Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Lucrecia's Journal

After they cleared the keep, the party rested and read the Journal kept by Lucrecia.

Lamashan 19

Today I got word from Mokmurian that Xanesha was killed by a group of humans. She must have gotten really sloppy for them to even get a chance at killing her. He says they are leaving Magnimar, with a pair of Black Arrow Rangers, to come investigate the area so the timeline for our plans needs to be moved up.

Lamashan 22

Finally after being in this back water town for more than two years, the barge will sink tonight during a “special” members only party. I had Kaven over last night and set in motion Rannick’s fall next week. Jaagrath Kreeg secured the help from the Grauls yesterday as well, although I would consider the price he had to pay Mammy too high. Barl Breakbones must really be ruling the Kreegs with a “stone” fist to force Jaagrath to do that!

I am not looking forward to the next few days after I “die” since all I will be doing is laying low and waiting for the next phase to begin.

Lamashan 28

These Kreeg Ogres drive me crazy, they are filthy and crude! At least I got to claim the dungeon and have it decorated to my standards. I know Mokmurian is using them to further our Master’s goals, but I wish there was some other way to do it. Mokmurian was even mocking me about it when he was contacting me about the humans coming into Turtleback Ferry tomorrow. Too bad for them they will be too late to save it.

Lamashan 30

Blast those lazy Kreegs! Because they couldn’t handle a few trolls at Skull’s Crossing they fell behind schedule and now those humans lowered the build up of water today. Drowning the town is a little more sophisticated than other more direct methods, but one way or another Turtleback Ferry’s citizens will be dead.

Mokmurian says they will be heading to the fort tomorrow. I wonder who his spy is in that group giving him information. I guess I should be more concerned with who is the spy here giving him information on what I am doing. Either way, the dungeon here is the most secure place, and even if they could wade through all the Kreeg Ogres, by the time they get to me they will be ripe for the picking.

Neth 1

Tirana arrived today with Asheia, the final sword. The secret tunnel to the ancient Council of Truth stronghold was found in the crypt. Apparently she has most of the schematics to avoid its security protections. Once she reaches the Awakening Altar all Seven Swords of Sin will available. I will receive Baraket only after they finish Chellan, of course.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Session 28 - Reclaiming Fort Rannick

Fireday Neth 2 around 2 PM

Heading up the stairs the group entered the first floor and heard sounds of ogres coming from various areas of the Fort. Despite the loud noises, they decided to sneak quietly upstairs and see if they could find Lamatar Bayden, their commander in his rooms. While they passed what once was the infirmary, the ogre inside somehow heard them pass and flung opent he door and attacked. The group was split, but everyone was ready for a fight and quickly dispatched the monster. Inside the infirmary, they found that the ogre was posing dead bodies as a form of "art".



Heading up the stairs nearby, they approached the commander's quarters. The chapel door flew open and very large Kreeg ogre, the ogre known as Jaagrath, the leader of the Kreegs. As they started to fight him, the Commander's door opened and another Kreeg ogre started flinging lightning bolts down the hallway. Vale took both a viscious hit from Jaagrath's ogre hook, but also was hit by a lightning bolt killing him. Orik went to keep the caster busy, while the rest of the group took out Jaagrath. Eventually both went down, but group was heavily damaged. Knowing there was time to rest as the keep was filled with ogres, they pushed on.

They made sure the upper areas were cleared, and had Preacher, Shalelu and Jakardros up in the tower keeping lookout. The rest of the party collected some of the ogre bodies and animated them as zombies. They cleared out the rest of the keep using the Kreeg leaders.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Session 27 - To Fort Rannick

Oathday Neth 1 around 2PM

Heading down to the basement the group found where the human flesh furniture was being made. Exploring further they came across a half-ogre with an injured leg that had a vestigial twin growing out the back of his neck. Vale was injured and dropped unconscious with a vicious blow of an ogre hook. Preacher healed him while the group took him out.

Exploring the basement further they came across a huge plant creature that once was a Graul. Both Preacher and Vale were swallowed while the rest of the group hacked at it. Eventually Vale killed it from the inside. They found the Rangers' equipment and the rest of the Graul "fortune".

Clearing out the upstairs, they found the attic and the Graul boy's rooms.

Once they made sure all the Graul's were dead and there wear no other Black Arrow survivors, they torched the place and everything inside it.

Moving some distance from the farmstead they made camp and rested for the night.

Fireday Neth 2 around 8AM

The Black Arrow rangers were in better condition after healing, food and a good night's rest. They headed out and scouted Fort Rannick and discovered it had been completely over run by the Kreeg Ogres. While forming attack plans, Phain noticed Kaven looking guilty and pressed him for information. Kaven admitted he was sneaking out of Fort Rannick to gamble at the Paradise Barge before it sank, and was in love with Lucrecia the owner. She had asked him to take a force out to scout the Kreeg's which lead to the Kreeg taking Fort Rannick. The party allowed him to live since they needed all the help they could get.

They decided to sneak into the main Fort by a secret tunnel. They brought a special kind of wood to burn as the smell of it drives away the protectors of the tunnel, Shocker Lizards.

Opening the secret door to the Fort, they were greeted by a beautiful red headed woman that Kraven identified as Lucrecia. Phain attacked but she was quicker and blocked the door. Vale took a series of vicious hits as he pushed past her. Preacher healed him taking some heavy blows as well. Eventually the party overpowered her and finally killed her. The sister to Xanesha, and organizer of all the death and destruction in the area was dead!

Monday, December 7, 2009

Session 26 - Mammy Dearest

Oathday Neth 1 around 1PM

The prisoners they freed were three Order of the Black Arrow rangers. One was Shelelu who had recently joined when she took a trip with the druid out to this region to look for her father Jakardos another one of the prisoners. The third prisoner was Kaven. The Black Arrows were captured when returning to Fort Rannick after taking a scouting party to the Kreeg Ogres to see what they were up to. They found out that a war party had somehow circled around them and had attacked Fort Rannick. The Grauls attacked their group by surprise and killed or captured them. Luckily Jakardos's bear companion Kibb escaped. The Grauls are normally not that brave against a group that large so it was strange to be attacked.

The party decided to bust down the door and end the threat of the Grauls once and for all. Phain approached the front door cautiously and found it was trapped, but when attempting to disarm it, set it off but was unharmed. Entering the house, they came to the family room, which had furniture made out of skin and all sorts of trophies. Khazen almost fell into a pit trap but jumped to safety before he fell in.

Heading down a hallway, they came to horrible smelling room with a grotesquely overweight half-ogre, Mammy. A spell caster she was floating the air while casting spells draining the life from them while boosting hers. Khazen recognized the spell and cast a Dispel Magic, robbing her of the life she had stolen. Soon the group dispatched her.

Checking out the rest of the house, they came to a "playroom" with two full grown half-ogre mutants. Despite their children decorations, they two half-ogres were dangerous and attacked so the party killed them off.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Session 25 - Here Comes the Grauls!

Oathday Neth 1 around 6AM

The party woke up in the morning and headed out for Fort Rannick. The followed some switchback trails and were on the edges of the forest when they heard some noises, like a wounded animal. Xantumal went to investigate.

They found a bear stuck in a bear trap. Khazen recognized it as Jakardos's animal companion. Jakardos was second in command of the Black Arrows. Xantumal cast a spell and talked with the bear. His master was taken by the weird ones and told him that dogs were coming. The group set up an ambush and killed off the dogs right before a half-ogre mutant stumbled into the clearing. The half ogre was carrying a spear and as the party decended upon him, the ogre started to break down and cry. Seems he was upset they killed his dogs. They party took all of his items, including his blanket with bloodstained Black Arrows patches. They found out that he has a Mammy and brother-fathers and sister-mothers. After they were done asking him questions, Orik put him out of his misery.

They moved toward the Graul farmstead. They got there about an hour later and was attacked by another half-ogre. This one had an ogre hook and one side of his head resembled a pumpkin, a huge puffy mass of tumors and overgrown bone giving his head a lopsided look. The group had no problem taking him out, but not before he raised the alarm by yelling. Nothing came out of the house or barn though.

They decided to head to the barn first. The bear felt that his master was inside. They opened the door and saw three more half-ogres, one with a vesitgal arm, one with overlarge milky eyes, and a third with rippling skin. Khazen cast a fireball and killed all three before they could even make a move.

Inside the barn there was a large double door barricaded from their side, and two walkways leading up to doors on the north and south side of the barn. Checking out the doors, it lead to another room filled with spider webs. On the corners of the walkways were cages, and there were three people in them, all rangers. Moving to investigate, the group was attacked by a huge spider. Throwing open the large door, Khazen, Xantumal and Phain cast some spells, while Orik used his bow. Vale took Xantumal's long spear. Vale was bit and succumbed to poison, but otherwise they made it out unscathed.

The group freed the prisoners, got them outside, then burned down the whole barn.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Session 24 - Inside Skull's Crossing

Wealday Lamashan 30 around 4PM

There were two entrances into the Dam, one was damage and had been repaired and both were barred from the inside. They decided to go to the one that hadn't been damaged. Phain used the gauntlet's power to Stone Shape and warped the door enough to get the bar off the inside. The started to investigate inside and found one room crumbling away and most of the room overgrowing with some sort of viney moss. In the main room they were ambushed by trolls. Using their knowledge of trolls, they used fire to combat their regeneration and defeated them with some injuries. Preacher healed them up with some channels and they headed down the stairs which had writing in giant saying “BELOW DWELLS WET PAPA GRAZUUL! ALL HAIL WET PAPA GRAZUUL!”

Heading down the stairs cautiously, it lead to a room with a large pool of water. Xantumal conjured a water elemental and it was quickly killed by Papa Grazuul, a water troll. Phain used an acid arrow to combat its regeneration and they defeated the scrag before it could hurt them too much.

They found the control room on the level and it contained to circular rune, one containing a devil, and the other containing a pile of ash. Khazen used comprehend languages and spoke with the devil. It was almost dead, but told them information on promise to be released. The dam used life energy to function, and the other devil had succumed to the drain about 50 years before, the last time the dam was needed. Xantumal summoned another elemental into the other rune and it killed the devil, but lowered the water level.

Having aborted catastrophy in the area, the party decided to find a place to rest, then head to Fort Rannick in the morning.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Session 23 - To Turtleback Ferry

Fireday Lamashan 18 around 6PM

A dwarf dressed in deep green with a patch that had a fist clutching three arrows approached Phain. He introduced himself as Khazen Dren, a ranger belonging to the Order of the Black Arrows, a group of rangers located at Fort Rannick and charged with protecting the area around it and Turtleback Ferry. He just arrived in Magnimar to request more people to be assigned to Fort Rannick as the activity of the Kreeg ogres have increased. When he heard Phain talking about evil coming to Fort Rannick, it caught his attention.

After exchanging some information they parted ways.

Starday Lamashan 19 around 9am

The day started out with some shopping at the Golemworks. They sold off their extra magic item and spent their money on some upgrades. When they returned to their townhouse they had a message from the Mayor requesting their presence. They headed out to see the mayor and were surprised to see Khazen there. The mayor wasn't convinced that it was as dire as the rangers were saying and decided he would send their group as his assessors to determine the situation there. Phain wanted a parade and the mayor suggested the parade's grandeur would be determined on how much he would have to spend on sending troops to Fort Rannick.

Khazen was also with another ranger from Fort Rannick called Vale. They were all taking the boat back on Wealday. Phain decided to take a trip to Sandpoint and visit his wife before leaving. He hired some guards for his estate as well as some more help.

Wealday Lamashan 23 around 6AM

The boat leaving for Turtleback Ferry left Magnimar starting a week long trip. Phain spent most of his trip studying the Black Tome found at the Runelord of Sloth's seal.

Toilday Lamashan 29 around 6PM

After a week of travel the group finally arrived at Turtleback Ferry. The weather was turning colder and the rains were constant. Turtleback Ferry had earned its name from three ferries made of the shells of giant snapping turtles that had been slain by the town’s founder, a powerful fighter named Autek Lavendy, a hundred years ago. Since it was late they decided to stay at an inn before heading to Fort Rannick.

Phain was looking a little pale after leaving the boat, though he said he felt fine, just too much time under the deck. The party kept hearing stories about the Paradise, a gambling barge that sank a few days before. People would come from all over to gamble there. Everyone on board was presumed dead, including the owner, a woman named Lucrecia. The party had heard that name from Xanesha's letter. Preacher also noticed that the serving woman had the Sihedron rune tattooed on her shoulder. She said if you paid extra you could get a VIP pass at the Paradise. When asked how many people on board had that tattoo, she said all of them would as it was a special party for VIPs that night.

Wealday Lamashan 30 around 9AM

The group woke up and was having breakfast whent hey heard a commotion outside. The lake had started to overflow from all the rain and was rushing into the town. Khazen saved a little girl from being swept away by the current and was attacked by a river snake. Soon after a larger creature of legend swept into town. The party fought against it, but it was too powerful. It soon got bored and swam away. The water was receding a little. The mayor suggested to go to Skull's Crossing, a Thassilonian monument that regulated the level of water in the area. For water reason it wasn't working but it was infested with monsters. Khazen said he would check it out on the way to Fort Rannick.

The group headed out on some trails that Khazen and Vale knew. They approached Skull's Crossing and saw a section had broken away spilling water into Claybottom lake. The group climbed up the Stairway of Skulls, giant steps leading up to a cave.
Inside the cave was an Ettin that the party managed to dispatch, despite being separated by a 15 foot ledge.

That cave lead out to the top of Skull's Crossing, where the water level was at the top of the dam. Looking out they saw a group of ogres taking pick axes to the dam trying to break it. They were only chipping away at it, but seemed to be making some progress. The group attacked, Khazen sending off a fireball at the ogres chipping away at the wall, while Phain and the others attacked the leader. Vale fell in the water while moving up to attack and the ogre leader sensed an easy target and attacked him causing him to fall unconscious. The rest of the group took him out before he could do any more damage.

Preacher healed Vale and Khazen noticed they were Kreeg ogres, one of the more powerful ogre clans in the area, and the reason he had travelled to Magnimar.