Westmist Session #36, Part 2 - The Ruins of Mor

Choosing caution, the party circled north into the hills above the ruined city. From there they looked down on Mor. Columns of smoke could be seen rising from points throughout the ruins. A few still standing buildings could be seen, as well as a few towers of the central citadel. At the southern end, Fort Gainsay South looked to be mostly intact. The ruins were still surrounded by 100’ high walls, except for a breech on the eastern side.  The city was also surrounded by water, on the south by the lake and the north by a wide moat. The old west road passed by the city, and another trail could be seen climbing into the hills. Just outside the city walls was a military encampment, and from it patrols could be seen fanning out over the surrounding area. In short order, one began to climb up the hillside trail, so the party prepared an ambush.   An hour later, the hobgoblin patrol climbed into view, and Erijay and Bjeorn dropped them all with a pair of sleep spells. The sergeant and a couple of others were bound and gagged, and then Gurruks’ wolves took care of the rest. Waking the three, the party started to interrogate, but got nothing from the crusty sergeant except name, rank and unit (Brak’un, Sergeant, 2^nd Century-12^th Cohort). Discussing whether magic or muscle should be used to get him to talk, magic won and Erijay charmed the sergeant. Sergeant Brak’un was convinced that the party was on his side, working with the commander to investigate the readiness of the hobgoblin forces. When pumped for information, he did tell the party a little about the city; how many hobgoblins and where they were found, general layout of the ruins, the half breed orkin inhabitants of the city and their generally slave-like status, and that “He Who Walks in Metal” was headquartered in Fort Gainsay South with a Century of hobgoblins and a raptor squadron. He couldn’t provide much information on “He Who Walks in Metal”, just to say he was neither hobgoblin nor man. 

Deciding the sergeant might still be useful later on, they convinced him (with the help of forged written orders) to remain in the hills with the supplies and Sweet Jenny until the party returned from ‘inspecting the defenses’ in a couple of days. This plan changed when late at night on Darnorth’s watch, a fire giant stumbled into camp and started to hurl boulders into the crowd. Luckily few hit, and although the giant took out several of Gurruk’s wolves, it was destroyed with little damage to the party. Looting the body, a pile of gold and jewels were recovered. Figuring there was no way the hobgoblins could resist absconding with the treasure as soon as the party left for Mor, the captives were put to the sword and the treasure buried.

The next day (the 8^th day since leaving Westmist) was spent in preparation for that night’s raid into Mor. Once darkness fell, the party circled west of the city, put the folding boat into the lake and rowed over to the sloped pile of rubble that formed the breach. While everyone else stayed with the boat, Kern climbed to the top of the pile, and spied a hobgoblin patrol down the other side. Watching for awhile to get a feel for the patrol pattern, Kern signaled everyone when the coast was clear and they all headed into the ruins. Several hours were spent working through the rubble with no encounters, until finally the party stumbled upon crude barricades at the approaches to the ruins of the central citadel. Following the barricades, they found they completely enclosed the centre of the city. Finding a gate, Darnorth knocked. The challenge was answered from within in a strange patois of old common and orcish. Darnorth tried to convince them to open the gates and help the party overthrow their hobgoblin oppressors. These orkin (the Locust Clan) however, seemed to be in collaboration with the hobgoblin armies, and had no interest in harebrained schemes of revolt. 

Disappointed, the party moved on. As daylight was now approaching, they started searching for a place to hold up for the day, looping to the south to avoid the hobgoblin encampments to the north. They came across a pair of building mostly intact, but with a grisly front yard. Ten iron poles were stuck in the ground, each with an ancient skeleton impaled on it. Figuring the dead wouldn’t disturb their rest, they learned the folly of that assumption when a spectre appeared in the midst of the iron poles and drifted over to attack.  With sweaty hands on weapons, they party destroyed the life draining horror, and then proceeded to bar themselves in the largest building for the day. When a pair of pit vipers interrupted Gurruk’s watch, he simply used his powers to master them and added them to his menagerie. Turrick’s watch was likewise interrupted, this time by a band of orkin. Seeing an easy meal, the mixed-blood humanoids crawled in through the window, tackled the poor halfling and proceeded to drag him out through the door. Turrick was able to raise the alarm, however, and before the orkin got too far, Erijay charmed one and got them to bring the halfling back. These orkin, it turned out, were from a very minor clan (the Grub Clan). And they chaffed under the hobgoblins yoke. Their clan members were frequently dragged off to labor for the occupiers, and often did not return. They agreed to help the party, and told them of a secret entrance into Gainsay South. Leading them to a spot scant yards away, the orkin uncovered a sewer grate. They told the party to follow the main line north, and then turn right and continue on for another hour. There they would find a pair of grates covered with flagstone on the surface, but easily accessible from the sewers. These led into Fort Gainsay, and as far as the orkin knew, the hobgoblins were not aware of the entrance.

The party quickly dropped into the darkness below, thankful for the help. And thankful that there was a narrow ledge to walk on so they could avoid slogging through the slimy water. Proceeding north, after about an hour they came into a large round chamber, with stairs going up. They also were surprised by a band of reptilian humanoids with a gut churning stench.  Fighting nausea, the party quickly slew two creatures and the rest fled into the darkness. Turning right, another hour found the party below the blocked sewer grates. Kern listened at both, hearing the sound of booted feet and other activity above the first grate. That made the second grate an easy choice, and after a few minutes work, the way was clear to enter the fortress …

Westmist Session #36, Part 1 - Across the Untamed Lands

Suitably refreshed and spruced up, the party reported the next afternoon to Westmist Keep for their meeting with the March Baron. Arriving at the gate, they were met by the guard detail and ushered into the Great Hall. Here they find a great feast laid out, with all the high officials and officers of the barony present, kitchen servers scuttling about, and a ceremonial guard around the perimeter of the room. Lord Merdwyn greeted that party with a warmth and hospitality that immediately put them all on guard; this was not the norm for their interactions with the March Baron. He bade them sit and eat, and he and the others pressed them for stories of their recent adventures.

With the table cleared and the last of the ale poured, Lord Merdwyn now got down to business. He informed the party that he had need of their services and would now be calling on the favor they owed him for getting Erijay out of the oubliette those short months ago. He waved forward a certain Sir Wyder, dressed in the royal livery. This royal knight proceeded to tell the party of new intelligence the king had gained on the hobgoblin invasion. In particular, the location of the leader of the hobgoblin armies, known only as “He Who Walks in Metal”, had been pinpointed. He was with the southern wing of the hobgoblin army in the ruined city of Mor. More he could not say, either on the precise location in the city or any clue as to the exact nature of this mysterious leader. Next Thuridici the Sage stepped forward to give a brief history of Mor. At the height of the Third Imperium, it marked the furthest western extent of the empire. The city fell to a army of mixed humanoids and mighty wizardry in the tumult that ended the Third Imperium some 250 years ago. Thuridici could provide little on the current state in the city, except that it was largely a ruin, and occupied mainly by descendants of those who survived the city’s fall. And of course the hobgoblins. He was able to provide a map that showed the city at the height of its power to help guide the party in their exploration.

With the briefing now complete, Lord Merdwyn laid his request on the table; that the party travel west to Mor and assassinate “He Who Walks in Metal”.  The hope was that this will disrupt the invasion, and if not end the threat entirely, at least weaken it substantially. Lord Merdwyn offered whatever assistance he could, but made it clear there was only one particular answer was expected. After a brief huddle, the party tended to agree, and took the mission. And also took a supply of potions and scrolls procured by the March Baron from Sythini the Alchemist, Bazzrel the Flying Mage and Liphanes of the Highest Virtues. The March Baron, however, drew the line at providing men and horses. The party hadn’t a very good record of returning his men-at-arms alive. 

After taking a few days to prepare and equip, the party headed out on foot for points west (travel by boat being impossible as the Valen River was frozen over). A chance encounter with a pack of wolves on the second day allowed Gurruk to master six of the canines as is loyal followers. Passing by the Citadel of Amrath, they found the Great River free of ice. The garrison of the Citadel likewise reported the River Thaytis leading west was ice free. The party chose to continue on foot (but avoiding travel on the old road itself), in order to get around the hobgoblins in the ruins of Nasper. Pressing on west over the river, they encountered another party of adventurers headed back to civilization after exploring the Untamed Lands. A tense but generally friendly encounter nearly turned bloody when Turrick tried to rifle though their bags. A combination of quick talking, Riley threatening physical violence on the halfling, and a rival party uninterested in a pointless fight at this time, averted the danger. 

Over the course of the next few days, the party stayed in an oddly out of place fortified inn called “Braksis’ Hold”, and heard rumors and warnings about the “Castle of the Golum” and its resident archmage, Zoloren.  Ruins encountered along the shores of the Jeweled Lakes uncovered a supply of blank Imperial writs and a seal from the time of the Third Imperium (claimed by Turrick), as well as an old malachite fountain decorated with tarnished brass images of a dancing female figure (identified by Riley as Salue). On the seventh day out of Westmist, the party reached the third Jeweled Lake, and were now within striking distance of Mor. But here they also noted, 500 yards out into the lake, a partially submerged tower. Curious if theis had any connection the ruined city, Kern pulled out his folding boat and the party (less Gurruk and the wolves) rowed out to have a look. The tower stuck about 60 feet out of the water, below water it extended to at least the limit of vision. There were narrow windows in the tower, so Erijay carefully looked through one at water level. Inside she could see a structure spinning/rotating around, and every few seconds something would pass close by the window. Darnorth next used his boots to levitate to the upper windows and looked inside. Here he saw a massive contraction of gears and flywheels and cranks and levers, all apparently driving a vertical shaft in the centre of the tower, and all being tended by about a dozen 2’ tall, vaguely gargoyle-like clockwork creatures. Darnorth tired to communicate with the creatures, but they largely ignored him. So the dwarf slipped into the room to look around. The creatures continued to ignore him, but he did find an opening in the floor to one side of the tower. Looking down, this opening seemed matched by several more directly below on the lower floors, allowing a view of the towers lower levels. From this vantage point, the dwarf could see a spinning auger or blades filled the whole chamber below, with signs that a similar apparatus was located on the next level below water. Returning to the boat, he reported this to the rest of the party. Puzzled and intrigued, they decided however to move on to the primary goal, the ruins of Mor …

Westmist Session #35 - The Bandit Raid

Rising the next day, the party prepared for their assault on the bandit camp. But without Darnorth and Turrick, who had wandered off to explore some old dwarven ruins the halfling had discovered. A nighttime approach was deemed best. The party (and Booh) left the tower late in the afternoon, arriving on the outskirts of the bandits lair some 4 hours after dark. On the hillside above lay the bandit camp of three largely intact buildings. While most of the party sheltered in a copse of pine, Kern and Gurruk crossed a stream and climbed the steep hill leading up to the camp. At the top, they quickly noted a pair of guards to the east, sheltered behind a tumbled stone wall.   Slipping back down the hill, they moved further east so they could approach the picket from below. Unfortunately, Kern slipped while crossing the stream, making enough of a noise to alert the guard on picket duty above. Gurruk quickly raised a wolf call, which seemed to lull the guards into some complacency of familiarity. Carefully climbing again, Gurrak and Kern fell on the men, and slew them after a quick struggle in the dark. Leaving the bodies, they proceeded to cross the old trail to get closer to the bandits shelters, but Kern again slipped and fell, cursing Belix as he tumbled. This time, someone in the main building heard, and a party of men came out to investigate. The chance for surprise gone, Kern stumbled back down over the hill to fetch the rest of the party, while Gurruk covered his retreat with more wolf howls and then climbed a nearby tree to keep close and observe.

The bandits headed to the nearby picket, and discovered the dead men. They raised the alarm, and a flurry of activity could be heard inside the two barracks buildings. In minutes, armed men began to pour out of the door of the main building. By this time, Kern had led the party up the hill, and Erijay released a sleep spell, dropping the majority of the bandits in their tracks. As the two sides started to trade missile fire, a second group emerged. They paused at the door, words of magic could be heard, and this smaller group then headed at high speed for the stables. At this point, Bjoern cast another sleep and took out the rest of the first group and about half of the second.

While all this was going on, Gurruk dropped from his tree and proceeded to pour oil around and set fire to the other barracks. This hastened the exit of its occupants. Seeing the battle raging to the west, this third group choose to let their building burn and opened crossbow fire on the party. Said party, meanwhile, was heading at top speed to cut off the second group of bandits (which  appeared to include Janus and a magic user) from the stables. The bandits moved with unnatural speed however, and ducked into the stables and barred the doors before the party could cut them off. Frustrated, Booh, Riley, and Gurruk (having now rejoined the party) tried to push over the rickety wooden stables, while the rest of the party exchanged fire with the third group of bandits. They were soon surprised to see the door swing open behind them, and there stood the stout magic user, who cast a sleep spell on the party. This gave the bandits their break, and as the still standing party members peppered the magic user with arrows and bolts, Janus and his four companions burst from the stables. Pulling the magic user onto one horse as they rode, the hastened riders used lance and hoof to clear a path, and galloped to join the third party of bandits.

At this juncture, Booh was sent into the fray. The big brute lumbered forward to engage the bandits, and several of the footmen fell to his club, while the horsemen stuck him with their lances. Standing aside from the fight, Janus called out for the party to lay down arms and talk like honorable men. With Booh now in the mix, the party decided to keep fighting. At this point, Janus joined his embattled men, and let his war hammer fly at the giant. With a resounding TWACK, the hammer hit the giant square in the head, splitting his skull and dropping him dead to the ground. For a moment all stood in stunned silence, the Erijay quickly cast charm person on Janus to try to gain a negotiating advantage. The party hollered out a belated acceptance of the truce offer to Janus. He surprisingly accepted, even though he now held the upper hand. And so the two sides met in the middle of the battlefield.

Sir Janus of Lacewood, as he now gave his full name and title, was an exiled knight of Westmist. He had been a loyal servant of Durgan the Bold, the previous March Baron. When Durgan was lost searching for his son, Duncal, in the depths of Stonehell, Janus did not believe that both were dead and gone. When Lord Merdwyn purchased title to the March Barony from Durgan’s widow, Sir Janus called on a favor from a clerical Highest Virtue in Kingsford. The churchman was able to consult the god Velas and confirm that Duncal was indeed still alive. Armed with that information, Sir Janus first confronted Lord Merdwyn, and then fled into the mountains with his loyal retainers, rather break his oath to protect and serve the house of Durgan. Since then, he and his men have dwelt in the mountains, acting whenever possible as a thorn in the current March Baron’s side. The party, moved by his story, pledged to join him in his struggle. But on a much more low key tack, using their ‘in’ position with the March Baron and their in town location to help. Sir Janus agreed, and sent one of his loyal men, Hafus, back to Westmist with them to act as his voice and as a contact between Sir Janus and the party.

So accompanied by the disguised Hafus, the party returned to Westmist after an uneventful trek back through the Western War Peaks.  There at the house the loyal Riker met them, with a letter from the wizard Asflag for Erijay, and a parcel from Mademe Bella’s Dress Emporium in Kingsford for Kern. And a summons for the whole party to present themselves before the March Baron the next day, as he much desired to speak to them …

Westmist Session #34 - The Rod of Narissa (Finale)

Continued …

After a thankfully uneventful night in the caverns, the party prepared to make another push towards their goal, the Rod of Narissa. While the spellcasters prepared for the day ahead, Kern and Darnoth discussed the malachite gems they kept finding. Darnorth, a native of these Western War Peaks, recalled that there had been a number of gem mines in this area at the height of the Third Imperium, so it’s possible this town’s mine was the source of the gems. He also guessed that might explain the gnome’s presence too.  Meanwhile, Turrick had wandered off to explore through the upper works and chit chat with the gnomes, and was not to be seen again this day.

After checking first that their rope bridge was still in place, Riley once more called on the mighty Habuu to show them the way to the Rod. Following the clerics directions, the party headed due east. Bypassing the swirling pit this time (although those gems were still mighty tempting …), they passed east out of the pit chamber into another similar cavern. Here, they found a dais, raised about 10 feet off the floor. At the top they could just barely see some skeletal remains and rags, while on the lowest level of the dais sprawled an intact skeleton. In its hand rested a long brass rod, studded with a mix of bright blue and grey gems. Sensing a trap, Darnorth first levitated to the top of the dais to find a skull and bones, dust and scraps of cloth, and a scattering of jewelry. Meanwhile, the rest of the party discussed the best way to get the rod out of the skeletons hand. In the end, Riley decided matters by grabbing a 10 foot pole and knocking the rod away from the skeleton. When nothing untoward happened, he then picked it up. Then something untoward happened. The skull rose from the dais and the dust formed a vaguely man-shape below it. With hair trigger reactions, the party moved. Erijay encased the thing in a web, Riley blessed the party, and a flurry of arrows rose from the bows of the party. All of which missed. In exasperation, Bjorn the Twice Cursed flicked a dagger at the skull. A solid hit, it caused the skull to explode, dropping a shower of dust and bone fragments over those below. Recovering from the shock of victory, Darnorth gathered the jewelry from above, while Riley gathered the bones of (presumably) Narissa from their resting place on the lower dais, and stuffed them in sack with the jewelry.

With the object of their quest now in hand, the party decided to explore the parts of the temple they had earlier skipped.  Behind one door they found a short hallway with three more doors. One was a faded coat of arms (a green tree on a white field), on another was the holy symbol of Saule and the third had a balance. Darnorth boldly checked the balance room, finding a tomb with three stone briers, each occupied by a skeleton covered in a grave shroud. In the coat of arms room, they found a single body, this one clad in armor and weapons. In the last room they found four bodies. When Darnorth started to search around the room, one of the bodies sat up and pointed a boney finger at the dwarf, who felt (but overcame) a cold grip of fear. Darnorth, now assisted by Erijay, flailed away with his sword before the two retreated out of the tomb, to allow Riley to call upon the mighty Habuu to drive away the fiendish creature. Habuu, unfortunately, didn’t answer the call this time, so the undead creature closed the tomb door leaving the party standing in wonder in the corridor.  Pondering what to do next, Darnorth recalled the fine armor and jeweled helm worn by the creature, which was enough to convince him to push back into the tomb and do battle. Again accompanied by Erijay, he burst into the tomb. The creature struck Darnorth several times, putting a painful chill into his bones, and likewise took the elf maid out of the fight with a hold.  But before long, the undead thing fell to the dwarf, who then proceeded to loot the shield and bejewel helm.

Leaving the tombs behind, the party next explored a pair of offices. In one, Kern found a scandalous church report that detailed the suppressed history of the goddess Saule. It would appear that the squeaky clean healing and harvest goddess was originally a fertility goddess of overt sexuality, with a rather dodgy history of past worship and cults that the church leaders wanted to keep quiet. Never one to let potentially useful information to go to waste, the wily merchant pocketed the tract. In the next office, Darnorth recovered a key in the desk, while Erijay opened the wardrobe to find no robes but three sand shades whirling to attack. These were dispatched with relative ease. The next room was another dressing chamber with mirrors and dressing screens. Looking at the middle mirror, Darnorth saw himself at a much older age, and felt the hand of decrepitude creep upon him. Tearing his eyes away, the hardy dwarf shook off the effect. In spite, he tried a Turrick and threw a stone at the mirror, which infuriatingly did not break. Out came the crowbars, and Erijay pried the mirror off the wall, but she found nothing of interest on the back or behind it. Kern looked thoughtfully at it for a moment, then carefully wrapped the mirror of a pair of sacks and proceeded to stuff it in his backpack. “This might come in handy sometime” muttered the merchant.

 

Having explored all obvious areas of the temple, the party returned to the large chamber where they encountered the first sand creature. Exploring the other exits, in the north chamber they encountered and battled another group of sand skeletons. Most notably, as Erijay struck a final solid blow to the last skeleton, she found her sword from the Breeding Pits of Yg  turning into a giant snake. The constrictor wrapped itself around the skeleton, and crushed its bones to dust before returning to sword form. Shaken, the elf gingerly picked up the sword before the party moved on again. The other two exits led to buildings similar to those seen in the gnome tunnels. Of note in one was an unusual metal chair that would rise up or down, or spin left to right when a lever on the base was pushed. In the other, the floor collapsed into the cellar as Kern and Riley crossed it, heading to investigate a trap door in the ceiling. The unfortunate cleric was dropped 20 feet into a pile of 200 year old root vegetables. In the end, the two choose not to open the trap door,as sand was trickling around the edges and Kern wisely concluded no good would come of opening it.

Now done with their explorations, the party returned to the gnome’s door and knocked. Answering the challenge from the other side, the party waited a few minutes while the picket went to get Hulgi, who then order the door opened. On the other side waited a band of gnomes, armed to the teeth.  And their surly leader, who expressed his surprise to see them back in one piece. And who demanded the party now keep their end of the bargain and resurrect poor Hoya. After some negotiation, Darnorth was left with the gnomes as a hostage/sign of good faith while Riley carried Hoya’s body out towards the daylight, and used the Rod to bring life back to the fallen gnome. While the grateful Hoya kissed his feet, the cleric noted that four of the blue gems on the Rod had faded to grey.

Hulgi pressed the party for details of what lay beyond the gnome’s tunnels, obviously looking for particular information. Darnorth used his natural charm and smile to convince Hulgi to tell the party why the gnomes were there in return for information on everything the party had discovered. Hulgi explained that the Fairy Queen is enamored of the green malachite gems, which are not found in the fairy realm. She had learned of the existence of the malachite mine in this village, and the gnome clan to reopen the mine. They started tunneling in the sand to find the mine entrance, but ran into the sand creature and skeletons who proved too much of a match for them.  And with Booh blocking the exit from the tunnels, the gnomes were in an uncertain position until the party arrived. But if they could now leave with the Fairy Queen’s blessing, the gnomes now had work to do. 

Gladly leaving the cramped tunnels behind, the party returned to Booh’s tower to find the giant still moaning and groaning in his bed, complaining that he was still very hungry. Riley cast a few cure spells to stop the giants moaning, and Kern reminded the big fellow that tomorrow they would go hunt down a nice meal of horse for him. Which made Booh happy, which made the party happy (and feeling safe enough) to settle in for the night.