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.

source

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. 

The Spider-Oasi

The party approached the oasis, its fresh water sniffed out miles away by Trixie, Drom the desert rider's camel.

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, as their waterskins were empty. 

Drom scouted ahead. He spotted a few corpses. Humanoid, animal. Not unusual for a remote oasis to be bait for ambush predators. As he neared, he saw that the bodies were shriveled and desiccated, almost as if they have been sucked dry. He reined in Trixie.

As he pondered, the "palm trees" shuddered and arose, walking on knobby, twisted legs, predator heads with sucking mouth parts swinging to target the new intruders...

source

The Spider-Oasi ("Walking Palm")

Not-quite-right massive “palm trees” at oases, appearing to have thick trunks and spreading, twisted roots. Ambush predators that arise from the sand to reveal spider-like bodies, grasping limbs, and sucking mouth-parts. Telegraph by husk-corpses.

AC 14, HP30, ATK 2 claw/stomp +5 (1d10), MV Close, S+4, D+1, C+3, I-1, W+2, Ch+1, AL N, LV6; Grab: If two successful hits, target is held. DC15 STR to escape. Ongoing 1d6 dmg/round as it feeds, sucking the victim dry. May continue to attack while feeding.

***

The party was able to best the pair that they encountered. Drom lured one away (although not without damage to himself and Zanegar), and the second was felled by a fortunate web spell and fire. Need to have more at the next oasis....

They Met in a Tavern 35: New Players Enter the Game

No, not necessarily at the table. Tonight: 

• 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
• Gordon: Gnashkrud, Half-orc Priest 

Gordon's been at the table before, but has been running and playing in other campaigns that conflicted with stopping by lately. So again, not the player I'm referring too... 

Anyhow. The party spent the night at Saint Gyles' pyramid. Being good houseguests, they helped with a little light housekeeping (disposing of serpent-folk bodies) prior to departing. They rode eastward, to the sound of grinding stones, as the ghost resealed his crypt.

The party rode on, discovering a cairn carved with old runes and a depiction of a deity - a woman with raven feathers, geometric symbols, and a measuring staff. Zet peered at it and declared her to be Gyslana, an old goddess associated with portals and gates. Sometimes travelers and road-builders also prayed to her.

The meditations on the goddess were abruptly ruined by a pair of ghasts and several ghouls. Most of the party fought off the choking stench, and Gnashkrud effected a turn undead. Most undead fled, a couple rolled Nat 1s and exploded, and one very angry ghast remained to proceed to take revenge on the priest. Ghast-stomping happened. With the presence of the Gyslana shrine, the party theorized the undead to be a party of unlucky surveyors.

Did they come from a grave or barrow? Can we raid it? Well, of course you can. This is why I always keep a few extra barrows on hand. 

Light was cast, and down they went. Darkmist checked a door - no traps. No, trapped. A burning hands rune singed off their eyebrows. Some minor grave goods, a healing potion, and a piece of meteor were found. A second door was not trapped, but the chamber had already been cleared but for some pocket change. The main chamber of the barrow appeared to be where the original foes hung out. A final door at the end of the chamber was cracked open, revealing a grumpy Wight. 

rawr

Bjorr charged it and... got his sword stuck in the door. The wight attacked back, causing harm and drain to the paladin. Thorn webbed up both of them, allowing the party to dispatch the wight without any more bad touch. 

More loot (primarily decorative weapons and armor) were claimed, and on they went. 

They Met in a Tavern 34: Drom Misses Out on a Ziggurat

At the end of last session, we found our heroes in search of a pyramid. The heroes in question:

• 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
• Bob: Opchel, human Thief

The party, led by a captive serpent-folk, headed west. Obstacles and hazards were managed. Snakes killed, a salt pan crossed, Kiara getting snared by, then escaping from, vampire bushes. 

The party spotted the pyramid, and wisely scouted. An entrance was spotted approximately halfway up the north side, marked by debris and a trail.

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The party watched for patrols, and agreed to wait the night, and assault in the morning. My dice failed me, and the night was quiet.

Spotting sentries at the entrance, the party was able to climb the pyramid from a blind side, with the sneaky bastard-types creeping ahead to attempt to eliminate the guards. A couple of good rolls, and the guards were sniped before they could warn their colleagues...

The party assembled at the entrance, firing up a light spell. Nat 20 got them bonus time.

Into the dark, when rock slabs came from a side shaft. Party members dodged and scooted. More serpentfolk chattering up above, as another slab was launched down the sloping shaft, but got hung up on debris near the bottom. The party fired up the shaft, eventually neutralizing the rock-throwers. Their chamber was found to be a tomb, and the slabs sarcophagus lids. The place had been desecrated and looted, with minor treasure left in the corners...