HalfOrc HalfBiscuit
Adventurer
Nice update, Rel. I particularly liked Speaks' reminiscences of how it all began. Keep up the good work. 
Rel's Faded Glory III: Glory Reborn (FINAL UPDATE 6/22 - SHE'S DONE, BABY!!)
Rel
Liquid Awesome
Here's a little something to chew on over the weekend and I should be able to update again next week despite a busy schedule:
The fear that had gripped them from the moment they entered the Dragon’s lair gradually subsided. They moved cautiously toward the rear of the chamber and saw the hoard that ringed the room Their eyes filled with wonder at the treasures they beheld. Antiquities, armors, weapons, gemstones and rolling hills of coins were piled before them. It was simply dumbfounding the wealth that they beheld.
Lazarius interrupted their reverie, “I don’t think the sword is in there.”
The rest of the group managed to tear their gaze away from the mounds of treasure to address the War Wizard. “What?” asked Marius.
“The Bloodstone Blade. I don’t think it is in this pile of treasure. The magic I’ve detected so far has shown a few fairly powerful items but none of them matches the description of the Bloodstone Blade that I found in the War College Archives.”
“Well there is one way to find out for sure,” said Cathal with a grin. He dropped to his knees and began to sift through the nearest mountain of coins. The wealth glittered and jingled as the money cascaded from his cupped hands and fell back to the floor sending copper coins of antique mint rolling in all directions.
“Wait,” said Marcus, maintaining his focus on their objective. What about over there?” He pointed to a large passageway recessed into the shadows at the rear of the room. It led into darkness and uncertainty.
Marius let out an impressive sigh. “Wouldn’t it be nice if just ONCE we could have an easy battle and get LOTS of treasure and NOT have to go chasing off down some dark, gods-forsaken HOLE?!” He shook his head and let loose another sigh. Drawing his rapier again he stepped toward the opening. The others fell into line behind him. Cathal looked back mournfully at a shining, silver breastplate that jutted from a heap of gold coins.
The darkness ahead seemed to yield reluctantly to their torchlight, as though it was at home here and would not give up its lair without a struggle. The passage ran for a couple dozen paces before the walls and ceiling receded into darkness. The group stood close together in fear of what horror might lay ahead. They crept forward and a towering menace of bone and stone appeared before them.
“By the BEAR!” Cathal exclaimed in his native tongue. He stepped cautiously to the fore of the group, his sword drawn and shield held close. The others spread out to the sides somewhat and the collective light of their torches forced the darkness to give up its secret.
Standing some twenty feet high was the skeletal form of the Dragon. But the entirety of the skeleton was laced in a tracery of thin stone branches that seemed to stretch out from the chest and cover every part of the body from thicker branches in the neck and limbs to a nearly gossamer lace on the wings. The Dragon crouched in an awkward pose as though trying to crane its neck to reach something down near its chest. There, front and center was the thick handle of some sort of sword that had split the sternum and was lodged in a large, irregular hunk of stone just inside the chest cavity. It seemed to be the source from which the stone branches extended.
The party stood in awe for more than a minute. Then they exchanged worried glances and wordlessly began to creep forward, closer to the skeletal statue. Beneath the creature there was a covering on the ground that shimmered in their torchlight. Glimmering on the floor were thousands of scales, looking for all the world like thick leaves that had fallen from an autumn tree. Tense moments passed as they covered the dozen paces and they finally stood almost beneath the great head of the creature, just out of reach of the hilt of the sword that pierced its breast.
They could now see that the pommel, hilt and thick, single edged blade of the weapon were all carved from a single stone. It looked heavy and awkward but menacing nonetheless.
“Nobody touch ANYTHING,” commanded Lazarius. “I believe this must be the Bloodstone Blade.”
“Ya’ think?!” Marius asked in mockery.
Speaks With Stone leaned to the side, peering into the Dragon’s ribcage. He looked at the stone in which the sword was buried and the branches of stone that seemed to grow from it. His voice filled with awe and amazement, “That is the heart of the dragon. The Blade turned it to stone along with every vein and vessel.” His eyes followed the ranches that started from the stony heart as thick as his legs and forked into the forelegs and wings. At each split the stone vessels grew smaller until they were as thin as his wrist, his thumb, his fingers, a twig. He reached out and gently grasped one of the thinnest stone branches that ran to the base of one scimitar-sized claw. He gave a quick twist and it snapped off in his hand.
He jerked his hand back and scrambled backwards as the blood began to flow. A cry escaped his throat as he watched the skeleton, certain that it was about to seize him in its jaws. But it stayed completely still, regarding him with its malevolent, orbless eye.
He looked down at his bloody hand as the others gathered around him. “Didn’t I say not to TOUCH anything?!!” demanded Lazarius. Speaks held up his unwounded hand, covered in crimson and looked back at the Dragon. “Not the vessels. The blood!”
“What?” asked Marius.
Speaks looked at him with a mix of horror and wonder, “The BLOOD! The sword turned every ounce of the dragon’s blood to STONE!”
“And Bale.” whispered Marcus, “is made of blood…”
The fear that had gripped them from the moment they entered the Dragon’s lair gradually subsided. They moved cautiously toward the rear of the chamber and saw the hoard that ringed the room Their eyes filled with wonder at the treasures they beheld. Antiquities, armors, weapons, gemstones and rolling hills of coins were piled before them. It was simply dumbfounding the wealth that they beheld.
Lazarius interrupted their reverie, “I don’t think the sword is in there.”
The rest of the group managed to tear their gaze away from the mounds of treasure to address the War Wizard. “What?” asked Marius.
“The Bloodstone Blade. I don’t think it is in this pile of treasure. The magic I’ve detected so far has shown a few fairly powerful items but none of them matches the description of the Bloodstone Blade that I found in the War College Archives.”
“Well there is one way to find out for sure,” said Cathal with a grin. He dropped to his knees and began to sift through the nearest mountain of coins. The wealth glittered and jingled as the money cascaded from his cupped hands and fell back to the floor sending copper coins of antique mint rolling in all directions.
“Wait,” said Marcus, maintaining his focus on their objective. What about over there?” He pointed to a large passageway recessed into the shadows at the rear of the room. It led into darkness and uncertainty.
Marius let out an impressive sigh. “Wouldn’t it be nice if just ONCE we could have an easy battle and get LOTS of treasure and NOT have to go chasing off down some dark, gods-forsaken HOLE?!” He shook his head and let loose another sigh. Drawing his rapier again he stepped toward the opening. The others fell into line behind him. Cathal looked back mournfully at a shining, silver breastplate that jutted from a heap of gold coins.
The darkness ahead seemed to yield reluctantly to their torchlight, as though it was at home here and would not give up its lair without a struggle. The passage ran for a couple dozen paces before the walls and ceiling receded into darkness. The group stood close together in fear of what horror might lay ahead. They crept forward and a towering menace of bone and stone appeared before them.
“By the BEAR!” Cathal exclaimed in his native tongue. He stepped cautiously to the fore of the group, his sword drawn and shield held close. The others spread out to the sides somewhat and the collective light of their torches forced the darkness to give up its secret.
Standing some twenty feet high was the skeletal form of the Dragon. But the entirety of the skeleton was laced in a tracery of thin stone branches that seemed to stretch out from the chest and cover every part of the body from thicker branches in the neck and limbs to a nearly gossamer lace on the wings. The Dragon crouched in an awkward pose as though trying to crane its neck to reach something down near its chest. There, front and center was the thick handle of some sort of sword that had split the sternum and was lodged in a large, irregular hunk of stone just inside the chest cavity. It seemed to be the source from which the stone branches extended.
The party stood in awe for more than a minute. Then they exchanged worried glances and wordlessly began to creep forward, closer to the skeletal statue. Beneath the creature there was a covering on the ground that shimmered in their torchlight. Glimmering on the floor were thousands of scales, looking for all the world like thick leaves that had fallen from an autumn tree. Tense moments passed as they covered the dozen paces and they finally stood almost beneath the great head of the creature, just out of reach of the hilt of the sword that pierced its breast.
They could now see that the pommel, hilt and thick, single edged blade of the weapon were all carved from a single stone. It looked heavy and awkward but menacing nonetheless.
“Nobody touch ANYTHING,” commanded Lazarius. “I believe this must be the Bloodstone Blade.”
“Ya’ think?!” Marius asked in mockery.
Speaks With Stone leaned to the side, peering into the Dragon’s ribcage. He looked at the stone in which the sword was buried and the branches of stone that seemed to grow from it. His voice filled with awe and amazement, “That is the heart of the dragon. The Blade turned it to stone along with every vein and vessel.” His eyes followed the ranches that started from the stony heart as thick as his legs and forked into the forelegs and wings. At each split the stone vessels grew smaller until they were as thin as his wrist, his thumb, his fingers, a twig. He reached out and gently grasped one of the thinnest stone branches that ran to the base of one scimitar-sized claw. He gave a quick twist and it snapped off in his hand.
He jerked his hand back and scrambled backwards as the blood began to flow. A cry escaped his throat as he watched the skeleton, certain that it was about to seize him in its jaws. But it stayed completely still, regarding him with its malevolent, orbless eye.
He looked down at his bloody hand as the others gathered around him. “Didn’t I say not to TOUCH anything?!!” demanded Lazarius. Speaks held up his unwounded hand, covered in crimson and looked back at the Dragon. “Not the vessels. The blood!”
“What?” asked Marius.
Speaks looked at him with a mix of horror and wonder, “The BLOOD! The sword turned every ounce of the dragon’s blood to STONE!”
“And Bale.” whispered Marcus, “is made of blood…”
Jon Potter
First Post
Rel said:
Now that's just too cool! I can just imagine the big grins that must have spread around the gaming table at this revelation. Probably a lot like the one on my own face as I read it.
Brilliant! And I love the imagery of the dragon skeleton surounded by a network of petrified blood.
Rel
Liquid Awesome
Jon Potter said:
Thanks, Jon. Honestly I felt a bit like the "Bloodstone Blade" telegraphed its own form and function a bit too much to be a powerful revelation but it's easy to think that something will be obvious from the GM's side of the screen. The players can say for themselves whether it was a big surprise or not. I can't say that I recall if there were any looks of "sudden understanding" on their faces or merely nods of "that's pretty much what I figured."
EDIT: Pretty prosaic subject matter for my 4,000th post, huh?
Rel
Liquid Awesome
“On three,” said Marius. He looked to his right and saw Cathal ready with sword crackling in hand. “One.”
Off to the left he could see Speaks speaking the words of the Wild, already weaving magic. As the Druid finished his spell, the Stone beneath the giant skeleton turned to Mud. “Two.”
Past Speaks stood Marcus with mace and Shield in hand, ready to do battle with the undead monstrosity if it turned out to hold any of the essence of its former, draconic might. Marius glanced around and saw Lazarius lurking near the rear as usual. “THREE!” He pulled with all his strength on the hilt of the Bloodstone Blade and with the grinding sound of stone-on-stone, it slid free from the heart of the Dragon.
The muddy floor of the cavern was immediately drenched with blood as the petrified tracery of stone that encased the skeleton became sanguine once more. Marius staggered back under the unwieldy weight of the awkward, stone weapon and was off balance when the attack came.
The Dragon had been waiting for hundreds of years to complete his attack and so he did. Claws like swords tore into the man who held the blade that had been the doom of the Master of the Mountains. Talon tipped wings slashed at him too as his hind limbs settled deeper into the mud and his head dove in to try and finish this intruder.
Even as the Dragon lost his coating of stone, Lazarius gained one, warding him against the creature’s physical attacks. He moved to get a clear shot as Cathal tumbled beneath a massive bone wing and struck at the ribcage of the Dragon, sending splinters of bone falling into the bloody mud. An instant later these fragments were embedded in uneven stone as Speaks reversed his spell and returned the floor to its natural state. Now the Dragon’s skeleton was rooted to the spot.
Marcus went to work on the opposite flank and his mace sundered a pair of ribs from the skeleton sending them clattering to the floor. He let out a triumphant cry but it was a bit premature.
The Dragon had sensed the Druid’s magic and was not at all pleased to find that he could no longer maneuver. He displayed his anger through a devastating series of slashes and bites that left the Druid staggering backwards, bathed in his own blood. As Speaks fell back away from the fight, a bolt of azure Cold Lightning surged from the hands of Lazarius and crackled across the Dragon’s naked vertebra but didn’t seem to slow the behemoth down much.
No longer having to be wary of getting mired in mud, Cathal stepped in close to the Dragon’s flank and lay about himself with sword and shield. His fury filled him with strength and resolve but a hint of uncertainty still made a home in his heart. Could they truly defeat such an immense foe? And if they could not then what hope did they have against Bale? This doubt manifested itself in the strength of his blows which did little more than leave nicks on the Dragon’s bones.
Speaks continued to retreat out of the creature’s reach and armored his body with Barkskin. As soon as the enchantment was in place his hands went to weaving the next.
Marcus stood his ground and continued his assault with the mace. More bones broke and flew as he plied his blunt weapon in a task for which it was well suited. But his success came with the price that the Dragon understood who it was who most threatened it. Despite the hate-filled assault that was unleashed on the Warrior-Priest, the awkward angle and Marcus’ considerable defenses saw to it that he suffered only a minor slash from one of the Dragon’s claws.
Lazarius feared that these intense attacks on Marcus might force him to relent in his attacks and he cautiously moved up and placed a hand on the Warrior of St. Cuthbert. Beneath his armor, his Skin became as Stone and Marcus knew now that he was a match for this fearsome beast. He gathered his strength for his next attack.
Cathal kept up his attacks but found that his sword was ill suited to attacking the thick bones of the skeletal beast. His shield formed a better weapon for bashing and cracking the brittle bone and he focused on using it to hammer away at the thick thigh bone that was trapped in the stone. The room above was suddenly lit with a brilliant fire and Cathal turned to see Speaks unleash Seeds of Fire that slammed home into the arching neck and chest of the Dragon, charring bone and setting it ablaze.
Marcus saw his chance to strike a telling blow and stepped forward inside the Dragon’s ribcage. His mace hammered up into the spine of the creature at a spot where one of Speaks’ Fiery Seeds had started a smoldering blaze and he heard a loud “POP”. He struck again in the same spot and with a thunderous CRACK, the Dragon’s skeleton broke in two, falling motionless to the ground around St. Cuthbert’s minion.
At last the Dragon was no more.
Off to the left he could see Speaks speaking the words of the Wild, already weaving magic. As the Druid finished his spell, the Stone beneath the giant skeleton turned to Mud. “Two.”
Past Speaks stood Marcus with mace and Shield in hand, ready to do battle with the undead monstrosity if it turned out to hold any of the essence of its former, draconic might. Marius glanced around and saw Lazarius lurking near the rear as usual. “THREE!” He pulled with all his strength on the hilt of the Bloodstone Blade and with the grinding sound of stone-on-stone, it slid free from the heart of the Dragon.
The muddy floor of the cavern was immediately drenched with blood as the petrified tracery of stone that encased the skeleton became sanguine once more. Marius staggered back under the unwieldy weight of the awkward, stone weapon and was off balance when the attack came.
The Dragon had been waiting for hundreds of years to complete his attack and so he did. Claws like swords tore into the man who held the blade that had been the doom of the Master of the Mountains. Talon tipped wings slashed at him too as his hind limbs settled deeper into the mud and his head dove in to try and finish this intruder.
Even as the Dragon lost his coating of stone, Lazarius gained one, warding him against the creature’s physical attacks. He moved to get a clear shot as Cathal tumbled beneath a massive bone wing and struck at the ribcage of the Dragon, sending splinters of bone falling into the bloody mud. An instant later these fragments were embedded in uneven stone as Speaks reversed his spell and returned the floor to its natural state. Now the Dragon’s skeleton was rooted to the spot.
Marcus went to work on the opposite flank and his mace sundered a pair of ribs from the skeleton sending them clattering to the floor. He let out a triumphant cry but it was a bit premature.
The Dragon had sensed the Druid’s magic and was not at all pleased to find that he could no longer maneuver. He displayed his anger through a devastating series of slashes and bites that left the Druid staggering backwards, bathed in his own blood. As Speaks fell back away from the fight, a bolt of azure Cold Lightning surged from the hands of Lazarius and crackled across the Dragon’s naked vertebra but didn’t seem to slow the behemoth down much.
No longer having to be wary of getting mired in mud, Cathal stepped in close to the Dragon’s flank and lay about himself with sword and shield. His fury filled him with strength and resolve but a hint of uncertainty still made a home in his heart. Could they truly defeat such an immense foe? And if they could not then what hope did they have against Bale? This doubt manifested itself in the strength of his blows which did little more than leave nicks on the Dragon’s bones.
Speaks continued to retreat out of the creature’s reach and armored his body with Barkskin. As soon as the enchantment was in place his hands went to weaving the next.
Marcus stood his ground and continued his assault with the mace. More bones broke and flew as he plied his blunt weapon in a task for which it was well suited. But his success came with the price that the Dragon understood who it was who most threatened it. Despite the hate-filled assault that was unleashed on the Warrior-Priest, the awkward angle and Marcus’ considerable defenses saw to it that he suffered only a minor slash from one of the Dragon’s claws.
Lazarius feared that these intense attacks on Marcus might force him to relent in his attacks and he cautiously moved up and placed a hand on the Warrior of St. Cuthbert. Beneath his armor, his Skin became as Stone and Marcus knew now that he was a match for this fearsome beast. He gathered his strength for his next attack.
Cathal kept up his attacks but found that his sword was ill suited to attacking the thick bones of the skeletal beast. His shield formed a better weapon for bashing and cracking the brittle bone and he focused on using it to hammer away at the thick thigh bone that was trapped in the stone. The room above was suddenly lit with a brilliant fire and Cathal turned to see Speaks unleash Seeds of Fire that slammed home into the arching neck and chest of the Dragon, charring bone and setting it ablaze.
Marcus saw his chance to strike a telling blow and stepped forward inside the Dragon’s ribcage. His mace hammered up into the spine of the creature at a spot where one of Speaks’ Fiery Seeds had started a smoldering blaze and he heard a loud “POP”. He struck again in the same spot and with a thunderous CRACK, the Dragon’s skeleton broke in two, falling motionless to the ground around St. Cuthbert’s minion.
At last the Dragon was no more.
Rel
Liquid Awesome
BardStephenFox said:
I think the tension was derived more from how hard the players thought the Dragon encounter(s) would be than from how it truly played out. Both the Shadow Dragon and the Skeletal Dragon were reasonably tough encounters on paper but played out as being relatively easy in the session. In both cases the party was buffed to the gills because they were able to pick when the fight was to take place.
Marcus took a hard beating from the Shadow Dragon since it focused all its attacks on him but he managed to keep himself on his feet by foregoing attacks in favor of healing. The other party members took very little damage in that fight.
The Skeletal Dragon managed to lay some serious damage on Marius in the first round (which is why you don't see him engaging it after that) but Speaks trapping it in the mud meant that this battle was really won in the first couple of rounds. Again, good planning by the party combined with lots of buffing made for a fairly easy battle.
One thing that I'm not sure came out in the updates was the nature of the Dragon and how it came to be this way. Essentially the Dragon, who was once the terror of this part of the world, was "slain" hundreds of years ago by St. Cuthbert as part of his rise to divinity. But the spirit of the Dragon was strong enough that it managed to free itself from the body of stone and bone that the Bloodstone Blade had turned into a prison. That facet of the Dragon became the Shadow Dragon they fought.
But the innate magic of the Dragon also animated the skeleton that was left over. Once freed from its stone bonds it was able to attack the party but it was only a bone shell, fairly mindless and not using much in the way of tactics.
The only remaining matter pertaining to the Dragon is the considerable hoard. I'll lay out the nature of all this treasure in my next post but I should preface it with a couple of things. First, it might seem a little strange for the PC's to be counting money and magic items even as Bale was marching on the Fodor Tribes but they felt like they needed to grab any advantage they could, including any magical goodies in the hoard. In addition I should mention they they had received almost no treasure for the past 7-8 game sessions (maybe longer). Their frantic flight from the City of Endless Summer cost them a lot of disposable magic and they recovered almost nothing in return. They were due for a big haul and they most certainly got one.
So...
Rel
Liquid Awesome
The Dragon Hoard:
(*** enchantment, necromancy)
Shortsword with a very dull iron blade; plainly wrapped hilt with no ornamentation and no visible runes. You could probably club someone to death with this easier than you could stick it through them. This is clasped in skeletal hands protuding from the far wall. A poorly made leather scabbard lies nearby.
This is a Sword of Softness,(Ghost Touch and only Ghost Touch). Any damage inflicted by this sword is tracked separately, as it is not felt by the victim. When the wielder snaps his fingers, all "soft" damage materializes simultaneously. This can trigger a massive damage save if the damage totals more than 50 points.
(**Abjuration, enchantment)
Ornate, beautiful, perhaps ceremonial dagger with large cut emerald on the base of the mithral-silver pommel. The mithral-steel blade is curved slightly, and shimmers slightly in the gloom. Engravings on the blade is the symbol of the Imperial College of Wizardry This has no scabbard, and is found thrown into a large pottery urn.
This is Bassilla’s Dagger of Blade Turning once carried an Imperial War Wizard. She disappeared sometime during the Slave Wars and was never seen again. It is a +2 Defending dagger.
(** abjuration, alteration)
Brown rabbit’s foot, attached to a gold rune-carved cap. One of the symbols of Olidammara (God of Trickery and Luck), a 6-sided die, is clearly engraved on the base. A thin gold chain is attached to the gold cap. This is wrapped around the neck of an intact skeleton.
This allows the player to reroll one die once per day, just as though the player had spent a “chip”.
(** Conjuration)
A unicorn holy-symbol of Ehlonna, carved from dark wood, attached to a bit-through rawhide necklace; found near the same corpse as the one wearing the Spiral Torc.
casts cure serious wounds 3/day
(** transmutation)
Belt with bronze links with a buckle showing a mountain lion rampant. Bears the hallmarks of being made by one of the Fodor Tribes. Lying near a broken skeleton wearing a breastplate.
”The Belt of Keltharl” This belt allows the user to pounce (full attack after a charge) once per day.
(** alteration, enchantment)
Large, ancient, floating stone throne. Many settings for gems cover it, but all the gems appear to have been removed. It looks made for a big person, and looks uncomfortable. A symbol of a coiled horned serpent below a crown adorns the seat back.
It acts like an Immovable Rod. When the command word (“Ulastogir”) is spoken it will hover, weightlessly in the air. When spoken again, it becomes “fixed” in space wherever it is.
(*** alteration, enchantment, conjuration)
A malachite statuette of a hippogriff in flight, about the size of a kitten. The carving is excellent and appears fairly delicate. It is found balanced on a slightly larger, broken beholder statue.
Figurine of wondrous power: hippogriff. Functions similarly to the Gryphon Figurine.
(***)
Paper-thin (and sword shaped) sheet of rigid garnet, covered with black runes; found carefully covered with a latched, thin silver case of elven design.
This is a permanent scroll of Mordenkainen's Sword (Caster Level 15); when used, the words fade and slowly reappear over the next month. If the caster fails a Caster Level Check against DC 15, he becomes the target of the Sword for the full duration.
(*** Alteration, conjuration)
A shimmering blue gem set on a silver chain. Deep in the gem, a faint imperfection that looks like a spiral can be seen, and a very faint murmur comes from the gem. This necklace is found amid a pile of plate mail.
A periapt of health
(** conjuration)
A thick silver ring, tarnished but engraved with the symbol of a hand; found in an open chest filled with low-quality precious gems.
Ring of Servants. Allows the wearer to cast mage hand and unseen servant 10 times a day each.
(*** abjuration)
A ring of gold wire, shaped in a spiral around the finger of a prone skeletal figure.
Ring of Counterspells
(**** transmutation)
A somewhat plain, cheap looking necklace made from gray metal (possibly an iron alloy). It is surprisingly heavy. This is found dropped inside a gilt ceremonial helm.
Necklace of Iron Body, 1/week; only works on an arcane caster (spell completion item), and the effect is not dismissable until it would normally wear off (15 minutes). All equipment, including the necklace, melds into the iron and becomes unusable while the spell effect is in place.
(*** enchantment, abjuration)
Heavy, battle-scarred breastplate. Utilitarian design, but extremely well crafted. The metal appears to be mithril, as does the spiked full helm. It bears the coat of arms of one of the Novantae Dwarf clans.
Mithril Breastplate of Command. (Light Armor, AC 7, Max Dex 5, ACP 1, ASF 15%, Wt 15lb.)
A broad belt made of stout leather with large links of mithril laid overtop. The buckle contains some Dwarven runes marking the wearer as one of the Stone Hammer clan. It is found amid the scattered bones beneath the Breastplate above.
Belt of Dwarvenkind
*** A spiraling wooden torc, made from dark and solid wood, and covered with small carvings of mistletoe. This dangles from a skeleton’s rib cage.
Allows the wearer to speak with animals at will.
*** A finely carved bow with a broken string. It has writing upon it in an unfamiliar script but has two carvings of cacti on it. It barely protrudes from a pile of silver coins.
“The Long Needle” +1 Bow of Sure Striking – Does an extra 1d6 Piercing damage to any target struck.
***A pair of rings, apparently carved from bone. They have many small, pointed protrusions that make them look as though they would be uncomfortable to wear.
“The Bone Shield of Senecio” – When both rings are worn, they cover the wearer in a layer of sharp, barbed bone. This inflicts 2d4 damage on the wearer every round and gives him a Natural AC Bonus of 4. It also causes any creature that attacks the wearer with an unarmed attack to suffer 2d4 damage.
Over a dozen pieces of jewelry, including pins, tiaras, rings, necklaces, anklets, earrings, bracelets, hair pins, belt buckles, and torcs. Quality ranges from average to breath-taking (including a matched set of emerald, diamond and sapphire jewels in an earring - necklace - broach - ring combo that is an elven master-work).
More than a hundred loose gems and precious stones, most are of relatively low quality.
Literally tons of coins (about 4 tons total), lying in great heaps and molded in the dragon’s shape. Most of these are copper (319,000) and silver (68,700) coins, although quite a bit of gold (8,450) is visible in the piles as well. Even a cursory examination can turn up coins minted in over a half dozen countries, over hundreds of years.
Artwork, ranging from tiny to huge, including:
- A large, beautifully sculpted, life-sized statue of a rearing horse. The head of the horse has been seamlessly replaced by a large octupus head. The horse head is nowhere to be found.
- A stone reproduction of a huge gibbering mouther, complete with odd bulges and gaping stone maws. This leans up against a cavern wall, out of the way.
- A beholder statuette with tiny gems in the eyestalks; there is a place for a gem in the central eye, but it has apparently fallen out or been removed.
- A 4’ tall bronze statue of a horned snake, coiled to strike.
- A hideous, yet fascinating, angular sculpture of men fighting a beast, made from nothing but fused-together bones.
- Dozens of swords, daggers, shields, maces, breastplates, helms, and other assorted adventuring gear, all fused together into a looming tower of menace, precariously balanced in the corner of the cavern.
- A beautifully made, gilt mirror frame 9’ tall and 5’ wide. Only a small shard of mirrored glass remains in the heavy frame.
- A small silver hand mirror with a handle shaped like a leaping fish.
- A large silver platter, and a full set of silver tableware, engraved with drawings of mythical monsters and abominations, all looked over by the Horned Snake.
- Dozens of painted porcelain vases and pots, some of which have been cracked or broken.
- Three small silver sickles
GM's Note: Credit for most of this hoard goes to Piratecat. He posted the large majority of this stuff in a thread that I started about what this big treasure should contain. I think that the Bone Shield of Senecio came from the Small Beginnings Story Hour group but I'm not entirely certain of that any more (this was over a year ago now). Once again the combined intellectual might of ENWorld helped me in a big way and it is one of the many reasons that I'm glad to be a part of this place.
(*** enchantment, necromancy)
Shortsword with a very dull iron blade; plainly wrapped hilt with no ornamentation and no visible runes. You could probably club someone to death with this easier than you could stick it through them. This is clasped in skeletal hands protuding from the far wall. A poorly made leather scabbard lies nearby.
This is a Sword of Softness,(Ghost Touch and only Ghost Touch). Any damage inflicted by this sword is tracked separately, as it is not felt by the victim. When the wielder snaps his fingers, all "soft" damage materializes simultaneously. This can trigger a massive damage save if the damage totals more than 50 points.
(**Abjuration, enchantment)
Ornate, beautiful, perhaps ceremonial dagger with large cut emerald on the base of the mithral-silver pommel. The mithral-steel blade is curved slightly, and shimmers slightly in the gloom. Engravings on the blade is the symbol of the Imperial College of Wizardry This has no scabbard, and is found thrown into a large pottery urn.
This is Bassilla’s Dagger of Blade Turning once carried an Imperial War Wizard. She disappeared sometime during the Slave Wars and was never seen again. It is a +2 Defending dagger.
(** abjuration, alteration)
Brown rabbit’s foot, attached to a gold rune-carved cap. One of the symbols of Olidammara (God of Trickery and Luck), a 6-sided die, is clearly engraved on the base. A thin gold chain is attached to the gold cap. This is wrapped around the neck of an intact skeleton.
This allows the player to reroll one die once per day, just as though the player had spent a “chip”.
(** Conjuration)
A unicorn holy-symbol of Ehlonna, carved from dark wood, attached to a bit-through rawhide necklace; found near the same corpse as the one wearing the Spiral Torc.
casts cure serious wounds 3/day
(** transmutation)
Belt with bronze links with a buckle showing a mountain lion rampant. Bears the hallmarks of being made by one of the Fodor Tribes. Lying near a broken skeleton wearing a breastplate.
”The Belt of Keltharl” This belt allows the user to pounce (full attack after a charge) once per day.
(** alteration, enchantment)
Large, ancient, floating stone throne. Many settings for gems cover it, but all the gems appear to have been removed. It looks made for a big person, and looks uncomfortable. A symbol of a coiled horned serpent below a crown adorns the seat back.
It acts like an Immovable Rod. When the command word (“Ulastogir”) is spoken it will hover, weightlessly in the air. When spoken again, it becomes “fixed” in space wherever it is.
(*** alteration, enchantment, conjuration)
A malachite statuette of a hippogriff in flight, about the size of a kitten. The carving is excellent and appears fairly delicate. It is found balanced on a slightly larger, broken beholder statue.
Figurine of wondrous power: hippogriff. Functions similarly to the Gryphon Figurine.
(***)
Paper-thin (and sword shaped) sheet of rigid garnet, covered with black runes; found carefully covered with a latched, thin silver case of elven design.
This is a permanent scroll of Mordenkainen's Sword (Caster Level 15); when used, the words fade and slowly reappear over the next month. If the caster fails a Caster Level Check against DC 15, he becomes the target of the Sword for the full duration.
(*** Alteration, conjuration)
A shimmering blue gem set on a silver chain. Deep in the gem, a faint imperfection that looks like a spiral can be seen, and a very faint murmur comes from the gem. This necklace is found amid a pile of plate mail.
A periapt of health
(** conjuration)
A thick silver ring, tarnished but engraved with the symbol of a hand; found in an open chest filled with low-quality precious gems.
Ring of Servants. Allows the wearer to cast mage hand and unseen servant 10 times a day each.
(*** abjuration)
A ring of gold wire, shaped in a spiral around the finger of a prone skeletal figure.
Ring of Counterspells
(**** transmutation)
A somewhat plain, cheap looking necklace made from gray metal (possibly an iron alloy). It is surprisingly heavy. This is found dropped inside a gilt ceremonial helm.
Necklace of Iron Body, 1/week; only works on an arcane caster (spell completion item), and the effect is not dismissable until it would normally wear off (15 minutes). All equipment, including the necklace, melds into the iron and becomes unusable while the spell effect is in place.
(*** enchantment, abjuration)
Heavy, battle-scarred breastplate. Utilitarian design, but extremely well crafted. The metal appears to be mithril, as does the spiked full helm. It bears the coat of arms of one of the Novantae Dwarf clans.
Mithril Breastplate of Command. (Light Armor, AC 7, Max Dex 5, ACP 1, ASF 15%, Wt 15lb.)
A broad belt made of stout leather with large links of mithril laid overtop. The buckle contains some Dwarven runes marking the wearer as one of the Stone Hammer clan. It is found amid the scattered bones beneath the Breastplate above.
Belt of Dwarvenkind
*** A spiraling wooden torc, made from dark and solid wood, and covered with small carvings of mistletoe. This dangles from a skeleton’s rib cage.
Allows the wearer to speak with animals at will.
*** A finely carved bow with a broken string. It has writing upon it in an unfamiliar script but has two carvings of cacti on it. It barely protrudes from a pile of silver coins.
“The Long Needle” +1 Bow of Sure Striking – Does an extra 1d6 Piercing damage to any target struck.
***A pair of rings, apparently carved from bone. They have many small, pointed protrusions that make them look as though they would be uncomfortable to wear.
“The Bone Shield of Senecio” – When both rings are worn, they cover the wearer in a layer of sharp, barbed bone. This inflicts 2d4 damage on the wearer every round and gives him a Natural AC Bonus of 4. It also causes any creature that attacks the wearer with an unarmed attack to suffer 2d4 damage.
Over a dozen pieces of jewelry, including pins, tiaras, rings, necklaces, anklets, earrings, bracelets, hair pins, belt buckles, and torcs. Quality ranges from average to breath-taking (including a matched set of emerald, diamond and sapphire jewels in an earring - necklace - broach - ring combo that is an elven master-work).
More than a hundred loose gems and precious stones, most are of relatively low quality.
Literally tons of coins (about 4 tons total), lying in great heaps and molded in the dragon’s shape. Most of these are copper (319,000) and silver (68,700) coins, although quite a bit of gold (8,450) is visible in the piles as well. Even a cursory examination can turn up coins minted in over a half dozen countries, over hundreds of years.
Artwork, ranging from tiny to huge, including:
- A large, beautifully sculpted, life-sized statue of a rearing horse. The head of the horse has been seamlessly replaced by a large octupus head. The horse head is nowhere to be found.
- A stone reproduction of a huge gibbering mouther, complete with odd bulges and gaping stone maws. This leans up against a cavern wall, out of the way.
- A beholder statuette with tiny gems in the eyestalks; there is a place for a gem in the central eye, but it has apparently fallen out or been removed.
- A 4’ tall bronze statue of a horned snake, coiled to strike.
- A hideous, yet fascinating, angular sculpture of men fighting a beast, made from nothing but fused-together bones.
- Dozens of swords, daggers, shields, maces, breastplates, helms, and other assorted adventuring gear, all fused together into a looming tower of menace, precariously balanced in the corner of the cavern.
- A beautifully made, gilt mirror frame 9’ tall and 5’ wide. Only a small shard of mirrored glass remains in the heavy frame.
- A small silver hand mirror with a handle shaped like a leaping fish.
- A large silver platter, and a full set of silver tableware, engraved with drawings of mythical monsters and abominations, all looked over by the Horned Snake.
- Dozens of painted porcelain vases and pots, some of which have been cracked or broken.
- Three small silver sickles
GM's Note: Credit for most of this hoard goes to Piratecat. He posted the large majority of this stuff in a thread that I started about what this big treasure should contain. I think that the Bone Shield of Senecio came from the Small Beginnings Story Hour group but I'm not entirely certain of that any more (this was over a year ago now). Once again the combined intellectual might of ENWorld helped me in a big way and it is one of the many reasons that I'm glad to be a part of this place.
BSF
Explorer
Heh - I thought some of that treasure sounded somewhat familiar.
It did sound like the PCs went into the battles well-prepared. Still, there also seemed to be a certain amount of tension. You are probably correct though with expectations helping drive that. But it is the hallmark of a good DM to allow a well crafted plan to succeed when the PCs put one together. So, good work!
It did sound like the PCs went into the battles well-prepared. Still, there also seemed to be a certain amount of tension. You are probably correct though with expectations helping drive that. But it is the hallmark of a good DM to allow a well crafted plan to succeed when the PCs put one together. So, good work!
Rel
Liquid Awesome
BardStephenFox said:Heh - I thought some of that treasure sounded somewhat familiar.
It did sound like the PCs went into the battles well-prepared. Still, there also seemed to be a certain amount of tension. You are probably correct though with expectations helping drive that. But it is the hallmark of a good DM to allow a well crafted plan to succeed when the PCs put one together. So, good work!
Thanks, BSF. Now it just remains to be seen whether they can put together a plan to defeat Bale...
(and if you think it's merely a matter of "poke him with the Bloodstone Blade" then you've got another thing commin')
