The after-action report from last night's 4E game

Oloryn Dane - Human Fighter

The 7th of 9 brothers and a sister, Oloryn was deemed the one the Dane family could spare when Lanista Verienus, infamous owner and trainer of gladiator slaves, came to Blackbridge. The famine had left the Danes little option, and young Olo, though he was strong and useful around the farm, was his fatherʼs choice to go.



With time, the comparably lavish diet, and training in the pits, the rawboned boy quickly bulked into a brawny youth. By the time a few years had passed, Oloryn Dane had become a local favorite in the arena. Everything changed the day Duchess Desiderio attended the games.



The Duchess, notorious in the city for both her wealth and indiscretions with younger men, was captivated by Olorynʼs performance in the arena. Following the fights that day, Verienus was lighter by one fighter, but a full to bursting purse richer.



As the Duchessʼ carriage, approached the keep, the lordʼs banner became visible, waving atop the parapet. The Duke had returned unexpectedly! With an oath of surprising vehemence, the Duchess halted her retinue. She ruefully ejected a bewildered Oloryn from the carriage, tossed him a purse, fat with gold, and told him to vanish. The Duchess and her retinue drew away toward the keep. Oloryn was left standing in the street, clad in only his gladiatorial breechclout, beaming at his newfound fortune and freedom.

mtheurer said:

We're playing again this weekend and I thought I'd toss up the backgrounds of each of the characters currently in the party...

Siguard Jarlson - Human Ranger

Click to expand...

WOW! Best background evah All I could think of was the G1-3 module cover while reading that. Spectacular images.

Vagrach Vivex - Dragonborn Paladin

The opulent cart creaked its way along the forested mountain path. The opulence more a testament to the awe for what it carried, than the cargo's worldly value. In contrast, its honor guard was a bedraggled crew. The lucky ones with bound wounds, others with open wounds bleeding as they plodded forward, some barely able to stand; all arrayed in armor, formerly gleaming, now battered and soiled. Oh, we had been such a proud lot!

Four short days before, the shine from our armor would have dazzled an angel; the elaborate banners would have drawn envious looks from a master herald. Each paladin, with scales rubbed with oil to make the color blaze forth, added to the beauty and sense of power. The pride of clan Vivex! Two hundred strong! For a thousand years, since the fall of the great Dragonborn empire, generations of clan Vivex had guarded Bahamut's Artifact


It was to be such a simple task, escort our charge to a new, more secure, fastness in the mountains. If its fortress reliquary had been impregnable before, the Artifact's new one would shatter army upon army of demons, should they try its walls. Who would know our task, and should they, who would challenge two hundred paladins? But some force did know, for on the second day of our journey, they struck.




Four short days later, but fifty of us remained. Day and night, but oh, mostly at night, they came: Undead! At first we laughed; undead against paladins? If they had the ability to think, anyone would have thought them mad to try it. A swath was cut by our breath at each of their attacks: fire, acid, lighting, and searing cold leapt forth from our ranks and scores of them fell. Then, the blue-white radiant might of our blows was delivered and many more were felled. Some of us fell too, but far fewer than our foe. We could not recover our comrade's bodies, for the mass of our unclean enemies was almost overwhelming, but we withdrew in good order; the cart's precious cargo protected; secure in the thought that we were making progress to our goal and the hope we would soon win free. But it was all in vain! For each battle won, we soon found that another was before us; that night, the next day, and on and on. And there was an added disheartening horror! Our fallen comrades, whose bodies we had been forced to abandon, in each subsequent battle, they were in the ranks of our foe! Raised by some foul ritual to make a mockery of their life's oath to protect the Artifact! Then our strength began to fail; given no rest, the powers granted by Bahamut that permitted us to heal one another, could not be renewed. We began to fall with more frequency, each loss a gain to the ranks of our foe.




Thus, we came to trudge along that forest track, driven by desperation to march for a mountain pass between the peaks ahead and to put our foes behind us. It was not to be, for suddenly ahead, they appeared, and we had thought them behind us. Standing amidst their ranks was a man in purple and black robes, with a look of dark power about him. He waved his staff and the undead horde shambled forward. Our Grand Marshal called, the trumpets sounded, and we formed three sides of a square around the cart. The fourth was a steep slope and we were thankful to be safe from that direction. But we knew three sides would be too many for us and enough for our foe. We fought and I destroyed many before the mace blow struck my head, sending me tumbling down the slope, where sense and vision fled me.




Hours later, I awoke. I had fallen off a short cliff and was hidden from the track above. Not moving, I listened and heard nothing. Using my mundane and divine powers, I was able to restore my body, and took my first hesitant look at the track above. Nothing was there! With difficulty, I climbed back up and searched...nothing but body parts and stone stained with blood. No full bodies, no fallen comrades...no cart!




Days later, I made my way to the new fortress reliquary to bear the news...and the shame. No others from the Artifact's guard was ever seen again. That was five years ago. I now strive, working sometimes with what remains of the clan, to search the world for clues, always seeking the Artifact. The Artifact is so intertwined with clan Vivex, after a thousand years of proximity, that each of us can feel its presence when we come close enough.




I, Vargach Vivex, Paladin of Bahamut, swear to recover my clan's honor along with the Artifact or to die trying!




Duty demands it!

Pride demands it!

Honor demands it!

Bahamut demands it!

But above all, Revenge demands it!




The shame must be erased, the Artifact must be reclaimed!




Today, I find myself in a tavern in the town of Fallcrest, in the company of a group that have asked my aid and offered pay They were hired to recover a stolen cargo, but have not told me what it is. I sense something wrong, but not evil, in this deceit. I also have a sense that some future benefit will come from this association.

Great posts. I'm running this on Saturday and I'm going to steal a few of the ideas from your first post. Keep them coming. The style of the OP was great as well.

Beldar

Bravo! This is the real spirit of D&D. Thank you for posting.

-Q.

Session from last Saturday

To His Majesty King Latham Misnomer, I do present this report, by your faithful servant Enibinsanes of the Guild of Scribes, Engravers, and Printers (Excluding Moveable Print, which is an Abomination Unto the Gods).

I am following as you asked this group of adventurers that passes through. I have asked if their company has a name, but have yet to receive an answer (although the big one called Siguard told me their name was "Shutitandletmedrinkmyalepencilneck", but i confess i may have heard him wrong. I also asked the dark one called Kincaid who waved a hand at me. I must have taken ill at that moment, as i woke up many hours later in a henhouse with no idea of how i got there. I also asked the one called Jack and was told they were either called "Pain on Tap" or "The Monetary Liberation Front", however he was quickly shouted down by his comrades at this point and spoke no further.)

Mighty news indeed, majesty! This group found the dragon hide they were sent to recover, in the lair no less of yet another dragon. Since this dragon's pale hide was brought along as well, i knew they were victorious, yet the tale itself is a wonder.

Picture, my liege, a huge cavern like room. Pillars support an unreachable ceiling. Ice covers the floor, in some places a mere light coating of frost, in others a dangerous sheet of peril. And yet into this dark and fearsome room the one called Jack made his way alone. Using his training of nondetection, he moved to where he could see the one occupant of this room, a great white dragon.

At this point in the story Mr. Hopfinger readily admits he made a quick beeline for the room's exit and the opposite side of his comrades. When asked about this he merely took me in confidence and said "Look mate, one of me mates shoots fire out of his mouth, another has two swords longer than my arm, yet another has set records in the gladiator ring, another shoots black fire, and the last throws a huge hammer that is almost as big as she is. Now, would you say it's fair dinkum to stand between them and a dragon? Thought not."

At this point things moved quickly. The dragon caught the warriors with a blast of ice, although Jack and Kincaid used their powers to evade its attack. The one called Vivex had his vitality seeped from this cold, and moved with the slowness of one aught frozen. Still, despite this setback, they moved fearlessly upon the monster, Oloryn, Vivex, Copper, and Siguard facing off with it while Kincaid blasted it from afar (apparently this one could actually move himself through space with his mind and thus avoided the treacherous ice.) Mr. Jack again evaded the creatures sight, and used the adavantage to move behind it and sink his daggers into its hide.

Several more icy blasts escpaed the dragon, but it fell still, and Siguard skinned it in the manner of his people's hunts.

So they returned, blooded with greatwyrm ichor, bearing its skin, its golden hoard, and a great helmet with a massive horn that holy Vivex was given.

They did return the merchant Goldcap's stolen wyrmskin, they nursed their wounds, and they even paid their taxes. (A revenue gathering military unit was in town at the time, and following the example of their Bahamutian paladin and priestess the party dutifully paid their taxes.)

After this intriguing incident the party was asked to attend a council meeting of the city elders. A tale was told of an Ebeneezer Ravenwood, a landed gentryman who had long since passed on (or gone missing, or fled, depending on who you ask, although do not ask Mr. Hopfigner as he insists Mr. Ravenwood was taken by monsters that came out of the sky in large metal discs) whose property (still in probate as to inheritors) was showing signs of sinsiter habitation. Screams, strange sights, all manner of disturbances were attributed to the Ravenwood estate, and our brave adventurers volunteered to investigate. (A rather inebriated local i met outside the council meeting told me, and i quote "Tha's wormwood place is a demon holstelry, i tell yas! Old Eb was a demonologist! Bymeadrink!")

Siguard took Jack with him and a preliminary scouting was done of the old manor. Once the grounds had been investigated (it is said they saw a light from one of the windows on the ground floor) the group moved in. A back door was chosen as a likely entry point, and Copper Alehouse, being able to see in poor light, moved in with Jack and Siguard at her back.

What happened next was terrible to behold (I paid a homeless urchin boy to follow them and report back to me.) The terrible exsanguinating creatures called stirges attacked the group in force. Alehouse was knocked to the ground and she and Jack found the horrible creatures adhered to them and drawing forth their life. As Vivex rushed in to help, Siguard began a holding action, and Jack pulled Copper outside to what he hoped was safety. Unfortunately a monstrous bat was attracted by the scent of blood, and huge rats began to also joint the fray for hope of easy victims. The battle spilled outside as well, where Oloryn, Kincaid, and Jack Hopfinger struggled to help Copper. Eventually the creatures that had come outside were finished, and Kincaid began hurling his deadly spells trhough the broken windows as Oloryn rushed inside to help the badly outnumbered (yet deadly efficient) Vivex and Siguard. During this time it was found that Vivex's new helm greatly enhanced his ability to charge his foe, a power he used to devastating effect.

The heroes rallied against the greater numbers of the vermin, even eliminating a monstrous spider that also lept into the fray. Copper managed to recover and use her powers on herself to heal. (She later was to confide in me that when she awoke Jack was approaching her with a look of concern and what he called his "healing kit" which consisted of an old mouldy bandage that looked as though it had come off a mummy, a small bottle of smelling salts labeled "Tea", a rusty stitching needle, and a small hammer labled "sleep-aid". She said in order to avoid his attempt at medicinal practice her immediate recovery was nothing short of miraculous.)

Their foes vanquished, the group moved farther into the house. The glow seen earlier was sighted again, only twas not ghosts and ghouls, but goblins. An entire hunting party led by a hexer and a skull-laden hulk of a beast. A foul creature that sounds like a Dark Creeper was amoung them as well.

A whirlwind battle followed. Siguard charged the monsters through a break in a rotting wall as Oloryn and Vivex charged the guards in the hallway outside, backed up by Kincaid's spells. The battle raged up and down the hall and through two rooms as the hexer and Kincaid tossed deadly energies, the goblin archers fired with deadly accuracy, Jack's knives flew alongside Copper's magical hammer into goblin hides, and Oloryn and Vivex bore down with steel and fire upon their foes. Inside Siguard found himself the focus of the hexer and the large goblinoid, as well as the goblin missiles. Eventually he fell under the palor of an evil hex, but Oloryn, Copper and Vivex made their way to him and hoped he still lived. As the battle raged Kincaid found himself the object of the Dark Creeper's foul sadism. Eventually he used his power to move himself again, this time luring the Creeper to the edge of a rickety staircase. As the creature moved to pursue him, Jack Hopfigner came out from his vantage point near the stairs and landed a killing blow on the creeper. Unfotunately the creature's death blast robbed Jack of his site as it died.

Kincaid lept back into the battle, and as his Hellish Rebuke struck the massive goblin, Siguard suddenly rose up like one cast from Valhalla and clove the beast in twain. Vivex and Oloryn finished the remaining archer, then proceeded to extract bloody vengance upon the evil hexer.

Now, at this point, depsite the evil menagerie already faced by the now exhausted and bloody party, something, well, .....odd, happened. I say odd, majesty, only because it defies rather more sound adjectives. At this point the already rickety staircase, having been weakened by the death energies of the Dark Creeper, collapsed, bringing with it part of the upper storey.

When the dust settled, our brave heroes suddenly found themselves in the midst of the undead, zombies who had ridden the falling debris like rotting salmon in a rapid of splinters and nails.

At this point my informant ran for his life, unable to face the horror of the walking dead.

I still wait sign or word from Ravenwood Manor as to the fate of the heroes.

Yours, etc.

Enibinsanes, Scribe, GoSE&P(EMPwiaAUtG)

Your Majesty, I do apologize for the abrupt nature of this message, but the adventurers appeared back in town late in the night during a massive storm and I had to make quick notes as they told their tale. Unfortunately all I had at hand at the time was a small cocktail napkin, so some of my notes are a bit fuzzy.

This group literally burst in upon us at the inn during the storm. They were soaked to the bone, covered in blood and, well, I shall say smelly ooze and leave it at that. They carried treasure they had found and items of great power they had obtained. As they ate like starved wolves, they told us what happened at Ravenwood Manor.

As you remember the upper floor of the manor had partially given way after the battle with the goblins. A grisly horde of zombies had risen up from the ruins of the floor and shambled towards the group. Among them was huge unnatural hulking creature. This creature demonstrated its power by knocking Vivex to the floor with one mighty blow, and Oloryn rushed to his aid, covering him with his magic shield. Copper used her holy powers to remove the blight of another zombie from the world, and drove another back over the fallen rubble of the upper rooms. At this point Jack, who at the beginning of the battle was out in the foyer, now suddenly seemed to spring up from behind Copper and Siguard. His kunai knives flashed in a blinding cloud around the hulking zombie, driving deep into its rotting flesh and briefly blinding it. Vivex, having regained his feet, blasted another zombie and joined Oloryn in fighting the hulk. Siguard split one rotter in twain and was told by Copper that the remaining zombies where hers and that he should help with the giant corpse. (Apparently Jack also made a remark about half of his cover leaving when Siguard marched off.) Copper’s divine power again struck down a zombie, bringing blessings upon Oloryn in his fight with the huge undead. The battle raged on and Copper took out the last zombie, even as the three mighty warriors beat the hulk to the ground.

But this was not victory yet, as the group moved off thinking they had won, the huge corpse suddenly lurched to its feet and mauled Siguard. Again the warriors engaged the beast, and finally a cascade of holy power from Copper brought it down for good.

At this point there were some uncomfortable looks between the members of this group, some murmured assent along the lines of “no, skip the dining room”, and the story moved on. After finding a staircase in the back of a pantry, Oloryn spotted a human in garb of a suspiciously pirate-like nature running from the group. After at attempt to hold and question the man, Oloryn was forced to use what he referred to as an “arena maneuver” on the man. I asked if this was fatal, and was told by Jack “last time we saw him the bloke was lying in bed peacefully”.

The group found a series of caves beyond and moved in to investigate. This, in Mr. Hopfigner’s colorful idiom, is where the “midden hit the windmill”. A large ochre-colored blob like creature fell from the ceiling and attacked. Oloryn and Vivex set about the creature keeping it trapped in a narrow passage. As this battle raged more pirates appeared from another cave branch, and after a brief game of what Jack called “catch the dagger” the pirates descended en mass on the party. (Jack at this point retreated to where Siguard and Copper waited, using his “I’ve got a Donk” maneuver.) Among the pirates was a gnoll and a mage of some power. As Siguard waded in among the pirates Copper took one last parting shot at the blob, only to find her Lance of Faith split the monster in two. By this time the creature had taken many hits, but had also managed to leave its acidic mark on Vivex and Oloryn. As Copper used her healing abilities on Vivex, who had been burned badly by the acidic blob, Jack and Siguard took down many of the pirates, but by this time the gnoll had waded in to the fight with brutal efficiency, and one pirate turned out to be more than he seemed, giving them all an unforeseen challenge. Yet one other apparently higher ranking pirate had found a tactical position against Siguard, and struck him repeatedly in the head with a club, keep him dazed during the ensuing fight. The mage meanwhile moved in behind the remaining blob (the other having been dispatched by Oloryn and Vivex) and began to harass Oloryn with his magic during his fight with the remaining jelly-like creature. Vivex at this point turned to the strangely deadly pirate in their midst, and brought him down with Paladin’s Judgement. He then joined Siguard and pushed the gnoll and mage back, then used his fiery breath upon them. He and Siguard then brought down the loathsome gnoll for good. In the confusion Oloryn finished the last blob and moved around behind the mage. Jack also took the opportunity to get behind the club wielding pirate that had been harassing Siguard and bring him down.

And though it seemed as though the battle was well and truly down, the mage in a desperate act made a raging storm of thunder around himself, bringing the badly wounded Oloryn and Vivex down. His victory was short-lived as Jack, Siguard and Copper took their vengeance upon him. After that Copper’s healing skills stabilized the two fallen warriors, and they retreated back to town.

For nearly a score of days the group waited and rested, taking the time to pour over and debate a scrap of parchment they found, theorizing it to be everything from a signal code to a shopping list to a takeout menu order. Something struck home though, and the group left town suddenly on the night of the new moon. From what I have been able to piece together, the group found a ship offshore trying to contact the now late pirate band. In a daring move the party took the pirates skiff and rowed out to the ship. They approached it broadside, away from the shore. Siguard silently snuck aboard, and used his great strength to quietly haul the rest of the group aboard. The ship was peopled with more pirates, but they were all intently watching the shore for their comrades. In the ensuing surprise attack, half the crew died in the first few moments. Siguard stormed the fo’c’sle and slew the captain despite the pirate’s berserker rage, which was no match for the northman’s Jaws of the Wolf. The rest of the crew was engaged, including a wizard and a lizardman who had come up from below decks. Oloryn and Vivex took on two of the higher officers of the ship, and Oloryn found it most expedient to bodily throwing them overboard to remove them from the battle (or, as he called it, chumming.) At this point the wizard and the lizardman were no match for the group’s combined might. The ship was sacked, and the adventurer’s were victorious.

I wait now to see what they will do with their new transport, and observe as they try to decipher a cryptic letter they found on the ship.

Yours, etc.

Enibinsanes, Scribe, GoSE&P(EMPwiaAUtG)

Quick report below from an online session while en route to our regularly scheduled next game...

While sailing on towards Stewart's adventure we stopped off in a small coastal town and while there TC happened upon an male elf that was wandering through town with a very despondent look on his face. Apparently his young daughter was kidnapped by a band of monsters while out playing in the woods by their farming community outside of town. He has not been able to get the town's elders to assist since he is poor and they don't want to pay the ransom that is being asked. He cannot afford to pay either, but implores her to help. She quickly rounds up Vivex and Siguard and heads off to where the elf said she was most likely taken.

They find a bonnet woven out of large, thick, leaves and a basket of berries strewn on the ground. While no other signs of a struggle are found a trail of large, heavy footsteps can be traced leading up into the hills. We found the entrance to a cave that narrowed to about 10' wide. The passageway ended with a 20' wide pit and started again on the other side with a pair of rickety looking doors. In typical fashion Siguard took a running start to jump the pit and failed. Looking down on him in the pit TC remarked, "couldn't you have lowered yourself down and then climbed up the other side?" Something to the effect of, "couldn't you have been born a mute" was grumbled by Siguard, but he set off to the other side of the pit with a rope in hand and then brought the other two across.

Crashing through the rotted doors the party found a pair of goblins (minions) and two Bugbear Warriors. The Bugbears were no slouches (76hp, 18ac, 1d12+6 damage on a hit) but we prevailed. We collected 250gp and 2 healing potions from them. There were a few empty rooms around them we found a new, more reinforced door and could hear some talking on the other side, but could not understand it. Vivex busted through the door and at first all we could see was one goblin, then our light (I am really liking the lighting options in MapTools by the way) shone on many more goblins and an ogre. This battle was our first time fighting an ogre in D4 so we were not exactly sure what to expect (91hp,22ac, 1d8+4 with club but also a power that lets him throw a javelin and charge as an encounter power). Man, TC couldn't hit water if she fell out of a boat during this encounter. She must have borrowed Brian's dice because the plethora of single digit totals that was tossed out was stunning. Her virtual dice were thrown across her virtual room and hit her virtual cat. IIRC lance and I both went through a couple of bloodied stages in this fight but we took the beasties down and found a set of +2 chain armor that TC put on while Vivex and Siguard looked the other way.

A door to the South lead us to a small holding area where we found a tied up, but otherwise unhurt elf girl. She did not sprout tentacles and eat our brains but we all thought about getting in another thought of CoC sometime soon. The wall to our South hid a secret door that lead further into the dungeon. We made a small fire and gave some food to the child and pressed on a bit because when you accomplish your mission and have a small, defenseless child with you the best thing to do is move on in a dangerous dungeon. The walls here went from rough to smooth and much more deliberately constructed. A large fountain was found and after looking (crystal clear) at the liquid running through it and smelling (sweet smelling) it Vivex took a gulp and fell dead on the floor. Oh, no I mean it healed him as if he drank a Healing Potion (10hp), but only once. We pressed on into a huge room that contained two large fire pits, many columns, another healing fountain and, as we found after getting halfway in the room, a Frie Archon Emberguard (151hp, 24ac, 1d12+3 with greataxe, and you take 5 fire damage just from starting your turn adjacent to it). This was one tough fight with Siguard and Vivex both going down, way down, on HP and it's high ac proved hard to hit. Vivex's flame breath, had he used it, would have proven useless (it has resist fire 30) as would have the daily power of my flaming sword (+1d6 extra damage). I did throw out a crit or two during this fight and burned the daily power of my frost axe (same as the flaming sword, but cold) and we found a +2 Cloak of Resistance here (+2 to Fort, Will, Ref and daily power / minor action to get resist 5 all until the end of your next turn) that Vivex got.

Beyond the next fountain we found another passageway that we needed to squeeze through that lead us to an unnaturally dark, large chamber. Our light sources were cut in half and there was a chill in the air that cut through us. As we searched the room a Wailing Ghost attacked and just beat the yogurt out of us. We got scared stiff, literally! Terrifying Shriek is +15 vs Will and causes 2d8+3 psychic damage, pushes you back 5 squares and immobilizes you until you save. It recharges on a 5+ on a d6 but the ghost pulled it off twice. Also, the ghost is insubstantial so it basically takes just half damage from everything. We got to the point of Siguard yelling at TC in his best Arnold voice, "get the girl and run, woman!" so she (after making a save, man saves coming at the end of your turn were rough when dealing with ongoing damage but when it roots you to the floor it's very scary) took off to gather up the child and get the heck out of there. Vivex was immobilized and the ghost was closing in on him so Siguard (made his previous turn's save) ran to the dragonborn and grabbed him. to haul him out of there. As they exited the room the ghost took a swipe at Vivex and hit. Luckily, the ghost did not follow us out of its crypt. We got the heck out of doge and returned the girl to her father. He had managed to collect 25gp to give us and also presented us with a set of Catstep Boots (always land on feet, half damage from falls, daily power to +5 to an Athletics or Acrobatics roll) which Siguard got.

In the last two fights we came really close to going down but timely healing saved our butts. Having a cleric and pally around helped lots but also having a way to supplement the one second wind you get per encounter is important. I'd advise everyone to have at least one Healing Potion just in case. We're thinking of implementing voice next online session, but don't let not having that stop you from playing online if you want to. The regular chat feature works just fine.

Mark