C&C Recruitment Drive!

[damned]

Am running an existing C&C campaign.
We play every 2nd Saturday - 10pm here in Sydney - about 6am East Coast US and around 11am in the UK.
We have 2 players in AUS and 2 players in US. We dont always get all 4 every week so I thought I would try and recruit another 1 or maybe 2.
Campaign has been going for about 6 months.
Players are currently exploring a multi-level temple ruin that has recently come back into use. They are also involved in some minor intrigues going on in the local town.
Ping me if you are interested in joining or having a look.

[damned]

Still interested in another player or maybe 2. We play every second Saturday night at 10pm which is also 6am for our two US based players...
Game Calendar (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/calendar/index.xcp?id=626)

Its been a little while since I sent out an update and we have played at least 3 sessions since then…

On further exploration of the third level of the temple a treasure trove was found containing a goodly amount of coin plus two very handy magical weapons – a bronze Rod of Fire and a oak Staff of Protection. It was confirmed that there was indeed a doorway and passage behind the waterfall…

The secret meeting between the dwarf Gurdin and unknown conspirators took place. With the assistance of the Halfling Namel the party were able to spy upon the meeting and when they realised poor Namel had been captured and was to be killed the party attacked and killed or captured the conspirators. The party gleaned from the conspirators that they were in the employ of Baron Dietbold of Ludensheim. The party freed the grateful Namel and returned to their farmhouse with the Gurdin and another badly wounded captive.

The following day whilst meeting with the priest Bertis and the wizard Aldadius someone broke into the farmhouse and freed both Gurdin and the wounded conspirator. The party tracked them to the woods where the body of the wounded conspirator was found. The trail became lost soon after it met the road heading North West towards Ludensheim.

Lord Volkmar Botkin of Botkinburg announced a great feast in honour of the Heroes of Botkinburg (as the party has become known) and the entire town was invited to a great party in the castle. Aldadius put on a spectacular magical performance and musicians and poets entertained all evening. As the evening drew to a close the party regaled Lord Volkmar with tales of their exploits and were the last to leave the party.

As the heroes were walking home thru the town they heard a commotion from the home of Aldadius. Upon breaking into the house a number of assassins were discovered engaged in a life and death struggle with Aldadius. The heroes were able to overcome the assassins and capture 2 of them alive. On questioning them it was revealed that Lord Volkmar had hired them to kill Aldadius. Aldadius already distrustful of Volkmar realised that he had been invited to the Castle to perform magic’s to drain him of his powers leaving him vulnerable to the assassins attack. If the heroes had not chanced upon the encounter he would likely have been killed or captured.

Aldadius agreed to go into hiding in his secret attic and recover his spent magic and await the fall out of the attack. The heroes did mercilessly kill their captives and dump all four assassins bodies into the river. Derec felt very troubled by his actions.

The following day the heroes began to scout the castle to learn more information about the missing Old Lord Clement Botkin. They decided to attempt to scale the walls and enter the Clement’s tower quarters that evening. Jandalia and Derec were able to scale the walls and enter undetected. Inside they discovered an old and infirm man and his journal. It appears that the Clement Botkin has simply become too infirm of body and mind to rule and being too proud to be seen by his people has retreated to his private quarters. The conspiracy theories regarding Volkmar having killed or at least imprisoned his grandfather appear to be unfounded. Unfortunately Clement awoke and began calling for the guard as Jandalia and Derec were leaving via the window – they also unintentionally left Jandalia’s scarf attached to a grappling hook and also left a tapestry covering the window of Botkins study.

The following day the heroes ventured back into town to find that Aldadius’s disappearance had been discovered by the town guards along with signs of deadly struggle in his house. The party tried to find more information and then attempted to offer their services at the castle which was also in an uproar as it was suspected that someone had attempted to kill Lord Clement Botkin.

Later that day Lord Volkmar’s uncle the Lord Freykin attempted to bring the party to Volkmar for questioning but they resisted and attempted to cast a spell on Volkmar. Volkmar ordered his guard to attack and Izmed, Jandalia and Faer were attacked by a dozen guard and Lord Freykin. The party were subdued but not before badly wounding a number of the guard – fortunately none were killed and Bertis and the other priests were able to tend their wounds. Volkmar appeared to relish the fight and cheered the party’s foolish bravery but was angered by their continued refusal to co-operate. Had he not believed that the party were only attempting to verify Clements health when breaking into the castle he would have had the heroes killed for he dearly loves his grandfather.

The party left the castle and Izmed vowed never again to set foot within the town itself again. Freykin attempted to again meet the party and negotiate a meeting with Lord Volkmar but the party still suspicious of Volkmar’s true motives declines. The party visits Aldadius in the middle of the night and after updating him find that Aldadius is just as confused as they are. Did Volkmar try to kill Aldadius or was this another plot by Dietbold to destabilise Botkinburg? Aldadius decided to wait another day at least before revealing himself as alive and the party returned home to their farm house.

[damned]

Izmed awoke the following morning still feeling angry about his treatment by Lords Freykin and Volkmar but feeling better about the town and people of Botkin. Soon after Brother Bertis paid him a visit at the farmstead and discussed many things theological and regarding the threats to the town and the heroes special role in combatting them.

The party decided to keep a low profile in town and head back out to the temple ruins via horseback. The party on this foray comprised of Izmed, Roark, Jandalia, Zakandros and Derec.

Roark was able to track the wolves spoor and locate their entrance direct to the cave system on level 3. The party found no trace of the wolves but noted the bodies of the wolves had all been removed as had the bodies of the Dark Mantles in the second cave. While no wolves were encountered the party was still ambushed by 4 Dark Mantles but the party employing light spells was able to defeat the Dark Mantles suffering only minor losses.

The party tied themselves together and ventured into the underground stream and used the door concealed behind the waterfall. Beyond was a staircase leading further downwards. The party now thoroughly wet also noted that the temperature was cooler on this level and started to become affected by the cold.

The first chamber on this level was a square room with two alcoves in both the North and South walls containing armoured skeletons which attacked the party when Roark approached to inspect them. The party dispatched the skeletons with some ease but Roarks battle cry seemed to have alerted other denizens as two grey Elvish warriors burst in on the room and immediately launched a further attack on the party.

The skeletons (one human, one dwarvish, one hobgoblin and one lizardman) had nothing of value on them whilst the elves had chainmail and swords of good quality, small amounts of gold and silver coin and the small unholy Aikarn symbols which all human (and now elvish) denizens of this complex seem to have been carrying.

The party also note that the skeletons armour was quite old and appeared to have once been of high quality but was now rusty and in poor repair. The floor to this chamber was also laid with an intricate mosaic depicting a lord, king or god figure on a throne surrounded by many subjects who appeared to be human or elvish in appearance.

Heading further into the complex the party encountered a library of some sort and attacked the two grey elves working within. Due to the engagement beginning in the doorway to the room only Roark and Jandalia could engage with the two elves. Shortly 2 additional elves attacked the partys rear, engaging Izmed and Derec and then another 2 elves entered the library from another door in the opposite wall. Seeing that the battle was beginning to turn against the party Zakandros used the Rod Of Fire to send a fireball into the library killing 2 elves and wounding the other 2 as well as Roark. The party overcame the last elves quite quickly from that point.

The library suffered extensive damage from the fireball and whatever the two elves had been working on was destroyed by fire, along with most of the books and scrolls on shelves along the North wall. Some books and scrolls on the Eastern shelves survived the fires damage. These appeared to be collections of histories and religious writings and some maps. The books were written mostly in the Kings Tongue, Elvish and Dwarvish.

[damned]

so.... it turns out we might have picked up 2 or 3 new players so we are probably good for numbers now - however - if this campaign and timezone do interest you please let me know and I will see what can be done...

[damned]

The party left Volkmar and Freykin (the local town rulers) to debate what action they should take in defence or against the threat of Dietbold of Luddensheim in light of all the evidence that the party had presented.

The following morning Brother Bertis arrived at the farmstead where the party were based and relayed to him the visitation he had the previous night. Brand (a deity) appeared to him and instructed him to warn the party that great danger lay in the Temple. The party must not be further distracted by petty politics and must cleanse the temple of the foulness of Aikarn (an evil deity of the Ice Drow) and they must do it now.

The party immediately rode thru the forest to the ruined city of Aar and entered the subterranean temple complex directly on the third level via the hidden wolves’ entrance. The traversed the underground stream and descended to level 4.

The alcoves in the antechamber were again occupied by undead warriors who attacked the party as they made their way thru the room. The party realised that these were the very same skeletons who attacked them in this same room only 3 days earlier. On defeating them Faer removed a thigh bone from each skeleton hoping to prevent them from being reanimated against them again.

The unnatural cold had begun to tell on the entire party except the druid Derec who had cast protection from the elements. The party went towards the previously discovered library and found that much of the damage from their previous encounter had been cleaned away but there was still plenty of evidence of the fire damage.

The party were firmly pushed back towards the wall as a smoky haze began to coalesce in the centre of the room. Unable to move the party watched as the smoke formed into a large bearded warrior who Izmed (cleric) immediately identified as the god Brand. Brand warned them that grave danger awaited them nearby and that all was not as it seemed. Brand then blessed 5 of the party and then closed his giant fist around the head of Izmed's warhammer and blue tongues of fire glowed around the weapon before fading away. Brand spoke again saying he had done all he can - the rest was up to the brave heroes.

No longer affected by the cold the party left the library and headed west ignoring the side passageways to the North and South. The double doors at the end of the corridor were large and skilful carved, depicting many martial scenes involving humans and elves and great beasts.

Listening at the door Jandalia (rogue) could hear some noises but far more strongly she could sense a powerful feeling of evil and a feeling almost like electricity flowed thru her. Advising the party towards caution Jandalia and Zakandros (wizard) opened the doors while the others moved swiftly into the room.

The room was very large, octagonal in shape with a high vaulted ceiling supported by four large columns. In each corner was an alcove containing an armoured skeleton – dwarves, humans, hobgoblins, lizardmen and even hippogriths! The centre of the room was occupied by a large dais, easily 20’ across, surrounded by a lower step of some shiny blue white material. Four Ice Drow stood talking to two kneeling humans.

A white column of mist hangs above the dais and begins to swirl and starts reflecting light as it seems to start coalescing into white crystals and begins to solidify further – whatever it is becoming – it’s huge.

The room seems to tilt violently and the heroes are thrown to the floor which now appears to be made
from ice. As they get to their feet the see the rest of the room also appears to be made from some sort of blue white icy material. The room looks to be the same room but is no longer made from stone – and the door thru which the heroes entered is no longer there. The hard ice walls echo and amplify all sounds, even the sounds of the party breathing bounce and reverberate from the walls.

Huge shards of ice rear up from the floor knocking the heroes to the floor again. These chunks of ice obscure much of the chamber from the heroes making ranged attacks and spells difficult but they may also aid the heroes in limiting the number of foes who can come against them at once.

Skeletal warriors lumber towards the party from the North and the South and Zakandros can just make out the Drow starting to advance from the North West. The rest of the room is obscured by the huge shards of ice and the massive pillars supporting the roof.

Battle ensues as the heroes move to engage their opponents. Zakandros charms an Ice Drow instructing him to “protect us”, Roark (ranger) and Derec move South to attack the skeletal hippogrith there and Izmed, Faer (fighter) and Jandalia move northwards.

Hidden from the hero’s view the mist has solidified and a white dragon perches upon the dais scanning the room. As he spies Roark and Derec between shards of Ice he attacks with a vicious cone of cold breath attack. Fortunately the charmed Drow steps in the path of the attack taking the full brunt of the assault. Derec manages to avoid the attack completely – perhaps with the aid of Brand’s blessing or perhaps by pure luck – while Roark is almost killed by the attack.

As party members spy the dragon they are forced to make saving throw vs. Charisma or be stunned by the dragon’s very presence. If they fail they remain stunned until they do pass a saving throw.

Moving Northwards Zakandros glimpses the dragon and manages to avoid being stunned. Using the Rod of Fire he launches a fire ball at a spot just behind the dragon. The giant shards of ice protect many of the enemy from the effects of the blast but they also magnify the effect upon the dragon who roars in agony. The party dispatch several more skeletons and drow and the dragon leaps forward from its dais and attempts to rend its claws and bite at Faer and Jandalia who manage to successfully defend.

As the dragon readies to attack with its breath weapon again Zakandros expends the last of the Rod of Fires power and launches a second fireball at the dragon – again with devastating effect. The dragon is enveloped in fiery magic and writhes in agony.

The noise from the fireball and the dragon’s cries is deafening in the chamber as the party are thrown to the floor again. A dark shape forms in front of the dragon – it is a powerful and evil looking grey skinned Drow – the god Aikarn! With a wave of his hand the heroes are forced back to the floor and Aikarn turns to the dragon and casts his cloak around the dragon and the two of them disappear.

Around the party the remaining skeletons collapse and the last of the drow are dispatched. Jandalia realises that the two humans are still kneeling on the ground looking dazed and the room is still frozen with no sign of an exit….