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Introduction
Timekeeping
This session began on June 19th, 2025, with the player characters adventuring until June 20th. Downtime for these characters begins the next day.
Player Characters Present
Sever the Wrathful (Level 9 Pegasus Corps Ranger of Machodor, wielder of Were'shbane and wearer of the Girdle of Cloud Giant Strength, rider of Mustang) with henchmen Rabbit (FMT 3/3/4) Thomas (C3) and Poindexter (M5)Bumblebore (Level 5 Magic User of Machodor, wielder of the Wand of Paralysation) and Firedrake Familiar O'MalfoySavant (Level 1 Magic-User) Julius L'Orange (Level 1 Fighter of Machodor)
Downtime
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From the hand of Cormac O’Brien, Chief of Clan O’Brien Written this 17th day of June |
Session Report
Combat #1: Orcs
Rounds: 6
Result: Party Victory
Highlights: Having first been scouted out silently, the orcs make-shift fortification slowed down the fight considerably, but the result was a fairly easy victory.
Savant cast Sleep and halved the number of opponents, while Sever and Julius battled on the front line. This was very dangerous work for Julius, but just another day at the office for the Ranger. The others kept an eye out on the eastern exit, and were rewarded by spotting reinforcements from that direction. Well place Magic Missiles halved their number, taking out a crossbowman with a poisoned quarrel before he could shoot, and then Rabbit chased down the remainder as they fled back the way they came.
When the henchman reported back, the party retraced his steps and explored the corridor beyond, which soon turner to the north east, past the next turn they could hear water, and as that tracked with what they knew about the place, and noting that one wall here had seen recent work, they returned to room (1). Rabbit noted the difference in texture in the walls here, a subsequent search found a secret door which lead into the prison area (3). In the first cell (I) was a sleeping bugbear, snoring loudly, he was completely out it from drinking giant wine. Quietly they advanced and checked the other cells; cell (II) held a human prisoner, cell (III) an elf chained to the wall, cell (IV) just skeletons, and cell (V) contained 5 orcs. Quite a bit happened in rapid succession, Julius was keen to test the wine bottle and found that, just like the bugbear, he could not stop himself from over indulging; he became greatly intoxicated and remained so for the rest of the session.
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| DMG p82 |
Sever interrogated the orcs, and found their spokes-orc, one Bargash, to have a convincing story of being locked up in here for being the brother of the orc leader of a rebellion. He told of how the orcs had taken advantage of the sudden relaxation of security in the wake of the party's first venture into the steading, but things had gone quiet since he was captured. Meanwhile Bumblebore engaged with the elf, using Knock to free him, and with a very good reaction roll to boot, the elf, named Gilthaniel, offered his service for 1 year in exchange for this kindness. Bumblebore was astounded later at the elf's abilities.
The conversation with the orcs over, Bargash's life hung by a thread, would a temporary alliance serve the party's interests more than the typical treatment they meted out to orcs? Yes, by a whisker, and on this turned much of the rest of the session. For a soon as he left the cell block, Bargash saw the walls beyond and exclaimed, "I don't remember that being there!" this became his catch phrase as he inadvertently allowed the players to find all the hidden areas that had been sealed off by stone giants in an attempt to hide their doings.
With the safety of the steading above so close, they now sent back Savant, the human prisoner Barry the engineer, and Gilthaniel, to stay with the halflings before continuing on.
Now knowing what to look for, they found more secret doors and room (2). The place was trashed, and the culprits were not hard to find.
Combat #2: 2 Carnivorous Apes
Rounds: 2
Result: Party Victory
Highlights: Sever tried his go to spell, Speak with Animals, but the monsters won initiative and ruined his spell by trying to rip his arms off. Sever returned the favour while his henchmen held back Julius who was "Shuure" he could show those monkeys a thing or two.
A thorough search found a lose stone in the floor, and inside was the treasure left behind by the previous owner. Happy at the unexpected haul, Sever did a quick head count. Where was Bargash? He had used the confusion to escape! There was no sign of the orc, but only one way he could have gone. Sever tracked him through 26 & 27 to a very unusual sight, a spiral stair hewn right into the rock, it went down and down; part way he found the body of the hill giant overseer who's room they had just tossed--killed by a solid blow from a blunt weapon. Sever guessed there had been some sort of falling out between this giant and the Cloud Giant. Finally the stair broke through into the ceiling of a vast frozen cavern. The giants had escaped by digging right down to the Cavern of Ithaqua below! What they had done then was a mystery, it was a long drop to the ice covered ground below. Bargash stood nearby, frozen in fear, and the ranger simply picked him up and carried him back to his cell. |
| That rarest of creatures, an Orc Sever let live. |
Next they explored south of room (8). Finding a big group of 20 or so orcs on the other side of a rock barrier, they laboriously (and ingeniously, using Invisibility and Silence 15' Radius) cleared the way for Bumblebore to cast Fireball; from what he judged to be a safe distance. He ignored a bad feeling of evil coming from the south and let loose...
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| His judgement was "perfect", only a few singed hairs. |
The sounds of death and destruction reverberated back down the corridor, but there were still sounds of orcs, and other things alive, down there. These would have to keep for another time.
Session Statistics:
Wilderness travel: 36 Miles
Combats: 3
Rooms mapped: 19
Combat rounds: 9
5404gp
9 Gems 10,550gp
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