Dragon Me Down

Naoidheamh 18-24, 6638; next holiday, Beastnight, 9/35

The Party:

• Rig Bigny, Gnomish Beastmaster
  • Flit, the bat familiar
  • Clench, the Wardog War-Badger
  • Midnight, the Panther
  • Faufe Yitaw, Dogwere (Badgerwere?)
    • Rawf, Wardog familiar
    • Aroof, Wardog familiar
  • Llarm Paphyra, Elvish Polydoctorate
    • The Metal Man, construct
• Caranthir, Human Leader of Men
  • Rhea Trueheart, Elvish Nightblade
  • Lucille "Luce" Burwood, Fighter
  • Elenora Garrard, White Mage
• Gróin of Norston, Dwarven Sapper
  • Laurita Gomez, Priestess
• Quetgar, Thrassian Assassin
  • Zarc, Thrassian Gladiator
• Sorvald, Thief
• Good Question, the Wonderworker
• Gianna, a Gnomish Trickster

The party flew onward... two flying characters, a mage and a thief, crossed their path; they also broke bread (well, whale blubber) with a caravan of 30 men. Later, a group of 21 skeletons was quickly turned. A group of bugbears wandered past, but didn't see their camp. 15 hoarfrost zombies were destroyed, and finally, they reached the edge of the blasted wasteland around the tower.

They were able to fly a good way in, close enough to see the tower... but a raging storm kept them earthbound. Gróin, with his fancy wind-proof hat, managed to get a little farther, but in the end, even he had to turn back. That meant traveling through the maze on foot...

Inside the maze, they found 15 mastodons; a cheerful conversation with Rig convinced them the party was no harm to them, and they were able to get a general idea of how to get out of the maze. They warned the group of a huge dragon, and a "bitey bat man". Rig thanked them, and they once again moved on.

A group of 10 thoghrin were camped in the maze; they were put down quickly, leaving a fair amount of treasure behind. Continuing on, they fought two frost salamanders, a pair of cave bears, and found the tunnels of a number of remorhaz. Finally, their trek was complete - they had made it to the tower.

Inside was nothing but a winding stair; up and up it went, finally coming to a stop in a room full of illusionary treasure. A huge stair lead upwards, and a door opened to the outdoors. The stair, unlike the others, was well-worn. And at the top... waited a dragon. A massive, 120 foot long, white dragon. Giana, alarmed at the creature, immediately went for her go-to, and tried to seduce the beast. Unfortunately, her finger-guns must have misfired, as the dragon was absolutely unimpressed. It probably didn't help that the dragon was female, either...

After some whispered conversation, the party decided that they could take the beast. They began their assault; the dragon breathed a blast of frosty breath at them, and Giana fell! The thief fired an arrow of dragon killing... and missed. Quetgar, being Quetgar, dashed around to the back of the beast and dug under its massive scales, trying to destroy it from behind. The dragon turned, raining down blows, but managed to land only one. The party pressed their advantage, and in only two rounds of combat, the monster lay dead atop its treasure.

Of course... that wasn't the only thing in the room. Caranthir, wondering at the lowly amount of gold, asked everyone to search for hidden doors; and, indeed, a door was found in the ceiling. Quetgar leaped up, caught the latch, and opened it, causing a ladder to extend. At the top, he found piles of dusty boxes. Turning to tell the others, he barely missed being shoved out of the loft! He spun to see a man in a tattered cloak, sporting some rather interesting teeth... a vampire!

Quetgar had a bit of experience with vampires, and quickly slid down the ladder to the ground...

• Experience from treasure:
  • 2,000 Silver (2 st, 200gp)
  • 1,000 Platinum (1 st, 2000gp)
  • 1 crates of monster parts (5 st, 300gp)
  • 1 crates of terra-cotta pottery (5 st, 100gp)
  • 2 pouches of saffron (30gp)
  • 3 crates of armor and weapons (30st, 675gp)
  • 3 crates of glassware (15 st, 600gp)
  • 6 pouches of wolfsbane (60gp)
  • 12 rolls of garishly dyed cloth (48st, 120gp)
  • 208 animal horns (42st, 3160gp)
  • 6 amethyst cylinder seals depicting religious scenes (7,200gp)
  • 63 typical fur capes (63st, 6300gp)
  • 1 jar of dye (5st, 50gp)
  • 30 bundles of bear pelts (90st, 450gp)
  • 1 Agate (25 gp)
  • 1 citrine (50 gp)
  • 1 lapis lazuli (25 gp)
  • 1 malachite (10 gp)
  • 1 Facet cut imperial topaz (4,000 gp)
  • 1 flawless diamond (4,000 gp)
  • 1 topaz (500 gp)
  • 1 alexandrite (500 gp)
  • 1 bronze jewelry (160 gp)
  • 1 jacinth (1,000 gp)
  • 2 lapis lazuli (50 gp)
• Total experience from treasure (once sold): 31,565 XP (which is 4,509 XP each for Caranthir, Quetgar, Gróin, Sorvald, GQ, and Gianna, and 2,255 XP for Elenora and Laurita.)
• Additional treasure from before: 80,916 (which is 16,183 each for Caranthir, Quetgar, Gróin, and Sorvald, and 8,092 for Elenora and Laurita.)
• Total weight of treasure (not counting magical treasure, counting previously gained treasure): 322 st
• Experience from encounters:
  • 2 NPCs (ignored)
  • caravan of 30 men (traded)
  • 21 skeletons (273)
  • 17 bugbears (ignored)
  • 15 hoarfrost (1200)
  • 15 mastodons (friendly)
  • 10 throghrin (800)
  • 2 frost salamanders (4200)
  • 2 cave bear (640)
  • 1 massive, venerable, white dragon (20250)
• Total experience from encounters: 27366
• XP per PC: 4561
• XP per henchman: 2280

As a note, a Bag of Holding: is large enough to fit an object that is 10' x 5' x 3'. Regardless of what is put into the bag, it weighs a maximum of 6 stone but holds up to 100 stone. I'm going to assume the 10' x 5' x 3' measurement is the size of the object that can be placed into the bag; nothing that doesn't fit within that space can fit into a bag of holding. However, any amount of treasure can fit, up to 100 stone. At the moment, the treasure available is 322 stone; while the original amount (66 stone) fit in the bag just fine, the new treasure just isn't going to fit, unless you can source two more bags of holding.

Next, magical treasure! Not all of it has been identified; one item was identified as cursed, and all items are magical.

• 3x Treasure Maps; one to a cliffside in the Wild Plains, one near the Mountain Dwarves, and one in the desert, just over the Ridge.
• 7 potions, yet to be tested
• Scroll of Ward against Elementals
• Scroll of Ward against Undead
• 3x Rings, untested
• 2x staffs, untested
• A bag, untested
• Boots of Traveling and Springing
• A shiny helmet, untested
• 3 swords, one of which is cursed, untested
• 3 arrows, likely +1
• 1 dagger, untested
• Ring Mail Armor, untested
• 2x shields, untested
• Leather Armor, untested
• A black box, wrapped in cloth; locked and untested

Last but not least, new characters starting at this point will begin with 64294 XP and 160,000 gp, which can be traded for magical items. Remember that you can "frivolously spend" gold (donating it, burying it, throwing it in the river, burning it as an offering, sending it home to your family, etc. - anything that essentially wastes it to no benefit to yourself) to build up bonus XP for your next character.

Hot and Cold Running Encounters

Naoidheamh 6-18, 6638; next holiday, Beastnight, 9/35

The Party:

• Rig Bigny, Gnomish Beastmaster
  • Flit, the bat familiar
  • Clench, the Wardog War-Badger
  • Midnight, the Panther
  • Faufe Yitaw, Dogwere (Badgerwere?)
    • Rawf, Wardog familiar
    • Aroof, Wardog familiar
  • Llarm Paphyra, Elvish Polydoctorate
    • The Metal Man, construct
• Caranthir, Human Leader of Men
  • Rhea Trueheart, Elvish Nightblade
  • Lucille "Luce" Burwood, Fighter
  • Elenora Garrard, White Mage
• Gróin of Norston, Dwarven Sapper
  • Laurita Gomez, Priestess
• Quetgar, Thrassian Assassin
  • Zarc, Thrassian Gladiator
• Sorvald, Thief
• Good Question, the Wonderworker
• ???, a Gnomish Trickster

After a night of flying, the adventures landed to begin setting up camp. However, before they could manage it, the ground beneath their feet began to sink! Most of the crew took to flight immediately, leaving the ever-capable Quetgar and the inexperienced Sorvald to fend for themselves. Quetgar waited until one of the sinkholes revealed a multi-legged monster, and struck - only to be burned by the intense heat radiating from within it! Already down to half hit points, Quetgar headed for the others. The beasts followed; before Caranthir could fly down and pick him up, one of the monsters swallowed him whole! Laurita used a distance healing spell to heal him and a good thing, too, as the intense heat from the monster was cooking him quickly! Between the boulders and other spells from Gróin and the freezing breath attacks from Caranthir, the monster was quickly dispatched. Quetgar was snatched away by Caranthir... which left poor Sorvald alone with the monsters. It was barely one hit before the poor thief was laid out on the ground. As the three remaining monsters tried to split the poor fellow, Gróin fired more rocks in their midst, and eventually, the creatures were dead.

Once their white-hot skin had cooled, the party ripped them open, lugging out the treasures the huge beasts had devoured. Inside, they found a veritable treasure-trove, including some magical objects (listed at the end, for space reasons).

Flying on, they encountered four frost giants, who used their shelter as a lovely chair for an hour, and a few days later, managed to outrun five wraiths. And then... they met three dragons. After some quick thinking, Caranthir managed (somehow) to convey to Elenora that he was willing to trade the lives of a few of his compatriots for free passage. Alas, the dragons didn't get their meal. The two sides attacked simultaneously, the dragons managing to cast a fireball and some buffing spells. Quetgar leaped onto the back of the largest dragon, and did some heavy damage; the other two dragons attacked, but were unable to budge the lizardman, and soon, the eldest dragon was plummeting to the earth. Caranthir promised to heal the dragon, if the others would not pursue them; the dragons agreed, and the party flew off into the night once more.

They passed over three frost salamanders, and then, during a windstorm, they caught the sound of singing on the wind. Someone was singing "A Whole New World" - and moments later, they caught sight of a good-looking gnomish woman, riding a flying carpet beside a snake wearing a turban. She plowed into Caranthir, and, sliding across his back, pointed at Quetgar. "How you doin'?"

Quetgar, taken aback, was enchanted by the gnome. Quite literally; her words charmed him! Caranthir was not as impressed, but the rest of the party seemed happy enough to let her join their motley crew. Flying on, they encountered a group of 80 hoarfrost zombies, which Gróin happily Turned. On they went, finally coming to the marked treasure: a cube of frost resistance. Quetgar, unused to the bitter cold, hugged the device to himself and refused to let it go.

Now, as for treasure... There were two swords, one a +1, and the other a Sword +1, +3 versus summoned creatures Sword +1, light 30' radius; an Axe, tested to be at least a +2; two Scrolls of Ward against Elementals, a Scroll of Ward against Undead, a scroll of Scroll of Ward against Lycanthropes, Boots of Traveling and Springing, a Potion of Treasure Finding, and of course, the Cube of Frost Resistance. Other treasure is detailed below.

• Experience from treasure:
  • Clothing, 4 stone total:
    • 1 rich fur cape (1,300gp)
    • 1 rich fur cape (1,400gp)
    • 1 rich fur cape (2,100gp)
    • 1 rich fur coat (6,000gp)
  • Jewelry and Gems, 1 stone total:
    • 1 Black pearl (2,000 gp)
    • 1 emerald (1,000 gp)
    • 1 Alabaster jewelry (700 gp)
    • 1 chryselephantine jewelry (400 gp)
    • 1 emerald regalia (13,000 gp)
    • 2 Fine wood jewelry (900 gp)
    • 1 ivory jewelry (700 gp)
    • 1 scrimshaw jewelry (16 gp)
    • 1 sapphire regalia (5,000 gp)
    • 1 opal jewelry (3,000 gp)
  • Carvings, statues, etc., 11 stone:
    • 3 platinum reliquaries with crystal panes (24,000gp)
    • 12 alabaster and jet game pieces with jeweled eyes (10,800gp)
    • 21 jade carvings of heroes, monsters, and gods (4,200gp)
    • 1 statuettes (1 stone) (800gp)
    • 3 statuettes (4 stone) (3,600gp)
• Total experience from treasure (once sold): 80,916 (which is 16,183 each for Caranthir, Quetgar, Gróin, and Sorvald, and 8,092 for Elenora and Laurita.)
• Experience from encounters:
  • 4 remorhaz (19,200 xp)
  • 4 frost giants (avoided)
  • 5 wraiths (evaded)
  • 3 dragons (10,670 xp)
  • 3 frost salamanders (avoided)
  • 4 frost giants (ignored)
  • 9 hoarflesh (720 xp)
• Total experience from encounters: 30,590
• XP per PC (except the Trickster): 6,094
• XP for the Trickster: 120
• XP per henchman: 3,047

The treasure haul is quite large; most of it should sell in the village of the Northern People, but some of the larger items may need a different city. The reliquaries, especially, will likely need to be sold to a church. The XP for those items will be given out once the items have sold.

Additionally, new characters starting at this point will begin with 62014 XP and 160,000 gp, which can be traded for magical items.

And one final note... things are beginning to happen in Mareten, and across Mor-Thir; actions and reactions. The party has gained some significance, and are fairly recognizable now, at least the core group.

Hark, A Quest!

Ochdamh 2 - Naoidheamh 6, 6638; next holiday, Beastnight, 9/25

The Party:

• Rig Bigny, Gnomish Beastmaster
  • Flit, the bat familiar
  • Clench, the Wardog War-Badger
  • Midnight, the Panther
  • Faufe Yitaw, Dogwere (Badgerwere?)
    • Rawf, Wardog familiar
    • Aroof, Wardog familiar
  • Llarm Paphyra, Elvish Polydoctorate
    • The Metal Man, construct
• Caranthir, Human Leader of Men
  • Rhea Trueheart, Elvish Nightblade
  • Lucille "Luce" Burwood, Fighter
  • Elenora Garrard, White Mage
• Gróin of Norston, Dwarven Sapper
  • Laurita Gomez, Priestess
• Quetgar, Thrassian Assassin
  • Zarc, Thrassian Gladiator
• Sorvald, Thief
• Good Question, the Wonderworker

The party bought some supplies at the Guard's Day celebration, then moved on to visit the King, hoping to destroy the Scale in his keeping...

Upon visiting the king, Caranthir noticed Luce was acting strangely. He had a suspicion... and it was confirmed. Luce was, in fact, a princess, the daughter of the king. Hypothetically, she was staying at some resort, but surely that ruse wouldn't last much longer. Her 18th birthday is in January, and quite a lot of important stuff happens then. Caranthir promised to keep her secret.

The king refused to allow them access to the scale. He did, however, mention a quest that may strengthen his trust... a quest to the Queen of the Winter Fey. However, the party was given a letter of passage; no Winter Fey were allowed to harm them, as long as they did not harm any Winter Fey.

Along the way, they met and killed three wyverns, avoided a couple of basilisks, and found an 8 headed Hydra, which Quetgar decided to bomb. While his aim was true, the hydra was, unfortunately, a regenerating hydra! Beheaded in a single round, only a couple rounds later, it sported new noggins, and continued sprouting replacements until it had a total of 12 heads! After many rounds of combat, and a few lucky strikes by the bothersome beast, Caranthir decided to call it a day. He and Quetgar took off, leaving the now 12-headed hydra alive.

The next night, they were attacked by another fearsome creature - a frost salamander! Its intense cold aura injured several of the party, but it was eventually vanquished. Not long after, they came across 16 zombies, trudging wearily through the snow, and ended them quickly. They camped near a village of trolls, but parted peacefully.

• Experience from treasure: none
• Experience from encounters:
  • 3 wyverns (4800)
  • 2 basilisks (avoided)
  • 1 8 12 headed hydra (escaped)
  • 1 frost salamander (2100)
  • 16 zombies (464)
• Total experience: 7364
• XP per PC: 921
• XP per henchman (excluding those that remained behind): 460
• XP for new players: 64557