Stealth

A few sessions ago the players in my Swords & Wizardry campaign made a return to the cloud giant castle they had previously robbed. It seems the cloud giants were not happy with being robbed and started dropping rocks on a nearby town. This meant that the players finally started exploring the seven maps I created for the castle. As with a lot of high-level adventure rewrites to Swords & Wizardry, I was not sure about the power level of some of the suggested encounters. What could be considered the big bad was a 15th-level magic-user with a disintegrate spell memorized. In Swords & Wizardry, a character who has had disintegrate cast on them is turned to dust if they fail a saving throw. I think this would preclude the use of the raise-dead spell. Possibly wish might bring the character back.

For this reason, it was with some trepidation that I watched the characters scout the flying castle and pick the wizard's tower as their point of entry. This turned out to be a lucky move on their part. They entered the castle quietly in the middle of the night using stealth when everyone was asleep. The first person they encountered was the aforementioned wizard asleep in his bed. The person who opened the door to the bedroom was the party mage who cast feeblemind before the wizard could wake up and cast disintegrate, teleport, or anti-magic shell. He failed the save and the encounter turned out to be a very easy one for the players.

Session 114: Assault on the Cloud Castle

Lakima (human magic-user), Eathwund (human fighter), Alrix (couatl sorcerer), Aldus (human cavalier), Joe Boxer (human monk), Fenris the Filch (human thief NPC), Domago (human cleric NPC).

The Company of the Black Dragon joined by Joe Boxer and Norine Gayheart is aboard their flying longboat approaching Edgerton. They have recently learned that the cloud giants are attacking the town of Wolford.

The ship is brought down just above the aerie atop the Black Dragon manor house. The hippogriff Gnomeat is securely placed in his pen.

“Everyone prepare what they need. We are going on a long trip. First to deal with the giants and then with the white worm!”, Lakima tells everyone. Cowan and Dagmar are told to be back the next day. Joe stays at the Manor as a guest.

Lakima, Eathwund, Aldus, Alrix, and Joe accompany Norine to The Sign of the Purple Bugbear tavern. There they summon the one-legged merchant, Dexter Longwood. As Dexter stumps down the stairs and approaches the table, Norine gasps in surprise.

“Dex, what has happened to you?”

Dexter is shocked to find Norine alive and Norine is shocked and saddened to learn that she has indeed spent the last 20 years trapped in suspended animation in a bottle. She says she has to see Goldie her fiancé. Dexter tries to comfort her. Lakima tells Norine that she can count on the Company of the Black Dragon as friends and that a spot is open for her if she wishes to join. Norine is too dazed to respond with anything more than a nod.

The adventurers accept payment from Dexter (200 gold) and Lakima gives out shares to those that are present. Joe insists on giving his share to Norine. Then the adventurers say their goodbyes. Eathwund stays behind to check in on his business.

Alrix and Lakima head over to Clearwin’s Oddities. Alrix asks Clearwin’s assistant Gerfold Blim if he can speak to Clearwin. Once Clearwin is summoned from his workroom Alrix asks him if the properties of a potion of scaleskin could be added to the Talisman of the Dread serpent that was crafted for him by Clearwin. Clearwin explains why this will not work. Meanwhile, Lakima approaches two human mercenaries who are in the shop as customers. He offers them a good-paying job killing giants but the mercenaries lose interest (and leave the shop) once they find out that the job involves fighting giants. Clearwin and Alrix continue to talk and Clearwin does suggest that if Alrix is looking for a magic item that can protect him then he might have a special item that will do this. When Alrix indicates he wishes to see this item – Clearwin locks up the shop and has Gerfold fetch it. Clearwin shows Alrix a dragon-scaled robe called the Red Claw Regalia. While it is very rare, Clearwin tells Alrix that as a repeat customer he is willing to sell it at a discount, only 6,500 gold. Alrix accepts and purchases it with platinum and gold coins. Lakima asks about weapons of use against cloud giants but Clearwin tells him that unfortunately, he has nothing that fits that description. He does suggest a belt of flying, but Lakima is not interested.

Lakima heads alone to the Apothecary and greets Malyn. Lakima asks the ever-youthful mage for magic for fighting cloud giants. Malyn has no suggestions. Lakima then turns his attention to the two dwarven guards Malyn employs and asks to purchase their contracts. Malyn agrees once Lakima offers access to the flying ship so Malyn can study it. The two dwarves, Boffin and Haddon, seem very relieved to leave Malyn’s service. Boffin tells Lakima that he has experience fighting hill giants and frost giants.

Later that day all members of the company including the newest member Joe meet at the Manor to discuss plans. Lakima tells everyone that he wants to fly first to the Shrine of Medamellara in the valley of heroes so he can recharge a pair of wands. Eathwund says he could recharge his ethereal armor. From the shrine Lakima suggests they go to the Bridgeway and take the ship through the portal to Wolford. This way they can greatly reduce the travel time to Wolford. Domago agrees to the detour to the shrine given that they can make up the time by using the bridgeway.

The longboat is packed full of supplies and Alayna makes sure that Lakima gives her access to a large supply of gold for purchases while he is away. Before they leave Lakima opens the second bottle they removed from the ruined tower a week earlier. A bluish cloud pours from the bottle and they see the face of an old man in the cloud. In moments the man ages and turns to dust.

"That was not what I expected to happen," says Lakima.

The company sets out north early in the morning and arrives that evening at the lonely shrine in the cold, windy Valley of Heroes far to the north. The head priest of the shrine, Toffin, greets them and welcomes them inside. Lakima successfully recharges two wands (lightning bolts, fireballs). Toffin offers them a place to sleep that night but they decide to sleep on the boat. Eathwund decides not to risk trying to recharge his ethereal armor (there is a cumulative chance of failure which would destroy the item).

The next day they head south for the bridgeway located in Kingswood. Lakima suggests that they stop at Arkwood to recruit the rangers who live there. After two days of travel, they arrive unannounced at the steading of Arkwood. The rangers greet them with a volley of arrows that fall short of the ship. Lakima calls down and is able to convince their old friend Theric that they are indeed members of the same Company of adventurers who saved him. Lakima asks Theric to help deal with the giants and the white worm but Theric informs him that he and his group have pledged to protect the Kingswood. He does offer the services of one of the younger men at Arkwood. Fairfox, a young human, is asked if he wished to accompany the adventurers and he accepts.

The next day they arrive at the bridgeway deep in the Kingswood. They settle the ship a short height over the stone bridge and climb down to greet the custodian Ezmeralden. The custodian is skeptical that the bridgeway will function with the longboat but Lakima argues that it works with horses and wagons so it should work with the boat. Lakima takes the helm and settles the long boat a short distance above the bridge. Ezmeralden sets the bridgeway to transport them to Wolford. Aldus and Eathwund “push” the boat with help from Lakima at the helm. The boat passes across the bridge and does not vanish through the portal. The attempt fails. They let Ezmeralden know that he can close the portal and then reboard their ship and fly northeast to Wolford.

The trip to Wolford takes five days and is uneventful. While they have shelter on the longboat it is still a cold and windy journey. They arrive in Wolford late in the evening. They immediately notice a large stationary cloud above the town. The area directly beneath the cloud appears abandoned. They see many houses with their roofs collapsed as if hit with tremendous force. Eathwund notices that his father’s shop is one of the damaged and abandoned buildings.

Lakima casts phantasmal force to make their long boat appear to be just another cloud. The “cloudship” then ascends to the level of other clouds. Lakima brings the ship close enough to the cloud giant’s castle that they are able to see figures on the battlements. They watch for a while in silence as bugbear guards patrol the battlements. They do see at least three cloud giants on the battlements as well. Two male and one female giant. As it grows later in the night the giants head indoors. The bugbear patrols continue. One stone tower set off from the main castle seems almost deserted. A few lights blink from windows, but there is no one on the battlements atop this tower. The tower is connected to the main castle by a wooden bridge. Lakima points at the bridge and tells Fenris he will drop him on the bridge so he can scout the tower.

“What, do you want me to jump?” Fenris asks.

Lakima tells him he will settle the ship right over the bridge. The bridge is set 20 feet over the bridge and Fenris scurries down a rope. He waves back that there are no guards and Joe quickly follows Fenris down. Joe and Fenris make it to the door and wave back that it is held magically.

Lakima turns to Boffin and asks if he will wear a magical helm that will control him but allow him to pass through the door. He promises to remove the helm once the door is open.

“Magic doesn’t work on me,” Boffin says confidently and accepts the Cursed helm of Free action. Lakima then tells Boffin to dance which the dwarf does.

“Now then, none of that,” Haddon says angrily.

Lakima sends the two dwarves down to open the wizard-locked door. Once they have the door open, he tells everyone else to descend. Lakima then takes the ship down into the clouds a short distance away. He tells Cowan and Dagmar that the adventurers will return “soon”. He then polymorphs into a miner bird and flies down to join the other adventurers.

Lakima lands on Fenris’ shoulder and noisily squawks at the thief to open a pair of doors in the hallway they have entered. They notice that the hallway width and height are sized for giants but all of the doors are human-sized. Haddon tells everyone that the doors were rebuilt recently making the openings smaller. The rooms hold a comfortable sitting area and a dining area. They decide to take a stair up.

On the next level, they quietly search through the library and study. Fenris listens at a closed door and tells everyone that he can hear someone snoring. The door proves to be wizard locked so Boffin uses the helm again to open it. The light from Domago’s continual light spell falls into the chamber revealing a bedroom. In the bed, a grey-bearded man in a nightcap and gown sits up as if just awakened. The man spots Lakima and his eyes go wide. He starts to speak the command words of a spell but Lakima reacts first.

“Feeblemind”, Lakima intones as he completes the spell.

The spell hits the man who then stumbles out of the bed. Lakima questions the man but he appears to have forgotten his name or what he is doing. The feeblemind spell has taken hold. They decide to truss the man up in ropes and leave him lying on the bed. Fenris busies himself with a large chest. He triggers a poison needle trap but his magical talisman protects him. Inside he finds gold, silver, gems, scrolls, and potions. Lakima casts detect magic and searches the chamber. He finds the glow of magic emanating from beneath the bed – but there is nothing there. Using his staff, he shoves a heavy object out from under the bed. Lakima then calls over Boffin. With Boffin standing beside the invisible object, he casts dispel magic. A spellbook appears and Boffin takes the helmet off and tosses it on the floor. Lakima picks up the spellbook and slides it into the bag of holding.

Fenris is sent upstairs to the next level. He reports back that there is a laboratory. The entire group heads up to investigate. They find many strange items and clearly a very valuable collection of reagents and components. Fenris heads up the stair again and reports that it goes to a trapdoor out to the battlements. They decide to head down.

Heading down they come to an enclosed basement. They find a storeroom and a game room and a wizard-locked door. In another room, they stumble upon an apprentice mage sleeping in a bed. Before the man can react, Alrix casts charm person on him. The noise they are making in the hallway does attract a human guard who attacks Eathwund. As Eathwund is dealing with the guard, the wizard-locked door opens and a monk attacks Eathwund from behind. Aldus is able to kill the monk while Eathwund kills the guard.

Meanwhile, Alrix talks with the apprentice he tells his new friend that his name is Deost. He tells Alrix about his master, Sazor’s immense power in an awed voice. He offers to put in a good word with his master from Alrix. Lakima dismissively tells Deost that they have already dealt with Sazor Stratus. Deost is skeptical at first but then warms to the idea. He explains that he was captured by the sky raiders and imprisoned in the dungeons. The ettin jailor told him that he was going to be food for their hydra. Sazor came to the prison and released him if he would serve him. Deost knows the names of the cloud giants and tells them about Jorgis the clan leader and a mighty cloud giant. He tells them that Sazor was originally a prisoner as well but has used his superior intelligence to slowly manipulate the cloud giants into doing what he wishes. He says that Sazor would normally try a charm spell on the cloud giants but apparently, they are very resistant to magic. The cloud giants usually hunt humans further to the north but they came south at Sazor’s suggestion. Deost also tells them that there is a cloud giant wedding scheduled to occur in 5 days and cloud giant guests are expected to arrive any day now. Soon the castle will be full of cloud giant guests.