The Grim Halls (TM) - Session Summaries 17-20

 

SESSION #17

August 23, 2023

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:

Shifty (Halfling 4)

Grumli (Dwarf 3)

Thunk II (Thief 4)

Chonko (Fighter 1)

[Polemore (NM)]

Carmack (MU1) NPC

Encounters:     6 Bugbears

                        25 Zombies

                        Green Slime 

                        

Treasure:     800sp

                    400gp

                               

XP:                  1080

 

Notable Moments:  All those zombies!!!

                                Thunk II and Polemore die to zombies; but the thief's insurance policy pays off!

                                Chonko pledges himself to the church of ????; 10% tithe for free Raise Dead when                                 needed. 

                                Shifty and the green slime mace

                                Shifty dies and spends all his gold on Raise Dead

                                Chonko +1 level (successful carousing) 

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SESSION #18

September 6 2023

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:

Shifty (Halfling 4)

Grumli (Dwarf 3)

Thunk II (Thief 4)

Chonko (Fighter 2)

Carmack (MU1) NPC

Encounters:     Black Widow Spider

                        2 Troglodyte Zombies

                        3 ghouls

                        4 carrion crawlers

                        2 Wights

                        7 Lizard Men

Treasure:     Gems (100gp, 500gp, 5000gp)

                    5000sp

                    Short Sword +1

                               

XP:                  6575

 

Notable Moments:  More Talk, less kill

                                Talking past the spider

                                Feeding the ghouls

                                Grumli paralyzed by crawler; saved by entangle

                                Thunk suck and blow for treasure 

                                Gift magic sword to lizard mem

                                Carmack learns a spell

                                Grumli +1 level

                                Thunk II +1 level

                                Chonko +1 level

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SESSION #19

September 13 2023

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:

Shifty (Halfling 4)

Grumli (Dwarf 4)

Thunk II (Thief 5)

Chonko (Fighter 3)

Vatheck (Cleric 2)

Carmack (MU1) NPC

Encounters:     2 Rock Living Statues

                        1 +1 Lava ooze

                        Zelorna & Bhazed Magic User allies

                        2 gargoyles

                        Golzora the Efreeti

Treasure:     None

                               

XP:                350

 

Notable Moments:  Carmack dies to lave ooze

                                Distracting the 2nd lava ooze

                                Shifty the new human fighter

                                Allied with Zelorna and Bhazed

                                Golzora fight ... paused until next time. 

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SESSION #20

November 28 2023

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:

Shifty (Halfling Fighter 4)

Grumli (Dwarf 4)

Thunk II (Thief 5)

Chonko (Fighter 3)

Vatheck (Cleric 2)

Carmack (MU1) NPC

Encounters:        Golzora the Efreeti

                           Azbeztazeous the Fire Salamander 

                            3 Gargoyles

                            The lost puppy lava ooze (again) 

Treasure:     3x1000gp fire opals

                    19000sp

                    7000gp

                    Gems (3x500gp, 4x250gp, 2x1000gp, 4x750gp, 3x100gp)

                    Ring of Memory

                    Scroll of three clerical spells

                    Wand of Magic Detection 

                                                   

XP:               21800

 

Notable Moments:  Two round efreeti smackdown

                                Thunk and the acrobatic toe-spiking; and falling into lava. 

                                Shifty's multiple trips to the pool; and always coming out human

                                Gargoyle entanglement

 

                                

Gygax & Greyhawk Session #2 - Foul Dealings

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:

Ranzel of the Wood (Human Ranger 1)
Solcha (Elf Fighter 1 / Magic User 1)
Skeff Hawkridge (Half Elf Druid 1 / Thief 1) 
Gorro (Half Orc Cleric 1 / Fighter 1) 

Date/Time

Planting 1 - late morning to Planting 2 - sunrise 

The party follows the directions given by the creature in the stem pool to a rough path climbing up the scree and boulders of the mountainside, leading to a snow caped ridge above. Halfway up they encounter a low tunnel bored thorough the snow. This tunnel continues to climb and reaches a fork; to the left it climbs steeper and into an open space. To the right a short stub tunnel ends and turns straight up to a dead end. Taking the left tunnel, they emerge into a symmetrical ice cave 40' across which is bathed in a faint blue glow. The glow emanates from a pool in the centre, on the other side of which squats a creature reminiscent of the one in the steam pool; about 4' tall, winged and gargoyle-ish. But in this case with angular features and blue/white skin. The party ties to negotiate, probing to learn why there is such enmity between the steam and ice creatures, and ask to see the egg it guards. The creature makes references to serving it's master, similar to that spoken by the steam creature. It also makes a pointed remark about a cleric of Heironeous being in league with the "Lord of Lies",  which Gorro recognizes as a reference to the arch-devil Baalzebul.

In the end, negotiation fails and combat ends in the defeat of the ice mephit. An icy dive into the pool of clear water recovers a glowing blue egg and a handful of blue gem shards. The egg becomes active as it warms, and there is thought of encasing it in snow to keep it inert. It is instead left to hatch, an a baby remorhaz emerges and attacks. Realizing it's carapace is almost impossible to break through, the party teams up to push it into the pool of water and then flee back down the tunnel. Retracing their steps back to the geyser, they find the steam mephit gone and a note scratched on black slate: "The Lord of Flies thanks you for your service". 

Frustrated and annoyed. the party heads down the edge of the lake until they are looking over another cliff and into the next lower valley, a mix of forest, swamp and lake. In the lake is an island with a small watchtower. Likewise, another watchtower stands on a high ridge to the left. They pass the thundering waterfalls that drop over the cliff and follow a path along the valley wall and through a narrow gully leading into the valley below. They head for the island in the lake, but the sight of a ghostly figure walking the battlements force Ranzel and Solcha to flee. The others retreat as well, and camp it set up for the night in the defensible gully. 

Next morning, a light rain falls and a second attempt is made at the tower. This time all four flee in terror from the ghostly figure, runing back to their campsite ...

GAINS

chips of blue quartz [110gp]

KILLS/VICTORIES

1 ice mephit

LOSSES

none

Gygax & Greyhawk Session #1 - On a Wing and a Mountainside

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:
Ranzel of the Wood (Human Ranger 1)
Solcha (Elf Fighter 1 / Magic User 1)
Skeff Hawkridge (Half Elf Druid 1 / Thief 1) 
Gorro (Half Orc Cleric 1 / Fighter 1) 

Date/Time

Planting 1; Early to late morning 

Four adventurers, traveling separately along the uplands of Tenh in the shadow of the Griff Mountains, are snatched just past sunrise by rocs and deposited in their nest high on a mountain peak. Below them a valley splits the side of the mountain, with a chain of lakes, valleys, wood and bog. A small river flows down the valley and meanders across the surrounding uplands, ending in a small lake on the edge of an escarpment. On an island in the lake something glitters, and from the high vantage point of the roc's nest, the river and lake look like a serpents body and head stretched over the land.

Joining forces, the adventurers gather loot from the nest (including a crumpled copper sheet with a cryptic note about the Serpents Eye and the island in the lake) and make their way to a ledge far below. A series of further ledges lead toward the first snow and ice covered valley. Along the way a strange humanoid creature of stone tumbles down the slope to waylay them, but is summarily dispatched on the narrow path where fighting is only possible in single file.

The first valley is filled with ice and snow. Ranzel notes tracks of a great cat, which they wisely avoid. The party crosses the lake ice and descends the cliff face next to a frigid waterfall, and into the next mist filled valley. Crossing an ice bridge over the river, they explore an empty side-valley before making there way towards an erupting geyser hidden in the next arm of the valley. There they encounter a winged humanoid creature with grey features lounging in the steaming pool below the geyser.  It first tries to entice them into the pool. After banter, the party instead agrees, in return for information on the valley, to compete a quest on the snittering creature's behalf. They are to kill his rival on the other side of the valley, a task the creature has been given by his (undisclosed) master. 

Following the creature's directions, the party re-crosses the ice bridge and heads down the opposite side of the valley and alongside the lake. A rockslide narrows the path, and suddenly a rock slab tips and drops Ranzel and Skeffs dog Hobo into the freezing lake. A foul undead creature rises out of the water and attacks. It is quickly dispatched and the shivering duo recovered from the waters ...

GAINS

50gp

Jeweled helmet [600gp]

Silver dagger [20gp]

Gold armbands [3 x 30gp] 

Vial of holy water

Potion of healing [200xp]

KILLS/VICTORIES

1 Vilstrak

1 Lacedon

LOSSES

none