Thursday, June 23, 2011

The Aldelle Group – Session 33 – Into the Uskar Desert

Sessions 33 happened Tuesday, June 21, 2011.  We have picked up a new player, the DM's brother, who had been helping putting together the bad guys during the drow story arc and now wanted to play.

This campaign used the Dyson’s Delve dungeon pages on A Character for Every Game as a starting point, but has now moved on to new material from the DM-in-training.  I heartily recommend Dyson's Delve as a beginning adventure.

Adventuring Group:
Tre-ba Bel a sheer (female elf alchemist)
Brek'nok (male dwarf druid)
Frankie Hu, Master of the Distracting Fist (male dwarf monk)
Luna (female elf sorcerer)
Wednesday (female elf rogue)
Harkaitz of the Red Soul (male human cleric of Ra)

NPCs:
Aziz of the Light (male human paladin, cohort of Harkaitz)
Sarisvati the Sun-touched (female Ifrit oracle, cohort of Aziz)
Midnight (female half-elf witch, cohort of Frankie Hu)
Short John Copper (male halfling expert)
Brand and Zephir (male and female, respectively, pseudo-dragons)


Evening, May 27, Year of the Earth Rabbit
Praise Ra, whose light we return to.

We have spent the last 10 days going about our individual businesses here in Ttaeladra plus planning our trip to the Uskar Gate.  [NOTE: Uskar is the name of the great desert that makes up the entire southern third of our map, so "Uskar Gate" refers to the magical gate deep in the desert.]  We estimate that the trip will take nearly two weeks to get to the gate and then another week to get to either the city of Uru, my home, or Lagaskia, Aziz's home village on the Kurrakam River, either a place we could resupply.  As much as I would like to see the walls of Uru again, Lagaskia is a better route to the Mountain Gate.  I should be able to get to the Great Temple of Ra in Warka before we swing up into the mountains.

Tomorrow we will head out.  I procured a new bag of holding [Type 2] for Short John to use as a larder for our supplies.  One of the other bags has been filled with full water skins and one empty barrel as the blessings of Ra allow me to create water.  I feel more confident using actual supplies rather than relying upon summoned victuals.  Plus, Short John can do amazing things with the supplies we purchased.


Evening, May 31, Year of the Earth Rabbit
Praise Ra, who shows us new allies in the wilderness.

We exited the southern edge of the Forest of Angry Elves this morning and made good time across the strip of plains separating the forest from the fringes of the Uskar.  I am not certain if it has been named.  We were moving close by the eastern tip of the mountains when Tre-ba and Wednesday noticed a dwarf waiting in our path.  I was sent to parlay with the dwarf.

His name is Brek'nok (which is as close as I can transliterate it from the dwarven tongue) and he is, of all things, a druid.  I have no problems with the Old Faith (as it is called) as they also revere Ra, just not exclusively.  I explained we were on our way into the Uskar on a mission to save the world.  He stated he, too, was interested in saving the world and would like to join us in our quest.  The rest of the group was fine with this, although Frankie, of all people, was disgruntled with Brek'nok being a druid.  Dwarven monks must practice at being grumpy.  Perhaps they only accept those who don't like people in general to begin with.


Evening, June 1, Year of the Earth Rabbit
Praise Ra, who reminds us to not become prideful.

This afternoon an ancient blue dragon flew by us.  It was heading south, apparently having left the mountains (this is a guess on my part).  We spotted it in time to hide Aziz, who was willing to fight the dragon.  If the dragon had seen Aziz and his blue dragonhide banded mail, it certainly would have stopped to offer battle and likely killed us all.  I used wall of stone to create a hut reminiscent of those used in my home city and we had Aziz enter it before the dragon got too close.  Midnight, Sarisvati, and Short John also entered the hut as they are not primary combatants like the rest of us.

The dragon flew by, close enough for us to get a good look at it and for it to get a good look at us.  It apparently was busy enough on its errand (and we offered no offense) that it continued flying by without stopping.  It is possible the two pseudo-dragons with us or the obviously dragon-blooded Luna helped.  We were happy for it to pass without stopping (even Aziz, once he saw that it was an ancient wyrm and not a younger dragon).

Brek'nok has been using a druidic spell to fend off the worst effects of the desert, allowing us to travel easier and without injury from the heat.  This has helped greatly.



Evening, June 2, Year of the Earth Rabbit
Praise Ra, who presents us with challenges to better ourselves.

This morning we found the skeletal remains of four humans wearing the colors of Ra.  They appeared to be pilgrims who had been attacked with weapons of some sort, probably swords.  Who would ambush pilgrims?  This demands attention, but we are on a mission from Ra and cannot wait a day for me to learn speak with dead.  As I tried to divine the right path, Tre-ba showed it to me – bundle up the skeletons and take them with us.  After we question them, we can give them proper burial.  Tre-ba has good insight.

Later, in the afternoon, we were attacked by a remorhaz.  The beast radiated even more heat than the sands and the holy sun, making attacking it tricky.  Luckily, the sharp eyes of Wednesday spotted its approach, so we were ready to immediately attack when it surfaced from the sands.  Tre-ba made the killing attack with an acid bomb going directly down its throat before exploding.


Morning, June 3, Year of the Earth Rabbit
Praise Ra, who guides us and informs us.

I have spoken with the dead.

The leader of the group was Adrent, a priest from Uru, my home.  He and his fellow pilgrims came upon many skeletons lying in the sands and approached.  The skeletons animated and attacked them, killing them all.  Adrent requested (when asked) that their remains be returned to Uru for proper burial.

I conferred with my companions and we have agreed to go to Uru after freeing the Uskar Gate.  We have been speculating on the skeletal assailants.  I suspect there is a necromancer out here that will need attending to.  Aziz agrees.


Morning, June 5, Year of the Earth Rabbit
Praise Ra, whose light lays bare our enemies.

We discovered a large group of skeletons laying in the sands along our path.  When we got close enough, Aziz was able to feel the evil intent roiling off of them.  Luna dropped a fireball on them and I released a nimbus of light as bright as the sun, praise be to Ra.  Midnight then used dimension door to more her and I to the center of the skeletons where the nimbus blasted them with holy light, cracking their bones even as they rose to attack us.  I then released a wave of positive energy, shattering them all.  [It is entirely possible Harkaitz was a bit smug at this.]

There is definitely a necromancer walking the sands.

I took one of the more complete skulls and inscribed on its dome (in goblin) "Super Rat not amused" and "Ha Ha Ha" around the back of the skull.  I then placed it on a (mostly) complete femur that I stuck in the sands.  Our challenge has been made.  The next move is the necromancer's.

Brek'nok looked askance at this as he can read goblin.  I explained that Super Rat is our calling card to our foes.  He seemed to understand.

*End of Session*

[The ten day gap between sessions was to allow folks to do things in Ttaeladra between sessions and not take up game time with it.  Frankie did some bounty hunting work and Wednesday "danced" (read: picked pockets) in several taverns in the city.]

[Sorry for the delayed post - I started feeling ill last night and did not get any writing done.  I'm feeling better now.  Seems to be either weather related (first all day thunderstorms in months) or a slight case of bad food.]
 

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