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Hay guys, gals and others, I case you're wondering about the title my friend Seabass and I are stuck up here in tiny town up in northern Alberta without another player for miles and miles. We finally got sick of not getting to play a campaign so I suggested we playing Wraith of the Righteous as it has an abundance of NPC's to fill out the rest of the needed roles and Seabass was cool with running the extra characters so we got started.
So for a potentially embarrassing reason I will get into later Seabass wanted to introduce his own character at a later point, and wanted me to give him the three NPC without their injuries. I wouldn't do this but relented and Let him have Anevia without the broken leg.
So the beginning cut scene plays and Anevia wakes up and uses her Light spell-like ability to illuminate the area and checked the others. With some reassuring words to Aravashnial and some firm but respectful words to Horgus she manages to calm them and make Aravashnial helpful and Horgus friendly. She checks out the spider corpse and makes short work of the giant maggots.
Returning she finds the scales in the rubble and a Rapier giving it to Horgus so he can help fight, but he refuses to risk his life in a fight. Anevia relents and gets him to act as a guard and guide for Aravashnial. Anevia gets Aravashnial to drink his two stronger Cure potions to recover while she drinks the weaker onto recover from a bit of damage she took from the maggots. Horgus complained about it being a waste but didn't try and stop them.
They headed into the abandoned campsite next and Anevia detects one of the cockroaches and actually manages to hit it with an arrow, through the cover of the trash, killing it. The other runs up and bits her but she kills it with a critical using her short sword. Anevia sift through the garbage and collects the Bat Brooch.
In the next chamber 'eagle eye' Anevia detects the Viper and kills it with an arrow. Finding the tunnel that doubles back Anevia checks if for survivors and collects the backpack by using the levitation scale.
Making their way through the tunnel they reached the abandoned temple. Anevia spotted and slew the giant fly with an arrow, as is swiftly becoming her MO. They manage to enter the temple with a lot of work to get the door open. Getting to the antechamber Anevia is overwhelmed by the place suggesting they rest here, to which Aravshnial agrees.
Horgus doesn't like delaying and suggests to Anevia that Aravashnial is slowing them down. Anevia explodes at him asking him what his problem is with them. Horgus relies that he's trapped with a conspiracy nut and a thief that broke into his warehouse. Aravashnial explains that Anevia broke in to investigate because of his mistaken accusations against Horgus, and Anevia adds that they were only dropped because of her investigation, adding quietly that she didn't tell anyone about his personal business. At this revelation Horgus actually starts to laugh realizing how they were connect before this disaster and things calm down (Horgus having become helpful).
They move on and explore the Nave discovering the huecuva, Anevia attacks but she cannot get past its DR without help so Aravashnial pushes Horgus into battle fighting in a full defense but still providing flanking. Anevia gets scratched by the creature but manages to slay it. Afterwards Horgus warns her about the huecuva's diseased claws, but as there's nothing they can do about it they decide to sleep and recover a little. Horgus remains awake however and cleans up the church gaining them Torag's blessing.
Traveling on through the tunnels they eventually reach the cave of the ancestors, but none of them notice the significance of the armor style. When the darkmantles drop their glob of darkness Anevia tells the others to hide in the cover the darkness provides. Aravashnail and she does this but Horgus fails and is grabbed by one of the darkmantles. Anevia slays one with an arrow, but despite the efforts of both Anevia and Horgus himself the darkmantle chokes out the noble before Anevia kills it. They revive Horgus with a pair of potions and after fuming about what happened for a while Horgus calms down and they push on.
Millorn surprises them with a color spray blinding and stunning Anevia and Horgus then blasts Aravashnial with a magic missile. Aravashnial begins summoning and Millorn spectacularly misses him with his crossbow. Aravashnial finishes summoning a celestial dire bat and attacks the dwarf, Anevia recovering from the color spray in time to finish him.
Arriving at the fallen guard post Anevia quickly moves to help dragooning Horgus and Aravashnial into helping as well putting a quickly end to the elf's unintentionally offensive remarks. With a lot of luck they manage to get Crel out and save his life. Thankful for the help Lann and the other mongrelfolk agree to guide them to Neathholm. Along the way they come across the Broken road but easily bypass it using the levitation scale.
Reaching the spore-cougher's home they find it and two crusaders dead, however after searching the they find the unholy symbol to Baphomet and realize that they are disguised cultists. Aravashnial is excite, but Anevia who is disgusted tells him they can't take the bodies back simply claiming their gear. Horgus puts on one of their chain shirts for defense and they continue to Neathholm.
On Lann's word they get into the town and are introduced to Chief Sull. Sull explains about his people origins and there desire to help asking Anevia to bring word of their commitment to defend the city to its defenders. However, he explains as well about the traitors and how they stand in the way of their path to the surface, and the help he can provide if they would eliminate the problem. Horgus doesn't want to get involved but Anevia and Aravashnial argue they have to defeat them to get to the surface anyway, and so they agree.
Anevia presents the chief with what they have found thus far hoping to buy more equipment. Sull recognizes the bat brooch as his son's and so Anevia returns it to him explaining where she found it. Sull gives her his +1 short sword (a change by me) for returning it. Anevia can get little in the way of supplies but does manage to get her disease treated, and after they rest they head out, much to Horgus' relief.
Making their way to the mongrel lair where Anevia's eagle eyes finally fail her and they are ambushed by the guards. Horgus finally being bold enough to join the fight and Aravashnial pretty uselessly flinging around acid darts they manage to defeat the guards and their backup. Anevia uses a potion to heal from a devastating blow she took.
Checking into the next room Anevia spots the monitor lizard and takes it out with a ranged critical sneak attack. They head south and are ambushed by Wanduag whom nearly beats both Anevia and Horgus to death before they defeat her and they are forced to consume several potions to recover.
Anevia checks the next room seeing nothing but she is weary because it contains a barricade like the entryway so she has Aravashnial summon up three dire rats and sends them in. The mongrel guard think they've gotten lucky to have pray just wander into their home and move out to attack them. As they try and beat the rats to death one is serious injured and they are taken out by surprise by Anevia. In the next room Anevia and Horgus manage to take out one of the other two guards while Aravashnial puts the other to sleep.
Entering Hosilla's quarters they are shocked to find a human in command of the mongrels. The don't hesitate however, Aravashnial casting heroism on Anevia who slays Hosilla's bodyguard in a single attack. Hosilla does not fall as easily and Anevia once again comes close to death before they manage to defeat her.
Finding Hosilla's orders Anevia is eager to get them and Radiance back to Irabeth, while Horgus finally admits that Kando Nyserian borrowed a lot of money from him to buy Irabeth's father's sword from her so she could pay for Anevia gender transformation.
Heading Back to the trophy hall they get the drop on the cultists within, Anevia slaying with an arrow and seriously injuring the other allowing Horgus to easily finish her off. Checking the sluice Anevia notices the secret door and the gars. She slays one at range and then the other with her sword when she enters the water though she gets bitten once.
Entering the secret room she completely misses the trap and falls in forcing her to use some more potions to heal. She uses the levitation scale to get out and collects the treasure before returning to the others. They battle the sewer rats in the next chamber who badly injure Horgus in the fight, he drinks the last of the potions to recover. They come across the final barricade and without even bothering to try and spot Anevia has Arashnial summon another dire rat to draw out the guards and they ambush the mongrels slaying them.
(At this point I decided to give them a pass on the dretch maze and on the random street encounters, for now.)
The trio discover that their homes are along the same path, starting with Aravshnial and ending with Anevia, so they decide to go to each one as it comes an idea even Horgus doesn't grumble at anymore. They reach Blackwing Library to find it mostly destroyed, a fact that devastates Aravashnial, however they soon discover that all have not yet been lost but will be if they don't stop the mad crusader Chaleb and his cronies. Anevia cuts down his cronies with arrows before they can react, Chaleb charges her issuing a challenge saying that the demon will inevitably win Horgus slips into flanking with the man and both her and Anevia show disgust at his actions. Anevia is seriously hurt in the battle, but they manage to defeat Chaleb and free the librarians. Anevia uses Chaleb's potions to recover from her wounds while the librarians explain what happened, Aravashnial decides to stay and help the librarians asking Anevia to seek out Quednys Orlun the head librarian who was missing during the attack and get more help for the librarians.
Anevia and Horgus travel to the noble's house where he thanks her and gives her a 2000gp reward, saying that really she owed it to him to protect him after breaking into his warehouse. Anevia thanks him for fighting so well by her side, say she could not have gotten out alive without him, which he agrees with a smile.
Anevia is excited to finally reach her house, her disappointment at Irabeth's absents is alleviated when she finds the note and supplies she left for her. However her relief is short lived as she's attacked by the fire beetle, but having watched Aravashnial summon so many creatures in the underground she recognizes that is was summoned. She drinks a potion of invisibility and waits for it to disappear. Vagorg begins to taught her, but Anevia makes a lucky guess as to where he is and slams him with an alchemist fire. As the fire spreads they engage in combat, but Anevia proves to be the better warrior and slays the half-orc. As her home burns behind her she makes her way to Defender's Heart.
Thus ended the first session.
Most Valuable Player: Anevia, who knew being 2 levels higher then the players would be would turn this unassuming ranged rogue into such a badass.
Most Valuable Item: Cure Potions! Having a healer might have shifted this award to the Levitation Scale, but those potions are the only reason they survived, and I'd like to thank the game designers for putting so many in there.
Note on EXP: I didn't award the NPC any of the story EXP and only awarded them EXP for fights they actually effected so while Anevia climbed to LV 4 Horgus gained little EXP and Aravashnial almost none. Despite the suggestion in the front cover I will be dividing EXP counting the NPC's as part of the party so hopefully any fall behind won't be too devastating.
Next Session not only with Irabeth come in, but so will Seabass' own character, and we'll head back out into the streets to hunt down the cultists and see what random encounters we have.
Hope you enjoyed this and See you all next week.
Well on to Session 2.
Anevia makes her way to Defender's Heart calling out with the pass phrase which is hardly necessary as the guards recognize her and send for Irabeth immediately. They two are reunited which is when Dorian (Seabass' character) comes on the scene flirtatiously asking, "who such a beauty could be?" In a reversal of the standard scene Irabeth introduces him to Anevia, and he promptly renews his proposal to marry her.
Anevia is of course enraged by this, initially angry at Irabeth for gallivanting around with this fop, and having spout marriage proposals while she was fighting for her life. Irabeth denies this saying that Dorian saved her life, by distracting an incubus that was preparing to finish her or worse, and has been helping in the defense of the city since. She also adds that he's flirty but harmless and had backed off when she explained she was married. Anevia counters that he seems interested in her again, but Dorian cuts in saying he doesn't just want to marry Irabeth anymore, but her as well.
As I put it in game, "She looked like she wanted to punch in the face, and then she does; storming off, the an apologetic Irabeth fallowing after as the surrounding guard have a laugh at the scene."
So ya this is the embarrassing thing I mentioned before, and rather then try and explain Seabass' reasoning I'll just post a transcript of the conversation.
Seabass: Dude Irabeth is cute, I'm wanna hook up with her!
Me: She's gay, read her bio.
Seabass: (reads) It doesn't say that anywhere.
Me: Well she married to Anevia that's a pretty strong indication.
Seabass: She could be bi it doesn't specify, (Reads Anevia's bio) doesn't say she gay either... and she's hot too. I'll hook up with them both.
Me: Man that's just weird
Seabass: Come on let me do it.
Me: They won't go for it, they're members of a very lawful church, marriage is sacred to them.
Seabass: My character could settle down and marry them, and Iomedae doesn't explicitly forbid marrying more then one person.
Me: You can't just be like, 'hay lets get marry and screw' as soon as you meet them.
Seabass: Come on, we can use the relationship building rules from Jade Regent.
Me: Fine whatever, but I'm going to make it tough.
Ultimately as a GM I feel it's my job to cater to my players desire, so long as they don't bother me or anyone else at the table, which there isn't. However I do hope it doesn't offend anyone here either. Anyways I set the Romance score to 44, and we quickly roll played out Dorian and Irabeth's time together. He started at level four, Anevia and Irabeth already being level five, and convinced me to gave him a chance to give her gifts and raise his relationship score. made it so they both were on the same relationship track saying that Anevia would have to approve of the early gifts and later he was have to give something to both of them to raise the score. He ended up spending most of his starting gold on gifts for her, protective crusader gear, and started with little more then his swords and armor. In the end however, he ended up with a surprising relationship score of 14.
Dorian had been in town for the festival as well, but ended up above ground evading the demons until he came upon Irabeth as was described. Despite what he had say, Dorian lavished Irabeth with compliments about her beauty and grace, which do his great sincerity she didn't dismiss as being empty platitudes. Having never been the recipient of such gentlemanly compliments she was very flattered but swiftly put down his efforts for romance as she was married. Dejected but still devoted to her he continued to accompany her, reassuring her that Anevia as Irabeth described, her was too capable on to make it back alive. He gave her four magical protective items as gifts insisting that she had to say alive until Anevia found her way back to her.
After Dorian had his nose mended he returned to find that the pair was going to check out the Templar safe houses and he insisted that he go with them. "A pair of ladies should not go into demon infested ruins without an escort," he insisted earning a smile and eye roll from Irabeth and glare from Anevia.
On their way to Topez solutions they come upon the Fine Fittings being attacked by an Abrikandilu. It attacks and minorly injures Dorian before they kill it. Knowing the demon's motivations for destroying beauty Dorian comments on the thing's blindness as it attacked him instead of them. Anevia tried to glare at him for this but can't help a laugh instead. Irabeth encourages the shopkeepers to seek shelter at Defender's Heart rejecting their offers for a reward. When she and Anevia are out of earshot Dorian accepts on their behalf, giving the tailors their measurements, saying he has an eye for such things.
At Topez solutions they are attacked by the looters Dorian charges into their ranks taking the brunt of their assault and is badly wounded. Irabeth worriedly using a potion and her lay on hands to heal him after the battle, Anevia not liking how her wife dots over him. They head down stairs where the trap is sprung, the poison bottle being smashed, and the mandragora attacks them. Under the effects of the poison Anevia attacks Dorian, while fending her off Dorian and Irabeth manage to slay the plant monster and Anevia stops attacking.
She apologizes to Dorian for what she did but he waves it off saying and jokes that he hopes she got the to kill him out of her system. The poison also gave Anevia temporary darkvision, much to her delight as she says she feels closer to Irabeth seeing the way she does. However both Irabeth and Dorian say they like her non glowing eyes better. They discover the holy symbols, but Dorian stops Anevia before she picks them up having detected the poison on them. She thanks him again, feeling a little embarrassed she had just thought of him as a fop.
On their way to the tower of Estrod they come upon the mad crusaders about to sacrifice the woman, but with some powerful words and Irabeth's authority they manage to talk them down sending them to Defender's Heart. The woman Klarah tells them of how Terendelev's body was carried off and how the demon's Killed Lord Hulrun and put his body on display.
They make their way to Estrod using the pass phrase to gain access. One of the guards thinks he recognizes Irabeth as the head of the Eagle Watch but Dorian deflects this commenting that all Half-orcs look the same to him. Once their alone he apologizes profusely for this Irabeth says it was necessary and she is just glad the Templar doesn't know what a ridiculous lie that is coming from Dorian. They reach Faxon, who sees through their disguise, but Dorian and Anevia slay him before he can alert the others. Dorian thanks Anevia for not shooting him while she had the chance, to which she counters that she missed. Taking the rest of the Templars by surprise as well they easily dispatch them. Finding the note from Minagho they recognize Railscar and Vorlesh but not the Nahyndrian crystal.
Making their way Nyserian Manor, they come upon the cultists about to sacrifice Horgus, captured from his home. The three make short work of the cultists and Anevia tells her noble friend that he shout head to Defender's Heart for protection, which he grumbles in agreement with.
Finding Nyserian manor in ruins breaks Anevia's heart having hoped they could recover Irabeth's family sword. She briefly considers searching for it but they haven't the time and so they turn back for Defender's Heart.
On the way back they come upon the quasits' gruesome play, they have their actors attack but a critical from Anevia and a Smiting crossbow bolt easily dispatches the tiny fiends and they escort the survivors back to Defender's Heart.
After getting some much needed rest, getting in contact with Neathholm, meeting Quennys Orlun and getting Avarashnial and the librarians moved, Irabeth lays out the situation to Anevia, Dorian and the Neathholm representatives along with the need to strike at the Gray Garison and the destroy the wardstone fragment while her troops create a distraction. She intends to do this herself, but knows that Anevia will insist on going with her and that it's impossible to get rid of Dorian, but she's glad to have the Neathholm representatives as well. They head to the Gray Garison picking up the weapons stash Avarashnial told them about including a pair of cold iron rapiers for Dorian.
Arriving at the garrison they notice the seeming dead guards first thinking that they are zombies, Anevia recognizes them as Vermleks which allows them to easily dispatch them with their Bane Arrows. Seeting the bodies safely aside to properly lay to rest later, Anevia picks the lock of the door and they slip in, sadly because Irabeth is less then stealthy they are detected by the Teiflings. As the mongrels are particularly adept at fighting native outsiders they are able to quickly dispatch the group and moved into the shrine.
Unwilling to leave the shrine in its blasphemous state they quickly dispatched the demons in the museum before setting about to clean the shrine. Once finished they knelt in pray for the upcoming battles and Anevia noticed the pass phrase reviled while doing so.
Heading up to the shrine of Iomedae they easily slay the cultists within and notice the outline of the armory door. Othirubo takes them by surprise while they investigate the armory, but they quickly overwhelm him and he is forced to flee. He tries to escape the building and make his way to the upstairs window but the mongrel's give chase and shoot him down before he can reach it.
In Othirubo's room they discover Irabeth's father's sword which she takes up again. Dorian Also presents her with the magical adamantine morningstar he found and Anevia with the demon slaying arrow as gifts. They clean the shrine and gather the body parts to bury later placing them with the others from the entrance.
Anevia picks the lock to the stairs, she and the archers making short work of the dretchs within. Dorian remembers hearing Othirubo banging on the door as he passed and guess that those upstairs have been warned about them. Volunteering himself, Dorian sneaks to the top of the stairs finding the teiflings waiting for them. Returning he says he'll rush up first and draw their fire with the other come up behind them, but Irabeth refuses to let him risk his life like that. Anevia produces the several flasks of acid she had acquired in her journey through the tunnels and city and suggest surprise bombing them instead. They do so felling the group with a surprise attack.
They move about the up stairs slaying the enemies present with an almost frightening efficiency gathering the documents and once Anevia managed to get the lock on the door to the scrying room open Irabeth elimiates the zombies with a single channel positive energy. (At this point I'm seriously wondering why the adventure thinks one would need multiple strikes to do this dungeon. Even without the mongrels a proper team of 4-5 would have no issues barring bad luck.)
They clean the scrying pool and see Jeslyn and the half-fiend minotaur guarding the upstairs entrance. Readying themselves for the final battle they race up stairs overwhelming the minotuar and noting to come back and repair the helms, while Anevia quickly picks the lock.
Once inside the Wardstone chamber their luck vastly changes. Jeslyn pins Anevia down with a hold person spell and the half-elf cuts down the mongrel folk, two with critical, and nearly kills Irabeth with another, she was only saved by the aegis of recovery Dorian gave her. Jeslyn nearly kills Dorian as well with another critical as Anevia finally breaks the hold.
Jeslyn's threats suddenly becoming very real, Dorian throws down his swords and tells Anevia to run and save herself and Irabeth, while he destroys the wardstone. Irabeth, barely able to move resists a moment, loosing both her swords, but is forced to flee with Anevia. Dorian slips out of Jeslyn's reach and rushes to the stone using the rod of cancellation to destroy it and sending him sprawling into the vision as the blast heals him and slays Jeslyn.
At this point I told Seabass I was going to skip the final battle since even though he couldn't die, he couldn't win either. Seabass, being a crazy bastard, wanted to try anyway asking for more a of a power boost to compensate. I didn't want to give him too much special treatment since it would only drag out a long boring battle anyway. So since he had earned all the devotion points through his actions or intended actions I gave him those boons, and allowed him for this fight to apply all of his combat feats to Irabeth demon slaying swords.
Seeing the babau appear Dorian knew he couldn't flee or else the demons would catch Irabeth and Anevia, so while they summoned three more of their kind to battle and tried to drop globes of darkness in the room Dorian took up Irabeth's swords and stood defensively with his back in the doorway taunting them to attack. The battle lasted several minutes, in game time, as the Babau swarmed around him he favored killing those that tumbled past him first and slayed one after another the last momentarily felling him with it's spear but his regeneration allowed him to recover and slay it as well.
The power fades leaving Dorian near death but he manages to make his way out of the Gray Garrison finding Irabeth, Anevia, and a squade of paladins about to retake the garrison. Irabeth and Anveia nearly come to tears realizing Dorian's still alive and rush to embarace him as she collapses.
When he recovers and awakens Irabeth wants to hand over her swords to him claiming he made better use of them then she did, but he hands them back to her saying the best use he can make of them is allowing her to keep them. Later as things being to settle he invites Anevia to a fancy dinner complete with the finery she could never have in the face of Irabeth charity and more. Dorian explains that much of this food was going to go to waste anyways and for the right gold anything can be arranged. He also agrees with Anevia that while Irabeth generosity to charity is exemplary a little self-indulgence is good people as well; going on to say that he'll indulge with her.
Anevia admits that she enjoys such thing and that she never expected he was courageous to throw his life away to save theirs, twice, but that she thinks he's still pursuing them and she doesn't like that. Dorian admits that he is and that he cannot help but do so. In the face of Demonic Armageddon he only has eyes of them.
On that note our second session and the first adventure ended. Not having known the effect of the Wardstone destruction Seabass ended up making this adventure much harder on himself leaving only his character mythic and additionally his insistence on expensive gifts for Irabeth and Anevia has left him with little gold. But the adventure hasn't proven too tough for him yet and the player boon which ave gone exclusively to his character thus far, makes him pretty powerful still.
Most valuable character: Still Anevia, they group wouldn't have gotten very far in the gray garrison without her lock picking skills and her archery skills allowed her to utilize many of the supplies.
Most valuable Item: Demon bane arrows! My god this dungeon was an easy run because of these arrows Anevia going to need to commission a lot more before this campaign is finished.
Well sorry to any readers I have for this getting out so late, next week will be a little more prompt hopefully. Thanks for reading.