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Hi guys - glad to see that this is going ahead. I think Free Archetype is a great idea. Currently deciding between building on one of Abi's existing strengths with the Medic archetype or adding some versatility with a magic archetype such as Wizard multiclass or Scroll Trickster. Cool, I'll go with Medic then
Really sorry guys. Had a massive case at work unexpectedly move up the schedule. Things have been pretty frantic but should ease up a bit by Sunday.
Two giant spiders and an ettercap were meant to be in the redoubt, as well as a swarm of wasps who would emerge if their nest was disturbed. The swarm of wasps might have been particularly problematic for you given swarm immunities.
Shrinking down again you head through the crack. You see signs of the tiny tracks also having come this way before and in a short while end up in another passageway. The tiny tracks continue to the North-east, while from the south west you can hear the sounds of someone approaching.
Think sort of along the lines of a small frontier style log fort. There is a low (10 foot) wooden wall around the outside and 5 treehouses joined together by narrow walkways as well as a couple of ground level sheds. The compound is certainly large enough to hold everyone, although designed to be held by a much smaller group. There is a small well inside the compound so clean water wouldn't be an issue. Searching the compound reveals that it seems to have been abandoned for at least 2 weeks. At the edge of the fire pit Issi finds the remains of a half burned letter recalling all Chernasdo Rangers to Fort Trevalay. The Rangers appear to have taken most of their stuff with them when they withdrew although you do manage to find two barrels of oats that had been left behind (worth 10 Provision points) and a quiver of 15 +1 arrows that seem to have been forgotten. You are lucky that apart from a number of spiders nothing nasty seems to have moved into the fort in the rangers absence.
About 20 minutes after you seperate from the rest of the group you spot a large structure built in the trees of a small island that rises out of the swamp. This must be the redoubt. As you draw closer there seems to be no sign of any life, although no sign of any violent struggle either. A somewhat rickety looking bridge provides the only visible way of accessing the island the redoubt is on. perception 20 (once you are on the bridge): A cleverly hidden noose trap is set up just on the far side of the bridge.
"Excellent! It's settled then. We'll see you in a couple of days." says Lirosa. The first day passes uneventfully, with Aubrin giving directions and Tyrek able to scout ahead. That night Aubrin and Rhyna are able to have a look at the items you were unable to identify and are able do so after a short amount of poking and prodding. They both look slightly askance at the symbol of the buckler you found at the Phaendar Trading Company, with Rhyna suggesting that you might want to cover the symbol up and Aubrin muttering that there always had seemed something off about Kining. The next day, the forest becomes much thicker, trees pressed close together with their branches intertwined, and the ground grows damp underfoot. A gloom hangs in the air. Foliage around the base of the trees is sparse, stunted by lack of sunlight. The songs of birds and noises of small animals have ceased, adding to the eerie atmosphere of the ancient woods. The only non-plant life you see are these tiny biting flies, but you do see a lot of them. Around lunchtime Aubrin calls for a halt and comes over with a look of concern on her face.
Re Demogorgon: Known as the Prince of Demons and the Sibilant Beast, Demogorgon spends most of his time in a region of the Abyss known as the Gaping Maw, only rarely leaving. Nocticula is wary and distrustful of most of the more powerful Demonlords (with the exception of Socothbenoth) She doesn't have a particular enmity with Demogorgon and the two generally avoid each other as far as you are aware. The chanting heard sounds more like prayers of veneration than a summoning ritual. The chanting seems to be coming from somewhere in the tunnels, although you cannot quite pinpoint it. Re Droki: Based on your knowledge of the tunnels so far it seems like Droki had to take the middle passage at the first threeway junction you came across and had to swim across the water there. By backtracking back to the junction with the mushrooms patch you should therefore come across his trail, or if you shrink down and pass through the crack in the wall here there's a fairly good chance that you end up ahead of him and can set up an ambush.
" Hey! We know these woods too, old man." Taidel interjects in a mock offended tone. "If you'd rather, we could go warn Gristledown and then catch you guys up? " Lirosa offers " I'm sure everyone will feel much safer with a dragon to protect them than little ol' us" she adds with a grin
It is difficult at first to make out anything useful from the jumble of conversations but with a little concentration you might be able to hear something useful by listening out for certain key words and then trying to hone in to those conversations. Perception 15:
You hear the following: " Droki is late! Late, late, late! They will be so angry! So angry at poor Droki! Stupid, stupid, stupid! But not Droki's fault. Mushrooms gone, dirty little thieves stole them,yes? It's their fault, their fault poor Droki have to swim, get wet, wet, wet! Poor, poor Droki. Have to hurry now, hurry to meet ghosts. Ooohaah! No time! No time, no rhyme, not mine! No! Time!" Perception 20: In amidst some chanting in a language you don't recognise you hear the name Demogorgon repeated several times.
Noted. I'll try to keep things focused and moving forwards. I have a dislike for too much non-plot relevant combat in pbp myself as well.
I know, right? The entire middle section of book 1 is very sandboxy. It does seem to presume that the average party will at least visit most of these locations at some point during the campaign, even if they don't set up base there, though. Sort of on that topic a number of "foraging" encounters against woodland creatures are presented in this section. IThis is also a good section for some nice roleplaying talky sequences with the survivors of Phaendar. Which of the two would you prefer to have greater emphasis or conversely to be glossed over?
"I might just be able to help you out with the bullets" says Oreld. "I learnt the recipe for powder from an old dwarf years back and though I'm no smith, I reckon I can melt some lead down and cast it" Gristledown is a small logging Thorpe containing about 15 to 20 people. They rely on trade with Phaendar for most of their supplies. There is a track that leads to it not far from here but it might be safer to stay off the tracks. The Great Oak is an enormous oak tree deep in the forest. It's far from any paths or tracks and there is good foraging near by. Shelter might be hard to come by however unless you made lean-tos or something similar around the base. It is also roughly equidistant between the Hills to the north, the swamp to the south, and Phaendar. All you know about All Eyes Redoubt is that it is located somewhere in the swamps to the south of here and that the Chernasdo Rangers maintain a periodic watchlist there. The hills to the north are riddled with a network of caves but they are populated by a tribe of trogdolytes who have been known to attack small groups of travellers who got too close. All of the locations would take at least 2 days to reach as a group, although a few scouts sent ahead who knew the area well could make the journey much faster.
As you get nearer to the Mesa you can see that the top is devoid of people and the sounds aren't coming from anywhere within the chamber but from the city above. You can make out the clank and roar of the forges, the rumblings of Themberchaud's displeasure and the murmur of what sounds like thousands of different conversations. Someone standing at the top of the mesa could potentially eavesdrop on anyone in the city.
Talindra: The only magical auras you detect are the swirling, chaotic surges of wild magic that infuses the faerzress . These surges of magical energy can interfere with teleportation and cause certain spells to have unusual side effects. The noises could be linked to the faerzress, be caused by another magical effect masked by the wild magic surges, or sply be a natural feature of the cavern.
Micar:
Heading down the tunnel you notice a number of faint tracks, both tiny and normal sized. The normal sized ones seem to belong to a number of different people and lead in both directions, whereas the tiny tracks only lead in the direction you are heading. The cavern is quite an impressive sight. The glow of faerzress shifts across the chamber as if pushed by an unseen wind. It flows towards and around a large mesa and continues to spiral upwards, but the ceiling of the cavern is too high and too dark to see, even with darkvision. You hear murmurs and whispers coming from atop the mesa, which grow louder as you approach. It's stacked levels resemble steps in a staircase, and provide easy access to the top for a normal sized person. The only exit to the cavern, other than the tunnel you entered through, appears to be a small crack in the far wall, far too small for a regular sized person to fit through.
Rhyna wobbles slightly upon hearing the news and doubtless would have sunk to the ground without the support from Issi's hug. As she notices that they are drawing the attention of others she manages to pull herself together a bit though, "At least they can't hurt him now, right?" she manages to say with a weak smile as Issi pulls away. Prompted by Issi's question the suggestions come flying in thick and fast. "How about the Great Oak? You know the one I mean." calls out Taidel. "You could shelter from the rain beneath the roots and hide from danger up in the branches." "Until the Hobs find us and burn the whole thing down." scoffs Lirosa. "The caves to the north are a much safer bet, we just need to find one of the larger ones and then we can barricade up the entrance." "If they find us." stresses Taidel. "If. Besides I didn't know that you were on such good terms with the trogdolyte tribes, or did you forget about them? "All-Eyes Redoubt is easily defensible and if we're lucky there may be a supply cache left by the Chernasdo Rangers still there. If we're really lucky there may even be a couple of Rangers" adds Aubrin. "Course, we'll probably get eaten alive by bugs and there ain't much good for human consumption round there. An' then there's actually getting through the swamp to get to it.." "The loggers of Gristledown might be able to help" suggests Vane Oreld. "I'd hate for us to bring trouble down on their heads too though. Why, I reckon there's probably still more than twice as many of us as there are of them!" "Now I don't know much about these woods, but I do know that we've only got enough food for one, maybe two days if I really stretch it out. After that people are going to get hungry and footsore and everything will get a whole lot harder." Jet buts in, "Wherever we end up heading, it better be somewhere we can find sufficient supplies of food"
We are saddened that you do not want Our Lady's Gift but we understand. In time all shall accept and know her love but she is as patient as she is loving. Perhaps in time you will reconsider.
We regret to say that we traveled from far from here and know not of the derro you speak of. Perhaps they were the ones to plant this wonderful grove? Further down this tunnel lies a cavern with many noises, maybe you will find the derro you seek there? We wish you luck and good haste on your endeavors, as your time is evidently precious. A slight note of disapproval can be felt in the final word as the dancers dance into the fungus patch and disappear, leaving only the solitary non-dancing myconid behind. The tunnel continues further in the same direction and there is also a smaller side passage leading roughly in the direction of where you originally entered the Whorlstone Tunnels. Sense Motive 15: The Quaggoths' eyes betray looks of terror as they enter the mushrooms but they seem to be under a mental compulsion to follow.
The night passes without major incident, although a number of disconcerting noises are occasionally heard from the direction of the town. The next morning an impromptu meeting forms around Doumane's and Issi's fire as people gradually drift over. First to arrive is Rhyna, who despite her apparently cheerful demeanor and greeting, has noticeably red-rimmed eyes. "Beautiful morning, isn't it?" she remarks, "Did you both sleep well?" Without really waiting for much of a response she plows onto the question she clearly really wanted to ask, "Do you think that they are treating Father Noelan properly? He's not with us so he must have been captured, right? They surely must be, but he gets so stubborn at times and what if he upset one of them? No. He surely must be alright, right? Rhyna finishes in a desperate rush, her butterfly flapping agitatedly around her head.
And I'm back
@ Talindra The name Lady of Decay sounds familiar. You think that it is a title of one of the less commonly worshiped demon lords. Zuggy something or other. The voice continues in the head of Tanic and anybody who moved closer to the dancers. Our Lady has gifted us with the ability to travel from fungus patch to fungus patch, spreading word of her greatness and magnifying her name. She fills us with rapture and delight, and thus we dance. We could share Our Lady's gift with you if you like?
I'm going to be away from internet access from the 9th to the 16th of August.
@Talindra The dance itself does not see magical but there is a strange aura around the dancing myconids (although not the small one watching) and quagoths. It looks like they have been cursed, or possibly blessed. As Tanic joins the dance he hears a voice in his head, Have you also received the blessings of Our Lady of Decay?
The myconids at last notice you and gesture for you to join their dance.
If the quagoths or the myconids notice you they don't seem to respond, instead continuing their wild dance.
Glabbagool protested slightly at first at being left behind but agreed once Vinexa made it clear that she would return soon. The mushroom thicket would ordinarily be quite difficult to move through due to the sheer density of fugi life, some of the mushrooms are over 5 feet tall, but due to your reduced sizes you are able to move through the gaps quite easily. After a short distance you reach what appears to be the source of the noise, a small clearing where 5 mushroom people and two ape like creatures covered in mold are dancing wordlessly in a circle. Another small mushroom person is hanging on the outskirts and watching. Knowledge Nature 10:
The mushroom people are myconids and are usually simple peaceful folk. The apelike creatures are quagoth. They can be aggressive and are not normally moldy. Knowledge Nature 20: Myconids don't dance.
Wow. Have fun. I'm actually going to be in Canada until the 16th of August as well and although I should have internet for most of that time it might be easier just to pause things until we both get back.
Perception 15: From deep within the thicket you can hear a faint series of rhythmic thumping noises. It sounds like a group of people dancing but you can't hear any music accompanying it.
There are a wide variety of edible fungi in the thicket, including bluecaps, ripplebark, and trillimac. There are also a number of more exotic fungi, such as the tongue of madness, which if properly prepared causes any who eat it to compulsively say their every thought for an hour, and the highly poisonous deathcap mushroom. All of the mushrooms in the thicket have some practical use that you know of. It's highly unusual to see this many useful mushrooms in one place.
After about 15 minutes you reach a normal sized tunnel again. Heading back in the direction you came from you can hear and smell running water. Heading forwards the passage divides in two. The left hand passage is clear, while the right is partially blocked by a dense thicket of fungi.
That should be fine. As this is pbp an extra animal companion shouldn't slow things down and it will help make up for the smallness of the party.
Upon eating the purple mushroom, Tanic slowly begins growing, eventually stopping after doubling in size. The tunnel now feels somewhat cramped and Tanic is unable to stand upright. . While harvesting the mushrooms, Tanic also noticed a small tunnel at the back of the cavern, far too small for an ordinary person, but maybe not for someone under the effects of pygmywort.
I think it's quite loot heavy for much of the first book to make up for not having access to shops or markets for much of the first few levels. On the topic of numbers, one change I have made is I've changed Rhynna from an adept to a witch in order to give access to arcane spellcasting in the camp rather than having two divine spell casters.
A spreadsheet might be a good idea if you want to focus on this aspect of the game. Likewise if you want to come up with names, personalities or back stories for any of the unnamed NPCs feel free and I'll try to incorporate that in. In terms of gathering refugees you saved towards the top end of what it expects you to reach without splitting up, which is the only way to reach all the named NPCs in time. You did a really good job at putting the fire at the Smithy out fast before there were any further casualties. You might have been able to gather slightly more food if you'd dallied slightly longer and perhaps searched a couple of houses, but that would have resulted in a greater degree of risk.
If you go deeped into the tunnels you soon come across a three way junction. The left hand passage leads to a small cavern filled with small blue and purple mushrooms, and appears to be a dead end. The sound of running water can be heard down the middle passage, while the right hand passage has no particular features marking it out. All three passages appear to have seen fairly similar levels of infrequent traffic. Tanic: You believe you recognise the mushrooms, Bigwig and Pygmywort. Eating the former will cause one to grow, while the latter will shrink one to a tiny size. The key is remembering which is which.
"I think we're not doing too bad so far." Aubrin replied, "People are still in shock at this moment, and that's to be expected, but just remind them what they are capable of and that's half the battle won already. You did a good job tonight in that regard. The key to good leadership is always looking like you know what you're doing and you've managed that nicely so far. Couldn't managed better myself I reckon" she adds with a small smile. Tyrek manages to track down and kill a small tusked deer and Lirosa, Taidel and Doumane manage to catch a couple of trout in the small stream, providing enough food for the four of you to eat some dinner without dipping into the provisions.
Named NPCs • Jet: Jet keeps the resources maintained, making sure the refugees use the most perishable items first and helping people pack balanced loads. She knows many stories and songs that she shares with the others. So long as Jet oversees the cooking, the camp generates 1 additional Provision Point each day. • Oreld: Oreld gathers materials from the woods to
• Rhyna: She uses her herbalism training to find healing plants and savory herbs while foraging, and treats the small wounds the refugees suffer daily. Characters in the camp heal 1 additional hit point each night while they rest so long as Rhyna remains with the group. Children
Doumane recalls a small glade with a tiny stream running through it a short distance away. It's two exposed to serve as a long term camp, being too near to Phaendar to avoid detection from patrols, but it would do perfectly for tonight. There are a number of possible longer term sites that you know of between you, including an abandoned farm house and a redoubt that is sometimes manned by Chernasado Rangers, but these are all several days travel away for a large group such as this. You eventually reach the clearing in about double the time it would have taken for Doumane and Issi to travel alone, and night has long since fallen. Most of the group collapse almost immediately, although a few seem prepared to at least put up a pretense of making some sort of rough camp. Rhynna is fussing over the children again, while Jet is checking over the provisions gathered from the town. "I suppose us Foxclaws will be on watch tonight?" Lirosa asks with a slightly forced smile.
Following Hemeth's directions, you head towards an entrance to the Whorlstone Tunnels in the West Cleft District, a ghetto mostly inhabited by derro. The entrance to the district is guarded, but you are waved through when you discretely flash your badges at the Stoneguard on the gate. As you pass through the gate the stench in the air changes from acrid and metallic to fetid and repugnant, the fires of industry replaced by squalor. The homes in this part of Gracklstugh are crudely carved from the rock or are just holes in the walls, arranged in no apparent order. You sense that without directions it would be very easy to get lost here. The chatter in the air is unnerving, with hundreds of derro muttering to themselves or screaming at each other. Most ignore you, although you do get the feeling that you are being watched and occasionally an individual will glare at you with a look of burning hatred. Eventually, after a couple of wrong turns you find the entrance Hemeth mentioned between a cluster of hovels. A narrow fissure in the wall is hidden by scraps of cloth and mouldy boxes. It would be easy to overlook, were it not for the wisps of eerie fog leaking out from somewhere within the tunnels. The tunnel is a tight squeeze for the first ten feet before widening out slightly, although not enough for two to comfortably walk abreast, and it twists and turns as it descends. "So what's the plan?" asks Jimjar, "Do we try exploring on our own or try and find somewhere to hide and hope someone who knows where they are going comes along?"
Oreld gets to work setting up the explosives, while Tyrek keeps watch.
Every moment you expect a group of hobgoblins to appear, but fortunately none do. Eventually, after a painstaking six minutes the explosives are set and Oreld, after double checking that everyone is across, lights the fuse. 30 seconds later a loud splits the air and the bridge lists heavily to one side before collapsing. You run for the treeline of the Fangwood Forest, glancing back for a final glimpse of Phaendar before you enter the trees. A ceiling of smoke hangs over the city reflecting the orange glow from burning houses. Ash drifts in the air like falling snow. The screams of townsfolk have died away, leaving an eerie silence broken now and then by the howling of wolves. Bodies lie in the streets, sprawled in pools of blood where they fell. Apart from the invanders, only the dead or imprisoned remain. Phaendar has fallen. But not all hope is lost. Under the shelter of the trees a group of 40 people, the people you helped to rescue, watch anxiously. They may be exhausted and scared, but they are alive and free.
"Very interesting. Well I'll keep my ear to the ground and let you know if I hear anything. I can show you an entrance to the Whorlstone Tunnels as well if you like. Not many folks know about them, and most are in my sort of line of work if you get my meaning. Not many duergar, but a fair number of derro. If you do go down there hunting for your guy, be careful. There's lots of strange stuff down there and its really easy to get lost. I just stick to one or two routes myself." Hemeth elaborates.
The group quickly follows Issi's instructions and Oreld looks carefully over the technical drawings of the bridge and at the bridge itself before replying. "Looks like we're lucky that Kining never got round to finishing those repairs. There should be a weak point were the scaffolding is. Once that goes, the whole bridge should come down. How much time do I have? Ideally I'd like 6 minutes or so to set everything up properly and guarantee the bridge goes down like it should but if we're in a rush I might be able to get the stump remover ready to blow in less than thirty seconds. Might not take the bridge out completely though. So what's the call?
The second hobgoblin also goes down, the pair clearly being fairly raw recruits, rather than hardened veterans. Inside the shed are masonary tools and replacement parts for the crane beside the bridge, as well as a small table and a pair of chairs. Two packs, presumably belonging to the hobgoblins are slung in one corner and on the table are technical drawings of the bridge, a scroll of stone shape and a mostly empty bottle of some strong spirit. The packs each contain a bedroll and 2 portions worth of provisions.
Taking your leave of Gartokkar and the Keepers you return to The Ghohlbrorn's Lair, where you are able to arrange a meeting with Hemeth. At first the name Droki doesn't mean anything to him, but when shown the sketch he recognises the eccentrically dressed derro. "I saw him once down in the Whorlstone Tunnels, beneath the city. Gave us a hell of a fright he did. We were moving some, ah, goods about when he suddenly ran past us, cackling and muttering to himself. No idea were he came from, it's like he just appeared straight out of thin air. I think I might have seen him in the main city a few times as well but it's that encounter that really sticks out. What do you want with this Droki guy anyway, if you don't mind me asking?"
Gartokkar shakes Harro's hand, pleased by the fellow Duergar's eagerness and turns to Micar,
"Yes, we 'lost' a dragon egg. And no Themberchaud does not know, he didn't even know that we had an egg. Wyrmsmiths tend to get rather irritable over the matter of succession, considering themselves irreplaceable. For that reason we tend not to discuss these matters with them" the duergar shoots back.
The first hobgoblin goes down under Tyrek's teeth and claws. The second hobgoblin, seeing his companion fall and unnerved by the sudden attack by what appears to be superior numbers, shoulders past Issi and attempts to run for help.
"The Grey Ghosts are the only real large criminal organisation in the Deepkingdom and use their unnatural occult magic to steal from hard working folks and evade capture. They stole our dragon egg, the one meant to provide Themberchaud's successor. This puts us in a very awkward position as I'm sure you understand. As for why I think that they are behind the madness, well isn't it obvious? Everyone knows that all Derro are absolutely crazy, and this is just the sort of thing they'd do, with their strange, unnatural magic and demon worship. I don't know how they are doing it, maybe with those glowing purple crystals of theirs but I'm positive that they are behind the madness." The duergar priest loses a degree of his composure as he discusses the Derro and he takes several seconds to calm down before continuing. "The Grey Ghosts also count escaped slaves and other unsavory types amongst their numbers. You might stand out in the Derro Quarter, but not in the same way that our normal agents or the Stoneguard do. You're outsiders and people will be less wary around you as a consequence. The stoneguard have identified a courier, named Droki, who they believe is linked to a conspiracy involving the Council of Savants, the Derro leadership. We believe he is also linked with the Grey Ghosts and that if you manage to follow him he will lead you right to them. As for payment, we'll happily reimburse you for all reasonable expenses incurred on our behalf and smooth over any possible unpleasantness as a result of actions taken in furtherance of your mission. If you manage to retrieve the egg, I think we can stretch to a reward of 500 gold pieces each plus an extra 200 for evidence that the Derro are behind the madness. Additional incentives may also be offered for exceptional performance. What do you say? Gartokkar sits back in his chair and waits expectantly. Talindra Sense Motive: Gartokkar seems rather desperate to retrieve the egg and also seems to harbour an irrational hatred towards Derro. It is highly likely that he will agree to a higher offer if pushed.
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