Gygax & Greyhawk Session #22 - Of Undead and Secret Doors

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:

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

Balthus (Human Fighter 2) and his War Dog 

Date/Time

Wealsun 25 late afternoon to Wealsun 25 evening

The party pushes along the edge of one last mud-filled chamber and finally emerges onto dry-ish land. The passage initially leads to a large chamber filled with deep water and no sign of a way to cross it. Turning back, they take another branch of the corridor which leads to a door, swollen tightly shut. This is forced open and leads to the first 'built' chamber encountered on this lower level. A single massive pillar holds up the ceiling in the center. As they move past this pillar, two undead creatures emerge from behind it and attack. Both wrap their hands and Goro's neck and start to choke the cleric to death. And while both are quickly chopped down, they gruesomely rise again and scare off half the party, leaving the remnant to turn to magic and silvered weapons to finish them off. 

Forcing open another door, the party encounter zombies waiting, which Goro turns. However, the undead come back as the party is exploring another exit and are taken down by sword and mace. The new exit leads into a series of cells. One is occupied by a teenage boy and girl, the other by an older couple. All explained they'd been captured by the cult and brought before Eplicitica Defilus, but resisted the naga's charm gaze. So they were locked up here. The teenagers are from Orlane, children of the town carpenter, a cult member. The other two are merchants unlucky enough to stay in the wrong inn when they passed through town. When questioned, they can tell little about the dungeon overall as they were blindfolded when lead through, but are able to describe the naga's lair. It is accessible only by boat, through a great water filled chamber lit by a strange green glow. The naga herself sat on a pile of treasure on a dry shelf at the end of the cavern.  

All of the prisoners' beg to be released, but the party convinces them to remain in the cells until they finish with the naga, it being safer for them here for now. They sullenly agree, and the party hands over a few spare weapons just in case someone comes for the prisoners. 

Heading further down the hall, the party passes through another chamber before reaching a door. Throwing it open, they find themselves looking into a wood paneled chapel. At the far end next to a dais and alter stands a man in grey-green robes, who mock's their arrival and prepares to cast a spell. This is cut off by a magic missile from Solcha, and the figure then neutralized by a hold spell from Skeef. However, the man's assistants rushes across the room and grabs at Goro, draining away some of the cleric's life force and vitality. The giant weasel latches onto the attacker; but unfortunatley is also drained of life as a result. Once more, the magic and silver comes out and the undead attacker is slain. 

Entering and searching the room, they find a stone statue of the naga on the wooden alter. Looting the body of the cleric, they find he wears chainmail and carries a snake-headed hammer. He also has a scroll hidden under the robes, a letter from some called Abbot Grosso. The letter outlines much of what the party knows about the cult activities, and also suggests the naga's cult is but a small part of some greater evil. The scroll has a seal attached, in sickly green-grey wax, of a hopping frog. No one recognizes the symbol. 

Searching around the alter, Solcha finds the statue's head can turn, which opens a secret door in the north wall. This leads into a short passage, where the party finds another secret door. Opening this, they are greeted by a strange green glow silhouetting a great serpent shape in the chamber beyond ... 

GAINS

none

KILLS/VICTORIES

2 coffer corpse

4 zombies

Gareth Primo, High Priest of the Cult 

1 wight 

LOSSES

Riki the Wonder Weasel