Gygax & Greyhawk Session #15 - Goblin Strike and Gathering Intel

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:

Ranzel of the Wood (Human Ranger 3)
Solcha (Elf Fighter 2 / Magic User 2)
Skeef Hawkridge (Half Elf Druid 2/ Thief 2)
Goro (Half Orc Cleric 2 / Fighter 2)

Balthus (Human Fighter 2) and his wardog Slasher 

Date/Time

Flocktime 16 morning to Flocktime 26 morning

Once trained and rested, the party turns their attention to identifying magic items. Of particular note is the book, a codex entitled "The Tome of the Blood Tyrants, being an enumeration of the vampires of Oerth and the means of their power". In includes within it's pages the following:

• Metaphysical discussion of how vampires come to be, including a description of drawing it’s life forces from the Negative Material Plane. Also discussion of the role of the gods (Kyuss the Bonemaster, Nerull God of Death, etc), and the demon Orcus, Lord of the Undead
• Selection of undead related magic user spells (1/Invisibility to Undead, 2/Detect Undead, 3/Feign Death), and 
• Description of the ‘Castle of Blood’, home of the king of vampires and gathering place of the nosferatu. The Castle roams the various prime material planes, and appears on Oerth only under very specific astronomical circumstances when the moons eclipse certain planets and the other stars are right.

The last part of the book consisted of blank pages, opening with a single phrase "For that taken from a blood tyrant". 

The other unusual item was the weird metal rod. In addition to the shapes, there is a series of strange symbols carved on it. Solcha, using her new comprehend languages spell, discovers it is a map that seems to lead from the Lichway, through the mountains to some other unknown location. But definitely some place related to the Salander. 

Solcha also uses her spell to read the golden scroll, which proves to be a history of the Salander. They were a Suel tribe that a thousand years escaped from the Baklunish-Suloise Wars that left both empires magically-devastated wastelands. The Salander split off from those Suel who went on to become the Frost, Snow and Ice Barbarians, and instead isolated themselves in the lower Griff Mountains. They became enamored of water and undeath, and in the end they disappeared from history in a final bid to gain immortality in a mass bid for undying eternity. The scroll was written by the one who led them on that final path, the vampire lord Nappesrit Ker-Zan. 

Before leaving Vestvale to return to better shopping opportunities in Oxton, the party takes notice of the village around them. There are a couple of issues of interest:

• There are a number of refugee families recently arrived, being temporarily housed in the village communal building. They come from Orlane, a village on the fringes of the Troll Fens. They tell of sinister and mysterious evil at work in their once safe and pleasant town. People disappearing, people attitudes and behaviors changing for the worse, strange creatures that emerge from the fens to slither through the darkened streets at night.  They also mention in passing that their first stop on their journey was the village of Caermor, halfway between Orlane and Vestvale. But they found it cold and unwelcoming in a way that reminded them too much of the evil that had enfolded their own town. 
• Rumors speak of goblins roaming the nearby hills in recent days. The local goblin tribes rarely cause much trouble beyond steeling a sheep or two and occasionally ambushing the unwary. But this band seems to be looking for someone, or rather a group of people. The goblins captured and mutilated a shepherd boy as they tried to learn more about any strangers in Vestvale. And as a warning to all. 

The party surmised this might be Lugzug and his band, out for revenge since the party cheated them on the treasure deal in the Lichway. Feeling somewhat responsible, and goaded on by Goro, the party decided to head back into the mountains to deal with Lugzug once and for all. The village reeve, Hallibard,  arranged for them to borrow horses and gave directions to the location of the attack on the boy.  

The party heads into the hills, and Ranzel picks up the trail of the goblins. The raiders seem to be following a predicable path along the ridges as they watch the valley bottom and paths below, so the party prepares a nighttime ambush. Setting up a fake campsite, they hide in the darkness beyond the blazing fire to wait. And the goblins do come in the night. First, a group of about a dozen approach the campsite, and are utterly surprised by a fusillade of arrows from the party. All are cut down. They are followed, however, by a charge by wolf riders, followed shortly by archers of their own. In the end, the party prevails, slaying all the goblins, including their their leader Lugzug.  Skeef is also successful in charming one of the wolves and now has yet another animal companion (although his dog did die in the melee). 

Returning the horses to Hallibard, the party receives the village's thanks and the reeve promises to mention them in his next dispatch to Duke Ehyeh. They then leave for Oxton, arriving there after a few uneventful  days of travel across the rolling plains of Tenh. There they do some shopping, consult the sage Pharnabazus about the prime rod, and poke about for news of the realm and possible adventures. Pharnabazus confirms what they already know about the rod and the Salander in general, but is also able to tell them the purpose of the prime rod . Prime rods are paired with another item of Salander make, the spectral candle. When lit, these candles cause all the contents of a room to become ghostly and incorporeal. A prime rod can at least partially negate a spectral candles power. The prime rod can also be used against undead who may usually only be hit by magical means; touch them first with a prime rod, and their immunity to normal weapons is removed. 

Asking around for news, the party learns the following:

• With the Duke's attention and most of the Tenha host focused on the border with the Theocracy of the Pale, raiders have been seen deep inside the Duchy. This includes barbarians from the Hold of Stonefist beyond the northern Griff Mountains, Faithful Bands from the Pale itself, and swift riders from the Bandit Kingdoms. 
• They hear again of the call from Marshall Iaba in Calbut for armed bands to clear old bandit holds and orc lairs along Rockegg Pass.
• On a more local note, a merchant caravan heading east to Dour Pentress was attacked a few days ago by some foul monster or monsters. Most of the drovers and the merchant (who has since disappeared, running from his creditors it seems) escaped unharmed, but the oxen were all devoured and the wagons abandoned. Reports of the monster(s) are unclear; descriptions range from giant worm, dragon, 'foul beast' , insect god, etc. Big and scary are the common themes. 

The party, once more gold-poor, opt to investigate the nearby wagon-train in the hopes of easy pickings and/or massive piles of monster guarded treasure. 

GAINS

2 silver arm bands [30gp each]

180sp

short sword

KILLS/VICTORIES

21 goblins

3 dire wolves (defeated, not killed)

LOSSES

none 

Gygax & Greyhawk Session #14 - Claiming Their Wares

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:

Ranzel of the Wood (Human Ranger 2)
Solcha (Elf Fighter 2 / Magic User 1)
Skeef Hawkridge (Half Elf Druid 2/ Thief 1)
Goro (Half Orc Cleric 2 / Fighter 1)

Balthus (Human Fighter 2) and his wardog Slasher 

Date/Time

Flocktime 8 to mid-afternoon to Flocktime 16 morning

The party finishes it's exploration of the Lichway, finding that it is symmetrically laid out and contains nothing except line after line of crypt-stones. They likewise scramble all over the metal skeleton and find nothing of interest. Meanwhile Skeef digs out a skeleton and hauls it carefully outside the range of the whistling sound, confirming that the undead will animate if the sound stops (and gets a few wounds for his trouble).  They also run into the small goblin band lead by Lugzug. They avoid a confrontation, and instead cut a deal. They promise the goblin sub-chief 25% of the treasure they find in the dungeon, and the goblin replies in kind. He also assigns two of his band to follow along after the party to make sure they don't cheat him.

Turning back to the silver cage, they drive the strange creature back using the 'bullroarer' so Skeef and search the bottom of the cage. And behold, he finds a hollow space right under the floor of the cage. The party also learns that the things hates the burning black incense much as it hates the burning lantern. 

Still not sure they want to disturb the creature and cage, the party heads back to the entrance of the dungeon and the crudely build brick wall in the flooded room. Hoping to find the tombs treasure, or more clues to it, they start tearing away bricks. They find a narrow secret passage that just links the docks to the jailors room. They also find a leaver that drops the stone slab in the rune room, blocking off access and egress from the dungeon. 

Having exhausted all other options, the party turns back to the cage. Leaving the stone barrier in place, they prepare a second barrier in the corridor by Dark Odo's former rooms. This way they hope to delay pursuit if the dead arise. While the rest of the team distracts their goblin spies, Skeef turns the key in the cage's base. This lowers the bars, letting the strange whistling creature escape. Solcha uses the 'bullroarer' to keep the creature backed in a corner while Skeef opens the secret door. And finds below it a room the same size and shape of the one they are in, but filled with treasure! Quickly, he and Ranzel jump down the shaft and and start hauling out all the valuable items from the dross. Once done, Solcha herds the creature back into the cage and Skeef locks it in again. And they pass off a sack of low value coin on the goblins, telling them it was their cut. The goblins are not so sure, and head off to tell Lugzug. But the party doesn't stay around to answer questions. They bolt from the dungeon as fast as their treasure-loaded legs could carry them. Making a cold, fire-less campo for they night, next day they head into Vestvale to rest and re-train over the next week ... 

GAINS

3000sp

1500gp

Bloodstone (50 gp)

Blue Quartz (10 gp)

Chrysoprase (50 gp)

Deep Blue Spinel (500 gp)

Obsidian (10 gp)

3 x Peridot (50 gp)

Red Spinel (100 gp)

2 x Silver Pearl (100 gp)

Star Rose Quartz (50 gp)

Violet Garnet (500 gp)

Ivory earrings (600 gp)

Gold earrings (700 gp)

Jade earrings (1700 gp)

Silver brooch set with gems (1000 gp)

Silver ring set with gems (1500 gp)

Wrought gold brooch (1300 gp)

Wrought silver tiara (300 gp)

Golden Scroll of the Salander (800gp)

Prime Rod

Tome of the Blood Tyrants 

Dagger +1

Potion of Climbing

Horseshoes of Speed 

KILLS/VICTORIES

2 skeleton

LOSSES

None

Gygax & Greyhawk Session #13 - The Lichway

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:

Ranzel of the Wood (Human Ranger 2)
Solcha (Elf Fighter 2 / Magic User 1)
Skeef Hawkridge (Half Elf Druid 2/ Thief 1) and his war dog 
Goro (Half Orc Cleric 2 / Fighter 1)

Date/Time

Flocktime 8 morning to mid-afternoon 

Immediately upon entering the dungeon, and thanks to the sharp-eyed elf, the party avoids an ambush from a band of kuo-toa. While the ichthyoids do not immediately attack, they block the path into the tomb. Seeking higher ground and firm flanks, the party retreats up one of the towers, there encountering another ambush from a kua-toa 'whip' assassin. Caught between the two, the party in now embroiled in a fight. Ranzel takes the brunt of the blows, but in the end Goro drives off the leader with a command, at which point the rest break and flee back into the water. 

Licking it's wounds, the party pushes on into the dungeon to explore the areas beyond Dark Odo's lair. Most rooms are of little interest, full of rotting or decayed supplies. In one they recover a collection of strange old incense and a potion of healing hidden inside a hollow stone in the floor. In another room they encounter a trio of glowing purple dogs, braying at a quartet of goblins perched on a shelf high above the canines reach. Skeff's speak with animals reveals the dogs have been in this room since the party killed Dark Odo's crew, and they are starving, The goblins wandered in and have been trapped by the dogs. Skeff convinces to dogs to go feast on some of the bodies left in the passageway, then leads them to a room at the end of the hall and bars them in  with  couple of bodies for a snack. The dogs are not happy by this turn of events. 

Meanwhile, Solcha and Goro question the goblins. They are part of a band lead in to explore the dungeon by the subchief Lugzug. This group was scouting ahead when they were caught by the dogs. The party confirms Lugzug leads just a small band of goblins; the full tribe lairs elsewhere outside the tomb. Oddly reluctant to murder goblins in cold blood, but unwilling to leave potential foes in their rear, the party leaves them stranded on the shelf and bars the door shut to slow any pursuit. 

Having exhausted all the small rooms, the party emerges next into the far end of the Lichway, traversed weeks earlier by the sprinting ranger. In the centre of a large octagonal chamber is a low stone block, atop which is a silver cage holding that strange gorilla-coral creature from which the haunting whistling sound blanketing the dungeon emerges. It reacts violently at the sight of the party's lantern, but calms when Solcha closes the shutters. A search uncover a stone panel in the base of the block, behind which is a key hole. Which fits the key found by the party under the vampire statue's tongue. They dare not turn it now though, until they better understand the possible dangers. Through experimentation, they also learn the 'holy symbol' in the shape of the creature they found in the flooded room makes a sound similar to the creature when spun around in the air. The sound calms the creature and makes it retreat from the person making it. 

Leaving the cage behind, they proceed down the Lichway to explore further. The walls are covered in stone slabs carved with short words or phrases in some unknown language.  They pry open a few and confirm each contains a immobile skeleton; but when they attack or abuse the remains, they animate and attack back. Delving further they come to an intersection with a 15' tall metal skeleton at the centre. It appears harmless, but no one really believes it is. Faced with the prospect that it may be a danger, the hundreds upon hundreds of entombed skeletons, and the still uncertain danger of the whistling creature, the party pauses to consider options before doing anything rash ...

GAINS

15ep

18gp

6pp

Potion of healing 

KILLS/VICTORIES

3 kua-toa

1 skeleton

LOSSES

1 War Dog

Gygax & Greyhawk Session #12 - Interlude with Bandits

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:

Solcha (Elf Fighter 2 / Magic User 1)
Skeff Hawkridge (Half Elf Druid 2 / Thief 1) and his wardog 
Goro (Half Orc Cleric 2 / Fighter 1)

Balthus (Human Fighter 2) and his wardog Slasher

Date/Time

Planting 19 mid-day to Flocktime 8 morning

The kua-toa are curiously reluctant to engage in combat, focusing instead on protecting whatever sits on the bottom of the pool. Ranzel is able to skewer one however, and the second then flees down the river. Skeff, being lighting armored, then jumps in the pool and recover a treasure filled leather sack that was chained on the bottom. At this point, the party is getting loaded down with coin and opts to head back to Vestval and thence onto Oxton for a bit of rest and training before returning to the dungeon. 

Travel to and time in Oxton is uneventful. Pinella and Paxon choose to take their leave of the party, accepting a gift of treasure as they go. After 8 days in town, the party is ready to return to the mountains. Skeff convinces them to spend a little time in the wilderness as he wishes to find a new animal companion, a mountain lion or a bear. They have no luck encountering animals, but do fight a band of starving bugbears and stumble upon the bandit camp of Fulva the Half-Ear. The party fends off a probe by  a group of bandit scouts on horseback, capturing one in the process. Their captive (Mordric), does not want to give up much information, especially not on their numbers. But based on their observations, the party knows there are 50+ bandits at least. Mordric tells them they raid the roads and byways to the south, retreating into the mountains when pursuit gets too hot. Hoping to make peace if not friends with the bandits, the party release Mordric back to his companions. The party then returns towardstheir own camp, encountering another band of mounted bandits along the way. Both sides ignore each other. 

On the next morning, the tomb of the Salanders beckons ... 

GAINS

397pp

237gp

2 gems (10gp, 100gp)

KILLS/VICTORIES

1 kua-toa

6 bugbear

1 bandit (captured)

LOSSES

None