Gygax & Greyhawk Session #5 - Nearing the End

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:

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

Balthus (Human Fighter 1)  

Date/Time

Planting 3 - sunrise to Planting 4 - midday 

The party delves deeper, passing a branch to their right (which they later learn leads to the other entrance). They reach a point where light can be seen ahead, and a side passage leads to an old but recently repaired door. The light is daylight, as the tunnel opens onto a tailings heap overlooking the grass, forest and lake of the middle valley. To the left a stairway spirals up from below, leading to another recently repaired door. The party climbs to the door, Ranzel noting orc tracks and other tracks of dogs or wolves. They hear nothing at the door, and return inside the mine to the second door. They throw this open, revealing 4 orcs and the remains of an old dwarven forge. Combat ensues and orcs die. Skeff picks the lock on an old dwarven chest, and the party recovers bottles of wine, brandy, and a clerical scroll. 

Finding nothing else of interest, they party retraces their steps, taking the second branch back into the lower valley. To do so they must pass through a bat-filled cave, which they traverse with no problem thanks to Skeff's skill with critters.  They loop around the upper end of the side-valley they are in and follow the valley wall down to where they see the river cascading over the cliff and into the swamp at the base of the mountain. It getting late, they camp for the night before proceeding to an opening in the valley wall spied the evening before. Another dwarven cut passage, this one more permanent than the mines. It leads to a pair of smashed statues flanking an arched doorway, which itself leads to a spiral staircase and a similar statue-flanked arch several hundred feet below. Another passage leads out into the swamp at the base of the mountain, and a small guardroom is noted to the left. It is filled with starving rats who are placated with scraps of food and Skeff's sweat-talk so the party can search the area. They find little of interest, but the rats get restless and attack. They kill a few, then Skeff calms them again and the party moves on. 

The swamp is a morass of pools, scrubby weeds and quicksand. A hard path leads into the mess. It comes to a fork next to a pool. As the party turns towards  the left, a giant frog leaps out of the pool and attacks. It is soon dead and the party moves on. Coming to another branch, they go left again. But find themselves headed back towards the upper valley. So they about face and head back the other way ... 

GAINS

32gp

1pp

Gold Whetstone [25gp] 

Cleric Scroll - 3/Neutralize Poison [300xp] 

KILLS/VICTORIES

4 Orcs

5 Rats

1 Giant Frog

LOSSES

none

Gygax & Greyhawk Session #4 - Skeletons in the Closet

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:

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

Balthus (Human Fighter 1)  

Date/Time

Planting 3 - sunrise to Planting 3 - mid afternoon

At the barrow, Ranzel searches for tracks, finding nothing but more rabbit prints in the mud. A tunnel is found that lends into the barrow; lined with great slabs of stone. A smaller tunnel (1' square) squeezes between the stones and into the dirt of the barrow. The druids racoon is sent to investigate, and returns to say there is nothing but man-objects inside. Following the main tunnel, the party reaches a stone slab which Solcha determine is actually a door. When touched, it release a flash of flame, but is afterwards easy to swing open on its hinge. Inside is a large stone sarcophagus with the lid removed, two small ceramic jars and a scattering of other broken jars. The jars contain mostly charred bone and ash;  cremation remains. The sarcophagus is empty, but the bottom is false. When lifted out of the way, a vertical shaft through the damp earth is uncovered. And an unseen presence rise up to meet them, pelting the party with shards of broken ceramic. Goro flees in terror, the the rest of the party wisely follows their cleric rather than face the undead without him. 

After some time, Goro regains his courage and all return to the barrow. They face and defeat the invisible terror, then drop down the shaft to investigate. Only a single human skull, sitting atop a magnificent ruby, is found. Up in the main chamber, Solcha searches the end facing the rest of the barrow, and finds one slab is a secret door. It too flashes with flame when touched, but is then opened into a very narrow tunnel dug in the dirt. It leads to a small circular chamber with a large stone, atop which sits a large chunk of amber. Hanging from the ceiling are skeletons, hung by leather cords nailed to their breastbones. When they show no sign of animation, the party removes them all and smashes their skulls, then dropping the rest into the pit in the first barrow chamber. They carefully recover the amber, then crawl back out the tunnel. Only to be met by the skeletons that have climbed out of the pit. Goro calls on the favor of Heironeous, and the undead flee back into the pit. The party then traps them below by replacing the stone slab before leaving the barrow. 

Back in daylight, they opt to backtrack up and across the valley, to where the needleman had told them orcs inhabited an old mine. They find two mine entrances, but also the skeletal remains of a great mammoth. The cage is covered in webs, which the party burns, revealing a human skeleton trapped under the beast. Balthus crawls inside the rib cage to investigate, and two large spiders descend upon him from above. In a short fight, both are killed. The party loots the skeleton, and then respectfully burry the remains in the soft turf.  

Turning now to the mine, they enter the first decrepit tunnel. After about a half hour, they come to a bend in the tunnel, beyond which it has partly collapsed. In the open passage there is a strange, glistening stone. Which moves! Missile fire ensues, and whatever it was is soon no more. Moving past it's remains, the party delves deeper into the mine ... 

GAINS

Ivory Box [300gp]

3 Gold Earrings [3x5gp]

Silver Bangle [15gp]

Pendant [100gp]

Ruby [500gp]

Amber [500gp]

Belt Buckle [40gp]

Horse carving [200gp]

KILLS/VICTORIES

1 Poltergeist 

7 Skeletons

2 Large Spiders

1 Grey Ooze

LOSSES

none

Gygax & Greyhawk Session #3 - Creatures Great and Small

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:

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

Date/Time

Planting 2 - sunrise to Planting 3 - sunrise

Leaving the haunted island behind, the party heads instead for a set of stairs carved out a gully on the eastern edge of the valley. These appear to lead to another short tower on the ridgeline above the valley. The stairs show their age, but are solidly built; seemingly for a people of shorter stature. They lead to a side tunnel, which itself leads onto a  flagstone courtyard perched on the side of the mountain and overlooking the plains, river and shinning island in the lake. A short tower sits to their left, and a line of crows peer down at them curiously from the upper works.  Skeff casts speak with animals to talk to the creatures.  The lead crow tells him nothing lives here but the crows, and they wish no one to enter the tower. Skeff convinces the birds to allow the party to enter and search the first floor, promising to not climb to the second where the crows nest. 

Beating down the door, the party enters a dust shrouded room; obviously no foot steps have fallen here in many years. The room itself contains little of interest, except a dwarf skeleton and a hidden alcove along one wall. Ranzel uses his septum  to move the wooden panel that hides the alcove, which opens a pit trap in the floor. In the alcove is a box with a tapestry (showing stylized view of the plain and river) and a silver mirror (likely a utilitarian signally device rather than a lady's jeweled treasure). In the pit is the skeleton of a dwarf. In addition to a small bag of gold, he has a set of curious lock picks of a style that Skeff does not recognize. Using the mirror, the party examines the top floor, finding it does indeed consist mainly of crows and nests. Including one crow much larger than the others. Checking the one other door in the room; they find it leads to stairs heading up. And honoring their deal with the crows, they choose to not take them, and instead leave the tower and descend the ridge via a second tunnel/stair/gully.  

This one leads to the pine forest on the other side of the weedy lake. Ranzel notes strange humanoid footprints on the path; foot shaped, but with strange protrusions.  Taking a path leading west towards the river, they encounter a gaunt humanoid figure bristling with pine needles. It attacks, firing needles at the party, who return the favor with missile weapons. After a few hits, the figure turns and runs. Skeff chases it, and finally runs it to ground in a small grove. The creature, in broken Common, asks only to be left alone and that the party not continue on towards the river. The party agrees, and instead heads south through the forest towards a wall the creature tells them about. 

The wall is an old fortification of dwarven construction, blocking the narrow passage between the valley wall and a rocky knoll. A narrow gate pieces the centre, a portcullis hanging above it. Ranzel and Skeff climb over the wall, while Goro and Solcha pass thorough the gate. The portcullis crashes down after Solcha passes, leaving Goro trapped on the north side. He is attacked by a strange, tentacled tree creature. The half-orc's compatriots rush to his aid, and all four are soon caught in the monsters tentacles. Goro, using his mighty strength, bodily heaves the thing against the wall, crushing it to death.  Searching nearby, they find a broken sword. The hilt is of carved ivory, and in it's hollow core is a potion of speed.   

Beyond the wall is an open grassland. The party heads south towards an old barrow Ranzel spotted from the top of the wall. As they approach it, a band of six rabbit like creatures (each with a single long horn on it's head) come around the mound. They watch the party approach, and then charge. In short order, the six are dead and headed for the evening stew pot. The hour growing late, the party retreats back in the direction of the wall and away from the barrow, setting up camp for the night. Night passes without incident, and in the light mist of the morning they head once more towards the barrow ... 

GAINS

Silver Mirror [25gp]

Tapestry [300gp]

Ivory sword hilt [125gp]

15gp

6 al-mi'raj horns [6x 5gp]

potion of speed

KILLS/VICTORIES

1 kampfult

6 al-mi'raj

LOSSES

none