The party returns to the library to take a long rest. They hatch a plan to confront the amber golem from two fronts. The paladins will go to the great hall and attack the golem after busting through the door while Roger will fireball him from behind through one of the fissures. Lideydri recalls seeing Kasimir communing with one of the sarcophagi after she reconed the fissures from the day before.
The party splits up and Roger waits for the signal, being the paladins entering the room. When Bjorn attempts to open the door he finds it locked. Lideydri attempts to push the door open with brute strength but fails. Bjorn gets impatient and begins pounding on the door with his warhammer. He smashes down the door which causes the amber golem to disappear. Roger enters the room and looks around. He is smashed back into the fissure by some unseen force. Bjorn hears something heavy approaching him and he takes a blow to his beard.
Gilly gives Roger a healing potion and Kasimir uses a firebolt in an attempt to find where the golem is within the room. Roger returns with a fireball in hand. Bjorn and Lideydri attempt to fight the golem but find him difficult to hit. Bjorn takes a couple more hits (crits) and backs away. Lideydri steps up and attempts to fight the invisible menace. The golem changes position and Lideydri searches for it. Bjorn is hit a few more times but stands his ground. Lideydri flanks the golem and the paladins make some solid hits with Bjorn knocking some amber off the golem with a crit. Kasimir crits the golem with a firebolt. Gilly springs into the room over Kasimir's head and searches through a pile of treasure. Bjorn is hit again and goes down. The golem turns his attention to fighting Lideydri. Roger and Kasimir continue to cast firebolts at the invisible creature to learn its whereabouts. Gilly searches two more piles of treasure before giving the dwarf a healing potion (and gains inspiration). The golem appears in the room, its spell concluded. Lideydri lands a final blow and the golem falls to the ground.
A quick search of the room reveals a obsidian sceptre, a golden chariot, a skull with red gems in the eye sockets, some jewelry, many coins, a rapier with a pink crystal hilt and 15 copies of Snow Dwarf and the seven Wights. The paladins urge a long rest after this brutal fight as they have cast all their healing spells to make it through the battle.
Refreshed and regrouped in the library, the party heads back down the stairs and into the great hall. They take the western hallway and find a large corridor with an open door to the north. Inside they find 4 one-eyed Nothics. Bjorn attempts to communicate with them and then feels as if they are trying to enter his mind. Roger blasts them with two fireballs and Kasimir adds another which quickly dispatches the creatures. They find two amber sarcophagi and one destroyed. They communicate with the two remaining tombs and decide not to accept their dark offers. They head out to explore more here.
Bjorn finds the closest door, opens it, find three more sarcophagi and closes the door. He heads on down the hall to check on the next door. Gilly, however, reopens the door and goes in. Something sinister slashes her two times causing dark necrotic wounds. Before she can react a large toad like creature, black and evil, appears and slashes her two more times before she falls to the ground. Roger casts a lightning bolt at the fowl creature. The lightning hits its mark but the Death Slaad just turns its gaze from Gilly to Roger and seems to make a toothy smile.
Lideydri readies her action, then Bjorn and finally Kasimir rounds out the first turn order.
Monday, November 21, 2016
Thursday, November 17, 2016
Chapter 12: Roger and the secret doors
The party takes a rest in the ancient lecture hall. Victor, after paging through his black tome, decides that it is possible to restore his arm, even if it will never be the same. He thinks if he finds the right components, he can "heal" his missing appendage. Vannan and Grimtooth offer to aid him in his quest to find the necessary ingredients for the ritual.
The party then decides to tackle the door they've been warned not to open at the initial room they entered in the temple. Lideydri opens the door to find three more green flaming skulls floating in the air. She quickly closes the door. They then decide to inspect the large statue in the great hall at the center of the temple. They descend the stairs sticking close to the wall so as not to draw the fire of the flaming skulls from up above.
Lideydri is hit by rays of fire coming from the great statue's head. The party takes cover as Roger casts a fireball at the statue's face. His wild magic causes him to teleport at will. The party takes cover as Bjorn yells to move forward. More flaming rays come from the statue. Roger casts orbs of force that go streaking toward the menacing granite form. Again, his wild magic manifests. This time as a happy little flumph pops into existence quite confused and scared. Pop, pop, pop! Three fire balls turn the flumph into cinders.
Lideydri takes the opportunity to charge the statue and get behind its flanks. Roger sends more magic missiles at the head of the statue. Bjorn takes cover in a hallway behind a pillar and sees his reflection on the walls, not reflecting his actions but silently urging him to leave. Gilly enters the hallway and sees the same sight. Roger makes his way to the hallway. Lideydri ponders what to do. Bjorn joins Lideydri behind the statue and notices the outline of a door. Lideydri opens the door and finds a stairway spiraling upward inside the statue. She ascends and finds the smoking carcass of some sort of fox like humanoid wearing a robe (of many things). A pair of gold spectacles lay on the floor next to the dead things head.
She returns to the base of the statue. She investigates a room with open doors. As she enters, four specters begin to take shape. The two paladins turn the spirits and dispatch them as they attempt to flee one by one. While the paladins are doing their thing, Roger notices a secret door. Gilly attempts to open it but Roger believes arcana has sealed it shut. As they decide what to do next, Bjorn comes walking by singing a song. The lyrics just happen to contain the command to open the portal, "Knock, knock, knock(ing on heaven's door)."
They find a stairway going upward that leads to a library. Many books fill the room but they all are untitled and contain blank pages. Roger inspects the room and finds another secret door. This time it leads to an empty closet more or less. Until they find yet another secret door. Lideydri pushes the door open to reveal a room filled with old royal furnishings. Standing in the center of the room at a table they see a skeletal figure, its eyes glowing red. It says, "Do I know you?" in a slow questioning manner. The party find that this undead thing lives in this room and is very limited on knowledge. He remembers some vague things but not its own name. He is reading a book titled "The Incants of Exethanter" but will not let the party read it. He tells a tale of how ancient wizards built this temple to imprison the evils of old. However, other things came to the evil thing's beckons and over the years the wizards were eventually defeated. The amber sarcophagi are the bottles that hold the evil spirits still but the spirits can still interact with the world. If one touches the sarcophagi, the spirit may propose a dark gift upon the mortal. They communicate telepathically and only if the offer is agreed is the dark grant fulfilled.
The lich also describes how Strahd had come to the temple, seeking power and enticed by the evil spirits. He makes a pact with the evil that if he kills his brother, the evils will make him the ruler of Barovia and give him eternal life. The lich also says the evil spirits will betray Strahd if another evil force takes his place. Strahd's lust for pain and death feed these evil spirits and so they support Strahd.
After learning enough the party leaves telling the lich they will return if they have further questions. They go down another staircase that leads to a large vault with three sarcophagi and some crates. Lideydri correctly pieces together that these are similar crates as in the coffin maker's cottage. Lideydri and Bjorn pummel the vampiric spawn inside the crates, Roger summons a tiger while Gilly and Kasimir fire on the spawn from above. Bjorn takes a nasty bite from one of them.
Once the spawn have been dispatched Lideydri traverses a fissure and finds another amber golem protecting a hoard of treasure. She returns to tell the party of the golem. The party feeling depleted of spell and strength decide to take a long rest in the temple.
The party then decides to tackle the door they've been warned not to open at the initial room they entered in the temple. Lideydri opens the door to find three more green flaming skulls floating in the air. She quickly closes the door. They then decide to inspect the large statue in the great hall at the center of the temple. They descend the stairs sticking close to the wall so as not to draw the fire of the flaming skulls from up above.
Lideydri is hit by rays of fire coming from the great statue's head. The party takes cover as Roger casts a fireball at the statue's face. His wild magic causes him to teleport at will. The party takes cover as Bjorn yells to move forward. More flaming rays come from the statue. Roger casts orbs of force that go streaking toward the menacing granite form. Again, his wild magic manifests. This time as a happy little flumph pops into existence quite confused and scared. Pop, pop, pop! Three fire balls turn the flumph into cinders.
Lideydri takes the opportunity to charge the statue and get behind its flanks. Roger sends more magic missiles at the head of the statue. Bjorn takes cover in a hallway behind a pillar and sees his reflection on the walls, not reflecting his actions but silently urging him to leave. Gilly enters the hallway and sees the same sight. Roger makes his way to the hallway. Lideydri ponders what to do. Bjorn joins Lideydri behind the statue and notices the outline of a door. Lideydri opens the door and finds a stairway spiraling upward inside the statue. She ascends and finds the smoking carcass of some sort of fox like humanoid wearing a robe (of many things). A pair of gold spectacles lay on the floor next to the dead things head.
She returns to the base of the statue. She investigates a room with open doors. As she enters, four specters begin to take shape. The two paladins turn the spirits and dispatch them as they attempt to flee one by one. While the paladins are doing their thing, Roger notices a secret door. Gilly attempts to open it but Roger believes arcana has sealed it shut. As they decide what to do next, Bjorn comes walking by singing a song. The lyrics just happen to contain the command to open the portal, "Knock, knock, knock(ing on heaven's door)."
They find a stairway going upward that leads to a library. Many books fill the room but they all are untitled and contain blank pages. Roger inspects the room and finds another secret door. This time it leads to an empty closet more or less. Until they find yet another secret door. Lideydri pushes the door open to reveal a room filled with old royal furnishings. Standing in the center of the room at a table they see a skeletal figure, its eyes glowing red. It says, "Do I know you?" in a slow questioning manner. The party find that this undead thing lives in this room and is very limited on knowledge. He remembers some vague things but not its own name. He is reading a book titled "The Incants of Exethanter" but will not let the party read it. He tells a tale of how ancient wizards built this temple to imprison the evils of old. However, other things came to the evil thing's beckons and over the years the wizards were eventually defeated. The amber sarcophagi are the bottles that hold the evil spirits still but the spirits can still interact with the world. If one touches the sarcophagi, the spirit may propose a dark gift upon the mortal. They communicate telepathically and only if the offer is agreed is the dark grant fulfilled.
The lich also describes how Strahd had come to the temple, seeking power and enticed by the evil spirits. He makes a pact with the evil that if he kills his brother, the evils will make him the ruler of Barovia and give him eternal life. The lich also says the evil spirits will betray Strahd if another evil force takes his place. Strahd's lust for pain and death feed these evil spirits and so they support Strahd.
After learning enough the party leaves telling the lich they will return if they have further questions. They go down another staircase that leads to a large vault with three sarcophagi and some crates. Lideydri correctly pieces together that these are similar crates as in the coffin maker's cottage. Lideydri and Bjorn pummel the vampiric spawn inside the crates, Roger summons a tiger while Gilly and Kasimir fire on the spawn from above. Bjorn takes a nasty bite from one of them.
Once the spawn have been dispatched Lideydri traverses a fissure and finds another amber golem protecting a hoard of treasure. She returns to tell the party of the golem. The party feeling depleted of spell and strength decide to take a long rest in the temple.
Tuesday, November 1, 2016
Chapter Eleven: Amber as far as thy can see
The party rests at the campsite of the defeated Mountain Folk. They take heed of the dead prisoner's warning and stay clear from the doors to the north of the room. They venture out into the great hall and enter the doors directly across from their room. They find a large room with a hole dug into the floor. They notice hand holds have been cut to make traversing the pit easier. Bjorn investigates a room to the south and finds an old barracks. Roger looks down the hole.
Gilly, Vannan and Lideydri search a corridor to the north, passing a closed door, and reach a set of open double doors at the other end. A large amber statue turns toward them and clenches a fist. Gilly attempts to shut the door but the amber golem is able to push its way into the door way. Vannan rushes forward to attack but his sword is ineffective. Lideydri moves forward and attacks with her sunsword. Gilly asks others to come and help. Roger dashes to see what the halfing needs. Bjorn slowly makes his way to the corridor. Vannan and Lideydri continue to stave off the statue until Bjorn can get into place alongside Lideydri. Gilly springs in to attack and sneaks back. Roger hurls magic missiles. Gilly convinces Vannan to throw his spear. Lideydri fumbles her sword attack and becomes slowed by the statues thunderclap. Bjorn picks of the slack and crushes the statue with his hammer. Gilly pockets some of the broken pieces of amber.
Roger wanders away to the north onto a balcony. He continues into a room with a broken obsidian statue. Bjorn and the other follow. Roger also finds a secret door and the party deliberates whether to follow the smell of death or not. They decide to find the source of the stench and descend a stair case. Lideydri peers into a room and finds seven undead humanoids with three eyes, climbing walls and ceilings. She and Bjorn take up positions around the doorway to outmaneuver their foes. Roger sets off a fireball in the room. The ghasts are dispatched in short order with the hammering from the paladins with Vannan and Gilly offering missile fire from behind.
Inside they find three glowing amber sarcophogi. Lideydri attempts to destroy one but is unable to affect the standing amorphic tombs. Roger and the paladins feel like the sarcophogi are beckoning to them but resist any urges. Kasimir enters the room and touches one of the tombs. He seems to be communicating with something inside the amber. The paladins pull him away. Kasimir wants to continue his conversation but the party convinces him to leave these evil pods alone.
The party then enters the closed door from the corridor. They find a auditorium with lit lanthorns. Gilly investigates the podium and finds a burnt human man. He said his name is Vilnius and he is very scared of the evil in this temple. He has been eating vermin to survive. He talks of flaming skulls that killed his master and other constructs that lurk the halls. When the party tells him that they have defeated the amber golem he asks if he may leave. The party makes way for the man and allows him an easy exit.
When he is gone, the party returns to the hole in the floor. Lideydri goes down a rope but quickly comes back up after seeing more sarcophogi and floating skulls alight with green flame. The party prepares for battle and are hit by fireballs. The paladins do as much healing as they can as the skulls continue to hit them with fire spells. Roger casts some cold orbs at them, Bjorn attempts to turn them and the others use their ranged weapons. Then Roger's wild magic causes Lideydri to rise into the air and she is launched toward the final skull, crushing it into a wall. The party decides to return to the auditorium and heal up for a while. Vannan recalls that he remembers that these evil sentries are able to reform after a short period unless holy water is poured over their crushed remains. The paladins are happy to douse the bones with their mandatory stash of holy water.
Gilly, Vannan and Lideydri search a corridor to the north, passing a closed door, and reach a set of open double doors at the other end. A large amber statue turns toward them and clenches a fist. Gilly attempts to shut the door but the amber golem is able to push its way into the door way. Vannan rushes forward to attack but his sword is ineffective. Lideydri moves forward and attacks with her sunsword. Gilly asks others to come and help. Roger dashes to see what the halfing needs. Bjorn slowly makes his way to the corridor. Vannan and Lideydri continue to stave off the statue until Bjorn can get into place alongside Lideydri. Gilly springs in to attack and sneaks back. Roger hurls magic missiles. Gilly convinces Vannan to throw his spear. Lideydri fumbles her sword attack and becomes slowed by the statues thunderclap. Bjorn picks of the slack and crushes the statue with his hammer. Gilly pockets some of the broken pieces of amber.
Roger wanders away to the north onto a balcony. He continues into a room with a broken obsidian statue. Bjorn and the other follow. Roger also finds a secret door and the party deliberates whether to follow the smell of death or not. They decide to find the source of the stench and descend a stair case. Lideydri peers into a room and finds seven undead humanoids with three eyes, climbing walls and ceilings. She and Bjorn take up positions around the doorway to outmaneuver their foes. Roger sets off a fireball in the room. The ghasts are dispatched in short order with the hammering from the paladins with Vannan and Gilly offering missile fire from behind.
Inside they find three glowing amber sarcophogi. Lideydri attempts to destroy one but is unable to affect the standing amorphic tombs. Roger and the paladins feel like the sarcophogi are beckoning to them but resist any urges. Kasimir enters the room and touches one of the tombs. He seems to be communicating with something inside the amber. The paladins pull him away. Kasimir wants to continue his conversation but the party convinces him to leave these evil pods alone.
The party then enters the closed door from the corridor. They find a auditorium with lit lanthorns. Gilly investigates the podium and finds a burnt human man. He said his name is Vilnius and he is very scared of the evil in this temple. He has been eating vermin to survive. He talks of flaming skulls that killed his master and other constructs that lurk the halls. When the party tells him that they have defeated the amber golem he asks if he may leave. The party makes way for the man and allows him an easy exit.
When he is gone, the party returns to the hole in the floor. Lideydri goes down a rope but quickly comes back up after seeing more sarcophogi and floating skulls alight with green flame. The party prepares for battle and are hit by fireballs. The paladins do as much healing as they can as the skulls continue to hit them with fire spells. Roger casts some cold orbs at them, Bjorn attempts to turn them and the others use their ranged weapons. Then Roger's wild magic causes Lideydri to rise into the air and she is launched toward the final skull, crushing it into a wall. The party decides to return to the auditorium and heal up for a while. Vannan recalls that he remembers that these evil sentries are able to reform after a short period unless holy water is poured over their crushed remains. The paladins are happy to douse the bones with their mandatory stash of holy water.
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