Here is the link to the transcript of AIM online session 38.
PC: Doorjamb
Lt. Grabes (human male): A portly, squat and balding soldier in his early 40s, Grabes' belly bulges out of his armor. He's been assigned to protect Hobfast during its reconstruction, and maintains a tenuous relationship with the local halflings under Grandmother Hosspotch. Grabes is cordial enough, but probably not if he smacks you with his fat mace.
Pvt. Brendel (human male): A fresh recruit in the Last Eidolorn guard, he's stationed in Floivin Keep and usually mulls about the Armory quarter near the barracks. He's got bushy brown hair parted straight down the middle, and a flat nose and bluish-gray eyes. He's rather weak physically, or just lazy, and he's equipped only with a short sword rather than the standard Floivin armament.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Friday, September 7, 2012
Session 38 (9/7/12)
Evalais (Saints' Day), Martenin 4th 838 ID
The heroes wait for Mudgol to return from Floivin Keep, which he does quite early in the morning, before they press on to the rest of the Tun Vuul caverns. Using Hnarsh and Gruulsh as scouts, they scope out the next area, an abandoned cairn-forge where the abused corpse of a young Tretcher woman has been left. Luz wonders why Polk, the linkboy/courier on the expedition, has not come inside the caves. He calls for the boy, and follows his voice back on. Roughly, the half-orc tries to grab Polk and shove him in to rejoin the group, but he is surprised when his gauntlets are not able to register purchase on the boy. 'Polk' seems to waver in and out of existence, his precise location difficult to lock onto, and before Luz can retaliate the child has withdrawn a hidden blade, stabbed and poisoned the half-orc, draining him of Strength. Luz cries out to the party within, but by the time they can help, the 'boy' has already fled the valley, moving too quickly for Luz himself to follow. He does notice, as he's running, that for a split second, the boy shifts forms and looks a lot like Monch Gnarlbottom, so the PCs decide it might be an assassin sent for Luz by the dwarf noble.
Next, the two scouts proceed to a room where a cloud of acid fog sears their flesh, apparently an unfinished, but magically trapped chamber. After rejoining the rest of the party, they explore a room where a simple tomb lies covered in snowdrift that have fallen from an opening up into the hillside. Turns out, these are some sort of cold-based slime creatures, four of which are mating in the chamber, and a melee breaks out...
The PCs fairly easily defeat the slimes, careful not to split too many of them into constituent parts that will keep attacking them. They decipher that the tomb itself belongs to a 'Shuuva the Wrecker', some ancient Shann folk hero who might have been posted at the fort outside. Within, they find some gems and gold coins of an antique mint, in addition to a strange ring with a goat's head emblem (Mudgol later identifies this as a ring of the ram). The next area they explore is a cavern that was at one point sealed off by a series of rusted greats, now broken. Within, an incredibly deep pit falls off into oblivion, but the PCs notice that a winch was once used here, perhaps to lower a platform far below. Baro drops a magically lit coin into the pit, and it plummets out of sight into the darkness.
The PCs turn back south, and find a catacombs area still full of wiry, petrified corpses, some of which continue to shamble around...another great combat ensues, and this time the enemy seems capable of magic, as if they were a cadre of ghoulish ancient sorcerers. Despite the rays and clouds of ice the creatures emit, they too are dispatched without much difficulty, though coming close to felling a few of the PCs in the process. Like the tomb of 'Shuuva', spoils remain hidden about the area, including a high count of antique silver coins, and some magical arrows, another ring (sustenance), a potion, a bag of dust (tracelessness) and a suit of hide armor which was on one of the animated undead.
Afterwards, while deciding whether to rest or press on, the heroes scout out the remainder of what they can find in the caverns: a dead end corridor, another circular corridor in which Hnarsh spies a falling ceiling trap (and thus the PCs avoid), and lastly, a corridor of defaced idols in which a shivering, frightened young girl is hiding out. Gruulsh recognizes her as Miola Ossted, the other daughter of Hagel, and the decision is made to trek back straight to Tretcher and hopefully avoid random monsters or berserkers on the Frogmarch. They leave the Weaponscrest and the mysterious Shann ruins behind, and are fortunate to have an uneventful trek back to the village, where they arrive at night, hailed by Sgt. Stuckle.
The dwarves that were left behind earlier have been busy, building minor fortifications to the surviving structures within Tretcher; the townsfolk treat the PCs to a warm room to rest, and some hot meals and cocoa drinks. Odd Jon beseeches them to leave behind more helping hands, and Langston decides it might be best (for his own safety) to leave the last surviving NPC of the original expedition roster: Longjohns. The group then decides they'd best rest up, heal the following morning, and prepare themselves to press on towards Vettlar where they can seek out further news of the Fourth and Last Eidolorn army that marched weeks earlier to Wintersbreath to help repel the berserkers.
PCs: Baro, Ginkwrench, Gruulsh, Langston, Luz, Mudgol
NPCs
Miola Ossted (human female): The elder of Hagel Ossted's daughters, a dirty blonde adolescent. She was ID'd by Gruulsh, and recovered from the ruins at Tun Vuul by the PCs, found cowering in fear deep inside the old crypt. The PCs later returned her to Tretcher and a reunion with her father.
The heroes wait for Mudgol to return from Floivin Keep, which he does quite early in the morning, before they press on to the rest of the Tun Vuul caverns. Using Hnarsh and Gruulsh as scouts, they scope out the next area, an abandoned cairn-forge where the abused corpse of a young Tretcher woman has been left. Luz wonders why Polk, the linkboy/courier on the expedition, has not come inside the caves. He calls for the boy, and follows his voice back on. Roughly, the half-orc tries to grab Polk and shove him in to rejoin the group, but he is surprised when his gauntlets are not able to register purchase on the boy. 'Polk' seems to waver in and out of existence, his precise location difficult to lock onto, and before Luz can retaliate the child has withdrawn a hidden blade, stabbed and poisoned the half-orc, draining him of Strength. Luz cries out to the party within, but by the time they can help, the 'boy' has already fled the valley, moving too quickly for Luz himself to follow. He does notice, as he's running, that for a split second, the boy shifts forms and looks a lot like Monch Gnarlbottom, so the PCs decide it might be an assassin sent for Luz by the dwarf noble.
Next, the two scouts proceed to a room where a cloud of acid fog sears their flesh, apparently an unfinished, but magically trapped chamber. After rejoining the rest of the party, they explore a room where a simple tomb lies covered in snowdrift that have fallen from an opening up into the hillside. Turns out, these are some sort of cold-based slime creatures, four of which are mating in the chamber, and a melee breaks out...
The PCs turn back south, and find a catacombs area still full of wiry, petrified corpses, some of which continue to shamble around...another great combat ensues, and this time the enemy seems capable of magic, as if they were a cadre of ghoulish ancient sorcerers. Despite the rays and clouds of ice the creatures emit, they too are dispatched without much difficulty, though coming close to felling a few of the PCs in the process. Like the tomb of 'Shuuva', spoils remain hidden about the area, including a high count of antique silver coins, and some magical arrows, another ring (sustenance), a potion, a bag of dust (tracelessness) and a suit of hide armor which was on one of the animated undead.
Afterwards, while deciding whether to rest or press on, the heroes scout out the remainder of what they can find in the caverns: a dead end corridor, another circular corridor in which Hnarsh spies a falling ceiling trap (and thus the PCs avoid), and lastly, a corridor of defaced idols in which a shivering, frightened young girl is hiding out. Gruulsh recognizes her as Miola Ossted, the other daughter of Hagel, and the decision is made to trek back straight to Tretcher and hopefully avoid random monsters or berserkers on the Frogmarch. They leave the Weaponscrest and the mysterious Shann ruins behind, and are fortunate to have an uneventful trek back to the village, where they arrive at night, hailed by Sgt. Stuckle.
The dwarves that were left behind earlier have been busy, building minor fortifications to the surviving structures within Tretcher; the townsfolk treat the PCs to a warm room to rest, and some hot meals and cocoa drinks. Odd Jon beseeches them to leave behind more helping hands, and Langston decides it might be best (for his own safety) to leave the last surviving NPC of the original expedition roster: Longjohns. The group then decides they'd best rest up, heal the following morning, and prepare themselves to press on towards Vettlar where they can seek out further news of the Fourth and Last Eidolorn army that marched weeks earlier to Wintersbreath to help repel the berserkers.
PCs: Baro, Ginkwrench, Gruulsh, Langston, Luz, Mudgol
NPCs
Miola Ossted (human female): The elder of Hagel Ossted's daughters, a dirty blonde adolescent. She was ID'd by Gruulsh, and recovered from the ruins at Tun Vuul by the PCs, found cowering in fear deep inside the old crypt. The PCs later returned her to Tretcher and a reunion with her father.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Online Session 37 (8/11/12)
This session was played in person, so there will be a regular campaign diary instead of the usual .html link to an AIM chat. It follows up both Session #37 and Online Session #36. Tabletop players were allowed to attend for bonus credit towards their leveling.
Varony, Malarous 30th 838 ID
Langston fires a warning arrow towards the two humanoids entering Tun Staab, and hits one. The two quickly disappear behind one of the towers. When Gruulsh moves up to investigate, both have disappeared. Langston calls out a warning, and the response comes from a familiar voice...Doorjamb Grizzlebear. He and the halfling Hnarsh visualize, one from hiding and the other from invisibility. It's a brief reunion, Doorjamb explaining his purpose in coming to retrieve Private Glass, not at all surprised by her fate. Hnarsh offers some 'hoodoo' to the expedition, most of whom deny him, and the pair decides to help the expedition finish out the exploration of Tun Staab. Meanwhile, Baro, Mudgol and Ginkwrench decide to rest up and watch the children (Polk and Buck), Pvt. Longjohns guards them.
Doorjamb, Hnarsh, Langston, Luz, Gruulsh and Flood Watchman Barr approach the caverns, making the shady halfling take the lead. He signals to stop once the movement in the webs above becomes too rampant, and Gruulsh decides to take a 'peak'. He is noticed after sticking his head up through the webs, and five large white spiders lower themselves to the cavern floor. Despite their abilities to leap back and forth into combat, and a slowing poison, they are easily dispatched by our heroes. Doorjamb and Gruulsh explore what of the web they can in a limited time, recovering some masterwork weapons from Wolf Tongue berserker corpses, and a bag of silver and some antitoxins. The expedition presses on into another cave littered with bones and skulls, and a few open stone coffins, some of which still contain mummified remains.
They decide to skip past the area, since there is little of interest, when the mummified remains turn out...not to be so still. Three awful undead assault the group, with nasty slam attacks that can apply negative levels. It's a brutal fight, and Flood Watchman Barr is slain, only to return later on as an undead himself! The PCs persevere, taking out the original assailants and then a weaker Barr. They decide then to further search the cavern, to no avail. Hnarsh and Gruulsh scout down a neighboring tunnel, and the halfling tells the bugbear to return and gather up the group. When they return, he has moved north, beckoning the PCs forward to where they find a pair of extremely heavy iron doors, slightly ajar to another cavern. Also, a young, dead girl who Gruulsh ID's from Tretcher is before the doors, clutching the remains of a stuffed animal. Despite several strong attempts, they are unable to force the doors, and thus they check another cavern to the south...
...which turns out to contain a dense, heavy statue of the death titan Ulan Vhor, whom the PCs learned about in Floivin Keep due to the research of Conniff and Baro. The statue radiates necromancy, and seems to have diamond eyes. The expedition turns back, deciding after their failed attempts at forcing the doors, to allow Hnarsh to go in and scout about. He returns with some baubles and treasures, passing a magical large steel shield and breastplate through the doors, as well as a metric ton of silver coins, and some scrolls and gems. The party decides they've cleared out the ruins at last, then turns back to join their rested companions, and hole up for the night to regain spells and attempt to wait out some of their negative levels. They spend a 24 hour period resting, while they alternate watches.
Verne, Martenin 1st 838 ID
Apart from a sole ogre who sees the group in the valley and then flees, the 24 hours go by uneventfully. Luz and Doorjamb heal what they can of their active companions, and then Grizzlebeard tells them there are further tracks traveling East towards Toul Tabor. The group decides instead to travel back West to check out the other ruins at Tun Vuul. En route, they encounter a trio of frost giants at a distance, but the two groups avoid one another and there is no dreadful confrontation. When they finally arrive outside the alley at Tun Vuul, they decide to rest up once more, to regain spells and prepare themselves.
Essel, Martenin 2nd 838 ID
The five active members of the expedition approach Tun Vuul, to find a ruined fortress surrounded by low, crumbled towers. As Gruulsh and Hnarsh creep forward to scout out the area, they are spotted by some large, hostile white wolves. Combat ensues yet again, and the wolves breath cones of frost and perform deadly tripping maneuvers against the PCs. They also seem to have bluish runes painted on their fur, not unlike the red marks that were on the berserkers' bonded war bears they fought in Tretcher. Nonetheless, they are pretty easily dispatched, and then our heroes can finally examine the ruins, to find the fort almost completely destroyed. They also find Magra Ossted hiding out in one of the towers, but she is blinded and only screams in panic at their approach, seemingly unable to communicate.
There is a wall further East in the valley that was basically a cairn of rocks used to block off a cavernous entrance to the mountains, but it has eroded, stones removed, and now access is granted beneath the Weaponscrest. The PCs move forward and find an abandoned storage supply, where aside from a few ancient pairs of armor, most has been completely looted. They decide here to stop, rest again, since Doorjamb has to dig up the remains of Private Glass and return them to Floivin Keep.
Ivric, Martenin 3rd 838 ID
Mudgol and Doorjamb trek six hours to Tretcher with Buck and Magra, returning them to the village, and then Mudgol teleports himself, Doorjamb and Glass' remains back to Floivin Keep. Hnarsh is left with the rest of the PCs...who have mixed feelings about this new acquisition. Mudgol plans to return the next day.
PCs: Doorjamb, Gruulsh, Langston, Luz
NPCs
Magra Ossted (human female): One of Hagel Ossted's daughters, a frail blonde teenager. She was ID'd by Gruulsh, and recovered from the ruins at Tun Vuul by the PCs. Blinded somehow, with a cloth wrapped about her eyes, she seems to be suffering from deep trauma at her captivity, and can respond only with pitiful screams when the expedition attempts to comfort her. Mudgol and Doorjamb later return her to the village of Tretcher.
Varony, Malarous 30th 838 ID
Langston fires a warning arrow towards the two humanoids entering Tun Staab, and hits one. The two quickly disappear behind one of the towers. When Gruulsh moves up to investigate, both have disappeared. Langston calls out a warning, and the response comes from a familiar voice...Doorjamb Grizzlebear. He and the halfling Hnarsh visualize, one from hiding and the other from invisibility. It's a brief reunion, Doorjamb explaining his purpose in coming to retrieve Private Glass, not at all surprised by her fate. Hnarsh offers some 'hoodoo' to the expedition, most of whom deny him, and the pair decides to help the expedition finish out the exploration of Tun Staab. Meanwhile, Baro, Mudgol and Ginkwrench decide to rest up and watch the children (Polk and Buck), Pvt. Longjohns guards them.
Doorjamb, Hnarsh, Langston, Luz, Gruulsh and Flood Watchman Barr approach the caverns, making the shady halfling take the lead. He signals to stop once the movement in the webs above becomes too rampant, and Gruulsh decides to take a 'peak'. He is noticed after sticking his head up through the webs, and five large white spiders lower themselves to the cavern floor. Despite their abilities to leap back and forth into combat, and a slowing poison, they are easily dispatched by our heroes. Doorjamb and Gruulsh explore what of the web they can in a limited time, recovering some masterwork weapons from Wolf Tongue berserker corpses, and a bag of silver and some antitoxins. The expedition presses on into another cave littered with bones and skulls, and a few open stone coffins, some of which still contain mummified remains.
They decide to skip past the area, since there is little of interest, when the mummified remains turn out...not to be so still. Three awful undead assault the group, with nasty slam attacks that can apply negative levels. It's a brutal fight, and Flood Watchman Barr is slain, only to return later on as an undead himself! The PCs persevere, taking out the original assailants and then a weaker Barr. They decide then to further search the cavern, to no avail. Hnarsh and Gruulsh scout down a neighboring tunnel, and the halfling tells the bugbear to return and gather up the group. When they return, he has moved north, beckoning the PCs forward to where they find a pair of extremely heavy iron doors, slightly ajar to another cavern. Also, a young, dead girl who Gruulsh ID's from Tretcher is before the doors, clutching the remains of a stuffed animal. Despite several strong attempts, they are unable to force the doors, and thus they check another cavern to the south...
...which turns out to contain a dense, heavy statue of the death titan Ulan Vhor, whom the PCs learned about in Floivin Keep due to the research of Conniff and Baro. The statue radiates necromancy, and seems to have diamond eyes. The expedition turns back, deciding after their failed attempts at forcing the doors, to allow Hnarsh to go in and scout about. He returns with some baubles and treasures, passing a magical large steel shield and breastplate through the doors, as well as a metric ton of silver coins, and some scrolls and gems. The party decides they've cleared out the ruins at last, then turns back to join their rested companions, and hole up for the night to regain spells and attempt to wait out some of their negative levels. They spend a 24 hour period resting, while they alternate watches.
Verne, Martenin 1st 838 ID
Apart from a sole ogre who sees the group in the valley and then flees, the 24 hours go by uneventfully. Luz and Doorjamb heal what they can of their active companions, and then Grizzlebeard tells them there are further tracks traveling East towards Toul Tabor. The group decides instead to travel back West to check out the other ruins at Tun Vuul. En route, they encounter a trio of frost giants at a distance, but the two groups avoid one another and there is no dreadful confrontation. When they finally arrive outside the alley at Tun Vuul, they decide to rest up once more, to regain spells and prepare themselves.
Essel, Martenin 2nd 838 ID
The five active members of the expedition approach Tun Vuul, to find a ruined fortress surrounded by low, crumbled towers. As Gruulsh and Hnarsh creep forward to scout out the area, they are spotted by some large, hostile white wolves. Combat ensues yet again, and the wolves breath cones of frost and perform deadly tripping maneuvers against the PCs. They also seem to have bluish runes painted on their fur, not unlike the red marks that were on the berserkers' bonded war bears they fought in Tretcher. Nonetheless, they are pretty easily dispatched, and then our heroes can finally examine the ruins, to find the fort almost completely destroyed. They also find Magra Ossted hiding out in one of the towers, but she is blinded and only screams in panic at their approach, seemingly unable to communicate.
There is a wall further East in the valley that was basically a cairn of rocks used to block off a cavernous entrance to the mountains, but it has eroded, stones removed, and now access is granted beneath the Weaponscrest. The PCs move forward and find an abandoned storage supply, where aside from a few ancient pairs of armor, most has been completely looted. They decide here to stop, rest again, since Doorjamb has to dig up the remains of Private Glass and return them to Floivin Keep.
Ivric, Martenin 3rd 838 ID
Mudgol and Doorjamb trek six hours to Tretcher with Buck and Magra, returning them to the village, and then Mudgol teleports himself, Doorjamb and Glass' remains back to Floivin Keep. Hnarsh is left with the rest of the PCs...who have mixed feelings about this new acquisition. Mudgol plans to return the next day.
PCs: Doorjamb, Gruulsh, Langston, Luz
NPCs
Magra Ossted (human female): One of Hagel Ossted's daughters, a frail blonde teenager. She was ID'd by Gruulsh, and recovered from the ruins at Tun Vuul by the PCs. Blinded somehow, with a cloth wrapped about her eyes, she seems to be suffering from deep trauma at her captivity, and can respond only with pitiful screams when the expedition attempts to comfort her. Mudgol and Doorjamb later return her to the village of Tretcher.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Session 37 (8/9/12)
Tault, Malarous 29th 838 ID
After days of preparation and healing, and waiting for Mudgol to return from his teleportation back to Floivin Keep (where he paid to have Slab's remains stored and magically preserved in the cellar of the Cathedral of Blades), the PCs don their cold weather outfits and set out across the Frogmarch to find any survivors that might have been abducted by the Wolf Tongues tribe. They decide it would be best to first attempt the further of the two ruins, Tun Staab, where Hagel and the villagers thought they might have been taken. En route, the party spots a large pack of canines rushing through the frosted grasslands, which Baro identifies as blink dogs, that the party decides not to confront. A starving, desperate arctic fox attacks Balard, unable to breach the dwarf's armor before being systematically disposed of by an arrow from Langston. Once the night sets in, the group decides to rest on the plain, and this time passes uneventfully.
Varony, Malarous 30th 838 ID
The PCs arrive at the small mountain valley which houses the Tun Staab ruins. It is fronted by a trio of crumbled towers, upon which are runes scripted into the ancient Shann tongue. Baro and Mudgol are able to decipher these as reading ‘Here Lies the Brother-Ward of Denhema Staab, Guardian to the Deep-Ways’, and Balard identifies the structures as human (and non-dwarf) architecture. Beyond the towers, there is a ruined coliseum and an old manor, both also decayed, and a large cavern entrance to the Weaponscrest mountains. The valley is full of whorls of snow, huge drifts, and sheets of obscured ice created by runoff from the surrounding highlands. They also make out several broken humanoid bodies through the drifts, and when they approach, they are frightened to discover that a half-dozen giant yetis have taken up residence in the area, some climbing forth from the broken, open towers, others rushing down from the foothills. They don't seem too happy about the PCs' presence, and a massive fight ensues...
The treacherous, icy terrain and the long reach of the ape-like creatures prove devastating against the party's attacks, rendering much of the melee ineffective for a good part of the battle, though Luz, Ginkwrench, Langston and Barr all strike some decisive blows. Fire seems most effective, but before they can finally bring down the monsters, both Vondort and Balard have been reduced to paste and guts by the horrendous slam attacks. After the fight, Ginkwrench decides to remove one of the yeti's claws to hollow out and use as a backpack, and the party discovers a treasure stash of some coins, gems and vials hidden up in one of the entrance towers. Afterwards, they proceed to check out the fallen manor, where they discover a survivor of Tretcher hidden in the outer wall, and then a fancy dwarven waraxe inside the old hearth next to a dwarven corpse.
The next area of interest is the arena structure, which the whole party sets out to explore...unfortunately, the center of the coliseum turns out to be an ancient death trap, a 100' circular pit of packed earth reinforced by blocks of stone. Though Barr and the Professor manage to evade it, Mudgol and Gruulsh are unlucky enough to fall through the pit, the former being knocked out at the bottom and the latter deftly avoiding the same fate, though taking a lot of damage in the process. It seems that this pit proved some sort of grisly afternoon entertainment for the ancient Shann, who lowered captives and creatures by a winch to the depths, and enjoyed the sport of slaves trying to climb out on a series of wooden spears that circled the interior of the pit, while beasts attempted to devour them...Gruulsh gives the unconscious Mudgol a potion to wake him up, and the two teleport back up topside.
The last order of business...the cavern entrance. There is some dissension on whether or not to explore further, but Mudgol decides to use clairaudience/clairvoyance to peek inside. It's a massive, snowy cave with the upper walls and ceiling obscured by thick, frost-tinted webbing. Mudgol summons a giant bee and sends it in, but while its able to piece the veil of cold webs, it soon disappears. As the party decides whether to press on into the depths and risk whatever lies in the webs, Longjohns (the lookout) alerts the rest of the expedition that two humanoids have entered the valley near the front towers...
PCs: Baro, Ginkwrench, Grulsh, Langston, Luz, Mudgol
NPCs
Buck Beltreg (human male): An orphaned, emaciated 10-year old boy from Tretcher who was taken by the Wolf Tongues to serve their twisted pleasures. The PCs discover him (and Gruulsh recognizes him) in an alcove in a crumbled stone manor at the ruins of Tun Staab, in the Frogmarch. He claims the Wolf Tongues in the valley were slain by the great yeti, but several might have gone inside the nearby caverns with other abductees. The Wolf Tongues used his rags and hides on which to urinate and smear feces, so Buck is presently emanating a nasty scent...
After days of preparation and healing, and waiting for Mudgol to return from his teleportation back to Floivin Keep (where he paid to have Slab's remains stored and magically preserved in the cellar of the Cathedral of Blades), the PCs don their cold weather outfits and set out across the Frogmarch to find any survivors that might have been abducted by the Wolf Tongues tribe. They decide it would be best to first attempt the further of the two ruins, Tun Staab, where Hagel and the villagers thought they might have been taken. En route, the party spots a large pack of canines rushing through the frosted grasslands, which Baro identifies as blink dogs, that the party decides not to confront. A starving, desperate arctic fox attacks Balard, unable to breach the dwarf's armor before being systematically disposed of by an arrow from Langston. Once the night sets in, the group decides to rest on the plain, and this time passes uneventfully.
Varony, Malarous 30th 838 ID
The PCs arrive at the small mountain valley which houses the Tun Staab ruins. It is fronted by a trio of crumbled towers, upon which are runes scripted into the ancient Shann tongue. Baro and Mudgol are able to decipher these as reading ‘Here Lies the Brother-Ward of Denhema Staab, Guardian to the Deep-Ways’, and Balard identifies the structures as human (and non-dwarf) architecture. Beyond the towers, there is a ruined coliseum and an old manor, both also decayed, and a large cavern entrance to the Weaponscrest mountains. The valley is full of whorls of snow, huge drifts, and sheets of obscured ice created by runoff from the surrounding highlands. They also make out several broken humanoid bodies through the drifts, and when they approach, they are frightened to discover that a half-dozen giant yetis have taken up residence in the area, some climbing forth from the broken, open towers, others rushing down from the foothills. They don't seem too happy about the PCs' presence, and a massive fight ensues...
The treacherous, icy terrain and the long reach of the ape-like creatures prove devastating against the party's attacks, rendering much of the melee ineffective for a good part of the battle, though Luz, Ginkwrench, Langston and Barr all strike some decisive blows. Fire seems most effective, but before they can finally bring down the monsters, both Vondort and Balard have been reduced to paste and guts by the horrendous slam attacks. After the fight, Ginkwrench decides to remove one of the yeti's claws to hollow out and use as a backpack, and the party discovers a treasure stash of some coins, gems and vials hidden up in one of the entrance towers. Afterwards, they proceed to check out the fallen manor, where they discover a survivor of Tretcher hidden in the outer wall, and then a fancy dwarven waraxe inside the old hearth next to a dwarven corpse.
The next area of interest is the arena structure, which the whole party sets out to explore...unfortunately, the center of the coliseum turns out to be an ancient death trap, a 100' circular pit of packed earth reinforced by blocks of stone. Though Barr and the Professor manage to evade it, Mudgol and Gruulsh are unlucky enough to fall through the pit, the former being knocked out at the bottom and the latter deftly avoiding the same fate, though taking a lot of damage in the process. It seems that this pit proved some sort of grisly afternoon entertainment for the ancient Shann, who lowered captives and creatures by a winch to the depths, and enjoyed the sport of slaves trying to climb out on a series of wooden spears that circled the interior of the pit, while beasts attempted to devour them...Gruulsh gives the unconscious Mudgol a potion to wake him up, and the two teleport back up topside.
The last order of business...the cavern entrance. There is some dissension on whether or not to explore further, but Mudgol decides to use clairaudience/clairvoyance to peek inside. It's a massive, snowy cave with the upper walls and ceiling obscured by thick, frost-tinted webbing. Mudgol summons a giant bee and sends it in, but while its able to piece the veil of cold webs, it soon disappears. As the party decides whether to press on into the depths and risk whatever lies in the webs, Longjohns (the lookout) alerts the rest of the expedition that two humanoids have entered the valley near the front towers...
PCs: Baro, Ginkwrench, Grulsh, Langston, Luz, Mudgol
NPCs
Buck Beltreg (human male): An orphaned, emaciated 10-year old boy from Tretcher who was taken by the Wolf Tongues to serve their twisted pleasures. The PCs discover him (and Gruulsh recognizes him) in an alcove in a crumbled stone manor at the ruins of Tun Staab, in the Frogmarch. He claims the Wolf Tongues in the valley were slain by the great yeti, but several might have gone inside the nearby caverns with other abductees. The Wolf Tongues used his rags and hides on which to urinate and smear feces, so Buck is presently emanating a nasty scent...
Friday, August 3, 2012
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Session 36 (7/26/12)
Ivric, Malarous 26th 838 ID
The Battle of Tretcher Part II
The surviving members of the expedition continue to press on desperately against the Vandrakki berserkers, as their spells and tricks run down to a gruesome exhibition of hacking and killing. Mudgol is accosted by a summoned beast atop the northernmost Tretcher gatehouse while the carnage ensues below. The berserker shamans soon flee the melee, their healing magics spent, and mount the war mammoth to flee the village, but the PCs are so involved with the remaining barbarians, snow goblins and the war chief that they cannot even entertain an idea of pursuit. Captain Langston decides to 'tank up', donning shield and warhammer to draw the attention of the warchief, who has in the meantime slain our good friend Private Teckle. Though his prowess is faultless, Handsome Harlan is also brought low to unconsciousness, as well as the warmage Roost and the pistoleer Cannon Mack Roy. Soon, Langston, Ginkwrench and Mudgol share their fate, leaving only a handful of the expedition around to finish the fight...
Meanwhile, a bugbear exile struggles to break free of his bonds in the basement of a local shop, where the Vandrakki had isolated him due to his dangerous physique. He struggles for many rounds to break the very foundation to which he is manacled, and eventually succeeds, though as a result he has brought down much of the structure! Grulsh fled north from the Blood Eagle tribe once they announced their intention to ally with the mysterious organization called 'The Score', thinking his warmates foolish to go up against the Empire, and he found work for a month or so with a Tretcher farmer named Hagel Ossted. When the berserkers arrived, Grulsh was overwhelmed and decided it best not to fight against such hopeless odds, so he was taken captive and separated from the other survivors. After freeing himself, he rushes off towards the sounds of battle, praying that liberators have arrived to take the village back from the Giant Steppers...
He arrives just after the battle has ended, but it quickly spotted by the wizard Baro, who calls out Captain Langston (recently healed to consciousness). The Last Eidolorn expedition has won their battle, but at huge costs. Immediately distrusting the bugbear, Langston fires a shot at Grulsh as he runs back to the south district of the village where he believes the other survivors have been kenneled. Baro, Luz and Langston all follow him, while Grulsh, manacled, climbs and breaks through a window into the warehouse. The other survivors, happy to see the bugbear, hide him while the rest of the PCs arrive to open the building. Odd Jon and the remainder of the expedition stay behind, tending to the wounded and arranging the bodies of their fallen companions. They find one survivor of the Fifth Eidolorn staged in Tretcher, a Private Tinn who tells them of the village's plight, that there were TWO warbands which attacked. The Wolf Tongue warriors captured numerous of the young women and other 'useful' prisoners, then traveled East across the Frogmarch, presumably to ransack the tombs of their ancestors for the war effort.
Tinn also relates that the PCs that she is related to the missing General Bree Bristow of Wintersbreath, and that more information on what's happening can be found with Cmd. Estelbard at the capital of Vettlar, further up the Pinewater. The other notable survivors at Tretcher include Brother Vax, a local adept of Eleste who offers to heal those in need; Stenn Arvangr, proprietor of the local drinking hole the Piss Poor Abbott, who offers the expedition any food or drink he might have left after the sacking of the village; Chani 'Coldfitter', a beautiful platinum haired dwarf who Odd Jon is immediately taken with; and farmer Hagel Ossted, who is glad to see Grulsh still alive and gets into a verbal altercation with Luz. Once the smoke has cleared, Stenn and Ginkwrench head off to the Piss Poor Abbot, where they find the berserkers' stored spoils, including a few items that Mudgol detects as radiating magic. In taking account of their losses, Baro is surprised to find that Handsome Harlan has died...after all, he recalls bandaging and stabilizing the bruiser during the combat.
After a small conference, Odd Jon approaches Langston about having himself and several others remain behind, thinking it inconceivable to leave the villagers unguarded until further assistance can arrive. It is agreed that Odd Jon, Cannon (who is now dispossessed of his fallen mercenary band and not sure he wants to continue anyway), Flake Falloway, and a begrudging Roost will remain in Tretcher to help build some defenses for the survivors, while the rest of the expedition will head East to find the missing villagers before pressing on to Vettlar. There me be an added 'impetus' for Odd Jon to remain behind (as well as the other dwarves) in the beautiful Chani, but at least she is able to procure cold weather outfits for the rest of the expedition who are continuing the trek.
Evelais (Saint's Day), Malarous 27th 838 ID
A day of rest and remembrance of the expedition's fallen. Stone cairns are built by the survivors for the dead, including Slab and Teckle. Mudgol meanwhile identifies a number of the objects the party has found: a pair of huge-sized horseshoes of speed (meant for a mammoth, no doubt); a dagger +2, +3 vs. fire type creatures called 'Blazebane'; a minor circlet of blasting, and the goblin leader's sugliin +1. Gear is distributed where it can be, and the expedition claims the berserker spoils (Grulsh his own equipment), though they decide to leave all the masterwork gear of their fallen and the enemy to help arm the survivors, who can also sell it later to help restore Tretcher more fully. The rest of the day is spent healing, with the help of Balard Winch, Brother Vax and Luz.
Aric, Malarous 28th 838 ID
Another day is spent healing wounds and distributing gear, while Stenn Arvangr prepares rations for the expedition. The following morning, Langston plans to head East across the Frogmarch. After a discussion, Grulsh decides to join the group, to mete out vengeance for the berserkers' acts and help rescue Hagel's daughters.
PCs: Ginkwrench, Grulsh, Langston, Luz
Combined Casualties: Eiger 'Cold Draft' Dodson, Handsome Harlan, Lt. Teckle, Pvt. Glass, Regg Morland, Slab, Tulk Rothek
Remaining in Tretcher: Cannon, Flake, Odd Jon, Roost
Pressing Forward: Balard, Baro, Barr, Ginkwrench, Grulsh, Langston, Longjohns, Mudgol, Luz, Polk, Vondort
NPCs
Brother Vax (human male): A bulky man of brawny girth, he’s adorned in thick, warm brown robes emblazoned in a pattern of bronze-tinted swords, flowing down over his broad boots. He has a burn mark around his neck where a necklace or amulet seems to have been branded into him, and haggard, exhausted eyes of a pale green-gray below his unkempt, thick mane of dark hair. Vax is not only the tenant of the Hallbotten Chapel (to Eleste), but he also works at the Breads ‘n’ Broth, with the Giant Steppers have thoroughly sacked. He’s an adept of some skill. Vax has been the spiritual leader of the 40-50 captives.
The Battle of Tretcher Part II
The surviving members of the expedition continue to press on desperately against the Vandrakki berserkers, as their spells and tricks run down to a gruesome exhibition of hacking and killing. Mudgol is accosted by a summoned beast atop the northernmost Tretcher gatehouse while the carnage ensues below. The berserker shamans soon flee the melee, their healing magics spent, and mount the war mammoth to flee the village, but the PCs are so involved with the remaining barbarians, snow goblins and the war chief that they cannot even entertain an idea of pursuit. Captain Langston decides to 'tank up', donning shield and warhammer to draw the attention of the warchief, who has in the meantime slain our good friend Private Teckle. Though his prowess is faultless, Handsome Harlan is also brought low to unconsciousness, as well as the warmage Roost and the pistoleer Cannon Mack Roy. Soon, Langston, Ginkwrench and Mudgol share their fate, leaving only a handful of the expedition around to finish the fight...
Meanwhile, a bugbear exile struggles to break free of his bonds in the basement of a local shop, where the Vandrakki had isolated him due to his dangerous physique. He struggles for many rounds to break the very foundation to which he is manacled, and eventually succeeds, though as a result he has brought down much of the structure! Grulsh fled north from the Blood Eagle tribe once they announced their intention to ally with the mysterious organization called 'The Score', thinking his warmates foolish to go up against the Empire, and he found work for a month or so with a Tretcher farmer named Hagel Ossted. When the berserkers arrived, Grulsh was overwhelmed and decided it best not to fight against such hopeless odds, so he was taken captive and separated from the other survivors. After freeing himself, he rushes off towards the sounds of battle, praying that liberators have arrived to take the village back from the Giant Steppers...
He arrives just after the battle has ended, but it quickly spotted by the wizard Baro, who calls out Captain Langston (recently healed to consciousness). The Last Eidolorn expedition has won their battle, but at huge costs. Immediately distrusting the bugbear, Langston fires a shot at Grulsh as he runs back to the south district of the village where he believes the other survivors have been kenneled. Baro, Luz and Langston all follow him, while Grulsh, manacled, climbs and breaks through a window into the warehouse. The other survivors, happy to see the bugbear, hide him while the rest of the PCs arrive to open the building. Odd Jon and the remainder of the expedition stay behind, tending to the wounded and arranging the bodies of their fallen companions. They find one survivor of the Fifth Eidolorn staged in Tretcher, a Private Tinn who tells them of the village's plight, that there were TWO warbands which attacked. The Wolf Tongue warriors captured numerous of the young women and other 'useful' prisoners, then traveled East across the Frogmarch, presumably to ransack the tombs of their ancestors for the war effort.
Tinn also relates that the PCs that she is related to the missing General Bree Bristow of Wintersbreath, and that more information on what's happening can be found with Cmd. Estelbard at the capital of Vettlar, further up the Pinewater. The other notable survivors at Tretcher include Brother Vax, a local adept of Eleste who offers to heal those in need; Stenn Arvangr, proprietor of the local drinking hole the Piss Poor Abbott, who offers the expedition any food or drink he might have left after the sacking of the village; Chani 'Coldfitter', a beautiful platinum haired dwarf who Odd Jon is immediately taken with; and farmer Hagel Ossted, who is glad to see Grulsh still alive and gets into a verbal altercation with Luz. Once the smoke has cleared, Stenn and Ginkwrench head off to the Piss Poor Abbot, where they find the berserkers' stored spoils, including a few items that Mudgol detects as radiating magic. In taking account of their losses, Baro is surprised to find that Handsome Harlan has died...after all, he recalls bandaging and stabilizing the bruiser during the combat.
After a small conference, Odd Jon approaches Langston about having himself and several others remain behind, thinking it inconceivable to leave the villagers unguarded until further assistance can arrive. It is agreed that Odd Jon, Cannon (who is now dispossessed of his fallen mercenary band and not sure he wants to continue anyway), Flake Falloway, and a begrudging Roost will remain in Tretcher to help build some defenses for the survivors, while the rest of the expedition will head East to find the missing villagers before pressing on to Vettlar. There me be an added 'impetus' for Odd Jon to remain behind (as well as the other dwarves) in the beautiful Chani, but at least she is able to procure cold weather outfits for the rest of the expedition who are continuing the trek.
Evelais (Saint's Day), Malarous 27th 838 ID
A day of rest and remembrance of the expedition's fallen. Stone cairns are built by the survivors for the dead, including Slab and Teckle. Mudgol meanwhile identifies a number of the objects the party has found: a pair of huge-sized horseshoes of speed (meant for a mammoth, no doubt); a dagger +2, +3 vs. fire type creatures called 'Blazebane'; a minor circlet of blasting, and the goblin leader's sugliin +1. Gear is distributed where it can be, and the expedition claims the berserker spoils (Grulsh his own equipment), though they decide to leave all the masterwork gear of their fallen and the enemy to help arm the survivors, who can also sell it later to help restore Tretcher more fully. The rest of the day is spent healing, with the help of Balard Winch, Brother Vax and Luz.
Aric, Malarous 28th 838 ID
Another day is spent healing wounds and distributing gear, while Stenn Arvangr prepares rations for the expedition. The following morning, Langston plans to head East across the Frogmarch. After a discussion, Grulsh decides to join the group, to mete out vengeance for the berserkers' acts and help rescue Hagel's daughters.
PCs: Ginkwrench, Grulsh, Langston, Luz
Combined Casualties: Eiger 'Cold Draft' Dodson, Handsome Harlan, Lt. Teckle, Pvt. Glass, Regg Morland, Slab, Tulk Rothek
Remaining in Tretcher: Cannon, Flake, Odd Jon, Roost
Pressing Forward: Balard, Baro, Barr, Ginkwrench, Grulsh, Langston, Longjohns, Mudgol, Luz, Polk, Vondort
NPCs
Brother Vax (human male): A bulky man of brawny girth, he’s adorned in thick, warm brown robes emblazoned in a pattern of bronze-tinted swords, flowing down over his broad boots. He has a burn mark around his neck where a necklace or amulet seems to have been branded into him, and haggard, exhausted eyes of a pale green-gray below his unkempt, thick mane of dark hair. Vax is not only the tenant of the Hallbotten Chapel (to Eleste), but he also works at the Breads ‘n’ Broth, with the Giant Steppers have thoroughly sacked. He’s an adept of some skill. Vax has been the spiritual leader of the 40-50 captives.
Chani Chiselblade (dwarf female): A beautiful dwarven vision, with a shock of
long, platinum-white hair tied back in ornate braids, she wears a blood stained
pale fur cloak above some fine tailored, detailed garments and white boots.
There is a sharpness to her features, with dagger green eyes and strong
cheekbones, but it only serves to heighten her appeal. Chani runs the ‘Coldfitters’ shop for travelers
in and out of Wintersbreath. Though the Giant Steppers, with their inbred
tolerance for the region’s climate, had little use for her wares, they still
ransacked most of the finer furs and material, about 50% of her stock.
Hagel Ossted (human male): A seasoned man of at least 60 winters,
with numerous cracks and scars around his eyes and smothering his fingers, and
a graying mane of hair clutched back in a braid of wooden beads. His broad
shoulders hint at a long life of labor, and his squared jaw looks to have been
shattered or broken at some point, as it hangs at a slightly disjointed angle. Hagel is a widower, the last survivor of the Osstad
farm, just north of Tretcher proper. His livestock were devoured by the Giant
Stepper raiders, his two sons slain, and his two daughters presumably stolen
away to slavery with the Vandrakki, somewhere outside of Tretcher. Hagel took the outcast Grulsh under his wing when he needed work.
Private Tinn (human female): A crumpled woman in her 20s, her amber
eyes and blonde locks might have marked her as attractive if she weren’t so
damaged. Bruises cover her face and arms, and her left leg has been removed
below the knee, so she leans against an improvised crutch. She wears a tattered
Fifth Eidolorn uniform, but it’s been ripped several times above and below the
waist. Tinn is the last surviving Fifth Eidolorn soldier in
town, the rest having either been routed by the Giant Steppers or fled onto the
plains to the West. She claims to be
related to General Bree Bristow, the missing general of the Wintersbreath
forces.
Stenn Arvangr (human male): A steep but hunched man with balding,
tightly cropped bald hair, he moves about with a stiffness that seems to agree
with the cold air. A pair of eyeglasses rests on the bridge of his hawkish, purpled
nose, partly concealing his blue-green eyes, and a neatly trimmed moustache
rests beneath it. A hand ax and cleaver hang by the belt of his apron,
unblooded. Stenn is the proprietor and cook of the Piss Poor
Abbot, Tretcher’s sole drinking establishment and hostel for travelers.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Online Session 35 (7/17/12)
Here is the link to the transcript of AIM online session 35.
PCs: Doorjamb
Melizyla (dryad female): A curious dryad living a few hundred meters outside of the Free-Mest, she enchants Sgt. Lusker one evening when he and Doorjamb are camped outside the village. Doorjamb eventually finds the besmitten rogue, and Melizyla warns him that she doesn't want them around, but that he is free to reclaim his companion.
PCs: Doorjamb
Melizyla (dryad female): A curious dryad living a few hundred meters outside of the Free-Mest, she enchants Sgt. Lusker one evening when he and Doorjamb are camped outside the village. Doorjamb eventually finds the besmitten rogue, and Melizyla warns him that she doesn't want them around, but that he is free to reclaim his companion.
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