Something Wicked This Way Comes (Inactive)

Game Master Fanguar

The full menagerie is on hand to witness the sacrifice. Hexor and Vexor loom unnervingly silent during the rituals. Ezra swirls about like black fog. Halthus, Grumblejack and the temple's other minions crowd in to watch Rose perform the ritual.

The room rest in darkness but for a moment and then the Horn begins to burn with green fire.

An alien voice of pure malice speaks in abyssal: “Kazara Vo” -- “I hear.” Like a great unholy beacon, ghostly green flame flares upward into the sky.

All the greenery and overgrowth blending the stone spire into the Caer Bryr burns away in a single flash of dire radiance. The Horn is revealed in all its daemonic glory. Abyssal runes carved in the stonework glow furiously. Wraith spawn dance outside the Horn cackling in glee. The ground shakes beneath your feet as the earth itself trembles at the gravity of your actions. Any hope of keeping the Horn a secret, disappears in one blaze of bale fire.

After a while, the pyrotechnics are over. The Horn still smolders with a residual green fire but it is no longer visible from a distance.

In the aftermath, Grumblejack lets out a howl and rushes forward, lapping up the blood collected in the alter's basing. He raises his blood streaked face and roars in exulation. As you watch, he seems to glow, and the tiny nubs on his forehead extend into proper horns. He begins to float off of the ground before settling back down. He stands tall, greater than he was before.

New stat block for Haruk

And so the countdown begins. You must complete 666 rituals to break the Seal and then on midnight, more than seven months from today, Vetra-Kali will return.

As the green fire lit the walls and sent a beacon into the sky that announced their presence to everyone in a hundred leagues, Xanos only sighed with exasperation. He took note of the runes and flames, realizing their purpose beyond simply being an enormous invitation to adventurers and would-be heroes. It was a nice touch. Whoever planned the ritual had clearly prepared for what it would cause.

It was Grumblejack's transformation that actually seemed to surprise the Necromancer. He didn't think that was an intended part of the ritual. The demonic power was simply amplifying the ogre's tainted blood. "Facinating," was all he said.

Once it was done, he left the sanctum without a word. There were still more preperations to be done before the inevitable invasion began.

Knowledge (arcana) 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (16) + 14 = 30

"Interesting. The flame has left a residual effect. I don't believe anyone will be able to teleport in or out, or send magical messages in or out at all without some divine level intervention."

Having been standing so close, Rose recoils back as the Horn is bathed in green fire. "Wow, I guess that worked . . . " is all she can manage. They had awoken great power, and therefore great trouble. And seven months was a long time to need to continue this ritual.

* * *

Rose makes sure to teach Molasbar how to continue the rituals unbroken if she is preoccupied or perishes. And now arranges to make sure she is at the altar before dawn, dusk, and midnight to continue the ritual.

"We need to find a true believer of Mitra for the next sacrifice. The one that will come 111 days from now."

Xanos was quietly fretting. He'd made an impressive checklist of things to do before they began the grand ritual, and he'd meticulously completed each one. The only things left were well beyond their current means.

They were as ready as they were liable to be, and yet Xanos felt unprepared. He wracked his brain for ways to further secure the Horn.

As he thought, he walked. He moved through the Horn with his hands clasped behind his back and six more hands trailing him like a small herd of macabre pets. He ignored everyone, looking right through them as if they weren't' there. Instead, his attention was on small details. Cracks in the stone walls. Half-finished mechanisms he'd left in the entryways. The new locks on the capture cages. The location of arrow slits. The murals he and Haruk had spent weeks translating.

The Xanos cultists watched him walking and observing, and began to spin all kinds of theories about what the ancient necromancer was thinking and planning. Xanos' exasperation was palpable, but silent.

He vanished into his workshop for a day and came out with an exquisitely crafted scale model of the Horn. At their nightly planning meeting, he set it on the war table and then took it apart into it's component sections, one for each level. Inside were tokens made out of carved bone, each sitting on a colored base for ease of identification.

"We have weak points. Here. Here. Here," he said without preamble.

"It will take time to recruit additional followers, so instead I think we should look to capturing beasts from the forest."

"Further, now that Grumblejack has the ability to fly, using him as a scout is an option. he will, of course, likely be seen as well, but at this point I am not sure that is an issue."

This week Xanos is Crafting. I'll do a breakdown in Discussion.

I'd like our Organization action to be used on capturing guard beasts. I'll let Haruk handle the nuts and bolts since he has the most minions. Consider my cultists part of his workforce.

Haruk listens intently while Xanos offers his insight "I agree with attempting to hunt down some help. However, I believe Grumblejack should assist our minions, at least right now. Assuming of course, you're okay with that?" The Infernalist asks the fiendish ogre.

"As for the weak points, do you have any suggestions for reinforcing them? Perhaps we can put some of our cultists to work shoring them up?"

Week 1

You settle into you various machination nothing interrupts. Beasts are captured from the swamps surrounding your lair, traps are laid and you bunker down, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Let me know where the new additions are going in the horn.

On her second foray to check for any message from the 7th knot, she finds a note.

Warning received. You plan your next week.

Let me know what your plans are for the second week.

Once she finds the letter Sari makes haste back to the Horn, running through the night with tireless speed.

"So we've finally attracted attention." She says, once the group has gathered. "A fine and motley crew too. I want this O'Toole - he sounds like he'd be fun!"

Rose picks up the note, reads it for a moment, then tosses it aside. "You can't be serious, a bunch of local country bumpkins. Have fun with your O'Toole, Sariana. I shall claim the Sister. She can either surrender to Eiseth or be a sacrifice upon her altar."

Xanos looked over the list Sariana had brought back. "Destroyed twelve zombies. How quaint."

"I'd like to propose an alternative to slaughtering them. They are clearly no threat to us. I suspect any one of us could likely defeat their entire group. However, I think they will make an ideal test of our defenses."

"Allowing them to explore the caverns will give us a good idea of where our planning is weak. We can monitor their progress from the Sanctum using the Eyes. If they attempt to flee or are able to discover a way into the upper levels, then we intervene."

"Further, Rose is correct, though not in the way I think she means. As a Mitran true believer, this Sister may be an ideal candidate for our next sacrifice for the ritual."

I'm proposing our characters actually sit this one out. We've built a dungeon. Let's test it.

"I will follow and observe." Sarianna counters. "That way I can correct anything that might go wrong."

Sari is getting bored, sitting this out is no fun. Stalking them while they get messed up... that is! :D

At news of the incoming adventurer's the ironclad vampyr leers a grin as he begins to salivate;

"Vunderbar. Der Zwerg Schmied (Dwarf Blacksmith/Forger) vud also be uzeful..."

At Sariana's acumen he nods;

"Ja. I vill azume der guise ov Ein Boggard or vait in zheir grabgrube (gravepit) Schud zhey find me zhey vill find zheir ende..."

Albrέkt is also a creature of action... And he is hungry... No way he's not getting his fangs bloody.

There seems to be some disagreement as to how to deal with the would be heroes. I'm fine with a split the party kind of approach, I just need to know where the PC will be when the adventurers show up.

One vamp is observer and Albrέkt essentially will act as a trap... Rest of the fun can be administered by the minions?

Rose seems content to let the vampires do the dirty work. "Have fun. Don't let the Mitran die. She may provide the necessary sacrifice."

Rose casts Magic Vestment and Greater Magic Weapon on Sariana at some point before the fight (lasts 7 hours). She'll otherwise attend to the usual work of catching more wild animals.

Sariana heads down to the entrance and adopts the gaseous form of a vampire interested in stealth. She uses this to observe the party from just inside the walls until a good opportunity arises.

If they split up for example she's definitely game for a 1 on 1. :)

Where will Albrekt be lurking? Also, any specific instructions for the boggards or undead? (or really any of the intelligent minions)

Capture but do not kill. Boggards are commanded to retreat if badly hurt (I assume Xanos can just make more undead as needed)

Molasbar will stay with Xanos, at least at the start of the attack.

Since we're going to see how effective the 'dungeon' is, Haruk will also stay with Xanos and observe everything through the scrying device.

Albrέkt will bury himself in the bones and offal of the Boggard Graveyard... and wait...

I'll be playing Righty, who will be aiming to capture the priestess. He's carrying a Cure Light Wounds Oil in a Wrist Sheath just in case the Priestess gets hurt. The rest of the adventurers and minions, Xanos doesn't care about.

I'll be playing Righty, who will be aiming to capture the priestess. He's carrying a Cure Light Wounds Oil in a Wrist Sheath just in case the Priestess gets hurt. The rest of the adventurers and minions, Xanos doesn't care about.

I assume someone tells Sari about this? She's more than capable of disabling people, if she chooses to...

When it is confirmed that the group has entered the Horn, Molasbar will take his heightened awareness extract and cast mirror image on himself. He'll stand at the ready with his falcata out, ready to serve as Xanos's bodyguard should the raiders present unanticipated levels of ingenuity in penetrating their defenses.

Capturing the priestess was already mentioned in game. I assume Sari heard the conversation.

Molsabar, Xanos is going to be up in the Sanctum watching the action through the Eyes (which allow Clairvoyance and Clairaudience anywhere in the Horn.

Hex and Vex have Telepathy, and can act as relay stations, keeping everyone in mental communication with everyone else. In military terms, Xanos will be "eyes in the sky" Hex and Vex will be Communications, and everyone in the Caverns will be Scouts and Infantry.

If Xonos is needed down below where the action is, my plan was to jump off the balcony and fly down.

Crouching Vamp Hidden Panzer: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17 (Will burn a Villain Point for an additional +8... Don't want to ruin the surprise ;) = 25 total

Couple of things: 1. @Xanos: is your map of the caves level up to date? There appears to be PC tokens down there. Also, I appears that you've got line of sight enabled, which is making it a bit hard to see what's going on. 2. I don't really want to run both sides of this. Who wants to take responsibility for running your minions? Or you can run the collectively. I don't mind rolling for things you don't have stats for, but I don't really want to direct the defense.

Three days after the you receive the warning, the adventures from Farholde arrive at the caves below the Horn. At mid-day, they step inside. C1

I can't see C1 on the map, but assuming that there is no one there, is there any response?

Lin of sight is turned off. I put the PCs who aren't in the caverns down on the lower left. They aren't actually there, i just wanted to get them out of the caverns. Albrekt is in the graveyard. Sari is just outside the caverns, hidden. Righty is hidden in a crevice near the secret door.

How about we do a first-come-first serve approach to controlling the minions? Whoever is online at the right time can post their actions? That should move things the quickest.

Sari will be waiting, ethereal, in the walls of C1, but I'm at work and can't access the map. If someone could move me that would be helpful!

"They are inside the caves." Xanos said, his words telepathically relayed via Hextor and Vextor all the way down to the vampires in the Caverns.

From his station in front of the statue of Vetra Kali, the old Necromancer use the Eyes to spy on the adventurers. The pool of unholy water showed the hapless group just as though Xanos was floating above them. He moved the Clairvoyance effect closer to listen to their conversation.

"Sariana, they should be passing you shortly. Let them. Do not engage until they have made their way down the righthand paths and discovered the Boggards or the Stables."

@Xanos: Sounds good. Much appreciated. FYI,the cleric is emitting light, as per the spell.

The adventuring party swings to the right, the dwarf in the lead. As they move into the next chamber, the dwarf holds up a hand. "Hold on. We got traps here. Gimme a second."

Disable device 1: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (9) + 16 = 25

Disable device 2: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (7) + 16 = 23 Swinging boulder traps disabled.

They poke their heads into C3, but don't enter. Unless the constrictor is aggressive, they wont poke around enough to encounter it.

Can someone remind me how the party sealed off the passages? Bricked up or magic?

Can someone remind me how the party sealed off the passages? Bricked up or magic?

The Lyre of Building to do the rough work, and multiple castings of Stone Shape to smooth it and make it look like the rest of the natural wall. Dwarven Stonecunning might catch it, but it's solid, non-magical stone.

I've fixed Marta's light radius. Do any of the others have light sources?

"They've disabled both swinging boulder traps," Xanos said through Hex and Vex's telepathic relay network. "There is nothing in that area of the caverns to worry about. Let them waste their time. Sariana, they should return to you in a matter of minutes."

Since they didnt pickbher up Sari intends to follow them, just stsying in yhe wall the whole time via ethereal :)

@Xanos: Thanks. The dwarf pick up on it if he was specifically looking for it, but as long as it's solid stone, it probably wont come up. None of the others currently have any visible light source.

THe party pops into the next room and the dwarf, puts out a hand. "Trap in the floor. Dead end. There's been some changes done, since the last time I was down here. I wasn't sure before, but now I'm positive. Whoever is here, they've been busy bees."

The group is going to move into C13. They miss the portcullis, but the dwarf see's the bear traps and starts to clear the first one. He only fails on a 1, so I'm not going to bother rolling. I assume the boggards are underwater. Any response from the defenders?

Not until they're all inside and the portcullis falls.

Sorry for the delay.

Everyone has moved beyond the portcullis. The other adventurers wont advance until the dwarf has cleared the traps. Where exactly is the 'watch cage'? Is there a chance to spot it?

The watch cage itself is visible and should be easy to spot. It acts as an arrow slit, giving the sentry inside Improved Cover against anyone in C15. I serves the same purpose as a guard tower (the sentry gets in and out from C18. There is no entrance on the c15 side, only bars).

The sentry inside can Stealth (with a +8 bonus from improved cover). So basically, the dwarf (or anyone with good enough light) could easily see the watch cage, but might not see the sentry inside.

From where the Dwarf currently is, he has a -3 penalty to spot the Sentry (from distance, as per the perception rules)

Once the whole adventuring party is past the Portcullis, the Sentry is supposed to manually activate the portcullis trap, dropping it (and the one on the other side) down into place, trapping everyone inside C15.

"Now," Xanos telepathically relayed to the Boggard sentry, instructing it to trigger the portcullis trap and sound the attack.

The portcullises fall into place, trapping the adventures. They form ranks and draw steel.

Boggard tactics? I gather they are currently underwater.

Correct. They are all armed with Underwater Crossbows. They can fire at people on land without penalty, so we'll start with that. The Sentry Boggard also has an Underwater Crossbow. He isn't in the water, but he is behind improved cover.

Do you want to handle both sides of the combat and give us summaries, or should we be rolling for our minions?

Sari uses gaseous form to pass through the portcullis and find somewhere to hide and return to corporeal form.

Still here - just fermenting in boggard bones and corpses :)

Growing impatient, the hulking vampyr begins to stir in his nest of bones... but holds station for the time being...

Btw, I am still here and active, just nothing for Haruk to do atm. At least I don't think there is.

Wanna be a Boggard or three?

Sorry for the delay. Been busy/lazy. I would hugely prefer that the party run their dungeon. The boggards are just the standard type, spring your trap whenever. You can have a surprise round and then the boggards can go first in the next round. After that we'll just alternate.

Since I'm here looking at this now, I'll kick things off. Whoever sees Fang's reply as the Adventurers can jump in and be Boggards next.

I've color coded them for ease.

Just like they'd drilled under the instruction of their new masters, the Boggard in the Watch Cage pulled the lever to drop the Portcullises and the Boggards in the water below unleashed a hail of bolts from their new, fancy crossbows.

Surprise Round!

Red Boggard activates Portcullis Trap!

All attacks target Yorgun
Blue, Crossbow attack vs. Flat Footed: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (5) - 1 = 4
Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 7

Green, Crossbow attack vs. Flat Footed: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (13) - 1 = 12
Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 3

Orange, Crossbow attack vs. Flat Footed: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (9) - 1 = 8
Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 3

Yellow, Crossbow attack vs. Flat Footed: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (13) - 1 = 12
Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 1

The flurry of bolts launch from the water. A few glance off the dwarf's armor, but none find their target.

The would be adventurers exclaim with surprise as the trap is sprung.

Boggards can have their round 1 actions.

Round 1

Boggards stay underwater, reload, and fire at Yorgun again. The one in the watch cage joins the volley. The Green Boggard activates his Terrifying Croak ability.

Red, Underwater Crossbow: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (20) - 1 = 19
Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 5
Crit Confirm: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (8) - 1 = 7
Bonus Crit Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 3

Blue, Underwater Crossbow: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (11) - 1 = 10
Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 2

Orange, Underwater Crossbow: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (1) - 1 = 0
Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 8

Yellow, Underwater Crossbow: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (5) - 1 = 4
Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 5

From beneath he murky water came a terrible reverberating noise that sent chills up the Adventurer's spines.

DC 13 Will save or be Shaken for 1d4 rounds.

Deeper in the caverns, echoing croaks could be heard.

The Terrifying Croak is the Boggard alert horn. Next round the rest of the Boggards will begin scrambling to reinforce the fight.

At the sound of the Boggard bellow, Albrέkt's blue lip curls into a cruel smile...

Komm to me. I hunger...

Will save Hallack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13
Will save James: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20
Will save Marta: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21
Will Save Bianca: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10
Will Save Yorgun: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16

Bianca Shaken 1/4

The party falls back to the entrance. Marta casts bull's strength on Yorgun and he and Hallack try to lift the portcullis.

Bianca and James take full defense actions.

Yorgun DC25 STR: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11
Hallack aid another: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22

Boggards are up.