The Final Chapter
Campaign 0, Session 10
| Date | Time | |
|---|---|---|
| Commenced | 09/30/’17 | 17:50 |
| Ended | 10/01/’17 | 02:00 |
| Character | Race | Class | Player |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dungeon Master | Joseph | ||
| Carnak Rockseeker | Dwarf | Cleric | Christopher |
| Elbon Zyawlla | Human | Fighter | Elisa |
| Alden Hawkeye | Human | Fighter | Brandon |
| Roscoe Thorngage | Halfling | Rogue | Bill |
| Theron Galanodel | Wood Elf | Druid | Randy |
Our newest adventure begins after a long rest of healing – many wounds have been endured since we discovered this cave. We lost Mimi, we lost Skitter, and, most devestating of all, we lost Mairon. It takes us a bit on that last item. There has to be a decision made as to how we will carry on without our beloved wizard. As I said earlier, his personality alone was a big contribution to this band of brothers, but he was also many times the reason we survived - the reason our enemies were routed. It is finally determined that we must go on without him - we will continue to explore the cave, we will continue to hunt for The Black Spider, we will continue to search for Nundro.
We un-piton the door and find our old friend Theron standing there. He has searched us back out after having successfully driven away the Dragon in Thundertree we were going to hunt later. He is a very welcome addition - especially in the absence of our wizard.
All of us traverse down the hall, and end up entering a room full of bunk beds and also containing six Bugbears holding morning stars and javelins. At first, we attack via range weapons only. Then I chance a closer encounter by moving forward and initiating hand-to-hand combat (big mistake!). Carnak is able to take out two, Roscoe one, two for me, and then one for Thorn.
The brutal encounter and physical damage incurred from hand-to-hand combat with one of natures more formidable melee opponents requires us to take a long rest before we can proceed. Thankfully, our rest is uneventful.
Trudging down another tunnel to another room, we quietly peek in and see The Black Spider with five Giant Spiders that are worshipping him. Spying another entrance to the room from the west, we decided to slip away and explore it first for any reinforcements which might come from that direction. We do so successfully.
Continuing to proceed west (we'll visit The Black Spider again later), we come to a cavern with a large hollow in the cave floor. Down in the little gully a Drow is overseeing three Bugbears working to clear a path for water to enter the next room. We are actually on a large ledge, and on the wall adjacent to one side of this ledge are four ropes tied off at the top. I can only assume that is how the participants below are getting up out of, and down into, the hollow below.
Alden has the brilliant idea to sever the 4 ropes that the Bugbears and their master would need for climbing out in order to prevent them from coming to battle us on this upper level. This would give us the high ground and a distinct advantage.
Theron then throws up an invisible thorn field before us through which our adversaries would have to cross in order to reach us for any melee fight should they get up here on this level. An attempt to cast charm on the Drow is made, but fails bringing him at us.
Alden’s first arrow cuts through the closest rope, and Thorn is able to sever the next. Two of the Bugbears make it out of the lower level in the interim. Later Thorn takes out another rope (the third) leaving the final Bugbear rushing to reach the fourth rope before it is trapped in the ravine.
The Drow runs though the thorn field to attack, but realizing the loss of life it is experiencing as it approaches us, turns back to run away. Bless its heart, it's unsuccessful in causing any harm since escaping back through the field causes enough damage that it kills him.
The Bugbears on our level proceed to attempt melee attacks with me killing one and Thorn killing the other. The last bugbear is clinging to the farthest rope as Roscoe severs it. The fall damage, plus more injury caused by its own unsuccessful attempts to climb the wall, kill it…..suicide by fall damage.
We now return to the lair of The Black Spider finding that two Bugbears have joined the group. Once again, Theron throws up a field of thorns. That will take a little steam out of them before they can even reach us. We are able to initiate the attack, but the wizard throws up a shroud of total blackness throughout the room.
Rushing toward us through the thorns proves fatal for both Bugbears, but the Spiders approach us by climbing up the walls and walking on the ceiling. Roscoe is able to take out one of the spiders once our vision returns, Alden takes out another. One spider not only bites itself, but poisons itself as the result of a critical fail on its attempt to hurt us. I end the life of one, and then Theron kills the last by making it fall into the thorn field with a mighty blast which shook it loose from the ceiling.
Just then our party is set upon from behind by the wizard (who had invisibly snuck out of the room via the western entrance while we were blinded). He soon sees the error in his plan. The attack of his minions has not done the destruction to our group for which he had hoped.
We all set upon him with a round of imposing melee attacks which end his life quickly. Roscoe delivers the last blow to him and we breath a sigh of relief for a battle well ended. Things could have gone much differently had our constant strikes not prevented him from casting upon us.
As we leave the cave, we continue to search rooms and tunnels for Thorn's still missing cousin. At last, we find a door which had joined to The Black Spider's room and has been left unguarded by the Bugbears. To our relief, inside we find Carnak’s cousin, Nundro – alive and able to join us in leaving the cave.
Not wanting any more battles after having defeated our target enemy and retrieving our friend, we exit the cave without incident.
Our first campaign is brought to a close – and we are eagerly awaiting the next.