[D&D 4E IC] The Second Son

robp85

The Adventurers:

<-- Alester Cromwell, Human Avenger of Ioun, played by Kevin R Brown

<-- Chloro, Wilden Swarm Druid, played by SuperRuper

<-- Keldyn Sodosa, Human Illusionist Wizard, played by soxbox

<-- Rune, Warforged Infernal Warlock, played by cytorak

<-- Shield, Warforged Paladin of Bahamut, played by Brody

<-- Zamiel, Tiefling Pacifist Cleric, played by Marshmallow

And so it begins...

Cold sleet tears at your clothes and bare skin as your weary horses ride through the gates of Jaspermoon Village. You find the town dark except for the warm glow from the local inn, the Black Oak. There you find a warm meal, good mead, and rousing tales.

One tale, however, speaks of gloom and sorrow. The town's hero, Rakin Madrona, hero of the Battle of Seven Stars and router of the Red Fang goblin tribe, has been killed in the caverns below Westfall Tower. The entire town mourns his loss. After a day of rest in the inn's very comfortable rooms, you meet your breakfast with an invitation from the Jaspermoon mayor's aid. The mayor seeks assistance and is willing to pay handsomely for it.

Mayor Jantzen Madrona, younger brother of the hero Rakin Madrona, is a small thin man in royal robes. In a chair to his left sits a man with skin like snow and eyes like pale clouds in the sunset. Jantzen introduces him to you as Kiet, his town defense advisor.

"I loved my brother," says Jantzen. "Though we speak not of it, we know he is no longer with us. The town, however, demands his proper burial. I will pay you the sum of 200 gold pieces each to locate his body and bring it back to us. He deserves better than to rot in the pits of an old ruin."

Jantzen gives you a map inked on a sheaf of fine vellum and half of your payment in small but heavy leather sacks.

"You will find the caverns at the base of an old steps in the ruins of Westfall Tower. Be wary, bandits and goblinkind often use the cursed tower for refuge."

Talk with each other. Talk with Jantzen and Kiet. Do what you please. Let me know when you all are ready to start moving along.

And with that in mind.... BEGIN!

soxbox

Keldyn steps forward, pulling back his hood and addresses Jantzen "A ruined tower filled with bandits and goblins seems an odd place to visit without cause. What was his purpose in the tower?"

Kevin R Brown

"By the will of Ioun's counsel, Mayor Madrona, your wishes be done. Keep your precious metal; such worldly tokens hold little value to me,"

Alester was here to cleanse the ruins of it's vermin infestation at the behest of his clergy. Serving the mayor was a means to this end - accepting payment would introduce a toxin to this brief exchange.

Insight - Mayor: 1d20+4 23

I just want to see if the mayor is being forthcoming with us about his relationship with his brother, and whether he really does feel guilty/depressed about the loss.

cytorak

Rune tapped a single finger on the table as he studied the mayor and his assistant. "Forgive my bluntness, but what proof do you have that your brother is dead? People have wandered away for longer and returned with treasure and tales of adventure, for sure. Maybe he is simply trapped in the tower or has lost his way?"

Marshmallow

Zamiel delicately takes the map and begins inspecting it, trying to figure out about how long it would take to get to the caverns.

He coughs politely before speaking, "Everyone deserves a proper and respectful burial. I will do what I can to help you bring peace to your brother."

Brody

Shield stops at the door, then turns back when he realizes that everyone was still standing around talking. Silly humans. At least Rune had brought up a relevant point, but only one that could be better answered by leaving sooner. This Rakin Madrona obviously needed protection, and standing around in the office was anything but protecting.

"Why waste time on questions?" His voice grated out. "If there is any possibility he is still alive, then we should be making all haste to these ruins."

soxbox

Keldyn's face darkens and his voice deepens as spins to glare at Shield. "Because it's his questions that make sure that YOU are still alive". Keldyn's eyes then widen in shock and he clasps his hands over his mouth as he realizes what he just said. Stammering briefly, he quickly averts his eyes and turns back to the Mayor, his tone returning to normal. "As my friend said, time may be of the essence, as your brother is not likely to last long either dead or alive - tell us what you know of the dangers we will face, and we will be on our way post-haste."

I'm actually ready to go at any point - if you just give us an idea of why the guy was there (just trying to clear the keep?) and whether we're likely to face anything other than bandit and goblins, I'm ready to dive in.

Brody

A small rasping sound, as of blades scraping together, emanates from Shield for a moment before he steps out the door. "I'll be waiting at the edge of town."

robp85

Sorry for the delay, all. Busy day yesterday.

"Jaspermoon has been attacked more and more by wild monsters and we weren't sure why. Rakin believed he found the source of the attacks in the caverns and so decided it would be best if he took care of the problem from the source. We believe him to be dead since he's been gone over a month now. You can expect to find those same wild creatures in the cavern. Nothing a brave party of adventurers shouldn't be able to handle."

He looks at Shield for a moment. "Yes, it would be best that you leave as quickly as possible. The sooner we can give Rakin a proper burial, the sooner we can... finish mourning for him."

Insight check results:
Alester notices that the mayor isn't being completely honest. In fact, something in his voice seems to indicate that Jantzen may be lying about his feelings for his brother.

SuperRuper

Chloro delves deep within his hood to mask a face that could only bring trouble. In silence, he had been waiting beside the door. He agreed with Shield and lay a hand on his shoulder as the construct began to step out the door. A raspy voice emanated from behind the hood,

"I am with you comrade. We find ourselves in agreement yet again. I also believe that there will be more awaiting us than a dead body." He turned to walk with him. "We had best...steel ourselves for the road ahead."

He chuckled as he strode beside the warforged.

cytorak

Rune stands, his hand burning a slight imprint in the oaken table. A slight whirring noise, Rune's equivalent of a sigh. "As Chloro nor Shield seem to want the grass to grow beneath their toes, we should be on our way, then." The warforged presses a small button on his right wrist. A recessed compartment opens, revealing an ornately-decorated rod. Satisfied, the warlock reseals the compartment and collects his gold.

soxbox

Keldyn reaches over to grab his share of the gold. "Wild Monsters you say? Seems odd that your brother should assume that goblins and brigands would be behind attacks from wild beasts - what is the nature of the creatures that have been assaulting your town? Did you brother share his theory on the cause of this violence with anybody else?"

As Keldyn talks, coins from Alester's unclaimed share of the gold lifts from the table and begins to float slowly towards Keldyn's backpack.

Just a little bit of unconscious mage-handing. Want not, waste not.

Marshmallow

Satisfied with the map, Zamiel folds it and tucks it into his bag. In response to Rune's suggestion to head out, he adds "Yes, though the destination may be dangerous, the journey to it should not be too difficult I hope. I am ready to set out as soon as our arcane friend here has satisfied his curiosity."

Brody

"You all are acting like chitlins afraid of the dark. Lets go disband some bandits, bonk some goblins, and be done with it." More rasping chuckles, and Shield was gone, glaring at Keldyn on his way out.

Kevin R Brown

Alester offers the politician a slight tip of his hat.

"You're a liar. Likely a cheat, coward & heretic as well. Count yourself lucky that I don't presently have time to drag you off in chains to discover the full degree of your transgressions."

The Avenger falls in step with his party as they begin to leave, but his eyes stay on Jantzen for a few moments longer.

"When I come back through town, it will be to burn down your manor and whatever perverse possessions are within it. If you're wise, you'll do the honorable thing and count yourself among them."

soxbox

Keldyn eyes follow the others as they leave the room. "Don't mind my friend. He hasn't burnt down any manors lately.... But just to be on the safe side I should probably hurry along too". He then dashes off after the others.

Diplomacy: 1d20+7 25 - Just to smooth things over in case, you know we want to return to town at a later point and not face a pitchfork-wielding mob.

Is that everybody out of there now?

Kevin R Brown

Hey, I *am* the pitchfork-wielding mob.

Brody

And I can look like a pitchfork. If I stand up with my legs together and hold my hands up like a field goal... Sorry, sleep deprived, and tryptophan od

Marshmallow

Once they are outside, Zamiel approaches Alester carefully, "Wow, that was pretty bombastic... even for you. What was that all about?"

Kevin R Brown

Cromwell only offers his companion a sideways glance.

"Ioun suffers not the lies of men, and nor do I - though I suppose I should not have expected much of a politician. I'd examine your coins were I you; it would hardly surprise me if they were painted chips of wood."

Brody

"Does it matter what the coin is made of? I'm sure, return with the man, or with his body, the townspeople will be grateful enough. Especially if we return to show this man a liar. Regardless, stop your time wasting."

Following his own advice, Shield started off down the road.

cytorak

Rune shakes his head at both Brody and Cromwell. "Well, now if he IS the one behind all this, I should suspect 'Jaspermoon-funded assassins' should be added to the list of dangers we face out in the wilds."

robp85

Jantzen glares at Alester as he walks off. Obviously the Avenger struck a nerve. The mayor offers no well-wishes or thanks as your group leaves, following the map to the location of the cavern. In fact, the final questions were left hanging in the air. The mayor storms off with his advisor close behind.

I'll finish my post when I get to work. Hard to post off my cell.

robp85

The ruined tower of Westfall sticks up from the ragged sharp mountains three days west of Jaspermoon. It rises like the decaying corpse of an old beast crushed under the weight of time.

Surprisingly, your trip to the tower was uneventful. Besides enjoying the beauty of the wilderness, there is nothing, or no one, out there to hurt you.

The sun begins to set as you reach your destination bathing the landscape in a soft red glow. Though not a problem at this point, lighting will soon become an issue. You can see the ruined tower in front of you but you don't notice any signs of life. Double-checking the map confirms that you are at the right place. There are some stairs in the tower that will lead you to the caverns you're looking for.

Map (for your pleasure):

Note:
The tree trunks (H5, H12, D13) are impassable and block line of sight.
The water is difficult terrain.

Here's how we're going to take care of rolls and the placement of those rolls. All rolls will be done in the "DarkOrange" color (good idea, KRB ) with your rolls on Invisible Castle or on Orokos. The campaign name will be "Second Son". We'll only be spoilering the maps and any other pictures that may arise for obvious reasons. Any questions, feel free to ask me.

One last note, I still consider today a holiday (even though I have to work, crazy retail stores....). I understand if some can't post today. Unless everyone gets there chance, I won't be pushing forward until Monday.

Good luck and let's get it on!

soxbox

Not sure if it's needed yet, but once I see a map - Initiative: 1d20+0 20

Crit! Oh yeah, you've been hit so hard by my initiative you don't even know it yet. If everybody else gets their rolls in or we're not actually in combat mode yet, just move me forward until there's something to kill.

Brody

1d20=20 Lol, apparently this is crit init week. Now lets hope these rolls are worth something, cause otherwise, it'll just make me a sad panda. If initiative doesn't really matter yet, I'll move up to F8

robp85

Initiative is not important at this point. I like giving maps occasionally to help supplement people's perception of what's going on and where they are. But, heck, I'll let you guys keep the initiative rolls for the first combat we have. Don't want to let a couple of crits go to waste.

cytorak

Rune, oblivious to impending danger, takes the opportunity to enjoy the cool air and the flora and fauna of the countryside.

Initiative: 1d20 4

SuperRuper

Chloro follows the others and silently observes his surroundings. It seemed quite docile. The perfect time for an ambush.

Initiative: 1d20+1: 11

Marshmallow

Zamiel lags behind a bit, distracted by his search of his bag for his pack of sunrods. Eventually finding them wrapped in and under one of his spare tunics, he takes one out and holds it ready for when they venture below.

Pre-emptive Initiative: 1d20+0: 3

Brody

"Anyone have a flashlight?"

Looking around, Shield attempts to find any signs of people using the stair case recently.

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2336115/ 1d20+2=4 HALP, I are blind

robp85

Round 1!

A deep voice barks out at the night and soon barks again. Then you hear the ring of armor as two huge hobgoblins step from the ruin of the tower and attack! Both hobgoblins wield large flails and carry shields with them.

Initiative:

Shield
Keldyn
Alester
Hobgoblin Soldier 1
Hobgoblin Soldier 2
Chloro
Rune
Zamiel

Note about initiative. I don't care when you go as long as it's in your "initiative block". That means, at this point, Shield, Keldyn and Alester can go in any order. Chloro, Rune and Zamiel must wait for the Hobgoblins to go before they can go. Hope that makes sense to everyone. Let me know if it doesn't.

Map:

Note:
The tree trunks (H5, H12, D13) are impassable and block line of sight.
The water is difficult terrain.
Bush at F7 is difficult terrain but provides cover.

Status:

Alester Cromwell - 25/25 - AC19/F12/R15/W16 - HS 7/7 - AP 1/2
@C6 - Status: Normal.
Chloro - 28/28 - AC16/F13/R13/W15 - HS 10/10 - AP 1/2
@C5 - Status: Normal.
Keldyn Sodosa - 23/23 - AC16/F12/R15/W15 - HS 7/7 - AP 1/2
@C8 - Status: Normal.
Rune - 32/32 - AC14/F15/R13/W12 - HS 11/11 - AP 1/2
@C7 - Status: Normal.
Shield - 36/36 - AC20/F15/R13/W14 - HS 13/13 - AP 1/2
@F8 - Status: Normal.
Zamiel - 22/22 - AC16/F10/R11/W16 - HS 7/7 - AP 1/2
@D5 - Status: Normal.

---

Hobgoblin Soldier 1 - 47/47 - AC20/F18/R16/W16
@K8 - Status: +2 AC when next to other Hobgoblin Soldier.
Hobgoblin Soldier 2 - 47/47 - AC20/F18/R16/W16
@K7 - Status: +2 AC when next to other Hobgoblin Soldier.

First up: Shield, Keldyn and Alester!

Brody

I'm assuming thats a tree I'm standing next to, and is impassable?

robp85

Bush, actually. Provides cover and is difficult terrain. Updated the map spoiler above to reflect this.

Brody

I guess I'll ready Ardent Strike for whichever one gets close to me, and if there is one adjacent to me unmarked, I'll target it with Divine Challenge.

Ardent Strike vs AC: 1d20+7 19 1d10+4 5

Fail v.v

Shield catches sight of the Hobgoblins and quickly looks back to make sure everyone is safe. Turning back to the enemy, he prepared to punch anything that got close hard. In the face. With a hammer.

I hope you girls back there are ready.

Kevin R Brown

Alester unsheathes his greatsword.

Ah. Goblins.

I do so enjoy the noises they make as they burn.

He tips his hat towards one of the hobgoblins...

Radiant Vengeance vs Hobgoblin (Reflex) in K7: 1d20+4 11

...And a ray of brilliant white light pierces the clouds overhead, but sears only the ground at the creature's feet.

"Ioun will suffer not your wretched, squabbling existence, and nor shall I,"

Swear my Oath of Emnity against the Hobgoblin in K7. I'll also move up to E9.

soxbox

Brody - you can't ready two actions - if your move action wasn't used earlier (I think that was pre-combat?) you should use that, or you should charge.

Keldyn peers across the field, squinting at the Hobgoblins. "Hail! Are you friend or foe?". Suddenly his hands raise up and a swarm of bats appear around one of the creatures... for a moment, before the disappear in a flash of smoke. Keldyn looks sheepishly over at the over at the clearly angered Hobgoblin, and then down at his hands in disappointment. "Huh, I guess they're foes then.".

Illusory Ambush vs Will: 1d20+5 6 1d6+4 5 - Bah! I knew rolling a natural 20 to start didn't bode well.

Brody

Oh, I assumed that I could ready both since one is a minor and one a standard. I'd rather not move, because I have this nice little bush next to me. v.v Although this is my first time as a melee character, so if a charge would be better, I could definitely go for that.
Also, and I know no one cares, but Black Friday sucks.

Marshmallow

It is a rather tricky setup. If you stand your ground it's possible they'd ignore you and swing around to us squishie folk in the back. That'd be just asking to be outflanked and have their AC bonus broken though, so it could go either way.

I trust your judgement, melee character or no. Worst case scenario, Zamiel can break out the Astral Seal a bit early and do what he does best.

Kevin R Brown

...This is totally off topic, but what software is everyone who does up these really cool maps using? It probably way easier than do up a grid in illustrator, it it looks *so* nice.

I want to use it in my game.

SuperRuper

When it gets to my turn, I'm gonna try to pull a hobgob to you and then beast form and start the swarm. Also: just a warning, I have a lot of bursts and blasts that effect creatures so there may be some collateral damage sometimes.