Erallian Campaign; Session 4

All agreed that the morning had come too soon, and the early preparation only further soured their moods. Dressed and fed, they proceeded into the breaking dawn. All immediately drew their weapons as the sight of a ferocious wolf filled their vision. Arlina began spewing incantations before a leather clad female figure rushed into the fray, shouted at the party to cease their aggression, and whispered softly to the growling beast. It quieted down before licking its master’s face.

“What in the name of all…” Arlina began to speak, but the ranger cut her short.

“I am Lilly, of Perod Heights. I arrived yesterday and, upon speaking to the mayor, have been informed of your task. Surely you could use the talents of a skilled master of the wilds, yes?” Azreck couldn’t hold back a smile and Lunara nodded immediately. Arlina, clearly, was not thrilled, but understood the advantages involved. It was Zyrallus, though, who spoke.

“Of course. I assume that this is your companion?” He gestured toward the panting wolf and received a gentle nod. “Very well… your name?”

“Lilly.”

Azreck spoke up then, “An Orthrasix, eh? I did not know your kind still left Perod.” Lilly looked up at the towering paladin and the briefest glint of hatred sparkled behind her eyes. She quickly hid the glare before responding.

“We leave when we desire to, Gallahulk. I was unaware your kind knew anything but torment. Worshipping that despicable Tiamat as your queen… you disgust me.”

Azreck only laughed. “Learn your facts before you accuse, child. I worship her simply for the power it bestows. It was not my choice to be created in this vile form, but I have lived a tiresome life attempting to atone for that mistake. Have you ever seen a Gallahulk who willingly strays from Tiamat’s teachings? They lose their knowledge of the divine… I will not risk that.” Lilly looked at first to continue the argument, but brushed the topic away.

“Let us move out. The forest is filled with vile creatures, and I hear that we must first find a portal to enter the Venathan Tower. This mayor seems odd, but at the very least somewhat trustworthy.” At that, they gathered together and headed into the nearby forest.

The ground was damp from a shower which must have occurred sometime during the night. The trees swayed in the gentle breeze, and all was peaceful in a way that none of the party was used to. Breaking the silence was a lone voice, muffled by the walls of a slowly approaching house. Through the window, Zyrallus noticed two shadowy silhouettes. It was daylight now, but there were no candles lit within the abode. The rogue crept up to the window and waited for the sounds to move away. Just at the moment he detected their distraction, Zyrallus peered inside and took count of the interior. He crept back as silently as he had arrived. “Five of them. Two ranged. And there is indeed a small altar of some kind inside. But how could they know of our arrival, or even use the portal… unless…”

Lunara understood immediately, “Unless their leader is a Fallen. It is the only way. Very well, we know of their numbers. How do we use that to our advantage?” The party discussed quietly and decided that Zyrallus would spy until the enemies were distracted and then alert the party to break through the front door. The rogue checked for locks, found none, and moved to his position. All was quiet… and then he gave the word.

Clearly, the human guards were not expecting an ambush. Before they even had a chance to react, Lilly’s ferocious wolf took one of the crossbowman out and Zyrallus stealthily backstabbed a warrior into oblivion. As the enemies looked to regain composure, though, the party executed perfectly and got in another flurry of attacks. All that remained after the second assault were two lowly warriors, one already bleeding profusely. They charged valiantly and ganged up on Arlina. Amazingly, both of them delivered vital blows and knocked the bard out cold. She lay, writhing and bleeding on the wooden floor. Azreck rushed to her aid as Lunara finished off the weaker enemy. Zyrallus dealt with the other.

“You’re going to be fine, Arlina. Just hold on.” The grizzled Gallahulk prayed for mercy as his patient slipped one step closer to demise. Again, he attempted to save her, and finally she moved back to the conscious world. The enormous paladin sighed in relief as a gentle hand fell on his shoulder. He looked up to see Lilly smiling. He returned it and asked for her help in lifting the bruised bard to her feet.

“Thank you, Azreck. Truly.” He nodded as Lunara made her way to the altar. With a kind of melancholy dance she activated the ancient device, grinning widely as the brilliant light shone forth from the portal. It seemed to yawn, as if awakened from the deepest slumber. Lunara turned.

“Are you fit to leave, Arlina?” The bard nodded, and before any of them could argue in her stead, she jumped onto the shining tiles and vanished. Shrugging, the rest of them followed. The journey was afoot, indeed.

Divine Power; A D&D Review

As seems to be a common factor in my reviews, I’m terribly behind on purchasing 4th edition supplements. Recently, in realizing that three of the players in my current campaign were of the divine power source, I understood that it was time at last to purchase a source supplement. Divine Power supplies players with numerous additional class options and powers, a brilliant section on channel divinity abilities, new feats, and a few extra rituals. Still, the book comes at a thirty dollar price tag, and the question may arise as to whether it’s worth the buy in relation to content provided.

The added powers and class builds are intriguing, to say the very least. Most are equal in power and utility compared to the core rules, but the true shining beacon lies with the paladin advancements. Let’s be fair now… core paladins were grossly underpowered, in my opinion, compared to the rest of the class spectrum. Now, at last, they can rise to the occasion with a plethora of newly imagined abilities, many of which offering the newly popular trade system of increased damage or effects for some other negative. (For example, an extra die or two of output damage in trade for the PC taking a certain amount of minor damage.) Included as well are a staggering amount of new paragon paths tailored for each class, some of which being rather impressive. Clearly, players purchasing Divine Power in the hopes of acquiring new abilities for their favorite classes will be most pleased, but what of the rest of the book?

Here, I was not only surprised, but also uplifted. Finally, WotC offers players a smallish compendium of truly worthwhile information. What if you’re a DM who has created your own pantheon of gods? What if your players are of an evil origin and are worshipping similar deities? Before Divine Power, you would be at a loss for deity specific channel divinity abilities, but no more. Now, DM’s have both a list of new channel divinity powers related to certain god’s domains of rule (such as winter or war) and a preset list offering the domains of the evil and chaotic evil deities. Truly, truly useful. In addition, there are a plethora of new feats (a few of which seem rather useless, but that’s a minor complaint) and about ten rituals. All of those plus new epic destinies, and one can pretty much understand the quality of this supplemental material.

Before I gush any more, I feel obliged to remind all readers that this is the first and only source supplement that I own. I don’t know if Martial, Arcane or Primal Power will offer as much or as innovative utilities as Divine, but that should be far and away from the point at hand. If you have a divinely powered hero and are looking to truly understand and augment her abilities, this book is for you. If you are a DM with a homebrew pantheon or an evil oriented campaign, you will benefit greatly from this supplement. It should be obvious by now, but I was in no way prepared for the amount of useful additions present here. If this one applies to you or your character, do yourself a favor and pick it up right away.

D&D Homebrew; Erallian Pantheon

The Erallian Pantheon is, to be frank, rather spacious. In the beginning, only the most powerful gods dared to stake their claim to the swirling nothingness of the ocean mire, and, once the land became settled and dominated by The Four, no other deities dared intrude. Still, there are a few inhabitants of the Erallian mainland who achieved their place through migration, and many of these outsiders stake their claim to one of three Under Gods or the plethora of deities from other lands. Because of this, the Erallian campaign setting remains confined in both landmass and supernatural leaders, but the few who do preside are not to be trifled with.

The Four

Bahamut

Bahamut, upon noticing the opportunity for a new and lawful domain, staked his claim to two areas. The one began as a secluded, mountainous island; the other a snow ridden proving ground for his bravest followers. Unfortunately, as the years passed and the wars forsook the lands, his sacred retreat was completely obliterated. Ironically, the area made to be his land of fame and victory instead morphed into the only safe haven for northern war deserters. He now presides in the fourth quadrant of the Am’Or astral plain, waiting and watching for the time to save his greatest creations… or destroy them.

Tiamat

If one would compare Bahamut to the king of Erallia, Tiamat must be considered the most aggressive party vying for the throne. Her villainy in Erallia began as it ended; the destruction of many and a hasty retreat. To her delight, the other gods trusted her in the beginning of all. A mistake, she hopes, they will soon regret. Her realm, in Am’Or quadrant two, is a fiery hell of unmentionable destruction. None would dare approach her. As a kind of taunt, perhaps, she created an accessible portal on the northern Erallian isle. Exactly eight have entered the place. Exactly eight are suffering eternal damnation for their ignorance.

Lolth

The spider queen has given up her previous struggle for Erallian supremacy. Her vision of a new and powerful underdark was, unfortunately, shattered after the Second War. In escaping, without her knowledge, she left a gateway to her realm in the third quadrant of the Am’Or. It is a vile and dangerous place, only accessible through her premature underdark on Erallia’s southeast isle. She knows not of Erallia’s goings on. Rather ironic when one considers she is open to invasion… at least, if the enemy can overcome her darkest minions in the process.

Vecna

The true lich king cares not for Erallia. He despises the elves that forsook his name, he loathes the gods who stole his glory, and he desires the entire Erallian world to crumble into nothingness. He thinks about it sometimes, basks in the realization that at any time he could begin his third crusade against the good and hopeful of Erallia. The southwestern city of Dothram houses the only portal to his Am’Or realm, that of quadrant one. Both Dothram and the first quadrant are home to the most vile and despicable of undead creatures. Vecna dares all to challenge him. Their deaths, if hideous enough, give him minor satisfaction.

The Under Gods

Ultara

Her presence in Erallia was as sudden as any. One second she was unknown, the next she walked the earth in search of true pride and peace. Though she cares not for the role of politics or violence, she has in secret aligned herself with the great lord Bahamut. Her mastery of the seasons and thunderous refrain must be challenged if any desire meeting with her lawful master. As an interesting aside, the people of the northwestern isle are the only to worship her… the same isle which was chosen and created by Bahamut to be his ultimate gauntlet.

Zinshe

A dual wielding katana warrior is horrifying enough. Imagine one taller than the skies themselves, wielding eight mighty weapons of sharpest quality, and burning in the northern sect. Zinshe approached Tiamat. She told him that challenging her would lead to certain doom, and, in seeing his obvious talents, convinced him to guard her supremacy. None can champion Tiamat without first destroying her most prized warrior.

Silsannan

If Lolth is the spider queen, Silsannan is the spider princess. Don’t ever call her that, of course, lest you desire to lose your head and be sucked dry. She guards the premature remains of Lolth’s Erallian underdark, skittering around the caverns in search of food and sustenance. You may be able to challenge Lolth without facing Silsannan, but don’t expect to miss her on the way out. Lolth is directly tied to her veritable princess, and will resurrect in true form if Silsannan is not first defeated.

And there you have it. Vecna has no under god, for the bronze lich serves as adequate protection. My players usually enjoy the tiered battle system (though in 4e the gods can be difficult enough on their own) and sometimes opt to simply destroy the under god associated with the true god they hope to defeat. Warm ups like Ultara, especially, often resemble the true battle in epic challenge and reward.

Erallian Campaign; Session 2

Arlina pushed ahead towards the dipping sun. The other three companions were grouped together, speaking in near silent voices, and falling desperately behind. “Hurry up! We don’t have time to waste!” The cloaked bard continued shouting at them without once turning around, and, to her increasing frustration, they refrained from answering.

“So, Lunara… You say that you were once in the astral sea? I can’t believe it, but to look at you… Well, to look at you there is no doubt.” Zyrallus again took into account the burned wings and attempted to picture the giant woman in angelic fashion. He failed miserably. ‘There’s nothing left in her of that life. Maybe she prefers it that way.’ Azreck was far too busy admiring the sky to take into account anything the two were saying. He did, though, try his best to stay in line with them in order to foster some sort of companionship.

“Help! Help!” The three redirected their gaze towards Arlina and saw that a group of kobolds had her surrounded. They rushed in and began to draw their weapons, but the bard held up her hand. They continued their pace.

“Wux. Yth tir ti tuor ekess svent wux.” To all involved, the fact that the kobold was attempting communication was a great shock, at the very least. Unfortunately, Zyrallus knew little to none of draconic. It seemed that this would be another situation resolved solely through bloodshed. The rogue began to ready his rapier, but a clay fist moved him gently aside. Azreck stared into the eyes of the little monster before speaking, “Gethrisj. Yth jatil thric lowan. Ergriff wux maekrix nishka loreat.” And at that, like a kind of magic, the proud kobold warrior sniffed, sheathed his weapon, and herded his troops away. Everyone stared at the paladin, mouths proverbially dropped.

“I have lived a long life. I have learned much. Let us proceed.” For them, for now, that would have to be enough explanation. The sun was completely gone, and soon the true evils of the forest would present themselves. Kobolds and spiders and wolves were one thing. ‘Ogres and Basilisk are something else entirely,’ Zyrallus thought to himself. ‘Besides. Martanya is just across this valley. Or at least it should be.’

As the long trek continued, Lunara wondered momentarily back to a life she did not quite remember, and wished, against her own pride, that she could recall the glories of it. Serving Bahamut had been the greatest experience of her near thousand year life, but it seemed that even after a half century of fiery punishment for her misdeed, the true glories of her past would be forever forbidden. “Smoke. There, in the distance.” She pointed to a clearing, just barely visible in the moonlight. Two kobold underlings were slobbering over some kind of slaughtered game, and another, much larger kobold sat near a small campfire.

Zyrallus crept closer through the trees, took into account the details he could acquire, and returned to the party. “Definitely the leader of this small tribe. The only problem is that he’s blocking the pass to Martanya. I know that I could sneak by, but I have less faith in the rest of you succeeding. And to travel around at this time of night… No. We must fight.” All agreed that the best plan was, indeed, violence. They took their positions.

Azreck charged from the trees at the crossbow wielding kobold and knocked the little humanoid straight to the ground. The leader shouted some kind of arcane warcry before rushing to the giant paladin and hacking away at his legs. Zyrallus, hidden by the commotion, made his move. He leapt from the shadows and delivered such a powerful blow that the minor kobold warrior was immediately eliminated. Soon after, all that remained was the disgruntled warchief.

“Ragh! Thric kilith! Ergriff lowan!” Azreck, clearly understanding the kobold’s taunt, nodded before striking the beast down. The party sat in the camp and rested. Martanya was just a small walk to the north now. ‘Martanya… the rotting waste of southern Erallia. Heh. Rotting or not, I’ll be glad to get some peace and comfort.’ After a few hours, they gathered their resolve and ventured forth once again.

Erallian Campaign; Session 1

‘Birds… I hear birds.’ Thoughts ricocheted in his mind and threatened to break their way free. Clearly, something was amiss. Zyrallus Alevar looked around as best as his stiffened neck would permit, saw rusted iron bars, and let out a disheartening sigh. ‘Drunk? What did I do this time?’ But it couldn’t be, simply couldn’t be. He remembered very clearly sleeping the night before and recalled just as accurately that his system was devoid of ale. A voice came, then, gruff and unpleasant.

“You look lost, son. Hahaha… Don’t you know a cage when you see one?” Zyrallus angled his head, grimaced once again at the pain, and noticed with ever growing disdain that he was not the only prisoner in this veritable hell. A heavily armored beast, for lack of any better term, was stuck almost to the point of strangulation between the iron bars of a similar cell.

“By the Raven Queen…” Words, for the first time he could recall, escaped him. The thing was enormous, would tower at least seven feet, Zyrallus wagered, if allowed to fully stretch itself out. But it wasn’t the size, or the darkened skin, or even the bellowing laughter which frightened him… It was the array of spikes protruding like an iron maiden from the thing’s shoulders.

“Don’t lose your words over me, lad. Wouldn’t waste such precious things as words on that.” He tried to move and failed. Tried to break the bars away, and was greeted with a similar result. “Look here, new friend. As far as I can say, you need help as much as I do. Can’t you do something about these damn cages?” Zyrallus pondered the current situation, almost drifted away to the sounds of the forest, and then shot his head upwards.

“Heh… that’s what I do.” He fiddled in his leather pouch, praying that whoever had imprisoned them was not intelligent enough to remove his favorite tools. ‘They didn’t take my case, my weapons or my armor… who’s to say the fools would take a set of lock picks?’ Luckily, and it was fair to say that luck was his strategy, the metal bars and gears were still in the rawhide sack. With a flick of the wrist the cage doors slammed open. The beast-like warrior seemed to smile in the waning daylight. Zyrallus hurried over and opened the other cage.

“Free. I need to stretch, elf. Why don’t you unlock the other two cells?” Zyrallus looked up at him with an expression of such incredulity it would have been funny under other circumstances. “Yes. There are more. Two females by the looks of it. Over there.” He pointed in the direction of the forest clearing and, sure enough, two identical ancient cages were propped up from branches. Zyrallus made his way over, worked his magic, and was surprised, once again, to find the two women staring at him.

“A rogue, I wager? Wonderful.” The voice came from the smaller of the two. She was cloaked and facing away, seeming to stare into the dipping sun between the gnarled trees. “Hurry up, fool. Get Lunara free.” As if by royal command, Zyrallus found himself obeying the orders without so much as a second thought. Lunara, he found… was rather frightening. For one, she challenged the height of the now stretching beast. For another, she sprouted what appeared to be scalded wings.

“Thank you, kind Dothrama. You’re kind… To be truthful, I thought they were long lost. But let us not waste this precious time. We must proceed.” Zyrallus felt as if things were progressing too quickly, but he understood that urgency was necessary under the circumstances. For all they knew, their captors could return to finish whatever malicious deeds they had originally intended.

Not two seconds later, the Dothraman Elf heard breaking twigs in the underbrush. The little cloaked one was chattering away, and he moved to her with such speed that she began to draw at her blade. “Do not speak. To the east, under the oak.” She nodded, looked, and smiled. Zyrallus crept silently towards the lumbering giant and whispered to him as best he could.

“Your name, sir?” Zyrallus questioned. The brown tinted, muscular behemoth looked down before responding.

“Azreck, friend. What is all the-,”

“Shh…” The rogue motioned to the bushes, and all was immediately understood. They gathered together, waiting for the butcher’s bill. Ogres? Orcs? As if by Divine providence, the answer hastily presented itself.

“By the Gods… what a disappointment.”

Kobolds. And a great deal of them. Zyrallus counted in the shade of one of the cages. There appeared to be four warriors and at least eight underlings. They brandished their shoddy weapons, banged the misshapen tools against equally useless shields, and snarled. Suddenly, a bolt of thunderous energy exploded from the winged woman’s hand, and two of the smaller creatures fell to the grass in burning clumps. Everyone charged.

The battle was short lived, at best, but stiffness and exhaustion from the confinement evened the odds. The cloaked woman resonated with inspiring song, uplifted the three others to charge onward. An arrow sprung forth from the forest and cut short the melodious tune. She was at best harmed, at worst fatally wounded, and Zyrallus could think of nothing to remedy the situation.

Thankfully, it was not his problem to solve. Azreck raised a misshapen instrument and whispered for aid before sprinting to the still falling female. He pressed two, hardened hands against her head, bowed his own, and broke the arrow at the middle. The female rose as if unharmed, and the remaining kobolds fled into the forest, clearly beaten.

“You… You’re a paladin!? You?” Azreck attempted to remain stoic, but a small smirk escaped none the less. “And you? Done being so high and mighty now?” Zyrallus turned to the hooded one, but her figure was already disappearing into the distance. She turned back and shouted, “Martanya is close. We best head out.” She wanted to continue forth, to lead the pack, but she comprehended her current place. As they all caught up, she spoke again. “Listen. I don’t want to be here, you all don’t want to be here. So let’s get out of these woods, head back to Martanya, and figure everything out there. I’m Arlina.” Zyrallus and Azreck introduced themselves by name, and she nodded, clearly eager. “Now let’s go.

“The gods know I have kobolds to kill.”