Session 67 (12/12/14)

*Squatter's Rights (To Die)*

Ivric, Verget the 15th, 838 ID

The PCs are beset upon by a number of spiders of various sizes, all equal or greater to a man, and they seem to reflect a steely tint from the lava below their strangely thick, rubbery webs. Though the creatures seem to be resistant to numerous forms of attack, they are quite easily dispatched by magic from Baro and arrows from Badger, to the point that the melee fighters barely got to engage any of them. Gruulsh explores a ledge near the webs to find a few old boxes, one of which is still locked and contains some loot and an interesting script. As the heroes pick their way across the rest of the great web to a new area, they notice a gargantuan spider beneath, rolling in the roiling magma, possibly a more mature end-stage to the vermin they just destroyed... 

They end up in an egg-chamber, loaded with 100s of the spider-things in their embryonic state. Some are destroyed, but they notice that there are tools lying about, a sign that other humanoids had come along and removed some of the things. A nearby tunnel has a strange ribbed appearance, and as they travel to the end of it, they find the corpse of a dwarf who must have escaped one of the miners' many struggles above (or below). Wendel suspects the tunnel itself might be the maw of some great beast, so they are hasty to pass through. Pressing on, they find a number of strange stone statues which seem a little too realistic for comfort, in a large cave where there is also a pool of strange gray sludge. Neighboring caverns contain a number of additional statues...humans, dwarves, troglodytes, and larger creatures. They decide to avoid the larger concentration of the things and enter a chamber marred by steaming magma fissures which must be connected in the deeps to the lava pool beneath that massive spider's web. They carefully wind their way through to avoid being scalded.

In the next area, a rocky cavern with uneven ceilings, they run across a trio of other 'explorers', unusual squatting giants which have the ability to 'unfurl' and grow more powerful wherever the ceiling is high enough. A gruesome conflict erupts, and though the PCs are eventually able to bring down the violent beasts, Gruulsh is battered to death...and upon her death, the damnedest thing happens...her womb splits open and a dwarven babe spills forth. Baro recalls the strange 'pricking' incident from the Sunken Forge, when they were exploring the shrine of Sharindlar, and puts two together...believing that the same gender-swapping magical trap must have simultaneously impregnated Gruulsh with what might be the avatar of the newly-rediscovered dwarven goddess!

Ivric, Verget the 15th, 838 ID

Thankfully, Solveig is skilled enough in her natural magic to reincarnate the bugbear, only into a new form...that of a halfling, the next day. Gruulsh must adjust to her new form...which is wildly different than the previous.

PCs: Badger, Ballyhoo, Baro, Gruulsh, Solveig, Wendel

Session 66 (11/7/14)

Ivric, Verget the 15th, 838 ID

After their nasty run-in with the umber hulk, the PCs have now healed and rested to regain their spells, before setting off further into the Crowslode. They find another cavern area which is was a last stand site for a group of dwarven and human miners. Within is a slightly preserved journal kept by one of the prospectors, Slott Squatbottom, which has a few entries intact. He has named this top region of the caverns the 'Hazard Shafts'. Apparently the explorers and miners had discovered a number of antagonistic races within the depths. Deep gnomes have rigged specific areas with some truly deadly traps, while bands of troglodytes have been harassing and killing them, recently massing to repel the decades old expedition. Slott himself appears to have died from the infection of wounds sustained in such a battle. And it looks like a lot more of the old remains in the cavern belong to the dwarves than trogs. The PCs decide to press further, finding a pit to the next lower level, which is unfortunately guarded by a stone golem that activates once they try to use it. Although the construct proves impervious to many forms of attack, and renders the melee fighters' attacks weaker, the group eventually manages to bring it down through teamwork, though Wendel hangs back for safety.

Once lowering themselves to the second level, they find a corridor oddly guarded on both ends by a low wall of placed stones...with a few shreds of cloth swirling around inside. They sense that there is strong illusion magic in the area, but Wendel can't figure out if it's trapped, so they decide to check out another cavern and discover several hidden caches of small-sized weapons, in mine carts that were tucked into alcoves in the wall. The PCs return to the strange corridor that bars their progress through the 2nd level, and dispel a chunk of the corridor, revealing a complex system of churning, completely silent spiked columns of death that will grind anyone up moving through the area. Wendel can't disarm it, so they decide to send Gruulsh through in gaseous form just to scout out the other area, where they get a peak at the next room. She returns and becomes corporeal again, and they attempt a number of other bypasses like using one of the mining carts to jam some of the columns, but it fails because the cart is too big. They decide to return to the first level to see if there is anything they might have missed...rather than send someone to an almost certain death.

The only place above they hadn't examined further was the chamber mostly submerged in water, so Gruulsh and Wendel head out to the little island and examine the small hooded skeleton. They find an everburning torch inside the lantern, a silver fishing rod and a gorgeous goblet, and bring over Baro to examine their magical radiations. When he raises the fishing rod, the skeleton also raises, and begins to follow the evoker. He also notes that divination radiates from the lantern, and conjuration and necromancy from the goblet. After further exploration of this cavern, including some diving, the PCs return to the second level, where they keep banging up against the obstacle of the trap corridor, until finally Mistlethroe identifies the lantern to possess proprietary detection and negation properties, which not only give a full reveal of the 60' hallway of grinding columns, but they also neutralize it. The party squeezes through, while Baro goes last, backwards, making sure the lantern is keeping the trap from restarting. Once through, the columns begin to spin, silently, eternally, again...

In the next chamber that had been scouted, there is a massive six-armed statue to a troglodyte god with emeralds in its headdress. The deity is so obscure or ancient that even a well reasoned Religion knowledge check can't place it. There are offering bowls surrounding the thing, some filled with the charred remains of reptilian humanoid offspring. Badger decides to remove some of the emeralds while standing on Gruulsh's shoulder, and he picks out too, but is cursed after each. Luckily for him, Ballyhoo has an ability to counteract the effects of said curses. They decide to leave the rest of the emeralds be, and then head south into the next area. a larger cavern full of rubbery, steel-colored webbing that also serves as the floor...deep below there is a red, bubbling glow of what is most likely magma. Ballyhoo uses his tongues spell to shake the webs and hopefully communicate something to whatever has made the webs, but the only response he gets is an overwhelming emotion of...

'HUNGER'.

PCs: Badger, Ballyhoo, Baro, Gruulsh, Solveig

Online Session 65 (11/4/14)

Here is the link to the transcript for online session 65. We're now messing around with the Roll20 web browser gaming interface, so I've saved this one as a Word .doc for the time being.

Coincidentally, this is the final session involving Six-Shite, who we have retired since it made sense for the character and in favor of running a 5th edition solo game in the same campaign/setting. This new character will not be able to cross over with the normal Udders Well group until we've made the jump from 3.5e sometime later this year, but they will still run concurrent and can potentially affect each other in terms of events. The fate of Private Tharbalas has yet to be determined, though the Wintersbreath defector left him with as much shelter as possible while he heals from his wounds...

Online Session 64 (10/20/14)

Here is the link to the transcript for online session 64. We're now messing around with the Roll20 web browser gaming interface, so I've saved this one as a Word .doc for the time being.

Session 65 (10/17/14)

Essel, Verget the 13th, 838 ID

After unsuccessfully searching for hidden exits from the chamber where they discovered the illithid skull, the PCs decide to drag the copper-dowsed dwarf back to the entrance area and then proceed down the one tunnel they had yet to explore. They spied an unstable chamber covered with webs of cracks and nooks in it, and a damaged cart track. A single mine cart remained, and from this they saw glints of something shining...so Gruulsh and Wendel went into to get a closer look, while the rest of the party stayed near the entrance. It turns out there was a pressure plate trap, so rather than attempt to disable it, Wendel recommends the party stay clear of the cart and the coins stacked within, and press onward. They do so, but somehow their very presence manages to trigger an enormous 10' x 15' worked stone block falling in the entryway! Had Wendel removed the coins earlier...the rest of the party might have been completely crushed...

They pressed on to the next area, and found a ribbed looking, naturally eroded cavern where some water was dripping from the mountainside above. Four strange stalagmites were scattered through the place, and there were weird, spongy net-like surfaces on the ceiling which seem like they might have been left behind by the miners. Unfortunately, as they began to search the walls for anything less than obvious, they were attacked by deadly Strength-sapping strands, as the stalagmites turned out to be aberrations! Furthermore, the things on the ceiling joined the battle, lurkers above who would drop and then attempt to grapple the heroes, a dangerous proposition if they've had their Strength drained. It was a dodgy battle, with Ballyhoo, Mistlethroe and Wendel finding themselves in potential danger; inevitably the PCs proved victorious over the aberrations. They found some treasure in a shallow pit on the floor beneath where one of the creatures was prepping its ambush. It was also in this battle that Ballyhoo and Baro discovered their teleport-like spells did not seem to function in the Crowslode... perhaps this explains the abjuration the evoker detected near the entrance to the caverns.

They took the corridor running east, and found a place where rivulets of water running down the walls were beginning to pool, and a heap of humanoid bones and scales which they deduced might belong to troglodytes, since they are aware the Marrow Suckers and other tribes are reported to dwell beneath the Vernal Wall. Within the bones, they find a shale-encrusted, slowly pulsing egg which must have been hidden here by one of the stone ropers in the previous fight, and they claim the thing, deciding to press further along where the water was gathering. A larger cavern, with dank, opaque water at least 4-5' deep, full of bioluminous cavern fish, the surface slowly rippling and undulating. There is an islet in the center of the chamber with what a cloak-shrouded, small humanoid skeleton sitting alone near a lit lantern on a leaning pole. Badger fires an arrow at the figure to see if it moves, and then the party decides to search elsewhere and then return here later, once the mages discern there are numerous sources of magic on the islet...including necromancy.

They next come across a cantine of some sort that had been set up by the miners, who must have assumed their operation would be quite large and prosperous. A number of stone benches and tables hewn from the cavern floor itself are in the place, dubbed the 'Crows Nest' in dwarven on a small sign near the entrance. To the south of the area is a semi-circular bar-like structure. Stone bowls and crude utensils lie strewn about in webs and dust. The 'scout team' of Gruulsh and Wendel heads towards the bar, with the rogue searching all the while for any traps...there are no 'traps', it turns out, but a massive and terrifying umber hulk has taken up residence in a burrow at the middle of the bar, and it 'rises to the occasion', using its confusion ray on the two scouts! Shenanigans commence, but luckily Baro, Badger and Mistlethroe are on the job, raining down hostile magic upon the thing whilst Solveig turns its burrow into a thick mud with a transmutation. spell. It is hard to fell, but manages to only get one heavy attack off on Gruulsh who can take it, before Baro's disintegrate erases it from existence! A close call...if the beast had been able to take action again, it might have slain one or more of the confused characters.

They find it's treasure within the burrow, after digging through the mud, and set Monch to identify an item, which he does for the cloak of the mountebank, that is given to Wendel. The PCs heal and then decide to rest and regain some of their spent magic, before pressing further into the Crowslode.

PCs: Badger, Ballyhoo, Baro, Gruulsh, Solveig, Wendel

Session 64 (9/12/14)

*Where Crane Flies Dare*

Varony, Verget the 11th, 838 ID
 
After arousing suspicion from several groups of Last Eidolorn soldiers for his strange armaments, the explorer Wendel Eumatic Tork III is led to the Fiery Rat Tavern in Floivin Keep, where he is treated to a meal by the curious Flake Falloway. Flake determines that the wandering rogue's unique skill set might be aligned with the needs of Captain Banghorn's men (the PCs), and offers to put Tork up for a night at the Seven Floods Inn if he's willing to speak with them. Afterwards, Wendel goes to reserve his room with the offered coin and then jaunt over to the Cathedral of Blades in search of curative elixirs should he end up with some dangerous employment.

While they wait for Badger to finish selling items, and to connect with this wandering rogue they've heard about, Gruulsh and Baro decide to discipline Privates Chara and Laisso in the Armory Square. Solveig cannot wait to get out of the city and move into the next chapter of her life, since the locals at Floivin Keep do not seem very comfortable around her pet bear Hrufgar. Lord Ballyhoo decides to head over to the Seven Flood Inn once he is informed through Flake that Wendel would be headed there. The rogue does arrive, after being unsuccessful at procuring potions, but had a nice chat with some of the acolytes of Eleste. Meanwhile, Badger goes to the Dirty Dagger Alehouse, making the barkeep and clientele nervous, after what happened the last time. He tells them his brother is dead and none of them seem to upset. He also notes Monch Gnarlbottom entering to meet up with his chosen bodyguard, Baxter the Mighty, who none of the current PCs have met but their predecessors once traveled with for a spell. Badger introduces himself and tells them they'd best gather up with the rest of the PCs shortly.

After having discovered that Swyft the Tailor is weaving a platinum outfit for the Yellow Hen (to surpass even his own gold outfit), and commissioning a truly expensive gem-studded outfit of his own, he decides to magically disguise himself as the other minstrel and mess around with the tailor. Swyft falls for the ruse, partly distracted by a new customer (Wendel, whom the Lord has brought along to freshen up), and manages to make Swyft brainstorm an outfit imbued with magic and or magical items, the one thing that might surpass Ballyhoo's projected jewel-clothing. After this, most of the PCs gather up to ride off towards Littlewolf and Ettenhead and get their mission to the Crowslode going. Captain Krennyk has stocked a wagon full of rations, torches, casks of water and a few of ale (a gift he hid in there).

Gruulsh and Baro had already teleported to Littlewolf earlier to talk some business with Silas about the missing relics and possibly acquiring them later. They confront a few of the snotty house guards and also meet Grail 'Whistleblade', a former citizen of Littlewolf who is back in the village briefly. Gruulsh does not convince him to come along for the Crowslode quest, and in fact the elfin duelist tries to discourage them from journeying anywhere near the Underdark, but he does agree to help patrol the Ettenhead for a stiff fee, since the Lt. and Sgt. fear that the 'talent level' of the present defenders might not be enough to turn away any retaliation from the giants in thrall to the Titan of the Glen. After this, they too head out to Ettenhead, and by late night, all the PCs have gathered once more. Monch is happy to see his cousin Scuff, and Wendel shows off his inventions to the dwarf engineers and laborers who are inevitably impressed. Mistlethroe shows up.

Verne, Verget the 12th, 838 ID

After organizing marching orders, gathering their last minute supplies and eating a delicious, massive breakfast courtesy of Odd Jon Stuckle, the expedition sets forth, westward along the Vernal Wall. En route, they get to know the new folks. Baxter speaks highly of the late Mudgol and all the other old PCs he knew, and eventually they arrive at the Pinewater, but are forced south to ford the river with some rowboats at the abandoned Cedarway. Evening has fallen so they decide to set up camp here, testing their watch rotation. In the middle of the night, a bunch of giant stag beetles enter the camp area, foraging for plants and smashing up whatever gets in their way, but they do not seem highly interested in the party, and there is no confrontation.

Essel, Verget the 13th, 838 ID

After a breakfast of rations and departing Cedarway, the expedition turns back northward and rejoins the Vernal Wall west. Gruulsh realizes this is Blood Eagle territory, his former kin, and that survivors have been known to ascend to the heights (reported by Doorjamb and Ginkwrench among others). The foothills become spotted with nooks and small caverns, so they must be near the old hazardous mine. Monch eventually leads them to a half-circle copse of trees which conceals the Crowslode entrance. There are signs of recent firepits, probably set up by daring prospectors or humanoids from the Skunk Ridge, and the mouth of the mine itself is barricaded by a wall of timbers, support posts, overturned mining carts and tree trunks over which a kudzu has begun to creep. There are other signs of damage, like evidence of an avalanche or two flanking the entrance. Baro detects magic and learns that the entire place beyond the barricade seems to radiate abjuration...

Wendel puts himself to work immediately, discovering that one of the old mine carts is actually a swinging door set up to allow access to the 'Lode proper, and he disarms an old wire/dynamite trap well enough to permit passage to the PCs. Unfortunately, Hrufgar won't fit, and Solveig decides that the bear would not enjoy the subterranean spaces beyond, so sets him to hunt in the area and stay out of trouble in her absence. The PCs enter to discover the opening area has been blasted out by some sort of explosive from within, perhaps an unsuccessful attempt to seal it off forever. Despite some rumbling in the walls and ceilings of the place, meaning it could be unstable, they press forward, finding an old netted off pit containing heaps of copper ore. They also come across a horrific site...a dwarf dowsed in melted and hardened copper, stuck to the top of an overturned mine cart. Badger shoots an arrow into the unfortunate's eye to make sure it's not alive, and then he overturns the cart...revealing a sack...

And in that sack, they find a familiar looking humanoid skull....that of an illithid, obviously stashed her as a warning, perhaps by the copper-dowsed victim himself...this does not bode well for the depths of the Crowslode.

PCs: Badger, Ballyhoo, Baro, Gruulsh, Solveig, Wendell

NPCs

Private Chara (human male): A nervous, pale, scrawny new recruit to the Last Eidolorn who has the misfortune of being paired up with Private 'Party' Laisso. Known to wet himself when the pressure of his position becomes too much.

Private Laisso (human male): Likes to par-tee. Par-tee. Where's the par-tee at? A fresh young recruit with wild hair and a one-track mind. Also enjoys dice games and not so subtly mocking anyone who doesn't like to party. According to Baro and Gruulsh, his name is now Pvt. 'Lacey' until he earns his own name back after a thoroughly brutal reprimand from the bugbear lieutenant.

Online Session 63 (8/16/14)

*Mergers & Acquisitions*

In the flesh. Tabletop regulars were permitted to attend for a bonus experience session.

Evelais, Verget the 8th, 838 ID

Six Shite and Tharb make their way to the village of Littlewolf, where they are met with little but derision save for the elf maids trying to sell them candies, flowers and baubles. Tharb, relieved that the place hasn't been touched by the Kindness curse, decides to introduce the northerner to his uncle Visyo Reddenbalm, who snottily agrees to an audience. The elf patriarch attempts to convince Six Shite to retrieve a cache of heirlooms that was purportedly lost to a 'lake fairy', with which he might be able to embarrass his rival Silas Roodeye and his clan. Reluctantly, in need of cash, the ranger agrees, and a sum is settled upon, part of which is that the Reddenbalm clan ceases to insult Tharb over his hefty appearance.  On the way out, they run across Shayla the Swineherd, who asks Six Shite to return to her barn, where he meets another Wintersbreath refugee, Solveig, a druid who has sought Shayla's assistance. Solveig has arrived with her polar bear companion, Hrufgar, partly to find out why the Empire hasn't officially responded to her province's plight, as well as bear a warning about some massive footprints and other signs of passage she found leading into Floivin Province. The two agree to assist one another.

Meanwhile, in the Keep, Baro receives a message in the form of a shadowy crow from Shayla, telling him there are curious events unraveling with some strangers in Littlewolf. He summons forth his trusty phantom steed (Black Unicorn!) once more and rides off abruptly. Baro has gone off to get the treasure haul from the Haunted Horrn battle identified, and Gruulsh has a proposition to make at the Cathedral of Blades. Badger, mourning his fallen brother Ox, decides to neglect protocol and make a brief return to Nobbish where the half-orc could be properly buried. He pays for round trip teleportation via Teven the Worm, who takes him almost instantly to the city of Durmoral where he pays off a local soldier to transport Ox to their home village for burial. He pays the guard so much, in fact, that the soldier up and quits the Third Eidolorn instantly, realizing he has just made more than he will in decades of service...after that, Teven transports Badger back to his new 'home'. Gruulsh has inquired with Bishop Coniff if he might speak with dead, so they could ask the Score's late cleric leader Gremek a few questions. Conniff agrees, they will arrange the ritual once Commander Hoary can attend to hear the answers.

Ballyhoo arrives in a few hours to Littlewolf, where he is fawned over by the local female elven populace, before riding off to speak with Shayla. She tells him this is all business, but the lecherous bard still slips in some innuendos before he goes off to meet these unusual northerners. While he is being introduced to them, he discovers that Six Shite has almost gotten in a brawl with Lomi, the elf the PCs had sent to accompany the fisherman/brigand Bastaro on his task. Lomi is drunk and barely able to stand, so the bard dominates him to go relax in the shade somewhere, after hearing his explanation of how he lost the blind fisherman. Ballyhoo rides ahead to assist Six Shite, Tharb and Solveig in finding the Roodeye heirlooms, reaching the Everness Isle first, where he is tempted by a strange female creature in the lake-water. She manages to lure him to the depths and attempts to drain his very essence! Ballyhoo manages a slick escape once he breaks her grasp and reaches the service, and rides back to the other three on the boat, still approaching. They decide it's a bust, but Lord Ballyhoo vows to return for the shirt that was commissioned for him by Neddyn, which he had stripped off due to the lake being's seduction!

After severely pissing off Visyo Reddenbalm, Ballyhoo summons a phantom steed for Tharb so the fat elf can proudly show off in front of his people. The bard decides to race back to Floivin Keep and rejoin the other PCs, while Six Shite and his two companions head off to join the forces at Ettenhead and see what work Banghorn can arrange for them. Their journey is uneventful, and when Ballyhoo returns to the capital he finds that Gruulsh and Badger have been insulted out of the Seven Floods once more. The three go off to the Fiery Rat, where Flake gives them drink and meal on the house, sharing in the news and rueful at the loss of Mudgol. Badger drinks the memories of his brother Ox under the table, and then before long the three race off towards Ettenhead, arriving even ahead of the newcomers, who have set up camp nearby rather than approach the unsuspecting garrison at the old giant ruins.

Aric, Verget the 9th, 838 ID

In the morning, the newcomers do at last arrive. Tharb and Gruulsh greet one another warmly, having met during the quest to crack open the Sunken Forge on Greataxe Isle. Scuff the dwarf and nearly a score of his workers are already at work on the ruined castle, and some of the North wall has already been completed, while cheap shelters have been built for the camp to protect the garrison from the elements until more permanent structures are finished. Badger finds to his dismay that Bernice the Golden Hen was devoured by some of the hungry dwarf workers, Odd Jon unable to stop them. Jon himself morns the loss of Ox and (possibly) Mudgol, while the archer goes off to his broken tower perch to mourn (and hopefully not fall off this time).

Learning that the Haunted Horrn hideout for the Score has been eradicated, along with some of the villains there, Banghorn urges the PCs to begin their mission to infiltrate the dreaded Crowslode mines, and the subterranean sprawl beneath. They are to assemble a team of three competent companions and seek out the Southerner Wendel Eumatic Tork III, who supposedly is seeking to test his mettle against the fabled, deadly caverns. They first convince Solveig that her interests lie in helping the heroes, and then decide upon Mistlethroe and Monch Gnarlbottom to join them, in addition to a personal guard hired on to protect the dwarf nobleman directly. Banghorn then decides it is time to promote Badger and Ballyhoo, so that he may also promote the newly recruited Six Shite to Lieutenant so he can start his own branch responsible for scouting out the Vandrakki fortifications and numbers to the north, and possibly pull off some assassinations. Six Shite chooses the loyal Tharb, and sergeant Grenjar Gnarlbottom to work with him, and so Ballyhoo and Gruulsh race off on phantom steeds to retrieve him.

After acquiring the dwarf, they stop back at Littlewolf, first accosting Lomi who has somehow been freed of his spell. Gruulsh is enraged, physically abusing the House Guard, who is now inhaling opiates in a wagon, and rolling him before Silas Roodeye, who is deeply offended, but offers a 'refund' by sending another soldier to work the Ettenhead later. The PCs and Grenjar go back to Evernesse Isle to find Ballyhoo's shirt, which is now gone. They do, however, find the corpse of Bastaro, drained of its blood, on the isle itself, with a last note scrawled out in his blood, as best a blind ma might: 'TO MY WIFE. FUCK YE! I DIED HAPPY IN THE ARMS OF A YOUNG BEAUTY. - B' They do not find the Roodeye heirlooms, and instead embark to Ettenhead once more. Grenjar is surprised that he has been called upon by Six Shite, worried that his unfortunate 'curse' might have embarrassed him, but the barbarian greets him warmly and thinks his 'skill' might be of some use ahead. The heroes rest, to depart for Floivin Keep the following morning.

Tault, Verget the 10th, 838 ID

The PCS, along with Grenjar and Tharb, all roll in to Floivin Keep, where they retrieve Baro and the items he had studied. They divvy up the goods, and fetch Commander Hoary for the death-speaking ritual, which Conniff conducts beneath the Cathedral. They learn that the Score was definitely hired by the Seven Lords of Syn, servants of King Tomas the Unspared of Vhorinyr, the being responsible for attempting to repair and resurrect the Death Titan Ulan Vhor. They also learn that Syriux is most definitely some sort of living construct, and that the Score not only had hideouts at the Skull Collar Hideaway (conquered) and Haunted Horrn (conquered), but in the Free-Mest and every town in Sothos Karr, whether it's a full-fledged safehouse or a cache of supplies or a sympathizer. That is all the pertinent information Gremek's corpse can provide them, since he seemed not to know too much.

Hoary ensures the PCs that a few squads of hardened Last Eidolorn soldiers will crack the Hud Horrn, now that the majority of the dangerous Blooded Lash captains and their employers have been taken out. There has been no news of the Kindness curse...the Cathedral has been freeing what citizens the clergy can from Castle Floivin, a few each day, but the surviving mob that fled towards Hobfast has not been encountered, nor have the halflings been heard from. Gruulsh and Ballyhoo have an audience with Monch, who is delighted to join them on their quest into the Crowslode, almost like he was planning on being asked...Badger takes a bunch of the PCs excess treasure haul to be sold and/or stored in their vault, and the group gets ready to seek out the southern adventurer Wendel while Monch arranges for the last member of their next expedition. Captain Krennyk begins to arrange a supply wagon for them.

PCs: Badger, Ballyhoo, Gruulsh, Six Shite, Solveig

Session 63 (8/1/14)

*Raining Half Blood II...*

Ivric, Verget the 7th, 838 ID

Furious at the loss of their friend Mudgol, the PCs press on hopelessly against the turning tide of the battle...while being peppered by the newfound air superiority of the Score. Baro begins to target the Red Wizard Melek-Tha exclusively while being harried by his imp familiar and various other trolls and sundry who realize the threat he presents with his evocation. Ox and Gruulsh contend with the remaining bugbear and goblin troops not caught up in the reverse gravity, while Gremek the priest begins to cast hindrances upon them, for instance blinding Ox. Realizing that they will need further support or repositioning, Lord Ballyhoo deftly dimension doors the bugbear and half-orc to relatively safety on the rooftop where Badger had fallen, and they begin to revive the archer, needing his help against the flying opposition...despite a color spray being splashed upon them by the invisible illusionist Parodee, they heal Badger and quickly dispense with a troll that climbed the rubble to stop them!

Meanwhile Baro is in a full court press, being harried and damaged by a Blooded Lash troll but still managing to take down the Red Wizard at last! Gremek, realizing the danger, uses several dispel magics to release Warlord Ultroon and a handful of other fighters from the reverse gravity. The bugbear chieftain raises in challenge, storming off into the ruined Horrn to deal with the surviving PCs...Gruulsh, Ox and Ballyhoo transport to face off with him so he can't get to Baro, who has his own problems, and there is a last confrontation where the Warlord manages to deal the blind Ox a fatal blow...sending yet ANOTHER half-orc to his early grave (well, some would argue Mudgol's was a 'late grave'). Gremek throws some last minute hexes and curses upon the PCs, including a nasty one at the bugbear Gruulsh, before he is and the Warlord are taken down by a hail of magic, arrows, and sling stones. But not before the cleric promised that Klasp will replace the lost Score and the Empire will never be safe for their 'fatal negligence' (presumably their giving up on the slaves of Sothos Karr which formed the organization).

The troll captain Blukk is then defeated by Baro's magic before the rest of the reverse gravity fails, and most of the other humanoids in the field perish after falling (a few goblins and trolls have escaped southward to the Hud Horrn), and then the long process of mourning and wealth accumulation begins anew...Baro uses a few teleports the following morning to bring the survivors back to Floivin Keep. Some...well, not many are dismayed at the loss of Mudgol, but few seemed to even have known of Ox, the brother of Badger, from distant Nobbish. Our heroes begin to appraise their takings from the Score before planning the next operation...

PCs:  Badger, Ballyhoo, Baro, Gruulsh, Ox, Wendel (attended but not introduced yet)

Online Session 62 (7/22/14)

Here is the link to the transcript for online session 62. We're now messing around with the Roll20 web browser gaming interface, so I've saved this one as a Word .doc for the time being.

PC: Six Shite

Online Session 61 (7/15/14)

Here is the link to the transcript for online session 61. We're now messing around with the Roll20 web browser gaming interface, so I've saved this one as a Word .doc for the time being.

PC: Six Shite

Session 62 (7/11/14)

*Raining Half Blood*

Verne, Verget the 5th, 838 ID

Unable to finish removing the insidious damage done to Ox's person, the PCs decide to stay overnight at the Flabbergast Manor and renew their attack on the Score and the Blooded Lash at the Haunted Horrn the following morning. Gruulsh acquires some consumable magic items after the group pays Mistlethroe a donation for some of his healing magics. Mudgol scrys the plain robed man Gremek and discovers that the party's intrusion was indeed noticed, and that the enemy has made some plans to defend against the PCs' next strike.

Essel, Verget the 6th, 838 ID

The group decides to teleport back into the corridors beneath the Horrn, and pick up where they left off. Gruulsh scouts ahead, revealing a spike trap on one of the landings leading up into the cavern stronghold above, and notices that there are some shadowy bugbears guarding the ramp into the dwarves' enclosed village, and a coppery scaled dragon! They navigate through the trap and arrange themselves to assault the guards, but when they finally emerge they trigger another trap...as explosives are set off, and the Haunted Horrn collapses nearly on top of their heads, they must think fast to escape! Baro has a flashback to a time when a mountain pass was detonated and crushed many of the Toul Tabor reinforcements during the War for Floivin Province! The Score had apparently not run out of whatever devices were sold to them in Toul Tabor by that creepy wizard in Wattlewinch. Luckily, they are able to spell themselves away to Floivin Keep just in time while the cavern fell around them, destroying the ruins and possibly the dungeon level beneath...

 
Ivric, Verget the 7th, 838 ID

Once back at the Keep, the PCs decide they will need to refresh and renew their attack once again, and so this time they plan to appear right in the midst of the Blooded Lash enemies and wreak some havok, while Baro and Badger teleport to a safe ranged vantage point...as if there is going to be a safe, ranged vantage point. They scry the location of Warlord Ultroon, and decide to center the attack there. There is some hesitation, and Ballyhoo tries to purchase a teleport off Teven to spare the group a spell slot, but ultimately they do it themselves. Not before Mudgol receives a magical taunt from his Score counterpart, and finally receives confirmation that 'if you stare into the abyss long enough, it will stare back'. Having had enough, the PCs, primed for battle, launch themselves into full on battle, six men against the Blooded Lash's elite warriors and their Score benefactors.

The main group appears right around Ultroon's scryed location, and a devastating melee begins. The dragon they saw earlier seems to have been another mysterious illusion, but the bugbear and goblin troops the PCs face seem more hardened and dangerous than most they've dealt with before; and on top of that they have perhaps the strongest chief of all the Floivin Province tribes, who dishes out large amounts of damage to Gruulsh right away to make a point. However, the PCs also make some blows, with both Ox and Gruulsh cleaving and slaying large numbers of the tribal warriors in the first round of actual confrontation! Mudgol uses his overland flight to escape the melee, but realizes he is not alone up in the air when he is attacked by an invisible hippogriff rider! Baro and Badger arrive and acquire a vantage point to rain down destruction, but the Red Wizard Melek Tha of the Score decides to harass them with Evard's Black Tentacles, which briefly trap Baro until he can use his other teleport to move.

Ballyhoo manages to dimension door Ox and Gruulsh out of the eye of a major brawl to surround the enemy cleric Gremek, who is then forced to withdraw defensively and not utter a spell. And then the stakes are raised when Mudgol casts reverse gravity on roughly half the enemy force, including their bugbear and troll leaders, changing the tide of the battle?!? Not for long...as the heroic half-orc diviner is taken down by a lethal combination of attacks...a thrown javelin, an imp familiar, and the telling blow...a phantasmal killer shaped like some horrific woman, presumably created by Parodee, the Score illusionist who is providing air support. Mudgol tries to resist but his mediocre saving throws seal his doom, and not only does the spell stop his heart with fear, but he then plummets the 210' to the battle below...the rest of the party screams and renews its attack, but now some of the enemies with flight options have adjusted themselves and prepare another counter. Badger and Baro send lethal projectiles (arrows and chain lightning) at the Red Wizard, wounding but not finishing him, and the cleric Gremek decides to respond with a flame strike on the Nobbish archer, who is then sent into unconsciousness. Gruulsh and Ox manage to finish off the ground troops nearby with the support of Lord Ballyhoo, but things look grim as they might be forced to face the air superiority of the three Score casters...and who knows if Ultroon might survive the reverse gravity once it ends?

Things seem dire for our heroes...again.

PCs: Badger, Ballyhoo, Baro, Gruulsh, Mudgol, Ox

NPCs

Blukk (troll male): A gnarled old, grey-skinned giant with a stinking, greased mane who seems to hold some officer status over the trolls that serve the Blooded Lash. Fights with a great axe up close, but seems more effective at range, sending nasty, large javelins at foes (including at least one with magical capabilities).


Captain Frackas (goblin male): A backstabbing goblinoid scoundrel who also serves as that races' superior officer within the Blooded Lash. He is the fanciest dressed of the tribe, with fine leather armor adorned in narrow, colorful cloth bands, and flits through the battlefield weaving and poking and taking advantage of his peers' stronger fighting techniques.

Warlord Ultroon (bugbear male): A large, fearsome bugbear chief who lords over the Blooded Lash tribe, covered in slash and scar marks and armor bristling with spikes and spines. He fights with an unusual arcane greatsword made of razor edged stone, and seems capable of meting out a level of single-minded pain which rivals the half-orc Ox!

Session 61 (6/6/14)

Varony, Verget the 4th, 838 ID

Before the night is out, the PCs decide to teleport a scouting group to the mines beneath the Hud Horrn and scope out the situation there with the Blooded Lash occupants. They find that the place is relatively empty, so Mudgol uses a clairvoyance to check the walled town above. Unfortunately, it's a little too dark to make out exact details, but there are easily several dozen guards including trolls, bugbears and goblins, not to mention the hippogryph aerial vanguards. Back in Floivin Keep, the brothers Ox and Badger head to the Seven Floods Inn with Lord Ballyhoo, since it has now once again opens its doors to the public after the 'King is Kind' scare. They are let in with some suspicion by Brand the server, and the bard decides to perform some tunes, while Ox tries his hand at dancing and Badger buys whatever expensive booze the Inn still stocks (the nobility purchased most of its during the epidemic).

The scouting party returns to the Floivin Penitentiary, from which they are currently operating in the Keep. Ox, Badger and Ballyhoo retire to their the minstrel's nearly permanent rooms at the Inn.

Verne, Verget the 5th, 838 ID

After getting breakfast at the Seven Floods, the PCs pay a brief visit to the Cathedral of Blades, Ballyhoo wanting to 'thank' Bishop Conniff for curing him during the outbreak. While there, Badger tries his hand at a Bally-ism and cries wolf about some damage that he'd very much like a female acolyte to 'attend to', but he is caught in the act by Conniff, who casts a hold person on the archer and then once again exiles them from the church. They meet with the rest of the PCs at the penitentiary and determine that it's time to take on the Blooded Lash and their Score affiliates before they can make further progress on their primary mission to retrieve the Axe of Dwarven Lords. Once more, teleportation is used to transport the party in its entirety to the mines beneath Hud Horrn, and then the PCs try and recall what lore they can of the place. There is supposedly a hidden treasure of a Mad Myko somewhere in the tunnels, but none of the current party remembers precisely how to traverse the underground passage from the Hud Horrn towards the Haunted Horrn...

They discover a trapped, rubble strewn passage in which Mudgol's familiar the Professor is nearly killed, and eventually an almost infinite, 5-hour long side trek which takes them out of the mines to the west slopes of the Vernal Wall, where they can see such regions as the Rat Strand, Fox Knolls and Castle Roy off in the distance. Through his spyglass, Baro spies a group of refugees rowing and poling down the Midge Creek towards the independent dwarven stronghold, and he thinks he recognizes the craft as belonging to the village of Tarndim. The PCs decide to turn around and head all the way back, and on the way encounter a sniveling goblin named Shnoggo, who is secreting a stash of fat rats he likes to take for meals in the area. He is Blooded Lash, so the PCs press him for information, with Ballyhoo charming the creature and offering him gold for his assistance. Sadly, they couldn't get much from the pathetic thing, and Badger decides to put an arrow through its face, ending the goblin's potential usefulness...

Eventually, they find the tunnel that leads Northwest towards the Haunted Horrn, and come across the old rickety bridge crossing a subterranean chasm where the PCs once fled from the dwarf barbarian Dondrys Buld of the Score. Pressing on further, they come across a pair of troll sentries guarding the depths, but when they charge them to attack, they discover they are mere illusions, which set off a pair of massive, painful ringing alarms that seem to resonate all the way towards the Haunted Horrn! They discuss fleeing the caverns and taking another approach, now that their vector has likely been discovered by the Blooded Lash and the Score, but instead they press forward, seeking to combat anything that arrives to stop them. At long last, they arrive at a trapped steel portcullis which shocks Ox...beyond that, a chamber full of stone sarcophagi which apparently must have belonged to the dwarves...

After somehow managing to breach the gate into the room, it turns out the tombs are occupied not by dwarves, but by undead, mummified bugbear ancestors of the Blooded Lash! A grueling contest breaks out, with the PCs victorious, but Ballyhoo and Ox are infected and they must use their remove curse scrolls to free them, only the affliction is so strong that one of the scrolls doesn't even work! The PCs thus teleport to Flabbergast Manor where, after several attempts, Schnoo is finally able to destroy the curse on Ox, but not before he's taken hideous damage to his health and...already lacking charisma...

PCs: Badger, Ballyhoo, Baro, Gruulsh, Mudgol, Ox

NPCs:

Shnoggo (goblin male): A filthy, nervous, pathetic goblinoid who was encountered by the PCs as they were exploring the old mining tunnels beneath the Hud Horrn. Claims he is often bullied by the other Blooded Lash members, so sought to escape and devour his rat prey hours west of his station. Lord Ballyhoo charmed the creature to use him for information, but soon after Badger put an arrow through his face. The bard left him with gold coins in his eyes. 

Online Session 60 (5/28/14)

Here is the link to the transcript for online session 60. We're now messing around with the Roll20 web browser gaming interface, so I've saved this one as a Word .doc for the time being.

PC: Six Shite

NPC

Rord Callender (human male): A shaggy-headed oarsman and fisherman located out of the village of Tarndim, he wears a pearl earring, stained breeches and shirt and a wicked looking dagger. Has rigid mannerisms and it turns out is actually a bit of a thief and opportunist. After agreeing to help row Six Shite closer to Ettenhead, tries to kill the northerner and steal his horse! Alas, the plan failed and Rord was cut in twain and kicked into the Well.

Session 60 (5/9/14)

*The Night of Kindness, Pt. II*

Tault, Verget the 3rd, 838 ID

Baro, having botched a teleport to the Cathedral of Blades, find himself in strange surroundings, a dwarven shrine to Muamman Duathal, somewhere underground. The place seems abandoned, or rather partly unfinished, with dust on the floor and a number of old traps still in place, several of which he triggers before trapping himself in a family tomb. He decides it best to wait until the morning, relearn some effective spells for his situation and then further explore the mystery of his location...

At the officer's barracks in Armory Square, our heroes have locked themselves in with a dozen soldiers, Commander Hoary and Captain Krennyk. The ogress Gusta has been sprung from Floivin Penitentiary, now cursed like the hundreds of civilians surrounding the barracks to babble the gospel. 'The king is kind!', she bellows and attempts to break down the door. Ballyhoo and Badger dimension door to the roof, and the archer lets loose on the beast, who falls to three direct hits. He attempts to pick off a few of these other cursed undead unfortunates, but a number begin desperately climbing the walls, so Ballyhoo casts the spell again and they rejoin their friends below.

They decide it best to split the group, with Gruulsh, Badger, and Ox remaining at the barracks, and Mudgol, Ballyhoo and Cmd. Hoary teleporting to Flabbergast Manor to seek help and inform the wizards what is happening in the Keep. They arrive, crashing headlong into the front doors of the school, due to a miscalculation by the half-orc. Mistlethroe lets them in, and allows them use of the library where the scholar Edlund helps them dig up information about possible Shann kings who were necromancers specialized in curses. Sure enough, Tomas the Unspared, a name that has come up before, a lord of the distant, frigid heights of Vhorinyr, is known to have dabbled in the subject. The PCs determine he must have somehow sent the curse southward to finish the damage to Floivin Province and perhaps spread through the Empire...it must be stopped! Our heroes stay the night in Mudgol's student chambers, much to the dismay of Ballyhoo who would have preferred a finer bed. Mudgol manages to irritate his former (never) apprentice Letoe.

Varony, Verget the 4th, 838 ID

After studying a new set of spells, Baro decides to knock his way out of the trapped chamber, exploring deeper into this catacomb. He finds a larger, central cave area and a number of other dwarven sepulchers carved into it, and then sunlight...the evoker has wound up in the Dwarf Lords' Rest, normally sealed, but the normal retinue of guards has apparently been shifted to duties of more immediate importance since the War for the Province, or the more recent scourges. He scans the Crown Pasture and then Floivin Keep beyond, noting a bunch of the shambling, cursed citizens outside the gates. He then decides to transport himself to the Cathedral of Blades, as originally intended.

The irascible Badger opens up another alcoholic binge by swiping a bottle of strong liquor from Commander Hoary's desk, then has several other privates move the desk to further reinforce the front door. The chants of 'the king is kind' have faded over the night, and Gruulsh decides to take a gander, since the two Nobbish recruits are growing quite restless...Ox even going so far as to imply violence or the hurling of a piss-filled chamberpot at the other soldiers. The bugbear scouts outside, and has a run-in with a single cursed woman, but quickly gets back to the barracks. They open the front door to peer around Armory Square, and find that the night's mob has moved on...but not an urchin named Skeo, who rushes the barracks to find sanctuary. With Krennyk, they decide it's time to make a rush for the Castle Floivin, while there is still time.

At Flabbergast Manor, Ballyhoo and Hoary take breakfast while Mudgol studies and is not offered a damn bite. He procures a potion that Gruulsh had ordered, and also a few remove curse scrolls, but that's all the Arkana Arkiva has with which to deal with the afflicted. The half-orc attempts to scry with former headmaster Spurr the Meticulous' personal mirror, noting that it also serves as a sort of watch-device for important chambers and scenes surrounding the Manor. He tries to locate Baro and Gruulsh but fails both times, and so the trio just decides to transport magically back to the officer's barracks and rejoin their friends. When they arrive, everyone is gone! Mudgol uses overland flight to scout out the city, and hurls a fireball as a signal to anyone looking for him. Some of the soldiers in Castle Floivin, who have now been joined by Krennyk and Gruulsh' retinue, take notice.

Since Baro, Conniff and the Cathedral survivors have also come to the Castle, all are now rejoined. Gruulsh decides to slip out and petition survivors at the local establishments to seek better shelter at the castle, while the rest of the PCs make their plans. The bugbear visits the Seven Floods Inn, the staff of which seem content to ignore her request. Flake and the rest of the survivors holed up at the Fiery Rat are more eager to follow her to the castle, but he only wrangles a few of the crooks and thugs hiding out in the Dirty Dagger basement Alehouse. Three, but one gives her the slip en route back to the castle. One more attempt at the Seven Floods is unsuccessful.

The rest of the PCs debate what to do next, with ideas flung around that range from exterminating all the cursed outright, using living 'bait' to lure them into conflict with either the Mimresh or the Vandrakki hordes occupying Wintersbreath, or finally, rallying them into a secure location, even though there are likely thousands of the cursed. It is settled that Ballyhoo and Mudgol will use their magics, which provide them with superior speed, to lure as many of the marching, babbling victims as possible into the Castle Floivin, which will then be secured by the surviving Last Eidolorn until such a time as the occupants can be freed of the curse by Conniff and any other able spell casters. In order to ensure they will follow the pair directly into the 'trap', Ox uses his might (and several other soldiers) to line up wagons and other barriers so that the walking 'dead' will be railroaded in the intended direction.

Nervously, Ballyhoo rides east towards Halehusk, while Mudgol flies west towards Hobfast, discovering a mass horde of about 1500 of the afflicted marching slowly through the Tooth Marsh upon the unwary halflings! He is only able to draw away a third of that number, and several stragglers break away from even that, but he successfully, slowly lures them all back by nightfall. By that point, Ballyhoo had already wrangled about 150 of the cursed into the Castle, so Mudgol has to dodge them all once he gets inside. He is almost turned! Badger violently picks off any unfortunates who straggle from the horde, and the former Castle staff/occupants are all securely holed up in the Floivin Penitentiary (including Coven), until it is safe.

Well into the dark, the PCs plot their next mission...and decide it must be finally time to pay the Score survivors a visit at the Haunted Horrn! Commander Hoary and Captain Krennyk will use the remaining soldiers and able-bodied survivors to flesh out the remaining cursed in the Keep, since they are scattered into individuals or really small packs.

PCs: Badger, Ballyhoo, Baro, Gruulsh, Mudgol, Ox

NPCs:  

Edlund (human? male): The librarian of the Arkana Arkiva at Flabbergast Manor, he is known to generally maintain 'off hours' to the rest of the staff. Dresses in stylish black robes, and stands pale and gaunt, with regal cheekbones, slightly greasy long hair, and eyes which are almost constantly bloodshot. Claims to have mastered 'longevity' as his magical discipline, and is always quick to anger around Mudgol...but then, who isn't?

Skeo (human male): A Floivin Keep urchin with sandy blonde hair, travels around with a mysterious knapsack over his shoulder. Has not even reached his teens, and speaks with a rather outrageous accent and a bit of an attitude. He encounters Gruulsh and several other PCs after the Night of Kindness, when he is trying to find shelter and protection from the Accursed citizens.

Session 59 (4/17/14)

*The Night of Kindness, Pt. I*

Aric, Verget the 2nd, 838 ID

The heroes decide to check the progress and status of the Vandrakki barbarians to the North, so a small team of Gruulsh, Badger, Baro, and Ox teleport to one of the Teeth of Winter towers, opposite the fallen village of Tretcher. They discover that the place is indeed occupied, by remnants of the Wolf Tongue Tribe, and from the safety of the tower they launch a ranged assault across the river. Several structures are burned or destroyed, including the Piss Poor Abbot, and the Tongues and their wolf pets are unable to retaliate before the PCs make their return trip to the Ettenhead. Upon their return, the entire party splits up into a few groups to handle some tasks. Badger decides to get wasted on one of the casks he and Ox brought to the ruined stronghold, and so he sneaks up one of the old, broken towers and, in the guise of keeping 'watch', begins to imbibe.

Baro decides to seek recruits for the Ettenhead by visiting the Wizards Elite in Tarair, his previous home and assignment. He arrives to speak with the misshapen 'Breather' Bem, who informs the evoker that soon will be time for his trials, whether he wants to challenge towards the next circle or face challenges from beneath him. Bem says he'll speak with Commander Vhelok about sending some reinforcements for the PCs, and also that one minotaur General Sophosyne is dealing with an incursion to the North of various Vandrakki tribes who are running skirmishes on the Fourth Eidolorn soldiers stationed in the towns and cities closer to Shann territory. Baro decides to spend the rest of the evening in Tarair, until he can teleport and report back to his companions. Meanwhile, some of the other PCs have 'ported to Floivin Keep.

Lord Ballyhoo, however, decides to ride his steed southward, making the Keep by nightfall. En route, he passes a strange old woman who is constantly canting the phrase 'the king is kind'. Ballyhoo ignores the kook and rides on, attempting to make amends at the Seven Floods Inn, where he is only partially successful due to his charming character, singing voice and slinging a lot of money at the staff for a bottle of expensive wine.

Tault, Verget the 3rd, 838 ID

The next morning, Ballyhoo visits Teven the Worm, inviting him to move his shop up to the ruins at Ettenhead where there will eventually be more business. He encounters several ragged, pale children who are going door to door intoning the same phrase he heard the evening before: 'the king is kind'. One of them touches him, and he is himself transformed into some gibbering, mindless entity who repeats the phrase over and over...but is eventually rescued by Cmd. Hoary and Bishop Conniff, who removes the curse with divine magic. Unfortunately, there is not enough of this to go around, and the mysterious ailment is spreading at a rapid rate.

Back up North, Baro has returned to camp, to find that Badger has fallen, drunken off his tower roost, into a pile of rubble beneath. Captain Banghorn becomes irritated with the Third Eidolorn expat, and assigns him punishments, which Gruulsh is hesitant to carry out. Baro eventually tries to settle the score, and the party teleports into bedlam at Floivin Keep! They arrive at the Cathedral of Blades in the evening, to find the place is being overrun by these strangely cursed civilians. Those as of yet untouched have holed up in the church, but the party needs to get to Armory Square. Ballyhoo, now cured of the affliction, has ridden northward through Halehusk, Livenoak, and Littlewolf to warn those there that they must exodus to avoid the spread of the strange contagion! Of course, he stops for a brief row with Shayla, who was engaged in animal form with another beast... The bard does not seem to mind!

In the Keep, the PCs have assembled in Armory Square and are fighting off these strange hordes of locals, all babbling 'the king is kind' and seeming to affect those they touch while expressing the enigmatic sentiment. Hoary and Krennyk have the officers' barracks locked down, but a ring of soldiers is helping stragglers to safety. Gruulsh and Mudgol attempt to free up a number of soldiers trapped and struggling against the horde, but meet with only limited success. Eventually, they all make their way safely inside the barracks, but then the ogress Gusta, now free of the Floivin Penitentiary, charges the door to the barracks, howling 'The King is Kind!'

PCs: Badger, Ballyhoo, Baro, Gruulsh, Mudgol, Ox

NPCs: 

Beneficus Lon (human male): A pale, nervous clergyman of Eleste who worships at the Cathedral Blades, constantly shrouds himself in his vestments but appears to be quite gaunt and bald, with sharp grey eyes. Lon was left in charge of the Cathedral on the Night of Kindness, charged with the safety of those who sought sanctuary from the strange curse being passed around the civilians of Floivin Keep.

Online Session 59 (3/23/14)

Here is the link to the transcript for online session 59. We've made the transition to OpenRPG software, so that we can use battle grids, custom dice rollers and other benefits, so this will appear different than past AIM chat sessions. To view the session properly, download it and then it will open as an .html.

PC: Six Shite

NPC

Arsi the Living Ledger, Imperial Auditor (gnome female): A freckled, forward, pompous brunette with stylish trusses, Arsi is an agent of the Emperor whose responsibilities include taking the lay of the lands, checking out on troops and supply lines, and generally getting in the hair of lazy organizational officers. She seems to have a strangely eidetic capacity for storing information...instead of carrying her ledger she keeps it in memory and then transcribes it back at Carbadi. Also has an heirloom rapier which was stolen from her by Pinewater Maulers when she was heading to Cedarway. Six-Shite finds Arsi locked in the basement of the Skunkside Watch, apparently the kobolds were planning to consume her later for a special meal...

Online Session 58 (3/2/14)

Here is the link to the transcript for online session 58. We've made the transition to OpenRPG software, so that we can use battle grids, custom dice rollers and other benefits, so this will appear different than past AIM chat sessions. To view the session properly, download it and then it will open as an .html.

PC: Six Shite

Session 58 (2/28/14)

Evelais, Verget the 1st, 838 ID

Mudgol determines to teleport the PCs around him to rescue Regent Velvedine from her would be assailant, so he grabs Ballyhoo, Badger and Gruulsh and casts the spell...only it misfires, sending the four off to the nearest similar destination...an upper-castle feast at the orc fortress of the Mimresh! Six officers are stunned to have their meal interrupted, and to add insult to injury, Badger shoots one in the face with an arrow, not killing the creature but deeply offending it... Pressing the advantage of surprise, Mudgol once against casts his teleportation and the quartet arrives at Castle Floivin as planned, only they're too late! The assassin, guised as a young serving girl, is positioned above the regent, a short sword in her neck! He seems 'disappointed' that his plot was uncovered, but regains composure and turns towards the interlopers. Badger and Mudgol fire upon him with arrows and magic missiles, but he survives to nearly slay the diviner with an acrobatic, lethal blow...alas, even knocking the half-orc unconscious, the rest of the PCs are able to send him to an early grave. In death, the assassin, Adder (aka Derelech) reverts to his human state, a swarthy man with two mismatched eyes. Ballyhoo and Badger use dimension door to rush towards Armory Square and warn Commander Hoary, while Gruulsh and Mudgol watch over the corpses.

Meanwhile, while Ox remains ignorant of the situation, Baro has noticed the casting of Mudgol's spell, and the disappearance of his companions from Ettenhead. He visually scans the area, exchanges some verbal unpleasantries with the elf guard Nasriel, and then grabs the half-orc and teleports to Armory Square, where he feels most likely to find them. Ballyhoo and Badger encounter the two en route, and they all bluster into Commander Hoary's officer quarters to inform him of the Regent's tragic passing, only to find the dwarf Captain Krennyk in his bath robes. He doesn't believe their story at first, but after Baro hucks a thunderstone at a wall, he feels that the Last Eidolorn are suddenly under attack, and musters the nearest barracks into action. Two dozen men, most barely armed and armor, begin a mad rush with the PCs and Krennyk back to Castle Floivin, stopping to grab more support at the Floivin Penitentiary. Within the castle, Mudgol and Gruulsh notice that the corpse of Velveldine has ALSO transformed, into a grayish humanoid creature that Mudgol identifies as a doppelganger! What's going on here? After confronting the guard out front, and picking up more soldiers through the castle, Ballyhoo and Badger dimension door back to the regent's chambers. Ox destroys a locked door with a single blow, and at long last the group is reunited, with Captain Krennyk barking out questions, unable to believe his eyes!

Badger loots the assassin's body, even going so far to remove one of the 'mismatched' eyes, which Mudgol has determined is a magical item. Gruulsh claims the doppelganger's corpse, but a search of the chamber does not reveal any further clues (apart from the lever which activated the regent's door). After the diviner attempts to 'flirt' with the maid-staff, the party decides that they must find Commander Hoary at all costs, to plan their next move. A guard is sent off, and our heroes decide to rove about the city and do some errands while they wait for the officer's return. Visits are paid to Teven the Worm, where Ballyhoo encounters a strange, talking suit of armor that has been assigned to guard the lowly wizard's business; and also to the Cathedral of Blades, where Gruulsh snaps up whatever curative potions have been restocked. The rest of the group heads off to the western Floivin market, where Badger and Ox procure a grocery list of items for Odd Jon back at the ruins, and go a little overboard, purchasing several pigs and a 'golden hen' from a trader. Ox is fascinated by his new friend 'Bernice', and hopes she will lay eggs of gold and make him rich.

Mudgol runs across a man named Lefleur, who is blowing up sausage casings into balloons for children at the market, and he offers him a 'gig' up at Ettenhead, which the chubby man politely accepts, barring any other competition he might face there. Baro further attempts to recruit a local carpenter to the soon renovated castle, and is met with a possible acceptance. The group then shuffles off to Dronn's Arsenal, where Baro wants to make a deal about having a Bellowbroth smithy at Ettenhead for the manufacture of tools. Alas, the Bellowbroth clan is aligned with the Vlad-Gnarlbottom merchant's group, and cannot compete. Ox tries to fly off the roof of the shop with the chicken Bernice, much to the dismay of the owner. It is at this point the half-orc realizes that the 'gold' of the hen seems to rub off on his hands...all the PCs then reconvene at Armory Square, and Commander Hoary finally arrives with some soldiers in tow.

Disturbed by the day's events thus far, Hoary and our heroes brainstorm what steps to take. Recalling that the doppelganger's previously encountered by Mudgol would travel in 'hands' of five fingers, they decide to use true seeing on the staff of Castle Floivin to see if any other impostors are in place. The soldiers on duty, maids and servants of the castle are rounded up in the banquet hall and the spell is cast. Perversely, the diviner goes too far and looks down one of the maid's outfits, proclaiming that there was a 'ghost in there but now it's gone'. Lecherous! Gruulsh hangs out by the secret back entrance to the castle, but no one seems to attempt to escape as the procedure is being carried out inside. All present are proven not to be the foul shapechangers, so the PCs ask who might not have shown up for work that day. The staff notes that the accountant Coven was absent today, probably at a drinking spot, and the serving maid who turned out to be the assassin hadn't been seen in some time. Gruulsh races to the Seven Floods Inn, meeting up with Ballyhoo, who had performed to gather a crowd of suspicious locals who wanted to know if the rumors of the Regent's passing were true...

They arrive, and the bugbear is accosted by the staff and patrons of the esteemed establishment, and they also turn on Ballyhoo when he shows up and defends the shaggy humanoid. Nonetheless, Coven presents himself and seems to know nothing of the plot to slay the Regent. Further investigation is required, so Ox and Ballyhoo head out to the ruins east of the Keep, still in a bad state after the war with the undead. The bard examines the Twin Lizard Tap exclusively, while Ox watches the road. Ballyhoo finds a handful of coins, and a zombified, but still animated arm crushed under some of the wood of the Tap. Outside, a strange female rider, gowned in a crow's mask and cloak of flowing blue and purple rides past the half-orc into the Keep. Ballyhoo learns that the Tap, in addition to several other businesses in the city, were actually owned by Coven himself, purchased several years ago. After this revelation, Hoary gives permission to detain Coven at the Penitentiary, so the PCs march him in there and Ballyhoo uses dominate person to gain the accountant's trust.

As it turns out, Coven did have some contact with members of the Score, helping the elusive Scroundel set up shop at a prime location for the night market and allowing Adder/Derelech to operate as an informant out of the Tap. He had also run into the halfling Shalabar, the gnome Parodee, Kohl Harthas and Baron Mordanc at various points, but claims under compulsion to not have known what they were after, only that it was shady business. Once the tragic events began to consume Floivin Province, like the humanoid uprising, death of Regent Bauerkroft and the undead plight to reclaim the obsidian hand of Ulan Vhor from the sewers below, he realized that these 'Score' were the catalyst. But at that time he was afraid for his life, and decided not to inform the Last Eidolorn. The PCs discuss what now to do with the accountant, for his crimes may equal treason and he qualifies for a public execution. Ballyhoo decides at long last to join the Last Eidolorn as a private, and then Hoary orders him to compel Coven to turn over his assets to the guard, and possibly replenish some of what the Eidolorn paid out to help repair the ruins of Ettenhead. As for Coven's ultimate fate, it is yet to be determined...

After re-assembling at the ruins, Mudgol decides he must attempt to greater scry the location of the real Regent Velvedine, if there is one at all, and using some stationary and pens that Baro procured from the castle staff, he makes the attempt. The mirror is unresponsive, so whether Velvedine has entirely disappeared or never existed is unknown. Odd Jon is dismayed that Ox was taken advantage of with the golden hen, but says he'll use her at least to supply the workers and guards at Ettenhead with some eggs. The PCs plan out their next move...

PCs: Badger, Ballyhoo, Baro, Gruulsh, Mudgol, Ox

NPCs 

Lefleur (human male): An interesting, portly and balding salesman at the Floivin Keep west market, blows sausage casings into personalized balloons, sells them to passerby, or gives them freely to children. Mudgol becomes so enamored of the sausage blowing that he invites Lefleur to set up shop at Ettenhead, and the man seems to have accepted the offer...

Zarm (zombie arm): When searching the ruins of the Twin Lizard Tap for clues, Lord Ballyhoo came across this still-animate undead right arm, which was trapped beneath some crushed and burnt wood from the War for Floivin Keep. He passes it on to Ox, who decides it would be best served as a gift to his fellow half-orc Mudgol. The diviner is thrilled with his new 'pet'.

The Ettenhead Census

Staff

Commanding Officer: Captain Banghorn
Castellan: TBA
Officers: Lt. Gruulsh, Sgt Baro, Lt. Badger, Lt. Ballyhoo, Lt. Shurka, Sgt. Grenjar
Quartermaster: Staff Sgt Stuckle

Soldiers/Guards

Nasriel (on loan from the Reddenbalm house guard)
Slasher (on loan from the Reddenbalm house guard)

Expedition Crowslode

Lt. Badger
Lt. Lord Ballyhoo
Sgt. Baro
Lt. Gruulsh
Solveig Toril
(Wendel Eumatic Tork III)
Mistlethroe
Monch Gnarlbottom
(Monch's +1)

Expedition North

Lt. 'Six Shite Shurka'
Sgt. Grenjar Gnarlbottom
Pvt. Tharbalas Reddenbalm

Residents/Tradesmen

None

Temporary Denizens

Scuff Gnarlbottom (master engineer)
1x dwarven surveyor
3x dwarven engineers
4x dwarven masons
2x human carpenters
8x dwarven laborer

Trade Rights Secured

Gnarlbottom-Vlad Associates (weapons, armor, tools, cloths/textiles)
Clan Reddenbalm (charms, candies, floral arrangements)
Clan Roodeye (breads, wines, leathers)

Session 57 (1/31/14)

*Props and Propositions*

Verne, Martenin 29th, 838 ID

On the eve of the PCs' next mission, several of them decide to teleport back to Floivin Keep in order to go over the party treasure held in the Stride's vault in the sewers. Several items are picked up for Ox, Badger, and Lord Ballyhoo, while Mudgol snaps up a bunch of unidentified goods that he and Baro can study up at Ettenhead. They also pick up some new magical purchases at the Arkana Arkiva, and offer Mistlethroe a business partnership between the school and the keep (once renovated). Mistlethroe gets permission to sell the PCs whatever he might have in stock, but tells them that Mudgol will have to serve as their liaison for the time being. Soon after, they return to the conquered ruins and confer with Captain Banghorn over their next move. It's ultimately decided that the next day will be spent with half the party traveling to Littlewolf to make some contacts, while Mudgol and Baro will study scrolls for their spellbooks, and the rest will keep watch over Ettenhead.

Essel, Martenin 30th, 838 ID

Mudgol and Baro wake up early, identify a few items and then get to work transcribing their new scrolls. Lord Ballyhoo summons his shadowy unicorn steed, and leads Gruulsh and Ox on a trip to Littlewolf where they hope to make a few deals. En route, they encounter a haggard, near-blind old man named Bastaro who claims to be a brigand and demands coin for their safe passage. Soon the cretin relents after realizing that there are in fact three of our heroes, and he is 'pressed' into service for the fumbling entertainment he might offer, and also because he might be decent at his former profession (fisherman), and Ettenhead could use one. Gruulsh carries the old buck to Littlewolf. Upon arriving, Ox is accosted by a snotty elfin house guard while Ballyhoo's dramatic arrival draws a crowd of children. Visyo Reddenbalm seems surprised that Gruulsh returns, but bargains with the bugbear over trade possibilities at Ettenhead. It is eventually agreed that both Reddenbalm and Roodeye clans would lay some exclusive claim to diverse trade goods, and in the meantime Visyo would personally detach several of his house guard to watch over the ruin while the dwarf engineers were rebuilding it...a mysterious, elderly veiled soldier named Slasher, and two posh golden elves, one of whom is Nasriel, the very one that bothered Ox on his arrival. The group then sets out back to Ettenhead with their four new acquisitions, Ballyhoo staying behind to once again seduce a hesitant Shayla the Swineherd...

   
Once reunited, introductions are made at Ettenhead, and it is quickly determined that Slasher is perhaps the only competent acquisition from Littlewolf. Badger does befriend Bastaro, who invites him to join the mythic 'Brigand Empire' he is forming. After further discussion, the PCs decide they will take another day to prepare themselves and fetch supplies to the old stronghold, rather than rush off to face the Score and Blooded Lash at the Haunted Horrn, or scout on the progress of the Vandrakki berserkers to the North. As evening sets in, so too does a storm, the worst rain, wind and lightning in Floivin Province for months, and the PCs and their recruits take shelter in whatever structure can cover them, except for Badger and Gruulsh who remain out in the rain, shaggied up.

Ivric, Martenin 31st, 838 ID

Having completed the memorization of their new spells, Baro and Mudgol execute a plan to teleport a few party members back to gather goods. They bring along Captain Banghorn, Badger and Lord Ballyhoo. Mudgol goes to retrieve his new scrying mirror from Dronn's Arsenal, while Banghorn requisitions some tents, and Badger signs off on a pile of rations and some casks of ale. Ballyhoo takes a breakfast at the Seven Floods Inn, performing for the morning patrons, and then heads to Swyft the Tailor where he is surprised to find a radiant entertainer's outfit of gossamer, white silk and genuine golden thread has been crafted for him by the esteemed clothier...courtesy of Neddyn Starkweather, who recently passed through and paid Swyft a large sum of money. The suit is so radiant that it offends commoners and thrills those of fashion and stature...Ballyhoo promptly donates his old outfit to a passerby. Baro's mission is to speak with Monch Gnarlbottom and find out the progress of Scuff the dwarf's preparations on repairing the keep. The engineer had just recently returned to assemble a caravan of laborers and craftsmen to take on the task of fixing the outer towers and walls, funded by the Last Eidolorn guard and signed off by Hoary.

At any rate, Monch inquires about progress on the head of the Axe of Dwarven Lords, and tells Baro the PCs must be more urgent about retrieving it, that the full relic might be rejoined and the sinister, supposed plot to resurrect the Death Titan Ulan Vhor thwarted. Instead, the two end up making a lunch date at the Seven Floods, where Monch and Attican Vlad offer a loan of 75,000gp for the construction of interior structures for the new Ettenhead. 100,000gp is to be paid back, and the merchants' consortium granted exclusive rights to the sale of weapons, armor and textile/cloths within the completed stronghold's walls. Baro reluctantly signs the documents and accepts the offer, and has the currency routed to Scuff, that the engineer can begin immediately after the external repairs are completed (in presumably a few months of work). The evoker heads back to Armory Square, where Mudgol and the others await, and they at last return to their friends at Ettenhead.

But our heroes who stayed behind haven't been idle. Odd Jon Stuckle brings Ox along for a foraging mission, grabbing lots of roots and vegetables to make a salad, and robin's eggs to smother them with. Odd Jon recounts many emotional tales of his friendship with the fallen Doorjamb Grizzlebeard to the half-orc, who listens attentively, knowing his belly will be filled. The Staff Sergeant acquires something 'extra' for his new friend, a robin itself, which he'll cook for the half-orc's lunch. Gruulsh tries to send Odd Jon off with Bastaro to acquire some fishing gear and do some actual fishing, but the elf Lomi is sent instead. The bugbear, Slasher and Nasriel resume a careful watch on the area, to make sure the mysterious 'Titan of the Glen' doesn't show up to exact vengeance for the fallen giants. When Mudgol and the rest return with the supplies that evening, the tents are set up and one set aside as a 'scrying room' for the diviner's new mirror.

Evelais, Verget the 1st, 838 ID 

Before making their next tactical move, they decide to give the mirror a go, unsuccessfully attempting to locate Luorn Stride but then managing to track down the Score's master of disguises, Adder, who is disguised as a seemingly innocent serving girl (same one who jumped Ginkwrench in Halehusk), and about to give Regent Velvedine her 'breakfast'!!!

PCs: Badger, Ballyhoo, Baro, Gruulsh, Mudgol, Ox

NPCs

Bastaro (human male): An elderly, scrawny and decrepit man of at least 70 summers, who is very near blind. Claims to have once been an honest fisherman who, out of desperation, turned to a life of banditry in order to make ends meet. Constantly complains about his ex-wife, comparing the various blurry shapes he sees to her. Wields a fishing night and covers his face with a snotty bandana. Also seems entirely obsessed over his chosen 'brigand' lifestyle, to the point that, even when threatened with violence, he'll carry on about founding a 'Brigand Empire' in Floivin Province. He may have found a willing ear in Badger...

Lomi (elf male): A rather daft but attractive, lithe elf who seems to be related to Nasriel. Hair is tied back in an impressive man...err, elf bun. Has a carefree attitude which can turn dangerous when prompted, and often arrives at some sick ideas, but otherwise goes with the flow. Was assigned with Nasriel and Slasher to serve as interim guardsmen at the Ettenhead keep during its reconstruction. Currently serving as a bodyguard for Bastaro 'the Brigand', who has been sent to fish at Littlewolf and return to Lt. Gruulsh.

Nasriel (elf male): An arrogant, golden haired elf of the Reddenbalm clan, bearing the usual ornate but flimsy army of his family. Has a couple bright earrings in his left ear, and eyes that shift between rust and green. Was on duty in Littlewolf when Ballyhoo, Gruulsh and Ox came back to visit, and was suspicious of the half-orc, but later assigned by his patriarch, Visyo to accompany them to Ettenhead and serve as an interim watchman while they were building the place.

Slasher (elf? female): A hunched, elderly soldier of the Reddenbalm clan guard who is assigned to accompany Nasriel and Lomi to serve as interim watchmen at Ettenhead, with the PCs. Unlike the other two, she actually seems to take the job seriously, eating sparingly of her own rations and remaining deft and vigilant at her post. Appears to communicate with primitive sign language, never really speaks, and covers herself in veils so that her wrinkled face is mostly obscured.