Curse of Strahd 0xC - Final Introductions!

Our group is starting a new campaign!  This time, I will be running the group through an adaptation of The Curse of Strahd, using a "13th Aged" version of the 4e DnD rules, and starting in a Victorian-era Earthish setting.  To start things out, I worked with the (nine!) players to tie their characters together...here are the final members! 

I spend money freely

"Jean-Paul Leroux"

Elven Thief Rogue

Jean-Paul hadn't been home for a while - the years (or has it reached decades now?) have flown by anything but smoothly.  For a while, they were still hunting him - that's where he first met that funny gnome, "Kroissant". His codename, "Karim", had been much clearer, and Jean-Paul still wasn't sure why he changed it, but what was certain was that when Jean-Paul had a need, Kroissant had hidden him, and hidden him well.  That danger had now passed (mostly), but where one danger ends, another is only too eager to fall into its place.

The Russian - "Borya" - had assured Jean-Paul the business dealings would work.  Things were only 'legally grey', an area the pair were only too familiar with, but the whole plan had gone belly up, and now they both needed an escape plan - or a lot of money, soon.

As luck would have it, that was when the brightly-dressed fellow came asking for help.  He didn't say much, just gave Jean-Paul a letter, paid for his meal (in gold!), and promised much more, should he come and help the fellow's master out.  The reward sounded great, and would definitely help Jean-Paul and Borya out of their situation, but the location...the Svalich Woods...that was something they didn't wish to tackle alone.

Bringing Kroissant in on the deal was a way of trying to clear the debt owed to the gnome, whilst also gathering more bodies to ensure a swift victory.  From there, the trio start organising a caravan...they would need guards, and a guide.  Also, an actual wagon would be handy!

I change my mood quickly

"Kroissant de L'Oréal"

Gnome Star Pact Binder Warlock

Kroissant hadn't seen many people from his homeland before Jean-Paul fell into his life.  That accident...it had burned too many bridges, made it too difficult, too painful to go back.  But with Jean-Paul, there was a chance to make amends, maybe not directly, but in some small way.

Jean-Paul had needed to hide, and that was something Kroissant was only too good at.  The gnome made him disappear - invisible, some may say - until his pursuers lost interest in him.  And so Jean-Paul owed him - sure, he was good, but he wasn't free!

So, Jean-Paul was in trouble again.  This time, he assured Kroissant, there was great riches to be had, and he could have part of it, if only he came along and helped out.  Of course, there was more to it than that, but that could wait - the pressing matter was he had come to you so that your share could help pay this debt.

They needed to get through the Svalich Woods, that was the first step.  They needed a caravan, guards too (if possible), and a guide, for the woods were more treacherous than most.  Whilst the others worked on hiring some mercenaries, Kroissant sought out those that knew the paths of the woods. 

There were a few - some more expensive than others, some more skilled or experienced than others.  Some simply prettier than others.  But for some reason, none of that interested Kroissant, not that day.  The stars seemed to have aligned themselves, and one person, one well-dressed man (from Oxford!) stood out from the rest.  Not because of his offering price, nor his credentials, and definitely not because of his face!  No, this man stood out magically.  Something from beyond this mortal realm called to the gnome from him.  And Kroissant have been paying attention to these things for long enough to know: when the stars called out to you, you listen.

I'm well known

"Sir Cecil Conrad Mallaby Quirke III"

Human Predator Druid

Sir Cecil hadn't really meant to get the job; he was just passing through the town, when he had heard rumours of the danger of Svalich Woods.  Going through it could take up to a week, but going around would most likely add a month or two onto your journey.  So, he had asked around, listened out for anyone headed that way, thinking he could pay to purchase passage with them.  Instead, he had come away with a paying position on their team, as a guide, no less!  Well, the money was certainly something he could do with, though it was a "pay on arrival" deal.  But that didn't bother him - it was already cheaper than he had imagined!

So, instead of enjoying his planned reading, Sir Cecil had poured over the local maps, planning a path for the caravan.  Two horses, two guards, four passengers, and a monk with a prisoner!  And then he started putting pieces together.  A monk...the prisoner must be a religious thing.  A 'disturber of the peace', or other heretic.  Like...Seb. 

Sighing, he inquired more about the company.  There was little surprise. It was Seb.

Sebastian Mallaby.

Sir Cecil had heard some stories about his crazy estranged great-third-cousin (four times removed?), but had hoped that they were not true.  After sneaking a look at the monk's prisoner, he could not be more certain - that tell-tale Mallaby nose and chin were there, the family ears, the hair that reminded Cecil of his favourite second cousin...this was the dreaded embarrassment to the family name.  What was he to do?  Would Seb recognise him, or had it been too long? Would he say something else to throw the family name into the dirt, or was Seb finally going to be quietened for good?  ...what horrors would a trial do to the family??

Curse of Strahd 0xB - More Introductions!

Our group is starting a new campaign!  This time, I will be running the group through an adaptation of The Curse of Strahd, using a "13th Aged" version of the 4e DnD rules, and starting in a Victorian-era Earthish setting.  To start things out, I worked with the (nine!) players to tie their characters together...here is round two! 

I am not a victim.

"Naman Saket"

Sandsoul Genasi Shielding Swordmage

When he heard that Luc Dubois was back in town, Naman's whole week turned around.  He hadn't seen his friend for...how many years was it now?  Too many!  And he had gone and gained a knighthood, too - "Ser Luc", as he was now known!

With nothing much on, Naman was only too eager to catch up with his childhood friend.  But when it came to a question of earning money, or spending it, the choice was more difficult.  Thankfully, Ser Luc was eager to continue making up for lost time, and quickly signed on to help out guard the caravan.  Some simple job - a few fellows wanted passage through the Svalich Woods, and a monk was transporting a prisoner along the same route.  They didn't offer much money up front, but promised more upon completion.  And a man of the cloth was good for his word, right?

Interestingly, Naman had another party who was eager to come along, though not for the full journey.  Soren, a young man who had an uncanny ability with metalworking, had been tracking some werewolves who had killed his father.  Naman hadn't shared the news with others - who would have believed him? - and indeed, if he hadn't been standing with him when he discovered his father's body, hadn't help him slay the werewolves there, then maybe he would think Soren him mad, too. 

Soren wanted to travel to the woods, but believed his quarry lived inside them, not on the other side.  Whereas most folk would be passing straight through, he was looking to remain, until vengeance was accomplished.

I get bored easily...

"Soren Johanssen"

Human Artificer

In the early days after his father went missing, Soren was a lot less careful than he is now.  On one occasion, when he thought he had almost tracked his father down, Soren fell into an ambush that almost took his life.  Only the aid of a passing Russian ranger kept him from death's door, and returned him to civilisation in one piece.

Since then, Soren takes care not to venture too far out alone.  Sure, not many will look at him quite the same after discovering he is hunting 'werewolves', but some have proven to be more understanding than others.  One such companion was Naman, an excellent swordsman who was with Soren the day he found his father's body, and the werewolves with him.  Together, they ensured that none of the werewolves survived...but Soren also knew that those in charge, the pack leaders, were not there that night.  He waited, he stalked them, but he never found them. 

Until recently, their track had grown cold.  Until recently, when Soren came across another victim, and all signs pointed towards Svalich Woods.  And, as if the gods themselves were granting him this favour, Naman was headed that way!  He had been hired to guard a caravan travelling through the woods.  Sure, he wouldn't be able to stay with Soren all the way, but there was always a chance that they might meet the werewolves before they parted ways, right?

I live for the hunt!

"Borya Orlov"

Human Scout Ranger

The wild was much tamer than city-folk would give it credit.  There were less cut-purses, less crooked cops, and far less murders (per square mile, at least).  Sure - it was still dangerous, something city-folk seemed to forget.  Like that one guy, Soren, who wandered off alone, and almost got himself eaten by wolves.  Borya came across his broken, bleeding body and barely managed to put him together - after returning him to the city, Borya told him to stay there, it was his place, just like the wild was Borya's.

Borya had only returned to the city because he needed the money, and the business deal had seemed a sure thing. The Frenchman - "Jean-Paul" - thought it would all work.  Things were only 'legally grey', an area the pair were only too familiar with, but the whole plan had gone belly up, and now they both needed an escape plan - or a lot of money, soon.

That's when Jean-Paul came up with another plan.  Some guy - colourfully dressed, but Jean-Paul knew little else - had handed him a letter, paid for his meal (in gold!), and promised much more, should he come and help the fellow's master out.  The reward sounded great, and would definitely help the two of them out of their situation, but the location...the Svalich Woods...that was something they needed more help with.

Jean-Paul called in a little friend of his, and the three of them started organising a caravan...they would need guards, and a guide.  Also, an actual wagon would be handy!

Curse of Strahd 0xA - Introductions!

And now, our group is starting a new campaign!  This time, I will be running the group through an adaptation of The Curse of Strahd, using a "13th Aged" version of the 4e DnD rules, and starting in a Victorian-era Earthish setting.  To start things out, I worked with the (nine!) players to tie their characters together...and this is what we have! 

I see omens in every action!

"Seb"

Human Malediction Invoker

Seb wase in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Or, more correctly - the church guards were in the wrong place. He wase merely doing what he was called to do - yelling his beliefs loudly at those idiots who keep ignoring him. Their doom is on their own heads!

So Seb spent a few nights in jail.  Finally, an older monk turned up to transport him out of this forsaken city, back to the cathedral.  There, Seb would stand trial for his 'annoyances', his 'disturbances of the peace'.  Pah!

As far as captors go, Brother Tomas seems a reasonable fellow - quiet, patient, and not kicking Seb every minute (yes, he's had a few of those).  But it was to be a long journey, and Seb was not looking forward to going it on foot.  So when the carriage appeared, he was more than happy to be secluded on board!  The fellows who were previously inside - some elf, and his rough barbarian of a travelling companion - weren't so excited about their change of position, but Brother Tomas convinced them - something about his share of financing of this caravan, and supply of the guards.

Most of the time, Brother Tomas sits inside with Seb, silent, cold, distant.  He doesn't engage in talk, ignores Seb's statements, and refuses to be drawn into discussion.  When he's not with Seb, Tomas is outside, interacting with the other travellers only slightly more than he does his prisoner.

I must control my emotions

"Brother Tomas"

Human Desert Wind Monk

Tomas had heard stories of the travelling crazy long before Seb wandered into his vicinity.  Sprouting out nonsense about demons and undead, and accusing anyone and everyone of vile evilness, he simply had to be removed.  Preferably, a long way, to the cathedral, to stand trial.  And for some reason, Tomas received the task of transporting him.

Normally, Tomas would have simply gone around the Svalich Woods, but he didn't want to spend any longer with this fellow than he had to; a week of rough travel was far more welcome than a month or two of listening to his loony ranting.

Finding others who were willing to go through the woods was hard - usually, large sums of money were needed, and Tomas had none of those resources.  Finding others who not only promised said money, but already had a considerable group gathered - including one Ser Luc Dubois, whom had helped protect Tomas' monastery on more than one occasion - was, simply, a blessing.

The only thing left to do was commandeer the carriage, and keep Seb away from the rest of the party.  And Tomas, where possible.

Evil runs from me!

"Ser Luc Dubois"

Human Sacrificial Cavalier (Paladin)

Ser Luc had fought in many battles, served both in his home country and abroad, fighting against those who would take advantage of the weak, the innocent.  Mostly.  At some times, his superior's opinions on who was "weak" differed from his own .  And so, he had grown tired of that way, of the army life.  Now, he ventured where he wished, taking the odd job as a guard, and able to choose whom he protected.

Recently, Ser Luc caught up with an old friend from his childhood, Naman, who is also in the 'guard' business.  The pair decided to go on a trek together for old times sake, to spend some months catching up and enjoying each other's company.  And, as luck would have it, a monk from Ser Luc's order, a Brother Tomas, was looking for some guards to help return a prisoner through the Svalich Woods.  And so, his adventure starts!

PotS 1x12 - Layers of Deciept

These posts are from our DnD group's latest game. The current adventure is a return to the world of Eberron, and specifically Xen'drik. Arising from the depths of the earth, the party discover things not quite as they left them, as news from a dying dwarf lets them know the elves have taken over! 

Taking the Watchtower - Again!
The death of the dwarf, and the mentioning of the elves, only meant one thing - justice was coming, as quickly as their short legs could manage! Though the trek was far, and required them to travel through the forest within which the eladrin had set up their camp, they made good time. Kami pushed her crew hard, and they managed to reach the watchtower within minutes of midday.

Calling on Ogg, they sent the storm-rider to the top of the tower. He was not there long before he began his return descent - a little faster than expected. For in his arms, he carried Cousin Walid.

Hassan rushed to the merchant's side, relieved that he still lived, but concerned for his wellbeing all the same. Once Kami had ensured he wouldn't die, Walid gave a recounting of the attack. As suspected, Berrian had taken his guard and assaulted the tower whilst the crew were within the ruins. They had easily overcome those left behind, Walid's few remaining guards unable to repel the attack. Two more guards had retreated with Walid to the rooftop, but had died from their wounds before Ogg arrived.

Slowly moving up the levels, the group came across much evidence of the battle. The other guards, as well as another two of the Kaapiots and Kwalli, were found, though there were no elves anywhere - dead or alive. Either they took their dead with them, or the tower guardians were really outskilled.

It was too late for most of the guards and dwarves also - only one solitary Kaapior quadruplet was left alive, and though he confirmed Walid's tale, he could do little else but deliver the grave news of the elven target: the Kami Kaze. They had been after the ship!

Quickly, Kami put his team to work on finding their vessel. Each tried to use the tower's scrying, but it was Regdar that located the ship first; out on the sea, and already a few hours from the cove. The only way they could catch them was by teleporting, which meant someone else had to stay behind, spending their energy to send the others. Ogg offered his might, and the others were thrown, somewhat roughly, onto the ship's deck.


Stealing Back The Stolen Ship They Had Stolen Fairly A Fair While Ago
From the safety of the watchtower, they had spied the deck, and made simple preparations. There

were the 'other party' that had so often alluded them, and only rarely come into contact. Arvan, the drow warrior who had complimented Hassan's fighting; Lenna, the elf who seemed to master lightning much like Ogg did; Kurik, the dragonborn paladin they had come across within the ruins; and Galinndan, who seemed to have accepted his allegiance to his friend and kinsman as worth more than to Kami and her crew.

There was another fellow, one they hadn't come across before, but it was the eladrin they decided to surround and take down first. And so, in a flash, Galinndan found himself surrounded by his former team-mates, fighting to bring him down.

Fortunately for him, he was a master of getting out of tricky spots. Even as they struggled to see him overboard or impaled on their weapons, Galinndan led them in a merry dance about the ship, vanishing and reappearing, struggling to stay a step ahead. The others had skills, too - and, they each held cards of the Deck, having unlocked their potential even beyond what the party understood.

But the party were not without their own abilities - when Lenna took to the skies, Regdar sent a giant eagle after her. When a scorrow burst from the cabin, Hassan and Urquilla matched him in pure strength. Even when Arvan and his shadowy copies evaded being swept over the deck, they chased him down and ended him all the same.

Their leader - a vicious dagger fighter called Tam - was revealed to be a wererat, but he and the others were all ultimately defeated. Lenna alone escaped with her life, vanishing into the storm when she saw that the battle was lost. Though he didn't escape, Galinndan did once again save his neck: as Tvennr bore down on him with a killing blow, he offered the promise of the ship's destiny, an elemental that would allow it to finally achieve flight, as trade for not killing him. Tvennr was not so happy with the bargain, but when the surrender was repeated to Kami, she had to give in. Again.


An End to a Patronage
Slowly, they returned to the bay, Redtail (the ship's monkey) eventually being coaxed from the sail

top. The sun was starting to set by the time the laid anchor, but Kami knew the importance of seeing this task to the finish. Confining Galinndan to the hold (alongside what was left of the fourth Kaapiot), the group marched into the woods, and into the eladrin glade.

There, they found Berrian, along with his father and sister. Even the dwarves could tell that there was hostility - Analastra declared that Berrian would have to face the mess he had made, and took her father to the portal, spiriting the two away to Stormreach. With anger in his eyes, and more than a couple eladrin still eager for blood, Berrian turned to face the (mostly) dwarven crew.

The battle that ensued was frantic, but the fury and hatred of the dwarves burnt out the eladrin. Even Regdar and Urquilla, usually the calmer voices amongst the crew, leaped into it wholeheartedly. Regdar's giant gorilla threw archers out of the trees, whilst Hassan erupted from the ground, sending the graceful warriors scattering.

For a moment, Berrian caught control of Tvennr's mind, and turned him against his teammates, but even then, Regdar showed how to properly deliver a compulsion; the eladrin commander was commanded to throw his weapon into the pool, and all but stood there, waiting for Urquilla to finish the job.


Looking to Future Horizons
The eladrin threat was dealt with. Every eladrin that had taken part in the tower assault was dead, as were all who had stolen their ship but for Lenna (who had escaped) and Galinndan (who was now a prisoner). The team now held all the cards to the Deck of Many Things - the last remaining ones being held by Berrian, and distributed amongst the rival adventurers. Carefully, they formed the deck, beheld its power, and then set about planning its destruction. There must be a good volcano nearby...

The ship was theirs again, the surrounding area was now free of the touch of Xoriat, and the troublesome cards collected and ready for disposal. If their captive was telling the truth, they even had an elemental ready for binding to the ship, so that Kami could take her to the skies, and their piracy could reach whole new levels. With a final look back to the bay, the ruins, and the gravestones of those they have left behind, Kami took her crew and her ship out onto the wild waters with great anticipation.

PotS 1x11 - Death to the Daelkyr!

These posts are from our DnD group's latest game. The current adventure is a return to the world of Eberron, and specifically Xen'drik. With the Watchtower secure, the wounded dragons dealt with, and their repaired (and improved) ship waiting in the harbour, it was time for the party to be thrust once more into the depths of the earth, to explore another hidden dungeon. 

The Long Search
The remnants of the ruins were much of the same - cold, dark, but oddly clean. The reason for this was eventually found out, as the group came across a number of small warforged. These were not built for war, but rather for simpler tasks (perhaps they were needing a different name?). Ignoring the party, they went on with their century-old task of dusting, removing cobwebs, and replacing chairs that had rotted and fallen apart.

An hour or so beyond these workers, the group finally found the heart of the construction: a giant creation forge. Though it still was actively controlling its underlings, it didn't seem to be creating new 'forged. It did offer a strange chair interface, upon which Tvennr sat and tried to understand the ancient technology. He thought that perhaps he could control the soldiers, but apart from a nasty headache, he gained nothing.


A Battle of Minds
With nothing else left to do, Kami had to admit that they needed to retrace their steps, and delve into the corrupted part of the ruins. Pushing aside their fears, reciting old songs to aid their memory, and generally trying to stand tall and support each other, they moved through rooms filled with strangely coloured bricks, warped structure, and more than a little otherworldly slime. Finally, they broke through a door into a hall filled with foulspawn: almost a dozen dolgrims were camped out, with a seer watching over them, but the real threat was the giant brain encased in a jar, floating on a cloud of psychic energy. It lashed out with tentacles that seemed to be both physical and purely of Xoriat, and threatened to drag those nearby back with it as it retreated through a portal. But Hassan and the others held their ground, and rid the hall of its presence.


The Great Deceiver
The elder brain was not the worst of the entities that had slipped through the realms when the Deck of Many
Things had torn reality apart. That title went to the daelkyr lurking at the temple's heart. At first, it appeared as a gargantuan red dragon; when they had beaten it up (and rescued Tvennr from its jaws - again), the bones rose, and the daelkyr took on the form of a dracolich. Finally, after being severely weakened by Kami's insubstantial allies, its true form was revealed, and taken down. Even then, they were unsure if the creature was truly vanquished, and had to call on Ogg's knowledge to satisfy their fears: removing from its corpse three of the Cards, the sorcerer incinerated the remains, and destroyed the last hook Xoriat had on their lands.

Whilst the others took note of the collected wealth in the temple, Hassan noted the third of his sought-after sacred vessels, and collected the chalice. He was eager to hand it over to Sir Edric the Gauche. With it, the knight should finally be able to repair the damage the land had suffered from its time attached to Xoriat. Smiling, he turned to the others, noting they were all ready for extraction. And they waited.


Alls Well that Ends...
It took perhaps ten minutes for them to start to get fidgety, but they waited almost a full hour before they had to accept that something was wrong. The Kaapiots should have seen them by now, should have used the Watchtower's power to yank them back from underground and deposited them wherever Sir Edric was currently. But the teleportation never came.

It was Urquilla who first voiced what they were all thinking - they needed to find their own way out, rather than risk being trapped here forever. They had already scoured the other half of the ruins, and nothing moved towards any exit there, so they broke apart, ready to search the area more locally, and branch out as needed. A strict routine was created, so that if any should find a way out, the others would know about it soon enough. And then they split apart.

It felt like it was well into the night (but who could really tell the time, stuck underground for this long?) when Regdar reported what he felt was a fresh breeze to the others. If anyone could pick up on a tiny detail like that, it would be him, so eager and with much hope, they set off through tunnels untravelled for decades. Near early morning, they found it - a crack that lead out of the mountainside, and onto a precarious ledge above the sea. They worked carefully, with Ogg and Regdar taking turns to fly ahead and secure ropes, but eventually, they climbed the cliff face and made it back onto safe ground. The ruins where Sir Edric had set up camp were two hours to the north east - a distance they would normally leave until after a good night's rest, but concern over the quadruplets' well being pushed them onwards.


A Faithful Messenger
As the sun rose, they arrived at Sir Edric's camp, to find him awake and already completing his morning prayers. Taking hold of the vessels, he set about finalising his ritual, a new eagerness in him that they had not seen before. They had thought to help him out, but after travelling all through the night, no one had the energy remaining - indeed, most struggled just to stay awake whilst the knight was cleansing the ruins.

There was nothing flashy or impressive as the ritual was finished, and in some ways, they wondered if anything had happened at all. Sir Edric assured them that the place was far better now, and that the prying eyes of Xoriat would not easily find their way back. He was telling Hassan about how he had to return all the vessels to their rightful locations when a tell-tale flash of energy lit up the group. Normally, it signified the Watchtower's retrieval system, but instead of finding themselves in the scrying room, they found another person amongst them. It was Humalassa...or was it Juovaksiss? Almost immediately, the dwarf fell to the ground, clutching his side as blood pooled in the dirt around him. Juopunut (or Paightynyt?) wheezed badly as he reached out to Kami and, coughing, mumbled an apology. "Cap'n... sorry Cap'n....they took it...they have it, now..." Breaking into a bad coughing fit, the dwarf finally recovered enough to explain his words a little more. "Th' blasted elves...they took it all..." He broke down again, coughing and wheezing, and then he was silent.

Kami moved to his side, but there was nothing she, nor her spirit friends, could do. The dwarf (whichever one it was) was dead.

PotS 1x10 - Beyond Stone and Bricks...

These posts are from our DnD group's latest game. The current adventure is a return to the world of Eberron, and specifically Xen'drik. With the Watchtower secure, the wounded dragons dealt with, and their repaired (and improved) ship waiting in the harbour, it was time for the party to be thrust once more into the depths of the earth, to explore another hidden dungeon. 

Deeper Underground
Moving deeper into the ruined halls was their only choice, though they were all eager to stay away from the areas tainted with the Xoriat presence. These chambers had been kept (or recently returned to?) a relatively neat state, and it felt a lot more settling walking through ancient halls without the dust, webs, and decay of a few centuries clinging to every surface.

Perhaps that is what allowed the group to not notice the battle about them as they entered a particularly large hall.


The Destruction of Property
Crashing through a wall of rubble, a monstrously large warforged titan charged at the group. Leaping (or being knocked) out of the way, they quickly found themselves divided. This was only accented further as another crsosbeam collapsed, depositing piles of stone and rock between Tvennr and Urquilla and the rest of the team. As the dust cleared, the pair called to the others that they would find another way around, and started moving.

There were three more warforged in the battle - another two of the soldiers they had faced before, equipped with the same chaotic 'experimental' weapons; and a new model, encased in crimson armour. This one called fire to the battle, threatening to incinerate what the others couldn't cut or smash.

The other side of this battle was an elf who commanded bolts of lightning; a draconic figure clad in solid metallic plate; and Galinndan. Quickly seeing his old comrades, the eladrin moved to help them, though his new allies had other plans. Holding their own, they instead decided to escape; Lenna drew a portal on the wall, and calling out to Kurik, the pair vanished in a shower of sparks.

Galinndan's own ability with teleportation was a lot more forceful; he threw the towering titan about, allowing Kami to escape its reach, and helping Hassan a better position from which to deliver his carefully weighted cuts. Though Regdar had to sacrifice his wolf, once the 'lesser' warforged were dealt with, the combined effort from the group brought the larger automaton to its knees.


Prisoner Transfer
The party had barely caught their breaths when a magic circle appeared on the other side of the hall. Within it, three figures appeared: two more of the warforged soldiers, with a weary umberhulk being led between them. Apparently, it had failed to affect the mindless constructs, and had given in, allowing itself to be pushed and guided through the halls. Well, Galinndan wasn't about to let that happen - quickly calling Kami to cover them with her protection, he pushed them all into action, and started the battle before the warforged could escape.

Of course, the situation wasn't quite what it appeared to be. As soon as Kami blasted the closest warforged with her storm, it vanished, the metallic form being replaced with a much larger, and more angry, oni. The ogre mage's disguise thrown aside, she leaped into battle, snatching Kami in her electrified chain, and whisking her off to be dealt with alone, whilst the warforged and now freed umberhulk assaulted the others.

Naturally, Hassan wasn't one to let his captain be abducted on his watch. Charging after Kami and the storm-touched oni, Hassan found the creature far too hard to pin down; even when Galinndan joined, the battle felt more like a chase than a fight. Though badly beaten, the oni almost managed to escape; and would have, too, if it weren't for the combined effort and skills from the group.

The umberhulk, too, proved to be a dangerous beast, tearing through another of Regdar's wolves and more than a little of the rubble before finally being cornered and trapped, beyond hope of retreat.


And to all, a good night
The enemy were once more defeated, and this time, they had something to show for their efforts - a strange, amethyst blade carried by the oni. There were other items scattered about the now quite messy hall - silverware, platters, fine metallic goblets, elaborate candlesticks - all would fetch a fair price, should they bother to weigh themselves down and carry it with them.

Aside from that, there were only two directions to go: through the stairs and along the corridors twisting back towards the tainted parts of the underground structure; or through the rubble and into the rooms Tvennr and Urquilla retreated through. There was little choice, really, and so they moved to meet up with their friends.

PotS 1x09 - The Deeper, Older, Ruin

These posts are from our DnD group's latest game. The current adventure is a return to the world of Eberron, and specifically Xen'drik. With the Watchtower secure, the wounded dragons dealt with, and their repaired (and improved) ship waiting in the harbour, it was time for the party to be thrust once more into the depths of the earth, to explore another hidden dungeon. 

Back Underground
Once Hassan struck a light, the team could make out the arched ceilings and elaborate mosaics marking the chamber they had been teleported into. The size of the chamber spoke of its giant heritage, meaning that most of the mosaics were of said giants - an understanding that caused readjustment of what they depicted. On the whole, the structure was far more ancient than anything they had come across before, suggesting that the knights who settled here had taken over a pre-existing structure, and built upon it.

There were three different paths leading from the initial chamber, and with nothing to guide them, they headed to the nearest one. After passing by what was most likely once a giant-sized toilet, they saw flickering firelight in the next room. By the light, they could see that algae coated many of the walls; it, as well as the dust and webbing, showed this section to be in worse upkeep than that they had already travelled through.

Horrors from Xoriat

The sound of battle hurried them on, and they burst into the room to see a drow battling against two chuuls; a mind flayer and beholder watched on. Combat was met, and the numerous rays of the beholder almost saw the end of Kami, but they proved their skill and slew the aberrant beasts. But not before the mysterious drow vanished into the darkness, a parting compliment to Hassan lingering on the air.

Not only had the structure been tainted by the Xoriat presence, but now, their minds felt afflicted, too. When he used his card, Regdar had been lost in a vision, dating back to when the paladin order was still in control. He saw one paladin drawing a card from a deck, and then chaos erupted. This action, he knew, wiped out most of the paladins, decimated their order, and tore a hole through to Xoriat. Despite their victory in the Watchtower, this connection to the far realm still lingered somewhere nearby.

The vision stuck with him, causing him to become delusional. The others were also affected - Hassan seemed haunted by things that weren't there; Tvennr was more forgetful than usual; Urquilla couldn't stop yawning all the time; and Kami felt as if her joints were as old as her ship.

Deciding against going deeper into the maddening maze just yet, the party turned around and retraced their steps.

Remnants of Warforged
The areas they travelled through were far cleaner than their first choice had been, and after a while, the lack
of dust or spider-webs gave them the strange feeling that the place was still relatively well kept. Aside from the darkness and the general age of everything, it almost felt neat - surely, with a few open windows, some new furnishings, and a spot more light, the place would be quite serviceable! Of course, it would need the warforged removed, too (even if they were the ones who kept the place in such a neat state)!

The first of the scouts shot from their positions, luring Urquilla aside, whilst Regdar and Hassan chased down a group of soldiers. Unlike other warforged that the party had seen since the days of the Last War ending, these acted without any trace of emotion or personality. And, within them, they held unstable weapons, brimming over with arcane enchantments. One knocked out Urquilla just as he was starting to rage; another threw people through space itself; yet another caused Tvennr to vanish and reappear some time later. But despite their tricks (and in some cases, because of them), the warforged were defeated, and the party gathered to discuss their plan for further exploration of the buried ruins.

PotS 1x08b - The Dragon Aftermath

These posts are from our DnD group's latest game. The current adventure is a return to the world of Eberron, and specifically Xen'drik.  After defending the Watchtower from an invading force of dragons, the heroes take a well-deserved rest (whilst us players are on holidays for Christmas).

It took the better part of that first week to notice the changes that had started to come over Cousin Walid. In the heat of battle, as they helped defend the watchtower against the storm of Dragons, Walid's slight shine, the ruby-tint his skin had taken, was not as obvious (and they certainly had more pressing matters to focus on!). But as repairs were made, injuries were bandaged, and fallen allies buried, Kami and her crew couldn't help but notice - their financier had taken on a dull red hue.

There were no more dragons sighted that month, not by the watchtower, anyway. Galinndan had taken Berrian and a number of the other elven soldiers, and hunted down the retreating beasts. They had been gone three nights before they returned in victory; the injured dragons never given a moment to recover, they had each eventually fallen and been finished.

By the time the Kami Kaze arrived, sailed down by more of Cousin Walid's men, one of the Kaapiots had finally discovered the location of the hidden ancient vaults. The four brothers had pulled extra long sifts, a pair of them always manning the watchtower, searching the surrounding areas for buried lairs, so all were overjoyed when it was found. Preparations were made, food and supplies gathered, and messages sent to their other allies. Regdar and Galinndan took the news to Berrian, Analastra, and their father, whilst Ogg and Urquilla made their way back to the ruins to inform Sir Edric. Hassan and Tvennr joined Kami for their brief inspection of their ship, and wonder in the craftsmanship that had gone into her improvements.

Much of the old wood had been replaced by the magically enhanced "soarwood", acquired from the forests of Aerenal over time and at great expense - or, so says Cousin Walid. The few members of Kami's crew who had stayed to look after her claimed it travelled at two or three times its old top speed, and would surely now take flight, if only the right elemental was found and harnessed.

Though her ship was surely a wonder to behold, Kami had to cut her inspection short, so that she would be ready to leave by an hour after dark - the time given for both teams to reach their targets and deliver the news. Then, they would all be meeting again, via the tower's magic, and would be thrust underground once more. Hopefully, with a whole lot less undead waiting for them...

PotS 1x08 - Death by Dragon

These posts are from our DnD group's latest game. The current adventure is a return to the world of Eberron, and specifically Xen'drik.  Now returned from the Catacombs, the crew are called upon to defend the Watchtower from an invading force of dragons! 

Three Seconds of Preparation
As they acclimatised themselves to the inside chamber of the watchtower, Kami and her away team noticed over a dozen figures watching on, hustling about, and bringing in small bits of food and cups of water. The should have only been a handful of people here - Regdar, the Kaapiots, and the remainder of Kami's crew. But now, Zandrian, Analastra, and Berrian were all there, as well as many of the fey knights. Not only that, but there were armoured soldiers, led by none other than Cousin Walid! Before they had time to explain, the call came from higher in the tower: "Dragons sighted!!"

"There's no time to lose - get on your feet, and ready your weapons!" Cousin Walid called, and everyone jumped into action. Most of the eladrin joined the watch at the top of the tower, readying their bows. Berrian, with a few more of the troops, left quickly, wanting to return to their grove in case the dragons attacked there, too. Galinndan left with him.

Cousin Walid and his knights moved with the pirates to stand before the tower and face the oncoming storm.


The First Waves

Two black dragons led the assault, breaking forth from the clouds and carrying with them their own auras of darkness and despair. A dozen scaled hunters - some gifted with working wings, others with nasty teeth or enlarged claws - charged beneath the circling dragons, and they all came together to crash against the tower's defences. Hassan tried to embolden the others, but his speaking skills paled in contrast to his martial skills. Wading into battle, he pulled down each dragon in turn, ensuring that their flights were swift, and their bodies close to the blades of others.

At one point, Kami placed Tvennr atop one of the dragons, allowing the dwarf to stand there momentarily, before he was shaken free and fell back to the earth. Still, the dragons did not last long, and were thoroughly defeated before the storm arrived.

With a shudder, the enormous blizzard dragon landed, finally leaving behind its storm of clouds and
mist. It threatened to freeze those around, whilst two green dragons shot past to harass those behind.

Bravely, Hassan and Tvennr stood in front of the elemental monstrosity, whilst Urquilla raced around to flank it. Ogg dodged between them, throwing blasts here and there, whilst Kami discovered the power of one of his collected cards, and banished an enemy. By the time it had freed itself from the magical prison, its allies had died or fled; the skirmish was over!


The Final Push

The final wave hit hard. Two golden dragons swept in, vomiting fire and summoning a volcanic dragon. Its noxious fumes almost ended the lives of those it engaged with, whilst another enormous dragon - with the magic of the cards radiating from its body - dove in to tear the rest apart.

Kami's Donjon was most effective again, banishing one of the golden dragons, whilst the second one harassed those atop the castle. But the main dragon hit hard, and was relentless with its attack. Only when the battle was clearly against it did it consider retreat an option, and turn, limping, from the battlefield.

They had won the battle - but would the dragons come back again, or had the might of the watchtower's guard proven to be too great a threat?

PotS 1x07 - The Catacombs' True Evil

These posts are from our DnD group's latest game. The current adventure is a return to the world of Eberron, and specifically Xen'drik.  The crew sent a forward party into the Catacombs below the ruins...and found themselves trapped with a variety of unfriendly undead! 

Lost Beneath the Earth
With no connection to the watchtower, Kami and her small crew had to camp overnight in the catacombs. It had not gone well - Hassan's fever continued to rage, and Ogg's illness returned so much that, by morning, he could barely stand.

Fortunately, the Kaapiot Four recovered their strength as the party rested, and as they were packing up their meagre camp, the Kaapiots managed to send one more person in to join them - Urquilla.

The scaled barbarian came with unsettling news - the watchtower's view was clouded when trying to focus on the catacombs, and could not pinpoint those inside (which was necessary to extract them). Indeed, moments after his arrival, Urquilla lost his connection with the dwarven quartet, and realised that he, too, was now trapped.


Desecrating Graves
There was no other decision but to press onwards, so the group forced their way through another stone door, and found themselves in the Dragonslayer's Tomb. In here, special honour was given to those who had fought against the dragons. heavy curtains made with the hides of their foes decorated the chamber - and created large areas of darkness, perfect for creatures to lurk behind.

Hassan made the unfortunate discovery of Onatar's presence - or some residual magic, they couldn't really be sure - as he was struck down with a second curse after disturbing one of the tombs. And then, the ghouls struck.

With his health already shaky, Hassan was hard pressed to fight back the turned paladins, though with Tvennr's aid, they succeeded. The wraiths were more troublesome, as the two dark shadows played with them, using hit-and-run tactics for optimal damage. Urquilla's Winter Fury aided them well, as he locked down the shifty sprites, allowing the others to better battle against the threat. Kami was quick to dismiss the fragments left behind, and in the moments that followed, the group carefully planned their next move - how to best stay alive.


A Bowl, and a Room of Khyber
Putting the ghoulish paladins back to rest seemed to gain some forgiveness for Hassan, his body recovering from both curses whilst the group also found a second Sacred Vessel - Onatar's Bowl. Kami's keen eyes also found a secret alcove they had overlooked earlier. Within was a small room, with two other passageways leading back to previous areas of the catacombs. More interestingly were the rough Khyber shards decorating the walls..and the bodies of three more knights, long dead.

The room promised to give great strength to those who remained within it, but they could tell that there was more - a frantic frenzy, a mindless rage, that could cause those within to attack allies as if they were hated foes. They did not spend long in the room, and left with the only thing of worth - three topazes, infused with a taste of the room's strength (and hopefully not its madness).


The Tainted Pirate

The Final Battle

The next chamber - thankfully, the final chamber of these catacombs - was immense. It seemed to hold the remains of the leaders of the abbey, along with many, many of its other important individuals. Sadly, it was no longer a place of reflection and reverence - Khyber's foul presence had influenced it for the worse. As they gazed about, trying to pierce the darkness before them, a glowing figure moved forward. Hook and peg-leg aside, the figure could only be Hawes, the pirate Kami had been warned of.

With him moved a slippery vampire and her spawn, whilst a dark shadow of a dragon lurched and glided overhead. Ogg, not able to do much else, took on the spawn, allowing Tvennr to rip into the vampire, whilst the others assaulted Hawes and his tamed dragon essence.

The fight was brutal, but Tvennr's axes were worse. The vampire barely had time to scratch him before she was reduced to her corrosive mist, and sent seeping from the chamber. Disposing of the underlings, Ogg carefully moved to track her, following her back to her chamber, and ensuring she did not rise again.

Hawes proved more difficult, and slippery, using the power of three cards he had collected to thwart and confuse the party. More than once he dodged a potentially fatal blow, and even convinced Urquilla to charge headlong at Hassan at a critical point in the battle. The shadow dragon continued to swoop and bite at those below it until the fallen pirate was finally silenced. With his grip on the dragon loosened, it howled in frustration one last time, then glided through the far wall, not to return again.


Visions Come to Pass
The chamber had little else in it, but for the Khyber shard growths that moved to warp everything. Lying discarded in a bunch of rags was a blade, which sung out to Urquilla, and shone with the moon's light as he approached. It could only be the weapon Jillepse the Blind had foretold!

Collecting the cards and disrupting as much of the shards as possible (lest more undead be formed from those resting here), the group moved to track down Ogg. Eventually, they found him outside another hidden room - a tomb holding the remains of knights who had also been seduced by the call of Khyber. Clearly, this was no new threat - the order of old must have had some expectation, or perhaps a defence, against it.

Within the hidden chamber, they found the vampire resting, recovering. The lid of her sarcophagus bore the image of a female eladrin, clad in plate mail. She held a long bastard sword atop her body, her gauntleted hands crossed over its pommel. It was a good likeness, though the Khyber presence had twisted and changed her over the years. The sarcophagus also had her name engraved on the side: Aidelvenne Velfarren.

After doing what was needed, the party settled down and waited for the Khyber presence to fade, for the interference to lessen, and for the Watchtower to retrieve them. Though it took many hours, there was joy and relief as the familiar presence touched their minds, and fresh air swept across their faces.

But the relief did not last long. "Quick! Stand ready!" the cry came. "They will be on us in minutes!"

All around them, people moved in a panic. People they didn't recognise. People wearing uniforms, carrying tools and weapons. People with a familiar insignia.

Before they could get a proper bearing on what was happening, a friendly face finally found them. "Stand, arm yourselves! The dragons will arrive soon!" Cousin Walid shouted at them, fear and concern on his face. "We have no time - we must defend the watchtower!"

PotS 1x06 - Into the Catacombs

These posts are from our DnD group's latest game. The current adventure is a return to the world of Eberron, and specifically Xen'drik. Their time in Stormreach had to be cut short - shipless, they return to the ruins, to search out and solve its mysteries!  

Contenders for the Cards
Almost as soon as they had arrived in Stormreach, they had started hearing rumours of another group who were also looking for the cards. They had been asking questions throughout Stormreach, and had even ruffed up a few individuals, who were still shaken by the experience. They also left for Zantashk at least a week before Kami and her crew even made it to Stormreach. With knowledge and time on their hands, Kami wanted a speedy turnaround.

Cousin Walid was delighted with their map, and eager to set up the portal to start trade with the eladrin encampment. His promised work to the Kami Kaze would take time, though - probably at least a month - and so he suggested another option. The trade portal would be linked within a few days, and they could return to Zantashk via it. Once he was finished with his work, he could sail Kami's shop down for her. After a bit of discussion, he instead offered to send some of his men via the portal to inform Kami of the work's completion, and then she could return to sail her own vessel back.

Sir Edric, of course, was coming with them, and eagerly moved into research mode as they arrived in the feygrove. There, they briefly met with Galinndan, who surprised the party by not rejoining them - instead, he used the now-functioning portal to travel to Stormreach, in search of answers to his own questions.


A Return to the Ruins
Hassan was most impressed with what the Kaapiots had achieved in their month-long Watchtower investigation. Taking the ideas Hassan had come up with, they had turned the observation utility of the tower into a rudimentary form of transportation, being able to draw those they scryed into the chamber, and deposit them at another location. Each trip exhausted one of the quadriplets for most of the day, meaning that they couldn't handle more than two transportations a day and leave the tower manned, but they were able to quickly take the party from the grove to the ruins without the required hours of travel.

Sir Edric was delighted to have found the temple ruins, even though he was deeply saddened as to what had happened to the order. Before the afternoon sun had started to dip behind the mountains, he had confirmed that there were indeed other areas beneath them. Once, they would have accessed them by steep and elaborate stairwells, or short-range magical travel. Now, the stairwells had collapsed, and the magic had long since dissipated. It was down to the Kaapiots to throw them into the catacombs...but such a trip would exhaust them completely! So it was that Regdar's eyesight and Urquilla's brawn would guard over the four dwarves until they were once again ready to run the Watchtower.


Venturing Far Below
The catacombs were dark and reeked of decay. Hassan quickly brought a light into play, with which they could make out the faint shadows of sarcophagi lying here and there, the final resting places of the paladins of the order. More dead had been placed indiscriminately in niches in the wall, piled upon each other so that their remains no longer remained separate.

From ahead of them, they heard the faint sounds of chanting. As they approached, four individuals were spotted kneeling before an altar - adorned in armour, but the metal was covered in grime and dirt, as if they had been underneath the ground for far too long. Expecting the worst, the party were momentarily confused when the knights rose and greeted them. They introduced themselves as paladins, trapped and barely surviving after their path inside had collapsed behind them. Their leader, Sir Glenndin, explained the altar, dedicated to the cycle of life and death - at the top, Balinor; at the bottom, The Keeper. Somehow, they claimed, Balinor had kept them from the Keeper's grasp for now. They had meagre magic to create plain food, but no real way out... which was when Kami realised that she had no presence of the Watchtower any more. They were, apparently, cut off. Trapped, like Sir Glenndin and his companions.

With promises to return, and warnings about what lay ahead, the group moved onwards, which was when the paladins showed their true forms. Lashing out at the party's back, they may well have had the victory, had they not spent so long together, knowing each other's tactics, and being formed into a formidable 'land crew'.


Giving Rest to the Wicked

The next two areas were more straight-forward. There was little doubt that the occupants would be aggressive, undead, and in need of being subdued, though that was not to say it was easy. As they moved into a room dedicated Arawai, complete with a floor mosaic and a spring of life-giving water, Hassan was nearly roasted alive by two flaming skeletons. Tvennr also had to throw back a hungry wight, whilst Ogg cleared away the remaining skeletal guardians.

Though Tvennr and Ogg had each recovered from their month-long bout of mummy rot, they were not eager to engage directly with the two mummified paladins they found next. The room, coated in thick moss, and with masses of roots hanging from the broken ceiling, held two of the creatures, along with an expansive swarm of rot scarabs, and a rather crazy flameskull. Once even his fiery light was dimmed, and the two mummies returned to their resting places, the group looked around to work out where to store the skull. Strangely, the other two sarcophagi were firmly closed, and had been that way for many, many decades. Perhaps, the skull belonged elsewhere?

The search was left for later - with Hassan's skin taking on an ominous (and now familiar) green hue, the party agreed that they had to stop for the night. They all would have preferred to rest outside the catacombs, but with no way of contacting those at the tower, that option was unfortunately removed. Hopefully, that would be dealt with in time.

PotS 1x05b - Whilst in Stormreach

These posts are from our DnD group's latest game. The current adventure is a return to the world of Eberron, and specifically Xen'drik.  With their scouting completed, the (mostly) dwarven pirate crew set sail for Stormreach, for well deserved down-time, and their greatly desired financial compensation!!  This post is a recap of things that happened via email in-between games.

The Tale heard by the Dread Pirate Kami

The month-long journey back to Stormreach went by without incident - at least, by the time they arrived, no one remembered anything of interest. That, and their grog supplies were very low.

Whilst searching through the taverns on the dock for a good, cheap supply to restock her vessel, Kami came across an old friend - Captain Spack Jarrow, her first ever captain. After much discussion about her recent adventures, and much drinking, Captain Spack shared a tale with her.

"Did I be ever tellin' ye about why I stopped captaining? The story already be told that it be me loosing one too many crew; that th' spark for adventure were quenched by th' sorrow over too many deaths. That be true - in part - but th' whole story, it be something much, much more." Even though there were only the two of the at the table, Captain Spack leaned in closely. "Me first mate at th' time, a rutheless fellow by the name o' "Hawes the Coldhearted" (though, mind ye, th' last bit weren't so much his family name as it be how we be calling him). He be a nasty piece o' work, even on a ship full o' nasty pieces o' work. But he got th' job dome, and he obeyed me commands pretty quick, so I be putting up with his...less than warm attitudes." 

"Well, one time, we take over this one ship, nary a crew member left alive by the time we boarded, and way too much fire and soot to tell why. But the treasure, oh, Kami, t'was a sight to behold! We each had our share that time! Each had gold and trinkets aplenty. And gems - crystals, mind ye, big, blood red stones th' likings of which I'd never come across." Pausing to finish is current tankard - and then another one, just to be sure - Captain Spack eventually continued.

 "Now - I know, ye'd probably been seeing these things yerself now, moreso these days, now'at the war done gone make them special. But in those days, we aint seen dragonshards before, we aint knowing their power. An' the few o' us that did, well, we figured it was more'n just talk, just something ta let the Houses collect them more easily like. So when old Hawes took th' big one, hey, more gold for me, right?"

"...see, stuff that be buried, should sometimes stay buried. We know the tales, of how Khyber killed Siberys, of how Eberron saved what was left o' the world, and trapped Khyber good an' proper like below. Well, sometimes, some part of that ancient dragon works its way back to the surface - as it did with Hawes. An' Hawes ain't a friendly type beforehand. W' th' darkness o' Khyber inside o' 'im, there weren't nothing 'e weren't do. Slowly, but as sure as th' tide, he turned from a coldhearted first mate ta something spawned o' th' darkness itself! Th' crew - some were corrupted, taking their own chunks o' dragonshards, or being implanted wi' them by 'im, but the lucky ones, they simply died. A scarce few o' us survived, made it t' shore near Zantashk, an' slowly worked our way back up 'ere. I know th' ship went down... but I be sure that Hawkes lives on. I feel it in here. An', he needs to be put down."

By now, there were more than a few other interested folk watching the pair, but the Captain was focused on Kami. His collection of mugs empty, his tale told, and his burden now shared, he pleaded his case before his former crew member. "Kami, ye be needing t' find th' man. Ye be needing t' do 'im in." 


Hassan Elfbane, and The Man with One Hand

Meanwhile, whilst Ogg went to get his ruined armour repaired, and his Eberron shard transferred to his new weapon, Hassan set about finding his House Kundarak contacts, and opening that darned chest. There were few locks they could not open, so it was a surprise when, instead of returning with an opened chest, Uncle Ali instead returned with a knight.

 And, as it turned out, a knight with which Hassan was already familiar with - Sir Edric the Gauche.

"Hassan Elfbane, we meet again!" he spoke, simply giving the dwarf a curt nod, instead of offering a hand in greeting. "I believe you took something from me when last we parted...I hope you still have it on you?" The item he referred to was his hand - a mechanical device, created by a particularly insightful House Cannith artificer to make up for the one lost in the Last War. In a particularly vicious bar fight, Sir Edric had saved Hassan from a similar fate, but his own hand had become detached in the process. "I searched that bar quite thoroughly after I finished off those who dared stand before me, but two things continued to be most elusive - one, my hand, and two, the dwarf I had fought beside, had defended, even though, as I recall it, he was one of the instigators. So - do you still have it?"

Waving a hand - his one, remaining hand - towards the chest, he added "I know what lies inside it. I have been researching these items for some time, ever since I learned of the destruction that came down upon our sister order. It is one of three sacred vessels with which I intend to purify the temple, and banish the evil presence that seeks to sully the good name of my brethren! You will take me back there, and I will complete this most noble quest!" 


Urquilla the Scaled is Given a Vision

Whilst most of the crew remained within the city, some needed to escape out to the wilds for a moment of relaxation. Being trapped on board the ship was rough for Tvennr, but Regdar sorely needed to return to his trees and animals for a few days. Urquilla took the opportunity to visit his father and tribe, and let them know what he had been up to.

The news there was both good and disturbing. Good, for his father's injuries had shown great strides in recovery; though, instead of scar tissue, he had grown scales back over the wounds that had almost claimed his life. It was not unheard of, but even within their tribe, it was a sign of strange things happening. And indeed, there were great movements in the glimpses of draconic prophecy they managed to snatch.

 Jillepse the Blind, the tribe's oldest shaman, shared a recurring vision he had been experiencing. There was a mountain, with the red waters washing up it, trying to drown all who sought refuge upon it. Dragons flew overhead, swarming as thick as crows, blotting out the sun. Stars formed within them, to rain down death and destruction, until one man stood against the onslaught. Reaching up, he grabbed at the sky, though the sky. His hand moved, grasping at the moons, feeling them, but letting go, until finally, it reached the thirteenth moon, the unseen satellite, and pulled it down to the earth. It struck with a resounding explosion, scattering the dragon-swarm for a moment, and then he held it aloft - the invisible moon was now a sword, a sword that would cut down any dragon that stood against it. No longer would the dragons destroy every threat that rose against them; finally, the time of dragons was ended, the time of the Takamak tribe was only just beginning!

Clearly, the other tribal elders explained, much of the vision was strange shapes and images, and probably wasn't directly related to the real world situation. But there were more and more reports of many dragons scouting around the south-eastern coast of Xen'drik, and their presence felt like the precursor to another annihilation event. Something has upset them - something big, and that means something dangerous. Jillepse believed that Urquilla was the one to find this "weapon of the moon", and wield it in defence of their people - of all the people of Xen'drik. And with nothing else to go on, the tribal elders all stood backing this choice.

PotS 1x05 - Scouting the Ruins

These posts are from our DnD group's latest game. The current adventure is a return to the world of Eberron, and specifically Xen'drik.  Along with a strange chest, they now held information that should see them cured from their Xoriat-induced monstrous deformities, and their mission proper could continue.

The Loss of Curses and Limbs

The Hydra Battle

The trip back to shore seemed to take far longer than their journey out to the island garrison - perhaps it was Kami playing it safe with her ship, and the lack of Hassan's guidance, or maybe the cause was more supernatural than they wanted to accept.  Maybe even the tide itself was fighting against them, keeping them from completing their mission, and exploring the ruins.

Whatever it was, the crew eventually planted their feet on solid ground once more.  From there, they quickly returned to the eladrin grove, giving Analastra and Berrian the information taken from Gordian's library.  Together, they worked to rid the grasp of Xoriat from their father, and saw that the party was cured of their touch, as well.  Handing the mysterious chest over to Hassan for further investigation, they moved to the mountain path, and started the slow climb to its guardian - the green-scaled hydra.

The battle was fierce, but with Kami's well-placed haunting serpents spectres, the beast's spirit to fight was lessened.  Despite its caustic venom, enough heads were severed to bring the guardian low, and allow the team passage to the ruins proper.

The Tale of Two Galinndans

Approaching the Gate

The climb to the mountain's top took the better part of the rest of the afternoon, leaving them with little over an hour to scout the actual ruins.  And that didn't include the time it took to fight back the current occupants!

The gate that had once stood proudly before the mountain settlement now held dust, cobwebs, and soot from when the dragons had razed it.  One of the gigantic doors remained upright, its hinges long-since failed.  The other was little more than part of the path, pressed into the dirt and rubble surrounding it.  Regdar sensed they eyes watching him before he noticed the tell-tale movements of the gargoyles.  With a warning call, he kept the others back, and made the enemy come to them.

Unfortunately, it was not just gargoyles that attacked them.  Mid-battle, one of the enemy abruptly took on the form of Galinndan, and the eladrin warlord himself turned to attack his own captain.  Fortunate he was that Hassan had remained behind, else the azure guard might have experienced just how Hassan Elfbane had earned his surname!

A Wild Decay Beast Appears!

Amongst the ruins lurked another creature, driven mad by hunger, empowered by the arcane disaster many years ago.  This decay beast had long ago stopped preying on simple metal items, and had instead taken a liking to anything that could decay. Weapons and armour started tearing, rusting, and splintering before him, as his hunger brought his teeth about Ogg's person, dissolving and consuming his armour.

The outfit clearly had meant a lot to Ogg, for he didn't take that slight lying down.  His carefully-aimed blasts of raw power were able to distinguish friend from foe, and within moments, only crumpled, shattered remains were left behind.

Atop the Plateau
The majority of the settlement was now in ruins.  The arcane cataclysm had destroyed much of the structures, and now only three remained upright.  Dragonfire had reduced most of that to rubble and ash, but the temple standing in the middle of the plateau still had half of a roof. 

The stone walls of a former barracks stood to one side, but when investigated further, only the dead bodies of a bulette and two carrion-crawlers were found.  The creatures were killed recently, and violently, prompting Urquilla to investigate more thoroughly.  The tracks and remnants of the battle suggested that the mysterious group who had taken out the spiders in the forest had cleared up here, too.

Along the opposite side of the settlement, there stood a structure that was perhaps once dedicated to those who looked after the temple.  Its walls bore faded frescoes, covered with thick webs.  It was no surprise to anyone that some giant spiders had settled here - and, as no one felt strongly about taking it back, they left the overgrown arachnids to their thing, and focused on the temple.

The Temple of Battle

Three statues were the central focal point of the temple, though various alcoves here and there had their own, smaller, dedications to the various members of the Soverign Host.  But the main three - Dol Dorn, the god of courage; Dol Arrah, the goddess of combat; and a third figure who was unrecognisable in its currently degraded state - were clearly seen as the most important by those who built and had operated the temple.

Final stages of the Temple battle

Galinndan stepped forward, trying to work out who the mysterious figure was, but a voice high in the rafters "All the faithful of the Knights of Battle, come and pay them worship!" it cried, as the figure of a twisted harpy settled before them.  Long dead, and driven crazy by some unseen force, this ghostly remnant of one of the temple's former servants screeched and cursed at them, activating two warforgeds to come to her aid.  Their fires burned strong, and even after the ghost was dismissed with certain finality, they locked together and fought on, almost bringing an end to the valiant heroes who stood before them.
stopped his study. 

But in the end, they did triumph, and with the settlement now cleared of enemies (aside from those nasty spiders, who were just left to do their own thing), they were able to finally scout and map the ruins. 

The Ruins, Scouted

Knowing that a sizeable paycheck awaited them upon their return to Stormreach, Kami set the crew's sight towards the month-long journey it would take to get there - but she knew, as did the others, that there were still mysteries here to search further.

Hassan was eager to get some help in unlocking the chest, but at the same time didn't wish to leave the tower unguarded.  Two of the Kaapiot quadruplets volunteered to remain behind, though no one was sure which two, so Kami just declared that all four would remain, and the matter was settled.

Galinndan, on the other hand, didn't cherish the thought of spending another month trapped aboard the dwarven ship.  Instead, he elected to remain with Analastra and her family, helping to set up the arcane waypoint once the crew returned to Cousin Walid.  Although she wasn't overly happy to let the eladrin out of her sight, Kami eventually agreed to this, and the crew set sail once more.