Saturday, August 28, 2010
PDF
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
S&W White Box: Recap; Session 12, 8/23/10 PART 2
Here's the session recap from our DM Bill, covering the parts after Fen Sen left the party. Now the events that I missed make sense:
SESSION TWELVE (08.23.10)
Starday the 1st of Flocktime, CY 576
“The Dungeons”
Level three of the dungeons below
The Castle of the Mad Archmage
Cast of Characters
Dantry the Elven Warrior/Seer (2nd level Fighting-Man, 2nd level Magic-User)
Fen Sen the Conjurer (3rd level Magic-User)
Galathos the Swordsman (3rd level Fighting-Man)
Old Man Halgron the Priest of St. Cuthbert (3rd level Cleric)
“Harolde” hired lantern-bearer/porter
“Karhle” hired lantern-bearer/porter
“Willim” hired lantern-bearer/porter
MIA: Gloin the Dwarven Warrior (2nd level Fighting-Man)
Turning to the prisoners the party… dispatched one and slapped the other awake.
Now that he had calmed down from the battle, Old Man Halgron realized that the creatures were hobgoblins and that he had some familiarity with their language. Informing the party of this they began questioning the creature. Deciding to take a slightly different tact with this prisoner than the last several they struck a deal: the party agreed to let the hobgoblin go after he escorted them out of the territory claimed by his tribe (the Flesh Renders) and directed them to the territory of the Bloody Axe orcs.
Dutifully, the hobgoblin led them through the winding passageways past a room he referred to as the Flesh Renders’ shrine and a second room that he said held more carnivorous apes. After showing the party a hidden leg-catching pit trap he opened the door onto a long corridor, instructed the party to follow it, and gave them the number of paces between turns. His end of the bargain completed the hobgoblin began moving back to his tribe’s territory.
At this Galathos became angry; he apparently had misunderstood the deal, quite possibly due to an error in the translation (handled by Old Man Halgron) from the Common tongue to the hobgoblin dialect of goblinoid. After some deliberation the party allowed the hobgoblin to depart. Once the creature was gone Galathos informed the party that he was headed back to the hobgoblin shrine to desecrate it. Arguing against him, Fen Sen was worried that angering the hobgoblin tribe would decrease their chance of leaving the Dungeons safely. Losing the argument the Conjurer began casting an enchantment on the Swordsman, who upon hearing Fen Sen’s chanting turned back and threw his club. Fen Sen managed to get his spell off first and Galathos’ club erringly hit the wall beside his head. The Fighting-Man dropped to the floor of the corridor in a loud metallic crash that echoed down the corridor and was fast asleep before his helmeted head hit the ground.
Apparently roused by the sound of a nearly seven foot tall muscle bound warrior in full plate armor dropping to the ground the party was surprised by another floating pearlescent bubble. Not knowing what else to do the party hugged the walls of the corridor and hoped that the bubble would pass them by as it bounced in the air down the corridor towards them at an incredibly slow pace. Declining to walk away from the bubble they held their ground as it approached. As the bubble neared the Magic-User and Halgron (the first pair) it changed trajectory and bounced towards Halgron’s head. Perhaps slowed by his fascination of the mystical object he did not manage to duck and throw his shield up in time and took the brunt of the explosion which also caught Fen Sen and one of the porters (the next pair). Halgron and Fen Sen were seriously wounded and the poor hireling’s scorched corpse dropped to the ground.
With the threat apparently over and the Fighting-Man still slumbering in his ensorcelled sleep, Fen Sen took Galathos’ maps and copied the corridors back to the surface down on a piece of his own parchment. Taking his remaining porter with him and barely speaking to the stunned party he departed off into the darkness. As the light from Fen Sen’s porter’s lamp retreated in the darkness the party collected their senses. Awakening Galathos, they followed Fen Sen’s path but he had already vanished. Deciding to rest up before progressing they holed themselves up in the secret rooms they had previously found and sealed the only entrance. With the Priest of St. Cuthbert sleeping, resting, and praying Dantry, Galathos, and his porter, Willim, took turns keeping watch. When the party was fully rested and one of the Cleric’s new spells cast to aid in their healing the party began pulling the stone blocking the secret entrance away. Hearing the crash of metal on stone immediately outside their resting place the Fighting-Man stopped. The sound of snarling and chest-thumping apes quickly began a chorus in the room outside.
As the party waited trying to figure out how they were going to get out of their predicament, a guttural voice called out in hobgoblin. Again handling the translation for the party, Halgron brokered a deal with the hobgoblin chief (a fine specimen of a hobgoblin named Klvdart). Two of the Flesh Renders would accompany the party and in exchange for battling their rivals, the Bloody Axes, they would be allowed free passage through the Flesh Render territory. Not in much of a position of arguing, and finding the deal agreeable the party accepted the chief’s terms.
The remaining members of the party followed the hobgoblin braves (for they soon learned that the two creatures were un-tested and un-bloodied youths) quickly and quietly through the winding passages. Spotting a set of double-doors halfway through their trip they were informed by their un-named hobgoblin guides (who would not be given names until after they were tested in battle) that beyond the doors was a staircase defended by dwarves that led to the surface. As the party progressed they were met up by Brother Samuel, another Cleric of St. Cuthbert. After exchanging pleasantries with Halgron, they continued on until they arrived at the trapped intersection before the orcish territory. As adventurers are wont to do, they did pause momentarily to inspect the pit traps. Thinking that two of the four traps seemed interesting, the party sent Brother Samuel down into the pit containing the skeletal remains of an adventurer. After claiming the coins and sword that the adventurer had left behind, the party pulled Brother Samuel back out. Climbing down into the pit with the orcish corpse and smoke the Cleric discovered that the smoke was noxious and had to cough off the sleepiness that was hitting him. Managing to stay awake he found that the orc was still alive, just deep in slumber. Clubbing the orc to death, Samuel claimed the orc’s possessions and was again pulled up out of the pit. Readying themselves for conflict the party stepped past the southernmost pit and…
Coin: 10 gold orbs, 20 silver nobles, 20 copper commons
KIA: 1 sleeping orc
Treasure: used, rusty sword
Experience: 8 each (32 total)
S&W White Box: Recap; Session 12, 8/23/10 PART 1
Odd session, which I missed of course. Here's Fen Sen's take on the expedition:
"After slaying one of the orange things, Old Man Halgron recovered from his senior moment and told us they were hobgoblins and from his earlier adventures he had some custom with their speak. Moments after that revelation we heard the clattering of maille upon the stone steps. Into the light strode Dantry who after greating us all coordially by name then handed Kor a sealed parchment roll. Kor opened the note and told us he had urgent business in town and had to leave now. After a knowing look towards Galathos he quickly sprinted the way Dantry had come ignoring our offers to escort him to the main staircase.
We returned to the task at hand with Halgron slapping the hobgoblin awake. After some amount of gibbering back and forth our cleric told us that his name was Spleensnarfer and he was of the Fleshrenders Clan in whose territory we now found ourselves. They warred with two orc clans, the Blood Axes and the Grinning Skulls and after some further gibbering we agreed to a truce. In exchange for his freedom he would escort us through their territory and show us the way to the Blood Axes. When returning to their territory on our way to the surface we would turn over orc scalps as proof of our actions in the Clan's favor and be granted safe passage.
I thought it was a good arrangement for the time being as it potentially gave us a safe way to return to the surface when necessary, let us slay evil orcs, and potentially gain valuable information upon our erstwhile allies that we may put to good use when it came time to give them the eternal rest their evil so vastly craved.
Spleensnarfer lead us south down the sloping passage past their shrine and their pet cage with three more giant apes to a door making sure we avoided the nasty pit trap near the door. While it was only five foot deep, it was spiked both on floor and walls. The wall spikes were angled downwards to further maim a victim when they attempted to remove their bleeding leg.
At that point he told us, through Halgron of course, that the door marked the edge of their territory and then gave directions in paces to the territory claimed by the Blood Axes. It took a few minutes, with him demonstrating a pace for us to determine we needed to travel 260 feet west, turn south and travel another 90 feet, then head west for another ten feet, before finally turning south for another 90.
With the first part of the bargain fulfilled we untied his hands and I attempted to return his weapon only to have Galathos snach it from my hands. He refused to hear reason, ignoring the fact that the hobgoblin named Spleensnarfer's word had been true and thus we should give him his weapon as a sign of our good intentions. I think the red of his hair seeped into his brain for he refused to give the creature its weapon.
We sent him on his way and because I was unarmored and thus quieter, I was sent to make sure he went around the corner and returned to their main areas. With the big man acting more beastly than our former guide I decided it was in my interest to obey. The vociferousness of his voice and the forceful nature of his movements made it impossible not to do so else surrender to the brute's new field plate gauntlets. I admit I truly feared for my life then more than at any other time.
Again the hobgoblin fulfilled his word, and seeing I had attempted to return his weapon he spoke to me in broken common telling me there was a pit trap at the end of his direction and to be careful as it was right at the edge of orc territory.
I returned to the party expecting Galathos to have returned to his usual brusque self. I was wrong, he had descended further into madness insisting upon us going and defacing the shrine to the hobgoblin's god. The man would not see sense and my various attempts to bring Halgron and Dantry into the discussion fell flat. Dantry as his wont refused to utter more than he cared not either way and Halgron only halfheartedly stood at my side. Foolishly I still believed this would be enough as in previous cases of argument we had always followed the will of the majority. It occured to me only later that we had never settled any argument in the past against the big bully's wishes.
Galathos told us he was going to deface the shrine and off he went. After further attempts to bring him to see reason I had no choice but to put him into a deep slumber to the utter consternation of the others and our porters. Even Halgron was looking askance at me. Clearly things had changed and now I was the villian instead of the hero. I knew I had only mere moments to act before Halgron went to awaken our warrior or asked Wilim to do it. I moved over to the big man and took the maps from his pack and began scrawling the directions back to the exit. I just finished when one of those bubbles appeared.
I told Dantry to shoot it with his bow well before the thing reached our slumbering brute. I wanted neither the brute awakening nor being burnt to death, I owed him that much even in his utter madness. Our Elf failed and the thing passed over the brute before heading towards the rest of us. I didn't want to move beyond the area we'd already explored nor did I want the path open for someone to attempt to awaken the madman before I had made good my escape. So I told everyone to press themselves against the walls and let the bubble pass harmlessly.
It was on its way towards clearing us when Halgron's loud flatulence attracted it. Before he could raise his shield or duck out of the way the thing exploded burning him and I severely and killing my porter Karlhe. Halgron made to awaken Galathos, so I distracted him by handing him the healing kit off Karhle's belt and then summoning Harolde to my side proceeded to flee with more than a little alacrity. I was fully expecting to soon hear the brute stamping after me with blood in his eyes and murder upon his mind, so we didn't stop running and jogging all the way to the main staircase.
We returned to the surface and rang the bell. As usual the brothers soon came and opened the door, however that time almost seemed interminable and I managed to chew my none too clean nails down to the quick. It wasn't until I heard the deep meaty thunk of the heavy door closing behind me that I finally collapsed to my knees and released a great sigh of relief.
After sending Harolde to hitch up my mule cart, I told the brothers of Galathos's descent into insanity and that I'd had to flee for my life for he'd caused the murder of Karlhe and my grave wounds. I told them I had no coin to donate for Galanthor's healing only a single gem worth 75 gold coins. It was the ruby I'd obtained from the proceeds of my last adventure almost two weeks prior. They granted me a minor spell. We had only returned to the surface less than a quarter hour and we were already heading back to the city riding upon my otherwise empty cart.
During our ride I discharged Harolde from my service gifting him the leather armor previously lent him. It was a very good gratuity and we were both quite happy. He told me he would no longer accept porterage from adventurers. He had saved most of his salaries and all of his gratuities over his weeks of service to me and he now almost had enough to reopen his shop. Knowing he'd been a carter and confirming he was to continue in that line of work, I offered him a high quality garnet worth 25 gold coins to prepare a traveling crate for me as I was leaving the city no later than the following day.
Leaving him after obtaining directions to his shop where he already had several travelling crates ready, I returned to the Green Dragon obtaining the key to Halgron's room without difficulty. I left him the party's items in my care which were the four clear gems, the potion of reduction(?), and the doll along with a note advising that I would be keeping the dagger as it had been given to me by the group and not just in my care. I thanked him for the adventure and good times before madness befell the brute and wished him and Gloin the best in their futures. That I never see them again would be soon enough and that were I to see the brute Galathos again fearing for my life I would be taking action and forgetting to ask questions.
With my duty to the group discharged I made my way to the jeweler on way to the harbormaster's office. With 75 gold and one less gem in my pocket I soon discovered that several ships and caravans were to set sail or otherwise depart the Free City of Greyhawk within the next two days. I quickly spread some coin buying passage with a caravan leaving in the morning to Hardby on the Woolly Bay. There was a fairly good school of the arcane there and thus it was a very likely destination. A while later I obtained passage up the river to the Nyr Dyv and across to Leukish in the Palantate of Urnst as there were several smaller schools of the arcane there giving me better likelyhood of a suitable situation. That ship was to sail before midnight on the morrow.
With my arrangements in place it was time to collect my things from the Inn and call upon my lady for one final evening of excitement. I do wish I could recall her name now these many years later."
"After slaying one of the orange things, Old Man Halgron recovered from his senior moment and told us they were hobgoblins and from his earlier adventures he had some custom with their speak. Moments after that revelation we heard the clattering of maille upon the stone steps. Into the light strode Dantry who after greating us all coordially by name then handed Kor a sealed parchment roll. Kor opened the note and told us he had urgent business in town and had to leave now. After a knowing look towards Galathos he quickly sprinted the way Dantry had come ignoring our offers to escort him to the main staircase.
We returned to the task at hand with Halgron slapping the hobgoblin awake. After some amount of gibbering back and forth our cleric told us that his name was Spleensnarfer and he was of the Fleshrenders Clan in whose territory we now found ourselves. They warred with two orc clans, the Blood Axes and the Grinning Skulls and after some further gibbering we agreed to a truce. In exchange for his freedom he would escort us through their territory and show us the way to the Blood Axes. When returning to their territory on our way to the surface we would turn over orc scalps as proof of our actions in the Clan's favor and be granted safe passage.
I thought it was a good arrangement for the time being as it potentially gave us a safe way to return to the surface when necessary, let us slay evil orcs, and potentially gain valuable information upon our erstwhile allies that we may put to good use when it came time to give them the eternal rest their evil so vastly craved.
Spleensnarfer lead us south down the sloping passage past their shrine and their pet cage with three more giant apes to a door making sure we avoided the nasty pit trap near the door. While it was only five foot deep, it was spiked both on floor and walls. The wall spikes were angled downwards to further maim a victim when they attempted to remove their bleeding leg.
At that point he told us, through Halgron of course, that the door marked the edge of their territory and then gave directions in paces to the territory claimed by the Blood Axes. It took a few minutes, with him demonstrating a pace for us to determine we needed to travel 260 feet west, turn south and travel another 90 feet, then head west for another ten feet, before finally turning south for another 90.
With the first part of the bargain fulfilled we untied his hands and I attempted to return his weapon only to have Galathos snach it from my hands. He refused to hear reason, ignoring the fact that the hobgoblin named Spleensnarfer's word had been true and thus we should give him his weapon as a sign of our good intentions. I think the red of his hair seeped into his brain for he refused to give the creature its weapon.
We sent him on his way and because I was unarmored and thus quieter, I was sent to make sure he went around the corner and returned to their main areas. With the big man acting more beastly than our former guide I decided it was in my interest to obey. The vociferousness of his voice and the forceful nature of his movements made it impossible not to do so else surrender to the brute's new field plate gauntlets. I admit I truly feared for my life then more than at any other time.
Again the hobgoblin fulfilled his word, and seeing I had attempted to return his weapon he spoke to me in broken common telling me there was a pit trap at the end of his direction and to be careful as it was right at the edge of orc territory.
I returned to the party expecting Galathos to have returned to his usual brusque self. I was wrong, he had descended further into madness insisting upon us going and defacing the shrine to the hobgoblin's god. The man would not see sense and my various attempts to bring Halgron and Dantry into the discussion fell flat. Dantry as his wont refused to utter more than he cared not either way and Halgron only halfheartedly stood at my side. Foolishly I still believed this would be enough as in previous cases of argument we had always followed the will of the majority. It occured to me only later that we had never settled any argument in the past against the big bully's wishes.
Galathos told us he was going to deface the shrine and off he went. After further attempts to bring him to see reason I had no choice but to put him into a deep slumber to the utter consternation of the others and our porters. Even Halgron was looking askance at me. Clearly things had changed and now I was the villian instead of the hero. I knew I had only mere moments to act before Halgron went to awaken our warrior or asked Wilim to do it. I moved over to the big man and took the maps from his pack and began scrawling the directions back to the exit. I just finished when one of those bubbles appeared.
I told Dantry to shoot it with his bow well before the thing reached our slumbering brute. I wanted neither the brute awakening nor being burnt to death, I owed him that much even in his utter madness. Our Elf failed and the thing passed over the brute before heading towards the rest of us. I didn't want to move beyond the area we'd already explored nor did I want the path open for someone to attempt to awaken the madman before I had made good my escape. So I told everyone to press themselves against the walls and let the bubble pass harmlessly.
It was on its way towards clearing us when Halgron's loud flatulence attracted it. Before he could raise his shield or duck out of the way the thing exploded burning him and I severely and killing my porter Karlhe. Halgron made to awaken Galathos, so I distracted him by handing him the healing kit off Karhle's belt and then summoning Harolde to my side proceeded to flee with more than a little alacrity. I was fully expecting to soon hear the brute stamping after me with blood in his eyes and murder upon his mind, so we didn't stop running and jogging all the way to the main staircase.
We returned to the surface and rang the bell. As usual the brothers soon came and opened the door, however that time almost seemed interminable and I managed to chew my none too clean nails down to the quick. It wasn't until I heard the deep meaty thunk of the heavy door closing behind me that I finally collapsed to my knees and released a great sigh of relief.
After sending Harolde to hitch up my mule cart, I told the brothers of Galathos's descent into insanity and that I'd had to flee for my life for he'd caused the murder of Karlhe and my grave wounds. I told them I had no coin to donate for Galanthor's healing only a single gem worth 75 gold coins. It was the ruby I'd obtained from the proceeds of my last adventure almost two weeks prior. They granted me a minor spell. We had only returned to the surface less than a quarter hour and we were already heading back to the city riding upon my otherwise empty cart.
During our ride I discharged Harolde from my service gifting him the leather armor previously lent him. It was a very good gratuity and we were both quite happy. He told me he would no longer accept porterage from adventurers. He had saved most of his salaries and all of his gratuities over his weeks of service to me and he now almost had enough to reopen his shop. Knowing he'd been a carter and confirming he was to continue in that line of work, I offered him a high quality garnet worth 25 gold coins to prepare a traveling crate for me as I was leaving the city no later than the following day.
Leaving him after obtaining directions to his shop where he already had several travelling crates ready, I returned to the Green Dragon obtaining the key to Halgron's room without difficulty. I left him the party's items in my care which were the four clear gems, the potion of reduction(?), and the doll along with a note advising that I would be keeping the dagger as it had been given to me by the group and not just in my care. I thanked him for the adventure and good times before madness befell the brute and wished him and Gloin the best in their futures. That I never see them again would be soon enough and that were I to see the brute Galathos again fearing for my life I would be taking action and forgetting to ask questions.
With my duty to the group discharged I made my way to the jeweler on way to the harbormaster's office. With 75 gold and one less gem in my pocket I soon discovered that several ships and caravans were to set sail or otherwise depart the Free City of Greyhawk within the next two days. I quickly spread some coin buying passage with a caravan leaving in the morning to Hardby on the Woolly Bay. There was a fairly good school of the arcane there and thus it was a very likely destination. A while later I obtained passage up the river to the Nyr Dyv and across to Leukish in the Palantate of Urnst as there were several smaller schools of the arcane there giving me better likelyhood of a suitable situation. That ship was to sail before midnight on the morrow.
With my arrangements in place it was time to collect my things from the Inn and call upon my lady for one final evening of excitement. I do wish I could recall her name now these many years later."
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
S&W White Box: Recap; Session 11, 8/16/10
True to form, I missed this session. Looks like trying to put back to back appearances together is not as easy as it seems. The school year starts next week for Kathy both as a teacher and a grad student, so I don't know how that will change my attendance.
Either way, the party descended down to the 2nd (presumably) level and faced a higher caliber of challenges...
Either way, the party descended down to the 2nd (presumably) level and faced a higher caliber of challenges...
SESSION ELEVEN (08.16.10)
Godsday the 18th of Planting, CY 576
“The Dungeons”
Level three of the dungeons below
The Castle of the Mad Archmage
Cast of Characters
Fen Sen the Conjurer (3rd level Magic-User)
Galathos the Swordsman (3rd level Fighting-Man)
Kor the Dwarven Footpad (2nd level roguish Fighting-Man)
Old Man Halgron the Priest of St. Cuthbert (3rd level Cleric)
“Harolde” hired lantern-bearer/porter
“Karhle” hired lantern-bearer/porter
“Willim” hired lantern-bearer/porter
MIA: Dantry the Elven Warrior/Seer (2nd level Fighting-Man, 2nd level Magic-User); Gloin the Dwarven Warrior (2nd level Fighting-Man)
Apparently the wenches at the Green Dragon Inn were serving up plates of courage the evening prior to our band of adventurers’ latest expedition. Although missing the services of the Dwarf Gloin (who quite possibly had imbibed too much of the liquid courage the wenches had also been serving) and the Elf Dantry (who had travelled to the Gnarley Forest on a fey mission) they were joined by an acquaintance of Galathos’, the Dwarven Warrior named Kor. Kor and Galathos neglected to explain the particulars of their relationship or why the Dwarf eschewed armor and was very proficient in sneaking around. Glad for another arm, they steeled themselves against the expected danger and they wound their way through the Storage Rooms and descended down deep into the darkness, all the way down to the Dungeons. Galathos seemed extremely eager to put the magical warhammer found in the previous exploration which he had claimed to the test.
The foursome and their hirelings came to a portcullis that they proceeded to open noisily; once into the room beyond they were startled to find two large carnivorous apes charging them. The seven foot tall and extremely broad beasts loped towards the party as Old Man Halgron and Galathos stepped to the front in order to protect Fen Sen and the hirelings. Unnoticed, Kor crept into the shadows of the room and began to circle around behind the aggressive apes. Trading blows with the unbelievably strong apes, the Fighting-Man and the Cleric suffered hefty damage from the bludgeoning fists of the primates. Fen Sen attempted to ensorcell the apes into slumber, but was dismayed when his spell failed to have the desired effect. Halfway around the room, Kor spied some humanoids peeking around the corner of an unexplored corridor. The humanoids’ hairy hides were dark reddish-brown in color, their faces were bright red-orange, their noses blue-red, and their yellowish eyes reflected the torchlight. The creatures were armed with shields and swords and armored in a type of scale with breastplates. As the creatures backed away from the fracas, the Dwarf continued on behind the unsuspecting apes.
Beginning to second-guess their decision to descend so deep, Galathos and Halgron began to fall backwards while Fen Sen readied his newly learned spell and Kor studied the apes for a moment of weakness. Again the apes and the men traded blows, forcing Halgron to retreat behind Galathos to send a quick prayer to St. Cuthbert for magical healing. The Magic-User succeeded in summoning up his magical energies to craft an illusory warrior to aid the party in battle as the Dwarf failed in his roguish attack from the rear. The next moments of the melee sped by in a blur, with a confused turmoil of action. One ape was brought down, the party fell back into the corridor, and four of the humanoids marched out of the far corridor and towards the melee. With the one remaining ape held off by the Old Man and Fen Sen again calling on his Art to force the approaching humanoids into slumber, this time successfully. Galathos struggled to release the piton holding the portcullis up as the four closing creatures collapsed to the floor. The Fighting-Man finally knocked the piton free, causing the portcullis to crash down on the ape and trapping it on the other side. After dispatching the wounded beast the party re-entered the room, finished off the slumbering monsters and began searching for the loot that they clearly were owed.
Finding nothing and fearing that their struggles had been for naught, they began to closely inspect their surroundings. Eventually Kor discovered something odd about the stonework in the north-eastern portion of the room. Realizing that a section of the wall was movable, he began pushing that section down a newly found secret passage. As the party wondered where the sneaky dwarf had gotten off to, Kor found himself in a hidden armory stocked with an amazing collection of armaments. Another room held shackles, a cold brazier, and what appeared to be implements of torture. Relaying his findings back to the party, Galathos stood guard as the rest of the group bundled up as much of the weaponry as they could and set fire to the rest. As they were preparing to head back to the surface to drop off their loot a mysterious pearlescent floating bubble began bobbing down a diagonal corridor towards the Fighting-Man. Perhaps nervous from his last encounter with a mysterious orb, Galathos called out to the others and they hustled back up the stairs with Galathos knocking the portcullis back down in a rear-guard action. Seeing that the bubble had stopped on the far side of the gate, he fired off a couple of arrows with the second hitting the bubble causing it to erupt in a fiery explosion.
Thinking that that was enough for one day, they headed back up to the surface and returned to town. The party was able to sell the acquired weaponry for a decent amount of gold orbs and while at the shop the armorer informed Galathos that his commissioned suit of plate was almost finished. As excited as a schoolboy, the warrior convinced the rest of the group to wait on the armor before heading back down on another expedition.
Again, they headed down to the Dungeons- this time discovering that the stairs had been blocked with wrecked furniture that needed to be cleared out. Once down close to the portcullis they kept hearing the sound of breaking glass. Fearing a trap, they backed up and were none too surprised when the gated corridor was lit in the oily flames. Waiting until the furniture had burned down to smoldering embers they again forced the gate open and threw a torch into the room to provide illumination. As the torch flew out into the room two arrows spun through the air from the right. Peeking into the room they were confronted with five more of the humanoids, these armed with bows. Between the magical talent of Fen Sen, the martial skills of Galathos and Old Man Halgron, and the deft quickness of the lightly equipped Kor they gradually overcame the humanoids, taking two prisoners and managing to kill the rest with few injuries of their own. Turning to the prisoners the party…
Coin: 0
KIA: 2 carnivorous apes, 7 hobgoblins
POW: 2 hobgoblins
Treasure: various and sundry arms and armor (338 gp worth)
Rooms Explored: 4
Experience: 255 each (1020 total)
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
S&W White Box: Recap; Session Ten, 8/9/10 PART 2
And here's a character write up from our resident Magic User, Fen Sen, played by Oscar:
Recollections of Archmagus Fen Sen 10
It was mid Planting in the year 576 after a week of rest and relaxation after our Xth expedition to the Ruins of Castle Greyhawk. The Old Man did not join us as he was serving penance for something having to do with some Elven noble. Some of the rumors told said Halgron used the Elf as a chamber pot although I doubt the veracity of such claims. In his place we accepted the kind offer of assistance from the Elven warrior mage Dantry. I believe to this day his mission handed down from his noble lord was to keep an eye upon the Old Man’s companions. Proof I have not.
Lacking St. Cuthbert’s benevolence we made sure to limit the noise of our adventuring. Well at least at first, until Galathos decided it was a brilliant idea to search for a concealed chamber where Gloin and Dantry swore none was present. Why is it we kept listening to the overly bold redheaded warrior?
The answer was, at the time, that the man was right once of every three crazy ideas, suggestions, and actions and the sum total of that once in adventure and coin earned exceeded our pain felt and blood spilt in the other two. Woe that had continued in such vain.
The better part of two hours were wasted with pick and shovel opening six holes a foot deep and wide into a wall. All revealed it was solid and finally the Ramseur and Flamberge wielding giant relented in his insistence.
We moved on and were ambushed by some well placed goblin archers. After making short work of them we encountered two giant snakes which we dispatched with arrows and my arcane. Later we discovered even more treasure, this time ensconced within goblin drums.
Finally we encountered a skeleton warrior bearing a golden necklace and a Warhammer. If that had not been strange enough, its bones had either been painted with the thinnest imaginable layer of silvered paint, or it had been dipped in same. We managed to give it its final death however not before it had mauled Gloin severely and given Galathos a nasty wound and dented both of their armor.
We returned to our rooms at the Green Dragon Inn and as the norm we enjoyed an evening of wine, spirits, song, and wenches. Also as my wont, my evening of carousing ended early followed by some very exciting time in my chambers with that very fair and comely librarian lass. Shame I cannot recall her name these many years hence for I should have liked to know her future even with the aspersions that ended our time together. I still maintain she was not nor could be involved in the theft of several valuable tomes from her employer.
The following morning, also as my wont I spoke and gestured the words and runes of power granting me the ability to detect the arcane upon our treasures. I truly expected nothing, yet discovered to my amazement both the Warhammer and a Purple Fletched Arrow bore the unmistakable bluish aura of ensorcelled items.
The following week was spent in research at the library for the usual fee of 100 gold coins. A steep fee at first glance, but a mere pittance considering the vast wealth of knowledge contained within. I recall paying the fee myself as the others found themselves tapped out recovering from their injuries, carousing far too much, and maintaining and repairing their armor and weapons.
Those were good times.
S&W White Box: Recap; Session Ten, 8/9/10 PART 1
Here's a session I did make. Gloin is steadily gaining on 3rd level, I believe he's around 750 experience away. A couple big hauls and he's there...
We had a new player with us, named Brian, playing the Elf. I believe he played in a prior session I missed, but this is the first time I've played with him. He was very quiet and didn't say a whole lot. Hopefully, he enjoyed himself either way. Maybe after a couple of sessions he will feel more comfortable opening up.
Here's the write up from our DM, Bill:
We had a new player with us, named Brian, playing the Elf. I believe he played in a prior session I missed, but this is the first time I've played with him. He was very quiet and didn't say a whole lot. Hopefully, he enjoyed himself either way. Maybe after a couple of sessions he will feel more comfortable opening up.
Here's the write up from our DM, Bill:
SESSION TEN (08.09.10)
Waterday the 12th of Planting, CY 576
“The Storage Rooms”
Cast of Characters
Dantry the Elven Warrior/Seer (2nd level Fighting-Man, 2nd level Magic-User)
Fen Sen the Seer (2nd level Magic-User)
Galathos the Swordsman (3rd level Fighting-Man)
Gloin the Dwarven Warrior (2nd level Fighting-Man)
“Harolde” hired lantern-bearer/porter
“Karhle” hired lantern-bearer/porter
“Willim” hired lantern-bearer/porter
MIA: Old Man Halgron the Priest of St. Cuthbert (3rd level Cleric) was too busy repenting at the temple for his latest transgression
After receiving word that their fellow companion Old Man Halgron had sequestered himself in his temple to suffer penitence for the matter of the elven gentleman, the remainder of our fearless heroes trudged out of the Free City of Greyhawk towards the ruined Castle Greyhawk. Now bolstered by the addition of Dantry the Elven Warrior/Seer making his second foray the party quickly descended back down to the first dungeon level, the so-called “Storage Rooms”.
Heading back towards the circular chamber with the ensorcelled statue, they wisely (lacking Halgron’s healing magic) avoided touching the statue which had previously created all that attention grabbing commotion. The party proceeded to head east, then south towards unexplored territories. The first room they came to contained dusty furniture, a silver candelabra, a bowl full of ashes, a dented tin wine goblet, and a rusty dagger. Wondering if all magical daggers appeared as rusty items, they made sure to secure the found weapon before proceeding on. The other exit from the room led to a smaller room that was empty save for a wooden cradle with the letters “NG” carved into one side.
Moving on the explorers proceeded carefully into a third room, this one containing a corpse lying next to a chest and a cluster of two dozen large sticky eggs. With Fen Sen and Gloin watching the nest, Galathos and Dantry inspected the fallen adventurer and the chest. After deciding that the chest was not trapped and that the corpse had likely suffered a poisonous bite, Galathos carefully opened the chest and discovered a hefty quantity of coinage and nine sticks of incense. Despite Gloin’s advice to leave the nest of eggs alone the party decided to try and see if they could rouse anything. After stirring some snake activity with a thrown torch, Galathos found a use for the vial of cheap perfume that he had found while exploring. Breaking the vial open all over the snakes’ nest caused two giant snakes to slither out after the retreating party. Dantry and Galathos kept their distance peppering one snake with arrows, Gloin quickly retreated back out of the room, and Fen Sen dropped the injured serpent into ensorcelled slumber. After dumping and lighting oil in the doorway they fired on the remaining snake and tossed another flask of flaming oil onto it.
Feeling confident after easily dispatching the two giant snakes and collecting a fair bit of treasure without suffering any harm they proceeded east and came to a stuck door which Gloin dropped his shoulder into. The party found themselves staring across the room at a room full of goblins. The shocked goblins dropped their dice game, stumbled to their feet, and tried to draw their weapons as Gloin, Galathos, and Dantry charged into battle; with Galathos ruthlessly targeting the shifty goblin that spent more time pocketing the coins off the table than in readying himself for combat. Having the drop on the goblin party the adventurers quickly cut down four of the seven goblins. Two of the remaining goblins dropped their weapons but were cut down by the party anyway along with the one armed goblin.
After searching the goblin’s corpses, cots, and collecting the coins from the table they proceeded through the door out of the room. Taking the corridor west, they entered their fifth room of the foray. Finding only a wineskin and a quiver with a single arrow Galathos consulted his map and determined that their must be a secret chamber located behind one of the walls. Despite Gloin’s dwarven knowledge to the contrary, Galathos and Dantry went to work on the western wall with picks. Realizing the loud noises they were causing would likely attract some untoward attention the party secured the door to the room and hoped for the best. After finally admitting defeat in finding his “secret room”, Galathos gave up.
Gloin re-opened the door and the party was startled to see that the facing door was now ajar. Scared that something had heard the sound of their excavations and was now laying in wait the dwarven warrior crept around the corridor and tossed a torch down the hallway. Unfortunately for the dwarf a goblin archer drawing a bead on him took this fine opportunity to release two arrows, with one piercing Gloin’s leg. Galathos crashed through the open door while Gloin and Dantry charged the archer’s position. Galathos discovered another archer drawing on him but he managed to get across the room in time to severely cut the creature down. After the dwarf and the elf made short work of their foe the party covered the rest of the area and met back up in the sixth room.
In Galathos’ haste across the room he passed by four large clay jars that Fen Sen now investigated. Noting that each of the jars had a leather lid stretched over the opening he first thought they were drums, but quickly found that they were containers. Carefully exploring each one, he was delighted to find a gold necklace and even more coin. So far this trip was proving to be quite profitable. After packing away the new treasure they proceeded south to a locked iron door.
After spending much effort and time in bringing down the secured door, the party eventually found themselves in the open doorway of their seventh room. After seeing nothing in the room but a large quantity of sand Gloin strode through the threshold of the doorway and entered the room. As soon as he set foot in the room a silvery skeleton sprung up from the sand-pile. Wearing a gold necklace and wielding a wicked warhammer the skeleton closed with the fighting-men. Before his line of sight was blocked by the ensuing melee Fen Sen tried to score a hit with a thrown dagger but was disappointed when his effort did nothing but clatter off the far wall. As the warriors engaged the skeleton in close combat he hung back wondering if his remaining spell (another sorcerous slumber) would have any affect on the undead creature. The three warriors traded blows with the skeleton, with Gloin suffering several damaging hits and Galathos losing his pole-arm as the ranseur was cracked in half by the skeleton after getting lodged in its ribs. With Gloin having to withdraw from combat to let Fen Sen bandage up some of his wounds Dantry and Galathos continued their barrage on the skeleton, eventually causing enough damage to bring the foul creature down. After claiming the necklace and the hammer as their own, the party rifled through the sand pile but found nothing else.
Feeling very fortunate that they had managed to amass a nice sum of treasure, and not having any way of restoring Gloin’s health, the party retreated back through the Storage Rooms to the main staircase back up to the surface and back to town. In the common room of the Green Dragon Inn the next morning the party was delighted to hear from Fen Sen that he had discovered that the hammer and the arrow were magical. Toasting their success the four adventurers make their way out of the Inn in their own directions with some preparations to take care of before their next trip and vowed to each give Old Man Halgron a hard time at dinner that night, assuming of course that the priest’s superiors allowed him out of the temple.
Coin: 192 gold pieces, 170 silver pieces, 88 copper pieces
KIA: 2 giant poisonous snakes, 9 goblins, silver skeleton
Treasure: “magical” warhammer, “magical” arrow, 9 sticks of incense and wooden box, 6 bone dice, 6 small painted wooden blocks, small vial with hot red liquid, chunk of smoked fish, split dried peas, 10 gummy candies; Sold (425 gp): gold necklace, 2 daggers, 2 short swords, 1 pick, 2 short bows, silver candelabra, silver and costume jewelry necklace, quiver, 24 giant snake eggs, non-magical rusty dagger
Rooms Explored: 7 (78 Total)
Experience: 410 each (1640 total)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)