This session's cast:
Drael - Goliath barbarian and his sabertooth tiger friend
Vyn - Dark elf golden dragon sorcerer
Rolin - Elven Thief, secret dark cleric of murder, and ranger. Also his apprentice, Sonsari
After having seen their respective visions in the crystal ball, the party separated for the night. Drael, Vyn, Rolin and Sonsari (who is like 11...) went down to the tavern at the inn to enjoy some food and drinks. Lupus Loricatus, the imperial representative then came in, alone, seeking them in the tavern. He asked if they had recovered Yaga's book of the dead. They relinquished it once he gave them a couple magic items off his person, as well as a bag of gems for collateral for the cash payment. Lupus also mentioned that perhaps a trade could be in order for Vyn's wand of wonder. Vyn said he would consider it. Both parties feeling pleased with the transaction, Lupus excused himself and left into the night. Upon inspection of the bag of gems, Vyn discovered them to be merely glass.
Infuriated, they sent Sonsari to follow after Lupus and report back. She returned and said he went into the Purple Moth Magic shop. Having had dealings with the proprietor there before they decided to stake it out. Rolin disguised himself as a young maiden and knocked on the door. The familiar proprietor answered, his outfit splattered with black paint. Feigning pursuit by a ruffian, Rolin convinced him to escort him home. As they walked through the park they knocked him out and tied him in a tree.
Taking the key, the party headed back to the shop and searched around. They found no one else in the shop, but did find their color restoration potions fermenting, with a date of completion on them. So they swiped em', considering them already paid for. In the basement they found a wall covered in fresh black paint, with what appeared to be edges of white symbols on the edge of the black splotch. Using some turpentine, they removed some of the paint, and saw that it covered a large complex symbol on the wall, but were unable to recover the entire thing. They then devised a plan to frame Lupus for burning the building down and then having them come and put it out to look like heroes. This convoluted plan went off without a hitch. And the proprietor was 'rescued' from the forest.
In the morning, a group of town guards came to the inn with a summons for Vyn, Drael, and Rolin from Lupus Loricatus. The guard escorted them to the Loricatus estate. Lupus questioned them on what the commotion was about last night, since they were there and so was he, apparently. Lupus claimed he knew nothing about visiting them at the inn, and that he had an alibi. After some arguing, everyone realized that the Lupus they had seen was none other than Tereval the Terrible! Only he also knew about them having the wand of wonder.
They went to question the recovering proprietor, and discovered that he was Tereval's apprentice. And that the wall in the basement had been symbols for a portal to the Sunken Tower of Ulmic, Tereval's fortress. Lupus warned that Yaga's book of the Dead may have terrible secrets to raise the dead! It must be recovered, or this region of the Endless Empire may come to civil war...
Dungeon Master Notes:
Finally got Tereval back into the action. I was waiting for the right moment and I think the players were pleased that he finally caught up with them. This session didn't go in the direction I planned, but I had a good time and the players got to do what they wanted. I think my emphasis on being flexible has paid off in the players feeling free to go about things in creative ways. I loved their crazy plans using sneaking and disguises!
Showing posts with label Dungeons and Dragons 5E. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dungeons and Dragons 5E. Show all posts
Monday, July 17, 2017
Friday, May 5, 2017
Raleigh D&D 5E - Session #8 - Prophecies in Perrol
This session's cast:
-Drael, the (still) blue, apex seeking, goliath barbarian and his faithful(?), always hungry, red saber-tooth tiger companion. (Player absent)
-Rolin, the elven yellow assassin, and secret priest of Mephala, lord of the eight shadows of murder.
-Vyn, the dark elf and red, gold dragon (retconned) sorcerer.
-Theren Galaodel, the straight shootin' pious fighter
-Percival "Percy" VelJohnson the orphaned, nosy, yet private half-elven bard
Our bloodied party triumphantly paraded down the now sunbathed streets crying that the lord was dead and declared freedom to the Tangari slaves. Emaciated, wheezing jackals lay where smiling beggars once sat. Cheering Tangari flooded the streets, crushing the jackals beneath them. Drael gave a rousing speech, declaring the Tangari free and claiming most of the credit for the deed. Vyn attempted to rebuttal this claim but was drowned out by the cheering crowds.
The two hundred or so Tangari began to gather supplies for the trek back to Sonsari's tribe. While the Tangari spent a couple days preparing, the party looked to the ziggurat, hoping to also recover Yaga's Book of the Dead for Lupus Loricatus back in Perrol. Sonsari cautioned that even the lord and his jackalweres avoided the place, except for a few sporadic excursions were few returned, if they returned at all. Luckily, some Tangari knew where the spoils of these trips had been kept, and Yaga's Book of the Dead was among the loot!
A couple days journey brought the freed Tangari to Sonsari's tribe where they were greeted with open arms by her father, Chief Darok. Sonsari immediately told the tale, and Darok expressed his gratitude for returning his daughter to him. But more importantly, a great curse on their people was now lifted and it was time for celebration. A week long festival was conducted, and the party was named living heroes and saints of the Tangari and immortalized in song by Darok's resident bard, Percy. Percy impressed with their deeds, asked to accompany them to be part of their tale.
Rolin showed Sonsari his golden apple pendant and asked her what she knew of it. She said that was the symbol of the secret god, knowledge passed down orally only to certain bloodlines in the Tangari, which had been given to her from her mother. He revealed that he was the new mouth for Mephala on this world. Sonsari said she would spread the word among her kinsmen.
Darok granted the party the right to take the mark of a member of the tribe, a tattoo, and named them heroes forever. He also awarded them with a chest full of magical supplies which happened to have a shipment label for the Purple Moth Magic Shop. Some of the grateful people who had been freed or their families offered themselves as servants to Drael, Rolin, Vyn and Theren. Each found themselves with four willing men and women ready for service. Rolin with those of the bloodline loyal to Mephala. Vyn, interested in the resettlement of Sancre Tor and its history spent time researching it. He learned there was certainly interest in rebuilding the sacred city and reliving the former greatness of the Tangari before the Endless Empire came and conquered them. Little was known about the ziggurat, other than that it was there even before the Tangari first settled the badlands.
Drael decided to stay with the Tangari for the time being. Vyn sent his people in all four cardinal directions with a month's worth of expenses to search for information about gold dragons. Theren sent his to his monastery to do research on the blade they recovered known as "the gift". And Rolin left his to spread the word that the secret god speaks again, but took Sonsari with him back to Perrol. On their way back to Perrol, Sonsari disturbed a giant wasp's nest and the undead corpse of a minotaur, but survived despite herself.
Once they had settled at the inn upon arriving in Perrol, they decided to present Yaga's Book of the Dead to Lupus Loricatus. The butler told them he was currently at town council but that he would summon them when he had time to see them. So they left their calling card, and wandered over to the Purple Moth magic shop. The proprietor there was ecstatic to recover his lost shipment and promised to make them the promised remove curse potions, only saying it would take a few weeks. He also passed to them a crystal ball said to show you truths about your past, present and future, but only once. Since he had already used it, he figured they could have it. They willingly accepted it for a later time. The party decided to do some shopping. Rolin sought a master instrument craftsman, with the help of Percy, to make him a flute that doubled as a blowgun. Vyn commissioned a metal mask to hide his dark elven appearance.
That night at the inn, the party took turns looking into the crystal ball. All participated, except for Drael, who was absent, and Theren, who refused. None but the user could behold the vision.
Vyn saw visions of his ancestors going all the way back before the elvish races split. He saw his golden dragon ancestor living among the elves. He then saw a man whose face was obscured by a bright golden glow at the right hand of the emperor. And then he saw himself, uncovered, with golden skin and openly speaking with a great golden dragon.
Rolin saw a girl murder a man on a barren mountain top, and tear a golden apple from his dead grasp. He also saw the emperor sitting on his throne. Beside him was a man whose face was obscured because of an bright golden glow around it, but behind the throne stood Mephala herself. Finally he saw a modest stone manor on a hill within the city, with Tangari secretly coming in and out.
Percy saw the battle where his father died. His mother told him the story over and over growing up, and he knew every detail by heart, or so he thought. One detail stuck out as vastly different then how his mother had told it, but it was not immediately obvious why such a detail would be obscured. Next he saw his brother, miserable and carrying a heavy burden through an endless mire. Finally he saw himself and his brother as part of a royal entourage, happy and full of honor and accolades. In turns delighted, bewildered, and heartened the party silently went to their own rooms to ponder alone the meaning of their visions and how they would rise to their destiny and face their past.
-Drael, the (still) blue, apex seeking, goliath barbarian and his faithful(?), always hungry, red saber-tooth tiger companion. (Player absent)
-Rolin, the elven yellow assassin, and secret priest of Mephala, lord of the eight shadows of murder.
-Vyn, the dark elf and red, gold dragon (retconned) sorcerer.
-Theren Galaodel, the straight shootin' pious fighter
-Percival "Percy" VelJohnson the orphaned, nosy, yet private half-elven bard
Our bloodied party triumphantly paraded down the now sunbathed streets crying that the lord was dead and declared freedom to the Tangari slaves. Emaciated, wheezing jackals lay where smiling beggars once sat. Cheering Tangari flooded the streets, crushing the jackals beneath them. Drael gave a rousing speech, declaring the Tangari free and claiming most of the credit for the deed. Vyn attempted to rebuttal this claim but was drowned out by the cheering crowds.
The two hundred or so Tangari began to gather supplies for the trek back to Sonsari's tribe. While the Tangari spent a couple days preparing, the party looked to the ziggurat, hoping to also recover Yaga's Book of the Dead for Lupus Loricatus back in Perrol. Sonsari cautioned that even the lord and his jackalweres avoided the place, except for a few sporadic excursions were few returned, if they returned at all. Luckily, some Tangari knew where the spoils of these trips had been kept, and Yaga's Book of the Dead was among the loot!
A couple days journey brought the freed Tangari to Sonsari's tribe where they were greeted with open arms by her father, Chief Darok. Sonsari immediately told the tale, and Darok expressed his gratitude for returning his daughter to him. But more importantly, a great curse on their people was now lifted and it was time for celebration. A week long festival was conducted, and the party was named living heroes and saints of the Tangari and immortalized in song by Darok's resident bard, Percy. Percy impressed with their deeds, asked to accompany them to be part of their tale.
Rolin showed Sonsari his golden apple pendant and asked her what she knew of it. She said that was the symbol of the secret god, knowledge passed down orally only to certain bloodlines in the Tangari, which had been given to her from her mother. He revealed that he was the new mouth for Mephala on this world. Sonsari said she would spread the word among her kinsmen.
Darok granted the party the right to take the mark of a member of the tribe, a tattoo, and named them heroes forever. He also awarded them with a chest full of magical supplies which happened to have a shipment label for the Purple Moth Magic Shop. Some of the grateful people who had been freed or their families offered themselves as servants to Drael, Rolin, Vyn and Theren. Each found themselves with four willing men and women ready for service. Rolin with those of the bloodline loyal to Mephala. Vyn, interested in the resettlement of Sancre Tor and its history spent time researching it. He learned there was certainly interest in rebuilding the sacred city and reliving the former greatness of the Tangari before the Endless Empire came and conquered them. Little was known about the ziggurat, other than that it was there even before the Tangari first settled the badlands.
Drael decided to stay with the Tangari for the time being. Vyn sent his people in all four cardinal directions with a month's worth of expenses to search for information about gold dragons. Theren sent his to his monastery to do research on the blade they recovered known as "the gift". And Rolin left his to spread the word that the secret god speaks again, but took Sonsari with him back to Perrol. On their way back to Perrol, Sonsari disturbed a giant wasp's nest and the undead corpse of a minotaur, but survived despite herself.
Once they had settled at the inn upon arriving in Perrol, they decided to present Yaga's Book of the Dead to Lupus Loricatus. The butler told them he was currently at town council but that he would summon them when he had time to see them. So they left their calling card, and wandered over to the Purple Moth magic shop. The proprietor there was ecstatic to recover his lost shipment and promised to make them the promised remove curse potions, only saying it would take a few weeks. He also passed to them a crystal ball said to show you truths about your past, present and future, but only once. Since he had already used it, he figured they could have it. They willingly accepted it for a later time. The party decided to do some shopping. Rolin sought a master instrument craftsman, with the help of Percy, to make him a flute that doubled as a blowgun. Vyn commissioned a metal mask to hide his dark elven appearance.
That night at the inn, the party took turns looking into the crystal ball. All participated, except for Drael, who was absent, and Theren, who refused. None but the user could behold the vision.
Vyn saw visions of his ancestors going all the way back before the elvish races split. He saw his golden dragon ancestor living among the elves. He then saw a man whose face was obscured by a bright golden glow at the right hand of the emperor. And then he saw himself, uncovered, with golden skin and openly speaking with a great golden dragon.
Rolin saw a girl murder a man on a barren mountain top, and tear a golden apple from his dead grasp. He also saw the emperor sitting on his throne. Beside him was a man whose face was obscured because of an bright golden glow around it, but behind the throne stood Mephala herself. Finally he saw a modest stone manor on a hill within the city, with Tangari secretly coming in and out.
Percy saw the battle where his father died. His mother told him the story over and over growing up, and he knew every detail by heart, or so he thought. One detail stuck out as vastly different then how his mother had told it, but it was not immediately obvious why such a detail would be obscured. Next he saw his brother, miserable and carrying a heavy burden through an endless mire. Finally he saw himself and his brother as part of a royal entourage, happy and full of honor and accolades. In turns delighted, bewildered, and heartened the party silently went to their own rooms to ponder alone the meaning of their visions and how they would rise to their destiny and face their past.
Thursday, May 4, 2017
Raleigh D&D 5E - Session #7 - The Hidden Palace of Sancre Tor
This session's cast:
-Drael, the (still) blue, apex seeking, goliath barbarian and his faithful(?), always hungry, red saber-tooth tiger companion.
-Rolin, the elven yellow assassin, and secret priest of Mephala, lord of the eight shadows of murder.
-Vyn, the dark elf and red, gold dragon (retconned) sorcerer.
-Theren Galaodel, the straight shootin' pious fighter
After following the friendly buzzards through winding ravines and towering sandstone columns the party finally came to the Valley of the Hidden Palace. The walled city could be seen to have a myriad of streets centering around a great palace, with a large ziggurat of differing architecture looming behind From a distance Drael noticed that the city Sancre Tor did not seem abandoned but alive and full of activity. So Rolin and Vyn enthusiastically rode their horses through the valley towards the open city gates, while Drael and his tiger companion trailed cautiously behind.
Finding no guards at the gate, Rolin and Vyn quickly questioned one of the several beggars loafing outside the gate along the wall. "Call me Ishmael, travelers! What brings you to the sacred city?" They explained they had heard great things and wanted to visit, but were weary from travel. Rolin asked to buy Ishmael's clothes. Ishmael immediately offered to introduce him to the finest clothier in the city, who owed him a favor. "Why would you want to wear a beggar's clothes?" Ishmael laughed. Drael, uncomfortable about the city, opted to wait outside the gates. As Ishmael walked them through the market streets, they noticed various smiling beggar's lounging around while men and women in white busied themselves with work. Rolin pulled one of them aside attempting to question the nervous man but Ishmael quickly dismissed him before he could relay any information.
Growing suspicious, Vyn decided to not enter the clothier shop once they arrived. Rolin entered and met a man in white named Tarok who began to fit him into a robe of purple and yellow. All the while Ishmael babbled away. Suddenly Vyn entered the shop disguised as Drael and had a confusion conversation with Rolin, Tarok, and Ishmael that I can't fully recall. Not having the results he desired, Vyn left and wandered the streets questioning beggars and eventually disguising himself as one of them before exiting the city before the gates were closed. All the while, Rolin's robe was finished as night fell and Ishmael brought him to an inn run by the maiden Sonsari for the night so he could be prepared to be presented to the lord. When questioned about the lord, Ishmael merely stated with wide eyed adoration that he was a lion of a man.
After Ismael left Rolin to rest with Sonsari, Rolin quickly took the opportunity to get the low down from his new host. She told him that she was the daughter of a Tangari chieftain that had been captured by the Lord's minions. She said if he could rescue her he would surely be rewarded. Rolin said he would do one better, by killing the lord, freeing all the Tangari slaves, and cleansing the sacred city of Sancre Tor itself! Amazed, Sonsari wished him luck as he left to go gather his comrades to undo the lord once and for all. He successfully sneaked through the quiet and deserted town streets, but found himself at the closed gate. It was unguarded but locked by a massive bar too great for him alone. Climbing up the steps to the top of the wall, he found both Drael and Vyn quibbling about whether to abandon the adventure and leave him alone in the city or not. Once the two of them saw Rolin, they begrudgingly changed their tune and climbed the wall with Rolin's rope. Between the three of them, especially due to Drael's great strength, they opened the massive gate to let the saber-tooth tiger in.
Carefully making their way through the dark streets, they made it back to the inn only to find Sonsari missing and Ishmael waiting in her place. Rolin quickly cast charm person, and introduced his two friends to Ishmael under friendlier circumstances. Ishmael told them he had prepared Rolin for the presentation for the lord, but when he was missing when it was time. Thus Ishmael's only choice was to present Sonsari instead, although that was not preferable. He also added the clarification that it was a presentation of an offering for a sacrifice to the demon prince Graz'zt. Rolin demanded that they be taken to the lord immediately. Ishmael was only happy to oblige.
They entered the gates of the hidden palace, and passed through grand rooms, gardens, and courtyards, until they finally came to the throne room of the lord. The double doors to the throne room were wide open to the lighted and opulent chamber. Ishmael presented the party to the lord, a haughty looking man wearing a pendant of a golden apple, with a lion body below the waist lounging on a great pillowed couch. Two guards in plate armor flanked him on either side. Behind him hooded and robed figures forced a girl quickly through a door to the next chamber. Rolin, quickly recognizing it to be Sonsari, bowed before the lord and stated they were there to serve him and attempted to cast charm person but to no apparent effect. The lord got up from his lounge and told the party he had been expecting them, and that his men would take care of them.
The lord then passed through the door, and the armored guards rushed to close the double doors to the throne room. A battle ensued as Drael and Vyn pushed back against the two armored guards, while Rolin rushed to the door to follow the lord, only to be met by a fiery flying suit of armor in his way. The tiger was soon distracted by several flying weapons that came off the wall. Rolin weaved in and out of battle, backstabbing and firing arrows where support was needed. Drael held off the flying fire armor, and Vyn shot forceful blasts of magical energy until the flying armor was blasted against the wall into dozens of pieces by a great bolt of fire. After that the battle quickly wrapped up in favor of the victorious but bruised party.
The momentary silence made the party aware of chanting beyond the door, which made them realized time was growing short. At that moment a determined man burst through the double doors and demanded to see the lord. After some initial distrust, the learned that the warrior, named Therol, was on a quest to slay the lord in the name of his monastery, which was an enemy to all cults of Graz'zt. A moment later they all ran through the door to interrupt the dark rite being led by the lord and his priests of Graz'zt. Sonsari was tied to a great alter surrounded by the priests. Rolin ran up and back stabbed the lord causing him great pain. The lord escaped through another door, while the priests attempted to stop the party from following him. The battle slowly went the way of the party, and one of the injured priests spilled his own blood on the alter to summon a hell hound as a final pleading to Graz'zt. But, the hound rolled terribly on its initiative and was slaughtered before it could breath fire all over everything. Sad. Rolin freed Sonsari, and she refused to stay put, scared to be out of their direct protection.
Following the lord out of the sacrificial chamber, they found him with dagger drawn in what appeared to be a personal chamber with pillowed bed, gilded mirror, Jacuzzi and even a cage for his two pet giant scorpions, which he immediately released. The outmatched and injured lord was defeated soundly, and Drael spoke to the scorpions, reasoning with them that this was not a fight worth fighting, and they scurried back into their cage, only to be lite on fire by Vyn. Soon after the body of the lord finished dissolving, everything that once looked extravagant and new became decayed and ruined, the illusion and magic of the lord fading away.
Rolin snatched up the pendant of the golden apple before anyone could notice. Vyn picked up the intriguing dagger, a red blade seemingly fashioned out of a single horn, and wrapped in a black leather for the hilt. After feeling uncharacteristically greedy and selfish, Vyn's further inquiry with Theren revealed the dagger to be called "the gift". The runes on either side of it meaning gift and blood respectively. This type of blade is giving to every great leader of Graz'zt cults, a gift from Graz'zt himself, fashioned out of one of his many horns. A truly evil artifact. Theren took it and sealed it in a chest found on the sacrificial alter along with its previous contents, a dried out human(?) heart. He vowed to take it back to his monastery to either be sealed away or destroyed. Drael picked up the head priests long sword, which at first glance seemed perfectly ordinary, but closer inspection revealed to be of great manufacture. A feeling of optimism and a positive outlook for the future took hold of him immediately.
As the party walked down the steps of the hidden palace onto the city streets, the sun rose to finish the cleanse of the sacred city of Sancre Tor.
disclaimer: this session happened a few weeks ago, so this is to the best of my memory and notes.
Sunday, April 9, 2017
Raleigh D&D 5E - Session #6 - Tangari Badlands
This session's party members:
-Drael, the blue, apex seeking, goliath barbarian and his faithful(?), always hungry, red saber-tooth tiger companion.
-Rolin, the elven yellow assassin, and secret priest of Mephala, lord of the eight shadows of murder.
-Vyn, the dark elf and (literally) red dragon sorcerer.
Our intrepid party traveled into the Tangari badlands seeking lost shipments, artifacts and cities. At dusk they found signs of many riders going across the main road. Following said tracks off the path into the darkness of night forced the party to retreat into a cave for the night. They slept soundly through the distant howls carried on winds whistling through the cave entrance. While breaking camp in the morning, they saw a dust cloud in the distance. Expecting this was a band of Tangari riders, they decided to hide in the cave until they passed. Once the large band of riders passed, Vyn suggested they go in the direction the riders came from to find their camp.
After several hours of travel, they encountered an old beggar man in a ravine they were traveling through. He greeted them and asked for some alms. Claiming to be an outcast of the Tangari tribes for refusing to offer his child as sacrifice to the lord, he pointed them in the direction of the camp. However, when their backs were turned he transformed into a jackalwere and called a large pack of jackals to his aid! The jackalwere was sorely outmatched and Drael skinned him and all the jackals to calm him down from his rage.
Deciding to follow the beggar man's direction regardless, they continued on to find themselves at the dead end of a gorge where there appeared to have been a camp recently. While searching through the recently abandoned campsite, Vyn found a dropped soft leather book, containing hymns, poems, and folklore of the Tangari people. Rolin noticed that the exit to the gorge had shifted. Closer inspection showed that an illusion blocked the way they came in and exposed a previously hidden way. Drael called down some nearby buzzards and asked them to lead to the hidden city. In exchange the party would provide corpses to feast upon, either by killing or dying in battle. The vultures accepted and began to fly overhead, hopefully leading to Sacre Tor. After reassuring the saber-tooth tiger that he would have his share of flesh too, the party braved the maze of gorges and ravines towards the hidden city!
-Drael, the blue, apex seeking, goliath barbarian and his faithful(?), always hungry, red saber-tooth tiger companion.
-Rolin, the elven yellow assassin, and secret priest of Mephala, lord of the eight shadows of murder.
-Vyn, the dark elf and (literally) red dragon sorcerer.
Our intrepid party traveled into the Tangari badlands seeking lost shipments, artifacts and cities. At dusk they found signs of many riders going across the main road. Following said tracks off the path into the darkness of night forced the party to retreat into a cave for the night. They slept soundly through the distant howls carried on winds whistling through the cave entrance. While breaking camp in the morning, they saw a dust cloud in the distance. Expecting this was a band of Tangari riders, they decided to hide in the cave until they passed. Once the large band of riders passed, Vyn suggested they go in the direction the riders came from to find their camp.
After several hours of travel, they encountered an old beggar man in a ravine they were traveling through. He greeted them and asked for some alms. Claiming to be an outcast of the Tangari tribes for refusing to offer his child as sacrifice to the lord, he pointed them in the direction of the camp. However, when their backs were turned he transformed into a jackalwere and called a large pack of jackals to his aid! The jackalwere was sorely outmatched and Drael skinned him and all the jackals to calm him down from his rage.
Deciding to follow the beggar man's direction regardless, they continued on to find themselves at the dead end of a gorge where there appeared to have been a camp recently. While searching through the recently abandoned campsite, Vyn found a dropped soft leather book, containing hymns, poems, and folklore of the Tangari people. Rolin noticed that the exit to the gorge had shifted. Closer inspection showed that an illusion blocked the way they came in and exposed a previously hidden way. Drael called down some nearby buzzards and asked them to lead to the hidden city. In exchange the party would provide corpses to feast upon, either by killing or dying in battle. The vultures accepted and began to fly overhead, hopefully leading to Sacre Tor. After reassuring the saber-tooth tiger that he would have his share of flesh too, the party braved the maze of gorges and ravines towards the hidden city!
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Raleigh D&D 5E - Session #5 - Breaking Trust with a Renegade Wizard
This session's miscreants:
Vyn the (red) dark elven dragon sorcerer
Rolin the (yellow) wood elven rogue
Drael the (blue) goliath barbarian
and his unnamed, always hungry (red) saber-tooth tiger companion
Once arriving in the city, Rolin spent the night in disguise talking to drunk merchants in order to learn about the city's history and movers and shakers. Once he finally slept he had a vision a four armed shadowed androgynous figure who spoke to him before a rough stone alter on a barren mountain top. "I am Mephala, the anticipation, the unknown whisperer, teacher of secret arts, and lord of the eight shadows of murder. I have long sought a new mortal disciple in your world. Seek my artifact, the golden apple, held by a servant of my rival in the hidden palace. I will pull the strings to make your way. Return and revive my cult." This was followed by a vision of a magnificent desert city lost in the great Tangari badlands further west. Rolin awakened a multi-classed rogue and death cleric.
Meanwhile, Vyn, Drael and his saber-tooth tiger companion wandered conspicuously throughout town. Between the red elf in a tight black hooded cloak with rad interior lining patterns, the 7' tall blue goliath barbarian and his red saber-tooth tiger pet they attracted a lot of attention. They finally came to a magic shop, and inquired about getting their colored curses removed and possibly acquiring some magic items. The shop keep said he usually doesn't have anything magical on hand but said he would keep an eye out. He said he could create a potion from the remains of the cursed fruit they had but that his last shipment from the capital had been robbed on the road through the Tangari badlands by Tangari tribesmen. If they could recover that shipment he would be more than willing to reward them, otherwise they would have to wait for another shipment of materials, and that could take months...He also pointed them to Lupus Loricatus, the local imperial representative, who is a collector of ancient manuscripts, curiosities, and other rarities to perhaps bring their treasure to for sale or appraisal. Before leaving, Vyn purchased a more comfortably sized plain black hooded cloak.
Following this advice the reunited party visited the manor of said Lupus Loricatus. They also asked for trade in magic items. This he was unwilling to do, for the moment, but happily payed them cash for their treasure. He said he may have opportunities to further their relationship if they would recover a text called the Yaga's Book of the Dead from a ziggurat within a lost city in the badlands. Lupus suggested that perhaps the Tangari tribesmen might know something of it.
Feeling impatient and being wary of attracting more attention they determined to leave that afternoon. Vyn and Rolin purchased some riding horses, though Drael decided to forego the expense claiming : "I am already as fast as a horse." With traveling goods packed on their new horses, they set off the west side of Perrol into the Tangari badlands to search of forgotten cities and brigand tribesmen.
Feeling impatient and being wary of attracting more attention they determined to leave that afternoon. Vyn and Rolin purchased some riding horses, though Drael decided to forego the expense claiming : "I am already as fast as a horse." With traveling goods packed on their new horses, they set off the west side of Perrol into the Tangari badlands to search of forgotten cities and brigand tribesmen.
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Westcroft D&D 5E - Session #1
Well now that I've had the holidays to absorb the new edition I decided I would try to get a group together. I have played in some old school games and a few times in 4th edition (which I wasn't particularly fond of), and my DMing experience is limited to a smattering of old school sessions without any real consistency. Anyway, three players came for the first session. A human bard noble played by Shane, my brother in law, stylizing himself as Steve the Bard, a son far enough down the totem pole to have no hope for inheritance. Angoldear, played by Zach S, a 500 year old high elf wizard who finally ended his apprenticeship. And Gidli, played by Zac H, a gnomish monk, whose religious order has sent him out into the world.
The three met in the Halfway Inn in Payfare village, and overheard an old knight complaining to the barkeep about a the half-ogre Momog and his gang of thieves which recently holed up in an abandoned farmstead a couple miles from town. When the party asked about any potential bounty on the Momog and the gang, the old knight moaned that there wasn't on posted but hinted that the farmstead was built by an old conquistador, and legend had it that his treasure was hidden somewhere on the property.
So the three decided to gear up and head on down to the farmstead. The bard's loud music broke the tranquility of woodland path. After a time the mixture of lute and song threw a black bear into a rage. The Gidli noticed its approach and tossed a javelin into its shoulder. Steve poked the bear with his rapier, only to be bit in return. Angoldear attempted a spell only to have it fizzle in the air. Finally the gnome bashed in the ferocious bear's skull with two unarmed strikes, much to the bard's chagrin. They took the bear's pelt and took a short rest to patch up the bard's bite.
After their rest they continued on until they saw the farmstead. Seeing a barn, windmill and farmhouse they elected to check the windmill first. Finding it empty, dilapidated, and without a roof they decided to dig in the muddy floor for treasure. The others cajoled Gidli to do the bulk of the work and he came up with a some old wheat kernels and a handful of livestock bones. Disappointed, the party continued on towards the barn, Steve playing his lute and singing loudly. Surprisingly, this alerted goblins in the barn to the party's approach. The goblins responded with a volley of arrows through the barn windows, hitting Steve. Gidli threw a javelin right into one of the laughing goblins mouths for their insolence, killing it instantly. Angoldear threw a firebolt at the second goblins face, catching him and the barn on fire. Steve then weaved magic into a cruel joke sending the burning goblin into uncontrollable fits of debilitating laughter.
The party waited outside the barn, as it began to burn. Finally the barn door opened with a goblin dragging out his badly burned companion. Surrendering their weapons and a handful of coins to Steve, they ran off into the forest. The party then decided to camp in the middle of the field for the night. Luckily, no one tripped over their sleeping bodies when they came to investigate the burning barn.
In the morning the party wandered back over the half burned barn. Steve hoisted up Gidli to the second floor to see what was up there. Gidli was met with webs and eight angry eyes and he quickly scrambled out of the barn telling the wizard to set the barn ablaze again. The party readied themselves for a fight, and an spider the size of a horse crawled through the flames toward them. Gidli missed with his javelin and Angoldear's second spell failed. As Steve readied his rapier, the spider shot a web at him and he fell helpless to the ground. Gidli held off the spider until Steve could break free from the web and then they sent it scurrying toward the forest. Angoldear finally succeeded in casting a frost ray spell, stopping the beasts heart. Steve then attempted to harvest the spiders poison but failed.
Steve and Gidli then sneaked over to the farmhouse to look inside. The first floor seemed empty. They then saw an outside basement entrance and opened the storm doors to find a cellar with a lit torch. They sneaked in and passed an enclosed storage room they thought was full of food. At the end of the cellar they found another set of open doors with stairs leading further down. Successfully sneaking down the stairs they saw two hobgolins conversing. Steve cast charm on them, and before the hobgoblins knew it, they felt like Steve was their best buddy.
Steve asked them where Momog and the treasure was. They responded that Momog was out and proceeded to lead the party back up the stairs. They pointed to the storage room as to the location of the treasure. Gidli picklocked the door and they found, among foodstuffs, some coins and gems that were booty of the gang. The party then took the hobgoblins back down with them into the dungeon and wandered down a long hallway into an old armory. They began to look through the rusted swords and armor for anything useful when they began to hear a clanking noise. Getting nervous, they attempted to leave the room only to find the exit blocked by a disembodied suit of armor. The hobgoblins were reluctant to help fight but did shoot at it with their bows. The armor nearly knocked a large bookcase over on Gidli and succeeded in tackling Steve sending him sprawled unconscious on the floor. Eventually they broke the foul magic possessing the armor.
Knowing that the charm spell on the hobgoblins was about to end, they suggested that they test the strength of their rope by tying them up. The party then proceeded to slit their throats. Knowing their badly beaten state, and wanting to rest the party headed back to Payfare to resupply.
Update:
Sadly this campaign was not very well documented and had to end when I moved across the country.
The three met in the Halfway Inn in Payfare village, and overheard an old knight complaining to the barkeep about a the half-ogre Momog and his gang of thieves which recently holed up in an abandoned farmstead a couple miles from town. When the party asked about any potential bounty on the Momog and the gang, the old knight moaned that there wasn't on posted but hinted that the farmstead was built by an old conquistador, and legend had it that his treasure was hidden somewhere on the property.
So the three decided to gear up and head on down to the farmstead. The bard's loud music broke the tranquility of woodland path. After a time the mixture of lute and song threw a black bear into a rage. The Gidli noticed its approach and tossed a javelin into its shoulder. Steve poked the bear with his rapier, only to be bit in return. Angoldear attempted a spell only to have it fizzle in the air. Finally the gnome bashed in the ferocious bear's skull with two unarmed strikes, much to the bard's chagrin. They took the bear's pelt and took a short rest to patch up the bard's bite.
After their rest they continued on until they saw the farmstead. Seeing a barn, windmill and farmhouse they elected to check the windmill first. Finding it empty, dilapidated, and without a roof they decided to dig in the muddy floor for treasure. The others cajoled Gidli to do the bulk of the work and he came up with a some old wheat kernels and a handful of livestock bones. Disappointed, the party continued on towards the barn, Steve playing his lute and singing loudly. Surprisingly, this alerted goblins in the barn to the party's approach. The goblins responded with a volley of arrows through the barn windows, hitting Steve. Gidli threw a javelin right into one of the laughing goblins mouths for their insolence, killing it instantly. Angoldear threw a firebolt at the second goblins face, catching him and the barn on fire. Steve then weaved magic into a cruel joke sending the burning goblin into uncontrollable fits of debilitating laughter.
The party waited outside the barn, as it began to burn. Finally the barn door opened with a goblin dragging out his badly burned companion. Surrendering their weapons and a handful of coins to Steve, they ran off into the forest. The party then decided to camp in the middle of the field for the night. Luckily, no one tripped over their sleeping bodies when they came to investigate the burning barn.
In the morning the party wandered back over the half burned barn. Steve hoisted up Gidli to the second floor to see what was up there. Gidli was met with webs and eight angry eyes and he quickly scrambled out of the barn telling the wizard to set the barn ablaze again. The party readied themselves for a fight, and an spider the size of a horse crawled through the flames toward them. Gidli missed with his javelin and Angoldear's second spell failed. As Steve readied his rapier, the spider shot a web at him and he fell helpless to the ground. Gidli held off the spider until Steve could break free from the web and then they sent it scurrying toward the forest. Angoldear finally succeeded in casting a frost ray spell, stopping the beasts heart. Steve then attempted to harvest the spiders poison but failed.
Steve and Gidli then sneaked over to the farmhouse to look inside. The first floor seemed empty. They then saw an outside basement entrance and opened the storm doors to find a cellar with a lit torch. They sneaked in and passed an enclosed storage room they thought was full of food. At the end of the cellar they found another set of open doors with stairs leading further down. Successfully sneaking down the stairs they saw two hobgolins conversing. Steve cast charm on them, and before the hobgoblins knew it, they felt like Steve was their best buddy.
Steve asked them where Momog and the treasure was. They responded that Momog was out and proceeded to lead the party back up the stairs. They pointed to the storage room as to the location of the treasure. Gidli picklocked the door and they found, among foodstuffs, some coins and gems that were booty of the gang. The party then took the hobgoblins back down with them into the dungeon and wandered down a long hallway into an old armory. They began to look through the rusted swords and armor for anything useful when they began to hear a clanking noise. Getting nervous, they attempted to leave the room only to find the exit blocked by a disembodied suit of armor. The hobgoblins were reluctant to help fight but did shoot at it with their bows. The armor nearly knocked a large bookcase over on Gidli and succeeded in tackling Steve sending him sprawled unconscious on the floor. Eventually they broke the foul magic possessing the armor.
Knowing that the charm spell on the hobgoblins was about to end, they suggested that they test the strength of their rope by tying them up. The party then proceeded to slit their throats. Knowing their badly beaten state, and wanting to rest the party headed back to Payfare to resupply.
Update:
Sadly this campaign was not very well documented and had to end when I moved across the country.
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