Circle of Orin:
I will aid Maximus in transporting him and his coffin and soil to the town of our choosing without crossing great water and fight to protect his safety and this mission till its completion, where the mission is transporting him and his coffin till mutually parting or reaching town.
Maximus:
I, Maximus, will assist the Circle of Orin with knowledge and any defense of the party to the best of his ability. I agree not to harm all who assist my escape. I agree not to harm any in the town I and taken to, I agree that my army and minions shall remain within this tomb, not void when we part ways.
We play D&D. In our company's board room. Every Monday evening given enough players.
Thursday, 14 June 2012
Tuesday, 1 May 2012
Session 28 (2012-04-23) - Savvy Trends Report
Things have been pretty lame recently. Ever since we've descended into this dingy combination crypt/temple, it's been non-stop horror, dread, and darkness. Very nostalgic, I suppose, but not in the good "retro kitschy" way. I'd rather not think about the past anyways; I did not spend my salad days eating spidercandy and flying spiderkites like all of the other young Drow.
We had just defeated a giant undead mummy of some sort. It was climbing the walls like some sort of titanic spiderman. Conan the Librarian got to show off his berserker moves. The giant grabbed me, but I used my patented Thunderwave attack to escape -- note to self: it didn't work. I had to escape the old-fashioned way. I think, all in all, it was a good fight.
We left that mummy rotting in the hallway and explored further. There was a great door, just like the ones to the other crypts. Cherubim graced the archway, basins filled with pitch-black liquid flanked the door. Images of copper coins were engraved above. Our barbarian, in a feat of heretofore unrivalled brilliance, placed a pair of coppers in the basin, unlocking the door.
The crypt was much like the others we raided. Inside, the annoying wailing sound dulled. The walls lined with cubby holes with a name inscribed, each bricked up. A random smashy-smash confirmed this was a crypt for children. As usual, the rest of the group were kind of uneasy about kicking about baby skulls. We kept my patented room-exploring strategy of casting the spell of Light on a bone and throwing it across the room.
We found a finely crafted set of armour in one room, surrounded by hacked-and-slashed corpses. Judging by the make and model, very baroque, probably forty-third century with influences from overseas. I'd say he's been here for hundreds of years. Its owner was inside, dead, probably from boredom. He was still holding his mace in his hands; we pinched it. Not magical, but quite masterfully-crafted. Vira'll good use of it. She left her old mace in his hands, for chuckles. We also took his purse of coins and some gems. Thanks, dead guy; have a business card.
An aged velvet rope separated the next room, with the same silver locket like from the other crypts. Instead of just screwing around with that, we gingerly stepped over it. In the next room, we found another corpse torn in two. I'm pretty sure that the cause of death is related to his legs being several feet away from his torso. He looks like he could've been buddies with the dead guy from the last room. Not really a fashion sensation, though he had some really nice boots. Like, really nice. The barbarian dwarf pinched those; turns out they're magical. Makes you about 20% cooler. We also found some other junk, like some crappy thieves' tools. Must've been a thief?
It started getting real just about then. Skeletons formed from the scattered remains in the room, pulsing with some sort of dark energy. Just like the first crypt, the skeletons had no head and moved as if they were marionettes. We immediately looked up for skulls hanging from the ceiling; destroying the skulls would destroy the body. Nothing hanging from the ceiling. We all shared a look of dull realization that we had a game of hide-and-go-seek-skulls on our hands. The swordmage and Micron kept everyone occupied (I helped, totally.) Vira was standing between the two halves of the thief corpse. Each of the corpse halves animated and started kicking the hay out of Vira. Though stunned, she took the hits like a champ.
Wally the barbarian took to the left archway to look for skulls. It sounded like he found a few pit traps. It definitely sounded like he fell down one of them. The new kid (the rogue, I call her Rouge because she refuses to tell us her name, even after losing all of her memory) ran to the right-most exit looking for hanging skulls. They were two rooms away. After Vira came to, she healed herself and ran over. They found the skulls and shattered them up real good.
Tuckered out from our fight, we decided to take a nap in the room surrounded with pit traps. I've never had a worse nap in my life. Paralyzed. Darkness darker than pitch black. Tendrils coiling and writhing behind my eyes. A millstone grinding, the dust settling in the cracks of my mind. I woke up just as stiff as I was before, perhaps stiffer.
The others woke up funny as well. Vira, her unfocused eyes darting each which way, mouthing inaudible words to invisible people. The lines on her face trace unearned years of age. I last saw Walbert fixated on the runes carved into the wall, looking lost like a child at the spiderbazaar. Rouge woke up shaken and refuses to ever sleep again. Micrin is normally bright, but we find him cowering in the rear, holding his hammer as if it were a stuffed spiderbear. Ramuh... he's become even more like himself, perhaps the most terrifying of all?
But, you know what? We've been through worse. I've been through worse
During the watch, we found a lock box. Inside was the chalice we saw in that painting. The painting we found in the cabin above us. The painting of all of us, the new kid holding the goblet, and an altar of a giant skeleton.
We left the crypt and pushed into a corridor blocked by a giant plant-like plant thing. Tendrils attacked us, we burned it. We burnt it all. Behind the plant was a door to an altar.
We had just defeated a giant undead mummy of some sort. It was climbing the walls like some sort of titanic spiderman. Conan the Librarian got to show off his berserker moves. The giant grabbed me, but I used my patented Thunderwave attack to escape -- note to self: it didn't work. I had to escape the old-fashioned way. I think, all in all, it was a good fight.
We left that mummy rotting in the hallway and explored further. There was a great door, just like the ones to the other crypts. Cherubim graced the archway, basins filled with pitch-black liquid flanked the door. Images of copper coins were engraved above. Our barbarian, in a feat of heretofore unrivalled brilliance, placed a pair of coppers in the basin, unlocking the door.
The crypt was much like the others we raided. Inside, the annoying wailing sound dulled. The walls lined with cubby holes with a name inscribed, each bricked up. A random smashy-smash confirmed this was a crypt for children. As usual, the rest of the group were kind of uneasy about kicking about baby skulls. We kept my patented room-exploring strategy of casting the spell of Light on a bone and throwing it across the room.
We found a finely crafted set of armour in one room, surrounded by hacked-and-slashed corpses. Judging by the make and model, very baroque, probably forty-third century with influences from overseas. I'd say he's been here for hundreds of years. Its owner was inside, dead, probably from boredom. He was still holding his mace in his hands; we pinched it. Not magical, but quite masterfully-crafted. Vira'll good use of it. She left her old mace in his hands, for chuckles. We also took his purse of coins and some gems. Thanks, dead guy; have a business card.
An aged velvet rope separated the next room, with the same silver locket like from the other crypts. Instead of just screwing around with that, we gingerly stepped over it. In the next room, we found another corpse torn in two. I'm pretty sure that the cause of death is related to his legs being several feet away from his torso. He looks like he could've been buddies with the dead guy from the last room. Not really a fashion sensation, though he had some really nice boots. Like, really nice. The barbarian dwarf pinched those; turns out they're magical. Makes you about 20% cooler. We also found some other junk, like some crappy thieves' tools. Must've been a thief?
It started getting real just about then. Skeletons formed from the scattered remains in the room, pulsing with some sort of dark energy. Just like the first crypt, the skeletons had no head and moved as if they were marionettes. We immediately looked up for skulls hanging from the ceiling; destroying the skulls would destroy the body. Nothing hanging from the ceiling. We all shared a look of dull realization that we had a game of hide-and-go-seek-skulls on our hands. The swordmage and Micron kept everyone occupied (I helped, totally.) Vira was standing between the two halves of the thief corpse. Each of the corpse halves animated and started kicking the hay out of Vira. Though stunned, she took the hits like a champ.
Wally the barbarian took to the left archway to look for skulls. It sounded like he found a few pit traps. It definitely sounded like he fell down one of them. The new kid (the rogue, I call her Rouge because she refuses to tell us her name, even after losing all of her memory) ran to the right-most exit looking for hanging skulls. They were two rooms away. After Vira came to, she healed herself and ran over. They found the skulls and shattered them up real good.
Tuckered out from our fight, we decided to take a nap in the room surrounded with pit traps. I've never had a worse nap in my life. Paralyzed. Darkness darker than pitch black. Tendrils coiling and writhing behind my eyes. A millstone grinding, the dust settling in the cracks of my mind. I woke up just as stiff as I was before, perhaps stiffer.
The others woke up funny as well. Vira, her unfocused eyes darting each which way, mouthing inaudible words to invisible people. The lines on her face trace unearned years of age. I last saw Walbert fixated on the runes carved into the wall, looking lost like a child at the spiderbazaar. Rouge woke up shaken and refuses to ever sleep again. Micrin is normally bright, but we find him cowering in the rear, holding his hammer as if it were a stuffed spiderbear. Ramuh... he's become even more like himself, perhaps the most terrifying of all?
But, you know what? We've been through worse. I've been through worse
During the watch, we found a lock box. Inside was the chalice we saw in that painting. The painting we found in the cabin above us. The painting of all of us, the new kid holding the goblet, and an altar of a giant skeleton.
We left the crypt and pushed into a corridor blocked by a giant plant-like plant thing. Tendrils attacked us, we burned it. We burnt it all. Behind the plant was a door to an altar.
Monday, 16 April 2012
Session 27
Present: Berrian, Heptzar, Ramuh, Vira, Walice
- PCs went deeper into the crypts
- A monk of Vecna was discovered meditating in a pile of bones
- further on in the crypts, several reforming skeletons were discovered and defeated
- There was some sort of ward inside a large silver locket outside of that crypt chamber with Vecna's symbol
- When taken out of the locket, the warding runes faded slowly
- A crypt with giant corpses was also discovered (6 per room)
- Giants were draped with similar locket wards
- All the lockets were taken, one was opened, wards were discovered and allowed to fade, and one was opened but the wards were replaced
- An iron spiral stairway was discovered leading down, but it was blocked by a large stone
- Back in the hallway north of the crypts, the strange whistling musical sound was louder
- Another room north of the hallway was investigated, inside was a series of volumes and a pedestal with an eyepiece on top (the eyepiece allows reading of the ancient script)
- The volumes were labelled "History of Duvan'Ku" and the pages disintegrated when moved (only a few of the volumes were so destroyed)
- When leaving that room, the PCs were surprised by a giant corpse crawling on the ceiling, which they destroyed
XP: 2200 / 5 = 440 (prior to bonuses)
Monday, 9 April 2012
Session 26
Present: Berrian, Heptzar, Ramuh, unnamed rogue, Vira, Walice
- Back at Nandel City
- Delivery of items to queen and advisors
- Rubbings of books
- 2 obvious hooks: queen's task (northwest mountains), dwarven map (northeast mountains)
- Chose the queen's task
- Tree with flutes at crossroads, supposed to ward the unquiet dead
- Decrepit trapping town at the base of the mountains
- Encounter with old hermit partway up (dried badger meat)
- Abnormally low tree line, snow
- Petrified tree with rope
- Crude graveyard
- Cabin: strange painting, harpsichord smashed, purple lotus powder
- Unnamed rogue now has amnesia
- Corpse discovered in the snow
- Trap door: 50' down
- Chapel, yellow mold spores; dislodged onyx bowl and sapphire
- Altar: jewelled dagger and ruby necklace
- Read curse aloud, Ramuh took a tooth from Heptzar's and put it in the basin, opening the door
- Room with bare stone slabs and a book
- Entered crypts
Treasure:
- 3 rubies from the queen
- Bowl
- Painting
- 9 remaining doses of purple lotus powder
- Jewelled dagger and ruby necklace
XP: 800 / 6 = 133 (before bonus XP)
Monday, 2 April 2012
Session 25
Present: Walice, Micrin, Vira, Zacarias, Heptzar
- 12 mysterious riders on warhorses evaded on the way back to the town of Steel
- 500 GP reward for rescuing prisoners
- Carousing: Heptzar got a glowing leg, Walice got kicked out of town (something about killing pigs)
- Used ritual circle discovered
- Cultist attacked party, tattooed with eye in palm, "kill the one that survived"
- Zacarias took some skin with the tattoo
- Zeph, dinosaur hunter encountered going south
- Return to Nandel
Carousing, etc:
- Walice (600 GP)
- Heptzar (300 GP, glowing leg)
XP: 500 / 5 = 100 (before bonus XP)
Monday, 26 March 2012
Session 24
Present: Walice, Heptzar, Berrian, Vira, Zacarias
- New PC discovered (shroom prisoner, Walice the dwarf)
- Discovered prison room with mincer machine
- Battle agains pod people and spiders
- Vira almost died twice
- Two prisoners recovered by detaching cages from ground
- Exit caverns, horses still alive
XP: 1800 / 5 = 410
Monday, 19 March 2012
Session 23
Present: Ashen, Heptzar, Micrin, Ramuh, Vira, Zacarias
- Extended rest in Leafloam's room
- Big fight: pod people, shroom, cauldron spawn
- Cauldron spawn ritual book damaged
Treasure:
- Lifedrinker hammer +1
- Scroll of protection from undead
- Magic orb +2
- 10 arrows of the corrosive flame (+2)
- Wand that made pod person grow (inert now)
- Scroll of demonic conflagration
- Cauldron spawn ritual book
XP = 6800 / 6 = 1133 (before bonus XP from encumbrance etc)
Monday, 5 March 2012
Session 22: Ashen's Report
From Ashen/Danny:
After coming out of my mushroom induced meditative state. I wake up to discover that we are on the wrong side of a portcullis, the rogue and assassin have been cursed to rhyme, and we all magically have hats now. Of course the first thing the brutes in the party, the ill mannered dwarf in particular, decides to try is to lift the gate. The gate being at least a hundred stones heavy, barely budged. I decide to grace them with my wisdom by lifting the gate the rest of the way with a falcon sword and leverage. To my surprise we were back at the room where the party murdered that poor pod baby. I sure hope this spot isn't cursed. Using one of the stone tripod stands that once held up the cauldrons, we further supported the portcullis, and recovered the falcon.
After much indecision, we finally started to head back to the room of "Goblin Piss". Clearly I choose a good time to have assisted meditation, as I completely skipped the rhyme curse and piss unpleasantness. It was in that same room the assassin, activated an arcane device which transported us away. Now that the assassin is no where to be found. How could one drinking from piss soaked bottles, and triggering unknown arcane devices? Where does the Circle find these people? I digress, we return to the room with beautiful gold thread tapestry. It seems that the mage or hermit who lived here has not returned, though we notice the notes in the red pod room are missing. We enter the narrow hallway to discover both portcullises are down. As we turn to leave, I could hear the cleric scream, "It's a trap!". We found ourselves stuck in between the entry way and the next portcullis. The little worm of a hermit, managed to prop something against the door. To make things worst purple mist started too seep in from the bottom of the door. The clever little halfling rogue, quickly stuffed an old shirt to prevent any more smoke from getting in. The wizard recognized this as "Perpetumn Sackim", or in layman's terms, knock out gas. Before I could collect some for "research", the wizard blasted the door with a ray of frost, and the dwarf smashed the door, and the bed that was propping it shut, to splinters. I was shocked by the effectiveness, as I have yet to see them perform so will in live combat. We enter the room to discover it empty, and the small pile of burning purple knock out gas. Foolishly, the wizard decided to take an oral sample. The dead look in his eyes told me without words, that it was truly knock out gas. I take my sample in small a cloth sack, never know when you need to knock something out.
We decide to use our new found ice and smash team work to clear a way to the "Treasure room". After about half an hour, we arrive at the room. We discover a box of coins, commemorating the might of a long fallen empire, 4 copper and 1 strange glowing gold one. The gold coin contained the markings of Loki, the trickster. We are able to discover that the coin always returns to the owner. How we established the owner has yet to be discovered, though flipping it may have triggered the strange glow to disappear. That coin would be perfect in my care, but the sword mage traded a broad sword for before I had a chance to speak. We also find a strange long wooden mushroom. The only one brave enough to open it was the rogue I believe. It read "Too bad fleshling, I beat you here.". I was expecting that there would be a P.S. on the note giving a clue to what the mushroom contained, now we may never know.
Discovering nothing else of value, we return back to the hermit room, only to discover that the portcullis has been closed. We decide to explore the other exists in the area, only to find what appears to be a good old fashion torture room, with a wall full of unlabeled bottles. The rogue, always the first to do anything in the group, decides to inspect each bottle. The cleric found some ink, but the rogue found some clear sweet liquid. The foolish rogue inhaled a liquid rotting smelling liquid which caused him to run and scream like a little girl around the room. What was worst was the runt, decides to throw the bottle at me. As I am running and screaming my head off, harming my beautiful throat, we are surrounded by pod men. One of them seems hell bent on putting out the lights with a bucket of water.
We dispatched these curs, and decided to follow the path that lead them to us. We could hear moaning from a far as we traveled along the little stream. We arrived at a room to discover a massive tree, who was shackled and cemented to the ground. As we approached, the roots I thought I were clearing, turned out to be the enemy. The sword mage was able to distract the enemy long enough for me to use what I learnt from the "pop and lock" school to free myself. The tree proved to be an ally, as we warned us of the other enemies on the ceiling. Out of no where the cleric smite one of the assailants in one epic blow, freeing the helpless wizard. The tree proceed to help us in combat with more living vines, shredding them with ease.
We discover a bucket of seeds next to the tree, to which he said, "My children". Which made me through of the trees they were growing in the other room. Someone is creating an army. As the rogue went to unlock the shackle of the tree. I blasted the stone that held it in place, with my thunderous shout of triumph. To my surprise the tree thanked us as it collapsed. Surely something so mighty could not die so easily.
After coming out of my mushroom induced meditative state. I wake up to discover that we are on the wrong side of a portcullis, the rogue and assassin have been cursed to rhyme, and we all magically have hats now. Of course the first thing the brutes in the party, the ill mannered dwarf in particular, decides to try is to lift the gate. The gate being at least a hundred stones heavy, barely budged. I decide to grace them with my wisdom by lifting the gate the rest of the way with a falcon sword and leverage. To my surprise we were back at the room where the party murdered that poor pod baby. I sure hope this spot isn't cursed. Using one of the stone tripod stands that once held up the cauldrons, we further supported the portcullis, and recovered the falcon.
After much indecision, we finally started to head back to the room of "Goblin Piss". Clearly I choose a good time to have assisted meditation, as I completely skipped the rhyme curse and piss unpleasantness. It was in that same room the assassin, activated an arcane device which transported us away. Now that the assassin is no where to be found. How could one drinking from piss soaked bottles, and triggering unknown arcane devices? Where does the Circle find these people? I digress, we return to the room with beautiful gold thread tapestry. It seems that the mage or hermit who lived here has not returned, though we notice the notes in the red pod room are missing. We enter the narrow hallway to discover both portcullises are down. As we turn to leave, I could hear the cleric scream, "It's a trap!". We found ourselves stuck in between the entry way and the next portcullis. The little worm of a hermit, managed to prop something against the door. To make things worst purple mist started too seep in from the bottom of the door. The clever little halfling rogue, quickly stuffed an old shirt to prevent any more smoke from getting in. The wizard recognized this as "Perpetumn Sackim", or in layman's terms, knock out gas. Before I could collect some for "research", the wizard blasted the door with a ray of frost, and the dwarf smashed the door, and the bed that was propping it shut, to splinters. I was shocked by the effectiveness, as I have yet to see them perform so will in live combat. We enter the room to discover it empty, and the small pile of burning purple knock out gas. Foolishly, the wizard decided to take an oral sample. The dead look in his eyes told me without words, that it was truly knock out gas. I take my sample in small a cloth sack, never know when you need to knock something out.
We decide to use our new found ice and smash team work to clear a way to the "Treasure room". After about half an hour, we arrive at the room. We discover a box of coins, commemorating the might of a long fallen empire, 4 copper and 1 strange glowing gold one. The gold coin contained the markings of Loki, the trickster. We are able to discover that the coin always returns to the owner. How we established the owner has yet to be discovered, though flipping it may have triggered the strange glow to disappear. That coin would be perfect in my care, but the sword mage traded a broad sword for before I had a chance to speak. We also find a strange long wooden mushroom. The only one brave enough to open it was the rogue I believe. It read "Too bad fleshling, I beat you here.". I was expecting that there would be a P.S. on the note giving a clue to what the mushroom contained, now we may never know.
Discovering nothing else of value, we return back to the hermit room, only to discover that the portcullis has been closed. We decide to explore the other exists in the area, only to find what appears to be a good old fashion torture room, with a wall full of unlabeled bottles. The rogue, always the first to do anything in the group, decides to inspect each bottle. The cleric found some ink, but the rogue found some clear sweet liquid. The foolish rogue inhaled a liquid rotting smelling liquid which caused him to run and scream like a little girl around the room. What was worst was the runt, decides to throw the bottle at me. As I am running and screaming my head off, harming my beautiful throat, we are surrounded by pod men. One of them seems hell bent on putting out the lights with a bucket of water.
We dispatched these curs, and decided to follow the path that lead them to us. We could hear moaning from a far as we traveled along the little stream. We arrived at a room to discover a massive tree, who was shackled and cemented to the ground. As we approached, the roots I thought I were clearing, turned out to be the enemy. The sword mage was able to distract the enemy long enough for me to use what I learnt from the "pop and lock" school to free myself. The tree proved to be an ally, as we warned us of the other enemies on the ceiling. Out of no where the cleric smite one of the assailants in one epic blow, freeing the helpless wizard. The tree proceed to help us in combat with more living vines, shredding them with ease.
We discover a bucket of seeds next to the tree, to which he said, "My children". Which made me through of the trees they were growing in the other room. Someone is creating an army. As the rogue went to unlock the shackle of the tree. I blasted the stone that held it in place, with my thunderous shout of triumph. To my surprise the tree thanked us as it collapsed. Surely something so mighty could not die so easily.
Session 22
5 March 2012
- The party investigated the Shroom's lab again (abandoned)
- Briefly trapped in dual-portcullis room with poison smoke
- Escaped! by virtue of a dwarf's hammer
- Explored south from lab, discovered syringe chair and rack of bottles
- Zacarias & Ashen drank potions which made them run in circles screaming
- This attracted pod-people, which were dispatched
- Exploration continued down an unexplored natural passage
- The entry to a cavern was guarded by a pair of tentacle plants, which were destroyed
- Inside, a treant was discovered chained and mortared to the ground
- His name is Leafloam, and he doesn't seem quite right in the head
- Another pair of tentacle plants was found guarding the other exit to the room, one was killed by Leafloam after he was unchained (his strike seemed quite powerful)
- They too were destroyed, along with some moss creature which fell from the ceiling onto Hep'tzar
- Ashen smashed the cement holding Leafloam captive
Present:
- Hep'tzar
- Dennis (Ramuh)
- Karen (Vira)
- Eric (Micrin, briefly at the beginning)
- Danny (Ashen)
- Michael (Zacarias)
Monster XP: 2700 / 5 = 540
+50 XP for those with encumbrance sheets = 590
Monday, 27 February 2012
Session 21
- Micrin smashed the "goblin god" pillar and released some form of undead, which was defeated after draining constitution from several PCs
- Goblin bunk room explored, treasure missed at first
- Corridor of piercers
- 6 huge rats: Ramuh and Berrian contracted Filth Fever
- Chamber with two deep pools of dark water discovered. Ramuh kicked stones into one and disturbed a giant frog, which was killed and grilled
- (Micrin ran back through the piercer corridor with Zacarias to get goblin bed stuffing for the fire)
- The party proceeded and discovered a large cavern with a wall covered in red fungus with a ledge above. The ledge contained a stone idol with a changing face which cursed both Berrian and Zacarias so that they could only speak if they could rhyme
- Exit from that cavern led back to the triangular rooms near where the huge plant beast was driven away
- One of the new triangular rooms was a store room that had lots of interesting items (ask Berrian)
- There was a sphere that contained a magic six sided die with Berrian rolled and lost 1 HP permanently
- He rolled it again and got the party teleported back near the fungus wizard's lab, but now a portcullis blocks the way
Monday, 6 February 2012
Session 20: impaled skeletons, goblin queen
- Plant beast driven north
- Investigated several triangular worked stone rooms (not caverns)
- Discovered an room with skeletons impaled on wooden spikes
- The skeletons screamed and intruders until Berrian destroyed them
- The party proceeded past that room to a huge natural cavern with pools which was home to goblins
- The goblin queen Guzutch tried to help convince the PCs to assist with a ritual to summon the goblin god which required "slug people" (i.e., human) blood
- Zacarias didn't like that, and killed the queen, and then battle with the other goblins was joined
- 11 goblins killed, 1 escaped to the south west
The End of Guzutchland Goblin Kingdom
The final fight of the Guzutchland Goblin Kingdom - as witnessed by Vira of Nandel
The defences were weak, entering Guzutch's realm, with more of a focus on warning goblins not to leave. All that we encountered was a room with screaming goblin skeletons on spikes that stopped with a simple blow to the skeleton, and a cryptic warning of an evil shroom. Zacarias Venacio Borromeo claimed this was Guzutch's propaganda to prevent her goblin subjects from abandoning her dark and gloomy realm, but it may have to do with an evil shroom wizard. That is another tale though, and is recorded elsewhere.
Once Guzutchland was entered, Guzutch did try flattery to convince strange "slug people" to help release an unnamed goblin god, who if released would undoubtedly have been ample help to defend her kingdom. The Circle of Orin did not fall for this ruse.
The next mistake made by the goblins of Guzutchland was to allow the strangers to approach the queen while she was trying to entrap them. This allowed Zacarias to land a devastating blow to the queen before her guards to react. The rest of the goblins lacked any real conviction after the queen fell. Ramuh and Vira were able to injure multiple goblins with one blow, Ramuh by surrounding himself by the goblins and using his magnificent light sword, and Vira by summoning a blast of Ioun's energy.
The remaining subjects fell quickly to the Circle of Orin, though Berrian did seem bewitched by the statue of the God during the fight. Perhaps this was also supposed to be a defence. It is believed that only 1 goblin survived. The others were driven by grief at the loss of their queen to continue attacking the superior force, with no thought of retreat.
Though the summoning of a goblin god is questionable, the complete destruction of this goblin civilization is a tragedy, with all their knowledge lost forever.
The defences were weak, entering Guzutch's realm, with more of a focus on warning goblins not to leave. All that we encountered was a room with screaming goblin skeletons on spikes that stopped with a simple blow to the skeleton, and a cryptic warning of an evil shroom. Zacarias Venacio Borromeo claimed this was Guzutch's propaganda to prevent her goblin subjects from abandoning her dark and gloomy realm, but it may have to do with an evil shroom wizard. That is another tale though, and is recorded elsewhere.
Once Guzutchland was entered, Guzutch did try flattery to convince strange "slug people" to help release an unnamed goblin god, who if released would undoubtedly have been ample help to defend her kingdom. The Circle of Orin did not fall for this ruse.
The next mistake made by the goblins of Guzutchland was to allow the strangers to approach the queen while she was trying to entrap them. This allowed Zacarias to land a devastating blow to the queen before her guards to react. The rest of the goblins lacked any real conviction after the queen fell. Ramuh and Vira were able to injure multiple goblins with one blow, Ramuh by surrounding himself by the goblins and using his magnificent light sword, and Vira by summoning a blast of Ioun's energy.
The remaining subjects fell quickly to the Circle of Orin, though Berrian did seem bewitched by the statue of the God during the fight. Perhaps this was also supposed to be a defence. It is believed that only 1 goblin survived. The others were driven by grief at the loss of their queen to continue attacking the superior force, with no thought of retreat.
Though the summoning of a goblin god is questionable, the complete destruction of this goblin civilization is a tragedy, with all their knowledge lost forever.
Monday, 23 January 2012
Session 19: Pod People, Mushroom Wizard Lab & Quarters
- 4 pod people + an ogre-sized pod person overseer slain
- 1 pod person escaped
- Ramuh took three scrolls from the library
- Large pulsing pod over the cauldrons destroyed
- Living quarters of the wizard investigated
- Repulsion wand hanging on the wall taken
- Portcullis traps navigated south of wizard's chamber
- Dangerous plant beast in large cavern herded by wand south
Monday, 16 January 2012
Diary Entry for Toad and Pod People Cave
This is for session 18. +300 XP to Vira
Map of Toad people Cave:
Partial results of depth first search, to the left. Notable events listed below.
A: While searching the cave where we defeated the dangling plants, Micrin saw an interesting object in the small lake and bravely waded in to claim it. It was a small wooden box, that when examined by Micrin had a mechanical puzzle that allowed us to open it and claim a wooden key. This proved useful at the key doors. Inserting the key in the door diverted the stream allowing access to past the second waterfall.
B: This room contained 20 large human sized pods hanging from the roof of the cave, smelling strongly of dead fish. A pod man jumped out of 1 and tried to take us on, but we didn't give much chance. After it was chopped up, we searched out other full pods. Only 1 was still full, the other 18 open and empty, so there are probably a bunch of these wandering around. Hep'ztar hovered up one of Micrin's daggers and cut open the only full pod. It appeared to be only plant stuff and dead fish. While trying not to gag on the increased stench, we destroyed the pod, ensuring no pod man will ever emerge from it.
C: This room was carpeted in mushrooms that erupt in sticky glowing bright yellow spores, with a floating stone fist-sized head in the room that is attracted to light. We caught the head by coating the inside of a sack in the yellow spores and extinguishing all other light sources, then closing the bag on it. So far it seems harmless and it is currently bobbing along above Ramuh. It has been nicknamed Bob.
D: This room contained 9 trees in neat rows. Unfortunately one of them opened their eyes right in front of Ramuh and in a rage he swung his sword at it. Following suit, Ashen attacked and killed the tree. He was still in an odd mood from the mushrooms he ate earlier. This convinced Hep'ztar and I that negotiation was no longer an option. I ran in and sent a glowing sphere and got a bunch of leaves and twigs flying everywhere, then a bunch of branches in my face. I managed to get away and we slowly hacked away at the trees until there was nothing but twigs and leaves and some spider bodies. Don't really know where they came from. I collected some samples, and Ashen took some tree to make a hilt.
E: Currently in this room, taking some time to update my journal. This appears to be the first man made room in this set of caves with lots of interesting pages and some cauldrons. Hopefully it will lead to some answers of all these created creatures.
Session 18: Pod People, Glowing Mushrooms, Floating Head, Angry Trees
Present: Micrin up through the pod person, Heptzar, Vira, Ramuh, Ashen
- Waterfall diversion with key found in pool
- Room with 20 mostly empty pods, fought 1 pod person
- Room with mushrooms that squirt glowing yellow spores, floating fist-sized stone head, follows light
- Mad tree nursery: 9 mad trees & 3 wandering spiders
- Many winding corridors
- Carved-out room: 3 cauldrons, worktable covered with pages, pink and green pulsing hanging pod
Session 18: Pod People
Danny's report:
Who's bright idea was it to go treading in this god forsaken cave. Must have been Vira's, and that assassin lad. Who are we to think adventure should be the ownly payment. Rituals are expensive after all! Vira always seems to be happy to help people for nothing. Must be a clerk thing, if she went to bard school she would see how the real world is like. Half the party is incapacitated from the mushrooms I slipped into the ale last night. I thought it would enhance the flavour of their "Premium" tank house ale. To think that bartender had the nerve try and charge 1 gold coin per pint. I could perform a full brewing ritual with 1 gold.
I could be enjoying the sub par company back at that local bar right now. Or better year be heading back to the main city for the finest wenches. Instead I am in the middle of nowhere or should I say the "Cave of pointless wondering". If there was some treasure or more action it wouldn't be so bad, but it has been so far uneventful. First we encountered a couple if vines that could pluck rocks out of the air. We dispatched these vine things with some fire and good old steel to the tendrils. I tried to feed them some mushrooms, but it didn't take. Apparently we met some pod people, but they weren't much for talking, so we cut them down. I was too high off these wonderful mushrooms at that point to do much but watch. I could have sworn that one of them was trying to talk to us but what would a plant say. We ended up wondering aimlessly until we arrived at a room full of mushrooms. Jackpot. To my disappointment they were not edible, instead they released a bunch of glowing spores when crushed. Discussing. We noticed however there was a floating rock in the room, it seemed attracted to light. I decided to capture it by using a sack, by coating the inside of it with glowing spores. It worked wonderfully. The sword-mage thought it would be a good pet, kind of like a balloon. We decided to call him Bob. Bob now follows us via a string attached to the sword-mage. At least I'm not dragging him around like the assassin, dwarf, rogue. Good thing I'm so muscular. I wonder if Vira notices my manliness.
We arrived after a few hours in the middle of what appears to be a nursery, full of moaning. We were certain it would be grateful villages waiting to be saved. Instead we find these vile tree monsters with dozens of eyes. There appearance offended the sword-mage who ended all chances of diplomacy by hacking the closest "tree" in half. Out of nowhere Vira, perhaps overcome by my manliness or blood rage, decides to risk her life by charging in the thick of things, blasting all of them with some divine radiance. If her goal was to impress me she managed to do that. However, she paid the price for her bravery as the trees decided to surround and lash at her mercilessly. I managed to pull her what was left of her out of the fray, with a blast of musically "chairs". The sword-mage and I made short work of the wounded trees. While engaging the trees, some spiders showed up out of nowhere behind us, but the Hep'ztar and Vira took care of them with Ramuh's help.
We emerged victorious, with minor wounds. Vira and I take some samples of these strange trees, they appear to have an Elven flare to them. Perhaps they have some sort of magical property.
After some more wondering, we finally arrive at a room with a glowing red pod suspended from the celling. I'll end the log here as I feel action shall be upon us.
-- Ashen
+250 XP
Who's bright idea was it to go treading in this god forsaken cave. Must have been Vira's, and that assassin lad. Who are we to think adventure should be the ownly payment. Rituals are expensive after all! Vira always seems to be happy to help people for nothing. Must be a clerk thing, if she went to bard school she would see how the real world is like. Half the party is incapacitated from the mushrooms I slipped into the ale last night. I thought it would enhance the flavour of their "Premium" tank house ale. To think that bartender had the nerve try and charge 1 gold coin per pint. I could perform a full brewing ritual with 1 gold.
I could be enjoying the sub par company back at that local bar right now. Or better year be heading back to the main city for the finest wenches. Instead I am in the middle of nowhere or should I say the "Cave of pointless wondering". If there was some treasure or more action it wouldn't be so bad, but it has been so far uneventful. First we encountered a couple if vines that could pluck rocks out of the air. We dispatched these vine things with some fire and good old steel to the tendrils. I tried to feed them some mushrooms, but it didn't take. Apparently we met some pod people, but they weren't much for talking, so we cut them down. I was too high off these wonderful mushrooms at that point to do much but watch. I could have sworn that one of them was trying to talk to us but what would a plant say. We ended up wondering aimlessly until we arrived at a room full of mushrooms. Jackpot. To my disappointment they were not edible, instead they released a bunch of glowing spores when crushed. Discussing. We noticed however there was a floating rock in the room, it seemed attracted to light. I decided to capture it by using a sack, by coating the inside of it with glowing spores. It worked wonderfully. The sword-mage thought it would be a good pet, kind of like a balloon. We decided to call him Bob. Bob now follows us via a string attached to the sword-mage. At least I'm not dragging him around like the assassin, dwarf, rogue. Good thing I'm so muscular. I wonder if Vira notices my manliness.
We arrived after a few hours in the middle of what appears to be a nursery, full of moaning. We were certain it would be grateful villages waiting to be saved. Instead we find these vile tree monsters with dozens of eyes. There appearance offended the sword-mage who ended all chances of diplomacy by hacking the closest "tree" in half. Out of nowhere Vira, perhaps overcome by my manliness or blood rage, decides to risk her life by charging in the thick of things, blasting all of them with some divine radiance. If her goal was to impress me she managed to do that. However, she paid the price for her bravery as the trees decided to surround and lash at her mercilessly. I managed to pull her what was left of her out of the fray, with a blast of musically "chairs". The sword-mage and I made short work of the wounded trees. While engaging the trees, some spiders showed up out of nowhere behind us, but the Hep'ztar and Vira took care of them with Ramuh's help.
We emerged victorious, with minor wounds. Vira and I take some samples of these strange trees, they appear to have an Elven flare to them. Perhaps they have some sort of magical property.
After some more wondering, we finally arrive at a room with a glowing red pod suspended from the celling. I'll end the log here as I feel action shall be upon us.
-- Ashen
+250 XP
Sunday, 15 January 2012
Gambling at Steal the Rest
+300 XP to Zacarias
(Summary of session 17.)
"Ah, yes, see, I don't have the money just now - no, no, really not a problem, it's just that, well let me explain. No wait... even better, I wrote a song about this.
There was a young man from Kelex,
Who very much liked to -
No wait, that's a different song. How did this one go again? Aha!
The sorcerer frogs, they came they saw, they slew.
The world was their oyster, or was it their fly, oh my!
And your town of Steal, in their path, was doomed, you knew.
Until, that is, some heroes saw aught was awry.
We seven did come, the dust of the trail behind,
When evil we spied in the wood, yes evil most fell.
But heroes we are, and to fear, we are all but blind!
So the battle was joined, and at battle, we do excel.
We locked and loaded and drew our guns with haste.
They bound, they leapt, but in the end they croaked.
And thus we saved your man from becoming frog paste,
So put down your knives and let me go home un-poked.
Post-script: if you don't, my friend Ramuh may rage.
I've seen what befalls a toad struck by lightning,
And if you provoke my friend, this here dark sage,
The tale they'll tell of your demise shall be quite frightening!
That croaked bit was a pun by the way. Yeah, I make a better bard than Ash the screamer over there. So what do you say we just forget about the money and go home?"
(Summary of session 17.)
"Ah, yes, see, I don't have the money just now - no, no, really not a problem, it's just that, well let me explain. No wait... even better, I wrote a song about this.
There was a young man from Kelex,
Who very much liked to -
No wait, that's a different song. How did this one go again? Aha!
The sorcerer frogs, they came they saw, they slew.
The world was their oyster, or was it their fly, oh my!
And your town of Steal, in their path, was doomed, you knew.
Until, that is, some heroes saw aught was awry.
We seven did come, the dust of the trail behind,
When evil we spied in the wood, yes evil most fell.
But heroes we are, and to fear, we are all but blind!
So the battle was joined, and at battle, we do excel.
We locked and loaded and drew our guns with haste.
They bound, they leapt, but in the end they croaked.
And thus we saved your man from becoming frog paste,
So put down your knives and let me go home un-poked.
Post-script: if you don't, my friend Ramuh may rage.
I've seen what befalls a toad struck by lightning,
And if you provoke my friend, this here dark sage,
The tale they'll tell of your demise shall be quite frightening!
That croaked bit was a pun by the way. Yeah, I make a better bard than Ash the screamer over there. So what do you say we just forget about the money and go home?"
Monday, 9 January 2012
Session 17: Toad People, Fungus Mage, Steel, Carousing, Rescue
Present: everyone
Completed battle with the toad people
Plant beast was allowed to wander off
Treasure:
6 gems, 100 gp each
200 gp in coin
-50 gp donated to kidnaping victims = 150 gp total remaining
Visited the town to Steel (tavern: Steel's Rest)
Defeated two hanging tentacle plants
Total XP from toad people battle and plants: 1900 / 7 = 271 each
Carousing XP:
Completed battle with the toad people
Plant beast was allowed to wander off
Treasure:
6 gems, 100 gp each
200 gp in coin
-50 gp donated to kidnaping victims = 150 gp total remaining
Visited the town to Steel (tavern: Steel's Rest)
Defeated two hanging tentacle plants
Total XP from toad people battle and plants: 1900 / 7 = 271 each
Carousing XP:
- Berrian: 50
- Zacarias: 50
Sunday, 8 January 2012
Session 16: Return, Airship Wreckage, Toad People
"Raise you 80 gold. Hm? No, no, but I'm good for it. Honest - it's - what? Not on the table? I know it's not on the table, but I'm good for it. My word is my bond. Swear on my mother's hair. Come on. Or are you just scared of the hand I've got here? Is that it?
Re-raise? Really? Come on, we both know you're behind. You're not going to bully me out of this one. Do you know what I do to bullies? Let me tell you a story... it was just after the Battle of Whatsiston when my associates and I had just defeated the notorious Thousand Goblins of The House of Five Blades and saved the town, if not the entire country. But that's another story.
Anyway, we walked back into town, where Vira healed the wounded and the guard captain thanked us for saving them from certain death. Now, it is well known to every adventurer that a dispatched villain's corpse and belongings are the property of the ones who killed him, and you would think that it's just common courtesy but apparently not. So then, believing that we could safely leave a few bodies strewn about without the locals picking over them like grave robbers - who would do such a thing, can you imagine fencing grave goods? - yes, so we left the bodies and went for a well-deserved rest.
We awoke to find that the locals, led by none other than the infamous Corpulomancer - ah yes, I see you've heard of him, haven't you? Back then he only weighed twelve hundred pounds but now it's another matter, best left for another story. So the locals, at his direction, had stolen all of the loot that we had left stored on clearly marked corpses so that there could be no confusion about who owned them. Thus the theft was obviously deliberate. Well, we went marching straight to the Corpulomancer's door, brushing past his shyster guards and into his den of disrepute.
"Excuse me sir," I politely announced our arrival, "I believe you owe us a few things, do you not?"
"No it's all ours," he replied, "because blah blah whine whine whine some goblins pissed in my gruel this morning or some crap like that so I'm keeping it."
"That is terribly bad manners old chap, are you sure you wouldn't like to just do the right thing? I'll give you this one last chance." I'm nothing if not gracious, you see.
Call your two hundred gold, by the way.
Anyway, then the Corpulomancer spat "Noooooo. I'm a big whiny bitch who likes to molest dead bugs and I'm going to keep your stuff."
So I put on my serious face. "What if I were to give you a sandwich?" I asked him.
"..."
"Of the knuckle variety." He knew that I wasn't talking about pork knuckle sandwiches, although I do make a great one of those too.
"Phhhhhhhhhhhhhhhbttbtbbbbbbbbbbttttt," he heaved a sigh of pure terror, spitting chunks of food that had been stuck in his teeth at me. He said not another word and, utterly defeated, handed everything over. But as I said, I'm nothing if not gracious, so we left him a very nice staff and then went about our business which, as it turned out, was to kill an army of sorcerer-frogs and save the Queen's entire civil service from kidnapping, but that is another story.
+250 xp for Zacarias
+50 xp for Hep'ztar
Re-raise? Really? Come on, we both know you're behind. You're not going to bully me out of this one. Do you know what I do to bullies? Let me tell you a story... it was just after the Battle of Whatsiston when my associates and I had just defeated the notorious Thousand Goblins of The House of Five Blades and saved the town, if not the entire country. But that's another story.
Anyway, we walked back into town, where Vira healed the wounded and the guard captain thanked us for saving them from certain death. Now, it is well known to every adventurer that a dispatched villain's corpse and belongings are the property of the ones who killed him, and you would think that it's just common courtesy but apparently not. So then, believing that we could safely leave a few bodies strewn about without the locals picking over them like grave robbers - who would do such a thing, can you imagine fencing grave goods? - yes, so we left the bodies and went for a well-deserved rest.
We awoke to find that the locals, led by none other than the infamous Corpulomancer - ah yes, I see you've heard of him, haven't you? Back then he only weighed twelve hundred pounds but now it's another matter, best left for another story. So the locals, at his direction, had stolen all of the loot that we had left stored on clearly marked corpses so that there could be no confusion about who owned them. Thus the theft was obviously deliberate. Well, we went marching straight to the Corpulomancer's door, brushing past his shyster guards and into his den of disrepute.
"Excuse me sir," I politely announced our arrival, "I believe you owe us a few things, do you not?"
"No it's all ours," he replied, "because blah blah whine whine whine some goblins pissed in my gruel this morning or some crap like that so I'm keeping it."
"That is terribly bad manners old chap, are you sure you wouldn't like to just do the right thing? I'll give you this one last chance." I'm nothing if not gracious, you see.
Call your two hundred gold, by the way.
Anyway, then the Corpulomancer spat "Noooooo. I'm a big whiny bitch who likes to molest dead bugs and I'm going to keep your stuff."
So I put on my serious face. "What if I were to give you a sandwich?" I asked him.
"..."
"Of the knuckle variety." He knew that I wasn't talking about pork knuckle sandwiches, although I do make a great one of those too.
"Phhhhhhhhhhhhhhhbttbtbbbbbbbbbbttttt," he heaved a sigh of pure terror, spitting chunks of food that had been stuck in his teeth at me. He said not another word and, utterly defeated, handed everything over. But as I said, I'm nothing if not gracious, so we left him a very nice staff and then went about our business which, as it turned out, was to kill an army of sorcerer-frogs and save the Queen's entire civil service from kidnapping, but that is another story.
Would you look at that, you do have a hand after all don't you? Right, about that money... no, no, there's no need for knives. I'll just go get it, it's umm, on my horse outside, right-o, see you in a minute!"
+250 xp for Zacarias
+50 xp for Hep'ztar
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)