Barrowmaze: beyond the Ritual Baptistry

[Spearmint]

Folk are happy to exit the Barrowmaze.

Grumashk is a Bugbear from the Blackened Forest. He would like to go back to his people.

Penelope is from beyond Ironguard and 'the past', all the people she once knew would be dead by now. She has a new lease of life but is pretty much alone with PTSD to overcome.

Crippens, an adventurer, proving an able companion at least while fighting common foes to escape the Barrows. He denies much association with the cults, but you might think he has a shady past. (as Drew once did too). Berric the dwarf heralds from the Moon Peaks. All three would have 'return to civilization / Helix to rebuild their lives as a preferred new start and could be future NPC's.

I think you have another person, an unnamed human woman who survived the pyre zombie cell and attacks. She is viewed as a '0' level adventurer.

Gargyx the Gargoyle would stay with the group as long as he is not endangered. He feels 'bound' to the Barrowmaze and though exiled from his gargoyle community, would like integrate somewhere to have a sense of belonging. Smokie doesn't get on with him, they are not hostile, the wolf is just concerned that Gargyx might covet his Familiar status, Gargoyles having some arcane origins. Gargyx's attempts to cast Friends upon the wolf was resisted. Unusually for Gargoyles, he is quite pacifistic and doesn't display any capricious nature.

BarkingToadLegs is charmed by Sven.

[OGRE MAGE]

Unless Orgoth has something else he would like to do here, I think we continue back towards the others and the exit.

Sven nods along with the answers.

"Once we get back to the group and the exit, we will have some explaining to do. Especially about Grumashk here."

"If any of you would like to learn about our Adventurers Guild, we can talk more about it on our way back to civilization."

Checking if the hallway is clear, Sven leads the group of escapees towards Gabbys chapel and beyond.

Not sure what your plan is here, but I think (at least) Sven would like to accompany these folks back to Helix instead of joining back up with the others for now.

[Spearmint]

Not sure what your plan is here, but I think (at least) Sven would like to accompany these folks back to Helix instead of joining back up with the others for now.

Sure. I am totting up xp and will award that shortly.

If you want, I will update the Territorial Gains thread with your return. You can then post in there. They are presently resting overnight, preparing next endeavours and of course you have much new and relevant information which you can share.

I would be fine with Sven, Orgoth & this company using Deucalion's wagon to return to Helix with and then you deciding next actions from that point.

How does that sound?

[Rex]

Orgoth is good with that. He would like to return to Helix. Maybe the gargoyle could be offered a position at the forward base?

[Spearmint]

Summary of Expedition Awards:

There is lots to mention:

Sapphire Skeletons +200xp
Totenkopf: flesh golem: +1190xp
Command Spectral Host of Cromm: +500xp

Nergal Sanctum & Pit of Chaos:
Glabrezu demon: +3100xp
Vrock demon: +1595xp
Manes: +200xp
Receive Penelope: +50xp

4745xp I am doubling this for it was such a critical encounter: +9490xp

Rot Flies: +30xp
Befriend Gargyx: +100xp
Pyre Zombies: +320xp
Release all cellmates: +50xp
Sons of Yannarg: +600xp
Salem & Set cultists: +200xp
Ravenous Zombies: +300xp
Barrow Wight: +640xp
Flagstone Golem: greater +350xp, lesser: +150xp & +150xp
Meet & Greet Bertrand's group: +50xp

Total: 14,320xp plus 10% for all the exploration, information gathering, mapping, surviving and endurance.+1,432xp

Equals: 15,752xp / dividing it between full share for Sven & Orgoth and a half share for Yardie. I won't try to adjust each share for Penelope, Crippens, Berric and others, I will just arbitrate a half share between them.

So characters +5,250xp, npc's +2,625xp

Bonus xp:

Territorial Gains share: +180xp

Yardie & Sven get +100xp for daring the Ritual Baptistry.

Orgoth gets his prime requisite bonus.

Sven & Orgoth both add +100xp as 'Player Participation'.

In the final analysis: It seems an extraordinary amount but surviving 10HD Pit Fiends and multiple maze guardians via critical rolls, Saves, Spells and life saving reaction rolls, not least Yardie's 100% to risk the baptistry or 97% to convince the Cromm Host.

Yardie: +2845xp

Sven: +5630xp
Orgoth: +6073xp in your Fighter class but after you share equally with dual classing as a Cleric

Not quite level advancing but just a few memorials or tributes and skills upgrades and you could be thereabouts.

[Spearmint]

Actions

Any comments here regarding this expedition.

You survived! It was close many times. Great fun to adventure through!

I will post in the TG thread and you can action character posts there.

[Rex]

Orgoth

Thanks Spearmint! Close is an understatement.

[OGRE MAGE]

I appreciate the extra xp as well, since this adventure was a bit of a nail biter from the second we parted.

A 100xp reward or two doesn't go nearly as far as it once did when we were back at 1st level, so the extra bump definitely helps to keep me motivated and striving to level again.

And I agree that this was a fun one! Thanks!!!

I wouldn't mind coming back as another smaller splinter group so we can address all the areas we haven't completed yet. Specifically the maze of hallways and possibly the water world again. Would Orgoth be interested in that? We probably have enough retainers and other helpers already.

[Rex]

Orgoth is interested in that. I think the only area we need to address somehow is a having a little more healing available. Maybe an NPC cleric?

[Spearmint]

Great all round.

I will move this to the Completed Expeditions thread.

[Rex]

Can Orgoth recover all his items he left behind when he went through the sarcophagus?

[Spearmint]

His backpack? Yes I think so, minus a few rations but equipment and gear should be sound.

[Rex]

Thanks

[Rex]

Sheet updated. I removed all his rations as any left would get shared out now I assume. I will leave his extra weapons lent out for now. He plans to not only re-supply but also to reward Yardie with some gold once back in Helix.

[OGRE MAGE]

Grumashk will accompany the wagon until it reaches close to the settlement then take his leave for his home region.

Before they part ways, Sven will award Grumashk the copper colored Death Mask and 2 of his own chocolate coins. He will attempt to make a pact with the Bugbear people, telling him that if he ever needs help again, to locate Sven through the Guild in Helix. He then tries asking if there is anything he can do to prevent trouble with any other Bugbears they encounter in the future.

[Spearmint]

The Bugbear tribes live beyond the Blackened Forest, south and west of Crooked Yew.

Some Bugbear lepers helped the chief druid Clive defeat a faction of Set cult Bugbear converts, in return for help with their disease being healed. So that is an ongoing 'world building' event after a character expedition.

That is 'public knowledge via the tavern', so rumour Sven may have heard and I would be fine you scripting any letter of introduction or request for help in Grumashk's behalf, especially since he was firstly a chief of the Bugbears and his leprosy was nore cursed or arcane in nature than from congenital affliction.

You also know Leomane, former Squire and cleric of St Ygg who is overseeing the new chapel and Ygg militia barracks based in CY. So could send another letter with Grumashk and 'raven-post' a message copy.

[OGRE MAGE]

Sure!

Sven would do whatever he could to aid in the curing of Grumashk.

If there is a means of communication between Helix and the CY, all the better.

In that case, he would ask to be informed of any condition improvements, if possible.

[Spearmint]

No secure means but the carrier-post is a common physical attempt to get a message flown quickly or by courier via Silver Standard trade wagon.

Grumashk shakes hands and with sledgehammer over shoulder, departs into the mist.