|
Characters:
Cortonne, Voice of Brigh – NG M Half-Orc Cleric of Brigh (who intends to go with the Renegade Master Maker prestige class and is often suggesting 'improvements' to his colleagues)
Kanaris – CN M Shonti Human Barbarian
Galariel – CG F Half-Elf Sorcerer (Aberation bloodline)
Malak – NG M Elf Rogue
Torgul Frostbreath – NG M Ulfen Human Fighter
Ok. Most of the evening was taken up with character and background, but we did get started. The group was very eager to go after Lamm, even without Zellarra's urging, but I guess that's what happens when you have a couple of tortured victims, a widow and an orphan pissed at you.
On approaching the fisheries, they decided to go with the barbarian lock pick (Kanaris' Earthbreaker) and shattered their way through the doors into the front room. Naturally, Bloo didn't like people intruding on his space and charged resulting in a minor bite to the barbarian before he was dispatched. Cortonne stabilised the poor dog but an angry Kanaris wasn't having any of this and went for the coup de grace (with the earthbreaker). Resulting in a smear of guard dog. Kaanaris then proceeded to wreck Bloo's den.
The party proceeded to the upper workfloor where Torgul managed to notice Hookshanks’ kukri despite his disguise skill. Torgul promptly threatened Hookshanks with his two-handed sword, but rolled really badly on his intimidate check and Hookshanks was unimpressed. The others, having no idea why Torgul was threatening the orphan (as Hookshanks appeared) assumed he knew what he was talking about, especially when Hookshanks tried, and failed to gut the Ulfen. Cortonne rolled double 20's with his light hammer and proceeded to roll maximum damage, taking Hookshanks to significant negatives with one hit that I ruled sent the little gnome flying. Cortonne immediately cast stabilise and tried to cure him but the gnome had taken so much damage he remained insensible. Torgul did suggest killing the gnome, but the outrage this caused in most of the rest of the party has dissuaded him for now.
Which is where we left things.
|
|
Corrections and clarifications: Galariel is actually called Ehleria Arathimayar, and Torgul would like to point out that he is CG not NG.
Kanaris is a member of the Hawk Clan and has taken the appropriate feat. Ehleria has taken the Harrowed feat (which should make things interesting going forward).
On with the events:
After leaving Hookshanks, the party decided to explore outside the double doors. Ehleria decided to open the door to the Fishery Floor, at which point Giggles swung his flail down and promptly missed her. Cortonne rushed into the room, easily avoiding the attack of opportunity, followed by Ehleria. Kanaris attempted to tumble into the room but caught his foot on the doorway wand ended up sprawled at the foot of the stares, while Torgul tried to intimidate Giggles from outside, to limited effects.
Ehleria successfully cast Ray of Enfeeblement on Giggles and reduced his prodigious might to merely average, while Cortonne proved very interested in his missing eye, insisting he would like to help and improve giggles. Which naturally prompted Giggles to burst into his trademark titter. Kanaris got himself up as Giggles failed to hit him with either his regular or opportunity attack, but off-balance, his earthbreaker slammed into the wall rather than Giggles' chest. Malak unlimbered his longbow and let fly through the doorway, the arrow stabbing through Giggles' shield and into his forearm. Torgul barreled into the room and grabbed at Giggle's shirt, trying again to intimidate him, but Giggles just giggled again, and pulled free.
Ehleria's ray of acid sizzled into the wall, while Cortonne used his Artificer's touch to break Giggles' flail, the chains rusting. Malak hit Giggles again and Kanaris, enraged that a poncy elf was doing more damage than him, raged but was still unsuccessful. Torgul, tiring of being laughed at when he was being frightening, punched Giggles in the face and knocked him out.
Kanaris proceeded to drag the unconscious half-orc up the stairs and tossed him into the vat of fish and guts, which prompted a warning that his Chaotic Neutral status might be called into question with many further such acts. Torgul fished him out before he drowned, but tossed the extremely soiled flail and armour back in before leaving Giggles slumped on the floor as they continued to explore.
Proceeding up the stairs, they went down the corridor and back into the entrance hall. They then tried to open the door to Yargin's office, but it jammed against the desk. Unable to open the door directly, Ehleria and Cortonne combined their acid ray and Artificer's touch on the hinges to remove the door in an inventive manner. Torgul leaped over the desk as Yargin fled immediately.
Cortonne pursued, slowly, and hurled his hammer at the fleeing thief. At the limit of short range the hammer hit, cracking into Yargin's arm, and Malak's bow sent an arrow into his side. Torgul and Kanaris were in hot pursuit. Yargin managed to leap onto the ropes and was shimmying down when Torgul followed, leaping from the stairs onto the rope. Ehleria rushed to the docks to make sure Yargin couldn't escape, but the little man dropped into the boat and rowed into the docks. However, as he was scrabbling out, Malak sent another arrow into his back and he toppled back into the boat as he died, to the disappointment of the shark circling below. Kanaris held onto the winch, as Torgul, unwilling to risk leaping for the boat clambered his way up and back into the main room.
Ehleria made her way around the docks to the Kraken's Folly, and peered into the cabin, sending a humanoid dancing light inside, where the spider bit at its heels.
Meanwhile, inside, Torgul wanted to break open the window and leap for the walkway to save time, but his greatsword hit the wall rather than the glass. Cortonne used artificer's touch (fast becoming his favourite ability) on the window so Torgul could climb out and then proceeded with the others to go the long way around. Torgul made his leap, and missed, plummeting to the walkway below nd taking damage, but, luckily, not crashing through into the water where the shark was still waiting, hoping for a meal. Ehleria threw a rope over the side of the cabin and clambered down to Torgul's aid before they proceeded to the doorway to Gaedren's Lair.
The others proceeded into the Kraken's Folly, easily dispatching the Dream Spider with a single arrow shot, but they decided that the hold offered too little of benefit to venture with an unknown number of spiders to deal with so they climbed back up the stairs and proceeded down the rope.
Ehleria opened the door and, with an 'after you', let Torgul step through first. Both recognised Lamm immediately, and he recognised them, letting loose a stream of foul curses on Ehleria's deceased husband, and Torgul for not having the decency to die after a week-long beating. Ehleraia went along the south walkway, hitting Lamm with a Ray of Enfeeblement to reduce his already paltry strength, while Torgul took the other path, lunging right up to Lamm. Lamm stepped back and fired at Torgul, but his weakened arms couldn't aim properly and the bolt went wide. Ehleria his Lamm with her ray of acid, but Lamm replied by shooting his crossbow at Gobbleguts, who went for the nearest target, Ehleria. Torgul grappled Lamm, easily beating his feeble CMB score. Ehleria scampered back, hitting Gobbleguts with a Ray of Enfeeblement and pulling out her longspear.
Torgul managed to retain his grapple, but his attempts to hurl Lamm into the pool failed owing to the old man's squirms, while Lamm's desperate stabs with his shiv glanced off Torgul's armour. As the others finally reached the doorway, Ehleria continued to fend off Gobbleguts, using her Harrow points to increase her AC, with neither being able to land a solid hit. Malak let loose a shot but missed both Lamm and Torgul, while Kanaris rushed along the walkway and charged the grappled Lamm, landing a relatively weak blow with his earthbreaker. Cortonne then entered the room, casting the blessings of Brigh on his comrades. Before Lamm could escape, a raging Kanaris, once again infuriated when Malak's arrow struck home, landed a mighty blow, driving Lamm's head straight into his ribcage (and his hit points to -13). Malak turned his attention to Gobbleguts, as did Torgul and Kanaris, the latter finally ending the crocodile's threat with a mighty blow that staved in his skull.
They proceeded to search Lamm's den, Ehleria using acid ray on the lock. Cortonne found Zellara's head. Malak, upon findign out that the person who sent them here this morning had been dead for a weak proclaimed that heknew something was worng with her as she never said how she got her Harrow deck back. Ehleria claimed the Harrow deck, while Cortonne used artificer's touch to mend the brooch.
As they left the fishery, bound for a jeweler Malak knows to evaluate the worth of the brooch, the only item they couldn't value, they saw the torch-wielding mob shouting "Death to the Whore Queen", prompting several oaths. And that's where we left them.
|
|
Information: Torgul's player could not make it, so was played by committee.
The first mob was sent packing after Ehlaria managed to get 29 on her intimidate score (Class Skill, + 18 charisma, +Aid anothers, + widow, +Harrowed turning up Charisma for a total modifier of +16). This pattern was repeated for every mob enocunted resulting in them safely making it to Zelladra's house with only one minor incident where they rescued the young noble, Amin Jalento. The docker threatening him managed to utter the immortal lines 'get 'em lads' before finding out the lads had fled. Once they were at Zelladra's, she manifested, apologised and explained herself.
After a night spent inside as the mobs rampaged outside, they went in search of a jeweller to value the broach. The one they found, who's shop had sprouted some very obvious guards since the last time Malak had been there. The jeweller bought all the knick-knacks but went pale at the brooch, explaining it was stolen from the Queen and a large reward was on offer.
Spurred by civic pride, and possibly a lot of money, they went to the castle. To return the brooch. Despite having no diplomacy between them, they managed not to foul up the audience with the Queen, obtained their reward, leveled up (Torgul had preplanned a level of rogue and everyone else kept their original class) and went to Castle Volsheynek.
After Meeting Commander Croft, they accepted her offer and proceeded towards All the World's Meat. On the way, they purchased a lot of armour, mostly masterwork, and Malak upgraded his bow to an impressive Mighty Masterwork Composite Longbow. Malak scouted ahead, investigating the butcher's from the rooftops.
Cortonne and Kanaris, chewing down on barbarian chew, then entered as a distraction while Malak returned to the roofs. Unfortunately, there was no meat left, something that did not impress Kanaris. This resulted in the two ex-watchmen drawing their crossbows and firing. Kanaris launched himself around the counter, engaging one in melee. Malak meanwhile shot above, breaking a window in the upper offices and drawing Vendric's attention, which then drew fire as he dived to the floor as Malak missed him.
Ehlaria and Torgul entered as backup. Ehlaria cast acid bolt at the crossbow wielding guard as Kanaris and the other guard futily traded blows without hitting. Torgul leaped onto the counter, and successfully intimidated the two guards before swatting the crossbowman with the flat of his blade and rendering him unconscious.
Several rounds of missing passed before Kanaris got bored of being hit far more than he hit, dropped his Earthbreaker and tried to grapple the remaining guard as he started to back up. Eventually he was able to, doing a lot of damage with his new and shiny armour spikes before headbutting him into unconsciousness. Just as the last two guards emerged from the slaughter room and opened fire.
Meanwhile, on the roof, Malak came up to the window, launching an arrow into Veric's leg as he crawled away. This prompted Veric to rise, drawing his sword, and earning an arrow in the shoulder. Malak retreated, forcing Veric to try and chase him through the window, probably under fire, so he ducked back into the room.
Below, Kanaris charges at the guards, Torgul in close pursuit as Ehlaria ties up the unconscious guards. One guard manages to wound Torgul who responds with a vicious critical hit that take the guard into the negatives. At this point, Cortonne leaped past him, stabilising the dying guard, while his colleague was busy slicing at Kanaris. After another blow landed, Cortonne had to roll over to heal Kanaris before he went unconscious. Torgul managed to hit the last guard, but didn't drop him. The guard responded, dropping Torgul to the ground and leaving Cortonne to play healing twister as he desperately cast stabilise again.
Ehlaria headed up the stairs, taking Veric by surprise, draining 6 points of his strength away. Enraged, Veric charged at her, slashing her badly as Malak clambered back through the window. Ehlaria smartly reversed her longspear, and despite a Str of 8, made an admirable attempt to knock Veric out. This faield, as did Malak's sap sneak attack, so she gripped the Wand of Magic Missiles they'd acquired from Lamm's stash and which she'd tied to the haft of her spear and blasted Veric. Sadly, he was still standing, albeit barely, and his next sword blow sent her tumbling unconscious down the stairs, requiring Cortonne, who had just finished stabilising Torgul to once more call upon the blessings of Brigh.
Kanaris finally grappled the guard, and above ground Malak took Veric down with a mighty blow from his sap.
He came down the stairs, and bopped the last guard, too, to render everyone at All the World's meat unconscious. The looting is due to commence the next session.
Also commencing next session, after a unanimous vote in favour, is the introduction of the Critical Hit and Critical Fumble Decks.
|
|
After the success at All the World's Meat, and Cortonne expending pretty much every bit of healing he had to get the rest of the party conscious (his player rolled horrendously for the first three channel energies) the party looted the place thoroughly, Mah'lak groaning as he found that the bow he'd just spent hundreds of gold on was identical to the one Verrick owned (now claimed by Torgul). Ehlaria claimed the magical silver dagger, but so far not even an identify spell has been able to determine exactly what it's properties are.
After dumping the tied up, unconscious guardsmen on the cart out back and covering it with a sheet, they made their way back to the Citadel and collected their reward. They also collected a letter of introduction from Commander Croft to the owner of the Three Sails to accommodate them and charge reasonable expenses to the Guard.
On their way there, however, they were accosted by a drunken Grau Soldero who was sure that Torgul was his old mate Neffi. Recognising him as an upright, well-liked and usually sober sergeant, they steered him back to the Citadel and discreetly left him in the care of the Guard, before returning to the inn where Cortonne expended the last of his healing to get the party up to full strength.
The next day, on checking up on Grau to see how he was doing, they were called into Commander Croft's office, where she introduced them to Vincarlo. Sadly, Vincarlo did not make a good impression, with much of the party convinced that he is a womanising dandy. Still, they were happy to proceed to Eel's Edge under his guidance.
At the Edge itself, the party first had to persuade Torgul that entering the House of Clouds was not a necessary part of the mission, but once this was done, Cortonne managed to bribe the guards to allow them to see the King of Spiders.
The King was very impressed with his new visitors, especially as Ehlaria successfully bluffed him into believing she was a representative from Cheliax who was checking up on the Ambassador. After some bartering and pleasantries, and the offer of 400 gold, he was almot convinced that it was worth his while to hand over the letters, but asked for an entertaining game of knivesies first. Cortonne quickly doffed his armour and volunteered.
His first action was to touch the knife and use his artificer's touch to break it. He then spent several turns scooping up coins (and between his stake, Ehlaria and KAnaris, the party had dumped more than 300 gp in bets) while being ineffectually stabbed. Eventually growing tired of the occasional damage, Cortonne punched the other contestant in the face, and proceeded to grapple him shortly thereafter. The game finished when Cortonne used his immense half-Orcish strength to lift the other man up bodily and hurl him off the table. At this point the King applauded, congratulated them on the entertainment and left to fetch the letters.
During the fight, Ehlaria had been telepathically contacted by the pseudodragon and suggested he talk to her friend, Cortonne, once the fight was over. While the King was getting the letters, Cortonne wandered over and started to ask questions about the psuedodragon, Majenko, using artificer's touch on the lock when no one was looking. Ehlaria asked Zelladra to use her major image ability to place another psuedodragon in the cage and the real Majenko promptly flew off. Cortonne shut the door and mended the lock with another touch. The party collected the letters and departed without any one, except Cortonne, being even slightly hurt.
Halfway back to the inn, Majenko reappeared to keep his promise of a year's service for freedom, and continued the journey perched on Cortonne's shoulder. Sadly, some imps saw the dragon and decided to swoop in and attack. Recognising the threat, Mah'lak, who, as usual was shadowing the party through the roofs, started dipping his arrows in the bottle of silversheen as one imp veered off to attack him. Ehlaria drained another for the maximum strength drain and the poor little creature dropped to the ground screaming curses as its wings could no longer carry it. Cortonne drew his silver holy symbol and tried to use it as an improvised weapon but sadly fumbled and stunned himself for one round while one of the imps managed to poison Torgul, even as he smote it with his greatsword.
The imp facing Mah'lak fled almost immediately as two arrows struck it bypassing it's damage resistance. One imp managed to stab Ehlaria, but she resisted the poison, as did Kanaris. Ehlaria used the wand of magic missiles on the imp fighting Torgul but didn't do sufficient damage to drop it, while it's weakened brethen suggested she drop the wand, she did. Kanaris, in his enthusiasm for a mighty blow pulled a muscle painfully.
This continued for a couple of rounds, before pseudodragons intervened, driving off the imps and the party limped back to the inn, where Torgul's stated ambition is to sleep for a week so he can move again.
And there we left the brave heroes.
|
|
One more thing that should be included:
One of the questions Cortonne asked while looking over the pseudodragon was: "What do you feed him?" When the answer came back "Rats.", he got a telepathic message (or little bit of paper) from Majanvo "I HATE rats!!!!" which caused the player to burst out laughing. When Majanvo returned, Cortonne asked him what he did like to eat, and the reply was "Well, a nice little mignon of steak, sautéed onions, maybe some mushrooms..." so it appears they've got a gourmet pseudodragon on their hands.
|
|
Announcements: Mahlak's player left the group as he doesn't really like D&D. Torgul's player was unable to make it and was played by committee.
On with the adventure itself. After dropping Torgul off at the Three Sails to start the recovery of his lost Dexterity, and leaving him there under the watchful eye of Majenvo, the party returned to Commander Croft to deliver the letters, which she was very pleased with.
Cortonne left the party at this point to join the Korvosan guard and Commander Croft introduced them to a NG elven Ranger/Evoker named Dualeth whom she believed might be of help to them. Dualeth introduced himself, and revealed that he had been removed from the Acadamae thanks to the machinations of Devargo Barvasi. The others agreed to remove the King of Spiders, and stopped off at the Grand Bank of Abadar to purchase several potions of Lesser Restoration to speed up the recovery of their colleague from Acolyte Ishani Diatri. Majenvo left to serve his rescuer, Cortonne, at the Guard.
Two days, three potions, and 900gp later, they devised a Plan as cunning as a cunning fox with a doctorate in cunning from the University of Cunning, Cambridge. To wit, Torgul and Kanaris would each create separate diversions on Eel's End, one by starting a fight in the House of the Clouds, the other by entering the Tiger's Den and complaining about forged coin. While these distractions were drawing the attention of the guards and patrons, Ehleria and Dualeth would sneak aboard using Lamm's old rowboat and climbing the sides. They succeeded in slipping downstairs without anyone being the wiser.
Having made an inspection of the Shiver Lab and the Brig, they decided that Barvasi was probably in the estate rooms, traditionally at the aft of the ship. And so they emerged into Chittersnap's lair. Neither party was surprised. The Ogre Spider and 2 Dream Spider's lunged at Dualeth, while Chittersnap entangled Ehleria in webbing and the remaining Dream Spiders attacked her. One hit, but once again the frail sorceress proved tougher than most warriors by making her Fortitude save against the poison. Surrounded, Dualeth channeled a Burning Hands spell through his bonded sword and burned the two Dream Spider's to crisps, while Ehleria's acidic rays burned her way out of the webbing. Chittersnap hurled the webbing at Dualeth and hit him, whereupon the Ogre Spider bit him. Ehleria was bit twice, one of which was a natural 20. Her constitution finally gave out and she took some Wisdom damage. Badly wounded, she retreated behind Dualeth who burned his way free of his webbing with his Evoker bolt, before he stabbed the Ogre Spider to death with his sword. Enraged, Chittersnap charged him and bit him hard, dealing a large amount of Dexterity damage. Ehleria used her wand of magic missiles to kill one of the dream spiders. Unfortunately, after a successful blow from Dualeth, he fell to a second bite from Chittersnap and the now unprotected sorceress fell to a second critical from the dream spider. Things looked bad for the pair of them as both started to work up their new characters.
Fortunately, Kanaris had gotten bored waiting for the signal and demanded to see the boss. When he was refused, he chewed on some fine barbarian jerky and killed two guards blocking his way before the remainder decided that dealing with Torgul was a safer option and he gained entry into the Eel's end. His first strike at Chittersnap squashed the spider-like creature, and he proceeded to pour healing potions down his comrades' throats. As he did so, the door behind him burst open and Barvasi stumbled out, screaming, as numerous spiders bit him, poisoning him to death which provoked a very ironic smile from Dualeth as they fled.
Fired by their heroic near disaster, the party levelled. Kanaris took a level of Druid, choosing the Air Domain as his bond with nature, which given his status as a member of the Hawk Clan makes a certain amount of sense. Ehleria continued her rise as a sorceress and chose the Weapon Finesse feat to make the best of her extended reach, while Dualeth concentrated on his warrior skills, taking another level of Ranger and choosing the Two-Weapon Fighting style.
As they recovered, they heard the rumours flying about the death of Eodred: that the seneschal had killed him and fled; that the seneschal had died protecting the King from the assassins; that Cheliaxian agents had murdered the King; that it was Quadirans/Andorans/Shoanti; that the Queen had killed him over his harem, and on and on. Then, once they had healed and Dualeth had built up a large stock of scrolls, they heard of the announcement of the King's true murderer and were called in by a panting and exhausted runner to the Commander's office, where they were charged with capturing Trinia.
They made their way to her address easily enough, but found the first neighbour exceedingly uncooperative. The old lady told them that Trinia was a good and generous girl and she didn't do it, so they should stop making trouble and slammed the door in their faces, before hammering on the walls as they left. They had more luck with the next neighbour when they reasonably explained that if they didn't capture her, the mob might just burn the entire building down. They got a surly response, but found she was on the third floor. The door was once again slammed in their face and a hammering on the walls.
After knocking produced no joy on Trinia's door, they employed the barbarian door opener to great effect and found Trinia curled up in her bed. Upon trying to gently tap her to see if she was real, they discovered she wasn't. Proceeding immediately to the window, with only the briefest pause to comment "Cute", as the only possible escape route, they gave chase. Kanaris quickly caught up with Trinia and grappled her, but she squirmed free and took off at a rapid pace. Dualeth fell, but was saved from damage by a swiftly channeled Feather Fall. Kanaris got dazed as he approached too closely and fell off the roof trying to catch up, leaving Ehleria the task of capturing Trinia. This didn't go well to start as pleas to reason and logic fell on deaf ears as the panicked painter continued to flee. Eventually, Ehleria persuaded Zelladra to use her major image power to conjure a wall of fire surrounding Trinia and the illusion kept her contained until she could be captured.
The party listened to her protestations of innocence and how she didn't know why anyone would possibly want to frame her. Taking some of her clothes in a sack, Dualeth set off to lay a false trail for the mob as the others turned her over to the Korvosan Guard. Which was a close call to make. Only the fact that they trusted and didn't want to anger Commander Croft kept them from smuggling her out of the city themselves. They believe Trinia's protestations of innocence, and are sure the Queen framed her to protect Sabina who they believe is the actual killer.
And we left them at that point.
No update next week as I'll be on holiday.
|
|
And after a week in Sin City, we continue with Korvosa.
The party escorted Trinia back to the Citadel, they were immediately escorted to the Commander and Thousand Bones. Bones kept much of his attention on Kanaris, as the resident Shoanti, while explaining the situation. Kanaris is confident he can spot the tribal tattoos so the party sets off quickly for Potter's Field, stopping along the way to boost their healing with a Wand of Cure Light Wounds from the temple of Abadar.
They found their way down safely enough, with light spells and dancing lights providing a lot of illumination. Then the skeletons attacked. The human skeletons proved no problem with Torgul smashing half of them to pieces with his great sword and Dualeth burning the other three into charred bones. Unfortunately the owlbear proved more problematic and downed Kanaris (despite taking some horrific wounds from the earthbraker). Ehlaria finally defeated it by boring an acid bolt through it's forehead. Then came the tricky part of reviving the barbarian., given he was the only one who could use the wand and they had no potions. Ehlaria took up the challenge and burnt through three charges,taking 10 points damage in feedback as she tried to get the wand to work.
At this point, they decided to retreat to Potter's Field itself. Dualeth and Ehlaria stood guard while Torgul jogged back to the Temple of Pharamsa at the edge of the Boneyard. He returned with four healing potions, giving one to each conscious party member and pouring the fourth down Kanaris throat. This revived him just enough for him to pick up the wand and get to work fixing both himself and Ehlaria up. Then they continued into the Dead Warrens.
Dualeth scouted ahead down the corridors, following the high-pitched squeals he could hear and discovered the derro engaged in an enthusiastic game of whack-a-rat. Disgusted he returned with the others and they made short work of the derro, uncovering the secret door in their search of the grimy room. Dualeth again scouted out, but retreated upon seeing the otyugh.
In the course of planning how to deal with the beast, Kanaris went exploring for another route and entered the bleeding room. Tasking the derro by surprise, he attacked, but missed. This let the derro unleash the stirges, the first one latching on immediately. Kanaris used his new-found ability to send a bolt of lightning through the stirge, but this failed to kill it and it drained away 4 points of Constitution before flapping off to digest. Then the derro negated the dancing lights spell and plunged Kanaris into total darkness. The other stirge landed, the derro struck him for sneak attack damage, and Kanaris finally bellowed for help, drawing the rest of the party to his side where they made short work of the derro and his pets. Torgul delivered the final blow, aided by
a casting of True Strike from Dualeth, cleaving the derro in two as it raced for the door. Kanaris was then forcefed two potions to return him to consciousness (again) before working with the wand, while everyone got themselves ready for the inevitable rush of monsters. Which fortunately never came.
After using the wand to restore himself, they proceeded to fight the otyugh, keeping at range while Duasleth distracted the creature. Eventually, after several rounds of narrow escapes, partially owing to Ehlaria enfeebling the beast, until he was finally grabbed, just before the creature was killed. They recovered Ghekhaen's legs and proceeded onwards through the secret passages they'd discovered.
This brought them to the hall of skulls. Torgul stepped inside and began to search for the traps that they were sure were there. Or, if they weren't, Dualeth would be very disappointed with the builders. Fortunately for them, the trap was activated but missed Torgul with both darts. Then the three Necrophidian's attacked. Torgul attacked but was quickly entranced by one of them, while Kanaris charged the third.
The fight was brutal. Torgul was pulled back by Dualeth who took his place in the front line while Ehlaria kept acid blasting the third as it tried again and again toy hypnotise them. Kanaris managed to critically hit one of them, and the blow careened through to the third. The middle necrophidian charged towards Ehlaria, drawing attack from DFualeth and Kanaris, but was killed by a final acid bolt. Unfortunately, Kanaris was then paralysed, leaving Dualeth the only one fighting. At that moment, though, Torgul recovered from the serpent skeleton's sinuous trance and clove one in two while Ehlaria and Dualeth blasted the third to lieflessness.
And there we left matters for another week.
|
|
Following on from their victory over the three necrophidians, Torgul pushed the door open and he and Dualeth pushed into the room, Kanaris and Ehlaria close behind. The Derro in the room responded immediately, given all the noise in the room next door, and cast sound burst on the four of them. Dualeth and Torgul both failed their saves and were stunned. Ehlaria and Kanaris responded by blasting the Derro with acid and lightning, respectively. When Dualeth recovered he joined in and the derro was dead before Torgul got a chance to act.
Coming to the locked and boarded up door, they decided they had to open it, but they started by boring a hole in the wood with acid, cold and electricity bolts. At which point the carrion golem burst out through the weakened door. Fortunately, Ehlaria recognised the foul creature and warned Kanaris and Dualeth not to hit it with electricity. Dualeth hit it with fire, Ehlaria hit it with acid and Kanaris and Torgul hit it with a big hammer and big sword respectively. Sadly, that wasn’t enough to drop it, but it’s feeble return swing didn’t trouble the fighters and Ehlaria finished it off with a bolt of acid, allowing them to recover the arm it was swinging around.
Dualeth then proceeded stealthily down the tunnels, but Torgul’s less than stealthy approach (his player rolled a one. Apparently, a marching band in full pomp makes less noise than Torgul Frostbreath trying to be stealthy). Forewarned, Cabbage head charged up to them, chortling about the rewards Rolth would give him for the pretty elf’s head. As Torgul slowly manoeuvred his way around, Cabbagehead pounded on Dualeth. As Kanaris and Ehlaria rounded the corner, a nasty blow from Cabbagehead dropped Dualeth to the ground. Kanaris immediately came up to heal him, and as soon as Dualeth ewas conscious he blasted Cabbagehead with a bolt of cold. Torgul, meanwhile, swung his blade in an attempt to intimidate the dull ogrekin and succeeded in shaking him. Kanaris struck with his earthbreaker, but Cabbagehead’s dense skin protected him and he laughed in the raging barbarian’s face. Torgul succeeded in hitting him with the sword and Ehlaria finished poor Cabbagehead off with an acid bolt to the face. They then proceeded to free the prisoners, Ehlaria giving each a free prestidigitation bath as they left to cleanse them of the stench of the pits. Dualeth requested two, just to be on the safe side.
They then moved up to the stitching room and very cautiously checked out the golem body on the table. In order to retrieve the head, Ehlsaria cast prestidigitation , undoing every stitch in the body, whereupon Torgul cut it into even smaller pieces.
Dualeth was very impressed by the library, but decided to forgo looting it until they’d finished exploring. And so they came to Rolth’s room. Because of the time they’d spent in the library and stitching room, Vreeg had had plenty of time to prepare himself and attempted to ambush the party, but was foiled by phenomenal perception checks by everyone. Dualeth missed with his first bolt of energy, but Ehlaria didn’t, while Torgul drew his bow and readied himself, and Kanaris cast create water on top of Vreeg in an attempt to disrupt his spell-casting, but this failed as Vreeg tossed a human skeleton from his Robe of Bones to fight them. Dualeth, with his hatred of undead, fired at the skeleton, but missed. Torgul struck Vreeg with an impressive shot from the bow, while Kanaris and Ehlaria both missed. Vreeg dropped a goblin zombie to play with the party. Again, Torgul and Ehlaria both struck him solidly, while Kanaris attacked the skeleton and Dualeth turned his twin blades, unsuccessfully, on the goblin zombie. Vreeg dropped the final creature from his robes, hurling the human zombie at Torgul. Torgul stepped back and shot Vreeg again, as did Ehlaria, while Kanaris shattered the skeleton with his earthbreaker, and Dualeth again missed with his swords. Vreeg, quite fed up with being used as a pincushion, cast Blindness at Torgul, who failed his save spectacularly, and went completely blind, taking him out of the archery fight. He drew his sword and tried to hack at the zombie that had just punched him in his armour. Kanaris missed with his lightning arc, while Dualeth successfully sliced up the goblin zombie. Ehlaria hit Vreeg with another acid bolt and he responded with a Scorching Ray. Sadly, he rolled a 20, and confirmed the critical. Even sadder (for me) the critical hit card he drew only applied to electricity, so he just did double damage to Ehlaria, resulting in 8d6 damage on a 3rd level sorcerer. Even with the increased hit points from the Pathfinder Beta, she couldn’t take that and dropped to the ground immediately at -16. Kanaris scrambled over and tried to heal her (houserule: if you can get the deceased above -10 within 1 round, they live.) but he rolled a measly one on the healing and Ehlaria passed away from her wounds. Dualeth cast True Strike on Toprgul, enabling the blinded fighter to cleave the zombie facing him in half. Dualeth and Kanaris proceeded to blast away at Vreeg, disrupting his spellcasting with two critical hits from Dualeth’s fire bolt sending the derro necromancer crashing to the ground in flames.
They finished exploring the cavern, with Dualeth casting Disrupt Undead on the twitching torso until it stopped twitching. Dualeth took up Ehlaria’s body and carried it out, along with the haul of the library and Vreeg’s spellbook, while Kanaris led Torgul up out of the caverns, carrying the dismembered body. Like this, they made their way to the Temple of Pharasma, donating the library of books in exchange for Torgul’s healing. Using Ehlaria’s gold, Dualeth arranged for her to be looked after until they could return from completing their mission. They delivered the body, and Commander Croft explained that she’d like them to attend the execution of Trinia the next day, saying something didn’t feel right about the speed of the trial and verdict. Dualeth returned to make arrangements for Ehlaria to be buried in the Everyman Ward, with as much honour as 500 gold crowns could buy.
The next day, Dualeth proceeded to study Vreeg’s spellbooks, learning several applications of Cause Fear, just in case, before donning his black armband and with the rest of the group mingling with the crowd at the execution. The courtyard was packed as Illeosa read out the verdict and Trinia was led to the executioner’s block. A dark figure intervened, sparking confusion in the crowds as Blackjack himself saved Trinia. Dualeth was trying to get through the crowds when he saw the executioner preparing to attack Blackjack from behind. Not wanting to draw attention to himself, he drew out Zelladria’s Harrow deck in the confusion and persuaded her to call up a roaring ogre in the centre of the courtyard. This, naturally, caused the executioner to hesitate, enabling Blackjack to disarm him and escape over the wall with Trinia. Despite an active search by the guard, and Dualeth, neither Blackjack nor Trinia have been found.
And that was how we concluded Edge of Anarchy.
No game next week owing to LARPing over Easter, but in two weeks time, we’ll be introducing not just Ehlaria’s replacement, but a new character to boot.
|
|
Party membership: This week saw two new characters and one new player joining the group. The replacement for Ehlaria is Sir Varren Keddah, Paladin of Saerenrae (and complete with full plate armour, shield and a diplomacy modifier to make a DM weep, weep I tell you). He also took the Blade of Mercy trait as we're in an urban setting so some of the enemy might need to live. The other new character is Timon Viers, a generalist human mage of Neutral alignment and membership of the Pathfinder Society.
The week started with cleaning up a last bit of business from Edge of Anarchy as Tiora, whom they rescued from Vreeg's slave pits, tracked them to the inn and left them a Wand of Cure Moderate Wounds with the immortal words "You saved my life. This will save yours. Now we're even."
After Ehlaria's funeral, and the obligatory post funeral drinking, Sir Varren approached the party having bidden told of their reputation from the guards. That night, they were awakened (by phenomenal Perception checks) as the city responded to a lone ship approaching with force. Having been told the guard had nothing for them, but wanted them around "in case some idiot puts a spark to the tinderbox and causes more riots", they decided to investigate on their own. With the Paladin's Diplomatic skill (weep, I tell you) they manged to find out much of what had occurred before and were quite keen to investigate the ghost ship, except for the slight problem of breathing underwater. They returned to the inn and met up with Timon who thanked them for 'taking care' of Lamm, before offering his services as a "freelance troubleshooter". He introduced himself to Kanaris with a large stein of ale, but when the favour was returned fell quite insensate.
The day after, they were approached by a breathless Sergeant Grau Soldado and asked to help his sick niece. Unable to cure her themselves, or even identify the disease, they paid Ishani Dhatri, although with some disapproval of his church's attitude (Abadar has now acquired the new appellation "the Lord of Ka-Ching" in my group) the full price for a curing and escorted him to the temple to find someone to cast it. Sir Varren cast Lesser restoration to improve little Brienna's chances. As this was being cleared up, and questions asked, Dualeth felt the call of Zelladra from the Harrow deck and led his companions into a side room to perform the reading, having been teaching the Soldado's two boys how to cast Disrupt Undead (the words of which include klaatu, barada and nikto). The reading told of an ancient creature of darkness returning to plague the city, faced with enemies on all sides, but that a steadfast seeking of the truth would help them. They also foresaw Korvosa piled high with corpses, long-beaked birds pecking at their eyes while women without faces stood guard at the gates. Concerned, they started looking for signs of disease, in case Briennea was not the only victim. They found a few others, but none could give them any clue how they'd been infected.
After a sound night's sleep, they received a message from Vincarlo to meet them at his Academy, which they duly did, and were introduced,/reintroduced to Trinia. Agreeing to smuggle her out of the city, the following basic plan emerged. Trinia, in disguise and wearing a borrowed holy symbol of Saerenrae, and Sir Varren would be one group, while the others would follow behind in case
of trouble. Dualeth convinced Zelladra to create a duplicate of Trinia in a hooded cloak to throw others off the trail. Despite a close encounter with a bunch of Hellknights, they escaped the city, warning Trinia to be watchful for signs of the mysterious plague as they sent her on her way.
Their return to Korvosa was uneventful, but the increasing signs of infestation concerned them so much that they went back to the Soldado's to talk to Brienna. Having heard tales of her playing on the riverbank, Timon and Torgul decided to gather samples (the players clearly thinking this was CSI: Korvosa), while Sir Varren's ears pricked up when she mentioned the shiny coins she'd found and spent. The investigations continued but did not make any further progress.
The very next morning they were roused by an underpriest who explained how Dhatri requested their presence immediately. Most of the group successfully pushed through the crowds, but Sir Verran's demeanor and his holy symbols encouraged the throng to mob him and he only just pulled himself free. Fortunately he is immune to the disease the unfortunates carried. Dhatri explained the city's perilous predicament with the plague. The group passed on their own suspicions of the transmission vector before agreeing to accompany him to the guard to help coordinate a response.
And thus we left things. One of the players commented that he really enjoyed the role-playing session but he was getting eager to kill some bad guys. So that's what we'll be doing next week.
|
|
The party agreed to escort Dhatri from the temple but were a bit concerned about the mob outside so they covered Sir Varren and Dhatri in thick black cloaks and took the back way out. They devised a plan to hire a boat, and pilot, and essentially avoid the mobs by sailing from one end of the docks to the other. Using Sir Varren's diplomacy, they were persuading a boatmen to take them, having nothing whatever to do with them fleeing the plague, for the princely sum of 5 gold crowns per person. And then Torgul started coughing ostentatiously. The boatman slammed up shop immediately, earning Torgul one of the hardest stares that wasn't delivered by a medusa, and they had to walk through the quiet, nearly deserted streets. A secondary plan of liberating another vessel was proposed, but another stare from Sir Varren eventually persuaded Timon that this plan had a couple of significant flaws to it.
They made it through to the Citadel, where the guards greeted them friendlily saying if they wanted to see the Queen's doctor's they'd better hurry. They hurried.
After the speeches, they hurried to catch up to Commander Croft, and were introduced to Davaulus. Croft explained the situation, while the party outlined their findings to her and the Doctor, explaining how they thought the plague was being spread by tainted coins. Davaulus listened calmly and reassured them that he would pass this onto the Queen, but that his first priority was in helping those already sadly afflicted. The Commander and Doctor then retired to her quarters , along with Dhatri, who might have evoked the only non-grim smile of the Commander's in the entire conversation.
Most of the group decided to wait around for several hours, discussing, quietly, their suspicions while Dualeth did the sensible thing and went to the local guard bar to find out information. Having gained the general sense that the guard were a) displeased about having these bastards put in charge, b) suspicious of the doctors and c) rather concerned for their own safety with the plague but determined to press on with their duty. He then tried some other bars in other districts, finding little of use, but hearing of an impressive cure for the plague, Lavender's Luxuriant Liniment.
After a brief conversation with Commander Croft, where her frustration at recent events became clear, if non-verbal, the party escorted Dhatri back to the temple through much quieter and calmer streets.
They proceeded to the merchant's district and were astonished by the queue outside the shop. Dualeth slipped away, circling around to look for an entrance around back. Kaanris followed some time later, and finally Torgul and Timon came to the same conclusion, leaving Sir Varren standing in the street watching the crowd.
Dualeth, boosted by Kanaris, managed to peer over the locked gate into the narrow yard of the emporium and proceeded to melt the lock into molten metal with his Evoker's bolt. Slipping quietly inside , he found no easy entrance into the shop without going into the shop and retreated back out front where Torgul decided his best choice was to join the queue, after thoughts of bribing, explaining or intimidating the queue were dispelled.
Sir Varren, meanwhile, approached someone after they had bought the Liniment and began politely and gently questioning them, discovering that a previous customer swore blind it cured the plague, before disengaging with his liniment. Sir Varren then approached another customer, this time one who bore obvious signs of sickness, and persuaded him to try the liniment there and then. After several minutes of not feeling even slightly better, the unfortunate had Lesser Restoration cast on him and was easily persuaded to explain loudly and clearly at the front of the queue how the whole thing was a con, that it didn't work and that he'd been swindled out of 20 silver sails! This naturally persuaded many in the queue to leave, muttering darkly and for the proprietor to emerge, shouting and cursing. Until the proclamation was presented, and her situation explained. In detail. Rather cornered, she agreed to come quietly to the guard. But tried to escape as she locked the shop up, running out back and directly into Dualeth who had been anticipating that very thing. Leaving Dualeth behind to guard the shop, the others took Vendra down to the Citadel and arranged for the Guard to search her shop and find the item she was using to protect herself from the plague.
The next day, while talking things over with the guard, Sir Varren discovered the issue they were having with Racker's Alley. The party decided to investigate. Sir Varren approached the bodies alone, and quickly discovered the puncture wounds. The party arranged for a cart to carry the unfortunates to the Grays for cremation, with a little note to be especially wary in case they started moving. Timon proceeded to cast Protection from Evil to protect Torgul, as the person with the worst possible Will save in the party, from the inevitable Domination attempts from the vampires. They then proceeded to investigate the building, before finally, and very stealthily (yes, even Sir Varren) climbing down into the cellar.
Torgul and Timon stayed above. Kanaris and Dualeth staked the first vampire without incident, but his thrashing alerted the others. As one tried to rise, Kanaris slammed on its lid with his earthbreaker, driving it back, while Sir Varren called on the light of Saerenrae and drove the others back. The trapped vampire burst free, but missed Kanaris as Sir Varren once again called on Saerenrae's light and drove this one back, but not before Kanaris had cast Cure Light Wounds on the vampire, scorching it with the healing energy, while Dualeth blasted the nearest with bolts of fire.
Torgul climbed down the ladder, and Timon followed, cautiously. Calling on Saerenrae's power one last time to further injure the vampires. But the vampire Kanaris had attacked dominated the Shoanti, sending him after the paladin. Torgul promptly charged that vampire, while Dualeth burnt his foe into ash. The vampire confronting Torgul took a hit, but missed feebly in return, as did Kanaris, while Timon's Scorching Ray lashed over the other. However , a second swing from Torgul destroyed the vampire and Sir Varren charged the last, using his holy energies to smite it. The three vampires were staked as they were helpless and then carried outside to burn in the purifying light of the sun.
And as we left the party, they leveled. No update this week owing to the Bank Holiday. We'll resume next week.
|
|
Having dispatched the vampire spawn, and recovered the Adabaran Key, which everyone bar Torgul recognised for its true significance, the party went to retrieve the sadly deceased toymaker’s belongings from the Grand Bank. It was decided that Sir Varren would receive the Boots of Striding and Springing so that he could keep up with the rest of the party in his heavy full plate. As they returned to report to Commander Croft, some of the guard approached asking if they’d like to attend the funeral of Guardsman “Old Ironguts” Vrath, tragically killed in the riots and headed for pyre that evening.
Understandably, the party agreed and stood respectfully as Vrath was lowered into the pit. However, as the priest of Pharamsa was intoning the liturgy, Sir Varren, Timon and Dualeth all heard a scrabbling sound and so were not surprised when a pack of four ghouls and a solitary ghast burst up from the mass grave. Timon and Dualeth unleashed burning hands spells, expending the last of their magic for the day, and incinerated the corpses before they had a chance to do anything more than emerge, resulting in the quickest fight of their career. The funeral proceeded uninterrupted, although the liturgy may have been faster than usual, as the pyre had already been started.
After the funeral, the party split up, Sir Varren proceeding through the quiet and sombre bars, the ones that were still open, in Midlands for information, while the others preferred the rough and tumble of the dock bars, where more people were drinking heavily to drown out the fears of the plague. It was here that Eries Yelloweyes managed to track them down. She explained that their people and hers were on a collision course thanks to Girrigsz’ rash and, in her view, suicidal thoughts. She offered the party information on the source of the plague if they would help, especially if they could stop him without unduly harming his followers, rats who were “too young and stupid to know better”. They informed Sir Varren of the plan, omitting the exact nature of their informant, and explained the conditions of the help. He agreed, as the younger wererats could be reformed if not led astray.
The next morning, they awoke to a shock. Torgul had contracted Blood Veil, and lost the maximum of both Constitution and Charisma to its ravages. Fortunately, Sir Varren had prepared Lesser Restoration, and by Saerenrae’s grace, Torugl’s health was improved, although the Blood Veil still afflicts him and mars his countenance. They proceeded to the sewers.
As they entered the rat caves, Dualeth noticed the Shrieker and recognised it, steering Torgul along the northern side of the cavern. The element of surprise was lost owing to Torgul’s chain shirt catching on the rocks, but he was still able to cow the three wererats with a dazzling display of combat prowess. Sir Varren then entered and persuaded the wererats to surrender. The fact that he had a scimitar liberally smothered with silversheen might have had something to do with this, along with his natural Charisma. The next cavern found the four wererats made of slightly sterner stuff. They were shaken by Torgul’s prowess but refused to be cowed. The fight proceeded ineffectually for several rounds, with Torgul and Sir Varren trying to knock out the four rats with the flats of their blades, while Kanaris weakened their enemies with lightning bolts. None of the wererats stood any chance against the heavily armoured warriors, especially once Timon had cast haste.
As a large wererat wormed into the room, Kanaris let loose with a Flaming Sphere, but the rat avoided it. Torgul managed to down his two opponents and Sir Varren knocked the third out. Dualeth fired at the dire rat and scored a critical, scoring a petrification result, but the rat saved. The reason why was soon revealed as the rat grew into Girrigz and charged Torgul. The silver rapier did a lot of damage to the Ulfen fighter, but it was the successful bite that caused Torgul most worry, having to spend a Harrow point to reroll his Fortitude save against lycanthropy. Seeing the main enemy, Sir Varren cast Divine Favour, failing his defensive casting, but ignoring the wererat as it tried to bite through his plate mail. He then called on the spirit of Saerenrae, his scimitar bursting into flame as he smote at Girrigz, while Torgul switched his attention to the last wererat having been unable to hit the incredibly agile wererat leader. Rightly seeing Sir Varren as a much bigger threat, Girrigz turned his attention to the paladin. Kanaris raged, but his mighty attack was blunted by damage reduction, while Dualeth missed with his energy bolt. Timon cast slow, but both the wererat and Girrigz made their saves. Sir Varren proceeded to smite Girrigz, while Torgul still attacked the wererat, and Timon and Dualeth both cast True Strike. The reasons became clear just after Girrigz managed to bite the paladin as each unleashed scorching rays, each hitting an absurd AC, and doing immense damage to the wererat, who died in the next blow as Sir Varren smote him with his flaming, silvered blade. This managed to persuade the last wererat to surrender. Sir Varren channelled healing energy, including the surrendered wererat as an example of Saerenrae’s grace for the repentant. Timon acquired the magical silvered rapier, as the party searched the caverns.
Sir Varren turned over the mundane weapons to the guard, while selling the rest, getting a very good price for the Eversmoking Bottle from the Academae. The others meanwhile went back to the docks to find Yelloweyes waiting for them with the information confirming their suspicions as to the diseased coins, their link to the sunken ship, and offering a discount, four fingered, on getting potions of water-breathing for them all to investigate.
|
|
The party got themselves prepared, making sure everyone had piercing weapons, working out how long it would take them, as an emergency, to walk underwater to the shore, and in Dualeth’s case, preparing a new spell (Blindness/Deafness) from Vreeg’s spellbook so he had a useful second level spell available underwater. Sir Varren spent the night providing medical care to Torgul, allowing him to better resist the effects of the Blood Plague. Kanaris and Dualeth were infected, but fought the infection off without aid.
They set out early in the morning for the wreck of the Direption but were interrupted as they walked past the Citadel by Deyanira Mirukova. After they halted, she tearfully explained how her brother had been missing for days, almost since the start of the plague, and how worried she was. The party quickly, after a brief discussion, decided that the ship could wait but a live person in danger took precedence and arrived at Carowyn Manor. Using the Ring of Jumping they leapt over the fence, having tried all means at their disposal to alert people inside the house to their presence and achieving nothing.
At the locked front door, Kanaris saved much effort by casting Warp Wood so that the door fell off the hinges and the party advanced. Torgul smote the first zombie with his two-handed sword, cleaving its head off. Dualeth leapt forward, casting Burning Hands, but doing only minimal damage. The zombie hammered him hard in return. Kanaris let loose a bolt of lightning, while Sir Varren, seeing the five zombies called on Sarenrae’s might and blasted them all with positive energy before drawing his sword. Timon, convinced that the bizarre scene was some sort of twisted illusion tried to disbelieve it, but remained convinced of its reality. As they started the methodical process of destroying the zombies with sword, energy bolt and magic, Jolistina attacked, launching a bolt at Sir Varren but failing utterly to hurt the heavily armoured paladin. Sir Varren ran up the stairs, holding his sword to her throat and demanding her immediate surrender. Kanaris and Torgul stayed to dismember the remaining zombies while Timon’s Magic Missiles fizzled against her shield. Jolistina, giggling a trifle, stepped away from Sir Varren, drank her potion and vanished from sight. Duaelth cast Detect Invisibility, while Sir Varren searched for evil, both detecting Jolistina. She fired at Sir Varren, her sneak attack doing more than a little damage, but wasting the screaming bolt owing to his immunity to fear. Visible once again, she proceeded to flee, Sir Varren in close pursuit calling on Saerenrae to empower his blade as he smote her for subdual damage. Dualeth and Timon raced up the stairs, Timon casting Dispel Magic and successfully stripping Jolistina of both Cat’s Grace and Shield. Torgul and Kanaris successfully dealt with the zombies and charged up the stairs to assist.
Meanwhile, Jolistina fled Sir Varren, after a Ray of Enfeeblement, running onto the balconey, where he pursued from one side and Kanaris from the other. Timon’s second set of Magic Missiles struck home solidly. Surrounded by very strong looking warriors, Jolistina tried to drink her last potion of invisibility to slip down the wall, but between them, Kanaris and Sir Varren rendered her unconscious before she could drink any of the potion. After tying her up securely, stripping her of all magic items (including the armour. Sir Varren gentlemanly covered her with his cloak as they disrobed her), and after much debate, and the barricading of the door to the room they locked her in, they proceeded on a room by room path of zombie destruction through the house, slaying with a mixture of sword, hammer, energy bolt and disrupt undead.
Upon reaching the cellar, and slowly entering, fearing a vampiric necromancer awaited them, they encountered Lord Carowyn and learned of how Jolistina had entered the ballroom. They broke the sad news that he was the only survivor of his party to the aristocrat, and led him to the nearby servant’s quarters, shielding him from as much of the gore as possible. Timon went for the guard to get the mess dealt with, and Lord Carowyn looked after. The others decided to interrogate their prisoner. Sir Varren took the role of good cop, while Torgul decided to be bsad cop. Unfortunately, his threats of more force only evoked low moans of pleasure and statements like “Will you beat me? Rolth broke my arm once while he was beating me. I love Rolth sooooo much.” And after a slap “Rolth hurts me better than that.” She thoroughly creeped them out, complimenting Sir Varren on how much he sounded like her beloved Rolth. Eventually, after getting absolutely nowhere, Dualeth set out to find somewhere he could grab a scroll of Charm Person from. Sir Varren persisted, and when she responded to another of Torgul’s threats by begging them to kill her so Rolth could raise her as a zombie and they could be together forever, he threatened her that if they killed her, they would burn her body and scatter the ashes on consecrated ground so that Rolth could never bring her back. The thought of being deprived of Rolth (and a natural twenty on the roll) were too much for Jolistina and she told the party how Rolth had sent her her with a list of targets, and then rewarded her with animate dead scrolls so she could play with her new toys because she did such a good job. But he’d left her, taking away Ruan Mirukova with two armoured women whom the party quickly recognised as Grey Maidens. The link between Rolth, whom some of the party recognised by name (and are now rather worried about as his apprentice Vreeg was a tough battle that cost them the life of their former companion Ehlaria), and the Grey Maidens caused a great deal of concern, but the news that Varisians possessed even a slight immunity spurred them into action. Making sure Jolistina was secured and hiding her as thoroughly as they could, they proceeded all the way to the Grand Bank of Abadar, persuading her to repeat the whole story to Dhatri. Sadly, the cleric was still too busy dealing with the plague to make much use of this new line of enquiry.
After dropping Jolistina off with the guards, and requesting they put her into the deepest dungeon they had and not let anyone know she’d been caught just yet, they returned to Deyanira to warn her to stay in hiding as someone might be hunting Varisians. But they gave her the reassuring news that as far as they knew, her brother was still alive.
Having dealt with that, and not yet ready to go after Rolth himself, both Dualeth and Timon wanting to stock up on scrolls before daring to confront the necromancer, they made their way to the Direption, arranging to be ferried out to it from a small boat near the Soldado’s home. They explored the forecastle, Dualeth and Kanaris managing to calm the silt eels enough for them to thoroughly explore. Opening the hatch to the hold proved more difficult, but eventually they prised it free and entered the hulk itself. Following the sound of muffled thumps, they came upon a shark butting its head into the door, and then Yvicca emerged. Sir Varren failed his save, but spent a Harrow point to reroll and survived her horrific appearance. Kanaris cast Charm Animal at the shark, and Timon cast Haste on the party. Dualeth cast Blindness at Yvicca, but she shrugged it off and the shark responded by biting at him. Torgul and Sir Varren struck at it with trident and rapier respectively, while Yvicca targeted Kanaris with her evil eye, but he shrugged that assault off. The party continued to try and kill the shark in their midst, allowing Yvicca a chance to start summoning more help. It was at this point that they decided to turn their attention to the hag, Timon sending his rapier across via hand of the apprentice, Torgul and Sir Varren charging her, and Kanaris and Dualeth attacking with energy. In total they did more than fifty points damage to her, easily breaking her concentration and almost killing her. As Yvicca shifted form to a shark to escape, Sir Varren and Torgul struck with attacks of opportunity, both scoring critical hits and finishing her off, her body returning to her humanoid form. Timon claimed her bracers, while Kanaris exchanged his masterwork spear for Yvicca’s magical one.
The party continued to search the ship, Sir Varren finding the sealed coffer and, following a now standard procedure, being the only one to touch anything suspicious. The greatest surprise was finding a man in a Doctor’s mask, only surpassed by the discovery of his unholy symbol and the nature of the goddess he worshipped. Taking the body, an intact Death’s Head Coffer and the sealed coffer as proof, the party emerged from the waters and levelled up.
Sir Varren used his newfound abilities as a 6th level Paladin to cure Torgul’s sickness. Torgul, Kanaris and Timon continued their paths of Fighter, Druid and Wizard respectively, while Dualeth took another level of ranger, choosing urban as his favoured terrain (to the tune of “I’m the Urban Spaceman”).
And we left it there for another week before they’d examined the contents of the coffer. They plan to take all the evidence to the Grand Bank and to persuade Commander Croft to come with them there, rather than repeating all of the story and showing the evidence twice. And then, after some time preparing, they intend to confront Rolth in the Hospice, where they are convinced he is manipulating the progress of the disease.
|
|
Announcements: Kanaris' player wasn't well so was played by committee.
The party emerged from the river to find smoke filling the sky over Old Korvosa. Unable to get there in time to be effective, they decided to press on with their mission. Timon left to grab scrolls in preparation for the next day, while Kanaris was sent ahead to the Citadel to get Commander Kroft while the others proceeded to the Grand Bank to talk with Underpriest Dhatri.
They arrived at the same time as Kanaris and a Captain of the Guard. Commander Croft was too busy dealing with the fallout from the quarantine to attend. They presented their evidence to Dhatri in order: The sealed Death's Head Coffer, explaining what it was and why he should be VERY careful about opening it; an open Death's Head Coffer, showing the coins and diseased rat within to give him a better idea of what they were, just in case the warnings hadn't taken; they opened the sealed coffer and quickly read through the deeds, Dhatri's horror building as he realised how far things had gone; and finally, as the piece de resistance, they showed him the body of Rois, complete with unholy symbol, and the suggestion that a Speak with Dead might provide further evidence. After getting a sworn deposition to the effect that he had seen everything they had to show him and the evidence was kept at the Bank, they went to the citadel to wait until Commander Kroft could see them. This took most of the afternoon, and when she let them in, her face was like thunder. In addition to the quarantine, she had to deal with the aftermath of the Grey Maiden's massacre as Merciless Way. As she read Dhatri's deposition, her face got darker. Finally, she reached into her desk, passed out five badges and officially deputised them into the Guard, opening, within reason, the armoury for their disposal. One wild-eyed shopping spree later, consisting mostly of Amulets of Natural Armour and Pearls of Power (I think there are approximately 7 1st level pearls distributed around the party now), they retired for the night, preparing themselves for the morning's confrontation with Rolth.
At dawn, they marched into the Hospice, pausing outside for Kanaris to cast two Barkskins on Torgul and himself. Despite Sir Varren's charming manner, and the official documents, they were denied entry. When both truth and lies were insufficient, and declining Torgul's offer of threat, they marched through the curtain, to loud objections, and into the hospital ward. One of the Grey Maidens stationed there marched up and demanded they leave. Sir Varren, again, explained their purpose and the presence of the cult beneath them, but the Maiden still demanded they leave. Finally getting tired of this, and not having Varren's respect for authority, Dualeth cast Shocking Grasp on the Maiden sending her crashing to the floor. Apparently full plate is an excellent conductor of electricity. After several crossbow quarrels hurtled down, Timon sent his rapier up to deal with the Maidens on the catwalks while Sir Varren marched up to one of the pairs of approaching doctors. Kanaris lightninged the second Maiden as Torgul readied himself to charge the first enemy that became available.
Sir Varren subdued one doctor as it tried to flank him, while Trogul charged the other group, chopping through one unfortunate physician. Dualeth cast Scorching Ray on the other ground based Grey Maiden while Timon took a crossbow bolt, as did Dualeth. Kanaris stabilised the first Maiden and rushed to the second to do the same as Dualeth's Ray felled her. Sir Varren and Torgul made short work of the remaining doctors, while Timon stabbed one of the Maiden's in the throat. The Maidens and Torgul exchanged archery fire, with Torgul taking a hit before Timon's floating rapier finished the last Maiden off. They stripped the Doctor's of their masks, everyone but Sir Varren putting them on to ward against Blood Veil, and looked at the Maidens under their helmets.
A quick exploration of the ground floor followed, before they took to the stairs. The two Maidens at the top were swiftly dropped unconscious, and the door attacked. Despite resisting both Kanaris and Torgul, it eventually opened to Dualeth. The other two clearly loosened in for him. The Doctor's within proved no match for an enraged Kanaris and Sir Varren, but as the fight ended, Dualeth heard some stealthy footsteps on the other side of the room. Channelling See Invisibility through his arcane bonded sword, he called on Davaulus to surrender and drop the spell or he'd be dropped where he stood. Sir Varren moved up to block the doorway, preventing any escape. Davaulus dropped his spell and began his speech about the glorious purpose and renewal of Korvosa, but Sir Varren cut him off with a smite to the head, saying that he could have his speech at his trial and not before. Surrounded, the good doctor was dropped rapidly, and his office, and person, ransacked. Timon was ecstatic with his Human Bane Rapier. Going to the lift, they divined the purpose of the button and set off for the secret lair below.
They proceeded to march straight through the entry hall, Sir Varren shoving the double doors open. Everyone, except Torgul, made their saves. The eventual damage of 11 points Wisdom from the Insanity Mist rendered Torgul unresponsive until Sir Varren's Lesser Restoration, recalled twice by different Pearls, restored him to just under normal. The Doctors barely survived one round as Dualeth used Burning Hands to crispy fry three and the other was soon dispatched. Ignoring the side rooms, they marched into the Bacchanal, only to have the Priests and skeletons emerge from their barracks. Sir Varren strode forward as Dualeth Ray of Enfeebled the last priest and called on Saerenrae's might to blast the skeletons to oblivion, and, as an added benefit, destroy a large portion of their foul 'artwork'. Kanaris charged and felled one priest with a single blow of his earthbreaker. Meanwhile, the doctors from the barracks emerged through their robing room and tried to surprise Torgul, Dualeth and Timon. Sadly for them, they failed. Timon blasted one to aahes with burning hands ans injured the other. Torgul sliced one apart before joining the main fray and Timon and Dualeth both scored critical hits on the last Doctor. The priests did not last long, Sir Varren, Torgul and Kanaris making short work of them without taking any damage, especially after Sir Varren cast Divine Favour. The final priest was felled by an incredibly lucky fumble from Timon. He drew the 'hit for minimum damage' card which, with human bane, was just enough to drop the last priest.
As Sir Varren approached the second set of doors, determined not to let his Divine Favour run out by pressing onwards, the other set of doors swung open and the Doctors and priests emerged in pairs, with Rolth snarling curses by the score at the trespassers who violated his sanctuaries again. Torgul took a wicked blow to the head from the doctor before he and Kanaris finished them off. Dualeth's Magic Missles at Rolth were disrupted by his Shield spell, so Sir Varren charged him, calling on Saerenrae to imbue his blade with power (Keen in this case) and using another smite. He also informed Rolth that once Jolistina was justly executed, her body was going to be burnt and buried in consecrated ground so she could never be raised as an undead. When Torgul joined him, while Dualeth cast True Strike on himself, Rolth was suffering badly from the Paladin's blows, especially after Sir Varren overcame his Ray of Exhaustion, and Dimension Doored away. Unfortunately for him, the line of sight requirement left him directly behind Dualeth. One True Strike enhanced Scorching Ray later and Rolth lay dead on the ground with his head on fire.
The prisoners were released, and they revealed about the pale, rodent-like Arkiminos and Lady Andaisin. Having proof they were facing a vampire of some kind, Timon cast Magic Circle Against Evil to protect them from his Domination effects. After looting the room, especially the spellbook and Headband of Intellect containing Rolth's knowledge of undead, they proceeded into the Blood Vats. Torgul and Kanaris easily destroyed the zombies while the priests dipped their scythes into the vats and began to chant Divine Favour on themselves. Sir Varren marched up onto the gantries while Kanaris lightninged one and Dualeth hit the same priest with a firebolt having exhausted all his spells already. The priest toppled over, falling into the vat of Blood Veil. With Sir Varren holding the edge of the walkway, the priests attacked in great numbers, but with little effect, especially after Torgul's Dazzling Display had them all shaken. The fight was quickly over with no wounds taken by the heroes.
Having learned from previous recklessness, they searched the doors all around, with Sir Varren keeping close watch on the doors heading east, easily dispatching the zombies they found. Then they entered Arkimonos' laboratory. Sir Varren held his holy symbol high as they entered, preventing the Nosferatu from getting closer. Recognising the nature of the evil he faced, he also swapped his scimitar for a short spear. As Arkimono's made his proposal, they listened, but Sir Varren concluded they could not deal with him., saying “If you'd come to us openly, asking for help curing your vampirism, we'd have helped! We're all about redemption! But, no, you had to come to my city and practice your foul experiments!” At this point, Dualeth hit Arkimonos with a fire bolt, followed by a Greater Disrupt Undead from Timon. Sir Varren marched up and stabbed the vampire, but was grappled in turn. This proved to be Arkimons' greatest mistake as Sir Varren unleashed half his lay on hands remaining*, the holy energy burning away the flesh from his skull. Disabled, he dissolved into mist and slipped through the wall to his coffin, Sir Varren in hot pursuit. Finding the vampire helpless, Sir Varren ended his undead existence with a stake through the heart. Using one of their wands, they healed up Ruan before experimenting with the table controls and freeing him. Feeling quite confident they proceeded through the doors into the Hall of Pestilence.
The first two priests posed no challenge whatsoever, but the third turned towards the living Leukodaemon's prison. Torgul tried to kill him, but didn't succeed and he broke open the prison. The leukodaemon rewarded him by making a very successful attempt to twist his head off. Once that was done, he turned his attention to the party, none of whom could bypass his DR or energy resistances. Sir Varren prepared himself to hold off the Daemon, but tried a desperate plea first, explaining, quite rapidly, how they would deal with the people who imprisoned it and if it left the plane now, they'd be happy to sort them out. Taking the penalty for rapid diplomacy, and with the assistance of the entire party, he proceeded to roll a natural twenty and even with the penalty his the low thirties. So the Daemon hissed at them and stalked forward, gradually fading from sight. If it had had it's bow and so wouldn't have to approach in melee, it might have stuck around but, fortunately for them, it didn't.
Mightily relieved, the party pressed on to the heart of the temple, where they encountered Lady Andaisin, standing in the air above the statue of Uragotha. Timon immediately cast Dispel Magic during her speech and incredibly fortunately stripped her of the following spoells: Bear's Endurance, the potion of Barkskin, and Air Walking!!! The Dread Lady fell into the pool of filth at the base of the statue. Dualeth strode up but tangled himself in his equipment straps before he could strike her, also robbing her of his intended opportunity for attack of opportunity as she rose. She rose from the pool and struck him with her scythe taking more damage from the vicious property than she actually inflicted. Torgul and Sir Varren strode up and attacked, followed by Kanaris after Dualeth had stepped back to free himself. Sadly for Lady Andaisin, when she attempted to cure herself she botched the defensive casting and provoked enough attacks to kill her.
The party levelled after this defeat, Torgul taking another level of Fighter, Kanaris (via text) going for Druid, Timon and Sir Varren maintaining Wizard and Paladin respectively, while Dualeth took a fourth level of Ranger.
As they searched the room and looted her body, they all had to make perception checks. As the DC was only 5, everyone made it and noticed the sudden drop in temperature; the boiling filth in the pools; the smell of the grave; and the fact that the statue's golden eyes had turned jet black. Sir Varren's detect evil was also screaming at him. His response to the party was “Run! There's a god watching us and it's not mine!” He and Torgul grabbed the body, not planning to let an opportunity to Speak with Dead on Andaisin pass when a huge boney scythe erupted from her back, the corpse collapsing like a chrysalis as she emerged as a Daughter of Uregotha. Sadly for her she lost initiative quite badly. Dualeth stabbed her in the eye for triple damage. Torgul hit both times with sneak attack as she was flat-footed and did a large amount of damage. And then it was Sir Varren's turn. Spurning his scimitar, her called on his newfound power in Saerenrae and used up his new smite and a large number of lay on hands* (having taken extra lay on hands as his seventh level feat). The resulting 76 points of damage was sufficient to destroy Andaisin utterly, a lance of sunlight erupting from her as she was cleansed from Golarion.
Having defeated the cult, they went for the priests of Abadar, who, having been appraised of their plans the day before were ready to help with the injured. Sir Varren stood at the entrance to the temple in case anything else decided to emerge. They also turned over the purloined notes to the temple, resulting in a cure for Blood Veil within days.
They were invited by Commander Kroft to the open-air celebration at the palace. Sadly, the Queen could not attend being exhausted by the strains of the plague, and the betrayal by Davaulus. So in her stead, Marcus Thassalinus of the Sable Company proudly rewarded the party with their medals of honour for services to Korvosa and the monetary writs. Afterwards, the party has gone on a week's spending and building spree, Dualeth spending the time to convert his bonded item from the swords into a staff, now a +1/+1 Staff of Scorching Ray of his own design.. And thus we leave Seven Days to the Grave.
*=
|
|
Announcements: Kanaris' player has decided to quit the game, so the party now consists of Sir Varren (Paladin of Saerenrae 7), Timonrain “Timon” Viers (Wizard 7), Dualeth (Elven Ranger/Evoker 4/3) and Torgul Frostbreath (Fighter/Rogue 6/1).
The party noticed the quiet streets, but as half of them were holed up crafting items, they were only tangentially aware of the increasing presence of the Maidens and the subdual of the populace. After they were crafted out a slightly unkempt Guardsmen approached them at the Sails, saluted respectfully and told them Commander Kroft wished to see them at the earlier opportunity, which they took to mean now, if not sooner.
Once they arrived at the Citadel, they were escorted down into the catacombs, Kroft refusing to answer any questions until they reached one of the deeper rooms and she felt secure. She then outlined the events of the Queen’s gathering, explaining how Marcus of the Sable Company shot the Queen point blank in the temple, but she didn’t fall. And then her bloody response and the stamping out of dissent by the Maidens. She warned them to get away from Korvosa, quickly, and passed on Vincarlo’s request for their aid. They agreed, sharing out the various curatives around the four of them before they set off.
Fortunately, the gate duty was still provided by the Guard, so they had no problem leaving the city and marching along the shore until they could see Old Korvosa, still under a pall of smoke. Using the Cape of the Monteback, Timon teleported the group directly into Old Korvosa and they quickly found the burnt out remains of his training school. They knocked on the door of his home next door but after receiving no response and finding the door unlocked, they went inside. Dualeth’s nose proved as sensitive as the rest of his senses, spotting the acrid smell, identifying it (using a Harrow point), and then spotting the traces. At this point, as Sir Varren moved to put out the hearth, the Red Mantis under the stairs struck, hurling his alchemist’s fire into the hearth. The flames erupted, burning Sir Varren, but not seriously. The party then struck out at the Red Mantis, surrounding him, and finally dispatching him with a volley of Magic Missiles from Timon. As the other Red Mantis swarmed down the stairs, Torgul and Sir Varren met him while Dualeth was busy spraying bolts of cold around the room to quench the flames. This Mantis, too, fell to a volley of Magic Missiles and followed his partner in dissolving into red mist. A thorough search of the house turned up the locked strongbox in its secret compartment, but the lock proved resistant to their attempts to open it and they are reluctant to break it open.
They then encountered Amin Jalento, although he only recognised Torgul as the rest of the party had moved on or perished. Still, recognising someone who’d saved him in the past, he approached the group and explained how he’d been caught in the quarantine; how Vincarlo had let him stay at the Academy until it had burnt to the ground; the meetings with Salvator Scream, a name Timon easily recognised; some of the rumours concerning the Emperor of Old Korvosa who now held sway over the area Scream lived in; and asked if they could help him get back to the mainland. After some explanation of how bad things were in the city, he still wanted to go home, so Timon used his spell-like ability to enable Armin to fly, sending him on a wobbling and erratic flight to the north bank of the Jeggare and a long walk home.
The party decided, despite (or possibly because) of the wild rumours of how bad things were in the Old Docks, to find Salvator Scream as their only real lead. Along the way, they encountered a small group of children singing the Choppy song and demonstrating a homemade guillotine on a dolly, which gave them the impression it was pretty bad. The nightshirt wearing citizen ranting about conditions also drew their attention, Sir Varren restraining himself from stirring him up further. As they made their way through the city, Sir Varren kept doctoring the wells with the cure for Blood Veil. After all, they’d been quarantined before it had been discovered and this would help more people than just giving one or two people the cure directly.
At Scream’s house, Dualeth easily identified the tracks, deducing the race, size, number and inside leg measurement of the kidnappers. And after a brief scan through the mouldy building, they entered the bedroom and encountered Laori, sitting calmly on the chair behind her six skulls. She smiled and introduced herself with “Hi. I’m Laori. Are you looking for Salvator, too?” Sir Varren decided to use his Detect Evil ability, which naturally went off quite strongly, but as she wasn’t actually doing anything bad, he didn’t immediately attack her. Laori explained she was looking for Salvator as there were themes in his paintings that were of great interest to her for faith reasons. She then explained how she knew where he was and who’d taken him, but, well, there were a lot of them and only one of her, and then the party turned up, like a gift from the gods. To which Sir Varren replied, “Yes, but not yours.” Sir Varren realised, aided by a misaligned Snakebite card in the Harrowing, that working with Laori was in the greater good and muttered it was her lucky day as worshipping Zon Kathon was well down on the List. Unperturbed, Laori turned over the blood-stained scrap of uniform, the party identified it and moved off.
Along the way, they encountered one of the Emperor’s mobs. The mob, clearly too stupid to realise people in plate mail are generally quite tough, barracked them with calls of “long-ears” at Dualeth and Laori. Sir Varren, who was clearly getting more than a bit tired of Old Korvosa and the lawlessness, demanded they surrender as they were Officers of the Watch and were after the Emperor. At which point, the mob decided that killing them was definitely the thing to do. Sadly for them, they were very slow at it and Timon Glitterdusted 5 out of the 7 thugs. With a sigh, and a “well, I gave them a chance.” Sir Varren and Torgul strode forward, Torgul criting one man, literally disarming him on the way to dropping him. Sir Varren took on one of the sighted thugs, while Laori was having a marvellous time flaying another blinded thug with her chain. The After a round or two of this, Timon tried to convince the thugs to surrender, and, given the situation of being blinded and mowed down, and with encouragement, and some gold, from Sir “Captain Carrot Ironfoundson” Varren, the mobs surrendered. They insisted on escorting them to the Emperor before going to their homes as “Good, decent, proud Korvosans” as “Upright, and generous, people like you shouldn’t walk the streets alone. It’s not safe. You wouldn’t want to get mugged, would you?” Amused by the absurdity of that statement, the party allowed itself to be escorted into Pilt’s palace, after stabilising nad using Lay on Hands to bring the now one-limbed thug back to consciousness.
When the Emperor asked what they wanted, Sir Varren held up his badge and demanded, in a very loud voice and ignoring the fact they were outnumbered 5 to 1, Pilt’s immediate surrender as he was under arrest. All hell broke loose swiftly. Timon fireballed one balcony wiping out half the Captains present, while Laori started casting Summon Monster. Dualeth cast Ray of Enfeeblement on Jabbyr, letting his prejudice against gnomes get the better of him, and Torgul ran up the steps at him, Sir Varren charging up to Pilt, smiting him and summoning his weapon’s celestial spirit, his scimitar bursting into flame, although his first strike missed as the Emperor stepped back and drank his potion. Axes rained down from the Captains, but only one hit, catching Laori a glancing blow.
She completed her summoning regardless, and while Timon cast Deep slumber to knock out two of the captains charging him, and Dualeth stepped up to defend him, Laori sent her shadows against the other three from that side and simultaneously cast Flame Strike on the other knot of trouble, incinerating 6 of them. The group of four split up, two heading for Laori, who was having a great time watching her shadows suck the souls of the other captains, and the other pair heading for Dualeth and Timon. One of the captains tripped as he swung viciously at Laori and the axe ssliced across his own thigh bringing a fresh peel of laughter from the elf. Jabbyr raged, and he and Torgul traded blows, while Sir Varren pursued Pilt, the latter backing away as he drank his second potion, but Sir Varren’s burning sword slashed across him.
Timon ignored the thugs, as Dualeth was still between himself and their axes, and cast Burning Blood on Pilt. The Emperor fluffed his safe badly and tried to flee, only to have Sir Varren slash him again and again. Laori spun her chain around one of the captains, the Inflict spell contained inside ripping through his flesh as much as the spikes did, blood fountaining up as his skin was flayed off him. A backhand swing with the chain took care of the self-wounded captain, while Dualeth incinerated the other two with a burning hands spell. Amazingly both failed their saves against the low DC and dropped to the floor on fire.
Pilt managed to reach the doors to his building but Sir Varren caught him. Pilt failed another save against the Burning Blood and Sir Varren’s burning sword cut him down, ending the reign of the Emperor of Old Korvosa. Dualeth cast Scorching Ray at Jabbyr, burning the gnome badly and Torgul finished him off with a mighty Power Attack.
After this massacre, the party searched the palace, Laori disdainfully refusing any of Scream’s newer works, describing them as rubbish. She was much more interested in the three in Pilt’s collection, begging to be allowed to take them and settling for one and promptly buying the others off the party for half-price as they didn’t figure they’d find an art collector where they were headed. They rescued Scream and, after he explained the story of the Arkonas, Neoledus and Vencarlo, he left with Laori, who waved cheerfully over her shoulder at them, saying “See you again soon. You wouldn’t believe what the shadows are telling me you’ll be doing.”
The party levelled during this but it wasn’t resolved until the end of the session. Timon and Sir Varren continued their single-classed progression, while Dualeth was getting in touch with his Ranger heritage and Torgul took a second level of Rogue.
|
|
After spending a night sleeping in the Emperor’s palace under the fairly accurate assumption that: “Everyone was scared of the Emperor and his guards and we killed them easily, so they won’t dare bother us”, the party decided the time was right to follow up on Scream’s evidence and approach the Arkonas to ask about Vincarlo. Sir Varren cast Shield Other on Timon first, just in case.
After meeting the first patrol of guards, and explaining their purpose, they were ushered inside by the major domo and waited patiently in the visitors lounge for Glorio to arrive. During this time, Timon cast Mage Armour and Detect Magic, while Dualeth proceeded to fake knowledge of the artwork. Eventually, Glorio arrived, upbraiding his major domo for neglecting to provide his guests with wine and cheese, for which Dualeth was most grateful. Glorio thanked them for helping rid Old Korvosa of the plague that was the Emperor and passed across the Ring of Evasion. Timon’s eyes bulged noticeably when he realised what they’d been given. Then the conversation took a turn towards the fate of Vincarlo. Glorio easily admitted that he was present in the Vivified Labyrinth below the palace but that there were a series of complications, far too involved to detail, that prevented him from simply releasing him. He had been taken into protective custody when he’d arrived, obviously intent on confrontation, and to just release him would have unfortunate consequences. Of course, if he happened to escape, with or without aid, well, that was a different matter entirely.
The situation was summed up by Timon thusly: “So, my lord, just to make sure I understand things correctly, you have Vincarlo imprisoned in, for want of a better term and meaning no prejudice or disrespect to you, a deathtrap, and you won’t release him. However, you are willing to allow us to risk life and limb inside said deathtrap to rescue him from, and again not using the term in any prejudicial way, your clutches. My lord, some less peaceable guests faced with such a conundrum might nevertheless respond to this situation with (and again this is purely hypothetical) a threat of violence to your immediate person so as to facilitate the delivery of said detainee to their person without the need to visit said deathtrap.”
Glorio quibbled with the word “clutches” preferring “protective custody” but agreed that was essentially it, and wasn't it a good job that we were all peaceable guests who wouldn't dream of attacking a man in his own home surrounded by his guards. Of course, if someone were to use the secret door hidden under the elephant statue in the garden, pass through the secret door hidden on the second ledge of the cat’s cradle to the Labyrinth and then navigate the corridors, even when they rotate, they would be free to go. With much thanks, the party asked if they had permission to see the gardens of which they’d heard so much. Glorio smiled, rose and left them, giving them directions to the gardens.
Finding the jade elephant statue proved no problem, and Dualeth’s elven senses, and a good deal of help from his allies, enabled them to locate the secret door and its opening mechanism. Sadly, the elephant statue was not disarmed owing to a shocking lapse of memory by Glorio and they had to attack it. Once subdued, with some wounds taken by Sir Varren, swiftly healed, they pocketed the figurine the elephant had become, using the Harrow deck to learn that its command word was “Ganeshka” and identify all its uses.
They proceeded down the stairwell and into the subterranean garden but managed to dissuade Torgul from trying to leap across the chasm as a shortcut, even with his Ring of Feather Falling. This proved an even better decision when they encountered the three fungal guardians, who proved surprisingly adept with their scimitars, frequently scoring critical hits. Sir Varren held off two, while Torgul was attacked by the third. After a couple of rounds, Sir Varrenhad had to keep using a swift action to heal himself to keep himself in the fight at more than half hit point but was gradually wearing down the guardians. Torgul, Timon and Dualeth managed to kill the lone guardian, at which point the second turned its attention to Torgul and unleashed its spore cloud. Timon, Dualeth and Torgul all departed the area immediately, with Timon and Torgul both failing their Fort saves and taking some Con damage. Torgul also took a wicked blow from the guardian as he retreated, while Dualeth left a parting Burning Hands on it. Torgul dropped his sword, drew his longbow and fired into the guardian.
The guardian charged, Sir Varren scoring a parting shot as it passed him and was on Torgul quickly. He dropped his bow, grabbed for his sword, earning a successful attack of opportunity, and swung upwards at the guardian. Sir Varren, meanwhile, overextended himself and rolled back 10 feet owing to a fumble. The guardian charged, and once Torgul and Dualeth had dispatched the other guardian, Torgul charged back into the poisonous spores to destroy the final guardian, this time making his save. As they waited for the poison to clear both the air and their systems, they b~#%$ed mightily about utterly truthful lying bastards of nobility. And when Timon’s scroll of Lesser Restoration was used on Torgul before he was fully cured, especially when Torgul proceeded to gulp down a potion to finish his healing, he almost came to blows with Sir Varrern.
Dualeth and Torgul looked over the ledge, saw the cat’s cradle of rope bridges and stepped off the ledge, drifting slowly down under the effects of Feather Fall to it. Cursing a lot about stupid incompetent muppets who were endangering everybody, Sir Varren and Timon proceeded down the bridge and stopped, trying to work out just how sneaky Glorio was and how he counted the ledges. They explored the room they found thoroughly, but apart for some exquisite carvings, which they pocketed, found no sign of the secret door so they proceeded to the next ledge, Torgul and Dualeth’s original target, and found the secret door. It was here that the argument broke out. Sir Varren wanted to go forward, rescue Vincarlo as soon as possible and get out of the place, while the others wanted to clear out whatever was behind the double doors a level below. Muttering under his breath, Sir Varren finally agreed and they went to the double doors, opening them onto the temple.
Timon recognised the rakshasha, which caused quite a lot of concern in the party, especially when he outlined its impressive defences, i.e. virtual immunity to whatever they had. The two cobras slithered forward but failed to penetrate Varren’s armour. Torgul started to attack the snakes, while Dualeth’s Blindness spell fizzled against the rakshasa’s spell resistance. The Rakshasa cast acid arrow at Dualeth, so Timon cast it right back at him while Sir Varren invoked the power of his guardian angel and his scimitar blazed with holy might. He scored a critical, but the card turned up normal damage which failed to penetrate the rakshasa’s DR.
One of the cobras bit Torgul, who again failed his Fort save, taking 6 Con damage. Timon cast haste as Torgul full attacked the snake, doing immense damage. Sir Varren, meanwhile successfully resisted the rakshasa’s charm person thanks to being an 8th level Paladin. He retaliated by calling on Saerenrae to smite the rakshasa and hit with all three attacks. Holy damage combined smite really hurt the raksahsa. The snakes meanwhile kept missing Torgul as he succeeded in killing one. Sir Varren promptly scored a triple damage critical on the rakshasa, destroying it utterly in a blaze of holy power but losing his sword, while Dualeth cast shocking grasp on the snake and Torgul attacked it with vigour. The snake died swiftly afterwards. Sadly, Torgul failed his save against the poison’s secondary damage*. All eyes turned to the dice. A 6 or more on the d8 would finish him off. Fortunately for him, it came up a 5 leaving him massively wounded, crippled but alive, if only barely. A quick search of the temple turned up one Potion of Lesser Restoration which Torgul drank immediately regaining a little of his former vigour. Sir Varren made his Will save and managed to resist saying “I told you so”.
And there we left the party, debating whether it was better to continue with the wounded member, or resting for the night, hoping no one else came to the temple. We shall see what they decided next week.
*=
|
|
The party decided that they couldn’t take the risk of, to quote Sir Varren, “Evil above and beyond my pay grade” coming down while they either rested or waited for Timon to get back from his invisible shopping trip to Korvosa (exit via Dimension Door and Fly, purchase lots of scrolls and healing potions (especially Lesser Res) and rteturn via a newly bought teleport scroll), to say nothing of the exceptional risks Timon would be running. So, they marched headlong into the Vivified Labyrinth.
Spotting the gaps in the floor and walls, they first thought this was a blade trap, but after Torgul examined things thoroughly, they proceeded through and pulled the lever. The shuddering of the room came as quite a shock, as did the grinding as the room turned, and they found themselves facing a new room. They found another lever which they declined to pull and a door. Unfortunately, behind the door was a Symbol of Pain. Sir Varren and Timon both made their saves, but Torgul (continuing the established pattern) and Dualeth both failed, being consumed with wracking pain. But they pressed onwards, finding the three chests.
They deciphered the codes along the top and had Torgul carefully look at the three chests. He found the Insanity Mist trap, and that was swiftly ignored. There was much debate as to what to do with the two traps he couldn’t find traps on. Eventually, they decided, over Sir Varren’s objections, to open the “Life within”. Clearing the room of everyone but himself, Sir Varren opened the chest. The viper tried to bite him, but as he was clad head to toe in full plate, it succeeded only in getting its teeth struck. Sir Varren promptly beheaded it with a critical hit. They found and identified all the potions (and I had to reassure the players that this was genuine given how handy the three potions of Lesser Restoration seemed), and gave one to Torgul. And rolled a 1. Then another. And rolled a 1. Then the third and finally got his Constitution back to 11, only one down from his normal. Dualeth stole the tiger-shaped gem for good measure. Sir Varren satisfied his curiosity on the other box and opened it to discover nothing but the contact poison (which he securely saved against).
They proceeded down the newly opened hallway and encountered the Symbol of Sleep. And Torgul again failed his save, drifting off into a deep sleep for two hours. They continued on, with Dualeth dragging the sleeping Fighter, and Sir Varren triggered the Symbol of Stunning, staring dazed for several rounds. Coming to a dead end, they proceeded back down the hallway. Timon used a Scroll of Dispel Magic on Torgul, but was unable to break the enchantment. Unable to go forward, Dualeth pulled the lever (the Symbol of Insanity was removed as the party was already suffering heavily against them and that Symbol was considered overkill).
As the hallways turned, the party saw a ragged Vencarlo approaching. Sadly, for Vimanda, Sir Varren detected evil and before she had gotten close pointed his scimitar at her and demanded “Foul Rakshasa, show yourself.”
To which, Vimanda replied, “As you wish.” She transformed and then finished, “Come to me, my pet.” The silver dagger at Dualeth’s hip shimmered as it metamorphosed and bit him. Sadly he failed his save, took Wisdom damage, failed his save again and promptly forgot the bite had happened. Vimanda then took to the air, hurling her javelin at Sir Varren. Varren delayed matters, pointing his scimitar upwards and declaring, “Your time has ended.” Timon then used his spell-like ability to grant Sir Varren the ability to fly and he charged upwards, activating his smite to pierce her DR. Dualeth spent a Harrow point to hit her with a Ray of Enfeeblement. The serpent responded to this attack on his mistress by biting Dualeth again, following the same pattern as the previous time with Dualeth forgetting the attack.
Sir Varren and Vimanda duelled on the ceiling, trading charging smite attacks with javelins of lightning, and when they ran out, Vimanda tried to hit him but sadly fumbled and broke her kukri. Dualeth and Timon tried to cast spells through Vimanda’s spell resistance, or resorted to Acid Splash, but did little damage, even Timon’s Burning Blood was saved every round, so they turned their attention to the serpent and blasted it to pieces with a volley of magic missiles, finished off with Dualeth’s staff. Eventually, Vimanda turned to flee, having had her Scorching Ray damage healed by Sir Varren as soon as she cast it. Vimanda finally failed her save against Burning Blood and plummeted to the ground as her veins caught fire.
The party levelled as a result of that fight (taking levels in Paladin, Wizard, Rogue, and Ranger). Sir Varren and Torgul took Improved Critical with their respective weapons, while Timon took Maximise spell to take full advantage of his 8th level school power. Dualeth took a homebrewed feat to treat all weapons as bane against Humans and Practiced Spellcaster. Timon then attempted again to revives Torgul and this time beat the caster level and woke him up.
The party, now at full strength once more, continued its exploration. They were perplexed by the humming column of black rock, and, bearing in mind where they were, very suspicious. Until the Ranger, now with a childlike Wisdom of 6, poked it and regained his spells. Timon and Sir Varren were quick to take advantage. They then turned to the corridor to the south, Dualeth prising out the ruby stones as they were “pretty and sparkly” Sir Varren then flew down the corridor to scout ahead and everyone followed. Except Dualeth who was looking at the coffers. At which point they started screaming. Dualeth ran, and so escaped the volleys of spears behind him. They stopped outside the serpent statue, correctly guessing that anything with that many swords would not be good for their health. They triggered the trap, but were safely out of the room when it began turning. Seeing no way forward, they returned to the one lever in their section and pulled it. Exploring to the edge of the tiger room, the residual magic in the room gave them pause but as they explored the rest of the rooms checking thoroughly for secret doors and finding nothing, they saw no option but to go on as the lever was still stuck. So when the room attacked, they retaliated rather aggressively and achieved several critical hits, with amusing results such as knocking the room prone. The animated object was swiftly defeated and Dualeth found the secret door back to the serpent statue. They ran through, and the blades started up behind them, and then raced through the blood tile corridor. They realised the mural corridor had shifted position and proceeded along to the room of floating globes and Dualeth yanked on both levers, rotating them around. As they explored the disposal room, Sivit yanked on her lever and drew them to her.
Sir Varren and Torgul both charged, and Sivit responded with an Unholy Blight. Again, Torgul failed his save, and everyone else took half damage. This finally burned through Timon’s False Life and split the damage between him and Sir Varren thanks to Shield Other. Timon cast a maximised Acid Arrow at Sivit using Alacritous Cogitation and burned through her Acid Resistance, scoring a critical and inflicting 4 bleed damage per round. Dualeth again spent another Harrow point and his Ray of Enfeeblement his Sivit, reducing her strength by 8. Sivit and Sir Varren traded futile full attacks, with Sivit being unable to hit his AC with her reduced strength and Sir Varren unable to damage her without a critical hit (or a six). Torgul first tried to intimidate her with Dazzling display, but being a fiend from the Nine Hells, Sivit wasn’t impressed by a mortal swinging a bit of metal about. Torgul proceeded behind her to set up flanking to get the most from his sneak attack. Dualeth and Timon kept casting spells, most of which fizzled. Torgul managed to slice his foot open with his blade, suffering bleed damage, so Sir Varren used a channel energy to heal everyone but Sivit, waking Vencarlo in the process. As the bleed damage accumulated on Sivit, Dualeth fired a pair of Scorching Rays, just penetrating her resistance and overcoming her fire resistance to just drop her past 0 and into death.
The party proceeded to free Vencarlo and handed him his strongbox. Unlocking it with a key Sivit had apparently taunted him with, Vencarlo looked at the party. “Well, this seems like a poor time to keep secrets.” He smiled, and removed his Blackjack armour, garbinghimself. As he pulled on the mask, he wass heard to say, “Ah, that feels better.” But he resisted leaving immediately, insisting they had to rescue Neolandus first. Fortunately he knew a way there.
And that is where we leave the party as they go to free the Seneschal from the Arkona’s torturer’s embrace.
|
|
Announcements: Timon’s player couldn’t make it and so was played by committee.
Blackjack led the party out of the Labyrinth and then turned left, straight towards the solid stone wall. When questioned about this, he responded, “Things are not entirely as they seem.” and poked his rapier through the illusion, walking calmly through. They proceeded down the short steps and outside the door. Blackjack paused. “Behind here is the torture chamber, presided over by a fiend from some misbegotten hell. If anyone wants to prepare, now would be a good time.” Sir Varren took a few moments to cast Divine Favour, and Blackjack pushed the door open to find Neolandus being strapped into a rack by Senshiir, the Beatific One. She turned towards them, “You do not have an appointment, but I’m sure I can fit you in.” And then she moved up to attack, hitting Blackjack repeatedly with her weapons. He responded by tumbling around her to flank her, but his strike failed to penetrate her DR. Dualeth stepped to one side of her and cast Touch of Fatigue, which fizzled against her Spell Resistance. Sir Varren smiled, activated smite, and struck her with a full attack, blasting through her DR. Torgul sidestepped to be opposite Dualeth and struck.
Senshiir turned her attention to Sir Varren, withstanding a second barrage, including Dualeth gripping his staff like a baseball bat and swinging at her. Blackjack scored a critical, just piercing her DR and inflicting bleed damage, but another strike from Sir Varren and sneak attacks from Torgul finished her off.
Rescuing Neolandus was fairly straightforward after that. Torgul and Dualeth searched her body, and the bedchamber, but decided against opening the double doors as the last time they explored through ornate double doors to satisfy their curiosity, they encountered a Rakshasa. Sir Varren also pointed out that the longer they were here, the more chance of “evil above paygrade” paying them a visit. With further urging from Blackjack, and a burst of healing from Sir Varren as they walked, Blackjack led them to an escape route he knew. Sir Varren asked if this route led up, to which the reply was “No. I have no great desire to be personally introduced to many of my internal organs again.”
As they stepped onto the docks, Sir Varren in the lead, the waters broke and a giant reefclaw emerged. Dualeth reacted immediately, casting a Ray of Enfeeblement he’d recalled with his Pearl of Power on it immediately. Sir Varren stepped slightly over to give his comrades more fighting room and proceeded to hack at it, inflicting a vicious paper cut that further reduced its effectiveness Torgul swung but missed, as he stepped up. Blackjack and Timon’s floating rapier also missed. The reefclaw managed to hit Sir Varren, and he contracted Torgul’s Syndrome and managed to fail his save against both claws, reducing his Dex. Dualeth’s Staff sent out a Scorching Ray that hurt it slightly, while Torgul’s strikes sent it into the negatives, triggering itts thrashing frenzy of destruction.
Torgul was struck, and failed his save, while Sir Varren made his saves, stopping the Dex destruction and Torgul’s final blow slew the creature. He managed to make his save immediately afterwards.
Dualeth prepared to run up the rope bridges to grab the large chain shirts, but decided against it, especially when four humanoid figures were spotted on the outcrop. That spurred Torgul and Sir Varren to take to the oars with vigour, pulling them out of the cave. “Well,” said Blackjack, “I think after all that, I need a holiday. I happen to know of a nice place in the country. Would you care to join me for a few days?”
The party agreed, and briefly related the Queen’s rise to power and the death of Marcus, at which point Neolandus turned pale, “It’s happening sooner than I thought.” But he refused to be drawn on what he meant until they were well away from prying ears.
And thus they escaped from Old Korvosa. There will be a two week gap as we take a break in the Forgotten Realms as our previous GM is available, and then onto A History of Ashes.
Sir Varren stepped slightly over to give his comrades more fighting room and proceeded to hack at it, inflicting a vicious paper cut that further reduced its effectiveness
ROFLMAO!! I do not think I've ever seen minimal damage rolled described more effectively :)
|
|
Sir Varren stepped slightly over to give his comrades more fighting room and proceeded to hack at it, inflicting a vicious paper cut that further reduced its effectivenessROFLMAO!! I do not think I've ever seen minimal damage rolled described more effectively :)
It's what the crit card said. But I'm glad you liked it.
|
|
Announcements: A new player joined the group, Khillishandra, Elven Cleric of Iomedae.
After ferrying themselves at speed across the Jeggare River, the party swiftly purchased horses, an enclosed wagon and slightly less recognisable garb for Vencarlo and Neolandus. This was accomplished fairly easily as few would deny the combination of Seneschal, Blackjack and the heroes of the recent plague anything.
They then followed backroads towards Harse, Timon enhancing his Headband of Intellect to +4 and enchanting his knowledge of the Planes into it, while Dualeth gave his staff the ability to cast endure elements. Both were accomplished in the back of the wagon. Meanwhile, Neolandus remained tight-lipped, insisting on saying nothing about certain matters until they’d reached Vencarlo’s safehouse. Vencarlo elicited tales out of the rest of the party, having them fill him in on their recent adventures and recounting several tales of his own life of daring-do.
At Harse, itself Vencarlo explained that their final destination was a small ranch just over the river. Taking the ferry, they quickly arrived at the Blackbird Ranch where Jasan welcomed them all warmly, introducing them to his family and insisting they deal with the important matter of dinner before they got down to the unpleasant business. When Sir Varren tried to thank them for putting them up, and the not inconsiderable danger that posed, Jasan’s eyes darted to the battle axe mounted above the hearth and he cheerfully waved away the thanks saying he knew all about this when he’d agreed. Trinia also renewed her acquaintance with the party, being very happy to see the people who rescued her from the Queen and returning the tracts of Saerenrae that Sir Varren had given her as part of her disguise during that process. She kept the holy symbol, though. He also introduced another guest, Khillishandra, whom Vencarlo had briefly adventured with in his younger days and who he had asked to join them in this time of need.
After a very hearty meal, they got down to business, namely, how did the Queen “survive taking a crossbow bolt in the face and then dangle the person responsible like a rag doll”? At this, they were shushed by Trinia because “You never start a good story with the best bit.” Neolandus went on to explain how he had, rather naively in hindsight, confronted the Queen about her role in the death of her husband, and then barely escaped from the Red Mantis assassins who tried to kill him. He passed this off by explaining that he did not understand how a spoilt, vain but fundamentally purposeless brat could become such a scheming killer. He detailed the Queen’s frequent ‘borrowings’ from the vaults, and of the presence of the old chambers beneath. He related the tale of the warlord Kavazon and how he had conquered the lands and been killed twice by a brave band of adventurers who destroyed his body but not everything could be destroyed, such was his evil and power. Thus the “Fangs of Kavazon” were below the palace and now seemed to be part of the Queen’s new regalia. This he attributed the Queen’s new attitude to, but he had been unable to learn anything further before he became the “guest” of the Arkonas. He suggested that they might wish to speak to a Shoanti he knew in Korvosa, doubtless driven out by now, named Thousand Bones as he was a knowledgeable shaman who had been trying to prevent all out war between the Shoanti and the city, so he might be willing to help them.
It was agreed that everyone would set off tomorrow: Vencarlo and Neolandus to Janderhoff for additional security, while the party proceeded through Kaer Maga into the Cinderlands in pursuit of Thousand Bones. Khillishandra would be joining them to repay a debt to her old friend, and because of the vision Iomedae had sent her showing her standing with her new allies against a darkness of shadows and bone in Korvosa itself. Trinia also announced she was accompanying them, and as she was the only person around with knowledge of Shoanti language or culture, the party accepted. The fact that she was an attractive and witty person didn’t enter into their heads. Jasan and his family also prepared themselves to leave, but he good-naturedly waved off the apologies of the party.
The party reached Kaer Maga unmolested, and Timon successfully enhanced the Belt of Incredible Dexterity to one of Physical Perfection, which was given to Torgul, Sir Varren taking the Belt of Constitution and being very happy to have more than 100 hp at level 9. They spent a day in Kaer Maga equipping themselves and asking around. They discovered that the Skull Clan typicall spends the spring at their holy grounds of the Kallow Mounds to the south-eastern portion of the Cinderlands and set out.
During their slow journey, the horses having been unable to be easily transported up the walls of the Storval Plateau, Timon noticed they were being scryed upon, warned the others and sent a one-fingered message to the spies that they’d been discovered. After several days of travel, they were intercepted by a patrol of Shoanti, who demanded to know what tshmek were doing on their tribal lands. Dualeth managed to understand the gist of the message, the spear pointing driving it home pretty effectively, but let Trinia do the talking to avoid mangling the reply. She explained they sought the guidance of Thousand Bones of the Skull Clan which prompted much conferring among the braves before they decided that they could be accompanied to the Mounds. One rider rode off ahead, while the others formed an escort explaining that if the party drew their weapons or even looked like they were casting a spell, their blood would stain the dried ground.
And as they approached the camp, the session ended.
Real Life Explanation: As mentioned at the end of the last update, it was intended to have a break but owing to a lack of support with the other game, it was decided to go on with A History of Ashes. Unfortunately, I found this out on the day and hadn’t got anything with me. This necessitated a slightly shortened play as I had to rush home and grab things. It’s also why the Harrow reading will be performed in flashback and updated on next week.
|
|
Harrow Reading Flashback: Sadly, Sir Varren did not draw the Paladin card. However, the Paladin and Theatre appeared in their true positions, while the Vision and Tyrant appeared opposed. This showed the party that their forthright devotion to their ideals in the past and adherence to prophesy and foresight in the present would lead to the dethroning of a dangerous tyrant and liberation of the people.
Back to the present, the party was escorted to the Kallow Mounds, where Thousand Bones greeted them as friends, dissipating much of the tension as he escorted them past the stares to their yurt. He explained that all things have their time and place, and their questions should wait for the Bone Council Fire that night. Rather concerned about the possibilities for conflict, the party stayed in their yurt, except for a brief stretch by Torgul that showed hundreds of Shoanti staring at them.
That afternoon, Thousand Bones again approached them, just before Krojun appeared and warned them against violence. To be fair, the party had already warned itself pretty well against violence being outnumbered hundreds to one. They exited, to Krojun’s scorn, and Torgul accepted his challenge. The sredna match was one of the most one sided in history with Torgul earning 14 sredna points to Krojun’s 2. The mighty barbarian fell, just before triggering his rage, but laughed off the defeat with a hearty clap on the victor’s shoulder.
That night, the party and Thouasand Bones discussed their issues by the fire. The party began to grow disheartened as their simple request for information spawned a quest to gain favour to gain a Truthspeaker to witness their consumption by the Clan killer, whom they believed to be a red dragon, which would hopefully allow them to shed their tshamek status and gain access to the Sun Clan’s history. Fortunately for them, they’ve got a bard along who can recall the information as needed.
They set off the next morning, with their Skull Clan guides, discovering the Cinderlander’s kill just across the river on the third day. Sir Varren is looking forward to meeting this tshamek demon ghost as his sword’s Ghost Touch ability has so far seen little use. Dualeth spotted a party following them, but could not identify exactly who they were. Consequently, double watches were set for the trip. On the sixth day, they spotted a roc overhead, but were fortunately too small to bother with. Although they did take away the idea that the Cinderlands were not friendly to the uninitiated, i.e. them.
At the Acropolis, the guides remained outside, while the party and Trinia pushed forward into the darkness. Timon activated his Wayfinder’s light, and Khillishandra cast Daylight on her shield, followed by Good Hope. Now on a timer, the party swiftly went through the halls. They paused at the mermaid’s statue. Torgul looked at all the glittering scales with avarice, but when asked both Timon and Dualeth, the former with a slight grimace, said they were worthless. At the runebound room, Dualeth looked at the runes but, with the help of the Good Hope spell, made his save and was not enraptured after his first five minutes of study.
Eventually, they found the room with the column and swiftly identified the magical aura of the runes as transmutation. Rather worried, Timon nevertheless stepped into the glowing beam of light and sank slowly down, followed by Dualeth, Trinia and Sir Varren and slightly less swiftly by Khillishandra and Torgul.
On the level below, they found a solid stone plug in the wall, but a lack of grip and the sheer mass prevented them from exploring further in that direction, so they continued along the corridor and found the sphere, which Dualetrh identified as a very, very, very old map. He also found the route inside, and with the exception of Khillishandra who objected to allowing another god’s symbol on her body, they all climbed inside the sphere to gain the butterfly Mark of the Spherewalker. At this point, Dualeth heard, faintly, distant laughter from the rooms above. This inspired rampant paranoia, including an invisible Timon, until they eventually made it back to the column of blue light and Sir Varren stepped inside, rising up (to the Superman theme) followed swiftly by Dualeth and Trinia, who’s worked out that the safest place to be is nearby to the paladin. The rest of the party followed, to the sounds of combat and emerged to find Krojun and his party fighting a pair of flailing tentacles.
The party promptly charged into the fray, Timon casting Scorching Ray across the room to sear the tentacle battering Krojun with a cry of “For the Sklar-Quah!”, which brought facepalms from Sir Varren’s and Dualeth’s players, while Sir Varren and Torgul leapt at the closest tentacle. Khillishandra activated her protective aura, while Dualeth cast Bull’s Strength on himself and Trinia activated Inspire Courage. Emboldened, they made short work of the tentacles. Khillishandra even took the opportunity to taunt the tentacle as it ineffectually slapped at her. As Dualeth looked around to make sure there were no more tentacles waiting to molest them, he caught a reflection of red in the pool and looked up, spotting the Red Mantis clinging to the ceiling. His instinctive reaction was to launch Scorching Rays from his staff upwards, searing both Mantises. Their hiding place exposed, they dropped down to the floor, flanking Dualeth, but each missed, one scraping across his armour.
This resulted in another furious but brief encounter as Timon sent his rapier to spear one, its Human Bane property tearing through the Mantis. Sir Varren smashed the other hard with his scimitar, shearing through its mask and blinding it, which Torgul took advantage of, shearing through the Mantis’ neck with his sword. Dualeth turned on the final Mantis and stove its head in with his strength enhanced staff. As the Mantises fell, they faded away into red mist.
Krojun watched this all (although he might have joined in if the party hadn’t been so efficient), scowled at them, muttered “Trouble.” and left with his braves. And there we let them for the week.
|
|
Announcements: Torgul and Khillishandra’s players were unable to attend and so were played by committee.
The day’s fun started with Timon having a brainwave on how to bypass the plug of stone. The party retreated back to the plug and Timon cast Detect Magic and Elemental Body, turning into an earth elemental and simply walking through the plug. He approached the room behind incredibly cautiously (especially after another player said that he’d find three Drow waiting with crossbows or a basilisk [which prompted an impromptu rendition of Another Brick in the Wall], even after I assured them several times that “There are no Drow in Golarion.”. Repetition of this several times in an emphatic voice didn’t seem to reassure him.), but eventually left with a plethora of magic items, all of which were swiftly identified. Torgul was gifted the resistance cloak, his cloak went to Dualeth who’s cloak went to Khillishandra in turn. Timon acquired the lion’s share of the items and a scabbard of keen edges and beast bane dagger made rather unusual gifts for a wizard, but the rest of the party had little use for them.
The party then proceeded to leave, wondering how many of their guides were still alive. As they did, two Red Mantises dropped down on either side of Timon. Dualeth acted before them, rushing up to one, but missing. The Mantises responded, inflicting serious wounds on Timon with their sabres. And then they dropped dead as their amulet chains erupted into whirling spiked chains that ripped their throats open before the party’s startled eyes. Shadowcount Sial stepped from the temple to introduce himself at this point. On recognising the title, he was asked how his companion from Korvosa was doing and replied that “Ms Veiss is still her incorrigibly sacrilegious and relentlessly disrespectful self.” Sir Varren then explained that it had been very special circumstances and an immediate and overwhelming need and direct and oppressive evil that allowed them to work with Laori. Sial nodded, saying that he presumed therefore that an offer to travel with them would be ill-appreciated and that they would take their leave. For now. He left, snapping his fingers for his Kyton to follow.
The party left again, finding their guides without trouble, levelling up, and proceeding to the House of the Moon. Tekra’Kai approached the party, who swiftly raised their Spirewalker marks, softening her initial demand into a prayer of thanks to Desna for sending the party to help. After she outlined her problem, the party agreed to help (the player’s having fully expected more plutonium to crop up and make their quest more ‘interesting’). With Kai and her braves, they embarked into the House of the Moon. Sir Varren was enhanced with Bull’s Strength from Dualeth who then cast it on himself, while Timon rendered himself and Torgul invisible. As they approached the Reaver, Trinia began her bardic performance and Timon felt the power of the Harrow prophecy filling him with strength. Timon acted first, launching a maximised fireball at the Reaver. Sadly it managed to shift its massive bulk to the side and took only half damage. Khillishandra then advanced and tried to bestow a curse on the Reaver but it shook his plea off. Dualeth cast Ray of Enfeeblement, knocking its strength down by ten points, and advanced, mostly to give the Reaver another option rather than just attacking Khillishandra. The reaver took up his generous offer, hitting with all three attacks and proceeding to rip bloody chunks out of him. This caused Sir Varren to charge up, turning his sword into a Flaming Burst weapon as he did so. He struck the reaver mightily, while Torgul snuck around behind it. The Moon Clan and their wolves tried to attack but as they needed a natural 20 to hit, they proved mostly inoffensive. Timon’s next action was to cast Hold Monster. This time the Reaver failed its save and stood motionless as Khillishandra healed Dualeth fully. Duealth then swung his quarterstaff into the reaver’s throat, crushing its larynx and preventing it from utilising its roar. Torgul and Sir Varren proceeded to hack at the beast while it couldn’t move, but it swiftly made its save and attempted to flee. As it did so, Sir Varren’s blade sliced across its back, a gout of flame searing its wings, hurling it face down to the ground where it lay motionless. Naturally, this thoroughly impressed the Shoanti.
It was then, after helping clear the reaver’s corpse and the bodies of their fellows from the place and cleaning it thoroughly with prestidigitation, that Sir Varren approached Tekra’Kai with the real reason for their coming to the House of the Moon, having taken advantage of the journey and the company of several fluent speakers, to improve his Shoanti. Although Kai was quite insistent that Desna’s hand was part of the guiding process, Varren explained their desire for a Truthspeaker to witness the re-enactment of the Tale of Sukrat. Kai said she would speak with the chief and Truthspeaker Akram when the rest of the tribe arrived the next day, and then spent the night in discussion of Desna’s tenets with Timon, who had also learnt the language.
She duly did so, the Chief’s eyebrow raises being almost audible as the story proceeded from “Why are there tshamek in our holy site?” through “They did what?”, “They want who?” to “They want to do WHAT?” Kai rode back, telling the party that Truthspeaker Akram wished to speak with them. They again explained themselves, fully expecting Akram to give them another quest to justify themselves, but he surprised them by asking instead “When do you wish to leave?” in his hoarse and wheezy voice. Dualeth, now also a Shoanti speaker, demurred, as he had only just arrived at the shrine, but Akram waved it away, “A life lived in attachment to any place, Desna says, is no life at all. And if you truly recreate the Tale of Sukrat, it will be a tale to tell for generations.” Dualeth replied, 100% truthfully, that he very much wished to tell this tale to his grandchildren. He left out that this would mean he had lived long enough to sire some children and then to see them sire children.
On the first day of their journey, a howling orc warband attacked them. Ok, that might be overstating things: A howling orc warband charged at them, only to be frozen solid by Timon’s Cone of Cold. He then turned to the Truthspeaker and asked casually, “So, what do you think we’re having for dinner tonight?” Akram replied, “Frozen orc, apparently.” This caused much amusement in the party.
The rest of their trek was fairly uneventful until they entered the hunting grounds of the clan killer. There they saw Cindermaw breach several miles away, and then much closer. They felt the ground tremble and Cindermaw reared up over them, its huge jaws looming. Sadly for the great beast, he promptly failed his will save against Timon's Hold Monster and was held. Dualeth and Khillishandra fortified Sir Varren with Resist Energy and Protection from Energy for fire and acid. He took Timon’s beast bane dagger and promptly charged down Cindermaw’s raging gullet. Dualeth passed the time casting spectral hand followed by touch of fatigue until Cindermaw failed as Sir Varren continued deep into the beast. Timon then cast ray of exhaustion, further debilitating the beast. After four rounds of failed saves, Sir Varren thought he’d gone deep enough and proceeded to cut his way out, using the strength of the bear he’d received from the Harrow deck. This finally allowed Cindermaw to break free from his thrall, but Sir Varren pulled his way out. Akram cast Wind Walk, taking Dualeth and Trinia with him, while Sir Varren dimension doored up to Timon, who teleported the rest of the party back to the House of the Moon. As Akram landed a few hours later, the party levelled again and we closed the session.
|
|
Announcements: Khillishandra’s player was unable to attend and so was played by committee.
Editorial DM comment: This was a DM weeps session. Torgul 3-critted (3 crits in one round) and Sir Varren got at least 2 3-crits and was into double figures for crits by the end of the session. This was a combination of luck (Torgul managed three twenties in his 3 crit round for confirmation and attacks), Improved Critical and Critical Focus (and for Sir Varren a Simitar, so a crit range of 15+ with Improved Critical). In the description that follows, assume 3 in five attacks were critical hits from the players. Everyone scored at least one critical. Rassum frassum rassum criticals.
Back to the action. After they arrived back at the House of the Moon, the party talked with Truthspeaker Akram, asking him where they could go to find the Sun Clan and get their information. He suggested the Flameford Gathering. Amazingly, Torgul repeatedly made his Will save, but as nothing happened, no-one was aware of it (except Timon’s player but Timon himself remained dumbstruck). On the second day, a flock of four wyverns approached, but were spotted. A maximised fireball (did I mention that I’m starting to intensely dislike Metamagic Mastery?) roasted half and the remaining two were dead from arrows and readied Scorching Rays before they came within 30 feet.
This display didn’t go unnoticed and very early the next day the Burn Riders rode up. Those in the party who did not speak Shoanti got the gist of the conversation (angry pointing and shouts will do that. The laughter when Akram mentioned they were seeking to become non-tshamek was another point that required no translation). Those who did gained a much more detailed line of conversation, but the essentials hadn’t changed. They were escorted through the spike stones and into the camp itself, where several hundred Shoanti glared at them. Akram declared himself Truthspeaker and proceeded to outline the party’s heroics with Cindermaw. The Sun Shaman eventually walked up to them and stiffly shed them of their tshamek status. Timon then turned to Akram and said “This is all very nice, but what we were really after was information on the Midnight Teeth.” Akram smiled slightly and explained that even though they were not tshamek, the Sun Clan would never reveal such secrets to anyone outside the clan. But, as non-tshamek, they could ask to be allowed into the clan. Sir Varren approached the Sun Shaman, and, amid the howls of outrage and stomping off, was told that it was possible to become honourary members if they completed the Trial of the Totems which would begin the next day. However, he wouldn’t reveal anything about the Trial until dawn. Akram and the skull clan escorts left at this point, having heroic tales to relate to their tribes.
The party was escorted to Bolt Rock, where the details of the trial were outlined. Timon was cocksure having memorised telekinesis until the massive weight of the totems was revealed. Still, the party was determined to win, having come this far. Timon Dimension Doored up to the top of the rock with Sir Varren and Torgul, both of them benefitting from a Bull’s Strength spell before they left. Both then used a Harrow point to be treated as one size larger and with their magic enhanced strength and several lengths of strong rope proceeded to raises the totems onto the first escarpment and them raise their fellows up. Raising the totems proved little challenge, and they solved the issue of keeping them upright by arranging the six totems (including Trinia’s) in a pentagram before roping them all together, making it much easier for them to support them without a herculean effort.
Food and water should have posed a problem, but their access to the Decanter of Endless Water and the ‘Spoon of Curry’ saved them any such trouble, while a battery of Lesser Restorations (Timon and Khillishandra rested overnight while the others kept the totems propped) prevented their exhaustion from affecting them adversely. Krojun approached the mound, staring up to find all the totems still standing. He stood there silently for several minutes, slightly unnerving the party, but eventually called up “You are lucky to have each other as such brothers!” before he turned away and returned to the Gathering. And that’s when they spotted the landsharks approaching. Dualeth cast Bull’s Strength on both Sir Varren and Torgul and Cat’s Grace on himself, while Timon flew up into the air casting False Life on himself and Haste on the rest of the party. Trinia scrambled up the totems, beginning her Inspire Courage, and Sir Varren cast Bless, Prayer and Divine Favour. Thus fortified, and leaving Khillishandra to support the totems behind her divine blessing, the party was prepared.
The bullettes erupted, two surrounding each of the ground-based fighters. Their bite wrecked havoc on Dualeth but barely troubled the others. Then commenced the crit horror. Dualeth, power attacking, performed as triple crit, filleting one and smashing the jaw of the other, leaving it unable to bite him. At that point, Timon cast Slow. As his player said, “The party entered bullet time, and the enemy entered bulette time.” Not to be outdone, Sir Varren also three critted the only non-slowed bulette, having charged his sword up with holy energy into a +5 weapon. Dualeth, meanwhile, proceeded to be incredibly consistent, hitting four times and doing exactly 11 points of damage each time. The bullettes continued to bite, (and in the case of Torgul claw) but with the exception of Dualeth, no one was seriously harmed (Sir Varren took more than enough damage to kill most othe party, but that still didn’t knock him below half). Dualeth, on the other hand, was very harmed and on the point of needing his new Diehard feat. Dualeth killed his last foe, while Sir Varren slaughtered the un-slowed bulette and Timon cast Maximised Disintegrate (Metamagic Mastery. Again!!) on the bullette menacing Dualeth, but sadly it saved. Dualeth proceeded to club it to death with his staff and then backed up five feet from the other, clambering over the still twitching corpse to make his escape. The bullette obliged him by stepping up, and as Torgul flanked it, Timon cast Magic Missile. The remaining bulletes were swiftly dispatched.
When the Sun Shaman approached them at dusk, they asked what they should do with the bodies. His suggestion was a tribal recipe “Place the flesh in boiling water with stones. When the stones are softened, remove the bullette meat and eat the stones.” But they were escorted back to the camp as the Sun Shaman, Chief and their escort left to acquire the information the party sought.
As the party settled down to rest for the night, they heard something outside, just before four pairs of stony arms ripped through the roof of their yurt. Dualeth immediately sent a Scorching Ray up into the attackers, followed by Timon’s Magic Missile that killed the first of them. Sir Varren then waited, and as they reached melee range, he unleashed his Aura of Justice, giving everyone a round of smites. Several critical hits later, and one claw across Timon’s chest (stopped by his False Life from harming him), the gargoyles lay dead before his Aura expired.
Hearing the sounds of battle outside, they left the tent, to find two Red Mantises waiting for them. Dualeth again decided to hit them with Scorching Rays, blasting one with a critical so that he glowed (rather a problem for a stealthy assassin). Fortunately, Timon’s Magic Missile ended that problem for him. Meanwhile, the gargoyles descended and were rapidly slaughtered. One tried to escape but Torgul launched an arrow at him scoring a heart shot and Timon’s magic missile again felled it while Dualeth battered the Mantis to death and then backswung the staff into a gargoyle.
At this point, they heard the sound of Krojun roaring out his name and decided to fight their way through the battle to his side, Sir Varren burning Channel Energies to heal the Sklar Quah warriors as he went. They expected to find Krojun in combat with Shadowcount Sial or his Kyton, but instead they found Krojun glaring down the Cinderlander, and were going to leave him to his fun when four Mantises appeared. Dualeth rushed forward, casting Ray of Enfeeblement at the Cinderlander draining his strength to the point that he was now heavily encumbered. Timon hit him with several Magic Missiles and the Cinderlander responded with crossbow bolts, one of which was critical. It ripped through the last of his False Life and inflicted one hit point as it passed through him. But the one point Constitution Drain is what really pissed Timon off. As Dualeth squared off against two mantises, and Krojun took the other two, smashing one high into the air before it vapourised, Torgul charged into the Mantis behind Dualeth, killing it instantly, and Sir Varren came up to Krojun, Laying Hands upon him. Timon, thoroughly outraged at the Con drain, cast Enervation at the Cinderlander, draining him of four levels. The Cinderlander responded with three more screaming bolts, one of which hit Timon. As Dualeth battled the last Mantis, Krojun tripped as he swung at his last foe. Sir Varren again healed him and the Mantis took full advantage to stab the prone barbarian many times. Torgul charged at the Cinderlander, inflicting horrific injuries and Timon finished him off with another volley of Magic Missiles. Krojun rose, taking the attack from the Mantis and hammering it into the ground as Sir Varren stood back and healed him again. Torgul charged the last Mantis and critted him (again!) drawing the decapitation card. The Mantis died from both damage and from having his head severed.
And there we had to leave it.
|
|
Announcements: Timon and Khillishandra’s player were unable to attend and so were played by committee.
As the Cinderlander fell and Krojun practised his golf swing on the last Red Mantis, Cinnabar and her Red Mantises slipped through the throng and chastised the PCs for bringing such death and destruction onto the heads of the Shoanti. As she made her offer to the tribe, the dark mutterings of the Shoanti were only drowned out by a scream of “Krojun!” as the barbarian charged forward. Torgul overtook him, but was then surrounded by the Mantises, and stabbed repeatedly, while Cinnabar began to use her prayer attack, fascinating Torgul. Four gargoyles also swooped down, targeting Timon and hurting him significantly, although one was almost eviscerated by an attack of opportunity critical from Sir Varren and another clouted by Dualeth. Krojun caught up to the Mantises, clubbing one and distracting it from Torgul. Dualeth stepped up and launched Scorching Rays into Cinnabar, while Sir Varren charged past to engage Cinnabar in combat, slashing her across the throat, disrupting her prayer and rendering her unable to breathe in the blood, while Khillishandra cast a Holy Smite onto the gargoyles, blinding them all and killing one with holy power.
Torgul was still fascinated, however, and a mass of sneak attacking Mantises dropped him down to -13. One also managed to wound Krojun. Sir Varren slashed across Cinnabar’s chest as she survived the bubbling of blood and went to drink her potion of cure. As his sword fell on her, she shut her eyes and fell backwards at peace. Timon tried to cast Scorching Ray, but botched his cast defensively roll. Dualeth blasted two with Burning Hands. Khillishandra dived through the ring of Mantises and touched Torgul with a Heal, keeping him alive, although she took a slight wound (her first and hopefully enough to knock her confidence a little). Krojun killed one Mantis and Sir Varren stepped up and sliced open another. Torgul stood up, killing a third while Krojun stepped up and killed the fourth as Dualeth and Timon finished off the last gargoyle.
At this point the gargoyles flew off, only to have Timon fire a parting fireball into them that killed many and wounded the rest severely. And then the looting began. Torgul took Cinnabar’s Headband of Charisma, mostly because everyone else was already wearing one and didn’t care, while Timon swapped his belt of Dex, for a Belt of Dex and Con. And the party levelled, Dualeth taking a level of Mystic Theurge while Torgul went for Fighter and everyone else levelled up their existing class.
The next day, the Sun Shaman returned and gave out the history of Kazavon as a despotic warlord challenged and defeated by his ancestor and Mandraivus, but unquiet even in death. As he proposed the Ritual of the Ancestors, and the party discussed who should be called, leaning towards Ehlaria, a burst of indignation from Zelladra’s Deck persuaded them that a more direct connection to the spirit world was at hand.
During the Ritual itself, Zelladra’s harrow produced the Tyrant and Keep, symbolising Kazavon and the darkness he’d inculcated in his home. The Publican showed that old allies would be useful again (something Sir Varren groaned at), but the Betrayal warned against trusting them too closely. They then digested the spirit song (thankfully for the players spoken rather than song by me). Sir Varren, Torgul and Khillishandra chose to have the spirits infuse their armour, while Timon (because he doesn’t have any armour) and Dualeth (who likes to be different) chose their weapons. Around this point, when they decided on their plan (go to Scarwell and beat the crap out of everything there), Trinia decided that she’d be safer, well, anywhere else and set off to Janderhoff to see Vencarlo.
Timon teleported the party to Kaer Maga to resupply, relying on the Elixir’s of Shadewalking to transport them to Shadowell in good time. And after everyone had reequipped themselves and sold off the excess goods, we finished slightly early as they prepared themselves for the journey into darkness to come.
|
|
Announcements: Owing to changes to the Beta announced in the Ezren preview, Timon lost his proficiency with the rapier. He also swapped out Quicken spell for Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Katana and retroactively traded his rapiers in for a +1 katana (so it's now spirit-infused). All former bonus spell-like abilities were folded into his spellbook for ease of play.
Also, everyone was able to make it this week. Woot!
On with Scarwell. After equipping themselves, Dualeth drank the potion of shadewalking and took everyone into the Shadow Plane. They emerged half a day's travel from Scarwell as approaching a place full of undead directly via the shadow plane was thought to be a “bad idea”.
On their exit, they found Laori, Sial and Alyssa waiting for them. The party discretely his thei Amulets of Natural Armour in the Handy Haversack having seen what happens when Alyssa is allowed to play with necklaces. While Laori explained that they had a shared interest, removing one of Zon-Kuthon's leading lieutenants from a spoiled, undeserving brat and proposed they work together as without her help as the party wouldn't get through Scarwell, and without the party, neither would they. Sial, reluctantly, backed this up, looking pitiably at Timon as he said “Long time, no see” in fluent Infernal.. The party withdrew to confer. Despite Torgul, Dualeth, and, VERY reluctantly, Sir Varren all proposing they go with this, but prepare for the inevitable betrayal after they'd defeated the last of the four chained guardians. Timon protested that this was too big a risk and Khillishandra point blank refused and additionally threatened to kill them if they did travel with the party. Thus, Sir Varren suggested to Laori that it might be best, for everyone, if they left. Now. Before there was any unpleasantness. Laori tried to persuade them but then left, while Sial warned darkly that the party would regret this decision before he departed.
With this warning, they decided that approaching Scarwell exhausted and at night wouldn't be in anyone's interest so they made their way most of the way there and rested for the night. Dualeth had to deal with a lost pack of scrawny wolves (finding a use for their trail rations), but apart from that the night was uneventful.
The next day was slightly more eventful as they approached Scarwell. The Deadwatcher orcs opened the encounter with a volley of arrows, and Dualeth responded with a burning hands that scorched all of them. Being both an elf and a threat, he got most of the return fire (along with Khillishandra who is becoming even more annoying than Sir Varren in her inability to be hit. Mostly because she loves tormenting me about it). After a shot from Torgul (and more flamethrowering from Dualeth) Ury got mad and leaped from the battlements to attack, only to promptly fail his will save against Timon's Hold Monster. Torgul swiftly kebabed the poor orc, while Sir Varren went looking for stairs up. After a third Burning Hands from Dualeth, quite enjoying the chance to use his bonus spell for the first time since the Temple of Uragotha, the remaining orcs broke and fled. Unfortunately, Sir Varren had fond the only door and was still standing in it when they charged out. They managed to bullrush him out of the way, but sadly one fell as the flat of a scimitar creased the back of his skull. The other two, when ordered to, swiftly surrendered. Timon and Dualeth both interrogated them in fluent Orc, learning that they were the Deadwatcher Orcs, set to guard Scarwell and make sure the “dead things that don't stay dead” stayed inside. When asked about if there was anything dangerous inside, they again mentined the “dead things that don't stay dead” and the dragon. This attracted attention as Timon wanted to know what colour, to which he got an answer of “Black”. Having just identified for what it was (and Torgul having claimed both it and Ury's masterwork longbow), Timon was slightly disappointed it wasn't a red, but only slightly. They let their prisoners go with their armour and weapons, telling them to take a message to their shamans that the dead within Scarwall were getting more powerful and mighth soon need all the orcs to help stop them. Yes, the party have just made the orcs of Belkzen their “Plan B”.
As they stepped onto the causeway and walked quickly across, they felt the breeze across the sulphurous lake turn to a gale, filled with shadowy figures that passed through them. They briefly saw Zelladra manifest, hearing her scream as the hands and chains tore her from the Harrow deck and dragged her into the Castle. Still shocekd by this, they hustled forward, only to hear a loud clanking as the portcullis was raised and Sergeant Lashton and his skeletal guards charged out. The guards managed to make it 30 f t forward before Timon's fireball landed in the midst of their regimented formation, reducing them to blackened bones, a single scorched helmet rolling pitifully along the causeway. Undaunted, Lashton continued his charge, even as Dualeth cast Ray of Enfeeblment on his mount, but failed to hit Sir Varren, partially due to the Circle Against Evil he had just cast. Torgul, Sir Varren and Dualeth quickly inflicted major damage to Lashton, only for Khillishandra to finish him off with a Searing Ray. The skeletal nightmare then struck back, hurting Dualeth, but then falling to the assorted hammers and other blunt instruments.
The party then made it to the portcullis, lifting it together and Timon cast Knock to take care of the door, only to find another set down the corridor. The party charged past the assorted arrowslits and murderholes, but Dualeth took a nasty hit from one large bolt. However, two of the hidden archers botched their rolls, one tangling the string in his bones and the other snapping the crossbow against the wall. The party swiftly hefted the portcullis and opened the door by the simple application of orcish greataxes.
They made their way further into Scarwall, before they spotted the Corpse Orgy Sadly, the Orgy was very slow and was burnt by Dualeth and slashed by Sir Varren before it's pained shriek harmed the party, all of whom made their saving throws. Everyone except Timon, who flung Scorching Rays at the beast, moved up to slash, club and stab at the Orgy, but the flailing arms of the beast managed to hit Torgul and Dualeth, grappling the latter. Timon then unleashed a second storm of Scorching Rays, roling one critical and setting the Orgy on fire. Having reduced it to -54 anyway, this point was moot for everyone but Dualeth who managed to escape before the flames reached him.
And there we left it, as they futilely searched the room for treasure.
|
|
After searching the Corpse Orgy’s lair, the party entered Mandraivus’ Fall. They were investigating the armour, getting a very accurate reading on it, when the Allip Shards started their babble. Sadly, owing to the presence of the Paladin, everyone made their save and took no damage, although both Torgul and Dualeth had to burn a Harrow point to guarantee success.
Mandraivus himself then appeared, boiling up out of his armour and rising up to strike at Khillisandra, screaming at her for “serving the b%!~+ who deserted me and left me here to die”. He struck her despite her impressive armour class and she failed her fort save, reducing her Constituion by 6, and so losing another 36 hit points. However, Mandraivus took a nasty hit from Sir Varren’s ghost touch sword as he flew at the cleric, Torgul’s blade also struck home but to much less effect. Dualeth cast Disrupt Undead and Khillisandra channelled energy but he made his save. Torgul then lobbed a healing potion at the dread wraith, but it failed to connect. At which point, from Mandraivus’ point of view, disaster struck. Timon cast fly, successfully casting defensively and allowing Sir Varren to rise the five feet up he needed to unleash his full attack. He announced this with the two words no undead wants to hear: “Smite Evil!”. Mandraivus was quickly put out of his misery, and Khillisandra healed herself, including restoring her lost vitality.
They continued to explore, finding nothing of interest, except some stairs upwards which they decided to save till later in that part of the castle. They then returned to the Fall, where the Allip’s started again. Fortunately, this time, Sir Varren recognised them in time and used his channel energy to disrupt the darkness before it could affect the others.
Proceeding through the small door, they followed the twisting corridor to the kitchens, being much more careful about actually entering the room, and so escaping the gout of flame from the ovens. The two cinder ghouls then emerged, barricading Sir Varren in the doorway, but utterly failing to hit him. Khillisandra then charged forward, bullrushing one of them back ten feet and allowing Torgul to step into the room. His new frost greatsword was brought out and it and Sir Varren quickly dispatched the first ghoul, before helping Khillisandra with the second. Torgul then won the search race and found the stash of items. They proceeded into the other barracks, finding one populated. Torgul once again charged into the mass of skeletons and zombies, hacking one zombie apart. Dualeth then set off his last Burning Hands and, although Torgul escaped harm thanks to his evasion, leaving only one slightly burnt zombie left which was quickly dispatched.
They then came to the Porters hall, again via Mandraivus’ Fall and saw the skeletal minotaurs bearing down on them. Timon waited until they were close enough and cast Undeath to Death, destroying four of them instantly before retreating behind Sir Varren who stoically took the minotaur’s charge without injury. The minotaur was then set upon by the rest of the party, Dualeth’s single blow from his staff shattering its skull into dust as the undead bane energy flowed through it.
The party continued its methodical exploration, encountering a Halfling woman trapped in netting by a witch and destined for her pot. Sadly, the person freeing her was Sir Varren, with his almost supernatural ability to tell when people are lying to him. After freeing her, he held the scimitar at her throat and said “The next lie that passes your lips will be your last.”
At that point, the Halfling swelled in size and Malatrothe cackled. “Oh, well done. You are an observant little mortal, aren’t you?” Sadly, before she could say more, Sir Varren invoked his Smite and felled her almost single-handedly. Khillisandra took her Heartstone when they finally found it. They also found the soul jars and quickly shattered them, getting a glimpse of the maggots inside before they vapourised. Timon seemed to be particularly amused at the souls’ thoughts of freedom just before they were snatched to their destination in the pits of Hell.
They continued to explore, checking every room until they decided to brave the courtyard. Once there, they were exploring the well, when a flock of ten gargoyle brutes descended from the rooftops. Timon swiftly became invisible, and the fight commenced. The battle was brutal with the much larger gargoyles inflicting horrible injuries on the party. Dualeth fell, stubbornly staying upright until he took a mortal wound. Fortunately, an invisible Timon crept over to him and fed him a potion that kept him out of Pharasma’s clutches. Torgul and Sir Varren both concentrated their attacks and had reduced the flock by four, although it took several rounds. Sir Varren burned another channel energy to cure everyone after he, Khillisandra and Torgul had suffered major hits, Torgul falling into unconsciousness. It also helped to get Dualeth and Torgul conscious. Dualeth used his newfound lucidity to blast the gargoyles with scorching rays from his staff, from prone, before Timon made him invisible as well and he rolled away. Torgul rose up with his sword inflicting major damage on the gargoyle, but he, Khillisandra, despite using Total Defence to get her Armour Class as high as possible, and finally Sir Varren all fell unconscious to the talons of the gargoyles (Editorial Comment: FINALLY! Hurting the blasted paladin is hard enough, but to actually put him down! Woo-hoo! *Does DM happy dance*). Satisfied with their victory, the gargoyles flew back to their roosts. Many rounds of healing later (mostly thanks to Dualeth’s wand, and Timon using many of his potions). Timon retreated, still invisible to one corner and Khillisandra unleashed her channel energy to complete the healing. Naturally, this alerted the gargoyles that their enemy was not dead, so they returned, anxious to continue the slaughter. This time, Timon was ready and caught three of them in a cone of cold. The rest of the party clustered around Timon, forming a phalanx of steel that couldn’t be flanked. The gargoyles landed, one reaching over to swipe at Timon’s head. Sadly for them, the party then counterattacked and already wounded, they were no match for a ready and prepared group.
Still sore, the party retreated inside the forecastle to plan their next move, and we left it there for the night.
|
|
Announcements: Khillisandra’s player could not make it and was played by committee. Party mostly converted over to Final rules. Spells still in the process of being converted.
The party decided that as dawn was still a long way off, they couldn’t yet afford to rest to allow recovery of spells. Instead they went back to the courtyard, cautiously moving through it. Dualeth scouted ahead and peered through the large double doors to the east, only to have the dragon Belshallam peer back. Dualeth wisely decided that discretion was now a VERY good idea and Belsharram followed him rapidly out of the kennels and into the courtyard. Sadly, the mighty beast didn’t react as quickly as the party. Torgul charged it, drawing his dragon-bane sword (thanks to whoever put that in the adventure, by the way), and critting for just over 70 points of damage. Timon, who realised that this wasn’t a black dragon as they’d believed but an umbral dragon and realising just what their breath weapon was, he cast Assay Resistance followed by Slow. The spell made it through and Belsharram’s mighty mind rolled a one on its save, reducing him to a single action. Sir Varren marched up, calling on his smiting powers and invoking holy and flaming power into his sword, but being unable to strike from the effort. Dualeth also didn’t attack, concentrating on moving to an advantageous position to the dragon’s side. Khillisandra then unleashed her Holy Smite which beat Belsharram’s resistance and then beat his save by a single point, so the mighty dragon not only took significant wounds from the holy power but was now blind as well as slow. Still, knowing he was surrounded by enemies, even if he couldn’t target them, Belsharram invoked his channel negative energy ability which inflicted slight damage to the three warriors surrounding him. Torgul then proceeded to crit him again, followed by another successful hit, both with power attack while Timon cast Hold Monster, which was sadly ineffective against the dragon. Torgul’s sword proved much more effective and Belsharram expired. They then raided the dragon’s hoard, loading most of the items into the Handy Haversack, but Torgul added the outsider bane greatsword to his collection.
They proceeded to explore the lower floor of the tower, finding nothing interesting and then hurried to the guest wing while Sir Varren’s sword still had power. Sadly, it expired as they browsed the guest rooms, being particularly concerned by the room with “its own en suite torture chamber”. They also used some of the instruments to highlight the difference between Calistra and Zon Kuthon as “kinky” and “safeword!!”.
At the statue, Torgul suggested that they removed the bag and was nearly physically assaulted by the rush from everyone else to stop him. Listening at the door, they heard the faint strains of music and tried to puzzle out what could be causing it. Sir Varren then cautiously opened the door and the Danse Macabre moved forward, catching them in its music. Torgul and Sir Varren both failed their saves and used a Harrow point (Torgul’s second and last) to reroll but Torgul sadly still came up empty and began to dance, taking Con damage as the Danse approached. Sir Varren and Dualeth formed a barrier to the Danse, while Khillisandra and Timon dragged Torgul well out of the effect. The Danse hit Sir Varren, but he made his save and his smite cut through the Danse. Dualeth fired a force bolt at it, then stepped five feet forward in preparation for the next round. Timon caste haste and the Danse again cut at Sir Varren. At which point Dualeth stepped up and his undead bane staff, accompanied by the extra speed of haste and his hatred of undead tore the foul thing to shreds. Exploring the room with detect magic, they found the buried knight and Sir Varren took the longsword and the scabbard of edges just in case they met a demon after he’d run out of smites for the day.
Now thoroughly exhausted, they decided to hole up for the night. They arranged a barricade across the doors, set an alternating watch pattern, cast alarm and finally consecrated a large area, including the doorway. With these precautions in place, they managed to pass the night peacefully to dawn when Khillisandra and Sir Varren knelt in prayer before they marched out.
Having deciphered Zelladra’s song, and already dealt with the kennels, the party proceeded to the gatehouse, looking for the guardian with a red thirst for war. They instead encountered a quarter of guards, two of whom immediately charged at them, while the others launched their crossbows. Sir Varren and Torgul were unharmed by the charge and Torgul’s mighty cleave shattered one of the minotaur skeletons. Dualeth took the opportunity to run past, swinging a massive strike at one of the crossbow wielders. Khillisandra stepped forward and called on Iomedae’s holy power, blasting the two wounded skeletons apart. Sir Varren and Torgul then shattered the fourth leaving Dualeth feeling rather put out that he got into position for nothing. Sir Varren then peered up through the trapdoor, but seeing nothing, they decided to cleat the second floor before going any higher.
As such they slowly proceeded through the empty rooms until they came to the great hall. Dualeth and Timon immediately recognised Mithrodar for the chained spirit he was and remembered one very salient feature: As long as there were spirits chained to him, he couldn’t be destroyed. As such, they retreated immediately, especially when his spectral guard drifted towards them. Torgul paused long enough to check the last door behind them, but quickly caught up with the rest. Now realising that they had to destroy the chained guardians, they went back to the gatehouse and confronted Captain Castothrane. Despite getting in a good set of hits on Dualeth, he had no chance against the party as Sir Varren touched him with Lay on Hands and Dualeth shattered his bones with staff strikes, further lifting the pall of dark power over the castle.
The party then decided to have as little to do with Mithrodar as possible and returned to the ground floor. Thinking to find the fiend in the tower, they returned to the courtyard and then to the corner tower where they were confronted by the trio of Nessian Hellhounds, who lasted three rounds before Torgul’s icy blade, Khillisandra’s holy power, Timon’s haste (and flying Katana) and Sir Varren’s scimitar laid them all low.
And there we left it as they prepared to race up the tower while there was still time remaining on the haste.
House Rule: A new house rule has been instituted. When smiting, a Paladin’s weapon counts as good aligned for the purposes of Damage Reduction, but otherwise does not negate it. We’ve found that the double dip of level damage plus ignoring DR has reduced many potent foes to kindling and think that this will bring things back into balance more.
|
|
Announcements: Khillisandra’s player could not make it and was played by committee. Party mostly converted over to Final rules. Spells still in the process of being converted.
The party, determined not to let the remaining rounds of haste go to waste, sprinted up the stairs and the first door they opened led them into the war room and the looming figure of General Gorstav and two greater shadows (DM Note: Got told off for not saying the word Greater at this point). Dualeth and Timon raked the shadows with Scorching Rays. Sadly this just made them targets. The shadows swept past the rest of the party, drawing massive attacks of opportunity that failed to put them down. Unfortunately for the shadows, they likewise failed to hit. Sir Varren ignored Gorstav and stepped back, his ghost touch weapon ripping through the shadow menacing Timon. Gorstav then charged, hitting Torgul who responded with a Vital Strike. Dualeth unleashed his undead bane staff, dropping the last shadow with only half his attacks. Gorstav again swung at Torgul and retreated, but both Sir Varren and Torgul charged him and ended his mockery of unlife.
Still hasted, they raced up through the rest of the tower until they emerged on the roof. Disappointed that they hadn’t found the fiend they were expecting, they looked around for other towers, lighting on the tall spire at the centre of Scarwall. They searched the rooms in the war tower thoroughly, and then decided that their best option was to tackle the spectral host that surrounded Mithrodor. To this end they found a room with two exits, very important in case things didn’t go to plan. Then they clustered together in the centre of the room while Sir Varren marched to the huge doors to the grand hall. He thrust them open, shouted “Saerenrae’s blessings upon you all!” and channelled energy, burning all the spectres. The spectres and Mithrodor retaliated but barely scratched the paladin as he withdrew rapidly, the spectres following. And as Sir Varren returned to the parties, they waited. They weren’t disappointed as the spectres howled towards them and ran straight into Khillisandra’s Undeath to Death. Two dropped immediately. The others each took one target (Torgul, Sir Varren and Khillisandra herself). They did little damage to the party, but the reverse was not true. Especially when Timon dropped his Undeath to Death and a further two fizzled into howls of anguish. Dualeth took the last one out with a sharp blow through the head.
Having secured their backs and diminished the undead they knew they couldn’t kill yet, the party mounted the stairs and up into the heights. They started their methodical searching, finding, but not noticing the imps, who promptly started following them around. As they opened the door to the balcony, Dualeth and Timon again unleashed scorching rays to excoriate the gargoyles there, dropping one of them. Khillisandra then raised her protective ward to prevent retaliation. Torgul used this freedom to saunter past the gargoyle and get into position flanking him with Sir Varren and used Vital Strike to tear huge chunks out of the gargoyle. The gargoyle responded biting and goring him. At that point, Sir Varren attacked. His first hit dazzled the gargoyle with his blade work, his second scored across its eyes blinding it, and the third strike shattered its wings, knocking it from the tower to shatter on the ground below. Just before this, he’d heard a voice whispering in his ear “That sword looks awwwwwfully heavy. Why don’t you set it down for a few moments and rest?” but he resisted the temptation, warning the party that something invisible was in their midst. Dualeth cast See Invisibility and then passed the Staff of Necromancy from his Handy Haversack to Timon who smiled at his invisible audience and cast Circle of Death, tearing the imps apart with necromantic energy.
Feeling triumphant, the party continued and disturbed the barbed devil guards. Torgul charged forward and found himself surrounded and seriously wounded, especially as one of the devils grappled him, pulling him onto its barbs. Sir Varren attacked the one grappling his comrade but failed to damage it significantly. Khillisandra then dropped Holy Smite on the room, the one not grappling Torgul going blind, while the one grappling managed to save against Timon’s Dismissal. The one grappling Torgul savaged him, dropping him well into the negatives. Dualeth remembered he could use his force bolt on the devils and did so while Timon cast Magic Missile but failed to penetrate its DR. Sir Varren invoked his smite as Khillisandra cast her Empowered Cure Critical Wounds to restore Torgul who wisely pretended to be dead, succeeding owing to a quit shockingly unperceptive devil. The devil promptly raced off, drawing attacks that failed to stop it as its blind comrade hit the party with unholy blight, blinding Torgul. Sir Varren used his Lay on Hands Mercy to cure him again, restoring his sight. Dualeth and Khillisandra took off after the fleeing devil, Dualeth hurling force bolts as he did so. The blinded devil cast Order’s Wrath, which everyone saved against and Sir Varren beheaded the devil, everyone taking off in hot pursuit of its colleague. As the devil crossed the corridor leading to the spire tower, Khillisandra hurled her holy spear, transfixing the fiend before it could open the door. At this point the party rejoiced at having prevented it from warning its boss, a celebration that was only spoiled when Timon asked “Wait, don’t devils have telepathy?”
So, knowing they faced a forewarned foe, Sir Varren invoked holy power into his sword, everyone buffed themselves up and they stepped through the door. At which point they spotted the bone devils hovering in the air above them. For Dualeth, still under the effects of See Invisible, it was worse as he also saw Nihal floating above them. Torgul laid about with his bane sword, succeeding in demoralising the bone devils, while Timon cast Fly on Sir Varren and let him charge up at the Bone Devils. Seeing a paladin flying up, Nihal decided he had to be removed and cast Forcecage, revealing herself. Sadly for her, Sir Varren was agile enough to just avoid the cage. Timon next cast Fly on Torgul so Sir Varren wouldn’t be up against three devils alone. As Torgul flew up to engage, and was poisoned for his trouble, Sir Varren flew straight past the bone devils, drawing several attacks but not ant hits. He then drew on one of his two remaining smite evils and struck at Nihal, ripping through her body. Khillisandra cast her spear up but missed. Nihal flew down past Sir Varren, taking a vicious smite of opportunity, and casting Blasphemy. Sadly for her, everyone but Torgul made their save, and Timon cast Disintegrate at her, having recognised her abilities and knowing that most of them would kill him stone cold. He burned through her spell resistance, then she just failed her save and so Timon had to scamper back to avoid the falling rain of dust, one ring and a crackling black scythe blade. Sir Varren and Torgul then wore down the Bone Devils, aided, slightly, by Timons casting of Acid Arrow as it gradually wore away at the devil’s acid resistance. Khillisandra continued to cast and retrieve her spear but failed to actually hit the devils. The last devil suffered a particularly ignominious fate, being struck unconscious by a lucky critical from Sir Varren, it plummeted to the ground and while helpless had the elven cleric plunge her holy spear through its eye.
Tired, battered and low on resources, the party decided to rest where they stood, surrounded by a Consecrate spell as they levelled up.
No activity this week owing to Bank Holiday.
|
|
Announcements: Torgul’s player could not make it and was played by committee. Party converted to Final rules. Note from the players to Paizo: Bless Weapon didn’t stack with Improved Critical for a reason! Especially when it’s on a scimitar wielded by a Paladin of Saerenrae!
As dawn broke over Scarwall, the party decided to clear out the upper levels of the castle, which was fairly non-eventful as they’d decimated the gargoyle population and the few who remained had fled. They did however find the chainmail negligee, which Khillisandra turned down but Dualeth picked up, turning it into something more masculine. They were also rather concerned about the skeleton with a knife in its ribs and its hands on the hilt, one of Kazavon’s brides who had decided that her other options were less appealing than death. Dualeth found the secret door to the hidden storage room easily, while Timon was particularly happy in the library, casting Scholar’s Touch to absorb a huge volume of the histories.
Fortified, they proceeded to the Donjon, intent on dealing with he who dreams of death. Unfortunately, the sealed doors posed a challenge. But only until Timon used his new walking stick of conjuration to call up a huge earth elemental named George who they would love and hug and use to batter down the bronze doors. Unfortunately, as George stepped across the entryway, the forbiddance effect kicked in, black energy crackling over his stony body and hurling him back. Rather stymied, the party was planning on how to overcome this new wrinkle when Lauri Veiss sauntered across the courtyard. Despite a near-homicidal Cleric of Iomedae glaring longswords at her, she greeted them friendlily and proceeded to walk straight through the forbiddance, the black curtain of energy lacing with gold as she did. The party quickly rushed through and into the Donjon itself.
They explored methodically, finding the smaller door. Timon was annoyed that they’d wasted all that time on the main door when there was another entrance, but Sir Varren pointed out that this door was on the ramparts and as the forbiddance effect could quite easily push you back far enough to fly off the edge, maybe it wasn’t such a good idea. Timon grumbled about his Ring of Four Winds protecting him but reluctantly agreed.
They then entered the Prelate’s quarters, and Sir Varren walked up to get a better look at the shadowy figure at the back, casting Bless Weapon as he did so having previously invoked his sword into Flaming Burst. The party was quite relieved it was a statue until Prelate Aruth charged into Sir Varren. The party readied themselves for action, but this proved premature as Sir Varren decided to Smite Evil and promptly scored three critical hits (all confirmed by Bless Weapon without any need for another roll [which he’d probably have made anyway thanks to critical focus]) and the holy energy tore the mummy lord apart.
After searching the room, they proceeded round to the common room where the spectre’s rushed at them, four dissipating into nothingness as Timon cast Undeath to Death. The final spectre was ripped apart by Sir Varren’s Ghost Touch weapon and Dualeth’s Magic Missile, but it did succeed at striking Timon, sucking the vitality out of him. Finishing up with the skeletons of the clerics, they proceeded down the stairs into the Donjon.
It didn’t take them long to find the Midnight Shrine. As soon as they stepped into the profane temple, and spotted its occupant sitting on the altar, Timon cast Haste on the party. Dualeth hurried across the temple, but stopped short of the demilich itself. Sir Varren raced over under the effects of haste and smote the undead bishop, once again scoring as critical hit. Khillisandra dropped a Holy Smite to assist, Timon let loose with a Maximised Shatter and Torgul walked up to power attack him. Bishop Ravenka awoke from his dreams, rising up and unleashing a hideous wail that threatened to suck out their souls, but all made their saving throws. Khillisandra then unleashed another Holy Smite and Sir Varren proceeded to full attack. As Dualeth stepped up, the Bishop’s skull shattered under the assault of holy power. At Timon’s insistence, Khillisandra poured holy water onto the ashes, the liquid sizzling as it neutralised the foul undead creature’s hold on life. The party then proceeded to value the gems, being quite impressed by how much the rubies were worth. Lauri grabbed the spiked chain before the party could protest, although Timon and Khillisandra still tried, while Khillisandra acquired the Prayer Beads. Sir Varren felt the pall of darkness lift a little more from the castle as they hurried out to deal with Mithrodor the Chained Spirit.
Fortunately, Mithrodor had similar ideas for dealing with the interlopers in his castle and they met in the couartyard. Dualeth rushed up, still hasted, as did Sir Varren who invoked his Aura of Justice to give even as he smote, their attacks hurting Mithrodor immensely. This was exacerbated when Khillisandra let loose with her last Holy Smite of the day. Mithrodor, having felt the hideous damage from Sir Varren tried to strike him but his armour proved impenetrable, so he flew up out of reach. In retrospect, this proved to not have been his smarted move as Timon hit him with Greater Disrupt Undead, Dualeth unleashed his Lightning Bolt and finally, Khillisandra cast Sunbeam, the four rays of holy light doing enough damage to destroy Mithrodor from full hit point, shrivelling his foul soul to nothing in the beam’s pure light.
As Mithrodor died, they castle screamed, spirits boiling out of the walls as they streamed to their final fate. Dualeth reached into his pocket, feeling the familiar presence of Zilladra in her Harrow Deck as the oppressive pall over Scarwall lifted, and the Shoanti spirits guarding them departed back into the spirit realm. At which point, the ghost of a faded aristocrat appeared before the party, his skin flensing away as they watched to expose his bones and writhing organs. Despite this rather gruesome visage, he congratulated them on their success, but explained how they needed to retrieve Selathtial from her prison in the Star Tower if they were to save their city. By this point, any plans Lauri might have been plotting to betray the party had been replaced by ones of how fast she could get to Nidal if she needed to, and how much healing she’d need off the priesthood when she got there.
Turning towards the Star Tower, the party was unsure how to gain entrance. At which point they noticed two figures, not quite identifiable from the distance on the roof. Realising the likely identity, Khillisandra used the prayer beads to cast Wind Walk, taking the whole party, and Lauri, to the top of the tower, where Lauri quickly activated the passwall into the stones within.
They proceeded down through the tower quickly, until they entered a towering shadowy chamber where they found Shadowcount Sial and his kyton. As they prepared themselves, a sibilant voice whispered from the ceiling, drawing their attention to the Nightwing resting there. “Which of you is to be the Curate?”
Shadowcount Sial spoke first, denouncing Lauri for consorting with champions of the light, pointing aggressively at Sir Varren and Khillisandra especially, and that only by taking up the mantle of Curate could she hope to redeem herself in the Midnight Lord’s graces. The red eyes turned towards her, and Lauri replied that he was a coward, of uncertain parentage, who valued his own hide before the desires of the shadows and that he had best take the position so that he could serve the Midnight Lord without risking his own neck.
Naturally, they soon came to blows. In order to keep things interesting, and having a slight preference for Lauri to win, Timon cast Dismissal on the kyton, but she managed to make her save, while Dualeth cast Cat’s Grace on Larui herself. Lauri also tried Dismiss the kyton but she was also resisted. At this point the chain in her hand whirled into her face. She dropped it as Sial moved back, stepping back herself to summon shadows. These she sent after the kyton while she picked up her speed spiked chain and advanced on Sial. Without the kyton’s protection (who managed to kill one of the shadows before she had the vitality drained from her), Sial was unable to defeat Lauri and accepted the Curate’s position. The Nightwing swooped down, enfolding him in shadows and turned its red gaze to Lauri. “Perhaps you would care to see the palace of the Midnight Lord while the Curate is trained?” it hissed, offering her a midnight black hand. She accepted and the nightwing vanished with her into the shadows leaving the party alone. Killisandra and Timon were both disappointed by this: Timon at the loss of the highly expensive spiked chain and Khillisandra at the lost opportunity to kill Lauri.
Sadly, they were unable to find Selathtial in the room, and Dualeth heroically leaped into the mist-filled pit, using a Harrow point to succeed at the will save and his staff’s feather falling ability to prevent a nasty fall. Torgul and Timon used their rings to achieve a similar safe landing while Sir Varren trusted to Saerenrae and landed with only minor damage. Khillisandra meanwhile, took a rather more cautious approach, tying off a rope and rappelling through the disorienting mists.
They proceeded to enter the cave system and as they approached the dark lake, they saw a blazing light across the water. However, before they could move to get to it, four gugs emerged from their pitiful village to attack, knocking Sir Varren back, but allowing him to gain the speed power through his holy bonded scimitar, while Dualeth and Timon sent Scorching Rays into one of the gugs. At this point the fight well and truly began, with Sir Varren hacking away, chopping one gug’s hand off (although that affected them rather less than creatures with fewer than four limbs). Khillissandra cast Holy Smite but only one was affected, while Dualeth cast Bull’s Strength on himself and stepped between Sir Varren and Torgul and Timon cast slow, catching only one gug. At this point the gugs attacked in force, rending all three of the front line combatants. Sir Varren dispatched his main foe, beating another gug around the head with the flat of his blade. Timon decided to even things up by summoning a huge fire elemental (Lennie. I’d have gone with Arthur Brown but that’s me) behind the gugs. Torgul managed to drop his with a devastating series of slashes, and the fire elemental slammed into the unslowed gug setting it on fire. This enraged the gug who turned to attack the mound of fire. Sadly for it, it managed to hit all five times, including taking a bite out of the living bonfire and doing colossal amounts of damage to itself. Steve hit the foolish gug with a natural twenty, burning it to ash and swinging around to catch the last remaining gug with its burning fists. Sir Varren stepped up to this last, slowed, gug and Sir Varren scored a critical, drawing the ‘Decapitation’ card and inflicting a massive amount of damage. The gug failed its save and its head went sailing across the rocky ledge.
And there we had to leave it for this week.
|
|
Announcements: Torgul’s player could not make it and was played by committee.
The party decided that they needed to retrieve the sword as soon as possible. However, thinking such a thing could not be unguarded, they spent a couple of rounds buffing Sir Varren (Stoneskin, Haste. Bull's Strength, Cat's Grace, Prayer, Shield of Faith and Greater Invisibility) and he flew over to the island, drawing Selathtial. As the song of glory filled his mind, the holy blade became a scimitar, well satisfied to be wielded by a champion of good and order, even if he did worship someone other than the Inheritor.
On Sir Varren's flight back, Kleestad rose out of the water, his uniquely god-cursed form proving impossible to identify. Timon nonetheless hurled his freezing sphere at the foul creature, hurting it badly. Unable to see the Paladin and just frozen, he turned to the beach, spitting his blood at them. Khillisandra and Torgul both failed their saves and retreated, retching, to cover. Dualeth cast Resist Acid on Timon and then moved away so the horror couldn't target them both again. Sir Varren, meanwhile arrowed straight down into Kleestad's back, Selathtial gleefully carving the foul flesh. Timon cast Disintegrate, but Kleestad made his save. Torgul unleashed a volley of arrows, but to little effect as Kleestad thrashed at the paladin using his link to Selathtial to drive his attacks. Sadly every single attack rolled the miss chance for invisibility. Sir Varren's retaliation (after making his Fly check to stay still), inflicted massive damage but insufficient to kill the creature. Dualeth cast Spectral Hand, while Khillissandra ventured out of cover long enough to cast Flame Strike, which sadly failed to penetrate the Kleestad’s spell resistance. Kleestad then unleashed another storm of attacks, two of them rolling miss chance, while one claw struck, inflicting mind-numbing pain on Sir Varren. Dualeth was planning to cast Resist Cold on Sir Varren, but couldn't find him so cast See Invisibility first. Sadly, Timon then cast his maximised Cone of Cold. Sir Varren made the save but still took some damage while Kleestad sank onto the small iceberg now created, his foul blood freezing into it.
Sir Varren touched down on the shore and Khillissandra began the work of healing everyone up. Dualeth, meanwhile, tossed a copper coin into the lake where it sank without trace but fortunately not other effect. The party levelled at this point as Timon teleported them back to Kaer Maga for several days intensive crafting and shopping.
During this time, Khillissandra used her Scrying and Sending spells to check on Korvosa and Commander Croft, getting a picture of how dire things were. Of particular concern was the blooding at the temple of Asmodeus and the exact purpose of the statues. The party planned what it would be doing when they received Vencarlo's dream. The next day, another sending was sent. “Vencarlo. Have sword. On our way.” They teleported to the Grays after a briefsending (“Teleporting in. Stand by. Appearing in 20. 19, 18...” etc. As they arrived they got the reply from Commander Kroft, “Welcome home. Good to have you back. Bloody showoffs.”
After their heroic reception, and Commander Kroft explaining what she needed of them, the party teleported to Zelladra's old home, setting it up with a password-keyed forbiddance (password “Mordenkainen” as no-one would ever think of that). The next day, they decided to “walk down the street until we find a Grey Maiden patrol and 'persuade' them to take us to their leader”. Along the way, they saw several patrols, but all of them retreated before anything could happen. The citizens who saw them also shut up shop very quickly, perring from behind their closed and barred doors.
As they were walking towards one of the smaller squares, a trio of 'rebels' rushed at them shouting curses and saying “I wish someone would cut you down to size!” to Sir Varren, who made his saving throw; “I wish people would see what a pig you really are!” to Torgul who failed his and promptly turned into a small pig; and “I wish you'd go to Hell!” to Khillissandra, who made her save. Timon figured there was some sort of genie involved, or possibly the wizards of the Acadamae, and used Telepathic Bond to covertly warn the rest of the party.
At this point Trifacea appeared, prompting the 'rebels' to flee. He proceeded with his speech about the glories of Korvosa today and her lack of need for yesterday's heroes causing trouble. All the while, Sir Varren kept walking towards him. He accepted the offer of a duel, drew Selathtal and called up Smite Evil on Trifacea. Sir Varren won initiative and three hits, including two criticals later, the efreet was dead, growing to his true form in death. Sir Varren then proclaimed in his best town crier voice, “People of Korvosa, the 'hero of the people' has been shown to be nothing but a fiendish ally of the corrupt queen! Soon, you shall be freed from this oppression!”
They looted the body, and proceeded calmly on towards their destination. At which point we ended the session owing to lack of time to complete the next encounter.
|
|
Announcements: Torgul’s player could not make it and was played by committee. As this mostly consisted of going ‘Oink’ occasionally, this was not a problem.
As the party left Trifacea’s corpse and continued down the streets towards Eodred’s Square, they saw a large, draconic form emerge from the castle and sweep towards them. Dualeth prepared by casting Resist Acid on Timon, while Sir Varren readied himself, casting Bless Weapon. As the creature moved within range, he launched himself up with his Celestial Armour’s fly ability, Smiting it with Selathial for a critical that severed its muscles and reduced its strength. The dragon banked away and landed, whereupon Khillissandra cast Blade Barrier around it, but was unable to entrap the creature, while Timon’s volley of Scorching Ray’s seemed only to make it angry. It cast Ray of Enfeeblement at Sir Varren, who arrowed down, slashing through its tendons to reduce its Dexterity as Dualeth cast Ray of Enfeeblement back at it. At this point, the dragon had had enough of its rider for getting it into this position and through her off. Trapped within the blade barrier, the rider sliced open its throat before turning to Sir Varren. She dropped her falchion to the floor, removed her helmet and kneeled in surrender, which he dutifully accepted.
Once the Blade Barrier was dropped, he escorted Sabina to the rest of the party and they teleported back to Zelladra’s home to discuss their next move. Once there, Sabina explained how Queen Ileosa was growing more and more insane. She also mentioned what happened to those Grey Maidens who were sufficiently resistant to the twin persuasions of magic and torture. At this point, the party decided that having several dozen highly trained warriors on their side would be an asset and accompanied her to the prison camp, using Khillisandra’s bead of wind walk. Before they left, they secured Torgal in the house, protected from hungry locals by the forbiddance effect and Dualeth cast Spider Climb on him, turning him from an ordinary pig into Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham! They also decided that before they restored him, someone was going to cast Fly on him.
At the prison, a combination of Sabina’s presence and Timon’s fast-talking allowed them access to the prisons. As Sabina unlocked the cells, Timon cast Prestidigitation to make sure all the women were cleaned up. It was only when they proceeded to the armoury, with several dozen warriors in tow, that the alarm was raised. Timon decided not to waste his spells on the four Maidens guarding the armoury and they perished quickly under the assault of the rest of the party and Sabina. Timon meanwhile was getting better acquainted with some of the ex-prisoners, but when the armoury was opened, he and Dualeth were kept busy pointing out the magical arms and armour to them.
Once their force was sufficiently prepared, Khillissandra walked calmly into the courtyard where the remaining squads of Maidens were gathered. Sir Varren closed the heavy doors and Khillissandra spoke one Holy Word in Iomedae’s name, paralyzing, blinding and deafening almost all the Maidens. The few that remained mobile had little chance against their former prisoners and those who were affected by the spell had even less. The party then marched on Korvosa, only to find the gates unguarded and the rebellion in full swing in the streets.
Letting Sabina and her new strike force loose to aid the rebels, the party decided to enact a surgical strike on the loyalist forces and used the Elixir of Shadewalking to travel to Togomor’s room. They were somewhat disappointed to find it empty, but Timon contented himself by finding the wizard’s spellbooks, leaving behind a small note “Torgy. Borrowed your books. Will return their contents later.” They then proceeded at top speed to the Throne Room, only to be delayed in the entranceway by the two Grey Maidens. One managed to shout for help, before Dualeth charged up to her and used Shocking Grasp on her armour, just after she’d been hit by a volely of Scorching Rays from Timon and a Searing Light from Khillissandra before finally being dispatched by Sir Varren. The other hit Timon with her bow. Sir Varren marched up to her and hit her with a critical, shearing through her bow. However the reinforcements had arrived as the doors opened, revealing Togomor and five Grey Maidens. Sir Varren charged through the Maidens at Togomor, but realised he was an illusion. Timon cast Mass Hold Person and turned all the Maidens immobile. Dualeth came out to help Sir Varren, and his active See Invisible revealed the devil hovering above as it tried to summon reinforcements. Togomor’s Projected Image hit them both with a Prismatic Spray. Dualeth was hit by the Indigo ray but made his save against madness, while Sir Varren easily withstood the Red bolt.
Meanwhile, Khillissandra heard the chanting of the spell and identified the room Togomor was really in, leading Timon with her into the room. Dualeth lifted Sir Varren up, with a Bull’s Strength to manage the paladin and his armour and carried him inside, shutting the door behind them. Timon cast Greater Dispel Magic on Togomor, stripping him of several protections, including his invisibility. Sadly, Khillissandra failed to take advantage botching her to hit with Destruction and then confirming the Fumble. Togomor responded with a Cone of Cold catching them both, followed by quickened invisibility to vanish. Owing to her fumble, Khillissandra was off balance and took the full damage. Timon cast again, but Togomor made his save and responded with a Disintegrate. Timon forced a reroll. And then another before, finally, the bolt of green death bored a hole in the wall behind him. Timon promptly cast Burning Blood, and Togomor failed his save badly.
Meanwhile, the huge double doors flew open and Dualeth saw the invisible devil there. He cast Bull’s Strength on Sir Varren and then left as Varren assured him he could handle things. Sir Varren cast Dispel Evil, provoking an attack that rendered the horned devil visible. He penetrated the beast’s Spell Resistance, but it easily made the save to prevent its banishment. It proceeded to strike at Sir Varren, its barbed tail and fanges piercing his armour, who Smote Evil in return and tore it to pieces with Selathital, healing himself as he did so. The devil retreated, turning invisible and Sir Varren promptly closed the door, barring it in place.
In the other room, Dualeth rushed Togomor, grappling the oversized mage. Khillissandra tried to strike the imp but they missed each other. Timon cast magic missile into Togomor and the obese mage collapsed as Dualeth choked him unconscious. At that point, Khillissandra called down a Holy Smite upon both Togomor and Pudgyknickles, blasting them both to pieces.
At this point, the party looted the invisible mage, Timon repeating over and over how stupid he’d been to split the party and especially to try and take on a high-level mage on his own. Although the Staff of Evocation seemed to interrupt his self-criticism somewhat as we left them.
|
|
Announcements: Torgul and Khillissandra’s players could not make it and were played by committee.
The party rushed headlong into the throne room, with Timon ready to teleport them out if necessary. As they entered, Queen Ileosa rose from her throne, her guards and hellhounds turning towards the party. She regarded them coldly and said “In light of your past good works for my city in saving it from the plague, I am prepared to be lenient. If you leave now, and never return, I shall ignore your rebellion.”
The party’s response was for Dualeth to cast Fly on Sir Varren, who promptly Matrix-leapt across the room, so use one of his remaining smites on the Queen. At the same time, Timon raised the staff of Evocation. He smiled, called out “Togomor says hello!” and let loose with a Chain Lightning. Ileosa stiffened as the lightning crackled through her, melting into a pool of dark red blood that washed down the steps to the throne. Khillissandra then raised her defensive ward, protecting everyone but Sir Varren. One hellhound made its save and bounded past Dualeth to menace Timon, despite taking a nasty wound from the elf’s quarterstaff. The rest, including the Grey Maidens attacked Sir Varren doing absolutely no damage. Timon let loose another chain lightning as Dualeth battered the hellhound. Two of the three Maidens fall, their bodies smoking inside their armour as did the menacing hell hound. Timon then looked down at the corpse going “Who’s a good doggy? Who’s a goooood doggy, then?” Sir Varren turned and with his Selathtial still infused with his holy bond killed the remaining Hellhounds and Maiden with one series of attacks. He touched Selathtial to the Crown, which did not detect as magical as the party went looting, and when the sword confirmed the Crown was merely bone rather than an unholy relic, he stomped on it with his armoured boot. At this point, the party levelled.
They pulled out their list from Commander Croft, looking over it and checking off most of the items. They decided to use a Sending scroll to find the missing priest, but received no reply. Shortly thereafter as they discussed their next step, they heard a faint voice whisper ‘save me’. Unable to pinpoint a source, they decided to press on.
As they continued their exploration, Dualeth spotted a pair of imps waiting them in the corridor. Shouting “Invisible imps!” he charged down the corridor, splattering one of the imps with his staff. The other, hearing the elf swearing profusely in Infernal, fled as fast as its wings would carry him, easily outdistancing the party and vanishing into the corridors. The party slowed down and went back over their steps, vigorously searching every room for goodies and trinkets they might have missed, but failed to find anything.
They then continued their search, easily finding the secret door to the Queen’s chambers. They started searching immediately, Dualeth checking under the bed while Timon scanned the room with Detect Magic. And at that moment, when Sir Varren was not adjacent to his target place, Sermignatto appeared above the bed, lashing out immediately with Blasphemy that dazed and weakened Dualeth. He followed it up with Acid Fog. Timon cast Orb of Electricity and Sir Varren stepped up. He refused to use his smite, keeping it for emergencies, and struck Sermignatto across the face, scoring a critical and using his new Blinding Critical feat. Sermignatto rolled a one on his save. Blinded, he pulled back, taking an attack of opportunity and unleashed Waves of Exhaustion, further affecting Dualeth. Sir Varren walked up and struck him again, scoring another critical. Now badly wounded, and trapped in the corner by his blind retreat, Sermignatto cast Plane Shift to flee, only to have Selathtial tear through him, the spell dying as his heads flopped onto the floor.
The party proceeded to cover the rest of the floor, being incredibly suspicious of the bathroom, but finding nothing else untoward. As the day had been quite hectic, the party used their last Elixir of Shadewalking to retreat into the streets, where the rebels, now aided by a company of highly trained and highly pissed off former Grey Maidens and an able military commander in Sabina, were swiftly bringing the streets under control and order. The party stopped off at the Acadame en route home, and persuaded them to contribute a few scrolls and potions to the cause in exchange for money and a promise not to be too upset if the wizards didn’t do any more to help.
At their headquarters (Zelladra’s former home), they found Torgul still in place and unharmed. Timon stepped up to the door way and shouted out “Citizens of Korvosa, Queen Ileosa has said she will be defeated when pigs fly! Well, feast your eyes on this!” He then cast Overland Flight on Torgul who launched himself into the air with the Superman theme playing in the background, circling above the city for a few minutes before returning, whereupon the party cast Break Enchantment to free him. And we stopped there for the day as they prepared for the dawn assault on the castle, starting with an aerial assault to finish off the airborne devils (referred to as the 666th Airbourne).
|
|
Announcements: Khillissandra’s player could not make it and was played by committee.
At dawn, the party cast several flying buffs, loaded up on See Invisible (made permanent in Dualeth's case), and Timon teleported them directly above Castle Korvosa and into the middle of the 666th Airbourne, consisting of four erinyes and a horned devil (still invisible). Khillisssandra used her protection ability, but most of the erinyes made their save and could attack. Sir Varren waved at the invisible devil and promptly smote him with Selathital, scoring a critical and s barkskin harcutting the holy blade into its chain. The erinyes decided to leave the horned devil to the fight and two opened fire on Timon, two of the flaming arrows bouncing off his barkskin armoured hide and the other's missing. One erinyes decided on a different tactic and tried to Charm Torgul, but (thanks to his recently acquired Greater Iron Will) he managed to throw off her influence. Torgul flew up to that erinyes and cut at her with as Vital Strike.
The horned devil, not being entirely stupid and under half hit points already (bloody scimitar wielding criting paladins) tried to flee, but Sir Varren pursued, driving the scimitar through its back and snarling in its ear, “When you see Asmodeus, tell him what you are...loser.” Unfortunately, he was still powering down and the roof was getting a lot closer than he was comfortable with. Meanwhile, above them, Timon brandished a holy symbol of Sarenrae and cast banishment shouting, “By the power of Sarenrae, get orf my plane of existence!” Two of the erinyes dissolved into sulphurous smoke. The others floated back five feet and unleashed Unholy Blight, catching Timon and Khillissandara in both auras, and everybody else in one. Dualeth was sickened, but everybody else pulled through. Torgul flew up to the erinyes and slashed repeatedly at her but somehow missed with all his attacks. Dualeth hit the other erinyes with a mighty blow from his staff and Khillissandra moved to help Torgul. Timon cast Orb of Lightning at one erinyes, as Torgul and Khillissandra tried to finish it off, . Dualeth declined to pursue and cast lightning bolt instead, followed by an orb of sound from Timon as Sir Varren arrested his headling dive and started to climb towards them. The erinyes hit them all with another pair of Unholy Blights and after taking even more damage, teleported away, qwhile Sir Varren channelled divine power to heal the party. The party found the horned devil's body and, after giving its ring of Invisibility to Torgul, Sir Varren sliced off the Arabasti banner, while Dualeth replaced it on the flagpole with the horned devil's corpse.
At this point they continued their plan to clear the castle, systematically exploring the towers and upper floor before they found Venter Arabasti's secret chamber. As the ghost manifested, the party readied themselves for an undead fight, but as he pleaded with them to bring up his bones and revealed his identity, they agreed. And hustled down the clock tower stairs to the basement, using Sabina's sketched map as a guide.
They encountered the erinyes guards on the first floor, and Torgul stepped up, slashing at one and scoring a bleeding critical to add to his bleeding critical feat (19hp bleed/round), while Sir Varren blinded another and Dualeth moved around them to gain flanking advantages. At which point, Khillissandra spoke the holy name of Iomedae and four of the 6 immediately fled back to their home plane. Sadly for team evil, one of the ones that remained was the one Sir Varren had blinded. As the other was now completely paralysed she tried to summon aid, ineffectually. Torgul stepped up and cut her head off with a coup de grace. Timon did the same to the one blinded but slightly underestimated the resilience of demonic skkin and she survived. Until Sir Varren showed him how it was done and plunged a scimitar through her chest, Torgul and Dualeth taking up the erinyes' flaming bows.
Now even more heavily armed, the party proceeded down the stairs into the dungeons. Following their normal systematic approach they found the statues but quickly pressed on into the sarcophagus room, where Timon's uncanny ability to know literally everything about everything, identified the former occupant. As they were returning, however, the trap sprung and Dualeth and Torgul had the water ripped out of their bodies, almost felling Dualeth. Sir Varren channelled again to save their health and the Bodak's stepped from the alcoves. Dualeth acted first, but as his staff and most of his spells were useless, fell back on Magic Missile. Sir Varren hacked at the two nearest him, opening up one of their defences so that Torgul and Khillissandra could get attacks of opportunity, felling one and blinding and critically injuring another. Timon cast out Undeath to Death to kill off two more (including sadly the one Sir Varren had blinded) and averted his eyes. The remaining Bodaks looked up, one meeting Dualeth's gaze and drawing the life out of him. Sadly he failed the save, his body collapsing to the ground. Enraged, Sir Varren stepped up and smashed the bodak to the ground, his sword ripping out its eyes. As the pathetic thing tried to rise, he, Torgul and Khillissandra killed it repeatedly.
And so, there we left the party, mourning their loss and working out what the earliest point they could resurrect their fallen comrade was.
|
|
Announcements: Khillissandra’s and Timon’s players could not make it and were played by committee.
Knowing Dualeth’s opposition to resurrection, the party stored him respectfully in the broken sarcophagus (after looting the body. They ARE adventurers, after all) and continued exploring. In one of the rooms, they found a badly battered, and mostly naked, half-orc chained up. Despite a symbol of Asmodeus tattooed across his chest, he did not detect as evil. After a few questions to ascertain why he was imprisoned, tortured and left to starve, the party accepted Rarg, who described himself as a bailiff, into their fold, but only after he insisted on writing out a contract of service, in his own blood. Said contract goes as follows “We, the party, will ensure that Rarg escapes the castle and Rarg will kill things for us while so doing.” He was also healed extensively by the group and proceeded to join them in their search of the lower floors.
Finding a tiefling’s bones and remembering that purple is a royal colour, they placed Venster’s bones into the Bag of Holding and continued on. In the Royal Crypt, Sir Varren disposed of the dead stirges, commenting that Queen Ileosa was not going to enjoy her afterlife. Torgul finished the looting of the Royal Treasury, while Khillissandra discovered the hidden vault that used to contain the Fangs. As they found their way back to the stairs, they quickly returned to Venster’s apartment, where the ghost greeted them gratefully. He explained his part, at Ileosa’s treacherous urging, in his half-brother’s demise and told them that Ileosa had gone to the Sunken Queen to finish her immortality ritual, but he did not know where that was. He suggested they try his mother’s study, where he often felt the Queen being inspired. At this point Zelladra manifested and, as her cards flew around the two ghosts, they explained how they could aid the party one last time. Pulling in the spirits of those opposed to the Queen, the Deck fell to the table. The party took to drawing cards with gusto. Rarg drew two cards. The first was the Liar, but Zelladra protected the half-orc from having one of his (missing) magic items being cursed. His next draw was the Juggler and he swapped Dexterity and Wisdom (which had exactly the same score already so the net effect was +2 to each stat). His final draw was the Sickness, afflicting him with a permanent, and incurable, case of the Shakes. Sir Varren drew next, choosing three cards and drawing the Empty Throne, revealing that his honourific would soon be upgraded; then the Paladin gaining a Holy Avenger, but preferring to use Selathital; and finally he drew the Publican, knowing that one of his (admittedly few) surviving enemies had become his ally. (His player speculates that Lauri Veiss may be on her way to conversion, although he doesn’t look forward to Khillissandra finding out that this means she can’t kill her) Torgul continued the draw with three cards and drew the Beating. Knowing that the party was up against Red Mantis, he decided that always being flanked was too risky and drew the Mute Hag as a replacement, sending knowledge of his abused childhood running around the city like wildfire. He continued to draw the Theatre and the Inquisitor. (As Timon and Khillissandra’s players could not make their choices, their draws will be revealed as and when they become known).
Feeling energised at their success, the party proceeded to the third floor and straight into the Red Mantis (completely vindicating Torgul’s decision to cancel the Beating). Sadly, the assassins were not terribly quick to react and Torgul had killed one before they even started to react, the power of the Theatre card boosting his Dexterity. Rarg joined Torgul, his fist slamming into one of the remaining Red Mantises. Sir Varren and Khillissandra charged at the other knot, while Timon hung back casting Magic Missile. The Mantises moved to surround Khillissandra and Rarg, but Sir Varren’s opportunistic strike cut down one and the other decided to continue his movement towards the much squishier looking wizard. Rarg was stabbed repeatedly by the flanking Mantises and promised them he was going to break each bone in their spine individually. Sadly for Timon, Mistress Kaylatanya, who had hung back invisibly, decided that a lone wizard, especially with a Mantis beside him, was far too good an opportunity to pass up and plunged one of her sabres into his back, cutting his hit points in half with her sneak attack. Timon immediately withdrew to Khillissandra as Torgul killed one of the foes facing Rarg and the half-orc battered the other, hitting with all six of his punch attacks and dropping the Mantis down to -102 points leaving him a red smear before it evaporated. Sir Varren moved up to the last visible Mantis and slashed at him, dazzling him with a swipe across the forehead but not quite killing him. Katlatanya stabbed him in response as Torgul took out the Mantis. Sir Varren took a step back and drank his potion of See Invisibility. He then turned towards Kaylatanya, waved and smiled saying “I can see you.” Looking around, Kaylatanya decided that she was severely outmatched and cast Word of Recall to flee.
Owing to the wounds he took, Rarg really wanted to find his gear, especially his Adamantine Plate Armour, so the party proceeded down to the ground floor and through to the justice chamber where the Akrazug waited, along with Rarg’s gear. Rarg ran past the construct, taking a vicious slash across his back as he did so, and put on his Belt of Physical Might, boosting his already prodigious Strength and Dexterity. Torgul and Sir Varren charged up, while Timon cast Slow and retreated. Khillissandra chanted a Prayer to boost everyone’s prowess. The akrazug sent out waves of flensing soul shards that tore at the party, tearing three negative levels off Torgul and Khillissandra. Rarg put on his Amulet of Mighty Fists and joined the rest of the party around the Akrazug. Sir Varren struck at it hard, but it was Timon who cast the vital blow, disintegrating the foul thing into dust. A brief prayer was said over the dust for Ishani’s soul and the party decided they needed to recover. To do this, they brazenly drew up the portcullis and strode down the steps into the city. Which is where we left things for this week.
|
|
Announcements: Khillissandra’s player could not make it and was played by committee.
Flashback: Timon wussed out and declined to draw any cards from the Harrow Deck of Many Things, provoking general derision from the other players.
At dawn, Khillissandra prayed to Iomedae and was granted the power to cure herself and Torgul of their negative levels. Meanwhile, Rarg and Sir Varren drew up Rarg's contract, to wit that he would “get an equal share of any treasure foundand a chance to revenge himself on the Queen B*+@%. In return, he would kill things for them.” When Sir Varren insisted that he had to kill “enemies” rather than just “things”, Rarg insisted on healing being provided free in compensation for his increased workload. The party walked up the stairs and proceeded down to the ground floor, making absolutely sure they'd cleared out every single room therein. After that, they moved up to the first floor and decided to repeat the pattern. On hearing the Yallops discordant singing, the party buffed itself, Torgul turned invisible and Sir Varren handed Timon his Holy Avenger (the reason will become obvious soon). Torgul manoeuvred into position behind one of the Yallops, while Rarg used his bat-like Wings of Flying to charge into the barbed devil, taking some scratches but punching (literally) through its DR to hurt it. Sir Varren then moved up, but didn't directly engage the Yallops. At this pint, Timon strode into the room, brandishing the Holy Avenger, with Iomedae's holy symbol hanging from one hand, and Saerenrae's from the other, he shouted out his banishment, sending two of the devils scurrying back to Hell. The third Yallop took a step back and quickly followed his brothers. At this point, Rarg plucked a few of the half-burned feathers from the roasted hippogriff and put them aside.
The party continued through the castle, meeting no Grey Maidens as even the most fanatical ones with a death wish had started to get the idea that sticking around wasn't that great an idea. The party adopted a new approach to locked door. Rather than wasting Timon's Knock spells, Rarg and Torgul competed to see who could smash their way through fastest. Subtle, it was not, but then, subtlety hasn't been a great strength so far.
On finding the cisterns, Torgul carefully peered inside, but could see nothing, despite the players discussing how a water elemental would be a perfect guardian for the castle's fresh water supply to make him nervous. Timon's pseudodragon familiar kept lookout and frequently scouted rooms that didn't have the doors kicked in, but very little of interest was found until they got to the games room.
There, they were interested, and slightly concerned about the statues, trying all manner of investigations to see if they were traps, concealing entrances, animated or otherwise important. Torgul started turning over cards on the table, while Rarg found, and Timon identified, a patch of stone shaped wall. Thinking that it had been used to conceal the location of Ileosa's infernal contract, Timon eventually disintegrated the stone, revealing the small entry hole in the ceiling. A quick scout by his familiar soon showed that this was a secret entryway to Venster's hidden chambers, not the hiding place of Ileosa's guilt. The party did very nearly start up civil war again, when Torgul began to try to winch back the catapult, just to “throw rocks at something” but was eventually persuaded that the “something” he could aim at, i.e. Korvosa, was not a good choice.
On finding the bar, Rarg, not a known connoisseur, ignored Khillssandra's comments that all the good alcohol was gone by appropriating several bottles of the 'less good' for later consumption.
On entering Domina's tower, Rarg pulled down the Arabasti pennant, while Timon just barely managed to identify the spell covering the roof as a phase door. Despite several attempts to get through the magical stone, the party eventually adopted a simple method and let Timon Dimension Door them all through with his Cape of the Mouteback. After some searching, and an application of Scholar's Touch, Timon had found the contract, map and the outline of Ileosa's plans, prompting Rarg to mutter about Ileosa trying to wriggle out of her deal by achieving immortality. At this, Timon responded, “Yes, because that's the worst thing she's done: broken a contract with Asmodeus.” Rarg agreed yes, that this was the worse thing she'd done. After returning the contract to the Rebellion, now properly called the Forces of Law and Order, the party decided to fulfill a promise Sir Varren had made on leaving Korvosa and teleported directly into the Arkona's waiting area. Sir Varren asked Selathtial to assume a short sword form to better deal with the rakshasa's damage reduction, which the sentient blade did, looking forward to the chastisement of the fiends to come.
On walking out, they immediately encountered one of the Rakshasa's and Timon cast Finger of Death just after he'd managed to bellow that there were intruders in the palace. He dropped dead immediately. The reinforcement s came from two directions. Torgul invisibly took up position by the doors to the gardens before they were set upon. Bahor cast a Lightning Bolt along the irksome irritants, but only Khillissandra caught the full blast. The other three cast Acid Arrow, but they missed Sir Varren (somehow), Timon and only succeeded in hitting Torgul who scored a critical in return inflicting massive injury on one rakshasa. Sir Varren moved to engage Bahor, reminding the raskshasa that he said he'd be back. Bahor replied “Yes, you did. But I hear that a lot. You're the first one to actually try it.” As Khillissandra engaged the other Rakshasa with Torgul, Rarg hit the one beside Bahor for daring to think that Lord Asmodeus wasn't as powerful as him. At this point Timon cast Horrid Wilting and three Rakshasa's fell to the floor as dessicated corpses that collapsed into dust. Torgul moved over to Bahor who qstabbed at Sir Varren, the kukri piercing his armour, and then fled. Sadly Sir Varren's blow took off the top of his head, Rarg's fist propelled him a little further one with a large dent in his skull and Torgul finally cleaved the corpse in two.
Having dealt with all the Rakshasas, the party proceeded to thoroughly 'levy fair taxation', aka loot, the palace. We left them as they were planning to spend their new-found wealth, having just gained a level, putting them at 16th level.
|
|
Announcements: Khillissandra’s player could not make it and was played by committee.
After a week spent preparing themselves, and reading a Libram for Timon to boost his prodigious intelligence, the rest of the part discussed the situation with the newly reinstalled Senschal and the noble council, explaining that anti-magic shields might bre a good idea, given what they’d discovered about the Queen’s plans for those who had ‘donated’ blood. As that included several of the noble families, reactions to the plan was positive and immediate.
After preparing themselves, Timon used Togomor’s map as a guide and teleported the party to the Sunken Queen, arriving on the edge of the lake, knee-deep in the marshy bog. Rarg used his Cloak to scout out the precariously leaning structure but found no entrances above the water, so Timon spent several minutes searching his spellbook for a water-breathing spell which he used Alacritous Cogitation to cast on the party, granting 5 hours ability to all of them, including his pseudodragon familiar. With Rarg in the front and Selathial imbued with a holy spirit of light and energy lighting the way behind him, the party entered the structure. They took immediately to a side passage and so temporarily avoided Beirawash, but only until they reached the next crossing point when the gigantic devilfish lashed out at Sir Varren with his tentacles, utterly failing to grapple him but inflicting nasty wounds with the bludgeoning tentacles. Rarg tried to grapple the flailing limbs but was unable to, while Sir Varren charged down at the body, only to be smacked again. Timon cast a volley of magic missiles at the tentacles, while Khillissandra invoked her protective aura and Torgul readied himself for an attack that never came. Sir Varren reached Beirawash and struck it mightily, but succeeded only in driving the beast backwards, thus putting it once more outside the range of Selathial. He tried to move forward again, but was rewarded with a tentacle blow directly to his face leaving him dazed while Rarg flew past him and was promptly bitten, although his fist struck an impressive blow against the devil fish. Torgul used his wand to cast Shield on himself and moved up invisibly, while Sir Varren tried to close and was grappled for his troubles. Rarg unleashed a mighty flurry of blows and was rewarded by another vicious bite, the poison coursing through is veins weakening the mighty half-orc. Sadly, in not concentrating on Sir Varren, the devilfish had allowed him to reach its main body where Selathial proceeded to tear through its rubbery flesh. Timon provided long range support with globes of electricity, while Rarg’s volley of blows struck something vital, staggering Beirawash. Rarg, overjoyed at finally being able to use Medusa’s Wrath, used his next two blows to finish the beast off. Torgul then went to heft the beast’s massive testi-tentacles, he meant tentacles!!! And the party continued, following the floor upwards.
They reached the tunnel to the next floor and Rarg flew up, dangling a long rope for the others to clamber up and conserve their flight. They then proceeded up to dry land. Ignoring the drying fish, they proceeded and were immediately assaulted by the boggard warriors. Well, first Timon unleashed chain lightning, Torgul swung his sword in a highly intimidating manner and the boggards leaped forward in response, flailing wildly, savagely and completely ineffectually against both Sir Varren and Rarg, save for one who unleashed a deafening croak of challenge, which was completely ignored by the party, and one who spat its tongue at Timon, latching onto his chest. Rarg made shortwork of two of the trio in front of him, while Khillissandra and Torgul lashed out at the one holding Timon, who hurled his katana at it as well, before Sir Varren hacked it down and proceeded to cut through another with Selathial. This left just two, whom Rarg pummelled into oblivion. Timon cast prestidigitation to clean the frog slobber off his robes.
After looting the bodies, the party proceeded onwards, finding the passageway upwards. They sent Timon’s familiar through to scout, but sadly it proved quite hard to sneak up on a quartet of erinyes. It proved even more difficult to dodge them as all four struck with their flaming tridents and the poor psuedodragon’s burnt and blackened corpse plunged down into the water. Enraged, Timon rocketed up the shaft, brandishing the Holy Avenger and both holy symbols as he roared out his banishment and sent Decabbarra back to Hell. Sadly he didn’t quite have the power to send any more back, but fortunately Torgul rose up to join him. Unfortunately, his invisibility was useless against the erinyes’ truesight and Verasia hurled her rope at him, wrapping him up tight, while the other two proceeded to skewer Timon with their tridents. Rarg rocketed up the shaft, making his turning check and swooping on the still armed Verasia while Sir Varren sliced at Suishani, cutting a mighty gash across her face that blinded her and continued to bleed. Khillissandra, meanwhile, cast Breath of Life, restoring the psudodragon to life, and a torrent of exceedingly coarse language cast at Timon through their bonded link. Torgul lunged across the chamber, slicing at Eveanie, but the entangling rope hampered his swing just enough for her to turn the blow on her trident. All three took a five foot step back and, one by one vanished from the room.
At this point, lacking the time for a long and involved fight with Ileosa, we left them for the week and will, hopefully, conclude next week.
|
|
Announcements: Khillissandra’s player could not make it and was played by committee.
The party decided to ignore everything in their way, and proceeded straight up through the shaft to the chamber of blood. On the way, Timon cast Stoneskin on Sir Varren, while Khillissandra cast Prayer and Sir Varren cast Deathward on Timon. As they emerged into the room, they stared as Korvosa fell into the pool of blood, replaced with a gigantic face of Ileosa screaming at them. Some of the blood dripped to the floor, rising as bloody dread wraiths. Sir Varren cast Death Ward on himself and strode up to them, while Torgul slipped to the side to stab one with vital strike and power attack tearing at the shades. Timon used one charge from the staff to cast shatter, sending a rain of crystal pipework plunging into the hovering Everpool, while Khillissandra channelled positive energy at the wraiths.
Then the dread wraiths struck. One tore at Torgul, who made his save, while the others ripped at Khillissandra, draining her vitality in half. As Rarg charged up to defend his source of healing, Sir Varren called on Sarenrae and smote one of the wraiths, tearing it apart until it was mere shadows drifting on the air. As he did so, Ileosa dropped from the pool of blood to the floor, followed by another Ileosa, then another until six duplicates all rose up from the blood. Now heavily outnumbered, Timon used the staff to unleash Chain Lightning on them all. Four of the Ileosa’s exploded in a hail of blood and water, while the wraiths continued, although significantly more cautiously. One fell to Torgul, while Rarg battled the other but failed to destroy it.
As the two false Ileosas chanted spells (slow and confusion, both of which failed to affect anybody), Khillissandra cast Restoration on herself, as the real Ileosa glided down from the pool, the Crown of Fangs resting on her brow, and 8 other Ileosa’s floating around her. She cast her Dispel Magic, stripping Sir Varren of his Stoneskin, Rarg of his Haste but not affecting the others. The Charm Monster she followed up with on Torgul failed to affect him, but as her Errinyes guard appeared, Rarg ignored the Wraith and hurled himself up at them, managing to shake off the Crown’s dark counsel, losing shreds of his stamina in response as the wraith’s icy claws touched him. Khillissandra cast Holy Smite, centred on the ground, wounding the wraith and killing one of the Ileosa’s. Torgul had to ignore the looming wraith as he had to take off his boots, given Sir Varren’s Celestial Armour had used up its ability to fly. Torgul unstrapped the boots and hurled them to the Paladin, who slit open his own footwear to put on his replacements.
The Erinyes split up, one taking a small step back to cast Charm Monster at Rarg, successfully turning him friendly, but not friendly enough to prevent him charging after her sisters. Meanwhile, Timon cast Dispel Magic back at Ileosa after her Mind Fog and quickened Dispel Magic failed to affect anyone, stripping her of several of her protections, including her mirror images. The Crown then dominated Rarg, giving him a simple command: “Kill the Paladin. Now.” Sadly, as Rarg plunged down, he fell into Sir Varrens’ protection from evil aura and the compulsion was suppressed. The Unholy Blights of the Erinyes sickened Torgul as Sir Varren cast protection from evil on Rarg to protect him from the domination effect. Torgul, despite his sickened state, sliced up the wraith. Khillissandra cast Dimensional Lock in the centre of the room, leaving only a small space in each corner open to dimensional travel.
Ileosa stepped back from the charging paladin, casting displacement as the Crown replaced her images. Sir Varren and Rarg surrounded her, battering at the images. The three Erinyes unleashed more unholy blights on the ground, although Timon ignored them all thanks to his spell resistance and diabolical rolling by the erinyes. Timon responded by casting magic missiles, stripping Ileosa of half her image entourage. Torgul killed the last of the simulacra, while Ileosa lost more images, and Timon pre-emptively protected Torgul from charms by casting Protection from Evil. He then managed to resist the crown’s fell influence himself, while the erinyes dropped more unholy blights, dropping Khillissandra.
Timon used his healing belt to cure the cleric, who cast a mass cure as Ileosa hurled her fan at the Paladin and Rarg charged after the blinded erinyes, successfully hitting her with Scorpion Strike, while the Crown renewed her images a third time, provoking immense frustration in Timon. The erinyes knocked Torgul down with yet another volley of Blights.
Rarg easily pounded on one of the Erinyes until her broken body collapsed to the ground, then charged at his ‘friend’, while Timon banished the other and Sir Varren luckily managed to strike the real Ileosa with Selathtial, damaging her armour with the holy blade. Timon cast magic missile to strip more of the images away as Khillissandra healed Torgul up. The last erinyes decided she was bored playing with the mortal and struck at him with her trident. In reply, Rarg battered her until her broken body dropped down to the floor. Torgul then attempted to demoralise Ileosa and given the dire situation succeeded in shaking her confidence. She hurled her fan at Sir Varren and retreated, but Sir Varren ignored it as Rarg joined him in flanking her and her last image winked out of existence. Ileosa fled, taking several hits and teleported away as soon as she could, leaving the party extremely annoyed (mostly at the DM).
Thinking fast, Timon sent his familiar out scouting, somehow persuading it that this wouldn’t end as badly as its last scouting mission. As soon as he found Ileosa at the edge of the dead end, Timon teleported the party to her, Sir Varren landing another blow. As Ileosa tried to flee though the illusory wall, Torgul and Rarg struck, leaving her severely wounded as Sir Varren lopped off her head. “And that’s what happens when you break a contract.” Rarg muttered.
Just then, the party heard an ominous sound of chains whipping against the stone walls of the Everpool room, and teleported back to it to find a giant dragon’s skeleton emerging from the pool, long iron chains flailing about it. As Sir Varren called up a second use of his holy bond, thinking speed would be more use against a dragon rather than brilliant energy. As he did so, he heard Selathial in his mind telling him to cleanse the room of the foul blood’s taint. Plunging the holy blade into the pool, the dragon vanished in an explosion of blood. The party then returned to Ileosa where Rarg’s great strength proved insufficient to harm the Crown. A wrathful blow from Selathial shattered the bindings and Sir Varren carefully gathered up the shards, ignoring the whispered promises and threats from the dark teeth. The rest of the party looted Ileosa before they returned to Korvosa with her head, on the look-out for a pike to mount it on properly.
Once back, the Seneschal came to Sir Varren with a proposal. The council laws deeply divided over who should take over the Crimson Throne, and the Seneschal proposed Varren as a temporary regent, noting that the council would probably take at least three years to come to a decision, at least if he had any say in the matter. Varren accepted, turning the fangs over to the Temple of Sarenrae for disposal and guarding. Timon was promoted to Archmage of Korvosa, a title that provoked many dark looks from the Academae, but which had little actual power so they relented. For the moment. Khillissandra took custody of Selathtial, leaving Korvosa for another challenge to the holy blade, while Torgul and Rarg were found positions in the governance of the city: Torgul, the only surviving member of the band of heroes who had joined together to confront Lamm so many months before, was charged with reforming the Sable Company, choosing to combine scouting with their hippogriff cavalry, while Rarg took over the sadly deceased Magistrate’s role as chief tax collector, a role that he is enjoying immensely, even if some of the regent’s new rules mean he can’t be as aggressive as he’d sometimes like. Commander Croft has returned to the role of Watch Commander, while Sabina continues to work with the former Gray Maidens.
And, as Trinia Sabor is commissioned for another royal portrait (with hopefully better results), we leave the fair city of Korovsa under its new rulers.