Gygax & Greyhawk Session #30 - The Wight Stuff

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:

Ranzel of the Wood (Human Ranger 5)
Solcha (Elf Fighter 4 / Magic User 4)
Skeef Hawkridge (Half Elf Druid 4/ Thief 4) 
Goro (Half Orc Cleric 4 / Fighter 4)

Date/Time

Harvester 2 mid-day to Harvester 3 mid-afternoon 

By-passing the statue and the tablets, the party turns left and passes a side chamber, its entrance draped in heavy dusty cobwebs. These are burned away to reveal a room full of ochre clay jars, along with other cobwebbed alcoves along the walls. The jars are largely empty (once filed with liquids and grave offerings), but in the alcoves are bodies. When Solcha disturbs one, all four rise to life. In the ensuing fight, the party takes a battering and are shocked to find their life force being drained away when hit. They retreat to the cave entrance where a trap of magic and fire are set, and the undead are destroyed. But by now Ranzel is barely able to walk due to weakness, so the party retreats all the way back to the chapel at the valley entrance to rest and recover. 

While the good heal as usual, life force is slow to return. But the party opts to charge back into the fray right away and return to the caves. They loot some treasure from an alcove overlooked by the form of a bearded man painted on the stucco, and explore a half-finished chamber where a charnel pit of bone and broken pottery fills the center. Beyond this chamber they find one with a quiet pool of water, in the bottom of which they find a green slime. This they scoop up into a canopic jar so they can search the pool. But alas to no avail, as nothing is found. A groups of zombies shuffle from the darkness to block the chamber entrance, but do not enter the room. A combination of the power of Heironeous and steel eliminate the threat, and the party moves on. 

They backtrack and continue past the bearded image into a large, low ceilinged chamber. It, like the first they encountered, is lined with bodies in alcoves, and with clay jars (this time grey rather than ochre) scattered across the floor. Disturbing one releases a choking cloud of spores and dust, but at least the body does not animate. To be sure, the party burns all the bodies, filling the chamber with smoke. They also fight another zombie patrol, which is dispatched like the first.

At the far end of the chamber is another exit, flanked by bowing, obeisant human figures painted on the rough stucco walls. On the opposite wall of the small chamber beyond are three statues; two rampant bears flanking a bearded man in robes, under which is concealed a great sword. Mindful of the spirit bear's warning, they approach cautiously.  Goro casts a silence spell as the riddle suggests sound may be a factor. Skeef approaches to check for traps, and notes the bears have eyes of yellow topaz, whereas the bearded man exhibits empty sockets. The thief tries to pry out one of the gem eyes, and is rewarded with a blast of flame and spray of acid from the two bear statues. And no gem. The angry Skeef then tries to stoneshape the statue mouths shut, but the magic of their creator is stronger than his ... 

GAINS

240gp of various grave goods and coin

KILLS/VICTORIES

4 Wight

2 Zombies

LOSSES

A lot of CON 

Gygax & Greyhawk Session #29 - Way of the Wolf

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:

Ranzel of the Wood (Human Ranger 5)
Solcha (Elf Fighter 4 / Magic User 4)
Skeef Hawkridge (Half Elf Druid 4/ Thief 4) 
Goro (Half Orc Cleric 4 / Fighter 4)

Date/Time

Goodmonth 24 mid-day to Harvester 2 mid-day 

The party returns to the shrine and their recovering druid. They decide it would be best to relocate to the rock-hewn chapel at the entrance of the valley, and settle down there for a few days as Skeef recovers. Apart from the usual lifting and descending of the daily mist, the only unusual event occurs one afternoon late in their vigil. They observe what seems to be the whole population of the village head west into the woods of the as yet unexplored wolf shrine. These folks then return back to the village before the mist falls that afternoon. It being more than a mile across the valley, the party can't tell if everyone returned, but there are suspicions that a sacrifice has been made.  

Skeef recovers, and the party makes tracks to the western wood. And they do indeed find another round stone, this marked with the sign of the wolf. And there is indeed a sacrifice. Hanging from the circle of trees around the boulder are bodies swaying in nooses. Most are long dead and skeletal, but one is fresh. Or at least what little flesh remains is fresh.  Solcha volunteers to confront this spirit and offers a sacrifice in the form of a brace of rabbits provided by Ranzel. The wolf spirit awakes with a howl that shakes the woods, but he is not hungry so the elf must take the challenge. Standing on the boulder, Solcha is assailed by spirit wolves who try to knock her off. When she fights backs, the wolves redouble their efforts and the elf is forced to keep climbing up onto the boulder thanks to a pre-planned spider climb. But in the end she passes the test, and the spirit of the wolf offers advice to the elf; one must stand fast and fearless in the shield wall to gain a warriors reward.  The spirit also offers a clue to the resting place of the Barbarian King: 

When the falling waters show the way, 

will you see the house of my lord. 

Leaving the ghoulish clearing, the party returns to the pit of the worm. Goro is intent of getting a reward or clue from that spirit, but even after returning the treasure to the casket there is no response. It is also noted that the sign of the worm that was inscribed on the half buried boulder is still missing. Skeef uses stone shape to drill a hole through the boulder to locate any enclosed treasure, but finds nothing. 

The party returns to the chapel to rest another night, then head north into the valley after the daily lifting of the mist. They stop first at the eagle shrine where Skeef tries once more to take the test. But the spirit becomes angry when the druid ties himself down with a rope, and the eagle arises in anger and drives the party off. They figure good riddance, and opt to follow the river up a steep valley. They pass a low plateau with standing stones covered in carved writing, unlike that on the burial mound steles. It is an ancient druidic script that Solcha and Goro are able to decipher and they learn to cast call lighting. 

Continuing on, they come to the headwall of the valley. A waterfall drops 60-70' over this cliff, atop which are perched two pillars, one to either side of the stream. A narrow, steep and slippery path climbs up to the right. Ranzel tries to scramble up but slips and falls. A second more careful attempt with rope is successful. The pillars turn out to be statues, faceless and formless having lost their coating of plaster/stucco. A mournful wail is heard that slowly fades away. Connecting this location to the wolf's prophesy, the party looks around and sees a dark cover on the talus slope above them. They climb up and find a small grotto with a tunnel leading deeper into the mountain. They follow this until it splits into a Y-passage. Here they see the flaking remains of barbarian frescos on the wall, and the figure of a huge bear standing at the intersection, it's maw and claws painted as is covered in blood ... 

GAINS

none

KILLS/VICTORIES

none

LOSSES

Skeef's Pride