[Spoilers] Keraptis Returns

[Tundrra]

Session 010
2023/02/08
kermit, baiz, teagen absent
Sofjia filled in for Zaan
Koram filled in for Jilto
and Talo piloted Teagan

-The party exits the boats quickly not knowing what Nightfear had waiting for them. Jilto is sent forward to yell the password. The Stonedoors open revealing a well polished suit of armor worn by a Ogre and a gnome guard captain. Who states that Keraptis is awaiting a audience with them. After a Fireball is sent their way to encourage the party’s decision Kelevos and Tig once again are sent to parlay with a Keraptis.

-Jilto’s Telepathy has minutes remaining, but enough to keep in contact with the duo, who take note of Nightfear’s minions and lair layout. Kelevos pours on the compliments and gains enough favor to allow the party to leave and reClaim the trident that was stolen from Keraptis. If they succeed Nightfear will send a ogre and a squad of gnomes with the party to dispatch Spatterdock.

-The row back was easier with the help of the pungent goo spread over the sides of the boats, avoiding battle and finding what could only be the Kelp Devil’s nest. Lisa questions the legitimacy of Keraptis claim of who the owner of “Wave” is and the scholarly Jilto tells the party that before Wave came to be owned by Waterdeep, some 100yrs ago an adventure group called the Brotherhood of the Tome burrowed into sealed-off chambers of the volcano and stole the wizard’s three implements of power: Wave, Blackrazor, Whelm. The items were sold and changed hands before ending up where they were before Keraptis stole them 3yrs ago.

-Kuhlefran rejoined the party and escorts them through the jagged tunnel to see the Resistance leader. Kuhlefrans ally Zillian had yet to return and asked Drifting Cloud to keep watch at the spy hole. The tunnel opened up into a large room with a stair like inverted ziggurat, each of the 10’ wide and deep steps reveal glass, rumble and bones of dead sea creatures and other large beasts.

-The body of Zillian is crumbled and almost cut in half on the 2nd stair, while the party is inspecting the remains, Zidlur is lifted into the air 15’ and yells out as he is being crushed. The invisible assailant is huge and with quick thinking is partially revealed with a magical web placed on its left side. The form takes shape of a massive crab making it much easier to take down. Lisa and Teagan surmise the Crab could have been from the bubble room that once guarded one of the artifacts, and that this beast was not only imbued with a permanent greater invisibility spell, it was undead and immune to normal damage.

[Tundrra]

Session 011
2023/02/22
All present


-The Resistance: a band of gnomes loyal to the real Keraptis, along with a broken adventure group seeking to rescue their comrades, all led by Nix an Efreeti whom had almost pulled Lisa into the City of Brass on her last visit.

-The party learns that Keraptis originally procured 4 weapons of power over a 1000 yrs ago. He used the weapons along with other powerful items to open a portal to further his search of finding eternal life. He never returned.

-His mass of follower continued to believe his return would come and when 20yrs ago Parfithal a loyal gnome follower of Keraptis began claiming to be Keraptis… knowing things only the true Keraptis would know as well as having the spell power and arcane knowledge, the fanatic followers believed their god had finally found is way back to them…until 3yrs ago after sealed laboratories were broken free.

-When the ogre mage, Quesnaf, closest ally and friend of Keraptis began to claim he too was Keraptis, Nix and Nox began to worry. These false Kerapti were not their true Lord, so they began to study the laboratories that opened up, finding research where the original was able to duplicate a complete imprint of his persona on to hosts allowing Keraptis to live on in a new body. However, the project abandoned for it not being the type of eternal life he seeked.

-The imprints are in written form, and Nix found out the hard way how the transformation process happens, his brother Nox slowly turned into another claiming to be Keraptis.

- Killjoy (The Efreeti Nox)
- Spatterdock (Quesnaf the Orge-Mage)
- Nightfear (Parfithal a gnome)

-Nix explains there are Complete and Partial imprints, the partials give the reader a bit of knowledge of the original Keraptis… a spell, memories, etc…but then it eventually deteriorates the mind leaving a mush able to be controlled by the other Kerapti forming a hive mind of lifeless husks. The complete creates another Keraptis, obsessed with eternal life, living like a god and believing himself invincible.

-Nix has been working to restore the original Keraptis to this world for some time, for he longs to work with his old master again. To bring the wizard back, someone must bring Wave, Whelm, Blackrazor, and Frostrazor to the Fane, a chamber that floats within the fiery magma near the very center of the volcano. Inside that magical room is an obelisk with depressions made to accommodate these weapons. As soon as all four items are in their appropriate slots, their combined power will summon back Keraptis, whose physical presence on this plane will snuff out all active Keraptis-imprints automatically. Hosts of partial imprints should survive the experience, but completely imprinted beings will probably die outright.

-The Resistance managed to steal Wave from Nightfear. Thinking it unsafe to keep the weapon inside the volcano, Nix ordered his operatives to take it out of the mountain and hide it in their choice of four locations- the Ruined village in the Plague Fields, the swamp, Castle Mukos, or the thicket. But those agents never came back, and the efreeti has no idea to which of these places they actually delivered Wave. Therefore, Nix asks the party to visit each possible hiding place, retrieve Wave, and return with it.

-Henri a frightful Fey creature is your guide through the maze of lava tubes and tunnels beneath the mountain. He has guided you out of the secret passage where Zaan was able to find recent tracks heading North towards either the swamp or Caste Mokus.

[Tundrra]

Session 012
2023/02/29

baiz absent.
talo out of town.
kermit late.

substitute: koram is playing Lisa

Castle Mukos is in ruin, all the walls and buildings are in rubble, the only structure still intact is one of its towers. The party watches from afar and sends Zidlur in to investigate, with no signs of movement or life. The party takes a long rest, sending Henri back to the mountain, while Teagan prepares spells that allows for tracking of wave.

Teagan casts Legend Lore in order to more accurately find the location of Wave. Wave was forged on a desolate island called Thunderforge. A sea god imprisoned a family of storm giants there. The Mythical Cyclopes presented Keraptis with the trident named Wave 1500+ yrs ago.
Wave zealously desires to convert mortals to the worship of one or more sea gods. With Teagan’s new knowledge he casts Locate Object, sensing nothing.

The party decides to search the ruins to look for signs of the gnome party and instead find a hidden passage under a flagstone in one of the old structures. Dislodging it reveals a twisting, vertical passage that leads straight down. The blackish-green moss coating the tight tunnel exudes an odor like rotting meat, and an almost palpable sense of evil emanates from below.

As the tunnel opens up a shield hangs on the wall of the Mukos family, an old family from the border kingdoms, the shield emanates Abjuration magic. The tunnels beneath the castle are the warren of Henri’s relatives, Meenlocks who teleport between the shadows attacking all who disturb them.

[Tundrra]

Session 13
2023/03/08

Talo absent

Before leaving castle Mukos behind, the old family shield is identified and Teagan puts it on for a good fit. The party quickly makes it to the swamps edge where they are met with sulfurous air, bugs, leaches and knee deep water as far as the eye can see.

After battling quicksand and the harsh conditions of the swamp Teagan casts waterwalk on the party as they head deeper to its center point. Zaan scouts for a ideal point to cast his commune with nature spell, learning of a structure to the NorthEast, more quicksand everywhere, and un-certainties of the gnomes current presence.

The water walk is renewed every mile, as the group proceeds East but there are more dangers than just mud. Bog mummies spring up from before the water, slashing the party and retreating back below the surface. Teagan and Zaan are suffering from Bog Rot, keeping them from healing and they feel their bodies deteriorating.

Preparing for the search of Wave, Tegean finds himself sick and without his prepared Restoration.

[Tundrra]

Session 14
2023/03/22
Teagan absent

The Bog Rot worsens by the hour as Zaan and Teagan begin losing their strength as their bodies begin to rot away. The party heads south seeking dry land, crossing the stream to set up camp. The party keeps watch over them as the afternoon and evening goes by.

Jilto stares off at the mountain and he see a grand mountainside city of wide streets and towering ziggurats, in his hand an enigmatic(mysterious) statuette with ancient runes along its edge. A voice speaks “Tostenhca beautiful, its people ugly, they will regret not accepting my protection" the statue in his palm warms, the runes brighten, till a ball of energy glows and grows stronger till it suddenly shoots forth leaving the city to waste before him. "Now to build new Tostenhca" The voice is familiar...it is Jilto’s voice.

Closer to evening Lisa spots a patrol of gnomes heading their way, a Spatterdock patrol. Spatterdocks forces have fortified the main entrance keeping Nightfear’s from controlling it. The gnomes want to know how the party left the mountain without going through the front door, and why they are out here. Kelevos reply’s they have killed several of Nightfear’s army and are pursuing those that stole Wave. They exited the mountain through magical means, keeping the exit secret. Help is requested with the parties sick members, and the gnomes tell of their herbalist in the Northern area of Spatterdocks Domain, but their magic is purely offensive. With the patrol questions satisfied they leave allowing the party to continue their rest.

Jilto receives a response from Blackstaff Tower and Teagan completes his long rest without interruption of the disease worsening…Zaan however has lost 4 ability score points. Lesser Restoration is cast quickly stabilizing the condition of both and as the hours go by through the night their strength slowly returns while the party finishes its rest.

The pursuit for Wave continues into the swamp the next morning until a wood thatched hut with a smoking chimney is in view. Tegean casts Locate Object sensing Wave moving in the swamp on the far side of the windowless cabin. The party takes off running towards it before the spell wears off or the quarry escapes. Moments later an old woman is seen meandering about picking berries and mushrooms. The long trident is no where in sight but Teagan confirms it is where she is. Pleasantries are exchanged, Tig offers to carry her basket and the party accompanies her back towards her cabin. Wave mentally reaches to Lisa, asking to be taken back to Waterdeep or the Sea, it confirms that the women indeeds carrys the item. When asked about the gnomes that were in the area she says they will be joining them at the cabin soon and sure enough standing outside the cabin are two gnomes awaiting their arrival…her latest children…turned to bog mummies. As the conversation continues more mummies silent emerge from the swamp and stand on the dry lands edge.

After some persuasive talk, a trade of magical items and a promise of kicking Keraptis out of the mountain is made, she preferred having the old druids as neighbors. After a lunch with the potion maker, the party heads back to the secret entrance into the mountain.

Level 12 is attained

[Tundrra]

Recap 15
2023-03-29
Kermit absent


You have re-entered the mountain through the north western secret tunnel. This time without Henri to guide you, Teagan recalls the maze of passages successfully to the cavern that had the underground stream. The fungus creatures have moved on from the cavern and no longer dwell in the area, they have moved further into the tunnels blocking the narrow passages to the Resistance’s domain. Walking past them was easy enough the first time, but these fungus covered stone creatures dislike their personal space being violated and battle ensues as Tig tries to squeeze by one.

After a short rest and a little more travel the sounds of the Gnomish chatter can be heard coming from Nix’s Small group of resistance fighters. You ask for help to take on Nightfear and the humans and Marthy and Hammond insist they must save their comrades from Killjoy in the lower levels. Red says he will only help deal with his brother Nox(Killjoy) or to summon forth the Original Keraptis. Aside from a safe place to stay and information about the mountain he is of no use.

LongRest- (Kythorn 22nd)

The party heads north to find Kuhlefran and Drifting Cloud watching the spy hole and they tell the party to go the other way, Nightfear’s forces guard the southern shore and have a watch on this hall. However the archer campsite is empty and a clear for Teagan to cast waterwalk on the party and board the canoes. Reaching the North shore the newest password is belted out, the gnome Capitan and a few guards greet the party informing them Keraptis wishes an audience to present his treasure. The party declines.

Party counters with Keraptis should comes out, but the Guard Capitan insists that will not do, he steps forwards and offers to take wave to his master. Laughed at, the guard says he will tell Keraptis of their demand and exits through the door.

…10mins have passed, 4 guards wait outside the sealed doors behind them.

[Tundrra]

Session 16
2023-04-05
Kermit absent


Jilto begins casting Telepathic Bond as soon as the guard captain leaves the cavern. Ten minutes pass as a deafening silence fills the room as the gnome guards watch closely. The door finally opens and a file of guards enter the cavern, the guard captain brings up the rear, with the door shutting behind.” He looks a bit pale.

“The powerful Keraptis is a forgiving master, so he will allow you live if you hand over the trident now… Otherwise we will take it by force and your remains fed to the kelp devils.”

Kelevos answered with a fireball, Lisa activates Wave’s cube of force, protecting her and Teagan while the rest of the cavern is filled with fireballs and blizzards on all sides. As the dust settles one of that shiny armored Ogre enters the fray and Gnolls sneak up on the group from behind a secret passage.

Lisa drops Wave’s cube and runs to the secret passage door, where she re-activates a new cube blocking the door and trapping a Gnoll in the cube with her.

With less than a minute left till the cube vanishes, the gnolls scratch at the force walls eager to attack.

[Lasarian]

Session 17
2013-04-12
Zelldeb Absent
DM: Tundrra

---

Combat is well underway.

Jilto has summoned what I gather is a fire elemental based on the suddenly brightness and smell of burning flesh and hair.

Zaan apparently had previously held an action and let loose his Fireball.

Tig strikes his opponents with his pike I estimate at roughly thirty times in an instant then suddenly shifts into tiger form and eats the face off a gnome.
Gruesome, but effective. A wayward curiosity of what gnome-face may taste like crossing my mind, but I ignore it.

Speaking of gnomes, we would later learn that Keraptis Nightfear was hiding in plain sight as one of his own minions and cast some dreadful spell that appeared to consume the entire room. Circle of Death, I would later be told it is aptly named.

Fortunately for me, I had just harvested several souls and their lifeforce lingered about me, saving me from the brunt of his fearsome spell.
Shortly thereafter began the first fusillade of magic missiles. They seem to strike several us, myself included. Although I attempted to conceal myself around a corner, it was not enough to evade his aim and I was struck. I answered with three bolts of Eldritch Blast, I believe two made their mark.
Teagan casts Spiritual Weapon and sets it near the Shortsword-Wielding Fey Tart.

There is some more casting and confusion as I see Captain Barten and Teagan making north, at some point, after an unfortunate volley of Eldritch Blasts that miss their target, I hear the disapproving voice of Captain Barten in my head via the Telepathic Bond Spell:

“Don’t quit your day job.”

Miffed, I respond “My day job is a lawyer, are you really surprised?”

Unperturbed by the combat around her, Captain Barten continues conversationally as if we were sitting for tea: “I still don’t understand why you wanted to come on this expedition. You never really said.”

Astonished that she would choose this moment for idle banter, I reply, “Well Captain, you know, I see these travel journals in my waiting room, exotic locations, adventures, riches … “

Zaan summons some leggy anime fey hag who begins to confront what we suspect to be the disguised Keraptis.

Nearly out of sight now, I see Captain Barten raise and fire her crossbow. I can only assume she had better luck than my Eldritch Blast. One would almost have to, short of actually throwing the crossbow at the enemy.

“For the record,” I continue, “I did say. I was sent by the Hells to ascertain the disposition of Keraptis who I suspect has been two-timing his patrons.”

“We should make his disposition dead.” Lisa replied.

A sentiment with which I heartily agree. Again I remark internally about the surprising lack of fuss evoked by my stated purpose.

Suddenly a thick sickly looking yellow haze appears around my companions north of me, one of my campions seems to recognize the spell and names it: Cloudkill. That is followed immediately by another withering volley of magic missiles.

Jilto cunningly casts a spell imitating Keraptis’ voice and tricks the Ogre into retreating back into the eastern door, which the lumbering oaf remains behind thereafter due to the spell of Darkness.

After the giant sphere of death, now Cloudkill and an incessant volley of magic missiles, I decide to try to obscure the combat area by casting Darkness over the suspicious gnome.

Dropping Unholy Weapon, which I know will annoy Tig, I cast Darkness in the hopes of providing us with a few moments of cover.

I start crossing the room to regroup with Teagan, Lisa and Jilto.

Lisa fills one of the gnomes with crossbow bolts and heads further north to investigate the northern murder hole room. After the Teagan’s Spirit Guardian goes down, Teagan joins Lisa. Lisa calls out, “There’s four more gnolls up here!”

One of the flaming gnolls spends the round extinguishing himself, only to be immediately reignited the very next moment by the Fire Element.
Zaan fires off a few arrows into the sphere of darkness and to my astonishment, it sounds like they actually hit their mark. He instructs his Fey Hottie to attack the gnome in the center of the darkness. Zaan takes cover around the corner to the south.

I was unable to see for myself, but Tig tells me his Echo is attacked inside the southern murder hole room but is apparently unscathed.

A second flaming gnoll extinguishes himself, but not before the Fire Elemental avails himself of an attack of opportunity. The Fire Elemental attacks again, striking two gnolls out of my sight, so I must rely entirely upon Jilto’s testimony.

Much to my chagrin, Tig’s echo appears outside the southern room, which can only mean he has switched places and is in the southern room alone where he cannot possibly protect my person.

Sounds of a dying Fey emanate from my sphere of darkness.

Once again, magic missiles come flying from the darkness, apparently my spell was ineffective in blinding the drooling Nightfear. The worst of the volley strikes Jilto, taking him by surprise. I can hear his cries:

“How can he see me? From that far away!“

How indeed, I wonder.

Moving north away from the sphere, I drop the Darkness spell and fire Eldtich Blast at the remaining gnome north of me and he succumbs to my attack.
Keraptis reappears, no longer disguised as one of his own underlings and the Ogre reemerges once the darkness dissipates, his blankie and stuffed troll in tow.

Jilto casts fireball, once again, into the northern murder hole room. From my vantage I can see only a little of our enemies inside and the blazing elemental.

What is better than a single ogre? I muse to myself.

Two ogres, of course, as a second ogre makes an appearance.

[Lasarian]

Session 18
2013-04-19
The part of Kermit played by Koram
DM: Tundrra

What is better than a single ogre, I muse to myself.
Two ogres, of course, as a second ogre makes an appearance.
Teagan casts Holy Weapon on Lisa’s crossbow and Sacred Flame on a gnome. Lisa fires her juiced up crossbow at the Nightfear gnome, scoring but one hit but missing twice.

I can hardly help myself: “Don’t quit your day job.”

I notice that Spiritual Weapon has not moved and is currently not engaged with any combatants.

Out of sight in the room to the north Jilto relays that one of the gnolls persists in attacking the Fire Elemental. That gnoll self-immolates himself attacking the Fire Elemental.

Another gnoll attacks Tig where he is isolated in the southern room.
Zaan drops Hunters Mark on Nightfear and fires off his Longbow.
Fire Elemental attacks something out of sight. Several somethings, apparently. There are screams and smoke and the smell of burning flesh.
Tig misses everything he swings at. I know this from the string of profanity emanating from the southern arrow slits.
Nightfear begins to cast something and we all hold our breath. Jilto attempts to Counterspell, but apparently is out of range. Nightfear drops Black Tentacles on me, Lisa and Teagan, then fires another volley of magic missiles at me and Lisa.
This is intolerable. Where is Tig when I need him?

I get beat up by gross black tentacles. In my head I keep hearing the phrase: “It’s hentai … and it’s art.”

Although I have been completely immobilized by the tentacles, I am able to cast a few Eldrtich Blasts, hitting twice, missing once: it fails to die.
Jilto casts Dispel Magic on the Black Tentacles and they disappear, for which I am grateful.
Nightfear and one of the Ogres retreat through the western door, while the second ogre is harassing Zaan in a boat.
Lisa fires her cross bow at a flaming gnoll, filling one with another three missiles. It finally slumps to the floor in flames, bristling with crossbow bolts.
Zidler takes down the gnome guard with the Ogre.
Teagan moves his spiritual weapon and strikes at Nightfear, then casts Flame Strike, as a column of fire decends upon the ogre and Nightfear, filling the doorway. That appears to take them both by surprise and I cannot help but smile.
Zaan drops hunters mark and casts Zephry Strike on the ogre? Nightfear? I am unsure from my vantage point, but I see him move away from the ogre.
Tig remains vexingly out of sight and unable to throw his body in front of harms way. I can hears the sounds of combat from the southern murder room.
We hear Nightfear, who clearly likes to hear himself talk, as he discovers Tig is inside his sanctum and apparently disapproves of that.
Tig makes a “big running sounds.”
Another volley of magic missiles, this time for Tig and Teagan.
I move against the northern wall and cast three eldritch blasts and finally kill the gnoll within.
Lisa shoots at the Ogre in the doorway.
Zidler strikes the ogre.
Teagan’s Spiritual weapon swings at the ogre but misses, but follows up with Toll the Dead and it goes down.
Zaan fires his bow at the remaining ogre from the darkness then comes up behind it, presumably to aid Zidler in confronting this foe.
Tig starts screaming something about the doorway and the elemental and an large “owwie in our minds. Moments later, Tig emerges dramatically from the doorway, leaping past the fire elemental and sliding on his knees across the room. Everyone is astonished and cries: “Tig is still alive!”
I find his chosen method of making an entrance ‘excellent’ but I am still annoyed he has been absent while there have been multiple assaults upon my person.

Speaking of which, a lone smoldering gnoll comes up and stabs me.
With a poisoned knife.
Now I am stabbed and poisoned and Tig is to blame.

I try to Frostbite him, but it fails.
Jilto casts fireball on top of his Elemental, he also sends some magic missiles at the gnoll in front of me.
The western door shuts and there is shouting and screaming from behind it.

Lisa comes to my rescue (which is Tig’s job). The gnoll in front of me is dead but I am still poisoned because Tig was not here to get stabbed and poisoned for me.

Zidler finishes off the Ogre.
Teagan heals Tig. Tig says “Weeeeeee!”
Zaan retreats back into the darkness.

Apparently, the Elemental finally dies. I expected something louder and flashier.

I drink a potion of healing and move to the doorway and hold Eldritch Blast if anything comes into view.
There is a lot of telepathic talk about doors.
Jilto very wisely recovers a necklace of fireballs with two beads.

Lisa uses Wave to form another force cube around herself and Teagan and takes Teagan for a short drag.
Zidlur goes south looking for secret doors, finding none, he moves toward the center of the room near where Lisa and Teagan are.
Zaan doesn’t seem to move …

I can see Tig advancing back into the rooms, headed east. I am close behind.
Poisoned.
Because of Tig.

[Tundrra]

Session 19
2023/04/16
Las absent, Koram playing Kelevos.

Recap 019
Nightfear slowly retreats his few remaining forces back to his throne room slinging spells and running. He makes for his study and is slain in the halls outside the door. Much loot is recovered from Nightfear and his army.

Nightfear’s plans of sending out K:scrolls to nearby by settlements in order to spread the corrupted mind controlled versions seems to have been foiled by the party.

The office is full of notes about how Nightfear attempting some magical research based on the fragments of memory he “inherited” from the original Keraptis. Fortunately, he has been less than successful in his endeavors-the diagrams are meaningless, and the books contain unrelated histories, fairy tales, and other works that hardly bear on magical study.