial applications of knowledge.” Mist and I have been talking more and more about the creation of magic items and ways to exploit technological knowledge with magical power, or at least take lessons from the engineering of technological artifacts.

But this is beside the point, after destroying their shrine, we continued to plumb the foul and slimy Mi-go caves. We discovered a wellspring of the sludge that fills the cavern but no way of stopping the flow. The chamber was guarded by dog-sized insectoid creatures that Mistofelees referred to as, “like zerglings,” a term I have no familiarity with. They were guarding a handful of infectious necromantic talismans which were easily destroyed. Like many of the things from the dark tapestry they were designed to destroy will and warp the target’s body, mind, and soul. There was little time to dwell on this subject however, as we then stumbled upon a pair of mutant girallons.

Or so I first thought, when their heads split open and their limbs twisted and stretched at unnatural angles it became clear these beasts were something else. Later information suggests they are a form of beast from beyond known as a “Gug,” an awful and alien beast that revels in blood and carnage. They were ultimately just brutes, whatever their intelligence, and we dispatched them as quickly as possible.

It was shortly after this we discovered the layer of muck and slime disguises at least one hidden tunnel. Flynn discovered it the hard way, and I found myself diving in after to make sure his new, heavy armor didn’t drown him. I am having difficulty describing the levels of disgust I feel right now. I am contemplating teleporting to the nearest desert just to feel dry and clean again.

This pool-to-tunnel of horror led to a chamber with Mi-go in it, according to Flynn’s recon. We waited to ambush them while they doubtless did the same on their end, and eventually just marked the entrance and left. Hopefully they will remain too paranoid to come up behind us.

Maybe the cleansing power of setting myself on fire, I can make myself resistant…getting off topic.
Moving on, we found another deep room with a blessedly dry rock ledge. On said ledge were the skeletal remains of a technic league agent. She had the mate to a bracelet we had found in the Shub-shrine, a tech-device known as a “force field”. It functions like a cross between a ring of protection and an air bubble spell, providing a layer of protection against damage and (perhaps more importantly) being covered in disgusting slime.

The corpse itself was apparently the second-in-command of the group that the Bounty Hunter Caio is looking for. We collected her gear and identifying parts (her skull) and I said a cursory prayer of peace and rest over her corpse. I would feel bad about separating her remains, but I know if I were her I would be happy that ANY part of my body made it out of this disgusting hole. Moreover I am NOT putting another corpse in my magical storage if I can avoid it.

Mr. Mistofelees also discovered an interesting sample of purple mold which we collected for alchemical study. I would rather never see another slimy fungus again but I cannot fault him for having passion for his craft.

Ugh, back into the muck.

Entry 200, Day 112, evening

The next room contained a gug’s trophy room and the gug itself. One violent confrontation later and the world was a better place, but still horribly slimy. After that we found what seems to have been the leader of the fungus monsters. A Mi-go with an evil magic staff of purple, glowing crystal hurled confusion and radiation at us as his minions attacked us. The battle was fierce but we persevered, and afterward discovered one of the reasons that Mi-go so love collecting brains. We found a vaguely cylinder-shaped device of magic and technology which held a disembodied brain, still in a state not quite alive nor dead. The brain was one Therace Holiyard, an expert on the nature of the Dominion of the Black and, to the Mi-go, a living reference book. He was also the leader of the ill-fated expedition that Hyrsek Caio was looking for.

He was understandably upset, and I suspect bringing him back to himself will take some time, being trapped for decades in brain-case crazy hell is dark stuff, but his knowledge is too valuable for me to give up on without trying to bring him back. His books are likewise valuable, but in this case I believe it better to let others, even enemies such as the League, have them. Every power group that knows more about the Dominion is another group capable of fighting them.

Sadly, we had to leave this lovely dry cavern and slog back through the mud and slime, but that was the end of our foul encounters, with one unfortunate exception.

We found, in a darkened alcove, a single corpse of a Mi-go long dead. Near its body were notes detailing a weapon used by the Dominion of the Black called the “darkness plague.” It is a disease which infects people and makes the area around them darker and darker until they cannot see while also eating away at their sanity and eventually killing them. It seems the Dominion uses this as a terror weapon against humanoid populations. The Mi-go itself was infected, and chose to spend its final days studying the effects of the plague, presumably hoping that someone would eventually retrieve its notes without succumbing.

Unfortunately, standing near the corpse and studying the papers exposed us to the disease, and both myself and Susie were infected. Fortunately we were prepared for such troubles, and after curing ourselves destroyed the disease at its source.

There is little else to say, except that Hyrsek was willing to give us information and some potions in exchange for the books and proof of demise of his targets. He says that whatever presence is currently killing the marsh to the southwest is reported to look like a ghost. I shall have to meditate and consider the best means of dealing with incorporeal enemies.

In any event, we will return to Torch tomorrow, to bring Therace back to his humanity, to tool up our equipment, and to soak in a hot bath for at least 6 hours straight.

Hopefully Bas will be visiting soon, I need some dinner, dancing, and downtime.

Entry 201, Day 119, evening

Settling into a comfortable routine; crafting in the morning, counseling Therace in the afternoon, help Mist with his alchemy in the evening.

Entry 202, Day 120, evening

Date night with Bas! <3> training and side projects all done it is time for us to return to the Scar of the Spider. All that remains now is the mysterious ghost cave/dying swamp and the Dominion holdings.

Speaking of holdings and projects, Abbot Costello has been busying himself with some upgrades. I finished the security walls and helped him install gates, but the upgraded lodgings are all his doing. I am glad, should I leave this place (and I have no doubt I will someday) I have faith in his capable management of the shrine.

Note to self; see if Binox is up for cooking the slime caves. He has energy and laser weapons, he has minions with inexorable patience, and considering the enemies were mostly fungus monsters I fear they may reproduce if the place is not sterilized.

Entry 197, Day 109, Evening

Negotiations with Binox (it seems I misheard his name) were a type 4 encounter. Tin-pot dictator (moreso than normal I suppose) puffed up with arrogance, self-importance, and ambition as he gave himself bombastic titles and made overly dramatic speeches. I played along, a bit surprised at how human this machine intelligence was in his egotism, and things went relatively smoothly. His primary need seems to be energy, he has great big power collectors of the same sort as the one we found in the League’s base, generating for unknown purposes. He talks big about conquering and “optimizing” but I have yet to see any evidence of him projecting force or doing anything besides hiding in his hole from the scary things outside.

Of course I said none of this, it would be undiplomatic. Instead I cut a deal, we would lead one of his minions to the abandoned tech base across the vale where he could find more power and more raw materials. In exchange he gave what information he had regarding the other powers in the region (though it was little information to go on) and that vague sense of “I’m okay, you’re okay” from having completed a deal without backstabbing one another. I asked if he would help us deal with the Dominion forces, but he made some excuse, I don’t even remember the wording, just some roundabout way of saying, “I can’t admit it, but I am afraid I would lose.”

Ah well, at the very least we may be able to recruit him when it comes time for clean-up. At least one of the evils residing here is fungoid in nature, and may take long-term effort to completely eradicate.

After that exercise in chest-beating and ego-stroking we decided to investigate the old tower on top of the cliff. Calling it a tower is perhaps overly-charitable, but it proved more dangerous than it looked.

After air-walking up to the top of the canyon wall, we decided to check the side-building first, an old barn of indeterminate usage, and were set upon by an entire cult of demons, monsters, and evil spellcasters. A fully-fledged succubus threw around a great deal of mind-control magic as I dashed back and forth reinforcing the mental defenses of my compatriots. The evil witch who was leading the group struck Susie and Flynn with a blood-rage curse of a particularly pernicious sort and the Succubus managed to steal some life force before she was sent back to the abyss. In the end we were triumphant, and discovered the purpose of this conspiracy was literally “for the evil.” The dark mistress of the little club was summoning in demons and sending them on their way, hoping to ultimately create a new worldwound in the name of the Mother of Monsters. I have doubts such a plot would ever be successful, as it takes greater magics than a few scrolls of planar binding, but that doesn’t mean she wouldn’t wreak great evil before all was said and done.

Fixing the damage done is going to take a bit of time, the dark rites performed in combat have left a taint infecting the souls of two of my companions. Having your soul chewed on by a succubus is likewise problematic, but I have confidence all will be well.

Entry 198, Day 110, Evening

I admit I had been hoping for a hot bath, but under better circumstances than this. But I am getting ahead of myself.

I removed what curses and damage I could from my companions, but a sort of…darkness remains in Flynn and Susie. Fluffy continues to insist it is merely their natural evil and associations with evil outsiders, but I have my doubts. I have some theories on the correct methods of removal but we are still deep in hostile territory.

We made for the cave of “flying fungus that chitters” (as Binox described it) and were set upon by Shambling Mounds. The mud and muck and grasping, decaying vegetation were awful but we persevered and destroyed the guard dogs. Entering the cave system we found grisly chandeliers of dismembered people and a constant layer of disgusting (though thankfully non-toxic) slime. We also found a crawlspace too small to squeeze through while wearing bulky plate. Rim flatly refused to leave himself unprotected and unarmored, but was willing to hold the entrance while everyone else crawled through if I would dimension-shift him to the other side of the obstacles.

The stinking, winding tunnels and ankle-deep muck were a constant reminder why adventuring is best left to crazy people, and it was almost a relief to be attacked and distracted by the alien plant-monsters that ambushed us. They seem to have a fixation on brains, collecting, removing, eating, studying…I cannot help but think they were the creatures behind the giant robots and the empty-skulled corpses we met at the mouth of this canyon. At the suggestion of Mr. Mistofelees I assisted the dissection of one, and determined some of its weaknesses as well as their many immunities and resistances. Acid is the only sure energy type, and they are most assuredly alien.

Further in we faced another group which was in the process of dissecting an animal corpse, and eventually we stumbled upon the fungoids’ center of worship and faith. The pray to an obscure, alien goddess known as Shub-niggurath, and their living altar to this “black goat in the woods” began spawning chaos beasts. This is where things “went to Shenmen” as Susie and Rim were afflicted with corporeal instability. The pure essence of chaos forcing them to use great force of will to merely maintain their own natural shape. We destroyed the beasts and fled, teleporting back to Torch and getting help.

Isuma is fascinated and intimidated by the press of people, having been alone a long time. I am helping her adjust, having already found the best places to walk when you need some space from the crowds. Additionally, we have both gotten a chance to luxuriate in the wonders of indoor plumbing and dry flooring. If we had more time Draline and I would take her shopping. We both will need new shoes when this is all over.

Khonnir, Mistofelees and I conferred about the plant-things we have been facing and believe they are called “Mi-Go.” I do not know if they work for the Dominion, but their penchant for horror, evil, and weirdness marks them as a clear and present danger.

Tomorrow I will try to clear up the rest of the bloodrage curse, and we shall return to the disgusting caves. I am bringing dry socks.

Dear mom and dad,

From the last time i was able to write i now have some time to iron out a proper letter. Well for starters, we were able to finish the algi dungeon. There was a LOT of mud, leaches and monsters that the sooner i forget about the better. Were able to do some salvaging of this one tech-niq-league guy that had a nice item on his corpse.

Also, on a graver note, it turns out that there was a disease/plague experiment being created in the dungeon. And it revolved around people CARRYING darkness with them without end. Crazy as that seems, we were able to nip it in the bud before it became exposed to the world. The sick experiments that only crazy people could think you…

To my knowledge there are 2-3 more places that need some exploration before we get out of this cesspool and back to society, hopefully sooner than later.

Anyway, I hope you guys are doing well and aren’t being overly worried by my adventures. Just remember you raised a good son, and i will try and do right by you both no matter what.

Yours truly,
Flynn

Entry 194, Day 107, Evening

Erin was pretty much as evil as they come, but that’s to be expected with a Z-K dog. Her repertoire was varied and awful. She had dark channeling that would inflict damage upon anything not corrupted by the occult and heal the blasphemously evil. She had a Cacodaemon servant, a beast integral to the trading and stealing of souls. She even worked some dark ritual that trapped the souls of her minions, forcing them to fight and die for her hateful baggage of a god twice.

We brought her low, crushed the skull of her kyton comrade, and destroyed her evil shrine. The world is a better place without her.

Jessica’s recruitment was much easier and quite surprisingly successful. They knew we were coming, but were still surprised when an earth elemental rose up out of the ground. After removing the Kyton from existence swiftly and brutally we offered parley and it was accepted. Jessica knows a thing or two about mechanika but her true passion seems to be poisons. She dropped some nasty ones on us before the dust was settled, but no one important died. Evil chain devils don’t count.

After a sales pitch about how working for non-kytons is delightful and some reminders that they were sent on an awful mission by their previous employer, Jessica and her band agreed to at least visit Torch and consider better employment. At the very least I convinced them that going home was not a viable option.

In terms of useful material or loot, the technological lanterns are damaged (to make the place more defensible somehow) and there is a power source which uses natural vents of hot gas from beneath the earth. Or so Mistofelees tells me, it’s all still confusing gobbledegook to me.

After healing up some, we left the flickering cavern to speak with a bounty hunter who has been haunting the area. A man of dubious morals but reliable ethics, Mr. Hyrsek Caio hales from Gralton originally. From what I know of that country it is no surprise he is far away from home, and is currently hunting for the presumed-dead (but in need of confirmation) members of ANOTHER Technic League force that was sent here some years ago. We showed him the bodies and adventurers we had found in the past, got a little bit of information in return regarding the robot caves, and went our separate ways. Another tiefling letting his blood drag him down…sad, but people must make their own choices.

Tomorrow I’m going to have to assist Paetyr as he saws his own leg off. I’m not looking forward to it, but some things simply must be. In the interim I can cleanse what remains of the poison Flynn was so afflicted with, maybe discuss what he’s learned about Kytons and why they are not something you can really “fix”.

Entry 195, Day 108, Evening

Work on Paetyr was messy and long-running, but he is now on the road to recovering himself fully. We also had further discussions with both the ex-Leaguers and a protracted conversation with Arim. One of these days I should look into that old story I remember about magical speaking mirrors. Or perhaps a technological method of long-distance communication.

Paetyr is not a very attuned man, but his faith is very strong. An interesting point to ponder, what is the measure of a god-vessel? The strength of their convictions or the power of their connection to the divine? And which part brought a servant of Gozreh all the way here? Something to meditate on, into the night.

Entry 196, Day 109, Morning

We are preparing to go to the lair of the machines. My intention is to try talking, or yelling at first. Hard to talk face-to-face when the other party is shooting at you after all.

Dear mom and dad,

As i am sure your probably trying to sort through all the pent up mail that has been unloaded on you. I wanted to take this time and write down the rest of the my adventure so i don’t leave you in suspense of the outcome.

Before i was able to get these letters out to you guys my party and i were in a foliage dungeon where it looked as though demons had taken over the plants. And off world monsters. Until i have time again…

Flynn

Dear mom and dad,

Today my companions and i are exploring more of the scar of the spider but something wonderful happened. I was able to salvage new armor from one of our enemies and use it to help myself in the future. we are now entering an area know as Binox’s Lair which has a swampy atmosphere. Hopefully we can solve the mystery of this place and make it so that it may now be able to harm the locals. Will write if there is any changes.

FLynn S.

We are in the hallway and some icky things come out of the wall to attack. Fought some plants that looked like Formians. We find four more that are dissecting an animal.

We find a talking tree that raises three stubbies that attack. Susie and I got slimed. We went back to Torch to get a curse removed.

We go back to the room where Susie got shot. Mal goes in and asks to speak with Binox. We wait in the entrance tunnel. We are attacked by a three armed giant in a Ghilie suit. Susie puts him asleep. Then Flynn moves to flanking position as I prepare to Coup’ De Gras the giant.

We airwalk to the house on the top of the cliff. We get in a barn and are attacked from the loft. Flynn and I charge while Susie blinds two of them. I spot some Gremlins who then attack me. We wind up fighting some guards, a Succubus, a Cleric. Flynn and Susie were cursed and it took some time to get them back.

We decided to go check out a cave that was said to have weird sounds coming out of it. I think Binox had said it was inhabited by a quadropedic fungus. We found a tunnel that was 8 foot wide but only 2 foot tall. I could crawl through it if I took my armor off. I refused, and Mal teleported us too the other end while the others crawled through. That way there was someone at the exit standing guard.

Dear mom and dad,

Tried to get some people in a cult to turn over a new leaf. It worked but not before some newly acquired allies poison the S#*T out of me. Afterwards we sent them along with some of their other friend off to Torch where they can be safe for a time. Talked with a hunter afterwards but it seemed neither he or us had anything to offer eachother. Looking forward to writing something with more meat next time I send a letter out.

Sincerely your,
Flynn S.

There are two Technic League members we need to find. One is an evil Cleric, and the other is a Neutral Alchemist. Took out the Tiefling Cleric and moving to taking out another Kyton. We took out the other Kyton, and talked the Alchemist and her squad into joining the other TL group.

Entry 190, Day 106, brunch

Our day begins investigating the nearby barbarian tribe. They live on the cliffside, and are thus in a good position to know about the varying monsters of madness within the Scar while avoiding being tainted by it.

Entry 191, Day 106, Afternoon

Well, I was wrong.

We met a traumatized young man who was (it seems) the last member of his tribe. His chieftan, a powerful warrior named Akina Cragstorm, had slaughtered his family, killing everyone who did not escape. She had been a great leader, but had chosen to leave on some kind of vision-quest; and she returned atop a mechanical horse. Her eyes burned with a yellow tint and robed humanoids marched with her, assisting in her bloody work.

We investigated, I was expecting servants of the Dominion and hooded cultists, but was quickly disabused when the clockwork monsters threw off their cloaks and began to fire. But I am getting ahead of myself. We found the village in ruins, tents ransacked and their ritual ziggurat spattered with blood. We climbed the mound to check for cultish activity (and to attract attention of any would-be watchers) and were soon assaulted by Cragstorm and her forces.

She was a mounted fury, striking hard and fast with her lance and commanding her mechanical servants to pepper us with repeating crossbow-fire; but in the end we brought her low. Amusingly, the Bralani Azata who heeded my magical call in the midst of battle was able to calm and capture the steel horse, which seems for all the world to act just like one of its flesh-and-blood counterparts.

Study of Cragstorm’s body revealed Silvermount Fluid Abuse. Her consumption of the tainted substance had twisted her mind and body so that she would find more in common with machines than her own kind, and would have influence over them as a chieftain to her tribe. Some damaged idea borne of this affliction led her to tear the hearts out of her kith and kin, burning them in the village altar.

We collected all the bodies we could find and gave them proper burial. Such things are important, especially to those in mourning. I convinced the survivor who led us here to stay a while with Paetyr, they could use each others’ help and support, and I’ve no wish to drag them into the thick of things. I get the feeling he will be walking his own path, seeking any survivors of his clan or a new clan to join. I would recruit him for Arim’s little empire, but he has the look of a wanderer who cannot be settled down in such a way.

Our next item on the agenda is investigating a cave said to have tech-using people in it.

Entry 192, Day 106, evening

We met some escapees. Soldiers of the Technic League have come from afar to investigate the troubles here, and their investigations lead to a breakdown of order. It seems these breakaways took issue with the orders that they were receiving from the Kytons in their retinue. They were so very paranoid about Kytons that their first questions when I began to parley with them revolved around contact with outsiders, contact with evil outsiders, and finally contact with Kytons.

Preferring honesty to attempting to lie, I told them the truth. As a result, Flynn was very much distrusted, but we still managed to get over that little social “hiccup” and get information. They were cagey, but very concerned about the Kytons and about the “change” in leadership once the organization got there. I suspect these people are loyalists, chased out by a bunch of chain-devils who switched allegiance to the Dominion. It is known that the void between the stars is where Zon-Kuthon became the thing that he is now.

We also got some information about Binoc, the apparent “master” of the robots near where Isuma was staying. They fought the robots several times, always being overwhelmed and forced to retreat, but always being attacked with non-lethal methods. A curious series of events.

They made nebulous agreements to helping us if we went and fucked up the Kytons, and since we were going to do that anyway, we’ll be kicking in the door there. I do not enjoy helping the League, but in a battle between elemental evils and mere servants of evil, the necessity is clear.

Entry 193, Day 107, noon

We have infiltrated the base and discovered some new information. The refugees we met were deserters, and only turned away from the Kytons because Kytons are nasty monsters. This is a useful development, as it means that the deserters will have difficulty going back to the League, and we may be able to turn some of them. Of the forces that remain, Erin the priestess is slavishly devoted to her new god, Zon-Kuthon and will fight to the death, as will the Kytons attached to each squad. Jessica the alchemist, however, may be willing to abandon the fight if none stand to “force her to keep the faith.” We have already turned a pair of soldiers to the cause of the deserters, and I believe that most of them will in the absence of leadership to the contrary.

I believe I can recruit most of these people. The corrupt and evil League sent them here on a fool’s errand, and will likely have them arrested if they return without their devilish “political officer” watchers. This “Jessica” might prefer having access to better support, better technological forges, and more sane leadership. Likewise Paetyr may find value in creating a preserve of nature and magic built off of my Wayshrine. Which will be a comfort to many who find discomfort in the sterile nature of technology.

Thinking on this, I miss Bas.

In any event, we have more battles to fight.

We agree to attack a rogue Technic League camp. Took out the guards of the rogue TL camp. Mal is talking to some jerky fellow. We took down the rogue TL crew. Afterward we questioned one of the guards who saw the way things were going and decided to surrender. Susie and Mal got quite a but of info from him. Hopefully they will let the rest of us know what we do next.

We wind up fighting the former leader of the Barbarian tribe.

Dear lady DeFlay,

In your next letter i would appreciate it if you would use a language that i might be able to comprehend, common or Draconic, the i might be able to reply to your letters more frequently and with more clearity than this letter might be able to provide.

Will look into your sect problem and see if we are able to “Fix” it, but i will make no promises. And will respond at a later date with our progress.

Sincerely,
Flynn S.

Entry 185, Day 104, noon

It has been a while, I have allowed myself to get distracted from my note-taking, and much has happened.

The battle of Witchlight Vale was informative but inconclusive. We found the invisible beast, and its mother, and its entire secret community with other invisible beasts all made invisible by some nasty techno-ruin and its malign radiation. It appears the menagerie cannot leave its tunnels and warrens for long, and when they die they evaporate into a toxic miasma of poisonous energy.

We pottered about for a while longer, but with the radiation levels threatening our health we withdrew before nightfall and returned to the village that had sheltered us before. We informed the locals of the true nature of the beasts, and that many are intelligent but many are not, and set out the next morning for Torch.

Bas was, sadly, off on assignment, but he left a lovely letter. I responded in kind, but such correspondence is not for this record. Suffice to say he continues to be an enchanting fellow I should like to see more of. In other news, I have been training with Mistofelees, when we work in tandem we are learning to become more adept at dodging the wild swings of combatants as we move. He watches my back, and I get the both of us out of the way.

After a day’s rest and carousing we set forth towards the canyon known as “The Scar of the Spider.” As is so often the case, no one knows why it is called that, I presume it has to do with giant spider-monsters or their robotic facsimiles. I do not recall facing many dangers along the way, perhaps a minor scuffle with some ill-informed giants?

Flynn continues to perilously flirt with the insane torture devil. He stares death in the eye and forced it to cock its head in perplexed confusion. He looks into the abyss and the abyss sort of rolls its eyes and looks elsewhere. For a man so important to so many plots and plans he seems as directed and coherent as a hyper-active kitten. He reminds me of Nicky Sanders, a nice boy, but…difficult.

In less confounding news, when we arrived at the entrance to the canyon we found, in quick succession, a giant robot leaking fluids, gasses, and dying lights; the corpses of several plainsmen, their brains neatly carved out of their skulls; and a madman with severe brain damage and a very suspect garden. It seems he has a way with plants, despite his metal leg, and has been cross-breeding local and alien cultivars with strange results. The glowing apple was all right, but I chose not to try the spiky peppers or the purple roots. One only has so much luck to spend on dining-room diplomacy and “local cuisine roulette.”

Regarding the robot, it is clear from the tracks (enormous and alien as they are) that there were two. Both were damaged by a very powerful explosive device, presumably technic in origin, but only one was destroyed outright. Pete, as the scarred man calls himself, claims to have watched a woman with four arms and technological gear place the mine and how it damaged the machines. Less clear is the state of the humans it was carrying, as the ones we found were missing their brains, but perhaps some were still alive? Sadly, getting straight answers is difficult when the book is missing so many pages.

Also of note; Susie says that the power source of the robot is still active and salvageable, but that she lacks the skill necessary to retrieve it safely. Further, it is unstable and will explode. Lacking a better option, we are simply leaving it be and withdrawing to a great distance. A shame, but such is life. I should also mention I think that these robots are the titular “spiders” of this place. It is hard to tell when the thing is in such a condition. It may have been more of a scorpion.

We also got some garbled information about the surrounding area, the canyon walls are fairly riddled with caves and troublesome things within those caves. For now we are taking care of the “evil things” that live right across from Pete’s shack and garden. I expect mutant kobolds.

Entry 186, Day 104, afternoon

It was mutants, but they were not kobolds. 3 enormous ogre-spiders, made even uglier by their mutations, assaulted us upon entry. After the battle we found some treasures but much toxic radiation, and beat a hasty retreat. Aside from the random leavings of other adventurers there was the half-eaten corpse of a member of some kind of anti-technology cult. While I freely admit that the strange not-magic of these devices are a bit creepy with their dead, unthaumic effects I find that technology is little different than all other forms of power or influence. It simply is, and good or evil can be wrought from it.

We still have a few hours of light, and will be pressing on towards the cavern Pete is so afraid of. Four arms may mean the same race as the city councilor we met in Hajoth Hakados, or it might be more related to the poor cursed dead we met in the dungeon underneath Torch.

Entry 187, Day 104, evening.

An excursion of mixed success. Upon entering the cave of “four-armed untrustworthy women” we found massive amounts of broken scrap and pools of dank, fetid water. We went left, which proved to be a mistake, behind surprisingly tough torture-bots and intimidating taxidermied aberrations were 4 supremely skilled and armed gynoids with powerful guns. They shot us up rather badly, though strangely all of the weapons and threats were intent on taking prisoners rather than killing. It is ironic that for all their attempts to not kill, they lack the capacity to stop attacking if someone attempts to surrender or parlay. When I laid down arms and spoke of conditional surrender, they “accepted” while continuing their attempts to subdue me.

After retreating from the 4 robot women we spotted Isuma; the alien, 4-armed woman Pete had mentioned. After some challenges we managed to communicate with her. She was a fellow to the undead we found in the artificial desert underneath Torch, and had more to their story. She and her people were known as Kasathas, from the planet Kasatha, a desert world akin to the terrarium we found her fellows in. She and her fellows had been invited to join, teach, and learn about her world and others by the Androffens and were treated as equals until the Dominion came upon them.

When the Dominion of the Black infested the Divinity, its mad cultists captured many of the “ambassadors” and trapped them. Trapped them in the same place that WE found them 9000 years later. Truly a sad story.

In any event, she has adapted well to this world and stands against the Dominion forces. Her Aurumvorax-hide armor and laser rifle can attest to that, though I cannot help but think I should try and get her something better if the opportunity arises. Hide armor is still just hide armor.

In any event, she gave us more information about the features and factions here in the Scar, there is a Dominion ship, another cave full of kill-bots, and several other items of interest here. For now we shall return to Pete, I believe I can help him, and we all need rest.

We also faced some awful tree-like monsters from another planet. They were camping around the corpse of a lost witch of some sort, though I do not know if they killed her or something else. The beasts drained will, and had a very powerful opening strike, but after their psychic blast they were simply bruisers. STRONG bruisers, to be sure, but when the fight finally turned against them the survivor fled, to another planet apparently. Spell-like abilities are always so incongruous, power to rend a dimension, but only in ONE way and only once in a period.

Entry 188, Day 105, Noon.

Last night we were visited by a messenger. A foul-looking orb of armor, flesh, and tentacles spat up a kidney (likely humanoid) on Flynn before flying away at great speed. Inside was a message to our resident fool. Ms. DeFlay wrote him a message in infernal demanding submission and evil and all that business. He doesn’t KNOW infernal so I had to look into it before even realizing it was the twisted torture-fetishist’s version of a love letter. He still thinks he can “convert her”. So many fools, such faith in the magic powers of their “cleansing rods” or whatever…Draline wonders why I don’t “dress up more.” Ah well, this isn’t the place of a rant about gender politics.

In the morning I cured Pete, and he was very unhappy. As a devout servant of Gozreh, his metal peg-leg is a rather grievous sin, but with time and effort (and the removal of his offending appendage) he believes he can return to the good graces of his god. Why his god is such a jerk, and why he serves the god of seas and storms and nature’s fury in a landlocked country is a mystery I choose not to pursue.

After some further investigation we learned about the anti-technology cult and a marsh that is inexplicably dying. We stowed and hid our technological gear and asked Isuma to keep an eye on things elsewhere, and set out to speak with the cult. I had hoped to recruit them and their useful zealotry in fighting the strange technological horrors, or at the very least return the amulet of their fallen friend to them. The former was clearly impossible when we saw their forces, though the latter was easily done. They wanted to search us, but I convinced them otherwise, and conversation was cordial if not particularly fruitful. They are mostly androids and intend self-destruction upon completion of their little crusade, they are too small a force to actually DO much, and they are a bit paranoid.

As an aside, I have found that the offer of really, really bad booze is a useful rhetorical tool. Their reaction to an offering of rotgut measures their character and intent, their taste in alcohol, the quality of their supply chain, and their own skill with diplomacy.

In any event, we convinced the cultists to head for Chesed, where they will hopefully make trouble for the League. Such an awful town…

After this, we are going to check out another cave which holds rumors of strange things worth poking.

Entry 189, Day 105, Evening.

The cave contained some treasure, a corpse, and a revenant. It seems some adventurer from decades past had a grudge that outlived both him and his enemies. In the end he was still trying to fight someone that is doubtless already dead and met us instead. He fired on us with his guns, but ultimately fell. After that we began the slog into the blasted heath. I was levitating above the mess, but had to drop into the muck when we were assaulted by 3 strangely-blanched stone giants. They moved with the purpose of an unbound undead and had a color that is hard to describe, both brightly vivid and dully banal, and vaguely luminescent in a way that defies comprehension.

In short, ugly and alien.

The giants fought, and with spell and weapon we put them down. Upon their deaths they exploded like a gas spore into foul-smelling gasses and fine powdery dust. I cast cure disease on anyone touched by it as a precaution, but I suspect it was not contagious. The fight was still quite difficult, and after all of that we decided to head back to camp.

Going to talk to some Pilgrims that do not tolerate technology. Convinced them to take their quest to Chessed.

Dear mom and dad,

We made our way to East Bumblefuck and the druids in the town informed us about creatures that haven’t been able to identify. So being the adventure loving group that we are, we sought to identify said monsters and if it came to it, kill them.

We prepared ourselves with potions that allowed us to see creatures that are invisible. and some potions and then set off into the woods. It took some time but we were able to come across the monsters about 3-4 hours in but at last we found our objective.

We fought our first target with fresh vigor and were able to quell it with some effort. However, right before it died it gave a cry out. One of our party members later informed us that it was calling out for its mother. Sad.

Going off of that, we called out for its mother and were able to summon it before our potions wore off completely. THAT battle was much more difficult to fight. I don’t know if it was the experience over the years or just its’ maternal instincts but we were much closer to death that time

Going and retracing the path that the second monster took we found an entire habitat for radiated monsters. We decided to inform the local townsfolk and to pull back to Torch for the time being.

Hoping to see you guys soon.
Flynn S.

Dear mom and dad,

I’ll keep this message short.

Went to an orc trading post and rescued some farmers an other civilians. There are alot of dead dead orcs and we can’t show back up at that place for a while.

Sincerly your,

FLynn

Entry 181, Day 120, Morning

Adventuring information first. After several conversations with a dead demigoddess I have come to the conclusion technology is bizarre and dangerous. Apparently the process of dying broke Casandalee’s spirit (and presumably her soul) into pieces. To truly bring her back from the beyond “mere” resurrection magic is not enough, and we must find the scattered pieces of herself. She hid a device containing a piece of herself (or perhaps a copy? I do not truly understand) in a place named “the scar of the spider,” and without it her body shall remain dead.

In matters of dragons, devils and demons, little progress has been made. We know of plots and plans, a few hunts and haunts. Flynn’s pride and folly are going to get someone killed, but with his luck it may be his enemies. If I were wise I would stand clear of this madness, but I suppose I cannot. The price on his and Susie’s heads are high, but both are wanted alive. It is strange, being a lower-priority target than those I travel with. I think I like it though, perhaps I should join bands of insane fugitives more often.

The local dragon boss is named Paarthurnax Flazenero, “Ambitious and cruel overlord of Fire and Wing” if I recall the northern dialect and naming schema correctly. Anybody willing to have THAT pompous of a title and survive is quite dangerous, but he may have people even he answers to. I also suspect there are politics at work, as the heads I interrogated knew nothing of Phiqaac or his children. Draconic politics and intelligence are always games withing games, and who knows what the Tal Shiar or the Obsidian Order will be doing to or hiding from one another, or if they even exist beyond the rumors.

Then there are the Drow. Not normally a concern for most folk on the surface, but it seems a raiding/rebel/something party has grown powerful, dangerous, and dangerously close to Harkness’ man-cave. I am researching the best means of sealing off his workshop’s back door, but the most useful magic for such things remains out of my grasp. She is a rebel, so it is possible we could contact her, but it is also possible she would murder us for anything we had or enslave us for labor.

But enough of that, I want to write about Basashi. He’s quite the charming gentleman, and while I have been many places, he has been many more. Planar travel is difficult and dangerous, and Zex made few forays into such dangerous territory, let alone when he was raising me. After we returned to Torch, he and I interrogated and interred the prisoner, and then we shared a lovely dinner at the Copper Coin and discussed more cheerful things. He regaled me with tales of tropical realms, and worlds where trees could talk. I told him of my travels to Tian Xia, and the many times I wore a merchant’s mask in the mithral forest or the land of heroes. He seemed especially interested in the story of the divine emperor’s statue, and suggested the humans’ great toil there might not be completely hopeless. Faith is a powerful thing, after all, and stranger things have happened.

After the server kicked us out, we the long way back to his rental, and I promised to start on better accommodations for him, the shrine should have VIP rooms anyway, in case of visiting dignitaries or specialists such as him. All in all, a wonderful evening, even during the part where Mistofelees decided to “chaperone” and eat all my dinner.

In other news, Torch’s new growth is suffering a lack of skilled labor. It seems the public works projects Arim has thrown into action have yielded fruit, but most of that fruit is unskilled laborers in need of trainers. We may have a solution to that problem as well as others, however, there is a rumor that an Orc trading/raiding post called “Kuratown” has been successful lately, and orcs are known for stealing people as well as shiny things. We will investigate possibilities of trading goods or people. While I would never condone slavery, I have found it is quite easy to convince a man who just lost everything, including his freedom, to take new employment opportunities. It is especially easy if you just freed him from a cruel and monstrous master.

Entry 182, day 129, Evening

A successful reverse slave raid. Kuratown was too populous to knock over completely, but too fractious to form a united front when we beat down a slaver’s hold and took all his slaves. Mostly farmers and travelers, there were also 9 apprentices, all of whom were interested in resettling in Torch and gainful employment in the new academy. We also found a few magical toys, and Arim did some asking around about other sources of interest or profit to build up Torch and Hacklemore’s defenses. We really need that dimensional pathway, expensive as it will be to obtain. Mistofelees was disappointed that we didn’t burn more of the town, but he has…issues with the orc race. Something about “dreamscapes that smell like taco farts” and “thoughts that reverberate like Goblin Rock.” I know what a goblin rock is, but it sounds terrible.

Entry 183, Day 130, Morning

Breakfast with Bas, and a briefing by Draline. There is a place to the north called the Witchlight grove. Some sort of technological mythallar was activated a long (even by my standards) time ago, killed pretty much everyone, and left an invisible, monstrous presence in the area. Its territory is well-marked, but someone or something occasionally moves the markers, and reports of what it is vary rather widely. I am not sure if this is poor intel or shapeshifting, but since no one has slain the beast no one has found whatever treasures might remain in the area nor any gear left by previous generations of adventurer.

Sounds incredibly ill-advised and dangerous, should be fun.

Entry 184, Day 134, Afternoon

We stopped by the nearest town and got some more information from survivors of failed expeditions to the vale. Word is that glitterdust and invisibility purge do not work. But as such see invisibility is both available and affordable. Also the creature is an ambush predator, often being first noticed when someone is lifted into the air, rendered invisible, and either swallowed whole or torn to pieces

Also Fluffy has turned into some kind of celestial fairy woman. She(?) keeps insisting she is or isn’t Fluffy, and is therefore owed a favor or not an established cheater. She has also gotten better at cheating cards, much to Mr. Mistofelees’ chagrin. I don’t know how that silly hat stays on his head, but he still has another 4 days before he is allowed to take it off.

Dear mom and dad,

We arrived in Torch to find that the town was running at peak condition. I promise you that you wouldn’t recognize this place from a year ago (seeing as i have been here a couple of months and i still wouldn’t recognize it.)

We found the town in good spirits. Unfortunately one of our long time members, Vidon, decided that his time with us had run its course. He will be missed by us as we continue on more journeys. The only good thing that came from this is before he left he had asked one of his cousin(‘s?) to fill his place with us. And although I wish for us to be good friends, I can’t deny that it stings a little when i turn to call out to one of my friends, i have to remember that it is his cousin there, and not actually him.

On a brighter note we found a new adventure for us to explore while we gather resources to help build for our* Bigger Quest*_. Turns out that for some reason Dimensional Dragons need our help to stamp out some rouge defectors? Truthfully I think that most of the party is doing this to hopefully find a Dragon’s Horde, but meh…These guys seem to need the help and slaying a dragon looks good on any Adventuring resume.

Before we left i received one of your letters and i am glad that your’ meeting some of my more interesting people. But there is a confession i must make regarding the woman you have met. You see it is true that we have met on the battle field, even stood shoulder to shoulder for a time. But my manners always escaped me, for i do not even know this woman’s name. However i know that you are in the presence of an impressive tactical mind that i have no doubt will astonish you both. And the truth is we never hammered and/or ironed out the details for our engagement. But as time goes on and i am left to think about your last letter and more specifically settling down, I find my heart always coming back to Torch. And maybe it is skepticism but until the Technich-league is out of the capital, I cannot see that environment being suitable for anyone, Her family or ours.

On that note, please try and show her around Hajoth Hakkidos, the simple pleasures that tha town has to offer. Show her a good time, for i am afraid that this dragon matter may take up more time than i would like. But i promise i will try and visit if there is an extended window of time for myself and the Party.

SO we get to the midpoint between Torch and some spider and we found the first hide out in the form of an inn in the middle of nowhere. And after talking to the bar keep for a short time i found out i have a bounty on my head. Apparently I am making some enemies in the world, but that is life, Also I’m gonna need to send them a photo/drawing or something because they are using dads and that will no doubt cause some confusion.

And things only got worse from there, first we got into a fight with the bartender and his thugs. Then we fought some lizard men shourtly afterwards. THEN we fought a dragon(Juvinile?) After that was done, we searched the place for any leads on where the main base for these guys might be but it looks like we are gonna need to hit up some of their other outposts.

We are currently heading back to Torch. And should be there within 3-4 days.

With All my love,
Flynn

Entry 179, Day 113, Noon

Back in Torch. We were slowed down a bit by the Azer craftsmen who wish to visit and possibly resettle in Torch. I suppose it makes sense, given the circumstances. If I had the choice of settling in a safe town in Irrisen to find my feet or marching with nothing across the most dangerous lands in Golarion I would settle. I have no doubt Arim can find work for fire dwarves with skill in technology and forging.

Before leaving the forest behind us, we looted the tower for all we could, though I suspect most of the goods we found will only be useful to our allies in Torch and The Forge. We also visited the Herald once more, and I asked if, as a seer and predictor of the future, it had things it would tell me.

Regarding Susie, it informed us that she is the host to some kind of devil lord. Unlike the kind of devils who just avoid dying, he specializes in setting up ways of reincarnating himself by preparing hosts and then having them captured by his followers. Seems like an iffy back-up plan, but more concerning is the state of Susie’s soul. It will get devoured if The Terror Within, and we’ll have a high-ranking Fiend tearing things up. Killing Susie won’t actually solve the problem, either, since the beast will simply find a new host.

Regarding the rest of us, Longdreamer (the Herald) spoke in symbols, describing many-headed hydras circling us and circling Torch. Mechanical, demonic, devilish, and draconic. It recommended gathering forces, forging alliances, and “cutting off the hydras’ heads.” Assassinations are always murky business, but really the only way to contend in an asymmetric battle.

Longdreamer also said running away was not likely to work, I’m not sure if that’s more frightening or relieving. I’ve spent most of my life keeping on the move, running from the past, but I feel too…connected to just abandon things as they are. It is time, I believe, to face the haunting trail behind. Father is well, I am told, and that is comforting.

Now we have returned to Torch, and the first thing to greet us was a courier. Flynn has received a letter from his parents, it seems they have met his girlfriend and think she is wonderful. I know I should be worried about a chain-devil and a comedically unwanted romance, but I can’t stop laughing at it. It would help if Mr. Sileet had any idea how to handle a psychotic sadist’s unwanted romantic advances.

Other developments have also occurred. Draline-I mean Arim’s empire continues to grow, his greatest difficulty now is lack of funds and lack of skilled labor. I wish I could help, but I doubt I would be any more skilled at finding and recruiting people than he already is.

Dinvaya, from Scrapwall, has re-settled and taken on a teaching position in the new academy. She seems well, and is taking well to having social interaction again.

Meyanda’s reconstituted faith is keeping her well, and her work-release program under Joram seems to be working well.

Harkness, even more than Arim, needs resources to get his technological hideaway up and running. Further we need to better secure it, it is currently several day’s journey from Torch, and has an open pit leading down into the Darklands. I can solve the first with lots of rock, but the second is going to cost a lot of money and require the services of a powerful spellcaster. I suspect we can make it happen if we can make a trip to Katapesh, you can reportedly buy nearly ANYTHING there. If we can construct a dimensional bridge, we’ll be good to go.

Costello. The man I recruited to run my shrine has finished construction, but when I contacted him magically he was rather nervous, saying something about an intimidating visitor. Upon coming home I finally got to meet our impressive guest. A handsome draconian from another plane, Lieutenant Basashi Ersollesine serves with the 7th Dragonwing. He wouldn’t go into the details of the army he works with or the players in this multi-dimensional shadow-war, but he had some advice, some useful information, and he’s easy on the eyes, so I can’t complain.

Abbot Costello can, though. He finds the man terrifying. I’ll see what I can do to smooth things over, maybe start a new guest house, find him some distractions…

In any event, agents of Tiamat and agents of Apsu are both sneaking around, making trouble and hunting Flynn. Lt. Ersollesine knows a few of their current haunts and suggested we go shake one or two of them and see what falls out. I think the rest of the gang will be happy to go along with it, dragons means treasure, and sneaky information-gatherers sometimes have information about other things. A lot of hydras are circling Torch, they MIGHT have taken notice of one another.

Entry 180, Day 116, Evening.

We knocked over the base, an out-of-the-way Inn which tries to scare off visitors. There were several Kin as well as their minions, and we found a number of bounties. It seems the servants of Tiamat have VERY detailed information regarding Flynn’s family, and even tried to kidnap his parents. Unfortunately for the kidnappers, the defenses of Hajoth Hakados are strong, and none of them returned. We took one prisoner, and tomorrow I will prepare to interrogate the dead. I can’t say I like necromancy, but necessity creates some allowances.

This whole business is getting awfully muddy, so many monsters, so many troubles.

Entry 178, Day 105, Afternoon.

We have returned.

The tower was just as mad as one might expect. Infested with technological horrors, bizarre monsters, and ancient evils. We worked our way up, facing a varied collection ranging from a rampaging Aurumvorax to fiendish ostriches. We found hideous experiments that studied how blood-eating mist monsters drained their victims, or watched people slowly die from suffocation. We met air elementals shaped like giant cockroaches and wisely avoided a very powerful bloodfly demon.

First we went up, and found more mess and beasts. We also found a secondary stairwell leading down into the basement of the tower. At the bottom were more dangerous, but better contained monsters, a tunnel which could generate wind, an escape tunnel leading out into the wilds of the plane of fire, an altar to Zyphus, and a sealed door.

We had, at this point, been discovering hive-like structures attached to the walls which (I was told by our more mechanically-inclined) contained nanites. Nanites scare me, and they infest the walls of the tower, but at least their hives seemed dormant. Confoundingly, these hives did not appear to have any purpose, yet we kept finding them everywhere. After exhausting all other options I used my family ring to cast Legend Lore on one of the hives, and 30 minutes and a severe headache later it was clear that they were the only way to open the mysterious door in the basement.

Again I must pause and express my exasperation at the clear madness of Xoud. A door key powered by a dangerous swarm of constructs scattered about the fortress rather than a simple key, or even code-phrase. Machines and monsters which sometimes follow a patterns and sometimes seem to have no rhyme or reason at all, dangerous traps in areas most likely to be used by servants…

Then again, as a worshipper of pointless deaths and nihilistic depression, perhaps it’s fitting. Yet again we meet fiendish creatures, mad metal monsters, and the Grim Harvestman’s hand. Yet I cannot be certain if this is a pattern or mere stupid coincidence. Or even fabricated “coincidence”.

In any event, aside from beasts which we destroyed and monsters which we left contained, we met another frightening monster. A Worm that Walks, the thing that dreamed of devouring Xoud’s corpse every night, was sealed in the basement. Like Xoud, a form of post-death spellcaster, and like Xoud, incredibly evil and powerful. Like as I would to leave it contained, it was the only sign we had found of anything that knew how to return the tower to the Prime. Moreover I don’t know that it was contained, I suspect the only thing keeping it imprisoned was it’s curiousity, or perhaps its desire to exact pain and suffering upon Xoud’s ghostly shade. The mind of a mad pile of crawling worms that thinks itself a man is impenetrably strange.

We freed the beast, and it set about doing what powerful creatures of magic do, and made our way up to seek enough nanite hives to open the final door in the basement. We faced more monstrosities, as well as 3 Azer slaves, still tending a forge they had been bound to long ago. After we destroyed their guards we offered them a chance to escape, but this being an unknown part of the great, wide plane of fire they asked if we had a better place. After some discussion they have agreed to join us on our journey to Torch.

More monsters, more traps, and more floors eventually led to the penthouse laboratory/study guarded by a pair of flying, 4-armed robots with sorcerous powers. Their spells were strange, webs that could barely entangle, poison clouds that merely smelled bad, and some form of magical force blast with each spell, as if they were trying to make up for poor spellcrafting with raw power and creating a dimensional feedback loop. I shall have to ask Arim’s wife about the topic if I get a chance, her form of sculpting energy is closer to theirs than mine, but that is for a later time.

After exhausting their inverted magic, they charged in with their fists and began pummeling Flynn. Lined up as they were, I had to throw a lightning bolt through him to get them, trusting that the magical protections I had afforded him would be enough. The robots went down, eventually, and we found more notes and more insane ramblings, as well as the final hive.

The final battle came in the sealed room. Xoud had developed a technological necromancy which would tear living memories from dead brains, and installed this craft within a dog-like machine with needle-tipped tentacles and numerous mechanical attacks. Xoud himself attacked with his pet, but was stymied by the Worm that took great pleasure in torturing the ghost.

It was a strange situation, being an entertaining side-show to the struggle between two demigods. Mighty magic-users having a duel and being so kind as to simply ignore us instead of destroy us utterly. As with all things in this tower, it was confusing and intimidating, and raised more questions than it answered.

More irritating is that yet again I could do nothing against an obvious and powerful evil. All we could do is keep our heads down and try not to get squished. It is frustrating.

The tower phased back to the Prime, thankfully, and the Worm took its leave. We have been left in a tower full of lootable goodies and the body of Casandalee. The crown of her skull was removed, and the information that Xoud extracted from her corpse was fastidiously recorded. Her life was a sad one, and her final days violent, but she died free, and may live again.

We will have to be cautious, she was powerful in life, and such power can be dangerous, but she might be a powerful ally. Assuming, of course, she WANTS to come back. Not everyone does.

But these are questions to investigate later, for now we rest, OUTSIDE the tower. Tomorrow I shall speak with the Herald again, and ask if it has any advice…

Also, Mr. Mistofelees says that it all went well, considering most unplanned trips to the elemental plane of fire go up in smoke, and that I owe him a bottle of wine. Fair enough, I suppose.