Charles Plemons' Blog

Game summary for May 31, 2016, Savage! campaign, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Blazing Sun (Kau Human Sage played by Kaliegh Belda), Singing Mammoth (Elf Soldier played by Taylor Averdick), Standing Bison (Giant Soldier played by Peyton Harmon), and Wolf Spirit (Kompache Human Priest played by Chris Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The party began the trip back from Fire Mountain to the camp of Rides-the-Moon and were attacked by a pack of assassins led by a soul-eater!  They defeated him, and right before his death they were able to get some information from him.  He told them their victories would soon be for naught because Teomiqatl, a fearsome yaqyachi, has figured out a way to disenchant a Dawn Seal fragment!  If successful, the seal could not be reassembled!  The team set out to capture more Keepers of the Gate to learn more.

They discovered their original route through the mountains was now blocked by a roving pack of marbaq.  They sought another way through the mountains and entered the territory of a dire white ape!  The enormous beast burst into the area and began pounding upon the party.  Arrows flew, axes swung, and fists flew.  Blazing Sun’s firehawk swooped in for an attack and was gulped down in a single swift bite!  The team was momentarily stunned but rallied quickly and brought down the massive threat.

The team pressed on through swarms of botflies and roving Keeper war bands.  The team was able to interrogate prisoners and sneak into camps to learn more information.  They learned of an old dungeon in the jungle that was partially exposed to the surface during an eruption of Fire Mountain.  It caused a great earthquake and left the dungeon is a mixed ruin of exposed rooms, collapsed chambers, and underground mazes.  Through this dungeon run a number of ley lines, focuses of magical energy, and here the Keepers plan to sacrifice as many people as they can in a foul ritual to destroy the Dawn Seal fragment!

Into the dungeon the team crept only to come across some Keeper thugs and a terrifying new foe, a reDead.  This emaciated marbaq wore a wooden mask behind which glowed two red eyes ablaze with light like fire.  It revealed a devastating power, the ability to paralyze foes with its scream!  It was able to freeze Wolf Spirit and the wolf in place first.  It then caught several others and proceeded to attempt coup de grace attacks to kill the party.  Fortunately, enough of the team remained active to take out the Keepers and the undead!

Game summary for May 24, 2016, Savage! campaign, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Little Spirit (Tsanta Human Soldier played by Andrew Renfrow), Night Watcher (Ogre Martial Artist played by Casey Scruggs), Singing Mammoth (Elf Soldier played by Taylor Averdick), Standing Bison (Giant Soldier played by Peyton Harmon), and Wolf Spirit (Kompache Human Priest played by Chris Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team discovered caverns filled with slaves harvesting obsidian for use in Keeper weaponry.  Ogre slavers kept them at task and attacked when the party entered.  The fighting was fierce and bloody, and a whip-wielding slaver entangled Singing Mammoth and pulled him in close.  He then used his screaming club as a bludgeon against the party.  The rest of the team dispatched the other ogres and came to the elf’s rescue.

In the next chamber, the team found a cave-gnawer ghula and a group of Keepers finishing a sacrifice.  The party closed in, but the Keepers stood their ground long enough for the ghula to engage Night Watcher and nearly disembowel him.  Meanwhile, Singing Mammoth’s velociraptor, Clever, missed a leap and hurled herself into the lava!  Standing Bison’s bear fished her out before she could be consumed.  Standing Bison forced red tioye down Night Watcher’s throat before moving in to fight.  Wolf Spirit, armed with a heartstone axe closed in as well.  Night Watcher was able to get back into the fight while hovering at the threshold of death’s door.  He managed to land a lucky blow and kill the ghula!

The team traveled on and balanced across narrow ledges beside lava flows and floated on mineral barges in rivers of molten rock.  They ran from Keeper hordes for hours, get more and more tired.  They successfully navigated around noxious thermal vents, with only a few of the party being harmed by the poisons.  They tried to negotiate some grey tioye from a merchant but instead ran him off.

In time they made it to a chamber and found the otomi warrior, Tepoizcat!  He swung his iron-edged macuahaitl with authority and precision.  Using wolf pack tactics, he and his thugs dealt a lot of damage to the party.  The team whittled away at his allies until only he remained.  He could not stand against the combined might of the entire party.  After slaying this wicked Keeper, they discovered the 6th Dawn Seal fragment!

Game summary for May 17, 2016, Savage! campaign, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Singing Mammoth (Elf Soldier played by Taylor Averdick), Standing Bison (Giant Soldier played by Peyton Harmon), and Wolf Spirit (Kompache Human Priest played by Chris Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

After dispatching the base camp, screeches rent the air as crimson raptors hurtled into view.  Their riders slipped to the ground and drew forth deadly obsidian blades as the dinosaurs circled out running low and ready.  One of the riders strode confidently toward the team, a smirk upon his face and hatred burning in his eyes.  The man, an elf, had a tall blue Mohawk and pale white skin with sharp bone spikes piercing his flesh in intricate and painful patterns.  A dozen scalps bounced about his waist, tethered by still-attached hair.  He smiled revealing teeth filed to sharp points, and declared a fight to the death, winner eat all!  Nemtlac the Cannibal had arrived!  A velociraptor ravaged Singing Mammoth and nearly killed him.  Standing Bison took a barrage of hits from raptors and Nemtlac.  Wolf Spirit and the animals began tearing into foes and weeding through them.  Soon only Nemtlac remained, and he brutally slashed the party with his obsidian blades before the wolf ripped out his throat.  In the aftermath, they found another Dawn Seal fragment and a magical toothed necklace.

The group returned to the camp of Rides-the-Moon and were dispatched to Tletltepetl (let-ill-tep-i-til), the Fire Mountain.  They were warned an otomi warrior named Tepoizcat had taken the sixth fragment there and guards it with his iron-edged macuahuitl.  The dungeon is near the City of Skulls and hordes of ravenous marbaq.  The team set out and overcame many dangers before discovering a little-used entrance into the dungeon.  Within they found part of the floor had collapsed about five feet down and ten feet across, and the stone nearly glowed with heat.  Wolf Spirit and the wolf took a running jump and crashed headlong into a sheet of glass on the far side!  Rather than bounce off into the hole, their combined weight smashed through.  Both suffered lacerations, but that was far better than the burns they would have suffered.  With the trap now revealed, the rest of the team was able to safely leap across.

Deeper in the complex, they found the heat had partially melted the walls and floor.  In places molten rock bubbled into view.  Ahead a massive one-eyed magtail, a cross between scorpion and centipede, awoke.  The team found its hard shell very resistant to bladed weapons, but with some persistent clubbing, they were able to overcome.

Game summary for May 10, 2016, Savage! campaign, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Blazing Sun (Kau Human Sage played by Kaliegh Belda), Night Watcher (Ogre Martial Artist played by Casey Scruggs), Singing Mammoth (Elf Soldier played by Taylor Averdick), Standing Bison (Giant Soldier played by Peyton Harmon), and Wolf Spirit (Kompache Human Priest played by Chris Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team continued through the plains, and their horses caught the attention of Scar, the alpha bulette!  It burst from the ground and ate Wolf Spirit’s horse right out from under him!  The team closed in as the bulette swallowed the horse and attacked the team.  Several moments went by with some wounds landing on both sides; however, Night Watcher landed the killing blow.

After recovering and moving on, the team came upon the supply line and base camp of the Nightmare Company.  The team smelled a meaty aroma and discovered several large fire pits burned down to coals with spits above.  Men and elves hung above the flames cooking in the heat!  A skyclad yaqyachi woman chanted a spell and animated the cooking corpses as she cut them free!  The roasted shamblers let out shrieks and lurched toward the party.  The team moved to engage.  Much to their chagrin, they discovered the shamblers exploded upon their death in a shower of bones and gore!  It did not take much to take down the marbaq, the undead, but the yaqyachi and Nightmare rider proved a bit more resilient.  The rider shattered his macuahaitl upon the ground in an epic miss against Standing Bison.  Meanwhile, Wolf Spirit deftly avoid curse after spell from the priestess.  Soon, the team had defeated all of the enemies and began to search the camp.

Game summary for April 26, 2016, Savage! campaign, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Blazing Sun (Kau Human Sage played by Kaliegh Belda), Little Spirit (Tsanta Human Soldier played by Andrew Renfrow), Night Watcher (Ogre Martial Artist played by Casey Scruggs), Singing Mammoth (Elf Soldier played by Taylor Averdick), Standing Bison (Giant Soldier played by Peyton Harmon), and Wolf Spirit (Kompache Human Priest played by Chris Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team advanced down the hallway and discovered the couatl!  It shimmered and surrounded itself mirror images before unleashing a blast of arctic cold.  All but the wolf were chilled.  The team advanced quickly, so the feathered serpent activated a scare spell that drove Night Watcher away.  The serpent poisoned Blazing Sun but found itself hit with tooth, claw, arrow, and axe.  It proved no match for the combined might of the party.  After slaying the serpent, the team discovered a fragment of the Dawn Seal!

They fled the dungeon and rode hard toward the camp of Rides-the-Moon.  Along the way, a scout met them and let them know the Nightmare Company was moving another fragment toward the City of Bones where it could be protected by an army!  The team had to move quickly to secure it.  The team rode out to intercept, fighting octoroks and bulettes along the route.  Eventually, they were spotted by a group of Nightmare Company scouts.  The party rushed in pursuit and caught up to them.  A violent fracas erupted with slashing velociraptors and cannibal barbarians tearing into the team.  Night Watcher and Standing Bison took the brunt of the attacks.  Singing Mammoth’s arrows worked over the foes as the party closed in and began killing their attackers.  In a few moments, it was done.  They stood victorious over the scouts but expressed their fear of finding the main contingent of the Nightmare Company!

Game summary for April 19, 2016, Savage! campaign, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Blazing Sun (Kau Human Sage played by Kaliegh Belda), Little Spirit (Tsanta Human Soldier played by Andrew Renfrow), and Singing Mammoth (Elf Soldier played by Taylor Averdick). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team was confronted by a puzzle door requiring discovering a shape pattern.  With very little delay the team was able to by-pass it.  After taking a blast of fiery damage.

Beyond the door the team found a snake yaqyachi involved in a ritual with a titanoboa!  She spun about and unleashed a poison ball upon the team.  The enormous snake slithered forward to attack.  Singing Mammoth hit the priestess with two arrows and Blazing Sun and Little Spirit flanked the constrictor and engaged.  The yaqyachi used a poison missile to damage Little Spirit.  She fired off another and caused lingering poison damage to Singing Mammoth.  In retaliation, Singing Mammoth multi-shot her in the face and killed her instantly.  However, he then got grappled and constricted by the titanoboa!  He slipped out once but was re-grappled.  The constriction nearly choked him unconscious, but Blazing Sun and Little Spirit were able to cut it down.

The team then made its way along narrow ledges made for slithering creatures and lithe cultists.  Little Spirit had some trouble negotiating the way but finally made it through.  They had to pass themselves off as cultists on several occasions.  With snakes everywhere, all got bit from time to time, and they had to doctor one another and press on through the venom.  The labyrinth spread out before them, and Little Spirit kept getting the group turned around and befuddled.  Eventually, the team found themselves faced with a laughing old crone who kept appearing and presenting riddles.  With each successful answer, she disappeared in a burst of smoke, but the team was certain they saw feathers and scales in the chaos.  The team followed secret passages revealed after their successful answers until they stood before another puzzle door.

The team stared at the door for a while trying to figure out the mathematic puzzle.  They began to guess and found some correct combinations.  The failures resulted in blasts of fire, electricity, and cold!  Eventually the team struggled through and guessed a way to get through the doorway.

Game summary for April 12, 2016, Savage! campaign, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Blazing Sun (Kau Human Sage played by Kaliegh Belda), Night Watcher (Ogre Martial Artist played by Casey Scruggs), and Singing Mammoth (Elf Soldier played by Taylor Averdick). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team finally arrived at Coatlnahualli and ducked inside to find a trio of Keeper snake cultists with poisoned stone knives awaiting them.  A quick scuffle followed with several of the party knifed but not seriously injured.  The Keepers were defeated.

To continue, the team had to resolve a puzzle door.  They considered it for a bit, and Singing Mammoth saw a pattern.  He explained it to Night Watcher he pressed the combination into the stone panels.  The door slid out of the way.

Beyond, they found more snake cultists swaying to the song of a yaqyachi, a Keeper priestess.  She hit the party with a blast of magical poison as Night Watcher closed in.  The ogre hurt her with several telling blows, but the snake cultists swarmed and began to stab and poison him.  Although badly injured, the team kept on the pressure.  Snake cultists went down beneath axe and arrow while Night Watcher continued to hammer on the priestess.  The team took the enemies down and found only spoiled food and tioye for their efforts.  However, Blazing Sun noticed a strange panel in the floor.  Night Watcher ripped it up and found a glittering and valuable carnelian beneath!

Game summary for March 29, 2016, Savage! campaign, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Night Watcher (Ogre Martial Artist played by Casey Scruggs), Standing Bison (Giant Soldier played by Peyton Harmon), and Wolf Spirit (Kompache Human Priest played by Chris Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team returned to Rides-the-Moon’s camp to prepare for the union ceremony.  They started by preparing a seating arrangement to keep the war chiefs from quarreling with one another.  Next they went out and gathered enough tioye for the ceremony.  The group helped the couple write their vows and made sure they got past their cold feet.  The rest of the team ran security for the event watching for intruding elha assassins.

Days after the ceremony, the team set out for Coatlnahualli, the lair of serpent warlocks.  They had been warned the Nightmare Company was driving octoroks into the plains to make travel more dangerous.  This proved true soon as the team came upon an octorok pack.  They fairly easily dispatched it but then came upon a triceratops!  The dinosaur proved quite dangerous and nearly killed Wolf Spirit!  The team eventually brought it down after considerable effort.

Game summary for March 24, 2016, Savage! campaign, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Blazing Sun (Kau Human Sage played by Kaliegh Belda), Singing Mammoth (Elf Soldier played by Taylor Averdick), Standing Bison (Giant Soldier played by Peyton Harmon), and Wolf Spirit (Kompache Human Priest played by Chris Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

After slaying the bulette, the team had to tend to Feathered Eagle’s grievous wounds.  Wolf Spirit nearly killed him, but the team pulled through.  They then dug themselves out of a cave-in.  On the surface, they constructed a litter for Feathered Eagle and began trekking back toward Rides-the-Moon’s camp.  Along the way, they encountered a medicine man who sold them red tioye in exchange for stories.  After moving on, they successfully slipped through the various Keeper and elha caravans crossing the plains.

As the team traveled, a rampaging herd of maddened mammoths came charging over the hills!  The beasts crashed into the party which immediately tried to defend themselves.  This enraged the mammoths even more, causing them to stampede over the party and try to stamp and gore them all to death.  Standing Bison was terribly injured and driven off.  Meanwhile, Singing Mammoth was trampled into the dirt but was able to drag himself back to his feet.  Arrows flew, axes swung, and teeth gnashed as the party fought to bring down the massive creatures.  After a prolonged and violent battle, the team finally stood victorious of the herd!

Game summary for March 15, 2016, Savage! campaign, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Blazing Sun (Kau Human Sage played by Kaliegh Belda), Little Spirit (Tsanta Human Soldier played by Andrew Renfrow), Singing Mammoth (Elf Soldier played by Taylor Averdick), Standing Bison (Giant Soldier played by Peyton Harmon), and Wolf Spirit (Kompache Human Priest played by Chris Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team kayaked back down the Drowned Turtle River to return to their camp.  They found something had torn the camp apart.  They began following tracks looking for survivors when they stumbled upon a grizzly eating remains of their allies!  The bear mauled Standing Bison, but the team rallied and began driving it back so Singing Mammoth could bring it down with his bow.

The group pressed on and discovered a cavern.  The group had to proceed carefully to avoid collapsing the ceiling.  Further in they were ambushed by five immature bulettes!  The young landsharks ripped into the team with their razor-sharp teeth and claws!  The team was severely injured, but they were able to slay the bulettes and move on.

The team came upon one of their allies, Feathered Eagle.  He was badly injured but hurling rocks at a full-grown bulette as it devoured another brave!  The team moved in, and the bulette bit Standing Bison with its enormous maw and dropped him unconscious.  Little Spirit, Wolf Spirit, and the wolf closed in and starting wounding the monster.  Singing Mammoth launched volleys while Blazing Sun beat it mercilessly with sling rocks.  A slip of an arrow and Singing Mammoth shot Little Spirit in the back; however, he was able to walk it off.  Despite the bloody chaos, Wolf Spirit managed to slip in and land a deathblow on the monster!  The team was then able to stabilize Standing Bison and Feathered Eagle.