DM NOTES Every good DM will at some point utter the following statement 'Stick together...don't split the party' and as a result, when the advice is disregarded, have to intervene in some capacity to keep player characters from meeting some horrific, untimely demise. At the top of that list is the memorable escapade of the curious wizard that was insistent upon examining the life-like figure on top of the sarcophagus all by himself, after the rest of the party left the crypt, only to find himself in a life and death struggle with a doppelganger. Oh yes, fond memories. But I digress. Of course, we DMs are not the type of person to say 'I told you so', because we've seen it too many times to warrant that level of admonition, it just comes with the territory. So, followers of this group, pay close attention to the next session and hope and pray that these wonderfully brave (or was it foolhardy?) adventurers manage to fight their way out of this predicament as their survival may well be out of sheer determination, along with a healthy dose of good luck, or, as a last result, from the priest calling upon divine intervention...only time will tell. Stay tuned! The situation may well become very, very, nasty in no time at all. BROADCAST Be sure to participate with the group each week LIVE! at <a href="http://www.twitch.tv/dm4hire" rel="nofollow">www.twitch.tv/dm4hire</a> every Saturday night at 6 PM until late. View this entire session here <a href="http://www.twitch.tv/dm4hire/b/631055879" rel="nofollow">http://www.twitch.tv/dm4hire/b/631055879</a> or the 150228 highlights on youtube (when uploaded). Twitch.tv keeps each broadcast for one week only, so be sure to stay up-to-date while it is still available, and be sure to click the 'follow' button to be alerted of each new session. QUICK READ RECAP Misunderstood lizard man female hand signal 'offers of food' nearly escalate into an unwarranted incident, wisely intercepted and avoided by Karmadel's quick thinking, the party manages to maintain their fledgling political alliance, whilst splitting up into two separate groups (to make haste in searching for the missing humanoid), where Svava finds herself playing the unwitting babysitter for two clingy lizard man children that just 'won't go away', being enamored by the new and interesting humans and their smooth and 'shiny' clothing, finding the chief's private stash of concubines, and secret passage, all while the other half of the group, on the other side of the lair, find themselves in a potential battle to the death, surrounded by guards and officers of the opposing faction! DM SESSION LOG 150228 Spells memorized. Svava, Bard - audible glamor, sound bubble, web Tralann - sleep, magic missile, web Silas - sleep and shield Svava explains to Chief the party findings thus far with females and priest and asks if he has noticed anything different to which he responds "no". Karmadel asks for a duplicate map and seal, which he provides. Sword silent for now. Party splits into two groups one north and one south. Karmadel invokes heart beat spell outside southern door, and he relates to the rest of the group that he can hear a human heart beat and can't hear in general. Karmadel indicates to Aaron that he cannot hear talking. Svava fails at detect noise and doesn't hear anything. Karmadel enters a room full of carcasses hanging from hooks. Bjorn stumbles into a room full of five lizard men, obviously irrate with his presence, and so he backs away. Aaron talks loudly to Karmadel "Look at all the food!" Lizard man female enters room from northern door and says 'I couldn't agree more!' licking her lips. Aaron waves at lizard man with a big smile on his face. Lizard man female points to Aaron and then points into her open mouth. Aaron readies ax for throwing. Silas readies bow. Karmadel rushes in to stop Aaron from throwing ax at female lizard man and succeeds. The lizard man female was asking if the adventurers were hungry. Alignment pass for Karmadel. Svava apologies to lizard men in hallway for Bjorn, 'my friend doesn't speak lizard man' 'I know this is surprising, but we are actually here to help' and shows map with chief seal. Lizard man asks 'why are you here?' 'We're looking for a humanoid that might be causing trouble in this lair.' 'what kind of trouble, should I be concerned' 'May be from prior raiding party' 'How can I help you?' 'We'd like to look around and see if there are any here that shouldn't be here' 'Yes, please find your kind' Svava motions to area they came from, we'd like to look around and we'll be 'out of your hair' so to speak. Svava moves into the small guard room and asks 'what is this room used for? 'Chief live here' Svava and party interested in looking to make sure no secret tunnel where humanoid may be hiding to harm chief. Lizard man opens door. Svava attempts to hear noise and asks lizard man to be quiet but fails. Balfon moves carcass into adjoining meat room, understanding the lizard man female request. She smiles. Silas enters kitchen and sits at the table and is served by the lizard man female. Oceanus follows Svava into chief ante chamber with table and chairs and doesn't sense any secret doors. Bjorn moves into chief ante chamber with other members and opens southern door. Aaron wipes sweat off brow, realizes error in almost attacking with ax and moves to inspect barrels and wicker basket and grabs a handful of cherries and starts to eat. Karmdel exits the north easternmost kitchen door being cordial to the females upon leaving. Tralaan moves to chief sleeping room ante chamber with table and chairs and senses a secret trap door alerting the party of his finding, and opening it. Svava climbs down trap door ladder and moves along hidden passageway northward 'nothing so far that I can see...' Balron asks for ale and is given a glass of grease. He pokes it but doesn't imbib the liquid despite the lizard female gestering to drink the liquid and tastes the meat but it tastes like dwarf. Oceanus follows Svava in the hidden passage way heading west and north. Cody moves into passage and past Svava into creepy area. Aaron moves into the kitchen area to observe. Karmadel leaves kitchen and moves to throne room and knocks on door and doesn't hear anything. Tralaan enters passage way moving to rest of party. Svava surmises the passage will meet up with Karmadel at the throne room area and searches for secret door and finds one over head and opens it to look and see throne room Balfon leaves kitchen and moves toward Karmadel near large set of double doors on south side of the hallway, and asks him a question but he cannont hear. Silas move toward Karmadel and Balfron. Oceanus returns to the chief's sleeping area and doesn't sense any secret doors. Svava surmises the passageway is used by the chief to go to the throne room. Bjron is completely honest, he wants to stay put and not venture around needlessly. Aaron moves to throne room double doors with rest of party and taps Karmadel on the shoulder to find out any new info, and opens doors. Tralaan reenters chief sleeping room and waits by eastern door by Oceanus. Small lizard man children attach themselves to party members, Karmadel and Bjorn. Svava greets the small lizard child rubbing Bjorn's shiny plate mail saying 'hello there' 'shiny' replies the child. Svava proposes taking the children back to the chiefs room so they are out of harms way, attempting to get their attention but they are not interested. Svava considers singing a playful song to lure the children, but it is not shiny enough. Svava uses her penny whistle and gets their attention, now with one lizard child on each leg, she is unable to enter the secret passage way due to her limited strength, and calls for assistance from Bjorn to carry them all back to the chief's chamber. Balfon is enjoying the penny whistle music. Silas moves northward back near the kitchen. Oceanus hears lizard men females doing something not laborious and shares this informaton with Tralaan. Bjorn helps move Svava and the two children back to the chief sleeping room. Aaron follows Silas back down the hallway by the kitchen and approaches a door. Karmadel moves northward down hallway to rest of party. Svava knocks on the eastern door off of the chief's bed chamber and hears 'come in'. Svava opens the door and motions to the children and to the females, passing a performance check. The two lizard man females show no interest. Tralaan approaches eastern door past females playing chess, and opens it to reveal a very hot, empty room. Aaron opens the door to arms and armor room, Karmadel enters and examines, leaves and walks down west hall and hears heart beats. Svava asks the females who the children belong to, they respond 'they belong to the chief', 'Are you the wife?', 'our position here is important and of no concern of yours' 'If I brought the chief here would he be concerned?' The females all start laughing 'he knows why were here'. 'So you're concubines.' The females are not ashamed. Balfon enters armory and examines northmost chest and finds 10 broadswords. Silas moves west toward Karmadel. Karmadel informs him of heart beats heard to the north. Silas attempts to hide in shadows and move silently and is hidden but noisy. Oceanus peeks inside open northern door off of female lounge room and sees pool, and whispers to Tralaan 'I feel gross' Tralaan replies 'you'll be fine' and enters the pool room and examines the area and finds no secret doors or anything around the perimeter of the pool water area. The center of the pool is too deep to see the bottom. Aaron hears Karmadel say he hears heart beats and moves to that area being vigilant and eases past heading around the tee intersection northward toward the heart beats heard by the priest. Karmadel casts Bless. Svava attempts to leave the children, but the females says leave with the kids and close the door behind you. Svava sighs and closes door leaving the concubines, still stuck with two clingy lizard man children and that just won't go away. Balfor opens the second chest to find 10 morning stars. Silas attempts a find remove traps on door but fails, but quietly and successfully peeks inside to see a room full of lizard men guards. Oceanus goes for quick swim to moisten skin and then leaves area. Tralaan leaves area. Aaron goes to other door at northern most end of hallway to reveal an officers quarters with the officer seated on his bed sharpening his broadsword. Aaron explains they are looking for a humanoid, but the officer is not interested and stands up wielding his weapon. He replies 'I serve no chief' and calls for 'Guards!' Svava instructs the children that she will be returning them to the throne room to play with their toys but they seem as if they will start to cry. She manages to make a successful charisma check and the children do not cry. Balron searches last chest in armory to find 10 more morning stars. Oceanus moves along the eastern hallway. Tralaan moves eastward toward Oceanus. Karmadel casts fear and affects two lizard men that flee eastward dropping their weapons. Silas casts sleep centered on the lizard man near Aaron at the officers room affecting one. Aaron moves into the officers room and throws ax but misses sticking it firmly into the wall near the lizard man. Svava makes another successful performance check, to hopefully find the chief quickly to unload the kids and find the rest of the party. She opens the door on the northern wall to reveal a drill hall with the chief present! What luck! Oceanus enters the drill hall and sees the sahuagin and immediately begins to make attack preparations, swinging but missing the squirming enemy. Chief agrees to take the children and asks where Svava found them 'in the throne room', 'papa!', 'thank you for finding them, I didn't know where they went' Tralaan moves into the drill hall and opens the western door. Svava surmises the creature strapped to the mattress is a sahuagin, the mortal enemy of all in the alliance. Svava asks the chief 'what are you throwing javelins at? and do you need help with it?' He responds 'this, my friend, is what is attempting to live near you...a sahuagin' 'Our troops need all the practice we can get..but thank you for offering' Tralaan explains to Oceanus, 'We're leaving, come with us, we're moving on, leave it to the Lizard men!' Oceanus agrees despite his anger against the Sahuagin. Lizard man hits Aaron for 5 hp of damage bringing him to 33 hp of health. Silas kicks the lizard man dropped morning star out of the way and moves to a better position. Karmadel casts hold person and puts two lizard men near the officers door to sleep for 8 rounds. Aaron swings and hits for 12 hp of damage wounding him severely. To be continued... Party lump sum XP with all aspects considered (including but not limited to) session survival, skill usage, role-playing, alignment checks, etc: 4000 XP DISTRIBUTION: Svava, Bard (Aurora): 500 Karmadel, Priest (Christopher S.): 500 Oceanus Elf, Aquatic: 500 Bjorn, Fighter (Cody): 500 Tralann (Shalvenay K) Elf, Half: 500 Aaron Greencork (Rod D.): 500 Silas M/T (Solomon) Elf, Half: 500 Balfon Stonefoot (Skyhawk): 500 SESSION TIME: 7 hours