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.

A little experiment...

One night while the party was resting, I was up going through my ritual book in hopes that I might find something useful while in the dungeon. It was curious to hear Ethan talking in his sleep. I didn't think much of it up until he had said the words, "Larien! No!" Ethan had then quickly awoke from his sleep and looked me directly in the eyes. I quickly turned my gaze away and looked back at my book and when I turned back to look at Ethan, he was fast asleep again. Curious that he mentions that blonde elf that worked in the guildhouse for a little while.

This had given me an idea and while our group was resting. I quietly whispered in everyone's ears the words, "Be mindful of Nenia. Make sure she can cast her spells. Don't get in her way." I had read somewhere that the power of the subliminal mind was there to be harnessed, but so far my little experiment has not gone as planned. Battle after battle today, Ethan is tumbling about, Braddoc is always charging in and Delian uses his holy symbol to get in everyone's face.

Sooner or later, the message will sink in. I believe.

The Joy of Combat

Finally, we've begun to explore the dungeon again. Spending the night in that room was nerve racking. It was impossible to get comfortable and to truly rest. We've decided to remain on this floor for now before we climb deeper into this dungeon.

Upon opening one of the other doors in the atrium a hobgoblin jumped awake, ran and sounded the alarm. He screamed in goblin "Wake up, the bad people are here!" Seizing the opportunity I blindly moved around the corner drew a dagger and hurled it at a hobgoblin dropping the foul creature. The others had no choice but to follow my lead.

The battle went smoothly, Nibbler found the soft points of my enemies, making easy work of them. Mid-battle a set of doors opened and a pair of dirty goblin archers took aim at us. Tower spit, but I hate goblins. They seemed to have a particular hatred for Braddoc as he took the brunt of their arrows. As the battle turned in our favour a hobgoblin shouted to the goblins to raise gather reinforcements. I quickly moved to intercept the goblins, they weren't going for help without putting up a fight.

I throw myself at them, tumbling at the last moment to put my self behind them and perilously close to a gaping pit. One of the goblins got wise a tried to knock me into it. Six take him! Olladra was with me though, and I caught myself at the edge. Nenia then fired off her magic at the wretches, dazing one of them. I promptly jumped up and ended him. By that time Braddoc had joined me and finished the remaining goblin off!

Ogre's eye's it was a good fight! I felt my blood rush like never before. I felt strong and powerful. Dispatching my foe's with hardly a second thought. Nibbler danced and spun, drawing blood from my foes. It really was all too easy. As the rush of the battle fades from me, I realize I enjoyed it. I delighted in the death of these goblins. Everything else fell to the background as I threw myself into the frenzy. This is what it's like to have power, to be able to take from others. To extinguish their lives without a second thought. The idea delights me, just as it terrifies me.

Delian's Musings - Dreaming of Dragons

Since leaving Sharn I’ve been having strange dreams. The dreams change, but some details are constant.

I dream of dragons. Silver dragons. Sometimes the dragon is a huge and magnificent creature, flying high over Khorvaire. She has power and grace. Wisdom and knowledge. She is ever vigilant and always seeking… something… or someone. Other times I dream of a much smaller dragon. Also silver, but this dragon is moving along the ground with conviction. He is bold yet careful. He’s following, no not following… tracking his quarry. He’s focused and patient. Watching. Learning. Waiting.

But regardless of which dragon populates my dreams, the large female or the smaller male, they both breathe a beautiful silver fire – a silver flame.

I struggle to understand the meaning of these dreams. I don’t believe that they are figments of my imagination. I believe that they have a greater meaning. I pray that the flame will grant me the wisdom and focus to decipher the meaning of my dreams.

Time Spent in a Dungeon

The night has been long. I've never camped in a dungeon before, though strangely it is similar to the lower wards of Sharn. Being surrounded by the enemy is an alien feeling. It is difficult to relax and rest. Things have gone well to this point. We fight as a group for the most part. Wait, who am I kidding, we were reckless during our last engagement. Some of the orcs pulled back setting a trap behind them. In their haste the others triggered it and almost killed one of the captives we've been commissioned with saving. The Dwarf is happy to be alive and Jonathon's been chatting with him like their old friends. It makes me laugh thinking that he almost killed him.

We've taken shifts keeping watch. Even though Sterling is able to stay awake and remain on guard all night it isn't fair to ask him to remain vigilant for so long, he does enough for us. The night has been uneventful, though during the early hours of the morning a slight noise disturbed me. Years of living in the Cogs have left me as a light sleeper. You never knew when a dagger was coming to slit your throat. I reached for Nibbler in case some dirty goblin was attempting to sneak up on us. What I saw snatched my breath away.

Jonathon was attempting to sneak out of the room we had secured. The sight of him tippy toeing in his heavy armour, trying not to alert us almost made me laugh. To my ears it sounded as though a herd of elephants was walking through the room. I can only surmise that he disagreed with my treatment of the goblin we'd interrogated earlier and was going to live up to his word and his honour. What he was likely to do was get us or himself killed. Still, he was our companion.

Rising silently I moved to follow Jonathon. As I rounded the corner in the hall I looked back on our group. All were sleeping save Sterling, his gaze falling upon me as he nodded a silent acknowledgement of what needed to be done.

I couldn't risk something happening to Jonathon or of him alerting others in the dungeon to our whereabouts. Following him was simple, I was a shadow against the wall. Not even the dead spirits of the orcs we slew were aware of me. Sure enough Jonathon released the goblin. A small smile reached my lips as I realized the depth of Jonathon's faith and compassion. He even said a prayer over the pitiful thing. I still think him a fool.

I let Jonathon pass me and return to camp. I could sneak back in simply enough. It was nice to be out and away from the others. Time to reflect on my own and jot these notes down. Morning would come soon enough and with it death and danger. Olladra guide me.

Time to get back at it...

The babies are born. Things are settling. It's time to get our heads back in the game! Take a few minutes to read some of the summaries and the player posts so that your brain gets into the right spot for next session.

See you then.