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Message: <blockquote data-quote="LostSoul" data-source="post: 4595527" data-attributes="member: 386">Just got through playing.  First of all, two players were missing - the Warlord's and the Rogue's.It started off with the PCs arriving back in the Seven-Pillared Hall, low on Healing Surges and Daily powers.Rendil the halfing was gathering water for his inn and spotted the PCs.  He warned them that the Mages of Saruun were looking for them because they killed the duergar in the trading post.  The mages don't mind if you murder someone, as long as you get their permission first.Controlling bastards.The PCs made a stealth check to slip into the trading post (I had the PC with the lowest modifier make the check, modified by everyone else's help).  Wexley the Figher made the check and rolled a 20, and with help it was good enough.  They were able to get their extended rest.Two reasons why I did this: One, because the Mages (evil wizards) would pull some crap like this; and Two, because this really hightens the tension of every encounter - if you don't know if you can get away with an extended rest when you want to, those Healing Surges become as valuable as gold.If they had failed the check, the Mages would have found them and then we would have run the skill challenge I prepared:[sblock=Skill Challenge: The Trial]Skill Challenge - level 12!Conflict: The Mages of Saruun are putting the PCs on trial for the murder of the duergar under their watch.  The penalty: death.  Setup: When the PCs come back into town, Rendil the halfling approaches the PCs.  "The Mages know what you did to the devil dwarves.  You'd better get out of here."Complexity:  2 because we are missing players.Rolls: <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Accosted by the Brugg and Orontar.  "Come with us." If held in jail (presumed guilty), getting out.  Whole other chain!  There are no doors out - find the teleportation circle!</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">At the trial.  Details of the trial.  The prosecutor does not need to be in the truth circle.  He presents his evidence first, then the defender can rebut.  The prosecutor and his witnesses don't need to enter the circle of truth.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Ordinator Acanis: "What will the penalty be?" Orontar: "We are asking for banishment." Ordinator Acanis: "Your connection to the guilty is blinding you.  The penalty shall be death by arcane measures."</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">"Orontar, present your evidence."  Orontar: "Here is the result of my divination:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">"Were you murdered without just cause?"  "Yes."</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">"Who murdered you?" "Jace and his men."</li> </ul></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Orontar: "They callously used our ritual scroll in our strike on the temple of Torog, causing the deaths of three good men."</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Orontar: "Brugg, tell us: did Wexley defeat you fairly in combat?" Brugg: "Dey cheats!" Orontar: "Is this true, Rothar?" Rothar: "Yep - they cheated.  They used all sorts of magics to aid them, when they knew they couldn't beat Brugg."</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Orontar: "Brugg, tell me: did they lie to you about the entrance fee?" Brugg: "Dey did!  Dat one, the little pale one!" (the wizard)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Ordinator Acanis: "What do you have to say for yourselves?" Orontar: "You cannot call that witness to the stand.  You need to get clearance first.  Disrespect for our laws!"</li> </ul>[/sblock]At first they discussed going after the Mages, but I told them I had nothing at all planned for it.  This is acceptable in our game, so they went to the Horned Hold instead.They have a map of Thunderspire, so I showed them the two routes they could take: the quick and easy one to the main entrance, or the long and hard to find path to the back entrance.  They knew the duergar were expecting them (failing to catch the goblin who got away last time), so they decided to risk random encounters.Three checks, then, instead of one.  The last one resulted in the Kuthrik Lair.We pulled out a poster map for the minis game, I think, and the PCs saw one Kuthrik adult.  They engaged and quickly killed the one they saw.After that, though, things got tough.  The Hive Lord blasted them with its Acid Blast - not that the damage was that great, but the Weakened effect really hindered their ability to deal damage.In the end, the PCs had to pull out many of their Daily powers to win.  Malchior the Warlord went down near the end of the fight.(I kept pretty good notes of what each PC did each round, including damage done, and I'll post that later on.)Because they weren't sure what was going to happen if they went back to the Seven-Pillared Hall to rest, they decided to push on.  They made it to the south gate where they saw no way in.Bren the Bold, our halfling rogue, knocked on the door to get someone to come out and then hid.  The Ogre, on the alert (as is the whole complex), opened a slot to see who was there.  When he didn't see anyone, he opened the door, a cask of water in his hands.  He sprayed the water around.It didn't reveal an invisible duergar playing a prank on him like he expeected.  Instead, he got a halfling stabbing him in the nads.The ogre fell quickly (his 111 HP was only good for one round!) and the PCs were in.  But one of the orcs went to alert Murkelmor that the PCs were here, and then it was on.Things were going okay for the PCs (that is, only the Wizard had been dropped and none of the duergar were bloodied) until the Theurge got in there and blinded everyone.  Then the PCs decided they had to get out of there.They made a fighting retreat, but the Theurge was able to drop the Warlord just as the PCs had pulled back.That's where we ended off.  Next time I plan to run a Skill Challenge with the PCs running, trying to get to a safe place for an extended rest, Murkelmor trying to corner the PCs so he can sell them to mind flayers and laugh while the illithid feast on the PC's brains.</blockquote>

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