Dwarf OSE+ Dark Citadel Session #32 (23 OCTOBER 2024)
Pausing in the dungeon is a bad habit of mine. We started down a player t his week as he had a long shif and since it was at the end of a big battle last session they simply were heading back to their individual strongholds to divide treasure but first they had to transport the 7 large sacks of coins and other items. Geoff discovers it takes at least a 17 STR to wield or carry the Great Black Iron Spear found amongst the bones in the lair of the Dimension Spiders still clutched in the skeletal hands of a DeathFist Orc of unusual size. I Clarify who is carrying what to the beach and Redrum uses his Know Alignment ability on the Black Iron Spear and I succeeds his check. IT reeks of Chaos I inform him. I ask for all FTR classed PCs & Retainers to make a Save vs Spells. Geoff & Redrum both fail and I send them both a private message via discord since Roll20 whisper feature was being non-functional. You have to realize the since this is an all DWARF OSE game every Dwarf has a bonus Save of +4 and I also allowed a WIS Bonus to this roll so statistically this is an anomaly but makes for an interesting change of events. Geoff claims the Spear as his own as he is the strongest and a tug of war begins between him and Redrum for its possession. I call for an opposed set of STR Checks with the largest margin of success being the victor. Geoff pulls it from the grasp of Redrum. I have Redrum roll a percentile check after consulting the item description, send a private message explaining the reason and a snipped bit of info from the description to provide motivation for RP. He then extolls upon why a Holy Man should hold the mighty weapon but grudgingly stomps off to help carry the rest of the treasure. Namman is curiously quiet during this struggle and another player had to answer a work call. The Folding Boat is unfolded and they set sail to return to their strongholds and temples.
As they traverse the Dark Lake a Giant Pike hits their boat but does not damage it. Rushing to the side the Brotherhood begin using spears to poke at he great beast and Geoff wields the Great Black Iron Spear. Redrum & Namman both strike it wounds it, It passes Morale and continues to try and tilt the boat even leaping from the water to snap at the dwarves. Geoff strikes it once and it screeches, can fish screech ? Falls motionless, fails a Save vs Paralysis at -4, and sinks into the depths of the Dark Lake. Triumphantly they continue to sail across the lake and as they pass by the bridge guardians see the dwarf guards there point and stare at the Folding Boat as it passes but notice they begin to bicker and argue pointing towards Geoff and the Great Black Iron Spear which is now always within arms reach of him.
They arrive at Emerald Keep Geoff's stronghold and divide coinage. A cook has arrived to serve in the kitchen of Emerald Keep and Geoff welcomes that hireling into the fold while the others return to their regions to identify and prepare for the next delve into the lower deep realm reaches of the Dark Citadel. Several; items are researched but the fine leather gloves are still an unknown item. Redrum & Gremmin decide to travel to DragonSpire Hold. A wizard known to the Brotherhood is researching a locked tome recovered from the Healing Spas by the Brotherhood and they wish to garner its secrets and functions. Arriving at the residence of Godfrey Malster they are forced to wait and when he opens the door appears to have not gotten much sleep and is in a disheveled appearance. There is some short roleplay, pun intended, and he informs them that it is a book of horror stories, a work of obscene fiction that has given him troublesome nightmares and he wishes he had never laid eyes upon the accursed thing. They leave and debate on what to do with the said book debating on selling it to the local library, Gremmin debates this but decides against it.
They travel to the Craftsman Alchemical the alchemy shop within the walls of DragonSpire Hold seeking potions. ON their way they spy as well as the crowds around them a Blue Dragon on the horizon. It is not unusual for the folk of DragonSpire Hold to see Dragon flying near the mountains but it is rare. Solomon the alchemist has only a single Potion of Water-Breathing and not accepting foreign coin they travel to the Tax Collector and exchange their old Dark Citadel Platinum for Gold Crowns of the Hold. There they encounter an adventuring party who have just exchanged coins garnered from looting old Dwarven Tombs, Redrum controls his anger and after their return trip tot he alchemist Gremmin seeks out the party in a local Inn. He attempts to pry information from them on where these tombs were and how they are accessing the under ground passages of the Dark Citadel but not going through Ergol's Landing. I have him roll a NPC Reaction Roll and it is an 11 but its not mind control so they do not reveal their secrets or the location of the tombs but do inform that upon hearing from other adventurers, The Adventuring Party as they are called, who were sponsored by local merchants to plunder the Dark Citadel after hearing of the success of the Brotherhood of Expendable Strangers they have explored several lake caves which connect to various old tunnels. There are old ruins scattered throughout the mountains as well they mention but most of just ruins with no access to the lower realms. The ways are hidden but if you are persistent and maybe lucky you find a good score like they did a rough looking human exclaims holding up a shiny war hammer with truesilver etching. They spend the rest of the evening at the Inn of the Silver Unicorn and return to Ergol's Landing in the morning.
As they travel they encounter a merchant in need of aid repairing his apple cart whose wheel has become dislodge, it is an old road. The freckled fellow thanks Gremmin & Redrum with a large shiny apple and heads up the road towards Ergol's Landing and the ruins of the Dark Citadel. They watch him move ahead of them roughly 30 feet and do not eat their apples. We make some Snow White jokes and then I roll a pair of Assassination attempts on both of the PCs. They both make their Saving Throw versus Death and then I ask for Saving Throws versus Poison at -2. Redrum fails his save and has 2 rounds of life while Watim is ordered to rush the other fellow at the apple cart who is no producing a bow from under the front part of the cart. Gremmin begins blasting with his Wand of Magic Missiles while Watim is poisoned by an Assassins arrows and falls motionless in the road, Redrum utilizing his Healing Touch ability to reroll Saving Throws vs poison and Curses fails at first but in the second round secedes narrowly avoiding Death. Gremmin fells the other Assassin clad in black and seeks cover behind the now recovered but slow moving Redrum, the other freckled merchant assassin flees while they are recovering. Searching the bodies they find sketches of their party, their names and classes with instructions to kill them and use the pouches of ash provided to scrawl the symbol of Zuul upon their foreheads. It is a tense exchange and they are almost slain by a trio of 1st & 2nd level Assassins. Destroying the apple cart and picking up the now limp form of Watim they head to Ergol's Landing feeling unsafe in returning to DragonSpire Hold.
We end our session with plans to have a feast at Emerald Keep before delving back into the depths and exploring the Dark Lake more possibly returning to the the Spider Lairs at the Healing Spas or assaulting the Temple of Zuul. Gremmin voices concerns they do not have the strength to do so but Geoff is convinced he is more than able to smite the pitiful elemental cult priests with his might spear. The rest of the party is, quiet or unsure.
During the course of play I have noticed the differing units of coinage and where they can be used has become a pain in the pass but it is reasonable and creating a weird sort of gaming the system in spending coinage. Most of the time they order and wait paying a bit more but avoiding the human town altogether but having to wait for their items to arrive from Dur Annis. I dunno if we will be gaming next week as it is my anniversary on Halloween and we typically go all out this time of year with extra out of the house activities. But he next session promises to be a combination of intrigue and hilarity, I wonder how much meta gaming is going to be going on between session. Prolly more than I am comfortable with honestly but we shall see. We shall see....
The evil clerics put a hit on us ? I know, shocking right ;)
Game Well, Game Often Y'all and have a hoot doing it
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