Session 9 - Wilderness Ruins
General Summary
June 5, 2023
[img id="pbImage542621" src="2023-06-05%20A%20At%20Marker%202a.png" alt="" /]
The group looks at the riddle on the marker and talks options. Several are suggested but for some reason, Joice doesn't think they are correct. He has a creature in mind and describes it because he can't remember the name. Nilgan suggests "lamia" and Joice thinks that is correct. The rest are fine with them trying it. In the blank spot on the stone marker, Joice traces the answer with his finger. The blank spot carves out his guess. After a few heartbeats, Joice gets the sense it was right and the stone marker disappears into the ground. After it is gone, a mausoleum rises up in its place!
[img id="pbImage43216" src="2023-06-05%20A%20At%20Marker%203a.png" alt="" width="1174" /]
Benny checks out the mausoleum's door and finds and disarms a trap. Then he opens the lock. Inside the building are spiral stairs going down. They follow them to a depth of twenty feet or so and are in the center of a four way intersection. They find another riddle and decide it's meaning is 'west' so they look to the west secret door. It is locked but no traps and Benny is able to pick it open. They enter into a room and find a statue of Nicolas the Great and a pedestal that has an amulet on it. Success!
[img id="pbImage262069" src="2023-06-05%20B%20Down%20Stairs%205a.png" alt="" width="1174" /]
The grab the treasure and head back to the stairs.
And yet.
Several are curious what is behind the other doors. After some discussion, they take a vote and the majority say they have what they need and to leave. That's what the group does.
Checking their map, they see the closest marker next is to the west so they start traveling that way.
[img id="pbImage837004" src="2023-06-05%20B%20Down%20Stairs%206a.png" alt="" width="1174" /]
It's tough traveling through the tall prairie grass, even on horses. A lot of clumps, some holes, and dried out creek beds make the way slow.
They stop the first night and setup their watches. In the middle of the first watch, the ones on guard see some snakes approaching. Big, constrictor snakes. They wake the others up and attack.
[img id="pbImage991239" src="2023-06-05%20C%20Travel%205%20ZR%201a.png" alt="" /]
The snakes acting weird to Rivenn. First of all, attacking them was strange as they later saw no evidence of their nest. Second, they would skip someone to attack a particular person. After they managed to down them all, cutting them open revealed each had a bronze circle, two inches in diameter, with a rough likeness of one of them on one side, and their name on the other. The group is spooked out by this but they keep watch. Nothing happens the rest of the night. They did notice they don't feel like they are being watched anymore.
The next day was another tough day of crossing the plains. The temps were higher than normal but Joice, the only one in metal armor, was fine throughout the day. They made camp and again did their nightly routine, with cooking, gathering ingredients for salves, or taking care of the horses.
They made camp and this night the attack came during second watch. Suddenly, two huge lizards were on top of the camp!
[img id="pbImage987714" src="2023-06-05%20D%20Travel%2016%20JK%202a.png" alt="" width="1174" /]
The ones on watch woke the others and they attacked. This attack was a bit more difficult and at one point, Jakahaiel was swallowed by one of the lizards!
[img id="pbImage750686" src="2023-06-05%20D%20Travel%2028%20RN%201a.png" alt="" width="1174" /]
He found the bronze medallion in the creatures stomach, three inches and with three names this time instead of just one. He probably wasn't happy how he found it but he did find it.
The next day is more travel but at the end of the day, the see their goal in front of them. Only a few hours of travel the next morning.
Nilgan thinks they are being scryed so he tries a ritual to figure out who is scrying them. He sees a scalyfolk at an altar. They look up at him, with slitted yellow eyes, and hiss at him. Then the water sprayed out of him and dropped all around him, leaving crocodiles!
[img id="pbImage259322" src="2023-06-05%20D%20Travel%2033%20climba.png" alt="" width="1174" /]
Zephyr climbs a tree for safety and to attack from Range.
[img id="pbImage52831" src="2023-06-05%20D%20Travel%2034%20Joice%201a.png" alt="" width="1174" /]
Joice kills acrocodiles
[img id="pbImage936058" src="2023-06-05%20D%20Travel%2035%20JK%201a.png" alt="" width="1174" /]
Jakahaiel kills acrocodile.
[img id="pbImage234316" src="2023-06-05%20D%20Travel%2036%20BY%201a.png" alt="" width="1174" /]
Benny kills acrocodile.
[img id="pbImage465784" src="2023-06-05%20D%20Travel%2038a.png" alt="" width="1174" /]
Nilgan fireball kills 3crocodiles.
[img id="pbImage357261" src="2023-06-05%20D%20Travel%2040%20RV%201a.png" alt="" width="1174" /]
Rivenn axes acrocodile to death.
[img id="pbImage709928" src="2023-06-05%20D%20Travel%2041%20ZR%201a.png" alt="" width="1174" /]
Zephyr kills the lastcrocodile.
Everyone was able to kill a crocodile. As intimidating as the sudden arrival of creatures looked, this was not much of a fight for the group.
Still, they knew that they were getting on someone's nerves.
The next day, as they get closer.
[img id="pbImage245169" src="2023-06-05%20D%20Travel%2042%20travela.png" alt="" /]
Joice suddenly says, "Nicolas says that this is his old keep."
[img id="pbImage354622" src="2023-06-05%20E%20Fort%204a.png" alt="" width="1174" /]
The group wonders about that as they come to a ruined keep. It's overgrown with weeds, bushes, and small trees but they can see movement in the keep. Joice senses evil and the casters can all sense their is all types of magic hanging over this keep. Within the keep and held by the keep, are undead shuffling around. The group stops to ponder this and wonder if it's worth it to go to. Joice says that they have to clean out Nicolas' old keep. It's what he wants. They again look at him strange.
[img id="pbImage638622" src="2023-06-05%20E%20Fort%205a.png" alt="" width="1174" /]
GM Notes
- Foundry's fog of war and vision is good most of the time. I like big maps, though, so I need a quick way to remove some fog of war with a brush and leave in some that I want.
- When they got to the keep, for example, I wanted them to see inside the open courtyard but not in the buildings.
- It works most of the time so I can't complain too much.
- I was playing the riddles straight. For some reason, the players didn't trust me.
- I know that sometimes the journey is the adventure but I do worry it gets old.
Rewards Granted
2766 xp