Holly's Master of the Fallen Fortress Journal

[SnowleopardVK]

This adventure has just concluded, and one of my players was cool enough to write a journal of it from her PC's perspective and provide me with it.

They were playing (and I was running) the free Pathfinder module, Master of the Fallen Fortress, with some changes by me to set the adventure in Tian Xia. It ties in slightly to our Jade Regent campaign, but not too much. (You'll hear mention of Sandru's caravan, which Holly crossed the crown of the world with on her way to Zi Ha, but that's about it. She was an unnamed NPC at the time and didn't get any focus until this adventure). The main point of this adventure was to please the players who wanted to have some fun with my new Dragon Empires Gazetteer and try some of the classes contained within.

The PCs are:
Holly Hay - Human Varisian Fighter 1
Chimi Sonan Konan - Samsaran Hospitaler Paladin 1
Suzume - Kitsune Chameleon Rogue 1
Roban Modan - Tengu Transmuter Wizard 1

I enjoyed running the adventure, the players seemed to enjoy playing it, and I found Holly's Journal that her player wrote up to be rather cool. I hope you enjoy it.

 

[SnowleopardVK]

What a day this has been, I only just arrived at the monastery and already lots of things are happening. You don’t expect much excitement in a place like Zi Ha, surrounded by all the quiet samsaran monks, but I suppose nowhere in the world is really completely quiet anyways is it?

Well, me and the other few who’d split from Sandru’s caravan on its way to Minkai managed to cross Hongal safely, and follow a path along the safer, enlightened peaks of Zi Ha all the way here. I was just coming to visit Chimi of course since I haven’t seen her since I was a little girl, but I had expected the rest of my stay in Zi Ha to be as dull as watching grass grow. I was wrong.

I had just found her, and to my surprise, Suzume too. Turns out she’d come visiting from the Forest of Spirits at the same time that I’d arrived, what luck! The two of them had been having tea with this travelling wizard scholar fellow from Kwanlai, Roban I think his name was, and almost as soon as I got there the earthquake hit! The monastery itself was only hit by a small aftershock or two, a couple stairs got shattered and I hear one or two of the monks took minor injuries, but in this day and age and with healing magic, it’s not too big an issue. They had Chimi going around with a magic wand for a bit, healing people up, and some of the boys from the caravan helped with repairs where wooden stairs had splintered, or building walls had split.

By the next day, you wouldn’t be able to tell that anything had happened, at least not to the monastery, but there was still more to come for me. At around dinner a flare went up from the next mountain over. Apparently that was one of the wild peaks, and though I’d heard nothing of it the day before, there was a tower over that way that Chimi said had been sealed off for hundreds of years. Nobody knew what the thing was once for, but the quake yesterday had split open one of the walls. An adventuring fellow from Amanandar, Balenar they said his name was had gone over to investigate. The flare was a signal that he was in trouble. Something was in that place, and it seemed likely that he’d fallen victim to it.

Well apparently Chimi’s pretty respected around here for her valor, and some of the monks were practically begging her to go rescue the man. She agreed in a heartbeat, and of course I offered to go too. If one guy ended up in trouble, then sending another person on their own wasn’t going to do much good after all. Suzume offered to come along too, though knowing her she has an angle. Most surprising of all though, Roban asked to come too. He seemed like a quiet, bookworm type, not one for facing danger at all. Maybe my first impression was wrong though.

With our group getting bigger, a bunch of guys from the caravan, and one or two of the younger monks started all offering their services too. But then a late-arriving aftershock hit us, and they were forced to stay behind and deal with repairs. The four of us set out right as they got to work, time might be a factor for us, I can’t say for certain yet, and it’ll take until mid-morning tomorrow to get over to the next mountain.

We’re heading to a dangerous place, so I’m leaving this page of my journal with the monks. Maybe it’s a little morbid to be thinking about this, but we could die out there, and I don’t want to just disappear from history if that’s what happens.

--Holly Hay, 6 Desnus, 4712 ar.

 

[SnowleopardVK]

We passed through the valley pretty easily, and made it to the tower itself with no trouble by mid-morning the next day, just as planned. And it wasn’t until we were climbing across the rubble towards the gap in the wall that things got rough. We heard snarls behind us, and realized too late we’d been surrounded. Three small, ragged looking wolves, probably barely older than pups had made a half-circle, trapping us between them and the gap in the wall as they advanced.

We acted on a split-second decision and fell back, moving as fast as we could back towards the opening, where the ground was clearer. The wolves were faster than us, but by the time they caught up we were almost on steady ground. It was my own bad luck that I was the slowest I suppose, and the three were on me before I could get to safety. Lucky for me I’m quick-footed, ‘cause their bites came within inches of my legs. I had my axe out right away of course and managed a good swing, took one of the dogs down with a single slash!

After that was a bit of a blur. I think Chimi and Roban shot another of the wolves with an arrow and a spell. Didn’t take it down, but the thing turned and ran like the wind away from us, leaving the other wolf lunging at me. I should’ve been paying more attention I guess ‘cause it got my leg and sent me toppling backwards. By the time I was back on my feet the mutt was fleeing, two arrows in its side. Good riddance I say, my ankle turned out to be all bloody from its bite when I checked under my pant leg.

It got dark pretty quickly after we climbed through the hole that was our entrance, so Roban conjured up some glowing lights that lit the place like torches and floated ahead of use while we walked. We came to two doors right away, but one led to a room completely filled with debris, so we went for the other. Not pleasant, it was filled with webbing, we were knee-deep in rubble, and a fresh web was practically flung at Chimi the moment she stepped into the room! Well, nobody had thought to be looking at the ceiling I guess, but there was an absolutely enormous spider up in the webs there!

Well Chimi was stuck, struggling against the sticky stuff she’d been tied up in, so I grabbed for one of my smaller axes and flung it. The bug was a little high up, but I’m good at long throws, I picked my aim well, and the axe was lodged in its flesh before you knew it. Not a pretty sight with spider blood dripping down on us from above. Suzume hit it too, with one of her arrows just as the bug was skittering down the wall, going for Chimi.

The thing bit her, and we found out later that she’d been poisoned, which explained why she’d seemed kind of weaker than normal. Fortunately I chopped my big axe right into its back and it only got in one little bite before it died. I made sure to pull my throwing axe out of it after that too. I may have three others, but it’s important to keep yourself well-stocked in situations like these.

Well after that we found the stairs, but they were all stuffed up with rubble, and we couldn’t clear a path even though we tried pulling some of it away. Suzume gave up on that first and went to search the spider’s lair, I wouldn’t think a spider would have treasure, but she said it might have had victims who’d dropped valuable things here. It might have even gotten at Balenar.

The one cocoon big enough to hold a person that we found was actually stuffed with the rotten body of a dog, poor little thing. It was long dead, but Suzume cut off the jewel-encrusted tag from its collar. The name on it read ‘Kita’. Don’t know who Kita’s owner was, but they’re going to have to get a new dog I think.

The first floor was all cleared out of what we could get at by then, so we went back outside. Our only choice was to climb, but fortunately it wasn’t too hard. Suzume got to the top first and ran a rope down for us, Chimi slipped and tumbled back down to the ground on her first attempt going up the rope, but fortunately she didn’t fall from too high and wasn’t hurt. She was able to get up on her second try.

We’d made it into the tower itself finally, no more rubble here. We stopped on the landing here to discuss strategy since there’s two doors we can go into from here. I took the time to scribble down this entry in my journal, but I’m going to have to wrap it up. Seems they’ve decided to flip a copper to choose which door to try.

--Holly Hay, 7 Desnus, 4712 ar.

 

[SnowleopardVK]

Heads. That was the north door. As soon as we opened it this little green and yellow lizard, about as big as a dog, came scampering up to us. It looked almost cute, but Roban shouted to be careful, and not to hit it with electricity. Now, I fight with axes, so accidentally letting loose a bolt of lightning isn’t generally a big concern of mine. I can see now why he was worried though. The little thing was cute, but as we tried to go around it this jolt of lightning fired off its horns and hit Suzume!

She grabbed her sword of course and stabbed at the electric reptile, and the rest of us tried to do the same. It was small, quick, and had tough scales though, so I don’t know if Chimi and I even did any damage. The lizard seemed almost startled to be attacked, and it shocked Suzume again. After that me and Chimi managed to actually lodge our weapons in its back and stop the electric attack. Poor lizard had seemed almost friendly, so I feel bad about taking it out. We didn’t want it shocking us though.

We decided to move on quickly, but through the next door we were hit by an overwhelming stench. This time I was the one who recognized the monsters in the room, troglodytes they were, and young ones from the look of it. The other three were practically gagging from the horrible smell, so I guess I tolerated it a bit better. The two troglodytes flung javelins at me right away, and let me tell you, the one that hit hurt a lot. The other three tried attacking the monsters after that, but they weren’t doing well coping with the smell. The two lizards ganged up on Chimi ‘cause she’d run up close with her glaive, and she took two claw slashes by the time I’d reacted.

My axe dug deep into the closest one when I charged it, and Roban hit it with a blast of magic, finishing it off. I think Chimi and Suzume were trying to go after the other one, but by the gods was that smell ever throwing off their aim. Chimi actually lost her grip on her weapon and flung it halfway across the room! Bad timing too, the trog clubbed her on the head and she crumpled! I think I saw some of that watery samsaran blood dripping out from beneath her hair, but I didn’t have time to get a good look. Me and Roban were able to take the second troglodyte down quickly after Chimi fell, and Suzume ran up to check on her condition.

We’ve holed up back on the balcony at this point. Chimi’s conscious, but just barely. Fortunately Suzume thought to pack healing potions before we left. She’s pouring one down Chimi’s throat now. Roban’s keeping watch at the door into the shocker lizard’s room, and I’m taking the time to detail our fights here in my journal as I stand watch at the other door on the balcony. I think after Chimi heals up we’re retreating down to the first floor and camping out for a few hours in the dead-end by the clogged stairwell. Roban says he can keep watch, I guess he hasn’t really gotten injured by anything, unlike the rest of us, so maybe that’s for the best.

--Holly Hay, 7 Desnus, 4712 ar.

 

[SnowleopardVK]

We woke in the evening. My ankle still hurt a tad, and the javelin wound wasn’t gone, but I felt a bit better, and Chimi and Suzume looked as though the rest had fixed them up entirely, which was good to see. The orange sky at sunset against the majestic mountains of Zi Ha is really a sight to see on a clear evening, and if you’ve never seen it, I wholeheartedly recommend coming here at least once. But we had business inside. Suzume went up first again and the rest of us followed on her rope. We went into the room beyond the balcony’s south door this time but didn’t see anything in there but dust and another door. Suzume took her time checking it for traps, which was good because she found some kind of javelin-throwing device rigged to respond to standing in front of the door. We asked her if she could disarm it and she scoffed and said of course she could. Then she promptly triggered it by mistake and ended up with a javelin sticking through her. Serves her right for overconfidence I suppose, but we had to use another healing potion to fix her up. And I guess she technically did disarm it since we were able to go through after that.

The lizard’s room and the room the trogs were guarding were still just as we’d left them. We figured that meant nobody’d come down to check on them, so hopefully we were still sneaking in to a place not on full alert. The room in the center of the tower was the stairwell, which was clogged on the floor below, but seemed to be clear from here on up. It led all the way to the top of the tower, but we stopped at the next floor and tried the door there. It was locked. Suzume once again assured us she could handle it, and this time she was right. The lock clicked open after she spent a couple minutes going at it with her lockpick, though when we saw what was inside I think we all wished we’d kept the door shut.

This room was twice as big as the ones we’d seen so far, taking up both the west and south sides of the tower, and Chimi said later that it looked like a temple to Lady Nanbyo, a Tian goddess, and not a nice one. They call Lady Nanbyo the ‘Widow of Suffering’, and earthquakes are said to be her domain. The shrine here explains the quakes in the area I guess. She also rules over things like plague, suffering, and fire. Fire was what we saw when that door opened and we entered the room. Two skeletons, bones ablaze, must’ve been trapped in here by the locked door, or maybe they were guarding the temple. They came running at us when we entered the room.

Well Chimi got cut and burned by this flaming sword the first of the skeletons drew, but she stepped back with a holy fury in her eyes that I’d never have expected from such a calm lady like her. She brought her glaive down on that skeleton’s bones so hard that they were scattered to every corner of the room! Roban went at the other one with this icy ray spell that seemed to hurt it, but Suzume’s sword wasn’t even scratching its bones, and she was getting burned up just standing near it. I couldn’t let that go on so I stepped up beside her and brought my axe down on the dead thing’s ribcage and shattered it! We had to give Chimi our last healing potion after that fight.

Suzume said it was weird that there were no doors in here except the one we’d come through, since this room only takes up half of this floor, and there should be other rooms. She’s insisted on searching around for a bit, so I stopped to write another entry. She’s found a disguised door, so I guess she was right, and she’s just finished checking it for traps. She says she hasn’t found any, so now she’s got to pick the lock. Should only take her a minute or two, so I’ll end it here for now.

--Holly Hay, 7 Desnus, 4712 ar.

 

[SnowleopardVK]

Sun’s gone down. Must’ve happened while we were in Lady Nanbyo’s shrine. Well it was damnably dark outside at any rate, and I don’t see great without light. The others looked freaked out though, and Roban sent one of his glowing magic things soaring up to the ceiling. Took me a minute to figure out what I was seeing; the whole roof looked like it was coming down on us in a flying black carpet. By the time I realized we had disturbed hundreds, maybe thousands of angry bats, they were all around us!

Chimi screamed to flee back into the other room and started going back right away, bats biting at her the whole way. Roban was lucky to have been at the back and didn’t really get bitten. All I remember was blacking out.

I woke up in the night. We were back in the shrine. Roban was standing guard by the stairwell door, Chimi and Suzume looked like they were both asleep. When he saw that I was up Roban told me all quietly that I’d been out for about five hours. Both me and Suzume had fallen before we’d gotten out of the bats, but fortunately the swarm had begun to disperse since Roban had pulled his lights out of the room, and the movement had stopped when we fell. He and Chimi had dragged us back in here and slammed the door before the bats could follow, and they’d frantically been trying to close our wounds. Suzume woke up after the first hour; they were really worried about me since I hadn’t. Roban said he was relieved.

Roban intends to stand guard like that for hours, maybe even days until we heal. He insists that I get to sleep. Hopefully Chimi can take a shift for him when she wakes up. The bats didn’t knock her out, so she must be in better shape than Suzume or I. Roban’s telling me to sleep now, so I’ll end the journal here. It must be past midnight now, so I guess it’s a new day already...

--Holly Hay, 8 Desnus, 4712 ar.

 

[SnowleopardVK]

Slipping in and out of consciousness. Still in pain. Chimi and Roban are talking, something about not enough food. I guess we weren’t planning to have to lock ourselves in, potentially for days while we recover. Me and Suzume are in no condition to climb down the tower though, and resting outside might actually be more dangerous.

I think Chimi’s going to climb down and forage for food. The bat’s roost is open to the outside, so they can run Suzume’s rope down from there. Think I heard them say the bats are gone. Maybe they went to find a new roost where they won’t be disturbed.

--Holly Hay, 9 Desnus, 4712 ar.

 

[SnowleopardVK]

We finished off the last of our food today. Luckily Chimi got back with more. A little over a day’s worth, though with four of us we’ll be out again by the 12th. Suzume is back on her feet, barely, and I feel a lot better, though still in a lot of pain.

Roban fell asleep before Chimi got back. Can’t blame him, he’s been up and standing guard for days. When she came back Chimi was running and had blood on her glaive! She shouted something, more enemies following her. Damn this is not the time to be blacking out again! I can hear them close by.

…I missed it; it looks like we’re in bad shape. Chimi’s down, Suzume’s on her feet, but barely from the looks of it, fiddling with the door. Two dead troglodytes on the floor.

Roban’s come up with a plan, and from the sound of it, we’re desperate. VERY desperate. Suzume’s locked the door, and Roban’s going to meditate for the next eight hours, that’d be until morning. He says that his spells are exhausted and he needs more for this plan of his to work. He’s going to throw me and Chimi out through the hole in the wall in the bat roost, and then use a spell to slow our descent to the ground below. Me and Suzume need to rest until then he says.

Our lives for the next eight hours may very well lie with the security of a locked door. Shelyn help us.

--Holly Hay, 10 Desnus, 4712 ar.

 

[SnowleopardVK]

Someone tried a key from the other side. Thank the gods Suzume thought to jam the lock after she locked it. After that there was banging on the door from the other side, like someone was trying to break it down. I guess they weren’t strong enough though. They gave up after a while, but it was really tense. Eventually Chimi woke up, and Roban said his new spells were ready. The bats still weren’t there.

Suzume ran her rope down first, and Roban went down it. Then Suzume rolled Chimi off the edge. A few moments later I heard Roban shout from below for me to come next. Talk about a leap of faith. Well, for a moment I was plummeting fast, but then I felt a tingling all around me and the rest of the fall was slow and gentle.

Suzume came down last without the assistance of the rope, she’d pulled it back up and rolled it up. Good climber that girl is. After that we staggered away from the tower. Got partway into the valley, Roban was picking some roots and berries along the way. I guess we’re taking a more natural approach to food until we get home. Hopefully that Balenar fellow is still okay. This ‘rescue’ has already been going on for nearly a week, and now it looks like it’s going to take several more days at least.

We’re about to rest for the night at any rate; should reach the monastery by the day after tomorrow. We have to go slow since Chimi and I aren’t quite in walking condition yet, and Roban can’t go that fast while he’s foraging.

--Holly Hay, 11 Desnus, 4712 ar.

 

[SnowleopardVK]

Chimi went out to forage. She brought back just enough to feed us all when we put it together with the extra food left from yesterday. Tomorrow we can go towards the monastery at full speed without searching for food, and eat in the evening when we get back.

They should have supplies, healing, and food there. Then we can head back and make a fresh start at this.

--Holly Hay, 12 Desnus, 4712 ar.