Session 22: Niptu's Keep Report

General Summary

Session 22 – Wednesday December 21, 2022 – The keep of the Shield of Niptu

  4 Hour Role Play/battle session 5:30 PM to 10:00PM

The Stone Bearers. Party of 5.5:

It is the 3rd day of the month of Uktar (The Rotting) in the 50th year of the Age of Enialis (Early November.)

• Abrash – Wood (Dessert) Elf, L5 Druid – Jacob Munson
• Ajani– High Elf, L5 Wizard – Nathan Gioconda (School)
• Gazlowe – Goblin, L5 Artificer – Josh Pozsonyi
• Thomas – Human, L5 Blood hunter – Ryan Armstrong (Remote)
• Isabella – Forest Gnome, L5 Barbarian – Jackie Armstrong
• Cedrik – Human, L5 Bard – Dan King
• Gurthen – Dwarf, L5 Paladin – Spencer Armstrong

Locked Door to the prison.

A Black orb appeared and then dissolved, revealing Gazlowe who joined the group from the ethereal plane. Thomas said, “Shh. We need to pick this lock.” Gazlowe twisted off the tip of his index finger revealing a lock pick. He made quick work of the lock and opened the door. The party quietly moved into the hallway seeing 3 prison doors on the right and one large adamantine door to the left. A guard, walking the hall spotted the group. Fredrick said, “We’re here for the inspection, where’s your supervisor?” The guard backed up and pulled out his crossbow. Gazlowe ran forward and killed the guard with a single punch.

From down the hall they heard a metal plate fall to the floor as another guard dropped his dinner and ran to see what was going on. Gazlowe ran up to him and punched him. The guard was hurt but stood his ground. Gurthen saw a rope hanging down from the ceiling next to the ladder. The guard looked directly at it and then Gurthen ran forward and grappled the guard and punched him with a smite. Cedrik cast mage hand and wrapped the rope at the top of the ladder. The guard stabbed Gurthen but couldn’t break free of the grapple. Gazlowe walked up and punched the guard. Gurthen pulled out his great axe and saw that the guard was very intimidated.

Gurthen asked the guard for his name and found out it was Alan Tudyk. He asked if Judas is working. Confused, Alan replied that Judas is on the next shift. Cedrik walked up and stabbed Alan with his rapier. Abrash whipped Alan with his thorn whip. Alan tried to hit Gazlowe but missed. Gazlowe also couldn’t land a blow. Gurthen, with his great hammer hit Alan in the back of his head and killed him.

The prison

On the guards desk they found a set of keys (to the prison doors), a plate with a slice of bread (1/2 eaten) and a small cup of stew (room temperature), a pair of wooden dinosaur toys, and a book: "Pale Passion" by Julia Quinn, with a picture of a shirtless, muscular, dark haired wood elf on a horse, who has just come upon a very pale female moon Elf, bathing in a small stream. Cedrik took the cover off the book and gave it to Abrash. They then looked in the cells

In the first cell they found a small Gnome named Wykoop. He looked familiar and Gazlowe said, aren’t you that Gnome who sold us the Niptu components, Blood Antimoniumunmnmnmmn. Wykoop grabbed his head and curled up in the corner shouting out: “I don’t do that anymore!” Abrash said, I think this guy needs therapy. Gazlowe took the keys from the guard’s desk and opened the prison door. They also removed the shackles from Wykoop.

Gazlowe offered Wykoop a deal. He told Wykoop that they have a safe place for him to stay, safe from the Shield of Niptu where he can stay and in return, he can make Niptu’s components for them. However, Wykoop seemed to react badly again to the thought of making Niptu’s components. Wykoop saw that Gazlowe was wearing the winged helm that Wykoop told him was magical. Gazlowe confronted Wykoop on it and Wykoop admitted he was ashamed and claimed that he’s turned over a new leaf and he will no longer lie or make Niptu’s reagents.

Gurthen steeped up and handed Wykoop a plate and a hammer. Gurthen told him that down the secret passage there is a horse name Low-Will. They explained how to reach him and where their keep is. The asked Wykoop about the inhabitants of the other cells. Wykoop told them that the 3rd cell contains a Troll named Jar Jarnash and that he was once working for the shield, but they put him in prison for eating people. He also warned them that Quyburn (one of the clerics) has also been experimenting on Jar Jar. He said Quyburn is a little dark. They then pointed the way for Wykoop and he escaped.

The troll

Gazlowe looked into the 3rd prison room and saw a Troll. The party discussed letting the Troll run free just for fun. The troll spoke very little broken common. Gazlowe tried to convince the Troll that the Shield of Niptu is “Bad.” The Troll replied, “Shield Good, Sword Bad.” Cedrik said, “Quyburn bad.” The Troll agreed to that with a hearty “Quyburn bad!” Gazlowe chimed in with “Quyburn bad, eat Quyburn.” The Troll replied, “No eat people.” Gazlowe continued trying to let the Troll know that eating people good. After several minutes, Gazlowe felt confident they confused the Troll enough that he might now eat people, but he may not be reliable. The party agreed that they should let him out when the time was right.

The Adamantine doors.

The party cleaned up the dead guards and put them into the empty cells. In addition to the daggers and swords they did find 3 electrum on one of the guards. Gazlowe went straight to the large adamantine doors and began the lock picking process. Abrash helped guide him and Gazlowe just barely succeeded in picking the first lock. Gurthen opened the door and revealed a 2nd door behind. Gazlowe crouched down and began examining the locking mechanism. He recognized it as the same locks from the Clockwork queen’s factory. He warned the party that these locks will be very complex. Cedrik inspired Gazlowe and he successfully picked the first tumbler. Inspired by Cedrik again and guided by Abrash he successfully picked the 2nd tumbler, and the door was unlocked. Opening the door, they saw the 3rd door.

Gurthen sensed that there were many beings in the adjacent room behind the door. Seeing how many people were there, they considered the troll again. Gazlowe began examining the lock on the 3rd door and recognized the gnomish complexity in the lock. Questioning his abilities, he began picking and miraculously easily picked the first chamber. However, he triggered a trap and 10 darts all shot out at him, but all simply dinked off his armor.

The “clink, clink, clink” of the darts hitting the armor was loud and Gurthen sensed even more movement in the adjacent chamber. They were clearly preparing for an assault. Nervous, Gazlowe had some difficulty on the 2nd chamber. Feeling inspired by Cedrik and guided by Abrash, Gazlowe finally picked the lock successfully. The lock clicked loudly.

The guards of Niptu.

Gazlowe suggested that he cast fog cloud, Abrash suggested he immobilize some of them, Thomas suggested that they just run in and destroy the body. The group discussed the strategy for some time. Abrash heard a noise in the guard room. Gurthen walked back to the first door and peeked out. Seeing a guard approaching, he said, “Excuse me, we left this open.” Then he closed the door. Gazlowe suggested releasing the troll again.

The guard slowly opened the door and peeked in. Seeing the Stone Bearers gathered at the far end, the guard slowly backed up and closed the door. The party ran after him, Abrash caught up and tried to grapple but missed him. Cedrik couldn’t catch the guard, so he cast mage hand on the alarm rope the guard was reaching for. The guard tried to reach the rope but couldn’t. Gazlowe tried to hit the guard with a firebolt but missed. Gurthen came out and threw a javelin directly into the guard’s heart, pinning him to the wall. Cedrik took him down from the wall and dragged the body into the prison. Gazlowe took the guard’s hat.

The party went back to the Niptu room and again began discussing their plan to go in. Thomas donned his shield. Gazlowe cast his fog cloud in the door. Cedrik blew his horn as the door opened. The fog flowed into the room heavily obscuring the party.

The battle

Thomas walked in the room first. With his blind sense he detected someone to his right and left. He struck one of the guards with his chain whip. Gurthen walked in and struck the same guard badly bloodying him. Cedrik ran in and was attacked by a Spellhound and knocked prone. Cedrik cast Nathair’s Mischief on a group of mages. One of the guards grappled Abrash in the fog cloud. Abrash, effectively blinded couldn’t do anything.

Cedrik, being the only Stone Bearer visible to guards, became the sole target of all their ranged attacks. Small lightning bolts from 10 mages simultaneously hit Cedrik and immediately knocked him out. Gazlowe killed the guard holding Abrash. The 2nd Spellhound on the far side of the room let out a loud howl and all the magical effects the party had cast were dispelled. Thomas ran to Cedrik and cast spare the dying. Isabella ran in raging and started swinging her axe hitting any enemy close. Gurthen ran to Cedrik with his glowing hands and glowing lips. He kissed Cedrik and restored 25HP with his lay on hands.

The battle raged on and on for what seemed like 2 hours but was only about a minute. In the end the Stone Bearers went up and down, used most of their abilities and were just barely victorious. As the last enemy saw that the battle was lost, he reached for an alarm bell and pulled the rope just before the Stone Bearers killed him.

They found an area of magical darkness and killed the Drow who was maintaining that spell. Revealed was a large glass sarcophagus centered on a set of very large magical runes drawn in the floor. They heard the sound of more guards approaching. Looking for Ajani, they said, “What now?”