Friday, April 22, 2011

The Final Days of Farwood - The Paths of the Dead - The Bridges

The following is a partial account of the party's adventures during the Final Days of Farwood.

...when last we left the party...

After the battle in the Fingers the Party back-tracked through the cold twisted passages of the Paths of the Dead.  They continued on across crumbling stretches of ruined and decaying stonework, through corridor after tortuous corridor.  When they encountered another fork in the Paths, a brief search revealed a riddle scratched into the wall...in an old, vulgar tongue:

"When I was young, I was black as night,
Now I am older, and clear as light.
Enhancing beauty, a woman's pleasure,
A bold thief's prize,  priceless treasure."

Silas Crowe took one look at the rough riddle and solved it without a moment's hesitation. "Brandy."  While the rest of the Party agreed in principle, an answer of "Diamonds" also seemed to fit.  Soon after solving the riddle, Idria, a Deva Avenger, noticed a small line of glass inset into one the wall of one of the corridors leading away from the fork.  The Party followed, and found another, similar trail at the next fork.  Soon they found themselves in a grand and ancient chamber.  The floor of the great chamber had fallen away in most places.  All that remained where a few stone platforms connected by the broken remains of stone bridges.  Fifty feet below, horrid floating abominations gathered around pools of brackish water.  While above...unknown to the party, death lay waiting.

On the first major platform the Party encountered a creature of the Far Realms, a Far Eidolon, a statuesque mindflayer hiding among the remains of an ancient hall.

Then there was a series of tricky jumps, followed by a battle with fearsome sickle wielding creatures.  The most dangerous villain of the Bridges, however, was the fifty foot drop to the dangers below.

The Bridges, Part 1 - Level 13 Encounter (4000)
Cloaker Ambusher, Level 12 Lurker XP 700
Cloaker Ambusher, Level 12 Lurker XP 700
Far Eidolon, Level 14 Elite Controller XP 2000
Beholder Spawn, Level 15 Minion Artillery XP 300
Beholder Spawn, Level 15 Minion Artillery XP 300 


The Bridges, Part 2 - Level 13 Encounter (4300)
Hazard 50' Fall, DC 20 XP 1000
Cloaker Ambusher, Level 12 Lurker XP 700
Foulspawn Berserker Thrall, Level 11 Soldier XP 600
Foulspawn Berserker Thrall, Level 11 Soldier XP 600
Foulspawn Chirurgeon, Level 12 Skirmisher XP 700
Foulspawn Chirurgeon, Level 12 Skirmisher XP 700
Beholder Spawn, Level 15 Minion Artillery XP 300


Cloakers on the Bridges

Corax is unconcerned with the fifty foot drop.

Idria teleports the enemy into empty air...and down he goes.

Silas drops the enemy to 1 HP, then takes a running jump...and falls fifty feet down.

Friday, April 1, 2011

The Final Days of Farwood - The Paths of the Dead - The Fingers

The following is a partial account of the party's adventures during the Final Days of Farwood.

...when last we left the party... 


Upon their return from vacationing at the Sinking Isles the party discovered their Inn, the Raven's Perch, had disappeared ("It was STOLEN." - Silas Crowe) along with most of the northwest section of Farwood.  The Baron of Farwood coerces the party into finding the Borderstone of Farwood, an ancient relic that disappeared along with the Perch ("IT was STOLEN." - Silas Crowe).  And what does the Baron offer the party for their success?  Merely the lordly sum of 100,000 gold coins ("It was Sto...wait...how much?" - Silas Crowe).

And with that the party set out to locate the Tower of Knowledge, therein to seek the aid of an oracle.  Perhaps the oracle can point them towards their lost Inn ("It wasn't lost, it was Stolen...along with my Brandy...ALL of my Brandy." - Silas Crowe).  To reach the Tower they are presented with two options, a byzantine Labyrinth of twisted and thorny trails through a maze of poisonous plants...or an equally tortuous Path through the cold lifeless dark of shadow.

They opted for the cold lifeless dark Path of the Dead.

Has it been mentioned that most of the party worships the Raven Queen?

Here is the extent of their knowledge (and their sad sad low rolls):
On Borderstones
  • Borderstones are ancient relics people believe keep the civilized lands from being overrun with monsters from the wild lands. [ History / Arcana - DC 20]

On The Tower of Knowledge:
  • You have heard stories of an oracle in a tower in the wilderness.  He trades help for lost knowledge. [History / Arcana / Religion - DC 20]
  • The tower is challenging to get to, it can be dangerous and people have died seeking it out. [History / Arcana / Religion - DC 25]


On The Seer:
  • The Baron of Farwood once aided the Seer and received a boon. [History / Streetwise - 20]


On Farwood:
  • The Raven's Perch has been around for a long long time.  No one remembers when it was first built. [History / Streetwise - 20]
  • Farwood has stood up to troubles from the outside and withstood all manner of threats.  Some would say that Farwood has survived against all odds to the contrary. [History / Streetwise - 25]
  • With the disappearance of the Raven's Perch and most of the northwest corner of the city, Farwood feels rougher, tenser, and less stable.  People are on edge, and everyone expects the worst.  Some people have started to leave. [History / Streetwise - 30]

Almost immediately upon entering the Paths of the Dead, the party began to suffer from the intense cold.  If must have made more of an impact than they expected because soon they were making wrong turns and poor decisions...and they ended up in The Fingers.

The Fingers - Level 14 Encounter (4800 xp):
Beholder Eye of Frost, Level 14 Elite Artillery XP 2000
Eye of Shadow, Level 12 Elite Lurker XP 1400
Foulspawn Hulk Thrall, Level 12 Brute XP 700
Foulspawn Hulk Thrall, Level 12 Brute XP 700
 
Scht'eve the Elf misses the broad side of a beholder.

Stanos and Silas fear nothing...well Silas fears an empty cup...but that's it.


Silas Crowe finishes the fiend with near sober grace.


 

 

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

The Final Days of Farwood

I am starting a Paragon tier campaign with some friends tomorrow.  My friend and artist extraordinaire Graham Sternberg created some cover art for a retro-looking send up of an old school published module...the sort of thing you would pick up at a hobby shop.  I asked Graham for something that would have made teenager me look longingly at the front cover and wish I had friends who played.  He nailed it:



 

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Messages in a Bottle, Part 7: Epilogue

There are incredibly few people that read this blog and I have never been terribly concerned about that fact.  This week I have six brief messages queued up to post at 9 AM each day.  They are clues to riddles left behind by me to entertain a friend while I am out of town and off the grid.

Each clue is a year.  The year will lead you to the riddle's answer.  The answer will unlock the file.

Remember: lowercasewithnospaces

Enjoy.




MONDAY:  1940 - thegrapesofwrath 
TUESDAY:  1924 - newyorkgiants
WEDNESDAY:  1874 - henrywilson
THURSDAY:  1971 - pabloneruda
FRIDAY:  1952 - helsinki
SATURDAY:  1805 - trafalgar



  

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Messages in a Bottle, Part 6: Saturday

There are incredibly few people that read this blog and I have never been terribly concerned about that fact.  This week I have six brief messages queued up to post at 9 AM each day.  They are clues to riddles left behind by me to entertain a friend while I am out of town and off the grid.

Each clue is a year.  The year will lead you to the riddle's answer.  The answer will unlock the file.

Remember: lowercasewithnospaces

Enjoy.




MONDAY:  1940 - thegrapesofwrath 
TUESDAY:  1924 - newyorkgiants
WEDNESDAY:  1874 - henrywilson
THURSDAY:  1971 - pabloneruda
FRIDAY:  1952 - helsinki
SATURDAY:  1805



  

Friday, January 7, 2011

Messages in a Bottle, Part 5: Friday

There are incredibly few people that read this blog and I have never been terribly concerned about that fact.  This week I have six brief messages queued up to post at 9 AM each day.  They are clues to riddles left behind by me to entertain a friend while I am out of town and off the grid.

Each clue is a year.  The year will lead you to the riddle's answer.  The answer will unlock the file.

Remember: lowercasewithnospaces

Enjoy.




MONDAY:  1940 - thegrapesofwrath 
TUESDAY:  1924 - newyorkgiants
WEDNESDAY:  1874 - henrywilson
THURSDAY:  1971 - pabloneruda
FRIDAY:  1952


  

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Messages in a Bottle, Part 4: Thursday

There are incredibly few people that read this blog and I have never been terribly concerned about that fact.  This week I have six brief messages queued up to post at 9 AM each day.  They are clues to riddles left behind by me to entertain a friend while I am out of town and off the grid.

Each clue is a year.  The year will lead you to the riddle's answer.  The answer will unlock the file.

Remember: lowercasewithnospaces

Enjoy.



MONDAY:  1940 - thegrapesofwrath 
TUESDAY:  1924 - newyorkgiants
WEDNESDAY:  1874 - henrywilson
THURSDAY:  1971

   

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Messages in a Bottle, Part 3: Wednesday

There are incredibly few people that read this blog and I have never been terribly concerned about that fact.  This week I have six brief messages queued up to post at 9 AM each day.  They are clues to riddles left behind by me to entertain a friend while I am out of town and off the grid.

Each clue is a year.  The year will lead you to the riddle's answer.  The answer will unlock the file.

Remember: lowercasewithnospaces

Enjoy.



MONDAY:  1940 - thegrapesofwrath
TUESDAY:  1924 - newyorkgiants
WEDNESDAY:  1874


 

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Messages in a Bottle, Part 2: Tuesday

There are incredibly few people that read this blog and I have never been terribly concerned about that fact.  This week I have six brief messages queued up to post at 9 AM each day.  They are clues to riddles left behind by me to entertain a friend while I am out of town and off the grid.

Each clue is a year.  The year will lead you to the riddle's answer.  The answer will unlock the file.

Remember: lowercasewithnospaces

Enjoy.



MONDAY:  1940 - thegrapesofwrath

TUESDAY:  1924


  
 

Monday, January 3, 2011

Messages in a Bottle, Part 1: Monday

There are incredibly few people that read this blog and I have never been terribly concerned about that fact.  This week I have six brief messages queued up to post at 9 AM each day.  They are clues to riddles left behind by me to entertain a friend while I am out of town and off the grid.

Each clue is a year.  The year will lead you to the riddle's answer.  The answer will unlock the file.

Remember: lowercasewithnospaces

Enjoy.



MONDAY:  1940

 

About Me

My photo
Geek - Gamer - Librarian - Writer. Only awesome at one of those things at a time, unfortunately.

About Fading Interest

After writing op-eds and travelogues for several years, after finishing a few books, and after failing to get the ball rolling with project after project I stumbled into an idea that might just hold my interest long enough to enjoy some level of satisfaction with my writing.