So last weekend I knew that the party leader would not be able to make it. Then just before the game was to begin another player let us know he was too tired from jet lag. A new player also did not show. Usually, this does not happen in this campaign but I found I had only 2 of the 5 players available and I was missing the party leader. Luckily, the group was not in the middle of an adventure and I had a nice short adventure that was ready. So I was in a perfect situation to use it and give a pair of the quieter players a chance to be the center of attention. Since it was not in the middle of an adventure I could also give myself a break and not play missing player characters.
Session 88: The Corpsemaker
Eathwund (human fighter), Domago (human cleric), Fenris the Filch (human thief NPC), Lantosh (human fighter NPC), Aashdoshan (human necromancer NPC).
Lantosh and Fenris spend a week recovering from their near-death experiences. During this time Aashdoshan checks in on Fenris every day anxious for the thief to accompany him into the tombs beneath the Temple of the Dark Lady. Lakima sequesters himself in his library with only his apprentice allowed entrance as he studies the tome, he found in the Frost Giant Jarl’s tomb. Flora stays over one night and then wanders out into the town to explore.
After a little over a week, Fenris and Lantosh are recovered sufficiently and have returned to the Manor House. Aashdoshan calls a meeting in the dining room of the Manor House and asks those adventurers who have assembled to accompany him into the Necromancer Crypts. He knows that one of the body parts of the Ghoul King is located in the tomb of a famous necromancer who was called Corpsemaker. Alrix declines, he has not known Aashdoshan for long and owes him nothing.
“This is not something I am interested in – you are on your own.”
Aashdoshan looks over the remaining adventurers and Eathwund, Domago, Fenris, and Lantosh agree to accompany him. The group of five adventurers heads over to the apothecary adjoining the Temple of the Dark Lady. They enter and see an unfamiliar man behind the counter. The man asks if he can help them.
“Get Malyn now!”, Aashdoshan demands.
“Why, do you need to speak to Master Malyn?”
“Just get him now, tell him Aashdoshan is here!”
The man leaves and returns with Malyn. Malyn does ask about the whereabouts of Lakima. He goes over the conditions of giving them the key to the Corpsemaker’s tomb. He asks that they not harm the caretaker, do not rob the tombs, and do NOT remove the Masks of Peaceful repose. He steps past Aashdoshan and pointedly gives the key to Eathwund.
Malyn’s assistant takes the group through the old temple and down into its crypt. In the crypt, an iron gate is unlocked and the adventurers enter. The assistant closes the gate behind them and locks it.
Fenris moves ahead and descends some steps. As he enters the first chamber a number of torches spring to life lighting the chamber. Eathwund whispers not to worry this is supposed to happen (Eathwund explored this crypt over a year ago). The rest of the adventurers join Fenris in the lit area. Domago points down one hallway and says, “What is that?”
The adventurers see a large patch of grey ooze slowly moving towards them. Fenris immediately fires a crossbow bolt at it. Domago and Lantosh fire sling bolts. Eathwund lights a torch and tosses it in the patch of ooze. The torch fizzles and goes out. Eathwund switches to his short bow and takes a few shots. The ooze stops moving, seemingly killed.
The group discusses which way to go. Malyn told them that the tomb they wanted was down the Main West Hall so Eathwund suggests they take the west passage. Fenris leads the group but they shortly come to a crypt with a large tomb – a dead end. They turn about and head back the way they came and turn north into a hallway covered in cobwebs and spider webs.
Fenris slashes aside some webs and is attacked by four giant spiders. Eathwund runs up and attacks with his two-handed sword Wormbane. Lantosh uses his War Hammer, Fenris falls back and uses his crossbow, and Domago uses his sling. Aashdoshan keeps well back of the melee. During the fight, Lantosh is bitten twice by spiders and is poisoned on the second bite. He collapses but Domago is able to remove the poison using his Book of Protection from Poison. Realizing they have gone the wrong way; the adventurers pass through the entry hall again and move south. They immediately see a gelatinous cube at the end of a long hallway headed west. Domago asks if they should attack it but Eathwund explains that this is the caretaker and they should avoid it. They head south and then west avoiding the cube.
The group heads down a curved hallway lined with alcoves. In each alcove stands a stone sarcophagus. Ahead they see a square chamber with twin pillars. Four stone sarcophagus rests in alcoves. Fenris leads the way checking for traps. Once the entire group is in the chamber, the stone lids slid back and four ghoul-like creatures (ghasts) leap out and attack the adventurers. Fenris and Eathwund are on the north side of the room and end up surrounded by ghasts. Fenris desperately defends himself with his sword, Eathwund is struck by a claw and paralyzed. On the other side of the room, Lantosh fights off two ghasts. Aashdoshan slinks back from the chamber. Domago blows the Silver Horn of Valhalla and summons four berserkers. The berserkers immediately attack the ghasts. With Eathwund out of the fight, Aashdoshan finally uses one of his offensive spells and casts magic missile at one ghast. The fight goes badly at first but slowly, with help from the berserkers, they manage to kill all of the ghasts. Domago gets to Eathwund and tells everyone that he is okay. The paralysis should wear off in about 6 hours.
Aashdoshan asks Fenris to scout ahead. Fenris comes back quickly and tells everyone that there is a sarcophagus covered in chains in the next chamber ahead. Aashdoshan wants to move immediately leaving Eathwund behind but the rest refuse and insist on waiting for Eathwund to recover.
After about six hours Eathwund is able to move properly again and the group moves into the chamber holding the Corpsemakers sarcophagus. It stands upright in a chamber. Iron chains are wrapped about it. A rusty padlock holds them closed. Aashdoshan signals Eathwund to bring up the key. As they talk the sarcophagus thumps loudly twice. As if something inside is trying to get out.
“Are you sure?” Eathwund asks.
“Give me the key!”
Aashdoshan unlocks the padlock and removes it. The chains fall to the floor. He pauses but no one offers to slide off the lid. So Aashdoshan manages to push the lid to one side himself. Inside they behold a mummified corpse with its hands extended like they were trying to push the lid open. Aashdoshan looks for the femur bone of the ghoul king and immediately sees it clutched in one skeletal hand.
Aashdoshan reaches out for the bone, and Eathwund sees the skeletal hand tighten on the bone, he looks up at the skull and sees a blue light glowing in the empty eye sockets.
“Defend me my servants!”, Corpsemaker says in an echoing dry voice. Everyone immediately hears and sees stone tiles being tossed aside on the floor. Cadavers start pulling themselves up out of the floor. The five cadavers scramble up out of the floor and split the party members from each other. Before the Corpsemaker finishes his sentence, Eathwund stabs his blade deep into its chest. The creature's mouth opens and it lets out a horrifying scream that chills Eathwund and Aashdoshan to the bone. Both fight off the impulse to flee.
Aashdoshan draws a magic dagger and slashes and stabs at the creature while Eathwund tries to stab it with his blade. The Corpsemaker lashes out at Aashdoshan with both of its clawed hands. Meanwhile, Domago, Lantosh, and Fenris fight against the cadavers. Domago blows the Silver Horn of Valhalla again and this time only two berserkers appear. During the melee, Domago tries to turn the creatures away with his holy symbol but it does not work. Fenris is clawed and feels a strange weakness begin to take hold over him. Lantosh is bitten but he is not sickened by the bite.
Aashdoshan changes tactics and hacks the Corpsemaker’s hand completely off. The skeletal hand falls to the ground and rolls out into the chamber. Aashdoshan grabs the femur bone before it can fall to the floor.
“I have it, I have it!”
Eathwund ignores Aashdoshan and plunges his sword into the creature’s chest once more. The creature cries out again and then the light is extinguished in its eyes. All of the cadavers fall to the ground. They slowly begin reburying themselves beneath the floor.
Eathwund steps over and picks up the severed hand and tosses it into the sarcophagus. He then moves the lid back into place and reattaches the chains and padlock. Eathwund spends a moment checking that all parts of the creature are back in the sarcophagus and that it is securely closed.
“Let’s get out of this place!”, Eathwund curses loudly. Then he turns to Aashdoshan and tells him his debt to him is paid. Aashdoshan ignores him as he watches the femur bone meld with his Bone staff forming a longer staff.
Everyone begins to move back the way they came. Fenris is laboring, breathing heavily, and sweating. Aashdoshan notices and lets out a sigh. He mutters a spell and Fenris immediately feels better. Aashdoshan points a bony finger at Fenris and tells him he owes him a debt.
The entire group makes it to the exit. They see the gelatinous cube cleaning the area where they killed the grey ooze. They see Malyn’s assistant sitting on a wooden chair on the other side of the iron fence, asleep. Yelling at the man they awaken him and he lets them out of the crypt. Locking the gates behind them.
Up in the shop, Aashdoshan strides right out, but Malyn takes Eathwund aside and checks with him that the Corpsemaker is at rest. Eathwund assures him that all of the Corpsemaker is locked back in the sarcophagus.
Everyone returns to the manor.
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