S&W White Box: Session Two, 3/22/10

SESSION TWO (03.22.10)

Sunday the 9^th of Coldeven, CY 576

Fen Sen the Seer (2^nd level Magic-User)

Galathos the Warrior (2^nd level Fighting-Man)

Old Man Halgron the Adept of St. Cuthbert (2^nd level Cleric)

Gloin the dwarven Warrior (2^nd level Fighting-Man)

“Frahnk” the hired lantern-bearer

After a brief huddle, our fearless adventurers decided that they each would be able to carry a little bit more weight. Undaunted, they decided to remain in the dungeons below Castle Greyhawk in search of more treasure.

Passing back through the hidden portal they chose to retreat back the way they had come and try a door they spied at the end of a hallway. Finding nothing but three sets of manacles and three piles of coiled, bloody, and ashy frayed rope they pressed on. Back to the door with the sconces they continued on through the door leading to the north. Following the corridor north, then east, then north, and then east they arrived at a T-intersection. Not hearing any noises down either passage, the heroes chose the south passage and then west when they arrived at another T-intersection.

By virtue of his meticulous mapping Galathos felt that the passage they were following would lead back around to the landing of the main staircase. After taking the west fork at another intersection the heroes passed through another doorway back into the room that they had started their exploration in. With two of the four doors already chosen they decided to take the other door in the north wall and walked into an eerily and dimly lit room to the sound of splashing water. In the center of the room was a large fountain containing two statues, a lecherous old man chasing an attractive young woman, and cascading clear water.

The explorers eventually convinced their kobold pet to take a drink of water out of the fountain. They were looking out for the kobold, sure that he would be thirsty after eating that bite of sausage. The poor humanoid immediately broke out into loud yelping laughter. He leaped into the water of the fountain and began splashing the water everywhere. Galathos yanked him out of the pool by his leash and in the process noticed a tarnished silver spoon. Fen Sen recovered the spoon as the others debated what to do with their trap-finder. Worried that the kobold might attract undue attention, the adventurers gagged the kobold, reducing his laughter to undecipherable mumbles. Gloin finished off the rest of his water skin and refilled it with some water from the fountain thinking that the water from the fountain might somehow be useful. Remembering the torch sconces that yielded entrance to a secret room, Halgron and Galathos tried to inspect the statues for any seams or joint. Trying to get a closer look Galathos stepped into the fountain and pushed his way through the cascading water. Unfortunately (or maybe not), despite his best efforts all the fighting-man got was wet clothes.

Taking the other door out of the fountain room led to a corridor heading south. After hearing a faint drumming sound, Gloin passed by a door opening to the east and continued on west and then south. After coming to a stout wooden door at the end of the corridor they decided to return to the door that the dwarf heard the faint drumming through. Beyond the door lay a corridor heading south and north, with the drumming getting closer echoing down the northern corridor. The pet kobold began struggling and refused to continue any farther north. Gloin tried to communicate with the kobold in his halting mastery of the humanoid’s language. After telling Gloin in vague terms that very bad men were coming, not human men but kobold men, he again refused to move farther north.

Our brave adventurers decided that no kobolds would scare them; they would track down the noise and engage the “very bad men” in battle. As Old Man Halgron, Gloin, and Fen Sen were debating what to do with the kobold hostage, Galathos demonstrated his chaotic tendencies by using his flamberge to separate the kobold from his head. With that problem solved the four adventurers and their extremely unnerved hired lantern-bearer moved north towards the sound of the drumming. At one of the T-intersections that they had previously passed through the adventurers arranged themselves in an ambush. Gloin gripped his battle axe to one side of the intersection with Frahnk the lantern-bearer hiding behind him. Galathos with his two-handed sword and Halgron with his bludgeon readied themselves to the other side of the intersection with Fen Sen readying his arcane powers behind the two armored men.

With the fast approaching sound of clanking mail, echoing footsteps, and a banging drum sounding out a cadence the foursome nervously awaited their foes. Two ranks of two kobolds each diverged at the intersection marching right into the adventurer’s trap. Apparently these were no normal kobolds however. They were well armored indeed, suited in matching sets of finely crafted chain mail and wearing brass gorgets. Helmeted in fur covered helms and wearing uniform dark blue tabards they were quite the sight. Luckily with the element of surprise the heroes just barely got the drop on the well trained, well armed and armored, and militaristic kobolds. Gloin managed to score a slashing wound with his axe; Halgron narrowly missed with his flail; Galathos landed a horrible blow; and Fen Sen ensorcelled four into a magical slumber. As one kobold traded blows with Gloin the other lit his flask of oil, threw it at Galathos, and proceeded to run back up the hallway. The flask of oil hit Galathos directly in the chest exploding into a fiery flash that left the fighting-man very badly burned. Luckily for him his wet clothes did not catch on fire and though wounded, Galathos heaved a hand axe at the fleeing kobold felling him before he could escape. Old Man Halgron and Gloin the dwarf finished off the remaining kobold with a mighty blow to the back and a chest-cleaving swipe of the axe respectively. Fen Sen quickly helped put the remaining flames out and Halgron beseeched St. Cuthbert to grant him healing powers on the wounded Galathos. Three of the four sleeping kobolds were quickly dispatched with the fourth trussed up and the adventurers thought they could hear the faint footfalls of one fleeing kobold. After the captured kobold refused to answer their questions even with Galathos’ more aggressive techniques, he once again showed no mercy to a captured foe.

Noting the great condition of the arms and armor; the heroes stripped the dead kobolds of their gear and decided to return to the surface. Before they left Fen Sen used his remaining arcane power to investigate whether any of their loot possessed any magical auras. Disappointed, the magic-user discovered that only the water from the fountain and the rusty dagger acquired earlier showed any magical energy. Gathering up the loot they returned to the main staircase, ascended back to the surface, and rang the bell to alert the Goldmountain dwarves that they needed egress from the dungeons. After a brief wait Gandalff, Claag, and their two brothers opened up the door welcoming the heroes back from their exploits. After delivering some of the promised tribute to Gandallathor, who the dwarves felt had clearly looked out for them; they left the Castle and made the trek back to the Free City of Greyhawk.

Quite happy with themselves our heroes enjoyed the next five days carousing, re-supplying, selling some of the gear they recovered, and sharing the tales of their adventuring with the veterans in the common room of the Green Dragon Inn. The heroes learned of another group in the Castle environs protecting an entrance to the dungeons; a group of elves had a hidden lair in the copse of trees to the west of the Castle. Gloin the dwarf awoke from one particularly long night on the town with a new tattoo, luckily for him the tattoo actually turned out pretty good. Old Man Halgron spent several nights out on the town “spreading St. Cuthbert’s word”, Galathos purchased several new tools from the Outdoor Survival store, and purchased a pole-arm from Arneson’s Arms & Armor and inquired there about the availability of heavier armor, and Fen Sen spent his time studying his magic.

After renewing the employment of Frahnk as their lantern-bearer the group traveled the league back to Castle Greyhawk. After making right by the dwarves and Gandallathor they once again descended the main staircase down to the Storage Rooms. After finding the deceased kobolds removed from the scene of their battle the heroes decided to take a passage off of one of the T-intersections that they had previously passed up. The corridor led east, then south, then sharply turned north before heading west to a slightly ajar door. Gloin leaned his head close to the doorway to try and listen for noises but gasped at the foul odor emanating from within. Kicking the door open they discovered a large table in the center of the room with six sealed clay jars on top and a mound on the ground below. Using his new ranseur, Galathos pushed one jar off the table resulting in an explosion of orange paint all over the floor. Prodding the blanketed bundle below the table with the pole-arm revealed a recently dead skunk. Gloin and Halgron investigated the rest of the jars finding 40 silver pieces, 82 copper pieces, two more jars of orange paint, and one jar of blue paint. Shutting the door in an attempt to bottle up the foul smell they continued down the hallway to two more doors.

Not hearing any noise from within Gloin reached for the handle of the door on the eastern wall but was unnerved when his arm went through the door. Amazed the dwarf walked through the door, with Galathos close on his heels. Seeing the two fighting-men disappear Halgron and Fen Sen stepped through the door as well. Quite nervous and scared Frahnk scampered through as well. Inside the room they found a human skeleton lying on its side on the floor. The skeleton was still dressed in a beautiful dark green dress with rows of tiny emeralds reflecting the lantern light. Halgron prayed over the fallen woman, then removed her dress and crossed something off a list he had on a piece of parchment. Bewildered by the supernatural door and very thankful that they hadn’t met a spear on the far side of the door when they walked through blindly the heroes stepped back out into the hallway.

The door in the south wall was quite stuck and did not yield to Gloin’s shoulder. Galathos made use of some of his shiny new tools, prying the door off its hinges with his crowbar. Inside the room they were shocked to find a human jawbone lying on the floor and a large metal ring set into the center of the western wall. Gloin translated the Orcish inscription scrawled above the ring as an advisement to “Pull Me”. Despite Gloin’s desire to immediately pull the ring, the party decided to proceed more carefully. Galathos hooked his grapple to the ring, laid out his silken rope, and ushered everyone out of the room. From behind the fractured door Galathos gave the rope a yank. With a slight creaking noise the ring slide out from the wall and a huge metal scything blade snapped out of the wall at knee level. Entering the room again Galathos used his pole-arm to push the metal ring back into the wall which also reset the metal scythe. After deciding that this room would make a proper place to conduct future interrogations the party moved on in the direction they thought the fleeing footsteps had led.

Coming to a four-way intersection, with the east and south corridors leading past the range of their light, they chose the north passage which led to a door. Opening the door revealed a large pile of broken furniture. And amazingly enough, a small black crow was hopping to and fro on top of the pile. Bewildered, the party piled into the room to investigate.