The Age of Worms - Morrus' Campaign - Finished 6th August!!
HandofMystra
First Post
Nice writeup. I was thinking of running AoW with a party of players, 3 of them new. I think I will tone down the SNA IV
Inconsequenti-AL
Breaks Games
HandofMystra said:
I'm really liking this campaign... however it does seem quite lethal so far. Think if the players misjudge things, then it's likely to result in plentiful deaths? In other words, not sure how newbie friendly it is?
OOC, we found out that particular encounter could have been a lot worse!
On the other hand - contradicting my argument - the last player Morrus introduced to DnD started on Rappun Athuk. He seemed to have a whale of a time. And thus far, RA was rather meaner than AoW.
And this does have an excellent plot so far!
Eccles
Ragged idiot in a trilby.
The three of us lay in the darkened temple to an evil god, gradually recovering from our cuts and injuries and wondering what was to be done about Niccoli’s blindness. Hours passed when there came a sudden loud banging at the heavy front doors. Arrows were nocked to bows, and Niccoli was placed where he could do the most damage without having to move from place to place.
The door banged again, far heavier this time, and a deep voice bellowed out “let us in”, cracking and going shrill before the last word. Very carefully, we allowed the door to open a couple of inches, and saw a pair of scruffy mine workers beyond. One was simply average. Average height, build, hair and facial features. The other was anything but, standing nearly seven feet tall whilst barefoot, huge muscles bulging under thick green skin, the hulking half-orc must have weighed an easy 400 pounds; most of it muscle. The massive figure was topped with a small head, grinning widely with a slightly vacant expression on its face.
“Hello,” smiled the hulking monstrosity. “Me is Igmut. Igmut bring friend to help.”
We rushed to push the door closed, but the huge half orc easily pushed it wide open with one hand, allowing the other figure into the temple. This man gestured, and his features rippled strangely and he began to change. His face and torso began to stretch, hair thinning and receding as he grew in height to show a tall, gaunt man with sunken eyes who looked a little familiar.
“My name is Endo. Endo Sevestarian. I believe that my brother is somewhere in this building, and I am here to bring him back. Our mother wishes to have words with him about the owl-bear he brought home.” Hearing these words, Flynne and I glanced at one another nervously.
I tried to think of something to say; some way of breaking the news to this man that his brother was dead. Before I could find the words, however, massive green fingers latched around my skull tightly.
“Pretty man hurt,” announced Igmut cheerfully. “Igmut and Kord help pretty man.”
From the scalp down, healing energies flooded through my system. My head was released as the hulking form of Igmut turned to treat Niccoli to the same restorative magics. Igmut then began to pick through the items on the floor around us, snagging a greataxe and a number of items from Torvig’s pack.
Behind me, Endo picked up Morgan’s body and left the room with it, complete with the spellbook into which I had just finished inscribing Morgan’s second eulogy.
The door banged again, far heavier this time, and a deep voice bellowed out “let us in”, cracking and going shrill before the last word. Very carefully, we allowed the door to open a couple of inches, and saw a pair of scruffy mine workers beyond. One was simply average. Average height, build, hair and facial features. The other was anything but, standing nearly seven feet tall whilst barefoot, huge muscles bulging under thick green skin, the hulking half-orc must have weighed an easy 400 pounds; most of it muscle. The massive figure was topped with a small head, grinning widely with a slightly vacant expression on its face.
“Hello,” smiled the hulking monstrosity. “Me is Igmut. Igmut bring friend to help.”
We rushed to push the door closed, but the huge half orc easily pushed it wide open with one hand, allowing the other figure into the temple. This man gestured, and his features rippled strangely and he began to change. His face and torso began to stretch, hair thinning and receding as he grew in height to show a tall, gaunt man with sunken eyes who looked a little familiar.
“My name is Endo. Endo Sevestarian. I believe that my brother is somewhere in this building, and I am here to bring him back. Our mother wishes to have words with him about the owl-bear he brought home.” Hearing these words, Flynne and I glanced at one another nervously.
I tried to think of something to say; some way of breaking the news to this man that his brother was dead. Before I could find the words, however, massive green fingers latched around my skull tightly.
“Pretty man hurt,” announced Igmut cheerfully. “Igmut and Kord help pretty man.”
From the scalp down, healing energies flooded through my system. My head was released as the hulking form of Igmut turned to treat Niccoli to the same restorative magics. Igmut then began to pick through the items on the floor around us, snagging a greataxe and a number of items from Torvig’s pack.
Behind me, Endo picked up Morgan’s body and left the room with it, complete with the spellbook into which I had just finished inscribing Morgan’s second eulogy.
Eccles
Ragged idiot in a trilby.
More spells were cast, restoring us all to full health before Endo produced a scroll which he had brought with him, good for healing curses of all types, including blindness. We then explained patiently to Igmut that we needed to have ‘resty sleepy time’ – he was keen to investigate and hack something brutally to death, and kept idly swinging the huge axe one handed even as he was casting the last of his healing magic.
.oOo.
The next morning, we prepared to move on the second of the three temple doors. I was lent a marvellous hat of disguise by Endo, who had declared his intention to stay with us until such time as his half brother was avenged. Endo’s interests seemed to follow his brothers, and his talents lay in the same direction. Igmut specialised mostly in the smashing and crashing.
Using the hat, and collecting food and drinks from the back of the Hextorite temple, we dressed the others in black robes, and I disguised myself as Theldrick, the cleric who had caused us so much trouble two nights previously.
Having recently discovered a talent for thought reading, I stretched my mind in that direction as we banged on the door, hoping to learn any passwords that we might be asked. However, there was no answer, and so we used a stone key we had discovered on Theldrick’s body to open the door and headed into a pitch-black tunnel.
Pretending to be delivering excess stores to the Erythnul worshippers, we marched down the winding tunnel into a small cavern filled with stalagmites and stalactites, echoing with the sound of dripping water and the light from our flickering torches. My spell picked up three minds, and I ordered Igmut to carry a heavy crate into the centre of the room and block the far doorway.
The hidden figures in the cavern shouted out at us; despite my many linguistic talents, I was unable to understand their shouts (although Endo did bellow a few responses in what he said was ‘Giantish’) before they attacked us.
Endo produced a wand from beneath his robes, narrowly missing one of the humanoids which came running at us. The figures were crooked, carrying heavy morningstars as they ran towards us, paying no heed to the lights we were carrying. As they drew closer, we could see that their eyes were entirely glassy and pale – the figures were blind, having lived so long in the darkness that they had developed other senses to compensate.
Senses which saw through the hat of disguise, as they flung a javelin at me before out counter-attack.
The battle was brief, and Igmut was brutally violent, leaving even Niccoli’s skilful attacks far behind him in two massively powerful slashes of the greataxe. Within seconds, all three of the forms (which Endo identified as ‘Grimlocks’) were dead, and we crept onwards; Flynne leading the way.
.oOo.
The next morning, we prepared to move on the second of the three temple doors. I was lent a marvellous hat of disguise by Endo, who had declared his intention to stay with us until such time as his half brother was avenged. Endo’s interests seemed to follow his brothers, and his talents lay in the same direction. Igmut specialised mostly in the smashing and crashing.
Using the hat, and collecting food and drinks from the back of the Hextorite temple, we dressed the others in black robes, and I disguised myself as Theldrick, the cleric who had caused us so much trouble two nights previously.
Having recently discovered a talent for thought reading, I stretched my mind in that direction as we banged on the door, hoping to learn any passwords that we might be asked. However, there was no answer, and so we used a stone key we had discovered on Theldrick’s body to open the door and headed into a pitch-black tunnel.
Pretending to be delivering excess stores to the Erythnul worshippers, we marched down the winding tunnel into a small cavern filled with stalagmites and stalactites, echoing with the sound of dripping water and the light from our flickering torches. My spell picked up three minds, and I ordered Igmut to carry a heavy crate into the centre of the room and block the far doorway.
The hidden figures in the cavern shouted out at us; despite my many linguistic talents, I was unable to understand their shouts (although Endo did bellow a few responses in what he said was ‘Giantish’) before they attacked us.
Endo produced a wand from beneath his robes, narrowly missing one of the humanoids which came running at us. The figures were crooked, carrying heavy morningstars as they ran towards us, paying no heed to the lights we were carrying. As they drew closer, we could see that their eyes were entirely glassy and pale – the figures were blind, having lived so long in the darkness that they had developed other senses to compensate.
Senses which saw through the hat of disguise, as they flung a javelin at me before out counter-attack.
The battle was brief, and Igmut was brutally violent, leaving even Niccoli’s skilful attacks far behind him in two massively powerful slashes of the greataxe. Within seconds, all three of the forms (which Endo identified as ‘Grimlocks’) were dead, and we crept onwards; Flynne leading the way.
Eccles
Ragged idiot in a trilby.
Endo’s hat was returned to him, and he disguised himself as a grimlock, as he could speak the language. A short distance of winding tunnels led us deeper into the complex. Flynne vanished into the darkness before us. We then heard a shout in the giant tongue, and some harsh barking noises. Flynne dashed back towards us, followed by two dog-like krenshar animals.
As they grew near, the flesh on their faces rippled, and then peeled back, leaving us with the disgusting sight of sinew and bone. Niccoli and Flynne, who were at the front of the narrow tunnel howled in fear at this, and Flynne (always the faster to react) began to run back down the corridor, pushing past Niccoli in his efforts to escape.
Then he bounced off the massive barrel-chest of Igmut, standing bent almost double in the tight corridor, and refusing to let either man escape. Then the grimlocks and Krenshar charged at us.
I began to chant in encouragement, whilst Endo unlimbered a crossbow. However, Endo might have shared his late brother’s magical talents, but clearly didn’t share his skills with the bow, as his bolt went wild. We were used to Morgan displaying great feats of skill (or perhaps luck) which Endo obviously didn’t share.
Igmut chanted a brief invocation to Kord, freeing Niccoli and Flynne from the fear effects of the krenshar before unlimbering his axe and flinging himself at the foe with a blood-curdling yell of fury. One axe-sweep later, and the exposed skull was caved in, and Ig was looking around for another target.
Enthused, we swept forwards and slew the foe, Niccoli and Igmut cleaving through the enemies as a lethal combination. There was a brief confusion when nobody could see the concealed enemy Flynne was shooting at, but eventually Ig stumbled upon him and he and Niccoli made short work of the last grimlock with their two heavy blades.
.oOo.
We looked around the small cave, and learned that one side of the room dropped immediately away into a deep chasm. We also learned that there were a pair of archers lurking in the darkness on a low shelf some 45 feet away on the other side of the chasm wall.
We entered into a brief and lethal missile melee, hiding behind stalagmites and shooting from cover at the two grimlocks, who were accurate despite their lack of sight. The shooting became easier once Igmut had a bright idea, and tossed a small coin down towards them, his piggy eyes brightening and a huge smile crossing his fanged maw at our praise for his idea.
As the grimlocks fell to our arrows, behind us Endo began to behave strangely. He used his magical hat to look like a small and stumpy troll, and then lit a fire. Then he spent a considerable amount of time complaining about how he was hurting his hand in the fire.
As Niccoli shot the second grimlock, I headed back to the gaunt wizard, and slapped him hard across the face to make him see sense, then we returned to the matter at hand.
As they grew near, the flesh on their faces rippled, and then peeled back, leaving us with the disgusting sight of sinew and bone. Niccoli and Flynne, who were at the front of the narrow tunnel howled in fear at this, and Flynne (always the faster to react) began to run back down the corridor, pushing past Niccoli in his efforts to escape.
Then he bounced off the massive barrel-chest of Igmut, standing bent almost double in the tight corridor, and refusing to let either man escape. Then the grimlocks and Krenshar charged at us.
I began to chant in encouragement, whilst Endo unlimbered a crossbow. However, Endo might have shared his late brother’s magical talents, but clearly didn’t share his skills with the bow, as his bolt went wild. We were used to Morgan displaying great feats of skill (or perhaps luck) which Endo obviously didn’t share.
Igmut chanted a brief invocation to Kord, freeing Niccoli and Flynne from the fear effects of the krenshar before unlimbering his axe and flinging himself at the foe with a blood-curdling yell of fury. One axe-sweep later, and the exposed skull was caved in, and Ig was looking around for another target.
Enthused, we swept forwards and slew the foe, Niccoli and Igmut cleaving through the enemies as a lethal combination. There was a brief confusion when nobody could see the concealed enemy Flynne was shooting at, but eventually Ig stumbled upon him and he and Niccoli made short work of the last grimlock with their two heavy blades.
.oOo.
We looked around the small cave, and learned that one side of the room dropped immediately away into a deep chasm. We also learned that there were a pair of archers lurking in the darkness on a low shelf some 45 feet away on the other side of the chasm wall.
We entered into a brief and lethal missile melee, hiding behind stalagmites and shooting from cover at the two grimlocks, who were accurate despite their lack of sight. The shooting became easier once Igmut had a bright idea, and tossed a small coin down towards them, his piggy eyes brightening and a huge smile crossing his fanged maw at our praise for his idea.
As the grimlocks fell to our arrows, behind us Endo began to behave strangely. He used his magical hat to look like a small and stumpy troll, and then lit a fire. Then he spent a considerable amount of time complaining about how he was hurting his hand in the fire.
As Niccoli shot the second grimlock, I headed back to the gaunt wizard, and slapped him hard across the face to make him see sense, then we returned to the matter at hand.
Eccles
Ragged idiot in a trilby.
The two missile-firing grimlocks’ bodies were searched by Flynne, after erecting a rope bridge which he dashed across. The lit pebble was tossed down the chasm, striking the floor some 45 feet below, amidst a group of 5 more bow-armed grimlocks. We moved back out of sight, then all leaned out to take a shot at them at the same time. When we moved to the edge, the grimlocks had disappeared.
We didn’t know whether they had fled, or were using their rocky skin to blend into the rocks as we had seen Niccoli’s foe manage in the second room.
.oOo.
We spent a little while wondering how to get down safely, before we came up with the idea of making a puppet with one of the fallen grimlocks. Ropes were tied to its arms and legs, and a cross-beam was created to lash these to. The puppet looked somehow unrealistic until Endo adjusted the positioning of some of the ropes, moving them to joints and redistributing the weight with disturbing knowledge.
Ig delighted himself by making the grimlock dance as he lowered it down the wall. When it reached the bottom, Ig made it walk up and down in jerky movements, but no challenge or attack came from around the body. We hoisted it back up again.
Endo then bent over the body curiously. He pulled at the limbs, checked its teeth, and then straightened.
“You know,” he mentioned casually. “I could make it move more naturally. I could animate the body perfectly, so we don’t need to use these clumsy ropes.”
Niccoli blanched. Flynne grinned. I was curious, whilst Igmut smiled on obliviously. The four of us (watched by Igmut) then repeated our frequent argument about the relative merits of undead-summoning. We eventually decided that it would be OK as long as Endo was true to his word and dismissed the zombie as soon as it caused us any problems. We agreed that Endo could cast his spell.
Before he began, Endo started by casting the same suite of protective magics that we had seen Morgan cast many times in the past. The ghostly mist swirled around him, and was then breathed in, adding pallor to his cheeks and spirit to his eyes. Then the spectral cloaked figure rose around him, wrapping him in the safety of its cloak. Then he bent down next to the dead body of the grimlock. A small chip of obsidian was placed in its mouth, and the spell was cast.
Nothing happened. Then the fingers of its left hand twitched, then curled. When the fist unballed, the flesh was sloughed off the bones. A tremor shook the entire corpse, as though it was trying to fight off the magic. However, as it shook, flesh rotted or fell from the bones, falling in a putrescent mess to the floor around the body. Endo’s robes were spattered with rapidly-decaying flesh, as the head and shoulders rose from the floor, a dim red glow in the eye-sockets. Finally, the skeletal fingers gripped the morningstar, as the undead creature rose amidst us.
We didn’t know whether they had fled, or were using their rocky skin to blend into the rocks as we had seen Niccoli’s foe manage in the second room.
.oOo.
We spent a little while wondering how to get down safely, before we came up with the idea of making a puppet with one of the fallen grimlocks. Ropes were tied to its arms and legs, and a cross-beam was created to lash these to. The puppet looked somehow unrealistic until Endo adjusted the positioning of some of the ropes, moving them to joints and redistributing the weight with disturbing knowledge.
Ig delighted himself by making the grimlock dance as he lowered it down the wall. When it reached the bottom, Ig made it walk up and down in jerky movements, but no challenge or attack came from around the body. We hoisted it back up again.
Endo then bent over the body curiously. He pulled at the limbs, checked its teeth, and then straightened.
“You know,” he mentioned casually. “I could make it move more naturally. I could animate the body perfectly, so we don’t need to use these clumsy ropes.”
Niccoli blanched. Flynne grinned. I was curious, whilst Igmut smiled on obliviously. The four of us (watched by Igmut) then repeated our frequent argument about the relative merits of undead-summoning. We eventually decided that it would be OK as long as Endo was true to his word and dismissed the zombie as soon as it caused us any problems. We agreed that Endo could cast his spell.
Before he began, Endo started by casting the same suite of protective magics that we had seen Morgan cast many times in the past. The ghostly mist swirled around him, and was then breathed in, adding pallor to his cheeks and spirit to his eyes. Then the spectral cloaked figure rose around him, wrapping him in the safety of its cloak. Then he bent down next to the dead body of the grimlock. A small chip of obsidian was placed in its mouth, and the spell was cast.
Nothing happened. Then the fingers of its left hand twitched, then curled. When the fist unballed, the flesh was sloughed off the bones. A tremor shook the entire corpse, as though it was trying to fight off the magic. However, as it shook, flesh rotted or fell from the bones, falling in a putrescent mess to the floor around the body. Endo’s robes were spattered with rapidly-decaying flesh, as the head and shoulders rose from the floor, a dim red glow in the eye-sockets. Finally, the skeletal fingers gripped the morningstar, as the undead creature rose amidst us.
Eccles
Ragged idiot in a trilby.
The skeleton was sent down first, and nothing happened. Then we all climbed down together and explored the bottom of the cavern. The far wall of at the bottom contained another tunnel through to a cavern beyond. Halfway down on the opposite wall we had passed another tunnel, with no obvious way to get up there beyond scaling the solid rock. We took the bottom passage, and emerged into a similar cavern stretching above us. 40 feet up was a bridge, spanning a matching opening on the wall above us to a place up on the far wall. At the far side of the space, on the floor was a large pile of debris, including bones and the hilt of a weapon.
Flynne dashed across to the pile to look at the items, when suddenly a grey rubbery tentacle-like hand stretched down from the ceiling above. It missed Flynne, and a second pair of similar rubbery hands stretched down to snatch at Niccoli.
Igmut cast another spell, call on Kord to assist Niccoli, who suddenly grew to twice his height. His suddenly 8 foot long broadsword slashed one of the dwarfed chokers off the wall in a single titanic blow. The second snagged him around the throat, bit its hands looked tiny around his neck. He tore it down from the wall, and threw it to the floor, where it was rapidly killed by Igmut’s axe and his own stomping.
.oOo.
Flynne climbed up to the upper passageway and rope-ladder. He was there for a matter of seconds before climbing back down again, chased by a heavy-set grimlock woman waving a pair of rusty knives. She fired a slingstone at us before drinking a potion and then stepping back out of sight.
We split up to cover both ends of the tunnel, covering it with bows before the grimlock appeared again at my end of the passage, frothing at the mouth. She slashed at the air with the two rusty blades, before hurling herself into space. She crashed to earth 3 feet from me, stood, and then slashed me across the chest.
My stronger comrades slammed into her, and blades rose and fell repeatedly. Endo’s wand fires a black ray at the grimlock, sapping her strength as spirits writhed around the beam of the spell. Showing no sign of slowing down, the grimlock woman carried on slashing out with her two knives, biting hard into flesh into her frenzy. Igmut and Niccoli were equal to the task, however – they stood fast and slashed back, before Flynne’s arrow (fired from the passage she had leapt down from) pierced the top of her head, and she slumped to the floor.
Flynne dashed across to the pile to look at the items, when suddenly a grey rubbery tentacle-like hand stretched down from the ceiling above. It missed Flynne, and a second pair of similar rubbery hands stretched down to snatch at Niccoli.
Igmut cast another spell, call on Kord to assist Niccoli, who suddenly grew to twice his height. His suddenly 8 foot long broadsword slashed one of the dwarfed chokers off the wall in a single titanic blow. The second snagged him around the throat, bit its hands looked tiny around his neck. He tore it down from the wall, and threw it to the floor, where it was rapidly killed by Igmut’s axe and his own stomping.
.oOo.
Flynne climbed up to the upper passageway and rope-ladder. He was there for a matter of seconds before climbing back down again, chased by a heavy-set grimlock woman waving a pair of rusty knives. She fired a slingstone at us before drinking a potion and then stepping back out of sight.
We split up to cover both ends of the tunnel, covering it with bows before the grimlock appeared again at my end of the passage, frothing at the mouth. She slashed at the air with the two rusty blades, before hurling herself into space. She crashed to earth 3 feet from me, stood, and then slashed me across the chest.
My stronger comrades slammed into her, and blades rose and fell repeatedly. Endo’s wand fires a black ray at the grimlock, sapping her strength as spirits writhed around the beam of the spell. Showing no sign of slowing down, the grimlock woman carried on slashing out with her two knives, biting hard into flesh into her frenzy. Igmut and Niccoli were equal to the task, however – they stood fast and slashed back, before Flynne’s arrow (fired from the passage she had leapt down from) pierced the top of her head, and she slumped to the floor.
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