Dwarf OSE+ Dark Citadel Session #29 (11 SEPTEMBER 2024)

    The gap in between making this recap and when I should have actually done it is long. Been a bit busy with the family role of grandfather though lately. I'll try not to butcher my memory of the session but it was pretty tame honestly. We picked up as the Brotherhood of Expendable Strangers were leaving the great domed dwarven air machinery region. I roll a few Wandering Monster Checks and the Brotherhood makes it to the Dwarf Citadel with ease. There is a division of XP from the previous session and it is brought up that the XP from the Trapper encounter may not have been divided, I am unsure but err on the side of the Players and we divide XP resulting in the leveling of a few PCs so the down time at the small fortress is extended. Geoff needs a few days to recover from being reduced to 0 hit points as well. The Brotherhood then enter into an in game debate on where to go to next. This does indeed take up a bit of our playing time as there is debate on allowing the Priesthood of Zuul to recover and the need to power up to defeat the Elementalist Followers of Zuul. They opt for the unexplored region. What information they can glean from the occupants is that it was source of knowledge and healing under the protection of the Dwarf Goddess of Healing & Mercy Shalindar. I use this quick reference name from FR* but really need to rename it to be more in line with the altered names for the Northern Reaches.

    The Folding Boat is unfolded and the party sets off along the walls of the great Dark Lake, a few Wandering Monster Checks are made for the journey across the 1 mile stretch of Lake and outside of the eerie lake mist no encounters. A looming piece of Dwarf Architecture rises up out of the lake near a beach. Old boats are seen pulled ashore and they seem to be in a foul state of repair. Arrow slits are above in the old fortification but no light shines from beyond. Cobwebs and webs are common along the walls past the beach and three giant statues stand. An unnamed old Dwarf King of Old flanked by Dwarf Heroes one of which is Halgrak the Steadfast. Ryxxor & Gremmin advance and begin to inspect the statue with Gremmin searching for hidden compartments. Upon touching the center statue; these loom some 15' tall on the beach, Ryxxor feels a tingle and the statue speaks to the Brotherhood in a regal dwarf voice "Seek Ye' the Spear. Destroy it Deep in Lava Deep in the Deep Realms" this leads to a quick discussion on what Spear is he talking about with several members of the party; I think it was Redrum, remembering the legend of Ogrul the Slayer and his Mighty Spear of One-Eye and they determine  they have been Quested curious if Ryxxor has been Geased. I share the Quest Handout but not the rewards for completing the destruction of this fell Orcish artifact.

    After determining they have gotten a piece of lore they inspect the area of the beach a bit more and notice the sickly looking webbing is everywhere, more so at the top of a ledge nearby near rubble from the ceiling. A pair of double doors bears the mark of Shalindar and is fairly clear of any cobwebs or webbing. Torches are lit by Namman's crossbowman followers and the webbing burned al along the walls of the cavern but they avoid the ledge area focusing on the section where flagstone rises above the sand and the stone doors are located. The webbing burns in a sickly black green smoke and is foul smelling. 

    The doors to the complex are forced open by Geoff and they enter cautiously into an area that is ornately decorated with murals and carvings in the walls. Cracks and structural damage are readily visible but no furniture but old blood stains are noted upon the marble floors. They note the two stout wooden doors in the interior in contrast to the stone door they just entered and venture to the east in their standard right hand searching pattern.  A short hall beyond leads to an irregular shaped chamber with two exits, a large painting opposite the door they Brotherhood entered and a few others upon the floor destroyed either by accident or purposeful vandalism. The painting on the south wall of this room depicts a Dwarven cleric raising the dead of a fallen human comrade. He is reading from a scroll which is facing towards the viewer. Upon close inspection by Redrum it is noticed there are readable words upon the scroll in the painting, a prayer of Raising the Dead. A tiny tiny scroll hidden in plain sight. The Brotherhood opts to leave it where it is and explores to the east more and finds that room has a Dwarf Fresco depicting a shouting figure pointing at the viewer. It is in the style of an Uncle Sam recruitment poster as I describe it to the party. Stairs lead up into an upper level. The Party retires from this chamber and goes back to the other door.

    This door is forced open easily as well and beyond a hexagonal room with a large pool, another corridor leads west. Gathering as a group at the beginning of the hall beside the pool they cast glances into the pool seeing coinage and gems scattered and so Ryxxor advances to inspect then is surprised as large tendrils rise from the water and strike out at him. They have distorted water faces and he is nearly dragged back into the pool but stands his ground. This battle is long with lots of terrible rolls and minimal damage dealt by the party. The primary attack of the Water does no real damage but attempts to drag the victim underwater to be drowned but no one fails their saving throw. After dispatching the creatures they all enter the water to gather the coins and gemstones but the creatures reform with full hit points and attack again. Geoff gleefully utilizes his magical Battle Axe which has increased pluses versus water-breathing or aquatic creatures (+2 Battle Axe/+3 Versus Water Breathing or Aquatic Creatures), cleaving to and fro. There is some discussion on gathering up the coinage while this is going on and I explain that due to the creatures movement in the water it constantly tosses the coins about but I could see a greedy Dwarf fighting he currents for shiny coins while another is swinging. I drop a hint after several players make inquiries on how to dispatch the water fiends and take a quick jaunt to the restroom, water pills always making trips to the toilet :/. Eventually the Acolytes attempt the Purify ability on the pool while the creatures are reforming and a stillness returns to the pool.

    This leads to a short discussion on reading over their variant classes abilities. The Rally/Fear ability is rarely if ever used even when there are large numbers of opponents. acolytes can only Rally but the mage variant Loremaster can route opponents as an option. The Purify ability had been discounted as useless but came in clutch for this encounter. I honestly am surprised it is not used more often on random things. Shrug.Exe

    Gathering up much loot they opt to finish the lower level of the complex then return to their strongholds. Venturing west the find a connecting corridor to where they entered and a two more doors, picking the lock on one bearing the signs of violence they discover a small library. Bookshelves are inspected and keys searched for before everyone carting the books and shelves to the boat. Curiously this upends their standard I keep the boat in my back pack until we leave routine but I simply note it. During the transport of the books Gremmin sneaks off to the fresco room and I roll a Wandering Monster Check as he does so. Inspecting the fresco further he finds the mouth is an illusion hiding a small shelf. I momentarily play it up as possibly a green devil mouth trap; Sometimes use player meta against them to fill them with dread, its fun,  but then just describe it as it is. A  holy symbol Shalindar is found and he brings it back to the party. Their attention is t hen focused on the remaining door and they open it before leaving and find a group of miserable looking Dwarf hiding in there. The door to this room was slightly cracked open so there was no need for a Roll to Open Doors.

    There is some dialogue and questions asked on where they were from and they explain they were mining above and found a section full of spiders and fled here over the ledge. They ask for food as they have been hiding here ever since the terrible encounter. Their halls being above but the way blocked by cave in and those terrible spiders. Food is shared, and questions are asked of the group. Geoff offers to return them to his Stronghold and they happily agree after a short discussion amongst themselves. They sail past the Small Dwarf Stronghold & head straight to their strongholds. Gremmin, Ryxxor, Redrum & Namman begin to watching the new dwarf group they rescued from the Shalindar Complex and begin questioning them, this is an entertaining bit of Roleplay but eventually they are outed as not being Dwarf enuff to pass their smell test. Eventually it is a common Dwarf Hymn which they note they only mouth the words after watching the others sing. A Reaction Roll is made when confronted and they result results in an attack. We leave the session hanging with the party involved in a melee upon the ship deck before hey get tot he corkscrew with a group of Doppelgangers.

    

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Highfell Journals (16 SEPTEMBER 2024)

Highfell Journals Session #11 (9 DECEMBER 2024)

Highfell Journals Session #7 (4 November 2024)