Voorhess Game Log 2163 - Saltwave RPG Campaign

Voorhess Game Log

Saltwave Campaign Journal for 2163 (08-May-2004)

5 Greening 2163 - Kraanicher Adventurers Tailed by Hunters, Turn the Tables
Anika Voorhess and Lukas Mietrsohn, two Kraanicher adventurers, join up in Voyreem and journey north to Tarnia to learn about the truth around a Voorhess family legend. They attract the attention of a half-elf ranger and his companion who hate Kraanichers. After insulting and threatening the Kraanichers, the half-elf leaves the tavern. The ranger then tails the adventurers on their journey until they lead him into a trap. Anika and Lukas let the ranger's accomplice go free and continue on to Griffon Peak.

24 Greening 2163 - Anika and Lukas Train with Mindspeaker Guild
Anika and Lukas test with the Tarnian Mindspeaker Guild and are allowed to receive training. Anika discovered an affinity for dancing meditation. They meet several members of the Mindspeaker Guild and make some friends. While in Griffon Peak, an agent of the Brotherhood of Thought gives them a stern warning about avoiding corruption. Anika and Lukas go out to explore adventure possibilities in the Wano Forest.

3 Growing 2163 - Anika and Lukas Destroy Undead, End Curse on Castle
An old Voorhess family legend told of how the family once ruled land and was very powerful in the Wano Forest, before ill fortune befell them. Anika discovered that Voorhess Castle actually exists, but that lay under a powerful curse. Anika and Lukas went in and destroyed the undead remains of the villagers. They then continued into the castle, where they found the ghost of the castellan responsible for the mistreatment of the faeries, whose ire prompted the curse. Laying the castellan to rest and renewing the promise to the faeries allowed Anika to break the curse. In the castle, she and Lukas discovered records showing that the Voorhess family ruled a large parcel of land north of Griffon Peak.

20 Growing 2163 - Anika and Lukas Pass Tests of Pure Lineage
Returning to Voyreem, Anika and Lukas pass the Kraanicher Tests of Pure Lineage given by the Krranicher genetic monitors. They are initiated into adulthood, receive their tattoos, and discover that they are not considered "fully compatible" genetically. This does not bother them, and they make plans for further adventures.

1 Flowers 2163 - Anika Voorhess Appointed Baroness of Ancestral Lands
Anika gains an audience with Duke Killian and successfully petitions to have her family lands restored to her. Over the course of Growing, Duke Killian has her tested, puts some conditions in place, and then allows her to receive an appointment as Baron of Voorhess. The investiture ceremony takes place on the 1st of Flowers.

14 Flowers 2163 - Bugbear Vampires Destroyed in Voorhess
Word of some trade attacks and mysterious activity in the northern area of Voorhess Barony prompts Lukas and Anika to investigate. They discover a nest of bugbear vampires. Over several days, Anika and Lukas destroy the vampires. The lead vampire succumbs to complete destruction after Anika traps him in his coffin and drags it out into the sunlight, only to open it.

28 Flowers 2163 - Lukas Mietrsohn is Killed
Jock Lundor brings news to Anika that Lukas Mietrsohn has been slain by bandits or assassins of some skill after visiting Count M'varek Kaarstan northwest of Voyreem. Jock explains that he has vowed to find out what really happened and bring justice to whoever slew his friend.

5 Heat 2163 - Anika and Jock Slay Mad Wizard
Anika and Jock slew the mad wizard, M'varek Kaarstan, in the dungeon of his castle. Lord Kaarstan, brother to the Count of Kazaandu, had learned that villagers of Ipwenkel had discovered a kzin ruin from the period of the Eighth Man-Kzin War. Kaarstan had been searching for a kzin ruin that contained a number of psychoactive skins--psionic items of strangely mutable form and power--and knew that this ruin was the one he had been seeking. Lord Kaarstan manipulated the original owner of the land where the ruin was located and gained possession, having to defeat a band of adventurers to keep his claim. In his research on the psychoactive skins, Lord Kaarstan activated the Skin of Evil and was possessed by its corrupting power. When Lukas passed by for dinner with Lord Kaarstan, the delusional wizard thought that Lukas was after his treasures and had him killed. Anika and Jock revealed the deception after Kaarstan's paranoia led him to turn against them, too. In the ensuing battle, Lord Kaarstan was slain and his skins taken by Anika. The details of Lukas' murder were reported to the authorities.

8 Heat 2163 - Anika Joins the Golden Alliance
Anika learns more about the Golden Alliance from her introductions by Jock Lundor. She petitions for membership and joins.

12 Heat 2163 - Anika gains Information about Psychoactive Skins
Anika talks with Meisterin Elnestra about the properties of unstable ectoplasm as used in the psychoactive skins taken from Lord Kaarstan. She discovers some basic information, but this sort of item has not been created by human psions before.

23 Heat 2163 - Anika and Jock meet Shannotsuul; defeat Akwest Babasek
Anika and Jock meet the beholder, Akwest Babasek, after trailing some mysterious happenings near Zharvil Falls to a cave complex. They accept the beholder's commission to investigate a "Crystal Citadel" located in a huge underground cavern. After two forays into the caverns, the heroes meet the owner of the Crystal Citadel, a renegade ullitharid named Shannotsuul. The ullitharid was unusual in that its experiments with psionic circuitry (tattoos) resulted in the reactivation of the memories and personality of the original human host used to create the illithid noble. Ordinarily, the human psyche was completely devoured in the ceremorphosis process, but Redatsuul's failed experiments brought the human adventuring wizard, Shannon Canteel, back into existance. Shannon's mind dominated the ullitharid Redatsuul and kept overall control of the body. While the illithid personality of Redatsuul was not destroyed, "Shannotsuul" kept it mostly supressed. Despite trying many things, she could not restore herself to human form. Instead, she spent most of the last 350 years waging war on the hated illithids. Anika vowed to aid her in this war and to seek a way to restore or recreate the human life of Shannon Canteel. Akwest Babasek was not pleased to find that the adventurers he had "hired" made an alliance with the ruler of the Crystal Citadel. He attacked the heroes, and was slain in combat. Anika and Jock return to Voyreem on 28 Heat after studying at the Golden Alliance monastary at Zharnil Falls.

7 Glow 2163 - Encounter with Bandits
Jock and Anika return to Voorhess after an encounter with bandits on the path to Peaky Heap. They gain a treasure map, some magical gear, and capture an invitation to meet with "The Upright Man," a reputed criminal mastermind. They elect not to follow the lead, and instead prepare the castle and village for an influx of peasant families and servitors.

9 Glow 2163 - Jock and Anika Free Crystal Angel and Stonecutter
Anika and Jock explored the old mines under Castle Voorhess and found many rich veins of crystals, as well as a section blocked off with warnings. Choosing to explore the unblocked mines, they defeat a variety of perils and release a mad stonecutter from his magical imprisonment. Anika prevails upon the dragons, Talon and Timedancer, to "free" the crystal angel that Graven the stonecutter created. Giving life to the angel, Amanda, heals the stonecutter's madness.

19 Glow 2163 - Anika appoints brother, Wilhelm, as Lord Seneschal of Voorhess
Anika appointed her brother, Wilhelm, to manage the finances and day-to-day activities of Voorhess Barony. Wilhelm Voorhess is pleased to do so and moves into the castle.

24 Glow 2163 - Information Traded with Shannotsuul
Anika and Jock discovered useful secrets about the nature of personality and memory encoding at Zharvil Falls. In talking with the renegade ullitharid, Shannotsuul, Anika learned more about illithid strengths and weaknesses. This helped her prepare for the coming investigation of the illithid-dominated portion of the Voorhess Barony mines.

15 Colors 2163 - Anika and Jock Expunge Evil from Old Temple
Anika and Jock visited Master Kalier Goloda in Contradina and learned about the attempted theft of Yenejg's Amulet. They gave notice to the Ishan temple in Contradina and ventured into the Tarwood Forest to investigate the ruin connected with the amulet. Anika and Jock then defeated the monsters residing in the temple--a lamia, a band of bugbears, and a sorcerer named Jainos Tyskie. They learned the secret of the amulet Jainos tried to steal and how it controls the teleporter within the old demonic temple. Jock and Anika restore the will of the kzin heroes enslaved by the lamia, and take them as servitors. Then, the Baroness and her companion entered the secret portion of the temple through the teleporter. They fought a desparate battle against the marilith, Penfavasta, who had been summoned back to her Prime Material abode by the teleporter activity. After defeating the demon, Anika and Jock secured the aid of the Ishan temple to have the remaining evil cleansed, and returned to Voorhess with copious treasure.

31 Harvest 2163 - Many Dead Illithids in the Basement
Anika and Jock clear out the illithids in the southern caverns beneath Voorhess. Three illithid leaders escaped, but many were slain. Anika discusses events with Shannotsuul and Meisterin Elnestra (separately). In order to craft or modify the psychoactive skins, Anika will have to find out what method the kinti originally used to make the ectoplasm stable.

12 Frost 2163 - Jock Sets up Adventuring Hospitality Business
While Anika makes a report about the illithids to agents of the Crown, Jock sets up a business to provide hospitality to adventurers who would be invited to foray into the Underdark from Voorhess Castle. Jock begins to put a high-priced inn and festhall together to make money serving the returning adventurers who come back from the Underdark with treasure. Anika talks to agents of the Crown, discusses things with Lord Valdemar and the tax collectors, and posts notices for adventurers in Golden Alliance gymnasiums. Jock secures the services of a wizard to enchant Voorhess Castle with an Astral Barrier.

15 Frost 2163 - The Baroness receives an Illithid Ultimatum
An illithid envoy arrives bearing an ultimatum for Anika and Jock. It offers the opportunity to complete a special challenge--a testing maze. If the adventurers win through, the illithids will establish a truce and withdraw from Voorhess for 50 years. After some thought and discussion, Anika accepts.

31 Frost 2163 - Anika, Jock, and Talon enter the Testing Maze
Anika, Jock, their castle priest, Cory, and the dragon, Talon, enter the testing maze of the illithids. Five days later, they return triumphantly, having defeated all the monsters and dragons in the maze. On 4 Deluge 2164, Anika informs the illithids of her decision to accept the 50 year truce. Anika's decision is prompted by a visit with a Knight of the Dragon who tells her of the danger the dark elves would pose if the illithids left them unchecked.

(Forward to Voorhess Log for 2164)