Friday, December 30, 2005

The Dakul Clan Burrows

Session 81

Characters: Julian, Balin, Cael, Anthony, Tulgar.

NPCs: Maulgoth, Black Lotus vine.

28 Hammar 1374 - 29 Hammar 1374

1900 XP

No more than an hour after the party had began to bed down to rest after nearly 14 hours of fighting a fearsome creature of the earth bursted into the main floor of their burrow. Melding through the stone walls, its mirrored eyes immediately fell upon Terus. With its great tentacles, the Maulgoth zealously grappled Terus and shifted him into the ethereal plane. The beast sprung in and out of the burrow and shifted Samael as well. The party struggled to fight back, however great teeth of stone rose from the floor and walled the party off from one another in darkness. Bravely, the party summoned protective auras of fire and acid to defend themselves against the beast. Then the maulgoth attacked Anthony and Cael, grappling them with its crushing tentacles. After a great struggle the party outlasted the earthen terror and tunneled through their prison of stone.

exhausted and heavily wounded the party fled out of the burrow's subterranean exit into the underground streets of the residential ward. The crept through the caverns for over an hour in a hushed forced march searching for a new place to rest. Balin, while searching through some old cave gardens found a number of odd mushrooms and plants. One in particular, the rare and deadly, Black Lotus. The shadow-vine spoke with a respectful warning of its powerful resin to Balin, and then offered the plant-speaker a gift of 4 of its most poisonous flowers.

The party crept downward and discovered they were in the ancient residential ward of the Dakul Clan. Anthony peered down the great street adjoining many burrows and saw at the end of his vision a barracks structure guarding a large cavern exit out of the burrows. Tired from their traveling the party decided not to investigate and made their way into a second burrow to rest and gather their strength.

Eyes of the Hunters

Session 80

Characters: Julian, Balin, Samael, Cael, Anthony, Terus, Tulgar, Nomin.

NPCs: 5 Blue suicide bombers, 8 Earth Gliders.

28 Hammar 1374 - 28 Hammar 1374

2500 XP

The adventurers began to re-group after the collapse of the staircase. Samael flew a rope down to a lower floor however its knot was loosely tied. As Tulgar made his way down the rope the knot finally gave and he crashed through two floors near Cael and Randal. Samael and Julian used their rouge abilities to descend safely down. Meanwhile, Terus who had been searching for the group since his tragic accident heard the noise and found Nomin and Balin on a lower level. Balin, Nomin, Samael and Julian began to interrogate the new Terus and as they did sounds where heard creeping towards them in the staircase. Nomin approached and saw 5 Blues with mirrored eyes like the others, hiding behind medium wooden Shields and armed with daggers. The Blues charged the party and As Nomin slashed though one a glass jar strapped to its chest exploded, setting off a chain reaction. 5 sonic booms erupted in the weakening staircase, crushing the stone and deafening the party. Then they crashed through 2 more floors and once again re-grouped in a cloud of stone dust.

Minutes later as the party re-collected itself, they looked out onto the massive cavern surrounding the broken staircase. The ancient ruined Citadel Gildabarr was lit by large patches of luminescent lichens and mushrooms. As they looked on, 8 huge Earth Gliders with mirrored eyes flew through the earth and stone tower and engaged the party. Tulgar, Cael, and Nomin battled them in melee, while Balin firestormed the Earth Gliders. Julian and Samael blasted them with their ranged attacks and flew about the multiple levels of broken staircase. Cael charged one and then fell to a brutal counter-attack. Meanwhile, Anthony Manton had composed himself from his terrible fall and made his way back to the party up the terraced dwarven burrows. They adventurers finally prevailed against this great foe and took refuge in an old dwarven cottage.

They investigated the humble two-level burrow and found a secret hatch to a cellar. Cael went first and found the remains of a trapped dwarven family huddled in a corner. Samael insisted on searching and found two seemingly magical amulets around the necks of two skeletons. Julian and Samael put them on and found themselves joined in the ancient tradition of dwarven marriage! After many attempts the necklaces could not be removed. The party now resides in the burrow attempting to rest and heal their wounds.

Thursday, December 29, 2005

The Blue Guerillas of Gildabarr

Session 79

Characters: Julian, Balin, Nomin, Tulgar, Randal, Cael, Anthony, Samael.

NPCs: 2 Blue trappers, 6 Blue archers, 2 Blue throwers, 1 Blue bomber, 5 Blue Tunnelers, 4 Blue Sappers.

28 Hammar 1374 - 28 Hammar 1374

5900 XP

After resting in the dusty cave, the party continued down the long crumbling staircase. Eventually, they approached a large fallout in the path between two stone arches below. Balin shapechanged into a dire bat and carefully made his way through the hole. However, the Blue trappers were waiting and Balin was cut down by two old dwarven war scythes hidden on either side on the hole. Julian spider climbed across taking with him a section of troll gut rope while Tulgar tied it to a piton on the party's side. Meanwhile, Balin was hit with a poisonous vial causing his right side to spasm. Balin firestormed the area killing his unseen assailant. The rest of the party tried making their way across the hole above. Balin flew around the tunnel and back up towards Julian and was struck by a volley of fire arrows. He returned the volley with another powerful firestorm incinerating the goblinoid archers.

With the party assembled again at the other side they made their way down the staircase further in a fog of stone dust. After some time they passed by another empty landing area where a faint whimpering was heard from inside. Randal, Tulgar, and Anthony rushed in and found a small Blue huddled in the corner. It kept saying how it didn't want to die and quivered in fear. Meanwhile, Julian and Samael examined a broken stone tablet outside the room. In a hizagkuur-gold alloy the word "Gildabarr" was written in old dwarvish. Inside the room the goblin became increasingly agitated and eventually pulled a string from behind him. Hidden black powder exploded and damaged the party.

As the adventurers moved downward they came to a breech in the great staircase wall leading to an underground tunnel. The party moved through the tunnel and then heard a blast and crash of stone from behind them as the cave entrance was collapsed. Just then the grinding sounds of stone and metal signaled the approach of a massive dwarven tunneling machine. Anthony attempted to batter it with the Blade of Cosmas and it shattered. Next, Randal rushed forward and pounded the tunneler with his iron fists while Cael used an acidic spell to melt part of the auger away. The tunneler moved onward and overran Anthony, and Cael. Tulgar smashed through the left side of the construct and the party shifted over in safety. Julian blinked into the cabin and was attacked by 4 Blues. Finally, Tulgar destroyed the construct with another great blast from Gar. After the battle, Balin summoned an earth elemental to move the collapsed stone aside and the party returned to the staircase.

Without rest the party moved downward and after a while heard sounds from above. Just then the ceiling and left wall blasted downward. The rubble crashed into the party sending all but Tulgar, Julian, and Samael down through the floors below. Cael was nearly killed before Randal positioned himself to absorb the falling rocks above him. Balin turned into a bird and flew to safety, however Anthony crashed the furthest downward and through an opening in the staircase wall. The party is now battered and separated on the lower levels of the great staircase.

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

Old Ends and New Beginnings

Session 78

Characters: Julian, Balin, Samael, Randal, Cael, Anthony.

NPCs: None.

27 Hammar 1374 - 28 Hammar 1374

0 XP

The characters re-grouped after fighting the moonbeast in the great staircase tunnel. Haldir was devoured by the beast and the party began to rest in a dusty landing. The noise of battle had carried through the tunnels and dried out piping, drawing the keen ears of a young adventurer named Samael. Tracking the sounds, Samael carefully traveled further down the old tunnels until he reached the entrance of the great staircase. Samael moved silently forward and eventually came upon the party resting on the old landing. Randal picked up the sounds of movement from higher on the staircase and ran out to investigate but heard no more. Cael, though on watch also did not hear or see the steathly adventurer. Samael soon ended the stalemate however, and introduced himself somewhat awkwardly to the group. The party reciprocated introductions as well seeing much friendliness in the half-elven traveler. They now rest in a small dusty landing which seems to be used by goblins recently.

Post, the first...

Welcome to everyone interested in reading about topics concerning the history of an adventuring party started in the Forgotten Forest. This blog will serve primarily as a campaign log for me to record the actions of the heroes involved. Comments and add-ons are welcome when they concern something which transpired during the last gaming session. I will most likely also post experience awards, characters and NPCs and adventuring dates. So without further discussion, this is the cast of main characters... Also, updated descriptions and pictures can be e-mailed to me and I will re-post them as necessary.

Anthony Manton: LG Asimar, holy warrior of tyr.











Cael Rames: NG Human, warrior ice-mage.











Samael Tepes: CG Half-elf, fighter-scout.











Julian Bailer: CG Human, Tethyrian arcane rouge.











Randal Stonecastle: LG Human, pius monk of Ilmater.











Davvin Silverkin: LN Human, priest of Kelemvor.











Balin Melianne: TN Elf, high forest Silvan druid.











Tulgar son of... :CG Human, barbarian of the icy north.











Nomin Ohtar: LG Human, exiled Cormyrian calveryman.











Terus Althor: CG Human, psion "caravan guard".

Grim Greycastle: LN Human, archmage.