Crusade to the Spine of the World

Gruntboy · Post by **Gruntboy** » Wed Jul 25, 2001 3:16 am

With the release of HoW & TotLM I decided to start a new roleplay party in IWD. This is not a story - they're far too long and I lose interest. Its more of a diary/logbook like in the game and I hope you find it interesting as I went with a unique spin...

Prologue
A holy order becomes aware of strange events in the North. The distant lands are of no immediate concern but it provides an opportunity to baptise a group of young knights, squires and initiates whilst keeping an eye on the situation. The holy order is a Sisterhood, dedicated to the sancitity of their God and the female party is made up thusly:

Paladin - Knight Commander Cerys. The natural leader.
Paladin - Sister Ellisen. A dextrous warrior, able with the bow.
Paladin - Sister Amsin. Strong as a rock.
Fighter - Initiate Gia. A squire searching for her faith.
Bard - The Herald Trystell. A half elf bard (not everyone in the sisterhood sticks to their vows

), a poet, warrior and dabbler in arcane arts.
Thief - Neeme. A hired scout, quick and clever with a rising ambition.

This cohesive force, lacking in cleric support (made up for with the paladins' "lay on hands" and the intention to dual fighter to cleric) and mage support (made up for with the bard and the intention to dual thief to mage), intends to make its mark on the cold dale. In bringing the word of their God they hope also to discover just what exactly troubles this region...

After arriving in Easthaven the party signs up with an expedition to Kuldahar. In the meantime they re-equip their battered belongings and deal with several local issues - a pesky wolf, a drunken fisherman, a Siren and some goblins. Orcs and an Ogre caravan raiders are no problem. The paladins are adept in the use of the bow to take out these foul enemies and Trystell the Herald can read the magic scrolls they find [high AC is a problem - low DEX and poor armour].

[ 07-26-2001: Message edited by: Gruntboy ]

Gruntboy · Post by **Gruntboy** » Wed Jul 25, 2001 3:30 am

Vale of Shadows
Emmerging from the avalanche, the party must deal with marauding goblins and orcs. Upon reaching Kuldahar they follow the directions of the local druid in an attempt to avenge the death of the expedition and find the source of the evil. They stock up on spells and missiles and head to the vale of shadows.

In the vale they fight shadow creatures and yetis. Bows and great swords make short work of them and a particularly hard fight in a cave is won when our bard casts "colour spray" and "grease" to slow the yetis down. Animated skeletons in forgotten tombs are no match for the crushing weapons of the paladins (schooled in fighting the undead). The party rests from time to time and healing potions are quaffed when they are found.

On entering the main crypt the party deals with intelligent adversaries and traps. Turning the undead becomes necessary to survive. Each situation is unique - maces for skeletons, disarming traps, a meagre amount of magic weapons to kill mummies. Although the air is thick with decay, the paladins safeguard the Sisters with their purity of purpose and devotion. Resting more often, they barely make it to Kresselak, the tomb's host. Only he is not the casue of our evil. At his request a tough fight with a Priestess of Auril [and several re-loads

] gains the answer we are seeking. Not here.

Back in Kuldahar, healing services are purchased from the temple and armour bought from the Smithy Conlan. Again stocking up on arrows, the party heads for the Druid's next guess - the forgotten temple.

Gruntboy · Post by **Gruntboy** » Wed Jul 25, 2001 3:40 am

Temple of the Forgotten God
Verbeegs are awesome foes. A combination of missile weapons and fancy foot work takes them down, though with some heavy hits on our brave holy warriors. The big fights are won through ambush - Trystell setting Grease and Gas cloud spells to slow the approach of the big ungainly warriors. The fanatic druids fall to arrows. Yet all is for naught. The Heartstone is not there.

Our party takes stock in Kuldahar. Fairly experienced by what they have sen to date (level 5 and 6 mostly). It has taken them over a tenday to reach their current position. Resting with no cleric has made slow progress. The Bard provides adequate spell support. They are mostly clad in plate with a mixture of swords, maces and bows. There are a number of magic weapons and a few items. Potions are used almost immediately upon fighting. The thief is storing unused spell scrolls and intends to learn a new art from them. The party morale is low - just how long will they be stuck here? How many wild goose chases must they go on?

The party is now fairly well equipped with mostly +1 weapons, a few +2 and an excellent +2 Bow of defence.

[ 07-25-2001: Message edited by: Gruntboy ]

Gruntboy · Post by **Gruntboy** » Wed Jul 25, 2001 3:56 am

Dragon's Eye
Following the advice of Arundel, they make for Dragon's Eye. Encountering Lizardmen, the party faces several tough battles. Not only do the lizardmen weapons do fearsome damage but they swarm in large groups. Grease and stinking cloud do the honours again - taking down the lizard king with misile weapons. A second tough fight is made easier by holding a bridge with captive villagers on the other side - thus reducing the lizardmen to fighting 1 on 1 with arrows whistling overhead into the ranks behind.

Pesky acid beetles made life dificult but there are some useful magic weapons on the corpses of failed adventurers that made the beetles' lunch. Spiders add the usual fare of adventuring life.

Deeper in the mountain trolls are encountered and dispatched with fire arrows and potions. A particularly vicous struggle sees the paladins holding a pass (greased and gassed of course

) from trolls and evil clerics. Those emmerging from the vile concoction are cut down and fire poured on them. Arrows fly into the cloud, striking the floundering enemies. After this mighty struggle, Gia realises her true calling is not as a warrior or squire but as a healer and destroyer of those that would hurt her Sisters. Her God grants her the powers to heal her (now very tired and battered) sisters and she learns from a Priestess rescued nearby. Rescued villagers grant her a boon in the eyes of her God.

Gruntboy · Post by **Gruntboy** » Wed Jul 25, 2001 8:14 am

Dragon's Eye II
Right about now the party of paladins feels they may have made the right choices after all. They are faced by a legion of cold wights - two huge hordes piling over them. As the newly devout Gia Smites the whole evil bunch, our trio of holy warriors cuts through the Wights like they weren't even there. Successive waves of the creatures fare no better, in fact their very attacks pile them into small areas to be blasted by heavenly power. Easy money

. Blast skeletons add to the chaos and are detonated with magic. Trsytell sings of deeds of valour to inspire the party.

The party soon comes to a bridge, dizzy with success. After a little scouting, Trystell lures out the Imbued wights with "Shield" to protect her. The mage Presio begins firing of spells to no effect. A retreat to the bridge sees dozens of poison zombies milling around the heros. After the wights are cut down, Gia continues to affirm her faith and do the work of her Lord, her very purity destroying the foul undead as she attempts to turn them. As the zombies lie shattered, the Necromancer is cut down mercilessly.

The party rest for a while in the Necromancer's lair, they are now equipped with several +2 weapons and some magic items. Their confidence has been boosted. Rooting through the magic scrolls and books, Neeme (the thief) declares she has been studying magic for some time now and believes she is quite safe and competent in its use. Taking Presio's equipment for her own, she assures the group she can further assist them with magic (already an accomplished thief and scout).

After setting of an electrical trap, one of the party drinks a potion of absorption and clears a path to the next level.

There is a feeling of foreboding as the paladins carefully move down the passage...

[ 07-26-2001: Message edited by: Gruntboy ]

[ 07-26-2001: Message edited by: Gruntboy ]

Gruntboy · Post by **Gruntboy** » Thu Jul 26, 2001 2:24 am

Dragon's Eye III
The plucky paladins creep down the smooth corridor. They are met by a priest but a dark, evil aura betrays his true feelings. Challenged, the priest summons forth his allies. A quick Neeme struggles to bar the door to the main area and two priests are cut down. The party prepares as horrid sounds emmanate from the next passage and the door begins to thud.

As the door caves in, a jumble of trolls, lizardmen, snakemen and priests charge headlong into a trap. Grease, stinking clouds and a skull trap greet them (you guessed it) whilst arrows, bolts and pots of fire rain down from overhead. Gia chants in the background, giving the women hope and filling the attackers with dread. When the slaughter it is done it is a simple matter of mopping up the remaining snakemen priests and looting their disgusting temple. Some captured adventurers are pleased to e released.

[ 07-26-2001: Message edited by: Gruntboy ]

Gruntboy · Post by **Gruntboy** » Fri Jul 27, 2001 6:36 am

Dragon's Eye IV
The freed adventurers set up a base of operations in the Snake-infested lair. The crusaders sally forth to eradicate the remaining nests of vipers - cut off from the exits. Returning frequently to this safe haven to rest, the freed adventurers more than pay off their debt of rescue.

The Paladins to indeed return frequently to rest, for the evil Snakes are tough opponents. Their leader, taking the illusionary form of a little girl, taunts the heroines into battle against hordes of her minions. Vicous traps take their toll but the Vipers are slowly pushed back. Neeme begins casting powerful spells, specialising in fire magic at first to drive back the Snakes. Captured stocks of magic arrows assist in the battles as the paldins smite the evil serpent warriors and their priests.

In several desparate struggles the enemy are caught in their own traps, blocked in the doorway of a room and firey oil cast on them and one of their own sacred weapons - a fine bow able to fire arrows rapidly - turned on themselves to mow them down.

Justice, Right and Good prevail as the horrors of this particular enemy fade with destruction of their leader Xuonemei in an epic fight. Only by drawing on every ounce of the faith in their God, every potion, every clever spell, is this false abominable demon and her followers destroyed.

Many fine magical items are capture and put to work for the cause. But again, the source of evil in the North remains elusive.

Gruntboy · Post by **Gruntboy** » Mon Aug 13, 2001 5:52 am

Severed Hand
On returning to Kuldahar, the party finds Arundel murdered. This must be the work of the true evil - so many false starts! THere is nothing left to do but act on Arundel's final advice. Proceed to the Seldarine.

After a long journey the haunted ruins are a foreboding sight. Shadowed Goblins and Orcs are no match for the now battle-hardened Paladins. Wary steps prevent ambushes making any gains. Goblin Marksmen are quite damaging and summoned fodder takes their wrath whilst return missile fire removes the threat. Warped skeletal guardians are tough foes but the stout maces of the party crack the boney enemies. Later, packed ranks of skeletal warriors and lost spirits are burned from every corner of the Hand using fire magic.

This sad chapter in the Seldarine's history is completed with the final rest of the ghostly elves. Pitced battles with elven clerics, warriors, officers and mages see our heroes weep with sorrow as they must fight the very people who would help them.

The mighty fortress rings with the sound of battle as fire and arrow scour the elven stalwarts out.

An elf merchant, believing his business to be thriving, pays well for recovered treasures. Magic and cleric spell support in the party rapidly reaches a high level. One fine suit of Elven chain even allows the wearer to cast spells.

Ultimately successful, the Elf-lich Labelas uses the heartstone gem to find the source of evil and transports the party to Kuldahar to re-stock before the trek to Dorn's deep. The end seems in sight...

Gruntboy · Post by **Gruntboy** » Mon Aug 13, 2001 6:02 am

Dorn's Deep
Quick progress is made against the relatively new inhabitants of this once-proud Dwarf homeland. Myconids and Ettins are easyil dealt with. The pary barters with a curious mage and dark elf resistance at the entrance is put paid to with summoned berzerk warriors and accurate missile weapons. The adventurers clash with dozen's of Orogs and warbands of Drow. The Drow especially are difficult foes, defeated only with maximum effort - enchanted missile weapons and a concentration of defensive spells. Later armies of undead are turned wholesale by the cleric and even a fearsome lich falls to the strength, stealth and cunning of our heroines. The violated tombs of the Dwarves leave all manner of magic items ripe for plundering. Rather than allow passing bandits to steal the items, the paladins decide to put them to good use.

Powerful Bronze guardians bar the way out, rather than back down or run, the Paladins suffer grievously not to admit defeat.

Gruntboy · Post by **Gruntboy** » Mon Aug 13, 2001 6:20 am

Wyrm's Tooth
After all they have been through, Trolls and Winter Wolves and armies of Frost Salamanders and Frost Giants are no match for the Paladins.

Fearsomely strong (level 8 Paladins and a 6/9 cleric, a 12 Bard and a 8/9 Mage) and well equipped (mostly +2 weapons, the odd +3 or +4 weapon, potions, scrolls and with Neeme wearing armour she can cast spells in), the hordes of enemies simply offer more practice for the group as they battle their way to Lower Dorn's...

The herlad Trystell sings in battle to restore the vigour of the fighters, whilst Gia invokes the protecive power of her god. Neeme is fast becoming a spell-casting powerhouse as well as a scout.

[ 08-13-2001: Message edited by: Gruntboy ]