The Mighty TBD vs Arden Vul

DarkCrisis

Spreading holiday cheer.
The continuing adventures (see older thread) of my OSE/BX game:

The Current Mighty TBDs:

Paladin
Thief
Ranger
Druid
Hireling Dwarf Dimli
Hireling Wizard Presto
Hireling Cleric Niko


Having started their adventures dealing with issues around The Keep on the Borderlands they eventually moved on to The Palace of the Silver Princess (original version).

After returning from the Palace to the Keep they took some downtime and while relaxing and healing and training they hear that a new Keep was constructed near an uncovered ancient city of Ardun Vul. Adventures from all over where already there seeking Gold and Glory. Not to be out done they quickly bought some horses and a wagon and set out to parts unknown.

Arriving at Azure Keep they set up shop at the local inn and the next morning headed to the nearby cliffside where Arden Vul sits. A giant waterfall cascading down the cliff near the staircase that winds up to the top.

The group takes a look at the nearby pool of water to see if there is anything in the churning depths but see nothing. After also checking to see if a cave is behind the waterfall, and find nothing, the head up the stairs.

On each side of the stairs are 2 giant carvings of the cities namesakes Arden and Vul. Warrior and Wizard. Arden in a kneeling position with her hand cupped on her knee as if waiting for something to be placed in her hand. The group contemplates swinging over on a rope but decide its to dangerous and head up the stairs.

A slippery path due to all the broken rock and tiles but the easily scale it up to a guard area about half way. They find a skeleton of a dwarf and make a cairn for him before taking his stuff. A nifty magic hammer and dagger and some cursed boots. And a couple of healing potions. Dimli gets the hammer and boots (they make you think you arent as wounded as you are).

Heading futher up the stairs, the Druid uncovers a secret door in the cliff side and they head in. After meany twisting tunnels they find a set of magically sealed double doors. A message above it read to name one of the 7. They have no idea what that means and decide to come back later.

In another tunnel they find a wounded wizard. He fell prey to a fire trap. They heal him up and in thanks he gives Presto his Bracers of Armor 8.

In another cavern they find a statue to a god that has amber gem eyes, Nearby are several dead scorched bodies. They decide to leave the statue alone. As they are leaving Cultist Warriors come in and attack! They kill them all but Dimli is wounded (but feel okay). They loot some arcane scrolls and head to another cavern.

They find some Beastmen fighting a Carrion Crawler. They aid the Beastmen who are appreciative and leave them as they take their wounded to be healed. The Thief opens a chest which is full of supplies like weapons and poisons.

In another cave they find a carving of a face on the wall. It's eye sockets devoid of eyes. Does something go there? They cut out and put in some cultist eyes but that does nothing? The Amber eyes of the god statue? To big plus don't want to touch it. Come back to it later perhaps....

Having no place else to go in here they head back to the stairs along the cliff side...


Next time! In 2 weeks :(

Was told they really enjoyed this first part. Love all the exploration and secrets.
 

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DarkCrisis

Spreading holiday cheer.
The group heads into Ardun Vul proper.

Stopping at the first ruined guard tower they see, they decide to step inside and check it out. Disturbing 6 Giant Spiders who take no time to put the Paladin on his back. Thanks to a sleep spell taking out half of them the rest are quickly put down. They get the Paly back on his feet and decide to go along the walls going East.

Looking through more riuns they find some Elven Rope (holds a ton of weight without snapping) and are pelted with stones from some baboons who have taken up residence in a ruined guard tower. The give it a wide bearth and continue on.

The check out a ruined building and find a hatch to a sub-basement and are attacked by a horde of zombies. Find some cash and jewels they head back up and decide to return to town to rest.

After 2 days rest and hire a translator to read the local language, they head back to AV and check out an obelisk that mentions something about returning life at midday. They also find a fountain but its very damaged and collapses in on itself burying some of the members. They are dug out and decide to check out a sealed up building nearby.

The door is Wizard Locked so they decide to climb the outside tower to a window on the top floor.

Inside they find some bodies one of which has magic leather armor which the Thief takes. They proceed down and the rotted stairs collapse unde them and the fall to the ground floor taking a bunch of damage. Luckily they had healing mushrooms from earlier and used them all to heal.

The search the first floor and find nothing amazing but another body near a hole in the floor that radiates magical darkness. Will they go down or up?

What horrors are in the basement? (It's Wraiths Muhahaha!)
 



DarkCrisis

Spreading holiday cheer.
Resting in a room in the Tower they soon find themselves assaulted by a Wraith that rises out of the floor. The battle is hard fought and 4 of the 9 are down in levels and HP. They decide to GTFO of this tower and run for the stairs.

3 more Wraiths come out of the walls but they run past and up the stairs, those Wraiths in hot pursuit. Luckily the dice are with them and they make it to the top floor that is guarded by the Minions of Thoth. Seems the Wraiths don't want to mess with them.

The group goes back out the window and decide to keep venturing on. Why not?

They head to the main temple and quickly figure out how to open the secret passage under the Thoth statue. They descend down and down and down before finally roping down into a pit filled with bones and treasure! A RoP +2! A cursed Ring of Prot -1! A gem that grants the owner +1 to Wis and Int! An a Pearl of Power 1st level! Not to mention gold and gems!
.....and DEMONS.

3 demons jump out of hiding and attack. Almost killing Dimli the Dwarf and Niko the Cleric before they are slain. Further back into another room they find a statue to another goddess and learn that by touching the statue in certian areas a portal will open randomly. It was already open to the Abyss...

The try it 3 times and each time the portal opens into a dark cavern with only their torches to see about 30 feet out.

They decide to head to the inn North of the Ardun Vul and rest there before exploring more. At this fortified inn they spend most of their treasure to get restorations and curses removed and but a few healing potions.

A lot of close shaves this time. Energy Drain is awful but fixable (if you have the gold!).
 

DarkCrisis

Spreading holiday cheer.
Leaving the Inn near the ruined city the group spies an island on one of the ponds and decides to cross over to the large ruinbs there.

From a guard tower nearby they hear yelling "Don't go over there its haunted!" They wave to the archers and proceed anyways.

And are immediately set upon by 4 Stone Golems. Are they peaceful? No and poor Dimli gets his bell rung. They try to attack but they don't have enough magic weapons and flee.

From the tower "We told you so!"

Meh.

They proceed south and search a ruined building. The Thief finds a trap door and opens it and 6 giant centipedes crawl out! She is poisoned and severely weakened! The group kills them all except one which the Druid adds to her menagerie (G Cent, G Spider, Panther).

They head back to the inn to get some cures and healing and head back to the trap door and look around. Inside is the missing leg of the Arden statue (the head is already at the inn) Maybe if they find all the pieces does something?

The Drow Scholar finds a hidden door that opens to spiral stair heading down down down. So they go...

Into a Wizards lab. An automation guard attacks but quickly dealt with. The take everything of value and find potion ingredients and recipes. They decide to come back and mess with it later.

Goign out the nearby door and down the hall they find a door that leads a bedroom. A large skeleton with an axe rests in a chair. On the bed is a dead elf maiden. She has several interesting items on her person....

So of course they go to take them which means the skeleton rises and attacks! It gives off a mighty aura which frightens everyone and they flee!

They come back and decide to try again. This time everyone but the Paladin flees. He goes toe to toe and almost wins but the skeletons magical axe is just to much and he is cut down just as the others return to avenge him.

They loot the magic axe and several magic items off the dead elf.

As they go to leave the room a Blue Dragonborn (OSE version is basically a fighter with a breath weapon) comes around the corner and says he saw them go down the trap door and followed them in. What luck, a new party member!


Dragonborn
Thief
Ranger
Druid
Hireling Dwarf Dimli
Hireling Wizard Presto
Hireling Cleric Niko
 

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