Fluff compilation

[Anastasia]

The Narrative Guide to the Styx

This book is filled to the brim with knowledge of the Styx as it winds across all the Depths Below. It provides a rich tapestry of information about everything from Styxwater to fiendish navies, to the inhabitants of the forgetful river. If consulted on a knowledge check directly dealing with the Styx or matters directly tied to the Styx, this book grants a +1 bonus to that check.

> roll 1d20+12
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+12 and gets 23." [1d20=11]

In addition, Sylvie notices there is a code hidden in the writing.

> roll 1d20+37
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+37 and gets 49." [1d20=12]

Sylvie is able to decipher the code. It reads as follows: Seek the Hermit of the Black Waters within the Windswept Depths to study the Styx. He's waiting for worthy students.

[Anastasia]

Lost Lore of the Abyss: Kelvezu demons

This book discusses kelvezu, a relatively rare type of demon. Rare, as they are only 5 feet tall and almost identical to humans, save for rosy red skin and a tiny pair of horns atop its forehead. They are similar to assassin devils, eliminating tiresome opponents of greater devils, bothersome mortals and interfering celestials.  The book elaborates on several traits a typical kelvezu possesses.

- Typical demon subtype traits. These are SRD standard.

- Considerable talents shared with rogues and thieves, such as evasion, improved uncanny dodge and sneak attack.

- Poisoned weapons that drain the health of those who fall victim to it.

- Profusely bleeding wounds. A creature that a kelvezu successfully sneak attacks takes 6 points of bleed damage per round. Unlike Infernal Wounds and similar abilities, there is no difficulty in healing the wound. Any HP recovery stops the bleeding damage. The sole exception is fast healing that is less than the amount of bleed damage per round. In that case it reduces the bleed damage but does not stop it. Fast healing sufficient to match or overcome the bleed damage stops it.

- Skilled in two weapon fighting and dirty tricks. Watch out for situation attacks, like throwing sand in your eyes, low blows, being dropped into pits and so on.

[Anastasia]

Biological Functions of Lemures

This book is an exhausting study of lemures. It is full of obscure and ultimately irrelevant factoids about Hell's ammunition and cannon fodder. Not a one paints a picture of anything but abject misery for them, warning all those who read that this is the fate of those who curry Hell's favor.

[Anastasia]

My D&D writing gets better after awhile to let it age and read it fresh. Go figure.

Hanna's happy fun time adventure is a go!



*Picture may be less happy than she or the adventure actually is.

> roll 1d100
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d100 and gets 27." [1d100=27]

Hanna goes to find some divinations about her lost equipment! Balyss is super helpful but it's not enough! Then 27 comes in and Hanna plucks it up and throws it into a teleporter after it starts uttering cryptic bullshit provides another clue for his friend Hanna! This is enough to give Hanna and Balyss a lead on finding the equipment in the Astral Plane! Yay!

> roll 1d20+27 diplomacy (-2 since she had to deal with 27)
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+27 diplomacy (-2 since she had to deal with 27) and gets 39." [1d20=12]

Plus Hanna nicely convinces Ithea to help because her slaad made a pest of itself AGAIN Ithea's a kind, helpful soul. Awww! So off they go to the Astral, to an island of floating matter where the divinations lead. But there's someone already there! It's a gith, just like Hanna's friend Sage Vul'lath! But it turns out he's a sourpuss like Sage Vul'lath can be too! But don't worry, Hanna knows how to cheer him right up so he helps!

> roll 1d20+37 intimidate (+2 Ithea, +2 Balyss, +4 size)
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+37 intimidate (+2 Ithea, +2 Balyss, +4 size) and gets 51." [1d20=14]

See? Her new friend is now being all helpful! Yay! He's offering to give Hanna her things back in exchange some spellcasting. That sounds like a great idea, right?

> roll 1d20+30 sense motive
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+30 sense motive and gets 31." [1d20=1]

It sure does! Hanna thinks it sounds super-nifty! There's no way the gith bastard resisted Discern Lies...yeah no. But just to be sure, Hanna keeps her ears open as they go to exchange things!

> roll 1d20+30 listen
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+30 listen and gets 41." [1d20=11]

Oh no! Hanna's friend is being a fucking backstabbing gith is unbelievably stupid to attack an angel with friends drew a poisoned dagger! Hanna smiles and tries to talk...talk...talk...

> roll 1d20+12 init
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+12 init and gets 30." [1d20=18]
> roll 1d20+10 init
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+10 init and gets 17." [1d20=7]

Hanna just has to give her new friend a nice hug to fix that! A hug that just happens to have Ithea and Balyss help with! They hug him so hard that the mean demon inside of him is knocked clean out! Then the mean old demon gets hugged right back to the Abyss! Yay!

So Hanna came home with her bag of holding gear after all. Today wasn't such a no good, rotten, lousy day! Unless you were a gith or a demon.

[Anastasia]

Done with nagging and onto loot. Expecting little to come of this, but there's probably a few nuggets there.

[Anastasia]

This one may not matter, but I find it an interesting factoid.

Depends a lot on the army. Let's say you have a 10,000 person army and you want all of them to make masterwork weapons. They cost 300 gold per weapon, not counting the price of the base weapon. That's 3,000,000 gold just for masterwork weapons. If you're really rich beyond reason and powerful, you could pay 20,000,000 for +1 weapons for all!

The point is that assuming a large army all has masterwork stuff isn't automatic and shouldn't be.

[Anastasia]

A letter, reading the following

General Raitalo

The continued efforts in Marambor bear fruit. The High Stone is becoming susceptible to influence on the matter of the catfolk; estimated 9 to 18 days until framing them as war criminals and liars can be affected; estimated 1 month until they can be captured and delivered to Governor Apasa's Shudderlings.  No opposition has appeared, nor any signs of interference or celestial meddling. The likelihood of a contact with Prince Ogremoch is ongoing but currently low; the local cleric is firmly beholden to Grumbar. Assassination or corruption is not recommended at this time. The corruption of the High Stone is encouraged; all the signs point to his gullible and relatively emotional nature weakening him. Care must be employed, for several incognito agents of Ogremoch have been detected.

In my professional opinion, I do not believe Ogremoch will be receptive and may be onto this operation by unknown means. Recommend limiting operational goals to the first circle of success.

Yig

[Anastasia]

Tomes of Obscenity

These tomes are filled with mathematical formulas and magical diagrams that directly rebel against common understanding. However, within them is the ability to make the proper calculations and preparations to allow a creature to absorb a bit of the blood of those beyond the spheres. It requires a DC 23 intelligence check and 3 days to prepare this information; failure results in 3d6 points of intelligence damage due to the massive mental stress. Once prepared, there are a pair of words. Words in the loosest sense, being of letters that beg you to read them, and yet being no words that you understand. According to the tome each will work once. One utterance will open a portal to beyond for 1 round, and the other utterance will open a portal back to whence you came in beyond for 1 round.

[Anastasia]

Blade of Endings

This sword appears as a sword shaped hole, a gap in Creation forged into a blade. If touched to a creature of any type, they are immediately destroyed. For creatures of less than 21 hit dice or levels, there is no saving throw. They are annihilated, body and soul. Creatures of 21 to 40 hit dice or levels are allowed a fortitude save (DC 40) to resist. Failure results in complete destruction as above, with success reducing the blade's damage to 40d6. Treat as a disintegration effect (though immunity to disintegration, spell resistance and other factors do not apply), secondary modifiers such as strength or other bonuses to damage do not apply. Creatures of 41 or more hit hit dice or levels take damage as if they successfully saved and are not at risk of being immediately slain by this weapon.

The Blade of Endings is excessively difficult to wield safely. All attack rolls with it are must be made with the greatest care, lest the wielder risk exposing himself to it. The proper care eliminates this risk but inflicts a -5 penalty to attack rolls. Alternately, this can be forsaken and the blade can be wielded fully. If so, a natural attack roll of a 1 results in the wielder accidentally touching the blade and suffering the effects of it.

On being grasped (assuming the wielder has the proper protections, otherwise they suffer as if struck by the Blade of Endings), the sword smoothly becomes the favored bladed weapon of the wielder. This requires no action and happens automatically. It changes to the proper size for a wielder; this has no impact on the effects of the Blade of Endings.

Contact with the Blade of Endings, even through protections, seems to provoke visions and place a currently unknown type of strain of the wielder's body.

The Blade of Endings seems to be beyond fate, or perhaps outside of it, due to being of something outside of Creation.

Gauntlets of Quilium

These small gauntlets are properly sized for a small creature, such as a pixie. They occupy the bracers/glove slot on the body. When worn, they allow the Blade of Endings to be used without immediate destruction.

Sheath of Quilium

This sheath is capable of holding the Blade of Endings.

Armor Remains

What are you doing with the rest of the armor? There's enough left to Fabricate it into a medium suit of armor, 4 sets of gauntlets (medium sized, you could make 2 large gauntlets, 8 small gauntlets or so forth) or something roughly equivalent to this.

[Anastasia]

These are recorded as the sort of fucked-up art fiends and evil creatures might produce.

Tapestry, Herron Cast Out, showing a babe tossed into a raging stream. 1,100 gold.
Tapestry, Righteous Blasphemy, showing a scene of Shar's form of the Dark Dancer being violated and mutilated by several angels, all laughing sadistically: 800 gold.
Tapestry, Passion, showing an enraged knight impaling a king sitting on a throne: 1,000 gold.
Painting, Relief, showing a blood-soaked, nude man laughing in delirious joy, as he holds the severed head of a child: 100 gold.
Tapestry, Triumph over yourself, showing five men and five women graphically mutilating themselves: 200 gold.
Painting, Apology, showing a woman in a green gown hanging from a noose, face bloated and rotted: 900 gold.
Painting, Learned helplessness, showing amputees lying in filth, weeping as a richly dressed king sits in a throne before them: 765 gold.

[Anastasia]

Cor's notes in the MoP topic. All good shit.

The Silver Sea stretches into infinity, its timeless depths like a vast lake of tranquility. Amid this expanse are occasional hunks of material and ground, where many a creature comes and goes.

Astral's relevant traits are as follows:
No gravity. Creatures travel by thought, 10ft fly speed per point of intelligence with perfect maneuverability.
Timeless: Creatures do not age, get hungry, thirst or need to sleep in the Astral Plane. Once they leave for another plane, all this catches up with them.
Neutral-aligned: It's not favorable to any particular ethos or power.
Enhanced magic: All spells and spell-like abilities are automatically quickened within the Astral Plane.

Places visited:
Silverwick Tavern. Served as a meeting place for the party. Log 001.
The School of the Graceful Blow. It floats in the silvery voice, a chunk of land. It's not all that big - perhaps 500 ft square. A five story building sits there, like an oversized tower that resembles round layer cakes. It is the color of unworked brown fieldstone, shifting between shades. Within the air is warmer - like a balmy summer day. In dozens of pots plants of all sorts bloom. A cavalcade of color flares around you. From the cieling hand yet more, all of them at the height of flowering. The scent of nature replaces the dull nothing-scent of the Astral and the smell of your comrades. In the center is a twin stairway of wrought iron, winding upwards like the flight of a fairy. Log 002.
The Githyanki city of Dul'than. A great island sitting in the Silver void, large and circular. Atop it sits a high walled city, a dome of glistening blue-white glass rising above it. In the back you can see great Astral ships and dreadnoughts rising and docking! As the group approaches closer, you can see everything looks to be heavy stone buildings. There's not a hint of wood or brick. All the stone is a washed out grey color, buildings tightly packed together. At the outer rim of part of the dome is a connected, small floating island, a bridge connecting it into the dome. Here there is a gate, several armored figures standing guard. Sallow yellow-things, with parchment drawn skin and spears at the ready. Log 002.
Oasis. Swaying palm trees around an oasis lake, a chunk of land merely floating in the Astral. The scent of water tickles your nose, flowing out from the lake to the edge, plunging down into the Silver Sea and making several waterfalls. The lake is quite large, full of crystal-blue waters. Save for a golden retreiver dog that's napping besides the pool, no one is about. Fruits of various types hang from the trees, swaying gently in the astral breeze. There's a portal to Elysium at the bottom of the lake. Log 003.
Torm's cathedral. A tall cathedral floats in the Silver Sea, made of charcoal black stone. Stained glass windows decorate all about, pretty images of women shown. Within you find yourselves in a hall, an archway ahead leading further in. Here statues of beautiful, unclad women decorate the hall. They are decorated about, in various alluring positions.  Besides the archway ahead, there's a door on the left wall, nondescript and easy to miss. Log 006.

People:
Adrian. A brooding man with cloak and pendant who stares into his drink. Log 001.
Miss Elrisa, Knight of the Graceful Blow. She dances about, going through the air. Her hair is long, brown tinted silver by the light. Her features are sublimely beautiful, her figure stunning. She dances with her eyes closed, long blade in her hands. You find your eyes glued to her performance, as she moves about! A graceful leap that is as much a step as a true leap, her blade slicing through the air! Log 002.
Misalea. She is beautiful, soft white hair cascading down to the floor, as if it's never been cut. She wears a gown of the same color. As lillipads float on the pond they move in time to her voice. She sings in Sylvan, singing a song of nature's endurance. Log 002.
Vul'lath the Twice-Spoken. Vul'lath lives in the rightmost quadrant of the city. You come to a building three stories tall, packed between two others. The gith wears red robes, hanging loose on it's emancipated frame. Log 002.
Vivicain, owner of the Sea Dragon and the Sea Dragon Group. Docked next to the oasis is a grand astral ship! Near the edge of the lake are about a dozen tall, blue skinned humanoids, resting and talking with each other. Log 006.
Annalise. Resting on the altar is the most gorgeous woman Ithea has ever seen. She is perfect - pure white skin, long blonde hair, beautiful curvy figure, ample bosom and more. She wears naught, save for one thing. A glowing sword is plunged through her heart. Yet she does not bleed, simply lying there. The sword is withdrawn! The woman's body glows blood-red, rising up! The bloodless wound in her stomach closes instantly as she flies up into the air, standing over the altar. Clothing garbs her - two red bits of leather above and one below to keep her modesty. Her blonde hair flies freely about, as if buffeted in a wind. She smiles, long, pointed fangs prominent. She licks her lips, eyes tinging red. Again she shifts. This time her eyes turn gold, blonde hair spilling over one of them. She leans forward, a shoulderless black dress forming over her body. Log 006.
Naliel. Before you floats a lantern archon. Log 006.

[Anastasia]

-Swimming through the portal is like letting go. Worries and cares leave you, white light embracing you. A sense of love, caring and peace saturates you to the core.
-The shift is one that feels good. It feels right, the realm becoming brighter, more alive, more real. Everything is more vivid as you stand in an open field. Colors are more intense than every before, the air is more breathable, and even your own body feels more alive.

Elysium's relevant traits are as follows:
Minor positive dominate: Everyone has fast healing 2 while there.
Entrapping: Spend a week here and you might get in trouble. Every week here makes you roll a will save or you become a petitioner here, in harmony with Elysium.

Places visited:
Eronia. You are in a large, cold lake. Mountains rise around you, a river from the mountains above flowing into the lake and one flowing down of it. The sky is a breath-taking shade of blue, dotted with white clouds. Log 003.
Pixie clearing. On a little further the party finds a clearing - it's a rough square, the grass trimmed and forest held at bay. In the center the hilt of a sword juts out from the ground, a great two handed sword impaled into the soil. Log 004.
Essence of Elysium lake. As dusk falls you come out of the forest path. Ahead of you is a small lake, fed by a few forest streams. A ridge above drops a river into it, a gorgeous waterfall crashing into the lake. Fish leap around it, rainbows dancing amid the waterfall's plunge. The water has a faintly golden cast to it, seeming to well up from the bottom. Log 004.
Fire of desire cave. You come onto a little cave set into the mountain, the path continuing past it. Inside the cave you can see a red-orange glow, a camp fire illuminating the inside. Log 005.
Galariel's platform. Above you can see the peak of the mountain, perfectly chopped off to make the top a platform. The path leads to it, the sky above covered in thick clouds. Golden stairs rise 60 feet straight up to a single platform, just big enough for a man to stand on. Log 005.
The River Oceanus. The great River Oceanus flows before you. A river almost as wide as a lack, cutting a deep ribbon across the surface of Elysium. Its waters flow constantly, a beautiful blue. Log 026.2

People:
Kristia. Standing there is a young woman, pretty but not much past plain. She smiles warmly. From her back spread wings of white, her head slowly rising up. When her eyes meet yours again, they are radiant pools of white. She speaks in a voice that whispers throughout, coming from everywhere around you. Log 003.
Burlst. Here a dwarf sits before the fire, patiently watching it burn. He gestures at it with one scarred, callused hand.
Galariel. He is tall and broad bodied, skin a pure, alabaster white. Six wings hold him aloft, a shimmering surrounding his entire body! The sunshine from above gives him a palpable glow. He has no weapon in hand and wears but a simple white toga. His words boom about like thunderclaps from the clear blue sky.

[Anastasia]

Beyond the portal, the party finds themselves in a misty white glade. Distant and hazy you can see what looks to be a pleasant glade, but it's far away and removed. You float lightly, as if gravity did not exist at all.

Deep Ethereal's relevant traits are as follows:
- No Gravity.
- No energy or alignment traits.
- Normal magic.
- Poor visibility due to the mists.

Places visited:
Medicant. You stand before a dark night. It towers before you, the entire horizon. A great circular wall, reaching thirty feet high. The outer wall of a huge fortress, rising up above you. It is massive, the great towers and rises of the fortress decorated with lit stained glass windows. Closer before you the walls part slightly, as if to invite you within! Ahead of you is an open field, vastly huge, an open courtyard before the fortress proper. It's strangely empty....but as you stand there, one can notice it's getting hot. It's getting hot rapidly! Far ahead you can see doors into the fortress, a good 1,000 feet away. The heat rapidly reaches a boil, frying everyone...but everyone is safe and protected! The party advances on despite the blazing heat, enough to fry you in your boots otherwise! You advance on in good time to to the entrance to the fortress. It is an arch built into it, decorated with images of angels in battle. The door looks to be hard black metal, glowing with a dull red heat. The wall is white stone, unperterbed by the heat. It looks pretty sturdy offhand. Quickly the party scurries in, at least reaching into Medicant! Before you is a grand hallway, a long red carpet leading ahead. The carpetway is lined by dozens of tall, metallic statues. They look vaguely like humans, but far bigger. At the end of the carpet there is stairway leading up, onto a raised platform. You can't see what's atop it from here, but you can see motes of blue and green light rising from it. On the party marches! The key leads ahead to the stairway, as the party climbs up! Atop you see dozens of green-blue pools, motes of light rising from them. As you step up, every single portal turns a hostile red, shimmering force surrounding them! The Celestial Key gently throbs again! Nothing happens for a moment, then the red portals return to blue and green. The Key throbs again, as one portal turns a pearly white! Log 008.

People:
Mist Dragon. Ahead of you the mists all swirl and gather, forming together! What forms is the size of the cathedral that held Annalise, a great dragon of solid mist! It towers over you with a roar that would deafen the Gods themselves. Log 007.
Arcanaloth. It is a humanoid clad in a scholar's robes, yet cut to allow excellent freedom of movement. All but it's hands and head are human, the former having long claws and the latter being that of a canine. It wears a beaded necklace, a pair of unremarkable black bracers and a belt with many pouches. Log 008.
Elena. A girl of perhaps fifteen years old, human with elven ears. Her entire body and clothing is blue - ornate robes like some sort of priestess. Her face is a mask of pique. The girl looks crushed and heartbroken. Log 008.

[Anastasia]

With a dive the three appear within Water! Water, water, water everywhere! Adrian grabs a hold of Jaela, around the waist, as she comes through! His voice is a burble as he speaks, all muffled, "Now cast teleport!" Around you is a pale light - it seems to come from everywhere and nowhere, but otherwise there is nothing but water.

Water's relevant traits are as follows:
- Subjective Directional Gravity. It's like Air, 'cept it's all water. Air bubbles that have land have normal gravity.
- Infinite size, as normal for a plane.
- Water dominant.
- Water magic is enlarged and extended. Fire magic is impeded, DC 15 + spell level to cast fire spells.
- No breathable air short of air pockets.

Places visited:
A natural air bubble serving as refuge for Lifasan survivors lead by Tepen and Adrian. It's a natural air bubble in water, wet stone full of moss and algae growing on it. Almost like grass. Water drips off you. Around you is open air - far far above you can see water, as if held back by the roof of a great, invisible dome. The ground is rocky and green colored, a layer of various growths all over them ground. Ahead are a few dozen crude structures, made of what looks to be driftwood, bits of stone and odds and ends.  Past them you see what looks to be fields of some sort, several people at work plowing. Log 011.1
City of Glass. Woosh! You appear in air. In clear air. You stand on a simple stone platform, heavy and massive. Around you are buildings of all types, rising up. Above you can see what looks to be a glass dome, water flowing around it outside. The air is warm and rather humid, smelling of city streets, humidity and something else. Something not quite foul, but certainly not pleasant. Very city-like. Log 028.1
Vulanas. Vulanas is a lost city in Water. It is said to have once been a bustling place of trade with other realms, but vanished long ago from the history of Creation. Log 028.1
Lost Citadel. "Deep in Water, surrounded by an ocean of pitch black water, there's a citadel within an air bubble. A long lost citadel, ancient indeed. Within that citadel the purest water flows from one particular fountain. This water can wash away even age, it's said." Log 028.1

People:
Elder Magi Tepen. The group leads you to one of the huts. It's dimly lit in here, a bed of rags supporting one man. He is old and weathered, a long white beard and soft white robe. He lies reclined back, eyes half open. With a bleary gaze he looks towards the party, "Adrian?" he asks, voice strained and tired. "Do you bring back hope?" Log 011.1
Canderella Stormfury. In this floor's small taproom there is a beautiful woman - stunningly gorgeous, hair a vibrant brown, brown like rich chocolate and with a body too perfect to be mortal. No sag, no weakness, only a breath stealing beauty. She wears a dress of lxurious, soft material that clings to her hips and surely swishes around her legs. In a honeyed voice that momentarily dulls your senses to anything but the sound of it, "Oh my, you're looking for the lost city?" Log 028.1

[Anastasia]

There is a sensation of rushing, rushing ahead into the light! Rest. You feel rested and free of pain, lying against the sides of a steep mountain. You feel better than you have in a long time. Above you in the brillantly clear sky the mountain rises even higher and higher. The air is clear and pure, sweeping into your lungs like a welcome balm.

The House of the Triad's relevant traits are as follows:
- Strongly good and law aligned.
- Magic with the good or lawful descriptor is enlarged and extended. Magic with both descriptors is maximized and empowered as well.
- Magic with the chaotic and evil descriptors are inhibited. A DC 20 + level spellcraft check is needed to cast them.

Places visited:
Just a prison.

People:
Naliel reformed. Log 011.1
Helm. Log 011.1