Hill Cantons - Session 08

Hello again! This session was mostly focused on exploring the area and getting to the Glittering Tower, as the characters find their footing in the Slumbering Ursine Dunes. Many hijinks were had and all in all I thought this was really quite a fun session! In any case I hope it is at least half as fun to read after the fact 

Characters

• Asim "Ace" Bakir - Level 4 Mountebank
• Lasryn Thunderhammer - Level 4 Cleric
• Luka Winograd - Level 3 White Wizard
• Petar "Duckboy" Mihailovic (New) - Level 1 Druid

Followers

• Mojo & Mavi - Baboons
• Sir Duke - Squirrel Monkey
• Tom - Trained Badger
• Strawberry (New) - Donkey

Graveyard

• Paula Puddlelob - Level 2 Gnome
• Fifi - Chihuahua Familiar

Action Report

Picking up from last session, the party are alerted by Paula to the danger approaching her in the cave. After leveling up and developing a fear of boogeymen, Frankopan flees as Paula screams for help against a quickly approaching wall of darkness. Acting quickly the party successfully yank Paula out of the hole, though not before she takes a nasty hit from whatever creature is attacking her. 

As the party recuperate they are joined by Petar "Duckboy" Mihailovic; a druidic acolyte seeking the glittering tower for news of his supposed masters, joined by his donkey Strawberry. 

After introductions are made the party once again take a look down into the cave only to find it pitch black. Hoping to maybe blind whatever creature they are facing, Luka throws a light spell into the hole which seemingly dispels the darkness. Luka and Ace just manage catch a glimpse of the strange creature as it flees further into the cave. After a quick vote the party decide to take their leave of the current clearing to backtrack and try to find their way to the Glittering Tower instead. 

Going past some of the centaur toll-collectors, Paula decides to make a rude hand sign which enrages the four centaurs present. Paula and one of the Centaurs challenge each other to a one-on-one which is interrupted halfway through before the centaur can pummel Paula to death with its hooves. Petar pretends to be a centaur which serves as a much needed distraction, allowing the party to intervene and apologize for the situation. Paula eventually gives the centaur twenty gold pieces which ends the altercation. 

After passing by an ironwood grove and slaying a wayward giant snake, the characters proceed to go south eventually arriving at a large four-way intersection with a wind chime of human bones hanging from a nearby ironwood tree. 

The party debate their next move but eventually vote to go east to explore more of the dunes. To their surprise they end up at a large field of rye with several paths going out of it. As the party discuss their next move, Strawberry wanders into the field only to come back running in pain. The party investigate the donkey to find a strange black spot on her stomach. Lasryn tosses a torch into the dry field in an attempt to set it alight in retribution. This has no effect however as there is a rustling in the rye from where the torch lands. Luka attempts the same and starts lighting a fire at the edge of the field. 

As Luka hunches down with his tinderbox several figures spring from the field. They are short and bearded with wild eyes and wielding sickles, recognized as poleviks. Even though they make several attacks against Luka, the party manages to calm the situation and are told to leave immediately. Petar gives one of the poleviks a potion of unknown liquid which gives him the ability to fly. The party make a break for a southern path on the far side of the field as the other poleviks look on as their comrade flies circles around the clearing. The party manage to get though without taking any damage as Ace causes a distraction by making an illusory fire on the far side of the field using phantasmal forces. 

Going south, the party arrive at a large amphitheatre guarded by several war bears bearing polearms. After speaking a bit with the guards the characters decide to take a night and rest whilst they are surrounded by friendlies. 

After venturing west in the morning the party arrive at the remains of a giant statue inhabited by a religious hermit named Oldrich. The party stay to chat and listen to an impromptu sermon, after which Oldrich heals up Paula after her tussle with the centaurs. 

As they head south the party finally arrive at what can only be recognized as the sandstone walls and marble foundations of the Glittering Tower. After a quick chat with the guards outside they are let in to talk to the tower's elderly war bear majordomo Pan Orso. After a quick chat the majordomo falls asleep in the corner of the hallway as the group await an audience with the master. After waiting for more than half an hour the party simply enter the masters chamber. 

Inside they find the naked and reclined form of Medved, master of the dunes, alongside his lover Yavo. The party quickly realize that Medved is unaware of Glamdalf and their supposed quest, yet they still put themselves at the service of the seemingly uninterested godling. At his behest the party decide to attempt to retake the upper levels of the tower which the master says has been occupied the eld, a group of elves hailing from the dimension of the cold hell. 

As the master seems magically unable to enter the upper levels the party send Luka up invisible to scout out the upper floor. Luka sneaks past several sentries and explores the entire floor, finding a common room with several eld playing dice, a room with several large energy beams, and a room with an altar with different liquids put into two bowl like impressions. 

By use of a sleep spell Luka put all the sentries to sleep, allowing the party to safely head up the stairs and silently kill them off. Lasryn recognizes one of the liquids in the "bowls" as a potion of gaseous form and the party fill up their empty vials. 

Charging into their surprised enemies, many of the eld in the common room are slaughtered before they can draw their weapons. Paula decides to bodyblock a trapdoor leading up to the next floor, though is charged and slain by one of the eld attempting to fetch reinforcements (this also leads to the death of Fifi). The party mop up the remaining eld and grieve for their former comrade...

GM Thoughts

It seems my fears at the end of last session were realized after all, though not at the point at which I thought they would. Paulas player really has a penchant for throwing themselves into the fray of quite dangerous situations which they have now repeatedly paid for with their life. In my ongoing against the giants game, the player has excelled as a fighter so perhaps a martial class would suit their playstyle here. Although the player was really quite attached to Paula they still took her passing like a champ, even though her death came quite unceremoniously at the very end of the session. 

The party has also finally made it to the Glittering Tower! I expect this place to be the focus of play for many of the upcoming weeks (do prove me wrong players), after which we'll see where the campaign will end up afterwards. Perhaps the characters will try to mount an expedition to the misty isles, maybe delving more into the dunes trying to find the golden barge, or maybe the glittering tower will serve as a nice end to the campaign. Regardless of how many sessions are left the characters still need to square off against Lady Szara (and maybe the potential TPK resulting from that will be what ends this off). Fighting the eld is something I have tried to gently nudge the characters into since character creation however. Whilst avoiding spoilers for those of my players who read this, all I can say is that there is perhaps a lot of potential for some character focused beats should they pursue that path. 

I'll finish off by saying that this might perhaps have been once of the funniest sessions so far. Petar was played by a guest player and alongside Paula the two brought a very chaotic energy to the session with a lot of zany plans and hijinks. Not only is that just fun in and of itself, but is is also something that fits with and really plays into the actual setting. All I can say is thanks to Petar's player for joining us, let's hope they join at some point again!