Gygax & Greyhawk Session #8 - Goblins and Gold

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:

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

Balthus (Human Fighter 1) and his wardog Slasher

Date/Time

Planting 11 - morning to Planting 15 - midday

Staying each night in a village along the way, the party's four day journey across the high plains and into the mountains is uneventful. The directions they have ben given lead them to a path and through a pass in the mountains, and eventually to a dark cave entrance. Footprints show others have been here before them. The short passage leads into a huge cavern filled with an underground lake or sea. A bridge over a river leads to a series of docks and watchtowers. A set of double doors, carved with flames bordered in skeletal forms, lies to the south but a permanently barred with iron beans, chains and locks. After looting a sunken barge and fighting a giant lamprey, the party moves through the only apparently operable doors, leading east. Three old and desiccated bodies lie inside the entrance of a room filled with rune inscribed floor tiles. When disturbed the bodies rise to life and attack, but are rapidly dispatched. 

Three doors lead out of the rune-inscribed chamber. Through the one to the south, the party surprises a group of goblins and a hobgoblin torturing a stirge.  These too are dispatched with ease and their coins looted (as well as a valuable gem hidden in a straw-filled mattress). Leaving through another door, the party proceeds down a winding passage before it ends at a set of double doors. They backtrack to see what lies behind another door they passed along the way; beyond it is a ruined torture chamber and a single hobgoblin rooting around. They corner and question him, learning only that other humans may be found in the tomb complex alongside the goblins and hobgoblins.  He tries to buy his life, but Goro the crusader will not take the deal and the hobgoblin is killed. 

Retracing their steps to the rune-room, the party goes to the northern door. The room on the other side, is faintly lit by torchlight. And they startle three men preparing to burst through a door in the eastern wall. These three turn on the party, and after a short combat all three (plus an archer hidden in the shadows) are dead. Looting the bodies of gold and arrows, the party now turns to the eastern door to see what lies beyond ...

GAINS

Onate Golden Goblet [200gp]

Silver Armband [50gp]

Flash of Strong Fishy Liquor [25gp] 

Gem [1000gp]

475gp

40sp

15cp

KILLS/VICTORIES

1 Giant Lamprey

2 Zombies

1 Ghoul

4 Goblins

2 Hobgoblins

Veneman, Luge, Argun, Pipluk 

LOSSES

none