TOPIC: R3: Princes of the Apocalypse continued.

Garuda wrote:
Don't see a double post, presume you deleted it?

Sometimes slow network speeds can affect what gets posted as forum module adds records to the underlying platform

Sarge wrote:
Yeah. I've overwritten the multiple posts with 'double post' and 'what's with the multiple posting?"

SESSION SIXTEEN

28 Kythorn 1491 DR

DRYFLAGON AND FRIEND
The tall man in leathers and cloak, and smoking a pipe greeted the party with a tone of mild annoyance. He cast a spell of magical force that pushed most of the party backward, the noise was deafening and the stone walls cracked. The combined might of the party was concentrated first on the tall man, and once he dropped to the floor bleeding from his wounds, all attention was turned to his little friend with his head on fire – who had until now done nothing but swing his hammer around pathetically, hitting nothing but fresh air. The fire-headed dwarf beat a hasty retreat down the stone stair. The party let him flee.

Left in possession of the dilapidated tower, the party decided to rest for the night. The following morning Burlap took the lead in informing those still congregated on the hillside that Dryflagon was a fake, but assured everyone that they were all safe. Slowly the crowds dissipated and left for home. Dreena and her friends too departed for their homes on the frontier.

TO THE SPIRE
The party decided to continue onwards to Feathergale Spire, the party’s base of operations since they took it from the Feathergale Knights some weeks ago. But would their household staff still occupy the tower, or might cultists have returned to reclaim what is theirs?

2 Flamerule 1491 DR

INTO THE VALLEY
After three days of uneventful journeying through the wilderness the party spies Feathergale Spire in the distance and soon Bort spies a large bird circling in the sky. Snakey Snake having undergone a wondrous transformation, and renamed Hawkey Hawk (should that be Hawkey Hawk the Second?), reconnoitred the area and reported back to Burlap that the large bird was a giant vulture with a warrior mounted upon it.

The party decided to leave the spire for now and instead press on along the valley floor to investigate their suspicions of cultist activities. They waited until nightfall, and followed the course of a small river along the valley under cover of darkness and the pouring rain. It took a couple of hours trudging through the miserable weather to reach a fissure in the rocks in the approximate position that the telescope on the pinnacle of the spire must be concentrated upon.

OF DARKNESS, MONKS AND STAIRWAYS
The fissure went on for some way into the darkness. The party continued until the faint murmur of voices was heard. Kahlan snuck closer to spy three unarmed figures in conversation at the top of a stone stair. Burlap put one into a magical sleep which triggered combat. The figures were acrobatic and competent fighters, without the need for weapons. They deflected Kahlan's arrows and snatched Ellas' arrows out of the air, largely negating ranged attacks. The flash of steel was needed to finish them.

The stairway was carved out of natural rock and lead onwards and downwards for more than a mile. To one side the stairway looked over a precipice, one that eventually opened up into an enormous cavern illuminated by the glimmer of countless luminescent minerals. Within the vast cavern lay the ancient ruins of a city. Burlap recalled legends of the great dwarven city of Tyar-Besil that supposedly existed beneath the Dessarin Valley.

TYAR-BESIL
The party descended the stair and approached the city. Statues of dwarfs formed an arch before the entrance. The screams of poor unfortunate souls being tortured within the city resounded loudly and a cacophony of strange voices from all around was lifted in imitation of the terrible screams. Beneath a gatehouse, the entranceway was a zig-zag corridor flanked by murderous holes and arrow-slits. Kahlan entered the city proper and found herself in a wide street with the walls of buildings and doors at various angles to each other. She listened at the first door – the sound of music was clearly evident—probably the worst, out of tune, uncoordinated instrument playing she had ever heard…. …. …. ….


TREASURE
+1 dagger
250 gp
2x fire opals (worth 50gp each)
A scroll of Flame Arrows
And Burlap decided to take Elizar Dryflagon’s pipe as a token

REWARD
For defeating a fourth cultist stronghold, and for the part's fame now spreading across the valley thanks to the druids and druid-friends that Burlap sent away in safety from the fire cult, each character is awarded one inspiration and the party gains one renown.

XP AWARD
For the last two sessions together— for combat, roleplay and progression—Bort, Burlap, Ellas and Kahlan are awarded 3,000XP. Slade is awarded 2,000XP.



Bort .... Award: 3,000 XP .....Total: 16,700 XP ..... Level 6
Burlap ....Award: 3,000 XP ....Total: 16,700 XP ....Level 6
Ellass ....Award: 3,000 XP ....Total: 14,500 XP ....Level 6
Kahlan ....Award: 3,000 XP ....Total: 14,500 XP ....Level 6
Slade ....Award: 2,000 XP ....Total: 15,000 XP ....Level 6

Flame Arrows

3rd-level transmutation

Casting time: 1 action.
Range: Touch
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour

You touch a quiver containing arrows or bolts. When a target is hit by a ranged weapon attack using a piece of ammunition drawn from the quiver, the target takes an extra 1d6 fire damage. the spell’s magic ends on the piece of ammunition when it hits or misses, and the spell ends when a maximum of twelve pieces of ammunition have been drawn from the quiver.

SESSION SEVENTEEN

3 Flamerule DR

THE MUSICAL NON-APPRECIATION SOCIETY
The door opened to reveal the scene of a band practice. The players were appalling. So much so that Bort put an end to the terrible assault on everybody’s ears by casting a spell that shattered the bands bone flutes and other instruments. And for their crimes against silence the musicians suffered the same fate as cleaners, cooks and pot-washers have suffered before them—a terrible death at the hands of the party.

Windharrow, the band leader, escaped the wrath of the party by stepping into a dark space and disappearing from the room. How did you know he was named Windharrow? Because the man chained to the wall told you so. The party freed the suffering prisoner. His name is Damok Seer, a paladin of the god of light, and a man with the power to heal too— much to Burlap’s delight and Bort’s annoyance.

HAWKEY HAWK
Hawkey Hawk did a quick recce of the adjacent area, not much to see in the streets with their fairly low cavernous ceilings, but the central plaza was a vast space at the centre of which was a stepped pyramid surrounded by a moat. The water flowed around the moat and cascaded over the edge of an abyss in a magnificent waterfall on the western side of the plaza. On the peak of the pyramid was perched a rider mounted upon a wyvern.

ANOTHER DOOR
Further along the street, Kahlan listened at another door. The sounds of scraping stone, trundling feet, harsh tones, the crack of a whip, and torturous screams (which were imitated by mocking fluting, sing-song voices around the city). The party decided to leave the sufferers to it, and moved on.

THE COLONNADE OF UNGRATEFUL WRETCHES
The entrance to the pyramid plaza was along a colonnade. At the centre of this walkway, one after the other leading to the plaza, were three stone columns, each with a gaunt and pitiful looking human chained to its base. The first of the sufferers pleaded for help. The party questioned and interrogated him before agreeing to release the three men. Very soon afterward, the first of these men caught Slade off-guard and drew Slade’s sword and lunged at him. Slade avoided anything more than a minor cut, before the sword seemingly slipped from the gaunt man’s hand, like it had transformed into tendrils of smoke in the air and re-solidified itself in its owner’s hand instead. Slade dealt the traitorous man his instant punishment. One of the other gaunt humans swung a punch at Burlap, before being quickly subdued. Ellas’ bow dealt with the third traitor, who tried to flee toward the plaza. The subdued man was questioned, he didn’t tell much before Bort splatted him.

THE PYRAMID PLAZA
Kahlan and Ellas snuck to the plaza entrance and sniped the wyvern rider with flaming arrows. The party charged in to fight the wyvern, which swooped and almost killed poor Burlap. Damok's touch kept Burlap alive. The wyvern soon crashed to earth and spilled into the moat. Cultists in feathered cloaks rushed in, and met their deaths. Every member of the party played their part in the defeat of the enemies in this vast cavern--including Hawkey Hawk.

Toward the end of the fracas, Bort spotted a large dark shadow pass by beneath the water of the moat… … …

END NOTE
Are you aware that the party hasn’t slept in more than 24 hours now?

TREASURE
Bugger all.

XP AWARD

Bort... Award: 1,000 XP... Total: 17,700 XP... Level 6
Burlap... Award: 1,000 XP... Total: 17,700 XP... Level 6
Damok... Award: 1,000 XP... Total: 15,000 XP... Level 6
Ellass... Award: 1,000 XP... Total: 15,500 XP... Level 6
Kahlan... Award: 1,000 XP... Total: 15,500 XP... Level 6
Slade... Award: 1,000 XP... Total: 16,000 XP... Level 6

SESSION EIGHTEEN

3 Flamerule DR

CAPTAIN BEAKY AND HIS GANG
The party doubled back to the city entrance and forced their way into the guardhouse. Eight bird-men things, like crows as tall as Kylie Minogue, were on duty. Their sing-song, flute-like voices were those responsible for imitating the sounds of torturous screams around the city. They were quickly dealt with and three of them, those with the most body parts remaining, were raised from eternal slumber to a state of undeath by Bort and placed on sentry duty outside the door whilst the party grabbed some well-deserved sleep.

The only disturbance during this rest was when a party of cultists searching the city for the intruders came too close, they were all killed by Bort’s new friends for the loss of two zombie sentries. Bort must a felt some pride that his new friend Beaky, the last zombie standing, had done him well (not that Bort showed it outwardly). The party went back to bed.

4 Flamerule DR

LEVITATING PRIESTS
After rest and breakfast the party returned to and entered the pyramid. A number of initiates were discovered levitating, chanting in solemn prayer. At the centre of the room was a pit from which up-rushed a constant flow of air. Burlap cast a fireball spell, to the dismay of his own allies, the flow of air exaggerated the fire blast immensely and almost all were caught in the flash-fire. When the heat and brightness dissipated, just one initiate stood in the room—smouldering and menacing. He didn’t last long though. The party investigated the pit and Bort invited Beaky to jump into it – which the mindless zombie duly did. His fall was slowed, but his descent seemed endless.

At this point a voice announced “The Queen will see you now”. The party turned to witness another initiate turn away and ascend the stairs to the chamber above.

AN AUDIENCE WITH THE QUEEN
As the party entered the upper chamber, Aerisi Kalinoth, self-styled Queen of the cult of Howling Hatred was just finishing off disciplining the initiates who had failed to find the party during the night. The levitated bodies of those to be punished were snapped and broken in mid-air. Justice dispensed, the Queen smiled and beckoned you forward. Only Damok had the courage to step forth, his approach though soon halted by bird-men guards.

Aerisi, a woman with elf-like features, was seated upon a throne with her magnificent wings outstretched. At her feet sat Windharrow, her favourite minstrel. She congratulated the party on their exploits, which she has been following with interest, and offered a bargain. She asked the party to rid her of the hated Earth Cult, in return she’d let the party live.

After exchanging a few niceties the party declined her gracious offer and loosed spells and arrows. Burlap almost destroyed the pyramid as the walls fell away and the ceiling dropped down on Aerisi and Windharrow, the solid stone turning to a viscous sludge. And then the sky was ripped open and a lighting storm unleashed upon her by Bort. She responded in kind with lighting of her own. Damok dealt with the bird-men, Kahlan unleashed her arrows at any enemy on sight, Burlap and Bort engaged in a battle of arcane force with the elf-queen; Windharrow having already fallen. Although their efforts were soon distrupted as first Burlap and then Bort were assailed by an unseen opponent.

As the final blow was dealt, Aerisi Kalin]oth’s body dissipated into wisps of air and her spear dropped to the ground. The unseen opponent blinked out of existence at the moment of her death.

TREASURE
Aerisi Kalinoth’s nice-looking spear.
A few baubles and trinkets of no real worth plundered from the guardroom

XP AWARD

Bort....... Award: 2,500 XP... Total: 20,200 XP... Level 6
Burlap... Award: 2,500 XP... Total: 20,200 XP... Level 6
Damok...Award: 2,500 XP... Total: 17,500 XP... Level 6
Kahlan...Award: 2,500 XP... Total: 18,000 XP... Level 6
Ellass... Award: ... .. 0 XP... Total: 15,500 XP... Level 6
Slade... Award: ... .. 0 XP... Total: 16,000 XP... Level 6