Friday, April 22, 2016

Rise of Tiamat - Episode V - What of Veram?

The party located Veram in the underground complex, about to be sacrificed by a serpent like people. Killian was able to exchange his father's sword for Veram. A heavy price, but worth it f they could gather intelligence from their captive. Oloril seemed to have other ideas, however, nearly killing Veram. Questionable? Yes. Out of character for Oloril? Not necessarily. Roscoe made a strange request of Veram, asking him if there was something he wanted to show him? A symbol or badge of allegiance perhaps? Odd indeed.

Needless to say the party was attacked on their way back to Waterdeep - by a dragon. And, as fate would have it, Veram was stolen away. Was anything gained from Killian's exchange? Perhaps not . . .

Thursday, April 7, 2016

Rise of Tiamat - Episode IV - The Search for Wisdom

Making their way out of Scornubal, our heroes ventured North to the small town of Subar. There they were informed that a dwarf matching Veram's description had ventured into the Serpent Hills with a dozen or so companions. This was welcome news to our little band. They traveled hastily toward the Serpent Hills, where they came across what appeared to be a ruin of an old town.

In the abandoned area, several graves were found. After digging two of them up, the group discovered the bodies of two of Veram's companions - one lacerated with a thousand magical cuts and the other burned to a crisp. More searching and the party discovered two giant stone colossi. When approached, one of the stone collosi asked the party if they sought wisdom or knowledge. Caught off gaurd, Killian whispered a suggestion to Dain, "Wisdom." For better or for worse, the colossus took Killian's covert proposal as the final answer. So, with the permission of the colossi, the party made it's way forward into a narrow crevasse. Perhaps this "wisdom", should they find it, would lead them to Veram.

The passageway led to a series of rooms in which they ecountered many strange obstacles, including a magical mosaic chimera, trolls, a large white-bearded humanoid on an oversized throne, and a table populated by otherworldly devils.

When they came to what appeared to be the last room, the party noticed a divination pool filled with some kind of liquid. Could it hold the wisdom they sought? Would it give them insight into the whereabouts of Veram the White? Well, at the suggestion of Mullyn and Dain, Killian peered downward into the shimmering depths - this was not good. For, as soon as he did so, he became seemingly possessed, attacking the party and floating through the air. Quite the spectacle.

Thankfully, Mullyn dispelled whatever foul nonsense controlled the barbarian. The pool was clearly not the answer . . . but what was?

Sunday, April 3, 2016

Creatures Encountered List - Third Update

Here's a up-to-date, cumulative, and comprehensive list of all of the villains, bad guys, monsters, and creatures the party has encountered and/or fought since the beginning of level 1:

Acolytes
Adult Blue Dragon
Adult Red Dragon
Adult Black Dragon
Ambush Drakes
Ash Zombie
Assassins
Berserkers
Bugbear
Bullywugs (including Pharblex Spattergoo)
Cloud Giants (didn't fight)
Commoners (innocent and not innocent villagers)
Crocodiles
Couatl
Cultists of various ranks
Cultists (Named): Favric, Rezmir, Frulam Mondath, Langdedrosa Cyanwrath, Dralmorrer Borngray, cult ally Captain Othelstan, and encountered but did not fight Talis the White)
Death Tyrant
Doppelganger
Dragon Eggs (Red, White, and Black)
Drow
Ettercaps
Evil Mage
Flame Elemental (didn't fight)
Flameskull
Flesh Golems
Gargoyles
Ghosts
Giant Bat
Giant Boar
Giant Centipedes
Giant Frogs
Giant Lizards
Giant Spiders
Ghoul
Goblins
Gray Ooze
Grick
Guard Drakes
Guards
Half-Dragon (Blue and Black)
Helmed Horror
Hobgoblins
Hobgoblin Captains
Hobgoblin Warlord
Kobolds
Kuo-Toa
Kuo-Toa Archpriest
Kuo-Toa Whip
Lizardfolk
Marid
Nothic
Ochre Jelly
Ogres
Orc
Otyugh
Owlbear
Perytons
Redbrand Ruffian
Red Wizards of Thay (Azbara Jos and Rath Modar)
Roper
Shadow
Skeleton
Spectator
Specters
Stirges 
Stone Golem
Swarms of Bats
Swarms of Rats
Swarms of Centipedes
Trolls
Vampire
Vampire Spawn
Veterans
Violet Fungi
Will-O-Wisps (didn't fight)
Winged Kobolds
Wolf
Wraith
Wyvern
Young Green Dragon
Young White Dragon
Yuan-ti Malisons
Yuan-ti Purebloods
Zombie

That list keeps getting longer and longer! What a variety of villainy vanquished by our voyagers! Have we exhausted the endless variety of the monster manual? NO! But even at level 12, the party can still be sent running to the hills by stirges! Beware the stirges!