Session 6: The Forbidden City

Having dealt with the problems afflicting Clan Antarion our band of "heroes" prepares to set off into the desert to find the Dwarves, a race most seem to think is mythical. They have but the slimmest of evidence, the writings and murals on the walls of a Giants Tomb. Some think they are mad for pursuing this path, no one has ever returned from the deep southern desert. Their bones, they say, still bleach the rocky stones of the badlands. Only time will tell if these myths are true or not.

What then is this evidence they rely on.

The Tomb of the Giant Crius was a massive floating barge made of balck granite. Within, the murals and writing told the history of creation, from a certain point of view, as well as the story of the Giant himself.

The images showed the beginning of the world, crafted by the hands of Maran Gor, the Earth Titan. They revealed the creation of the first race, the Giants, by her hand and the power of the Soulforge breathing life into them. The Giants spread across the world bringing civilisation and order to lands only recently birthed from the sea. In time they found they needed servants, those who would carry on their work and do their will. The Giants crafted the Dwarves from metals mined from deep within the earth. Some say these are the bones of long dead Primordials, others that they are the blood of the Earth Titan herself.

Whatefer the source the Dwarves were made from them. Short, powerful and possessed of the strength of the metal they were made of they quicly turned their hand to the crafting of many wonders. It was they who forged many of the Artifacts of the early age of the world.

Of course, nothing stays the same for ever. Over time new races rose and the children of other Primordials began seeking their own place in the world. Giant battled Dragon and Dragon fought Elemental and all of them fought the monstrous children of Mael.

Under heavy assault the Giants retreated to the mountains which encircle the world. There they fortified themselves against their ancient foes and there they have remained ever since.

Or so the stories say.

Session 5: Experiences

OK, another session down, another chance to look at how the game ran and what lessons were learned.

The focus for this session was on Artemis again. He has a lot of plot hooks in his background and they are coming to the fore quite strongly. We got to meet a lot of his Clan members and some of them were rather strange. I need to remember not to overplay some npc's. The Shaman in particular probably ended up coming acorss as more kooky than creepy. I was particularly pleased to see him develop in this session and to see more of Azhanti coming out in his chat with the Witch.

The trip into the underways of the mountain went quite well. Assamber put his recently acquired brew potion ritual to good use in creating a poison detector (I dont bother with cash costs of rituals, making them more of a plot device). I again ran it as a skill challenge to find where they were going with the players describing the results of succees and I failures.

When I have done this before I have had failures result in an encounter of some sort. I didnt really want to bog this session down with inconsequential encounters so I planned to simply narrate their failures. They might flee from a nest of shadowhunter bats or get swept away by an underground river. The penalty for failure was loss of a healing surge. There were raised eyebrows around the table and a bit of sputtering but I reminded them of the power of the Viking Hat and they simmered down.

In the end I think it worked quite well and the players seemed to accept the idea. I wonder what they would have thought of the penalty for failing the challenge (arriving at the pumping station, losing 2 surges, expending a daily power of their choice and then getting surprised by the enemy).

The second part of the game was very cool. The group got to fight their first dragon in an ancient crumbling temple. Artemis pushing the Chieftain to join them did give me pause for thought even though I had introduced the idea with Isaac wanting to murder his Uncle. I had prepared some stats for them to join the fight but reconsidered at a late stage and had the npc's explore a different part of the temple. Fights can be complicated enough without adding in a bunch of npc's even if I did try and palm them off on the players at first.

I didnt bother to lay out the area befroehand, I simply dropped all of the temple tiles from that set onto the board and allowed everyone (including me) to lay down five tiles in order. When we had the map I also gave the players a list of special areas, hazards, pits, strange altars etc to add. I got to add one element for each they added. There were beneficial and harmful options and, classic for my group, they added a bunch of stuff to make life more difficult for them.

I have talked before about how wary I am of solo encounters and this was one against a level 5 solo dragon modelled on the young Black and Blue dragons in the MM. 260 HP, high defences and decent damage output had me slightly concerned, especially as it is an undersized group. Good use of tactics made the battle much easier than I thought it would be as the group hid in a narrow corridor where it couldnt get at the back lines.

Taking my cue from one of the players I had the dragon retreat and seal the corridor. The players got to recover their encounter powers but their daily effects ended and the dragon got to recover some HP and its powers. They came back at it hard and fast in a much more open environment and we played chase the god damn nippy Ranger until it went down. Splitting the fight up like this really made it feel much less like a padded sumo fight. Next week I am going to give waves of monsters a try and see how that works (I can hear the MMO comparisons already).

One thing that is becoming very apparent is that daily powers need some setting up before you use them or they become way too unreliable. That's tricky at level 5 in a 4 man group when you dont get a lot of bonuses to attack rolls. It may improve as they get more powers but in the meantime I may start throwing a larger number of slightly lower level monsters at them. That might also let Assamber feel that he is more than just a minion clearing machine.

Session 5 AP: Part 2

The next morning the group gather at the base of the mountain with a small escort of desert warriors. The Clan Hunter Calis leads the group to the ruins of the ancient temple, recently exposed by one of the dangerous sand storms which plague the desert.

The ruins are old and scarred by wind and sand. Crumbling yellow walls decorated with strange animal motifs surround a high domed chamber decorated with the symbol of the sun. Splitting up to cover more ground Agamon and his nephew Isaac head off with a few hand picked bodyguards while the group make for the domed chamber.

Picking their way across a bone littered courtyard they avoid the attentions of grasping skeletal remains and enter the main chamber. Rising from the altar at the end of the room is the beast, a long lizard like head filled with teeth, serpentine neck, bulky black scaled body, dark wings, dagger like claws and a whiplike tail. A dragon!

Deciding they cannot fight the creature in the open temple they regroup to the mouth of a sloping tunnel leading into the depths. Azhanti and Morn form a defensive wall the creature cannot penetrate. Both take significant punishment but they refuse to yield and healing power now flows from three members of the group. Overmatched in the narrow confines the dragon retreats, daring them to follow it into the open space. They decline and retreat further down the corridor and the dragon smashes the stone lintel above the doorway sealing them in! (Many thanks to Matt, one of the players, for that idea. It hadnt occurred to me at all!)

The group takes the opportunity to rest and recuperate what they can. The creature has left the entrance, waiting for them somewhere else in the ruins. The blocked passage is no barrier to them and Morn demolishes it with the Hammer of the Earth Titan. Carefully they begin to scout the Temple heading back into the courtyard. There is no sign of the creature. As they emerge into the hot morning sun the ground buckles and the Dragon rears up, stone slabs and sand cascading down its body. Battle is joined again, fiercer and more deadly than before. In the wide open courtyard they cannot contain it and it pursues Artemis with deadly intent. Putting his speed to good use he gives his companions a moment of respite and blood is spilled on the ancient altar, prayers to a dead God restoring some of their strength. As the dragon emerges spells and swords strike again and again. Rearing in pain and bellowing in fury Artemis finally finishes it with a few well placed arrows to the throat.

Exhausted but victorious the looting begins. The creature has plundered many homes and caravans and its wealth is significant. Azhanti takes his own prize, removing the dragons horns and some of its scales for a new cloak.

As our heroes congratulate themselves Isaac returns with his guards carrying the body of Agamo. The Chieftain is dead, killed saving the young man from some deadly trap in the ancient ruins. As the group returns to the Clan Seat the young Isaac is silent, thinking of what his Uncle told him as he lay dying in his arms.

*cut scene*

As our band of heroes leaves the ancient ruins the blood and power they have spilled on the ancient altar, theirs and the dragons, drips through the cracks in the ruined temple. It seeps down and down, into the bowels, to a crypt where it drips onto the lips of a sarcophagus. Something stirs, blood and power feed it, awaken it. Stone grinds on stone as a mummified hand pushes the lid of its prison aside. K’shatta, High Priestess of Ashura makes her way to the surface. As she does so the bandages fall from her body revealing fresh new skin and the woman once known as the Scourge of the Dawn feels the touch of sunlight on her face for the first time in four thousand years.

Session 5: AP Part 1

Harsh Words and Hard Lessons, Part 2

Session 5 opened with the group holed up in the Seawatch Tower. They have exposed the Rebellion traitor as a Succubus and need to decide what to do with Nabonidus and his daughter. Do they turn him over to the Rebellion and the tender mercies of their new inquisitor Akaran Trak’Ar or hide him to see if Trak’ar will try to finger someone else. They go for the latter option, one which will have consequences for some of them down the line…

The next morning they head out of the city. Clan Antarion has provided giant riding lizards and a guide which carry them quickly across the desert to their Clan Seat, a mountain of rock jutting out of the sands (I had just rewatched Dune that afternoon). They are greeted by Isaac, son of the old chief, a hot headed youth who quickly tries to recruit Artemis to help him kill his Uncle who has displaced him as the rightful Chieftain.

Deciding to do some asking around before doing anything rash the group splits up. Artemis does the rounds of the Clans leaders and learns the Clan is in trouble. A monster has emerged from the deep desert to prey on them and their water supplies are being poisoned. People are beginning to claim the new Chief is cursed by the spirits. He visits the Clan shaman to find that he has travelled too far and too long in the spirit world of their ancestors and comes away with the definite idea that he is mad as a loon. He also visits Sybelle, the clan Witch, Speaker to the spirits of the desert who bitches him out for choosing his Kireshi allies and his demon bearing mother over his own people.

Azhanti goes to speak to Sybelle as well to plant ideas that there is a new voice rising out of the desert. He has dreams of rising to Godhood, replacing Vulcan and is seeding rumours of his coming wherever he goes. Assamber and Morn visit the current Chieftain, Agamon and decide that he is a basically nice guy working in difficult circumstances. Morn is particularly unimpressed with the young Isaac.

With the break of day the group are brought before the tribal council who will consider their request for aid in slowing down the Dragonblood army. Artemis demonstrates his complete lack of tact and they get thrown out. To try and improve their position and get the Witch Sybelle on side they decide to try and solve the water problem. Assamber has analysed a sample of the tainted water and come up with a way to track it back to its source. The water is drawn from the depths of the Clan Seat where no one goes. Heading down into the depths the nomads seal them in, closing the enormous stone door which prevents anything unpleasant from making its way up into the living areas.

The spelunking goes well and they quickly track the problem to its source avoiding various dangers on the way. Assamber finds a strain of ancient rock containing unusual shells adding evidence to his belief that once the Ocean covered this land (He worships a resurgent Ocean god).

The source of the problem is an ancient pumping station of apparent Tiefling design in the depths of the mountain. Blasphemous runes have been carved in blood above the waterways and the desecrated bodies of clan members are scattered about the room. Moving to investigate they are confronted by the Clan Shaman dressed in a shirt of bones. The old man has fallen into worship of the dead and the bodies of the clan rise to defend him. He also draws out a pair of demented clan ghosts to harry the group.

The fight is fast and brutal, the zombies go down quickly and the ghosts prove ineffective against the divine power of Azhanti. They are quickly overcome and the Shaman is slain before he can escape. They break the evil ritual and return to the surface with the evidence. There is much celebrating and drinking in their honour. With all the Clan present they announce that tomorrow they will drive away the monster which has plagued the Clan. Artemis also earns himself and enemy and shames the Chieftain into coming with them but cannot stop Isaac also volunteering. Dark deeds and spilled blood promise to be the order of the day in the ancient temple where the creature has made its lair.

Session 4: Discussion

Key things we had happen this session.

The group got some much needed time to talk things out about why they are here and why they are fighting for the Rebellion. Morn revealed himself as Luke Skywalker (although a rather more brutal one), Assamber as a man with way too soft a heart for our Conanesque world and Artemis as a man only interested in revenge against the man who raped his mother. The fact that Artemis sold out Kyia, Morns love/lust/owner pushed things into stark relief, player on player action ahoy!.

We also got to see a lot more of Azhanti this session who took off to his home to talk to his mentor. This nicely revealed his dreams of a jack booted Dragonborn empire ruling over fractious and divided humans too busy fighting each other to stop them. Also, if his god is alive he fully intends to kill him to take his power!

For the meeting with the Rebellion I originally planned this as a skill challenge with the group trying to sway the different elements of the rebel leadership into the direction they wanted them to go. I abandoned this fairly early on when it was obvious people were generally leaning in the same direction. This was my fault, I should have put the leaders more strongly in opposition to each other which would have helped push things.

Decisions having been made the meeting broke up and we got our major fight of the evening. The daughter of the rebel leader was revealed as a fake and the group decided to take her down. Unfortunately she was controlling her "father" so they had both of them and the household guard to deal with.

At the start of this fight I activated the death flag. As a group we generally only do death by agreement between GM and player. When we began this campaign I raised the issue of non consensual death and the possibility of flagging certain fights as "death on." I did this here which, with hindsight, was a bad idea. The battle simply wasn't important enough to engage it and it had certain unintended consequences.

Things were tough. The daughter could fly and had access to a number of powerful magical effects, including Flaming Sphere, Blur, Wall of Fire and Mesmeric Hold (thats level 1, 9, 10 and 13 Wizard dailys). Mesmeric Hold had a recharge although it never came up. I gave her Flaming Sphere at will so she could make multiple attacks (necessary as an elite). Unfortunately she only got one out during the fight but it was very effective. One thing I did learn is that Wall of Fire is brutal especially when the two level 6 elites both have immobilising effects.

Azhanti went down as did Morn. Morn got pulled out of the fire before dying but Azhanti didnt. As they piled on the damage things looked bleak for my little succubus. She was down to a dozen or so HP and Artmis pulled out crit number 3 on her, 40+ damage in one hit. This left me with a difficult choice I knew it was possible that Azhanti would die on the next round but Nabonidus also had an ability to take a hit for an adjacent ally. I could "forget" about his ability and let Artemis have his dramatic moment or ramp up the tension even more and stress the brutal nature of the setting.

I chose option 2.

Nabonidus takes the hit, the succubus flees escaping into the night and Azhanti dies. Feeling a little guilty I give him the second chance. He is dying in a City which houses the spirit of his God in the nearby Plaza. His presence has stirred that spirit to wakefullness. I ask him if he has the will to live. If he does he gets a second chance but his God lays a geas on him (this is the God he wants to kill and replace!).

After the session one of the players notices I got Wall of Fire wrong. It doesnt do its damage when it first appears, only when you start your turn or move into it. Azhanti would still have gone down but wouldn't have died. I give the player the choice, he gets a dramatic edit and he was just badly burned rather than dying or we stick with what we have. I wonder which one he will take.

Session 4: AP Part 2

Having dealt, for now at least, with some of their issues our heroes are called to the meeting of the Rebellion. Akbar, their main contact, leads them to the location and fills them in on the situation. Many of their people are dead but the leaders have survived. They are meeting tonight to discuss what to do, go to ground and build their forces or to strike at the Cabal while they are weakened by the loss of Althea. Fingers are also being pointed over the recent losses, there is a Traitor in the ranks.

The group are led to the home of Nabonidus the Merchant, known among the Rebellion as The Purse. A score or so people are present including the Rebellions two other leaders. Marat Kesh, leader of a brutal band of murderers and friend of Morn and Antonius strategist, leader, Paladin of The Cult of the Eternal and Tiefling! Many discussions follow as our heroes try to determine what strength is left. Many of the men of the Rebellion are dead and its weapons are lost but its alliances, with the Kireshi witches and desert nomads remain strong. Three problems remain, the Golems, the Demons and the Traitor.

At this point Antonius announces his plan to find the Traitor and to match the sorcerous power of the Cabal. He has concluded a new alliance and he introduces their newest ally, Akaran Trak’Ar, leader of the most powerful Tiefling Noble Family in the City. (I really should have had the Imperial March to play here). Trak’Ar is the hated enemy of Artemis having kidnapped and raped his mother and Morn isn’t keen on him either given he is his former owner.

More discussion occurs and the news of the intervention of the Dragonborn sends fear running through the room. Antonius calls for advice from his leaders and from the group! It seems they are being accorded a fair amount of status. All agree that they cannot attack now. The group suggest that the Kireshi or desert nomads might slow the advance of the Dragonborn. They also claim to have a way to stop the Golems! This is perhaps more based on hope than evidence, they are going off the murals on the wall of the Giants Cradle which showed the building of an enormous golem like creature.

As the meeting breaks up Nabonidus asks them to stay a while, he has news which will be of interest to them. Trak’Ar has a price for aiding the Rebellion. He wants his wife back and he wants Artemis to bring her to him (she is his mother who he rescued from under Akaran’s nose). Also, when all this is over he wants the Grub dead.

While they discuss the situation Nabonidus’s daughter brings them drinks to quench their thirst. As she hands them round realisation dawns on several faces, she looks exactly like the second prisoner they rescued from the Cabals dungeon. Deciding she is a doppelganger of some sort they attack. Nabonidus leaps to the defence of his daughter and a chaotic melee results. The daughter reveals previously unknown powers of a desert witch and rains down fire and death on the group. Half naked Mamluk guards charge into the fray and Nabonidus keeps Morn pinned down. Artemis sends arrow after arrow into the witch and finally her disguise fails. She is no doppelganger but a demonic succubus, covered in filth and corrupting flame. The Guards flee but Nabonidus is unrelenting. More flames are kindled in the garden and Morn and Azhanti both go down. Things are looking grim but finally she is put to flight. Nabonidus recovers his wits and the group kidnap him back to the Tower where his daughter still lies catatonic. He is distraught at the prospect that he has betrayed the Rebellion but gladdened that his daughter has returned to him.

Night falls and the group plans their next trip. A journey into the desert to the Shrouded Oasis and then beyond, to the Mountains at the Edge of the World from which no-one has ever returned.

Session 4: AP Part 1

We played again last night, our fourth session of the game so far. Last time the group struck a blow for freedom, justice and mercenary greed taking out a senior member of the ruling cabal in exchange for large amounts of shiny shiny gold.

The Cabal responded and unleashed their Iron Golems against the City.

The next few days are tense, few people dare the streets and the mood is subdued. Our group of heroes takes some much needed rest and gets a chance to pursue some issues they have left hanging so far.

Assamber and Artemis both separately visit The Grub. Assamber concludes an agreement to use the Seawatch Tower and begins making plans to open his new Temple to Mael, God of the Sea. Artemis tries to buy back Kyia, the Tiefling Noble he sold to him in the first place but the price is too high. Morn heads back to the home of his former master trying to find out just who he has been speaking to within the Rebellion but without success.

Azhanti takes a trip back to his Temple to talk to his old mentor. He learns that Najentus, Warlord of the Clan, plans to raise the Legion and accept a new contract. The Cabal is about to hire them as their new security force! Further discussion is illuminating as Azhanti reveals some of his dreams for the future, a future ruled by the Dragonborn. His old mentor Nihlil is despairing and sends him back to help the Rebellion, hoping perhaps that time with the humans will soften his dreams of racial supremacy. Before he heads back he spends some time politicking, the old man is near the end of his life and Azhanti plans on being the Clans next religious leader.

Having moved into the Seawatch Tower the group finally have the big talk. Three of them worship different gods and their religions have little in common. There is much discussion and argument about why they are here and what they want. Morn is furious that Kyia is chained by The Grub and then Artemis drops his bombshell, admitting that it was he who sold out Kyias location (Azhanti wisely keeps quiet as he also sold her out). Much confusion results and after some shouting Morn lays down the law, if Kyia is not free from The Grub within a month he will kill Artemis in revenge. He swears it as an Oath to the Unfetttered God, an Oath no worshipper of his can break.

Session 4: Harsh words and hard lessons

Our heroes (if such a term can be used for them) have struck a blow for freedom in the City of Kings. The inquisitor Althea is dead and with her go the Hounds of Shadow which have so plagued the agents of the Rebellion. This should have been a time for reflection, for consolidation, for our heroes to grow together in readiness for the difficult tasks ahead. A blow had been struck and surely the rest of the Cabal must soon fall.

What happened next should have been forseen but a sword which lies too long in its scabbard is often forgotten.

The days following dawned in blood and madness as the Cabal struck back at those who had so injured them. Furious at the death of his closest lieutenant Darius IV ordered the Cabals war machines into action. The Iron Golems walked and brought death and destruction throughout the City crushing many of the Rebellions most secret bases. Our heroes could do little but watch in horror at the might of those terrifying engines of destruction.

Now the rebellion calls its remaining members together to Council, not of war but of survival. Voices are raised and accusations made, there is a traitor within and they must be found!