Friday, January 30, 2009

Session 8 Dark Ones

Paleus shares the following information on the Dark Ones the night after clearing the monastery.

Dark Ones are native to the Shadowfell. They are sly, murderous creatures clad in black garments. They come to the world with sinister schemes, take and learn what they can, and slink back into the gloom.

The rogue you just encountered was good at getting in cheap shots with his dagger. He could pop out of hiding, dash about unharmed (+AC vs opportunity attacks), and plant his dagger where it hurt. He was dressed in all black. All of his metal gear was made of the foreign "steel".

Dark Ones live among shadar-kai much the way halflings find their place among populations of humans, dwarves and elves. Dark Ones prefer to dwell in homes that are at least partially underground.

You have a strong suspicion that these people are arming the bad guys. The one in the monastery was there for a reason. They are probably helping the Orcs with more than just weapons, but it's unclear what their role or purpose are. They want something and are using the Orc army to get it.

The Shadar-kai are a race of shadow assassins in the service of the Raven Queen.

(((Paleus seems to know an aweful lot about these things.)))

Session 8 Recap

Having cleared the monastery, the party descended stairs into the mountain. The path opened up into a large chasm. Stairs descended from platform to platform into the darkness with braziers spaced regularly along the way.

Orcs were spotted coming up the stairs, so the party found a shadowy spot and prepared an ambush. Most of the orcs were caught off guard when the group opened fire. Rathos and the Orog leader were knocked off the stairs and fell some 30 feet to the slopes of the chasm wall. Two spiretop drakes joined the fight as well, but none were a match for the heroes.

Braziers lit the way to the ancient dwarven forge at the north end of the chasm. The orcs within were busy beating a dwarf, and were quite loud about it. So again, the group surprised their foes. The leader was quickly identified and focused on, but proved to be a tough opponent. An Eye of Grumsh (Orc caster) and a Dark One rogue harrassed the group from the sidelines, while the orc troops beat on the party for a while. The heroes wised up eventually though & took out the softer targets. Then they could more easily focus their attention on the leader.

When the fighting was over, the dwarf was tended to & the fires were put out. Kalad related the recent events at the monastery. This location is safe now, but there are other unsecured tunnels a day south of the monastery. He's urging the group to recouperate & head there at first light.

Session 8 Rewards

+2 Chainmail (Dwarven)
Frozen Whetstone
3 Potions of Healing
325g

520 xp each

Encounters:
1150 Stairs (1 Orog, 10 Orcs, 2 Spiretop Drakes)
1450 Forge (1 Elite Orog, 9 Orcs, 1 Dark One)

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Session 7 Recap

News of the war has finally become official. Overlook has put out a call to arms. Anyone available & able is requested to assist in the defense of Overlook and the surounding area.

The PC's make a 10 day jouney to the west. It's mostly uneventful. They exchange news with people they encounter, get a brief look at centaurs, and observe the handwork of orc raiders in the hills.

Overlook is a huge metropolis with a normal population around 20,000. Most of the residents are dwarves. There are a lot of visitors here now, responding to the call to arms. There's even another adventuring group from Brindol staying at Belden's Rest, the moderate inn where the PC's are staying.

Militia press gangs and thugs abound, preying on the visitors day and night. The PC's meet, but don't engage the Lost Ones (Overlook thieves' guild).

Two days after arriving, the city council calls in all the non-local muscle. They are directed to various rooms where assignments are handed out. Many are drafted into the militia, but a few groups get special duties.

The most accomplished adventuring groups are assigned to locate tunnels being used by the Orcs and secure them. Other groups are set to scouring the hills for raiders. The PC's will be headed to a Moradin Monastery in the mountains to both warn the monks & secure the tunnels there. Pay = 1000g, council gratitude, and some amount of public recognition.

After the meeting the party returns to the inn to gather their things. They arrive to find assassins putting the beat down on the other adventuring group. The PC's put the assassins in their place & save most of the other adventurers' lives. Then they discover their names on the assassin's hit list. Someone in Overlook wants the PC's dead, and the tunnels unsecured. The other group was also supposed to secure tunnels.

The group makes its way up into the mountains and finds the monastery with little trouble. Things are gruesome at the monastery though. Dead dwarves are everywhere. Orcs are running about looting bodies & defiling the Temple of Moradin. The PC's clear several groups of Orcs. Some of them have shiny new weaponry. Some of them have "masterwork" arms and armor from the fallen monks.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Session 7 Rewards

Boots of the Fencing Master (Lvl 7, AV p127)
Diamond Bracers (Lvl 9, AV p116)
Assassin hit list with your names on it
625g

990 xp each

Encounters:
1100 xp Assassins (1 Doppleganger, 5 humans)
750 xp Travel to Monastery (skill challenge)
950 xp Monastery Courtyard (10 Orcs)
725 xp Tempe of Moradin (8 Orcs)
1425 xp Monk Quarters (4 Orogs, 9 Orcs)

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Session 6 Obserations #2

The PC's saw 3 Dark Ones for a total of about 15 seconds at the slave camp. You have no leads here. You're free to look them up. The only interesting bit about them is their origin, the Shadowfell.

The weapon crates... Both the weapons & the crates are unmarked, but all of identical make. Toradin's uncle (blacksmith in Brindol) examines a few of the weapons & tells you the metal is not very high quality & definitely not from around here. "See these lines & this coloration... that's from a metal I've never seen before. It's very similar to steel, but I'll need time to figure out more." All of the goblinoids encountered so far have had some of these weapons. Sinruth's were supplied through Lucien.

"Rumors" abound of orcs, goblinoids, trolls, giants and such massing west of Overlook. We'll start the session with an official call to arms from Overlook. All mercenaries, spare troops, militias and adventuring companies are asked to report to Overlook to deal with the threat.

Session 7 Prep #2

Everyone should have leveled their character to 4th level.

Everyone had 785gp & 200g in residium for gearing up.

Some group changes... Thom's mother is ill so Thom & Tywin are going to take care of her. Councilman Troy is hooking you up with some new travel buddies. You've heard of these people & perhaps met them. They have good reputations & come highly recomended by Troy. Both are from the Brindol area.

Paleus Anathelea
Male Eladrin Warlord; tactical like Tywin; Brent will be handling heals now.

Kava
Female Dragonborn Fighter; Rozanne will be DPS/tanking for us.

So, now we have 5 PC's & 5 players.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Session 7 Prep

The PC’s have two or three weeks off, time to reflect on things. That’s plenty of time to get things crafted, catch up on news & events, do research, or just chill.

The alchemy book Thom has been carrying around is a gift from Adronius for saving his life. He’s happy to train anyone in alchemy or craft things at a slight discount. Jalissa at the College/Temple of Ioun is likewise grateful. If the PC’s come up with a way for her or the temple to assist, they are “friendly.” Councilman Troy is a third friend.

Things around Brindol are calm, but rumors of war are trickling in from Overlook, a dwarven metropolis (population 20,000) to the west.

Friday, January 9, 2009

Session 6 Observations

The PC’s have spent a few weeks traveling about Elsir Vale dealing with troublemakers. No evil army has surfaced, but they can piece together some interesting observations.

Lucien commands a sizable organization. He’s the thieves’ guild leader in the area. There are likely smaller groups operating in the Vale, but his overshadows all others. His people are predominantly “PC races”, but he has werewolves in his employ. And he has dealings with other races. He does a good job of concealing the upper levels of the organization.

The goblinoids are evil humanoids living on the fringes of civilized lands. They live in small (<200) clans ruled by the most powerful of their kind. They are cruel, self-centered and filthy, but not chaotic. They all seem to be geared well. In fact, these unmarked weapon crates have popped up everywhere. The slaves can attest to having seen such crates at the fort, and the leaders there were sporting new weapons. Could there be a common weapons dealer in the area?

The slaves also got better looks at the 3 little cloaked figures that fled the fort. The slaves saw them come & go several times while they were imprisoned. They were doing business with the goblins, but it had nothing to do with slaves. Piecing together the descriptions (and making a knowledge check), the PC’s conclude that these are Dark Ones, Halfling like people from the shadow plane.

In short, there are a lot of groups operating in the Vale, good & bad. They pretty much do as they please outside Brindol city walls. Many have peaceful relations with several other groups, but no real alliances. No single group could field 1000 troops if needed. An army could sweep through here with little resistance. But there’s no apparent resource or treasure worth such attention. Is this evil army real? If so, are they just bent on revenge?

Session 6 News

Back in Brindol, the council is trying to wrap their heads around the recent events. They are happy to have all citizens accounted for. Plans are in the works to pursue Lucien via the hideout near Dauth. The city guard and the militia are undergoing training and an equipment check. Measures are being taken to restore & upgrade city defenses.

Life has settled down around town since the invasion 2-3 weeks ago. Repairs are underway and funerals are all done. Most people are back to their normal grind. The burned out buildings have been cleared & reconstruction has started.

The PC’s are viewed as accomplished adventurers. They can hold their own and have a few skills. Most people in Brindol (other than rescued hostages) have little comprehension of events outside the city. In fact, the Witchwood elves seem to have more respect for the PC’s than the citizens of Brindol. Councilman Troy has strengthened his political position. Troy and the rescued hostages are the only people that continue to thank the PC’s.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Session 6 Devan

Several days after the PC’s return to Brindol, Devan shows back up (with fresh scars and holding his left hand funny). He relates his experiences on the hill.

After separating from the Brindol adventurers, Devan took his group east to the other main road. They setup an ambush point & waited. Eventually a goblin patrol came along. It was a long fight as the halfelves tried to keep at range & pepper the enemy with bow fire. They eventually killed off the patrol and quickly recovered.

When the Ogre patrol was spotted, the halfelves followed the plan and regrouped at the northern fort gate. They only needed to kill a few goblins & set a good fire, so they unloaded all the oil & alchemist fire they had on one tower. They were back in the trees within 30 seconds without a scratch. And it worked beautifully. Both goblin patrols circling the fort came after them.

At first they fired off a few shots to make sure they had the patrols’ attention. Then the chase ensued. With 20 goblins and several drakes chasing them, they focused on staying ahead of their persuers. At a few points they stopped to fire a round of arrows. But the goblins kept coming full speed with an occasional pop shot. While the halfelves tried to stick to the woods & head north, they eventually ran into the river and some thicker foliage. The patrols descended on them with much glee. Both sides took heavy casualties with the elves eventually fleeing across the river. Two of them survived, Devan and one other.

The elves of the Witchwood took their two rangers in and nursed them back to health. It was a brush with death, and some of them (the 5) didn’t pull through. The survivors and dead alike have been rewarded for their bravery and contributions. The slave camp was a long standing threat to their people.

Devan has come with the full 1500 gp reward as promised (included in the rewards post). He’s very polite and thankful for what the adventurers have done, but he’s also obviously in mourning for his lost friends, though he tries to hide it.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Session 6 Recap

Councilman Troy produced a ranger from the Witchwood, Devan Flores, who had a good amount of information on the goblin slavers. The group gathered some supplies and set out for Skull Gorge (north of Drellin’s Ferry) with Devan. Several of his buddies joined the group just past Drellin’s Ferry on Day 4.

When the group reached the bridge, Devan pointed out the Cliffside trail on the north side of the gorge. Several orcs were spotted coming up onto the main road, with 2 halfelf slaves. Toradin bravely (stupidly?) charged across the bridge & leapt from horseback to the trail below engaging the orcs. The adventurers proceeded to surround the orcs and dispatch them, freeing the slaves.

The two halfelves had just come from the slavers’ camp that morning. They provided additional information about the layout of the fort. Then they armed themselves with orc gear and set off on their own.

The adventurers chose a safer path to the fort & openly presented themselves to the first goblin patrol as potential buyers. Devan’s group hid in the forest and stayed clear of all goblins. The PC’s were escorted to the fort where they bargained for the purchase of all available slaves and the dwarf (supposedly “unavailable”); about 450g. The exchange was made & the slaves were marched out with the PC’s.

The escort goblins were slaughtered a safe distance from the fort. The slaves equipped themselves with goblin gear and headed home. Ambushes were then set for additional patrols with Devan’s group on one path & the PC’s on another. Another patrol (or 2?) was silenced before the goblins got smart & sent out a larger group. The good guys side-stepped this goblin/ogre group and laid into the fort.

The PC’s got in position at the south gate & accessed the situation just before a northern tower was set afire (Devan’s group?). Patrols headed that way & the PC’s began their assault. The palisade & towers were set afire & the gate bashed in. The goblins within were busy trying to put out the fires, but quickly turned their attention to the intruders. A fight of epic proportions (ok, maybe heroic) ensued.

The heroes were hard pressed by a lot of goblins. Then just as they got a little breathing room, Modus Blackhand joined with his guards. Fighting continued for minutes (?). The heroes used every resource at their disposal and things were getting hairy, but they pulled through it. That wasn’t the end though. The witch was approaching now with more guards. Resources drained and powers used, things were looking grim. A couple of the heroes were brought down. The witch was a tough old buzzard.

When all was said & done, the heroes stood triumphant…. buildings burning, goblinoids strewn everywhere, covered in blood & sweat. Spoils were collected & the haggard group departed before any of the patrols returned.

Session 6 Status

6 sessions down & everyone is 4th level (4845 xp).

Everyone has 2-3 magic items (levels 2-8!), 785 gold & 200g in residium. That's nearly 1000g for gear/upgrades. Think about how you want to spend that.

Everyone has a horse & basic riding gear. I'm gonna call the alchemy book Thom's.

Potions:
3 Potions of Healing
2 Potions of Clarity
1 Potion of Resistance (necro 5)

Session 6 Rewards

I adjusted the loot from the witch’s hut upwards. The footlocker under her bed had some goodies.

Pre-trip supplies:
6 Alchemist Fire Jars -- used
4 Alchemist Fire Arrows -- used
5 Potions of Healing -- used

Loot:
+1 Longsword (Vengeful) – Tywin
Gloves of Eldritch Admixture – Rathos
Iron Armbands of Power – Toradin
Bracers of Archery – Seregdur
3 Potions of Healing
2 Potions of Clarity
15 Alchemist Fire Jars
Residium (1000g)
Cash 640g

Rewards back in Brindol:
Cash 2000g

1600 xp each

Encounters:
1000 xp Bridge (4 Orcs, 1 Orog)
1000 xp Goblin Patrol 1 (10 Goblins, 2 Guard Drakes)
1000 xp Goblin Patrol 2 (10 Goblins, 2 Guard Drakes)
1500 xp Fort Wave 1 (17 Goblins)
1200 xp Modus (4 Hobgoblins, 1 Bugbear, 1 Elite Goblin)
1000 xp The Witch (4 Goblins, 1 Bugbear, 1 Elite Goblin)
700 xp Slaves rescued (major quest)
600 xp Slavers punished (3 minor quests: Modus dead, Witch dead, fort destroyed)