Nappendixia Campaign Session Report
Session #- 71 Session Date- 12/27/23
Time Passed- 7 days (adventuring 12/27-1/1, rest 1/2)
Roll Call- Godhard- C6
Boyo- C3
Mayfly- M/U1
20 Spearmen
10 Lt Cav
Adventure Log- 12/27- Godhard and Boyo continue to ponder over the strange yellow paged book that holds keys to how the cubic gate structures operate. They consider taking the long journey out to Papagallo’s new site to see if his sage knows how the devices work. They instead decide to visit Auntie’s sage who tells them to recount everything they know of the structures and all the information they may have gleaned from the strange writings. They converse back and forth and the sage contacts supernatural forces and gives them confirmation on many things. They learn that the cubic gate structure as it has become to be known in the local vernacular, is but one of many “cubic gates” scattered around the Nappendixian badlands. The structures serve as stations along a linear path that traverses the land. They get confirmation that the cubic gate near Bartertown, the metal tower near the Megadungeon, The metal tower near Papa’s new site, and the structure connected to the “subway” dungeon are all stations that can be traveled to. From any station you can travel “uptown” or “downtown” to the next adjacent station. They also get confirmation that the gates operate with an initial input of magic by the pilot, who then uses a control panel on the side to engage a portal on the top of the structure that travelers walk through to the next station. They are told that the machines run on the cycles of the moon, only a certain amount of uses and travelers per day may go. Bolstered by all of this information from the sage, they decide the most important thing to do is get the spell comprehend languages so they can better attempt to get information from the book, particularly how to use magic to start the devices. Due to their excellent reputation from the magic darkness plague, several mages are willing to trade spells so the party can learn comprehend languages. They spend the rest of the day setting up a contact and transferring over the spell. The next day Mayfly memorizes it and has several minutes to skim the book. He finds it to be a repair log of sorts, different repair jobs are recorded here, and the location and type of work. The party is able to get a few references to different spells that were cast into the operating panel on the side to begin its operation. It seems both arcane and divine spells will start the portal, and the controller seems to have time to climb up to the top and go through the portal also, as long as a rope or ladder are set up. Excited at the prospects of possibly figuring out how to operate these devices, they gear up their men and head off south towards the subway dungeon and the strange kiosk they found down there.
12/29- After travel and camping the party arrives at the subway dungeon, they employ the spearmen down into the underground while the cav guard the camp. The chambers where they fought the wraiths are empty of any enemies, and they investigate the kiosk and find a 3 section control panel with buttons and switches. They cast comprehend languages again to read the words written on the panels, each has a large button labeled Start/On as well as other switches that read uptown and downtown. They elect to push the central on button and a loud rumbling shakes the whole underground complex. The troops are shaken and dismissed back up topside while the party continues to search. Minutes later several troops return demanding the PCs come to the surface to see what happened. They emerge to see that a cubic gate structure has risen up out of the loose sod and now stands mostly exposed where before there was just a hole to enter the underground. They return to the underground kiosk to see if it can be operated from there, but they can’t get any response. They go back to the surface structure to see if it has a secret compartment on the side like the one near Bartertown has. They search but find nothing. That night Godhard decides to prepare locate object for the next day and try to locate a control panel on the new structure. The following morning he is successful, and finds a 3x3 compartment on the side. There is a curious map on the compartment and a potion. The map seems to be of the cubic gate stations, and the party makes some notes as to guessing where the stations are located. The map is ripped and incomplete, but a lot of information is revealed. He decides to cast light into the compartment, and in response a swirling portal of energy forms on the top of the stone structure. Also a panel slides back revealing a dial that can be turned, they decide to turn it clockwise, hoping that will take them to the cubic gate near Bartertown. Godhards is able to encourage 3 spearmen to try the portal with them, And Boyo, Godhard, and the 3 step through and arrive on a different cubic gate structure after telling Mayfly and the troops to wait 1 day for them then return to Bartertown. They get their bearings and realize they are at the cubic gate near Bartertown, as they predicted the dial would take them. Feeling like they are starting to understand the machine, they bivouac and rest, figuring they need to wait a lunar day to operate the machine again. The next morning they do, only this time, using the map, they figure that they can take this cubic gate one stop further east, hopefully to Papagallo’s site many days travel away.
12/31- The small party of 5 arrives near Papagallos site at the location of the spindly metal tower. Here however, a cubic gate structure has unearthed itself and risen to reveal another station. There is a rocky outcropping blocking a good view of Papa’s location, but the party sees a lot of swirling dust in that direction. They sneak to the outcropping to get a view and see Papa has built a fortress out of the surrounding debris from the wasteland and is defending as best as possible against a horde of filthy marauders riding and sieging the fortress on horse, battlewagon, chariot, and a few strange metal horseless machines and several huge wood and stone rolling structures. Knowing they are way underpowered to do anything to help Papa, Godhard casts speak with animal on a nearby bird, and writes a note to Papa telling him they have traveled near by a strange portal, and they hope to return soon with enough men to help defeat the marauders. The next morning, after watching a marauder patrol investigate the newly unearthed gate, the party steals to it and sets it in operation again, returning to the Bartertown gate and promptly heading back to town, happy to find Mayfly and the troops made it back alive. Knowing they still have much to learn and prepare for they begin downtime activities on the 3rd.
Session Notes- this session a lot happened, the small party did a lot to reveal how the gates work, they still have lots of secrets to uncover, but they now have a pretty powerful means of long distance travel that gives them a lot more options as to places they can get to without getting bogged down with random wilderness encounters. It is also making them re-evaluate where they should be basing their operations at, wondering if these new gates need to be protected or if any constructions could aid in their use and defense. I’m starting to see more thoughtful use of spells and more aggressive attempts to acquire useful spells. Clerics in particular have access to lots of spells that rarely get memorized on a daily basis, but given a day of prep a cleric can really memorize a useful repertoire of spells. Study those spell lists, and of course look up every spell at least the first 3 times you use it, AD&D spells almost always work differently than you think. It was definitely to get some important groundwork laid during this month of lighter attendance. Next month should we get some of our regulars back there will be lots of new information and ideas, and I won’t have to take the lead on parsing out all that information, the players can do it amongst themselves.
Treasure and XP- Treasure- Cubic Gate Map 2000xp, potion of treasure find 600= 2600xp/ 3PCs= 867xp each add % bonus if appropriate
Graveyard- 1 Lt Foot and 1 Camp Follower to spitting snakes and 1 Lt Foot to wraiths in the dungeon south of Bartertown. (session 69)
3 Spearmen to Wraiths in the subway dungeon south of Bartertown (session 70)
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