02/06/745 A.E. (night time) Continued . . .
As the party beds down for the night, there is some consideration as to whether or not they should make a quick trip home to drop off the heavy treasure so they might not be encumbered with it. No decision is made, however, so they all fall asleep (various watches notwithstanding).
02/07/745 A.E. Morning . . .
The group awakens to find both Fen and Garren are sicker than dogs. Speculation is they have consumed portions of the wild boar that were undercooked, causing them to vomit and have other problems. Everyone decides they must now go home to obtain medicine and get the sick party members home (and the treasure as well), so they pack up and head out. Luckily, though the trip is difficult and painful for our ill friends, nothing bad happens on the way home and all are soon within the confines of the city walls of Alodar once again.
Liska obtains the required medicine for her friends from the apothecary and brings it back to the Ferryman Inn where a room has been rented just for the sickies. She gives them the medicines and cares for them. The rest of the party takes another room and soon the night passes.
02/08/745 A.E.
Fearing their companions may be incapacitated for days (if not a week or better), they take the opportunity to scout around for new recruits. Drael feels they are almost there (wherever the treasure may be) and is anxious to get going again. She also has some concerns about the barmaid Sally listening to their conversations, so she wished to leave soon. The morning's search produces one likely candidate, a man named Alaian Seraltan. They discover he is both a mage and a cleric of Corellon. Unfortunately, this addition to the group doesn't effectively bring their total up since Liska now informs everyone she is leaving the group.
"I wish to commune more with nature. This tramping back and forth to a dungeon complex is not my style," is her only explanation, and she wishes them well and soon departs. Drael is frustrated, and Alaian is eager to go, so the three of them decide to head out anyway. "Tha exercise will do es good," claims Gillmesh. The plan is to make a short excursion back into the complex, try to get by the secret door Drael found earlier, and quickly return home to see if their friends have recovered, or if others might be found to supplement the group's strength. All agree to this, and they move out in the morning.
02/09/745 A.E.
They get a good start, but things slow down later as Alaian takes in the land while he travels along with them and they explain exactly what they are doing.
Moving into the night, the party presses on as they are close to their goal. Under cover of darkness, they make it to the gravel pits, follow the perimeter and ascend the bluff, making their way to the muddy tunnel. The horse is left without as they enter the tunnel and make their way down within, Al illuminating the way with a brilliant Continual Light rock he normally keeps in a light-tight pouch, obviously a well known trick and practice amongst those who can wield such magic. Again, nothing surprising happens on this well traveled route.
Finding four kobolds on guard duty, the group quickly identifies themselves as friends and soon they find Yarr. Still having abundant energy, the four press on to inspect the secret door. Gill talks to Yarr, the kobold with the longsword, and asks how many kobolds they may expect to help them later when the party goes against the kobold's enemies, the dread orcs. Yarr explains that only he will aid them and the rest of his people are kept in reserve should they fail. Gill doesn't particularly like that, but it doesn't surprise him either since the kobolds didn't promise any more than that.
Meanwhile, Drael is using her crowbar and digs at the secret door, trying to get some leverage on its seam. Eventually, she puts everything she has into it and the door is ripped open, a soft dust shooting out and settling on the floor. Clearly, no one has been through here in ages. Drael smiles at that. The three party members inspect the little room, but only the kobold gleans the unusual nature of the back wall. Yet another secret door, it would seem. A clever ploy, one secret door upon another, but luckily the kobold's vision was lower than theirs and he saw a slight imperfection closer to the floor. Again, Drael goes to work, checking the door for traps. Seeing none, she proceeds to yank on it, but cannot open it. The years of disuse and the moisture around here have swollen the doors and made them extremely difficult to open. Happily, it also seems to make them easier to see, no longer fitting perfectly as they had probably done almost 50 years ago.
Gill also tried the door, but fails. Al, however, placing his feet against the wall and really putting his back into it manages to tear the door open. A sudden gust of smoky gas engulfs Al, Gill and Drael. Heads spinning, both Gill and Drael stagger out of the little room before they collapse in front of Yarr, for he had backed off earlier and waited in the hall. Al holds his breath and prays to Corellon, fighting off the poisonous cloud's effects. He also staggers out, but does not succumb. (Which is to say only he made his saving throw, the others having failed).
Four kobold fighters and Yarr stand over the fallen rogue and mighty warrior. Only the priest remains standing and totally friendly. Yarr and Al look at one another, and the priest worries what may be on the kobold's mind. Realizing they are at the mercy of the kobolds (and the dozen or so more kobolds that could be summoned by Yarr), Al quickly says, "Excellent job at finding the secret door, Yarr. You will get a valuable share of any treasure now." The kobold's thoughts, whatever they may have been, quickly turn to the thoughts of treasure. "Yes, I should get much," said the kobold warrior. Perhaps greed alone saved them, or perhaps the fact that kobolds, despite what many may think of them, are actually surprisingly trustworthy allies is what really saved them. Who can really say? Of course, the kobolds were still counting on these incredibly tough man-creatures to trash their orcan enemies, so that probably factored in as well, even if Al wasn't fully aware of the deal between the group and the kobolds that had been negotiated earlier, before he joined this little expedition.
Alaian tended to his new comrades while he suggested Yarr return to his leader and keep watch there. It appeared to the priest that this "knock out" gas would wear off, and so only time would be required now. Yarr complied. Dragging a heavy chest out of the newly exposed room, Alaian retreated with it, then Drael, then Gillmesh, back toward the muddy tunnel, set up camp, started a fire, and then waited for more than an entire day.
02/10/745 A.E.
Alaian patiently waits with his patients.
02/11/745 A.E. (Morning . . .)
Gill recovered first and Drael soon after. "Bloodie damn mages," he said, sitting up as Gill rubbed his forehead. Drael quickly checked her pockets and equipment, making certain no one had taken advantage of her unconscious state. All seemed well, to her relief. Al looked at them both, "You've been sleeping for over a day now. I was truly worried for you."
They eat some rations and ask about the chest. Al tells them that beyond moving it to a safer location, he wasn't about to fiddle with it while they were out and all were in such a dangerous condition. They commend him on his wisdom. Then Drael again sets to work, plying her trade and skill, checking the chest for anything untoward. This time, however, she discerns a needle trap. Making sure all are out of the way, she springs the trap such that the needle flies wide, landing harmlessly somewhere across the room. Smiling at her accomplishment, Drael opens the chest, revealing beautiful metal, amber-colored cups. Challises made of the metal electrum, they surmise, and they are probably quite valuable. Closer inspection by Gillmesh reveals 20 such cups and two gold bars at the bottom of the trunk-like chest. A wave of feeling incredibly rich washes over the trio as they all realize they have never had so much before in all their lives. Only 3"x 4" x 6" or so, these gold bars weigh 50 pounds each. Al marvels at how something so small can weigh so much, having to use both hands to support just one of the small gold bricks.
Finally, it is decided to pay Yarr 2 of the cups (though they never really tell Yarr how much was there to begin with, so he thinks he has gotten a lot), and they decide to head home again. They move out and soon are nearly home again by the end of the day. But something happens just outside of Alodar. They are attacked.
SESSION ENDS:
NEXT SESSION, INCLUDED HERE SINCE IT WAS SHORT
02/11/745 A.E. (Toward Evening . . . ) Continued . . .
Gillmesh flanks Drael's side, just knowing something is bound to happen when they are carrying so much treasure. It would just be their luck.
COMBAT BEGINS
S1: And just as Gil steps in front of Drael, he is hit with a spear (probably meant for Drael). He turns in pain and sees two shadowy figures silhouetted against the setting sun in the west. Tall, he sees that, but he cannot make them out.
R1: Gill throws three dart-like and relatively thin knives in their direction, but against the sun, he cannot see if they hit or not (they didn't). Drael slings upon the one that closes with her, but she also misses. Alaian shoots wide, the sheaf arrows harmlessly landing who knows where. "Baeekkkkrekk!" the creature screams, swinging with its halberd, hitting Gill, though it harmlessly bounces off his armor.
R2: Alaian screams an elvish battle cry, "In the name of Corellon Larethian, Die!" The god turns a deaf ear, apparently. Drael feels the blade of the pole arm cut into her, the blood flowing down her side. "Ughhhhh!" she moans, scampering back and away. Gill takes a mighty swing and literally cuts one of the gnolls in two, killing it.
R3: Alaian chants, "Father of the woods, bless us in our moment of need and strengthen our arms to give us courage. Let our determination wither the arms of our foes and weaken their resolve." Ah, the god does hear, one might guess, but will it be soon enough? The bladed pole arm again slices Drael, nearly killing her, and she screams this time in great pain and falls to the ground. Gill runs to her aid, attacking the remaining gnoll, but misses this time.
R4: The gnoll raises its halberd high, preparing to deliver a deathblow to the fallen woman, but before much else can happen, Alaian is helping Drael while Gillmesh cuts down the last of the ignoble creatures. It happened so fast, just so fast, one hardly knew it had begun before it was over.
COMBAT ENDS:
Healing his comrade and securing their position, Al protects the group. Drael searches the creatures while Gill strips them of their weapons and armor. Amongst other things, a ghastly discovery of a gunnysack with three severed human heads turns up. It sickens Drael and she throws the bag down and walks away from it. It was hardly what she had been hoped for. Again, Alaian offers a prayer of thanks to Corellon. Soon, they continue on and limp into Alodar, safe once more from the evil without the city's walls. The Ferryman Inn is a welcome sight.
Again some healing and rest, the night passes.
02/12/745 A.E.
Fenarellnen seems to have recovered from the undercooked pork, but Garren is still under the weather, though considerably better than when they last left him. Sally continues to flirt with Gill while serving breakfast, but he has other things on his mind. Fen and the rest of the group eat their breakfast and decide to go back the next morning. Al has both healed Drael and had time to renew his spells, and all is in readiness. After breakfast, they move out to do some shopping, agreeing to meet back here the next morning, ready to move out.
The cups are given to a shop to be sold on commission. They will get 360 GP, or 324 GP, or 288 GP each (assuming they will tithe and/or pay their taxes) come the first day of the forth month. They also exchange the gold bars for coin, getting 3,333 GP, 3,000 GP, or 2,667 GP each, again, assuming . . .). Drael buys a mule, Gill pays 10% of the full price to commission some armor, the work which begins immediately, but it won't be ready for some time, and a few other things are purchased in anticipation of their continuing quest for more cash. Drael considers this but a small part of the possible rewards since Sir Gerald's journal spoke of more than this.
Much of game time was spent doing some of this. To make a long story short (since nothing much happened):
02/13/745 A.E.
Gill, Drael, Fen, and Al make their way back to the complex. They rest inside for the night since Fen was pretty tired, perhaps not fully recovered.
02/14/745 A.E.
Hooking up with Yarr, they learn the kobold leader, through dreams and portents with some shaman, fears the orc enemies will attack them soon using some human wild man. Yarr explains in the dream his leader saw the wild man cut the kobold leader down, and there is much fear.
The party presses on and decides to try to open the heavy rusted iron door in the hall first rather than test the hall of headaches, as the kobolds describe it. After a bit of work, they finally manage it, revealing an armory, wherein they find weapons of all sorts, armor, and a few surprises. Most of it is rusty, but there is a lot of value there, as well as a lot of bulky weight. They find a shield of Dwarven-make. High craftsmanship, this shield is probably worth 10 times what a normal shield would be worth. It bears the names of the dwarf who made it, Rubeus Shaleroot. Drael discovers 6 magical potions (so they believe), but has no idea what they may be. Normally, only an alchemist can tell you what they are, or perhaps you could be brave and try it :-{) Alaian also finds a secret door leading to a set of stairs going downward. Below, it is dark and damp, and there is a feeling of fear. Just then, a noise can be heard from somewhere out in the hall behind them where no one should be.
SESSION ENDS:
© October of 1999
by
James L.R. Beach
Waterville, MN 56096