Galthius’ lair was far from vacant. Besides devils, the heroes encountered a number of constructs and undead (bone golems, a clay golem & mummies). Most of these were a nuisance and were easily dealt with.
Eventually the adventurers recovered the three key fragments and opened a door to the inner ring. Here, they found a number of captives locked in cages. The people were weak, but alive. Vampires had fed on them regularly. All were abducted from the city in the last 2-3 weeks. They begged for release, but warned the group about Galthius and his two concubines. The vampires were powerful, and utterly evil.
The stone statue in the center of the room came to life and addressed the intruders. It introduced itself as Galthius and invited them to come down & meet him. The statue bit was obviously an illusion controlled by the vampire from elsewhere. The “key” unlocked a spiral stairway leading deeper. As they descended, the party’s light sources dimmed. Silence and gloom pervaded this area. The stairway eventually opened into a large chamber with eerie candle light.
Three medium bone golems greeted the intruders almost immediately. The vampires sprang from hiding shortly thereafter. Their initial assault was viscous, bloodying half the party. The heroes weathered the attacks though and recovered quickly. Then they set about picking off the golems and concubines one at a time. Galthius and his minions threw every knock down, slow and dominate they could at the party, but couldn’t make anything stick for more than a round. The adventurers burned all of their healing and eventually triumphed, having outlasted the vampires.
The defeated vampires were located in their coffins and permanently dispatched. The party also located the mage’s ritual books, several magic items, tapestries, jewelry and some cash. They scoured the lair thoroughly and teleported back to Rhest.
Headmaster Qdoba placed the books in his library and further rewarded the heroes. “You’ve proven yourselves both capable and trustworthy. You are welcome here anytime. Perhaps you’ll find a need for the knowledge herein someday. Just don’t draw any attention to our academy. Your intentions may be peaceful, but others might not be as respectful of what we have here. ”
Friday, August 7, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Session 27 Rewards
+3 Craghammer (Predatory)
Circlet of Mental Onslaught
+3 Symbol of Freedom
+3 Longbow (Dread)
+3 Glaive (Controlling) [upgrade requires return of rope & lamp]
Galthius’ Ritual Books [given to Headmaster Qdoba]
4000 gp in jewelry, tapestries, books & cash
3320 xp each
Encounters:
2400 xp Golem lab (2 Bone Golems)
2400 xp Supply room (1 Clay Golem)
2000 xp Bodies on the floor (5 Shadows, # minions)
2500 xp Ghouls (1 Master Ghoul, 10 Ghouls)
2500 xp Under wraps (1 Mummy Lord, 3 Mummies)
3800 xp Master’s Lair (3 Bone Golems, 3 Vampires)
1000 xp Quests: rescue captives, return ritual books
Circlet of Mental Onslaught
+3 Symbol of Freedom
+3 Longbow (Dread)
+3 Glaive (Controlling) [upgrade requires return of rope & lamp]
Galthius’ Ritual Books [given to Headmaster Qdoba]
4000 gp in jewelry, tapestries, books & cash
3320 xp each
Encounters:
2400 xp Golem lab (2 Bone Golems)
2400 xp Supply room (1 Clay Golem)
2000 xp Bodies on the floor (5 Shadows, # minions)
2500 xp Ghouls (1 Master Ghoul, 10 Ghouls)
2500 xp Under wraps (1 Mummy Lord, 3 Mummies)
3800 xp Master’s Lair (3 Bone Golems, 3 Vampires)
1000 xp Quests: rescue captives, return ritual books
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Session 26 Recap
Headmaster Qdoba tested the strangers on their first visit to the tower. Five wraiths were vanquished with ease by the heroes. The next day, the headmaster met the group. He shared some history of the city and the academy. He answered questions about the current inhabitants of the city. And he defined his purpose here.
His portals were already locked, and the party soon discovered that he had a vast knowledge of rituals. Ritualists compared notes and swapped some information. Eventually, once he was comfortable with the group, he requested their assistance.
Another of the academy’s senior staff, Gulthias, left many centuries ago. He took with him all of his ritual notes and research regarding golems and animation techniques. Qdoba has located Gulthias’ last known home. He would like the brave adventurers to visit the mage’s tower and recover the ritual books. The books would be returned to the academy library, where they would be guarded from misuse.
The headmaster provided some traveling gear and a portal to the coastal trade metropolis of Lundon, far to the south of Elsir Vale. The city was a grand mixture of many races and cultures from all over the world. Most had come here to trade their goods and find exotic merchandise to return home with. The sights and sounds of this great port captivated the adventurers for two days. They eventually struck out from town for the broken keep in the wilds.
Gulthias’ tower was an old broken down keep in the middle of nowhere. There were three stories, a gatehouse and a small courtyard. The mage’s symbol was discovered in several places, the focal points of some waning abjuration. There were virtually no signs of humanoid life here. The well in the basement (one of 3) showed signs of activity. So, down the party went.
Shadow bats attacked in the first cavern, a minor nuisance. The demons in the next two rooms though were proof that the tower wasn’t as vacant as it first appeared. Two succubi were put down (sorry Toradin) and a nasty chain devil as well. The chain devil was in possession of a yellow ring (round loop, not finger jewelry). It appears to fit together with two other rings to form Gilthias’ symbol. The symbol was also found on a few walls, with active divination magic on it.
The next cavern was filled with dozens of statues, some of which came to life. These “golems” shattered into thousands of crystal shards when destroyed. Gilthias’ symbol was on the breast of each golem, until it shattered.
His portals were already locked, and the party soon discovered that he had a vast knowledge of rituals. Ritualists compared notes and swapped some information. Eventually, once he was comfortable with the group, he requested their assistance.
Another of the academy’s senior staff, Gulthias, left many centuries ago. He took with him all of his ritual notes and research regarding golems and animation techniques. Qdoba has located Gulthias’ last known home. He would like the brave adventurers to visit the mage’s tower and recover the ritual books. The books would be returned to the academy library, where they would be guarded from misuse.
The headmaster provided some traveling gear and a portal to the coastal trade metropolis of Lundon, far to the south of Elsir Vale. The city was a grand mixture of many races and cultures from all over the world. Most had come here to trade their goods and find exotic merchandise to return home with. The sights and sounds of this great port captivated the adventurers for two days. They eventually struck out from town for the broken keep in the wilds.
Gulthias’ tower was an old broken down keep in the middle of nowhere. There were three stories, a gatehouse and a small courtyard. The mage’s symbol was discovered in several places, the focal points of some waning abjuration. There were virtually no signs of humanoid life here. The well in the basement (one of 3) showed signs of activity. So, down the party went.
Shadow bats attacked in the first cavern, a minor nuisance. The demons in the next two rooms though were proof that the tower wasn’t as vacant as it first appeared. Two succubi were put down (sorry Toradin) and a nasty chain devil as well. The chain devil was in possession of a yellow ring (round loop, not finger jewelry). It appears to fit together with two other rings to form Gilthias’ symbol. The symbol was also found on a few walls, with active divination magic on it.
The next cavern was filled with dozens of statues, some of which came to life. These “golems” shattered into thousands of crystal shards when destroyed. Gilthias’ symbol was on the breast of each golem, until it shattered.
Session 26 Rewards
Handy Haversack
Rope of Climbing
Floating Lantern
2 Potions of Regeneration
3 Potions of Clarity +2
1000g in jewelry off the devils
Boots of Eagerness
2200 xp each
Encounters:
2600 xp Bat cave (10 Shadowhunter Bats)
2700 xp Wine party (2 Succubi, 6 Legion Devil Grunts)
3000 xp Chains (1 Chain Devil)
2700 xp Cave of statues (6 Crystal Golems)
Rope of Climbing
Floating Lantern
2 Potions of Regeneration
3 Potions of Clarity +2
1000g in jewelry off the devils
Boots of Eagerness
2200 xp each
Encounters:
2600 xp Bat cave (10 Shadowhunter Bats)
2700 xp Wine party (2 Succubi, 6 Legion Devil Grunts)
3000 xp Chains (1 Chain Devil)
2700 xp Cave of statues (6 Crystal Golems)
Session 25 Recap
Concerned that the githyanki would try to gain a foothold in the vale elsewhere, Amyria tasked the heroes with locking any portals they could find in the vale. They spent the next three weeks popping from town to town, temple to tower, visiting anyone with a known portal. Some of the owners were thankful for the portal lock; many agreed to it with some discussion; and a few flat out refused.
Once the civilized areas were taken care of, portals off the beaten path were visited. Ancient portals in vacant forests and abandoned ruins were known to historians, but rarely visited. One such portal was connected to the Happy Beggar.
The adventurers arrived in Rhest mid-day. The sun was bright and the landscape was expected. Ruined stone structures lay all about, overgrown with plants, and lots of water everywhere. The swamp was well on its way to reclaiming the city proper. The portal opened into an open air coliseum. There were many other portals here, but most were non-functional. What was functional were the two T-Rex’s. They had made a nest in the coliseum. The heroes had one near beaten, but were overmatched when the second one arrived. They fled the structure and found cover elsewhere.
The next two days were spent familiarizing themselves with the area and its inhabitants. Lizard men had a village down near the lake. Towers across town were home to kobolds mounted on giant bees. A Treant claimed guardianship of the entire area, and the dinosaurs. And there was the mage academy. This 500+ year old building was clean and in good repair, though the lower floors held nothing of value. This was the only remaining usable building from the capital of Rhest. And the headmaster was still in office.
Once the civilized areas were taken care of, portals off the beaten path were visited. Ancient portals in vacant forests and abandoned ruins were known to historians, but rarely visited. One such portal was connected to the Happy Beggar.
The adventurers arrived in Rhest mid-day. The sun was bright and the landscape was expected. Ruined stone structures lay all about, overgrown with plants, and lots of water everywhere. The swamp was well on its way to reclaiming the city proper. The portal opened into an open air coliseum. There were many other portals here, but most were non-functional. What was functional were the two T-Rex’s. They had made a nest in the coliseum. The heroes had one near beaten, but were overmatched when the second one arrived. They fled the structure and found cover elsewhere.
The next two days were spent familiarizing themselves with the area and its inhabitants. Lizard men had a village down near the lake. Towers across town were home to kobolds mounted on giant bees. A Treant claimed guardianship of the entire area, and the dinosaurs. And there was the mage academy. This 500+ year old building was clean and in good repair, though the lower floors held nothing of value. This was the only remaining usable building from the capital of Rhest. And the headmaster was still in office.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Session 25 Rewards
Ritual Candle (on loan from Amyria)
Bag of Residium (for Portal Lock rituals)
1000 xp each
Encounters:
2000 xp Escape T-Rex den alive
500 xp Quest – Discover the various factions in Rhest & their relationships
2500 xp Magic academy (5 wraiths)
Bag of Residium (for Portal Lock rituals)
1000 xp each
Encounters:
2000 xp Escape T-Rex den alive
500 xp Quest – Discover the various factions in Rhest & their relationships
2500 xp Magic academy (5 wraiths)
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Session 24 Recap
The Mountainroot Temple was secure, and Overlook was preparing for battle. The city council had called in all militia, doubled guards & patrols and reinforced gates. Wall guards were equipped with flaming arrows and boiling oil. And they waited…
Meanwhile the adventurers were arcane locking every portal they could find in Overlook. They were determined that the enemy would NOT attack from within.
Finally, just before dawn on the third day since their return to the city, alarms were raised. The eastern gate was under attack. The heroes rushed across town to assist. They arrived to find Trolls coming through the battered & burned gate. The guards had put down several of the beasts, but were nearly wiped out. The party quickly stepped up & handled business. Having fought similar Trolls in Mountainroot, they knew exactly how to vanquish them quickly. The battle was short. Reinforcements arrived soon, followed by a messenger. Ogres were terrorizing the Stonehammer district.
On the way to Stonehammer, the group came across a Lamia and her fey mercenaries. These invaders put up a good fight. The fey dwarves smashed several heroes around, shoving them away & knocking them down. The Banshrae showered the group with darts. And the Lamia’s beattles swarmed over her enemies. These foes had descent tactics and kept the heroes disorganized for several rounds. The defenders outlasted them though, even the Lamia. The Lamia proved quite resilient and near deadly.
The Ogres were dead when the group finally reached Stonehammer. City guards had beat them down. Buildings around town were on fire though. And rumors of a dragon spread quickly.
Nearby, Councilwoman Mountainhome’s place was on fire too. The servants in the street were begging for assistance. “M’Lady is still in there!” The heroes rushed into the burning building & searched until they found her, but it was too late. She had been knocked unconscious and died of smoke inhalation. They pulled her from the building and left her in the servants’ care.
Just then a shadow fell across the group as a dragon flew over. The heroes gave chase for several blocks until they came upon a group of Goliaths. They were smashing storefronts, looting and pillaging. Obviously, these were invaders. Both sides demanded the other surrender. The defenders beat down most of the invaders, and the last few fled. “I’m not getting paid enough to die.”
General Zithiruun landed in the street about this time, mounted on an undead red dragon. There was a brief exchange as everyone identified themselves. Then the fight was on! The party focused fire on the dragon first. Radiant damage ripped through it’s flesh. But it was deadly too. It charged and slashed, breathed and knocked prone. It nearly took Teregor down in one combo of attacks. But alas… it died… again.
Zithiruun carved his way through the battle field, a whirling vortex of silver sabers. He was quite mobile and quick with his strikes. His defenses were equally admirable. He just couldn’t dish out the damage. Once the dragon was down, the party focused on the Githyanki. He fought on for a little longer, then attempted an escape. Too little, too late. He didn’t get away.
Overlook suffered Trolls, Ogres and fey for several hours. The clergy of Moradin defeated many invaders, including a flying demon. Durkik used the ancient tome from Mountainroot to great effect. Fires burned out and the wounded were tended to. The city had survived.
Bordrin’s Watch to the west, in the mountain pass, suffered brutal attacks too. Over a dozen trolls stormed the gatehouse from behind and nearly destroyed it. Thousands of Orcs beyond the wall attacked, but without control of the gatehouse, their attack was futile. Rumors indicate Kalad and Amyria were the only survivors in the gatehouse attack.
Meanwhile the adventurers were arcane locking every portal they could find in Overlook. They were determined that the enemy would NOT attack from within.
Finally, just before dawn on the third day since their return to the city, alarms were raised. The eastern gate was under attack. The heroes rushed across town to assist. They arrived to find Trolls coming through the battered & burned gate. The guards had put down several of the beasts, but were nearly wiped out. The party quickly stepped up & handled business. Having fought similar Trolls in Mountainroot, they knew exactly how to vanquish them quickly. The battle was short. Reinforcements arrived soon, followed by a messenger. Ogres were terrorizing the Stonehammer district.
On the way to Stonehammer, the group came across a Lamia and her fey mercenaries. These invaders put up a good fight. The fey dwarves smashed several heroes around, shoving them away & knocking them down. The Banshrae showered the group with darts. And the Lamia’s beattles swarmed over her enemies. These foes had descent tactics and kept the heroes disorganized for several rounds. The defenders outlasted them though, even the Lamia. The Lamia proved quite resilient and near deadly.
The Ogres were dead when the group finally reached Stonehammer. City guards had beat them down. Buildings around town were on fire though. And rumors of a dragon spread quickly.
Nearby, Councilwoman Mountainhome’s place was on fire too. The servants in the street were begging for assistance. “M’Lady is still in there!” The heroes rushed into the burning building & searched until they found her, but it was too late. She had been knocked unconscious and died of smoke inhalation. They pulled her from the building and left her in the servants’ care.
Just then a shadow fell across the group as a dragon flew over. The heroes gave chase for several blocks until they came upon a group of Goliaths. They were smashing storefronts, looting and pillaging. Obviously, these were invaders. Both sides demanded the other surrender. The defenders beat down most of the invaders, and the last few fled. “I’m not getting paid enough to die.”
General Zithiruun landed in the street about this time, mounted on an undead red dragon. There was a brief exchange as everyone identified themselves. Then the fight was on! The party focused fire on the dragon first. Radiant damage ripped through it’s flesh. But it was deadly too. It charged and slashed, breathed and knocked prone. It nearly took Teregor down in one combo of attacks. But alas… it died… again.
Zithiruun carved his way through the battle field, a whirling vortex of silver sabers. He was quite mobile and quick with his strikes. His defenses were equally admirable. He just couldn’t dish out the damage. Once the dragon was down, the party focused on the Githyanki. He fought on for a little longer, then attempted an escape. Too little, too late. He didn’t get away.
Overlook suffered Trolls, Ogres and fey for several hours. The clergy of Moradin defeated many invaders, including a flying demon. Durkik used the ancient tome from Mountainroot to great effect. Fires burned out and the wounded were tended to. The city had survived.
Bordrin’s Watch to the west, in the mountain pass, suffered brutal attacks too. Over a dozen trolls stormed the gatehouse from behind and nearly destroyed it. Thousands of Orcs beyond the wall attacked, but without control of the gatehouse, their attack was futile. Rumors indicate Kalad and Amyria were the only survivors in the gatehouse attack.
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