(Ooc, we worked through that section pretty quickly but if we acquired a few items of suitable value, or gold, excellent. If so, Sparhawk will pull out the asked tribute without question.)
”Pretty simple, we value information, we seek a cave or cavern in these mountains. I am certain there is no being that would know this area better than you.”
<well, figure out what you want to give him, I guess. I think soarhawk has that everbleeding chalice. I don't think yoi got the shield guardian's thing. I'm sure everyone started with one magic item. I definitely don't track yoir gold. No idea if you have 1000gp among you. Offers that don't meet those criteria receive less help than offerings that do.>
<also, tess picked up a book she never identified, which might be magic? Also you just gave away a unicorn horn. Also Sparhawk is still prone to altered pacing, mood swings, etc.>
Sparhawk pulls a beautiful chalice out of a felt bag. “This is an artifact from a group of ancient vampires. I believe this will more than satisfy your requirements.”
<I figured it out. The disconnect is there would have been several adventures presented to level 9 PCs prior to this adventure in the finished product, but the characters were made based in the rules for the preview, which doesn't seem like an issue except that the preview doesn't include this overland exploration portion. Separately, I was on the fence about what to do with this chalice while you're frozen in time. Ultimately, it is more a problem than a prize for the patron who sent someone to stop you, so keeping it frozen with you on another plane seems perfectly reasonable as a solution to me, and now it'll just be in a dragon's horde. Works for me.>
The dragon looks at the object puzzled, sniffs, then replies, "Hmmm. A cup that bleeds. Certainly unusual. Your gift honors me. Now I shall grant you the oppkrtunity to drink deeply from the font of knowledge I posess. None enter my territory without my knowledge and O have much to share. border patrols, a gnome vale, a hermit's hut, a troll caveb the locations of all are known to me, thekr movements, no mystery."
She sniffs again, smelling something strange on Sparhawk. "But that isn'r why youre here, is it? I haven't smelled such a creature in a man's life. You've confirmed my suspicions. You're searching for the witch-queen's lair. I believe I know the where they are —or at least how to find them. Every evening, great tides of bats emerge from the caverns at dusk and return to them at dawn."
She raises a claw indicating the path around Iggwilv's horn "if you wish to find the caverns, head thus. Beyond the great mountain there is a vale. Do not tarry there, but press on, through the narrow pass. At the watch tower. Turn your gaze east and follow the low road. Where a lone mountain stands, looking as the great mount but far smaller, there you will fi d the bats emerging by nightfall and returning again by dawn. Follow the bats, and yiu will find the witxh-queens lair. No need to thank me for my wisdom and generosity. Its clear you'd be doomed without it." At this, the dragon snatches the cup and with a great flapping of her mighty wings, the dust swirls and she takes flight, Leaping into the air abd swooping over your heads, the wake of her mass threatens to knock you off your feet as she pulls herself ever skyward, departing the valley and disappearing around the bend.
Making your way due south, you depart the narrow valley and travel deeper into the mountains, following the northern ridge of Iggwilv's Horn. At the crossroads where the trail cuts north and south, you continue to follow the path around tbe huge mountain. As the valley narrows to a pass, you notice some movement and sounds coming from a shallow cave not far from the mountain road. Inside, three trolls pick at the remains of a giant goat. The trolls look hostile and are plainly hungry. One sniffs at the air and looks uo feom.its meal, squinting until it notices you watching. "Best be off with you," he warns the trespassers, "unless you'd like to join us for our next meal." clearly not a friendly invitation.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
<this is why you font have much treasure.>
you head south through the narrow pass and beyond the vale, ignoring its inviting vistas per the directions of the blue dragon. The next mountain passage ends at the foretold watchtower, and per the directions given, you follow the path to the left, heading back East toward the Velverdyve river. THie journey takes two days.
As you venture uneventfully toward your destination, darkness, again, starts to fall over the trail as the sun sinks behind the mountains to the west.
Thousands of bats fly out of the Lost Caverns at dusk to hunt. As you observe the bats realize there must be a massive cave nearby for the colony to roost in. REcalling what the dragon told you, you follow the bats to eventually arrive at the entrance to the Lost Caverns. A small track that was once a wider, more traveled road leads to the entrance, but over the decades it has been obscured by rockslides and neglect. At its end, you find the entrance to the caverns: a yawning cleft in the mountainside. Sharp rock formations at the entrance give the cave mouth the impression of fangs waiting to snap together. The opening is 40 feet wide, 20 feet high, and blackened by soot.
Past the stone maw, a wide passage with roughly hewn stairs slants down to hideous, stone-carved faces of the entry caverns
The caverns are damp, humid, and full of life. They echo with the sounds of bats, dripping stalactites, and the cavern's monstrous denizens.
Ceilings. Ceilings are 15 feet high in corridors and tunnels and 20 feet high in chambers.
Lighting. The caverns are unlit. Denizens carry their own light or rely on darkvision to see. Area descriptions assume the characters have a light source or other means of seeing in the dark.
Entry Caverns: This wide chamber is ringed with a mixture of rough-hewn and natural passageways leading away from the entrance and into the unknown. Beside each of these tunnels is a grotesque face carved into the stone. Though each face is slightly different—one has flap-like ears, another protruding tusks, and a third drooping wattles—all are strange and doleful.
<congratulations, you've found the caverns. what do you want to do?>
(ooc Tournament style is tough when we play our own pcs. Don’t know about Cha!jil but Sparhawk would not attack unless absolutely necessary. He offered quarter to the vampire demi god. Sort of like a black belt in martial arts, use violence as a last resort. Trolls eating and warning us off, seems reasonable to leave em alone. Not like they were eating a live human. Oh wells, our loss but I value role playing more than greed with my pc.)
Quote from shimshon123 >>(ooc Tournament style is tough when we play our own pcs. Don’t know about Cha!jil but Sparhawk would not attack unless absolutely necessary. He offered quarter to the vampire demi god. Sort of like a black belt in martial arts, use violence as a last resort. Trolls eating and warning us off, seems reasonable to leave em alone. Not like they were eating a live human. Oh wells, our loss but I value role playing more than greed with my pc.)
If you spoke to them, you might have heard their pleas for help, which it is in your power to answer. A very paladin-y thing to do. A rogue might want to sneak about and steal something they've got. That might seem ignoble, but one might wonder what treasures they might have and feom whom they mightbhave acquired those items. So, even in being a chaotic character, the rouge would actually have the chance to do good. Even a true neutral might just try to trade with the trolls, ehi might be receptive, given the bind they find themselves in. Of course, maybe you'd find it more appealing to assist the other party in this matter, who you might yet meet. Of course now at most you'll only get one side of the story, making the 'right choice a bit harder to make. My point t is, there's not a wrong way to approach the situation, and sometimes turning tail and avoiding a situation will be a wise choice. But the actual point of the thing is treasure. It's the yellow paint of this game style. There was no level progression without it, so balancing risk with reward was the major gameplay loop.
I'm put to mind if the famous 'A Paladin in Hella and thinking: yeah, he doesn't just wait fir someone to screw with him like a monk. He's a holy avenger, not mister miyagi. Play your character your way, but if your character is the kind that doesn't engage with monsters, it's probably the kind that isn't swimming in treasure.
(Ooc I understand your points, and we’ll see what the other pcs want to do in situations. Play by post makes it tough, but would like others input in handling things.)
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(Ooc, we worked through that section pretty quickly but if we acquired a few items of suitable value, or gold, excellent. If so, Sparhawk will pull out the asked tribute without question.)
”Pretty simple, we value information, we seek a cave or cavern in these mountains. I am certain there is no being that would know this area better than you.”
<well, figure out what you want to give him, I guess. I think soarhawk has that everbleeding chalice. I don't think yoi got the shield guardian's thing. I'm sure everyone started with one magic item. I definitely don't track yoir gold. No idea if you have 1000gp among you. Offers that don't meet those criteria receive less help than offerings that do.>
<also, tess picked up a book she never identified, which might be magic? Also you just gave away a unicorn horn. Also Sparhawk is still prone to altered pacing, mood swings, etc.>
(?everbleeding chalice? What is that did he gain it in his solo quest?)
Sparhawk pulls a beautiful chalice out of a felt bag. “This is an artifact from a group of ancient vampires. I believe this will more than satisfy your requirements.”
<I figured it out. The disconnect is there would have been several adventures presented to level 9 PCs prior to this adventure in the finished product, but the characters were made based in the rules for the preview, which doesn't seem like an issue except that the preview doesn't include this overland exploration portion. Separately, I was on the fence about what to do with this chalice while you're frozen in time. Ultimately, it is more a problem than a prize for the patron who sent someone to stop you, so keeping it frozen with you on another plane seems perfectly reasonable as a solution to me, and now it'll just be in a dragon's horde. Works for me.>
The dragon looks at the object puzzled, sniffs, then replies, "Hmmm. A cup that bleeds. Certainly unusual. Your gift honors me. Now I shall grant you the oppkrtunity to drink deeply from the font of knowledge I posess. None enter my territory without my knowledge and O have much to share. border patrols, a gnome vale, a hermit's hut, a troll caveb the locations of all are known to me, thekr movements, no mystery."
She sniffs again, smelling something strange on Sparhawk. "But that isn'r why youre here, is it? I haven't smelled such a creature in a man's life. You've confirmed my suspicions. You're searching for the witch-queen's lair. I believe I know the where they are —or at least how to find them. Every evening, great tides of bats emerge from the caverns at dusk and return to them at dawn."
She raises a claw indicating the path around Iggwilv's horn "if you wish to find the caverns, head thus. Beyond the great mountain there is a vale. Do not tarry there, but press on, through the narrow pass. At the watch tower. Turn your gaze east and follow the low road. Where a lone mountain stands, looking as the great mount but far smaller, there you will fi d the bats emerging by nightfall and returning again by dawn. Follow the bats, and yiu will find the witxh-queens lair. No need to thank me for my wisdom and generosity. Its clear you'd be doomed without it." At this, the dragon snatches the cup and with a great flapping of her mighty wings, the dust swirls and she takes flight, Leaping into the air abd swooping over your heads, the wake of her mass threatens to knock you off your feet as she pulls herself ever skyward, departing the valley and disappearing around the bend.
(Ooc sounds fair to me)
See updated #628
“You have been more than fair. Allowing us to enter your realm is a boon I will not forget”
Sparhawk says in all genuineness.
Travel rolls
18 7
2 5
17 1
Making your way due south, you depart the narrow valley and travel deeper into the mountains, following the northern ridge of Iggwilv's Horn. At the crossroads where the trail cuts north and south, you continue to follow the path around tbe huge mountain. As the valley narrows to a pass, you notice some movement and sounds coming from a shallow cave not far from the mountain road. Inside, three trolls pick at the remains of a giant goat. The trolls look hostile and are plainly hungry. One sniffs at the air and looks uo feom.its meal, squinting until it notices you watching. "Best be off with you," he warns the trespassers, "unless you'd like to join us for our next meal." clearly not a friendly invitation.
(assuming this is not the cave the dragon directed us to, we will continue without disturbing them)
<this is why you font have much treasure.>
you head south through the narrow pass and beyond the vale, ignoring its inviting vistas per the directions of the blue dragon. The next mountain passage ends at the foretold watchtower, and per the directions given, you follow the path to the left, heading back East toward the Velverdyve river. THie journey takes two days.
travel rolls
3 6
9 6
8 4
As you venture uneventfully toward your destination, darkness, again, starts to fall over the trail as the sun sinks behind the mountains to the west.
Thousands of bats fly out of the Lost Caverns at dusk to hunt. As you observe the bats realize there must be a massive cave nearby for the colony to roost in. REcalling what the dragon told you, you follow the bats to eventually arrive at the entrance to the Lost Caverns. A small track that was once a wider, more traveled road leads to the entrance, but over the decades it has been obscured by rockslides and neglect. At its end, you find the entrance to the caverns: a yawning cleft in the mountainside. Sharp rock formations at the entrance give the cave mouth the impression of fangs waiting to snap together. The opening is 40 feet wide, 20 feet high, and blackened by soot.
Past the stone maw, a wide passage with roughly hewn stairs slants down to hideous, stone-carved faces of the entry caverns
The caverns are damp, humid, and full of life. They echo with the sounds of bats, dripping stalactites, and the cavern's monstrous denizens.
Ceilings. Ceilings are 15 feet high in corridors and tunnels and 20 feet high in chambers.
Lighting. The caverns are unlit. Denizens carry their own light or rely on darkvision to see. Area descriptions assume the characters have a light source or other means of seeing in the dark.
Entry Caverns: This wide chamber is ringed with a mixture of rough-hewn and natural passageways leading away from the entrance and into the unknown. Beside each of these tunnels is a grotesque face carved into the stone. Though each face is slightly different—one has flap-like ears, another protruding tusks, and a third drooping wattles—all are strange and doleful.
<congratulations, you've found the caverns. what do you want to do?>
Sparhawk watches the bats, “well, this appears to be what we are looking for. Indeed, the dragon was honorable.”
(ooc Tournament style is tough when we play our own pcs. Don’t know about Cha!jil but Sparhawk would not attack unless absolutely necessary. He offered quarter to the vampire demi god. Sort of like a black belt in martial arts, use violence as a last resort. Trolls eating and warning us off, seems reasonable to leave em alone. Not like they were eating a live human. Oh wells, our loss but I value role playing more than greed with my pc.)
Cha'jil stared into the cavern, not her preferred terrain but if other dwarves could bear it she would also....
She's happy they got past the Trolls without issue......they are way too much trouble to put down for good.......
She points to the ear flaps tunnel, " That one?"
She reached across and touched Sparhawk on the arm. ( Warding Bond)
Perception-13
Stealth- 8
(Ooc I understand your points, and we’ll see what the other pcs want to do in situations. Play by post makes it tough, but would like others input in handling things.)