Xin-Shalast at Last (04/25/2015)

After several weeks of slogging through the snow, across mountains passes, down deep ravines, and fording across raging icy rivers, the heroes stood on a road. A real road. Svevenka had led the heroes safely through the Fens of the Icemists and stated that the fabled city of Xin-Shalast was but a few days away. The party had come so far, been through so much in a relatively short time, the lure of the last city drew them ever onwards, and ever upwards, deeper into the Kodar Mountains.

Inside Xin-Shalast (07/10/2015)

After the battle at the gates against the kuchrima’s the heroes had now entered the fabled city of Xin-Shalast, but knew they still had a long way to go. Who was that lone stone giant, and why had he given them the warning? Why were the “troops” that appeared shortly thereafter seemingly happy at the scene they had found? And most ominously, there had been a large shadow cast by something that flew overhead, something that emanated a sense of fear, even among those who could not see it – and what other secrets lay ahead?

Wendigo Dreams (03/28/2015)

The heroes had fought their way through the various haunts that infested the Vekker Brothers cabin, and while they had discovered what had happened here long ago it still wasn't clear why it had happened. The final haunt, the spirit of Silas Vekker himself, had told the party that if they would help him reconcile with his brother Karivek he would return the favor by revealing the way to Xin-Shalast. The party decided to take him up on his offer, but their night of rest was plagued with twisted dreams of cannibalism, which just reinforced the still remaining question: what had happened here all those years ago?

The Vekker's Cabin (03/14/2015)

Given the information Brodert Quink had previously provided them and with the general knowledge of where they were to go the heroes immediately started discussing what preparations they would need to make for a spending an extended period in the severe climate of the Kodar Mountains. Cold weather gear was acquired, weapons and spells were chosen, and plans and tactics were finalized, until one day the party members set out for the town of Janderhoff, the last place the Vekker brothers had been seen.

Rise of the Runelords - Chapters 1-5 Recap

DM Note: As we enter the final chapter of the Pathfinder's Rise of the Runelords adventure path I wanted to take a moment to briefly recap the last 2+ years of game play. There are some hints in here of things yet to come,but mostly this is just a fun jaunt through where we have been and what we have done. We have completed more than 40 game sessions so far, and while not every session is linked to below, links are included to many of the blog recap sessions. This has been great fun for all and we are looking forward to what is yet to be revealed in the final chapter.

The Secret of Runeforge (02/28/2015)

The heroes had cleaned out the last great hall in Runeforge, the Halls of Wrath. They now had in hand all of the magical components they were looking for, so the remaining task was to present these components back at the runeforge pool in the main hall to create the weapons necessary for their eventual final fight with Karzoug's forces, and maybe even Karzoug himself. That, and find a way out of Runeforge, all while avoiding an Ancient White Dragon who had been stalking them. What could go wrong?

The Halls of Wrath (01/17/2014)

Runeforge contained seven different halls, each associated with a specific runelord. In the 10,000 years that have passed since the runelords disappeared the residents of these halls have been kept alive by the Runeforge's powerful magic, but the long years have taken their toll on the sanity of the residents of these halls. Their hate and resentment of each other had continued to burn bright though, and each had kept their secrets through the many years. The party had only one hall left to investigate, the Halls of Wrath. Once the heroes collected the final magical compenent they hope to create a great weapon and be able to stand up to Runelord Karzoug himself. That, plus there was still a Great White Dragon lurking around here somewhere.

Hall of the The Shimmering Veils (11/29/2014)

Vraxeris

Our last meeting as the party had drawn the attention of the defenders of the Hall of the Shimmering Veils. All seven of the defenders were identical: an immaculately dressed human man with shoulder-length blond hair. They spoke with one sonorous voice in Thassilonian: "The master is in study - he is not to be disturbed. Please keep your screaming to a minimum while you are punished for daring to venture this close to his magnificence." As they raced into the room they all went Invisible and began to surround the party as they cast their spells.

The Iron Cages of Lust, Pt 2 (11/22/2014)

The heroes had just had a close call in the Iron Cages of Lust. They looked to have the evil succubus Delvahine and her two defenders on the ropes. The defenders - a pair of Shining Child's - both hit the mighty Stike with Scorching Rays and knocked out the big fighter. Reynard had quickly used a Teleport to whisk the heroes away to safety, but the party knew they had missed a good opportunity.

The Iron Cages of Lust, Pt 1 (10/03/2014)

The Grand Cathedral of the Iron Cages of Lust might have been opulent, but it’s inhabitants had been less than kind to the party. Delvahine's alu-demon children - Eryalla, Lelyrin, Voivod, and Zevashala – had taunted and tormented the heroes, but when that didn’t work they had swooped in and attacked the party with their ranseuers. Stike’s Protection from Evil had held off the worst of their attacks and eventually the party had been able to drive them away, but they knew they would be seeing the four sisters again.

The Festering Maze, Pt. 2 (09/19/2014)

Having fought and slogged their way through most of the swampy filth of the Festering Maze only a large wooden door remained unopened in front of them. A Quasit had been seen darting through this door as the party had approached, so the heroes knew it was very unlikely they would be able to surprise whoever – or whatever – might be awaiting them on the other side of that door. Listening at the door the heroes could hear the gurgle of pouring water, but no further evidence of who - or what - lay beyond.

The Festering Maze, Pt 1 (08/29/2014)

The air grew thick and foul-smelling in this chamber, yet the vaporous stink here was nothing compared to the insult to the senses elsewhere. Slime encrusted the walls in swaths of sickly brown and noxious green. A foamy sewage channel ran along a slippery walkway, the thickly shuddering skin atop the slowly churning fluid that seemed to hint that, despite its repulsive appearance and smell, something lurked in those depths. Although they bore a striking resemblance to sewers both in appearance and scent, the tunnels of the Festering Maze were not designed for that intent.

The Ravenous Crypts Pt 2 (07/25/2014)

The heroes had successfully fought off at least a dozen Thassilonian Mummies and other horrors including Xyoddin Xerriock during their exploration of the Ravenous Crypts. The cruel necromantic laboratories revealed the remains of several bodies that were in the process of being used for their foul experiments. The bodies seemed to have been taken from the recently destroyed Abjurant Halls of Envy – what precluded this war among the remaining members of the Runeforge was not clear yet, but what happened to the remains of the dead was now revealed.

The Ravenous Crypts (07/11/2014)

Instead of the DM making the standard 30 minute trek to join the Friday Night group in Naperville, IL, this week the Friday Night group made the 30 minute trek to join the DM at The Fabulous Mills House™ in lovely Geneva, IL. We had a late start to accommodate those returning from the Cubs game that afternoon, but it was a great night weather-wise and we were able to sit in the kitchen with the windows open and a cool summer breeze. The Fabulous Mrs. DM™ prepared snacks and pull pork sandwiches – who could ask for more?

The Vault of Greed (06/06/2014)

The adventurers have fought (and thought) their way into the mysterious and long lost Halls of Runeforge, the ancient school of magic created by the Runelords some 10,000 years previous. The key to defeating Runelord Karzoug was thought to lay somewhere within these walls, but the party was certain that trouble would await at every turn. They had initially visited the Abjurant Halls of Eager Striving (Envy, Abjuration), only to have found a recent battle of epic proportions had taken place and the inhabitants killed and the once beautiful hall pretty much destroyed. There were six remaining halls to be investigated, plus Arkyhyst, an ancient white dragon, had apparently followed them through the open portal and lay in wait for them - somewhere  .

Dungeons and Dragons 5E - Introductions are in order

While  should have been posting a recap of the last round of our Friday Night I have instead been looking at the new material that has been released for the newest version of Dungeons and Dragons.

To start with there is a free PDF of the basic game rules (~100 pages) available here (including a printer-friendly version). Did I mention it was free? As I understand it the "basic" game version is the free one, and when the new books are released this fall they will be considered the "advanced" version.

Welcome to Runeforge (05/24/2014)

The party had deciphered The Scribbler’s riddle hidden in the mad scribbling’s of his lair and had found the Sihedron Circle next to Lake Stormunder, near Rimeskull Mountain. They were then able to extract from the statues of the seven runelords the keys necessary to unlock the entrance, but the party’s actions had also drawn the attention of an ancient white dragon by the name of Akrkhyst. The heroes were able to survive the dragon’s numerous attacks, but surviving is not defeating and the heroes know that the beast was still close - and deadly. In fact the ancient wyrm had flown away and slithered in to the same cave where the heroes were now treading. In the darkness ahead lay a great mystery and great reward - and great danger.

The New DnD - Coming Soon

We all know it has been in the works for several years now, but earlier this past week Wizards finally announced the official release of the all the new game materials. As I had originally suspected the release all seems to be centered around Gencon in mid-August, so those of you making the trek to Indianapolis this year can expect to get an eyeful and an earful while you are down there. Apparently it will not be called "DnD 5E" and "DnD Next", but just Dungeons and Dragons. I wonder if that naming convention will stick or will the fan base settle on its own designation.

There has been a lot of playtest material over these past few years so while there have been a lot of hints as to what will be included I am not sure anybody really knows except for the writers. I suspect there will be much more printed on this as the summer passes.

The Sihedron Circle (05/02/2014)

Having defeated The Scribbler and his demonic minions the heroes have finished exploring The Scribbler’s underground dungeon beneath Sandpoint. There they found among the many scribbling’s on the walls and ceilings five seemingly random verses of an otherwise unknown poem. Was this the secret to finding the mysterious Runeforge? What of the other things The Scribbler had said before he finished luring the party further into his little corner of hell?

The Scribbler (04/11/2014)

The heroes have spent most of the day rummaging through the stacks in the ancient library. The words of Runelord Karzoug echoed in their ears - "So these are the heroes of the age. More like gasping worms to me - worms to be crushed back into the earth when I awaken the armies of Xin-Shalast, when the name Karzoug is again spoken with fear and awe. Know that the deaths of those marked by the Sihedron - the giants you have so conveniently slain for me - hasten my return, just as yours soon will. Fools, all of you. Is this all you could manage in ten thousand years?" The focus of the party’s investigation had centered on Xin-Shalast and Karzoug himself and a great deal has been learned, but many new questions have arisen as well. The only clue you have is a crudely hand-drawn map that you found in Mokmurian’s quarters – that leads back to Sandpoint.