Their shadar-kai weapons give the gnolls an advantage in their raids, but these blades require the special training Kyrion provides. The shadar-kai short sword is statistically identical to the katar (PH 218), while the shadar-kai greatsword is statistically identical to the fullblade (Adventurer’s Vault 9). Though the weapons have a jagged and shadowy appearance, this provides no additional mechanical benefit.
The weapons are made of shadowsteel.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Shadar-kai Letter
The following letter was found on the shadar-kai weaponmaster in Greystone Fortress:
Kyrion,
Let me make my orders clear: you are there only to train the gnolls, not to fight for them. Watch yourself; they are a bloodthirsty and violent lot, and they may turn on you. You may need to remind them from time to time that I pay them well for their services, and that I can withdraw my support for their butchery at any time. Be careful of their leader, for he is far more cunning than others would give him credit for. I would not have even considered trying to trick them into service with that “Emissary” deception that riled up that fool Sinruth. These gnolls have the power of their foul god on their side. They are not to be trifled with.
— Sarshan
Kyrion,
Let me make my orders clear: you are there only to train the gnolls, not to fight for them. Watch yourself; they are a bloodthirsty and violent lot, and they may turn on you. You may need to remind them from time to time that I pay them well for their services, and that I can withdraw my support for their butchery at any time. Be careful of their leader, for he is far more cunning than others would give him credit for. I would not have even considered trying to trick them into service with that “Emissary” deception that riled up that fool Sinruth. These gnolls have the power of their foul god on their side. They are not to be trifled with.
— Sarshan
Session 19 Recap
“Warning! Keep out! Haunted!”
What a great place to hide and get rested up! The gnolls aren’t likely to go in that room. So, the adventurers went in. The meditation room was guarded by “spirits,” but they weren’t undead. They were elemental. Once slain, they melted away. And the heroes rested.
Guards the adventurers had removed hours earlier were probably replaced by now. The prison and waterfall rooms had nothing but dead bodies. Seregdur rigged a noise maker on the portal room door, and the group pressed on.
The last hallway led to a solid looking door, barred from the inside. Luckily the gnolls within were training rather noisily. Reed tried repeatedly to remove the bar, through cracks in the door. Eventually the gnolls were alerted, but Reed did manage to remove the bar about the same time.
The intruders walked into a dozen armored gnolls, weapons in hand. Oddly, a shadar-kai was here training with them. This shed some light on the gnolls’ skill with the odd weaponry, but the heroes had no time to ponder that. Instead, they cut through the recruits and engaged the gnoll warmaster & shadar-kai weaponmaster. Both were skilled combatants, but had a run of bad luck. They couldn’t seem to penetrate Kava’s defenses. So, the heroes rid the world of more evil doers.
As the group evaluated their earnings, Jimmy the bounty hunter was spotted in the doorway, casually leaning against the wall as if he had been there a while. He addressed the party with some familiarity and chatted for a moment. Jimmy had warned them back in Overlook of the bounty on their heads. “I’ll be collectin’ that bounty now. Which one of you turds is first?”
Jimmy and his pets put up a good fight, but his skills were ranged. Like so many before him, the heroes got in Jimmy’s face and shut down his offense. He slashed and shot and held strong for longer than most. In the end, he was out numbered and surrounded though, and had no choice but to surrender.
In exchange for his life, he shared some useful info. He had been here in his youth and knew the layout of the place and several secret tunnels. He described the living quarters below and the ritual room ahead. “The gnoll chief is probably in there.” He also informed the group that Sarshan (shadar-kai arms dealer) had put the bounty on their heads.
The group confirmed Sarshan’s involvement here via a note (next post) on the shadar-kai weaponmaster (dead on the floor). It seems this man has been heavily involved in the recent troubles in Elsir Vale. And he survived the volcano/earthquake in the Shadowfell. The sword Seregdur is carrying is important, as is this fortress.
What a great place to hide and get rested up! The gnolls aren’t likely to go in that room. So, the adventurers went in. The meditation room was guarded by “spirits,” but they weren’t undead. They were elemental. Once slain, they melted away. And the heroes rested.
Guards the adventurers had removed hours earlier were probably replaced by now. The prison and waterfall rooms had nothing but dead bodies. Seregdur rigged a noise maker on the portal room door, and the group pressed on.
The last hallway led to a solid looking door, barred from the inside. Luckily the gnolls within were training rather noisily. Reed tried repeatedly to remove the bar, through cracks in the door. Eventually the gnolls were alerted, but Reed did manage to remove the bar about the same time.
The intruders walked into a dozen armored gnolls, weapons in hand. Oddly, a shadar-kai was here training with them. This shed some light on the gnolls’ skill with the odd weaponry, but the heroes had no time to ponder that. Instead, they cut through the recruits and engaged the gnoll warmaster & shadar-kai weaponmaster. Both were skilled combatants, but had a run of bad luck. They couldn’t seem to penetrate Kava’s defenses. So, the heroes rid the world of more evil doers.
As the group evaluated their earnings, Jimmy the bounty hunter was spotted in the doorway, casually leaning against the wall as if he had been there a while. He addressed the party with some familiarity and chatted for a moment. Jimmy had warned them back in Overlook of the bounty on their heads. “I’ll be collectin’ that bounty now. Which one of you turds is first?”
Jimmy and his pets put up a good fight, but his skills were ranged. Like so many before him, the heroes got in Jimmy’s face and shut down his offense. He slashed and shot and held strong for longer than most. In the end, he was out numbered and surrounded though, and had no choice but to surrender.
In exchange for his life, he shared some useful info. He had been here in his youth and knew the layout of the place and several secret tunnels. He described the living quarters below and the ritual room ahead. “The gnoll chief is probably in there.” He also informed the group that Sarshan (shadar-kai arms dealer) had put the bounty on their heads.
The group confirmed Sarshan’s involvement here via a note (next post) on the shadar-kai weaponmaster (dead on the floor). It seems this man has been heavily involved in the recent troubles in Elsir Vale. And he survived the volcano/earthquake in the Shadowfell. The sword Seregdur is carrying is important, as is this fortress.
Session 19 Rewards
+1 Morningstar (Wicked Fang)
Figurine – Ironwood Hound
Helm of the Eagle
1 Potion of Healing
1 Potion of Regeneration
1400 gp
1325 xp each
Encounters:
2250 xp Meditation Room (3 Psionic Echoes, 3 Mindscramblers)
2700 xp Training Room (12 gnolls, 1 shadar-kai)
3000 xp Bounty Hunter (1 Jimmy the elf, 2 owls, 2 hounds)
Figurine – Ironwood Hound
Helm of the Eagle
1 Potion of Healing
1 Potion of Regeneration
1400 gp
1325 xp each
Encounters:
2250 xp Meditation Room (3 Psionic Echoes, 3 Mindscramblers)
2700 xp Training Room (12 gnolls, 1 shadar-kai)
3000 xp Bounty Hunter (1 Jimmy the elf, 2 owls, 2 hounds)
Session 18 Recap
The Githzerai “fortress” wasn’t very defensible. The heroes strode right in the front door. The entry hall was lined with windows/portals to other rooms. Most of them led to a guard room. The gnolls there quickly mobilized and positioned themselves, while the intruders tried to figure out how the portals worked. Both sides were split up between the rooms. The gnolls tried to gang up on 1 or 2 enemies, but still couldn’t bring down anyone. The adventurers eventually coordinated their efforts and removed the guards.
The portal system led to a four way intersection. Various sounds could be discerned from each direction. The group chose to follow the voices first. This led to the prison. The gnolls on duty here were trained to restrain and whip prisoners. Their tactics were less effective on hearty adventurers, though the manacles were annoying.
Two prisoners were found in the cells; a human deputy from Red Rock and an elf ranger from the Marth Forest. Both had been here less than a week, but were routinely beaten. The gnolls have been capturing skilled citizens in the region for several weeks, but neither of these men knew what had happened to the others. They confiscated gear from their fallen captors and headed home.
The group investigated the waterfall room next. Three gnolls (two mounted) were training in the water to build strength & stamina. The mounts were large hyenas, and they laid into Kava with their riders sporting light lances. These weren’t the real threat though. The third gnoll was a summoner. He called in swarms of crows and rats that viciously gnawed on several of the heroes, and he did so at least three times, flooding the room with vermin. But alas, his defenders weren’t as skilled, and once the heroes got to him, he went down quickly.
A door in the back corner was wedged shut with a note in Abyssal (the gnoll’s language): “Warning! Keep out! Haunted!”
The portal system led to a four way intersection. Various sounds could be discerned from each direction. The group chose to follow the voices first. This led to the prison. The gnolls on duty here were trained to restrain and whip prisoners. Their tactics were less effective on hearty adventurers, though the manacles were annoying.
Two prisoners were found in the cells; a human deputy from Red Rock and an elf ranger from the Marth Forest. Both had been here less than a week, but were routinely beaten. The gnolls have been capturing skilled citizens in the region for several weeks, but neither of these men knew what had happened to the others. They confiscated gear from their fallen captors and headed home.
The group investigated the waterfall room next. Three gnolls (two mounted) were training in the water to build strength & stamina. The mounts were large hyenas, and they laid into Kava with their riders sporting light lances. These weren’t the real threat though. The third gnoll was a summoner. He called in swarms of crows and rats that viciously gnawed on several of the heroes, and he did so at least three times, flooding the room with vermin. But alas, his defenders weren’t as skilled, and once the heroes got to him, he went down quickly.
A door in the back corner was wedged shut with a note in Abyssal (the gnoll’s language): “Warning! Keep out! Haunted!”
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Session 18 Rewards
+2 Tratnyr (Vengeful)
Gloves of Storing
Salve of Power
2 Potions of Clarity +2
2 Desert Roses
600 gold
1150 xp each
Encounters:
2300 xp Portal Room (7 gnolls)
2300 xp Prison (7 gnolls)
2300 xp Waterfall (3 gnolls, 2 hyenas)
Gloves of Storing
Salve of Power
2 Potions of Clarity +2
2 Desert Roses
600 gold
1150 xp each
Encounters:
2300 xp Portal Room (7 gnolls)
2300 xp Prison (7 gnolls)
2300 xp Waterfall (3 gnolls, 2 hyenas)
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Session 17 Recap (part 2)
Brindol seemed somewhat less lively since the heroes had last seen it. There were fewer people on the streets. Rumors told of abductions in the night among the outlying villages. People of Brindol were packing up & moving. With goblinoid attacks, talk of orc armies, midnight abductions and rumors of werewolves, the people were uncomfortable. Surely life elsewhere would be safer than the vale.
Councilman Troyas was happy to see the adventurers. News of their feats in the west had spread all the way to Brindol. He chatted briefly with them concerning recent events and suggested that Reed might stay on with them in Toradin’s absence. He never mentioned the silver haired woman, and expressed genuine ignorance when asked. The museum curator though… It was time they paid him a visit.
Sertanian was busy cleaning the museum pieces when the group arrived. He tried to smooth is apron & hair when he saw his saviors, but he still looked old & dirty. The group was led to a back room, where he had moved one of the Silver Sentinal replica pieces, a platinum longsword with a red crystal in the pommel.
The voice from the dream spoke to them. The woman was trapped in the sword and needs their help to be released. A specific ritual was required, in a specific place. She could provide the ritual and directions, but the Githzerai monastery is now inhabited by Gnolls. Evil is at work in the vale and it has woken her from a long slumber.
The journey was somewhat uneventful. It took the adventurers to Red Rock and into the Giantshield Mountains. Her directions were sketchy at times, and her communications became increasingly shorter and weaker. The party found its way though, and found a number of hazards along the way. The Gnolls had a good hideout and did not want company.
Several days out of Brindol, the heroes finally came to the fortress. A huge stone stairway led up the side of a mountain to double doors. Githzerai carvings and statues gave no doubt this was their destination. Gnolls guarded the stairs with a ghost. The ghost “possessed” the statues to attack. All were vanquished, though the gnolls hit notably harder than most foes. The gnoll weaponry was noteworthy. Two of the guards were sporting weapons made of Shadowfell steel, and Shadar-kai style. The weaponry is strange and difficult to use, even for Kava.
Councilman Troyas was happy to see the adventurers. News of their feats in the west had spread all the way to Brindol. He chatted briefly with them concerning recent events and suggested that Reed might stay on with them in Toradin’s absence. He never mentioned the silver haired woman, and expressed genuine ignorance when asked. The museum curator though… It was time they paid him a visit.
Sertanian was busy cleaning the museum pieces when the group arrived. He tried to smooth is apron & hair when he saw his saviors, but he still looked old & dirty. The group was led to a back room, where he had moved one of the Silver Sentinal replica pieces, a platinum longsword with a red crystal in the pommel.
The voice from the dream spoke to them. The woman was trapped in the sword and needs their help to be released. A specific ritual was required, in a specific place. She could provide the ritual and directions, but the Githzerai monastery is now inhabited by Gnolls. Evil is at work in the vale and it has woken her from a long slumber.
The journey was somewhat uneventful. It took the adventurers to Red Rock and into the Giantshield Mountains. Her directions were sketchy at times, and her communications became increasingly shorter and weaker. The party found its way though, and found a number of hazards along the way. The Gnolls had a good hideout and did not want company.
Several days out of Brindol, the heroes finally came to the fortress. A huge stone stairway led up the side of a mountain to double doors. Githzerai carvings and statues gave no doubt this was their destination. Gnolls guarded the stairs with a ghost. The ghost “possessed” the statues to attack. All were vanquished, though the gnolls hit notably harder than most foes. The gnoll weaponry was noteworthy. Two of the guards were sporting weapons made of Shadowfell steel, and Shadar-kai style. The weaponry is strange and difficult to use, even for Kava.
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