QUICK READ RECAP: The party advances deeper into the mysterious complex of caverns and tunnels beneath the abandoned seaside mansion only to encounter and find themselves battling snakes, a group of smugglers, gnolls and a spell casting caped figure, which ultimately leads them to a grotto that opens to the ocean, revealing a hidden boat and a flashing light coming from out at sea. The group completes other unexplored ground floor areas in the home and ultimately returns to town for rest, additional equipment and man power, as well as much needed training for leveling up purposes. DM SESSION LOG 141108 Party moves along SE tunnel to a smaller cave and is attacked by 4 deadly snakes! Skordala shoots two arrows with a critical causing 16 points of damage killing one! Svava begins chanting and charges a snake hitting one for 6 damage (200 XP) Bjorn moves in to attack a snake and misses. Karmadel swings and hits for 2 damage. Sylvar attempts to hide in shadows and fails. Skordala swings and misses a viper. Karmadel swings at the wounded snake and misses. Bjorn moves to attack wounded snake by Karmadel and hits for 11 points of damage killing the last one! Party follows the straw mat tunnel floor coverings eastward and hears people talking and moving things. Svava finishes her chant giving everyone +1 to skill checks, and does a knowledge local check on the snakes determining that they are poisonous, severing and taking four snake heads. (100 XP) Bjorn performs a visual inspection on the skeleton and finds nothing, but gathers up the snake bodies. Skordala visually inspects rocks, picking up used arrows in the process, but sees nothing. Karmadel searches bone pile in green slime cave only to find physical remains and nothing of value. Party proceeds down south tunnel toward the sound of ocean waves and runs into a group of humans carrying casks. The smugglers demand to know who they are, and indicate that they doesn't belong there. Battle ensues, they drop their casks and advance toward the intruders. Svava moves and positions herself into a northern alcove tunnel and draws bow. Bjorn moves toward party. Karmadel moves toward party and starts to pray in preparation for bless. Gnolls and other figures move toward noise from eastern cavern. Kaeroku readies a shot. Svava makes successful herbalism check to poison arrows and begins chanting. (100XP, 200XP) Smuggler with crossbow attacks party and misses. Karmadel casts bless on party for +1 to hit and saves (100 XP) Bjorn stands ground Skordala throws stun darts and hits first smuggler for 2, and then caped figure behind for 2. Smuggler and caped figure both fail save and are stunned for 1 round and slowed for 4. (+4 AC, etc) Dart hits crossbow smuggler who fails save. Sylvar moves to party and switches to bow. Kaeroku shoots staff sling twice and hits second gnoll for 12 hp of damage killing it! Bjorn taunts gnolls "HEY! i thought gnolls were TOUGH!" (100 XP role-play) Tralann the mage moves toward party. Svava alters chant to be full of remarks to entice the enemy to come to her with a successful performance check roll of 6. (100 XP) Skordala readies in preparation of Svava's taunt. Karmadel stays in back of group. Gnolls are stayed from reacting to taunt, when the slowed caped figure begins chanting....a spell caster! Skordala shoots bow and hits caped figure for 10 damage interrupting his chant. Svava charges caped figure and hits for 8 damage killing him! Kaeroku changes weapons to short sword and dagger and swings at last gnoll, missing both times. Bjorn advances and swings at gnoll and misses. Tralann moves to southern tunnel and shoots sling at slowed smuggler but misses. Karmadel hits gnoll for 3 points of damage, wounding it. Gnolls and smugglers attack and miss with critical failures dropping their weapons! Kaeroku uses staff sling and shoots at gnoll in cave on top of rock for 5 damage. Svava continues singing chant. A smuggler hits attack dog for 5 hp of damage. Tralann prepares sleep spell. Smuggler hits Bjorn with a critical hit for 4 hp of damage. Skordala hits smuggler for 3 hp damage Tralann sleep spell affects 3 smugglers. (100 XP). Activity in south tunnel is silent! Bjorn hits smuggler that did damage earlier for 7 hp of damage killing him! Sylvar shoots slowed smuggler in cave from rock for 8 hp damage killing him! Karmadel hits last gnoll for 6 hp damage killing it! Party discovers 3 smugglers asleep near a cove that opens to the ocean. Sylvar deduces the handout found, in the prior living quarter chest searched, is a code for use with the bulls-eye lantern. (100 XP) Skordala and Karmadel agree. Kaeroku scales barrel barricade entering southernmost cave finding cove and beached boat. Kaeroku's kitten's head pops up curiously out of his backpack and peers over his shoulder at the sand, then hops down and starts play-hunting a sand-crab. Tralann fails his attempt to scale the barrel barricade Party knocks the barricade out of the way. Dog kills sleeping smuggler. Svava searches dead spell caster and finds a belt pouch containing gaming dice, 3 gems and announces findings to group for party loot addition. Bjorn searches gnoll and finds a gold bracelet placing it into party loot. Skordala searches other gnoll and finds another gold bracelet placing it into party loot. (250 XP alignment test pass) Sylvar searches smuggler and finds a lucky charm necklace, belt pouch (1gp, 7sp) Karmadel performs a healing herbalism check on Bjorn and succeeds for 1 hp. (100 XP) Kaeroku seaches the ship and doesn't find anything at first attempt. Party surmises the smugglers were dropping off a shipment. Tralann moves toward Skordala. Party dog kills another sleeping smuggler and party kills last sleeping smuggler. Svava opens a casket and smells the contents to identify brandy. Bjorn searches last smuggler in north eastern cave and finds a gold finger ring, belt pouch (9 sp). Equipment taken equals 7 short shorts and leather armor, 2 battle axes, a robe and crossbow. Bjorn keeps trashy stuff and puts high dollar items into party loot, inquiring about plunder rights due to alignment, keeping only one set of armor and short sword. (100 XP) Skordala searches smuggler in south tunnel, finds and keeps a gold chain w/ unicorn horn lucky charm, belt pouch gem into party loot (on smuggler 4). (200 XP alignment). Sylvar searches smuggler 3 and finds a gold finger ring, belt pouch (9 sp), and announces it to group adding it to party loot. (10 XP alignment) Karmadel finds map on boat in hidden area! (see handout 4) (100 XP) Party formulates plan to load boat with plunder, suddenly the tide begins to rise and Karmadel, while in the boat, sees a flashing light out at sea. Svava convices the party to return to town for supplies and training to return and claim plunder at a later date, along with a proper crew to sail the boat that was found....party agrees. The light at sea stops flashing. Karmadel surmises there is a larger vessel out at sea that is making the light flashing. Svava surmises the smugglers are causing the hauntings as a front to keep people away from their activities. Party leaves caverns and wine cellar, up stairs to ground floor west hallway opening first door on left on south side revealing an old library in disrepair with a pile of books in the SW corner. Tralann moves to library book pile finding 3 interesting books on magical properties of gems, herbs and flowers, and the metaphysics of mathematics. Svava moves from rear of house wine cellar stairwell to western hallway. Bjorn moves from rear of house wine cellar stairwell to western hallway. Skordala searches for traps along northern door but doesn't seem to find anything. Sylvar moves up to the group in the west hall. Karmadel moves to end of hallway. Tralann packs up books. Party opens far west door revealing living area with a north door heading out to a patio covered in weeds, with a pile of refuse in the SE corner. Svava performs a visual inspection of opened desk drawers in north room seeing they are empty, and that the central drawer is locked. Bjorn enters west end room, a ceiling voice speaks "Welcome fools - welcome to your deaths!" followed by prolonged fiendish laughter. A sense of fear begins to affect the party. Svava the bard sings a counter song to stop the fear affect on the party members! (200 XP) Bjorn pokes refuse pile and finds a gold ear-ring. Skordala attempts lock pick but fails. Sylvar successfully opens lock. (200 XP) The drawer is full of receipts for chemicals and lab equipment. Sylvar examines closer and finds a secret cavity and opens it to reveal a phial with a watery rose colored liquid. (100 XP) Svava attempts to identify the phial but fails. Karmadel casting a cure light wounds on Bjorn for 4 hp of health. (100 XP) Svava tries to heal Bjorn to full health but fails. Tralann heads into west room searching for secret doors and finds the floor trap door. Party returns to town, Karmadel casts animal friendship on horse. (100 XP) SESSION LENGTH: 8 Hours SESSION VOTE: (Waiting for all player votes 1-Above Average, 2-Average, or 3-Below Average) XP DISTRIBUTION: Kaeroku, F/T - 250 Tralann, Mage - 200 Svava, Bard - 1100 Bjorn, Fighter - 725 Skordala, T/C - 725 Sylvar, F/T - 660 Karmadel, Priest - 875 All other players - 0 TOTAL XP EARNED BY PARTY: 4535
