Iam led the way up the ladder. About two-thirds of the way, some runes on the rung he was grabbing flashed. He had seen another rune. After wrapping a cloak around the rung, he and the rest of the group gathered in am empty room with only one other way out - a set of double doors made from a black stone. Opening the door revealed a room that felt bigger than it should be. Across the room was the radiant pharaoh and a humanoid shape standing over an open sarcophagus. The new shape looked to be composed of smoke or maybe a gas. Powduc entered first. The radiant pharaoh cast a spell and disappeared. Before anyone could blink an eye, she reappeared in another room and three devils and a disembodied sword occupied places in the room in front of the group.
Pip tumbled into the room and others maneuvered to make relatively short work of the bone devil blocking the way. Zoltan grabbed Iam and teleported to the far room to attack the mystery figure. Potenzia. Upon their arrival, a large translucent lion-like creature tried to attack but was repelled by a protection circle. Iam moved to attack what turned out to be the pharaoh of numbers. It wasn't a gas or smoke, but rather a multitude of tiny, swirling numbers that made up this beast. Iam struck it, relieved it was not incorporeal. It returned the favor revealing a nasty strategy. It swarmed Iam and seemed to bite and claw at him. The creature seemed to displace the air around it which caused Iam to gasp for breath, inhaling the beast. Meanwhile Potenzi entered to tackle the devil lion.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Four Pharaohs - Session Three
After spending a cautious night in the keep, you discussed the best way to get to the marked location of the four pyramids on your map from Reagos. The debate was how best to counter the heat and fatigue of hiking through dozens, scores or perhaps hundreds of miles of dunes in the desert heat. Leo's eyes lit up and he said, "Hold on. We don't have to walk at all!" You found yourselves at the 'X' on your map a couple of wind walk spells and 15 hours later. You set up camp and stayed the night.
The next morning you decided Powduc would be the one to put the mask on. He put it to his face and winced a bit as the magic activated. He found it difficult to remove. After some contemplation, he thought about the pyramid appearing and it did. Powduc saw the pyramid coalesce from the nether. The rest of the group saw the pyramid rise from the sands.
As you were deciding how to reach the entrance some way up the side, a large heirosphinx flew over a nearby dune and charged the group. It viciously attacked Schweitzer but soon turned its fury to Powduc, who was wearing the mask. As the beast fell, Powduc and no one else heard the beast say, "Do not enter the pyramid of the Four Pharaohs."
You 'carpetted' up to the entrance some 300 feet up the smooth green veinstone exterior (identical to the small green stones you 'lost' at the auction). The shaft descended deep into the interior where it eventually leveled off. The hallway was made from jet black stone and had runes carved on the floor, walls and ceiling. Pip could tell they were mathematical formulas. As you went further in, the runes started to glow brighter and brighter. Heeding Raegos' tale, you averted your eyes as much as possible. You came to an archway. Schweitzer and Iam had to look through it to see what was on the other side and when they did, the runes on the archway flashed. They saw one of the runes Reagos told you about.
After traveling a short distance through the columned halls, you encountered what some quickly recognized as Seratin, the ranger turned mummy from Reagos' tale. The narrowness of the hall and the columns made it hard to completely surround the beast, but it was quickly dealt with. Descending a short stair you opened a door into a large room. The floor was empty but the walls were lined with shelves and held scores if not hundreds of ceramic vases. You cautiously approached a door opposite when a shattering noise filled the room and broke all the vases. Embalmed body parts poured out of many of the broken vessels and coalesced into swarms if writhing digits, organs, and pieces of flesh. The wriggled directly to Schweitzer, who was wearing his mask. The wisdom of wearing the mask was quickly brought into question as the swarms not only clawed and scratched, but started to cling and constrict. Most weapons proved less effective and all Schweitzer could do was to attempt to remove the parts that were trying to squeeze and strangle him. Area of effect spells started flying and Leo finally was able to get in and successfully turned the undead swarms. 10 rounds of wands and other area spells didn't kill the masses. They returned to Schweitzer and started their gruesome attack anew. Powduc was now in place and punched the swarms. You quickly realized that the swarms were not resistant to bludgeoning attacks. You made short order of them from that point. Zoltan scanned the room for magic and saw that one disembodied finger was wearing a magic ring. Or rather the pearl in the ring was magical. Upon examining it closer, a symbol on the pearl flashed. Zoltan had seen one of the symbols. An identify revealed the pearl to be a pearl of power for 3rd level spells.
Exiting the room you passed a shaft and heard a scraping noise. Cautiously waiting, you saw a stone construct slowly climbing down the shaft; it's arms and hands above its head as if were a platform of a sort. It kept descending.
You explored a bit further on this level and found a room that appeared empty. Thinking about the last 'empty' room you declined to enter. Heading back to the shaft, you climbed on the 'elevator' as the construct was making its way back up from somewhere below. It stopped at an opening and started back down. You all hopped off and found yourself in a long narrow hallway with windows on one side. As you passed a window, Iam noticed a warm desert breeze and realized that the windows that appeared to look out onto a dessert oasis were actually on the 'interior' wall of the pyramid. He closed his eyes and attempted to touch the window with his sword. It past through. Zoltan noticed this and attempted to disbelieve the illusion only to have the window vanish to reveal another symbol flash on the blank wall behind where the illusion was. Zoltan had seen two symbols.
Ignoring the windows, you continued. The hall turned to the right and to the right again after a distance. There was an opening in the wall toward the interior of the pyramid.Tthe group approached and saw a beautiful woman wrapped in decaying linens from the neck down sitting on a stone throne on the far side of the room. Beside her stood a large metal construct. A couple fighters entered the room. Iam charged only to run into an invisible wall dividing the large room in half. She stood and said, "So, you wish to play my game." The construct entered the other half of the room and the floors on either side of the wall became unbalanced by nearly five feet. It punched its fists through one the the many glass windows that lined this room like the halls outside, reached in and set a large flat veinstone weight on the floor. The floors became more unbalanced by about a foot. As others scrambled into the room, Zoltan launched a disintegrate at the wall only to have it reflected back at him. He too climbed into the room. During the brief confusion, she cast a spell from a scroll summoning an earth elemental which began to assist the construct. Its weight alone caused the floors to shift even more.
Deciding the game was on, Leo enlarged himself and others 'assisted' by helping smash windows and set weights on the floor. With nearly all the group helping you made almost completely steady 'progress' of adding more weight than the elemental and construct. However, on three occasions, as people grabbed weights, a symbol on the weight a person removed from the alcove flashed. By the time your half of the room reached the bottom and you heard a deafening crunch of metal Pip, Alorian and Leo (?) had each seen a symbol. The floors soon balanced themselves and all that remained on the floor was a crumpled mass of metal. The wall of force and the radiant woman were gone. A jet black stone ladder could be seen behind the throne she first sat on.
You gathered you resolve and headed to the ladder.
'Till next time.
The next morning you decided Powduc would be the one to put the mask on. He put it to his face and winced a bit as the magic activated. He found it difficult to remove. After some contemplation, he thought about the pyramid appearing and it did. Powduc saw the pyramid coalesce from the nether. The rest of the group saw the pyramid rise from the sands.
As you were deciding how to reach the entrance some way up the side, a large heirosphinx flew over a nearby dune and charged the group. It viciously attacked Schweitzer but soon turned its fury to Powduc, who was wearing the mask. As the beast fell, Powduc and no one else heard the beast say, "Do not enter the pyramid of the Four Pharaohs."
You 'carpetted' up to the entrance some 300 feet up the smooth green veinstone exterior (identical to the small green stones you 'lost' at the auction). The shaft descended deep into the interior where it eventually leveled off. The hallway was made from jet black stone and had runes carved on the floor, walls and ceiling. Pip could tell they were mathematical formulas. As you went further in, the runes started to glow brighter and brighter. Heeding Raegos' tale, you averted your eyes as much as possible. You came to an archway. Schweitzer and Iam had to look through it to see what was on the other side and when they did, the runes on the archway flashed. They saw one of the runes Reagos told you about.
After traveling a short distance through the columned halls, you encountered what some quickly recognized as Seratin, the ranger turned mummy from Reagos' tale. The narrowness of the hall and the columns made it hard to completely surround the beast, but it was quickly dealt with. Descending a short stair you opened a door into a large room. The floor was empty but the walls were lined with shelves and held scores if not hundreds of ceramic vases. You cautiously approached a door opposite when a shattering noise filled the room and broke all the vases. Embalmed body parts poured out of many of the broken vessels and coalesced into swarms if writhing digits, organs, and pieces of flesh. The wriggled directly to Schweitzer, who was wearing his mask. The wisdom of wearing the mask was quickly brought into question as the swarms not only clawed and scratched, but started to cling and constrict. Most weapons proved less effective and all Schweitzer could do was to attempt to remove the parts that were trying to squeeze and strangle him. Area of effect spells started flying and Leo finally was able to get in and successfully turned the undead swarms. 10 rounds of wands and other area spells didn't kill the masses. They returned to Schweitzer and started their gruesome attack anew. Powduc was now in place and punched the swarms. You quickly realized that the swarms were not resistant to bludgeoning attacks. You made short order of them from that point. Zoltan scanned the room for magic and saw that one disembodied finger was wearing a magic ring. Or rather the pearl in the ring was magical. Upon examining it closer, a symbol on the pearl flashed. Zoltan had seen one of the symbols. An identify revealed the pearl to be a pearl of power for 3rd level spells.
Exiting the room you passed a shaft and heard a scraping noise. Cautiously waiting, you saw a stone construct slowly climbing down the shaft; it's arms and hands above its head as if were a platform of a sort. It kept descending.
You explored a bit further on this level and found a room that appeared empty. Thinking about the last 'empty' room you declined to enter. Heading back to the shaft, you climbed on the 'elevator' as the construct was making its way back up from somewhere below. It stopped at an opening and started back down. You all hopped off and found yourself in a long narrow hallway with windows on one side. As you passed a window, Iam noticed a warm desert breeze and realized that the windows that appeared to look out onto a dessert oasis were actually on the 'interior' wall of the pyramid. He closed his eyes and attempted to touch the window with his sword. It past through. Zoltan noticed this and attempted to disbelieve the illusion only to have the window vanish to reveal another symbol flash on the blank wall behind where the illusion was. Zoltan had seen two symbols.
Ignoring the windows, you continued. The hall turned to the right and to the right again after a distance. There was an opening in the wall toward the interior of the pyramid.Tthe group approached and saw a beautiful woman wrapped in decaying linens from the neck down sitting on a stone throne on the far side of the room. Beside her stood a large metal construct. A couple fighters entered the room. Iam charged only to run into an invisible wall dividing the large room in half. She stood and said, "So, you wish to play my game." The construct entered the other half of the room and the floors on either side of the wall became unbalanced by nearly five feet. It punched its fists through one the the many glass windows that lined this room like the halls outside, reached in and set a large flat veinstone weight on the floor. The floors became more unbalanced by about a foot. As others scrambled into the room, Zoltan launched a disintegrate at the wall only to have it reflected back at him. He too climbed into the room. During the brief confusion, she cast a spell from a scroll summoning an earth elemental which began to assist the construct. Its weight alone caused the floors to shift even more.
Deciding the game was on, Leo enlarged himself and others 'assisted' by helping smash windows and set weights on the floor. With nearly all the group helping you made almost completely steady 'progress' of adding more weight than the elemental and construct. However, on three occasions, as people grabbed weights, a symbol on the weight a person removed from the alcove flashed. By the time your half of the room reached the bottom and you heard a deafening crunch of metal Pip, Alorian and Leo (?) had each seen a symbol. The floors soon balanced themselves and all that remained on the floor was a crumpled mass of metal. The wall of force and the radiant woman were gone. A jet black stone ladder could be seen behind the throne she first sat on.
You gathered you resolve and headed to the ladder.
'Till next time.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Four Pharaohs - Session Two
The party completed the flyovers of the vale with no luck in locating the funeral mask. You decided to hike to the area of interest identified earlier in the day. The floor of the vale was filled with all manner of thorny growth - raspberry and black berry, prickly ash, roses, and other plants you couldn't identify. It took nearly five hours to reach your destination. Once there, the growth gave way to reveal a huge thorn wall covered in red roses. A quick fly-up revealed a solid hemisphere of thorn growth punctuated by tree trunks. Brute force won the debate about how to get in. It took 10 minutes for a wall of fire to burn through the thorns. This only revealed another thorn wall and passages left and right. "Crap, it's a maze." someone remarked.
Going left with Pip in the lead checking for traps, you traveled some distance when he stepped in a snare that pulled him 20' in the air. Seconds later you were attacked by several sprites who stepped out of the thorns, fired arrows and stepped back in. They were ineffective. Iam continued in the lead because he could not be snared. He walked through several snares and you made your way to the center. You were not attacked.
The center of the maze was an open area (under the thorn wall) with a stone, spiral stair descending in the middle. The stair was surrounded by several standing stones and three huge trees grew at compass points opposite and left/right. Pip entered invisibly , whispering back "It's clear straight to the stones." Powduce entered to the right, followed by Iam don the middle. The gigantic tree across animated and charged (trampled) Iam and caught Pip. The other trees animated also animated and a few sprites started firing arrows from the thorns. The trees were beat down quickly (vulnerability to fire + meteor swarm = conflagration). One of the sprites was killed. The others disappeared into the thorns.
Down the stairs it was easy to determine which direction to go - a set of ornate oak doors. The grouped bashed at the door and needed a knock or two from Potenzia to get in. Inside were nearly a dozen sprites around a low stone table set with a feast. They were ready for a fight. As you worked your way in some fell under control of their 'suggestion' to leave them alone. The result was 'confusion' as those affected would move in and out of protection circles. The sprites daggers and arrows were poisoned and two (Pip and Potenzia) were affected. Pip used a neutralize potion to avoid secondary effects. Potenzia was struck after the combat with nearly debilitating Str damage. You noticed tha many of the sprites were missing ears.
As the group pushed in, taking care of the sprite caster, a voice from behind another wall of thorns asked "Who are you and what do you want?"
"We're here for the mask." was the reply.
The voice followed up with, "We don't have them anymore."
Another group member said "Too bad for you then." The battle continued.
The group was gaining the upper hand when the sprites used a familiar strategy - obscuring mist. This greatly slowed advancement and allowed the sprite to put up another wall of thorns. Zoltan and Powduc could not penetrate it. The sprite leader and maybe one or two others fled through the thorns. The group chased down a couple sprites who fled in different directions.
The mist finally went away and you burned through the wall with another wall of fire. Behind was a throne room and bedchamber. Alorian quickley noticed a secret door and passage that went back up the the central clearing.
When you reached the surface, there was a small arrow with a note attached stuck in the ground. It read, "You are a quite strong group. In exchange for a favor, I'll tell you where to find the masks."
You agree. Turns out the sprites stole both masks to get the 'ear harvesting' to end. The King of the Roses give you directions to the place where you can find the masks. You ask "What's the favor?" He replies, you'll have to kill the guy we gave them to to get the masks - that's the favor.
You head off with his map and directions.
After clearing the vale, you started up some steep foothills. Periodically you could see in the distance a couple large flying creatures. The next day, when you saw them again, Powduc and Zoltan could tell they were reptilian and likely redish in color. The King of the Roses' directions proved perfect. You arived at a small keep carved directly from the stone with an inviting double door. You approached cautiously and Pip climbed up the wall to take a better look and found nothing. You opened the door and waited for Pip to lead. He found a trip wire a few feet in and directed everyone to skirt to the right. As the group opened a door, Pip looked behind a tapestry for any concealed doors - and screamed in pain, and the door opposite flung open. There were two werewolf like beasts, one of which was blinking. As the first one rushed toward the back of the party, you realized its intent was not to attack but to trigger the trip wire. The tapestry fell and many of you were unable to avert your gaze in time as the symbol of pain glowed brightly. The other beast covered the group with waves of despair. Some of you fell under its influence.
Several rounds were spent fighting and tracking these beasts throughout the keep as they not only blinked in and out but dimension door'd all over. You 'discovered' an illusionary wall, but not until several rounds of their waves of despair attacks. Nearly everyone was effected by now. A couple members were also suggested or charmed. You followed them through this wall to find a laboratory with a fleshy construct on a table. You quickly beat down the golem and explored a bit more. You discovered a treasury and spent several rounds identifying a few items.
Going back about the only way left to go, you came to a hall and Iam entered and saw Count Julistar, a bearded devil, two of the wolfish creatures, the keeps owner sitting ona large stone throne (Xaven - matching the description from the King of the Roses), and an eryines standing next to him. Powduc charged past at one of the wolf creatures only to stop in front and realize that he was on unstable ground. He adjusted his position and disappeared. Pip moved in invisibly to flank. the rest of the group tried as best you could to move in through a 5' hall.
Powduc had fallen through the floor only to land, unhurt, in front of a huge red dragon. It snatched him in its claws and flew off over the the edge of the cliff. He soon after dimension door'd back to the keep.
Blades and spells started flying. Iam engaged Julistar, Schweitzer the devil, and Alorian one of the wolf creatures. A single, bright dart appeared out of thin air several times, drilling through Iams armor and doing serious damage. The figure remained sitting on the throne and another version stepped out from behind, cast a spell, and Schweitzer disappeared. More spells and Iam disappeared. Zoltan started to cast walls of force to separate the dart thrower, erinyes, and Xaven from the group. Pip tried to follow an opponent to continue to flank and 'found' another area of floor that might be illusionary. Xaven disintegrated the walls as fast as Zoltan could put them in place. The wolf beasts dimensioned door'd out and came back and went out again. Zoltan, tiring of the back and forth, placed a force cage around Xaven and the erinyes. They each teleported away. The battle went easily from here. A glitter dust revealed the halfling, Julistar and his beared devil were quickly dispatched, followed by the halfling.
While one side of the battle was waning, a wolf beast appeared at teh back of the group and used it magic abilities. It ran and Powduc followed only to run into Xaven and gang in another room. Pip moved in invisibly only to notice that both the erinyes and Xaven could see him. She entangled him in her rope removing him from combat. Powduc was mazed. Potenzi and Zoltan moved in and let lose with what they had left. Zoltan powerword stunned the erinyes and Xaven was forced to flee (teleport). He did not return.
After several more minutes, all those mazed returned, some curing was done and you finished searching the place. You found a stone coffer behind the throne with two seemingly identical masks.
Until next time.
Going left with Pip in the lead checking for traps, you traveled some distance when he stepped in a snare that pulled him 20' in the air. Seconds later you were attacked by several sprites who stepped out of the thorns, fired arrows and stepped back in. They were ineffective. Iam continued in the lead because he could not be snared. He walked through several snares and you made your way to the center. You were not attacked.
The center of the maze was an open area (under the thorn wall) with a stone, spiral stair descending in the middle. The stair was surrounded by several standing stones and three huge trees grew at compass points opposite and left/right. Pip entered invisibly , whispering back "It's clear straight to the stones." Powduce entered to the right, followed by Iam don the middle. The gigantic tree across animated and charged (trampled) Iam and caught Pip. The other trees animated also animated and a few sprites started firing arrows from the thorns. The trees were beat down quickly (vulnerability to fire + meteor swarm = conflagration). One of the sprites was killed. The others disappeared into the thorns.
Down the stairs it was easy to determine which direction to go - a set of ornate oak doors. The grouped bashed at the door and needed a knock or two from Potenzia to get in. Inside were nearly a dozen sprites around a low stone table set with a feast. They were ready for a fight. As you worked your way in some fell under control of their 'suggestion' to leave them alone. The result was 'confusion' as those affected would move in and out of protection circles. The sprites daggers and arrows were poisoned and two (Pip and Potenzia) were affected. Pip used a neutralize potion to avoid secondary effects. Potenzia was struck after the combat with nearly debilitating Str damage. You noticed tha many of the sprites were missing ears.
As the group pushed in, taking care of the sprite caster, a voice from behind another wall of thorns asked "Who are you and what do you want?"
"We're here for the mask." was the reply.
The voice followed up with, "We don't have them anymore."
Another group member said "Too bad for you then." The battle continued.
The group was gaining the upper hand when the sprites used a familiar strategy - obscuring mist. This greatly slowed advancement and allowed the sprite to put up another wall of thorns. Zoltan and Powduc could not penetrate it. The sprite leader and maybe one or two others fled through the thorns. The group chased down a couple sprites who fled in different directions.
The mist finally went away and you burned through the wall with another wall of fire. Behind was a throne room and bedchamber. Alorian quickley noticed a secret door and passage that went back up the the central clearing.
When you reached the surface, there was a small arrow with a note attached stuck in the ground. It read, "You are a quite strong group. In exchange for a favor, I'll tell you where to find the masks."
You agree. Turns out the sprites stole both masks to get the 'ear harvesting' to end. The King of the Roses give you directions to the place where you can find the masks. You ask "What's the favor?" He replies, you'll have to kill the guy we gave them to to get the masks - that's the favor.
You head off with his map and directions.
After clearing the vale, you started up some steep foothills. Periodically you could see in the distance a couple large flying creatures. The next day, when you saw them again, Powduc and Zoltan could tell they were reptilian and likely redish in color. The King of the Roses' directions proved perfect. You arived at a small keep carved directly from the stone with an inviting double door. You approached cautiously and Pip climbed up the wall to take a better look and found nothing. You opened the door and waited for Pip to lead. He found a trip wire a few feet in and directed everyone to skirt to the right. As the group opened a door, Pip looked behind a tapestry for any concealed doors - and screamed in pain, and the door opposite flung open. There were two werewolf like beasts, one of which was blinking. As the first one rushed toward the back of the party, you realized its intent was not to attack but to trigger the trip wire. The tapestry fell and many of you were unable to avert your gaze in time as the symbol of pain glowed brightly. The other beast covered the group with waves of despair. Some of you fell under its influence.
Several rounds were spent fighting and tracking these beasts throughout the keep as they not only blinked in and out but dimension door'd all over. You 'discovered' an illusionary wall, but not until several rounds of their waves of despair attacks. Nearly everyone was effected by now. A couple members were also suggested or charmed. You followed them through this wall to find a laboratory with a fleshy construct on a table. You quickly beat down the golem and explored a bit more. You discovered a treasury and spent several rounds identifying a few items.
Going back about the only way left to go, you came to a hall and Iam entered and saw Count Julistar, a bearded devil, two of the wolfish creatures, the keeps owner sitting ona large stone throne (Xaven - matching the description from the King of the Roses), and an eryines standing next to him. Powduc charged past at one of the wolf creatures only to stop in front and realize that he was on unstable ground. He adjusted his position and disappeared. Pip moved in invisibly to flank. the rest of the group tried as best you could to move in through a 5' hall.
Powduc had fallen through the floor only to land, unhurt, in front of a huge red dragon. It snatched him in its claws and flew off over the the edge of the cliff. He soon after dimension door'd back to the keep.
Blades and spells started flying. Iam engaged Julistar, Schweitzer the devil, and Alorian one of the wolf creatures. A single, bright dart appeared out of thin air several times, drilling through Iams armor and doing serious damage. The figure remained sitting on the throne and another version stepped out from behind, cast a spell, and Schweitzer disappeared. More spells and Iam disappeared. Zoltan started to cast walls of force to separate the dart thrower, erinyes, and Xaven from the group. Pip tried to follow an opponent to continue to flank and 'found' another area of floor that might be illusionary. Xaven disintegrated the walls as fast as Zoltan could put them in place. The wolf beasts dimensioned door'd out and came back and went out again. Zoltan, tiring of the back and forth, placed a force cage around Xaven and the erinyes. They each teleported away. The battle went easily from here. A glitter dust revealed the halfling, Julistar and his beared devil were quickly dispatched, followed by the halfling.
While one side of the battle was waning, a wolf beast appeared at teh back of the group and used it magic abilities. It ran and Powduc followed only to run into Xaven and gang in another room. Pip moved in invisibly only to notice that both the erinyes and Xaven could see him. She entangled him in her rope removing him from combat. Powduc was mazed. Potenzi and Zoltan moved in and let lose with what they had left. Zoltan powerword stunned the erinyes and Xaven was forced to flee (teleport). He did not return.
After several more minutes, all those mazed returned, some curing was done and you finished searching the place. You found a stone coffer behind the throne with two seemingly identical masks.
Until next time.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Four Pharaohs - Session One (point five)
The Bloodsworn Vale is about 2 miles wide by 4 miles long. The plan is to head to the valley and do several flyovers on pips' carpet with Leo trying to locate object. As you are preparing for the trip (food, maps, equipment, etc.) you receive a sealed note. It is from Neferet. She has information about the third bidder - the one with the nasty scar. He is most likely Count Julistar. Not known much in these parts, but he is infamously known further south (closer to Mirvia) as a mercenary. He has several known associates including a half-orc thug, a female sage and a halfling spy. He is not known as a collector or for any interest in arts or antiquities. He is thought to be involved with a demon worshiping cult.
- Until Next Time.
- Until Next Time.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Four Pharaohs - Session One
The group welcomes Powduc, as no one has really seen him for nearly a year. Pleasantries are dispensed and you all get to business. Turns out that Powduc has a benefactor, or rather may have one. All he needs do in order to receive the assistance is a small job - act as hie agent at the Sothis Antiquities Market. Powduc does not seem to trust this philanthropist completely, even though Pip did his best to dig up any dirt.
As the market is coming up quickly, the group, sans Zoltan, sail off to Giorandi. You reach Sothis and see clearly that the city is abuzz about something. It doesn't take much skill to find out that the market is three days away. However, there is still the issue of invitations.
Powduc checks in with an old family friend and is able to secure five tickets, which are enough because some of you can enter as guards for the 'invited.' The day of the market arrives and you all head to a huge blue tent that has been erected. Inside are scores, if not hundreds of tables filled with all manner of items: swords, sculpture, tapestries, gems and jewelry, scrolls, knick0knacks, and more. Realizing that you don't really know what you''re looking for, Pip scouts the place. He returns knowing the area with items purported to be from the time opf the pharaohs. Once there, you realize once again that you have no good idea of which items are real artifacts and which might be fakes. Everyone reaches deep into their knowledge and with little success. A woman approaches Powduc and says "Not everything is as it seems." He introduces the group to Neferet Anu, the family friend who arranged your invites. She helps narrow down your choices to six key items.
The auction begins. You are quickly able to size up the opposition. There are four other people seriously bidding on items from this time. The first is a bookish looking man in his late 60's wearing non-descript clothing. The second is a wealthy looking man in his 40's with a look of someone who spent much of his youth outside. The third is a tall man dressed in black and reds with a scar across his face. The last is a lavishly adorned woman with a large entourage. The first three are the most serious bidders. You split up the task of bidding on each of the six items to avoid drawing any attention to yourselves. Each time the bidding comes down to yourselves and the third man. You place the winning bids on four of the six items: a set of seven gold coins, a set of charcoal rubbings, a jade figurine, and a set of papyrus scrolls.
Pip does a little reconnaissance and notices the man with scar is accompanied by a halfling and up close the scar is quite nasty. It is actually three parallel scars, as if from claws, that run from his hairline, mid forehead across his right eye to below his right ear. Some of you notice the halfling appears to be reconnoitering you. Pip follws him but loses him in the crowd.
A little nervous about this scarred man and any potential companions, Powduc asks Leo to try to scry him. Leo teleports off to his temple to try. Powduc searches out the contact his benefactor had arragned for some help in determining who these other bidders were, and the rest of the group tries to figure out what it is you bought at the auction. The charcoal rubbings are a series and after you arrange them in order, the text (via a helm of comprehend languages) has numerous references to the Four Pharaohs and refers to a funeral mask. The scrolls are pages and pages of mathematical formulas. Leo returns unsuccessful and explores the city a bit. He finds the Sothis Exhibitory (think Smithsonian). Inside he finds several employees/curators busy in one section of the museum. He finds out that they are preparing the exhibits for some newly acquired items. He also sees on his visit a prominently displayed golden, full-face mask with gold and onyx inlay and a cobra head. The whole thing is ringed by many exotic looking feathers.
Powduc follows the directions and waits contact. The group determines that the scrolls with the formulas are actually very complicated star charts and 'prove and predicts' a very rare celestial alignment that occurs every 56 years. According to the charts, this alignment is presently occurring. Leo returns and reports what he found.
The next morning as the group heads to the main room for breakfast, Neferet is there to meet you. She says to Powduc, "We should talk." Turns out she is also his arranged contact and was not as open earlier because she didn't know exactly why Powduc was at the auction. She aggrees to help find out more about the other bidders and connects you with someone who knows much more about the pyramids of the Four Pharaohs than anyone else.
The bidders were first the Arch Docent - head curator of the Exhibitory and second The Crook-bearer, a private individual, wealthy and an art collector. It is rumored that the Crook-bearer has a funeral mask matching the description and identical to the one Leo saw in his own collection. The other two are unknown.
She introduces you to Reagos, an odd man who wears a blindfold, has a paper phobia, and moves around his house by following a web of string. He tells a story of actually being at the main pyramid 56 years ago. The mask must be worn to bring the main pyramid to the material plane. When his group was inside, they noticed the place was covered with ancient inscriptions. According to the inscriptions, the four pharaohs had declared that all intruders would be doomed to live out their existence as eternal guardians of the tomb. Apparently, anyone who saw the four symbols of the pharaohs’ namesakes would forever become enslaved monsters.
They ignored them think it merely a scare tactic. Not so. the party bowman, suddenly cried out in alarm, warning the rest of us to avert our eyes—he had seen the fourth and final rune. Moments later, Seraton transformed. He became a withered husk, like the embalmed bodies we had expected to find. And he was filled with a terrible, smoldering anger. I remember Seraton driving his entire arm through the group leader’s chest, exploding him into dust. The mask fell and he grabbed it and ran. he was the only one to escape. He eventually sold the mask to an unknown merchant.
Neferet arranges a meeting between the group and the Arch Docent two hours after the museum closes for you to find out more about the mask (thinking there is adventure to be had). Leo and Potenzia ports of to Saltmarsh to get Zoltan. You all reach the museum to find the fron tcourtyard gate open. As you approach the building you notice two bodies lying on the ground - they are dead. The main doors are locked and there is an unsuccessful attempt to force them. Pip opens the lock and another unsuccessful attempt. Potenzia 'knocks' the door and they open. The group moves in to painfully discover the floor covered with 'spike stones' and the hall to the Four Pharaohs wing blocked by a 'wall of thorns.' Several forced their way through and Leo moved ethereally until Zoltan dispelled the wall. You 'found' a bout a half dozen, mean-looking fey creatures grouped around the funeral mask display. You started to overpower them when three of them created an area of obscuring mist. This only made things a little harder, but bought them some time. Pip understood one to say "I have the mask, make for the ropes."
They weren't much of a threat to any of you but were not complete push-overs. A couple targeted Alorian with some sort of suggestion. They spoke to him in elvish. After the fight was finished and the mist cleared, the mask was gone and one fey remained unconscious. No one spotted anyone leaving. One thing you did notice was that about half of the fey had bandages on one ear (some left, some right). Looking under the wraps you see that they were missing an ear - cut clean off and were at various stages of healing.
Realizing the trouble that you could be in after confirming that the Arch Docent was one of the dead figures, Powduc and Pip set off to find Neferet. The rest stayed and guarded the museum. Ten minutes later Neferet approaches the gate and see you. She shakes her head in disappointment. Someone states "It wasn't our...." and gets cut off. She say "I know. You need to go. Now!" Leo begins to say "I can cast.." and gets cut off. He continues "raise dead..." and get cut off again. She urges you all to leave and you will talk tomorrow. "What about the fey-in-the-bag?" someone asks. Neferet says she'll take care of it.
The next day you are informed that if your offer for raise dead is still good, that much can be smoothed over. You are also told that the Crook-Bearer's estate was robbed in a similar manner last night and only one item seems to be missing. The little beasties are known as blood sprites. They are quite rare native to only one location - the Bloodsworn Vale (a two day ride). Leo raises the Arch Docent (and is reimbursed for the cost). Leo attempts to locate the mask (object) with no luck.
-End of Session One
As the market is coming up quickly, the group, sans Zoltan, sail off to Giorandi. You reach Sothis and see clearly that the city is abuzz about something. It doesn't take much skill to find out that the market is three days away. However, there is still the issue of invitations.
Powduc checks in with an old family friend and is able to secure five tickets, which are enough because some of you can enter as guards for the 'invited.' The day of the market arrives and you all head to a huge blue tent that has been erected. Inside are scores, if not hundreds of tables filled with all manner of items: swords, sculpture, tapestries, gems and jewelry, scrolls, knick0knacks, and more. Realizing that you don't really know what you''re looking for, Pip scouts the place. He returns knowing the area with items purported to be from the time opf the pharaohs. Once there, you realize once again that you have no good idea of which items are real artifacts and which might be fakes. Everyone reaches deep into their knowledge and with little success. A woman approaches Powduc and says "Not everything is as it seems." He introduces the group to Neferet Anu, the family friend who arranged your invites. She helps narrow down your choices to six key items.
The auction begins. You are quickly able to size up the opposition. There are four other people seriously bidding on items from this time. The first is a bookish looking man in his late 60's wearing non-descript clothing. The second is a wealthy looking man in his 40's with a look of someone who spent much of his youth outside. The third is a tall man dressed in black and reds with a scar across his face. The last is a lavishly adorned woman with a large entourage. The first three are the most serious bidders. You split up the task of bidding on each of the six items to avoid drawing any attention to yourselves. Each time the bidding comes down to yourselves and the third man. You place the winning bids on four of the six items: a set of seven gold coins, a set of charcoal rubbings, a jade figurine, and a set of papyrus scrolls.
Pip does a little reconnaissance and notices the man with scar is accompanied by a halfling and up close the scar is quite nasty. It is actually three parallel scars, as if from claws, that run from his hairline, mid forehead across his right eye to below his right ear. Some of you notice the halfling appears to be reconnoitering you. Pip follws him but loses him in the crowd.
A little nervous about this scarred man and any potential companions, Powduc asks Leo to try to scry him. Leo teleports off to his temple to try. Powduc searches out the contact his benefactor had arragned for some help in determining who these other bidders were, and the rest of the group tries to figure out what it is you bought at the auction. The charcoal rubbings are a series and after you arrange them in order, the text (via a helm of comprehend languages) has numerous references to the Four Pharaohs and refers to a funeral mask. The scrolls are pages and pages of mathematical formulas. Leo returns unsuccessful and explores the city a bit. He finds the Sothis Exhibitory (think Smithsonian). Inside he finds several employees/curators busy in one section of the museum. He finds out that they are preparing the exhibits for some newly acquired items. He also sees on his visit a prominently displayed golden, full-face mask with gold and onyx inlay and a cobra head. The whole thing is ringed by many exotic looking feathers.
Powduc follows the directions and waits contact. The group determines that the scrolls with the formulas are actually very complicated star charts and 'prove and predicts' a very rare celestial alignment that occurs every 56 years. According to the charts, this alignment is presently occurring. Leo returns and reports what he found.
The next morning as the group heads to the main room for breakfast, Neferet is there to meet you. She says to Powduc, "We should talk." Turns out she is also his arranged contact and was not as open earlier because she didn't know exactly why Powduc was at the auction. She aggrees to help find out more about the other bidders and connects you with someone who knows much more about the pyramids of the Four Pharaohs than anyone else.
The bidders were first the Arch Docent - head curator of the Exhibitory and second The Crook-bearer, a private individual, wealthy and an art collector. It is rumored that the Crook-bearer has a funeral mask matching the description and identical to the one Leo saw in his own collection. The other two are unknown.
She introduces you to Reagos, an odd man who wears a blindfold, has a paper phobia, and moves around his house by following a web of string. He tells a story of actually being at the main pyramid 56 years ago. The mask must be worn to bring the main pyramid to the material plane. When his group was inside, they noticed the place was covered with ancient inscriptions. According to the inscriptions, the four pharaohs had declared that all intruders would be doomed to live out their existence as eternal guardians of the tomb. Apparently, anyone who saw the four symbols of the pharaohs’ namesakes would forever become enslaved monsters.
They ignored them think it merely a scare tactic. Not so. the party bowman, suddenly cried out in alarm, warning the rest of us to avert our eyes—he had seen the fourth and final rune. Moments later, Seraton transformed. He became a withered husk, like the embalmed bodies we had expected to find. And he was filled with a terrible, smoldering anger. I remember Seraton driving his entire arm through the group leader’s chest, exploding him into dust. The mask fell and he grabbed it and ran. he was the only one to escape. He eventually sold the mask to an unknown merchant.
Neferet arranges a meeting between the group and the Arch Docent two hours after the museum closes for you to find out more about the mask (thinking there is adventure to be had). Leo and Potenzia ports of to Saltmarsh to get Zoltan. You all reach the museum to find the fron tcourtyard gate open. As you approach the building you notice two bodies lying on the ground - they are dead. The main doors are locked and there is an unsuccessful attempt to force them. Pip opens the lock and another unsuccessful attempt. Potenzia 'knocks' the door and they open. The group moves in to painfully discover the floor covered with 'spike stones' and the hall to the Four Pharaohs wing blocked by a 'wall of thorns.' Several forced their way through and Leo moved ethereally until Zoltan dispelled the wall. You 'found' a bout a half dozen, mean-looking fey creatures grouped around the funeral mask display. You started to overpower them when three of them created an area of obscuring mist. This only made things a little harder, but bought them some time. Pip understood one to say "I have the mask, make for the ropes."
They weren't much of a threat to any of you but were not complete push-overs. A couple targeted Alorian with some sort of suggestion. They spoke to him in elvish. After the fight was finished and the mist cleared, the mask was gone and one fey remained unconscious. No one spotted anyone leaving. One thing you did notice was that about half of the fey had bandages on one ear (some left, some right). Looking under the wraps you see that they were missing an ear - cut clean off and were at various stages of healing.
Realizing the trouble that you could be in after confirming that the Arch Docent was one of the dead figures, Powduc and Pip set off to find Neferet. The rest stayed and guarded the museum. Ten minutes later Neferet approaches the gate and see you. She shakes her head in disappointment. Someone states "It wasn't our...." and gets cut off. She say "I know. You need to go. Now!" Leo begins to say "I can cast.." and gets cut off. He continues "raise dead..." and get cut off again. She urges you all to leave and you will talk tomorrow. "What about the fey-in-the-bag?" someone asks. Neferet says she'll take care of it.
The next day you are informed that if your offer for raise dead is still good, that much can be smoothed over. You are also told that the Crook-Bearer's estate was robbed in a similar manner last night and only one item seems to be missing. The little beasties are known as blood sprites. They are quite rare native to only one location - the Bloodsworn Vale (a two day ride). Leo raises the Arch Docent (and is reimbursed for the cost). Leo attempts to locate the mask (object) with no luck.
-End of Session One
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Tilth Adventure - The Four Pharaohs
The main group in Rastgoth agrees to meet in Saltmarsh in five days time to work out the details of a short trip to Sothis, Giorandi. Iam and Zoltan finish up a few meetings with the Merchant Prince and a few other minor nobles. Potenzia completes some trade deals he had in the works. Pip disappears into the streets to do whatever it is he does. Alorian, Leo and Schweitzer head off overland to Saltmarsh via Marnot to check on the harvest. Leo says he'll do a sending to Powduc to let him know the group is planning a trip to Giorandi.
While the splinter group is in Marnot, Leo casts his sending to Powduc.
The fifth day arrives and some are already in Saltmarsh and some are just arriving. The group gathers at the Saltmarsh Inn over drinks. Leo informs everyone that Powduc has said he will be here. After a few drinks someone asks, "Where in the Nine Hells is Pip?"
Someone else looks out the window to see a skiff under sail come up to the docks down the hill. Two familiar shapes disembark and head up towards the inn.
[We'll pick up roleplaying from here.]
While the splinter group is in Marnot, Leo casts his sending to Powduc.
Planning a trip to Giorandi - Sothis Antiquities Market specifically. Not sure of your availability. Reply with interest.The reply is:
Interested and have information. Contact me again tomorrow with your schedule.After a day in Marnot the party members finish some inspections and start traveling to Saltmarsh. Leo casts another sending:
Headed to Saltmarsh to meet in two days. Can you make that timing?The reply:
Saltmarsh in two days. Confirmed.Those in Rastgoth finish their dealings and sail and/or teleport to Saltmarsh. Someone remarks: "Anyone seen Pip?"
The fifth day arrives and some are already in Saltmarsh and some are just arriving. The group gathers at the Saltmarsh Inn over drinks. Leo informs everyone that Powduc has said he will be here. After a few drinks someone asks, "Where in the Nine Hells is Pip?"
Someone else looks out the window to see a skiff under sail come up to the docks down the hill. Two familiar shapes disembark and head up towards the inn.
[We'll pick up roleplaying from here.]
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Tilth Adventure - The Four Pharaohs (Pow Duc only)
After the near fiasco in Southkeep, you took your leave of the group and headed to the Argo Hills near Blackmoor to enter into a more ascetic phase of your career and to start work on a monastery. You have some support from the Tilth government as they would like you to take a more active role in Tilth security, particularly on the northern frontier. You have a few followers – some of them budding priests. You and the rest of the group periodically keep in touch through magical sendings.
During one of your trips to Col Tilth, the Capital, to meet with representatives of the ruling family, you receive a sealed letter. The seal pressed into the wax is one you have not seen in some time. It is of the House of the Griffon. It reads:
You know the Wayward Dragon Inn in Col Tilth is an expensive place, usually catering to traveling merchants and dignitaries. Some of the rooms are even leased long term. The Sothis Antiquities Market is a near fabled biennial bazaar held in Sothis, Giorandi, on the eastern coast of the Great Sea. It is usually held in the fall but its exact time and place are only known by the initiated. The level of secrecy is required due to the often questionable legal status of some of the items being offered for sale. You have been there several times many years ago when you were one of the guards for Qui Pan of the House [insert your house here]. You also know that the House of the Griffon is in charge of the Giorandi Treasury. The name Valeros is not familiar.
You see no harm in meeting this person and choose a busy time of the day to stop at the Wayward Dragon. You find out from the innkeeper that Valeros is in and send word up to him via a serving maid that you are in the grand hall. He comes down quickly. He attempts some small talk but you ask him to get straight to the point.
From him you learn that the great Sothis Antiquities Market is scheduled to be held this fall. He has heard that there are some items being offered this year that are purported to be from the Four Pharaohs of Ascension. He knows of the market but not the pharaohs. He has searched you out to learn more about these pharaohs and to determine if it would be worth his coin to try to purchase some of the items. He presents himself a collector of rarities. He offers to show you some of his collection if you would like to see for yourself.
You know the following about the Four Pharaohs of Ascension and can tell him as much or as little as you wish.
He listen intently to anything you tell him and asks, offers to pay, and nearly begs for more no matter how much you tell him. After your conversation he seems convinced that he has enough information to believe that these items are legitimate and offers you a proposition. He is willing to help finance your building in exchange for your acting as his agent at the Sothis Antiquities Market for the acquisition of true artifacts from the Four Pharaohs of Ascension.
You are originally from the area near Sothis and have not been back in Giorandi for years. Building a monastery is exorbitantly expensive and you wonder if it would be better to be somewhat beholden to the Tilth or to an expatriate who seems to be offering few strings. You decide to have an acolyte prepare a sending to one of the group the next day.
It’s your choice as to who receives the sending. You have 25 words. Email me with the wording and to whom it is sent.
During one of your trips to Col Tilth, the Capital, to meet with representatives of the ruling family, you receive a sealed letter. The seal pressed into the wax is one you have not seen in some time. It is of the House of the Griffon. It reads:
Anchorite Pow Duc:
Forgive this intrusion into your private purposes, but I, like yourself, am a Giorandi expatriate. I am less skilled in religion and history than yourself. I know this because I have considerable wealth and like most things in the Tilth, information is for sale. Please do not interpret my investigations as prying. Rather I was merely trying to locate someone who may help me better understand the Sothis Antiquities Market. If you can find the time to meet with me, please stop by the Wayward Dragon Inn at your convenience.
-Valeros, House of the Griffon
You know the Wayward Dragon Inn in Col Tilth is an expensive place, usually catering to traveling merchants and dignitaries. Some of the rooms are even leased long term. The Sothis Antiquities Market is a near fabled biennial bazaar held in Sothis, Giorandi, on the eastern coast of the Great Sea. It is usually held in the fall but its exact time and place are only known by the initiated. The level of secrecy is required due to the often questionable legal status of some of the items being offered for sale. You have been there several times many years ago when you were one of the guards for Qui Pan of the House [insert your house here]. You also know that the House of the Griffon is in charge of the Giorandi Treasury. The name Valeros is not familiar.
You see no harm in meeting this person and choose a busy time of the day to stop at the Wayward Dragon. You find out from the innkeeper that Valeros is in and send word up to him via a serving maid that you are in the grand hall. He comes down quickly. He attempts some small talk but you ask him to get straight to the point.
From him you learn that the great Sothis Antiquities Market is scheduled to be held this fall. He has heard that there are some items being offered this year that are purported to be from the Four Pharaohs of Ascension. He knows of the market but not the pharaohs. He has searched you out to learn more about these pharaohs and to determine if it would be worth his coin to try to purchase some of the items. He presents himself a collector of rarities. He offers to show you some of his collection if you would like to see for yourself.
You know the following about the Four Pharaohs of Ascension and can tell him as much or as little as you wish.
- During sometime in the Third Age of the Black Phoenix, Ancient Giorandi was, for a time ruled by a union of four feuding pharaohs known as the Four Pharaohs of Ascension.
- The Four Pharaohs of Ascension were Anuk Fero, the Cerulean Pharaoh, Hetshepsu, the Fiend Pharaoh, Ankana, the radiant Pharaoh, and the Pharaoh of Numbers, whose name is lost to time. Each had different strengths, but all were equal.
- Legends say the Four Pharaohs of Ascension were bound by a magical pact that intertwined their fates: they lived together, ruled together, and were fated to die together.
- For whatever reason, items from this time are periodically (re)discovered or appear. Every 56 years you remember after some thinking.
He listen intently to anything you tell him and asks, offers to pay, and nearly begs for more no matter how much you tell him. After your conversation he seems convinced that he has enough information to believe that these items are legitimate and offers you a proposition. He is willing to help finance your building in exchange for your acting as his agent at the Sothis Antiquities Market for the acquisition of true artifacts from the Four Pharaohs of Ascension.
You are originally from the area near Sothis and have not been back in Giorandi for years. Building a monastery is exorbitantly expensive and you wonder if it would be better to be somewhat beholden to the Tilth or to an expatriate who seems to be offering few strings. You decide to have an acolyte prepare a sending to one of the group the next day.
It’s your choice as to who receives the sending. You have 25 words. Email me with the wording and to whom it is sent.
Tilth Adventure - The Four Pharaohs (for all but Pow Duc)
Nearly a year has past since the near fiasco in Southkeep. The truce in the valleys has held and the few remaining camps of bandits, humanoids and other ne’er-do-wells have mostly been eradicated. The more problematic tribes of humanoids have been at least beaten back to where it will take them years to fully recover. Crops were planted and the harvest is approaching.
Most of the trouble makers in the area have fled to The Baronies. The political structure is at near collapse in Seavering as no one has been able to take and hold power after the Night of the Demons. The roads are very dangerous and while trade is still fairly strong, it has turned darker. The black market thrives and drug and ‘human(oid)’ trafficking is on the increase.
The political machinations of the Prince of Rastgoth continue and some of you have been regularly attending Guild Council Meetings. Alorian and Pow Duc, have not been seen much over the last year. Each are working to establish academies (for lack of a better term that applies to both) in disparate parts of the Tilth. Pip seems to never be around when anyone is looking for him and always around when no one wants him to be there. Potenzia is in Rastgoth and Saltmarsh for extended periods and then gone for similar lengths. He has added to his fleet of ships and is busy overseeing an expanding ‘shipping’ business. Zoltan and Iam have receded into the more secluded tasks that come with being Baronettes. Schweitezer has been extensively traveling with a small retinue and spreading the word of the Black Huntsman. He has actually been seen reading in the Library on the Isle of White. JP has been rarely seen, and then only by those who stop at Bilikin Isle during their travels. Leo has been happily helping to keep the overland travel and trade routes free from bandits, protecting areas farmsteads, and leading small excursions further inland to check reports of ogres and giants. You all keep in fairly regular contact by written letters and periodic magical sendings.
Potenzia returns from a longer than normal absence to attend a Guild meeting. All of you but JP and Pow Duc happen to be in Rastgoth and you agree to hang out one evening at the Gutted Fish to reminisce. You eat well and break out ‘the good stuff.’ There is some lamenting about the more sedentary turn your lives have taken. At a random point in the evening, talk turns to Potenzia’s travels. “Nothing special, just a lot of traveling on ship. But I did hear something interesting on my last trip.”
Potenzia recounts the story of his most recent trip to Giorandi. His last stop before heading back west was in Sothis, on the eastern coast of the Great Sea. It was here that he heard of a great antiquities market that is held every two years. The most interesting thing about this market was that no one readily talked about it, making it all that much more intriguing. He says it took a lot of coin and even more persistence to learn that there is a lot of excitement about this year’s market. The rumor is that there are going to be items at the auction this year from the Four Pharaohs of Ascension. People were even less willing to talk about the pharaohs. Apparently, sometime during Giorandi ancient history – thousands of years ago – the area was ruled by four people, called the Four Pharaohs of Ascension. It seems that some artifacts from this time have appeared – the first time in over 50 years. Potenzia ends his story with a query of sorts. “If any of you have some spare coin, I would be more than happy to act as your agent and invest in some antiquities.” Some of you smile and some frown depending on how your last ‘investment opportunity’ with Potenzia panned out.
Most of the trouble makers in the area have fled to The Baronies. The political structure is at near collapse in Seavering as no one has been able to take and hold power after the Night of the Demons. The roads are very dangerous and while trade is still fairly strong, it has turned darker. The black market thrives and drug and ‘human(oid)’ trafficking is on the increase.
The political machinations of the Prince of Rastgoth continue and some of you have been regularly attending Guild Council Meetings. Alorian and Pow Duc, have not been seen much over the last year. Each are working to establish academies (for lack of a better term that applies to both) in disparate parts of the Tilth. Pip seems to never be around when anyone is looking for him and always around when no one wants him to be there. Potenzia is in Rastgoth and Saltmarsh for extended periods and then gone for similar lengths. He has added to his fleet of ships and is busy overseeing an expanding ‘shipping’ business. Zoltan and Iam have receded into the more secluded tasks that come with being Baronettes. Schweitezer has been extensively traveling with a small retinue and spreading the word of the Black Huntsman. He has actually been seen reading in the Library on the Isle of White. JP has been rarely seen, and then only by those who stop at Bilikin Isle during their travels. Leo has been happily helping to keep the overland travel and trade routes free from bandits, protecting areas farmsteads, and leading small excursions further inland to check reports of ogres and giants. You all keep in fairly regular contact by written letters and periodic magical sendings.
Potenzia returns from a longer than normal absence to attend a Guild meeting. All of you but JP and Pow Duc happen to be in Rastgoth and you agree to hang out one evening at the Gutted Fish to reminisce. You eat well and break out ‘the good stuff.’ There is some lamenting about the more sedentary turn your lives have taken. At a random point in the evening, talk turns to Potenzia’s travels. “Nothing special, just a lot of traveling on ship. But I did hear something interesting on my last trip.”
Potenzia recounts the story of his most recent trip to Giorandi. His last stop before heading back west was in Sothis, on the eastern coast of the Great Sea. It was here that he heard of a great antiquities market that is held every two years. The most interesting thing about this market was that no one readily talked about it, making it all that much more intriguing. He says it took a lot of coin and even more persistence to learn that there is a lot of excitement about this year’s market. The rumor is that there are going to be items at the auction this year from the Four Pharaohs of Ascension. People were even less willing to talk about the pharaohs. Apparently, sometime during Giorandi ancient history – thousands of years ago – the area was ruled by four people, called the Four Pharaohs of Ascension. It seems that some artifacts from this time have appeared – the first time in over 50 years. Potenzia ends his story with a query of sorts. “If any of you have some spare coin, I would be more than happy to act as your agent and invest in some antiquities.” Some of you smile and some frown depending on how your last ‘investment opportunity’ with Potenzia panned out.
Monday, October 6, 2008
The Rescue - Aftermath II
Being convinced there are no more denizens - native or of the Aberrant Misfits - to be found and that anything of value has been scavenged, the group heads back to the surface. Once back in the alleys of Southkeep, Schweitzer says "We should debrief the authorities."
Pip grumbles a reply something to the effect of "Yeah, you do that" and says "I got a few things to take care of. I'll catch you in a few." as he walks off into the dark alley.
Iam, trying to hold onto all the pieces of his shield says, "I'll go with you Schweitzer." Zoltan and Pow Duc also agree.
Alorian, feeling a little left out, looks at Potenzia and says "What should we do."
Potenzia, scratching his chin, replies, "I'm kinda thirsty. I'll see you Rastgoth." He mumbles a few words and disapears.
Alorian, remembering his cohort, shrugs and says, "I'll meet you all...uh... I don't know, sometime. I'll swing through Miggen and check on things." He walks off toward the stables.
Leo yells, "Wait up. I'll go with you." and runs off after Alorian.
The main group of the party meet with Quai and Skovin and relay the whole story. Skovin continues to read from the riot act and admonishes the group for their actions in the city. Quai is a bit more contemplative, but agrees with his friend. They both thank the group for the information and flushing out the Aberrant Misfits. All part ways.
Pip meets those who met with Skovin and Quai the next day at the inn where you were staying. You make plans to head back to Marnot, Saltmarsh, Rastgoth and points beyond. As you are making the final preparations, an official messenger from Bishop Grellus arrives. The message is not sealed which means this is not an 'official' correspondance. It reads:
I have been informed of the details of your latest incursion into Southkeep. I do not need to remind you of the relations between yourselves and the powers of the Tilth and on which side I, Quai and Skovin stand. I appreciate the service you have provided the City but can not approve of your methods. I think it best for all of us that you all spend some focused time dedicated to the needs of the homefront - your homefront. From what I know of the situation in Miggen - the destroyed fields, loss of life, refugees - I imagine it could take as much as a year to fully stabilize things. I wish you the best of luck.
Pip laughs. "That's the nicest I've ever been kicked out of a place. Let's get outa here." Everyone agrees.
Everyone gets back to where they were headed and you all get to work nation building (barony building to be more precise.) Security, taxes, fortifications, roads, trade, politics, and more take your waking hours. Slightly over a year passes when....
Pip grumbles a reply something to the effect of "Yeah, you do that" and says "I got a few things to take care of. I'll catch you in a few." as he walks off into the dark alley.
Iam, trying to hold onto all the pieces of his shield says, "I'll go with you Schweitzer." Zoltan and Pow Duc also agree.
Alorian, feeling a little left out, looks at Potenzia and says "What should we do."
Potenzia, scratching his chin, replies, "I'm kinda thirsty. I'll see you Rastgoth." He mumbles a few words and disapears.
Alorian, remembering his cohort, shrugs and says, "I'll meet you all...uh... I don't know, sometime. I'll swing through Miggen and check on things." He walks off toward the stables.
Leo yells, "Wait up. I'll go with you." and runs off after Alorian.
The main group of the party meet with Quai and Skovin and relay the whole story. Skovin continues to read from the riot act and admonishes the group for their actions in the city. Quai is a bit more contemplative, but agrees with his friend. They both thank the group for the information and flushing out the Aberrant Misfits. All part ways.
Pip meets those who met with Skovin and Quai the next day at the inn where you were staying. You make plans to head back to Marnot, Saltmarsh, Rastgoth and points beyond. As you are making the final preparations, an official messenger from Bishop Grellus arrives. The message is not sealed which means this is not an 'official' correspondance. It reads:
I have been informed of the details of your latest incursion into Southkeep. I do not need to remind you of the relations between yourselves and the powers of the Tilth and on which side I, Quai and Skovin stand. I appreciate the service you have provided the City but can not approve of your methods. I think it best for all of us that you all spend some focused time dedicated to the needs of the homefront - your homefront. From what I know of the situation in Miggen - the destroyed fields, loss of life, refugees - I imagine it could take as much as a year to fully stabilize things. I wish you the best of luck.
Pip laughs. "That's the nicest I've ever been kicked out of a place. Let's get outa here." Everyone agrees.
Everyone gets back to where they were headed and you all get to work nation building (barony building to be more precise.) Security, taxes, fortifications, roads, trade, politics, and more take your waking hours. Slightly over a year passes when....
Monday, November 5, 2007
The Rescue - Aftermath
The group spent some time tending to wounds and searching for any additional foes and looking for loot. There was none to be found on the few corpses. Searching the nearby rooms turns up two tomes. One clearly a spell book. It contains the following spells: 1st shield, mage armor, magic missile, alarm; 2nd fox's cunning, web, touch of idiocy, hypnotic pattern; 3rd fireball, dispel magic, vampiric touch; 4th charm monster, greater invisibility, crushing despair, illusory wall; 5th mind fog, dominate person.
The other tome is a history of an ancient temple. It indicates that there was once a much older city located on this sight with a temple dedicated to Srath Sifa, the deity of discord, murder and evil reptiles. It further mentions a reliquary reported to house a powerful magic item of the faith. There are maps and sketches included. You all figure that this might be the very temple being referred to in the tome.
The other tome is a history of an ancient temple. It indicates that there was once a much older city located on this sight with a temple dedicated to Srath Sifa, the deity of discord, murder and evil reptiles. It further mentions a reliquary reported to house a powerful magic item of the faith. There are maps and sketches included. You all figure that this might be the very temple being referred to in the tome.
The Rescue
After spending about 18 hours making contacts with Sirs Quai and Skovin, who told the group they couldn't help and Agathor, who ended up providing the same directions as he did to Pip, et al. the second bunch of PCs headed into the sewers. Taking much the same path as the first and meeting the same 'people' Iam, Potenzia, Leo and Zoltan reach the area where numerous, small, amphibious creatures lay scattered (and dead). Further exploration reveals a large minotuar and several derro (all dead). Zoltan scanned the area for sings of intelligence and found one. Preparing for battle, it turned out to only be Pip, who managed to find his way back to this point after being totally lost for the last day.
Pip filled his friends in on what he knew. The group cast a few longer lasting spells and headed on. They flew down the shaft into the large room that Pip told them was empty. It wasn't. Instead of the large gargoyles, there were two Athach who immediately started throwing rocks at those descending. It wasn't much of a fight. Pip informed everyone that the next battle would be close.
Resorting to knock spells to get through two sets of doors, the group encountered the hallway that was uncomfortably familiar to Pip. As the group moved forward they began to spread out much to Iam's displeasure. As the group moved closer on of Zoltan's high level protective spells was stripped as if from a dispel magic, but no one heard anything to alert them to the location of the source. Iam was bringing up the rear when two strange looking creatures emerged from a solid wall and closed. The o
Potenzia and Zotlan had now flown through the light fog that had also been there the time the other group approached. A six-tentacled beast who was very well hi
In the back of the fight a very large and mean looking Minotaur stepped out of another wall and waited. Shortly thereafter the o
Leo and Zoltan could not free themselves from the grap of the tentacle beast. Potenzia was flying near it repeatedly piecing with rapier and dagger. Soone Potenzi found himself the target of spells cast the mind flayer who could tell relatively where he was. Pip surprised the abomination but was quickly taken down a few pegs by vicious falcion blows and attacks from anther o
Potenzia had finally drawn the tentacled beast’s attention and it dropped Leo in favor of attacking Potenzia, barely missing. Pip ran toward Leo hoping for cures. The abomination followed. The Minotaur, evilly grinning at Iam paused while Iam braced for the attack. The minotaur first shattered Iam's shield and then proceeded to pummel Iam into unconsciousness. It and the three strange creatures moved towards the rest of the fight.
Potenzia quickly dropped the tentacle beast and Leo healed Pip just as the abomination landed blows that would have otherwise killed him. Zoltan, with all his protections back, blasted the abomination with a powerword stun. It had no effect. Potenzia bought the group some time by placing a wall of force between the abomination and the rest of the party. At about this time, the other o
Pow Duc su
While the fight had been raging outside, Alorian and Schweitzer had irritated the hydra enough that it lowered the forcecage they were trapped in. Schweitzer closed and Alorian cast spells and fired his bow. After a few rounds, Alorian had again been trapped, this time in a solid wall forcecage, effectively removing him from the fight while Schweitzer had been subject to several spells – some of which made him exhausted and others sapped energy directly. He tried to run to the door hoping for help only to meet the mindflayer who enfeebled him. The group arrived to face an onslaught of four simultaneous fireballs from the hydra. Pow Duc was able to stun the mind flayer moments before one of its tentacles reached Schweitzer’s brain. The hydra teleported away, Potenzia hit the forcecage in which Alorian was trapped with a disintigrate and the mindflayer was easily dispatched.
The battle was over. There was no sign of the creature that withdrew.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
More Devils
The party approaches the sounds of the skirmish and stops short for a few preparatory spells. You all move around the corner to see the sight already mentioned. You are told to stay clear as this is none of your business. Potenzia tries to insinuate that it is potentially his business to no avail. A few fireballs and rays are fired back and forth as you watch. When a wall of iron suddenly appears to block the pressing of the Red Sash, you are 'invited' to assist. It isn't much of a battle inside. A wizard teleports off with a fighter, the Red Sash captures a cleric of Crestus and a rogue manages to stay hidden from the Sash (but not the party, who don't say anything). The Red Sash order everyone out of the warehouse and they secure it with spikes and placards. They lead the cleric off for interrogation and Iam follows. Zoltan and Potenzia teleport back inside to find the dwarf. Leo hangs outside.
Potenzia and Zoltan learn that the dwarf and the others are part of the Steel Spar - the group originally hired to recover the shipment. They were extremely delayed during the devil rampage - now sometimes referred to as Night of Hell. The Red Sash was after likely after them for unrelated martial law violations. Potenzia agrees to set him loose but makes it impossible for the dwarf to not be seen coming from the warehouse no one was supposed to be in.
The next day the party is required to break into the house of the tailor. Inside they find the thread but not after having to force a ghost back into the ether. The group also discovered a name, scribbled out in blood - Metcally.
Upon returning to the Brave Giant the innkeeper hands you two notes left by an angry dwarf. One says that as it appears the Steel Spar has been fired, that you all can deliver this note that they were originally tasked to do. It is addressed to Xyries. A little digging reveals a bit of information on both names. Metcally is an old family name in Seavering that may have reached an end during the Night of Hell. Xyries is the name of a thug of some reknown even though he hasn't been around long. You are warned against looking for him but get a location to start if you really want to.
You approach the warehouse and spend some time preparing with spells and whatnot. Zoltan spends a few extra rounds discerning the number and intelligence of those inside. Then the party attacked. The frontal assault was a bit delayed by the reverse gravity cast by an opposing mage. Once in, Potenzi found a couple of devils (Zoltan didn't mention anything about those) and a half a dozen men. A lot of steel and spells were flying around and the party was probably gaining the upper hand when Leo was pegged in several consecutive rounds by disintegrate rays. The tide may have been shifting against the party when Zoltan sealed the victory with a maximized cone of cold, shaped to miss his compatriots. Most of the opposition fell right then, some fled via teleport and one fled on foot. He was quickly run down. The group quickly looted the bodies and concealed them in the basement to delay suspicion long enough for them to leave town.
Back at the Brave Gaint another note was left. This time the Dwarf indicates he is willing to provide you the location of the other half of cloth - for a price of course. Potenzia sees to this over the next day while everyone else wraps up any business they have in Seavering.
Potenzia and Zoltan learn that the dwarf and the others are part of the Steel Spar - the group originally hired to recover the shipment. They were extremely delayed during the devil rampage - now sometimes referred to as Night of Hell. The Red Sash was after likely after them for unrelated martial law violations. Potenzia agrees to set him loose but makes it impossible for the dwarf to not be seen coming from the warehouse no one was supposed to be in.
The next day the party is required to break into the house of the tailor. Inside they find the thread but not after having to force a ghost back into the ether. The group also discovered a name, scribbled out in blood - Metcally.
Upon returning to the Brave Giant the innkeeper hands you two notes left by an angry dwarf. One says that as it appears the Steel Spar has been fired, that you all can deliver this note that they were originally tasked to do. It is addressed to Xyries. A little digging reveals a bit of information on both names. Metcally is an old family name in Seavering that may have reached an end during the Night of Hell. Xyries is the name of a thug of some reknown even though he hasn't been around long. You are warned against looking for him but get a location to start if you really want to.
You approach the warehouse and spend some time preparing with spells and whatnot. Zoltan spends a few extra rounds discerning the number and intelligence of those inside. Then the party attacked. The frontal assault was a bit delayed by the reverse gravity cast by an opposing mage. Once in, Potenzi found a couple of devils (Zoltan didn't mention anything about those) and a half a dozen men. A lot of steel and spells were flying around and the party was probably gaining the upper hand when Leo was pegged in several consecutive rounds by disintegrate rays. The tide may have been shifting against the party when Zoltan sealed the victory with a maximized cone of cold, shaped to miss his compatriots. Most of the opposition fell right then, some fled via teleport and one fled on foot. He was quickly run down. The group quickly looted the bodies and concealed them in the basement to delay suspicion long enough for them to leave town.
Back at the Brave Gaint another note was left. This time the Dwarf indicates he is willing to provide you the location of the other half of cloth - for a price of course. Potenzia sees to this over the next day while everyone else wraps up any business they have in Seavering.
Friday, October 12, 2007
To Seavering
Seeing Pip, Pow Duc, Schweitzer and Alorian off and agreeing that all would meet back at the Gutted Fish in a few days or more, Potenzia, Leo and Iam headed down to the docks to board Potenzia's ship for a quick trip to Seavering and back. Upon reaching the ship, you find Zoltan waiting. He says it turns out he has some time after all - or more accurately that some time has been made for him. He has been asked to assess the political situation in the Baronies and see if there might be opportunity for a strategic alliance for Rastgoth.
The weather is good and winds favorable. You reach the Seavering docks in two and a half days. The situation is a bit different than the last time you were here. There are significantly more armed guards on the docks and a lot more bureaucratic-looking types. You are directed into a slip at the end of a pier and given the third degree before any of you are allowed to disembark. Even Potenzia with his official and possibly not-so-official papers has a hard time convincing the the docks stewards that he has legitimate business in Seavering. Potenzia, as Captain, is required to sign papers stating with the ship's home port, with whom he has business, where the crew will be staying and when you will be leaving. You are all informed of the current martial law requirements and that violating them is grounds for forfeit of property and goods, expulsion or even conscription.
"Have a nice visit."
You all head to the Brave Giant to make accommodations. After a quick bite and drink you decide to split up in twos, do a little scouting, meet contacts, and whatnot. All goes uneventfully and you meet back at the inn in a few hours. It's nearing night and you decide to stay in and not risk a curfew violation on your first day in the city.
Potenzia, unable to find the merchant at his home suggests the group checks out the warehouse early the next day at least so he can wrap up his purpose for being here as quickly as possible. You approach the warehouse and hear the clanging of metal on metal - a fight. You round the last corner and see five people trying to force their way into the warehouse through a partially open cargo door. Four of the five wear trappings of the Red Sash and the fifth of the Iron Hand - the two groups that make up what is effectivlely the city watch. The door is being held by a large (medium sized) man in heavy armor who is clearly defending the opening.
The weather is good and winds favorable. You reach the Seavering docks in two and a half days. The situation is a bit different than the last time you were here. There are significantly more armed guards on the docks and a lot more bureaucratic-looking types. You are directed into a slip at the end of a pier and given the third degree before any of you are allowed to disembark. Even Potenzia with his official and possibly not-so-official papers has a hard time convincing the the docks stewards that he has legitimate business in Seavering. Potenzia, as Captain, is required to sign papers stating with the ship's home port, with whom he has business, where the crew will be staying and when you will be leaving. You are all informed of the current martial law requirements and that violating them is grounds for forfeit of property and goods, expulsion or even conscription.
"Have a nice visit."
You all head to the Brave Giant to make accommodations. After a quick bite and drink you decide to split up in twos, do a little scouting, meet contacts, and whatnot. All goes uneventfully and you meet back at the inn in a few hours. It's nearing night and you decide to stay in and not risk a curfew violation on your first day in the city.
Potenzia, unable to find the merchant at his home suggests the group checks out the warehouse early the next day at least so he can wrap up his purpose for being here as quickly as possible. You approach the warehouse and hear the clanging of metal on metal - a fight. You round the last corner and see five people trying to force their way into the warehouse through a partially open cargo door. Four of the five wear trappings of the Red Sash and the fifth of the Iron Hand - the two groups that make up what is effectivlely the city watch. The door is being held by a large (medium sized) man in heavy armor who is clearly defending the opening.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Into the Sewers
With Agathor's map finding The Sludge was easy. The four shoo'ed away rats, bats and other creepy crawlies. The Sludge is like a small commercial development deep in the sewers. There are locations that pass for a general store, blacksmith, inn and tavern. The clientèle consist of all manner of humanoids. The party spoke with Zangretor and after enough coin changed hands, he was willing to give directions to the lair of Gruthdaal.
Several additional hours of trudging through the sewers of Southkeep into the deeper tunnels followed. Eventually Gruthdaal surprised the party as he approached them while clinging to the ceiling. Gruthdaal is a cross between a centipede and orc (think Centaur) but in the place of chitinous legs are muscular orcish arms each ending in clawed fingers that can firmly grip the rock. There were many rings on his 'fingers'. After some deliberation with Alorian doing the talking as only he knew orcish and the gift of a very beautiful gold and gem ring did Gruthdaal tell the group how to get to where they should be able to find the Abberant Misfits.
Another couple of hours were in front of the group. They moved from sewers into more dungeon-like tunnels where they were attacked by three dread wraiths. A few more hours and the party moved into even deeper tunnels that were very old and now unused sewers of some much older city. Pip was moving ahead of the group invisibly when he tripped an alarm wire. The group prepared for a fight.
They were first confronted with numerous amphibious humanoids wielding heavy pick axes. They really didn't present a challenge, but the crowded passageways did. Soon the party realized there were Derro involved as well (at least a rogue and arcane caster). A web spell further complicated movement. Alorian was able to most freely move and went forward. He was followed by Pow Duc, Pip and then Schweitzer. Once the Skum were mostly cleared out, the party went after the Derro rogue, sorcerer and several fighters. They too were not much opposition. Sometime during the fight a human in light armor stepped out from a room off the passage to monitor the fight. He eventually waved for others to enter. The Minotaur and Harpy the party encountered in the guard tower entered the fray. Pip was able to sneak up to the Minotuar and with Pow Duc's help eviscerate it. The lightly armored Mirvian said something to the Harpy about being incompetent and fled through a secret door. Pip followed as did the Harpy. Pip soon returned unable to catch them and not wanting to get completely cut off.
The party killed the reminding Skum and Derro, cast a few curatives and went after the fleeing misfits. The hall ended in a wide shaft that in turn led to an octagonal room. When the doors were touched the four large columns animated and the group fought off four very large gargoyles. During this brief fight one of them grappled Schewitzer and flew him to the ceiling some 60' and dropped him to the ground.
With that fight complete, a few more curatives were cast and the group moved onward. The doors led to a long hall. The far end was filled with fog. Moving through the fog around a corner, the group was blasted with first a fireball that sapped strength from Schweitzer and Alorian. A fight with a number of the remaining Abberant Misfits ensued. A Thri-keen warrior approached from behind the group with the Harpy, Medusa and Mind Flayer battling at the front. Schweitzer and Pip fell victim to the Mind Flayers mental blast rendering them less effective as they could only react and not take any initiatives. The Medusa was killed quickly. Then Agathor appeared out of no where and attempted to kill Alorian in one blow. The party took this as evidence that Agathor had in fact set them up the whole time and swarmed him. The Thri-keen was heavily wounded and the Mind Flayer came to its aid with a cure but it was not enough to keep it on its feet. Agathor fell shortly after. When he was dead, he turned back into an odd looking, gray skinned corpse (a doppleganger). The Harpy was still plucking away with arrows. The Mind Flayer teleported further down a hall and dared the party to follow before it opened the door and ducked inside. Pow Duc took him up but stopped short when he saw a huge hydra in the room beyond and started to retreat when it started casting spells. It caught Pow Duc in a force cage. Meanwhile the Harpy retreated into this next room also. Pow Duc used his dimension door ability to get out of the cage. Schweitzer, having just recovered from the feeblemind, joined Alorian and Pow Duc in another charge. When they got into the room, they could not see the Mind Flayer. Pow Duc went after the Harpy and the other two after the Hydra. Pip, having just recovered himself, followed up. As Schweitzer and Alorian reached the Hydra it started casting again - a lot. Pow Duc was again caught in another force cage. Alorian and Schweitzer were imprisoned in still another force cage cast at them. Pip, upon seeing this reached for his carpet and was climbing on when it went limp. The Mind Flayer, from improved invisibility, had dispelled the carpet momentarily. Pip fretted for a few seconds until the magic came back to his ride and he fled.
The Hydra cast a few additional spells, growing in size, wreathing itself in flames, and other less obvious effects. It then began to talk to its captives....
Several additional hours of trudging through the sewers of Southkeep into the deeper tunnels followed. Eventually Gruthdaal surprised the party as he approached them while clinging to the ceiling. Gruthdaal is a cross between a centipede and orc (think Centaur) but in the place of chitinous legs are muscular orcish arms each ending in clawed fingers that can firmly grip the rock. There were many rings on his 'fingers'. After some deliberation with Alorian doing the talking as only he knew orcish and the gift of a very beautiful gold and gem ring did Gruthdaal tell the group how to get to where they should be able to find the Abberant Misfits.
Another couple of hours were in front of the group. They moved from sewers into more dungeon-like tunnels where they were attacked by three dread wraiths. A few more hours and the party moved into even deeper tunnels that were very old and now unused sewers of some much older city. Pip was moving ahead of the group invisibly when he tripped an alarm wire. The group prepared for a fight.
They were first confronted with numerous amphibious humanoids wielding heavy pick axes. They really didn't present a challenge, but the crowded passageways did. Soon the party realized there were Derro involved as well (at least a rogue and arcane caster). A web spell further complicated movement. Alorian was able to most freely move and went forward. He was followed by Pow Duc, Pip and then Schweitzer. Once the Skum were mostly cleared out, the party went after the Derro rogue, sorcerer and several fighters. They too were not much opposition. Sometime during the fight a human in light armor stepped out from a room off the passage to monitor the fight. He eventually waved for others to enter. The Minotaur and Harpy the party encountered in the guard tower entered the fray. Pip was able to sneak up to the Minotuar and with Pow Duc's help eviscerate it. The lightly armored Mirvian said something to the Harpy about being incompetent and fled through a secret door. Pip followed as did the Harpy. Pip soon returned unable to catch them and not wanting to get completely cut off.
The party killed the reminding Skum and Derro, cast a few curatives and went after the fleeing misfits. The hall ended in a wide shaft that in turn led to an octagonal room. When the doors were touched the four large columns animated and the group fought off four very large gargoyles. During this brief fight one of them grappled Schewitzer and flew him to the ceiling some 60' and dropped him to the ground.
With that fight complete, a few more curatives were cast and the group moved onward. The doors led to a long hall. The far end was filled with fog. Moving through the fog around a corner, the group was blasted with first a fireball that sapped strength from Schweitzer and Alorian. A fight with a number of the remaining Abberant Misfits ensued. A Thri-keen warrior approached from behind the group with the Harpy, Medusa and Mind Flayer battling at the front. Schweitzer and Pip fell victim to the Mind Flayers mental blast rendering them less effective as they could only react and not take any initiatives. The Medusa was killed quickly. Then Agathor appeared out of no where and attempted to kill Alorian in one blow. The party took this as evidence that Agathor had in fact set them up the whole time and swarmed him. The Thri-keen was heavily wounded and the Mind Flayer came to its aid with a cure but it was not enough to keep it on its feet. Agathor fell shortly after. When he was dead, he turned back into an odd looking, gray skinned corpse (a doppleganger). The Harpy was still plucking away with arrows. The Mind Flayer teleported further down a hall and dared the party to follow before it opened the door and ducked inside. Pow Duc took him up but stopped short when he saw a huge hydra in the room beyond and started to retreat when it started casting spells. It caught Pow Duc in a force cage. Meanwhile the Harpy retreated into this next room also. Pow Duc used his dimension door ability to get out of the cage. Schweitzer, having just recovered from the feeblemind, joined Alorian and Pow Duc in another charge. When they got into the room, they could not see the Mind Flayer. Pow Duc went after the Harpy and the other two after the Hydra. Pip, having just recovered himself, followed up. As Schweitzer and Alorian reached the Hydra it started casting again - a lot. Pow Duc was again caught in another force cage. Alorian and Schweitzer were imprisoned in still another force cage cast at them. Pip, upon seeing this reached for his carpet and was climbing on when it went limp. The Mind Flayer, from improved invisibility, had dispelled the carpet momentarily. Pip fretted for a few seconds until the magic came back to his ride and he fled.
The Hydra cast a few additional spells, growing in size, wreathing itself in flames, and other less obvious effects. It then began to talk to its captives....
Friday, September 14, 2007
Instructions
With that, Sirs Quai and Skovin leave and order the remaining guards in the room to follow. You are left in the cell with Agathor standing on the outside. He smiles and says "I haven't seen this much craziness in the city since the battles with the lizard army. You guys really know how to cause a fuss." He starts laughing and you get the feeling that it's a bit at your expense. He continues, "OK, I'll make this quick so you can stretch your legs a bit." He laughs again. "But, as you can see we have been left alone. I don't think those do-gooders really want to know what I'm about to tell you, so let's keep it that way."
Agathor relates the following information in a round about narrative. The Abberent Misfits have been operating in Southkeep for at least the last six months. They were responsible for several burglaries when they first arrived. I almost took the issue to them but then they stopped their above ground forays. It was known that they had the ability to petrify, but now it is known how. This has caused a bit of concern with the Watch as you can imagine. They have also been quite able to get people to do things they would not otherwise attempt. Some of the burglaries were more of a "voluntary" handing over of goods and then later "realizing" something had gone awry. Magic probably. Theses misfits have been operating in the sewers and the catacombs below that. I hear they are even in the old tunnels below that. I can not get you there, but know someone - or rather something - that might if he wants to. Deep in the sewers is a hub of sorts. It's a place we use to share information, goods, and other "services." You will do me the favor of forgetting about this place as soon as you no longer need it. Here you will find Zangretor at a place known as The Sludge. He will tell you how and where you will most likely find Ghurdraath. You will be on your own if Ghurdraath can't or won't help you. He doesn't understand common as far as I know - orcish and abbysal work to communicate. He also has an affinity for magical rings. He provides a valuable service in the sewers, so I would prefer you take a different approach than you did with the guard tower.
Agathor pulls a scroll out of his boot, unfurls it and points out a few places. It is a partial map of the sewers that shows you how to get to The Sludge. He hands it to you and says, "You can loose this too." With that he leaves. You are left alone in the room momentarily when a single guard enters. He walks to an oaken door across from you and turns a key in the lock. He then walks to your cell, unlocks it and leaves without saying a thing.
Agathor relates the following information in a round about narrative. The Abberent Misfits have been operating in Southkeep for at least the last six months. They were responsible for several burglaries when they first arrived. I almost took the issue to them but then they stopped their above ground forays. It was known that they had the ability to petrify, but now it is known how. This has caused a bit of concern with the Watch as you can imagine. They have also been quite able to get people to do things they would not otherwise attempt. Some of the burglaries were more of a "voluntary" handing over of goods and then later "realizing" something had gone awry. Magic probably. Theses misfits have been operating in the sewers and the catacombs below that. I hear they are even in the old tunnels below that. I can not get you there, but know someone - or rather something - that might if he wants to. Deep in the sewers is a hub of sorts. It's a place we use to share information, goods, and other "services." You will do me the favor of forgetting about this place as soon as you no longer need it. Here you will find Zangretor at a place known as The Sludge. He will tell you how and where you will most likely find Ghurdraath. You will be on your own if Ghurdraath can't or won't help you. He doesn't understand common as far as I know - orcish and abbysal work to communicate. He also has an affinity for magical rings. He provides a valuable service in the sewers, so I would prefer you take a different approach than you did with the guard tower.
Agathor pulls a scroll out of his boot, unfurls it and points out a few places. It is a partial map of the sewers that shows you how to get to The Sludge. He hands it to you and says, "You can loose this too." With that he leaves. You are left alone in the room momentarily when a single guard enters. He walks to an oaken door across from you and turns a key in the lock. He then walks to your cell, unlocks it and leaves without saying a thing.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Interrogation
Alorian, Schweitzer, Pow Duc and Pip are led to a much larger guard tower nearer the main keep in the city. Pip periodically tries to explain the situation and is repeatedly asked to hold off. Once at the guard post you are relieved of your gear and shown into a large, somewhat comfortable cell - but still a jail cell. Skovin says as he sees the cell gate locked, "There are a few loose ends we need to tie up. We'll talk after that." As the three captors leave they have a few words with several guards. Shortly afterward, several more guards arrive.
Several hours later Skovin returns with three others you have not seen. The two in heavy armor and tower shields he introduces as priests of Crestus and the other as the high priest of Nevron. He glances at you and says "I hope their services will not be required." You each nod in agreement. Skovin, with a new stern look, continues: "I do not think you have fully appreciated the difficulty you have created for myself and Sir Quai. Duty demands that we seek justice for your indiscretion. Honor demands that we recognize the service you have provided to this City and the Tilth." He turns to look directly at Pip. "Now, Master Pip, is the time for you to provide your explanation."
Pip relays roughly the following story: He had discovered that some people in his employ had, unknown to him, been involved in some illegal activity in Southkeep and that a nephew of the Merchant Prince was also part of this action. Pip figured that in order to avoid any more difficulty and given current events it would be better to simply and covertly make the situation go away to prevent a greater political situation from developing. He had had conversations with Agathor only to the extent of gathering some information and had received no further assistance. Further it is odd that with all the planning that went into the (Pip searches for a non-illegal word) liberation attempt that there was another group present who apparently have some interest in the Prince's nephew and that may have something to do with what he went back into his cell to get before being turned to stone. Sensing that he has mostly finished his tale, Schweitzer pokes Pip hard in the ribs. Pip finishes, "Oh yeah, I am immensely sorry we caused this situation and will cooperate completely." (Even though what he was thinking was 'I'm more sorry we got caught.')
Skovin asks each of the cell mates a few questions trying to get the turn of events correct. And after nearly two hours passes takes his leave and says, "We will talk more in the morning when we have confirmed your story."
You are woken in the morning by guards noisily serving breakfast - bread and water. None of you eat. Just less than an hour later, Quai and Skovin arrive. Quai reaches into a pouch and tosses you all some apples. Skovin shakes his head. They take turns covering parts of your story and tell you that everything checks out, so far. Quai informs you that Agathor was not happy to see him and that is something that you and he will need to work out. Quai also informs you that it seems as though you have done Southkeep a bit of a favor by flushing out the medusa. Skovin interjects emphatically that two wrongs however do not make a right. He and Quai get into a bit of an argument over the merits of strictly adhering to laws and and ideology versus taking a slightly more practical approach. It is fairly entertaining. They quickly finish their debate and almost simultaneously turn and say, "But, the ends to not justify the means." Skovin indicates they initiated some judicial actions through some non-traditional, yet he emphasizes 'official', channels and will be able to discuss the situation further later today. Quai mentions that you have been cleared of the sole death in the battle. It was the poison from the dagger of venom recovered from the hag that killed him. Those turned to stone are not strictly dead, but that is another matter to work out.
Later that day, Skovin and Quai return, this time with Agathor. Quai mentions that there have been a series of events today that have hastened the decision making about your predicament. Skovin steps up and says,"Here is what has been decided. This is not and offer per se and therefore not negotiable. The four of you will be fined a total of 25,000 gold pieces. Master Pip, your two associates will be held in their current condition and soon tried for the break in and theft they committed. You will be fined an additional 3,000 gold. This fine will pay for their return to a normal condition. In exchange for Southkeep not pursuing adverse actions against you for the guard tower break in and indirect responsibility for the petrification of numerous City Watch and death of one the four of you will immediately take up the search for the group known as the Abberant Misfits. Your equipment will be returned on your," he struggles, "'word' that you will not leave Southkeep until you have either determined where this group is located or have proof of their demise."
Pip, somewhat stunned that this day trip to Southkeep has now cost him nearly 10,000 gold pieces, sits silently. Pow Duc, having been silent through the whole order so far looks at Sir Skovin and says, "You have omitted any reference to Rebald Fath."
Quai steps in and says, "Indeed. That is a result of the events I mentioned a moment ago. I'll address that in time." He continues, "Sir Skovin was and I believe is still not convinced that your word is enough to be binding. I do and as I pointed out Pow Duc has a supernatural ability that while we could prevent him from leaving the City it would mean that he could not help you in this task." He turns to Skovin and quietly says something about practicality. He turns back to the four of you in the cell and continues, "The events that I referred to are three, I believe carefully planned, actions that had the effect of weakening the ability of one particular guard post to defend itself against an attack. What made this post special is that it is the one in which Rebald Fath was being held, or rather his statue. The result was that his statue was stolen. One of his arms broke off during the theft. The responsible party was the Abberant Misfits. One difference is that they were assisted by a human in medium armor. All reports indicate a warrior of perhaps Mirvian descent.
[more to follow]
Several hours later Skovin returns with three others you have not seen. The two in heavy armor and tower shields he introduces as priests of Crestus and the other as the high priest of Nevron. He glances at you and says "I hope their services will not be required." You each nod in agreement. Skovin, with a new stern look, continues: "I do not think you have fully appreciated the difficulty you have created for myself and Sir Quai. Duty demands that we seek justice for your indiscretion. Honor demands that we recognize the service you have provided to this City and the Tilth." He turns to look directly at Pip. "Now, Master Pip, is the time for you to provide your explanation."
Pip relays roughly the following story: He had discovered that some people in his employ had, unknown to him, been involved in some illegal activity in Southkeep and that a nephew of the Merchant Prince was also part of this action. Pip figured that in order to avoid any more difficulty and given current events it would be better to simply and covertly make the situation go away to prevent a greater political situation from developing. He had had conversations with Agathor only to the extent of gathering some information and had received no further assistance. Further it is odd that with all the planning that went into the (Pip searches for a non-illegal word) liberation attempt that there was another group present who apparently have some interest in the Prince's nephew and that may have something to do with what he went back into his cell to get before being turned to stone. Sensing that he has mostly finished his tale, Schweitzer pokes Pip hard in the ribs. Pip finishes, "Oh yeah, I am immensely sorry we caused this situation and will cooperate completely." (Even though what he was thinking was 'I'm more sorry we got caught.')
Skovin asks each of the cell mates a few questions trying to get the turn of events correct. And after nearly two hours passes takes his leave and says, "We will talk more in the morning when we have confirmed your story."
You are woken in the morning by guards noisily serving breakfast - bread and water. None of you eat. Just less than an hour later, Quai and Skovin arrive. Quai reaches into a pouch and tosses you all some apples. Skovin shakes his head. They take turns covering parts of your story and tell you that everything checks out, so far. Quai informs you that Agathor was not happy to see him and that is something that you and he will need to work out. Quai also informs you that it seems as though you have done Southkeep a bit of a favor by flushing out the medusa. Skovin interjects emphatically that two wrongs however do not make a right. He and Quai get into a bit of an argument over the merits of strictly adhering to laws and and ideology versus taking a slightly more practical approach. It is fairly entertaining. They quickly finish their debate and almost simultaneously turn and say, "But, the ends to not justify the means." Skovin indicates they initiated some judicial actions through some non-traditional, yet he emphasizes 'official', channels and will be able to discuss the situation further later today. Quai mentions that you have been cleared of the sole death in the battle. It was the poison from the dagger of venom recovered from the hag that killed him. Those turned to stone are not strictly dead, but that is another matter to work out.
Later that day, Skovin and Quai return, this time with Agathor. Quai mentions that there have been a series of events today that have hastened the decision making about your predicament. Skovin steps up and says,"Here is what has been decided. This is not and offer per se and therefore not negotiable. The four of you will be fined a total of 25,000 gold pieces. Master Pip, your two associates will be held in their current condition and soon tried for the break in and theft they committed. You will be fined an additional 3,000 gold. This fine will pay for their return to a normal condition. In exchange for Southkeep not pursuing adverse actions against you for the guard tower break in and indirect responsibility for the petrification of numerous City Watch and death of one the four of you will immediately take up the search for the group known as the Abberant Misfits. Your equipment will be returned on your," he struggles, "'word' that you will not leave Southkeep until you have either determined where this group is located or have proof of their demise."
Pip, somewhat stunned that this day trip to Southkeep has now cost him nearly 10,000 gold pieces, sits silently. Pow Duc, having been silent through the whole order so far looks at Sir Skovin and says, "You have omitted any reference to Rebald Fath."
Quai steps in and says, "Indeed. That is a result of the events I mentioned a moment ago. I'll address that in time." He continues, "Sir Skovin was and I believe is still not convinced that your word is enough to be binding. I do and as I pointed out Pow Duc has a supernatural ability that while we could prevent him from leaving the City it would mean that he could not help you in this task." He turns to Skovin and quietly says something about practicality. He turns back to the four of you in the cell and continues, "The events that I referred to are three, I believe carefully planned, actions that had the effect of weakening the ability of one particular guard post to defend itself against an attack. What made this post special is that it is the one in which Rebald Fath was being held, or rather his statue. The result was that his statue was stolen. One of his arms broke off during the theft. The responsible party was the Abberant Misfits. One difference is that they were assisted by a human in medium armor. All reports indicate a warrior of perhaps Mirvian descent.
[more to follow]
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Pip's Misadventure
After some discussion, the group split up. Alorian, Pow Duc and Schweitzer traveled with Pip to Southkeep. Iam, Leopold and Potenzia went south to Seavering. Despite some hesitation and numerous inquiries by Schweitzer into the true nature of the task Pip had for them the four hatched a plan to break into a wall guard post, subdue the guards, break out Pip's boys and a man named Rebald Fath and use magic to make a quick escape. Riding a nightmare, Pip and Pow Duc placed themselves inside the guard post and awaited the signal. Alorian and Schweitzer approached the guard post door where Alorian provided cover with an obscuring mist and silence. Schewitzer proceeded to break through the door. The silence hid from them the fact that someone was screaming that the guard tower was under attack. Pip and Pow Duc dismounted and started subduing guards inside. The door gave way and the other two entered and did the same. The presence of the nightmare inside the tower prevented many of the guards from apporaching. Pip and Pow Duc headed down to the cells.
The obscuring mist dissappeared to the surprise of Schweitzer and Alorian. Moments after it did, the two could see that three small demonic creatures had appeared in the street outside the tower. They ambled off to attack some approaching Southkeep reinforcements. Busy inside neither gave it much thought. Pip and Pow Duc continued downward. A spritiual weapon (dagger) appeared and attacked Schweitzer. He stuck his head far enough out of the entry to notice a Black Hag as the source. He decided to leave Alorian and deal with the Hag. Luckily he noticed a Minotaur with a large great axe hiding around the corner in time to prevent a vicious attack of opportunity. Schweitzer and the Minotaur started trading blows. Alorian was quickly wrapping things up inside. Pip and Pow Duc met additional opposition downstairs and were followed by several guards from the upper floor.
Several of the approaching Southkeep reinforcements now approached ambling along instead of assisting their comrades. As they approached the tower entrance, many of them turned to stone. The rest continued on oblivious to the battle. Another group of reinforcements now approached from the opposite direction, only to have most of their rank distracted like those that just walked by. Schweitzer and the Minotaur were dishing it out with the Minotaur scoring one devastating blow. Alorian had cleared much of the main floor including the guard captain. The cause of the stoning became apparent as a Medusa now approached the tower trying to get Schweitzer to look at her. A caster from the second group of reinforcements dispelled the silence. Schweitzer was instantly captivated by an eerie yet melodic song being sung by a Harpy flying around the tower collecting straggler Southkeep guards. With Schweitzer out of the way, the Hag moved in and stabbed a guard that Alorian was attacking. He was dead from the poison but didn't yet know it. Alorian withdrew to the lower level to inform Pip and Pow Duc and to help wrap things up. He was unsure of where Schweitzer had gone off to. Alorian was followed by the Hag, Medusa and Minotaur. Nearly each and every guard still standing in the tower was turned to stone as the Medusa entered.
The fight had mostly ended downstairs where Pip started unlocking cell doors while ignoring a guard that was trying to prevent him from doing so. Pow Duc cleared the stairs of the remaining guards. Pip found his boys and Rebald Fath. Pip doled out some potions and told them all to flee. Rebald went to the back of his cell and searched around for something. Before he and Pip's boys could drink their potions, the Medusa approached, turning them to stone. Pip, Pow Duc and Alorian closed on the Medusa. The Minotaur and Hag were not far behind but were having a tougher time negotiating the hallways. The Medusa told the "heroes" to leave Fath to them and flee before they met their fate. Not a group to take threats seriously, the fight continued. Now hurt, the Medusa cast invisibility and fled. The Hag took her place and was beaten to where she too withdrew back up the stairs.
Meanwhile outside, the Harpy continued to round up straggling guards when another group of reinforcements approached. All three heard her song, but shrugged off the effects. Inside the group pursued the Hag who ordered the Minotaur and Medusa to retreat. Outside, those two conveyed that message to the Harpy. As the three new reinforcements approached they ordered all to stand down lest they suffer the consequences. The Medusa, Mintoaur and Harpy fled.
Inside the Hag was nearly totally surrounded and in a last ditch attempt grabbed Pip with both claws, bit him on the shoulder and was preparing to rend him in two. She was put down before she could. Just after she hit the floor, a man in a green and gray cloak with arrow knocked in a large composite bow entered the tower only to be surprised by the sight of all the statues and three people he knew standing in their midst. Sir Quai ordered the three to stand down and drop their weapons. Pip started to explain and the order was repeated.
Schweitzter, having been released from the Harpy's song headed back to the tower to be met by Sir Skovin and another individual he did not know. He was escorted back to the tower with several of the other once captivated Southkeep guards. Once there he faced Sir Quai and said "I would like to report a crime." as he offered his wrists for shackles.
The obscuring mist dissappeared to the surprise of Schweitzer and Alorian. Moments after it did, the two could see that three small demonic creatures had appeared in the street outside the tower. They ambled off to attack some approaching Southkeep reinforcements. Busy inside neither gave it much thought. Pip and Pow Duc continued downward. A spritiual weapon (dagger) appeared and attacked Schweitzer. He stuck his head far enough out of the entry to notice a Black Hag as the source. He decided to leave Alorian and deal with the Hag. Luckily he noticed a Minotaur with a large great axe hiding around the corner in time to prevent a vicious attack of opportunity. Schweitzer and the Minotaur started trading blows. Alorian was quickly wrapping things up inside. Pip and Pow Duc met additional opposition downstairs and were followed by several guards from the upper floor.
Several of the approaching Southkeep reinforcements now approached ambling along instead of assisting their comrades. As they approached the tower entrance, many of them turned to stone. The rest continued on oblivious to the battle. Another group of reinforcements now approached from the opposite direction, only to have most of their rank distracted like those that just walked by. Schweitzer and the Minotaur were dishing it out with the Minotaur scoring one devastating blow. Alorian had cleared much of the main floor including the guard captain. The cause of the stoning became apparent as a Medusa now approached the tower trying to get Schweitzer to look at her. A caster from the second group of reinforcements dispelled the silence. Schweitzer was instantly captivated by an eerie yet melodic song being sung by a Harpy flying around the tower collecting straggler Southkeep guards. With Schweitzer out of the way, the Hag moved in and stabbed a guard that Alorian was attacking. He was dead from the poison but didn't yet know it. Alorian withdrew to the lower level to inform Pip and Pow Duc and to help wrap things up. He was unsure of where Schweitzer had gone off to. Alorian was followed by the Hag, Medusa and Minotaur. Nearly each and every guard still standing in the tower was turned to stone as the Medusa entered.
The fight had mostly ended downstairs where Pip started unlocking cell doors while ignoring a guard that was trying to prevent him from doing so. Pow Duc cleared the stairs of the remaining guards. Pip found his boys and Rebald Fath. Pip doled out some potions and told them all to flee. Rebald went to the back of his cell and searched around for something. Before he and Pip's boys could drink their potions, the Medusa approached, turning them to stone. Pip, Pow Duc and Alorian closed on the Medusa. The Minotaur and Hag were not far behind but were having a tougher time negotiating the hallways. The Medusa told the "heroes" to leave Fath to them and flee before they met their fate. Not a group to take threats seriously, the fight continued. Now hurt, the Medusa cast invisibility and fled. The Hag took her place and was beaten to where she too withdrew back up the stairs.
Meanwhile outside, the Harpy continued to round up straggling guards when another group of reinforcements approached. All three heard her song, but shrugged off the effects. Inside the group pursued the Hag who ordered the Minotaur and Medusa to retreat. Outside, those two conveyed that message to the Harpy. As the three new reinforcements approached they ordered all to stand down lest they suffer the consequences. The Medusa, Mintoaur and Harpy fled.
Inside the Hag was nearly totally surrounded and in a last ditch attempt grabbed Pip with both claws, bit him on the shoulder and was preparing to rend him in two. She was put down before she could. Just after she hit the floor, a man in a green and gray cloak with arrow knocked in a large composite bow entered the tower only to be surprised by the sight of all the statues and three people he knew standing in their midst. Sir Quai ordered the three to stand down and drop their weapons. Pip started to explain and the order was repeated.
Schweitzter, having been released from the Harpy's song headed back to the tower to be met by Sir Skovin and another individual he did not know. He was escorted back to the tower with several of the other once captivated Southkeep guards. Once there he faced Sir Quai and said "I would like to report a crime." as he offered his wrists for shackles.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Getting There - part II
Gammon drills an arrow into one of the giants and Yorick attempts to silence it in hopes it will not be able to raise an alarm. Most of the rest work their ways around to the rear of the keep to batle the orcs inside. Gammon runs toward the giant who flees and kicks in the front door of the keep. The other giant run to its aid. Gammon holds his own against the two giants until they start connecting with their greatclubs forcing him to retreat to the rest of the group.
Meanwhile Ashmai and Fayed had made it to the opening in the second floor which they find empty. The orcs in the first floor of the tower start to pour out. Lido and Lucian hold this front. Farathin is providing cover for both Gammon and the the others in the rear. Fayed provides spell support from the second floor. The grunts are quickly killed. The barbarian orcs prove to be more of a challenge, especially as they are being supported by both divine and arcane casters. Some of the group presses into the main floors of the tower to finish the battle with the orcs.
Yorick moves into the main keep, opes a door only to see a large devilish beast standing guard at the bottom of a flight of stairs. He retreats and cast a few preparatory spells and returns the face the beast. With the door open, Ashmai who has been skulking on the second floor now hears the signs of combat from below the stairs and investigates. He sneaks down behind the beast to be confronted by a creature that was hiding. It too has devilish features including an overly large head with a huge smile of far too many nastily pointed teeth - not to mention the small pair of wings growing out of its head.
The battle in the tower is raging and by now the barbarians have been mostly dealt with. Only a shield bearing orc, a cleric and sorcerer remain. The sorcerer is becoming deadly as it unleashes numerous lightning bolds, scorching rays, acid arrows, and rays of enfeeblement, most of which do cold damage. Lido falls only to be revived by a cure from Fayed, Lucian is nearly dropped from ongoing acid damage and Farathin has to put down his bow and melee.
Inside Yorick, as he is casting a blade barrier around the large devil, walks past another hiding beast just as Ashmai did. These creatures simply attempt to touch their enemies and have some sort of will draining power that is mostly resisted. The blade barrier proves to be ineffectual as the large devil teleports around it. The good news is that with people closing on the beast, it is unable to use its monstrously large and wickedly barbed longspear. Gammon, having finally finished the giants with some assistance and a few cures arrives to help. The large beast is forced to flee which it does by teleporting away, leaving the cohorts better able to focus on the smaller beasts. The large creature returns a few rounds later to continue the fight. It again is forced to flee and again returns in a few rounds. By now the smaller beasts have been killed. The battle in the tower continues.
As the cohorst are finishing the large devil a man wreathed in flames appears at the top of the stairs and watches the battle for a short while. He then suggests that the cohorts accept their victory and leave. Of course they do not. Gammon approaches and the man closes. Gammon is struck by a deadly blow and luckily is able to avoid the full penetration of the blade. He then resists one spell before succumbing to an inflict critical wounds spell. Yorick keeps him in battle with a heal. Others that arrive start pegging this man with arrows as no one really wants to get too close the the cold flames. Gammon resorts to melee, taking nearly as much damage from the flames as he gives. The cohorts do a significant amount of damage to this man and he begins to become frustrated. He draws an exotic looking dagger and hits Gammon four times. Gammon hits the ground dead before the poison on the blade has a chance to take effect. Others close on him. He is forced to flee via a spell or similar effect.
Those in the tower have killed the cleric and shield bearer and only now, with several strategic withdraws and readvances are able to dispatch the sorcerer. Those in the tower note it a bit odd that the orcs never fled strategically, which they could have, but instead pressed forward.
The battle is over and the party has several casualties, including one dead and others near collapse.
Meanwhile Ashmai and Fayed had made it to the opening in the second floor which they find empty. The orcs in the first floor of the tower start to pour out. Lido and Lucian hold this front. Farathin is providing cover for both Gammon and the the others in the rear. Fayed provides spell support from the second floor. The grunts are quickly killed. The barbarian orcs prove to be more of a challenge, especially as they are being supported by both divine and arcane casters. Some of the group presses into the main floors of the tower to finish the battle with the orcs.
Yorick moves into the main keep, opes a door only to see a large devilish beast standing guard at the bottom of a flight of stairs. He retreats and cast a few preparatory spells and returns the face the beast. With the door open, Ashmai who has been skulking on the second floor now hears the signs of combat from below the stairs and investigates. He sneaks down behind the beast to be confronted by a creature that was hiding. It too has devilish features including an overly large head with a huge smile of far too many nastily pointed teeth - not to mention the small pair of wings growing out of its head.
The battle in the tower is raging and by now the barbarians have been mostly dealt with. Only a shield bearing orc, a cleric and sorcerer remain. The sorcerer is becoming deadly as it unleashes numerous lightning bolds, scorching rays, acid arrows, and rays of enfeeblement, most of which do cold damage. Lido falls only to be revived by a cure from Fayed, Lucian is nearly dropped from ongoing acid damage and Farathin has to put down his bow and melee.
Inside Yorick, as he is casting a blade barrier around the large devil, walks past another hiding beast just as Ashmai did. These creatures simply attempt to touch their enemies and have some sort of will draining power that is mostly resisted. The blade barrier proves to be ineffectual as the large devil teleports around it. The good news is that with people closing on the beast, it is unable to use its monstrously large and wickedly barbed longspear. Gammon, having finally finished the giants with some assistance and a few cures arrives to help. The large beast is forced to flee which it does by teleporting away, leaving the cohorts better able to focus on the smaller beasts. The large creature returns a few rounds later to continue the fight. It again is forced to flee and again returns in a few rounds. By now the smaller beasts have been killed. The battle in the tower continues.
As the cohorst are finishing the large devil a man wreathed in flames appears at the top of the stairs and watches the battle for a short while. He then suggests that the cohorts accept their victory and leave. Of course they do not. Gammon approaches and the man closes. Gammon is struck by a deadly blow and luckily is able to avoid the full penetration of the blade. He then resists one spell before succumbing to an inflict critical wounds spell. Yorick keeps him in battle with a heal. Others that arrive start pegging this man with arrows as no one really wants to get too close the the cold flames. Gammon resorts to melee, taking nearly as much damage from the flames as he gives. The cohorts do a significant amount of damage to this man and he begins to become frustrated. He draws an exotic looking dagger and hits Gammon four times. Gammon hits the ground dead before the poison on the blade has a chance to take effect. Others close on him. He is forced to flee via a spell or similar effect.
Those in the tower have killed the cleric and shield bearer and only now, with several strategic withdraws and readvances are able to dispatch the sorcerer. Those in the tower note it a bit odd that the orcs never fled strategically, which they could have, but instead pressed forward.
The battle is over and the party has several casualties, including one dead and others near collapse.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Getting There
Day One
The cohorts head east in search of tracks or other tell tale signs. They find none.
Day Two
As you get up, Farathin notices smoke NW in the distance. You hastily break camp and head out only to discover a burnout farmstead. A search of the immediate area reveals the corpses of the farming family and some dead animals. Large animal corpses are conspicuously absent. Someone discovers the signs of something(s) large being dragged NW. Investigating you come across a small group of orcs camped out in a copse of trees. As hort fight later and they are all dead. Yorick held the last one who was running away in hopes of getting some information, but it broke the hold and Ashmai finished it. There were about a dozen orcs, most of no note. There were two large orcs viciously wielding greataxes who were practically dead on their feet before they fell. The last was a more deliberate orc with heavy sheild and scimitar. This bunch had slaughtered some cattle and stuffed the meat into several large sacks.
You follow tracks further NW trying to find out where they cam from. Night falls. Late in the evening those on guard notice an even larger band of orcs and a black rider. You quickly recognize the beast it rode as a nightmare. As the orcs closed, this rider moved fast back and forth through the group lancing people on the way. A few spells and the grunts were no more. A few more barbarians and another sheild wearing orc were a bit more difficult as they were aided by a cleric who never fully approached the main battle. Ashmai was finding that the orcs were skilled enough in combat that he was having an impossible time getting a sneak attack to land. An arc of lightning from Fayed severely hurt the nightmare and it faded from view and then flew off. Yorick, who had true sight, watched. In the morning you find the path that the band had taken to get to you and it was not in the direction the rider and nightmare took. You figure it was simply fleeing.
Day Three
Uneventful
Day Four
You realize you are heading more north and getting into softer ground. You spot some large creatures rooting around in the undergrowth. Ashmai sneaks up expecting bears. He was partially correct. less than 30 feet in front of him are six owlbears. An easy fight later and they are all dead.
Day Five
Uneventful
Day Six
Near dusk as you start turning you attention to finding a place to camp, you notice a large mansion off in the distance. The group moves up for a closer look and you spot at least one giant patrolling the grounds. Fayed turns into a small bird and scout ahead. He reports that there are several breaks in the main floor walls of the keep and a large opening in the second floor of the tower. The group approaches on foot noting that some of the ground may be too treacherous for horses. You dodge the glances of two patrolling giants and get fairly close before battle ensues.
More in the next installment...
The cohorts head east in search of tracks or other tell tale signs. They find none.
Day Two
As you get up, Farathin notices smoke NW in the distance. You hastily break camp and head out only to discover a burnout farmstead. A search of the immediate area reveals the corpses of the farming family and some dead animals. Large animal corpses are conspicuously absent. Someone discovers the signs of something(s) large being dragged NW. Investigating you come across a small group of orcs camped out in a copse of trees. As hort fight later and they are all dead. Yorick held the last one who was running away in hopes of getting some information, but it broke the hold and Ashmai finished it. There were about a dozen orcs, most of no note. There were two large orcs viciously wielding greataxes who were practically dead on their feet before they fell. The last was a more deliberate orc with heavy sheild and scimitar. This bunch had slaughtered some cattle and stuffed the meat into several large sacks.
You follow tracks further NW trying to find out where they cam from. Night falls. Late in the evening those on guard notice an even larger band of orcs and a black rider. You quickly recognize the beast it rode as a nightmare. As the orcs closed, this rider moved fast back and forth through the group lancing people on the way. A few spells and the grunts were no more. A few more barbarians and another sheild wearing orc were a bit more difficult as they were aided by a cleric who never fully approached the main battle. Ashmai was finding that the orcs were skilled enough in combat that he was having an impossible time getting a sneak attack to land. An arc of lightning from Fayed severely hurt the nightmare and it faded from view and then flew off. Yorick, who had true sight, watched. In the morning you find the path that the band had taken to get to you and it was not in the direction the rider and nightmare took. You figure it was simply fleeing.
Day Three
Uneventful
Day Four
You realize you are heading more north and getting into softer ground. You spot some large creatures rooting around in the undergrowth. Ashmai sneaks up expecting bears. He was partially correct. less than 30 feet in front of him are six owlbears. An easy fight later and they are all dead.
Day Five
Uneventful
Day Six
Near dusk as you start turning you attention to finding a place to camp, you notice a large mansion off in the distance. The group moves up for a closer look and you spot at least one giant patrolling the grounds. Fayed turns into a small bird and scout ahead. He reports that there are several breaks in the main floor walls of the keep and a large opening in the second floor of the tower. The group approaches on foot noting that some of the ground may be too treacherous for horses. You dodge the glances of two patrolling giants and get fairly close before battle ensues.
More in the next installment...
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Cohort Setup
As both a training opportunity and being pragmatic in that it frees up the Pcs, the cohorts have been placed in charge of Crossway. Everything runs smoothly. The most difficult part of maintaining order is the management of resources and inter-personal skills (diplomacy) needed to keep the locals happy. The few run ins with orcs, bandits and whatnot aren’t worth mentioning.
Schweitzer and Alorian, who are based here as mentors, head off on a prolonged tracking mission after receiving some information from Leo in Marnot. Alorian returns alone after nearly a week and informs the cohorts that there seems to be a large band traveling from near Seavering this direction destroying and killing along the way. Alorian knows there are at least a score, but of what he is unsure. The cohorts report they have not seen or heard anything like that. Alorian and the cohorts search the area around Crossway a bit but find nothing. The next day Pow Duc arrives from Marnot and informs Alorian that the group is gathering in Rastgoth and that they are supposed to wait for Leo and Iam. Those two, along with Iams' mount, pop in later that day. The cohorts are given instructions to start a larger search for whatever it was Alorian and Schweitzer were tracking. Iam hops on his mount and flies off. Leo shouts after him “Race ya!” and grabs Pow Duc and Alorian and ‘pop’.
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