AAR: Laboratory Retriever

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etherial
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AAR: Laboratory Retriever

Post by etherial » Thu Jan 04, 2018 12:47 am

Mission: Laboratory Retriever
GM: etherial
Date: 2018-01-03
Difficulty and circle rating: Circle 4 Medium

Player Rewards:
Aegharan: 2200 Legend, 50 Silver, Alchemy Lab
Ceadda: 2200 Legend, Healing Potion, 400 Silver
Pethrytholilanista: 2200 Legend, Alchemy Lab, 50 Silver
Rilya: 2200 Legend, Alchemy Lab, 50 Silver Piece
Thane, 2200 Legend, 50 Silver, Last chance Salve, 2 Salves of Closure

Downtime Actions Available:
Aegharan: Alchemy 10 (Booster Potion)
Pethrytholilanista: Alchemy Step 10
Rilya: Alchemy: 10 (Known: Booster Potion)
Rilya: Forge Weapon: 14 (Rank 3)
Rilya: Item History: 14 (Rank 3)
Rilya: Craftsman: 18 (For mundane items)
Rilya: Animal Training: 8 (Rank 1)

Further Information:
Fortune Fields Industries is planning to wipe out the tribe of Cathans who tried to get them killed.

Aegharan
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Re: AAR: Laboratory Retriever

Post by Aegharan » Thu Jan 04, 2018 12:48 am

Journal of Aegharan, Elven Illusionist of 4th Circle

We noticed a posting about an expeditioin of "Fortune Field Industries" explorers searching for alchemistic materials. The expedition should have been back some time ago, but wasn't. Rilya, my trusty Windling Weaponsmith who seems to have dipped his toes into Nethermancy, Ceadda the Human Warrior, and Pethrytholalinanista, the Elven Nethermancer. We accepted the call for this rescue-mission.

We went westwards towards the Servos-Jungle and encountered some big spiders. Rilya pointed out some camouflage-cladden Humans standing in the distance, watching. Thinking these were of the same Human Tribe. I waved towards them and said Hello in Throalic and began attacking the spiders. The last time they were very happy to loot the spiders we killed. Apparently there are a multitude of tribes, and the Forest-People and the Swamp-People do not get along well. Last time we met the Swamp-People, this time the Humans are Forest-People and they did not like us killing their game.

Ceadda and Rilya talked to them briefly and we were sent towards the North to meet with the Swamp-People. Reaching their village we were greeted merrily. Within the village was Thane Cawdor, the Throll Skyraider. He was very delighted to see us, as he has spent several days in the village, not being able to communicate in the slightest. He was a guard among the expedition we are here to rescue.

He told us that they went into a cave in search of alchemistic components, but were attacked by spiders with the faces of namegivers. He was barely able to escape and recover enough to reach this village. This sounded exactly like these Jehuthra-creatures we encountered the last time, when Varis, Irwin, Ceadda and I were initiated to the swamp-people's tribe. By Thane's description the swamp-people told us that it seemed to be a cave in the area of the forest-people. It seems the Forest-People played some kind of prank on the expedition,

On the next morning we headed out towards the caves and reached them without problems. Inside the caves we immediately noticed ice-cladden spiderwebs. We searched the area behind the webs and noticed cocoons, within them fresh namegiver-corpses that had their face taken off.

On our way back towards the entrance Thane noticed movement ahead. We readied for an attack, which came through the combined force of 3 of these horrible Jehuthras-creatures. Thane took most of the first hits and quickly fell unconscious to some mean hits, while Ceadda also got clawed from the second. While the first retreated to shoot ice-webs at us, the third one came from the shadows and started to drag away Thane. What ensued was us chasing the Jehuthras, getting hits on it from time to time and trying not to lose vision of Thane and Ceadda. The fight drew on for a long time, I think it was the longest fight I've ever been part of. In the end we were able to kill the last Jehuthra and clear the cave.

We found the remnants of the expedition, also in some kind of cocoons, but with fresher bodies, not even dead yet. We were able to cut them free and wake them up, with Nista tending to their wounds. Their equipment was unharmed and the FFI-expedition was successfully turned off of starting a war with the forest-people as revenge and we safely made it back home to Throal.

Arikail
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Re: AAR: Laboratory Retriever

Post by Arikail » Thu Jan 04, 2018 2:18 am

Laboratory Retriever, a journal entry by Rilya, Windling Weaponsmith and Nethermancer

Fortune Fields Industries posted a notice looking for adventurers that would be able to track down a missing expedition they sent out into the Servos Jungle a while ago. The people hadn't reported back yet. I talked with them a bit about it, and they seemed rather.... off-putting. I don't think I like these guys much. I prefer Brimbli, a bit absent minded, but he doesn't seem nearly as shady. Anyway, aside from myself, a few others replied, including my friend Aegharan (Elven Illusionist), Ceadda (the Human Warrior we had to chase down before the lightning lizard devoured him), and Pethrytholilanista (Elven Nethermancer, and the absolute awesomest!!!). We found out what we could from our "contractors", and set out. I was in charge of leading us there, and going off of Ceadda's and Aegharan's memories of when they were last out this way (they found a human tribe living in the jungle), we made our way below the eaves.

As we made our way through the trackless jungle, Aegharan spotted some giant spider webs before we stumbled into them, and I noticed some of those humans he had mentioned. It seems the humans were hunting the spiders, as when we started attacking the spiders, the humans started attacking us (mostly just warning shots, the one that hit me wasn't meant for me, I'm sure). The spiders fled, and Ceadda communicated with them long enough for me to pick up the language. Talking with them, they only wanted us gone, though they did mention the people we were looking for. They got chased away as well. They told us to go back north, to the swamp tribe. Apparently these ones were forest tribe.

Making our way north, we did find the swamp village that Ceadda and Aegharan were members of close to nightfall. And we also found Thane, Troll Skyraider. He had been part of the guard duty with the group we were after. He mentioned they had been directed to some caves where "good stuff" was located by the forest tribe. There was nothing there but death, in the form of giant name-giver headed spiders (Jehuthra, I've come to learn). He escaped and stumbled around until arriving in the village, but wasn't able to talk to the people there. I talked with Ihan, their guy that seemed to be in charge, and he agreed to take us to the caves where they might be located, and give us a place to rest for the night. In exchange, we would help them hunt spiders (exciting!!).

The next morning, we set out stealthily through the jungle. He explained that going into the realm of the forest tribe would not go well if we were seen. Fortunately, Aegharan was able to cloak the entire party with some illusion magic, and we snuck through without issue. He did indeed lead us to a cave, and we descended into the depths.

It was damp, and we found webs, cold and thick, over some of the passages. Aegharan mentioned that the last time they were out this direction, the Jehuthra used the webs to herd them in the direction they wanted them to go. We set out exploring, burning some of them away as we went. We found web cocoons, old and useless. Lots of them. As we came back the way we had been, Thane saw movement ahead, and the battle was on. The things are tough. We had a hard time affecting them with blade and with spell. They managed to drop Thane, and pulled him into the darkness. But between Ceadda and Pethrytholilanista, they performed some excellent work, with aid from Aegharan's Monstrous Mantle. The things are horrible to look upon, giant spider bodies, with Namegiver heads/faces. Definitely Horror Constructs. I have met too many lately, it's time to learn more about those foes whose power I am harnessing.

After the battle, we did find fresher cocoons. Cutting them open, we found the missing employees, still mostly unharmed. They were incensed that they had been tricked, and wanted to go and lay waste to the forest tribe members who had played the joke on them (company policy). I definitely don't like these guys much, and that's before they got cocooned up by Horror beasts. We talked them out of it and going home instead, though they may not let the matter rest. In gratitude, the company did at least help set up and establish an alchemical lab for my use. That was nice of them. But still don't think much of these Fortune Fields Industries people.

ChrisDDickey
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Re: AAR: Laboratory Retriever

Post by ChrisDDickey » Thu Jan 04, 2018 12:36 pm

From the journal of Thane Cawdor, Troll Sky Raider.

I spent much of this adventure unconscious. My memory of the journey out here, as a hired guard to an alchemical gathering expedition is hazed by the days I spent poisoned and delirious. I dimly recall that the Forest People directed the leader of the expedition (a real jerk - prone to attempting to push the natives around) to some caves. We entered the caves and were attacked by gigantic spiders with name-giver heads, Jehuthras. I don't really recall how I ended up stumbling through the jungle alone and delirious. Fortunately the Swamp People found me, lead me back to their village and took care of me until I shook off the poison or illness or whatever it was that was afflicting me. I can't thank these kind people enough.

About the time I was finally starting to feel better, a rescue party showed up, and I accompanied them back to the cave. We explored for only a few minutes, finding old disused cocoons, when we were attacked by three Jehutra. I fell in the first few seconds. I succeeded in avoiding two massive blows, but two more left me wounded and near unconscious. If I had not used my absorb blow charm I would have been unconscious if not dead. I tried to hit a Jehutra once, and missed. I attempted to Battle Shout one, but had no effect, and I spent a karma on a fire blood test, which healed almost no damage. One of the Jehutra cast some sort of frost spell upon me. I can't do Steel Thought. The Nethermancer had buffed my mystic armor, but the spell targeted my physical armor. So the spell ignored all of my defenses and laid me upon my back. I said earlier that my fireblood test had healed very little damage. However if I had not healed that tiny bit of damage, I am sure I would be dead, it was that close.

I woke up an hour or so later. Barely. They tell me it was a long and desperate fight. I honor the rescue party.

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BattleChad
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Re: AAR: Laboratory Retriever

Post by BattleChad » Thu Jan 04, 2018 2:27 pm

The Great Library of Throal thanks Aegharan, Rilya, and Thane for their contributions.

Journal Rewards: 110 Legend Points and 137 Silver

rosinavs
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Re: AAR: Laboratory Retriever

Post by rosinavs » Wed Jan 10, 2018 12:27 am

From the Journal of Pethrytholilanista of Kaer Avon

Fortune Fields Industries advertised for stalwart travelers to locate a previous company of explorers they sent some weeks previous. My companions were Aegharan and Rilya, with whom I have sojourned in the past, and Ceadda, a Human Warrior hitherto unknown to me. Thankfully Rilya has much improved in navigation, although we still encountered the incorrect assemblage of humans at first. We were redirected to the correct conglomeration, but not before a skirmish involving some spiders these humans seemed to believe were their rightful prey alone. Ah, the intriguing and unusual practices I continue to find among the coteries of namegivers on the surface!

Upon encountering the correct gathering of humans, apparently known in these parts as the "swamp village", we found one member of the erstwhile expedition, Thane, a Troll Sky Raider. I also discovered more unusual surface practices, for Ceadda and Aegharan had apparently been made members of this bevy of individuals.

Upon receiving direction to the subterranean area where Thane previously saw his former companions, we commenced to burn away spider webs and expended cocoons along our progression. In the sunken depths there were webs ensconced in ice and cocoons with the remains of namegivers, now lost to corruption. We battled giant spiders, Jehuthras, that overcame Thane and ferried him off into the shadows. We pursued, and were eventually victorious, recovering not only Thane, but the remainder of his original troop. Those had been cocooned as well, but responded to medical treatment. Once recovered, they had to be convinced not to enact revenge upon the "forest people", the incorrect assemblage mentioned above, who had directed them into the lair of the spiders.

My employers on this foray were quite generous, and I now have a small alchemy lab in which to concoct elixirs for the physical betterment of myself and future companions. I learned two new recipes from Rilya, and now seek more to add to my repetoire.

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BattleChad
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Re: AAR: Laboratory Retriever

Post by BattleChad » Thu Jan 11, 2018 5:39 am

The Great Library of Throal thanks Pethrytholilanista for her contribution.

Journal Rewards: 110 Legend Points and 137 Silver

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