|
|
Post by Admin Pete on Apr 22, 2016 16:01:14 GMT -5
About three months in in campaign time, the party was investigating a ruined tower at one end of a extensive set of ruins. The ground level was empty and the stairway to the upper levels was completely missing. When the party looked up all they could see was a 5' by 25' opening in the floor of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors and above that the tower had collapsed. They worked out a way up to the 2nd floor which was vacant and as was the 3rd floor, but on the 4th floor there was a pool in the middle of the floor with crystal clear cold water that appeared to be about 20 feet deep even though each floor level was only about 4' thick. The pool was about 30' across and in the middle of it was an island about 10 feet in diameter with extremely dense shrubbery and a single three in the center. A rope was tied off on a hook on the wall of the tower and extended onto the island and was tied around the tree a few feet above the shrubbery. One of the players decided to climb up and grab the rope and going hand over hand reached the tree in the middle of the island, climbing down the tree and disappearing from view. In a little bit he climbed back up the tree and told them that at the bottom of the tree he could see no shrubs, but he could see over 100 yards in every direction in a forest, so after some discussion they rigged a second rope and got all of them and their equipment over to the island and started off through the forest. A few encounters with large herd animals and some predators and a week later then came out of the forest onto plains which gradually changed into desert, but very strange desert.
The place where they where at now has about a 36 hour day which took a lot of adjusting too. The daytime temperature gradually rises until it reaches about 110°F at late morning and 150°F at mid afternoon. The players found to their surprise when they dug into the very coarse sand material that they would hit water at anywhere from 6 inches deep to four to five feet deep; however, only in little patches here and there. Other places they could dig down 6 feet a few feet away and not encounter water at all. So they holed up during the day and traveled mostly at night. They traveled across this for several weeks having seen what looked like ruins in the assumed southeast direction. During this time they had a number of encounter with wild animals a few of which were very close calls. They eventually came to a trail about 20 feet wide that was packed down about two feet deeper that the typical desert floor running from the assumed southeast to the northwest that was about 20° off of the angle they had been traveling. They hid several hundred yards back from it for several days and eventually saw travel along it of what was obviously a merchant/slave caravan. These people had huge beasts of burden that were about 100 feet in length with backs rising about 25 feet in the air with enormous amounts of goods loaded on their back and long chains of people chained together following along.
more later
|
|
|
|
Post by robkuntz on Sept 25, 2016 12:12:23 GMT -5
Bump. What happened?
|
|
|
|
Post by Mighty Darci on Oct 10, 2016 16:34:58 GMT -5
Yes, what happened next?  |
|
|
|
Post by Admin Pete on Dec 4, 2016 14:43:40 GMT -5
They followed them for a few days and determined that there were about 25 guards with the caravan with about a hundred chained slaves to gather and about 30 slaves that were collared and chained in such a way that they could do the grunt work of camping and then were chained together at night. These people seemed quite adapted to the temperature extremes and did not seem to be greatly discomforted by it. The enormous creatures used as pack animals were not unloaded at night, but were allowed to wander around the camp eating large rubbery looking thorny plant and pulling up and eating a long tap root having the girth of a man's body and a length of 30-40 feet.
They hatched a plan and ambushed the caravan in the middle of the night. Successfully slipping in close and surprising and overcoming the two guards and then casting two spells 17 more of the 25 were rendered senseless and they then engaged the other 6 in combat. Seizing the initiative, pressed them fiecrely and overcame them after a hard fought battle. Several party members were grieveously wounded and almost died. Using healing magic they fully recovered over the next few days and gradually started to learn to talk by words and signs with the servant slaves. They also were able to unchain everyone, although they had no way to remove the collars.
They had thought to hijack the whole caravan, but the leader of the servants, prevailed on them to send the creatures off toward the north and only taking food, some clothing and weapons, along with gold, silver and gems and other valuable items. So they continued on with the rescued towards the ruins they were originally moving towards. They went to great lengths to conceal evidence of their passing.
|
|
|
|
Post by Admin Pete on Dec 4, 2016 14:44:36 GMT -5
They encountered a few strange creatures on the way, but their new friends showed them the best way to fight them. When they reached the ruins a large fountain was present in the center of the ruined city
and it became apparent that it was still inhabited. The leader called out and little while a single person came out of the shadows and it became apparent that a group of about 180 people were living in this remnant of a vanished civilization.
The players learned that once the caravan was missed that the whole area would be scoured by a sizable armed force on agile mounts and that they were all in danger here in the ruins, even though they had left no trail. The players inquired if there was anything below the city and they were told it was likely, but they knew of no one who had done so. The players proposed looking for an entry and perhaps they would find somewhere to hide until it was safe to come out again. They looked to have about 2-3 weeks to either hide or prepare to fight and no one considered that to be an option.
They searched for nearly a week (and in the process found the most defensible locations) and finally located an entrance, and the party went in alone to investigate. The first two levels below the city contained nothing of value and had clearly been trashed and looted. There were no obvious ways, no stairs or ramps leading down to anything lower. They searched what they considered the most likely areas and were rewarded with a hidden door that lead to a stairway. They reported back and the rescued started immediately to carry every container they had or could salvage down in the lower of the two levels, to erase as much as possible the evidence of their above ground activity and to block the entrance so that a large amount of debris would have to be removed to gain entry. Then they prepared to defend the area.
|
|
|
|
Post by Admin Pete on Dec 4, 2016 14:45:11 GMT -5
The players went down to the third level and immediately ran into something odd, at first they thought it was just a conjured mouth speaking a canned phrase but soon figured out that just inside the first door, the wall was talking to them in a language they did not understand. As they talked among themselves the words coming from the wall started to make sense and as they responded the wall was soon speaking their language.
They found out (over the next few hours) that the wall(s) were very literal minded and to carry on a conversation and get useful information, they had to speak very precisely. The hallway quickly deadended into a room and when the entered it the wall immediately asked them what was their wish, confused they started to talk among themselves and the wall said too late you only get one chance and ordered them to leave his room and proceed through the door that revealed itself. Part of the room they were in was shrouded in a heavy fog and when one of them stepped toward it, the wall stated that no one ever returns from the mist and for them to leave and go to the next room with great insistence that they must go now. They were disoriented by this whole thing and a feeling of dizzyness washed over them.
So they went to the next room and the same thing was repeated, wall immediately asked them what was their wish, confused they started to talk among themselves and the wall said too late you only get one chance and ordered them to leave his room and proceed through the door that revealed itself. Seeing most of the room fog shrouded they went to the next room, feeling very unsure of themselves having found both times that they could not return the way that they came. They had also learned by this time that each wall had its own name, seemed to be sentient and had a lot of personality.
In the third room, there was a table and two long benches in the middle of the room and the table was heaped with food and drink all fresh and smelling good. The wall greeted them as did the table and the two benches. Then
|
|
|
|
Post by mormonyoyoman on Jun 16, 2018 21:42:26 GMT -5
Wait - You left us hanging here for TWO YEARS??
|
|
|
|
Post by mao on Jul 6, 2018 13:02:45 GMT -5
Wait - You left us hanging here for TWO YEARS?? Im not going anywhere |
|
|
|
Post by Admin Pete on Jul 6, 2018 23:15:16 GMT -5
Wait - You left us hanging here for TWO YEARS?? Im not going anywhere Sorry guys, I will have to get back to this. |
|
|
|
Post by hengest on Jan 12, 2022 22:55:20 GMT -5
Bump. This material is also awesome. Sometimes when I read your stuff, I think "I can definitely do this," but at other times, I think "this is so far beyond me, it's not even funny." Love, love, love the talking wall and other objects.  |
|
