New visitors click here to find a good starting point…
Below The Temple of Selûne
After passing the “First Test” given them by the High Priestess of The Temple of Selûne, Team Beholder is instructed to climb down a spiral staircase into the depths of the temple through an trap door in the very center of the enormous main chamber.
After winding down for a few dozen feet, the staircase emerges into a infinite chamber. Looking up it seems as if the staircase they are on goes up through a small dark hole in an infinite starry blue sky.
Living, pulsing vines wrap around the staircase as they decent to a set of “floating” platforms – and in front of them the source of the vines – a huge plant with tentcles and vines going off in all directions – including a floating staircase that seems to go up forever – into the blue mist that covers everything here after a few yards…
The guardians of the stair did not follow them down, so they make their way across the platforms, while avoiding the giant, breathing plant. Clearly the platform here was all one piece at some time in the past, as they all seem to fit together like a puzzle. While Abani and Barton choose to climb across the gap hand over hand underneath a vine and spy that the platforms are supported by great pillars that disappear after a few yards into the mist.
Upon reaching the other side, the priestess appears as if she emerged from the vines beneath their feet.
Lesson the Second
“The lessonss continue, for in the Planesss thingss are alwayss in threess. You have already masstered the firsst: The denizenss of the planess can be powerful – it is often better to scircumvent than to fight!”
Gael asks: “What is the second?”
She hisses: “You clearly have power, to arrive so flawlessly, but lack exsperience. You have no planeswalkerss among you…What iss it that you ssseeek on the ssstair? Do you know the way?”
Abani: “Timeresh, the Mirrored Library. We were hoping you might guide us.”
“We know of it – you can reach it from The Stair, but we are not guidess. The besst navigatorss are the Planeswalkerss’ Guild. To reach them, you musst alwayss climb higher—-”
Quinn urgently interrupts: “What’s that way up on staircase? I saw something just go out of sight.”
During this distraction, a guardian emerges from under Gael who is standing near the edge, grapples and tosses him into the air, while the teacher flicks her wrist tossing him over the edge!
Gael falls several yards into the mist… only to immediately appear “falling” sidewise(!) directly at his companions from under the long staircase! Teleported AND changing sense of gravity!
They act quickly to grab him – almost losing their own footing in the effort. They discover that moving his body to the platform once again shifts Gael’s local sense of Gravity, to be the same as theirs.
“The ssecond lesson is remain near the sstaircase and avoid unknown portalss. Not all doorss work in both directionss.”
The Final Lesson
Jean speaks up: “What is the third lesson?”
“Think deeply upon what you want more than anything else in the universse… to be united with a long losst loved one? Or enough wealth to live contently? Perhapss the ssolution to a vexsing mysstery from your passt…
Who will sshare their dessire with me?"
Jean and Dangle step forward onto her platform, and she whispers up to the preistess for a few seconds.
The Guardian flinches slightly and says “You may go. Head for the sstair now before I change my mind!”
Abani: “Jean? What are your doing?”
Holding up her hand, the priestess motions: “No. Only that one. You may watch until she vanishes from sight.” The guardian that threw Gael up during the second test enters an agressive posture.
Jean ascends the stair, ignoring pleas from her companions.
Gael disregards the risks of contradicting the stairkeepers and teleports directly in front of Jean, threatening to disable her to overcome what he is convinced is some kind of mind control.
Gael: “I will knock you out if I have to!”
Jean: “I will shove you off this staircase if I have to. I know what I’m doing. Goodbye!”
From the vine behind Gael, another guardian appears as if to save Jean the effort and pokes Gael in the back.
Gael relents and teleports back to the base.
They all reluctantly watch Jean and Dangle disappear into the mist high up the stiar.
“The final lesson is that the sstair wantss to embrace your uniqueness and will give you your deepesst desire. If you are not ready to leave the universse and your companionss, you must never travel it alone.”
“You are as prepared asss we can make you. May Selûne bless your climbing.”
After tying ropes around their waists, so as to never lose another member, they advance up the stair…
They find many twists and turns as they climb the stairs, and encounter many portals – each on a platform.
A few activate with a simple touch… such as one that appears to lead to a forest.
Too bad the wildlife might see them as an easy meal appearing in front of them!
A few tricks, and the creature is back home and the portal closed. Perhaps the warning was a good one.
After traveling for what seemed for a working day, encountering very little on the way up, they come to an inhabited section of the stair.
Tents! And the smell of cooking meat! And signs of a building(!) up on a platform.
It’s the home of the Planeswalker’s Guild – and organization commited to the dissemination of information about the planes, and their safe use. The party is welcomed and offered a meal (it’s late supper time.)
They are sorry to hear of Jean’s loss and seem truly sympathetic. The current guild master (a Minotaur) says “You have our condolences.”
It turns out that they can help guide them to the “Blue Mushroom” section of the stairs, – near the portal to The Mirror Library – in exchange for one of them becoming a member, and for riding shotgun for Barbarian Planeswalker who needs to go that way as well. “And, as you now know from your own experience, he cannot travel there alone.”
After resting, Team Beholder of the Forsite Irregulars are off to the portal to Timeresh!
Catch up with them on The Staircase of Desolation
Build Notes
- Walls and Tiles
- Planescape Mist:Celestial Background 53 by Frostbo on deviantart.
- Tiles: Textures by Fat Dragon Games drawn from several sets.
- Staircases
- Down from the temple: from Elven Mill by Lord Zsezse Games
- Tall Spiral: A Luxurious Lair: Council Chamber by Kev’s Lounge (mod)
- Custom Popup Staircases by OldSchoolDM.
- Portals & Props
- EASY Sci-Fi PORTALS and MOD-KIT by PERMES
- Figure – Botanimoth by Dungeon Crawler Minis
- Orb Spire – Dungeon Furnishings by Mini Paper Models
- Tents – E-Z TERRAIN: Overland Adventures bu Fat Dragon Games
- Table, Chairs, and Firepit – Kev’s Lounge Dungeon Furniture Pack by Kev’s Lounge
- Desert ruin by Lord Zsezse Works
- Propz: Dungeon Features by Arid Hills Productions
- Battle Markers
- World Works Games Battlepacks: Basics
Next time: The Staircase of Desolation
Comments