Game Session Recaps

[frenzied67]

Episode 160 Melwid 16th – 19th. 1033 C.E.

Coins were taken from all the bodies, including the archers; those totaled 47 PP, 324 GP, 436 SP. Loot from the Dragonborn consisted of a magic longsword (Nine Lives Stealer) and magic scale mail (Bronze Dragon scale, +1 protection from dragons). The wizard had two empty potion flasks and two full flasks, a red liquid that had a glowing pulse (Vitality), and a milky white (Radiant Resistance) potion that had swimming specks inside. He had a scroll (Stoneshape), and a small figurine of a tiny feather (Quaal’s Feather Token- whip). Blaylocke cast Identify both as a spell, then as a ritual before they slept that night.

Enkili began planning on destroying the Nine Lives Stealer sword immediately, not only because it had tried to destroy his soul when he took a critical hit from it, but because of the evil nature that had been infused into it. It had already claimed 6 lives. All night long distant shrieking could be heard, not enough to destroy everyone’s rest cycle, but enough to keep their stress level high. Jolrael placed Armor of Shadows on himself first thing, as Leiya bestowed Aid on Jolly, Enkili, and herself.

Within the pass they found a lowland area that descended into what passed as volcanic moors. A thousand different shades of green caught at the eye from grasses, shrubs, lichens and other unidentifiable growths; pools of water burbled with gasses given off from the heat, goop danced as it bobbed in those waters. Moving through the steamy atmosphere, Blaylocke thought that a geyser was about to erupt from a nearby pool. As everyone sought shelter or distance, Leiya noticed that the motion wasn’t rising, but rather swimming from the western side of the pool to the eastern; heading their way.

The thing that rose from the water made the imagination whimper. It looked like a head festooned with vestigial ears, arms, legs; Intestinal tubing waggled beneath the hovering creature, dripping fluids that killed any grasses it dripped on; and all this was built on a massive scale. Several chains dragged the waters, seemingly grown into the “body” of the giant nightmare. Sainted Sword practically leaping to the fighter’s hands, Enkili knelt and used the blade’s Howling Winds feature. The madness born beast easily ignored the Telekinesis like shove, the magic failing to touch the thing. Rising to hover, it moved east to stop five feet shy of Enkili; the dangling chains lashed out as if they were appendages.

Leiya interposed with her Shield the Faithful feature which stopped the first chain, but the second and third pummeled him. It then aimed a few gut tubes and launched sickly bile. The goop flew over Enkili and splattered Leiya doing massive damage. Grynn held back for a moment trying to identify their attacker, and paled a bit from the lore he remembered. Quickly upcasting Spiritual Weapon (5th level) as his bonus action, and having Blunt Force Trauma whack it successfully, the priest relayed that the creature was a Sibriex, a demon maker. Moving south til he was twenty feet behind Enkili, Jolrael upcast Ice Storm (4th level).

The Sibriex seemed resistant to the cold, yet looked very much worse for wear after its pummeling. A dark bilious energy shot out to surround the abyssal creature like an aura, that energy, though it passed over almost everyone in the party, only effected Grynn, Jolrael, and Enkili. While the fighter and sorcerer saved, Grynn did not. He withered rapidly, the weight melting off the cleric sickeningly, other parts of Grynn’s physicality seemed… off. Melana’s chosen cleric sagged on his feet, poisoned and exhausted.

The bard also took a moment to observe their enemy, plumbing lore the cleric had never seen. Blaylocke’s reaction was to shout “Run!” to the party, the realizations he had come to frightened him into doubting their survivability. He made himself an example by running north away from the party, explaining that he had more horrors to share. He also drummed out Enkili’s theme song while his legs carried him away, the way he caught and held Jolrael’s eye showed that they were exchanging telepathic thoughts (Telepathic Link). Before jetting off to the north, Leiya tried to Slow the Sibriex; but the spell failed to catch the creature. She passed the bard, having longer legs.

As if trying to punish Blaylocke for knowing too much, the creature’s fleshy tubes launched another vomitous mass his way. The bard easily stutter stepped and avoided the vile liquid; foliage died where the stuff splattered. Head swelling to astounding proportions, Grynn continued to mutate before his friend’s eyes. Blunt Force Trauma swung hard, but missed entirely. Keeping his courage and sanity in check, the cleric cast Banishment. The Sibriex vanished, but Grynn had to continue holding the spell to ensure it remained gone; a duel of wills as the demon strove to come back.

Fishing in his pack, Enkili ran over to Grynn with the Potion of Vitality the party had Identified the night before. The magic drink began to reverse the perverse changes that had afflicted the cleric, restoring Grynn to his natural shape. For the remainder of the minute the Banishment spell required to shunt the demon fully back to the abyss, the party escorted Grynn through the valley like guards. Everyone eyed the burbling pools with apprehension. They finished the day far away from that volcanic swamp and made camp; wails and screams were heard again.

Not long after setting out the next morning, they begin to see signs of civilization in the distance, but did not arrive in Deros Delnac that day. Next day (after another night of distant wails and cries) they clearly saw Deros Delnac a city with walls within walls within walls. Clearly a merchant town that had grown from a military camp in its centuries gone past. They entered the outer gates, called the Copper Gate, in the mid afternoon. As per the entrances name, everyone was taxed 5 cp per head, and were told that the next set of gates was called the Silver Gate, and they would have to pay 5 silver per head to pass those (The last set of gates were named the Platinum Gate).

The town of the outer ring was bigger than the party thought, it was close to evening before they paid the toll to pass the Silver Gate, and curfew was about to descend by the time the party found lodging. In that intervening time Leiya recalled the political situation of this city. The leader of Deros Delnac’s name is Naj Drogo, the Ax of Delnac. Though they show a friendly rivalry to the world, Naj Drogo and Knajir Erbolg would destroy one another if they could get away with it.

*That is it for this week. Our next gathering will be for our Halloween one shot, a Deadlands western horror adventure. Ramsay Cowlishaw has bowed out of the game as he will be doing several gigs just before November 1st. Ghosttusk may or may not join us, but wants to play a huxter (magic user). Longjohn has chosen to play a Mexican revolutionary fleeing a failed coup; he has a couple of archetypes to choose from. Xura is pondering her choices while trying to familiarize herself with the game system. Frenzied 67 has chosen an Indian scout who does not cling to the Old Ways.