Nameless Ninja

Gatewalkers – Episode 31

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Written by

Jim

in

Book 3: Dreamers of the Nameless Spires

Chapter 1: A Most Unwelcome Truth

Or, What happens in a yurt stays in a yurt.

loreify.ai session notes

Session Summary

The party continues to explore Etward Ritalson’s underground occult laboratory beneath the manor. They identify a binding circle set into the floor, loot a magical yeti costume and mask, and take a yeti-hide map plotting an expedition route from Icegate in the north to a ruined temple of Findeladlara, noting the location of the missing explorer’s yurt.

A nightmare haunt triggered by incense burners in a tapestry-covered bedroom induces sleep and painful dreams of arctic terror, which they overcome through saves, healing, and Snowy Owl’s lucid dreaming intervention. Hector grabs the unconsious Sammakko and retreats from the smoky hazard. Sammakko then explores further and finds a pair of unidentified magical gloves with electrodes, opulent moonstones, and museum-worthy incense burners.

In another room they find the empty skulls of previous Gatewalkers (including Bolan Nogasso from Sevenarches), a statue that Snowy Owl recognizes as a sauman-kar, a model of the Nameless Spires, and an illusory image of Osoyo with some unused magic scrolls. Exploration of yet another room yields alchemical formulae, two doses of slumber wine, twelve doses of cytillesh, and a “harvesting table” with surgical tools and bloodstains.

Hector carefully skirts the binding circle and opens the first 2 doors of the triple-vault. Using translate on a previously-found engineering diagram, Sammakko determines the combination and opens the last door and they enter a chamber with a large chained glass vat containing ‘The Guest’—a grotesque mass of flesh that splits into four humanoid shapes upon its accidental release. Session ends as combat begins.

Timeline

  1. Party heals after air spirit fight and enters abandoned workshop with binding circle diagram, identified via Arcana as ritual for summoning extraplanar creatures.
  2. Perimeter sweep reveals basement study with white fur monstrous costume (cold resistant explorer’s clothing), four-horned mask (+2 survival), and Crown of the World expedition map marked to Icegate and Findeladlara temple.
  3. Party loots costume, mask, map (triggers déjà vu Will save).
  4. Iron grate with doors behind; intimidation fails (Sammakko).
  5. Incense in bedroom triggers haunt: smoke causes unconsciousness and arctic nightmarish dreams in which a furred figure attacks; multiple failed Fortitude/Will saves, Snowy Owl counters the spell and enters the party’s dreams to aid with resistance.
  6. Hector wakes and escapes room, carrying Sammakko. Heal with potions/treat wounds.
  7. Roped exploration: Sammakko finds thick leather gloves with copper electrode cables (unidentified high level magic), pile of moonstones.
  8. Trophy hall: gatewalker skulls (brains harvested), Sauman-kar statue, Nameless Spires diorama model, flickering Osoyo illusion (loots two illusory object scrolls).
  9. Sewage channel room leads to harvesting lab: alchemical formulas, slumber wine (2 doses), cytillesh (12 doses), surgical table.
  10. Athletics check to lift portcullis, Thievery check to pick lock; Translate deciphers triple-door diagram code, unlocks final combination wheel.
  11. Enter Guest chamber: 15-ft glass cylinder with shadowy shape in green fluid, three unlabelled levers on workstation; inspection fails.
  12. Hector greets cylinder, awakens Guest; Hector pulls levers—left tightens chains, center clears fluid revealing flesh horror, right unseals lid.
  13. Guest thrashes and escapes, falls apart into four vaguely humanoid shapes; initiative rolled, combat begins as session ends.

Treasure