Eleint 20th - Into the Dark Tower

H 76/L 61

Patrols Today: C4
Captain Thulver travels from Silverymoon to Rock Hammer
Captain Dominic travels from Rock Hammer to Cholnudon
Captain Aito travels from Rock Hammer to Silverymoon
Captain Ensyer defends Rock Hammer

Quickly the heroes charged back into the tower and the first room proved challenging. It was a library where several shadar-kai were researching something. After dealing with them and the dart trap, the heroes are able to examine the books and scrolls they were looking at and found confirmation of the dark research going on here. Sarshan’s long-term plans involve breeding advanced races of warrior-slaves to be sold to the highest bidder.

(This next section in violet didn’t really happen due to time constraints, but let’s say it did)

The next room was the Great Hall and as the group busted in they saw two shadar-kai arguing with two other shadow monsters who were reconsidering their allegiances to Sarshan. Once the door was opened, they dropped their argument and picked up their weapons.

The group found some treasure in here, a silver chalice worth 250 gp and a wand of witchfire (PHB 244).

Three of the four circular rooms in the corners on this floor contained laboratories. Dark experiments realized in the foundry are first carried out here. They all feature a wealth of alchemical equipment and regents, ritual components, dead creatures in jars of clear oil, vials of brightly colored powders and vicious fluids, and other experimental gear. One of these three rooms had two shadar-kai sages working in them, but they paid the party no mind and went about their business.

The fourth corner circular room contained a pack of gnoll mercenaries from the Wicked Fang clan. The heroes put them quickly, found a Vicious Spear (PHB 236) on the lead gnoll and discovered a letter outlining their clan’s proposed deal with Sarshan. It has only sketchy details of the assignment and terms, but Sarshan speaks of “a great need for troops ready to take advantage of unforeseen disaster”.

The other two rooms on this level were quarters for the sages working in the laboratories.

The second floor contained training grounds, barracks, and sleeping quarters for the shadar-kai guards who protect the dark tower.

The third floor housed the garden of shadows. While the trees and foliage here appear healthy and luxurious, the plants were all sickly shades of dark blue, grey, and black. Suddenly from the underbrush the heroes were attacked by bugs. The shadow beetle was quickly put down, never making an attack, but the rot scarab swarms were nasty. The group quickly learned the lesson of not having close or area attack abilities in their striker-heavy group. Eventually they dropped two of the swarms while the third one scurried away.

Before the heroes could even catch their breath, the gardens were flooded with dozens of shadar-kai guards, lead by a grizzled captain with ritual scars standing out on his cheeks. He approaches with two panthers at his side and orders the heroes to stand down.

Seeing the better part of valor, the party puts their weapons down and seconds later, the portal flares with light and in walks Brenat, the individual the party met at the Happy Beggar. He appears much stronger than he first did. He boldly walking to the captain as the rest of the shadar-kai salute and says he is Sarshan and he demands an explanation.

Before the heroes can really get into it, the grizzled captain (Thannu) interrupts and delivers a military-style report of the group’s incursion into the tower, noting the areas they’ve infiltrated and the number of dead and wounded. As he is wrapping up, a messengers arrives and whispers something to Sarshan, who turns to the group with a look of wonder.

Quote :

“You are, quite literally, the last people I ever expected to see here. The charges leveled by my captain warrant torture and death. However, I am told that an episode of sabotage in my foundry appears to have been thwarted, and that the traitorous Bezias has been executed by persons unknown. What might you know of this?”

The heroes explain what happened, how followed Bezias into the Shadowfell, how he tried to kill them in Overlook.

Sarshan smiles,

Quote :

"As far as you’ve managed to infiltrate my operations, I can only assume you know a little of who I am. My wealth and reputation turn largely on honor, obligation, and secrecy. When I spoke to you of Bezias, I hoped you would kill him and save me the risk of more exposure than he had already caused. The fact that you journeyed here to do the job is a surprise, but for your party in end his threat to me and whatever he meant to do in the foundry, I am in your debt. However, for your role in the death of my personal guards, you are more greatly in mine. Here is a bargain that balances the obligation for off of us. Join me.”

The heroes gasped at this. But they were clearly outnumbered.

Quote :

“Your skill at arms is clearly first rate. I offer you a place to use and advance that skill. Moreover, I offer you a place where you might live long enough to enjoy the fruits of your bravery. In a month, or six, or a year, your world will be a place you will not want to live. Join me here instead.”

Quick glances are exchanged by the heroes, Umberto asks of Sarshan’s intentions.

Quote :

“Though I am nicely positioned to take advantage of these things, I know relatively little yet. What I do know, I cannot share for professional reasons, but trust me when I say that you do not want to know. Name your choice, friends.”

OK...i still have my Second Wind, my daily, one of my encounters, and armor that can block dmg when i have been bloodied.

I have asked Wil to post our current stats from the wipe board to help us make this decision.

I can go either way with this decision. I do not have npc's connecting me to Rock Hammer though. I do think the fight could be an interesting challenge...even though it will be rough.

I know I am in bad shape here, I have 15 hit points I believe. But I have my 2nd wind and all of my dailys.

Umberto would really not stand working for Sharsan, because he knows he cannot trust Sharsan and would hate not being the Prez anymore and there all of those people who he feels responsible for. In addition, I don't think Merthuvial would really like it if I went evilish.

Well...that makes two of us ready to throw down :-)

I don't mean to sidetrack our discussion, but remember two adventures ago when you had to seal the nexus and were in that huge room that you had to run around this catwalk to get to the top? Well, some creative DM (with a lot of time on his hands) made this:





A 3D map of it! Wow. Ok, back to the discussion at hand. Fight or Join!

I dont think that Grognak would have any problem going evilish, and i think that Leera (I think thats her name), the NPC given to Hasimir before he went all Conan and changed his name to Grognak, could probably be convinced that this was the right move. I do like the idea of an epic battle to escape the tower though:) I believe I still have my daily, an action point, and since this is a new encounter i should have second wind and all of my encounter powers back right?

That's a good question Jordan. I think I would allow the recovery of encounter powers (since the conversation with Sarshan took about five minutes), but I don't think anyone would have been able to heal up during that time.

That is certainly good news. Getting our encounteres back gives us more firepower and gives Wil some incombat healing for us...even if we can't spend surges during down time to heal up more.

Of course this is Sam posting this, but this is the text message I got from MF:

"I've got Monday night off...I think I can get that portal open....if the other knobs (that's you guys) want to start a fight."

That sounds like 4 leaning towards fighting so far...

Ok, it's official. The Lords of Rockhammer choose FIGHT!!!!!

Here is a quick preview of what is going to happen tonight:


You feel a familiar shaking beneath your feet as another tremor rises and falls quickly. The shadar-kai's dark eyes blaze, but he smiles as he shakes his head. "Your conviction is to be commended. A pity it failed you in the end."

Then suddenly, an ear-splitting explosion shakes the tower. Near the eastern side of the chambers, one of Sarshan's guards shouts out: "My lord! The foundry is in flames!" The guards are in motion, Sarshan all but ignoring you as he barks orders. One group is sent to the foundry, and another receives orders to keep the mercenary camps under control. Sarshan takes a last squad of chainfighters with him as he moves for the lift. Thannu and his panthers are the only ones left with you.

"If I was as cruel as my reputation implies, I would send you back to watch your world die," Sarshan calls. "Be thankful that I am merciful." Then to Thannu: "Kill them."

The heroes made short work of the two umbral panthers and then Thannu was soon to follow. During the battle Lozigee worked on the portal for a bit and Umberto moved over to finish it off. After a quick peek out the window to see the foundry in flames and the mercenary camps in shambles, the heroes ducked through the portal to the black shrine, and then back to the white shrine in their own world.

The noise of the heroes return is heard all throughout the Happy Beggar, and minutes later, Prashant and Ausma (the paladins in charge of the establishment) discovered the secret door and were astonished to discover what lies beneath their place.

Prashant took care to contact the Overlook authorities, and while you wait for the city guard, you can see that the Shadowfell gate has been permanently destroyed, shutting down Sarshan’s route into Overlook for good.

With their religious background, Ausma and Prashant have more information on the white shrine. They recognize it as a place of ancient demon worship. They also noted that the dark power that created the specters has festered within both sides of the Shadowfell archway all this time – a potentially grave danger to Overlook that the heroes have eliminated.