Chapter 31, Interlude 17: The Land of Black Blood

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NukeHavoc
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Chapter 31, Interlude 17: The Land of Black Blood

Post by NukeHavoc »

You had found yourself wandering the haunted halls of the basement of House Azrinae, a place you were increasingly sure was some fractured part of the Abyss rather than a proper basement. Indeed, looking back you believe you were trapped inside the Crimson Bowl of Charavin itself.

While there many of you were offered the things which you wanted most. A lost sky citadel. A kingship. Exquisite liquors. Some took those offers. Others did not.

For reasons only one of you fully comprehends, you found yourself in a vast cavern where the walls weeped black blood, a strange, viscious substance that flowed to the floor of the cavern where they joined to form rivers. These rivers then flowed into a great and terrible lake at the center of the titanic vault.

As you watched this mind-rending landscape, you felt yourselves becoming. Suddenly you had knowledge you did not have before. New equipment and new weapons forged themselves into existance.

You though you knew power. Now you know power.

Jheru, looking stoicly over the vault, gave the barest of explainations. A great power had granted the party a tremendous boon, one that could save the world. It had granted insight as well.

This vault was called "The Land of Black Blood" and it lay deep below the surface of the planet in a realm known as the Orv, the deepest of the Darkland's layers.

"Our foe, Allevrah Azrinae, is in an ancient fortress here. She has crafted earthfall glphys that will bring another star down upon Golorian; we can save the world by destroying these gliphs.

==What it means==
In game terms, everyone who was 9th level is now 14th level. Everyone who was 10th is now 15th. You have 123,000 GP to spend on magic items to reflect your new power and insights. Your elfskin suits disappeared as you acquired your new abilities; the magical items that served as the foci for the spells are now dark and non-functional.

We are now in Book 6 of Second Darkness.

If there are questions -- in character or out -- please post them to this thread.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Forgive me. I'll try and be a tad more quiet as I desperately struggle to break free -- and save all creation!" -- Doctor Strange
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Lars Porsenna
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Re: Chapter 32, Interlude 17: The Land of Black Blood

Post by Lars Porsenna »

OOC: In terms of the 123,000gp, can this be used to improve existing equipment, or must we use it to buy new equipment? FREX, if I wanted to add the flaming ability to my +2 Greataxe, would I need to spend 18,000gp (standard for a +3 weapon), or could I just spend 10,000gp (the cost of adding another + to my existing weapon)?

Damon.
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Re: Chapter 32, Interlude 17: The Land of Black Blood

Post by EvilGenius »

Also, just as a point of interest, was Drow city in Book 4 or Book 5?
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Re: Chapter 32, Interlude 17: The Land of Black Blood

Post by NukeHavoc »

EvilGenius wrote:Also, just as a point of interest, was Drow city in Book 4 or Book 5?
Book 4. Though I should note that we were well off the tracks on Book 4, insomuch as you ignored the path the authors thought you'd take, and instead blazed your own trail. The way we were going, I think we would have bypassed the 5th book entirely. It's not a question of you making the wrong decisions of course, just making different ones.

I will say that the experience with this adventure path has led me to want to run something more open ended, like the Wilderlands of High Fantasy, or at least an adventure path that's much more sandbox-y. I think that, as a group, we tend to like to venture off the beaten path. Again, nothing wrong with that, but I think it plays havoc with more scripted adventures like Second Darkness.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Forgive me. I'll try and be a tad more quiet as I desperately struggle to break free -- and save all creation!" -- Doctor Strange
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Re: Chapter 32, Interlude 17: The Land of Black Blood

Post by Jonkga »

I leveled up Jheru. Full details are in the Character Roll Call thread, here: viewtopic.php?f=38&t=4049

For the Disbursement of the 123,000gp towards magic items, I spent them as follows:

Upgrade: Belt of Physical Might from +2 to +4 -- 15,000gp
Upgrade: Gloves of Dex from +2 to +4 -- 6,000gp
Upgrade: Bracers of Armor from +2 to +4 -- 12,000gp
Upgrade: Cloak of Resistance from +1 to +4 -- 15,000gp
Upgrade: Amulet of Natural Armor from +2 to +4 -- 24,000gp
Upgrade: Ring of Protection from +1 to +4 -- 30,000gp
New: Ring of Ki Mastery -- 10,000gp
New: Headband of Ki Focus -- 5,400gp
New: Sandals of Quick Reaction -- 4,000gp
New: 2 potions of Cure Serious Wounds -- 2x750gp
New: 2 potions of Cure Light Wounds -- 2x50gp

New Feats I chose were: Improvised Weapon Mastery, Combat Reflexes, Vital Strike

New Monk abilities include: improvements to fast movement and slow fall, Diamond Body, Abundant Step, Snatch Arrows, Diamond Soul, and Quivering Palm

Standout skills are: Acrobatics, Climb, Diplomacy, Escape Artist, Intimidate, Perception, Stealth, and Swim
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Re: Chapter 32, Interlude 17: The Land of Black Blood

Post by NukeHavoc »

Lars Porsenna wrote:OOC: In terms of the 123,000gp, can this be used to improve existing equipment, or must we use it to buy new equipment? FREX, if I wanted to add the flaming ability to my +2 Greataxe, would I need to spend 18,000gp (standard for a +3 weapon), or could I just spend 10,000gp (the cost of adding another + to my existing weapon)?
You can use it to improve existing weapons.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Forgive me. I'll try and be a tad more quiet as I desperately struggle to break free -- and save all creation!" -- Doctor Strange
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Re: Chapter 32, Interlude 17: The Land of Black Blood

Post by NukeHavoc »

As you stand on the cliff face looking out across the dim gloom of the Land of Black Blood, you are astounded by its sheer size. None one of you -- not even the dwarves -- has ever seen something so ... titantic. You can only see a mile or three in the gloom, but periodic bursts of lightening from a cliff on the far side of the chamber reveal the vault to be at least 200 miles across. The cavern is hundreds of feet high, perhaps even a mile in places. Strangly muted thunder echos off the far walls, further adding to your disorientation.

Almost every wall glistens sickly as thick, black ooze seeps downward toward the cavern floor. There it pools together, forming small rivlets that join into rivers that flow into an immense lake at the middle of the vault.

Truly, the Orv is a world onto itself, in ways that are only hinted at in the Darklands above. The strobbing lightning reveals much to your dark-adapted eyes.

To the west is an immense stand of fungi that hangs from the ceiling of the cavern like a great inverted forest. At its northern edge you catch glimpses of an crumbling fortress -- it's four towers look ready to collapse at any time, yet you still catch glimpses of orangish light inside.

An immense lake fills the center of the room; a lake so large that it rivals that of the Inner Sea in the lands above. It is bound in many places by underground mountains, some of which rise from the earth as one would expect, others which hang from the ceiling in a way that hurts the mind. In the western reaches of the lake you can see a island comprised of great stone shafts and spikes rising from the lake's obsidian depths.

To the east you catch glimps of an immense, fetid swamp. Strange twisted growths can be found there -- you're not sure if they are plant, fungus, or something else entirely, but the entire area is choked by their presence.

Looking more closely at your surroundings, you appear to be in a square room carved into the cliff face. It extends 60 feet back, and is approximately 60 feet across. The room is strangely clean, likely because of the black puddings that had infested the chamber (and which mysteriously retreated during your unexpected transformation to elevated beings). The room has a 10 foot ceiling that is devoid of the stalactites so common elsewhere in the underdark. The room itself is about 70 feet above the cavern floor.

Torchlight reveals runes carved into the walls; Phil's cursory examination determines these are underdark runes against scrying and outsiders. They no longer glow with magical light, indicating they are not functioning any more. You can see other rooms in the cliff face, each with about 50 feet between each room. Black blood oozes in channels carved into the cliff face, clearly designed to keep the substance out of the rooms. There is no obvious means of ascending or descending the cliff face: no ropes, no ladders, no footholds carved into the stone.

There is no sign of the hallway back to the cursed pocket dimension you emerged from; there is only smooth stone where the passage used to be.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Forgive me. I'll try and be a tad more quiet as I desperately struggle to break free -- and save all creation!" -- Doctor Strange
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Fen's Ego
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Re: Chapter 31, Interlude 17: The Land of Black Blood

Post by Fen's Ego »

GM question for you, Ken.

Are you okay with my using Bardic 'Masterpieces'? These are like mini-bardic performances that do a very specific thing (buff, debuff, movement enhancement, etc) at the cost of either a Feat or a known spell. I like it, b/c it quite cleverly allows a player to dump a spell that really has no more chance at succeeding at higher levels for something funcional - though with a sense of diminishing returns to keep it balanced. They are from Ultimate Magic.

Happy Easter (all).

p.s. after this, i will post my updated lv. 15 Gavin including 123k worth of gear. Can't wait to play!
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Re: Chapter 31, Interlude 17: The Land of Black Blood

Post by Fen's Ego »

Updated Gavin, details here viewtopic.php?f=38&t=4049&p=35267#p35267

For the Disbursement of the 123,000gp towards magic items, I spent them as follows:

Sold: +1 Mithral Buckler (2,005gp @ 1/2 = +1,002gp)
Upgrade: Elven Chain armor from +1 to +3 -- 8,000
Upgrade: Bane (Drow) Whip added Shock from +2 to +3 -- 10,000gp
Upgrade: Headband of Alluring Charisma from +2 to +4 -- 12,000gp

New: Belt of Physical Perfection+4 -- 64,000gp
New: Boots of Striding and Springing -- 5,500gp
New: Gloves of Reconnaissance -- 2,000gp
New: Quick Runner's Shirt -- 1,000gp
New: Stone of Good Luck -- 20,000gp
New: Wand of Delay Poison -- 750gp
New: Wand of Enlarge Person -- 750gp

Total Cost: 122, 998gp (the last 2gp Gavin tosses into the pit - one for a god, one for a girl :oops: )

For the DoMT Medium Wondrous Item, I chose: Cloak of Resistance +5 (and sold CoR +1, 1,000gp @ 1/2 = +500gp)

New Feats I chose were: Combat Reflexes, Discordant Voice, Step Up (and when I lost a level/regained it from the DoMT, I chose Arcane Strike in place of Enforcer)

New Bard abilities include: Soothing Performance (Cure Serious Wounds, Mass), Frightening Tune (Fear, Mass) and Inspire Heroics (+4 Saves, +4 AC one ally)

Standout skills are: Anything that doesn't involve Wisdom *hic*. Sorry, I blame it on the bottle...of water.
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Re: Chapter 31, Interlude 17: The Land of Black Blood

Post by NukeHavoc »

Fen's Ego wrote:Are you okay with my using Bardic 'Masterpieces'? These are like mini-bardic performances that do a very specific thing (buff, debuff, movement enhancement, etc) at the cost of either a Feat or a known spell. I like it, b/c it quite cleverly allows a player to dump a spell that really has no more chance at succeeding at higher levels for something funcional - though with a sense of diminishing returns to keep it balanced. They are from Ultimate Magic.
I need to read up on them. I'll try and do that tonight.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Forgive me. I'll try and be a tad more quiet as I desperately struggle to break free -- and save all creation!" -- Doctor Strange
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Re: Chapter 31, Interlude 17: The Land of Black Blood

Post by NukeHavoc »

Tom,

Sorry for the last minute reply, but which masterpiece were you looking to get?

Ken
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Forgive me. I'll try and be a tad more quiet as I desperately struggle to break free -- and save all creation!" -- Doctor Strange
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Re: Chapter 31, Interlude 17: The Land of Black Blood

Post by NukeHavoc »

I just read up on them. I'm fine with using masterpieces.
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Re: Chapter 31, Interlude 17: The Land of Black Blood

Post by Fen's Ego »

I sacked a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd level spell respectively for each of the following three masterpieces:

1st - Triple Time http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-cl ... tring-wind
2nd - The Dance of 23 Steps http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-cl ... teps-dance
3rd - Symphony of the Elysian Heart http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-cl ... board-wind
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