April 25, 2009

Hook

Group needed for 1st contact and exploration

Plot Synopsis

adventurers recruited to do a generic 1st contact and to ascertain if if the new dimension was a connection to old Jaernian
portal network, 2ndly to determine if the dimension had any goods worth trading for. The were instructed to not make
enemies but if things went south to do what they do best.

The group meets in basement #3 at the CGoW. There they are given last minute instructions and introduced to three NPCs that
would be accompanying them: 1 mage represenging the guild and 2 young men representing the Lordship. The party is
instructed to go through the portain from basement #3 to a staging world. They are told that the staging world is
unpleasant but etirely safe (as long as you don't stay too long). After getting to the staging world they are instructed to
procede to portal 42 and go through.

The party enters the portal. They appear on a barren rock of a world. The air is filled with an overhwelming sulfor smell
and lingering in it makes your eyes water a bit. The area has a few dozen active otherworld portals. The party quickly
figures out the numbering scheme and make their way to port 42. At the base of each portal is carved a number. Some numbers
no longer have portals. The party (including representitaves from the guild and lorship, as well as 4 zombies that trail
Dena) steps through the potal and find themselves in a jungle. The guidrep tells them to turn left, that the advanced scout
party saw humans in that direction but couldnt' catch them or see where they came from. The party starts moving. Its very
slow going because of the denisity of vegitation. Claude goes back through the portal to score some machetes from the
guild. The guild points out that most of their stores are gone, etc... during their whining Claude leaves and goes to buy
some mechetes in town and returns to catch up with the party.

With the machetes in the hands of adventurers and zombies the pace picks up a bit. At one point they find a well made but
crude, to jaernian standards, spear. They decide its just been dropped and keep moving. A couple of adventurers fly above
the trees to get the lay of the land. ITs jungle for as far as the eye can see except for a couple of lines that are
probably rivers and ~100KM east, north-east is a gigantic pyramid. They keep moving. A few hours later the party notices
its gotten too quiet, and then they notice they are surrounded by short men with large spears. Erica who has fluency heads
one say "stay where you are demons". Before she can relay or do anything really, Dena draws and slays one. The rest of the
party does a bit of hiding. The natives close in, Erica says "we aren't demons" when Tanis explodes one of their heads with
a bright beam from his hand in an Audacious act. Half the natives stand around stunned by what has just happened, the
others close in further. Deno kills 2 more and Tanis tosses an Ekblovego. Combat ends shortly thereafter. Claude yoinks one
out of the bush and the others surrender.

A bit of worthless interogation follows during which the only interesting thing they learn is that 5 seasons ago there were
other demons and they headed south. They party decides to head south and Dena sends the zombies back to the poratal to
wwait her return. They follow until dark and then stop for the night. Hamish starts coughing during the night and has a
fever. Claude whips him up some tea in the morning and by mid-day he is good again. The party continues south. They find
the remains of a campfire. Difuge uses her skills in burning to determine the fire was only 2 days ago. Tanis reveals the
past and the party sees a tall, solidy built man with a blond top-knot, ordering around some natives and then camping for
the night. The party discusses using 'Find' to find 'Blond Hair'. No one in the party is blond. Difuge remembers that one
of the zombies had blond hair. Eric quickly flies to the portal and pushed the blond zombie through, then flies back to the
party.

When Erica arrives, Claude casts Find. He gets a clear vision of blond hair: 37 mets at 200 degrees. The party decides to
fly becuase its faster then hacking and they'll be able to catch up. They fly fast and catch up. The blond man doesn't seem
suprised to see them. Preson instantly notces that the man and all his possessions are divine. The blond man reaches into a
bag, slowly, end pulls out a dead lemur which he offers to the party. They accept and Dena gives the man a pie. After a bit
of discussion the party deterimes that he doesn't really know what they need to know but he did give them a map to where
the last group of "demons" was buried.

Upon arriving at that location they unbury 7 bodies from a pile of rocks. They determine that one of the toe bones is
magical and take it with them. At this point they decide that wandering around is getting them no where and decide to head
stright for the pyramid. One of the lordships representatives suggest they stop briefly at one of the larger villages along
the way. Just 5-10 minutes to determine status and then move on. The party flies to a midsize village. Dena does an incant
so that they'll appear as if they belong for 6 minutes. When they appear in the village, natives bow to them. Hamish takes
advantage of this, picking up an local that attracts him and wondering off with her. The rest of the party decides quickly
that there is nothing here for them. The lordship representative tells one of the natives that he likes his boots and to
make him a pair and he'll come back for them. The native runs off to do this. It is then decided that maybe the lordship
reps should stay in town while the rest of the party goes on to the pyramid. The party is given a devie to remain in
communication with the lordship reps (CI guys).

The party goes to the pyramid. They are met and offered drinks, food, etc... They dicde to take a tour and overhear one of
the overseers telling the tour guide to make sure it takes 2 hours. The tour starts at the top of the pyramid. They are
carried to the top by native bearers. There are 407 levels, above ground, eache level does farming, etc.. and is really a
self contained village of its own. At the top they are shown how magic items are made. The top is shaped like a bowl with a
hole in the middle. Around the perimter are tables all slanted down toward the center. The party understands immediately
that it is a form of blood magic. Claude smokes up to see what's coming at the end of that 2 hour period. The most probably
future is ambush involving darts. He pushes the tour guide into the hole and clues in the rest of the party. The party
decides that leaving is probably the best bet.

Before flying away they call the CI guys and inform them of what they've found. The CI guys agree its a lose but mention
they are having a problem back in the village. They believe its possible that they brough plague with them because locals
are dying. When the party arrives there is a stack of a coule hundred bodies and some dying natives. The CI guys said they
ordered sick people isolated in the square as soon as they saw what was happening. Claude recognizes the disease as a
magically created disease from Jaern and finds it very suspisious that it is hear also. Deciding there's nothing they can
do they gly back to the portal, pick up 3 zombies and pass through to the staging world. There they grab their blond
zombine and return via portal 0 to the CGoW basement 3. They give a quick debrief, get paid and pay to have the toe
identified. It is revealed to allow the holder to see in the dark as if it were day. The party dices and claude claims the
item.

XP: 2700
Silver: 1000 (Difuge is paid with a larger locker at the GoW)

After game notes: magic is still working on Jaern

Noteworthy Postgame Events