Tag: D&D Encounters: The Elder Elemental Eye

Upon finding evidence that the Abyssal Plague had infected the inhabitants of the town of Easting the heroes risked life and limb to traversed the subterranean shrine where a cult of evil Dwarves in service to Tharizdun (The Elder Elemental Eye) plotted to spread the plague across the Forgotten Realms. After two days of chasing the Dwarves through the shrine, battling them and their minions, the heroes finally found and destroyed the cult leader and the Voidharrow, the source of the Abyssal Plague the cultist were using to infect the locals. With the threat of the Abyssal Plague stopped, and Easting returning to normal, the PCs venture back to Iriaebor to report of their deeds and collect the reward promised them by the Merchant Council. And with that they adventure comes to an end… or does it?

This was the final week of D&D Encounters season 9. Although last week seemed like the conclusion to the adventure there was still one more loose end that was resolved in the final encounter. We had 11 players and two DMs (exactly as we did last week) at our FLGS. My table of five remained unchanged.

• Windsoul/Firesoul Genasi Assassin
• Earthsoul Genasi Swordmage [Earthforger]
• Firesoul Genasi Barbarian (Berserker) [Ironwrought]
• Sandsoul Genasi Ranger (Hunter) [Unseelie Agent]
• Elf Ranger (Scout)

This week’s encounter began with the PCs on the road from Easting to Iriaebor. A week had passed since they defeated the Dwarven cult and they have had ample time to rest and recover from their adventures. They presented their report to the Merchant Council along with sealed and signed testimony from Father Evendur confirming the party’s heroics. They were paid 50 gp as promised and awarded free room and board for a month at the Wandering Wyvern, one of Iriaebor’s finest inns.

At the end of last week’s encounter the PCs emerged from the dreamscape Easting in a room made of black stone where they saw the Dwarven cult leader Zarnak addressing a pool of glowing red liquid with gold and silver flecks. “Why does it remain silent?” he asked no one in particular. “No matter!”

As we approach the thrilling conclusion to this season of D&D Encounters we continue seeing most players week in and week out. The other table at my FLGS had their usual six PCs while my table was down to five. The party at my table had the following PCs:

• Windsoul/Firesoul Genasi Assassin
• Earthsoul Genasi Swordmage [Earthforger]
• Sandsoul Genasi Ranger (Hunter) [Unseelie Agent]
• Firesoul Genasi Barbarian (Berserker) [Ironwrought]
• Elf Ranger (Scout)

So far this party has done remarkably well without a leader (much better than I expected them to do). They’ve managed their few healing resources conservatively and began this week with two healing potions in their inventory. Sensible use of second wind and the understanding that dying allies need help has turned this party of strikers into a real force to be reckoned with.

Last week’s encounter ended with the PCs taking a short rest and then stepping through the magical portals in the black obelisk. This week they emerged from the portal and discovered that they were on the road to Easting once again. Before them was Easting’s central square where they spotted the tree-shaded pond, the Thirsty Ox tavern, and the white-plastered temple. Near the edge of the village they saw a building burned to the foundation, the smell of smoke still strong in the air. Déjà vu!

Our numbers held steady with 12 players and two DMs. This has made for excellent consistency and party development. The players have really gotten to know their PCs and the party worked well together now that they have a good understanding of what everyone else is capable of doing. They’ve even come up with a few synergized attacks where one PC will use power X followed by another PC using power Y which results in something really cool. It’s great to see this kind of development at D&D Encounters.

Here’s how the roster shaped up at my table this week.

• Sandsoul Genasi Ranger (Hunter) [Unseelie Agent]
• Windsoul/Firesoul Genasi Assassin
• Firesoul Genasi Barbarian (Berserker) [Ironwrought]
• Revenant (Cindersoul Genasi) Sorcerer (Elementalist)
• Earthsoul Genasi Swordmage [Earthforger]
• Elf Ranger (Scout)

One of the benefits of having consistent attendance is that five of our six players participated in the initial encounter in Easting way back in week 1. This made it a lot easier for me as the DM to set the mood and they had a much easier time noticing differences between this visit to Easting and their last.

After last week’s bloodbath which resulted in the death of one character, the PCs took an extended rest in the great shrine. They awoke fully recharged and everyone had advanced to level 3. The heroes were shocked to see that their dead comrade, the Firesoul Genasi Wizard who was killed by the Ooze during last week’s encounter, had returned to life overnight. Sort of.

The Wizard’s desire to complete the party’s task of stopping this cult and finding a cure for the Abyssal Plague was so strong he was granted a second chance and was returned to life (unlife) as a Revenant. His connection to arcane magic was still strong but now it manifested from the recesses of his very being and he became a Sorcerer.

Some of the PCs were a bit freaked out by the transformation while others (especially those with really low intelligence) didn’t really notice anything different or if they did they didn’t care.

After a quick breather following last weeks battle in the great shrine the PCs began their search of the now eerily quiet room. When the party freed Malgrym during Week 5 he warned them of a Amorphous One, a blue ooze that sleeps in the altar of the great shrine and guards the way deeper into the temple. Now that they were alone in the shrine they decided to proceed with caution and search everything before attempting any serious examination of the altar.

We were back up to six players at each of our two tables this week. We lost the Halfling who worshipped his Genasi companions as deities, but this week we gained a brand new player who brought another striker to our offensively minded party. With the party facing a solo monster this week, another heavy hitter could make a significant difference. The party ended up looking like this:

• Windsoul/Firesoul Genasi Assassin
• Sandsoul Genasi Ranger (Hunter) [Unseelie Agent]
• Firesoul Genasi Barbarian (Berserker) [Ironwrought]
• Cindersoul Genasi Wizard (Sha’ir) [Primordial Adept]
• Earthsoul Genasi Swordmage [Earthforger]
• Elf Ranger (Scout)

During last week’s encounter the PCs entered the Sunset Shrine, fought some of the Dwarven fanatics who had taken up residents and then after defeating them explored the east wing of the dungeon’s first level. When we joined the party this week they picked up back in the main entrance of the dungeon shrine and now had the opportunity to explore the dungeon’s west wing.

Our numbers dwindled a bit this week as we only had three of our regulars for our all-Genasi party. Fortunately the other table had six players and one person graciously jumped ship to join us. And what do you know; he was playing a Genasi so that worked out really well for our party’s theme.

Our party shaped up like this:

• Sandsoul Genasi Ranger (Hunter) [Unseelie Agent]
• Windsoul/Firesoul Genasi Assassin
• Earthsoul Genasi Swordmage [Earthforger]
• Cindersoul Genasi Swordmage [Ironwrought] (player from the other table)

The group ended up with two strikers and two defenders. Still no leader but they seem to be getting adept at playing without a healer. However, the healing potions are starting to run out so things may get ugly soon.

This week marks the beginning of chapter 2. We decided to have all character advance to level 2 whether or not they’d actually played all of the previous encounters. We realized after tracking XP over the previous few seasons that when some of the party lags behind in the XP department it just weakens the party as a whole. It makes the encounter unnecessarily more difficult and people don’t have as much fun. Moving forward everyone will level simultaneously at my FLGS.

We continue to have good numbers for this season, with brand new people joining us every week since we began this adventure. At the FLGS where I played the adventure you’re going to read about below we’re holding steady with two DMs and 12 players. At my other FLGS we’ve gone from 8 players last season to over 20 this season. This week we had three DMs all running tables of six. Our fourth DM can’t play every week so we’ve begun actively recruiting another person to DM. I have no idea why this season has attracted so many new players and frankly I don’t care. I’m just glad we continue to have strong attendance. It wasn’t that long ago we could barely put together one table.

With the addition of a new player last week, our all-Genasi party became 1/6 Halfling. The new player came up with an interesting reason for why the Halfling joined this elemental-based group – he believes that they’re deities. He professed his devotion to them and literally worships the ground they walk on. He’s so humbled to be in their presence that he does whatever they ask him to do. It’s already made for some great role-playing moments and the Genasi PCs are certainly letting the admiration go to their flaming heads.