Campaign Log

Last Wednesday at Pawn & Pint was the last time we will meet at that location. Next week we should be at 613 Walnut! Yeah for the new location!

After the DM recovered from death by small nasty bugs that can leap from person to person, the group prepared to leave Gemma’s Wondrous Cave. Howl replaced the loose rocks that lead from the outer cave into the inner one. While doing so, he hid a pouch of gold coins with the hope that anyone else who might find the entrance would think they found a bandit hideout and the sum of the treasure.

The party then decided to head back east and out of the mountains to re-examine the ruins they found a few days before finding the cave that led to the city within the mountain. On the way out of the mountain range, they had to maneuver through some narrow valleys and they spotted a group of people being driven into the mountains by Senzar warlocks and soldiers.

Using the natural terrain, Wilby and Rowan moved up opposite sides of the valley a short distance and took cover. Gemma turned herself invisible and Howl used his powers of illusion to pretend to be a boulder. Ishen remained at the base of the valley and hid while Unferth decided he would move forward and confront the ten Senzar and their twenty to twenty-five prisoners (who were mostly women, young boys, and older men still firm enough to work).

The Senzar quickly spotted Unferth and sent two soldiers and a warlock up to confront the large man from the other side of The Straights. Unferth called out a greeting and declared himself a mercenary looking for work. The Senzar, noting his broken Pandar and lack of Cothish heritage, were cautious, but willing to consider his offer, provided he was willing to help escort slaves deeper into the mountains.

Unferth agreed and was brought back into the middle of the group. Unferth noted the vast differences of the nationality of the Senzar soldiers.

They then started to progress into the valley where the rest of Unferth’s other party was hiding. Two Senzar soldiers took place at the head of the column of slaves. A pair of soldiers moved to either side to prevent escape to the left or right. The two Senzar warlocks followed immediately behind the prisoners and the last two soldiers following the overall group. Unferth remained with the two soldiers on the left side of the column.

Suddenly those at the front of the group stopped and called out something in a language Unferth did not understand. Then the warlocks approached Unferth to ask if he was alone in the mountains as he had claimed. He said yes and one of the warlocks left and went to the front of the line.

Wilby used his powers and marked the Senzar mage as she moved forward. When she reached the front of the line, she waved a hand and Ishen was knocked from her hiding place into the middle of the path.

Unferth, faster to react than anyone else, went into a blind rage and smashed his axe into the mage still next to him twice, then Unferth, surrounded by three men, tried to take cover among the prisoners. As he moved to retreat, one of the soldiers managed to nick him with a blade. But the Senzar mage was less pleased with being struck and blasted Unferth with a wave of thundering energy that flung those around him back and to the ground. Unferth’s might allowed him to remain standing, but several of the prisoners died from the blast that knocked them over like an avalanche.

Wilby, shot twice at the second Senzar mage that had gone after Ishen, but his shots missed the mark. The mage, not liking the attention, disappeared from sight.

Ishen, wanting to help other others, offered Felis’ blessing upon them while Gemma breaks her invisibility and blasts the first Senzar mage with her energy. Howl, still concealed within the illusion of a boulder, tries to disable the first Senzar mage, and those around him, by making the ground slippery.

Unferth charged the mage, knocking him to the ground and then slammed him again with his axe, but the mage retaliates instinctively and Unferth is bathed in flames.

The mage, battered from many sides, launches himself high into the air, climbing sixty feet in a matter of moment. However, Rowan, from the other side of the valley, used his bow and put an arrow into the Senzar’s chest, piercing his heart. Dead, the mage dropped to the ground in a crumpled mess.

Wilby, trying to keep his focus on the missing mage, calls forth Felis’ might to protect him from attacks. But instead of attacking Wilby, the mage attempted to rip out Ishen’s back with her dagger.

Howl throws more grease under the men who are trying to surround Unferth and Rowan shots his bow, striking a soldier.

Ishen, bleeding from the attack, heals her wounds while Gemma tries to hurl energy at the Senzar mage.

The Senzar soldiers surround Unferth and three of them land blows against the tall man, while one man tries to regain his feet on the slick terrain. Another soldier shoots an arrow at Rowan and one more shoots at Wilby, but both of the soldiers miss.

Unferth, deadly as ever, chops his axe through one soldier and carries the swing through another one, dropping both of the men to the ground in a pool of blood and severed parts.

Wilby, aims for the Senzar warlock and hits her in the right side of the chest. She instinctively flings flame at Wilby who suffers some damage. Still bent on killing someone she knows to have magic, the Senzar mage tries to blast Ishen with her powers, but Felis’ luck is with Ishen and the Senzar misses.

Howl, still concealed, reaches out with an icy hand and draws life away from the Senzar mage.

Rowan continues to fire upon the soldier shooting at him and strikes the man a second time, causing the soldier’s shot to miss again.

Gemma tries again to hit her target with her powers, but falls short. Ishen, bleeding, heals herself yet again.

Seeing the large man bleeding, more men take the place of their dead comrades and try to bring down the mighty Unferth. Two of the men miss, but one man manages to land a blow.

Unferth, a master of the axe, carves flesh from one of the soldiers, taking an arm and then his head.

Wilby shoots at the Senzar again, but the woman’s armor is too effective and the arrow bounces away. Then the mage once again disappears from sight.

Howl, not seeing a lot of targets, spreads more grease under the feet of the Senzar and two of the men fall to the ground.

Rowan, tired of exchanging arrows with the soldier, plants his next arrow into the man’s throat, dropping him to the ground.

Ishen, hoping to do more good, calls upon Felis to heal Unferth from afar while Gemma uses her power to blow a hole in the last of the senzar bowmen who is standing. Another soldier runs, while two others struggle to get to their feet.

Unferth finishes one of those men struggling in the grease while Wilby does the seemingly impossible and shoots the invisible Senzar. She tries to retaliate with powerful magic, but Howl sucks the spell’s energy from the air, leaving the Senzar stunned and surprised. For which, Howl again draws life away from the Senzar mage, freezing her head and ending her life.

Rowan and Gemma take out the fleeing soldier with arrows and magic while Unferth and Howl finish the last man who had yet to regain his feet.

Once the battle was complete, Wilby offered Unferth more healing and they looted the bodies of the Senzar. Any copper coins, plus the weapons and armor they did not want, they gave to the prisoners they freed. The party takes the more valuable coins and jewelry as well as gave Wilby a magic longbow that one of the soldiers had carried.

Rowan and Wilby shared the arrows and the party took a good portion of the food. Then they let the freed prisoners go and they resumed their march toward the ruins that sit in the foothills of the mountains.

A couple of days later, they finally reach the ruins they and found before entering the mountains. Trees and grasses filled most of the spaces, growing up among the remains of stone walls and pillars. Pathing stones sit just under the forest debris, but aside from some robbing out of stone from walls, the ruins looked to be very old and untouched by recent activity.

The remains of the large building to the south, with the thickest walls, looked the most sturdy and the party decided to set up a camp inside the ruins of the structure (even though no wall in what had once appeared to be a nice town now stands over ten-feet in height).

Howl made use of his ability to craft a protective dome and they set in for the night. Wilby, while patrolling on watch outside of the dome, found a small corner of the structure where there was a faint glow of light coming from within the ground. Being cautious, he waited until morning before investigating further.

The dim glow was coming from a hole that was mostly covered with vegetation, debris, and fallen stones. With some careful shifting of the debris, they were able to clear the area and reveal a stairwell going into the ground. The plant matter and debirs showed no recent signs of passage beyond small animals.

The party descended down into what appeared to have been a cellar. Several walls have caved in, and in places, the stone ceiling appears a bit dodgy, but the open space is held up by four pillars that had an unnatural glow. A large square foundation helps keep the roof up and likely held up a what had at one time been the upper floors of a large building.

A section of the north wall had collapsed and a pool of water had formed. Howl, curious as to what might be in the water moved closer to examine it and found the water suddenly came to life, smashing him with the force of a heavy hammer.

Wilby, still a fair distance away, called upon Felis’ power and poured sacred energy into the mass of living water.

Howl, not wanting to take another blow, used his powers to transport himself into the corner of the room and call forth a protective field around himself.

The water creature rushed forward and struck Gemma, who responded with flames.

Rowan and Unferth drew their magical swords and charged into the fray, slashing the being with what appeared to be a visible effect. Gemma, angry about being struck, poured her own energy into the creature while Ishen blessed those closest to the creature.

Wilby continued to call forth a blinding energy while Howl hoped to poison the creature with his greasy coating.

The creature, angered by those around it hurting it, expanded, grappling and slamming Gemma, Rowan, and Unferth. Unferth and Gemma managed to break free of the creature, but Rowan remained trapped.

Unferth continued with his sword thrusts, hacking at the water being while trying to remain standing on the slippery ground. Gemma, stunned, and on unstable ground, backed away, shooting her energy, but missing the creature.

Wilby, poured in more of his sacred power while Howl tried to pull away its life with a frozen hand.

Unferth, having drawn the creature’s direct attention took a double hit that felt like an ox running into him. Rowan, finally free of the creature’s grasp, tried to hit it with his sword, but the slick ground hindered him too much to land a blow.

Unferth, also fighting the ground, managed only one hit out of two. However, Gemma, now at a safe distance, did as she so often does, and delivered a fatal blow of energy, causing the creature to loose form and splash across the floor. The flowing water cleared the debris from the floor and Gemma spotted a small stone and silver necklace with a rotted cord, which she claimed for her own.

When the room was searched in more detail, they found runes around the edge of the pool, written on the stone and now burned and chared.

The party quickly decided that this cellar would make a good base of operation and they began making plans for what to do next.

The necklace, Gemma discovered later, allows her to call forth any number of dogs that she can control. The magic is powered by her life and as long as the dogs are in existence, some of her life will be needed to keep them present.

Meta details of necklace

The beasts will appear with a summoning action. One hit point is lost for each beast summoned. Then every other round a hit point is lost for each beast that is present. The beasts can be sent away in a single action, but again, the cost is a hit point for each beast banished away. The hitpoint drain goes away if the dog dies, but the fatal blow will cause the summoner one hit point of damage.

If the summoner drops to zero hitpoints or falls unconscious, the dogs will disappear, dealing one hit point of damage for each beast present.

The dogs can appear anywhere within 60′ of the summoner and simply appear to come out of nowhere as if they had moved out from around a corner of an object. The will do as the summoner commands and they will share the summoner’s initiative.

• Armor Class: 14
• Hit points 19 (3d8 +6)
• Speed: 50ft
• Str 17 (+3), Dex 15 (+2), Con 15 (+2), Int 3 (-4), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 7 (-2)
• Skills: Perception +3, Stealth +4
• Passive Perception: 13
• Advantage on hearing or smell checks (wis)
• Attach: Bit: +5 to hit, reach 5′, 2d6 +3 piercing. If hit and the target is medium or smaller size, the target must make a DC 13 Strength check or be knocked prone.