DM's Notes: Game 9

Game 9 Items awarded:

#8

Powerpack: When used this item transfers 20 power points to the wearer. These stack on top of the daily allowance and are only expended through use, not through rests. The first two power points used each day must be from this stash before starting the daily allowance.

Echo

Battlestandard: Daily/Minor Action

Plant the standard in a space adjacent to you. As long as you and your allies remain within burst 20 of the standard you gain a +1 morale boost to every roll until the end of the encounter. (Attack, Damage, Saving Throws, Checks)

Enbel

Alchemists Attaché: Encounter/Minor action

You pull out a random item – dictated by the DM. You may use it at any point during this encounter only.

Altus

The Critical Coin: Encounter/Minor action

The next d20 roll you make will be considered a natural 1 or 20 depending on a coin flip. (If an attack requires more than 1 roll, use the coin for each roll within that 1 attack)

DM’s Notes, Game 9

In the game I wanted to have a large horde of enemies that could be intimidating and overwhelming if not dealt with properly. I didn’t want to have to keep track of large amounts of HP, but I also didn’t want all the enemies to be minions – I didn’t feel that it gave the right flavour.  So to get around this I made up 3 distinct groupings of enemies for the game. Each set had common defences and attacks. The first group were minions. The second were a group I nicknamed ‘maxions’ – that didn’t take damage, but would die if they took 2 hits. Like double minions, I suppose.

Minions – All defences 17. On a Critical hit, do 8 extra damage.

Maxions – All defences 20. On a critical hit, spawns a minion.

Dread Spectre – All defences 22. On a critical hit, spawns a maxion.

Game 9: A woodland meeting

The fortress is calm. At least temporarily, nothing is trying to destroy the fortress or kill its inhabitants, but the general feeling is that this peaceful respite will not last. #8 has been brought up to date on events that occurred while he was not operational. Tep has returned back home to the goblins to assure them of his safety, and of the wishes of the gnomes to recommit to a truce and possibly talk of striking out together against a common enemy. A message has been sent back to the gnomes that Tep will return for talks with an entourage in 2 days.

Carlana has called a meeting of the townspeople to tell them about the coup attempt. She also tells them about the goblins, and her plan to ally with them. The plan is to attack the kobolds, to strike out instead of hiding behind the walls. She tells the crowd that the recent violence has galvanized her wish to be a strong leader, and recognise when things need to change.  As such, she has made some decisions, and asks that anyone that would call a challenge to her to do so publicly. With immediate effect, she is abolishing the army – of which very little was left anyway. The remaining army members are to be absorbed into the Firestrong Guard. Crossbow – a young but experienced man is being made the head of the Guard. Carlana also takes time during her address to tell the townspeople of the death of Hammond, but of the escape of the other defectors. She also outed her relationship with Erik, to avoid any rumour. At the end she asked for any dissenters to make themselves known – and no one came forward.

After this meeting, the townspeople seem to be in a generally positive mood. They appreciate the candidness with which they were spoken to, and for the most part are happy with the plan to strike out – feeling that the fortress has been less and less safe as of late anyway.

Night falls.

Echo and Enbel go to bed, and Altus and #8 – not needing sleep - stay up. #8 takes up his post at the gate.  The night passes without incident. However, as the sun rises, a number of figures start to fill the town outside the fortress– they appear magical creatures – skeletons pulling themselves up out of the ground. Some of the ground seems to be shimmering with residual magical energy.

#8 notices and alerts the rest of the party, as well as Carlana. Soon afterwards, Charlie arrives on the fortress wall with Carlana to meet with #8, and look at the creatures outside. He thinks that these skeletal creatures are being animated by kobold war mages – obviously using some item to amplify their powers. He speculates that they obtained it in the recent raid on the save point.

Carlana: “ I haven’t given you fair credit, I’ve been foolish, but I’m not proud. I’ve faked pride since taking charge, and it’s completely overrated. You’ve saved me, and us, a lot so far. Can you help us again? We want to attack the kobolds, but the goblins won’t be here until tomorrow. in the meantime, those creatures are swarming towards the forest. If there’s something there the kobolds want, I’m damn sure I don’t want them to get it. Would you be willing to attempt to get in there?“

She offers them some armaments which may assist with the endeavour.  Charlie opens the chest that was brought to them and passes out the items.

The party agree to try and get there.  – they notice that not many of the ghostly creatures can make it into the forest – they appear to be congregating outside, having difficulty breaching the treeline. Only a small few appear to make it into the forest. Ranger runs in advance into the trees. The rest of the party follow, battling through the skeletons. They recognise boltstone – areas where the ground has taken on an electrical charge. This is obviously a secondary effect to the animation of the skeletons. On breaking the treeline they find themselves in a maze. They have to find their way through the maze to get into the forest. The maze keeps shifting and changing however. At first the party are frustrated – until they eventually realise that the maze is helping them – putting walls between them and enemies, and slowly leading them to the exit.

They come out and then kill off all the skeletal monsters following them – all but one, who they follow to see where it is going. It wanders aimlessly, not seeming to know where exactly its target lies, until it is split through the skull with an arrow fired from above.

The assassin reveals herself, a Halfling by the name of Avie. The party introduce themselves and have dialogue with Avie – clearly named for the Halflings revered deity, Avandra.  She walks them back towards her camp while she speaks, and they see a number of curious looking Halflings scattered around a campfire. She tells them that she is the leader of a small group of Halflings, and that they previously stayed out of all the fighting because they had something much more important to worry about than a turf war. However she is quick to say that they believe that now is a time to work with any willing allies to achieve unity in Firestrong. She has a notable distaste for the kobolds, and their obvious attempt to get to them in the forest.

Avie: “ah, the smells of kobold flesh in the morning… a memory that I will not soon forget.”

When asked why the kobolds have such interest in getting to the Halflings, Avie goes to the campfire and takes a satchel from the warmth beside it, and pulls out a dragon egg. They ask her where they got it, and she says it was saved from the nest when the Firestrong , the dragon, was killed. Avie says that a dragon can survive in hibernation for a long time – unhatched – but they had decided recently to hatch it. Echo is quick to say that the dragon should not be kept in the bag once hatched. Avie was disgusted at the very mention of it.

*(Note: This was Megan’s way of referencing – without breaking character as Echo – the actions of a character I play in a separate campaign – a Halfling named Dex, who captured a baby dragon in a bag of holding, and feeds it with the bodies of slain enemies, or the occasional live one.)

Avie expresses an interest in introducing the party to someone else. A figure steps out of the tent. It is a goblin, who proclaims “thanks to your rumour spreading, I think the only people actually surprised to see me alive would be you…. I am Set”

Instantly, #8 is shocked and makes as if to attack and kill him. All the Halflings rise from around the fire, hands on their weapons. At this point, Altus steps in asks #8 to calm. They tell him of their deception – not knowing of #8’s trustworthiness at the start – and therefore not letting him in on their fabrication of the Set rumours.

Set doesn’t take their rumours as insult. He tells his story. The gnome-goblin truce was between Graf, Taka, and himself. Kobolds wouldn’t attack while the goblins and gnomes remained united. Corvek was leader of the goblins, a role he had assumed due to Set’s father’s sudden and suspicious death. He was to hold the position until Set came of age. Of course, if Set never came of age, then he would retain the position. Either way, while Set remained alive, his leadership had an expiration date. He escorted Set to the temple for his trial – a passage into adulthood, after which he would have been able to assume the leadership – but denied him weapons. Fortunately, Set’s mother had slipped him a dagger, accompanied by a note the party had found earlier when they had visited the temple. “Dearest Set,….”

Knowing Corvek’s intentions, Set killed him and then made it look like he – Set – was dead and Corvek missing. He knew that Tep was next in line for leadership, and that he’d do a good job. He didn’t think he could go back to the goblins himself. He wandered north, and entered the forest, looking for shelter. This was how he had met up with Avie, who had known Set’s father before he died. The halflings asked him to remain on with them.

Set is willing to leave Tep in charge, but in light of the recent activity from the kobold troops around Firestrong,  he’s come up with a story that he thinks will let him go back to his people. He will claim that Corvek and Set were attacked by kobolds, and that Corvek fought bravely before being killed. Set had to flee to the forest and was taken in by Avie. #8 decides to forgive the rest of the party for their suspicion at not trusting him straight away.

Set then leads them back to the tent and shows them a sleeping boy – the one who was a survivor in the save point. His name is Fox. #8 takes set aside and apologises for his misplaced bad feelings towards him. #8 thanks him, telling him “you have brought me 2 steps closer to fulfilling my goal – of restoring Firestrong.”

They decide to make a break for the fortress. Echo sends Ranger on ahead with a message to let the people know of their attempted return, and to be expecting new arrivals including a dragon egg which needs to be kept warm. They then split into 2 groups – Set, Avie, Halflings and Fox (w/dragon egg), and the other group Echo, Enbel, #8, Altus

The party are to distract and take out the skeletal creatures, allowing safe passage to the others. Echo and #8 step out and open a path, which the other group scurry through. After making short work of the creatures surrounding them, they continue to the fortress. It is obvious that they are becoming a far more effective fighting force, the events of recent days forcing them to learn quickly to avoid fatal consequences.

As they near the fortress, a ghostly apparition appears and challenges them. This apparition makes a challenge to them, and promises them that they will see their precious fortress razed to the ground.

When they reappear at the fortress, there is a festival atmosphere. Clomp arrives with 3 imps in tow, looking for access to the fortress. Everyone seems to be jubilant, with little premonition of the next days events.

*END OF GAME  9*

DM's notes: Game 8

For this game, Dave had rejoined to play, but #8 was still incapacitated. Due to the fact that the players had saved Tep in the previous game, I gave Dave the option to play Joplin (the older gnome they had fought alongside against drakes), or Tep. He chose Tep. It worked quite well I think - bringing a different flavour to the battles, and of course Dave played Tep as a passionate but diplomatic goblin contrasted perfectly from #8's frigid de-humaned guardian figure. The story opened a bit also - now the party are showing interest in what's going on and how they can influence it - which is interesting. Hammond was meant to seem a menace through his bravado and talk, but was actually just pig-headed and over-extended himself.

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Hammond, Level 4 Gnome Soldier

HP 51, Bloodied 26

AC 20, F 16, R 17, W 16

Initiative +11, Perception +3

At will, Standard: Attack +10 vs AC. Hit 1d8+4 (crit 1d8+12)

Recharge 4,5,6 Standard: Become invisible until next turn, shift 2, make basic attack (as above)

Encounter: when Hammond takes damage - teleport 3, make ranged attack: +7 vs AC. Hit 1d8+4

Daily, Standard: Target 1 enemy who is granting combat advantage

Attack: +10 vs AC. Hit 2d8+8 (crit 2d8+8)

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Tep - Frost Goblin Hexer

(based on goblins taken from monster builder, tweaked by me for use as a character)

I did this on purpose, as I believed that doing it this way instead of through the character builder would give a different style. David gave me the idea to do it this way, and I was happy with it.

HP 55, Bloodied 27, 8 healing surges of 13HP each.

AC 20, F 17, R 17, W 18

Speed 6 (ice walk)

Saving throws +2

Resist 5 cold, poison

low light vision

acrobatics 2, arcana 1, athletics 2, bluff 1, diplomacy 9, dungeoneering 11, endurance 3, heal 2, history 1, insight 3, nature 2, perception 4, religion 2, stealth 11, streetwise 3, thievery 3.

Feats:

Slowed strike - any creature that hits Tep is slowed until the end of their next turn

Frozen fighter - all damage dealt by Tep is cold. On a crit, deal 1d10 ongoing cold (save ends)

Kobold fighter - shift as a minor action

Weight of Ice - If a target is hit by a slow effect by Tep while already slowed, they become immobilized. If slowed again, they become restrained.

At will powers:

Hammer Smash - Melee +10 vs AC. Hit: 1d10 +4 damage

Icicle Throw - Range 10, +8 vs Fort. Hit: 2d6+3, target is slowed (save ends)

Combat Manoeuvring - When missed by a melee attack, can shift 1 square.

Quick Reflex - When targeted by a ranged attack, can change the target to an adjacent creature

Encounter powers:

Frozen lake - Burst 3 within 10 becomes ice, and is considered difficult terrain for all except ice-walkers. Any enemy which starts in the zone takes 1d6 damage.

Recharge powers:

Painful movement (recharge 5,6) - Range 10, +8 vs Will. Hit: 3d6 damage if target moves during their turn.

Daily powers:

Binding ice - Target 1,2 or 3 adjacent enemies. Attack +10 vs Fort. Hit 2d10 +4 damage, restrained (save ends)

Game 8: The Plight of Mr. Pump

Bob, Brickface, Graf, and Taka have escaped. Rufus and Altus saw them take to the hills with their own eyes. Hammond, however, was a different story. He had locked the townsfolk in the town hall to burn, set a trap on the water&power plant, and then seemingly vanished into thin air. The Guard of Blackwater fortress did a sweep, but they found no sign of him. The party gathered by the town hall. The last areas in the fortress to be searched were nearby; Carlana's house (for which permission was required to even enter), and Rufus' house (which had been too close to the town hall fire to search previously). The town hall fire was now down to a half-hearted smoulder, and Rufus' house had survived unscathed.

Altus, Enbel & Echo enter Carlana's house with her permission and do not find Hammond - but do find a note that indicates that he had been there:

Dearest Carlana,

You're not worth killing. Your pathetic leadership is what has allowed this to happen. Enjoy rotting in this tomb that you have built for yourself, and all your people that remain here with you. Shame - a kobold is your best asset... but not for long.

Love,

Hammond.

They then check Rufus' house, and find nothing. Tep, standing outside with some of the Guard, notices a glint of light from under Rufus' porch. He tells the others, and on inspection it turns out to be a trap - what looks like a bomb set to fire shrapnel up through the wooden porch. The group manage to disable it before it does any harm - it had obviously been intended for Rufus.

There follows a discussion on the best course to take following the recent events. Rufus and Erik agree to look at #8, and suggest that the others go to the Save Point to see if they can find any information on the operation of #8. Tep offers to come with them, a show of friendship after the consideration shown him by the party, and Altus in particular. He says that he would do well to repay their respect, since Altus saved his life. Tep tells his daughter to do what she feels is best. She decides to go home, and 5 of the gnome guard offer to escort her back. Tep, stamping his authority on the situation, turns to the guards and says:

Tep: " Very well, but if any harm comes to her, I know where you live, and I have broken in before..."

They leave for the Save Point - Tep, Echo, Enbel, and Altus. On the way, Echo stops by the bomb-rigged door they had earlier disposed of outside the fortress, and left a pictogram trying to explain to their illiterate imp friend Clomp that the bomb on the door would cause an explosive and painful death. They continue onwards to the Save Point. When they get there, the door is open. As they pass through, a metal divider - a portcullis - smashes down, sealing Echo, Altus and Enbel inside, and Tep outside. From behind, Tep hears someone approach.

Hammond: "I always have to clean up Bob's messes"

Tep: "When I'm done with you, Bob will have to clean up your mess. That is - the mess that is you"

They begin to fight. The others, trapped inside, attempt to raise the portcullis - but they can't do it by force, and they can't find a switch. Then, their attention is turned sharply towards their own well being as a trio of kobolds stride into the room, menace gleaming in their dark eyes. Although taken initially by surprise, Altus, Echo and Enbel turned the tide in a short period of time - aided by the fact that they have now seen a number of battles together, and are ever more adaptable to each others style. At the same time, Tep fought in a pitched battle that he never looked like losing. Hammond's arrogance had led him clearly to bite off more than he could chew. Despite Tep's usual diplomatic and calm (for a goblin at least) demeanour - he fought fiercely, and true to his word he finished Hammond on the ground, stomping his head and body into a bloody unrecognisable pulp long after the life had left his body.

After the battle ends, they find the switch to open the portcullis. The 4 step into the facility, careful to walk around the kobold bodies and the smoky wreck of a fight which had involved thrown furniture, fire, and one notable oil drum explosion. They comb through the facility, which seems to have been ransacked since the party were last there. A room which seemed equipped for holding magic artifacts was left empty of anything it may have contained. Realisation dawned on the original 3 that the kobolds had likely used #7 to lure them out of the Save Point in order to get at the artifacts. But why hadn't they just killed them while they were in stasis?

Making their way into a control room, they find a small book - Module #8 - what you need to know. It seemed to be divided equally in content between advertisement and actual scientific data. It seemed to be a proposal for the introduction of 'living constructs' into use in Save Points. It pointed out the usefulness of having 'human intelligence' on hand to help, in case anything went wrong with the AI of the other modules. It proposed use of a living construct as Module #8 in every save point. It was signed off by the proposer of the idea - Teksin Rockefeller - the mayor of Firestrong from the time when the 3 went into stasis. Before they had time to finish reading through the book they were surrounded by more kobolds. Younglings - like their initial battle at the door, but in greater than double their numbers this time.

The only way out was through the door they had come through, which was heavily guarded. They had come downstairs to get to this room, so there were no windows - just a huge steel box around them, and the knowledge that they would have to fight to escape or else die in this tin-can tomb. They take the battle to the kobolds with the resolve which can only come with do-or-die situations. Altus hangs back to cast a ritual. His telepathy allowed him to sense a nearby rodent, and his ritual allowed him to send that rodent with a worded message to a nearby ally. Of course, the nearest ally was Clomp.

Clomp, it's Altus.

Dead gnome in save point.

Also lots of animals.

Help us kill some kobolds there, they're yours.

Also - you can eat this rat.

At about this time, the party collectively notice a number of different colour patterns on the floor - at about the same time they notice 2 sealed booths with kobolds, and 1 of them flips a switch causing the red areas on the floor to gush out flame. So red for fire - not very inventive, and easy to remember. Tep uses ice magic to coat the floor with a slippery icy top, hindering his enemies, but not having any effect on his movement. Another blast from the fire floor melts part of it away. Echo, showing her usual disregard for pain and danger, pursues kobolds meticulously while ignoring the floor patterns completely. She is hit by fire, and electrocuted numerous times, but all the while her foes drop one by one, and she moves on. Tep stays mobile, dancing back and forth on the areas of the floor still caked by ice- landing hits on one, then another, then seemingly cart-wheeling across the room impossibly to strike another. Enbel busies herself with kobolds that stand between her and the booth closest to her. She manages to muscle through the crowd and get inside a booth. This seemed to begin to turn the fight in the party's favour. For his part, Altus found a large piece of ground devoid of colour (and therefore of traps), and held the line, viciously defending against any who ran at him. All the while, he could feel the presence of impish minds approaching ever closer.

Clomp appears through the console behind Altus, with 2 of his impish cohort. At this point Altus cedes the safe ground and runs forward into battle with his imp-tourage. The kobolds' courage is flagging and when the party commandeer the second booth, victory seems a foregone conclusion. A lever is pressed opening a huge pit, and a kobold falls in and is trapped. After all the other kobolds are dispatched, Clomp and the other 2 imps open this pit, jump down and finish the kobold, exiting the pit covered in viscera, and slightly wild-eyed.

Altus thanked them for coming so quickly to assist. They finish reading the #8 book, and from this discern that special tablets are used to give #8 its organic power. A quick search and they find a huge bag of these pills. They then decide to make their way back to the Blackwater fortress. For once, the short journey through the once-town of Firestrong passes without an attack - but not without incident. The imps, having taken their leave when the party were searching for the pills, are gathered near to the bomb-door. They lure a goat onto the door, which explodes. The imps celebrate, giving each other meaningful looks, high fives, and generally making noises of satisfied achievement. They then start scavenging the pieces of goat-shrapnel nearby, and eating it. Some of them have pieces of the goat actually land on them, or very near, so they savage it and look for seconds. The party are amused and impressed by their ingenuity.

They meet Rufus and Erik inside the front gate. Tep decides to take his leave, and head back to the goblins before his warmonger brother gets the wrong idea and raises an army against the fortress. Altus puts a tablet in #8's mouth. Rufus asks Enbel for her emberflare moss - a magical moss which will burn endlessly without being consumed. Between himself and Erik, they have retuned #8's mechanical components to run on steampower. With the emberflare moss, this will never require more fuel - just an occasional top up of water to allow for any loss through #8. As the water comes to a bubble, Rufus closes the chestplate on Mr. Pump. Lucidity returns to #8's eyes.

#8/Pump: "Where is Carlana, I'm ready for this meeting!"

*End of Game 8*

DM's notes: Game 7

This game was fun - it had a heavy role play element. I used maps as visual aids, but there was only one proper "encounter" as such. I recycled the prison maps from the previous game for use during the interrogation scene. I also had the map of part of the front of the fortress from the goblin attack during game 5. I added to this by making another map showing a cross-section near the back of the fortress, including a residential area, Carlana's and Rufus' house, the town hall and the water&power plant. I was surprised at the party opting to interrogate all the prisoners, but I think it all played out very well. David wasn't around to play #8, but I had planned to have a game without #8 in it anyway - as part of his personal story development.

Ivan, a friend with a similar enthusiasm for D&D was free on the day in question, so I invited him to come along and he took up the role of Rufus for the game. I think this really changed the party dynamic a lot, and it allowed this game to stand out as a bit different from some of the others. I'll definitely have Ivan play again in future if he's free.

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Items awarded: Game 7

Echo: Armour enchantment

Daily, minor action: You shift 5 squares and must end the shift adjacent to an enemy.

Enbel: Alchemists Fire (x3)

Standard Action: area burst 1 within 10.

Attack: +10 vs Reflex.

Hit: 2d6 fire damage.

Miss: Half damage.

Enbel: Armour enchantment

Daily, minor action: Gain resist 5 to all damage for 1 turn

Altus: Majestic Gauntlets (arm slot)

At will (special), minor action: You may use majestic word an extra amount of times per day equal to your CHA modifier.

Altus: Armour enchantment

Daily, minor action: until the end of your next turn, deal 5 damage to any enemy that starts or moves adjacent to you.

Altus: Cone of silence

Daily, standard action: and area within burst 2 of the cone is completely soundproofed. From the outside the area is completely opaque.

Rufus: Stun Visor

Property: If hit by a daze or stun effect, it lasts only 1 turn, even if the effect is save ends.

Property: If the wearer is stunned, it is downgraded to dazed.

Property: If the wearer is dazed, it is downgraded to slowed

Rufus: Blast Patch (x4)

Standard action: Set the patch in a square.

Trigger: A creature enters or walks adjacent to the square where the blast patch is set

Attack: +12 vs Fortitude

Hit: 2d8 damage

Miss: half damage.

Game 7: The Jailbreak

While in the prison, Erik came and brought the party some armour he had been working on for them. Carlana reappears and they talk - she asks them to question the prisoners. They agree, and she leaves. #8 leaves to scout the immediate area to make sure nothing else unexpected happens - they've had enough surprises to do them for quite some time.

It was decided that they would question the prisoners one-by-one, starting with the youngest. Rufus led the questioning, but was assisted by Altus and Enbel. Echo had no interest, and allowed her mind to wander while the others occupied themselves with their task. Rufus led every questioning with the same line -

Rufus: "So... how long have you been a part of the plot to overthrow the government?"

Starting the questioning with the youngest prisoner turned out to be a good idea. The young gnome - known as crossbow - insisted that they had no idea that Graf and Taka were planning to attack Carlana, or mount a coup. At first, he even insisted that Graf and Taka couldn't have been the ones to attack her. But he relents as Enbel is quick to point out that Carlana had left Graf and Taka locked up, while they were the ones asked to do the questioning. Carrying out the questioning in the crowded prison was made private through the use of a magic item that Carlana had left with them - a cone of silence. Crossbow went on to tell the party about the exclusive 'group' that the prisoners had all been a part of. They were a group of 5 guards, and 3 army members that would meet up - usually on the 2nd night of the full moon - to escort Graf and Taka to certain locations outside the fortress. He assumed they were meeting someone, but they never saw anyone else. He gives them the list of who is on the team, when prompted by Rufus:

Crossbow, Zepor, Rick, Golden, Shuffels, Brickface, Bob, Hammond

Previous Members: Evron (Golden's Dad), Vincenss - both passed away.

All of the current members were part of the battle and are now incarcerated, except for one - Hammond. The party take this information in stride, but decide to continue interrogating the others, instead of searching through the town for Hammond. Next for questioning is Brickface, one of the army members. He lives up to his name and refuses to talk. The interrogation takes a turn towards torture as Altus gets in Brickface's face, and slaps him. Rufus threatens him, and Enbel and Altus join in mocking his sexuality - calling him homosexual as he has no family. Brickface is resilient, and refers to Graf as "The Boss". He won't give them any more information, except to assure them that there were only 7 in the group (going against what Crossbow had told them, since Brickface did not mention Hammond). Rufus questions the intelligence of lying to your captors, then sends Brickface back to his cell.

The next to be questioned is Golden. Golden is also a member of the guard, and he seems noticeably slow-minded. He tells them that he was a relatively new addition to the team, after his father Evron passed away. Rufus recalls the events of Evron and Vincenss' deaths, and is of the opinion that they were both natural and not as a result of poisoning of foul play. At this point, Altus and Enbel decide that they want #8 to take Carlana a message - but they find him outside the prison, inanimate. They can't get a response from him, or detect what has happened to him.

Completing their questioning with the 'underlings', there seems a fairly obvious split - the guards, who support Taka and seem oblivious to any possible underhanded tactics on Graf and Taka's parts, and the Army members; Brickface and Bob, who seem completely unphased by the idea that Graf was planning a coup. The group then decide to question Taka.

Taka is slightly taller than the other gnomes, although compared to the size of Altus, this was still not to be considered actually tall. He appears well groomed, as though he takes meticulous care of his appearance. This is in stark contrast to Graf, who is more advanced in age, shorter, and appears scruffy and gruff. Taka gives off the aura of a weasel - no real confidence except when hidden behind a row of loyal men. As such, he is in no mood to stand up to a disgruntled Shardmind, Kobold, and Wilden, and he is quite sure that the Mul daydreaming in the corner is not predisposed to coming to his aid either. He therefore opens up to them and is very receptive to questioning. He tells them that himself and Graf attempted to form a truce 10 years ago, but it didn't succeed - however 4 years ago they managed to. The goblins and gnomes signed this truce, and since it was believed that Graf and Taka were the leaders they took on that role - behind Carlana's back. Taka infuriated them - especially Enbel, who referred to him as a stupid second fiddle to Graf. Taka maintained that he had not planned a coup, or known that Graf intended to stage one, but he went on to say that either him or Graf would be a far better leader than Carlana.

Echo is stirred from her reverie as she notices cracks appearing in the walls of the prison. She draws peoples attention, and then they chain Taka back up and run out to see the cause. Rufus, riled up by Taka debates slaying him while he is chained, but then relents, perhaps out of honour - or maybe just deciding that executing a chained-up gnome can wait until they've dealt with the more pressing concern of the building apparently coming apart at the seams. As the first down the stairs and out the door, Echo is the first to see a large drake land near the town square. It touches down and fires a number of warning bolts over the heads of the party. It is mounted by a particularly venomous looking kobold, with a scarred face and patches of discoloured skin - the result of a life spent primarily in the company of drakes-in-training. The drake seems primarily concerned with destroying the front wall of the fortress, and is paying no heed to the prison which is standing between it and its goal.

Altus, Enbel, Rufus, and Echo rush into attack. Altus - ever the diplomat when entering into battles where he does not know the exact motivations of his opponent - pulled his punches, trying to appeal to the nature of the drake and make a new ally. However, the drake did not seem susceptible to this, appearing to be completely subservient to its rider. Also, the pair seemed to draw power from each other as they fought. Rufus was able to use his knowledge of drakes, as well as his kobold 'shiftiness' to get up close and personal and deal some damage. Echo rushed in, unafraid of taking a few knocks. Enbel hung back and attacked from range - her speciality. Noticing the drakes unwillingness to betray its rider, Altus decided that forcibly dismounting the rider was going to be his 'Plan B'. He successfully got onto the drakes back himself, and got into a slugfest with the kobold rider. This went back and forth for a few minutes, with neither combatant seeming to tire, until Echo - through with pleasantries and wanting just to be rid of this oversized problem- promptly set the drake, it's rider, and by extension Altus, on fire.

Not exactly flammable, but not fireproof either, Altus got off the drakes back. The drake and its rider were decidedly distressed at being set alight, and after a number of failed attempts to douse the flames, they flew off to the north, a flaming beacon of warning - not to mess with Echo when she's not in a good mood.

The group noted that there were no people in the town outdoors. No one was walking around, and there were no guards on the walls. Enbel was quick to ponder aloud the stupidity of not having a guard posted, regardless of the fact that Zanster's funeral was being staged. If it had not been for them, one funeral could have become many the next day. Supposing that everyone was at the gathering in the town hall to honour the life of the recently deceased Zanster Trickfoot, the party return to the prison. On arriving, they discover that Graf, Taka, Bob, and Brickface have escaped. The guards have been left locked up, and the female goblin prisoner -daughter of Tep has been beaten up. On talking to them, they work out that it was Bob that committed the assault. At this, Altus specifically decides that enough is enough. Everyone else is quick to fall in line with his opinion. He walks from cell to cell, opening them all, including those holding Tep and his daughter. They then march through the streets looking for the escapees. As they near the town hall, they see that it is on fire. They rush to break it open, and have arrived in time that there are no fatalities. Carlana has marshalled the people inside well enough that they aren't panicked, and they have been trying to fashion a battering ram when they are broken out.

Ranger picks up a scent, and Echo is quick to follow him. One gnome was responsible for locking up the town hall from the outside - and they could only conclude that it was Hammond. Ranger can read the trail of Bob, Brickface, Graf and Taka over the wall, but confuses the trail of Hammond. Without missing a beat, Rufus spiderclimbs up the wall, dropping a rope to Altus who then follows him. Echo and Enbel turn their attentions elsewhere, as there is a trap on the door of the water and power plant - obviously a ploy to prevent any attempt to stop the town hall from burning down.

Rufus and Altus make ground on the escapees, and catch up to Bob, however after some physical exchanges he takes off ahead of them again. A group of kobolds come down the foothills and form a line. All the gnome escapees cross it except Bob. Rufus and Altus think better of persuing. Bob then crosses the line and the kobolds retreat with the gnomes in train. Rufus and Altus make their way back to the fortress. In the meantime, Echo and Enbel (with the enlisted help of Erik) have used their wits and a welding torch to remove the trapped-door, and have brought it a safe distance outside the fortress. The immediate danger had dissipated. But what to do next?

*End of Game 7*

Game 6: The Prison

Morning has come. Gloomy grey light pours through the window of the common room of the quarters where Enbel and Echo have just woken up. Altus and #8 have returned from their nights duties, and are greeted by a familiar figure - Rufus - standing waiting in the common room. He addresses the 4 with the reason for his visit after some banter and morning greetings.

Rufus: "I'm just here to have a word with you privately. Firstly, I would recommend that you make time this morning to visit our prisoners, and question them. Goblins do not have a particularly high regard for gnomes, so you might be able to get some information that Carlana and her men would not. Echo, there may be something of interest to you in the prison store room. Other than that, a word of caution about the "meeting" today - I will not be attending..."

Enbel: "and why not?"

Rufus:" If you must know, I'll be babysitting. Anyway, I want to warn you about Graf and Taka - the leader of the Army and the leader of the Guard - I don't trust them. I want to tell you to watch your back. If things get sour, or they try anything funny, then deal with it. I know you can handle yourselves. But if things get physical, I would implore you not to kill anyone. I will talk with you later - friends."

The group ready themselves and leave their quarters. The day is overcast - to suit the mood of the town. Preparations are being made for the memorial service. Enbel suggests they check on Erik on the way to the prison, to see if he has finished work on armour for them. The shop is closed as they pass. They realise that the only businesses that are open are ones which are needed to supply the memorial service or funeral. As they near the prison an argument can be heard around the corner. They hang back to try to listen in, at first not realising who the voices belong to.

Man: "I'm overworked as it is, now I get to take over his responsibilities at home AND lose a set of armour too?"

Woman: "He died in battle, he deserves the honour"

Man: "I don't see how what he did is in anyway influenced by what he wears to his grave. It just proves that he would have been better off with me than with those meatheads."

DM's note: The party had to roll checks to hear the conversation, to stay undetected, and to workout who the speakers were. At this point they had worked out just from the conversation that it was Erik and Carlana.

Carlana: "Erik, please..."

Erik: "What? I can't keep up with the workload. I have had no life since Eliza died. I have no apprentice - everyone just wants to join the Guard. I'm sure the Guard will be very successful when they're stuck with donkeyhide armour. I'm sure Lentil will make a fine replacement armorer when I'm dead. Or will we dig up all the wasted burial armour then?"

Carlana (asserting herself): "You're taking liberties because of our relationship. Don't ever speak to me this way in company. I can't have anyone undermine my authority. I don't have time for this, I have work to do."

Erik: "Work? Where's Sepo?"

Carlana: "At Rufus' place. Still shook up. She's had a real run of bad luck."

Erik: "Well, she has us now. I'm sorry for losing my temper."

Carlana: "Whatever, we'll talk about it later."

Carlana finishes speaking with Erik and rounds the corner - seeing the 4 and realising that they had been listening in. She reacts huffily with false humour.

Carlana: "Eavesdropping? Well I guess there had to be something wrong with you. Nobody's perfect."

She then storms off. They round the corner to the front of the prison, where they see Erik, collecting himself. He doesn't realise they've been eavesdropping. He tells them about the stress he's been under with his work. His old partner in the business - Zanster Trickfoot- is the guard who was killed last night. This leaves Sepo as an orphan.

Erik: "Carlana and I are going to care for Sepo - I've always been like an uncle to her anyway. I'm not sure if Carlana and I will make up, but Charlie's been working on a "girdle of restoration" enchantment for me..."

At this point the party indicate that Erik is veering into the realm of giving highly personalised information. He tells them that he needs to get back to work, since Carlana has decided to waste some of his best work burying Zanster, right when it looks like the demand for armour will never have been higher. #8 says that given Zanster's dedication, he does deserve to be buried in his armour, as it honours both the professions he worked in while he was alive. Erik says that he believes that a romantic notion, as he doesn't believe there is anything honourable about being dead. He takes his leave.

The group enter the prison. Echo looks through the prison store room, and finds the hammer Tep was wielding, and decides to take it as spoils of war. Meanwhile, the others are talking to the goblin prisoners to try to get to the bottom of recent events. Approaching Tep with diplomacy and respect, the party manage to converse and learn some facts - from Tep's point of view - about recent events in Firestrong.

*There has been a truce between the goblins and gnomes for 4 years

*It was believed that the gnomes were pulling out of the truce, as they did not show at the latest meeting to confirm that the truce would remain. This is why the goblins are suspicious, as Corvek and Set have gone missing.

*Corvek was the main goblin leader. He was uncle of Set, and would be leader only until Set 'came of age' - if he had completed the trials in the Temple.

*Set's father had previously passed away in suspicious circumstances

*The goblins believed that Graf & Taka were the leaders of the gnomes, as they had always been present at the truce meetings

*Tep was next in line to lead after Corvek, and next in line after Tep is his brother, Vin.

*Vin is a warmonger

*Tep wanted to take the wall of the gnome compound swiftly to have the high ground to force a negotiation without bloodshed.

Tep: " I didn't think you'd want to talk if I just knocked at the door... I mean, you had brought me back bound up earlier that day."

DM's note: the decision to approach Tep diplomatically was decided amongst the party. This was the only way he would open up and talk. If the party had led with intimidation or threats, or insults, he would have shut down and they would have learned nothing from him.

The party also answered Tep about how they had come to be there, although they didn't raise the issue of Set with him. They told him truthfully that they knew nothing of Corvek or his fate. Altus seems particularly taken by the goblin's story and assures Tep that he will talk to Carlana about recent events. As the conversation ends, almost without a moments passing, Carlana strides through the door with Graf and Taka trailing in her wake.

Carlana: "you're here already, good! Upstairs."

So they convene upstairs in the prison, where there are no prisoners in the cells - but a table is already set up with 8 seats at it. Echo had noticed this earlier when she was raiding the store for Tep's hammer. Obviously one of the seats had been intended for Rufus - who was absent. Graf and Taka, leaders of the gnome army and the Guard respectively, were defensive, and questioned the attacks only coming after Echo, Enbel, Altus & #8 had arrived. Enbel in particular was very quick to point out the flaws in their arguments, and the mood became more and more tense. Graf stands up from his seat, and with a series of quick movements knocks Carlana unconscious with a blow to the head, and throws her in a cell and slams the door. Taka goes to the window and yells from support from downstairs. A number of guards run in from outside, as if they had been waiting there in anticipation of a scuffle. As the upstairs of the prison began to fill up, Altus and Enbel moved downstairs, where a few more guards had moved in, and someone had thrown a fire bomb into the cell holding Tep. Altus managed to teleport him into the adjacent cell, saving him.

The fighting continued. Despite the imbalance in numbers, soon the difference in size and strength began to turn the skirmish in the favour of the party, who one by one subdue each assailant, and lock them in individual cells. At the end, Rufus appears. He helps with getting Carlana to a medic. Charlie comes to enchant the cells that Graf and Taka were in, as they had mastered the gnome racial power of teleportation. The party all decided to stay at the prison to keep an eye on the new prisoners, while waiting for Carlana to come back when she was done at the doctor's office. Rufus pulls out a chair at the table. With a glint in his eye, he pulls out a deck of cards.

Rufus: "Since it looks like we're going to be here for a while..."

*End of Game 6*

I enjoyed this game - the prison fight was a bit of a cluster - but that was the whole point. The party have neutralized a threat effectively - and are getting a bit closer to having a better idea of what is really going on in Firestrong.

Items awarded - Game 6.

Echo: Frost-touched hammer +1

Property: Deals cold damage

Property: Brutal Weapon - brutal 2

Daily - Frost-touched attack

Trigger: An attack you hit with this weapon

Effect: Enemy is immobilized and grants combat advantage (save ends both)

Echo