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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Goonalan" data-source="post: 9397186" data-attributes="member: 16069">Dark Squad in the Secrets of SaltmarshSession #140: Into the Mere of the Dead Men Part 5.Dark Squad (in alphabetical order, no egos here).Daktari/Dak (played by Haggis) Male Human Uthgardt Sky Pony Barbarian Lvl 9Fellowyn Silverstream (played by George) Male Eladrin Wizard Bladesinger Lvl 9New Tricks/Newt (played by Bear) Male Tabaxi Warlock Lvl 9Ramshambo/Ram (played by Kev) Male Half-Elf Rogue/Fighter Lvl 7/2Vincenzo/Vinnie (played by Haggis) Male Shifter (Wildhunt) Druid Lvl 9DEAD PCs<s>Nicholai Barbaros Kostyiev/Nicky (played by George) Male Dhampir Cleric of Twilight Lvl 8 </s>RIPNPCs<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>RETIRED<s>Ubmo (played by Goonalan) Supreme Being Lvl 1</s> EXPLODEDUbdug (played by Goonalan) Supreme Being Lvl 2 (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 familiarArchimedes (very scruffy & old, Owl) Fellowyn’s familiar.The Dark Squad’s to-do list-<ol> <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 Cemetery).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Nightshade is in the Deep Dreadwood- except she's not there anymore, 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 140, and at the end of this session we are still in the same fight- to be clear we spent four hours or so in game this evening and we’re still in the same encounter that started in session #139. Bugger.So, settle in- maybe go fetch a cup of tea and a biscuit (or two), it’s going to be very mostly pictures here however.The Dark Squad are in the Mere of the Dead Men, en route to the Witch’s Tor, as part of their penance (lizardfolk and genocide remember), and this is day five- the last day of their journey. Only they’ve found some ruins, fought swarms of ravens (as the whispering voice warned) and then folded space and time (maybe) to end up in some freezing version of the present, and being overrun by shambling undead.A horde of zombies.So, a typical Tuesday evening.[ATTACH=full]371318[/ATTACH]Here we all are again.[ATTACH=full]371319[/ATTACH]And here we all are again (again), obviously the PCs even with their darkvision, can’t see very far in the preternatural mist and fog, which is a shame because if they could- well, they’d see about twenty more zombies (all shapes and sizes) making for them.Nice![ATTACH=full]371320[/ATTACH]Newt has a new trick (although it’s actually a very old trick), the warlock has a Fire Shield (or else his version- Belphegor’s Fiery Hair-Shirt, possibly) on the go, he is therefore zooping about on his Flying Broom triggering as many Oppo Attacks as he can from the zombies, who- if they hit him obviously attract a swathe of fire damage in reply.He finishes every turn by blasting a zombie or two (when he can) dead, and thus sucking up another tranche of temporary hit points (Dark One’s Blessing).It’s a system.It works- but then again- it doesn’t. By which I mean lots of zombies are killed, while Newt’s hit points continue to drop.It doesn’t help that a few of the flailing zombies land crits.[ATTACH=full]371321[/ATTACH]Here we all are some more- Ubdug- the Supreme Being, you’ll note is dead (again). Before the end of this session Ubdug will get heartily sick of dying and coming back-“The ZEROES, Ram!”“THE!”“ZEROES!”When deceased, it seems, Ubdug temporarily experiences the Binary Plane- he doesn’t like it there- not one bit, he’s a ‘1’ in a sea of ‘0’s. Apparently that’s a very bad thing.[ATTACH=full]371322[/ATTACH]There’s nothing new to see here, I just like the layout of George’s screens.Oh, but the zombies are more or less all gone- deceased, we are at this point just over ninety minutes into the session.And when the last zombie falls…[ATTACH=full]371323[/ATTACH]The sound of clapping echoes from the freezing thick fog and mist, followed by the line- a female voice, and in common- “Well fought, but alas for you- no further”.A moment later, stepping out of the mist come four enemies-[ATTACH=full]371324[/ATTACH]A heavily cloaked human-looking woman riding on the back of a very big Chimera.And two of these guys-[ATTACH=full]371325[/ATTACH]Heavily armoured humans/humanoids- with glowing fiery eyes.There’s time for a very brief chat (only a couple of turns, in which several PCs- while chatting- quickly snaffle potions of healing).The essence of the chat is this- the woman on the back of the Chimera is called Rega Swarn, the Squad have never heard of her. The Chimera is called Ashbreath, and the newly arrived enemies are here to kill the Squad, on orders of their master.Bloody hell.This sort of thing seems to happen a lot.Their ‘master’, on enquiry, turns out to be “Death”, at least according to Rega who is doing all of the talking.Then, and we’re still in initiative here, Rega and her friends attack.There’s not much in the way of mucking about- and no more time for potions or healing for the Dark Squad.[ATTACH=full]371326[/ATTACH]See those arrows on the above image, they mark the direction of, well… arrows, that are fired out of the fog and mist and straight into Ram- both hits.Seconds later and Ashbreath demonstrates why s/he is so called, by engulfing several members of the Dark Squad in its hellish breath- a mixture of fire and necrotic hurt.Note, all of the PCs are still using Rary’s Telepathic Bond, and so Ram has marked the paths of the arrows that shot him.The other PCs are going to do the same.[ATTACH=full]371327[/ATTACH]Oh crap! As it turns out there are lots of shooters out there in the mist and fog, and while the PCs can’t see their attackers their attackers can obviously see the Squad.The Dark Squad are taking lots of hits.It seems they are in a fight and at the same time surrounded.[ATTACH=full]371328[/ATTACH]Newt settles a burst of Synaptic Static over the largest concentration of (visible) enemies, and in so doing temporarily illuminates one of the bow-wielding attackers.The strange looking human/oid wears leathers and and a hooded cloak, and an odd-looking (bone?) deathmask.That’s probably not good.So, the Dark Squad swing into action, and I’d love to say that this was a plan they’d made before hand but, I somehow doubt it- the Squad never tell each other what they are about to do.So, Synaptic Static imposes a -6 on a variety of things- saves and to hit’s included.The Moonboar therefore settles a Confusion spell over the same gaggle of bad guys.More remarkably only Ashbreath fails its save. The Chimera is confused.Seconds later Fellowyn settles a hemispherical Wall of Force over three of the Death-serving enemies.[ATTACH=full]371329[/ATTACH]Here we are.It’s time, it seems, for the Dark Squad to deal with the shooters.[ATTACH=full]371330[/ATTACH]And so, the hunt begins.[ATTACH=full]371331[/ATTACH]And so, some more…A short while later the Squad note that all is not well within the Wall of Force bubble- Rega seems to be pushing around the glowing-eyed armoured fellow.More remarkably for the next six or so turns Vinnie rolls on the Confusion spell effect table and gets- ‘does nothing’ every time for the Chimera.Ashbreath is having a rest it seems.Rega Swarn is getting more annoyed all the while.Oh, the other fiery-eyed sword wielding foe, bereft of support, is cut down quickly by the rest of the Squad.[ATTACH=full]371332[/ATTACH]Newt heads out into the dark, hunting the arrow firing attackers, down at the bottom of the above image Ram does something similar.[ATTACH=full]371333[/ATTACH]The Dark Squad disperse, and hunt.At some point, and keep in mind there are dozen of these bow-wielding enemies hidden in the miasma, Ram gets bloodied and…[ATTACH=full]371334[/ATTACH]Were-Ram is back into action.Note in the image above Newt is down to just six or so hit points.It seems the Flying Warlock is presenting a favourable target for the artillery.[ATTACH=full]371335[/ATTACH]A few things to note- the Moonboar (Vinnie) is down to ten or so hit points, as is Daktari. Newt’s been on very low hit points for the last two turns. He keeps on killing the archers and topping up his temporary hit points however.Also, Rega Swarn has killed the glowy-eyed warrior that was trapped in the Wall of Force bubble with her.That’s not nice.She decapitated the poor bugger.Ashbreath is, of course, still just sitting and doing nothing.And then… at bloody last.Vinnie rolls on his Confusion spell table one more time and Ashbreath, ‘acts as normal’ this turn.Rega leaps astride the great beast and PING!Oh, and Rega has also managed to throw off the effects of Newt’s Synaptic Static- she’s all ready to roll.[ATTACH=full]371336[/ATTACH]The pair teleport outside of the Wall of Force.The Dark Squad, less than three seconds earlier, manage to kill the last of the death-masked wearing archers.And then, all of them, grab out more potions of healing, or healing spells (the Moonboar).Just as Ashbreath and Rega pop out of the Force bubble to continue their visit with the Squad.[ATTACH=full]371337[/ATTACH]Ubdug who has not been in a happy place for the last ten or so turns, gets his revenge. The Supreme Being has been shot and killed every other turn during this time.Just to note, when Ubdug is killed he explodes- and then on his next turn he reappears next to Ram (wherever Ram is- even when he was inside a Froghemoth, remember). Ubdug however can perform no other action after revitalising on his turn.At which point he, of course, gets shot and destroyed again.Ubdug is therefore apoplectic.“THE ZEROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!”So, the Supreme Being leaps like a salmon and punches Rega Swarn in the face- a tooth flies out of her mouth.And…[ATTACH=full]371338[/ATTACH]Daki Kong, at last, makes an appearance. Polymorph courtesy of Fellowyn.Just to note Daktari, on every one of his last ten or so turns- since he has been bloodied, in fact, has been calling out to Fellowyn, again- every single turn-“I have a hankering for bananas, Fellowyn?”“Feel free to make big-big monkey out of me, Fellowyn?”“I am copying what you do- Fellowyn, or else you are APING me!?”Getting more and more insistent every turn.So, he gets his wish.[ATTACH=full]371339[/ATTACH]And we only get half-a-turn more of this, but it’s already time to end the session.Note, Rega is still on the back of Ashbreath, it just makes sense on FGU to put her token to the side, for targeting purposes etc.So, there’ll be fighting a little more at the start of the next one, and then... Stay safe and well you lovely people.Cheers the Dark Squad and goonalan.</blockquote>

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