Welcome to Patron DnD, where Platinum-level patrons and I get together to play Dungeons & Dragons via Discord and Roll20. Patrons also get exclusive access to private videos, custom 5e content, and participate in monthly DM Roundtables.
This Patron DnD Campaign will feature a rotating cast of players, depending on signups, availability, and earned Platinum Points.
Music by Kevin MacLeod.
Token art by Jimmy McClure.
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Ten years ago, the Ghoul Imperium of the Underworld and the vampires of Morgau marched into Krakova and conquered the kingdom entirely, establishing the Greater Duchy of Morgau and expanding the borders of the Blood Kingdom.
The undead occupation has been kept in check by resistance from the Court-in-Exile, as well as opportunistic reaver dwarves who sailed across the Nieder Straits.
But the hidden machinations of the ghouls swirl beneath the surface. Rumors abound of an even more sinister plot that threatens not just one kingdom, but the entire world of Midgard.
Empire of the Ghouls is designed by Richard Green, and published by Kobold Press. It takes place in Kobold Press’ fantasy world of Midgard.
Chapter 2: The Holy Robes of Sister Adelind
Episode 4: The Stone Galleries
Active Party:
Alaric, level 4 dhampir Death Domain Cleric/Bard
Bahn, level 4 kobold Bard College of Whispers
I/O, level 3 gearforged Circle of the Moon Druid
Kovac, level 4 ratfolk Dawn Blade Rogue
Lucian, level 4 dhampir Clockwork Soul Sorcerer
Emerging from the Fey Road, the party find themselves in an ancient elven ruin on the edge of the Tomierran Forest, near the border of Krakovar. The ruins are known as The Stone Galleries, and they soon discover why.
The cracked stone plaza is over grown with vegetation, and littered with lifelike stone statues. Most of the statues are humanoid, but a roaring owlbear draws attention near an empty fountain in the middle.
The party inspect the statues, realizing that all of them share looks of terror on their stony faces.
As they begin moving into the open plaza, a many-legged lizard steps out some nearby brush, its eyes glowing with malevolent power. A basilisk!
Undaunted, Kovac rushes forward to attack, while the rest attack the beast from afar with spells.
I/O carefully casts Entangle on the ground, rooting the basilisk in place as the rogue bravely stares down his foe.
Suddenly a group of ghouls emerge from the other side, crawling out of the empty canal. Their leader wears heavy armor, and commands the others to snatch the Archduke.
Thinking quickly, Lucian casts Levitate, not on any ghouls, but on the Archduke! After failing the save (“What’s going on!?”) the noble rises safely into the air, out of reach of the ghouls’ paralytic claws.
The ghouls try to target Lucian but he smartly stays well out of reach, while the others rush to engage.
Using powerful spells, Bah forces some of the ghouls to kneel, while I/O transforms into bear form and tramples through them, only to get temporarily paralyzed by a survivor.
The armored ghoul, and Imperial, proves a much tougher foe she she drops her crossbow and attacks with claws and teeth, succeeding at infecting Kovac with Darakhul Fever.
Meanwhile the party had left the nearly dead basilisk behind in the entangled spell. But when I/O becomes paralyzed, the spell ends, and the basilisk charges back into the fray.
Things get tense when Alaric fails the save against the basilisk’s petrifying gaze, but thankfully he makes the second one, avoiding a stony fate.
The party finally kills the basilisk. Bahn and Kovac are heavily wounded, but a freed I/O bear shakes off the paralyzing claws and helps finish off the Imperial ghoul.
On the body they find a similar sketch of the Archduke, as well as notes of all the party members, and where they may be. Still now word on why the Imperium is focused on capturing the Archduke, however.
With the battle won, the party looks for a safe place to grab a short rest. They scout out a nearby ruined temple, only to find it filled with cockatrices. Roll for initiative – again!
I/O bear charges in, but she’s weakened from the earlier battle. Despite her low bear AC, the cockatrices rarely score a hit. That’s good, as they’re weak bit comes with a nasty petrifying side effect!
Lucian casts Enlarge on the I/O bear, rendering her even bigger for a moment, until she loses bear form and becomes just a big gearforged — who still bonks a cockatrice dead!
The others rally around the bear, slipping inside to deal with the primeval chickens. Even the one surviving nameless guard from the Archduke’s entourage gets in a killing blow. The party loves him, and Kovac names him Guy Manderson.
Finally the party gets to enjoy a short rest, then explore the rest of the plaza.
An empty dining hall in the north holds a beautiful stained glass window. The window contains the memories of every party and feast held there, overwhelming half the party with images of the past.
An arcane tower is magically sealed, but a balcony 40 feet up has an open path inside. Lucian casts Levitate again to rise Bahn into the air.
After I/O fails to climb a rope, the party uses a combination of Levitate and rope to get the rest of them on the balcony. Inside the ruined tower they find an open treasure chest with a wand (Wand of the War Mage +1), a Bag of Holding, and some healing potions.
The Archduke is growing increasingly antsy about moving on (and avoiding any other partying monsters and ghoul ambushes). The party gears up for one of the more dangerous journeys of their adventure: over 100 miles through the vampire-controlled kingdom toward the Free City of Johzt.
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RogueWatson 