They Met at a Tavern 39: The Lightning Pyramid

 Peering at the flashes of lightning over the next rise are:

• Dan: Kiara, elf Ras Godai
• Rick: Bjorr, 1/2 orc Paladin
• Seana: Zanegar, 1/2 orc Sea Wolf
• Dave: Darkmist, elf Thief
• Andrea: Gabor, goblin Priest
• Chris: Thorn, dwarf Wizard
• Roger: Drom, dwarf Desert Rider

The party cautiously rode forward, along with the four adventurers they had met after setting off the drum sands. A stepped pyramid came into view, with occasional lightning strikes tagging two obelisks near its apex. Finally, Drom was able to explore a ziggurat!

Margon, the dwarf wizard, assessed the lightning (he seems to have some aptitude towards energy magic) and agreed with the party's guess that it may be powering something. 

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The others circumnavigated the structure, watching the lightning strikes, as the party beelined to the door at ground level. The brass double doors showed signs of an attempted breach. They also resisted the party's efforts, with multiple attempts by both strong and erudite types. Fine. The party circled the base of the tower (random lightning) and found a matched pair on the opposite site. With some work, Bjorr and Zanegar were able to pry them open, and wedge them open to prevent magics, etc. from swinging them closed again. They entered a chamber dominated by a carved basalt column. The column and glyph-covered stone tablets indicated the pyramid to be in honor of a god of craftspeople. Darkmist assessed doors exiting the chamber, finding them to  be trapped. Some manipulation, and whatever trigger caused the door to slam open, smashing an intruder, was defused.

As the party began to move to the next chamber, three brilliant beings manifested from the pillar behind them, guardians of this place.

Darkmist, "Can I get behind one and surprise it?"

"Um, no."

They Met at a Tavern 38: Just Some Friendly Competition

Ok, just found my notes. Here we go.

• Dan: Kiara, elf Ras Godai
• Rick: Bjorr, 1/2 orc Paladin
• Seana: Zanegar, 1/2 orc Sea Wolf
• Chris: Thorn, Dwarf Wizard
• Wayne: Pharan, dwarf Sea Wolf
• Andrew: Dorgand, human Priest

The party made camp within the ruins of the fort. Well, in the smaller, western fortification, since the other party had claimed the eastern portion and wasn't really up to sharing.

Some time after dark, Bjorr heard a rider approach and join their colleagues in the east camp. Perhaps a laggard or scout. As he stood by the gap in the enclosure's walls, he saw a figure from the other camp motioning at him before stepping into the shadows. Bjorr approached, and was told by the other party's drover that they were planning an ambush. The drover scuttled off, and Bjorr returned to warn and wake the party. While watching for motion from the other camp, we was distracted by a flash on the horizon.

Thus allowing the ambush to occur.

One shadowy figure got a solid backstab in on Kiara, with a second stabbing Zanegar. Damnit.

Pharan charged out into the breach to attack oncomers and took a lightning bolt to the face. He responded by spearing the mage. Dorgand cast light and illuminated the fight. Another fighters and pair of mooks hit the breach. Thorn was able to web three of them, but a half-orc fighter made it in.

The halfing was found to be very hard to kill, and continued to stab Zanegar in the knee.

More chaos, as Thorn tried out his new fireball spell on the webbed foes, crisping the mooks. 

He's still practicing...

However the third combatant escaped, singed. He withdrew to heal the mage, who fired another lightning bolt into the compound. 

The half-orc went for Thorn, as the party's mage. Dorgand alternated smacking things and healing various bleeding and smoldering PCs. The opposing party's thief attempted to snipe at the party but was generally ineffective. 

With the chaos, at least one surviving mook beat feet. Zanegar and Bjorr were finally able to do in the halfling, who was as resilient as a fireplug. With his ally down, the half orc retreated. Thorn decided this was a good time for a second fireball, and fired it at the fleeing half-orc, hitting him in the middle of the compound.

Yes. Enclosed area. "Near" radius per the rules (or 33,000 cubic feet for those of you reading along at home from the AD&D PHB). EVERYONE had to save. 

At least Thorn killed a half-orc with about 4 hp left.

More healing, stabilizing, death rolls, and the like.

The surviving mage went invisible and the thief likewise stealthed out. Pharan attempted to pursue, throwing a spear at a "riderless" horse. Although he successfully lamed the horse, the invisible mage rolled a Nat20 Dex and tuck-and-rolled away, being picked up by the thief on a second horse.

Thorn attempted a web, but rolled a Nat1, taking damage, himself. Serves him right for fireballing the party. Likewise, Dorgand finally rolled a Nat1 while healing, receiving an exasperated message from Saint Terragnis to stop bothering him and let these fools learn to take care of themselves.

Last Supper With the Anthropophagi of Xambaala

Aaannnddd we're done! (For now) 

*spoilers*

Our "heroes" managed to defeat Mrs. Satrap and save Ra'gan's bacon. The city... well... maybe that's not the urban renewal they had in mind.

Beaten up, and with many more stout enemies than hit points, most of the gang decided to depart for greener pastures (or at least hopefully less cursed). 

Ra'gan had his own plans.

Kyle (Maran) tucked a PC epilogue into the Discord, so why not - I need to do some creative writing...

They Met at a Tavern 37: Sandstorm Interlude

A bit of a bust on attendance:

• Dan: Kiara, elf Ras Godai
• Seana: Zanegar, 1/2 orc Sea Wolf
• Wayne: Pharan, dwarf Sea Wolf

Multiple no-shows. A common disappointment/malady of Meetup sessions. Especially considering I had two regular players on the waitlist who didn't get to join. C'mon people... have some courtesy. I'm committing time and providing seats at the table. Communicate, cancel in advance, or best yet, just show up.

Anyway. At least I can set aside my scenario prep for the next (hopefully full quorum) session...

And this is open table, so you run for who shows. Always.

(dismounts from high horse)

So, our three heroes were on watch at the ruin when a fearsome sandstorm arose, blinding and disorienting them. Miraculously, they found one another, and eventually some shelter behind a rock outcrop. Thankfully, this outcrop just happened to have a mapped area I'd scribbled up and forgotten in my just-in-case folder...

Stumbling through the wind, the trio found a passage, its door fallen away and drifted with sand. Entering, they found evidence of a shrine or crypt. Alcoves held icons of a dog-headed goddess, with unfamiliar script. Farther on, an open crypt was found, already cleared of valuables, and its occupant's bones scattered. A second open crypt was partially collapsed, so the party avoided. Number three? Pharan kicked open the door. The resulting gas pocket explosion singed off everyones' eyebrows. 

Doh. 

While they beat down the fire, they were attacked by one of the oddball slimes of the desert. Fortunately, the three were able to spill its innards before it was able cause any harm. Onto the final crypt, which, thankfully, did finally contain an undead thing...

Yea! Undead!

Some back and forth with the stout mummy-thing, and our heroes were victorious, gaining some trinkets.

Off to a branched passage, and it took all three of these doughty warriors to kick open a door. Which of course awoke more cranky undead. Because when there is no cleric in the party, there will be undead.

They investigated this chamber, finding plaques identifying the interred as either priests or warriors dedicated to the mysterious god. They also found two potential stairways down. One was behind a door. This route was spiked as a precaution, as they descended the other stairs.

Into a shrine, complete with magic-dampening, and no spellcaster to foil with it...

Fine.

And into the final crypt/mausoleum/chapel, for the big-bad (undead warlock), and whatever other crypt occupants they called up during the fight. More hacky slashy, because that's how we solve our problems tonight. The warlock failed spell rolls, which didn't help. 

The trio got out with some nice trinkets, and a magic shield (which I have to determine if it has a SD 'cost'). 

DM Notes:

Other than my griping up top, a fun, brief, session. The gamerunning was a bit hectic, and not particularly inspired. This piece of art:

...has been sitting in the to-do pile for a bit. The density of scribbles partially due to my having the concept of writing multiple paths/scenarios based on different warlock patrons: some beneficial, some belligerent. So a good amount to parse out/decipher as I stayed one room ahead of the players. Maybe I'll figure out what the hell I meant by, "PRaiNs Thrvat."

Dan is running a Fantasy Trip session this week, and I plan to actually show up.

They Met at a Tavern 36: Fellow Travelers and Walking Trees

"I've never had better tree." - Drom, desert rider. 

Tonight: 

• Dan: Kiara, Elf Ras Godai
• Seana: Zanegar, 1/2 orc Sea Wolf
• Chris: Thorn, Dwarf Wizard
• Gordon: Gnashkrud, Half-orc Priest
• Roger: Drom, Dwarf Desert Rider 
• Angie: Glo: Dwarf Priest

Departing the Drow-occupied fort, the party continued on its tracking of the old road ruins and hopeful connection to other landmarks.

Losing the track, they traversed a dune field. Drom (and Trixie) sensed something amiss, as a pair of whirlpools opened up in sand, threatening to cause them to reenact a 70's movie quicksand scene.

Avoiding this curious hazard, the party moved on. 

Their dawdling had, of course, drawn the attention of predators.

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Damnit. The lizards attacked the camel, injuring her before one being slain and the second fleeing. Gnashkrud played veterinarian and healed the camel.

Around their lunch break, Kiara noticed that the sky had turned a sickly pink. Probably nothing to worry about out here...

Travel continued, with bits a pieces of road and dune-wandering. As evening approached, Trixie, ever diligent, gave a significant snort, indicating to Drom that she sensed water. As water skins were empty, he gave the camel her head, and she beelined to an oasis. 

Fronds of a pair of massive palm trees were glimpsed over the sand as they neared the water, standing out over the normal stunted growth of the Cold Desert. The party found this odd, but approached cautiously.