GM Wydroe's Gallows of Madness Chapter 2, What Lurks in the Woods (Restart) (Inactive)

Game Master Wydroe

Opening the door reveals a 10 by 10 foot space the floor of which his recessed about a foot and filled with purple-gray demon bile. The far wall has a crude carving of a face with three eyes. As the light of the open door hits the face, its eyes sparkle an eerie green.

The smell is very strong almost making eyes water. Sulfur and decay does clear the sinuses.

As you all look closer, the sparkling eyes are faceted gems worth 50 gold a piece.

Taking his morningstar to the bile in a few minutes, Theo is able to blacken and destroy all of the bile.

Who wants to pry out the gems? What else do you want to do or where else do you want to explore?

Eurkar, there are still two potions of cure light wounds in the loot, one held by Theo and one by Drin. Zuheilen is out of healing though she has not told any one. She also just examined the potion. Drin also looked at it with detect magic and a spellcraft check. Either of them could let you know that this found potion could help as well.

"I am only lightly scratched now that your cleric has healed us. Thank you,kind lady." "I will help however I can. My cousin was not brought here as far as I know. I was hoping maybe the town folk found where we were being held and rescued her. I really want to get back and help in the search if possible."

Drin examines the gems, considering whether he can remove them. He tries to take one out with his hands while his raven familiar attempts to seize the other in her beak.

"Can someone pour one of the healing potions into me please?" Eurkar asked.

The gems are easily pryed out of the wood. The area still has a strangely unsettling air, but it looks a whole lot less menacing.

Eurkar asks for a potion to help him with his wound recovery. Zuheilen has a cure moderate potion, Drin and Theo each have a cure light wound potion. Don't everyone move at once on healing Eurkar. One of the lights should do it.

There are 3 building remaining that look unique. One with a corral, might once have been stables to the rear closest to the cave. Then there looks to be a nicer maintained building just south of the corral. Then the building that the goblins used to throw alchemist fires adjacent to the brown mold trap looks and smells different then the others.

Someone please heal Eurkar by giving him a potion. Then of these three other builds where do you want to go explore? We are real close to done so hang in there. Also I have reported the game so no one die please.

Zuheilen realizes that what she needs more than anything is to rest soon. In the meantime she will give the potion she found on Mezodarth to Eurkar. "Eurkar, please take this potion and use it well."
cure moderate wounds: 2d8 + 3 ⇒ (1, 8) + 3 = 12

Theo sniffs the air and heads toward the stinky building that the goblins were throwing things off of. He opens the door and looks inside.

Crudely fashioned tools hang from hooks along the eastern wall. Drawings of questionable skill cover the remaining walls, depicting humans being crushed, dismembered, or otherwise mutilated by elaborate and impractical traps.

Collecting the tools you figure you have a complete set of masterwork artisan's tools for crafting traps.

Where else would you like to investigate?

Eurkar felt better after the potion did its magic to his wounds. "Thank you Zuheilen" he said before starting to check out the nicer looking building to see if there was anything of value.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21

Drin checks out the building with the corral.

Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18

Eurkar stides over to check out the nicer building. Meanwhile, Theo is over at the fort front.

This wooden shack is built more soundly than the others. It contains a large bed stained purplish black with sludge, and a short wooden table piled high with maps and papers. Eurkar, looking through the papers, the maps are of Isgar and mostly the area around Saringallow, all of which are annotated with invasion plans.The papers seem to constitute a journal of the Mezodarath and this history. The top papers seem very disjointed almost the rantings of an madman. Eurkar finds a pearl earring in a hidden in small compartment in the desktop.

Drin approaches the stable like building. As he opens the door, he reveals a squat interior filled with hay and stinking excrement. As he stands in the doorway, he hears a low growl and sees two red eyes emerging from the darkness in the rear of the building.

The goblin dog runs forward and bites at the wizard. bite vs ff: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8; dmg: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

Surprise round
Goblin Dog advances and bites at Drin missing his leg by inches.
Drin

Drin you are up. Your companions are scattered. Zuheilen is the closest help.

Drin takes a step back and attempts to Daze the creature (DC 16).

He calls to his companies, "Hurry! A foul goblin mount yet remains."

Drin's spell does not seem to have anything effect on the dog-thing. Daze only works on humanoids.
Drin, do you have a weapon out?

Nixa initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

Round 1
Theo
Zuheilen
Eurkar
goblin dog
Drin
Nixa

I have my falchion.

"Coming, Drin! I've got you covered." Theo hustles over and puts himself between the wizard and the dog.

If I can charge the dog then attack, if not double move.
Eurkar sprinted across the ground towards the dog and tried to kick it's head.
Attack: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 4 + 2 = 91d6 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

Theo moves to protect the wizard. Eurkar hurries forward too. No charge with people and hard corner in the way.

Round 1
Theo
Zuheilen
Eurkar
goblin dog
Drin
Nixa

Zuheilen is up!

I will delay Zuheilen. I think she is out of most attacking things and will wait to see what happens.

The goblin dog bites out at Theo. bite: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16; bite dmg: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9 The beast gets a hold of Theo's armor and puts a good dent in it, but the attack does not hurt Theo.

Round 1
Theo
Zuheilen
Eurkar
goblin dog
Drin
Nixa

Drin is up! Zuheilen can jump in off delay at any time. I will hold Nixa until at least Drin goes not wanting to clog a spot at the thing.

Zuheilen pulls out her crossbow while moving closer to help fight off the dog.

Drin lays a hand on Theo and casts Resistance on him. He then takes a step back.

Drin gives Theo an edge with his resistance spell. Nixa moves to aid in the fight draing her sword as she goes. she then swings it around the door frame at the dog-thing. "These are filthy beasts. Don't let it touch you or you get a nasty rash."

Nixa's sword swing: 1d20 + 4 - 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 - 4 = 7; sword damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5
But you can not hit the thing.

Round 2
Theo
Eurkar
goblin dog
Zuheilen
Drin
Nixa

Theo, Eurkar are up!

Flurry of Boots: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 111d6 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9
Flurry of Boots: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 181d6 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5
Having a hard time with the cover provided by the entrance, Eurkar tried to hit the dog with his boot.

"Bad dog!" Theo shakes off the creature's bite and swings his weapon.

morningstar: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14
damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Then he steps back slightly.

Theo and Eurkar combine to finish the creature.

Combat over!

The dog appears to be the only one remaining in this kennel area smelly and unclean as it is.

The remainder of the buildings are goblin bunk houses filthy with rags and hay lined sleeping spots covered with gray-purple mud. Searching thoroughly nothing else of value can be found.

If there is anything else you would like to do before leaving Highfort, please post it. Else I will assume you leave for Saringallow with Nixa the following morning.

You camp in the fort and pass an uneventful night. The next morning you start the return trip back to Saringallow retracing your path back for the four days. The trip is uneventful. Nixa tells you her story. She does not remember much about the person that hit her and took your to the dark place. She is anxious to get back and see if there is news of her missing cousin.

Will post the mayor debriefing tomorrow. It has been a long day. I will finish tomorrow.

As you approach town, the Escoro family comes out and greet you asking about your journey. They send Carlo ahead to tell the mayor you will be coming along shortly.

As you enter the gates, the guards way you through and tell you the mayor is waiting to hear your report.

Mayor Trinelli greets you as you enter her office and has Linus bring in some refreshments. Her comfortable but cluttered office looks much the same. There are chairs in front of her desk for you and she settles back into your chair to hear your story.

You explain about the goblin raid in the Escoro field and then how you traced the trail back to Highfort. You give her the journal and maps that Mezodarath had. Nixa explains about her abduction and the bugbear's want to use her as a mole somehow turned against the village.

Nixa continues, "Is there word of Nolaria. It would be almost three weeks she is missing."

The mayor sighs, "I am sorry, Nixa. She and a hand full of others are missing. We had thought them on holiday in Wolfpoint or further up the trail. Now, it seems our worst fears are real. They are missing and probably held captive. I would like to speak further with you, Nixa, after this meeting."

The mayor gives you the remainder of the gold promised. She also says, VC Drange has forwarded instructions to have you all head back to Absolom. He indicated other tasks await your attention.

"Thank you all sincerely for helping Saringallow. The goblin wars have plagued this town enough and your actions insured they will stay a thing of the past. You have my thanks and that of the citizens of this town."

I should get the chronicles out tomorrow. Please feel free to ask questions of the mayor or Nixa in game. I have enjoyed this run very much. I hope you have too.

Sorry, it has been a busy weekend. I hope to get the chronicles out tomorrow.

Here are the Chronicles. Chronicles

Hopefully, everything is correct for you all. Please let me know if you have any questions or issues.

Again, thank you all for playing. It was my pleasure to GM for you.

Thank you for allowing me to join the group and learn more about this game.

Thank you for running it GM Wydroe. Looking over the chronicle, since it was ran as a Core game, shouldn't they be marked as such?

Yep, they should. I definitely reported the game as core. But in all core games, it should be written on the chonicle as such. I will see if I can't fix that tomorrow. My apologies.

Edit: They should say core now. So, please download a new version.

Let me know if anything else looks weird.

Thanks.

Thanks for running this. It's an interesting module with some surprising enemy abilities for a first-level party.

Thanks for making it happen, GM Wydroe. And sorry for the late reply.