EPTTo recap, the party had successfully gained the front courtyard of the manor and are licking their wounds.
The party discusses with one another on what would be the best way to proceed further. It's decided that going through the front door will get them all killed so they decide to scale the walls. Arim, the Halfling - throws a grappling hook up to the roof and scales the walls. She opens a window and ducks inside. While the party is following her slowly, she does a little forward scouting. She narrowly avoids a small group of hobgoblins - she even successfully takes two out with quick stealth kills.
The party is now on the second floor of the manor - they immediately fail at stealth rolls and a fight ensues. The party finds themselves between the sleeping room for the defenders and the second floor balcony overlooking the main hall. The fight goes well for the most - some injuries but they make it out OK. They decide to scout a little ahead and are greeted by a kill room. The party found themselves on the opposite side of a hallway - a battle line of hobgoblins formed on the far side and their wizard leader standing behind them.
Arim decides it would be best to sneak up behind them - so she runs off and climbs the rope outside further to the roof. When she reaches the roof she can see a large hole in the roof on the far side and an artistic collection of statues positioned in the center. She heads for the hole - halfway there she hears a crumbling sound. She turns and finds one of the statues coming to life - A Gargoyle. She does the smart move of barreling forward and diving into the hole.
Meanwhile the party decides to taunt the enemy wizards in hopes of drawing the hobgoblins out. If you've read the other blogs - I've shown the party what happens. They get a fireball to the face. Immediately Linnor, our bard is engulfed with flames and nearly dies. They douse the flames and do what healing they can. However our cleric, Raul was a little pissed about the fireball. He proceeded to curse loudly, telling the wizard he will kill her horribly when he gets to her. The wizard answers with another fireball.
For the second time in a minute, Linnor is engulfed in flames. Our paladin, Sumer - decides he has had enough and charges through the kill room. As a note - paladins are hardcore. The two volley's of arrows sent against him were simply plinking off his armor. The traps he triggered on the way were literally shattering upon his exposed back. He makes it to the far side and begins a melee engagement. After tending to Linnor, Raul quickly follows in Sumer's wake. Linnor decides to call this one out and lays against the wall searing in pain - doing a simple bardic performance(+1 to damage).
During all this our resident Gnome Puk (wizard) and Halfling Miro (sorcerer) are busy dealing with something else. Before they could follow Sumer and Raul, a window shatters next to them. Emerging from the glass flying at mach 1 is the gargoyle Arim found. What followed is a gargoyle getting it's ass kicked by a combination of acid and magic missiles. Seeing that it stands no chance the gargoyle decides to flee, but not before lifting Puk off and the ground and flying away with him.
The gargoyle flew past the hallway the party was in and into the hobgoblin sleeping area. Dangling in the air Puk could only look on in horror as to what his fate would be. The gargoyle was literally going to take him outside, fly him 100ft in the air and simply drop him. With time against him Puk tried his only trick, the spell Color Spray. The gargoyle was engulfed in a ray of magic color, failed it's saving throw and crashed to the ground - Puk trailing along with it. With the gargoyle stunned, Miro, Puk and Linnor assisting - they take the gargoyle out.
Going back to Arim, she found herself (after ducking through the hole) in a study. Several books and papers were scattered about but Arim (not knowing the gargoyle went elsewhere) bolted it for the door to avoid the creature. She emerged into a sort of dining room and was quickly greeted by an Ogre. A wounded ogre yes (it was suffering from the spider poison and was sitting out of the main fight) but still an ogre. He could squash her instantly. Arim did what anyone would do - "Sorry, wrong room" she shouts and then she runs faster. She emerges in a hallway behind the battleline.
The wizard noticed her and crippled her with the spell Hideous Laughter (essentially paralyzed with laughter for several rounds). The ogre gets to Arim picks her up and brings her to the wizard. Hoping for a hostage she doesn't immediately kill Arim, she simply has the ogre restrain her. The ogre obliges and simply holds Arim like a doll (while she was still giggling uncontrollably).
Miro, Puk and Linnor finally reach Raul and Sumer. Over the next few rounds is a battle between the hobgoblin line and the party. Going back to Arim - the spell wears off and she is now in control again. She slaps the ogres arms with her Ring of Shocking Grasp(1d6 lightning damage per caster level) and the ogres drops her immediately. She then hacks at the wizard but misses. Seing the situation the wizard, who has now been revealed as Liandra - casts a spell. She then walks back five feet and proceeds to walk vertically up a wall. She stops her turn suspended from the ceiling laughing maniacally.
Arim, I'll state again - the Halfling - is not one to be put down. Seeing Liandra suspended above, she runs up the hunched over ogre (weakened severely by lightning and deadly poison), kicks off of it's head (snapping the ogre's neck in the progress). Flying five feet through the air and proceeds to slice a long deep cut down Liandra's face. Bleeding profusely and now greatly injured - she fails her check to not lose concentration and fall. . She plummets the 15 feet, and is barely left alive.
The party defeats the hobgoblins and are now surrounding Liandra. Liandra beng part of a secret order does what they always do - swig a vial of deadly poison to kill herself. The party watches as she simply dies before them. The session ends shortly after.
As a DM note, I have to say I did not expect the fight to go this way. The initial plan was to have them fight the hobgoblins and eventually push Liandra to the study. The ogre and what remained of the hobs were to defend her retreat. When they follow Liandra into the study - she would escape via the spiderclimb and exit through the hole onto the roof. Following her the party would have a last ditch fight against her and the gargoyle construct. In reality what happened is that the party literally for lack of better term 'aggro'd' the ENTIRE dungeon crawl and fought them all at once.
Looting and story took place next session which will be covered in a later blog (I have to catch up).
For those interested I do stream all these sessions, as well as two other campaigns. You can find this particular session here : (Session 8). Current schedule is:
Wednesday 8PM-12AM EST - Pathfinder RPG
Friday 8PM-12AM EST - Shadowrun
Sunday 7PM -12AM EST - D&D 4th Edition
