Gygax and Greyhawk Session #48 - The Sundered Tower

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:

Ranzel of the Wood (Human Ranger 6) 

Solcha (Elf Fighter 5 / Magic User 5) 
Skeef Hawkridge (Half Elf Druid 6/ Thief 6) 
Goro (Half Orc Cleric 4 / Fighter 5) 

Date/Time

??

The rakshasa caravan winds its way across the sephrcural plains before climbing back into the craggy hills. One of the stench kine slips on a talus slope, and nearly tumbles everyone down to a rocky doom. Descending once more onto a barren plain dotted with burial mounds, a fireball erupts from a crevasse in the cracked ground, engulfing the party and their hosts in flame. And then come zombies;  a minor hoard of the undead crawl out from among the mounds and shuffles to intercept. Emir Takasha mildly suggests that, in return for the traders hospitality,  the party take care of them. They take up the offer. but Goro is distressed to find Heironeous cannot answer his call in the Lower Plains, and the party has to fight them the old fashioned way.  This results in a tougher than expected battle, and eventually the Emir ends it with a well placed fireball and a not-comforting, grimalkin grin. 

Turning down the Emir's offer of over-priced healing, the caravan traverses the plains and climb again into the hills. After some indeterminate time, the caravan halts, and the Emir draws the party's attention to a collection of craggy spires in the near distance. At first it looks like nothing but rock, but slowly it evolves into the form of a blasted and tumbled collection of Gothic towers overlooking the plains below. This, the Emir says as he and his people prepare to move on, is the Sundered Tower. 

Taking leave of the rakshasa, the party climbs a rough path up to the ruins. Passing into the courtyard, they fond nothing but tumbled and blasted stone, and a single archway leading down into darkness. Ranzel checks the drifting ash and dust, and notes several human-like creatures have passed this way recently, within the last week. Entering the archway, the party descends a wide hallway sloping gently down, until it ends at a door and corridor. They find their magical lights do not work, and even a simple torch throws but little light in the all encompassing darkness. They open the door and are beset by three shadows, who are dispatched. In the room they find a terrible grey alter overlooked by a diabolic goat-headed figure. Three candle sockets shows signs of black wax, and an archway to the west is marked by a keystone with a red gem. On a stone table nearby is a bowl with a strange glowing ember, and a collection of black and red candles in the drawers below. 

Goro passes through the archway, and is immediately shrunk in size and strength. The opposite side of the archway is marked with a black gem, and when Goro comes back through, he returns to normal but receives a cold wound deep in his body in the process. Meanwhile, Ranzel has placed three of the black candles on the alter and lit them. This moves the alter aside, revealing a room beyond. As the three candles quickly vanish, the party rushes through the opening just as it begins to close off the opening once more. This next room is filled with drifts of fine ash. On one wall is a mural of a robed figure holding a lit candle to an archway. In one corner is a stone chest, inside which they find an absolution charm with the visage of a pit fiend and the name "Broggmoth". Passing to another ash-filled room, they observed cloven hoof prints passing through a red-gem arch. Lighting one of their red candles they hold it up to the arch, which causes the gem to turn black. Passing through, everyone feels a cold wound just as |Goro did. 

On the other side is a vast chamber lost in darkness. A tumble of stone lies to the left, so they start to work along the walls in that direction. Along the way they find a few bones which they recognize as finger and toe bones; but each is the size of a human femur.  Suddenly comes the sound of massive chains shifting on stone, then a rending sound. Moments later, a huge skeleton, 40' high, looms out of the darkness. Swinging the chains, it attacks. The party, knowing this thing could be their doom, opt to flee. Spying a balcony to their left, Skeef climbs up the wall and Ranzel tosses his grapple and rope. Although several of the party are smashed by massive blows from the chain, they all get to the balcony safely. It seems the giant cannot or will not attack  them here ... 

GAINS

4 black candles of Astaroth

2 red candles of Astaroth

Absolution charm (13 hrs) 

KILLS/VICTORIES

10 zombies

3 shadows 

LOSSES

none