Loose threads: The Wandering Zephyr tribe needs planar keys to finish constructing their planar skiff. The summit at the top of the mountain seems to attract corrupted monstrosities from beyond the stars, which would spell calamity if they got loose. Space Mountain has hazardous planar rifts for some reason, and how the mountain was created remains unknown. Invitation to the Great Beyond.
Participants:
- Zinlynndise Imare
- Reiko Amiri
- Hecret
- Jirel Flyr
- Honorary Mention to Gavir
- Ninja as GM
Locations: Continent, Wandering Zephyr Tribe, Choindreoss' Lair, Space Mountain(Heaven-Reaching Summit), Mountain Base, Mountain Rifts, Mountain Summit
Short summary:
Party gathered to make the endeavor to climb space mountain. Reiko teleported the group from the refugee camp to the base of Space Mountain. Party encountered a scout for the near by Wandering Zephyr Tribe, and was introduced to their leader Gavir and Ebir. Ebir showed off the tribes vast hoard of powerful magical items, and their planar skiff under construction. Resting up in magnificient mansions, Gavir joined the party for the 2 day ascent to the summit. They recieved blessings from the tribal patron Choindross, and crossed the cloud lair into a part of the mountains over run with planar rifts. A few more encounters with dragons, kaiju, and time stuck wanderers along the way before the party reached the top, where they helped the dragon Yphi fight off a corrupted dragon from space.
Full Report
Fair Winds and Hello!
We finally got to start the exploration expedition i've always had my eyes set on! The domineering space mountain! Everything about it seemed imposing, like something most folks have the sense to avoid. Which made me really want to be the first one to explore it. And judging by my other adventurers, I seem to be out there trying to find all sorts of weird places. Maybe i'll do the fey realms next?
Reiko, Jirel, and Hecret were the ones I traveled with on this expedition. And we got off to a really quick start, with Reiko casting a teleport spell to wind us up right at the mountain to begin with. We paused a bit to figure out what our plan is beyond that - teleporting to the top is definitely off the table for me, I wanted to climb and see the mountain top to bottom. But we also considered asking the local rabbitfolk tribes for help. We ended up opting for making an 'obvious' approach to the mountain, figuring any scouts would find us first.
And that's exactly what happened! We met a scout named Zidan, who led us to an underground burrow belonging to the Wandering Zephyr tribe. We were introduced to the leader sort of personality at least, a man named Gavir. His daughter Ebir gave us a tour around - the place was large and both super magical and super humble in a way. They lived like they always have, hunter gatherers heeding tradition. But apparently a lot of wealth and strange magical items fall from the mountain so frequently that the Zephyr tribe made themselves famous for having the best mages and enchanters in the realm, so Ebir says!
Along the tour we were also introduced to Ebir's passion project, a flying ship that is supposed to be able to transverse the planes. The production is a bit stuck at the moment though, as they still need planar keys like the plane shift spell to actually use it. It'd definitely be really really cool to find some and come back to them for adventures in other realms like that, so me and Reiko are keeping an eye out for those keys. Afterwards, we slept in a magical spell mansion that was like...obscenely fabulous. So cozy, wizardry can be insane sometimes.
The next day, we asked about a guide. Ebir was excited to join us with all her magical inventions, but immediately shut down by Gavir. We were able to convince Gavir to join us in his daughter's stead - and he was a scary viscious fighter to boot too! He said he wanted to make sure the mountain was safe for the eventuality his daughter makes the climb without him. Which was super sweet - reminded me of how my own dad was like. Though kinda frustrating, because I know what its like being Ebir too. I just kept my tongue quiet though. Ugh.
We made our way up the mountain uneventfully for the first day. We stopped by a cavern that led up to the lair of the ancient dragon Choindross, who is the patron of the Zephyr tribe it seems. She was super fond to see one of her 'bunnies' it seems, a little creepy but you can't really say no to a dragon fawning over your people I guess? Oh and she got a little mad to see us, but Reiko was able to flatter her with politeness and we even got blessings from Choindross for our ascent! (well, i'm pretty sure Gavir did get an actual blessing. We just got like...words of approval)
The next day we crossed the line where the clouds clung to the mountain - which honestly ended up being a weird natural barrier of sorts. Because on the other side we saw that the mountain was covered or constantly changed and eroded by planar rifts that opened and closed. You'd see a portal to the fire plane open up and just burn your arm off suddenly, or the earth plane transform the ground into a bunch of sharp crystals - stuff like that. Hecret made a daring attempt to approach one of hte rifts, and as best we can tell they lead to a demi plane of sorts - kinda similar to the Elemental shrine back by First Landing.
One of the rifts we found was a time rift that frozen time to a complete halt. Probably the scariest and most dangerous one of them all, cus a second passes inside for millenia on the outside it seems. We found a rabbit folk trapped inside, seemingly having been preserved there for hundreds of years! Reiko was able to pull him out with a spell. He was able to chat for a bit about how he was looking for a cure for his sick tribe, which gavir recalls was cured by Choindross like...i dunno, 700 years ago? A long time, really. But this fella has been here thinking he's saving his family and then blip...700 years later and he's missed out on /everything/. And then he just...turned to ash and only his ghost remained! And everyone just acted like that was normal. I tried mentioning it but...Reiko said not to. Oh and that he was a phantom, not a ghost - and there's a difference? Seemed mean but...I guess he got to reunite with his family one more time?
After that we managed to skirt around the worst of the rifts and find a path forward - only for a bunch of dragon youngsters and trouble makers to show up and try to rob us. Which was like...dumb. I know we win that fight. I'm sure my friends knew too. they didn't. We warned them. They didn't listen. Arrogant dragons tried to ambush us, more friends showing up from underground and calling us weak ants. Uggghh, only one or two managed to run off with their lives.
And just as we were catching our breath, we spotted a earthquake coming our way. IT. WAS. A. KAIJU!
A KAIJU!
WE SAW A KAIJU!
DID YOU SEE A KAIJU BEFORE? NUH UH!
Oh my gods, I dared Hecret to see if we could touch the Kaiju in a race and get back to safety before it noticed. But it did notice and like...I guess kaiju are like...really powerful beasts - it was totally understandable to me. Well, I'm a druid, I understand animals. But still, I TALKED WITH A KAIJU!
DIDYOUTALKWITHAKAIJU?
Hahaha, oh, kaiju's say hello by zapping you with a death laser. Really really really make sure you survive and make it clear they don't need to say hello again. Everything about them has this immense aura - blinding and terrifying and really easy to just...kill you if you're not careful. But I was able to learn that the kaiju feeds off the energy of the planar rifts and basks in the sun. His name is Jynnu the Mountain Protector, and he lives in a cave in the mountain!
After that we finished our breather and took another night time eepies. I kinda realized the Kaiju blinded me somehow, one of its auras I think. its a curse of some sort, but I was able to sorta see through it with a dark vision spell i casted in the morning. It went away eventually when I got back to first landing, but definitely use that as a warning against touching Kaijus. you could go blind!
After that rest and final preparations, we closed up on the distance to the top of the mountain. Apparently the last mile stretch is warded somehow, like a line of magic surrounds the peak and scares you off from climbing or flying any higher. It doesn't hurt or cripple you, but it definitely feels uneasy. Hecret called it a 'sign post'. So naturally we had to cross it prepared for a fight.
At the top we saw a prescient dragon named Yphi, who was rather impressed to see mortals make the climb so high. She offered a reward for the climb, but we were interrupted when some meteor came crashing down from the skies - some dangerous monster or calamity that we had to fight or would pose a danger to the world below. And it was a super dangerous one - one Yphi would need help dealing with as her kin was away. So we prepared ourselves with a quick spell just as it landed.
It being a foul corrupted dragon of some sorts, with spikes and tendrils and warped wings - like a dragon fused with a cactus and octopus somehow. 8 red gleaming evil eyes and flesh that just ripped out into mini dragons - absolutely gross. It spoke draconic, seemingly familiar with Yphi but its mind was so lost in its own warbling, less of a personality and more of a compelled will?
The first few seconds were /rough/. Dragon fire everywhere, reiko and hecret going down over and over. I put down some wards but spent the whole fight healing and keeping everyone up. Eventually we managed to defeat the lump dragons one by one - Gavir being our big hero with his giant spear! And we got to the last dragon - none of us really able to hit the darn thing without Reiko scaring it and warding Jirel and Gavir up. Eventually it resorted to confusing Gavir as a last gasp, but Gavir was still able to put it down even while confused. And yphi snapped Gavir out of the confusion before he could turn on us.
Its weird how dangerous fights like that can start off so hopeless. But its a reminder to always bring on your happy go lucky healer, always. We stuck with it. And got a really amazing view out of it, like, saw the whole world!
The only weird thing is that the sky above the mountain turned into a strange pitch black, even in the sun. And there were no stars. At all. Whatever is out there, or wherever this dragon is from, must be hiding them, i'm sure.
We asked a few questions, got an elemental orb as a reward from Yphi's kin, took some planar keys as loot, and set up to go home one by one. The climb was so worth it, but definitely needs some preparation if you want to try your own luck. Lashunta's life bubble was the crutch we lived on above the clouds! Oh, and the draconic language - everyone speaks draconic or kaiju up there.
- Zinlynndise Imare