Gygax & Greyhawk Session # 72 - The Beast(s) are Beaten

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:

Skeef Hawkridge (Half Elf Druid 7 / Thief 7) 
Goro (Half Orc Cleric 6 / Fighter 6) 
Solcha (Elf Fighter 5 / Magic User 6) 
Chanee (Human Paladin 5)
[Baqua Irontoes (Halfling Fighter 4 / Thief 5)]

Date/Time

Wealsun 8 (evening) to Wealsun 8 (night)

... the buzzing man-thing advances on the druid and rewards Skeef with a massive number of bee stings. The party, a couple dozen feet away, turn to assist their comrade and the shambling insect collection is soon dispersed. Checking out the wooden boxes that first attracted the druids attention, they are found to be ordinary bee hives. Leaving these behind, they continue down the pebbled path, only to be accosted by the nearest scarecrow. But finally they make their goal, passing through the flower gardens and up to the tower itself. They circle around to the back servants entrance, where a smear of blood leads up to the door and through a hinged flap at the bottom. 

Entering, the party follows the trail of blood downstairs and through a wrecked kitchen. The blood leads through a partly smashed door, which proves difficult to open due to the half-eaten dead donkey behind it. They enter this next room cautiously, Skeef and Baqua gliding through shadows as the rest of the party turns the corner to get a better look inside. They find a charnel house of mostly devoured bodies, and from a nest of table linen in the far corner leap two sleek cat-like beasts with tentacles growing out of their shoulders. They are slain in a relatively short combat, and the party moves on. 

They next encounter a strange mummy-like creatures to which both weapons and Skeef (transformed into a giant beaver) get stuck. Further rifling of the erstwhile-servants quarters gave them some loose change, and they ultimately end up back in the kitchen and in the adjacent cold room. Apart from various dried and packaged foods, the only thing of note in the room is a covered well from which traces of a ghostly blue light emerge. Uncovering the well releases a swarm of odd flying creatures, looking like a bundle of bristly grey hair with two bulbous glowing eyes and a long tail. These are vicious, and attach to their victim with a bite and then sting with an electrical jolt with the tail. And they keep emerging from the well. Goro swiftly throws the lid back on the well, and the party retreats from the room before getting overwhelmed. 

GAINS

300gp

Silver Holy Symbol of Trithereon [25gp]

86cp

KILLS/VICTORIES

1 Scarecrow

2 Displacer Beasts 

1 Adherer

6 Volts  

LOSSES

none

 

Gygax & Greyhawk Session # 71 - Asflag's Tower

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:

Skeef Hawkridge (Half Elf Druid 7 / Thief 7) 
Goro (Half Orc Cleric 6 / Fighter 6) 
Solcha (Elf Fighter 5 / Magic User 6) 
[Baqua Irontoes (Halfling Fighter 4 / Thief 5)]

Date/Time

Wealsun 2 (morning) to Wealsun 8 (evening) 

The party pokes about for some rumors of adventure, while Skeef heads off to fence the brilliant Helm of Morandril Hath he'd been lunging about since winter. Two items of interest, both linked to wizards, are learned. One rumor speaks of the mage Meldime, who awaits some unknown but mysterious cargo to arrive by ship. But said ship seems to have been lost in fog off the port at Brampton, and he is looking for help to find it.  The second speaks of strange creatures and monstrous killings in the night around the wizardly towers in the Seers District. The party opts for rumor #2, as Solcha wanted to make  contact with locals  mages and learn some new spells anyway. 

And so they find themselves at the College of Wizardry and Thaumaturgistry, meeting with the vertically challenged gnome illusionist Endoc and the frumpy wizardous Mirim.They explain one of their guild, Asflag,  appears to have disappeared from his tower; likely carried off during some summoning ritual he was known to perform. Of no real concern to the College, except now the strange creatures the wizard used to guard and staff his tower have begun to escape and terrorize the district. Which puts the unspoken agreement (to police their own) the College has with her Nobel Brilliance the Countess Belissica in peril.  So on behalf of the College the two (joined now at the last minute by the dandy mage Tullintot), offer the party 2000gp (half up front) plus whatever the can recover from Asflags tower, as payment for dealing the the monstrous menaces inside the lost wizards' abode. The two also offer rewards for recovery of two items Asflag had borrowed and never returned to them; a crystal ball of Endoc's and a carpet of flying of Mirim's. The party mumbles a non-committal answer to this last request, and negotiate 2000gp in value of spell training for Solcha before closing the deal. 

The party scouts the lost wizards' home, finding it to be a smallish tower inside a large walled estate. Noting a smear of blood near the south east corner of the wall, they surmise the electrical security system of which they were warned has failed there, allowing monsters out. And so perhaps it will let them in; and indeed they clamber over the wall and safely get inside. They find themselves in a pleasant refuge, facing an extensive water garden, with formal and vegetable garden leading towards the tower itself towards the other end of the enclosure.  Beginning their exploration, they follow a path past a series of grotesque statues, which spring to life as gargoyles and attack. They slay three, while the other three flee to the top of the tower. Dusting off, the party's next stop is a series of utility buildings along the west wall. They mostly ignore the zombie gardeners and animated garden tools found therein, and head along the path to the tower instead.  Skeef detours off into the trees to investigate some square wooden boxes; and discovers a swarm of bees forming a man shaped monster that buzzes towards the curious druid ... 

GAINS

none

KILLS/VICTORIES

3 gargoyles 

LOSSES

none

Gygax & Greyhawk Session # 70 - Rescue Successful!

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:

Skeef Hawkridge (Half Elf Druid 7 / Thief 6) 
Goro (Half Orc Cleric 6 / Fighter 6) 
Solcha (Elf Fighter 5 / Magic User 6) 

Date/Time

Flocktime 20 (morning) to Wealsun 2 (morning)

First part of the plan is to get the still convulsing Baqua and her paladin guardian out of Tortage. The pair are booked late in the afternoon aboard a slow barge to Radigast City. With them on the way to safety, the remaining trio bides time until after midnight, then  proceed to the mansion of Lord Fhaylin Jark. Using a combination of invisible sleath, climbing and silence, they break into the lady's bedchamber, unseen and unheard. A trio of female guards stand watch, but web and silence keep them out of the way. They find the young woman chained to the bed, and quickly free the terrified captive. She is taken away by Skeef in the form of a giant eagle, while Goro and Solcha follow with fly spells. Leaving an obscuring spell behind then, they fly out over the Nyr Dyr and intercept the barge with Chanee and Baqua. Careful application of gold buys the captain and crews cooperation and silence, and a day later the party finds itself safe for the moment in the capital of the County of Urnst. 

Along the way, the young woman regains her composure and tells her tale. Her name is Janna, daughter of a Tenha chieftain. Lord Fhaylin Jark had been a guest at their manor and taken a liking to her. When rebuffed, he arranged to have her kidnapped and brought to him in Tortage.  Obviously quite traumatized, she wishes only to return home. Goro makes contact with the local temple of Heironeous, and through their good offices makes arrangements to place the woman under the protection of Her Noble Brilliancy, the Countess Belissica of Urnst.

Their knight errant duty fulfilled, the party settles into  a decent inn (The Unicorn & Tankard) so Skeef can make some local contacts for training. And to decide what to do next. There is still the Orb to be dealt with, but it is still two months until the moons are new and the Ghost Tower appears. So the party opts to settle into Radigast City for awhile and look for means to make some coin and take it a little easy as summer approaches. 

GAINS

none

KILLS/VICTORIES

none

LOSSES

none

Gygax & Greyhawk Session # 69 - Into the Pirate Den

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:

Skeef Hawkridge (Half Elf Druid 7 / Thief 6) 
Goro (Half Orc Cleric 6 / Fighter 6) 
Solcha (Elf Fighter 5 / Magic User 6) 

Date/Time

Flocktime 17 (early  morning) to Flocktime 20 (morning)

... there came a shout of 'fire!' from one of the crew. There, atop the mast, floats a glowing ball of light. Aftera few moments trying to figure out what to do, Swirir bellows at one of the crew to climb up there and make sure it wasn't actually burning down the mast. Goror intervened and used Baqua's gloves to scurry up there, while Skeef transforms into a giant eagle and Solcha prepares her spells. The thing is not fire, but a ball of glowing light. It drifts away from the mast, then circles Skeef in the sky, before plunging to the deck and  crisping a crewman in a crackle of lightning. The party then turns on it, but neither Skeef nor Goro seem able to strike it. In the end, a fistfull of magic missiles from  Solcha snuffs it out forever. 

The remaining two days to Tortage are uneventful. Swirir though started to suggest he could tranship the party to another vessel, as the do-gooders might not feel welcome in the den of scum of pirates that was the capital of the Principality of Redhand. They also got the distinct impression that the dwarf was afraid they might be trouble for his business. The party opted to stay aboard of course, being intent on rescuing the lady in the cabin, but placated the captain my insisting they'd be getting off as soon as the barge docked. 

Arriving in Tortage, the party disembarked, sending Chanee and Baqua off to the somewhat clean "Mermaids Arms" inn so the halfling could finish her recovery. The other, now invisible, three followed a party of Lord Fhaylin's men who arrive at the docks to pick up the woman. Two figures stand out; a brawny, pirate-y half orc with a pirate band and a female half elf with her own better equip female guards. They carry the still comatose woman up and out of the dock district to a more upscale area close to Prince Zeech's castle. There they enter a respectable house through a guarded gate. 

Skeef turns into a sparrow to scout the windows, and was able to get an idea of the interior. He did note the kidnapped lady is now settled in a well appointed bedchamber, guarded by two of the female guards and tended by a handful of servants. He also observed two other ways into the house; a balcony leading into the Lady's bedchamber and a small hatch at the attic level. Also of note was a conservatory where a captive elf was observed, forced to play for Lord Fahlin and companions; and elsewhere in the house a dark shrine to some god, perhaps the dreaded Hextor who is strong in Tortage. 

The trio settles in to observe all the comings and going throughout the day and evening, and begins to formulate their rescue plans.  

GAINS

none

KILLS/VICTORIES

1 Will-o-Wisp

LOSSES

none

Gygax & Greyhawk Session # 68 - Of Hags and Hustlers

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:

Skeef Hawkridge (Half Elf Druid 7 / Thief 6) 
Goro (Half Orc Cleric 6 / Fighter 6) 
Solcha (Elf Fighter 5 / Magic User 6) 
Chanee (Human Paladin 5)

Date/Time

Flocktime 9 (early morning) to Flocktime 17 (daybreak)

Skeef changes form into a bloodhound to track the scent, which to no one's surprise leads them to the overgrown swamp at the far end of the island. The party cautiously enters the morass of water, mud and twisted stunted trees, looking for clues of the kidnapper or the missing Levik. They find no clues of the missing sailor, but are jumped by a pair of ettercaps lurking amidst the branches above. Alas, one strikes down Solcha with it's poison bite. Desperate to save their companion, the party quickly retreats back to the beached barge to allow the cleric and druid to rest and pray for the slow poison and neutralize poison spells they need to bring the elf back. 

That done, the party heads back to the far end of the island later the next day, followed by grumbling of the crew about abandoning poor Levik because the elf is more important ...  Delving deeper into the swamp the party hears a subtle splash of water ahead, which leads them to a muddy tunnel half filled with water. Goro and Solcha crawl in first, it leading into a muddy chamber some 30' across and 20' high. The roof is a maze of mud and tree roots, and faint light filter through. A room or cave lies off to one side at ceiling height, accessible by a tattered rope. While Goro climbs up, Solcha goes to get the rest of the party.  In the darkness of the cave, Goro finds scattered debris and bone, and a frightened young woman. She tries to talk to the cleric and approach him, but the cleric drops a silence spell, suspecting a sinister spellcaster. And the woman suddenly turns into a green hag, lunging to attack the half-orc. Down below, the other three are confronted with a wraith-like figure that enters from the tunnel.  

The battle moves down to the main water filled chamber, and after the party is successful in slaying the hag. The other figure never attacks or seems to interact directly with the party, and it just disappears after awhile. The party climbs up to the high camber again, finding loot and the half eaten remains of poor Levik.

The rest of their sojourn on the Isle of the Armiger is uneventful, and a couple of days later repairs are complete and the barge resumes its journey down river. The next day they pass Stoink, the City of Thieves, and two small sailing boats pull out of the pool to intercept. Swirir says they are probably 'customs collectors' coming to shake down the barge for bribes. The party decide they will not be shaking down this barge, but Swirir cautions them to not make it too obvious and/or bloody. Otherwise the dwarf will pay dearly next time he has to pass the city. So the party makes use of a series of hold person spells to immobilize the crews and let the boats drift away on the current. 

The next five days pass without incident, either on or off barge. They pass a wrecked barge with what appears to be 'salvagers' aboard, but they opt to ignore them and continue on. However just before dawn on the 6th day ...

GAINS

40pp

511gp

gems (500gp, 10gp, 500gp, 100gp, 1000gp)

Potion of ESP

Amulet of Proof Against Detection and Location 

KILLS/VICTORIES

2 Ettercap

1 Greenhag

LOSSES

Solcha (Temporarily) 

Gygax & Greyhawk Session # 67 - River Adventures

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:

Skeef Hawkridge (Half Elf Druid 7 / Thief 6) 
Goro (Half Orc Cleric 6 / Fighter 6) 
Solcha (Elf Fighter 5 / Magic User 6) 
Chanee (Human Paladin 5)
[Baqua Irontoes (Halfling Fighter 4 / Thief 5)]

Date/Time

Flocktime 6 (morning) to Flocktime 9 (early morning) 

... Baqua's shout roused the party (and much of the crew). The halfling pointed them downriver, where below the phosphorescent glow of Phostwood itself, there hung in the air over the river a pair of beings that themselves were glowing. Angelic in look, the two drifted slowly towards the barge, ignoring all attempts to communicate. While all attention is focused on the performers to the front, Skeef hears a faint noise behind. Investigating, he notes sign that someone or something had been in Swirir's cabin. The dwarf investigates, and report the pay chest has been looted; all his gold and silver is gone. By this time, the two figures off the bow have disappeared. It all appeared to be a rather elaborate break & enter. But by whom?

The next day passes without incident and they emerge from the Phostwood once more in the open. When night falls, Skeef turns into a mouse to sneak into the cabin to further investigate their mysterious co-passenger. He finds an attractive young women of Flann appearance, apparently in a coma or similar. The cabin itself was non-descipt, but mouse-Skeef did note some bottles that could be potions or poisons. 

Next day "The Hammer" must run the Iron Gates, a narrowing where the river passes between high cliffs. Swirir assures them there is nothing to worry about; just a little more current to deal with for a few miles. But then the barge slams into a new rockfall lurking just below the water. They begin to ship water from the shattered bottom; the crew rushes to staunch the flow, and Solcha enlarges some of the damaged wood to make very temporary repairs. They make it through the Gates, and Swirir beaches the barge on the Isle of the Armiger, a small rocky island just past the Gates. There the crew starts to repair the vessel. Swirir tells the party it will be a few days to make repairs; they are welcome to flag down another passing barge to continue their if they like. But the party chooses to stay, and head off to explore the islet. 

The Isle is long and narrow, with a low ridge running down the center. A small promontory on the western side holds the tumbled remains of an old tower; to the south-east is a tangled swamp. They head for the tower, finding a barely standing lower floor overground with brush and weeds. The shattered bas-relief of an ancient knight guards the entrance. Skeef speaks to a local bird, which reports that a strange creature has recently flown(?) to the tower and has scared away ]everything else.  Proceeding cautiously, the party enters to tower. Inside is more rubble, with the faintest remains of a second floor at the rear. As they approach this, a strange creature suddenly floats overhead. It appeared to be a huge brain with tentacles dangling below it. It immediately drifts down to land atop Baqua. It wraps two tentacles about the halfling, and then proceeds to lash and bite her into paralytic unconsciousness. The party destroys the foul creature, bringing Baqua back from the brink, and return to the barge just as night begins to fall. 

Chanee convinces the distracted Swirir to let him minister the gravely injured Baqa in the captains' tent, which also allows to paladin a closer look at the sleeping beauty. It is confirmed there is no evil or magic at play; the woman is likely under the influence of some poison or drug. So he grabs samples from the bottles Skeef had seen for further analysis/investigation. 

Just as the party and crew have settled in for the night, the air is rent with a scream. Solcha catches a glimpse of something dragging away one of the crew (Levik) before it disappears beyond range of vision, The party girds it's loins and heads out into the darkness in pursuit, making a beeline for the swamp ... 

GAINS

15sp, 12gp

KILLS/VICTORIES

1 Grell

LOSSES

Baqua (Temporarily) 

Gygax & Greyhawk Session # 66 - Fleeing From Fiendish Foes

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:

Skeef Hawkridge (Half Elf Druid 7 / Thief 6) 
Goro (Half Orc Cleric 6 / Fighter 6) 
Solcha (Elf Fighter 5 / Magic User 6) 
Chanee (Human Paladin 5)
[Baqua Irontoes (Halfling Fighter 4 / Thief 5)]

Date/Time

Flocktime 1 (morning) to Flocktime 6 (midnight) 

As the end of training time approached for Chanee, Baqua and Solcha, preparations for departure from Redspan ramp into full gear. In addition to laying in supplies and arraigning passage, the party also makes plans so they can get out of town without being noticed by any of their 'suiters'. In particular Polistea, whom they fear the most. However, it turns out to be the cultists of Nerull who make the first move. On a day of heavy rain and mist, the party is ambushed while heading back to their inn. There is but a short flurry of spell casting and attempted assassination (plus an aerial pursuit by a giant eagle-d Skeef), with the party victorious over their black and rust clad foes. They recognize their attackers as the four who'd approached them at the inn with an offer to buy the Opal. Pulling the bodies into an alley, they loot them and then redouble efforts to get out of town. 

The party make it's escape a few days later. Wrapping the Opal in a thick sheet a lead and spells in an attempt to dampen its 'signal', they fly off the inn roof under cover of a mystical fog raised by  the druid. They head out over the Artonsamay River to meet their chosen transportation (the barge "The Hammer", skipped by the dwarf Swirir Orfang), having also booked passage on several other vessels to confuse their pursuers. 

The party is a bit surprised to find they carry, safely ensconced in the skippers cabin, another passenger. The dwarf informs them he is carrying a young women, suffering from a debilitating and untreatable ailment that leaves her in a deep coma, to her family in Tortage on the Nyr Dyv. He waves off all offers of help from the cleric and paladin, saying only she has been seen by the mightiest clerics in Redspan to no available. Their suspicions raised, the party uses a careful application of spells to learn the as yet unseen woman is not charmed, neither she or the dwarf are evil, but that the story he's told them is not quite true. The woman is in fact to be sold to a certain vicious Lord Fhaylin Jark in Tortage, to be his 'plaything'. This of course sets into motion plans to rescue the helpless woman somewhere between here and the Nyr Dyv. 

Near sunset on the second day, they observe a troubling sight on bluff above the right bank of the river.  A band of the fanatical apostates of Photlus of the Theocracy of Dimre stand prepared to execute a group of men. This offends Solcha, and she takes advantage of the low cloud and low light to surreptitiously drop a lighting bolt in the midst of the heretics, killing many and scattering the rest. 

The next day, the barge paseses into the Phostwood. The daylight passes without event. But near midnight, Baqua on watch raises a hue and cry ...  

 

GAINS

4sp, 159gp, 4pp

2x jeweled sword belts [900gp each] 

Onyx Unholy Symbol of Nerull [800gp]

Gauntlets of Swimming and Climbing 

Philter of Persuasiveness

Clerical Scroll - 2/Spiritual Hammer 

KILLS/VICTORIES

Gyarnax Jorth & Forwaith (Clerics of Nerull)

Juth & Syv (Assassins) 

8 Warriors of the Faith 

LOSSES

none