Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="TheSword" data-source="post: 8108010" data-attributes="member: 6879661">Chapter One: Session FourThe Catacombs Beneath First Tower[Spoiler=Session Four]Waking from an uncomfortable nights sleep in the corridor of the catacombs, the party recovered their spells and strength. Nix has kept guard, one optical unit pointed to the corridor another on the repairs she had taken the previous day. Addyson made prayers to the Sovereign Host and Tharnlass sharped his newly found stabbing sword, amazed at the heat coming from the weapon.After eating, the party backtracked past the collapsed stairwell to the room of pits. They considered pouring fire into them or doing something to lay the occupants to rest, but worrying about ammunition and supplies they resolved to leave this for the watch as the zombies seemed contained.They took a different turning and at a door heard no sound so Tharnlass opened it. A bucket sized shape burst up from the floor on the far size of the room teeth snapping for Tharnlass’s throat. It was a human like head, bat like wings growing from where ears would be, and trailing fronds of viscera where it looked to have been torn from someone’s shoulders. Trying to zap the head or smash it out of the air it did graze Tharnlas’s skin and be felt a tingling sensation that his neck was stretching. He fought the panic down and Adysson batted the thing down with their shield and pulled the creature into the wall with their warhammer.This was again a dead end, a staircase, collapsed and blocked by rubble, led upwards to the town. This complex must have been much larger than expected. Retracing their steps a third time the game upon a shrine bearing a disturbing idol - a pregnant woman with a grossly distended belly and the head of a three-eyed jackal. A pool of oily water filled a shallow depression on the alter before the shrine. Trying to scoop the water out, Nix noticed with horror a spreading stain begin to creep up her arm. She scrubbed the water off and washed the stain with water but in her mind she caught flashes of a great wasteland, lighting striking from the ground upwards into the sky and red and black clouds rushing at amazing speeds. Shuddering she stepped away from the idol. Amazingly the depression magically filled back up to the brim.There were double doors ahead and no other way. Listening Tharnlass heard a small, scratchy voice muttering “she will return, yes she will, she will return and the mother will be raised up on high”. Opening the doors they beheld a great temple, fifty feet long. A small scaled imp-like creature in fitting robes and clutching a dagger was standing over a glowing pool, large runes around its rim. Seven-sided and blocky which instantly drew the eye. The creature slashed its palm with the dagger dripping blood into the pool. Though it’s eyes widened with horror as the radiance dimmed perceptibly.It turned and hurled a string of curses at the party in a language they couldn’t understand but the sounds made their insides curl. The fiend resembled the kind of familiar darker wizards often summon to aid their researches but she wore clothing and seemed to have greater command of magic, flinging bolts of fire. As Adysson and Tharnlass moved to engage her, another sin spawn pulled itself from the well of magic, skin slimy and pale.Gesturing to Adysson, the witch tried to compel him to drink the contents of the basin outside the room. Luckily the Paladin fought off the urge, striking back in retaliation. Mix flung rays of frost at the creature as Tharnlass fended off the sin spawn - resisting it’s wrath inducing bite. Taking to the air and turning invisible cause the party to lose sight of the fiend but it soon reappeared striking Adysson with witch bolts... sending streams of lighting continuously. Until Tharnlass and Adysson could deal with the Sin spawn and all three turned their attention to their diminutive foe. Their combined attacks took her down.Tharnlass took the witch’s dagger as it appeared magical. While Nix helped herself to its scrolls. Investigating the runed-well had a unshakable feeling she had seen these runes and that glow somewhere else... though she couldn’t remember where. Investigating it was clear that the floor had been cut fairly recently to allow the runic well to be slotted into place on the plinth. Though too heavy for them to lift.Heading back to the surface the shared the tale of the catacombs below, and warnings to Sheriff Hemlock about what he would find there. They also sold some goods to Ven Vinder and bought some further supplies. A local sage known as Broderick Quint was able to identify the dagger and a few other items. Though the book with the woodcuttings was a mystery to him. For 30gp he did agree to arrange for the book to be translated and copied by a sage in Sharn of Quint’s acquaintance. Both scholars of Morgrave University. Borderick also spoke of his theory that the ‘tower’ of First Tower was an ancient war machine designed to fling fire a mile or more. Though such ideas seemed far fetched.[/Spoiler]It’s been a while but the campaign is going strong. Level two definitely a bit easier to DM with twice as robust PCs. Changes for this area were easy too.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The vargouille was a direct lift from the monster manual, nice and easy.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The Erythnia the Quasit was a max hp Quasit with the spell casting of a level 3 Warlock. Spells invisibility, suggestion, witchbolt and mirror image. I gave her a scroll with 2 mirror images and 2 witch bolts.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The dagger was a simple wavy bladed +1 dagger.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The party left the well behind but It will be studied by Broderick Quint and will become more relevant when they return from Thistletop.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Broderick Quint had a unique magic item. A magnifiying glass that allowed the casting of the identify spell for 10 mins per day.</li> </ul></blockquote>

Verification