Charles Plemons' Blog

Game summary for September 29, 2015, Carrion Crown Adventure Path campaign, Shadows of Gallowspire adventure; PCs included Dario Malavasi (human afflicted dire werewolf oracle), Gertie Foxglove (human witch), Gnok Thatek (dwarf vampire monk), Radimir Dragomirov (human huecuva lord cleric), Thrain (graveknight dwarf slayer), and Zeddicus Zu’l Zorander (human brine lich abjurer/cleric/mystic theurge), accompanied by cohort Lucretia Ivankov (human vampire spawn sorcerer) and Shaddoc Moana (human brineborn barbarian).

The battle between the party and the Gallowdead raged. Blood spurted freely from Dario’s wounds, and Shaddoc was cut down by one of the fallen knights. Dario managed to heal himself while Gertie unleashed a powerful lightning bolt! Zedd made good use of magic missile as Radimir summoned an aura of doom. Gnok and Thrain unleashed a barrage of melee attacks, and Dario rejoined the ruckus. Soon both undead were killed. Thrain consumed a few potions, and the team rushed up to the pinnacle of the great tower.

At the top, the world seemed to shift, and the team found themselves on a broad plane with Gallowspire off in the distance. Before them stood Adivion Adrissant, his body pulsing barely contained arcane power threatening to rip his body apart. The forsaken lich unleashed a maximized chain lightning that coursed through the party. Several of the undead were not bothered, but others were rattled by the deadly attack. He then hit Thrain and Dario a torrent of raw arcane energy exploding from his form.

The team closed in quickly to pressure him in melee. Radimir and Zedd cast spells that floundered against Adivion’s spell resistance. The team began to enhance one another with spells like bull’s strength and disrupting weapon. Adivion warded himself with mirror image, much to the team’s consternation. Gnok slipped in a few lucky shots but found his attacks quite ineffective and healing at a staggering rate. Radimir summoned half a dozen huecuva to try and pin him down, and the magus caught most of the party in a cone of cold and more blasts of arcane energy. Dario was in bad shape, and all the huecuva were slain. The team felt they had the upper hand when they finally got Adivion surrounded, but he managed to use dimension door to reposition after drilling Dario with scorching ray. The team continued to hurl spells but struggled with the lich’s intense spell resistance.

The party hurtled across the battlefield to close with him again as Gertie tried to slip out of range. Adivion recalled to mind chain lightning and hit the team with it yet again, rendering Gertie unconscious. Gnok tried to grapple Adivion and was amazed at his defensive skills and his ability to ward off the attack quite easily with his staff. Thrain struggled to get into a good position and only got to get shots off here and there due to Adivion’s mobility. Zedd had enhanced some of the party but still struggled with spells failing on his resistances. Lucretia used magic to enhance allies as well and was forced to nurse her own injuries.

Dario, bleeding, burnt, chilled, and shocked, was barely holding onto to life. Filled with fury, however, he hefted his undead bane blade and ripped into the lich. Just as his momentum reached its peak, his disrupting weapon suddenly blasted Adivion into oblivion! The team looked on in stunned relief as the lich’s possessions clattered to the ground. The landscape lurched, and they realized an illusion had covered the top of the tower the entire fight. The silvery energy pulsing across the doorway into Gallowspire’s inner sanctums subsided, and the threat of awakening the Whispering Tyrant quite abruptly ended.

The team stood victorious but at a horrendous price. Gnok was condemned to an eternity of feeding upon the life of others and had already spread his plague to Lucretia. Radimir and Zedd were cast off by their gods and damned to servitude to Dagon the demon lord. Thrain had merged with his unholy armor and become more and less than he had ever been. Shaddoc and Nyssa lay dead, and Dario had embraced his bestial nature and lycanthropic curse. They may had prevented the rise of Tar-Baphon, but they unleashed half a dozen terribly powerful evils upon the world in his stead.

Game summary for September 22, 2015, Carrion Crown Adventure Path campaign, Shadows of Gallowspire adventure; PCs included Dario Malavasi (human afflicted dire werewolf oracle), Gnok Thatek (dwarf vampire monk), Thrain (graveknight dwarf slayer), and Zeddicus Zu’l Zorander (human brine lich abjurer/cleric/mystic theurge), accompanied by NPC companion Nyssa Pagonis (human cleric) and cohort Bartemus Grimm (dwarf gunslinger), Lucretia Ivankov (human vampire spawn sorcerer), and Shaddoc Moana (human brineborn barbarian).

The unholy elder fire elementals swarmed from the corners of Gallowspire and attacked the party. Nearly immediately, Bartemus burst into flames from the elementals’ attacks! Two of the outsiders attacked Dario but could not get through his defenses. Thrain and Gnok tried to flank one and found it an ineffective tactic. Zedd tried to hit one with icicle and missed. Thrain finally landed some attacks, and his icy pick dealt devastating damage! The team began to beat the guardians, and they fell one by one. An elemental snatched up Dario, and he warded himself with resist energy. He, and his allies, were quite stunned when it walked to the edge of the tower and hurled him 180 feet to the ground! He bounced off the ground, mildly protected by iron skin, and used blessing of fervor to charge back up the stairs of the tower. Meanwhile, the team cut down the rest of the elementals.

The group ascended further and were accosted by two skeletal knights with glowing swords trailing spiked chains wrapped around their bodies. The creatures whispered horrible, mind-bending secrets under their breath as they attacked. Chains shot forth and grappled Thrain, but Dario successfully used his gauntlet of rust to destroy it! Gnok used his amazing mastery of dwarven jujitsu to hurl the other to the floor. Insane Shaddoc managed to slay Nyssa with his crushing pincer, and the knights greatly harmed Dario and Gnok. Lucretia had some success with her greater flaming sphere, and Zedd landed several well-placed magic missiles. Lucretia managed to dominate Shaddoc, and Gnok hurled one of the undead to the ground yet again!

Game summary for September 15, 2015, Carrion Crown Adventure Path campaign, Shadows of Gallowspire adventure; PCs included Dario Malavasi (human afflicted dire werewolf oracle), Gnok Thatek (dwarf vampire monk), Radimir Dragomirov (human huecuva lord cleric), Thrain (graveknight dwarf slayer), and Zeddicus Zu’l Zorander (human brine lich abjurer/cleric/mystic theurge), accompanied by NPC companion Nyssa Pagonis (human cleric) and cohort Bartemus Grimm (dwarf gunslinger), Lucretia Ivankov (human vampire spawn sorcerer), and Shaddoc Moana (human brineborn barbarian).

The team began to ascend the Bone Stair rising around the inner core of Gallowspire. They moved up to the second level where they triggered a trap of pendulums made of web holding blades! The wicked edges slashed through the team as they scurried for cover. From the stair, Zedd cast true seeing and discovered a massive Leng spider hiding under cover of invisibility!

The team dropped a flame strike in the room burning the webs to nothingness and causing the spider to attack! It focused on a big juicy morsel, the dire werewolf, Dario! It sank its enormous fangs into his chest and pumped him full of hallucinogenic poison! Thrain and Gnok moved in to flank while Radimir warded himself with magic. Shaddoc was knocked unconscious as Zedd moved up and hit the spider with dehydrating touch! The group tore into the spider, and before it could flee, Gnok struck a death blow.

The team searched the area and nursed wounds before proceeding to the next level of Gallowspire. They found this level to have a large open balcony and four braziers of blazing blue flame. The fire animated, emerged as hulking humanoid shapes, and advanced on the party!

Game summary for September 8, 2015, Carrion Crown Adventure Path campaign, Shadows of Gallowspire adventure; PCs included Dario Malavasi (human afflicted dire werewolf oracle), Gnok Thatek (dwarf vampire monk), and Thrain (graveknight dwarf slayer, accompanied by NPC companion Nyssa Pagonis (human cleric) and cohort Bartemus Grimm (dwarf gunslinger), and Lucretia Ivankov (human vampire spawn sorcerer).

The team fell back from the onslaught of the Knights of the Gate. Dario fled on foot as quickly as he could, and Thrain was compelled to chase after him. At a sufficient distance, Dario summoned a roc that snatched up Thrain and hurled him into the ravener’s hanging cage. It then swooped down and grabbed both Knights of the Gate and flew high into the sky. When it disappeared back from whence it came, the two devourers plummeted to their destruction on the stones below.

The group nursed their wounds while the vampires recuperated in their coffins. The team then cast a barrage of spells and charged through the open gates of Gallowspire to discover General Sey’lok, an ancient nightwalker! Thrain stepped right up to the towering monstrosity and sunk his pick deep into its leg. It retaliated by sundering his magical shield! Gnok and Dario closed as Nyssa and Lucretia began enhancing and attack spells. The nightwalker focused on the large living werewolf over the undead running about its feet. It damaged his sword and sliced him to ribbons. Within moments, Dario was staggered and cling to life by the thinnest of threads. Finally, Gnok and Thrain managed to flank the nightwalker, and Thrain’s sneak attack damage began taking its toll. A solid critical hit from Gnok laid the undead horror low, and the party rejoiced.

Searching the area, they found massive stairs leading up and signs of a battle from long ago. Among the desiccated corpses of slain angels, the team found a +1 flaming greatsword.