The Big Picture

Being a repository for overview material for all the opportunities presented to the Growlers.

Realm Management

• Grundar: average MoS (@15) is 4.5. Affects other roles by MoS /3, or +1.5
  • Primary: Leadership @19, 4 pts to increase.
  • Secondary: Administration @14 16 pts, Area Knowledge (kingdom) @13, 1 pt
  • Secondary (untrained):Diplomacy IQ/Hard, 8 pts; Politics IQ/Avg, 4 pts; Savoir-Faire (High Society) IQ/Easy, 2 pts
  • Tertiary: Strategy @14, 8 pts
• Jin (Seneschal) - average MoS (@14) is 3.5 + 1.5 = +5 x -2.5% for average +12.5% to kingdom expenses
• Jack (Treasurer) - average MoS (@11) is +0.5 +1.5 = +2 x 2% for average +4% to kingdom income
• Grinue (Magester) - average MoS (@16) is +5.5 +1.5 = +7. (choice of -17.5% expenses, +14% income, or +10.5% stability)
  • Primary: Thaumatology @20
• Tylden (Sheriff) - average MoS (@17) is +6.5 +1.5 = +8 x 1.5% = +12% stability
  • Primary: Leadership @16, 4 pts to increase
  • Secondary: Area Knowledge@14 (rural areas), 11 pts; Tactics @12, 3 pts; Tracking @18; Savor-Faire (Military) IQ/Easy 1 pt
  • Tertiary: Weapon (Bow) @20, Naturalist @14, 8 pts; Riding @16
    
• Lauriel (Master-at-Arms) - average MoS (@14) is +3.5 + 1.5 = +5 x 1.5% = +7.5% stability
  • Primary: Leadership @ 15, 4 pts
  • Secondary: Brawling @ 15, 7 pts; Area Knowledge (towns) IQ @14, 14 pts; Tactics @11, 7 pts; Savoir-Faire (Military) IQ/Easy, 2 pts
  • Tertiary: Weapon (Broadsword) @18, Law?

Secondary skills grant +1 @ 14, +2 @ 18. Tertiary skills grant +1 @ 16

Dwarven Politics

The dwarven kindom of Zarak is quite extensive - the tunnels beneath Quail Valley that we have explored are probably above the proper dwarven tunnels. There is an offshoot kingdom(?) in the White Hood mountains that pays homage to Zarak. It is ruled by seven brother kings who elect a high king every 50 years. Grundar's uncle Borgo suggests that, to get a wife, he ingratiate himself with a suitable dwarven leader such as King Thransiravst. Entrances to his kingdom are located in Caithness. (See Domestic Business.)

Giznus Brightbrew learns that Amort's Reach was part of the Ginnagrim domain. The Agaal clan had joined with Ginnagrim spending their fortune of the guild hall of Amort's Reach. After a series of disasters, Agaal left Ginnagrim for Morkagast.

Baridoul Goldbrand wants us to dispatch a ghost in a section of tunnels to the southwest of Thanel once controlled by a breakaway group of dwarves led by one of the elder brothers of Thranavist. The ghost is probably this brother.

Burle Politics

In a dream sequence we attend a ball hosted by Lady Evelyn. At the ball Lord Burle talks to Grundar: pirates are preying on the local commerce, a Burle nobleman appears behind it, and a meeting between the parties may happen tonight. We investigate the suspects, who are the major merchants:

• Lord Erlingson - ferocious viking, now ruthless businessman, reputed to be a pirate earlier. Bought his nobility with plunder?
  • sneaking a look at account books: he's taking large losses, but earning some back by hiring out as protection, so probably not him.
• Lord Ertai - rumored to seek vengeance on Erlingson, several of Ertai's ships have been hit.
  • has been hiring mages to harass Erlingson, but nothing to connect him to the pirates.
• Lady Annnis Stallworth - reputation as cut-throat businesswoman.
  • found ledger containing detailed shipping information, including the ships what were hit. We think it's probably her.

(See A Night at the Ball.)

Undead Elves

They are located off a passageway from the demon pit this very straight, about two yards wide. (The other passageway off the pit is natural.) The elves, who speak ancient elvish, are about 5 miles from the pit. Using a wizard eye we saw a total of eight fighters, three archers, a leader of sorts, a mummified elven wizard, and two more mages. [15 total by my count]) (See Out of the Frying Pan into the Brimfire.)

Pit of Demons

• Ogre-sized, red, horns, wings, tail
  • long-chain
  • frightening scream
  • no vitals (only muscle inside)
  • shoot for the eyes!
• Centaur-like, purple, five legs, appendages on top
  • protected by thick, gelatinous hide
• Swarms of bat-sized creatures
  • fire-storm is quite effective
• Dog demons

Pit is 150 yds deep or more and has a cylinder in the middle whose top is below the level of the tunnel and contains a massive, semi-organic creature. At the bottom is a swarm of dozens of creatures, including red-skinned demons. (See Out of the Frying Pan into the Brimfire.)

There is probably some sort of portal allowing the demons to reach the material plane. The tentacle monster could be somehow creating or anchoring the portal. Or it could just be a guard. Attacking the creature without knowing its specific weakness would probably be suicidal. These types of creatures are quite hard to kill. Homogeonous body. Chopping off all the tentacles is probably the best bet. Unless she gets really lucky, she probably has little chance of figuring out what its weakness simply through research. After our dream encounter with the lich on the tower, we find that the column has collapsed and the demons are gone, although we see the entrance to a tunnel at the bottom of the pit. (See Domestic Business.)

Weapon Enchanters

The enchanters inhabit Ship's Tower which is next to the island of Rayine. To enchant a weapon requires a gem that is equivalent to that needed for a 50pt powerstone. (List price for the gem is $27k) They (well, Anggar) agree to enchant any weapon for which we have the necessary ingredients. (See Wizard's Aid Society.) They will also enchant the gemstone for $5k and 1 day each. (Listed in Notes for 7/18/2017.) The abilities that a weapon gains are closely tied to the soul. The more powerful the creature, the more powerful the abilities. Eventually, it gains the ability to communicate with wielder. Whether the soul can influence the wielder or not is subject to much debate. Grundar purchases two soul-suitable gems or $27,000 + 12%. (See Out of the Frying Pan into the Brimfire.)

We drop off the soul gems and weapons with the mages. The wyvern soul gem goes with the very fine axe while the unknown soul goes with the fine axe. The mages also prepare two more soul gems. From there we sail off into the sunset…. (See Packing Our Bags.)

Grinue determines that initially the primary ability of an enchanted weapon goes through 5 stages. Once it completes the primary ability it begins to get more of a personality. Notes for 7/15/2017

Teleportation Portals

You can only go between two anchors. With great difficulty and exceptional skill you can teleport these devices elsewhere and thus establish the anchor point. The difficulty of activating the portals is based on distance, and the link can be activated from either side. It costs 5 FP to activate + 5 FP/person. Activation failures cost 2 FP. (See end of Undeadly Force.)

Primary circle takes 25 lbs of gold ($500,000). Secondary circle takes 5 lbs. To create the beacons takes good crafters, the best in Burle probably suffice, while constantly being overseen by someone who knows the Beacon spell. Range penalties apply when activating the portals. (See Domestic Business.)

Clark the Spark

Jin encounters a temporal anomaly. There is a jerky, spinning blue triangle which starts speaking in a mixture of ancient elvish and the oldest language: “Sequence Action Execute Jin.” Other phrases are unintelligible. There are visions of the ogres and red dragon from the room with the pillars. It happens again several days later. She hears a ‘snap’ and feels a bite on her hand, but when she looks at her hand she sees nothing. Later when we travel to the pillars there is a blue glow along the ledge which gets brighter, and then we see a red dragon, 6 ogres, and a dire wolf emerge. After defeating them their bodies fade, and we detect a faint blue glow coming from an elvish rune on the upper corridor. A secret door next to the rune leads to a short corridor, brick wall with an iron door, thence to a room painted with red/black swirls (similar to what Jin saw in her visions) with a black sarcophagus. (See Room of Mystery.)

Jin is again countered by:

• Primary Interface, with colleagues:
• Blue Triangle (reflection expert)
• Seed Growing Fruit (sequence expert)

These entities live outside of time. The Spark was created somehow as a result of the spell cast by three circles of mages, and as a result of our activities, we have separated this energy from its creators. For now it feeds off the energy created by our adventuring. Making contact with these entities is best done(?) at the pillars.

That evening the party shares a dream: A pentagon with symbols at each vertex based on the individual dreamers, but the symbols are lit to the same degree for each of us:

• top: star-shaped pentagon (dark)
• upper left: stick figure fighting stick dragon (dark)
• upper right: domino mask (faintly lit)
• bottom left: combat-related symbol (faintly lit) [Note: fully lit after the combat]
• bottom right: puzzle-related symbol (fully lit)

We choose combat over the domino mask and get the D&D party to fight that we met previously and are able to defeat them, but just. (See The Spark.)

During another visit to the pillars Jin is contacted by Blue Triangle: “Interface Destruction Probability (image of Jeffar) Sequence Destruction Primary Subject (image of the graveyard) Sequence Execute ”. (See The Exterminators.) Jin tries more napping near the pillars, but doesn't get the sense that being near the pillars is helping communications. Later, Wershaw reports of unusual undead activity around Bostwick. (See Ninety-Nine Zombies.)

In Vonmek time comes to a stop for Jin, turn bluish, and Blue Triangle appears.She has an image of tall towers on a stormy coast. Then chambers made of fine and finely worked stone. Then a doorway closed by a curtain, a glowing blue sigil on the wall. “Reflection Execute. This is repeated several times. Blue Triangle disappears and the blue tinge lasts for about 12 seconds during which Jin seems to move faster, but then that disappears. At the same time for the main party in Ship's Tower reality stutters a moment, and it seems that each of the zombies they are fighting at the moment have two images, and they have to kill them twice. The copies seem to have a blue tinge to them and are easier to kill, and Grinue's heals seem to be twice as effective healing damage dealt by the blue-tinged zombies. Later when searching the rooms we find the same blue symbol that we saw in the Room of Pillars. It is also adjacent to a secret door that leads to a small passageway to a small storage room where supernatural shadow creatures move along the walls and floors before attacking us by draining strength. (See Undeadly Force.)

In another dream sequence we are drawn to the domino mask. See Burle Politics for details. (See A Night at the Ball.)

Grinue and Jin are made a member of the mage's circle in Burle. (See Lord Grundar.) Keteroc hires three mages to help with Grinue's research. When a suitable location is found in Riverton they can relocate there. They are currently reviewing material related to spells for Clark and the geas. (See PackingOurBags.)

Fencallad concludes that Clark the Spark has been growing as we went through our various adventures, and has reached a point where it is self-sustaining. We have another dream sequence where Grundar, Tylden, and Lauriel fall in combat to their Nega-Selves. At this points the symbols are:

• top: star-shaped pentagon (dark)
• upper left: two paper men joined together (partially lit)
• upper right: domino mask (fully lit)
• bottom left: combat-related symbol (full lit)
• bottom right: puzzle-related symbol (fully lit)

Two more combats against are Nega-selves prove fruitless. The arena we are in explodes, and the lines in the upper left symbol go not just dark, but black. After that we have a dream sequence where we fight and defeat a lich on top of a tall tower with four tentacles in stone. The lich is fighting a bluish cloud. We defeat the wizard (or really help Clark defeat it.) Aftewards the pentagon symbol is lit and we feel a sense of accomplishment and closure. (See Domestic Business.)

The Cabal

After reading the pillars, Jin got a vision of a mage circle: 3 in an inner circle, 9 in an outer circle. There were in a chamber inside a pyramid. They cast a spell [the gesh]. Later, there are barracks around the pillar. Rithban later completes the ritual of the pillars and reports that the geas has two parts: one related to attraction to the circle, and the other related to adventurers. He shifts some of the focus of the geas from travelling west to adventuring. (See Pillars of Society.)

Removing the pendant from the wearer is sufficient to break the compulsion. (See Into the Sunset.)

• Inner ring of mages:
  • Semiti (overall leader)
  • Bavadra (special forces)
  • Katalou (army commander) Probably greatly skillied in Strategy (Better than Aahirox who was 16 IIRC.)
• Middle ring of nine mages
  • Ilisoni (illusions)
  • Leveni (movement)
  • Joeli (protection/warning)
  • Inhouke (probably mage in middle ring - knows fireball.)
• Outer ring of 400 mages and the army
  • Iron Guard - full plate and rumored to have an amulet implanted in them, and that they have lost their individuality
  • Iron Fist - adventurers with amulets
  • Red Horde - controlled by a metal collar

During the attack on Melop, the effect of the cabal's regular cadre of mages was that much of the archery fire was turned aside. We obtain many pendants which are made of bronze, rust-red in color and containing an off-center starburst. We determine that it consists of a loyalty spell. The loyalty is to all twelve of the central mages in the cabal. The main base of the cabal consists of a large barracks organized in quadrants around a central tower. Adventurers go in and Iron Guard come out. The inner ring doesn’t go in. The belief is that the tower is filled with Iron Guard. They believe the stronghold is in the mountains 50-75 miles west of Quanop and south of the river, not close to the coast. The coast is essential impassable to a seaborne force. (See The Fall of Melop.)

The Smugglers

Results of History on smuggled items: (cloth several weeks on ship; wine: even longer. Cave a couple of months [presumably the cave near Salt Marsh], ship a couple of days, wagon less than a week, into a shop, then warehouse [in Burle]. See Regime Change.)

In our initial encounter with the smugglers, the Sea Ghost hung off the coast for a couple of days after our initial encounter, then sailed north. The operations center on a frigate, the Full Moon, which is bigger and faster then the Sea Ghost. It is approx 120' x 60' with 20-30 crew, 12-20 guns, many soldiers, a knowledge mage who's the leader of the smugglers (Sanbolay??), an air mage (less experience), and an old pirate as the captain who is quite competent. In the end the sea elves tell us that the frigate has sailed off to he north - and agree to contact us if it returns to the area around Salt Marsh. (See The Sea Ghost.)

We have a dream sequence where we are drawn to the domino mask symbol.

-- FrancisSmall - 23 Jul 2017