In this session we continue following the party in the Halls of the Emerald Citadel. 

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Characters 

Chiron – Magic-user 1 – Come to expand his knowledge. 

Jassan Al` Nadir – Cleric 1 – A Dervish gentleman posing as a trader, known for dark whispers.

Vahan – Fighter 1 – Deep voiced and broad shouldered. 

Maximus – Paladin 1 – Oath, “I dedicate myself and my actions to Phoebus. No matter the cost, I will fight for a world guided by law that is free of corruption.”

Tiaathque – Elf 1 – a mysterious elven warrioress. 

Retainers 

Aegon – man at arms – Vahans squire.

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Last time we left on a cliffhanger. The PCs were running away from a hall filled with over thirty elves, led by a King who could fly. 

The party were rushing away from the hall, back into the portal room, they sought to reach the second set of double doors, knowing that beyond them another room would ‘spawn.’ 

The King had the initiative, however, he flew over their heads and landed before the doors. 

“Another hunt, how marvellous.” He said. Then, whilst making a gesture, he uttered a word in elven. The double doors behind him slammed open revealing a vast forest. The trees of this forest were unlike any the party had ever seen. Tall as red woods, white as snow, they gave off faint luminosity. 

“In you go,” said the King, “into the woods for our hunt. Oh I do like this game.” 

Vahan first pleaded with the king that they meant him no harm, but it seemed their fate was already decided. Giving each other a knowing look, the party broke towards one of the portals hanging in the air. The party proved lithe, dashing forwards through a portal they deemed the safest; a brick corridor draped with webbing. 

As they did so, the King called for them to be apprehended, and several elves cast sleep spells. Vahan led the party into the dark chamber, but then, his eyes became leaden. He turned to see his comrades fall the the ground, snoring. Then he himself slumped into slumber. 

Things looked dire. Terrible dreams took them. 

Vahan awoke first, a rock slamming into his temple. He was laying on some grass, the sky above him was pink, and hanging there, like a grizzly marionette, was a skeleton in a gibbet. 

“You’re awake then.” Said the skeleton. 

Vahan tossed around and saw his comrades about him, sound asleep. He was in the woodland he’d seen beyond the doorway.  Standing twenty yards distant was a elven warrioress. She waved. The gibbet was hanging at at three pathed crossroad. 

Vahan woke his friends with a few good slaps. The elf introduced herself as Tiaathque, which was quite the tongue twister. This woman had been exploring the emerald citadel with a party, but had been captured and driven into this wood. For two days she’d been wandering. She was welcomed into the party with open arms. 

“Ask me queries three, and I’ll give an answer to ye, but whether they be wrong or right, I shan’t tell thee. Teehee.” Said the skeleton in the cage. It agreed to answer three questions, answering with a yes or no. 

Question 1 was asked by Tiaathque: “Is there a way out?”

Answer: “No!”

Question 2 was asked accidentally by Tiaathque, for she was really aiming her question towards her comrades: ”So do you happen to have a locksmith with you?”

Answer: Yes! 

Question 3 was decided by the party after careful whispered deliberation: “Does this lead to the exit?” They pointed to the Eastern path. 

Answer: Hmm, I can’t give a yes or no, for no path leads to the door forever. 

A maybe then! The party picked the eastern path and walked onwards. 

Hours passed, but the light never seemed to dim. There was a small pink sun in the sky that never moved. The paths were very well kept with small hedging at the sides. The trees were very tall and blocked line of sight for more than a few yards. 

Eventually, they came upon a black bear sat in the path. It was holding two fruits and comparing them. 

“Hello there?” said Vahan. The bear reacted calmly and shrugged at the party. They tried to talk to it, but it pointed at its bear mouth and shrugged. It rolled one of the fruits to them and Tiaathque devoured it, delicious. The bear pointed to the high canopy, the trees were littered with the fruits. 

Finally the bear drew a swirling line and a fish in the dirt, and pointed south. They party interpreted this to mean a river was that way. They thanked the bear and moved through the woodland, taking their first steps off the path. The bear walked away, strangely human in its manner. 

For eight hours they marched through the woods. They were beginning to get tired. Eventually they came upon this river. It was very fast flowing. On its bank was a finely built log cabin. The cabin had a jetty into the water which carried a rack of canoes and harpoons. 

Maximus ran up to the log cabin and peered through one of the windows. Inside there were twelve bunk beds, many arrows, bows and spears on a rack. There was also a chest. At the mention of a chest Vahan rushed through the front door and claimed it. It felt very empty though. 

The party started thoroughly ransacking the place whilst Maximus kept lookout on the jetty deck. He spotted a massive wolf on the other side of the river. It was matted with gore and filth and stood nearly as tall as a man on all fours. The creature gurned at him and began crossing the river! 

“Prepare for assault!” The party closed the cabin door and took up positions at the window with the short bows. They loosed many arrows, Tiaathque seeming the expert amongst them. 

The beast beached itself and leap onto the window, riddled with arrows. Vahan and Tiaathque fired two final arrows and felled the creature, just in time. As it fell back out of the window, there was a puff of smoke. Carefully peering out the party saw that the wolf had turned into a dead man! He wore chainmail and carried a sword. This they swiped. 

After the battle the party smashed open the chest and found a blue vial. After testing the liquid on a pinky finger they found it caused invisibility. 

The party decided to stay in the lodge for some sleep. In the morning they saw in the woodland a set of bronze doors. They ran towards them as fast as they could, but not quickly enough, for as they were within twenty yards the doors vanished. 

After all this excitement a little river trip was in order. The Canoes were readied and the party set off down the river.  The flow was very fast and within four hours they’d reached a large lake. To the north were hills where there were no trees. Atop the highest hill was an emerald green pagoda. 

The canoes were beached and the party walked up the steep hills, soon finding a path. This path led to a set of steep steps straight towards the pagoda. 

The pagoda was four levels high, its corners were decorated with elf gargoyles. There were no windows, but the top level was open aired with a roof. A courtyard was before the entrance with a large censer burning pine resin. 

The party took up a marching order and approached the entrance. Inside there was a withered elf, pure wight and wearing only a sash, he sat in lotus position. The interior was painted green except for a large gold foiled snake across the floor. There were stairs in the north. 

The party carefully crossed towards the stairs. The snake animated and popped out of the floor! A bitter fight ensued, lasting all of twenty seconds. The party surrounded the giant gold serpent and slew it. Unfortunately the paladin Maximus was struck in the breast by the snakes fang. His mouth foamed for a few short breaths before he fell dead. 

The withered elf smiled, creaking like wood, then pointed upwards.

The party continued up the stairs, leaving the fallen behind. The next room was pitch black. Tiaathque noticed four faint heat signatures on the walls. A torch was lit, and they saw that the room was lacquered with black paint. Where the heat signatures had been there were four vague humanoid silhouettes painted on the walls.    

The party entered the room, and as they did they noticed the marks on the wall leap down. Ninja! The dark robbed assailants rushed on them from the shadows. Vahan and Aegon charged two of them, but Tiaathque was surprised by two ninja swinging daggers. She managed to parry and deflect their blows. The fight was brief, the party victorious. When the ninja were struck down they turned into paper, or logs. Once the ninja were defeated the room suddenly changed colour from black to green. 

Onward! They proceeded up the stairs to the third room. The floor of this room contained a impossibly deep pool. Sticking up from the water were tiny poles many feet apart. The Shaolin dexterity test! Tiaathque took off all her armour and gear and leapt across the poles like a lioness. Afterwards there was some messing around with a spear head and the tying off of ropes. The party had fastened a loose guid line to help them cross. After a few near misses, everyone had crossed the pool. 

The final level of the pagoda awaited! They went up and found an pillared stable open to the air. In the centre of the room were four fine hippogriffs. They wore barding and saddles and seemed very amicable. There was also a rack of lances and a chest. The chest was opened and it contained emerald green chainmail with an elven rune of protection on it. There were also a set of elven cloak and boots and five gems. 

They divvied up the treasure. Vahan taking the cloak and boots, and Tiaathque taking the green chainmail. Then it was time to make use of these feathered mounts. It was a struggle to get one of the beasts to take two riders, but this was eventually managed without rebuttal from the creatures savage claws. 

The party took off from the pagoda and swooped down over the waters of the lake in a V formation. Below the waters they could see many mermen. 

“What the hell is this place?” 

With great mobility they took to the sky and began to survey the area. The woods seemed endless. Following the river they soon found a bridge which joined a path. They followed the path towards a grove. 

Satyrs clearly lived int he grove, and once they saw the party approach they began to shriek and hide. The party landed and hailed the tribe, who were about thirty in number. The tribe seemed deathly afraid of them, referring to them as hunters, and specifically referring the the elf Tiaathque as ‘Herne the Hunter.’

“You wear the mail of Herne, please show mercy on the children!” Their chief said in sylvan. 

The party got some useful information from these folks, they discovered that there was no time here, just perpetual pink light. The exit door moved frequently they learned, but the satyr referred to it as the door of hades and kept away from it. The elves apparently hunted mercilessly here, riding these hippogriffs. There was a forbidden area of statues that the satyrs avoided at all costs. 

With their new mounts and provisions, what will they do next? Will they ever escape the hunting ground of King Lazziar, and what will he make of them stealing his prized stallions? 

Lets see next time. 

Also posted at Dragonsfoot.