Gygax & Greyhawk Session # 70 - Rescue Successful!

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:

Skeef Hawkridge (Half Elf Druid 7 / Thief 6) 
Goro (Half Orc Cleric 6 / Fighter 6) 
Solcha (Elf Fighter 5 / Magic User 6) 

Date/Time

Flocktime 20 (morning) to Wealsun 2 (morning)

First part of the plan is to get the still convulsing Baqua and her paladin guardian out of Tortage. The pair are booked late in the afternoon aboard a slow barge to Radigast City. With them on the way to safety, the remaining trio bides time until after midnight, then  proceed to the mansion of Lord Fhaylin Jark. Using a combination of invisible sleath, climbing and silence, they break into the lady's bedchamber, unseen and unheard. A trio of female guards stand watch, but web and silence keep them out of the way. They find the young woman chained to the bed, and quickly free the terrified captive. She is taken away by Skeef in the form of a giant eagle, while Goro and Solcha follow with fly spells. Leaving an obscuring spell behind then, they fly out over the Nyr Dyr and intercept the barge with Chanee and Baqua. Careful application of gold buys the captain and crews cooperation and silence, and a day later the party finds itself safe for the moment in the capital of the County of Urnst. 

Along the way, the young woman regains her composure and tells her tale. Her name is Janna, daughter of a Tenha chieftain. Lord Fhaylin Jark had been a guest at their manor and taken a liking to her. When rebuffed, he arranged to have her kidnapped and brought to him in Tortage.  Obviously quite traumatized, she wishes only to return home. Goro makes contact with the local temple of Heironeous, and through their good offices makes arrangements to place the woman under the protection of Her Noble Brilliancy, the Countess Belissica of Urnst.

Their knight errant duty fulfilled, the party settles into  a decent inn (The Unicorn & Tankard) so Skeef can make some local contacts for training. And to decide what to do next. There is still the Orb to be dealt with, but it is still two months until the moons are new and the Ghost Tower appears. So the party opts to settle into Radigast City for awhile and look for means to make some coin and take it a little easy as summer approaches. 

GAINS

none

KILLS/VICTORIES

none

LOSSES

none

Gygax & Greyhawk Session # 69 - Into the Pirate Den

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:

Skeef Hawkridge (Half Elf Druid 7 / Thief 6) 
Goro (Half Orc Cleric 6 / Fighter 6) 
Solcha (Elf Fighter 5 / Magic User 6) 

Date/Time

Flocktime 17 (early  morning) to Flocktime 20 (morning)

... there came a shout of 'fire!' from one of the crew. There, atop the mast, floats a glowing ball of light. Aftera few moments trying to figure out what to do, Swirir bellows at one of the crew to climb up there and make sure it wasn't actually burning down the mast. Goror intervened and used Baqua's gloves to scurry up there, while Skeef transforms into a giant eagle and Solcha prepares her spells. The thing is not fire, but a ball of glowing light. It drifts away from the mast, then circles Skeef in the sky, before plunging to the deck and  crisping a crewman in a crackle of lightning. The party then turns on it, but neither Skeef nor Goro seem able to strike it. In the end, a fistfull of magic missiles from  Solcha snuffs it out forever. 

The remaining two days to Tortage are uneventful. Swirir though started to suggest he could tranship the party to another vessel, as the do-gooders might not feel welcome in the den of scum of pirates that was the capital of the Principality of Redhand. They also got the distinct impression that the dwarf was afraid they might be trouble for his business. The party opted to stay aboard of course, being intent on rescuing the lady in the cabin, but placated the captain my insisting they'd be getting off as soon as the barge docked. 

Arriving in Tortage, the party disembarked, sending Chanee and Baqua off to the somewhat clean "Mermaids Arms" inn so the halfling could finish her recovery. The other, now invisible, three followed a party of Lord Fhaylin's men who arrive at the docks to pick up the woman. Two figures stand out; a brawny, pirate-y half orc with a pirate band and a female half elf with her own better equip female guards. They carry the still comatose woman up and out of the dock district to a more upscale area close to Prince Zeech's castle. There they enter a respectable house through a guarded gate. 

Skeef turns into a sparrow to scout the windows, and was able to get an idea of the interior. He did note the kidnapped lady is now settled in a well appointed bedchamber, guarded by two of the female guards and tended by a handful of servants. He also observed two other ways into the house; a balcony leading into the Lady's bedchamber and a small hatch at the attic level. Also of note was a conservatory where a captive elf was observed, forced to play for Lord Fahlin and companions; and elsewhere in the house a dark shrine to some god, perhaps the dreaded Hextor who is strong in Tortage. 

The trio settles in to observe all the comings and going throughout the day and evening, and begins to formulate their rescue plans.  

GAINS

none

KILLS/VICTORIES

1 Will-o-Wisp

LOSSES

none

Gygax & Greyhawk Session # 68 - Of Hags and Hustlers

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:

Skeef Hawkridge (Half Elf Druid 7 / Thief 6) 
Goro (Half Orc Cleric 6 / Fighter 6) 
Solcha (Elf Fighter 5 / Magic User 6) 
Chanee (Human Paladin 5)

Date/Time

Flocktime 9 (early morning) to Flocktime 17 (daybreak)

Skeef changes form into a bloodhound to track the scent, which to no one's surprise leads them to the overgrown swamp at the far end of the island. The party cautiously enters the morass of water, mud and twisted stunted trees, looking for clues of the kidnapper or the missing Levik. They find no clues of the missing sailor, but are jumped by a pair of ettercaps lurking amidst the branches above. Alas, one strikes down Solcha with it's poison bite. Desperate to save their companion, the party quickly retreats back to the beached barge to allow the cleric and druid to rest and pray for the slow poison and neutralize poison spells they need to bring the elf back. 

That done, the party heads back to the far end of the island later the next day, followed by grumbling of the crew about abandoning poor Levik because the elf is more important ...  Delving deeper into the swamp the party hears a subtle splash of water ahead, which leads them to a muddy tunnel half filled with water. Goro and Solcha crawl in first, it leading into a muddy chamber some 30' across and 20' high. The roof is a maze of mud and tree roots, and faint light filter through. A room or cave lies off to one side at ceiling height, accessible by a tattered rope. While Goro climbs up, Solcha goes to get the rest of the party.  In the darkness of the cave, Goro finds scattered debris and bone, and a frightened young woman. She tries to talk to the cleric and approach him, but the cleric drops a silence spell, suspecting a sinister spellcaster. And the woman suddenly turns into a green hag, lunging to attack the half-orc. Down below, the other three are confronted with a wraith-like figure that enters from the tunnel.  

The battle moves down to the main water filled chamber, and after the party is successful in slaying the hag. The other figure never attacks or seems to interact directly with the party, and it just disappears after awhile. The party climbs up to the high camber again, finding loot and the half eaten remains of poor Levik.

The rest of their sojourn on the Isle of the Armiger is uneventful, and a couple of days later repairs are complete and the barge resumes its journey down river. The next day they pass Stoink, the City of Thieves, and two small sailing boats pull out of the pool to intercept. Swirir says they are probably 'customs collectors' coming to shake down the barge for bribes. The party decide they will not be shaking down this barge, but Swirir cautions them to not make it too obvious and/or bloody. Otherwise the dwarf will pay dearly next time he has to pass the city. So the party makes use of a series of hold person spells to immobilize the crews and let the boats drift away on the current. 

The next five days pass without incident, either on or off barge. They pass a wrecked barge with what appears to be 'salvagers' aboard, but they opt to ignore them and continue on. However just before dawn on the 6th day ...

GAINS

40pp

511gp

gems (500gp, 10gp, 500gp, 100gp, 1000gp)

Potion of ESP

Amulet of Proof Against Detection and Location 

KILLS/VICTORIES

2 Ettercap

1 Greenhag

LOSSES

Solcha (Temporarily)