Brazen Wolfe Tabletop

Darkstone Mountain Pass

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Setting the scene for the Darkstone Mountain Pass encounter this week we have the clearing in the Darkstone Mountain pass where Elara and the party connect as well as Brother Colin revealing his true colours. There is more to come tomorrow but the map takes centre stage today.

Along with a rather large, roughly 40 feet by 75 feet, area to fight in, there are many areas that the party or their aggressor can attack from or move to. This makes the combat dynamic and feel more engaging than a 1v5+ fight.

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Recap

The tension in the air was palpable as Brother Colin, his speech delivered and his eyes burning with malevolent intent, stood before the party and Elara. The once calm clearing now seemed to hum with dark energy, and the ground beneath their feet felt unstable, as if it too was ready to give way to the chaos about to unfold.

With a flick of his wrist, Brother Colin summoned a sphere of dark energy that crackled with malevolent power. He hurled it towards Elara, who barely managed to conjure a shimmering veil of red fire that deflected the worst of the attack. The party sprang into action, weapons drawn and spells at the ready.

The party moved quickly to surround Brother Colin, hoping to cut off his escape and overwhelm him with their numbers. Their weapons clashed against his shadowy defences, and bursts of magic illuminated the dark clearing as the magic itself seemed to fizzle before coming into contact with the corrupted cleric. The sound of metal on metal and the hiss of arcane and divine energy filled the air as the first moments of the intense battle erupted.

The party, already weary from their encounter with the patrol, moved to protect Elara who, positioned at the rear, chanted prayers to the Red Lord, her holy symbol of a red candle glowing brightly. Her divine magic flowed through the party, mending their wounds and bolstering their resolve just as quickly as their foe ripped it away with the shadowy reflection of the divine magic that Elara produced. She called upon the Red Lord’s mercy to shield her allies from harm, creating protective barriers that shimmered in the cold air as hammers of dark energy wailed on them, trying to beat them into the earth.

As the magic clashed and the party, and Colin, were thrown into the wall of the cliff, rocks began to tumble down pelting the party and the cleric alike. But despite this nuisance the dark magic still flowed and lashed out hoping to drag the party into the true isolation that only death can bring.

Brother Colin fought with a fierce determination, his spells weaving dark tendrils that sought to entangle and immobilize his foes as needles of magic tried to pierce their flesh. He conjured shadowy minions to distract and harass the party, forcing them to split their attention between him and the spectral assailants. His voice echoed with a cruel taunt, ‘You cannot hope to defeat me. I do not wield the weak power of forgiveness and mercy but that of the determination to bring you the truth. Power is absolute, isolation and despair comes to all those that idolise mercy and comradery.’

As the battle raged on the rocky terrain grew more lethal as the combatants’ spells and attacks churned the earth and weakened the small clearing ledge that they battled on. Loose gravel and earth coupled with narrow paths required careful footing where any misstep could send them tumbling down the steep cliffs to their likely demise below.

Brother Colin’s dark magic began to falter under the relentless assault. He attempted to retreat, weaving through the rocky terrain, but the party pressed forward with determination to prevent him from hunting them down again, this interference from the corrupted man would be hist last. A well-placed attack caught him in the shoulder, and he staggered back, the protective magic he weaved slipping from his control.

In a last-ditch effort, Brother Colin summoned a massive wave of dark energy, intending to obliterate everything in its path. Elara stepped forward, her voice rising in a fervent prayer. ‘Red Lord, grant us your mercy and protect us from this darkness.’ A brilliant light erupted from her holy symbol, clashing with the dark wave and neutralizing most of it’s destructive power but in return it tossed Elara backwards against the cliff.

Seizing the opportunity, the party launched their final assault. The final attack struck true, shattering Brother Colin’s defences and delivering a fatal wound. As he fell to his knees, his shadowy form began to dissipate, and a shard of a mirror spilled out of his cloak, reflecting the otherworldly realm of the hidden temple.

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Environmental Hazards:

1. Loose Gravel and Rocks:
   • Hazard: The ground is littered with loose gravel and small rocks that can cause characters to lose their footing.
   • Checks: Characters moving quickly or engaging in combat must make Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks (DC 13) to avoid slipping and falling prone.
2. Steep Cliffs and Drop-offs:
   • Hazard: The clearing is bordered by steep cliffs and drop-offs, posing a significant fall hazard.
   • Checks: If a character is pushed or falls near the edge, they must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC 15) to catch themselves or a nearby ledge. Failure results in falling 20 feet, taking 2d6 bludgeoning damage.
3. Rockslides:
   • Hazard: The unstable terrain can trigger small rockslides.
   • Checks: During the battle, there is a 1-in-6 chance each round that a rockslide occurs. Characters in the affected area must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC 14) to avoid taking 2d4 bludgeoning damage and becoming restrained by the debris. Explosions or collisions with the wall of the hill above the party may also trigger these rock slides.
4. Narrow Pathways:
   • Hazard: Some areas of the clearing are connected by narrow pathways along the cliffside.
   • Checks: Characters moving along these pathways must make Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks (DC 12) to maintain their balance. Failure results in falling prone and potentially slipping off the edge (see Steep Cliffs hazard).
5. Thin Air:
   • Hazard: The high altitude and thin air make physical exertion more difficult.
   • Checks: Characters engaging in strenuous activity (e.g., running, fighting) must make a Constitution saving throw (DC 13) every 10 minutes or gain one level of exhaustion. This is more relevant if they decide to retreat and a chase occurs or if they wish to create substantial distance for themselves from whatever else Brother Colin may be working with

Combat Aftermath

With Brother Colin defeated, the clearing fell silent, save for the laboured breathing of the party and the faint whisper of the wind. Elara knelt beside the fallen cleric, her eyes filled with a mix of sorrow and resolve. She retrieved the shard of the mirror, wondering if it held the key to the next step in their journey as she retold the stories she remembered from the early days of her initiation.

‘We must hurry,’ Elara said, her voice steady despite her energy. ‘I can feel the Red Lords presence growing closer, but it is still so faint as if there is a cloud surrounding it that his light can’t pierce.’

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