Charles Plemons' Blog

Game summary for February 20, 2014, Carrion Crown Adventure Path campaign, Wake of the Watcher adventure; PCs included Brutus Bonesmasher (human fighter), Dario Malavasi (human oracle), Emilian Sandulescu (human paladin/ranger), and Malthus Brightray (half-elf cleric), accompanied by NPC companions Nyssa Pagonis (human cleric) and Pavlos Zervas (human fighter/rogue).

The team engaged in a quick, violent battle with the cultists of the indomitable sea!  Pavlos proved his worth by taking one out with a dagger in a single round.  The cultists injured several of the party but were no match for the team.

The group then discovered a large sliding secret wall that folded back to reveal a hidden sanctuary dedicated to the demon lord, Dagon!  The bloody altar bespoke the kinds of rituals held within.  All around the walls were disturbing carvings of devilfish, krakens, octopi, squid, and other bizarre creatures including fish-men mating with human women.  Entering the area seemed to summon an aberrant monstrosity, a chuul of incredible power called the Scion of the Sea!  The monster snatched up Nyssa and Dario in its claws and began crushing them.  It transferred Dario to its paralytic tentacles and began consuming him while it continued fighting!  Brutus found it resistant to his flaming hammer, which hampered Malthus flame magic as well.  Pavlos flanked the creature and learned it had fast healing.  The fighting was intense, but Emilian began to smite it and eventually brought it down!

The group then entered another chamber and found Rufus and Imelba Tulby waiting, frightened, on a bench.  They learned the couple were trying to “foster” their 3-month-old daughter to The Neighbors down bay, whomever that is.  The team found The Neighbors had not shown up to claim the girl and that Father Voltiaro had gone to Undiomede House to try and contact them.  The family was to wait here until he returned.

The team then went and opened another door and discovered seven neatly arranged decapitated corpses!

Game summary for February 13, 2014, Carrion Crown Adventure Path campaign, Wake of the Watcher adventure; PCs included Dario Malavasi (human oracle), Emilian Sandulescu (human paladin/ranger), and Tigris Inebriavi (elf magus), accompanied by NPC companions Nyssa Pagonis (human cleric) and Pavlos Zervas (human fighter/rogue).

The party learned that the Dark Rider had ridden toward Illmarsh, and they set out in pursuit.  They headed down the old road and made camp overnight.  After a few hours on the road the following day, the found a vessel in the lake speeding toward a stone quay with a man running frantically to and fro on the deck.  Tigris and Nyssa flew to the boat and helped him avoid a crash.  They discovered his name is Horace Croon, some kind of inventor who has created a subaqueous exploration and research vessel.  After realizing the man is a bit eccentric, they continued to Illmarsh.

In the town, they found the Walleyed Kraken tavern and had a drink and some fish with owner, Laurel Sills.  They then headed over to the Bountiful Catch Inn where they met a standoffish man named Rube Dreeley who gave them the best dump, er… room in the house for a mere overpriced 3 gp per night.

The next day they were accosted by the sheriff and escorted to Mayor Greedle’s office.  They spoke with the bizarre man for a while, and he finally divulged he suspects some local disappearances are due to the priests at the Hall of the Recondite Order of the Indomitable Sea.  The party set out to investigate.  Within they found four priests who were very displeased to see them!

Game summary for February 6, 2014, Carrion Crown Adventure Path campaign, Broken Moon and Wake of the Watcher adventures; PCs included Dario Malavasi (human oracle), Emilian Sandulescu (human paladin/ranger), and Tigris Inebriavi (elf magus), accompanied by NPC companion Nyssa Pagonis (human cleric).

The team returned to Vrood’s tower and discovered eight skeletal champion archers.  Dario attempted to get up to the champions and fell through the floor.  Emilian repeatedly channeled positive energy and destroyed the skeletons.

After returning to their horses, the team set out toward Thrushmoor.  They arrived two days later and began asking about the Dark Riders.  They learned the riders had bought fresh horses a day or two earlier.  One rider had headed to an unknown destination and another south toward the town of Illmarsh.  According to the locals, natives of Illmarsh are called “musties” due to their fishy smell.

The party visited the livery stable to see if they could find more information about the riders.  Within they found an older man trying to change a wheel on a hay wagon.  Dario and Emilian helped lift the heavy wagon while they talked to the man.  After a few moments, a pair of ghouls sprung up out of the hay to attack!  The man revealed himself an assassin and viciously stabbed Dario!  Tigris blasted forth scalding flames while the undead and the assassin tore into the team!  The magus used fire and lightning while Emilian and Dario slashed away.  The assassin proved particularly dangerous, but the undead fell quickly.  At last, Dario cut down the assassin!

Game summary for January 30, 2014, Carrion Crown Adventure Path campaign, Broken Moon adventure; PCs included Dario Malavasi (human oracle), Emilian Sandulescu (human paladin/ranger), and Tigris Inebriavi (elf magus), accompanied by NPC companion Nyssa Pagonis (human cleric).

The team exited the tower, and Emilian tripped causing a noise to bring the attention of the cultists in town square.  A dozen skeletons and two curates assaulted the party.  The skeletons were mostly ineffective, but they allowed the curates time to launch numerous spells and channel negative energy.  The party was able to quickly take them down and move to the inn to speak with Ulcris Sedmir’s spirit.  The ghost pulled memories from the severed head of Auren Vrood and gave visions to the party.

The visions open with a furiously darting ink quill that dashes out of a stream of words reading, “My Master, I shall stay in Feldgrau and build an army of corpses for our risen lord…” The sentence fades, and after a brief flash, hands place the letter in an envelope and strike it with a wax seal. Another flash comes and the scene changes. The PCs see cultists scurrying around in the town square, exhuming bodies and raising an army from the corpses of Feldgrau’s dead. After another flash, Vrood’s hands place three strange items into a chest—an iron-and-glass vial containing a swirling gray mist, a bloody heart inside a glass bottle, and a fragile skull composed of hundreds of bone fragments. Into a second chest he places a strange statuette of murky green stone depicting a grotesque, tentacled creature. Another flash.  The chests are given to two riders in dark cloaks on pale horses. “Ride to Thrushmoor,” the PCs hear Vrood’s voice speak. “Our agent will exchange the Effigy for the relic we need.” After a final flash, the visions fade.

Game summary for January 23, 2014, Carrion Crown Adventure Path campaign, Broken Moon adventure; PCs included Dario Malavasi (human oracle), Emilian Sandulescu (human paladin/ranger), and Tigris Inebriavi (elf magus), accompanied by NPC companion Nyssa Pagonis (human cleric).

The team sneaked over to the tower entrance and found it barred from the inside.  Unable to get in, they used the marvelous pigments to create a slim piece of metal with which to raise the bar through the crack in the door.  They moved in and heading through a curtain on the left.  On the other side stood Auren Vrood along with his homunculus and two giant crawling hands!

The team started to advance, and Vrood cast waves of fatigue to tire out the party.  Emelian engaged one of the rotting hands and found it sprayed vile pus when injured.  Tigris hit Vrood and company with a fireball.  Vrood fought back with a circle of death, which failed to eliminate anyone.  Soon, Emelian was grappled by one of the hands, and Vrood obscured the hallway with a cloudkill spell that he sent drifting along.  The poison harmed several of the party.  Dario made it through and found Vrood protected by stoneskin.

Tigris and Nyssa imbibed antitoxins while Emelian wrestled with a grappling crawling hand.  Tigris cut down one of the creatures and tried to get through the cloudkill.  Dario was hit by a ray of enervation and weakened even more.  Tigris killed one of the crawling hands as Dario and Emilian moved in to pressure the caster.  He tried ghoul touch unsuccessfully, but he devastated Dario with a vampiric touch. Auren nearly turned the tables on the party when his eyebite drove Tigris reeling and crying in the corner.  The stoneskin wore off, and Dario and Emelian hurt Vrood badly.  He cast greater invisibility and sought escape, but the keen ears of Emelian picked him up, and the paladin decapitated the necromancer!  Tigris then surged forward and killed the other crawling hand.  The victorious team snatched up Vrood’s notes and looked around to see what they could learn.

Game summary for January 16, 2014, Carrion Crown Adventure Path campaign, Broken Moon adventure; PCs included Dario Malavasi (human oracle), Emilian Sandulescu (human paladin/ranger), and Tigris Inebriavi (elf magus), accompanied by NPC companion Nyssa Pagonis (human cleric).

After being critically injured, the team slinked into the inn and hid out for several hours to cast curative spells and rest again.  Under the cover of darkness, the group moved from building to building and darted into the armory where they found themselves face-to-face with five wights!

The vicious undead swarmed in and surrounded the team but were blasted by the holy might of Erastil channeled by Emilian!  The team soon discovered the leader of the wights, a fast moving female, was extremely dangerous.  Her movements reminded them of the fighting style of their fallen ally, Caerwen.  Her combination of monk training and undeath were a frightful prospect.

The team launched a barrage of spells to enhance their abilities while the monks attacked their foes.  Tigris was hit by the monk wight and weakened in his abilities.  She continued to chase him around the room inflicting numerous energy drains.  Emilian channeled more positive energy while Dario attacked with his blade.  Soon, the wights were defeated.

A search of the room yielded some marvelous pigments and an urn filled with a stinky fluid and a quarter of a heart.  The group debated some and then burned the heart using a torch!

Game summary for January 9, 2014, Carrion Crown Adventure Path campaign, Broken Moon adventure; PCs included Caerwen (elf monk), Dario Malavasi (human oracle), and Tigris Inebriavi (elf magus), accompanied by NPC companion Nyssa Pagonis (human cleric).

Nyssa moved to heal the unconscious Dario as Tigris slipped in from outside.  They could hear footsteps on the floor above, so the team surged up the ladder and found two more Demon Wolf marauders and an armored and horned werewolf!  Caerwen charged in to attack one and found it just as resistant to his attacks.  Dario struggled to damage the creatures, and Tigris unleashed a lightning bolt across two enemies.  The werewolves began smiting the party but found Tigris immune.  Caerwen and Dario were not so fortunate.

Tigris dropped back and cast defensive shock upon himself which proved fortuitous over time.  Dario was grievously injured and forced to retreat where he cast shield of faith and divine power.  Nyssa cast healing spells upon him at the same time.  Meanwhile, Tigris and Caerwen tried to hold the line, but a particularly well-placed blow struck Caerwen dead where he stood!  Tigris cast shield upon himself and continued the battle.  Dario surged back into the fray and engaged the foes while Tigris killed one, and another died in his defensive shock ward.  Tigris was struck down and unconscious, but Dario was able to land a perfect strike to drop the leader of the werewolves!

Game summary for January 2, 2014, Carrion Crown Adventure Path campaign, Broken Moon adventure; PCs included Caerwen (elf monk), Dario Malavasi (human oracle), and Gnok Thatek (dwarf monk), accompanied by NPC companion Nyssa Pagonis (human cleric).

The team darted into an old tavern and were followed in by a pair of Menadoran festrogs and a Whispering Way curate!  The festrogs tore into the group, even ripping flesh from Caerwen to heal its own injuries.  The team put pressure upon the massive undead, however.  The curate fell back under pressure from Dario but desecrated the area!  She then channeled negative energy not once, not twice, not three times, but four times!  The unholy power continued to rip through the party dealing horrific wounds, but the festrogs kept the party back away from her.  Finally, the festrogs went down, and Gnok slammed into her with a grapple.  She channeled a fifth time, which nearly killed the entire group.  With only tatters of their life forces remaining, the team finally killed her.  Almost dead, they hid the bodies and made a makeshift camp on the upper floor.

Early pre-dawn, Gnok crept out on a scouting mission to see the best route to the tower supposedly occupied by Auren Vrood.  He decided going from building to building through town would give the best cover.  They slipped into an inn and met the spirit of Ulcris Sedmir, the dead innkeeper who blames himself for the Feldgrau massacre.  Dario made friends with the ghost and learned the spirit could rip the memories out of Auren Vrood’s head after his death to tell them why the necromancer is here in Feldgrau.  He agreed to do so if the party would help put the spirits of Feldgrau to rest.

The team then went into the mill because Ulcris said he had heard creatures over there.  On the first floor, the team found a pair of Demon Wolf marauders!  Caerwen displayed the Princes’ Wolves tokens, and the werewolves first thought their sworn enemies had arrived; however, when the team didn’t transform, they realized they were fighting something different.  The deadly werewolf warriors began to smite the party, and a bloodbath ensued.  Their massive falchions cut deeply, but even the monks had difficulty harming the werewolves despite their ki-enhanced strikes!  Gnok drew his bane dagger and brutally injured one!  Dario had been hurled to the ground by another, and was in an awkward position when Nyssa’s hold person paralyzed a Demon Wolf!  He performed a coup de grace from below, which got him mauled by the still-standing wolf at his flank, but he disemboweled the paralyzed enemy!  The last werewolf fought valiantly and injured most of the team horrifically; however, Caerwen stepped in and ripped the Demon Wolf’s throat out with his bare hands!  He looked around and saw his friends mauled and in very bad shape, but they were victorious!