[This was a relatively short session as we started a bit late and there was a good deal of discussion during the first half of the session.]
Attendees
Hugo Underwood – Wood Elf shaman
Felix Lutsk – Human “acquisitioner”
Albrecht Artyom – Human Grey Wizard
Fritz Schmidt – Human scout
Alset Alokin – High Elf mage
Before heading out into the wilds again, the group spent time dealing with business in town.
Fritz became the patron of the owner/operator of a general store in town, Ditmar Lumm. Fritz directed Ditmar to start growing contacts and a supply chain to support the colony (when established). [Fritz spent experience points to buy a Follower.]
Uncle Felix’s Armor Shop opened for business and Felix started making plans to bring in weapons smiths as well as the high quality armor smiths he had hired. [Felix spent experience points to purchase a base with "followers" of it's own - the employed smiths. Note: the smiths are loyal to the shop, not Felix.]
The loot from the treasure closet was divvyed up*. The sealed lead chest was investigated and determined to have no traps on it, but it was sealed with a lump of lead instead of a lock. "Morrsleib" sounded familiar to the adventurers, but most could not remember why. Hugo remembered it was the name of the green moon, but could not quite remember the significance.
After the lead lump was removed, Felix opened the chest. Inside was an oversized skull made of glowing green crystal – it was pure warpstone!** As it’s corrupting energies washed over Felix, he could feel it trying to change him. Made of sterner stuff, Felix resisted its effects and slammed the chest shut. He then set about resealing it immediately. All the exposed skin on his front was red as though sun-burned. This triggered Alset’s memory: Morslieb was reputed to be the source of all warpstone, so the symbol embossed on the chest was a warning. [GM wearing an evil grin here.]
Alset commissioned two sets of three copper-covered iron rods from Felix’s smithy and was told they would be ready in a week and a half. He has plans for them relating to his teleport spell...
Finally, Albrecht decided to bring two handfuls of the unmagic dust with him on the current expedition and Fritz chose to bring three. The remaining three handfuls were left at F&A Holdings.
The next morning the group mounted up on their horses and headed east along Quarry Road. At Watch Tower 1 they turned off the road and headed northeast across the plains, aiming for the southern of the two towers out on the plains on their map. As they got near, their path crossed the fringe of the Wedge Wood, where the forest was growing around a barrier that only seemed to affect the forest. The adventurers searched the area, finding an abandoned logging camp. Hugo was able to determine that the camp had been abandoned for at least a year, but there was no indications as to why it had been abandoned.
The adventurers then continued on to the lone hill with a tower on it. Just like its neighbor to the northwest, Alset was able to locate lines of force emanating from inside the hill. One line headed to the northwest, directly towards the tower the adventurers had previously explored. One line of force headed northeast, to possibly link up with one of the lines from the other tower, and the third line headed due east, where the adventurers theorized another tower could be found. They deduced that there were a total of six towers with something at the center, possibly a seventh tower.
The adventurers examined the tower they were at. Like the tower to the northwest, it had no windows or doors. Albrecht teleported to the top of the wall and verified that the tower was completely hollow inside, just like the one to the northwest. Searching around the hill, they did not find the illusion covered cave entrance where they were expecting it [on the "inside" of the area delineated by the lines of force]. They did find a one on the southeastern edge of the hill, set into a low cliff face.
As it was getting late in the day, the group decided to camp, but back at the abandoned logging camp three miles away. They rode there and set up in the largest standing building [about the size of a barn]. The doors were long gone on the building, which was significant later, but the building provided cover for the adventurers and their mounts.
On second watch (Alset and Albrecht), Alset spotted a small group of creatures approaching. The creatures looked similar to the Cold Ones that Dark Elfs ride and were directly approaching the camp. Alset had Albrecht wake the rest of the group. The adventurers clustered at the front entrance and readied for the creatures to attack. All three wizards cast enhancing spells on Felix, increasing his Dexterity and armor protection significantly. He stood in the front center, ready for the rush of the beasts.
The beasts had been making clicks and trills at each other while approaching and when the rush happened, it did not go as expected. Two of the six beasts charged the front entrance, but the others broke off into two groups and moved around the sides of the building, heading for the wide open rear entrance. Felix stood his ground and fended off the two attacking the front, barely scratched by their ferocious attacks thanks to the magics protecting him.
As the fight progressed, the four flanking beasts charged in through the rear entrance and fell on the horses stabled in an adjacent side room. Horrible sounds of horses dying could be heard by the adventurers at the front, which angered the adventurers. The group started peeling off from the front fight to stop the slaughter of their horses. Felix cut down one of the two beasts at the front, driving off the other [who suddenly found its sense of self-preservation], ending the front fight.
The adventurers killed the rest of the attacking beasts, but not before losing all but one of their horses. With one horse left, the group decided to return to town. Alset could teleport the group back to town with the horse, but not if they found any significant treasure under the tower as the horse put him at the edge of of his teleportation spell’s capabilities.
Back in town, the group waited a few days until the full moon for the next monthly auction to happen. They sold off several items they had been holding on to: the wraith crowns, the ceremonial gold bowl, and the gold torc. They then split up the proceeds and made arrangements for Quetzal and Zoglug to get their shares.
End of Session
* The treasure consisted of:
1. Large dragonhide shield [50% resistant ED damage reduction to fire attacks, 11- Act.]
2. Pendant charm (minor magic) [2rPD hardened vs. missiles, 1 Turn per day]
3. Fingerbone charm (minor magic) [+5 DCV once per day]
4. Potion of Vitality [LS: aging, sleep, and food, plus 0 END Running and STR, lasts 1 hour]
5. Unmagic dust - took a while to identify [Dispel, 10d6 per handful of dust, bag of 8 handfuls]
6. Bronze torc with opals set in the caps (old-style Jicarilla work) - 350-450g
7. 10,000 copper coins, triangular in shape, with the face of an Elf on one side and the phrase "Through Darkness, Light" on the other.
8. 1000 silver coins, triangular in shape, with a skull on one side and the phrase "Through Darkness, Light" on the other.
9. 600 gold coins, triangular in shape, with the face of a Human wearing a crown on one side and the phrase "Through Darkness, Light" on the other.
10. Small lead chest with the Elf symbol of Morrsleib embossed on it.
** Yes, Kasey, the party just found a crystal skull. ;)
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Song of the Jackaroos Delayed
I wanted to alternate between adventure logs from my Blood, Gold, and Lizards campaign and the Adventure Earth! campaign I play in, but the Adventure Earth! write-ups take longer as I do them as journal entries made by my character (as opposed to a simple listing of what happened). So the Session 6 notes from the BG&L Friday Group will post this week instead (already queued up for posting Tuesday morning at 7:00 AM Central). I should have the first installment of the Adventure Earth! notes next week.
Later!
Later!
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
BG&L - Saturday Group - Session 5
Attendees
Marcus of the Shield – Human priest of Shallya, Goddess of Healing, Mercy, and Childbirth
Felix Lutsk – Human “acquisitioner”
Zoglug Ironhide – “civilized” Orc warrior
Quetzal – Lizardfolk scout
Belladonna "Frongle" Leagallow – Halfling of many talents and follower of Manann
Jacien Ghel-Aurum –Human wizard, member of the Gold Fellowship
The group decided to make the Sea Cave their forward base. To this end, they spent two days gathering supplies to store there and they commissioned the construction of an iron bound door with a frame to hold it. Jacien requested a large number of eyebolts be embedded in the frame on both sides and across the top. Felix strongly advocated a good lock be included and this was incorporated into the plan. The local craftsmen had a door already made that met the necessary specifications, so they only needed to craft the stout frame and embed the eyebolts. In two days, all the necessary supplies were gathered and stored in Jacien’s shop and on Zoglug’s cart.
The group then boarded the Spider Walker and headed west, walking on the waters just off shore. The rode for six hours before putting in to shore find shelter for the night. As they arrived on shore, they spotted a ship moving along the coast, heading east towards Lucan’s Clock. As it passed, they identified it as the Hellborn Strumpet, flying a Sartosan flag. As the crew of the ship chose not to engage the adventurers, the adventurers chose to not engage the ship. Frongol was unable to find a good cave for their camp, but she was able to find a good cliff overhang that was low enough to provide cover from the elements. Watches were set and the group settled in for the night.
On the final watch, Zoglug and Marcus should have been alert, but fell asleep. The other members of the group were awakened to the sounds of large animals rummaging through the stores on the back of the Spider Walker. Two large beasts with heavy armor and a tail like a mace are eating the foodstuffs the group brought with them. Quetzal talks to them in a lizard tongue and convinces the two beasts that there is better food a bit further on. The beasts (not being too bright) agree to move on.
Once the beasts leave, Marcus and Zoglug were woken up and an explanation was demanded. Zoglug just rolled back over, said it was Marcus’s watch, and went back to sleep. Marcus claimed he had fallen into a meditative state communing with Shallya and had not noticed the beasts as they posed no threat to the group [that was his story and he was sticking to it].
The next day, the group continued heading east on the Spider Walker, out on the waters following the coast. Two hours in, sharks were spotted circling something further out and the adventurers decided to go investigate. Jacien directed the Walker further out to sea, slightly disturbing the sharks circling pattern (which changed to now include the Spider Walker).
Deep down in the water some of the adventurers could just make out the top mast of a ship. They suspected that the Hellborn Strumpet had attacked and sank the ship. Wanting to see what might be down there Quetzal was willing to swim down, but not with a bunch of sharks circling, so the adventurers decided to clear out the sharks by shooting them from the safe confines of the Spider Walker. This started out OK, but eventually the sharks got riled and one made a leap out of the water and bit Frongol (who was leaning over the edge to get a better shot). Frongol was yanked off her feet and fell into the water, bleeding from a serious shoulder wound.
The sharks started circling closer.
Quetzal dropped a rope end into the water and then dove in to help Frongol escape. Unfortunately, three of the sharks decided Quetzal looked more like food than Frongol did and attacked her. Quetzal lost an arm to the initial attack and then lost a part of her torso and one of her legs from the thigh down. She immediately fell unconscious and started bleeding out.
With lots of blood in the water, the sharks started frenzying.
Frongol was able to grab Quetzal’s unconscious form and drag her over to the dangling rope while the other adventurers concentrated attacks to kill sharks faster. Felix hauled up Frongol and Quetzal once Frongol wrapped the rope around the two of them. When another shark approached to attack, Zoglug jumped onto the shark and attacked it! [Yes, that’s right – Zoglug jumped the shark.] Other sharks attacked the Spider Walker, doing serious damage to it, threatening to pull it under the waves.
In the end, the adventurers killed six of the eight great whites attacking them, driving off the other two. Four of the dead sharks were harpooned with ropes attached and were dragged to shore with the Spider Walker as it limped back to shore, the two others sank into the gloom of the bottom. Marcus was able to keep Quetzal from bleeding out and dying during the fight and a regeneration spell cast once back on shore regrew Quetzal’s lost limbs. A sheltered spot was quickly located and secured. Jacien spent the rest of the day doing repairs on the Spider Walker while Quetzal skinned and butchered the sharks with great gusto.
That night, everyone had shark steak for dinner.
That night, Zoglug and Jacien saw some klakkers (pterodactyls) fly by high overhead. A little later, after Jacien’s watch finished and Marcus had joined Zoglug on watch, three more of the mace-tailed beasts started wandering towards the camp. Zoglug woke up Quetzal so she could talk the beasts into leaving peacefully (everyone had had enough fighting for a while with the sharks). After a fairly short conversation with the beasts, Quetzal redirected them away from the camp.
In the morning, the group reviewed their map of the area and discussed possible routes they could take to the Sea Cave. To speed things up, they decided to cut through a nearby part of the Valley of the Landsharks (where they could make better time with the damaged Spider walker) so they could reach the Sea Cave by sunset. Along the way they found some wild plants Quetzal recognized as edible, watched some more klakkers fly by (except Frongol, who stayed out of sight), and spotted a cow-herd skeleton partially buried in the ground – obviously a victim of a landshark attack.
The adventurers arrived at the Sea Cave just in time for one of the rare rain storms to come by and drench the area. Quetzal checked the cave for tracks and found signs a Lizardfolk patrol had camped in the cave since the group had last been here (so, sometime in the last week). The caves were quickly verified to be empty and dry. After some discussion, the adventurers decided to claim only part of the caves, leaving a few off to one side for others to use (meaning the Lizardfolk patrols). The group then camped.
After breakfast, Jacien went about the business of opening a temporary warp gate to his laboratory back in Lucan’s Clock. This magic is still experimental for him and there was some concern about the consequences of failure. Once everyone was ready, he completed the ritual and the gate opened successfully. The plan was followed and folks rushed through and pushed Zoglug’s cart full of supplies through the gate from the lab to the cave. The time necessary to do this was under the minute the gate lasted and all the supplies made it safely.
While the others unloaded the cart, Jacien had Zoglug haul the door from the Spider to the cave entrance the adventurers wanted to be their front door. Once the door was in place, Jacien made multiple spell castings, filling the gaps on the sides and top with steel chains summoned from the warp. The chains linked into the eyebolts along the sides of the doors and drove into the stone walls, anchoring the door firmly in place.
With Sea Cave Base established, the adventurers started going about the business of making it comfortable.
End of Session
Marcus of the Shield – Human priest of Shallya, Goddess of Healing, Mercy, and Childbirth
Felix Lutsk – Human “acquisitioner”
Zoglug Ironhide – “civilized” Orc warrior
Quetzal – Lizardfolk scout
Belladonna "Frongle" Leagallow – Halfling of many talents and follower of Manann
Jacien Ghel-Aurum –Human wizard, member of the Gold Fellowship
The group decided to make the Sea Cave their forward base. To this end, they spent two days gathering supplies to store there and they commissioned the construction of an iron bound door with a frame to hold it. Jacien requested a large number of eyebolts be embedded in the frame on both sides and across the top. Felix strongly advocated a good lock be included and this was incorporated into the plan. The local craftsmen had a door already made that met the necessary specifications, so they only needed to craft the stout frame and embed the eyebolts. In two days, all the necessary supplies were gathered and stored in Jacien’s shop and on Zoglug’s cart.
The group then boarded the Spider Walker and headed west, walking on the waters just off shore. The rode for six hours before putting in to shore find shelter for the night. As they arrived on shore, they spotted a ship moving along the coast, heading east towards Lucan’s Clock. As it passed, they identified it as the Hellborn Strumpet, flying a Sartosan flag. As the crew of the ship chose not to engage the adventurers, the adventurers chose to not engage the ship. Frongol was unable to find a good cave for their camp, but she was able to find a good cliff overhang that was low enough to provide cover from the elements. Watches were set and the group settled in for the night.
On the final watch, Zoglug and Marcus should have been alert, but fell asleep. The other members of the group were awakened to the sounds of large animals rummaging through the stores on the back of the Spider Walker. Two large beasts with heavy armor and a tail like a mace are eating the foodstuffs the group brought with them. Quetzal talks to them in a lizard tongue and convinces the two beasts that there is better food a bit further on. The beasts (not being too bright) agree to move on.
Once the beasts leave, Marcus and Zoglug were woken up and an explanation was demanded. Zoglug just rolled back over, said it was Marcus’s watch, and went back to sleep. Marcus claimed he had fallen into a meditative state communing with Shallya and had not noticed the beasts as they posed no threat to the group [that was his story and he was sticking to it].
The next day, the group continued heading east on the Spider Walker, out on the waters following the coast. Two hours in, sharks were spotted circling something further out and the adventurers decided to go investigate. Jacien directed the Walker further out to sea, slightly disturbing the sharks circling pattern (which changed to now include the Spider Walker).
Deep down in the water some of the adventurers could just make out the top mast of a ship. They suspected that the Hellborn Strumpet had attacked and sank the ship. Wanting to see what might be down there Quetzal was willing to swim down, but not with a bunch of sharks circling, so the adventurers decided to clear out the sharks by shooting them from the safe confines of the Spider Walker. This started out OK, but eventually the sharks got riled and one made a leap out of the water and bit Frongol (who was leaning over the edge to get a better shot). Frongol was yanked off her feet and fell into the water, bleeding from a serious shoulder wound.
The sharks started circling closer.
Quetzal dropped a rope end into the water and then dove in to help Frongol escape. Unfortunately, three of the sharks decided Quetzal looked more like food than Frongol did and attacked her. Quetzal lost an arm to the initial attack and then lost a part of her torso and one of her legs from the thigh down. She immediately fell unconscious and started bleeding out.
With lots of blood in the water, the sharks started frenzying.
Frongol was able to grab Quetzal’s unconscious form and drag her over to the dangling rope while the other adventurers concentrated attacks to kill sharks faster. Felix hauled up Frongol and Quetzal once Frongol wrapped the rope around the two of them. When another shark approached to attack, Zoglug jumped onto the shark and attacked it! [Yes, that’s right – Zoglug jumped the shark.] Other sharks attacked the Spider Walker, doing serious damage to it, threatening to pull it under the waves.
In the end, the adventurers killed six of the eight great whites attacking them, driving off the other two. Four of the dead sharks were harpooned with ropes attached and were dragged to shore with the Spider Walker as it limped back to shore, the two others sank into the gloom of the bottom. Marcus was able to keep Quetzal from bleeding out and dying during the fight and a regeneration spell cast once back on shore regrew Quetzal’s lost limbs. A sheltered spot was quickly located and secured. Jacien spent the rest of the day doing repairs on the Spider Walker while Quetzal skinned and butchered the sharks with great gusto.
That night, everyone had shark steak for dinner.
That night, Zoglug and Jacien saw some klakkers (pterodactyls) fly by high overhead. A little later, after Jacien’s watch finished and Marcus had joined Zoglug on watch, three more of the mace-tailed beasts started wandering towards the camp. Zoglug woke up Quetzal so she could talk the beasts into leaving peacefully (everyone had had enough fighting for a while with the sharks). After a fairly short conversation with the beasts, Quetzal redirected them away from the camp.
In the morning, the group reviewed their map of the area and discussed possible routes they could take to the Sea Cave. To speed things up, they decided to cut through a nearby part of the Valley of the Landsharks (where they could make better time with the damaged Spider walker) so they could reach the Sea Cave by sunset. Along the way they found some wild plants Quetzal recognized as edible, watched some more klakkers fly by (except Frongol, who stayed out of sight), and spotted a cow-herd skeleton partially buried in the ground – obviously a victim of a landshark attack.
The adventurers arrived at the Sea Cave just in time for one of the rare rain storms to come by and drench the area. Quetzal checked the cave for tracks and found signs a Lizardfolk patrol had camped in the cave since the group had last been here (so, sometime in the last week). The caves were quickly verified to be empty and dry. After some discussion, the adventurers decided to claim only part of the caves, leaving a few off to one side for others to use (meaning the Lizardfolk patrols). The group then camped.
After breakfast, Jacien went about the business of opening a temporary warp gate to his laboratory back in Lucan’s Clock. This magic is still experimental for him and there was some concern about the consequences of failure. Once everyone was ready, he completed the ritual and the gate opened successfully. The plan was followed and folks rushed through and pushed Zoglug’s cart full of supplies through the gate from the lab to the cave. The time necessary to do this was under the minute the gate lasted and all the supplies made it safely.
While the others unloaded the cart, Jacien had Zoglug haul the door from the Spider to the cave entrance the adventurers wanted to be their front door. Once the door was in place, Jacien made multiple spell castings, filling the gaps on the sides and top with steel chains summoned from the warp. The chains linked into the eyebolts along the sides of the doors and drove into the stone walls, anchoring the door firmly in place.
With Sea Cave Base established, the adventurers started going about the business of making it comfortable.
End of Session
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