(WOT1-2)
Episode 2 of Season 1 of the campaign Wrath of the Titans.
Story
The party traveled to Imbral in the duchy of Illtower, to begin their investigation into reports of banditry. Stopping briefly in town to store their supplies, they proceeded eastward toward Corum on advice of a local magistrate.
Sure enough, on the road to Corum, they were assailed by a large gang of highwaymen. The men, though practiced, were not up to the task of defeating the party, and most surrendered or fled after a pitched battle. They were led, in chains, to the safety of Corum's dungeons.
The Duchess Amalia Barov arrived, in the company of husband Christian Theodericson and court wizard Vilvelas Starym, after being notified of the situation by the local sheriff. After a brief interrogation, it was determined that the bandits had originated from Kosgorod, a small village in the duchy of Polten in Damara. They had been driven from their home by "black knights", who had put the others to the sword. Without food or supplies of any kind, and with nowhere else to go, they resorted to raiding the merchants and travelers of northern Impiltur.
The bandit leader, Alvar Kasnarov, and the rest of his men accepted responsibility for their deeds, and were prepared to face punishment, but refused to give any information which might betray the location of their fellow townsfolk. Though the law proscribed death for their crimes, the Duchess noted that, in certain circumstances, high-ranking clergy are able to claim the Right of Asylum. Bastian took it upon himself to claim that right, for all 24 men captured, though he might face stern reproof from the Church for overstretching his powers.
Eager to pursue justice in the seemingly war-torn lands to the north, Gabriel contacted the King, by way of Amalia's magic. The King was initially averse to the prospect of risking his only son, not to mention serious diplomatic incident, by intervening in Damara. However, at the council of the Queen, he acceded, and commanded Gabriel to ride forth, to reestablish contact with Queen Alexandra, and to ascertain the whole and right truth of the situation in Damara.
So commanded, the party rode forth, eschewing the more rapid route up the Great Imphras River to detour to the village of Kosgorod. They traveled swiftly through the Rawlinswood, aided by Grayson's magic, and found the town taken by black knights, its remaining people enslaved to provide goods for the occupying force.
Inside the village, they met the witch Zenovia, who had been mounting a one-woman campaign to free her hometown. Together, they managed to free the 30 surviving villagers. Afterward, acting on her own initiative, Zenovia killed all eight surviving knights and, presumably, their leader: a wizard of the Conclave. However, with the aid of his necromancy, he survived the blaze, and nearly overcame the party with his might. Only by their powers combined did the party and Zenovia overcome the necromancer.
Her kin saved, but the village destroyed, Zenovia was now homeless and without purpose. Gabriel offered her a chance to join their quest, and perhaps to bring justice to more towns like hers. She accepted, on the condition that she not be subject to the laws of Soargalan, the Church, or of Impiltur's crown while outside Impiltur.
From there, the path led to Zarach, the key city of southern Damara, and the only crossing of the Great Imphras for many miles upstream. It was a quick ride, as the party now enjoyed the speed of the black knights' fine destriers.
Upon arrival, they discovered that Zarach had fallen to Prince Roman's army, flying his banner from its high walls. Though they found a way to avoid the notice of the guards at the river crossing, Gabriel insisted on entering the city, to learn what forces were poised so close to Impiltur's border.
Sneaking inside the city, they found a people captive, oppressed by a garrison force of mainly mercenaries. The town had thrown its doors open without a fight, due to the corruption of the Lord Mayor, and the people, now suffering under tyrannical rule, and long sufferers under Roman's mother, the cruel and vain Duchess Sylvia Praka, were bitter at not having had the chance to resist.
A chance meeting put the party in contact with a resistance group, led by, among others, the Wizard Magnus Aurelius. They learned that there were many willing--nay, champing at the bit--to rise up and overthrow the occupation force, if only they had the resources and the opportunity.
Gabriel mulled over aiding them, knowing the situation was politically untenable, but when three wounded priestesses were brought into the resistance hideout, and the true face of the enemy was revealed, he decided to take action: he would lead the people of Zarach against the invaders.
Rewards
Session 1
Aspirations Achieved
- Bastion
- Minor: Put yourself in harm's way for an innocent. (300 xp, 1 ap)
- Relieve someone's suffering. (300 xp, 1 ap)
- Faith
- Secret: Show mercy to a dishonorable foe. (750 xp, 5 ap, +1 cha)
- Major: Get a foe to retreat from battle simply out of terror for your reputation. (750 xp, 5 ap)
- Minor: Slay any creature. (300 xp, 1 ap)
- Minor: Challenge someone to a duel, a sparring match, or a fight to the death. (300 xp, 1 ap)
- Stefan
- Minor: Sneak past someone. (300 xp, 1 ap)
Foes Defeated
- 24x minion
XP Reward
- 1,350 xp each (new total: 5,106 xp)
Session 2
Aspirations Achieved
- Faith
- Minor: Score a critical hit. (300 xp, 1 ap)
- Challenge a superior foe to a fair fight and fight honorably.
- Bastian
- Secret: Be healed by another. (+1 con)
- Minor: Hear someone's confession.
- Grayson
- Major: Learn a new language.
- Minor: Craft any object.
- Immortalize someone through etc etc.
- Stefan
- Minor: Pass a thievery-related skill check.
Foes Defeated
- 8x minion (burned warriors)
- 2x elite (black knights)
- 1x boss (necromancer)
XP Rewarded
- 1,688 xp each (new total: 6,794 xp, level 4)
Treasure
- 6 gp, 72 sp, 379 cp
- Fine black linen tabards, cloaks, and horse livery. (Tailoring mats worth 3,870 cp)
- 2 suits of masterwork plate mail, matte black color. (Mkt val 2 gp each, sellback value problematic, BS mats value 1 gp total).
- 8 suits of charred plate mail, useless as armor. (BS mats 6 gp total)
- 2 fine bastard swords. (Mkt val 5 sp each, sellback 2.5 sp each, BS mats 2.5 sp each)
- 8 charred bastards sword. (BS mats 2 gp total)
- 10 fine destriers. (Mkt val: 10 gp each, sellback 5 gp each)
- 10 sets of horse barding. (Mkt val: 4 gp each, sellback problematic, BS mats value 2 gp each/20 gp total)
- 24 Bloodstones
- These remarkable stones can be cut into any rank 1 stone of the following colors: red, green, blue, azure, amber, violet.
- Fortune Finder bonus:
- 6 gp
- 7 gp worth of enchanting mats
- A fully-cut Staid Talasite
- Treasure of the Necromancer
- Dagger of the Dead: This dagger is made of bone, alchemically hardened to the resilience of steel. It is especially effective against the undead, ignoring their fortification, armor, and soak. Against the living, it inflicts bonus shadow damage, to the tune of 1% of the target's max hp (ignoring elite/boss resistance).
- Codex: The Necromancer maintained a repository of knowledge within this heavy, sturdy crystal. By concentrating on the crystal, a spellcaster can commune with the knowledge inside, which manifests mentally as an image of the necromancer himself, as a young man in his prime, and faithfully recites stored knowledge with cold, logical precision.
- Can store new knowledge (visual, auditory, etc) with perfect recall later.
- Provides +5 bonus to Knowledge (arcana), and +10 bonus to checks specific to Necromancy.
- Serves as a spellbook, repository of alchemical/enchanting formulae, etc.
- Provides +5% bonus to spell damage (arcane/thaumaturgical casters only)
- Choker of Deathly Fortitude: This choker is imbued with necromantic power, granting its wearer a measure of toughness and resilience. Grants +10% Soak, 10% Resist (physical), and 25% Resist (negative energy).
- Vessel of the Spirit: The gem in this ring was enchanted to serve as a Hallow for any spirit (a safe place for a spirit to dwell, free of the danger of sunlight, hostile spells, etc). The Necromancer used it to bind captured spirits and draw upon their power. An equally-likely use, for one with a powerful spirit, is to imbue the gem with a fragment of one's own spirit. While this poses the danger of the fragment being stolen and used for nefarious purposes, it has the effect of freeing one's own spiritual essence for more ready access. (Effect: grants +10% Wisdom).
- Implement
Session 4
Monsters Defeated
- The Necromancer, the Marshal, and Defenders
- 1x Boss 4
- 5x Elite 4
- 3x Minion 4
- 25 gp treasure (+10%)
Achievements
- Colehead
- Secret: Show patience and cunning in battle. (1000 xp, +1 int, 5 ap)
- Major: Get a foe to retreat from battle simply out of terror for your reputation. (1000 xp, 5 ap)
- Minor: Slay any create. (400 xp, 1 ap)
- Minor: Score a critical hit. (400 xp, 1 ap)
- Epic: Turn the tide a war. (2000 xp, 20 ap)
- Bastian
- Secret: Bring hope to the downtrodden through prayer. (1000 xp, +1 cha, 5 ap)
- Epic: Redeem an evil soul. (2000 xp, 20 ap)
- Minor: Perform a deed on request of the Church. (400 xp, 1 ap)
- Minor: Put yourself in harm's way for an innocent. (400 xp, 1 ap)
- Grayson
- Secret: Gain knowledge of a skill in which you were untrained. (1000 xp, 5 ap, +3 witch spells)
- Major: Teach someone how to make or repair something. (1000 xp, 5 ap)
- Minor: Propose a reasonable plan. (400 xp, 1 ap)
- Minor: Craft any object. (400 xp, 1 ap)
- Epic: Plan a great work and complete it. (2000 xp, 20 ap)
- Stefan
- Minor: Pass a thievery-related skill check. (400 xp, 1 ap)
- Epic: Perform a legendary heist. (2000 xp, 20 ap)
- Major: Steal a well-guarded item. (1000 xp, 5 ap)
- Minor: Sneak past someone (400 xp, 1 ap)
