Gygax and Greyhawk Session #42 - A Cunning Plan

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:

Ranzel of the Wood (Human Ranger 5) 

Solcha (Elf Fighter 5 / Magic User 4) w/ henchman Usborn (Gnome Fighter 2/Illusionist 1)
Skeef Hawkridge (Half Elf Druid 5/ Thief 5) w/ henchman Caron (Half Elf  MU1)
Goro (Half Orc Cleric 4 / Fighter 5) w/ henchman Koreyth the Master (Human Fighter 1) 

Date/Time

Patchwall 15 (night) to Patchwall 18 (mid-morning) 

The party's rest and recovery is unfortunately interrupted on the first night by a pack of prowling wolves. These get within attack range of the watch before anyone knows they are there, and then fall upon those asleep around the fire.  One guard is killed in the exchange, and Usborn and Koreyth both are mauled unconscious. Half the wolves are killed and the rest dispersed into the night. 

Though now short handed, the party pushes on with their plan.  Proceeding back to the hole in the ground, Goro and Skeef receive invisibility spells from Solcha, and further mask themselves with silence from the cleric. The hidden duo then proceed down into the caverns below, followed by the rest of the party at a respectable distance. The two sneak their way down the first cliff face and get into position to surprise attack the two still in place gnome-like guards. Unfortunately their blades do not strike true and the guards are alerted. And suddenly enlarge from gnomish size and shape to 11' tall giants! One is slain quickly, but the other retreats into the side chamber and starts to raise a hue and cry. He is pined in place by skunk stink, silenced, and is soon taken down by Goro and Skeef; but it is likely the party's surprise is blown. 

Nevertheless, the party all now push on. Descending the next cliff, they are pelted by arrows from below. Caron ends that opposition with a sleep spell. Fanning out, the party searches another side cave which seems to be the guards quarters, pilfering a small chest of electrum and a spell scroll. Solcha scoops up some arrows to replace the ones she has shot, and the party pushes on behind Skeef, who is scouting ahead into the next, larger chamber. There they see four strange sickly pink man-shaped blobs. These shuffle towards the entering party, but do not seem to be overly hostile. After 'looking' at the party, they simply stand immobile. But Ranzel is having none of this non-hostility. Figuring the little blobs can't be good, he lashes out. The rest of the party follows his lead, and the quartet are chopped down. Though it takes an application of holy water to keep them from regenerating, a fact which seems to justify the ranger's homicidal rage.  

At this point, the party hears a horn sound from a small passage to their far left. And in the darkness beyond the end of the large cavern comes the sound of something large hauling itself from somnolence and into action ...

GAINS

670ep

Scroll (1 MU Spell) 

KILLS/VICTORIES

7 wolves

4 spriggan 

4 lemure 

LOSSES

Usborn [unconscious]

Koreyth [unconscious]