D&D Dynasty: 3rd Path of King Alzar the Mighty - FINISHED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Abe Sargent]

Next Floor Up –

52 rooms

Alzar has the minotaurs clear off the stairs to get up to the next level.

The 3rd floor has a lot of bed chambers, living areas, and more. These are all nicer, such as mages and apprentices might have, like three room apartments and such. There are also some entertainment things here as well.

Alzar heads left and then right, and finds a long hallway that goes straight, much of the length of the floor of the tower. There are numerous rooms off to one side, and then the other, each 10 feet by 10 feet, and each showcasing a major item or scene, much like the art gallery below, but to a considerably greater degree.

Alzar heads down and inspects them:

Display Room #1 – Enormous Ceremonial War Canoe here, with a number of native warriors and a priest in war mask leading them, frozen, and in a frieze. Alzar detects the war mask as magical. Powerfully so. The whole thing smells of one big giant trap. He grabs his Ring of TK, 50 pounds, and puts it on. He grabs the War Mask to pull it off, and it works, but of course, the party animates. 8 warriors and one priest are here, and move out. They are all low level. Alzar orders his minotaurs to clank these folks, and they break out. A few moments later, they are all died, after Alzar pumps in some arrows too.

War Mask – Acts as both Ring of Regeneration and Protection +4.

Display Room #2 – Enormous Oyster, bigger than Alzar, in display in a tank. Alzar inspects it, the shell is anti-magic. Alzar has a minotaur reach in and grab the oyster, and open it. Inside is a pearl the size of Alzar’s head. It’s worth 50,000 gp easily. It’s too heavy for the TK Ring to pull out. Anti magic, Alzar uses a simple grappling hook and rope, secures it, and yanks it out.


Display Room #3 – Two ornate jeweled thrones, with two desiccated corpses on them, one has a twinkling orb in the hand and the other a twinkling silver circlet. They register as magical, and the orb is the same size as his crystal balls, so it could be the same. Alzar detects the corpses as undead. He reaches out, and turns them successfully. As they flee, arrows pepper and slay them, and Aleph finishes them . Alzar finds Crystal Ball with Clairaudience and A Circlet of Telepathy identical to the Helm.


Display Room #4 – Five glass cases are here, each with a set of magical armor. The star detects numerous mechanical traps, like poisonous gas and such. He disarms them, and then cracks the cases open. Inside are +4 suits of armor for dwarven chain; full plate, studded leather, centaur barding, and scale mail.


Display Room #5 – Fountain, identical to those on the lower two floors, but smaller. Nothing else here

Display Room #6 – Black pyramid on the floor of the room, rising up. Light from above illuminating it. The Star reveals the pyramid is actually a gate to another plane – The Abyss. It’s one-way, anything here would appear in an unknown place of the Abyss, Alzar can’t even make out which layer of the plane it leads to.

Display Room #7 – Sand on the floor, and a blue sky like color on the ceiling. There is a frozen shaman at a campfire in the room. Nothing detects as magical, nothing of value is here, and Alzar sees nothing hidden. He skips it.

Display Room #8 – Chamber with a flaming obsidian casket of size, and a fire giant of size. The lid is solid gold, and worth roughly 55,000 gp and weighs 1,100 pounds. He can tell the Fire Giant is a mummy. He shrinks the lid with a spell, and the mummy begins to move and protest. It pushes open the reduced lid

Battle:

Alzar begins with his Axe of Extinguishing, aka Selinyr

6 vs 1

Alzar takes 11 from a hit, and dodges. Then he slashes , and with the extra damage just blasts the Fire Giant for a ton of damage.

5 vs 7

Alzar finishes the Giant

In here is nothing else

Display Room #9 – Empty, but has ledges and stuff. Appears to have been raided, but there are numerous traps here instead to trick folks.

Display Room #10 – Marble pool, filled with columns and water – no traps, and nothing else. Waters are magical, and will fully rest someone who spends 1 turn in them. Water has no value when taken out.

All done.

[Abe Sargent]

As Alzar moves from this area, a thief pops out of hiding from behind a non-magical shelf and reveals himself and Alzar orders him to drop weapons. Detect Lie reveals truth - he penetrated up here over a few weeks, is by himself and he’s totally untrustworthy. Alzar has him leave.

A small theater and stage open up, and Alzar is coming up on the stage. There are some minor things out there, including a Megaphone that acts as both a Horn of Fog and a Horn of Collapsing.

On the far side of the theater are a small group of around 24 wights that are living here in the area. Alzar turns them one after another after another. They are all fleeing from him. He heads into a 11 room area of the floor where the wights call home and explores, with them constantly fleeing from him. It’s all empty back here.

Alzar heads back and around and finds more apartments, rooms, and more, and in a few are a family of Ogres that he casts Mass Charm on and befriends. They show him the rest of the level as, he’s almost done anyways. There’s food from a gymnasium that they grow plants in, and they have some giant rats, giant beetles, and such they eat as well.

Alzar has finishing exploring the level, and used the Gem of Seeing he has and has found no ways up. The ogres, minotaurs, and more don’t know of any either. Alzar does find the floor of the 4th floor above him in a few places, and tries magic like Passwall, but it’s to no avail. It’s locked up.

The floor has some markings on it that have various runes and carvings. It seems like the upper floor is self-contained, at least from here. Alzar grabs a crystal ball and scryes. Maybe there’s a way onto the upper floors from outside? Or perhaps a clue?

Alzar spends some time, but it’s all gummed up. Nothing is here to distract and pull away.

[Abe Sargent]

It appears that the upper three floors are:

1). Immune to Scrying magic of all sorts.
2). Immune to teleportation magic
3). Was created for the binding of very powerful creature or creatures, and is specifically an unbroken container, that could still have that inside.
4). Magic Resistance does not work.
5). Marked heavily by Zagthrane and his central area of control

Alzar wants to try a planar gate. He’ll move to another plane of existence, then step out inside the upper floors. Before he does that, he loads up the various books, items, and more.

He’s going to try Transport via Shadow first, which sends him to the shadow plane. He casts it, heads over, and it works and he pops out on the 4th floor in a dark shadow:

28 rooms, larger, smaller areas:

In front of Alzar is a sight he thought he’d never live to see. In front of him is a fabled golem, a golem spoken of in fables, but usually thought of as a myth. It’s moving to face him. He pulls out Aleph, the Bronze Golem from the Warp Marble to face it. He wants to lose the Bronze, so he can use the Talisman of the Golem to control it. Meanwhile he slips into OtherSpace to grab more anti-construct items

This is a diamond golem



Alzar ordered the Bronze Golem to simply stand in its way. In a few rounds, the Diamond Golem has pounded and destroyed the Bronze one. Alzar is back, and uses the Talisman of the Golem to try and control the Diamond Golem. First, it’ll try to save. I grab a d20 and it tumbles and lands on….7. I don’t know. Let me look it up. Yup, it fails on a 8 or lower. Alzar has the golem!

“Mythos”, Diamond Golem, AC -6, HP 100, THAC0 -1; 1 attack for 5d10 damage, MR 70%, +3 magical weapon to hit,

Alzar orders it to fail it’s save, and he Warp Marbles it.

There is nothing else in this guard room that oversees and connects a lot.

[Abe Sargent]

Beyond the golem is a room with two enormous treasure chests. Clearly convinced in the safeness of the Diamond Golem, they both have a ton of stuff in them:

200000 gp

40 rubies – 200k gp in value; 80 fire opals, 80k in value

These magical items:

Ring of Fire Resistance; Sustenance;

Wand of Wonder – 100 charges
Staff of Withering – 25 charges
Rod of Security – 50 charges

Elven Chain Mail +4
Shield, +4
Sword of Sharpness
Hammer, +3 Dwarven Thrower
Gauntlets of Ogre Power
Girdle of Giant Strength


These tomes –

Libram of Gainful Conjuration
Book of Infinite Spells
Libram of Silver Magic
Manual of Golems
Manual of Gainful Exercise
Manual of Puissant Skill at Arms

[Abe Sargent]

Alzar comes across the major feature of the area:

There are 9 giant spheres on this floor in a circle around the area. Each of these giant spheres has the markings of protection and such from an Immortal. Each appears to be a sphere designed for holdings and containing an Immortal of a different alignment. Each of these spheres is intact. It appears that the builder here once summoned and captured 9 separate immortals, and then let them go again later.

As Alzar inspects the place, wondering if Baga-Yaga had some ideas from it , the guardian of this floor arrives, a lich, a former apprentice to Zagthrane, the one who made it and used in so long ago. Alzar reaches out to turn the lich and…rolls just enough and turns her for a few minutes. Alzar swaps his items.

Since his magic resistance is not working here, he switches to anti0magic and anti-mage stuff like the Gem of Magic Missile Deflection, and the Ring of Spell Turning. Four rounds later the Lich Dimension Doors in front of Alzar.

5 vs 3

The Lich casts Time Stop. As she does, she casts Power Word, Kill on Alzar, and then….Power Word, Stun. Then the Time Stop ends:

Alzar is 87/87 hp right now. Power words are simple. They work based on the current hp of the victim, and there is no save. If your HP are low enough, the spell always works, barring some complication. Ill works up to 120 current hp and the Stun up to 90. Both would normally work, but for Alzar’s Ring

Spell Turning applies. Roll a d10 for each – 6 and 4. 60% and 40% of the spells are reflected back. Alzar gets a +6 to the save for PWK, and +4 for PWS. The lich is immune to both The Ring gives saves for effects that normally wouldn’t’. Alzar tosses a 19 and is fine. Then the PWS arrives and Alzar’s 8 is good enough to make the cut as well.

Time Stop ends

5 vs 3

The lich sees his defenses of the Ring of Spell Turning, and uses an area effect instead to hit him – out flies a fireball, aimed well behind Alzar so the lich isn’t bothered. The lich gives the full 10d6 damage (that’s it’s capped). Alzar makes the save and takes 16. Alzar casts Time Stop himself

72/87

Alzar casts Hold Undead, Protection from Undead, Time Stop ends for him

The lich….tosses a 13 and is still up. Alzar’s protection is here.

8 vs 6

The lich animates 10 skeletons from a nearby room to bring them out and attack Alzar. Alzar grabs his axe and closes.

1 vs 7

Alzar’s axe hews into the lich once, and then bounces off some magical protection he has already in place that was not able to be seen. The lich cannot smile due to a lack of lips, but Alzar still suspects she is smiling in spirit. She casts Dispel Magic and drops Alzar’s protection and the minions can’t touch him

8 vs 5

Alzar takes 22 from a Skulltrap cast by the lich - undead are immune to the necrotic damage. Save for half worked. Alzar casts Dispel Magic and drops the lich’s guards.

53/87

2 vs 6

Alzar smashes the lich with his axe twice, and misses with the shield. The Lich took 33. It casts Teleport and leaves for now. Teleport won’t take it outside of the area, so it’s still in the Magist’s Tower somewhere. He destroys the animated undead

Alzar heads out to continue exploring the area after healing himself with lower level Cure Light Wounds in mass.

Alzar finds some empty-ish storage areas, and then a workroom with some old benches and such, still in working condition, and various tools strewn about. There are some more undead here, including specters. Alzar turns them.

[Abe Sargent]

He heads out after verifying there is nothing else here. Then he enters the lich area – workshop, library, apartment, undead creating chamber. As she does he senses a mass of undead coming from a few areas, and suddenly, the lich phases, and out from every door pour reinforcements – mostly fodder –


Invisible Stalker
Air Elemental
Elephant
Earth Elemental
25 skeletons
25 zombies
4 wraiths
2 specters
15 shadows

And there you have it - a pretty toxic bunch of folks. Alzar’s Magic is often unready for it – they are (mostly) immune to Wail of the Banshee, for example. Alzar grabs the Wand of Fire and spits out a small 5d6 fireball for 16 damage, save for half. Alzar takes 4. Battle is enjoined

1 vs 8

Alzar casts another fireball and hits for 18 and he takes 8. The Lich casts Major Globe of Invulnerability. Alzar is pecked from a few sides, and takes 8 damage

68/87

1 vs 4

Alzar casts another fireball for 15, and takes 4, and clears out most of the undead. He takes a smash from a Stalker for 11. The lich tries to break Alzar’s stun prevention. He casts Hold Person at Alzar and….20% reflects, Alzar gets +2 bonus – he tosses a 5, which is a7 and makes it.

54/87

6 vs 4

The lich grabs a Wand and fires a paralyze charge at Alzar and 60% reflected and his 6 makes it . Alzar’s axe stabs and kills the air elemental.

5 vs 1

Alzar is missed, and takes 80% reflection, and tosses a 19 and makes the save. He finishes the Earth, and shields the Stalekr and kills it

4 vs 5

Alzar casts Mordenkainen’s Disjunction and removes the protection from the lich. Another Wand charge fires and 40% reflected and Alzar tosses a 10 (only a 1 would fail). He drops the axe and swaps to his bow

9 vs 5

Alzar had 40% and tosses a 7. He casts Power Word Silence at the lich and silences it.

7 vs 8

Alzar’s bow is out and he fires a ton of arrows with the Hasp of Reloading, and closes while doing so. Alzar hits 3 times for 15 damage. The lich casts Vocalize.

1 vs 5

Alzar’s bow fires and spits again and 22 damage is doled out and his foe falls.

Now the lich clearly has a phylactery somewhere, it’s not perma-dead until that’s taken care of.

In fact the lich is beginning to regenerate right now, Alzar uses Holy Water to slow it down by a few hours

[Abe Sargent]

With the defender of this level defeated, Alzar spends some time fully grabbing everything here:

Boots of Levitation
Pipes of the Sewers
Wand of Paralyzation – 8 charges

23000 gp
170000 sp
50 gems worth 17000 gp total

-1 leather
+3 bow
+1 shield

Marble Elephant Figurine of Wondrous Power

Lich Apprentice’s Basic Spellbook

Elven plate mail of etherealness

Scarab of Enraging Enemies

There’s a funky room back here were a large open area of grass, uts ,and more is home to more than 80 lizard kings, of the lizard man race . They are all shrunk down to smaller sizes. There’s a temple of a giant frog, that si a dead on ringer for the Temple of the Frog Alzar went to back in Blackmoor times with part of the abandoned crashed spaceship on board, and the lizard kings worship it

There is a sinkhole in the ceiling of the next floor up, and Alzar secures the stuff he acquired here in OtherSpace or Bags of Holdings, and then heads up with a smaller Broom of Flying to fit into the space.

He still can’t scry inside. He is trying, but can’t see in front of him.

[Abe Sargent]

Level 5 –

25 rooms, much of which us a maze, under the control of one major defender, or traps

As Alzar rises, he sees a large, giant, ancient red dragon asleep in a large central room – the oldest and most powerful of all red dragons. He flies over and casts Temporary Youth, it opens its eyes and breathes fire – it was faking sleep. The good news is that Alzar’s foes Magic Resist is meaningless here, but Alzar’s is too. The foe drops in age to a more reasonable opponent, but Alzar takes 22 fire damage from the fiery inferno

65/87

9 vs 2

The great red dragon fires Magic Missiles at Alzar and they hit his Gem and are absorbed – he fires them back and the dragon takes 25 damage. Alzar casts Power Word Kill and drops the dragon. It dies.

Alzar finds:

+3 axe, luckblade
Javelin of Piercing
+5 Shield, +3 plate
+4 Dagger

55750 gp
23000 pp
570000 cp
124500 sp
73 gems worth 120,000 gp

Cube of Frost Resistance
Stone of Good Luck
Bracers of Archery


After spending some time moving the weaker loot it, with things like constructs helping, and TK Ring, they secure it for later perusement

Alzar searches the area. The nearby stuff is all typical open rooms TO the right is a hallway that emerges to a small chamber, and there are great stone images to the left and right of a lion and a lioness. They are magical, and the area is as well, and it’s trapped. The images are actually large figurines of wondrous power.

Alzar disarms the magical trap with a priest Dispel Magic spell. That allows him to grab:

Figurines - Stone Lion, Lioness – 52 hp, THAC0 11, deal 2d6 damage with a bite, AC 2

These critters are much more powerful than the normal figurines

[Abe Sargent]

Alzar finds a study with a bunch of infra ink on a shelf – 4 bottles of it, to be specific. Most of the stuff in the study is decayed with time, like the furniture.

After exploring a bit, Alzar arrives at a mazelike area of the tower. Alzar passes through a one-way portal to room with a Chimera on the other side. Axe slays it one turn – after skootching around, Alzar finds the way out, having disarmed only a pair of traps.

A room beyond has great ivory pillars each one connecting to a different plane, and bringing outer planar power to the area and helping to secure the 9 spheres below on level 4.

There are stairs up here, but Alzar continues and explores beyond them on this level. Alzar passes a small shrine to Pflarr, a immortal of Magic, that he used the Chime of Opening to open from the Wizard lock. Alzar heads to the next room, and finds a room with a table, and some work tools and such. There is an amulet, magical, on a table, and it is trapped. Alzar can’t disarm it, so a TK ring is used, and a pair of Earths are summoned to fight


Alzar slays them both with axes after taking……23 damage

Amulet of the Planes

Beyond this room is a permanent Prismatic Wall effect. Alzar casts another priest Dispel Magic to try and drop it but he fails (Priest level not high enough0

Alzar heads into his OtherSpace and grabs a scroll with Dispel Magic on it, reads it, and drops the Wall

Beyond it is a small lair of Mind Flayers!

Alzar sees them and pulls back. They try to stun him, and they get 50% reflection and success and 7% and another. They are immune to their own mind blast reflections

4 vs 6

Alzar casts Flesh to Stone and slays one. The other moves to bite him, and attacks with tentacles – one hits, Alzar fails to evade, and he takes 7

81/87

6 vs 3

Alzar takes 11 from the auto hit, and another – no evade when tentacle – Alzar’s axe smashes and slasys the other one.

Alzar finds:

2700 gp
13500 sp
15000 cp

Mirror of Mental Prowess

And that concludes this level. He heads back to the central winding stairs up…

As he does, the lich apprentice arrives. Since Alzar is no longer in forbidden areas, and he has proven himself stronger twice, she meets with him for a few moments. She tells him that her master, Zagthrane, wouldn’t mind someone coming in, of worth, and taking her stuff after beating her a few times. She let’s Alzar know that Zagthrane was working on a simple solution, he then managed to wrest control of 9 different immortals here on Pandius, and then bind them together, all to force them to reveal one of simplest, but most devastating secrets. As you know, no character can rise above level 36 here, that’s the level cap. But there are tons of folks with it. More than a thousand mages in Alphatia alone are level 36. There are countless mages, fighters, thieves, clerics, and more, all at level 36, caped.

So these 9 immortals, from the five spheres, every alignment, were bound, held in place by the powers of nine separate Outer Planes that were channeled by those columns, and then forced to give up the secret of how to break that level limit. Zagthrane is the only mortal known to have ever risen above the level limit placed by the immortals themselves.

That’s the secret. Breaking the level limit. That’s what he did, and he is still alive today, spiritually exploring, learning, and growing, far beyond the most powerful immortals, even though he lays dead above, honored.

Alzar is allowed to head up

[Abe Sargent]

Level 6 –

40 rooms

Runes on the stairs up tell people that this is the resting chamber of one of the greatest wizards of all time, and the “most powerful wizard on Pandius” and “One of the Most Powerful of All Time,” a wizard named Zagthrane. Anyways Zagthrane is the one who made the Magist’s Tower and lived here for centuries. The Keep was also under the control of Zagthrane and his people.



As Alzar reaches the top of the stairs, there is a lich at a lectern. The lich greets Alzar, and bids him to come and sign in, there is a nonmagical book and ink and quill. All guests here are required to sign in. Alzar opens the book and sees 17 names here total, in the millennia since this place was made. Some names he recognizes.

Bigby
Mordenkainen
Elminster
A few famous mages from Pandius’s past
Pflarr, before he became an immortal
Lyzandred
A few he doesn’t recognize


Wait….Lyzandred? Lyzandred the Mad? The one from Hamedh? If you’ll recall, Lyzandred was the most powerful of the people in the Sand Mire to create a nation in the fall of the great Empire, that led to the Sand Mire’s creation.

Some of the history there:

Long ago, before the fall of Amun-Re led to the opening stanza of the Sand Mire, to the west of Khaibar stood a citadel and home to mages and elders from all over Hamedh. This citadel, named Mathgamhna, was the home to an ancient order of warlocks and wizards.

During the time of Amun-Re’s reign, an evil demipower Dargeshaad, cast down from the heavens, arrived in the area. After seducing many with promises of power and prestige, Dargeshaad began to grow in strength in the area. He was banished to Hamedh because he would not be able to leave easily.

He gathered forces, knights, and mages and began to grow in power and influence. He was checked by the people in Mathgamhna. His followers crafted a shield called the Bright Barrier and stole the Halberd of Mathgamhna and renamed it Betrayer.

Then Amun-Re fell. Wielding these items of power, Dargeshaad saw the beginning of the collapse of the nation Amun-Re forged, and he begun to carve a swath of death across the area, creating his own little fiefdom. No one, save for Lyzandred the Mad, who would fall to lichdom, carved a more powerful or devastating nation as Dargeshaad.

Various elders rallied at Mathgamhna to try and put down Dargeshaad’s advances, but all they could do is build a stalemate. Eventually, via sedition and treason, Dargeshaad won the day, and began to destroy the citadel. As a result, the surviving elders invoked the most powerful of their Language Primeval, a lingua that described magic power in mere words instead of incantations , gestures, and ingredients. They let loose Speech of Twilight, and the world opened up and the Dragon of Shades entered.

Arriving at Dargeshaad’s citadel of Ascavalon, the Dragon began an enormous battle with Dargeshaad. But none from Hamedh could stand against the creature of shadow, power, and malice. And the battle was lost, and Dargeshaad and his side fell.

But the Dragon of Shades was not sated. It vented a massive amount of rage and destruction against an already war-torn and damaged land, and pushed the Sand Mire even further into forming. It would take years before it had its fill and left Hamedh.


And Mathgamhna would lay, silently, a testament to the old days, towering above the growing sands.


How would Lyzandred have found this here? How would he have known of Pandius at all? Are there connections between Hamedh and Pandius he was unaware of? Anyways, Lazandred once visited here, and signed in. There is a Detect Lie version of magic in the lectern that prevents people from lying on the page. Alzar the Mighty’s rune joins the list.

[Abe Sargent]

There are numerous runes and details about various planes that Zagthrane visited

Alzar arrives at Zagthrane’s storage depot. There is a large warehouse here with numerous rooms and sections, each of which has large clay pots that are about 5 feet tall. Alzar moves around from one room to the other:

250 Invisible Stalkers are on this level protecting it, and a bunch see Alzar as he arrives at the storage depot, call out a signal, and move in, but they are stopped about 20 feet away and cannot get closer. The Rod of Seven Parts is keeping them out – they are from Air after all.

First Storage Room – 13 jars. One is broken, and it’s black powder is spreading out. Alzar’s Alchemy skill id’s it immediately. Smoke powder, useful for blowing things up, firing guns and cannons, and more. Each jar has so many smoke powder charges that it would likely fuel an entire army’s worth of powder needs. Alzar spends some time moving them to OtherSpace, and then he spends some time moving things around to secure them.

Second Storage Room - 12 intact clay jars, two broken. They have a bunch of pungent spices and fragrances, each worth 50,000 gp on the market as they are not here on Pandius.

Third Storage Room – 7 intact clay jars are here. A few are broken with a sticky, tarlike substance. It’s a dark red so dark it’s almost black. Alzar recognizes the substance – Beholder Blood. An epic amount of beholder blood. It’s around 100 gp a pint on the market. Alzar leaves this behind for now.

Fourth Storage Room – In here are 14 intact jars, and one broken one, with a ton of silver rings strewn about.

Alzar heads down and inspects a ring. It’s large, too large for a humanoid about the size of an ogre, or a bigger creature. There is in inscription inside that’s not I any language known on Pandius. Alzar’s axe deciphers it – “In the service of your lord you will know no fear.”

After spending some time analyzing the magical structure and creation, it’s a:

Ring of Ogre Loyalty – Give it to an ogre, and then they put it on, they become fiercely loyal to the one who gave it to them, and get a morale of 20, fearless, and will never break

There are 2000 of these rings in here from the broken cask, and another 14 jars, each with another 2000 for a total of 30000 magical rings that would create one of the most powerful armies, if that many ogres could be assembled.

Alzar takes them all. He has some of his folks scoop up the loose ones in here.

[Abe Sargent]

Fifth Storage Room – 12 jars in here. Two broken, and old desiccated body parts – eye stalks. These jars each contain an epic amount of beholder eyes of various sorts. Each eye stalk is worth around 150 gp on the market for mages and such. Alzar never carves up dead Beholders, he turns them into Death Tyrant undead, the most powerful ones in his arsenal. There are roughly 1000 eyes per jar – 12000 eyes all told

Sixth Storage Room There are 12 jars in here, each has a strong, powerful buzzing sound coming from it, like a huge swarm of insects. What is in here? It’ll take research later for Alzar to learn it, and he secures them now. Each one contains a huge swarm of active, live, and hungry crop-destroying insects. They can be used in warfare as a sort of scorched earth weapon to take out an army’s ability to eat, feed itself, or more.

Seventh Storage Room – In here are 9 intact jars, and 3 brokens ones, cascading beads all over the room. Alzar recognizes these beads immediately – they are the breads that go on a magical Necklace of Missiles, that are pulled off, tossed, and then blow up in a small fireball. There are tons here ,from small 2d6 ones to big 10d6 ones. 300 beads per jar. Alzar also collects, carefully, hundreds in here as well

Eighth Storage Room – In a small room, there are a bunch of beads of force, instead of the fireball ones. 500 Beads of Force in all


Ninth Storage Room – In this room are 13 clay jars, and Alzar checks them and makes his Genie Lore roll. They have markings on the side that designate a Genie Container, and there is one in each of these. 5 Djinni, 2 each of Dao, Efreet, Jann, and Marid

Alzar breaks a Djinni one and it arrives. It’s pissed after containment for thousands of years, but Alzar speaks to it. It cannot damage him either – the Rod is keeping him safe. The djinni recognizes the Rod, and it’s almost complete state. Instead of granting Alzar a wish for freedom, the djinni instead offers to gather information. Alzar agrees, and the djinni heads out, returns about 15 mintues later to give Alzar a full scoop.

The djinni doesn’t know, and can’t tell where the 6th section of the Rod is. But the 7th? He found it. It’s on Pandemonium, in a Cocoon of Law that protects the wounded Miska, the Wolf-Spider, consort, general, demon lord, and all around bad guy He’s been wounded ever since his blood pored onto the Rod’s after he was wounded by it.

The Chaotic magic of the rod is from Miska, and as long as the Rod is alive, Miska will be too, but he’s not that powerful, he’s weakened. The Dukes of Aaqa imprisoned him inside of a great cocoon of law that chaotic creatures should be unable to find. But the Queen of Chaos found him anyway, tore a hole in the cocoon, and then captured the 7th piece of the Rod from a Prime, and then sent it into the cocoon along with some defenses for helping Miska.

The djinni wins his freedom, and is sent away. Alzar keeps the other jars


Tenth Storage Room – A few of these were open, broken, and have various decayed foodstuffs. Three are unbroken. They are basically Decanters of Endless Food. Pop the lid, eat the food that shows up, and then close it again, and repeat ad naseum.

Eleventh Storage Room – Alzar finds a few broken jars, all broken, with a few magical items strewn about, but raided and looted long ago, unlike the other rooms. These jars apparently had different themes – one was figurines of wondrous power, and another ioun stones, and a third magical dusts.


Alzar finds:

Obsidian Steed Figurine
10 Dust of Dryness
15 Dust of Disappearance
Glass Griffon Figurine

[Abe Sargent]

Leading from this area is a archway with crossed spears over it, and both are magical. One is a +5 and the other a cursed backbiter spear


The archway enters an area with a magical pipe organ. It’s not being played, but it is seriously magical on Alzar’s Star/Gem (and Azzil, the imp as well agrees). It’s not an artifact, but it’s powerful .

It’s too big to move right now (when played, you can duplicate any known magical instrument effect – like Horn of Fog, Harp of Charming, etc).

Numerous Stalkers are milling around to, but can’t touch Alzar

To the right from the room is a large archway with a giant book carved into the wall, and te signs of books beyond. That’s a clarion call for Alzar. He heads out there now

This is a four room library, with a few tables and such, but a ton of shelves in the varius rooms.

Alzar heads in and then suddenly from the next room, a skull rises from the ground –

A demilich is here guarding the area. But nope. It’s more powerful that a normal one – this is an Elder Demilich

Demilichs are evolved from normal lichs, who are so old, powerful, and strong they have begun to scout the planar areas as their local person hood begins to wither and crumble, and just the powerful parts of their physical presence remains including a skull.

Alzar has taken out two demilichs before – Acererak in the Tomb of Horrors and the ruler down in the Nightmare Keep. He’s familiar with them

Unlike the normal demilich, this one is generating 5 wraith like objects from the dust of its body. These are targets that appear scary – attacking them or casting magic at them will actually power up the demilich. Also, the skull is rising on its own, and getting ready to fire a beam at Alzar from behind the “wraiths”

Initiative

8 vs 5

The Elder Demilich fires a Trap the Soul attack on Alzar, trying to drag him into one of many gems in its teeth. This will kill him permanently. Much like a Power Word Spell, there is normally no save, but Alzar’s Ring grants him one. 40% is sent back (it’s immune) and he gets save at +4 only a 1 or 2 fail. 9. He’s fine. Alzar grabs his Ring of Efreet Control, swaps it with the Ring of Wizardry.


3 v 5

Alzar uses the Ring and forces the Efreet to give him his monthly wish. Alzar knows that only a +4 weapon or more will wound it, and it only takes the + in damage. Selinyr is a +4 axe, so it hits for 4 damage, and this Elder Demilich has 100 hp. So Alzar wishes that the Elder Demilich is fully vulnerable too, and takes full damage from his, weapons. It works. The Demilich tries again, gets a 30% redirection, only a 1-3 fails, tosses an 18 and I fine

2 vs 9

Alzar slashes the skulls with his Axe once, misses, and then misses with the shield as well – 22 damage taken. It uses Trap the Soul and….60% redirection, only a 1 fails – 17 tossed.

78/100 – Elder Demilich

9 vs 5

20% redirected – 1-4 fails and…..20 is tossed. Alzar hits for….35 damage

48/100

5 vs 3

The Elder Demilich casts Shadow Door and heads to another section of the library. With it’s high hp regeneration, it won’t need long to stay away from Alzar to heal and return. Alzar swaps to the short bow and runs around

53/100

1 vs 6

Alzar moves, finds the skull, fires, and hits for 16 damage total. It tries to trap him again. 90% redirected and….tosses a 4 and makes it.

42/100

4 vs 7


Alzar fires and hits for 20. It casts Vampiric Touch and drains him of 23 damage

50/100

9 s 7

Trap? 60% and 14 Nope. Alzar grabs the axe again, now that the skull closed for the V Touch, and uses for one hit for 15 damage, and a skull bash smash with his shield for 8

32/100

2 vs 5

Alzar hts and slays it for 44 damage

Dead Elder Demilich

[Abe Sargent]

The library is secure

There are four libraries here:


This is one of the most valuable, ancient, and valuable library Alzar has ever been at, other than, perhaps, the one run by Baba Yaga or the Great Library in Serraine.

Here’s what’s here:

4500 tomes on making magical Items
3500 tomes on other planes
An entire library of 3250 books on theory, practice, and possibilities for making every single construct known.
Zagthrane’s Guide to Removing Level Caps
A full shelf of 600 books on the truenames of various demons, devils, demodands, daemons, hordlings, and more.
2500 Bestiaries of countless animals, monsters, and creatures, including many from other planes
Critter Bits and Magic Recipes – A 5 volume set of books on how to use, harness, and value the bits and pieces of slain monsters, from dragon scales to ankheg shells to cave fisher filament.

2 Manuals of Transportation Arches
Book of Exalted Deeds, Libram of Gainful Conjuration, Book of the Planes, Manual of Bodily Health, Manual of Quickness in Actionx2, Tome of Understanding, Book of Infinite Spells, Boccob’s Blessed Booksx3, Libram of Silver Magic, Book of Vile Darkness, Libram of Ineffable Damnation, Vacuous Grimoire,
26 spellbooks
Manual of Juggernaut Golem

After securing this, Alzar will know:

1). Multiple ways to make every basic magic item in the game (basics are those in the DMG)
2) At least one recipe for every uncommon magic item in the game
3). 50% chance of At least one recipe for every rare item in the game
4). 25% chance of very rare
5). 5% chance of recipe for unique

6). How to make every single golem, living statue, and other construct, as well as different ways to enhance them, like the onyx used in his stone golems, the steel plates in the fleshes he made, how to give a golem the power of detection, and such.
7). Intimate knowledge on every monster ever known on Pandius up through 3250 years ago, when the last book on that topic was written
8). Enough true names to essentially summon as many lower level guys as he wants and needs
9). Knowledge on how to run, capture immortals in the Tower, if needed
10). The path necessary to remove the level limit.


Alzar spends some time absorbing and controlling the library.

Then at the back side of the library, there is a grey stone wall at the back, and although the Gem/Star didn’t detect anything, something…odd…is happening here. Alzar looks, and there is a portal here to another plane, one of many that open up into the Magist’s Tower. He can’t tell where though, unlike most others.

As he turns to the library again, Alzar’s familiar, Azzil is suddenly pulled through the portal!

He is beginning to feel a mystical tug as well, and then he flies through – it’s pulling out all creatures from other planes besides Pandius, as some sort of protection in the rear of the library


End of Greyhawk Ruins for now

Alzar gained a level while in here, early on actually – he can cast one more 7, 8 and 9th level of magic

[Abe Sargent]

WG6. Isle of the Ape





Hello folks, and welcome to Gary Gygax’s final adventure for D&D. We know that Gygax often used the central conceit of this module, of a pocket plane that his main group would find in a dungeon, is a major part of the world building he did. Gygax felt that the game was moving away from action telling and more to story telling and says as much in Dragon 102. This is supposed to be n example of a quick push back, where there’s hardly any plot at all, but more about story telling.

Now take my own campaigns here. I really enjoy story crafting, and one of the ways I like to do that is to take a variety of store bought modules, and then splicing them together to make one whole. The best two examples of that are the Isle of Dread campaign I did in Thorasia, and the Sand Mire campaign in Hamedh. The Sand Mire one in particular has a ton of story telling.

Frankly, good pulp stuff isn’t just a bunch of action scenes, but tells an interesting story building. The world building of John Carter of Mars, or the story telling of Fu Manchu are both interesting examples of that. Sure, a quick Conan short story might be heavy on the action, light on the story, but not all, and not the best. I read all of Robert Howard’s Conan stories and my fav is Beyond the Black River, which is rife with story telling. Many credit, or blame, Tracy Hickman for moving to more story telling devices with modules like Ravenloft, and the introduction of Strahd von Zarovich, but story telling is good.

There is value in that

You’ll see it in the extreme world building that will follow, and novels are written in these world, and some worlds, like Dragonlance are going to be all about story and world crafting.

Anyways, according to Gygax in the forward to this module, this is based on a portion of his Greyhawk Castle campaign in 1972. I am adding this as a trap to the later version of that campaign in the Greyhawk Ruins, a true testament of a few things –

1). Even though I may disagree at times, let’s get some action in here
2). It’s the best place to slide it in – although perhaps in retrospect I could have pulled it out of the demiplane and placed in in the Sea of Dread near the Isle.
3). It’s suitably pulp, and fits the Pulp Themes of Pandius quite nicely

[Abe Sargent]

For those who care to read it, this is Gygax in issue #102 of Dragon:


Let’s start pushing the pendulum the other way
by Gary Gygax
©1985 E. Gary Gygax. All rights reserved.

There was a long period of time when
action, rather than role playing, was the
major focus of gaming, and this was espe-
cially true with respect to tournament sce-
narios at conventions. Thus, an AD&DÆ
game scenario would typically stress combat
with monsters to achieve the goal set before
the characters. Now, the pendulum has
swung the other way ó much emphasis is
being placed on how well the player takes
on the role of his or her character. Personifi-
cation and acting are replacing action of the
more direct and forceful type ó be it sword
swinging, spell casting, or anything else.
Before this trend goes too far, it is time to
consider what the typical role-playing game
is all about.

First, it is important to remember that
(role-playing îis a modifier of the noun
ìgame.î We are dealing with a game which
is based on role playing, but it is first and
foremost a game. Games are not plays,
although role-playing games should have
some of the theatre included in their play.
To put undue stress upon mere role-playing
places the cart before the horse. Role play-
ing is a necessary part of the game, but it is
by no means the whole of the matter.
Role playing is similar to, but not the
same as, role assumption. The latter term is
generally used to identify the individualís
acceptance of a part which he or she could
actually perform. While a child might
play the role of a parent, an adult would
assume that role when dealing with his or her chil-
dren. This distinction is important in the
context of gaming because of the stress now
being placed upon role playing. Too much
emphasis in this direction tends to make
playing out an adventure more of a chil-
drenís ìletís pretendî activity than an
action-packed game which involves all sorts
of fun, including the playing of a role but
other fun aspects as well.
A role-playing game should be such that
players begin the personification portion as
role play, and then as they progress the
activity should evolve into something akin
to role assumption.

This does away with stilted attempts to act the part of some
character. In place of this, players should
try to become that person they are imagin-
ing during the course of the game, and
conduct the actions of their characters ac-
cordingly. A spy, for example, speaks in one
way to his superiors, in another way when
he converses with his equals, and in yet an
entirely different way when he is attempting
to penetrate an enemy installation and is
impersonating a plumber, perhaps. Imple-

mented in this fashion, the concept becomes
one of roles within roles.
This applies to all role-playing games, of
course. Straining to play a role is certainly
contrary to the purpose of the game. The
actual reason for gaming is fun, not instruc-
tion in theatrics or training in the thespian
art. Role playing is certainly a necessary
and desirable part of the whole game, but it
is a part.

Challenge, excitement, suspense,
and questing are other portions equally
necessary to a game of this nature.
Problem solving is the typical challenge
in a role-playing game. Whether it is dis-
covering a murderer, finding a magic
sword, or seeking to expose a gang of crimi-
nals, this element is an integral part of such
interactive gaming. And ënote that problem
solving, in this context, has to do with a
problem to be solved by the character, not a
problem (such as ìHow do I role-play this
situation?î) to be solved by the
player.

Combat, survival amidst threatening
conditions, or stalking an opponent are
typical means of adding excitement and
suspense into the whole. These are action-
oriented portions of the game activity which
call for little role playing but a fair amount
of role assumption. The magic-user charac-
ter (and thus, the player of that character)
must know his or her spells and how to
utilize them efficiently. The explorer must
know outdoor craft. Whatever the situation,
setting, or character being played, skill ó
not theatrics ó is what is called for here.
Having a goal, understanding it, and
the hands of the game master and the play-
ers. If a particular group desires to stress
acting, or combat, or problem solving, or
any other singular feature of the whole, that
is strictly up to the individuals concerned.
How they enjoy gaming, and what consti-
tutes fun, is theirs alone to decide.
This last point extends not only to players
but to products as well. A particular game
might be designed to stress one aspect over
others. Role playing can be the major
thrust, or action and combat, or any of the
other elements. Similarly, the underlying
game might offer one or another while its
accessories and scenarios develop some
different aspects. Most games and support
material are general and offer a reasonably
well-balanced mix.

But is this true for competition situations
as well? In contrast to a long period when
such tournaments tended to feature hack-
and-slash, shoot-ëem-up, and blast-ëem-out
situations, there is now a trend toward
downplaying everything except the theatri-cal side of gaming. This
tendency has evi-denced itself to a lesser extent in some
support materials, it must be noted. The
reaction is not altogether unwarranted, for
many particpants seem to have been ignor-
ing role playing completely, or nearly so,
their games. Instead, it is usual for such
in games to stress direct, usually violent,
remaining steadfast in its completion are
likewise necessary to role-playing games.
This questing, if you will, again has little or
nothing to do with role playing in the acting
sense. It is closer to role assumption and is a
measure of gaming ability and skill.
Role-playing games are different from
other games in that they allow participants
to create a game persona, develop this
character, and enhance his or her skills and
abilities. While some considerable amount
of acting is most beneficial to play, this is by
no means the sole objective or purpose. The
fun of such gaming includes all the other
elements mentioned, plus the interactive
relationships which develop between the
various characters of the players participat-
ing. In the well-balanced game, role playing
should quickly become role assumption,
which then again leads to character role
playing ó roles within roles!

Not every game of this sort must be
action. This is a true detriment to fully
appreciating the scope of role-playing
games; as with most things, one extreme is
just as undesirable as the other.
The current vogue of placing seemingly
undue importance on the role-playing por-
tion of the game is simply meant to inform
and educate participants about a very im-
portant segment of what differentiates these
games from other types of games. It is to be
hoped that the needed training thus af-
forded will enable game participants to go
beyond role playing of their characters and
enter into role assumption
instead. Once it is understood that role playing is a vital
ingredient of the game, and players under-
stand how to actually accomplish it, the
undue attention can be discarded.
Balanced games are certainly the most
enjoyable sort for the great majority of
players. A meal does not consist of but one
thing ó
if it is to be an enjoyable one. By
the same token, a role-playing game must
have all the ingredients which allow it to be
varied and enjoyable. Playing and assump-
tion of roles, interpersonal dealings, action,
completely balanced with regard to all of
these aspects. Such a decision is entirely in
problem solving, excitement, suspense, and
questing are all important to make the

whole. The portions can be mixed in differ-
ent amounts, but each should have a degree
of existence within the scope of the whole.
It is common for scenarios to identify the
level of experience and skill recommended
for those utilizing the material they provide.
Perhaps it would be worthwhile to also
identify any particular stress the scenario
places upon a certain aspect of the game
activity ó role-playing, action, problem
solving, or any other.

Tournament scenarios and competitions
might also benefit by such identification.
Prospective entrants would then be able to
determine which aspect they favor, or possi-
bly need to learn more of, before they en-
tered the event. Participants who find their
enjoyment lies in one area or another would
thus be able to select events optimal for
their tastes and avoid those which they
might find less fun ó making the competi-
tion experience more enjoyable for everyone
who does take part. Is the player who has
difficulty personifying a well-understood
character any different from an excellent
thespian who misplays the game otherwise?
By being able to identify the focus of a
scenario, not only would players be in-
formed, but they would also be given the
opportunity to round out their abilities in
weak areas if they chose to do so.
Play of the game is the thing. Play in-
cludes development of the character and
personification thereof, role assumption and
role playing, and the rest. After all, fantasy
in whatever form is integral. Whether fight-
ing a dragon, piloting a starship, or shoot-
ing it out with evil enemy agents, the action
imagined during the game is what really
makes it fun. The pendulum did need to
move a bit to balance things, but it must
not go too far, or the realms of role playing
will become small and constricted instead of
being ó as they should be ó as broad and
varied as the imagination.

[Abe Sargent]

Alzar arrives in an artificial demiplane, a construction. As Gygax states, “There are not many tricks, traps, or clever devices here. This is an adventure of attrition, and the place is literally infested with horrible monsters, and sheer number of huge, man-eating creatures will soon take toll of the PCs.”

So let’s see what we can see

To begin, All of the following types of magic don’t work here:

1). Illusion of any sort, including invisibility is a non-starter
2). Spells of apportation, like Teleport or Word or Recall or Dimension Door are non-starters
3). Any form of conjuration or summoning won’t work either, from Monster Summoning to Conjuring an Elemental. None of it works, unless a special version for this demiplane has been researched.
4). This plane was made by Zagthrane as a trap and a prison. Spells like Plane Shift, or items like Amulet of the Planes won’t work to get out. You can’t Gate or Worldwalk your way out. Alzar will need to find another way out.
5). Higher level divination magic above level 3 won’t work – just the basic tools like Detect Magic and Identify.
6). As immortals aren’t generally aware of this place, they cannot help mortals here
7). Magic Resistance here doesn’t work for anything, just like the top three levels of the Magist’s Tower.
8). Alter Reality, Limited Wish, and Wish are not available
9). Artifacts and Relics don’t work on this plane at all, and the Rod, Barrier, and Face are thus inert.
10). Scrying magic, like Crystal Balls and Wizard Eye also won’t work. Just lower level detection stuff
11). Potions are inert here (smoke powder as well) and don’t work
12). Extradimensional spaces, and those spells and items that duplicate them, don’t work here.
13). Like the other planes, Alzar cannot cast more than one spell/day of each type as a mage – so he can’t cast Power Word, Kill 4 times in a combat or day.



I made some of those rules to make it harder for Alzar. The point is to have a place that that will be rough on Alzar, and hit him in places of comfortability. I am hitting things that aren’t in the module (like MR)

I also pulled MR in the works above in the Magists Tower, in my version, no one broke into those areas, in the real version, Umber Hulks did, as it was underground, but I like keeping it Umber Hulk Free and secure, and I added in layers of “You Can’t Scry, MR, etc here). I added in the no-extradimensional space rule, as I think it fits the point of this module quite nicely.

[Abe Sargent]

Alzar is on a tropical island, very hot, steamy, and muggy. This demiplane has the features of a medium sized island, with a central band of mountains, volcanoes, and more, and then fog and clouds enshrouding the island. The whole land mass is well above the water, and it resembles islands formed by a volcano that rose above the water. There’s very little beach, mostly just all rock. There are some plateaus, and the island is covered in many areas with a dark set of tees and jungle, as well as plateaus reaching above the trees.

Alzar reaches out and tries to leave, tries to head to OtherSpace, and all of the normal tricks aren’t working. He takes a quick assessment of the items he currently has with him that seem to be working:

Magical Items –

Axe – Selinyr, +5 axe, extinguishing, interpreting powers still work
Short Bow with Hasp if Reloading, quiver, arrows

Bracers of Defense, AC2
Cloak of Shadows
Boots of Striding and Springing
Ring of Wizardry
Ring of Spell Turning
2 Warp Marbles, Bands of Billaro, Scarab of Death, 3 Cubes of Force
Girdle of Frost Giant Strength
Necklace of Adaptation
Periapt of Proof Against Poison +2
Amulet of Power
Helm of Selnor
Rock Jellaba

A variety of potions in hard metal flasks, magically hardened

Ioun Stone of +1 AC, and Regeneration

Ear Ring, Finger Nail, Chime of Opening
Star of Mo-Pilar/Gem of Seeing

Wand of Fire, 41 charges
Wand of Force, 90 charges
Wand of Frost, 12 charges

The inert Bright Barrier, Rod of Seven Parts

Scroll of Passing
Gem of Delusion in a small lead box

Belt Pouch with a lot of basic spell components. Many are in extradimensional spaces, like skulls and such. Small rare stuff, like the lock of hair needed for Wail of the Banshee, is here, as well as stuff for Evard’s Black Tentacles, Death Spell, and such. He’ll grab spell components he comes across as he sees them, like sand for the Sleep spell.

Ring of Free Action, G. Sustenance on the belt, ready to be pulled off and used

Alzar doesn’t have his spellbooks, but with the spell he has, he doesn’t need them either. Any spell he knows, he can use. However, he does need the traveling library and workshop in OtherSpace or a replacement. Without them, shortly here, his class benefits as a Fivefold Path Mage will cease – such as extra spells and stuff.

Some of Alzar’s spells, like Hypnotism, Charm Person, Dispel Magic, Continual Light, Knock, Vampiric Touch, Charm Monster, Remove Curse, Geas, Finger of Death, Power Words, Prismatic Spray, Maze, Sink, Time Stop, don’t require any spell components at all. Most good priest spells are the same, like the healing spells.

Others like Summon Swarm, Fly (needs just a feather from anything), Suggestion or Mass Suggestion (snake tongue), Confusion (three nut shells), Polymorph Other (cocoon of any type), Animate Dead (drop of blood and bone shard), Feeblemind (pinch of clay) Transmute Rock to Mud (ditto), Stone to Flesh (lime and earth and water mixed together), Disintegrate (pinch of dust) and Sleep have easily replaced items.

So there you are.

Everything else is in the Bags or OtherSpace.

The only one of Alzar’s allies or pets here is his familiar, Azzil, the Imp. It can’t be invisible here, it has to be seen, but again, it takes the form of a raven, like normal.

[Abe Sargent]

Alzar has Azzil fly up to scout, above the treeline. There are many flying creatures, some dinosaurs, and such here and there flying above the trees. It’s open, and very dangerous. Azzil returns, and they Head on.

They are moving down a path, slowly, as Alzar’s bow is ready at hand as he moves, scouting the area and moving down a game trail. Azzil is slightly ahead, scouting.

As they move up and in, about 30 minutes on this plane, they hear a sound and from the other side of the trees a few roars of apes can be heard. Out come a small number of carnivorous apes, ready to smash Alzar good. Behind them move a number of natives, controlling the apes. There is a shaman, and a score of fighters coming in behind. The shaman flings some scales at Alzar, and a variant of the Magic Missile spell, Serpent Missile, occurs, and a few snakes fly out to hit him. He takes 15 damage, and deflects 30% back, and the shaman took 6.





2 vs 6

Alzar grabs a pinch of sand from the ground and casts Sleep. 6 fighters fall and begin to snore. The apes arrive and begins to smash, and he takes one hit for 8 damage, and then evades. His AC is worse without the Bright Barrier available nor any other magical shield. Fighters pepper him with missile weapons for 9. The Shaman casts Charm Person, but that’s not going to work on him.

66/88

2 vs 1

They hit Alzar for 14 total damage, and Shaman begin to waken sleeping folks. He can waken one a round. One is up. Alzar grabs the piece of tentacle from an octopus, and casts Evard’s Black Tentacles and cleans out the entire area, killing everything, but using up the only component he has for that spell

Alzar takes some blood and a shard of bone, casts Animate Dead, and now has a group of 17 skeletons.

2 sleeping natives survive. Alzar ties them up, and wakens them. He casts Detect Lie, and interrogates them. They know very little. TR There are three tribes on the island, they are the tribe fo the ape, and call themselves the Kawibusa. Their god is a great ape that dominates the island named Oonga. They send captives, carnivorous apes, or fatten pigs for sacrifice to Oonga. They have many hands more than the other tribes, and this was a raiding party. Their leader is the Big Witch Doctor, and Alzar gest a basic sense of where they were from.

While he’d like to kill them, killing bound creatures, or even torturing them, is against his principles as a Lawful Neutral character, so he takes their stuff, and sets them free after they pledge to not attack, and Detect Lie verifies it

Alzar moves to their primary home. It’s along this game trail.

[Abe Sargent]

An hour later, Alzar was detected by leading forces of the Kawibusa. Someone has conjured and sent an insect swarm at him, as per the priest spell. He takes it out easily enough, taking 18 damage from it, but that’ll regenerate.

After doing that, they have located him via their ability to communicate with animals. They arrive at a river, and there are a few sticks, logs, and such, but nothing else. Alzar orders the skeletons forward, and they hit the river, and begin to cross. Then from the river, out attacks a great giant leech, about 10 feet long. It moves to Alzar, sensing blood, and moves from the river. Meanwhile, a shaman user from somewhere turns the sticks into snakes and the logs into crocodiles, and they attack the skeletons. In a moment, Alzar is facing around 10 crocodiles, 20 snakes, and the giant leech. This is annoying.

A lock of elven hair is gathered, and Alzar Wails and slays them all. His remaining 12 skeletons are fine. They cross over and head deeper into the island.

After a bit, the sun is beginning to set, and Alzar is going to camp. He has swapped to the Greater Ring of Sustenance from the Spell Turning one, in order to keep himself from needing water, food, or sleep. But some rest, and scouting would be nice.

He creates a fire (fire-building proficiency) and identifies local things for later eating, if its needed with Survival. He sets some nonmagical snares around as a alarm system, and then camouflages the area as well as he can. He scouts around for basic spell components, and finds clay, nut shells, and took snake tongues from some vipers today, and such. He spends time rejiggering his stuff so the main spell components for spells he’d need immediately are available in a snap.

After he gets everything he needs, he mediates for a bit, with Azzil keeping watch. Then he’s fully rested, and can cast all of his spells again

A few hours past midnight, as it is still dark but soon dawn will strike, Alzar, his skeletons and Azzil head out.

[Abe Sargent]

They are closing on the village, and in a few hours, a giant group of natives push and ambush the group around 9 am or so. 40 natives are here, and two shaman, and a group fo 10 apes as well, and they are attacking from two sides

Alzar let’s them close, takes 13 damage “panicking”, swaps rings, and then casts Mass Suggestion and a bunch of villagers start poking the apes for him. The Apes are cleaving through the skeletons, but as the villagers turn on them, they spin madly and just start eviscerating the villagers instead, and they can’t tell, or they don’t care, who was and was not attacking them, they are attacking all of the villagers..

Two more Serpent Missile spells come from the Shaman, and takes 27 damage and reflects back a lot more. Alzar’s axe hacks into a nearby ape and slasy it

3 vs 5

Alzar kills another ape. His skeletons are mostly dead, but the apes and villagers are attacking each other so much, that only one ape, and two shaman, are focused on him. The ape misses, and the Shaman cast Cure spells to heal themselves

49/88

7 vs 2

The ape hits, Alzar evades, and then Alzar is hit with Melf’s Acid Arrow from one, and the Spell Turning Ring…redirects 30% of the damage back, so he takes 5 this round. The other fires off a Flame Arrow spell at him, but with his natural immunity and Ring he only takes….4 damage. Alzar kills the ape on him with his ferocious axe of happiness and he sheathes the axe for his bow (With the other attack , he only needed one for finishing the ape)

41/88

5 vs 7

Alzar moves, peppering a wounded shaman that cast Flame Arrow at him for 12 damage. Alzar takes 4 from the Acid Arrow, and then another Cure is delivered to the one Alzar is closing on ,and that one casts Strength on a nearby warrior and then orders him to intercept

38/88

7 vs 1

Alzar takes 5 from the Arrow. He also takes a hit from the en strengthened warrior on him. But his evades holds. Shamans hit him for 7 with a Burning Hands, spell. He casts Vampiric Touch, and drains 24 from the warrior and drops him. As he does, a group of trees are pushed aside, and a group of 20 soldiers here throw spears at Alzar all at once, as a second ambush past the first. That must have been why they didn’t run. Alzar is hit by three for 11 damage

40/88

9 vs 6

Alzar takes 15 from more missile weapons, and then the last ape arrives, wounded, but victorious No more undead are left, and a handful of soldiers escaped, and are flinging in javelins at Alzar. Alzar reaches into the spell components, grabs a piece of turtle shell, and casts Protection from Normal Missiles.

26/88

3 vs 7

Alzar casts Cure Critical Wounds. Then the foes are ordered to close to hit him. The ape missed him.

67/88

5 vs 2

Alzar is hit for 14 from melee, and that’s after he evades one hit. Then he smashes and slays the ape, and then carves down a soldier as well. The shaman, out of spells,a re reatreating.

53/88

1 vs 9

Alzar animates 30 skeletons from the dead soldiers, and the other 21 that are fighting him virtually solo begin to back off, aware of the number difference. Alzar slays a few after killing some with spears and other missiles. They can’t hit Alzar at range, so they flee

Alzar spends some time gathering up stuff, and secures some arrows back, and then he finds some spell components too, from more bone/shards in case he wants to cast the priest iteration of Animate Dead to the skulls for Skulltrap and bones for Blastbones.


He heads out.

[Abe Sargent]

An hour later, he arrives at the village. There are a bunch of huts, mud buildings, clay chimenea, and more. (A chimenea is a front loading firestove, that is good vs rain and winds).

Alzar finds an array of defenses arrayed against him – palisade, hostility dug trenches, shaman, a bunch of sticks and logs to turn into snakes and crocodiles, and more.

A group of 4 soldiers walk out to greet him, and they agree to safe passage, in exchange for information from him on a variety of element. The Big Witch Doctor agrees to meet with him, but not inside, instead he arrives with a large party here, safe on the far side of the palisade.

Alzar and the BWD discuss various things. He discusses the various things his folks are up to, from local sacrifices to Oonga, and to their great god. Alzar’s undead army of 30 skeletons gives them some serious respect. They are the Tribe of the Ape, they won’t be silenced too much. But the Witch Docter points out to Alzar where Oonga rests, a great giant ape, as big as five huts, stacked on top of each other,

Alzar heads back out. There is a great palisade on the far side of their village, heading deeper into the jungle. Back here is a pair of large stone columns, ancient, with archaic carvings on them, and two sets of manacles made of some unknown purplish metal . Alzar’s axe deciphers the carvings:

Abandon Hope all ye who are here, but fight like the blazes anyways! – Zagthrane

This is where the sacrifices for Oonga are brought:





To the left is a great magic portal, currently closed. The Big Watch Doctor indicated this is where Oonga comes from to eat their sacrifices on the far side of the palisade and away from their village.

Alzar heads out.

[Abe Sargent]

A few hours later, he runs into a large group of 8 stegosaurs. They are herbivores, and won’t attack Alzar unless he bothers them. Or presents a threat. They move off

There are more nasty folks here as well.

Alzar pushes deeper, and as they do, a large Wyvern flies out at him, and he axes it as it flies down to grab him, and in one round, kills it. Other scavengers hear the dead cry and move out, and a pair of giant wolves are one such enemy, but they are a bit shy of his undead, and he’s moving off anyway. They wait until he has left, and then pounce on the free food

Brought by sounds, another dinosaur is coming, and this one is more of a threat, a tyrannosaur, moving in. It’s big and nasty. Alzar moves in front of the skeletons, and shouts out and brings its attention. He’ll melee it. It charges him, and his axe is out. It hits and Alzar tosses..41 and makes the evade. No damage. Then he smashes and hits.

4 vs 6

Alzar hits and takes out the dinosaur after dealing 34 to it. He carves it up.

They head on. Hours pass by the trail moves up to some nearby foothills of the central mountains. And then there is a path here that opens into the area of the second group of locals. Alzar heads up, leaves behind the undead, and nears them. This is a group of rock dwellers here in the hills that are often targeted for attacks by the Tribe of te Ape, the Kawibusa.

Alzar arrives, casts Friends, and then greets them. With his high charisma, enhanced by the spell, and him not attacking them, he is welcomed into their area. Alzar is welcomed


He heads in, this tribe has around 60 or 70 members, and these barbarians here regularly fight against the “large, hairy apes” from others that are hard, but tasty after slain, but they run from the “larger hairy apes” when they emerge. Alzar meets the Great Shaman of this tribe, an old, cantankerous person. He suffers from memory issues and more, and stress exacerbates it. Alzar casts Charm and brings him in as a friend, and then casts Alzar’s Ingenious Understanding on him, which raises his INT heavily for a short period of time.

With the heightened INT and the charm effect, they talk at length,

Generations ago, there was one tribe, and the shaman passed the secret for summoning Oonga from one generation to the next. Then a shaman has three very antagonistic sons that were vying with each other for rulership of the tribe. In order to prevent favoritism, he gave each son one third of the code. Instead of forcing them to keep together like he had hoped, they split up, and each founded a new tribe. The Great Shaman will speak the code of the ceremony at the great portal to Oonga with the other two when Alzar needs.

A third tribe lives in some caves up in the mountains, and then there are birdlike folks, Aarackocra, in a plateau to the south east from here.

Alzar finishes and heads up, without taking his skeletons with him, and he’s a lot faster here as a result.

A few hours ebb by, and day begins to turn. He sets up camp again. By now, he’s been away from the lab/workshop and library that he loses all abilities of his Fivefold Mage and is just a mage.

[Abe Sargent]

Nothing bothers him in the day and in the morning, and he heads out, with the cover of dawn still a hope.

A few harpies are here, almost a score of them, and they begin to fly down. Alzar swaps rings, casts Fly and heads up. They fly in and around him, and he casts Death Spell. Many die. They are using charm magic at him, but he’s immune. A bow pepperage of the few remaining forces the rest away.

Alzar flies around, and he’s a lot faster flying, although a target more. In fact, a group of pterodactyl head over, and he casts Protection from Animals, a priest spell. They can’t get to him. They eventually finds a new target, and he quickly gest to the plateau.

Aarakockra are here, and Alar meets some and talks with them. They points out the third tribe, and he heads over.

A few hours later he arrives at the mouth of a small cave system, in the base of an old dormant volcano. There are a few primitives here, with a lighter skin than the others. Alzar meets and greets them, and again uses a charm spell to help out. The elder here will help Alzar, but only if Alzar proves himself first. He needs to head out and slay one of the great, giant apes, a female, who comes out here and feeds on their stuff.

Alzar agrees and heads out. There is a valley about 10 miles away. On the way there is a tunnel, and Alzar spends night three here on the demiplane, and then rests, mediates, and prepares. He slips down in the evening and then takes it out.

He arrives at the head of a valley used by the female.




Great Ape - HD 18+3, 3 AC, THACO 3, 1d10+1 damage, x2, 4d4x2 from claws and punches. And 4d10 if grabbed and bitten later

Alzar heads over to her, and she begins to move over to being the smashery. Trees fall under her. Alzar heads over, and they et ready to dance.

7 vs 9

Alzar’s axe snaps at her. He hits for 15 and then 19. She smashes with hands, feet, and is a stomp machine. She only needs a 8 to hit him. She hits him three times, and he fails the evade, and takes 22 damage.

67/88

Alzar casts Power Word Kill and finishes her.

He then heads back after taking back of her with him. He heads back and drops off the big tooth. He drops it off, and the leader here agrees to head back to the first village, under Alzar’s protection. He casts the reverse of Enlarge and shrinks him, and then he casts Fly and carries the elder. A few hours latter he’s at the second village, and he casts Mass charm and en-friends the whole village for some way or another. They load up and head out, with an honor guard, the elders, and the 30 skeletons.

16 hours pass, they wait overnight, Alzar slips away at night and heads to the palisade, over it, casts Virus Charm, and Charm Person, in order to begin to bring down everything.

In the morning, the Virus Charm has begin to spread, Alzar casts Mass Charm at the wall and brings a bunch of friends over. With everyone his friend, Alzar brings the Big Witch Doctor under his sway and the three elders steps out to the portal, give their three separate incantations, and then the combined strength opens up the portal, which had been one way for a long time.

Alzar, Azzil, and the skeletons step through

[Abe Sargent]

The portal opens to the front of a huge cavern, with a sinkhole overhead. The portal is made for the passage of Oonga. Azzil scouts ahead, and Alzar moves up. As they approach, they find a few large chambers, all open. The great ape sees Alzar and the skeletons he has,and breaks out, and flings a boulder and slays some skeletons beneath it.

Alzar moves towards the great magnificent beast, casting Disintegration on the creature as he does, and it bounces off. That’s a very Magic Resistance response. Meh.


Oonga – 288 hp, 2 AC, he does a bunch of damage with his attacks, two grabs, and then flings people for a crap ton of damage. THACO - -3. It has a Magic Resist of 100, the only creature on the plane immune to magic.

Alright ape, let’s party


Oonga and Alzar arrive to melee range. So let’s break down the math:

Alzar has an AC of -6 without his shield. Oonga needs a 3 to hit him. Alzar needs a 4 to hit Oonga with his Axe. He gets two attacks, Oonga gets a lot more.

3 vs 6

Alzar carves it for 15 and 18, and then it hits him for 11, 14, and bites for 21. 46 total damage. Dang.

Alzar 43/88
Oonga - 255


Alzar needs a way to even the odds, or this will be a long battle of lots of healing spells

2 vs 8

Alzar casts Time Stop. Cure Critical Wounds, and then there’s no protection spell he can cast that’ll shield him. He casts Bone Block to drop his AC by a bit, and make the ape require a 5 to hit him, not a 3. And then Aid to give him a +2 to hit ,and that helps the math on eh long term

Spell ends

9 vs 4

Alzar is hit, and…evades, and then takes 30. He drops 33 himself. The skeletons scratch him for 3

55
219

4 vs 6

Alzar casts Cure, Oonga hits for 28. Skeletons for another 4

61/88
215

5 vs 1

Alzar takes another 29, after making an evade. Alzar carves for 35. Oonga is ignoring the skeletons around him.

33/88
178

7 vs 3

Oonga swings and toss a 20 and hits for….11 and….Alzar…tosses 55 evades.
Oonga swings for 11 and hits for 10
Then a 13 for 15

Alzar takes 25

He casts fly and flies out behind his skeltons, ad the flank him

Oonga takes 5

9/88
173

1 vs 5

Alzar casts Heal. Oonga takes out some skeletons. There are 18 left. The hit him twice for 1 and 4.

168
88

9 vs 5

More skeletons drop. Alzar uses his short bow, but it’s a lot harder to hit with it. He deas just 7, and that’s it for his side

161
88

8 vs 9

Oonga grabs a boulder, and tosses it at Alzar for 34 damage. No evade on in (it deal 4d10 +10 damage). Alzar hits for 10, and then a skelton for 3

148
55/88

4 vs 1

Alzar takes another boulder of 30. Oonga takes 9 from everything

25/88
149

2 vs 4

Alzar casts Heal again. Oonga’s boulder hits for 28.

61/88
149

7 vs 8

Alzar hits for 13, and a skeleton for 5 and another for 3. Oonga misses for the first time

62
128

6 vs 3

Alzar takes 36. Alzar casts Cure Critial and heals 40. Oonga is missed

67/88
128

3 vs 4

Alzar hits with his short bow for 7 damage but he’s almost out of arrows. Oonga takes 5 from skeletons . Oonga movse back and takes out a bunch of skeletons.

68
116

4 vs 6

Alzar flies back to melee hits for 8 and he’s out. Oonga takes out all but two skeletons

69
108

7 vs 4

Alzar takes an attack for 18, 4, and 6 – that;s on evade with a 44, and then a miss, and one hit for 15. That;s the opening. Right there. Alzar hits for 33 with his axes.

55
75

6 v 1

Oonga tosses a 6, 13, and 14. Alzar a04 and evades. He take 27. He casts Cure Critical, and heals 40.

79/88
75

1 Vs 2

Alzar’s axe snaps out and….20 and 5 are tossed, both hits, for 19 and 18 – 37 damage. Oonga attacks and tosses a 16, 12, and 9 Alzar a 20 on the evade and takes 30.

50/88
38

8 vs 9

Alzar cures himself of 20 with Cure Serious. It rolls a 14, 11, and 9 and Alzar’s 39 dodges and he takes 22.

49/88
38

2 vs 1

Alzar takes 5, and 3 and 19 and then a 47 evades, so just 13. He carves for 6 and 11 hits, and then tosses 4 and 6 for 10+10+12 STR And +4 for skills for 36. Not enough

36
2

2 vs 5

Alzar hits and slays the beast

Dead Oonga

[Abe Sargent]

He heads on.


There is an epic amount of magical items back here. Oonga cleaned the house a lot. Probably some adventurers or others who entered here and were slain. But over it all is a plain shepherd’s crook, base in the ground. It’s thicker than the normal with no decorations other than runes all up and down. Alzar recognizes it at once.

One of the things Alzar did after arriving on Pandius was to study the lore on major items, artifacts, legends, and more. This Crook meets the description of a lost artifact known as the Crook of Infaust. (In reality this is the major artifact the Crook of Rao for the Gryhawk Campaign, which will play a major role in the timeline to be after you return it to Tenser)

Infaust is a LN Immortal of Matter who specializes in mind, perfection, completeness, and universal harmony and will. He is a major patron of martial artists, monks, and mystics. No major allies or enemies.

Infaust was once the most popular immortal among the thinkers, the reasoners, and the focus and meditative ones. No one was more worshipped among those that cared about such things. This was in part due to his creation of the Crook of Infaust. The Crook is the center of Infaust’s power on the plane, and he invested it. In fact, it’s unlike most other Pandius artifacts, due to its age and nature. As it has been gone from the plane for millennia, Infaust’s power, reputation, and acknowledgement have faded and ebbed to very little.

Alzar grabs the various magical items here, and then takes Infaust’s Crook. As he claims it, it pulls him towards home and Pandius. It’s powerful enough to work even here on this demiplace. Alzar secures what he grabbed, and then they head out



These magical items –

Merlynd’s Spoon
+5 Longsword, Defender
+4 Dagger of Throwing
Staff of the Magi – 30 charges
Wand of Conjuration – 70 charges
Rings of Djinni Summoning, Feather Falling, Protection +3,
Periapt of Wound Closure
Heward’s Handy Haversack
Girdle of Many Pouches
Shoes of Flaranghn
+3 Shield, which he’ll use until the Bright Barrier is back

2 Boccob Blessed Books – full of spells


Small pouch of 76 gems worth 125k


Because he doesn’t have a magical storage bin, he grabs this stuff and tosses it into some local bags and such. +3 Plate Mail, +3 Cloak of Protection, Bracers of Defense AC2, Boots of Levitation, +3 Battle Axe, +2 Sling

(I trimmed a ton of stuff from the list)

[Abe Sargent]

Alzar reappears in a oddly tapered area, a cave-ish of an oddly shaped nature. The walls are of a multiversial material, and this is a pocket plane, distinct from the demiplane they were on, and more a dimensional space.

There are 21 hallways that maze off, each one lined with a different color from sepia to peacock to bronze to pearl to lavender to lilac to red. Alzar tries different patterns, and after an hour, the pattern of Red-Orange-Yellow-Green-Blue-Indigo-Violet is the best path out, the order of the rainbow, as well as the major colors here. He heads out, and teleports to the ….



Crystal Prism in the central of this area.

Alzar has an oddly faceted chamber, and lights is reflecting. There are various gems floating above – ruby, jacinth, sapphire, emerald, diamond, topaz and corundum. There are six streams of light from the tops of the chamber hitting the area – colors of green, pale blue, dark blue, red, yellow, and orange.

A loud voice tells Alzar to choose one jewel. It is his fate. The others are his prizes. Each gem is worth 50000 gp. One color of beam is not reflected in the gems, purple. So he grabs the Amethyst.

The other 6 gems are his.

A gate opens in front of Alzar. He steps through and returns to the place he left behind, the library at the back of the top level of Zagthrane’s Magist Tower

End of Isle of the Ape

[Abe Sargent]

Begin Greyhawk Ruins Again



Alzar finds a few rooms like a bed chamber and such. Alzar heads to an Aviary, a group of about 6 or 7 rooms, and tending the is an odd sight – a great troll with eyes of wisdom and a face of peace. Alzar doesn’t attack, and he welcomes Alzar to the area. He is a druid who tends the area, and was moved to the trolls body by Zagthrane long ago, just before he would have died. Trolls are very long lived, if they don’t engage in violence and die that way

Alzar sees a variety of rare birds, monsters birds, and more all back here

The final area on this floor is the crypt and resting place of Zagthrane himself. There are two large pillars that enter this area, and the entire area back here is anti-magic – no magic, not even artifacts, work back here.

There is an altar to Korotiku across the corridor here, and you have to place something on the altar is order for it to open up and pass. Alzar tries a few things, and gives up a Potion of Levitation and it opens up.

A large number of Stone Golems, and various constructs are here protecting the area. There is a casket, transparent, with a purple crystal over it, and standing up leading on the wall, and can be seen. In this is the remains of Zagthrane. Alzar reaches out, nope, not undead of any sort, just dead.

There are a variety of portals here, and a great communication ring as well, with a variety of runes. Alzar grabs the communication ring, and then after a pause, Zagthrane himself greets him, and welcomes him. It’s been long since the last visitor was here. Congrats. Zagthrane is currently exploring beyond the planar ring, and Alzar is rewarded with a free level of experience.

He finishes, gathers his things and heads out. He uses the same Shadow Teleport that brought him here to take him home.

Alzar is now level 33

He can cast another slate of 4/5/6 level spells

End of Greyhawk Ruins for now

[Abe Sargent]

Beginning of the Rod of Seven Parts


He teleports back to Evanarrow, and arrives at the warm, balmy sandy desert of his Grand Duchy. Evenarrow is by the beach, and has a lot of sand, shores, and palms. It’s very glorious and warm. Meanwhile the upper areas are harsher deserts, hundreds of miles across, with little in the way of water of plants. Only the foothills of the Ljallenvals nearby have major food networks, and grapes and other food are grown and harvested


What has happened…?


Alzar inquires, cautiously, but to everyone’s memory, Norwold has always been a great desert. Alzar grabs a map of the world, and there are numerous areas that are very different from other places he remembers. He talks with his folks, and they give him a full slate of news on the Grand Duchy while he was out for a week, and they include the huge demon army that controls much of the area.

[Abe Sargent]

Spyder Fiends are in full control of that region.

Apparently some stuff happened while Alzar was away.

What did they do to Pandius? How did they take over this region?

The first thought he had was that they went back in time. Perhaps they hit something back then, and then made changes? But that’s not sure.

Alzar’s area is still the same, and he unloads stuff for a bit, and then will pop on over. He spies the central demon camp. There are almost a thousand Spyder Fiends here. He leaves Pandius for Hamedh, to arrive at the College of Wizardry He consults with the sages and mages here, and Japtheth Arcane in particular. They suggest that the Queen of Chaos probably opened up a gate and sent in fiends to take control of everything recently. They suggest a Wave of Chaos could be responsible for changing the landmass’s natures. Just like they do on The Abyss.

Makes sense. Alzar crosses back over on the Worldwalk and then decides to work on a way to oust the demonic threat first. The Rod has probably protected him and kept him in the loop as to what was happening.

[Abe Sargent]

Alzar studies some ways to breaking the demon outpost. The most important detail is to prevent them from bringing in aid, otherwise they could gate in thousands of fiends. Alzar is racking his brain, but he doesn’t know of any ways to prevent gates. The best way to deal with this might be in smaller doses.


That night, he teleports to an outpost with about 35 Fiends in all, casts Wail of the Banshee, and then Axes the remnants, and then teleports to another spot and kills 10 more with Power Word Kill, Skulltraps, and Blastbones. Then he teleports away.

The next day, the camp opens up a gate and brings in some reinforcements. So the slow route won’t work. Alzar needs a new plan. He teleports around to get some ideas.

Even if he goes in hot with 30 elementals, they can gate in defenders en masses. He has to shut that down. But no spell, magic item, or effect has that power he knows of. He could make the spell. That’s certainly an option. But what about a Wish? Would a Wish cancel all gates fiends open in the area for an hour?

Alzar breaks a jar, summons, the Djinni and it casts Wish for him and it does, in fact, work. He calls in his big troops like Vix on her chariot tethered to her Masticore, allies from the Grand Duchy, and more.

Alzar brings out a few Elementals, and then a Mass Teleport later, lands in the center of their camp, with a Protection from Fiends priest spell on.

Wail of the Banshee begins. Some demons die. Elementals begin to smash. Alzar is immune to their attacks, and spells with a 95% MR, and they can’t bring in more allies, nor escape.

Shortly, Elementals are dead, Alzar’s Death Spells, Wails, Skulltraps, and more are all blowing stuff up. About 100 are fleeing in various directions after failing to Gate. Alzar flies up and drops Spyders, while Vix hits one flank hard leading the way and inspiring those behind her to fight for their Grand Duchess. Alzar then casts Worldwalk to his central storage area from Ith K’hinax ,and out pore 10 Death Tyrants, and a bunch of heavy hitting undead like vampire and such that he prepped. They fly out and chase down the demons and hit them hard.

Alzar cleans them out, flying around himself, and using long range spells or weapons.

[Abe Sargent]

In a half hour about half of the the entire base is cleaned. The rest flee and many teleport away, others to regroup into smaller numbers that breaks the problem over the rest of his Grand Duchy. Vix and Alzar separate and fly out into two different parties to clean out the demon occupation of his territory.

Alzar spends the next few days doing mop up missions. There were small groups of 20 or 50 Spyder Fiends here and there he cleans it, and there might be a few here and there. One of the last ones is pretty non-bothered. They’ll just hit again, far into the future, after Alzar has since died or left. He can’t protect his holdings forever.

But the land’s change is not linked to the Fiends, so it’s still desert here.

The Fiends seemed like they were making a future threat, and one very feasible. His holdings were attacked by demons before, and there’s no reason to think this is the end, even if he finishes the Rod and does some strong stuff.

Alzar spends the night studying, and then grabs the Incense he has, burns it, travels to the future. 56 years in the future, Alzar arrives. The child of him and Vix is on the throne, and he arrives as a wide number of gates are opening up and a huge army of Spyder Fiends in opening up.



Again, Alzar immediately teleports into the fray, and hits the front line, leading with Time Stop, then Wail and Protection from Fiends. A few Dispels and such come his way, but he has more spells where that came from.

Hours pass, and Alzar’s presence at the front of this invasion by the Fiends 56 years into the future is a major reason why it fails. As the battle winds down, Alzar’s incense is finished, and he is brought back to the present

Alzar has defeated the future invasion as well, but he has one more battle to face…..


Alzar wants to end the attacks.


Here’s an update on where Alzar is today:

The Path of the Dynast

Alzar must create a realm with a human population of at least 50000 or demi-human of 15000. DONE
Alzar’s March must gain independence from Alphatia and Norwold, and stand on its own
Alzar must quest for, find, and destroy an artifact from the Milenian Empire. DONE
Alzar must create a dynasty that will endure from his realm, and his successors must rule for at least 20 years. DONE
Alzar must travel into the future to three separate times, and secure his realm and dynasty’s future. DONE
Alzar must face and defeat 4 major challenges to his rule. TWO COMPLETED

And now Alzar has an idea to stop the attacks, at least for a while. Something he planned for long ago, when he had that elemental grab some earth from the Abyss where the Chaos Portal opened up. Once he does this, he will finish another major challenge to his realm, leaving one step and one challenge left reamaining on the Path of the Dynast – full independence.

[Abe Sargent]

Alzar spends a day readying himself.

He summons some aid, he grabs the Earth, and he casts Worldwalk, and opens up a Portal to the area the earth was taken from in the Abyss. Alzar and his group step through the portal, and move to assault the Queen of Chaos herself.

I actually have the description of that area. Of course the author has the potential for people to be drug back through the Chaos Gate, and outlays the throne room on the other side, but in this case, Alzar heads through his own gate.

Before he does, here is who is is bringing with him:

Vix - with some additional magical items, such as the powerful War Mask, 2 Rings Alzar often leans on, the Zoster of Zeal, and a lot more, including potions, and some non-magical grenades.

Greater Earth Elemental
Greater Ice
4x Earth Elementals
2x Fire
2x Water
2x Air
33 Sandlings
1 Invisible Stalker
5 Ice Mephits

Azzil

This includes the various Elementals from his items and the Face of Xenous



Alzar arrives on the other side with a a different set of anti-fiend stuff.

[Abe Sargent]

This is the steaming fen, one layer of The Abyss. It is entirely controlled by the Queen of Chaos, one of the demon lords that rule The Abyss. Other demon lords Alzar has interacted with include Lolth, Zuggtmoy, and Jubilex.

It’s a lot of work to control and run a Layer of the Abyss. Take Alzar. He controls a Grand Duchy a few hundred miles across, and then a little more wide. And that takes time. Then layer in how much time it would take to run a huge nation, like, say, Alphatia. And what about the whole world? Imagine if somehow Alzar brought all of the Known World under his thumb. The sheer amount of time it would require to invest would be considerable right?

But that’s just one planet.

The Queen of Chaos runs an entire plane of existence, as the layers of the Abyss are each a plane big – in size. The time and investment and other plans running is pretty heavy.




The Queen’s throne room has a few things of import in it.

Firstly, there is a warm, fiery pool in the middle, with a hot choking smoke that gives anyone who can breathe here a -2 to attacks, +2 ot AC, and -2 to saves. But both Alzar and Vix are immune Alzar due to Necklace her to the immortal blood she has). The others don’t breathe.

The Queen herself is on the far side, on top of a great pedestal - she has 10 tentacles, very long, and is a fat creature on top with two hands that grab a giant trident, that has a rope attached to it.

[Abe Sargent]

The Queen of Chaos has a few folks in here. She has 20 Spyder Fiends of various types here as escorts and guards

“When she is not using her chaos gates to send out her Spyder Fiends to the Prime, a continuous stream of demons, daemons, and other planar creatures shuffles and slithers around the chamber as she manages her affairs.”



I am going to rule that the following folks re here too –

20 Spyder Fiends
The Queen of Chaos
2 Vrock Demons
4 Nabassu Demons
4 Hezrou Demons
4 Babau Demons

As guards, advisers, and merchants.

And then additionally there are petitioning her:

1 Ultrodaemon
6 Mezzosdaemon guards

That seems fair. I pumped up the number of folks here bunches

[Abe Sargent]

Alzar and his crew step through the Worldwalking gate he opened. She sees him and cries out –


“Thank you for doing my work for me and bringing me the Rod! I see you have five parts together thus far. It’s rare that someone brings me a piece of the Rod willingly, let alone such a large part of it.

Oh, surely you don’t think that little group of nobody and randoms actually has a chance of hurting me here? In my own home? Ah you bring great pleasure and joy to me, I haven’t seen this much exercise in quite some time. Aright, let’s do this….”


The Queen of Chaos – AC -5, 140 hp, THACO – 1, she can throw the +5 trident at range, or use all ten tentacles for 2d6 each in melee. If she hits with a tentacle, then she auto hits every subsequent turn. She can bring a captured victim to her and bite them with her beak for 2d6+16 as well as the tentacle. Can only be hit by +3 weapons or better, 70% MR, 2 tentacles are 60’ long and can engage in range attacks with the trident. They take one turn to drag in a victim though. She can use these powers once/round in lieu of attacking – Suggestion, Shape Change into a merman, Slow, Chaos, Mirror Image, Tongues, Clairvoyance, Ventriloquism, Death Fog, Polymorph Other, Eyebite, Charm Monster, Mass Charm, Domination, Telekinesis, Polymorph any object, Shocking Grasp, Stinking Cloud, Darkness 15’, Taunt, Magic Missile, Symbol, or Solid Fog. She regenerates 5 hp a round.

Because this is her place, the only MR that works for Alzar is his +20 from the Rod, the rest don’t work.

(I dialed up her power level in a few places, particularly with the tentacles – normally she can only attack with 2 at a time – I also gave her 5 hp regeneration instead of 1).

[Abe Sargent]

Initiative

6 vs 9

Alzar casts Time Stop. He drops Haste on the Elementals, Stalker, Vix, and then casts Protection from Fiends, and Chant, to pump up their attack

4 vs 7

Alzar casts Wail of the Banshee and a few Spyder Fiends are slain, the weakest of the lot – 9 are left. Vix’s spear smashes into a Spyder-Fiend, and then she follows up with another hit, and she slays a Phisarazu version (there are five if you recall). Elementals and Sandlings move into positon, and with haste, smash once this round instead of twice. All of them can hit. They slay 5 more Fiends.

The Queen opens a chaos gate and 2 of the most powerful Spyder Fiends, the Raklupiss, step through. The various demons move in. they teleport without error and get into smashing position behind the line, and initiate a strong amount of chaos. The Ultroloth Dispels Alzar’s magical protection, and another demon uses Slow to reduce and essentially eliminate the haste. Meanwhile, multiple elementals and sandlings fall before the demons, 3 Ice Mephits die, and Vix is hit once for 18 damage

End of Round 2 –

4 Fiends, and 2 more Raklupis here
The Queen of Chaos
2 Vrock Demons
4 Nabassu Demons
4 Hezrou Demons
4 Babau Demons
1 Ultrodaemon
6 Mezzodaemon


Vix – 125/144

3 vs 2

The Ultroloth opens a gate and out step another 4 Mezzodaemons. Alzar is peppered by Vrock, and Hezrous, and takes 19 damage total. The Raklupises spin webs and try to stop the attack from moving forward and keep the folks on this side of the fiery water. Two elementals die, and a few Sandlings join them. The rest of the Mephits are slain. The Queen casts her trident at Alzar and then launches attacks from her tentacles as well. In order to hit him, she needs 10 with the Trident and tentacles. 13, 1 and 15 are tossed. Now the first tentacle to hit is evaded, unlike any other attack that happened this turn – the rest were all range, to alzar tosses 09 and its it. He takes another 2d6 plus 5 for the Trident, and the rope pulls it back immediately for another throw, Alzar takes 14.

Alzar casts Prismatic Spray at the demons and daemons behind the webbing, although most demons are mixing it up in melee or short range with his people. He takes out 3 Mezzos and and a Raklupis. Vix slays a Vrock, and his minions finish all Spyder Fiends this turn.

Alzar - 57/89
Vix – 126/144


1 more Raklupis here
The Queen of Chaos
1 Vrock Demons
4 Nabassu Demons
4 Hezrou Demons
4 Babau Demons
1 Ultrodaemon
7 Mezzodaemon


4 vs 6

Alzar casts Skulltrap and chucks it past the webbing so it’ll hit the Daemons and the Queen only. It pops for 41 damage, and she saves, and then some damage is doled out. Vix takes out a Hezrou, a bit damaged. And then Sandlings and Elementals left take out a Nabassu and 2 Babau. Then the Queen hits Alzar for 10, 16 and 10 – three hits, so no evade either, tosses a 77. Alzar takes 32 damage. He is hit for another 7 by a Nabassu and 10 by the Vrock. Then VIx takes a hit for 9, and then they focus on the sandlings, and 9 die to various attacks. He nods to Vix.

1 Raklupis here
The Queen of Chaos – 124/140
1 Vrock Demons
3 Nabassu Demons
3 Hezrou Demons
2 Babau Demons
1 Ultrodaemon
7 Mezzodaemon

Alzar - 9/89
Vix – 119/144

QA Ring Used

Vix uses Alzar’s pet Quick Action ring to guarantee an initiative win this round, Alzar casts Heal and heals himself. Vix spears twice (she gets +3 to hit with Zoster, and + with the Chant spell) and then smashes a Nabazzu for 14 and then again for 15 with attacks of 5 and 19. Dead demon. Alzar only has two Greaters, undamaged, undamaged stalker, and 9 sandlings left, but they manage to kill a wounded Hezrou. Alzar takes 2d6 twice from the tentacles and then the Trident is tossed and……misses, despite only needing a 5 now, she tosses a 3. Alzar is drug towards her. The wounded Daemons pounce on him as he is pulled out of the scrum from the demons/.summoned creatures and Vix/Azzil. Alzar takes two hits for 9 and 6 – 15 total. They take out the Stalker and more sandlings follow.


1 Raklupis here
The Queen of Chaos – 129/140
1 Vrock Demons
2 Nabassu Demons
2 Hezrou Demons
2 Babau Demons
1 Ultrodaemon
7 Mezzodaemon

Alzar - 61/89
Vix – 121/144

[Abe Sargent]

5 vs 8

Alzar was drug to to melee range looking up at a barely wounded Queen of Chaos waving a bunch of tentacles, and too many daemons yet, but there are just too many foes. He casts Dimension Door, disappears from the clutches of the Queen, and pops back behind Vix, and his elementals, and next to just three demons. Vix kills a Hezzy and a Vrock and Babau fall. The Mezzo’s break down the webbing, smash in and kill a wounded greater ice elemental. Vix shields Alzar, takes 19 from two demons, and Alzar is missed by the locals here. Alzar is hit by the Queen for 17, 8, and 11 his evade is 28 – he takes 2d6+5 for 12. The Ultrodaemon opens a gate and summons 4 more Mezzos.


1 Raklupis here
The Queen of Chaos – 134/140
2 Nabassu Demons
1 Hezrou Demons
1 Babau Demons
1 Ultrodaemon
11 Mezzodaemon

Alzar - 50/89
Vix – 103/144


Most of the demons left are badly wounded, but it’s just a greater elemental, slightly damaged, and 3 sandlings left for him. The last major threat standing is the Ultro, barely wounded. It’s a nasty force, one of the most powerful of its kind.

8 vs 3

Alzar takes hits from the queen for 2, 14, and 11, and he…fails the evade (88) and takes 6 +5 for 11. He also is hit for 10 by a Hezrou, and Mezzos are around him, attacking, and one hits for 11, and they badly wound, but leave alive, the greater. One demon summons two more Babaus. They ignore Vix this turn. Alzar casts Heal, and Vix stabs and stays the wounded Hezzy, and then badly woundeds the Nabassu.


1 Raklupis here
The Queen of Chaos – 139/140
2 Nabassu Demons
3 Babau Demons
1 Ultrodaemon
11 Mezzodaemon

Alzar - 89/89
Vix – 104/144


9 vs 3

The greater and sandlings are finished by Mezzos. Two more Nabassu demons are piped in. The Queen tosses the Trident and this Alzar for 10, and then he takes another 13 from tentacles. He takes 13 from other demons. Alzar is pulled in this round. Again, no attacks on Vix, they are trying to finish Alzar. A wounded Nabassu falls, and he hurts an already wounded Mezzo. Then Alzar casts Protection from Fiends, and the tentacles fall away. And he’s now in melee range of the Queen of Chaos, next to her, no other people nearby, and with his shell in place.


1 Raklupis here
The Queen of Chaos – 140/140
3 Nabassu Demons
3 Babau Demons
1 Ultrodaemon
11 Mezzodaemon

Alzar - 53/89
Vix – 105/144


1 vs 5

Alzar’s Axe carves into her once, and then again (He needs a THACO of 11, +5 for her AC – 16 -5 for the Axe, -2 for skill, -3 for STR, -2 for Chant - 4 to hit) Alzar tosses an 2 and a 8 for damage - 36 dealt. Bright Barrier gets -3 to hit for plus, and -2 for skill – he needs a 9 to hit and….tosses a 16 and hits for 9 more – 45 total damage in one round, giving Vixz a sign. Vix uses her next trick. She casts a 10d6 explosive bead to the ground near her feet. She deals 36 damage to everyone in range, and that’s most. She slays 3 Mezzoes , 2 Babaus, 1 Nabassu and damages most of the remaining guys here – she takes 9 from the blast. (She’s mostly immune to magical fire).

The Queen orders everyone to swap strategies for a round. The Ultro drops Alzar’s protection with Dispel Magic, she opens a Gate for 3 more Raklupis, and a Nabby summons 8 dretch, and and the Raklupis 5 lower level Spyder Fiends. Vix is very hard to hit with the added protection magic she was given, like the War Mask, and she has a low -10 AC, but the Mezzos crack her armor twice for 21.


4 Raklupis here
5 Spyder Fiends
The Queen of Chaos – 109/140
2 Nabassu Demons
1 Babau Demons
1 Ultrodaemon
8 Mezzodaemon
8 Dretch

Alzar - 54/89
Vix – 76/144

4 vs 5

Alzar smiles with an axe in his hand and the Bright Barrier. The Queen can smash him with tentacles, but he can’t keep swapping one round of casting Pro vs their Dispels. But if he heals, there’s nothing left, right? Right?

Nope, he has a trick. He casts Time Stop again. In most places, the Abyss as well, you can’t cast a spell more than once. But he has Time Stop stored as an emergency spell in case he needs it.

Time Stop…

He gets…2 rounds

One, casts Protection Again and then 2?

He casts Wish, and ages himself 5 years, but he refreshes his magic.

End of round

[Abe Sargent]

4 vs 3

Their foes go first. Vix takes 28, and Alzar has the shell dropped by the queen as the Ultro, out of gates and dispels, instead throws ranged weapons at Alzar and hits once for 8. Alzar’s -10 AC is holding up well too. The Queen dispels his magic. Alzar casts Time Stop again.


He tosses a 5 and will get three more spells for free:

Protection from Fiends
Wail of the Banshee
Skulltrap


Resolve

Wail slays – 6 Dretch, 2 Mezzos, 1 Nabassu, and 2 Spyders

Then the Trap resolve,s hits the wounded creatures, and takes out most of the demaged demons, leaving very little left. VIx was in the blast zone and took 16.

2 Raklupis here
3 Spyder FIends
The Queen of Chaos – 114/140
1 Ultrodaemon
4 Mezzodaemon
2 Dretch

Alzar - 55/89
Vix – 61/144

3 vs 9

Alzar carves the Queen again and hits for d20 rolls of 13,7, 19 for….44 damage. Vix stabs a wounded Mezzo twice and takes it out. The various fiends Hit her for 15. The Ultro is backing off. It’s one of the most powerful Daemons, and it realizes this may be a losing battle. While it does, it stills fires at Alzar buts misses twice. The Queen is forced to use her final Dispel on Alzars protection. 2 Raklupis summon another 7 Spyder Fiends


2 Raklupis here
10 Spyder FIends
The Queen of Chaos – 75/140
1 Ultrodaemon
3 Mezzodaemon
2 Dretch

Alzar - 56/89
Vix – 47/144


1 vs 3

Alzar casts protection from fiends. Now that all of the dispels are gone, Alzar orders Vix to use the next trick. She grabs one of Alzar’s Scrolls of Protection from Demons, and reads it. She is protected from them. Still, a Mezzodaemon still manages to hit her for 11. The Ultro’s thrown weapons miss, and it’s on the edge of the front now. Without a major way of handling with the issues here, the Queen of Chaos teleports away from this area.

After she leaves, the Ultro calls out in a language Alzar knows. He offers to withdraw himself and his Mezzos, and Alzar agrees, in his language (Axe of Selinyr) VIx will wail on the Spyder Fiends, Raplupis, and Dretches easily enough. Alzar casts Cure Critical Wounds, and then grabs an item from his OtherSpace

[Abe Sargent]

Alzar cracks the clay jar, summons the Djinni, and releases it for a wish, and he wishes to follow the Queen and to prevent her from gating or fleeing.

4 rounds after she left, he arrives beside her –

The Queen of Chaos – 95/144
Alzar – 88/88

Alzar has Pro still up

The Queen fled to another room in this giant mega castle, and she has 10 Spyder Fiends here of various sorts she is barking orders at.

As Alzar arrives, she orders them to take him out and uses Teleport without Error, but it fails.

5 vs 4

Alzar takes no damage, and she’s out of dispels, so she switches tactics and casts Mirror Image to help protect her. But Alzar is too smart and immune to lower level ilusions and can make out which one she is. He axe is out and he hits her once, and then misses with the other, but a shield hits too for 28. The Spyder Fiends gate in more Spyder Fiends

The Queen of Chaos – 72/144
Alzar – 88/88
16 S-Fiends

7 vs 6

Alzar takes no damage from the Fiends. She casts Magic Missile on him, but with the 20% MR, and the Ring, he sends back 50% of the damage, and ignores 20% and she has more MR. She takes 9 and he 11. His axe tears into her twice for 35. She orders fiends to flank in front of her, and begins to flee on foot, asking for peace, alliance, surrendering, and more. She’ll show Alzar the power that only a Demon Lord can.

21/144
Alzar – 80/88

4 vs 9

Alzar’s bow is up, for his Axe, and he has magical arrows nocked, all prepped for this battle. He fires from melee (-2 to hit). He needs a 14 to hit, but he gets SIX attacks. He tosses 10, 17, 3, 11, 5, and 17. Two hits for 1d6 and 1d6 + bonuses 18 damage dealt. Almost dead. She moves out again, Alzar takes no damage from others.

2 vs 3

Alzar’s bow rings out again for 15 (rolls 6 damage) 10, 2, 16 (kills her)

She dies.

Alzar has slain another demon lord.

His axe finishes this battle, and then he recovers his arrows

The Queen of Chaos is a demon lord, and was slain here. By taking her out on her own home plane, she is permanently dead. To ensure her death, he uses holy water, and cracks open a cask. As the first drop of holy water is about to fall on her corpse, a contingency spell triggers, and the body disappears.

[Abe Sargent]

Alzar’s spellcraft proficiency is good enough to know that someone is trying to protect her and keep her safe, maybe even a resurrection later on. For now, he has defeated a demon lord in her home, on her turf.

And that’s big.

In the past, Alzar has had trouble with demons. Assassination attempts, war, invasions, and more. He’s tried to fend them off by teleporting to the Abyss and killing a bunch, sending out messages by summoning and torturing them, and more. But this is a major shift in the Alzar/Demon conflict for a few reasons.

The Queen of the Abyss is the 3rd of the demon lords that Alzar has slain. He took out Lolth in her own plane, and then Zuggtmoy in his own plane of Thorasia, and banished her. He has been banished, cursed, and more, all by demons. But now? Now he has proven that he can retaliate by teleporting in and killing a demon lord in their own home. The demons respect strength more than anything. While there are always demons and demon lords, who will think more highly of themselves than others, there is a major trend here.

He heads back to the throne room, gathers Vix, and they head back to Pandius.

As they arrive, the land is still transformed. Northern Norwold is still a desert, although no demons, or Spyder Fiends, can be seen anywhere. It appears that the chaotic effect was not tied to the Queen of Chaos specifically.

The ghost Draconus flies up to meet him as he arrives.

“I told you that you had a major role to play for Law soon.”

“I know, and I took down the Queen of Chaos today.”

“And that’s more than any other Rod holder has done. But you are only partly done. Her consort of general is still breaking free of his prison, and is about to be freed. Miska the Wolf-Spider is just as much of a threat as the Queen, specifically you, the one who just slew his Queen and the Rod holder.”

Warned, Alzar heads back to recoup.



Two days later, Alzar has a visit. Someone is raiding his western holdings!


End of the Rod of Seven Parts

[Abe Sargent]

Year 9, Month 10

The Grand Duchy of the Mighty is still transformed by the Wave of Chaos that hit. A few minor Spyder-Fiends can still be found here and there, but Alzar is heading out to rout out the rest.

While Alzar is dealing with the changed land and the demons, there have been other issues that he has missed in his realm he needs to catch up on….


Begin M2. The Vengeance of Alphaks




This story takes directly off from M1. Into the Maelstrom. In that, the relatively young immortal Alphaks, directly from the Sphere of Entropy, had manipulated a war that was to bring multiple nations together. Alzar was at the head of a Norwold naval invasion of the nearby island of Qoedhar when immortals intervened and sent the entire navy into the stars and orbited various planets, landing on various places, learning much. Alzar descended into the underworld, conquered one of the star realms and ruled it, bringing over more then 20 of their phase ships to his own navy, and then launched a combined Star Kingdoms/Norwold invasion of the area, only to be stopped hard by the undead fleet of Alphaks, and lose, but Alphak’s avatar lost to Alzar’s in battle, and Vanya saw Alzar as a suitable hero to champion for immortality, and Alzar is now following her Third Path of the Dynast to finish the third of five paths. Meanwhile, Alphaks was punished by the other immortals and sent away for violating the rule to not directly interfere with things, and time was rewound by a year to just before things began, and only Alzar, and others sensitive to immortals and quests remembered and knew the previous storyline, and the battle was stopped.

But it’s only so long that you can keep a powerful immortal from the Sphere of Entropy down….

[Abe Sargent]

As we learned in our last adventure, Alphaks was a despised despotic ruler of the extra-planar star-civilization of Atlantis, who then left the star kingdoms to flee him and arrived on Pandius and started the empire known today as Alphatia. After fleeing him, he followed to Pandius and gained immortality here after being supported by the first Entropic Immortal Thanatos, and one of the strongest immortals today. It was a decision others came to regret, as Alphaks had no respect for rule, law, or others of his own kind, before or after immortality.

So how long will he abide by an edict to not return to Pandius?

The four major players in today’s political drama are:

Alphatia – One of the two most powerful nations in the Known World, and one of only two true empires. Ruled by a magic user Empress and advised by a council of 1000 36th level mages.


Thyatis – A recently created empire around 200 years old that is the big rival for Alphatia, led by fighters and people that respect actually getting their hands dirty.


Norwold – Colony created by Alphatia across the sea, it has been a region of contention for a long time in the Alphatia/Thyatis struggle. Recently, Alphatia set up a new kingdom there around 10 years ago with the idea of putting it under their control. 8 years ago, Thyatis protested with war, and Alzar and others in Norwold secured their freedom from Thyatis. King Ericall is a bit weak, and desires freedom from Alphatia, after his mother, the empress essentially abandoned him due to his lack of magical talent.


Barony of Qoedhar – Under the aegis of Alphatia, was one of the ones that began the naval war with Norwold that was reversed by the immortals. Very loyal to Alphatia, island off the northeast coast of Norwold, and yet the Baron recently asked for the Empress’s daughter in marriage, and she refused, and which Alzar found out in the last adventure, and has created some distance here between the farflung island and Alphatia



Alphaks does not like Alzar’s growth of power since their previous encounter, nor his avatar’s loss at the hands of Alzar. He is looking to take Alzar down, and the changes and invasions to his nation from The Abyss and his attention being elsewhere is a perfect time for Alphaks…



The word in Alzar’s court two days later arrives. A raiding party of Fire Giants is hitting north from the Jotunheimr Hills into the soft underbelly of his holdings, and about hit a village called Dawn’s Rising. Maybe they are emboldened by the new weather? Or perhaps they are transformed from Frost Giants or something. Whatever the reason, Alzar hears that the raiding party is pretty big.


He grabs his Crystal Ball and checks out the area remotely. There are 100 ish Fire Giants, 50ish Hell Hounds, 2 large red dragons and some bugbears working the camp but not armed. (I upped the numbers). They are readying for a march and look to be about 10 miles from Dawn’s Rising. Alzar does not have enough time to prepare a spell-list or items set that reflects facing a lot of fire-laden stuff. He summons Vix, and then they leave the throne room and he casts Mount, Fly, Protection from Fire, Call Nightmare, teleports to a mile away, and flies down with his Nightmare, Griffin heading elsewhere to get away from the upcoming battle, with Vix and her flying chariot ready to support if needed, and then two move on them as they begin their march. They spend a few minutes planning tactics and items.

[Abe Sargent]

The two red dragons see him fly down and fly up to meet him.

Aerial Battle:

2 vs 1

One breathes fire on Alzar (Immune, as is his Nightmare,) The other casts Magic Missile on Alzar. Only 10% is reflected and he takes 22, it got past his 75% Magic Resistance and she takes 5. Alzar casts Time Stop. He then follows with Vampiric Touch on the one dragon, and then…another round for Strip Resistance on the ancient one that breathed on him, and it works and removes much of its MR, and then….yes, one more spell, and it’s Transmute Flesh to Stone on the one open, and it makes it’s save. The other makes it’s Magic Resistance roll, and nothing else happens.

Alzar – 67/89


3 vs 1

Another Magic Missile flies out, Alzar takes 10 more, most of the rest is stopped, and 40% is reflected, and it takes 6 more. The other swoops and engages Alzar in melee, and flying around him will smash hi, for 22 damage after seeing through his Cloak of Displacement (there will be no -2 AC for that this battle either for that reason). Alzar’s axe bites once for 17, his shield misses, and the Nightmare bites for 9.

41/89
One Dragon – 26
Two Dragon – 15

4 vs 7

Alzar carves again for 39 total damage, takes 25 in melee from the second dragon moving in, and his MR stops more spells from hitting him.

16/89
One Dragon – 26
Two Dragon – 54

Alzar uses his Ring of Quick Action to force one combat round today to be won by him. He casts Heal and heals himself, and his steed deals 6. He takes 21.

68/89
One Dragon – 26
Two Dragon – 60

6 vs 5

They smash him for 18 more damage on two hits and then a Disintegrate spell at his steed works and the Nightmare is disintegrated. They were baited. Alzar had cast fly already, he is fine. His own axe carves and hits the wounded dragon twice for 32 and then Bright Barrier misses yet again. So sad.


50/89
One Dragon – 26
Two Dragon – 92


4 vs 6

Alzar’s axe bites twice more, and the wounded dragon dies as it was moving off. It falls lifeless to the ground. With it’s spells not fully working, its magic resistance gone, and it’s junior partner dead, the older one flies away. Alzar gets one attack of opportunity at range, and casts Finger of Death. Will it work? Nope, the dragon tossed a 15 and lived.

Alzar mentally has his Griffin return and he rides it.

After battle, Alzar will carve up the dead red dragon. Alzar wanted to animate the corpse, but he cannot (he’s lawful neutral now, if you’ll recall, not lawful evil, due to the Rod of Seven Parts)

[Abe Sargent]

Alzar heads down, and the Fire Giants have lost their air support.


While in air, Alzar summons four Dire Bats with his Eyes of the King spell. They will fly around and harass the camp while Vix and Alzar hit the war party.


They toss some boulders at Alzar as he leads the charge, but they miss with his Cloak of Displacement on. Vix uses a Protection from Giants scroll and is going to drop into the thick of their army. Alzar is working on the Hellhounds that patrol the edge of their march, as he is immune to magical fire right now.


Alzar’s Axe of Selnyr is Extinguishing, so it does ,more damage vs fiery dorks like the Hell hounds. He grabs their attention, and they torch his Griffin as he closes to the ground, and then surround him. Alzar melees the hell hounds, Vix the giants.

Some cross over. Alzar gets two nearby giants he had to deal with a few hell hounds approach Vix. But they have not realized that Alzar’s protection would not work on the giants, nor hers on the hounds, and the ground runs deep in the blood of fire giants and hell hounds….


(Random.org)

They drop 21 hounds and 29 giants before the rest flee. Alzar and Vix are wounded, and he had to cast multiple healing spells, but they took out around 1/3 of the attacking giants, 40 of the attacking hellhounds, and both dragons.

Alzar and Vix return as virtual conquering heroes at Dawn’s Rising. They are the rulers of this land, and are welcomed and greeted. Extra food is brought out. Today, Alzar and Vix showed just how powerful they are together, both as a fighting force, and for their Grand Duchy.

As has been noted before, Fire Giants are the only lawful giant kind, there are no lawful good giants, no lawful neutral giants, and only they are lawful evil. Thus, they are battling Alzar right now with a strong organization. They were not routed, they just retreated and moved back to camp. They have called for magical reinforcements, and even the fleeing dragon has just been seen returning. It appears that some magicking is going on right now, and Alzar scries some additional aid teleporting in.

They spend the night in a local tavern, Alzar takes some meetings remotely from the Grand Duchy, and answers questions remotely. That night, after dinner, Vix tells Alzar that she is pregnant with their first child, and thinks she is 6 weeks along. He uses some his clerical skills to verify it, and they will celebrate the news with more dead fire giants tonight.

Alzar spies the camp and there are magical wards have been put in place that will detect magic use. He penetrates their defenses normally as a thief, and slips behind a giant tarp. He drops a Bead of Exploding for 5d6 while Vix attacks in the front at the same time. Alzar damages some equipment, kills a couple of bugbear servants, but very little is damaged until his axe protest the presence of a few foes. Between the two of them, four more giants died. They are forced back when two magic users emerge from a central tent, one of which is a Fire Giant shaman and the other a wizard, and their magic pushes back the Grand Duke and Duchess.

Alzar retreats and casts a few surprises on the road to Dawn’s Rising, such as a Skulltrap, Blastbones, Glyph of Waring, Symbol and Watery Double. He even put Explosive Runes on a road sign pointing the way to Dawn’s Rising.

In the morning, another march begins shortly after the day began and they move out. They find and dispel the various traps Alzar laid after the first Skulltrap goes off and kills a Hell Hound in front scouting. In fact, it slows them down by hours. They don’t get near the village until about two hours past noon, with the hot desert sun baking on the village and supporting their fire-based attack. In the morning, Alzar had cast spells that ward objects against fire, and summoned allies. This time, they will meet about ½ a mile in front of the village, with people on the flanks in case they come over. Alzar has, meeting them,

2 Greater Earth Elemental (one from level 7 cleric magic, the other from wizard magic)
1 Earth, Fire, Air, Water Elementals
1 Earth, Fire, Water Elementals
2 more Earth Elementals
33 Sandlings
1 Invisible Stalker

Diamond Golem summoned from Warp Marble

Alzar on Nightmare
Vix on Chariot with Manticore steed


That’s not a small force.

[Abe Sargent]

The Red Dragon sweeps in front of the army and breathes fire on the assembled defenses and then pulls back. It’s more cagey after the other dragon lost. Alzar casts haste as they arrive on the Elementals and some Sandlings. Alzar casts Strip Resistance at dragon after taking 6 damage. Vix took 22. 5 Sandlings died, the rest were spread out in order to protect from aerial fire breathes or magic such as fireballs or similar explosive or ranged spells from their foes. The dragon pulls out of range, but Alzar flies after it on his Nightmare.



2 Greater Earth Elemental (one from level 7 cleric magic, the other from wizard magic)
1 Earth, Fire, Air, Water Elementals
1 Earth, Fire, Water Elementals
2 more Earth Elementals
28 Sandlings
1 Invisible Stalker



Alzar – 83/89
Vix – 122/144

4 vs 5

Battle begins. Alzar casts Finger of Death on the dragon. And…the dragon still has 17% MR, (it normally has 50%, and SR pulls off your spell level, so 33 for Alzar.) It hits the remnant and doesn’t penetrate further. Vix’s spear toss misses and returns to her hand. Alzar is hits with Magic Missile for 15 and no reverses back (they hit MR too after rebounding off his ring). One of the Fire Giants casts Abjure at his Nightmare and hits it and it heads back to his home plane. The other, the cleric, casts Remove on a Greater Elemental and……..it works too, also sent home. That’s not good. Make your saves folks! The rest of Alzar’s forces have engaged, and melee range is underway now.

8 vs 6

I am fastsimming everything with ranomdom.org but the major battle with Alzar, Vix, the dragon and the two spellcasters. A few of Alzar’s forces fall. Alzar is hit with the cleric spell Remove Magic and his Ring of Spell Turning is going inert for 10 rounds, as are every other item-based protection (like the Cloak, but not things like weapons, armor, etc, just magical protections provided by items for 10 rounds. This includes the 50% MR provided by his Amulet of Power, but not the 25% from Azzil.). The other casts Fireball and takes out some sandlings and a couple of Hell Hounds are not bothered by being caught in the blast. Alzar’s done the same trick with his undead and Skull Trap (which is necrotic damage undead are immune to) in the past. The dragon casts Magic Missile again and Alzar takes 21 damage (the rest caught in his 25% MR which remains). Alzar is still at range, but the Fly spell he again cast is slower than a dragon. He casts Maze on the dragon and gets through the dragon’s MR and the reis no save. It disappears for three rounds. Vix spears a shaman for 10 damage and they fly down to hit the gropos.



Alzar – 62/89
Vix – 122/144


7 vs 6

Alzar and crew takes another 13 damage from various effects, and another mass damage spell (another Fireball, this time from a Wand) clears out more of their allies.

Vix and Alzar arrive and smash the wounded Shaman for 52 total damage between them, and it reels.


Alzar – 49/89
Vix – 122/144


Alzar uses his Ring of Quick Action. Vix finishes off the Shaman and Alzar casts Power Word Kill at the mage and….it works. The Mage falls. They head up to where eth dragon will appear in a round.


3 vs 4

Alzar and Vix slash at the dragon as soon as it appears. It takes 21 damage total. Then it wing buffets Alzar and Vix away, they each take 15 damage


Alzar – 34/89
Vix – 108/144


4 vs 6

Alzar casts Heal. Vix spear connects for 9. The dragon breathes again and Alzar takes 8 and Vix 37 after missing her save.



Alzar – 80/89
Vix – 71/144


8 vs 2

The dragon uses its third and final breath. Alzar takes 7, Vix makes the save for 14. They spend the turn flying in to melee range again.


Alzar – 73/89
Vix – 57/144


4 vs 1

The dragon melees Vix, seeing her wounded. She takes 21 from the dragon from a bite and claw. Alzar casts Heal on her and is out of Heals, she misses

Alzar – 73/89
Vix – 144/144


7 vs 6

The dragon again buffets them away for 16 each. Spear hits for 10, Alzar’s Flesh to Stone spell…..gest past the MR and….the dragon makes the save


Alzar – 57/89
Vix – 128/144


4 vs 6

Vix hits for 12. Alzar casts Time Stop, flies to the Dragon, and prepares for melee.


3 vs 4

Alzar’s axe carves twice for 35 damage, and his shield hits for 10. Vix misses, the dragon is badly wounded, and flies away.

One attack of opportunity, at range, for both. Vix’s spear misses. Alzar casts Power Word Stun. Has it’s HP dropped low enough for it to work? Yes, no save, get’s past the MR, the dragon is stunned and falls to the ground. The fall finishes the dragon off.

[Abe Sargent]

Alzar and Vix head back to the battle.

It looks like Alzar’s forces have been mostly destroyed, but about half of the army of Fire Giants and Hell Hounds was as well. Alzar casts Wail of Banshee, and finishes off some folks, Vix slays more, and in about ten rounds, another 8 giants and most of the remaining hell hounds are dead. Only 21 giants and 2 hounds are left from battle, and they flee.

Alzar and Vix harass them, flying and hitting them from the edge as they do. Alzar’s Dire bats did little last night, but today they got behind their lines and destroyed their camp during the battle before the duration on them expired. Before Alzar and Vix are finished, most of the giants fall, and only 8 make it to the foothills and are left on the their own.

They spend the next two days in Dawn’s Rising helping to rebuild the areas, scouting out survivors, taking care of the camp and some traps left behind, and more.

No magical items or any other items of value, beyond things like normal giant-sized swords or food was found. Alzar suspects that all valuable objects were teleported away or secured. Alzar also carves up the second dragon as well.


Defeating an attack on one of his village helps his domain’s confidence, and it rises by 10.

[Abe Sargent]

A travelling cleric named Lambert Bohn arrived at the village of Dawn’s Rising about a week ago, and he is high enough level that he has been helping to create food for the village, heal people, and such. He is new to the region, and he grabs Alzar and Vix for a private meeting away from everything else.

He can’t tell them much. But he knows who sent the giants on their raid, further up in the mountains. He was pursued to the camp by the people that work for this rival of his, and they stole something from him that should have been secure. Alzar cast’s Detect Lie with Bright Barrier and confirms the story. Lambert Bohn should prove able to show them where the leader of this raid resides.

As they get underway a few hours later, they arrive in the foothills. Alzar convinces him to agree to telling him and Vix much of his story, and he does. He is a powerful lawful neutral cleric who serves the Sphere of Time, and is on the Path of the Dynast as well. He has been chased by a rival cleric who serve the Sphere of Entropy, named Coiger de Mory who’s base is in the mountain and who had fire servants like the Fire Giants. Typically, pursuants of the Path must find and return an artifact of Time, and he has done so. He secured it into a bag of holding he has. But three days ago it disappeared, which should not normally be happy. He suspects some interference from Entropy. As both Alzar and Vix are also on paths for immortality, and Alzar is a fellow on the Dynast Path, Lambert Bohn believes that they were put there in that town by ally immortals to stop Coiger de Mory.

Alzar and Vix agree to help Lambert to find Coiger de Mory, get the artifact back, and end the raids on their Grand Duchy as well.

Before sleep, Alzar asks if Lambert knows which immortal Coiger might serve. He is not surprised at the answer.

“Alphaks.”

“Is he also on the path?”

“Probably, one of the Path goals of Entropy is often finding an destroying an artifact from my sphere. And this guy is not nice.”

“I suspect any servant of Alphaks wouldn’t be.”

“But Coiger is especially vile. He destroys knowledge. He has a photographic memory, seeking out rare knowledge, and then destroys it after reading it so only he will know it.”

“…he will not survive our battle.”

[Abe Sargent]

3 days later they arrive at the large cave complex where Coiger resides. Alzar’s scrying is unable to penetrate the rock, there must be some magic anti-scrying defenses here. The cave system appears to be large, with giant bronze doors unlocked at the entrance, and they have seen at least 5 giants in and around the area.

They prepare some anti-giant and anti-cleric items and such and head in.

Now as a reminder, Alzar is neutral for this due to the Rod, and cannot use any items or spells I deem evil. He cannot control undead or use poison or kill sleeping foes or anything else in that “Evil” genre.

There is a guardpost with murder holes and giants behind them. Alzar has used Dust of Disappearance to remove himself. His thief skills should help him get in and scout around. The Dust is ideal as attacking and such won’t reveal you. There are four mountain giants, two fire giants, and two hellhounds here, and they are actively looking around the hillside leading up to it. Alzar sees great magical pikes from here than all six have available and could use them behind the murder holes. This was the only entrance, and Alzar can’t scry around to find others, nor can he relay on Passwall or similar spells working here. They have to go in hot.

Is there a spell Alzar knows that could help?

Alzar steps back until just one Mountain Giant’s murder hole can be seen. He can make out the giant behind it. He casts Domination and… it works. He dominates the Mountain Giant. The giant turns around and Alzar can see some others looking at it as it abandons its viewing of the area. The Mountain Giant is ordered to open the portcullis. He bends down and hoists the portcullis open. Other giants shout at him, and one moves to stop him. Alzar lets them, not wanting to start a fight that would be loud. Alzar has slipped inside unseen while this chaos happens.

The mountain giant moves to a weapons rack where there are almost 15 more magical pikes, and steps in front, not menacingly, just active. Vix and the cleric are right behind, but not here yet. Alzar positions himself perfectly to block the exit from the gatehouse. He casts Silence on the gatehouse and entrance, then they hear him for about 5 seconds before it goes silent. His giant tears into the backside of an unsuspecting one, and they move out to attack it. Alzar moves in and his Axe of Extinguishing makes quick work of anyone who comes near, trying to escape the room. They can make him out now enough to attack him, and he is not moving away to dodge, thus opening it up, so he takes 24 damage. But he finishes the giants here, and waives the two in, and then they close the portcullis quickly and have secured entrance.


Alzar 65/89


20 +2 pikes

[Abe Sargent]

As they penetrate the area, a giant wyvern in a sinkhole flies down and attacks Lambert from behind, covered by the silence effect Alzar dropped. It hits for17 damage and…Lambert is poisoned. He cures himself next round, and Alzar and Vix make short work of it in two turns.


They slip in and Alzar scouts ahead, finds and disarms an alarm trap, and then removes a ballista trap that fires giant spears. Two more giants head into the hall randomly from a side passage, and make out movement by the guard house. They miss Alzar (still endusted) and on their way his Axe backstabs one and fells the other quickly.

They penetrate in further. Alzar misses a magical trap and an alarm goes off as they are just a little bit from the living quarters of the giants. In a moment, about 20 giants pore out, and Alzar ha retreated behind the 2 Greater Earth Elementals he just summoned, and Vix moves in front. They know, silently, when to switch roles perfectly. Alzar is sliding to mage role from thief and fighter and her into warrior to block the corridor.

Alzar’s short bow is out and he gets 6 shots a round with Vix’s spear and the Elementals punches in front.


5 vs 2

They attack first, and hit Vix twice. Lambert’s glowing sling smashes a ice pellet on a giant hell hound and hits for a ton of damage. Alzar follows his lead and slays it. Vix spears the foot of a fire giant and it backs up. Elementals smash and badly damage another giant.

7 vs 6

They attack again, and one elemental is wounded and taken around 35 damage total (magic weapons are needed to hit it, but they have all magic weapons). They hit Vix for 11 and a pair of Hell Hounds breathe on the back row. Alzar takes 9 total damage, and Lambert 18 total. Lambert Heals Alzar. Vix spears and slays a wounded elemental. Alzar slides to spells and casts Mass Suggestion. Three giants fails their saves, and Alzar suggests that they don’t want to fight any more. They drop their weapons, and head back to their living chamber. Another pair of hell hounds arrive, as do more giants.

4 vs 7

Lambert casts Creeping Doom and four huge insect swarms erupt from him to attack the foes. They deal 4d6 damage/swarm and attack five foes each, it’s one of the most powerful attack spells in a cleric’s arsenal, and should shorten this battle considerably. Alzar’s Earths smash and slay two giants Lambert wounded. Vix a third. Alzar casts Mass Domination, one of his best spells too and….5 giants turn against their allies and attack them from a flank and rear. It’s nasty. They kill a wounded elemental. Hit vix for 10, but are distracted and hitting each other.


3 vs 2

They win init. They get a crit twice and kill a barely damaged greater elemental. They kill a dominated giant. More giants pore out. Creeping doom slays some hounds, Alzar’s dominated quintet damage them heavily, Lambert Cure Critical Wounds Vix and she finishes a wounded hellhound.

4 vs 8

Alzar’s force regain inits. Two more giants slain by their group this turn. A human cleric has arrived, and casts Dispel Magic. Alzar moves to melee range this round. The Suggestions and Creeping Doom are dispelled. Alzar asks quickly if that is Coigner, but Lambert shakes his head no.

3 vs 6

They keep init. Another Creeping Doom spews forth from Lambert. Vix closes on the cleric, wanting force him to melee range, but it opens her to more damage from the remaining forces. Alzar casts Wail of the Banshee and 6 more drop dead. A female half-elf rounds the bend and casts Dispel on the next Doom and four mountain giants arrive, three of which were the ones Alzar’s suggested. That suggestion was dispelled too. Their male cleric Flame Strikes Vix for 29. Alzar’s group takes a lot of damage. Vix 22 this round from weapons, Lambert 11, and Alzar 15.

Alzar: 74/89
Vix: 74/144


6 vs 4

They get init again. They hit Vix for 33, and a third cleric rounds the hallway. Lambert shouts out “Coiger!” and he nods gently before casting Remove Magic on Alzar to again strip his defenses for 10 rounds. The female cleric casts Cause Critical Wounds on Vix for 25 and the male she engages hits her for 14, and she takes 10. Alzar casts Heal on Vix. Vix misses twice. Lambert casts Flame Strike for 30 on the male cleric in front.


Alzar: 74/89
Vix: 144/144


5 vs 9

They wrest control back from their enemies. Alzar slays a wounded mountain giant. Lambert casts Silence on the male cleric in front. Vix stabs him twice for 22. He falls. Two clerics left. They smash Vix for 22 and Alzar for 11. Alzar is targeted by Coiger with Harm spell and it…gets through his defenses and he is dropped to 6 hp.

Alzar 6/89
Vix – 122/144


Alzar uses his Ring of Quick Action and casts his 2nd Heal for the day on himself. Vix stabs and slays the last hell hound. Lambert heals himself. A Cause Critical on Vix for 25 and 42 more damage from a giant and a Flame Strike drop her badly.

Vix - 65/144

5 vs 2

The clerics win init. Their four remaining giants miss, but one cleric quaffs a potion of invulnerability and moves to the front as the other casts Hold Person at Alzar. It cracks his MR and….yes, he fails his save. Needs his Rings! He is stunned and paralyzed. Lambert casts Freedom on Alzar and he is fine, but misses the turn. Vix spears and wounds a giant.

6 vs 5

Alzar takes 13 from a giant. The cleric with the invulnerability pot is in front and hits Vix for 11. The other casts another r Hold at Alzar. It cracks his lowered MR and he tosses an 12 and is fine. Lambert, Alzar, and Vix combine to kill the last Fire Giant that was unwounded. Just two mountains left.

7 vs 9

Alzar casts Dispel and drops the invulnerability. Vix and Lambert hit the female cleric hard for 33. Coiger casts Word of Recall and is gone. The giants miss.

5 vs 4

Alzar and party kill the cleric, and the giants two turns later.