29 Jan 2011

Level 17

Previous Games

{4E Level 1-3 }

{4E Level 5-7 }

{4E Level 8-10}

{4E Level 11 Page 1} 

{4E Level 11 Page 2}

{4E Level 15}

The party gets together after Dobbs finds out some information and sends out word that we should get together quickly. After a few days, the party arrives and Dobbs informs them that he has determined a location that the group should search for more information. He points south to a location on the map along some foothills that might show some more information about the glyphs. More burial crypts seem to be on the agenda.

So the party heads out. We reach a small town to rest and they ask our dwarves if they are part of the group of odd light-skinned dwarves that had just come through town. Curious, we look into the event and determine that an anvil used by these dwarves had glyphs on it, similar to the explosive obelisk we have experience with. Further inspection turns up a buried obelisk with runes on it. Mattlin was kind enough to offer Daknar’s money to some townsfolk to dig it up. After some arguing Daknar relents and pays rather than try and talk his way out of paying with the rogue.

At Daknar’s suggestion, the party breaks it open and finds skeletal remains of an insect like creature with runes on it. Dobbs and Finn determine that this creature would be summoned if some ritual was performed and wreak havoc on the village.  We decide to follow the odd dwarves.

At one point, Jontosh looks down into a hole (plays plot card – item is found) and sees a gem at the bottom. He asks Dobbs to use his mage hand to get the item. Dobbs does so, and pockets the sapphire. The two argue, but Dobbs just keeps saying “thanks for the sapphire.” Jontosh is not amused.

While sleeping, Cabal returns and starts talking to our newest member Vahn while on guard shift. He tries to convince him we should go search out some warehouses instead of following the dwarves. He also asks for the sapphire that Dobbs has. Vahn won’t give him anything and awakens Salem who eventually annoys Cabal into leaving. They tell us all this in the morning, and Salem calls upon his deity for a suggested route to follow

(plot card has his deity say “Don’t Be Distracted!!!!”)

We decide to continue south.

The party follows the wagon these odd dwarves had, easily trailing them off the road and to the base of a cliff with an opening in it. At the opening we spy two frost giants and some winter wolves. A plan is put into place to allow our sneaky members to flank them while our noisy members walk right up to them. At first it looks as though they might talk with us, but suddenly they attack (plot card played to change their minds and make them attack). A stone giant comes out of what is obviously the crypt in the cliff and joins the fight.

We defeat them and find 6000 Platinum (600 platinum each).  We also find scrolls with runes and carving tools that were probably used on the obelisk. Looking at the scrolls we have, Dobbs and Finn are able to determine that they are parts of a ritual that would destroy all life within a 1000 mile radius from some central point. They theorize that the obelisks are some sort of focal point device to help spread the death and destruction.

Inspecting the crypt reveals Netherese type runes from the fallen cities of Netheril written all over the crypt. These were a group of humans that were capable of powerful magic’s in the lands of the forgotten realms. Further examinations reveal they are not true runes, and don’t make any sense, as if someone had put them here to fool uneducated people into thinking they were really Netherese.  IT is actually a Calymsham Dynasty resting place, and so we raid it of all its loot.

Mattlin and Vahn manage to set off a trap on the sarcophagus with the magic items in it, but they injured only slightly so we divide out the treasure:

TREASURE

Torque of Power Reservation – lvl 20 +4 = Salem

Ring of Action Reversal, +4 initiative = Duncan

Ring of Focus, maintain minor magic action = Dobbs

Cloak of Shadowthief lvl 19,  (+4 Fort/Ref/Will) = Skeld

Wand of Cursing, +4 attack/dmg = Finn

The wagon was not there as we go outside and look around, so we follow its tracks west. We discover another tomb that has fake Netherese glyphs on it, but it has been raided and there are not treasure items there. We continue heading west and we can see a huge mountain in the distance. About 300 yards from the mountain is the abandoned wagon. The party moves up to the wagon….things really start to get hairy here.

The mountain is identified as a Fire Node, as it has fiery things floating around its top.

(Plot card played, a tower will fall)

The mountain suddenly explodes as it turns into a volcano!!!

(Plot card played, a bad situation gets worse)

Lava cascades down the side of the volcano directly towards the party as a fire storm erupts among the forests surrounding the base of the volcano

(Plot card played, a key plot point is revealed)

Suddenly among the smoke and violence, a beam of sunlight can be seen through the clouds, and it just by chance illuminates some very scared looking giants at a tomb partway up the volcano….just before it is engulfed in lava. The lava is continuing directly towards the party at a very quick rate of speed.

(Plot card played, you will be safe if you don’t move)

The party stays where they are, and the lava diverts to a different direction as the fire storm among the forest heads out the other way as well, leaving our party safe at the base of total destruction.

A deep booming voice calls out to us “What have you done!!!”

It is a different group of giants that approach from the south. As we have nowhere to run, someone suggests to Hadren to try and chat with them, he having the best diplomacy training for some unfathomable reason. So…he does. And they have a wonderful chat where for some reason the party tells these giants everything they are doing and why. The giants, hearing the theories of the 1000 mile radius of death plan, say that they have been told the obelisk will save their people and we things completely backwards. The giants won’t say who is giving them their information, and nobody thinks to ask the question “is it the Fey?”

The giants decide we have been honest, and set up a meeting 4 days from now. We agree and decide to set up camp for the night. The wagon has another obelisk in it that we break because we love wanton destruction.

At some point Vahn goes to take a leak and falls through the ground into an old tunnel. He calls us and says he has “found” another way into the crypt destroyed by the lava. We search it and find the trap aiming the wrong way on a door. Vahn sticks his hand in the middle and sets it off. Opening the door causes a vacuum from the fire that had occurred sucking all the air out of the room.

Curious as to what they were trying to keep out of the exit, the group goes inside and finds another sarcophagus in a room with a door on every wall.  As Mattlin and Vahn are disabling its traps and locks, the door they walked in through slams shut and all the traps on each door reset and become live – about to go off. For good or worse, Salem was there and the three of them have only a few seconds to disable the traps. They succeed somehow and are saved being barbecued because really, what kind of trap uses barbecue sauce.

Once the door is opened, Dakran moves in and pulls the top of the sarcophagus for the thieves and places it in the door opening, so it can’t shut and lock again. More items are found in this tomb, but we quickly identify it as a minor tomb, meaning a better one still exists.

(plot card played….I don’t know what it said, but it’s all Jim’s fault).

Suddenly 3 golems show up and crowd the tiny room. The fight is intense in the confines of the space, but in the end we defeat them. Did I mention it was crowded?

Two more sarcophagi are found and raided, a huge amount of treasure is found, but it turns out to be three unique sets of items.

One set is for clerics (Champions Flame Set), and it is given to our cleric Skeld. Another set is possibly for a druid. Dakran takes the entire set even though it is for a Druid and he only wants the neck piece (Raiment of World Spirit). The last set has people drooling, but in the end, we allow the two individuals who can use the parts the most, Salem and Finn, to divvy out what items they want (Eldrich Penoply Set). I have no idea who ended up with what. Sadly, the main room was destroyed by the volcano.

We return back to camp. During this time, Finn spies Mattlin examining a ruby that he found but didn’t share with anyone else. He’s an evil rogue that one. The party sets up watches and goes to sleep. At some point, Jontosh manages to get the sapphire back from Dobbs. I don’t know how, these guys don’t tell me anything, but it disappeared. I only know this because Dobbs asks us about where it went. We all look around, and at some point Vahn mentions Cabal has made a visit and asked for it. This is especially shocking because both he and Salem knew Cabal asked about the sapphire but didn’t mention it to anyone. This is kind of important information to keep silent about. Nobody seems particularly worried because he left so what is the likelihood he will come back.

That night, Cabal shows up again. He shows up while Mattlin is on guard duty with Dakran and says “give me the ruby you have hidden in your glove of storing or I will take the glove when I take the ruby.” Dakran is upset that here is a second gem he knew nothing about. At first Dakran tells Cabal to take the glove with the ruby so that Mattlin will have to lose an item. But then he has second thoughts and decides he doesn’t want to put Cabal on the list of people who have stolen from us and suggests he trade the gem. Mattlin, always the schemer, says he will trade it for a favor. This is a gutsy move with a fey, but Cabal agrees and leaves.

The party continues towards the meeting with the giant. The day before the meeting, we stay at a nice inn in a town a short distance away. That night, giant shows up outside the window of Dobbs room. He explains the Oni are the ones behind the ritual of destruction. He is worried about it and his clan and doesn’t know how many cities are involved. Dobbs can tell he is sincere and the last thing the giant says is not to go to the meeting or at least don’t be seen trying to get there!

But the night isn’t over…

No sooner did Dobbs start to go back to sleep, when Cabal shows up in his room. Maybe it’s Dobb’s cologne. (plot card played – reveal a plot point) Cabal decides to tell Dobbs what is going on. First he says he got the gem from Mattlin and that Mattlin had taken it. He is talking about the ruby but Dobbs thinks he is talking about the sapphire. He then says that the obelisks went out to 200 cities including waterdeep. The Oni thinks the obelisks are protection items and won’t believe otherwise. They thing the people giving them the information on the obelisks are Netherese, but in fact they are Pheream.

Dobbs is more concerned about the gem, and convinces Cabal to grant him the same reward he gave Mattlin, so Dobbs is now owed a favor from Cabal.

Just seconds later, Mattlin calls Cabal and asks him for a wondrous golden lion figure. It suddenly appears and looks up at Mattlin.

Cabal leaves with a grin on his face…..