Our party woke during pre-dawn of Day 10 fully rested. They found that Doz had fled in the night (our cancellation) and Jadis was feeling his prior self again (our no show player was run by his original creator). After taking stock of these changes, they entered the desert cave.
Our party is greeted by hot humid air coming from the cave entrance and find a narrow passage with a small lava flow across their path. Two lava hurlers emerge and start throwing lava balls at our party artillary style. As they work on their approach, two magma claws (think lava scorpions) break free of their cave wall camoflauge and charge the party. The heroes take the fight to the magma claws, and as they fight inch by inch down the cave, two fire bats show themselves in the distance, and two more magma claws emerge from their camoflauge hiding place.
While the battle was ultimately won, our party took massive damage, burning through all of their healing options, including first aid, potions, and a seed of healing, and were running dreadfully low on surges during the first encounter of the day. The fire bats were constantly using a fiery swoop to attack multiple players on a single turn, not only doing some damage, but catching them on fire. Shava was kept busy attempting to grant saving throws, and heals. The magma hurlers weren't particullary hard hitting, but when they aimed at a character and missed, their lava ball would hit a nearby ally. As their enemy's became fewer in number, the badly injured lava hurlers soaked back into the lava flow, and our party was finally allowed to all cross the laval flow and take a much needed short rest.As they enter the next section of cave, several party members wisely inspected their surroundings and found evidence of a trap in holes in the ground and several pressure plates. They successfully map out the dangers, but in one area, where they had to jump over a pressure plate, Varis tripped and fell on the pressure plate, causing spears to stab up through the holes mildly injuring Shava. The spears, now being visible through the holes, proved an easy way to avoid future incident, so Varis sat on the pressure plate and let everyone cross safely, before stepping off, causing the spears to receed again. As this is occuring a foul smell had been growing and some distant, plentiful foot steps were heard.
When they clear the spear laden section of the cave, they came to a larger lava flow set ten feet down a chasm ten feet across. The party catches their first glimps of several Dretchs (stink demons). Rhaegar attempts dimplomacy, and as skilled and well executed as he was, the Dretchs just didn't seem interested and seemed rather simple minded. A few other party members, Shava and Glyth, begin to check their exits when they hear the word "demon". However, our party cleverly used the chasm as a barrier from the unathletic Dretchs, with Jadis even using ice spells to slip them into the magma. A cunning use of Fountain of Flame, also by Jadis, at a choke point caused some minor damage to the Dretchs, but more importantly cut off the approach of two flying Gnaw Demons who stood back, waiting for the party to come through the Fountain of Flame. They found that the Dretchs would resist either the ice or the magma they fell in, but not both. The dretchs eventually began to cross the lava filled chasm. As the dretchs were defeated, the left short lived clouds of poison behind.
Dretchs and their poison clouds behind, our heroes help each other across the chasm, though Varis missed his jump and fell in, catching on fire. Rheagar, tried to get fancy with a save, by jumping to the far side of the chasm, and catching the ledge to lend Varis a hand, but he missed the ledge, also catching on fire, but quickly climbed up to grab purchase and lend Varis a hand. The party then prepares behind the Fountain of Flame and enters the Fountain as one to take on the Gnaw Demons. The Gnaw Demons didn't prove much of challenge, though once party members or themselves were bloodied, they were able to teleport great distances breaking their choke point, but alas, six heroes versus two Gnaw Demons proved no match. I will note that this encounter took them quite some time to get through, with the spear trap, magma crossing, and a cave that was over 40 squares long, not to mention fighting eight demons in a space only ten to twenty feet wide.Our heroes finally come to a dead end expecting treasure, they instead find an altar to Vecna. The altar consisted of a blood stained stone in the middle, and eight pillars around the stone with writing on them. After some nature and history checks, they discover that the writing on the pillars is probably Barazhad (Abyssal). They inspected the altar every way they could, including Rhaegar almost bleeding out trying to create a blood sacrafice on the stone. The finally give up, noting in their quest log that they either need to learn Abyssal or find someone who knows it.
As the come back across the long cave where they fought the demons, they hear foot steps and talking coming from in front of them, barring their path, but unaware of our party. They hid in the naturual terrain and allowed the party to approach. They snickered as they heard one of the oncoming fall dead after setting off the spear trap. A Human Cavalier became visible and challendged the only visible party member. Rhaegar asked the Cavalier to let them pass or join, but was rejected so that the Cavalier could "collect the bounty." Behind the Cavalier a host of Human Lackey's and a Human Hexer emerge. Many Lackeys lost their life trying to cross the chasm as the Hexer cast spells from afar. Our heroes ganged up hard on the Cavalier droping him uncoucios with a well placed blow, and taking a few errant swings at the Lackeys. The few that were left after the Cavalier died tried to jump back across the chasm and lost their lives. The Hexer, who we later learned is named Tiana, conceeded and offered her ability to speak Abyssal and read Barazhad. The party scrutinized her intensly and determined that she was quite eager to do the task and detected no malice (aside from a morally absent acadamic interest in reciting rituals at Vecna's altar). Knowing they might need a blood sacrafice they (okay, mostly Rhaegar) tie up the Cavalier and carry him with them back toward the altar.
With great anticipation and wariness our party ends up back at Vecna's altar with someone who can read the writing on the pillars. Rhaegar proceeds to interrogate Carric (we learn the Cavalier's name) through some pretty bloody torture, and knowing a sacarafice may be next, Yelsha invites Shava and Varis to explore some other cave areas. Our interregators do learn that they are to go to the Dog's Wag Tavern in the SouthWest region of Hilliana around sunset (the cloacked figure will show on days he is able) and they are supposed to meet the cloaked figure there to claim their bounty of 2000gp. Our party also infers that this is the very same ruffian that was speaking to the cloaked figure when the guard overheard the directions being given to this cave (and whose directions they took).
---### Warning - if you are good aligned IRL, you may want to skip this section ###---
Our good aligned party members safely out of the room, Tiana finishes her study of the writings and begins to recite a ritual in Abyssal as Rhaegar slices the neck of the Cavalier, spilling ample blood on the altar.
---### End of an emotionless act by Rhaegar ###---
Suddenly, the room shakes and bright lights exudes from the blood soaked altar. The light grows so bright that no one in the room can see, except, somehow, Tiana who recited the ritual. A shiney trinket of a somewhat large size, shaped like a pentagon emerges from the center of the stone. Before Tiana can grab it, she notices the room darkens breifly, somehow cancelling out the light for a breif moment before its intesity returns.
For party of heroes that were still int he room, they found themeselves blinded. Tiana yells out, having been spared blindness, that 6 dark figures have entered the room. Rheagar swings blindly at approaching figures, Glyth and Jadis back into a wall for cover, and feeling the rumbling, the rest of the party runs back into the altar room. As the dark figures close with Tiana, Rhaegar's vision clears, and he tries to start hacking at enemies that are pounding Tiana. Jadis' vision clears so he can begin hurling spells, and a round later, Glyth is back in action with Varis at her side. Tiana is getting desimated as Rhaegar continues to drop foes near them, and Shava works on healing Tiana, while Yelsha attacks with her Revots, her wolf.
The six figures are shadow creatures, and there appear to be 3 brutes, 2 artillary, and a controller leader. One of the brutes steals the pentagon shaped Artifact from Tiana. As this occurs, Tiana becomes dazed and confused and seemingly unable to act or comprehend during battle. The theiving shadow brute, attempts to run the artifact over to his leader, but is slain by Varis. Shava is next to act and he instinctively picks up the artifact. He felt something that he had to shake off, and realized that thsi artifact must reveal secrets. He is suddenly aware that they have been fighting a three Hex Knights, two Shadow Bolters, and one Shadow Speaker. These creatures are from the shadowfell, and prize most shiny things, but also worship and prize all things associated with Vecna. They have no heroes of their own in their realm nor no artisans, and thrive but stealing things that others fine. They have been monitoring this altar for ages and sprung their ambush as soon as the artifact was free. Shaking off this rush of images, Shava rejoins the combat, seemingly the new target of all attacks. From this point our heroes quickly dispatch the rest of the shadow creatures.
They then decide what to do next. Shava, again, had to shake off some strange feeling. He wisely decides to take the artifact out of his hand and place it in his backpack. The party makes there way back to the mouth of the cave, where they find their horses and wagon missing. Fortunately, they had convinced Carric to spill everything (words and plans before blood) and they find their stuff hidden behind a high spot in the hills.
We leave our adventurers attempting to rest at the same camp site they rested this morning, ending Day 10 of this campaign.
In my own summary I am going to attempt to list some questions or quests that may be on the mind of our party:
- Returning the +1 Life Drinker sword that Varis carries to Faelywn will complete a minor quest and gain them 1200 gold. But it fits so well in Varis' hand.
- They may want to try and meet the Cloaked Figure who offered Carric 2000gp to lead a party into this cave and retreive an artifact for him.
- They have promised to rescue King Hrothgar's daughter, Lorgar, or exact vengence for her death without starting a war for 2000gp
- While exploring Hilliana, should they ever get there, they will also be paid 1000gp from King Hrothgar if they can find out what is going on with King Helgon and why he is attacking Palancia.
Encounter 20 - Desert Cave Entrance - 1100 XP
Encounter 21 - Desert Cave Level 2 - 1400 XP
Encounter 22 - Well & Poorly Met - 1050 XP
Encounter 23 - Cave Treasure - 1175 XP
Total XP: 4725 XP / 6 PCs = 787 XP per character
I believe this brings most or our original players right next to level 4 and that they are bringing level 4 characters with them next time so be prepared to level up.
It took me quite a while to get all this written up, so our next game is already upon us. We are scheduled for Sunday noon-6pm, and expecting a new player (who is a well known power gamer) and Jadis' alter ego is supposed to be back.
We also already have the next game scheduled for Saturday, February 25, 2012 from 4pm until our blood thurst is quenched.
As always, I look forward to comments and PMs regarding story ideas and especially comments on story and flavor corrections from above. I write this all from memory and my original adventure outline.
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