The Man Behind the Mask: A Mage from Poisonwood (Intro)

Baerig-ScarbornUpon the unfortunate turn of luck with the last mage I played and his traveling companions Jen, Gil and myself got about making new characters. Cris informed us that we were going to keep moving forward in his campaign and would start in the same venue, the town of Rockhollow whose mine is recently defunct as it suffered an unknown disaster and was now completely flooded and mostly collapsed. Lessons learned, I decided to roll up another mage.

His name, Baerig Scar-Born a native of Tanglethorn, the poisons of the Poisonwood probably responsible for the deformities he’s suffered since birth. He was born to a whore-priestess dedicated to the Satyrina goddess Bastana. It was within this powerful cult (the secret face of the Livery of Pleasures prostitutes’ guild) that he was first exposed to the magic arts by his mother and the other prostitutes. It was soon recognized that he had a certain natural talent for the arcane arts.

When he turned 12 he was sent to serve the Brotherhood of the Green Well where he was trained & educated to the level of novice but soon realized that he would not be allowed to advance further in the hierarchy due to the very nature of the institution itself (described in brief in the Arvan: Land of Dragons setting manual to be published soon). It didn’t help that he was seen as reckless and quarrelsome as well. He has an appetite for strong drink, food and Yellow Lotus. He also mumbles a brief prayer before the first drink or hit an intoxicant due to his exposure to the cult of the Satyrina. He was unceremoniously expelled after completing a ritual that granted him the Eldritch Ability of Acid Bolt which severely scarred his body and destroyed a brotherhood lab. Seeing he was never inducted into any of the brotherhood’s litany of secrets he was simply booted into the streets instead of being killed. He quickly shifted allegiance to the reigning lord of Tanglethorn whom was soon overthrown during a violent coup.

Baerig fled discarding the dead lord’s arms which had been sown to the breast of his pale green robes. He hitched a ride with an Ivoran Merchant Caravan leaving the city and the entire Poisonwood behind.

Originally dubbed Baerig Whoreborn, the title which he detests, has 2 older siblings named Deevir Softskin (a sister) and Haavor Hardknuckle ( a brother) with both of whom he has had limited contact. He knows who his father is as he is the result of a ritual sex-act but a grave disappointment due to his deformities which consist of a slightly contorted frame and large lumpy growths about the face. His father, Haevor the Wyvern’s Flame apprenticed him while he was a novice for the brotherhood; essentially he was just an errand-boy, being a member in high-standing but was somewhat negligent in favor of another. Another member stepped in to become Baerig’s true master,  a mage in lower standing to his father and who now is very likely dead.

Baerig Scarborn appears as a tall and slender human of approximately 120 lbs and 6’7”. Dressed in a pale green cloak and cowl with matching robes that have a gold-leaf emblem of a ring of thorns with nothing at the center. He wears a bronze mask made in the image of a gender-neutral but beautiful countenance which is expressionless and has a single black tear enameled under the left eye. He also has knee-high soft leather boots and gloves as well as bronze bracers bearing the thorn-circle motif with the image of a pair of crossed daggers within. He always is careful to keep every inch of his ruined flesh covered and seeks to amass as much arcane knowledge as he can.

He is of the Chaotic Good Unprincipled alignment and his personality is “gung-ho, guts & glory type; sees self as hero; likes combat.” His I.Q. and M.E. are his highest attributes being +7 and +6 respectively. His DEX and CON are fairly high as well as both being at +4. His flaws are Slow and Disfigured and has the Apprentice concept as well as having Spellcraft as his family skill (coming from a guilded family). He has also chosen Mage as his favored class. His inborn traits are Chemical Tolerant and Naturally Wise.. His most notable abilities are his Eldritch Talents which are Teleport I and Bolt of Acid which lowered his AUR and BEA attributes leaving him with an AUR of -3 and a BEA of -4. His most valuable piece of equipment at start was a Bronze Amulet which provided a Damage Reduction of 2 as magic armor.

Baerig met Tweena, a Dungeoneer played by Jen and Drogo, a ranger played by Gil on the caravan all sticking with it for an undetermined length of time but long enough to get to know each other well. When it made a stop-over in Rockhollow about midsummer we decided to seek our own fortune in this place letting the caravan move on without us.

To Be Continued…

The Short of it All

So I created a character to play in Cris’ Campaign set in the Arvan setting starting in the Westlands. I chose a mage of the base class and his name, Illcor Zhorano or Cor for short.

The Zhorano Family Crest
The Zhorano Family Crest

The Zhorano family originates from Hyvalian provincial nobility whom ruled a tiny kingdom on what is now the Chengorre Coast most fo the land having fallen into the sea of the Dread Sound during the Necromancer Rebellion. The family fought in service of the Emperor but was not granted new lands due to the protestations of the reigning Shuen (head of the Hyvalian Theocracy) as the family helped to support a powerful mages’ guild in the North East called the ‘Order of the Yellow Lotus’ of which several family members where  in high standing. The Hyvalian Theocracy persecuted the Zhorano family whom lost several members and most of its fortune in the process . It was at this time the Golden Chalice at the top of the family escutcheon changed to a golden lotus, the guild having been broken and then reformed later as a secret society. The family keeps holdings on the coast to this day and is in no risk of losing it as no other nobles covet it due to its proximity to the Dread Sound and the Land of the Dead.

The family was among the first of the noble class to leave to the Westlands to found the Hyvalian colonies of the Ivoran Coast becoming a prominent merchant family dealing in armoring founding a powerful armorers guild in the imperial colonies. It was in these days that the helm at the bottom of the escutcheon became an anvil. The family heraldry as it stands today is  a split field of silver and green with a Gulon courant as its charge surmounted by a yellow lotus with an anvil below. There are variants among the family branches some with a band across the top representing water and the initial sea voyage which brought the root of the family to the Westland shores. Others have returned to the church replacing the lotus with a golden chalice or the golden heart of Boahng (their prophet). Illcor has replaced the anvil with an open tome crossed by a wand as his personal arms sometimes with a blue bird in the upper corner of the silver field to signify him the fourth born son as shown on his papers of heritage.

His immediate family consists of 5 siblings (Zhan-Dou, Wir Ahm, Dota, Illcor and Fendou from eldest to youngest brother). Both parents (Ahmbar his father and Reneba his mother) were well and living in a large manor in the Ivoran city of Ledou at the time of Illcors embarking on his adventure. He was the unpopular son though favored by his mother. He was sent to apprentice under an unguilded wizard named Zaniori Weihan (aka Wei), a hermit near the feet of the Gohmar Mountains. The family prides itself as conspirators during the colonial rebellion and still holds a high position as “old money” in Ledou where it controls the importing of armor via the family controlled Hammers Against Anvils Guild.

When the adventure catches up with him he finds himself wandering aimlessly finally free to leave his masters auspice on the Eastern side of the Gohmar in a town called Rock-Hollow sitting in a tavern called the Lucky Traveller in early summer. At the table in addition to him are Sheena the dungeoneer (played by Jenn) and Crixus (a gladiator played by Gill). All contemplating what to do next over their mugs of ale as they’re mostly broke, in Illcor’s opinion he’s never been poorer (he still has some coin).

Illcor appears as a husky young man of 25 years with green eyes, dark skin and red hair around 6 ft tall. He’s dressed in a green fur-lined cloak and cowl with a yellow lotus embroidered on the back and a light grey robe. He has a gold circlet on his brow, polished bronze bracers on each wrist, a gold ring on the first finger of his left hand and a plain copper amulet in the shape of shield dangling from his neck (a magic amulet of armor granting him a damage reduction of 2). He also had an iron wood quarterstaff leaning against the edge of the table, a gift form his master, he was not skilled with it as a weapon but it could cast the spell Magerial Lantern at his will (though only at Caster Level 1). His Aura (AUR) attribute is exceptionally low as he has the Teleport I Eldritch Talent allowing him to teleport up to 1 mi (at his current character level) away at will especially good since he’s also slow with a Sped (SPD) of 10 ft (15 ft is average).

Sheena circulated around the tavern collecting rumors and came back with word of ruins on the shores of a lake to the South and of troubled ruins from the loggers’ camp outside of town and to talk to Canor about those. We figured that was a simple bug-hunt so we got on our way ot the edge of town. On our way we passed the hanging tree which was strung with several bodies each sporting a tattoo of a Red Dagger. We continued between the twin mills and over the creek bridge into the loggers’ camp where we met the foreman Canor.

We made a deal to clean out the ruins for 10 gp until Sheena negotiated for 11 gp. Jen realized she could’ve tried for more than 1 extra gold piece a little while afterwards. He guided us to some ruins still mostly hidden by the woods with a smile on his face. We were immediately attacked by a giant centipede as soon as he departed. Crixus easily squashed it with his tower shield.

After searching the area we found a hole in the ground and I activated Magerial Lantern from my staff to see down the hole. I teleported the 20 ft. to the bottom after the other two climbed down. We found ourselves in a ruined passage with collapsed side halls ending in a steel door so Sheena searched for traps then a giant spider attacked us. Crixus basically stabbed it to death all the while taking a defensive stance. I harvested the fangs and some hair from its corpse. Sheena used her safecracking skill on the door and Natural 20’d it. We fought 3 mummy warriors and 2 giant spiders also Sheena got fried by a lightning bolt trap and had to make a recovery roll versus a deathbolt trap so she didn’t die before we decided to head back to town after running into a locked bronze double-door. We pretty much figured this was a tomb after finding a burial chamber with a sarcophagus in it and a golden coffin within. It had the deathbolt trap on it.

We divided up the loot and used the coin we found (inside of the golden coffin) to pay a White-Star guild acolyte to heal Crixus and Sheena up before renting a room in the tavern, I rented myself a private room and the other two paid for space in the common room. During the night a thief attempted to rob Crixus while he was asleep but Sheena awoke and spotted him alerting Crixus. She didn’t get a good look at hi though before he got away. They came to my room and deposited the bag of undivided spoils with me for the night. In the morning we sold the jewelry and gems for 500 gp to the cashier in the Lucky Traveller and headed to the ruins after the split.

Back at the hole we found three ropes hanging down into the hole, we had collected our two and had taken them with us. At the bottom there were two corpses, a swollen human corpse and a dead spider, Sheena recognized the body as that of one of the three lumber jacks that she had talked to in the tavern the previous morn.  The solid gold jewel-encrusted lid of the sarcophagus that we looted was gone. Sheena opened a door directly south of the burial chamber with the golden coffin and discovered a partially collapsed chamber filled with rotted coffins. Rotting Bile crept out of the detritus (a Rotting Bile is an ooze-creature composed of a blackened mass of grave run-off, liquefied fat and clumps of hair etc.). Crixus turned and fled after failing his Courage save versus its Horror Factor, he rolled a Natural 1. Sheena shot an arrow into it and lost her spear in it after she stabbed at it (oozes are immune to piercing attacks by the way). I killed it after casting three Lightning Bolts into it and Crixus climbed up the ropes out of the tomb after failing several consecutive courage saves. We went to fetch him after the fight as none of the coffins had anything of value in them, they were probably servants that were buried alive explaining the bile’s presence. Back in the tomb Sheena used a key she found in a hidden alcove to open the bronze doors. In the very next chamber a group of 4 skeletons bearing shields and axes attacked I dropped them all using a Magic Ring of Swarm of Magic Missiles looted from the golden coffin. The hall beyond terminated in another bronze double door and Sheena barely avoided a fusillade of darts afterwards recognizing the checkerboard pattern of the tiles. She had to disable the pit trap triggered by the doors and pick the lock which she easily did. We found ourselves in the final chamber with a Crypt Thing sitting in a throne in a semi-circular portion of the chamber with three black marble sarcophagi between us and it.

The Crypt Thing teleported me and Sheena 1,000 ft away out of the tomb, I teleported right back while Crixus fought with 2 mummies. The Crypt Thing turned invisible and cast Hold Creature on me which I was able to resist a little later. Sheena took a while to get back running all the way though Crixus after swinging wildly for some time and hitting only air finally dealt the deathblow on the Crypt Thing after crushing the mummies with his shield. We began to loot the black sarcophagi and in two of them were Dread Guards which we defeated but not before Crixus took a major beating and I had to cast Close Wounds on him after he took a recovery check on a particularly nasty blow. My magic had all but drained me and I was 1 KO pt. from passing out by the end of all of this. We rested for a few hours in order to let me recover. On our way out and back to town a lion attacked us. I tried to cast Arcane Bolt bu the spell went wild and wound up dealing damage to a 100 ft radius and Crixus rolled a Natural 1 save against it but the lion died. I teleported back to town leaving Crixus and Sheena to walk back and rented myself the private room for 7 days. We later collected on the 11 gold pieces from Canor and split up the loot in my room. We liquidated the other gear but after selling some of it to a gypsy we found half of the coin he had paid us were gold-painted steel pieces (approx. 1/8 the value of gold coins). I went to sleep and the others drank themselves to sleep in the barroom of the inn.

The next day at cock’s crow I went to search out a magic shop connec and met up with the town’s Alchemist’s Apprentice wheeling his wagon into the Fertum. He directed me to his master Ebanar in town (Rock-Hollow) where I bought an Alchemist’s Kit. I also found my way to the Jewelers and bought some jeweler’s Tools so I could forge some magic rings later on. I returned to the Lucky Traveller for breakfast during which time while I ate I watched as the bloody corpses of the two missing lumberjacks  were dragged from the common room, their throats hanging open. I went back to my room and concocted acid with my alchemical skills and kit. Three days passed as we rested. Crixus in the meantime involved himself in a gladiatorial match to the first blood and lost badly (he rolled a Natural 1 for Initiative and for defense) with the fight consisting of him getting hit once on the very first action of the match. A day after that we decided to investigate the nearest of the 5 white towers rumored to be those of the mad mage lord Zortanic information of which Sheena had heard about from a bard. On the way there we ducked a dragon, a grayling, which was circling with Crixus taking a defensive stance, Sheena immediately diving into the bushes and me preparing to teleport into the tree-line if it should dive on us. Fortunately it flew off after a little while. Everything remained quiet until we reached the gates of the courtyard of the white tower where three lions ambushed us. One got away as I and Crixus took care of the other two. We camped in the overgrown courtyard after the bronze gates opened of their own accord to let us in. Of course during first watch three wolves attacked, anyone sensing a pattern here?

We spent the next four game sessions clearing the tower and its labyrinth, I had guided the group in the back way leading Sheena to the rear of the tower so she could find the secret entrance, and hey I am a mage. All in all our body count was 1 Assassin Vine, 3 Mantraps, 2 giant spiders, 1 spider swarm, 2 skeletons, 1 black ooze, 1 gorgon, 3 harpies in the upper levels, 2 giant eagles (nesting on the top battlement), and 1 Animated Armor. The fight with the Gorgon is the only one worthy of note.

Crixus and Sheena became horrified so I stepped out from around a corner and cast Blinding Flash and got shot with an arrow; the monster had made her save against my spell. I did not succumb to the poison on the tip. Crixus overcame his horror by using Breathing Technique and I activated the Mage Armor spell on my magic robes and quickened a lightning bolt wounding the monster. On the 4th round of combat Sheena rolled a Natural 1 on her saving throw versus the creature’s Petrifying Gaze and was thus turned to stone. I used my ring of swarm of magic missiles and hurt the creature bad but Crixus got the deathblow. In the room that the gorgon was guarding were 4 foot lockers which we, and by that I mean Crixus smashed open 3 of them I used my acid vile to melt open the lock of the last, and we found 1 Gold Talon, High Quality Boots, A Pouch of 50 gold pieces and 10 silver pieces, a Sack with 100 gold pieces and 2 gold talons, and small hard leather case containing 4 superior quality glass throwing spikes which I identified as having a Level 9 hellball (a spell of legend by the way) in each. Crixus and myself rode back to the Fertum using his Phantom Mount Amulet to sell our loot which included dinnerware and the contents of an armory we had pillaged on our way out. With the cash I teleported to the alchemist and bought a Stone to Flesh potion for Sheena. We restored her the next afternoon.

The only other anecdote I have for this foray which occurred before the gorgon fight is after defeating the giant spiders I happened upon a pulsating giant spider egg while harvesting their fangs and some hair and beat it with my staff, so a swarm of baby spiders surged forth and since I teleported away they swarmed over Crixus. He ran to a fountain in the center of the next room and doused himself in lamp oil and I cast lightning bolt at him lighting him on fire but getting rid of the spiders, he dunked himself to keep from burning to death. I took 1 of the roasted spiders for a ration and began munching another grossing Sheena out. My cut of the take was a Map indicating a “Longthorn” tower in the Poisonwood given by an illusory image of the mad mage Zortanic after completing the labyrinth in the tower with the symbol of Drazan (an arborean immortal; a Westlander deity), a silk bag of holding, a mithral rod (20 charges of Level 14 Shard Spray), 4 large rubies, 8 emeralds and several hundred in gold, silver and copper coinage. I teleported back to town, the others followed.

Zortanic's Map
Zortanic’s Map

While in town we liquidated the other items and gems and split the resulting coinage. Crixus set up another gladiatorial match with 2 to 1 odds while I teleported back to the tower to make use of its alchemical lab for my spell research. I stayed there for 1 month while the others stayed in town. Crixus won his match by the way (against a Cave Bear no less).

After the month was up both Crixus and Sheena showed up at the tower with a mule and wagon loaded with a month’s worth of rations and 2 chickens. While we were talking in the courtyard as to decide what to do next a Deathpod sneaked up on us but Crixus killed it in a single blow. Sheena had gathered some rumors in the past month. Livestock in the Farmer’s Wood near Farmer’s Creek have been found drained of blood.  The town of Blackwood is offering a 150 gold piece bounty on a troll in a cave in the Black-Hills. Crixus also had a message from the alchemist Ebanor of a job offer. We were unsure of what to do and so I teleported to the alchemist’s shop, I had to pick up a lice salve (I picked them up from a ratty chair in the tower’s library). Sheena contracted them from me but luckily neither she nor Crixus knew I had them. It turns out that Ebanor owned stakes in a local mine and wants us to investigate since the miners found “something” and he was willing to pay us in raw gems, so of course on my return it was to the mine in the Stone-Wood we were going to seek out Zar, it would be only 1 day’s travel after all.

We met Zar at a village in Stone-Wood and he guided us to his longhouse and the mine, another single day’s travel. After diner we descended into the mine where we fought 2 giant centipedes and after defeating them (I got the deathblow on one of ‘em), we were shown a new tunnel which terminated in a hoe chopped into a newly exposed brick wall. Zar showed us a rest area near the hole and a pull rope for a call bell if he wasn’t present and we needed him. I cast Close Wounds twice on Crixus and we rested. 8 hours later we entered the dungeon.

Over the next 2 games sessions (the previous ending when we entered the subterranean ruins) we were bug-hunting reaping a body count of 1 Black Ooze, 7 Trolls (medium-sized, bestial), 4 Trolls (large), 2 Giant Centipedes, and 6 Giant Spiders. After racking up this body count and deciding to wait for Sheena to open a locked iron door that we had found 2 more bestial trolls attacked, all of us were somewhat wounded. During the fight one of the 2 trolls had sneaked up on me striking me with both claws and then rending me apart of course I was carrying those Glass Throwing Spikes each with the Level 9 Spell of Legend Hellball, I had sold 1 of the set of 4 and was carrying the remaining 3 over my heart in my robes out of their carrying case. Needless to say I exploded taking everybody with me. The damage was 54D6 with a 50 ft radius for each. Even a successful save meant complete obliteration. The real kicker, remember I was wearing Level 5 Robes of Mage Armor but I had forgotten to activate them! Such passed Illcor Zhorano and his companions ending the 1st campaign which lasted a total of 10 sessions. The mines remain but are now completely flooded. Of course my next character is a mage as well but that is another story.