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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Goonalan" data-source="post: 8743947" data-attributes="member: 16069">Dark Squad in the Secrets of SaltmarshSession #097b: The De La Crane Manse. Dark Squad (in alphabetical order, no egos here).Daktari/Dak (played by Haggis) Male Human Uthgardt Sky Pony Barbarian Lvl 8New Tricks/Newt (played by Bear) Male Tabaxi Warlock Lvl 8Nicholai Barbaros Kostyiev/Nicky (played by George) Male Dhampir Cleric of Twilight Lvl 8Ramshambo/Ram (played by Kev) Male Half-Elf Rogue/Fighter Lvl 7/1Vincenzo/Vinnie (played by Haggis) Male Shifter (Wildhunt) Druid Lvl 8NPCs<s>Inverna Nightbreeze (played by George) Female Wood Elf Fighter Lvl 8 (Sidekick) </s>RETIRED<s>Garumn Male Mountain Dwarf Paladin of Moradin Lvl 5 </s>RIP*<s>Tarbin Tul (played by goonalan) Male Human Bard </s>RETIREDUbmo (played by Goonalan) Supreme Being Lvl 1 (When we remember) *Trapped in the Land of the Bad Dead Ancestors.Servants/FamiliarsGerald (Bat/Giant Bat) servant/mount of New TricksOwly (Owl) Vinnie’s familiarThe Dark Squad’s to-do list-<ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">The De La Crane Manse is on The Leap, and Anders Solmor would like the Squad to check it out.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Bonnie Bowspirit, grand-daughter of Rambles, will show the Squad to the missing halfling killer's tomb, on the 6th of Flamerule.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Find the other four Symbols of Ub, one was left in Deepbridge (Duergar fortress in the Underdark). The others need to be found, they belonged to- Rambles 'Shambles' Bowspirit (halfling killer from Lowhill), Antonio De La Crane (posh kid druid alchemist) & Giggles (crazy wood elf). All of these folk lived in the Saltmarsh region, the Dark Squad have found the De La Crane Manse (in the Dreadwood) and the De La Crane Crypt (in Saltmarsh Cemetary).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Nightshade is in the Deep Dreadwood- except she's not there any more, but a big red dragon is?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Blackedge and the Goblin Stair?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">To join the Pact of the Wild Flame prepare the Witch's Tor for the coming of the starfall, the Witch's Tor is in the Drowned Forest, in the Mere of the Dead Men.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">To join the Pact of the Wild Flame track down the last member of the Pact, a wild elf adventurer called Giggles- and finally put her spirit to rest, and also recover her maze button. Location unknown. SEE 2. ABOVE.</li> </ol>This is session 97b, and the Dark Squad are out and about again, they're adventuring some more.A four or so hour trek along the coastal path from Saltmarsh, tramping through tall grass and thick vegetation, uphill all the way to The Leap. A spot, the adventurers have been told, that in ancient times was where the wives (and sometimes children) of fishermen that had been lost at sea would go to to fling themselves, in grief, from the high cliffs. The sound of the rolling waves of the Sea of Swords is loud here, pounding into the cliffs below, and beyond The Leap, when they get there- the Dunwater River and the Mere of Dead Men is, even in the midday light of summer, obscured by a thick mist, a seemingly permanent sea fret.[ATTACH=full]258716[/ATTACH]The De La Crane Manse perches here, the place is a ruin, and... it's a bit, well, spooky.But the Dark Squad are old hands at this, and keep in mind that the adventurers are checking out the Manse for a variety of reasons- because Anders Solmor asked them to, of course; and because Teddy & Neddy Shakeshaft* (hired previously by Anders) are missing (perhaps); and most importantly because- Antonio De La Crane was a member of the Eyes in the Night. The Dark Squad have established- the Eyes in the Night were on this same quest some two hundred years past, they (the Dark Squad) are just the latest incarnation of this group of heroes.*Neddy Shakeshaft is a rough and ready weasel of a man, and with an ability to bypass locked doors; his younger brother Teddy meanwhile is six feet eight and big with it, and a member of the Saltmarsh Watch.Caution then is the watchword for the Dark Squad, and a little while later Vinnie and Daktari, working together, are certain that two individuals (one heavily armoured- Teddy Shakeshaft) went this way, they approached the front door of the manse but did not enter, it seems they circled the place (perhaps) to check it out, although the trail is very hard to follow.The Dark Squad follow suit, although this doesn't go entirely to plan- a little way around the rotten Manse, and with Vinnie somehow leading the way- following Neddy & Teddy's tracks, he's ambushed by a six foot long very angry giant weasel.[ATTACH=full]258717[/ATTACH]Vinnie leads the way.But there is an entire pack/family of giant weasels (and with '22' Stealth) and so lots of folk get ambushed, and a fair few of them bitten.Although, the enemies prove to be easy kills- Newt starts blasting while Vinnie and Dak try to stun the large (and territorial) beasts, or else frighten them away. In short order the few giant weasels left standing the Dark Squad's initial onslaught flee the scene.[ATTACH=full]258718[/ATTACH]A surprising attack, but not a testing encounter.That is until the ground beneath the Dark Squad's feet suddenly erupts, tangling vines snake around the lower limbs of Vinnie, Nicky & Ram- holding the trio fast.[ATTACH=full]258719[/ATTACH]A clump of bushes suddenly comes alive, a thick vine tentacle unfurls- shoots out- and grabs a fleeing Ram, who has only just managed to rip himself free of the tangling vines around his legs. The rogue is encircled, and squeezed by the vine-limb, a myriad sharp spikes injecting foul venom into the hero.The Dark Squad go through the gears very quickly- do you see the circle around the Vine Monster, that indicates Newt's inward facing Wall of Fire. Although, as it turns out, the monster is resistant to flames.Seconds later it also escapes the flaming circle, moving very slowly- of course, but the Dark Squad have things under control, and Daktari has chopped through the hefty vine that was clutching and poisoning the rogue. Newt runs all the way around the flailing plant to get the angle right, and Eldritch Repelling Blasts the angry flora back into his Wall of Fire, where it expires.Phew!That got nasty very quickly.But the Dark Squad are keen to get on, although Vinnie can no longer discern the trail now, he however figures that the Shakeshaft's went this way. Ram, this time, is sent ahead- following the tangled gardens all the way around the ancient derelict mansion.To a small decrepit slate-roofed well.The Dark Squad, of course, move to investigate- while the ever-so-stealthy Ram continues to circle around the building.[ATTACH=full]258720[/ATTACH]It's at this point that the two black-as-night giant (poisonous) snakes strike out, expertly hidden in the crumbling and cracked stonework of the well, the duo strike with surprise.But that's all we had time for, it was a quiet (and frustrating) session. Quiet because three of the guys were just back from some interminable 'rock' festival, and still a little worse for wear. And frustrating? I foolishly updated Fantasy Grounds Unity prior to play and once again all (or maybe just one) of the various add-ons (DLC) that I have installed caused FGU to constantly spew error reports.So, an error report every time we move one place forward in the initiative tracker, another one every time a player targets a monster (and vice-versa), another with every to hit roll, and damage roll, and saving throw, and...Frustrating.At this point, and after using FGU (and FG before it) for the last 10+ years (since I stopped using Maptools) then I think I'm possibly in the market for a new/better VTT. I realise I could just get rid of the DLC content I have installed but that's the stuff (atm) that's making FGU great- the stats tracking, the targeting system, the wildshape tools etc.Should I take a look at Foundry, people keep telling me to make the switch, or should I wait for the new Dungeons & Dragons: One-<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnPJQ6398Wk" target="_blank">Dungeons & Dragons: One - Official D&D Reveal Trailer - YouTube</a>Any thoughts?More adventuring in the De La Crane Manse next time.Stay safe and well you lovely people.Cheers the Dark Squad and goonalan.</blockquote>

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