Kingmaker: Ep. 22

The Owlbear Adventurers continued their descent into the ancient complex in search of the missing centaur, Zamanthi. After navigating a water-filled passage, they entered a chamber filled with eerie, one-eyed statues of ancient Iobarian warriors. They discovered the statues’ eyes were buttons, and pressing one triggered a dangerous trap. As a stone door ground open, skeletal cyclopes emerged from hidden alcoves, and brass gates slammed shut, trapping the party in a room that rapidly began to fill with water. Only through Izzy’s quick dive and the combined might of Ashla and Brother Carl holding a gate open did the party escape the deathtrap.

Their new path led them to a grand hall with pillars carved in the likeness of fiends and an altar that held a sinister secret. When they opened a door from which they heard sobbing, a lamp filled with black oil erupted in dark flames, injuring most of the party and wiping their recent memories. Pressing onward, they were confronted by a monstrous, octopus-headed fiend with lobster claws—a Pisciodemon. After a tense standoff where they nearly bluffed their way past, a slip of the tongue revealed their true purpose, and a fierce battle ensued. They vanquished the creature and found their quarry, Zamanthi, in a nearby cell.

The centaur was alive but cursed, her rear legs paralyzed by the dungeon’s master, a skeletal wizard named Vortokai. Brother Carl used a precious and ancient Scroll of Restoration to lift the curse, and the grateful Zamanthi joined their cause. Their exploration led them past a horrifying cavern with a lake of bubbling tar before they discovered a hidden embalming room. Solving a puzzle within, Brother Carl cast a spell that shattered a great magical eye, an act which summoned the enraged arch-lich Vortokai himself. In the tight corridors, they fought a desperate battle against the powerful undead spellcaster. Though they wounded him gravely, the lich escaped into shadow, leaving the battered adventurers to barricade themselves in for a much-needed rest.

OUTLINE:

The Flooding Statue Room

The party entered a chamber filled with ancient cyclopean statues.
They discovered the statues’ eyes were buttons and found several secret doors.
Pressing a button triggered a trap: the room sealed and began to flood while skeletal cyclopes attacked.
The party narrowly escaped by diving and forcing their way through the closing gates.

The Hall of Fiends and the Pisciodemon

The party found a large hall with pillars carved like demons and lamps filled with black oil.
Opening a door triggered a black flame explosion, damaging and dazing most of the party.
They were confronted by a powerful Pisciodemon guarding a barred door.
A bluff to get past the demon failed, leading to a difficult combat which the party won.

The Rescue of Zamanthi

The party freed the centaur Zamanthi from her cell.
They learned she was paralyzed by a curse from the arch-lich Vortokai.
Brother Carl used a powerful and ancient Scroll of Restoration to cure her paralysis.
Zamanthi, now free and armed with a morningstar, agreed to join the party.

The Shattered Oculus

After a brief diversion to a cavern with a tar pit, the party found a hidden embalming room.
Behind a magically sealed statue door, they found a small chamber covered in eye carvings.
The central carving was a large, glassy eye.
Brother Carl cast Blindness on the eye, causing it to shatter and emit a psychic scream.

Confrontation with the Arch-Lich

The enraged, cyclopean arch-lich Vortokai was summoned by the eye’s destruction.
A desperate battle began in a narrow hallway.
Vortokai’s magic proved devastating, repeatedly downing Brother Carl.
After suffering heavy damage, particularly a critical hit from Izzy, Vortokai teleported away.

NPCs:

Pisciodemon: A foul, octopus-headed fiend with lobster claws clad in black plate armor. It served as a guard for Vortokai and was defeated by the party outside Zamanthi’s cell.
Vortokai: An ancient and powerful skeletal cyclops arch-lich, and a member of the Horsemen of Death. He is the master of the dungeon, and though blinded by the party’s actions, his command of devastating magic makes him a terrifying foe.
Zamanthi: A young centaur and daughter of the matriarch Silverfire. Captured and cursed by Vortokai, she was rescued by the party and now fights alongside them with a morningstar.

ITEMS:

Brass Tongs: A seemingly mundane tool that Brother Carl used to crack the lobster claw of the Pisciodemon.
Ceremonial Dagger: A dagger belonging to the centaur matriarch, given to the party as proof of their mission to rescue her daughter, Zamanthi.
Healing Tincture: A medicinal potion used multiple times to bring Brother Carl back from the brink of death during the fight with Vortokai.
Kelsinger: Izzy’s magical sword, which can ignite into flames and proved instrumental in wounding Vortokai.
Lantern: The party’s main source of light, which was refilled with magical oil that produced a sinister, shadow-twisting black flame.
Scroll of Restoration: An ancient and powerful scroll that was consumed to remove the paralyzing curse afflicting Zamanthi.

LOCATIONS:

Chamber of Cyclopean Statues: A room filled with ancient, human-sized statues of one-eyed warriors. It contained a button puzzle that triggered a deadly flooding trap.
Embalming Chamber: A room containing ancient embalming tools, canopic jars, and a statue that concealed a magically sealed door.
Hall of Fiendish Pillars: A large chamber supported by pillars carved with demonic imagery. It housed magical lamps that exploded with black fire when a trap was triggered.
Tar Pit Cavern: A vast, natural cavern dominated by a lake of bubbling black tar, patrolled by a mysterious skeletal figure.
The Oculus Room: A hidden one-room shrine covered in eye carvings, all focused on a large, magical eye that served as Vortokai’s scrying sensor.
Underground River Cave: A subterranean cavern featuring a sandy beach next to a flowing river, where the party rested before continuing their descent.
Zamanthi’s Cell: A small, squalid prison cell where the centaur Zamanthi was held captive by Vortokai’s minions.

FACTIONS:

Horsemen of Death: A malevolent faction to which the arch-lich Vortokai and his fiendish servants belong.

QUESTS:

Defeat Vortokai: An emergent quest to defeat the master of the dungeon, the cyclops arch-lich Vortokai, and end his evil influence.
Rescue Zamanthi: The party was tasked by the centaur matriarch, Silverfire, to find and rescue her missing daughter, Zamanthi, from the Valley of the Dead.

PLAYER CHARACTERS

Ashla: A powerful and resilient warrior who often stands on the front lines. With immense strength, he is capable of physically overcoming obstacles that stand in the party’s way, such as holding open a descending stone gate. He wields a magical sword and is a steadfast combatant.
Brother Carl: The party’s devoted cleric, channeling divine power to heal allies and smite foes. He carries a warhammer and a holy symbol, using spells like Protection from Evil and Cleansing Weapon. Despite his low intelligence, his faith is a powerful tool, capable of performing miracles like using an ancient scroll to lift a powerful curse.
Izzy: A bold and decisive fighter who wields the magical flaming sword, Kelsinger. He is quick on his feet, often the first to dive into danger to secure a path for his allies. His courage in battle is matched by his martial prowess, capable of landing devastating blows against the party’s most terrifying enemies.
Yohei: A cautious and supportive gunslinger who provides ranged support for the party. He is often the one to listen at doors and assess situations from a distance. While his mundane firearm is less effective against powerful magical beings, he is quick to aid his companions with healing items in a crisis.