Dungeon Master S |
Ferox drives arrow after arrow into the devil woman. The mystical chains about her shudder and flicker. The final arrow acts as a coffin nail. Her form glows a deep indigo before melting into the ether.
The castle shudders.
A scream splits the air within the castle.
The castle shudders again.
A laugh, terrible and maniacal follows.
While the anchor here is destroyed, another is reformed....
-Posted with Wayfinder
Dungeon Master S |
Now that I am back to the module, I need to retcon. The castle does NOT recover. You do, in fact, destroy another anchor without the demilich reforming.
Morkeleb's eyes close as he senses the threads of horror spanning the castle like a spider's web. They loosen, and they weaken. You think the power of the castle has weakened enough that you can now teleport within the castle...
What now heroes?
Ferox Kerr |
Looks like there are still sections of the third floor unexplored. Not sure how to get to them, though.
Dungeon Master S |
There are stairs on the second level you haven't taken. (and on the first)
Dungeon Master S |
The second floor map points out stairs you haven't taken.
Dungeon Master S |
That's totally an option.
You do it?
Dungeon Master S |
A reminder of the room you're in:
The interior of this tall, hollow tower is silent and menacing. High overhead, an opening at the tower’s peak lets in light, as do the arrow slits set into the walls, yet nothing seems capable of dispelling the gloom of ancient evil that looms here. A shallow pool of stagnant water from past rains has formed in the center of a floor that is largely empty of furnishings. Near the far wall slumps a wide bed, swathed in rotten and moldy bedclothes. The bed itself hangs a few feet off the floor, supported at its corners by chains hanging from a series of iron support beams above. To the side a large gilt throne stands upon a short dais before a series of manacles inset into the floor. A nearby fire grate, long cold, holds a collection of branding irons and other torturer’s tools. A series of alcoves climbs the walls of this tower in an ascending spiral. Within each stands a statuette, art object, or polished skull.
Dungeon Master S |
The party finally calms down from the fight to survey the room they're in.
It takes a few moments for it to sink in.
But when it does, jaws drop.
Sorry for the tease, have to go AFK. Will post when I can.
Dungeon Master S |
I'm posting the treasure here, but anything other than the items will take a LONG time to get. Keep in mind that coins are 50/lb.
The gilded throne in this room is embedded with dozens and dozens of gemstones, 200 in all, worth a total of 20,000 gp. The gold that gilds the throne is worth an additional 2,500 gp if you scrape it away. Though the many fine furs and fabrics that graced his bed have decayed over the years, his bed is not without value. What appears to be a down-stuffed mattress is readily apparent to the touch to be filled with coins. In total, the mattress holds 796,800 cp, 24,200 sp, 15,500 gp, and 460 pp. That's right, his mattress weighs in at 16,739.2 lb. The rest of his wealth is represented by the art objects in the alcoves. There are a total of 80 such alcoves, 34 of which hold polished (and now very brittle) skulls. Another 41 hold statues, jewelry, paintings, and other valuables worth a total of 15,300 gp. The remaining five hold items of legendary craftsmenship: a light mace encrusted with icy blue sapphires, a scarab of gold, a gold and ivory gem-studded lantern, and a simple golden circlet.
I'll let you guys digest before posting about the trip to the other end of the second floor.
Dungeon Master S |
Only a few things register as magical. Morkeleb works his magic:
The mace is a +2 icy burst light mace.
The broach is a fully charged broach of shielding
The lantern is a lantern of revealing
The circlet.... is ...tricky. It's a skeleton warrior's circlet. You know they're supposed to grant control over a skeleton warrior and to let you look through their eyes, but Scarwall is a strange and evil place. The question is, do you want to see if the castle has... affected it?
Odric the Stout |
If and only if we will take an hour here, Odric let's the group puzzle over the treasures and finds a corner to practice some moves he has been noodling over. Specifically, Odric works on a way to sicken his opponents by assaulting specific nerve centers in the body.
Bucho watches with canine interest, head cocked to one side as Odric practices a strike, then assaults himself with knuckle strikes to sensitive areas. Following each strike and the predictable reaching and convulsions Odric tries his sword strike again. The process continues for about an hour. Bucho eventually bores of his pack-mate's antics and lays down facing the door.
Sandor Stouthammer |
Well we have that chained thing back there that we weren't able to damage. It had spectre's with it, and it's chains did a horrible CHA drain. Mithrodar was it's name check out page 188.
DM is that the last remaining anchor, or is there one more?
While I can fly, I will get the art down from above
Dungeon Master S |
Level up requires a night's rest. Reread the description of Mithrodar and compare it to your past history with chained spirits.
Morkeleb the Mighty |
One anchor remains, and remains as yet unfound. Mithrodar, the spirit that holds the entire Scarwall Haunt, will then be vulnerable for permanent destruction.
Did I get that right??
On handling the circlet, Morkeleb's brow creases. I opine we should simply take this item for further study, and not try it here. I would take the scarab, and let another take the partially spent one I'm currently wearing, unless someone objects. This mace is very potent! the lantern is quite useful as well.
Looking about at the remaining treasures, the wizard muses aloud. Maybe we should leave the rest of the monetary treasure here, to be taken out at our leisure once we defeat this place for good.
Dungeon Master S |
if you rest, you've got 48 hours left...
-Posted with Wayfinder
Ferox Kerr |
We just woke up. Leveling up is great, but is that something we need to do now?
Dungeon Master S |
The party makes their way back down to the first floor, down the hall, and finally arrives at the statue, still with a bag over its head.
Free from the gaze, you can climb up without compulsion. This small chamber is nondescript save for two trap doors— one in the floor (where you stand), another in the ceiling fifteen feet above. Four narrow windows look out over the castle rooftops. The room’s only feature is a single shriveled dwarven corpse huddled at the base of the west wall, its bony arms locked firmly around its bent knees, its parchment-thin skin dried and cracked in places, revealing the bones beneath. A bushy, gray beard still covers much of its skull-like jaw line, though portions have fallen out into its lap. Next to it is a small coil of string and a pile of tiny bones with a few black feathers interspersed among them.
[dice=Heal DC 30]
The corpses is between 500 and 600 years old.
[/spoiler]
The corpse holds nothing of value. Moving on, you opt to check the door above. It's a small minaret, and it appears the area is the station for a gargoyle, but there is no sign of it here. Looking yonder, you see the ledge from which Odric tumbled. Perhaps that was him.
For clearing floor 2: 2,500 XP each
Maps are updated.
Gaius Lirsiiv |
I think we need to move to the first floor and move up from there to the unseen parts of 3. But I'm lost--which stairs have we not taken?
I think the arrows were somehow moved.
Dungeon Master S |
Level 2 map is up to date and the arrows are accurate. Minis look good too if you want to do a "door protocol" for the stairs.
Thorgrym the Tracker |
On general principle Grym shovels a few handfuls of the platinum coins and/or the gems if they are easy to pry loose into his Heward's.
Then he is happy to move along.
Hey, someone should be taking that magical mace. Sandor? Its a light mace, I believe Grym could use it as his offhand weapon, though he already has SharkSlayer that is undead bane.
Ferox Kerr |
If absolutely no one else wants the mace, Ferox will take it. He doesn't have much for a melee weapon. Not that he engages in melee much. Still, if it came to it, he'd be happy to have something better. Only if no one else wants it.
Gaius Lirsiiv |
STAIRS!
Ferox, Grym, Gaius, and Bucho listen
Perception, Ferox: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (19) + 22 = 41
Perception, Grym: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (17) + 15 = 32 +2 underground, +4 urban
Perception, Bucho: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (15) + 11 = 26 Add Favored Enemies
Perception, Gaius: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (1) + 18 = 19
Gaius then checks for traps
Perception, Traps: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (20) + 20 = 40
Gaius Lirsiiv |
if nobody else wants it Grym would use it just for the rest of ScarWall as a secondary offhand weapon, when NOT fighting undead.
+2 Icy Burst is effing nice! Gaius wants it. Especially if it's a, "Light", weapon.
Dungeon Master S |
I know that no one is WEARING the circlet, but I do need to know who is holding it before you get the description of above - for spoiler purposes.
Sandor Stouthammer |
I'll hold it. I'm tainted neither by the light of good nor the dark of evil.
And we're still trying to figure out what bathroom Gaius is supposed to use. :D. But the ominous drums of beating where heard in the background when the DM asked that question. I'm cool with Gaius holding it. Would look silly on Sandor's helm anyway.
Dungeon Master S |
Ominous, but not as bad as it would have been earlier...
This long chamber has inward-slanting walls, like an attic. Many old barrels and boxes, broken and empty, are stacked at the base of the walls. Stairs descend to the north, near two small alcoves with conical roofs.
Before you stands a skeletal warrior in wicked looking full plate armor. At his side is a serrated battle axe. He seems unsurprised at your arrival. He addresses the party "Calistrite, you have what is mine."
It is then that you see the psychic chains binding him to this room.
Merely an hour after finishing one anchor, you find yourself face to face with the last!
Before you can move to fight, a pair of whispering voices come from the floor as a pair of shadows emerge "What is his. What is his. What is his."
Baddies: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14
Ferox: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15
Gaius: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19
Grym*: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9
Morkeleb: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9
Odric: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6
Sandor: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23
Dungeon Master S |
Round 1:
Sandor: Go
Gaius: Go
Ferox: Go
Baddies: TBD
Grym: TBD
Morkeleb: TBD
Odric: TBD
Dungeon Master S |
It looks like he's going to take the bait.
Round 1:
Sandor: Go
Gaius: HOLD!!!!!!
Ferox: Go
Baddies: TBD
Grym: TBD
Morkeleb: TBD
Odric: TBD
Gaius Lirsiiv |
Morkeleb the Mighty |
Knowledge, Religion (to identify shadows): 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (14) + 18 = 32
any special check/roll for the skeletal warrior? Typically skeletons don't talk, unless there's a Magic Mouth on 'em...and one would typically not be able to identify the religion of a cleric!