I have to make an unfortunate announcement. There have been some significant changes in my life, and I'll need to retire from running games here on the forums. Thank you all so much for playing.
Sorry to go back on my word, but I don't think I can continue, after all. There have been some more significant changes in my life, and I'll actually be retiring from running games here on the forums. I can leave the campaign active if you guys would like to search for a new GM. Thank you all for playing.
Did we ever follow up on this? Since the party set out again from Horace quickly, you weren't present when the team returned from the owlbear lair. However, a set of fey messengers can bring the news to you.
You descend down, through the old well, into the long-forgotten tunnels, fortifications, and caverns beneath the dwarven ruins above. The roar of water is almost deafening in this worked stone chamber. A raised dais stands two feet off the floor. Water cascades down from the shaft overhead, rushing through the ten-foot-wide circular hole in the center of the dais.
Elenora drops the massive rock upon the suspicious mound. A series of hissing and snapping noises issue forth as the huge heap of vegetation rises up angrily. Rather than being a den or hiding spot for some creature, the mound itself was the creature. It immediately takes notice of the party loitering near its hunting grounds and it moves to attack with its fibrous vine-like tentacles and its immense maw, a tendril-rimmed hole capable of distending wide enough to swallow a human whole. Knowledge (Nature) DC 16:
This creature is a tendriculos, a strange plant creature brought into being through a corruption of nature, often where foul magic has seeped into the environs for many years, or where the boundaries between the Material Plane and the mysterious realm of the fey have worn thin.
Fortunately, dropping such a large object upon the monster will actually foil its natural regenerative abilities, as it is susceptible to bludgeoning and fire.
There is no perceptible movement or sound, but Thorek can feel as though the guardian statues have stiffened their posture out of respect for a true son of Kraggodan, acknowledging him and his companions as welcome guests. They remain otherwise inert, making no move to accost or impede you.
Apart from the occasional whistle of the wind, no sound rises from the old, rickety mine shaft. Daria can see old broken bones from animals that fell into the pit and could not escape, but there doesn't seem to be any trace of higher lifeforms, alive or dead, down there. You make your way across the foggy valley floor without any drakes swooping down from the sky or morlocks leaping up from holes in the ground. Thus, you reach the ruins at the far end of the valley. Several stone arches rise above broken pillars and scattered tumbledown walls at the edge of a vast chasm. Icy water still pours into a cental well here from a vast aqueduct that descends down the mountain and across the half-mile-wide crevasse. The only structures that seem unbothered by time are four statues of dour, dwarven warriors standing sentinel under the end of the aqueduct. Water thunders down into a ten-foot-wide hole carved in the stone. Knowledge (Religion) DC 20: The statues are actually depictions of Grundinnar, the dwarven god of friendship and hard work.
"Well, I've done all I can do out here," Colwyn mutters as he strides around the hallway corner and moves towards the door where his friends are fighting the false baron. As he walks, he draws his dagger and lets a prayer to Erastil softly echo within his Stag Helm. When he finally stands in the open doorway, he hurls the dagger towards the baron.
Item Dice Rolls:
... Minor:
... Medium:
... Major:
More Item Dice Rolls:
= SL 1, CL 1 = Protection from Evil = Rod of Cancellation
= Staff of Cackling Wrath
= Head
It's late, this was a lot of dice rolls, and I'm not sure I followed the settlement rules for item value. Here are some of the more unusual magic items available for sale in Yanmass:
Items Available: Wand of Protection from Evil Rod of Cancellation +2 Weapon Wand of Dispel Magic Decoy Ring Mask of a Thousand Tomes Ring of Protection +3 Staff of Cackling Wrath Earthbind Rod Staff of Shrieking Headband of Seduction
It comes as a curious surprise when Nadiya discovers that the centermost ivory spoon in the display case radiates of faint conjuration magic, so she stows the small collection in her bag to more thoroughly identify once she gets a chance.
Moving up to the north, you find the next door is set in the antechamber leading to a much larger building with a curved western wing and an arching roof. At first it looks like a chapel, but Vreya clarifies that, based upon signage that has endured, this is actually the city's grand library. The stone door lays flat upon the road in front of the entrance, its hinges but a memory, leaving the way inside wide open. Bashuk: You can hear some very faint shifting and chittering sounds coming from within the library.
You can hear rumbling and grumbling, punctuated by short shouts in a dialect of the Giant tongue - cluing Grenwold that the ogres have heard Aaron's performance and Thorek's booming prayer and are moving the "smash the intruders."
The first of the ogres emerges, both as it draws closer to Thorek and as Grenwold's magic peels back the obfuscation of the fog from your eyes. Aaron unleashes his magical grease in the brute's path, and his broad feet slip out from under him - leaving him prone on the ground only a few feet from Thorek. Five more ogres stomp out from among the camp ruins, hauling a mix of greatswords and greatclubs, to find who's been making noise in the fog. [ooc]Lily can take her turn before the ogres, but if she wants to wait until the ogres come closer into range, she can delay until after their turns.
"Looks like sneaking up on her was never going to be hard. Who could hear us approaching over how loud this outfit is?" Colwyn taunts Maray and her sense of style. "Now then...why don't you point towards the room where we can find the baron," he instructs the captive woman.
Sorry about that, guys. I didn't even consider that my role as Ruler for the kingdom building might translate into being party leader, even if just unofficially. I'll be aware of that going forward and try to be more assertive.
Also, I had an idea at work last night. Everyone should please send me a PM with 3 items (max value 10,000gp each) that make up your character's wish list. As I finalize the treasure to be found in Koldukar, I will plant one item from each character's wish list. I thought this would be a nice little touch to celebrate as we get rolling again.
Hey, everyone! Sorry that my little vacation ended up being about two weeks instead of just one. A hell of a stomach bug jumped from the daycare and hit our family hard at the end of last week, so it's been a messy time - both figuratively and literally. On the upside, I have made progress doing more dungeon prep for Koldukar. In the end, I decided to make things easier on myself and use the dwarven city maps that Bashuk offered. Thank you so much, again! Things are still a little crazy around here today, so I'm hoping to get the game under way again tomorrow. Once more, thank you all for your patience and understanding.
Okay. Sorry for the delay. A strong bout of stomach illness jumped from the daycare into our household, so the past week has been very messy, both figuratively and literally. Anyhow, I've updated the encounter map. The gray clouds represent the fog that covers the valley, with the non-magical equivalent of a Fog Cloud spell. You can hear the ogres somewhere within the fog, busying themselves among this part of the abandoned encampment. You can adjust your starting positions on the map and roll initiative.
The AP book doesn't provide an encounter map for the encampment, so I will try to put one together tomorrow morning after I get home from work.
Daria identifies the footprints as belonging to a group of ogres. Based upon minute differences in the size and depth of the prints, she counts out about ten distinct individuals who have been using this camp. Stopping to listen intently through the fog, Daria and Thorek estimate that there are about six ogres currently scattered around the camp, with the rest likely out hunting in other parts of the valley.
I think the hardest part is no longer having the time to do enough prep work for my homebrew games, like this one. I actually really like developing material for adventures, so it also feels like I'm missing out on something I used to enjoy. I think I'll take everyone's advice and take a week off. I'll use the time to finish my prep work on Koldukar. Once I get some good material drafted, it'll reinvigorate my excitement since I love getting to share good ideas with my players. Thank you all for your support and understanding.
The encampment sits a little more than a mile away from the entrance of the valley, so you march forward through the fog and wisely wait until you are closer to begin your preparations for a potential battle. Thorek's keen eyes pierce the fog, and your other collective skills ensure that no accidents befall you during the hike across the valley. The blur of light that marks the sun through the fog is creeping higher in the sky by the time you reach the camp site. A handful of hastily built wooden buildings stand abandoned amid a sea of tent poles and tattered canvas hanging listlessly in the wet air. Hard-trodden earth and dozens of firepits speak to an army of hundreds - perhaps thousands - having recently occupied this eerily quiet military camp. Black stones piled higher than a tree fill a circle at the camp's center. Thorek: You can spot some newer, larger footprints atop the hard-packed ground.
You can also hear some large, brutish creatures thudding about somewhere among the abandoned camp.
"Let us keep moving," the teetotaling baron says anxiously, forcing his eyes away from the bottles.Has this been said before, and I missed this? Is Colwyn on the wagon? I've included it here and there in posts over the years. In Colwyn's backstory, his former bandit gang members got him drunk, robbed him, and left him for the Restov guard to arrest. At first he swore off his hard-drinking ways to ensure that no one would ever be able to trick and trap him like that again. Ever since founding the barony, though, his motivation for remaining sober has changed so he can be as capable and respectable as possible for the subjects suddenly looking to him for leadership.
I think I will adapt some of the location maps for the districts within Koldukar while creating a general overview map of my own. I finally have a day off and some free time today, so I can actually put it together.Whatever you do, never let is stop being... fun! If I may be brutally honest, lately it's been more stressful than fun keeping things running. As you guys may have guessed from my greatly diminished posting rate, it has been very hard balancing gaming with my new work schedule (especially since I got promoted recently) and my kids getting older and needing more attention. I've been debating with myself whether I can even keep the game running enough so it's still fun for anyone else.
@Vayelan, I don't know if you already have these resources but I support a creator called Milby's Maps, and he has an excellent dwarven city map I could send you. I think there's a at least one dwarven city "superdungeon" map available on the Paizo site: link Thank you for the resources. I've been browsing through the Brazenthrone maps to see if I can put them to use. It has been...daunting. Hans Moleman: "I need the biggest dwarven dungeon you have.....No, that's too big." I think I will adapt some of the location maps for the districts within Koldukar while creating a general overview map of my own. I finally have a day off and some free time today, so I can actually put it together.
BTW Vayelan I think we are waiting on you to move us into the next area. Sorry about that. I didn't notice that my first attempt at a post from the other day got eaten by the internet goblins. Just as well. It gave me some more time to continue developing ideas about the layout and details for Koldukar.
With the valley located approximately 20 miles southwest from Longshadow, the flight took approximately an hour and a half.
During his trek to the valley, Aaron has observed two key details. First, a sizeable number of beings have traveled to and from the valley, their tracks bearing the signs of heavy military boots. He has taken this to mean that units from the Ironfang Legion have been visiting the valley. Secondly, he has spotted several other immense birds of prey sailing above the fog-shrouded valley in search of prey, necessitating considerable caution whilst hiking along the trail towards the valley's mouth. Had the party not spotted Aaron first, he might have taken Daria for another of these local predators and taken shelter before this fateful meeting could occur.
Sorry for the delay everyone. This was a particularly hectic week for me and my family. I will get our proverbial ball rolling again straight away.
Pelipe has seen blue wolfberries growing wild in the region during the time she has spent as part of Tamlyn, but she also knows that they are currently out of season. However, she does know of some other fermentable plants that can be found this time of year along your route back home. Knowing what local growth to look for makes it easy for Faerin and the rest of the party to gather some during your trek, and once he knows that they can be turned into strong drink, Munguk eagerly stows them in his sack for the trip. As you press on northwards, though, you begin to find worrying signs. Large clumps of savagely upturned soil mark a trail also leading northward towards the borders of Tamlyn. Along this route, you also find the viciously mauled carcasses of prey animals like elk. It would seem that your trail home is paralleling the path of some very large predator.
Also, in terms of lodgings, Ardax will convince Grask Uldeth to provide you with a couple guest rooms in the palace, spinning it as a way for him to showcase his magnanimity and power. In terms of money, there are tabs on the Kingdom Tracker for both items and currency that you guys have recovered, but I can't remember the last time we updated it. It does include loot from the catacombs beneath Clover's Crossing.
I would not find a weapon with the merciful quality to be frustrating, although once or twice I may take the opportunity to have a previously surviving named opponent return in a later battle. I promise not to abuse this, though. As for the keen weapon, I don't think that any potential conflict with your character's deity will need to be considered. As Nirmathas is currently being invaded/occupied by a force that Shelyn would probably condemn, she would conceivably allow one of her followers to make use a keen weapon to fight the good fight. After all, Shelyn's own glaive was taken from Zon-Kuthon, so she knows a thing or two about putting a dangerous weapon to use for a good cause.
1) Yes, I will allow you to purchase half-charged wands for half-price - at least at this point in the game. I think it fits narratively that half-charged wands might be some of the spoils of war taken off of slain Ironfang officers and specialists that make their way onto the market in Longshadow, and as the heroes of Longshadow, it also makes sense that they would offer you a bargain on them. 2) I believe the classic item here is the Cloak of Elvenkind, which gives a +5 competence bonus to Stealth checks when worn with the hood drawn up. For a bit more money, there's also the Subtle Slippers which provides +5 to Stealth, a pass without trace effect, and can even extend the Stealth bonus to up to 4 other creatures once per day. Lastly, there's also the Cat Burglar's Boots which provides +2 to Acrobatics, Climb, and Stealth, and can even let you reroll one of those checks once per day.
I have battled that demon many times, so I feel for them. Since they haven't formally dropped out of our game, then I will leave them in our roster to keep their place open for them. Do you think it would be appropriate to send a message of sympathy and encouragement to them? Let them know they don't have to push themselves to rejoin but that we're wishing the best for them?
A few suggestions arise from your councilors, former traveling companions, and other allies. Trade or alliances with some of the stronger River Kingdoms could fortify Charis against future Taldan aggression and create a more robust economy that can better host those displaced by unrest and invasion. Thus, it might be prudent to visit one or more of the River Kingdoms as envoys. Similarly, there is the strange land of Numeria, located many leagues to the northwest. Two powerful factions call that harsh land home and vie for power: the Technic League and the Tiger Lords. Approaching either one to secure an alliance could also help bolster your strength against Taldor. There are rumors that an underground faction in Taldor seeks to replace the conquest-hungry Grand Prince Maxilar and place Princess Eutropia on the throne. Making a pact with the exiled princess - even negotiating a political marriage - could entice members of that Loyalist faction to move to Charis, bringing their skills and resources, and use your land as a base to undermine and eliminate the Imperialist faction that pushes for Taldor to regain its fallen glory through invasion. The idea is also nervously floated that you could swear fealty to Taldor as a vassal state. Through skilled negotiating and diplomacy, you could maintain a level of autonomy while pleading ostensible loyalty to Grand Prince Maxilar. This would preclude a potential invasion of your own land and gain you a powerful new patron to replace the unstable Brevoy. Remedying the unrest in Brevoy, despite being so near, seems like the most challenging task by virtue of the lack of obvious, simple solutions. Siding with either the Rostlandic or Issian factions could tip the scales of the struggle by lending them your considerable skills. This would mean committing yourself to the conflict but offers the potential to significantly shaping the evolution of Brevoy and its future influence on Charis.
Hey Vayelan, I had two mutuals who are both excellent posters express an interest in joining the campaign. Has either of them reached out to you yet? Yes, they have both reached out to me via private message. I am discussing potential character builds with one player, while the other player has proposed adapting a melee-focused gnome hunter/chernasardo warden that they had played previously. Let me know if you guys have any input on party synergy, character fluff/crunch, etc.
"One of the first things we did upon being stationed in Falcon's Hollow was taking a census of its residents - documenting their vocations, skills, and the like," Commander Odeber reports when consulted by Randu in search of potential tutors for Savram. "It seems that Sharvaros Vade was the only user of arcane magic in the town. I suspect that Gavel Kreed was very wary of magic users not obedient to him, so he ran them out of town. "In my capacity as your liaison with both the army and the government, I can send a request to Almas for one of our battle mages to be assigned as tutor to the boy. Alternatively, we can also canvas among private citizens - those affiliated with the university or the Pathfinders, for instance - who might volunteer for the duty." Commander Odeber withdraws some new documents from a desk drawer, signalling a change in subject. "It's actually a positive turn that you're setting down roots here because General Marusek has assigned your unit to Falcon's Hollow indefinitely. New agents are being recruited and trained for your intelligence division to operate in Almas, Augustana, and along the Chelish border. However, the frontier region here in Darkmoon Vale has been made a priority for your department. "The nearby Isgeri border has been identified as a likely point of infiltration by agents from both Cheliax and criminal organizations, so we need our own top agents near at hand to counter their threat."
Kosseruk's notes make a few things clear about the Valley of Aloi. Besides being the home of the Legion's morlock allies, Lieutenant Kosseruk use the valley as a base and staging area before advancing towards Longshadow with the core of her forces. Additionally, the valley apparently hides tunnels that connect to the lowest levels of Kraggodan - tunnels which the Legion has apparently made use of in the past, according to some of the more obscure notes found among Kosseruk's documents. "Well, the fact that the morlocks were leaping onto our walls and trying to tear apart our people is trouble enough," Mayor Crawbert replies. "Admittedly, before this siege, they have never moved directly against Longshadow. However, many of the smaller mining towns out in the Hollow Hills have had to fend off their raids in the past, so they have been a longstanding threat - not on the same scale as the Ironfang Legion, but still pretty bad. "It's no secret that the morlock tribes dwell in the Valley of Aloi. We've just never had a force capable of striking back against them. On the rare occasions over the years that a traveling band of adventurers, treasure hunters, or even Pathfinders have delved into the valley, I don't know of any that made it back alive. Sorry to suddenly make the trip sound extra ominous, but after all you've done for us, I'm not about to lie to you and make it sound like a piece of pie."
Happy anniversary! As for me, I recently switched to the night shift at my work. As I adjust to a radical new life schedule, I haven't had as much time to update my games, so honestly I was waiting to see if any of you guys had anything you wanted to post. I'm off for the next few days, so I've got plenty of time now, so I'll get things rolling again.
After waiting for the latest troop of hobgoblin soldiers to march out from the magical tower and join the ongoing assault against Longshadow, you slip forth and set upon the archway supporting the gateway leading into the seemingly extra-dimensional space within the black tower. Thorek and Esperanza lend their might to hack, smash, and pull at the archway until it collapses.
You notice that, straight away, the entire tower begins to crack and crumble now that the archway has been destroyed. Within a matter of three hours, the tower collapses into a mass of smoldering obsidian sludge. The resulting implosion draws the attention of the entire remaining Ironfang host - although the immediate cessation of reinforcements once the archway was destroyed led many units to wonder if something was amiss. Once they realize their commander has been slain, their reinforcements and supply line have been cut off, and their central fortification has been compromised, the forces of the Ironfang Legion embark upon a partially organized retreat into the hills surrounding Longshadow.
You have achieved a great victory! Longshadow suffers few casualties and relatively little damage beyond its gates and defensive walls. The people cheer for you as the saviors of the town. Vendors can reopen their shops with days, and they permanently offer you a 10% discount on all goods and services they offer. Mayor Crawbert offers you a permanent home in Longshadow to use as a base of operations or to help relocate other survivors. The merchants of Longshadow, the surviving priesthood of Abadar, and the mayor himself pool their resources to provide you with a reward of 12,000gp. Navah, the reclusive wizard whom you aided and recruited to the cause, collaborates with the smiths of Longshadow to craft a breastplate of command for you as one last reward for your heroism.
We're not waiting on me for anything, right? I guess there was a misunderstanding. It seems like I thought Thorek would make the post, and Thorek thought that I would make the post. Oops. I'll make a post and get things rolling again.
The auction for the abandoned Rouge Lady elicits more nervous glances than bids. Perhaps Randu's soon-to-be business partners have made the rounds and convinced their neighbors not to bid, or perhaps all the locals are wary of buying into the one-time base of the Redrock Guild. You wonder whether many of the townsfolk worry that, somehow, Bloodeye will return and exact revenge. Ultimately, Randu handily wins the property, and with the contributions from his partners, he only needs to spend 300gp of his own money. The efforts made by Randu spill over and synergize with Miya's own overtures among the Andoren citizens participating in the auction. She wins the Sitting Duck - soon to be the Golden Fox - for 400gp, and a separate plot of land on the forest's edge for 200gp.
I'm sorry to hear that you were sick. I hope you are feeling better. Some sort of stomach bug hit me and my wife this past week, so I can empathize. As for destroying the gate - first, let me say 'thank you' for crunching the numbers on this. Yes, we can handle this through a descriptive post before moving on. That's actually what I had in mind, assuming the party had enough damage output.
Wish I'd known about the Divine Marksman archetype when I was making this character. The longsword thing is weird- an axe is far more practical for a ranger, you can use it to chop firewood- but otherwise it's pretty great for an archer. With Faerin and Ahto, Katrine's spellcasting and tracking abilities are redundant as far as party skills go. Well, I'd be willing to allow you to do some retraining during the downtime of the next kingdom turn(s) to adjust the character to align with your new thoughts and insights.
"My father has already aided the Great Chieftain in defeating several official challenges this season to his lordship of Urgir," Nirdosh boasts, although you suspect he was not part of these trials. You are led through the throngs of orc tribes and families gathered along the greening plains around the fortress city, and eventually you march through one of the gates crafted by ancient dwarven hands. Rather than any of the common gates, Nirdosh and his warband lead you through the eastern gate, which Bashuk knows leads into the famed Plaza of the Sky. This gigantic, open plaza is one of the most beautiful and well-preserved remnants of the ancient dwarven city. Huge sheets of white marble stretch for hundreds of yards, and slight gradations in color upon the various marble tiles create enormous mosaic pictures depicting scenes from the daily lives and struggles of the dwarves before they began their Quest for Sky. Depictions of domestic life underground stand side by side with scenes of great dwarven battles against the denizens of the deep, including ropers, purple worms, and even armies of orcs. This artistry, in what may be a surprise for outsiders, has been preserved by the orc inhabitants of the modern city. The center of the plaza is dominated by the Great Palace, adorned with many ragged banners and trophies taken from enemies defeated by Grask Uldeth and his Empty Hand tribe.
Yeah Im here but my build very much relies on Thorek so I couldn't do much without him.We still moving on this game? Oh, crud! I missed the notification that Thorek posted his action. I'll make a bot post for Esperanza, since that could very well finish off Kosseruk. If not, we'll see if Lily wants to attempt the killing blow. After the battle is finished, we'll discuss how to proceed with the AP.
Since the Lumber Consortium acted as landlords for the entire town, practically every building in town will be up for auction in an process that will take a couple days. Sympathetic officials in the Andoren government have arranged direct sales at reasonable prices to business owners who have occupied their buildings for a certain number of years, so these will not be auctioned. This means Roots and Remedies, the Goose 'n' Gander, and Jak-a'-napes will not be up for auction. Unique named landmarks on the town map that WILL be up for auction include Vade's Tower, whose owner has vanished, leaving his son behind; The Sitting Duck tavern, whose string of short-lasting owners were all cronies of the late Kreed; the Rouge Lady; and the Woodwil, since operator of the workshop and artists' gallery, Deveera Gadsel, has only been using it for a couple years, but you've heard from locals that most folks have agreed to abstain from placing competing bids on it. The Mayor's House and the Tribunal Building are going to remain public civic buildings, so they are not up for auction. After much debate, it was decided that Kreed Manor will not be auctioned for now. Finally, a number of houses, boarding houses, shopfronts, and other small buildings in town will be auctioned. Existing parcels of farmland both in the deforested hills between the town and the forest will be auctioned off, as well as newly chartered parcels of farmland to the south of the river, since Andoran wants to see the depopulated Falcon's Hollow become revitalized.
I really like those ideas! We'll have Orlog and Syretia retire to those posts, helping to further develop different parts of Charis, and if their players return, they'll be able to return to action.
Tense seconds pass as Dro'gan attempts to hone in on the woman's thoughts. Will she loose an arrow as her own nerves fray, watching you stand in her sanctuary? Thankfully, this does not happen. Dro'gan gleans that the hiding woman is intensely afraid and paranoid. She is a soldier, and she feels betrayed and hunted. Trying to talk her down without violence breaking out will be a very challenging prospect.
"I can handle this," Colwyn says proudly. Colwyn saunters up to the gate guards and feeds them a story, explaining that he and his companions are agents contracted by Lords Irovetti and Armag, hired to undermine the land of Thornholme to the east. "We have arrived to receive our precise orders before setting out and taking care of business. After all, we want to get the job done quickly and effectively for our lords, eh?" he confidently says to the guards.
A very good observation. Thank you for the insight. I will be more mindful of my language in the future. Reminds me of how I've come to really regret the first story I ever got published because of how ableist it was in hindsight.
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