FalsKrag Session 24 – Snares, shadows and snakes

A fun session, with people making smart suggestions and working well with each other. Web and grease are commonly used by the group to slow opponents or stop attacks from behind. Often a web is then burnt and the group attack any opponents within. This session they actually had three of the group push forward into the web to reach trapped enemies with melee. The rogue and monk in the group have very good reflex saves giving them a good chance of moving in without getting stuck, so it was a good tactic. Pretty much all the creatures encountered this session were new to the players and I was able to use figures to represent all of them. (I was particularly pleased to bring out my snake-men.)

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14th Patchwall: As they make their way back to the central hall, a voice calls out to them. A translucent figure of a short man in robes rushes forward, addressing Merxif as “Erac”, who plays along even though he doesn’t know the figure. The ghost hasn’t seen him for about twenty years and wonders when he shrunk. He introduces himself as Haran, mentions gremlins and snakes, and then shows “Erac” his new trick – a field of coloured lights that entrances Winter. They snap her out of her trance when Lanliss hears shrill laughter out in the hall and Haran disappears. Lanliss steps out into a magical snare that entangles his legs. Hardaz emerges and his armour becomes warm. Two small humanoids rush towards them and attack. They are thin, hunchbacked and have three glowing blue eyes. One shocks Lanliss with electricity. Seldrel recognises a heat metal spell upon Hardaz and dispels it, while the others move up to strike their attackers. The four opponents (which Seldrel & Winter believe are a type of fey creature or gremlin) are killed. More laughter comes from a narrow northern hall that was bypassed. Moving steadily forward and checking the side rooms, many more are encountered. Hardaz is severely electrocuted and Winter accidentally shoots Bacon. In the end a dozen of the spell-casting gremlins are defeated. Some coins are recovered.

The next section searched is a maze of narrow turning halls. A number of secret doors are found. While most lead into empty dusty rooms, one has a pit trap and a gilded dragon skull. A wand and some scrolls are also located there. A second hidden room has carved walls, a chest and an old corpse. Both Lanliss and Bacon are convinced the floor is trapped, but can’t find any mechanism to disable. Eventually they tie a rope to Bacon any he enters – nothing happens. The chest holds coins and the corpse has a magic cloak and wand. They realise the corpse may be that of Haran. A room with an iron plated door has a bar across it. They open the door and see coins scattered on the floor. A shadow flows out of the floor and attacks Lanliss. It is quickly destroyed and while they search the room, three more attack from the rear of the group. Thankfully, only Lanliss and Summer are weakened by the attack, and Winter is able to restore their strength.

Seldrel: “Look, there’s a…” From L-R: Lanliss, Hardaz, Seldrel, Bacon, Winter, [Grell standing in for a Rast] with Summer and Merxif in front.

Further along the main hall, there are two alcoves that held humanoid statues. Legs remain in one, the other is just broken rock. One side hall holds some bloodstains and a burnt book. A secret door (and pit trap) leads to a room with bird symbols. A hidden compartment has some minor magic items. Returning to the central hall Seldrel sights something approaching and is frozen in place mid warning. The creature attacks Winter – a reddish bulbous body floating in the air with many legs and a large head with sharp fangs. As the rest of the group spread out to engage, Hardaz is also paralysed by its gaze. The creature looks fearsome, but it quickly brought down. Seldrel, once able to move again pronounces it a Rast, a beast from the plane of fire, more dangerous when able to grapple its prey.

Amusement as Seldrel’s player comments that his figures pose is correct.

Two more alcoves hold statues – these eight feet tall bird-headed humanoids with only minor damage. Lanliss scouts ahead to a chamber near the end of the hall and is ambushed by thin pale humanoids that clamber over each other to attack. Everyone else joins in the melee, and more emerge from another room, followed by two tall figures – scaled humanoids with a snake body and head, but arms wielding scimitars. Seldrel webs many of their attackers. While half the group focuses on the smaller humanoids, Lanliss and Bacon push into the web to attack those trapped. Merxif heals and Seldrel uses magic missiles. The smaller Morlocks are most dangerous when able to gang-up on their opponents, but the snake men (Yuan-ti) are formidable fighters even entangled in the web. Once defeated, many coins and a few gems are recovered.

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