dragonbane ... secret of the dragon emperor part 8!

we're playing so much dragonbane lately! which is good, because we're like, barely into the first real dungeon of the campaign, and we're already on session 8. whew! here's how it went ...

GM Elle: All right. The party is in the stairwell ... except maybe for Filvius, if he hasn't given up his search of the altar yet.
Claire: Considering I'd be alone here with the possibility of those 5 cultists coming back, I guess I'd regretfully head to the stairway too.
GM Elle: Since the group agreed to proceed cautiously, you should be able to catch up without trouble, then.
MSG: "The group" meaning the mallard.
Sasha: Hey, don't push me or I'll go back into charge mode.
GM Elle: Moving slowly, it takes you two rounds to descend to the bottom of the stairs. There, you see an open doorway into a vast, vaulted hall. The door frame shows signs of having been viciously and recently savaged by something with powerful claws. From the darkness beyond come the sounds of something large growling and padding about -- and the occasional sound of a heavy impact, as though whatever it is is throwing itself against different parts of the structure in rage.
MSG: Okay, so here's my suggestion if we're really going to go in and fight whatever that is. Dolora will blow her horn to give everyone a Boon until her next turn. Then when we draw initiative, she'll wait as long as she can by trading her initiative card with whoever has the last one. Then depending on how things go for the round, I'll either move in and club the thing, or blow my horn again.
Akane: Zedeja approves this plan. She has Stone Skin and Powerful Fists, so you may trade with her if it's necessary.
GM Elle: Ready to draw initiative cards, then?
MSG: After I blow my horn, sure. And I didn't even need that part of my plan, because I got the 10.
Claire: I'm on 3, which I'll probably be trading with someone else, because I sure don't want to go early.
Ariel: 6.
Sasha: 4.
Hettie: 7.
Akane: 9.
GM Elle: The creature gets 1, 2, 2.5, 5, and 8
MSG: Seriously?
Claire: How many turns does it get?
Ariel: What's turn 2.5?
Sasha: I'm hoping it only gets half a turn then.
Hettie: So much for this being a long campaign.
Akane: Be more brave, you cowards!
GM Elle: Yeah, it has a Ferocity of 5, so I had to roll a die for one of its turns, because there are only 10 initiative cards. From between the two columns closest to you, you see this rush snarling from the darkness.

MSG: Yikes.
Claire: Technically I don't see it yet, right? I'm at the back, and we're in a spiral staircase.
GM Elle: Right. Probably only the front three can see it: Sir Q, Dolora, and Dilfriida. And in the instant after you see it, its tail lashes forward to fire a deadly looking spine straight at Sir Q. You could parry it with your shield if you want.
Sasha: I'll take a gamble it doesn't get past my armor.
GM Elle: Luck is with you. Four points of damage.
Sasha: ptink!
GM Elle: For its second turn, it fires a deadly rain of spikes from its tail. The three of you in line of sight can dodge, but not parry.
MSG: I'm using my new Heroic Ability to dodge without losing my turn. I succeed with a 3.
Sasha: Still betting on my armor.
Hettie: I'm dodging. I get a Boon from the bard's music, right? 5 and 7.
GM Elle: Sash, looks like your luck is holding. Only 1 point of damage on the roll. It glares at you warily, and since you're still within the stairwell, it waits to see what you're going to do, trading turns with Quackers.
Sasha: I think you know what I'm doing ... charge! The bard's music has my blood going, and the Boon takes care of my Exhausted Bane, so I hit it with a 12. Is it going to dodge?
GM Elle: Yes, using its 8 initiative card. But it rolls a 16, so you get to damage it anyway.
Sasha: Yes! 13 points!
Claire: I'm on turn 3, but I think I'll trade it to ... Akane.
Akane: Excellence! With her Powerful Fists, Zedeja rushes up and brawls the creature! No, the rolls are poor. 17 and 18.
GM Elle: The creature's turn, then. It now does a crushing charge on Sir Q for 3d6 ... 12 points, and you're knocked down.
Sasha: Still in pretty good shape thanks to my armor.
GM Elle: We'll see about that. On turn 5, the creature does a claw attack on you for 2d8 plus d6 because you're prone.
MSG: Ouch.
GM Elle: oof. 18 points.
Sasha: Minus 8 for my armor ... that's still a big ouch. 
GM Elle: Aers?
Ariel: I guess I'll move up to the doorway, put my lamp down, and shoot it with my bow. Only I'm not very good, so even with the Boon, I miss.
GM Elle: Last turn for the creature. Crushing charge again ... this time on Zedeja. 12 points of damage and you're knocked prone.
Akane: It's good I have Skin of Stone.
GM Elle: Claire, your turn.
Claire: I guess I'll move out here and try to heal Sir Quackenscrump. I have that boon, so I'm going to risk using up 6 WP for maximum power level. Whew! I make it. That's 16 points back, Sash.
Sasha: Awesome! Full power!
GM Elle: MSG? You're up last.
MSG: Well, we've barely done any damage to it, and if I blow my horn again, I won't have much WP left for dodging ... so I guess I'll move up and take a whack at it with my club. An 8 is a hit, doing 13 points.
GM Elle: New initiative.
MSG: 8.
Claire: 7.
Ariel: 2.
Sasha: 3.
Hettie: I'm first for once.
Akane: 5 for Zedeja.
GM Elle: Hettie? You're up.
Hettie: All right, I'll move to here, spend some willpower points, and Backstab. That's a hit ... but only 9 points.
Akane: 9 is superior to 0.
GM Elle: Ariel?
Ariel: I'm going to swap cards with MSG!
MSG: Okay, I'll take another crack at it with my club. 14 hits. Will it dodge?
GM Elle: It's got cards out the ass, so yes.
MSG: Damn.
GM Elle: Sweeping attack! The creature lashes its tail in a wide arc doing 2d6 to Dolora and Dilfriida and knocking you down.
MSG: I'll spend the points to try a dodge. Made it.
GM Elle: 9 points, Hettie.
Hettie: Urk.
GM Elle: Your turn, Sash.
Sasha: Quackers gets to his feet and slashes with his broadsword. Hit, even with my Bane.
GM Elle: It dodges.
Sasha: This thing is really pissing me off.
GM Elle: For turn number 4, it's going to Tail Strike you, Sash. 9 points means some damage gets through, which injects you with a paralyzing poison.
Sasha: 9 on my save.
GM Elle: 10 for the poison, so you get the partial effect. But since you're already exhausted, there's no real effect.
Akane: Turn 5 is Zedeja! She rises and strikes! The roll ... 6!
GM Elle: You look old and weak, so the creature dismisses your unarmed attack instead of dodging.
Akane: For this arrogant choice, it receives 21 points of damage.
GM Elle: Wow. It was not expecting that. And it dies.
MSG: Nice rolling!
Ariel: Definitely!
Akane: I also was expecting a lower number. However, I'm more pleased than the creature to be surprised.
MSG: I'm going to try a Beast Lore roll now to see if I can figure out what this thing was. Nope.
Claire: I'll try too ... and I make it with a 5.
GM Elle: It's a Manticore. You pretty much saw all the attacks it can make other than a formidable bite that it's rumored to have. But this one seems larger than you envisioned from the descriptions you've heard.
Claire: I'll pass that along to everyone. "And by the way, if we meet another one, you don't want it to bite you."
Ariel: I didn't want this one to bite me!
Hettie: I was not especially keen on any of the things it did to any of us.
GM Elle: Well, looking around the room now that it's dead, you find a half-open iron door to the west, a low iron gate to the south that looks rusted shut, and a large iron gate to the northwest that has a relief carving of a flame in its center, painted or stained in purple.
MSG: Well, I don't know about anyone else, but I'm feeling like we might want to go back to that herb garden and see if the herb guy will let us take a rest there.
Claire: I already used up my Stretch Rest, though.
Sasha: Quackers too. And he really doesn't need one at the moment anyway.
Hettie: Dilfriida is wounded enough she votes for that.
Akane: Zedeja is insistent. A rest is required!
MSG: I guess we should head back up, then. I did my Stretch Rest for the day too, now that I think about it. Filvius and Sir Quackenscrump, should the three of us go finish hiding our wagon? I just realized we never did that after Filvius's first attempt failed.
Ariel: Oh, crud! Those cultists ran out of the temple ... what if they saw our stuff and went and looted it?
Sasha: Are you kidding me? The three people who stayed outside didn't already take care of that while we were checking out the garden?
Akane: Our bard said she was going to, after her rest ... but then, a spider.
MSG: Okay, I'm hurrying back to the stairs.
Claire: Me too.
Ariel: The sloth in me doesn't want to hurry, but the merchant in me doesn't want all our tradable goods to get ripped off.
Akane: Beware, though! In the hallway to the vestibule, a trapdoor lurks!
GM Elle: Since a round is only ten seconds, it's only been a minute or two since the cultists ran off, so they may not have that much of a lead on you.
MSG: Especially if they grabbed the cart and are pulling it.
Claire: Right, it will slow them down a lot if they're pulling it by hand instead of -- wait a minute. Did anybody do anything with our donkey?
Ariel: Um ...
Sasha: Last I saw, we left it with the bard, the mage, and the wolfkin.
MSG: Oops. I don't think we even thought about it when we heard the fighting in the courtyard.
Ariel: Well Zedeja was ordering us around and she didn't say we should bring it!
Akane: Oh, suddenly it's no longer, "Why always does Zedeja say do this and do that?" Instead, "Why doesn't Zedeja tell us to bring a donkey?"
GM Elle: Okay, so everyone tell me what you're doing.
MSG: Heading for the front door. When I get to that hall where Zedeja saw the trapdoor, I'll slow down and look carefully for it. I guess since I don't have a light, I'll be sticking close enough to someone who does that I'm able to see.
Claire: Same for Filvius.
Ariel: Fidu has his own light and he's fast, so I'm going to go pretty quick. But I'm paying attention to what Zedeja said too, and remembering where it was that I saw that cult guy fall.
Sasha: I'll stick with Dilfriida and her lamp, assuming she's heading out too.
Hettie: I am indeed.
Akane: Zedeja dislikes following this halfling, so she will try to stay closer to the wolfkin. Near the trapdoor, she will point to it exactly.
GM Elle: Okay, it's about two rounds back up the stairs and then another round to the hallway where the cultist fell. Fidu moves four meters a round faster than the humans, and Filvius moves two meters a round faster. So by the time Fidu reaches the hallway, he's 10 or 12 meters ahead of the main group and about 6 ahead of Filvius. Since an oil lamp has a 10 meter radius, the illumination from your two light sources will overlap except when you're going round and round on the spiral staircase. 
Ariel: Can I see where the trapdoor is?
GM Elle: Yes -- it appears to be slightly ajar, actually, so it's pretty obvious if you know to look at the floor.
Ariel: I'll point it out to everybody anyhow, then peek out into the vestibule through the open door. It's still open, right?
GM Elle: Yes. All you see there is the sunlight streaming in through the northwest archway to the courtyard and the open front gates.
MSG: When I get to the trapdoor, I'm going to pause a second and carefully push down on it with my greatclub to see if it opens up. I'm curious what's down there.
GM Elle: All right, then. Ariel, as you're looking out into the vestibule, Filvius catches up to you and you both hear a grating sound from behind you. Akane, Het, and Sasha, you see Dolora stop and press her greatclub to the floor, causing the trapdoor to drop open. It's hinged on the side nearest the altar room. There seems to be a counterweight of some kind, though, and it starts closing again before you get much more than a glimpse of darkness below.
MSG: No cries for help from the guy who fell in, I take it?
GM Elle: None.
Ariel: If the vestibule is empty and I don't see any of our team falling in the trapdoor, I'm going to the front gate to peek out. Any sign of the black-robed dudes?
GM Elle: No, but your field of view is somewhat restricted if you don't put your head all the way out.
Ariel: I guess I'll risk it! I lean all the way out and look around in every direction I can before anybody shoots at me or conks me on the head.
GM Elle: All you see is your donkey, peacefully grazing on the grass near the steps.
Ariel: Whew, that's a relief!
Sasha: Unless he was replaced by a monster donkey.
Ariel: What about the cart?
GM Elle: You don't see it, but remember, even though Filvius did a bad job covering it with the vines, from this angle the rockfall from the wall is blocking your view of it.
MSG: I guess it will take some puzzling to figure out this trapdoor mechanism, so I'll go ahead and go out front too. Can I make a Bushcraft roll to track those cultists?
GM Elle: Sure.
MSG: I succeed with a four.
GM Elle: You do see a flurry of what look like recent prints disturbing the ground in the direction that leads back to the road.
MSG: Well, hopefully that's the last we see of them.
Ariel: If I head that direction, can I see the cart?
GM Elle: Yes, still where you left it with a bunch of ineffectual vines hanging across it.
MSG: I'll go over and see if I can do any better.
Claire: If we're all in the clear out here, I want to go back in and keep looking at that altar. Anyone want to come?
Sasha: Sure. Might be more monsters lurking in there. Or a monster hiding inside the altar.
Hettie: Dilfriida offers you the lamp she found. "You'll need a light."
Ariel: Oh, I've got a lamp, and if there's treasure under that altar or something, I want to be there. So Fidu will go in too.
Akane: Zedeja requires directions on finding the herbal garden!
Claire: Filvius tells her to just follow Dilfriida. She knows where it is.
Akane: It's a scowl at you for that.
MSG: I tell Zedeja I saw the spot where they climbed through the vine curtain, if she wants to come with me while I conceal our cart.
Akane: Climbing is undesirable to old, frail Zedeja. But more undesirable is following a burglesome halfling. I will go.
GM Elle: Are you really about to split the party three ways?
MSG: Looks like it, unless Difriida wants to come with us instead of going in through the courtyard.
Hettie: I'll risk another giant spider over listening to Zedeja.
GM Elle: Okay, then. Dilfriida, you cross the courtyard without event.
Hettie: I'm going to pick a couple of those giant blueberries along the way to ask the elven gardener about.
Akane: Already, behaviour Zedeja would scold you for. It's good we divided ourselves.
GM Elle: MSG and Akane, you get to the cart without issue. Make your Bushcraft roll to hide it, MSG. Akane, you can make an Acrobatics roll with a Boon to climb up and through the vines, unless you want to wait for Dolora.
MSG: I roll a 4 on my Bushcraft.
Akane: 5 and 17 on my Booned Acrobatics, so: success.
GM Elle: You find the climbing pretty easy, even for someone of your age. Filvius, Quackenscrump, and Fidu, what are you doing in the altar room?
Claire: I want to examine that altar for absolutely any information I might be able to get out of it. Carvings or runes or designs ... anything.
Ariel: I'm just here because they need a light. I'll probably just sit on the edge of the dais and kibblax.
Sasha: Quackers is keeping an eye out for monsters, obviously.
GM Elle: Go ahead and roll your Spot Hidden, Claire.
Claire: Hm. Well, it's actually really bad. I blow it with an 11. Either of you guys want to try?
Ariel: I dunno, that sounds like work. Can I get half your cut of the next treasure we find?
Claire: How about a quarter, and only if we actually learn anything from you looking.
Ariel: Well ... okay, I guess. I roll a 9 and my skill is 11.
GM Elle: As you're examining the sun carved on one side, you see that it looks like it's actually a separate material -- a different kind of stone than the main block. It almost looks like it's a large button that could be pushed in.
Ariel: I tell Filvius.
Claire: Heck, then, I push it to find out what happens.
GM Elle: It makes a clicking sound, but that's all.
Claire: What about the suns on the other sides? Are they buttons too? I'll try pushing each one.
GM Elle: They all make a clicking sound when you push them in, then pop back out. You don't notice any other effect.
Claire: I try different patterns. Like, go clockwise around the altar pushing each one, then counter clockwise, then push every other one.
GM Elle: None of that seems to do anything.
Claire: Dang. Okay, they're suns, right? I'll push the one on the east side, then the one on the west side, then east, then west ... and there are four suns in all, so I'll do that four times.
GM Elle: Interesting idea, but no.
Ariel: I'm getting tired just watching you.
Hettie: Has Dilfriida made it into the herb garden yet?
GM Elle: Sure. Hafarmal is still there. He looks up from his gardening and asks where your companions are. "I notice you look wounded. Is everything all right?"
Hettie: I tell him they should be along soon. They're just making sure the cultists kept running after we chased them away.
GM Elle: He looks pleasantly surprised and says that was very quick. He also offers to heal your wounds for you.
Hettie: Dilfriida says, "Wow, terrific, thanks!"
GM Elle: He heals you for 7 points.
Hettie: Exceptional. If I go through with that Stretch Rest, I'll be back to full health.
Akane: By now, has Zedeja arrived?
GM Elle: Not quite. You had farther to walk and then also had to do some climbing.
MSG: If I'm done with hiding the cart, I'll climb too. Easy success with a 5 and a 6.
Claire: Meanwhile, this altar is giving me a headache.
Ariel: Hey! What if it's like those aspirin bottles with the caps you have to push in on both sides to get open? Not that Fidu has ever seen an aspirin bottle, but he's pretty smart, and if he doesn't make any suggestions we may not ever get out of here.
Sasha: That's a pretty good suggestion though.
Ariel: Thanks!
Claire: Can I reach two of them at once if I lean across it? I'll try east and west first.
GM Elle: It's awkward, but you can reach. Doesn't seem to do anything, though.
Claire: Argh. North and south, then.
GM Elle: Nope.
Claire: You two come help me. I obviously can't push all four at once, but maybe that's the trick.
Ariel: If I have to. I guess I get up and walk over there.
Sasha: Sure, Quackers is game.
GM Elle: Eureka! When you do that, the altar makes a grinding sound, and the top of it splits along four lines and slides open and down to reveal a compartment within.
Akane: What game is Eeka?
GM Elle: What? 
Akane: It's punning. Sasha says she is game, then you say she is Eeka, so Eeka must be a game, right? Sorry, English is my extra language, still practicing the punning.
MSG: Actually that was pretty good. I think we just weren't being quick enough.
Ariel: I'm still not being quick enough I guess, because I don't get it yet. Or maybe I wasn't listening as close as I should have. The altar opened up and there's a game in it?
Sasha: Weren't you paying attention at all?
Ariel: Some! But mostly I was roleplaying my character and he's kinda just hanging out.
Claire: Meanwhile, Filvius is very curious to see what's inside this compartment.
Akane: Apologies for inserting chaos ...
GM Elle: Never apologize for being funny, Akane -- even if not everyone gets it. Claire, resting at the bottom of the compartment is a frightful-looking mask of yellowed bone.
Claire: Creepy. Okay, I'm going to pick it up and use my Sense Magic trick on it.
Ariel: Are you sure that's a good idea?
Claire: Is that an Ariel question or a Fidu question.
Ariel: Ariel. Fidu's already put a lot into this whole altar deal. He's just going to kick back and see what happens.
Claire: Okay, well, I don't think it's a great idea, but Filvius is jonesing for knowlege.
GM Elle: You sense that there's definitely magic on it. It seems to have a Protector spell that's been made permanent. You also sense that there may be some drawback to its power.
MSG: Wait, didn't you even have to roll to see if that succeeded?
Claire: It's a magic trick, not a spell.
Akane: Magic trickery is always a success.
Ariel: Hey, where's my always-a-success power!
Sasha: I could use some of that action too.
GM Elle: Well, when you get a new Heroic Ability, pick Magic Talent and somebody can train you in a school of magic. Then you can learn tricks and spells with advancement marks and training.
Ariel: Oh. That sounds like way too much work.
Sasha: Yeah, that's going to cut way down on my monster-killing time.
Claire: Anyway, I put the mask on.
Ariel: That's an even worse idea! Didn't you just hear it's got some kind of drawback?
Claire: In case you haven't noticed, Filvius is leaning pretty hard into the whole FA/FO thing. So what's it do to me?
GM Elle: You don't notice any immediate effect.
Claire: Hmm. I take it back off.
GM Elle: Make a WIL roll.
MSG: Here we go.
Claire: 15. That's a failure -- oh, and I'm still Scared, so I have a Bane. This second roll better not be a Demon ... whew, 3.
GM Elle: The mask refuses to come off.
MSG: Looking at that thing's going to take some getting used to.
Claire: So like, do you mean ever?
GM Elle: You can try again any time you want.
Claire: I try again.
GM Elle: It doesn't come off.
Claire: No roll this time?
GM Elle: No ... although you do know that some magical effects last a stretch and others last a shift or more.
Claire: Great. Guess I'll try after another stretch. Maybe the Protector spell will be worth it. It looks pretty good in the rulebook. Do I know the power level?
GM Elle: Magic items that duplicate spells generally draw WP from the user when activated, so if you activate it, you'll know the power level based on how much WP it takes.
Claire: Well, the book says it lasts a whole shift, so I'll try activating it now.
GM Elle: It takes 4 WP.
Claire: I've only got 3 left right now.
GM Elle: Then it doesn't activate.
Claire: Do I lose my WP from trying?
GM Elle: I'm going to say no.
Claire: Whew.
Sasha: Quackenscrump sees you tugging at the mask and asks what kind of bone-headed stunt you're pulling now.
Claire: I hear what you did there. Filvius says there's apparently some kind of curse on the mask and he can't take it off. But it'll be great for staying safe from magic attacks once I get some of my mental energy back.
Ariel: Oh, wow, don't remind me about needing to get energy back.
Sasha: So are we going to go back to the herb garden now, or what?
Claire: Sure, we can head that direction.
Ariel: I guess if we have to. The grass and plants will probably be more cozy and restful than this gloomy altar room, now that I think about it.
GM Elle: All right. The three of you head for the garden. MSG, Akane, your characters both arrive in the herb garden while all of that is going on. Hafarmal greets you and says he hears you've succeeded in chasing away the cultists.
MSG: Dolora says it was probably more the manticore that chased them away, and then we killed the manticore.
Akane: No, why reveal this? Now he thinks we did nothing to our goal of de-culting his temple, and also we removed the thing that de-culted it! An herbalist of intelligence will conclude, "Possibly the cultists are now free to return!"
Hettie: I assume you're not saying all of that out loud, are you?
Akane: No. But displeasure is written in large letters upon the face of Zedeja. She tells the herbalist to direct her to the most comfortable place to rest in this garden.
GM Elle: He points you toward a soft-looking sward of grass. He also notices your injuries and asks if you'd like to be healed.
Akane: If the rest is not sufficient, Zedeja will consult him, she says.
GM Elle: Okay, whoever is doing their Stretch Rest, then, go ahead and roll to recover HP and WP.
Akane: Such poor rolling of dice! When the rest is over, Akane asks for healing. 
GM Elle: Hafarmal heals you for six points.
MSG: If he's just giving out the healing, I'm down a couple of points. I'll also be picking his brain for knowledge while Dilfriida and the Mind over there are resting.
GM Elle: He actually blows his healing roll and apologizes. But he does show you about the garden and names all the plants for you, describing their different herbal properties.
MSG: I suppose that's something.
Ariel: Hey, I just had a thought, and on the way back to the garden, I want to use my Treasure Hunter ability to sense which direction it is to the greatest treasure!
GM Elle: Where exactly are you going to do this? It needs to be some sort of a crossroads.
Ariel: So, I'm thinking if I stand right next to that trapdoor, and somebody with treasure fell in there at some point, it will point me down. Or if there's no treasure under there, it might point me back into the altar room toward the stairway if there's treasure on the bottom level somewhere, or back out the front door if the place is a bust as far as treasure goes.
Sasha: Damn, way to go Aers. That's a pretty smart tactic.
Hettie: Nicely finessed.
GM Elle: Okay, let me re-read that ability and have a look at the scenario for a second ... hmm. Mm-hmm ... so you seem to feel an almost equal instinctive pull to the northeast and the northwest.
Ariel: Oh, great, what does that mean??? Are there two exactly equal treasures?
Sasha: I haven't read that ability ... could it be there's one that's bigger but farther and one that's smaller but nearer or easier to get to?
GM Elle: It's ambiguously worded ... "At a crossroads of some kind, you can activate this ability to learn the direction of the greatest treasures."
MSG: "Treasures" with an "s" meaning plural?
Claire: Weird that it's "direction" singular but "treasures" plural.
Hettie: Isn't this game translated from Swedish, though? I'm not sure we can put too much stock in the precision of their plurals.
GM Elle: I'm just sticking with what I said. Your sense is that going either northeast or northwest could get you to the greatest treasures."
Ariel: Dang, though, what if there's just one treasure down under this trapdoor, but it's a honking huge one? Only because it's a treasure and not treasureS, my ability doesn't work on it! Meanwhile northeast and northwest there's two treasures, but they're poopy.
GM Elle: Honestly, honey, as long as you're not trying to abuse the ability, I promise I won't give you results that are going to deliberately lead you the wrong way.
Ariel: Okay. Seems like we may still want to check the trapdoor, though.
Sasha: My higher priority is getting the rest of our group and checking the place for any more monsters there might be.
GM Elle: If you don't make any further stops, you arrive back at the garden shortly after Dilfriida and Zedeja have finished their rest.
Hettie: Ah, I remembered something. I wanted to ask Hafarmal about these eyeball-sized blueberries. If he's available, I do so ... I suppose once he's finished giving Dolora her tour of the garden.
MSG: You may have a wait ahead of you, then. I'm going to be asking a lot of questions, to soak up all the knowledge I can about these plants and how otherworldly energy can cause transformations like this in living things.
Claire: Don't worry, Het. I'm pretty sure Dolora will be distracted soon by me showing up with this scary bone mask on. She'll definitely want to try to get some knowledge scoop once she sees it.
Hettie: Dilfriida isn't one to politely wait her turn, though. I imagine as soon as she's feeling rested up, she'll wander over and butt in the moment a long enough breath is taken by whoever's talking ... probably to ask something like, "Hey, mister herbs. Have you seen these giant blueberries? What's the deal with these? Can you eat them?"
MSG: I'm not keen on getting interrupted -- but Dolora also wouldn't particularly differentiate between knowledge about the herbs in the garden and knowledge about the blueberries from the courtyard. It's all part of the same phenomenon, right?
GM Elle: That's exactly what Hafarmal says. "Those blueberries contain enough nourishment to sustain a person an entire day -- just one berry. But I'd caution you to be careful in eating them, as they have an intoxicating effect as well, and you'll be hazy-headed and a bit clumsy for hours afterward.
MSG: Better to eat at the end of the day than for breakfast, then.
Hettie: So it sounds. I'll put some in with my rations
GM Elle: All right, so at some point Hafarmal will want to get back to his work, and if there's any attempt to dissuade him from that, he'll note that he can't brew any antidotes if you won't give him time to tend to his business. What's the group going to do next?
Ariel: I tell everybody the biggest treasure is either northeast or northwest from the hallway with the trapdoor. I think we should go find it!
Sasha: There were at least three ways out of that manticore room, so I say let's head back down there and check some of them out.
Akane: Zedeja insists on this, in fact. No further discussion needed!
GM Elle: Anyone take issue with that?
MSG: Nope.
Claire: Also nope.
Ariel: It was basically my idea, so I'm all for it.
Sasha: Quackers is in.
Hettie: Dilfriida is always interested in treasure, so she can overlook Zedeja's bossiness for now.
Akane: Slowly, this halfling learns wisdom!
GM Elle: All right then, back downstairs you head.

okay, so this was a longish session, and i'm breaking it up here so the post isn't endless. see you next time!

dragonbane ... secret of the dragon emperor part 7!

here's the writeup of our next dragonbane session. if you haven't been keeping up, check out the first five parts in my link list on the left!

GM Elle: So. You just finished killing some Murderous Briars on the outside wall of the temple. What's the group going to do next?
MSG: Well, I'm Exhausted, Disheartened, missing most of my willpower points, and down a few hit points on top of that, so Dolora is in favor of resting.
Sasha: Quackers is pretty beat from those spores too. But I'm so good with a sword, I can still fight all right even Exhausted.
Akane: There's time to rest though while the cart becomes hidden. Our knight should be in best shape to enter this fearsome church.
Hettie: Well if the two of them pause to recuperate, the rest of the party can continue trying to hide this cart. Are there enough normal vines hanging off the wall that we could still conceal it where the carnivorous ones attacked us?
GM Elle: No, it's looking pretty thin there.
Claire: Well, Filvius is still interested in seeing whether his idea works, so I'll look a little farther along the wall for a likely spot. I'll also be looking very carefully to make sure any thick clusters of vines are normal vines, not the murderous kind. And I'm staying far enough away from the wall that they can't grab or spore me if there are any of the killer ones.
Akane: Halfling! Help look as well. The elf's job of spotting vines was previously a poor one.
Hettie: Again, it appears that following Zedeja's command gets me away from her, so rather than argue, I'll just thumb my nose at her and help Filvius.
GM Elle: Okay, Claire, roll a Bushcraft for your attempt to find a good spot to stash the cart. Hettie, you can roll either Bushcraft or Spot Hidden to watch for vines.
Claire: I make my Bushcraft roll with an 11.
Hettie: Dilfriida's Spot Hidden succeeds with a 5.
GM Elle: While the walls are thickly festooned with vines, you have to go a fair way along it before it looks like there's a really dense area. When you get there, you see that one reason the vegetation appears so thick there is that part of the wall has actually collapsed. The stones must have been so heavily overgrown that some of the vines remained hanging all the way across the gap, and more have grown along that scaffolding since then, so at a glance, the wall appears intact. But Dilfriida's spot check lets her see that by clambering up the fallen stones, you could reach a spot where there are only vines separating you from whatever's beyond the wall.
Hettie: A hidden route into the temple, in other words.
GM Elle: It looks that way.
Claire: So what about the cart?
GM Elle: You think you could maneuver it around to the far side of the rockfall and get it pretty well covered with vines, which are extremely thick there.
Claire: And no Murder-Briars?
GM Elle: Not that either of you notices.
Claire: All right, I guess we try hiding the thing.
GM Elle: Make another Bushcraft roll to successfully conceal it with the vines.
Claire: Pff. 19.
GM Elle: It's pretty clearly not working.
MSG: Once my stretch rest is over, can I give it a try?
GM Elle: Sure, assuming nothing else interrupts you.
Hettie: While Filvius is doing that, I'm going to carefully climb up and peek through the vines to see what's on the other side of that collapsed bit.
GM Elle: The climb isn't difficult -- roll Acrobatics with a Boon.
Hettie: Dilfriida gets a 17 and a Dragon on her check to climb.
Ariel: Nice!
GM Elle: You climb so quickly and nimbly that you make almost no sound, Dilfriida. As a result, when you poke your head through the vines and see the interior of the courtyard, the person working there doesn't notice you.
MSG: Uh-oh.
Hettie: I prepare to back very quietly down the way I came if this person looks dangerous.
GM Elle: Actually, he doesn't. He's in pretty ordinary, natural-colored clothes and appears to be pulling weeds in the area you're spying into, which is some kind of garden. The vegetation here is luxurious and lush, the air smells of herbs and spices, and the sound of buzzing bumblebees hangs in the air. You see the occasional puff of smoke from a pipe the man has set between his lips. The area looks like this, basically, with the west wall a continuation of the temple's outer stone wall, the east wall a series of densely vine-strewn trellises, and the area to the north a heap of rubble collapsed from the main building of the temple, which this garden apparently once bordered.

Hettie: Given that we've been told there are monsters in this temple, I don't think I'm comfortable assuming he's as harmless as that description makes him out to be. I'm going to ease my head back through the vines and then very quietly climb down to the rest of the party. My Sneaking roll is a 5.
GM Elle: You reach the ground all but soundlessly.
Claire: Filvius asks if she found anything up there.
Hettie: I describe the garden and the gentleman pulling weeds to her.
Claire: Hmm. Well, if he's not secretly a monster, he probably has some good intel on this place. I'm going to climb over and pick his brains.
Ariel: Wait, are you sure that's smart?
Claire: Probably not, but Dilfriida's the only one who's here to stop me. Are you trying to stop me, Hettie?
Hettie: Not at all. As a matter of fact, I'll go with you. My courage is a tad better when I have company.
GM Elle: Okay, Acrobatics rolls with a Boon to climb over.
Claire: Errr ... my Acrobatics is stinkeroonie. Since Dilfriida's already climbed, can she help by telling me the best route and give me a boon?
GM Elle: Sure. Go ahead and roll 3d20.
Claire: Whew! I needed all three ... 13, 9, and 5, and the 5's the only one under my score. Thanks, Dilfriida.
Hettie: You're welcome. But embarrassingly, my rolls come up a 17 and a Demon, so I don't make it up and over with you.
GM Elle: Actually, you do, since there are tons of vines and handholds. You'd have to get an actual Demon result to fall, which would mean rolling two natural 20's at once, since you have the Boon. But the failure does mean you're way behind Filvius. If anything bad happens, it will be 2 rounds before you can get into the action.
MSG: Do the rest of us see the two of them climb up and through the vines on the wall? We're not that far away, are we?
GM Elle: No, but remember, Claire wheeled the cart around to the far side of the fallen rocks and was draping vines over it, so it's not like they're right out in the open. You can make an Awareness roll if you think your character would be keeping an eye on them.
MSG: I roll a 4, so that's a success. I point and say, "Hey, where are they going?"
GM Elle: All right, since they've now been pointed out, anyone who follows Dolora's gesture can make a Spot Hidden roll with a Boon to see them, or a straight Awareness roll if you'd rather.
Ariel: I'm being slothful. Does Dolora ask it in a really alarmed voice?
MSG: No, I'd say more of an, "Oh great, here we go again," kind of tone.
Ariel: I'll just keep kibblaxing then.
Sasha: Owp. That Boon didn't work out so well! I just rolled those two 20's you were talking about.
Akane: Doubly Demonic!
GM Elle: Sash, you're looking straight in the direction Dolora is pointing, and you see nothing. It startles you so much it ruins your stretch rest, so you don't get rid of the Exhausted condition.
Sasha: I jump up and pull out my sword. "What happened? Did a monster get them?" I'm charging over to where they were.
Akane: Zedeja easily succeeds with 6 and 11 to Spot the Hiddens.
GM Elle: So those able to see Dilfriida and Filvius observe the elf climbing up and disappearing into the vines, while the halfling struggles and slips and barely makes any progress in her climb.
Ariel: I guess Quackers jumping up yelling about monsters is too much for me to keep kibblaxing through ... and I roll a Dragon on my Spot Hidden check!
GM Elle: That lets you make out the exact spot Filvius is climbing through, and also see the problem area that's foiling Dilfriida. If you go over and make the climb, you'll get an extra Boon.
Ariel: I mean, I said I would look because of Sash yelling. I didn't say I'd go to the effort of getting up!
Sasha: Am I there yet?
GM Elle: First I want to know if anyone else is heading that way.
MSG: I definitely want to finish my Stretch Rest.
Ariel: Someone needs to stay here and protect our bard while she's resting, so I can do that.
Akane: Zedeja becomes peevish at these unpermissioned actions. She tells those nearby to remain here. "If it's trouble for them, they earned this fate by such terrible group discipline."
GM Elle: Okay. Quackers is most of the way there, then, while Dilfriida gets her second round of climbing, and Filvius reaches the ground inside the wall. Claire, you see essentially what I described before, except that the man notices you clambering into the garden with him, and turns from his work to look over at you. You see that he's an elf, with long, wavy dark hair and eyes that are completely black.
Claire: Hmm. Is that normal for elves in this game? The pictures in the rulebook make them look like they have all white eyes, actually.
GM Elle: It's definitely not normal, and as an elf, you know there's something strange about his pitch-dark orbs.
Sasha: I knew it. He's a monster.
Claire: Filvius waves and asks what he's working on.
GM Elle: The elf rises and dusts his hands off, then takes a deep draw from his pipe and removes it from his mouth to speak. Thick, rich smoke comes out of his mouth with his words. "Gardening," he says. "I'm tending these herbs. That's my trade -- herbalism." Then he puts his pipe right back in to suck on it again.
MSG: Aha, this is the guy we heard about!
Claire: You're not there. But it does seem like it. I ask him what kind of herbs they are, and what's up with his eyes.
Ariel: Jeepers, aren't you going to at least introduce yourself before you bug him with all these questions?
Claire: I have an 8 Charisma and my weakness is a craving for knowledge. So does he answer me?
GM Elle: I think the back-and-forth so far is enough for the others outside to get another round. Dilfriida is still in the middle of climbing. Sash?
Sasha: If I get there, I'll put my sword away and start climbing too. Acrobatics? I've got a Bane from my plate armor, but my skill level rocks, so ... dang, a Dragon and a 6, and the Dragon doesn't count because it's a Bane roll, right?
GM Elle: Right, but it does catch you up to Dilfriida.
Sasha: Coming through, Dilfy!
Hettie: Dilfriida doesn't take kindly to being bossed around like that, so she definitely doesn't make way.
GM Elle: Well, the two of you will have to draw initiative cards next round then. Meanwhile, in the garden, the dark-haired herbalist says, "My eyes? What do you mean?"
Claire: Well, I hate to break it to you, but they're totally black. I'm not saying you have a black eye like someone hit you, I mean your eyeballs are actually black.
GM Elle: He appears surprised. "Really! Hmn. I suppose considering the effects on the plant life here, it's unsurprising that I might be affected myself ..."
Claire: What effects? And effects from what?
Sasha: I draw initiative card 7. Beep beep!
Hettie: I draw the 6, so it looks like Sir Q will have to be patient.
Sasha: Damn it.
GM Elle: You'll both descend into the garden this round. Claire, the elf tells you that there's a mystical portal within the temple. "Its energy is what makes the vegetation here so lush and opulent." He gestures around at the spectacular variety and vigor of the garden's plants.
Claire: With that pointed out, I want to make a Bushcraft roll to see if I recognize any of these plants. Sash, lemme have that die you rolled the Dragon on. Whoa-ho! It comes up a Dragon for me too!
Ariel: Put that die somewhere it won't get mixed up with the other die!
Sasha: Eh, they both came up Demons for me. I don't think it's really the dice that matter.
Akane: Superstition helps the magic sensation of a fantasy game though, I think. I vote for identifying this mighty Dragon die also.
Hettie: Here, I'll take care of it. Now it's the one sitting on the post-it note.
GM Elle: Claire, the flora of the garden didn't initially strike you as all that familiar, but looking more closely, you see that the plants actually do bear a strong resemblance to species you're familiar with. But they're all larger and more robust than you'd expect, and some of them are much more vividly colored than their typical varieties.
Claire: I'll ask this guy if the portal thing is also what made those murder briars attack us.
GM Elle: "Ah," he says, "yes, not all of the effects are as propitious as the ones you see here. It takes a goodly amount of effort on my part to spot the less favorable transformations and winnow them out with weeding."
Ariel: Psst! Hettie, what's "propitious" mean?
Hettie: "Good."
Ariel: What!
Sasha: This guy. Even if he ends up not being a monster, he's obviously got something wrong with him. Am I down there yet, and do I notice his creepy eyes?
GM Elle: You're there, but Dilfriida arrives first. And you need to roll Awareness to spot his unusual eyes right off the bat.
Sasha: Oh, well that's not happening, since my Awareness is 5 and I've got a Bane on it from my helmet. Gimme that Dragon die and we'll see if its magic keeps going. Nope. 19 and 4.
Hettie: I roll a 12, but my awareness is only 10.
GM Elle: As far as you notice, he's just an elf with a pipe and dirty gardener's gloves. He does glance briefly your way, but since you don't seem to be making any hostile moves, he keeps talking to Filvius. "Are these friends of yours? What business are all of you about? My name is Hafarmal, by the way."
Claire: I say they're not exactly close friends, but they've been pretty reliable in our travels together. Oh, and I guess I say, "My name's Filvius Factsnacker. Good to meet you, I guess. Hey, 'Hafarmal' ... why does that sound familiar?"
Sasha: Dolora told us he's a whiz with antidotes, but Quackers was mostly listening for the part about monsters, and my Intelligence is only an 8. I guess I'll make an INT roll ... woo, 8 exactly! I say, "He's the antidote guy, remember?"
Claire: Filvius says, "I was about to come up with that."
Hettie: Dilfriida will answer his question by saying we're here looking for treasure and also hoping to find some antidotes to protect us against basilisk poison.
GM Elle: "Basilisk poison!" he says. "My that is a tall --"
Sasha: I interrupt him and say, "We also want to know if there are monsters around here. You got any monsters?"
GM Elle: He says, "Well, from time to time, one hears a terrible roar coming from within the old temple ... from the lower level, I think. I've poked around a bit down there, but it's not the kind of sound one cares to investigate on one's own. As for basilisk antidote ... I might be able to brew some of it up. But it's challenging, and I've my work tending the plants here, you know."
Claire: Great. I guess we'd really need to make it worth his while. Anybody here got Bartering?
Ariel: Well you know Fidu does, but good luck getting him to climb all the way up through those vines and then back down into wherever you guys are.
Sasha: Bartering, schmartering. I'm lame at that, but I do have a good Persuasion. I tell him we don't have a ton of money, but we're out and about ridding the world of monsters, and he's got to know that's important, right? "You'll be doing the whole Misty Vale a favor if you help us out." And I roll a 2.
GM Elle: He takes a long draw on his pipe and says, "Hmm."
Ariel: Wow, I'd hate to see how he responded to a Demon if that's what a 2 got you!
Akane: It may be a thought-gathering "Hmm."
GM Elle: That does turn out to be the case. He tells you that there are some unruly cultists who've been messing around the place, and if you could chase them off, he could see about brewing up a batch of antidote for you.
Sasha: Deal! Point us at them.
GM Elle: He says they could be anywhere in the temple as far as he knows. He mostly stays in this garden, and they haven't yet noticed that it's here. So he's not sure where they are, but it's an inconvenience having to sneak around when he goes out, and he's concerned sooner or later they'll stumble upon his work. But he says you might be more likely to take them by surprise if you go in through a secret way he can point out than just walking in through the front door.
Sasha: We don't need to take any punk cultists by surprise to whoop them. I think we dealt with some of these guys before.
Hettie: Dilfriida says, "Hey, speak for yourself, why don't you? I'm for taking them by surprise." I ask him where this secret way is.
GM Elle: He points you to a section of the trellises that form the eastern wall of the garden. "Right there where the vines are thickest, you'll find a hidden archway that leads to the main courtyard. If you head directly north, you'll come to the wall of the temple building, which is also covered in vines. Push them aside, and you'll discover an entrance to the temple.
Ariel: Well, the big drawback to that is still going to be getting Fidu to climb over that wall. Going in through the front door sounds like a lot less work.
Hettie: Dilfriida might or might not think of that, but she definitely says she bets Zedeja is going to have a bossy opinion about it one way or another. I sure don't want to go back over the wall and try to convince her which way to go.
Claire: That wouldn't be my first pick either. But we can still use the secret way into the courtyard and go out through that foyer-ish room instead of climbing our way back. We did see an opening there that looked like it led into a courtyard.
Akane: This assumes only one courtyard. Already, you have seen that there is at least a courtyard plus a secret garden.
GM Elle: How about if the people in the garden make their own decision about what to do next? The characters who are waiting outside can also decide if they want to take some action now. It's been long enough for the Stretch Rest to be done.
MSG: Has it been so long that we're wondering what's taking them?
GM Elle: No, just a couple of minutes.
MSG: I would probably wait here, then.
Ariel: Everybody knows what I'm doing.
Akane: Zedeja feels the itch of wanting to go and command those other three to act properly. But she also told these two with her to remain and not waste effort, so her impatience is not yet enough to break her own directive.
Hettie: I'm sneaking over to peek through that hidden archway the guy told us about. Do I need to do a Spot Hidden roll?
GM Elle: Not if you look exactly where he pointed. But you do need to roll your Sneaking in case there's someone or something in the courtyard.
Hettie: A 5 easily makes it.
GM Elle: Okay, now make an Awareness roll.
Hettie: Unfortunately, a 16 does not easily make it.
GM Elle: Whoa, what?
Hettie: My Awareness is only 10 -- or are you surprised by whatever it is you're looking at in the rulebook?
GM Elle: Under Sneaking I just saw that you're only allowed to sneak if you know someone is there.
MSG: What?
Ariel: Wait ... so like, if you don't know for sure somebody's there, you can't try to tippy-toe or peek around a corner carefully?
Sasha: That's whack.
Akane: Yes, I have astonishment too! Seems like a very disagreeable rule.
GM Elle: Honestly, I think I just have to ignore that. Okay, anyway, you see a courtyard that's laid out like this and has vine-covered walls just like the rest of the exterior you've seen. The area is overgrown with large briars, blossoming ornamental trees, and weedy grass along the paths. You notice some bushes here and there bearing blueberries the size of eyeballs.

Akane: Eyeberries?
Hettie: I'll pull my head back from between the vines and let everyone know what I saw. 
Claire: So does that opening to the southeast look like it matches up with the archway we saw in the foyer?
GM Elle: It looked that way to Dilfriida, and I assume she would communicate the information to you.
Sasha: All right, off we go to find the lazybones half of the party, then. I'll take the lead.
GM Elle: As soon as you step through, everyone needs to draw an initiative card.
Claire: I didn't say I was stepping through!
Hettie: Nor I.
GM Elle: No problem. We can do it that way. As soon as Sir Quackenscrump steps through he needs to draw an initiative card, and we'll resolve a full round before anyone else gets to draw one.
Sasha: Great. Thanks, guys.
Claire: We're just giving you space in case it's a monster.
Sasha: Ooh, is it a monster, Elle?
GM Elle: Yes. You see a giant spider lurking amongst the vines across the way from your position. Initiative card?
Sasha: 3! Here we go!
GM Elle: The spider draws 4 and 8. Here's a figure for it.
MSG: Holy crap!
GM Elle: It's not really that big ... the rulebook says giant spiders take up about the same space as a person. Not sure why they made the standee the size of a wagon.
Claire: Whew!
Sasha: Quackers gives a roar of excitement, draws his sword, and rushes to attack.
Hettie: You're not even going to consider waiting to dodge?
Sasha: Hey, the sucker gets two turns, and I'd only be able to dodge once, so I'm trusting my armor.
Hettie: Good luck with that.
Sasha: Broadsword! A 10 hits!
GM Elle: The spider will attempt to dodge that. It's quick and nimble despite its size and ... rolls a 2. No damage.
Sasha: Well, I used up one of its turns, at least.
GM Elle: Yes, and for its second turn, it rears up and jabs you with a poisonous sting that spears out from its abdomen. But it rolls a 1 for damage, so you feel nothing.
MSG: Can those of us outside make an Awareness roll to see if we hear Quackers roaring?
GM Elle: Sure, but you'll need a dragon to recognize that it's coming from the courtyard and not the area they climbed into farther away.
MSG: Pfff. 19.
Ariel: On no! I rolled a Demon!
GM Elle: Not only do you hear nothing, but you happen to choose that moment to stretch and yawn loudly --
Ariel: That sounds like me.
GM Elle: -- which gives Zedeja a Bane on her Awareness.
Akane: Zedeja is extreme in Awareness. She defies this Bane with rolls of 3 and 8.
GM Elle: Okay, you hear something, sounds like Sir Q, but you don't know where it's coming from. You can draw an initiative card this round with the others.
Claire: 7.
Sasha: 9. Damn it.
Akane: It's 4 for Zedeja.
Hettie: Nice, that's 2 for me.
GM Elle: The spider gets 1 and 8. Web attack! Sash, make an Evade roll or you're going to be stuck in the thick, clinging strands of spiderweb.
Sasha: Dragon!
GM Elle: Nice. I'll let you swap your 9 initiative for its 8. Dilfriida's turn.
Hettie: If you hadn't told me it was smaller than that model looks, I would definitely stay back and shoot with my bow. But if it's human-sized, I guess I'll move up where I can try to Backstab it. I get a Boon on the attack, roll a 9 and a 4, and do 12 points of damage.
GM Elle: A hissing shriek escapes from between its barbed palps. Akane, your round.
Akane: Hmm. We're on the outer side of this wall? Is it more than 6 meters high?
GM Elle: The wall is only about 15 feet, but actually, you're at the steps leading into the vestibule, which is taller than that. 
Akane: Then I will move from steps to wall and attempt Mentalism to Levitate to the top and observe. A 3 succeeds.
GM Elle: Okay, that puts you atop the wall about here. From that angle, you can't quite see the spider, but you can see Sir Quackenscrump engaged with something just around the corner from your view.
Akane: Well, no actions or moves left, so the turn of Zedeja ends. Oh, but first I will call out to subordinates, "There is fighting in the courtyard! Rush in through the gates to assist!"
Ariel: I'm not sure I like being called a subordinate.
Akane: Yes, but Zedeja did not call it, only thought it within her mind. No Mentalism wasted transferring this thought to associates.
Claire: My turn next, right? I don't think I can safely Lightning Flash the thing without zapping my friends, so I'll try moving here and smacking it with my staff. A 6 hits, if it doesn't dodge.
GM Elle: I don't think it's worried enough about you to dodge, considering Quackers is right there with his much more dangerous looking broadsword.
Claire: 8 points of damage, then!
Sasha: Pretty good hit there, mister know-it-elf.
Hettie: Hah!
GM Elle: Sash, your turn. Want to swap cards back with it and retain the option to dodge?
Sasha: Not on your life. Dang, but I miss with a 16.
GM Elle: Spider's turn again. This time it stares at all of you with its terrifying multitude of eyes! Everyone within 10 meters has to make a WIL save against fear.
Claire: Will, huh? Nope, 15
Sasha: Easy-peasy, rolled a threesy.
Hettie: I barely make it with a 10.
GM Elle: Fear rolls can be pushed if you want to take a condition to try again, Claire.
Claire: I'm not feeling lucky about it. I'll just cry like a baby or run or whatever the table says I do.
GM Elle: Paralyzed. You lose your next turn, and after that you get a new WIL save each round to snap out of it. New initiative.
MSG: 4 for me.
Claire: 7 for me.
Ariel: I got 5.
Sasha: Yes! 1!
Akane: Zedeja will be last with 10.
Hettie: 6 for Dilfriida.
GM Elle: And the spider gets 3 and 9. Sash?
Sasha: Choppin' away with -- 17? No, I'm pushing that and getting Angry. Oh, crud. I went to mark that and just saw that I'm still Exhausted from those poison spores. I should have been rolling with a Bane this whole time.
GM Elle: Well, roll your second die that should have gone along with the 17, then as long as it's not a Demon, you can still push and roll another Bane roll.
Sasha: I'm doing it. No Demon ... argh, 13 and 17 on my re-roll.
GM Elle: Spider's turn. Mandibles! Its savage fangs hit Sir Q for 10 points.
Sasha: My armor soaks most of that, so bring it on, Spider!
MSG: Based on the map, I think all I can do is Dash to get into the courtyard and be ready for next round. I mean, I could blow my horn to give everybody a boon until my next round, but that would probably alert everything in the whole place.
Ariel: I'm a little faster than Dolora, so I'll move past her and get my bow ready for next round.
Hettie: My turn? I'm leery of using up more WP to Backstab again, so I think I'll just make a normal attack this round. A 2 is a hit.
GM Elle: You're small, but the spider felt your sting last round, so it tries to dodge -- but fails with a 17.
Hettie: 7 points, then.
Claire: My turn, but I'm paralyzed. I guess I didn't need to draw a card, did I?
GM Elle: Probably not. Akane, I think you're last for the round?
Akane: Yes. If I move here atop the wall, will my angle permit a sling attack on the spider?
GM Elle: Yes, but the top of the wall is covered in vines and isn't really made to be a path, so you'll need to roll Acrobatics to get there. A Demon means you fall.
Akane: I have Slow Fall magical trick, so it's not a concern. Anyway, acrobatics roll is 2. Sling attack ... also 2! Damage of 7 results!
GM Elle: Ouch. Spider is looking pretty hurt. New initiative cards.
MSG: 9.
Claire: 6.
Ariel: The 1!
Sasha: 3, not that I'll be able to hit the way I've been rolling.
Akane: Don't worry. The deadly sling of Akane will slay this spider first on 2.
Hettie: 10 for me.
GM Elle: The spider has 7 and 8.
Ariel: I shoot it with my bow! Rats, 16.
Akane: Does Akane's prediction succeed? Yes! 14 is a hit with Zedeja's sling.
GM Elle: Unfortunately, the spider evades with a 3.
Akane: Deviltry!
Sasha: Okay here we go, Dragon time so it can't even dodge! Dang. Another 16.
Akane: So many misses for Sir Duck today!
GM Elle: You're up, Claire.
Claire: First I have to make a WIL save to break this paralysis ... just got it with a 12. Whacking with the staff again ... 11 is a hit.
GM Elle: It dodges.
MSG: We really seem to have this thing on the run. I don't think I'll fit in there considering how we've got it hemmed in against the wall, so I'll take out my shortbow and shoot at it. That's a 2.
GM Elle: It has 2 hit points left, so even minimum damage will kill it.
MSG: Dolora says, "Well, that was easy."
Hettie: Dilfriida says, "Hey, you'd better not be trying to take credit when I did most of the work killing that thing!"
MSG: No, I didn't see most of the fight, remember? As far as I know, the spider went down after 3 hits.
Hettie: Well, just so you know, I hit it twice. I basically did more to kill it than Sir Quacksalot.
Sasha: Hey, I kept its attention off you tender little no-armor types. And anyway, the important thing is, one less monster in the world.
Akane: Probably only a few remain now.
GM Elle: Dolora, did you roll to recover hit points and WP after that stretch rest since you finished before joining the fight?
MSG: I guess I did things out of order and rolled at the point we said we were resting. I'll have to remember next time to wait and make sure we're not interrupted.
GM Elle: Yeah, especially if the party splits while the rest is going on. So what do you all do now?
Claire: Filvius will fill everyone in on Hafarmal the Herbalist and how he'll make us some poison antidote if we clear out these cultists who are hanging around the place. I'll also mention that he told us a secret way in so we don't have to go in through the front door.
Sasha: I make sure they all know he's probably a monster, considering his weird black eyes.
Akane: Hmm. Can we trust such an elf of eyeball strangeness?
Hettie: Dilfriida says, "I thought he seemed nice enough."
MSG: If he's the herbalist I heard about back in Outskirt, definitely. I say we take this back way in and do some poking around.
Claire: That's got my vote too.
Ariel: Is it closer than going back to the entrance?
Sasha: I'll point where the dude told us. "Supposed to be right over there."
Akane: Zedeja sees the consensus rise. She speaks with authority before the halfling can add opinion and make it seem Zedeja is following all others. "It's determined, then. Lead us to the hidden way in."
GM Elle: You see the vine-covered wall just where Hafarmal described it.
Sasha: Quackers will go push some vines aside and have a look.
GM Elle: Behind the obscuring curtain of vines is a short, dark passageway leading to a door.
Sasha: Sounds like we'd better get some light going.
Ariel: I have an oil lamp! I'll take it out and light it.
Sasha: Great. I'll go ahead and open up the door, then.
GM Elle: It's old, heavy, and hasn't been opened much recently, but despite creaky, rusting hinges, you get it open without difficulty. Inside is a dark, enclosed space about 6 meters across and 8 wide. To the east, it narrows to a doorway. To the west, there's another doorway in the center of the wall. Lying near the opposite side of the chamber from you is a pile of skeletal remains, with manacles closed about the bones of its limbs. It appears to have been some sizeable creature.
Sasha: I'll look closer. It look like a monster?
GM Elle: Well, it has six legs, for one thing. You can make a Beast Lore roll.
Sasha: Probably not, considering I have a 4 in that. Nope, I roll a 9.
Akane: Zedeja has poor Beast Lore also, so she says, "Well? We have two who claim to be so concerned with knowledge -- can you identify this corpse?
MSG: I'm interested in getting knowledge. I didn't say I had a ton of it in every category. I roll an 8, which blows it.
Claire: Filvius will step forward and have a look. Oh, great. Demon.
GM Elle: You remember an old elven fairy tale about a 6-legged monstrosity that always gave you nightmares when you were a child. Make a WIL save to avoid becoming Scared.
Claire: Peachy. 14 is a miss. I start shivering.
Ariel: My Beast Lore is bad too, but I might as well roll, I guess ... 11, no good.
Akane: Zedeja peeks, trying not to be overt. 17 fails.
Hettie: Do I notice Zedeja looking?
GM Elle: She's behind you in the group's marching order, so I'd say you can try Awareness with a Bane.
Hettie: 12 and 7. Disappointing. In that case, I'll look about the room to see if there's anything else of note.
GM Elle: You do see an oil lamp tipped onto its side on the floor so that it lies in a puddle of oil.
Hettie: I'll scoop that up and light it since I don't have one of my own.
GM Elle: That gives the party two light sources now. You don't notice anything else in this room, which smells of dust, iron, and rust.
MSG: Well, do we go east or west, then?
Claire: Well, east probably goes back toward the large, dim chamber we saw north of the vestibule, right? If we go that direction, we might surprise any cultists in there.
Akane: This is the purpose of entering the back way. Zedeja says we must make this occur.
Sasha: Sir Q will shrug and go open the east door.
GM Elle: It leads into a short hallway that ends at another door.
Sasha: Might as well head to it, then. What's inside when I open it?
GM Elle: It does indeed look like the large, dim chamber you saw before. The door opens into a large, spacious room under a domed ceiling. There is a high altar in the northern part of the room. The air smells dry and dusty. Light streams down from an opening in the center of the dome, where creeping vines have broken through. Here's how it maps out:

The area just northeast of the door you're in is a diamond-shaped dais within a flame-like pattern of violet tiles. There's an altar of greenish-black stone on the dais. Eight stone pillars support the ceiling. To the south it looks like the exit back to the vestibule. On the east wall, you see a doorway. On the west wall there's a gong with a mallet hanging on a chain beside it.
MSG: No sign of cultists?
Sasha: No sign of monsters?
GM Elle: At the moment, you don't see either one, just this dim and eerily silent altar room.
MSG: Well, do we want to check this place out, or turn around and look at that door to the west behind us.
GM Elle: Just as Dolora asks that, a ground-shaking roar fills the air. It seems to be coming from somewhere below you, and is definitely louder to the people near the door than those farther back.
Sasha: Yes! That's got to be a monster! Any of those triangular indentations along the walls look like a way down? If not, I'm running for that door across the room to see if it's a stairwell.
Akane: Stop! This action is not approved!
Hettie: Zedeja being against it means I'm for it, so I'll head that direction too.
MSG: I really want to investigate that altar and see if there's any knowledge to be gained from it, but I think I'll be distracted if I hear sounds of my party members being ripped apart by a monster. I suppose I'll go with them.
Claire: Filvius isn't that easily distractable. He's going to go check out the altar.
Ariel: Well I'm not hanging back here by myself. I'll kind of go to the center of the room and see what happens.
Akane: Zedeja will move just inside this door and use Mentalism to turn her skin stoney ... power level will be 3. A roll of 6 is success! This lasts a stretch.
GM Elle: Sash, you reach the door. Roll an Awareness check.
Sasha: 19 and 16. I can't see anything in this helmet.
GM Elle: This one was more about hearing. The door bursts open just as you get there, and inside you see a group of terrified people in black robes. They're carrying handaxes and are startled to find you blocking their way. The one in the lead shouts at you, wide-eyed and frantic. "Move! Run! The beast is going to kill us all!" Let's draw initiative cards.
MSG: 3.
Claire: 2.
Ariel: 9.
Sasha: 6.
Akane: The 1!
Hettie: 8 for Dilfriida.
GM Elle: The black-robed people draw the 5.
Akane: Zedeja orders the knight, "Fight them, Duck!" I trade my card 1 for Sasha's 6.
GM Elle: Technically, you either take your turn now or you don't, and saying something is a free action that can only occur on your turn. I'll allow it this time, but let's keep that in mind from now on.
Sasha: I immediately trade my 1 card for these guys' 5. I'm totally not trying to block their way if they want to run past.
Akane: What!
GM Elle: Okay, their turn then. They take off past Sir Q like arrows. This does mean they run past Dilfriida too, so I'm making Evade rolls for the first guy ... 14 blows it, so Sir Q can strike if he wants. 2 succeeds against Dilfriida.
Sasha: No, I'm totally letting them go.
Akane: But our negotiations with the herbalist of black eyes!
GM Elle: I won't bother with the rest of their Evade rolls if Dilfriida is letting them go too.
Hettie: Didn't Hafarmal say he just wanted them gone? It looks to Dilfriida like that's being accomplished.
GM Elle: All six of them dash toward the temple exit then -- but you hear a grating sound and a scream as they go. Claire, Akane, and Aers can roll Awareness to see if they spotted what happened.
Claire: Yes, a 6!
Ariel: 10 for me, so I'm good.
Akane: Look! A Dragon!
GM Elle: Okay, Fidu and Filvius see one of the fleeing figures seem to fall right through the floor. With her exceptional observation, Zedeja can tell there's a trapdoor there, and she now knows pretty clearly where it lies. One of the other fleeing figures hangs back a moment and looks down, but then continues running.
Akane: Zedeja's Awareness is peak!
GM Elle: The way before the party is now clear -- you see a stairwell of rickety wooden stairs spiraling down into the dark. The horrific roaring echoes up from the darkness of the stairwell even louder.
Claire: It sounds to me like a really bad idea to go down there. I'll use my round to examine this altar.
GM Elle: It has ornate carvings on it, including the image of a sun that appears on each of its four sides. You can make a Spot Hidden check with a Bane to see if you notice anything further. Normally searching something carefully takes a stretch.
Claire: Nope, 6 and an 18.
MSG: Can I make an Awareness check to tell whether the roaring is coming from right down around a corner, maybe moving closer, or if it seems to be much farther down?
GM Elle: Sure, as an action.
MSG: My Awareness stinks, but I roll a 2.
GM Elle: It seems to be echoing up from farther below, and it has an enraged sound to it now, as though whatever is making it is frustrated.
MSG: I'm going to tell everybody it sounds to me like whatever that is, it's too big to fit into the stairwell, so maybe we can make our way carefully down and peek around the final corner to see what we're up against instead of just charging in.
Sasha: Obviously, we're up against a monster. Are you doing anything else on your turn?
MSG: No, I suppose not.
Sasha: Looks like my 5 card has come up, then. Sir Q likes the idea of surprising whatever it is ... but I'm also remembering that he's Exhausted, so I guess Dolora's idea of treading carefully sounds okay to him. I suppose I also can't go too far without Dilfriida's light, so I'll just move down to the first bend, I guess.
Akane: Zedeja orders everyone else to follow, or our duck knight will die. I move to here and Mentalism again, this time for power level 3 Stone Fist. A 7 succeeds; now her punch is 4d6.
Hettie: Wow, that's handy. Oh -- I really didn't mean that as a pun. Dilfriida follows Sir Q.
Ariel: Which I guess leaves me, so ... even though this seems kinda a bad idea to me, I guess I'll go into the stairway too.
GM Elle: Well then. Not to end on a cliffhanger, but it's getting a bit late, and I'm not sure how long this next bit will take us, so I think I'll call this session.
MSG: The pessimist in me thinks you're being generous by giving us a chance to use some advancement marks and maybe have at least a shred better chance of beating whatever is roaring down there.
Ariel: Well, not only am I not a pessimist but I'm also way tired, so I completely buy Elle's story.
GM Elle: Experience questions ... Everyone gets participation. The spider was a dangerous opponent you defeated. I'll count getting into the temple proper as a new location explored. You didn't use force on the cultists --
Akane: So! Those were our targeted cultists!
GM Elle: Yes, I suppose now the cult's out of the bag. 
MSG: Nice one.
GM Elle: So four marks for everyone, plus one if you gave in to your weakness.
MSG: I really can't say I gave in to mine. In fact, I think I kind of pushed past it to avoid leaving Quackers high and dry.
GM Elle: The rules say if you overcame your weakness, you get double marks, but then you have no weakness next session, and you have to pick a new one at the end of that session.
MSG: I don't know if I really overcame it though, because I also wanted to find out what was making all that racket. So there was going to be some knowledge gained either way. I think no mark for me this session.
Claire:  I'm counting my altar investigation.
Ariel: I feel like I was all kinds of lazy this time, so I'm taking the mark.
Sasha: Quackers is almost idiotically giving in to his weakness, no way am I skipping the mark for it.
Hettie: I think Dilfriida got testy enough for a mark at least a couple of times.

Akane: The overbearingness of Zedeja makes a weakness mark easy.
GM Elle: All right then, everyone make your advancement rolls and we'll call it a night!
MSG: Hey, look at that! I just got my Acrobatics up to 18 -- that means I get a new Heroic Ability.
Claire: Wowzers, you've got something at 18 already? I don't have any skills over 15.
Ariel: What are you going to pick? I'm excited!

MSG: I think this Fast Footwork one that lets you dodge multiple times without losing your turn seems pretty hugely important if we're about to fight some giganto monster.
Sasha: Oh, we're going to, all right.

will we, or won't we? join us next time and find out, dear reader!