The Great Hall

Last weekend the players in my Swords & Wizardry campaign more or less did what I expected so luckily I had everything prepared. The problem with playing online on Roll20 is the need for maps. I can never be sure where the players might want to go and I might not have a map prepared. I do have some generic maps of trails in the forests, roads, and rivers but you cannot really have a generic dungeon map. So before this session, I had maps prepared for four possible directions I thought they might go. I bought a couple of Heroic Maps online and I created the other maps.

Once the session was over I gave some thought to what scene or scenes that occurred that I want to illustrate with a 3D Render. Usually, it is a pivotal combat moment or a dramatic landscape. This time I found that I really wanted to render their dinner in the Great Hall of a Lords' Keep. Something I always wanted to create.

Session 72: Stormcrow Manor

Lakima (human magic-user), Eathwund (human fighter), Alonso (human fighter), Aashdoshan (human necromancer), Lantosh (human fighter NPC), Fenris the Filch (human thief NPC).

The next day, with the gold they got from the Witch's lair, the Company of the Black Dragon make a large donation to the Church of St. Cuthbert. In return, healing prayers are chanted until every member of the group is feeling in top shape. They also visit Domago and Vervork who have recovered enough to be brought back to the Manor. Alonso takes the demon horns he procured over to Cromly and asks for them to be made into daggers. He also picks up his demon wing cape from Red Leatherworks.

That night, Lakima, Eathwund, Alonso, Aashdoshan, Lantosh, and Fenris head over to the Manor owned by Loris Raknian. Once the foot traffic has vanished, they advance stealthily on the Manor. Fenris checks the front door in the courtyard and tells everyone that it is locked. While Fenris works on the lock, the other party members take positions facing the door in the courtyard. Fenris holds up his hands to tell them he cannot get the door unlocked and at that moment the door opens. A guard standing in the doorway angrily tells Fenris to, “Take off, or I’ll have the watch on you!”

Aashdoshan casts Hold Person on the guard and then cobweb on his mouth to prevent him from yelling. As they step into the entry hall a magical suit of armor greets them, "Welcome to Stormcrow Manor". The challenge is loud enough to bring a second guard to investigate. Lakima casts Charm Person on him. This second guard tells them he is Tagil and that he is just a hired guard. He tells them he figures Master Loris is a smuggler since he hired guards. Tagil takes them to meet Loris Raknian in the downstairs bedroom. However, when they enter the room, they find the window is open and Loris has escaped into the courtyard. He is quickly captured by Lantosh and Alonso.

Loris tries to bargain for his release but refuses to tell them who he works for. Lakima accuses him of being just a middleman. Finally, Loris agrees to show them some documents and reaches into his desk. He pulls out a pair of vials, one he smashes on the floor, and the second he drinks. Loris gasps, apparently poisoned and he collapses to the floor. The second vial releases a black cloud that forms into a creature. The creature claws Alonso on the arm and he is frozen in place. Eathwund slashes at the creature several times and manages to avoid its claws. Eventually, he manages to kill it. It dissipates as black smoke. Once the creature is gone, Alonso is able to move again. Lantosh checks Loris and tells everyone that the merchant is dead. Aashdoshan decides to use necromancy to raise Loris as a zombie but the ritual fails. This puzzles Aashdoshan. Eventually, the adventurers conclude that Loris is only feigning death. Lantosh ties him up.

Tagil tells them he thinks the gold is kept in the cellar. Lantosh carries Loris along as they all head over to the cellar doors in the courtyard. Fenris checks the cellar doors and finds that the key to the doors is in the lock.  The two guards and the cook are allowed to leave.

Entering the Cellar, they find the type of goods they would expect of a merchant. They also see two doors. Behind one door is a storage room for ale. The other door is locked but they use a key found on Loris to open it. Fenris opens the door, then yells in alarm, and rushes from the door. Alonso and Eathwund, who were behind Fenris, see three horrific ghouls in the chamber. The creatures advance and attack. The three ghouls prove to be no match for the fighters and are quickly dealt with.

In the guarded chamber they find a pine coffin and an altar with a human skull on top of it. Fenris suggests that Alonso and Eathwund open the coffin. They do and inside they find bags of gold and silver and four journals. They also find a strange vial full of black liquid. The journals are written in common and detail the defenses of Edgerton, Caster’s Ford, and Ethelstan Keep. The last journal contains detailed notes on the personages of the Company of the Black Dragon. Known associates, family, habits, and the like. They learn that Aashdoshan has the Eye and the Leg bone of the Ghoul King in his staff. The likely target of Loris. It is clear from the notes that Loris is a spy for the Ghoul King.

During the commotion, Lantosh left Loris to his own devices and the merchant managed to wiggle up the stair to the courtyard. He is grabbed again now and taken inside. Now that it is clear he is not dead Loris drops the act. He again tries to bargain for his freedom without success. He confirms most of what they have learned but refuses to name the Ghoul King out loud. He confirms that Aashdoshan was the target of the attacks because the Ghoul King needs his body parts returned to be able to attain his full power. Loris genuinely seems to not be aware that he was dealing with a Mind Flayer. He only worked with the Mind Flayer’s Drow thralls. Loris also admits to arranging the theft of the Cudgel of St Cuthbert and sending it north with other agents. He mentions that two of his handlers or spies for the Ghoul King are upstairs on the second floor.

A search of the second floor reveals that the men left in a hurry. They also find a chamber with four paintings on artists’ easels. One painting is covered in a black cloth. Lakima goes behind the painting and removes the cloth. Aashdoshan is the only one brave (or foolish) enough to look at the painting. He sees the painting depicts two men in rags lying in a dungeon. He feels drawn into the painting but manages to pull himself away. Aashdoshan covers the painting and takes it with him.

Once they have learned all they can from Loris they take him to the Night watch along with the three journals showing the defenses of the settlements of the north. Then the heroes return to their manor.

The next day Aashdoshan uses Identify on the painting and learns it is a Painting of Confinement. He decides to hang it, covered, in his cellar laboratory. The rest of the group takes several days to rest. Domago and Vervork tell everyone that they should be ready to adventure again in a few days.

A few days after Vervork and Domago have recovered a message is delivered from Abbot Marta at the Church of St. Cuthbert. Three men and one woman have arrived from the south looking for Vervork. From their names and descriptions, Vervork reveals that they are retainers of his brother Roland Hauger, Lord of Hookhollow. Probably, they want to take him back to Hookhollow to work for his older brother, which is not something he is interested in doing. Lakima suggests they invite them to dinner at the Manor to see what they want.

That night, Jakub, the seneschal of Lord Roland arrives with some retainers. At first, he is reluctant to speak in front of strangers but Vervork assures him that anything can be said in front of his friends. Jakub tells Vervork that an illness befalls Roland’s son. He fell into a deep sleep and has not awakened. A message was found in his room demanding the return of the Journal of Valdemar. Vervork tells them some of his family’s background and the legends around the local barrows. Jakub tells them that his other brother Yandel set out with the Journal despite Roland’s objections. He was found dead, lying in the grass near the barrows. The journal was gone. He had been shot in the back with three arrows.

Jakub asks Vervork to return to Hookhollow. With Roland’s son Vilhelm dying, Vervork is now heir to the family seat. Vervork tells Jakub that he will return. But it will be to enter the Barrow and put an end to the family curse. Lakima tells Vervork that as a member of the Company of the Black Dragon, they will join him. Vervork tells them that he cannot ask them, but that he would welcome their company. He will need their swords and spells.

The next day the entire company takes passage on a boat to Hookhollow. They travel south and spend the night on the boat near the Cursed Marsh. Eathwund spots will-o-whisps in the dark but they do not come close to the boat. The next day the captain of the boat puts them ashore in Taryn (the Hillside villages). From here they will need to walk all day to reach Hookhollow before dark. The company manages to reach Hookhollow as the sun is low in the sky. Vervork is greeted in the village by a childhood friend, the owner of the local Inn. The man offers them rooms for the night. But Vervork is anxious to speak with his brother and see his nephew. He invites everyone to the Keep.

The Company of the Black Dragon arrives at Hauger Keep. Jakub introduces them to Roland. Roland asks to speak to Vervork alone and arranges rooms for everyone on the second floor. Later, that night everyone is invited to the Great Hall for a meal. The atmosphere is subdued. Vervork argues with his brother Roland. Roland tries to change the subject and their mother Liena dozes at the table. But a fine meal was had by all.

The next morning they will make plans to enter the Barrow of the Forgotten King.

Hauger Hall

Halloween Special

 I had a break from the game for a few weeks. The latest session just happened to fall on Halloween Night. I was busy during the downtime so I did not get a lot done but the day before the Halloween Session I wrote a one-session Halloween-themed adventurer. I borrowed the outline of the plot from The Horror of Ochre Grove written by Justin Andrew Mason (AAW Games). At least the motivation of the villain. Then I tailored it for my Campaign.

Session 71: The Witch of Ochre Groove

Lakima (human magic-user), Eathwund (human fighter), Alonso (human fighter), Lantosh (human fighter NPC), Fenris the Filch (human thief NPC).

The party gets a good night's rest and then the magic-user Lakima tells Alonso he wants to take a few of the strange items they found in the Mind Flayer Lair over to the Apothecary so he can show them to the Wizard-sage Malyn. Alonso tells Lakima that he should accompany him. They both agree as they are not certain if all of the doppelgangers or thralls of the Mind Flayer are dead.

At the apothecary, Lakima shows Malyn the strange doll that is dressed like him. Malyn comments that it could be sympathetic magic or necromancy. He advises Lakima to cast Dispel Magic on the doll and then destroy it. The preserved head of a juvenile gold dragon is shown to Malyn and he asks to purchase it. He claims that it appears to have no purpose. He also examines the Soul Cage. He explains what it is and how dangerous it is. Malyn asks about the fate of the Mind Flayer and learns that it is dead. They ask Malyn about Loris Raknian but he has not heard the name.

After leaving the Apothecary the pair head over to the nearby Church of St. Cuthbert. One of the priests leads them to one of the priest cells where their companions Vervork and Domago are recovering. They also ask to see Abbot Marta. Domago is asleep when they enter but Vervork is awake and eating from a bowl of soup. Vervork tells them about some strange memories he has of his “fall”. He asks Alonso to send a letter for him to his family. He is concerned about the health of his older brother.

Abbot Marta enters and they tell him about the Mind Flayer. Lakima reveals that he knows about the missing Cudgel of St. Cuthbert and tells what he has discovered about Loris Raknian. Marta reveals some of what has happened and suggests they investigate Raknian Manor just outside the Town Walls. Lakima, Alonso, Marta, and Brother Donegal head outside of town and look over the Manor from outside. Marta tells them that as far as he knows Raknian is just a dealer in furs, carpets, and fabric. Lakima uses the Arrow of Direction and asks for the location of the Cudgel of St. Cuthbert and then the Mace of St. Aleena. Both times the arrow points north. Marta also uses Locate Object and states that the Mace is not here.

Marta suggests that they go to the Church of St. Aleena and talk to the abbess. They return to the town and enter the Church of St. Aleena and are quickly brought to the elderly abbess of St. Aleena. Abbess Edwina reveals that she knows about the missing Cudgel of St. Cuthbert but also that the Shield of the legendary St. Poul was also taken from its resting place. The High priest of St. Poul in Dolmvay had used Commune to learn more about the missing items. Working with the priests of St. Aleena they had learned that the three Holy artifacts were taken by followers of the Ghoul King. They were brought to the “feathered mound” to the north. The reason for stealing them has been conjectured to be to break the Ward of Valen. The Ward protects the Duchy from the undead of the Ghoul Lands. The church scholars realized that the feathered mound was likely White Plume Mountain near Ethelstan Keep to the north. A troop of warrior priests was sent to investigate but did not return. The Abbess of St Aleena realized that professional adventurers were needed. Domago was told to look for suitable heroes. He suggested the Company of the Black Dragon. The Abbess had some misgivings because of their reputation. But with Abbot Marta vouching for them she agrees. Their commune prayers suggest that whatever is going to happen will occur on the Night of the Blood moon (Novem 1) in about five months.

The Abbess examines the Ledger taken from the Mind Flayer lair and agrees it would be enough evidence to get the Castellan to arrest and question Loris Raknian. But she is concerned about Castellan’s ability to keep what he learns secret. Lakima agrees to have the Company investigate Raknian themselves. Alonso and Lakima return to the Manor and tell Eathwund, Lantosh, Fenris, and Rune Frost what they have learned. Fenris suggests they investigate Raknian manor at night. Lakima suggests midnight.

The group prepares, Alonso, Lantosh, and Fenris drink some healing potions. A few hours before they are prepared to leave, they hear the sound of a fireball exploding from the direction of the kitchen. They race to the kitchen and the cook tells them the sound came from the courtyard behind the manor. They all head outside. As they head down the alley, they see the flickering light of a fire in the sky. Neighbors shout questions from their windows. Someone starts yelling, “Alarm! Fire!” As they enter the courtyard, they see a Manor house is on fire. Fire is shooting out of windows. In the courtyard, a family of five has escaped the fire. But they are being menaced by three strange creatures which look like Scarecrows. The scarecrows are trying to pull two screaming children out of the arms of the mother. A teenage boy can be seen trying to fend them off with a short sword while his nearby father struggles with one of the creatures.

Alonso and Eathwund leap immediately into action and draw weapons and rush the scarecrows. Luckily, they are fully armed as they were preparing for a raid. Two of the scarecrows turn to fight them off. One scarecrow yanks the children out of the mothers’ arms. She begins screaming for help. Alonso slashes at a Scarecrow with his sword and manages to smash it down. It collapses into a pile of debris. Eathwund is then able to destroy another one. Lakima summons a kobold to fight the third scarecrow but the diminutive kobold has trouble hitting it. Just as things are going well, a skeletal horse flies down out of the sky with a creature on its back that looks like a scarecrow with a Jack-O-Lantern in place of its head. The creature grabs up the two children, cackling loudly in delight, and flies off in the direction of the river. The remaining scarecrow strikes the man dead and the woman collapses in a heap. The teenage boy screams, “mother!” and runs to her side. Eathwund and Alonso manage to destroy the last scarecrow. Lantosh runs up to the burning building and pulls the man’s body from the flames. Then Eathwund picks up the woman and carries her to safety.

Town guards begin to arrive and soon a fire brigade is formed and they start throwing buckets of water from the river on the fire. Now that the Jack-O-Lantern is gone the fire seems to lose some of its energy and starts to die down. Lakima questions the boy who he learns is called Samuel. However, the boy does not seem to know anything. Lantosh wakes the woman who tells them she is Amelia Cornelius. She tells them what she saw. They heard the explosion and then the manor caught fire. They ran outside with the kids and the scarecrows attacked. She cries for her husband Victor and her abducted children. She does not know of any enemies her family might have. She does tell them that her husband owned the Ochre Grove Winery.

Lakima tells the town watch which direction the Jack-O-Lantern went but he does not offer to chase after it. The guards tell them they will take Samuel and Amelia to Amelia’s Aunt's manor elsewhere in the town. Lantosh suggests they should help but Lakima tells him, “Who is paying us? It was not an attack on us, why get involved?”

Lantosh stubbornly says he is going to get a horse and head after the children, he looks to Eathwund. Eathwund nods and says he is in. Alonso also says he is ready to go. Lakima says, “Okay, I will go then.”

The five adventurers gather their horses and head out of town to the north, the last direction they saw the skeletal fury heading. Once they leave town they pick up the trail by questioning the few farmers who were outside when the Jack-O-Lantern flew overhead. The direction points toward the Old Forest. As they near the forest they come to an orchard of grapes. A foreman of the orchard tells them this is Ochre Grove Winery. He tells them he saw the Jack-O-Lantern fly overhead toward Grisham's farm. When they ask why the farm is abandoned he tells them the story of Grisham farm. The owner had a conflict with Victor Cornelius over his land. He disappeared one day and the farm fell into debt. Victor purchased it and drove his woman Margaret off the land. The farmhouse has been abandoned for two years.

Lakima leaves convinced that the children are at the farmhouse and surmises that Margaret is a witch who raised the scarecrows and Jack-O-Lantern. As they near the farmhouse they see a tattered scarecrow in the yard. The scarecrow has a rotting pumpkin on its shoulders. Alonso and Lantosh both strike the scarecrow and it falls apart into a pile of sticks and a rotten pumpkin. Fenris yells that there is a skeleton in the barn. The heroes enter the barn and find the bare skeleton of a man arranged on the floor. They also find the rotten corpse of a horse.

Alonso suggests that they check the farmhouse. As they leave the barn, they hear a familiar chilling laugh and look up to see the Jack-O-Lantern astride his skeletal horse flying overhead. The Jack-O-Lantern breathes out a ball of green flame which hits the ground amongst the heroes and bursts into a fireball. Everyone is scorched with flames. Lakima casts Lightning bolt and hits the Jack-O-Lantern knocking it off of its mount. It falls to the ground. As it stands up, Eathwund and Alonso attack it with their swords. Lakima casts Mirror image and creates four duplicates of himself. The Jack-O-Lantern swings a large, wooden arm at Eathwund striking him twice. The skeletal horse lands near Lakima and attacks him but manages only to dispel the Mirror images. Lantosh rushes over to help Lakima. Alonso and Eathwund manage to defeat the Jack-O-Lantern and it collapses to the ground. The pumpkin rolls away. They briefly see the spirit of a man who mutters, “My murderer must pay for what he did to me!”

Lantosh manages to keep the Skeletal horse at bay long enough for Eathwund to arrive and destroy it. The bones collapse in a heap on the ground. Lakima points at the door to the farmhouse and tells Fenris to check it. He also casts Detect Magic on the door but finds nothing. Alonso checks amongst the remains of the Jack-O-Lantern but finds nothing of value. Fenris tells them that he can hear a woman chanting through the door. Alonso says, “We should rush in and stop her!” Lakima nods and Fenris swings open the door. Eathwund and Alonso rush into the main room of the farmhouse. They see a witch standing at the end of a large table. Her eyes are rolled back revealing only the whites of her eyes. Before her is an open book and she is chanting in an infernal language. Nearby her stands a demon who appears to be a burly naked human with curving horns jutting from his head. The creature grins at Alonso and laughs.

Alonso looks from the demon to the witch. He also sees two children are tied to chairs at the table. A cauldron rests on the fire behind the witch. He hurls his magical spear at the witch but it bounces off of an unseen barrier and falls to the table. Eathwund and Alonso then move to attack the demon. Lantosh rushes into the room and tries to pick up the children but they are tied to the chairs. Lakima tries to cast Confusion at the witch but it has no effect. Alonso is clawed three times by the demon as he fights it but he and Eathwund both strike blows that penetrate the demon. Fenris enters the farmhouse and uses a dagger to cut the children free. Lantosh picks them up and hands them to Fenris telling him to take them to safety. Fenris picks the two children up and runs outside. Just as the children escape the witch's voice begins to reach a crescendo but Alonso stabs the demon in the chest banishing it from the material plane. The connection from the demon to the witch breaks and she opens her eyes and screams and then is engulfed in infernal flames.

Once the witch is gone, quiet returns to the farmhouse. Lantosh heads outside to look after the children and Fenris enters again. He closes the book lying on the table. Lakima asks him to open a large trunk in an adjoining room. Fenris looks at the trunk but shakes his head, “there is no way to open this thing?”

Lakima casts Detect Magic and sees that the trunk is held shut by a Wizard Lock spell. He asks Alonso to search the witch’s corpse. There is not much left of her. All of her belongings have been turned to ash. Even her bones are bent and blackened. But Alonso does find the shaft of a dagger. Lakima asks for the dagger and then taps it on the trunk but nothing happens. He casts dispel magic and the trunk springs open. Inside, Fenris finds a longsword and several bags of gold. In a nearby bedroom, Fenris finds a pile of fourteen books, all lying on the floor. Some are quite damaged. He calls for Lakima. Lakima casts read magic and realizes these are all spell books from different magic-users. “How many wizards did this witch kill?” he muses out loud. The rest of the adventurers search the farmhouse but do not find anything else. Lakima puts the blackened dagger and the spell books into the bag of holding.

The five heroes remount their horses and return to Edgerton. One of the children rides in front of Lantosh and the other in front of Fenris. They return the children to the Town watch who assure them that they will be certain to get them to their mother safely. The heroes return to the Manor. The raid on Raknian Manor will have to wait.