Session 16:
Hrothgar’s Lair! : 08-20-2008
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Cast of Characters:
Celceor The Wise; Elf Mage (Dave M.)
Eryn Bane; ½ elf Rogue (Mike D.)
Nick; human rogue (Dave P.)
Wryan O’Malley; Human fighter (Kevin/NPC)
Bent Bullswaggit; Dwarf Mage/Bard (Brook)
Fafnir; Human Barbarian (Jon C.)
Werkle of Dinnsmere; Dwarf Fighter (Al)
Eggo of the Holy Brotherhood; Human Cleric (NPC)
Skwortch; Goblin (NPC)
Keygan Ghelve; Gnome Expert/Illusionist (NPC/Jon P.)
10 (now 8) other various former slaves
17th of the month of Ches
Session 16:
After having decided to pursue the ghouls into the beer cellar, the PCs were standing in front of the hastily bricked up wall of the beer cellar that they believed led to the crypt of the icy ghost. They grabbed stone working tools and picks that lay about and hammered at the stone, knocking a hole into the wall that a man could pass through. Since the monks had obviously bricked up the wall in haste, it wasn’t that hard to break through. Nick went back to comfort the rescued slaves and orphans as well as tend to the fallen companion, Skwortch.
A rough tunnel was revealed that sloped downward to a short drop (10 feet) equipped with a ladder. This gave access to a larger cave where an ice-cold stream rushed under a stone bridge and a dozen open graves could be seen. Stones, bones, rags and bits of junk were scattered around the cave. Everything was deathly cold. Across the stream, to the east, was a brick wall that appeared to have been broken through and a faint blue glow could be seen from within. An evil chuckling sound could be heard echoing ‘round the cave.
Keygan was sick of the other character’s lack of spine and climbed down the ladder, trotting to the bridge on his short legs to get a closer look. Skeletons crawled from the graves towards him with rusty tools, bone clubs, bits of metal and other improvised weapons as a horrific and dead-looking creature, with wild eyes, a cloak, a monks robe and a blood covered mace stepped from the hole in the wall beyond the stream. Eggo noticed his prayers did not seem to be reaching Pelor’s ear for the undead did not turn easily. Fafnir leapt the stream in a single bound, frothing at the lips as he challenged the monstrous creature guarding the broken wall, but suffered a mighty blow from the undead creature’s bloody mace which drained his life force. Wryan thrust her spear into the evil, undead priest in retaliation. The rest of the group attempted to join the fray, but ghouls came shambling and crawling from the dark end of the cavern to support the skeletons. Suddenly, with a cackle, the horned helmet ghost appeared even as the foul priest with the blood soaked mace was finally struck down after nearly beating the barbarian to death.
The ghost in the horned helmet emitted chuckles and cackles that caused party members to lose their grip on sanity, and they began to cluster around the ghost, allowing him to drain their spirits from them as he froze them with his chill aura. But Bent Bullswaggit, brave dwarf bard, began to chant a dwarven drinking song (“99 bottles of beer on the wall, 99 bottles of beer; you take one down, pass it around, 98 bottles of beer on the wall!”) and the group were able to drive the mindless cackling from their mind and redoubled their efforts. Eggo managed to summon Pelor’s might and drove the skeletons before him; they ran across the cave on their bony feet, chased by Werkle the dwarf. Unfortunately, one of the skeletons whacked Werkle in the wobblies with a rusty hammer and Werkle was pretty unhappy about that. He had run all the way across the cave just to get whacked in the junk by a skeleton and when he raised his hammer to strike a blow in retaliation, the power of Pelor destroyed the skeleton before his very eyes and his desire for retribution (as well as the piddling XP bonus for striking the killing blow) were denied by an NPC. Meanwhile, Eryn Bane, who had wisely decided earlier to keep himself in reserve and guard the rear, was almost simultaneously paralyzed by a ghoul and charmed by the frosty ghost, Hrothgar.
With a howl, the frosty ghost in the horned helmet turned immaterial and passed right through Wryan, grabbing at the poor dwarf who was bravely singing and causing his song to falter as the ghost sucked the life out of him. The crazy droning cackle returned and most of the party lost the will to resist. Bent went down, unconscious from cold and wounds from a ghoul’s slashing claws. Bane was frozen in place, unable to move due to a ghoul’s grave touch. Most of the rest were gathered around the frosty ghost, unresisting as he drained their spirit essence. Everyone in the cavern was slowly dying of the cold. It looked bad. Only the cleric, Eggo, remained standing, protected by Pelor’s power which prevented the charms of the ghost from having effect. He sprang forward, unfurled a scroll and used its magic to release Fafnir from his mental bonds. Fafnir smote the ghost a mighty blow and it staggered back, weakening now. Eggo called on Pelor’s might again and the remaining ghouls turned and scampered away. With a roar, Fafnir stabbed the silver sword into the frosty ghost which had momentarily materialized before him to drain the barbarians’ life force.* The ghost disappeared with a wail.
The destruction of the frosdt ghost seemed to have broken the influence he held over the party. Eager to make sure the threat was ended, they entered the small cave behind the broken wall where the frosty ghost had come from. Here they found a stone slab, with the body of a Valonian chieftain upon it. He wore a bearskin cloak, a horned helmet, iron bracelets and silvery mail and his body was perfectly preserved, although he was pale, obviously dead and an arrow protruded from his chest. Treasures were piled around the slab and a stone statue of a bull headed man, with tentacles instead of horns and misshapen arms, stood at the head of the room. A stone bowl filled with blue flame was in the bull-statues hands. A ghost appeared to be forming beside the dead chieftain. While Fafnir attempted to stab the incorporeal still forming ghost, Wryan pulled the arrow from the dead Viking’s chest. Instantly the corpse crumbled to dust and the ghost dissolved. Bent used his mace to smash the bowl of blue flame and the mysterious fire winked out.
They found a lot of loot and spent 4 days holed up in the monastery gatehouse identifying it all. There was a suit of magic armor, two magic maces, some scrolls, a ring, coins, gems and many other minor items. The dolphin crested helmet that Nick had been carrying around was revealed as a helm of water breathing and the gaudy holysymbol of the Allfather gave bonuses to turning and resistance. Among other things, they found a runestick of the invisibility spell, a scroll of flaming sphere, a ring of schwimmen, a +3 magic mace that needed to be covered in blood to activate its powers, a +1 mace, magical chainmail, bracelets of Strength, a +1 magic shield, a necklace with soundburst missiles, a cloak of resistance +1, a magic sword that gave bonuses against the undead, a Halfling sized elven cloak, a pile of coin and other swag. There was also a scroll written out in Valonian runes that no one could read.
The session ended with a very tired DM who had worn himself out trying to keep track of all of the special effects and spell effects that were going on. The nest session will resume (gametime) on the fantasy month of Ches during day 21.
The XP below include
100 xp each for Nick and Celceor (for diary contributions). An additional 100xp award was given to Wryan
for having pulled the arrow from the corpse of Hrothgar (thus ending the curse
of his unlife) and an extra 100xp award was given to Bent for having smashed
the bowl of blue fire (which generated the desecrate effect).
|
3180 |
945 |
3722 |
|
||
|
7380 |
1300 (+ diary from 7-23)* |
8680* |
|||
|
5978 |
100 (diary from 8-06) |
6078 |
|||
|
4269 |
1030 |
5299 |
|||
|
4184 |
990 |
5174 |
|||
|
3613 |
510 |
4123 |
|||
|
432 |
na |
432 |
|||
|
2319 |
1230* |
3549* |
|||
|
2654 |
1030 |
3684 |
|||
|
6993 |
465 |
7264 |