Month: March 2017

I had a lot of fun playing the main encounter with you guys. Three weeks off coupled with a lot of listening to 4e campaigns via podcast left me a little disoriented in regards to mechanics but you guys did a great job.

Ok, so the session begins with Oban cautiously opening the creaky hatch to the roof to discover a small balding man huddled over some bone piles deep in concentration. He doesn’t notice Oban nor does he notice Kefra and Zarain sneak up through the hatch to position themselves on the tower roof.

The spell complete, the bone piles rise to form skeletons. The man’s head also rises and he recognizes Oban. He tries to convince the others to help bind Oban but Kefra replies with a charge and bravely (?) faces the three skeletons. Zarain charges left and immediately obliterates one minion. Beryn warns the group that he has successfully woken up ALL the skeletons in the tower and that they are coming for them. Oban charges around Zarain and the fallen skeleton to go for Beryn, for that is the man – a little man of little repute that acted as secretary / administrator in Harrowport.

Kefra falls but is revived by Oban after Beryn is knocked unconscious and the final skeleton is laid low.

While Zarain and Oban stay with Beryn, Kefra explores below and discovers Beryn spoke truly – evidence of bone piles along the various floors show they were on their way up. She also discovers the shard in the basement.

Finally, Ardan rejoins the group having injured himself in a reckless (but successful!) attempt to distract the skeletons back when the group was trying to get in.

When Kefra reveals the shard to the group a burst of magical energy emits from the shard and the party’s hit points are restored (equivalent to a long rest) and they get to level up! Now our newly minted level 2 players are on top of the tower with an unconscious Beryn, a limping but otherwise ok Ardan and the entire plains in their view as the skies darken for night.

Well this was a long time coming…

Our adventurers travel out to the Monument Tower with Ardan, trusting to Oban’s general sense of its whereabouts. They find the tower without any problems, however the entrance is crawling with skeletons. How to get in? One of the team suggests a diversion which Ardan seizes on and takes off creating a hullabaloo.

The ploy works! With the skeletons’ attentions diverted, the trio sneak past and towards the entrance. They are discovered but get in and close the gate without too much trouble. Three zombies shuffle over to say hello but are quickly dispatched and tossed down into the basement level in the name of research.

Moving up the floors they find a portion of a letter in a makeshift study. It reads:

“…the ghoul remains harmless (to me), content to just be near the shard. As long as he has bones to gnaw (and I have my potions)… It’s even been amenable to simple commands and shows some rudimentary cleverness. A much different animal than the zombies and certainly the skeletons.

            I shall bring him to you soon. I am learning much of this strange creature. How many lurk in the shadow of the mountain and what purposes could be gained I am eager to learn…”

They also find loot and seem to have no compulsion taking what is apparently someone’s life savings.

Another level is a makeshift bedroom. No one’s around but someone has set up shop in here…

On the penultimate floor they encounter a ghoul but again dispatch it without any trouble at all (the ghoul’s one chance at attacking and it was a critical miss!). It was carrying a few glittery gems.

At each level Kefra led the group sneaking up the stairs and giving the all clear. She is also careful to look out of the windows to try and Ardan. He does not seem to be visible from the windows.

Our heroes are left to open the hatch to the roof of the tower. Will they get a good view? Will they finally see Ardan out there?