Past Meet Present - An End ... For Now

While I haven't played in some time because of this or that, mostly work, the campaign was picked up by the group and put through another small adventure by one of those previously playing.

Perhaps someday we'll all be able to find the time to return to the game and finish things up properly. I know that I had a pretty large amount of storyline left for these characters and their relationship with Bastion. Daisy's brother still sits out there somewhere.  Temeris still is looking to become part of the Royal Explorers. What of Bastion and this man they wanted the group to track down?  Lots of story lines left out there still...

For now though, here is the recap of the sessions they went through recently thanks to the writing of Jeremy once again (and placed here for completeness).

Session # 31 Recap

When unrolled, the scroll is revealed to contain magical glyphs that activate as voice welcoming the RKFAC to a series of quests and puzzles.  As best the group can determine, they’ve been lured into a mad wizard’s labyrinth!  Soon after the scroll is read, a stone statue becomes animate and attacks.  A difficult battle ensues, but between Festivus’ skilful deployment of magic missiles and Daisy’s rage, the golem is destroyed.

With the construct dispatched, a secret alcove opens.  Inside is a chest and an unconscious figure.  While Temeris tries to awaken the figure, Festivus examines the chest and finds another scroll inside; it too contains magical glyphs activating a voice that instructs the readers to place their equipment inside the chest, close the lid, and open it again to discover their next quest.  The party debates this for some time, as it clearly seems to be a trap, but a search of the area shows no exits.  Eventually, the party members comply, and each gains a small selection of new equipment and a potion, with Daisy also receiving a scroll.  When she examines the scroll, a secret shaft, filled with water is revealed in the floor.  Caullum’s keen knowledge of spellcraft allows him to surmise that the potions are of water-breathing, and the way forward becomes clear. 

Before the party literally takes the plunge, however, the unconscious figure wakes up: Niesbrie, a mage-warrior, was looking for his brother when he was lured to this labyrinth.  Temeris introduces himself and the RKFAC, and suggest they all work together to escape.

After drinking the potions and diving down through the deep shaft, the party finds itself in an underground chamber with multiple doors and riddles.  Daisy proves surprisingly adept at solving them, and soon only a single door lays ahead. 

Session # 32 Recap

Upon successfully answering all of the riddles, a door opens into a strange room which has a floor divided into squares assigned letters and numbers.  The party is confused about how to proceed and spends some time talking strategy.  Things get worse when Marcus and Festivus decide to step on a square and are rendered unconscious by bolts of lightning and then Niesbrie falls victim to spray of arrows after stepping on another square.  Daisy, Temeris, and Caullum rack their brains for a solution to this newest puzzle, but remain stymied.  Temeris tentatively steps on another square and is almost bitten by a snake, while other squares result in more arrows, a ball of fire, and even a charging rhinocerous!  Daisy jumps on the back of the rhino and manages to tame it to some degree, and it wanders off.  By sticking to the walls of the room, Caullum is able to safely make it to the far side where an exit lays, but Temeris and Daisy still seem to be stuck.  Eventually, after much trial and error, they figure out that the safe squares follow the word “Follow the Gold” (part of the solution to the last riddle) spelled with letters and corresponding numbers.

Soon, another door blocks their progress, but this time the party is able to quickly open it by placing the physical correlates to the answers to the previous riddles on certain ledges.

The next and last trap, however, is a devious one indeed!  Beyond a curtain, five undead skeletons advance, trailing a glowing golden rope behind each of them.  Each rope is connected via a ring in the ceiling to a hostage held suspended above a spiked pit!  Destroying a skeleton means the rope will become slack and the hostages killed.  The heroes advance carefully, with Caullum and Temeris grabbing a rope before attacking the skeleton it is attached to, and Daisy jumping into the pit and smashing the spikes with her great club to create a safe place for the hostages to land.  By working together, the skeletons are destroyed and all of the hostages are rescued.  Questioning reveals they were the labourers at the seemingly abandoned farm which the party originally set out to investigate.

After a magical portal takes the heroes and the rescued farmers back to where the labyrinth began, a series of treasure chests are found with a large diamond inside for each adventurer.  Soon the party finds an exit, and begins to lead the farmers back home.  On the way, however, they are startled by a mysterious figure wearing black on horseback.  He calls from afar “You have survived this day, but we shall play again!”  Temeris vows that the Royal Karameikan Fist Adventuring Company will be ready.

Thus is the end of one adventure.  The Company stands ready for another to arise!