Elisssa has decided to retire for awhile from the adventuring life [Laura wanted to try something else]. The reason that I made up for this was a fairly obvious one, the group (characters) keeps getting on Elisssa’s case about killing the hill giant, not being able to pitch a tent or sail a boat.  For a dragonborn such insults and snide comments are hard to take.  Them not letting her kill the captured slavers was the final straw and furious with the group she stalks off to see her friends and family as soon as they enter Larkson.  She takes with her a couple thousand in gold and Krag’s Axe and Bracers and some assorted trinkets and souvenirs.

Later discourse over the course of the session might reveal that Elisssa may come back as the floating crew of available NPC’s for use by players (Torn, Dash, Sushanna, Kane)

The action starts immediately with the first of three encounters for the night.  Screams are heard echoing through the temple and grabbing their arms the group rushes to see what’s going on.  T’Balktu, Torel, Visra and Stak are joined along the way by a visiting Cleric of Kord from Anvil here to do research at the temple by the name of Spar.  [Played by Biminey's owner Temple]

THe five of them find the room that contains the temple’s main ritual circle filled with a vortex of energies.  People located in the room are being sucked into the vortex and being… reformed as something else.  As the energies die away the group catches a glimpse of Liloth and Phy’el Fleshwalker through a rent in space causing the effects.

An abomination of flesh, humanoid, composed of merged persons in the room roars out a challenge.  It’s back bursts and hunks of flesh drop free to create little humanoid creatures dripping flaming slime. The monkeys immediately start flinging their slime around the room and where the gobs hit, invisible before now runes flare and burn out, a few seconds later the bricks blow outwards in blasts of energies and shrapnel.

The group attacks of course, taking down the big creature and then mopping up the smaller ones but not before they cut a wide swatch through the walls, floor and celing of the room destroying  large sections of the bricks and subsequently the wardings inlaid upon them.

As they stop and catch their breath they hear more screams, deducing (correctly) that this was a diversion while another attack was going on.  They rush through the temple to find the forbidden archives under attack by rats.  A section of the floor has fallen away down into the sewers that run under the town and rats are streaming in, each grabbing a scroll or parchement or tome to flee down the hole with it.

They follow, smashing rats as they go.  In the dank large sewers they run into Krag’s animus which has formed a temporary body out of rats along with other rat swarms.  Due to their positioning Krag has to reveal early on that he can absorb the rat swarms to recover his mass (i.e. recover health) and the group destroys the swarms before working on Krag.  (this made the encounter easier on the group by a considerable amount thanks to their smart thinking).

As the mass of rats that is Krag collapses to stream away a red mist shoots off down the sewers. (Krag’s animus).

They follow the animus (and trail of parchment fragments) to Krag’s lair where he’s been feeding the blood of those he’s slain through one of Liloth’s warps.  A large chamber has been damned up at the doorway forming a pool of blood like liquid several inches deep.   The room is filled with rats each holding a parchment.  Right now the rats are being lifted through the portal bearing the parchments. They turn on the group as Torel and Spar both try to bless the portal to destroy it.  (A whole hella lot of very low rolls).

Eventually the group gets the warp closed and triggers a trap laid into the room turning the blood into a blood elemental.  It’s not designed to be able to stand up against a full group but is aimed to destroy single intruders and the group makes short work of it.

Spar had the idea during the fight to break the dam holding in the blood and if they’d of done that before the fight they could have destroyed the warp and prevented the elemental from spawning but hind sight and all that.

They recovered a bracer and axe that Krag’s been slowly enchanting to replace his lost axe and bracer.  He’s a very good enchanter, at odds with his brutal nature but has a knack for things that deal with blood.  It’s just hard to enchant things when you’re a ghost.   The bracers are similar to Iron Armbands of Power but require a healing surge to activate, after activated they boost edged weapons damage by 2 for the rest of the encounter.   The axe gives its wielder a Immediate Reaction ability that grants them a basic melee attack with the axe when an adjacent target is bloodied for the first time and it deals an extra +2 damage when the wielder is bloodied.

The group retreats from the chamber and heads back to the temple.  They rest and recover and then work on plans.  They talk to the captain of the watch and Garon of the council.  Garon is floundering.  He’s out of his league with the things that are going on and doesn’t know which way to stumble much less lead.  People have been leaving the city out of fear, this is obviously a bad thing for the city’s protection and the party points it out and want him to lock the city down.  He’s reluctant to do that, he doesn’t want to be the ‘bad guy’ or institute the martial law that this requires.  Larkson has always been a free city and preventing the poeple from leaving strikes him too much like slavery, an act that really runs against his core values especially after having lost his children to slavers.  He’s also loath to go against the agreement with the Watch in terms of disbursement of the mercenaries.

He asks Torel and Stak to hire on advisors, a task they reluctantly agree to consider.   The group considers their actions and decide to send a fetch out to Biminey asking him to meet them early.

They purchase a longboat and row out to sea, successfully navigating to their general meeting area.  They discuss things with Biminey and the others.

Biminey asks them to ask Sushanna to come visit him for multiple reasons, the primary one he wants to teach her the ways of the artificer so that she can at times take control of the airship allowing him freedom to leave the ship.

After discussion they’re going to try and lead a band of mercenaries out of the town to gather information on the hobgoblins who are taking small villages and farmsteads captive as a threat for the town to give them some book, a book they believe holds power over the creatures loosed from Darkmith.

We end our session there.

Image Credits

The party will be dining in the Temple of Eris when they’ll hear the ubiquitous screams in the distance.  Assuming they don’t ignore it and let’s face it they’re heroes and screams are what they dream of, they’ll come down the passage way to the left to behold a swirling vortex of energies pulling priests of Eris into it where they’re swiftly ‘disassembled’ and reshaped into a hulking monstrosity of an abomination comprised of multiple priests and priestesses.  Uh, ew.

It’s body will ripple and bulge and moments after it shapes it’s hunchback will burst forth and small mounds of flesh will fall out to the floor shaping into small monkey like creatures with arms like an octopus although instead of suckers it has small teeth lined ovals that open and close constantly while a thick slime oozes from them dropping away to the floor where it flares up into flame.

All in all that should be enough to bring the drool to any adventurer and a scream of terror from any bystander.

Subscribe to the feed – http://www.keyourcars.com/feed/podcast/

Also available through iTunes.

Like

Unlike

Subscribe to the feed – http://www.keyourcars.com/feed/podcast/

Also available through iTunes.

Like

Unlike

Subscribe to the feed – http://www.keyourcars.com/feed/podcast/

Also available through iTunes.

Like

Unlike

“I strongly protest your decision Lord Kotar!” the slaver mage said, indignation and fury apparent in his voice.

“Do you really Bokka?  You think we should continue to lose resources to these people?  We have the ship, I’ve sent teams inland after suitable… resources to let us recover its functionality and hopefully build more of them.  I don’t see any purpose in paying any more attention to them.  Lady Sethra has warned against our involvement in their activities any longer as it could prove… costly.”

“So we let them get away with what they’ve done?  I’ve given you the report that they killed most of our people in Larkson and caused our contact with the bandits and the tribes to disappear.  We don’t know what’s become of him, only that he wasn’t in the warehouse.  And what about my brother?  You’ve read the report, these people killed him and destroyed his ship.”

“Your scheme to take over that city doesn’t sit well with most of the Nine Bokka.  We don’t belong inland, we belong on the seas. And I really don’t care about your brother, he ruined more cargo than any other captain I’ve known. If you have an razor to hone for them, you do it on your time but I am not spending more men or gold to go after them.”

Bokka, a thin ascetic man of average height, swore softly and his hand slid toward the blade sheathed at his side, the green glowing gem in the pommel pulsing in time with his heartbeat.  The stocky figure in robes on the ornate large chair arched an eyebrow at the motion. 

“Really Bokka?” Lord Kotar’s voice held traces of amusement.  The shadowy figures swirling around the room fluttered close in anticipation, hunger apparent in their motions.

The room was a frozen tabluea for a long moment then Bokka’s shoulders slumped “I obey your wishes in all things Lord.” he said through gritted teeth, hands disappearing into the sleeves of his robes, away from his soulblade.

“Then please return to Safe Harbor and guard the airship for me.  I would be very… perturbed were anything to happen to it.  Send a fetch when the teams arrive with the artificers and keep me updated on their research.”

“Aye m’lord.”

“And Bokka, if anything happens to that ship, you’ll be a long time dying.”

“Aye m’lord.”

Bokka fled the room, one of the shadows silently closing the door behind him.  From behind an ornate tapestry a beautiful woman stepped, hair the color of night and skin so pale veins formed a pale blue web under it.

“Love, you should deal with that one now.  I’ve read the strands of the weave and in very few of them does he not covet your position.”

Kotar reached out and gently grasped the woman’s hand and pulled her close.  “And in all those possible strands does he ever succeed dear?”

Sethra’s mouth twitched in a slight smile, “Only in a very very few of them does he manage to take your place love.  I believe the phrase, ‘pigs are flying’ is appropriate for him.”

“As I thought, he is weak, tied to petty feuds, born of a weak strain.  I think before long the line of Jothan should be erased.  Only which of the minor captains to replace him?  Such a quandary…”

“What of the ‘heroes’ love?  In many strands, they oppose you and their fates are entwined in your downfall in many more.” she asked, running her head over his face, using her fingers to ’see’ him as the dark sockets where her eyes had once been looked into the distance.

“We shall wait and see. They’ve lost one already to mischance.  I think we shall simply wait and see what else chance brings to them.  Send a fetch to Robear in Larkson, have him work on our contact there, I need a schism opened so we can operate more freely.”

“As you ask so shall it be love.”

Image Credits

Subscribe to the feed – http://www.keyourcars.com/feed/podcast/

Also available through iTunes.

Like

Unlike

Subscribe to the feed – http://www.keyourcars.com/feed/podcast/

Also available through iTunes.

Like

Unlike

Subscribe to the feed – http://www.keyourcars.com/feed/podcast/

Also available through iTunes.

Like

Unlike

[DM: I want to point out that I rolled like utter [bleep] this session.  My miss ratio was pretty far on the wrong side of the standard deviation on a d20. I only had one natural 20, on T’Balktu of course, and a bunch of 1’s, 2’s, 3’s. ]

The tower taken from the forces defending it our band of heroes takes stock of the situation.  And the phat lewt.  They recover a magic staff, set of robes, some fire arrows and bolts, a couple of healing potions, a stack of what they’ll eventually discover are alchemical bombs and a set of signal flares.

Based on Keri’s notes they know the cave trolls are sent around the island around dawn to help with the construction efforts.  This gives them about 6 hours before then so leaving Biminey to begun work on repairing and re-tuning the airship.  A couple of hours into it he realizes he’s going to have to replace the broken boards of the ship before it’ll be flyable again.

He wakes the others and gives them the bad news.  They decide to go back to sleep and deal with it later.  Biminey joins them in sleeping leaving Torn, Kane and Dash on watch.  Hirelings work well for that.

As the sun peeks up Torel and Stak go look at the avenues of approach to the tower.  On the far side of the chasm separating the tower side from the rest of the island is a extending bridge.  They crank it over and investigate the far side. A couple of smaller buildings are under construction on that side.  Torel preps the area by liberally splashing gallons of oil in the places where attackers might take cover.   
A couple of hours after dawn, the compound forces start wondering where the cave trolls are and send a couple of sailors up to find out what’s going on.  They holler and hullabaloo for awhile but the good guys don’t respond.  One of the sailors twists a rod like the ones that are in the tower and a flare of light flies way up in the air, sparking and sputtering, visible for miles in all directions and then head back to the compound at a jog.

[DM's Comments: I'd planned out a number of scenarios, even had maps ready but the group's actions as happens quite frequently took a turn that I hadn't planned.  Their scheme for the lumber was sneaky and scheming and my possible scenario's didn't quite get that sneaky on their behalf.  I'd envisioned them possibly ambushing the first people up to see what was going on by either setting up in the partially built houses on the far side of the bridge or leaving the bridge down and luring them over to the tower.  But it just really proves yet again one person will never be able to accurately predict what other people will do, 100% of the time no matter how long they've known them.]

Now that the bad guys know something is up, although not what, the group decides to hunker down and prepare to repel an attack trying to come across the chasm and wait in vain for rest of the day with nothing happening although they do spot a sneaky person scouting them out.

[Torel rolled a natural 20 on a perception check or they'd of not spotted him.  After the slavers knew something was up they sent up an assassin who wisely decided not to try anything during the day.  The slavers are expecting another ship of reinforcements which would include at least an overmage if not another ubermage. They also have some high level captives that they've been lead to believe will be highly ransomable. The captives lied by the way to gain time, there's no one left to ransom them.  Hence they're not going to try to frontal attack a tower that they have to try to cross a 25' gap with a 50' fall into jagged rocks.  They're going to wait for nightfall and sneak across under the cover of darkness.]

As the day continues to wind down the group decides to send Stak and Dash, both fairly sneaky bastards over to scout the compound.  They know from Keri’s notes that there is a building under construction over there which should mean there’s lumber.  The two are supposed to try and steal the lumber.  And rather than going around the island they cut across the harbor, using a small cask to carry their gear and to rest with on the mile or so swim.  They’re given two signal flares to use if they need help.

Stak and Dash get over and find no way to get to the lumber, the slavers over there are scattered, hiding in nooks and crannies while several are guarding a building that Keri marked as holding slaves.  Discretion prevails and they return the way they came.  Stak unfortunately failed in his attempt to climb the cliff so they shout for help and then are pulled up the cliff.

They report their findings to the rest.

Our five leave Kane, Dash and Torn to watch the tower as they’ve come up with a plan to not go after the lumber at the compound but instead take the ship and de-construct part of it for the lumber they need.  They get ready and slither down the rope and into the warm salt water and start dog paddling.

[It's about this time that the assassin makes it across and starts scouting the tower section of the island.  He's not sure what to make of the three men that he can find, assuming they must be tougher than they are if they were able to take the tower and goes back retrieves most of the quality forces from the compound and they assualt the tower while our group is slowly swimming across the harbor.  The attack on the harbor kicks off about the time that the group gets to the ship.  The three hirelings immediately know they're heavily screwed and set off two flares.  They three are all level 6 though and they do cut a swath through the attackers but are eventually taken.]

The group reach the ship, Stak going further to steal the longboats from the shore.   Elisssa hits the deck of the ship first due to bad timing on their part but has no trouble killing both slavers on board.  One swing of her axe at the end of a charge cuts the slaver’s arm off which is holding a signal flare.  She spins and takes the head off the other one in the same motion.

The rest climb on board to find the ship is theirs and Stak comes up with the longboats.

The signal flares go up from the tower but there’s just not much they can do for them except continue with the plan.  They wait till down though which isn’t far off and use the ballistae on the ship to let the forces on the shore know they’re there.  Keeping the slavers on the shore occupied, they strip lumber off the non-visible side of the boat.

Lumber in head they set the ship afire and start rowing back to the tower.  The tower forces are waiting for them but aren’t too concerned as the cliffs are almost impossible to climb and it would be very easy to just drop rocks on anyone trying to climb them and knock them off.

Unfortunately for the slavers they don’t know about Biminey’s Ladder ritual. As the ladder springs up and Torel starts climbing his butt off the two at the top realize that things may not be going as planned and start yelling.  They drop rocks but they miss and Torel is able to reach the top of the cliff, Biminey right behind him.

A fight breaks out and both sides are reinforced as forces rush in from the tower and up the ladder but when Torel uses the Deamon Heart to walk the assassin off the cliff and Biminey drops the ladder as he’s trying to climb back up.  Battered, bruised, ribs cracked and leg broken the assassin limps off vowing to come back and kill them all in nasty ways.  Right as Biminey’s firebolt, charged with lightning enters his skull from above.

The fights just clean up this point between the guys the hirelings killed, the loss of the ‘boss’ of the island forces and the fact that the slavers can’t seem to hit a damn thing it’s quickly over.

They capture one of the slaver alchemists and get information from him.  They go back and strike a bargain, one sided, with the remaining neophytes in the tower (all minions) and make them leave.  They recover their battered and beaten hirelings.

Hauling up their construction supplies Biminey and a couple of others get to work repairing the airship while the rest traipse across the island and intimidate or kill the remaining slavers.

In the captive hut they rescue a dwarf noble woman and her retinue.  She has a tale of her city being overrun by hobgoblins and her father putting her and the rest on a boat with a few guards while they stayed to defend the city.  They were picked up by slavers not long after setting sail and brought to the island.  To buy time and preferential treatment they let on to the slavers that a huge ransom would be possible.  The other slaver ship on the island went off to collect said ransom.

Air ship repaired and drivable they take a minor detour to burn the slaver compound to the ground from the air and head back.  They try to investigate one of the small farming villages on their way back, one of the ones that has lost contact with the city and Biminey has a test of wills as something tries to take over control of him through the airship control amulet, forcing him to land the ship.  He breaks free and they flee back to the coast.

Leaving biminey and most of the noble woman’s following on the ship the rest are dropped off outside of town walk in.  They get inside and learn news of the hobgoblin threat and get information from Sushanna of good news.  The Eris researchers are constructing a battle standard that will duplicate the weakening effect of the Larkson wardings for a small area.  They also find out from Sushanna that the wardings of the city are powered  by the life force of people born in the city.  This was uncovered in the research into the standard which after use requires a ritual and life force to recharge to enable it to work again.

We leave our group getting cleaned up in the temple’s sauna’s and breaking the fast.  They have plans for to meet up with  Biminey in two days time, who’s currently flying the ship out of sight of land and above the clouds and making offers of employment to Visra’s, the noble dwarf’s retinue since she obviously won’t be able to pay them.  On the flip side, Visra is going to try and find them employment in the town.

Elisssa, getting a little tired of the group’s actions preventing her from killing who she wants to when she wants is going to depart the group for at least awhile, taking the gold and valuables she’s garnered from their adventures.  She has thoughts of packing up her relatives adn friends on a ship and sailing away from this danger zone now that she knows there are cities to the south, albeit under the threat of hobgoblin attack but at least she won’t have to worry about her mind being consumed and her body used to kill innocents.

Image Credits

Like

Unlike

“Kord’s balls, what the hell?” the guard exclaimed looking out at the east road. A naked figure was stumbling down the road, covered in blood.  As it dropped in the packed dirt in front of the gate she could see it was not only naked but most of the skin of it’s arms and upper chest had been removed.  In the distance at the top of the first rise of the road she spied what could only be a warband of hobgoblins.Â

A shout, the gruff voice of her sergeant barked up from below, “What is it trooper!?”

“There’s a man, I think it’s a man, he’s hurt, hurt bad in the road below and I shit you not sarge there’s a full hob warband no more than 200 yards up the road.”

“Awww shit.  Coleson, Donal, Tig spread the alarm, I want every square foot of this gods damn wall manned and I want it done NOW!”

Pounding feet sped off behind her and the brazen clanging of the alarm bell started to sound.  The halberd in her hand didn’t seem nearly as impressive as the dim light glinted off the naked steel arrayed among the hobgoblins.  The ladder behind her creaked under the massive form of the dragonborn sergeant.

“Well fuck me sideways…” Sergeant Drakotta said softly.

“What do you want to do about him Sarge?” she said pointing out the bleeding figure below.

“Shit, can’t leave him there.  And they’re held up far enough way for someone fast to get out and get him.  I remember you’re speedy Bawndi.  Get down that ladder, grab Hork and get out there and get him.”

“Crap Sarge, why…”

“Cut it trooper, get your ass down there now or you’ll be safer out there than here!”

Bawndi grimaced and nodded.  She slid down the ladder dropping lightly to the ground below. “Hork!  Get your skinny ass front and center, Sarge has a job for us.  Tally, you and Peete open the gate, we’re going to run out there and grab that guy.  If the hobgoblins charge you slam the gate you make gods damn sure that there’s no way I can make it back before they get to the gate or I swear to all hells I’ll have your ass no matter what it takes.”

As two of the guard turned the winches that pulled the massive bars back from the gate, Bawndi and Hork, a thin almost scrawny human but with surprising strength, stood poised as the thick iron bound wooden gates parted sideways.  As soon as the gap was big enough to squeeze through they did so, sprinting down the road toward the bloodied figure.Â

Bawndi slid to a halt next the man, eyes taking in the ruin, the skin was gone from his shoulders in long strips that ran halfway down his back.  She knelt, not sure where to grab the man as Hork retched next to her.  “Suck it up!  You toss on me and I’ll make you pay for a long time.” she hissed glancing up at the other watchman, tossing a glance toward the hobgoblins that remained motionless in the distance. “Grab the hands, I’ll get the feet.  Hurry up gods damnit!”

Together they picked the man up, carefully but quickly rolling him over and then moved back to the gate at an awkward shuffle, Hork moving backwards to keep an eye on the hobgoblins.   With release of held breath they passed through the gate again, multiple watch including the Anvil mercenaries were gathered around, weapons ready.  A stretcher appeared and they laid the man on it.  A watch healer stepped up and laid a hand on the man’s forehead and a glow appeared around her fingers and sank into the man’s flesh, the flesh knitting and healing. Â

The man screamed sitting bolt upright then trying to lunge away, troopers grabbing him and pressing him back down.  His struggles died as his terror filled eyes took in his surroundings.  Sargeant Drakotta pushed through the crowd, squatted by the man, “What’s going on?  Who are you?”

The man shook his head, stammered, “Stanal, my names Stanal.  They destroyed the village, killed everyone!  They kept me alive to deliver a message.”

“What’s the message?  What village?”

“My home, Greenoak village.”

One of the watch spoke up, “I know the place Sarge, maybe ten buildings, about thirty or forty people.”

Without looking back, Drakotta rasped out, “Next man that speaks is going to regret being birthed.  Now, you, Stanal, what do they want?”

“They want some book they say is here, some book with a name in it.  They’ll give you a week to come up with it.  Every week they don’t get it, another village dies. When they run out of villages then they’ll march on the city.”

“What the fuck? A book?”

“Yes, that’s what they said. Said someone would know what they’re talking about.”

A voice called down, “Sarge, they’re moving out, heading south.”

Drakotta rocked back on his heels, shook his head.  “Well someone sure as shit ain’t me.”  He rose, yanking the man up with him, hand locked like a bear trap on his wrist.  Bawndi, you’re with me.  We’re taking this one to the captain.  Frost, take over here.  Keep them on their toes and keep everyone’s eyes open.  This could be a feint of some kind.  Send runners, make sure the east gate is covered and send someone to Joncel and make sure he’s got the river side sewn up.”

“Aye sarge.” replied a hardbitten trooper, “I’ll get’em moving.”

“Come on you, let’s go.  And someone get these people moving, show’s over!”

Drakotta lead the way down the road at a swift pace, the farmer behind him and Bawndi trailing, naked steel in her hand and mistrust on her face.

Like

Unlike

Our group starts off in the warehouse littered with dead bodies, the bodies they’ve slain.  Deciding that the’d be better off if they got the hell out they do so and retreat back to their tavern.  The next day Biminey vists the temple of Eris where he talks with Sushanna and the new high priest and finds out information on their possible foes.   King Hesh’tar, his queen Liloth, his adviser Phy’el Fleshwalker and their enforce Krag the Butcher.  Tales of their powers are legendary only surpassed by the tales of their evil.

After telling the high priest they’d already killed Krag, Biminey was a bit taken aback at the priests quesiton, “did you burn the body and scatter the ashes?”  Which they didn’t do.

Other information learned is that the town is a mystical anchor point that keeps Larkson’s curse alive and well on the city of Darkmith.  That the prince’s True Name is located in the city of Larkson and that the very stones of the city are warded against the powers of Darkmith and for one of the creatures of Darkmith to enter the town would render it significantly weaker than it wold be outside the town.

Torel meets with the Captain of the Watch and discusses events.

Shuk meets up with Stak in their tavern and gives him a device that she’d had created in Anvil by an high level artificer there to help with Soozin.  She seems distant to the Stak and doesn’t wish to talk much. It’s obvious that the loss of Dra’kin has hit her fairly hard.

They meet up and compare notes and Biminey leads them to the temple of Eris where they stashed Soozin while they went out to the temple of healing to cure Torn.

Biminey activates the device and it enters Soozin’s throat to go after the parasite.  It warps out and something goes wrong and the parasite splits up the way it’s created to do but lightning flares and the several small parasites swell to the size of large dogs.

The group defeats the giant slugs and Soozin is now healed. [Note: Wasn't planned to be a hard fight unless for some reason not everone in the group happened to be there but as it turned out they were.]

After everything that’s happened to them they pressure the high priest of Eris to allow them to stay on the grounds and he doesn’t take much persuading.  The group has proved formidable to hostile creatures and having them around he can’t see as a bad thing.

Elissa finds Keri waiting for her in her new room in the temple.  Keri has a tale of having been on a boat for three weeks scouting the charts that she lifted from the slaver ship while it was in the harbor.  She reports finding the stronghold listed on the charts and reports that there is an airship attached to a keep on the island.  She also tells Elisssa that the free ride is over now with Dra’kin dead and any future services will be cash in hand.

They discuss further the murders taking place and finally [after DM prodding] determine that the murders are taking place in houses/buildings that are newly constructed, not part of the original town’s construction, wooden.  With the new knowledge of the warded stones and construction it’s not a big leap of deduction to figure out that the wardings are keeping the murderer out.   Which they have determined is possibly Krag in spirit form trying to recover his lost corpse.

They take their findings to the Captain of the watch and lead him to make the deductions on his own.  He takes them to the Council who decrees that it would be prudent for citizen’s that are in new construction to find a place to stay that’s part of the original stone construction.  As the group determines that people aren’t yet for the most part taking the warnings seriously they decide to head out after their air ship after making plans for their assault.

They arrange for passage, their money is rapidly depleting.

Arriving at the island, to everyone’s astonishment their plan works, they get on the island and defeat the forces at the keep which is where we leave them.  They have several hours most likely before someone might question why no one has come down from the keep with the cave trolls but they still have the air ship to repair, the master override amulet to tune and unfortunately Biminey is only one man.

[Note: I had a timeline of the coming's and goings of the forces on the island and by chance or luck they hit the island when it had minimal forces.  Also their plan bypassed the forces on the keep and made what might have been a fight that could have seen the loss of some of the group into a fight that while knuckle biting wasn't white knuckle.  At least yet.  But rather than a fairly large fight they managed to defeat the forces in waves due to their actions and negated some of their firepower by a pretty plan and good reaction to the situation at hand.]

Image Credits

Like

Unlike

Subscribe to the feed – http://www.keyourcars.com/feed/podcast/

Also available through iTunes.

Subscribe to the feed – http://www.keyourcars.com/feed/podcast/

Also available through iTunes.

Like

Unlike

Subscribe to the feed – http://www.keyourcars.com/feed/podcast/

Also available through iTunes.

Like

Unlike

I don’t really have a reason to cut them up at all, my initial thought was release them over time to give people something to look forward to but really the post work necessary means I end up getting each of the sessions cleaned up and have my wife (Elisssa) record the intro that delaying publishing any of them would be pointless.

Honestly who wouldn’t prefer to download the entire Penny Arcade podcasts at one time rather than 30 minutes  a week?

Another reason to keep them chopped in blocks is to make it easier for people to skip ahead without missing a lot.  If they want to jump to the end of the current battle, it’s not a hard thing to do.  If the recrding was 5 hours long with 4 battles in it, then it might be a little more difficult to skip the parts you in particular didn’t want to listen to.

Image Credits

Like

Unlike

Subscribe to the feed – http://www.keyourcars.com/feed/podcast/

Also available through iTunes.

Subscribe to the feed – http://www.keyourcars.com/feed/podcast/

Also available through iTunes.

At any rate the net result is T’Balktu has joined the group.  He’s a younger goliath barbarian.  Think of the goliath in my world more as a Hill People than some half elemental race.  Lots of muscles, outdoor types with a hunger for living as large as their view of the world from atop their mountain fortresses.

He was made in a hurry Saturday and I’ve since cleaned it up a little, swapping a couple of things out that didn’t work for a 2handed great axe wielder.

The end result is a veritable damage machine.  If he crits his Ragestrike power he’ll be doing 60 damage.  Not half bad at all.  And with multiple ways to get temporary hit points he should make up a little for his lower defenses.   With low reflex and willpower he’s going to get whacked a lot by critters that attack those defenses.  And unfortunately as I happen to know, more than one of the bosses of this campaign have powers against those.

Against masses of mobs his total damage output should go through the roof and he should be a minion killer from hell.  An at-will that has a blast 3 component if he hits with it?  I’ll have to seriously ramp up the minion count just to break even.

I’ve started him out with Bleeder, his father’s greataxe, that spurs him onward to greater displays of glory as well as an Ironskin belt made by his grandfather out of materials no one in the family likes to talk about.  And I think he may be a good candidate for the Cape of the Red Path they recently found as mobility for him would be a good thing so he can get to the best position on the field to unleash his burst/blast attacks against swarms of bad guys.

Too bad though about Dra’kin.  But failing 3 out of 4 death saves and the healer failing 2 out of 2 stabilization checks?  His death was meant to be.

But T’Balktu should be able to pick up the slack and then some.  And as a front line striker it should help keep the others alive and in better shape a little more.

Image Credits

Warrick

This was mainly a combat session with two boss battles and was marred by the fatality of one of the group.  I’m not ‘doing’ resurrection in this campaign, so a death is the final curtain, not a revolving door.

We pick up with our heroes after the end of the fight in the Temple with the demonic goddess.  They decided to go try and save Torn by taking a simulcrum to the temple of H’Estar, a goddess of healing, sun and all that.  The temple has been abandoned over time as the area controlled by the hobgoblin hordes to the south have encroached and overrun the area.

Acquiring horses the group heads to the temple where they perform the ritual of healing for Torn, channeling their own life force into the simulacrum they’ve had crafted, the ritual lead by Sushanna, acolyte of the temple of Eris and Biminey’s snuggle bunny.

As the ritual ends the release of magic breaks the illusion that’s been crafted on hobgoblins that are sneaking up on them from four directions. The fight was rough, Stak performing exceptional work thinning the hobgoblin grunts two at a time per round until there were no more, dropping them with a single arrow to a vital location each time.  The remainder dealt with the wardogs, soldiers and the hobgoblin fleshcarver.  The fleshcarver and two other hobgoblins escaped with their lives.

[It was a tough fight - 16 grunts, 5 soldiers, 3 archers, 4 war dogs, 1 fleshcarver, divided up in groups of 4 sets coming in from four different directions. I'm become not a fan of bad guys fighting to the point of stupidity and needlessly sacrificing their lives, at least the bosses of the fight and once the boss breaks and runs there's going to be one or two underlings who are going to see it as their duty to follow after him to keep him safe...]

Unfortunately their healing shortage cost them this time dearly.  Dra’kin, normally safe in the rear, but now up in front due to the four sided attack.  This provided to be ultimately costly to the warlock and left him with his life’s blood draining away on the battlefield at the end of the fight.

[In Dra'kin's defense (and mine), he failed 3 out of 4 death saves while Biminey the best healer in the group, failed two out of two healing checks to try to stabalize him. Apparently the gods of luck, whimsey and statistics wanted him dead.]

At the end of the fight they recovered and performed a second ritual for the simulacrum of Soozin, hoping that it would deal with the parasite lodged in her belly.

They fled home making the trip safely.  There they found Torn recovered, no longer a vegetable although still missing his hand.  Apparently regeneration wasn’t part of the package.  He’s a pit fighter though and while it sucks he can deal.

They find out that there were three days without murders but the last three days there have been a murder a might.

They also found [not sure if anyone actually heard it] that another farming village hasn’t had anyone come into town in awhile which while not unheard of is viewed with suspicion these days.  Maybe it’s nothing, or maybe it’s some evil influence spreading it’s power base.  Who knows?

They contacted Meri and informed her of Dra’kin’s death and told her they had something to give Shuk (the good luck amulet she gave Dra’kin on a braid of Tanner’s hair).  Meri passed on information that an eladrin was in town meeting with strangers in a warehouse in the dock area.

A mercenary showed up at the groups doorstep looking for work, T’Baktu the goliath barbarian.  T’Baktu came into town with the other mercenaries hired by the city but doesn’t really like the mercenary life.  He tried to join the City Watch but the Captain of the watch is suspicous of everything these days and turned him down.  The captain did though point him at our heroic group and offered to pay him gold if he’d spy on the group and inform the captain of their dealings and work.

The group showed up at the warehouse and found it guarded on the outside.  Stak with a bow shot from the gods killed the sentry on the south gate with a single shot through the head.

They crept up to the door and Biminey undid the barring and peeked inside spotting a large group of sailors, bearing tatoos like those they saw on the slaver sailors.

He stepped inside rolling one of his constructs of lightning into the center of the group, killing all six in one shot. [New record by the way].

The rest of the group rushed in and joined the fray.  A group of tougher thugs, two slaver and two bandits were spotted by a set of stairs.  As the screams started a slaver Overmage, and Warrick the leader of the bandits and his shaman stepped out of an office on the second floor.

T’Baktu took several hits in the opening round almost dropping him but he persevered and came back into the fight.  The thugs kept the group occupied while the  overmage, shaman and warrick’s bow decimated their health from above on the walkway connecting two upper level office structures.

Eventually the thugs were dropped as was the shaman.  The overmage descended to lower level to try and get a good usage out of his blast powers but was unable to without hitting his own troops.

Warrick seeing the way the wind was blowing tipped his hat in salute o the other bowman, Stak and fled through the office and up to the roof.  Torel was hot in pursuit but discretion proved the watchword of the day and didn’t follow the leader up to the roof where at least one other thug was on guard duty.

[As it was late and obvious the overmage was going to die I didn't play out the last round or two and just fast forwarded to his demise.]

The group recovered a Trishan Spine Bow from one of the hobgoblin archers and a Cape of the Red Path from the slaver overmage along with some gold  and healing potions.

Image credits

Something wicked this way comes....

Excuse the hiatus, we take one week off out of every four and last week we also had a huge snowfall to contend with that made it dangerous to get together.  With any luck we’ll be playing this weekend.

In  the meantime –

“Councilman with all due respect I believe the idea has merit.  Council Lerik’s idea of locking the 5 of them up for a few days to see if the murders stop will harm no one and it might help uncover the truth.”

“See, even the guard are smart enough to know I’m right Garon.” came the oily voice of Councilor Lerik as he leaned forward, thrusting out a finger to point to the chainmail clad form of Captain Warik, commander of the guard.

The creases of Warik’s eyes bunched slightly and then smoothed out at Lerik’s tone, insulting without giving cause for insult. A skill the man possessed in spades, one that Warik couldn’t help but wish would get the man… hurt.  Not killed, he wasn’t that obnoxious but Warik wouldn’t be unhappy to hear that the councilor had met with some mishap, maybe a broken bone or two.  It would be too much to ask that Lerik became a victim to the person or creature that was killing townsfolk each night.

“Captain! Did you hear me?” Garon asked sharply.

“Sorry sir, something occurred to me about the murders that distracted me.”

Garon shook his head, “I said no we won’t be tossing them in jail.  They’ve done well enough by us.  They chased that creature out of the Eris temple, were captured and almost killed trying to solve our gold thefts, we know more about the murders because of them.  No, they stay free.”

“You realize they ‘found out’ information on the murders because they committed them!” Lerik spat out.

Garon leaned forward, planting his palms on the table, “That’s enough!  I know you have issues with them Lerik.  You have issues with anyone who doesn’t fit your god’s image of the ideal.  Oh I know who or what you worship.  So far your belief’s haven’t interfered with your ability to keep the merchants happy and in line but don’t push things too far.  Without my goods to sell and Teagan’s boats and wagons to ship them you’d be a little unpopular with everyone both merchant and commoner so I suggest you give up this little vendetta you have against these people.”

Lerik dropped back into his chair, mouth open and then a look of furious anger crossed his face.  Without a word he rose and stormed out of the council chamber, Jan, the pretty young woman who’d taken Tanner’s place following after an uncertain pause, tossing an apologetic look around the room.

“What a pleasant individual.” Warick growled.

“That’s enough from you too Captain.  We all need to get along.  I know we’ve had our differences, I know you don’t like the changes we’ve pushed down your throat as it were about hiring outside help, which again doesn’t indicate a lack of confidence in your or the Watch’s ability.  But with the slaver raid, the murders and I know you don’t care to believe in them but of late all the temple priests have spoken of auguries that bad times are coming, very bad times.  Better poorer but prepared.  Perhaps if we’d of had these extra troops then my own… Never mind. As I say we need to get along with him and each other for the protection and benefit of the town.”

Warick nodded curtly, “Aye, I can understand your position Councilor.”

“I hear a but in there but I won’t push it.  Please go on, we’ll go over your report and see if we can make anything out of it.  Do what you can to catch this killer and keep our people safe.”

“Aye, that I can agree with.” Warick saluted the two councilors and their aides and turning on a heel left the room.

Teagan, the eladrin in charge of shipping who up till now had been quiet spoke up, “Berylon would you and Spar be so good as to wait in the other room for a few moments?”

The two aides glanced at each other and Berylon shrugged, “Sure, just summon if you have need.  C’mon Spar.”

After the room was empty and the door closed Teagon leaned back in his chair.  Face calm and impassive, eyes wandering over the decorative carvings in the ceiling of the council chambers he spoke quietly, “You know that one is beginning to overstep his bounds.  His hatred of all non-humans is affecting his dealings with me. I know he’ll be dead in 20 or 30 years and be out of my hair but it’s going to be a long 30 years at this rate.  Out of curiosity as he’s without heir or acknowledged relation as far as I know who would inherit if something were to happen to our fellow councilman?”

Garon shot a sharp look at the eladrin, “You know the answer to that and I don’t like where that question is going Teagon.”

Teagon flicked his eyes over and gave a miniscule shrug, “I’m not proposing anything Garon.  I’m just noting that the man has a lot of people irritated at him.  And ever since that deal with the slaver, if it was a slaver, he’s gotten a lot worse.  Did you know he’s pushing all the merchants under his control to get rid of their non-human employees?  I also heard that he wants to erect an altar to that banal spiteful god of his.  Yes you humans make up the highest proportion of the cities population but humans versus non-humans you’re in a distinct minority.  It’s irrational hatreds brought upon people by the ideologies of the likes of that one and his ilk that could end up destroying this town much less the slavers or reavers or whatever it is that the priests are warning us is coming.”

Garon suddenly chuckled, “You know that’s the most I think you’ve ever said at one time.  Yes the man was never pleasant and lately he’s turned downright vile, even to his ‘own kind’.  I think though that you overestimate the draw of his beliefs and the power of Bain.  Did you know he already has an altar to his god in a cellar under his home?  Ahh, see, we both have sources of information.  And do you know how many people in his circle of ‘friends’ and acquaintances actually pay homage to his detestable little godling?  Only twelve that I know of.  Twelve followers out of how many people in this town?  Nay he poses no real threat to the security of the town.  And he’s brilliant at keeping the merchants in line, paying their taxes and not overcharging the commoners.”

Teagon’s lips curled up slightly, “I bow before your wisdom then Garon. Perhaps I shall learn somewhat of it during the time you have left on this plane of existence.”

“We live as the gods decree my friend.  Even your longevity might be cut shorter than you’d like as your gods wish. As for myself, I find it pointless to worry about it. Have you come up with anything we can do or have the Watch do to try and protect the people?”

Teagon shook his head, “Without knowing what we’re dealing with there’s little we can do.  Trying to ward every home, building and store against everything would be impossible.  But if we can find the creature’s nature we might be able to come up with something or so my people tell me.”

“The information that the group gave us was of no help?”

“Not really.  Necromatic arts are pretty far reaching.  We need to know the nature of the creature, if we could get something that belonged to it, an article of clothing or better yet flesh or blood then perhaps those skilled in the arts might come up with a way to track it.”

Garon snorted, “Blood? Hells we can’t even find the blood of the victims.”

“A chilling part of the deeds.  Where is the blood going and what is it being used for.  I fear the answer will not be one we wish to know.”

“Undoubtedly. Let’s get them back in here and start going over shipping needs.  The fish are pouring in from the boats and we’re going to have to get more barrels and crates to hold them.  I’d like another five hundred of the stasis crates as well, we should have planned ahead for this just in case.”

The two men, two of the most influential men in the city began studying the piles of documents that detailed the lifeblood of the city of Larkson, the fishing harvest and its dissemination.

Like

Unlike

Subscribe to the feed – http://www.keyourcars.com/feed/podcast/

Also available through iTunes.

Subscribe to the feed – http://www.keyourcars.com/feed/podcast/

Also available through iTunes.

Subscribe to the feed – http://www.keyourcars.com/feed/podcast/

Also available through iTunes.

Subscribe to the feed – http://www.keyourcars.com/feed/podcast/

Also available through iTunes.

“The wardings of that accursed place hold true still.  They sap my powers more than imagined I.”  A second voice was definitely feminine, a caressing shiver of a voice that spoke of silk and whispers and promises of shadows and touch.

The first figure shrugged with a sinuous wave of its body, “I do not know stay shall I.  My freedom is enjoyable.” The figure gestured idly and nearby a man dressed in the uniform of the Larkson Watch drew a knife across his throat, the cut joining many many others on his body.  As the last of his life’s blood fountained as a scarlet ribbon in the air he slumped to the ground.  Only to rise moments later, dead eyes focused on its master.

The feminine voice changed in a flicker turning into a thing of razors and pain, “Mine husband you shall see free or your usefulness is at an end, know this Phy’el Fleshwalker.”

The corpse white skin of the first split open as the second’s words played over it, bloodless flesh gaping open. With no sign of pain upon its face it smiled slightly and nodded, “An it pleases you my queen.”

The voice, once again silken caresses, “Keep up the pressure on the wards.  Use the humans as you can to subvert them.  The Accursed One’s guardians seek to undo our release and attend to them I need.” Wings of green fire erupted from the second’s back and the body elongated.  The grass for yards around wisped into ash as it rose into the air with a lazy beat of her wings.  Hovering for a moment the solid black eyes looked down at him, “And use your command over the dead and flesh to recover Krag’s animus and restore him.  I do not wish my beloved to be deprived of his personal guard.”

Phy’el turned his head to follow the figure, using the heat of it to track it while the eyes of his head, boiled and burst in the first instants of the wings coming out and caressing his body, slowly regenerated. “Some day my queen.  Some day…”

Ranks of motionless figures jerked in unison minutes later as a single cry of raw anger and rage ripped through the air.  With a crook of his finger he summoned one of them to him.

“I hear you’re asking for Shuk.” Dra’kin started as a voice spoke behind him, the staff of wood he was carving slipping out of his hand and rolling across the worktable. He turned to see one of Shuk’s halflings, Keri he was almost sure.

“Yes, I wanted to check on her, it’s been a couple of days since I’ve seen her and I wanted to make sure she’s all right.”

“That’s why she has me.  Me and Meri. To make sure she’s alright. She went up stream with Meri to Forge.”

“Oh?  Why?”  Dra’kin gestured to a nearby chair and sat on the edge of his bed.

Keri shook her head, “Guild business.  I’m sure you understand.”

“When’s she coming back?”

“Guild business.” the halfling thief replied.

“Uh, okay.  When she gets back could you tell her I’d like to see her.”

“I’ll give her the message.”

“Great.  Are you hungry?  My treat. The council came through with a little gold to thank us for our ‘efforts’ in looking into the murders and for driving the creature out of the temple.”

She shook her head, “No thanks, I’ve got to look into some things.  You can’t give people a chance to get momentum or your place in the order of things becomes at risk.”

There was a tap on the door and moments later it opened revealing Torel standing there, “Hey we’re going to go over to… Well hey there.  Meri?  Keri?”

“Keri.  Meri’s with Shuk who’s…” Dra’kin paused as Keri shook her head slightly, “…busy right now.”

“Mi’lady Keri would you care to join us for the evening meal?” Torel asked with a slight bow.

“Thanks but no, I must be off.” she replied.

“Perhaps next time then.”

“Maybe.  Later Dra’kin.” Keri said, flashing him a look, a warning in it.  Torel stood aside to let her leave, coming further into the room.

“So what about you?  Hungry?”

“Sure, let me get my pouch.”

“So what’s up with Shuk?”

Dra’kin grimaced, “Guild business. Don’t think I’m supposed to talk about it.”

Torel shrugged “Okay, just being polite.  We’re going to try some place that Stak found down on the docks.  Swears they have a fish stew to die for.  Personally I think it’s not the stew but the person bringing it that he thinks is to die for.”

Dra’kin rolled his eyes, “Okay I guess.  But if there’s another gods damned drunken brawl this is the last time I’m letting any of you pick a place to eat.”

Torel protested, “Hey those were all Biminey’s fault!  Him and that damn hand of his trying to steal drinks from drunks.”

“I’m just saying, your fault, my fault, nobody’s fault. I have to jump through another window to avoid being thrown through it and I’m going to burn someone’s pubes off.”  Hellfire flickered to life on the finger he was pointing at Torel.  A sympathetic light pulsed in red crystal in a silver mount on his worktable casting a red glow onto the room.

Torel held his hands up with an innocent look, “Hey hey watch that thing!”

Dra’kin closed his fingers into a fist, the action causing the flames to go out, “Just remember what I said.  Now let’s go I’m hungry enough to eat even bad food now.”

Torel clapped him on the shoulder, then pulling his hand back as Dra’kin stopped to look at it. “Right right, the warlock that walks alone. Come one.”

Dra’kin’s eyes narrowed as the avenger of Kord walked ahead of him, a thoughtful look on his face for a moment before clearing.

In the shadows across the street two figures stirred, one stepping out to follow the warlock and avenger down the street, the other slipping away down an alley.

Image Credits

Like

Unlike

[Sorry for the delay on the session report and podcasts.  Busy at home and work and Life intruding and all that.]

This session saw the inclusion of a bard, a gnome by the name of Dash, seeking to record the exploits of the “only known survivors of a slaver kidnapping!!!” who met up with them at their tavern but I get ahead of myself.

Present were Biminey, Dra’kin, Elisssa, Stak, Torel and temporary guest star – Dash.

We start our journey with the quints getting back to town from their voyage down to darkmith.  There’s a lot of questions, answers, no answers and the like going on for the first few hours of the session.  The group discovers that for the last few nights a gruesome murder has taken place.  They’re unable to uncover any pattern to the murders, they seem to be random serial killings.  Each body and most times there were multiples, was dismembered and an odd lack of blood was found at each scene.  No one noticed the murders even though in one case it was performed at a whorehouse with thin walls and crowded clientelle.

They interact with the priests of Eris and the Captain of the Watch as well as the council about their past, present and future activities.

The researchers at Eris have a possible solution for Torn.  An old healing temple, now in Hobgoblin lands might be able to channel healing energies still through a simulacrum back to Torn.  Getting there might be a problem though.

A bloodied woman and child arrive at the town and they witness this and join in on the investigation. They determine that both woman and child have been impacted by arcane/necrotic energies and only after the energies are cleansed at the Eris temple’s circle are they able to get anything more than the White Man from the hysterical woman and catatonic child.  A ritual is performed and the woman reveals that a white figure she remembers it as a skeletal unearthly figure while the child remembers it as a man in white robes entered their village a day earlier and brought the dead to life and had them descend upon the villagers doing horrible things to them.  The two of them were then sent to the town to summon aid.

Unfortunately this information was uncovered after the town watch sent out a squad of men.  Once it was known it was a trap, at least the PC’s beleive it to be one, two additional watch were sent after the first squad to warn them but they had several hours head start and it’s unlikely they’ll catch up in time.

A day passes, the group on watch on the city walls but no ‘army of undead’ shows up.  The captain of the watch sends out two squads of the watch’s elite units although the group tries to persuade him otherwise.

The group determines that the murdered bodies are oddly drained of life energies, even dead flesh has some life to it.

Oddly Dra’kin has a hard time finding his girlfriend Shuk during the initial two days they’re back in town.

Anotehr thing of note is it’s been cloudy for the last 10 days, roughly equal to the time that whatever happened in Darkmith happened.

Two of the group were headed to the Temple of Eris to talk to Sushanna when they met her in the street outside.  The vault doors to the forbidden archives were locked, from the inside and although there were three priests in there no one was answering.  The rest of the group was summoned to investigate adn found the vault door sealed by magic.  While Dash got the door open, a summons was sent to the town watch but with the door opened it revealed a odd arcane circle floating in midair at the bottom of the steps.

The group went down into the forbidden vaults and uncovered a powerful female who summoned deamonic pets through multiple portals floating in air.  She was apparently searching for something as there were scrolls scattered everywhere.

While she kept the group busy with the four deamons and a golem crafted up from scrolls and bits of broken tables and stones she continued her search but as her pets dropped she was forced into the combat.

She fled as the combat turned against her, unable to flee through her own portals as they had grown unstable from the arcanic energies released during the fight she was forced to flee through the streets but was easily able to make her escape.

All in all the 5-6 hour session was split fairly equally between roleplay and fighting. The fight did take longer than I was hoping for, with 6 players at the table and 4 standards, 1 elite and 1 solo it was unfortunately an issue.  But the fight wasn’t geared for minions IMO and frankly this group has multiple minion killer powers so to make it a challenge I’d have to pump up the count.   THere is another fight though where this might apply…

Like

Unlike

Night Sky

Interlude – At Sea

The sound of sobbing drew him to the bow of the boat.  THe moon’s light was dim, hidden behind clouds.  Thank the gods that they were normal clouds, not the swirling banks of dark grey clouds lit from within by green flaring lights that they’d left behind at the ancient city of Darkmith.

Tucked into shadow behind two bales of fishing net, Torel found the girl sitting on the gunwhale, feet up on a bale and clutched to her chest.  She was rocking back and forth crying quietly. If the seas had been any rougher than the millpond it was currently he feared she’d have gone over the edge long ago.

Slowly he eased up to sit next to her, keeping just enough space between them to be able to grab her if she went too far back. “Hey,” he spoke softly, gently,”how’s it going?”

The girl’s muffled voice came softly from where it was buried between her knees. “I don’t want to die.  Things keep happening to me and I think I’m going to die and then other things happen and suddenly I’m not and I’m just so tired of it.  I’ve got this… thing inside me, I saw what it did, I don’t want to …” Her tear covered face looked up at him and she reached out to grab his arm in a grip that would leave a ring of bruises around his forearm. “Swear to me, swear on your life, on everything you hold dear in this world and the next that if this thing in me…if something happens…swear that you’ll end the pain.”

Torel didn’t, couldn’t look away from the fierceness of the girl’s gaze and found himself nodding, “Aye, Soozin.  This I swear on my life and my faith, if it comes to that, I will… stop the pain.”

For several long moments the girl was silent, eyes gazing into those of the holy warrior of Kord then she nodded and said simply, “Thank you.”

He moved closer, then hesitantly put an arm around her shoulders.  She leaned into him and he held her, offering what comfort he could.

They sat in silence that way, the salt taste of the water in the air, the gentle breezes from the south, warm and comforting blowing across the ship with the snap of the sails and the creak of rope and pulleys adding their own melody to the night.  Her tears like small raindrops rolling over his forearm.

Then the girl began to speak, voice calm as she watched the water flow past.  Telling him of her life, of growing up the daughter of a seamtress, her father lost at sea.  Of her hopes at the spring festival of finding someone, of her home and her brother, lost in Darkmith. Of Torn’s caring for her and their plans for the future.

“You said Torn was hurt but that the temple priests were going to fix him.  Was that the truth?”

Torel sighed heavily, “As far as I know little one. The temple has vast stores of knowledge and they seemed hopeful they would be able to find a way to heal him.  His brain was hurt during the attack and that’s the part they aren’t sure about.  I’ve seen those who’ve been damaged in such a fashion and I’ve seen them lay in a deep sleep for weeks and then come out of it.”

“And sometimes they don’t.”

“Aye, sometimes.”

“Thank you for the truth on that.”

“We’ll do everything we can for him, I hope you know the truth in that as well.  It’s only another two days and we should be home.  Gods willing he’ll be up and around and waiting for you.”

“The gods will as they will.  Damned be them all.” she said bitterly looking up at the skies.  “By all… what is that?” she whispered.

His eyes turned up as she gasped. A shadow was crossing through clouds overhead, outlined in green fire, the outline was that of a man but with abnormally long legs and arms and giant tattered shadow wings that beat the clouds into a frenzy at its passing.  Fragments of green fire dripped from those wings like water splattering into a rain puddle and each drop burned a section of the clouds away.  It soared without sound, significantly faster than the ship could sail, moving in a weaving graceful pattern, leaving wispy burned away clouds in its wake. 

Rooted to the spot they watched it, unable to look away as it sailed far ahead of the ship and then with a swirling loop it turned inland and vanished in the distance.

A deep terror filled the girl’s eyes as they shook off the spell.  “Do you…?”

Torel shook his head slowly, “No.  But I fear by all that I know that this does bodes dreadful ill for the future.  I fear those meddling fools may have doomed us all with what they’ve unleashed.”

He stood, helping the girl to her feet, “Come we must tell the others of this.”

Source Image

Biminey exits the temple of the Artificers with the knowledge that he can get the group into the grounds without being attacked by making amulets for them that are essentially visitor’s passes to coin an anachronistic term.  He’s also found reference to the rituals and methods needed to repair the elemental ship as well as reference to override controller amulets, a kind of master key, that can be attuned to an airship for the purposes of controlling it much like the original 6 amulets were created during it’s construction.

The group enters the temple grounds and are ignored by the constructs which are going about their programmed business of fighting delaying tactics against the wear and tear of time. Many constructs stand or lie broken and worn out. Bolter turrets mounted in certain areas spark and crackle, malfunctioning while others turn to follow the groups movements.

Down a long flight of stairs they find the outer vault chamber.  The outer door is standing ajar, the inner door is sealed tight.  The sinking of the city into the swamp though, has destroyed part of the wall and there is enough room for the group to squeeze through.

They drop down into a series of hallways, lit by light crystals, panels roughly 4′ x 4′ that are inset into the walls.  The flooring is covered in 6″ of water.  As Elissa steps into one of the three hallways leading out the wall crystals start a slow pulse.   When Torel tries to follow the lights start a rapid pulsing and there’s the sound of metal on metal as doors start to go up around the complex.

Constructs start to appear, some spider like with nozzles for mouths that fire sticky webbing, others childlike in size with razored claws and containers of some fluid that lead to large needles embedded into their palms.  The creatures show up scattered out over the course of several rounds though and with the use of corners to prevent being surrounded, focus fire and especially the use of Elisssa’s lighting based breath, Stak’s Azurian longsword which deals lightning damage and Biminey’s Lightning Sphere the constructs are taken down without any of the party going down.

[DM's Note: It hit me after the session that Dra'kin should really be up in front soaking damage.  He has hit points as high as any of the group, a huge number of surges and Hellish Rebuke requires him to get hit to be truly effective. ]

The group investigates the area after the fight, finding mostly decayed and destroyed by damp furnishings, equipment and miscellaneous items.  Dra’kin is blasted by bolter fire as he steps up to open a locked door but the two wall mounted bolters inside are swiftly destroyed.  The room appears to have once held racks of some objects, long gone at this point and was apparently important enough to have secondary defenses with the bolters mounted up on the walls inside.

Down one hallway they discover the end of it has broken apart and light is gleaming from under the water.  As they move closer to look it over, the vines and mosses that have invaded in from the swamp come to live and stand up.  It shoots a cloud of spores that catch the entire party and they all rush forward in fascination to end adjacent to the creature.  Thorny vines swarm up their bodies against the party, all hit with only Dra’kin avoiding the vines as he shakes off the fascination.  Hollow pointed thorns on the vines plunge into their bodies, restraining them and draining them of blood.  [Fairly nasty creature I came up with.  Burst 6 pull as a minor then burst 3 that restrains and inflicts 10 ongoing damage (save ends) which is why I only had the one creature in this fight.  I also had three 20's in a row during this fight.  Unfortunately for me the 20's didn't actually do anything extra as it was just to apply the ongoing 10 and restrain effects.  Damnit.]

They uncover a way through the broken earth and stone and emerge into a vast chamber piled high with crates, timbers and building materials.  Naturally suspicious they use Dra’kin’s familiar to scout the area spotting a large form lying in wait behind a pile of crates.  They move to attack and as they do so there’s a roar of another creature on the far side of the chamber.

Two dragonlike constructs although without wings are enjoined in the fight.  Over the course of the fight two more constructs, comprised of chains and spikes drop into view from above.  Again the party’s tactics have improved and they focus their anger and damage onto single targets for the most part although twice they bunch up nicely and are subject to burst attacks that catch more than one person at a time.  Their sound fire control and especially the lightning damage pull it out although once or twice someone in the party goes down but is brought back up again to re-enter the fray.

During the fight a large quake throws everyone to the ground and the roof high overhead splits open, it was designed to do that so the elemental ships could be lowered into it but the holding mechanism fractures and it opens up partially.

They search the area and uncover two small containers of residium worth 10,000 gold, a master override amulet and enough specialized artificer gear to proceed with the repair and control of the air ship. They also see on a magical map a green dot among many red ones that appears to be nearing the coast line before it gives up the ghost destroyed by the quake.

The exit the chamber by climbing up through the roof [They didn't check but if they had they would have found the water passage now blocked from the quake]

Outside they find the temple structures had suffered serious damage and the constructs are too busy repairing to pay them any attention even if they were so inclined.

Overhead the clouds are boiling, a vicious greenish black tinge to them that cast the city into dark shadow although miles away the skies are clear.  Their first though is that the priests of Eris have breached the tomb of Larkson.  Dra’kin and Biminey both note that a subtle arcanic pressure over the city is now gone.

Rather than resting to recover, their recent activities have left them tired and worn out, they proceed to head to the coastline at the fastest possible route which is through the city.   The city creatures seem to have their hands full and they’re unaccosted.

Hearing the sounds of hunting hounds they swing to the side to investigate and find Merik (Merkin) treed up on top of a pillar while savage dog like creatures snarl and bite from below.   The party is detected and the hounds vanish into the rubble.  The high priest falls, impaling himself on a fence that surrounds the pillar.  The party arrives just in time to read his lips as he dies, “I didn’t know… gods forgive…”

They search him claiming a crystalline fragment on an amulet around his neck and continue their mad dash to the coast.

Passing through what they thought was merely an overgrown plaza turns out to be instead a grave.  One of the tomb doors shatters exploding and a giant abomination of a creature climbs out.  Standing 12′ tall, its guts hang out, wrapping around his torso, writhing like snakes.  It is Krag the Butcher, storied creature of a dark past.  It spies the party and calls forth its minions which claw their way from not so warded anymore imprisonment and the attack is on.

Stak does a good job of keeping the minions cleared out as they arrive in waves as they make their way up through the earth covering them while the rest pound on Krag. It’s a tough fight but they eventually put him down, even as Torel lies dying on the ground and Biminey after being encased in Krag’s grasping intestines is only released shy of death at the creature’s being killed.

Or so they thought as Krag rises again.  With the most wounded scrambling away, the rest continue to batter the abomination into the ground, this time spending the time and effort it takes to dismember the corpse before they consider it dead.

Almost dead from exhaustion and the toll of being on the go, fighting, sneaking and moving quickly for 24 hours they climb into the vacant tomb of Krag and rest while Stak stands watch.

They recover Krag’s Blood Sink Bracers and his Flensing Axe from the body and tomb.

[They were almost completely out of surges across the party, most were down below half health and of course their dailies were long spent.  All in all I think I got this balance of fight series just about perfect.  See the end of the post for the Blood Sink bracers]

They continue their cautious rush through the city to reach the beach.  There they find three men, emissaries of the slavers, waiting with what turned out to be Soozin.  The elemental ship is in tow on two ships and is disapearing on the horizon.  A third smaller ship lies in the harbor while a ship’s boat is on the beach.

The slavers want knowledge of how to control the elemental ship and they offer Biminey a kings ransom in gold, slaves and power if he has the knowledge and gives it to them.  They believe they will be able to figure it out eventually but they’re not patient men.

During the discourse the emissary which turns out to be nothing more than a slave dressed in finery arranges a deal with the group, one of the options he was given to offer is if Biminey doesn’t know how to control the ship, if they uncover it and provide the deal will still stand.   Biminey though has already told them he knows how to do it.  The slave has heard their plans and realizes that most scenarios end with him dead so he counteroffers.  He’ll go back and tell the Overmage on the ship that Biminey doesn’t know yet and will work on it but, and he indicates the two guards which are actually just ship’s cooks, he can’t afford witnesses.  Without a second thought, Biminey and Elisssa fry the two where they stand using his Lightning Sphere and her breath weapon.

The slave hands over a bottle, instructing them that Soozin has to have one drop in water a day or she’ll die. In comes out that he as well has been ‘infected’.

[They assume the girl has been poisoned but it's nastier than that.  They've both been infested with a parasite that's kept dormant by the liquid.  If it wakens it spawns immediately and hundreds of it's spawn burrow their way out of the host over the course of a few of the most painful agonizing last minutes of your life.  This will come out as they talk to Soozin on the trip home.]

The slave rows back to the ship and the group sets off overland, following the coast where they come across the ship that brought The priests of Eris to the area.  They arrange a deal to go back to the city on the boat and learn some boating skills of their own along the way.

Podcast should go out this week sometime.

Modified Image created by me from this one

Subscribe to the feed – http://www.keyourcars.com/feed/podcast/

Also available through iTunes.

Subscribe to the feed – http://www.keyourcars.com/feed/podcast/

Also available through iTunes.

Subscribe to the feed – http://www.keyourcars.com/feed/podcast/

Also available through iTunes.

Familiar's Eye view of the temple

Interlude – Temple of Artificers

Biminey looked up, cocking his head.  The sound came again, the voice of one of Torel calling from outside the complex.  He put down the scroll he was reading and removed the glasses.  Rubbing his forehead he waited for the headache to go away making yet another mental note to work on the plan for the translation goggles, one that wouldn’t leave him feeling like a foot long spike was being shoved through his head each time he took them off after using them for more than a few minutes.

But without them the scrolls would be nothing more than scribbles and strange alphabets. He tossed the scroll into his pack where it joined a growing selection.  The ancient outbuildings of the temple of artificers had proven to be a wealth of information of curious natures of his craft.  Reluctantly he’d marked several an collected them but had no plans for taking them.  There was only so much space in his pack after all.

Head only pounding now rather than splitting he went outside, grabbing a silvered spear he’d found next to a jumble of parts that had once been one of the spear constructs.  Night had fallen while he was reading and the moon shone down giving the courtyard a silvery blue tint.   He headed to the gate, his feet making soft noises on the heavy stone tiles filling the inside of the temple walls.

“What?  I didn’t catch that?” he yelled over the wall.

Torel’s voice came back, “Just checking on you, we’ve found a good place to set up, it’s about 50 yards south, southwest of the gate.  Some walls are still standing and give us some concealment but we can still keep an eye on the gate.”

“Great, I’ll find a place in here to get some rest and keep at it!  There’s a lot of information here to go through but I’ve found a building that holds a lot of rituals and knowledge that seems to be specifically with the air ships!”

“Fantastic!  Okay scream if you run into a problem and we’ll stand here and mourn you appropriately.”

“What a friend you are!” Biminey called back laughing.

“Get to work!  It’s cold out here!  And there are dark priests!”

“Riiiiight!”

The artificer went back in, the building he was currently rummaging through looked very promising as many of the scrolls held illustrations of various ships and ship components. With a sigh at the upcoming pain, he slipped the glasses back on and continued his search.  The hours came and went as he scanned scroll after scroll, the building headache looming larger and larger.

Finally he found it, a set of scrolls outlining how to make field repairs to elemental ships and another set that outlined the control mechanisms.  He scooped them all up, hugging them to his chest before storing them carefully into his pack, pulling out several of the others that he’d collected to make room.

Even tensing in anticipation did nothing to prepare him for the shattering white pain that ripped through his head as he removed the glasses and he was literally driven to his knees by the pain.  As darkness took him, he though, “Perhaps I won’t wear them so long next time.”

Sun was shining through the windows as he woke up, groggy and disoriented and for a few moments unaware of where he was.  Panic set in momentarily before the memories came crashing back.   His head was pounding still and it was the work of several minutes before he was able to climb to his feet. And several minutes longer before he realized that the sun was slanting in from the wrong direction.  It was almost evening again with morning come and gone.

“Biminey!?  HEY!!!” called an urgent voice from outside.

He stumbled out, pausing to lean against the door frame.  It took a couple of tries before his voice worked and then he replied, “I’m okay!”

“Baphomat wept!  For the gods sake man, we’ve been calling all day!  Dra’kin lost his little eye familiar trying to see inside and we didn’t know if you were alive or dead!” It was Elisssa’s voice that came back.

“I’m alive!  Mostly! Over did it a little and… never mind!  I’m okay!”

“Don’t worry us like that! Did you find anything!?”

“Right, found something.”  He remembered now what he’d been reading right before he’d dropped and his eyes widened, “Found something?!  I found EXACTLY what we needed!  Let me collect my stuff and I’ll figure out a way to get out of here.”

Gear in hand he headed toward the gate, a panel on the wall inside that he’d seen earlier glowed with a soft pale light much like the light of the crystalline windows of the tower on the island, the gleaming controls of the air ship and the crystal plaque near the tomb of Larkson.  At his command his familiar emerged from from a pouch at his waist and he picked it up and placed it on the panel.  The massive gate slowly began to shift open and he walked through it.

His friends stood just out of range of the guardian bolters atop the walls and waited for him.  Biminey held up his pack, “Got what we need, well I know what we need to do and where we need to find it.”

“Great, where to?”

“First I need to make you some passes that will get you into the grounds.  I found the ritual on how to make a amulet that will get you into the grounds without triggering the defense systems.”

Dra’kin spoke slowly, “And why do we need to get into the temple?”

“Because we’re going to raid the vaults under it of course.”

“Raid the vaults… say that again?”

“I found scrolls that tell me how to repair the damage done to the ship at least enough to get it moving again.  For that I’m going to need residium.  An ass load of residium.  And I’m betting we can find it in the residium vaults under the temple.  We’re also going to need an override amulet of control.  These are also stored for safekeeping in the vaults under the temple.”

“What’s that do?” Stak asked.

“With that I’ll be able to direct the elementals powering the airship and we’ll be able to fly that bad boy anywhere we want.  We’ll be gods damned kings of the world with that thing under our control.”

“Riiiiight…” Torel said rolling his eyes. “Until someone steals it.”

“Or sets it on fire with arrows.” Elisssa chimed in.

“Or he crashes it into a tower.” Stak added.

“Or a….” Dra’kin started to say.

“Enough! I get the point.”  Biminey int erupted wryly.

Elisssa snorted, “Someone has to keep you down to earth. So we just waltz down to the vaults, grab what we need and we’re off to save our ship.  The ship we don’t know where it is?”

“Exactly.  Well maybe not quite that… easily.”

Torel sighed, “So what are we looking at?”

“The amulets I can make should get…”

“Should?!” Dra’kin sputtered.

Biminey continued on, “should get you all onto the grounds and into the main temple.  In there we’ll find an entrance that leads down to the vault.  I should…”

“There’s that word again…And by the way I need a new eye construct.”

“I should be able to get us through that door without a problem.”

Stak asked, “But?”

“The vaults probably have a few safe guards on them.  You know to keep people from doing what we’re wanting to do.  On the plus side, the place is falling apart. There are bits and pieces of constructs laying all over the place where they just gave out.  The nine spearmen that came out?  Those are probably the last working ones.  I got this spear from a pile of parts just inside the door.”

Torel held up a hand and started checking off fingers, “So, just to sum up, you get us into the temple maybe.  We find the entrance to these vaults. We fight our way past guardians, traps and whatever else they might throw on the pile.  That may or may not be working.  We break into the vaults. Damn ran out of fingers. Steal the temple’s loot.  Figure out where our ship is.  Go get it from whoever took it.  Fix it.  And then you pilot us out home again.  Where the city council is probably dying to try and take it away from us not to mention everyone else with a sword and a desire for the power such a ship would give them.”

Biminey grinned, “Yep, that about covers it.  So.  Are you in?”

Torel grinned back, “Of course.”

Image Credits

Like

Unlike

They can tell they’re traveling through town, their own obviously as there are none close enough for their travel time. Then the wagons stop moving and there are a couple of thuds, the wagons shake a bit and next thing they know they’re being released from their captivity by Meri (or is it Keri?) along with some of Shuk’s thugs.  One of the thugs drops a bundle of weapons, maces, longswords and hand bows and the group arms itself.  They’re weakened by their captivity and their first response is to go back to their inn where they raid the kitchen.

While they’re eating one of Shuk’s people comes looking for Shuk and passes on the information that “I seen four men go into the house where yer friend Torn is living with that girl of his.  Shuk asked us to keep an eye on him.  Three of them was sailors I think the other one had chain on…”

The group rushes off to help their friend.  They get to the boarding house to find an elderly woman dead on the bottom floor, apparently in the middle of cooking breads for the day’s meals.  They ease upstairs where they find several empty rooms, one body and then the room of their friend.

A warding of Silence has been chalked on the door as determined by Dra’kin.  He broke the warding and it released its energies in a psychic blast that encompassed most of the group.

Inside there’s been a big battle, three men, sailors by their look lie dead, cut up on the floor.  Torn is in a heap in one corner of the room, his left hand and part of his forearm missing.  Left for dead he apparently managed to loop a thong over the stump before he bled out completely and is unconcious but alive.  His head took a grevious blow though and it doesn’t look good for him.

Biminey healed him enough to stablize him and stop the bleeding.  They noticed the bed sheets were missing and bloody handprints leading out the window.

Leaving by the window they followed the trail around the balcony that ran around the upper story and into an alley way behind.  Signs indicate that someone dropped a body from the upper floor but that it was probably still alive at that time.  The fourth attack is presumed wounded as he or she is leaving bloody hand prints and a blood trail.

The trail heads downhill through the town and the group heads for the docks, they believe they know who it is, someone from the trade ship, slavers they think at the docks.

They’re stopped by a strange figure, a unusually non-descript looking person but as he smiles he reveals a mouth of teeth filed into points. He let’s them know he’s glad he’s found them and whistles for reinforcements. Elisssa believes that he may be concealed by illusion as to his real appearance and several people note a goblin like cadence to his bad Common.   Meri and Keri, show up at this time dropping from the roofs on either side, apparently they’d been tracking this gentleman.   Meri tells the gentleman that they don’t approve of ‘outside contractors’ and tells the group to go on, they’ll deal with this one.  The group is happy enough to bail, they’re trying to save Soozin.   They catch a glimpse of the figure shimmer then vanish from sight as they’re taking a side street.

As they get to the docks they’re spotted and multiple figures leap off the ship and combat is initated.  The overmage on the ship drops a capture net of magical energies over them as the ship’s forces charge to attack.

The battle is harsh and the group wins but the ship makes it escape.  Part way through the fight they hear a large force of armed men approaching from the city, assuming correctly that it’s watch.

The watch shows up and Tanner, Lerik’s flunky appears from the shadows and speaks to the captain of the watch telling him that the group had killed several people in a nearby warehouse and when they were heard the ship had sent people to investigate andt he party had killed them as well as he can plainly see.  It appeared to the group that Tanner was unusually convincing in his speech.

The party was arrested and tossed into the slam.  The next day Shuk shows up to hear their side of the story.  She arranges for better food and creature comforts with the jailor and leaves.  Another day passes and she shows up again to inform the group that their accuser has ‘apparently left town.’  *wink wink* and tosses Dra’kin an amulet on a braid of yellow hair.  Tanner had yellow hair of the same hue…

The group is informed they’re going to be put to the question, a ritual of Truth and will be asked questions to either prove their innocence or guilt.

They’re moved to the Temple of Eris where they’re subjected to the ritual.  Garon and Teagan ask their questions which prove their inocence more or less.  Lerik though asks if they’ve ever ridden in an airship which they of course have to answer yes.

There’s a bit of an uproar as Lerik is deviating from the program but eventually the group is free’d and allowed to collect their belongings.  They also claim right of victory over the trader ship crew for their gear which they do get.

Biminey agrees to the Ritual of Remembrance for the high priest of Eris and describes the tomb of Larkson and it’s immediate surroundings in vivid detail, every word and description taken down by scribes.

The high priest asks if the group would be ameniable to taking a group of scribes to the tomb.  Biminey puts him off saying he’ll need to talk to the others.

They work out a plan to do so since they’re going that way anyway but by the time they get back to the high priest he’s unavailable.  They wait a day, making preperations, then go back and he’s still unavailable.  Biminey thinks to ask Sushanna and finds out the high priest left with several other priests.

They’ve arranged travel on a small coastal ship and also find out that another ship left that morning with some scribey types on it.

Travel down the coast is mostly uneventful but as they near Darkmouth they’re beset upon by a ship similar in build to the one at the docks only bigger.  They turn to shore where they’re dropped off in boat and their ship beats a hasty retreat before the slave ship.

They work their way through the dangers of the fire swamps and make it to the city (failing my system for abstract combat horribly).  They move inland following the maps that Biminey had uncovered from the scrolls that the little thieves had stolen for him from the forbidden scroll room.  They’re heading for the Temple of Artifice as depicted on their map.

As they made their way they note that the airship is no longer near the top of the tower where they’d left it.  Acting on the assumption there’s no point in going after it if they can’t drive it they continue on to the temple.

They find the temple in an area that’s otherwise mostly destroyed but the temple though is still in good repair.  Dra’kin familiar is sent to investigate and is shot at by guardian constructs like the ones they fought back on the island where they got their airship to begin with. They attack it from extreme range and silver spearman come from the temple but as they stop attacking they don’t pursue the party.  Screwing up his courage Biminey moves closer his mechanical hand out in front.  As something seems to happen he  then approaches the temple.  As he’s looking for a way in the silver spearmen are recalled and he slips through the gate as it opens.

Inside he finds multiple buildings, some holding archives of knowledge, others workshops of artificing.  Constructs roam the grounds, fixing, repairing and guarding the temple.

Through the complicated method of yelling they communicate with each other as to what’s going on and the other four of the group find a semi-sheltered location where they can watch the gate and have some concealment and protection from the elements.

Image Credits

Dragonborn with Maul

“You smell that?  What’s that remind you of?  Smells like… snake.” a harsh voice cut through the evening air.

“Hells no Marti, it’s something with scales alright but I’d say it’s more like dead rottin’ fish.” a sardonic voice replied loudly.

Elisssa shook her head slightly. On the whole living in Larkson was enjoyable but of late the Bain followers seemed to be getting more overt about their humanistic beliefs.

“Oh yeah Jakia, fish might be right. Something smells fishier than an unwashed doxie’s crotch.”

Elisssa snapped over her shoulder without slowing, “Don’t badmouth your birthplace, you’ll make your mom cry.”

There was a startled silence and then, “What the fuck?!  What did you say?”

Elisssa sighed, turning as she heard footsteps hurrying toward her.  Two humans were moving toward her from the mouth of an alley.  The one in front of medium build, hair tied back with dirty blue rag, the other one stockier with broad muscled shoulders.  Thugs the both of them was her first impression.

“Snake bitch you want to be repeating that?  I don’t think I heard you right.”

The stockier one spoke, “Marti, I done think she called your mom a whore.”

The other thug snapped his hand sideways and a iron club grew out of it, fashioned of linked steel piping. “Whore she may have been but she was human and no fuckin’ snake bad mouths a human.”

Jakia’s hands disappeared into his tunic coming back into sight with small metal cylinders that snapped open with a jerk of his hands into twin clubs. “Snake gotta know it’s place Marti and that’s down in the dirt on it’s belly.  You want to get yourself down and apologize now snake bitch and we might let you walk away in one piece.”

Elisssa heaved a deep sigh, sending a mental plea to her goddess, the mother of her race for the strength to not kill the fools in front her.  She eyed the approaching men, slowly counting to five to calm the heat that roiled just below her surface.  ”We can do this hard or easy.  Easy is we both go our separate ways now, no harm no foul.”

“Oh I think you like it hard there snake bitch.  How’s about we give you the hard way.” Jakai leered, holding one of the clubs suggestively at his crotch.  ”This ain’t nothing to what I got for you.”

Elisssa felt her thoughts bubble toward rage and opened her mouth, lightnings playing off her teeth as her inner energies began to race.  With a new found trick she snapped her own hand out and there was a sound of ripping leather ties as Rock Crusher leapt into her hand, the red runes on the flawless black iron maul’s head glowing with a dim light.

“You sure you want hard fuck face?” she snapped, lighting arcing from her teeth onto the maul.  ”You really really don’t want to fucking push me….”

The two thugs faces tightened and they started to spread apart in the street when a voice, tone casual, almost bored spoke, “Hey girl, who are your friends?”

All three of them glanced sideways to see another human coming out of a doorway, dressed in the red trimmed chain and leather of the city watch, the hilts of two swords rising up behind his shoulders and a long bladed knife on each hip.  He leaned against the door frame, cold green eyes boring into those of the two men. His arms were scarred with the reminders of over thirty fights in the pits and a jagged slash rand down his face.  The savage scarring detracting little from his otherwise good looks.

“Hey Torn, I see that the watch took you in.” Elisssa said, after the first glance she’d returned her gaze back to the men.

“Yeah, wasn’t hard, Hells if you defeat all their trainers in one go, they even make you a officer and put you in charge of shit.”

“You sidin’ with the snake?” Marti spat out.

Torn stepped forward, with a blurred motion and rasp of metal on metal he held a short sword in each hand.  The one in the right of arctic blued steel, the razor-ed edge crackling with lightnings identical to those dancing over the great maul in Elisssa’s hands.

“No, I’m siding with my friend.  Now get the hells out here before I have to call a corpse cart.  I hate the paperwork and reports I have to give when I have to do that. Just the thought of it really pisses me off.”

The two men glanced at each other then glared at the dragonborn and the veteran pitfighter. “We’re going. The stink here is about to make me vomit anyway.” Marti growled out.  He jabbed a club at Elisssa, “Just a little advice snake, mind your manners next time a human talks to you. There’s bad things other than snakes sometimes in the dark, you might just run into them.”

The two men turned and stalked away, Elisssa and Torn watching them go.

“What was that about?” Torn asked, sheathing his swords in a smooth crisscrossing of his arms.

Elisssa shrugged, “Bain followers I think.”

“Bain?”

“Pissy little god that thinks humans should rule the world and everyone else should be dead, pets or unpaid help.”

“And here I thought you had such a nice little town.”

Elisssa snorted, the remnants of lightning flaring out to light the minuscule blue tinted scales of her face, “They’re nothing, just some lowlives that need someone to blame for their shit.”

“Seemed rather more than nothing.”

“Nothing to worry about, all talk, they’d of threatened, I’d of warned them off and life would have gone on.  How’s Soozin?”

“Don’t think I don’t know you’re changing the subject El.  She’s fine, I got her a little room over on the east side of town, as a watch leader I get a house allowance and the gold that Torel loaned me she’s not going to need to work for awhile and I’ll start getting a pay sack in a week or two.”

“And how are the two of you doing?”  Elisssa chuckled as a rose of color bloomed on the fighter’s cheeks.

“Wha…what do you mean?”

She reached out and clasped his shoulder, “I may have scales and breath lightning balls dear friend but once you get past that I’m still a woman.  I see the way she looks at you and you her.”

Torn grinned, “I guess we’re going okay.  I was going to wait till you guys get back from that job you’re doing for the Council but I might as well tell you now . We’re going to have a binding ceremony next month after I get a little more gold saved up and I want you all to stand Witness for us.”

“I’d be honored Torn.” she replied leaning forward to brush his cheek with a kiss and give him a hug. “And the others will too or they’ll answer to me.”

“Such a fierce one you are Elisssa!”

Elisssa’s belling peel of laughter rang out through the darkening street, “Come and we’ll tell them now, we’re meeting now at our inn to discuss our trip.”

“I cannot,duty calls El. But look me up when you get back and we’ll make arrangements.”

“The gods themselves couldn’t stop me.  I’ll see you in a few days friend.  Take care of the little one.”

“With my life, El, with my life and more.”

With a final clasp of forearms they split up, the dragonborn warden heading north to meet with her companions…

Image Credits

Like

Unlike

• Biminey’s Static Shock – Range has been changed to 5/10 instead of 5.   This gives him a little more reach (out to 10) at the expense of a negative to hit (-2) at the longer range.  When using it at a range of 5 or less it’s the same spell. Power up.
• Biminey’s Healing Infusion – Modified it as such “You or ally in burst regains hit points equal to their surge plus Int Modifier(+5).” This switches it from surge + wisdom mod.  Since the artificer is an int based class, basing their healing on at best a tertiary stat seems off and as the only healer the party needs the boost. Especially with me at the encounter design side of things.
• Stak’s Ferret An Opening is modified to read as such – “Gain Combat advantage against one adjacent target until the end of your turn.”  The original required you to first have combat advantage which then carried over to your next turn even if your co-flanker moved away.  Since that rarely happens I did away with the requirement and it now gives you CA against one target for your current turn.  Same power output, easier to use.  Power up.
• Stak’s Leonine Surge – Removed the dick you clause “If you miss with both attacks you grant CA to all enemies until the start of your next turn.”  When you compare this power against Two-Fang Strike that clause makes the power come up short.  Leonine surge was “Two attacks.  If both hit, deal +2 damage and knock the target prone.”  Two Fang Strike is “Two attacks.  If both hit, deal +Wisdom damage.”   While knocking a target prone is fairly powerful (move action to stand, grants CA while down), it’s not worth the you grant CA to everyone on the battlefield for a full round by any stretch of my imagination.
• Torel’s Oath of Enmity power now reads “When you make a melee attack against your oath target, make two attack rolls and use either one.”  This is a changed from the original removing the requirement which said that your oath target also had to be the only target adjacent to you. Rationale: Less complex situation to use.  Power up.
• Torel’s Deflecting Thunder now reads “Until the end of your next turn the next melee or ranged attack against you instead targets an adjacent enemy to you.”  This removes the exclusion that you couldn’t deflect an attack back on the person attacking you.  Didn’t see any reason for the clause other than that makes it a Reflecting Thunder rather than Deflecting Thunder.  And frankly since Torel’s never gotten this power to work…  Power up.
• Dra’Kin’s Flames of Phlegothos – Added the following:  “Miss: Half Damage”.  It’s one of a limited number of daily powers that either doesn’t have the Reliable keyword or a half damage on miss or some other guaranteed effect.  These are typically because they deal higher than normal damage but with the second gen classes out this is showing its age hence the modification. Because it’s such a high damage spell, half damage is the smaller power boost over Reliable so I went that way with it. Frankly missing with a daily sucks ass  and suckage should be kept at a minimum.  Power Up
• Dra’Kin’s Eldritch Blast – Modified the range to a 10/20 from a 10.  Increased range at the expense of accuracy.  Although the ‘conlock’ has more hit points than anyone he has less defense than most and as a result I think a little more range helps the character.  And a caster based striker with no ranged attack over 10 seems silly. Power Up.

Elisssa didn’t have any powers that I felt were in need of tweaking, the Defender is a solid second generation class and the power’s she’s chosen so far are all right in line with what they should be.

Image Credits

Like

Unlike

Keri, or is it Meri?

Dra’kin leaned back on the lavender scented down pillow, the better to enjoy the view as his lover, Shuk continued stretching her body into positions that looked impossible for her.  Born of human and orc she favored her human half more but still dense thick muscles covered her lithe frame, the skin a polished white jade rippling and flexing as the woman moved slowly and smoothly through a series of stretches and slow motion maneuvers.

Shuk paused, body frozen in place and she glanced through the strands of her brown hair, glinting with green highlights. “Love, best tell your familiar to stop staring at me or you’re going to need to get another one.”  The wicked looking dagger in left hand spun around her fingers sending sparkles of red light through the air in counterpoint to her threat.

Dra’kin, eyes rolling, exerted his will upon the hovering eye in the corner of the room sending it zooming down to disappear into his carefully folded clothing. “You know it’s just attracted by the motion Shukie.”

“Don’t care dear, I don’t like things staring at me when I work out.”

“So I should close my eyes?”

Body folded down her head turned to look at him from roughly around her knee, the position showing off her curves to excellent advantage. A slow smile spread, her elongated canines gradually showing, “Not if it has that reaction that I see it has.  Or is that your knee under the sheet.” she said with smirk.  She unfolded with a sinuous snap and somehow ended up on the bed standing over him.  “Now then… Let’s see if we can’t find another way to pass the time…”

Sometime later, the warlock was dozing and only partially registered the sound of someone clearing their throat.   The impact of the floor as he was violently shoved sideways out of the bed though woke him up quite effectively.   Naked he rolled sideways, hellfire blooming on his hands to end in a crouch in the corner of the room.  The flickering red glow highlighted the innocent face of Keri, one of Shuk’s lieutenants, one of a pair, twin halfings. On the far side of the bed, Shuk slowly rose from a crouch, a long jagged edge blade in one hand, the red flecked bade of Ravager in the other.

Keri whistled appreciatively as she glanced between them, “I see that what they say about the size of a warlock’s staff is true.”

Dra’kin stood, letting the flames flicker and die, “I don’t use a staff.”

“Exactly. You don’t have anything to compensate for obviously.”

“Keri, I thought we talked about this?”

The halfling pasted a contrite look on her face. “I know ‘mom’ but you had that new lock and warding put on your door and you know I can’t resist a challenge.”

Shuk sighed, “Obviously I was grossly overcharged, I should have been warned someone was trying to bypass the protections at the very least.”

Kery grinned, “Oh you got your money’s worth cutie.  I wouldn’t worry about it.  There aren’t many, alright, any as good as me at getting past wards don’t want me to.”

“What are you doing here Keri?  Anything wrong?”

“Your boytoy asked me to get some information for him, I have it.”

Dra’kin spoke, his voice muffled briefly by the tunic he was pulling over his head, “I said bring it by this evening at the tavern.”  He sat on the edge of the bed to pull on his boots.

“Hate to break it to you hottie but it’s evening now.  You must of really been working overtime. Did you do that thing I told you about, where you put your…” Keri dropped to the floor as a throwing spike whiffed through the air where her head had been moments before.

“That’s enough Keri.” Shuk said calmly replacing the spike in the strap on her forearm with another from a box on the dresser by the bed.

“You never complained when I did…” Keri’s voice trailed off as the golden green eyes of her boss caught her’s.  Shuk had her scary face on, eyes and face calm and showing no emotion what so ever.  The same face she wore as she persuaded someone slow to pay their loan that prompt payment left everyone happy.  The same face she wore as she took a lead weighted club to someone who thought they could refuse to pay their loans.  And the little rogue was sure it was the same face she’d worn as she gutted the man who’d held her job at one time and thought he and his seconds could take advantage of the young half orc female newly joined to the night guild.

Dra’kin stepped over and kissed the most deadly woman in town on the neck, “See you later Shuk, I need to catch up with friends.” He ran a hand down her jaw in a caress and with a thought his familiar settled down on his shoulder, the dangling wires from the mechanical construct that Biminey had constructed for him wrapping around his neck like some odd necklace or collar.

“Later cutie, I’ll see you later then.” Keri said with a suggestive waggle of her eyebrows.

As the door closed on Dra’kin, the corner’s of Shuk’s mouth twitched and she couldn’t help but smile, the cheerfulness of the haling infectious.  It was one of the reasons they’d shared a bed for awhile when Shuk was feeling the pressure of her step up from apprentice to leader of the guild.  She shook her head as Keri bounced up on the bed. “So what did you find out about the ship?”

Keri grimaced, “Not much.  Gonna need Meri on this one. I can take care of the wards but the watchers are good, you’ll need spookie to get in there see what’s going on.”

“Okay, make arrangements with Tork on the docks to give you a distraction if you need it to get her on board. I want to know if they’re hauling the gold that rumor has it.  And if she can find out their home port or a chart book, that might be useful for something.”

“I hear your man is heading upstream after the ones taking the gold shipments?

“He’s not my man love, just a distraction.”

Keri rolled her eyes, “Riiiight. So since you’re not stopping him I can guess you’re not behind those thefts.”

Shuk frowned, “Was that ever a question?”

“You never know with you hon. You keep them close to that bountiful chest of yours sometimes.”

“Not this time.  Personally I think it’s the buyers out east.  They get the cargo and the payment.  None of our concern at the very least.  Okay get with your sister and work out a time to visit the ship.  Yes I know she’s already working nights for that friend of Drak’s, work something out.”

Keri saluted her boss, a satire of the watch’s salute ending with her hand cupping her own breast and shaking it, “At your command!”

“Whatever. I also need you to have Pip pay a visit to the rug merchant and remind him he’s past due.  Nothing painful, just a threat of painful is fine.  I might want to take payment in goods later once he’s really worried.  I also need you to have…”

For the next hour talk was of business, the business of shadows and night before the two of them headed toward the tavern where their friends were talking…

]]> http://www.keyourcars.com/2009/12/25/drakins-interlude/feed/ 0 http://www.keyourcars.com/2009/12/23/interlude-stak/ http://www.keyourcars.com/2009/12/23/interlude-stak/#comments Wed, 23 Dec 2009 16:51:44 +0000 Dennis http://www.keyourcars.com/?p=3383

Tavern

He’d been sitting in the dockside bar for an hour now, listening to the talk, occasionally trying to nudge the conversation around him with a discrete question or a raised eyebrow.  The ale was bad, green as hell but better than the water the gods knew. A loud clang drew his attention as the barmaid slammed her drink tray up against a drunk’s head and he used the distraction to swap his three quarter full mug with his neighbor’s empty one.

Stak signaled the serving girl, pointing at his mug.  She nodded, a world weary smile pasted to her face that didn’t come close to reaching her eyes.  Shorter than average, probably topping little over five foot tall, she was well proportioned although slight.  But apparently that didn’t keep her from packing a hell of a wallop as the tavern’s thug grabbed the unconscious drunk by the hair and started hauling him toward the door.

A scrap of conversation caught his attention, “…bugger all gold on that ship I hear tell.  And them sailors of theirs, never seen such a hard assed crew.  You don’t hire a crew like that you ain’t hauling a assload of gold and you know it Sammi.”

Stak dropped a silver on the girl’s tray as she set down another full tankard of bad ale.  For an instant a smile crinkled the corner’s of her eyes and she bowed in thanks before whisking away to fill another order.  She glanced back at the wolfkin born ranger with an appreciative eye, making note to make sure his mug was full in case there were any other silver offerings.

At the next table, two older peasants, probably fishermen judging by the leathery skin and sun bleached hair and the out-sized knuckles on their hands although he noted hard callus on one was missing a leg from the knee down, callus you only got from wielding a blade. The other’s right arm hung bound in a sling.  Casualties of a sea that life that didn’t treat kindly with those that dared it’s surface.

He picked up his mug and eased over to their table, “Afternoon gents, buy you a round?  It’s a holy day for me, I made some extra silver and my god requires me to tithe by spreading it around.”

The two men eyed the ranger standing by their table, then the legless one shrugged, “No skin of my nose stranger.  And if you’re buying why I reckon that gives you leave to sit as you like. Sammi, what do you think?”

The other one, showing a touch of shifter himself, nodded slowly, “Well Lonni, kinda hard to turn down free booze. Sit stranger.”

Stak took a seat, turning to see the serving girl watching him.  He gestured at the other’s mugs and pointed to himself.  A flash of a smile and she headed to the bar.

“So what tell god of this is yours that you have to waste your good money on the likes of us?  Ain’t never heard tell of such.” Sammi asked.

“Family god neighbors, not good for much to be honest but he does sometimes pull out a minor miracle and it’s a miracle I’m alive and sitting here so I figure, why risk it, pay homage to the little shit and maybe I’ll keep on keeping on.”

“Need to watch that kind of talk friend.  Gods is listening all the time.  Figure that’s how I lost me leg, too drunk to remember to make an offering last year before we went out and first day, rope snagged me leg, cinched down and clean ripped it off, taking it over the side.  Captain, he saw no point in coming back in, leg was lost so they just doused it in a healing salve to clean the cut up and we stayed out.  Docked my pay 25 gold for it, left the ship 4 gold and half a leg lighter than I left with.”

“Last time I heard this story that there leg of yours it was fighting off three reavers in the rigging and single-handedly saving the ship.” the serving girl said as she set down a pitcher of ale.    “You sure you wanna be buying these here lot ale?” She leaned one hand down on the table, ostensibly to give the table top a wipe with a rag while giving the ranger a magnificent view of her small, firm breasts in the low cut leather tunic.  “A person might find summat else to be spending their money on is all I’m saying.”

Stak rolled two silvers over the table where she adroitly swept them up without looking down. “Something else like…?”

She grinned, her otherwise plain face lighting up rendering it pretty, “I’m just sayin.  Come by toward high moon when we kick this lot out and send them home to disappoint their wives and mayhaps we might discuss it more private and proper like.”

A smile of appreciation curved Stak’s lips, “Perhaps I shall at that.”

Sammi chuckled as all three men watched the girl walk away, enjoying the view.  “See what I mean stranger?  You buy us ale to repay your god, your god repays you with that.  Karissa she don’t cotton to many.”

The elderly fisherman’s voice turned hard of a sudden and from somewhere a large bladed gutting knife had appeared in his right hand. Eying his fingernails he started trimming one with the razor honed edge, then looked up, hard eyes gone flat,  boring into Stak’s. “She’s a good girl.  Lost her mam in childbirth, her da to reavers when she was just hittin’ marrying age and left her an orphan with no dowry.  Fisherfolk look after each other but it’s hard times and she’s an independent cuss so she took to workin’ here.  Some of us, well, we’d get a little put out she was to come into trouble or harm.”

Stak’s left hand, held below the table since he’d sat down twitched as Sammi made the knife disappear.

“Just a friendly warning, stranger.” Lonni spoke up, pouring his glass full from the pitcher. “Man sees storm clouds in the distance, only fair he let people know they may be in for rough water.”

“I see…” Stak replied, taking a sip of the awful brew in his cup.  “Appreciate the warning then but you can rest easy.  I don’t take what’s not freely given and I return it in better shape than I got it.”

Sammi smiled a tight little smile, “Then we should have no problems, me and you.  Here, toss that whale piss out and fill it up with this.  Now why don’t you ask us what ever it is you wanted to ask, we’re drinking your beer, you got that coming to ya.”

Stak couldn’t help but chuckle and shake his head, “Right.  I’m interested in that ship in the harbor, heard you saying it was filled with gold.”

Lonni glanced at his friend, shrugged, “Just bar talk friend.  You know how it goes, someone says something, someone else repeats, soon it’s the truth as far as them is concerned.  You don’t appear to be stupid or suffered a recent blow to the head so hear me then, that’s not a ship you want to be getting ideas on.  Filled with gold or no, that’s a crew there that you don’t wanna be fuckin’ with.  That lot’ll gut ya and feed your entrails to the fish without a blink I’m thinkin’.”

“Hard looking bunch then?”

“That’s how I read’em and I’ve been around the block a few times.  That lot’ll have your guts out of ya and over the gun’sel as fish food before you could blink.”

Stak took a sip of his ale, paused at the fairly palatable flavor rolled over his tongue. “Now that’s not bad at all.” he said, saluting the two men with his mug. “So the ship, unusual for a ship to have that… experienced a crew?”

Sammi shrugged, “Depends on the ship and what she’s haulin’.  Dangerous waters out there friend once you leave the pale blue.  Tough buys you a lot of things.  This’un though, she shows up, no cargo at all, riding high the way she is.  Says she’s here to haul part of our catch away and I hear tell her quartermaster been talking to Garon and his flunkies about buying fish. I also hear she don’t wanna pay what we can get it for upstream but what with the gold being stolen on the way back them that has might best figure a fish in the net is worth two in the sea.”

“The crew ever come ashore?”

“Bits and pieces of them, never more’n a handful.  They come ashore, get drunk, tumble a doxy or two, go back on board.  Spreadin’ tales and askin’ questions they does. Most of which I done heard a hunnert times in me life, water folk tend to go on they do about things they may have seen, or mebbe dreamt up during a long night watch to use to cage a few drinks when they come ashore.”

Lonni spoke up, “That’s cause it’s filled with gold you old fool.”

Sammi snorted, “Hush up you, or I tell Lorri how you really broke that arm.”

“Bah, I ain’t scared a her.”

“Right… shut up and drink the man’s beer.”

“What kind of stories?” the ranger asked emptying the pitcher into his mug.  He looked around and caught Karissa’s eye and signaled for another.

“Usual claptrap, sea monsters bigger’n a hundred ships, islands that belch fire or move about on their own, sailing ships that float through the air like a bird.”

“Huh, flying ship you say.  I’d like to see that.”

“I hear tell there’s some what sez they escaped the slaver’s and come through Darkmith spreadin’ the same tales.”

Stak noted Lonni making the two finger warding gesture of Troe at the name of the ancient city. “I guess I don’t put much stock in what I haven’t seen with my own eyes.”  He dropped several silver on the table, “Here have a round or two on me elders and I thank you for your time.”

“Any time you wanna stop by and buy drinks friend, you feel free now.” Sammi said, reaching out to stack the coins in the center of the table. “Any time.”

Stak headed to the door, brushing past the petite barmaid who murmured, “So… later?”

“Aye, barring end days coming early.” Stak replied.

She nodded and continued, swirling nimbly out of the way of a stumbling peasant, heavy drink tray held effortlessly out of harm’s way.

Pushing to door open, Stak stepped on the cobblestone street and headed back to the inn he was staying at with the others to let them know what he’d found out.

Image Credits

Ancient Scrolls

Image Credits

Subscribe to the feed – http://www.keyourcars.com/feed/podcast/

Also available through iTunes.

Subscribe to the feed – http://www.keyourcars.com/feed/podcast/

Also available through iTunes.

Subscribe to the feed – http://www.keyourcars.com/feed/podcast/

Also available through iTunes.

Image Credit

Shük

[DM's Note: Overall this was a really good session, lots of character involvement, dialogue, sleuthing and clues and all that. We learn a little about the character's past lives, they learn about their city, there's intrigue and mystery, all that kind of thing.  You know, the stuff that 4th Edition makes impossible according to some people because it's just warcraft on paper.  This is one episode of the podcast that I'd recommend you download when it's available if you like that kind of thing.]

We open our movie with our vaunted cast, Torel, Dra’kin, Elissa, Stak, Biminey continuing their journey homeward.  Biminey glad to be alive on this fine day, feeling like he might have almost been dead just moments earlier.

The terrain grew rougher as they continued moving north toward home.  Small rolling hills turning into craggy ravines and cliffs.

It is one such ravine, almost a canyon that they run into their first major issue. A band of goblins trying to be sneaky and the group spot each other at the same time about 100′ between them.  The goblins scream and shout and attack.  Moments later a giant rounds the bend in the canyon, all 11′ of him and the 8′ tree trunk he’s using as a club.  A club that hurts a lot for those that try to stop it with their chests.

Boulders fly, clubs swing in might arcs and goblins die in rapid succession. Deep rough breathing from a nearby cave is heard as Stak passes near and when Dra’kin is knocked flying by a blow from the club landing in the mouth of the crack in the cave wall.

The hill giant retreats from battle leaning on his club, using the language of the goblins he asks if the group wants to join him, “Yu tough’ens, me yu jone up, we split 50/50.”  Torel and Biminey are the only ones that can understand the large creature and Biminey translates the conversation to the others.

But dragonborn fury is not to be denied apparently and Elisssa cuts the discourse short and attacks the giant who roars out in fury and slams Torel back in righteous anger.  The avenger goes flying through the air landing heavily on his ass.  Regardless of their own inclinations the rest of the group backs the dragonborn’s play the giant soon lies dead at their feet.

A giant wineskin filled with the finest dwarven ale is recovered from the giant, a wineskin that they discover much to their delight refills every day with ale.  In addition a magical belt is removed from the hill giants, a belt that Biminey re-sizes to fit Torel.

They continue their climb up through the mountains, avoiding or appearing too tough to take on and the rest of their journey, although tense and eventful yields no further obstacles and within days they arrive at the gates of their home town.

They’re welcomed as semi-heroes for having escaped the slavers and bought drinks and food and lodgings provided without cost to them.

The town Council summons them and there they meet Garon, Lerik and Teagon, the councilmen.  Also, and un-coincidentally, they’re also the three richest men in the city.  Lerik owns merchants and shops, Garon owns the majority of the fishing fleets, and Teagon runs the shipping, primarily by boat to the cities further inland but with some wagon trains.

During their interview it becomes obvious quickly that Lerik, a middle aged human male, doesn’t appear to like non-humans and in fact later on they discover that Lerik is a follower of Bain, a human-centric god who’s teachings propose that humans should be in charge of anything important.

Garon, another older human male, is intensely interested about the group, his daughter and son having also been stolen during the slaver raid during the Spring festival. Unfortunately the group does not recall his children, both in their early 20’s as having been part of their group although it’s possible they were among those first lost in the sealie attacks.   Those first couple of days after waking on board the ship were hectic and many people died, unknown and buried at sea.

Teagon, an eladrin also male, age unknown but mature seems indifferent to the group.

The group told their story, changing details and saying they sailed the slaver ship they’d woken on to the coast, landing it in Darkmith and then glossing over the details of their journey.  Specifically keeping all details of the elemental ship out of their story.

Part of an old argument among the council comes out during their interview, Garon wants to hire mercenaries from the the mostly dwarvish settlement inland.  He doesn’t want anyone else lost or to lose someone to slavers ever again, Lerik believes it would be a waste of money, the slavers have already hit the city and undoubtedly will have moved on.  Teagon seems to be worried only about the cost, how can they afford it now. Perhaps after the fishing fleet’s harvest starts up in earnest.

Garon gives each of them 100 gold of his own money, assuming they have no money of their own after their harrowing escape to purchase necessities.

Torn steps forth and tells the group he’ll take charge of Soozin’s protection, as it turns out she’s an orphan now, her father was one of the one’s taken by the slavers and her mother died in childbirth.  He intends to join the guards, his skills with a blade should be of use to them.  Torel steps up and gives him 50 gold to provide for the two of them while the group figures out it’s next moves.

They decide to stay together, their thoughts on that elemental ship they left back in Darkmith.  They spend a few days in town, getting reacquainted with old friends and lovers, Dra’kin renewing his relationship with Shük, a half-orc girl that favors her human side, while Biminey visits Sushanna, an acolyte of the Temple of Eris that he’s friendly with from his visits there going through the god of knowledge’s vast collections of scrolls and manuscripts.

Stak and Torel, both mostly alone in the city venture out together several times, gathering news of current events while Elisssa visits her clan, enjoying several celebrations of her safe return.

Stak and Torel among other things learns of a trader ship in the harbor which is rare in these times of unsafe travel, a typical year might see 4 or 5 trading ships from up or down the coast.

Dra’kin asks his sometimes girlfriend to look into Lerik, the man’s non-human bigotry bothers him, while Biminey uncovers in his trip to the Temple of Eris that all information on Darkmith is in the forbidden archives, Merkin, high priest of the temple blatantly refuses him access to those scrolls saying some knowledge should not be known.

A few days after their arrival they’re summoned before the council again, the council is obviously in disagreement but Garon informs the group of the losses they’ve taken on their trade ships returning from inland being taken by bandits and the gold taken.   He proposes that the group recover the gold if they can and he will keep 10%.  Larceny is in their hearts as they ponder this, “Who’s to say how much we recover exactly?”.  Lerik, the bigot, seems in favor of the idea only after his associate, a slightly oily human by the name of Tanner whispers to him about how “wouldn’t Bain approve if these beasts and snakes were killed trying to recover it? ” referring to Stak and Torel, both shifter born and Elisssa obviously.  A whisper overheard by a couple of the sharper eared members of the group.

Teagon seems almost against the idea, saying it’s a waste of time, and they’d be throwing the groups lives away in vain.

The group tells the council they’ll consider the idea and give them an answer in a couple of days.

The ship in the harbor is visited, found to be carrying a high number of skilled fighters, perhaps uncommon or perhaps necessary for any ship to be able to sail the seas and make it safely from port to port.  None of the group who see the ship can say for sure if it’s a slaver ship, a suspicion born of paranoia perhaps as Garon tells Dra’kin when the warlock visits him, pressing for Garon to get on board and search the ship.  Garon agrees to consider the information and says he’ll try and arrange for a visit.

While discussing his inability to get into the archives he needs to get information on Darkmith and the elemental ships, Shük shrugs, “is that all?” and has one of her twin halfing lieutenants show up.  Meri nods, “I can recover items from there for you, it’s a bit of a hassle, hard to get to even for me and I can’t remove much without it being noticed.”

They arrange for her to remove one scroll from several shelves a night and in that way they can zero in on the area that they need.

Torel and Stak interview known survivors of the bandit raids on the ships, finding out that no one before seems to have done much in the way of information gathering and by getting maps they’re able to narrow down the area where the ships are taken by quite a lot.  They also find out that the ships that are taken are always ones in the top percentile of gold coins carried.

This arouse a lot of discussion and suspicion on who might be slipping information, or be behind the stolen gold shipments being stolen.

The group decides to go after the gold thieves, arranging for Meri to continue bringing out scrolls and a forger of Shük’s acquaintance to copy them for Biminey’s return.

After some discussion the group heads upstream to the area where the ships are taken and there Stak finds a trail that leads them to a hidden camp.   He sneaks close but not quite close enough to overhear an interesting conversation that occurs between a man dressed in city clothing who enters camp and appears to be warning the bandits that there is someone after them.  The leader of the group turns and starts barking orders for the bandits to break camp.

Stak sneaks out to tell the group, noticing in passing a hidden archer he missed on the way in.

The group tries to stealth up to the clearing but are hopelessly incompetant and find the camp deserted although the bandits gear is still around.  They circle the camp, spotting a couple of archers moving around as they do.  Stak cuts through the camp and the trap is sprung.  Bandits rise up out of shallow pits covered by bedrolls.

The group is dispersed in all directions while the bandits tend to focus their attacks better and although the bandits take their losses in the end Elissa is down, a glaive at her throat while another rests over her heart and a razor tipped arrow is pointed at her left eye.

The eladrin, seemingly bored, speaks loudly enough to be heard across the clearing, “Surrender now or the dragonborn dies.”

With Elissa down and certain to die, Biminey down, bleeding from multiple wounds, Stak with a growing puddle of blood growing under his feet and Torel facing two more archers solo and bloodied, the group drops their weapons and is captured.

They’re expertly tied up, all their gear except clothing removed and bags put over their heads and that’s where we leave our party to await their fate at the hands of their captors.

[DM's Afterword: This outcome was unexpected although at one time I did have some thoughts on increasing the size of the force to make capture a higher percentage chance that I was thinking it would be.  As a result I can work with this outcome, just didn't expect it to happen.  It does show the necessity of focused play in 4th edition.  ALL of the bandits were hurt, most approaching bloodied status but the damage was simply too spread out.  Since even someone down to 1 hp still deals full damage, hurting them doesn't do much, removing someone from the battle is what makes a difference.

The aftermath of this is that, obviously, the group is going to lose their gear.  I'm so NOT a believer in captors conveniently storing all the capturee's gear in an unlocked chest in the next room and leaving a key hanging just out of but not quite reach to the cell door.  I think that's lame.  But because I'm granting bonuses to the characters inherently as a function of being heroes, it doesn't matter.  Gear only gives them gimmicks the way I do it, it doesn't impact their base attacks and defenses etc.  Sometimes gimmicks are useful but this way they're not necessary.

Because of the holidays the next session will likely be on January 2nd.  Stay tuned to see how our plucky but disorganized heroes get out of this mess. ]

Image Credits

Subscribe to the feed – http://www.keyourcars.com/feed/podcast/

Also available through iTunes.

Subscribe to the feed – http://www.keyourcars.com/feed/podcast/

Also available through iTunes.

Subscribe to the feed – http://www.keyourcars.com/feed/podcast/

Also available through iTunes.

They headed out through the ruins the next day, north toward home.  Their trip through the city saw them harassed by small bands of ferals but none in forces large enough to do much more than minor wounding and abrasions.  Their pursuit trailed off as they entered a more damaged section of town.

In the center of a curiously free of rubble area they found a crypt of white stone bound in metal that was untarnished, no small feat in the humid air a city sinking into a swamp.  Biminey went to examine it while the others held back out of fear like little kids confronted with something with big teeth and red eyes.

He found a crypt that was constructed of the finest craftsmanship, engraved in runes in the dead language of the city (dead as far as Biminey was concerned) as well as runes of arcanic nature that protected the crypt he thought from outside influences. As he went back to join the party he noticed tall emaciated figures.  It was as if they’d been veiled from his sight until he left the crypt unmolested and then suddenly he became aware of them.  As did the others.

The figures were not much more than leathery skin and bone with arms abnormally long and fingers tipped in claws stained with ancient blood.  More stains covered their faces especially around the very large mouths and down their chests.  Their eyes were sewn shut but they seemed able to see in spite of it as they tracked his movements exactly.   The only motion of any of them were the slow turning of their heads and sporadic slow mouth openings revealing rows of needled pointed teeth.  Burned or carved into their foreheads was a sigil that matched the one carved above door to the crypt.  A sigil that Biminey associated with that of the prince who came back to Darkmith and destroyed the city to purge it of the darkness and chaos brought upon it by his soulridden royal family.

Backing away the party detoured around the strange crypt and the stranger guardians and continued on their trip through the ruins.  At least reaching the swamps they hadn’t gone very far when they were attacked by giant crocodiles with huge clamping jaws.  The fight was difficult, movement in the water and deep mud of the swamps making it hard to get around but the group prevailed without serious although most of the people involved in direct melee combat with the crocodiles ended up clamped in their mouths on at least one occasion.

Learning the dangers of the swamps as they continued they found it easier going after time but still very draining.  Then a huge explosion of water in front of them revealed a creature that seemed to be swamp given animate form.  A Swamp Walker surged up out of the water and it’s powers reached out and two trees nearby twisted their roots up out of the mud and dirt and started flailing branches at the group while the swamp walker beat on them with smashing limbs and generating wave surges that attempted to drown them.  The trees were beaten down without much trouble but the Walker took considerable damage before its essence was extinguished and it dissolved back into the swamp of its nature.

[Level 5 Solo Soldier with 2 level 3 Skirmishers.  I didn't find the fight taking 'omg fights take forever in 4th edition against solo's personally.]

The party recovered a strange insect riddled staff in the center of the mass of the destroyed walker that Dra’kin took as his own. [Feyswarm Staff].

Eventually the party survived the swamps and made it to dry land, the lands of the warlike hobgoblins.  Not too far from the swamp they encountered a strange black eyed wolf like creature leading a pack of normal wolves.  After one attack the pack fled leaving behind one corpse.

The next days of travel saw them moving carefully during the day and then digging into the thickets of brush at night to hide as they slept.  One night as Torel sat lonely vigil he spotted an orange glow growing north of their position and just barely caught the faint sound of screaming in the night air.   He woke Stak and then the rest of the party and they moved up to investigate.  The party staying well back as Stak stealthed up.

He saw a band of hobgoblins torturing two humans or half-elves, it was hard to say from the fire damage.  Other slaves roamed the camp serving the hobgoblins of which there were about 15 visible.  Then as he was turning away a patrol wandered in to camp, another 6 hobgoblins and 6 more left from the ones that had been resting and drinking.

Stak went back to the others and as a group they attempted to stealth into position.  Then Elisssa tripped and fell into a thicket of bushes.  The hobgoblin warcaster heard the noise and then turned and saw Biminey and Stak standing at the edge of a small drop off.  The warcaster moved up with a savage snarl and used his power to yank Biminey down from the rise.  Biminey smirked a bit and then used the power of his amulet to teleport back up.

The fight was on then and the swarms of hobgoblins rushed the cliff lead by their commander.   Deadly hobgoblin archers remained where they were peppering the group with jagged bladed shafts while the grunts shifted up the rise at their commanders orders after the group.

Slowly the hobgoblin forces were decimated even with arrival of the wandering patrol as reinforcements.

For some reason Biminey decided to rush the archers down below and was peppered with shafts and dropped at their feet.  Mostly dead he used his last healing infusion on himself and the two archers shook their heads and shot him twice again, one impaling him through the throat and into the ground.

[Due to a mistake in my math we assumed Biminey was dead at this point. He was at negative 19 health and his negative bloody is 18.  But I doubled the damage on the archer's critical to 20 rather than maximizing it 15.  As a result Biminey only appeared dead to the rest of the group and we'll roll back time and allow the group try to stabilize him.  Which given the plethora of action points left and Biminey's proximity to the group should be a given he'll not die.  On a side note, given the plethora of action points left the group could have certainly have killed one or more of the archers before they got a chance to kill the artificer.  Very much like the death of Aoefel it could have been prevented by the actions of the rest of the group... Perhaps they didn't think I'd kill him given the chance?  Perhaps now they know better....   But because it was an honest mistake on my part in dealing out the damage, I'm fine with rolling back.]

The party searched through the gear of the hobgoblins and came up with a Battle Standard of Might and a Staggering Broadsword along with valuables of monetary nature as some very welcome potions of healing.

[Although I had another overland encounter planned at this point it was getting late and we called it.]

Image Credits

Subscribe to the feed – http://www.keyourcars.com/feed/podcast/

Also available through iTunes.

Subscribe to the feed – http://www.keyourcars.com/feed/podcast/

Also available through iTunes.

Subscribe to the feed – http://www.keyourcars.com/feed/podcast/

Also available through iTunes.

Subscribe to the feed – http://www.keyourcars.com/feed/podcast/

Also available through iTunes.

Familiar

The sun’s fading light illuminated the two of them as they shook hands, little knowing they were taking their first step into destiny.
Dennis

This is just an example of tweaking an existing creature.  I took the Hill Giant which is a level 12 brute, dropped his level in the character builder, reset the damages a bit to nudge him closer to a soldier while keeping the defenses and hit points etc of the brute, and added in a couple of powers as the default Hill Giant would be boring as a boss encounter.  With the other things I’ve got planned for this encounter I think it’ll be a good BBEG level encounter for the group.

You can grab the monster builder file here [Download not found] and an image of the creature below you could print out.

Image Credits

Hill Giant Runt

Biminey uses the free time to construct two Amulets of Blink – Neck Slot items that provide the following function – Blink (Daily, Teleportation) – Minor action – teleport up to 4 squares.  Elisssa and Biminey take them.

Day three of their voyage after dark they spot lights on the ocean and their course takes them near.  It’s a group of slaver rading ships off loading their ‘cargo’ into two large galleons, home port unknown although Biminey recalls seeing historical tales of travel from back when there was travel between cities of significant nature that cities along the southern end of the west coast used them for hauling goods around.  It’s been decades since their city has seen anything more than small fishing boats that take shelter in their bay blown off course by storms from the tiny ‘towns’ on either side of them along the coast.

Ballistae bolts fly toward them from slaver ships but they arc below their elemental ship’s height.  It will take time for the slavers to elevate their weapons and time isn’t something they have as the ship continues on it’s inexorable course south by south east.   Arcane energies flare out from one of the galleons but falls short of them.  With the strong northerly winds there’s no chance the slavers will be able to follow with enough speed that they won’t be lost before daybreak.

They soon pass the point where they believe their city is to the east but the coast isn’t visible to them and there’s nothing they can do.

Day eight of their voyage finally brings the low smudge of coastline to their left.  The ship continues on its journey and the coast grows closer.  The lands once they finally can make them out are flattening out, the rocky coasts of their town long gone.  The lands grow marshy and then turn into full blown swamps even as ruins start to sprout up.  From piles of jungle covered stone to partial upgright walls to almost intact buildings over time.

Dark forms, keeping to the shadows below pace the ship after awhile, its speed drastically decreased as it enters the cities airspace.

A tall step sided tower is seen in the way, canted at a sharp angle obviously as result of the slow devastation caused by the swamp engulfing the city.  This cant is putting it squarely in the way of the ship which continues on.  With a heavy crash the ship collides with the upper part of the tower and sends almost everyone crashing to the deck.

Figures cloaked in living shadow swarm up and around the tower leading into the deck, The attackers consist of literal shadow, small flitting forms of black swirls and coase featured humanoids draped in it.  Larger forms swarmed over the ship grabbing the unskilled citizens and fall over the sides down to the ground below while more engage the combatants of the ship’s passengers. Ranged attackers armed with shadow given substance line the tower’s ledges.

A long fight but our party perseveres and wipes out the attackers but they’ve lost 5 of their 6 companions, only little timithi going uncaptured due to his hiding in the wheelhouse with Bimini.

After recovering, tossing the bodies over the sides our heroes regroup in the dawns morning light to discuss their options.  It’s a toss up as to who is the most uncaring but eventually after listening to Timithi’s pleas to save his little sister the group starts on the trail toward another intact tower they can see rising up from the ruined city about 2 miles distance.

Stak recoverd a suit of Blacksnake Armour which makes him fairly shifty once a day.

On their journey they are attacked by a building.  Or rather someone drops a building on them.  All but Torel are captured by the debris, immobilized trying to get free as archers, feral humanoid creatures open up from a second story on a building facing the now large mound of debri.  Three giants, most likely part goliath drop into view wielding massive steel mauls although one is bearing the black steel, red runed warhammer known as Rockcrusher.  Additional creatures stream out narrow alleyways into the fray, wielding rusty corroded weapons.

The party makes good use of their teleportation powers to escape the stone and debris holding them motionless and engages the attackers.  The archers from above do a good number on the party, Torel, Elissa and Stak taking numbers of missiles in their backs and sides as they engage the maulers. Dra’kin and Biminey engage the feral foot soldiers then turn their attentions to the archers while the maulers are brought down by their friends.

Poor little Timithi is crushed into a pulp during the fight as the party watched with casual interest. His dying words even as ribs ripped his lungs apart and his brains leaked out are “Please sir, please won’t you save my sister.”

Elisssa latches onto the dweomered Rockcrusher.

The group continued on through the streets of the city toward the tower. There they found it sitting in the center of a plaza, the base covered in swirling shadows.  A body falls from the tower above, a gaping hole where her chest had been, a waitress from the Blue Duck in their home town by the name of Lolly.  Yes there were jokes about adverbs.

As they move closer the shadows start to detach and surround the group and then attack, sinking into the very bodies of the heroes with a bitter burning cold of the soul. Using his resounding armour ability Biminey blasts open the door into the tower during the fight.

The first floor proved to be empty but filled with the most noisome furnishings one could ever hope to find.

The second floor appeared at first glance to be the same then slender shadow draped forms erupt from hiding spots under the piles of foul bedding.  Trying to ease into positions where they could inflict devastating damage the heroes proved to be too careful [DM: And my dice proved to suck royal ass.  A problem that occurred with distressing frequency for most of the evening.  I don't' think I've ever had that many numbers below 10 before.]

After a short breather the heroes continued up the tower, finding the third floor as empty as the first.  [DM: As it was getting late and I wanted the boss battle to occur, I pulled the forces from this room which would have further drained the groups resources, it was planned for an addition encounter of 6 level 2 brutes, the same Darkmith Retrievers that had captured the hostages.  As a result there's a bit of a break in continuity but no one noticed that the creatures that had kidnapped the hostages vanished into thin air.  But this is party of what being a DM is about.  Dynamic changing of things to fit the available time, interest and party resources.]

Stak with a stealth ability the likes of which hasn’t been seen outside the training rooms of the local thieve’s guild sneaks up the stairs to look over the rooftop.  He sees pillars of energy slowly eating away the chest away of another of the captives.  The remaining three captives are laying motionless near one edge of the rooftop guarded by the darkmith lurkers they’d fought on level 2.   Two dark priests are directing the energies in a ghoulish sacrifice of the captives.

With Elisssa’s battlecry, “Let’s charge them!” the party moves up as a whole to the top of the stairs.  The dark priests react to this intrusion and the fight commences.  The dark priests have the abiltiy to cloak themselves in shadow and vanish from mortal sight but it proves to be of only moderate use to them as they continue to take damage, Stak continually sinking arrows into their invisible forms. With Elissa and Torel taking care of the skirmishers, Dra’kin amusing himself with incredible lack of skill at combat. [DM: Four 1's in a row, I kid you not.]

The battle is tough but our crew is up to the job and downs the bad guys, frees the hostages and looks askance at Dra’kin wondering just which side he’s working on given his complete ineffectiveness during this fight.

We leave our party atop the tower recovering with their rescued captives including little Suizin who’s asking about her brother.

[DM: This was planned to be a little tougher fight than it was but I forgot to use a wonderous item a Jar of Steam that I'd given to one of the dark priests and in general my overall lack of decent dice rolling and Stak's high rolls kept the fight from being as tough as I'd hoped.  With two shifts in the balance of randomness that way it does tend to deflate an encounters power base.  But I'm sure that at some point the tides will turn and the shoe will be on the other leg.]

From this fight the heroes garnered a amulet of protection (not that it did that much good for the priest wearing it since the group is primarily an AC attack base) that boosts NADS, a pair of Goblin Stompers (shift as a reaction to being missed), an Azurian short sword (lighting damage + close burst once a day of lighting damage) and the Jar of Steam.

The podcast of the events will be made available as I get it broken up and cleaned up.  If you’re subscribed to the feeds either from the site or from iTunes you’ll get it automatically when you sync whatever you’re using to pull the feed.  If you don’t have a feed toy then you can hit the site up and listen to them through the flash players on each post.

Subscribe to the feed – http://www.keyourcars.com/feed/podcast/

Also available through iTunes.

For the curious I’m using an old craptop, a Dell Latittude P4 single core with 256megs of ram under XP and using the mic from a Logitech 9000 webcam, recording through Audacity, then transferring to my file server where I can run Adobe Soundbooth against it to do clean up.

Anyway sound levels, snap crackle and pop, breath pops etc. are a problem but it’s still listenable too in my opinion.  Yours may vary and you’re welcome to it.

Like

Unlike

Subscribe to the feed – http://www.keyourcars.com/feed/podcast/

Subscribe to the feed – http://www.keyourcars.com/feed/podcast/

Our heroes were attending the Spring Festival in their home town.  During the celebration slavers swept down on the party and through the use of alchemical bombs captured an unknown number of the celebrants.  Our heroes, Biminey the human artificer, Torel the shifter avenger, Dra’kin the human warlock, Elisssa the dragonborne warden and Stak the shifter ranger were among the taken.  They awoke aboard a slave ship.  They were eventually freed by one of the other captured, a man they didn’t know.  The slavers were dead on board, poisoned.  There were indicators that some slaves were missing as was the ship’s boat.  During their internment the ship had drifted north into sealie territory, carnivorous humanoid underwater dwellers and was attacked twice.  During the attacks it was damaged.  Repairs were made that let them limp the ship to an island where it ran aground.  After arranging for the remaining other captured citizens to start repairing the ship our band of heroes decided to investigate the mysterious tower located in the center of the island.

This session –

Biminey, Torel and Elissa were in attendance and Stak was played by Elissa’s player.

We start our session with the band of four standing in the entrance to the keep.  The outer courtyard looked like a very pleasant place to spend the day.  Statuary of white marble dotted the area, the figures human or similiarly proportioned although time had erased most of the details.  They were typically in poses of repose or casually posed, none were in a warlike or martial air.   Planters still held the dead remains of bushes that the party thought were probably decorative types, flowering and or pleasantly scented.

After entering the courtyard and looking around there was a resounding crack from the front door as if something had broken and it slammed downwards shutting them in the courtyard.

As it was now after dark they decided to set up camp for the night, it seemed a secure location.  Biminey began the ritual that created a neat and clean campsite.  While intoning the words that powered the ritual they heard the other door into the courtyard open and close.

Then crackling bolts of blue energies fired down at them from the keep walls, flowing out of the mouths of several of the gargoyle like creatures lining the top of the wall 30′ above them.

Four humanoid constructs showed up, moving on metallic feet carrying silver spears.  The party was able to defeat the creatures with Stak assisted by Biminey taking care of the bolters atop the walls while Torel and Elisssa cut down the spear constructs.  Not without a modicum of damage taken but none were killed.

After the fight they attempted to rest again, this time successfully.  Biminey after examining the constructs was able to extract some amounts of residium from the remains which he tucked away to use later for his own arcanic constructions.

With assistance Torel was able to lift the broken gate far enough that they were able to jam it open using parts of the constructs.   With a way out secure they moved further into the keep.

The second set of doors opened without issue.  As they moved into the large vaulted chamber there were two crashing thuds that reverberated throughout the chamber as two large constructs slammed down to the ground splintering the tiled stone.  They let loose with deep thundering growls blasting Stak with the force of their blasts and intimidating the ranger.

Undaunted our four heroes maneuvered around the chamber catching the guardian constructs in advantageous positioning and they were able to defeat the creatures. 

[DMs Note:  These creatures were Level 5 Elite Skirmishers worth 400xp each.  Originally there were going to be 3 of them and making it very much a 'boss' level encounter.  But with the party down 1 player I had to pull one of the creatures and only put in two of them.  So the encounter was reduced by 1/3 but the party was only reduced by 1/5 so this wasn't the really tense fight I was hoping for but it was still a decent fight.]

After the fight the heroes recovered and Biminey went to work with his tools and knowledge and extracted 1800gp worth of residium and he believes he was able to extract the arcane devices that the guardians used to blink and will be able to turn those into two amulets that the party can use.

They explored the rest of the lower level of the keeping finding lots of small rooms with the dust piles of furniture decayed away. A large gilded door drew their attention and lead them to the stairs leading up into the tower.

At the top they found walls of crystal on three sides with openings leading out to the sky.  There were signs of ramps that had fallen down from the top of tower that had protruded outwards from the openings.

A metal door beckoned their attention next and after unsuccessful attempts to pick the lock using a hair clip and a sword and being unable to force by strength, they resorted to just bashing it down.   They found a room inside with silver inlaid lines in the floor with red dots and one green dot. 

Biminey sent his hand construct familiar in to look around and as the hand passed by the green dot it started blinking. 

[DMs Note: I'd planned on it requiring something of the fallen constructs to trigger this effect but the hand IMO qualified.]

Stak after some time noted that the green blinking light had shifted along the silver path, leaving a red light in its place.  They made camp for the night in the tower after Stak’s prediction the green light would reach the next red light in about 3 days. The next red light they believed indicated the tower.

Fearing the worst they left at dawn the next day to get back to their ship and see if they could get it repaired quickly enough to escape whatever was coming toward them.

They found the remaining captives fleeing giant crabs and swarms of crabs coming out of the surf and their ship even lower in the water than they’d left it.

The crabs proved pretty easy to do away with but one of the two pitfighters they’d left in charge of the repair party was cut in twain by one of the giant crabs pincers before they could pull it off the other group.

Torn, the last remaining pitfighter informed the party that the sealies had attacked while they were gone and used their crystal oozes to destroy a much larger portion of the boat below the waterline. It would require a shipyard and trained shipwrights to salvage the boat now.

After deliberation on how they might be able to blame the  sealies for the destruction of the tower’s guardians they decided to face their fate like the heroes they are and trooped back to the tower taking the remaining captives with them.

Airship

A speck grew in the distance and eventually they made out a flying ship covered in tattered remains of canvas flying through the air toward them.  An elemental ship, a series of rings mounted to the frame channel the energies of minor air elementals that keep the ship floating and moving.   It has two decks and is the size of a small seagoing vessel.

It stopped about 30′ away from the tower, the presumption is that a ramp at one time led out to it.  They were able to get ropes over to the ship and get on board.  The ship was empty and dusty, crafted out of strong but lightweight woods and metals.  Several small cabins were below decks, each barely big enough to hold two bunks one atop the other and some slightly larger ones that had two bunks and a desk.

A wheelhouse, the wheel locked in place and unmovable beckoned Biminey and he was able to trigger the ship into motion. [DMs Note: Thanks to the familiar construct.] and it continued on the way it was going heading southeast. 

Biminey thought of the ancient city of Darkmith and felt some trepidation as to their journey’s end.  The tales of horrific things that ventured forth from the ancient city of evil, slowly being swallowed up by dark swamps were not tales to make one sleep well at night.

The party leveled up to level 2, new power sheets will be made available with the updated stats and powers you’ve selected at the next session.  Treasure consisted of 2200 gold worth of residium which can be used to make 2200 gold worth of magical items by Biminey once he finds a place to do so. In addition he will be able to create two amulets of Blink which will have a Daily power use as a minor action to allow the wearer to teleport up to 4 squares.  Four silvered spears worth 50 gold each were also recovered.  As was a backpack full of bits and bobs for Biminey to make the tiny constructs that he uses for his powers.

We end this session with the party and the 6 remaining (out of 25) captives on a magical ship flying roughly 200′ above the ocean’s surface in a southeasterly direction at roughly the pace of a sea going vessel.

You can get the Monster Builder files here – [Download not found]

And here’s images of the creature stats that you could print out if you like that kind of thing.

spearguardian

raider

ooze

lackey

gatherer

guard

doan

depthseeker

deadsailors

crabswarm

crab

bolter

bleeder

This isn’t a “do you think these are stupid/awesome” post, just a post for those that are curious as to how I’ve changed or tweaked things for my own twisted Evil DM needs.

The tokens are to encourage the party to use dailies more often, let them pool resources and to have more non-at will spamminess.   I don’t think it will be a problem at all for my table, yours might not be so lucky if you have CharOP – Min/Maxers – Power Gamers.  If it turns out to boost the power output in a unbalancing way, then as the DM I’ll adjust the damage sinks as needed (duh).

The damage and health is to shorten combats a little primarily as far as the players are concerned but honestly it gives me a larger XP budget to play with which means more monsters which means bigger brougha’s.  One of the encounters I currently have planned has 25 monsters that will be facing the party.  Yes they’re mostly minions but I think it’ll make for an interesting fight because of the powers the creatures have.

Healing changes are to counteract the damage output of the players.  They can now ‘react’ with a healing word or whatever when a player is close to dying without having to wait for their turn.  I honestly don’t want to kill the players, I just want to give them enough resources that they can survive if they play smart, barring just asinine die rolls.  And frankly as a player it sucks to skip your turns because the healer is too busy to heal you. I try to avoid suckage where I can.

The resting is to encourage (force) the players to have at least two encounters a day.   I’ll admit in a CRPG like Balders Gate or Neverwinter Nights that I’d go into each encounter at full strength.  I think 4th edition lands in a great spot to encourage that not to happen.  I just want to reinforce that with the resting limitation and the recharge token gathering.

Image Credits

House Rules

Recharge Tokens
At the end of each encounter a character earns a Recharge Token.  These can be used to recharge or ‘untap’ expended Encounter or Daily powers or gain a to-hit bonus on At-Will powers.  They can be accrued during the day but are reset to one at the end of an extended rest.  A player may transfer one token per extended rest to another player.  Multiple players may transfer one token to the same player. They are spent as such:

• 1 token to gain +4 to hit with a single attack roll for an At-Will power.  This can be done no more than twice per encounter and once per turn.
• 2 tokens to recharge one expended Encounter power.  This can be done no more than twice per encounter and once per turn.
• 4 tokens to recharge one expended Daily power. This can be done once per short rest.

Damage
All damage rolls for PC and NPC gain 1/2 level in damage.  This damage is added to the first damage roll only in the case of multiple attacks per power. 

Monster Hit Points
Monsters reduced in hit points by 25%.
Monster XP reduced by 25% including for encounter budget purposes.
(i.e. 25% more monsters that go down 25% faster, this of course does nothing to change the combat time since the total hit point sink remains the same but gives the DM (me) more resources and ups the body count.)

Healing
Healing powers, items and effects heal for an additional +1/2 level of the target of the healing. – (To balance the increased damage intake)
Healing powers in general become Immediate Reactions (Trigger: When you or an ally is wounded) and follow the normal limitations of Immediate Actions (once per combat round).

Resting
The party must reach a Milestone before taking an Extended Rest.  Milestones are reached after each two non-trivial encounters.  This rule can be superseded by DM fiat.

Like

Unlike

Damage – Add 1/2 level to damage rolls across the board to a single target per attack.  I had some initial thoughts about how to deal with blast, burst, single attacks that target one or more targets but aren’t AOE’s and in the end I think I’m going with this.  This applies to both PC and NPC  -

Damage: All powers that require an attack roll and deal damage gain a bonus damage of 1/2 level that is applied to the first target of the attack.
Special: The increased damage must apply to the closest target from either the center or starting square of  burst or blast attacks, when more than one target meets this requirement the character can choose which target to apply the extra damage.

Healing Surges – We need to re-balance healing so let’s start with the Surge mechanic.  This one is pretty simple really and there’s a direct counterbalance to the increase damage.

Healing Surges – When you spend a healing surge, regain 1/2 your level + 25% of your normal max hit points in hit points.

Wizard Problem: Wizards feel… lite.  They certainly don’t feel very controllery.  Hell the cleric with its Guardian of Flame is more controller than wizards and fighters are WAY more controller than wizards are.  Wizards primary ‘controller’  function seems to be killing minions, which if you don’t have many minions in a combat  isn’t that great a function.  Single target damage is subpar, AOE damage is subpar with smart targets which I typically do because bunching up is almost ALWAYS a bad idea and anyone who survives to adulthood will probably know that.  They don’t feel very controllery either in the much more accepted use of the term as applicable to online gaming.

Answers (more like things to think about) –

Bump Magic Missile to use d6’s not d4’s.  The d4’s feel like a holdover from the g.o.d. (good ol’ days) to keep it feeling like magic missile and frankly I just don’t like d4’s with their pointy little ass shape.  It also doesn’t increase in power till level 21?  WTF? That makes it less and less useful for 20 levels?!  An average of 5 + Int against a level 19 monster is a little… well you get the idea.  Also as a controller while every power doesn’t need mass controlling abilities I think a force based attack might have a little bit of impact to it.

Magic Missile (KOC Rewrite) –

Magic Missile
At-Will * Arcane, Force, Implement
Standard Action        Ranged 20
Target: One creature
Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 2d6+Intelligence modifier force damage; target of size medium or lower is pushed 1 square (save avoids). Increase damage to 3d6+Intelligence modifier at 11th level. Increase damage to 4d6+Intelligence modifier at 21st level.
Special: This power counts as a ranged basic attack.  When a power allows you to make a ranged basic attack, you can use this power.

Scorching Burst – Let’s make it more of a controlling spell rather than simply a minion killer. Have it create a 1 square  zone at center square that burns for a full round.  That lets the wizard keep a square of fire up as kind of minor wall of fire with really weak damage to damage creatures or more importantly force them to go around it or shift out of the way.

Scorching Burst (KOC Rewrite) –

Scorching Burst
At-Will * Arcane, Fire, Implement
Standard Action   Area burst 1 within 10 squares
Target: Each creature in burst
Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 1d6+Intelligence modifier fire damage.
Increase damage to 2d6+Intelligence modifier at 21st level.
Special: Creates a 1 square zone at the center of the blast that lasts till the end of the wizard’s next turn.  Any creature passing through or ending its turn in this zone takes fire damage equal to the wizard’s Intelligence modifier.
Increase zone damage to Intellgence modifier x 2 at 21st level.

Cloud of Daggers (KOC rewrite) – Add a sustain on it.  This would let the wizard have up to 3 of these up but at that point they’re not able to do anthing else.  If they ‘juggle’ the CoD’s they can then constantly keep bad guys moving around, forcing shifts which opens up OA’s and the like and makes them much more controllery than before.

Cloud of Daggers
At-Will * Arcane, Force, Implement
Standard Action    Area 1 square within 10 squares
Target: Each creature in square
Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 1d6+Intelligence modifier force damage
Increase damage to 2d6+Intelligence modifier at 21st level.
Effect: The power’s area is filled with sharp daggers of force. Any creature that enters the area or starts its turn there takes force damage equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1).  The cloud remains in place until the end of your next turn (see special).  You can dispell it as a minor action.
Special: You can sustain the Effect as a minor action.

The whole purpose of these changes is to make the wizard more about control, if not the actual creatures at least their avenues of approach and direction of attack.  While yes there’s now some overlap with Scorching Burst and Cloud of Daggers,the fact that you can now sustain Cloud of Daggers with a minor makes it a different power niche IMO.  And to be honest Laura (Darta) doesn’t have CoD so it’s a moot point, I’m just adding it here for completeness.

Dailies – Allow the Wizard their normal uses per day but instead of memorizing from their selection set they get to choose at any time.  While the ‘have to memorize per day’ is yet another nod to the g.o.d. as a DM I’m just not really liking the flavor of it.  It requires way too much guess work and when you guess right then it’s just an “oh okay” feel but when you guess wrong it’s a “well fuck” feel and as a result not fun.

Word Spells (KOC rewrite) - To further add some re-balance to the adding +1/2 level to damage I’m going to change Healing Word and Inspiring Word (and any other word as such) and I’m making them Immediate Reactions – Triggered by damage, that I hope helps re-balances them versus the amount of damage that the players may be incurring from the 1/2 level bonus on the monster attacks.  I’m also boosting the number of them over the life of the character.  I may change the boost to 3 times per encounter though and reduce the need for healing potions as  a means to keep fighting and help remove a gold sink.

The reason I’m making them Immediate Reaction is the minor cost is really pretty pointless, how often does a healer not have a minor action to burn?  The immediate reaction is to allow them to more quickly get a ally back on their feet when needed.  Laying on the ground unable to do anything waiting for the healer’s turn is not fun and not fun is something we’re trying to avoid.

Healing Word
Encounter(Special) * Divine, Healing
Special: You can use this power two times per encounter, but only once per round.  At 11th level you can use this power three times per encounter, at 21st level you can use this power four times per encounter. 
Immediate Reaction Close Burst 5 (10 at 11th level, 15 at 21st level)
Trigger: When you or an ally is wounded.
Target: You or one ally
Effect: The target can spend a healing surge and regain an additional 1d6+your Wisdom modifier hit points.
Increase the amount of additional hitpoints regained to 2d6at 6th level, 3d6l at 11th level, 4d6 at 16th level, 5d6 at 21st level, 6d6 at 26th level.  In addition the target will regain additional hit points equal to the cleric’s Wisdom score from Healer’s Lore.

Inspiring Word
Encounter(Special) * Martial, Healing
Special: You can use this power two times per encounter, but only once per round.  At 11th level you can use this power three times per encounter, at 21st level you can use this power four times per encounter.
Immediate Reaction Close Burst 5 (10 at 11th level, 15 at 21st level)
Trigger: When you or an ally is wounded.
Target: You or one ally
Effect: The target can spend a healing surge and regain an additional 1d6 hit points.
Increase the amount of additional hitpoints regained to 2d6at 6th level, 3d6l at 11th level, 4d6 at 16th level, 5d6 at 21st level, 6d6 at 26th level.

Lay on Hands
At-Will(Special) * Divine, Healing
Special: You can use this power a number of times per day equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1) but only once per round. 
Immediate Reaction Melee touch
Trigger: When you or an ally is wounded.
Target: One creature
Effect: You spend a healing surge but regain no hit points.  Instead the target regains hit points as if it had spent a healing surge+your Charisma modifier.  You must have at least one healing surge remaining to use this power.  You may use this power on yourself.

Paladin Marking (KoC Rewrite)- A simpler mechanic that incorporates the 1/2 level rule  Now the paladin merely challenges one target and as long as he doesn’t attack another target that target is marked and stays marked.  If the target attacks something else it takes damage from the paladin’s holy might.  Seems simpler by far than the original to me and scales better.

Divine Challenge
At-Will * Divine, Radiant
Minor Action      Close burst 5
Target: One creature in burst
Effect: You Mark the target.  The target remains marked until you use this power again or you attack another target. This mark overwrites other marking effects.
While the target is marked it suffers a -2 penalty to attack rolls for any attack that does not include you as a target.  Also it takes radiant damage (minimum 1) equal to 1/2 your level + your Charisma modifier the first time it makes an attack that does not include you as a target. 
Special: This ability is based on a magical compulsion and does not require the target to have intelligence or an ability to understand your actions or words.

Image Credits

Like

Unlike

So Broon Dakata, a tiefling warlord, is now riding along with the four.  Armed with a very large Goblin Smashin’ Warhammer he leads the fight from the rear.

On the way to the ruins of Rivenroar they’re attacked by a swarm of bug creatures, some as large as a house.  It took a few turns before the bugs figured out they needed to get on both sides of the Fantastic Five to get their aura damage working but eventually they realized it.  [DM: I get hammered a lot because my mobs fight intelligently. So I made these dumb for a few rounds even though I would bet that if such a thing as a Kruthik existed it would have evolved swarm tactics by now and be using them right off the bat.  I also tossed the 4 hatchlings and added two more Young to this fight.]

The Five did well against the new, to them, opponents and slaughtered them down to the last crunchy carapace.  It was during this fight that Eric do Deric, the human cleric, was noticed to have acquired a new +1 Holy Mace of Healing and that the package they were supposed to deliver back to their guild masters was looking a little flat.  Darta has her suspicions about where the cleric’s mace has come from but is willing to let it let it slide as it does help the groups survival rate.

After the fight the group definitely felt more powerful and each had come up with a new trick to try and they moved on all the more confident in their abilities.  [DM: Leveled to 3]

[DM: These fights over the last few times bring up an interesting issue.  Because healing is spread throughout the group with Second Wind and the occasional Healing Potion and fewer ways for the classic healers to heal with two words each and the occasional other option, classes that have historically hung back are as a result are not contributing their share of darmage sinks/healing.  Darta and Layla take very little damage compared to Garrawk and Eric (and Broon now).  So they rarely if ever use their Second Wind or a healing potion or allow their own health pool to bleed off some of the damage from the front line.  I'm not sure if that's ever really given consideration but there's a certain level of "Hmm..." when at every extended rest, Darta and Layla have expended virtually no surges and Eric and Garrawk (and Broon now) have virtually none.  My thought is that if the two 'back of the lines' characters were up front for a little while then let the others 'taunt' whatever is on them off using marks, it could extend their 'work day' so to speak.]

Our group moved on and came to the old ruins of Rivenroar.  Broon, being local, had heard enough stories of the place to know where the old catacombs were and led the group there.  Layla saw many tracks of goblins and hobgoblins and “even larger creatures” moving around the area but on the way in they didn’t spot anyone.

[DM: Too bad really, this would have been a perfect place to have an 'evade or take out the patrols' set up but the module as published didn't have them and I've been too busy to add something like that in.]

The Famous Five moved down the steep stairs toward the opening chamber only to have Garrawk trip, stumble down several steps before he caught himself, axe and armour clattering against the walls.  [DM: Stealth roll of 1] Oddly enough the hobgoblins and goblins below were ready and waiting for them. [DM: Again I boosted this encounter as it was a bit low in XP for a group of 5 level 3's by adding 2 more Hobgoblins.]

The four hobgoblins formed a phalanx in the center of the room using their huge shields to guard themselves and each other from attack while the goblins ran to the corners of the room and used stealth to continually potshot the characters as they stood at the base of the stairs.  Realizing the hobgoblins weren’t going to enter the choke point Broon and Garrawk ran into the mix while Eric moved up to the midway point and Layla and Darta hid out on the stairs taking potshots.  The high AC of the hobgoblins made this a tough fight while they were grouped up and shielding each other but eventually the party wore them down, split them up and got them separated.  The entire time the two goblins were nailing poor Broon with crossbow bolts, usually with the extra damage from ‘precision shots aka combat advantage’.   Poor Broon was turned into a literaly pincushion this session.  He took probably 8-10 bolts from the goblin sharpshooters and another 3 or 4 from the gnome skulk they ran into in the next room.

As the Five slowly and dramatically wore down the hobgoblins it became obvious to the goblins that things were going bad so each one of them ran away as the last hobgoblin dropped and the next to last ran through the open door to the north streaming a trail of blood from multiple wounds. [DM: I totally dropped the ball here as one of the goblins ran into the Drake Swarm room and I should have had a description ready of his stripped to the bone corpse laying somewhere in the room.  As it was the sharpshooter just kind of vanished into that gray area where things the DM forgets about goes.]

The Five recovered and then did the ‘follow the right hand wall’ trick.  This lead them to the drake swarm room where they found out the awesomeness that is the Drake Swarm [DM: By general consensus on the forums at least the drake swarm is the most overpowered for its level monster in existence.  It also was great fun that I was rolling way more than my fair share of 15+'s and many many 20's this entire session].  Broon was pulled down several times and Garrawk a few.  By the end of the battle Broon was shaking dead drakes out of every orifice of his armour and had lost several layers of skin and more than a few chunks of flesh.  The gnome skulk in the room was able to nail him several times with a crossbow bolt from stealth and when they finally killed the last of the pirahna drakes Broon and Garrawk went looking for him.  The gnome leaped out of one of the body alcoves he was hiding in and made a break for it.  Broon nailed him in passing and the gnome faded out of sight and with Darta, Eric and Layla all filling the way out, he had to go deeper.

It was in the next room that the “Floor Anus” (TM) made its inadvertently hilarious appearance.  I drew the fountain as it’s described in the description.  Well my attempt was when looked at in one way by Garrawk more of an anus than a fountain with water flowing out of it.  I suppose dragonborn see a lot of anus if you know what I mean…  This ended up being a pretty hilarious moment.  Especially after I said, “And you hear splashing noises…”  and then when I could take it again, “And moaning…”  Maybe you had to be there but it was damn funny for like 10 minutes straight.

As the party entered this room they heard a voice from midair, “Over by the fountain or I gut him right now.” from by the figure chained to the wall which Broon recognized as one of the kidnap victims, an alchemist.  So the Five moved over the fountain and waited.  Then a crossbow bolt nailed the alchemist from the exit and mocking laughter echoed into the chamber along with the sound of running feet.  Eric do Deric, the human cleric, shouted out his Healing Word as Garrawk yoinked the bolt free after running over.  The others moved into position to guard against further attack but the gnome was gone.

And that’s where we ended the night.  So, so far they’ve rescued one kidnappee, killed some hobgoblins and bugs and drakes and allowed goblins, hobgoblins and gnomes to escape them.

Afterword: I think I’m going to start handing out poker chips for surges and action points.  The players may not be keeping as close track of these as perhaps they should and they rarely if ever use an action point.  I also really REALLY wish that the printout of the character builder application had a 2×2 power card printout per sheet.  Some of the fonts on those cards is just really gd small and really hard to realize all the ramifications of the power.   Also a player new to 4th edition or for that matter a particular class can really slow down a session.  No complaints, just an observation there.  The game is just really new in the way it works and even long time PnP players (like Broon) take some time to get up to speed with what they can do and etc.

I’m also hoping to add at least one player via Web Conferencing, an old friend in Georgia occasionally.  I have a logitech 9000, arguably one of the top web cams but my craptop has a tough time pumping out a HD feed and on top of that my outbound bandwidth is only 600kb and a HD feed is 1mb or so which results in some lag.  So I may rather than a continuous feed go with a 1 second snapshot and dump that up to one of my web sites and just open a VoIP bridge of some kind either through vent, I have a vent server somewhere that’s paid up for a few months still or maybe a Skype conference call or something like that.

I’m not sure what’s going to come of our Four/Five and their task back in their starting home. There’s nothing really there drawing them to go back other than a place to stay and learn and they’re all earning and learning a lot more on the road than they ever did in the classrooms and sacred chambers.  The food is better, they have gold jingling in their pockets and if they occasionally, okay frequently, have brushes with death then that makes the living all the more special doesn’t it. So while they may return there, I doubt they’ll be returning to their original pursuits.  Of course some of the things they’ve set in motion may come back to haunt them in more ways than one if it gets that far.  <– That’s called foreshadowing.

Like

Unlike

Around noon as they stop to rest they spot a large force of orcs coming up the trail behind them.  Easily 20+ orcs.  Ahead of them they spot another farmstead, smaller but with a stout wall.  They hurry ahead and reach the safety of the farmstead with the orcs coming up behind them.

The orcs stop out of bowshot range and mill around for awhile [DM: The Deadspeaker was using a ritual that increased the range and damage of his Death's Fire attack, useful for blowing down walls.].  Since they seemed to have breather they took the opportunity to use a Skill Challenge to help shore up the defenses of the troops and succeeded.  This had the result of removing some of the orcs in the initial encounter that were ‘hand waved’ out of existence with the rationalization that the successes would have rendered the party some bonuses that would make it easier to deal with them.  I find this easier than assigning some plusses to the defenders or minuses to the approaching orcs.  I’m gamist, not simulationist.

The fight was tough.  The farmers, hearted by the insight and intimidation of the party fought off the second and third force although they did lose 3 of their own in beating the minions back.  [DM: I prerolled these fights for fun to see how it worked out].  The party faced off the main force, 6 minions, 2 berserkers, 1 raider, and the deadspeaker.

The deadspeark blew out the main gate with his ritualized Death’s Fire.  Eric and Garrawk dropped down from the catwalk to guard the main gate while Layla and Darta provided covering fire with magic and arrows as the orcish forces raced in.  The two main damage dealers focused on the deadspeaker while Eric and Garrawk focused on the others.   Garrawk was, as is becoming his normal thing, burned and set on fire, necrotic fire at that and took 6 rounds to save against it.  That’s 5 points of damage a pop. Probably the best value of an ongoing fire damage spell I’ve ever seen.  Also as is Garrawk’s usual, he dropped to the ground dying, (still burning) but Eric was able to use the power of his healing to get the burned and beleagured paladin up again where he could use his own Lay On Hands to recover some health.  Good thing he’s a dragonborn and naturally hairless.

The fight focused on the main gate as the berserkers kept beating on the cleric and paladin and the cleric’s fiery spirit worked through the minions.   With Darta and Layla steadily pumping out damage into the orcs the ending soon became apparent to the orcs and they tried to flee with only one of the berserkers escaping back into the mountings.

In scrounging up loot the group claimed a Razor Edged Shield and a Distance Longbow +2 [DM: They're still magic lite and I'm catching them up.].  The farmstead was so overjoyed they gave the Fearless Four their prized posessions, four Bridles of Conjuration.  [DM: More plot point than anything else as I get tired of them walking everywhere and real horses end up lunch to something.  And these are pretty cheap magic items for the convienence factor.]

Leaving the children at this farmstead along with a sizeable chunk of gold to help the farmers properly provide for them the group continued on to Brindol.

While relaxing in a tavern after dropping off the missives they were sent to deliver, Garrawk was idly toying with the package they’re supposed to deliver back at their hometown.  A rod like case about 4″ across and 3′ long of heavy leather that weighs about 4 pounds. He asked the others if they should even go back to their lives as apprentices and students and perhaps instead stick together as they were doing so well.  The others didn’t turn him down outright but before a consensus could be reached hobgoblins and goblin blackblades burst into the room attacking and killing the patrons and setting the place on fire.  [DM: the fire rules were pretty fun to watch as the fires spread to engulf the room cutting off sections.  As the encounter was designed for a brand new group of level 1's it wasn't really that much of a challenge.  I did add an extra 2 minions and 1 blackblade but again not that big a deal.]

The bar was a total loss and the peasents were doing the bucket brigade to simply try and keep the fire from spreading.  While the party was talking with a couple of wounded guards who were reporting that similar events were occuring all over town, an ogre chained to a wagon filled with hobgoblins (I added 2 to make up for the level differences) came down the street.  The ogre tossed a barrel at the clump of people and it struck one guard dead on killing him instantly and setting Garrawk on fire (yet again).

The hobgoblin archers were damn deadly, filling the party with arrows.  The ogre was other than that opening cask not really much of an issue.  The paladin engaged him and the ogre missed twice while the others concentrated at first on the ogre and then realized just how much damage they were taking from the archers.   The dragonborn Garrawk breathed fire onto the ogre and the hobgoblins behind him.  It was the next round when I realized that by the module the casks of pitch the ogre was throwing would actually explode from that.  So they blew up, killing one archer and damaging another.    Another cask blew up the next round killing the hobgoblin who was trying to help the ogre get free of his chains.  The remaining two archers, one heavily wounded took off, the unscathed one stopping to sink a last arrow into the Layla.

Layla and Darta finished off the ogre as it struggled to get free while Garrawk and Eric, again, counted their blessings at being alive.

The group rushed off to defend the main bridge into town but the hobgoblin forces had been beaten back although not without heavy losses to the town guards.

[DM: Lootwise the party gained some Windrunner boots and a suit of magical Scale Mail, the type of which I forget but around level 2, and a Lightning Axe + 1.  Again this is a loot heavy time to get them up where they need to be and to get everyone some magic gear.]

One of the council called them into a meeting the next day, having heard of their deeds at the tavern and with the ogre and hired them to find the hobgoblins and rescue several important citizens that were captures along with several treasures of the town that were stolen.   The party interrogated the solitary capture hobgoblin and were able to elicit information out of him as to where the hobgoblins were hiding out as well as some information on the new goblinoid leader.

They had another discussions with the councilman, intending on working on some kind of ‘escape’ plan for the hobgoblin to try and get more information out of him but the councilman countered with an ‘if you let him escape or die you forfiet half your payment for the rescure.”  Our Fiscal Four declined so while they have a good idea where the hobgoblins are they don’t have a map.

The party is now staying at a more upscale inn now, resting up and purchasing some needed supplies for their upcoming rescue attempt.

DM Stuff –

Since they’re so close to level 3, 2071 exp, I’m going to go ahead and get them leveled up and printed out rather than doing it in the middle of the session and just give them the new character sheets at the appropriate time.   Under old school editions, I’d rarely actually level anyone mid session, they’d get their exp at the end of the session and then level up during the downtime between then and the start of the next session but with the tools we have now, having everything ready isn’t a big deal.

The bar fight, espeically the fire, and the idea of the ogre tossing casks of burning pitch around were particularily cool this session I think.   The Scales of War while even I was rolling my eyes at times is still a pretty good effort and worth using I believe.

As you can see we went through 3 major encounters, 2 skill challenges and some roleplaying and did it all in about 3.5 hours.  I’m still not seeing the vaunted ’slowness’ that keeps spawning threads on how to fix the problem.

Image Credits

Like

Unlike

So with that said I thought I’d go through a little more on some things at the local level.  There’s only so much I can post here to avoid spoilers for my players who read this from time to time.

The Fearless Foursome lives in Stark, a town that’s dying in a world that’s dying. Or at least running down.  If you’ve read the Gunslinger series by Stephen King it’s the same feel.  Things are just getting… worn out.

The FF’s are all low level (duh) members of their guilds or of society in general.  The guilds and other organizations have more members than they can deal with as it’s a way to eat and have some sense of belonging which is important to some.   They are still paying off their infractions and have been grouped together because they worked so well in the sewer mission together.

The area around Stark is also a dark place.  Orc tribes roam the flats while goblins infest the the hills.  Bandits camp the trails, preying on anyone who doesn’t travel in force.  Of late it’s gotten darker still.  The orcs have gained new powers, powers over death itself in some cases and rather than simply disappearing, some of the overrun communities have shown up as undead, driven by a mindless need for violence and attacking their neighbors.  The goblins have gained new allies as well, their shamans and hexer’s now appearing with pet deamons in tow when they attack.

What is the source of these new powers?  Are the stories of a new leader with purple eyes that’s forging the orcs into a war band larger than any ever seen true?

Have the goblins truly gained access to the subterranean Temple of Kys and unleashed the creatures that were locked within.   Will the humanoids finally grow strong enough to overtake the small specks of civilization that dot the lands?  We’ll just have to see.

The old harbor, especially Overlook Keep is going to be a place to venture for the Four.  Fallen into ruin now, it sits atop the large hill south of the harbor and those that venture near it have reportedly disappeared without a trace or have reported seeing dark shapes flitting through the ruins and hearing screams of pain and anguish.  Probably just typical peasant talk one might suppose.

What of the tomb that was opened deep under the city?  Captain Tarkus of the Watch who led the exploration has vanished it is said after killing his wife and his adjutant who the story says were discovered by the Captain in bed together. Other stories wonder at that as his adjutant was known to prefer members of the same sex in his dalliances.

People still continue to disappear from the city.  Are the goblins they uncovered in the sewers still sneaking in and kidnapping people?  Or is something even more sinister going on?

No traders have appeared on the great trade road leading north west to Price in over a year and only one small part of a large trade contingent has ever returned from that road.  And those had no recollection of their journey or their past and had a pathological fear of the dark.  None of the six lasted long, each killing themselves within weeks of being found stumbling mindlessly down the road to Stark.   What dark forces are doing away with those that dare to travel the land between the two cities?  What broke the minds of those that went and returned?

This is going to be the groundwork of the small circle of the world that the players will find themselves in.   Unlike some I’ll level the areas I want them to venture into as they do so if they choose perhaps to go to Overlook Keep they’ll find appropriate level opponents and then decide to investigate the stories of the sources of the tribes different levels.

The only place they can’t go is the great trade route right now.  That’s scheduled for higher level encounters and greater dangers.

Image Credits

Like

Unlike

To continue their punishment they’ve been tasked with picking up a parcel at Rivenroar.  The trail passes through many communal farmsteads.  Each farmstead holds from 4 to 10 families usually and is typically a collection of buildings, homes and barns, secured behind a palisade wall of timbers for protection.

The weather is inhospitable, late fall and an early snow is threatening.  The wind is cold and drives a half froze sleet and rain before it off an on throughout the day.  The trail is part mud and part frozen earth.   Miserable weather to be out in and hence why these four were selected to do it. They are on punishement detail after all.

Garrawk smelled smoke and saw a group of orcs huddled around a small concealed fire in a small semi hidden space under a large fallen pine tree.  Luckily for the party and unlucky for the orcs, the orcs didn’t spot them back.  These orcs were a contingent from a larger force further east and were supposed to be watching for travelers while their orc brothers continued the looting.  But as mentioned the weather was horrible so they were doing more warming their hands than watching the trail.

Garrawk pointed them out to the others and switftly Layla and Darta laid waste to them in short order.  All five orc drudges were downed before the paladin could get close enough to fight them.  [Note: No more minion only encounters unless there's lots of them.]

The group leveled at this point taking them to level 2 which was where I wanted them to be for the next encounter.  We didn’t fully level them, just gave them their extra hit points and their new utility powers but that didn’t completely bankrupt them in the next encounter.  I believe they looted a healing potion and some gold off the orcs.

They continued on after looting and after noticing an orange glow and pillars of smoke off the side of the trail they investigated to find a farmstead that had been overrun with orcs.  The palisade wall had been breached in two places and the edges were still burning, the flames giving off green sparks.   An orc raider stood rather desultory watch.   Using my house rule of Total Surprise, Layla attempted to take out the guard with twin strike from 105′ away, the closest they could get, but although she hit twice it wasn’t enough to bloody the orc and he saved to avoid being stunned handily and raised the alarm.

The party stayed in the concealment of the tree line and inside the compound, out of sight of the group, the orcs gathered their forces.  Essentially rather than the series of waves which was one of the options the party is going to end up fighting all the orcs except the orc deadspeaker at this time.

A couple of rounds passed and the 7  orc drudges (an eighth was dropped at long range by Layla), the orc raider and the orc berserker grouped up and charged across the clearing.   A couple were dropped before they could close but not nearly enough and there was a mass melee as the orcs slammed into the line of the party.  Garawk took out a drudge and damaged the berserker with his acidic acid breath, while Layla concentrated on the berserker and Darta flung scorching burst and magic missiles around.  The party had to shift a few times to avoid getting caught in their own AOE’s, a warlord would have come in handy here as would a rogue allowing them to get some flanking action.    Although not an easy fight the party prevailed without loss of life.

As the last of the drudges was falling the orc raider ran for the compound but Layla sank two more arrows into him and sped him on his way, dropping him just inside.

As they recovered, looting the bodies of the fallen, they had a minor debate, Layla and Darta not sure if they should advance toward the omnious green-yellow flickering glow inside compound.  Layla could faintly hear rythmic gutteral chanting that was speeding up in tempo from inside but Garrawk wasn’t about to leave without checking for survivors and the party proceeded cautiously inside. They stopped to grab a pair of Flame Bracers from the raider which Garrawk took.

[note: the party is a little magic light right now so they're getting loot a little more frequently as a result.  Currently at level 2 they only have the Thundering Sling +1, the Flame Bracers (now), and I'm going to drop another magic item from the 'boss'.  But that leaves them essentially 1 item short just for level 1 and they're not working their way up into level 2.]

They found a pile of bodies in the central common area, mostly human farmers but there were a few orc bodies in the pile as well indicating the farmers didn’t go down without a fight.  Which is understandable, to survive out there unsupported any group would have to have either skills at fighting or superiour numbers or both.

They moved toward the large barn where the glowing lights was coming from the upstairs loft when a orc in heavy robes bearing a staff stepped into view.  Layla, her bow held tight was waiting for such a thing and before the orc deadspeaker fired but missed.  Eric shot his Thundering Sling even as Garrawk fired his heavy crossbow [note: house rule weapon].  Both Eric and Garrawk hit with Eric triggering the thundering ability of the sling pushing the deadspeaker backwards one square.

But that wasn’t enough to stop the deadspeaker and he finished his ritual Undeath to My Enemies and from the pile of corposes five of the farmers stood up (zombie rotters level 1 undead minions) and to of the orcs stood (zombies, level two standards).  Well that didn’t go as expected so Garrawk and Eric engaged the zombies while Darta and Layla manuevered through the battlefield trying to get an open shot at the deadspeaker who was ducking and hiding in the barn loft.

The deadspeaker showed up and used his Death’s Burn on the paladin and cleric smacking them hard with the greenish fire, dropping Eric who fell dying, on fire.  Garrawk wasn’t doing a lot better but he moved to Eric and slapped a lay on hands on him.

This fight with the undead saw lots dirt time for Eric and Garrawk and the party went through their supply of Healing Potions, Healing Word and Lay On Hands and both Eric and Garrawk were still almost dead by the time they finished off the zombies and deadspeaker.   Layla managed to crit on her Split the Tree and did a resounding 48 points of damage with it, 24 each to the two orcish zombies.

The group rested a bit, looting the deadspeaker and the rest of the bodies and of note recovered a potion of healing and a Staff of Storms from the deadspeaker which Darta appropriated quickly enough.

Note: I am as usual trying to give the party magic loot that works for them while still keeping it semi-realistic to the things that drop it.  The next item that drops will most likely be something for the ranger and then something at random again for the group.  Each round of loot starts off completely random as to who it’s for, then the next is random among the ones that didn’t get anything and so on until the last person gets their next item and we start all over.  Once Layla has an item, I’ll probably weight the treasure table toward some protective gear.  I tend to use random loot tables but I keep rolling till I get something useful to the group.  This has been my method for 20+ years and I’m unlikely to change anytime soon.

After a short rest [note: at the end of which Garrawk and Eric had one healing surge left between them], Garrawk and Eric found some shovels in the barns and begun digging a common grave to bury the bodies in, the dragonborn’s strength making the process go reasonably quickly.   Layla discovered a hidden cellar where several children had been rushed to safety and they rescued the children, 8 of them between the ages of 1 and 12.   The older children let them know that they had relatives in the town of Rivenroar so the party bundled the children up against the cold, gathered what food they could and piled the orcs up at the edge of the trees for the animals to feast on.

As night closes in we leave our Fearless Four in the common area surround by children, discussing what they should do next.  Each of them is tired, with Garrawk and Eric both dragging ass from their exertions.

Note: they’ve burned their dailies, the cleric and paladin have no healing surges to speak of, they have one healing potion among them and they have 8 children to feed, guard and guide to Rivenroar.  Now a generous DM would let them sleep here undisturbed.  I’m not necessarily all that generous so we’ll see what happens next session won’t we?

Afterwards we generated a rogue, a human brutal scoundrel, to add to the party in case we come across someone else worth playing with as the party could use someone sneaky.  But a fighter wouldn’t be amiss either, or a tactical warlord.

Speaking of generating characters, I went in and entered all of the characters into the character builder from wizards and none of them were 100% correct.   Usually to the detriment of the character.  It was mostly missing skills or feats or in case some flipped attributes.  I’ve fixed that.  I’m honestly not sure if the character builder or the DDI database is worth the price of admission, I paid for the year so I got it at the $4 a month price but even then I’m just not sure.

Image Credits

Like

Unlike

The characters were a Ranger, Wizard, Cleric, Paladin. Heavy on the healing obviously which was a good thing as the Paladin received a butt load of damage. Most of the encounters were easy enough for them, not trivial but no player deaths either. A couple of characters were down to negatives over the course of the evening but it was toward the end of the encounter rather than the start.

The first “warm up OMFG it’s a MMOG and we’re fighting gd rats again!?” fight against the rats was easy but it was really designed to be such and just get players used to their powers or more accurately, how to look at their powers, the order of combat, etc.   And for that it worked, easy fight, no pressure, able to look at everything.

The sewer scavenger’s was tougher as their Splashing Dive kept one of the characters blind off an on through most of the fight.  But they got their first little bit of loot afterwards which is always fun.

Ranger

The goblin encounter in particular was very easy, it didn’t really occur to me when I was designing it that all the goblins except the warriors were melee only and on that narrow catwalk that made them all semi-useless each round. From somewhere I had the impression the Blackblades had a ranged attack and during the design stage I was picturing them using the pillars to gain stealth and thus combat advantage and thus their extra damage.  But it didn’t happen.

The warriors Great Position ability and Mobile Range attack’s did the most damage although a blackblade got a bluff feint in on the paladin to get combat advantage and got some really decent damage on him but in general the ranger twin-striked them while the cleric’s Guardian of Faith prevented any of the melee’s from coming against the ranger from that direction.  Oh they could have come at the ranger but they’d of had to end their turn next to the GoF and would have died as a result.  Suicidal they’re not.  The paladin held the other path and along with copious healing kept everyone safe from there while they whittled the opposition down.  One of the blackblades and a cutter made a break for it once it got really bad and the Ranger was able to Twin Strike the blackblade in the back before it could get away.  The cutter on the other hand vanished.  The party swiftly looted the goblins and picked up on the physical clues that the goblins are probably the source of the missing people above. Not sure if they picked up on some of the more subtle hints but that’ll come in time I’m sure.  They moved on quickly afterwards after having elected to not take up the chase of the cutter who was surely going to get more goblins.  Surely.  Also because they killed everyone or let them go they didn’t pick up on the Lost Maid side quest and as a result her body will be forever lost in the bowels and bellies of the rats and sewer worms.

Wizard

It was bad enough that once they got to the tomb at the end of the passage and saw the little cut scene they decided to go tell the authorities about their findings. “Uh uh, that ain’t an encounter for level 1’s!”

So the four of them retreated and informed the authorities, their guild masters or the Watch as appropriate about their findings earning quite a bit of exp ending up just shy of level 2.

Cleric

Next time I’m going to go with my original campaign starter idea which involves the outdoors, a farm and a chaotic mass battle with integral skill challenges during the combat.   This little session was just an off the cuff kind of thing.

Image Credits et al.

D

Like

Unlike

The biggest issue I guess I have is if you choose to be a dwarf wizard then you can never ever be as good as a Eladrin wizard.  While as a general rule that might be fine.  But as a specific rule I think a player’s dwarf wizard should have every bit as much potential.

Pigeon holes are a bad thing and just lead to restrictions and twinking/min-maxing.  I’d rather players choose to play a Eladrin or a Tiefling because they want to, not because it makes the best numeric choice for the wizard they also want to play.

And to be honest I’d like to reduce the emphasis on stats.  Anyone remember 1st edition where stats were kind of pointless unless you had them really high or low?

Racial Bonii:

• Dragonborne – +2 Str, +2 Cha
• Dwarf – +2 Con, +2 Wis
• Eladrin – +2 Dex, +2 Int
• Elf – +2 Dex, +2 Wis
• Gnoll – +2 Con, +2 Dex (non core)
• Half Elf – +2 Con, +2 Cha
• Halfling – +2 Dex, +2 Cha
• Human – +2 any
• Minotaur – +2 Str, +2 Con (non core)
• Tiefling – +2 Int, +2 Cha

• CHA bonuses – 4  (Can we say dump stat?)
• Str bonuses – 1(2)  (only one race with a bonus to strength?)
• Int bonuses – 2
• Wis bonuses – 2
• Dex bonuses – 3(4)
• Con bonuses – 2(4)

Well what to do about it you ask?  Good question to which I only have thoughts. The most obvious is turn all the races into +2 any x 2.   So you pick the race primarily to be that race and secondarily because of the racial power(s).   Or if you’re a munchkin then the opposite.  But you don’t pick it to get that +2 Wis.

But letting the players add +2 to any two stats is a bit powergamey, perhaps more than a bit.  Honestly though they get to add +2 to any stat of their choice right now just by picking race so it’s really that second stat bonus that’s causing some issues for me.

So I think perhaps as a test I might go with as an option,+2 to any one stat and a +1 to any stat that the race is genetically inclined toward.   So you could be a Dwarf with a +2 str and a +1 con.   Or a halfling with a +2 int and a +1 cha.

I’m sure my players would go for it, hell they almost always play humans anyway, but this would make the choices a little less attractive in the ‘this is the best race for the class” and more attractive to play simply because you want to be a half-orc.

Image Credits

Like

Unlike

City of Stark

A simple first draft of the player introduction to their starting city.  It’s far from a nice place but then it’ll fit in the world just fine now won’t it? The players will start out at level 1 which is something I haven’t done in literally a decade or more with Dungeons and Dragons.  Level 1 DnD is so pointless it hurts.  I typically started them out at 3rd and the campaigns were generally over by 12th at the outside.

Stark is a place of little that’s black and white in spite of the name and whole elephant assload of gray.  The vet who had your back in that brawl at the Lost Anchor last night might be working for the guy you owe a lot of money to tomorrow and be coming for you with sharpened blade and heavy hands tomorrow.  Leaving the city you take your life in your hands but a man’s gotta eat and the food is all down at the fisheries at the mouth of the river and the communal farms in the flatlands.  Someone’s gotta move it from where it is to where it needs to be and someone else has to make sure it gets there.

The goblins in the hills, bandits on the trails and pirates in the seas all make this travel exciting to say the least.  But then if things weren’t exciting why would we even be here?

Up the river Danue from an otherwise unimportant bay on the coast of Karn in the territory of West Reach lies the city of Stark.  Although if one was to be honest it would barely qualify as a town compared to a century ago.

Once upon a time it was a city famed for its craftsmen in metals, precious and common alike.  Tiara’s that bore the crossed hammers of Stark have graced more than one king, dictator or despot.  Many a hero has borne a blade forged on the fires of a Stark weaponsmith, enchanted beyond the mundane by a Stark magesmith and the fabled mercenary band, the Sable Crows’ one unflinching requirement on every contract was that their employer outfit them in new arms and armour from Stark where needed.  Now those crowns and jewelry lay dusty in so many safes and strong rooms,  swords lined in racks, covered in oil soaked cloth like so many soldiers waiting for war, for without trade there are none to bear them.

It nestles in what was once the sheltering arms of the Grimpeak mountain range but is now beset from those very same arms as goblinoids constantly harry from the shadows and lurk in the darkness.  Where once multitudes of  manned watchtowers and guard keeps for leagues around the city kept it safe now those lines of defense have been pulled further and further inward as the numbers to man them shrink.

Trade routes are all but gone with the exception of the occasional ship that braves the dangers of the seas to come up the river to dock.  The tall anchor towers that were once rarely without at least one airship attached have had no need for the great mooring rings in over two decades.

Not a month goes by that another farm isn’t attacked or overrun, only those farmers that have banded together for protection into large communal farms have a survival rate other than grim and then only if they can hire away protectors that guard the very city itself.  The fishing fleets that take refuge in the decaying docks and warehouse at the mouth of the river are under constant assault from pirates along 

The city is a dark place where once it was light with an air of hopelessness that once was full of cheer and bustle.  Tradesmen and laborers go about their tasks silently and despairingly.  The stockpiles of silver and gold and steel from the mines has shrunk over the years with little replenishment as few indeed are those who will descend into the long winding tunnels that over the centuries of mining are so deep that some say they connect to the very center of the world, the domain of dark Karjear, god of the dead.   But with no one to buy their craftsmanship it is said and with some truth that even the peasants can afford to wear gold in a city that worries more where the next loaf of bread is coming from than how to get the best price for a pair of silver earrings.

Large portions of the city have fallen into partial ruin, home to strays, the poorest of the poor and worse.  Many a person has disappeared without a trace, with few to mourn and none to investigate.

The vast sewers below the city that once carried the wastes of tens of thousands and the output of hundreds of craft shops is now so dangerous that none venture below and during the rainy seasons disease runs rampant through the city as the sewers back up to dump fecund waste into the streets.

In this miasma of defeat, hopelessness and despair the populous gather in their sections and warrens and hives in a forced peace.  Where once those of orcish blood would be shunned, their trade is welcome as are their strong arms.  Elves now rub elbows with halflings and human and nod agreeably at those who still bare the scales of their ancestry for every one of them never know who might hold their lives in their hands in the future.  The haters and those that run solo, purged from the world for it is a world without pity or mercy for those without others to care for them, to protect them and prop them up.

This then is the city of your birth or simply the place you currently call home as you travel your destiny in life.  May somewhere a merciful god find the time to watch over you or you may find the end of your journey shorter than you’d wish for.

Like

Unlike

The future...

This then is the world as it exists today, the last remnants of the sun glinting from the final shards of civilization, broken edges dancing with tiny rainbows of all color before nightfall comes bringing with it all the fear and darkness and uncertainty of the unknown.

Those that prefer the light huddle over the remaining few embers of civilization as lonely souls caught in a blizzard of darkest snow huddle over their last precious sticks of wood while cold winds howl and tear at their fragile shelter.

The biggest cities, once jewels beyond description, have fallen into decay and misery; where once hundreds of thousands bustled and thrived in their lives, bare tens of thousands now trudge out their years.  Large cities hold scant thousands now with entire sections of city fallen into disrepair and squalor.   Untold numbers of towns, villages and hamlets have dropped from the face of the world, swallowed by the darkness unending.

The mighty airships that once traversed the skies carrying goods and passengers far above the dangers of the wilderness are seldom seen, the mighty rituals that empower them seldom cast, or perhaps the numbers of those with the power to cast them shrunk too far to do so.

The brave or reckless who still traverse the countryside to bring trade between the cities do so on foot and wagon and ships that fear to leave sight of land.  And their numbers grow smaller every year as each year sees more heading out, packs and holds laden with goods to never be seen again. And each year there are fewer who have the courage to take up the mantle of keeping the lines of trade and communication open.

The fabled city of Aredale, City of the Clouds is no more, the remains like the shattered golden bones of a mighty drake scattered across the grass covered fields of the Unending Winds with only scavengers to fight and snarl for rapidly spoiling fragments.

The black dank waters of the Bitterwater Swamps in the south creep outward a little more each year, eroding and poisoning the adjacent lands. 

With the shrinking of the Light so shrink the lives of those who turn their face to it.  A hand of decades perhaps is all most of those born human manage between squalling birth to whimpering death.  Where once populations boomed, they now decline and fewer are born into this world of darkness and fewer yet survive to adulthood.

Races that once shared an enmity against one another find little strength to hold their hatreds and most realize that only combined efforts hold faint hope of warding off the dark and little hope there is of pushing it back.  All those who turn their face from the darkness walk as equals and uneasy comrades as each shard is slowly worn down till it shatters.

Yes, this then is the world of Karn as it exists today.  Faint welcome you’ll find as you enter but perhaps, just perhaps, you will find the strength of will and heart and arm to help hold off the darkness for a little while longer, to perhaps give ease and succor where exists only pain and suffering.

 

Like

Unlike

While you do have to sign up to download it, you don’t actually need to verify your email to get it so feel free to use bite@me.com or privacy@isgood.com or asdfwoaiiwejo@asldfkjaowiwjef.com if that floats your boat better.   Or you could give them your real email address.  I’m sure they only want it to add to their collection and would never sell it to a spammer or even semi-legit advertiser…

Image Credits

Like

Unlike

So Temple created two characters a Dwarf Fighter (amusing anecdote, my children call then ‘dorfs’) and a Halfling Warlock with a Fey Pact.  The Fighter went easily enough although we did have to do line items etc. to get through it.  The Warlock we had a little more trouble with because in the class description it reads something to the effect All warlocks get Eldritch Blast.   Then each pact has a line that says this grants X, in the case of the Fey it’s Eyebite.   Nowhere does it say anything else about starting skills.  So since classes get two At Will powers at 1st level I read that to mean that the Warlock’s starting two At-Will’s are pre-determined.   I really should do a Rules question on the forums.  (To make my now standard semi-disgusted joke, “If they’re working.”).

I picked goblins at random and then went through and figured out what experience a normal full party would get and just decided that 225 experience was fine.  Mainly because I wanted 5 mooks and 1 ’standard’ goblin.  I have great respect for the mook aka Minion from True20 and they didn’t let me down here.

I set the party, all two members of it, outside one of the old watch towers.  They were out ostensibly ‘adventuring’ for lack of a better hook, hey it was a playtest not a campaign starter.  A small group of goblins had taken up residence here in between their raids on travelers.  It consisted of the 5 mentioned Minions and 1 regular goblin.

Our duo went up to the tower and Bessia noticed that the door looked of newer although crude construction.  She warned Ironfist, who really needs another name as there’s no diminutive for that and it’s really awkward to say.  I’m thinking of maybe having her call him Iffy just because it could be punny in character conversation.

Anyway lacking a better idea Iffy smashed down the door with his maul while Bessia ran covering fire.  Oddly enough I didn’t even have the goblins inside roll perception checks.  So they arrayed theirselves in order to get whoever was knock knock knocking at their door.

Once the door was knocked free we had initiative and the order was goblins, Bessia and Iffy.  Goblin minions attacked Iffy.  Goblin ‘boss’ threw javelins.  Iffy couldn’t swing for crap and kept missing while Bessia worked her ‘magic’ on the boss who also couldn’t throw for crap.  The minions ’shifted’ to keep Iffy surrounded so they got the +2 to attack rolls.

Iffy tried using his Cleave but rolled a miss.  Then he did Sure Strike or whatever it was that let him trade damage for accuracy and was finally able to kill a goblin.  After the boss goblin took his screaming on eldritch fire tumble down from the second story the goblins began shifting around Iffy to go after the caster.   Iffy started rolling better although he was taking damage the whole time and was forced to use his Second Wind to recover some health.   As the fourth minion dropped, the last minion jumped and ran but Iffy was able to pull his crossbow (minor action) and TWANNGGGGG he rolled a hit on the minion and dropped it.

All in all it went a little slow in looking up things but I can definitely see some potential here for interesting things to happen in the future.

Like

Unlike

Game two was again me as Zombie master and we played Destroy the Spawn Points.  Zombies won overwhelmingly as sundown approached with the heroes way out of position to blow up even one spawn point although in their defense they did have enough materials to do it.  Then Sally lost her revolver trying to clear a path and zombies came pouring out spawn points blocking Jake’s ability to move and it was all over.

Games three and four were more teams with two players playing Zombies and two playing Humans.  Zombies obliterated the humans in both games mainly due to “This could be our last night on earth…” cards which nailed two of the humans in one square for not one but two turns both times which allowed the zombies to converge and consume.  But hey at least they went out with a smile on their faces.

Next time I think I’ll try them out on Arkham Horror although it might not the best game for this group.

Like

Unlike

Between fighting and chasing they killed the bad guys and captured the bad guy and the knife.  The bad guy unfortunately died.  Too bad.  They were going to deliver the knife the High Mage of the town although Sitting Bull was having none of that and pretended to go off to the inn but secretly followed the party to the town hall.

There he saw the rest of the party captured by the same mage who showed up at the auction house.  Smart he thought to himself.

The party woke up to find themselves in front of the High Mage, he gave them a simple task and a ‘orrible curse.  They had 48 hours to kill the man responsible for the whole thing, a diplomat from Spain.  They also had 48 hours to be 150 miles away from town or die from the Death Curse he put on them. He really didn’t care which way they went with it, he was just cleaning up the mess.

The party left to go after the diplomat on his ship in the harbor.  There they had a rollicking good time boarding and taking the ship from the slave labor and the diplomat and his mage.  Sitting bull got to use ballista’s on a couple of people and everyone else beat the snot out the slaves (mooks).  The mage wasn’t able to take a ballista bolt to the chest and went down quite nicely.  The diplomat was the target of combined attacks and also died quickly.  Teamwork rocks.

With the bosses dead and hauled out onto the deck to show the slave labor they took the ship without much more fighting.

They set sail and headed for the north reaches and passed the 150 mile mark without too much trouble.

It was at that point that they realized they’d left the Eye buried back on the beach…

But as was pointed out, Sitting Bull escaped the Death Curse although the others question whether it’s real or not and conceivably he could go back and pick up the Eye.  Of course that does require a bit of trust on everyone’s part.

Like

Unlike