Difference between revisions of "Chapter 14: Seeking the Dire Downs"

Revision as of 07:51, 30 August 2015

About the Saga

Timeframe

• Campaign Date: Planting 2, CY 515
• Real World Date: Jul. 26, 2015
• Read other Obsidian Frontier Sagas

Cast of Characters

• Finn Underbow (Jim), a halfling ranger
• Burgell Nackle (Damon), a gnome bard with dubious ethics
• Tänévir Calywyn (Nate), a young elven ranger who has come to apprentice with Súlimëtasar of the Griffins Guild
• Telthanas (NPC), a half-elven adventurer scribe of the Griffins Guild

Notable Quotes

• None.

What Has Come Before

as "General" Kor, the former down-on-his-luck adventurer has found new purpose, a new religion, and even new competence thanks to a pair of magical items: a rusty gauntlet and a vicious battle axe. Both of these items are holy relics of Hextor ... and Kor has used their power to attract dozens, if not hundreds of followers to them. Together they have taken the old headquarters of the Steel Skull Mercenary Company. This company, led by the now-fallen antipaladin Lord Randall, once offered its services to the various barons of the Pomarj, but secretly coveted their own kingdom.

To that end they forged the Ironbound Warriors, fierce automatons or golems (the stories are unclear on their exact nature) but never had the opportunity to use them. Lord Randall was lynched by the families of his many victims at his ancestral home of Bloodstone Tower, and the mercenary company feel on hard times soon after. Kor, however, has found the company's secret vault and -- if rumors are to be believed -- taken control of the Ironbound Warriors within. Now he works to found the "Wyvern Empire", a force that will drive back the humanoid invaders and establish law and order on the Pomarj once more.

While searching for the Steel Skull fortress, the heroes encountered a band of "Death's Head" gnolls. These creatures were hunting them with the intention of capturing the adventurers and bringing them back to their hag masters. They might have succeeded had it not been for the timely intervention of a patrol of "Wyverns" -- followers of Kor sent out into the Pomarj on a wide patrol. The Hextorites helped defeat the gnolls, a handful of whom escaped with their pack leader.

The enemy defeated, our heroes joined forces with the Wyverns, asking them questions about "General" Kor as they made their way toward the Steel Skull fortress. On their way, however, they were attacked by ol'Triple Threat, a huge and ancient wyvern. They were barely able to fend the creature off, but the fight cost them all but two of their Hextorite escorts. The survivors and the adventurers continued their trek north only to realize that the wyvern was following them. Realizing they needed to make a stand, they sought out an old open pit iron mine that the Hextorites were familiar with. They laid a trap in one of its large warehouse buildings. They rigged a firestorm to be triggered at their command, and then lure the great flying reptile into it using the party's gnome as bait. The trap worked and the wyvern died in an inferno of oil and wood. Unfortunately the rest of the Hextorites died in the fight.

Talthanas, the party's rogue-bard, was fascinated by the wyvern, and explained -- even while they were being pursued by the creature -- that he knew where the monster's lair was. "Reading all those field reports finally paid off!"

The Saga

Planting 2, CY 515

As the heroes watched the wyvren burn, they realiezd they had a problem. It was near dusk and the infereno was going to be visible for miles. It would undoubtedly draw the attention of patrols from the "Wyvren Empire", as well every monster in a 30 mile radius.

At the same time, the threat posted by "General Kor" was greater than they expected. If the Wyvrens soldiers they'd encountered were telling the truth, there could be more than a hundred troops at Kor's Steel Skull Fortress. Coupled with the rumored "Ironbound Warriors" in its vault, the installation was largely a larger threat than they could handle. They could return to Obsidian Bay, report on the fortress to the Griffin's Guild, and see if they could recruit some additional help... just as soon as they dealt with ol'Triple Threat's lair.

Telthanas knew it lie within the Dire Downs to the southeast of their current location. While the strange purple-green aurora that also lie to the east, the riches of the lair were too good to pass up.

They headed a few hours away from the wyvren's pyre and camped for the night. The following day they intended to enter the Dire Downs and find the wyvren's lair.

Planting 3, CY 515

The following day the heroes heade into the Dire Downs. They expected to find more of the same crumbling scrub brush hills they'd been hiking through for days; the party rangers knew that the wetlands of the Verdant Wastes lay much closer to the shore.

And yet seemingly overnight the hills appeared to have transformed. New green grasses shot up through the scrub, while sapling trees shot up two or three feet from the ground. As they continued on, the effect became more pronounced. The saplings became trees, the grasses became a riot of undergrowth. Even the weather seemed to change, drawing in the wet, warm air from the south in surges that fueled distant thunder storms.

Something exceedingly strange was happening and they were caught up in it.

They explored the countryside looking for a place to camp for the evening and came across a sheltered grove. Before they could begin setting up camp they were interrupted by an irate dryad, who was upset that they were trespassing in her realm. Fortunately Burgell was able to calm her down, and the fey creature was able to explain some of what was happening around them.

She explained that the Verdant Waste, located in the southern Pomarj, is an overgrown subtropical forest teaming with all manner of mundane and fey life. At its center is the Green Way, an ancient portal that leads to the Feywild and stranger places. The portal is guarded by the Viridescent Keep and ruled by Prince Selanar a minor noble of the Unseelie Court, and "protector" of the ways between worlds.

The Waste is tainted by the power of the Unseelie Court, who enjoys manipulating it for their own entertainment. It's power has grown slowly over the last few centuries, with the area dominated by the Keep steadily expanding.

Recently -- at the beginning of Growfest -- that expansion surged. Suddenly the scrublands to the west of the Verdant Waste began to transform, new trees, vines, and other plants exploding into existance over night. Their growth seemed to be fed by the powerful green-purple auroras that flickered overhead each evening.

This most recent transformation may not be the doing of the Unseelie Court however. There is a new player in the Verdant Waste: The Green Blight, a young green dragon. The Green Blight and his minions assailed the Virdescent Keep intent on gaining access to the Feywild beyond.

The dryad fears the creature has succeeded and is now wielding powers it can not control. The surging nightly auroras point to some other force in control of the Keep ... and the strengthening of the bonds between this world and the next.

The heroes took all of this in and -- with the permission of the dryad -- spent the evening resting in the grove.

While they did so, Tanevir decided to sneak downstream and experiment with some of the beans in the bag of beans he'd recently acquired. The bean he planted gave rise to a tree with sweet fruit. Never letting on how the tree came to be, he led his fellow adventurers to it, and they sampled the fruit. Most of it was benign, but one of the apple-like fruits caused Finn to surge with heroic competence for a short time. When they awoke the next morning though, the tree was gone.

Planting 4, CY 515

The next day the heroes arose rested and headed out in search of the wvren's lair. True to the dryad's word, the world was even greener than the night before, with some of the saplings they'd seen on the way in now trees rising six to seven feet above the ground.

That evening, as they were preparing to camp, they were set upon by phase spiders. The creatures used their ability to step between realms to great advantage, badly wounding the heroes.

Even worse, the sound of the fighting had drawn the attention of a huge and terrible lizard. The bipedal creature stood 40 feet of the ground and had a mouth full of dagger-like teeth ... and it had heard the fight.

Desperate for a distraction, Tanevir another of the beans from the bag of beans into a nearby stream between the two hills comprising the valley they were fighting in. Much to his (and everyone else's) surprise, a full-size black stone pyramid suddenly rose from the ground and separated the party from the terrible lizard. This bought them the time they needed to defeat the phase spiders, and eventually the great reptile -- which was unable to climb the steep hills -- decided to pursue easier prey.

In the aftermath of the battle the heroes watched as water slowly began to pool at the base of the pyramid. They discovered that there was a not-quite airtight door leading into the pyramid. That slim opening allowed Burgell to use his potion of gaseous form pass inside the strange structure. There he found evidence of a gravity-based trigger for opening the door, but before he could figure out how to use it, two mummies appeared. Deciding he'd rather not fight the undead, the gnome withdrew outside.

He explained what he had found to his fellows, and together they decided to leave the pyramid for another day and proceed on toward the wyvren's lair (assuming that, unlike the tree, it was still around 24 hours later)

Planting 5, CY 515

Another night's rest and days travel took them to the edge of the Dire Downs: a rift in the earth known as the Shattered Cliffs. The crumbling, overgrown hills suddenly ended at a great drop that sheared one set of hills in half. The resulting cliffs towered over 1,500 feet above the ground, apparently the result of some tremendous subsidence in years past.

Telathanas, consulting his notes, was able to lead them to the cliffside that contained ol'Triple Threat's lair. True to the field reports, there was a ledge jutting out from the cliff face, and a cave mouth behind it. They quickly tied together some ropes and dropped down to the ledge ... but not onto it.

They deftly sled into the cave mouth, which was exceedingly fortunate because the ledge was set to collapse if any significant weight landed upon it. They discovered this when Telthanas, the last of their party, dropped down onto the ledge instead of flipping into the cave. The ledge collapsed but the half-elf was saved by the rope he'd been using.

The heroes proceeded deeper into the cave and found a long, wide, curving passage heading down. Uneven boulders packed the passage, and carefully placed poisoned teeth and discarded stingers revealed that the wily wyvren had made rudimentary attempts to trap his lair. After after a few close calls, the heroes finally made it to ol'Triple Threat's lair ... and the riches held within.

Experience

Player Characters

• Burgell Nackle: 2000 xp
• Finn Underbow: 2000 xp
• Tänévir Calywyn: 2000 xp

Non-Player Characters

• Telthanas: 1000 xp

Treasure

Magic

Mantis: (iron short sword, requires attunement) An ancient iron sword crafted by Flan shaman as a weapon against a specific threat: green dragons. The blade has a ragged, serrated edge reminiscent of a insectile claw; the metal itself has a strange greenish hue. The pummel is a multifaceted emerald, while the hilt of the blade is made from a green, reptilian skin.

Its wielder gains +1 to attack and damage roles made with this weapon. Against draconic creatures (including wyverns and dragon turtles) it does an additional 1d6 points of damage. Against green dragons, it does 3d6 points of damage.

'Mantis' is an intelligent weapon that seeks the death of dragons, but green dragons in particular. It has a low, insectile cunning, and speaks telepathically through a series of clicks and clacks, usually representing one word concepts (click-clack "eat" click-clack "hide"). It can communicate with others through the use of pheromones -- these radiate emotions like "anger" or "hunger".

• Abilities: Intelligence: 7, Wisdom: 6, Charisma: 12
• Languages: Common, Fey (speak, read, understand)
• Senses: Hearing and darkvision out to 120 feet.
• pecial Purpose: Bane -- *Mantis* seeks to defeat green dragons
• Alignment: Chaotic Neutral (the sword cares nothing for the laws of men and elf; it seeks only the destruction of dragons.
• Creator: The ancient Flan.

Bag of Tricks (Grey) (fey; the bag flows with a pale radiance in moonlight, shedding dim light in a 5-radius. When an animal is drawn from the bag, the user can hear the faint sounds of laughter and otherworldly music. The animals drawn from the bag share its luminescence for 1d4 minutes after they emerge from the bag.

Eyes of the Eagle (celestial, requires attunementl) when worn they transform the wearer's eye color to a striking gold.

Staff of the Python (metamorphic; slowly coils and twists while held or not watched, requires attunement by a cleric, druid, or warlock)

Delinger's Crossbow (requires attunement) This magical crossbow -- wielded the famed dragon hunter Delinger -- grants +1 to attack and damage. Once per day (renewed at dawn) the weapon allows the wielder to use *Ensnaring Strike* as a bonus action.

Coins

• 800 Copper
• 5,000 Silver
• 1,900 Gold
• 140 Platinum