DM Kaavek's page

Thank you all, if I ever do decide to run another game I'll be sure to let you all know.
:)

Okay folks, sorry to drop off the radar for a while there.

My schedule is getting really cluttered at the moment as I'm desperately trying to finish my thesis before my PhD scholarship runs out next February. With everything so busy for me, it's been really hard to motivate myself to keep up with this game, given how many players have dropped out of this game at this stage.

I was really hopeful that I could at least take the rest of you through to the completion of the Rivenroar catacombs but with so few of you and no time on my end to bot the missing party members I'm not sure you would even survive (without the goblins unexpectedly loosing their will to fight).

There are only one or two combat encounters left but they were supposed to be challenging ones, on par with the dragon's den, and we just don't have the party strength for that anymore.

I'm really sorry, but I think I'm going to have to step down as DM here. You've all been amazing to play with, and you brought some really cool characters to the table. I had some grand plans for you all, but realistically I'm just not sure I can follow through with them anymore.

I hope you can all understand. This has been a really hard post to write. I've had a really great time gaming with you.

Unfortunately so, as the attack came before Zalindra had acted in the combat, it was against your Flat-Footed AC 12. Unless I'm (hopefully) missing something?

COMBAT ROUND 1
Battle Map

The scout immediately lets the dog leash slip from it's grasp and the goblin dog rushes across the room to nip at Zalindra's heels.
Unslinging a heavy crossbow from it's shoulder, the scout's bolt quickly follows it's dog, slamming into the rogue's chest (8 Damage) just as the mutt's teeth rip a chunk out of her calf (5 damage).

Zalindra stumbles forward and collapses onto the stone floor as the rest of the goblins fan out, forming a phalanx in front of the hooded goblin in the back, who takes the opportunity to quickly cast a defensive spell on herself.

Active Effects:
A lit sconce on the southern wall fills the chamber with bright light.

Opening the door with an unfortunately loud creak, Zalindra and Morgrym reveal the large chamber beyond.

At the opposite end of the chamber, a goblin in tattered black robes appears to be ushering a pack of goblin warriors through another set of doors. A wicked goblin dog at the feet of a tall, lanky looking goblin at the back of the pack raise its head and look back, ears pricked at the sound of the creaky door. The dog begin to snarl in the direction of the party members...

The passage leading westward quickly turns north, with a 40-ft corridor culminating in yet another doorway at the end. A flicker of light peeks through from beneath the wooden door there.

It's no problem for the rogue to skirt along the outer edges of the chamber, leading the rest of the group around the ominous black sun.

Did you wish to head through the passageway to the west or the doors to the north?

Examining the floor, there does not appear to be any mechanical reason that the lights would have gone dim.

As Zalindra crosses the threshold, the sunburst pattern on the floor turns as black as pitch, and all of the light sources in the room appear to shine just a little fainter.

In the dim room, the rogue can detect no apparent threats, although witnessing the sudden change in the environment was quiet ominous and left her a little distracted.

Sensing Morgrym's hesitation, Jathal steps in to assist him.
"Please, allow me to carry our fallen companion to the surface. I'm growing weary of these catacombs and you'll need both your hands free if you're to avenge her properly."

As Zalindra opens the door, she is greeted by a large, square chamber.

The room beyond features a large sunburst mosaic in the middle of the floor. Across from the party, a passageway heads west then turns northward.

Another set of doors leads directly north through the wall to their right.

Morgrym can tell that when open, the door swings in to the chamber beyond.

Thanks Jathal, it was good having you with us while you could be.

Finding no traps at the door, Rhona leans in and listens for signs of unlife on the other side. She hears only the echo of her own heart beat, all is silent beyond the door.

I'm so sorry folks. If we're still here, let's press on and at least wrap up the first module.

Zalindra leads the party back down the way they came. Morgrym's shoulders weighed down not just by the physical body of his former companion, Cecilia, but by the psychological weight of her death on his conscience.

Returning to the intersection of two halls, the group is faced with a choice.

Continue forward through the doors opposite them. Head down the stairs to their right, or backtrack further down the path to their left and investigate some of the other rooms branching off from room at the top of the stairs.

Sorry to hear that Jathal, hope it subsides quickly. I've been a bit overwhelmed trying to finish a report for my internship but I'm still here occasionally. Do we have a plan for what to do next yet?

Apologies for the massive delay. In an effort to help get things back on track, I'll post a refresher here for everyone:

The group entered the Rivenroar Catacombs on the mid-level, where they rescued Zalindra's grandfather Sertanian, as well as Adronsius the dwarf and Mirtala the barmaid. They also found the body of Kartenix, former captain of the guard.

Sertanian mentioned that the relics from his museum were likely being held near to the Hobgoblin's war chief, Sinruth. But he didn't know where that was.

Exploring the lower level, the group found Zerriksa the witch, who mentioned another prisoner, a priestess, being held upstairs. While attempting to follow the witch's directions, the group found Thurann instead, son of the zombified captain. Choosing to avenge the boy's father, you then entered the Lord's chamber and confronted Rivenroar himself, losing Cecilia in the process.

There is currently one hostage unaccounted for, and the war relics are still missing.

From Rivenroar's chamber, you may continue Westward or backtrack South and explore some of the passageways you bypassed to get here.

Estimating the ruby studded crown to be worth about 100 GP, Zalindra places it atop the folded chain armour and into the bag.

Dayana inspects the rest of the items, noting magical aura's around the bag, scroll and small vial in particular.

Examining the bag:

Examining the scroll:

Examining the vial:

Sorry for the hiatus, I’ve been flat out preparing my presentation for the conference I’m going to next week. I’ll try to post this weekend if I can but I’ve still got to pack and I’m also moving house the week after I get back...

As Zalindra she moves to search her fallen foes, her eyes are drawn to the ruby studded crown hanging from the corner of Rivenroar's throne.

Mounted on a stand behind the dias, a brilliant chain shirt glimmers beneath centuries of dust.

As she examines the body of Rivenroar himself, she finds two bags tied around his waist. One, a simple velvet lined coin pouch contains 60 golden coins bearing the portraits of various Rhestilorian kings.

The Lord's other bag is of more ornately designed embossed leather. It bears the sigil of a black sun, wreathed in flames. Within the modest bag, Zalindra is surprised to find a trove of items seemingly too large to have fit there. An arcane scroll, a large bottle of amber liquid, and a smaller vial, similar to the cure potions recovered earlier.

Cecilia also obviously carries everything she had with her, notably the silver pendant set with three red-veined opals, and its matching ring.

The reanimated corpse of their once valiant companion is swiftly cut down under a hail of arrows. The group sighs as the fight is finally finished. The bodies of each wight draped around the base of the Lord's thrown where they fell.

That's what I figured.

COMBAT ROUND 6
Battle Map

The party stands for a moment in stunned silence. Morgrym clears his throat to say something... but second guessing himself, he catches himself and holds his tongue. Rhona bends down and places her hand on Cecilia, preparing to move her body. Then... Cecilia’s eyes snap open suddenly.

A cool red glow sparks behind the bard's lifeless pupils. Her hand jerks out and she wraps her icy fingers around the hilt of her rapier once more. She slams the pommel against her former companion's side, a dull clang ringing out and alerting the others to the scuffle.

The bard's once bright eyes narrow and her face contorts itself into a wicked scowl as lets out a blood-curdling, crackling scream from her ragged throat.

Active Effects:
Morgrym’s glowglyphs provide bright light within 20 ft. The rest of the crypt is shrouded in darkness.

Hmm, Morgrym's knowledge check only just passed, so he was able to identify Rivenroar as a wight, and according to the rules, he could recall one piece of information about him.

Given you'd asked how to stop him, and how injured he was, I let you know that he had 1/4 of his HP remaining.

I should probably have told you that wights have resurrection vulnerability, as a way to stop him, since you technically asked that first.

Either way, that was all the information Morgrym could recall. Perhaps he has a niggling worry in the back of his mind, but he can't be sure why that is. Unfortunately.

Dayana takes a moment to centre herself, and it pays off. Her arrow finally finds its mark, piercing Rivenroar’s jaw and embedding itself in his ugly skull.

Aelion follows with a flurry of his own arrows, dropping the red skeleton and the evil wight within seconds of each other.

Rivenroar’s glowing eyes fade, and his horrific visage begins to crumble. Soon nothing remains of the once powerful lord but ash.

The rest of the party breath a sigh of relief, the true threat beneath the old castle defeated.

Is Cecilia coming back as another character, like maybe one we can rescue soon?

I'd certainly be open to it if Bale Fire wants to continue.

COMBAT ROUND 5
Battle Map

As Cecilia’s lifeless body hits the ground, the remaining party members sense a chill on the already cold crypt air. The bard’s dancing lights vanish immediately, leaving only the light from Morgrym’s glowing runes, throwing Rivenroar’s shadow across the northern wall of the tomb.

Aelion quickly redirects his focus, and sends an arrow into his companion’s killer. Growling with newly kindled rage, Rhona slams Hew down into the undead lord’s chest, staggering her foe as he attempts to slam his fist into her side.

Turning toward Rivenroar, Morgrym shudders as he realises the truth about the ancient lord. The flesh of his corpse was rotten and his bony eye sockets glowed with red light. Lord Rivenroar had transformed himself into a Wight, a putrid servant of Vecna.

Morgrym can tell that the wight has lost about three quarters of its vitality.

He charges up to aid his dwarven companion, the red skeleton raking his back in a futile attempt to stop him as he moves. The skeleton follows, leaping at the dwarf’s back but Morgrym again shakes it loose. (Failed grapple attempt, provoking AoO).

Active Effects:
Morgrym’s glowglyphs provide bright light within 20 ft. The rest of the crypt is shrouded in darkness.

Thank you Cecilia, that was beautiful and tragic.

I will try to have another post up soon but it’s my birthday and I think Morgrym still needs to take an action so I might hold off until he’s posted.

I’ve actually been meaning to ask if this post rate is okay with everyone? I haven’t been very strict with keeping each round to 24 hours as I think I originally intended. I can’t honestly see the pace picking up again though. I’m a month out from an international conference I need to prepare a poster for and after that I’ll be starting an internship so I’m a much busier woman these days than at the start of this adventure.

Ha ha. "Are you totally, like, mocking me right now?" ... Miss chance is kind of moot for my current attack, but will (totally, like) remember for (like) next time.

I think I was, like, going to type something else and then, like, totally forgot to delete 'like'.

If Morgrym had extend the glowglyph to last an hour, then it will still be active. That means Lord Rivenroar is dimly lit and the elves can use low-light vision to avoid any miss chance.

And yes, Rhona, please confirm your critical and enact sweet vengeance.

Unfortunately, donating hero points like doesn't work.

Also unfortunate, as I think Cecilia's spell was the only light source in the room, you're now fighting in the dark. Anyone without darkvision, please remember to roll a 50 % miss chance, or shed some light on the room.

Please go ahead and post Cecilia’s last moments. I’m so sorry her tale had to end here, but it definitely is a fitting end. The bards of Brindol will sing of her bravery for generations to come.

COMBAT ROUND 4
Battle Map

Zalindra nicks the side of the mossy skeleton’s jaw while Jathal’s arrow narrowly misses the red stained archer.

Morgrym charges at the red skeleton but it dodges his hammer blow. With his target blocked by the dwarf's frame, Aelion switches up and sends an arrow through the mossy skeleton's chest, finally shattering the undead warrior for good.

The last remaining skeleton drops its bow and rakes its fingers futilely across Morgrym's armour.

Upon the dais, Cecilia darts around Lord Rivenroar, attempting to outmanoeuvre the old Lord. Unfortunately, the former nobleman is indeed an agile foe, and he reaches out, suddenly, snatching the bard by her throat.

As he pulls her in close, his boney fingers digging into her neck and compressing her airway, Cecilia's vision fades to black. Her body quickly goes limp, and falls to the floor with a sickening thud (8 Damage), (2 negative levels).

I'm sorry Cecilia.

Active Effects:
The room is shrouded in darkness.

COMBAT ROUND 3
Battle Map

Jathal’s arrow smashes the skeletal archer in blue, but her companions aren’t able to follow her lead and fail to land any more blows on the undead guardians of the decrepit Lord Rivenroar.

Fortunately for the would-be purifiers of the festering tomb, the undead who live there are no more successful at defending it, and the two sides remain locked in combat.

Active Effects:
The room is shrouded in darkness, save for where Cecilia's Dancing Lights provide normal light within 20 feet of each of them.

COMBAT ROUND 1
Battle Map

Zalindra obliterates the orange stained bones of the first skeleton to rise, shattering them apart as quickly as they formed together. Meanwhile Aelion’s arrow punches through the red ribs of its boney ally.

The red skeleton raises a longbow and sends an arrow skittering across the stones at Aelion’s feet, while a moss-covered skeleton behind embeds an arrow in Rhona’s shield.

Another of the undead guards stalks around behind the throne to return a shot at Zalindra, but instead sending it whistling down the hall and slamming into the pillar beside Morgrym.

Upon the raised dais, Cecilia faces off against the ancient lord of Castle Rivenroar. The bard bravely pierces the undead noble’s chest, and as he moves forward in an attempt to grab at her, finds she has him neatly pinned to the throne behind him.

Active Effects:
The room is shrouded in darkness, save for where Cecilia's Dancing Lights provide normal light within 20 feet of each of them. Rivenroar is not technically pinned, he just happened to critically fail the lunge toward Cecilia.

No worries, I'm away on a work trip this week so I'm not expecting things to move at a blistering pace.

COMBAT ROUND 1
Battle Map

Cecilia, Zalindra, and Rhona advance to the next chamber. The bard's lights illuminate an immense chamber. Two thrones sit atop a raised tomb. One has a rotting but still fleshy corpse on it. Other piles of bone litter the ground.

As the light crosses the corpse's eyes, they shine like a cat's and then begin to glow red on their own.

"Intrudersssssssss" it lisps. Raising its hands, the dead littering the chamber also begin to rise.

The party is up for Round 1.

Active Effects:
The room is shrouded in darkness, save for where Cecilia's Dancing Lights provide normal light within 20 feet of each of them.

Cecilia's silver tongue works magic on the boy, and he is eventually convinced of the benefits of letting the real fighters dole out vengence on his behalf.

Narrowly avoiding a nasty bruise on the back of the head, Thurann voluntarily backs down.

"I'll make it back on my own, you go on. Avenge my father."
He points down the wide hall lined with pillars. "That's where they were going to take me, that's where their boss is buried. Make sure he never gets up again!"

With some difficulty, Rhona and the others help calm Thurann down.

Unfortunately, this raises a new problem, as the boy insists on coming with them to get revenge for his father.

"Take me with you, I can fight! I'll cut old Rivenroar's head clean off, just let me have my father's sword!"

Thurann looks like he is about to protest, clenching his newly freed hands but as Cecilia delivers her final statement the boy shudders. The colour fades from his cheeks as the bravado leaves his stance.

Staggering back, Thurann falls to his knees and retches, his eyes welling with tears.

Morgrym stares into the dark hall. The pillars lining the walls all depict stern-faced warriors, with the phrase Honor the Heroic Guardians of Rivenroar repeated over and over. The dwarf gets the feeling that the hall opens up into some great chamber, although he cannot verify this from where he stands with eyes alone.

Staring up into the faces of Zalindra and Cecilia. Lifting bound hands to his face, he wipes away the grime of the last few days and composes himself.

"My name is Thurann, and no, I'm not hurt at all."
The boy's voice is steady as he tries his best to appear brave before the assembled group.

COMBAT ROUND 1
Battle Map

Zalindra steps into the room and quickly looses an arrow, shattering the skull of the nearest skeleton. Either side of her, the dwarves rush forward. Rhona bursts open the ribs of another of the boy's skeletal guardians beneath her fists while Morgrim obliterates a third.

The boy remains locked firmly in the grasp of one final skeleton, but a deft shot from Aelion soon shatters its left arm and a second arrow from Jathal finishes the undead foe.

The boy drops to the floor and covers his head, while the skeletons of a dwarf and an elf emerge from behind the pillars in the long hallway leading north.

The Elf quickly draws back and looses an old rusty arrow at Zalindra, piercing her shoulder (3 damage). The dwarf has its heavy crossbow already loaded and quickly releases its bolt in the direction of his living kin. It whistles between Morgrym and Rhona, before embedding itself in the bones of some poor soul entombed in the walls behind them.

Sorry for the delay, the party is up for Round 1.

Active Effects:
The room is shrouded in darkness, save for where Cecilia's Dancing Lights provide normal light within 20 feet of each of them.

Once Rhona has checked the door and ensured it isn't trapped, Zalindra sidles up and pushes it open as quietly as possible.

The room beyond reeks of old bones and rusted metal. Keeping close to the door as she carefully advances, the rogue catches a glimpse of the southern wall of the chamber, filled floor to ceiling with skeletal remains packed into over a dozen burial alcoves. Along the top of the wall the epitaph "Honor the Heroic Guardians of Rivenroar" repeats, interspersed among small engravings of the Rivenroar crest and the black sun sigils.

As more of the room is revealed, those in the doorway can see that not all of the dead are content to rest in the room's walls. Standing before a small annex with a fountain in the eastern wall, four skeletal figures carry a small boy toward a wide corridor leading north while two more watch on from between the stone pillars there.

Their bones creak and clatter as they drag the limp child, none seem to notice the approaching intruders.

You may all take surprise round actions now if you wish to intervene.

The door opens into the room.

Aelion attempts to identify the source of the sounds coming from the next room, but try as he might, whatever sound his companions heard, the elf can not pinpoint it again over the sound of his own breathing as he presses himself to the cold, damp wood of the door.

I thought it was a bit over the top to roll to put your shield away...

As the group moves slowly into the corridor ahead, Zalindra notices the faint sound of dripping water echoing up the stairwell ahead of them.

Peering around the corners at the intersection, Aelion can see that both passageways soon end in solid wooden doors. There are no threats as far as the elf can see, but Rhona and Zalindra can both pick up the subtle sounds of movement on the other side of the eastern door.

Not satisfied with the path ahead, and heading to another exit, Cecilia opens the northern door, revealing the short corridor on the other side.

The path ahead of the bard leads to another set of stairs, but is bisected before it reaches them by another passage crossing east to west.

Okay, I'm going to assume everyone else is cool with this plan.

As the party assembles behind Aelion at the western doors, the elf slowly cracks them ajar and peeks through.

A staircase stretches down before the group, leading into a long corridor shrouded in darkness. It seems to continue westward, not quite lining up with the dwarf's described directions.

To be clear, the party is heading through the doorway in the western wall of the chamber? There are also doors leading north and south, but I don't think I ever explicitly laid out the room before combat started and Aelion had moved to check the western doorway before it concluded.

As Dayana examines the items, she finds that faint magical auras emanate from all three scrolls, as well as the flask of oil.

Flask:

Scroll I:

Scroll II:

Scroll III:

Aelion strains to hear anything at the doorway but the elf detects no hint at what may lie beyond the the doors before moving to help Morgrym.

Searching through the goblin's pockets, Zalindra recovers an unworked ruby, a decorative pepper shaker; shaped like an exotic cat, a jar of green olives, a piece of cut malachite, and a gold tooth; slightly stained by the blood of its former owner.

The hobgoblin wears a polished copper ring, and carries the now familiar Black Arrow longsword that seems the standard issue for Sinruth's servants. On the body of the druid, the rogue finds three scrolls, a flask of oil, two delicate vials of shimmering red liquid, and a small pouch of spell components.

Dayana sends her arrow into the darkness, piercing the druid's belly and leaving in hunched over in pain.

As the group closes in, Jathal dances around her foe to the tune of Cecilia's chant and brings her curveblade down through the goblin's neck.

As the creature's head hits the flagstones with a thud, the darkness surrounding it dissipates like a fog bank in the morning sun.

The room falls still and quiet.