Keep on the Shadowfell - Session 3

Our hearty adventurers spend a long night in the caves previously occupied by Irontooth and his Kobolds, sitting around in their pajamas eating trail rations (S'mores) and discussing fiendish ways to torment the mysterious goth elf chick from the Winterhaven Inn. Apparently few adventurers make it out of 5th grade.

In the morning they pack up, check the map for directions to the dragon burial site and head out. As the party approaches the site they see a steep-sided crater puncturing the wilderness. Near the center of the depression, several humanoid figures cluster around a collection of bones. Two small, dragonlike creatures near the rim stand alert and stare at their approach.Getting a good look at the men below Jacobb asks, "So Alazar, which one is your friend?"
"I'm, uh, really not sure. I was kinda hoping he would recognize me...." he replied giving tentative wave to the men down below.

Noticing their arrival, a Gnome with dark eyes and grey skin calls out, "Thank goodness you've arrived when you have! My name is Agrid. We are trying to move a collapsed wall and we need more people. We'll gladly make it worth your while!"
"Hey guys....Doogie definately wasn't a Gnome named Agrid." Alazar remarked. Then louder, "Where is......Douven!! Yes! That's his name! Where is he?"
"Douven? He headed to a nearby town to get some supplies we need. He should be back soon. Now, can you please come give us a hand?"

The party, always eager for a fair share of loot, talked it over and decided to help out. Under the direction of the Gnome, they and the other men all took up positions around a large section of a fallen wall and prepared to lift.
"Ready?" called Agrid, "One.....two.........take them out, men."
The four burly men with Agrid drew vicious looking clubs from their belt and moved in to surround Nobalis while the guard Drakes flanked Slavin. Slavin pulled two throwing hammers out of his belt, snarled at the Drakes and shouts over to Nobalis,
"Just hold on till I take care o' these overgrown iguanas and I'll be right there to bail you out!"
"Uhhh....thanks?" Nobailis replied as all four of the Human rabble seem to drop as one from an impressive display of swordsmanship. "I'll be right over here avoiding all this peril..."

Ross the Dragonborn laughs heartily and prepares to charge into the frey to help the burly Dwarf. He is stopped short by a rock slamming square into the back of his head giving him a nasty -10hp bump there. He spins around and locates the attacker, a Halfling with a sling perched atop the crater's rim, just in time to catch another rock square between the eyes!
"Ow ow ow ow ow ow OW!!!" he cries defiantly, returning hate on the offending slinger.
The Halfling soon learned that unless your name is David, you really shouldn't throw rocks at scaly, lightning breathing creatures more than four times your size.

Alazar fired off an arcane bolt of energy at the Gnome. As it hit, Agrid faded from sight.
"Did you see that guys?!? I totally obliterated him!" the elated wizard shouted.
"No wait.....there he is...." he dejectedly stated as a crossbow bolt fired from the reappearing fey creature stuck firmly into his staff.

J'Draven made short work of the guard drakes that were gnawing on Slavin, apparently Dwarves are quite tasty to them, while the Gnome, outnumbered and out skilled, succumbed to the wrath of the rest of the team.

Scouring the area for anything actually of value, the party found an amulet with a magical aura around Agrid's neck. J'Draven noticed something suspicious lodged in one of the rib bones sticking out of the dirt.
"Interesting......" she muttered under her breath examining a shiruken with a sunburst design etched into it. It seemed rather warm to the touch....

"You find anything good over there?" Jacobb called to her.

"Maaaaaaybe......" she replied. "Catch!!"

Jacobb shrieked and dove for cover as a makeshift lantern stand exploded from a small fireball and continued to burn for some time.

"Niiiiiice....." purred J'draven as the weapon magically flew back to her hand. "Dibbs."

No one argued with her.

Examining some supplies and blankets in the north-west corner of the crater, something caught Nobalis's eye.
"Hey look! Something is moving over there under those blankets....."

"Serpents!!!!!" cried Slavin brandishing his battle-axe and leaping forward!

"No wait....!!" pleaded Alazar, but it was too late. With a loud 'Thwock!!' the Dwarf's axe made contact, slicing through blankets easily and totally eviscerating a storage chest loaded with digging supplies. The blankets fell to the side revealing the terrified gaze of a man bound and gagged, staring at the axe blade not a hand's breadth from his face.

"He looks oddly familiar......" mused Alazar. "Have we met?"

"Alazar! It's me! Douven Staul! Thank goodness you've found me!" Douven exclaimed, then under his breath added, "Though it seems you still enjoy that beer chilling trick a little *too* much...."

Douven explained how he was captured and forced to help the Gnome find a special mirror for use in some summoning ritual. He was so pleased to be found that he let the adventurers keep his Amulet of Health as a reward, pausing only long enough to take the picture of his wife out of it.

Bad Wolf Company headed back to town feeling very triumphant and full of themselves.
"This calls for beer!" Slavin declared.
"You buy it, I'll chill it!" quipped Alazar.
"Well bargained and done." came the Dwarf's expected reply.

The small fields around the walled heart of Winterhaven seem strangely empty. Inside the walls, the few villagers they see walking around appear nervous, pausing to give furtive glances before darting away.

While at the Inn, a wandering bard was singing a tune that seemed awfully familiar. It was a story about the Keep they were soon to visit! Tipping him a chilled beer they were able to get the full tale:

"The people of Winterhaven avoid Shadowfell Keep. Some
leave it alone because all ancient ruins have a disturbing
feeling about them, a feeling composed of lingering
memories and unknown mysteries. Some say the place
is haunted. Others fear the rumors of goblinoids using
the place as a lair. Whatever the reason behind its solitude,
one fact is clear. Within two short decades after the
collapse of the Nareth Empire, Shadowfell Keep was abandoned
and left to fall apart and decay. It was on a grisly
night about eighty years ago that the commander of the
keep garrison, Sir Keegan, put into motion the events that
led to the keep’s downfall.

Perhaps the Shadow Rift’s malign influence is too
strong to resist. Maybe Sir Keegan was an insane monster
driven by demons we may never understand. Whatever
the case, at the stroke of midnight on that fateful day, Sir
Keegan began to systematically slaughter every resident of
the keep. His own wife and children were first to fall to his
blade, then his trusted advisors, and finally many of the
soldiers under his command. Sir Keegan was too skilled
for any one soldier to defeat, yet eventually the garrison
managed to respond with an organized defense. Although
many brave soldiers died, they managed to drive the mad
knight into the passages beneath the keep and finally dispatch
him.

The keep became notorious for a time. As one of the
last bastions of the fallen empire, there was no one to
order it back into service. So, it was abandoned, feared for
a time, and eventually, more or less forgotten. An earthquake
a few years later collapsed the upper towers and
walls, and turned the place into a ruin of tumbled stone.
Rumors persist of great treasures buried beneath the
keep, yet few have dared explore the passages over the
year. Sir Keegan’s ghost is said to roam the corridors
beneath the ruins, wailing in grief over the tragedy of his
life. The people of Winterhaven avoid the place, and the
mere mention of Shadowfell Keep is considered bad luck
by many of the farmers and villagers."

After that tale, they all decided to head off to bed to prepare for tomorrow's journey. For who knows what, or who, they might encounter deep under the Keep on the Shadowfell....*dun, dun, duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun.......* (want a hint? They aren't Kobolds. We're all done with Kobolds for this adventure. Sorry guys....)

In the morning, Jacobb decided it would be funny to announce that they *weren't* going to the Keep today in front of the goth Elf. But alas, the Elf was nowhere to be found. Dejected at having their fun ruined, the six warriors shuffled off down the road with big pouty lips.

They turned off the road and plunged into the thick forest, looking for the faint trail that would lead them to the Keep.

Ahead, the narrow track widened into a clearing. Great piles of shattered stone blocks and scorched timbers dominate the clearing, sprawling out from its center to the edge of the woods. No plants grow among the ruins or within the clearing. The ground is bare dirt, and although the forest has begun to reclaim the path leading here, it has not intruded into the ruins of Shadowfell Keep.

Yet clearly someone has tampered with the ruins. In the center of the debris, stone blocks and timbers have been gathered into a pile. Someone has cleared a path through the rubble and pulled aside the wreckage to reveal a stone staircase. The staircase descends into darkness.

The stairway leading down consists of finely crafted stone, perhaps the work of Dwarves. A breeze chills them to the bone as they take each step down. The flicker of torchlight spills from a room at the bottom of the stairs.

Suddenly, Ross spies a figure at the other end of a 30' square room.
"Bad guy!!!!!!" he screams as he launches himself down the stairs and charges the offending creature. Or tries to. About halfway across the room a large piece of canvas disguised to look like the floor gives way, tumbling Ross down into a 10'x10' pit.
"Ahh, rats." he says.
"Did you say, Aww rats?" asked Nobalis...
"No....I meant to say, AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! RATS!!!!!!!!!!!!" screamed the Paladin as dozens upon dozens of filthy rats crawled into the pit from holes in the side and began swarming him, looking for a place to bite down for a tasty morsel.

"I'm on the nasty Goblin." says Slavin as he charges across the room and engages the smelly beast.

"We'll help Ross out of the...oohh.....message for you sir....." Alazar starts to say when as a crossbow bolt suddenly plunges into his shoulder.

Jacobb starts towards the wizard when a bolt nails him in the chest as well.
"Don't worry, I'll heal..ooof......HOLY CRAP THAT HURTS!!!!!!!! What the hell man?!? Why didn't anyone tell me these things hurt so bad?! *This* is what you guys are going through when you ask me to heal you?!? Get it OUT!!!!"

"You've never been wounded before?" J'draven asks incredulously.

"What?!? No!!! You see this big red cross on my back? I'm a Medic! I stay out of the way till people get hurt, then I tell them it's not so bad and put a band-aid on them so they can go fight some more. Why aren't you guys punching me in the face when I say that?!? Owowowowowowowow!!!! Alazar! Go lie down! I'll make you feel all better, morphine, all the good stuff. I promise!"

Lightning fills the pit as Ross desperately tries to keep the rats at bay but they continue their attacks, undaunted.

"For this?" Alazar quips, "No way. This is just a scratch. I'm still good." as he fires off a complex spell towards the archers.

J'Draven sends her new toy down the hallway towards the three Goblins illuminated by Alazar's Flaming Sphere with a flick of her wrist. A fireball erupts setting one on fire, causing the archers to scurry out of sight around the corner.
"Keep an eye on our flanks, they might be coming around." she warns the rest of the group.

"I'm on it!" shouts Nobalis, jumping over the corner of the pit trap, or trying to and falling in.
"Ow......woah! There are a *ton* of rats down here!"

"Help......me......." pleads the Dragonborn.... "They are in my armor....down there.....!"

Nobalis and Ross work together to get rid of the remaining rats while above them, another Goblin warrior and the remaining archer try to flank from the East. Slavin takes out the first Goblin they saw and rushes back to assist the others just as the flanking warrior plunges his spear deep into Jacobb's gut.
"M....medic...." the Cleric manages to spit out through the pain.

Someone throws a rope down into the pit and ties it off on a nearby pillar. Ross rushes for the rope and starts to climb, but his armor gets snagged and he falls unceremoniously to the ground. As he begins to stand up, Nobalis uses him as a stepping stone and dramatically leaps out of the hole.

Working as one, the team finally puts the last two Goblins down, never to rise again. Needing a rest, but feeling much stronger for the experience (experience...get it...heh....*sigh*) the stalwart heroes start to head back up the stairs, not even five minutes after they entered in the first place.
"Try again tomorrow?"
"Yeah....a rest would be good..."
"Chilled beer?"
"Definitely"
"We got that first room mapped, right?"
"Yep...well, most of it..."
"Good enough."

As they step out into the light they hear a faint voice behind them....
"Hey guys? I'm...uhh...I'm still in the pit. I can't get out...guys? C'mon! I....oops! ow. Oh hey! I found a shield! I hope it's magical, that would rock.........."

Announcements!

If you haven't already, you should really listen to the series of D&D Podcasts featuring the guys from Penny-Arcade and Scott Kurtz from PVP Online. They are totally hilarious and definitely worth checking out.

Oh! And rumor has it they are thinking of doing a second series with Wil Wheaton (a.k.a. Wesley Crusher) I am so psyched about this I could pee my pants.

Seriously, click on those hyperlinks.
Yes all of them!!
I put them there for a reason. :P

-3clipse

Keep on the Shadowfell - Session 1

Our band of adventurers, a company named Bad Wolf, finds themselves commissioned to map out an abandoned Keep somewhere near the town of Winterhaven. Jacobb the Half-Elf Cleric, Ross the Dragonborn Paladin, Nobalis the Tiefling Warlord, Slavin the Dwarven Fighter and J'Draven the Halfing Rogue make up the party.

After days of journeying and with Winterhaven just over the next rise, a group of small, red and scaly humaniods rush out from around the rocks and charge the group! The Dwarf, Slavin, charges the nearest Kolbold and smashes its head in with a vicious overhead swing of his mighty Maul. It makes a sickly, wet sound as it collapses into a mangled heap. Nobalis rushes a group of three to the north and is surprised by a Kobold with a sling who was hiding in some loose boulders. The small beast lets out a shriek and hurls a strange orb at the Paladin, Ross. It exploded on him, coating him in fire. "It buuuuuurns!!!!", he cries, even as he charges the nearest minion.

Feeling pretty smug about himself, Slavin fails to notice two heavily armed Kobold soldiers with dragonscale shields charging up behind him. The first hacks away, giving the Dwarf a nasty cut on his shoulder, while the second somehow manages to stab himself in his forehead with his own shortsword.....

Feeling pretty smug (and embarrassed) about *themselves*, the Kobolds fail to notice the Rogue sneaking up on them....until one feels cold steel being buried between his shoulderblades.

While the Fighter keeps the two Dragonshield Kobold's attention on him, J'Draven takes them down with a few well-placed daggers to the spleen.

The others, not liking having fire-orbs slung at them, rush the remaining Kobolds and take them out in short order. They take a quick rest to catch their breath and loot the corpses for any money or cool items (like a last remaining fire orb) and continue on towards the town of Winterhaven.

The guards pass the party through the gates and direct them to the inn just as the sun is setting in the sky. The adventurers ask around about the Keep and the Kobolds to the various patrons. The Keep gets marked on their AAA map of the area and they pickup a side job of eliminating the Kobold threat by none other than the Lord of Winterhaven himself. They also hear rumors of a missing person who allegedly went of searching for a dragon burial site. Something to possibly check out later. J'Draven spontaneously decides to follow a totally innocent looking elven female ranger cloaked in emo garb, sitting all by herself in a dark corner and staring out the corner of her eye at everyone who walks in the door. She trailed her to the local cemetery and saw her pass a pouch to a goblin. The elf headed back to town so J'Draven followed the goblin. He headed to the Keep that they were searching for. He ran in yelling about a message for the 'Big Boss' about new people in town showing interest in the Keep. The rogue heads back to town where the others have been resupplying, ordering new weapons and exploring the town a little.

After discussing the events over dinner, the party decides to mislead the elf into thinking they were going after the Keep in the morning but instead they head out to take care of the Kobold lair. A few miles outside of town another party of Kobolds ambush them, a stronger force, probably in retaliation for the raiding party they killed on the way in.

Two Dragonshields burst through the trees and charge at the rogue. J'Draven flips a dagger at the closest one wounding it pretty badly but not enough to stop it. They press for advantage against the halfling and tiefling while a skirmisher runs up for a flanking position. Off to the north a Kobold wearing a bone mask carved to resemble a dragon's head and crimson armor begins chanting an incantation that whips the other kobolds into a frenzy. As Slavin and Ross beeline towards the priest, a third Dragonshield steps out to cut them off. Jacobb positions himself to heal anyone who needs it, and need it they do. As the kobold priest chants the Dragonshield kobolds lay a severe beating on the whole party. Out of healing spells, Jacobb sees an opening. The skirmishing reptilian turns his back to the cleric, trying to get a more advantageous position on the battered rogue. Raising his mace high, Jacobb screams a feral roar, charges the beast...and totally misses. "Aww man, Slavin makes it look so *easy*...." he mutters.

The heavy hitters finally take down the priest and his bodyguard then help the others clean up the rest. Totally exhausted, they decide maaaaaybe taking on the whole lair of kobolds should wait until tomorrow. After looting the bodies (and collecting left ears for the ransoms) they head back to town for a long rest. The kobold priest had a dragon pendant carved out of obsidian around his neck. On the bottom of the figure is etched the outline of a skull with ram's horns. This probably deserves a little extra investigation.....

Read Me First

So this is where we'll all chat about our current D&D games, character designs, spreadsheet ideas, etc. No topic is taboo and I promise as a good DM to not let anything you say here negatively effect the games in any way. For example, if you guys discuss here the best way to sneak into a castle I won't use that info to specifically counter your tactics. That's just mean.

Ok, my next posts will be highlights of our last few sessions and we can start from there. :)

Enjoy!

3clipse

Keep on the Shadowfell - Session 2

The next day the members of Bad Wolf come down the stairs into the common room of the inn refreshed, rejuvenated and ready to try to take out those Kobolds once and for all. Again.

J'Draven caught a curious sight out of the corner of her eye. Sitting at the bar was a man in robes holding a sign with the words, "Wizard, LFG" He introduced himself as Alazar, a human wizard on a quest to locate his Mentor who he has known for years and has suddenly gone missing, Douven Staul......or Douval......or Donnovan......or... Anyway, finding him is worth like 1,250 XP so it's really important.

When asked if he has any useful skills, Alazar lifts his beer mug and magically chills it, illiciting a gasp from everyone nearby... "He's in." gruffly states the Dwarf, Slavin. "But he's drinking at like 8 in the morning..." observed J'Draven . "Are you sure you want..." "I said he's IN." interrupted the Dwarf in a voice that said negotiations were closed.

With the interview out of the way, everyone settled down to a nice breakfast of eggs, sausage and chilled beer while they discussed their plans. "Ok, " Jacobb started. "the dragon burial site you want us to check out isn't too far from the Kobold lair we need to take down. We'll hit your place on the way back if you help us." Alazar agreed because he's always up for a little adventure. "Very important, " stated Jacobb. "If you see a goth elven ranger chick you have to make her think that today is the day we are going to the Keep."

Coincidentally, the Elven ranger walked in just in time to hear the words "Today is the day we are going to the Keep" come out of Jacobbs mouth.

The party immediately started discussing travel arraingments regarding the Keep, had another round of chilled beer and decided to head out. A slightly tipsy Halfling rogue piped up on the way out the door, "Wait....are we really going to the Keep today?"

Cautiously sneaking up to the Kobold lair, the party spots over a dozen Kobolds hanging outside of a waterfall cave. J'Draven slinks off into the trees and effectively dissappears while Alazar eyes a dense gathering of the beasts. "I'll take care of this." he proclaims and begins casting a powerful spell. A single Kobold minion falls deep asleep while the others are alerted to the precense of inturders!
"Impressive." states Nobalis, drawing his sword.
"Indeed." replys Ross, readying his shield.

The fight was chaotic, Kobolds swarming everywhere. J'Draven threw daggers from concealed positions with devastating results, Ross and Slavin marched into the thick of it hacking and slashing, Nobalis shouted inspiring catch-phrases while Jacobb and Alazar stood back and sniped with crossbow and magic missiles. Alazar droped three Kobolds at once with a well placed Scorching Burst and shouted, "See! See! Magic is cool!"

In the end, they were just Kobolds after all, they died quickly and with little honor. They looted the corpses for anything of value and took a quick rest. J'Draven slipped quietly into the cave behind the waterfall. She counted another 15 Kobolds and another two concealed exits. Thinking quickly, she used the sticky orbs she scavenged off the slingers and fashioned makeshift traps along the hidden exits. "Let's see them sneak up on us now..." she chuckled quietly.

Once everyone was in position the Mage let off a burst of Arcane energy into the cave entrance, Kobolds poured out of the disturbed lair like angry ants. Reptilian squeals of frustration filled the air as would be flankers were stuck fast in the rogue's sticky traps. Jacobb and Alazar took the stuck reptillians down easily while the rest of the group pushed up the center in force.

"Irontooth!! I warn Irontooth!!" screamed a Kobold as he ran further back into the lair. Moments later a harsh, bleating horn heralds the appearance of a burly battle-scarred goblin. A great tattoo depicting a skeletal ram's head marks this goblin's face. He wears a wolf fur cloak and he weilds a battleaxe in both hands. Two more Kobold Dragonshields and a Wyrmpriest enter from the other side of the lair, obviously upset at being interrupted in the middle of....whatever they were doing.

The members of Bad Wolf split up to attempt to keep the two groups from supporting each other...at the risk of not being supported themselves. Ross faces off bravely against the Wyrmpriest and Dragonshield and issued his mighty battlecry.... "Medic!!!!!!!!!"

J'draven rushes to assist while the others face off against the mighty Goblin (106 HP on a level 3 Goblin?!? What the hell version of D&D is this?!?) and the Cleric and Wizard hurry to catch up.

Irontooth steps up and swings his mighty axe back and forth rapidly attacking both the Dwarven fighter and the Tiefling warlord. It is all too apparent that this creature means business.

The Wyrmpriest and the Dragonborn face off, one breathing gouts of fire and the other a blast of lightning, each trying to outflank the other. Only the teamwork from J'Draven and the timely arrival of the Cleric save the noble Paladin from certain embarrassment. Er.. 'death'.

"If yer quite done over there we could really use an assist." grunted the Dwarven fighter, struggling to stay upright under the mighty blows of the enraged Goblin. With the party reunited, Irontooth was overwhelmed and fell shouting "Kalarel and Lord Orcus, prepare my way!" With his death, Winterhaven was once again safe from the raiding band of Kobold marauders. Well, *this* band anyway.

In Irontooth's personal chambers a locked chest was found (J'Draven "Yay!!!") and with the silver key Jacobb found on the dead body it was easily opened. (J'Draven "Awwww....") Inside the party found a bunch of gold coins and a nifty set of finely crafted +1 Dwarven Scale Mail. "Dibbs!" cried Slavin. "Twas made by a dwarf and it should be worn by one. And I need better armor. Really."

With that, they decided to camp out right there in the defensible cave and head back to town in the morning, with a quick stop at the dragon burial ground on the way to check for Alazar's missing close friend and Mentor, Dunder something or other.