Redbadge's Campaign (there will be spoilers)

[Isklexi]

I don't mind the icon stopping the lesser wraiths. That makes the item seem cooler, and it only works for this specific encounter. I ruled against it working on the vestiges, so they can't just stroll to the front of the train. I'll probably rule against using it on the boss too.

 

[Isklexi]

The constables made quick work of the remaining vestiges and raced atop the cargo cars towards the engine. Before the group could reach the engine and the lantern, a wraith far stronger than the previous ones blocked their way at on the fuel car. The constables immediately moved to vanquish the monster before their time ran out.

Doran and Kirk quickly moved to surround the creature as it tried to barrel them off the sides of the train. The two managed to avoid falling from the train, but Rai was not as fortunate when he charged into the fray. Irony and Bellicose provided support from afar. Irony used her limited skill at radiant magic to render the wraith vulnerable with searing light. The wraith managed to fling Doran from the train before Kirk managed to vanquish it with his lightning infused rapier.

Irony and Kirk dashed the final length to the top of the engine where Kirk smashed the lantern at Irony's behest. The constables awoke to find themselves back in their suite on the train with some of them being the worse for wear.

GM: The time limit for the encounter was very generous. My party completed the encounter in fewer than 30 rounds. Of course, they were able to avert all of the lesser wraith encounters on the way. In hindsight, I probably should have halved the time limit from 10 minutes to 5 since I knew going in about the icon. Hopefully we can get a regular session going now that the holidays are over.

 

[Isklexi]

GM: Blast, I completely forgot to update this thread after our last two sessions. Hopefully I don’t forget too much in this late post.

The constables collected their wits quickly and realized that the train had already pulled into the station. They could see Ottavia, Luc, and Bree through the window of their suite entering the carriage rental yard. Irony cast her vengeful gaze upon Luc to ensure they could follow their quarry before they dashed out onto the station platform.

They drew a few curious glances as they sprinted across the platform to the carriage desk. They were too late to stop the conspirators who escaped in a finely decorated carriage, but they were able to learn their destination from the manager. The conspirators were heading to the Isle of Odiem.

The island has a dark reputation as an accursed place that is avoided by the locals, especially at night. Rai recalled from his studies at the academy that Odiem was actually the site of an ancient vault. Vaults like the one at Odiem were used by the Clergy centuries ago to store relics and items deemed heretical or dangerous by the Clergy Hierarchs in the aftermath of the Demonocracy’s fall.

The constables followed their quarry to the docks where they were able to acquire a small boat thanks to a contact they had arranged for back in Flint. While their contact declined to join them, they pressed on towards the forbidding island. The group landed on the rust stained shores of the island as Vona sat low upon the horizon. They quickly made for the sole structure on the island, an ancient and decrepit lighthouse.

GM: That’s all for now. I’ll get back for the rest of it as soon as I can.

 

[Isklexi]

Part 2: Odiem

Ottavia addressed the constables from atop the tower. Irony realized they had been deceived when she noticed her Vengeful Gaze of the Goddess power had refocused to Ottavia instead of Luc. Ottavia had lured them to the island using an illusion while Luc and Bree remained behind on the train. The oracle claimed to be working for a just cause that would help save the world from itself and shelter the weak. She urged the constables to abandon their pursuit of the conspiracy.

GM: Irony’s player specifically put her mark on the illusion of Luc. I didn’t think an illusion would make a valid target for that ability, but the game mechanics didn’t really specify this situation. I decided to have the mark jump to the originator of the illusion (Ottavia). That seemed the most practical to me, and it allowed for the dramatic confrontation on Odiem.

When the constables refused to back down, Ottavia started a magically compelling sermon to captivate them until the sun set. Ottavia’s plan succeeded and the group was trapped on the island as the night heralded the rise of the cursed dead of Odiem. Once the party shook off her magical sermon, Ottavia resorted to bombarding them with searing blasts of light. Kirk and Doran quickly clambered up the walls of the lighthouse and gained entry to the bottom floor through the missing roof. They unbarred the front doors for the others. Irony and Rai moved into the building while Bellicose lagged behind trading shots with Ottavia. Once Bellicose was inside, they closed and barred the doors to deter the approaching horde of undead.

The constables scrambled up the broken lighthouse tower while Ottavia continued her assault. Ottavia was defiant to the last, but the fight ended quickly once the constables finally reached her. The constables decided to try and Take Ottavia alive after knocking her unconscious. To get her down from the top of the ruined lighthouse, the party had to lash the unconscious priestess to a ladder with some of their rope and lower her down to each floor using additional rope.

GM: Is there anything you can’t prepare for with enough extra-dimensional storage space?

Upon reaching the ground floor, the constables realized it would only be a matter of time before the undead began to clamber atop each other and fall through the lighthouse ceiling. A strange disembodied voice urged the constables to enter lighthouse basement and the ancient vault below. The voice promised safety and a means of escaping the island.

Unsure how to proceed, Irony decided to contact Calaphax and see if he could offer a way off of the island. While the constables’ connection with the fiend allowed them to communicate over long distance, it didn’t provide a way for him to reach them instantly. Calaphax told Irony that he wouldn’t be able to reach the island until dawn. He also warned the constables that there was nothing for them within the vaults of Odiem. However, the constables were unwilling to risk losing their only lead on the conspiracy. In fact, Cal’s warning had the opposite effect. The group decided the vaults might be worth investigating if Calaphax didn’t want them to enter.

The constables found a defaced prayer chamber in the lighthouse basement along with a door. The ancient door had once been warded against entry, but the wards had long ago been destroyed or faded. Just inside the door, they found a metal bar formed from three swords melted together: a memento of past visitors to the island. They decided to bar the door using the melted swords and continued deeper.

It was quickly apparent that the ancient vault had not weathered the centuries well. Partially collapsed hallways, flooding, and smashed doors greeted them at every turn. The vault had once contained many things deemed by the Clergy hierarchs to be dangerous or heretical including fiends and monsters. However, the contents of the vault had apparently been plundered or released long ago. The only thing the constables were able to recover were two badly damaged partial texts from the vault’s ruined library.

The two texts were entitled “Malleus Maleficarum” and “Magnus Haeresis”. Both texts were written in Supernal: an ancient language supposedly spoken by Angels and used by the Clergy as an official language of the religion. The constables were curious about the damaged books and were in no hurry to meet the source of the strange voice, so Irony took the time to use the Comprehend Language ritual to decipher the tomes.

The first tome was translated to be “Hammer of Witches”: a manual meant to be used by inquisitors and god-hands of the Clergy for identifying dangerous cults and witchcraft. The tome was kept in a sealed archive because the descriptions in the book could aid in contacting fiends as well as hunting down their worshipers. What was left of the tome contained descriptions of several powerful demons and devils including an entry on Calaphax himself. The book condemned Cal as a corruptor of innocence and enemy to the church. It also divulged a handful of Calaphax’s titles including Soulcrafter, Father to the Damned, and Duke of Malbolge. The tome further warned inquisitors that, while the Soulcrafter has few followers, his champions are incredibly dangerous.

The second tome translated as “The Grand Heresy”. The text was apparently a piece of rejected scripture from a lesser sect of the Clergy that was condemned by the Orthodoxy. This text was in much worse condition than the first book, and Irony could only glean some information from it. The tome apparently claimed that the gods had abandoned Lanjyr in response to some crime perpetrated by men. With most of the book missing or ruined, there was little else Irony could learn. The book did contain an illuminated illustration that survived. The picture covered two adjoining pages and depicted 10 archangels along with their names and titles. Unfortunately, the ruined book no longer provided context for what the angels signified.

GM: I used the library in the vault to introduce some more breadcrumbs on the history of Calaphax and the world prior to 10,000 years ago. The “Hammer of Witches” is the name of a real world book that was used to identify “witches”. The real world book was complete nonsense, but I thought it would be appropriate for a world with actual sorcery to have an analog that was actually informative. The second book I made up myself, and I’m sure I used incorrect Latin grammar. Thankfully no one in my group has taken any Latin classes, so I should be safe there. In case anyone is interested, I’ll list the figures mentioned in both books starting with the fiends from the Malleus Maleficarum. Archdevils: Lord Bel, Archduke Dispater, Viscount Mammon, Archduke Belial, Prince Levistus, Lady Glasya, Archduke Baalzebul, Lord Mephistopheles, Overlord Asmodeus Devils: Calaphax the Soulcrafter, Loghrif the Deceiver, Dhanus the Betrayer, Fandaniel the Aegis of Order, Karka the Night Star, Tula the Arbiter, Kanya the Bloody Angel Demon Lords: Demogorgon, Graz’zt, Baphomet, Yeenoghu, Juiblex, Pazuzu, Dagon, Zuggtmoy, Kostchtchie Demons: Lahabrae the Abyssal Celebrant, Deudalephon the Wrathful, Nabriales the Corruptor, Kumbha the Dark Flood, Mitron the Chastiser Archangels: Ketreal the Light of Creation, Binahrius the Contemplative, Chokreal the Wise, Chesreal the Compassionate, Gevurius the Judge, Tifereal the Beatific, Netzarius the Victorious, Hodreal the Glorious, Yesorius the Pillar, Malkreal the Decisive I’m not the best at coming up with impressive sounding names, so I cobbled together names from various holy texts and video games. I think they came out fairly well.

After exploring the vaults, the constables came upon the final chamber. This chamber contained the only intact door in the entire complex. The door was quite impressive in size and possessed no visible handles or hinges. The only feature on the door was a hand shaped imprint ringed with runes. Rai and Irony determined that the door was enchanted to allow access to the central vault. Rather than risk building a hole in the vaults wards to allow entry, the Clergy priests had instead enchanted the door to create a temporary opening in the vaults wards by drawing on the life force of anyone attempting to enter. As the most robust officer, Rai volunteered to power the doors enchantment.

Once inside the vault, a deranged monk turned demonologist attacked the constables. The battle was frenetic but swift. The constables were left with little option but to continue into the heart of the central vault. At the back of the vault, the constables found a set of stairs leading downward with words inscribed into the marble floor before the stairs. The inscription appeared to be some kind of invocation or ward. Thankfully, Irony’s comprehend language ritual allowed her to read the inscription.”

For crimes against the heavens we seal thee Lady of the Forked Tongue
By our faith we abjure thee Last of the High Fiends
By our will be bound Seneschal of the Demonocracy
By the grace of Heaven do we spare thee Keeper of the Secret which mustn’t be Lost
To remain in darkness for all time we condemn thee Ashima-Shimtu

The team hesitated only momentarily before proceeding down the steps. Within the final vault they discovered a demon chained above an enormous font of holy water. The demon identified itself as Ashima-Shimtu and seemed to know something about the death of Srassama. The demon offered to transport them to any destination they desired but declined to answer any questions. They decided to take the fiend’s offer to travel to Vendricce ahead of the train. They also took advantage of the offer to transport the unconscious Ottavia to Flint with a instructions for any passerby to bring her to RHC headquarters.

GM: Well that was a wall of text, but like they said in the Great Muppet Caper, “it’s plot exposition darling; it has to go somewhere.” One of my players actually toyed with the idea of having Ashima send them to the Ob’s headquarters. I had to point out that, even if she knew where that was, they would arrive there without any idea of where they were or how to contact their allies. I decided to place that engraving before Ashima’s prison because I liked her various titles and thought it would be a neat way to slip them in. This also marks the second person they’ve tied up and teleported to the RHC’s doorstep. I’m sure Delft will greet them with mountains of paperwork when they get back home.

 

[Isklexi]

I have a question about the stat blocks for the Khalundurrin and the Roscommon if anyone knows the answer.

I noticed that the ship stat blocks in "Always on Time" are different from the stat blocks presented in "Admiral of the High Seas".

I was planning on trying to use that supplement in the campaign, but I'm not sure how the differences will influence the mechanics of the game. Will I need to make the naval combats more challenging to reflect the slight increase in strength of the ships?

I'm also thinking I may have to ask Bellicose's player to leave the campaign if he can't get a stable schedule soon. The long stretches between sessions are really disrupting any kind of tempo in the game.

 

[RangerWickett]

My advice is to use the material in AotHS. The naval combat is not something that needs to be incredibly finely tuned for balance, so some slight changes won't break things. But I think the newer stuff plays a bit better and is more flavorful and interesting.

 

[Isklexi]

Thanks for the clarification. I do think the blocks in "Admiral of the High Seas" are more flavorful and interesting.

 

[Isklexi]

GM: We're back. It looks like my absentee player's schedule will be stabilizing, so that will help get things back on pace. I've also got someone new interested in the campaign. If he joins up, I may have to tweak up the difficulty in the campaign a bit.

The constables awoke on the beach in Vendricce at dawn. They trudged into the city and purchased lodging at an inn to rest before the train arrived in the evening. Having dried out their belongings and recuperated, the group planned their next move. They decided to wait at the train yard for the train to arrive. When the Ob conspirators got off the train, Irony would use her divine magic to track them to wherever the meeting was to be held.

Their plan quickly fell by the wayside as passengers got off the train and no sign of Luc or Bree was seen. The constables followed the train after it left the station and watched as the cars were rearranged into a much smaller conveyance consisting of only the engine, fuel car, a first-class suite, and the first-class lounge.

Kirk and Bellicose quietly jumped onto the back of the train as it pulled out of the train yard. The others followed alongside the tracks using the trees and shrubs for cover. The two constables found the lounge to be empty and cautiously crept forward into the next car. They could make out faint voices in the car and decided to wait and see where the train went from there without risking discovery by wandering further into the train.

Shortly, the train stopped at a small private depot outside the city. Irony moved to an overpass above the train tracks while the other constables not on the train remained on a hill overlooking the depot. The group waited anxiously for something to happen. There was finally movement after the sun sank beneath the horizon. A woman walked out of the depot onto the platform and called out to Luc. From her vantage point, Irony recognized Lya Jierre, Danor's Minister of Outsiders.

Lya warmly welcomed her brother as he and Bree stepped off the train. Kirk and Bellicose eavesdropped from the back of the train and could hear Luc wonder aloud about where everyone else was. Lya produced a vial of strange oil and stated that the party was waiting inside. Bree explained the events of the past several days as the three entered the depot. Unwilling to risk directly following them in, Kirk climbed the backside of the depot and watched through a skylight while Bellicose crept around the front of the building.

GM: The adventure mentioned the building has windows, but the map doesn't have any apparent openings other than the doors. I decided to go with a skylight . This does limit the light that can escape from the building though

Inside the depot, Lya gave Luc the oil to place in his special lantern. Once lit, the lantern's light peeled away the darkness inside the building to reveal a group of people and rows of candelabras. The lantern had created a temporary pocket of space coterminous with the Bleak Gate. Kirk realized that once again the conspiracy was hiding itself within the realm of the dead. Kirk continued to watch as the other constables started to move in. Irony jumped down onto the trains roof and from there joined kirk at the skylight. Rai and Doran moved into position near the building's western entrance while Bellicose watched the southern exits.

Lya introduced the other conspirators at the meeting including a man smoking a cigarette she called Nicodemus the Gnostic. Lya went an to assure Luc that his invention would be used to change the world for the better. Nicodemus interrupted Lya with an admonishment about sharing too much and produced 3 amulets for them. He said they would need to wear the amulets when the lantern's light faded to be drawn fully onto the Bleak Gate. At this point Nicodemus exited through one of the south doors while the other conspirators mingled.

With the other constables in position, Kirk decided now as the time for action before their targets escaped into an other plane. Kirk crashed through the skylight landing next to Luc and deftly cut Luc's amulet loose with his rapier. Rai and Doran burst through the western door and relieved Bree and Lya of their amulets in a similar fashion. Bellicose shot the enigmatic gnostic and surreptitiously nicked his cigarettes (Bellicose's supply was ruined by seawater); Nicodemus cryptically told Bellicose they would meet again before he died and seemed to know the constable's name. Irony supplied supportive magic from her vantage on the roof.

The constables came under a withering magical assault from unseen assailants on the Bleak Gate. Thinking quickly, Kirk threw a sack over the lantern, immediately shunting most of their foes back to the Bleak Gate. Lya rallied soon after and told Luc to run while she moved to engage Kirk. Bree intercepted Doran while Luc ran to a nearby room for safety. So far, it seems the constables have gained the upper hand, but things could always take an unexpected turn for the worse.

GM: The players moved quickly to cut off reinforcements from the Bleak Gate. When we pick back up, there will probably be some back and forth over the lantern. I'll also set off some alarms to give them a sense of urgency before more conventional reinforcements arrive.

 

[Isklexi]

Always on Time Finish

Lya quickly moved to cut the sack off of the lantern while Bree engaged Doran and Bellicose. Kirk ducked back and forth around corners causing the Bleak Gate assailants to blink in and out of the real world while Rai tried to keep Lya off of him. Things escalated quickly as alarms began to sound from the barracks to the south.

GM: Later on I realized I missed a bit of text stating that the lantern's power is not blocked by walls, but I think having the effect tied directly to the light the lantern cast made for an interesting mechanic in the fight. If it comes up later in the campaign, I'll just say that the scaled up versions of the lantern are powerful enough to ignore intervening barriers.

Rai conjured a magical duplicate of himself to stymie Lya while he kept Bree from coming to Lya's aid. During the chaos, Irony started to use mage hand to snatch the fallen amulets, but Bree managed to toss the last one to Luc. Luc then quickly ducked into and out of the lantern's light escaping into the Bleak Gate.

The battle became more frantic as soldiers started to mobilize from the southern barracks. The constables needed to wrap this battle up quickly. Lya managed to disarm (literally) Rai's duplicate before she was overpowered by Kirk and Rai, fleeing into the Bleak Gate. The group decided to get out with what they could before the Vendricce military got there. The constables fled the scene leaving Rai's wounded clone behind to hold off Bree. Irony slipped the amulets into her bag of holding to prevent any accidental one-way trips into the Bleak Gate.

The constables fled toward the city as the guards opened fire (they didn't stop running when the guards told them to). They split up to get through the city. Kirk and Bellicose stealthily avoided notice while Rai used his hat of disguise and Doran clambered across rooftops. They managed to reach the docks without incident, but they soon realized Irony was missing.

Not possessing the same skill at stealth or parkour, Irony had attempted to bluff her way past guards by acting nonchalant. While she was able to get into the city this way, the guards became more suspicious of outsiders as the alarm spread. Irony's fey heritage became a liability as the normal citizenry emptied from the streets rapidly. Her luck ran out when she encountered a road block stopping anyone that looked foreign. Irony wasn't the only person stopped by the checkpoint; the two minotaurs from Ber were also being detained.

Through a combination of fast-talking, magical charms, and Shakul claiming she arrived in town with them, Irony managed to convince the guards she wasn't a part of whatever had set off the alarms. While the guards didn't arrest them, they were still detained until the alarm had passed. Irony had to use the Messenger Wind to tell the others to go on without her. Irony would have to make her own way home.

The constables reluctantly left their compatriot behind. They had to quickly make way from the harbor before the Crisillyiri navy could seal the port. They then made the voyage home without further incident. Irony was forced to stay with Shakul and Asteron for several days before security in the city relaxed enough for her to use a portal ritual to return to Flint. The two Ber officers had to stay with the shipment they were escorting, and the harbor was still closed.

Once everyone was back in Flint, they debriefed Delft on what had happened, and the chief inspector turned to the task of dealing with the paperwork and bureaucracy left in the wake of the mission.

GM: We've started up the next adventure, and we have a new player joining our campaign. I'll hold off on posting the newer stuff until we have the new guy's story hammered out and smooth out some of the loose ends that need tying up in between this adventure and Cauldronborn.

 

[Isklexi]

Cauldronborn Prologue

In the few months following their railroad adventure, the constables followed up on a few loose ends. Irony went to Calaphax to demand answers about the Order of the Endless Vigil and being his so called champions. Cal's answers were evasive and cryptic. He insisted that he and the order merely wanted to help the world and its inhabitants reach their full potential. When asked why he cared about this world so much, he cryptically responded, "because I always have." Frustrated by the devil's evasiveness, the group followed up on another investigation.

Xambria suggested they take the ancient tome fragments they found on Odiem to Professor Danton, Pardwight University's leading Theological scholar. When they arrived at his office, the constables discovered that the professor was away on sabbatical visiting libraries in Crisillyir. They were able to talk with his student though, a Hobgoblin named Enrique Abbadelli. At first Enrique was suspicious of why the constables had such rare book fragments, but Kirk's skilled deception covered up where they actually found the tomes. Irony also had to make use of her silver tongue as the scholar was concerned that dealing with these forbidden books could see him barred from Clergy libraries (career suicide for a budding theological scholar). Enrique confirmed that the books were authentic and some background behind them.

The "Malleus Maleficarum" is an encyclopedia on occult magic. It is used to train Clergy godhands in detecting and countering witchcraft and demonology. The book is considered controlled contraband by the church because the information contained within could be used to perform profane rituals just as easily as counter them. When asked about Calaphax in particular, Enrique revealed an interesting bit of occult knowledge: all fiendish cults contact intermediaries rather than the big name demons and devils themselves. These lesser (but still quite powerful) fiends act as middlemen between cultists and big name bad guys like Dispater, Pazuzu, and Baphomet. Calaphax is the most powerful fiend to directly answer mortal supplicants. Unlike other cases though, Calaphax never forms cults; he only deals on an individual basis.

The "Magnus Haeresis" is an abandoned piece of Clergy scripture. Following the fall of the Demonocracy and the ascension of Triegennes, the Clergy Hierarchy decided to compile and edit a single approved dogma to be used throughout the new Holy Clericist Empire. This scripture was excised and declared anathema as counter to the core teachings of the Clergy. According to this abandoned scripture, life on Lanjyr was originally shepherded by 10 guardian archangels that guided and protected the mortal races, but the gods and angels abandoned Lanjyr in response to some unnamed crime. The abandonment theme was the reason this scripture was excised.

Enrique mentioned they may be interested in a new discovery in the archaeology department. It apparently was causing a stir amongst theologians. When they went to see for themselves, the constables found what appeared to be roughly a dozen crude statues formed from matte gray stone in various states of disrepair. The archaeologists were all too happy to talk about them. The life-size figures had been discovered at a dig on the eastern side of the Anthras mountains. What made the "statues" curious was their composition and poses. Each statue appeared to be made from tuff (solidified volcanic ash), but they contained internal bones made of dense ignimbrite (a rock commonly created by pyroclastic flows). The figures were also invariably contorted as if in pain.

Originally the archaeologists had believed they were statues of Lizardfolk due to their similar size and general morphology (tails, muzzle, digitigrade, etc.), but those theories fell by the wayside when the internal structures were discovered. All attempts at using magic to determine their age and origin have failed, and many theologians are claiming them as evidence supporting Clergy doctrine on the Dawn Wars. The Clergy supporters claim that these figures must be the remains of elemental soldiers fielded by the Primordials during their war with the Gods. While interesting, the mysterious statues weren't relevant to the Constables, so they left the academics to argue over their discovery.

A final interesting development to come up was a new addition to their team, an RHC agent named Maddox. Kirk and Bellicose new Maddox from the Yearosol war where he acted as a scout and demolitions expert. They remembered him as a man with a penchant for shotguns and grenades. Maddox had been reassigned to their team following a mishap in his last solo mission. Maddox had been sent to investigate reports of increased bandit activity along the Risur/Ber border in the Anthras mountains. Eventually, the reports tapered off, but Maddox never reported back in. When other agents were sent to investigate, they found maddox in a small rural village. Something had gone terribly awry during his mission, but Maddox couldn't remember what. His amnesia covered his entire time in the mountains. The events must have been incredibly bizarre because Maddox was now a Bugbear instead of a Human.

RHC command had reassigned Maddox to their team in the hopes that familiar faces (Kirk and Bellicose) would help restore his memory and more of his functionality (since the incident he occasionally has trouble staying focused on a mission). Delft resisted the transfer at first, but the home office in Slate was persistent (and subtly backed by Calaphax). Delft dropped his complaints after subjecting Maddox to the magical equivalent of a lie detector test to ensure that Maddox wasn't a plant by the Ob.

GM: These were mostly some more things to tie in Calaphax's background in the campaign setting. We also got a new player, and I already know what I'm going to use his amnesia episode for. It will probably come up in the next adventure when they travel to Ber. I also made a short word document for newspaper clippings that I showed at the start. I'll attach it to this post if anyone is interested in it.