Five Tower Keep Session 5: 08/30/2018 Hail Hydra!

The Map of Days

We begin around noon on the third day since leaving Five Hour Keep continuing our search through K3 (reminding reader that the adjacent K4 has a swamp troll lair somewhere inside.). Eventually to the south we see three, we assume them to be manticores, flying in concentric circles in the next territory to the south- soon to be area K5 along our path. We enter said territory having fully explored K3 and also finding no major lairs in that area.

Moving SW into K5 our characters begin to map and explore. As we travel swamp trolls continue to harry us from the east. It takes us 5 hours to explore this area with most of the area very wet and in places past our ankles as we travel.

*Succeeding on a exploration check means we do not get lost now or in the future visits to an hexagonal area; survival checks indicates an awareness of dangers and surprises.

Thirty minutes into K5 we notice that we are getting closer to the flying manticores that seem to be dead center of this territory. Unexpectedly Stoutwood finds a single barefooted giant track about this time; the track seems to be heading in a NE direction. The track is no more than two days old. About an hour into our exploration the land begins to rise out of the feted water; while ahead our characters think we see a flickering or shimmering light. We take pains to safeguard our ears as we approach the soft flickering glow. We venture closer we happen across a large boulder sunken in about two feet of water with the mysterious glow is situated about ten feet above it.

Melderon attempts to touch the local ley line but falls short due to the unfamiliarity of the area- the area had an old-world connection. We get closer and we see the glow is actually a light mace hanging in the tree, swaying foliage from our approach gave the glowing mace a shimmering effect. Mesha detects magic both from the mace as well from a box in the water below and items of value in the water and scattered about. Alaric approaches closer still and discovers the rock is in fact large stone statue of a giant frog; nearby, a haphazard pile of broken life-sized statuary of various animals. Poking around Alaric also finds a magic boarspear in the water.

From the jungle emerges a hydra to give us grief. Battle! In the end Melderon uses acid splash to kill the quickly regenerating old-world monster while Alaric, Stoutwood and Drake keep the creature unconscious with strikes. There is no longer a hydra lair in K5!

In the immediate area our characters find 15 javelins of lighting, 2 beads of force (Melderon, Mesha), amulet of natural armor +2 (Drake), an adamantine throwing axe (a Horcton relic)(Stoutwood), ring of swimming (Alaric), empty type I bag of holding (Melderon), a gold necklace worth 100 gp, a silver necklace worth 30 and +1 hurtful boarspear (Alaric), +1 light mace that sheds light (has symbols of Palor the Orc god of the Sun) (Mesha). Melderon is able to discern the properties of the iron crown recovered from an orog back in Swamplands Thorpe (Stoutwood).

Crown of Forceful Strikes

Aura: faint evocation; CL: 5th

Slot: head; Price: 2,400 gp; Weight: —

Description

This sturdy iron crown is decorated with small points that take the form of miniature swords, pointing up. Three times per day as a swift action, the wearer can cause one weapon attack he makes to count as a force effect (like magic missile or spiritual weapon), except the damage done still counts as weapon damage (rather than spell damage). The crown’s power may be used three times per day.

Construction Requirements: Craft Wondrous Items, spiritual weapon; Cost: 1,200 gp.

We decide to huddle and rest in a nearby hunting shack without incident. Overnight the water level rises and at midnight the water reaches its highest point (high tide for this area is noon and midnight). We begin planning an attack with the manticores. We range out to 900 feet from the manticores and see a 300 foot risen area where we believe their lair to be. We believe there are only three, although there could be more inside the lair. We advance closer to the edge of the grassy gnoll where we find numerous discarded carcasses lying about including many humanoids. Stoutwood finds venomous spittle up in some areas as we take our places. Battle! Our characters open up with using every javelin of lightning we recovered from the hydra and our deadly dice rolling skills to defeat the venomous manticores.

We each find a masterwork and or cold iron weapon of Horcton among the carcuses and fully explore the K5 territory. Our characters continue southwest into M1 and around noon on the 4^th day since leaving Five Tower Keep we happen across a giant with bundles of javelins…