The party was still trapped on the world of Talislanta. Even with the demonstration he had given months before, most had given up hope that their friend(?) Kannex would ever complete the spell and ritual needed to transport them back the Kingdom of Crosedes on their own world.
Norm Dingleberry, Dwarven warrior, had recently rescued his fellow adventurers, Ashe the Ranger, Babette the Thief, and Kane the Cleric from the horrors of a necormancer's stronghold. He spent most of his time nursing the psyches of his spiritually beaten companions. With no contact from Kannex and his newest "best friend," Rolf Wolfsblood, having disappeared without warning, it felt like a disaster far greater than any failed mushroom farm he tended to.
He did take a few side treks, smuggling a few gruffans from Silvanus to occupy his little free time. They were low maintenance and most of their meat could be cured into a delicous bacon-like product.
At night, when the screaming finally subsided, he would climb out on the roof of the brothel and stare up at the stars, slowing petting his newest pet, a strange creature known as a Quaal. Norm had found one in the city-state of Cymril and named him Quaally.
Finally, the barbarian Rolf returned to the brothel, a few more scars on his body, and more Thrall tattoos across the side of his face, now running down his left arm.
Norm lost his shit.
Patrons fled out doors and windows and the working women barricaded their doors, as the dwarf went on a violent, profanity laced tirade against the barbarian (all with an outrageous French accent).
After a few hours, it got quiet, and a few brave souls ventured out to find Norm staring into a half-filled pint on the porch, a Rolf quietly washing off tomato sauce and flour from his body near the well. This day was never spoken of again.
35th of Jhang, 151 N.A. The Pleasure House of Duane Alberhold, Cymril
After missing for months, Kannex made an appearance at the brothel. He told Norm and Rolf that there is one final item to find, the worst of all: the sweat of a mythical beast who lives in magical Aberrant Forest within the inhospitable Wilderlands of Zaran.
Rolf then lost his shit, and connected with a haymaker to Kannex's jaw.
Norm pulled the barbarian off of the sorcerer, but not before waiting a full thirty seconds....
42nd of Jhang, 151 N.A. The Aberrant Forest, The Wilderlands of Zaran
Another windship, under a heavy guard, picked up the duo and flew to the Wilderlands.
When they arrived at the correct place in the forest, they shimmied down ropes through the thick canopy. Well, Norm did. Rolf tumbled.. again.
Norm finally got down safely to find the barbarian surrounded by three-foot tall woodmen. The creatures took them prisoner and took them back to their village. There, they met a scholar living with the woodmen tribe. They told him of their odd quest and he outright refused to help, insisting that leave immediately instead of getting hunted down by the "RAVANT." Norm and Rolf were given food and shelter for the night and ignored his warning, leaving to the following morning to locate the monster.
44th of Jhang, 151 N.A. The Aberrant Forest, The Wilderlands of Zaran
On the second day of their expedition, the dwarf and barbarian were making camp when the woods went dead silent. Norm climbed on Rolf's shoulder to see a huge beast with long arms coming at them. They tossed the knockout powder at the monster, but it didn't even notice it. It charged at them, knocking over large trees as it persued their flight. Norm jumped into a bush and it ran past. Rolf managed to keep ahead of it. The Ravant wasn't necessarily fast, but it seemed relentless and untiring. Rolf ran a large circle through the jungle and came back to where Norm dove off.
The dwarf whipped out his battleaxe and hit the beast in the shin.
The axe simply lodged in his leg and the Ravant continued to pursue Rolf.
Two laps, Rolf collapsed near the dwarf's hiding spot. The Ravant loomed over him while Norm burst out of the bushes with a beaker, it was not sweat, but a single drop of blood pooled just outside of it's near-impervious armor, that landed in the glass container.
The monstrosity noticed the dwarf with a quizzical look. A single drop of sweat formed on its brow and dropped. Norm caught it in the beaker and the blood boiled away. He corked it and looked at the Ravant one last time as it sneered and punted him over the tree line.
Norm's distraction must have given Rolf a second wind because he got up and ran in the direction of the flying dwarf. The barbarian was forced to swim across the river to reach Norm, and as he quickly looked over his shoulder, he saw the Ravant, silently surveying the river, but not attempting to enter the moving water.
The duo got to the windship spot, climbed up, and ordered the captain to leave ASAP.
The beaker... and the dwarf, had survived the kick and subsequent fall.
2nd of Laedis, 151 N.A. Pleasure House of Duane Alberhold, Cymril
They arrived back by the brothel to find Kannex, who was setting up an experiment(?) outside of the brothel. Norm pulled out the Ravant sweat, and Kannex immediately passed out at the mere sight of it.
Norm: "My ass hurts!!!"
DM Notes: *Spoilers* There you have it, my friends, enough McGuffins to construct the Super-Voltron-McGuffin to get everyone home.
The Ravant is an actual creature in the setting, found in Cyclopedia Talislanta III: The Wilderlands of Zaran as well as the 3rd Edition Rulebook. It's impenetrable, it's unstoppable, and if you can hurt it, it regenerates! Without the sweat, Kannex would have a chance of failure casting the mass teleport/gate. The sweat itself is like a magic booster, super-concentrated adrenaline and steroids of the arcane.
Warning: The next episode is complete filler. In real time, my Talislanta players took a week off after the events here and we jumped right into what will be episode #29 with the other players, without many questions. For the sake of the narrative, I'll fill in what actually happened between Kanex fainting and the party returning home and reuniting with the first friend they see.
NEXT #26 - Getting Back is Half the Trip
Norm Dingleberry, Dwarven warrior, had recently rescued his fellow adventurers, Ashe the Ranger, Babette the Thief, and Kane the Cleric from the horrors of a necormancer's stronghold. He spent most of his time nursing the psyches of his spiritually beaten companions. With no contact from Kannex and his newest "best friend," Rolf Wolfsblood, having disappeared without warning, it felt like a disaster far greater than any failed mushroom farm he tended to.
He did take a few side treks, smuggling a few gruffans from Silvanus to occupy his little free time. They were low maintenance and most of their meat could be cured into a delicous bacon-like product.
At night, when the screaming finally subsided, he would climb out on the roof of the brothel and stare up at the stars, slowing petting his newest pet, a strange creature known as a Quaal. Norm had found one in the city-state of Cymril and named him Quaally.
Finally, the barbarian Rolf returned to the brothel, a few more scars on his body, and more Thrall tattoos across the side of his face, now running down his left arm.
Norm lost his shit.
Patrons fled out doors and windows and the working women barricaded their doors, as the dwarf went on a violent, profanity laced tirade against the barbarian (all with an outrageous French accent).
After a few hours, it got quiet, and a few brave souls ventured out to find Norm staring into a half-filled pint on the porch, a Rolf quietly washing off tomato sauce and flour from his body near the well. This day was never spoken of again.
35th of Jhang, 151 N.A. The Pleasure House of Duane Alberhold, Cymril
After missing for months, Kannex made an appearance at the brothel. He told Norm and Rolf that there is one final item to find, the worst of all: the sweat of a mythical beast who lives in magical Aberrant Forest within the inhospitable Wilderlands of Zaran.
Rolf then lost his shit, and connected with a haymaker to Kannex's jaw.
Norm pulled the barbarian off of the sorcerer, but not before waiting a full thirty seconds....
42nd of Jhang, 151 N.A. The Aberrant Forest, The Wilderlands of Zaran
Another windship, under a heavy guard, picked up the duo and flew to the Wilderlands.
When they arrived at the correct place in the forest, they shimmied down ropes through the thick canopy. Well, Norm did. Rolf tumbled.. again.
Norm finally got down safely to find the barbarian surrounded by three-foot tall woodmen. The creatures took them prisoner and took them back to their village. There, they met a scholar living with the woodmen tribe. They told him of their odd quest and he outright refused to help, insisting that leave immediately instead of getting hunted down by the "RAVANT." Norm and Rolf were given food and shelter for the night and ignored his warning, leaving to the following morning to locate the monster.
44th of Jhang, 151 N.A. The Aberrant Forest, The Wilderlands of Zaran
On the second day of their expedition, the dwarf and barbarian were making camp when the woods went dead silent. Norm climbed on Rolf's shoulder to see a huge beast with long arms coming at them. They tossed the knockout powder at the monster, but it didn't even notice it. It charged at them, knocking over large trees as it persued their flight. Norm jumped into a bush and it ran past. Rolf managed to keep ahead of it. The Ravant wasn't necessarily fast, but it seemed relentless and untiring. Rolf ran a large circle through the jungle and came back to where Norm dove off.
The dwarf whipped out his battleaxe and hit the beast in the shin.
Two laps, Rolf collapsed near the dwarf's hiding spot. The Ravant loomed over him while Norm burst out of the bushes with a beaker, it was not sweat, but a single drop of blood pooled just outside of it's near-impervious armor, that landed in the glass container.
The monstrosity noticed the dwarf with a quizzical look. A single drop of sweat formed on its brow and dropped. Norm caught it in the beaker and the blood boiled away. He corked it and looked at the Ravant one last time as it sneered and punted him over the tree line.
Norm's distraction must have given Rolf a second wind because he got up and ran in the direction of the flying dwarf. The barbarian was forced to swim across the river to reach Norm, and as he quickly looked over his shoulder, he saw the Ravant, silently surveying the river, but not attempting to enter the moving water.
The duo got to the windship spot, climbed up, and ordered the captain to leave ASAP.
The beaker... and the dwarf, had survived the kick and subsequent fall.
2nd of Laedis, 151 N.A. Pleasure House of Duane Alberhold, Cymril
They arrived back by the brothel to find Kannex, who was setting up an experiment(?) outside of the brothel. Norm pulled out the Ravant sweat, and Kannex immediately passed out at the mere sight of it.
Norm: "My ass hurts!!!"
DM Notes: *Spoilers* There you have it, my friends, enough McGuffins to construct the Super-Voltron-McGuffin to get everyone home.
The Ravant is an actual creature in the setting, found in Cyclopedia Talislanta III: The Wilderlands of Zaran as well as the 3rd Edition Rulebook. It's impenetrable, it's unstoppable, and if you can hurt it, it regenerates! Without the sweat, Kannex would have a chance of failure casting the mass teleport/gate. The sweat itself is like a magic booster, super-concentrated adrenaline and steroids of the arcane.
Warning: The next episode is complete filler. In real time, my Talislanta players took a week off after the events here and we jumped right into what will be episode #29 with the other players, without many questions. For the sake of the narrative, I'll fill in what actually happened between Kanex fainting and the party returning home and reuniting with the first friend they see.
NEXT #26 - Getting Back is Half the Trip
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