The Last King of Ireland

Game Master Amergin the Wise

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17
Stealth: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14

"Did anyone think to bring light? Of course not... I've got more fiery pellets.... stand back. I'll be in the lead this time. Padraic and Aoife come next and Brother o'Maille please support Fintan. I'm sorry brother but I'm not sure if this is the best place for Brave. You can either leave him or stay with him outside. Hopefully, this won't take long."

Braedan sends fiery sparks down the slope of the cave and moves forward. He draws his sword but leaves his shield arm free to balance himself on the wall of the cave.

Perception checks and Stealth checks to stay in the shadows as he goes.
Move Action: Cautious move down the slope
Standard Action: Ready Countersong.

Braedan, Padraic, Aoife, Fintan, Brother Ó’Máille carefully make their way down the muddy slope into the mouth of the cave.

Following the stream bed, you pass the Marble Arch. Staring at the darkness beyond, standing at the foot of steep 40' cliffs, you wonder if this is a good idea. Braedan throws his fiery pellets inside, you look up at the moon one last time, and you move forward.

Inside, you make your way with difficulty. The ground is wet, and uneven; and in the darkness, every step is dangerous. The flickering fire pellets cast long shadows into the depth, which move like ghostly shadows.

Survival DC 15 to avoid natural hazards
Braedan: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 1 = 21
Padraic: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23
Aoife: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16
Fintan: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 1 = 20
O’Maille: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24

You avoid unsteady stones as you follow the stream.

As you make your way deeper into the cave, the slope becomes steeper, and increasingly slippery.

Climb DC 5 to climb down
Braedan: 1d20 ⇒ 14
Padraic: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16
Aoife: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 = 15
Fintan: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14
O’Maille: 1d20 ⇒ 10

As you climb down the slippery slope, the water level gets higher. Soon, you come upon a veritable lake, and realize that you will need to swim ahead.

The woman's wails call to you from deep inside the cavern. At times, her sadness is heartbreaking. At times, her anger fills you with fear. She speaks to you: "Come..."

"Hope everyone can swim." Aoife said as she removed the belt that held her weapons. She collected them in one hand before wrapping the belt around them so that if she lost a grip on one it wouldn't call into the water. "Let me try the waters first." She requested. "I can tell how deep it is then we can go on from there." She told them. With that she held her weapons above her head and slowly made her way into the water.

While Aoife checks the water, Braedan looks around for anything that could be used to assist in swimming (branches, logs, a boat...

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

Though he does his best to conceal it, Ó Máille is beginning to feel slightly worried as he stares into the dark pool. His hushed prayers now request favor and success for the coming trials.

Casting guidance periodically on everyone while we're out of combat so we can get a +1 on the swim checks

Braedan doesn't find anything nearby, unfortunately. There is nothing here but rocks and... who knows what.

You watch as Aoife wades into the freezing water of the underground lake. Quickly the water becomes too deep, and she must make a decision: swim ahead, or turn back?

Braedan sees that the water becomes deep and shouts out...

"Aoife...can you grab Fintan's rope and tie yourself off? That's at least something!?!"

Shivering from the cold water she looks back to the group, mainly at Braedan who spoke. "W-will you toss it to me?" She asked, doing her best to keep the shivering out of her voice. "I'd rather not turn back." She told him.

Mainly because I don't know if I can force myself back into this water...

Fintan throws one end of the rope to Aoife, who ties it to her waist.

"I hope the knot will hold," she worries before swimming deeper into the darkness.

Swim DC 10: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

The water is freezing. The ghostly wail fills her with dread. And she's convinced that there is something out there, in the depths. Her armor is heavy. It's too heavy. It's dragging her down. She panics.

Aoife disappears underwater.

"No..." the woman cries.

Fintan pulls her out. The knot holds. She coughs and catches her breath. She's shaken, but alright.

Aoife turned over and coughed out the water from her lungs. She set her weapons down as she slowly stood, her body shivering from being in the freezing water. Her clothes clung to her skin, allowing what cold water remained within the fabric to suck the heat from her body. "T-there is, something d-down there." She told them as she wrapped her arms around herself. Her face seemed pale but not just from the frigded waters, the young woman seemed spooked if one had to say anything.

After a few moments, shivering the whole while, she said "Give me But another moment... Then I shall go back in and see if I might be able to see what is down there."

"Probably just my nerves playing tricks on me," she reassures herself. She takes a moment, and then she figures that if she waits any longer, her resolve could falter.

Nervously, she checks the knot. Then she steps into the water once more. She wades deeper into the lake, into the freezing darkness. When she cannot stand anymore, she swims..

Swim DC 10: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13
Perception: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (20) - 1 = 19

Everything is quiet. All she can hear is her breathing, and her strokes in the water. She can't see anything down below. "But that doesn't mean that there isn't anything down there," she thinks.

Soon enough, she reaches the end of Fintan 25' rope. Beyond the dim light of Brandan's flame, there is only more darkness.

Aoife looked down at the darkness of the water, her mind split. Finally she reached for the knot that held her to the rope.

You can do this!

She pulled the knot, the rope came lose, and she kicked herself down into the water.

Swim: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19

"AOIFE!" Ó Máille shouts at the dark rippling water. The priest falls to his hands and knees at the edge of pool, his eyes straining against the darkness to find Aoife's form beneath the surface.

Aoife swims a little further into a tunnel, and pauses a moment. From this distance, Brandan's lights seem like a candles in the distance. The otherworldly wail is getting lourder.

"I think it's ok," she calls out. Her voice echoes.

The others follow, wading in slowly, then swimming out.

O'Maile Swim DC10: 1d20 + 0 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 0 + 1 = 10
Padraic Swim DC10: 1d20 + 2 - 1 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 2 - 1 + 1 = 8
Fintan Swim DC10: 1d20 + 4 - 3 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 4 - 3 + 1 = 4
Braedan Swim DC10: 1d20 + 0 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 0 + 1 = 9

None of them are swimmers, and the freezing water is almost paralysing. Fintan's amor pulls him down, and he begins to struggle. Ó'Máille fishes him out, and calms him with a prayer: "God's might to uphold me."

"Come on," she urges them on.

Fintan Swim DC10: 1d20 + 4 - 3 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 4 - 3 + 1 = 11
Padraic Swim DC10: 1d20 + 2 - 1 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 2 - 1 + 1 = 11
O'Maile Swim DC10: 1d20 + 0 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 0 + 1 = 19
Braedan Swim DC10: 1d20 + 0 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 0 + 1 = 21

They reach her. The dancing flames follow, floating. Without them, they would all be lost.

"This way..." the woman's weeping screams echo from deeper still in the cave.

They catch a slow current, which carries them down the tunnel, across the lake.

Braedan Swim DC5: 1d20 + 0 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 0 + 1 = 6
Padraic Swim DC5: 1d20 + 2 - 1 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 2 - 1 + 1 = 13
O'Maile Swim DC5: 1d20 + 0 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 0 + 1 = 20
Fintan Swim DC5: 1d20 + 4 - 3 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 4 - 3 + 1 = 15
Aoife Swim DC5: 1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 3 + 1 = 6

The tunnel opens into a gallery with a balcony above. That's where the wailing comes from. The incessant wailing.

"Up here," she cries.

The current carries them under the balcony, then leads them to a sand bar on the other side. They walk out of the water still wondering what, if anything, lurks below.

A 30' cliff of sharp rocks leads to the balcony above.

As you can plainly see, I am fudging the dice roll order to your advantage. Does that bother you? (Discussion Thread)

Aoife pulled herself onto the sand bar and coughed a bit as she breathed in deeply. "I-I'm a bit worried a-about how we're g-going to get b-b-back." She told the group as she stood up, shivering from the freezing water. "T-The wailing... it's from a-ab-bove." She told the group as she looked to the balcony. "How do we get up there?"

Oh I'm cool with that.

Braedan is no climber and he's very tired from the swim. Not to mention being knocked and battered by the current. He sits down on the sandbar, exhausted...

After a few moments, he gets out his hornpipe and begins to softly play into the gloom....the Bard hopes to get her attention and cooperation.

"We cannot come up to you, can you come to us? Who are you? What is this place? How can we help you?"

Any roles that Braedan can make to learn more about the spirit?

"Trust your instincts," the king would say.

You all have heard the stories about Banshees who cry for the dead. As children, these stories were told by bards, and haunted your dreams during the night. Banshees are a bad omen.

"I'm sorry..." the woman cries. You hear in her voice, profound and sincere pain and anguish. This is a tormented spirit.

"So sorry..."

"B-Banshee...." Aoife muttered as her pale skin, discolored from the freezing waters, seemed to grow paler. She slowly turned her head to look to the group. A lump stuck in her throat, which made speaking any further very difficult. But while her voice was mute, the look on her face said it all. Worry, terror, and finally the realization that someone they knew was about to die... if not one of them.

Braedan wracks his brain for anything in recent memory that may give rise to this spirit. Some tragedy in ages past or some local legend of misfortune....

Knowledge(Local): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12

Knowledge(Irish Culture and the Arts/Arcana): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11

"I think you're up Padraic, you're the only one who has a chance to make a climb like that....There's definitely a ghost or spirit of the dead up there but she doesn't seem harmful...."

The priest looks to his life-long friend with an air of supreme gratitude. "If you encounter danger up there, fear not, brother. The Lord will protect you."

My Blessing of the Faithful Ability allows me to give Padraic a +2 on skill checks (or attack rolls, AC, etc) for one round. I have infinite uses of this ability, so as long as I concentrate pray, I should be able to provide him with that bonus. Also, once he reaches the top, should the banshee attack, I can cast Sanctuary to ward him from danger.

Braedan recalls the old tales: Banshees lament the dead, and are heralds of death.

"What are we doing here?" they all wonder.

Padraic gritted his teeth and moved forward, tying a rope around his waist, before turning back to the cliff.

"If I don't explode in a flash of blood, follow up."

Climb 1-1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20
Climb 2-1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16
Climb 3-1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21
Climb 4-1d20 + 9 ⇒ (2) + 9 = 11

Probably no progress on the last so...

Climb 51d20 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13

Padraic climbs to the top of the cliff... And then he sees her. The banshee. She stands with her back to him perhaps 20' away, with chains around her wrists, which are anchored to the stone ground. Her white hair is long and knotted. Her clothes are ripped and tattered.

Her incessant wailing stops suddenly.

"Come closer," she whispers.

His hands shaking, Padraic ties the rope to a boulder, and then he throws the other end down. His companions climb up.

Braedan Climb DC 10: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7
Braedan Climb DC 10: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 = 22
Braedan Climb DC 10: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 = 22

Braedan takes the lead, hesitates, and then makes it to the top.

Aoife Climb DC 10: 1d20 - 1 + 2 ⇒ (12) - 1 + 2 = 13
Aoife Climb DC 10: 1d20 - 1 + 2 ⇒ (16) - 1 + 2 = 17
Aoife Climb DC 10: 1d20 - 1 + 2 ⇒ (1) - 1 + 2 = 2
Aoife Climb DC 20: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (11) - 1 = 10
fall damage: 2d6 ⇒ (4, 2) = 6

Aoife climbs up and slips. She takes a nasty fall, and hits the ground with a sickening thud.

"Aoife...!!!!

Braedan screams able to do nothing but watch as she falls.

"Brother O'Maille, Fintan...please do what you can for her."

Turning back to Padraic, the Bard says...

"Well done Padraic...who would have thought you're words would come true so quickly...but the question is will she accept the Brother's blessing...I guess it's all in her hands now.

Braedan walks around up to the front of the tormented spirit and stops about 10 feet away.

"What happened to you my lady? What keeps you here chained as thus?"

All Aoife could let out was a gasp as her grip faltered and she fell to the ground below.

Pain shot through her body as collided with the ground. Her face bore the look of a silent scream before turning into a look of pain. She raised her hands, trying to push herself back up, only to gasp and settle back onto the ground. She looked to Fintan and Brother Ó Máille, while still upon the ground, as she spoke. "Don't worry about me." She slowly tried to sit up once more as she continued, "Get up there... they need you more."

"Nonsense." Ó Máille says as he leans over Aoife. The priest mutters a prayer, laying a hand on her shoulder.

Attempting to channel energy to heal Aoife.
Healing: 1d6 ⇒ 4
Four points back unless she refuses my aid.

While Brother Ó Máille tends to Aoife after her fall, Braedan and Padraic keep a close eye on the creature before them. It has gone still. Perfectly still.

"Are you the wolves of Largay?" she asks, barely containing her sorrow.

"Aye. That is us. Why do you call to me so?"

"Five wolves," she cries, her wail rising once more, getting louder. Your instinct is to run, to flee, but you hold fast.

She begins to pull on her chains, to writhe and wriggle.

"Padraic, let's both pull everyone up with the rope. Between the two of us, it shouldn't be a problem. I have a feeling we all need to be up here."

Braedan looks around for anything that could be used to lengthen or strengthen the rope they have.

He calls down....

"Fintan, try to lift Aoife and tie her off to the rope. Padriac and and I will bring her up. Then Brother O'maille, then you since you're the best climber."

Padraic and Braedan turn their back to the wailing woman. She begins to wail once more. Her cries are both heartbreaking and terrifying.

They proceed to pull Aoife up.

Braeden Aid Another: 1d20 ⇒ 11
Aided Strength check DC 10: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14
Aided Strength check DC 15: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15

It takes time. The spirit seems to be getting more disturbed. Her cries are becoming louder, more insistant.

Once on the balcony, Aoife helps to pull Brother Ó'Máille up.

Braeden Aid Another: 1d20 ⇒ 16
Aoife Aid Another: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7
Aided Strength check DC 10: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23
Aided Strength check DC 15: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15

Brother Ó'Mille reaches the top, and stares at the ghostly women. A banshee. He pales.

"Help us!" Braedan insists. They pull the heavy Fintan up the cliff.

Braeden Aid Another: 1d20 ⇒ 10
Ó'Máille Aid Another: 1d20 ⇒ 14
Aoife Aid Another: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7
Aided Strength check DC 10: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17
Aided Strength check DC 15: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19

Finally, they are all standing on the balcony.

Slowly, carefully, they approach the wailing woman. As they do, she calms once more.

"Save me..." she pleads.

Without ever venturing too close, they move to face her. She raises her head, and gazes at them with glowing eyes. They stare with horror. This is the spirit that Brother Ó'Máille saw in his vision.

She turns to the priest: "Bless them. Save them from..."

"I'm sorry!" she wails.

Aoife of Lir

The bard sits on the rock face, resting from his exertion. He fills his bowl and leisurely smokes his pipe while trying to remember the tales of ancient lore...

Knowledge Religion: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17
Knowledge History: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15

Braedan relates what he knows about this spirit to the others...then he faces the Banshee

"Why should we do this for ye...Aoife of Lir? You are receiving the just torment and punishment for your sins. You transformed your four children into swans out of a jealous love for your husband. You were a powerful witch during the time of King Tuath and now an even more powerful spirit...why would you expect us to release you from this prison...so you can continue or will you promise to go to your rest?"

The bard begins to sing the ballad...

“Out with you upon the wild waves, Children of the King! Henceforth your cries shall be with the flocks of birds.”

"The fragment..." she promises, he voice echoing in the cave.

"Help me!" she continues, her tone increasingly and dangerously demanding. "The vision quest... The Druid's Altar..."

Knowledge Geography: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18
Knowledge Religion: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

Braedan's eyes go wide at the mention of the fragment and says...

"Yes, you're husband the King, Tuatha Dé Danann. But there were four items.. the Cauldron of Dagda, the Sword of Nuadu, the Stone of Lia Fail, and the Spear of Lugh.

But you still haven't answered me fully spirit..."

Aoife felt a calming wave run through her body, removing much of the pain the fall had caused. She sat up, a little sore, but no worse for wear.

That... that can't be right... It has to be wrong! If it's real then, what did I do wrong? I asked, I begged, I pleaded. YOU never answered! Why now?!

Aoife shook her head when Braedan spoke about freeing her. "I don't think she wants to be freed into this world... I think she wants to move on to.. the next." She said, a hint of sadness in her voice. "But I have no idea what we can do here... maybe the brother could help but this is... nothing I've ever come across before."

Not to mention it's a BANSHEE!

Knowledge (Religion): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11
Knowledge (Religion): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6

The priest stands dumbfounded before the subject of his visions. His words stumble out of his mouth as his brain thinks of questions faster than he can ask them. "I-I don't.. What can I do? Bless who? I don't understand." Ó Máille shifts his gaze between Braedan and the spirit, helplessness and confusion having overcome him.

Braedan turns from the spirit to address the Brother and to help calm him as much as possible...

"It's OK Brother.

Says the Bard, putting a gentle hand on the shoulder of his friend and using his abilities to instill peace and confidence.

I understand you're fear and confusion. The creature before us is a cursed soul. Her husband, King Tuatha and her bore four children; a girl Fionnuala, and three sons, Aodh, Fiachra and Conn. Queen Aoife was jealous of their love for their father and turned them into Swans because she had not the heart to kill them outright. You see, before Christianity came to the Island, there were powerful Druids and those that could wield the old magic. She was one of them. Bless them she said...The four Swans in your vision.. brother...her children who yet live. She feels the guilt after having been chained here since before the time of Saint Patrick. She knows that God has given you this vision to free her children from the curse and allow her to pass on to the next life. Whatever that may be. However, I do not yet trust her fully."

"Save the children... Find me... Kill me!" she moans.

Her cries are becoming more wild, more terrifying. She is increasingly agitated, pulling her chains, reaching out to you with long, boney fingers.

"Go!" she screams.

Knowledge History: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8
Knowledge Nature: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9 Where to find magic mushrooms

Braedan says...

"We should go. Even chained she is a powerful sorcerer. I won't be able to protect us if she can still use her power. I care not to find out. We'll have to figure out the rest of the clues later. Start climbing...I'm right behind you"

Using his abilities to try and calm the spirit even momentarially...

"Queen Aoife...we are willing to help you. But how do we leave this place? Who can tell us of these rituals? If you want us to help your children and free you from your torment, you MUST help us...."

"The vision quest... The Druid's Altar..." she answers, before returning to her crazed crying.

You make your careful way out of the caves, minding your step on the way down, the stronger swimmers helping the weaker ones... You are relieved when you finally exit the caves, and once more see the full moon shining above.

Map of the Marble Arch Caves

"Would it be a poor idea to suggest making camp before moving on?" Aoife asked. "This... whole thing has been a bit draining." She honestly to the others with a slight shrug. "I'd also like to get these wet clothes off for a bit and allow them to dry."

Braedan emerges from the cave totally worn out as everyone else...

"We won't do well in the forest at night anyway and this is as good a place as any. I'm not able to make fire as all my stuff is wet. I have steel but no flint (unless we have flint arrowheads but they're probably metal). If we didn't have to sneak out, we may have been able to prepare better. Something to think about for next time. Anyone remember passing any farms on the way here or are their any between here and Burren forest?"

Knowledge Geography: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11
Knowledge Nature: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

"I can make a fire, since we're in a forest I can also gather us some wood. It won't take me long." Aoife said as she made sure she had everything. "Just hang back here, I'll gather what I'll need." She then headed out the the forest to gather what she'd need to make a decent fire for them all to dry off and keep warm for the night.

Survival: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22

Once everyone gotten out of their wet clothes, eaten a bit and dried out. Braedan announces everyone off to sleep and that, since he isn't wounded or drained, he'll take first watch.

After an hour or so, he throws more wood on the fire and will wake up the Hunter...

Knowledge, Geography DC 15 to know where to find the mushrooms.

Knowledge Geog 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20

Padraic rises from his sleeping bag and stretches. "I'll go harvest enough to knock out Largay. You start boiling some water in the pot in my pack. Tea sounds delicious!"

Braedan continues his vigil while Padraic is gone. The bard retrieves some water and starts it to boil in the fire. While waiting for the water, he makes his rounds, checking to make sure everyone is sleeping comfortably, especially Fintan whose wounds were grievous. He also makes sure Brave has good grazing and is tied securely.

Using nearby branches and bushes, he makes sure everyone's clothes are drying but not getting burned.

Padraic leaves the warmth and safety of the fire, and heads out into the wet grasslands of the lower parts of the valley. It's nice to be out. It's nice to be alive.

He takes his time, and finds the tiny yellow and brown mushrooms near boulders where the grass has died. He finds more near a rotting log, and heads back.

He returns some time later. Braedan is still keeping watch, letting Aoife and Fintan and O'Maille get some rest.

The water is boiling.