Rook lacks any spell effects that make enough noise to affect the haunt that way, so he tries to fake being an enthusiastic dwarf.
DC 12
"Rally round my fellow dwarfs! We have them on the run!" His accent is terrible, but he bellows loudly enough make a passable imitation of a dwarf.
The ghostly dwarves on the stage seem to fight harder, as if they have been joined by more dwarves, but the haunt is not yet defeated.
After Sadaf improves on his performance, a change takes place and the ghostly Duergar are defeated, whereupon a thrumming chant of dwarven voices sounds through the hall, swearing, “And wed ourselves to duty.”
A series of small rooms fills the space between the theater and whatever lies behind the room with the double doors . The first is a small room that has remnants of medical supplies and a simple cot. On a table rests a wand. It is magical and turns out to be a Wand of cure moderate wounds with 17 charges left.
The next room appears to have been used as a prop room for the theater. Dried makeup and dry, rotting costumes give the room a musty smell. Fake treasure troves and plaster monster masks are carefully stored in the cabinets. Whoever first looks around the room receives a brief moment of alarm at the sight of four kobolds who appear ready for battle or mischief. A moment's inspection reveals them to be metal statues.
Lady Delbera penned several of the scripts found here herself to immortalize her many and varied adventures, including The Fall of Karexin, The Wedding of Riellal, and Dawn Shines on the Legion. These three scripts describe the period in Delbera’s life when she transitioned from roving adventurer to stalwart defender of Davarn. While none of the scripts are especially groundbreaking or valuable, The Fall of Karexin tells the tale of how her adventuring band, the Rising Blades, entered Nar-Voth to stem the tide of undead plaguing a small town in Andoran. The Rising Blades discovered the origin of the raiders—a fey necromancer named Karexin—and, in the process, saved the svirfneblin village of Oremont. The Rising Blades, assisted by the svirfneblin, eventually triumphed over Karexin and his undead hordes, finally casting his body into the abyss.
In the drawers of a dressing table is a hat of disguise.
The next door north opens into a narrow passage that connects these rooms to the hall northwest of the theater with a secret door that leads into the room to the east.
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Vinnie is pleased to see the healing wand. "Well this could be most handy!" He puts it into one of his spring-loaded wrist sheathes.
He peruses the scripts that Lady Delbara left behind with interest. "Quite the playwright the mistress seems to have been. No wonder she was so wowed by your Dwarven performances..."
He is, however, unable to make much out of the hat of disguise, beyond the obvious fact that it would be quite useful for dramatic performances.
Stout dwarven pillars support this open stairway. A balcony overlooks the floor below. Three doors stand to the north, east, and south. The north and east doors have had solid looking duergar locks attached to the outside. On the floor lies the dead body of a dwarf in a Davarn town guard uniform. His body has had its throat ripped as if by a clawed hand. The body has been there long enough that it is at room temperature and starting to smell of decay.
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Sadaf carefully examined the dead body of the dwarf guard, his eyes filled with empathy and sadness for the fallen comrade. Turning to his companions, he took a deep breath and began to speak.
“Friends, I know the sight of this poor soul weighs heavily on our hearts. We must remember that we are here to bring an end to the suffering of the Axebringer clan and restore balance to this region. Though the path before us is dark and treacherous, we must remain steadfast in our mission. I propose we check these locked doors for any clues or traps, and then venture deeper into the fortress. Let us move forward with the blessings of Lady Luck Chaldira and the strength of our bond, for the sake of the Axebringers and all of Davarn!“
With determination in his eyes, Sadaf then approaches the locked doors, closely inspecting them for any signs of danger, while his trusted companion Danduun playfully sniffs around the room, ever alert to potential threats.
BLS 1:
BLS 2:
No traps are detected on either lock or door. Danduun sniffs and then turns toward the door on the south side of the landing. Sadaf can tell the animal senses something suspicious in the room
The locks are good quality of Duergar design. There is no evident lock on the door to the south .
This richly decorated bedroom features a large four-poster bed atop a raised platform. A portrait of Lady Delbera hangs from the wall at the head of the bed, and tapestries line the walls. A wardrobe, dressing table, chest of drawers, and two comfortable chairs round out the room’s furnishings. The faint smell of steel, cedar, and crushed berries still looms in the air.
Vinnie:
Sarxa:
BLS 1:
BLS 2:
Splash Damage: 12 fire
Rook: DC 20
AOO vs Rook AC 22
BLS 1 Miss
BLS 2 Miss
BLS 2 vs Rook AC 22
Miss
Miss
Sadef AC 23
Danduun AC 25
Rook opens the door and immediately spots two Bone Legion Soldiers, as the skeletal warriors encountered before are called. They flank the door but Rook reacts more quickly then they do and tosses one of his bombs into the room. It does not hit the solider he aimed at, but landed where the fire could splash onto both of them. Then Rook tries to tumble past the two to get into the room and prevent a bottleneck, but they both manage to swing their axes at him as he passes. They both miss him however.
Once inside, Rook points toward the east side of the room and says, "Got another boogie in here!" He is pointing at a female humanoid with horns, grey skin, a sinister expression, long hair on her head, claws on her hands, and the hind legs of a goat. She is wearing a chain shirt, with a hand crossbow for a weapon.
One of the soldiers pursues Rook into the room but his swings are equally clumsy as before.
The other blocks the entrance to the door and attacks those outside. The attacks present no real threat, however, because of the cover provided by the wall and the soldiers continuing bad form.
Trevor
Vinnie
Sarxa (the goat-legged creature)
Sadaf
Danduun
Round 2
Rook
BLS 2 (12 lethal)
BLS 1 (12 lethal)
Vinnie and Trevor act next.
BLS1:
Rook:
Sadaf:
Trevor's electrical assault damages the Bone Legion soldier , but Vinnies attempt to scare him into fleeing fails.
Sarxa drinks something and her form suddenly goes all blurry and wavering . She then moves a bit away from the fight with her guardians.
Few nymphs survive the ordeal of giving birth to a forlarren—those who do might attempt to raise their children in loving environments, but the evil that lurks in a forlarren’s soul is powerful. In most cases where a nymph attempts to raise a forlarren child, it’s only a matter of time before the forlarren grows resentful and its evil nature compels it to murder its mother.
Most forlarrens are female, and few are capable of conceiving children of their own. A forlarren grows to adulthood with astonishing speed, reaching full growth in only a year—even those who come into the world as orphans are capable of defending themselves and seeking out food. Yet despite the rapidity with which they reach maturity, few forlarrens survive to adulthood. Cast out from both sylvan and fiendish society, the typical forlarren is a lonely creature, cursed by its own existence. It detests itself and everything it sees, and soon becomes consumed by hatred of life itself. The forlarren vents its rage on good and evil alike, lashing out at anything that approaches it.
Round 1
Sadaf
Danduun
Round 2
Rook
BLS 2 (12 lethal)
BLS 1 (31 lethal)
Trevor
Vinnie
Sarxa
Sadaf orders Danduun to continue attacking.
The little dinosaur tears into the bone creature in front of him.
~
~
Sarxa:
Vs. Sarxa
Rook:
BLS 2 vs Vinnie, AC 27
Danduun brings down the skeleton at the door.
Sadaf's spell catches the forlarren off guard and she gets burned.
Rook steps away from the remaining skeleton and lobs a frost bomb at the forlarren, but his aim is off. It hits the north wall and does no one any harm.
The remaining bone legion soldier attacks Vinnie but fails to hit with the first attack. The second glances off his armor.
Trevor
Vinnie
BLS1:
The skeleton drops its weapon and runs past Rook until it reaches the bed. Then it runs at the wall behind the bed. When it finds no way to escape, it turns watches in fear.
Sarxa, seeing her bodyguards dispatched so quickly, holds up her hands as she moves away from the flaming sphere, saying, "I have guests! Please, whatever you seek, we can coordinate. I am Sarxa."
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"Clearly we have the better of you, but if you surrender now and tell us what we wish to know, we will ensure that you are fairly treated by the good folk of Davarn when we deliver you to them. Come, there is no need to die for whatever master has misled you to these dire circumstances. Yield and you shall be treated with justice."
Sarxa wants to negotiate terms that would allow her to escape with the corpse of Delbera. However, with her duargar mercenaries mostly dispatched as well as her bone legion soldiers, she has nothing much to offer. She surrenders and keeps mostly silent, although she answers questions if asked. She indicates that the other bedrooms in this level have about two dozen prisoners captured during the raid on Davarn. They are all descendants of Delbera.
The room contains a number of books and maps.
A battered old journal is located in a false-bottomed drawer in the bedside table. This is Delbera’s adventuring journal and contains her firsthand accounts of her adventures. The stories contained within may also be found in her memoirs in the library and the scripts in the prop room.
Reading these stories reveals a very unsure and insecure young acolyte studying at the feet of Father Grandich. She left home to meet the calling of her god even as commitments to her family, friends, and community demanded she stay. She feared that her choice to leave made her an exile, and that those she loved would never accept her back, and so she threw herself into loving and caring for the Rising Blades. Delbera reached out to protect and encourage her companions and those they encountered in their travels, and they in time grew fiercely protective of her as well.
Her accounts take care to describe their adventures below the mountains of northern Andoran and the Five Kings Mountains, when the Rising Blades fought a surge of undead crawling forth from the caves. Her fear becomes palpable in the journal as she describes the caverns—not dissimilar to her childhood home—as oppressive and evil. Her accounts focus on supporting and healing her teammates, and later doing what she can for the tiny gnome settlement they discovered hidden near Karexin’s Tower.
Journals dated much later, written in a steadier and aged hand, describe her return home and the fanfare that followed, as well as the fact that she oversaw the excavation of the redoubt as paranoia steadily gnawed at the back of her mind, warning of dangers from deeper tunnels that might threaten those she loved. In time, likeminded defenders flocked to her banner.
Last two entries on the journal.
"By sweat and blood, we have come here,
We who are sired by the will to defend,
We who are born with blade in hand,
We who court the ways of honor,
And wed ourselves to duty,
Pledge ourselves to the Firebrand and her mistress,
And in the blaze of both, find eternal strength."
Finally, there is a roughly drawn map of tunnels, indicating the redoubt, Davarn, and something marked with cryptic emblems near the redoubt. Sarxa is close-lipped about what is there and will only tell if released and given Delbera's body and allowed to escape.
Sarxa believes there is a tomb with Delbera's body somewhere in the redoubt.
Searching the trophy room near the bottom of the stairs that lead to the bedroom suite where the group is presently activates a haunt showing a young Delbera being pulled underground by a ghostly bullette. Once defeated, the haunt is filled with dwarven voices chanting, "We who are born with blade in hand."
The room once had many trophies and weapon cases, mostly looted already. One appears to have held Delbera's magic axe and another is labeled "Rod of Karexin the Mad," though the word "mad" is crossed out and a delicate, precise hand has written “Visionary.”
While many of the valuables from the trophy rooms have been looted, a few noteworthy items have been left behind, including a +1 spear, a +1 light steel shield depicting a Taldan wedding, a mithral shirt, a slightly vandalized suit of masterwork half-plate, a masterwork longspear, a masterwork composite longbow (Str +4), and a bejeweled longspear sized for a
pixie (worth 350 gp).
Next the trophy room is a chapel . An anvil-shaped altar stands prominently at the northeastern end of this chapel. A cold furnace is cut into wall behind the anvil, while tools of the forge lie carefully arranged about the worship space. A blacksmith’s apron lies across the anvil.
Entering the chapel activates another haunt that depicts a young Delbera working on her battleaxe at a forge. The effort she is apparently putting into her hammer blows fatigues those present but Sadef starts singing a hymn to Torag and it quiets the haunt, leaving the voices to chant, "By sweat and blood, we have come here."
Exploring the lower level turns up another haunt of Delbera compelling people in the room to help her prepare a meal, leading to comical attempts to cook without proper ingredients. But when this haunt is defeated, the chant rings out, "Pledge ourselves to the Firebrand and her mistress."
Some valuable bottles of liquor are found here but nothing else of value.
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As Sadaf and Danduun explored the various rooms and uncovered the haunts, Sadaf couldn't help but feel a deep sense of connection to Delbera and the struggles she faced throughout her life. He appreciated her devotion to her god, her love for her companions, and the sacrifices she made for her people. Danduun, sensing Sadaf's emotions, stayed close to him, occasionally nuzzling his hand for comfort.
When the group discovered the various treasures left behind, Sadaf felt a mix of excitement and sadness. The valuables represented a testament to Delbera's achievements, but also a reminder of the dark fate that had befallen her and her home.
As they dealt with the haunts and heard the chants, Sadaf felt a renewed determination to honor Delbera's memory and restore balance to the region. He couldn't help but feel a sense of kinship with her, as they both sought to protect the natural order and ensure the safety of their loved ones.
“This whole place just fills me with sadness!“ he says.
Sadaf:
Danduun:
Rook:
Trevor:
Vinnie:
Rook:
Sadef:
Trevor:
Vinnie:
Once the information from Sarxa has been digested and other haunts explored and defeated, the group approaches a room at the top of the axe-shaped redoubht. There are two sets of double doors elaborately constructed. Neither is locked and once opened, reveal a brilliant crystal chandelier hanging in the center of a large high-ceilinged open room. Five portraits hang on the walls: a Chelish man in plate armor pictured with a sword and shield, a half-elven woman leaning against a bow, a ruggedly handsome half-orc in long robes, a Varisian woman holding a crystal ball, and a muscular but maternal dwarven woman. Several statues have been smashed to rubble, cluttering the floor. Part of the chamber’s northern wall has been torn down, revealing a once-secret door of bronze and gently shimmering runes.
As the group moves in looking around, they are caught off guard by the formation of another haunt.
A ghostly image of Delbera appears, frozen in fear. Another ghostly form—this one a half-orc man—(looks like the painting) falls to the floor beside her, gasping in short, ragged breaths, bleeding and badly burned. A stentorian voice booms through the grand hall. “Pitiful girl. Do you really think what you and your companions have done here today has achieved anything but merely slow my rise to power? I shall take great satisfaction in adding your corpses to my army.”
As the voice echoes,the shattered bits of statue assemble themselves into a 12-foot-tall form of a robed necromancer. Sketches in some of the notes studied earlier suggest it might represent Karexin, the necromancer Delbara battled.
Danduun is ordered to flank and runs around the creature and claws.
Animated Statue:
The rubble statue seems unaware of the flaming sphere and does not avoid it as it rolls into it.
Danduun claws at the moving chunks of former statues but the rocks prevent the claws from penetrating enough to do it any harm.