This session happened Friday, May 28, 2010, and was the only session I ran this past weekend.
A major change has happened to how I'm running overland travel. In the middle of discussing the difference in map scales between my map and the one used in the West Reaches campaign, I realized I was making the PCs roll for navigation far, far too often. As a result, I am now making the PCs roll a Survival check every three hours of movement (15 miles of travel) instead of every one (3 miles of travel). As a result, expect the PCs to get lost less often.
Adventuring Group:
Su Bel (human cleric)
Khallas (human ranger)
Agnes Sunbeard (dwarven rogue/barbarian)
Tycho von Helmont (elven alchemist)
After Khallas picked up his commissioned armor and buckler, he and Su Bel pulled Agnes and Tycho aside, confessing that the Table Map site labeled "Ruins" actually contained a series of tombs. They also confessed that the tomb guardians were tougher than the two of them could face and they had to flee last time. They further explained that they were looking to improve shares by reducing the number of people involved and were wondering if Agnes and Tycho were interested in a side trip to the Ruins to collect some treasure? They were.
After two days of travel (during which they avoided a dire lion), the group arrived at the Terrace of Fallen Horses. The far right tunnel on the upper terrace was still open, but the next one over, which Khallas and Su Bel had been chased from, was once again re-sealed. Also, there was a giant scorpion by the reflecting pool looking for a quick meal. After a quick fight the adventurers killed the giant scorpion. The group made camp and the night passed uneventfully.
The next morning the group circled around to the top of the hill and descended the hill face to the upper terrace (greatly helped by Tycho's grappling hook and knotted rope). After looking around a bit, the group found a pile of bones that once was one of the skeletal champions guarding the Queen's Chamber in Tomb #2. It's armor and weapon were missing and there was no sign of the second skeletal champion that Khallas and Su Bel had defeated the last time they were here.
Agnes quickly had the stone slab seal off of Tomb #2 and the group was immediately attacked by the two remaining skeletal champions and the reanimated missing armor! A tough fight followed, which was wrapped up by Agnes demonstrating her charging-battleaxe-sneak-attack maneuver to great effect.
After some group healing by Su Bel, the group entered the Queen's Chamber. They found a gold covered sarcophagus in the center of the chamber. The walls were covered with illustrations of the queen ruling and doing great deeds, probably after the previous king died. Agnes investigated the sarcophagus and found an arrow trap. She disabled it and gave the poisoned arrow to Tycho who proclaimed that is was covered with wyvern poison. Agnes then proceeded to opening the sarcophagus, setting off the very well concealed summoning trap, which summoned a large air elemental.
[Note: I have the players make a single roll for all traps when they are trying to find them, comparing that roll to the DC necessary to find the trap(s). I then tell them what they rolled high enough to find. Agnes rolled a 21 and found the poisoned arrow trap but not the summoning trap.]
The adventurers ran, recognizing the danger they were in. The air elemental chased them for over an hour before they were able to lose it [they spent a token to avoid the fight]. After making camp, the group had some discussion as to whether or not they could take on the air elemental with what skills they had, it was agreed that they needed Mog (to soak damage) and Sal Ty (for magical support) before continuing.
The next morning they broke camp and started their return to Iron Keep. They promptly got lost in the tall grasses of the plains, fighting another giant scorpion while trying to work out their actual location. They finally made it to the coast and camped. The next day, forced to the coast to avoid some marshes, the group was attacked by a group of 11 skum, which charged out of the surf to attack the group. While several of the adventurers were wounded, none were in serious trouble and the skum were defeated. Pushing on to their very limits, the group made the Iron Keep at sundown. [Su Bel, Khallas, and Agnes all leveled at this point.]
The group made a short excursion the following day to the Woodcutter's Camp, finding it occupied by woodcutters harvesting timber for use as support beams in the mines. They talked with the men working there, asking what creatures they might have seen. Apparently, the area had been quiet, so the adventurers headed off into the Edgewood looking for quarry. Khallas was able to find tracks from a giant stag beetle and the group quickly killed it. They then returned to Iron Keep, avoiding the need to camp in the forest. [Tycho leveled at this point, which was the whole point of their hunting expedition.]
Agnes was able to get reasonable prices on the broadswords and armor the group was able to take off the skeletal champions, turning a small profit on the expedition.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
Map Expansion - The Plains
So the primary item I wanted to place on my expanded map is the summer auroch pastures. [Which reminds me – I need to remove the auroch from the random encounter table during the summer months and replace them with horses.] I also needed to show the migration path between the two areas. The winter pastures are 3483 sq. mi in area (which may be small, but I think it is do-able), so the summer pastures have to be at least that large. Plus I need a route between the two that is believably long. I also need a reason for the migration to happen, both in the fall and in the spring.
So I put that on the map in a way that looked OK without worrying about distances and areas too much. The summer pastures spill off the bottom of the map, but that’s OK for the moment. Later I’ll add more map. I may also extend the route between the two pastures and push the summer pastures onto the next page.
Now I’ve set up the two locations by seasons, so weather shifts must be at least one of the causes. The easiest thing to do is make the summer pastures nice and relatively safe, but frigid in the winter. As close as I drew the two pastures (only ~105 miles apart right now - that might change, see above), I need a darn good reason for the two areas to have different weather. Clearly the summer pasture must be at a higher altitude, so I need a series of plateaus or an escarpment (or two) to denote the altitude differences. [Note to self: add the escarpments and some passes for the auroch herds to use.]
These passes will make good hunting for humanoids at least twice a year, so this is where I’ll assign some of the humanoids I avoided using on the starting map. I can also put some tension between population pressures and conflict over prime hunting areas, making the area tense for the players to explore, but rife with role-playing opportunities (that's my theory anyways).
So the aurochs leave the summer pasture when it gets cold. Why don’t they stay in the winter pasture all year? Predators and lots of them. Cheetahs, worgs, chimeras, bulettes, and a ton of other monsters that live in the area. The studies I read (well, skimmed anyways) indicate that while herbivores often migrate and some of those tremendous distances, predators don’t. So during the winter, the area predators eat a lot of aurochs and tend to give birth to their young, while the food is plentiful.
The aurochs on the other hand are merely wintering here. They will not give birth until the spring when they return to the summer pastures, but their mating season happens in the winter pastures, near the end of the winter. This is one of the major triggers for the migration. They are also fiercely territorial at this time and adventurers should beware.
Yeah, that’s about all I’ve got on that for the moment. Next week I’ll discuss the swamp area and possibly the jungle I’ve added. Tonight is the next game session, so there will be an adventure log on Monday.
So I put that on the map in a way that looked OK without worrying about distances and areas too much. The summer pastures spill off the bottom of the map, but that’s OK for the moment. Later I’ll add more map. I may also extend the route between the two pastures and push the summer pastures onto the next page.
Now I’ve set up the two locations by seasons, so weather shifts must be at least one of the causes. The easiest thing to do is make the summer pastures nice and relatively safe, but frigid in the winter. As close as I drew the two pastures (only ~105 miles apart right now - that might change, see above), I need a darn good reason for the two areas to have different weather. Clearly the summer pasture must be at a higher altitude, so I need a series of plateaus or an escarpment (or two) to denote the altitude differences. [Note to self: add the escarpments and some passes for the auroch herds to use.]
These passes will make good hunting for humanoids at least twice a year, so this is where I’ll assign some of the humanoids I avoided using on the starting map. I can also put some tension between population pressures and conflict over prime hunting areas, making the area tense for the players to explore, but rife with role-playing opportunities (that's my theory anyways).
So the aurochs leave the summer pasture when it gets cold. Why don’t they stay in the winter pasture all year? Predators and lots of them. Cheetahs, worgs, chimeras, bulettes, and a ton of other monsters that live in the area. The studies I read (well, skimmed anyways) indicate that while herbivores often migrate and some of those tremendous distances, predators don’t. So during the winter, the area predators eat a lot of aurochs and tend to give birth to their young, while the food is plentiful.
The aurochs on the other hand are merely wintering here. They will not give birth until the spring when they return to the summer pastures, but their mating season happens in the winter pastures, near the end of the winter. This is one of the major triggers for the migration. They are also fiercely territorial at this time and adventurers should beware.
Yeah, that’s about all I’ve got on that for the moment. Next week I’ll discuss the swamp area and possibly the jungle I’ve added. Tonight is the next game session, so there will be an adventure log on Monday.
My fault
OK, I admit it - I forgot to write a second post for this week. It's a DayJob issue, but the fault is mine and I'll own up to it. mea culpa.
Sadly, I must now beg off writing something now. Lunch is available, so I'll be writing then about some new areas I've mapped and maybe a bit about The Cave.
Sadly, I must now beg off writing something now. Lunch is available, so I'll be writing then about some new areas I've mapped and maybe a bit about The Cave.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
Discussions on Campaign Growth
There was no Southern Reaches game run this past weekend as I needed some time to work on some other stuff, flesh out some more of the map, and generally play a bit of catch up with myself. Running two monthly games, a weekly game, and playing in two others, plus a reading club and trying to spend more time with my wife (whose schedule has also blossomed) is stretching me a bit thin.
When fleshing out the large(r) scale map (1 hex = 15 miles), I realized I need more room. And a plan. A plan would help tremendously. So I have mapped out much more space to the south of the Table Map, I may still fiddle with it as I'm not entirely satisfied with it. I think I need to double it in size (at least) and redraw some of the locations, particularly the summer pastures for the aurochs, which don't feel far enough away for me. Plus, the encounter tables need some serious re-working, preferably including an night and day option.
I found an interesting way to speed up some of the traditional dungeon design. There is a site producing new geomorphs which are quite good. If I can find the link again I'll post it. It should do very well for what I want to do with The Cave and the Labyrinth of Qual deep underneath it.
We've also had a small spat of drama as to play styles, which I think I accidentally fuelled by posting my adventure logs here. Su Bel and Khallas keeping silent about the Terrace of Fallen Horses caused some friction amongst the players. This came from a disconnect in communication about game expectations, including my own. I think I've nudged things enough to get the group back on track, but we'll have to wait and see.
As a result of all this, I have rethought my position about competition in a West Marches-style game. If you are going to allow/foster this kind of competition, you need to separate the groups a bit and/or provide "private" areas for each faction to explore and one to share together. Or, keep everything separate and don't post about what the different groups are doing until they learn in game. This last part does me no good as DM and blogger. Part of the reason I'm posting the adventure logs is so I have a record of what happened in game. This helps greatly when the PCs avaoid an area for a while and then return and I have to remember how things were and why and then update form that for the intervening time.
Which leads to another topic: bandits. These are a staple of adventure games and are mentioned in most of the online literature dealing with West Marches-style games. However, I can't see a logical reason for bandits to exist in the Southern Reaches. Bandits need victims to prey on and there just aren't any in the wilderness. Plus, that place is dangerous, yo!
So I may have to manufacture something. Maybe they appear when the auroch herds return for the winter and disreputable individuals start raiding the herds from whichever humanoids are ranching them (probably gnolls as I like them as monsters, but I'm doing a lot with them in my Naze Valley Rangers game, so maybe not). There's been trouble in the mines with some collapses, so the Woodcutter's Camp will be populated the next time the PCs go by it as there is a need for new timber. There's also the Tower of Raan which the players have never systematically looked for (it's in the Edgewood, but they haven't been there yet). I don't know, maybe I'm over thinking it.
That's it for today, more on Wednesday. See you then!
When fleshing out the large(r) scale map (1 hex = 15 miles), I realized I need more room. And a plan. A plan would help tremendously. So I have mapped out much more space to the south of the Table Map, I may still fiddle with it as I'm not entirely satisfied with it. I think I need to double it in size (at least) and redraw some of the locations, particularly the summer pastures for the aurochs, which don't feel far enough away for me. Plus, the encounter tables need some serious re-working, preferably including an night and day option.
I found an interesting way to speed up some of the traditional dungeon design. There is a site producing new geomorphs which are quite good. If I can find the link again I'll post it. It should do very well for what I want to do with The Cave and the Labyrinth of Qual deep underneath it.
We've also had a small spat of drama as to play styles, which I think I accidentally fuelled by posting my adventure logs here. Su Bel and Khallas keeping silent about the Terrace of Fallen Horses caused some friction amongst the players. This came from a disconnect in communication about game expectations, including my own. I think I've nudged things enough to get the group back on track, but we'll have to wait and see.
As a result of all this, I have rethought my position about competition in a West Marches-style game. If you are going to allow/foster this kind of competition, you need to separate the groups a bit and/or provide "private" areas for each faction to explore and one to share together. Or, keep everything separate and don't post about what the different groups are doing until they learn in game. This last part does me no good as DM and blogger. Part of the reason I'm posting the adventure logs is so I have a record of what happened in game. This helps greatly when the PCs avaoid an area for a while and then return and I have to remember how things were and why and then update form that for the intervening time.
Which leads to another topic: bandits. These are a staple of adventure games and are mentioned in most of the online literature dealing with West Marches-style games. However, I can't see a logical reason for bandits to exist in the Southern Reaches. Bandits need victims to prey on and there just aren't any in the wilderness. Plus, that place is dangerous, yo!
So I may have to manufacture something. Maybe they appear when the auroch herds return for the winter and disreputable individuals start raiding the herds from whichever humanoids are ranching them (probably gnolls as I like them as monsters, but I'm doing a lot with them in my Naze Valley Rangers game, so maybe not). There's been trouble in the mines with some collapses, so the Woodcutter's Camp will be populated the next time the PCs go by it as there is a need for new timber. There's also the Tower of Raan which the players have never systematically looked for (it's in the Edgewood, but they haven't been there yet). I don't know, maybe I'm over thinking it.
That's it for today, more on Wednesday. See you then!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
First Trip to the Cave
This session happened Saturday, May 15, 2010, and is the second of two sessions I ran this past weekend.
Adventuring Group:
Su Bel (human cleric)
Mog the Doomed (half-orc barbarian)
Kallas (human ranger)
Agnes Sunbeard (dwarven rogue/barbarian)
Tycho von Helmont (elven alchemist)
Having accumulated a reasonable sum of money, the adventurers spent some of it on upgraded or specialty gear. Mog commissioned a masterwork Large battleaxe to replace his current one and Khallas commissioned a buckler (later upgraded to +1) and +1 scale mail. Tired of being attacked at night while sleeping and not having any armor for the resultant fight, several players invested in “sleeping armor”: light armor that they can sleep in without waking fatigued. This way they can sleep soundly, knowing that, if awakened by those on watch due to an attack, they will not have to fight “naked” (read: without armor).
With Sal still pouring over the rubbings from the Illustrated Obelisk, the rest of the group decided to go check out the cave in the southern hills on the Table Map. On the fourth day of hiking (after getting terribly lost in the Sea of Grass and attacked by cheetahs) the group arrived at the location on the map. Rather than a low cave leading deep into the earth, they found an abandoned pueblo village high up a cliff face.
Using a grappling hook and rope to gain access, the group started exploring the cluster of seven buildings. After checking out three of the buildings, they were attacked by a gargoyle shaped like a totem. The fight was not looking good as most attacks bounced off the gargoyles stone skin until Tycho attacked with his magic sword and drew blood! Su Bel quickly cast magic weapon on Mog’s battleaxe (Mog already being enlarged at this point). Mog then raged and attacked the gargoyle, killing it in two quick strokes. Exhausted and needing to heal, the group fell back to the entry building and camped.
The group spent the next day searching the remaining buildings. One of the buildings had a spiral stair leading up (possibly to a higher cave opening in the ceiling of the main cave), two of the buildings had stairs leading back and down into the cliff face, and one of those (the one the gargoyle was lairing in/on) had a collection of skulls. There were a wide array of animal skulls, three human skulls (one inscribed with runes), and two troglodyte skulls, which Tycho was able to identify, apparently being wise in the ways of skulls. As the troglodyte skulls were relatively new and some of the group knew that troglodytes live underground, where the stairs appeared to lead, it was decided to return to the Iron Keep rather than push on.
The return trip only took three days, punctuated by Mog nearly being killed and dragged off by some cheetahs that raided the group. He was saved from being cheetah-chow by excellent bowfire from Khallas.
Back in town, the group sold the collection of cheetah pelts to cover travel expenses (food, mostly) and started making plans for further expeditions.
Total time elapsed: 7 days
NOTE:
I need some time to expand out my area maps and populate the region with a few more adventure locales, so I will not be running Southern Reaches this week. Schedule allowing, I should resume running Friday of next week (May 28). I have a collection of thoughts on how things are progressing that I will post next week. I might also post some previews of the new adventure locations, but no promises at this point.
Adventuring Group:
Su Bel (human cleric)
Mog the Doomed (half-orc barbarian)
Kallas (human ranger)
Agnes Sunbeard (dwarven rogue/barbarian)
Tycho von Helmont (elven alchemist)
Having accumulated a reasonable sum of money, the adventurers spent some of it on upgraded or specialty gear. Mog commissioned a masterwork Large battleaxe to replace his current one and Khallas commissioned a buckler (later upgraded to +1) and +1 scale mail. Tired of being attacked at night while sleeping and not having any armor for the resultant fight, several players invested in “sleeping armor”: light armor that they can sleep in without waking fatigued. This way they can sleep soundly, knowing that, if awakened by those on watch due to an attack, they will not have to fight “naked” (read: without armor).
With Sal still pouring over the rubbings from the Illustrated Obelisk, the rest of the group decided to go check out the cave in the southern hills on the Table Map. On the fourth day of hiking (after getting terribly lost in the Sea of Grass and attacked by cheetahs) the group arrived at the location on the map. Rather than a low cave leading deep into the earth, they found an abandoned pueblo village high up a cliff face.
Using a grappling hook and rope to gain access, the group started exploring the cluster of seven buildings. After checking out three of the buildings, they were attacked by a gargoyle shaped like a totem. The fight was not looking good as most attacks bounced off the gargoyles stone skin until Tycho attacked with his magic sword and drew blood! Su Bel quickly cast magic weapon on Mog’s battleaxe (Mog already being enlarged at this point). Mog then raged and attacked the gargoyle, killing it in two quick strokes. Exhausted and needing to heal, the group fell back to the entry building and camped.
The group spent the next day searching the remaining buildings. One of the buildings had a spiral stair leading up (possibly to a higher cave opening in the ceiling of the main cave), two of the buildings had stairs leading back and down into the cliff face, and one of those (the one the gargoyle was lairing in/on) had a collection of skulls. There were a wide array of animal skulls, three human skulls (one inscribed with runes), and two troglodyte skulls, which Tycho was able to identify, apparently being wise in the ways of skulls. As the troglodyte skulls were relatively new and some of the group knew that troglodytes live underground, where the stairs appeared to lead, it was decided to return to the Iron Keep rather than push on.
The return trip only took three days, punctuated by Mog nearly being killed and dragged off by some cheetahs that raided the group. He was saved from being cheetah-chow by excellent bowfire from Khallas.
Back in town, the group sold the collection of cheetah pelts to cover travel expenses (food, mostly) and started making plans for further expeditions.
Total time elapsed: 7 days
NOTE:
I need some time to expand out my area maps and populate the region with a few more adventure locales, so I will not be running Southern Reaches this week. Schedule allowing, I should resume running Friday of next week (May 28). I have a collection of thoughts on how things are progressing that I will post next week. I might also post some previews of the new adventure locations, but no promises at this point.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Under Drop-Off Tower, Fourth Trip; Old Stones; and Fishing for Experience
This session happened Friday, May 14, 2010, and is the first of two sessions I ran this past weekend. This session became three small expeditions, as you'll see. This was also the first session where all the active players were at the table at once, which caused a bit of tension as not everyone shared what they've been up to.
Adventuring Group:
Su Bel (human cleric)
Mog the Doomed (half-orc barbarian)
Kallas (human ranger)
Sal Ty (elf wizard)
Agnes Sunbeard (dwarven rogue/barbarian)
Tycho von Helmont (elven alchemist)
For the first time, all of the active adventurers in the Iron Keep were available for an expedition and headed to Drop-Off Tower. (This was due to a collapse in the iron mines last week and many miners being out of work as the damage is being repaired.) After a day of hiking, the group made camp in the Edgewood, where they were attacked by a tiger. They fairly easily defeated it.
Once at Drop-Off Tower, they immediately headed down into the Moldy Halls, performing a detailed search for secret doors (previous experience had taught them they probably missed some during earlier expeditions). The group wholesale scraped the mold from the walls and supported Agnes's searching. In the Pillar Room (which the Front Door opens onto), they found a secret door they had previously overlooked.
Behind it was a small room containing the remains of several huddled bodies, long ago wasted to skeletons. Tycho was able to determine that they were all elves, five being children and one an adult. Sal detected magic on the adult and a ring of protection +1 was found. It was given to Agnes, who so often ended up on the front lines in combat. A passage way out the back of the room eventually connected up with one of the empty storage areas they found on earlier expeditions.
They next went to check the room with the spring. After an extensive search, they determined it was exactly as it appeared. Getting tired, the group camped in this room for the night, refilling their waterskins from the spring.
After completing their room recheck in the last storage room (off the Hall of Statues), they returned to the treasure room to take another crack at the trapped chests. Agnes confirmed there was a flame strike trap on the last "safe" chest, and decided to leave it for last. She shifted her attention to one of the others and successfully disarmed it, finding the chest full of silver coins. This chest was emptied into the bag of holding. Bolstered by her success, Agnes attempted to open another chest. This time she failed, setting off the fireball trap, which chain reacted all of the remaining traps into detonating as well. This destroyed most of the treasure, but left a pool of gold and a large pool of copper. [Agnes made her Reflex save and, due to Uncanny Dodge, took no damage. The rest of the party was already down the hall, "just in case".]
Having now cleared the Moldy Halls, the group turned its attention to Morlock territory. They lifted the portcullis, wedged it open with a spike, and cautiously checked the winch room, which was empty. Feeling a bit more confident, they headed into the first statue room, passing the closed door that leads to the hallway north. As they were half past the door, it opened and six morlocks poured out, screaming warcries. Almost immediately after that, six MORE morlocks poured out of a door ahead of the PCs, catching them in a pincher and heavily wounding several PCs. The PCs immediately withdrew and ran, pulling the spike to shut the portcullis behind them. The morlocks pursued to the portcullis and stopped, making no attempt to raise the portcullis.
The PCs fell back to the first floor of the tower to recover. While camping there, they observed a yellow musk creeper and its attendant zombies approach the tower and destroy them with arrow fire from the upper floors. The next day they followed Gravemarker Trail and only got slightly lost in the forest. Luckily, the forest was quiet and they safely returned to Iron Keep the following day.
After a quick resupply, the group decided to go take a look at Old Stones. They followed the western edge of the Edgewood to the hills south of the Edgewood. Camping there, they observed a chimera flying in the area but successfully avoid its attention. During the second watch, two cheetahs attack the group, looking for a quick meal. Instead they found a quick death.
The next day they followed the hills a bit more and then headed out into the sea of grass that is the plains. At the location simply marked “Old Stones”, they found a very large set of standing stones, covering nearly an acre of space. A processional set of stones led to a triple ring of progressively larger stones. In the center was a large primitive obelisk covered in pictoglyphs, which Sal spent the day partially deciphering. Tycho took rubbings for later study, finding his own mark already on the stone [“Tycho was here”]. Sal is able to identify part of what is shown as the history of a king of some sort and another part identifies the location of the Shadowed Pillar, which may be the home of a sorcerer named Qual. There might also be a safeword for gaining entrance, but Sal’s not entirely certain. Camping that night outside of the stones, Agnes observes an air elemental walking the perimeter of the circle and later a phase spider, which the group avoids.
During the three day hike back to the Iron Keep [yes, they got lost in the Sea of Grass], the group fought a worg, a giant scorpion, and an assassin vine that wandered out of the Edgewood and nearly killed Su Bel. By the time the group returned to the Iron Keep, Agnes is done for a while and Tycho and Sal want to study the rubbings from the Obelisk, but Su Bel is not yet ready to relax. She convinces Mog and Khallas to follow her out to the Woodcutter’s Camp. There they run across some giant ants, which they kill. Mog is a bit spooked (having taken most of the damage from the ants) and the group returns to the Keep in the morning. [Su Bel is able to level after killing the giant ants.]
Total time elapsed: 12 days
Adventuring Group:
Su Bel (human cleric)
Mog the Doomed (half-orc barbarian)
Kallas (human ranger)
Sal Ty (elf wizard)
Agnes Sunbeard (dwarven rogue/barbarian)
Tycho von Helmont (elven alchemist)
For the first time, all of the active adventurers in the Iron Keep were available for an expedition and headed to Drop-Off Tower. (This was due to a collapse in the iron mines last week and many miners being out of work as the damage is being repaired.) After a day of hiking, the group made camp in the Edgewood, where they were attacked by a tiger. They fairly easily defeated it.
Once at Drop-Off Tower, they immediately headed down into the Moldy Halls, performing a detailed search for secret doors (previous experience had taught them they probably missed some during earlier expeditions). The group wholesale scraped the mold from the walls and supported Agnes's searching. In the Pillar Room (which the Front Door opens onto), they found a secret door they had previously overlooked.
Behind it was a small room containing the remains of several huddled bodies, long ago wasted to skeletons. Tycho was able to determine that they were all elves, five being children and one an adult. Sal detected magic on the adult and a ring of protection +1 was found. It was given to Agnes, who so often ended up on the front lines in combat. A passage way out the back of the room eventually connected up with one of the empty storage areas they found on earlier expeditions.
They next went to check the room with the spring. After an extensive search, they determined it was exactly as it appeared. Getting tired, the group camped in this room for the night, refilling their waterskins from the spring.
After completing their room recheck in the last storage room (off the Hall of Statues), they returned to the treasure room to take another crack at the trapped chests. Agnes confirmed there was a flame strike trap on the last "safe" chest, and decided to leave it for last. She shifted her attention to one of the others and successfully disarmed it, finding the chest full of silver coins. This chest was emptied into the bag of holding. Bolstered by her success, Agnes attempted to open another chest. This time she failed, setting off the fireball trap, which chain reacted all of the remaining traps into detonating as well. This destroyed most of the treasure, but left a pool of gold and a large pool of copper. [Agnes made her Reflex save and, due to Uncanny Dodge, took no damage. The rest of the party was already down the hall, "just in case".]
Having now cleared the Moldy Halls, the group turned its attention to Morlock territory. They lifted the portcullis, wedged it open with a spike, and cautiously checked the winch room, which was empty. Feeling a bit more confident, they headed into the first statue room, passing the closed door that leads to the hallway north. As they were half past the door, it opened and six morlocks poured out, screaming warcries. Almost immediately after that, six MORE morlocks poured out of a door ahead of the PCs, catching them in a pincher and heavily wounding several PCs. The PCs immediately withdrew and ran, pulling the spike to shut the portcullis behind them. The morlocks pursued to the portcullis and stopped, making no attempt to raise the portcullis.
The PCs fell back to the first floor of the tower to recover. While camping there, they observed a yellow musk creeper and its attendant zombies approach the tower and destroy them with arrow fire from the upper floors. The next day they followed Gravemarker Trail and only got slightly lost in the forest. Luckily, the forest was quiet and they safely returned to Iron Keep the following day.
After a quick resupply, the group decided to go take a look at Old Stones. They followed the western edge of the Edgewood to the hills south of the Edgewood. Camping there, they observed a chimera flying in the area but successfully avoid its attention. During the second watch, two cheetahs attack the group, looking for a quick meal. Instead they found a quick death.
The next day they followed the hills a bit more and then headed out into the sea of grass that is the plains. At the location simply marked “Old Stones”, they found a very large set of standing stones, covering nearly an acre of space. A processional set of stones led to a triple ring of progressively larger stones. In the center was a large primitive obelisk covered in pictoglyphs, which Sal spent the day partially deciphering. Tycho took rubbings for later study, finding his own mark already on the stone [“Tycho was here”]. Sal is able to identify part of what is shown as the history of a king of some sort and another part identifies the location of the Shadowed Pillar, which may be the home of a sorcerer named Qual. There might also be a safeword for gaining entrance, but Sal’s not entirely certain. Camping that night outside of the stones, Agnes observes an air elemental walking the perimeter of the circle and later a phase spider, which the group avoids.
During the three day hike back to the Iron Keep [yes, they got lost in the Sea of Grass], the group fought a worg, a giant scorpion, and an assassin vine that wandered out of the Edgewood and nearly killed Su Bel. By the time the group returned to the Iron Keep, Agnes is done for a while and Tycho and Sal want to study the rubbings from the Obelisk, but Su Bel is not yet ready to relax. She convinces Mog and Khallas to follow her out to the Woodcutter’s Camp. There they run across some giant ants, which they kill. Mog is a bit spooked (having taken most of the damage from the ants) and the group returns to the Keep in the morning. [Su Bel is able to level after killing the giant ants.]
Total time elapsed: 12 days
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