Date:
Demmasday, 2nd of Ligarios and Demmasday, 9th of Legarios, 2993 AEP
Weather:
Cool, cloudy
Player Characters:
Ioannes Grammatikos Byzantios, Archontean cleric of Demma (Demented Avenger)
Vallium Halcyon, Archontean fighter (Greybrown)
Michael J. Dundee, Thorcin barbarian (Adam)
Vael Sunshadow, Half-Elven mage (Kyle)
Uvash Edzuson, Dwarven cleric of Zodarrim (Based Cosmo)
Merenuithiel "Lacrymosa" Armaris, Elven mercenary archer (Archon Shiva)
Significant NPCs:
Muirasso, wight, former cleric of Thoth
Many zombies
Piercer
Gog, varumani
Roskelly and several halfling toll collectors
Eggbert, Thorcin guard
Kronos Kettle-Belly, Thorcin innkeeper, Sign of the Broken Head
Estelle, Archontean innkeeper, Sign of the Broken Head
Crisarius Three-Legs, Archontean statue broker, Prosperity Factor
Fenitior Stone-Hands, Archontean statue broker, Wisdom Factor
Godric the Wise, Thorcin statue broker, Golden Band
The session began where the previous one paused, with Vallium pulling the lid off a sarcophagus in Muirasso's tomb. The wight of Muirasso jumped out of the sarcophagus, holding a glowing broadsword, and attacked Vallium for disturbing his unrest. Meanwhile, a couple of zombies emerged from the bas reliefs in the walls and charged other members of the party. A long melee ensued, with additional zombies continually emerging from the walls. Vael cast Grease on the floor, which caused the wight and several zombies to slip and fall. Vallium stabbed the wight several times, while Michael and Uvash attacked zombies. Ioannes cast Flaming Weapon and Shield, and Vael followed up with Blur. Uvash started aiming at feet to knock down zombies that were still standing. Eventually the wight was inactive and all the zombies were down, and whatever magic or curse had bound the zombies started failing and they lost their will to fight.
Ioannes cast Stop Bleeding on Michael to fix a minor wound, while the rest of the group looted the room. They took the wight's glowing broadsword and a bunch of ancient silver and copper coins from his sarcophagus, plus a magic jug and a couple of flasks containing bright blue liquid. Vallium knocked the lid off a second sarcophagus, and some green gas started pouring out. Most of the group fled the room, while Vael cast Purify Air, which revealed that the gas was coming out of a canopic jar inside the sarcophagus. Uvash ran into to put the crocodile-head lid back on the jar, which stopped the release of gas. The third sarcophagus contained another gas-spewing canopic jar, which they handled the same way.
With all visible treasure taken, they searched for secret doors. They found one in the southwest corner of the room, but could not open it. Ioannes thought he found another one in the southeast corner, but everyone else thought it was just a line between bricks. Stuck, Vael cast Seek Earth for gold, and though there was gold about six yards to the south. They decided to go back to Gosterwick, unload some treasure, and come back with a way to open that door.
Vael cast Flight on Michael so he could carry people down the 15' ledge west of the tomb, and back up a steep 25' slope leading to the stairs up. While Vallium was leading the group across the cavern, a stalactite detached from the ceiling and smashed into his head. It was a piercer, nobody saw it coming, and it hit accurately and pretty hard. Luckily for Vallium, he was wearing a very sturdy helmet, which the piercer failed to penetrate. Vallium dispatched the piercer while it was lying on the floor in embarrassment. Meanwhile the group looked up, but the ceiling was past the range of their Continual Light stones, so they couldn't really tell if there were more. Michael, with Flight still active, flew up to check the ceiling, and didn't see any more piercers. The group continued to the exit, with Uvash holding his shield over his head Just In Case.
Gog greeted the group on their way through his cave to the secret stairs up. The group had a long discussion on the stairs, as to whether they should fight the halflings, rush past the halflings, or head to another exit. They decided to have Vael cast Invisibility on the whole group and try to sneak past. They circled around to the northwest of the Glory of Thoth, Vael cast Invisibility while Ioannes cast Lend Energy, and then the group realized there was a closed door between them and the halflings and opening it might give them away. They tried anyway. One of the halflings noticed the door move and started yelling for reinforcements, but by the time the halflings charged the door the party was past, heading for the stairs up.
They returned to Gosterwick to sell some treasure and give Vael time to learn the Lockmaster spell. Uvash stayed in town counting his ancient copper coins, so the group hired Lacrymosa the mercenary archer. She assumed she was hired to kill the halflings and advocated that course of action tirelessly for the entire delve, but the rest of the group was more interested in loot than combat. They snuck invisibly past the halflings again and headed for the secret stairs down. Their Invisibility wore off on the way down the stairs, so Gog again greeted them when they emerged into his cave. They had forgotten to bring any surface food for him, which caused Gog to throw a small tantrum as he stomped away from them, like an 8' tall 2-year-old.
Vael cast Flight on Vallium this time, rolling a critical success that caused the spell to last much longer than usual. He carried each member of the group down the steep 25' slope and up the 15' wall into the tomb. This time nothing dropped on their heads. The tomb looked like nothing had disturbed it in the last week since their previous visit. Vael cast Lockmaster on the secret door, while Ioannes returned to the other alleged secret door and tried to interest anyone else in helping him open it. The actual secret door unlocked, and Vallium and Michael led the way into a narrow cobwebby passage. It took a sharp turn to the left, and then there was a terrifying magical sigil of Fear on the ceiling. Both fighters were affected. Vallium saw a giant piercer on the ceiling, definitely big enough to penetrate his helmet and take off his head. With the Flight spell still active, he turned around and flew out of the passage, over the heads of his allies behind. Michael didn't get as good a look but knew there was something really scary there and just turned out and ran instead, as they jumped out of his way. Vallium got a grip on his fear in the sarcophagus room, but Michael made it all the way to the tomb entrance before slowing down. (He did manage to avoid jumping down 15' and possibly hurting himself.)
Vael stuck his head in the passage, saw the Symbol of Fear, kept a grip on himself, and tried destroying it, but failed. Ioannes yelled for Michael and Vallium to return. When they finally did, he gathered everyone into a tight huddle and cast Bravery on the group. Magically immune to fear, they proceeded down the tunnel, which led to a dead end. Everyone searched for a secret door at the end of the tunnel, and they found one and opened it.
On the other side of the door was a room containing three chests and some rotted bags full of old coins. There were also three small gold statues along the southwest wall. They spent some time sorting through the coins and found a bunch of ancient copper and silver, some heavy ancient gold solidi, and three huge octagonal platinum pieces that would each probably buy a small house. They then turned to the chests. Vael used Lockmaster to open them, from six feet away using his Wizard's Staff, and this rendered the poison needle traps on the locks ineffective. The first chest contained three alabaster and gold canopic jars, one holding a gem, one holding two large keys, and one holding two spell scrolls. The second chest contained a ring, a mace, a rod, and an amulet, all apparently magical. The third chest had eight potions. Along with the three small (but heavy) gold shabti statues, this was a lot to carry, so they decided to head back to the surface.
The group repeated using the Flight spell to ferry the group past elevation changes, went past Gog again, and took the secret stairs up to near the halflings. Again Lacrymosa advised attack, but the rest of the group decided there wasn't enough time for that right now, and they went with the invisibility plan again. Everyone snuck as quietly as they could, but Michael blew his Stealth roll and dropped his gold statue on the floor with a loud clang. A couple of the halflings heard it and came to investigate, but he was still invisible and snatched up the statue then snuck around them the other way. They did not manage to find him before he made it to the stairs up.
There were a few giant rats waiting in the landing room at the top of the first flight of stairs, but they fled. The group continued to the top of the Pyramid of Thoth, then south to the dam. Their padlock was still there, and when they unlocked it they found their wheelbarrow and tools still inside. They discussed whether to leave the treasure in the dam house while they explored the ruins, or put it in the wheelbarrow and take it with them. Ultimately they decided that having it stolen from the dam would be the worst outcome, so they put the treasure in a chest and put the chest in the wheelbarrow.
Vallium suggested exploring the northern island in the Swift River. Michael pushed the wheelbarrrow as the group headed for the bridge to that island. But when they got close to the bridge, they heard yelling from a tower to their north to stop, and someone shot a crossbow bolt over their head into the bridge. They approached the tower, where a couple of armed men told them that there were deadly stone constructs on that island who would kill anyone who crossed the bridge, but fortunately the constructs did not leave the island. Some discussion revealed that the leader's name was Eggbert, and that he worked for a man named Kronos who ran the Inn of the Broken Head, a bit to the northwest.
The group decided to visit the Inn, and followed Eggbert's directions to go west to the river. Soon enough, they saw the Inn. The Inn was a fortified two-story building, and there were several smaller outbuildings surrounding it. There was the head of a large statue of Arden hanging above the front door, and both Vael and Ioannes thought the head looked magical. Ioannes, Michael, and Lacrymosa stayed with the wheelbarrow, while Vael and Vallium went inside.
Inside the Inn was brightly lit by a couple of Continual Light rocks. Kronos, a large Thorcin man, was behind the bar, with an Archontean woman named Estelle by his side. They greeted the party and asked if they wanted beer or ale. Vael bought a round for the group and carried some outside to the treasure guards, then started asking Kronos questions. It turned out the Inn had three merchant factors in residence, all competing to buy statues looted from the ruins. Vael mentioned they had some statues to sell, and within a couple minutes all three factors came rushing down the stairs: Crisarius Three-Legs from the Prosperity Factor, Fenitior Stone-Hands, from the Wisdom Factor, and Godric the Wise from the Golden Band. Vael interrogated all three about their businesses and services available, and then went to get a couple of the gold shabti statues and said they were available to the highest bidder. Lacrymosa came inside to help negotiate, and eventually Godric bought all three shabti statues in exchange for some valuable (and much lighter) gems.
Vael went outside and spent the time to cast Analyze Magic on the head of Arden, which revealed that it could speak if addressed respectfully. He talked to the head and it told him "Restore me! Courage shall be yours when I am whole and the incantation sung!"
Vael went back in, and he and and Kronos spent some more time asking each other questions. Kronos revealed that the Forum of Set had an entrance on the west side of the cliff face, but it was considered dangerous. Vael told Kronos about the bodies they had found on the roof of the tower by the Forum, and Kronos was pretty sure the two humans were his former employee Roger and "Roger's cousin", but had no idea who the halfling with them was. He also revealed that they had found the head of Arden in the Forum by the oak tree, and had carried it over to the Inn to serve as their sign. The group ultimately decided to head back to Gosterwick rather than staying at the Inn. They made it back with their wheelbarrow full of treasure.
GM's Comments:
This was a complicated session. One long combat against undead, then a lot of tomb raiding including a trip back to town to learn Lockmaster, and three different invisible bypasses of the halflings. The group was pretty lucky that the piercer that achieved total surprise picked a hard target in Vallium. Armor is good. And they finally found the Inn of the Broken Head.
Achievements:
None
XP:
This was complicated, as they finished the previous delve this session, and then did another one. With one PC swap between the two.
First delve:
- Exploration: 10 new locations explored, good for 1 XP
- Loot: Not that much, but it was enough for 1 XP
Second delve:
- Exploration: 5 new locations explored, 1 XP
- Loot: A massive haul, 2 XP
So those who were there for everything got 5 XP total. Uvash was only there for the first delve and got 2 XP. He did get a full cut of the treasure though, despite not helping haul it all out.
Next Week:
There was the usual smack talk about the halflings, but I'll believe it when I see it. Kronos told them about another possible dungeon entrance to the Forum of Set, or maybe they'll try to explore more of Gog's level, or maybe they'll confuse me and try something completely different.
Sounds like fun times with big hauls.
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