Atlantean Adventure 2 - Through the Gates of Kerdanhel

[1r5]

ATLANTEAN ADVENTURE 2 – Through the Gates of Kerdanhel

Risk: HCoD-EHCoD

Attendees: Syne Brineheart (228), Ilathia (225), Arlyss (232), Ysayl dul Vique (223), Elizabeth Montelione (221)

Private event to be hosted by GiegueDM. Requested at https://chronicles-of-eternia.com/forum/thread-16860.html[/url]

A Geegoo Production. This is actually my fucking magnum opus.

Injury chart:
Characters are allowed to bring 1 healing potion each to remove a down. They can spend this potion on themselves or others.

UNINJURED
1 DOWN: 2-4 is a 12 day temp, 1 is a 24 day temp
2 DOWNS: 3-2 is a -5 vit perm, 1 is a -10 vit perm
3+ DOWNS: 4-3 is a -5 vit perm, 2-1 is a -10 vit perm

TEMPED (“INJURED”)
1 DOWN: 6-4 is a 24 day temp,  3-2 is a -5 vit perm, 1 is a -10 vit perm.
2 DOWNS: 4-3 is a -5 vit perm, 2-1 is a -10 vit perm

PERMED (“MAIMED”)
1 DOWN: 3 or less is an upgraded perm (to -10 or -20)
2+ DOWNS: 3-2 is an upgraded perm (to -10, -20, or -40). 1 is a -40 perm.

CRITICALLY INJURED (“GRIEVOUSLY WOUNDED”, IF -40 PERMED)
1 DOWN: 1 is death.
2+ DOWNS: 2-1 is death.

Synopsis

The search for Galene's Trident had brought Syne and co. to the old Sirenian capital – Old Atlantis, or as it's come to be known since; Kerdanhel. Guided by a few members of Liveyal's Chosen, they are to continue their search for clues deep in the ancient and ruined city, where the waters are barely breathable, even for a Sirenian – where the Cult of the Mori dwells, where the Deep One himself is imprisoned.

Corruption hangs thick in the waters. And with one ex-witch of the Deep One and one possibly tainted by Him, one could only wonder if everyone will make it back out with their sanity intact.

Loot
Predominantly, the location of where Galene's Trident is kept: Uraheim. It may not be in the same shape as it once was... perhaps drained of energy, or damaged almost beyond repair.

Corrupted Channeling Stone
A Channeling Stone – crystalline and spherical. When a Sirenian wishes to bond further with their Water Spirit, a Channeling Stone is used to meld their mana circuits together, in a ritual closely governed by the Temple of Yama. These stones are often filled with the energy of the Great Serpent, bestowed upon it by a priest – mostly for ease of use by the Temple, but partially as a form of security as well – as those that follow the Mori would not dare use such an item without corrupting it first, which could prove to be more trouble than it's worth. They're delicate, after all.

This one, however, is different.

This stone has spent years, if not decades, if not centuries in Kerdanhel. The blessings of Yama have long since eroded, faded, the corruption of the Deep One taking its place instead, seeping into its core, almost turning it into something akin to Morigul. And just like Morigul, there's ever-faint whispers in the back of the minds of those who'd dare to put their hands on it. But even so, the power in it hasn't faded yet – in fact, it's likely grown, taking in the ambient corrupted mana in the Old Capital. It's stronger, likely not only being able to bond closer with your own Sea Spirit, but to other entities as well – or perhaps bind a non-Siren to a Sea Spirit.

It'd require a proper, deep, and careful cleansing to be used correctly by any normal Sirenian... but those of the Cult would find such rituals... unnecessary, of course.
[GRADE B][ATLANTEAN ADVENTURE – THROUGH THE GATES OF KERDANHEL]

Fused Sea Stones
A pair of round sea stones, shiny and vibrant, retrieved from the abandoned Grand Temple of Yama in Kerdanhel, one deep blue, one cyan, fused together like a malformed pearl. Both of them glow their respective colour. Normally, sea stones don't look like this, of course, but given that the moniker “sea stone” merely refers to most jewels found in the ocean, it isn't strange that this one exists.

That being said, this one is a special specimen, beyond its unusual fusedness. They could, of course, easily be physically separated with a bit of tools and finesse – but they hold some slight magnetic properties to eachother. One stone will always lead to the other – and the other will always lead to the one.
[GRADE D][ATLANTEAN ADVENTURE – THROUGH THE GATES OF KERDANHEL]

Ever-searing Meteorite Chunk
Sizzling, bubbling, fizzling – This chunk of meteorite was lifted out from the waters of Kerdanhel, one of the very few non-corrupted resources to be found in those accursed ruins of a city. Just like most other meteorites that fall into the sea, it's unrusting, and absolutely filled with mana, but unlike other meteorites, this one is still... searing hot, almost as if its mana is being converted into heat – but it's not less potent for it. In fact, it doesn't seem to be losing any mana at all, no matter what happens to it... and it's almost like it's already about to burst.

Perhaps an anomaly, or the heavens' Kerdanhel-sent gift, but one thing's for sure; weaponry made out of it would likely surpass those made of Arcanium and Eternite from the outset... but surely there's more that can be done with it.
[GRADE C] [ATLANTEAN ADVENTURE – THROUGH THE GATES OF KERDANHEL]

Scales of the Reanimated Rasska
The Rasska was one of the most fearsome entities that ever posed a threat to the Sirenians. Its scales were stated to be as tough as adamantite, and its fangs as sharp as a vorpal blade. Even with all of those qualities, the beast was mortal – slain by King Marendille long, long ago, its carcass to be preserved and exhibited in the palace of Atlantis. But after the city's fall to the powers of the Deep One, it was left there to rot.

Or so they thought.

Reanimated, mutated by the corrupted magic of the Deep One, focused by one of His Cultists, it had undergone a sort of metamorphosis. Its scales no longer served to protect itself, instead jutting out from its body, sharpened to a degree even the greatest Sirenian blacksmiths would be jealous of, able to cleave through steel and flesh like a hot knife through butter.

And the same scales, too, are proof of its death.
A skilled blacksmith or craftsman could incorporate the scales into a blade, amplifying the weapon's capacity to rip through anything – but with further study, perhaps it could serve as more than just a mere force amplifier.
(This is a Special Resource. Face a non-unique weapon as a T1 artificer and left-click this item to transfer the stats over. Alternatively, can be used as a material in applications.)
Bonus: +4 armed power
[GRADE C][ATLANTEAN ADVENTURE – THROUGH THE GATES OF KERDANHEL][WEAPON RESOURCE]

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EVENT:
okay. um. i've written out most of the narrates i want to do on an openoffice doc. this event plan is 15 PAGES. !!! >>> here is the download link. <<< !!! it may expire, send me a message on discord (giegue.) if it does. i highly urge you to read it. this synopsis does not do it justice.

but here's the cliffstesticles version of it:

The party arrives to an outpost near the Old Capital by boat. One of Liveyal's Chosen brings them into a temple, where a priestess takes a quick look at the group to clear them for entry. The Chosen says they'll come along, and so will the priestess.

They enter Kerdanhel, and after a few RPs and a narrate they get to roll /rnd 1 20 just to scare them (and also to determine target priority for the upcoming boss.)
As they arrive at a square, they make a plan for what they're about to do. The plan is: Go to the Grand Temple of Yama in Kerdanhel and check for clues. Being that cultists have taken over the Old Capital it's "likely overrun with cultists". Afterwards, to the palace. As they're about to set out, they're ambushed by cultists. Ambushing Cultists is their first encounter.

In the chaos, some of them manage to kidnap the Chosen and the Priestess while fighting. They seem to be bound towards the Temple.
So the group will head there. After bashing their way through mindless cultists they get in the temple, and find it as pristine as can be. A small puzzle (check murals, murals depict the yama and inki story, the murals parallel leucothea reaching out towards the depths of the sea with inki destroying himself to blast yama into the sea as well - the solution is to reach into a big yama statue rising out from the sea to open the temple proper.)

They'll find archives (where there's a clue to where the trident is held, the "great waterlands" (uraheim)), a kitchen, and quarters. They can also get their first item, Fused Sea Stones, but they'll have to avoid a trap.
There's a puzzle to unlock the inner sanctum. 
“In the deepest depths, I am made. To carry the weight of civilization is my fate.
Mine colour white, yet I shine blue – In this temple I'm made to be of use to you.
What am I?”
answer: blessed coral!

inner sanctum opens, inside sits a spirit of a sirenian temple guard, whose faith has kept the temple from being overrun by cultists. They, however, mistakes the party for cultists and attacks, initiating their second encounter. After they're defeated, depending on what the party says, they'll seed suspicion on the priestess, and tell them about a treasure in the sanctum... which, I mean, they were gonna loot anyway, but might as well. Here they can get the Ever-searing Meteorite Chunk.

The priestess returns, saying something about having escaped of their captors, party might cast suspicion, priestess might flee. Onwards to the Palace. Small Dante's Inferno reference.

As they enter, the whole place looks... well, as fucked as it can be. It's the prison of the Deep One, and his influence still spreads all across the old palace. The walls shift, and Syne and Ilathia get separated from the group. The rest has to fight the Reanimated Rasska, their third encounter, which will drop its scales.

In the meantime, the priestess completely drops her act, saying that she knows she feels some Deep One stuff in Syne and Ilathia, and she urges them to help her with the sacrifice. I'm pretty sure they'll refuse, luckily. The walls behind them open up once more and the rest of the party assembles back up.

Following the refusal, the Priestess scoffs, instead opting to make them more sacrifices for the Deep One instead. After swallowing a Corrupted Channeling Stone (which the party will get after defeating her), she tries to meld with the Deep One. This initiates their fourth encounter. After one round, she turns into a half-kraken monstrosity. After the party brutalizes her, after some classic third-act downfall stuff, suddenly, the world itself around them shifts. Space bends around them, dragging the party into where the Deep One is imprisoned.

They awaken in darkness, illuminated by the light of a ghostly shade of Galene's Trident. Syne will... probably touch it, giving her a vision - The bottom of an endless ocean with sea spirits swirling all around her, all the  way to the surface. Uraheim.
The vision is cut short, however, by something rising out from the abyssal depths beneath.

It's a tendril of the Deep One. This is an OBJECTIVE: SURVIVE encounter, and their final one. After 2:30 minutes of being absolutely assblasted by the Deep One's one escaping tentacle, the ghostly visage of the Trident will become... more solid.

Syne will throw the trident to seal it, afterwards everything fades to white, they find themselves outside the palace being tended to by a detachment of Liveyal's Chosen, and then they'll be taken back home.

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I know, that event synopsis looks like trash. The actual file is much more detailed, with most of the narrates and all. That being said... this took, like, a month to write and perfect! And I had to cut a whole section to  not make it drag on.

Anyway... thanks for reading my lunacy. I'll be happy to make any edits to the event if needed.

[Chance]

Looks good! Approved with one small change,
Change the resource armed pow from 4 to 3.