Saturday, 17 September 2016

Session 80 12-13/10/4446 The Cliff

XP
Hakeem, Barbarian LEVEL 16 XP 2000+201363=203363/225,000 Thuruar, Cleric LEVEL 14 XP 2000+149786=151786/165,000 Shieldbiter, Dragonborn Barbarian LEVEL 13 XP 126758/140,000

7:00pm  2016-9-17 Smon Has entered the room
7:07pm  2016-9-17 chris107 Has entered the room
Smon: Evening Chris
chris107: Evening Simon
7:09pm  2016-9-17 Kjato Ragfoot Has entered the room
Kjato Ragfoot: Hello!
chris107: Hi Kjato
Smon: GM: So last session Hakeem killed the undead worm & saved Laurana his amazon half sister from its gullet...
Smon: >>Smon: There is much congratulations, Laurana thanks the gnomes. Smon: Naran: "Though it does puzzle me that the Worm should skirt the outer tunnels and make straight for the guest chambers..." Smon: Thuruar: "What are you saying?" chris107: "Aye, indeed. Perhaps priest Thurur could augury this odd behavior?" Smon: Naran scratches his beard. "Could it be that the Nerathi detected your presence? Are able to track you, somehow?" Smon: Thuruar: "I shall commune with Athena..."<<
Kjato Ragfoot: Hmm.
chris107: hmmmm
Kjato Ragfoot: I am not entirely sure what kind of Yes/No question would solve this puzzle.
chris107: 2 mins
Smon: last session - http://smons.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/session-79-11-12104446-hakeem-vs-worm.html
chris107: Ah ya
chris107: Saved only by Barbarian ability to save at 0 HP!
Smon: Feel free to ask Athena 3 questions
Kjato Ragfoot: Was it a coincidence that the worm directly approached the sleeping chambers?
Smon: "No"
chris107: good question
Kjato Ragfoot: Was the worm targeting a specific person?
Smon: "Yes"
chris107: hmmm
Kjato Ragfoot: (Chris: Any suggestions? I am not sure what else to ask. I am quite certain the worm was sent to kill "the killer of Yusan", but I am not sure whether knowing that will do us any good)
chris107: (Struggling. Can we get a target by finding out who sent it? Someone to send attacks back at?)
Kjato Ragfoot: (I consider asking a completely unrelated question, unless you have anything specifical you would like to ask for)
Kjato Ragfoot: (We know that Boris Crowfinger send the worm. The guy who conjured the 1000 ghouls and turned Tigerclaw into a wraith).
chris107: (Ah, I have had a busy few weeks)
Kjato Ragfoot: (I just looked it up, Simon stated that in the log three games ago)
Smon: Boritt Crowfinger is the Nerathi Arch-Necromancer, yup.
Smon: & a Prince of Restored Nerath.
chris107: can we use that to our advantage?
Smon: Tal Lorvas who you killed in the sea battle was his apprentice.
chris107: Send our own summons back?
chris107: Give them reason to think twicE ABOUT DOING IT AGAIN.
chris107: sorry caps lock
Kjato Ragfoot: I am quite sure they thought a whole lot how lot what to conjure against Hakeem.
Smon: ooc just let me know what you want to do now.
Kjato Ragfoot: OK. Last question: Does the Bane Spawn have a weakness we can exploit?
Smon: "Yes"
chris107: drat!
Kjato Ragfoot: Good. Now we just need to find that weakness!
chris107: So we are with the Gnomes?
Smon: yes you're still in Ractuan.
Smon: You have a nice brunch with the gnome rulers & they ask you how things are going.
chris107: "We are thinking of sending the Nerathi some of their own medicine."
Smon: As Hakeem speaks, you hear a low roll of thunder from outside. King Drudil claps his hands happily: "A good omen!"
chris107: "Bondorr!"
chris107: "We must raid Bisgen"
Kjato Ragfoot: Well, we need to retrieve Bondorrs armour from the Nerathi.
Kjato Ragfoot: Coincidently, the guy who conjured the worm is said to live near Bisgen.
chris107:
Smon: Naran the gnomish druid: "The worm is decaying rapidly - I found this implanted in what might pass for its brain..." - he produces an odd, rudely carved statuette, vaguely manlike, a lightning bolt carved in white on the black stone. "A fetish, perhaps."
Kjato Ragfoot: Hmm.
Kjato Ragfoot: Look Hakeem, it looks similar to you.
Smon: Drudil nods: "They say Boritt Crowfinger raised Varek Tigerclaw, wearer of Bondorr's armour, as a foul Death Knight - very powerful."
chris107: Hakeem touches the lightning bolt symbol at his neck
Smon: Drudil: "Varek has been hunting down the Tigerclaw, his old clan, in their final redoubts - recently he slew the Sword Knight Koltan. I fear soon the Tigerclaw will be gone from this world."
chris107: "I hear he can not be slain?"
Smon: Naran: "Not while the black gem sits in the armour's chest plate - smash the gem, and he should become mortal."
chris107: "We would be doing a great service to this world and to Bondorr if we could lay his troubled soul to rest."
Kjato Ragfoot: Indeed.
Smon: The Warforged Bulwark appears to grimace sadly. "VAREK WAS MY FRIEND... TOGETHER WE FOUGHT MANY BATTLES."
Kjato Ragfoot: Also, we have a special tactic to get rid of people that cannot die.
chris107: "Thuruar, can your mighty magic find a way to smash this gem? Or take the armour from it and keep it complete?"
Smon: He sips his oil. "TOGETHER WE DESTROYED AZM ZEALOT, SMASHED THE ARANG TOK... AH, THOSE WERE GREAT DAYS."
chris107: Hakeem looks at the mighty warforged
chris107: "Lord Bulwark. I know what it is to loose great hearts in war."
chris107: "I have only great respect for Varek and his mighty deeds."
Kjato Ragfoot: I could try to dispel the magic on the gem, then you should have a chance to shatter it with a good hit.
Smon: Bulwark's voice lowers. "Aye. And I have lost many."
chris107: "But now he is gone and only his shell is left to serve wicked ends."
Smon: Thuruar you can make a Religion check.
chris107: "Is there some way to keep the armour intact and yet let us release the soul of Varek?"
Kjato Ragfoot rolls 1d20+9 and gets: 8, (+9) = 17
Smon: pass.
Smon: Thuruar knows that unlike with most undead, the Death Knight's soul remains trapped in its body, in torment.
Smon: The Armour of Bondorr traditionally carries a crystal or diamond in the breastplate that can transport the slain wearer to the nearest temple of Bondorr and Raise him there, destroying the gem.
chris107: cool
Smon: Borritt may have corrupted the armour so that now it holds a gem-phylactery, similar to that of a Lich?
chris107: But would the twisted soul of Varek still be treated the same?
chris107: ah
chris107: Hakeem knows nothing of twisted necromancy
Smon: Over the past decade Varek is known to have been apparently destroyed several times, but always return.
chris107: but knows that Varek was a fellow Sword Knight.
Smon: Thuruar's best bet would be to use Positive Energy (turn undead) vs the black gem.
chris107: "So Thuruar, shall we go free my poor brother?"
Kjato Ragfoot: "Indeed, we should Hakeem."
chris107: "Strike a blow agin the Nerathi, liberate the armour of my master and set free the tortured soul of my brother."
Smon: Naran: "If you are flying west from here, best do so under cover of darkness - the Nerathi have many orc scouts of the Arang-Tok. They are based at the ancient Stargazer tower at the western end of the pass."
chris107: "Shbould we also bring the town and temple back into our hands?"
Smon: The gnomes bring forth a map of the western lands - https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLiQ65tQRavW6GWrA-LKHdOxzz_OaKf6ks8f1d9usalh6AO-fgpTrk6hbjx2YdRp_8RZQ4KgmMXDlCpR_yNM6QUzsz9S77UUWVtQXfIlv_JX4ncfaXBUObLb2msdMx41O2VSeaE0bO82k/s1600/WESTERN+ALTANIS.jpg
Kjato Ragfoot: No. The temple is far to close to enemy lands, we can only raid it, not conquer it.
chris107: Hakeen studies the map.
chris107: His new found wisdom
chris107: lets him seee the truth in Thur's words
Smon: Drudil: "The last of the Tigerclaw are hiding in the caves at the headwaters of the Barath river, east of the Aran-Tok orc territories. Most likely you will find Varek there."
chris107: Though he would greatly like to see the temple of Bondorr liberated.
chris107: "Then that is where we shall start."
chris107: "Thuruar?"
Smon: "We heard of Koltan's death a week ago - but Chief Kalgol and Mama Kala escaped the battle through Kala's magic. Varek may still be hunting them."
Kjato Ragfoot: (What is a headwater?)
Smon: Where the river starts - from springs.
chris107: the start of a river
Kjato Ragfoot: (Ah. Thanks)
Kjato Ragfoot: Hakeem, we should go, defeat Tigerclaw and invite his clan into the Ghinarian confederacy.
Kjato Ragfoot: Where they can finally fight the Nerathi on even terms again, without having to worry about a death knight eating their soul.
chris107: "Your wisom, as always is sound."
chris107: "It is time for Varek's soul to rest."
chris107: "And to strike a blow agin the Black Sun."
Smon: /roll 2d8
Smon rolls 2d8 and gets: 5, 6, = 11
chris107: @ Simon. Have we rested and recovered from the mighty battle of last time?
Smon: Laurana: "I am willing to fly there on Goldmane, over the mountains. From the map, is half a day from here to the Tigerclaw lands."
Smon: You have had 1 long rest so full hp & half your hd back.
chris107: "Thuruar, do you think your magic will prevail over that of the Crowfinger?"
chris107: thanks.
Kjato Ragfoot: I am not sure, Crowfinger is immensly powerful. But I think it is worth a try.
chris107: Hakeem bear hugs the wise old battle priest.
chris107: "We have not failed yet my friend!"
Smon: GM: Shieldbiter is also willing to carry you on the Royal Wyvern, which could carry both of you if you wanted to send Laurana back.
chris107: @ Simon, can H use the Sword of Bondorr yet or does he need to reforge it?
chris107: hehe
Smon: You can use it but it's a greatsword so no shield.
chris107: sending Laurana anywhere she didn't want to go would be a task beyond us I fear
Smon:
Smon: Like brother like sister.
chris107: Hakeem prays to his God
chris107:
chris107: "Master!? Is it time yet to use your sword?"
chris107: (He feels it is a holy weapon)
chris107: (If not perhaps laurana could fly it back to Lady Meda/Malen?
Kjato Ragfoot: Thuruar will tell Dudil that the Bane Spawn is supposed to have a weakness, and whether he can think about what that might be? Perhaps do some research as well?
Smon: Hakeem doesn't get an answer from Bondorr.
chris107: (If yes, Bondorr says that it is time to use the weapon v. Vareck then fly Bloodletter back)
Smon: You suspect it would be ok to put the Sword in a shrine for now.
chris107:
Smon: Drudil: "They say Kainos the Warbringer is angry and proud, like his father - rash, perhaps."
chris107: "Sister. I have need of your swift wings. I go into danger and need this blade of Bondorr taking to my child. For I feel it is his destiny to be the one to weild it. Will you do this for ma?"
Smon: Naran the druid shrugs. "I know little of such things."
Smon: Laurana nods, throwing her shoulders back proudly. "Aye! I will be honoured to take this weapon to your child."
chris107: He hugs his sister warmly.
chris107: "Our family has a greater destiny than ours."
Smon: Laurana hugs back, not wincing as the bear hug smooshes her slight frame.
chris107: "Come Thur!let us go release the soul of Sword Knight Varek!"
Smon: "My ...nephew... shall receive the blade. And I shall consult with Lady Meda about the Bane Son."
chris107: Hakeem, his next task clear bids all a hearty farewell.
Kjato Ragfoot: Indeed. With everything else put into good hands, let's release Tigerclaw and his clan from their curse.
chris107: (Or hastily avoids doing war upon the son of Ares perhaps? For now!  )
Smon: GM: That evening after nightfall, Lauran mounts Goldmane and flies east back down the pass towards Thusia, while Hakeem & Thuruar mount behind Shieldbiter on the wyvern.
chris107: (Kjato, any special tactics or spells for this ?)
Smon: The gnomes point you south west, over high mountains that jut ever-snowcapped towards the stars.
Kjato Ragfoot: (I would assume Dispel Magic might help, but the main part is to restrain Tigerclaw till we get the gem)
Smon: Bidding your farewells, the wyvern takes to flight, rising rapidly until the air becomes thin and bitter cold.
Smon: /roll d6
Smon rolls 1d6 and gets: 1,
chris107: Hakeem leaps upon the back of the mighty beast. Trying out the powers of his new boots.
Smon: A strong wind whips around you, bringing blinding snow.
chris107: Hakeem pulls his old wolfskin cloak tight around his mighty frame
Smon: As the hours pass it becomes clear the wyvern is becoming both chilled - sluggish - and disoriented by cold worse than any it has ever known in the warm winds of Oricha.
chris107: "Shieldbiter?"
Smon: Shieldbiter too seems sluggish, scales rimed with frost.
chris107: "Your mighty steed seems troubled. Shall we fly lower?"
Smon: Shieldbiter nods. The wyverns descends - and suddenly a great black cliff looms before you, right ahead!
Smon: The wyvern tries to turn...
chris107: eek
chris107: "Up!"
Smon: DC 13 DEX check for wyvern:
Smon: /roll d20
Smon rolls 1d20 and gets: 1,
Smon: *smash*
chris107: oops
chris107:
Smon: The wyvern smashes head-first into a jutting promontory, and then plummets unconscious towards the ground!
Smon: /roll d6
Smon rolls 1d6 and gets: 6,
chris107: bugger
chris107: not a good time for the Simon 6!
Smon: You see a ledge below as the wyvern tumbles earthwards with you on board, but the wyvern will just miss it - do you want to leap for the ledge, cast a spell, or ride the unconscous wyvern down?
chris107: Hakeem leaps towards the mountainside. Using the magic of his boots
Kjato Ragfoot: Would a healing spell or a lesser restoration revive the wyvern?
chris107: He will then scale down after the plummeting beadt and his friends.
Smon: Hakeem leaps from the tumbling wyvern, down onto the icy ledge - make DC 12 Acrobatics (DEX) check Hakeem.
chris107 rolls 1d20+7 and gets: 16, (+7) = 23
Kjato Ragfoot: Thuruar will cast Lesser Restoration on the wyvern.
Smon: Lesser Restoration should end its Stunned condition yup
chris107: yay! nice one Kjato!
Smon: Hakeem lands lightly on all fours on the ledge.
Smon: Thuruar tries to cast as the wyvern tumbles groundwards... DC 10 Concentration (CON) check Thuruar to get spell off.
chris107: good luck!
Smon: CON bonus + prof
Kjato Ragfoot rolls 1d20+7 and gets: 14, (+7) = 21
Smon: The wyvern's eyes blink open - Shieldbiter yanks on the reins as an icy, boulder strewn valley floor looms perilously close below...
Smon: /roll d20
Smon rolls 1d20 and gets: 11,
Smon: The wyvern spreads its wings and flaps, swooping down and skimming across the terrain to land in a snow bank.
Smon: /roll d6
chris107: "THUR! SHIELDBITER!"
Smon rolls 1d6 and gets: 5,
Smon: For once there are no Remorhaz in the snow bank.
chris107: Phew!
Kjato Ragfoot: Hakeem, your lack of faith disturbs me. (chr, chr)
Smon: Hakeem calls down to his friends far below. Looking around, he sees that a narrow opening leads from the ledge, deeper into the mountainside. The stone around the opening is carved with ancient runes - skull? dragons?
chris107: "Someone would have had to collect your smashed bones and taken them to Athena Thuruar." Says Hakeem without a hint of humour
chris107: KEWL!
chris107: "Thuruar! Come and see this!"
Smon: Thuruar is about 200' below you and 300' off.
Smon: /roll d20+4
Smon rolls 1d20+4 and gets: 2, (+4) = 6
Smon: The wind is dying down a bit, Thuruar hears Hakeem's distant yells.
chris107: (Just for refrerence, which hex are we in Simon?)
Kjato Ragfoot: Shieldbiter, how long till your wyvern can fly again?
chris107: (Is the entrance large enough for the Wyvern?)
Smon: Shieldbiter reassures the upset wyvern, stroking her(?) behind the ear. "She's had big bump! Needs rest!"
Smon: The entrance is only about 3' wide, too narrow for the wyvern.
Smon: Beyond the fissure there appears to be a passage leading into the mountainside, descending slightly.
chris107: "Shieldbiter, can you fly the beast to safety while Thur and I check this out?"
chris107: (If you'd like to Kjato?)
Smon: Shieldbiter: "Not safe to fly in this weather! Wait for morning!"
Kjato Ragfoot: Is there any place nearby where she could rest safely?
Kjato Ragfoot: We could try to build her a snow wall to keep the wind off.
Smon: She could burrow into the snow bank, it seems soft enough.
chris107: good
Kjato Ragfoot: And then check out what Hakeem has found while your wyvern gathers her strenght.
Smon: Shieldbiter and the wyvern get digging into the snow with stiff claws.
Smon: Has Thuruar any way to get up to the ledge?
chris107: Hakeem frowns. His patheticaly short rope will be of no use.
Kjato Ragfoot: Not really. I cannot fly or anything like that.
chris107: Hakeem searches for a way up for the cleric using his survival skills
Smon: In the dark, with the wind and snow, climbing the cliff will be nearly impossible - lots of DC 25 Athletics checks.
chris107: eek
chris107: Shall we try wait until morning Kjato?
Smon: 1 per 30'. so 6 checks ]for Thuruar.
chris107: risk Simon's dreadfulk 6's?
Kjato Ragfoot: Theoretically, I could conjure a flying ice demon, but I think that would be slightly excessive.
Kjato Ragfoot: Even with advantage, rolling six times above 25 in a row is extremely unlikely.
chris107: This Ice Dragon cave seems Gods given...
chris107: I think we should
chris107: Ice demon or not
chris107: Hakeem has a good feeling
chris107: The Dragon is another symbol of Bondorr?
Kjato Ragfoot: But! I can cast Clairvoyance and take a look at whatever Hakeem found. I will not be able to assist him, but I will be able to study it.
Kjato Ragfoot: The spell has a range of 1 mile, that should be sufficient.
chris107: excellent!
Smon: GM: OK, Thuruar casts Clairvoyance. He sees the narrow tunnel entrance, the surrrounding runes. They look familiar... Investigation (INT+Prof) Check.
Kjato Ragfoot rolls 1d20+5 and gets: 2, (+5) = 7
Smon:
chris107: grrr
Smon: You think they might be Orichalan script but that is all you can tell.
chris107: Shieldbiter?
chris107: could you describe them to him?
Kjato Ragfoot: Could I try to copy the script and ask a sage who knows more about such things later?
Smon: Shieldbiter is busy getting cosy in the snowdrift, eyelids droop sleepily.
Kjato Ragfoot: Because I suspect that might be one of the stations of that dragonic empire we saw the broadcoast from in one of the earlier dungeon.
Smon: Yes you can make a copy, could ask eg Lady Meda later.
chris107: @ Simon, does Bloodletter glow?
chris107: Hakeem is eager to investigate
chris107: (If somewhat disturbed he sent the Dragonslayer back  )
Smon:
Smon: No, sword does not glow. If you get out of the wind you could light a torch.
chris107: He will do so, slipping inside, hoping Thur's magic will see.
Smon: OOC Might stop soon, play on Wednesday when Bill's here?
Smon: GM: Hakeem enters the tunnel, lights a torch.
chris107: I should be good foe Wednesday.
Smon: With Bloodletter in the other hand, the flickering light illuminates the grey rock. The passage descends gently, widening slightly.
Smon: Are you following it down?
chris107: heading in which direction? (for map)
Smon: Hmm. Make an INT check.
chris107: Barbarian senses alert to traps. Yes.
chris107 rolls 1d20+5 and gets: 1, (+5) = 6
chris107:
chris107: Stupid Hakeem! (so what's new?)
Smon: You have no idea which compass direction.
chris107: okay
chris107: we were flying west though when we hit the cliff head on?
chris107: (Cool boots by the way  )
Smon: As you descend the air becomes warmer. After about 80' the passage is split by a fissure about 10' wide, easy to jump with the boots.
chris107: I think it best to wait here for Thuruar.
Smon: Beyond about 40' it appears to open up into a cavern, and a faint blue glow emanates from the cave.
Smon: GM: Yeah you are going west or west-south-west.
Kjato Ragfoot: Waiting in the warmth is probably a wise move.
Smon: The blue glow is clearly not natural, it reeks of sorcery.
chris107: H winds his way back and will wait within the tunnel for his friend
Smon: Resting until daylight?
chris107: unless the ice demon brings his chum.
chris107: (I get the feeling this is a significant find)
Smon: Hakeem backtracks away from the eldritch light, then settles down to wait... OK will stop there for now.
chris107: Nice one. Thanks guys!
Smon: OOC I like it when you go off track a bit & run into stuff.
chris107: hehe
chris107: we need some adventuring
chris107: the campaign stuff is really cool but a bit of adventure...

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