Third Time's the Charm

[Magnus]

Date: Autumn, 432 ca., Campaign Day 7
Time: 8:30
Weather: 41 degrees; cloudy
Location: One Mile from Steading
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Current HPs

Antheris - 48/48
Ethan - 71/71
Kjelti - 56/56
Vorsyin - 48/48
Gaerys - 60/60
Hollis - 50/50
Blue - 48/48
Marcus - 35/35
Mingan - 20/20

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The party fully heals, creates a stone tube with a continual light-cast pebble buried inside, which projects a focused beam, but can be covered with a small wad of dark cloth, and two more such rocks attached to leather straps. The party was left to divide the new devices among them.

The party reaches the stream, which they now know leads to caverns underneath the Steading. Now is the time to decide whether the party is going to use that back entrance or proceed to the Steading proper.

As this is debated, Antheris again chants out his call to the Woodland Beings in the area. Crowseye once again appears to the party, holding a small bag. The usually affable Child appears annoyed and not at all his usual playful self.

*Rolled a 6 on his saving throw.

He scolds Antheris thusly:

"Leading my tribe, I am, from this desolate place, away from the darkness that the spirits have whispered to you. You again call us away from our duties, away from our escape, to what end? Are you not our protector? Are your companions not mighty heroes? You ask for help, what can we do?"

"If it isn't on your sheet, you don't have it, in effect wrt the new devices and new acquisitions next turn."

[NJWilliam]

Antheris, druid

Antheris bows to Crowseye when he arrives.

"Greenseer, I would not call if the need was not dire. We seek to bring the balance back to these lands, and let the animals return, and allow your tribes departure to be brief, unless you would choose to be away longer.

"I have sensed this evil - even other and older than the giants here - that has awakened, beneath.

"I would not delay you long, if you could simply tell us what you know of this evil, what weakness it may have, and how quickly it grows in strength.

"We plan to first raze the Steading above ground, and only after pursue this evil beneath. If we would best confront the evil beneath immediately - if you can see - we would wish to know."

[Zhym]

Crowseye once again appears to the party, holding a small bag.

What does it have it its bag, precious?

When Antheris has finished his requests of Croweseye, Gaerys suggests that the party re-enter the Steading through the door in the east wall and begin a counter-clockwise search of the top level from there. "We should be on the lookout for traps," he adds. "If I were forced to retreat into my basement by a band of marauders, I might leave a few lethal surprises for them up top."

[Eulalios]

Kjelti assents to the ranger's proposal. "I don't like swimming in cold water, and I didn't like coming in from a blind passage last time. I felt trapped then. I think I would feel trapped by the stream, too."

[Magnus]

Crowseye sighs and nods, in recognition of the grave task in facing the party, and Antheris's charismatic, reasoned plea. He explains:

"An ancient window in a temple below was opened by blood. The Old One breathed through it, which brought with it pestilence, unlife and bizarre and terrible beings fom deep within the Earth and places beyond. The Old One has taken a messenger, who heeds Its call. His minions feed it souls and it grows and grows.

No more can I see. But killing the messenger and cleansing the temple...my guess to closing the window it is.."

Crowseye drops a bag at Antheris's feet. It contains two healing mushrooms, a tincture of berries that will neutralize poison when applied to a wound, and an extraordinary rare root that will cure disease in 24 hours when chewed.

The Child disappears from view. The party is left to make its first move.

Seems the stream isn't a popular choice. Are you starting with the Steading? If so, where are you entering?

[NJWilliam]

Antheris

Antheris repeats, "An ancient temple.
"We will need our wits about us, and tactics different from how we have dealt with the living, I wager."

He stoops and collects the items Crowseye provided them.

[Zhym]

"Indeed," Gaerys agrees. "Ethan, that flaming sword of yours might come in handy after all."

"Let us proceed with the plan we discussed: entry through the eastern door in the Steading and counter-clockwise exploration of the upper level."

[saalaria]

Hollis shifts his pack around on his shoulders and hefts his mace. With a mirthless laugh he quips:

"Aye lets get into this - after all what else do we have to do today?"

[Eulalios]

"If it's our goal to raze the Steading, we might as well start by building a fire," says Kjelti. "Burning it down to the ground should reveal all entrances."

[Computer +1]

Vorsyin nods in agreement at Kjelti. I believe that fire consumes almost everything. There is a saying in my homeland that fire is the heart of Valeryia. It is indeed at the heart of our magic and out power. He thinks for a moment before continuing, I have the ability to call forth an elemental spirit of fire that could be a destructive force against the great evil we will face. It must be noted however that such spirits are difficult to control and could turn on us should something go wrong. I would suggest we use it as a last resort if we manage to create a large enough fire to call the spirit forth.

[Zhym]

Gaerys snorts. "Bad idea," says the ranger with characteristic lack of tact. "Burning the Steading to the ground could also bury dungeon entrances and trap innocents along with the evil under piles of cinders, partially burnt logs, and rubble. Besides, our goal in searching the ground level is also to discover anything of use and any clues that remain inside. It's hard to do that if we've torched everything first. Let's save the mass destruction for when it's needed."

[NJWilliam]

Antheris

Antheris nods to the ranger.

"Aye, I suggest that we simply make preparations to raze it while we search it first. We can spill oil and place other flammable objects, lighting it on fire is really quite easily accomplished once we have searched it thoroughly, without putting outselves in the midst of the blaze. Once we set it aflame it will no doubt draw the attention of the giants, which we could do without for the moment."

Antheris could use Call Lightning, Produce Fire, Produce Flame, Wall of Fire the morning after we finish our search, while the party is safely away.

[Zhym]

"I have no doubt that the two of you could easily reduce the Steading to ashes," Gaerys tells Antheris and Vorsyin. "Once we've either cleared out the dungeon or rescued all innocents, I'd be happy see it turned into a bonfire to celebrate our victory. Maybe we could find some marshmallows. But I don't like the idea of preparing the place to burn while we're still in it. One wrong spark and we'd all go up in flames!"

[drpete]

Ethan nods, "The reason to raze the Steading is to deny its use to the enemy. You destroy it after you ATTE done with it. Let's destroy whatever we find on the surface, and see if anything of value or of interest survives. I suggest starting with the outbuilding that was across from the wolves, but anywhere will do"

[Magnus]

Note that the structure is huge and built with thick, rain soaked logs. It would take a fairly substantial and sustained effort to try to set it ablaze. Last time, some of the internal walls were scorched after multiple magical fires, called lightning and a roaring flame in the middle of the great hall was scattered, but the thing stood.

[Computer +1]

Vorsyin shakes his head. You misunderstand me, I do not care about setting ablaze the Steading above. I am thinking that fire will be our salvation in fighting the evil beneath.

[Eulalios]

"Fine, then," says the warrior maiden. "We'll put off the bonfire. Let's not put off slaying things. Let's go."

[Magnus]

Date: Autumn, 432 ca., Campaign Day 7
Time: 8:30
Weather: 41 degrees; cloudy
Location: One Mile from Steading

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Current HPs

Antheris - 48/48
Ethan - 71/71
Kjelti - 56/56
Vorsyin - 48/48
Gaerys - 60/60
Hollis - 50/50
Blue - 48/48
Marcus - 35/35
Mingan - 20/20

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The party stands outside the East Gate of the Steading. They have not yet taken a step into it or determined to begin their exploration via another entrance.

From what the party can see and hear (and smell), the Upper Level of the Steading remains quiet and empty.

MARCHING ORDER PLEASE. OR I WILL MAKE IT UP!

Map:

1stlvl3rdtime.jpg (887.83 KiB) Viewed 1076 times

The star is the location of the party. The stairs down are, perhaps obviously, where the party exited last round.

[Zhym]

Are the doors closed? Was our first-foray exit still open in the east wall? If so, maybe we should just re-enter through there. If not, Gaerys will do a quick trip around the Steading to see if any doors are already open.

There's also the hole in the east wall, for that matter.

[Magnus]

The holes are still in the wall, as shown on the map. No doors are open.