DDEX 1-2 Secrets of Sokol Keep [5e Adventurers League] (Inactive)

Game Master Aeshuura

Oh thank the sea! Finally that thing goes down!

Raina then turns to freeze the ghouls with a frostbite cantrip.

1d6 ⇒ 2

DC 13 con save or take damage and disadvantage on next attack.

Raina snaps her fingers and a blast of cold pops next to one of the ghoul's head! Con save: 1d20 ⇒ 12 Frost rimes the side of its head and rocks it a step!

The ghouls run into the chamber and immediately go after Ander, clawing at him!

Ghoul 1: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9
Disadvantage: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7
Ghoul 2: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24
Disadvantage: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Good thing Ander took the dodge action! Critical hit would have sucked!

They claw ineffectually at his armor, and the merchant warrior shoves them back a step!

Initiative Order
Largo / Yarroth / Skeletons
Zombies
Ander
Ceidith
Raina
Kairon
Ghouls

Okay, everyone may go!

Ander switches to offense, hacking at the ghouls.

Longsword: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6, Damage: 1d10 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

Or not.

Raina continues to focus on freezing them.

frostbite damage: 1d6 ⇒ 4

DC 13 or take damage and disadvantage in next attack.

Yarroth moves to engage the ghouls.

Attack-melee: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9
Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

Attack-melee: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9
Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 2

Or not...looks like the dice god is against us Ander!

Largo locks another bolt into his crossbow. He scampers toward the mouth of the chamber to seek clear shot at the ghouls. The bolt case bangs against the halfling's hip and he notes the weight, or lack of, with discomfort.

Didn't I tell myself last time to pack more than a score of bolts? Not that I'm desperate enough to go digging about in these corpses for seconds.

Crossbow Anders' target.

Crossbow: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18
Damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10

Ander swings at the ghouls but they jump back a step, easily dodging his clumsy swing!

Yarroth joins the fray swinging twice, but again, the ghouls dodge out of the way, wary of the flashing blades!

Raina snaps again pinging the ghoul again! Con save: 1d20 ⇒ 16 But it doesn't seem to be affected this time!

Largo sends a quarrel square in the ghoul's chest, rocking it, but it comes back forward in fury!

Initiative Order
Largo X / Yarroth X / Skeletons
Zombies
Ander X
Ceidith
Raina X
Kairon
Ghouls

Ceidith and Kairon can go, before the Ghouls take their turn. Map is updated and cleared of fallen enemies.

Carson reaches behind his back and pulls out another arrow, loosing it towards his enemy
attk roll 1: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15
dmg, if hit: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

Taking a second to make sure his components had not been compromised, Kairon frustratedly tries to launch another blast on energy.

Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20
Force Damage: 1d10 ⇒ 10

There we go

Ceidith going by Carson now? ;) Since Ander is adjacent to the target, you gain sneak damage too.

Ceidith sneak damage: 1d6 ⇒ 4

Ceidith's arrow strikes true, catching the ghoul in the eye! It staggers a bit, but looks like it is about to strike at Ander, when Kairon's eldritch blast takes it clean off its feet! The ghoul twitches once then lies still.

The second ghoul, sensing an easier kill in Yarroth attacks the young warden!

Claws: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23

Its claws rake down Yarroth's arm and face! Yarroth takes 7 hp!

Yarroth's Con save: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18 Yarroth feels his muscles seize up, for just a second, but he manages to work it out and soon the muscle spasms cease!

Initiative Order
Largo / Yarroth / Skeletons
Zombies
Ander
Ceidith
Raina
Kairon
Ghouls

Okay, everyone is up!

Ander tries to make use of his previous miss by bringing in his blade from an unexpected angle toward the remaining ghoul and disrupt its defenses.

Longsword: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16, Damage: 1d10 + 3 + 1d8 ⇒ (1) + 3 + (4) = 8
Distracting Strike: Next ally to attack same target before my next turn gets advantage on the attack roll.

Raina continues to be cold
frostbite: 1d6 ⇒ 4

DC 13. Damage and disadvantage.

Seeing the effect of his previous blast and sensing the end of the battle Kairon could feel his pulse quickening. Wanting to have the final blow of the fight he propels another blast. Hoping for a similar effect as the last strike.

EB: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21
Force Damage: 1d10 ⇒ 5

@Ander, technically that will be Ceidith, I will save it for his arrow.

Ander reverses his direction, bringing the blade back up and slashes across the ghoul's chest!

Raina pops another coldsnap at the ghoul's head 1d20 ⇒ 6 and frost rimes its forehead!

Kairon flings a blast of eldritch energy at the ghoul, catching it in the hip!

The ghoul staggers under the onslaught, but steadies itself.

Map is updated with the tally of damage done to this ghoul.

Initiative Order
Largo / Yarroth / Skeletons
Zombies
Ander X
Ceidith
Raina X
Kairon X
Ghouls

Weird, I posted my attack this morning and it is now gone...oh well

Yarroth strikes at the remaining ghoul with his blades.

Attack-melee: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14
Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7

Attack-melee: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7
Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 1

LOL..looks like the same numbers too!!

Ceidith reaches behind his back one more time, hooks the arrow into the string, and lets it fly
attk,1: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15
dmg, if hit: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

@Yarroth, weird, but sometimes the Postmonster gobbles them up!

With the last flurry of attacks, the ghouls falls, twitches and lies still.

Combat over!

As you survey the battlefield, the bones and corpses scattered across the floor, you notice the ghostly lady, kneeling over the zombie corpse by the altar... as you look closer, you see tears streaming down her face, her body shaking with each inaudible sob.

There are also various coins scattered across the raised floor, as if there was a treasure here.

"I'm going to assume that our young Lord Sokol was one of the casualties here. What about our Guard Captain. We still have not located the reason for the disruption of light in the tower. " Kairon reports as he wanders around the room picking up coins. "Perhaps a short rest is in order while we figure out our next move. "

Kai will pick up whatever coin he can. The altar is probably best left alone. He will however go for his cut if someone else tries for it though.

Yarroth moves slowly over to the corpse and the ghost.

"I am sorry we could not save him, but we will make sure that whoever did this to him is punished!"

Yarroth pulls the boys body from the water and gently lays it on the dry floor, arranging his cloths and attempting to cover the most grievous wounds.

Raina assists Yarroth with the young man's body. She places two copper coins on him; one on each eye. Then she casts druidcraft and creates some flowers for the lad to hold on death.

Let's see if we can find the guards, Raina says, as she used her fingers to brush his hair off his face. Then, let's take him back to the surface for a proper funeral.

Nodding in agreement, Yarroth gets up and move further down the corridor to what looks like a door..

That door, as you approach, is made of heavy stone and is currently closed, though a partial collapse just to the side of it that any of you could squeeze through, even Ander. Who, I believe, would be the largest of you.

Who would like to go first? And I assume that you are using torches for light?

Ceidith pulls out a torch and slips through the door. When he emerges from the other side, he begins to distance himself. I'll scout ahead

I am assuming that the rest of you going to follow?

This room is roughly circular and approximately 30 feet across. Numerous niches about a foot across are carved into the wall in staggered rows. Most of them have small trinkets of gold or colored glass or stone, but some are empty. The walls are decorated with faded wall-paintings of blues, greens, and blacks.

Movement draws your attention at the far side, and you see five figures huddled in a sort of defensive group, burlap sacks full of objects similar to the trinkets in the walls laid about their feet.

"Thank the gods!" one of the guards exclaims, "We were worried that you were more undead!"

You can see several burnt-out torches on the ground.

One of the guards is wearing splint mail, rather than the standard issue chain shirt that the others are wearing. He steps forward to speak to Ceidith.

"Yes, thank the gods you found your way here! The young master was slain by those blasted skeletons!"

insight: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16

When Yarroth and I were going over the young lads body, we're we able to tell how he died? Did it look like the skeletons killed him?

He looked like he had been killed by some blunt force trauma to the head. The skeletons were all armed with blades. The ghouls used claws, primarily, so it was probably not them either. The guards are all armed with spears, except for Grim, the guard captain, who is in fact armed with a mace.

"What's your own condition? Are any of you hurt? Also, what can you tell us of what's going on around here?"

Raina stops when she hears their explanation of how the young master was killed, and looks around at the soldiers.

Hey Yarroth? Can we talk over here in private?

Raina pulls Yarroth back towards where they just came from.

Insight: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21

Yarroth moves off to one side and quietly speaks with Raina.

Ok. I am Road Warden Yarroth. We will move you all out of here in an orderly fashion. Go ahead trooper and start back, I need to talk to your sergeant, Grimm was it? Come over here and tell me what happened please."

The guards have various nicks and cuts, one of them is covered in dried mud and scrapes, much like Ceidith. For the most part, they look to be in pretty good condition except that they are all exhausted, you can see it on their faces.

The guards nod at Ander, Grim speaking up, "Battered and starved, but okay."

At Yarroth's urging, the guards begin gathering their gear and shuffling out, one by one. The first starts for the sacks of loot, but then with an almost imperceptible shake of his head, he looks at Grim and leaves it behind. The others follow in the same fashion.

Grim comes over, shaken, but hiding it the best he can.

"We came down here two days ago, when Igan," he clears his throat, "The young master, came to me with his discovery. As we made our way through the halls, we found little resistance until we made it to the altar room. We saw the coins and treasure, and... and then, I looked up and Igan was reaching out to touch the idol! Immediately, skeletons rose from the pool and began attacking! One of my men tried to reach him, but he was shot by a skeleton from the shadows! We ran for cover here and have been down here since, with no food and nothing but muddy water to drink! Then, yesterday, we burned through our last torch..."

He chokes up for a second, "We thought we were doomed until you and your friends showed up!"

insight: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9

"Well I am glad we came along when we did. So what happened to Igan? We came across his body in the Idol room."

Yarroth watches Grimm's reaction very closely as he mentions the boys name and waits to see how he will answer.

Insight?: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10

Initial Insight: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
Kairon slips into the chamber still pocketing some of the loose coin he found. How much did he get? "What do we have here" He says under his breath when he notices the scene.

Grimm's Story Insight: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 1 = 18
Chuckling a little at the guard captain's play. Kai senses Yarroth's design to let Grimm implicate himself, and decides to remain quiet for now but does notice the sack of coin that the guard hesitated to grab.

Kairon, your gold total will be on your final sheet. In all, the coinage numbered 17 gp.

Grim hesitates for a moment then responds, "He... he was struck down by a skeleton. It came out of the darkness and just hit him before anyone could do anything..."

The guard captain hesitates, then starts to break, the scrutiny and exhaustion finally getting to him. Grim starts to sob, "Oh gods... What have I done?"

You discover that he grew short tempered with the young noble, who felt that it was more important to spend their time destroying the altar and icon. Greed overcame the guard captain and he struck the Igan down. His men didn't have time to argue, because the skeletons attacked immediately.

He turns himself in to Yarroth, throwing himself on the young warden's mercy.

Anyone that has been in Phlan for any length of time knows that the legal system is brutal. By turning himself in, you realize that he knows he is likely signing his own death warrant. As a Black Fist guard captain, he KNOWS what his fate is likely to be. Not trying to convince you go soft, but I want you to know the weight of his decision.

As Yarroth takes the guard captain back to the surface, the rest of you make your way up. As you make your way through the temple chamber, the ghostly woman looks at you and smiles, holding out the young noble's wand. She begins to fade into a ball of light, then she shoots up into the ceiling! The wand clatters to the floor and rolls to a stop at the edge of the stair.

You make your way back up to the keep, and see that the beacon is working again!

--

You can discuss what you want to do, but this is essentially the end of the adventure. If you would like to discuss anything, you may. You may also decide who will get the wand.

The office of House Sokol pays you a reward for finding the treasure and for reactivating the lighthouse.

I will work on your logsheets during this week. If any of you have previous logsheets, please send them to me at noelmock@gmail.com and I will fill them out for you. Hope you guys had fun!