Dark Paths 47

Dark Paths of Riddleport
Session 47
May 18, 2014

Dead Elves... They Keep Calling Me

Roll20 Chat Log

The Crew advances into the Academy only to find a horrific sight; a room full of recently dead and more recently animated fallen Elves from the ranks of the Farstriders. Some of the zombie faces are even familiar to the Crew. Pushing their emotions aside, they vanquish the Zombies and move on.

A former Farstrider Elf.. now a Zombie!

The next chamber consisted of doors to the right and left, probably leading in the direction of the other entrances of the building and their allies who were engaged there. Trusting in them to deal with their own obstacles, the Crew moved into the next chamber ahead. This room looked to be a former sitting room of some type that had been converted into a profane alter to some Demons or Devils that the Drow now worshiped. A tall dark pillar with strange Elvish runes carved into it sat in an alcove to the left, its surface pulsing with a deep purple energy. A set of doors led further inward. After puzzling over the pillar for a moment, it was decided that it needed to be destroyed and it was toppled over. 

When the alter fell, however, it triggered some sort of magical backlash, filling the room instantaneously with a searing cloud of flame! Paal and Guy were saved from the deadly blast by nature of the fact that they were still in the previous room and out of range of the fire while everyone else felt its cruel burn. Bodi and Snargash nearly lost consciousness and the whole Crew was in bad shape.

The purple flame burns!

Wasting no time, Snargash leapt into action, applying his magical healing music and downing several healing potions himself. Within no time, the Crew were back to fighting strength, though Snargash warned the others that he was nearing the threshold of further safe divine aid. If he had to call upon his Goddesses many more times, there may be repercussions.

Entering the next room, the crew were in for a bit of a surprise. This chamber was not ruined and devastated by time like the others in the building. This room was pristine and new, much like it must have been at the height of Celwynvian. The right side of the semicircular chamber is a polished marble wall with a set of ornate double doors in the center. The entire left side of the room was taken up by a crystal clear pool, upon which floated a large leaf. Reclining on that leaf was a beautiful Elf maiden. 

Behind the Elf on the leaf, the wall of the chamber seemed to be some sort of gate made of white stone, carefully framed by carved stone leaves and vines. As the Crew gets their bearings in the chamber and takes in all the interesting sights, the beautiful Elf smiles and introduces herself. 

The Elf on the Leaf

She says her name is Indothiel, an Elf from times past, before the Starfall. She says she is merely a spirit form, captured and trapped by the Drow, forced to help them with their nefarious plans. She explains that the Drow leaders recently passed through here, into the next chamber and she feared that they were ready to set into motion a plan that could call down another star from the heavens and trigger another cataclysm, like the one 10,000 years ago. She goes on, divulging as much information as she knows about the Drow and their plan and says that she believes the curse trapping her could be lifted if the leaf she rests upon was lifted up and out of the pool.

Continued no "The Elf on the Leaf" document

Notes

The campaign is entering its final arc and the game is just about to get even more dangerous, possibly even deadly. I am excited to see how this all plays out over the next few months.

Cast of Characters: 

Aethelarian "Aethel" Flitterseed - Noble Elf wizard played by +Daniel White 
Aragon Whisperwind - Elven Bladedancer played by +Arne Jamtgaard 
Bodil "Bodi" Jantzen - suave and smooth swordsman played by +Mike Biancone 
Guy Greystone - Gnome telekinetic played by +Gren Drake 
Paal Ulfsun - Northman Human ranger played by +Ben Zittere 
Snargash Windblown - Half-Orc monk played by +Amergin O'Kai 
and +Jason Woollard as the DM

Dark Paths 46

Dark Paths of Riddleport
Session 46
April 27, 2014

All Washed Up

Roll20 Chat Log

The Crew continued their assault on the Academy of Arts at the heart of Celwynvian. The Drow stronghold was well defended and the attack hinged on a three prong approach, with the Crew attacking from the south.

The Drow outside the building were finally cleared on the southern approach and the group made their way inside to find a once ornate assembly area with a long pool of water and stacks of dead Elves piled in the rows of benches. The dead Elves look to have been battered by some tremendous force. Before any further examination can be made, the water in the long pool becomes disturbed and two areas rise up, swirling around and splashing all throughout the room. Water Elementals!

The Water Elemental

Deciding against a direct approach, the Crew remains up near the top of the chamber and pepper the elementals with ranged attacks while Bodi climbs down to go open the door on the far side of the room. Bodi is hit and knocked down as he dashes across the room and Aragon follows him to assist. The others continue to attack and eventually force the watery creatures to retreat. 

At just this time, Bodi makes it across the room and opens the door. They brash swashbuckler calls out, "Come on!" followed quickly by "Holy Shit!"

The next chamber was filled with Elf Zombies!

The next chamber holds a horrifying sight. Several elven corpses are strung up along the walls of this chamber, pools of blood congealing beneath their feet. It appears that their throats have been cut. Along the north wall, an ancient elven statue stands, but its skin has been painted black and its face carved into a cruel scowl. As Bodi looks in, the corpses all start to move, unhooking themselves from the chains holding them to the wall...

Cast of Characters: 

Aethelarian "Aethel" Flitterseed - Noble Elf wizard played by +Daniel White 
Aragon Whisperwind - Elven Bladedancer played by +Arne Jamtgaard 
Bodil "Bodi" Jantzen - suave and smooth swordsman played by +Mike Biancone 
Guy Greystone - Gnome telekinetic played by +Gren Drake 
Paal Ulfsun - Northman Human ranger played by +Ben Zittere 
Snargash Windblown - Half-Orc monk played by +Amergin O'Kai 
and +Jason Woollard as the DM

Dark Paths 45

Dark Paths of Riddleport
Session 45
March 16, 2014

Never Use the Front Door

Roll20 Chat Log

The crew retreated back to the base camp, tired and battered from a day full of warring with the Drow and being attacked by a Dragon. Once back at the camp, Eviana invites them to another war council. Kaerishiel makes a point of addressing and thanking the Crew after his wounds are healed. He is very humble and appreciative of their contribution thus far. He shakes Bodi's hand and declares him the winner of their little wager and compliments and praises the entire Crew. 

At the council, Eviana states that they are ready to assault the old Academy of Arts, which is rumored to hold some sort of Elven portal the Drow call the Armageddon Echo. She wants three teams to assault the building and attempt to capture, kill or stop the Drow leadership from whatever it is they are doing. Capturing the portal to figure out its part in the Drow plot is most important.

Eviana points out the Academy of Arts on the map

Before the sun rises, the three teams set out, ready to begin their attack with the first lights of day. Kaerishiel and his team will assault the front doors of the Academy, on the south side and Shalelu will lead a team attacking the north entrance, coming from the cover of the forest. The Crew will strike the west side, hoping to gain entrance through a wide hole in the roof of one of the domes. The Elves have provided a rope ladder with hooks on the end to facilitate ingress by members not capable of reaching the roof easily.

Upon arrival, the Crew sees several Dretch Demons and a few Drow Skirmishers on the ground near the base of the tower standing guard and one Drow Captain stationed on the roof near the opening. Taking advantage of a stealthy approach, Paal and Bodi take careful aim with their bows and fire. Bodi misses one of the demons, but Paal scores a direct hit, giving the Drow Captain a faceful of one of his arrows, causing her to lose her footing and fall to the ground below. One of the Drow calls out an alarm and points in the direction of the hidden attackers. 

The demons move to attack while the Drow set up some defenses by summoning their spheres of darkness. Aethel flies off to get an aerial view while Aragon rushes forward toward the darkness. Guy makes a slower approach and focuses on blasting the demons with continual showers of rocks and other psionically projected missiles. Snargash prepares some magic and then begins levitating up toward the top of the dome, bringing the rope ladder. Paal and Bodi continue their ranged support from the treeline.

The battle rages on with Aragon using his blindfighting ability to engage the Drow hiding in the darkness. He takes several crossbow bolts but manages to resist the poison. After a few moments, the demons are destroyed and everyone starts moving toward the tower. Paal takes a bolt out of the darkness and succumbs to the sleeping poison that coated it. 

Bodi rushes to his side as Snargash attempts to wake him by magical means but failing the first time.

Aethel rises up toward the roof as Aragon finishes off the first Drow and moves to the other side of the dome, hoping to find the other Dark Elf.

Approaching the Academy

Cast of Characters: 

Aethelarian "Aethel" Flitterseed - Noble Elf wizard played by +Daniel White 
Aragon Whisperwind - Elven Bladedancer played by +Arne Jamtgaard 
Bodil "Bodi" Jantzen - suave and smooth swordsman played by +Mike Biancone 
Guy Greystone - Gnome telekinetic played by +Gren Drake 
Paal Ulfsun - Northman Human ranger played by +Ben Zittere 
Snargash Windblown - Half-Orc monk played by +Amergin O'Kai 
and +Jason Woollard as the DM