The Duel

The session started after the players had hacked and slashed their way through the upper level of the Lost Temple of Demogorgon. This is a Dungeon Magazine adventure from the D20 era repurposed for Swords & Wizardry - I made a lot of changes. After a brief fight, the rest of the session was negotiation. The adventurers are fairly mercenary and once they negotiated for the return of their captured friend (the hook) they went on their way. Except, for one player (the Knight) who demanded a duel with a Chaos Knight (SW equivalent of a Death Knight).

We were on hiatus during the holidays and this allowed me to do a lot of writing. I had several adventures prepared and I was able to foreshadow some possible opportunities.

Session 147: The Lost Temple of Demogorgon

Lakima (human magic-user), Eathwund (human fighter), Aldus (human cavalier), Grasshopper (human monk), Domago (human cleric, NPC), Brovin (human thief, NPC), Ian (human cavalier, NPC), August (human magic-user, NPC), Anja Maki (human ranger, NPC).

The Company of the Black Dragon are in search of their former comrade Dusig Greatstone who appears to have been abducted by some strange troglodytes and their bestial servants. After battling a ferocious behir they rest in the ruins of an underground city.

Meanwhile, Grasshopper, a monk of the order of Wanderers has recently left Thornwall Abbey an enclave of the Keeper of Light. Grasshopper travels to the village of Grimstone which he has heard is in need.

In Grimstone Grasshopper speaks to an innkeeper who tells him he just missed meeting the Company of the Black Dragon. A group of adventurers who travel about in a flying ship have agreed to investigate the troubles around Grimstone. Following a faint trail through the mountain passes, Grasshopper makes his way to a cave on the side of a cliff. The cave was recently uncovered from beneath an ancient rockslide. In the caves, Grasshopper comes across the corpses of troglodytes and ape creatures. He realizes the adventurers must be nearby. Descending a large pit, he finds the ruins of an underground city lit with a purple glow caused by fungus. Here he first encounters the Company of the Black Dragon.

Eathwund and Ian are on watch while the rest of the members of the company get their rest. Eathwund who is at the open doorway of the building they chose to rest in sees the approaching light from Grasshopper’s torch (a torch he took down from the wall on the upper level).

“Who goes there – declare yourself!” Eathwund shouts.

“A humble wanderer looking to join some adventurers,” Grasshopper replies.

Eathwund bids him to come forward seeing that Grasshopper’s sword is sheathed and he is not wearing armor. Lakima gets up and greets Grasshopper.

“We are the Company of the Black Dragon, and I am the Lakima the Grey,” Lakima says emphatically.

Not having heard of Lakima or the company Grasshopper nods politely. Lakima explains the situation. They are looking for a dwarven comrade they suspect has been captured and taken below by the troglodytes.

“These are no ordinary troglodytes,” Lakima explains, “they are far more intelligent, use modern weapons, and can cast spells.”

Some of the members of the company greet Grasshopper.

“I am Aldus the confident,” a tall man clad in heavy armor says, giving Grasshopper a firm forearm shake.

“Eathwund,” nods the man who first challenged him.

“Domago of the Church of St. Aleena,” a middle-aged priest says, “What monastery do you belong to”?

“Anja Maki, ranger of the northern tribes,” says a young woman with fierce eyes.

The introductions complete, Domago checks on Aldus’ wounds from the fight with the demons and the behir. He casts a few healing spells on Aldus to speed his recovery. Once everyone has grabbed their packs the group sets out to investigate the ruined town.

“Wait, let’s not waste our time,” Lakima says. He removes the Arrow of Direction from his pouch and asks for the location of Dusig Greatstone. The arrow points directly down. Lakima tells everyone to look for a stair down. Brovin immediately points in the doorway of a building he is standing nearby.

“A stair in here”

Brovin checks the stairs for traps and finds none so the entire group moves into formation and heads down the stairs. Once Brovin reaches the mid-point down the 30-foot stair there is a bell-like chime that proceeds a stunning blast of sound. All of the party slumps to the ground stunned. The stunning blast also attracts the attention of some of the undead troglodytes of the dead city. A few minutes later 5 ghoulish troglodytes approach slowly. They grab August and Ian and begin dragging them away to eat. Luckily, Eathwund, Grasshopper, and Domago can fight off the stunning effect. Domago holds up his holy symbol and turns the undead creatures who run away back into the caves in the cliff walls.

The three adventurers who have recovered drag their comrades back into the house they had earlier cleared and rested in. While waiting for everyone to recover, more undead creep up on the resting adventurers but Domago turns them as well.

(DM’s Note: the symbol of stunning in Swords & Wizardry stuns for 1d6 or 2d6 turns based on the number of hit points a victim has. But it only affects 150 hit points total. It should only have stunned most of the party not all of them (total hp was over 200). Once I realized my error, I decided to give the strongest party members a save to recover).

Once everyone has recovered the group hastily moves on to the stairs again. Brovin asks if Lakima can check it but Lakima assures him it is safe now. They move down the stairs and enter another level of the ruins. Here wide hallways are dimly lit by magical torches. Grasshopper is sent ahead to scout. Keeping in the shadows as best he can, Grasshopper spots a pair of troglodytes waiting in ambush in a cave entrance. Both parties spot each other at about the same time. Grasshopper shouts a warning and then leaps at one troglodyte striking it a hard blow with each of his fists. Eathwund and Aldus also quickly join the fight and Anja hurls a spear at it but misses. From another cave mouth, another troglodyte appears along with a war ape. Aldus turns to fight them. Two of the troglodytes cast spells. One tries to grasp Aldus in a hold person spell but it fails. Another casts a decaying ray striking Grasshopper in the shoulder. Grasshopper feels strength ebbing from his arm and sees a rotting wound form in his flesh. Another threat appears in the form of a baboon-like creature who attempts to cast a hold person spell on Lakima but fails. The creature then vanishes.

The fighting continues, Grasshopper breaks the neck of one troglodyte with a blow, Eathwund aids Aldus against the war ape. Anja spears a troglodyte that was stunned by Grasshopper. The baboon appears suddenly near Aldus and attacks with a war mace. Once Aldus strikes the baboon he vanishes again. Grasshopper leaps off the wall and back-flips over Eathwund to attack the war ape. The ape does manage to bite Grasshopper on the shoulder before being killed. The baboon tries to flee but Grasshopper spots his footsteps on the sandy stone floor and fires two arrows into him. The Baboon tries to drag himself away but Anja spears him finishing him off.

With the fight over Lakima directs Brovin to check the bodies. Brovin finds some demon-cursed armor and spears, four silver rings, and a potion. Lakima has him drop everything in their bag of holding. Domago moves through the group casting his last healing spells and then using his staff of healing.

“We should move on immediately,” Lakima says.

“What about these caves,” Grasshopper questions, looking at the five cave entrances off of this tunnel.

“Getting off track just weakens us,” Lakima says, “remember our mission is to rescue Dusig.”

“But also, we want to find treasure,” Aldus argues.

Lakima wins the argument and the group moves down the tunnel to a stone door lit by magic torches. While Brovin examines the door, Grasshopper slips off to check a nearby cave. He finds a large sleeping area that smells of fur and sweat. An iron ring is embedded in the wall, perhaps to hold chains.

Brovin states the door is safe and Eathwund pushes it open. A shrill shriek is emitted by a triggered ward as the door opens injuring all of the adventurers. The sound continues to echo off the walls of the caves for a minute afterward.

“Everyone knows we are coming now,” Brovin mutters.

Past the door, the tunnel narrows and they see more side tunnels and then another stone door. One of the cave entrances near the stone door is partially blocked by a curtain. While Brovin examines the stone door Grasshopper says he will check the chamber hidden by the curtain. As soon as he pulls the curtain aside, he triggers another ward. This time there is a thunderclap and a bolt of lightning strikes the monk staggering him. Domago comes over to help and uses the staff of healing on him. Beyond the curtain, they see a small living quarters with some robes hanging on the wall and a pile of furs and blankets for a bed.

Brovin finally finishes with the door and shoves it open – triggering another ward that lets out a loud shriek. Beyond the door, they spot a temple chamber where several creatures await them ready to fight.

The room is lit by torches that burn with a reddish light. An enormous war ape, twelve feet tall stands near a collection of ancient armor and a glowing red forge. A few open treasure chests full of gems sit nearby. Three stone benches face a stone altar. Behind the altar stands a stone statue of a strange creature they assume is a demon. It has two ape-like heads on an enormous body but its arms are tentacles. Lying on the altar covered in blood is a dwarf stripped of his clothes to his waist. Standing in front of the altar is a troglodyte in fine regalia. Near the stone benches standing ready but at ease is a tall knight dressed in ancient armor. Cold mist pours from the armor to the floor. A helmet rests on his head which is revealed to only be a skull. He holds a greatsword from which cold mist also pours.

In a moment the group takes in the scene. The three creatures were clearly ready and waiting for them. Lakima reacts first and conjures an earth elemental in the center of the temple. The conjured elemental attacks the great war ape grappling it with its enormous arms. The war ape fights back pummeling the elemental. Another baboon appears suddenly beside the treasure chests. The baboon begins casting a spell. Seeing this from across the room, Lakima quickly tries to cast Wall of Ice but a fireball goes off before he can and it lands in the center of the adventurers with a huge blast. August is almost killed instantly but manages to stand upright.

Lakima sees August reaching for his wand of fireballs and warns him that if he uses the wand Dusig will be killed. Eathwund and Aldus advance into the chamber. Grasshopper strikes the troglodyte with an arrow. The statue of the demon then steps down from its platform and begins to move slowly toward the group. Aldus moves to attack the knight but the knight makes no threatening moves. Instead, he speaks.

“Halt. I have no quarrel with you humans. Leave now and I will not attack you!”

Lakima dismisses the wall of ice and questions the knight. He asks the knight what his reasons are for being here. While the fight between the earth elemental and the great ape rages the knight replies that he has come here to break a terrible curse laid upon him. As Eathwund and Aldus edge closer to the stone statue. Lakima tells the knight that if they turn over the dwarf, they will be willing to talk. The knight agrees and Aldus rushes to the altar and grabs the dwarf carrying him to Domago near the door. Domago immediately carries the dwarf who he recognizes as Dusig, into the hallway outside the door and he casts healing magic on him.

The knight explains that he was cursed by the demon Demogorgon to be a Death Knight. He has existed under this curse for two millennia. Tired of this undeath he has come to the temple of Demogorgon to have the curse removed. Lakima tells the Death Knight who calls himself Lord Kraven of Rex that if they (the troglodyte and the Death Knight) agree to leave this area they will go without attacking them. He also warns that an army of dwarves will soon descend upon this forgotten temple now that its existence is known. The Death Knight agrees to the terms and tells them to go.

Everyone turns to leave, but Aldus has a change of heart.

“Wait, I would challenge you to a contest of arms,” he says to the Death Knight, “I wish to measure myself against you”.

The Death Knight hesitates.

Aldus duels the Death Knight

“Let’s see if you are truly worthy of becoming a mortal man again,” Aldus adds.

The Death Knight then nods and accepts. With a gesture, he raises a wall of ice across the doorway trapping Aldus in the chamber and the rest of the party without.

“We fight until one of us yields,” Aldus says.

The Death Knight and Aldus slowly circle one another. Aldus makes the first strike, hitting the death knight in the abdomen. Then the Death Knight strikes Aldus with two grievous blows with his sword. Aldus also feels his strength ebbing from the tremendous cold aura about the Death Knight. Aldus manages to strike the Death Knight once more but soon it is clear he is losing. Aldus kneels and plants his sword point first in the dirt.

“I yield,” Aldus says.

The Death Knight raises his sword to strike the killing blow but then stays his hand. Instead, he reaches out to Aldus as if to help him up but instead grasps his wrist tightly. Aldus feels a searing cold on his wrist. As he gets to his feet, he sees the impression of bony fingers branded onto his wrist.

“My mark is upon you now,” the Death Knight says.

The Wall of Ice is dismissed and Aldus quickly backs away and makes it to the stone doorway. With a gesture, the Death Knight closes the stone door behind him.

In the hallway behind the group agrees that they need to get out of these caves quickly. Domago has healed Dusig enough that he can walk. The confused dwarf does not remember what happened to him after he picked up the trail of what he thought were ogres near Grimstone.

Lakima explains to Dusig that he was captured and was going to be sacrificed to a demon lord when the Company rescued him just in time. They continue to fill Dusig in on what happened as they make their way back out into the sunlight. Dusig expresses concern about the Death Knight and the Demogorgon worshippers keeping their part of the deal and moving from the dwarven lands. Lakima assures him that they decimated the troglodytes and only one remained.

The adventurers make their way back to the airship they left near the small homestead and mine. When they arrive, they see a pair of wyverns feasting on the dead ogres they killed a day ago. Avoiding the creatures, they make their way to the flying ship. This is the first time Grasshopper has seen the flying ship and he marvels at it.

“We call it Cloudstealer,” Lakima says proudly.

Anja Maki asks the group for her share of the treasure. She lives not far from here and has no interest in traveling with the adventurers. A generous Lakima suggests they give her the four large gems they found the day before. Anja says her goodbyes, waves, and walks off northward. Grasshopper asks to join the adventurers; he is keen to see the lands from this flying ship.

The group heads to Grimstone to drop off Dusig. Dusig insists on buying them dinner at the local dwarven inn. The food is only fair but the dwarven ale is excellent. Grasshopper heads off to explore the trading post. Sensing a kind soul in the village nurse Gwynn – he hands her his share of the treasure. He then returns to the Inn.

In a hurry to get back to Edgerton, Lakima suggests they set sail immediately before anyone has even had a chance to rest or heal wounds. The ship ascends and they wave goodbye to a rapidly diminishing Dusig below.

The Cloudstealer heads directly southwest towards Edgerton a few day's travel away. The weather is clear and sunny and warm so they have no need to raise the shelter on the ship. A few hours out from Grimstone, August who is on the blow calls out a warning.

“Golden object ahead and above and moving our way!”

Just to be safe the group prepares. Grasshopper readies his longbow while Eathwund and Aldus begin cranking the ballista on the bow of the ship. As the golden object comes closer, they realize it is a small dragon.

“Gold dragons are powerful but not usually evil,” Lakima calls out.

As the dragon gets closer, they realize that its movements are odd almost stilted. The wings move mechanically. When it is within 100 feet, they realize it is a construct.

“Domago try to dispel it!” Lakima yells.

Domago tries but tells everyone that it is not evil, it has no soul and only a simple mind.

Lakima summons a wraith and sends it out to meet the dragon. He also summons Mikda-Err’s guardian sphere. The wraith tries to attack the dragon but is brushed aside. The dragon lets loose a lightning bolt that strikes the ship and injures several of the adventurers. It swoops around to attack again. Aldus fires the ballista at it but he misses. Grasshopper hits it several times with arrows. They see oil leaking from the construct. August uses the wand to hit it with a fireball. The dragon swoops down and smashes into the mast knocking the mast and sheets overboard. As it swoops away Lakima casts a fireball and hits it. This does a lot of damage and the smoking and leaking dragon flies away to the northeast.

The crippled Cloudstealer slows to a halt and they continue to descend until they reach a stretch of forest in a mountain valley. Halting the ship near the ground, the crew leaps off and goes into the trees to search for a tree that will make a good replacement mast. Eathwund goes with them to protect them. Dagmar and Cowan (the crew) work into the evening and start up again the next day. By this time they have constructed a temporary mast and have raised a replacement sail. The Cloudstealer is ordered up into the air again and they continue to Edgerton. There are no further encounters and the ship reaches Edgerton two days later.