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Message: <blockquote data-quote="THEMNGMNT" data-source="post: 8796206" data-attributes="member: 6809274">37th session of Monte Cook's 3E Banewarrens campaign run with Shadow of the Demon Lord on Owlbear Rodeo.Five player characters at Level 7:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Dwarf Executioner/Berserker/Warrior. He seeks the Axehammer of the Lost Clan, rumored to be in the Banewarrens.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Elf Librarian/Wizard/Magician. Outcast from elven lands, raised in Ptolus, keeper of a dark secret. His magical traditions are Arcana, Teleportation, Chaos, and Fey.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Goblin Pyromancer/Oracle/Magician. Responsible for the destruction of his tribe. Specialized in the Fire and Forbidden magic traditions, with a dose of Divination.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Changeling Dervish/Spellbinder/Rogue. Created by House Vladaam to replace a child they kidnapped and held in servitude. Naturally, she wants revenge. Two weapon fighter with the Battle tradition.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Human Defender/Paladin/Priest. Cleric of Lothian, the primary god of Ptolus. His magical traditions are Life, Theurgy, and Battle. His wife was murdered by undead and now he seeks answers.</li> </ul>The characters are in the Inner Vaults of the Banewarrens. They were pursuing mysterious looters who had stolen the Axehammer from the tomb of the Lord of the Lost Clan. But in the last session a massive explosion had rocked the Inner Vaults. So which way to go? The goblin oracle decided to consult the gods using the spell Augur. They told him to check out the explosion. (Meanwhile, I as the DM told the players that I was not railroading them and they were free to do anything they wanted.)Heading south, the characters moved through a secret passage that lead to an ancient torture chamber. Inside was empty except for a single captive -- a minotaur from the Pactlord expedition. The elf magician used a spell to charm the minotaur. It revealed the torture chamber was ruled by an undead called Vellacor, who had allied with the necromantic death cult (one of the factions the characters are fighting). The characters debated whether or not to kill the minotaur, but ultimately decided to free him and leave his fate to the gods.Continuing on, they entered the area that had been devastated by the explosion. (As the encounter unfolded, the players were able to deduce that the explosion had been caused by a Pactlord futzing with a bane.) This area had once been multiple interconnected rooms and corridors, but was now a huge crater. A strange magical aurora filled the area. Investigating was the undead torturer Vellacor (I made him a boneclaw because I love those things), two human necromancers, and a few skeletons.The characters got the jump on their foes. However, they soon learned that any magic cast within the aurora created a dimensional rift to Hell. Yeah. Hell. Within a single round three demons had slipped through the rifts -- each one bigger and stronger than the last. The players quickly rejiggered their tactics. Unfortunately, as a party they favor magic, so this hampered their efforts. Fortunately, the demons did not distinguish between the characters or their enemies. This was a surprisingly fun three way fight with magical terrain that really gave the encounter a distinct flavor.We ended the session with the demons destroyed, most of the undead slain, and Vellacor about to hurl the wounded dwarf berserker into the crater...Next session: Into the Pit!</blockquote>

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