46: Showdown Up In The Sky

This session played Monday, September 13th, 2010 at Waves on Broadway.

Featuring:

Bonspiel
corporal-kaffshyth
Dalamyr and some guys he hired to watch his wagon.
William Parsnip

And introducing:

connor

Summary

Lost retainers and equipment found, bugbear slaughtered, evil wizard killed before his nefarious plot could come to fruition.

Horse Thief!

Dalamyr is performing last rites on the adventurer's slain retinue, as others do the heavy lifting (digging grave) when Connor steps through the breached gate leading a train of horses and war dogs.

Circle the wagon

Bonspiel surprises everyone in the party, including himself, when he finds and follows the tracks, leading out of the fort's walls, and circling around to the front of the manor, where it abuts one of the dilapidated walls. Entering the darkened hall, the party is confronted by 6 bugbears and a giant wolf. Connor leaps onto a wagon to attack, and fells one bugbear before another seizes him by the beard. The creature is caught by Parsnip and pays for this indignity with his life. Bonspiel and Kaffshyth capture the sole surviving bugbear and soon remember why it doesn't pay to interrogate prisoners who are both Chaotic and imbeciles.

A cunning plan

The adventurers scale the walls of the manor in an attempt to get the drop on the wizard and his remaining minions, only to fail to spot any entrance to the terraced 2nd or 3rd floors. They descend the way they came, spooked by the appearance of uncanny storm clouds gathering overhead, undoubtedly related to a magical ritual Dalamyr spies underway through a tower window.

Flaming Bugbear

Gagged, bound, and doused liberally in oil, the bugbear prisoner is force-marched up the winding staircase to the third floor, where the assault is temporarily stalled by an unexpected Wall of Fire. Various spells and potions are consumed, and the prisoner is kicked through the inferno. Smelling even worse while aflame, the hostage is forced onward by Parsnip, but no avail; discarded, the giant ball of fire and hair rolls down the stairs, while Parsnip, Dalamyr and Bonspiel prepare to breach the sorcery themselves.

Giant Purple people eater

Parsnip charges through the licking flames, followed by the senior members of the Doomriders, only to find the Wizard, now transformed into a hulking, blue and purple monstrosity towering nearly 9 feet! Nonplussed, Parsnip smashes the thing with his polearm, dispelling the wall of fire and allowing his more delicate companions to join the fight. Dalamyr casts a spell on the wizard, who shrieks as piercing light blinds his eyes.

The wizard is cunning, however, and mutters a spell that renders him invisible. The bugbears battle with Bonspiel, Dalamyr, Connor and the war dogs, while Parsnip deftly nets the stumbling giant. The wizard counters with another spell and disappears from the room entirely, leaving the bugbears to their fate.

Where's Kaffshyth?

Meanwhile, Kaffshyth crept downstairs and consumed a potion from a bag discovered earlier by the party, transforming him into a small, unarmed naked person. At some point after that, the wizard transported himself to Kaffshyth's floor and charmed him into aiding his escape. The duo head to the ground floor, where the sounds of bugbear horns winding send Parsnip plunging downstairs to punish the Corporal for abandoning the party in the midst of battle.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Kaffshyth

Parsnip gains the foyer just as the wizard throws a fireball to cover his tracks, and is killed in the detonation, along with a troop of bugbear reinforcements. However, the attack brings Kaffshyth to his senses and after a pathetic attempt at escape, during which the wizard knocks himself invisibly into several objects (including Kaffshyth's magic battle axe), the Corporal rejoins the party, victorious and bearing a field promotion to Colonel for exceptional valor (in addition to the wizard's head and liver).

Bugbears and babies bug out

Two remaining bugbears (one thought to be a shaman) are silhouetted in the flashes of magical lightning, leading their progeny off into the forest. The adventurers elect to let them flee, and turn to the pressing matter of looting the manor from top to bottom.

Surviving PCs received 2,262xp and 2,067gp each (not including personal xp bonuses).

Kill count

  • 1 warg wolf (25xp)
  • 6 bugbears (6x50xp)
  • 3 bugbears (3x50xp)
  • 1 6th level Wizard (500xp)
  • Parsnip

Loot

  • Gems 7x10gp, 7x20gp, 3x50gp
  • 47pp (47x5gp)
  • Telescope 5000gp
  • Lab equipment 4000gp
  • Posh Furniture 500gp (claimed, Parsnip)

Magic Loot

  • 39 misc potions
  • Wizard's wand
  • Wizard's dagger
  • Scroll: Comprehend Languages, Enlarge, Continual Light, Magic Mouth
  • Wizard's Spell Book
  • Magic Cloak

Telvar's Spell Book

Level 1: Detect Magic, Magic Missile, Protection from Evil, Sleep.
Level 2: Continual Light, Invisibility.
Level 3: Fireball, Protection from Normal Missiles.

Prev: The Bones Under Bone Hill

Next: Tower of the Stargazer Part I

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