4crits3fails15kills
DM12
Player Summary
The cemetery siege came to a head, and it cost the party everything and won them the war.
Shirley flung the gates open to lure the horde out. Kimber’s Cloud of Daggers promptly sealed Shirley and Caelum INSIDE with the undead, and the long-hunted Lich Mexoz finally stopped running.
Orion arrived with men-at-arms and put Destone plus two smites into the lich. Idril finished it with a pair of natural 20s, straight through the throat and heart, and every zombie collapsed the instant Mexoz fell.
But the frost giant zombie took Shirley first. He went down, came back on Relentless Endurance, then died on his feet with his axe buried in the giant’s gut.
Caelum’s Steel Wind Strike carved through five enemies on the way out, while Oggy and Idril sniped the whole fight from one shared shadow. Once it was over, Orion smashed the Moonstone Crown to dust, and a spark flared behind Kimber’s eyes.
The party leveled to 11.
Session Timeline
- The Standoff - Party at the cemetery gate; the lich is absent, the horde waits inside. Debate over luring vs storming.
- Bad Ideas - Comedic planning: chopping zombie limbs for bait, “brain jelly,” fishing for zombies.
- The Gate Lure - Shirley flings the gates open, roars, and steps back. Caelum readies behind him.
- The Trap Snaps Shut - Kimber drops Cloud of Daggers across the entrance, sealing Shirley and Caelum inside with the dead. Caelum casts Wall of Fire to funnel them.
- The Shadow Snipers - Idril, hidden in Oggy’s shadow, and Oggy snipe the horde from cover outside the fence.
- The Footmen Arrive - Orion rides up with men-at-arms, dismounts, sends two riders for help, orders javelin volleys, casts Bless.
- The Frost Giant Rampages - The frost giant zombie and the lich’s legendary actions turn the inside into a meat grinder. Kimber is paralyzed.
- Shirley Falls - Surrounded, Shirley eats a 61-damage crit, drops, pops back up on Relentless, then dies on death saves after a heroic last swing into the giant’s belly.
- Steel Wind Strike - Cloud of Daggers drops when Kimber is paralyzed; Caelum hits five enemies at once, kills two zombies, then teleports out through the entrance.
- Destone Falls - Orion smashes the lich with Destone and two Divine Smites, roughly 120 damage.
- The Killing Arrow - Idril’s double nat-20 arrows kill Lich Mexoz. Every remaining zombie collapses.
- The Crown Shatters - Orion destroys the Moonstone Crown with Destone. Purple particles scatter; Kimber feels a spark in her mind. Destone is spent, reduced to a gavel.
- Aftermath - Caelum mourns Shirley. A gold cylinder (probable phylactery) lies unclaimed in the ashes. Party levels to 11.
Encounters
| # | Enemies | Location | Outcome | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ~10 zombies, 3 ogre zombies, 1 frost giant zombie, Lich Mexoz | The cemetery | Decisive win, 1 PC death | Lich killed by Idril’s double nat-20; all zombies collapsed on its death; Shirley killed; Moonstone Crown destroyed |
Combat Summary
- Total Rounds: ~6-8 (sustained single battle)
- Damage Highlights: Frost giant zombie nat-20 crit on Shirley (61 slashing). Orion roughly 120 damage on the lich (Destone + a 3rd and a 4th level Divine Smite). Caelum Steel Wind Strike across 5 targets. Idril double nat-20 finisher. Caelum Lightning Bolt (4th level) cleared two zombies.
Party Status (Post-Combat)
| Character | Condition | Resources Used |
|---|---|---|
| Caelum | Healthy, escaped the yard | Wall of Fire, Lightning Bolt (4th), Steel Wind Strike (5th), Shield, Bladesong |
| Kimber | Recovered from paralysis, still cursed (zombie bite) | Cloud of Daggers, Cure Wounds (self) |
| Orion | Healthy, lost 6 of 8 men | Bless, Divine Smite x2 (3rd + 4th), Destone (spent) |
| Idril | Healthy, untouched in cover | Hunter’s Mark, Sneak Attack, longbow |
| Oggy | Healthy, untouched in cover | Hunter’s Mark, longbow |
| Shirley | DEAD | Action Surge, Great Weapon Master cleave, Relentless Endurance |
Key Decisions
- Lure the horde out through a choke point rather than storm in (and then half the party got trapped inside the choke point).
- Kimber sealed the entrance with Cloud of Daggers for safety, trapping Shirley and Caelum with the undead.
- Orion split his force: two runners sent for reinforcements, the rest committed to the fight, refusing to spend their lives cheaply.
- Orion chose to destroy the Moonstone Crown immediately on the lich’s death rather than secure it.
- Nobody picked up the gold cylinder (probable phylactery) before the session ended.
Quests & Progress
- The Moonstone Crown: COMPLETED. Lich Mexoz Valaryn killed, the Moonstone Crown destroyed with Destone.
- Zombie Bounties: near-complete. Frost giant zombie and all remaining undead cleared. The 200g frost-giant bounty and the lich bounty (requires the phylactery) are claimable from Sister Helwin once the party returns with proof.
- Cure Kimber’s Zombie Disease: still active. The 13-day clock is still ticking; she was paralyzed in the fight but the curse is uncured.
Unresolved Threads
- The gold cylinder (probable phylactery) lies unclaimed in the cemetery ashes. Likely Idril picks it up next session.
- When the crown shattered, Kimber (its former wearer) felt a spark in her head. Meaning unknown.
- Who was erasing Mexoz from history (Damnatio Memoriae)? Still open now that he is dead.
- The Ebon Gospel’s missing final pages and Mexoz Tome Part 2 still dangle.
- Shirley is dead. Jose’s replacement character is unknown.
Reminders for Next Session
- Pick up the gold cylinder / probable phylactery from the cemetery.
- Kimber’s cure clock is still running.
- Claim the frost-giant and lich bounties from Sister Helwin (need proof).
- Welcome Jose’s new character (details TBD).
- The party is down a frontline fighter until the new PC arrives.
Loot & Gold
- Gold earned: none in-session (bounties claimable later).
- Items found: gold cylinder (probable phylactery), unclaimed in the ashes.
- Items destroyed/changed: Moonstone Crown destroyed. Destone spent destroying it, reduced to a gavel-sized mini-hammer.
- Items lost: Shirley’s ornate splint mail (on his corpse).