Session 25: A Cry for Halp, pt2 Report
General Summary
Session 25 – Wednesday January 11, 2023 – A Cry for Halp! Part 2
3.5 Hour Role Play/battle session 6:00 PM to 10:00PMThe Stone Bearers. Party of 6:
It is the 15th day of the month of Uktar (The Rotting) in the 50th year of the Age of Enialis (Mid November.)- Abrash – Wood (Dessert) Elf, L5 Druid – Jacob Munson
- Ajani– High Elf, L5 Wizard – Nathan Gioconda (Remote)
- Gazlowe – Goblin, L5 Artificer – Josh Pozsonyi
- Thomas – Human, L5 Blood hunter – Ryan Armstrong (Remote)
- Isabella – Forest Gnome, L5 Barbarian – Jackie Armstrong
- Cedrik – Human, L5 Bard – Dan King (Absent)
- Gurthen – Dwarf, L5 Paladin – Spencer Armstrong
A Black Veil
The party discussed which door to go in, one was up a 5-foot cliff to the west and the 2nd was in the east. Gurthen and Abrash disappeared in a black ethereal orb. The others decided to climb the small cliff and Gazlowe picked the lock. The cavern opened up and they proceeded northwest. At the end they saw an area of magical darkness. Gazlowe tossed a rock into the veil and heard it land on the other side. Thomas and Isabella both walked into the darkness, and it was just a thin veil. However, on the other side an area of spikes sprung up into their legs and then back down into the floor. Isabella screamed in pain. Thomas ran following the wall to the south and jumped down a small cliff avoiding the stairs.Scary eyes
Isabella relayed the danger and Ajani climbed on Gazlowe’s back. They passed through the veil and the trap did not trigger for them. Thomas examined the area for a trigger but found none. Isabella surmised the veil was a magical trigger. Gazlowe led the party away from the veil and down the stairs. When he stepped on the first step, he was surrounded by a ring of scary looking magical eyes dancing around him. The eyes howls pierced the darkness. Only Isabella was not frightened by the eyes, the others started to flee the cavern.Gazlowe started to run but Isabella grappled him keeping him in place. Both Thomas and Ajani ran away. Thomas quickly fought off the fear, but Ajani didn’t. Thomas continued to stay with Ajani for some time before he realized his fear was irrational. They settled down and went back towards the others. When they returned, they triggered another magical trap, but it had no effect on them.
Orc beds
Coming to the end of the path Gazlowe searched the door for a trap. He found one and disabled it, removing a needle with Phase spider poison on it. The door was locked and Gazlowe couldn’t pick it, but with 3 strikes of Isabella’s axe, she broke it down. They looked into a wide, abnormally warm chamber with a vaulted ceiling covered in stalactites. Several large holes in the floor revealed bubbling hot springs, and near them to the south were two large sleeping mats. There was no one visible in the chamber; however, the room continued around to the east, curving to the south. On the north wall, far to the east, a narrow tunnel sloped up through an ornate archway.Gazlowe examined the sleeping mats and determined they were probably for ogres. He found a pair of carved turquoise dice under one of the pillows. They examined the hot springs and Gazlowe stepped out of his armor and relaxed in one. The others headed north.
Orcs?
The party walked until they were confronted by two humans wearing robes who said, “Halt, who goes there?” Thomas and Ajani told them they’re looking for Goto and Krup. One of the humans said, “I’m Goto” and the other said “I’m Krup.” The party looked puzzled. The robbed figures approached with axes in their hands and told the party, you’re in the lair of Scarshsa you need to leave. Isabella called out to Gazlowe who slowly climbed out of the hot spring and got into his armor. Gazlowe approached and said, “We’re looking for Krup the Ogre.”A black orb opened and Gurthen and Abrash suddenly appeared, startling the Orcs who held up their axes to attack. Gurthen and Goto exchanged axe strikes. Ajani shot a chromatic orb at Goto and bloodied him. Thomas tried to calm the situation down saying this is all a misunderstanding. Krup joined the battle and attacked Gurthen. Isabella too joined the fight and swung her axe at Goto. Gazlowe took out Goto with a firebolt and turned to Krup and asked, “Are you willing to talk now?” Gurthen stood there looking intimidating waiting for a response.
Scaly Scarsha
Ajani shot a chromatic orb at Krup as a woman with the body of a large serpent came out of her room. She held a scimitar in each hand and launched directly into Isabella. Thomas ran to Krup and told him that they were sent by his brother and asked him to join them. Krup however couldn’t turn on his master. Scarsha reached out to Thomas and cast poison spray on him. She then looked at Krup and said you will keep attacking. Abrash hit her with a guiding bolt. Scarsha hit Isabella with her scimitar and Isabella fought back with her axe.Gazlowe catapulted a small stalagmite at her, and she moved out of the way in a legendary fashion. Gurthen walked up with his hammer, smashed into her breast plate and smited her. She was hurt and Gurthen repeated the attack and smite and bloodied her. Ajani used his 2nd level chromatic or and critically hit Scarsha. Scarsha pulled out a bit of fur and an amber rod and cast lightning bolt on Ajani, Isabella and Gazlowe. Ajani fell unconscious from the strike!
Thomas ran back to Ajani and spared him from dying. Scarsha sprung forward and doing so knocked Gurthen and Isabella down prone. Krup saw Gurthen on the ground and hit him with his axe. Abrash ran to his brother Ajani and was able to revive him. Ajani woke up and hugged both Thomas and Abrash. Scarsha hit Gazlowe with a shocking grasp. Isabella hit twice with her axe and sliced deeply into her tail. Gazlowe hit her twice severely bloodying her.
Gurthen persuaded Krup not to attack him but couldn’t perused him to attack Scarsha. Ajani, heavily bloodied and still laying on the ground rolled over weekly and looked at Scarsha the Lamia. With quivering arms, he reached out and cast a chromatic orb at her. The orb penetrated her chest and she fell to the ground dead. With Scarsha dead, Gurthen again turned to Krup and told him that his brother waits for him outside and they can take him to him. Seeing the situation, Krup rapidly agreed.
Treasure in the lair
Gazlowe pointed to the bubbly pot in the center of the lab area and Krup explained that’s where she brews her smart juice that increases her guard’s intelligence. Isabella immediately ran over to the pot and took a drink. Her intelligence increased from 8 to 12 until her next rest. It had no effect on Gazlowe. Gurthen’s intelligence increased from 7 to 13. Gazlowe took 3 vials for future use.Gurthen, with his new intelligence spotted the axe used by Goto and recognized it as shaper than his and was made by Dwarves. He threw his own mundane axe away and kept the +2 axe that he found. Abrash gave his brother Ajani 1 goodberry. Ajani complained, “The one time I use mage armor, I get zapped by a lightning bolt!” Isabella picked up the two scimitars that Scarsha dropped.
Treasure in Scarsha’s quarters
The party walked through the small tunnel into Scharsha’s quarters. The room had a large tub warmed by the hot springs and a brazier burning with a blue-green flame. Thomas spotted a small plinth bearing a carved statue of the demon prince of hedonism (Prince Hedon) probably worth 25gp. Gazlowe spotted a chest in the corner. Gazlowe began examining the chest. Ajani put his brother in the tub to let him relax and then joined him in the tub. Gurthen took off his armor and hopped in with them awkwardly.Gazlowe disarmed the trap but couldn’t pick the lock on the chest. Using a pry bar, he broke open the lid. Inside the chest he found 500 cp, 4,400 sp, 300 gp, gold-cloth vestments (25 gp), black velvet mask embroidered with silver thread (25 gp), small silver mirror in a carved wooden frame (25 gp), plus ten 100 gp gold trade bars and twenty 100 sp trade bars. Thomas looked at the body of Scarsha and found a Necklace of proof against poison and a figurine of wondrous power: onyx dog.
Gazlowe experimented with putting items in the tent. He moved the treasure chest into the tent and then closed up the tent. Opening it again he found the chest still there. They found that they can put items in the tent, but it wouldn’t close if a living creature was in it. Isabella gave Ajani her potion of greater healing and nearly healed him completely.
Temple of hedonism
Thomas, Isabella and Gazlowe left the 3 in the tub and went to finish exploring the area. Thomas picked up a set of alchemist’s supplies. They found a temple room with red runes on the floor. Gazlowe determined that the runes were related to the stature of the demon prince of hedonism and realized this was a temple of hedonism. He stepped into the runes and triggered a trap. A stone statue holding an axe swung at him, but it missed. The stature didn’t attack anymore as Gazlowe left the temple. Thomas examined the room but found nothing overly special about the room. Simply a place where one would worship the demon prince.Gazlowe went back and found Abrash and Ajani in the tub with Gurthen, braiding his hair. He told them they’re leaving. They opened the tent and put the tub in it and filled it with warm water from the springs. They walked to a door and asked Krup if he had a key. He handed it to them.
The webbed cavern
Passing through the door, they entered a high-ceilinged cavern shaped oddly like the paw of some large mammal. Several thin stalagmites reached for their matching stalactites and one thick column rose at its center. A large gash was open in the floor through much of the cavern stretching towards another tunnel exiting from the far side. Thick webs formed a bridge over the chasm, clinging to the walls, and stretching across the ceiling.Coming out of an alcove there were three ettercaps. They looked at Krup and asked, “Are these your prisoners?” Gazlowe quietly said to Krup, “Tell them, ‘We’re with you.’” Krup turned to the Ettercaps and said, “We’re with you.” The Ettercaps backed down a bit and they party started to pass through the area.
The party walked past the large gash and gazed into the darkness. Thomas tossed a copper piece into the gash and saw it hit something and bounce away. A large phase spider, phased into view and began crawling up the side of the gash. The party quickly ran to the door and left as the phase spider crawled out of the pit.
Reunion with Trok.
The party walked out of the lair and back into the woods. Trok came out of the woods and ran to Krup who treated him like an annoying little brother, but he hugged him. Trok took the party to the promised 3 more bars of platinum worth 100pp each. Gazlowe told Trok to leave the road as the people from the villages don’t want them. Trok and Krup walked off into the woods.Before our next adventure
The party decided to setup camp in the woods and then go directly to the Wyrm Witch’s lair first thing in the morning. They walked for ½ a day and camped in a perfect spot near the Wyrm Witch’s Cave. Abrash found a spot secluded in the woods and obscured by the trees that was the perfect size for their tent. Isabella was hungry and wanted to go get some food. Thomas suggested they simply eat rations. Isabella said, “Just a rabbit would be fine.” Gurthen said, I’ll go with her.Isabella found our sorts of animal tracks in the area and spotted fresh rabbit tracks heading under a bush in the direction of the Wyrm Witch’s lair. Isabella cast speak with animals and tried to lure out her prey with a carrot. A small tan bunny with a soft white cotton tail came out from under the bush and stood on its hind legs with its nose sniffing for the carrot and its whiskers twitching. With big eyes, he looked at Isabella saying, “I like carrots.” Gurthen said, “Ask it if it has a family. We could use a few more.” Isabella was overcome with guilt.
Through the bush a large axe came down on the bunny and the voice of a Bugbear said, “I think I got it!” Gurthen said, “Grab it and go!” He grabbed the rabbit, and they took off. Isabella ran into a bush and out of sight. Gurthen however was seen, and the Bugbear said, “Stop!”
Gurthen said, “For Glory” as he turned back and struck the bugbear with his hammer. Isabella hopped out and surprised the bugbear and hit it. Gurthen struck again and knocked the bugbear unconscious. Feeling guilty, Isabella left her potion of greater healing by the bugbear as they ran away. Isabella and Gurthen successfully hid in the trees as two other Bugbears found their companion unconscious on the ground with a potion of greater healing by his side. They immediately began looking for a powerfull but compassionate rabbit.
