Tuesday, May 29, 2018
Thursday, May 10, 2018
Thursday, May 3, 2018
Sunday, October 15, 2017
Princes of the Apocalypse: Day Eight - The Pig, the Priest, and the Peculiar Ice Floor
Before our heroes can even catch their breath after surviving being badly outnumbered, a huge tusk bursts through the wooden doors to the throne room behind them. The paladin goes to "listen" to figure out what's on the other side. The doors shatter as a huge wereboar bursts through. Chasing the boar is a tall half-elf ranger, sword raised over his head, screaming a battle cry. (This character is played by Hunter, an 11 year old school friend) He attacks it from behind and all the adventurers join in to kill the beast. In the midst of fighting, Josh the druid gets slashed by the creature and cursed. After it's death, the wereboar transforms into the body of Grimjaw, the ruler of Rivergard Keep. They take a moment to heal themselves. Kyle decided to keep one of the shark-toothed swords. Hunter tells them that he is a member of the Emerald Enclave, just like Lilly. He has been sent to root out evil in the area. He tells them that this keep is run by bandits, and Grimjaw was their evil leader. Then they enter the nearest building, which turns out to be a small chapel. Inside they find a female priest and two warriors with shark-toothed swords that are listening to her droning lesson. There were no alarms in the chapel, so they are unaware of danger. The druid, of course, immediately runs his mouth and starts a fight.
Lilly, the ranger, goes outside in protest, but rejoins the group before the battle ends. During the fight, the priestess cast ice at Josh, missed epically, and layered the entire floor with ice. The eponymously named Hunter, the ranger, tries to run, falls, slides across the floor, and slams into the priestess, knocking her prone. The battle goes badly. Josh falls unconscious. It gets very close to a TPK. Lilly re-enters just in time to save Josh from death. Hunter, slowly freezing from a spell attack by the priestess, nevertheless manages to impale her with his sword while she was still on the floor. They finally slay the guards, as well.
Princes of the Apocalypse: Day Seven - Beliard and River Keep
Following the map they were given, the adventurers flew to the great stone bridge and then followed the road to Beliard. Lilly convinced her pet bear to follow them. In the town of Beliard they hired a horse trainer to take care of their animals. They bought a couple hundred pounds of meat from the butcher. Meanwhile, Kyle the dwarf went hunting and shot a deer. They used most of the meat to feed their beasts. The starving bear was finally content.
Next they went to the Knight's Inn tavern. They heard a lot of rumors. One was that giant bird riders in blue robes were swooping into towns and abducting girls. Also, a madman was supposedly in charge of a keep down river. The Mirabar delegation had been heading that direction when last seen. The group set off on foot, leaving their hippogriffs with the trainer. Down the road they saw smoke and vultures circling about a mile off the path. They found the remains of the servants and guards who were part of the delegation. The red axe design on their clothing and equipment are obviously those of the missing delegation. They also find shattered looted wagons. The delegates, themselves, were nowhere to be found, but there were tracks of a large group of bugbears and humanoids leading to the Dessarin River. Gouges in the bank show where several keelboats landed.
Using the remains of the wagons, they made a make-shift raft. Then the Druid used his magic to propel them down the river. They reach Rivergard Keep and talk their way into a meeting with the leader, Grimjaw. Unable to get any useful answers from him, they are escorted out of the throne room. The dwarf and the druid mouth off to the guards... the rather large, well-armed guards who carry big shark-toothed swords. Early in the fight they learn that two of their enemies have the ability to shape shift into giant water serpents. Kyle, the paladin, uses thunder smite, which causes a massive thunderous sound which sets off alarms all through the keep. A frightening roar comes from the throne room and something smashes into the wooden doors behind them. They manage to kill all but one guy who made a run for it. But then he got shot in the back by the ranger's arrow.
Next they went to the Knight's Inn tavern. They heard a lot of rumors. One was that giant bird riders in blue robes were swooping into towns and abducting girls. Also, a madman was supposedly in charge of a keep down river. The Mirabar delegation had been heading that direction when last seen. The group set off on foot, leaving their hippogriffs with the trainer. Down the road they saw smoke and vultures circling about a mile off the path. They found the remains of the servants and guards who were part of the delegation. The red axe design on their clothing and equipment are obviously those of the missing delegation. They also find shattered looted wagons. The delegates, themselves, were nowhere to be found, but there were tracks of a large group of bugbears and humanoids leading to the Dessarin River. Gouges in the bank show where several keelboats landed.
Using the remains of the wagons, they made a make-shift raft. Then the Druid used his magic to propel them down the river. They reach Rivergard Keep and talk their way into a meeting with the leader, Grimjaw. Unable to get any useful answers from him, they are escorted out of the throne room. The dwarf and the druid mouth off to the guards... the rather large, well-armed guards who carry big shark-toothed swords. Early in the fight they learn that two of their enemies have the ability to shape shift into giant water serpents. Kyle, the paladin, uses thunder smite, which causes a massive thunderous sound which sets off alarms all through the keep. A frightening roar comes from the throne room and something smashes into the wooden doors behind them. They manage to kill all but one guy who made a run for it. But then he got shot in the back by the ranger's arrow.
Sunday, October 1, 2017
Princes of the Apocalypse: Day Six - Feathergale Spire
Upon their return to Red Larch, our heroes receive a small reward of pig jerky from the town constable for routing the troublesome local bandits. The constable also tells them that there is a new guy in town who is heading to a location that supposedly has some priests from some cult there, so maybe they can find that rock cult priest they are looking for if they join him. He is staying at the inn. Without waiting for any further description or information, they take off to the inn to find this stranger. At the inn, a shifty looking one-eyed guard tells them that the stranger is over at the tavern drinking and warns them that the guy "has a mouth on him."
They can hear bad singing coming from the open door of the tavern and lots of laughter. Upon entering they find a handsome, though somewhat stupid, half-elf bard playing the cowbell and singing a ridiculous song to the tune of a human children's song. (This is Bob, who is played by our kids' former babysitter, Luke. He is joining us for just this one day of adventuring.) He tells them that he has been sent by a rich lord from Waterdeep to find the lord's missing young bride. Within a very short time of their arranged marriage, for some inexplicable (to him) reason, she abandoned her wealthy 60ish year old morbidly obese husband to join a cult. She ran off with a priest. Bob has followed her trail to here and is heading to Feathergale Spire tomorrow where he hopes to find her. Savra Belabranta is her name.
The four adventurer's arrive at Feathergale Spire late the next evening and ring the bell near the closed drawbridge. They are welcomed warmly by a young woman who is a knight of the spire. She takes them up through the lofty white stone spire that is perched above massive steep chasms. They see other knights riding giant vultures and hippogriffs and other creatures in the sky. Also strangely thin priests and acolytes trying to become one with the air. At the pinnacle of the spire they meet Thurl Merosska, a handsome blonde human commander of the air worshipers. They tell him that they want to learn more about the group and he invites them to join him and his people in their 10th anniversary celebration and feast. During the feast they ask about the missing rock cult priest. He promises to discuss it more after the meal. They also learn that the female Knight may be the noblewoman, Savra, that the bard has been searching for. She seems very happy here.
Then an alarm is sounded because a vicious manticore has been spotted outside. It's a misty night outside. Our heroes decide to join in the manticore hunt, riding hippogriffs loaned to them. They encounter the monster before the knights can find it. During a brief fight the bard is injured by a tail spike shot at them like a porcupine's quill. Then the bard and the ranger become lost in the mist. The dwarf paladin and the druid fight on alone. Although they manage to severely injure the beast, the dwarf is knocked unconscious and the manticore tries again to escape into the mist. The druid keeps chasing it and Lilly, the ranger, runs into them in the dark and joins the fight. She manages to strike the killing blow. On the ground, the druid decapitates the creature with his scimitar and they return to the spire in triumph. For a reward they receive a beautiful expensive ring from Commander Thurl. But the druid keeps whining about wanting a long sword. The bard asks if they can have Knight Savra as a reward, but she refuses to leave and Thurl says it's not his decision to make. Instead he tells them that they may find the priest they are looking for at the Sacred Stone Monastery where he believes evil people are doing evil things.
The dwarf, Kyle, is taken to a knight's quarters to be healed and rest. His friends visit him and see Commander Thurl leaving his room next door. Since they were invited to stay the night, Lilly goes down to the Acolytes dorm to sleep. Josh and Bob sneak into Thurl's room to investigate. They find a message from Queen Aerisi Kalinoth congratulating Thurl on kidnapping the Waterdhavian noblewoman and brainwashing her and also for a successful skirmish against the Black Earth Cult at the Sacred Stone Monastery. They also steal a potion and scrolls from a chest in his room.
Then, they heal the dwarf and sneak up to the pinnacle of the spire. There they capture Thurl and cast a truth spell on him and learn much about his air cult, the Cult of Howling Hatred. Knowing that Savra's room is one floor below with an open window, Josh, the druid, levitates down, casts confusion on her while she's sleeping and lifts the bolt from her chamber door. The bard disguises himself as Commander Thurl and convinces her to come with them. They escape on the same hippogriffs they rode earlier that night (while almost accidentally leaving the sleeping ranger, Lilly, behind.) Josh lights up his magic dagger so they can see, thereby alerting an airborne guard to their presence. Bob, the bard rolls a crit (20) and completely convinces the guard that he is Commander Thurl and leaves the guard in charge, telling him not to let anyone up to the pinnacle of the spire (where they left Commander Thurl bound and gagged). He salutes and leaves them free to escape. They deliver the girl to the obnoxious Waterdeep noble and receive gold (and a long sword for the druid who just won't stop asking) and permission to rest there that night. They sell the ring, learn what spells the scrolls have on them, and get a map of the Sumber Hills so that they can travel to Beliard the next day. Beliard is the last known location of the delegation from Mirabar. The bard thanks them for their help and chooses to stay behind in Waterdeep.
They can hear bad singing coming from the open door of the tavern and lots of laughter. Upon entering they find a handsome, though somewhat stupid, half-elf bard playing the cowbell and singing a ridiculous song to the tune of a human children's song. (This is Bob, who is played by our kids' former babysitter, Luke. He is joining us for just this one day of adventuring.) He tells them that he has been sent by a rich lord from Waterdeep to find the lord's missing young bride. Within a very short time of their arranged marriage, for some inexplicable (to him) reason, she abandoned her wealthy 60ish year old morbidly obese husband to join a cult. She ran off with a priest. Bob has followed her trail to here and is heading to Feathergale Spire tomorrow where he hopes to find her. Savra Belabranta is her name.
The four adventurer's arrive at Feathergale Spire late the next evening and ring the bell near the closed drawbridge. They are welcomed warmly by a young woman who is a knight of the spire. She takes them up through the lofty white stone spire that is perched above massive steep chasms. They see other knights riding giant vultures and hippogriffs and other creatures in the sky. Also strangely thin priests and acolytes trying to become one with the air. At the pinnacle of the spire they meet Thurl Merosska, a handsome blonde human commander of the air worshipers. They tell him that they want to learn more about the group and he invites them to join him and his people in their 10th anniversary celebration and feast. During the feast they ask about the missing rock cult priest. He promises to discuss it more after the meal. They also learn that the female Knight may be the noblewoman, Savra, that the bard has been searching for. She seems very happy here.
Then an alarm is sounded because a vicious manticore has been spotted outside. It's a misty night outside. Our heroes decide to join in the manticore hunt, riding hippogriffs loaned to them. They encounter the monster before the knights can find it. During a brief fight the bard is injured by a tail spike shot at them like a porcupine's quill. Then the bard and the ranger become lost in the mist. The dwarf paladin and the druid fight on alone. Although they manage to severely injure the beast, the dwarf is knocked unconscious and the manticore tries again to escape into the mist. The druid keeps chasing it and Lilly, the ranger, runs into them in the dark and joins the fight. She manages to strike the killing blow. On the ground, the druid decapitates the creature with his scimitar and they return to the spire in triumph. For a reward they receive a beautiful expensive ring from Commander Thurl. But the druid keeps whining about wanting a long sword. The bard asks if they can have Knight Savra as a reward, but she refuses to leave and Thurl says it's not his decision to make. Instead he tells them that they may find the priest they are looking for at the Sacred Stone Monastery where he believes evil people are doing evil things.
The dwarf, Kyle, is taken to a knight's quarters to be healed and rest. His friends visit him and see Commander Thurl leaving his room next door. Since they were invited to stay the night, Lilly goes down to the Acolytes dorm to sleep. Josh and Bob sneak into Thurl's room to investigate. They find a message from Queen Aerisi Kalinoth congratulating Thurl on kidnapping the Waterdhavian noblewoman and brainwashing her and also for a successful skirmish against the Black Earth Cult at the Sacred Stone Monastery. They also steal a potion and scrolls from a chest in his room.
Then, they heal the dwarf and sneak up to the pinnacle of the spire. There they capture Thurl and cast a truth spell on him and learn much about his air cult, the Cult of Howling Hatred. Knowing that Savra's room is one floor below with an open window, Josh, the druid, levitates down, casts confusion on her while she's sleeping and lifts the bolt from her chamber door. The bard disguises himself as Commander Thurl and convinces her to come with them. They escape on the same hippogriffs they rode earlier that night (while almost accidentally leaving the sleeping ranger, Lilly, behind.) Josh lights up his magic dagger so they can see, thereby alerting an airborne guard to their presence. Bob, the bard rolls a crit (20) and completely convinces the guard that he is Commander Thurl and leaves the guard in charge, telling him not to let anyone up to the pinnacle of the spire (where they left Commander Thurl bound and gagged). He salutes and leaves them free to escape. They deliver the girl to the obnoxious Waterdeep noble and receive gold (and a long sword for the druid who just won't stop asking) and permission to rest there that night. They sell the ring, learn what spells the scrolls have on them, and get a map of the Sumber Hills so that they can travel to Beliard the next day. Beliard is the last known location of the delegation from Mirabar. The bard thanks them for their help and chooses to stay behind in Waterdeep.
Princes of the Apocalypse: Day Five - Bandits!
The dwarf, the ranger, and the druid spend the night near the old abandoned rock quarry. During the night, while the druid is keeping watch, strange sounds, low voices, and eyes low to the ground catch his attention. The dwarf wakes up and, after hearing the druid's report, goes to investigate. They are camped in a small copse of trees and bushes with a large grassy hill and meadow nearby. Kyle creeps into the bushes. There is almost no moonlight, but his dark vision allows him to see something moving towards him low and fast. Several small objects knock into him and he tumbles to the ground. One presses right up against his terrified face and says, "Baaaa". Lilly, the ranger, wakes up due to the noise. She and Josh laugh at the dwarf repeatedly for the next hour, while the DM makes random sheep jokes.
In anger, the dwarf kills one of the sheep with his battle axe and cooks it over the fire. Then the local halfling shephards arrive. They are none to happy. There is almost a fight while the dwarf refuses to apologize. In the end, Lilly pays them 10 gold for the sheep and the druid promises they will leave at first light.
The next morning they return to town and discuss the stone cult with the town constable. They want to find the priest, Larrakh, who convinced the town council to murder people in sacrifice. The constable suggests they check out some of the hiding places south of town where several bandits may be hiding out. (He may be suggesting this just to get rid of a local problem, though.) The heroes locate the bandits, who are cooking around a camp fire and also have a captive bear in a cage with a makeshift lock. A battle begins. Lilly avoids it in order to try to tame the angry starving bear. She shares her rations with it. Meanwhile Josh, the druid, pauses the fight after killing half the bandits to try and get information out of them about the priest in exchange for their lives. But then the dwarf and the druid disagree on whether they are going to steal the bandits' ill-gotten loot. The dwarf uses a thunder attack that enrages the bear, which breaks free of its cage and chases after the bandits who had been mistreating it. Kyle and Josh try to kill the bear. Lilly breaks down crying because she had just succeeded in getting the bear to be friends with her. The bear escapes and chases after the bandits who get away. But then the bear comes back to snuggle his new favorite ranger. The dwarf takes the bandits' loot, and the druid furiously leaves the table vowing to never play this stupid game again. (Two days later... "Mom? Can we play D&D again tonight?")
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