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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7969 Posts |
 Posted - 09 Dec 2010 : 08:31:27
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I have questions which relate to events described in my I need some volunteers from Candlekeep scroll.
Tyranthraxus the Flamed One - or more accurately his previous host and current henchman/bodyguard/lieutenant/"morale officer", a fearsome 23˝' tall frost giant sorcerer Jarl named Hákond Greywyndr - possesses a ridiculously large non-magical axe carved from a block of iron-hard ice (this axe is also named Greywyndr) onto which is affixed Völundir's Wyrd (a cosmetic variation of the weirdstone described in Volo's Guide to All Things Magical - Wizards download).
Weirdstone (XP Value: 25,000; GP Value: 65,000)
This rare item looks like a fist-sized, faceted diamond. If set upon any solid, level surface, it floats upward to stop 3 feet above the surface, emitting chiming sounds at random times and glowing with a pulsing, white, internal radiance. The stone is actually a cut-glass construct, but it emits a powerful effect. A weirdstone prohibits all phasing, ethereal states, translocational magics (such as teleport, pass plant, and dimension door), scrying and divination magics, and astral travelers from occurring within, entering into, or looking into, a 6-mile radius of it. This prohibition includes psionics, spelllike abilities, and natural creature powers, such as the abilities of phase spiders and xorn. The spherical area of effect extends overhead and underground when the weirdstone is activated; the area is simply closed off.
A weirdstone can be deactivated by the touch of the being who activated it, who may seize and place it in a pouch or on an irregular surface, whereupon it is deactivated. A weirdstone can also be deactivated by breaking it. A successful strike against AC 2 upon it results in it having to make an item saving throw vs. crushing blow; if it succeeds it is unaffected, but failure means it is destroyed.
Völundir's Wyrd differs from a typical weirdstone in that it is a dagger-sized shard of glasslike elemental ice within which the strange Jotunalder Wyrd rune can be seen pulsing with dim bluish radiance. Instead of levitating itself and chiming randomly it emits a (harmless) fierce howling flurry of hard icy snow and wind whenever it (or Greywyndr) is dropped or struck hard against a solid object. This item is essentially always active, it emits a cold aura which gradually freezes objects on contact and coats nearby areas with a layer of frost when left undisturbed. Only frost giants can handle it safely, all others suffer the effects of a Chill Touch spell (Save vs Spell on touch or on each round of sustained contact, unless protected with Resist Cold). It can be used as a knife blade if a handle is somehow fashioned, though it inflicts cold on both the wielder and the target. Item Saves are best of metal or crystal, with +3 magical bonus.
Völundir's Wyrd is entirely unrelated to the Ring of Winter. It is of course an item with special significance to frost giants, most especially those of Jarl Hákond's tribe (who all recognize Völundir's Wyrd and Greywyndr on sight and will challenge any outsider who dares to claim either one).
Items of such power are almost never used in my campaign, being about as rare as artifacts. This particular item happens to be what the Cult of the Dragon is methodically tracking down (it's hard to find through divination), they intend to use it as a phylactery for an impending White Dracolich. It's a pretty safe bet that both Greywyndrs will always be found somewhere close to Tyranthraxus and his lair (Valjevo Castle) and the 6-mile radius of effect will basically encompass all of Phlan.
But of course there's more!
Tyranthraxus has an alliance with a new Gith race (which I have yet to really fluff up or present to Candlekeep). Suffice to say these Gith are similar to Githyanki insofar as having silver swords, inhuman viciousness, excellent magic, and the ability to plane shift at will; they are LE-aligned natives of Acheron, and they're motivated to "use" this alliance to further their own plan of establishing a successful Realms incursion (disguised as Githyanki).
I have these questions:
Could these Gith use their plane shifting abilities to move into, out of, within, through, or around the weirdstone warded area?
Would the weirdstone impair Tyranthraxus's natural abilities in any way? What about his ESP or transference (body-jumping possession) powers? I use his stats as described in Villains' Lorebook and FRC1: Ruins of Adventure, and he currently possesses a rakshasa Rukh (capable of some spellcasting, with a small collection of magical items which includes a Cubic Gate that links to the Moonsea region and various lower planar destinations along the River Styx). My lore does not reveal Tyranthraxus's actual species or origins, though various wiki sites claim he is a mystery fiend or elemental, yugoloth, or even an exarch or displaced godling - any of these might make him at least partly immune to weirdstone effects.
Likewise, would this weirdstone impair the priests who occupy the Old Temple of Ilmater Bane Tyr Talos? Or the sneaky little cabal of Moander startups hiding in the ruined slum district of old Phlan? Or the meddling priests of Eldath who're attempting to "purify" Kuto's Well?
Does anybody have any ideas how all my bad guys (and perhaps anyone else) could bypass the weirdstone warding effects? Particular spells, keys, tokens, runes, magic items, exceptions, suggestions? I could of course alter the weirdstone itself but I'd rather just keep it intact.
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[/Ayrik] |
Edited by - Ayrik on 09 Dec 2010 11:55:53
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Bladewind
Master of Realmslore
Netherlands
1280 Posts |
Posted - 09 Dec 2010 : 12:44:02
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1) The Githyanki are hosed by this line: "A weirdstone prohibits all phasing, ethereal states, translocational magics (such as teleport, pass plant, and dimension door), scrying and divination magics, and astral travelers from occurring within, entering into, or looking into, a 6-mile radius of it. This prohibition includes psionics". They'll have to planeshift to the edge of the weirdstones area of effect, then travel to their destination by foot.
2) Tyranthraxus status as a god would have little problem with bypassing the ward of a weirdstone, so his possession powers and ability to read minds wouldn't be affected. His cubic gate is useless though.
3) The deities of the clerics would still be answerable, no problems there, just dont let them ask for divination or conjuration/summoning spells.
4) A high level rogue with epic skill in disable device might be able to bypass some of the wards layed out by the weirdstone, but he'd have to somehow disable an immense area, at a higher rate in wich the warded areas reestablish themselves, and detect some sort of flaw in the stone itself that he could manipulate to disable it long enough for others to follow him.
You could say a cleric or mage could ask for somesort of miracle or wish type magic to make certain individuals immune to the weirdstones effects. The spell immunity (abjuration) spell might have a chance of protecting the recipient from the weirdstones powerful abjurative ward.
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My campaign sketches
Druidic Groves
Creature Feature: Giant Spiders |
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Rhewtani
Senior Scribe
USA
508 Posts |
Posted - 10 Dec 2010 : 14:51:10
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| Portals. |
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Rhewtani
Senior Scribe
USA
508 Posts |
Posted - 10 Dec 2010 : 15:06:01
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Specifically there's one network of portals that links Zhentil Keep, Phlan, Northkeep, and I want to say Melvaunt. Then you also have a portal that connects the graveyard to Valjevo Castle (this one is is the novel; I think that's where it is)
I also homebrewed one in Kuto's Well. If you jumped into the well wearing a symbol of Tyr while chewing on mint leaves you would end up in the garden maze. Elsewise, you ended up in the water.)
If you do a site search on wizards.com for Portals of the Moonsea, you'll find out about the other portal network. This allows you to throw in the Northkeep Lich as a side villain of sorts and also a situation where the good guys would have this chance to ambush the bad guys as they pass from the docks district to the graveyard or vice versa. |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7969 Posts |
Posted - 10 Dec 2010 : 16:59:58
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Portals. Good idea. Would they still function correctly?
I haven't established any portals in the region of Phlan. Denlor's Tower and Yarash's Pyramid seem like good locations. Or the Pool of Radiance itself ... surprisingly, I haven't yet needed to establish a proper location for the Pool. Where is it, exactly?
I've studied FRC1: Ruins of Adventure carefully to discern the location of the Pool.
The Pool's location is unknown; the dragon Srossar bathed in the Pool and was possessed by Tyranthraxus "nearly a century past" (as of 1340DR). The "Pool of Radiance was a portal to one of the darker planes (which one is currently unknown)" which allowed Tyranthraxus to first appear in the Realms, then "Tyranthraxus slaughtered his agents so that the location of the Pool might never be found", then "With his armies raised, Tyranthraxus has swept out of the icy north and stormed into Phlan. Here ... [external forces] have held his hordes at bay. For 50 years he has labored ... in hopes of [reaching] across the waters of the Moonsea."
Mendor's/Mantor's Libary contains many records, including
Fyerdetha’s Discourses On Power, a dry study of supernatural sources of power which says: "Fountains and pools hold great power ... Yurax holds that the Falls of lxce are greatest of all these. Morden writes that the Pool of Radiance is greater still."
The History of the North, a largely inaccurate and highly colourful account filled with many obvious exaggerations (and some few relevant facts), including the following passage: “Ten days ride north of the Varm is a barren and dead country called the Lee-wai, land-in-pain or land-of-caused-pain. Further to the south this place is know as the Tortured Land. It is said to be an evil place, shunned by the Riders. They speak little of this land but yearly during Ches they make a trip into its heart. Their they go to adorate the spirit of a glowing. spring. This they have done for ages and so shall they do for years to come.”
The Grand Historian’s Records of the Arts of War, is a moralistic and anecdotal mouldering volume from a greater work, containing this passage: "[The powerful general Tyranthraxus] led the Riders out of the waste. At his hand the kingdom of Barze was conquered. Turning south he led his army to conquer the Horreb and the Vane ... It was then when Baron Schodt imprisoned Tyranthraxus in a vial of water which shone like the light of day. This he sank in the watery depths of Lake Longreach...".
One of Tyranthraxus's advisers, Al-Hyam Dhazid is "an intinerant [7th level] magic-user from Almraiven and the Kingdom of Calimshan" who's (possibly wrong) deduction locates the Pool somewhere northwest of the Dragonspine Mountains.
Tyranthraxus's frustrated theatrics at the conclusion of the module/game include a threatening assurance that he is far from defeated and he "will return from the Pool of Radiance with even greater power to exact his revenge on the entire Realms, not just the puny city of Phlan [etc]". This suggests the Pool is nearby or Tyranthraxus has some magical means of getting to it quickly.
Porphyrys Cadorna might eventually be found imprisoned within a cell, captured by Tyranthraxus's minions while "attempting to learn more about the Pool of Radiance, which he mistakenly thought was in [Valjevo Castle]."
The players might rescue a lizardman Chieftain from Yarash's Pyramid (on Sorcerer's Island, about 35 miles upriver from Phlan) and he may give them information about the Pool of Radiance. His tribe is located on Sauros Island in the Glumpen Swamp, roughly 50 miles north (and slightly east) of Phlan. These semi-aquatic lizardmen appear to be of the more "advanced" variety and are described as seeming knowledgeable and very territorial of the area surrounding "their" swamp.
At the Zhentil Keep Outpost, "the commandant cites a legend of the Northern Tribes about a being of flame, Tirantikus, who came out of the Tortured Lands" while dining with the PCs. It should be noted that his knowledge about Tyranthraxus is surprisingly accurate. He might also relate "the ["Northlands"] tale of Dirg, Warrior of the Snow People ... an old story of the Northmen he heard while serving at the Citadel of the Raven across the Dragonspine Mountains. Dirg was [an epic barbarian hero] ... [wandering] in the snowy wastes, found a pool of unfrozen water ... so hot it boiled the skin [of those who] wandered too close. Angered, he thrust his spear into the pool and roiled the waters. This disturbed a demon of fire [perhaps Tyranthraxus, perhaps Borem of the Lake of Boiling Mud] who rose out to do battle with Dirg [and] leapt from man to man, consuming them ... [before being imprisoned again by Dirg's shamanic magic]".
The Pool of Radiance novel blatantly contradicts FRC1 by very definitely placing the Pool underneath Valjevo Castle, within Srossar/Tyranthraxus's cavernous secret lair. |
[/Ayrik] |
Edited by - Ayrik on 10 Dec 2010 17:24:19 |
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Matt James
Forgotten Realms Game Designer
USA
918 Posts |
Posted - 10 Dec 2010 : 20:05:31
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| Interesting. Brian and I specifically used Valjevo Castle in Monument of the Ancients. Ironically, the adventure has many tidbits about Mr. T and the Seven Lost Gods. We also detail other locations, such as Mantor's Library ;) |
Edited by - Matt James on 10 Dec 2010 20:10:34 |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 10 Dec 2010 : 20:32:58
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quote:
Originally posted by Matt James
Interesting. Brian and I specifically used Valjevo Castle in Monument of the Ancients. Ironically, the adventure has many tidbits about Mr. T and the Seven Lost Gods. We also detail other locations, such as Mantor's Library ;)
Mr. T and the Seven Lost Gods? "I pity the fool that worships Moander!"  |
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Matt James
Forgotten Realms Game Designer
USA
918 Posts |
Posted - 10 Dec 2010 : 20:39:35
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7969 Posts |
Posted - 10 Dec 2010 : 21:37:24
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That's crazy, Matt. One of my players has Dungeon #170 (my collection stops at #150), so I'll be sure to read MotA (and confiscate her Dungeon copy until my players are finished my PoR 2.0 adventure, if I can).
I also caught some references to City of Phlan and Mysteries of the Moonsea wizards articles, yet I can't find them anywhere. Were they ever published? Perhaps under different names?
quote:
Matt James
I'm curious if anyone has run this adventure yet. I am always interested to see how people use content I design. That being said, if you ever need help updating monsters found within, let me know. I'll gladly do it free for all to use.
I don't generally play 4E (thus my lack of Dungeons #151 and beyond), but this shouldn't be much problem (aside from unique monsters) after years of converting things around between the previous 3 (or 4, or 10) D&D game editions.
I notice, here and several other D&D forums, that you're eager for feedback, so I'll be happy to provide mine. |
[/Ayrik] |
Edited by - Ayrik on 10 Dec 2010 21:41:17 |
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Matt James
Forgotten Realms Game Designer
USA
918 Posts |
Posted - 11 Dec 2010 : 03:06:05
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| Well, Dungeon #170 is digital, just a FYI. Let me know if you ever run it. Even if you don't, there is plenty of juicy nuggets of Realmslore for those hungry. I mean, it was written by the James Brothers after all :) |
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Rhewtani
Senior Scribe
USA
508 Posts |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7969 Posts |
Posted - 12 Dec 2010 : 21:52:15
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Matt, crap ... Dungeon #170 is DDI only? That sorta complicates the lending idea, and the "keep it away from my players for a while" idea. I'm Old Skool, for me (and my groggroup) paper is the proper way to D&D. Although this does explain why my gamestore stopped carrying Dungeons (and I'd thought it was just a 4E-protest sorta thing) ...
I'll definitely give you my feedback, when I have some.
Rhewtani, thanx for the link.  |
[/Ayrik] |
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Weird questions
