Dungeons & Drogans: Session VIII
Session VIII Summary
Jacques awakes with total amnesia, and Coltaine and Rekoj tie him to a post so that he doesn't wander off and endanger himself or others.
At Wrafton's Inn, the Drogans meet Autumn, an eladrin rogue played by Stephen, the newest addition to the gaming group. Lord Padraig arrives and pays the Drogans for their services to Winterhaven, and the party makes ready to head out once more--this time to the dragon burial site, in search of Coltaine's mentor, Douven Stall.
Once there, the Drogans spot two small dragonlike creatures standing watch while a gnome and four humans dig up bones. A sinister apparition presides over the gathering.
After a tense conversation between Zacsarrd and the gnome, a fight breaks out. Zacsarrd smites down two of the four men with sacred flames, and Coltaine knocks out a third and kills a drake. Autumn stabs the fourth man to death.
Zacsarrd plunges his scythe into the gnome's chest before the spectral apparition takes down the dragonborn with dark magic. As he lies dying, the gnome mouths, "Kalarel, I've failed you."
Rekoj decapitates the second drake as Autumn and Coltaine double-team the spectral apparition, and it vanishes.
As the combat ends, the Drogans find beneath a blanket an old man tied and gagged--Coltaine's master, Douven Stall.
Session VIII - Part 1 Summary
Coltaine and Rekoj check on Jacques at the stable. They point and laugh at the sight of the old man lying crumpled behind his horse with a hoof-print on his forehead.
The warlord informs the stablemaster that Redenbacher will no longer be an issue--the Drogans are done footing the bill.
Session VIII - Part 2 Summary
Jacques awakes with total amnesia, and as the Drogans guide him out of the stable, the old man starts eyeing children. They tie Jacques to a hitching post, reluctant to let him loose on the town.
Rekoj, feeling benevolent, sells the horse to the stablemaster instead of eating it.
The Drogans return to the inn and await Padraig's payment as Dave muses over turning Jacques into a circus freak show.
Session VIII - Part 3 Summary
At Wrafton's inn, the Drogans spot a group of mercenaries arguing with one of their own--a female eladrin. As the argument turns into a physical confrontation, Coltaine steps in, seeing the eladrin being singled out.
Though the mercenaries back off, they cast the eladrin from their group before leaving the inn.
Our new player, Stephen, introduces himself and his character, Autumn, the eladrin.
Coltaine invites Autumn to join the Drogans--which the eladrin interprets as a cheap pick-up line.
Once Autumn--unenthusiastically--agrees to join the Drogans, her newfound companions immediately try to get her liquored up.
Double-entendres ensue for the next few minutes.
Session VIII - Part 4 Summary
Padraig pays the Drogans 100 gold pieces for their services. Coltaine generously agrees to give Autumn a share of the loot, hoping to impress her with a show of wealth. While most organizations charge an entry fee, the Drogans actually pay people to join them.
Rekoj goes shopping for ink and parchment to map out the ruins, and the Drogans head out of Winterhaven, leaving Jacques tied to the post.
Session VIII - Part 5 Summary
The Drogans head for the dragon burial site in search of Coltaine's mentor, Douven Stall. Once there, they spot two small dragonlike creatures standing watch while a gnome and four humans excavate relics buried among the draconic bones. A sinister apparition presides over the gathering.
Although the party's initial reaction is to retreat, the Drogans agree to move in and see how things play out.
Session VIII - Part 6 Summary
Zacsarrd, being a dragonborn at a dragon burial site, moves in first, with Coltaine close behind. Rekoj and Autumn keep their distance.
The gnome calls out to Zacsarrd, and the cleric asks, "What are you doing?"
"We're here on business," the gnome replies. "What are you doing?"
"We're here on business," Zacsarrd returns. He presses the gnome for answers about what they are doing, and the gnome tells Zacsarrd to come closer and see for himself. Zacsarrd approaches warily.
The gnome eggs Zacssard on, urging him to keep approaching.
John expresses his distrust of tricky
gnomes, but the cleric nonetheless gets closer.
Session VIII - Part 7 Summary
The gnome introduces himself as Agrid, and keeps urging Zacsarrd to get even closer. The cleric does so.
The spectral apparition shouts, "Enough with this nonsense! Attack!"
The players roll initiative.
Round 1 starts. Agrid sics his drakes onto the party, draws a crossbow and pegs Zacsarrd for 7 damage.
One of the men grabs his club and charges the cleric, bludgeoning him down to 11/22 HP.
The apparition casts a spell and summons shadowy claws from the ground. The claws grab the dragonborn, immobilizing him.
Session VIII - Part 8 Summary
Rekoj moves into the battle.
Another man advances on Zacsarrd with a club, but the newfound dwarven armor protects the cleric.
The third man charges Rekoj, and the goliath blocks his club.
Coltaine speaks inspiring words and bolsters Zacsarrd back up to 19/22 HP.
Autumn advances to the front lines of the melee.
The shadowy claws drain Zacsarrd for 5 necrotic damage. The cleric then bursts free.
Session VIII - Part 9 Summary
Zacsarrd smites down one of the four men with sacred flames.
The fourth man, angered at the sight of his friend lying dead in the dirt, rushes the dragonborn.
Round 1 ends.
The apparition summons the shadowy claws again, and this time they grab Rekoj.
The claws drain Rekoj down to 33/38 HP before the goliath bursts free from their grasps. He slashes into one of the drakes, making it yelp in pain.
A man clubs Zacsarrd down to 10/22 HP, while his friend clubs Rekoj down to 29/39 HP.
Session VIII - Part 10 Summary
John rolls a 20 with Zacsarrd's Lance of Faith, and another man bites the dust.
A drake tears into Rekoj, biting him down to 11/38 HP.
The second drake moves in for the kill, but Rekoj just manages to bring his shield down in time to fend the beast off.
Round 2 ends. Two humans, Agrid, the apparition, and the two drakes remain.
The spectral apparition grabs Coltaine with shadowy claws.
Rekoj chops into the wounded drake.
The shadowy claws drain Coltaine for 5 necrotic damage.
Session VIII - Part 11 Summary
Coltaine bursts free from the claws, then knocks out the man to his south-east.
Zacsarrd heals Rekoj up to 24/38 HP.
The unwounded Drake savages the goliath's leg, tearing him down to 5/38 HP.
Round 3 ends.
The apparition grabs Coltaine once again with his claws.
Rekoj calls upon his second wind, the spends an action point and bloodies the drake with a vicious chop of his axe.
A man clubs Rekoj back down to 14/38 HP.
Session VIII - Part 12 Summary
Coltaine breaks free from claws, then advances into the battle with Rekoj and Autumn.
Autumn strikes the drake with her katar and nearly takes it down.
Zacsarrd, still at 10/22 HP, heals Rekoj back to full health. The cleric then charges Agrid with his scythe, swinging it with a Hollywood-esque flourish, but misses.
Round 4 ends. Three of the four men lie on the ground, and one drake is nearly down.
Agrid pulls out a warpick and engages
Zacsarrd in melee.
Session VIII - Part 13 Summary
Coltaine slashes the drake with his halberd, and it collapses.
Autumn stabs her katar through the last man's throat, and he collapses in a pool of blood.
Zacsarrd and Agrid engage in an epic duel, as both combatants constantly miss each other, clearly inept with their melee weapons. Zacsarrd calls upon Divine Fortune to boost his attack, but still misses. Then he uses his Dragon's Breath, but John rolls a 1. Instead of spraying acid, the dragonborn just has acid reflux.
The drake bites Rekoj for 8 damage.
Round 5 ends. One drake, Agrid, and the apparition remains.
The gnome chuckles at Zacsarrd's pathetic attempts to hit him, but Agrid has no better luck.
The apparition grabs Zacsarrd with the shadowy claws.
Autumn flanks the second drake and sneak
attacks him.
Session VIII - Part 14 Summary
The claws drain Zacsarrd down to 5/22 HP. The dragonborn calls upon his second wind to restore himself to 14/22 HP.
The drake spins around and bites Autumn for 7 damage.
Round 6 ends.
Agrid steps back, reequips his crossbow and pegs Zacsarrd down to 6 HP.
The apparition summons claws that grab Rekoj, and they drain him down to 25/38 HP before he breaks free. Rekoj then chops into the drake, bloodying the beast.
Coltaine rushes up to Agrid and, using an
action point, slashes him twice with his halberd, leaving the gnome on the
brink of death.
Session VIII - Part 15 Summary
Autumn savages the drake with her katars, nearly killing it.
The claws drain Zacsarrd down to 1 HP before he bursts free. The dragonborn calls upon the magic of his armor to revitalize himself, then he charges after Agrid and plunges his scythe into the gnome's chest. He tears open Agrid's chest cavity with the wicked blade, and the gnome collapses. His visible heart beats erratically. Agrid mouths, "Kalarel, I've failed you," before the heart stops, and he lies still.
Zacsarrd has once again proven that he is the biggest badass since Chuck Norris.
The drake tears into Rekoj's leg for 11 damage, leaving shreds of flesh hanging from the visible tibia.
Round 7 ends. The apparition and the nearly-dead drake remain.
Face livid in anger, the apparition snares Zacsarrd with his shadowy claws.
Rekoj decapitates the drake, then charges towards the apparition.
Coltaine climbs out of the excavation site and stands 10-feet from the apparition.
The claws drain Zacsarrd down to 1 HP once again. He muscles his way out of the bonds.
Round 8 ends.
The shadowy claws grab Zacsarrd once again.
Session VIII - Part 16 Summary
Coltaine slashes his halberd through the apparition, and although there is no visible harm done, the spectral man cries out in pain.
Autumn rushes in and moves into flanking position.
Zacsarrd passes out from the necrotic damage of the claws.
Round 9 ends.
The apparition swipes his hand through Autumn, and she feels her life force drained for 5 damage.
Rekoj stabilizes Zacsarrd with some quick first-aid.
Coltaine critically hits the apparition, bloodying
it.
Session VIII - Part 17 Summary
Autumn backstabs the apparition with her katars.
Round 10 ends.
The apparition strikes Coltaine down to 14/25 HP, and the warlord retaliates with another slash from his halberd.
Autumn pierces her katar into the base of the apparition's spine. The spectral man recoils, then vanishes.
As the combat ends, the Drogans hear a muffled moaning coming from beneath a blanket near Zacsarrd's prone form. They move to investigate, and find beneath the blanket an old man tied and gagged--Coltaine's master, Douven Stall.
