Saturday, February 26, 2005
Henderson
After the party got to the outskirts of Puquuay, Revan sent "the clubmaster," the party's rogue, to go back and get Henderson (the npc lizardman fighter). As a result of this solo mission the clubmaster was given bonus experience for the session. Henderson also ended up gaining a level. The next session will begin with Henderson back in the party, along with news about the elves of Moonmist (where the party first landed on the Isle of Ancients). Yes, the moon elves sent an army to reclaim the Temple of Transformation. Yes, Henderson ate Barkfire (the mage he was supposed to guard). Yes, Henderson is very sorry, but he got hungry, and there was an army on the way that he had to get away from. The return trip overland with The Clubmaster to Puquuay was relatively uneventful, the two rogues only had to hide a few times.
Choices and consequences
So, Jaramon was defeated last session, captured alive. Joseph (Robby's 6th level cleric) was determined to bring this horrible villian to justice through retribution by the authority of the church of St. Cuthbert. Taito (Carson's monk) had put Jaramon unconcious with a sleeper hold. Gradually, the transmuter's spell effects wore off: protection from arrows, invisibility, protection from good, fly, spider climb, silence (which Joseph had targetted on him earlier in the encounter) were the main ones. After a poison acid needle in Jaramon's cloak of resistance did 18 points of damage to Joseph, Lance's rogue "clubmaster" was called in to deal with the rest of his articles of clothing and equipment, which included a circlet (metal headband) with a spring-loaded gem that activated teleport to any of 10 random rooms within Jaramon's chambers, a +2 longsword, a +2 composite longbow, an amulet of armor +1, bracers of armor +2, a ring of protection +1, and a wand of baleful polymorph. Monetary treasure equalled about 10,000 gp for each player and npc. The freed captives from the Temple of Transformation numbered about 150 or so, and were still numb from a long period of charm related effects from their captors, and horrendous, cramped conditions. In game terms, they had 5 or 10 hit points each, even those who may have had higher maximums at one time. Some of the women latched on to the paladin and the cleric, seeking meaning and direction. As a group, they expressed great gratitude to the party for their freedom, offering their unwavering allegiance. The party put them to work hauling sculptures, tapestries and any other items of value out of the plush living quarters below the Temple, and armed those capable of fighting with what weapons were available.
A choice presented itself: a secret cavern below Jaramon's quarters led to a network of natural passageways. The party could go back out the top of the temple and fight off the giant lobster-men and the army of moon elves that would likely be arriving soon, or take their chances (along with the freed prisoners) in the caverns. After discussion, the party chose the caverns.
The group worked their way through the caverns for a time, discovering regions of magical side effects and toxins dumped beneath Jaramon's laboratories. Purple magical fogs, strange lights resembling magic missiles going around in circles, acrid sulfury vapors that caused unexplained hair growth and finally an area so black it seemed to devour light itself. Joseph cast a light to cancel out the darkness the drow trading party had cast, triggering a massive encounter. Flegal (Shane's ranger) changed into a vulture (see entry from previous session) and flew over to the far side of the cavern, where he began sniping at drow spellcasters. Also among the enemy were moon elves and mongrelmen, but mostly drow, and a couple of umber hulks. The battle took about two and a half hours of game time. When it was over, the party had slain 47 of the enemy, the enemy had killed about 100 of the low hit point freed prisoners. Enemy area-of effect spells (such as lightning ball) had also killed 20 or so of their own numbers. The party picked up a few unusual new henchmen/followers, a defeated party known as the Ironics, including a sprite fighter, a kobold cleric, a half-ogre rogue, a half-orc wizard and a gnomish ranger. These six (along with the party and 50 refugees bringing up the rear) were among the few survivors of most of the battle, though the half-orc wizard was slain toward the end of it. Six drow surrendered and were the sole survivors on their side. Interrogation revealed that passages to the lower levels of a dwarven mine some miles away could eventually lead out of the caverns. Geena's (Penny's dwarven fighter) stonecunning revealed that the party was about three miles below the surface.
Flegal's tracking ability was called upon a couple of times to guide the party through a capillary network of caves, eventually leading to an enormous underground canyon visible below. An army of drow workers could be seen hauling a 60' iron golem on wheeled planks along the floor of the canyon. By the time their scout/herald arrived to meet the party, each party member had activated their hats of disguise to appear as drow and moon elves, claiming all the others as their slaves and prisoners in order to get past the encounter, as the group was still recovering from the earlier fight. Revan negotiated with the emissary in elvish, offering (as the weaker clan) a gift in exchange for passage. Such trades are common in the underdark, though mutual mistrust comes with the territory. The emmisary asked what clan Revan's group belonged to, where they had come from, and what they had to trade. Since the party had learned that the drow group encountered earlier had been regular traders with Jaramon, Revan told the emmisary that they were with that group, and could offer a sword capable of transmuting its target into a frog as a gift. Phil did not want his half-orc fighter character (Zen) to give up the sword, so he attacked the emmisary. Revan immediately made an excellent diplomacy check to inform the other side that the party was not associated with the attacker. The half-orc scored a critical hit on the emmisary, who failed his saving throw and turned into a frog. Immediately afterward, poison arrows rained on the half orc, slaying him. The drow were given the sword, and the party went on its way.
Later on, the party encountered a group of three hags, and later also killed a couple of bullettes (land sharks). The dwarven mine was located, and the party worked their way to the surface. Meatsville ("Pigtown") was the nearest civilization the party found, a community of about 12,000 (pretty big!) 30 miles southwest of Puquuay ("Trolltown"). It turns out that Pigtown has a lot of hog farming and related industries disliked by the haughty moon elves, who invaded once, then left the area with a truce about a year and a half ago. Also, it is ruled by the royal family of King Biffy XIII, a half-elf who has a castle, a palace and a cathedral. Who is the cathedral to? None other than St. Cuthbert, as it turns out! Jaramon was left there in the care of the local high priest, who plans to keep him in the cruel dungeons for five miserable years as payment for his crime. After that time, Jaramon is to be burned. Pigtown, though a bit stinky, is a relatively safe place for the party to recover for the time being. Local watering holes include the Swine's Heart, the Pig's Eye, and the Sow's Ear, among others.
Next session: April 9th.
A choice presented itself: a secret cavern below Jaramon's quarters led to a network of natural passageways. The party could go back out the top of the temple and fight off the giant lobster-men and the army of moon elves that would likely be arriving soon, or take their chances (along with the freed prisoners) in the caverns. After discussion, the party chose the caverns.
The group worked their way through the caverns for a time, discovering regions of magical side effects and toxins dumped beneath Jaramon's laboratories. Purple magical fogs, strange lights resembling magic missiles going around in circles, acrid sulfury vapors that caused unexplained hair growth and finally an area so black it seemed to devour light itself. Joseph cast a light to cancel out the darkness the drow trading party had cast, triggering a massive encounter. Flegal (Shane's ranger) changed into a vulture (see entry from previous session) and flew over to the far side of the cavern, where he began sniping at drow spellcasters. Also among the enemy were moon elves and mongrelmen, but mostly drow, and a couple of umber hulks. The battle took about two and a half hours of game time. When it was over, the party had slain 47 of the enemy, the enemy had killed about 100 of the low hit point freed prisoners. Enemy area-of effect spells (such as lightning ball) had also killed 20 or so of their own numbers. The party picked up a few unusual new henchmen/followers, a defeated party known as the Ironics, including a sprite fighter, a kobold cleric, a half-ogre rogue, a half-orc wizard and a gnomish ranger. These six (along with the party and 50 refugees bringing up the rear) were among the few survivors of most of the battle, though the half-orc wizard was slain toward the end of it. Six drow surrendered and were the sole survivors on their side. Interrogation revealed that passages to the lower levels of a dwarven mine some miles away could eventually lead out of the caverns. Geena's (Penny's dwarven fighter) stonecunning revealed that the party was about three miles below the surface.
Flegal's tracking ability was called upon a couple of times to guide the party through a capillary network of caves, eventually leading to an enormous underground canyon visible below. An army of drow workers could be seen hauling a 60' iron golem on wheeled planks along the floor of the canyon. By the time their scout/herald arrived to meet the party, each party member had activated their hats of disguise to appear as drow and moon elves, claiming all the others as their slaves and prisoners in order to get past the encounter, as the group was still recovering from the earlier fight. Revan negotiated with the emissary in elvish, offering (as the weaker clan) a gift in exchange for passage. Such trades are common in the underdark, though mutual mistrust comes with the territory. The emmisary asked what clan Revan's group belonged to, where they had come from, and what they had to trade. Since the party had learned that the drow group encountered earlier had been regular traders with Jaramon, Revan told the emmisary that they were with that group, and could offer a sword capable of transmuting its target into a frog as a gift. Phil did not want his half-orc fighter character (Zen) to give up the sword, so he attacked the emmisary. Revan immediately made an excellent diplomacy check to inform the other side that the party was not associated with the attacker. The half-orc scored a critical hit on the emmisary, who failed his saving throw and turned into a frog. Immediately afterward, poison arrows rained on the half orc, slaying him. The drow were given the sword, and the party went on its way.
Later on, the party encountered a group of three hags, and later also killed a couple of bullettes (land sharks). The dwarven mine was located, and the party worked their way to the surface. Meatsville ("Pigtown") was the nearest civilization the party found, a community of about 12,000 (pretty big!) 30 miles southwest of Puquuay ("Trolltown"). It turns out that Pigtown has a lot of hog farming and related industries disliked by the haughty moon elves, who invaded once, then left the area with a truce about a year and a half ago. Also, it is ruled by the royal family of King Biffy XIII, a half-elf who has a castle, a palace and a cathedral. Who is the cathedral to? None other than St. Cuthbert, as it turns out! Jaramon was left there in the care of the local high priest, who plans to keep him in the cruel dungeons for five miserable years as payment for his crime. After that time, Jaramon is to be burned. Pigtown, though a bit stinky, is a relatively safe place for the party to recover for the time being. Local watering holes include the Swine's Heart, the Pig's Eye, and the Sow's Ear, among others.
Next session: April 9th.
Thursday, February 17, 2005
Ogres & Elves
The small Wednesday session was a continuation from two weeks ago, the completion of the Battle of Horseshoe Island to liberate the human villagers from their ogre and hobgoblin occupiers. Black Eyed Bill ("Pirate" ranger), having won the sea battle, fired catapaults and ballistae at the ogre's fortress, while Vat-of-Can Bob (the Paladin) and the NPCs led the villagers in their land attack, including heavy catapaults fired by Aiko and Nightsong Sharpfang, who also sang her bard song. A few bugbears and goblins fought on the side of the ogres. Fergus continued to fly overhead, picking off targets with magic missiles, low on spells and saving the last charges of his wand to protect himself when his fly spell would inevitably run out. The villagers defended their five heavy catapaults with low walls, hidden pits and long pikes, skewering many an angry charging hobgoblin.
Black Eyed Bill and his crew finally landed their ship and disembarked, flanking some of the ogres and hobgoblins, and joining the assault on the fortress. Within, Bill climbed the porticullus chain to the crenelated wall, where he defeated the ogre general (a wizard, not an "ogre mage," per se). Bob interrogated the only common-speaking ogre upon their surrender, and learned that the ogres ultimately answered to "the Duke," who happens to be an elf that has united all the ogres and their kin in the eastern hemisphere to form an empire to stand against the elves on the other side of Aarde. Unfortunately, humans seem to be caught in the middle, with no empire to call their own, being defeated by both ogres and elves.
Black Eyed Bill and his crew finally landed their ship and disembarked, flanking some of the ogres and hobgoblins, and joining the assault on the fortress. Within, Bill climbed the porticullus chain to the crenelated wall, where he defeated the ogre general (a wizard, not an "ogre mage," per se). Bob interrogated the only common-speaking ogre upon their surrender, and learned that the ogres ultimately answered to "the Duke," who happens to be an elf that has united all the ogres and their kin in the eastern hemisphere to form an empire to stand against the elves on the other side of Aarde. Unfortunately, humans seem to be caught in the middle, with no empire to call their own, being defeated by both ogres and elves.
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
Dr. Morrow/AVP/Jaramon bites it...
Determined to defeat Jaramon, the (Saturday) party delved deeper into the depraved wizard's lower levels within the pyramid. After finding a secret ladder down, 18 mongrelmen guards fought the party to the death, defending jailed subjects, human and otherwise, who were packed tightly behind iron bars. It was a long and difficult battle, but with a bit of help from prisoners freed and armed earlier, none of the party members or npcs were seriously hurt, though some of the liberators who joined in the battle were killed. The newly freed prisoners were armed with the weapons of the fallen, and given a few duties, mainly to help carry treasure from Jaramon's minions quarters. A transmuter (one of the minions) in the form of a vulture attempted to polymorph one of the party members into a frog, but failed to do so, and was slain.
In the level below, the treasure of the minions included that of the enchantress enlisted by the party as guide, a couple of wizards, and the high-priest, who had been hired to set up the pyramid as the "Temple of Transformation." The wizards had all already been beaten by the party. The high priest was easily defeated, though he surrendered and was allowed to live. His quarters were luxurious, with carvings and sculptures of a procession of reptiles, avians, mammals and aquatic creatures. Many servants were tied up, to be questioned later.
After a long search, a teleportal led to the next level down. Here, in a level containing a giant underground colloseum even the enchantress had not had access to, was a dead titan on a wooden frame, with various parts of other large creatures being grafted to it, including Roc wings, giant squid tentacles, extra eyes (including a few beholder eyestalks). In short, the beginnings of a nightmare being made, thankfully not yet completed.
A secret panel led to a narrow hallway. After evading a couple of traps, the party came to Jaramon's personal chambers, protected by teleportals. They found him reading a book, tried to attack, and dissappeared to other rooms, as did Jaramon. Jaramon took the opportunity to cast a few defensive spells, but after a long series of cat-and mouse, the monk in the party was able to grapple with an invisible, protection from missiles, protection from good, spider-climbing protected foe, who also had some powerful contingency magic items to teleport to his various rooms at random when in trouble. Unfortunately for Jaramon, his "random" room diced out to be the same room he was already in. The teleport defense was mainly designed for times when he was outside of his personal chambers, to bring him back there. It turned out to be the one weakness that would cost Jaramon his life. Once Taito grapped with Jaramon, all the teleporting in the world couldn't protect him, because Taito was along for the ride. Eventually, Jaramon just blacked out. Technically, he's still alive, but the party has plans to burn him or otherwise execute him next session.
Well, that's how it goes. It was a good session, and the group accomplished a lot, finishing the mini-story line for several sessions, demonstrating intelligence, compassion and mercy. The players, especially the party leader (Revan, Roddy's character) continue to surpass my expectations. I awarded 3,750 experience points to everyone. The NPCs (Geena, Mick, Telpin and Henderson) will all level to 6th. I'm going to be able to begin a new storyline for the next session, which will be Saturday, Feb. 26. Players were Shane, Phil, Roddy, (new guy--Shawn?), Lance, Robby and Carson. Lance and the new guy were not there for the whole session.
In the level below, the treasure of the minions included that of the enchantress enlisted by the party as guide, a couple of wizards, and the high-priest, who had been hired to set up the pyramid as the "Temple of Transformation." The wizards had all already been beaten by the party. The high priest was easily defeated, though he surrendered and was allowed to live. His quarters were luxurious, with carvings and sculptures of a procession of reptiles, avians, mammals and aquatic creatures. Many servants were tied up, to be questioned later.
After a long search, a teleportal led to the next level down. Here, in a level containing a giant underground colloseum even the enchantress had not had access to, was a dead titan on a wooden frame, with various parts of other large creatures being grafted to it, including Roc wings, giant squid tentacles, extra eyes (including a few beholder eyestalks). In short, the beginnings of a nightmare being made, thankfully not yet completed.
A secret panel led to a narrow hallway. After evading a couple of traps, the party came to Jaramon's personal chambers, protected by teleportals. They found him reading a book, tried to attack, and dissappeared to other rooms, as did Jaramon. Jaramon took the opportunity to cast a few defensive spells, but after a long series of cat-and mouse, the monk in the party was able to grapple with an invisible, protection from missiles, protection from good, spider-climbing protected foe, who also had some powerful contingency magic items to teleport to his various rooms at random when in trouble. Unfortunately for Jaramon, his "random" room diced out to be the same room he was already in. The teleport defense was mainly designed for times when he was outside of his personal chambers, to bring him back there. It turned out to be the one weakness that would cost Jaramon his life. Once Taito grapped with Jaramon, all the teleporting in the world couldn't protect him, because Taito was along for the ride. Eventually, Jaramon just blacked out. Technically, he's still alive, but the party has plans to burn him or otherwise execute him next session.
Well, that's how it goes. It was a good session, and the group accomplished a lot, finishing the mini-story line for several sessions, demonstrating intelligence, compassion and mercy. The players, especially the party leader (Revan, Roddy's character) continue to surpass my expectations. I awarded 3,750 experience points to everyone. The NPCs (Geena, Mick, Telpin and Henderson) will all level to 6th. I'm going to be able to begin a new storyline for the next session, which will be Saturday, Feb. 26. Players were Shane, Phil, Roddy, (new guy--Shawn?), Lance, Robby and Carson. Lance and the new guy were not there for the whole session.
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