Underworld Adventurer

 It has been a minute since I have posted anything here. A big part of that is most of the sessions I have been able to run have been off in the pan-dimensional dungeon called the "Black Pyramid" (a concept borrowed from Ben L.'s Wishery campaign). Neither party exploring this planar sub-dungeon has returned to Orm yet so I have been keeping details under wraps. I do have an unposted recap of one of the sessions of the Castora Cup drawn by Nita's player and cup dsigner Curtis. Here it is:

 *Just a quick DMs note. Do to health issues from work, I have to limit my time on the computer. As a result, for the foreseeable future, recaps will be more bare bones on my end with me mainly providing rosters and any xp/treasure breakdowns. Most of the color or filling in of details will be up to the players. The following recap covers a joint endeavor with the NPC adventuring party the Midnight Marauders to rescue the Seer Zarthur of Mere from captivity in the World of Reflection. The party: Journeyman Crannoc (Level 5 Magic-User) Macara (Level 1 Dungeon Druid 'hireling') Kiddo (Level 4 Magic-User) Souz'awn (Level 1 Fighter 'hireling') PakPak (Level 5 Kobold) Phasmo (Level 5 Magic-User) Lirazil (Level 2 Elf retainer) Four scenes from the World of Reflection drawn by PakPak's layer Rob A. Experience Points The mirror Zarthur subdued 125xp Zarthur freed from 'The Cabin' 200xp Player Character Cut 81xp ea. (40xp ea. to Lirazil, Macara, and Souz'awn)...

**This post is a continuing work in progress** In the shadow of the Impossible Keep, rests the settlement of Orm. The walled community rests where the Gloaming Hills meet Sourwood Marsh. Allowing no entry from the coast of the Cerulean Sea, Orm has commanded the marshland for Aeons. Once, durinng the peak of the Empire-That-Was, Orm possessed legendarily decadent gardens. Their ruins rest above New Orm along with crumbling remnants of structures from when the Cerulean Sea stood taller. This shell of a past grandeur, the Orm-of-Old, is visible throughout all points in the modern township and reminds its citizens that the greatest days of Orm have past. All know that the current ruler of Orm, the Rani, cannot accept this truth which is apparent to her subjects. Like many of the local petty rulership across Ur-Dan, she declares Orm a City-State. Ruling from the Impossible Keep, she commands a force of mounted knights and armored foot but rumor has it that she has not the coffers to fund h...

**This session takes place after the yet to be posted Burning Witch sessions #100 & 101. Complications (i.e. a forgetful DM) to the end of that Burning Witch run and me just being behind has those session currently un-recapped.**  Autumn has been trying to make its way into Ur-Dan. The days in Orm were leaden and blustery but the suffocating humidity meant that Harvest wasn't here just yet. The warm nights have seen Ormans most closely connected to the profound and the profane visited by vivid, fever-dream like phantasmagoria all centered around a black pyramid. One of those Ormans has been Phasmo, Philosopher in the Transcendental Congress of the Aureate Precepts. More relevant at this moment than the magic-user's standing in his magical order, though, is that he retains the services of a dispossessed elf named Lirazil. Between Phasmo's visions, errands for his mentor the Enchantress, and plotting of two separate delves into 'The Complex'; Lirazil found herself...

 Following the advice of the elfin archivist Glowerm, PakPak made a visit to the ruins of the Subtle Chateau. He presented a raven that roosts in a courtyard tree there with a small piece of jewelry packed from his adventuring gear. In exchange, the blackbird crowed at PakPak: " For a joining not wholly mortal nor wholly fey, to perform a being that walks between both laws must be swayed. Mine own feather was used to write the contract that binds, in an Impossible place is where those inscribed words one may find." PakPak mulled over the meaning of the raven’s words. After taking some guesses of his own, he met with Kiddo, Phasmo, and Crannoc of the Athenaeum of the Dying Sun to see what insights they might have. He shared with them that he thought possibly that the "not wholly mortal nor wholly fey" part of the raven's reply could refer to a half while "Impossible place" might refer to the seat of power in Orm, Impossible Fortress. He also inquired if...

Drinking at the Burning Witch, PakPak lamented to the barkeep Jakki about lingering obligations he had in the Twilight Shores. These debts were passed to him when his wife of just a few weeks died in 'The Complex' along with several of her fellow Midnight Maruaders. A week of debaucherous carousing saw him married to the minorest of hob nobility, the Lady Meggee. Three years after her death, PakPak had yet to fulfill her family's obligation to secure hob support for Lady Blackmarsh. The Beholder Kiddo found PakPak's desire to return to the Twilight Shores auspicious as she, via song bird, had received a summons to appear before the Eventide Queen that now ruled the Twilight Shores. Kiddo had been among the party that had freed her from her captivity by the Imperial Mother thus allowing her to ascend to her rightful leadership the elfin domain. Kiddo suggested to PakPak that maybe they combine their efforts in a trip to the mysterious elfin realm.  Before setting off on ...

   For the third wave in the attack against the Eye of Terror, Copra Kaan convinced a party to move against the demonic beings known as Mariliths that had seized control of the section of Level 1 that had once served as holding pens for creatures used in the experiments of the Imperial Mother's researchers. Copra thought that the holding pens might be needed once the Eye of Terror was finally moved against. For reasons that could not fully be ascertained, the demons had some sort of agreement with the Eye of Terror. This plan was a bit of a tough sell. The Magician Phasmo was the most willing to entertain the idea.The magic-user held the belief that dealing with the Mariliths didn't necessarily mean meeting them in combat. Perhaps, the party could find out their aims (which most exist beyond the very terrestrial goals of the Eye) and negotiate with them to turn on the Eye. Just in case, he paid a visit to the wizard known as the Enchantress-- his mentor in the Transcendental C...