DM Patcher's "Master of the Fallen Fortress."


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It's a dreary day - the rain has poured since last night. The clouds are thick, a carpet that drapes the sky from one end to the other; the sun barely gleams through. Travellers huddle in through the city gates to find shelter, while disgruntled guards point the way and give directions. Since the earthquake struck, hopeful adventurers have set out to find and explore the fortress, and few have returned. Worried friends and family members have approached the Eagle Garrison with concerns of the mysterious 'fallen fortress', and Captain Kerlion has promised answers.

"The fortress is half a day's travel south from here," the captain addresses Anath, his expression stern. The guards are peering curiously, and travellers stare as they head into the centre of the city. "There are no roads there; when you get to the crossroads, you will need to travel the plains. Be cautious."

He glances over the five aspiring adventurers, not without pity. The rain has halted to a dribble, but the skies seem darker now than before. "Do not hesitate to flee if you must," he calls out to them. "There is no shame in cowardice if you can return to fight another day. Do not waste your lives if you can keep them. I wish you the best of luck."

And with that, he sees the adventurers off as they leave Absalom through the southern gate.

Soth-Loren:

You have received a map of the Cairnlands, marked with the location of the destination.

Anath:

As part of this expedition, the Eagle Garrison has contributed with rations for four days; you have not had the time to share these with your allies yet.

Will:

When it was decided you would join the expedition, you thought it wise to read up on the history of the place. While your research was scarce, you did find a Scroll of Magic Weapon amidst some of the books of the subject.

Godwin:

An admirer approached you last night, all flustered and bashful, explaining that she had heard you were leaving last night. She gave you a labeled Potion of Cure Light Wounds and asked that you returned safely, and if you did, that you would find her.

Alerio:

Late last night you found a bag poorly hidden behind some barrels outside your inn; after careful examination, you realise that this was flash powder, and sure to come in use.

You are outside the city, with a clear path south to your destination. What do you do?


What do I do? I cast LURKING DOT.


Godwin smiles charmingly at his admirer. "Why miss, I'd hate to miss you before it's time? Why don't you stay for a while and we can talk about you? I mean, I'd talk about me, but my dad's a god. I think that pretty much sums up me. Now, about you..." Godwin proceeds to entertain the lass in proper cad-style. The next morning he's bleary-eyed for the walk out of town and yawns often.

"So, gentlemen. I'm Godwin, Godwin Cailean. Yep, he's my dad. I do locks and their removal. What do you lot do?"


Male Human Cavalier 1

Anath is mounted on Stalwart, his faithful horse. With a nod of the head, he acknowledges Godwin.

"Greeting, good sir. I'm Anath Matteus, an Eagle squire, skilled in the Sword and the Lance."


Will gives a friendly smile all around. His scars almost seem to move in the dreary light. Despite the scars, he gives off a positive vibe.

"Name's Will. I guess you could say I'm a seeker after knowledge. I have some small magical ability that might come in handy in a pinch."


Male Kayal Rogue/1

"Espionage, doors, locks, death. It's all the same, really. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't. Either way, it's the business I work in. Call me Alerio."


Will chuckled loudly "Well gentleman, I have a feeling we're all going to get along swimmingly. Did anyone remember to bring anything to drink?"

Liberty's Edge

Soth-Loren is wearing a strange mixture of armor and ceremonial garb. It bears the Holy symbol of Iomdae on a typical deep red tabard, but the rest seems like ceremonial plate (not real Full Plate) in the fashion of the Eagle Knight's of Andoran, except it is a green color rather than blue, and the grey is a little darker than normal, with a black falcon rather than the customary white. He wields a Longsword covered in strange glyphs (prayers in Celestial) and stands with a notable Taldan nobility.

In a slightly overly formal bow, "I am Soth-Loren, a crusader-priest taking some time away from "the war", and am honored to meet you, good sirs. . ." , offering his hand to shake in a warming and honest manner. "I am new to this part of the world, I thought that the Fallen Fortress seemed interesting".


The trip is uneventful, though the rain has stopped. The sun still refuses to show itself, and cold winds howl over the Cairnlands.

The group arrives at the crossroads after two hours of travel, meeting no-one thus far. The road branches to the east and to the west, while the path to Absalom goes north. To the south a field of auburn grass sways. Hills decorate the horizon, a small forest of its own. Trees are sparsely scattered, as their leaves have begun shedding.

It's a true autumn day.

Soth-Loren:

The map shows a clear line south by east, and you feel very confident about the map's ability to show the way.

You do not need to do a survival check to pinpoint the path to the Fallen Fortress.

You've arrived at the crossroads. What do you do?


"Well, I do believe Captain Kerlion said we would have to travel the plains due south. Hopefully we should find it without too much trouble."

With that, Will steps off the road into the grass.


"South it is then! That's that way, right? How the devil do you know which way to go without street signs?"


Will laughs.

"Beats me," he says with a shrug. "I'm just going by what the good Captain told us. Although I'm pretty sure I saw a map once that said this road goes south. Once we lose sight of the road though, and without the sun, I won't have the foggiest idea where we are or what we're doing."


Male Human Cavalier 1

"Onwards then, my valiant companions. We have a duty to fulfill, let us not tarry any longer!"


"Right. Onward." Godwin starts down the path. His feet are hurting, there are absolutely no pubs anywhere in sight and worst of all, he's traveling with a bunch of men. Clearly his life has taken a turn for the worse.

"So, are we there yet?"


Male Human Cavalier 1

"Truthfully, I wouldn't know. Comrade Loren, you have a map, yes? Can you estimate the distance to our goal?"

Liberty's Edge

"I do indeed, my friend.", as I take it out and begin to unravle it to show everyone. "I was to to head south for this fortress," drawing a line with his finger both south and east, "along here, around these, and it should be right in here".

"I would venture that it is about <insert number> from here. Anyone care for a break before we head any further? I am a bit hungry, myself, and I am not sure if we can find cover from the rain further down the road?"


The group begins their trek across the Cairnlands, treading across wet and undisturbed grass. The sun still refuses to show itself, and the sky insists on a monotonous colour scheme. The howling wind is quieter now.

Soth-Loren:

You assume three hours travel before you reach the fortress.

Perception, DC 10:

Around six hundred feet from your position, you see a great tree. Its trunk is thick and the roots are visible; it seems like a comfortable place for a short rest.

When I post a spoiler like the one above, it calls for a relevant check; if you pass, your character knows what info's in the spoiler. Otherwise, he doesn't know.


Male Human Cavalier 1

"Well comrades, we should look out for a place to take cover then; I was given some supplies for our trip before we left, and it would be an adequate time to distribute them."

Perception check:1d20 ⇒ 2


Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

"All this travel seems like it's bad for the feet. We really need to get a magic carpet, or a war hippo to ride. Definitely a war hippo."

Shadow Lodge

HP: 24/24, AC: 14, T: 11, FF: 13, F: +4 , R: +2 , W: +6, CMB: +4 , CMD: 14, INIT: +1, Perception: +7, Male Human Cleric 3

Perception 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19.

"That large tree should do", pointing out into the distance. "Probably a good three hours if after this rest we do not divert to much. Does anyone need anything to eat? I have extra.".

I still need to buy some basic gear. . . A few things I know I will buy are a weapon strap for my shield and long sword, ink, pen, papaer, candles, rations, wine, masterwork backpack, scroll case, spell component pouches, chalk, 10+ Holy Symbols :) , and probably some rope.

"So, what brings you to this "fallen" fortress? I wanted a break from my normal duties, but at the same time do not want to let myself go. I also find the rumors about it, . . . intriguing", not directed at any particular person.


Male Kayal Rogue/1

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24

Alerio follows along behind the group in silence for the first part of the journey, letting his eyes and ears pick up what he can about them. Too much religion, is his first impression. When the question of purpose in journeying comes up, he speaks for the first time in several hours. "Information. Knowledge is a form of power, and it's a business. There's undoubtedly some unknown information in the tower, and I mean to have it before the competition does."


"Well, I just wanted to, you know, stretch my legs. The city's nice, but if you're going to live up to being the son of a god, you've got to get out, build your legend. Plus, chicks dig adventurers. Last night in fact, whew! I love me the groupies!"


Will looks pensive as he listens to the others. He strokes the scars on his face, unconsciously it seems.

"I, too, am searching for information. Three years I've spent crawling through moldy old stacks of books, consulting sages and seers, and still no mention of anything like these damn scars. At this point I figured I'm just as likely to randomly stumble over information as I am to find it in an organized search."

He lightens up again as he grins.

"Plus, I'm bored. And I admit impressing the ladies wouldn't be so bad."


Male Human Cavalier 1

"It's no big thing, really. When duty calls, I must answer. And this time, my duty is helping those poor folks by solving the mystery of this dark hole."


The tree stands on a small hill. The ascent is in no way tiring, though the winds seem colder. The trunk of the tree is massive; the roots extend for several feet. The ground is scattered with brown and yellow leaves.

Survival DC 10:

You notice the wind blows from the north; settling down on the southern side of the tree would be a wise choice.

Perception DC 15:

From the top of the small hill, you can see a grand structure in the distance. This must be the Fallen Fortress.


survival roll 1d20 ⇒ 2
perception roll 1d20 ⇒ 8

Will inspects the tree as they crest the hill.

"I love big trees. Unfortunately I don't know a damn thing about them. This one looks cool though."


Survival: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6
Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24

"Hey! I'll be knackered! There's the tower!" Godwin stands by the tree, pointing off into the distance.


Male Kayal Rogue/1

Survival: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 1 = 12
Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19

"Might want to take our break on the south side of the tree. Wind's from the north about now." Alerio clears a space among the leaves and takes a seat, back to the trunk.


Will squints in the direction Godwin is pointing.

perception roll 1d20 ⇒ 4

"Hah. I still can't see anything, but I'll take your word for it. Hopefully will be an easy walk. I seem to be somewhat out of shape these days."

So saying he drops to the dirt with a thump and leans against his pack.


Male Human Cavalier 1

Survival: 1d20 ⇒ 2
Perception: 1d20 ⇒ 18

"Indeed, I can see the fell structure from here. We should make our way in a short while" With that, Anath hands out the additional provisions to those who want them.


"Wow, people actually live off these?" Godwin stares at the rations with something between morbid curosity and disgust. Still, after a moment he starts eating it and rapidly devours it. "Huh, it's not so bad once you get past the gag reflex."


During the course of the break, the skies grow lighter and the wind has vanished. There are birds tweeting in the tree, though no other sounds can be heard from the environment.

Alerio, Anath, Godwin:

The path to the fortress is very straight-forward; you just have to walk there now.

What do you do?


Male Human Cavalier 1

"Well, I guess that should be enough of a rest! Our path is clear and the Sun shines on us once more! Let us depart, Comrades!


Male Kayal Rogue/1

Alerio packs up his things and begins to follow the path across the plain to the tower.


Will uses his staff to lever himself to his feet, letting out a slight groan. He stretches for a second, and then checks to make sure his crossbow is easily accessible.

"It'll be interesting to see what we find over there. If several people have disappeared there should be some evidence of their passage. You guys any good at reading tracks?"


"We're walking, we're walking. On the left you can see nothing. On your right you'll a lovely vision of an expanse of nothing. Straight ahead you'll see your DOOOOOM!" Godwin bursts into laughter, obviously impressed with his own humor a bit more than is necessary.

Shadow Lodge

Not getting the joke, Soth-Loren just smiles out of politeness. "I hadn't heard of disappearances? What has happened? I was under the impressions that this "Fallen" Fortress was only recently of any interest, but no one had yet ventured to it to investigate."

Shadow Lodge

HP: 24/24, AC: 14, T: 11, FF: 13, F: +4 , R: +2 , W: +6, CMB: +4 , CMD: 14, INIT: +1, Perception: +7, Male Human Cleric 3

the last post was mine. my laptop died before I finished editing, and couldnt change the name.


Male Human Cavalier 1

Good grief! For a while I thought Lord Soth got the jump on us =D

Riding his horse, Anath turns to answer:
"Indeed it is, yet it appears some overeager seekers of fortune went there to make a name for themselves, and haven't been heard from again. Captain Kerlion has issued orders to investigate said fortress, and bring back the missing men, or at least, word of their fate."


As the group resumes their trek throughout the plains, the fortress slowly becomes visible. The grass here is drier; the wind has resumed its quiet howl. After two hours of continuous marching, you can finally see the base of the fortress.

Survival DC 10:

Despite the fortress being in view, you assume it will be another hour before you reach the base.

Spot DC 15:

You see a small pack of dogs rushing in your direction from the east.

I love your post, Anath, I was about to point out how you were the one who knew exactly what you said.


Male Human Cavalier 1

Thanks! ^^

Survival:1d20 ⇒ 16

Perception:1d20 ⇒ 6

Anath shields his eyes with his hand, squinting in the direction of the ruined fortress. "It looks like we still have about an hour of travel ahead of us."


Survival: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 1 = 16
Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24

"Um, gentlemen. Are we expecting canine help in this quest? 'Cause there's a pack of dogs headed this way!" Godwin draws two daggers and points with one toward the east while moving back to put the heavier armored fighters in front of him.


Male Kayal Rogue/1

Survival: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 1 = 15
Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23

"Probably feral. We can fight, or we can run." Alerio draws his rapier and moves off to one side of the group, closer to the tower.


Male Human Cavalier 1

Anath readies his lance and shield, gearing for battle.

"There's naught a place for we to take refuge, and we wouldn't be able to outrun them, at least not the entire group. No, we stand and face them, make them realize we are too tough for a meal!"

I want to ready an action to charge as soon as one of them is in range, ok?


survial roll 1d20 ⇒ 9
perception roll 1d20 ⇒ 11

Will wordlessly readies his crossbow to fire at the first dog he sees.

i'm going to ready an action to shoot the first dog that gets withing range. gonna go ahead and roll initiative and to hit and stuff now just to speed things up.

initiative roll 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 = 15
to hit with crossbow roll 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 2 = 19
crossbow damage roll 1d6 ⇒ 5

Shadow Lodge

HP: 24/24, AC: 14, T: 11, FF: 13, F: +4 , R: +2 , W: +6, CMB: +4 , CMD: 14, INIT: +1, Perception: +7, Male Human Cleric 3

Survival: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8
Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7

Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9

Wow, fail, fail, and FAIL. . .

Still gathering the gear he had set out to begin to dry once therain stoped, Soth-Loren seems oblivious to the approaching animals. Even as the other bgin to mention it, he seems like he is lost in thought until they begin drawing arms and readying positions for attack. "Danger?"

Still Flat Footed, he takes a knee to carefuly drop his gear and starts to pivot in the direction everyone else is facing while searching for his blade. "Dogs you say? Perhaps we could simply feed them rather than attack? They might just be hungry, and I have food to spare. I don't see the honor is such a fight unless they actually attack us".


Only Godwin and Alerio react in time before the dogs come rushing towards the group. Despite vigilant warning, only the two of them successfully ward off the leaping dogs; Will is bit in the shoulder by the snarling beast, while Soth-Loren receives a painful bite around his ankle.

Those that failed their perception rolls are flat-footed for this surprise round; please roll initiatives. Godwin and Alerio, you have one action before the first round starts. Soth-Loren suffers 4 points of damage, Will suffers 3 points of damage.

DM Dice rolls:

Initiative Dog 1: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
Initiative Dog 2: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 1 = 12
Initiative Dog 3: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
Initiative Dog 4: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14

Dog 1 attack on Godwin: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 61d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Dog 2 attack on Alerio: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 111d4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Dog 1 attack on Soth-Loren: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 221d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Dog 1 attack on Will: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 121d4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3


only thing i'll do differently than i've already stated is i'll take a five foot step away from the dog biting me before firing my crossbow


Init: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

Godwin times his thrust for the moment after the dog attacks and lashs out with a dagger.

Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10
Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Shadow Lodge

HP: 24/24, AC: 14, T: 11, FF: 13, F: +4 , R: +2 , W: +6, CMB: +4 , CMD: 14, INIT: +1, Perception: +7, Male Human Cleric 3

Flipping around after looking in th wrong direction, and now obviously favoring his unwounded leg, Soth-Loren grabs his sword finally, and grabbing it by the blade, offers up a small prayer to enter his "battle mind" state. Still Flat Footed "For Rightiousness and Honor!"

On Initiative Count 9, I will fight Defensively, and attempt to smack the dog that attacked me for nonlethal damage.

Attack: 1d20 - 7 ⇒ (11) - 7 = 4
Damage: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

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