Nolla Isle

This island on the Sarodin Sea is the rumored home of the ancient master alchemist Noita.

Event

On the way here Velkor told the party his plan. He doesn't belief the island is cursed but he knows it was the home of someone called Noita. No one seems to be sure what the race or gender of this person was, Velkor himself thinks it was a dwarven woman. She was an alchemist from before the Collapse and was known for going completely her own way and rejecting the tenets of her day.

Velkor has managed to get his hands on a diary/notes by someone called Minä. They tell a lot about the isle and the things on there. The man is specifically looking for an item called the Sampo, although maybe there might also be something called the Amulet of Yendor.

The isle has high cliffs almost all the way around, there is a dilapidated jetty but Velkor wants to go to the opposite side. There is a small, pebbly beach there and our friends are dropped off there. The water smells rather strange [like ammonia] as they make their way over. A path leads up and then splits to multiple directions; a lake, an enormous tree, etc. But Velkor tells them the mines are the way to find the items he is after.

On the way they pass a large standing stone with an inscription that Velkor manages to translate with his notes:

The midsummer's loon flew over a swamp and landed at the base of a great tree. The water bird laid three eggs. The first egg rolled from the nest and cracked. Blood flowed from the crack for seven days and seven nights. From the blood life and death were formed.

There are two smaller, overgrown standing stones next to the entrance to the mines, they have strange iconography on it that no one can place. And inside the entrance are even more. Soon they arrive at the top of a ramp that leads into the mines, an old mine cart stands there on a rusted track. Suddenly everyone gets the sense of themselves, wearing purple robes, brandishing a wand, standing on the cart as it barrels down the ramp. As soon as it comes the feeling passes again. But the idea lingers and Butch and Reb decide to go down the ramp exactly that way.

Mines

The walls, ceiling, and floor here are earth and stone, there are many large wooden beams holding up everything.

Room 1

A lantern hangs from the ceiling and a large barrel containing oil stands in a corner of the room, there are exits in two directions, one leads to Room 2, the other to Room 7. A strange creature looking like a purple ball with yellow eyes and three legs hops around and looks at the new arrivals. Reb approaches the creature and it jumps at him, attacking the fighter. It's not that strong and soon is brought low. This is a Hämis, Plural Hämikset, informs Velkor as he consults his notes.

Room 2

There are no lanterns in this room but a set of red eyes appears in the dark. When the party investigates a dog- like creature jumps and attacks, it certainly fights more like a wolf than a dog. Afterwards Velkor identifies it as a Hurrta.

An old wheelbarrow stands abandoned. There is a huge vat made of timber that reaches almost up to the ceiling, it is filled with sand. A wooden crate with white skull painted on it stands in a corner. When opened with a crowbar it turns out to be filled with a coarse orange/pinkish powder. Regius fills an old sock with it.

Our friends continue on.

Room 3

A large basin fills most of the room, it is filled with a liquid that smells like honey and lemon, it might be some kind of mead, Velkor later identifies it as sima. There is about a meter between the wall and the room and the basin to walk to the opposite side and the exit there. In the middle of the basin is a small wooden platform with a chest on it. Our friends are very weary of traps and no one wants to enter the basin, even though the liquid is only waste high for a human.

As Butch walks around he spots a metal box with a flame engraved on it, under the liquid. He takes it out and gives it to Harpin who retreats all the way back to the entrance to open it carefully, what he finds is a fire starter, something he could create easily and tens times smaller. The others have used rope and a javelin to create a rope-way to the platform and Harpin is volunteered to check it out.

The chest opens without problem and inside are perfectly preserved food items:

• Leipäjuusto (bread cheese); this baked, slightly sweet cheese best enjoyed hot with some cloudberry jam spread on top.
• Bright-orange cloudberries (suomuurain, kruipbraam), can only be found growing in high altitude bogs.
• Poronkäristys (sautéed reindeer) and a side of mashed potatoes and lingonberries (rode bosbes of vossenbes).

Reb comes over to the platform and his a look as well, and proceeds to eat half of everything in there! The chest itself turns out to be a Chest of Preserving and Butch takes it with him.

Room 4

This room has higher levels one either side, both reachable by a ladder. Strange bipedal creatures are on there, one either side. On the left is one that throws small red cylinders that explode, dealing damage to multiple people. On the right is one that has a muscle in its forearm connected to a very large double crossbow, when he shoots, his misses sometimes bounce and then still hit someone. A red barrel stands near the creature on the right. It's a tricky combat and the barrel explodes with quite some force when Regius' Shatter spell hits it. Our friends win out in the end though. Velkor identifies the opponents as Tappurahiisi and Haulikkohiisi, some kinds of strange devils?

On a small pedestal on the lower level sits a large vial containing an olive green liquid. Velkor identifies it as Acceleratium; it will make you faster, but he speculates this potion might not work outside of the island. Copper veins are visible in the walls, as are signs of it having been mined.

A corridor leads to a T intersection, a warmth and orange glow comes from the right.

Room 5

The floor here slopes up and then there's a lake of lava extending to beyond where the eye can see. An emerald tablet lays next to the lake. Velkor looks at his notes, this is the Tabula Smaragdina and translates it:

Tis true without lying, certain and most true.

That which is below is like that which is above

And that which is above is like that which is below

To do the miracles of one only thing

And as all things have been and arose

From one by the mediation of one:

So all things have their birth

From this one thing by adaptation.

Room 6

The path leads to an open doorway. Inside is a medium size room made of stone slabs. Just under the ceiling the room is ringed by strange looking gargoyles. At either end of the room stands a large capstan. Regius and Butch walk to either one and look to turn them, to see what might happen. Reb and Harpin are waiting just outside the door. When Regius turns his capstan ninety degrees a block of stone drops down to close of the doorway. And at the same time water starts falling from all the gargoyles' mouths, filling up the room!

Butch runs over to the doorway but there is no way to get through and the block of stone is massive, it won't be damaged or moved easily. Reb looks at the same thing from the other side and can tell that his crowbar won't do the job. Butch then turns his capstan and the water now starts flowing even faster. The cleric and barbarian decide to keep turning the capstans as they will only go in one direction. At 270 degrees a darkness spell envelops the capstans and everything around it.

But when both capstans are back in their original positions the water stops flowing, a grate appears in the floor and once all the water has been drained away the stone block in the entryway is pulled back up.

With nothing left to find here the party returns to the starting room and then continues the other way, leading them to Room 7.

Room 7

There's a small pile of coal laying in the room and another crate with a skull on it. There are runes on the wall, fortunately Velkor's notes help the party in deciphering them: “Devoted seeker after true wisdom know this we are watching you.”

Room 8

There’s a large vat on stilts on left side of the room with a downwards pointing triangle (water) etched on the side. On a small pedestal sits a large vial containing a light purple liquid, later identified as Polymorphine. Two Limanuljaska float around at 15’ high. They shoot globs of acid at our friends and being at that height makes it more difficult to attack but they are defeated.

Harpin wants to look inside the vat but it's quite high and hard to peer over the edge. He manages but then falls into the empty vat, there's just a few drops of water in it. Multiple plans are made for getting the gnome out but in the end Regius destroys one of the four stilts and the whole construction topples over onto the unlucky priest.

Room 9

A big, metal, empty basin stands in the of the center of room, to the north is a wall of wooden planks instead of the usual earth or rock. A large bucket sits on a pedestal next to the basin, a few drops of oil can be found at the bottom of it. A dull red gem is set into the inner wall of the basin, just under the top.

Our friends wonder about to function of the basin and gem, Butch checks out the wooden wall and knocking on it, finds it sounds hollow. After breaking the wall down they find another basin, this one filled with oil. Reb then takes the bucket and fills the empty basin with oil from the filled one. When it is almost filled the red gem lights up and on the pedestal a wand carved in the shape of a rose appears, the word Ruusu inscribed on it.

Room 10

On a small pedestal sits a tiny yellow rock that looks most fiery, Velkor says it must be a Kiuaskivi, it gives resistance to fire to who holds it. A minecart with a broken wheel stands in one corner and numerous Hämikset jump around in another corner next to a crate with a white skull. The party slowly approaches and a Hämis attacks. That's when they decide to shoot at the crate and a large explosion kills all of the remaining enemies and takes a good chunk out of the wall.

Room 11

A large boulder blocks progress, it seems to sit at top of a ramp going deeper into the room beyond, the sound of a large number of Hämikset can be heard beyond. With no way to pass our friends push the large stone and it rolls into the room below, killing all the purple creatures in there.

Not everything is destroyed; in a corner of the room against the wall stands an 80 cm long board made of birch wood with metal pegs at one end and a metal bar set into a wood housing at the other, horsehair strings run from the pegs to the bar. It's a musical instrument, a kantele.

Room 12

The middle of this room is taken up by a very large metal cube that goes from floor to ceiling. Part of the metal has been made transparent and inside is a floating blob of probably 3 meter diameter, it is a sickly green with many whitish eyes all over, tiny tendrils hang from the bottom of it. A look at the notes tells this is a Äitinuljaska. On a small pedestal sits a large vial containing a bright green liquid, identified as Acid.

Room 13

A few mostly empty rooms with some silver ore veins lead to room with smooth brown/yellowish brickwork at the end of it. The back of the room is taken up with a large plinth, inscribed with runes along the bottom, floating above it is a large, swirling, vertical, purple disc. On the right side is a slightly smaller plinth, also inscribed with runes, on it sits a dark blue sphere engulfed in lighter blue magical flames, inside of it one can just about make out a stylized tentacle. Next to it lays an emerald tablet.

Standing in the middle of the room is a creature that looks like a man whose skin has burned completely; it is scarred, colored a dark red, the top of his head and his hands are wreathed in flame. This Stendari starts throwing balls of fire at the party and combat ensues. Any attack hitting the creature opens up its skin and liquid fire pours out. But our friends are victorious.

The runes translate to "Teleport" under the purple disc and "Seek the End" under the blue orb. The Emerald Tablet hold just two lines:

“The sacrifice of oneself to the pursuit of knowledge. Is the highest tribute to the gods.”

Harpin interacts with the blue sphere and when he does, he hears the words: “Secrets of otherworldly life have been unlocked to you.” He has gained a Revenge Tentacle perk. The large purple disc looks a lot like a portal, Velkor confirms it, and one by one our friends go through.

Room 14

Stepping through the portal they arrive inside a large room made of the same brickwork as the previous one though there is no portal on this side, so no way back. One large stone basin contains clear, fresh water, another contains fish, which Butch catches for a nice meal. A large pedestal inscribed with runes, "Refreshing", along the bottom sits next to it, motes of light float above it.

Beyond it is a large rack containing a number of weapons, ammunition, and armor repair tools. At the end of the room is an exit tunnel. Velkor tells the party that this place is called Holy Mountain in the notes he has. When looking through the weapons they find a magic spear; Keihäs.

Coal Pits

Room 15

As the party exits Holy Mountain they arrive into a large underground cavern, large piles of coal lay everywhere and a number of pits have been dug in the ground. Most are empty but one contains a sickly green liquid. A few wooden beams hold up the ceiling and oil lanterns hang from them. Suddenly they hear and feel a deep rumbling sound as if they are in the middle of an earthquake, and indeed, they almost are; behind them, the tunnel to the Holy Mountain has collapsed in on itself.

Velkor delves into his notes and concludes that these must be the Coal Pits. There are two exits, one to the left and one to the right.

Room 16

More heaps of coal lie around this cavern, there is what looks to be a small gold vein in the wall to the left. A wooden platform has been built to cross the room about halfway from the entrance, a crate with a skull painted on it stands on the right side of it. A large hopper containing some kind of orange/pinkish powder is built next to the platform, near where the box is.

At the opposite end of the room, are two small, purple blobs with wings and one eye, small tendrils drooping from the bottom of their bodies, they fly around a much, much larger purple blob with wings, this one has at least three eyes and is probably two meters in diameter. Later identified as Lepakko and Suurlepakko, the creatures attack. The big one shoots out two of the smaller ones every time it attacks and all of them cover any target in slime with every successful attack. But what could have been a very dangerous encounter becomes trivial when Regius casts Spirit Guardians.

Room 17

An undulating tunnel that could have been created by some kind of huge, burrowing creature leads to a cavern that appears to be the end of the excavation on this side. Rats scurry away from the light as our friends enter. A large wooden contraption that looks a lot like a water wheel is attached to the wall on the right. On the left there are the by now ubiquitous heaps of coal as well as a number of holes dug into the ground, most of them filled with a sickly green liquid.

At the back of the cavern there is a cube of about a meter on each side, almost completely excavated from the wall. Its surface is black as obsidian, a double band of gold runs along the top of the sides and a single band along the bottom. Golden glyphs take up the rest of the surface area, Velkor studies his notes and conclude that they translate to the word ‘meditate’. “High viisaus (wisdom), that’s what we need.”

Regius sits on top of the block and meditates for a minute, then a purple portal disc appears, just like the one encountered earlier. When the party steps through, they arrive from a similar portal into the middle of a room the shape of a large cube, at least fifteen meters across. The walls are dark and on them are somewhat muted golden glyphs, though they seem to be mirrored. Floating in one of the corners is a wooden wand that ends in many diverging tines. A small red gem has been set into its end and a larger one in the middle in front of the tines.

When grabbed it identifies itself as Varpuluuta, a Wand of Secrets with 30 charges.

Room 18

Our friends return to the start and then take a tunnel that angles not too sharply to the left and they arrive into what is, or was, a dormitory. A number of large bunk beds take up most of the space to the right of the room, a chest placed in front of each of them. On the opposite side someone has used crates and any scrap wood available to improvise a number of chairs and tables. The tables are stained with a number of fluids, alcohol and blood probably being the most common of them. Dirty mugs stand and lay scattered on the tables. On one table lays an ancient looking set of playing cards made of sliced bone. It has four suits: water, fire, lightning, and earth, but two cards are missing.

At the back of the cave, a stream of fresh water (a foot or two deep) coming from the back wall and disappearing into the wall on the left, has created a separated area on which a kitchen has been built. A large iron stove, a crate of coal, and a bucket stand in the corner, next to a work area and a cupboard. Connected to the stove is a smoker in which a number of dead rats hang by their tails from a dowel. The cupboard contains a few large bags of salt and a tiny box that once contained pepper. Another shelf contains a number of rectangular wooden plates. Other than one or two cooking utensils and a very rusty cleaver found in the work area there’s no cutlery to speak of.

Most of the bunk beds look like they haven’t been used in a long while, only a few still contain nasty looking bedding and dirty blankets full of holes. None of the chests have locks and most are completely empty. Those near the used beds contain sets of dirty clothing in different shades of brown.

Regius does a very Regius thing and tries to put toxic sludge up the smoked rats asses to 'poison' anyone eating them.

Room 19

A wide tunnel leads to the next cavern, it’s about 90 feet across and 60 feet wide. More heaps of coal lay scattered around, two empty mine carts are placed haphazardly around, there are no tracks of any kind for them. About halfway in the cavern, a bit to the right is a wooden platform, about 8 feet across, it hangs at about 15 feet high from a pulley on the ceiling. On the platform stands a red, metal barrel and a wooden crate with a white skulls painted on each side.

A wooden wall, about chest high, divides the cavern about midway through. Beyond it they can just about make out two shapes. One seems to wield a crossbow and the other is holding a small red object in its hand. Beyond them is a small pedestal on which rests something that looks suspiciously like a giant eyeball.

The creatures haven't seen the party yet and our friends discuss different plans. Eventually Regius casts light on stone and throws it to distract them. Then a Shatter spell from the cleric destroys part of the barrier to give Butch and Reb ready access. Unseen until now were two more enemies and now a battle starts between two Tappurahiisi, two Haulikkohiisi and the party. Regius is almost brought down but in the end victory is assured.

The enemies don't have much to loot but one of them holds one of the two missing cards up its sleeve. Looking more closely at the eye, it seems it projects a malevolent glare. It’s about the size of a human’s head, whatever creature it came from must be huge. According to Velkor’s notes this is something called a Paha Silmä. When held by the severed optic nerve at the back one feels an unpleasant tingle run down one's spine and the world suddenly looks a little different. Everything one sees now has a slight red tinge, living creatures are a deeper red, and one notices that any motes of dust that fly in front of the eye just dissolve into nothingness.

Room 20

More tunnels and more caverns follow, there’s not much of interest in any of them, mostly more heaps of coal, broken mining equipment and pits filled with that sickly green liquid. Also, rats. Then the party gets to a cavern that finally contains something of interest. A number of boulders lay stacked in a corner and in the middle of the room is a strange construction. A metal basin the shape of the bottom half of a ball has been placed into the rock floor, emblazoned on the metal is the symbol of a downward pointing triangle. Other than some rat droppings the basin is empty. A few meters above the basin suspended on four metal poles coming from the bottom half is the top half of the ball, an upside down metal basin. When someone looks up into it they see the symbol of a cloud etched inside it.

For some misunderstood reason Regius licks the rat droppings. But soon enough our friends figure that maybe they should fill the bottom basin with water and then heat it up to fill the top one with steam. A Sleet Storm spell by the cleric provides a not terribly convenient way to fill the basin. Then Butch puts his Blackstock's Olla in the water and heats up.

Once the top part is filled with steam a wand suddenly appears and hovers in the air next to the basin. It is made of wood and the top part of the wand first bends a little to the right before it bends back all the way to touch itself again, making a full circle. When taken it identifies itself as Kiekurakeppi, a Wand of Viscid Globs with 7 charges that do not recharge.

Fungal Caverns

Room 21

Another long tunnel hewn out of the rock leads to a new cavern but things are different here. The walls and ground are mostly packed earth interspersed with the occasional rock, making things look more like the Mines they visited earlier. But quite different from those is the colorful fungus that grows on most surfaces and the enormous mushrooms that grow here and there, some as large as a man. The air feels a lot warmer here. According to Velkor’s notes these must be the Fungal Caverns.

Another tunnel continues to the north, curving to the west. To the back of the cavern is a large metal basin sunk into the floor and filled with fresh water. Reb looks down into it; there’s large hole of about two feet across in the side of the basin where it meets the rock wall, the start of a water filled tunnel leading west.

Reb ask Usnea what it thinks of all this fungus and mushrooms, does it want to know more? It absolutely does as these are forms it has never encountered before. The fighter starts by licking some but then the entity asks him to eat some. It's not tasty at all but also doesn't seem too harmful. Butch meanwhile has cooked some up, making them more palatable but of no use to Usnea.

Reb decides to check out the underwater tunnel and has Regius cast a light spell as he ties rope around himself and makes Butch take the other end. He swims down the really narrow tube when he thinks he might just see light at the other end, he also finds a tunnel going straight up, there seems to be air at the top. He goes up but runs out of rope, untying it to reach a small room. There's nothing there except for a glowing lime-green potion the Velkor later identifies as Healthium; when imbibed or covered in it, it gives the subject a regeneration of 5 hp per turn for 10 turns.

When Butch mentions the rope going slack, Harpin uses his tome to send a message to the fighter and the reply is assuring, Reb is ok. The battle master then prepares to go back down the tube and to the other side.

Room 22

Reb comes up out of the water in another metal basin just like the one in the room he started from. An earthen tunnel goes north and curves to the east. Another tunnel leads west. Purple fungus covers the walls on the left side of the room, pink fungus the other side, even growing up from the floor in stalks of up to a meter high. Just being near some of these fungi makes his head swim a little.

A small pedestal in the center of the room holds a small brown stone. Inscribed upon it is a downwards pointing triangle with a horizontal line through it. Velkor later identifies this as a Tannerkivi, it gives acid immunity when held.

In the left far corner of the room is something that looks remarkably like an enormous wasps’ nest. And just as Reb ponders this, a giant orange and purple wasp or fly crawls out of it; a Tulikärpänen. The fighter makes his way as silent as he can to the tunnel, figuring it will lead back to the previous room, and it does.

The party discusses strategies and wonders how many wasps might be in the nest; Harpin sagely mentions there might be a hole or tunnel behind the visible nest. They fill another sock with the exploding powder and then tie it to one of Butch' javelins. The return to the room and are now spotted by the wasp which fires orbs of fire at them, which hurt quite a lot.

Fortunately the javelin sticks into the nest and Butch throws his lantern at it, missing it but hitting the floor, the fire climbing up towards the nest. Another of the creatures exits the nest and attacks but then a huge explosion destroys not just the nest but a good part of the room and wall. Our friends need a long rest now but afterwards they are ready to continue. And Usnea managed to add a new trick to its repertoire; staunching bleeding.

Room 23

The only exit from the room other than where you entered is a path cut through huge mushrooms, in one case right through the middle of one the size of a shed. The path is dark. You might be safe, but who could walk between the stipes of these myceliad colossi without an instinctive shiver of mammalian unease? A gossamer-vaned spore the size of a dog's eye settles on your shoulder. It bursts as you brush it off. Filthy thing!

At the end of the path is a modestly sized cavern dotted in colorful fungi including many stalks growing from the floor, the spores in the air are almost overpowering. In the middle of the cavern a small plinth made out of the same brickwork as Holy Mountain has been built and a glyph resembling an eye has been carved into it. On the plinth lays a notebook, once translated it reads:

"One of my brethren ran away in order to escape our predicament... They felt our understanding of this world was to be forbidden. They hid something here, in this room, but... I lack the ability to truly see what is here!"

When Reb looks through the Paha Silmä he sees a large multicolored mushroom with four eyes in its stalk hovering in the air above the plinth. There is no other exit from the room. After some discussion the party decides that the fighter should lick/eat more of the fungi and mushrooms and see if anything happens. He does so and after a few minutes he is high as a kite. He has triggered a Fungal Reality Shift and hears the words: "You feel something has changed". A path out of the room has become visible and on the platform there now lies a second notebook:

“Among the great alchemical endeavors there are some that, while not equal to the Great Work, nonetheless are revered greatly for the deific potence they instill to whomsoever succeeds in harnessing their power.”

Room 24

A short tunnel leads to a large and high-ceilinged cavern that consists of two levels. Our friends arrive at the higher level which is about a third of the cavern in size. The rest of the cavern floor is down a sharp drop of about forty feet. The walls and ceiling of the cavern are covered with different fungi and lichen, except for the cliff face which is slick with something they hope is water.

At the lower level the floor consists of soil and rock, except for in the left corner where a patch of about thirty by thirty feet seems to be sand. Getting down is tricky but with the help of a rope tied to a large mushroom, Regius is the first to make it down, arriving near the sandy patch. Just as he is looking at the sand, red orbs hit him from behind. A strange, green creature has peeked around a bend in the cliff face and is the source of the attack.

The cleric casts a Fog Cloud to hide from the enemy as the orbs hit *hard*. Reb goes down the rope next and Butch runs closer along the top of the cliff face with Harpin casting some of his own magic back at the creature. It then takes its turn to cast more orbs, this time at Reb, making the fighter enter the Fog Cloud as well, he has taken a lot of damage and the enemy is at least sixty feet away.

Butch jumps forty feet down at the creature and hits for all he is worth, using gravity to increase the damage. Unfortunately the creature then moves away and teleports onto the higher part of the cave where only Harpin is left. The warlock takes a lot of damage but luckily a Healing Word spell by Regius keeps him in the fight and with a Shillelagh spell on his quarterstaff he finishes off the creature.

Hidden from sight from above due to the cliff sloping back is a small cave that clearly was the home of the creature. Inside is some dirty bedding, a lot of dead bugs that might be a food supply and on a small pedestal is an orange stone shaped like an egg but more pointy at the top. It’s about a foot tall and carved into it is a rune of a circle bisected by vertical line and horizontal line from the left side of the circle to the vertical line.

Velkor identifies it as a Runestone of Fire and their enemy as a Märkiäinen. Harpin takes some time to dig out the sand pit but finds nothing of interest.

Room 25

A long tunnel leads to a small cavern filled with mushrooms, some the size of a shed, others more regular size but most about as tall as a dwarf. Most walls are covered with vines and fungi, except for the wall opposite of the entry tunnel, which is just light grey rock.

A number of metal beams are set into the ceiling but the one near the only other exit from the cavern has come down from the ceiling together with quite a bit of rock which has blocked the tunnel entrance.

Our friends discuss what to do with the blockage and Butch has a good look at the grey wall, determining it's not too thick. They use more of the explosive powder, making a hole in the wall and then blowing it up quite effectively. Behind it is a tunnel that, when going right, loops back to the blocked entrance.

Room 26

A short tunnel leads to a cavern with smooth brown/yellowish brickwork at the end of it. The back of the room is taken up with a large plinth, inscribed with runes along the bottom, floating above it is a large swirling purple vertical disc. On the right side is a slightly smaller plinth, also inscribed with runes, on it sits a dark blue sphere engulfed in lighter blue magical flames, inside of it one can just about make out a stylized axe head covered in blood. Next to it lays an emerald tablet. The runes are the same as in the previous room that looked like this, the tablet translates to this:

“If all the mountains were of silver and gold, What would they profit a man who lives in constant fear of death? Hence there cannot be in the whole world anything better than our Medicine, Which has power to heal all the diseases of the flesh.”

This time Butch interacts with the blue sphere and when he does, he hears the words: “Secrets of otherworldly life have been unlocked to you.” He has gained the Critical Hit + perk. Then our friends step through the portal.

Room 27

Stepping through the portal they arrive inside a large room made of the same brickwork as the previous one though there is no portal on this side, so no way back. One large stone basin contains clear, fresh water, another contains fish, which Butch catches for a nice meal. A large pedestal inscribed with runes, "Refreshing", along the bottom sits next to it, motes of light float above it.

Beyond it is a large rack containing a number of weapons, ammunition, and armor repair tools. At the end of the room is an exit tunnel. It's another Holy Mountain. No magic weapons are found this time.

Snowy Depths

Room 28

As the party goes down the exit tunnel the air gets quite cold and they come to the end of the passageway they see why; all they see is snowy slopes and a starry sky. Once outside they can look up and that’s when they find out they are about halfway up a mountain. The incline up the mountain is quite severe and packed with snow.

They are on a small ledge of about a hundred by sixty feet and at the edge of the shelf are six wooden contraptions with metal runners attached to the bottom of them. Velkor is quite surprised, he doesn’t understand how but these must be the Snowy Depths, “between the woods and frozen lake, the darkest evening of the year,” he whispers.

Standing at the edge our friends gaze down the mountain. It looks a little steep for the first part but then it sort of levels off into a number of small valleys. At that moment a thunderous rumble sounds and the earth starts to move. Looking behind them, the party sees immeasurable tons of snow starting to come down the mountain over a front hundreds of feet wide; avalanche!

Our friends get onto the toboggans and race down slope, staying only just ahead of the avalanche. Butch and Harpin crash their sled but the warlock in-cases himself in a block of ice and Butch rides it out into the snowy valley.

Room 29

Our friends recover from their hasty descent down the mountain and get their bearings. They are in a small dale a few hundred feet across. To either side is a snow-covered hill and ahead a thick wall of ice blocks their way. Behind them the avalanche has made short work of any ideas about climbing back up the mountain.

The ground is almost completely covered with snow and there doesn’t seem to be much in the way of vegetation. A small pool of, likely ice-cold, water is the only thing of interest.

Room 30

Climbing up the hills to the right they spot nothing but an empty dale. But then the ground starts to shake and about fifty meters away a gargantuan blue worm burst out of the earth and snow. It then disappears beneath the earth before surfacing once again. Our friends wisely decide to retreat before it spots them. Velkor then goes into the notes and identifies the creature as a Jättimato.

Room 31

Now climbing the hills on the other side they see that the next dale is much like the one they just came from; a few hundred feet across to the next hill and with a wall of ice blocking the path further down the mountain. However, here four large copper pipes, as wide as small house, stick up nearly a hundred feet from the snow at different points in the landscape, steam wafting from them.

As the party comes down into the valley a crossbow bolt zooms across and hits Regius. Someone is shooting at them all the way from the opposite hills. Using the pipes as cover our friends move closer, Regius manages to create a screen of snow with a Gust of Wind spell, providing quite a bit of concealment. Soon enough Butch covers the entire distance and finds another creature with a huge crossbow attached to its arm.

The barbarian makes short work of his opponent and when Reb checks the body later, he finds the one remaining playing card from his deck. Velkor identifies the creature as a Snipuhiisi.

At the back of the furthest pipe is a corpse, frozen stuck against the pipe. It’s a dwarven woman, wearing chain armor and carrying an axe and a crossbow. Among her belongings are an ancient notebook, 80 gp in mostly Miforan coin, a novel: the Tunnels of Ashley Province, and a small light blue rock that crackles with lightning, Velkor says it's an Ukkoskivi.

The ancient notebook holds the following:

"The one below listens to my songs... G D# G E A E C B G# F"

Room 32

Another dale, much like the last. A pool of water taking up over half the surface. Next to the pool stands a large log cabin with a pointed roof. It consists of two rooms. The first contains a few beds, a table and chairs. The second has benches along the sides, a large stack of fluffy towels, a bucket, and a stove under a compartment holding small rocks.

Our friends figure out that if they heat the rocks and then pour some water over them they can fill the room with steam and that's quite lovely. They decide to spend the night here and awake quite refreshed.

Room 33

Yet another dale. What’s impossible to miss is the huge glass cube in the middle of it, it’s at least 10 meters on each side and almost completely filled with a bright green liquid that looks identical to the acid in the vial they found earlier.

Butch thinks something might be hidden inside so he takes the tannerkivi and breaks the glass. A wave of acid washes over the barbarian and turns much of the dale into a wasteland but nothing was hidden inside the glass cube.

Room 34

This dale holds a small building and a box next to it in the distance. Up close the building looks to be only two meters high and made out of metal just as the box that sits about a two meters next to it. Said box is about a meter on each side and lightning crackles along its surface, it is quite similar to the box that was inside the basin of sima.

Behind the building two strange skulls are found laying on the ground. Velkor thinks these are Jäätiö but it unclear to him what might have killed them. There are no entrances on any side of the building. Seeing the box gives Harpin an idea and he takes the Ukkoskivi, pushing it up against the building, lightning runs all along the metal surface and crackling can soon be heard inside.

Then a little smoke starts to come from the roof and there's a thunderous crash. It transpires that there was a large stone slab in an opening on the roof. It was held up by wooden supports which were standing in a pool of oil. The lightning ignited the oil which in turn burned the supports.

Inside the building, floating in the air is a large wand made of wood, close to the end of it are two crossbars tipped with small blue gems and a very large blue gem is held between four tines at the end of the wand. When taken it identifies itself as Valtikka, a Wand of Winter, of sorts. In a corner of the room against the wall sits a golden flute.

Butch tries to see what’s making the box outside create the lightning bolts but trying to open it destroys the mechanism.

Room 35

As our friends crest the hill they see the next dale laying ahead of them but other than before, at the far end of it is the ice wall that has impeded their progress down the mountain, it curves here and runs further up the mountain.

In the dale itself they spot a few animals that look to be deer, wandering around in the snow. In the middle of the dale stands a small building made of the now familiar smooth brown/yellowish brickwork.

There is one door to the building and next to it are nine glyphs of the numbers one through nine. Above them is a short paragraph of runes. Translated it reads:

The product of the first two digits is 24.

The fourth digit is half of the second digit.

The sum of the last two digits is the same as the sum of the first and third digits.

The sum of all the digits is 26.

The second and third digits add up to the last digit.

Our friends do a lot of math and then touch the numbers 64529, which opens the doorway.

Room 36

A corridor slopes down into the earth and leads to a room built out of smooth brown/yellowish brickwork. The back of the room is taken up with a large plinth, inscribed with runes along the bottom, floating above it is a large swirling purple vertical disc. On the right side is a slightly smaller plinth, also inscribed with runes, on it sits a dark blue sphere engulfed in lighter blue magical flames, inside of it one can just about make out a stylized bright bipedal body with a more muted body somewhat beside it. Next to it lays an emerald tablet.

Standing in the middle of the room is a creature that looks like a man with a dark blue skin, the top of his head and his hands are wreathed in writhing bolts of lightning. This creature, Velkor will later call it an Ukko, immediately attacks, throwing balls of lightning. But it is no match for four hardened adventurers and soon falls.

The tablet translates to:

“The necessity of concealing the Art is one of the chief anxieties of alchemists. We are sworn to secrecy by heaven and earth and hell, By the four elements, by the height and the depth, By Hermes, by Anubis, and by the howlings of Kerkoros. An oath has been required of us to reveal nothing clearly to any uninitiated being.”

Reb touches the orb. “Secrets of otherworldly life have been unlocked to you,” rings in his mind, and he gains the Teleportitis perk.

Room 37

Stepping through the portal they arrive inside a large room made of the same brickwork as the previous one though there is no portal on this side, so no way back. One large stone basin contains clear, fresh water, another contains fish, which Butch catches for a nice meal. A large pedestal inscribed with runes, "Refreshing", along the bottom sits next to it, motes of light float above it.

Beyond it is a large rack containing a number of weapons, ammunition, and armor repair tools. At the end of the room is an exit tunnel. It's another Holy Mountain. No magic weapons are found this time.

The Vault

Room 38

A long corridor of  smooth brown/yellowish brickwork stretches ahead. When our friends have walked about five meters the earth trembles and the path behind collapses with a deafening sound. At the end of corridor is a small room containing a table, some chairs, and not much else. There are two exits, one to the left and one to the right.

Room 39

Going right the brickwork corridor leads to a large natural cavern, at least a hundred meters across. There are a number of pits in the floor, filled with toxic sludge. Towards the back of the cave is a large construction. At the bottom of it sits a huge tapered drill, contained in a metal housing. At the side of the housing is a large glass chamber filled with oil. There are no other exits.

Our friends soon figure out that burning the oil might turn on the drill. They do so and the drill starts to spin faster and faster, shooting all kinds of rock and other things around the cave. Once it has burnt through its fuel the party searches and finds no fewer than 87 gold nuggets, each worth 1 gp.

Room 40

Going left from room 38 the corridor takes a 90 degree turn and then ends up in what can only be described as a bar. To the side of the room are a few shelves with all kinds of bottles and glasses. A long bar stands in front of them and a few tables and chairs round out the room.

A doorway leads to a small kitchen that contains a fryer and a number of linked sausages, submerged in oil. Opposite of the entrance is an exit to a corridor.

Butch decides to fry up the sausage, surprisingly they are still quite edible. Regius takes any wine bottles he can find. Butch finds a bottle of Mithral Mist, a very rare dwarven spirit that might be worth a king’s ransom?

Room 41

This corridor has doors on either side about halfway down, behind those doors are two dormitories but they clearly have been out of use for a long time now, nothing of interest remains. The corridor turns a sharp right corner right where a large metal door is set into the wall.

Room 42

When opening the door, our friends find a very large room that contains many work surfaces, most of them covered with beakers, retorts, Erlenmeyer flasks, Schlenk tubes, separatory funnels, Thiele and thistle tubes, Bunsen burners and many other implements that just scream alchemy. There are also many differently colored stains all over the place, often running down the sides of the work surfaces; whoever used this lab wasn’t the neatest of persons.

Most of the closets contain more of the same implements and one large storage closet holds what is left of the stock of reagents; that is to say, very little, and nothing of any real worth. A large emerald tablet stands propped up against a wall. A wooden lectern in the middle of the room holds a stained, heavy book. A smaller book sits on a shelf inside the lectern next to a small green stone with the outline of a hut scribed upon it.

A box full of broken wands stands next to an open doorway. Beyond it is a small, circular room. Inside a much-oversized anvil stands in the middle of the room. A shiny metal pipe about twenty centimeters in diameter comes out of the ceiling centered over the anvil. The end of the pipe is covered by a black cap with an opening in the middle of about ten centimeters in diameter. Five letters are inscribed along the perimeter of the room, all equidistant from each other; I A N O K.

Harpin and Reb try to use their arcana and smithing skills to fix a broken wand and eventually they actually succeed in doing so! The wand is made of metal tines that splay out and hold a small skull at the end. It identifies itself as Arpaluu, a Wand of Magic Detection that can also cast Identify, though with some risk.

The Emerald Tablet reads:

“Some Alchemists fancy that the work from beginning to end is a mere idle entertainment; But those who make it so will reap what they have sown -- nothing. We know that next to the Divine Blessing, and the discovery of the proper foundation, Nothing is so important as unwearied industry and perseverance in this First Operation. It is no wonder, then, that so many students of this Art are reduced to beggary; They are afraid of work, and look upon our Art as mere sport for their leisure moments. For no labour is more tedious than that which the preparatory part of our enterprise demands.”

Notes in notebook show that none of the vials work outside of the island. Acrostics show hidden messages:

“They think they can keep me in this gilded cage to unlock the secrets of the Art for them to use as they see fit but there can be no gain without sacrifice.” “I am no soothsayer but that which was inevitable was clear to my eyes as much as they were blind to it. And my timing could not have been any closer. It took me years to convince them to move my laboratory to the sea for these rare reagents that were nothing more than pure fancy sprung from my mind. And then only months later magic collapses and the entire realm is gone. Now I can finally focus on the only truly important thing in life.”

Detect magic shows there are a few magical items: a jar of Keoghtom's Ointment, a Blue Alchemy Jug, the green stone is a Kammi that can build a sauna hut, the large book on the lectern is called Ars Khēmeia and by studying the book and using materials hidden in the spine of it, Butch can use it to change his Blackstock's Olla.

Room 43

The corridor leads to an octagonal room. In the niche across sits a box made of red metal with a treble clef inscribed upon it. The niche to the left is empty and the niche on the right continues into a corridor.

Harpin had played the notes found in the ancient notebook before, using the golden flute, hoping it would open a door but without success. But when he sees that treble clef, he takes out the instrument again and when he plays the notes flawlessly the red box unlocks. Inside are a number of quite nice items. a Quaal's Feather Token, Swan Boat, a Flute of Fancy, five Feather Tokens, and platinum pieces worth 1,000 gp.

Considering the shape of the room, Reb decides to use Varpuluuta, the Wand of Secrets and he finds a hidden doorway in the niche to the left.

Room 44

Opening the hidden door reveals a room that contains devices of steel, amber and glass, made in a style they haven’t seen anywhere else. There are tanks of lemon-smelling viscous slime, buzzing equipment of uncertain character and nodules of amber by the hundredweight.

One tank made of steel and smoked glass is the size of a hansom. There's something, or possibly someone, in it. Not quite human or any humanoid they recognize, the figure is unformed and featureless, like an unfinished statue. It is quiet and still, although its chest rises and falls perhaps twice a minute.

A large desk is placed on one side of the room, kept clear of any machinery, there are notes, journals and drawings here.

One of the walls is taken up completely by a custom-built cabinet that almost looks like a trophy case. Starting on the left the first six cubbyholes are closed off with a glass pane, beyond them is a pinkish mist in which you can just about make out large globules of amber that seem to contain something that pulses every few minutes. In the cubbyholes beneath each of these lays a note card.

Three of the cubbyholes on the right side of the cabinet are also filled; one contains a smoothly polished, multicolored gemstone, the second something that looks like almost transparent gloves, and the third contains a small blue rock that seems to be covered in a layer of water.

The notes are in an ancient form of Dwarfish. They describe the research for a process to store a dying being’s consciousness and then implant it in a new, specially grown body using a combination of alchemy and necromantic magic. The process appears to be excruciatingly painful and you don’t recognize most of the materials needed for it. Apparently to ‘grow’ a body you need number of unborn children and then a weekly supply of child’s blood for the first year. It takes about five years and a lot of very expensive reagents for the body to grow to full size.

A bubble of air rises from the creature's mouth through the syrupy liquid in the tank. Is the shapeless thing inside watching you?

According to the journal it took many tries before the first success and progress has been slow. The author seems nothing but meticulous though, carrying on with unshakable conviction and zeal. From what you can piece together they haven’t been able to keep a restored body alive for more than a week.

The note cards in the cubbyholes read:

• Vuth Rythyn, vagrant. Considering the physical and mental defects of vagrants I have put a stop to our harvesting of them; they have fundamentally failed as research subjects. Keep stored just in case we ever run out of other options.
• Bareena Grayfell, cooper. Personal, not to be used for experimentation!
• Jalabar Ghalmrin, apprentice. One of the worst I have ever had, he might still be of some actual use to our cause in this way.
• Tassarli Impaerlath, queen. Having finally gained the royal physician position made it possible to harvest her as she ‘died in childbirth’. Probably of no direct use but who knows if we ever a need a claim on the royal line.
• Sambril Impaerlath, princess. ‘Stillborn’, probably also of no use since we have the heir we want, no need to have one around that might not be aligned with us.
• Arnvald Throndor, Assassin of Cardinals. He managed to eradicate three impeders of progress before capture. We managed to harvest him when he was kept in the dungeon before execution. Store until we have perfected the process and then we can use him to finally take down the church of Rades once and for all.

The mention of Rades means that this was all written before the Collapse, over a millennium ago! Our friends have a long discussion on what to do here. Are the people trapped in the globules of amber still alive or not? And are they conscious, having spent centuries being trapped there? Would destroying them release their souls to the afterlife? Could they successfully restore one to the body in the tank? What could it tell them? How much would people be willing to pay for knowledge of the location of this room?

The three items in the other cubbyholes are all magical and soon identified: one is a Stone of Good Luck, the next Hands of the Interloper, and Velkor identifies the small blue rock as a Vuoksikivi, which gives Cold Immunity and produces water when held.

There is a lot of discussion about what to do with this find, the items are taken but what about the creature in the vat and the consciousnesses in the amber? Regius wants to destroy everything but the others all think a lot of money could be made from selling the location of this place. When it's suggested that the wrong person might do a lot of evil with this, the suggestion is made to sell the location to the Shy Baron.

Eventually they decide to take the notes with them to sell and destroy the globules of amber, hopefully returning the souls to the afterlife where they should have gone long ago. Regius gives them all the final rights and once they are released one of the souls even travels to the domain of Ulaa.

Room 45

The corridor from the octagonal room leads to a room that has become a familiar sight. The back of the room is taken up with a large plinth, inscribed with runes along the bottom, however, there is no large swirling purple vertical disc floating above it. On the right side is a slightly smaller plinth, also inscribed with runes, on it sits a dark blue sphere engulfed in lighter blue magical flames, inside of it one can just about make out a stylized drop of blood. In the wall to the left a very well hidden secret door stands open.

Behind the door is a small toroidal chamber, the walls made of something that looks to be a material between glass and metal, even the inside of the very snugly fitting door is made of the same material. There are four small openings in the inner wall at four axial locations. They are all empty but tiny runes have been inscribed inside; a downwards pointing triangle crossed by a horizontal line, a lightning bolt, a downward pointing triangle, a flame.

It doesn't take much effort to figure out that the four kivi stones they found can be placed in the appropriate openings. When done there is a whooshing sound that gets louder and louder. Our friends quickly leave and close the secret door. Not much later the purple portal appears on the plinth.

This time Regius decides to touch the orb and he receives a perk; Vampirism. And then our friends step through the portal.

The Laboratory

Room 46

Stepping through the portal they arrive inside a large room made of the same brickwork as the previous one though there is no portal on this side, so no way back. One large stone basin contains clear, fresh water, another contains fish, which Butch catches for a nice meal. A large pedestal inscribed with runes, "Refreshing", along the bottom sits next to it, motes of light float above it.

Beyond it is a large rack containing a number of weapons, ammunition, and armor repair tools. At the end of the room is an exit tunnel. It's another Holy Mountain. No magic weapons are found this time. Instead of the exit tunnel they are used to by now, the far end of the room has no wall and a very wide and high bridge starts, crossing a lake of lava. In front of the bridge lays an emerald tablet.

The Emerald Tablet reads:

“The definition of death is the disjunction of the composite, But there is no disjunction of that which is simple, for it is one. Death consists in the separation of the soul from the body, Because anything formed out of two, three, or four components Must disintegrate, and this is death. Understand, further, That no complex substance which lacks fire eats, drinks, or sleeps, Because in all things which have a spirit fire is that which eats.”

Room 47

Directly from the exit a bridge slopes up and then runs level across a sea of lava for as far as the eye can see. As our friends step onto the bridge the earth shakes and behind them, they see the ceiling above where the weapon store was, collapse, tons of rock dropping down and blocking any way back.

Along the bridge are stone statues of a round creature with numerous holes in its body standing on four tentacles. The bridge rises even higher above the lava before leveling out. After a short walk the party sees floating in the air a huge creature; it has a round body with numerous holes, in three of them a sphere of purple energy pulses, eyes? Numerous tentacles each tipped with a sharp looking claw the size of a longsword protrude from its body. The whole creature looks ethereal, as if not quite in this world. Beyond, the bridge seems to end suddenly, without reaching anywhere.

Directly beneath the creature sits an object about half a meter high, made of a shiny light blue material. It looks a little like the wheel of a sailing ship; it consists of a circle with eight spokes sticking out. “The Sampo!” Velkor exclaims.

This is what Velkor has been after all this time but the creature gives some pause. He is quite sure it's called the Kolmisilmä and it seems more than likely that the moment he takes the Sampo, it will materialize and attack. And even if they win, how do they get out of here, our friends ask, there is nowhere to go. Velkor consults his notes and then tells them he is pretty certain a portal will appear when the creature has been defeated.

The party starts to strategize on how to best defeat the creature when someone remembers the potion of Polymorphine that they found. It should work, right? They have no reason to assume it won't and Butch takes it out and stands ready to use it. Velkor grabs the Sampo, the creature fully materializes and the barbarian throws the vial. It hits square on, turning the huge, tentacled beast into a rather confused sheep. Which is then easily killed by a maximized Call Lightning spell from Regius. A red portal appears, which is rather fortunate as the ceiling has come down to either side, destroying the bridge and lava is pouring down from the holes in the ceiling.

Butch takes the dead sheep with him as everyone steps through the portal.

Outside

Our friends arrive on top of a mountain in fresh air next to an altar made of grey stone, inscribed with now familiar runes, though these are green. From their vantage point they can see most of the island, including the pebbly beach where they came ashore. They make their way down there and as they wait for the ship to pick them up, Butch cooks the sheep and they have a hearty meal.

Loot Found

Magic Items

• Chest of Preserving - keeps food fresh. Butch
• Ruusu - a Wand of Entangle, with 7 charges that do not recharge. Has this added effect: while restrained by this spell, targets takes 1d6 piercing damage at the start of each of their turns. Velkor
• Kiuaskivi - a small, fiery rock, gives Fire Resistance when held. Used
• Keihäs - magical spear. Butch
• Varpuluuta - a Wand of Secrets with 29 charges. Velkor
• Paha Silmä - an eye the size of a human's head. Velkor
• Kiekurakeppi - a Wand of Viscid Globs with 7 charges that do not recharge. Velkor
• Tannerkivi - a small rock, gives Acid Immunity when held. Used
• Runestone of Fire - as an Action you can kick it and it creates a 30' diameter field for 1 minute that changes any magical elemental damage from any other type to fire. Velkor
• Ukkoskivi - a small light blue rock, gives Lightning Immunity when held. When held it also does 1d10 lightning damage every 1d4 rounds. Used
• Valtikka - a Wand of Winter that does 1d4 cold damage to the user when used. Holds 7 charges that do not recharge. Regius
• Arpaluu - a Wand of Magic Detection that can cast Identify using up all 3 charges. There is a 50% chance it will destroy itself after casting Identify. There is a 100% chance it will destroy itself if ever brought near very powerful magic. Reb
• Keoghtom's Ointment - 4 doses, creature that receives a dose regains 2d8 + 2 hit points, ceases to be poisoned, and is cured of any disease. Harpin
• Blue Alchemy Jug - can produce various liquids. Reb
• Kammi - creates a sauna hut. Butch
• Quaal's Feather Token, Swan Boat - creates a 50-foot-long, 20-foot-wide boat shaped like a swan. Velkor
• Flute of Fancy - when played can cast Sleep once per day. Velkor
• Five Feather Tokens - descend 60 feet per round and take no damage from falling. Everyone one
• Stone of Good Luck - gives a +1 bonus to ability checks and saving throws. Reb
• Hands of the Interloper - gain proficiency with Thieves' tools and with the Dulcimer. Harpin
• Vuoksikivi - a small blue rock, gives Cold Immunity when held. When held it creates a small amount of water. Used
• The Sampo. Velkor

Potions

• Acceleratium - your Speed is 1.5 times your regular Speed, for 1 minute.
• Polymorphine - when vial is thrown against a creature, creature turns into a sheep with only a few hp. When the sheep dies the creature dies.
• Acid - uses 2024 version.
• Healthium - when imbibed or covered in it, it gives the subject a regeneration of 5 hp per turn for 10 turns.

Valuables

• Kantele - a musical instrument. Party
• An ancient looking set of playing cards made of sliced bone - complete. Reb
• Money pouch - 80 gp.
• The Tunnels of Ashley Province - a novel. Harpin
• Huilu - a golden flute or ocarina. Velkor
• 87 gold nuggets - 87 gp. Party
• Bottle of Mithral Mist - a very rare dwarven spirit that might be worth a king’s ransom?
• Platinum pieces - worth 1,000 gp.
• Notes from room 45 - sold to Shy Baron; 250 per person.