Session 8 Lost Mines of Phandelver CLOSED RSVP

Session 8 : After 7 months, the players and I have agreed to CLOSE the RSVPs to this campaign, since we have a solid regular crew [Paula, Val, Chris, Dane, Jack and Mandy]. Thank you to everyone who participated in the group.

Safe space rules and the Code of Conduct always apply.

Session 7 Summary:

Cast Session 7: Each CHARACTER earned 200 XP.

Chris= Andry & Ammie/Tiefling/ Bard/College Valor

Paula=Andry/Halfling/Rogue Thief

Mandy=Dil and Erky/Gnome/Ranger/Beast Master

Paula=Val/ Half Orc/Paladin/ Oath of Vengence

Coby= Edwin/Battle Master/Fighter

** Jack, I have your character sheet.

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The party had just defeated the hobgoblins and were looting the bloodied bodies. Edwin discovered a parchment that had a crude drawing of a person that looked JUST like Ammie, a notation in rough handwriting said “25 G for this one” and it had the mark of the Black Spider on it.

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The entire party were concerned with this warrant, but Ammie claimed to have no idea what so ever why someone would put a bounty on her head. She then turned back to looting and found an metal amulet with a spider on it, but as soon as she touched the cold surface a shock of energy erupted up her arm causing her to drop the amulet to the ground, it quickly burned and turned to ash, the ash then was lifted by a swirling in a whirl wind up and into the early morning skies.

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Andry found another spider amulet and was similarly shocked with white fire that ripped up his arm to his chest where another amulet that HE HAD BEEN WEARING under his shirt burst into the white fire as well [Dane remind me to discuss this with you]. Again, both amulets fell to the ground, smoking, then burnt to ash that was carried in a whirlwind up into the sky, creating a darkness filled with storm clouds, that soon led to rain, then hard rain, then hail, then thunder, then a frenzy of lightning strikes focused on the camp site. Immediately, one of the mules was struck by lighting and fried [Kentucky Fried Ass... no animals were injured in the making of this D&D campaign]. The other two broke their leads and fled back towards Phandelin, south west down the Triboar trail.

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The adventurers ran for their lives in the opposite direction, north east up the Triboar trail, dodging the lightning and falling trees that burst with every lightning strike. Ammie and Dil quickly realized that they had forgotten their backpacks, they turned and ran back to retrieve them from their tents. The others continued running running running until they stumbled from the trees to the base of a hill with a ruined watch tower.

Back at camp Dil was struck by lightning and yelled out in rage, “Curse you Thor!!!” This brought down the WRATH of the Thunder God down upon the cleric's head in the form of multiple lightning blasts, frying his mind and body. Ammie found her pack , turned and saw Dil’s plight, cast a quick healing spell before booting it out of the camp that was the epicenter of this lightning barrage. As quickly as Dil could swallowed healing potions or cast cure wounds on himself, the God hit him again and again. Dil desperately scrambled to the nearest hobgoblin corpse and found a rusty dagger, that he held aloft facing the storming sky and shouted out; “Forgive me Mighty Thor for my insolence with this sacrifice!” He then promptly sliced off his four fingers, raising his maimed hand to the thundering clouds above in a plead for forgiveness; the God answered quickly, firing a lightning bolt into each of the finger stumps, cauterizing the flesh, and knocking the cleric unconscious to the ground.

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Edwin and Erky ran, dodging exploding trees until they saw in the distance a hill that the lightning strikes where not hitting, possibly a haven from the storm. Val had valiantly grabbed Andry’s body, finding that her holy symbol protected her from the white fire that rippled over Andry, burning the black spider symbol into the Halfling’s surprisingly hairy chest.

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The Half-Orc Paladin stopped to lay hands on her comrade, but both were struck by lightning, so Val flung Andry over her shoulder and continued fleeing thru the explosions of electric blasts. Ammie was bringing up the rear. Dil found her pack and fled the scene, until he was struck unconscious on the road. At the base of the hill, Edwin, Erky and then Val with Andry in tow, approached an old ruin of a watch tower at the top of the hill, Edwin finding out that the walls were protected by some sort of force field. Unable to get thru a crack in the wall, and sensing something within, the party moved to the ruin’s front gates. There Andry got blasted backwards from the force field and knocked Edwin down. Edwin regained his feet, and spotted a red tent in the ruin’s courtyard, he yelled out a greeting to those within. Emerging from the tent was a stout, red-robed figure with sallow skin, a shaved scalp, and a black tattoo on his forehead.

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He asked loudly to the courtyard, "What is the meaning of this intrusion into my camp???" Edwin introduced himself and that they were fleeing the lighting storm seeking sanctuary. The robe figure seemed to take the measure of the party before nodding, “Yes, it is an annoying storm, I wonder who caused it. Regardless, I am Hamun Kost, (he bowed solemnly), you and your friends are welcome to shelter in the stable if you swear on your gods that you will one day return my favour?” Val led Andry, Edwin and Erky in swearing that oath. Hamun nodded in satisfaction and made a gateway through the force field thru which the party stumbled out of the storm, he then sensed Ammie at the base of the hill and used his magical staff to teleport her inside the ruins. Safe from the lightning strikes, quick introductions were made then they compared notes on the cursed amulets that triggered this maelstrom. Hamun led Val and Ammie in a group effort to to dispel the storm by using the power of Val’s god’s sunlight, water from the well, and earth channeled thru Hamun's staff, empowered by Ammie’s VOICE as a source of sonic energy that fired a blast of the combined elements into the heart of the storm blowing it out of existence. Val and Edwin headed back towards their abandoned camp, they compared notes on their new host. They agreed that Hamun was most likely from the land of Thay, which is ruled by the legendary Red Wizards. Hamun's tattoos on his head symbolized the magical school of necromancy as evidenced by his motley crue of zombies that served him. After a time, Edwin and Val stumbled upon Dil lying on the road, gravely injured. Then onwards to their camp, where they found it utterly destroy and nothing left but a crater filled war zone.

Back at the ruined watch tower, Hamun hosted a dinner party for the adventurers. His interest in Ammie was clear, in part due to her intoxicating scent of death as much as her lovely countenance, but she rebuffed his advances (Andry had a similar scent but Hamun didn't seem to fancy the halfling man). Hamun kept the conversation light by explaining that his mission was scholarly in nature, he was completing an archaeological dig in the tower, seeking some clue as to the identity of the wizard who built this tower. He tells them it is named Old Owl Well. He allowed them to examine the dig site and inside the tower there was a team of zombie workers that do all the heavy work for Hamun. In a wood box is the fruit of their labour, 30 or so glass cock bongs (sorry if the pic is offensive). Its no wonder the Orcs overran the former occupants of this tower.

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Over dessert, the Adventurers shared their own quest to seek out the Banshee Agatha. They meant to ask her where the spellbook of the legendary wizard Bowgentle was now located for the sake of finding a possible cure to a plague in the far north of Ice Wind Dale. They had a second goal and that was to ask her where Castle Cragmaw was located. Hamun revealed that he too had sought the well known seer's advice but she had rebuffed him. He then asked the party that if they succeeded in gaining the Banshee's confidence, would they ask her the name of this tower's former master was ? He would consider this payment in full of the favor they had sworn to do for him. Val agreed to do so for the group. Hamun also told them of what he had heard about Thundertree and the Ash Zombies there, and that they emit the magical ash of Mount Hotenow, and if breathed in, could turn one into an ash zombie. He thinks he could cure such a one if any of them befell such a fate. He had not heard of Castle Cragmaw, but he had crossed paths with the Black Spider's minions. SHE was a MAJOR player in this region, powerful indeed, as the cursed lightning storm yesterday had proven. Erky and Edwin showed Hamun the letter from Glasstaff and the wanted poster for Ammie. He examined both, revealing that the ink was magical, it transmitted all sound to the caster of the spell on the black spider's mark, a spying spell. With a wave of his hand and a few words in a language only he knew, he neutralized the spell so the parchments were now safe. He cautioned them all that the Black Spider had eyes and ears every where so they should be cautious.

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The next morning the party set off down the Triboar trail towards Conyberry. Once there, Edwin and Erky discovered the path northwest into the Neverwinter Woods. Down this over grown path the forest grew dark and still as the trail winds deeper into the trees. Heavy vines and thick layers of moss drape the branches, and the air is noticeably colder than it was in the ruined village. Rounding a bend in the trail, you see a screen made from the warped branches of trees standing close together, woven into a dome like shelter in the shadows. A low doorway leads inside. A home of sorts is sheltered within the dome of woven branches. It is sparsely furnished with chests, shelves, a table, and a reclined couch, all of it old and of elven craft. The air grows cold, and a powerful feeling of dread grips you.A cold, pale light flickers in the air, rapidly taking on the form of a female elf, her hair and robes waving in a spectral wind.She might have been beautiful once, but a hateful expression twists her features now. "Foolish mortals," she snarls. "What do you want here? Do you not know it is death to seek me out?"

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Edwin, Val, Ammie, and Dil each took turns explaining their various reasons for seeking out the ancient hag. Jimmy the owl couldn't stand the chilled air and Erky took him outside as he was still recovering from his lightning wounds. In elvish, Agatha spoke to Dil when he presented her with the silver comb. She inquired if the young wood elf man knew what he was getting himself into, that messing with the Black Spider was more dangerous then his comrades could possibly imagine. Dil, being a loyal soul, expressed his confidence in his colleagues' abilities to soldier on. The Banshee screeched a wicked laugh! So the party wanted to know where Bowgentle's spell book was, AND the location of the Black Spider's Cragmaw Castle, AND the name of the ruined tower's former wizard (yes Hamun had come to her a few moons ago but she had no time or energy to waste on that old lecher, a sentiment Ammie could relate to). After some discussion, Val told the Banshee that they would seek her guidance for Bowgentle's spellbook, thus breaking her sworn Oath to Hamun, and Edwin's, Erky's, and Andry's as well [SOMETHING WE OVERLOOKED DURING THE GAME BUT WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH]. The Banshee revealed this information:

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At that same moment Val's spirit was swept up like a fallen leaf in the autumn wind by the will of her god Pelor. For the first time in her existence the half orc felt... small... in the presence of her God, Pelor, the Shining One. She stood before him/her as an oath-breaker, the oath was sworn in Pelor's name and on his/her holy symbol. Although Val's intentions may have be altruistic in nature, a Paladin's word was sacrosanct. Now Val would be a paladin no more as her god cast her spirit down.

Awareness of the Banshee's hovel came back over the half orc, she fell to her knees, as she now felt ... less than who she had once been [consequences to be determined...]. Pain seared her forehead, there was now the mark of an Oath-breaker burned into her skin for all the world to see.

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Agatha felt the God's passing presence and screamed in anger at the Adventurers for having brought the WRAITH of a God into her home!! "Leave!! Leave Now and never return or I will drain you dead!!" As they turned to depart, Edwin and Ammie assisting Val to her feet. Agatha, bade Dil to remain for a moment, which he did. Again in elvish she questioned the wisdom of the elf man remaining with the likes of these that anger the Gods, he would be safer to stay here... with her... she would appreciate the company and could teach him much and protect him. Even try to find a way to regrow his missing fingers. With some grace, Dil rejected the Banshee's offer. This she accepted but before allowing him to depart, Agatha laid a chaste kiss upon his brow [Dil now bears the Kiss of the Banshee... the effects of which will be revealed in the future]. The party stumbled down the forest path towards Conyberry, all the while hearing the sorrow filled Cry of the Banshee wailing in the still summer air.

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Once free of the oppressive woods, the Adventurers slowly made their way back to the ruin watch tower. The dishonoured Val was determined to face the necromancer, Hamun Kost, who had given them shelter in their time of need, who helped dispelled the cursed lightning storm, which surely saved Dil's life , who had opened his home and fed them sharing with them the safety of his hearth. It was time to face the man they had broken faith with....

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OOC: Writing this summary made me realize that Edwin, Erky and Andry were all parties to the OATH as well, making them Oath-Breakers too. There will be a reckoning ... If anyone wants to pitch ideas on this reckoning for any particular PC or the group as a whole, please feel free to do so in the comments.

This session was possibility the hardest yet, with two Gods being pissed off, and only Edwin and Erky not permanently maimed. It was a 100% RP session too! Remember what they say, "Nothing worth having ever comes easily." Thank you all for a fantastic session. If I missed anything please remind me in the commitments. Remember to RSVP so you end up in the WAIT LIST and I know who is coming to the next session.

++ Miscellaneous Stuff: Only Edwin and Val DON"T have their backpacks.

+Edwin, Val, and Andry... I think... still have the Tresandar silver rings.

Inspiration: I want to start using this mechanic to reward extra good role play. For Session 7, Coby, Chris, Mandy and Paula have all earned 1 Inspiration token. I will give you your tokens next session for you to use.

How does Inspiration work? I'm not using it strictly as the PHB suggests. It is a mechanical reward for playing the way the Dungeon Master appreciates. To players, mechanically, Inspiration is a token you spend to gain advantage on a roll, and that’s all it is. You can only ever have one of these tokens in your possession, which is incentive to use Inspiration up quick and not hoard it.

Additionally, if you have an inspiration token, you may at the END of a session reward another player with an Inspiration token for good role playing, clever thinking, or simply doing something exciting in the game. When another player character does something that really contributes to the story in a fun and interesting way, you can give up your inspiration to give that character inspiration.

XP Tally Per Session:

1=300

2=370

3=250

4=380

5=158

6=178

7=200

Total=1836