Ostmount's Screw-up - background
The adventure commences in the small town of Nerris, located in the eastern region of Lor.
How the PCs met:
All of the players characters met each other in Taer Mun, when they were new recruits in the Lorian army, which was (at the time) engaged in a war against the nation of Nuz. The war against Nuz concluded shortly after the PCs finished their training. As a result the PCs did not even start to travel westwards to the combat zone, let alone engage in any combat.
(NOTE: Players are free to determine how and from where they came to be recruited into the Lorian army and why they chose their their given profession.)
How the PCs got to Nerris:
With the announcement of the Treaty of Carrock (formally ending the five year long war), all of the PCs were released from the army and suddenly found themselves unemployed and with limited prospects. After a few weeks of going hungry and doing odd jobs, they managed to find employment as guards for a trade caravan travelling from Taer Mun to Deepwyn. Excited at the propect of putting their skills to good use, the PCs set out on the journey.
Unfortunately the highway between Taer Mun and Deepwyn is easily the busiest road in the nation, and at the time it was crowded with former soldiers travelling back to their home towns. Consequently bandits and brigands were smart enough to keep well away and the journey passed without even the slightest incident.
Upon arriving in Deepwyn the PCs were invited to continue guarding the caravan as it made its way to Nerris in the east. This journey passes through the Caer Rhol forest and the merchant had had trouble there in the past. The merchant's concerns were largely unfounded however, and the PCs arrived in Nerris having done nothing more exciting than fend off some wildlife from the campsite one evening.
The situation in Nerris:
Despite it being the middle of summer, Nerris is bizarrely cold, with frosts in the mornings and thick grey clouds to the east. Apparently the clouds have been there for a few years but they have been slowly spreading across the Deepwood forest towards Nerris. If the cold persists the crops of the farms around Nerris will fail.
Local Geography:
Nerris s the principal town of a region known as Mallowbern, which is the easternmost region of Lor.
Nerris is a decent sized outpost with a population of nearly 1000 people.
The forest to the east of Nerris is called the Deepwood Forest.
Further east and beyond the Deepwood Forest are the foothills of the Krystaliron Mountains.
How the PCs met:
All of the players characters met each other in Taer Mun, when they were new recruits in the Lorian army, which was (at the time) engaged in a war against the nation of Nuz. The war against Nuz concluded shortly after the PCs finished their training. As a result the PCs did not even start to travel westwards to the combat zone, let alone engage in any combat.
(NOTE: Players are free to determine how and from where they came to be recruited into the Lorian army and why they chose their their given profession.)
How the PCs got to Nerris:
With the announcement of the Treaty of Carrock (formally ending the five year long war), all of the PCs were released from the army and suddenly found themselves unemployed and with limited prospects. After a few weeks of going hungry and doing odd jobs, they managed to find employment as guards for a trade caravan travelling from Taer Mun to Deepwyn. Excited at the propect of putting their skills to good use, the PCs set out on the journey.
Unfortunately the highway between Taer Mun and Deepwyn is easily the busiest road in the nation, and at the time it was crowded with former soldiers travelling back to their home towns. Consequently bandits and brigands were smart enough to keep well away and the journey passed without even the slightest incident.
Upon arriving in Deepwyn the PCs were invited to continue guarding the caravan as it made its way to Nerris in the east. This journey passes through the Caer Rhol forest and the merchant had had trouble there in the past. The merchant's concerns were largely unfounded however, and the PCs arrived in Nerris having done nothing more exciting than fend off some wildlife from the campsite one evening.
The situation in Nerris:
Despite it being the middle of summer, Nerris is bizarrely cold, with frosts in the mornings and thick grey clouds to the east. Apparently the clouds have been there for a few years but they have been slowly spreading across the Deepwood forest towards Nerris. If the cold persists the crops of the farms around Nerris will fail.
Local Geography:
Nerris s the principal town of a region known as Mallowbern, which is the easternmost region of Lor.
Nerris is a decent sized outpost with a population of nearly 1000 people.
The forest to the east of Nerris is called the Deepwood Forest.
Further east and beyond the Deepwood Forest are the foothills of the Krystaliron Mountains.
Unsent letter found in tower, Session 1-6.
Kirijata Moull
Work continues as discussed in my previous report.
My latest efforts to increase the tuning range of the Hengis crystal have not met with complete success. On those occasions when the crystal tunes accurately it behaves perfectly. However the tuning fails frequently, sometimes resulting in a complete colour fade, but other times resulting in wild magic surges. It is my belief that the extreme distance from the Hengis Forge at Marguyl is allowing the crystal to tune into uncontrolled elemental magic sources. Without knowing where these sources are there is no way of adjusting the crystal. Although conducting the Ritual of the Fourth Eye of Collag has dramatically improved the tuning, the wild magic flashes appear to be continuing.
I believe I have extended the work of Terrish as far as is possible and I am now coming to the conclusion that there is no practical way of further improving the receiver crystal’s ability to stay attuned to the Hengis Forge at such a great distance. Forgast’s research into increasing the size and power of the Forge Lode may yet produce results, but the most likely solution is to build a new Hengis Forge somewhere within the Krystalliron Mountains. On my journey here I noticed several candidate locations.
The Great Leader will not be pleased with this news and so I intend to stay here for some more months so as to ensure that all possible options are explored.
In the Great Leader`s name
Zhatfer Ostmount
Zhatfer Ostmount's Research Journal, Session 1-6
Sub-Kirijata Zhatfer Ostmount
Research Journal
Subject: Test of long-range Hengis Crystal Tuning.
Entry 1: Have arrived at the tower chosen by Kirijata Moull. This tower is located at the east of the Krystalliron Mountains. A warlock apparently occupied this tower some years ago and several of his books and personal items remain. I scanned the materials and have sent anything of possible interest back to the Factor with my escort.
Entry 2: I have installed the smaller of the two Hengis Crystals that are to be tested at this site within the tower. Results are very disappointing. Although I expected some tuning difficulties (as a result of being such a long distance from the nearest Hengis forge), I did not expect a complete failure to respond.
Entry 3: After further investigation I was able to achieve occasional tuning by locating the minor crystal on the roof of the tower. As a result I now intend to install the major crystal in that location. If it can be made to tune effectively then I will conduct the relay ritual to activate the crystal in the lower level of the tower.
Entry 4: After several days of effort I have been able to install the major crystal and it seems to be tuning intermittently. I estimate that this tower is located over 100 miles from the nearest Hengis Forge at Marguyl, so I believe this is the greatest distance ever achieve in remote crystal tuning. I have despatched a message to the Factor indicating preliminary success.
Entry 5: I have completed the relay ritual and the minor crystal is now tuning in a stable manner. The crystal was very sensitive to its location and would only operate within the pentagram inscribed on the second floor. I do not have any explanation for this curious behaviour.
Entry 6: Today I began to test the stability of the tuning by conducting some simple rituals. There has not been total success. Although some of the minor rituals completed satisfactorily (edge sharpening, water creation) I was unable to complete the commune ritual, and there were occasional flashes of uncontrolled magic. As a result I must use the second last of my carrier birds to communicate with the Factor Seniors at the Marguyl Hengis Forge.
Entry 7: The Commune Ritual operated briefly today and I made contact with the Seniors at Marguyl. They are most pleased with my efforts. I will continue to investigate the cause of the crystal’s erratic tuning behaviour.
Entry 8: The stability of the tuning of the major crystal remains unacceptable. I have decided to conduct the Fourth Eye of Collag Ritual to stabilise the bond with the Hengis Forge in Marguyl.
Entry 9: Late this evening I completed the ritual of the Fourth Eye of Collag. The link via the plane of Chaos has immensely improved the tuning of the crystal to thr Forge at Marguyl. All standard rituals are properly functioning, including commune.
Entry 10: I have begun testing some of the minor martial rituals. Although there was success, there have been occasions when I have seen more wild magic flashes within the green of the Hengis Crystal. Tomorrow I intend try and confirm if this aberrant behaviour exists.
Entry 11: The blue flashes in the Crystal are definitely occurring and I am not able to identify the cause. I have reported to the Seniors at Marguyl but they do not have any explanation so far. My instructions are to commence testing of the major martial rituals.
Entry 12: The tuning of the crystal is definitely becoming erratic. Today I attempted two of the major martial rituals. The Cloud of Arrows ritual was successful, and certainly irritated the local tribe of goblins who have been lurking around the tower. When the goblins gathered at the base of the slope to the north I commenced the Wall of Water ritual to “dampen” their hostility. However rather than the water I expected, a strange blue fog emerged from the crystal. The fog moved to the location I had intended, and it made the goblins disperse, so I effectively achieved my objective. However this unexpected result causes me concern.
Entry 13: At some moment during the night the crystal resumed ejecting this strange blue mist. Adding to the mystery, the mist has now become quite chilled. I noticed a thin layer of frost at the base of the tower this morning. The roof of the tower is also covered in a layer of frost and I am unable to bring the ritual to an end. I am also unable to use the crystal for the commune ritual, so I have despatched my final carrier bird to Marguyl for further instructions.
Entry 14: The rate of mist being ejected from the crystal is increasing and the tower is becoming intolerably c0ld. My servants have been collecting as much wood as they can from the local area in order to stoke the fires. There has been no response to my last message and I do not know how to bring this bizarre ritual result to an end.
Entry 15: The four fireplaces in the laboratory seem to have become attuned to the Chaos plane, as they are burring with a strange blue flame that is bitterly cold. I have read that the Ritual of the Fourth Eye of Collag can create unexpected portals to the plane of Chaos through mirrors and water wells, but I have never heard of a fireplace changing its form in this way. The blue mist is increasing and the walls of the tower are now covered with ice.
Entry 16: All of the fireplaces in the tower are now attuned to the chaos plane, and they seem to have become a portal for elemental creatures to invade the tower. An ice shardling killed one of my servants today. I was able to kill the creature using a fire ritual, although I had to retreat upstairs to be very close to the minor crystal in order for the ritual to work.
Research Journal
Subject: Test of long-range Hengis Crystal Tuning.
Entry 1: Have arrived at the tower chosen by Kirijata Moull. This tower is located at the east of the Krystalliron Mountains. A warlock apparently occupied this tower some years ago and several of his books and personal items remain. I scanned the materials and have sent anything of possible interest back to the Factor with my escort.
Entry 2: I have installed the smaller of the two Hengis Crystals that are to be tested at this site within the tower. Results are very disappointing. Although I expected some tuning difficulties (as a result of being such a long distance from the nearest Hengis forge), I did not expect a complete failure to respond.
Entry 3: After further investigation I was able to achieve occasional tuning by locating the minor crystal on the roof of the tower. As a result I now intend to install the major crystal in that location. If it can be made to tune effectively then I will conduct the relay ritual to activate the crystal in the lower level of the tower.
Entry 4: After several days of effort I have been able to install the major crystal and it seems to be tuning intermittently. I estimate that this tower is located over 100 miles from the nearest Hengis Forge at Marguyl, so I believe this is the greatest distance ever achieve in remote crystal tuning. I have despatched a message to the Factor indicating preliminary success.
Entry 5: I have completed the relay ritual and the minor crystal is now tuning in a stable manner. The crystal was very sensitive to its location and would only operate within the pentagram inscribed on the second floor. I do not have any explanation for this curious behaviour.
Entry 6: Today I began to test the stability of the tuning by conducting some simple rituals. There has not been total success. Although some of the minor rituals completed satisfactorily (edge sharpening, water creation) I was unable to complete the commune ritual, and there were occasional flashes of uncontrolled magic. As a result I must use the second last of my carrier birds to communicate with the Factor Seniors at the Marguyl Hengis Forge.
Entry 7: The Commune Ritual operated briefly today and I made contact with the Seniors at Marguyl. They are most pleased with my efforts. I will continue to investigate the cause of the crystal’s erratic tuning behaviour.
Entry 8: The stability of the tuning of the major crystal remains unacceptable. I have decided to conduct the Fourth Eye of Collag Ritual to stabilise the bond with the Hengis Forge in Marguyl.
Entry 9: Late this evening I completed the ritual of the Fourth Eye of Collag. The link via the plane of Chaos has immensely improved the tuning of the crystal to thr Forge at Marguyl. All standard rituals are properly functioning, including commune.
Entry 10: I have begun testing some of the minor martial rituals. Although there was success, there have been occasions when I have seen more wild magic flashes within the green of the Hengis Crystal. Tomorrow I intend try and confirm if this aberrant behaviour exists.
Entry 11: The blue flashes in the Crystal are definitely occurring and I am not able to identify the cause. I have reported to the Seniors at Marguyl but they do not have any explanation so far. My instructions are to commence testing of the major martial rituals.
Entry 12: The tuning of the crystal is definitely becoming erratic. Today I attempted two of the major martial rituals. The Cloud of Arrows ritual was successful, and certainly irritated the local tribe of goblins who have been lurking around the tower. When the goblins gathered at the base of the slope to the north I commenced the Wall of Water ritual to “dampen” their hostility. However rather than the water I expected, a strange blue fog emerged from the crystal. The fog moved to the location I had intended, and it made the goblins disperse, so I effectively achieved my objective. However this unexpected result causes me concern.
Entry 13: At some moment during the night the crystal resumed ejecting this strange blue mist. Adding to the mystery, the mist has now become quite chilled. I noticed a thin layer of frost at the base of the tower this morning. The roof of the tower is also covered in a layer of frost and I am unable to bring the ritual to an end. I am also unable to use the crystal for the commune ritual, so I have despatched my final carrier bird to Marguyl for further instructions.
Entry 14: The rate of mist being ejected from the crystal is increasing and the tower is becoming intolerably c0ld. My servants have been collecting as much wood as they can from the local area in order to stoke the fires. There has been no response to my last message and I do not know how to bring this bizarre ritual result to an end.
Entry 15: The four fireplaces in the laboratory seem to have become attuned to the Chaos plane, as they are burring with a strange blue flame that is bitterly cold. I have read that the Ritual of the Fourth Eye of Collag can create unexpected portals to the plane of Chaos through mirrors and water wells, but I have never heard of a fireplace changing its form in this way. The blue mist is increasing and the walls of the tower are now covered with ice.
Entry 16: All of the fireplaces in the tower are now attuned to the chaos plane, and they seem to have become a portal for elemental creatures to invade the tower. An ice shardling killed one of my servants today. I was able to kill the creature using a fire ritual, although I had to retreat upstairs to be very close to the minor crystal in order for the ritual to work.
