Episode 14.5 Sixteen MORE Tons

The 5th Editon playtest campaign.
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EvilGenius
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Episode 14.5 Sixteen MORE Tons

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The PCs made their way overland toward the rumored location of the stronghold of 'new' dwarves. Even without Bannock's expert guidance (as he was practicing from the Manual of Bodily Health), the PCs were able to find their way to the correct area of the map.

Once there, the PCs began to find temporary campsites around the area. They didn't look like they were used often, or even regularly, but they were there. Unfortunately, the campsites were also relatively spread out, in no particular pattern, so the PCs were not able to follow them back to the dwarven stronghold.

After a long day of searching the mountains, the PCs found a campsite near dwarven bridge spanning a steep gorge with a swift running stream at the bottom, leading to a decent sized waterfall. Brigga excitedly examined the bridge and determined that it was of dwarven make, and not only that, but was made by HER people!

Excited by the prospect of reconnecting to her people, Brigga took the first few watches as the PCs bedded down for a rest at the campsite by the river. However, a quiet rest was not in the cards.

In the middle of the night several Intellect Devourers climbed up the steep wall of the gorge and began a psychic assault on the PCs. The PCs were able to squish the slimy, mobile brains, but not before Kage and Jareth were overcome by psychic attacks (Int reduced to 0). Fortunately, the Intellect Devourers did not succeed in eating any PC brains, and Quarion was able to restore his companions' intellects.

The following day, the PCs again searched for any signs of dwarven presence when Brigga had the revelation that any signs of her people would likely be underground, not above. The PCs began searching specifically for any openings or caves which may lead to subterranean realms, or steams that may lead underground.

That was a fruitful line of inquiry. The PCs followed a mountain stream and saw in the distance, there was a cave mouth nearby the stream bed. There was a narrow path leading to the cave mouth; next to the path was a steep gorge, some 100' deep. As the PCs followed the mountain paths following the stream, several boulders came tumbling down from higher ground and crashed into several party members. That was bad enough but then the boulders sprouted arms, legs and faces and began bludgeoning the PCs!

After a few rounds of combat, the PCs were able to defeat the threatening rock/boulder monsters. As they investigated the elevated area from which the boulders had come, they found another tear in the fabric of reality, just as they had at the Standing Stones/Elven Burial Ground and at the Weeping Boughs.

However, in the previous two encounters, once the controlling creature was slain, the portals closed. The pcs had slain all of the rock monsters they could find but this portal remained open.

The PCs decided to investigate the cave opening to see if they could find who or whatever was still bound to the portal, however, in approaching the cave entrance, Brigga was overcome with feelings of DejaVu. There, beyond the cave entrance, it seemed as though a large section of the mountain bluff had been scooped away by some force. Brigga looked beyond the side of the cave and recognized the location of her former home, which she and Quarion had last encountered on the Elemental Plane of Earth.
Last edited by EvilGenius on Tue Nov 20, 2018 5:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Another daring escape for the intrepid Spaceman Spiff!
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EvilGenius
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Re: Episode XIV.5 Sixteen MORE Tons

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The PCs set up camp near the open portal on the top of the hill. Predictably, around halfway through the night, several awful things crawled out of the portal, searching for food in the prime material plane.

Onarra was on watch and quickly woke the rest of the party, who immediately took the battle to the pack of Xorn. After a surprisingly hard fight, the PCs were victorious and the invading aberrations were reduced to piles of rubble. Additionally, in the piles of rubble, the pcs found several very valuable gemstones.

After finishing their rest, Brigga, Onarra and Jareth descended into the depths of the cave they had found, which Brigga knew led to her former workshop/shrine.
Another daring escape for the intrepid Spaceman Spiff!
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EvilGenius
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Re: Episode XIV.5 Sixteen MORE Tons

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The three PCs first entered a barracks/storage area, which was abandoned, but did not look ransacked. On the far side of the barracks, a lowered drawbridge covered a deep chasm. Brigga cautiously moved out onto the bridge only to see several prominent statues along the bare rock wall of the chasm. Almost as soon as she noticed them, the statues came to life and started flying toward her. The perceptive dwarf quickly retreated off of the exposed bridge just as Jareth lumbered forward in Earth Elemental form to block the door from the flying abominations.

The gargoyles frenzied attacks proved to be no match for the seasoned PCs, who were able to destroy them without exposing themselves to being flung off of the bridge into the unknown chasm.

Once the threat was neutralized, the PCs crossed the bridge in safety to the larger storage area on the other side of the chasm. They quickly ascertained that the storage areas were empty and turned their attention to the large, double doors leading further in to the smithies. Onarra carefully searched the area for traps, and, not finding any, turned her attention to unlocking the doors. The lock on the doors proved too difficult for her expert skills, though, leading Brigga to attempt to recover memories relating to this place. After some deep thought, Brigga had a vague notion that some things down here may be further protected by magical means, but she was unable to recall anything specific.

However, as Brigga moved forward to examine the door, she heard distinct clicking sounds, and was able to push the doors open. Shrugging at their good fortune, the PCs began to move into the main production area, only to be struck by fast moving blades exploding from the walls next to them! The doughty PCs reflexes saved them from being bisected by the blades, and with a few stormy glances exchanged between Onarra and Brigga, everyone moved onward into the production complex.

This complex was heavily damaged by what Brigga recognized as 'seismic events'. It seemed reasonable to surmise that the damage may have been caused by Brigga's stronghold above this area being somehow transported in total to the Elemental Plane of Earth.

Moving carefully into the rubble filled rooms, the PCs found a storeroom that was used to house precious crafting materials. Therein they found several large intact chests. Onarra once again searched diligently, finding no traps. She was able to unlock one of the intricate locks, finding several heavy bars of mithril within. The other chests were not as easy to unlock, but using ihs elemental strength, Jareth was able to smash the lids in easily enough, revealing ingots of silver and gold. Though undeniably precious, the PCs left the rare metals in their chests until they could arrange to transport them to the waiting PC wagon.
Another daring escape for the intrepid Spaceman Spiff!
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EvilGenius
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Re: Episode XIV.5 Sixteen MORE Tons

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Brigga, Onarra and Jareth continued further into Brigga's now-ruined complex. Vague memories sprung up in Brigga's mind, overlaying her vision of the abandoned, debris filled corridor around her. Approaching the central hub of the complex, Brigga's knowledge of construction and underground structures allowed her to immediately see that the floor of the central hub was dangerously compromised and unstable; so much so, that she wasn't sure that she would trust even a single step into the area.

Down a hallway to the right of the unstable area lay the forge & altar area, Brigga's primary destination. Summoning her arcane prowess, Brigga cast Spider Climb on herself and Onarra and started to cautiously move along the wall the central chamber, while Jareth, still in Earth Elemental form, began to glide through the stone walls. With no mishaps, the adventurers made their way to the smashed double doors that led into Brigga's forge chambers, only to discover that entrance was blocked by an adamantine wall!

Not to be deterred, Brigga cast Dimension Door to bypass the unbreakable wall, relying on her memory of the chamber's layout to ensure that she and Onarra stepped through the portal into a safe space. With a nervous gulp, Brigga and Onarra stepped into the glowing door, just as Jareth's rocky form slipped into the floor again, hopefully to emerge safely into the Forge Room.
Another daring escape for the intrepid Spaceman Spiff!
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EvilGenius
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Re: Episode XIV.5 Sixteen MORE Tons

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Brigga and Onarra stepped out of the glowing door right in the middle of the ForgeHall as Jareth's rocky form emerged from the floor next to them. Everything was still and dark around them, though the three companions had no difficulty seeing in the darkness. Rubble was evident throughout the Hall. Some alcoves were completely filled with fallen rock while others appeared empty of everything but their anvils. At the rear of the Hall, there appeared to be another metallic wall sealing off what Brigga knew to be a supply area. At the front of the Hall, Brigga's personal anvil lay cold and silent under a large stone statue of Moradin.

Bright memories of roaring fires, sweltering heat and the musical ringing of hammers on anvils filled Brigga's mind, only to fade into darkness as she surveyed the familiar/unfamiliar chamber. As Brigga focused inward, Onarra's keen eyes detected movement as she noticed three extremely realistic metal statues near Brigga's Altar start to turn toward the three adventurers. Onarra uttered a warning and drew her sisters's slim blade in a defensive stance.

The three metallic statues completed their ponderous turns, revealing the extremely detailed forms of 3 dwarven warriors. One of the dwarves, armed with two battleaxes, threw one of them which streaked out to Jareth, deeply gashing his stony form before spinning back to the statue. The other two statues, armed with a single battleaxe and and single warhammer, respectively, moved to engage the PCs.

Jareth moved forward to intercept the hostile statutes while Brigga drew her weapons and uttered a defensive ward. Onarra, still under the effect of Brigga's Spider Climb spell, started to move up the wall to get a better vantage point on the metallic golems. The golems moved directly to the PCs and started melee attacks against Jareth and Brigga. As the golems drew close, Brigga felt a magical pressure on her mind. The pressure increased in intensity quickly, momentarily distracting her from the impending combat. In Brigga's belt pouch, the jade owl carving fluttered to life, it's third eye snapping open. The small owl animated, flying out of Brigga's pouch, just as the magical pressure in Brigga's mind reached peak intensity. Brigga's will held firm as she felt her magical connection to the strange Eye of Madness snap and fade, replaced by a new magical attunement with the Serpentine Owl, just as her arcane ward blocked a savage hammerblow from the statue in front of her.

Jareth and Brigga struck back, though their melee attacks seemed less effective than the seasoned adventurers would have expected. After a moment of reflection, Brigga recognized the particular ring of metal on metal and realized that the golems were also made from adamantine! Ducking a hammer blow, Brigga responded with an arcane attack, realizing that her Ignan Axe would have a difficult time breaching the nigh-indestructible metal. Above the melee, the jade owl fluttered, and through her attunement, Brigga could sense the owl sending out some kind of magical alert, probably to someone far away.

Against the backdrop of metallic clangs, thumps and arcane attacks, Onarra continued to climb along the ceiling to the front of the Hall, looking for anything which would perhaps shut down the metallic attackers. The only thing she found, however, were three open trap doors in the ceiling, roughly over where the adamantine golems had been standing before they started their relentless assaults. Looking closely, Onarra could see some kind of residue coating the small pocket above the trap doors, but in the darkness, it was impossible to determine what the residue was.

Meanwhile, Jareth's massive stone fists were making some progress against his metallic assailants. After a few punishing blows, bits of adamantine started to fall away from the statues, revealing something else beneath. Apparently the adamantine was only a shell over something else. As more and more attacks landed against the hostile forms, more adamantine fell away, revealing steel and leather beneath.

Brigga assailed the hammer wielding dwarven statue in front of her with an acid attack. The corrosive liquid hissed and bubbled as it dripped down the creases in the statue in front of her, highlighting something that Brigga hadn't seen at first. The statue had been cast to appear to be wearing a holy symbol of Ulaa, a dwarven deity associated with hills, mountains and gemstones. It seemed an odd choice but Brigga could discern no immediate reason for it as the thing's hammer again thumped against her arcane ward.

Onarra crawled back along the ceiling toward the melee, deciding to aid Jareth against the two metallic forms methodically slashing at him. With an effortless flip off of the ceiling, Onarra landed on Jareth's rocky shoulder and stabbed down at one of the statues, her sister's blade striking off a fist sized chunk of the metal over the statue's heart. With a start, Onarra realized that there was a medallion underneath the adamantine, apparently worn over regular steel armor. The medallion looked like crossed dwarven axes. Confused by what she saw, Onarra shouted out, "I think there might be actual dwarves underneath the metal shell! This one is wearing a holy symbol of some kind!"

Brigga grunted in acknowledgement as her arcane ward shattered under a massive hammerblow. Her arcane might was nearly expended, but about half of the statue in front of her was now revealed beneath the shiny shell. Backing up, Brigga drew her Uncle's Mace of Smiting, only to discover that the strange rune carved on the weapon was glowing now. The dwarven form in front of her advanced, raising a still-coated metallic arm to strike at Brigga, metallic face expressionless. However, Brigga was faster, striking a ringing blow against the adamantine covered portion of her attacker. The light from Brigga's mace transferred to the statue, briefly illuminating the remaining adamantine, which then fell completely from the dwarf in front of her. The form collapsed to the ground and Brigga could see an unconscious and rather ordinary looking dwarf.

Brigga quickly moved up to the other metallic forms still engaged in combat with Jareth and Onarra, and using her uncle's Mace, quickly struck off the remaining adamantine, freeing the unconscious dwarves underneath. The strange jade owl fluttered down to perch on Brigga's shoulder, still pulsing out some kind of magical alert to ... someone.
Another daring escape for the intrepid Spaceman Spiff!
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Re: Episode XIV.5 Sixteen MORE Tons

Post by EvilGenius »

The PCs briefly examined the three unconscious dwarves. One was wearing a holy symbol of Ulaa, while another bore a holy symbol of Clanggedin. The third was wearing impressive full plate with two intricately decorated dwarven battleaxes. It appeared that the PCs had found the missing dwarves from that city down south, Obsidian Bay. B'Narl, at the camp above, would probably be relieved that his mission was now a success.

After making sure that the three dwarves were alive and apparently undamaged, the PCs searched the rest of the ForgeHall. The only interesting feature was the inexplicable adamantine wall at the rear of the Hall. Brigga could think of no reason for that area to be sealed off, and certainly not by such an impressively difficult barrier. As Brigga drew close to the wall, though, her Uncle's Mace of Smiting started to glow again. Planting her feet, Brigga struck a resounding blow against the metallic barrier, only to witness the same effect as against the adamantine encased dwarves. The glow from the Mace transferred to the wall, briefly illuminating it, then causing the wall to crumble before them, revealing something very different from Brigga's memory.

Before them was a 2' dais that ran the width of the ForgeHall. Upon it rested a 15' high statue of Berronar Truesilver, dwarven diety of home and hearth, the protector of dwarven society and wife of Moradin. Berronar's arms were stretched wide, one hand open, but the other held a very familiar looking hammer. Brigga immediately recognized the hammer as her former self's signature weapon, grimacing once again at the recently recovered memory of that hammer spinning toward the back of Bannocks head.

Pushing down the unpleasant memories, Brigga stepped forward to examine the statue. There appeared to be no way to remove her hammer from the statue's hand. It was ... fused ... to the statue somehow. Looking over the rest of the statue for clues, Brigga found a rune on the palm of the statue's open hand. The rune matched the strange rune that had been added to her uncle's Mace of Smiting.

Brigga placed her uncle's Mace in the statue's open hand, somehow not surprised as the statue's hand closed tightly around the weapon, fusing it into the statue. Berronar's other hand then opened, releasing Brigga's Hammer. With some trepidation, Brigga took her weapon from the statue and looked it over. The exquisite weapon felt perfectly crafted for her hand, and despite some distasteful memories, Brigga felt as though another puzzle piece of her former life had just been put back in place.

Brigga turned the weapon over, remembering it in intricate detail, but then noticed something new on the weapon. A raised holy symbol of Berronar Truesilver, two intertwined silver rings, had been prominently added to one side of the hammer. Brigga could think of no reason for the addition, nor why the hammer was being held here, by a statue of Berronar. Clearly, there was more to learn, though nothing else here seemed to shed any light on the matter.
Another daring escape for the intrepid Spaceman Spiff!
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