| This is the first chapter of the Orb series. A recent
archeological dig exposed a perfectly-preserved wooden (?!) mansion several
stories tall and over 5000 years old. Its foundation was sculpted to resemble
several strongly-built men holding the whole thing up. Some workers at the
site ran away screaming incoherently about "the spheres" coming to kill them.
Others were killed by the possessed merry-go-round. There was the problem
of the talking silver wolves summoned from another dimension claiming ownership
of the mansion's goods, and something that could only be called a "Wyvernic
Basilich" lairs in the bowels of the mansion. Combine this with several groups
of golems, some spectres, and a magical seal on the mansion, and it truly
was a shop of horrors.
The teams had 6 hours to retrieve as many artifacts & antiques as they could
before the whole mansion was magically resealed. Three artifacts (magical!) in
particular had caught King Valor's interest: a green snakeskin cape, an obsidian
egg the size of a full-grown dwarf, and an amethyst-studded harp whose strings are
of the purest silver.
In the end, the treasures were returned and the teams successful. True Resurrections
and a Stone to Flesh were needed afterward, but the teams made it out alive...
if not a bit drained in the life department. The Wyvernic Basilich was destroyed,
and several thousands in gold and archeological artifacts were returned. Strangely
enough, the silver wolves who had demanded the teams leave just watched. The
wolves themselves knew that the defenses of the mansion would wear them down.
All they needed to do was wait. Or so they thought...
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- Iron Claw Clan
Player: Mark Jerard
It truly was not the Clan's day. Upon entry, the Lothgren family of the Iron
Claw Clan (Fharglen [Dwarf Cleric 9], Silnira [Dwarf Sorceress 9], and Talon
[Dwarf Rogue 8] ran into trouble from the stone and iron golems that had
been activated from the taking of the cloaks in the cloak room. While
"Frank" dealt with them by sealing them and some animated orbs behind a Wall
of Ice, he moved one statue of a pegasus outside. Once done with that, they
proceeded to the main family room... but not before Talon failed to find a
high-level trap which killed him instantly, leaving him a husk of his former
self. Somewhat demoralized, Snilnira brought several items outside from the
family room and left them in a pile for eventual transport back home.
The team then went upstairs, making sure to keep an eye out for trouble.
While other teams explored the bedrooms to either side, Fharglen explored
the center one, finding a nice treasure chest he could bring downstairs for
eventual transport (seeing it was locked and he didn't want to break it as
it could be of archeological value). He firmly picked it up... discharging a
Flesh to Stone trap which hardened him (and the chest!) to future
experiences.
Bringing him downstairs, Silnira joined up with Team Shadowrun to explore
the lower levels. Finding a strange orange metal (and very spell-resistant)
door, she threw lightning bolt after lightning bolt at it, which after a
time finally opened it and disrupted the trap on the front of the door.
Inside? A larger orange metal ["Eternium"] golem lay in wait. While Team
Shadowrun darted behind it to get the treasure chest (managing to hide from
the spectres to either side of the golem), the golem strode forward.
Unaffected by Silnira's spells, it swung once, paralyzing and poisoning the
poor cleric. The spectres capitalized on the downed cleric, draining him of
life Team Shadowrun made use of the weakened cleric and instead of allowing
the spectres to kill him, one of his companion shadows turned him into
another shade for use later.
Team Shadowrun was kind enough to bring him and his pals back to town for
eventual raising and restoring, so...
Team Iron Claw Clan survives to adventure again.
- "Frank" (Grywlthznchplk)
Player: Jason Isolda
Actually Nate of Team Grywlthznchplk (Human Lich Conjurer 5 / Alienist 9 /
Lore Master 3), "Frank" stormed his way
through most of the mansion, looking for the magic items the King had been
looking for. Grabbing the Yuan-Ti cloak from the iron golem in the cloak
room with the help of his devils, he sealed the area off with a wall of ice.
They then explored the bedrooms, finding a Cloak of Resistance +2 and a Rug
of Smothering masquerading as a blanket. After the devils subdued the
blanket and put it away for eventual use later, they explored the kitchen,
only to find a magic stone orb guarding a knife. Ever try to hit something
that has several dozen stones whirling around it at high speed, plus the
powers of a few ioun stones? "Frank" took the hint and stabbed at it with
his spear until Team Shadowrun held up the knife and it ceased functioning
as its program stated it was not to harm the Knife +1 [Mighty Cleaving]. The
demons did the rest, blasting it with repeated cones of cold.
Going downstairs and finding the music room and library, he and Team
Fireflames pushed several harps and other musical artifacts back outside via
a Dimension Door while at the same time securing an Iron Horn of Valhalla
and several other treasures. The devils took out the rest of the orbs
guarding them, and they left a Stone Golem in the dust behind them while
they prepared to explore the rest of the level. At least until the level
caved in on itself and drew them down to the Wyvernic Basilich's lair. As
the beast had no cold resistance, "Frank"'s devils repeatedly stabbed it
with their spears seeing it was immune to cold, like all undead. The vile
creature turned to strike with its deadly tail (missing), and turned its
head to breathe its poison/paralysis/petrification breath, but what it
didn't know was that "Frank" was resistant. Extremely.
Over time the thing went down, and "Frank" emerged with all the treasure he
could carry, including a Ring of Earth Elemental Command with a limited
number of charges rather than be a permanent item. He did get a shuriken
with some cool (?) tricks as a reward for returning the items, too.
"Frank" survives to adventure again.
- Shadowrun
Player: Alain Ackerman
Laurena (Elf Rogue 5 / Assassin 2 / Shadow Dancer 8) did much exploring and
bringing out of goods after realizing that her shadows did very little
damage to the constructs of the place. Going down into the crypts where Team
Fireflames did all the dirty work, she found the secret crypt that Yempo had
overlooked. She got the door open after Silnira shocked it a few times,
releasing the Eternium Golem and a pair of spectres. The nimble adventuress
tumbled in front of the golem and grabbed a strange blue sphere from inside
a compartment in the golem. Silnira was overcome by the golem's attacks as
Laurena made sure the chest behind it was safe, and rather than working on
the lock and possibly springing more nasty traps, dropped fire on it...
destroying the curved wand that had been the handle and collecting the gold
and Ring of Evasion.
When the Wyvernic Basilich showed its decomposing face, Laurena knew that
her shadows could disrupt the gaze attacks of the beast. What she was
surprised to learn was that instead of sucking out the strength of the
eyes to make sure they didn't move, the shadows sucked out the negative
energy controlling them, rendering them useless and strengthening her
shadows. Since the shadows were useless once the eyes of the monster had
been taken out of the picture, she shadow-jumped back above ground and
began her search through the ruin for the petrified cleric as well as
any treasure that might have survived. The wolves apparently had fled
with the destruction wrought by the Wyvernic Basilich tunneling its way
out from below.
Laurena returned to town satisfied. She knew she'd been successful, despite
the fact that she'd released the shade/cleric of Team Iron Claw Clan via
restorative spells.
Shadowrun survives to adventure again.
- Fireflames
Player: Pete Farina
Yempo (Human Psion 5, Pyrokineticist 10) and Urik "The Serpent" Yergot
(Human Fighter 7) decided the greenhouse was worth exploring, for the rare
plants or seeds that could be found there could be worth a fortune. At least,
until the shambling mounds started coming after them. Deeming it wise to
retreat, a Wall of Thorns sprung up (trap trigger) at the entrance to the
greenhouse... with Yempo on one side and Urik on the other. Burning through
the bushes, they barely escaped as the shamblers entered the foyer and took
up positions to make sure no one escaped. They had not been given any other
orders however, not even to fight decently; Yempo and company easily took
them out after a few minutes of work.
Going downstairs into the crypt (and missing the secret door which Laurena
of Team Shadowrun later found), the mighty bringer of fire (and other
things) surprised a group of five trolls before they had a chance to react.
Burning them to a cinder, Yempo pocketed the Crown of Improved Invisibility.
He then returned to join "Frank" to explore the lower levels of the mansion,
calling up a couple of dimension doors to move some of the objects of art
back outside. When orbs of destruction came after them in the armory, he
made short work of them, quickly finding the black egg and sending it
outside before the floor caved in and dropped them down into the Wyvernic
Basilich's lair. He had a good fight beating on it with several concussions,
but his most powerful abilities were robbed by a stray hit from the Wyvernic
Basilich's energy-draining claws.
Team Fireflames returned triumphant to town, with a Staff of Fire and some
other goodies. He'd fought "Frank" over who'd bring back the three
artifacts, and lost, but it was still a win as both he and Urik were alive.
Fireflames survives to adventure again.
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