DRAMATIS PERSONAE:
Ranzel of the Wood (Human Ranger 5)
Solcha (Elf Fighter 5 / Magic User 4) w/ henchman Usborn (Gnome Fighter 2/Illusionist 1)
Skeef Hawkridge (Half Elf Druid 5/ Thief 5) w/ henchman Caron (Half Elf MU1)
Goro (Half Orc Cleric 4 / Fighter 5) w/ henchman Koreyth the Master (Human Fighter 1)
Skeef Hawkridge (Half Elf Druid 5/ Thief 5) w/ henchman Caron (Half Elf MU1)
Goro (Half Orc Cleric 4 / Fighter 5) w/ henchman Koreyth the Master (Human Fighter 1)
Date/Time
Patchwall 15 (mid-day) - Patchwall 15 (night)
The room proves to have once been a laboratory or wizards workshop. But nothing of interest remains, as it shows signs of having recently been searched and smashed. Sometime within the last month by a pair of humanoids, one small and one human-sized, according to Ranzels' read of the tracks in the dust. Moving on to the room on the opposite side of the stairs, the party once more finds signs of a recent search of this a parlor or study. Papers are strewn about, most of which are the day to day minutia of managing a castle. But they do learn some useful info. First, there is enough to tell them that the castle had once belonged to a cadet branch of the atamans of Kutkuri, who over time fell from nobility into dark and sorcerous ways. Second, amid the paper is reference to a secret entrance, somewhere outside the bounds of the castle itself.
Filing this information for future use, the party heads to the uppermost floor of the keep. On one side they find a pair of small rooms with gapping holes in the walls and the wind whistling in; obvious battle damage from the fall of the castle 70 years before. To the other side is a room filled with bloodhawks, several of whom attack Ranzel as he opens the door, before Skeef charms and speaks with them. He learns not only that the raptors collect 'shiny rocks', but that they also see all from their keep-top lair. The hawks tell Skeef they sometime see a 'man-thing' take a large creature (sounds like a horse of similar) out behind the ruined castle. And after being gone for a while, just the man comes back. Filing that information away as hints to the secret entrance, the party leaves the birds in peace (but return that evening to loot their gems after the hawks have flown off on their nightly hunt.)
The party descends to the ruined courtyard, heading to the western half of the ruins. As they enter however, they see a man leading a horse across the open space, and out through the gap in the north wall. Skeef, accepting an invisibility spell from Solcha, follows silently and unseen. The man follows a trail down the rugged rear of the hill, and disappears into the brush. When Skeef gets there, all he sees is a hole in the ground. Overhanding it from the branch of a large oak is a block and tackle, equipped with a harness for holding a large animal. Skeef climbs down the hole, follows a narrow passage and climbs down several other ledges (each with a block and tackle) before coming to a larger chamber. Here he sees two small dwarf-like creatures; one obvious on guard ahead and the other in a separate chamber an the right. Scouting past the guard, Skeef finds another decent into a much larger chamber. He sees little, but hears the sounds of digging and stone breaking in the distance.
Returning, the druid reports to the rest of the party. As a group, they decide to check out the rest of the above ground ruins and then return to camp for the night before taking their chances below. They fight another pair of gargoyles and loot some treasure before heading back to rest and recover.
GAINS
707sp
16gp
10 gems (200gp, 50gp, 8x10gp)
Silver key
KILLS/VICTORIES
2 bloodhawks [captured]
2 gargoyles
LOSSES
none
