Game Session Recaps

[frenzied67]

Highlights of Episode Seventy Nine
Gurthos 8th CE 1031

This prison room was almost forty feet wide and ran unchanged southward into darkness.  Two rows of cage cells that were ten by ten in size and had bars that ran floor to ceiling stretched into those southern shadows.  Five foot wide walkways ran by each row of cells on the east, the middle, and the west.  Two doors could be seen along the eastern wall, about thirty feet apart from each other and the landing below the stairs the party were (mostly) now on.

Several of the Halforc guards and crossbow men froze upon seeing the huge flaming form of the elemental manifest, taken aback by magic they instinctively knew was beyond them.  However one showed steel in his spine by running up and laying a short sword stroke on the searing creature.  This did some damage, but the guard was burned due his proximity; he decided to move away from the heat and set himself up for an opportunity attack from the elemental.  The Halforc lit up like a campfire.  The next to attack was Jolly, who ran down the steps and tried a Frostbite cantrip on the Weevil Priestess.  Though limned in ryme, the woman took no damage.  After the sorcerer darted back into cover, Blaylocke stepped out and fired his bow and hit a guard.  Another crossbow halforc hesitated in taking an action, not liking the looks of the party and their menacing elemental.

Meanwhile another guard took the time to smother the flames on his burning comrade, saving that Halorc’s life.  Another one shot the elemental, and though he hit, the bolt did not seem to effect the creature as it would have a regular person (resistance?).  Riardon moved out from cover and hit the once burning Halforc with his Firebolt cantrip, almost killing the brute.  Another bolt zipped by the Elemental from a shooter who ran up out of the darkened southern portions of the prison.  Wading through the freed men, women, and children from the pits, Grynn was able to get himself off the slave pit platform and down the stairs, almost to the wide landing beside the prison.

A man in ornate robes appeared from the south and screamed at the Halforcs:  “You fools, it is the priestess who controls the fire elemental, shoot her!”  He then popped a Dispel Magic on Leiya, dismissing her Continual Flame, and Aid spells, but his aim had been to get rid of the elemental.  He failed.  A Halforc guard interposed himself between this priest and the party.  The weevil priestess that the party had faced in the slave pits appeared out of the dark, moving with an uncanny speed and surrounded by a field of glowing demonic shapes (an evil version of Spiritual Guardians).  Though in the middle row of the cells, she was unable to bring the sphere of her spell onto the heroes, but she did hit the fire elemental with a successful Banish spell; a spell that is very efficacious against extra planar creatures.

Enkili finally got to wade through the party’s 19 charges and get down the stairs, catching his first glimpse of the fray.  More guards and snipers moved into the party’s light, coming up from the south.  Leiya fired at a sniper with a Guiding Bolt, but shot a little wide; grimacing she backed away from the corner.  One of the new arrivals hit her with a crossbow, doing a little damage to her.  Skipping to the front ranks of the foes, Jolrael cast a Thunderwave on a sniper, a guard, and the Weevil Priestess.  Electricity jumped off his body onto the two Halforcs he was next to as the spell took effect (a class feature).  He killed the previously burned sniper and tossed the guard hard into the cell bars a few feet away.  The priestess was tossed, and through a stroke of luck, lost her concentration on the Spiritual Guardians.

Without the menacing field around her, Enkili saw an opportunity to lay into the Weevil Priestess.  He charged forward and cut her deeply with the Sainted Sword, but only hit once.  Directing his crossbow on the priestess, Grynn put a bolt in her then put himself in front of Leiya, checking to see how much harm she had taken.  Guards and snipers lit up in a sudden frenzy seeing their Weevil Priestess brought to harm.  Enkili took a critical from a crossbow, then a pug nosed assassin popped out of thin air planting steel in his back (auto crit).  That rogue disengaged and ran down the eastern path beside the cells.  A guard failed to land a blow on the fighter, but another sniper did hit.  To add insult to injury, the Weevil Priestess also landed a blow on Enkili with a mace before slipping away with unnatural speed, denying the fighter a reprisal.

Placing herself in harms way, Leiya closed on Enkili and two of the Halforcs harrassing him.  She hit the guard nearest the fighter then improved his devastated health with a Healing Word cantrip.  The Guard she struck crit hit Leiya in retaliation, while another guard assumed the foul priestess’ place and attacked Enkili, keeping his health low.  When Blaylocke stepped out to take his next shot, he noticed the Weevil Priestess through the bars of several eastern cages.  He fired a Raulothim’s Psychic Lance spell instead of using his crossbow.  The witch went down.  Another bolt shattered on the northern wall near Enkili’s noggin.  The male priest bent down and cast some form of healing magic of the Weevil Priestess, seemingly undoing all of Blaylocke’s hard work.

Cursing at the tenacity of their foes, Riardon chose to try his bow on a sniper.  His shot killed the Halforc, so the Elf ducked back into cover looking for something, anything, he had that would help turn the tide.  Two more snipers fired at Enkili, one hitting and the other missing.  Again Jolrael moved into combat range next to Leiya.  He intended to cast Aganazaar’s Scorcher, but the evil Priest man counterspelled with the spell of the same name.  Avoiding an opportunity attack, Leiya repositioned herself behind Enkili and dressed his wounds with her Healing Kit, staunching several wounds even as he continued to melee with their foes.

A guard swung a sword at Jolly, but the sorcerer practically danced away from the blow.  Even though Leiya tried to protect him, another guard smacked Enkili with his weapon.  Standing back up, the Weevil Priestess again surrounded herself with a Spiritual Guardians spell, however, too many Halforcs had interposed themselves between her and the party so she was unable to bring any party members under the spread of that fell magic.  Riardon tried to Firebolt the Weevil Priestess, but failed to connect with the cantrip; he stepped back into safety to continue rifling his bags and pockets.

A sniper pulled his sword and struck Jolrael a daunting blow.  Luck was with the sorcerer as the Aid spell on him absorbed most of the damage he would have otherwise taken.  The evil priest manifested a Spiritual Weapon behind Jolly (which missed its attack) before casting an unholy version of Guiding Bolt at the sorcerer.  Quick reflexes saved Jolrael from harm again, though the spell caster began to look harried.  Enkili was hit by another crossbow bolt.  At a key moment in the fight, Blaylocke planted a Confusion spell in the midst of the orcs in the central northern walkway, catching four Halforc guards and snipers and almost catching up the Weevil Priestess.  Using his Preserve Life ability, Grynn brought a great healing on Enkili.  Melana’s newest priest then produced a Spiritual Weapon of his own to harm and harass the few Halforc’s not bound in the Confusion spell.

The Assassin (who was in the eastern aisle) shot Grynn with a crossbow, then melted back into the shadows in the south.  Rubbing some dirt into his wounds, Enkili struck down a sniper then mauled a guard; he eyed the Weevil Priestess trying to figure out how to end her once and for all; too many Halforc’s stood between him and her still.  Trying his frosty cantrip once more, Jolrael’s Frostbite magic hurt the Priestess this time around.  He then dodged an opportunity attack and moved out of melee.  Grinning, Grynn whapped a sniper up side the cranium with his mace, a blow that ended that threat forever.  He then had his Spiritual Weapon phase through the cages to attack another Halforc sniper in the mid aisle, who was also brought low.  A spell struck (confused) guard spent the next several seconds contemplating the solidity of a single bar of a cage, while another Confusion bound sniper pulled a blade and offed an addled guard up along the north wall.

Pulling forth his Wand of the Warmage, Riardon realized he now had the right tool in hand.  With its granted power he was able to weave a Firebolt around prison bars to hit the Weevil Priestess.  Now in the center aisle, the assassin moved up behind the priestess and tried to put a bolt into Enkili but missed.  The malevolent Spiritual Weapon the Evil Priest had made struck Grynn in the side, then the violent cleric hit Melana’s priest with a Sacred Flame; a double whammy that Grynn easily shrugged off.  That villain backed away down the center aisle until concealed in the shadows.

Thinking it would be easy to get at the Weevil Priestess because all the Halforc’s were spell addled, Enkili attempted to push through a sniper after moving into the Spiritual Guardian’s damaging field.  That sniper resisted, so Enkili had to spend his time chopping up him and his surviving addle witted friend.  He was then able to move up and verbally threaten the priestess face to face.  Using her crossbow, Leiya managed to graze the Weevil Priestess with a bolt.  She then braved the evil spell and got behind Enkili, shrugging off the damage.  With all the Halforcs down the Weevil Priestess chose discretion once again.  She disengaged from Enkili, pushed passed the assassin, and disappeared south.

Miffed because the Weevil Priestess was getting away again, Enkili poured his disappointment on the assassin instead, severely wounding the man but failing to impose fear into the rogue.  This set Jolrael up for using his Frostbite.  He killed the assassin with the cantrip.  Grynn set his Spiritual Weapon into moving south through the cages, seemingly following him as he ran south down the eastern aisle.  Riardon came around the corner and found the battlefield greatly changed.  He moved further into the prison until he could see the Evil Priest.  His Firebolt fired through the wand easily hit the foul cleric 55' away.  Blaylocke also moved out until he found the only enemy in sight.  The Evil Priest was struck hard by another use of Raulothim’s Psychic Lance.  Surprisingly the man lived through it and continued his retrograde action.

Noticing keys on the guard’s and sniper’s bodies, Leiya retrives a set from the nearest body, she then set about openeing the topmost western cage using soothing tones to reassure the prisoners as she worked.  Showing his tenacity, Grynn chased into the dark southern portion of the prison.  He discovered that the slaver’s priest and priestess had both fled down a set of stairs along the south eastern wall, just passed the last cage.  There was no one he could see down the first flight of steps.  Calling back his discovery, he managed to dissuade anyone else from wasting their time chasing the last two bad guys.  Riardon began to loot the nearest corpses for both keys and coins.  Leiya continued to open cells and cajole prisoners with sweet promises of freedom.
Jolrael began to open the northern most door along the east wall (finding a starage room), but he encouraged Enkili to see what the assassin had on him before that.  The big man complied, knowing this slaver captain would have worthy loot….

*Here we leave our exhausted but victorious heroes until our next game.  That will be on April 28th.  We are all glad that the technical difficulties that has held us back for over two months are now in our rearview mirrors.

**Our shopping list: we now need 600 gold pieces worth of diamonds for our clerics, as well as a grapnel hook, and a crowbar.

***Here are the questions I want to pose the party:
Are these the last group of slaves in this facility or are there more pens further along?

We have more than doubled the number of dependents looking to us for rescue, we still have to discover a way out.  Which way, to the Orc village or down the stairs the priest pair went?  Or will we find another route behind the second door on the east wall?

If there are more slaves do we dare try to save them, or do we take what we have and retire?  (I hate this question).

Reminder, we still have the Aspis to worry about.  Are they quietly trying to open the ramp door from the sewer room, or are they collecting forces as they find another avenue to come at us?

Feel free to answer my questions or add to this list with your own questions, and as always please point out what I’ve missed or gotten wrong.  You should also encourage me to embelish your characters parts in the narrative, we are all a lot more bad ass than I imply in this missive.

Highlights of Episode Eighty
Gurthos 8th CE 1031

Enkili fished out 3cp, 5sp, 3ep, 5gp, and a set of keys that did not fit any of the nearby cages from off the dead assassin.  As he rifled the dead man’s pockets he asked a nearby slave if there were any more people being held elsewhere.  To the fighter’s relief the prisoner indicated the way back to the slave pits.  Blaylocke and Jolrael both explored the two unopened doors, each man discovered storage rooms a little larger than twenty by thirty feet in size.  These two rooms held clothing, rations, manacles, chains, branding irons, various slaver sundries and several barrels of wine.  Thirteen newly freed people joined the first nineteen, bringing the parties number of charges to thirty two.

For a brief time the party toyed with the idea of clogging up the stairs with the contents of the store rooms, but Grynn heard numerous gongs begin to sound deep down those stairs.  The sound of yelling guards was not that far off.  After relaying this news to the group, Blaylocke began to usher the prisoners back toward the sewer room collecting the first nineteen along the way.  Jolrael had Grynn and Enkili hoist some wine barrels and spill them down the southern set of stairs, he then used Shape Water to freeze the wine, creating a slick and dangerous region for the enemy to traverse.  Riardon and Leiya directed the prisoners to gather rations, clothing, and in some cases weapons from the fallen as they trickled out of the prison room; a few torches were also gathered up, lit, then spread out among the newly freed people.

Once on the platform of the slave pits, gongs and shouts could also be heard coming from the western tunnel.  Leiya and Riardon discovered that seven of the original nineteen prisoners had panicked before their arrival and those seven had run down that western passageway.  The two heroes had to fight the panic the remaining twenty five had welling forth.  Those gongs stole the hope the prisoners had so briefly felt.  Those seven had surely been remanded to the custody of their merciless keepers, so the rogue and priestess were forced to forget about them in order to help those who remained.  When Enkili, Grynn, and Jolly began making their way out of the jail room, they also brought word of having heard Aspis and Orc warriors from down the southern stairs.  A bottleneck of scared people formed at the narrow hall leading to the sewer room, and they fought and clawed at each other preventing anyone from making their way to the dubious safety of the sewers.

Blaylocke, who was in the narrow corridor before the stairs to the sewer, had to force his way through the leading prisoners even as the panic spread to them.  His voice was not heard at first.  Even Leiya who had done so well getting the initial calm started was drowned out by the fear noise that spread like wildfire.  The cacophany was such that Riardon’s finely honed senses could no longer monitor the western tunnel that led to the Orc camp; he had no way of knowing how close the enemy was.  All of a sudden, on the steps leading down to the sewers the small drums of Blaylocke began to patter and dance with the clever rhythms of the Dwarven clans.  His deep voice rose up in a song known along the shores of the Inland Sea.

The startling sound worked better than a slap to the face.  Confounded prisoners turned their attention to the mad timing of the music, and without words they began to realize they had to trust the musician in this deadly time and place.  Those in the narrow corridor began to hush those behind them as they themselves calmed.  Their fear was still there, but they began to manage it much better.  Jorael, Enkili, and Grynn joined Leiya and Riardon on the slave pit platform just as a line formed and their wards begin to hasten towards the sewer room and the music still pattering and tapping so enticingly.

Without the shouting of the former slaves to contend with, Grynn’s sharp hearing picked out guttural cries and barks down the western tunnel; the enemy was close.  Too close.  Being the last one out of the jail room, Enkili closed and locked the door behind him.  Seeing the desert man’s efforts, Jolrael used water form his flask on the door knob.  His Shape Water cantrip warped the wood around the latch, breaking the lock but also binding door to frame just as solidly as the lock had.  The sorcerer took Quendi’s name in vain, as any sailor would have.  Riardon, then Leiya began to force their way through the narrow passage; passing prisoners in order to position themselves to help the Bard.

Grynn also started down the narrow way.  On the platform a bolt shattered near Enkili’s head.  The Orcs could see him, but Enkili’s flaming quartz crystal set on his khula khud (helmet) did not allow him to see the snipers.  Jolrael heard and heeded the desperation in the fighters voice when he was told to run, a tone the sorcerer was unused to hearing from the fighter.  Hearing the litany of profanity Jolly was uttering, Riardon was able to determine that enemies were too close.  He produced a Silent Image of the slain assassin posturing commandingly near the edge of the platform.  Even though the Orcs or Halforc snipers were beyond the party’s light, arrows and bolts ceased to fly.  Jolrael, Grynn, and Leiya continued forcing their way through the throng, but Riardon stopped, allowing the prisoners he had passed to resume their places beyond him.

Now near the head of the line in the sewer room, Blaylocke realized from the milling of the fastest former slaves who were in the nook beyond the sewers, that they had forgotten the ladder.  Jolrael had fetched that climbing implement when they had been rescuing the folk in the slave pits.  It had been a handy tool for that purpose, but it was now missing from its place where it would have allowed them to quickly ascend to the bug tunnels.  Enkili could hear the thrumming of arbelest strings just as he began to back down the narrow passage.  The illusion had not responded to queries offered in Orcish, but the delay the magic had caused had kept the fighter from injuries he could ill afford.  Enkili was smeared with blood, his own and from enemies in equal measure.

Thinking furiously as he made his way to the nook beyond the sewer, Blaylocke realized that the table, barrels, and crates littering the area could be stacked to form a make shift climbing surface.  The slaves rallied to his direction and begin to stack objects in a manner that would have distressed an engineer.  From her position on the stairs to the circular sewer platform, Leiya noticed the work at the far end of the rooms.  Her commands stopped the prisoners not in the nook to keep from pressing in, allowing some space so that work could be done.  They began to line up for their turn to climb when the construction was complete.

From the middle of the stairs Grynn began to call upon his new deific mistress for aid, but if Melana answered, her manifestation lacked noticeable ostentation.  Maybe subtlety was what she deemed best for that moment.  Jolrael blew by the priest as he strove to cross the sewer platform.  In bucket brigade fashion, the prisoners relayed their building materials up the ramshackle platform.  Knowing the party needed more time, Riardon took upon himself a dangerous gambit.  Casting Alter Self upon his person, he took on the visage and seeming of the Weevil Priestess.  He pushed passed the fighter and stepped out on the slave pit platform.

With all the audacity in the world he called out to the Orc horde navigating across the slave pit cell tops.  With the priestess’ voice he informed the slaver guards that the party was just a distraction from the main assault happening on the temple above.  They were to desist in this assault and reinforce their cousins above.  Muttering and complaining because the prey they had been after was so close, the Orcs and Halforcs from the camp turned about and began to comply with their beloved priestess.  Judging the climbing platform tall enough, Blaylocke made the climb up finding the structure shaky and wobbly.  Near the top a keg displaced as he reached for the bug tunnels ledge.  This added bruises atop those Blaylocke had already earned.  His fall made the former slaves re-stack the pinnacle of their creation.  Those unable to help with construction lifted the bard back to his feet, their helping hands reaching out to gently clasp and pull the Dwarf upright.

Not wanting to leave Riardon alone on the platform behind him, Enkili forced himself to move back to the doors at the top of the sewer room stairs.  He knew the Elf was far faster than he was, but walking away felt like betrayal.  However when arriving at those doors he realized the set of keys he had taken from the assassin might just be the keys to work the door’s lock.  Jolrael got to the climbing platform just in time to help Blaylocke start his next climbing attempt, he followed closely after.  Riardon, after dismissing one group of enemies, heard others barging their way into the jail room to the south.  The room through which the real Weevil Priestess had fled.  His disguise would not work with this new danger, so he spread caltrops in front of the door whose handle was already melting.

With the alacrity that was his, the Elf joined Enkili atop the stairs, using all of his movement to get there.  Surprising the rogue so much that he lost control of his spell, Enkili bear hugged him off his feet then carried him a few steps down the stairs before setting him gently down.  The fighter then turned and closed the door while pulling the assassin’s key out of his pocket.  Charging his new crossbow, Grynn covered his equally new friends at the top of the stair that could be turned into a slide.  Leiya made her way to the climbing platform just as Blaylocke clambered up into the bug tunnels; a few seconds later Jolrael hoisted himself up til he was near the nadir of the shifting platform.  Blaylocke found the Aspis tunnels quiet, and for a few moments he dared to feel hope.

Seeing Enkili about to lock the door to this room and Riardon preparing to tumble ball bearings on the upper steps, Grynn turned and made his way to the bottom of the climbing tower.  After making the door fast, Enkili clanged down the steps which opened up Riardon’s opportunity to trap the stairs with steel marbles.  The Elf breezed up to the short causeway leading to the nook.  Hoping her gesture would speed up the extrication, Leiya had her rope chain passed up to Jolrael and Blaylocke.  No one could figure out how to utilize the rope in any useful fashion.  Knowing that he would only clog the tunnel with his mass, Blaylocke could not remain where he was to hand people up.  So the Bard began to make his way back to the exit from this underground realm.

At first the silence encouraged him as he made his way back the way of the party’s original sojourn through the dirt tunnels.  Then his ears caught distant “scratching” sounds the way he faced.  Noises that were similar if not identical to the noises the Aspis made while moving and conversing.  Alarmed the bard continued forward, creeping passed the tunnel branch they had used after leaving the crypt above.  Desperately he studied the wooden supports used to hold the planks that themselves held back the packed dirt ceiling, he knew that he could not start a collapse this close to their exit.  He would have to move around the corner and possibly face the bug men all on his own before he could implement his brazen plan. 

Leiya founds her place in the queue to climb out, as Grynn urged folks to hurry the hell up.  Without encouragement Riardon left Enkili and Grynn in the back of the pack to jockey for a better spot to get up and out; he placed himself behind Leiya.  Facing the door that led to to the slave pit platform, Enkili sheathed his precious Sainted Sword and unlimbered his bow.  With an arrow nocked, he faced to the rear at Grynn’s side.  Both men resolute in what they might have to do if their enemy burst through those doors.  Twice Jolrael reached for the lip of the bug crafted tunnel above, but the instability of the climbing platform thwarted the spell slinger.  He was left clinging to a crate to keep from falling as Blaylocke had done, frustration settling on his soul.  The pressure of their predicament weighed like a cloak of lead with shoes of lodestone….

*Once again our heroes are faced with a difficult situation, and their window of time narrowing all too swiftly.  Hopefully we can resolve this for good or ill May 12th.

**Our shopping list: we now need 600 gold pieces worth of diamonds for our clerics, as well as a grapnel hook, and a crowbar.  Hopefully we won’t need any pine caskets.

P.S. I hope this ending is shaped well enough to fulfill R.C’s request.  He knows what I mean.

Question that should not be forgotten by game day: Is it possible for a character to take a position in the middle of the make shift platform to help people climb?

Highlights of Episode Eighty One
Gurthos 8th CE 1031

As Blaylocke was feeling a moment of indecision about rounding the corner, Jolrael rallied and gripped the edge of the bug tunnel above. Grynn slung his new crossbow then forced his way up the tower next. He took Leiya’s rope, tied it to himself, then let down the other end after following the sorcerer up. This allowed others an easier climb. Enkili tried to lift spirits by telling Leiya some jokes, but she did not like his crude and dark humor; she did recognize the attempt for what it was, a distraction from the fear of the moment. Riardon was the next to make the climb. He began to move ahead in the bug tunnels, following Blaylocke’s steps. Knowing that they would all be doomed if he failed to act, Blaylocke rounded the corner and surprised a group of Aspis into immobility for a moment. Though he could hear the raspy calls of the bug men, Jolrael remained at the juncture of the bug tunnels just in case enemies came from the other junction.

After Riardon climbed up, a steady stream of prisoners made the climb. The Elf reached the same corner the bard had hesitated at, he too could hear the creaky calls of the Aspis. Ramming his shoulder into the supports holding the ceiling up, Blaylocke was met by resistant wood as his foes began to rally. He hit the support again and the roof immediately caved. The instant the beam moved the bard threw himself back the way he had come, saving himself from the full cascade of dirt and stone and the eager blades of the Aspis.

The sound’s thunder rolled back to the prisoners, they immediately turned around and raced to climb back down to the sewers fearful that they would all be buried. Riardon made a half hearted attempt to calm the herd instinct. It was left to Grynn who was working as the ropes anchor to try and calm the former captives. At first they assumed he was reading them their last rights, their panic grew seemingly ten fold. Enkili started barking at Grynn, while Riardon increased his efforts to silver tongue everyone into a calmer state (they both donated their inspirations to Grynn); the priest was able to make everyone realize that they were fine. From his position, Jolrael watched the timbers and supports bow and skew as the integrity of the tunnel degraded alarmingly.

After relative calm was restored into their wards, Riardon moved down the tunnel. He found the bard’s discarded back pack and picked it up. In a few more seconds he handed the Dwarf his possessions. As the last prisoners climbed the rope the Elf began to scout the way out. As soon as they could, Leiya and Enkili made the climb. The sounds of agonized howls followed by the sound of falling bodies reached the ears of Grynn, Leiya, and Enkili. The Halforcs were on the stairs leading to the sewer, meeting both the caltrops and ball bearings that Riardon had left for them. Enkili kicked the make shift climbing platform over, but the sight of a few guards carrying the ladder met his eyes soon after.

Bringing her Wall of Force spell to mind, Leiya had Enkili and Grynn proceed her down the tunnels; she could cork the back passage if necessary. As Blaylocke and Jolrael began to organize the people in their care, Riardon made it up to the false mausoleum. Using all his stealth he opened the door and looked for any trouble. Only the haunted trees and brush met his gaze. He called the all clear down to Jolly who relayed the information back down the line. Jolrael and Blaylocke began to usher people up the steps and into the haunted graveyard; the former slaves were warned to stay on the path.

After half the prisoners had passed by, Blaylocke and Jolrael cut into line. The sorcerer handed the Dwarf a Potion of Healing so the later could undo some of the damage the collapsing tunnel had caused him. When the trio in back reached the stairs, Enkili began to tie a rope around one of the support timbers. Immediately Leiya and Grynn grew concerned. They hovered around the fighter as he worked. They all heard the curses, snarls, and thudding steps of the guards heading their way, the slaver forces had already climbed into the bug tunnels.

Two human voices reach the rearguard’s ears, the Weevil Priestess and her male counterpart were part of the agitated mob. The angered mass of guards were just about to round the corner when Enkili climbed halfway up the stone stairs. The dirt tunnel behind them fell readily when he pulled the rope. Enkili lost his line, but they all had heard the cries of despair before the rumbling earth swallowed those horrified calls away. Everyone else heard the new collapse, and because they had not informed those in front of their intentions, worry brought the party back to check on Leiya, Enkili, and Grynn.

As the party began to re-sort their group of forty three prisoners, Grynn cast Augury. “Is the way we came in the safest way out?” he queried. In the haze of the sacred herb (marijuana) he smoked to invoke the spell, he saw the sign of the wheel. A positive sign. Buoyed by this good news they resumed their movement, however, every one was soon tense again as the pace of travel was kept to a crawl. A few steps forward, then wait, a few more steps, then nervously wait. The longest bottleneck occurred in the burned out room that had the beams laid across as a bridge. With a rope tied to a piton, they made the passage passably safe for their charges and everyone crossed without incident; the only casualty had been time.

Riardon removed the spiked board traps in the secret passage through the temple wall. He then slowly opened the door to the outside world. The Elf’s first thought was to check for guards above who may be looking down…. And here we will have a prolonged cliffhanger.

*Our next game is scheduled for June [9th?] 5th, a month away. Everyone, please enjoy your Memorial Day weekened in the interim.

**Our shopping list: we now need 600 gold pieces worth of diamonds for our clerics, as well as a grapnel hook, and a crowbar. Enkili needs another 50’ of silken rope.

Highlights of Episode Eighty Two
Gurthos 8th – Neidh 2nd CE 1031 (1032)

* A quick note on the Erathian Calendar.
There is much division, culturally and religiously as to the true date of the Erathian New Year. Many laymen consider the 21st of Gurthos to be the nexus of the years as it falls upon the winter solstice. Scholars and other academics consider Neidh 1st to be that date. However nobles and other well to do figures insist that the New Year begins on the 1st of Quenid; which will fall just a few days after we resume our game while the first two dates will be passed as our characters train.

Slipping further out of the secret door, Riardon scanned the walls and rooftops of the complex carefully. Not sensing anybody but his friends and their charges nearby, he gestured them to follow. Fearing at any moment for the hue and cry of pursuers to sound, they made their way into the woods then all the way to the edge of the island. Tension remained in the party up until it was their turn to be picked up by the sailors in their dinghy, the former slaves being shipped off first. Part way to the ship they all saw the flare of torches and began to hear whistles and horns. They had wreaked so much chaos in the slave pens, that it had taken the slavers the better part of the hour to organize their chase; far too late for those villains to reclaim their victims.

Again Quendi’s Fortune departed without wind or wave seeming to effect her, the ship sailed smooth as the stars gave way to sun, which in turn gave way to early evening in the span of mere hours. For the most part the party did not take notice, the hard fighting and pent up tension of their raid into a slaver stronghold gave way to a group collapse. Somehow Captain Lanir “Seaworthy” had contacted Lord Bercel while they were in transit, the nobleman was waiting for the heroes as the ship docked, along with a retainer/friend named Dalfort (a secretary of sorts). Though he praised the party for their deeds, he had the look of a man who wished it were his loved ones to have been rescued. He did ask in what way could he reward everyone.

Grynn perked up and asked for a new temple of Melana to be built, and lodging to be granted the former slaves. Ever thoughtful, Leiya immediately recommended the architect Keren Prieth as the man to design the temple (See the girl who was rescued from the hags many pages above). Knowing that name himself, Lord Bercel became more receptive of the idea for a new temple. When asked, Blaylocke was uncertain what he wanted at first, eventually he said a trinket or bauble (though we all know he has been seeking an enchanted short bow).

Jolrael, when asked, stated that he wanted magic items, an enchanted sling, trick sling bullets (exploding or binding loads), healing potions, or even an immovable rod. Riardon, of course, thought a monetary recompense would do quite well. When it came to her turn, Leiya wanted time to rest then a chance to go back at the slavers. Evidently what she had witnessed in the slave pens had showed her the war she needed to wage. On his turn Enkili could think of nothing, his wounds, though bound still bothered him. All he wanted was time to rest, train, and plan their next assault against the slavers. Lord Bercel was gracious enough to hold off on granting the desert warrior's reward.

The nobleman offered one of his estates, one near his current abode, for the party to use as they rested and trained; an offer they gratefully accepted as their cliff side two story shack was on the small side. It was at this point that Lord Bercel seemed to focus himself, like an arrow drawn full length. He asked if they had captured any documents from the slavers during their raid. When they began to pull forth the papers they had gleaned, he asked if he could have access to them when the party was done with them. Enkili volunteered to scribe all the documents. He would give the Lord the originals and they would pore over the copies. Thankful for the thoughtful gesture, the nobleman did warn them that those copies should be kept as secret and hidden as possible.

After that they made arrangements to meet later that night at Lord Bercel’s manor where they would discuss further ventures and options. An escort delivered them to the large house granted for their use, a place with rooms to spare. Immediately they all separated to sleep and bath, all except Enkili who began to transcribe the papers (using the writing utensil’s from the mansion). Though he scribed everything verbatim, the fighter soon discovered that the complete sentences jumbled in his brain. Taken on their own the words were whole and properly placed within the phrase structure, but moving on to the next sentence a confusion set in.

After triple checking to make sure his confusion was not mundane due to an unknown code, Enkili concluded that it must be magic of some sort warding the slaver’s secrets. He first went to Riardon to see if he could rule out the secret codes rogues use to communicate. Rodor read and reread all the papers and he too suffered from a confusion, a dislocation of meaning in what was on the pages. He too concluded that magic may be the culprit. For some reason Enkili thought that Jolrael could solve the riddle of pages, but the sorcerer correctly pointed out that when it came to lore and knowledge Blaylocke was the man to see.

Wrapped in a robe and still drying his hair, the Dwarven bard perused the pages. After going at the mystery from a couple of different angles, Blaylocke cast a detect magic on the paper. Too his eyes the documents lit up with a cascade of protective energies. His conclusion was that someone with more power at their disposal would be required to unlock the hidden answers. Thwarted Enkili put the papers away and prepared for their meeting with their patron.

Later they were shown into Lord Bercel’s study where they were reacquainted with Dalfort and introduced with three other exotic individuals. Two were lavender hued Dragonborn, a male and female pair who floated inches off the ground buoyed by mystic energies (possibly siblings). They were named Islet (female) and Scorna (male) who had brought news all the way from the Dragonborn settlement in the Stonehammer Mountains. The Last figure was even stranger to the heroes eyes than the reptilian pair. Stone was a Warforged emissary from Wizard’s Peak. Enkili was the last to realize that Stone was a sentient being rather than a magical gimmick animated by wizardry.

The information the trio brought was dark. Stone informed everyone that the new crop of Sedarin Judges were hell bent on regulating, if not banning, magic. The withdrawal of Sedarin troops from The Freehold and other border stations seemed to indicate a new war against Wizard’s Peak could be in the offing. Equally distressing was the news from Brandt, the kingdom just north of Sedara. The twin effects of a plague and blight seem to have sprung up in the south west of that nation, spreading east and devastating all in its (reputedly) unnatural wake. Giants had also started raiding and moving in the mountains, though they had not threatened Newhome (the Dragonborn’s settlement) at this point there were fears that that may not hold true for long.

On top of that, all the other unsettling news may be insighting a revolt in The Freehold. Many people of this city wanted to return to their autonomous status, and the withdrawal of Sedarin soldiery may be proving a catalyst for such an action. Though Lord Bercel brought this last bit of news forward, he did not indicate where her personally sat in that climate. He was a son of the region. At this point Lord Bercel broached the subject of the slaver's papers, mentioning that other matters seemed to be pulling his attention away from his crusade against the Chained Wings and their ilk.

After the party informed the group of their findings, Dalfort asked if he could try a spell to decipher the documents. His magic wrought a startling result. The poor scrivener felt as though his eyes had been pulled out of his head, and he was struck blind. It was a painful curse that lasted several hours, but at the time the worst was feared; a magical malady that could be lifelong unless lifted. At the moment no one in the party had the right healing spells, or counters to curses available. Servants were summoned to tend Dalfort until the morning (fortunately the affliction passed after the meeting was adjourned.

After that unforeseen hitch, the dialogue broke down into questions from the heroes, who wanted to know all about the foreign beings before them. The Dragonborn and the sentient automaton had not been seen in Erath before fifteen years ago. Back then, the Scarred hand, a rogue band of warlocks and sorcerers, had infiltrated the high offices of Sedaria. These ne’er-do-wells had tried to take the secrets and powers of Wizards Peak for themselves and had vied with the potent defenses of the mages in a prolonged siege. The wizards of the Peak had need of reinforcements during the fighting so used the Well of Worlds to reach out for allies on altrernate worlds and alternate realities.

The Dragonborn had been an enslaved race on their home world, thousands of whom jumped at the chance to ally themselves with Wizards Peak for the promise of a new life. At the same time, other wizards of Wizard’s Peak had been studying sentient magic items and had thought they had discovered how to infuse a soul or life force into an artificial body. They succeeded (with the use of many volunteers (seriously injured soldiers among them), but there was an after effect no one had counted on. Transferred life forces began to lose their memories, then eventually their personalities; those souls became in effect brand new people. A new form of querky people who lived within metal and wood bodies had been birthed. This new magic was limited immediately, then stopped altogether after the Scarred Hand had been defeated. However, several unscrupulous spell casters stole the secret of crafting Warforged and spirited themselves far away.

The next day they reconvened in Lord Bercel’s study. There they found the nobleman’s friend Dalforth fully recovered from his blindness. Ideas were bandied about in how the captured documents could be stripped of their protections. Dalforth knew of a sage (who called themselves Portent) an individual specialized in divinatory lore as well as cryptography and ciphers. Lord Bercel himself had heard of a magic item, a possible relic or artifact that reputedly had the power to break the spells as it granted true vision. This was in the ruins of an Ayan temple that Leiya had learned of almost a year prior. The item was the Eye of Loral, hidden just north west of Wizard’s Peak itself.

Jolrael mentioned the book he was after. It too was a potent magic item called the “Whispers of the Pale Lady”, it was rumored to grant those who found it the answers to three questions. Reputation suggested this book could be found in the library of Wizard’s Peak. Again the party asked for time to ponder the direction they would take.

After the parley was over, Leiya cast several Sending Spells. Contacting Wellborne Huxley she learned that Wizzard’s peak was indeed bolstering for an attack. Their original benefactor recommended using the Cypher Crystal, an artifact of divination hidden in the forbidden city of Darsta. The memory of that fallen city made the party shiver, and Enkili ducked his head in shame when Leiya reported her findings. Her bosses within the church accepted her report but did not impart any suggestions to assist the young priestess. Last on her list was another attempt to contact Miria, the little orphan girl Leiya had befriended during Tazens games (again almost a year prior). There was no response again, which wrung Leiya’s heart with pain.

For the next several weeks the party dispersed through The Freehold, finding teachers who could enhance their repertoire of power they each wielded; only meeting at night to exchange a few sparse words or express their thoughts on what would happen next

*Reminder, our spell casters need to acquire diamonds for their spells, each needs to be 600 gp in worth.

** Our next game is scheduled for June 23rd, be there with your pocket square.

Highlights of Episode Eighty Three
Neidh 2nd CE 1031 (1032)

*This was not a very “productive” game today, due to the fact that we had to recreate all the character’s story hooks as well as group hooks and other unfinished business. One of the casualties of our long troubleshooting period was that list of individual and group motivations, and seemingly our undivided loot as well.

Though Blaylocke Anvilarm had the scruples not to ask for any reward but a simple trinket, his friends did mention his quest for a better bow to Lord Bercel. The bard was gifted a well crafted shortbow (unfortunately the transaction was under the table so the rest of the party is in the dark whether this arrow projector is magic or masterwork). Grynn and Leiya were also gifted magic tokens that amounted to a Miracle (wish) spell apiece. All we know of Riardon’s reward is that it was an item he would have to attune to in order to use.

Enkili, after he decided he wanted money to help fund the party’s expedition, was gifted a Bucknard’s Ever-Full Purse. As long as there is an electrum piece, silver piece, and/or a gold piece inside the little leather bag 25 coins of each metal will appear in the morning. Every day he gives each party member three of each coin, with seven of each coin going into party funds. He diligently keeps one of each coin in the bag at all times. Jolrael was given his heart’s desire. A magic bullet. This single magic item can be fired, and hit or miss, it returns to his palm to be loaded again.

Near the end of her training, Leiya’s efforts at delivering a Sending spell to Miria paid off. The orphaned waif had been sold to a wicked Onastian royal and was currently in the port city of Deros Kaden. She named her master as Knajir (earl) Erbolg the younger brother of the current emperor. His reputation is such that his subjects fear him as much as his enemies. The party’s fighter suggested that they first go to Wizard’s peak ( so Jolly can peruse “Whispers of the Pale Lady”), then to Eya’s ruined temple (to find a relic of true seing to unravel the slaver’s confounding spells) on their way to Onastia (to free the little girl holding a place in Leiya’s heart)….

*Here is where the game broke down as we had to recreate the goals of both the group and the individuals comprising it.

**Enkili needs to add a crowbar to his inventory. Our priest and priestess will need to add their diamonds to their packs as well, no one will begrudge those funds coming out of the “company treasury”.

***Our next game is scheduled for July 7th.

*#! PLAYERS, do not forget to weigh in on our course of action going forward. Irik has created a space in the forum marked “To Do, Game Hooks, and Loose Ends”

Highlights of Episode Eighty Four
Neidh 3rd - 4th CE 1031 (1032)

After a prolonged silence full of musing, no one else proposed a different course of action. So the party rose to begin packing for the next days travels, but before they separated Blaylocke imparted some Wizard’s Peak lore. He warned everyone that the wizard guild’s high bastion had but one road running to it, and the wilderness around that road had guardians. He said there were tales of twin dragons being among the array of creatures protecting Wizard’s Peak. Enkili asked if Leiya could use her Sending spell to contact Wellborne Huxley to see if he could guide them into the Peak.

Unfortunately she did not have that spell readied, her priorities forcing her to memorize other spells for a short duration (i.e. her player was not attending this day’s game session).

In the morning they set out. The road was frosty with patches of snow adorning the low places, the wind bearing winters icy touch into each rider and their horse, except Enkili whose sword made him proof from weather extremes. Without surprise they met almost no fellow travelers through the day, as the frosty air was too draining for those who had sense. That night, under a moon just waning from having been full, they were forced to camp under the trees and stars. Blaylocke produced a magical dome for the party to sleep under, a magical construction called Leomund’s Tiny Hut. Following Grynn’s instructions, the group built a temporary shelter for the horses who could not share the temperature controlled environment of the bard’s spell.

After festooning the mounts with blankets, Jolrael cast his Druidcraft magic to foretell the next days weather conditions. He was given the sense that the 3rd would be much like this day had been; very cold but clear. Leiya and Riardon abstained from taking shifts that night, so they set Jolrael for first watch to be followed by Enkili, then Grynn, and (at the end of the rest) Blaylocke was to have his turn. During the third watch the priest noticed an unnatural stillness fall over the woods. It was the horses beginning to snort and stamp that informed Grynn that danger was near.

Exiting the white magic dome, Grynn began to bang his mace into his shield to warn his companions. This forced the predators to spring into action. Padding into the moon’s weak light, from three different directions, was manifested true nightmare fuel. Pantherine in shape, but with six appendages for running and from their shoulders a pair of tentacles, cat like creatures almost the size of the prey they sought converged on the horses.

Surrounding himself with Spiritual Guardians, Grynn met the first displacer beast (moving in from the south west), a second monster mounted the tall rocks east of the camp and struck a horse, causing equine screams. Grynn himself was also struck, but he fell back to mount one of the horses rather than spar with the beast. This allowed his spell to almost cover all the mounts. Once on horse back, Grynn manifested a beefed up version of his Spiritual Weapon, this he set upon the displacer beast still moving in from the south east. Though the glowing mace missed, the combination of the Spiritual Weapon and Spiritual Guardians gave that late comer a pause in it’s intended purpose.

The rock perched monster lashed out again dropping a horse with two more viperous strikes with it’s tentacles. The first beast followed Grynn, the priest's spells ripping at it though not being as efficacious as the spell normally was. It struck the Halforc Priest again, causing deep wounds.

As the one displacer beast from the south east backed off seeking an alternative route to it’s prey, Jolrael stormed out of the magical dome. His Rhyme’s Binding Ice spell caught the horse killer on top of the rock. The spiky ice growth bound the creature in place, but again, the damage dealt was not as significant as it should have been. Peeking out of the dome, Blaylocke also cast a new spell on the aberration harassing Grynn. Immolation. Though the displacer beast flared up like a bonfire, it again did not seem as burned as it should have. No matter the spell, these creatures seemed to have a blanket resistance to all magic.

Enkili raced out of the dome and bounded up the rock. The displacer beast frozen to that rock took two hard strikes from the fighter. Those wounds did not seem to have been resisted. Concentrating on defending the horses, Grynn took a savage hit from the now burning cat (critical hit). The priest was well and truly bloodied at this point. The second tentacle flailed and missed, fortunately. The monster Jolrael and Enkili were facing decided that it did not like being stuck, so it strained until the ice spikes holding it shattered. Not liking that his ice spell had been shrugged off, Jolrael hit the menacing creature with a Tidal Wave. It flailed then fell belly up on the rock.

The displacer beast from the south east moved in and tried to maul the horse Grynn was on. Showing off his riding skills, the priest kept the animal from being hit, but he was now bracketed by two monsters. Though he was in bad shape, Grynn slipped off his horse and cast Spare the Dying on the horse that had been struck down. Only he witnessed the mount kick it's legs proving it was still alive. Barely. The injured priest moved his Spiritual Waeapon to spar with the displacer beast that had moved in on the horse he had just dismounted from. It missed.

Giving voice to a wrathful shout, Enkili hit the rock bound feline with a menacing attack, then hit it again with a tripping attack that prevented the beast from ever rising again. The fighter then struggled through the horses to face the remaining displacer beast that was not burning like a pyre. (Action Surge) Showing the rare savagery he sometimes acted with, he showered the monster with sword cuts causing it to vent feline howls. Again stepping out of Leound’s Tiny Hut, Blaylocke tried his Dissonant Whispers spell on the burning cat; for once his go-to attack spell had no effect.

Before ducking back into the shelter, the bard bestowed an uplifting song verse on Enkili (bardic inspiration). Almost immediately, the bard poked his head up again and sent an upcast Healing Word to Grynn. The magical healing was very necessary at this point, and very timely. The bard then tried to fire at the displacer beast Enkili was facing. The bow shot would have been difficult in daylight, it was impossible at night. This time Enkili’s trip attack worked and he knocked the feline off its feet, he then plunged his blade into the monster’s vitals (critical) and twisted, killing that menace. This left the burning displacer beast who chose discretion. As it ran off into the night screaming in pain and frustration, it seemed to shed the fires of Immolation from its flesh as it raced into the dark.

Using some of his healing spells, Grynn was able to get the stricken horse back to its feet. The party then had Blaylocke recast his Leomund’s Tiny Hut spell again, then they set new watches so they could rest for a full eight hours. This of course set the party’s timeline back for reaching Elvold in the time they had hoped. No one mentioned the fact that Leiya and Riardon had chosen to try and put on their armor rather than join the fight (our excuse for those character’s players being absent). Each member knew the following night would see them set up in a small village rather than being in this bleak wilderness....

*See if Leiya can contact Wellborne Huxley for permission and guidance into Wizard’s Peak.

**Our next game will start at noon on July 21.

***Question, should I get everyone’s birthdays so I can mention their Coin of Fate acquisitions?

Highlights of Episode Eighty Five
Neidh 5th - 7th CE 1031 (1032)

In the mid-morning, Jolrael began his day by foraging for edibles; a practice he continued at each rest stop. Of course in the dead of winter his findings were very sparse. After roughly an hour on the road the party came across a small village with a humble inn. The aging couple running the establishment readily agree to supply them a breakfast in exchange for a few chores. While some of our troop hauled firewood, Jolrael noticed an old banner hung in the inn, an old battle flag from a kingdom that vanished before Sedaria unified. With the innkeeper’s permission Jollybegan to clean the relic. Secretly Blaylocke cast Mend on the old flag bringing the fabric back to life. The warm stew and barn helped bolster the party and their mounts for their push to make the next community.

Between Enkili and Grynn, who monitored the horses, they kept the company on the road until they came across a shareholding of local farmers, Greengrove. Everyone but Grynn had to pay a silver to stay the night. There was just some rustic charm that oozed off the Halforc cleric that ingratiated him with the locals. The Druidcraft cantrip indicated the next day (Neidh 6th) would end with a storm. When the locals learned that the party intended to continue traveling the next day they asked if they would convey a message to the next village in their path, Whold.

Evidently the granary of Greengrove had suffered an infestation of rats, the village’s grain seed for the next sowing had been eaten. They hoped that the farmers of Whold could extend them extra grain if they had it. In the morning, the party reaffirmed their vow to deliver Greegrove’s message to their neighbors in Whold. Resting in a warm barn rejuvenated the horses enough that the group had no trouble of them reaching Whold near sunset. The rider’s themselves arrived feeling as though deep physical labor had been their lot for far too many hours. Greengrove’s message was passed along.

Whold had many new barns and buildings and guest lodging, evidently Mayor Horton was trying to build the village up into some sort of trade hub, no one knew where the funds had originated; the party didn’t pry. Everyone noticed sidelong glances their way, and deferential treatment from everyone they met. When the party offered to pay for their lodging they were refused. Instead, the villagers requested the party come to the new Public House to hear of local troubles. While Leiya and Blaylocke entered the Public House willing to hear what was going on, Riardon, Jolrael, and Enkili did not feel that charitable.

Edwun and Salva’s youngest child (Wilder) had vanished that morning, just as several sheep had in the last few nights. Framun, Edwun’s eldest son, claimed to have heard voices coming from the forest, yet when asked what the voices had said, no one in the village claimed to know (The boy was not there to provide answers). When the doubters in the party asked questions digging for details, every villager became cagey; unwilling to grant straight answers. They did claim the voice had issued threats and accused the village of some crime. The villagers denied that they had offended anyone in recent times or in the past.

Historically these lands had once belonged to the Elves, but human encroachment had pushed them out. The forests of Errod were now home to the peoples displaced during Sedaria’s unification; but that was dimly remembered history known to just a few. Blaylocke made the village uncomfortable exposing the bitter fighting that had occurred in those long ago days as the native Elves had been displaced. Naturally the farmers denied this abduction had anything to do with that old strife. The mayor hastily called for volunteers to create a search party.

The more astute party members, Leiya, Grynn, Blaylocke, and Riardon, notice the overt attempts of the Mayor to withhold something from the adventurers. Renda, Edwun’s daughter burst in having run from their distant farm. Breathlessly she told a story of having just witnessed her brother Framun being abducted at the edge of the forest. Evidently the two kids had decided to enter the woods and rescue their little sibling. Instead, something had taken the oldest boy and scared the dickens out of the girl in the process.

As many party members began to throw their lot in with the cagey farmers, Enkili made a statement that did not sit well with the community. He stated that if he found that the village had lied about having a vengeance minded nemesis then he would return to make the village pay. Three villagers volunteered to enter the black and stormy forest with the party, Edwun, Rathbuld, and Rathbuld’s brother Batha. The latter two men were trackers. At Edwun’s farm they dropped off Edwun, Salva and Renda, then they followed the girl’s direction to where the elder boy had been taken.

The sign left did prove that a boy had been taken, but from aside from scuffed snow, there was no trail to follow. At first they fanned out looking for tracks breaking into pairs, Jolrael and Grynn, Leiya and Riardon, Rathbald and Enkili, and Blaylocke and Batha; no sign was forthcoming. It wasn’t until snapped and broken branches in a few trees indicated that their quarry was flying that they understood the lack of sign. Though Batha and Rathbald carried torches, Jolrael and Leiya augmented their light sources with Light cantrips; so their torches would give illumination even if dipped in the snow. Deeper in the forest a sibilant voice called out, “What do we have here? More of you pitiful things. More thieves, more trespassers… more dead.”....

*With that challenge hanging in the frigid night, the party has to put themselves on hold. We will meet to resolve this crisis on August 4th.

**Out of character I want to say this. The mayor of Whold has been using stolen funds to make improvements in the community. I am hoping that Enkili will have a chance to persuade the creature to allow him to haul the mayor to the creature’s lair for justice to be dispensed.