March 29, 2013

Sins of the Saviors

Players present: Elora (Sally), Azalyn (Shelley), Bastian (Casey), Orden (Mike), Sirilenda (Melissa)

The dragon swept down from the clear mountain air, appearing suddenly above the heroes. Unimaginably cold air and ice shards spewed from the dragon's maw, the icy breath penetrating instantly to the surprised hero's bones. Before they could regroup or cast defensive spells the breath was on them again, biting their exposed flesh and freezing their joints. When the dragon passed beyond them, Elora lay lifeless of the hill, her pale skin encased by a thin layer of frost. Her companions knew from the numbing of their hands and feet that they would not survive a third blast.

Orden shouted for them to grasp hands as he used his dimensional steps to join the others. He cast teleport to bring his companions, including Elora's body, immediately back to the warmth and safety of Sandpoint, where Elora was quickly revived. Cold, shaken, and grateful to be alive, their surprise and fear eventually gave way to excitement and determination. This dragon needed killing!

They hatched a plan to hunt the beast, but this time they prepared for his freezing breath. The next day they returned to the statue encircled hill, slushing through fresh fallen snow beneath a cloud covered sky. There, they activated one of the statues, triggering the loud ping they hoped would rouse the dragon once more. They waited anxiously, weapons drawn and ready. After tense moments that seemed unending, the dragon pounced unexpectedly.

Fog erupted around them obscuring their vision, leaving them momentarily confused. Then suddenly they were caught in the dragon's roaring breath agin. The freezing air and daggers of ice assaulted them, but this time dispersed harmlessly into Orden's protection from energy. Sirilenda then dispelled the magical fog, revealing the hovering wyrm. Bastian called on the might of his diety, Sarenrae, to empower his companions with the smite evil ability, which they focused on the dragon.

Elora, strengthened by Bastian's smite, pelted the dragon with carefully aimed arrows. The wounded serpent cast invisibility and began circling the party from the air, gliding noiselessly around the hill. Soon, walls of ice sprang up around the heroes, and they realized he was attempting to separate them. A cage of ice formed around Bastian, but the others managed to avoid being trapped. 

While Bastian cut himself out of the ice, Sirilenda flew away from the group and cast see invisibility to look for their foe, without success. While she was drawn away from her companions the dragon sprang, mauling Sirilenda in his jaw. She recovered from the injury quickly though, and coated him in glitterdust before he could become invisible again. Elora loosed her arrows at the exposed dragon, wounding it further and driving it off. 

The enormous beast sped quickly away from the group, but could not outpace Sirilenda's dimension door pursuit. Taking the rest of the party with her, she appeared beneath the dragon, providing Elora an opportunity for a few more shots. The arrows bounced harmlessly off the creature's scales, and in a moment the dragon was beyond them again, flying toward the mountains. Once more Sirilenda carried the group within striking distance, and once more Elora took aim. The arrows struck true, piercing the dragon's heart, but not before he closed his jaws on Sirilenda one final time, crushing the life from her.

The heroes stood over the slain, contemplating their next steps...

March 22, 2013

Sins of the Saviors

Players present: Elora (Sally), Azalyn (Shelley), Bastian (Casey), Orden (Mike), Sirilenda (Melissa)

Symbol of Lamashtu

On their second foray into the catacombs below the town of Sandpoint, the heroes took some time to study the myriad scribblings covering the floors and ceiling of the first chamber. Orden cast comprehend languages and began translating the various phrases, some of which were penned in fine script, others scratched raggedly into the stone, and others traced in what could only be blood. Orden and Bastian recognized the writings as prayers to Lamashtu, the goddess of monsters. 

After careful analysis and thorough searching of the litanies, Orden noticed one small phrase unrelated to the others. This singular stanza mentioned the name Runeforge, a name recently discovered by the group as a secret magical research facility created during the time of ancient Thassilon. Their interest piqued, the group searched the room further, but found no other references to Runeforge.

They proceeded to the adjoining chamber, a large altar to Lamashtu, which contained several statues of the goddess as well as a large symbol of her faith engraved on the floor. The southern wall of the room opened through a large gap that lead to unworked caverns beyond. As soon as Azalyn set foot in the caverns, an unnatural baying erupted, sending shivers up her skin. A pack of six hellish hounds flew out of the opening and surrounded the heroes before they could make all their preparations, biting as they passed. The hounds proved no difficult foe for the seasoned heroes, though one did manage to trip Orden and wound him. 

With the last monstrous hound slain, the group entered the caverns and discovered the grisly remains of the town guards sent in earlier by Sheriff Hemlock. The dogs had ravaged the bodies so thoroughly that only their armor and weapons allowed the heroes to identify the gore dripping from the walls as belonging to the lost guards.

Revelation Quill

The caverns lead eventually to a small chamber, which appeared to be the scribbler's inner sanctum. It contained all the notes he had been collecting about the world above, and seemed to the group to indicate that the scribbler was himself from the ancient era of Thassilon, for he seemed to have no knowledge of anything beyond Thassilon's fall. They also found several more stanzas that related to Runeforge, which when assembled provided a cryptic guide to finding its location. The scribbler's notes indicated that at Runforge could be found runeforged weapons, which he felt were needed for protection from a resurgence of the Runelords of Thassilon. In addition, they uncovered a minor artifact called a Revelation Quill, which Sirilenda later learned provided limited access to advice from beings from beyond the known universe. 

With all this lore and loot, the heroes returned to the surface and began decrypting the Scribbler's riddle. Elora recognized some of the geographical features mentioned in the poem as matching the land around the large hot spring lake Stormunder, in the norther part of Varisia. This lake sat adjacent to the Kodar mountains, near the mountain Rimeskull, named for the huge face carved into its snow-covered peak. After resting, the group teleported to lake Stormunder

Once at the lake, they quickly found a small hill on the shore which bore seven large statue heads arranged in a circle. By consulting the Scribbler's rhyme and studying the statues, they discovered that casting a spell of a particular school of magic near each stone resulted in a low rumble in the ground, a lingering high pitched ping, and the appearance of a golden key. They approached each stone and triggered the appearance of all seven keys. As Sirilenda grasped the final key, the air stirred and filled with the sounds of large leathery wings beating the cold mountain air, and the group looked up straight into the maw of an ancient white dragon...

March 15, 2013

Sins of the Saviors

Players present: Elora (Sally), Azalyn (Shelley), Bastian (Casey), Orden (Mike), Sirilenda (Melissa)

Glabrezu demon

Standing in the room of writing-covered walls, Elora listened carefully at the doors to the south of the room, attempting to hear any occupants beyond. Instead of hearing sounds beyond the south doors, Elora overheard whispers in a strange language from the fog-covered passage to the east. Azalyn donned her fog-cutting lenses, which she had taken from Mokmurian's corpse, to peer into the passage unhindered. She observed two figures, a man speaking hurried words to an enormous creature, pointing to the chamber where the heroes now stood.

Azalyn announced the her findings, which alerted her companions, but also tipped off the man and the creature. The man and the creature immediately advanced through the fog filled passage toward the heroes. The group braced for the conflict; those who could not see through the fog waited anxiously for the enemies to appear. They were not prepared though, for the appearance of a second creature in their midst, identical to the first. Now plainly visible, Orden easily identified the creature as a fearsome demon known as a glabrezu!

Xaliasa

The ensuing battle tested the group like no fight before. Sirlienda wisely erected a wall of force to separate the glabrezus from the human Xaliasa. The human cleric of Lamashtu proved a difficult foe in his own right; slaying Sirilenda and teleporting away before the group could retaliate. Orden quickly revived the sorceress with  breath of life. One of the galbrezus teleported across the wall of force and killed Azalyn. Again, Orden saved his companion from the clutches of death. Bastian shared his smiting ability with the rest of the group, and the enemies fell before the holy power of Bastian's faith. 

The final glabrezu waited on the other side of the wall of force, his eyes boring into Bastian; the heroes glared back across the invisible barrier, waiting for the wall to drop. As soon as the effect ended, the heroes charged, and the glabrezu focused all of his might on the paladin. When the flurry of pincers and claws ended, Bastian lay on the ground, lifeless. The group rallied around his corpse and decimated the glabrezu, sending the evil creature back to the depths of the Abyss.

The group solemnly carried Bastian's body back to the surface. Orden cast raise dead and brought the fallen warrior back to the world of the living to continue his fight against the forces of evil!

The group then strategized about their return to the catacombs...

March 8, 2013

Fortress of the Stone Giants / Sins of the Saviors

Players present: Elora (Sally), Azalyn (Shelley), Bastian (Casey), Orden (Mike), Sirilenda (Melissa), Vale (Dean), Derani (Rachel), Kage (Arren)

Moments after defeating the dragon Longtooth and his minions, Conna again implored the group for assistance. She knew that Longtooth was not the real danger that lay ahead. The gathered army of stone giants outside the fortress walls needed a new leader, and if Conna did not claim it some other less desirable creature would. And whoever controlled the stone giants controlled the trolls, ogres, and various other humanoids as well. She could not imagine another leader who would disband the tribal armies as she would. Instead, the result almost certainly would be a continuation of Mokmurian's plan to invade the civilized Varisian lowlands.

As she explained, the stone giants chose their new leaders in a precise, if violent, tradition. A successor, if not chosen by the previous leader, nominated herself, and defended her claim against the other claimants in single combat. None of the other stone giants could match Conna in single combat considering her substantial magical prowess. However, the other humanoids amongst the giants might not respect the sanctity of the stone giant tradition, so she asked the group to help prevent the other tribes from derailing the process.

With the group's assent, Conna opened the fortress doors and stepped out to meet the gathered throng of giant humanoids. She declared Mokmurian dead, and announced her claim for the rulership of the stone giants. The silence that followed gave hope that no challenger would appear, until the crowds began parting before enormous strides of Cinderma, the Taiga giant. A giant even among the stone giants, Cinderma made plain her contempt for the "miniscule" Conna, and challenged her for leadership of the army. Though she was not a stone giant, her claim carried no less weight with the crowd of humanoids, and Conna realized she must face this claim or forfeit her own.

In the few moments before the combat, Conna asked the group once more for assistance. She knew that Cinderma was beyond her strength, especially after the encounter with the dragon. But she could not receive outside assistance, at least not observable assistance. The group consulted each other and planned ways to help Conna that would be undetectable to the surrounding onlookers. Azalyn loaned her boots of speed, Kage applied a poison to her spear, Orden cast sanctuary to protect her in the first moments of the melee, and Bastian granted her the ability to use smite evil on Cinderma. With all of that help, Conna easily bested the hulking Cinderma. No other challengers approached after that.

***

The town of Sandpoint

The group retured to Sandpoint for a period of rest, secure in the knowledge that they had averted the imminent stone giant invasion. The next month passed as the group collected the wealth of Longtooth's treasure hoard, and subsequently spent the loot on various magical items and equipment. Their new gear did not sit unused for long; Mayor Deverin, Sheriff Hemlock, and Faher Zantus summoned the group for an urgent meeting at the month's end. Trouble was rising in Sandpoint again!

Father Zantus

Father Zantus related to the group how not two days ago, a large sinkhole opened on Tower street, right next to the town garrison (also the town jail). Sheriff Hemlock sent a pair of guards to investigate, but they never returned. Now the sinkhole howled at night, with a sound no natural dog could make, and the Sheriff dared not risk sending more guards in. Though the group had already done more for Sandpoint than anyone had a right to ask, the three town representatives knew that the heros could end this problem.

Sheriff Hemlock

The group agreed and made preparations to venture into the hole. They began the next day, and climbed down into the pit, which eventually connected with the previously explored catacombs beneath the town. By searching the catacombs again, they discovered a previously blocked passage that lead further down underground. The end of the passage hid a secret door, which Sirilenda detected and Derani opened.

Mayor Deverin

They entered a medium sized chamber, pitch black, covered floor to ceiling in indecipherable scribblings. The writing seemed to them to match the language of Thassilon, but none of the group could read it. Bastian cast daylight on his shield, and the group stepped foot in the room. After a few paces, a voice called out to them from a passageway to the north, obscured by a dense fog. He questioned them about the rulers of the lands above, and about what had happened to the Runelords. He wanted to know who wielded supreme magical power "in this time," and which nations were the most powerful. The group traded him question for question, but the speaker, who named himself Xaliasa, took liberties with his questions and answers. The group quickly became annoyed, and the conversation soon ended. 

Orden then dispelled the fog in the passage, only to find it empty. They regrouped in the chamber and considered their next actions...

February 15, 2013

Fortress of the Stone Giants

Players present: Elora (Sally), Azalyn (Shelley), Bastian (Casey), Orden (Mike), Sirilenda (Melissa)

This session picked up directly after the group delivered the killing blow against Mokmurian. Deep in the underground library level of Jorgenfist, the heroes began by pillaging Mokmurian's lair, and uncovered amongst his riches a map and small key with a seven-pointed blade. They presumed the key would open the large bronze double doors that gave them so much trouble last session. The map detailed the Lost Coast of Varisia (the campaign takes place in the country of Varisia), and featured the town of Sandpoint (Azalyn's hometown, and the starting location for the entire campaign) circled next to writing about a 'traitor' named Xaliasa, and his possible connection to a place called Runeforge.

Sihedron rune

With that information in hand, the group returned to the Bronze doors and tried the key. This time, the door swung open, but again summoned a shining child! They dispatched the shining child but not before many party members became blinded. The few sighted members of the party led the rest into the room beyond the doors to find an ancient and extensive library serviced by a tireless clockwork librarian construct. The party could not communicate with the construct at first, since none of them understood the ancient language of Thassilon. Orden discovered it understood an equally ancient language, Azlanti, which he spoke as well.

Clockwork Librarian

The heroes spent several days in the library healing and accessing the library contents with the help of the librarian, and discovered some useful information about Karzoug and Xin-Shalast. Among other things, they learned that he was the ruler of Shalast, one of the seven sub-kingdoms in the ancient empire of Thassilon, which was destroyed in a cataclysm 10,000 years ago. They learned that he was called a Runelord, a master of Greed magic (the school of transmutation), and was served by an army of giants. The capital of Shalast, Xin-Shalast, was located next to a now long-dried-up river and the tallest mountain in the incredibly inhospitable Kodar Mountains of Varisia. They also found reference to Runeforge, which was a secret magical research facility created by the seven Runelords. One of the many things researched at Runeforge was believed to be a method for the Runelords to survive the imminent cataclysm. The location of this facility was guarded tightly, and no records of its whereabouts were found in the library.

When they had exhausted the library, the group sought out their ally, Conna, among the army of stone giants still amassed around Jorgenfist. They had killed the leader of the army, but still needed to deal with the army of giants ready to march on the human settlements of Varisia. Conna, who was ousted from leadership of her tribe by Mokmurian, believed she could steer the tribes away from war, but would need to contend with other giants who sought to fill the vacuum left by his death. She beseeched the heroes to accompany her to the surface of Jorgenfist, where she could make her claim with their protection. The group rested, prepared for a possible fight with hordes of giants, then climbed up the spiral ramp that led from the lower levels to the surface, inside the walls of the keep.

Longtooth attacking Sandpoint

They had just set foot upon the surface when they were ambushed by a trio of harpies! No sooner had combat commenced than a mysterious spellcaster began creating obscuring clouds of smoke around the heroes using pyrotechnics, and a pair of frost giants sprang from their hiding spots. The group managed to hold together, and soon learned that the mysterious spellcaster was none other than the red dragon Longtooth! They had driven him off once before during the raid on the town of Sandpoint, but now he had returned with more allies to finish the job he started months ago! The pitched battle saw Bastian fall unconscious while Orden attempted spellcasting next to the dragon. When Sirilenda was finally able to disintegrate the dragon, the tide of the battle turned and the remaining enemies were destroyed.

February 9th, 2013

Fortress of the Stone Giants

Players present: Elora (Sally), Azalyn (Shelley), Bastian (Casey), Orden (Mike), Sirilenda (Melissa), Vale (Dean)

This is the first session we played since Matt and Arren were able to join us. We had left off underneath the Jorgenfist fortress, deep in the lower library level, after the heroes had defeated two stone golems and a veritable army of zombies. 

Scanderig

The group resumed in the room of the battle with the zombies, and were recovering and healing when they were surprise-attacked by a large metallic monster called a scanderig! The creature emerged from the floor like it was swimming in water, attacked Orden and attempted to sunder his armor (only inflicting minor damage). The group retaliated and forced the scanderig to retreat back into the ground, leaving the group only mildly wounded, but very puzzled.

They continued further into the library level and came upon a long tall corridor that was covered in carved Thassilonian runes. The west end of the hall ended in a large bronze door that was emblazoned with a large, silver plated version of the seven pointed star known as the Sihedron. The door had a small, seven pointed indentation in the center, which seemed to be a keyhole. The heroes decided the safest way to open the door would be to have Sirilenda cast open at the door from a distance, however doing so triggered the summoning of a mysterious creature from another dimension! This creature, known as a shining child, was soon joined by the scanderig. The shining child used its special abilities to permanently blind most of the group and provided an entertaining and frustrating fight. Both the shining child and the scanderig were slain.

Shining Child

After the combat ended, the group retreated to a secluded room of the cavern complex and rested. Orden and Bastian were able to cast heal and remove blindness on the blind party members to restore their sight. They retraced their steps back through the now mostly empty library level to reach the large Sihedron-emblazoned bronze doors. This time they attempted to physically force the doors, but once again the doors did not budge, and once again a shining child was summoned! The group was a little more prepared this time, and dispatched the shining child with only a few blindings. Orden and Bastian were prepared with extra remove blindness spells, so the party was seeing again in short order. The group had voted and decided to leave the door alone, when Orden ran up to the door and pushed on it again! Once more they were forced to fight a shining child, but this time there were no extra remove blindness spells to use once the fight was over. 

The group retreated back to their hiding place and rested, healed, and then returned to the corridor. This time they headed east down the corridor, and passed through a doorway into a chamber to face off against a pair of monstrous creatures knows as hounds of Tindalos. This combat was over quickly, and the heroes pressed forward to another set of smaller double doors.

Opening these doors revealed a dense wall of fog, and Bastian, who was standing in front, was hit by a green ray of disintegrate! Luckily he made his save and was not turned to ash, but the group immediately came under heavy attack from a spellcaster they decided must be Mokmurian, the stone giant wizard and master of Jorgenfist! The battle was prolonged, but the group was able to triumph without too much peril.

Karzoug

Just as Elora fired the killing arrow, Mokmurian's face was replaced by a human one, who regarded the heroes with a look of contempt and delivered a classic villain expository speech! He told them he was Karzoug, ruler of Xin-Shalast, and that all their efforts were really just speeding his return (presumably from the grave?). His last comment was a dismissive assessment of the group: "So these are the heroes of the age. Is this the best you could manage in 10,000 years?"