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