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Aphonion Tales: Ravenskrag and the Shadowline, a preteen D&D game (lightly edited notes, COMPLETED on 1/20/23)
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<blockquote data-quote="CPaladin" data-source="post: 8632400" data-attributes="member: 7030144"><p>Session 48 (May 7, 2022)</p><p></p><p>7 Chund</p><p>They crest a hill as they approach the Palood. They can smell the swamp. Along the edge of the desert, there is a whole line of trees, perhaps 100 feet wide, with surprisingly healthy leaves. Even the elves do not recognize the trees. They have bright red berries. The area around them seems almost wholesome. Beyond that, they hear grunting, and sounds like large animals, though they don’t see them.</p><p></p><p>The group moves cautiously forward towards the trees. The sounds are clearly from beyond the trees, and almost sound like groaning noises. Most of the group goes up to right near the trees, but Aleep hangs back a little. When they get very close to the trees, where there is a nice smell of cinnamon, they can hear the noises just south of the trees. They still can’t see anything in the swamp, though. The sound is loud and disturbing, like the sound of wounded elephants dragging themselves along the ground, occasionally punctuated by a groan of pain. Merreep looks carefully on the other side of the trees. There is a small strip of grass before the trees, a small strip of grass beyond the trees, and then a very corrupted looking swamp. There are three large masses, each green, throwing themselves towards the grassline, and then retreating back away from it. There seems to be an invisible barrier holding the strange green masses back.</p><p></p><p>Merreep goes back to the rest of the group and describes what she saw.</p><p></p><p>“That sounds sort of like the Shadow Line, but maintained by trees instead of by the Hastur.”</p><p></p><p>“Why would trees keep out large green mounds? And how could they?”</p><p></p><p>“If those trees are holy to the elven gods, perhaps they could.”</p><p></p><p>“Trees can do that? Can they be holy?”</p><p></p><p>“Aleep is a wizard, not a priestly type. But Aleep has heard legends of the great powerful trees in the great elven forests.”</p><p></p><p>“If we try to cross it, would the same thing happen to us?”</p><p></p><p>“Aleep would not think so. If it is like the Shadow Line, Aleep’s friends can cross without being harmed.”</p><p></p><p>“Would we be able to return?”</p><p></p><p>“As long as Aleep’s friends are not corrupted. If they cross the Shadow Line, and then become corrupted, and then attempt to cross back, bad things would happen.”</p><p></p><p>“What do we think the green mounds are, anyway?”</p><p></p><p>“They could be minor oblexes. They don’t seem very intelligent.” Aleep comments.</p><p></p><p>Behind them, a figure rises out of the grasses. It looks elf-like in shape, but is made of peat and bark and the like.</p><p></p><p>She greets them.</p><p></p><p>“Who are you?”</p><p></p><p>“I am a construct of the lothlorien that still try to survive here. They are not mobile. I am.”</p><p></p><p>“What would your thoughts be on our expanding the trees? How would we do that?”</p><p></p><p>“You are kind to ask. Bring a great elf-lord, or nuts of a lothlorien tree, and it will grow and expand. I know that it is not as a lothlorien tree ought to be, but it is a struggle. And we have no pollinators, and thus our berries are sterile. We will never allow Banahog and her servants to triumph.”</p><p></p><p>“Who is this Banahog?”</p><p></p><p>“Mistress of the Abominable Swamp beyond for some distance. We don’t know how much distance. I am the only one who is mobile, and the trees do not wish to risk me. Those three are her servants.”</p><p></p><p>“What are they?”</p><p></p><p>“We think they are some type of demon. We are not a wood of wide experience.”</p><p></p><p>“What if we just killed them?” asks Runor. “We might be able to.”</p><p></p><p>“You could do that? We would appreciate it. We might be able to grow more leaves. But they do regenerate, even from the spark of life. I think fire would stop them from regenerating.”</p><p></p><p>Merreep steps to a location where she can be seen from the other side and calls out. “What are you doing?”</p><p></p><p>All three rear up out of the swamp, 8 or 10 feet tall, and seem to regard her. They have no eyes, no mouths, and no apparent organs. But they do stop.</p><p></p><p>While they are focused on Merreep, Runor strolls up and smacks one with his hammer. He really drives the hammer in, doing 15 points of damage. Runor notices that the goop that was the monster spilled down his hammer, but he avoids getting it on his hands. The goop makes pits in both the metal of the hammer and the wood of the lower shaft. Aleep responds by casting fireball, positioning it so that it catches most of their mass but does not come within 5 feet of the grass verge of the trees. He does 32 points of damage, although one avoids much of the blast. Ulgorio slides forward and drives his rapier in with a critical, doing 16 points of damage. He avoids any splash, but the metal does pit. Bartix slashes it with his longsword, doing 8 points of damage. It shudders, and falls into a heap, slowly sliding back into the swamp. Merreep shoots one of the creatures with her bow, hitting twice and sinking two shafts deep into the creature.</p><p></p><p>Merreep shoots it twice more, and it makes that horrible howling noise again. One of the creatures slams towards Runor, missing and slamming into the ground next to him. The badly wounded one tries to hit Ulgorio. It slams into him, and he has to make a Constitution save, but gets a 0. He takes 9 damage from the impact, and 7 points of acid damage. He can clearly hear, through the air, “Blight! Blight! Blight the Light!” The other is calling “Banahog! Banahog!” Neither is speaking aloud in any language he knows, but he can still understand what they are saying.</p><p></p><p>Aleep casts another fireball, doing 26 damage. Ashaltir smites the last remaining one as it begins slumping away into the swamp. Runor casts a guardian of faith, which blasts the last one as it tries to flee. It howls, and then disintegrates into the swamp, with a strange green sulpherous light.</p><p></p><p>“You did it! We will have a respite, and we can likely expand by a few inches before they send more. Beware of the undead ram. It is half as tall as a tree, and made of smaller rams that are also dead but moving. You’re the first mobiles I’ve seen in many years, since that unfortunate woman.”</p><p></p><p>(They have made an enemy of Banahog.)</p><p></p><p>They head into the Palood proper.</p><p>[cont'd]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="CPaladin, post: 8632400, member: 7030144"] Session 48 (May 7, 2022) 7 Chund They crest a hill as they approach the Palood. They can smell the swamp. Along the edge of the desert, there is a whole line of trees, perhaps 100 feet wide, with surprisingly healthy leaves. Even the elves do not recognize the trees. They have bright red berries. The area around them seems almost wholesome. Beyond that, they hear grunting, and sounds like large animals, though they don’t see them. The group moves cautiously forward towards the trees. The sounds are clearly from beyond the trees, and almost sound like groaning noises. Most of the group goes up to right near the trees, but Aleep hangs back a little. When they get very close to the trees, where there is a nice smell of cinnamon, they can hear the noises just south of the trees. They still can’t see anything in the swamp, though. The sound is loud and disturbing, like the sound of wounded elephants dragging themselves along the ground, occasionally punctuated by a groan of pain. Merreep looks carefully on the other side of the trees. There is a small strip of grass before the trees, a small strip of grass beyond the trees, and then a very corrupted looking swamp. There are three large masses, each green, throwing themselves towards the grassline, and then retreating back away from it. There seems to be an invisible barrier holding the strange green masses back. Merreep goes back to the rest of the group and describes what she saw. “That sounds sort of like the Shadow Line, but maintained by trees instead of by the Hastur.” “Why would trees keep out large green mounds? And how could they?” “If those trees are holy to the elven gods, perhaps they could.” “Trees can do that? Can they be holy?” “Aleep is a wizard, not a priestly type. But Aleep has heard legends of the great powerful trees in the great elven forests.” “If we try to cross it, would the same thing happen to us?” “Aleep would not think so. If it is like the Shadow Line, Aleep’s friends can cross without being harmed.” “Would we be able to return?” “As long as Aleep’s friends are not corrupted. If they cross the Shadow Line, and then become corrupted, and then attempt to cross back, bad things would happen.” “What do we think the green mounds are, anyway?” “They could be minor oblexes. They don’t seem very intelligent.” Aleep comments. Behind them, a figure rises out of the grasses. It looks elf-like in shape, but is made of peat and bark and the like. She greets them. “Who are you?” “I am a construct of the lothlorien that still try to survive here. They are not mobile. I am.” “What would your thoughts be on our expanding the trees? How would we do that?” “You are kind to ask. Bring a great elf-lord, or nuts of a lothlorien tree, and it will grow and expand. I know that it is not as a lothlorien tree ought to be, but it is a struggle. And we have no pollinators, and thus our berries are sterile. We will never allow Banahog and her servants to triumph.” “Who is this Banahog?” “Mistress of the Abominable Swamp beyond for some distance. We don’t know how much distance. I am the only one who is mobile, and the trees do not wish to risk me. Those three are her servants.” “What are they?” “We think they are some type of demon. We are not a wood of wide experience.” “What if we just killed them?” asks Runor. “We might be able to.” “You could do that? We would appreciate it. We might be able to grow more leaves. But they do regenerate, even from the spark of life. I think fire would stop them from regenerating.” Merreep steps to a location where she can be seen from the other side and calls out. “What are you doing?” All three rear up out of the swamp, 8 or 10 feet tall, and seem to regard her. They have no eyes, no mouths, and no apparent organs. But they do stop. While they are focused on Merreep, Runor strolls up and smacks one with his hammer. He really drives the hammer in, doing 15 points of damage. Runor notices that the goop that was the monster spilled down his hammer, but he avoids getting it on his hands. The goop makes pits in both the metal of the hammer and the wood of the lower shaft. Aleep responds by casting fireball, positioning it so that it catches most of their mass but does not come within 5 feet of the grass verge of the trees. He does 32 points of damage, although one avoids much of the blast. Ulgorio slides forward and drives his rapier in with a critical, doing 16 points of damage. He avoids any splash, but the metal does pit. Bartix slashes it with his longsword, doing 8 points of damage. It shudders, and falls into a heap, slowly sliding back into the swamp. Merreep shoots one of the creatures with her bow, hitting twice and sinking two shafts deep into the creature. Merreep shoots it twice more, and it makes that horrible howling noise again. One of the creatures slams towards Runor, missing and slamming into the ground next to him. The badly wounded one tries to hit Ulgorio. It slams into him, and he has to make a Constitution save, but gets a 0. He takes 9 damage from the impact, and 7 points of acid damage. He can clearly hear, through the air, “Blight! Blight! Blight the Light!” The other is calling “Banahog! Banahog!” Neither is speaking aloud in any language he knows, but he can still understand what they are saying. Aleep casts another fireball, doing 26 damage. Ashaltir smites the last remaining one as it begins slumping away into the swamp. Runor casts a guardian of faith, which blasts the last one as it tries to flee. It howls, and then disintegrates into the swamp, with a strange green sulpherous light. “You did it! We will have a respite, and we can likely expand by a few inches before they send more. Beware of the undead ram. It is half as tall as a tree, and made of smaller rams that are also dead but moving. You’re the first mobiles I’ve seen in many years, since that unfortunate woman.” (They have made an enemy of Banahog.) They head into the Palood proper. [cont'd] [/QUOTE]
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Aphonion Tales: Ravenskrag and the Shadowline, a preteen D&D game (lightly edited notes, COMPLETED on 1/20/23)
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