Putting the 'role' back in role-playing games since 2002.
Donate to Codex
Good Old Games
  • Welcome to rpgcodex.net, a site dedicated to discussing computer based role-playing games in a free and open fashion. We're less strict than other forums, but please refer to the rules.

    "This message is awaiting moderator approval": All new users must pass through our moderation queue before they will be able to post normally. Until your account has "passed" your posts will only be visible to yourself (and moderators) until they are approved. Give us a week to get around to approving / deleting / ignoring your mundane opinion on crap before hassling us about it. Once you have passed the moderation period (think of it as a test), you will be able to post normally, just like all the other retards.

Inactive Let's Play: Way of the Wicked - CURRENTLY ON SESSION #19, Book 4: Of Dragons and Princesses

Grunker

RPG Codex Ghost
Patron
Joined
Oct 19, 2009
Messages
27,376
Location
Copenhagen
Maybe I should update the sheets with religious info.
 

Grunker

RPG Codex Ghost
Patron
Joined
Oct 19, 2009
Messages
27,376
Location
Copenhagen
UPDATE!

New in this update:

- Religion has been added to the player characters ('Patron Deity'), but only in the PDF (get it from the OP under 'Player Characters').

- Character Gallery is updated with lots of new characters. Get it HERE or in the OP. Remember: if you ever get confused and don't know who a character in a session is, you can always grab the Character Gallery for a quick reminder.

- Evil organization sheet is also updated so you can see the current version of the group's minions and resources.

- Cohorts have been updated (note that since we're still just a couple of sessions behind the actual group, one or two of the cohorts might feel unfamiliar).

- Halvard - Jakob's new character - has been added. Since this hasn't happened in the LP yet, don't be confused: Jakob will sort of switch characters in Session #14. All will be explained. But most important of all: two new sessions added! Now we're only 3 behind, and I might add them all in one massive update next time. So we can finally have caught up to the group.

Anyway, without further shennanigans, here are sessions #10 and #11:

Summary of Session #10
We start where we left of, during Week 19 of the ritual in The Horn of Abaddon.

Week 19, later in the day: The group sends a falsified letter to fyrra Valin Darian, the heir to the Victor - and his berserkers from Alerion. The letter states that The White Ravens, The Seventh Knot, can be find in the Farholde's inn and that they are responsible for the troubles in the Horn. Valin and his men seek out the White Ravens and attempt to discover the truth. In the middle of the conversation between Valin Darian and Elise Zadaria, an agent of The Ninth Knot enters the inn and shouts "FOR ELISE ZADARIA AND THE SEVENTH KNOT!" The agent then proceeds to attack Valin. Battle ensues. Valin kills the agent, loses two of his own men, and withdraws, so as to not lose more resources for the upcoming battle against the Horn. In the same moment, Solomon Crowe is unknowingly teleported directly into the Inn by an unknown mage. Battle breaks out between him and The Seventh Knot. While this is happening, Semmemon teleports into the Horn and meets with The Ninth Knot:

Sememmon.jpg


The zhentarim officer explains that Solomon is currently being punished for his transgression against Semmemon the last time the two met. Semmemon is not without mercy, however, and he offers the group a chance to save their comrade, if they accept responsibility for Viktor's due to the Zhentarim. The group accepts and is teleported to The Auld Briarhall - Farholde's inn. Here, they fight an epic battle with The Seventh Knot and emerge victorious - barely. They take Dostan Alfson and Elise Zadaria prisoner, killing the rest of the Knot's members. Elise promises to sign a pact if they let her live. Onni - the leader of the child gang running the orphanage - suggests that the group hire him and the kids. For payment, he demands that the group delivers Thatcher from 'Thatcher's Thugs.' The group accepts.

Week 20: One of the mighties Wychlaran in the land - Sheva Whitefeather of Mulsantir - sends spies to the Horn because she is is suspicious of what is going on, but wants her fears confirmed before acting. The Ninth Knot intercepts this info through a warning sent by Baron Vandermir. They send their minions to take care of the spies. The minions succeed.

Week 21: Crime in Farholde is on the rise after the local fyrra is killed in the Battle of Lorringsgate against Sakkarot Fire-Axe's horde. The thayan population knows that the Rashemi government of the town is weakening, and takes advantage of this. Grumblejack and his band of robbers thrive as a result.

Week 22: Khalili, an influential calishite merchant from a guild in the Mulhorandi capital of Skuld, contacts The Ninth Knot and asks for their assistance to eliminate a couple of competitors:

Khalili.jpg


Over the next few weeks, the minions of The Ninth Knot assassinate different merchant leaders around The Golden Way from Thesk to Rashemen.

Week 23: The silver dragon that The Ninth Knot has heard rumors of attacks Vandermir's mansion. The knot manages to save the baron, though he loses all that he owns (as well as his men) to the beast.

Week 24: A bittersweet fair comes to Farholde. The population is unable to really enjoy it. Solomon Crowe is sought out by a Thayan Knight by the name of 'Skull'. Skull claims to be sent from Szass Tam himself to assist the young wizard.

Week 25: Fyrra Valin Darian and his men have finally had enough. They gather a small army of 50 berserkers and assorted riff-raff and rides against the Horn. But The Ninth Knot is prepared, due to their spy in Darian's ranked. 70 minions lie waiting in an ambush and attack the army from behind, while a small force clashes with their front. Darian and his army are defeated in 'The Battle of the Horn', and the fyrra himself is taken prisoner. Raimon the Wise - one of the Ninth Knots cohorts - dies in the battle.

Week 26: Four Will O' Wisps are drawn to the Horn due to its malicious energies. They eat and kill every last boggard in the Horn, before Viktor talks them into taking residence in the meditation chamber. The Ninth Knot also agrees to provide them with weekly sacrifices.

Week 27: Trithraxus, a gigantic Gorgimera, attacks the Horn. Solomon talks it into guarding the caves instead. There, it drives out worm, who in his anger seizes Solomon's room and... well... "desecrates" it. Viktor talks Trithraxus into letting Worm stay in his cave.

Week 28: Grumblejack is brought to the Horn's inner sanctum to guard the ritual. Here, he gets dizzy, faints, and his horns grow out. It becomes apparant that he has fiendish blood, and the inner sanctum draws out his powers.

Week 29: It is quiet... too quiet.

Week 30: It is quiet... too quiet.

Week 31: It is quiet... too quiet.

Day 217, at the evening ritual: The Horn shakes. The seal that binds Vetra-Kali becomes weaker, and planar energies smashes out into every corner of the Horn. The following rooms are affected (see the map of the Horn):

1-9: Half of "The Death's Head", the room that The Ninth Knot has refurbished into an inn, collapses. Many minions are flung into the open air and spiral into their deaths.

1-16: The fountain blows up in a cascade of energy-infused water and buries the entire first floot in water reaching to a normal man's knees.

1-23: The floor between 2-1 and 1-23 collapses and kills several guards.

2-2: The walls in the room explode and kill several mercenaries.

2-5: Metal bars twist and bend, and five donkeys are let loose and storm through the Horn.

2-15: A giant stone rains down from the ceiling and crushes one of the orphanage kids.

2-20: The pillar marked 'B' collapses into the dobbelt-doors. The guards are crushed.

3-1: The archway to the sanctum collapses and creates a giant, gabing hole in the side of the Horn.

3-2: The bended, north-western wall collapses and opens a new entrance into 3-13.

3-7: The room is completely destroyed and kills a large gathering of mercenaries.

3-10: All cell-doors in the prison pop open. Eight imprisoned peasants die during their escape, while a row of berserkers and other peasants manage to escape from the Horn. Others are caught. In act of blind luck or brilliant foresight, Jandar of Kumar has chained fyrra Valin Darian to the wall, and the open cell-door remains useless to him.

3-11: The northern wall melts away and falls into the valley under the Horn, creating a new entrance into the Horn.

S-1: The wall that seperates S-1 from B splits down the middle.

After these catastrophies, The Ninth Knot only has 25 minions left in its employ.

Day 217, during the midnight ritual: An avoral uses the planar connection that The Ninth Knot is creating into the prison of Vetra-Kali to free-ride into the Horn and attack the group. Four of the group's members handle the ritual while to others help the cohorts win the fight. Worm summons an owlbear that graps the Avoral and manages to keep it from fetching its allies - 8 giant owls - to assist it. Onni loses his life, but is reincarnated by Worm.

Day 218, during the afternoon: The colossal mass of energy that is gathered in the Horn awakes the ground itself. The mud in the caverns beneath the horn come to life as a giant elemental. The Ninth Knot manages to dispatch it.

Day 219, right as the midnight ritual is about to start: A terrible Leng spider uses the portal that the knot is opening to send 6 Tindalos hounds in to exterminate the group:

Clipboard01asd.jpg


The Leng spider plans to use the Horn as its own lair. Once again, the group must leave 4 members to conduct the ritual while two and a group of cohorts kill the hounds. Onni loses his life a second time, this time remaining dead.

Summary of Session #11
Day 220, right after sunrise: Argossarian, the silver dragon, attacks the Horn:

argossarian_preview.jpg


Argossarian eats and kills almost every last minion in the Horn of Abaddon, and then confronts the group. The group is well-prepared for the assault however, and fiery spells combined with oil-drenched ballistas spell death for mighty Argossarian. The dragon manages to eat into The Ninth Knot's resources, however.

Day 221: The group is attack by the hungering Wytchlights - the Will O' Wisps betray them to feast at the energies in the Sanctum. After defeating them, the group is once again betrayed, this time by Ezra Thrice-Damned and her army of wraiths. Ezra is also defeated. Finally, Trithraxus also betrays the group, but is swiftly dealt with. The Ninth Knot is pressured to its breaking point by the continued attacks.

Day 222, sunrise: without the group being fully healed and prepared, they are attack by the adventuring party 'The Sons of Balentyne.' This incredibly well-pepared party consists of Rischedsson Havelyn - the son of Risched Havelyn (whom you'll recall was the fyrra at Balentyne) and his allies. Among these are his scout Erika "The Falconeer" Varning, the daughter of Captain Varning from Balentyne, Meinhard "Mad Meinhard" Mott, a violent berserker and Carthus Donnagin, a shaman from Aldencross. In a battle of epic dimensions, the group is pressured to its breaking point. During the battle, Solomon's cohort 'Skull' betrays his master with a greeting from 'Arkos' - Solomon's former master. The well-prepared group kills two members of The Ninth Knot and turns a third into stone. Durlar and Worm dies, while Solomon is petrified. In the battle's most desperate seconds where everything seems in the balance, Jandar of Kumar manages to force Rischedsson Havelyn onto one of the massive ballistas in the Horn's innermost chambers. Jandar does not hesitate, but grants Rischedsson a first class ticket to eternity. The becomes the turning moment which allows the remaining members of The Ninth Knot to conquer The Sons of Balentyne. The group quickly procures a scroll to save Solomon Crowe from his stony prison.

Day 222, twilight: Solomon Crowe leads the last sacrifice - that of fyrra Valin Darian, the last heir of the victor, Markadian V. When Solomon rips the still-beating heart from the chest of Darian and sacrifices it to Vetra-Kali, the silver seal in the Inner Sanctum explodes into bits and pieces with a furious blast. The living 4 members of The Ninth Knot are blown to the ground - Durlar is killed by the massive quake while the remaining three members barely survive. Fra a hole beyond the darkness, the last cry of Vetra-Kali is heard: "ZA'VO!" --- "I AM!" The demon emerges and The Ninth Knot take care to proceed as the ritualastic scriptures demand. First, they give it the first eye and ask for safety and mercy. Then, they ask for The Tears of Achlys. Their third and final wish is to have the dead members of the group ressurected. The demonic lord accepts the wishes of the group and disappears into Rashemen's night, to spread evil and chaos...

After the deed is done, the group contacts Tiadora and report their success. She delivers them the next task: go to Thesk, to the city of Ghastenhall. Meet there with a man named Barnabus Thrane. Help him, and then gather an army stronger than you've ever had. Use it to invade the Valley of Valtaerna - a vale where a large number of Cormyrian Lathander-worshippers are waiting to assist Rashemen in the war.

Finally, Tiadora hands them a letter from Thorn and rewards them greatly. The letter describes their next task in detail:

b4b9d92a73.png

9af67d9d46.png

Small epilogue on Book 2: like with the infiltration of Balentyne, there was a subtle point system monitoring the success of the PCs in defending the Horn. When they did things to improve the security of the Horn, or when they dealt with security threats, they earned "Security Points" (SP). Here are the possible outcomes:

0-9 SPs: Ineffctual Security
10-19 SPs: Flawed Security
20-29 SPs: Adequate Security
30-39 SPs: Effctive Security
40+ SPs: Amazing Security

The team managed to gather 41 SPs, which was pretty impressive. Along with their results in Balentyne, you might be concerned that The Ninth Knot are handling things a bit too well... but don't worry. Things are going to get worse...
 
Last edited:

Grunker

RPG Codex Ghost
Patron
Joined
Oct 19, 2009
Messages
27,376
Location
Copenhagen
Also, thay wizard with 18 strength. lel

Yeah, the way we rolled stats allowed for some off-kilter results. Solomon's stat range is one of them, also arguably the best array in the party.

He's planning on using Fiendform (see the Red Wizard Spells document) to capitalize on it I think.
 

Erebus

Arcane
Joined
Jul 12, 2008
Messages
4,760
Nice to see more of this.

I had a brief look at this AP a while ago and felt that being MWAHAHA!EVIL over six fairly long adventures might end up being tiresome. Is it actually a problem ?
 

Grunker

RPG Codex Ghost
Patron
Joined
Oct 19, 2009
Messages
27,376
Location
Copenhagen
Is it actually a problem ?

Yes and no. Yes in the way that I think it really, really could be, but no in the way that the AP foresees this and you can also take some steps to mitigate it yourself. The AP is very diverse and slowly ramps up the evil. So while the first book has them escaping a prison (in the evil way - by murder and coercion and stuff), delivering weapons to someone who intends to start a war, killing their own allies (Odenkirk and his crew) and infiltrating a city and its defenses, book two is more about minion and dungeon management and fighting against good parties. In the same way, Book 3 is about dungeon crawling against all the good-aligned foes you never got to use from your Monster Manuals, as well as planning out and conducting an actual battle with a vast amount of minious.

If you ackknowledge this and play to this diversity, you can keep it fresh. It'll soon become apparant that your players have had all sorts of ideas for villainous things. Also, to make sure the player characters don't become flat and run out of juicy evilness, stress that they must find and thoroughly describe a GOOD reason to hate Rashemen/Talingarde.

I think we actually failed a bit here. Some of my PCs have a bit contrived/unspecific reasons to want to conduct vengeance. Our play would have been even more fun than it currently is if all PCs sympathized with their character's lust for vengeance. Villains are better when you understand their motives :)
 

Grunker

RPG Codex Ghost
Patron
Joined
Oct 19, 2009
Messages
27,376
Location
Copenhagen
(goes without saying though that as with any pre-written campaign, how well stuff works depends on the amount of work the GM is willing to put into the game to make it more non-linear)
 
Joined
Dec 28, 2012
Messages
6,657
Location
Rape
I see no reason as to why you cannot RP a flexible "evil" alignment.

Either way, the constant attacks on the party during the rituals and all those betrayals were handled pretty well.
 

Grunker

RPG Codex Ghost
Patron
Joined
Oct 19, 2009
Messages
27,376
Location
Copenhagen
I see no reason as to why you cannot RP a flexible "evil" alignment.

Either way, the constant attacks on the party during the rituals and all those betrayals were handled pretty well.

I was quite surprised at the party, actually, in terms of how effectively they handled it... They scored maximum "security points" and so completed the whole Horn of Abaddon thing at the best possible "grade." Along with their results in Balentyne (next-best "grade") I was getting scared that the challenges might be too easy for them, even though 3 of them have never played 3.5/Pathfinder before.

Fortunately, things start going a bit down hill for them during some of the next couple of sections :P
 
Self-Ejected

Ulminati

Kamelåså!
Patron
Joined
Jun 18, 2010
Messages
20,317
Location
DiNMRK
Every time I try roleplaying a flexible evil alignment, one of the other players decide they want to be a paladin. :(


2 sessions later they start spamming "Detect Evil" and I have to PK them. You can only carry around a thin sheet of lead for cultural reasons for so long.
 
Self-Ejected

Ulminati

Kamelåså!
Patron
Joined
Jun 18, 2010
Messages
20,317
Location
DiNMRK
Fun fact: Just because two people are evil doesn't mean they'll play well together. There can only be one evil overlord who rules the world after all. :3
 

Grunker

RPG Codex Ghost
Patron
Joined
Oct 19, 2009
Messages
27,376
Location
Copenhagen
UPDATE! With this update, we add Session #12 and #13. That means we're only one session short of having caught up to my playgroup! Yay! I'll try to get an update out of the door with Session #14 before December 19, where we will be playing Session #15.

NOTE: If you want to read the latest version of a session, go to Post no. 2 in this thread. I sometimes scroll through that post and correct the horrible spelling mistakes I make when I translate the session summaries. I don't correct anything in these posts.

Anyway, sessions #12 and #13:

Summary of Session #12
The group reads Thorn's letter and travels towards Thesk to the free city of Ghastenhall. Ghastenhall is a small duchy in Thesk, and a city free from monarchic reign. The group soon moves under the radar of the local authorities. Here, the spend som leisure time to take in the city's renaissance-like civilization. Out of the group's members, those who have never been outside of Rashemen are the most surprised and intriguied by what the city has to offer. The group tries spicy fish and cooked exotics, weird markets with all sorts of mysteries, fresh vegetables and... more "cultural" experiences such as "The Golden Palace", Ghastenhall's largest casino and whore-house, located within the city's red district.

The Ninth Knot also gets down to business and meets with Barnabus Thrane - The Third Knot:

Barnabus%20Thrane.jpg


Barnabus gladly receives The Tears of Achlys and promise to deliver them to agents who will spread the disease in Immilmar - the capital of Rashemen.

The war goes well for the nine knots, and Barnabus brings news of Sakkarot's victories. The list of these grows long: Balentyne, Aldencross, Ambryl, Tarrington Fields, Lorringsgate and other small Rashemi villages. Rashemen's berskerkers and hathrans have, so far, displayed some measure of overconfidence as they still believe the attacks to be an abnormally coordinated monster group. Some, however, are suspecting Thayan foul play. Tiadora has done her best to make sure that the Fire-Axe has had a constant stream of new mercenaries and monsters at his disposal.

The Ninth Knot moves into their new base in Ghastenhall - the Crowley Mansion. Here, the make no efforts to decorate the place except that they set up a somewhat functional War Room.

After this, they each spend their downtime for different things:

- Jandar goes to the capital of Immilmar under cover, to find his former love Urillen. In Immilmar, he discovers that Urillen has left to far north-east of Rashemen, and that she seemed lipped and determined when she did so.

- Worm traveled to Coveya Kurg'Annis and was allowed before The Slumbering Coven. They gave him a dreamcatcher and orders to gather special dreams.

- Viktor and Tareth traveled far to the South of Rashemen, to Citadel Rashemaar. They found that it housed a throng of goblinoids as well as a striking, black-haired orcish woman and the citadel's current "lord": Chaul. A gigantic, fat monsterwoman of some type. They made a deal with her to return with weapons in return for her aid.

- Solomon got permission to construct a Thayan enclave in Farholde. The citizens had lost patience with Rashemi rule anyway. He also "forgave" Skull in return for the drow's devotion to Solomon.

- Durlar found out that the 'Ordo Purgatorio' that he had sought could be found in The High Forest of the West.

After their downtime they were sought out by Tiadora, who teleported them to Lorringsgate, where they met with a happy Fire-Axe. He thanked them for the visit and for their help at Balentyne, shouting out their names to his horde and announcing them as equals.

His humour was quickly worsened when Tiadora revealed that the group had need of a part of his army for their own endeavours. Unwillingly, Sakkarot agreed. In Lorringsgate, the group picked up more officers: the first, an Oni by the name of Raiju the Exile. The second a former field marshal and bodyguard for the Iron Lord of Rashemen himself: Thydrim Yvargg. A man by the name of Cyrus Steel.

Cyrus%20Steel.jpg
Summary of Session #13
The session was relatively short and quiet. The Ninth Knot went to work gathering an army.

During the course of this session, the group met a so-called 'harrower', a special form of seer, who used her magic deck of cards to give them a reading.

(In the actual game, we used a special set of Harrow Cards from Paizo, which I got for almost nothing, do the Harrowing. The cards are pretty nice as are the rules governing them (they have ingame effects), and we're going to use the deck much more.)

She gave this reading to each player:

- The harrower told Durlar that "love from an enemy will set him free or make him fall."

- The harrower told Solomon that Skull's resistance to mind control would be the killing blow or the saving grace for the young wizard.

- The harrower told Viktor that someone close to him would betray him.

- The harrower told Tareth that his powers have the potential to kill himself as well as his enemies.

- The harrower told Worm that his body and mind was not his own, and to watch out for motherly love.

- The harrower gave Jandar the most dire reading of all: the probability that he would remembered by history is frighteningly small. If he wishes to be remembered, he must rule over a large area, and the final test will be on his mental capacity and not his physical abilities.

The harrower also tasked them to find a set of especially powerful Harrow cards within the Vale of Valtaerna. With those, much more powerful readings could be given.

After this, the group met Dessiter, a contract devil from the Iron City of Dis, the second layer of Hell:

Dessiter.jpg


Dessiter explained to them that he had taken an interest in their work for Asmodeus, and he offered them a couple of gigantic Nessian Warhounds, if they would sign a pact to kill the leader of Valtaerna. The group accepted.

The group spent the rest of the session looking for soldiers. Tareth and Viktor went to Chaul in Citadel Rashemaar:

Chaul.jpg


and hired some of them for the battle. Chaul sent Durakh Hann:

Durakh%20Hann.jpg


her orcish consort, to lead a small amount of troops. As payment, Chaul received weapons and food.

The group also sent word to their troops at the Yutak-tribe.

Durlar met with the prince of Ghastenhall's underworld, a vampire named Gaius Vestromo:

Gaius%20Vestromo.jpg


He provided the group with a number of vampire spawn. In return, the group agreed to find the Chalice of Aurelius Vestromo, a powerful artifact, and return it to Gaius.

The group also spent a large amount of time searching for an infamous entrace to The Underdark. They have little time left before they must attack Valtaerna... and they still need to send scouts to the place to take a look at the valley, as well as its entrace: a watchtower called Saintsbridge.
 

Grunker

RPG Codex Ghost
Patron
Joined
Oct 19, 2009
Messages
27,376
Location
Copenhagen
Just a short update: I know I promised to get the last episode before we had caught up to the group out before the 19th...

...then the master's happened. We are now two sessions behind the group. Those two will come before we play next time. Promise. Really. Cross my heart and hope to die!
 

Grunker

RPG Codex Ghost
Patron
Joined
Oct 19, 2009
Messages
27,376
Location
Copenhagen
I try. The players help that aspect a lot by digging deep for their inner cliched villain.
 

Havoc

Cheerful Magician
Patron
Joined
Nov 1, 2009
Messages
5,520
Location
Poland
Grab the Codex by the pussy Insert Title Here RPG Wokedex Dead State Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Wasteland 2 Codex USB, 2014 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 Pathfinder: Kingmaker Pathfinder: Wrath
You've created this calendar? Could I use it? I'll be needing to track time after couple of sessions. The best would be an online calendar that the players would always check the date and only I could change it, since Roll20 doesn't have such options.
 

Grunker

RPG Codex Ghost
Patron
Joined
Oct 19, 2009
Messages
27,376
Location
Copenhagen
You've created this calendar? Could I use it? I'll be needing to track time after couple of sessions. The best would be an online calendar that the players would always check the date and only I could change it, since Roll20 doesn't have such options.

I print that. Didn't make it, but it was free2use online, so feel free I would say.
 

Grunker

RPG Codex Ghost
Patron
Joined
Oct 19, 2009
Messages
27,376
Location
Copenhagen
Can this be right? Can this be true? Does Grunker have an update for youuuuu? In-fucking-deed.

First up, I did some spell-checking of the updates. As usual, only the entries in the second post of this thread are updated with spell-checking - so use those and not the individual posts in the thread if you want to read the LP. Also, be advised that I had erroneously put Session #12 and #13 under the 'Book 2 - Call Forth Darkness' heading for some reason. The group has actually begun Book 3 - Tears of the Blessed. Session #12 through #15 are now correctly placed under that heading.

Remember that you can always brush up on player characters and NPCs by reading the PC entries or the character gallery.

Second, an actual gosh-darned update. We will be playing next session on March 27, so expect Session #16 to be up some time after that. For now, sessions #14 and #15! With those, we have officially caught up to the group! Yay!

Summary of Session #14
This session began with Worm's mother attempting to wrest control over Worm's body. During a meditation in a magic chamber of the Horn of Abaddon, Worm had allowed his mother a backdoor into his mind, which he now paid the price for. To assist the group with Worm's troubles, Dessiter offered three options:

1) Attempt to heal Worm with group's own abilities.

2) Kill Worm.

3) Let Dessiter help by inserting a third, more forceful entity in Worm, to ensure stability between Worm and his mother.

The group chose the last option and was visited by Halvvard, a diabolist which now uses Worm's body as a vasal to conduct the affairs of Asmodeus. Both Worm and Worm's mother er still within Worm, contained by Halvvards mental energy. As long as it holds, the group can breathe easy.

Furthermore, the ninth knot finally found the entrance to the Underdark that they had been searching for. Beneath it they found Zhanson Kryr, a duergar city beneath the surface of Faerûn. Here they convinced a duergar king to send his sixth son and 100 warriors to help take the vale of Valtaerna.

After this, the group gave their army the orders to march on Saintsbridge - the wall between Valtaerna and Thesk:



FINALLY my group started failing. The Ninth Knot completely forgot to approach stealthily and shroud their alignment, which got the Saintsbridge's guardians (chief among them two Lammasu guardians) to deny them access. Later, the group attempted a more direct plan: a battle-focused infiltration of Saintsbridge. This also failed, and only the timely arrival of Raiju and Grumblejack protected the ninth knot from total defeat.

Now, the group faced a terrible battle. With three members dead and Tareth badly hurt, Durlar, Jandar, Raiju and Grumblejack must attempt to kill the remaning Lammasu, a watch captain and two clay golems. Otherwise, the entire campaign against Rashemen will meet a dire end...

Summary of Session #15, Part I
By a blend of sheer luck, well-executed spells and a lot of hardwork from Grumblejack and Raiju, the group emerges victorious, just barely. Three members dead, the group's overtaking of Valtaerna is hanging by a thread even before it begins. To procede, they implore Tiadora to assist them. With a snide comment on how the group is supposed to be self-sufficient, she accepts to call in some favors with a few devils if the group can offer her a powerful, willing soul in return. The group deliberates for a few minutes and finally offer up Skull, Solomon's cohort. Skull has no chance but to willingly submit due to his pledge to Solomon. Solomon loses his cohort as well as the benefit from his Harrowing earlier on. In return for Skull's soul, Tiadora calls in the devil favors and ressurect the group's dead members. She warns them, however, that it won't be so easy the next time...

When their minions arrive, the group employs their duergar wizards to cloak Saintsbridge in a field of illusion. Enough to hide the defeat of Saintsbridge from the rest of Valtaerna for long enough that the group can get some needed rest. After their rest, the group proceeds to their largest battle yet: the fight to take Valtaerna.

Interlude - Mamuska Narration #4
"You still haven't told me anything about Valtaerna, mamuska", the young boy said. The grandmother smiled.

"The day before the battle, Valtaerna was the very picture of peace. It was the first day of winter. A light blanket of new-fallen snow could not hide the wild nature of the vale. Most the vale was forest. Not the mighty spruce and ferns of Rashemen, but broadleafed oak and beech. Perfect and giant trees unlike any found elsewhere on Faerûn stood in that valley. They swallowed the light of Valtaerna and cast a golden shade over everything."

Squirrels and small deer patroled the clearings of the vale, and lived like they always had. Birds flew in formation throughout the isolated dale, and many species could be found there which existed nowhere else. A small paradise. Most citizens in the vale had no time for hunting and the like, so nature was primal and the animals acted as Lathander willed it: true to their nature."

The grandmother wiped a single tear from the face of the boy. "There there, babu. Death is natural, and the death that fell in Valtaerna do not seek sobs. They have had enough of such."

She sighed and continued.

"Most of the citizens of Valtaerna were priests and their assistants, with no time to hunt. What food they could not pluk from the trees was brought in by trade caravans from Ghastenhall. The vale and the priesthood was not - as civilization and nature is in so many places today - in opposition. There was a harmonic symbiosis in the vale.

In the center of Valtaerna one could see the beautiful river Parynthus, which was fed with mountain melted water and was chock-full of fish. At the northern end of the vale, large waterfalls flowed from Mount Mitrandius. They charged into the valley and nutured the life there. Fish and water meant birds of all species - hawks, eagles and even aarakockra. But also Valtaernian birds of prey - mountainous birds with feathers of vibrating red."

The boy's smile was returning.

"All in all, Valtaerna was a jewel, babu. It was an oasis of piece and piety near Rashemen. When one felt weighed down by the greed of Ghastenhall or the trials of The Golden Way, one could arrange a pilgrimage to Valtaerna. Settle there for a while. Wash the uncleaniness from one's soul. With the presence of the purple dragons of Cormyr, one was guaranteed protection from the greedy eyes of other nations.

In the shadow of the Mountain of the Phoenix, there was safety in the fact that Lathander loved all of creation."

The grandmother's words trailed off, as her eyes turned sad.

"So it was in the Vale of Valtaerna for many, many years... So it is no more.

Summary of Session #15, Part II
The battle was to be brutal and last nearly 1½ days. The group had prepared well in terms of their army, but was less prepared in terms of tactical decisions. That clash meant a gruesome and terrible battle. The following highlights took place during the excrutiating hours during which Valtaerna was under siege:

1: In the middle of the first fights, the ninth knot's goblins were mowed down by a heavy cavalry of Purple Dragons (elite forces in the Cormyrian army). To solve the problem, the ninth knot sent Raiju and a small group of vampire spawn. These solved the problem effectively, flying around the cavalry and killing their horses.

2: On a small hill, the army is hit by multiple explosions from Cormyrian war wizards (specially trained magicians from Cormyr). With a small group, the ninth knot itself attacks the position and kills the wizards, who nearly kill of a member of the knot. During the battle they manage to capture the Cormyrian field marshal, who turns out to be Caladnei (see the character gallery):

Caladnei.JPG



3: The group's army is scattered by a row of catapult stones raining down.

4: The army is attacked in the back by the ninth knot's small division of mercenaries. During their efforts to gather their army, the group errounesly believed a rumor that the duke of Ghastenhall wanted to take Valtaerna, and they contacted him for help. He promptly gave the group a division of mercenaries and instructed them to attack the army during the fighting. His efforts to warn Valtaerna failed, however, as it was intercepted by Tiadora. The small group of mercenaries manage to take a chunk out of the army before they are defeated.

5: The army is halted by a platoon of dwarfs. The ninth knot throws a division of bugbears at the dwarfs, led by Grumblejack. The dwarfs are conquered, but they manage to kill many bugbears.

6: The ninth knot clash with a barricade which blocks them and their army in half a night, with sporadic fighting around the barricade. At the barricade the group also fight a row of Lathander's athletes in a hand-to-hand combat. The athlete's escape through a portal, but are later sought out and killed.

7: The ninth knot manage to remove the barricade and avoids the traps on the other side. The crush the remaining part of the Valternian army on the other side.

8: On their way to the city of Sanctuary within Valtaerna - the ultimate goal of the group, the army fights their last major battle while the knot itself kill the guardians of the bridge into Sanctuary: two metal-golems in the shape of angels. After a hard-fought battle the group defeats them and takes the city.

Sporadic battles continue far into the morning light and the next day, while the knot's army hunts, kills and captures the last fugitives. All in all the knot fought its way to 47 out of 55 possible victory points. As a GM, I felt they should have been awared less for their efforts due to some tactical failures, but like I said, I'm not one for tinkering much with the fundamental mechanics of the game. The final result of the battle was as follows:

"Victory! But at a small cost. Nearly 75% of the bugbears are still alive, and your army rampages into Sanctum and burn the town to the ground. Your forces, bloodied and furious at the resistance they encountered, stampede to commit countless atrocities upon the citizens of Sanctum. However, due to solid leadership, the ninth knot rallies them quickly, and there are a fair number of survivors to use as the party sees fit. The rest of the army spreads terror throughout the vale, though some of its more unique locations apparantly remain hostile, as injured bugbears return with dead friends. Finally, the ninth knot regains control and takes stock. A few vampires are still alive, and also some of the other allied forces. All cohorts remain alive, though they have sustained griveous wounds. The Burning Tower (the ninth's knots Evil Organization) suffers a -1 penalty to Survival."

Interlude - Mamuska Narration #5
The grandmother continued:

"Yes, babu, so the vale looked, many years ago. Not today.

That day, everything was changed. That day, Valtaerna belonged to The Knot of Thorns. That day, murderous monster tribes reigned in the woods, where the hunted the last remaining survivors from what would be called "The Slaughter at Saintsbridge." That day, vampires and dark dwarfs patrolled the night, hungry for blood and vengeance. That day, all was shadow and death.

The day after the victory, winter came to Valtaerna. The snow fell thick and soon everything was white and grey. The roads into the vale became impossible to pass through. The winter cut off the vale from the world and in a season the vale was the playground of the knot. The sky darkened after the snowstorm, and even at noon the days were never brighter than summer evenings. The duergar could move freely around the vale. Even the vampires who had to avoid the absolute zenith could move about as they pleased for the rest of the day.

Maybe it wasn't the hand of a dark God or the shadow play of a prince of hell which made it thus. Maybe it was simply the early signs of the coming of winter.

Or maybe, just maybe, it was a sign that Asmodeus - for the first time in the game being played for Rashemen - revealed a tiny tooth in the corner of his mouth to let a slight small play over his lips. A smile which would broaden much more before the war was over..."
 

Grunker

RPG Codex Ghost
Patron
Joined
Oct 19, 2009
Messages
27,376
Location
Copenhagen
Thought I was gone, didya?

Well, here's what happened. We were expecting to play @ March 27, but I got one of the worst cases of sore throat I've had. As such, we post-poned till May. Then, as you may know, my father passed way.

Well, long story short, we played session #16 on June 5, and here's a summary for y'all!

Summary of Session #16
Our villains settle in, in their newly acquired (and ruined, and burning) township of Sanctum, the town in the vale of Valtaerna. What's left of their monster army is on a bloodthirsty rampage through the town and the surrounding fields. Our villains have themselves a well-earned rest.

One of the two remaining bugbear chieftains - Hekkarth Headtaker - suggests that the Knot should slay their enemies immediately and construct a bloody pyramid out of their skulls.

Hekkarth%20Hovedtager.jpg


The other surviving bugbear-chieftain, Shagoroth Nightmane, implores the villains to remain calm and interrogate the prisoners frist.

Shagoroth%20Natmanke.jpg


The Ninth Knot accepts Nightmane's suggestion, much to the dismay of Headtaker. Nightmane spends the following days flaying, scaring and murdering the citizens of Sanctum in an attempt to squeeze all possible information out of them.

Subsequently, the Ninth Knot sets out to end the lives of every last survivor in Valtaerna. To begin with, they attempt to scale the Mountain of the Phoenix. As you'll recall, this is Valtaerna:

Valtaerna.jpg


(replace Mitra with Lathander)

The knot sets sail to the mountain, but their attempts to scale it via magic are blocked by an anti-flight ward that send them tumbling to the ground. When they finally deal with the problem, they are engaged in combat with the Flame-That-Sings, a peri angel.

Flammen-Som-Synger.jpg


The knots wins their battle with the angry angel, but must return to Sanctum to rest. Their field-marshall Cyrus Steel shows them to the former residence of the mayor. Not extravagant luxury, but suitable. The next day, the group travels back to the Mountain of the Phoenix to quench the first of three divine fires in the vale - the Guardian Flame - via the Desecration spell and a lot of unholy water. The next day, they receive information from Nightmane. He tells them that the citizens of the township are all certain that an entity by the name of Ara Mathra will stop the knot. He also tells them that Caladnei broke under his torture, and informed him that Cormyr suspects darker forces at work in Rashemen, though most still think the Red Wizards are to blame.

Solomon Crowe captures the soul of the Flame-That-Sings in a talismen and questions it. Through this, the knot finds out that a real phoenix lives on the top of the mountain. They prepare extensively for sucha fight and leaves to kill the creature.

Suchandra.jpg


On the top of the Mountain of the Phoenix, the Ninth Knot suffers what of their most utter defeats so far. They barely scratch the might fire-bird before it kills to of them. The knot throw themselves over the side of the mountain to get away, and flee in all haste.

They manage to escape with the corpse of Jandar of Kumar and raise him by paying handsomely for a scroll, as well as some healing for the negative consequences of the spell. Their resources are beginning to strain because of the lack of a divine spellcaster. The corpse of Durlar was burned to ashes by the phoenix, and the Ninth Knot deems it necessary to broker another deal with the devil Dessiter. For this reason, the knot agrees to sell 130 souls from Sanctum to Desitter - among them the valuable soul of Caladnei. For this, Durlar is returned to them.

Subsequently, the Ninth Knot forgets the Phoenix for a while and instead journey down the river Aiden to attack the Cathedral of Lathander-Made-Manifest. On their way, the knot finds the corpses of bugbears send to scout earlier.

In front of the Cathedral the knot finds a labyrinth, and in front of this, they find a portal to The Happy Happy Hunting Grounds, one of the celestial planes. Here, they kill an angelic huntress by the name of Lea, and then proceed into the labyrinth. The labyrinth is sprawling and huge, and it takes the players cunning to navigate through it. They kill a pack of hunting Blink Dogs and solve three riddles, after which they proceed to the courtyard of the cathedral. Here, Jandar kills Halvard by releasing a trap, which costs the group another Raise Dead scroll and a few teleportation trips to Thay. They manage to quench the second sacred flame of Valtaerna - The Flame Beneficient.

On the steps in front of the cathedral the knot kills three angels and then proceed to the cathedral itself. Here, they open the door to the Lord-Abbot's chambers and fight a lieutenant angel sent by the demigod Crysalis. They send this emissary - Taranea of the Ghaele - back to the Seven Heavens.

As you can see, Tears of the Blessed is our "dungeon crawl" book. The cathedral itself is a dungeon and there are many other fights throughout the vale awaiting our villains.
 

As an Amazon Associate, rpgcodex.net earns from qualifying purchases.
Back
Top Bottom