I had a cold and was dead-tired but it was still a worthwhile session, if a little of the filling sort. Guillaume had to look after his baby son (the joy of parenthood!) but he managed to join us halfway in the session.
Characters
- Lucky, Half-Elf Cleric of Tymora (Trickery), Street Urchin; the lowly will be exalted
- Shin, Tabaxi Fighter (Arcane Archer), Outlander; big-game hunter, has no patience for weakness
- Corpos, High Elf Wizard (Necromancer), Archeologist; antiquary, strange fixation on the undead
- Kalohan, High Elf Wizard (Evoker), Inheritor; noble Elf, ill-suited for adventuring life
- Phileas, Half-Elf Bard (College of Swords), Archeologist; “it’s not tomb-robbing if you do it respectfully”
- Goro-Tso, Human NPC (Berserker template), Mercenary, devotee of Malar; bought by promises of gold and tej, have yet to see much of either
Spider Riders (1)
The previous session had the PCs in a fight against a small patrol from the Canopy Drummers (batiri goblins) and they had emerged victorious. Next, they tried to put some distance before nightfall between themselves and their goblin foes, and had crossed into another tribe’s territory. This, apparently, did not suffice to deter pursuit, or at least not from some fast-moving skirmishers: Spider Riders.
A (spider) Swarm descended from the trees upon the poor, terrified Kalohan, while 3 Spider Riders moved to attack the PCs from a distance. Shin, quick to assert the main threat, let loose 2 magically-charged shadow arrows, killing the leader of the skirmishers, a goblin warchief wearing a weird spider hat. The cleric of Tymora and the Elf wizard blasted to bits the spider Swarm with magic bolts and divine fire while the bard tried in vain some mind-trick on a Giant (medium) Spider.
The 2 remaining spiders failed to catch anybody with their webs. The goblins threw venom-dipped javelins and one downed Kalohan and the other wounded Philleas. However, the adventurers still clearly had the advantage after these first exchanges and they finished the skirmishers despite their annoying shoot-and-hide tactics.
A few antitoxin vials and healing spells from the cleric later and the PCs were good to go.
The Mantis Warrior
On top of a huge fallen tree stood a Giant Mantis. Eerily still (2). Already upset with her recent encounter with giant spiders, Kalohan immediately hurled a fire bolt at the thing. The Giant Mantis dashed towards the PCs but their combined attacks forced its transformation into its true form, that of a disgusted-looking goblin shaman. The latter didn’t wasted time and transformed back into his more threatening Mantis-Shape and attacked savagely Philleas with spiked forelegs and ferocious bite.
The Mantis Warrior proved to be a worthy adversary but he was alone against 4. His wild shape once again used up, he tried to flee but the adventurers shot him in the back and killed him.
Should have killed that dude the first time
Later the same night, the PCs were alerted by some ruckus, something was approaching. In fact, it was Corpos and Goro-Tso, running away from a pack of ghouls (3). Scavo, the ghoul they’d freed (and tortured) earlier, told them that he wasn’t such a big fan of goblin flesh after all…
The 5 ghouls caught up with the 2 they were pursuing, but the cleric of Tymora intervened and his Turn Undead sent 3 of them sprinting wildly the way they came. The PCs had no intention to let them go however and they used their (always efficient) ranged attacks to mow down the flesh-eating monsters.
Scavo attempted a pathetic plea for mercy (yet again) and Philleas the bard responded with the quote of the day: « indeed, I know, i know, I totally agree, it’s just a big misunderstanding », then he lopped the ghoul’s head off…
A Giggle in the Dark
Now near exhaustion from back-to-back fights, the PCs saw goblin scribblings on the trees that Lucky deciphered as a warning to Batiri, that further ahead laid a dangerous area. That certainly posed a conundrum, it would mean a place away from the goblins but at what risk? What if whatever it was that rendered this area dangerous for the goblins proved too lethal for the depleted adventurers? They tried their luck…
But what was that they heard? A giggle? (4)
They were fortunate to have stumbled (5) into the territory of a friendly and somewhat over-excited Dryad. After some chatter to satisfy the socially-starved fey, the PCs could finally have a decent rest. Next day, after offering them a delicious breakfast of berries and nectar, the dryad asked if they could solve a problem of hers: a burrowing monster was damaging the nearby trees’ roots to her great dismay. She had gifts for them if they would be so kind…
Acid-Spitting Giant Centipede!
The PCs accepted gladly. Following her advice, they baited the monster with dead animals placed near its lair. The thing did showed itself and combat ensued (6). The well-rested adventurers had many tools at their disposal. The Tabaxi blinded the (Large) Centipede with a special arrow. The beast’s tremorsense couldn’t detect the levitating Kalohan, Shin perched on a branch, nor Corpos and Lucky whom were too far. It left the tough Goro-Tso and nimble Philleas as targets. It did managed to grab the bard between its fearsome mandibles, grievously wounding him, but it soon succumbed under the combined onslaught of its attackers.
The Dryad was overjoyed with this victory and gave the PCs well-crafted bows and magic mu-ngyengyue bracelets.
DM’s Notes
- I’m a bit cruel with my arachnophobe sister…
- The Mantis Warrior was waiting patiently and wished to make a deal with the PCs. He never had the chance! It just didn’t happen the way I planned…
- A player that is late is very often the cause of such a dissonant scene, whereas his character oddly re-appear just like that…
- Okay, turns out that I’m totally inept at giggling! Ha! Ha!
- Lenient DM
- Took an ankheg from the monster manual and pimped it a little.
Streets & Spores 