In which
our heroes bite off more than they can chew Book Two, Chapter 3.1 (session 56, 19 th July
2018) The Party: Naergon Harna, elven wizard (diviner); Mads
Rangle, human fighter/warlock; Franz the Indifferent, human ranger (hunter);
Jamna Gleamsilver, gnome rogue (arcane trickster); Augustus Weatherby, half-orc
fighter/barbarian. Augustus turns south and
storms into another barracks chamber, pushing hobgoblins before him and killing
two. Mads, in the northern corridor, shouts to attract the hobgoblin’s
attention, he can hear something bellowing orders. Naergon fire bolts the
hobgoblin as it turns towards Mads, misses, turns and runs into the courtyard.
The hobgoblins in the southern barracks surround Augustus wounding him
repeatedly as they swarm around him. The hobgoblin in the northern corridor
turns to face Mads and charges, Mads reacts and cuts it down before it can
reach him. More hobgoblins boil out of their barracks into the northern
corridor. Jamna shoots past Augustus but misses. Augustus, in a rage, swings
away killing the last two hobgoblins facing him. Mads cuts the hobgoblin in
front of him down and then backs away round the corner into the southern
corridor. Naergon dashes back in the main doors and takes station behind
Augustus, casting Expeditious Retreat on himself. The hobgoblins advance round
the corner on Mads, who reacts and cuts the lead one down. The others push into
the wider hallway and swing at him but miss. Jamna, shoots past Mads into the
throng, killing another [sneak attack]. Augustus turns and runs
up the corridor, pushing past Jamna to stand behind Mads. Mads strikes out and
kills another pair of hobgoblins, revealing a big brute wielding a greatsword
striding towards him. Naergon casts magic missile from behind, the missiles
slam into the brute, but he keeps coming. Mads reacts and hits him as he closes
but the brute shrugs the wounds off and swings at Mads, wounding him twice. To
the side a lesser hobgoblin also stabs Mads in the flank. Jamna shoots [sneak
attack] along the crowded corridor and her arrow slams into the brute as well,
who growls in response. Augustus steps up
alongside Mads and swings, dropping the hobgoblin to his right. Mads lays into
the brute to his front but can only connect with the butt of his glaive. From
behind, Naergon fire bolts and the missile slams into the brute, dropping it at
last. More hobgoblins advance through the courtyard, Jamna moves to the corner
of the hallway and shoots, wounding one. Augustus moves out into
the courtyard, dropping the lead hobgoblin with one strike. Mads charges
another but rather than using his glaive he shouts something at it and attempts
to wrestle it to the ground. The hobgoblin effortlessly sidesteps his clumsy
grab. Naergon, moves to the doorway and fire bolts but misses. The hobgoblin
facing Augustus misses, whilst the on facing Mads strikes hard, wounding him
badly. Jamna shoots again but can’t get a clear shot and misses. Augustus swings again at
his opponent but misses, Mads again tries to grapple his enemy but the
hobgoblin side steps him once more. Naergon fire bolts and kills the hobgoblin
facing Augustus. The last hobgoblin swings at Mads but misses. Once again Jamna
can’t get a clear shot and her arrow flies wide. Augustus steps up behind it
and kills it with one wild swing of his Warhammer. With the last hobgoblin
dead, the party take the time to explore the ruined monastery. There are
several chambers, most of which look to be being used as hobgoblin barracks. In
the centre there is an old shrine or altar with rows of broken pews. Mads
studies the defaced and badly eroded statue there but other than being able to
tell it is a humanoid figure he has no idea what deity may once have been
worshipped here. In the north-west
chamber (where the big brute of a hobgoblin came from) there is a flight of
stairs that lead down into darkness, switching back several times they clearly
descend to some depth. Naergon begins a ritual to cast an alarm spell at the
top of the stairwell as everyone prepares to descend. Mads turns to Jamna and
Augustus and asks “ I know you all have
your own allegiances and affiliations, Augustus I know of your dreams of
Gruumsh, they remind me of my own inner struggles. But can I ask, when the
chips are down where do your true loyalties lie? With your puppet masters in
Waterdeep or here with this party?” Both Jamna and Augustus seem somewhat
surprised and confused by the sudden question but declare their loyalty above
all to this party and the defeat of the Cult. With Augustus and Mads
leading, the party descend the winding stairs into the gloom, leaving Franz and
the hippogriff above to guard their rear. They emerge into a large chamber with
corridors leading north and west. To the east through a vaulted arch is a dull
red glow as from a huge fire pit. As they step off the stairs, two dark figures
dressed in cult uniforms and masks step out of the shadows to either side. Augustus, reacting
quickly charges the one to the north-east, swinging and killing with one hit.
Mads likewise leaps at the other, casting hex and cutting it down with one
swing. In the silence that follows Jamna slowly lowers her bow, waiting for
what happens next. Suddenly, from the northern corridor more dark figures come
running, throwing dragon orbs at Augustus as they do. One hits him, the acid
within wounding him fearfully. From the western corridor yet more dark shapes
loom into view, throwing orbs at Mads, but they shatter on the wall without
causing any harm. Naergon, stepping off the stairs sends a lightning bolt
shooting up the northern corridor catching two of the cultists, neither falls. Augustus steps forward,
swings hard and hits the cultist in front of him twice. Mads moves his hex and
charges, swinging his glaive and wounding the lead cultist in the western corridor.
Jamna from the stairwell shoots past Augustus [sneak attack] wounding his
opponent again. From the north-west comes the dull tolling of an alarm bell,
its bass note reverberating through the dark hallways. The cultists facing
Augustus draw swords and stab him multiple times, those before Mads likewise. Their
blades, dripping acid cause more serious injuries than expected. Naergon sends
forth a sunbeam from his palm, cutting into the same two cultists, still they
do not fall. Augustus, realising that
the stakes have risen, gathers himself [second wind] and swings again and again
[action surge] in an effort to clear the path, killing two of the cultists.
Mads likewise appreciating the danger, envelops himself in darkness and strikes
at his nearest opponent, hitting him repeatedly until he falls dead at his
feet. Jamna again shoots past Augustus [sneak attack] killing another cultist. However,
just as the tide seems to be turning, from the gloom of the northern
intersection more cultists appear, behind them the sound of feet running and
voices bellowing orders can be heard. Two cultists bear down on Augustus,
stabbing him again and again. Mads also is stabbed despite the protective cloud
of darkness. From out of the eastern archway yet another cult figure emerges
and hurls a dragon globe at Naergon, it misses shattering on the wall behind
him, the stones hissing and dribbling as the acid melts into them. Naergon
side-steps and sends his sunbeam reaching out to the north, killing another
cultist. Augustus, looking up, sees
amongst the cultists emerging from the gloomy junction ahead, the figure of
Rezmir, clad in purple robes and black dragon mask and wielding a vicious black
greatsword. In addition, beyond and ordering his troops about at the junction
is the burly figure of Captain Othelstan, last seen in Parnast many months ago.
Howling his rage, Augustus swings hard wounding his opponent twice. Mads with
but one opponent left in his darkness cloud, swings again and again, each blow
connecting solidly but the cultist will not fall. Jamna, leans out from the
stairwell and casts Crown of Madness on the lead cultist to the east but the
spell fails to capture him so she slides back into the darkness [stealth 28].
Rezmir advances on Augustus, snarling and swinging her greatsword. She cleaves
deeply into the barbarian but his half-orc heritage will not let him fall just
yet. The Captain hurls a spear and it pierces Augustus through the chest, with
a cry he falls heavily. The cultists in the east advance and throw another
globe at Naergon, it misses splashing acid across the wall behind him. The
cultist facing Mads calls out for assistance, swings and misses. Naergon steps
out and casts cone of cold across the chamber and up to the northern junction,
killing one and injuring several more cultists, including Othelstan. Augustus lies
unconscious on the floor [death save pass]. Mads lashes out at his opponent in
desperation, hitting again and again but failing to kill him. Jamna again
attempts Crown of Madness, this time the spell takes hold of the cultist as
Jamna folds back into the shadows [stealth 22]. Rezmir, moves back out of the ice
coated chamber and shouts orders, “ take
that body and secure him well ”. Othelstan, likewise steps back ordering more
cultists forward to secure the stairs. Cultists advance in numbers across the icy
hallway towards the stairs where Naergon waits. The cultist facing Mads, stabs
at him in the dark but misses calling out “ here,
to me, he’s right here ”. More cultists race in from east and west and
surround Mads, pinning him against the wall in the darkness, blades stabbing
again and again, oozing black acid. Naergon, watching the cultists approach,
misty steps to the opposite side of the chamber. To the west of Mads, beyond
the pool of darkness, a voice intones a spell and in the blink of an eye the darkness
is gone. Revealed in the gloomy corridor beyond is the tall, lean, bald headed Azbara
Jos. The red wizard, last seen fleeing Castle Naerytar with Rezmir. Augustus is
dragged away [death save pass] by cultists. Mads swings wildly to get out of
his trap, he kills one and injures another and then composes himself [second
wind], waiting on the inevitable. Jamna, snipes at one of the cultists in the
hall [sneak attack] dropping her target. The cultists around Mads, stab, and
stab again, their blades dripping with acid. With a groan and cursing them,
Mads slumps to the ground against the wall, unconscious. The cultist charmed by
Jamna, turns and guts one of his companions, killing him. Naergon steps out
from the north-east corner and sends another cone of cold blasting across the
hallway, killing another couple of cultists and injuring several more. Azbara, commands the
cultists to grab Mads’ body and drag it away. Augustus is dragged further away,
out of sight [death save fail]. Mads is duly grabbed and dragged off [death
save fail]. Jamna shoots into the growing crowd of cultists in the hallway,
hitting her mark. The cultists at the foot of the stairs turn on their own and
cut the charmed one down, then step out of the line of fire. Others can be
heard moving in the gloom beyond the entry hall. Naergon projects his sunbeam
across the hallway, dropping two cultists and then steps back through the
archway, as he does so he sees Rezmir approaching behind him and quickly retraces
his steps into the open hall. Azbara, seeing Naergon
step forward casts scorching ray at him but all three rays ricochet and bounce
off the magical shield Naergon raises. Augustus [death save fail, despite
inspiration] and Mads [death save pass due to inspiration] are both dragged
further away. Jamna, shoots at the nearest cultist but misses and steps further
up the stairs into shadow [stealth 29]. The cultists take position flanking the
stairs, whilst more enter behind Rezmir and from the north. Naergon, again
blasts a cone of cold across the chamber, catching Azbara and a pair of
cultists, none fall but all look injured. And there we left it
until next week. No
levels were gained this session: Naergon 13 th
level Mads
12 th level Franz
12 th level Jamna
12 th level Augustus
12 th level XP
earnt is now irrelevant as the rest of TOD is based on milestone XP In-Game
the session ended at 23:30 on 20 th Tarsakh 1485 DR as the heroes fight
their way into the cult lair Next
session Thursday 26 th July (Dana absent)