Grand Duchy of Adventure
Session 15May 6, 2014
The Black Mirror
Session Summary
The Grey Company waited outside the stone door separating them from a horde of undead they had previously been unsuccessful at defeating. Griffin was eager to return through the door to explore the shaft and ladder leading further down that he had spied during their first encounter with the skeletons. Draven was determined to destroy this mob of abominations and he prayed to the Immortals to give him the tools he needed. In an epiphany, he realized that he knew the chant to potentially harm or drive off a whole army of undead, he just hoped he knew it well enough that it made a difference. Remar and Marcel were both just itching to fight, though both were wary of the uneven odds behind the door. Ree continued to be distant and pessimistic, but she let the others know she was ready to fight when the time came. The members of the company lined up to keep shields to the outside and when the doors were opened, everyone was told to stay together and not leap out into the room.
The opening of the door was timed with Draven's prayer and just as he finished, Griffin and Marcel shoved the heavy stone slap to the side. As the golden light from Draven's glowing holy symbol flooded the room, so did his words of divine power. Nearly all the skeletons in the chamber shuddered, as if hit by a sturdy mace. One of the walking dead exploded into a cloud of bone shards and a handful of them turned and fled the front lines. The Company fell on the skeletons, using the flats of their swords and shield bashes to great affect. Remar's bolts were particularly effective, smashing skeleton after skeleton. Ree was able to help out with her magic, apportating several skeletons off the ground and out of the fight. Draven's divine magic shielded him from everything the skeletons could throw at him and withing a few moments the horde was reduced to piles of bones and splinters around the room. The few that had fled or been forced away were dispatched with little to no trouble.
Griffin immediately moves toward the metal ladder that can be seen leading down into a darkened shaft. He takes his time and examines the entire alcove for traps or anything else unusual while the others take a much needed rest. Eventually, when he thinks that the area surrounding the shaft and ladder is safe, he approaches and receives a jolt and shock when he touches the metal. Pulling his hand back he quickly summons Remar and Ree to check the area for any further traps. Remar notices fine lines of magical runes on the ladder, that to Griffin's eyes had only looked like scratches or grooves in the metal
ladder. He realizes that they are some form of magical trap and has Marcel scratch them out with his spear tip. Small arcs of lightning can be seen at the tip of the spear for a moment, but they quickly die down.
Bravely, Griffin grasps the metal again, this time with no accompanying shock, and leads the way down into the darkness. Another level of the dungeon is discovered below with a passage leading back to the east ending in yet another stone door. Griffin quickly moves to examine the hallway and door while the others back him up. He finds two loose stones in the floor just in front of the door and thinks they might be pressure plates. He calls Ree up, hoping her sharp Half-Elven eyes will help him better understand it. She spots tiny holes in the wall on each side of the door, just even with the pressure plates. She assumes they are for darts to shoot out of. Being careful to not trigger the trap, Griffin has Marcel and Draven block the holes with their shields as he finished checking out the door.
The door is opened with no issue and the next chamber seems to be so black that it almost absorbs the golden light shining from Draven's holy symbol. The walls, floors and ceiling are all black. At the far end of the room stood two dark pillars. Between these pillars stood a dark rectangular shape. Between each pillar and the wall stood tall, dark statues of demonic looking creatures. As the Company stepped
into the room to begin their exploration, the stone statues came to life, charging quickly across the room and attacking with sharp stone claws! The Company immediately went on the defensive and tried to get into better position. It is quickly discovered that the stone gargoyles are formidable opponents and much thought is given to defense as the attack options are not being very effective.
After a short time, Ree and Remar begin moving toward the back of the room to check out the large object between the pillars, hoping that it might have something to do with the unstoppable gargoyles. Rounding the nearest pillar, Remar sees that it is a large black surfaced mirror with an ornate, gem-encrusted frame. Upon looking into the mirror, though, he is surprised to see not his reflection, but a twisted and warped reflection of himself and his companions struggling in an evil black landscape. After a moment of gazing at this scary image, Ree begins trying to pull the mirror over, seemingly unhinged and angry at it. Remar, figuring she is on to something, gives her a hand and begins smashing the obsidian surface with his staff, eventually shattering it!
As Remar's staff cracks the surface of the black mirror, it explodes into millions of tiny black shards, which tear through Ree and Remar's clothes and embed themselves in their skin. At the exact same moment, the stone gargoyles explode as well, sending sharp, rocky shards into everyone else. Griffin nearly collapses from his wounds and everyone else is reeling. And though she was considerably wounded by the shards of glass, Ree was laughing and proclaimed that she felt better than she had in a long time!
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| The skeletal horde! |
Griffin immediately moves toward the metal ladder that can be seen leading down into a darkened shaft. He takes his time and examines the entire alcove for traps or anything else unusual while the others take a much needed rest. Eventually, when he thinks that the area surrounding the shaft and ladder is safe, he approaches and receives a jolt and shock when he touches the metal. Pulling his hand back he quickly summons Remar and Ree to check the area for any further traps. Remar notices fine lines of magical runes on the ladder, that to Griffin's eyes had only looked like scratches or grooves in the metal
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| Remar checked out the magical runes |
Bravely, Griffin grasps the metal again, this time with no accompanying shock, and leads the way down into the darkness. Another level of the dungeon is discovered below with a passage leading back to the east ending in yet another stone door. Griffin quickly moves to examine the hallway and door while the others back him up. He finds two loose stones in the floor just in front of the door and thinks they might be pressure plates. He calls Ree up, hoping her sharp Half-Elven eyes will help him better understand it. She spots tiny holes in the wall on each side of the door, just even with the pressure plates. She assumes they are for darts to shoot out of. Being careful to not trigger the trap, Griffin has Marcel and Draven block the holes with their shields as he finished checking out the door.
 |
| Gargoyles! |
into the room to begin their exploration, the stone statues came to life, charging quickly across the room and attacking with sharp stone claws! The Company immediately went on the defensive and tried to get into better position. It is quickly discovered that the stone gargoyles are formidable opponents and much thought is given to defense as the attack options are not being very effective.
After a short time, Ree and Remar begin moving toward the back of the room to check out the large object between the pillars, hoping that it might have something to do with the unstoppable gargoyles. Rounding the nearest pillar, Remar sees that it is a large black surfaced mirror with an ornate, gem-encrusted frame. Upon looking into the mirror, though, he is surprised to see not his reflection, but a twisted and warped reflection of himself and his companions struggling in an evil black landscape. After a moment of gazing at this scary image, Ree begins trying to pull the mirror over, seemingly unhinged and angry at it. Remar, figuring she is on to something, gives her a hand and begins smashing the obsidian surface with his staff, eventually shattering it!
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| Facing off against the stone guardians. |
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| Ree was happy for a change. |
Continued on GDA16 - Returning the Statue
Cast of Characters:
Garrett "Griffin" Constantine, a Thyatian rogue of a gambler from Penhaligon rolled by +Arne JamtgaardRemar Umerus, an Alphatian battle mage that escaped forced service in the Thyatian army
Marcel Maas, a down on his luck Traladaran soldier turned mercenary commanded by +Christian Blouin
Draven Rickart, a Thyatian Acolyte of the Church of Karameikos piously played by +Jason Packer
and +Jason Woollard as the DM
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