Setting The Trap

In the morning Dani has an excited energy as she prepares her pack with a wide assortment of what appear to be improved tools that can work together in all sorts of combinations. "I'm kind of a tinkerer," she says with a grin, "those bastards won't have any idea what will be waiting for them."

Two men join you, one early twenties (Dawson), the other about ten years older (Ray). They're brothers who seem to have been here a bit longer than Wenlan. Dawson is an apprentice of sorts to Dani, easy-going but a little naive. Ray seems to be around mostly to mess with him, while ensuring that no one else does.

As you all head towards the crater site, Dani asks some questions to learn a bit more about Wenlan. "So you haven't even been here that long, but you got stuck in Valleyview? What's it like inside? Never been there myself, but you hear things from those lucky enough to get out." At the mention of Valleyview, the brothers stop their playful banter and pay attention.

Dani nods soberly, "That lines up with what we've heard. We're somewhat of a collective, people who disagree with the way The Order wants to do things and try to band together out here and build things up that aren't so easy for them to tear down. I wish I could say we were more successful, but this mission at the Temple Ruins was probably our biggest success yet."

She looks onto the horizon, "That's why I think we need to do this big push now, they won't keep underestimating us for long. What did you do before you ended up in these woods anyway?"

Her face darkens a bit, and she scans the horizon as she answers. "My dad was sort of a blacksmith, like no one had ever seen. He didn't just make tools, but... his creations almost came alive. I was his apprentice... wanted to take the shop over so that he could retire." Dani closes her eyes and continues, "There was an attack, he told me to run and tell others of our fate. I'm not sure how long I've been in these woods. Maybe years now. Some were here before me, The Order here before me. People seem to show up in batches, no one seems to leave."

She shakes some memories out of her head, and turns to the brothers pointing to their packs as she speaks. "I have a few types of tools with me, you have rope and other fastenings , and you have a bunch of scrap metal and wood from my shop." Dani opens up her stance so everyone can see her clearly, "We need something to distract it, something to mess with it's balance, then something to knock its ass into the pit. Anyone got any ideas?"

"That Hilmir fella will take care of that part," Dawson the younger brother chimes in. "That's assuming the Sweeper doesn't flatten him first." He adds with a chuckle.

Ray, the older brother, gives him a light smack on the head. "He's taking a real risk for us, and knows the danger involved. That's bravery, you're the fool!"

"Now, now, lets get back on task." Dani says with some extra authority behind her voice. "The pit is a bit further this way, but does have a slope leading down to it. They use these things to tear apart campsites, so maybe we can setup a tent and these two can make a bit of commotion."

Ray nods along and adds, "We can rig up the logs hidden behind some trees so that we can release them when it looks at us. Those combined with the slippery mud and some kind of tripwire should be enough to knock it in."

Feel free to make any other comments or suggestions if you'd like. Otherwise, you can roll a STR save, DEX save, and WIL save to see how it all comes together. (Don't worry, a fail doesn’t necessarily mean it won't work as you have help from several people trained in this stuff, but the rolls will impact things somewhat).

After a bit more discussion, everyone gets to work setting things up. The brothers work on the fake campsite and logs, while Dani and Wenlan focus on making the slippery mud, setting the tripwire, and digging things out a bit so the ground near the sinkhole gives away with enough weight on it.

"I think things are almost setup here, I may fine tune a couple things where I can but the bones are set. Now for the hard part... we're going to be among the first line that tries to subdue this thing. I'm not sure what the best way to do that is." Dani says to the group.

Ray speaks up, "First thing we should plan for is the possibility that the trap doesn't knock it in. If it's still up after all that, we're going to need to make some kind of big push to make sure it does."

Dani grins, "Leave that to me, I have a little something up my sleeve for such an outcome. What we need is a plan for dealing with it once it is in that pit. How do we keep it from climbing out? How do we keep it from pulling us in?"

Roy sucks his teeth and answers, "They're probably the strongest things in these woods, couple good whacks and they could knock down most of the trees in here. Over 10 feet tall and easily toss a boulder your size. There must be some way to slow or restrain it at least... or maybe even control it."

Dani nods in agreement, "That's easy enough, we could setup a few spring-snares at the edge of the pit, so it would get all tangled up in the process of trying to stand back up. It would be able to break through one, but several could work."

Everyone at the site is working hard to get things ready, as well as keep watch for anyone coming, when they see Elara and Dreli arriving (which was not part of the initial plan).

Elara tells Dani that they ran into an individual named Teven, who is completing the task of warning the others, and provided Dreli with a weapon that he claimed is effective against the Sweepers.

Dani takes in this new information and says "Teven's self-centered, but he knows way more about this place than most. If he says this short sword will be effective, we should trust that. The plan stays mostly the same though, wait for the traps to do their thing before trying to use it, okay Dreli?"

The scouts notify others that something is coming, as Hilmir runs towards the pit being chased by two Robes and a Sweeper.

The Robes stop running when they see what looks like a campsite, and before they get too close to investigate a group of recruits led by Roy (who helped setup the traps) engage them in combat.

Meanwhile, Hilmir manages to get the Sweeper right onto the target area and the traps begin to spring to life. The giant construct stumbles on a segment of slippery mud on a steep slope, and two large logs swing out of the trees where the faux campsite was setup knocking it back to the edge of the pit which was previously dug out to give away under this much weight. With a cloud of dust in the air, Dani runs up to the edge with some sort of contraption that launches some type of netting down towards the Sweeper. Several other men jump to her side and cast down nets and other bindings.

As the air clears, several loud snaps occur, and Dani yells "The bindings can't hold it, back up!". It is too late however as two of the recruits are pulled into the pit, their screams cut short as horrific hint at a grim fate. The partially entangled Sweeper begins to claw it's way out of the pit towards Hilmir, who looks around unsure how to proceed but getting ready to run again.

Taking out an intricate short sword made of dark metal, but emitting soft blue glow, Dreli leaps triumphantly into the pit onto the Sweeper's back. The blade is driven into the Sweeper, who twitches for a moment and now appears to be moving at a greatly reduced speed. It is having a much harder time getting out of the pit, and from this angle Dreli can see the power crystal at its core resting inside of a large stone at the middle of its "waist".@RageRed with that roll I'll say you definitely got them by surprise, so please roll 1d12 to determine how much damage the initial attack did. Normally this sword would be a D8, (forgot to mention that earlier), but there's extra for catching it off guard. As a note to you both, while the Sweeper is slowed by the effects of the blade all weapon dice are "enhanced" meaning you roll 1d12 instead of the usual weapon die.

Noticeably slowed now, more bindings are thrown upon the Sweeper which seem to tangle it up more effectively. Hilmir hears some screams indicating that the battle with the Robes isn't going well, and runs over to that group to offer his assistance.

Meanwhile, the noise of something very large moving through the woods is coming from the south. Dani looks that way and her face drops before she yells, "There's one more headed this way!"

As Wenlan circles around she finds a position behind the Robe which doesn't seem to have been hit yet. He's fighting off two opponents in front of him.After the second attack from Dreli, the Sweeper in the pit temporarily gives up on freeing itself from the restraints and instead tries to drive itself into the side of the pit in an attempt to smash Dreli and get her off his back.

Dreli, because the Sweeper is slowed please roll two DEX saves to avoid being flattened. 1 Success means you get out of the way, 2 Successes means you manage to reposition in a way that gets you right next to the power crystal.

The noise from the south grows louder, and the second Sweeper continues its advance. It will be at the pit in about two turns at this current pace.

With Wenlan's strike, that Robe falls to the ground leaving just one facing this group. He doesn't like his odds and tries to make a sprint away but is quickly tackled by two of the men standing by. As he wriggles on the ground they place manacles on him, behind his back.

Dreli quickly drops near the Sweeper's core right before it flings itself backward into the wall of the pit it finds itself in. Upon closer inspection, she believes she could use the blade to attempt to gouge it out, but it would come with some risk as the entire core crackles with a powerful energy.

If Dreli wishes to attempt to gouge out the crystal with the blade, roll a WIL save. A success will mean she is able to resist the powerful energies, a failure will result in Dreli's exposure to a torrent of raw energy.

As Wenlan threatens the cuffed Robe, he begins to spill the beans. "I can't control it! Only the Commanders can. One was with us before we started chasing this oaf, over that way!" The man motions with his head in the direction Hilmir came from, and when those nearby look that way they notice something very large moving through the trees from that direction.

With the twist of Dreli's blade, the crystal pops out of the enchanted stonework and the Sweeper collapses into the wall of the pit with an echoing thud. A large blast of energy pushed Dreli, crystal in hand, onto the ground but she is unharmed other than a few bruises. Upon initial review, this Sweeper appears fully powered down and no longer operational.

The assorted crew follows Wenlan's order, going off of the path temporarily to try and get behind the Sweeper where they believe the Commander to be. The Sweeper doesn't seem to be looking their way, it appears focused on a specific target and didn't seem to notice even the noisy members of this group.

Wenlan, please roll two DEX saves (one for Wenlan, one for the group she's with) to see if they can sneak up on the Commander and any accompanying Robes successfully.

Those around the pit can see that Sweeper headed their way, and see another one coming their way from the other direction. The temporary rush of confidence in the air when the first Sweeper fell is dashed, as the urgency of this moment dawns on everyone. Dani stands up and shouts, "This is all of the Sweepers! We can end this whole reign right here!" There is a cheer as everyone braces themselves.

Dreli deftly scales the remains of the first Sweeper, and finds herself on the ground. Dani quickly approaches and gives a friendly smack on the back before rallying the nearby forces.

"You have two jobs folks... make sure Dreli has a clear path, and make sure Dreli is alive." An affirmative grunt is uttered by those around, and they work to engage the Sweeper in the front leaving a route for Dreli to approach from the side. Two of the first to run up are smacked away hard by the Sweeper, sending them airborne landing on their backs several feet back.

If Dreli wants to try sneaking up on it roll a DEX save. Success means you can attack rolling a D12 damage die, failure means it will get a hit on you but you can still roll a D8 for damage.
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As Wenlan, Hilmir, and the rest of the group approach the Commander, barbed vines grow out of the ground and wrap themselves around Wenlan's arms and legs. Looking around she can see that the rest of her group is similarly constrained, several of them cursing as they struggle against the sharp restraints.

When the Commander walks within sight, two additional Robes can be seen on either side of him. One reading from a spellbook, another holding some kind of repeating crossbow. The Commander smirks as he looks over everyone captured in this web of vines, and instructs his cronies "Clean them up, I need to put an end to this."

He continues walking towards the direction of the pit and all the commotion, while two crossbow bolts fly into two of the men trapped in vines, slaying them. The vines constrict, and everyone still alive tangled in them takes 4 damage.

Please roll a STR or DEX save for Wenlan, and a STR save for the group, to get out of these vines.

Dreli takes advantage of the opening that the others created for her, and successfully strikes the Sweeper with the dark blade. It appears to be slowed as a result of the strike, meaning that any attacks on it for the time being will be considered enhanced.

Meanwhile the Commander walks up the edge of this clearing and surveys the scene, paying close attention to the fight between Dreli and the Sweeper. He mutters something under this breath while holding an amulet that he has around his neck, and the Sweeper makes a twitch and dives towards Dreli attempting to grab her.

Because it is slowed, roll two DEX saves and take the better one to avoid being grabbed.

Dreli evades the Sweeper's grab and delivers a significant blow with the blade. It seems to struggle a bit as it stands upright again, and one of the nearby men jumps on its back in an attempt at distraction. This backfires however, as he is unceremoniously thrown into a nearby tree.

Half of the remaining men on your side continue trying to engage this Sweeper, the other half start making their way over to the area with the barbed vines to help the others out.
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Wenlan and the others fight against the vines, but their efforts just don't seem like enough. As the Robe with the spellbook maintains his focus and continues reciting the incantation, the constriction continues damaging everyone for another 1 point of damage. The one with the crossbow fires two more bolts, one slaying another target and the other hitting Hilmir who remains upright but looks quite hurt.

The last Sweeper enters the area, walks right by the pit, picks up a large rock and throws it right towards the Robe with the spellbook. He managed to jump out of the way, but lost his concentration ending the spell causing all of the barbed vines to wither onto the ground. Everyone tangled is free again.

"The next one won't miss!" a familiar voice bellows from the Sweeper's back. It is Tanya, and it appears that she's wearing one of the amulets which allows commands to be issued to the Sweepers.

Wenlan's attack catches the Robe off-guard and causes him to drop the spellbook on the ground. The Robe with the crossbow makes a run for it in the direction of the Commander, leaving his partner to contend with the resistance fighters encircling him.

He can see everyone closing in around, and takes out a dagger making a wild lunge in Wenlan's direction that does 5 DMG (Wenlan would only take 3 because of her armor).

Dreli makes another attack at the Sweeper's core, and it stalls for a moment before collapsing onto the ground. It still contains the power crystal, but doesn't seem like it will be getting up under its own power without some form of repair.

Panic rushes over the Commander's face, and he utters "Follow me, get the girl!" to the Robe with the crossbow. They make a break towards Tanya and the final Sweeper.

The Robe's lunge attack hits Wenlan hard for a moment, but she steels her nerves and stays on her feet. Hilmir bursts through the crowd and says "That was extremely unhospitable!" before driving him through with his sword. The Robe falls over slain, and Hilmir begins limping toward the direction the Robe with the crossbow ran, a bolt still sticking out of his side.
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The Commander holds his amulet and speaks quietly, before the last Sweeper grabs Tanya off of its back and tries to throw her into the pit. She manages to grab hold on to the side but can't quite pull herself up, while the Robe with the crossbow shoots towards the advancing group to try and lay some cover fire for the Commander.

The Commander's scream is suddenly cut short, as he feels the secondary effects of the blade and fear washes over his face. From a hunched over position he holds the amulet in hands shaking so much they look like they're vibrating, and mutters "Kill this heathen" while staring directly at Dreli.Dreli's attack caught the attention of the Robe with the crossbow who attempts to adjust focus to get a shot off, but finds himself ensnared in a net that emerged from Dani's launcher device. Dawson and Ray, the brothers who assisted Dani and Wenlan in setting the traps, tackle him immediately after and pin down his arms to ensure he doesn't pull out any other items.

Over at the put, several of those nearby ran over and begin to help Tanya get onto stable ground, while the final Sweeper charges towards Dreli and the Commander.

If Dreli wishes to attack the Commander again she can, but would need to roll a DEX save to do so while avoiding the Sweeper's charge. Alternatively she can reposition and attack the Sweeper directly (but this would require a DEX save to avoid being attacked by the Commander). Or she can do anything else she comes up with.

Wenlan's dagger enters the Commander's back shortly after Dreli's battle cry, and he goes limp collapsing onto the ground. Tanya, now helped out of the pit, utters a command into the amulet and the lone standing Sweeper comes to a halt where it stands.

A moment of calm passes over the clearing, as your crew of makeshift rebels realize that the day is yours. Five allies were lost in the battle, but the only member of The Order remaining is the captured crossbowman. Two of the Sweepers are disabled, and the last is under the group's control.

Dani walks over to Wenlan and Dreli and pats each of them on the shoulder. "We did it! It wasn't how I planned... but who cares we finally stood up and their force is decimated! Dreli you were incredible out there! And Wenlan with the killing blow!" She speaks with an energy that she's never had in your presence, genuinely elated and radiating newfound hope.

Congrats! That was the campaign's final fight and personally I had a blast.

How are your characters feeling about taking this big chunk out of The Order? What are you planning on doing with the crystals? Please answer those questions, and feel free to make any other in character comments, and then I'll wrap up with an epilogue. Also, if there's any characters you'd like to get some closure on, mention it and I'll be sure to include them.

Thank you!

Eager to hear the epilogue but cannot wait to say my thanks :)

I really enjoyed the game. I really liked how the atmosphere of the forest was set. This was my first time playing Cairn (although the playstyle is familiar to me) and it flowed nicely. Also kudos to you for playing lively NPC's!

Dreli's final blow causes some shock in a few nearby observers, but Dani looks at the blade and nods understanding that the gift may have involved certain costs. She barks orders calling for a cleanup, asking that the remains of the two downed Sweepers be brought to different locations while a third group breaks-off and plans where things would go from here.

There is a discussion about how to best mount an attack against Valleyview, and it is agreed that they will wait a few days. The rebels have spies who are well positioned to orchestrate an uprising amid this sudden panic. When tensions hit a breaking point, that is when everyone else will join the fight, using this newly acquired Sweeper to bust through the walls.

Wenlan and Tanya play an important role in planning the specifics, as they are some of the only ones familiar with the city's interior layout. Dani also orders a communication to the Frogmen in this time, to demonstrate respect by giving them advance notice and assure them that once Valleyview falls there will no longer be any restrictions on their hunting or movement. Hilmir volunteers for the delivery.

Elara tries to convince Dreli to wait, but sees the resolve in her eyes and agrees to to escort her back to the Temple Ruins that night while everyone else is occupied. They have two of the crystals, as the third is still powering the last Sweeper, but study of the notebook indicates that should be enough. Upon placing one of them into the carved spot on the side of the pedestal, the "button" on the wall between the diagrams begins to pulse in a soft green light.

Checking in one last time, Elara says "I'm pretty sure you just stand up there and I press this, then you go... somewhere. Not here anyway. Ready?" Dreli gets up, Elara wishes her well, and the activation brings a blinding light that hurts Dreli's eyes. She takes one step forward and hears a stick break beneath her foot. The light dims with each blink and she finds herself at the edge of a different set of woods. She can see several small towns, and in the distance a large castle fortress. It's no where she's seen before, but it seems peaceful. The settlements seem prosperous. Somewhere with opportunity.

When Elara returns, she explains to everyone that the crystals lose energy when activated for this purpose, and take about a week to recharge. It's decided that after the attack, which ended in a quick surrender, they would hold weekly gatherings at the temple sending people off to new beginnings. Hilmir and Wenlan stay for a while to help rebuild the temple, and generally help make things more hospitable for all.

Many sign up to leave at first, but before long the sense of community grows and sometimes there are no departures. Those become the norm, and the gatherings turn into town halls instead. People still arrive in the woods once in a while, but never anyone who has already left. There is no tolerance for the fanatics anymore, and people generally live in cooperation with each other and the woods themselves.