Game Time: 6th and 7th of Wind

Everyone played in this session you received 1135 XP each.

Regrouping at the pythoness house, AG 18 immediately set out to track down Nicalon, who had stolen the Hand of Danar, which is the key to the Banewarrens.

Cheva and Yarkblar went back to the Griffon, where you had first met Nicalon. He was nowhere to be found but the watch showed up asking about AG18 and a break-in at the Vladaam estate.

Thinking Nicalon might have used to key to enter the Banewarrens or more likely sold it to someone who did, Cheava and Symba went to check on Kalrecent, the Paladin, and his squire who were guarding the sealed door in the Banewarrens.

Unfortunately, someone had returned to the Banwarrens. Kalrecent and his squire were dead and Kalrecent appeared to have his brain eaten out. Most likely by a mindflayer.

Raising the squire from the dead, you discovered that a group of monsters, including a mind-flayer, an ogre, spiders, and “spider people” had attacked them. During the fight, a woman with dark skin and four werewolves had used the key and slipped through the door. Seems like another group of Pactlords are trying to get into the sealed door.

Entering the Banewarrens past the sealed door, you encountered numerous traps and many of the banewarrens guardians. Moving through the warrens and using tracking, you were able to determine that the pactlords came and left, leaving a gnoll and dire ape to guard the entrance, but the woman and werewolves had pushed further into the dungeon.

You discovered the woman, who turned out to be Navanna Vladaam, conversing with someone or something in one of the rooms deep in the Warrens. You were noticed by the werewolves before you could discover anymore. During the fight, a green hag appeared and grabbed the key away from Navanna. AG18 was able to defeat the Hag, as well as Navanna and her werewolves. As Cheva prepared to finish off Navanna once and for all she said she knew where his sister was located.

You finally have the banewarrens key and two different people willing to pay you for it. Jevica Nor of the Inverted Pyramid wants you to find they key, though she didn’t necessarily say that she wanted it. You suspect that she wants you to find the sealing rod and reseal the banewarrens. Right now your only lead is that the sealing rod is somewhere deeper in the Banewarrens.

Brother Heth, of the church of Lothian, wanted you to find the key and bring it to him. Most likely to keep it away from anyone who would use it to unseal the warrens further. Unfortunately, the Banewarrens are now unsealed.

1338 xp each.

Everyone but Symba played.

In this session the group had quite a few leads to follow-up.

You have, for now, convinced Phon to stay in the Chapel of St. Gustov in Midtown with Brother Fabitor.

You were able to contact Naven Blueflight, owner of the Pythoness house. He stated that he would give the house to whoever could beat him in a game of Dragonscales.

• Dragonscales
• Int based skill
• Can gain a +2 by playing regularly in taverns and bars.
• Can use a feat to gain a +5.
• To beat Naven is a Skill Challenge, you must pass 5 Dragonscales skill checks before failing three to defeat him.

You traveled back down to the Banewarrens and read the scroll given to you by Brother Heth. Brother Heth is the head priest of the Lothian temple in Rivergate. After reading the scroll you discovered that the sealed door can only be opened by Danner himself, the creator of the Banewarrens. House Vladaam has his mummified hand, though they do not realize that this is what it is for.

You contacted Nicalon Regelis, a member of the Knights of the Chord, and former enforcer of House Vladaam. He told you that he had seen such an item in the vaults below the main house in the nobles quarter and that he would lead you to it.

In the house, you encountered many traps, and fought some of the house guards but managed to recover the mummified hand. While escaping you encountered some of the urban werewolves that are allied with House Vladaam led by a fearsome were-tiger. In the ensuing combat, Nicalon pilfered the hand and teleported away. Why he did this is not known.

You managed two rescue two prisoners from the dungeons below the house.

• Thariad Rivelost is a Half-Elf commoner. He might be willing to work for you at the pythoness house.

• Degar Ravenspell is a 5th Level Wizard and is willing to help you in whatever way he can. Currently, he needs to recover from being tortured by the Vladaams.

Everyone but Elanna played you got 1900 XP each.

Also everyone gets an extra 183 xp. I forgot to give you the XP for the traps in the last adventure.

In this session the group tracked Phon back to the Surgeon in the Shadows Lair in the sewers of Ptolus. After fighting through Shader-Kai guards and 2 horrific chaositech monstrosities, AG18 faced the Surgeon himself. The Surgeon proved to be a very tough opponent who teleported after fighting the adventurers to a standstill. The group was able to rescue Phon and return with her to the city.

Unfortunately, this leave a few unanswered questions:

How was Shilukar involved? Was someone trying to kill Phon again or was he simply taking revenge on the group? And how did Shilukar survive anyway?

Everyone played and you received 620 XP each.

In this session, the adventurers finished up their exploration of the breached area of the Banewarrens. The group found Kalrecnt, the paladin of Lothian, hiding in one of the rooms. He had been investigating reports of underground digging and monsters in the area. He had fought that same group of Pactlords that AG18 had dispatched in the last session. Kalrecent and his squire had attacked them when the pactlord attempted to gain entry to the large banewarrens vault door. Kalrecent was able to shut the vault door and fend off the Pactlord however his squire was killed in the process and a medusa slipped through the vault door and deeper into the Banewarrens.

The group took Kalrecent and his dead squire back to Brother Fabitor at the temple of Lothian in Midtown. After hearing the story and raising Kalrecent Squire, Bother Fabitor asked you to come to the main Lothian Temple and report to the head preists about the Banewarrens.

The priests (and one mage) of Lothian listened to the group’s report. They are very concerned about the openign of the Banewarrens. They have asked AG18 to head back to the Banewarrens and read a ritual divination scroll near the vault door to see what can be found out about the Banewarrens. QUEST ( I believe they agreed to pay you 2000 gp for this.)

The group had also been retained by Jevicca Nor of the inverted pyramid to investigate if the Banewarrens had been opened and who opened it. The answers being “yes” and “it was the Pactlords.” Jevicca wants the Banewarrens resealed, but that’s easier said than done. See says there is a key somewhere in Ptolus that will open the Banewarrens vault door. For right now, she simply wants the group to find this key. She also said that yes, the Banewarrens can be resealed. To do this, the group has to find the sealing rod. QUEST (Jevica will create you a 2000gp magic item or give you a 2000gp discount on a more expensive item.)

Using Ptolus Knowledge, Streetwise, and Insight the group discovered all the following:

• House Vladaam has the Banewarrens Key
• The sealing rod was in the possession of Malkith when he was destroyed, it may very well be deeper in the Banewarrens.
• Nicalon Regelis, a member of the “Knight of the Chord” is a former House Vladdaam Enforcer and may be able to help you get the key from the Vladaam’s.

• A number of the group reasons to not like house Vladaam for other reasons. Exploiting those will earn bonus xp.

Before the group could act on an of these leads, Apostle received a note.

“I hope your friend enjoys her trip to the Surgeon. – Shilukar”

Apostle quickly discovered that her friend Phon Quartermain is missing. Through judicious use of streetwise, the group was able to surmise that she has probably been taken to the “Surgeon in the Shadows,” a choaitech surgeon. The surgeon in the shadows implants chaositech in peopel for a fee. It’s also rumored that man of his “customers” are unwilling and he is simply using them for Chaositech experiments. In any case, with Shilukar involved, (wasn’t he dead?) it’s unlikely Phon went to the surgeon herself. The surgeons lair is rumored to be in the sewers underneath Ptolus. Rescuing Phon is also a Quest

The swords of Ptolus are providing more abilities now.

Deceit can change into a ranged weapon or back into a melee weapon once per day. Deceit raised it’s reflex bonus from +1 to +2.

Power raised it’s Fortitude Bonus from +1 to +2.

Insight raised it’s Will Bonus from +1 to +2.

All Players played in this session. Everyone received 830 xp each.

The group continued their exploration of the Banewarrens. Encountering some kind of troll-like creature that could become ethereal. While fighting this creature, the adventures were nearly ambushed by another group of explorers from the Pactlords of Quaan. A Minotaur, Lamia, and goblins put the group through the ringer. The Lamia, being a swarm-type creature again proved to be a most difficult foe.

Further exploration revealed a series of vaults, most of which were empty but two appeared to have once contained Tavin Zith and the Ethereal Troll.

Quest Note Jevica Nor hired the group to find out where Tavin Zith came from, if the Banewarrens had been opened, and who had opened them. All three of these things have now been completed.

Further exploration led the group to find another Lamia who was attempting to hide in a pit nearby. The Lamia used some kind of magic item to summon a storm elemental but it wasn’t enough to save the creature from destruction.

Due to the numerous swarm creatures encountered, the group is interested in acquiring some bombs, choasitech or otherwise. Also any magic items with blast/burst powers would help. Here are some bombs you can get in Ptolus. A standard power bomb costs 150 gp and has the following stats:

• Power Bomb
• Dex vs Reflex
• Move Action to Light; Standard Action to Throw
• Burst 1
• Hit:3d6 Damage Miss:No Damage

Choasitech bombs are deadlier but much harder to acquire.

Everyone gets 821 xp for this session except Symba who gets 363 xp.

Banewarrens Chapter 1 and Banewarrens Chapter 2 are now public should you wish to bore yourself with monster and trap stats.

This week the crew of AG-18 continued the exploration of the tunnels underneath the old city in search of the Banewarrens entrance. Cheva determined that the tunnels were not natural and had been dug out my a creature, most likely an umber hulk.

After sucumbing to a pit trap and bypassing a rockfall the group encountered some ochre jelly attached to the ceiling. A battle ensued and the umber hulk took the group by surprise by emerging from a nearby wall.

After defeating the monsters, the adventurers came upon an abandoned camp full of mining tools and equipment. Investigating the camp, a note was discovered.

Kikanuile,

Once you get inside the unsealed portion of the Banewarrens, you will have to find a massive iron door. This is a warded door. It may be trapped, we do not know. It is, however, sealed beyond your capacity to breach. Therefore, you will use a wish from the ring to open it—and even that will keep it open only for a moment.On what lies beyond that door, our spells are silent, except that you will find the Grail within Tremoc Korin. The last wish will be your key to get out.

Yuinthu

The umber hulk tunnel ended at a constructed stone wall that had been broken through.

Entering the Banewarrens, the adventurers encountered wraiths and swarms life draining bugs. As always the swarms nearly proved to be the groups undoing.

The group also discovered the warded door referred to in the note with a large arcane device near it. Ellanna was able to determine that the device was a kind of “warding generator” but that it had never been finished. This explains how someone was able to tunnel into the Banewarrens, which was supposed to be impregnable.

Everyone but Symba played.

Each character receives 525 xp.

The session started out with the adventurers making deals for some of the magic items they acquired last session. The magic armor was purchased outright by the Bull and Bear Armory. The flaming flame was put on commission at Rastor’s weapons. The anglebane weapons were turned over to the Malkuth of the Pale tower for a future favor. The other weapons of Chaos were given to Cheva to be sold in the Dark Market.

While running around making deals for the items, the group encountered people who seemed to be inflicted with random magic powers. An orc suddenly burst into flames, a woman floated 20 feet up in the air, a man started shooting lightning out of his eyes, and a dwarf was randomly summoning spirits.

The party was able to determine that a nearby Drow was causing the problems and engaged him. Fater a short battle, the Drow was captured. He claimed to be Tavin Zith, self proclaimed avatar of chaos, and that he had been trapped in a prison called the Banewarrens by a cleric named Danar. He also had no knowledge of recent events or even the city of Ptolus.

Before much more could be gotten out of Zith, AG 18 was contacted by Jevica Nor, a mge of the inverted pyramid. Her message said that she wished to speak with the characters about Tavin Zith.

The group met Jevicca at the Ghostly Minstrel and she filled them in on the Banewarrens. Long ago, thousands of years, a good cleric named Danar Rotansin began collecting evil artifacts, spells, curses, diseases, even creatures and storing them in a special prison. He called these itms of evil “Banes” and the prison, the Banewarrens. Unfortunately for Danar, he was ultimately corrupted by the concentrated evil of the Banewarrens, mostly by a powerful artifact known as the “Book of Inverted Darkness.”

Danar became Eslathagos Malktih, “the Dread One.” He constructed Jabel Shammar, a fortress over the Banewarrens and used the power of the Banes to conquer most of the world. The concentrated evil of Malkith and the Banes was so great that the earth itself rebelled and thrust Jabel Shammar away from the earth creating the impposbily large spire that looms over Ptolus to this day. Jabel Shammar still sits at the top of the spire.

Malkith was eventually defeated and the Banewarrens resealed. (That’s a whole nother story.)

NOTE: More recently (a few hundred years ago)Ghuul, the skull king, declared himself as Eslathagos Malktih returned. He built a fortress halfway up the spire known as Goth Gulgamel. He was also defeated, but that’s a different story.

Jevica told you that Tavin Zith was originally imprisoned in the Banewarrens and that if he has escaped, then either the Banewarrens have become unsealed or someone has broken in to them. She offered you 850gp each to find out what was going on. MAJOR QUEST worth bonus xp. She also revealed to the group that Tavin had emerged from a cellar in Old Town.

On leaving the Ghostly Minstrel, Apostle was stopped by an acolyte of Lothian saying that Brother Fabitor of St. Gustav’s Chapel, wished to speak with her.

Brother Fabitor explained that the Paladin, Kalrecent and his squire had been investigating monster activity in Old Town and have disappeared. Using divinations he was able to determine that their disappearance had something to do with Tavin Zith. He offered 2000 gp to you to bring back Kalrecent. MAJOR QUEST worth bonus xp.

Upon reaching the cellar where Tavin Zith Emerged from the adventurers encounters a large group of Orcs guarding the cellar. After defeating the orks, the group noticed that each of the orcs had a ring bonded to the bone of thier finger. Apostle was able to determine that the orks were part of the group known as the Pactlords of Quann. A monster-terrorist organization that seeks to wipe out all non-monster humanoid life.

The group, now known, at least “unofficially” as Adventurers Guild 18, completed their quest to find Nervans All Key and unlock the demon bound chest.

They entered the basement using the chaos key they had found in the last session. Descending into the basement of the pythoness house, they discovered a strange membrane blocking further passage. After much discussion, they cut through the membrane to be hit by a frigid blast of cold air.

They entered the basement to find a large wall of ice was blocking their path and a pile of bones in the corner.

They didn’t have too much time to look around before 2 minotaurs burst forth from the ice and the pile of bones began to move and take shape into an undead hill giant.

After defeating the monsters, Elanna proceeded to blast down the ice with scorching burst. The adventures then emerged into an icy cavern filled with frost covered chests and a large sealed door. They rifled through the chests and discovered the Weapons of Chaos

The door was locked, sealed and covered in strange writing. The gist of the writing was ” This vault contains a very powerful weapon of Chaos, don’t open unless you are the high priest.” There was very little pause in opening the door.

Behind the door, the powerful weapon was revealed to be a giant Chaositech hydra! Through some super-tanking by Symba the beast was brought down.

Thinking that opening the vault may have alerted someone, the party decided to rest before emerging from the house. A good choice since they were confronted with a whole band of Tolling Bell cultists as soon as they walked out the front gate.

The cultists proved to be powerful but not unstoppable. Mysteriously, their leader, Wutand,a vested of the Galchutt died in much the same way as Shilukar did in earlier encounter.

(Whew I really gotta do summaries rather than a play-by-play, I’ve written a book today.)

Everyone played in this session.

Xp is 1235 each which includes the quest xp for obtaining the key and opening the chest.

*IMPORTANT* As I mentioned at the start of the campaign, you have to roleplay buying and selling any magic items. Some of you use the Character Builder to keep track of your characters. It makes it really easy just to buy any magic item you can afford, however most of of the items are not available from the shops in the game. If there is a magic item you want to buy ask me and I’ll let you know if its available. As I said before that shops around Delvers Square almost always have +1 items available.

This goes the same for selling. Some of the items from the Vault of Chaos aren’t very useful to you and you probably want to sell them. However, most of the normal merchants around Delvers square won’t touch evil magic items. That doesn’t mean you can’t sell them, you just have to find the right buyer. Seems like someone has contacts that would help with that…...

The adventure itself is now open for you to see here. Night of Disolution

The items from the Chaos Vault are here. Chaos Vault Items

The items in the chest are here. Chest Items

I forgot to mention last night that the chest also contained 50 vials of Alchemists fire. Why house Vladaam wanted 50 Vials of Alchemists fire, a resist fire shield, and two fire weapons is anyone’s guess.

In addtion to these items you also found * +2 Cloak of resitance * Gloves of Agility * +1 Scale Armor * +1 Mithril Plate Armor

I’m not sure who has those but I’m assuming you guys do.

Power, Deceit, and Insight are very happy with their owners and are granting new powers.

• Power now grants +1 to Fortitude.
• Deceit now grants +1 to Reflex.
• Insight now grants +1 to Will.

You can look at the full stats of the swords here. Swords of Power

All the swords like that the Galchutt was defeated. Power just likes to fight; it’s especially happy about Symba tanking the Chaosamaton. Deceit is almost beside itself about the Neveral’s All-Key. Insight is happy to have discovered a secret vault of chaos items.

Okay last thing, critical hits, seems like there was some confusion last night so here’s how they work.

When you roll a 20 on a “to hit” roll you score a crit. The exception to this is if the only way you could have possibly hit was to roll a 20 then you don’t score a crit.

Crits do max weapon damage, so if your weapon does 1d8+5 then a crit does 13 damage.

If you crit with a magic weapon, and this includes holy symbols and wizard implements, you do additional damage on a crit. Usually 1d6 per “plus” of the weapon. If you crit with a +2 Holy Symbol that does 1d8+7, the crit damage would be 15 (max weapon damage) plus 2d6 for the holy symbol. Some weapons do even more damage when you crit, so check your magic weapons.

Everyone but Symba played Symba was played as an NPC so receives some xp.

300 xp for Symba. 675 xp for everyone else.

After the defeat of the ratmen and some rest the party continued to explore the maze-like Pythoness house.

A journal written by one of the former mistresses of the brothel was discovered. This journal contained quite of bit of information. It told that the statue of the naked man could be moved but it required a key. Radanna, the other mistress of the house, had hidden one key in her secret crawl space and the other had been given to the “Cobbledman” who lived in the NE tower. The journal also spoke of a “demon” that had been summoned by the chaos cultists.

Exploring further, the party encountered a large group of skeletons led by none other than Radanna herself risen as an evil undead. The skeletons were no match for the one-two punch of Turn Undead and Color Spray and fell easily to the party.

Examining the ceiling in Radanna’s room, Apostle and Cheva managed to set off and nearly be squished by a falling block trap. This however, revealed the entrance to Radanna’s secret crawlspace where the adventurers discovered the hidden treasure of the brothel along with the first half of the key to the lower levels of the house.

Climbing higher up in the manor house the party spotted what they believed to be the “Cobbledman” himself wandering around on a bridge between two of the house’s towers. The Cobbledman appeared to be some kind of Chaositech creation with 3 arms, 2 heads and lots of tubes and wires protruding from his body.

Before engaging the cobbledman, the party decided to explore in open area of the next roof only two discover 2 Hellhounds! The battle with the Hellhounds was joined, much to the annoyance of Symba and Yark who had to wade through fire breath and auras to reach the hellhounds. Unknown to the adventurers, the hellhounds were the watchdogs of the demon who lived in a nearby tower. The demon joined in the battle but all were eventually defeated.

After much discussion of tactics, the party closed to do battle on the bridge with the Cobbledman. Despite his choasitech powers, which left Yark and Symba both stunned and weakened during most of the battle, the abomination fell and the second part of the key was recovered.

Now to enter the basement…..

Pythoness House Map 1

Pythoness House Map 2