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Sand's End (D&D 4e Maptool Campaign)
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<blockquote data-quote="Rhenny" data-source="post: 5780647" data-attributes="member: 18333"><p>Session 13 - 1/15/12</p><p></p><p>Poised at the door to the room, listening to the chanting within, Karyak and Grimgold pushed against the double doors that opened into an antechamber to a larger room. Karyak uttered a prayer to Pelor invoking a divine shield for all of his companions. As they entered the room, they were accosted by two fierce skeleton warriors wielding longsword and shield. They formed a wall prohibiting the adventurers from entering the larger room. </p><p></p><p>The party momentarily forced the skeletons back by attacking them viciously. Karyak held forth his holy symbol to push the undead creatures back with a radiant burst of damaging light. Grimgold’s tide of iron attack also opened a gap so that Geyorg could eventually tumble into the room. As Geyorg scanned the larger room, just a 10’ behind the skeletons guarding the entryway, he saw a massive headless zombie carrying a brain under one of its muscular arms. 60’ to the east, he also saw Master Solius in the middle of a rune circle conducting the summoning ritual. He was guarded by four decrepit skeletons and another skeleton warrior. In addition, a deathlock wight stood atop a stairway that seemed to lead up to a pit of lava. In the center of the lava, was an obsidian pedestal with a glowing green gem fastened to a metal holder. The gem bathed the entire 100’ x 60’ room in an eerie, unholy light. </p><p></p><p>When the brain carrying zombie stepped up, it flailed its free arm with the strength of an Ogre, and smashed Grimgold, bloodying and knocking Grim to the ground. Then, Xaxis conjured his flaming sphere to damage the skeletons and the brain carrying zombie. Karyak healed Grimgold, and attacked with his own longsword to chip away at one of the skeleton warriors. Then Grimgold used his mighty axe against the brain carrying zombie and cut deeply into the beast. Geyorg, attempting to break Master Solius’ concentration and ruin the ritual, aimed his crossbow at the monk. His bolt flew directly toward the monk’s head, a beautiful shot, but before it could hit the monk, it stopped dead and fell to the ground. Geyorg realized that a wall of force was protecting Master Solius.</p><p></p><p></p><p>When the brain carrying zombie reared to attack for a second time, the party noticed that the veins in the zombie’s brain pulsated prior to its attack. A surge of energy enveloped the undead abomination regenerating nearly all of the damage it took in the previous round. Through the next few rounds, Xaxis used his sphere and scorching bursts to damage the enemy. Karyak hit a skeleton with his righteous attack giving Grimgold a divine boon to his next attack. Grimgold took this opportunity to swing his mighty axe in an attempt to knock the brain out of the zombie’s grasp. Grimgold hit the brain and it skittered across the floor into the middle of the larger room. Although this attack did no damage to the zombie, without its brain, the zombie could not regenerate any longer.</p><p></p><p>The party fought on for 4 or 5 more rounds. The zombie hurt Grimgold badly, and Karyak had to use his last healing word to heal the Dwarven fighter. Geyorg was hit by a skeleton warrior and a decrepit skeleton, and he crumpled to the ground, bleeding and unconscious. When Karyak and Grimgold were bloodied again, and Geyorg was unconscious, Karyak used his holy power, healer’s mercy, to bolster them. </p><p></p><p>Eventually, Xaxis was able to enter the larger room. Casting his shield spell, he risked his life by running past the brain carrying zombie, and two skeletons, all of them missing him with wild attacks. Then using his arcane knowledge, he determined that the glowing green gem seemed to be the source of a powerful corrupt magic. He also found as he tried to target Master Solius with his magic that the monk, indeed, was surrounded by an impenetrable force shield. He screamed out, “we must destroy the gem.” </p><p></p><p>All the while, the deathlock wight moved to fire “grave bolts” at Geyorg and Karyak. Karyak was hit, and immobilized by the necrotic attack. In addition, as the party cleaved and shattered the skeleton warriors, the deathlock wight reanimated one each turn to keep them fighting. Grimgold, continued to cut into the “formerly” brain carrying zombie. He cut it with villain’s menace, and Grim with help form Geyorg, brought the zombie down in a couple of rounds.</p><p></p><p>All this time, Master Solius continued his ritual. Karyak could tell that in about a minute Solius would be finished and he would call forth “The Harbinger of Orcus.” The party did not know what that meant, but they knew it could not be good, so they continued to fight for their lives. </p><p></p><p>Knowing that the key to the magic in the room was the gemstone, Xaxis launched a magic missle at it. He hit it hard damaging the gem, but not moving it from its holder. Then Xaxis moved his flaming sphere to engulf the gemstone in flames. The party could hear slight crackles and pops. Then, after using a healing strike to revive Geyorg, Karyak gambled with his life. He ran past a skeleton warrior, and a Monk Acolyte that had positioned himself on the stairs going up to the lava pit and the gemstone pedestal. Karyak avoided their attacks of opportunity, and jumped to the pedestal landing safely on the column in the middle of the lava pit. </p><p></p><p>The round after the zombie fell, it stood again and attacked Geyorg with a fierce blow. Geyorg backed out of the room to defend himself, hoping that if the creature came after him, Grimgold would be able to strike it from behind. Grimgold had other ideas, he attacked the deathlock wight and cut into it savagely. Xaxis blasted a number of decrepit skeletons and a few skeleton warriors with burning hands to clear his area a bit. Skeleton swords cut deep into Xaxis, but he remained standing. Then he moved his flaming sphere to injure the wight.</p><p></p><p>In an attempt to guard the gemstone, the Monk Acolyte jumped over the lava pit to try to kick Karyak off the pedestal. Karyak stood his ground, and the monk bounced off of him into the lava. Soon after, a skeleton warrior also jumped over to attempt the same maneuver, but again, Karyak stood his ground. His 300lb, Dragonborn body would not budge. The skeleton clung to the edge of the pedestal. After one of the skeletons attacked and missed the nearly unconscious Xaxis, he pulled out a healing potion and drank it down. </p><p></p><p>The battle continued. Karyak called to Pelor and struck the gemstone with a mighty Spit the Sky attack. The gemstone shattered into thousands of shards, and the green glowing light faded. Karyak jumped back down to help the others. Eventually, Grimgold cut down the deathlock wight, and then he moved to help take down the reanimated zombie with Geyorg. All the while, the monk acolyte climbed out of the lava pit, badly burned but still alive. Once he was out, he shook his head as if he were dazed. Then he stood his ground while scanning the room. It seemed to Karyak and the others that the monk was no longer controlled by whatever had been controlling his spirit before. Xaxis could also tell that the shattering gem caused the force wall around Master Solius to fall, so after they killed the zombie for the final time, Geyorg shot a crossbow bolt at Master Solius and hit him. With a little blood trickling from his wounded shoulder, Master Solius eventually stopped the ritual and asked, “what is happening? I don’t remember anything. It has been years.”</p><p></p><p>The party focused Master Solius’ attention to the undead that still lurked in this chamber, and together, they dispatched them before the undead could do more harm. </p><p></p><p>After the battle, the party spoke with Master Solius and confirmed that he and his monastery were possessed by the evil of Orcus and “The Harbinger of Orcus.” The gem was installed by another traveler, but “The Harbinger of Orcus” was there, and if the party did not shatter the gem, Master Solius would have summoned “The Harbinger of Orcus” back to the monastery. </p><p></p><p>Karyak and the others released all of the other acolytes and healed their wounds. As the group was walking back to Master Solius’ room, Master Solius said, “Listen,” and then he pointed to the front door. The front doors opened and then closed, so the group ran to see what it was. Only Master Solius could perceive anything outside. He said he heard a flapping noise like small wings beating, fading into the night. The party was upset. They had let something escape, but Solius consoled them saying, “Perhaps we are fortunate that we scared the creature away. I shall rebuild my Brotherhood, and we shall remain vigilant.”</p><p></p><p>Over the next few hours, the party shared all they knew about Lady Saterly, The Seal of Targus, and The Rune Box. Master Solius promised to help them. Together, they performed a ritual to disable the wards on the box, and Xaxis was able to open the box to find a magical inkwell. He believed that this ink could be used with the Quill of Zerik that Lady Saterly asked the party to find in the Inverted Tower where the Builder of Roads set up his own fortress (past the Bridge of Iben Ja and the Raven Road). Master Solius confirmed that he knew of the Mage Trust of Targus and the Seal of Targus. He suggested that the party continue toward the Inverted Tower to find the Quill and the teleportation device to Targus that Lady Saterly spoke about. It was clear that the danger from the Shadowfell was still great. </p><p></p><p>To help the party further, Solius opened a treasure box, and handed Karyak a magical holy symbol of Pelor. (+2 Holy Symbol) Then he gave the party 274 gp and a jade gemstone worth 100 gp. “I hope the holy symbol and the gold will help you achieve your goals. You must go on. You must find the Quill and help to repair the Seal of Targus. It is clear that “The Harbinger of Orcus” is growing stronger. I will stay here and our order will rebuild thanks to you.”</p><p></p><p>Solius invited the party to rest and restore themselves, so they did just that. Karyak was able to make some more holy water, and make one more healing potion to replace the one that Xaxis used in combat.</p><p></p><p>Each PC gains 450 xp for this part of the adventure.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Rhenny, post: 5780647, member: 18333"] Session 13 - 1/15/12 Poised at the door to the room, listening to the chanting within, Karyak and Grimgold pushed against the double doors that opened into an antechamber to a larger room. Karyak uttered a prayer to Pelor invoking a divine shield for all of his companions. As they entered the room, they were accosted by two fierce skeleton warriors wielding longsword and shield. They formed a wall prohibiting the adventurers from entering the larger room. The party momentarily forced the skeletons back by attacking them viciously. Karyak held forth his holy symbol to push the undead creatures back with a radiant burst of damaging light. Grimgold’s tide of iron attack also opened a gap so that Geyorg could eventually tumble into the room. As Geyorg scanned the larger room, just a 10’ behind the skeletons guarding the entryway, he saw a massive headless zombie carrying a brain under one of its muscular arms. 60’ to the east, he also saw Master Solius in the middle of a rune circle conducting the summoning ritual. He was guarded by four decrepit skeletons and another skeleton warrior. In addition, a deathlock wight stood atop a stairway that seemed to lead up to a pit of lava. In the center of the lava, was an obsidian pedestal with a glowing green gem fastened to a metal holder. The gem bathed the entire 100’ x 60’ room in an eerie, unholy light. When the brain carrying zombie stepped up, it flailed its free arm with the strength of an Ogre, and smashed Grimgold, bloodying and knocking Grim to the ground. Then, Xaxis conjured his flaming sphere to damage the skeletons and the brain carrying zombie. Karyak healed Grimgold, and attacked with his own longsword to chip away at one of the skeleton warriors. Then Grimgold used his mighty axe against the brain carrying zombie and cut deeply into the beast. Geyorg, attempting to break Master Solius’ concentration and ruin the ritual, aimed his crossbow at the monk. His bolt flew directly toward the monk’s head, a beautiful shot, but before it could hit the monk, it stopped dead and fell to the ground. Geyorg realized that a wall of force was protecting Master Solius. When the brain carrying zombie reared to attack for a second time, the party noticed that the veins in the zombie’s brain pulsated prior to its attack. A surge of energy enveloped the undead abomination regenerating nearly all of the damage it took in the previous round. Through the next few rounds, Xaxis used his sphere and scorching bursts to damage the enemy. Karyak hit a skeleton with his righteous attack giving Grimgold a divine boon to his next attack. Grimgold took this opportunity to swing his mighty axe in an attempt to knock the brain out of the zombie’s grasp. Grimgold hit the brain and it skittered across the floor into the middle of the larger room. Although this attack did no damage to the zombie, without its brain, the zombie could not regenerate any longer. The party fought on for 4 or 5 more rounds. The zombie hurt Grimgold badly, and Karyak had to use his last healing word to heal the Dwarven fighter. Geyorg was hit by a skeleton warrior and a decrepit skeleton, and he crumpled to the ground, bleeding and unconscious. When Karyak and Grimgold were bloodied again, and Geyorg was unconscious, Karyak used his holy power, healer’s mercy, to bolster them. Eventually, Xaxis was able to enter the larger room. Casting his shield spell, he risked his life by running past the brain carrying zombie, and two skeletons, all of them missing him with wild attacks. Then using his arcane knowledge, he determined that the glowing green gem seemed to be the source of a powerful corrupt magic. He also found as he tried to target Master Solius with his magic that the monk, indeed, was surrounded by an impenetrable force shield. He screamed out, “we must destroy the gem.” All the while, the deathlock wight moved to fire “grave bolts” at Geyorg and Karyak. Karyak was hit, and immobilized by the necrotic attack. In addition, as the party cleaved and shattered the skeleton warriors, the deathlock wight reanimated one each turn to keep them fighting. Grimgold, continued to cut into the “formerly” brain carrying zombie. He cut it with villain’s menace, and Grim with help form Geyorg, brought the zombie down in a couple of rounds. All this time, Master Solius continued his ritual. Karyak could tell that in about a minute Solius would be finished and he would call forth “The Harbinger of Orcus.” The party did not know what that meant, but they knew it could not be good, so they continued to fight for their lives. Knowing that the key to the magic in the room was the gemstone, Xaxis launched a magic missle at it. He hit it hard damaging the gem, but not moving it from its holder. Then Xaxis moved his flaming sphere to engulf the gemstone in flames. The party could hear slight crackles and pops. Then, after using a healing strike to revive Geyorg, Karyak gambled with his life. He ran past a skeleton warrior, and a Monk Acolyte that had positioned himself on the stairs going up to the lava pit and the gemstone pedestal. Karyak avoided their attacks of opportunity, and jumped to the pedestal landing safely on the column in the middle of the lava pit. The round after the zombie fell, it stood again and attacked Geyorg with a fierce blow. Geyorg backed out of the room to defend himself, hoping that if the creature came after him, Grimgold would be able to strike it from behind. Grimgold had other ideas, he attacked the deathlock wight and cut into it savagely. Xaxis blasted a number of decrepit skeletons and a few skeleton warriors with burning hands to clear his area a bit. Skeleton swords cut deep into Xaxis, but he remained standing. Then he moved his flaming sphere to injure the wight. In an attempt to guard the gemstone, the Monk Acolyte jumped over the lava pit to try to kick Karyak off the pedestal. Karyak stood his ground, and the monk bounced off of him into the lava. Soon after, a skeleton warrior also jumped over to attempt the same maneuver, but again, Karyak stood his ground. His 300lb, Dragonborn body would not budge. The skeleton clung to the edge of the pedestal. After one of the skeletons attacked and missed the nearly unconscious Xaxis, he pulled out a healing potion and drank it down. The battle continued. Karyak called to Pelor and struck the gemstone with a mighty Spit the Sky attack. The gemstone shattered into thousands of shards, and the green glowing light faded. Karyak jumped back down to help the others. Eventually, Grimgold cut down the deathlock wight, and then he moved to help take down the reanimated zombie with Geyorg. All the while, the monk acolyte climbed out of the lava pit, badly burned but still alive. Once he was out, he shook his head as if he were dazed. Then he stood his ground while scanning the room. It seemed to Karyak and the others that the monk was no longer controlled by whatever had been controlling his spirit before. Xaxis could also tell that the shattering gem caused the force wall around Master Solius to fall, so after they killed the zombie for the final time, Geyorg shot a crossbow bolt at Master Solius and hit him. With a little blood trickling from his wounded shoulder, Master Solius eventually stopped the ritual and asked, “what is happening? I don’t remember anything. It has been years.” The party focused Master Solius’ attention to the undead that still lurked in this chamber, and together, they dispatched them before the undead could do more harm. After the battle, the party spoke with Master Solius and confirmed that he and his monastery were possessed by the evil of Orcus and “The Harbinger of Orcus.” The gem was installed by another traveler, but “The Harbinger of Orcus” was there, and if the party did not shatter the gem, Master Solius would have summoned “The Harbinger of Orcus” back to the monastery. Karyak and the others released all of the other acolytes and healed their wounds. As the group was walking back to Master Solius’ room, Master Solius said, “Listen,” and then he pointed to the front door. The front doors opened and then closed, so the group ran to see what it was. Only Master Solius could perceive anything outside. He said he heard a flapping noise like small wings beating, fading into the night. The party was upset. They had let something escape, but Solius consoled them saying, “Perhaps we are fortunate that we scared the creature away. I shall rebuild my Brotherhood, and we shall remain vigilant.” Over the next few hours, the party shared all they knew about Lady Saterly, The Seal of Targus, and The Rune Box. Master Solius promised to help them. Together, they performed a ritual to disable the wards on the box, and Xaxis was able to open the box to find a magical inkwell. He believed that this ink could be used with the Quill of Zerik that Lady Saterly asked the party to find in the Inverted Tower where the Builder of Roads set up his own fortress (past the Bridge of Iben Ja and the Raven Road). Master Solius confirmed that he knew of the Mage Trust of Targus and the Seal of Targus. He suggested that the party continue toward the Inverted Tower to find the Quill and the teleportation device to Targus that Lady Saterly spoke about. It was clear that the danger from the Shadowfell was still great. To help the party further, Solius opened a treasure box, and handed Karyak a magical holy symbol of Pelor. (+2 Holy Symbol) Then he gave the party 274 gp and a jade gemstone worth 100 gp. “I hope the holy symbol and the gold will help you achieve your goals. You must go on. You must find the Quill and help to repair the Seal of Targus. It is clear that “The Harbinger of Orcus” is growing stronger. I will stay here and our order will rebuild thanks to you.” Solius invited the party to rest and restore themselves, so they did just that. Karyak was able to make some more holy water, and make one more healing potion to replace the one that Xaxis used in combat. Each PC gains 450 xp for this part of the adventure. [/QUOTE]
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