The Crucible of Freya (Inactive)

Game Master Grimmy

Reporting for duty sah!

Good to have you back sah! Time to show these blighters a thing or two whot-whot!

Yeah I'm doing much better. Day by day.

Who is up for continuing where we left off? This crypt is getting pretty musty.

Much like a pbp, it's a marathon rather than a sprint. Stay focused on the small goals and the bigger ones tend to follow naturally, at least in my experience.

I'm still catching up from the holidays but I'll try to post later today. Looks like only Sam is yet unheard from. I'm glad to see the gang back together so quickly!

Ready when you are ! :)

I had the cultist talk some smack to open up the gameplay thread.

Anyone need memory jogging about where we're at? It's the crypt under the keep, you have reached the door that opens with the amulet.

Anyone need memory jogging about where we're at? .

I do. How many spells do I have today?

I believe you cast air bubble, and one casting of summon monster.

I or II?

II

Bliadhna Mhath Ùr (Happy New Year) to you all one and all. Have a good 'un when it comes.

Here's to health, wealth and happiness for everyone and a rekindled game promising more memorable times around the virtual table.

Slàinte!

Happy New Year

Happy new year!

Happy New Year, Everyone!
May all your endeavours in the new annum go enormously well!

I think that Sam made duplicates of the amulet and hid them and the real on in Knotty.

Happy New Year to one and all

Happy New Years everyone!

Let me know if anyone is feeling lost still, I know there's been a lot of long breaks because of me. It never hurts to review the scenario.

Even the extreme basics.

Is everyone clear on who Eralion is? He was a wizard who was connected to Janna's mentor. In his day he was a follower of Thyr, Leovens deity. This quest began when Janna found an amulet while visiting a wizard named Feriblan with her mentor. Feriblan had an apprentice named Vortigern who was Janna's rival. Vortigern's familiar spied Janna when she discovered the amulet, and he has been scheming to get access to Eralion's keep himself. He was the one who ambushed you at the farm early in the adventure.

Just posting to let you know I'm here guys take your time to get back in the swing of things.

I still suggest some discussion to jog the old memory to make sure we all remember what's happening in the adventure.

Getting the amulet and Vortigern.

Am I right in remembering the bandits were incumberant inhabitants of the Keep, but were at odds with the cultists and their orc troops?

Yup that's right, the bandits were in the watchtower and the cultists had moved into the donjon. You ended up forging an alliance with the bandits to help you siege the donjon.

This is your second strike, after beating a retreat to regroup after the last time. The leader of the cultists died in the first strike, he was crushed by a stone thrown by his own ogre who had stormed the watchtower and wiped out most of the bandits.

This time you used an underground stream from the well in the watchtower to get to the lower levels of the keep. There are still a lot of undead and orcs up in the courtyard.

Getting the amulet and Vortigern.

To be clear though, you have had the amulet for a long time, since your first fight with vortigern in the beginning of the adventure. Does anyone know where Vortigern is now?

His imp was sighted in the village. Did he try to steal the crucible? Not sure if he succeeded.

Correct, Vortigern's imp stole the crucible. Also, he dropped an orcus holy symbol at the scene of the crime, but it was a frame job, because Vortigern is Lawful Evil and Imps are devils not demons. Orcus is a demon, chaotic evil. Janna and Leoven had figured that out.

And presently our biggest concerns are the shifty bandit cook Barelli who is some form of enchanter and a decently powerful one at that. Charmed the ogre when it attacked the tower if the other two bandits (Forget their names presently) are to be believed. She is presently near the front of the party, under a watchful eye.

Secondly, there is some sort of shapeshifted mouse prowling around, our best guess is that it's Vortigern's Imp. It was discovered by Jerrid in the same room as Barelli if memory serves. Whatever it is, Kev detected it as evil.

Yeah, Firean and Cullen. They were the bandits who survived the ogre. They saw Barelli control the ogre and force it to throw a rock at the cultist leader when you guys were in trouble at the chapel with the ghouls.

I'm really not looking forward to this fight. I've an inkling of what these things are and...oh boy.

Favorite of mine as a DM, not so much as a PC :P I really wish we'd made that Knowledge check. Maybe Barelli has something useful? ...and isn't about to stab us in the back.

Janna has a strong knowledge arcana. Leoven too.

I already moved Leoven's token when I wrote my turn, just ahead of Damien's last position, being in front of everyone is not something convenient for Leoven's health :p

Gotcha, Looks good.

Janna, I'm pretty certain your electric blast power will still work against the statues. Immunity to magic only works against powers that allow spell resistance. You'll bypass the DR too :)

The elemental ray ability is (sp), so spell resistance work against it.

Oh crap, I believe you are correct. In that case, I recommend alchemists fire or acid. We'll need everybody pitching in on this one.

Sure, you can but I recommend you all take a beat and coordinate with the team to decide the best approach.

Agreed. Though it's probably best done over here.

First things first, as much as I hate to say it, that crit on Damien was actually confirmed. My AC is presently 18.

Also, just a reminder that Kev and Sam both have barkskin active.

In our present situation, I think our best bet is to shuffle into the room with 5ft steps. Sam and Knotty can move out to the corners and Kev and I can move up to their places.
From what I can tell, Jerrid has the best chance of success on adding names so he should move up to the inside of the door.
Anyone else would incur AoO's though.
Those of us in the room should probably take full-defense actions and just try to ride it out. At least until we see if the writing works.
Start with the names of those in the room though, so we know immediately if it works?

Anyone else have thoughts?
If the writing doesn't work, we might even want to flee and try coming back. These columns could easily wreck us...

I heartily echo the good lieutenant's advice. In the 33rd he was renowned as a sound strategist pip-pip.

These columns could indeed wreck us sah - however if we can delay them long enough for our collective names to be inscribed, then that would likely be the best course of action whot?

If the writing fails we would best beat a hasty retreat. Perhaps look at how we can stymie our foes in future engagements!

First things first, as much as I hate to say it, that crit on Damien was actually confirmed. My AC is presently 18.

Even with the +2 from Leoven's defensive aura?

Yep, it's included in my header. Sadly Kev and I only gain 1 AC as the aura doesn't stack with our rings of protection.

Janna can only take a single hit and I have no magic to do anything to these things.

I have a single defensive spell that may help me but it cannot be cast on anyone else.

For Janna to even enter the room is suicide. regardless of the help of the others.

Give Janna the amulet and she will remain outside for now. once the door is closed she will need the amulet to get back in.

Ok so I have to roll more damage for Damien then. I didn't realize you already put Leo's deflection aura in your header. 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

That's a good point Janna. Once we're through this we really need to work on getting you some more versatility. You need at least some sort of backup plan in the face of SR or Magic Immunity.

Adventurer's are like boyscouts, they always need to be prepared :P

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Thanks DMG, I always try to keep my header as up to date as possible.

Lets just hope you roll a little closer to average this time :P
Nothing under a 10, damn...

I know, those attack rolls were brutal.

Don't walls stop channel energy?

Indeed, channel energy works like a burst and not like an spread as I was thinking, anyone with total cover will not get the bennefit of it. Though If I can edit and first move to the door I will be able to target everyone.

Ok I will allow it because we are still in your initiative block and you have the move action available. I know Kevezyat can use the healing.

Sam tries a different tack.

"I am ......" and gives a name.

I would like to encourage the playing style that Samduc has shown here. In some of the OSR blogs I used to read they talked about playing "heads up" as opposed to head down looking for the solution on the character sheet. I think what it means is sometimes in old school flavored games there can be a challenge that you won't overcome with any class feature printed on your sheet, you have to put yourself there and think what you might do.

I have heard that old school games challenge the player and new school games challenge the character. I'm trying to go for a good mix of both.

This. Exactly this.

I feel like your game has always done a good job of encouraging lateral thinking and Sam's reminding all of us of that.

I'm honestly a little disappointment I didn't even consider the bluff option myself. I can only point to the long break from this game and too much xcom 2 in between for my lack of originality :P

I just discovered this show Critical Role on geek and sundry. Fantastic gaming. Have you guys seen it?

I've read the events that happened last time I was not around, but I'm still not sure of some things, what do Leoven knows about Barelli and that Mouse?

I just discovered this show Critical Role on geek and sundry. Fantastic gaming. Have you guys seen it?

Agreed! I've seen a few episodes and was very impressed. Given the length I've never found the time to really get into it though. Three hour episodes are a bit of a commitment.

I've read the events that happened last time I was not around, but I'm still not sure of some things, what do Leoven knows about Barelli and that Mouse?

Barelli is somewhat of an unknown entity. We've heard she's a powerful enough mage to have charmed the ogre when it attacked the guard tower. She was found hiding in a Cauldron in the tower.

The mouse was identified as a some sort of caster I believe. Kev detected it as evil at any rate and it's definitely intelligent. Thus far we've been unable to catch it and have relegated it to something to deal with later. Running theory is that it's most likely Vortigern's Imp in disguise.

With the sanctom open, it seems that time is now.

I've read the events that happened last time I was not around, but I'm still not sure of some things, what do Leoven knows about Barelli and that Mouse?

Thank you for asking Leoven. That is an important question. I'll try to give you a run down.

Exhibit A: Back in Fairhill the party discovered Vortigern had rented a room at the Cask and Flagon inn for two weeks, but he never staid there. He paid for the room but he found somewhere else to be. He used the name Feriblan to rent the room. His appearance was also altered.

So Vortigern likes to disguise himself as other people...

He was seen with the orange tabby cat, which had accompanied the party for much of their quest, having been picked up at the farmhouse following the battle with Vortigern.

...and he's accompanied by a spying imp that disguises itself as small animals...

Exhibit B: Meanwhile in the night, the cleric of Bowbe had passed out drunk in the shrines and woke up to see the imp urinating on the stolen Crucible of Freya . He was startled and caught in his true form. He took off with the crucible, and left behind a holy symbol of orcus, matching the one that had been seen flown from the chapel tower of the keep by Herl. The party decided it was a frame job, lawful evil Vortigern, devil familiar, frames chaotic evil demon cult.

So why would Vortigern draw the wrath of Shandril and steal her Crucible? Remember what he wants is access to Eralion's lair. And he doesn't have the amulet which is the key. And there are mobs of cultists and minions between him and the prize. So...

The party goes to the Keep and parlays with the bandits in the watchtower. They have a new cook who joined them since the cultists moved in. She is a half-orc named Barelli. Jerrid spies her in the kitchen with a mouse.

When the fight was looking bad for the PC's Barelli helped by turning the cultists ogre against them.

Barelli was found in the kitchen in a cauldron. The mouse appeared from invisibility and cast a spell on Jerrid to force him to allow Barelli to retrieve her magic supplies from a hiding place. Then she offers to take you to the door of the crypt so you can use your amulet to open it.

Any questions?

Reading between the lines is a bad habit, so is following the way DMG just wrote. My gut feeling is that we let them in here - and the crucible was not his aim, us opening this place with the amulet was.

May I just say that this is the only game I've played in where the consequences of our actions are so real. DMG is a fine example to me on what a DM can do.

Well Done.

Cheers
FW

Any questions?

Yes, who from the party have expressed concern about barelli and the mouse?