Characters
Our cast for our fourth session:
- Arnogliscus the Magic-User (deceased) played by Graytung
- Barkface the Druid, played by EvilTables
- Donnie the Bard, played by Malley
- Lothomir the Elf, played by Graytung
- Sky the Druid, played by John/Captain Caveman
Investigation of other tombs
After recuperating a bit in Helix, the party set out a call for henchmen. They were approached by a local thug Cravos and his dog Snookums, as well as four mercenaries who claimed to participate in a nearby border war. They took Cravos up on his offer to accompany them as an unskilled laborer, but were wary of hiring a group of mercenaries as large as their current party.
New member to the group, magic-user Arnogliscus looked over the party and noted a lack of front line fighters save the dwarf, Arnd, and purchased him a suit of plate.
Afterwards the group decided to head back to the barrows. Despite the murky fog that cast the moor in a blanket of grey, they were successful in navigating back to the span of graves.
On the way Donnie began contemplating investing in a road through the moor, postulating wood chips or sand to be laid in the moor to speed up trekking time.
Once there our adventurers decided it was high time to investigate a few of the tombs surrounding their typical entrance. Finding their first mound sealed, Barkface and Donnie set to smashing open the stone door. The musk of ancient air and dry bones wafted out after the slab cracked and our group descended into a small tomb containing two slabs covered in funeral shrouds, with a vase and offering bowl at the foot and head of each subject. The took the gold that was offered to the entombed, as well as a ring on one of them, and Donnie decided to leave copper coins in the eyes of the skeletons.
They tried a thorough search of the small tomb, wondering if it gave entrance to the maze below, but were unsuccessful in their search. In the time it took to test the stone wall and floors for secrets, a load croaking was heard from outside the mound. The group peered up the stairs and saw into the yellow, glassy eyes of a giant toad, watching them.
Battle Toads
Arnogliscus encouraged the party, saying that he would distract the creature. He charged directly towards it, and it leapt backwards. He stopped at the door frame suspecting something amiss, and the trickle of loose stone from the top of the mound revealed that a further toad lay in wait.
As he watched the laborious hopping of the toad he shouted at, the mage decided to sprint out of the tunnel, hoping to make a break for the rest of the group. Immediately as he ran, Donnie and Barkface shot arrows and stones at the initial toad.
Two took the bait of the magic-user, but the initial one turned and attempted to catch the party’s dwarf henchmen, Arnd Cobblestone. Missing its initial attempt to eat the dwarf, the creature pounced on Donnie shredding him with claws attached to its massive webbed feet, and it bit deeply into plated dwarf, crunching his shoulder and rendering him prone.
The party continued their assault on the toad, pelting it with stones until Sky successfully skewered the horrific amphibian. The group agreed to use the party’s only health potion to restore Arnd’s life, fearing he may die without it. He thanked the party for saving him once more.
Arnogliscus succeeded in drawing the attention of the toad from the top of the mound as well as a second, and was able to zig and zag to confuse the creatures until the gave up for slower, less perceptive prey.
Sunken Tomb
Feeling the first tomb had been thoroughly searched, the party progressed to a second mound, also sealed. After shattering the door the descended below, to a series of three rooms, two blocked by portcullises with hallways sloping down into rooms filled with knee-high water.
They heaved the west portcullis up and Arnogliscus probed around the watery tomb for goods, finding two saturated coffins. Inside was a bevy of scrolls and spellbooks, but only one scroll case survived water damage. Pocketing that, the party tried the east tomb, also filled with water but no visible coffins.
Arnogliscus made his way into this tomb, but ran afoul of a bloated zombie horde in the water, which quickly tore him to pieces. The party shut the portcullis and ran, grieving their deceased companion.
Sword Grave
Trying one further tomb, the group passed several fully-buried tombs with no obvious doors but did not yet want to exhume them. They found a tomb already plundered with no remaining goods, and finally stopped at yet another sealed tomb.
Breaking it open the group witnessed an altar with a jeweled sword upon it, with six alcoves holding upright, armored skeletons in them. Lothomir the elf stumbled upon the group, pledged his service to the gang, and said he would be brave to run in, snatch the blade and run.
He did so, and the skeletons lurched to life stumbling after the elf. He cried for the party to wade into combat, but Sky reminded him that they were free to make off with the sword, and he was pleased to do so.
Back to Helix
With a little over an hour of working time left at the moor, the party decided it was time to return to Helix and recuperate, since Donnie and Arnd were still fairly injured.
Once back they settled into the Brazen Strumpet, finding many figures participating in drink and merry-making. They witnessed a finely dressed man chatting secretively with one of the barmaids, and once she excused herself the party introduced themselves to him.
The man told them his name was Ollis Blackfell, the current advisor for Krothos Ironguard. The party discussed the idea of opening a new mercenary company in the Duchy, and Ollis noted that while it wasn’t quite legal, acknowledgement of power could go a long way if the party proved themselves worthwhile. He noted that he suspected an agent of a foul thieves guild from Bogtown to be operating somewhere in Helix, and if the party could return him the identity of the agent he would certainly aid them.
Before returning to his lord, Ollis held out his hand in the manner of a high noble or clergyman, Lothomir decided to placate him. Donnie then bought the barmaid who was speaking to Ollis an ale, and she nervously joined the group. Seeing that she seemed uncomfortable they let her go, but noted her behaviour.
Final Thoughts
It was a fun session. The group didn’t get into the tomb but we got a bit of town drama going, and some of the smaller tombs investigated. Plus the group found a magic sword and ring. I am still trying to figure out the feasibility of Malley’s idea to build a road.
Also it just seems like I have it out for poor Graytung, killing a character of his about every session. His new elf is pretty beefy statwise and now has a magic sword, so we’ll see if the pattern continues.
We almost lost Arnd as well, but fortunately the group had a potion to use on him. The group really treats that dwarf well, which is fun.