Archived GM Notes: This page is unsealed GM-notes pertaining to PRPG2. It is not canonical to PRPG2. It main contain contradictions (even with itself), and preliminary ideas that were merely written down as I thought of them, for later consideration. The absence of something mentioned here from the canon does not necessarily mean that the party "missed" it, it could have been mooted for other reasons or simply discarded by me.
641 AE
The party will be shadhavar transporting a fugitive from the domain of the Phlegm Dragon Luerax back to the Windy Castle, to their prince, Kutesenes.
The ancient phlegm dragon Lürax (Luerax) the Lubricious, herself banished from Equestria in the pre-classical period by a young Starswirl the Bearded. Lürax loathes ponies more than any other form of life, but fears Dusty Tomes, as she believes the skeletal archmage to be Starswirl.
- Lürax rules great caves north and below the Arcane Helix. She does not trust henchmen very much, and is unlikely to send her limited forces to go after the party even if she learns that ponies are on the threshold of her domain. Her subjects are: six large, thriving colonies of Scales; her inbred dragon progeny (Lürax was producing fertile eggs when banished), including four children (adult Phlegm Dragons) and nine grandchildren (young Phlegm Dragons); a few grundle villages; and assorted other denizens of the Dread Dimensions who happen to live in her territory, not including any little ponies - that she has placed an ample bounty on these creatures is well-known, and she enjoys torturing them if captured.
Eldritch Lore's first visit to the Dread Dimensions almost saw her tortured to death by Luerax. Eldritch first appeared in Luerax's territory, and made rather a mess of one of her outlying villages after the authorities there attempted to arrest her for being a little pony. She escaped into Shadhavar territory, where she met and charmed the prince of the Windy Castle, Kutesenes. Kutesenes, unfortunately, is suffering from leprosy. Eldritch offered him a cure in exchange for any of three treasures: the Score of Ursheqan, a legendary magical tome with a mystical link to the musical rump-marks of all shadhavar; the Cloak of Calamities, a living magic-devouring cloak that is part of the vestments of the high priest of the Slimefather; or the Epic of En-Mequnan, a secret book of shadhavar spellsongs and history that was restricted to the highest-level members of the Mequnanic Mysteries. Kutesenes was sorely tempted, but ultimately knew that giving up any of these cultural treasures would be a betrayal of his people and culture, and declined. He tried to woo Eldritch with gold or power, but she had eyes only for irreplaceable artefacts of the highest order. Negotiations broke down when Eldritch got bored and stole the Score of Urshegan, fleeing into the fungal woods with it.
EL eluded the shadhavar, perhaps unfortunately for her, as she was captured instead by bounty hunters hired by Luerax who had heard of her flight from the Windy Castle. The bounty hunters took Eldritch to Luerax and ransomed the book back to Kutesenes, fortunately not knowing what they had. (Eldritch told them the book had "sentimental value" to Kutesenes and that he might reward them for its return; she told them this to get a message to Kutesenes and try to un-burn that bridge a bit.)
While Luerax was "enjoying" her time with Eldritch, her message reached Kutesenes, who immediately sent envoys to ransom Eldritch. Unlike EL, Luerax _was_ swayed by an offer of a lot of gold, and agreed to sell her to Kutesenes.
The party traveled, with the gold, to Luerax, and at the start of the game, will have just received their prisoner, in rather pitiful shape.
They have to deliver her back to the Windy Castle, where Kutesenes will renegotiate his cure deal from a much better bargaining position.
The border-marker crains of Luerax's dominion are not far behind you. Ahead of you is the long
Prince of the Windy Castle - in future, Prince of the Wailing Wastes after he has consolidated the upper shadhavar lands.
- Sarelek, Son of Luerax the Lubricious. Was a medium one in PRPG1, now... small?
One camping... after full day's march
Flying up out of the chasm are hundreds of long, hideous creatures, an unholy mix of bee, hamster and snake. telepath worms they were
May 21 22:02:01 <Bryce-GM> The locket is round and silver and contains some shadhavar writing inside. May 21 22:02:21 <Shady> [pokes locket, opens, inspects]
Locket found in bridge chasm to castle.
Owen: Heru or Qurendes Jelle: Qurendes or Tashequ Matt: Peshnu.
You are in a colossal cave, one of the mesh of innumerable great caverns that make up the Dread Dimensions. Far above you, magitrophic organisms growing on the cave ceiling emit a dull orange glow, like the twilight sky never seen by the inhabitants of this place. Not far behind you are the border crains of Luerax, crude pillars of stacked stones. Ahead, path cleared of vegetation and breakdown continues into the gloom.
Events: Pass through an area with lots of recent breakdown. Astute may notice that some of it is
Earthquake to trap party and make them take disused side cave tunnel back. describe formations.
ruins of a mining operation by some kind of very hairy, now dead things with ornate magical collars (unicornian bushwoolie slaves, Eldritch recognizes the collars)
There is a steam-powered boiler (steam donkey) winch for an elevator to get up. Tunnel dripping with slime.
Telepath worm attack in gorge
D - steam to cylinder for moving valve B - steam to feedwater pump L - feedwater directly into boiler (but also can let out steam, will prevent any pressure building) C - pressure indicator (relief blows at II) ) G - clutch of car (top = engaged) H - reversing gear (top = forward) K - sight glass of boiler water level A - sight glass of feedwater tank
feral bushwoolies (still have magic slave collars, EL can control them if allowed) will be violent.
telepath worm nest.
Eldritch also offered the bounty hunters a fabulous reward for freeing her, instructing them to wait outside the windy castle...