Here’s what happened in our final Scarlet Citadel session of 2022, in which the adventurers escaped back to Redtower for some much needed R & R.
You can read earlier posts here. This post contains spoilers for Scarlet Citadel.
We only had the three clerics for this session – something that would make the characters’ escape from the Scarlet Citadel a bit more challenging than I had planned.
We began the session with the characters completing a much needed short rest back on Level 2 after fleeing from the trollkin on the level below. As they finished resting, Clairmont’s alarm spell, cast at the top of the stairs, was triggered by a group of trollkin grunts led by Egail, one of the reavers.
After poking around a bit outside, the trollkin open the door to Cagoth-Ze’s study where the adventurers are hiding. The three grunts enter the room and attack the characters, while Egail hangs back. Maya gets cornered and falls unconscious, but is quickly revived by Tunde. The characters kill the grunts first, then the reaver, grabbing his chainbreaker battle axe. Perhaps this magic weapon might allow them to free the Chained Thing they heard about from Dutberta the vila?
Next, the party attempt to sneak past the sleeping ankylosaurus. Maya slips on a stray olive, and clatters to the floor, making a racket, but luckily the dinosaur continues snoring.
Now on the other side of the summoning chamber, they decide they need another short rest before facing the ogrepede on Level 1. While they are resting, more trollkin come upstairs and find the bodies of their comrades. Luckily, they won’t go past the snoozing ankylosaurus.
Rested, the group return to Level 1 via the infamous spiral stairs, opening the door to the water torture room where the ogrepede is still crashing around. Maya turns the hideous undead monstrosity again and they escape up the stairs to the ruins.
Here they run into another group of Iron Spike dwarves who are ready for the characters, thanks to Desgrik, the bandit they released after capturing him in session 28. Not in any fit state for an extended combat, the party make a run for it, dashing away from the dwarves and leaping into Tunde’s Dancing Hut. Deciding the need for subtlety has long since passed, they walk back into Redtower inside the hut and park it on the village green.
Over the next few days, the characters level up to 6th level. Maya takes Egail’s +1 chainbreaker battle axe; Clairmont takes her +1 longsword.
Mayor Broz checks in with Clairmont on the repairs to the temple of Khors and how he is getting on with preparations for the Lantern Festival. Clairmont sends a message to the temple of Khors in Peltzenheim, asking them to send representatives to the festival, and asks Skekni Mudsnout at the Block and Tackle to order some lanterns. Meanwhile, the workers in the temple have uncovered some of the murals on the walls which show the knights of Khors burning down the Scarlet Citadel and driving out the dwarves 110 years ago.
The characters also visit Zula to buy more options, and have tea with Konrad again where Maya buys a potion of transparency. They learn some more of Redtower’s history, finding out that the infamous dwarf leader Chansar the Pale’s body was never found.
Finally, Tunde throws a hog roast party to say goodbye to the Dancing Hut which strides off into the forest. She decide to continue wearing her grass dress but will put her armour over the top in future.
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Main image by David Auden Nash
Richard Green | Game Designer 