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Post by Breakingchains on Jun 16, 2020 17:16:41 GMT -5
Thorn Hey, sorry for my absence. Out of those options I think the 26th would most likely work best for me?
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Post by Thorn on Jun 16, 2020 17:25:32 GMT -5
Hey no worries, Chains! Just hope you're okay. <3 The 26th was actually the original date that we need to change. Does one of the other proposed dates ( link to post, the edit at the bottom lists the two dates we're currently considering) work for you? If you want to suggest an alternate date that's fine too, as long as it isn't a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Sunday.
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Post by Breakingchains on Jun 17, 2020 13:28:51 GMT -5
Lol sorry, my brain is offline apparently. Either 22nd or 29th work for me, yeah.
And I'm doing all right now, thank you! Just had a bit of a Week(tm).
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Post by Thorn on Jun 17, 2020 17:18:05 GMT -5
Glad you're doing alright now, at least! Sorry to hear you had a rough week, definitely understand not being able to make the session given that.
The whole session was just preparation for hunting down the Circle. If there's anything you think Basil would have done in that time (even if it's just idk, stocking up on torches or other dungeon delving equipment since you'll be underground), lemme know and we'll work that out.
That aside, we now have a date for our next session, adventurers! :-D Session 35 will be on Monday 22nd June, 7:00pm BST.
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Post by Thorn on Jun 19, 2020 0:23:59 GMT -5
Greetings fellow adventurers! Session 35 is under four days away now. :-O Hope everyone's prepared for what I believe to be the first Real Dungeon of this campaign!
What will the party discover in the tunnels beneath Cai Shaan? Join me on Monday to find out!!
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Post by Thorn on Jun 20, 2020 16:11:29 GMT -5
Hi friends! Two days to go until session 35. :-O The whole gang reunites once more to take down some spooky scary shadows! See you there!
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Post by Thorn on Jun 21, 2020 15:32:34 GMT -5
Less than a day now until we explore a dungeon, EuroAtlantis. See ya soon!
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Post by Thorn on Jun 22, 2020 18:17:59 GMT -5
Session 35: Names Learned!
Jim (he/him)- an umber hulk who was super excited to meet some adventurers, and got them all to sign his carapace. Feathers (no pronouns given)- the slightly less excitable of the two umber hulks, who led the adventurers to the 'secret gate' the Circle had been seen using. We will (hopefully, all going well!) conclude this dungeon-adventure on either the 29th of June or 11th of July! Date should be confirmed tomorrow, and I shall update you all with the results.
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Post by Thorn on Jun 23, 2020 18:50:48 GMT -5
Hello adventurers! Session 36 will be held on Monday 29th June, under a week from now. Depending on the choices made and what random-eventness transpires, you may finish the dungeon next session, or it may take one final session after that. Guess we shall have to wait and see!!
We're going to try and keep Monday's session to a tidy three hours, so please be on time! On the hour, 7:00pm BST, we want to make a start. If you're going to be late, please let me know in advance if at all possible, either through a PM or by posting in the server. This is a habit I'd like to get back into with this group for future games as well, as we seem to be starting later and later these past few months.
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Post by Thorn on Jun 25, 2020 17:37:50 GMT -5
Hi folks! Under four days now until session 36! =O Remember to let me know if you won't make it on time for the session start at 7:00pm BST. I was hoping to bring you the session 35 recap today, but it needs a little more editing. Instead, I figured I'd do a little look back on the various guest disasters who have helped you in your adventures thus far! Trip down memory lane and all that...plus you'll be seeing some of these people again for Anthony's wedding, so it pays to remember who they are! In order of appearance: Athenos (he/him, paladin)- standing at 2'8", Athenos is the smallest Disaster of all. Powers stemming from an Oath of the Ancients, this owl-like paladin accepted a quest to seek out an individual possessed by a fey spirit, and...didn't ask for further details. He helped the party defeat a massive spider-like demon just outside Ur Zaihar. The Nettlebuttes (both he/him, fighters)- a pair of halfing brothers accompanied everywhere by their riding dog, McBacon, as they cavort around in a trenchcoat with varying degrees of inebriation. They helped the party deal with a group who tried to capture Tally and Yzzy. Yeet (she/her, monk)- a young goblin on a quest to discover where the other goblins have gone. During a scuffle between the halfling troupe she was travelling with and some bandits, she lost a very precious item, and while retracing her steps to find it she ran into the Disaster Party. Together, they brought those same bandits to justice, and prevented Ragnailt from killing Meallan. Gem (they/them, sorcerer)- an earth genasi sorcerer who encountered the party shortly after the Disasters arrived in Cai Shaan. They accompanied the party on a quest to destroy a sea monster plaguing the coast, remaining brave in spite of almost constant seasickness. They and Tally bonded over their respective elemental abilities. Batelf (he/him, ranger)- a wood elf who briefly joined the party while Khamet was away on a quest of his own. Batelf is eccentric, to say the least, but his heart seems to be in the right place. He helped the party fight off fey in the forests of Ur, explore a ghost ship off the coast of Cai Shaan, and was with them when they met Ruhnzolarr the golden dragon. Nadarr (he/him, ranger)- half dragon, half high elf, Nadarr joined the party in confronting Ruhnzolarr. The party weren't too thrilled when he turned up at their house and broke down their door, but apparently this is what happens when you're an adventuring party and you tell everyone where you live.
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Post by Thorn on Jun 26, 2020 23:22:22 GMT -5
Session 35: A Brief RecapEarly afternoon on the 5th of Stone the Disaster Party, rejoined by Basil and leaving Hatar at the top of the cliff, enter a cave at the base of Cai Shaan’s peninsula. As they move underground and inland towards the Everqueen’s temple, there comes a point where the party reach a junction and are uncertain where to go next.
Basil tries out the smallest tunnel, but it narrows almost to nothing and he has to turn back- although it seems to be heading towards the ocean, which is not at all where the party want to go. Anthony investigates a second tunnel, but all he can determine is that it smells really bad. From a third tunnel comes murmuring and laughter, echoing all around. Meallan sends Aytal to check it out, but Aytal is overcome with fear as he is surrounded by the disembodied voices and a multitude of eye-like red lights, and his connection to Meallan breaks. He immediately disappears back to his home. Tally notices that the final tunnel leading out of this cave is far too dry for one so close to the ocean. Tally hears shuffling noises within, and concludes that there is some creature in there.
And then...the creature starts moving towards them. It soon becomes clear there are actually three creatures: one a large fiery snake-like being with arms, clutching a spear in one hand, followed by two slightly smaller identical fiery snake-people.
In an attempt to hide, the party flee into the Smelly Tunnel and emerge onto a ledge above the ocean, to the annoyance of a nesting gull which flaps at them and tries to drive them back inside. Meallan apologises to the gull and asks if it knows anything about these caves. It does not.
Tally returns to the junction ahead of the others to check if the coast is clear. The larger fiery snake is still present, and clearly agitated. Thinking quickly, Tally summons a small flame into one hand and waves it about in a friendly fashion. This pacifies the fiery being somewhat, but the snake still taps their spear against the ground and gestures repeatedly at the tunnel leading to the Laughing Cave, clearly indicating this is the way they want the party to proceed. Ultimately, the party enter the Laughing Cave.
Some people manage to fight off the creeping paranoia that room full of winking eyes instills but others, including Amani and Lyvin, succumb and are physically weakened. The party ask Lyvin if they can see anything on the ethereal plane, since the party can’t work out what these eye-like lights are. But when Lyvin takes a look at the ethereal plane, nothing is there.
As the party approach a large cavern full of stalactites and stalagmites, the majority hang back while those with darkvision investigate. None of them notice anything out of the ordinary but then, next thing they know, squid-like beings drop down onto Tally and Amani. Meallan calls for help from the rest of the party as he attempts to destroy the creatures and free his friends.
Two more attack, but by now the party are ready and fight them off with ease. Tired and injured, the party opt to rest and recover their strength before continuing their search for the Circle Enshadowed’s hidden lair.
Their rest is interrupted by a group of shadowy figures dragging a bound and struggling person after them. Khamet immediately confronts them, Basil close behind. The figures turn out to be three demons, circling and slashing at a captured merperson, who has clearly seen better days. As Khamet engages the demons, Basil drags their captive out of harm’s way. The rest of the party join the fray, and ultimately two of the demons are vanquished while the final fiend flees into the shadows.
The party rest a little longer before continuing on their way. They are lucky enough to encounter a pair of friendly umber hulks, Feathers and Jim who, with the aid of a comprehend languages spell and Meallan’s ‘speech of beast and leaf’, agree to guide the party to a ‘secret gate’ the shadowy people use. The duo also promise that, if the party return this way, they will help them safely back to the cave entrance. Halting in a tunnel near the secret gate and explaining that it lies just ahead, the umber hulks dig through the walls of the tunnel and disappear from sight.
As the smallest and stealthiest of the party, Basil scouts ahead. He sees two figures behind a lowered portcullis, who unfortunately see him in turn and disappear in those characteristic puffs of dark mist. He manages to ascertain that there are no traps in this cave, and so all that remains is for the party to find a way past the portcullis and enter the lair of their latest enemies.
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Post by Thorn on Jun 27, 2020 18:01:22 GMT -5
Hey team! Under two days now until session 36. =D
Step One: Work out how to get around...or through...the metal portcullis blocking your way forward. Step Two: Deal with the Bad People. Step Three: Profit!!
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Post by Thorn on Jun 28, 2020 15:38:06 GMT -5
Last notice! Under a day now until session 36. See you at 7:00am BST sharp!!
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Post by Thorn on Jun 29, 2020 18:36:47 GMT -5
Session 36: Names Learned!!!
Crystal Collector- he/him- a troll who had been poisoned by some creatures in the monster-filled tunnels, and afterwards given shelter beyond the portcullis by the Circle Enshadowed. Khamet healed him and promised to bring him out of the tunnels later alongside the party. Hemlock- she/her- wood elf who was transformed by the iridilith. Khamet promised to help her escape the dungeon, and Meallan cast an 'alarm' spell in the temple corridor so he will know if she gets attacked while the party are off hunting out the Circle. Basil alone knows that she is an assassin.
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Post by Thorn on Jul 1, 2020 1:38:08 GMT -5
Session 36: A Brief RecapDone very quickly this time! It's easier if I write these soon after the session, so the details are fresh in my mind. As always, please let me know if I missed anything important! =) The party notice a rune on the other side of the portcullis. Tally uses their power over elemental earth to crack the stone in which the rune is carved, thus destroying said rune. Two seemingly sentient balls of flame materialise either side of the stone and rush towards the party!
The balls of flame flicker through gaps in the portcullis grating, but the party destroy them before they can hurt anyone. Examining the portcullis, Meallan notes that the grating has melted slightly where the balls of flame passed through, and so with a well-placed fireball spell he melts a hole large enough for the party to continue onward.
It isn’t long before the adventurers hear an unfamiliar voice in their minds. The speaker says they know the party won’t leave, and that this doesn’t concern them- as adventurers are such ‘peculiarly fearful’ beings, and will be so...delicious? Exactly what a demon that feeds on fear would say! Meallan addresses Pahra in Infernal, and receives no response. Lyvin takes a look at the ethereal plane, but there is no pretty, ginger high elf lurking there, and thus the party conclude that Pahra isn’t nearby. Khamet loudly yells an insult down the tunnel, and receives no response from the demon, but now the party can hear something approaching to investigate...
Amani wisely hides.
A hunched-over troll lumbers through an archway up ahead, hugging himself and whimpering quietly. When he sights the party, the trolls attacks!
Anthony moves first, casting vicious mockery to little effect. It is clear by now that the troll isn’t well: his seafoam-green skin is clammy, body swollen with an almost neon green substance which seeps not only from lesions but also the troll's very pores. Tally manages to land a few good hits on their aggressor, but the poison injures Tally in turn. Thankfully, Khamet moves next. He places a hand on the troll's arm, curing him of poison and disease both. The troll ceases attacking and shakily sits down on the ground.
Meallan converses with the troll in Giant. His name is Crystal Collector, or Crystal for short, and he used to live in a nice quiet cave beneath the city- collecting crystals, as his name suggests. Creatures found him out there and afflicted him with that nasty disease, but the Circle Enshadowed let the troll live on this side of the portcullis in exchange for him keeping out intruders. However, Crystal is thankful to the party for helping him, and agrees to let them pass, pointing them in the direction of the Circle but refusing to accompany them to fight his hosts.
Crystal is especially grateful to Khamet, who not only healed him but also, via Meallan, promises to guide Crystal out of this place and help him find a new home after the Circle are dealt with. Leaving Crystal chewing on the jerky they gave him, the party step through the archway and across flagstones half buried by mud. Amani notes that the stones appear to have been excavated along with the open space around them. It does not seem like this space exists naturally or due to the burrowing of various creatures, unlike the tunnels behind them- some of which had what looked like toothmarks in the stone around the edges.
The flagstones lead to a second archway, beyond which is an actual room. The party have found the ruined temple at last! At the far end of this room, a broad corridor stretches away to places unseen. In this corridor stand five figures, most armed with bows but one (the bald wood elf Tally fought inside the palace) armed with one of those massive chainlike whips. Meallan catches them by surprise with a fireball, and combat ensues.
While the archers retreat down the corridor, the chain-wielding elf strikes out, injuring Meallan while Basil attempts to wrench their weapon from their hands. Khamet chases after the archers, and suggests that the party stop the group before they can alert others to the party’s presence. While two of the archers are killed, the other two teleport into a smaller room at the far end of the hall. The figure with the chain soon joins them, dropping their weapon to clutch at their bleeding arm.
Khamet realises, as he tries to enter that room, that the gravity in here has been reversed. He barely manages to grab hold of the stone doorway and pull himself back to safety. Lyvin casts fly on the paladin, so that he can just fly over to confront the Circle, but two of the figures are dispatched and one of the archers is wreathed in dark mist and vanishes before Khamet can reach them. One of the figures was taunted so viciously by Anthony that it actually killed them: "Ha ha ha, this loser's gonna die!"
Tally is profoundly affected by these happenings, and leaves the party to see what is around the next corner. They see a short corridor, at the end of which stand three more armed figures with their backs to another doorway, bathed in flickering violet light. The trio don’t see Tally. The drow informs the party of their discovery while Khamet, who investigated the gravity reversal room with his newfound flight, returns with a strange wood elf he found in a cell down a narrow hall from said room. The wood elf has peculiar beady, entirely black eyes, and a mouth reminiscent of a lamprey’s. Her name is Hemlock and, while he doesn’t share this information with the party, Basil recognises this name as being that of a renowned assassin. However, right now she looks as though she’s seen better days. When prompted Hemlock confirms that, yes, it was the iridilith that did this to her.
The party ask Hemlock if she has seen Pahra, and give a description since she doesn’t recognise the name. Hemlock says there are a few high elves among the Circle, but that this description doesn’t ring any bells. The party promise to help her return to the surface, along with Crystal, once they have dealt with the Circle. Meallan asks her what she did to end up captured by the Circle. She refuses to answer and he respects this.
Meallan spends eleven minutes ritual casting an alarm spell on the corridor between the temple entrance and the gravity reversal room, so that he will know if Hemlock is attacked while the party are elsewhere. The rest of the party attend to other matters, such as their wounds, during this time. Unfortunately for the party, they are quite chatty as they do this, and so when they finally make to ambush the enemies right around the corner, said enemies are already quite aware of their presence. Meallan is struck with a poisoned crossbow bolt and knocked unconscious.
Anthony brings Meallan around, and Tally strikes the crossbow-wielding high elf, stunning them. Meallan uses the first dose of the ointment Lyrelle gave him, and thus neutralises the poison still in the firbolg's system. The fight is brief, with Basil and Anthony easily dispatching the other two and everyone else focussing on the figure with the crossbow, who at first is too disoriented by Tally’s strike to fight back. Eventually the high elf conjures a sword made of shadow, but is unable to land a single hit- and when they die, the sword quickly dissipates.
Basil is healed with the second and final dose of ointment. He also retrieves the crossbow and bolts! Holy symbols of both the Shadow Queen and Everqueen are found on the high elf. Armed with this knowledge (and poisonous projectiles), the party prepare to enter the room ahead, within which violet light flickers and voices can be heard chanting in a language none of the party understand...
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