13A:Play/1

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Starring: 📜Elistheren, Epsilon, 🐾 Kaelon, 🌲 Qistis, Steinar
Guest Starring: Elviro, Deborah Blackleaf, Marcello Elfstar, James Hen
Challenge: Below; new hellhole
Location: Slavslav (Demon Coast, near horizon)
Date Played: 2016 October 25

The Situation

📜Elistheren

I find myself thinking of the Myth of Shaakaar, who was there when the Walls of Geraud fell. An eruption of hate and evil coursed from the land, turning the ground black and salting the Earth for generations afterwards. This is fire, and there are demon spiders, but the situation is roughly the same, in terms of the underlying semiotics.

May these demons know and fear the spirits of the righteous who howl and gibber their vengeance for all time.

Epsilon

🐾 Kaelon

🌲 Qistis

We find ourselves contracted by some piddly town off the Demon Coast. Elviro says that we're to be private tutors for the towns folk. Honestly, how they heard of us and 'why' we were even sent here is a complete mystery to me. It just seems like a massive waste of resources. Though given Elviro's habit to avoid confrontation I'm sure he just accepted the assignment without a second thought to how absolutely useless it would be for us.

Though it would seem at least that maybe this won't be such a boring task afterall. When we arrive it appears a hellmouth opened up within the past day or two. Some paladins of the Golden Wyrm as well as the Crusader have arrived. Neither seem to be doing much, but at least the servants of the Gold Wyrm are trying to help the townspeople.

Steinar

'... and then Arganon raised his spear to the sky and bellowed, "Lest ye demons bellow from the soil, thus the ground shall be smote in a haze of fire from upon high." Arganon drive his pearlescent spear into the earth, sealing the pit that spawned from the bows of the Abyss.

"May the deeds of good men keep this seal held, and all those that aspire to greatness be the chains that bind," he shouted, inspiring the common rabble forces around him. Arganon was a fool, though, as wicked hearts fun more rampant than those of the pure, and the pit shall open once again.'

Trials of Arganon

The Belch

Steinar

'Spiders climb and spiders spin

their web of lies and 1000 kin.

From demon depths from which they dwell

spill flaming rock and raining hell.

Watch for their bite and sticky might

or you shall become their dinner tonight.'

Spider's Delight - Common children's song

🌲 Qistis

It doesn't take long before something crawls forth from the hellmouth and tries to kill us. Though this isn't very surprising, the followers of the Crusader seem pleased to stand aside and let us handle the threat. The unformed demons take the shape of spiders as the emerge, but we deal with them rather quickly and without much issue. Elistheren performs some form of ritual (with some of my precious Ogresbane, which is so hard to find these days) and leads us to where he believes the summoning for this pit has taken place.

📜Elistheren

These false spiders are and offense to the Spider Queen, and thus- they must be stopped. Those responsible for the ritual must be found. I pray for guidance, the verily, it is provided. As Temba, her arms wide, brought the bears to heel and guided the children through the forest, so too shall I guide the Archivists to the site of the ritual.

Stopping the Ritual

Steinar

'The mandrake shook off the dirt around his nose. "Not me! Not me! Please do not pluck me!"

The farmer did not pay attention to the talking plant, and began to pull upon the thick, hair-like leaves of the mandrake. He knew it was for it's own good. The mandrake was blighting the land where it was.

"I warn you, do not pluck me any further!"

The cried fell once again on deaf ears. The farmed has pulled the mandrake up to its waist.

"Oh, I warned you," the mandrake shouted, its third cry a high pitched whine.

Suddenly, the decayed tree behind the farmed slammed down a branchy fist, clobbering the farmer to a pulp. The farmer's body brought back the nourishment to the land.'

Parable of the Mandrake ~ Spoken to remind those to be aware of threats that are often overlooked and unseen.

🌲 Qistis

We reach the site of the profane ritual and deal with the pawn performing these rites along with the demon who seemed to be giving the man the information on what to do and some minions. They are killed and the issue dealt with. Thankfully none of us came to great harm.

📜Elistheren

We rooted out the evil, although it would be good to learn this ritual. The knowledge should not be lost, just… controlled.

GM Section

Icon Relationships

Used

• Kaelon stocked with 4 (2 used) adventurer Healing Potions from Deborah Blackleaf.
• Kaelon asked to get the book in the High Druid's name.
• Qistis given 2 adventurer runes from James Hen.
• Epsilon given a +1 Mighty Swing Greataxe by Marcello Elfstar.

Outstanding

• 6 help High Druid for Kaelon -> player control
• 5 hurt Elf Queen for Annalana -> player control

Encounters

• Spiders were 5.25/5 points for level 1.
  • Large 2nd level blocker (Giant Web Spider; core) (3 pts)
  • 3 0th level troops (Giant Ant -> Giant Spider; core) (.75 each).
• Demons were 5/5 points for level 1.
  • 3rd level spoiler (Imp; core) (2 pts)
  • 1st level troop (Traitor; core book sample adventure) (1 pt)
  • 5 3rd level mook (Dretch, random: fire resist; core) (.4 each)