Journal of Rollo Lavius 2

Entry #395 - Back to the FAMP

(G395 28/09/2019 via Roll20 - AP, JF(GM)) WA58

[Alas dear reader - we will have to wait a while longer to find out what the hairy belly of fate had in store for me! In the mean time here is some more of Fenrir's adventure in the FAMP (Failed Alternative Material Plane).]

Just a quick re-cap. Fenrir was now the leader of the Magical Arm of the City Watch of Westgate. A role that suited him well.

He was told by Random (the mildly-naughty mastermind the mainly lived on a rocky island five miles north of the port) that the next part of the plan was to get him in charge of the entire Watch. Behind Random was Cavu, the somewhat naive but likeable bard, who in turn was working for Gertrude the White, a very powerful and only occasionally seen Oracle of Illmater.
They wanted Fenrir in a position of power for when they made a move against the vampires that were infesting and trying to take over the city.

Oh - a couple of other things happened since we last checked in on him:

Fenrir was given a seal by the Croamarkh in a swearing in ceremony wore he swore many oaths to protect the city et al.

-

Fenrir chose a new secretary, from a shortlist of three. He selected Mia the Magical  who was a goodly soul who was much loved by the watch. He was so impressed with the  reputation of Portia Cadger (a halfling rogue) that he also took her on as a 'Special Advisor' - whatever that meant!

-

Just before we had left him Fenrir (DAY 426) was to fight a duel against 'The Bastard of Cormaeril'. However, Random had instructed him to lose it (as Random said they were not in a position to make some very powerful enemies over the matter) and Fenrir grudgingly  did so.

-

On day 444 Lady Dreggleblot came to his office, demanding the 'files' on one Arlert Whammyth.
For some reason she had been wearing armour and carrying a sword. Her leg had also grown back.

The info (two months old) Fenrir had on Whammyth was that he was a jewel thief, currently  hiding out in Teziir. He told her, out of mischief I suppose, that the thief was headed to the Sword Coast.

-

So that's us all caught up!

Anyway - so while I was flapping about the Sword Coast, Fenrir was about to have a change of plan.

DAY 457 (3rd Kythorn)(June)

It all began when Random realised that Fenrir was just too unpredictable to carry out the next part of the scheme - namely to get rid of Hammersong (the current leader of the City Watch) and set Fenrir in his place.

Randim already had a complicated plan to get rid of Hammersong and to knobble all the  other likely candidates to replace him, he was just sure that Fenrir would mess it all up somehow.
The warlock was immensely powerful, cunning and charming - but he lacked subtlety. He was stealthy up to a point, but his plans always lacked the days (weeks? months?) of  preparation that came easily to Random.

And so, he decided to send Fenrir off on a quest. Far from being a wild goose chase it was actually something that needed done. Not so long ago Fenrir had been sent into the Plane of Shadows to find a portal to a 'FAMP' or rather a 'Failed Alternative Material Plane'. He had done so, but had not yet gone through it.

It was located south of the city of Bonespur, along the Bonebreaker Pass and not far from the "Dark Spire of Ghastly Evil".

When they had talked to Lord Soslow (a mindflayer that lived in Bonespur) he had said:

''
Oh yes, a failed alternative material plane. I don't know the specifics of that particular FAMP, but it will have been destroyed in some horrific and horrible way I should imagine.
There may not even be any land, or air, or anything, so take care. It could have completely evaporated, but from my experience they are usually nothing more (or less) than barren wastelands.
These sorts of places are not so uncommon in the Plane of Shadow. This plane acts as a conduit  between the material plane and all sorts of other interesting places. It's one of the reasons I'm based here.
''

In a refugee camp outside the portal they had met an old man called Avadeti who was a former native of the FAMP.

He had, among other things, told them:

''
It is an infinite sorrow that I carry with me, the destruction of my world. We were a world of great power and magic. My people walked the planes, they crafted many wondrous items, they researched a thousand spells. But the arch mages grew too powerful, too bold and too proud. They attempted to build a device that would turn anything into a spell. Put a rabbit in and you got a shard (we used shards to store our spells, they functioned in the same way as scrolls) and you got a spell that summoned a rabbit. Point the device at an ocean and you get a spell that created water. You understand?
Well, the first time the device was used, it didn't turn something into a spell, it turned EVERYTHING into a spell. It stripped the entire top layer of our world off and converted it into shards. Only a few of us survived, I've no idea how. I can never return, I would be turned into a shard, so here I wait.
''

He went on:

''
Don't spend too much time in the Voidlands. Undead lurk in the mists and even just breathing the fetid air will kill you after a while. No one can survive long there, but sometimes, rarely, people come through the gate. Little flecks of habitable land still remain of our world. How to find them I have no idea. Also, it is a world of what the scholars call Wild Magic. Spells will have strange effect unless you are a real master.
''

So, with all that in mind Random dispatched Fenrir and Veddic back to the portal. He also provided them with a cunning rogue called Milo, a young halfling. In the meantime Random would pose as Fenrir (using his Hat of Disguise), going to his office each day and working his schemes and plots towards his goal of getting a seat at the table in the Merchant Tower.

Fenrir, Veddic and Milo went through the portal on Spectre Island (where Random was based) and arrived in the Plane of Shadows. It took them most of the day to travel to the FAMP portal, but they arrived without incident.

Avadeti was still there and greeted them. Fenrir asked him if he had a chicken.

The warlock then put it in a small cage, tied it to the end of a stick and poked it through the portal. Stick, cage and chicken were wrenched from his gasp and vanished through the portal never to be seen again.

Avadeti informed them very firmly that he had no more chickens so Veddic (being a bit stronger than Fenrir) tried it with a long stick with nothing on it.

I do wonder, you know, such powerful magic users, both of them, and they could come up with no better plan than poking it with a stick!

Well, anyway, after a while they got bored of that and finally decided just to go in.

They stepped through and were nearly swept of their feet by a strong howling wind. As they regained their footing they realised they were choking on dust and thin air. There was hardly anything to breath and they could hardly see either through the dust storm. The wind screamed through their ears and fills your eyes, nose and mouth with dust. Walking without being blown over required great effort and even breathing was virtually impossible.

Choking and coughing they returned to the Plane of Shadows.