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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Goonalan" data-source="post: 4957766" data-attributes="member: 16069">The Friday KnightsSession 9- The Keep on the Shadowfell Part 3 Into the Keep.And so the Knights make their way to the Keep (on the Shadowfell), Lucan regaling them with tales of his bawdy antics the night before in the Inn, with not one, but two, of the serving girls. Several of the other Knights affect either not to care, or else pour scorn on the young Elven Rogue's kiss-and-tell stories. They're above that kind of thing, or else jealous of the rakish Lucan's charms.Which causes the young Elven Rogue to change tack completely, he calmly informs the Knights that one of those missing from Fallcrest is his brother, Dikkon...The Knights continue on, a little more reserved now- hoping to find the Rod of Ruin, to rescue Dikkon and the other prisoners, and finally put an end to this nonsense, also to prevent the portal from opening- to save the world, or at least their corner of it.Soon after they arrive at the Keep, a mess of fallen stones, search hither and yon and discover that humanoids, most likely goblinoids, have been this way.  There is a set of rough stone stairs leading down into darkness. A grim and determined Lucan leads them down.In play this week we have-Antaurea, Eladrin Ranger Level 1Astaroth, Human Fighter Level 3Cathal, Human Fighter Level 3Ignaran, Human Druid Level 2Immeral, Eladrin Artificer Level 2Lucan, Elven Rogue Level 1 [DM Interlude- some of the players are having problems being available for every Friday night session.]Into a rough and ready guard chamber, Lucan instantly spots the danger ahead, a poorly concealed pit trap- he calls a warning. However there are also, as of yet unseen, Goblins beyond the pit trap, out of sight- a hue and cry and the Goblin Warriors come running, a pair of Sharpshooters maintain their distance and pepper the Knights as they rush into battle.The Goblin Warriors are easily overcome, the one left standing after the initial clash is bloodied and back-pedalling furiously, all to no avail.Cathal and Astaroth are on the trail, the pair burst into a rough Goblin bedchamber, the other Knights rush to support. The Sharpshooters see they're outmatched and attempt to flee, both heading for a pair of rotten double doors, alas they're much too slow- one is cut down, the other captured.The fracas is livened up a little way in when a swarm of rats, bored of guarding the bottom of the aforementioned and assiduously avoided pit, climb out and harass the back marker Knights, however they too are eventually scattered- their gnawing menace swiftly curtailed.The Knights search the Goblins and the area, discovering a few filthy coins and a foetid supply of Goblin food and drink, alongside some horrendous Goblin lodgings. Stranger still are the scrawled markings on the wall, “I killed them, the shadow comes...”, and various others in a similar vein. Immeral declares them to be the rantings of a madman- Sir Keegan probably. The Knights spend a little time with their captured Goblin Sharpshooter- divine that Sinruth, the Bloodreaver leader of the raid on Fallcrest is here, and that the lair's defences are the purview of a fat Goblin called Balgron the Fat, apposite really.Alas Astaroth tires of the chat and brains the Goblin- dead.<img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2490/3726961066_313ffb7fd6_o.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />The Friday Knights receive a warm welcome to the Keep on the Shadowfell.[DM Interlude Encounter #24 [700 XP = Level 1] 2x Goblin Warrior (Level 2 Skirmishers); 2x Goblin Sharpshooters (Level 3 Artillery) & Rat Swarm (Level 3 Skirmisher).][DM Interlude- Antaurea has now enough XP for level 2, all he needs now is an extended rest.]The Knights head out, forsaking all other exits, they make for the rotten double doors to which the Sharpshooters were fleeing.They descend stairs into darkness, a maze of tunnels or so it seems, and then a light, a great arcane symbol blocks their path. Before they can properly investigate this new discovery, moans and groans are heard, from the south, the east... oh and the west- in fact from every direction except the north, from which direction they entered this maze of chambers.The Knights form a defensive line, as shambling around various corners and into sight come a gaggle of Zombies, Rotters and worse, the Knights retreat to the stairs and reform, to make their stand.Ranged attacks are the order of the day until, that is, the Zombie horde have them hemmed in on all sides, then the fighting really begins. Wave upon wave of the shambling dead throw themselves at the Knights but the line stands fast, the artillery continue to batter and burn, until finally the last of the undead have fallen.The Knights wait a while, catch their breath, and listen intently for any further moans and groans- silent; silent as the grave.<img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2552/3726155409_2e0bddf9be_o.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />The Dead Centre.[DM Interlude Encounter #25 [1040 XP = Level 3] 10x Zombie Rotters (Level 4 Minions) & 4x Zombie (Level 3 Brutes).][DM Interlude- Lucan now has enough XP to make level 2, all he needs is an extended rest.]The next half hour is spent in a complicated game of hopscotch, Lucan is sent leaping about, trying desperately to find a path through the maze, and avoid the arcane symbols that litter the route. Behind him Ignaran and Immeral put their heads together and use their arcane knowledge to make safe the the other, less athletic and acrobatic, Knights' passage.It goes wrong only once. Lucan mis-times a leap and ends up flopping flat on his face on one of the symbols, which explodes in fury sending out tendrils of dark energy, which in turn cause the unfortunate Rogue to run pell-mell into a long forgotten chamber. The rest of the Knights eventually catch up with him there.The chamber is decorated with the further bloody rantings of Sir Keegan, writ in some sort of fresh, yet spectral, blood; also within are the emaciated bodies of two of the captives they have come to rescue- the pair died of starvation, Ignaran confirms.[DM Interlude- 34 citizens to find, two located, alas both dead; not a good start.]Solemn, the Knights head off again, finally make their way to a chamber with yet another set of stairs leading down into darkness.They descend, there's a lit chamber ahead, Lucan quietly shuffles forward and takes point.The young elf finds his way into a guardroom, he knows this as there are two burly well-armed, and armoured, Hobgoblin Warriors standing less than fifteen feet before him, on guard. He swiftly turns tail, he's seen enough and heads back to tell his story.Moments later the Knights enter the chamber, rapidly- that is charging and screaming all manner of obscenities and threats to a person.Which catches the Hobgoblin Warriors out, Cathal sends one of the pair tumbling into a deep well the other manages to stay alive a little while longer, long enough at least to scream and holler and summon his kin.A pair of Hobgoblin Grunts launch into life and rush down a passage to the north, which is strange as the Knights are fighting in the south of the guard chamber, from another passage to the east more Hobgoblins come, from a door to the west and yet more... you get the idea.Soon enough a wall of interlocked shields and stabbing blades sweeps towards the Knights, from both sides of the well, the stairs- the exit, once again behind the Knights.Antaurea's bow sings, Immeral's Javelin takes to the air, Ignaran fires Flaming Fists, Lucan manoeuvres to get into position and Cathal and Astaroth slice and dice.Punch holes, eventually, through the Hobgoblins' shield wall and resolve.That is until the Spider appears.Spotted at the last moment by Lucan, the elf with the eagle eyes, alas just too late- the hairy beast, a Deathjump Spider, springs over the Hobgobins, and over the Knights; and almost to the stairs, blocking the Knights retreat; and then it has the audacity to take a chunk out of Astaroth and poison him for good measure.The Knights realign their aim, all effects and attacks are turned inward for a moment, and at the end of it all, in ten seconds, the Deathjump Spider is destroyed- from there it goes easy, not one of the Hobgoblins escapes the Knights' fury.[DM Interlude- damn Action Points, the Spider lasted a little more than one round.]<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3030/3726155691_eed10a2c43_o.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />Enter the Spider.[DM Interlude Encounter #26 [1120 XP = Level 4] 5x Bloodreaver Hobgoblin Grunts (Level 4 Minions); 4x Bloodreaver Hobgoblin Soldiers (Level 4 Soldiers) & Deathjump Spider (Level 5 Skirmisher).]The guard room and associated chambers are mostly empty, a few gewgaws here and there, a scattering of coin, and that's it.Exits to the south and east are located, the most travelled seems to be the one heading east; the Knights alas are starting to tire. Only three fights into the Keep but Immeral and Lucan are already low on Healing Surges, then again the young Rogue is only a neophyte at this adventuring lark (Lucan Rogue level 1).They head south- damn them.[DM Interlude- the Knights have made their way through the first level of the Keep's catacombs with only two encounters, this from a potential 12 encounters. Now, on level 2 of the Keep they are making their way, seemingly, directly to the finale of this adventure. I think I may have to put a stop to their game.]So south it is and into a much larger chamber- empty and dilapidated, once again the Knights spread out and try to discern which of the two double doored exits is the least travelled. West it is, and along another corridor, they've not met any resistance for a good twenty minutes now. The passage turns south and ends in a decrepit pair of metal doors, both very badly corroded, barely hanging on their hinges.Lucan levers one open and takes a look inside, the passage continues south and seems to open at a t-junction, not a sound...The Knights head in and shuffle down to the t-junction- east or west; the east passage looks to be only short, ending a little ways off, it also sports a number of empty looking alcoves, the west passage turns quickly and continues south.Lucan looks for advice, Cathal points south and grunts, the young elf nods and heads over, the rest of the Knights hold here.Lucan has gone a little way south when something strikes him as odd- the floor is clean, really clean- as if it has been swept regularly, he shrugs his shoulders- strange, and heads on. The south passage seems to open up ahead into another larger chamber.Meanwhile...Back with the pack, and Astaroth is squinting hard- intent on something down the much shorter east passage. The big man is having trouble making out exactly what he sees - every now and then the air before him seems to glisten slightly, as if the light is being reflected back to him off some polished surface.Astaroth is about to vocalise his thoughts, more than likely grunt and point, when Immeral and Antaurea spot the intruder- a large Gelatinous Cube is heading directly for man-mountain, that would account for the wink of the light.The pair scream warnings and open up with Javelin and Bow, it gets violent and bloody (or jelly) very quickly.And at the same time a pair of stinking shambling wrecks of men hove into Lucan's vision, he screams as the first creature rips a fleshy chunk from his body and hurls it at the frightened Rogue, a pair of Corruption Corpses.It's all action.<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3468/3726961836_f0aafe790c_o.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />More Jelly than even Astaroth can eat.Astaroth takes a hunk out of the cube before he is immobilised, grabbed up and sucked into the foul creature's jellified body. Leaving the big lug aimlessly flailing with all his might stuck within the cube, not trying to escape- trying to attack, dazed and burning up, courtesy of the creature's acidic secretions. Cathal and Ignaran, with a little help from Wolfie and the odd arrow from Antaurea, manage to keep the cube from progressing on to engulf any more of the Knights.Lucan and Immeral manage to bring the first Corruption Corpse down before it can do too much damage. Still at range, the second, already bloodied, shuffles forward into melee with the pair. Antaurea is helping out both fights, stood behind the Knights offering artillery cover in all directions.Eventually the second Corruption Corpse is destroyed, it expires in a foetid burst which delivers yet more necrotic damage to Lucan.Meanwhile the semi-subdued Gelatinous Cube is battered and bruised, more octagon than cube, it's lost corners in the fracas, and still Astaroth is caught within the creature, but not for long- the dashing Cathal plunges his hands within the beast and, with the big man's help, heaves him out. Astaroth's armour is scoured clean and worse, the acid has taken its toll.All of the Knights focus their fire and fury on the cube, and soon enough the terrifying jelly comes to a quacking-farting halt, and slowly implodes, melting into puddling, squirming globules.[DM Interlude Encounter #27 [900 XP = Level 3] Gelatinous Cube (Level 6 Elite Brute) & 2x Corruption Corpse (Level 5 Artillery).]And with that the ninth session comes to a close, four combat encounters and a good deal of exploring, with some nice work from Lucan checking out the way ahead, not bad for a first level character. Alas however, Lucan is down to his last Healing Surge, and has already made use of one of  Cathal's Healing Potions.The Knights gain 7313 XP to be shared between them, they just need to take an Extended Rest to reap the benefits.Until next time...</blockquote>

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