Loudwater

Loudwater

Saturday 31 May 2014

Session 67: 16-17/10/1482 Against the Giants!

Introduction
16/10/1482 DR The day after Maarth's defeat, Priest Rylgoth of the Azers contacts his 'goddess' Arya, Primordial of Lightning - the Azer Revolution has begun! As expected, most of the fire giant army has descended to the mines to quell the rebellion, while King Snurre directs the war effort from his fortress-throne. Now is the time to strike! Rylgoth's brother Valgoth and a squad of Azer rebel warriors are moving to rendezvous with Arya & co between the Lake of Fire and the surface world, and guide them through the maze of volcanic tunnels between the Lake of Fire and the Halls of the Fire Giant King for the final confrontation...

17/10/1482 DR Forces are gathered, the group travels east to the Endless Caverns with ten guardsmen, leaving horses with the Rangers of the Nine, and descend into the depths. They meet the Azers led by Valgoth conversing amicably with Nolav the lich. Nolav tells them that Phaervorul is now under the control of a band of slaves led by a war troll, who have defeated the ghouls and remaining drow, captured Matron-Mother Urlvrain, and now rule the ruined city from the former Temple of Lolth.

Valgoth and the Azers pay homage to Arya, then he leads the expedition down to the Lake of Fire, and east for hours through volcanic tunnels, to the Gate of the Giant King. With difficulty they get the great obsidian doors open, and enter the Hall. A hidden Azer sounds a gong. King Snurre waits upon his throne...



Photo: The expeditionary force

Photo: Hiya, Nolav. How are you?

Photo: It is, indeed, a force. Hopefully to be reckoned with.


Photo: Fire Giants.

Photo: The Hell Hounds have been released

Photo: Ack!!!

Photo: Paelias' epic run to the lever

Photo

Session XP
Encounter with Nolav & the Azers, trek to Snurre's Hall: 600 XP each
Passing the Black Gate: 800 XP each
Tota: 1400+119011= 120411 XP
143,000 XP for Level 20

Dunstan is at -1 on d20 rolls until he has reached a milestone or taken 
an extended rest.

Monday 19 May 2014

Session 66 RL19 15-16/10/1482 Maarth's Last Kill


Photo: Nasty ghouls gang up on Dunstan.
Photo: Dunstan!
Dunstan falls to the blade of Maarth, drow assassin.
M6-10 1482 DR: Pealias attempts to instruct Tammy in Ranger skills, especially Stealth - she's a somewhat indifferent pupil. At the new Greywood Manor Pealias meets Anaveth, the Silverstar of Selune sent by High Priestess Amathea to aid and advise him. Suspecting that Tammy may be jealous of the beautiful young woman, he introduces her diplomatically. Anaveth expresses interest in Tammy's art and sadness that her own talents do not compare; they seem to get on well. Talking later with Anaveth, Pealias speaks a little of his meeting with Selune, and his feeling that the Gray Vale will be of great importance in a coming conflict. Anaveth seems a little unsure, the Gray Vale seeming a quiet and peaceful backwater, while the great empires of Netheril and Thay clash in the east. Evil fights evil, and the West is at peace - so why are the omens so bad? But Pealias discovers there is a secret Anaveth will not reveal - Amathea instructed her not to unless she felt it absolutely necessary.

15/10/1482: Sir Jorah Blackthorn briefs Lirael, Dunstan & Pealias at Northwood Manor - the Southwood Goblins are encroaching on Rensard Manor and Valeris' southern dominions. Many fear an attack, some families have abandoned the area. A dove arrives from the Stronghold of the Nine with a message from Ranger Captain Quen Harrowleaf - something has been killing the Rangers watching over the Endless Caverns; five have been lost in three days. The first three had their faces eaten away, the killer was driven off before the last two could be mutilated.
Lirael & co ride west, reaching the Stronghold of the Nine a little before dusk to find the Rangers tense and worried. Harrowleaf is grateful for aid. Lirael sets a trap that evening where a drow footprint was spotted by the last killings, but the slayer does not fall into it; everyone rises weary the next day. 

16/10/1482: Lirael picks up the killer's trail by hand/claw markings on the walls, and tracks it into the Caverns to the dragons' graveyard. A figure appears atop the skull of Graxx Rekax - Maarth, Phaervorul Matron-Mother  Urlvrain's assassin, lost in the fighting and now a red-eyed ghoul thing.
As the heroes debate what to do, a dozen more ghouls sneak up on them and attack. Maarth, no longer a silent automaton, cackles about Orcus' power, and proves a deadly foe as he slits the throat of fallen Dunstan. But at last Pealias puts him down; Lirael shoots the last ghoul as it flees and the heroes are victorious. Pealias carries Dunstan's body back to Greywood Manor where they take a boat over the Grayflow and head upstream to Brownstone and the Temple of the Green Regent. Halvath calls back Dunstan's soul from the halls of Moradin; Dunstan feels the All-Father's hand on his shoulder, he is let him go with an admonition to restore Ammarindar.

XP
12 abyssal ghoul hungerers: 500x12=6000
Maarth, drow ghoul assassin: 5600
Total: 11600/3=3866
Level 18 minor quest: End threat to Rangers of the Nine: +500
Total: 4366 + 114,545 = 118911 XP
Need 119,000 for 19th level
Pealias/Anaveth Roleplay Bonus: +100 = 119011
LEVEL 19 Reached
143,000 for Level 20

Dunstan is at -1 on d20 rolls until he has reached three milestones or taken three extended rests.

Thursday 15 May 2014

Events 1481-1482 DR

1481 DR

M8 – Word from Elturgard: The Twelve Peers of Elturel, a cadre of twelve Amaunite, Bahamite & Tormite Clerics & Paladins, all High Paragons, volunteered to investigate what lies within Fort Morninglord. One, Val Carlsen of the Morninglord, returned, to report that in the bowels of the Fort they were attacked by hundreds of undead, surrounding what appeared to be a Lich’s Phylactery. Two men fell before the undead were vanquished. Carlsen stood guard while the other nine Peers approached the Phylactery – and vanished. They did not re-appear. With more undead approaching, Carlsen fought his way out to report back.  Markings on the Phylactery identify the Lich as Aumvor of Netheril.  King Pyvim ordered the Fort re-sealed and the wards strengthened.

M9 - At the behest of Queen Esmerelda of Llorkh, several bands of mercenary goblinoids from Kiris Dahn and Korzzbad have been aiding Lord Boris of Secomber in his campaign against the Urshani Worg-rider hobgoblins of the High Moor. Secomber has little wealth, and it's rumoured that Lady Moonfire has been funding Boris, perhaps to draw away the Korzzbad goblins from her own frontier. The Urshani are well dug-in in their tunnels beneath the moors; progress is slow and losses heavy, but that suits all parties well enough, particularly the hobgoblin Warlord Delderosh, who soon grows fat on Loudwater gold.

M9 Dendry Nistral the Smith and Milla Strong the housekeep have been growing close. Dendry now asks Lirael permission to wed Milla. Lirael gives permission and the couple marry a few weeks later.

1482 DR  

M1  Sir Dolf Dragonheart and Baroness Amara deTrevani have a daughter, named Ashara Dragonheart after their friend,  the Genasi Ashara of Akanul. When the child turns twelve she will come to study under Ashara at the Fiery Spire.

M5 – The new Northwood Manor bee hives are generating lots of honey!

M5 – Marah, the wife of Sir Jorah Blackthorn’s younger brother Arren, gives birth to  a second child, a son named Aumvor Blackthorn.

M6 Several new/restored manors including Greywood (Pealias) and Azul Karak (Dunstan) have now been established along the north bank of the Grayflow. With the Gray Vale at peace and the land defended by mighty heroes, many colonists come to settle. Among the arrivals are dwarves of the Ironforge clan from far-off Cormyr, and Fangbreaker clan dwarves from the north and west. Also among the arrivals are devotees of Selune, including  Silverstars, and several Eladrin families from the Sword Coast. Among those who have come to the Gray Vale are Anaveth, a half-elven Paragon Silverstar of Selune sent by High Priestess Amathea of Waterdeep to serve the Eladrin hero Pealias, and the doughty warrior-smith Cerdic Ironforge, a cousin of Dunstan Ironforge from distant Cormyr.

M6 With the expansion of the Wardship, Lady Moonfire, the High Lord of Loudwater, formally invests Lady Lirael as Baroness, with the Wardship of the North as a new Barony, equivalent to deTrevani to the east. Lirael knights her vassals Sir Dunstan Ironforge and Sir Pealias as Knights of the Wardship of the North.

M9 Ser Kitana of Llorkh reports from Korzzbad to her Queen, Esmerelda. Ser Delderosh's campaign against the Urshani hobgoblins in the west, now in its second year, continues to go slowly. After initial heavy losses he adopted a more cautious approach, and has recently cleared out several Urshani lairs, taking the survivors for Korzzbad and killing those who won't yield. As long as Boris' gold (probably in fact mostly Lady Moonfire's gold) keeps flowing, Delderosh is happy to continue the campaign.
Of more possible concern, Yuan-ti merchants from Najara recently visited Korzzbad. They purchased all the human women taken at the sack of Rensard manor except for Delderosh's own concubine, and expressed great interest in acquiring more. Delderosh offered them hobgoblin females taken from the Urshani, but they were uninterested. Delderosh would dearly like to strike against the soft Loudwater territories to the north, but rightly fears Queen Esme and Bane. More prosaically he also doesn't want to lose the flow of Moonfire gold. Delderosh would like to know if some kind of trading arrangement could be set up; if not Loudwater then surely Llorkh or the Mountain King must have spare females to trade?

M10 As autumn settles upon the Gray Vale, Lirael receives a message by dove from the Stronghold of the Nine, the Graywood elven fortress near the Endless Caverns. Something has been stalking the Rangers of the Nine assigned to watch over the Endless Caverns; five Rangers have been lost in three days. Commander Harrowleaf begs for the aid of Lady Lirael and Pealias to track down the killer.

Monday 12 May 2014

Session 65 24/6/1481 On the Bridge of Sighs

Following a trail of mindflayer ichor from the dwarven bastion, the heroes traverse down the side of a huge lightless cavern, to a stone bridge over a rushing stream far below. There they are attacked by the wounded mindflayers Vurin & Turin, and their Tanarukk allies - demon orcs! After a long and fierce battle that brings Jareth to the brink of death the mindlayers are slain, the Tanarukk defeated - one overawed Tanarukk surrenders and is sent on his way with a message - the lands east of the stone bridge belong to the humans!








XP:
2 Mindflayers lvl 18 elite - 8000
7 Tanarukk marauders lvl 17 - 1600x7=11200
2 Tanarukk steel warriors lvl 18 - 4000
23,200/5.5=4218
Level 18 quest - end threat to Adakmi: +2000 each.
Total: 6218+ 108327 = 114,545 XP
Need 119,000 for 19th level

Friday 9 May 2014

2014 Summer/Autumn Provisional Games Schedule

All games are Monday 7pm at Counting House.

May
12th, 19th

June - Lvl 19?
2nd, (9th), 16th, 23rd, 30th

July (weekly) - Lvl 19/20
7th, 14th, 21st, 28th

August (weekly 1st 2 Mondays) - Lvl 20
4th, 11th

September (no games)?

October (no games)

November (weekly) - Lvl 20/21?
3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th

December (weekly first 2 Mondays) - Lvl 22/23?
1st, 8th

Probably resuming fortnightly play from January 2015.