FR, Mere of Dead Men Campaign, Monday night game recap

[Lurker]

Avenging a murdered family
 
 
**** All, I apologize, after the game I failed to save the notes so I lost everyone's character names and classes etc etc etc. I'll edit this ASAP
 
Cast of miscreant characters
 
Dealin Two-dragons, human - fighter
Aeschalon, elven - fighter/wizard
Elena of Tyr, human - cleric
Melchenar, elven - thief
Seamus, human (Ffolk)- sorcerous-bard
Tirian, halfling - druid
Alywine - human (Ffolk) Paladin/Cavalier - the newest member to the group, and apparently the moral compass they so desperately need
 
Background
Prior to Alywine joining the group, the party adventured in the mere, did various great deeds and ended up killing 2 dragons. I was not there so leave that tale to others.
 
After killing the dragons, the party has wintered at Sir Justin's manor - he is a minor noble of Waterdeep, a sponsor of adventuring bands and a protector of free peoples in the marshes. After the party killed the dragon, he provided them living quarters and upkeep in the manor house, then returned to the mere with a new set of adventures and guards to man the keeps in the area and relieve the watch that had spent the last 6 months at the posts. Unfortunately, an unusually strong winter hit early and Sir J... was delayed by 2 months. Alywine (as a knight errant - though untitled ) acted as his sergeant of arms and ... during the 2 months. In this time befriending the adventures.
 
The adventure - game 1
 
Upon Sir J... arrival back to Waterdeep, the family, ... friends, staff have a celebratory dinner. After dinner the adventures and Alywine leave the house to continue the party (and give Sir J time with his family).
 
We, having been generous with coin to the coachman, ride to the dock ward's most respectable  establishment, the "Honkin Donkey" ...  avoiding, much to some of the party's dismay, more notorious establishments and houses of ill repute. At the Donkey, coin bought good beer and wine, and our bard's tale of the party's adventure throughout the previous fall, along with being associated with Sir J and his well admired reputation, caused the wine to flow freely.
 
After some small time, and before members of the party were lost in their cups, we return back to Lord J's manor - notably early compared to what one expects from a band of adventures. Upon our arrival we find the gate & door both shut and bared and the torches lighting them extinguished. This set me on edge. As the sergeant of the guard, I know this is not right. There is always a guard on the door, but it isn't bared and there is always a light burning both in and out of the door. A knock on the door brings no answer. This further worries me!
 
One member scurries up the wall and then down the other side. Finding the young guard at the door, slashed bloody and lifeless. When I hear this I mutter out that we must get to Sir J's room. Before I can finish the sentence, the druid transforms into a raven and fly's toward the bed chamber's window. The rest of the party rushes to the house. 2 going toward the servant's entrance next to the kitchen and the 4 remaining going to the main entrance.
 
The druid lands on the sleeping chamber's window sill and peers into a dark room. Pecking at the glass to wake the lord and his wife. no response.
Those running to the back of the house - through the darkened manor grounds - find a bared door (both facts of which are abnormal).  They turn and sprint to a second servant's entrance on the side of the house.
 
Those going to the main entrance, find an open door and darkened entrance chamber. They draw weapons and go into the house, 2 going to the right and 2 to the left.
 
The Druid cannot peck loud enough to wake the chamber's inhabitants so returns to his normal form, and nearly topples off the narrow ledge. After a second or three of wobbling on his perch 3 floor above the manor grounds, he finally catches his balance and begins to try and open the closed window.
 
The 2 now at the side entrance find it open and as they go from room to room in the servant's quarters find only dead lifeless corpses where once was living, faithful servants of Sir Justin. The 2 run up the servants stairs to the second floor. At the same time the 4 that entered through the front door sprinted up the stairs to the second floor and toward the back stairs that lead to the family's living quarters - meeting the 2 coming up from the servants' quarters.
 
The druid finally forces the window open and leaps into the room. To find Lord J in bead with his throat slashed and his wife stabbed over 20 times. He runs out of the room to the lord's son's room, finds him also stabbed multiple times. He turns and runs toward the daughter's room.
 
As the 6 party members run from the second floor - which contains the friends and visitors' living quarters, a party member looks into his room seeing it untouched. He announces that this can't be a simple robbery because all their dragon hoard gold was unsearched for. They then sprint up the stairs hoping beyond hope to find a survivor.
 
The druid enters the daughter's room (as the remainder of the party begins to ascend the stairs) to find a disheveled room with chairs toppled and bedding thrown around but no corps. He turns hearing people running up the stairs and faces .... the rest of the party.
 
We stand in shocked silence for a moment and Alywine goes to say the last rights over the lord and his lady wife, when down below the hear the thump of a chair being knocked against the table. The druid turns into a wolf and leaps down the stairs, followed by Alywine and then the rest of the party. They sprint down the 2 flights of stairs and in the feasting chamber we see the chair knocked over. The druid, in his wolf form, scents the living daughter on the chair and the trail goes down the back stairs to the darkened basement. The party rushes down into the darkness.
 
In the gloom, the can make out, against the far wall, 6, 7, 8 ish form. One the white night gown clad lord's daughter. The wolf leaps forward followed by Alywine. The rest of the party spread out and goes forward more carefully.
Thus ended the first day of the game
 

[Lurker]

The second game

The wolf speeds forward, dodging the roguish/thuggish looking characters between him and the 2 forms holding the daughter. He leaps at the one on the left (and notices it is someone he knows, a servant that has been in the household for over 2 months). Alywine, shield raised and depending on his armor to protect him, follows suite and charges past the 3 thugs in the middle of the room and tries to protect the daughter from the chain mail clad figure on the left.

The fighter strides forward and attacks one of the thugs, felling him in a single blow. Then the mage sends a fireball into the middle of the room injuring the foes. Darkness, black and magical descends on those at the far end of the basement, blinding Alywine and the druid and hiding the 2 figures abducting the Lord Justin's daughter.

Alywine sweeps his shield around to cover the daughter, and feels nothing ... he pushes forward to place himself against the wall and after 4 steps finds himself in a dirt tunnel - but still in magical blackness. He calls out to the party that the wall is false and they have left the basement. He runs to the edge of the darkness and sees in the gloom the dirt tunnel continues on some 40 more feet before it turns sharply. He turns and braces himself at the edge of the darkness to stop anyone from continuing past him out of the basement. However, he luckily hears the soft click of a door being closed somewhere up in the magical darkness.

The battle continues between the rest of the party and the thugs, rogues and assistants (who were hidden & invisible) in and around the edges of the darkness. There were some comedy of errors as party member run into each other in the darkness, into the back wall as they miss the opening that Alywine called out to the party about,, Alywine's shield at the edge of the darkness. The fighter fells the thugs and assassins with each attack he can make - when he finds the opponents or they aren't hidden in darkness, the cleric smashes one with her mace, but is attacked by 3 assassins - being injured but not mortally, and someone shoots 2 of them from across the room with their bow before they can make a second attack on the cleric. Also, as the fighting winds down, Alywine hurries down the tunnel to find a dead end in an alcove with a nearly burnt out torch in the wall.

After the battle is completed, the party gathers around the door that Alywine heard close and lock. The thief checks it for traps and finds none, but is concerned about it taking him to long to force it open. Every second the 2 remaining foes and the lord's daughter get further away.

Alywine grins, flexes his fingers, incased in gauntlets of ogre strength, and smashes through the door. Finding it iron bared on the other side, he fraps one of the bars and twists it lose from the dirt wall. The door is flung open and the party goes into this -also dirt - side passage.

Alywine halts the party and they check to make sure there are freshish tracks heading down the tunnel, and one being the size of a young teenage girl. Seeing the tracks they hurry down the passage 50 - 60 feet and find a hole that drops down to the sewer below.

Alywine drops down and calls out that it is clear, but wet and smelly, the rest of the party follow. The thief and the mage (both invisible) lead the way following the walkway as it comes to a T intersection. Seeing no sign of there being a place that their quarry would have crossed they follow it to the left. The thief and mage leading the way, the rest of the party 40 ft behind.

60 - 80 feet later the thief and the mage halt, seeing movement across the sewer in an open landing littered with crates barrels and other pieces of debris and junk. The party hears their whispered warning (they are still invisible) and halts. They peer into the gloom and see .... smallish huminoid figures ... little more than waist high, skinny, ... fury ... rats .. walking on 2 legs ... warerats!

Alywine asks if this is a fight that needs to be made, reminding the party that every second they spend is a second further away the daughter and her captors is away. The party worries about the ratlings attacking them after they pass by or being in league with their foes, so attack it is.

Alywine leaps to cross the stream of sewage, and fails. sliding and tumbling before he makes the jump. Splashing into the filth. He wades through the chest to neck deep murky water and clambers up the other side. 50 ft away, the thief, successfully, makes a similar leap and crouches behind a column holding up the cavernous ceiling of the sewer. The mage, as the ratlings turn at the splash of the paladin missjumping, creates a wall of fire filling the mouth of the open area that the warerats are in - singeing 4 of the rats.

Alywine, after clamoring out of the filthy water, draws his sword, Eoten Egesa, and takes a defensive stance to block any rats that try and skirt the edge of the wall of fire. The mage then causes a shower of explosions and blinding flashes to leap from the wall of fire, stunning most of the ratlings and scorching one or 2 more. The rest of the party draws weapons, bows, and prepares for combat.

Thus ended the second day of the game

[Rigon]

Great write up.

Cast of characters:
Dealin Two-dragons, human fighter
Aeschalon, elven fighter/wizard
Elena of Tyr, human cleric
Melchenar, elven thief
Seamus, human sorcerous-bard
Tirian, halfling druid

R-

[Lurker]

6 oct game recap

Alywine raised his shield and looked at the keen blade of Eoten egesa, whispering a double prayer to Tyr and to Tymora "Give us strength and guide our arms to victory, give us luck and remove it from the rattling vermin" If the fight was to be joined let it be victorious


The words of Seamus echoed through the sewer as he chanted words of heroic encouragement . One after another the remainder of the party leapt across sewer. First Dealin then Elena and then the rest. as the last foot landed on the rattling's' side of the sewer, Aeschalon will the wall of fire to extinguish


Alywine turned the corner around the column and charged forward to a group of 4 singed and dazed rattling. He doping low behind the shield and plowing into the foes. Dealin following beside one, two sword swings left 2 of the 3 warerats bleeding and their soul traveling toward the punishment awaiting them in their afterlife. As he pivots to chare a 4th rattling cowering in the shadows (singed and dazed from the fire and pyrotechnics of Aeschalon he see back in the gloom 6, 7, no 9 more rattling off in the rear of the landing running toward the back landing of the platform. Cursing and calling out "Beware, there is more of the filth"


Aeschalon look over, seeing the pack of warerats running away, pulls out his wand and prepares a spell. Seamus sprints off after them.


Elena charges into the fray and swings her mace at the rattling fighting Alywine, and she narrowly misses the rattling, shattering the crate it was backed up to. Alywine smile and smashes its head with the flat of the blade knocking it cold and drops a friendly "see that is how you do it"


As the combat swirled, Melchenar, still invisible, turns from the shadow of the column he was hiding behind and sprints up the sewer walkway to the north. Looking to see if there is a way to cut off the fleeing warerats. Seeing the sewer turn back toward the east (toward the direction the warerats were running) he turns and sprints to cut them off and ...


Aeschalon 's fireball shoots from the end of the wand streaking across the platform and explodes. decimating 6 of the 8 warerats, Seamus & Tirian set about finishing the survivors. While Dealin with his sword and Aeschalon, after he pockets his wand and draws his bow, with his devastating bow shots, finish the rats in the area of the first melee . Then a blood curdling scream echoes from the north.


Melchenar sprinting along the sewer, seeing the point where the warerats would flee to, seeing the burning wish of the fireball exploding, runs into a clear malleable gelatin like wall, acid singes him on contact. A gelatinous cube, fearing for his life, he turns to run and 5 steps later runs into another. 2 of the acidic blobs looking to pen him between them. He screams


Seamus turns from his butchers work and run toward the thief's scream, and see nothing . He run north out the side of the barricade that the warerats were fleeing toward. Looking for the (invisible) source of the screams. as he approaches he hears "No watch out it is right there, don't come this way!" Still seeing nothing.


Dealin Elena & Tirian run to the north east to help Seamus search for their invisible friend and his unseen attackers. Aeschalon runs up the sewer walkway, following the same path that the invisible their took. Quickly followed by Alywine after he securely tied the unconscious ware rat.


Melchenar now realizing he was invisible, pops into view and continues to try and back track away from the 2 cubes. Then one sensing more food behind itself, turns from the fleeing thief toward Seamus, Tirian , Elena, and Dealin . However, they being prepared were no easy meal. Sword mace and bow (more devastating shots) quickly eliminate it.


Alywine turns the corner and see the thief back tracking toward them from some unseen foe. Then more arrows fly and the second cube shutters to a limp stop.


The warerat wakes to Alywine snapped finger under his pointed snout.

"You are a vile creature, and you are injured. If I release you, your fate would be that the few remaining members of your pack would kill and eat you. However, that does not have to be your fate. You can decide to follow to a different and less painful outcome. All you have to do is answer the questions without deceit or lies. Elena here is god blessed and will know your lie if you do. If you do so you will pay for it. Now, there were three"


The rattling cuts of the question with the false belief that Alywine's promise was empty, and insults and threatens the poor knight errant. A gauntleted fist ends the insult


A few minutes later snapped fingers again wake up the warerat. "Again, you are now choosing your fate. Your words are the steps you are following. There were 3 humans running through the sewer. 1 young lady, 2 men. Did you see them, which way did they go?"

More insults and empty threats. A booted foot pushes the ware rat back toward Dealin. "He is yours for a moment or 2. He chose his fate so be it"


Dealin comments dryly "You know I hear your type can regrow even grievous injuries. Is that true?" the warerat blinks in confusion. Then a keen edged sword flashes out and removes one of the rattling's paw/hands. The Warerat screams. Then "You know, if it will regrow 1 it may be able to regrow 2!" A second sword strike leave the warerat handless.


Alywine raises a hand. "Now, this is your 3rd chance. Answer the question. Three humans, 1 young lady, 2 men. Which way?" As he spoke he dragged the bleeding and squirming warerat across the landing toward the NE (to the remains of the gelatinous cube). "You will bleed to death if you do not regenerate. If you do there would be no payment for your choices. So, we may not see if you can regenerate from a sword wound. If you are still injured when we release you, you will be food for your pack. Now answer the question. This is your last chance."


The warerat, smelling the acid still potently in the dead cube. Scream out "You won't stop the master no matter what" and pushes out of Alywine's hands and leaps into the cube.


Alywine, smiles sadly and shrugs. Reaching in to the cube, with gauntleted hands, and pulls out the now acid burned warerat. "No, you mistake your fate. If it isn't to answer it is also not a fast - though painful -fate of death. It will be a slower course. "


Seamus (who this time had been searching the sewer for tracks) calls out. "I found something. Yes, a boot track here. There is a slipper sized track. They went this way!" Pointing off to the gloom y east.


Alywine, shrugs "Rattling, your choices, your fate. Gods speed you to it" and drops the rattling into the filthy sewer. He doesn't bother to turn back as the warerat's cries and curses demines as it bobs in the filth and in weakness cannot escape the filthy water, slowly sinking.


The party runs off to the east. Seamus leading the group searching the sewer floor for tracks and signs. Alywine watching to make sure he doesn't stumble into another cube, or some other creature drawn to the filth of Waterdeep's sewers. 100 yards, 200 yards, on they go, leaping ( and again Alywine falling) over branches of the sewer. But the track remained follow able.


As the party tracks through yet one more open area with a sewer drain in the middle, following the tracks around the drain to the south side, Melchenar whispers out "look at that" pointing toward the porticused wall to the south.


At the edge of light, the party sees thick, new white spider webs ..., and where there are spider webs, there are spiders. Giant aggressive spiders!


Alywine again rises shield and runs around to the end of the opening of the eastern most porticos with Dealin following behind heading to the right side of the same opening. As the get into position a huge spider, as large or larger than a horse, emerges from the webs and scrambles to the NNE (unaware they Knight errant and fighter were both in position. The knight errant swings first, sinking Eoten egesa deep into the spiders side. Dealin follow and two powerful sword swings later leaves the spider dead, curled on the floor.


Tirian yells out, "There is more back there !" and Aeschalon draws his bow and firs twice through the thick webs. Hitting home, but not falling the spider.


Three other spiders, one with 2 arrows sticking from its side, hidden in the webs surge out toward the opens and the remainder of the party readies themselves near Alywine & Dealin. Swords slash, mace crash, arrows and sling stones whiz through the air, and the melee is joined. a short time later, the spiders have all followed the 4th toward what ever afterlife a spider travels to.


Seamus and Alywine, again search for a trail to follow as the majority of the party began to search the spiders webs and layer for any loot - finding none nor finding any corps of victims of the spider. They had recently built their layer there ...


Seamus picks up the trail and follows it to a ladder leading up to a closed, but unlocked grate. Melchenar scrambles up the ladder, checks the grate for traps, greases the hinges and then quietly swings the grate up.


Stepping out of the hole, Melchenar finds himself in a dark alleyway across the street from a nondescript tavern/inn in a poorer area of Waterdeep. He calls down to the party, all clear. One after another, the party immerges out of the gloom of the sewer.


Unfortunately, the area is coble stoned and Seamus can find no trail. Confused looks are followed by shrugged shoulders and the inn is point out as the most likely place the kidnapers would go to. However, the party is in no shape to go into a tavern, low class or not. Being sewer, blood, and spider ichors covered as the majority of the party is. Tirian casts create water over one of the party members to their surprise, but the effect works, one after another water appears over a party ember and splashes down, nominally cleaning the worst of the mess off the party members.


The party, except for Melchenar & Alywine turn to go through the front door of the tavern. Melchenar slinks back into the shadows and again becomes invisible. Alywine looks toward the rear of the tavern to see if there is a back door, servants entrance or stable yard.

[Rigon]

This game sounds like it is fun. Wish I could play in it.

R-

[Lurker]

This game sounds like it is fun. Wish I could play in it.

R-

Yeah it is a fun game & group. You'll have to ask the DM if he has extra room for 1 more player.

[Rigon]

This game sounds like it is fun. Wish I could play in it.

R-

Yeah it is a fun game & group. You'll have to ask the DM if he has extra room for 1 more player.

I don't know, I hear the CK is a bit of an arse.

R-

[Lurker]

I don't know, I hear the CK is a bit of an arse.

R-

Yeah, almost as bad as the up tight stick in the mud goodie two shoes that is playing the Paladin

[Kayolan]

Notice that the elven thief never fell into the sewer water.

Though he did scream like a girl when he walked into the first and then second gelatinous cube.

[Lurker]

Notice that the elven thief never fell into the sewer water.

Though he did scream like a girl when he walked into the first and then second gelatinous cube.

I tried to selectively edit the type of scream it was

[Lurker]

Alywine & Seamus trot across the street and duck down the side alley separating the tavern from the surrounding buildings. In the gloom they make their way around to the back of the inn. A stable door - locked and barred from the inside. However, Alywine does not hear the sounds of recently disturbed horses from the stable - a sign that would show their quarry had passed through the inn and ridden on. Seamus put a ward on the stable door to alert us if it was disturbed, and the 2 follow the alley way around the building and walk around the rest of the inn - glancing into the windows as the passed by.



Meeting the rest of the party and then as a group - except for Tirian who remained outside the main door hidden in the shadows - boldly walked into the common room. The group splits up, Dealin & Seamus going up to the bar, Elena sets at a table and Alywine goes to the back corner of the bar and lifts the head of the 'Ole drunk' with his head down in his cups. He offers to buy the drunk a cup of ale, starts spinning a tale of the group spending the evening looking for a stolen 'filly' from the party's lord and master. "Which lord ?" is asked by one of the patrons. "Sir Malroy" - followed by a quiet under the breath "is a lord I've previously served" comes the answer. "Who, I don't recognize his name?" Alywine answers "He is a minor lordling from the Moonshaes. That is where I hale from and the travels have brought me here" All of which is true and so the Paladin did not lie in the answers. It is the patrons fault for not paying attention and hearing the 'previously served' remark, assuming the filly referred to a horse and not the young lass the party is trying to rescue, and assuming the 'travels' referred to Malroy and party and not Alywine himself.



The reference to Moonsae lead Seamus to open up with a bard's song from the island (he also being from the isles - but a different area than Alywine). The song and the ale paid for by Alywine's gold brings the majority of the patrons (6 out of 10) to the bar.



All this time, using the cover of Alywine's tale and Seamus 's song as noise cover, Melchenar & Aeschalon have been exploring the remainder of the inn - they being invisible. They find a stable with sleeping horses, a store room and kitchen, and even a real ice room - showing the quality of the inn. As the further explored the rear of the inn (a private feasting hall) Melchenar makes a noise. From nowhere, an invisible hand flings flour. Swords are drawn and 2 invisible foes have surrounded Melchenar. Who is now invisible but covered in flour - Aeschalon being halfway up the stairs is not yet in the fray. 2 against 1, Melchenar is fighting for his life. Aeschalon turns and fires 2 arrows from the stairs - becoming invisible - and fells one of the 2 thugs fighting Melchnar . However, Aeschalon now being now visible, a sword slashes at him from the top of the stairs (A third invisible thug). Now the fight is 3 to 2 with but with one of the three twitching on the floor with 2 arrows out of his back and soon to be traveling to the final judgment.



Aeschalon leaps from the stairwell, and out of sword range of the opponent above him on the stairs, and prepares a spell. Melchenar is finally able to finish the second opponent that had had him surrounded. As the last (visible) opponent charges down the stairs, Aeschalon casts web. Unfortunately, the thug was able to avoid being tangled, but he was now surrounded, and slowed, by the spell's effects. The opponent, seeing the elf and the rogue at the foot of the stairs, readying to attack him, begins to inch his way up the stairs, luckily avoiding the strands of the web, and escapes up the stairs to the floor above.



Melchenar dust off the flour covering him, and the 2 become invisible and make their way up the stairs . They see a hallway with door on each side spaced along the hall. Silently Melchenar moves down the hall and begins to check the doors, listening, then opening them. As he checks the door, one is kicked open from the inside and as the door swings out an thug leaps out sword in hand. He is followed by 4 others from room down the hall. Melchenar remaining invisible, decided 5 to 2 odds are not acceptable, so he meets Aeschalon at the head of the stairs and the two (both still invisible) make their way down the stairs and back into the common room of the inn.



As the 2 had been fighting for their lives in the back of the inn, the remainder of the party had been in the common room, unaware that the game was afoot. Elena setting by herself, had cast detect magic and surveyed the room, seeing no magic on the patrons. Alywine, while feigning a somber remembrance of his home island, and peering into his cup, had also used his detect evil ability. Seeing every patron in the bar, including the 'ole drunk passed out in the corner' , glow a deep angry red. Evil, every one of them. The only person not so was the bar tender.



Aeschalon whispers into Elena 's ear that we need to leave, as Melchenar moves toward the door. She stands and announces that "We need to return to the search for the ... filly" and heads to the door. As she moves, the drunk in the corner stands and begins to mumble and call out to his 'long dead wife' and stumbling towards Elena. Alywine, knowing they were all evil, expects him to be an assassin so intervenes in his stumbling advance.



Alywine gently puts his arm around the 'drunk' and redirects his stumbling walk away from the party's Cleric of Tyr. As Alywine moves the drunk, his mumbling change for drunk slurred words to an arcane chant. Alywine grabs tightly a hold of his shoulder and draws his dirk, but the spell caster was faster. A magical light appears in the Paladin's eyes, blinding him. Alywine stabs, but misses. However, his grip is strong enough that the spell caster can't break free. Alywine bellows out "By Tyr, Tymoria, and for the lord's fallen family, Draw and play the butcher's game".



Throughout the inn, weapons are drawn and the chaos of combat fills the common room. First, the bartender screams and falls hiding under the bar. 3 thugs attack Seamus eventually forcing him of the bar and to defend himself behind the bar. 3 others attacking Dealin, 3 try and surround Elena - however, Alywine eventually forces himself between one of them and her back - dragging the resisting mage with him. Alywine has hands on the mage; however, with the blinding light he can never hit home with his dirk, but at least he is able to keep the mage busy and unable to cast more spells.



Aeschalon casts a fire ball into the thugs, injuring 4 and killing another. Then jumps on a table and fires an arrow into one of the thugs besting Seamus . After the fireball explodes, Tirian enters the common room and creates a mist to block the view of the foes on one side of the room. He then moves over to fight one of the thugs who were trying to surround and overpower Dealin.



Swing after swing, blow after blow, the thugs slowly overpower Seamus and even injure Elena. Surprisingly, the thugs have a second spell caster, who is successful in holding Aeschalon (stopping his arrows from felling more of the thugs)



Finally, the flow of the fight slowly swings toward the party. Dealin kills 1, 2, 3, thugs (relieving Seamus from the numerous attacks that were wearing him down). Alywine finally kills the first spell caster, ending the blinding light spell, and is able to more effectively help Elena . Tirian kills the second spell caster, freeing Aeschalon . Melchenar stabs another thug bringing him down. Round after round the fight goes on but the tugs are overpowered.



The butchers bill. Seamus hurt badly, but receives healing from Alywine. Elena & Melchenar injured but not critically, and all spell casters dangerously low on their spells (except for Alywine who has a hand full of low level cleric spells saved for emergency healing).



Alywine, takes a deep breath and then ....

[Lurker]

Guys, I hate that this is an abridged 'recap'. I did a good in-depth write up yesterday and today during lunch. However, our IT guy here at the Academy decided to do an upgrade, during the day instead of at night when none of us are actually on the computers and using them... This deleted my recap, 3 reports on cadets' positive progress in their work, and one who is regressing as he builds an immunity to his latest ADHD preventative drugs. So, I've had to scramble to redo all that work. So, I have to cut corners on the recap.



The Short of it:



We used soft integration methods on the inn keep, got info that there was 7 - 8 others up stairs, they did have a girl with them earlier, she wasn't resisting coming with them, they talk quietly about "The Master" but he doesn't know who they are talking about, they refer to a place out of city to the north.



Alywine put together a quick plan on how to avoid stumbling into an ambush of invisible foes - involving our own invisible team mates, his detect evil to see (at least in a general location) if the opponents, and a bag or 3 of flour to help mark the invisible foes.



The plan worked - to a point. Unfortunately, his tossed flour missed the mark, but the thugs and kidnapers knew they were spotted. 1, 2, thugs Attacked Alywine and then 4 thugs charged down the hall. Seamus & Dealin ran up the stairs - after receiving the benefits of a magical pipe of heroism - and joined the fray.



Tirian cast bark skin on Alywine, and then Alywine feels the grip of 'hold person' wash over him but shakes the spell effect off as a figure in the corner of the far end of the hall came into view - after casting the spell. Next the newly visible castor caused silence to descend on the melee



The fight went on in silence ... Alywine eventually falling one of the thugs, Tirian hitting one with heat metal, and then using sling stone after stone to whittle down the thugs, and Dealin's sword and Aeschalon's bow felling thug after thug. Before the fight finishes, another foe appears at the end of the hall, again casting hold person, and this time successfully holding his target - Dealin.



Just as the last thug falls, Alywine gasps -silently - as from behind a shorts word stabs out of nowhere. He is able to avoid the full effect of the assassin's killing blow but takes significant damage. However, the assassin, now visible and surrounded by the party soon falls.



The 2 remaining spell casting kidnapers turn and run into the 2 rooms at the far end of the hall. Alywine motions to Melchenarto go outside and use his thief abilities to quickly check the windows, .Tirian & Seamus quickly searches the rooms down the hall, to make sure no foes are given an easy back attack as the party passes.



Then from the end of the hall, 2 crashes of windows being shattered. Alywine, despite his injuries sprints down the hall, followed closely by Aeschalon . Seamus is just a few steps behind . Alywine signals he will take the door on the left and Aexchalon readies his bow and covers the door on the right.



Alywine pulls his shield up and flings the door open, and a deafening burst of sound booms out. Alywine grits his teeth and pushes through the pain. Charging in the room and slashing the evil cleric. Seamus follows in behind the Paladin and finishes off the cleric. The right door kicks open, and Aeschalon - still invisible - fires 2 quick arrows into the foe. Felling him before he can clear the doorway.



The party takes a breath and surveys the inn that had became a battle field. In searching they find no sign of Sir Justin's daughter, Seamus sees no sign that anyone left through the 2 broken windows, the 2 spell casters were actually clerics of Bhaal, the assassin - the one that stabbed Alywine in the back, and was the 'inside man' at Sir Justin's house - had a unique master made blade with a modified signal of Bhaal on the hilt, and a tattoo hidden on his left arm. All the thugs had a similar tattoo hidden on their right arm.



Soon, the city watch arrives and begins to question the party and investigating the happenings at the inn - Melchenar & Aexchalon remaining invisible avoid the watch, etc



The party (those not invisible) were taken to the local watch house, and further questioned, then allowed to rest, receive medical aid etc. The watch continued to investigate - including using clerics to 'speak with the dead' and after a day or 2 the following is known



This was a fist of followers of Bhaal - I missed the name of the sect, I'll add it when someone with a better memory or more complete notes reminds me

They have a hidden fortress in the Sword mtns (Seamus remembers a story or 2 about them but just has general information, so no big help there)

Sir Justin's daughter is being taken there - I'm not sure, did we find out for sure from the speak with dead was she a willing assistant or tricked, or accosted and forced to go ???



Sir Justin, his wife, and son all do not wish to be resurrected so the city & the temple of Helm will not resurrect them.



A member of the city council (at least one, and we are not sure who) is interested in commissioning the party to go rescue Lady Justinea - Sir Justin's daughter and the heir of Sir Justin (what portion of the inheritance that Sir Justin didn't donate to the church and the city's needy) and eliminate the sect from their mountain fortress.





Also, sorry I dropped off the call during the post game BS session. Skype locked up on me and after the second try to get it up and running I gave up and racked out ...



Oh yeah, for that student with issues. I found the nearest National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program is in New Jersey. Probably too far, but I know each cycle we have cadets from Kansas & Missouri in or program so it is an option the parents can look at.

[Lurker]

The party, wisely, spent a few days preparing for the campaign they were about to undertake in the mountains to the north.


Alywine, with his religious connections, assisted in getting the party the various items they assume will be critical on the mission. Specifically, items that assist in warding off the undead, which according to S... have over run the mountains and the surrounding forest area.


Additionally, Alywine, with his horsemanship expertise, finds the party good sturdy mountain ponies for them to use. Though he does snicker every once in a while when he sees the party 'dragging their toes in the dust' when they ride the ponies ...


The party agrees to lead a troop of men-at-arms back to the Iniarv's Tower on their way along the high road towards the town of Leilon , which will be the location they will leave the road and begin the search for the hidden mountain temple/fortress of Bhaal


After a little over a week of travel the party, with no incidences or misadventures , reaches the keep and spends a night and a day morning the passing of Sir Justin with the keep's troops - all of who were loyal to the murdered Duke

2 days after leaving the keep, and traveling along the edge of the Mere of Dead men, the party notices movement behind an outcropping of rock that overlooks the road they are traveling. "Giants" is yelled out as a warning and the party jumps into action!


The Hill Giants stand up to their full height from behind the hill & rocks they were attempting to hide behind. Alywine, surprising the party, yells out fluently in the giants tongue ""Beware, we are not an easy meal. We bite, we sting, and we burn. Flee and you will live. If you stay ..." then draws his sword that glows a deep angry red "Eoten egesa will lick your blood, You know this blade, your bones know it and know to fear it. Flee NOW!" 4 of the 5 hill giants flinch and cower at the Knight errant's words and at the sight of the sword made to kill ogres & evil giants. The other giant grins evilly and bend to pick up a bolder.


Elena calls out to the god Tyr for protection aid and assistance for the party, which further effects the hill giants' confidence. Aeschalon pulls out his trusty wand and sends a fireball to explode in their midst. A spell that has little effect on the brutes. Other party members spread out as the giants' poorly aimed boulders begin falling amongst the party. Finally, Tirian chants a call for the surrounding plants to do his bidding. They answer by reaching out grasping and twisting around 3 of the giants.


Aeschalon and Elena ride to the north as quickly as their little ponies' legs can carry them. As they ride, Aeschalon sends another, and more devastating this time, fireball into their midst. Seamus, in his newly purchased expertly crafted armor, charged across the road , took cover in front of the outcropping the giants were hiding behind, to avoid a bolder flung at him, and then began to scramble up the face of the rock. Melchenar turned invisible and began to move southward to get to the far edge of the rocks to work his way behind the hulking brutes.


Alywine gave a battle cry and his divinely blessed warhorse charged. As the knight and his mount rapidly approached the 10 for tall rock wall, Alywine leapt up from the horse and onto the top of the bolder the northern most giant was hiding behind. A quick slash with Eoten egesa and Alywin had claimed the life of the giant. Arrows and sling bullets from Aeschalon , Dealin, & Tirian rained in on the giants and soon fell the second and third brute.


the 2 remaining giants began to try and retreat, but the entangling vegetation slowed them. Tirian called for more vines and plants to tangle them and slow their escape. Alywine leapt onto the back of ... - his divine mount - and charged the giant nearest the edge of the tangled area. However, the brute was able to avoid the arc of the sword as the knight charged past. Unfortunately, it was unable to avoid the arrows from Aeschalon & Dealin . It was dragged down dead .


The last giant fought against the plants that tangled around its legs and grasped at the flailing arms, but couldn't over power them and avoid the rain of arrows and sling bullets (and wouldn't have made it past Alywine who was prepared to charge the giant once it was free of the plants.


After the last giant fell, **** not bad fight, 5 hill giants and no successful hits on the party ! *** Seamus tracked back to the giant's layer hidden in the hills to the east of the road. The party finding a store of lute, money, gems artwork and magical item, and the remains of previous victims of the giants' ambushes.

[Rigon]

How is it that you can make my adventures sound so cool?

R-

[Lurker]

How is it that you can make my adventures sound so cool?

R-

Wellllll, that is easy. They are cool. I just get to add in all the neat stuff my Paladin should have said and make Alywine shine a bit more !

[Kayolan]

Thanks Lurker for the recaps, been enjoying reading these.

Also, it's nice to have it all down for future reference

[Lurker]

Well, not much of a recap, lots of hunting (with nothing to show of it, but hours watching squirrls play, birds tweet, and wondering where the deer are) on my part has taken up time to type it up.


There was lots of good role playing, some chasing of a red herring or 2, and things party members may not want record for posterity. But here you go (the edited version leaving out someone's failed attempt to steel from the Barron's castle, being out invisible by a 14 year old girl, and what else)


The party road into town, heady from the defeat of the fist of giants (and the subsequent pillaging of their cave). Alywine, having gathered the remains of the giants' previous victims, went to the temple of Chauntea to properly honor the deceased, and paid any funds needed for the last rites and burial, and asked the attendant which inn we should stay in. The party went to the inn, and seeing it was a good well ran clean establishment decided to stay. Renting one common room and Malchanar decided to rent a private room.


Then the party went to the shrine of Mielikki, Alywine again offering a tithe for their success, and ask the attendant if there were any local hunters who would act as a guide when we traveled into the Kryptgarden Mountains, There were none in town currently, but when one came in from the wild and paid his respects at the shrine, the attendant would let them know we were looking for a reliable guide. While at the shrine a servant of the castle came into the shrine and look around. Seeing the party, he smiled and walked up the party. He let them know they were 'invited' to dine with the Barron, his wife, and other town notables. Of course, the party accepted.


They returned to the inn, Alywine ensuring the party was properly cleaned and prepared to dine with nobility. As the party waited till it was time to go to the keep, they asked the inn keep about any local hapenings. The current talk of the town was that 'Ole Jed' – a miner – fell into an old unused mine shaft, and after 3 days the body was still missing.


The dinner went well, until the Duchess asked the party if they had any further news of Sir Justin's murder. Alywine, said it was horrid that the whole family was murdered. The Lady gave Alywine a sideways look, but said nothing.


After dinner, … edited out the missadventures and the chasing of a red haring … Elena read the note from the Duchess saying she needs to talk to the party in private,


The next afternoon, a cloaked lady entered the inn's common room and headed to a private dinning room . The inn keep nodded to the party that they should follow. When the party entered the lady removed her cloak and no surprise was the duchess. Questions were asked, and eventually Alywine was able to explain the reason they had not been completely truthful at the dinner. The lady eventually accepted the answer, and told them that she and her husband was an ally in their quest and there was no need for further misdirections. She also provided the party with a map to the general location of where the Baneites were expected to be.


That evening a runner from the shrine of Mielikki brought a hunter to be their guide. “One-eyed-Pete”

[rom90125]

These are great! Thanks for taking the time to put these recaps together. You really bring the story to life with these recaps.

[Lurker]

These are great! Thanks for taking the time to put these recaps together. You really bring the story to life with these recaps.

Not a problem I'm glad you all like them (& I hope the community at large around here enjoys them a bit too).

It is helping me get my creative juices flowing ... trying to put to words everything that happens. One day, if work ever slack up and real live stops getting in the way, it may help me to jump in and GM a bit ... but that is far down the road.

[Lurker]

15 Dec game recap‏

The party traveled, being guided by the local huntsman 'One-eyed Pete', for a little over a week. Carefully, and luckily, avoiding random and unfortunate encounters. Late on the 8th day the party halted by a track, little more than a game trail, and Pete halted saying that he would go no further, especially down that trail! Which coincided with the supposed location of the Assassins' keep marked on the Duchess' map.



As Pete left, after some little bargaining from a few of the party members, the party decided to camp and rest for the night before they approached the Keep, in the dark, and ill prepared. The next day the party scouted the trail, being lead by Tirian and after a few hours found a hidden 'bowl' valley with a keep recessed in the valley. No movement was seen in the keep, but there was smoke coming from a chimney or 3 in the keep.



A quick discussion resulted with the party remaining in the woods on the back side of a hill (and out of sight) while the party members that could turn invisible &/or remain hidden watched and scouted the keep through the day. Through the day none were seen coming and going to the keep but there were signs that the keep was being actively used.



As the sun set, the party put together a plan decided to act.



Dealin, using Seamus' cloak of the bat, flew to the roof of the inner keep - carrying Alywine. Leaving the knight hidden in the shadows - using his elfen cloak to remain hidden, and returning to carry Seamus and finally Elena . Tirian, in the shape of a eagle, flew to the roof of another building. Aeschalon, remaining invisible, used his ring of jumping to leap over the keep's walls and onto a southern building's roof. Melchenar, also invisible and carrying a flask of never ending smoke, placed the flask outside the keeps southern entrance and clambered up the wall as the flask began to spew out the smoke. However, as Dealin carried Elena to the inner building's roof, an alarm gong began to be sounded by the keeps tallest and easternmost tower.



Alywine and Elena ran along the walkway topping the inner wall to cover a set of northern stairs leading up from the below court yard as Dealin and Seamus did likewise to stairs to the south. From all across the keep, doors are thrown open and members of the assassin's enclave flood into the 2 separate court yards.



Melchenar using his newly acquired wand of ice, dumps an ice storm on one cluster of opponents in the NE court yard, killing all 3. Alywine, hearing yelling from the courtyard behind the building he was backed against, tosses a oil flask into their midst, shattering and splashing oil on the 4 there. They, wisely, run back into various guard rooms before the oil is followed by fire.



Elena sprints past Alywine to the door opening on the northern end of the walkway. Slamming the door shut and holding it as she and Alywine prepare for the opponents in the guard house. Malchenar clambers up the wall and into a guard room, that is empty. He sets to work lighting one of the four beds in it on fire, and then pushes it against one of the 2 door opening into the guard room.



Seamus spills some marbles down the steps that he and Dealin are guarding, and Aeschalon rains down more ice on 4 guards in the southernmost courtyard. Elena flings open the door to the northernmost guard room and casts hold on one of the 2 guards who had been pushing against the door trying to open it, the one unheld stumbles and is surprised by the quickly opened door and fails to act. However, invisible mages in the lower courtyard rain magic missiles into her back. After the barrage of magic finishes she drops down to avoid more magic attacks. Similarly, a mage to the south, that had avoided Aeschalon.'s ice attack, sends a series of magic missiles into Dealin .



As the last missiles strikes home, Dealin & Seamus hear a surprised yell and thud from an invisible attacker that had silently claimed up the steps but failed to notice Seamus' marbles. Dealin makes a good guess on the location of the prone opponent, despite his invisibility, and is able to skewer the Baneite. Quickly, Seamus throws a javelin at the mage who had injured D. The spear hits home, hurting, but not killing, the mage.



Alywine runs up and slashes at the guard standing over Elena missing his attack, but keeping the guard from hitting the prone cleric and forcing him to retreat back into the guard room. However, with him standing and fighting he is an easy target for the mages in the below courtyard who rain magic missiles into his back, knocking him to his knees (massive damage roll there!).

As the missiles impact one after another into the knight's back, a guard runs up the spiral staircase in the room that Melchenar is in (still invisible) and rushes to put out the fiery bed pushed against the door. Before M finishes pulling out his short sword he glances out the guard room's arrow slits and smiles at the wall of smoke obscuring most of the keeps' southern wall and now pouring over the wall into the courtyard below. He steps forward to send the Bainite guard to the punishments he will receive in the afterlife.