Session 181 - Crystal Apotheosis

With just two players due to a variety of simultaneous holidays, it was a slimmed down action team of POWERLAD and new character Styx the Goblin this session.

Highlights:
- Styx joins the game!
- The second trumpet sounds, and some terrible distant event lights up the evening sky!
- POWERLAD gets his hands on Isen Heisenberg's latest, and now final, omnipoison! He says it loses no potency when diluted, so be careful!
- Christina Breaker transforms into a dragon, rampages across Moondin, and murders everyone she can find in the junkie caves!
- Julgoor the Drug Demon, and his magic lamp full of drugs, are saved from the subterranean chaos!

Kitty continues to give us the goods:

"I feel strangely attracted to you POWERLAD," Bertha said, drawing helplessly closer to the winged blue man before her. Suddenly the door burst open. POWERLAD stood framed in the entryway."Wait, POWERLAD?" Bertha cried in confusion, "But he's-""He's not POWERLAD!" said the newcomer, "Well, I mean, he is, but he's not your POWERLAD. Can't you feel his gravitational pull? He's a follower of Ereshkigal! Whereas I-"Bertha glanced down, "Chose Ninhursag's Size aspect, I see."

- From POWERLAD: Double Fisting

This is another real long recap, so here goes - 

Session 181 - Crystal Apotheosis

Campaign Date:

Friday, 20 March, 1601

Moon Phase: First Quarter

Zodiac: Pisces

New Characters:
- Styx, a Goblin from the Drudge Wastes with an entourage of Goblin minions on a mission to meet all the Apocalypse Dragons...

New Backstory:
- Styx killed someone in his youth, just because he liked the guy's cloak. (Once per session, mark an enemy to get +2 to your crit range against it)

Treasure and Equipment:

- A litre of Isen Heisenberg's final omnipoison
- Julgoor's drug lamp (1000 exp)
- Cheese

Total: 1000 exp

Enemies Defeated:

- 

Total: 0 exp

Exploration:

- 2 Random Encounters (100 exp)

Total: 100 exp

Events:

- It's 4am on We're on a time limit. Christina Breaker can only hold off her apotheosis for so long. All POWERLAD's friends are asleep or on holiday or something. He's going to have to go it alone... (50 exp)
- He hears a noise, and turns to see a creepy child-sized figure shrouded in a cloak, yellow eyes peering from beneath the hood, flanked by four more! (50 exp)

- Roll for initiati- oh wait, they know who he is! The goblin Styx, and his minions Stones, Break, Bones and Hurt, introduce themselves. They've heard great things about POWERLAD... and one of his minions is very interested in joining Ninhursag's cult. (50 exp)
- "You've no idea how few people ask me that!" says POWERLAD, and baptises one of the minions with an Earth rune drawn in dirt on its forehead. (50 exp)
- There is a strange and awful sound outside, echoing across the land. A haunting rising-falling moan, a banshee's wail like a thousand distant mechanical wolves. It sounds like an air raid siren. (50 exp)
- POWERLAD dashes outside to investigate. The sound is emerging from the huge floating angels in the sky, their six great petals spinning fitfully, dawn light glimmering from their metal hulls. (50 exp)
- He spreads his wings and surges into the air, heading for the nearest church to see if they've got any idea what's going on. (50 exp)
--- Confused Clergy
- POWERLAD flies over the town, seeing many others standing outside their homes gawping and pointing upwards. He lands at a nearby church, the priest and a few underlings are already outside speculating at this new omen. (50 exp)
- They're stoked to see the famous POWERLAD here at their little church and get him to sign a prayer book, but no the priest doesn't know what it means. (50 exp)
- It could be the Second Trumpet of Revelations, that's his theory anyway. Luckily we're nobody near the ocean I guess! (50 exp)
--- Andromeda meets some goblins

- Meanwhile, Andromeda has been woken by the siren dirge of the angels. She's still chained to her bed, and there's a shuffling sound... with the Eyes of Ereshkigal she sees Styx and his goblins approaching! Oh god what is that! (50 exp)
- Styx creepily explains that he wants her to initiate one of his goblins into the Cult of Ereshkigal, in exchange he'll unlock her shackles. (50 exp)
- Despite her misgivings and shaken faith in Ereshkigal's cult, she agrees. Styx jimmies the lock with his knife, and she draws the Mass Rune on a goblin's forehead. Two down for Styx! (50 exp)
- She suddenly has second thoughts, maybe POWERLAD would be disappointed if he found she'd broken out of her chains? Styx helps artfully rearrange the chains so it looks like she's still bound. (50 exp)
--- POWERLAD returns
- POWERLAD glides back towards the library and sees a bizarre sight - people are running around in the streets in skull masks making mischief, drinking, fighting and publically fornicating. He swoops down to ask what's going on. (50 exp)

- An annoyed lady who had her purse scattered on the ground by one of the masked people explains that it's another Death Day. She can't keep up with all these dumb festivals. Today, anyone wearing a skull mask is legally a skeleton. (50 exp)
- There are a bunch of "skeletons" in the square out the front of the library. Bertha is locking up the library like it's the Purge. They still haven't managed to reorganise all the shelves after pranksters rearranged the books last time. (50 exp)
- It's time to head over to Christina. Since POWERLAD can only fly so many people, Styx gives a couple of goblins the day off.  He notices that one of his goblins has already got a skull mask and is pretending to not take orders from him. (50 exp)
- Styx and the remaining goblins, Stone and Hurt, all grab onto POWERLAD who flaps his mighty wings and flies them off to see Christina Breaker. On the way, they see a bunch of Denialists proclaiming THE END IS NIGH! (50 exp)
- I mean, they're not wrong. POWERLAD tells them that maybe they should consider joining Ninhursag so they can help stop the end of the world? Some of them seem willing. They fly on. (50 exp)
--- A Quick Visit to Christina
- They land at Christina's hideout. POWERLAD goes in alone, but one of Styx's goblins sneaks in behind him. (50 exp)
- Inside, Christina's body has turned entirely to crystal. The huge angular crystalline dragon head above her body opens its mouth, and Christina's voice echoes out in crystal harmonies. (50 exp)
- "I can't hold it much longer, POWERLAD", she says, "tell me where I can find the thing that killed Magnus". (50 exp)
- POWERLAD tries to persuade her to create a crystal spear into the heart of the planet with her power, which she says is impossible. She is to become an avatar of crystal, formed in Ninhursag's image. (50 exp)
- POWERLAD begs her to hold on for a bit longer. It's taking all her effort to hold the transformation back, but she agrees. (50 exp)
--- Poison Get!

- POWERLAD meets back up with Styx outside. The plan is to direct Christina at Arach-Nacha, but first maybe they grab some of whatever poison he was working on so it's not wasted? (50 exp)
- He grabs Styx and his minions and wings off towards the Biohazard Zone and the mine. Below, flopping cancerous tentacle balls roll along. Some climb onto a roof to attack, but POWERLAD's safe on his wings. (50 exp)
- They drop down into the hole of the false mine and head in. POWERLAD's known down here now, so they quickly head through to the VIP rooms. (50 exp)
- Isen Heisenberg turns in surprise when they walk in. Arach-Nacha is nowhere to be seen. (50 exp)
- "How's it going, Isen?" says POWERLAD... and Isen replies in Arach-Nacha's voice! "uh heh hi good yes just doing experiments and things. Arach-Nacha's just popped out to the shops he he". She fools nobody. (50 exp)
- She gives up, the four pupils in Isen's eyes contract back into a single pupil. Isen's back in control! He tells POWERLAD that his poison experiments have been successful... too successful. (50 exp)
- This new poison dilutes rapidly through liquids without losing any potency. It would destroy Shub-Niggurath... but at what cost? He's already triggered one apocalyptic event, he can't have another on his conscience! (50 exp)
- POWERLAD asks for a sample, and Isen gives him a bottle of it on the condition that he's very careful with it. Isen seems relieved that the burden of using this poison isn't on him any more. (50 exp)
- On the way out, there's a waft of incense as Julgoor the Drug Demon pokes his gold mask around the door of his room. "POWERLAD! I thought I heard your voice!" he says. (50 exp)
- He's disgusted by the goblin company that POWERLAD keeps, but does call in a Favour - find out the name and weaknesses of the rival Greed Demon above in Moondin. (50 exp)
- POWERLAD says he will. On the way out, Styx wonders where the underground river leads. POWERLAD convinces him to send a goblin minion in to investigate... and the minion is devoured by a big frog head. Lol. (50 exp)
--- Crystal Apotheosis

- They reach the surface in good time and fly off to see Christina Breaker... for the last time. (50 exp)
- They enter the house and find that she has become a glowing silhouette inside a heart of solid crystal. The dragon head is connected to long coils, half-formed claws clutch the floor. The whole place encased in a fractal webwork, a coccoon of crystal wings. (50 exp)
- They talk for a bit, Styx asking about the other dragons of which she knows little. She tells them that she will not be able to maintain her own mind for long once she lets go, so they need to make this quick. (50 exp)
- POWERLAD gives her the directions she seeks to Arach-Nacha in the underground complex and Christina stops holding back... (50 exp)
- The glow inside the crystal heart surges forth, fractal patterns radiating forth to connect everything in the room, forming a chest, legs, arms, great claws. There is a shimmering ringing sound as the dragon head opens wide, Christina's voice yells out in an echoing roar! (50 exp)
- POWERLAD and Styx bolt for the exit as the house collapses behind them, revealing the massive form of Christina Breaker's draconic apotheosis! (50 exp)

- The dragon heads straight towards the Biohazard Zone and Arach-Nacha, following the instructions she was given. As she moves, she slams unheeding through anything in her way, every impact knocking free whirling fractal shards of sharp crystal that move with a life of their own. (50 exp)
- POWERLAD and Styx follow the trail of destruction from the air. The dragon reaches the magma moat and dives straight in. Skull-masked people flee before her! (50 exp)
- As she rampages through the Biohazard Zone, floppy cancer-tentacle spheres spin towards her to attack. Those behind her are shredded by the living shards she leaves in her wake, those in front devastated by blasts of crystalline breath. (50 exp)
- It's when she reaches the mine that she runs into problems - she's a bit too big to fit! Heyoooo. Christina's frustration can be heard echoing in the splintering crystal. (50 exp)
- With a crack and a shattering sound, she breaks through the tunnel entrance. Her outer layers smashing into swarms of the motile crystalline shard creatures as she breaks through. (50 exp)
- POWERLAD and Styx fire up Repel Crystal glyphs and follow. One forward, one behind, holding the crystal minions back in a great wave as they continue. (50 exp)
- POWERLAD's cheek burns at multiple points as his flower petal tattoo lights up. Julgoor's desperate voice telepathically enters his head - "POWERLAD get down here! Save me!" (50 exp)
- They pick up the pace. Luckily the sharp minions are super good at blending the rock grubs that drop from the ceiling, so no worries there! When they reach the entrance to the VIP rooms, they see the dragon's crystal tail blocking the way. (50 exp)
- The screams of Arach-Nacha and Isen Heisenberg can be heard, and there's no obvious way to get through... unless you're POWERLAD! He fires a Take Rock glyph and tears a hole into Julgoor's room. The demon staggers out inside a wave of sweet incense! (50 exp)
- Styx throws out some Repel Crystal rocks to some surviving junkies. Julgoor knows a way out - the elevator he uses for his drug supply! (50 exp)
- They dash in that direction, heading through a portcullis and a long corridor until the find a dead end with a winch-powered elevator. POWERLAD flies up the shaft carrying his charges, and they come out in a copse some distance from Moondin's walls. (50 exp)
--- Return to the Library
- Julgoor, in the cold light of day, doesn't look quite so impressive as he once did. His gold mask is flaking, his robes are threadbare. He doesn't seem to weigh much of anything really. He offers favours to POWERLAD and Styx if they can get his lamp full of drugs out of his room, but no rush. (50 exp)
- Flying back to the library, the siren wail of the angels continues. On the horizon, the great black dragon Ereshkigal can be seen moving east. It's currently in the rough direction of the Barrowmaze. (50 exp)
- Swooping over the walls, it's evident that the wildest skull mask wearers collapsed early on. Now it's mostly people having a good time. The boat race is on hold, likely due to the dragon that just smashed its way through the town. (50 exp)
- They land at the library. Japhet's already looking a bit better, the sheer latent greed coming off of Styx is enough to have repaired his threadbare robes. His gold mask is a little more shiny. (50 exp)
- Bertha and Andromeda answer the door when POWERLAD knocks and declares it's him. Bertha remarks on how he always seems to meet odd friends out in the world. (50 exp)
- It's been a really really long day. POWERLAD's been up for more than 24 hours. He's pooped, and has a POWERNAP with Bertha. (50 exp)
- Styx asks Julgoor questions about how to kill demons, and he deflects by expositing about how he really likes people and literally needs them to live. Plus of course, killing him means he's reborn with no memories in the river Lethe near Dwimmermount. He'd prefer not to. (50 exp)
--- Red sky at night
- At some point during the night, the angels' wailing stops abruptly. It's strange, the silence, after a while the song sort of faded into the background. (50 exp)
- People walk outside to see what's going on. There's a single distant boom that echoes across the sky and rattles windows. A bright flash of white to the north, then a deep fading red reflecting from the undersides of clouds and the hulls of the floating angels. (50 exp)
- Soon after the angels sing again, the deep booming of angelic binary ringing out across the land. Then they stop, and all is quiet once more. (50 exp)
--- Save the drugs!

- The next morning, POWERLAD wakes up and makes sure that Bertha is Bertha after that one scare... she is! Phew. (50 exp)
- Outside there are discarded skeleton masks on the streets. God beams seem to be bombarding the Biohazard Zone particularly heavily today, and the townspeople are staying close to doorways in case a stray beam decides to blast down near them. Yikes. (50 exp)

- They use Sir Robyn's Deliverachnid network to send a "webmail" (urgh) to Japhet & Hirsch, telling them that they'd love to come to dinner tonight. Then it's off to see if they can save Julgoor's drugs! (50 exp)
- Styx uses a Take Gravity rune to make him and his minions lighter so POWERLAD can carry them all. There is some speculation as to what this will actually do, but it does make everything in the area lighter so that's good! (50 exp)
- They land back in the copse outside the city. Styx lobs the Take Gravity rune away and there's a rush of wind and spacial distortion as it discharges and forms a momentary singularity. Maybe don't be close when that happens. (50 exp)

- They drop down the elevator shaft and discover a bunch of scared junkies at the bottom. They haven't been able to get out since the winch is up top, and they've already lost people to the dragon in the cavern! (50 exp)
- Styx sets a couple of goblins to operating the winch and helping the scared junkies out of there. Heroic! POWERLAD and Styx scout ahead with their lanterns, hearing the growling of a great beast. (50 exp)
- POWERLAD calls out - "Christina?...". There is no reply. With a dragon in the way, it's going to be hard to grab those drugs. (50 exp)
- They head back to the surface and concoct a plan - POWERLAD will use his runebending powers to dig out earth and rock, they'll dig down to where they estimate Julgoor's room to be, and use heartbeat vision as an early warning in case of dragon. (50 exp)
- This sets a worrying precedent for dungeoncrawling, but fuck it. Crawling along in a bubble of earth is slow and inaccurate, so I guess that's the risk/reward? (50 exp)

- They dig down and end up looking down from the ceiling of the great cavern. There is a ringing sound as the crystal dragon walks about. (50 exp)
- They change course and continue. Behind them, the snout of the dragon pokes into the hole they left, snuffed around, then withdraws. (50 exp)
- After a little while longer, they come out over the drug room! Hurrah! There are two survivors in here who are tremendously grateful for the assist. Also the drug lamp is obtained! Lamp get! (50 exp)
- POWERLAD looks inside and sees a vast space full of white powder that begins to shrink as soon as he looks inside. Weird but whatever. They grab it and dig their way back out, survivors in tow. (50 exp)

- The junkies have all been brought up when they reach the surface... but the last load got caught in a blast of the dragon's crystal breath. Shards of crystal grow from the corpses, they're very dead. (50 exp)
- The goblins are praised for saving these people! Hooray! The junkies are told to head towards Moondin, they'll be safe at the library. That underground complex belongs to the dragon now... long may it reign. (50 exp)

Total: 4050 exp

Misc:

- Diplomancy bonus (50 exp)

- Dramatic Escape bonus (50 exp)

- Fame bonus (50 exp)

- Long Deliberation bonus (50 exp)

- Noblebright bonus (50 exp)

- Mad Inventor bonus (50 exp)

- Pundemonium bonus (50 exp)

- Schindler's bonus (50 exp)

Total: 400 exp

Party Roles and Individual Exp:

- Remembrancer (Carter / Styx - 100 exp)

- Caller (Kitty / POWERLAD - 100 exp)
- Mapper (Carter / Styx - 100 exp)

- Guard (Kitty / POWERLAD - 100 exp)
- Treasurer (Carter / Styx - 100 exp)
- Art Attack bonus (Carter - 100 exp)
- Fiction Fanatic bonus (Kitty - 100 exp)- Chippo Man bonus (Carter*2 - 100 exp ea.)

- JÜGBRINGYR bonus (Kitty - 500 exp ea,)

Active Businesses:

- Honey Healing. Safe. 1084sp. (Bertha)

- Knickers Gloves Bodices. Risky. 1020sp. (Ratimir)
- Blood Honey 4 U. Safe. 10410sp. (Sir Robyn)

Rumours:

- 

Death Toll and Injuries:

- None of the players at least..

Exp Totals:

- Kitty / High Priest POWERLAD!, Level 7 Muscle Wizard: 107415 (Level up at 144000)-- Devotee of Ninhursag, Bond 9 (-45% exp)

- Carter / Styx, Level 5 Goblin: 24704 (Level up at 32000)--- Styx's minions, Level 0 Goblin Buddies

Absent or Retired:

- Timothy / Sir Robyn, Level 6 Magic-User: 57397 (Level up at 72000)
--- Spider Squad, Level 1 Spider Extras: 737 (Level up at 1500) 

- Andy / Carrie Meleste, Level 6 Termaxian Cleric: 48024 (Level up at 56000) 

--- 4 Henchmen Undeserving of Names, Level 0 Bootlickers 

- James / Ratimir, Level 6 Ratman: 25098 (Level up at 48000)

- Charles / Galaxy Johnson, Level 6 Elf (Alpdrucke): 48309 (Level up at 96000)

- Ollie / Synthia, Level 5 Inheritor: 21687 (Level up at 36000)-- Devotee of Ninhursag, Bond 2 (-10% exp)

- Elias / Raivo, Level 1 Barbarian: 938 (Level up at 2000) 
- Tom / Hacker's Halberdiers, Level 3 Extras: 5598 (Level up at 6000)

- Andrea / Marjorie, Level 1 Halfling: 1111 (Level up at 2000)

- Fraser / Mori, Level 5 Elf (Worriganger): 24025 (Level up at 48000) - Issy / Sturdy, Level 2 Dwarf: 3596 (Level up at 4400)  
- The Dwarfs
--- Randy, Level 4 Hench-Dwarf: 9884 (Level up at 17600)--- Gav, Level 0 Inclusion - Tom / Clarence Eclair, Level 3 Specialist: 3040 (Level up at 6000)

- Tom / Aces Fontaine, Level 1 Specialist: 869 (Level up at 1500)
- Kitty / Bertha, Level 4 Necromancer: 9931 (Level up at 18000)- Imran / Friar, Level 1 Magic User: 1040 (Level up at 2250)
- Yuri / Bjorn Gunnerson, Level 2 Barbarian: 2278 (Level up at 4000)

- Sunni / Larry's Legends, Level 1 Extras: 758 (Level up at 1500)

- Fraser / Tippin, Level 1 Ratman: 1458 (Level up at 1500)

- Charles / Zena, Level 6 Fighter: 41566 (Level up at 64000)

- Tom / Meteor Power Shower, Level 2 Barbarian: 3061 (Level up at 4000)

- Nix's Retainer

--- Huz, Level 0 Hireling

- Tom / Spicy Mac, Level 2 Halfling: 3457 (Level up at 4000)

- Eleanor / Mugg, Level 2 Fighter: 2357 (Level up at 4000)

- Kyle / Gimlass the Brave, Level 2 Dwarf: 2257 (Level up at 4400)

- Amar / Amar's Cleric, Level 1 Cleric: 1413 (Level up at 1750)

- Henry / Henry's Next Character: +2084 exp

- Ollie / Tremendo Picante, Level 2 Ratman: 2654 (Level up at 3000)

- James / Raaf van Held, Level 4 Fighter: 14838 (Level up at 16000)

- Eglė / Bob, Level 1 Dwarf: 434 (Level up at 2200)

- Will / Cecil Fulbright, Level 5 Cleric (Termaxian): 15063 (Level up at 28000)

- James / William Fox-Shitt, Level 3 Cleric (Zeanist): 4571 (Level up at 7000)