Banewarrens, Chapter 3, part 2
Feb. 24th, 2006 11:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eyelessgameContinuing our adventure...
Perched comfortably on the five-foot-wide catwalk, Shannon found the combination lock on the Sealed Door and picked it as her party packed up the dead goblins' booty. Click... then nothing, as the door remained magically sealed.
Shannon grumped a bit. It was a hard lock and she picked it, dammit.
Astra took the lead and directed the party through the north door, to find an iron golem! Fortunately, the golem lasted for only one round, then fizzled, spraying raw magic in all directions, as the party dove for cover. Shannon approached the inert construct and began searching it, causing another magical explosion... this time, spraying herself and Alistair with raw mana that, after a fearful moment, turned out to enhance dexterity. (Shannon was stoked -- a 24 dex for a half hour).
They came next to a pit with a violently-killed lamia at the bottom. Chains that formerly hung down into the pit were snapped off or flung up onto the floor beside it, debris was scattered about, and the walls appeared sandblasted.
Shannon cautiously climbed down and examined, but there was no other clue to the lamia's death, save the shattered remnants of a bottle. As the rest of the party worked to climb down, across, and back up out of the pit, Shannon called a halt and hushed everyone to listen... there was sound coming from the huge catwalked octogonal room.
The rogue circled round to the other south door and peered -- it was the invaders from yesterday, except that the "centaur" had removed his disguise and was revealed as another lamia (Verochin). He was balancing his Large frame on the catwalk and investigating the Sealed Door as one goblin held a sunrod nearby, the minotaur looked on, and the other three goblins were spread around the catwalk, on watch for intruders.
Astra whispered plans: everyone steps out and fires missiles or buffs the party (since any spellcasting would be heard and ruin surprise). The plan went well that far, two arrows hitting the lamia as the bard began a song... then the lamia (Verochin) barked "Cover that rod!" to the goblin, and suddenly the missilecasters had nothing but darkness to shoot at.
Jessica didn't consider this worth spending a fireball scroll, so the monsters were able to run for a south door and reach cover without taking any further damage. Astra was taken by surprise at the monsters' intelligence and called for retreat and regrouping -- which everyone else ignored, charging around the catwalk.
Out of sight of the party, the lamia used an illusion to cover the passage between the two southern rooms, and had his team hide in the passage while he cast his mirror image. He then used his fast movement to circle around and attack Raphaela and Jessica from behind, while Ios the minotaur leapt out and charged the frontline fighters.
Things started looking bad. Verochin had stunned the wizard and Ios' first (single) attack would have killed Shannon if not for Raphaela's Shield Other. Fortunately, Tyson got Ios with Tasha's Laughter and probably saved the campaign, as Ios failed the save (easier than normal because humor doesn't translate well) by a single point. Alistair and a flanking Shannon then had no difficulty dispatching the nearly-helpless minotaur.
Even without Ios, Verochin was willing to stay on the catwalk and fight... until Raphaela Dispelled his mirror images. Given how much damage six people were likely to be able to dish out, Verochin fled, leaping from the catwalk to the floor (eating the minor damage for the fall) and used his monk-enhanced speed to flee the scene, taking only annoyance damage before getting out. We'll see him again.
One of the goblins survived the fight but was captured by Raphaela. In gibbering fear, the goblin promised to leave town and tell no one about them, if they spared his life. Astra, already in a bad mood over the failure of anyone to pay attention to her leadership, expressed skepticism but let the questioning proceed. Was there a paladin? Yes, they were told to expect him, but they never met him. Verochin had investigated to the north yesterday and said it was 'dealt with'. What about the door and the dead goblins? That was before; he was one of the replacements, brought in because the first goblins were killed by this paladin. Where did Verochin hire them? That, the goblin said, was worth more than his life to answer.
Fine, said Astra, and beheaded the goblin. Raphaela, who felt she had made a deal with the poor creature, was horrified.
In the south room, carefully concealed under broken wood crates, was the body of a man, laid to rest in a bedroll pressed into service as a shroud. With the body was a note...
[We will pick up, next time, with descriptions of the items in the other southern room -- clearly the PCs saw them, but I haven't described it to them yet.]
[Meta: As a variant rule I have used for some time -- possibly because my previous campaign was cash-poor -- I permit wizards to rememorize spells if they have access to their spellbooks. It takes multiple hours for a high-level wizard to recover all her spells, but it somewhat makes up for the rather limited spell selection, especially for a party reluctant to spend money on scrolls. Also, more questionably in my opinion, I permit divine casters to take an hour and swap out memorized-but-uncast spells for others on their lists... again, as an adjustment for cash-poor campaigns to reduce the need for scrolls and wands.]
Feeling they could take an hour but not a day, the party elected to let Jessica recover some magic, closing themselves into the northern room that formerly contained the golem. Only a few minutes into her hour, however, a troll-like creature -- melting ice crystals sticking to its hair -- materialized from thin air and slashed at Shannon, paralyzing her! Alistair ran to her defense, only to be paralyzed in turn. Jessica was pulled from her book and cast a Melf's Acid Arrow -- one of her few available spells -- at the troll. It vanished instantly.
"What the hell was that?" wondered the shaken Astra.
Raphaela inspected her two paralyzed friends, and announced they now had no choice but to continue to swap spells, since the paralysis didn't appear to be wearing off on its own -- she could pull up a Remove Paralysis, but she'd need an hour as well.
The hour passed, stressfully and watchfully but without futher incident. Raphaela de-paralyzed the half-orc and halfling, and they prepared to continue...
Perched comfortably on the five-foot-wide catwalk, Shannon found the combination lock on the Sealed Door and picked it as her party packed up the dead goblins' booty. Click... then nothing, as the door remained magically sealed.
Shannon grumped a bit. It was a hard lock and she picked it, dammit.
Astra took the lead and directed the party through the north door, to find an iron golem! Fortunately, the golem lasted for only one round, then fizzled, spraying raw magic in all directions, as the party dove for cover. Shannon approached the inert construct and began searching it, causing another magical explosion... this time, spraying herself and Alistair with raw mana that, after a fearful moment, turned out to enhance dexterity. (Shannon was stoked -- a 24 dex for a half hour).
They came next to a pit with a violently-killed lamia at the bottom. Chains that formerly hung down into the pit were snapped off or flung up onto the floor beside it, debris was scattered about, and the walls appeared sandblasted.
Shannon cautiously climbed down and examined, but there was no other clue to the lamia's death, save the shattered remnants of a bottle. As the rest of the party worked to climb down, across, and back up out of the pit, Shannon called a halt and hushed everyone to listen... there was sound coming from the huge catwalked octogonal room.
The rogue circled round to the other south door and peered -- it was the invaders from yesterday, except that the "centaur" had removed his disguise and was revealed as another lamia (Verochin). He was balancing his Large frame on the catwalk and investigating the Sealed Door as one goblin held a sunrod nearby, the minotaur looked on, and the other three goblins were spread around the catwalk, on watch for intruders.
Astra whispered plans: everyone steps out and fires missiles or buffs the party (since any spellcasting would be heard and ruin surprise). The plan went well that far, two arrows hitting the lamia as the bard began a song... then the lamia (Verochin) barked "Cover that rod!" to the goblin, and suddenly the missilecasters had nothing but darkness to shoot at.
Jessica didn't consider this worth spending a fireball scroll, so the monsters were able to run for a south door and reach cover without taking any further damage. Astra was taken by surprise at the monsters' intelligence and called for retreat and regrouping -- which everyone else ignored, charging around the catwalk.
Out of sight of the party, the lamia used an illusion to cover the passage between the two southern rooms, and had his team hide in the passage while he cast his mirror image. He then used his fast movement to circle around and attack Raphaela and Jessica from behind, while Ios the minotaur leapt out and charged the frontline fighters.
Things started looking bad. Verochin had stunned the wizard and Ios' first (single) attack would have killed Shannon if not for Raphaela's Shield Other. Fortunately, Tyson got Ios with Tasha's Laughter and probably saved the campaign, as Ios failed the save (easier than normal because humor doesn't translate well) by a single point. Alistair and a flanking Shannon then had no difficulty dispatching the nearly-helpless minotaur.
Even without Ios, Verochin was willing to stay on the catwalk and fight... until Raphaela Dispelled his mirror images. Given how much damage six people were likely to be able to dish out, Verochin fled, leaping from the catwalk to the floor (eating the minor damage for the fall) and used his monk-enhanced speed to flee the scene, taking only annoyance damage before getting out. We'll see him again.
One of the goblins survived the fight but was captured by Raphaela. In gibbering fear, the goblin promised to leave town and tell no one about them, if they spared his life. Astra, already in a bad mood over the failure of anyone to pay attention to her leadership, expressed skepticism but let the questioning proceed. Was there a paladin? Yes, they were told to expect him, but they never met him. Verochin had investigated to the north yesterday and said it was 'dealt with'. What about the door and the dead goblins? That was before; he was one of the replacements, brought in because the first goblins were killed by this paladin. Where did Verochin hire them? That, the goblin said, was worth more than his life to answer.
Fine, said Astra, and beheaded the goblin. Raphaela, who felt she had made a deal with the poor creature, was horrified.
In the south room, carefully concealed under broken wood crates, was the body of a man, laid to rest in a bedroll pressed into service as a shroud. With the body was a note...
10 Mirtul [yesterday]This was useful information, all agreed, though it didn't answer the question of just where Kalarecent was now.
The hag used a ring to open the door, and passed through, but Rsanir and I held it against the rest until it closed of its own accord. Rsanir fell against the minotaur, and I cannot be sure of the nature of the other survivors. One, a centaur, is wounded and still here, though the other cowardly vermin retreated.
I have regained my strength and will attempt to defeat the centaur illusionist before the others return. I think it confused me; my perceptions were altered and return to normal only slowly.
I commend my spirit to Torm. May He grant me valor.
Bear Rsanir's bones back to the temple, ye who find him.
-- Kalarecent of Torm
[We will pick up, next time, with descriptions of the items in the other southern room -- clearly the PCs saw them, but I haven't described it to them yet.]
[Meta: As a variant rule I have used for some time -- possibly because my previous campaign was cash-poor -- I permit wizards to rememorize spells if they have access to their spellbooks. It takes multiple hours for a high-level wizard to recover all her spells, but it somewhat makes up for the rather limited spell selection, especially for a party reluctant to spend money on scrolls. Also, more questionably in my opinion, I permit divine casters to take an hour and swap out memorized-but-uncast spells for others on their lists... again, as an adjustment for cash-poor campaigns to reduce the need for scrolls and wands.]
Feeling they could take an hour but not a day, the party elected to let Jessica recover some magic, closing themselves into the northern room that formerly contained the golem. Only a few minutes into her hour, however, a troll-like creature -- melting ice crystals sticking to its hair -- materialized from thin air and slashed at Shannon, paralyzing her! Alistair ran to her defense, only to be paralyzed in turn. Jessica was pulled from her book and cast a Melf's Acid Arrow -- one of her few available spells -- at the troll. It vanished instantly.
"What the hell was that?" wondered the shaken Astra.
Raphaela inspected her two paralyzed friends, and announced they now had no choice but to continue to swap spells, since the paralysis didn't appear to be wearing off on its own -- she could pull up a Remove Paralysis, but she'd need an hour as well.
The hour passed, stressfully and watchfully but without futher incident. Raphaela de-paralyzed the half-orc and halfling, and they prepared to continue...
no subject
Date: 2006-02-27 07:15 pm (UTC)Pffft. Expect the characters to have the monster stats memorized?