Conquering the Barbarian Altanis: Session 181
Adventurers
| Character | Race | Class | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anoran Hall | Human | Cleric level 2 | A thin, wiry, and bald follower of Promehene, the God of Time. He doesn't know what drives him to adventure. |
| Drokh | Human | Monk level 2 | A tall, lean human monk with piercing eyes, weathered skin, and a warrior’s poise—calm and charismatic, he speaks with purpose and strikes with precision, wielding spear, bow, and blade. |
| Ignaeus | Elf | Fighter level 4 / magic-user level 5 | An arrogant and self-assured sellsword wandering Wilderlands to prove he can best anyone. |
| Kenso San | Human | Fighter level 2 | An arrogant and self-assured sellsword wandering Wilderlands to prove he can best anyone. |
| Minako Konishi | Human | Monk level 3 | Pretty Karakan with grace of a panther and shrewdness of a fox. Silk sash holds here loose trousers in place, while loose jacket rounds up her exotic look. |
| Syd Grundy | Human | Fighter level 3 | Tall, middle aged and scruffy looking man of the wilderness. |
| Tam o' Shanter | Human | Cleric level 4 | A boisterous wine-lover of Losborst on a Great Crusade of the Grape. |
| Thorinda Bung | Human | Monk level 3 | She has blonde hair done up in a tight pony tail and wears light, loose suit. |
| Thorm | Dwarf | Fighter level 2 / thief level 3 | Ashen hair, beard, and eyes. Left his own clan due to financial trouble. |
| Warmund Abendeurer | Human | Fighter level 1 | A burly blonde barbarian; Wilbalt's older brother and the stronger of the two. |
| Wilbalt Abendeurer | Human | Fighter level 2 | A burly blonde barbarian; Warmund's younger brother and a better swordsman of the two. |
Coldrain 10th, Spiritday
“YU!!!”
“KAN!!!”
“THUR!!!”
The monster roared as Thorinda, Syd, Drokh, Thorm, Ignaeus, Minako, Kenso, Tam, Wilbalt fled into the woods surrounding the ruins of castle Yukanthur.
They ran into Anoran Hall, a wandering adept of Promehene, whom promptly joined them in fleeing.
Boulder blocking the cave entrance jiggled and shook.
Ignaeus and Minako took a position some fifty feet away from it.
The monster heaved as it lifted the large boulder.
Ignaeus shot and missed.
The creature grunted and chucked the boulder.
It missed too, much to the great fortune of targeted elf and monk.
They too fled now.
Some of the adventurers went north, others south, circling the ruins.
Loud thuds echoed as the monster gave chase.
It exploded, sprinting with surprising speed.
Ignaeus was trampled without mercy.
But this was not the end.
The monster built up too much momentum to simply stop.
Leaving a mangled corpse behind, it kept charging forward, shouldering Wilbalt.
Muscle-bound warrior dodged just in time to suffer the same fate as his ally.
Seven feet tall monstrosity made of flesh of many men picked up Ignaeus. Them it wielded the elf like flail, smacking Wilbalt with full force.
Alas, the warrior took this one full on; he was sent flying through air, and everything went black when he landed.
Anoran, ran up to the castle and wedged himself into one of the cracks.
He sweated as the monster approached the ruins.
He heard the portcullis grate violently.
Heavy footsteps echoed through the ruins.
Cleric jumped out of the crack and rushed towards two downed adventures.
Tam and Kenso joined as well.
Ignaeus was most certainly dead. His spine was completely broken.
Wilbalt was messed up, but miraculously alive.
“Where did it go?”
“It's somewhere in the ruins.”
“Let's get out of here!”
Two picked up the corpse, and two helped Wilbalt move.
“Up! Look up!”
The monster lifted ballista atop the south-west tower. It was loaded!
“Run! Run!”
WOOOOOOSH!
The bolt missed them by a large margin.
Adventurers did not stop until they reached Ironburg.
There Ambros brought the elf back from the dead.
Coldrain 10th–Shadowrath 1st
The party spent two weeks resting, recuperating, and planning their next step. Surprisingly, their plans did not include plans on revenge, but rather plans on avoiding danger and trouble.
On Coldrain 13th, Earthday, baron Sig and inquisitor Ironwill questioned Kho Rimbo. Magic-user begged and pleaded, arguing that Rall Kyle merely misunderstood him. He was not here acting on behalf of King Racoba, but was simply trying to get Rall to behave more responsibly.
On Coldrain 16th, Airday, baron and inquisitor held trial for Rall Kyle, former de-facto major of Ironburg. The man vacillated between desperation and rage, weeping and yelling in equal share. He was found guilty of treason, corruption, and mistreating the kings' subjects.
On Coldrain 17th, Waterday, Rall Kyle was drawn and quartered. It was a festive day, with Tam giving out free wine. Kho Rimbo learned his trial would be held on Shadowrath 2nd, Waterday.
On Coldrain 19th, Fireday, Ironwill asked Ambros what would be an appropriate punishment for Kho Rimbo. The latter reiterated that Kho Rimbo means well, despite sometimes having slightly unorthodox methods. The former pushed, claiming that Ambros was showing lenience because they were adventuring together. Neither agreed on mutual view of justice.
On Shadowrath 1st, Airday, Wilbalt, Warmund, Thorm, Drokh, Ignaeus, Minako, Kenso, Tam, Thorinda Bung, Syd, and Anoran Hail set out for Castle Yukanthur. If the cave was open, then they would abandon the ruins. If the cave was wedged shut, then they might continue the plunder.
Poster by Lord Jubalon Flux.
Shadowrath 1st, Airday
Party reached the ruins by noon. They spent an hour circling and scouting. The boulder was back; cave mouth was blocked. There was no hole in the boulder. Was it the same rock then, simply rotated, or another one?
South-west tower was the next stop. Adventurers destroyed the ballista. Then they carried the bolts to the well and threw them down. Finally, they descended down.
Gathered on the east side of the underground stream, they ascended and entered the constructed part of the dungeon complex. Stairs leading further down were mere hundred and fifty feet away.
“Which way?”
“Let's head right and explore that corridor.”
Moments later they broke into the chamber where weeks ago they fought three harpies.
They surprised thirty pig-faced orcs lairing there at the moment.
Ignaeus put to sleep ten of them, included all adventurers sans Minako and Thorinda.
While Minako was slapping allies awake, Thorinda was cleaving orcs with her brand new greataxe.
Kenso strode in, slaying one orc. Ignaeus followed, killing four. Thorm butchered two.
Survivors fled west. Adventurers let them escape.
Scavenging the corpses produced one hundred and thirty-seven copper pieces, twenty-five silver pieces, one hundred arrows, eight shortbows, and twenty scimitars.
Party moved south, passing short corridor. There they entered a chamber with screaming, ghostly apparition. No one cared much about it. This room had two more exits, one to north-west and one to south-west.
After briefly checking the northern one, the adventurers made an educated guess it must connect to the corridor where they fought wights. South direction now seemed more attractive.
This led them to a t-junction and an ambush.
They were jumped by five large, tiger-faced beastmen. Each of them looked like they were hit with a shovel, with broad noses and flat faces.
Drokh drew first blood; Minako karate-chopped one and stunned it; Kenso delivered a deep slash, allowing Thorm to finish one off.
Minako continued her assault, striking and kicking vital spots; Kenso likewise continued his surgical strikes. Wilbalt waded in, wielding his magical dagger. He stabbed one of the beastmen. Alas, his involvement also meant his allies could no longer fight effectively.
Syd contributed with his battleaxe; Wilbalt stabbed once more and was promptly bonked on top of his head, encouraging him to fall back.
Kenso hacked one to death; Ignaeus beheaded another one; Minako fisted one to death; Syd cleaved the last beastman's head in half.
Adventurers stood victorious once more. Beastmen had little valuables besides twenty-four electrum pieces and seventeen gold pieces.
Doors were to their left. Another junction and corridor beyond it to their right.
Forcing the doors led to small catastrophe for Thorinda—poor coordination resulted with doors being unstuck just as she was about to shove them, making her accidentally tumble into the chamber beyond.
Her fall was broken by soft, packed soil. The dirt was in a circular pattern, some ten feet in diameter. Outer rim was elevated, while the center was depressed.
“Hey–” she ignored the commotion behind her.
Anoran gazed into the darkness. Two bright red rubies appeared at the end of torchlight. They approached. Slowly at first. Then rapidly.
“Hey!”
Anoran fell back, while Thorm and Kenso took the front rank. Syd and Tam were just behind.
A familiar undead charged out of the darkness.
Their old friend.
Wight.
Will it suck what little life Kenso and Thorm still had left?
Discuss at Dragonsfoot forum.
Subscribe to get the latest post in your inbox. No spam.
Comments
rootring
Prev · Random · Directory · Next