Merin and Alicia's notes
Cordor Crypt Notes: Summary
BACKGROUND:
The Cordor cemetery is currently plagued with restless dead, a disturbance is caused by a hierarchical necromantic cult based in the Cordor Crypts and led by a lich known as "The Master." The Cult is well-supplied and established, and is known to take citizens for sacrifice, and animate defiled corpses.
Beyond the lich, necromancers of some capability participate in the cult with both arcane and divine magics being present. There are also altars located in improvised living quarters on site, and plenty of stored goods such as foodstuffs. For magical practitioners, the Weave is saturated and tainted with negative energy.
DANGERS:
The graveyards and upper levels of the Cordor Crypts are made dangerous by scavenger animals, vagrants, graverobbers, and cultists, and basic undead presence. Few traps pose a significant risk in these areas.
Middle levels of the crypts hold dangerous traps, cultists, a dangerous beast called the Bolthax, and various undead including wights and animated, mummified remains.
The deepest reaches of the crypts are crawling with undead, including some with magical ability, as well as vile, life-draining traps and a layout designed to slow would-be delvers on bridges covered by archers.
Day 8, Month 11 (Uktar), 139 AR
Merin Milltea
Cordor Crypt Notes: Tasks:
GENERAL:
o Disrupt cult function by killing or jailing members and denying supply.
o Determine source of cult supplies and method of delivery.
o Reduce cult presence with regular patrols.
o Transcribe any and all documents found.
RANSACKED CRYPTS:
o Determine deity worshipped by cult.
o Disrupt cult ceremony by destroying or cleansing altars.
SACRIFICE AREA:
o Determine purpose of glass tubes in ritual area.
o Assess Bolthax hardiness against nonmagical fire, acid, etc.
o Record any details from completed rituals.
o Collect evidence of cult goals.
DEPTHS:
o Determine age of crypt.
o Map layout and search for hidden passages.
o Discover purpose of bone chairs and remains overlooking bridges.
o Determine identity and goals of The Master
o Determine identity of "Jake Mandrake"
Day 8, Month 11 (Uktar), 139 AR
Merin Milltea
Cordor Crypt Notes: Bolthax (Update 1)
PHYSIOLOGY:
Quadrupedal clawed beast of flesh. Unusual physiology. Hodgepodge of different parts. Noticeable equine similarity, most other parts not otherwise discernible in origin. Leathery, tan-colored hide. Fleshy, pulpy mass at forefront, assumed to be 'head' or brain.
Resistant to magical attack. May shrug off fire (pending further tests.) Not undead, flesh appears to be living due to withering upon exposure to negative energy.
BEHAVIOR:
Charges when agitated, prefers use of forelimbs on prey. Documents on site reference creature's consumption of flesh, though eating habits have not been directly observed. Eating area is littered with digested and partially digested humanoid remains. Cultist claims that Bolthax victims rise in undead unlikely.
CREATION:
Documents in the study of "The Master" refer to the Bolthax as 'his.' Bolthax may be bound, beholden, or controlled by 'The Master,' or may simply be contained as a 'guard dog.'
Mage,
Day 8, Month 11 (Uktar), 139 AR
Merin Milltea
Cordor Crypt Notes: Bolthax
PHYSIOLOGY:
Quadrupedal clawed beast of flesh. Unusual physiology. Hodgepodge of different parts. Noticeable equine similarity, most other parts not otherwise discernible in origin. Leathery, tan-colored hide. Fleshy, pulpy mass at forefront, assumed to be 'head' or brain. Could not dissect on account of mummies.
Could not see a mouth, and was too heavy to lift after falling to examine further. Did not seem resistant to typical blunt force or cutting, though hide was tough. Could not tell if creature had been constructed or birthed, no visible stitch marks.
BEHAVIOR:
Charges when agitated, prefers use of forelimbs on prey. Documents on site reference creature's consumption of flesh, unspecific whether living, dead, or both. Documents also reference creature is selective of meals, with cultists noting "blessed be upon he who is deemed the consumed of the Bolthax." Other documents suggest consumed later rise in Undeath.
CREATION:
Documents in the study of "The Master" refer to the Bolthax as 'his.' Due to nature of creature, suspected to be a creation. With the Master likely being a lich, creation probably necromantic in nature. Bolthas may be bound, beholden, or controlled by 'The Master,' explaining selectivity.
Apprentice,
Day 8, Month 11 (Uktar), 139 AR
Merin Milltea
Cordor Crypt Notes: Upper Levels
APPROACH:
Cult and undead activity is often present among the graveyard between the city's Western gates and the far mausoleum. Cultists are often accompanied by controlled undead that seem to walk independently of a present animator.
MOURNING CHAMBER/PUBLIC CRYPT:
Progress into burial areas is often blocked by a locked iron gate in a public mourning area. Past this gate is a short corridor that leads West to the lower crypts, or South to more recent graves. The western door is sometimes locked, barring entry to a burial chamber often held by cultists and recently disturbed dead.
The Southern door leads to other burial areas. Vagrants often squat for shelter here, and graverobbers frequent fresh graves for pickings from the recently buried. Some larger crypts in this portion remain undisturbed behind sturdy locks. The Western burial chamber holds a door which leads to a bridge.
BRIDGE:
A wide open area blocked by iron bars held raised by a device which is reachable by a bridge. The area below is often cluttered with restless dead, and should be cleared before attempting to cross. The bridge is trapped with resetting pendulums that while too old and dull to be fatal may knock the slow and unwary off the bridge.
Day 8, Month 11 (Uktar), 139 AR
Merin Milltea
Cordor Crypt Notes: Half-Orc Necromancer
Imposing humanoid figure, black-robed, skull helm, thin-blade weapon. Accompanied by handful of armed madmen, beasts bent to his will, and undead. Suspected part of necromantic cult in crypts, unsure of relation to 'The Master.' Skilled in magic, unsure if innate or studied though likely innate due to usual half-orc discipline.
Proficient in physical conflict, aided by spells (fear and mind spells, elemental magic, necromantic energies and animation.) Powerful mage. When killed, noticed withered left arm. Other physiology seemed normal besides wounds from combat. Withered arm cold, unlike rest of body. Flesh seemed partiall mummified.
Severed left hand for examination, along with strip of clearly mummified flesh. Both samples in storage.
Day 8, Month 11 (Uktar), 139 AR
Merin Milltea
Cordor Crypt Notes: Middle Levels
CULT STUDY:
On the other side of the bridge gate is a door that leads to the first open sign of cult activity. A study and storage area has been set up in the burial chambers here, and necromancers more talented or studied than the other cultists often make use of this catacomb. A locked door on the far side of the room leads to older crypts.
RANSACKED CRYPTS:
The lower crypts have been largely stripped and repurposed by the cult. Graves have been stripped, and now hold numerous supply, ceremony, and sleeping, and study rooms. Some doors here are rigged, and there is at least one hidden tunnel that leads to another storage area. The northern end holds a worship and sacrifice area.
SACRIFICE AREAS:
A two-room area where living victims are sacrificed by the cult for consumption by the "Bolthax." The first area is sometimes in use by cultists, but is often empty in absence of ceremony. The room beyond is the feeding ground for the Bolthax, and should be entered only with the most extreme caution. Beyond is a further descent.
Day 8, Month 11 (Uktar), 139 AR
Merin Milltea
Cordor Crypt Notes: Depths
BURIAL CHASM:
A linear series of bridges descends further beneath Cordor past a large raised dias. This area is largely unmapped beyond basic layout, but is known to house a presence of significant undead, and few or no living cultists. Most graves in this area are disturbed. A stairwell at the end of the bridges descends to the lowest crypt.
DEEPEST CRYPTS:
Expect resistance. The burial chasm stairwell opens into an area perfect for ambush, and the entire path of this layer is made of bridges laden with strong, life-draining traps and covered by undead archers and arcanists. Bring either warding against negative energy, or a skilled trapsmith. Beyond these bridges is the farthest reaches of the crypt system.
MASTER'S STUDY:
A necromancer self-named The Master maintains a study here. See notes on The Master for advice. Do not approach without an escape plan. The Master is a powerful lich and competent swordsman capable of creating undead with little effort. Proceed with utmost caution.
Day 8, Month 11 (Uktar), 139 AR
Merin Milltea
Cordor Crypt Notes: Bolthax (Update 2)
PHYSIOLOGY:
Quadrupedal clawed beast of flesh. Unusual physiology. Hodgepodge of different parts. Noticeable equine similarity, most other parts not otherwise discernible in origin. Leathery, tan-colored hide. Fleshy, pulpy mass at forefront, assumed to be 'head' or brain.
Resistant to magical attack. Unaffected by heat or cold. Not undead, flesh appears to be living due to withering upon exposure to negative energy. Appears to be mindless, or shielded against mental invasion. No easily reachable vulnerable organs present.
BEHAVIOR:
Charges when agitated, prefers use of forelimbs on prey. Documents on site reference creature's consumption of flesh, though eating habits have not been directly observed. Eating area is littered with digested and partially digested humanoid remains. Cultist claims that Bolthax victims rise in undead unlikely.
CREATION:
Documents in the study of "The Master" refer to the Bolthax as 'his.' Bolthax may be bound, beholden, or controlled by 'The Master,' or may simply be contained as a 'guard dog.' Due to the robust physiology but vulnerability to negative energy, the bolthax may be a nonliving construct.
Mage,
Day 8, Month 11 (Uktar), 139 AR
Merin Milltea
Bolthax Digestive Fluid Notes
CONSISTENCY:
Syrupy and viscous. Clear. The fluid has a foul odor, but the origin of the odor may not be due to composition and may instead be the result of the Bolthax's diet.
EFFECTS:
No effects of Bolthax digestive fluid/saliva have been directly observed. Documents on site suggest that fluid may cause victims to rise, but no solid evidence of this has been observed. Documents also written by cultists who seem unaware of The Master.
RESEARCH GOALS:
Test Bolthax fluid for concentration of negative energy. Observe Bolthax fluid effects on living, dead, and undead flesh.
Day 8, Month 11 (Uktar), 139 AR
Merin Milltea
Bolthax Hypothesis 1
HYPOTHESIS:
The Bolthax is undead, specifically an animated construct, and will react positively to concentrated exposure to negative energy.
REASON:
Documents on site suggest creation by "The Master." While Golemcraft is possible, references to Bolthax victims later rising in undeath suggest the presence of necromantic magic, or at the very least a high concentration of negative/necrotic energy.
PROPOSED METHOD:
Expose Bolthax directly to negative energy and observe results on flesh. If the flesh is bolstered by the presence of focuesed negative energy, the Bolthax can reasonably be assumed to be undead.
Day 8, Month 11 (Uktar), 139 AR
Merin Milltea
Bolthax Hypothesis 1 Results p.1
ORIGINAL HYPOTHESIS:
The Bolthax is undead, specifically an animated construct, and will react positively to concentrated exposure to negative energy.
EXPERIMENT:
Mage Alby caught Bolthax's attention with ursine summon. While Bolthax was distracted in the struggle, I directly applied beams of negative energy to the creature. The beast did not respond as expected. Around six blasts were applied, though the creature seemed innately able to resist four of the blasts.
The two blasts that were not stopped by whatever innate magical resistance the creature appears possess resulted in signs of pain and injuries consistent with living flesh exposed to negative energy.
During the experiment, Mage Alby struck the beast with bolts of fire. The Bolthax did not seem greatly affected by this, but I could not determine if this was due to a resistance to heat and flame, or weave disruption.
Day 8, Month 11 (Uktar), 139 AR
Merin Milltea
Bolthax Hypothesis 1 Results p.1
ORIGINAL HYPOTHESIS:
The Bolthax is undead, specifically an animated construct, and will react positively to concentrated exposure to negative energy.
EXPERIMENT:
Mage Alby caught Bolthax's attention with ursine summon. While Bolthax was distracted in the struggle, I directly applied beams of negative energy to the creature. The beast did not respond as expected. Around six blasts were applied, though the creature seemed innately able to resist four of the blasts.
The two blasts that were not stopped by whatever innate magical resistance the creature appears possess resulted in signs of pain and injuries consistent with living flesh exposed to negative energy.
During the experiment, Mage Alby struck the beast with bolts of fire. The Bolthax did not seem greatly affected by this, but I could not determine if this was due to a resistance to heat and flame, or weave disruption.
Day 8, Month 11 (Uktar), 139 AR
Merin Milltea
Bolthax Hypothesis 1 Results p.2
RESULTS:
The Bolthax did not react positively to negative energy exposure, and thus is unlikely undead. Further studies need to be conducted on creatures resistance to magical attack, as well as other resistances.
Mage,
Day 8, Month 11 (Uktar), 139 AR
Merin Milltea
Conspiracy - Further Targets of Investigation
*Thorough Analasys - Reinvestigate previous locations more thoroughly. Researcher is to be appended to every expedition.
*Cordor Crypts - Merin claims the Lich there is linked to Morghunn. Trustworthy source. Will need a follow up.
*Bendir Ruins - Linked to Bloodmoon Fortress, contain a lich as well. Investigate thoroughly for link.
*Underdark - Demonic sources and links are probable. Little information. Send out a party.
*Ressurection - Evidence suggests, that possibly, some or all of our targets keep returning due to some semi-Lich status brought on by a link to each other. Investigate further. Seek master Illusionist for coordination (?).
Day 8, Month 11 (Uktar), 139 AR
Alicia Lortal
Forest of Despair - Further Circle Investigation
INTERVIEW WITH RUNE
I spoke with Rune, of the Arcane tower. According to her, the circle is a remnant of a no longer working portal to the abyss, destroyed hundreds of years ago (2-3 hundred) by a fiend named Paush. By her tale, Pause turned against the Arelithian archipelago, and destroyed multiple two-way portals across the isles.
Rune suggests speaking with an Erik Silverarms for a precise date of the event. She also notes that she does not think the portal is at a risk for being reopened, as a two-way portal exists between the Prime Material and a place in the Abyss called the Iron Citadel.
Mage,
Day 8, Month 11 (Uktar), 139 AR
Merin Milltea
Forest of Despair - Circle Investigation
SUMMARY:
On Elaine's recommendation, a stone and candle circle in the Forest of Despair was investigated under sucpicion of being a gateway to the Abyss. Said circle is located within the Forest of Despair. Elaine has noted that the portal may be one-way from the Abyss.
LOCATION:
The circle is located in the forest East of Wharftown. Take the East gate from town, then the South road into the wood. From there, follow the rock wall through the forest. The circle is nearby it.
DESCRIPTION:
The circle is composed of four cyclopean stones arranged evenly in a square or circular pattern. On either side of each stone, we found a lit candle of grey tallow for a total of eight candles. Those pssing through experienced a feeling of nausea, unease, and the sense of a foriegn presence. The grass within the circle was brown and dead.
TESTS AND EXAMINATION:
The area was briefly searched for Abyssal runes or any other arcane markings, though none were found. As a test to the significance of the place, two individuals drank of attunement to test the planar link. Both individuals found themselves in the Shadowplane post with no other effects. The others remained behind to observe the effects from the other side.
Day 8, Month 11 (Uktar), 139 AR
Merin Milltea
Morghunn's Fortress - Preliminary Investigation
Large demonic presence evident everywhere. Ghour have suborned local minotaur tribe (Bloodhoof Tribe, for the most part), to do their bidding.
Library is a treasure trove of demonic knowledge, and contains treatises on Myon and Minmir. Convenient chairs for reading. Less convenient spike traps. Hire trapsmith to redecorate for ease of use.
Interesting note, Myon is the only settlement to date to avoid attacks. Possibly the next target? (Possible source of conspiracy?)
Morghunn's notes claim he is serving an Archdemon named Paush, but has been pushed into the sidelines by Talasian Stormlord.
Day 8, Month 11 (Uktar), 139 AR
Alicia Lortal
Bloodmoon Fortress - Preliminary Investigation
A great deal of demonic evidence here, a letter directly from Morghunn the Black, link to demonic source confirmed.
Under sway of a beholder (Not a demon, native to the Underdark. Seek further information).
Library is both well maintained and informative, barring gristly demonic circle in the middle. Commendable.
Beholder is named Oggl'Boroth, according to notes. Heinously weak. Investigat reasons. Possibly related to summoning.
Conduct major study on demonic circles, locate sources. Try to identify handwriting of runes.
Day 8, Month 11 (Uktar), 139 AR
Alicia Lortal
Talasian Temple - Preliminary Investigation
Evidence of demons is minimal, barring massive Abyss gate located in the fortress. (See Morghunn notes). Link established.
Stormlord's libraries are oddly empty and poorly stocked. Investigate possible hidden code or concealed books. Reprimand Stormlord for lax library keeping.
Additional Note: Unusual amounts of books pertaining to the Underdark spotted. Dull fare.
Expedition into Abyss needed
Day 8, Month 11 (Uktar), 139 AR
Alicia Lortal
Crystal Caves - Preliminary Investigation
Evidence of demon worship is minimal. Demonic circle quite clearly drawn besides the leader (?), the as of yet unnamed Ogre Magus.
Skillset shows evidence of powerful warding, binding and necromantic abilities.
Reports suggest he is often seen with Ghour (See Morghunn's Fortress notes, possible link? Needs to be investigated).
No notes or libraries at all. The Ogre is clearly evil to the core.
Day 8, Month 11 (Uktar), 139 AR
Alicia Lortal
Theory - Demonic Conspiracy
Recently, there have been attacks in most of the major settlements:
* Undead in Cordor (Emanating from the Crypts?)
* Goblins and Bugbear thralls in Wharftown (Emanating from the Crystal Caves)
* Talasians in Guldordan (Emanating from the Talasian Temple)
* Bloodmoon Orcs in Grayhammer (Emanating from their Fortress)
* Servants of Morghunn in Bendir (Emanating from his Fortress)
All these areas have suspected or confirmed demonic influence. Must investigate further. Note: Nothing in Myon.
Day 8, Month 11 (Uktar), 139 AR
Alicia Lortal