Showing posts with label Trad. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Trad. Show all posts

Friday, February 24, 2023

Session 6 - Echo Wave Cave - Recount, Map, Summary, Questions

Recount of Session 6
Night 1 - Moondive - Early Night (2800 - 3159, 4 hrs)

Bosque and Worra did NOT see any military forces along the Waning Road and Triboar Trail on way to Moondive.

While walking to Moondive at night, Bosque and Worra discover an area were a large group of 30+ people and dragon camped. Burnt arrows and a broken bow a left among the smoldering braziers.

Worra sees Trad, the sorceress' onceti assistant, hung in a tree missing his limbs, acid burning his limbs to stumps.  Worra guesses Trad was ambushed and map he was carrying to the Rat King stolen.

Gawyn spots Worra and Bosque.

Gawyn, Bosque, Noname, Loxly and Austri meet in Sister Garaele's House with Worra.  

Worra and Bosque say their is group named the Jack Terriers meeting the Rat King to kill him at the stone fort house, The Green Spinster.  Jack Terriers armed with dreaded boomstocks.

Gawyn, Noname, Loxly and Austri explain the night before. Eldermath's execution by the last of the Burning Cloaks and a rain of fire arrows killing half the town followed by 20+ men dressed with black dragon masks attacking Moondive.

Lastly, Trista Khador called the Burningstaff after Noname left to help the group fight an acid dragon. She then killed Gundren, Sildar, Wolfenstein, and the barkeeper when she fireballed the Moondive Dive.

Sister Garaele's helped the group kill the acid dragon trying to fly away with Trista.  The dragon was killed lightning summoned by Sister Garaele.  Loxly puts an arrow through Trista's head as she tries to burn the arrow in mid flight.  The Burningstaff disintegrates while doing so.

Sister Garaele gives an iron acorn to Loxly in order to summon her if needed.

The surviving Luck Shrine shrine maiden and mother give group 10 improved healing potions.

Night 1 to Day 2 - Moondive - Late Night and Mid-late Morning (0000 - 0959, 10 hrs)

Group Rests

Day 2 - Moondive - Mid-late Morning, Early Afternoon (1000 - 1559, 6 hrs)

Bosque builds hand bombs with the help of a woodworker, Frederick Strongbeam.  Four fire hand bombs with caltrops, four fire hand bombs with ball bearings.

Loxly builds a keg bomb with woodworker.

Day 2 - Moondive to Green Spinster, At Green Spinster, Late Afternoon (1600 - 1959, 4 hrs)

Group including Worra go to Green Spinster.

Gawyn and group purposefully trip a Fountain of Rats guarding the lower level, rats run off in direction of Echo Wave Cave. Gawyn, Noname and Bosque discover only a dead man wearing a Jack Terrier's Cuirass and jacket.  Looks to be bitten to death by a 1000 tiny bites. 

Group sets Green Spinster on fire.

Group heads into mountains and find a cravasse leading deep within rocks.  They see cart, large feet, boots and tiny mice tracks.

Day 2 - Echo Wave Cave Entrance - Early Evening (2000 - 2399, 4 hrs)

Group hears distressed animal sounds.  Biscuit seems interested. Loxly through telepathy with Biscuit that an draft ogre was injured in rock fall.  Group lets injured draft ogre limp home.

Once in entrance cave, group discovers ferroquin (destroyed) and knight (dead) crushed under many giant boulders. Unfortunately, Tharden was caught in the collapse.  Tharden is has been dead only hours, dust has nearly settled.

Austri can hear faint breathing behind another rock fail.  He discovers his cousin, Nundro, alive and shaken from ambush of the Jack Terriers, Tharden's death, and sealing himself with rock fall in a cove to protect himself.

Austri tells the group he is staying with Nundro and wants to start the rock fall to seal Echo Wave Cave.  The group and Austri negotiate, Austri give them 11 hours to explore cave. If anyone other than group members comes out the cave, Austri will initiate the rock fall.

Day 2 - Count Down - Entrance Cave - Hour 11 (2400)

Left Biscuit's cart at edge of sink hole exposing two entrances to mine.

Bosque, Gawyn, Loxly and Noname help Biscuit get down in sink hole with keg bomb.  Worra follows.

North mine entrance had lots of boot prints and one set trailing off to east entrance.

Group goes into east mine entrance, lots of rat tracks and one set of boot prints. Familiar mouse waves, Loxly kills it, dissipates into blue luminous smoke.

Group marches into east entrance into mining tunnel for 30 mins till seeing next opening and room.

Day 2 - Count Down - Mushroom'd Hallway to Assayer's office to Ancient Latrine Fight - Hour 11 (2500)

Fight 1 (Red Spikey Balloon marked F1)
Group sees glowing mushroom, phosphorescent spores, mushroom zombies. Group sets up trap with Loxly Grabbing Thorn spell.

5 zombies die.  Ignites poison mushroom cloud explosion.  Bosque and Gawyn poisoned. Noname was exposed yet not poisoned.  

Did not go deeper into area with overgrowth of glowing mushroom (green area). 

Cloud lines represent Area Characters did not explore or can see.

Worra disappears.

Find barred door to immediate north, Biscuit could not open in.

Find door to west, easily opens. Discovered Assayer's Office and 500 gp on tables and chest.  Secret door found, rat familiar helps discover group discover it.

Biscuit and keg bomb could not fit into secret passages way (Would take 1 hour to clear); Biscuit and keg bomb left in Assayer's office.

Crates are filled with solid blocks of decayed food, glass bottles, clay containers, porcelain chamber pots.

Rat familiar climbs on crates, play acts fighting and someone in danger.  Points at secret door.

Group goes through secret door. Familiar disappears into blue luminous smoke.

Fight 2 (Red Spikey Balloon marked F2)
Group looks down a hallway lined with latrine benches. As they continue to burst into the latrine, they see a man armed with an extremely heavy looking pike and an other dressed in half plate, a large ornate shield a luminous white-blue sword yelling at an unseen person around the corner.

The Half-plate man notices the group and yells at them to identify themselves. Loxly tries to convince the man they are reinforcements.  The man replies, "You are not soldiers and definitely not of the seven I brought!"

In the confusion, the Half-plate man is struck with magic missiles and steps back injured.  The man with pike, aims his pike like a bow and a mighty flash erupts from the end of the pike quickly followed by flash and noice like lighting and thunder.

An Onceti man in red robe runs towards the group and fires magic missiles again at the Half-plate man.

Noname charges the Half-plate man and dents his armor with three blows.  Killing the Half-plate man.

The group realizes the man with pike is armed with a boomstock and is probably the units sergeant.  The Sargeant fires a round into Noname at point blank.  Noname thinks about catching the projectile, yet does not attempt it. Noname now fears the boomstocks power (Noname loses HP).  Sargeant runs thru the western door behind him.

Gawyn makes the Sargeant fear him with a damage spell (Sargeant loses HP).  Loxly throws a grabbing thorne spell. Bosque throws two handbombs resulting in making the western door impassable and obscured.

The red robed wizard thanks the group for intervening and takes cover behind the group.

Six blasts from three separate boomstocks erupts through the smoke and fire from the western door.  Lucky, no one from the group is hurt. It seems through the blasts were aimed most at Noname and the red robed wizard.

Gawyn clears the flames and debris from Bosque's bombs so the group see or pass through the western door.  The group notices there is no one on the otherside of the doorway. Their is some thorned vines ripped up as if someone struggled to get free (one Jack Terrier loses HP).

The red robed wizard runs east, through the secret door into secret passage way as everyone expects a threat threw the western door of the latrine.  Noname notices and chases the wizard north through the secret passage way.  The wizard pushes open a secret door at the north end of the secret passage way.

Day 2 - Count Down - Meet the Rat King and Golum Guardian - Hour 10 (2600), Magic Resets.

Fight 3 (Red Spikey Balloon marked F3)
Noname tackles the wizard.  The rest of the group chases after Noname.  The group tied up the wizard. The group notices they are in a large kitchen. Nothing of value is in this room.

They persuade the wizard to give them information.  The wizard gives them the following:

- He is the Rat King.
- He tells you he was trying to get to the Forge of Spells.
- There is clay golum guarding the entrance and it's will not let anyone pass; it does seem to be like it could be reasoned with. 
- Clay Golum controls the mushroom zombies.
- The Jack Terriers captured him after his failed attempt to reason with the Golum.
- Jack Terriers were interrogating him about the forge and what it does. He said, "He does not know." The Sargeant and Officer (Half-plate) were close to executing him when the group charged in.
- He sent the familiar to lead them to him.

The Golum (Circle marked G)
The group have the Rat King show them the way to the Golum. They exit the kitchen through the western door, they see a large room with 40 feet ceiling carved out of the cave.  The floors, walls and ceilings look like flagstones.  Many unlight dry oil walls sconces are mounted to the walls and pillars. Many large unlight wagon wheel-like chandelier hang from the ceiling.  The group notice skeletons of many different bipedal creatures in various states of completeness and positions on the floor.  Looks as if a large fight occurred here.  

The group go up the stairs immediately north of them and slowly approach the green glowing Golum. As they pass a large pillar, the Golum stares at the group silently and near motionlessly.

Jack Terriers retreat (Blue Arrow with Jack Terrier Symbol)
They notice the haphazard fortification of tables and benches with motionless mushroom zombies laying against them. They also notice the two other doors south. One loosely barricaded closed and one leading to the Latrine.

The groups sees some tables and benches pushed outward from the fortification as if the Jack Terriers broke up the barrier to escape from the group during the fight.  The group knows the room extends further to the south west, they just can not see what is exactly there. (The cloud looking marks are unexplored areas).

Fight 4 (Red Spikey Balloon marked F4)
The Group stops when the Golum in a booming voice ask them to halt and state their business.

Gawyn talks to the Golum and gains it's trust. The Golum warns he does not trust the Rat King and the Forge has been active as of recent (you do not know what recent means to a Golum that been there for a 1000 years).  The Golum asks if he can be released from his service and seem to recognize Gawyn.  The Golum asks for Gawyn to place his head into his large out stretch hand in order verify his identity.  Golum says Gawyn bloodline is allowed to release the Golum from service the yells "Release me!". Gawyn says it is released and Golum melts into the floor and disappears.

Soon after, two shots from a boomstock strike behind them near the 30 feet wide and 15 feet tall entrance tunnel of the Forge of Spells.  The tunnel leading to the forge is straight and speck of yellow-orange light is viewable at the other end (approx 1000+ ft long tunnel to Forge).  The group kneels down after hearing the ricochet.

The next two rounds, hear the near invisible shots whizz and crack near them. They see the flash and smoke come from the south west. They also hear the something running in armor and panting heavily coming the group's way!
'
End of Session 6

----------Questions----------
1. Do you fight the Jack Terriers, run into forge or something else?
2. Biscuit?
3. What do you do with the Rat King?
4. What other options do you think you have?
5. Does your group have a name?

-----------Session 7 Knowns-----------
- You have all your spell slots back.
- Austri helping depends on player attendance.
- You have 10 hours left no matter if Austri helps or not.  Nundro wants revenge!!!
- Fighting is fast (6 second a player's turn) and talk eats up time, any negotiation or dialogue is a minimum of 15 mins.  We'll be rolling a D4 to see how many quarters of an hour a complex conversation in game takes.
- Jack Terriers want to see the Forge of Spells and kill the Rat King (and probably any witnesses) then to report to their commander, Captain Bulter.
- There are 4 to 5 Jack Terriers alive currently and they are as well equipt as the group.
- Must be in line of sight for telepathy and within 30 ft.
- You have the iron acorn!
- Worra knows the location of all the promisary notes for payment and leads.  Bosque, Austri and Loxly, want her alive. Gawyn and Noname, may not care if she lives and maybe have an idea she grants wishes if she makes it out of Echo Wave Cave alive.

----------Session 7 Ending----------
Pick three Plot Hooks, rank them 1 to 3:

- Find Prince Lecham's buried gift for the group, deeper into Blood Coast to the Green Ilse (Southeast Cross)

- Captain Gozo's Ship in Neverwane, mystery of salted boltian trade and travel to Tarte in the Plaingraves (Central Cross)

- Austri's return to the Hillrocker Family Combine (Northwest Cross, Crater Lands)

- Bosque's quest for revenge and join the Urraedi Arimavor (Southwest Cross, the Oncet)

- Gawyn's search for Archomet, Nightmare Dragon and Mignola's favor (New Continent)

- Loxly's reclaiming of his kingdom from Ivanham of Nottinghoe in the Lincolnwood Forest in his land of Shergreengrave (Northeast Cross, Moon Coast)

- Noname's walking of the world till he reaches the Purple Coast and the Gray Tower. (New Continent, the Narrow Lands, Bosque homeland)

- Submit your own!!!

----------Notes----------
Charge to 32 Hour Day, 4 long rests, Powers Reset at Dawn or Dusk (16 hrs)
Morning 
(0400 - 0759, 0800 - 1159) Sunrise 1000
(Early Morning, Late Morning)
Afternoon
(1200 - 1559, 1600 - 1959)
(Early Afternoon, Late Afternoon)
Evening 
(2000 - 2359, 2400 - 2759) Sunset 2600
(Early Evening, Late Evening)
Night
(2800 - 3159, 0000 - 0359)
(Early Night, Late Night)

Sunday, January 1, 2023

Session 4 - Cragmaw Castle - Part 4 - Parley


Bosque could hear the arguments from the hallway leading to where the discussion had started. Through the door it sounded like Marco and Austri were doing most the arguing.  Once Worra and Bosque walked in they could clearly hear it wasn't arguments, they were slinging insults at each other.

Loxly was standing next to Lecham both looking embarrassed.  Lucky none of the other gybolts we're in the room, other wise this would have gotten violent.

"Quit it," Bosque pushs the two apart. Marco and Austri stop a moment. They look like they are going to start again till they notice Worra.

Austri and Marco say in unison, "Why is she here?!"

"She is here to help us," Bosque says diplomaticly. "Also, we cannot let anyone in the Moondiver Mine. It needs to stay lost."

Austri looking more upset, "You sided with goblins! You were hired to get Gundren to protect him!"

"We were hired to protect a cart and we were paid," Loxly smugly says, he walks closer to Austri. "Out of the graciousness in our hearts and coin promised to our pockets we have arrived to this juncture."

"It just so happens my kin found Gundren  alive, you should be delighted," added Lecham.

"I am yet. You are all supposed to be his friends," the dwarf pleas to all in the room.

"Ah ho-ho, I am no friend of the figora. I spare him only because Prince Lecham was spared," Marco leading over the table while standing on a chair. "No one can open that mine, it means more oppression to my people, more death."

Worra then speaks, "Hillrocker Family Combine. Your family's company, Austri, is in league with Rithal."

Austri defensively says, "My family only digs and we are small combine.  We are not the Montefellers or Rockbattens. We..."

"Gundren wants to be!" Worra ends Austri meek posturing, "He would not give Saroeun the location of the mine when dangling in front of the owlbear. Yet he would fill the room with threats of his coming power, your family's military and connection to Rithal."

Bosque loudly says, "Okay, okay. Let's get this business over. Worra has things to tell us all."

Worra runs a hand over her bald head and says something under her breath.  A large piece of parchment appears in the middle of the table. Ink begins to appear on the parchment as if invisible pens are drawing upon it. Amazed in silence, everyone sees a map of the area.

"Sildar has sent word of Trista Khador's capture and that she is a powerful conjurer to the Nevers^," Worra continues. "In response, the Crosian marchine garrison would send a large platoon of cuirassary* with probably two spellcasters to ensure her transport and imprisonment. Also, to reestablish the constabulary Trisha turned into the Burning Cloaks."

Bosque adds, "Worra and I will go to see how large this group is. If it is more than expected, Sildar's interest lay in occupying Moondive and start securing the area for exploitation of Echo Wave Cave."

Everyone takes in the map as Worra draws a dark green house just east of Moondive. Worra explains the mark, "My olseur**, Trad, has destroyed Gundren's map in route to eliminate the Rat King at a fortified farm house called Green Spinster. Trad will meet you in three days in Moondive. He will be an oceti dressed in a similar cloak as myself."

"He'll be dead and I doubted he'll destroy the map," Austri poking at Worra confidence. "We'll probably be strung up a tree with a smile carved from ear to ear!"

Worra gives a look to Austri that startles him and nearly sents him to the floor.  

She continues drawing and talking. "We all meet up in Moondive in three days then head out to the Moondiver Mine and ensure it says hidden."

Austri straightens himself and looks as proud and confident as he can muster, "If my family is to walk away from the mine, make it impenetrable and stay lost; what is our competition?"

"Hundred thousand gold. How does that sound, Austri?" The statement sounded of no consequences to Worra.

Austri jokingly says, "It will need to be platinum."

Quickly Worra accepts and explains how she will bring the official papers from Neverwane on Bosque and her return to Moondive. The map fades away.

"Well, my fair maiden, I'll need a platinum codpiece and shoes to match to dance away from this opportunity." Loxly jest and querying for a bribe.

"You get fifty thousand gold. Do not ask for more or it will turn into copper," Worra snips.

Embarrassed Loxly nods and does tempt his chances.

Worra gives attention to the gybolts, "Any request, Prince Lecham?"

Lecham and Marco whisper to each other. They ask Worra to step out of the room and close the door behind them.

Bosque puts his ear against the door and motions for everyone to quiet.  Everyone eyes drawn to him listening. After a few minutes, Bosque motions everyone to start talking. Loxly talks about Lincolnwood Forest^^ and his realm of Shergrengrave^^^.  Austri fanes interest so poorly Loxly and Bosque been to laughs making the room feel natural.

Bosque backs away from the door as the goblins walk in followed by the onceti.  The laughter dies down as Marco and Worra gives the hyguier disapproving looks.  

Prince Lecham is sad and addresses the three adventures, "I am going to leave you. As my parting gift you may have Wolfenstein.  He will serve you as faithfully as I had planned.  Marco and the remaining gybolts will meet with our kin and return home.  Our mission is complete."

Lecham hugs Bosque then Austri. When it is Loxly's turn, Lecham says, "You have given us boltian a chance to live, a chance to fight! I will leave gifts buried at the foot of Knotted Rock near Wyvern Tor^^^^ after 5 days from now.  It will not look like much, just trinkets and things of nature. Yet they are the greatest gifts a boltian could give his friends."

Marco takes Lecham by shoulder and kisses his prince on the forehead. Marco says one more insult to Austri then simply says to Bosque and Loxly, "Ah-haha, thank you for returning my prince, higoras! I hope to see you again."

At midmorning, Austri and Loxly are getting Gundren settled in the wagon.  The necromancer's tent helped keep the morning frost from hindering the rigging of the cart.  Biscuit, draught-orge, was ready to move. Austri and Loxly including Wolfenstein began their journey to Moondive.

Loxly was curious how Bosque and Worra will travel fast enough from the Nevers to Moondive in just three days.  Loxly figured she must have some sort of onceti surprise.

----------Result----------
Quest to Wyvern Tor (party)
- Prince Lecham's gifts buried near the foot of Knotted Rock.
- Go to Echo Wave Cave and collapse entrance 

Collect 100K Platinum Pieces (Austri Only)
- Convince Gundren, Tharden, and Nundro to give up on the Moondiver Mine.
- Collapse the Moondiver Entrance.
- Worra to give instructions on getting rewards.

Collect 50K Gold Pieces (Loxly Only)
- Collapse the Moondiver Entrance.
- Worra to give instructions on getting rewards.

Entry into Urraedi Arimavor and location of mentors killer (Bosque Only)
- Collapse the Moondiver Entrance.
- Worra will give two toll piece (soul exchanged for gold) and instructions on getting reward.

---------Notes---------
Trad, Loxly, Bosque, Austri, Gundren, Worra, Marco, Lecham,Cuirassary, corrinque, Nevers, Wyvern Tor, Olseur, 

Cuirassary* soldiers that ware a breast and back plate armor. Many carry boomstocks with bayonets.  Normally supported with brigantry, platoons carry large shields and swords or spear/pikes.

Olseur** rank below Mailey and is a mailey in training. Normally from a different noble house or school of training.

Nevers^, nickname for Neverwane and Neverwax, fortified cities on opposite banks of the Waning River.

Lincolnwood Forest^^ 

Shergreengrave^^^

Wyvern Tor^^^^

Corrinque+

Marchinette++