Clearwater Crusaders - City of the Spider Queen (Updated 17th June)

[Eccles]

It's probably worth explaining what happened in the drug-addled update above.

As you've worked out, Jason went to hit the nearest Umber Hulk, and was instantly confused by it. In his confusion, he decided to smash apart the nearest thing, which did for that hulk. He then moved dangerously close to both Yvgeny and another hulk, before his senses returned to him.

Finding himself standing next to a stunned (Yvgeny's Stunning Blow DC can rise up to about 28!), wounded Umber Hulk, he did the sensible thing, and destroyed it. Although he did get confused a bit more in the process.

Meanwhile, the fight with the other two was going on nicely. Miles was flanked, but as soon as Yvgeny left to flank one of them, then Sneak Attack dice meant it wasn't long for the world. The other one was just a matter of attrition.

Jason's next couple of actions were 'do nothing' ("I sit on the nearest thing", "What, the Umber Hulk?" "Yeah. I'll sit on that"). He remained dazed and confused, before leaping up and charging the nearest ally, the very unfortunate Halbrinn.

Halbrinn is not built to take damage, and fell down immediately.

Jason was then Held, and caught in a Resilient Sphere for the rest of the fight, whilst the confusion wore off.

---

Oh, and if I get around to doing the dialogue, it may help make sense later on if you understand that the Clearwater Crusaders have diagnosed the "Great Revenance" as being the negative plane effects on the magic around them.

This is likely to be addressed in a couple of updates time.

 

[Jeremy]

There! All caught up. Heh. Number of comments, I'll add --'s in front of them to seperate my thoughts from the words that spawned them.

Leaving Miles, fast asleep, on his own, in the Underdark.
--Damn. Harsh.

Despite inflicting further horrendous injuries, this barrage of blows and spells was too much, and his broken body fell to the ground, covered in gore and mushrooms.
--Ah phooey! What happened to Deathless Frenzy? Or did it take that many rounds to drop him?

"Oh, he'll catch up. After he's woken up, anyway."
--Sure. Or after he's animated.

"You ba***rds".
--Indeed. I might have snuck up on the party whilst they slept, gagged and kidnapped one, and placed him in an usafe cave to wake up alone. 'Halbrinn? Nope. Haven't seen him. Gone when I caught up.'

...but failing to touch the majority, whose reactions were near-superhuman in speed.
{DM's note - how boring is it when 5 out of the 7 members of the group have evasion?}
--Not boring at all! Incoming! Everyone dodges, backflips, dives aside, in an almost anime burst of movement then returns fire. It's very cinematic. Besides, what's the fun of having a high level party if you can't do super hero stunts?

Rand, his cohort, and Aeron were left inside the blazing wall. Aeron began to cast his preparatory 'suite' of combat spells, prompting Rand to shout at him to do something else.
--Sounds like Aeron needs to either invest in some spell phylacteries, get a metamagic rod of persistant spell, or get him a cohort that is a really good advance scout so that instead of getting ambushed thrice daily, they can have advanced knowledge of what's coming up and buff BEFORE half the party is being thrashed. ;D (As well as some serious ranks in Spellcraft. Shame on you!)

'impetuous bloody psychopaths spoiling our aim'
--Hah. Yeah. Move! WE want to kill the buggers!

Aeron, the party's cleric (and wannabe Divine Oracle, although he certainly hadn't seen this one coming) caste Haste and then, to the others' disgust, moved 20 feet into the cavern despite their exhortations that he should ignore his usual panoply of spells and just "get stuck in".
--You'd think he'd predict and prebuff.. He fights less like an oracle and more like a warpriest. And a follower of Tempus at that! Shouldn't Mystran clerics use the occasional spell? Or at least group buff instead of solo.

...slashed straight through Rand's already battered body, dropping him to the floor in two separate pieces.
Aeron continued casting spells on himself... the surviving group members was screaming at him to step into the combat, or to heal the poor duellist, who was at that very moment spilling the last of his life's blood onto the cavern floor. He choked, coughed, and was still.
--Uh. Way to go. At least he wasn't sitting in his room praying this time. Egads man.

Miles heard a strange sucking, slurping noise coming from the sorceror's head.
Turning the body over (it had been face down to allow Miles to remove Rand's cloak), he was horrified to see that Rand's left eye was protruding slightly from the socket on a short stalk.
--OW! Hey! I can see in the dark now! And that doesn't worry you? Nah!

Later, Miles showed him the collection of items which they party was carrying around, and Jason was allowed to help himself to a superb suit of Fortified Full Plate, as well as a handful of other magical weapons, boots and rings.
--Ah yes. The fun problem of a PC dying somewhere but the party still having his gear. Instant economy surplus as a new PC shows up fully loaded but the old PC's stuff is still there.

But Yvgeny was interrupted as the earth beneath him burst upwards, and an enormous mandibled creature smashed through the floor of their cavern, slashing out at him with tremendous claws.
--Good lord. These people need the magnificent mansion spell so bad it hurts. I've lost count of the number of melee range ambushes.

 

[Eccles]

After it had become clear that nothing was going to investigate the tremendous pounding from the cave entrance, Halbrinn flew a little deeper into the cavern, marvelling at the size of it, and staring around over the mushroom fields at the burning, ruined city beyond.

He could see huge buildings which were still intact, and other obvious sources of magic around him. His gaze fell, however, on a tall castle in the distance, lit only by the fires around it.

Then he saw them.

Stood in the mushroom field, obvious from some distance but for the darkness around them, stood several ogres, totally still, around the tall form of a giant. As he closed, Halbrinn noticed a large number of goblins in the mushrooms around them. Then his breath was taken away by the realisation that the giant was dead. It did not breathe, or move a muscle other than its neck, which turned this way and that, scanning the mushroom fields for signs of movement. Arrayed around it, the undead forms of goblins and ogres awaited a foe they could attack.

As he flew back to the others, Halbrinn finally noticed that a handful of the goblins were still alive, squabbling amongst themselves; a pocket of nervous energy amongst the still, watchful dead.

Muttering to himself, Halbrinn made a decision. A huge ball of fire blossomed on top of the giant, damaging the ogres, and flinging the shattered bodies of goblins in every direction. The giant looked up, and the whole group moved forwards, blindly following Halbrinn.

---

Upon hearing the news that an undead giant was about to attack them, the others formulated their plan immediately. Jason hefted his hammer, content to let the zombies come to him. The others attacked, charging the zombies, and being smashed by heavy blows as they ran towards them.

"No!" shouted Jason as he watched his comrades run towards the foe. "Let them come to us!"

It was to no avail, as Miles and Aeron found themselves in hot water. The undead ogres were tremendously strong, whilst the giant's strength was truly titanic. Aided in their attacks by the goblins, which hung onto the heroes legs, slowing them down, or smacked the zombies shouting "left, he's on your left!", the ogres' attacks were far more accurate than was expected. Aeron took tremendous damage, and Miles only fared a little better owing to his tremendous speed.

Halbrinn's spells blasted zombies and wounded the ogres, and Jason began to move up slowly, impeded by his heavy armour.

Miles layed about him, killing goblins with every stroke, whilst Aeron's heavily enchanted mace damaged, but failed to disrupt the undead.

It came down to blows. When Jason entered the fray, things became easier, but the heroes were hard pressed to finally fell the giant, after the fire-blasted ogres had all been dispatched.

Yvgeny swooped and dived, making the most of his new magical cloak. He flapped down, grabbing up one of the living goblins, and stunning it before knocking it unconscious and dropping it on the floor. A second, undead, goblin was snatched up, and he then wielded it, screaming and flailing, as a weapon. Clutching the undead goblin by the leg, he flew in and smashed it against the head of the undead giant. The goblin smashed to rotten bloody pieces, showering those below with putrid flesh. The giant didn't reach much.

Finally, Jason finished it; smashing its armour with one blow from his hammer, before caving in its chest and head with the following attacks. The thing lay dead, and the attentions of the Clearwater Crusaders turned to the unconscious goblin…

 

[Jeremy]

Hoo boy. You guys have needed a tank for so long. Jason appears to be doing quite well. Now if the rest would heed his tactical advice.

I wonder, did Halbrinn report back first so Aeron could buff and everyone could lob spells until the first wave smashed itself on Aeron and Jason or was it more, fireball the mob, piss them off and lead them screaming down the rest of the party's throat?

 

[Eccles]

I wonder, did Halbrinn report back first so Aeron could buff and everyone could lob spells until the first wave smashed itself on Aeron and Jason or was it more, fireball the mob, piss them off and lead them screaming down the rest of the party's throat?

Definitely the second option.

Although leading a party of zombies on a 300 yard dash meant that Aeron had stacks of time to prepare. Which he doesn't often get in the Underdark.

More play last friday, which led to a handful more divinations from the Divine Oracle, who might finally be allowed access to some of his special abilities shortly!

 

[Eccles]

They slapped the goblin. It had no effect on its deeply unconscious form. Still amidst the bodies of the fallen zombies, in the middle of a colossal field of mushrooms, they finally decided to create water over the creature's head. It awoke, gasping and spluttering. Then it saw the party, screamed, and nearly fainted again.

"Will you shut up?!" Miles' sword was drawn almost instantly, and placed along the bound goblin's neck.

"Eeep," whispered the goblin, staring down the 18 inches of razor sharp steel. "Kobold be good. Kobold be quiet. Kobold sorry."

"Kobold?" asked almost everybody, staring at the goblin in incredulity.

The goblin shook his head, lips firmly pressed together, eyes still crossed to focus on the glowing blade before him. He could have sworn it was muttering something to him, but he couldn't understand what any of the outlanders were saying. Silent tears began to roll down his face as he began trembling.

"Stop moving!" bellowed Miles at the creature in goblinoid. "And tell me what you're talking about. Kobold indeed."

"Kobold is Kobold's name, great Lord. Please let Kobold go. Kobold be good."

Miles flicked his sword at Halbrinn's gnomish figure. "He'd say the only good kobold was a dead kobold."

The goblin shrieked again, and then began jabbering. "Kobold not kobold. Kobold goblin. Kobold not be good. Kobold sorry. Please not kill Kobold. Kobold help carry your filth?"

The incredible offer hung in the air, whilst the goblin whimpered, totally confused by his need not to be seen as being good. The sword terrified him.

The Crusaders stared at one another, and had a short discussion in common.

"Kill it," was Miles' instant suggestion.
"Not fair. Untie it and let it go," replied Yvgeny.
"Untie it?" Miles seemed outraged. "Leave it tied up with some water."
The group stared at him in silence. Kobold the goblin jabbered in his his own language in the background, seemingly determined not to be seen as being "good".

"Miles," said Halbrinn exhasperatedly. "That would kill it".
"Yep." Miles seemed pleased with his logic. "I tell you what. You all go away, and I'll deal with the goblin."
"You mean you'll kill it."
"Yes. Is that a problem?"
"YES!"
"It's never been a problem before. I mean; you turn your backs, and I remove the problem."
"Miles," Halbrinn explained. "First of all, that's never happened before and you know it. Secondly, it's just…" He waved his hands in the direction of the creature, trying to get across the right signals for 'tiny inoffensive harmless goblin'.
"Yeah. It's a goblin. So we should kill it."
"It's cure. Could we keep it as a pet?"
"Shut up Aeron," both Miles and Halbrinn said, without even looking around.

Halbrinn glanced at his companions, saw indifference on the face Jason, no actual help coming from any other quarters, and gave up.

"Perhaps if we just questioned it at let it go?"
"Question it? Excellent idea." Miles finally agreed with his comrade.

The blade darted back to the goblin's neck. Bound tightly, he shrank away, as a terrible penetrating stench surrounded them all.

"OK. I don't want it as a pet any more," announced Aeron.

Screeching and jabbering, the goblin explained to them firstly that Kobold was the name traditionally given to the runt of a goblin litter. Their second question, "Why were you serving the undead?" was met with the scornful look of a goblin down on its luck.

"Because they catch Kobold. Why else kobold help smelly undead? Kobold free, then drow catch Kobold. Then Kobold carry filth for drow. Then Kobold catched by Dread Lord, and Kobold carry filth for, until Kobold catched by undeads, and Kobold carry filth for them. Now Kobold catched by you. Where you want filth?"

"Hold on there, little stinky britches. What was that about a "Dread Lord?"

"Kobold proud to carry Dread Lord filth. Dread Lord smash up drow. Squish, squish, squish. Kobold like it when drow go squish. Dread Lord attack city, overthrow all drow, and all goblins and hobgoblins, and orcs, and ogres, and mephits, and creepers, and rocks, and plants, and mushrooms all turn on drow and all go squish! Squish! Squish!"

"So you served the Dread Lord? What did he look like? Big? Horns? Flames? Wings?" Miles demanded of the pitiful wretch.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes! And if he see you mistreat kobold, you all go squish squish too!" Wide goblin eyes stared around at the group.

"Nonsense. Nothing's going to squish us. Now tell us more about this Dread Lord."

"Kobold know nothing much. Kobold only saw Dread Lord once, squishing drow. Squish Squish. He mighty powerful and rules where no drow go. He has ogres and giants and an 'nellyphant."

"An elephant?"
"Yeah, an nellyphant".
"Anything else?"
"Not that kobold know of…"

Miles abruptly stabbed the goblin. The pitiful naked wretch quivered, and his legs shook, then all was still.

"Well that's all that goblin's going to tell us," announced Miles smugly to the rest of the group.

 

[Eccles]

After staring at Miles for a while, and Aeron deciding that the pet-killer wasn't going to get any healing for the time being, the group started making plans.

That lasted for several minutes, and got them nowhere, before Halbrinn decided to take things into his own tiny pixie-sized hands.

He took wing, and buzzed out into the cavern, looking at the buildings silhouetted in the tiny fires.

Pretty swiftly, he became fixated upon a large castle-like structure to one side of the cavern. Composed of two massive stalagmites and dotted with windows, the huge building was completely intact, and towered into the roof of the cavern.

He flew back to the others.

"I think I've found our target. Let's go," he squeaked in his tiny pixie voice.

Fly spells were cast. Stedd was stuffed into a large portable hole that someone happened to be carrying. Others in the party sprouted wings from their shoulders, from their cloaks, or even from their boots. Suitably equipped, the group took to the stale air of the cavern, soaring over their enemies, and gliding through banks of smoke towards the castle.

"There," announced Halbrinn. "I say we smash a hole in the top, and go in that way."

"Fine by me," replied Jason. Swinging his axe around, he connected once, and a massive hole was smashed into the ceiling of one corridor connecting the two stalagmites. Turning, he dived at the hole…

And bounced off an invisible wall between himself and the inside.

Aeron and Halbrinn examined the effect, whilst Miles muttered about "Deus ex Machinae" and the like. Eventually, Halbrinn announced that they could easily get it, but only if they knew the password.

At that, there was a terrible screech. Abruptly, a demonic form materialised in their midst, and then plummeted out of sight away from them. Clearly it had a good look at them whilst doing so, as they had at it. A vrock. And judging by the sounds, there were others in the smoke around them.

"Fly, you fools!"

They flew, hurtling over the cavern back to their concealed base in the mushroom fields.

 

[Eccles]

The next morning, the group debated their options. Determined that the 'Dread Lord' was some sort of demon, but probably not involved directly with the castle, they decided to put that to one side.

Miles surprised nobody by suggesting that they ambush a group of drow, and slaughter them all, torturing the last for the knowledge.

Nobody was particularly taken by the idea.

Yvgeny suggested a stealthier option. The possibility of creeping up on the castle, and listening to someone as they used the password to get out was his suggestion, and it was unanimously accepted. Unanimous except for Miles, who was appointed to actually do the sneaking.

He agreed, however, and fortified with magics and with spells of changing and stealth in his mind, he set out on his way.

---

Entering the city was no problem, made child's play for the assassin by the use of an invisibility spell, which meant that he could creep right across the cavern to the castle, and past the line of huge zombies which were posted a hundred feet from the castle walls.

Examining the outside of the imposing building, he clung against the walls, waiting for someone to show up and give him the password.

He was to have no success, despite a nerve-wracking three hour wait, nobody either left or entered the castle.

Eventually, Miles decided to sneak back out. In doing so, however, he was heard by one of the drow who was organising the picquets around the castle. Almost immediately, half a dozen of the tremendous zombie giants were set to looking for him.

They never had a chance of finding the stealthy assassin, who crept in a different direction through the rest of the city. He passed one large bowl-like indentation in the ground, lined with glass and filled with small rounded lumps of pitted bone. A broken metre-long glass rod stood to one side.

Further into the city, the stench and buzzing of flies led him to the edge of a massive pit, fully 30 feet wide. Nearly full to the top with crawling maggots, which writhed and undulated over one another.

Miles continued to explore through the fallen city, sneaking carefully from the undead, he checked another plateau of fallen noble buildings, finding signs that giants had camped there, but were there no longer.

He was intrigued by one building, with a ring of lights around the still-standing doorway, but a huge crater just inside the outer walls.

Frustrated by his lack of success at getting the password, he left.

 

[Eccles]

Back at camp, Aeron began to get itchy feet. After some persuasion from his comrades, he began to feel that there was something more that he could do towards the 'war effort'.

Bending his thoughts towards the great Demon in the city, Aeron cast his mind out to Mystra, imploring her for aid and information relating to the creature they thought to be the "Dread Lord".

His vision went thus:

---

Enormous wings crack as the huge flame-wreathed figure soars over the burning city.

Most of the time he is wreathed in smoke, but beneath him, the minions and undead scurry away from him in fear and terror.

His portly belly rumbles, and he dives towards the dark ground, flames and broken buildings rushing beneath him.

A whip cracks, and a goblin is snared, and still the firey demon hurtles on, tearing the head off the goblin with his teeth as he continues his flight.

Another foe flies up on magical wings, and with a glare, the demon stares at it. Wailing, the drow spellcaster disappears into nothingness.

Soaring onwards, the massive demon flies into the window of a massive building. He lands on a long bench and bows.

“My Lord.”

The vision fades…

 

[Eccles]

That last vision was made using a variant of a spell of Piratecat's (for which I am much obliged). The original is called vision cascade, and gives many more visions; but it's really ideal for an NPC. This one is lower level, and means I don't have to do quite as much preparatory work. 2 of the 3 visions he did that evening were done at the table.

I usually type these on my laptop, record them onto a Flash RAM chip and throw them to the player in question, whose flat we play at; he's sat next to a PC as well. That way I don't have to worry about paper!

---

Holy Communion
Divination
Level: Div 4
Components: V, S, DF, XP
Casting Time: 10 Minutes
Range: Personal
Target: The Caster
Duration: Variable

Holy Communion allows the caster to focus on a person or issue confronting him, and then cast his enquiry in very general terms directly to the deity itself. An oracular vision will generally occur at any point in the following 24 hour period (as dictated by the DM) although usually they come almost directly after the casting of the spell. These visions may relate events that vary from seconds to minutes in length.

The caster has no method for determining exactly what is viewed by the spell, although upon casting he can choose one target creature or event. There is a chance that this target creature or event is definitely included in that oracular vision. This spell works in spite of most scrying preventions, but is thwarted by mind blank and more powerful spells. Subjects shown by the oracular visions have no way to detect the spell’s observation, as there is no scrying sensor to detect.

Note: This spell is primarily used in campaigns where the DM wishes an in-game method to impart information via “cut scenes.” The player is encouraged to occasionally remind the DM that the spell is active if no vision has occurred on any particular day.

XP Cost: 30 XP