The Chronicles of the Seventh Moon - Session 9

Day 6, Solar Month, 757 years since the Fall of the Gods, early summer

The adventurers from the Hammers of the Dawn rested and healed their wounds until late afternoon, when they’re summoned by Road Marshal Garamus. Although he had recently exiled his most loyal advisor – the Warbard Mellius – and recovered from a deadly wound, Garamus was in a very good mood. Together at the room were the members of the Lunatics – an adventurer group composed by Mask, their masked and hooded leader (supposedly a half-elf sorcerer), the human duelist Axar Weapon-Master, the masked technomage Zin and the taciturn half-orc Karanuk Shadowslayer. When the Hammers came in the Lunatics were standing at one of the room’s corners, and it appears that the Road Marshal was admonishing them for some recent failure. 

Garamus received the group personally, swearing by the dead god Mitra’el of the Twin Suns that the Hammers were his most competent adventurer group at the Eye. To everybody’s surprise, Garamus was promptly punched in the face by the elf Heian. The strength of the hit sent the Road Marshal over the council table. The Hammers didn’t knew that Heian had consulted a halfling diviner back at Baer’s Tower and had listened to the following augury – “Smite the face of the first man that invoke the dead gods’ name before you”.

While Hilguen was starting to reprehend the fey wizard, the remaining Hammers saw that Garamus’ face was not bleeding but cracked – like a masquerade. The glamour quickly left the figure of the Marshal, revealing the half-elf Mask (while this happened, the “second” Mask at the room simply faded away). Their deceit undone, the Lunatics assaulted without delay assaulted the Hammers with blade, spell and bombs; but this small element of surprise wasn’t enough and the traitor adventurers were soon on the defensive (a curious fact was that Kanaruk also faded at the beginning of the combat, revealing a second illusion).

Seeing the tide turn, Mask summoned “the power of Shzamias, the Potent, Fifth Satrap of the Airy Tower!”. This invocation shook the entire room. Through the double doors and the widows the Hammers saw a magic (and impossible) hurricane isolating them from the rest of the Eye. In fact, it seemed that the entire council room was pulled from the lighthouse. The magical winds didn’t help the Lunatics, with Zin and Mask himself saved only because they’re healed by the touch of the maiden-priestess Dricia. Mercy, however, didn’t stop Mask from summoning again the power of the mysterious Shzamias. This time, though, the spell failed and the mad sorcerer was consumed by lightning and disappeared.

After the chaotic skirmish, the Hammers started to investigate their surroundings. The entire room of the war council was floating (intact) inside a bizarre dimension made solely of storms and cyclonic winds. Hilguen (an aasimar) pointed that group was probably trapped in the Elemental Plane of Air. The quickly searched the Lunatic’s pockets for any trinket that could take them out of there. Finally, Heian found a magic ring that, when touched, opened a gate at the room’s center.

Axar and Zin – now prisoners – revealed that, together with Mask and Karanuk, they’re survivor from other three adventurer parties that sought for the mythic City of the Immortals in the jungles of Shinmarash, itself a fabled nation of Eastern Aldar. Axar was the last member of the Seven Rings, from Dol Moldhar; Zin belonged to the Iron Chimeras, from XII Imperial Legion; while Mask was from the Scarlet Cowled Ones. They didn’t knew from which group Kanaruk came. In their ill attempt quest for the City of the Immortals, the ended lost in the Dragon Throne Mountains, being eventually captured by the genies of the Elemental Courts, whose hidden kingdoms were said to be inside those hollowed mountains.

The mates of Axar, Zin, Mask and Kanaruk were all killed, devoured, banished, cursed and polymorphed (usually in furnishing) by the genies’ twisted games. Desperate, the four fools appeal to the local noble djinn’s mercy – Shzamias. Mask suggested that “it would be more fun” to let them escape. When inquired about the reasons for such, Mask explained that he swear to search other “lunatics”, like himself, and bring them, as new toys for the genies. Entertained by the half-elf’s proposal, Shzamias set them loose, under a geas, creating the Lunatics that the Hammers met at Baer’s Tower. Since then, the Lunatics have wandered through Aldar, creating havoc and occasionally abducting other poor adventurers to their genie lords.

Axar and Zin told that if they ever returned to Shzamias’ domains, they’d be killed (or worse, like being polymorphed into sanitary utensils). Both assured the Hammers that the gate leaded to the djinn’s hollowed realm. The ring was, in fact, a “present” from Shzamias to Mask.

After much debate, the Hammers decided that even a mad genie satrap was a better option than stand forever floating in a lost room inside the Elemental Plane of Air. They thought about gaining an audience with “the Potent” Shzamias. They also intent in rescuing the true Road Marshal, the Warbard Mellius and the half-orc Karanuk, because it was clear now where they were – in the Elemental Courts below the Dragon Throne Mountains, half a moon away.