Charles Plemons' Blog

Game summary for November 14, 2013, Carrion Crown Adventure Path campaign, Broken Moon adventure; PCs included Caerwen (elf monk), Dario Malavasi (human oracle), Gnok Thatek (dwarf monk), and Tigris Inebriavi (elf magus), accompanied by NPC companion Nyssa Pagonis (human cleric).

The party mingled at dinner and met a number of nobles and other guests.  They had a discussion with Cilas Graydon, Margrave of Sturnidae, and learned he was friends with Echtmoor Dravin, the young man they found dead in the weaverworm’s lair.  They agreed to help him recover the body.  They spoke briefly with Markiza Welgory and her huntsman, Ostovach.

They later followed Madame Ivanja outside and learned she resides in a tower outside the main house and sells information and entertainment.  When asked out on the lawn about the Whispering Way, she excused herself and went into her tower.  The team then noticed Quiene Steymor in the stable and spoke with her.  She indicated she stabled horses for a strange group of visitors who sounds suspiciously like Whispering Way cultists.  She indicated they had met in Madame Ivanja’s tower.

The team then questioned Belik who, after a bit of intimidation, admitted he had let some visitors in to see Madame Ivanja some days earlier.  The group asked Estovion about the visitors, and he clearly knew nothing about it.  They then knocked on Ivanja’s door and was allowed entrance by one of her Qadiran guards.  Ivanja seemed much more affable within her tower, and they purchased an hour of time with her “employee,” Niama.  Niama was smoking some kind of herb when they met her, and she described the men she had danced for before a strange meeting between the men and a silver-haired woodsman.  She mentioned they had said something about the “Stairs of the Moon” and a packlord’s heart as she was going out the door.

The team left Ivanja’s and pondered their next move.  Estovion had mentioned doing some writing when they last saw him, and Ivanja had stated he writes a lot of things down.  Perhaps they would find a way to investigate his private study?

Game summary for November 7, 2013, Carrion Crown Adventure Path campaign, Broken Moon adventure; PCs included Caerwen (elf monk), Dario Malavasi (human oracle), Gnok Thatek (dwarf monk), and Tigris Inebriavi (elf magus), accompanied by NPC companion Nyssa Pagonis (human cleric).

The party traveled on toward Ascanor Lodge and came across a dead man tied to a tree with a large silver knife stabbed through his heart.  As the group approached, Tigris triggered a tripwire that unleashed a volley silvered crossbow bolts into the party!  After nursing their wounds, they investigated the body and found its mouth filled with wolfsbane.  They cut the body down and laid it beside a tree.  Then covered it in some branches.  And then left.

The team made camp and spent a relatively uneventful evening in the Shudderwood.  They pressed on through the next day and arrived at Ascanor Lodge shortly before dawn.  They were denied entry based on the letter from Count Caromarc and the bloody invitation and turned away.  However, around the same time, a nobleman emerged eager for a werewolf hunt.  He invited the party to join in, and they all set out into the evening.

The team came upon a slain deer carcass Delgros the huntsman had discovered, which is what led Duristan (the nobleman) to want to investigate.  It was currently being consumed by a trio of dire boars!  The great pigs jealously guarded their meal by charging the party!  A quick battle ensued, and the boars were slain with only a few gores.  The group discovered great claw marks on the stag corpse.  Duristan decided to set werewolf traps and spend the night, but Delgros returned to the Lodge.

Later in the evening, while Duristan served brandy and talked about daring hunts and acts of bravery, the team heard some of the hired guards scream in the darkness.  They found two men slain by a towering, slavering werewolf standing over twelve feet tall!  The massive beast roared a challenge and demanded the party leave its territory.  It gave them a message to deliver to “whomever sent them” as a second enormous werewolf appeared from the darkness.  Howls erupted all around, and Duristan bolted.

The party fled after Duristan and found all the guards murdered.  They got on their horses and returned to Ascanor Lodge and followed Duristan in.  Within, they were introduced to Estovion Lozarov, warden of Ascanor.  He offered the use of the library and had Belik the porter show them to their rooms.  The team did some research in the library to discover several clues about the Shudderwood werewolves and then cleaned up for dinner.

Game summary for October 24, 2013, Carrion Crown Adventure Path campaign, Broken Moon adventure; PCs included Brutus Bonesmasher (human fighter), Caerwen (elf monk), Dario Malavasi (human oracle), Gnok Thatek (dwarf monk), and Tigris Inebriavi (elf magus), accompanied by NPC companion Nyssa Pagonis (human cleric).

The party opened the iron maiden and released Count Caromarc!  They discovered the Whispering Way had captured him and taken control of the Bondslave Thrall in order to use the Beast to steal the Seasage Effigy!  The Count told them he heard the cultists planned to head into the Shudderwood, and he pointed them to an old path through the pine forest.  The team set out in pursuit.

As the team moved through the woods, they were ambushed by a pack of ettercaps!  The spider creatures used webs, claws, and poisonous fangs to assault the team.  First, Brutus was bitten and poisoned.  The others closed in, and Dario was hit by a web but shook free.  Brutus ignited his hammer and smashed one into the ground while Caerwen and Gnok tore into two others.  Dario went on the move and laid waste with his nine-ring broadsword, and Tigris brought down the last one with a well-placed magic missile.

The group then followed the ettercap’s trail to an old crumbling stone tower with the sound of harping coming from within.  Carefully the team went inside and were attacked by an enormous, grotesque weaverworm!  The maggot-like creature ensnared Gnok with a web and then began poisoning the team with her envenomed fingernails.  As she hit, the nails broke off in the wounds, and the lingering poison caused bouts of paralysis.  Tigris unleashed a powerful fireball as the team closed in.  The fighting was intense, and Nyssa used several healing spells to bolster Gnok.  Caerwen hit the monstrosity with a flurry of blows, and Brutus’ flaming hammer landing the final killing blow!

The team searched the chambers and found several coins, some magical items, and a sealed envelope on a freshly killed corpse.  Inside the envelope, they found an invitation into Ascanor Lodge.  Dario used mending to re-seal the envelope, and they tucked it away for a later day.

Game summary for October 17, 2013, Carrion Crown Adventure Path campaign, Trial of the Beast adventure; PCs included Caerwen (elf monk), Dario Malavasi (human oracle), Gnok Thatek (dwarf monk), Kelemen Ambrus (human cleric/conjurer/mystic theurge), and Tigris Inebriavi (elf magus), accompanied by NPC companion Nyssa Pagonis (human cleric).

The party moved up the stairwell into the second level of the tower and found it filled with webs and smeared chalk notations on the walls.  The party saw the webs moving, and Tigris hurled a vial of alchemist’s fire at the movement which ignited the webs and burned the whole party.  It also injured a homunculus, but the party gently picked him up and discovered he wanted to communicate with them.  He got them to examine the chalk markings, and they discovered there was some device called the Bondslave Thrall on the roof.  The homunculus also indicated there was something large and dangerous in the next level.  Tigris went outside and flew to the roof where he activated the Storm Caller and the Bondslave Thrall and was able to meld with the Beast of Lepidstadt.  He could see the Beast was charging toward Schloss Caromarc at that very moment!

He flew down and helped the rest of the party up the tower where they discovered lightning striking all about.  Then, the floor heaved as something massive railed against it from below.  Within moments, the floor heaved upward to reveal a hideous amalgamation of man, giant, and arachnid!  At the same time, the Beast surged over the side of the tower and roared in challenge.

A titanic battle ensued.  Gnok was drawn into the construct’s tentacles and paralyzed while Kelemen and Nyssa frantically healed him.  The flashing lightning struck individuals one at a time as the battle waged.  The electricity harmed the party but healed the two golems.  Up in the Bondslave Thrall, Tigris discovered he could not only control the Beast but could also channel a protective shield around him.  Caerwen and Dario entered the fray, and both got severely injured by the construct, even to the point of knocking Dario unconscious.  Nyssa ran low on magical tricks and began edging toward the ladder up to Tigris’ location.  The Beast took numerous hard blows and looked pretty beat up.  Fate conspired against the enemy though as the Beast’s ogre hook caught under its chin, and he ripped its head from its neck and hurled it into the river.  The decapitated construct toppled off the tower and plunged 200 feet into the roaring waterfall below!  Fortunately, Gnok fell out of its grip and through the hole the creature made in the tower.  As Gnok stood, he observed a strange sight:  a woman preserved in an enormous jar, and an iron idol or maiden with eye slits.  Within, two terrifying eyes peered out!

Game summary for October 8, 2013, Carrion Crown Adventure Path campaign, Trial of the Beast adventure; PCs included Caerwen (elf monk), Dario Malavasi (human oracle), Gnok Thatek (dwarf monk), and Tigris Inebriavi (elf magus), accompanied by NPC companion Nyssa Pagonis (human cleric).

With a new party assembled, Gnok returned to Schloss Caromarc and the flooded towers.  Within they discovered the ruined remains of the previous party’s statues.  The team went left instead of toward the basilisk chamber and encountered swarms of writhing leeches!  The group was engulfed and fled while Tigris flew to the ceiling and consumed the swarms with a fireball.

Moving forward, the party discovered a round chamber with three cages filled with headless girallons.  Suddenly, three girallon-headed vargouilles swooped down and attacked!  The fighting was intense but brief, with Tigris and Gnok landing the killing blows on the monsters.  Tigris again used fly to go toward the ceiling and went through one of the second level doorways.  He dropped a rope and hauled the rest of the team up.  They peeked into a few more rooms but avoiding going in, choosing instead to go across a large stone bridge to the next tower.  They found the doors arcane locked, and Dario attempted to disable the ward.  Unsuccessful, he deferred to Nyssa’s attempt using dispel magic.  She was able to dismiss the effect and allow the team inside.

Within the circular tower was a shattered cage and girallon flesh golem!  The fearsome creature rushed to the attack.  Nyssa called down a blessing from Razmir, enhancing all of the party while Dario enhanced his magical nine-ring broadsword with lead blades.  The monks Caerwen and Gnok moved in and flanked the creature but took several deadly blows in the process.  With astounding grace, Dario performed a blade dance and ended up behind the construct.  Finally, after warding himself with shield, Tigris charged in, completing a total flank of the monster.  Nyssa slipped in and attempted to defensively cast a curative spell on Gnok but failed and suffered a gash and lost the spell.  The girallon golem then tore into her, leaving her barely able to stand.  Dario stepped over and healed Gnok’s injuries while the monks and Tigris continued their onslaught.  Although their attacks were landing, the golem’s impressive resistances mitigated much of the damage.  Nyssa fell back and was able to heal herself while Tigris channeled frigid touch through his blade, slowing the construct.  From there, the tides turned, and the party, surrounding the creature, picked it apart until finally, with a loud “kia!” Caerwen landed the killing blow.

Game summary for October 3, 2013, Carrion Crown Adventure Path campaign, Trial of the Beast adventure; PCs included Amras Amandill (half-elf inquisitor), Annoc Zantar (human barbarian), Dinendal Ironbow (elf ranger), Gnok Thatek (dwarf monk), and Irnadette Steelsoul (elan psion), accompanied by NPC companion Heidi Loenhardt (human cleric).

Three more tethered homunculi emerged with the faceless flesh golem, and a battle erupted!  Annoc began cutting down homunculi while Amras cast a spell and activated his bane ability.  Dinendal launched arrows at the golem while the party shifted around.  Suddenly, the golem lashed out and pulped Amras’ skull.  He dropped dead instantly.  Horrified, the party doubled their efforts with Irnadette slowing the creature with fire.  Although the golem landed more blows, it was eventually cut down.  The team then mourned the loss of Amras and ceremoniously dumped his body into the raging waterfall in tribute.  After looting his corpse.

The team continued exploring and triggered an acid fog trap.  They then found a trio of jars.  Within, Gnok discovered yellow mold!  The team left the other jars alone.  They discovered a rear pathway leading up to a series of towers with a rusted iron door.  Annoc used his ring of the ram to bust it open revealing a flooded area within.

The party waded into the hallway and turned right.  They found a flooded pit filled with advanced draugr!  The noxious creatures caused Annoc to get violently ill while the rest of the party fought.  In moments the creatures were slaughtered.  The team then moved past the pit and pushed open some doors into another flooded chamber.

While looking around, Annoc and Gnok spotted a creature in the water!  They tried to close the doors but struggled with the water weight.  The creature surfaced and attacked, revealing itself as an aquatic basilisk!  In moments, very bad things happened.  One after another, the party turned to stone!  Gnok, savaged by the beast, struggled out of the tower and fled.  He could hear the basilisk gnawing on one of the statues as he ran!  Gnok got to his horse and rode back to Lepidstadt to regroup.  Literally.

Game summary for September 26, 2013, Carrion Crown Adventure Path campaign, Trial of the Beast adventure; PCs included Annoc Zantar (human barbarian), Gnok Thatek (dwarf monk), and Irnadette Steelsoul (elan psion), accompanied by NPC companion Heidi Loenhardt (human cleric).

The party entered the double doors to another building in the Schloss Caromarc complex.  Within they discovered a bizarre collection of preserved monsters and animals.  In one room they found a pair of sarcophagi, and Gnok began poking around.  He discovered one of the sarcophagi was a mimic!  Annoc charged in and injured the creature, but it swung a pseudopod at him and glued itself to his chest!  Gnok then punched it and found himself glued to the aberration as well.  As the party pummeled the mimic to death, a mummy emerged from the other sarcophagus and paralyzed Annoc with fear.

The mummy moved forward and backhanded the helpless barbarian.  Still glued to the dead mimic, Gnok struggled to fight the mummy and was soon cursed with mummy rot!  Irnadette used fire psionics to damage the mummy while Heidi channeled positive energy to heal injuries.  Annoc snapped out of his stupor and sliced off the mimic appendage to make himself more mobile.  The team battered the undead creature, and Irnadette blasted it out off of its feet with more fire.

The group then looked around and discovered a secret door leading upstairs.  The team went up and found a room of chests and crates.  Annoc blasted one of the chests apart using a ring of the ram found on the mummy and found two shrieking medusa heads within!  The horrendous creatures screamed and attacked!  The party soon defeated the monsters but turned around to see an enormous blind monster emerge from the doorway tethered to a trio of homunculi!

Game summary for September 19, 2013, Carrion Crown Adventure Path campaign, Trial of the Beast adventure; PCs included Amras Amandill (half-elf inquisitor), Dinendal Ironbow (elf ranger), Gnok Thatek (dwarf monk), and Irnadette Steelsoul (elan psion), accompanied by NPC companion Heidi Loenhardt (human cleric).

The team decided to rest in the seemingly secure manor house and were rejoined by Amras and Dinendal.  The group the returned to the alchemy workshop and examined the rope bridge.  They tied a rope around Gnok’s waist, and he strode out onto the bridge and promptly fell off.  After smacking into the cliff, they hauled him back up.  This time, he tried to crawl across the bridge and made it halfway across before a trap triggered and summoned an erinyes devil!  The black-feathered Hellspawn unleashed arrows at Gnok and Amras as the monk scrambled to get back to cover.  Dinendal hit her with an arrow or two as she flew back and forth over the bridge firing.

As she crossed over the bridge for the third time, Gnok stunned everyone by summoning his reserves of ki and hurling himself 45 feet through the air to slam into and grapple the astounded devil!  They slammed into the bridge, and because Gnok was still tethered to the rope Amras was working, Amras hauled in the rope.  He intended to drag the pair across the bridge, but instead they fell off!  Holding tight and spinning the devil around, Gnok succeeded in slamming her against the wall, cushioning his own impact.  He then wrapped her up in an amazing grapple and pinned her while spinning on the end of the rope.  As Amras painfully hauled them up foot by foot, Dinendal fired arrow after arrow into the devil.

The team hauled the grappled pair onto the platform where they began pummeling the devil.  She struggled desperately to activate greater teleport but was unable to maintain her concentration.  Soon, the party defeated her, sending her back into Hell in a puff of brimstone and smoke.

Afterward, the team carefully crossed the bridge.

Game summary for September 5, 2013, Carrion Crown Adventure Path campaign, Trial of the Beast adventure; PCs included Gnok Thatek (dwarf monk), and Irnadette Steelsoul (elan psion), accompanied by NPC companion Heidi Loenhardt (human cleric).

The party opened the doors and raced across the arched bridge dodging crossbow bolts from the troll in the tower.  They discovered a door with a bell and rang it.  A porthole opened, but no one was on the other side.  Soon thereafter the port closed.  The party determined to open the door because the trolls were coming down from the tower.  Irnadette used a breach power to unlock the door and triggered a trap summoning a huge air elemental!  It buffeted the party as the trolls stepped out onto the bridge.  The team slipped through the unlocked door as the elemental transformed into a whirling tornado and tore into the approaching trolls!

Things were not safe inside the manor proper, however.  A mechanical form crawled out from beneath the stairs, its twin scythe-arms swiping at the party!  The group locked the front door while Irnadette used sonic attacks against the construct.  Gnok went toe-to-toe but could only dent the monstrosity.  Heidi channeled positive energy to heal the wicked blade wounds.  In the end, it was Irnadette’s powerful psionics that brought the creature down.

The team then explored the rest of the main house.  They found several trappings of wealth but no real sign of current occupants.  They discovered a secret passage in the dining hall leading to a rear exit.  Opening the door, they found a 3-foot-narrow stone bridge stretching out over a plunging waterfall hundreds of feet below.  Across the bridge stood another stone building with a wooden door.  The group moved across the perilous bridge and entered the room.  Inside they found a damaged alchemy workshop with a portion of the wall and floor missing.  Outside a missing doorway the remnants of a fallen stone bridge were instead spanned by a swinging rope bridge.

As the team moved about the rubble, a trio of insectoid rust monsters emerged and attacked!  They focused on Heidi’s gleaming magical chainmail and damaged it with their rusting touch!  Gnok and Irnadette fell in around her to fend off the ravenous metal-eaters.  The team killed two of the creatures, but the third slipped through to menace Heidi yet again!  Gnok grappled the creature, heaved it up upon his shoulders and ran to the edge of the rope bridge.  The squirming bug thrashed wildly and nearly broke free, but the monk’s training proved too good!  He hurled the rust monster over the side, and it plunged hundreds of feet to its death in the waterfall below.