Diet update and Session Reports

Today I weigh 14st and 2lbs despite having had pancakes (and paid a forfeit into the diet bet) on Tuesday. I have also decided to give up both Diet Coke and Being mean to people (I’m using lent as a motivator for this but in practice I want to give them up forever.)

In addition to excellent pancakes, I also had an excellent game of Dnd on Tuesday and Robin, K8 and myself all wrote up the session. here are the writeups:

I should also add that alot of my Temple of Elemental Evil plots are inspired by this post: http://wondrousimaginings.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/oldschooling-pathfinder-with-toee.html

The Party followed the treasure map they got from the possesed goblins to a tree on a rise north of Troy, there they found a party of 6 muppet goblins with a skeleton on a rope. Clio shot the skeleton and a parlay with the goblins began:
“you owe us a skeleton” demanded the goblin
“take it in bits” said Xavian
“Ok” said the goblin (some conversation abbreviated)
It also revealed that they were capturing Skeletons for the crazy wizard south of Troy, and that the North gate of Troy was missing. After sending the goblins on their way they found a pit beyond the hill with the tree on it. The pit was open and looked like the start of an undermining effort against the walls of troy, long abandoned and filled with rubble. Khandi investigated while tied to a rope, and as she climbed out found a stash of bags full of gold on the underside of the trapdoors.

The pit was closed and the party continued to the south. As they came into sight of the walls they discovered that the Goblin was correct. a short section of the walls including the North Gate of Troy was missing. A closer investigation led to a battle with Dessicated Trojan warriors their spears made from the dust of the city seemed to leech the feeling from limbs as they struck. (Wights in Dnd next are really interesting).
The warriors were dispatched but the effects of their blows lingered, retreating to a safe distance from Troy, Iola performed rituals to remove curses.

They travelled south for a day to the Temple River and then east for 2 more days before investigating the Moathouse once more. The drawbridge at the Moathouse was missing but a walkway of earth had replaced it. All of the bodies were missing from the moat house including from the dungeons beneath. The place that Tharg (the half orc) fell was still necromanticaly tainted. They concluded that followers of the Earth Temple must have been there.

A day and a halfs further travel east brought them within sight of the walls of the temple. Starkly changed from Xavian and Khandi’s previous visit the outer works were a hive of activity. Slaves labored under the whips of earth temple guards around the southern gate rebuilding the Walls. In the South east corner of the wall ranks upon ranks of humanoids stood unnaturally still. Clio recognised them as unliving. North of the undead and in the middle of the works near the eastern wall was a small camp of perhaps a dozen tents bearing the mark of Elemental Water. On the far side of the temple on the western side was a similar camp bearing the symbol of Elemental Fire, Patrols of Hobgoblins regularly left that camp and circled the walls. North of the Fire camp and in the North west corner was a larger Earth bannered Camp around a ruined building that they seemed to be rebuilding. Finally in the Northeast corner, near the tower that Xavian and Khandi had learned about arrows was another smaller camp with black banners.

Waiting for the cover of night Xavian snuck forward to free the slaves, conning and dispatching the guard watching them. Meanwhile Kavern, Khandi and Ioala snuck closer to the tower camp while Clio set fire to the largest tent in the Water temple’s camp. This caused the expected uproar and distractions. The Water temple demanded recompense and before long the Earth temple noticed the missing slaves and set off in pursuit. The party gathered back together and eavesdropped on the commander of the forces in the Black Bannered camp. They waylaid the fighter sent to disturb “The master” from inside the tower and questioned him.

They learnt that lareth had returned 2 weeks ago as a Lich, That Falrinth who led the Temple forces at this level had bowed before him and he had led the various forces of the temple out to the surface and set them to various tasks. That the emperor himself had visited the temple about 2 months ago and left with people from the Air temple and that Lareth was staying in the tower.
The party knocked him out and tied him up before assaulting the tower.

Blessed with the might of Ares Iola smashed in the door to the Lich’s chamber and both Xavian and Clio launched arrows and bolts into him, while Khandi began operation halfling ransack. Kaverns flask of Green slime went astray and the slime began to devour a dresser. The lich responded with a Flame strike and by infusing himself with dark power closing some of his wounds. However Iola lifted the 8th Sword of Ares and smote him critically destroying its head. As his empty armour fell to the floor they quickly looted the room, smashed the Pearl Skull he was wearing as an amulet and fled through a tunnel they found in the floor. The tunnel led half a kilometer to the west before emerging into a small cave. From there they headed back to Cannakale Xavian managing to lead 24 of the slaves he freed to safety.   

Robin Xavian’s player and K8 who plays Iola also sent me write ups:

From the journal of Amos, First Disciple of Xavian (self proclaimed).
Our taskmasters had worked us particularly hard that day, wishing to speed up the completion of their great task, the details of which, lowly slaves like us were never privy to. All we knew was the oppressive heat of the sun and the terrible sting of their whips and the soul devouring exhaustion that hung ever about our shoulders. The night meant an end to the days labours, but it offered us no comfort. It's cold embrace merely gave us time to better feel the ache in our bones and the despair in our hearts. Three more of our number gave in to their misery and took their lives. I pity these poor souls most, for had they but waited a few more hours then salvation would have been theirs, as it was ours.
I was sat weeping, sick from the sun, when the stranger appeared. He appeared as if from nowhere, cloaked in shadows and silence and I thought that Hades himself had finally come to claim us. He came to the gate of our prison and with a wave of his hand, the lock fell free. We could only watch, terrified, as the stranger set about releasing us from our bonds. We knew not what to do, surely this was some trap, some ploy of our dark masters to further break our spirits. We dared not to dream of freedom, hope had been a stranger to us for too long. But then the stranger spoke and his gentle voice was as a balm to our tortured souls.
"Fear not, my brothers and sisters, for I am come to take you away from this fell place. Follow me for I am your freedom."
In his words we saw only truth. This man, this cloaked stranger, had truly come to save us from our plight. Eagerly now we followed him from our pen, but despair would not so easily let us slip from it's clutches. In our path stood a legion of our captors, blades out, waiting to take from us our newly gifted freedom, or our lives should, we resist. The stranger, however, stepped forth to meet them.
"My people have suffered enough at your hands." He spoke calmly, but his voice carried with an air of authority beyond mortal men. "Let us pass."
Our enemy, beholden as they were to foul powers, could not hear the divine resonance behind the stranger's voice and were unmoved.
"These people have but begun to taste the agonies that we have prepared for them." One of their number jeered. "And who are you that thinks he can stop us?"
With a great sweep, the stranger flung back his cloak and divine light shone out into the night.
"I am Xavian, son of mighty Zeus and champion of the weak!"
With one slash of his mighty blade, the mighty Xavian slew fully half of the amassed legion and sent the rest fleeing into the night. With the way clear, our lord bade us follow once more and led us from darkness.
Once we were away from the dark temple, blessed Xavian spoke once more. He commanded us to wait at the feet of the great mountains. There we would remain safe while he returned to the temple to finish his holy mission and though many begged him not to leave, he would not be swayed.
"Fear not my people," he said, "I shall return and lead you to freedom as I have promised. However, I came to this place with companions who yet wait for me at that dark place and to them I must return, for justice is not yet done with this foul place."
With that, he was gone, as swiftly and as silently as when he first appeared.
Many hours did we wait. So many that we began to once more feel the cold hand of despair. But then we heard the great death cry of the lich echo throughout the valley and a moment later our lord was amoung us once more. He led us west, the direction of prosperity and freedom, and at dawns first light, we were joined by the Blessed Companions. Theirs was a band as varied as it was magnificent. There was the Huntress, an archer raised in the wild by wolves whose arrows are said to never miss their mark. The Child, eternally youthful and blessed with the gift of prophecy. The Half Man, who traded away much of his mortal form in exchange for mystical powers. Finally there was the Warrior. A fair maiden clad in armour of purest silver and wielding a holy sword, she is said to be cursed, her heart forever torn between our saviour and her own god. Along with these great heroes, our lord led us safely back to the village of Kannacle, beyond the reach of the dark forces that had ensnared us.
Whilst my fellows set to resting their minds and bodies, I found myself beset with a restlessness beyond any I had known before. When finally I slept, I dreamed. I dreamed of dark forces abroad in the world, of innocent men, women and children enslaved to their will, as I had been and when I awoke, I knew what I must do. It will be my mission to go forth and carry the word of my lord. I will be his herald in the world. I will gather others, and together we will bring light to darkness and hope to the hopeless. And so i leave this, so that even if i should fall, my words will remain and others will be able to carry on my great mission.
May the light of Xavian fall upon you all.

A few of the other slaves recognise the name Amos. They seem to recall that at the time of the rescue, he was suffering from an extremely bad case of sunstroke and was quite delirious

Iola’s writeup:
Report from Iola:

The Army Rosta: the unusual suspects.
Absent: Farouque; apparently bathing...again...Not to self ensure he is not being brain washed by bath related peril.



Troy: Who let the Ghouls out?
Threats:
Unliving creatures from Troy are now loose and able to cross the threshold of the City.  The doors have been carefully removed and perhaps it is this which has broken the seal which until now held the denizens within.  The culprits need to be found.  These are now also Hopolites rather than simple mindless unliving, they are seasoned warriors demonstrating small unit tactics and co-ordination.  A much greater threat than before.

Actions:
I need scouts to watch any egress from the City and report back as to what and where.
I need to know if this is the necromancer or more deluded Thanatos followers.

Solutions:
Find the necromancer who is investigating reanimation and how the unliving from Troy works.  Ensure he is on 'our side' or annihilate him and give his research to Kavern, Deiankus and anyone else of that bent.


Temple of Elemental Infighting
The Threat:
Too many resources and troops amassing here, albeit in hatred and bigotry of one another. We must use this to our advantage. As such Ares was definitely with us and Operation Gankthebitches proceeded successfully.
Cleo again demonstrated her expert bowling arm and desire to kill everything in the vicinity.
Kavern and his infernal Creature proved their worth with a variety of filthy alchemical nasties to defeat the enemy.  Water Temple people are stupid and assume any fire attach is done by the fire temple.
Lareth the aggravating was dispatched...again.  Eventually he will learn this is just a game he will continue to lose.
Xavian picked up more sycophants presumably Nyphs have become dull and he is expanding his horizons.  Finally got some more funding for the army.
The small dusky child follows him around still, she is adept at being inserted into odd places to investigate (perhaps this is why Xavian keeps her around) but I wonder if she is actually a Goblin or Imp in disguise, no one could be that innocent...

Actions:
Continue Operation Gankthebitches as regularly as we can from all sides.
I need scouts on the Temple to report movements and see where their supply lines and allies are.
Try and train up Xavian's rabble into a fighting force before he impregnates them all. Speak to Kavern about possible birth control options.
I need Scouts on the Temple to see where they are and work out where the Air Temple are operating from as they

Solutions:
Get rid of this problem with guerilla warfare until an assault can be mounted either by stealth or straight out fighting.
Then go and reclaim Troy...


Troubling Politics
The Emperor is reputed to have visited the ToEE which is why the Norse Legion were present there also.  He confirms his Apotheosis and his determination to oust all the divine Pantheon.  I will meditate on this with Ares...then work out a way to break him into pieces with righteous fury.

The Temple is funded by his Eliptrum, newly minted coins.  Further proof of his treachery.

Does this stain reach to Cannaucle and the fiendish Elf who keeps us out? I need to seek out Deiankus and Supermangangramicus to ensure she still follows the Gods and to remedy our current asylum.

Notes to self: Get a scribe...this is tedious, plus see which of Xavian's waifs and strays can be trained as a holding force for Canacule and a few leaders within this, should we have to take our more seasoned veterans out to the Temple or Troy.

Praise Ares.

That is all.