Thursday, November 13, 2008

Adventuring Company Name

Hey guys, was just wondering if anyone had any idea's for a name for the party. Being we are a group that works out of a guild I thought it might be appropriate.

Looking back to older campaigns;

The Forest Game (epic game): We were members of the King's Own, known as the 'Ghosts'

Derek's Eberron game: While we didn't have an offical party name I think 'The Train Wreck' would work.

I'll be honest in that I don't have any idea's at this point. There hasn't been a moment that jumps out and makes me say "That's who we are." However, maybe one of you has had such a thought.

Just thought I would toss the idea out there.

Imprisonment

Pain, pain is all I know. The cursed Hobgoblins have likely done me in. I don't think I can survive another bout of their questioning. I've lost too much blood to endure further. The best I can hope for now is to die with my dignity intact. Six take every last of these foul creatures for I don't understand their motives. Their questions lack purpose and direction. They seemed to only want to torture me for the sake of it. They thrive on the pain they cause. Six take them!

The cold of this cell leaches into my body. I shift to find a more comfortable position only to find I have another unknown bruise. The smell of my own refuse assaults my senses, I'm careful to avoid that area of the cell.

I begin to loose track of how much time has passed. I realize that no one is coming for me and that I will likely die in this cell. I hear noise from above, it isn't the typical sounds the Hobgoblins make. No I hear the sounds of battle, perhaps I'm not to die down here after all.

The battle that raged above has ended and yet no one comes. All is silent and now faint traces of light descend down the stairs. As the light grows brighter a figure detaches from the shadows and stands to it's full height. The figure appears to be human, with long hair. A wicked dagger is clutched in his hand. He says nothing as he enters further into the room. His eyes taking everything in, searching for hidden enemies. Satisfied he waves his hand briefly.

I hear a commotion at the top of the stairs, within short order several other figures enter into the room. A burly dwarf in heavy armour. His axe gleaming in the light. He looks dour, perhaps the most taciturn looking dwarf I've ever seen. He is followed by a half-elf, standing tall and proud, the symbol of the Silver Flame gleaming on his chest. Next is a Warforged, his sentinel eyes absorb everything. He seems to be calculating odds as he strategically positions himself at the base of the stairs. Finally, a rare beauty. Another human and judging from her robes she practices the arcane arts. Perhaps I and the others who were taken stand a chance after all.

The first human approaches my cell. He gives me a look over and deciding I'm not a threat to him turns his attention to the lock on the door. Before I'm even aware of it I hear a click and he's opened the door to the cell. With the briefest of nods he beckons me out of the cell and moves towards the back of the room.

The others move forward and begin to question me. They've obviously been sent from the village to find me and the others. They question me about the hobgoblins asking for numbers and why we might have been taken. I answer them, but my attention is diverted by the rogue. He doesn't seem to care why we've been taken. He takes no part in the questioning, he doesn't even appear to be listening.

Instead he is studying the table on the far wall. The table with all those devices of torture. I watch his eyes move from implement to implement. He appears to be cataloguing them. Slowly he begins to pick them up, one at a time. He studies their blades, prongs and curves. He tests how sharp they are. As I watch him work with these weapons I am overcome with a sense of dread. This man is no hero come to save us. He is a killer. His hands seem much more familiar with the devices than the hobgoblin brutes.

I begin to shake and tremble. The others assume it is due to my imprisonment, the reality is I am afraid of this man. Ethan, I hear one of them call him. He looks up, his eyes intent, it's time to move onwards. He quietly climbs the staircase, silent as a ghost. I look at the others a pleading look in my eyes. Do they not know they associate with a killer? Host save me, I pray I live to see the sunlight.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Recap #9 - Kartenix' Fate Discovered...

  • Sertanian is an old man but he seemed ready to take the fight to his captures. In his weakened state he would be more of a liability than anything. The party convinced him that the best place for him was back with Adronsius in case the dwarf needed assistance with anything.
  • After a quick escort back the party moved back up to the previous crypt and then east up the stairs. The room is dark but Ethan can see enough to take note of the multitude of spider webs in the room. Surely this is where the ettercaps that Sertanian mentioned stayed.
  • Correctly expecting an ambush the party moved up the stairs and were greeted by 3 ettercaps. Two were guards wielding halberds and the other was a webspinner. While the guards kept the group busy the webspinner covered the area in web nets making in nearly impossible for the group to move about the room.
  • Eventually the party bested the guards and were nearly done with the webspinner when it decided to flee north through a double set of doors.
  • In a momentary fit of bravery (maybe) Nenia decided to pursue their quarry into the hall and to the east – right into a waiting hobgoblin soldier.
  • The soldier retreated and sounded the alarm. Nenia came to her senses and quickly retreated back into the webbed room and slammed the doors closed behind her. At this point Nenia and Sterling wisely used their fire magics to clear the path of webs. While doing so they came upon a fresh corpse in the corner hidden under the webs. The insignia of the Clifftop Adventurer’s Guild upon the cloak of the fellow made known the victim’s identity – none other than Kartenix. It seems he had followed through with his intent on fighting the ettercaps and had met his fate.
  • Quickly gathering his corpse and some magic items near him, the party made a hasty retreat back through the crypts to where Adronsius and Sertanian were holed up. They sealed the door and healed their wounds over a long rest.
  • After 6 hours the group decided they had best find out what was going on outside. They perceived voices on the far side of the door. Stealthy preparation and a quick surprise easily gave the group the upper hand on the foes that awaited them. It seemed that the hobgoblin who sounded the alarm had been ordered to guard the group simply to contain them. At least his death meant he wouldn’t have to face the wrath of his superiors!
  • Carefully moving back through the dungeon and into the webbed room, the group met no resistance. Proceeding into the area previously occupied by the hobgoblins proved to be an easy task – they had killed them all in the ambush.
  • Moving down a circular stairs they found a room with some sarcophagi . The room had been transformed into a living quarters of sort – complete with a stinking hole that could only be a latrine. In the south of the room was a set of double doors.
  • After check the doors for traps, Ethan scouted forward. Around a corner to the east he discovered a room dimly lit by candles. Four statues of displacer beasts lined the path to an altar upon which was strapped a woman frightened to the point of catatonia. This had to be Mirtala if Adronsius directions had been true.
  • No sooner did the party step into the room when they were beset by dire rats and gnome skulks waiting in ambush. Excellent use of tactics made this a relative walk-in-the-park for the group.
  • After untying the woman, the party was unable to get her to assist them with information on the missing prisoners and artifacts. (*cough* failed skill challenge *cough*) They opted to return her to the other rescued folk and take a well deserved rest in order to rid themselves of the gift of the dire rats – filth fever!

Recap #8 - Mmmm.... Jelly...

  • The party decides to leave Adronsius holed up in the area. The door is locked and a password is given. Adronsius advises them that if he doesn’t hear from the party in a day he is going to try to get home on his own.
  • The party returns to the entrance. They notice the goblin is gone.
  • As the party prepares for the worst, Ethan checks the West door. Opening it reveals a hobgoblin on watch but caught off guard. Seeing Ethan he flees down the hall and around the corner yelling in goblin for his comrades to prepare for battle.
  • Rounding the corner the party enters a Goblin Warren. They are confronted by 2 soldiers and 8 grunts. A well placed blast from Nenia kills a number of grunts and forces the rest to spread out around the room – a definite blow to their phalanx tactics.
  • During the fight a door to the north opens and two sharpshooters set up pelting the party with bolts.
  • Solid tactics by the party make quick work of the hobgoblins. One grunt attempts to flee through a door to the West but meets his fate to the weapons of the group.
  • Ethan notices the sharpshooters preparing to flee over a deep pit in the north hall. Bravely – or foolishly – he places himself between the goblins and the pit in order to block the route. It is almost his end as the goblin attempts to bullrush him into the gapping pit. He quick reflexes allow him to catch himself on the edge of the pit however.
  • Nothing of note is found within the room so the party takes a brief respite. Surmising that Adronsius did not cross the pits blindfolded they decide to head through the West door.
  • The hall beyond is clear. As they round a corner North, they behold a shimmering image of a seeming long-forgotten castle. Nenia judges they are in the presence of an ancient teleporter.
  • As they study the flickering image, an ochre jelly slides through the portal and attacks them.
  • Fierce battle ensues as slime seems to ooze its way wherever it wishes. After dealing some significant damage the ochre jelly splits into 2! To make matters worse 3 spectres slide out of the walls and attack the party as they are embroiled with the jelly. The attacks of the specters seem to sap the very vitality of their targets. After dispatching the slimes and two of the specters, the third turns invisible and disappears without a trace.
  • A couple more checks reveal to Nenia that this portal is not functioning correctly and is indeed only a 1-way portal from wherever the pictured castle is located. The party wisely gets out of view before something else on the other side takes notice of them.
  • Hallway east leads back to the hallway with pits. In order to slow any foes further up the hall, the party removes the ropes dangling over the chasms and stow them in their packs.
  • The party opts to run passed the portal again and try the West door of the portal room.
  • Moving along the hall the party enters a pitch black room. The North and South walls of the room hold skeletons of the Von Urstadt clan, once prominent in the region. It is a crypt. On the North wall is a double door.
  • Ethan moves into the room followed by the other members of the party. Suddenly a gnome chuckles as it opens the North door. As the party springs into action a sudden bright orange glow bursts from through the doors and two magma claws skuttle into the room.
  • A few singed eyebrows later and the party mops up the foes.
  • Scouting east reveals a stair climbing into the darkness. Through the north door a stairs descends into pitch black. Both paths are eerily silent.
  • Opting for the lower room, Ethan takes point and descends the stair. Hearing nothing of note he uncovers his sunrod to reveal a room of torture. Along the north wall are two holding cells – one of which contains Sertanian – advisor to the council of Delver’s Dale. Bravely he informs the party that he alone knows what the missing relics looks like, that Mirtala the cook is down a spiral staircase beyond the ettercaps and that Kartenix is most likely dead since he was planning on fighting his way free.

Recap #7 - Griffins and Goblins and Spears! Oh my!

  • Party summoned by Councilman Eoffram Troyas
  • Offers information and assistance but party needed to prove themselves trustworthy
  • Successfully earn respect and trust
  • Offered reward for rescuing captives and securing return of valuable heirlooms of the town
  • Party agrees. Rests while preparations are made for them. (25 Aryth)
  • Left Delver’s Dale to follow trail of hobgoblins to ruins of a castle located a few days ride from the town.
  • Trail relatively easy to follow.
  • Travel for 3 days (28 Aryth)
  • Attacked by griffins. Kill and drive off attack. Notice egg up on cliff face but decide to leave – for now.
  • Find ruins. Nothing found in ruins themselves but outside in cliff face they find entrance to old crypt that seems to be recently used.
  • Party descends stairs and is greeted by 2 goblins firing hand crossbows and 4 wielding heavy shields with flails.
  • Two sharpshooters eventually try to flee. One is slain and the other is captured.
  • Bodies piled by door. Goblin interrogated. Seems more scared of someone named Sinruth than of the party. Very little information learned as goblin spent most of his time performing duties near the entrance.
  • Jonathan promises no harm will befall him and he would be freed but Ethan clunked the goblin hard and knocked him out.
  • Not sure which was to go, the party headed through the East doors. The hallway turned North up a stairs into a room with glowing symbols on the floor.
  • Ethan moved into the room, spotted nothing out of sorts and checked out some doors to the East. When he opened the door he was swarmed by an ambush!
    Needlefang drakes and Gnome skulks sprang from the debris laden alcoves in the walls and two hobgoblin archers through the doors open to assault the party with arrows.
    As the tide turned in favour of the PCs, the hobgoblins slammed the doors closed and retreated down hall.
  • Jonathon follows and inadvertently trips a spear trap. To his horror his blundering also causes spear to thrust from the floor and skewer a dwarf chained to the far wall.
  • Holy rage fills Jonathon and he slams into the nearest hobgoblin with such force that it is knocked flying.
  • As he is battling with his enemy the other party member round the corner to assist. Despite warnings, Delian blunders into the trip plate again and inflicts more damage to the dwarf on the wall. It nearly finished the dwarf.
  • A short battle and the hobgoblins are dispatched. The Dwarf is rescued and the party learns they have rescued their first hostage – a surly dwarf named Adronsius.
  • The dwarf describes the path to Mirtala – as he was blindfolded.
  • The party rests.
  • During the night, Jonathon holds true to his word as he sneaks out and frees the goblins bound by the front door.