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.)))
Friday, January 30, 2009
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.
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)
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.
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)
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.
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.
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.
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