ZEITGEIST [ZEITGEIST] The Continuing Adventures of Korrigan & Co.

DM's Notes - Gale

Astonishing (in a good way) to find an encounter so heavily weighted against the PCs. Granted, due to player absence I had a party of just four level 10 characters (plus a level 19 NPC who refused to help) as I keep my group one level behind the advancement curve (so as to leave space for the extensive buffer adventures required by the glacial pace of the AP release schedule) but they aren't weak by any means and three out of four are ranged specialists. But they didn't lay a finger, or a bullet, or a bolt or anything else on Gale in five or six rounds of combat. Meanwhile, she beat the living hell out of them and even dropped Rumdoom. (Battlerager temporary hit points are no help if you can't attack anyone.)

That chain lightening spell really shouldn't be at-will. I used it once to play fair. But the little vortexes she summons are mean too, and the cloudwood fog power and penalties to ranged attacks are all very frustrating for the players who are used to getting their own way in combat.

I'd already decided that if Gale dropped one of the unit she would overcome her compulsion long enough to withdraw. I didn't want a full encounter here, as the fight with Ekossigan was just around the corner. But I also wanted to give full vent and rein to Gale's powers, which might otherwise have been overshadowed if she hadn't had the chance to shine on her own (which we missed because Leon went to meet her by himself).

The players were totally gobsmacked and unsure whether they should proceed. If Gale could beat them solo, what chance did they stand against her and Ekossigan? But being the brave adventuring heroes that they are, they pressed on. Who knows, maybe they thought I'd go easy on them? :devil:
 
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When I ran this encounter for my playtest group, the group got to the orphanage and tried yelling to get Ekossigan's attention. (After hearing Ekossigan's poem, one PC had written a limerick, thinking that's how fey lords communicate.)

The rogue managed to sneak through the trees and come up behind Gale while the rest of the party was causing a distraction and killing gremlins, and right when Ekossigan finished his speech, he garrotted Gale. He managed to get her bloodied before she was able to escape, and so most of her actions were devoted to trying to move rather than screw with the rest of the party.

And I had her break free from her compulsion once bloodied, but the rogue PC did not believe her. Gale had flown out over a gap with a 100 ft. drop beneath her, to give herself some breathing room, and the PC just jumped on her, garrotted her again, and rode her until she fell unconscious. They both plummeted 100 feet, fell to really nasty negatives, and only survived because the party killed Ekossigan and triggered his life bloom before they failed 3 death saves.

In hindsight, Gale probably should have just attacked the PC instead of trying to break the grab, but there are tactics and then there's what's realistic for a woman not used to having magic storm powers. Plus Ekossigan was doing a fine job tearing through the party in melee.

So okay, buff some enemy stats in the hardcover compilation.
 

So okay, buff some enemy stats in the hardcover compilation.

Which stats? For this encounter? I think this one's fine. But I guess it's more the terrain and the situation which Gale takes advantage of. She'd be less dangerous close up.

My encounter with Gale wasn't the full Gallo's school encounter, obviously, but the switchback trail encounter from earlier in the adventure. I'll be writing up the school encounter next. (So a slightly confusing title, sorry about that.)

Really like Gale as an NPC. Shame she foreshadows Kasvarina as much as she does. Is there a chance that PCs can fail to win Kasvarina over? I like the idea of a quest to restore the memories of a villain who then turns out to be just as bad as when they started.
 

Which stats? For this encounter? I think this one's fine. But I guess it's more the terrain and the situation which Gale takes advantage of. She'd be less dangerous close up.

Nah, not this encounter. Changing stats for some of the earlier adventures where foes aren't tough enough.

Really like Gale as an NPC. Shame she foreshadows Kasvarina as much as she does. Is there a chance that PCs can fail to win Kasvarina over? I like the idea of a quest to restore the memories of a villain who then turns out to be just as bad as when they started.

Thurston got me a mostly complete first draft of the adventure just now, so I'll read it and get back to you. But hell yeah, the plan is that you actually have to work to make her reconsider her life. Slightly harder than "It's a Wonderful Life." I'd love for her to betray you.
 

Nah, not this encounter. Changing stats for some of the earlier adventures where foes aren't tough enough.

The most obvious candidates from memory are Macbannin and Sly & the Family Stone. The former he because needs the chance to get off more of his fabulous hexes; the latter because one of my players managed to beat the encounter solo!

Thurston got me a mostly complete first draft of the adventure just now, so I'll read it and get back to you.

Fabulous news! Any chance gold subscribers might get a sneak peak before Christmas? :angel:

But hell yeah, the plan is that you actually have to work to make her reconsider her life. Slightly harder than "It's a Wonderful Life." I'd love for her to betray you.

Eeeexcellent! That won't mess up epic tier too much, though, will it? If there are two major alternatives, I'd love too see both explored fully.

Couple more items on my wish list: one - a reappearance (however brief) of Duchess Ethelyn, even if only as a source of information. (Like visiting Hannibal Lector in prison.) Maybe you have that pencilled, I dunno. Two - some kind of regrettable consequence of allowing the Family to take over Flint. Surely we can't kid ourselves that there's any such thing as a better class of criminal?

By the way: what happens to Luc around the time of the Peace Talks? Is there any way he might be released as a goodwill gesture at the outset? Seems to me that it would be a tough sell for the King to sit down for dinner and a cosy chat with Luc's sister - his own fiance - while the dude is still a prisoner.
 



Session 97d - Spring Returns to Winter‏

“Greetings. I am Ekossigan of Spring, devoted servant of the Unseen Court and protector of the ever-turning seasons. It is with much remorse that I come to your dull and colourless world, but I shall rid this garden of the dark seeds you have planted.” The mask turned to regard Asrabey, as driving rain began to lash the tree. “Ah, the guard dog of the Court. I had hoped that you would lend me aid, but I see your masters want me put down. Yet you cannot harm me, so the guard dog brings pups of his own. Do you know what grows inside Cauldron Hill, little pups? Step with me into the Gate, and we’ll weed the dark garden together."

From the dorms on the other branches came the nervous cries of children. Ekossigan’s mask seemed to grow more solid. “Opening the gate requires death. The fresher the flower when cut, the more beautiful the wreath when woven. Spring returns to Winter.” It was clear that he intended to sacrifice the orphans. Whatever his purpose, they could not allow him to continue his ritual.

More of his form began to appear and blue light beamed from every surface of his wooden skin. The temperature began to drop, and the fey lord gave a chuckle. The wooden mask cracked and fell away to reveal a smooth, white face beneath. The robe of leaves was now a robe of driven snow.

“Greetings,” he said. “I am Ekossigan of Winter.”

Ice began to form on every surface and the driving rain became a swirl of sleet. Asrabey yelled over the wind, "He has grown mad! You must stop him! I'll keep his army at bay!" A writhing mass of gremlins struck Asrabey at that moment, but his shield blasted them back, and a sweep of his sword sent dozens of charred bodies falling to the ground below.


Uru drew El Perro's pistol. It was already loaded with a vendetta bullet he had crafted when Ekossigan caused him to renounce his regalia. He fired. Despite the swirling field of misdirection surrounding the fey lord, the magic of the bullet caused the shot to hit home.

"You seek to poison me with iron! But I will rid your world of its stench!" With that, he exhaled forth a cone of ice that caused the very bones of the adventurers to ache. The pugwampi and nuglub resumed their assault and, out of the mists, two snow leopards prowled towards them across the walkway to either side. "Ah, my winter sentinels. Come defend your master against these mortals. The ritual must be completed."

Leon cast a spell that drove the fey away from him in confusion and sent gremlins spilling over the rails. Even Ekossigan fell victim to his subtle mind magic, but he remained upright when his feet left the walkway, and he hovered in thin air and, as he waved his arm towards them, the very branches seized their limbs.

"Your nation's womb will birth a monster!" screamed Ekossigan wildly. "A child of death sleeps in the hill. He must not be awakened. He shall not be awakened!" And the tree limbs squeezed viciously.


Gale landed on the rooftop of the school. Even as she summoned winds to beset the unit she cried, "Let them go Ekossigan! They fight against the same foes as we do."

"Then they must join us!" cried Ekossigan.

"I don't get this," grumbled Rumdoom, breaking free from the entangling branches. "What's going on? Are we on the same side or not?"

The pitiable cries of the orphans were answer enough for the rest of the unit, and Matunaaga defied Ekossigan with a carefully aimed rifle shot. It swerved in middair and struck Uru, whose blood spattered on the fresh snow and ice that now covered every surface. One of the great boughs holding the southwest dormitory began to groan beneath its weight.

"So many screams!" Ekossigan wailed. "How many have been sacrificed to fuel this thing? How many souls have died to create this abomination? What are a few more to stop it? You would do the same if you could hear those screams!"

More frost built up on the tree branches. They groaned again and the southwest dorm began to break away from the trunk. Rumdoom hammered at a pouncing snow leopard. His blow sent the creature over the edge where it plummeted to its death. Gale summoned a cyclone that picked the dwarf off his feet, while more pugwampi pounced on Matunaaga. One of the nuglub conjured a noose that pulled tight around his neck and drew him, choking, to the edge of the walkway. Leon teleported close to Ekossigan, but with an airy word the fey lord rendered him catatonic. The pugwampi were on him at once, biting and clawing.

"Asrabey," teased Ekossigan, as he felled Uru with sharp white claws of his own. "Can you guess who else is in the hill? Why none other than your dear wife, Kasvarina. You remember her, don't you? I'm afraid she doesn't remember you."

Asrabey threw the remaining snow leopard to the ground but held his killing blow. He lay a wall of fire across the stairs to keep the gremlins at bay and demanded, "Kasvarina? How do you know?"


"I have passed beyond the Gate and seen things no other has seen. I have sensed her presence, she who was lost so long ago. With you by my side, Asrabey, fire and ice will free her from the gloom. Why side with your pups? Look, they are too feeble to defeat me, let alone what lies within the hill."

Asrabey took stock of the situation - the unconscious forms of Leon, Uru and Matunaaga. He turned to face Rumdoom, the only one of the unit who remained standing.

"I must join him," said Asrabey. "Lower your weapon, dwarf." Rumdoom didn't like being told what to do, and the last time he faced off against Asrabey, back on Axis Island, he had defeated him. He glowered back at the eladrin and gripped the haft of his hammer firmly.

"Ekossigan!" Gale pleaded. "They cannot stop you now. Let them go and I will fly them to safety."

"Will you surrender?" demanded Asrabey.

Rumdoom shrugged. "I'm not fighting you, so how can I surrender?"

"Then will you retreat?"

Rumdoom cast his eye over the recumbent forms of his comrades. "I'll help this lot to the bottom of the tree, if that's what you mean."

"Very well," crowed Ekossigan. "You may go."

At once, lest the deranged fey lord change his mind, Gale swept the unit up in much gentler winds and softly spirited them to the forest floor.

Above them the tree cracked completely asunder, its frozen boughs shattered like glass, the buildings splintered, and the fragments were swept away to leave dozens of small forms dangling from ropes, as if the tree was still there. The orphans had been hanged, in accordance with the ritual, and their bodies blackened in the cold. Ritual complete, sacrifice done, the swirling winds took on the same black shade and eventually the roiling mass became a dark portal. Led by the bright, angular form of Ekossigan, and accompanied by chaotic music, hundreds of kiltering fey passed through into the Bleak Gate with Asrabey and Gale among them. Then the portal closed like a yawn in reverse and there was silence. With even the memory of the tree now gone, dead children fell to the ground like obscene fruit. It was just as Malthusius had predicted.

"That still doesn't count as running away," said Rumdoom.
 
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DM's Notes - Spring Returns to Winter

Had to mess about with this encounter quite a bit to allow for the fact that the ritual was underway. (Might have been nice to have some info that allowed for this, but I'm guessing a minority of groups will allow things to reach this stage.)

The party was soundly trounced a second time. I planned to have Asrabey turn on them if and only if they were losing the fight - so I pushed Ekossigan's revelations about Kasvarina to later and waited to see how the PCs fared. They did badly, so Asrabey sided with the only group he saw capable of defeating the Ob.

The players were very sore after this. And I still had one more nasty surprise left in store for them...
 
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Session 97e - Surprise, surprise‏

At 4am on the morning of Spring 13, Flint Unit B, cajoled from their beds by Professor Marcione - who was eager to ensure that they contribute in some small way to the Get Kell initiative - pounced on a clandestine cash transfer in north Parity Lake. They had seen Vander Lepage enter the target building in the company of two bodyguards, just as Falkrow the Fixer had predicted. They checked at a window before entering and saw just two more figures within - a clerk and his own burly minder, who invited Lepage and his men into a back room. They kicked down both entrances at once and swarmed inside, using the element of surprise to intimidate the criminals, who surrendered without fuss.

A strange smile played over the face of Vander Lepage as he raised his hands.

"I don't know what you're smiling about," said Ludo, approaching him with mage cuffs. "You won't get away this time."

"But it's always nice to see old friends," replied Lepage. "And there's someone here I'd like to introduce you to."

In the doorways behind them appeared a man and a woman. The man was heavily amoured, though his feet and hands were bare. The woman had an unruly shock of black hair, camouflage patterns daubed all over her skin and a shillelagh over her shoulder. The armoured man stepped aside to let another cloaked figure come through, ducking his top hat under the door frame as he did so. It was Lorcan Kell. Flashing them an malicious smile, he doffed his hat politely, and by way of greeting said two words that they didn't fully understand:

"Merry Christmas!"
 
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