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Keys from the Golden Vault Session 17
Starring
Varrow, level 5 gnome Thief Rogue
Stayzie Diamondz, level 5 orc Champion Fighter
Elowen Fernwhisper, level 5 wood elf Circle of the Moon Druid
Chéri Powder, level 5 human Illusionist Wizard
Taveen, level 5 aasimar Warrior of Mercy Monk
With the doors magically sealed behind them, the party begins their mission into the deep gnome town of Little Lockford.
The underground town is built on large, flat stalagmites jutting up from a lake of magma. Four (and a half) such districts surround a central, hollowed-out stalactite that houses the Security Center. But with the bridges raised, the only path that lies before them is toward the east.
Thankfully the Power Station that controls the bridges is in that direction as well.
The main entrance to the town is located in Old Lockford, and the only other notable building in the area is the Town Hall. Mayor Broadfoot told them to help themselves to a stash of useful loot in her office, so they head over.
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Walking the eeriely quiet streets, they nearly run into a flying drone, a Clockwork Observer, on a routine patrol. Elowen casts pass without trace to help them duck out of sight as it flies past.
They reach the Town Hall, finding a grisly scene of carnage at the open doors. Three dead gnomes dressed in militia gear lie splayed by the door. Chéri examines the bodies, finding blunt force trauma, as well as bite marks mixed with scorched burn marks.
They head inside, finding the area disheveled but free of danger. Varrow checks out the offices, finds the footlocker, and grabs the potions of healing, alchemist’s fire, and a vial of dust of disappearance (which Chéri eagerly takes).
But another routine patrol of clockworks walks past the Town Hall and immediately spots the looters! The group consists of one humanoid-like clockwork enforcer, two wolf-like clockwork defenders, and a small flying ball that is the clockwork observer.
Despite not having a visible mouth, the observer speaks, maligning the intruders and their weak flesh against the superior steel soldiers.
Varrow throws down some caltrops at the door, but they hilariously do more harm than good, as the rest of his party moves to rush out and attack the robotic soldiers. Taveen even barrels into the caltrops, and angrily picks some up and tosses them back at Varrow!
The DM finds that inspiring, for sure.
Elowen wild shapes into a brown bear, charging out of the building, while Chéri attempts to blanket the enemies in faerie fire. The oddly nimble robots almost all make the saving throw, however, and their bulky AC combined with terrible attack rolls from the party make this an oddly lengthy fight.
On the plus side for the party, the clockwork soldiers also struggle to get any hits in! The only real damage comes when the defenders are destroyed. They explode with fiery shrapnel, dealing damage to anyone near them.
Things finally turn around when Chéri gets a critical hit on a firebolt cantrip, dealing 25 damage, followed by a four-attack blitz by Taveen (poor Stayzie continues to struggle, not liking the vibes of this dark place!).
Eventually the last construct falls (and explodes). But with the observer having screeched for reinforcements (before Elowen mauled it), they have little time to clean up the mess, or short rest.
Instead, they high tail it out of the district toward the eastern bridge, and onto Halfway Isle.
The tiny area between Old Lockford and Turbine Heists isn’t a true district, and holds only a single building, the Abbey.
Before they can analyze the religious carvings and symbols on the outside, Stayzie busts the doors open, finding more clockwork soldiers inside, as though they were searching for someone, or something.
Live post-session discussion:
Next session: Battle in the Abbey!
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