The Ruined Tower 8

The Ruined Tower

Campaign Journal • September 16th

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Upon learning that a sentry was stationed in the corridor below, Niles used a piece of loose masonry to orchestrate a stone-toss distraction. The ruse successfully lured a lone goblin guard out of his tactical position and straight toward the party's hidden alcove.

Before the distracted goblin can even realize the trap has been sprung or swing its sputtering torch toward the pitch-black alcove, Niles strikes from the shadows with terrifying, mechanical precision. Moving with complete and absolute silence, the nimble halfling slips right up behind the creature's exposed, blind side. Catching the sentry entirely flat-footed, Niles slides his primary dagger cleanly beneath the goblin's jawline while his left hand slaps firmly over its mouth to choke back any emergent scream of warning.

The steel bites deep. The goblin’s eyes flare with sudden, desperate terror, its legs thrashing frantically against the stone floor. Anticipating the struggle, Niles digs his heels in to maintain his grip, wrapping his weight around the dying creature to absorb the impact. With a display of surprising leverage, he catches the heavy weight of the collapsing corpse before it can smash against the granite flagstones, smoothly guiding it down into the thick corridor dust alongside the falling torch.

As the torch slips from the dead creature's fingers, Niles reacts instantly, bringing his heavy leather boot heel down hard onto the sputtering flame. He suffocates the burning oil against the floorboards, cutting off the light before any stray sparks can cast shifting shadows down the hallway. The passage plunges back into a cold, dense dark, quiet except for the low, muffled echo of more voices filtering from deeper inside the complex. The line is cleared, and the quiet remains unbroken.

Assassination Log & Dice Rolls

• Niles: Melee Dagger Attack with Advantage (Surprise Round). Rolls: 18, 17 + 4 modifier = 22 vs. Flat-Footed AC 11 (Success!).
• Damage Calculation: 6 (Base Piercing) + 8 (Sneak Attack Multiplier) = 14 damage. Target slain instantly.
• Niles: Strength Check to catch body silently. Roll: 14 + 0 modifier = 14 vs. DC 12 (Success!).
• Result: Goblin guard eliminated without alerting the rest of the outpost.

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Adventurer Status

Darkblade

Level 2 Human Fighter

HP: 12 / 12

Stamina: Full

Elanna

Level 2 Human Fighter

HP: 14 / 14

Greatsword: Ready

Niles

Level 2 Halfling Rogue

HP: 7 / 7

Position: Concealed (Corridor)

Thaddeus

Level 2 Human Wizard

HP: 6 / 6

Spells: 2 / 2 Remaining

Ruleset & Campaign Info Available on DriveThruRPG

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The Ruined Tower 7

The Ruined Tower

Campaign Journal • September 15th

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Thaddeus identified their recovered treasure as a Potion of Elven Swiftness. Niles then made a flawless, silent descent down the dark stairwell, discovering flickering torchlight and the low murmur of voices echoing just around a subterranean basement corner.

Gliding back up the moisture-slick stairs like an insubstantial ghost, Niles returns to the party waiting at the top threshold. In a hurried, tense whisper, he details the flickering amber glow and the rhythmic grunt of guttural speech below. Armed with this critical reconnaissance, the party quickly orchestrates a cunning ambush. Creeping back down to the dark landing, Elanna and Darkblade stack themselves tightly against the cold granite walls, their heavy weapons drawn and ready. Niles slips a few steps backward into the stairwell darkness, pulls a jagged piece of loose masonry from his pocket, and launches it over the corner into the passage.

The heavy stone strikes the floorboards with a loud, sudden clatter, its sharp echoes reverberating directly up the stone corridor. The misdirection works flawlessly. The guttural speech ceases instantly, replaced by the heavy, uneven scraping of leather boots. Duped entirely by Niles's clever ruse, a lone, hulking goblin warrior cautiously steps into the middle of the hallway intersection to investigate the disturbance. Carrying a rusted scimitar and a sputtering torch, the sentry peers into the gloom, leaving his blind flank completely exposed to the pitch-black alcove where the party waits in breathless, lethal silence.

Tactical Log & Skill Checks

• Niles: Retreated to share information; party coordinates a tactical distraction trap.
• Niles: Charisma (Deception) Check with Advantage. Rolls: 15, 17 + 3 modifier = 20 vs. Goblin Wisdom 10 (Success!).
• Tactical Situation: Lone Goblin Sentry lured away from his post. Surprise round achieved for the party!

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Adventurer Status

Darkblade

Level 2 Human Fighter

HP: 12 / 12

Stance: Ready (Surprise)

Elanna

Level 2 Human Fighter

HP: 14 / 14

Greatsword: Prepared

Niles

Level 2 Halfling Rogue

HP: 7 / 7

Position: Concealed

Thaddeus

Level 2 Human Wizard

HP: 6 / 6

Spells: 2 / 2 Remaining

Ruleset & Campaign Info Available on DriveThruRPG

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The Ruined Tower 6

The Ruined Tower

Campaign Journal • September 14th

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The party successfully completed a short rest within the tower stump, allowing Thaddeus to fully recover his magical energy. With their strength restored, Elanna and Darkblade combined forces to haul away the heavy, rotted timber blockades, revealing a dark stairwell descending into the unknown below.

Before vanishing into the yawning gloom of the subterranean passage, Niles pauses on the threshold. Thaddeus steps forward to analyze the mysterious treasure they recovered, carefully uncorking the crystal vial. The wizard gently wafts the sweet, floral scent toward his nose and touches a microscopic bead of the thick, glowing lavender liquid to his tongue. Drawing upon his extensive scholarly background, he cross-references the compound with his studies of ancient alchemy. "A grand find," Thaddeus whispers with a knowing smile. "This is a rare Potion of Elven Swiftness. It grants incredible reflexes to whoever drinks it."

Content with this valuable newly identified asset, the adventurers offer a unified nod. Niles gives a clever grin, checks the bindings on his boots, and melts seamlessly into the damp, subterranean shadows of the staircase. Slipping ahead of the group into the absolute blackness, the nimble halfling glides down the slick stone steps. His movements are entirely noiseless, leaving not even a whisper of cloth against stone to betray his presence. Guided by his keen vision, he traces the winding steps downward, constantly scanning the cold granite for hidden pressure plates or tripwires.

When Niles finally reaches the bottom landing, the air grows significantly colder, smelling of mildew and old iron. Peering into the darkness, he freezes. Just ahead, where the staircase opens into a wider corridor, a faint, rhythmic amber glow dances against the damp masonry. Someone—or something—has lit a torch around the subterranean corner, and the soft murmur of guttural voices echoes faintly through the passage.

Skill Checks & Exploration Log

• Thaddeus: Intelligence (Alchemy) Check. Roll: 14 + 4 modifier = 18 (Success!). Identified Potion of Elven Swiftness.
• Niles: Dexterity (Stealth) Check. Roll: Natural 20 + 4 modifier = 24 (Critical Success!). Undetected descent.
• Discovery: Flickering torchlight and muffled voices detected around the corner of the basement corridor.

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Adventurer Status

Darkblade

Level 2 Human Fighter

HP: 12 / 12

Stamina: Ready

Elanna

Level 2 Human Fighter

HP: 14 / 14

Potion: Peppermint (1)

Niles

Level 2 Halfling Rogue

HP: 7 / 7

Stealth: Active (Natural 20)

Thaddeus

Level 2 Human Wizard

HP: 6 / 6

Spells: 2 / 2 Remaining

Ruleset & Campaign Info Available on DriveThruRPG

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