Trail of Bargle

Last week, the players in my Swords & Wizardry campaign set out in search of their adversary, Barragan, the Wizard. Barragan made attacks directly against the player characters' friends and disrupted their plans, so I was hopeful the party would feel hell-bent on bringing him to justice, but he turned out to be more of a chore for them. Developing a nemesis for the party takes work.

The adventure was adapted from the 5th Edition adventure "The Forgotten Hold" written by Benjamin Palmer of Adventure Awaits Studios.

Session 167: The Forgotten Hold

Lakima (human magic user), Eathwund (human fighter), Aldus (human cavalier), Ambro Feyvine (elven thief), Domago (human cleric NPC), Ian of Darkhollow (human cavalier NPC), Luna (charmed Human Fighter NPC).

The Members of the Company of the Black Dragon are in a deep dungeon beneath Mudstick Hill. This was the lair of the evil magic user Barragan, the infamous one. Barragan fled using magic once he lost control of a gate to the elemental plane of fire.

“Let’s check a few more doors and then leave. The fire elementals are no longer a threat,” Lakima says.

“We need to find some treasure,” Aldus adds.

With Ambro leading the way, the group searched a chamber full of skeletons. Half of the skeletons animated and attacked, but Domago turned most of them, and Aldus and Eathwund made short work of the rest.

“Should we check these prison cells,” Ambro asked.

“We should leave. We accomplished what we set out to do,” Lakima said.

“Not much treasure to show for it,” Aldus added.

They heard knocking at one cell door and a voice calling out to be rescued. The voice claimed to not remember their name when asked. Lakima and Ambro suggested they move on, but Aldus kicked in the door. Behind the door was a mummy.

“See, this is what happens,” Lakima sighed.

Domago forced the Mummy back into its coffin, but Aldus and Eathwund attacked anyway, destroying it. The coffin turned out to be depressingly empty.

“No more cells!” Lakima said.

The group made their way back up through the dungeon's levels. When they reached the exit and the corpse of the owlbear they had killed, Ambro had a question.

“Do we have time for me to skin this owlbear?”

“Do you know how to?” Lakima scoffed.

Ambro set to work and, in her mind, did a pretty good job of skinning the dead owlbear. The skin was fairly intact.

“Can we go now?” Lakima said.

The group left the dungeon and mounted their horses. It was early evening, so they decided to stay at the Wheatsheaf Tavern in Winchem for the night. Ambro paid the Innkeeper’s wife to wash the owlbear skin.

The next day, the company rode on to Dolmvay. Ambro asked around for a tailor and got many suggestions.

“Can we stop at a tailor?”

“We need to make haste to the Duke’s Palace,” Lakima said.

Outside the stone walls of the Duke’s Palace, the guards looked nervously at the eight adventurers on horseback riding up to the gate.

“No one enters, move on.”

“We are the Company of the Black Dragon, and we have urgent news for Duke Robert!” Lakima responded.

The guards made the adventurers wait while one went up to check with the seneschal. Word came back to let them in.

Duke Robert and his advisors met the company in a sitting room. The spymaster, Nathen Melius, received the documents and read them over. He wordlessly handed them to Duke Robert with a nod. Duke Robert read the same papers and then gave them to Mikael, the Wolf Lord.

“Thank you, Lakima,” Duke Robert said, “This is grave information indeed.”

“Rest assured that we will act upon this information.”

The rest of the meeting was made up of idle chatter. Soon, Duke Robert’s seneschal suggested that the meeting was over.

“Well, okay, we will be heading back to Edgerton,” Lakima said.

“Wait, could one of you recommend a good tailor?” Ambro piped up. Several of the men paused, their mouths hanging open, and then Lady Elena, the Royal Scribe, spoke.

“Surely. I will write you a recommendation for an excellent tailor.”

Lady Elena wrote a note and handed it to Ambro while the rest of the adventurers headed out of the palace. Once out of the Palace, Ambro insisted on going directly to the tailor, Hellerin’s Clothiers, on Spark Street.

At the clothier, Ambro handed over the owlbear skin and negotiated a price of 240 gold coins to make it into a cloak.

Once their business was done, the group headed to the King’s Bridge. Lakima instructed everyone to wait while he teleported to the Bridgeway. A short while later, he returned and told them to walk through the portal to the Bridgeway. Thankfully, no residents of Dolmvay came along for the ride. From Dolmvay, they took the Bridgeway to the bridge across the river in Edgerton. The horses were brought to the local stable, and the company headed to the Manor House.

The next day, Domago and Aldus discussed the issue of the magic user who had escaped to Lakima.

“Don’t worry, I plan to bring Bargle to us,” Lakima said.

Trusting in Lakima, the rest of the company went about their business: Eathwund spent time at the Sign of the Purple Bugbear, Domago headed to the Church of St. Aleena, and Aldus returned to his wife. Ambro Feyvine cashed in some of the treasure she purloined at a local jeweler. She also spent some time at the Library of Antiquity researching local lore and gods.

Lakima worked on his own unique project. Using a summoning spell and a limited wish, he created an invisible stalker and commanded it to find Bargle and return him to Lakima at the Manor House.

After a week, Lakima checked the Arrow of Direction and found it was spinning aimlessly when he asked for the location of the invisible stalker. It appeared that the stalker had been destroyed or banished.

Lakima announced the news over dinner one night.

“It looks like we need to track down the magic user ourselves. Who will join me on the Cloudstealer tomorrow?”

Eathwund, Aldus, Ambro, Domago, Ian, and August agreed to join the expedition. As usual, Luna did not acknowledge the question.

The following day, the Company headed out on the Cloudstealer. The arrow of direction pointed out along the same direction as the wilderness road, so the ship followed the Dolm River to the village of Larm. In Larm, they spoke with Haldo Bramwise and Durgam, the scout at the Borderland Tavern. Durgam told them of sightings of the iron dragon around the village of Grimstone in the mountains. The Cloudstealer set out for Grimstone the next day. In Grimstone, the dwarves suggest that the iron dragon terrorizing Wilderness Road could be coming from an old Dwarven ruin in the mountains. Thelgrim Dale offered to guide them to the ruins.

“I’ll not be entering those haunted halls,” Thelgrim told them. I’ll wait outside. Those dwarves who enter the Forgotten Hold never see the light of day again.”

Thelgrim expressed nervousness about going aboard the Cloudstealer and flying over the mountains, but Lakima told him not to worry.

“We don’t want to get attacked by that iron dragon in the air. We will hike to this ruin.”

The Forgotten Hold

It took two days to reach the dwarven ruin. A single stone door in the mountainside flanked by two twenty-foot-tall statues of forgotten Dwarven kings.

“This is as far as I go. I’ll wait here for you for three days,” Thelgrim said.

The company approached the door, and Ambro examined it. Finding it safe, she moved back and let Eathwund open the door. A short hall led to a tall, pillared hall with walls carved with dwarven icons. They heard the clanking sound of many suits of armor marching toward them and were attacked by six animated suits of iron armor.

In the melee, Eathwund fought with deadly furry. All six of the animated armors were smashed by him. But while fighting the animated armor, a war band of Hobgoblins also attacked the group. While Eathwund dealt with the armor suits, Ambro, Aldus, and Lakima dealt with the hobgoblins. After a long fight, the hobgoblins were dead, and the suits lay in piles of antique armor. One hobgoblin almost ran away, but Aldus and Ambro tracked him down and killed him.

“We need to stop and rest,” Domago said, “Look at our comrades.”

Aldus, Ian, Ambro, and Domago were all badly injured. Domago took the time to pray over the wounded, healing most of their wounds.

The group headed deeper into the dungeon, Ambro disarmed a booby-trapped chest, and the group surprised another group of hobgoblins, killing all of them.

Finally, they found a dwarven library and in the back a hunched figure of a wizard wearing blue robes, and a blue cap.

“Who are you,” Lakima demanded.

The magic-user turned to find himself surrounded by a group of adventurers.

“I am a powerful wizard, so you had better begone from my sight.”

“Well, you aren’t Barragan,” Lakima stated.

“Phooey, Barragan, the self-important one. I am my own mage. I take commands from no one!”

The mage is questioned but is reluctant to provide much information. When Lakima turns insistent, the mage becomes invisible and tries to flee. However, Lakima casts detect invisibility and can direct Ambro and Aldus to where the wizard is. They grab the invisible mage and prevent him from escaping.

The mage strikes Aldus once with a staff of striking before being disarmed. This has the effect of negating the invisibility spell. The mage eventually tells them his name is Krastos, and he is the builder of the iron dragon. He rambles on and giggles incessantly.

“This guy is an idiot,” Aldus says to Lakima.

“Possibly. Or he acts the idiot.” Lakima replies.

“If you want to continue living, you will take us to the mage, whatever his name is,” Lakima says.

“Call him Bargle. He hates that name. It was his name as an apprentice,” Krastos says.

Ambro pulled her dagger and held it to Krastos’ neck.

“Last chance.”

“Okay, okay. Calm down. I will take you to meet the mighty infamous one himself.”

Missed Opportunity

This past week, the players in my Swords & Wizardry Campaign tracked down one of the boss bad guys. Now that all of the characters are over the tenth level (one is 14th level), we have been discussing wrapping up the campaign. I use the Chronicles of Amherth setting with the Guidebook to the Duchy of Valnwall and the City of Dolmvay sourcebooks (Small Niche Games). An in-joke of this setting is the dread wizard Barugal. Modeled after Bargle of D&D Basic fame. The wizard's name in my version is Barragan, but he uses Barugal as an alias. Bargle was the name his abusive mentor gave him in his youth.

One of the players lost a duel against a Death Knight (session 147) and made it known that he wished for a rematch. This seemed like the perfect place to drop it in. It would be a surprise but not out of place for the Death Knight to be working for a new master. Unfortunately, my plans were upset when the player in question had to miss the session (for good reason). I thought about pulling the encounter, but the players got on top quickly, and I just went ahead. I should have adlibbed some other encounter, but what is done is done.

A new player also joined the group. I warned the player about the characters' level and the fact that the campaign was winding down.

Session 166: The Ruin of Mudstick Hill

Lakima (human magic user), Eathwund (human fighter), Aldus (human cavalier), Ambro Feyvine (elven thief), Domago (human cleric NPC), Ian of Darkhollow (human cavalier NPC), August (human magic-user NPC), Luna (charmed Human Fighter NPC).

The Black Dragon company is at their Manor in Edgerton. One day in the early fall, they receive a visitor. An elven explorer and trap-finding expert named Ambro Feyvine.

“Sirs, an elven woman is waiting in the main hall,” Huntley says to the adventurers gathered in the dining room.

“Go see what she wants,” Lakima says, waving at Aldus and Domago.

The elven woman of indistinguishable age introduces herself and gives Domago a letter of introduction.

"Thought you could use an expert in the group. I heard about poor Jon Wallis. I have been working with Ambro on scouting jobs for the Earl. I think you will find her quite skilled.

Signed Aelshara"

“Lakima, it seems Aelshara recommended her,” Domago says, handing the letter to Lakima.

Lakima tosses the letter aside and glances at Ambro, “You any good?”

“Sure am, but I warn you I have a habit of picking up missing items,” Ambro says, “but I return them eventually. I just need to keep in practice.”

“I would keep your hands out of my pockets,” Lakima warns, “Sometimes I put extra-dimensional spaces in them.”

“Is that all?” Domago asks Lakima. Lakima shrugs, “Sure, why not? You trust Aelshara.”

Ambro is introduced to the rest of the company and Alayna, Lakima’s wife.

“Ohh, whose dog?” Ambro exclaims, looking at a large, jet-black dog with intelligent eyes.

“This is Onyx, my protector,” Alayna says.

“Well, we have some work to do,” Lakima says, “Dear, I am afraid we will be gone for the rest of the day and maybe part of tomorrow. I need to pop over and visit Ezmeralden.” Alayna took this message in stride.

Lakima gathers the company together and brings his apprentice, August. He explains that it is about time they did something about Barragan.

“Whose Barragan?” Ambro asks.

“A Wizard, giving the rest of us a bad name,” Lakima says.

The company sets out across town and enters the School of Magic. A magical portal in one of the classrooms takes them to the Bridgeway in the King’s Wood. Here, they meet the custodian Ezmeraldan. He sets the magical Bridgeway for a bridge in the capital city of Dolmvay.

“What is this place,” Ambro asks Lakima.

“It is old magic. The magic of this bridge can be linked to bridges all over this world and even to some other worlds.”

“Today, we just need to get to Dolmvay.”

The adventurers head back outside, showing Ambro how to use the bridge.

“You just walk across the bridge from one end to the other, and when you step off, poof, you are there,” Eathwund tells Ambro.

The adventurers arrive at a busy bridge crossing the Dolm River in the heart of Dolmvay. A few locals hurriedly sprint away from the group, but others take their sudden arrival in stride. They speak to a local man, who directs them to a nearby stable, and Lakima buys seven horses. Lakima takes a glass ball out of his bag of holding and summons a magical horse for himself.

The eight adventurers ride north of Dolmvay into the Hillside farms. At a small inn in the village of Winchem, they learn about the location of a nearby tower ruin on Mudstick Hill. The local character also warns them that an owlbear has made its home near the ruins. It is a short distance away, and the group arrives just after noon. They set the horses to roam the hillside and explore the ruins.

Ruins on Mudstick Hill

“Hey, Domago, what’s with her?” Ambro asks Domago pointing at Luna. Luna always stands within five feet of Lakima in a protective pose. She wears a closed helmet on her head. Domago explains that Luna was a slaver guard they captured a few months ago. Lakima placed a charm person enchantment on her.

“It is likely more than she deserves,” Domago says but reddens slightly, “She would have been hung if we turned her in. This way, she can atone for her evil acts.”

“She sure is a strange one,” Ambro adds.

Searching the ruins on the hill, they locate a stair blocked by stone and dirt. They also note several depressions on the hill that might be over open chambers below them. Eathwund starts to move some of the stones blocking the stairs, picking up enormous boulders with ease. Ambro offers to check for traps, and she warns that there are tracks and spider webs about the stones.

“I think spiders are coming and going through these rocks,” Ambro shudders, “I hate spiders.”

Eathwund calls everyone's attention to bear tracks he finds in the ruins. He follows them to a low cave mouth about twenty feet from the ruins.

“Smells like a bear and something else,” Eathwund says, “It might be the owlbear.”

“Fighters take the lead,” Lakima says.

Aldus and Eathwund duck under the low-hanging entrance into the cave. Soon, they see stone walls and a stone floor ahead. The cave mouth leads into dungeons under the ruins. Bones lie scattered about the floor. Suddenly, there is a roar and a crash of metal. Up ahead, they see a chamber blocked by an iron portcullis. An owlbear crashes against the bars, anxious to get out and attack them. Then, there is a grinding noise, and the portcullis rises, letting the Owlbear out to attack. It rumbles forward and attacks Aldus and Eathwund.

There is a short battle between the owlbear and the fighters Eathwund, Aldus, and Ian. The three fighters soon kill the owlbear.

“Are you sure it is dead?” Ambro asks. Then she pokes the owlbear a few times with her sword. The corpse twitches once, but then it stops moving.

 “We must have triggered the gate open,” Lakima says, looking at Ambro. She looks but does not find anything that looks like a trigger.

“The wizard was probably watching us approach and opened it,” Ambro says.

“Okay, let's proceed cautiously.”

The group heads through the dungeon with Ambro, checking doors for traps and sounds. They find many signs of recent occupants, including burning torches on the walls and a room full of supplies. They also find chambers that have not been cleared of debris. Here, they are attacked by giant spiders from a large nest. The spiders are killed without anyone being poisoned. The fight attracts the attention of a ghost in the ruins. A ghost of a man dressed like a villager tries to strangle Eathwund, but the fighter manages to destroy it. The adventurers return to where they came and find a wizard’s work area. Ambro decides to keep a hooded, blue robe she found in a trunk of men’s clothes. Lakima collects incriminating scrolls showing communication between Barragan (signing as “B”) and Earl Uther of Calwell.

The door from this room opens into a circular chamber in the center of the dungeon ruins. A set of stone steps lead down to lower levels. Human skeletons wearing tattered remnants of chain mail armor, holding rusty spears and shields, line the room's wall.

“Domago, be ready!” Lakima says, then points for Eathwund to enter the room. When Eathwund steps into the chamber, a dozen skeletons animate and attack. Domago begins brandishing his holy symbol, and most skeletons are instantly destroyed. Their bones turn to dust, and their weapons fall onto the stone flagstones. Eathwund makes quick work of the remaining skeletons.

“That wasn’t very hard?” Eathwund asks.

“Skeletons are a cheap and easy alarm system for a magic user,” Lakima says.

“I am just going to take a few bones,” Ambro says.

“Why?” Domago says.

Ambro smiles at Domago and puts a femur in her bag.

Ambro asks the group to wait while she returns to the mage’s study and relocks the door. Eathwund enters the chamber to see what she is doing.

“Just in case someone wants to sneak up behind us,” Ambro says, “Help me with this trunk.”

Eathwund nods, picks up a large trunk easily, and drops it in front of the locked door.

With their backs secure, the group descends the stairs to the next level, arriving in a creepy chamber. Strange devices lie on tables in the chamber. Piles of candles lie on the floor; a skeleton lies on a closed coffin. Domago makes his way toward two eight-foot-tall statues of a skeleton covered in robes covered in cobwebs.

Domago turns to the group, “This is a statue of the forbidden god of death. I hesitate to say his name.” 

“Just tell us,” Lakima says.

“It’s Azrael, the god of death, murder, and dark magic. Only necromancers worship him.”

“Well, they look ancient. This mage we seek might not be a necromancer,” Lakima states.

The chamber is circular, and when the adventurers follow it around, they come across a summoning circle 20 feet in diameter. Green flames leap from four candles along the edge of the circle. The air is hazy in the center of the circle but appears empty. A considerable bookshelf covers the wall, piled high with books and scrolls.

“Stand back,” Lakima says, ”I am going to dispel it.”

Lakima casts the dispelling magic, and the four candles are instantly snuffed out with a snap. A whirlwind of smoke forms in the circle's center, a crazed-looking face and mouth form, and screeching sounds build.

“Air Elemental!” Lakima shouts.

“It looks angry!” Eathwund shouts.

The air elemental swings at Eathwund, who holds it at bay. While Eathwund struggles with the maddened air elemental while the rest of them attack. Soon after, they are victorious, and the elemental vanishes.

“More tricks by this magic user. I believe he must be nearby,” Lakima says.

The door from the chamber is locked, so Ambro goes to work. In a moment, she picks the lock and swings the door open. Inside, they see a small chamber with a bed, desk, pool of steaming green liquid, and a mage in red robes standing before a pair of double doors.

“Stand back! Or I open this door and release a fearsome beast!” the mage yells.

“So what? We have defeated all of your other beasts,” Lakima scoffs.

“Stand back, I tell you, “ the mage cries out, seeing Aldus and Eathwund slowly enter the room.

“Kill him,” Lakima yells.

“No, wait!” Ambro shouts.

Without hesitation, Eathwund and Aldus rush forward. Eathwund strikes the man in the shoulder and waist with his sword. The mage cries out with a whimper, vainly trying to protect himself with his outstretched hands. Aldus then stabs the man in the chest with his sword. The mage falls to the floor in a crumpled heap.

“He wanted to surrender!” Ambro yells and slaps Aldus ineffectively on his shoulder.

“He is an evil mage who has done countless harm to the people of Valnwall and, more importantly, was giving mages a bad name,” Lakima says quietly.

“Grrr!” Ambro says, fuming, “Are we even sure this is the mage we wanted?”

Lakima shrugs. Then, ponders this momentarily, ”Domago, could you speak with the dead?”

Domago nods and prays to St. Aleena. A ghostly shadow of the mage rises out of the corpse.

“Are you Barragan the mage?” Domago asks.

“I am his apprentice, Riven,” it says.

“Where is your master?”

“My master waits for you below. He is preparing for you. He left me to stall you and to die in vain.”

“Below where?”

“He waits in the summoning chamber.”

The ghost then offers a final comment unbidden, raises a hand, and points directly at Aldus.

“One waits for you, Aldus below. Your doom awaits!” Then, the ghostly form vanishes.

“Well, what do you think of that,” Aldus says.

“He was just an apprentice. We could have talked to him,” Ambro retorts to Aldus and smacks him again.

“He did not choose his master wisely,” Lakima notes. He turns to check the desk and picks up a letter. The letter is a note to someone named Kratos telling them to send out the Iron Dragon to harass more travelers on the wilderness road. Barragan writes that he needs to distract a group of adventurers who might know his location. He writes that he will join Kratos soon.

While Lakima is busy with the letters on the desk, Eathwund and Ambro check out the strange, steaming pool of green liquid. Ambro sticks a finger in the liquid before anyone can stop her. She finds it is hot but not boiling. She pauses and then licks the liquid off her finger.

“Taste like water,” she says.

“Maybe it's his laundry,” Eathwund says.

Ambro moves, walks over to the double doors, and peers through the gap. She sees a chamber beyond strewn with dozens of human skeletons. She then checks the doors, finds them locked, and goes to work. Ambro quickly unlocks both doors, and Eathwund swings them open as Ambro steps behind him. In the chamber, they see dozens and dozens of human bones and skeletons. The bones are strewn all over the stone floor. They see stone steps leading down that are filled in with debris. An iron cage and an iron grill on the floor are also visible.

“Careful, Domago, get up here,” Lakima says.

Eathwund steps into the chamber, and human bones crack under his feet. There is a rustling sound, and a dozen skeletons pull themselves erect from the floor. The skeletons grab rusty swords from the floor and step toward Eathwund.

“Begone, creatures of evil!” Domago shouts. Six skeletons immediately collapse in a heap—the rest rush toward Eathwund. Aldus steps up on Eathwund’s right, and the two warriors smash and hack their way through the skeletons and into the chamber. The fight is soon over, and Eathwund steps toward the stone steps.

“They look completely blocked,” Eathwund says.

“Let me see,” Lakima says and steps into the chamber, heading toward Eathwund. On his second step into the chamber, he vanishes.

“Ahhh!” August shouts, raising his voice for the first time this day.

“Lakima is gone. I think it is a teleport trap!” August shouts, “I must join him.” August tries to step forward, but Ambro grabs the apprentice by the arm and holds him back. Luna ignores all this and quickly steps onto where Lakima was last seen. Luna vanishes as well.

“A teleport trap. Let’s follow them,” August says, struggling with Ambro.

“Stop squirming,” Ambro says, “you’re not going anywhere.”

Ambro turns to Eathwund, Aldus, and Ian, “We don’t know where this trap leads. We should not follow it.”

“I have to go!” August shouts, “Unhand me!”

“Fine, but think before you do…” Ambro says and lets go of August. She finishes with a curse as August leaps onto the spot on the floor and vanishes.

“Dummy,” Ambro says quietly, then shrugs, steps onto the trap, and vanishes.

Eathwund searches about the chamber, gets down on his hands and knees, and looks in the iron-blocked pit. He finds nothing, but there is another level below them.

“Aldus, Ian, give me a hand here.”

Eathwund starts moving enormous stones that block the steps, passing stones to Ian and Aldus, who struggle to carry them to one side to drop them. Takes Eathwund no more than a quarter of a watch to clear the stairs. Domago casts a light spell on his mace to make seeing things more manageable.

Meanwhile, deep in the dungeon, Lakima, Luna, August, and Ambro find themselves in what must be a prison cell. The chamber has been unused for centuries. Spider webs hang from the ceiling. Dust and debris cover the floor. In the center of one wall is an iron-bound wood door with a single keyhole and no latch.

Lakima, who has made himself comfortable on a stone bench, gestures to Ambro.

“Decided to join us, I see,” he says. We need a hand with the door.”

Ambro tries to open the door but finds breaking the lock inside the prison cell impossible. She informs Lakima that they are trapped.

“Luna, open the door,” Lakima says.

Luna nods to Lakima and approaches the door. A gem on the forehead of her helmet flashes, and the door lock responds with a loud click. The door groans as it swings open.

Beyond the door is a vast circular chamber with stone walls. The adventurers stand on a broad platform circling a sandy-floored fighting pit 10 feet below. As they exit onto the platform, torches burst into light. A dark figure on the far side of the chamber calls out.

“Welcome. I have been waiting patiently for you.”

An armored knight steps out of the shadows. He holds a gleaming long sword in one hand. Icy mist pours from the figure and the sword and falls to the floor. Red glowing eyes regard them from beneath a horned helmet.

“We meet again. My new patron bids you welcome. I am here to kill you.”

“Do I know you,” Lakima says slowly, looking to stall any encounter.

“We have met before. One of your numbers, a young knight named Aldus, challenged me and lost. Do you remember me now?”

“The Deathknight, and it looks like his new master is the mage we seek. This guy is trouble,” Lakima says in hushed tones to his companions. Luna immediately stepped forward to stand between Lakima and the knight. The knight started walking, disappearing into the shadows. Only Ambro, with her elven eyes, could track his movement.

“He is circling the pit and coming toward us!” Ambro said.

Lakima cast a spell summoning a fire elemental. A major elemental appeared and struggled against Lakima’s mental commands. Once he had it under control, he directed it toward the Deathknight. The Deathknight summoned spikes of ice that grew rapidly out of the floor and briefly held the elemental in place.

Meanwhile upstairs.

Once the stairs were cleared, Eathwund headed down, followed by Domago, Aldus, and Ian. They arrived in the stone chamber where a lot of debris lay. Three doors left the chamber. Two were blocked with piles of carefully stacked stones. Eathwund pointed toward the unblocked door, and the group headed that way. Thankfully, the door was not locked. This new chamber had a small table covered with debris and some wood chairs. A circular staircase headed down.

“There is flickering light below!” Eathwund told the others, pointing at the stairs. The four quickly headed down as the light grew brighter. Stepping into the chamber, Domago’s light flooded the area. Not far away, they see Ambro, Luna, August, and Lakima facing a tall, black-armoured figure with icy mist pouring from his body. A fire elemental broke free from icy bonds and moved toward the Deathknight.

“Finally, our companions have arrived!” Lakima shouts at the Deathknight.

Turning slowly, the Deathknight regarded the new intruders.

“Aldus, looking for another duel?”

“Yes, I am ready to fight you,” Aldus shouted, pushing his way forward.

“Not here. In the pit like a proper match,” the Deathknight pointed at the pit and headed for one of the stairs down.

“I need to fight him alone,” Aldus said to Eathwund. Eathwund simply nodded. Domago approached Aldus, “May St. Aleena guide your sword.” He then touched Aldus on the arm. Aldus felt a surge of divine power. He then followed the Deathknight down into the pit.

The Deathknight regarded Aldus, ”You are not yet my match. It is a pity. I am so tired of this undeath.”

“Then why don’t you give up?” Lakima shouted.

“That would not be proper,” the Deathknight said, “I have lived two thousand years, and I always keep my word. It might be what got me in this state, but that is all I have left. I must fight as my new patron requests. Then he will aid me in killing Demogorgon.”

Aldus stepped closer to the knight, judging his opponent's speed. Then, the knight made a gesture with his hand. Six-foot-long spikes of ice erupted from the ground, impaling Aldus. The Deathknight moved forward to deliver a killing blow. From above, Lakima concentrated on controlling the fire elemental, directing it to melt the ice. Just as the Deathknight approached Aldus, the ice melted, and Aldus was free. He quickly parried the Deathknight’s thrust, feeling the deep cold emanating from the knight, sapping his strength. Aldus turned and swung his sword at the Deathknight, striking a blow absorbed by its armor. The Deathknight then swung his sword, striking Aldus in the side. Blood sprayed from Aldus out over the sand.

The Final Duel

“Don’t die, or I will kill you!” Ambro shouted and then readied her bow, “We should help him!”

“It’s his fight,” Lakima said.

“Oops!” Ambro said and loosed an arrow, expertly striking the Deathknight in an open space in his chest armor.

The Deathknight tore out the arrow and tossed it aside. Aldus struck quickly with his sword, and the Deathknight staggered.

“I’m winning! Leave it to me!” Aldus shouted.

“You do put up a good fight. The best anyone has given me in centuries, but you are not winning,” the Deathknight said and struck Aldus again. Aldus felt the cold gnawing at his soul. His limbs began to feel limp. Sparks floated in front of his eyes.

“Not yet,” Aldus said, stabbing at the DeathKnight, catching a momentary opening. The Deathknight stumbled, and Aldus leaped to the attack, striking twice quickly, the last strike across the open, bony neck of the undead knight. The Deathknight fell to its knees, its head bowed. Aldus stepped cautiously forward, leery of getting within the undead creatures’ reach. The undead knight looked up at Aldus as its glowing red eyes faded.

“Thank you. Finally, I am released.”

“Quick, Aldus, ask it where the mage is!” Lakima shouted.

Aldus turned to the Deathknight and asked. The Deathknight made a final gesture, “Search behind the statue of death.” Aldus looked up and saw a cobwebbed-covered statue on the landing above. He turned back to the Deathknight and saw the empty armor fall to the sandy floor.

“It’s done. I killed it. It is gone.”

Aldus reached out for the undead Knights longsword but found it still hellishly cold. He quickly dropped it. Domago joined him on the sandy floor and began praying to St. Aleena to direct some healing to Aldus. Eathwund walked up to Aldus, patted him on the shoulder, and nodded. Tired of concentrating on controlling the fire elemental, Lakima dismissed it back to the plane of fire.

“Now, where?” Lakima asked, “You should have kept it alive long enough to answer some questions, Aldus.”

Aldus pointed at the statue, “It said to look behind the statue.” Lakima removed the Wand of secret door detection from the bag of holding and used it to check the wall behind the statue. The outline of a hidden door appeared. Ambro then found the trigger and opened it.

“Fighters first!” Ambro said, waving toward the dark opening.

Eathwund and Aldus took the lead, followed by Ian and Domago. The rest came behind. The stairs led down to a pair of doors. The group opened the doors and beheld another large circular chamber. A vast flaming pit dominated the center of the room and lit everything in a red light. Enormous statues of the god Azrael stood by the walls, and statues of four enormous skulls sat on either side of a staircase down into the chamber. A single man stood across the chamber on the other side of the pit. A bald man with a white beard. He was wearing black mage’s robes. He stood beside a small stone altar, manipulating a small flame atop it.

“I am Barragan!”

“I am Lakima,” Lakima shouted back at the mage. He gestured for his companions to spread out, realizing the mage might strike with a fireball spell.

“I have heard of Lakima. I have heard that you are very ambitious. Other mages say that Lakima is upsetting the proper order. That mages should not congregate in schools. That mages should know their place.”

“Mages should rule,” Lakima answered.

“I see we agree, you and I. I plan to replace the Duke of Valnwall with someone more agreeable to our views. There is a place for you in this new order. Once I have installed a new Duke, I could see you as an Earl.”

“The thought had already crossed my mind,” Lakima said.

“Are we agreed? We work together.”

“Lakima?” Aldus questioned.

“Lakima does not speak for all of us. You must pay for your evil deeds,” Domago shouted angrily.

“Lakima?” Aldus asked again.

“Here is my answer,” Lakima said and spoke a single word. A beam of purple light shot from his finger and struck the stone altar near the rival mage. The altar ceased to exist, and the flame on it went out.

“No! You fool! I won’t be able to close the portal!” Barragan shouted.

A large fire elemental rose from the pit and swiped at Barragan. Many more minor fire elementals flew out of the pit and raced about the chamber, setting fire to anything that would burn.

“You deal with what you have wrought?” Barrathan shouted and then vanished.

Eathwund and Aldus ran into the chamber and began smiting fire elementals. Ambro scrambled up on top of one of the stone skulls and began firing arrows. Ian and Domago joined the fighters in the melee.

“Domago, use dispel evil and close the portal!” Lakima shouted. Domago nodded and closed his eyes in prayer. He staggered and tried again.

“I cannot. The magic is too powerful!”

Lakima took out his pearl of power and concentrated on bringing the knowledge of dispel magic into his mind. He cast the spell, and the fires guttered low. The portal closed. There were still a half dozen fire elementals flying about the chamber.

“Can’t we go,” Ambro shouted as she fired arrows into an elemental.

“We did what we came to do. The wizard is gone.”

“The elementals would run wild in the countryside. We need to clean this up.” Lakima said.

It took a few minutes, but the fire elementals were eventually overpowered. The company was regrouped by the dark hole on the floor. Domago began tending to his comrades' wounds.

“Well, since we are here. Shall we check out what is behind these doors?” Lakima said.

Overland by Air

This session saw the company heading the long way home. I had three side treks written to entice the players into adventures on the trip, but they just would not bite on most of them. The direct attack on their ship by a flying ghost ship did not go as planned when the magic user used a control weather spell to destroy the ghost ship.

Session 165: The Long Way Home

Lakima (human magic user), Eathwund (human fighter), Aldus (human cavalier), Domago (human cleric NPC), Ian of Darkhollow (human cavalier NPC), Luna (charmed Human Fighter NPC).

The Company of the Black Dragon is in Irllendom, having just saved the Earldom from destruction at the hands of the Orcs of the Mountain King and the Witch of Black Marsh. They rest for a week to allow Ian, the squire, to recover from his near-death experience and prepare for the long way home.

Once Ian can travel—but is still unable to fight—he is carried aboard the Cloudstealer, and the other members of the company board the ship. Lakima consults with the crew and sets the course for the passes over the Kings of Old Mountains. The ship ascends into the clouds and heads south. Crossing the mountains is done without issue, though it gets frigid. Once on the other side in the lands of Lockeland they descend and stop the ship for the night.

The next day, wild griffons pursue the ship until they catch up. Lakima casts a charm monster spell on the lead griffon, and it lands on the ship. The griffon is clumsy on the deck of the ship stepping on barrels and seating, breaking some of the wood supports. It calms down once it is fed some raw meat. The second griffon circles the flying ship for an hour before tiring and landing on the ship and demanding to be fed. The griffon that is not under a charm flies off as night falls.

The next day, the crew struggles to work around the enormous, clumsy griffon that insists on sitting on the deck near Lakima, who works at the helm.

“I want to make it to Peake’s Crossing,” Lakima calls out to the crew. Cowan calls out a bearing to Lakima. Late in the afternoon, Dagmar, who is on watch, calls out black smoke on the horizon. It is soon apparent that buildings are on fire in Peake’s Crossing. Aldus and Eathwund head to the ship's bow and call out that several buildings are on fire in the main square. Lakima sets the ship down in the main square, and they see a crowd of locals forming a bucket line to the river. The fire is raging out of control despite the efforts of the locals. More buildings are threatened. Lakima, Eathwund, and Aldus descend rope ladders to the ground.

“Make way, Make way!” Lakima shouts at the crowd. The guards quickly help move back the crowd for the trio. The reputation of the adventurers has been made recently in Peake’s Crossing. Lakima summons a water elemental from the river and sends it into the fire, quickly extinguishing the blaze. The town guard manages to pull four survivors from the ruins of the buildings, one of whom is Valon of Edgerton, a former company comrade.

“Eathwund, Aldus!” Valon shouts, then coughs up smoke, “I found a dragon horde!”

Several people in the crowd start shouting angrily at Valon. They soon learn that a red dragon landed in the square and set fire to the Silver Stag Inn, where Valon was staying. Valon has been in town for a few days, bragging about finding the treasure horde of a red dragon. Soon, the crowd gets more aggressive and begins calling for Valon to be hanged. The town watch holds them back and arrests Valon for his protection.

“Guys, help!” Valon calls out.

“Wait, wait!” Lakima shouts. Lakima tells the guard captain that it would be best to put Valon in the stocks in an open area where the dragon can easily get hold of him. The guards, and especially Valon, are shocked by this statement. The guards are unwilling to condemn a man to death on the rumor that a dragon is after him. The guards confer and decide to order Valon to leave town before sunset.

“You had better round up all of the gold he spent from the dragon horde,” Lakima says, “A dragon can smell its gold.”

Warning posters are set up around town, and town callers are instructed to order everyone who has interacted with Valon to return the gold he gave them for services. Valon tries enticing Lakima and Aldus with the news that he just took a single bag from the dragon horde. He tells them that much more treasure awaits if they join him.

“It is not our concern,” Lakima says, dismissing Valon.

Returning to the ship, Domago asks if that is Valon he saw being pulled from the fire. Lakima tells him that it is. Valon has gotten into some local trouble, which is none of the Company’s concern. Domago does not ask any further questions. That evening, the company will stay at Peake’s Crossing. Lakima, Eathwund, and Aldus go to a local tavern for dinner. At the tavern, a gnome named Veric asks to sit and talk to them. Veric is from Winterhaven and has heard about the reputation of the Company.

“I am part of an adventuring company like you guys,” Veric says and points at two dwarves sitting at a nearby table. “We call ourselves the Three Dwarves.”

Lakima points out the obvious problem with that name, and Veric tells them he was adopted by the dwarves. Veric asks if they plan to go after the red dragon horde. He is disappointed when he learns they are hurrying to get home and have no plans to disturb the dragon. Veric ponders this and tells them that his group might take a crack at the dragon.

“You had better get a few more dwarves before going after a dragon,” Lakima says.

The next day, the company sets out again. Lakima tells the crew he wants to stop at Leadra’s Row. This is only a slight change from a direct course to Edgerton. They arrive in Leandra’s Row just after noon and set the ship down in a meadow near the Abbey of St. Leandra. A few curious villagers approach the marvelous flying ship, as do a few nuns of St. Leandra. Lakima asks to speak to the Mother Superior of the Abbey. Mother Millis remembers Lakima, Domago, and Eathwund and assures them that the fey creature they caught is still imprisoned in the caldron trap they created. Lakima asks the nuns to remain vigilant and tells them they cannot stay. The ship soon leaves Leandra’s Row.

The ship now makes a straight course for Edgerton. Across the horizon, they see storm clouds approaching from the east. Lakima begins looking for a good place to land to avoid the storm.

“Ship ahoy, approaching from the east!” Dagmar yells out from the crows nest.

All aboard the ship race to the rails and watch the approaching storm. They can just make out the shape of a flying ship on the storm's edge.

“Does it look familiar?” Lakima shouts out, assuming this might be the ship he created for the merchant's guild that was later pirated.

“Three masted!” Dagmar shouts.

Recalling that the merchant ship had a single mast, Lakima warns,” Get ready to repel boarders. This could be a pirate!”

The ship continues to head directly for the Cloudstealer. As they close the distance, they realize it is twice the size of their ship. The ship looks like a deep-water ship that has not been converted to fly. Seaweed and water pour off the ship, its sails are in tatters, and human skulls line the railings and bow. They see a crew of ghosts manning the ship while the ship appears sold, but it looks like it was dragged from the deep.

Eyeing the approaching storm almost upon the Cloudstealer, Lakima casts a control weather spell, summoning a tornado, and directs it at the ghost ship. The tornado grabs hold of the ship and drags it into the clouds. The high winds are too much for the old wreck, and it is torn apart, tossing debris down from the clouds. Lakima has the Cloudstealer head down for the safety of a landing. The Cloudstealer lands in a forest clearing as the rainstorm descends over them.

The charmed griffon tries pushing its way into the tent on the deck of the Cloudstealer, tearing the fabric. So Lakima climbs down to the ground, with the griffon following him. He erects a large tent on the ground and decides to spend the night. The griffon settles in beside him, and Luna and Aldus join him. Eathwund organizes the crew on the ship into watches.

That evening, the crew of the ghost ship attacked the camp. Twelve ghost pirates attack, and Domago drives off six of them with the strength of his faith. Aldus and Eathwund defend the campsite and the ship. Lakima casts magic missiles at the ghosts. One ghost flies to the ship's sails and hacks away at them. The griffon tries to drive it off but cannot affect the ghost with its claws or beak. When the pirate captain is badly injured and flees, the rest of the ghost crew joins him, and the griffon gives chase. Lakima tries to yell for the griffon to return, but it is quickly out of sight.

The following day, there was still no sign of the griffon. The Cloudstealer resumes its journey toward Edgerton. As they pass over a forest, a lookout yells out that a griffon is chasing them from astern. Lakima decides not to slow down. The griffon is left behind.

The Cloudstealer arrives over Edgerton in the early evening. Once the ship has docked, the exhausted company heads down into the Manor House. Alayna and Huntley are there waiting for them. They are relieved to learn that nothing important happened while they were away, so everyone sleeps after a meal.

The next day, Alayna gives Lakima a message from Duke Robert. The message arrived while they were away. The first of the flying ships has been constructed at a secret location. The Duke needs Lakima to come to his Hunting Lodge, where the ship was built, to enchant it to fly. Lakima sends a message back that he will come in a few days. 

A week later, the group flies to the Duke’s Hunting Lodge. The Duke shows the Company the flying ship he has constructed at a secret site near the Lodge. Lakima prepares the spells needed and gets to work. During the five days it takes Lakima to enchant the ship, fire elementals attack the ship-building site twice—first four minor elementals and then one major elemental. Eathwund and Aldus drive the elementals off with help from a water elemental conjured by August. The attack damages the ship, but Lakima does not lose concentration on the enchantment. When he is done, the ship lifts into the air. Lakima gifts the Duke with the Bowl of Commanding Water Elementals to protect the ship. In return, Duke Robert promises to give the Company a villa in Dolmvay.

Over the next few weeks, Lakima installs magic portals in the School of Magic in Edgerton linked to the Bridgeway and the Queens’ Library in the City of Glass (after asking the undead librarian Nikosi for permission). The group discusses the attacks on Duke Robert’s new flying ship. Duke Robert felt sure it was the work of the infamous wizard Bargle.

Demon Skull

The adventurers finished off the Saga of the Witch Queen adventure. It was touch and go as it took them a while to figure out that the Demon Skull was the source of the Blight. Once back in town, I still had a few hours of the game session remaining. The characters needed to stay in town for a week, waiting for their comrade Ian of Darkhollow to recover from a near-death experience.

Luckily, I had a short adventure in an abandoned Manor House I had written for the adventurers ' town several weeks earlier. I had not yet found a time to drop it into the campaign. I made a few minor changes on the spot and used it to keep the characters busy while they waited in this frontier town.

Session 164: The Demon Skull

Lakima (human magic user), Eathwund (human fighter), Aldus (human cavalier), Domago (human cleric NPC), Luna (charmed Human Fighter NPC).

The Company of the Black Dragon has headed north again into the Black Marsh, intent on ending the magical Blight killing people in Solene. The Cloudstealer makes its way through the thick mists until those onboard hear sounds from below.

Lakima lowers the Cloudstealer until everyone on the ship can discern the marsh below. They see a wagon pulled by a pair of horses and several orcs. The orcs are guarding a bridge and feeding the horses.

“Let’s surprise them,” Lakima says.

Lakima signals to everyone, and a barrage of missiles peppers the surprised orcs: darts, arrows, and even sling bullets. Two orcs fall dead, one crawls under the wagon, another hides under a dread tree, and a third runs off into the mists. Eathwund slides down a rope to the ground and kills the two orcs still in the area. From nearby, they hear a horn blowing, sounding an alarm. Within moments, they listen to shouts from orcs coming from all around. Lakima urges everyone back into the flying ship, and they ascend as silently as they had come. The ship continues flying through the mists until they reach the demon rock.

The company enters the Lizardman caves, leaving the crew behind to guard the ship. Lakima uses the Luminous Bridge spell again to get them over the flooded tunnel. In the first hall, they are ambushed by Lizardmen hiding behind a screen of woven reeds. The fight goes poorly for the lizardmen, and all of them are killed. Moving deeper into the dungeon, the group stops and notices runes carved above a door for the first time.

“We were in too much of a hurry to read these last time,” Lakima says. He then asks Domago to translate them. The runes tell the story that this is the tomb of a barbarian king who slew a demon. The final rune shows the king rising from the dead, holding a lightning bolt. The group also stops to check nearby doors that they bypassed last time. One door opens into a room with an unstable ceiling. A dead lizardman lies under a pile of rubble. Another door is covered with thin sheets of copper. The copper is stamped with runes depicting a battle with a creature resembling an owlbear. The final runes show the barbarian humans worshipping the beast. The door proves to be sealed tight, so Luna is asked to use her knock spell ability. Once the door opens, they see a full-sized diorama. A giant owlbear surrounded by straw dummies representing human warriors. The warriors were positioned with silver-bladed spears as if attacking the owlbear.

Aldus steps into the chamber, and the owlbear instantly animates. Ignoring the adventurers who rush into the chamber, the owlbear vents its anger on the straw men, hurling them all into the walls. The adventurers attack and the owlbear turns its attention to them. Their attacks strike a thick undead hide, and no blood flows where they penetrate the owlbear. Lakima ends the fight by disintegrating the undead creature with a spell. A harmless ash is all that remains of it. A determined search of the chamber does not find any treasure.

Deeper in the barbarian tomb, the adventurers come to the Great Hall, where they fought Lizardmen and a giant serpent earlier. The corpse of the great serpent still lies in the hall. From an opening in the wall, a group of lizardmen warriors wait, threatening the adventurers should they advance, but the lizardmen do not attack.

“Let’s check over there first,” Lakima says, pointing at a small alcove housing a tomb. Above the arched entryway, a single rune has been inscribed. Domago warns that he believes it is a trap, so Lakima casts dispel magic on it. A stone coffin and a pair of mummified giant wolves are in the tomb. Once they enter the chamber, the wolves animate and attack. Domago uses turn undead to chase the undead wolves from the chamber. The wolves run down the length of the Great Hall and hide in another tomb. Eathwund lifts the stone lid off the coffin, and they find it empty. But inside is a narrow shaft just big enough for a man descending into another chamber. The shaft walls are covered in metal needles, all pointed upward.

“We can’t get down that way,” Eathwund says. Lakima suggests using the oil of slipperiness, but no one else thinks it will work. Eathwund decides to investigate alone by using his armor of etherealness. He enters the ethereal plane and drifts down the shaft, arriving in a barbarian treasure chamber. Water pours into the chamber and flows out under a door from a broken section of the ceiling. The contents of the chamber are covered in a black-green slime. He sees broken wooden carts, furniture, chairs, and bits of bronze treasure. He also sees a giant skull, the only object not covered in slime. The skull is large with six eye-sockets, each filled with red rubies that pulse with light.

Suddenly, Eathwund feels a demonic presence in his mind. He falls to his knees in the muck and tries to fight off the attacks of a presence.

“I am Sozzan; your will is meaningless against my might,” Eathwund hears. Despite the demon’s confidence, Eathwund manages to fight the demon and drive it from his head.

“Ahhh!” Eathwund yells and stumbles to his feet.

“Are you okay down there!” Aldus calls out. Lakima casts a projected image spell and joins Eathwund in the chamber in spirit. He also sends the glow minion down to join Eathwund.

“You’ve found the demon skull,” Lakima says, “Send it up to Domago and the others.” A rope is lowered down the shaft to Eathwund, and the demon skull is hauled out. The glow minion picks up a few items from the hall that Lakima points out as magical. The minion washes them off in the waterfall and then carries them up the shaft.

Back up in the Great Hall, they are confronted by the Lizardman Shaman, who curses them in draconic. Lakima, who can understand draconic, tells the Lizardmen to back off they are leaving.

“Liars, Humans are all liars,” the shaman yells, “You promised never to return if I showed you the dragon’s lair!”

“We just forgot one item,” Lakima says, “We are on our way!”

The shaman continues to hurl curses at them, but the lizardmen are too scared of the adventurers to attack them. The adventurers make it back out of the tomb and board the ship.

“Back to Irllendom!” Lakima says.

“No! We have to destroy the skull by hurling it into the maw!” Domago yells.

“Fine, I want to look for the apprentice's spellbook while we are there,” Lakima says.

Lakima brings the Cloudstealer over to the Marsh Witch's fortress. Below, they see many orcs milling about, but there is no sign of goblins or hobgoblins. Once they are positioned over the maw, an open hole in the earth, Lakima tells Eathwund to hurl the skull over the side. Eathwund tosses the skull into the pit, and they hear it shatter on the rocks below. There is a loud, unholy scream that rises from out of the maw.

Scratch one Demon

“Now, let's check out the keep of the Witch,” Lakima says. The ship turns and heads toward the keep. They see the Witch Queen before the keep surrounded by orc guards. The ground begins to shake, and as they watch, they see the sides of the maw collapsing into the pit. The sacrificial stone tumbles into the pit. Orcs fall into the pit and watch towers crumble. The keep crumbles into the marsh. Boiling waters rush into the area, filling all of the holes. After the earthquake, there was no sign of the maw.

“Well, I guess the keep is gone,” Lakima says. I wanted to check for the spellbook, but there is no point anymore.” The ship sets out for Irllendom.

Back in Irllendom, the adventurers check on Ian, who is recovering under the care of the priests of St. Johan. They are told they need to give Ian a week to recover before it is safe for him to travel. Lakima is impatient, but they realize there is nothing to do but wait. Lady Tyra invites them to dinner on the second night they are in the town. Lakima tells her that the adventurers have put an end to the blight. Lady Tyra is concerned to hear that the orcs of the Mountain King have been seen in the Marsh. Tired of sleeping on the ship, they rent rooms in a home. Aldus, Lakima, and Eathwund spend time in the Leaky Barrel Inn.

One night, they encounter a carefree halfling who gives his name as Lucky. Lucky insists on paying for everyone’s drinks in the Inn. Lucky tells them he has just completed a well-paying job and wants to share his good fortune. The halfling asks only that they entertain him with stories of their adventures. Lakima is not interested in story-telling and returns to check on the ship. Eathwund is not much of a storyteller, so it falls to Aldus to entertain the halfling. Aldus tells Lucky about several of their adventures late into the night. Lakima returns and begins to question Lucky. Lucky then announces his departure.

The following day, the adventurers discover Aldus no longer remembers his encounter with the Death Knight. He has forgotten a few of his adventures. Lakima and Domago examine Aldus and do not find he is under a curse or a spell. He just has forgotten. Returning to the Inn, they learn from the Innkeeper that another man who was there the day before had forgotten his craft. Just then, Lucky enters the Inn, sees the adventurers, and turns and runs away. Eathwund chases after the halfling, and Lucky scrambles up a building like a spider. They trap the halfling on a rooftop when Lakima casts stun on him. Eathwund and Lakima go to the rooftop using the rope trick spell. Under questioning, Lucky tries to convince them that he is suffering under a curse cast on him by the witch of Black Marsh. Lucky turns into a giant spider and escapes into a nearby building. Terrified townspeople who see the giant spider light brands and threaten to burn down the building. The guards arrive and disperse the crowd. They enter the abandoned building but soon come running back out, claiming they were chased by hordes of giant spiders.

The guard leader asks Lakima, Eathwund, and Aldus if they can investigate. The adventurers agree and search the abandoned manor. Inside, they are attacked by various giant spiders before finding the fey creature they are chasing in the cellar. The spider is killed, and they find treasure from a few spider victims. Lakima advises the guards that they should burn down the building.

A Brave Stand

As I mentioned last week, the players in my Swords & Wizardry campaign are running through the DCC adventure Saga of the Witch Queen, modified to fit the campaign's rules and level. This week, they lost an NPC while battling the Witch Queen.

Session 163: Duel with the Witch of Black Marsh

Lakima (human magic user), Eathwund (human fighter), Aldus (human cavalier), Domago (human cleric NPC), Ian of Darkhollow (human cavalier NPC), Luna (charmed human fighter NPC).

The Company of the Black Dragon members are in their cloud ship, "Cloudstealer," hovering over a goblin fort in the middle of the Black Marsh. They believe that the answers to the Blight disease that is affecting Irllendom. They also expect to confront the Witch Queen of the Marsh.

“Okay, listen up, everyone. Here is my plan,” Lakima said quietly, waving everyone toward him.

“I will cast a spell, and then once I give the word, the rest of you toss ropes over the side and descend and kill the remaining goblins.”

The rest agree, with no better plan in mind. Lakima leans over, casts a wizard's eye, and then projects an image of himself down amongst the goblins of the fort.

“Flee before the mighty Lakima the grey, the greatest mage in all the lands,” the projected image yells and casts Fear.

The goblins are confused at first by the sudden appearance of a human in a blue cloak and his strange shouted words they cannot understand, but then the fear spell takes hold of them, and all of the goblins nearby run in fear. In this melee of confusion, Eathwund, Aldus, Ian, and Luna drop down from the sky and attack and kill goblins. Soon, the area was cleared of goblins and a few hobgoblins.

Eathwund and Aldus head toward one of the slave pits to free the inhabitants. In the pit below the flying ship, the humans and a few elves cower in fear of the adventurers. Luna uses a knock spell to break upon the door to the most prominent building. Aldus and Ian rush inside, and Aldus sees a fire giant working at a forge—the giant roars at Aldus in a language he does not understand. The goblin helpers of the giant then spill the hot coals out of several forges onto the floor, causing a raging fire. The fire giant bashes his way through the side of the building to the outside while the goblins escape through holes in the ceiling. As the fire catches onto the wood walls, Aldus and Ian run out of the way they came in.

Eathwund reaches the slave pit and sees a group of human men and women and one elf. All except the elf shrink back from the gore-covered fighter. The elf pleads for water. Eathwund tosses his waterskin to the elf.

Back beneath the flying ship, Lakima spots a large group of goblins approaching his projected image. He casts a lightning bolt through the wizard's eye spell, killing all the goblins. A moment later, a fireball spell comes back in the same direction, exploding around Ian, engulfing Ian Luna, Lakima’s image, and several goblins. The goblins are killed, but Luna and Ian survive the blast. Lakima then moves the image and the eye between buildings to the fireball spell's source. Here, he sees three identical witches, a fire giant, a hunch-backed elf, and five hobgoblins.

“The Witch Queen!” Lakima says, “Your time is over. Surrender to Lakima the grey!”

“You are not Lakima,” the witch says from all three images, “You are nothing but an illusion.” She yells at the hobgoblins to stop as they swing their blades through the image of the mage.

“You like fireballs?” Lakima yells and casts a fireball spell at the witch. Two of her images disappear, and only the real witch remains.

“Bacra, find the mage,” the witch says to the elf, “He is hiding somewhere nearby!”

The hunch-backed elf nods and disappears into the shadows.

The fire giant strides through Lakima and between the buildings until he confronts Luna. The Fire giant attacks and Luna struggles to avoid his giant hammer blows. Ian bravely attacks and draws off the giant's attention. Domago, who has been trying to help the prisoners, finds they have all been killed by the fireball. He joins Ian in attacking the giant.

Ian makes a brave stand

On the other side of the camp, Aldus and Eathwund are attacked by a pair of hill giants. They fight off the giants but are unaware of Domago, Luna, and Ian's desperate struggle with the fire giant.

On board the Cloudstealer, Lakima sits by the helm, peering through his wizard's eye and directing the projected image.

“Hey, someone is climbing up!” Dagmar says, pointing at the rope over the side, which has been drawn tight.

“Quickly! Cut the rope,” Lakima yells.

The crew, Dagmar and Cowan, grab hand axes and chop through the rope.

Below, Ian struggles in his fight with the Fire Giant. Domago is suddenly attacked from behind by the hunch-backed elf using a poisoned blade. Ian falls, felled by a massive blow to the chest, crushing his lungs. Lakima sees this through his image and summons an earth elemental to help Domago and Luna. The shouting also brings Eathwund and Aldus on a run.

Lakima tries to disintegrate the witch, but it does not work. The witch sends a summoned crow to attack Lakima on the ship, but it is driven off. Then she sends her demonic familiar.

Eathwund kills the Fire giant who falls over the body of the slain Ian. Lakima confronts the witch again, who, this time, flees. The witch turns into a crow and flies off. Seeing the adventurers arrayed against him, Bacra, the hunch-backed elf, tosses his dagger to the ground and surrenders.

“Don’t kill me,” he says, “I can tell you the witch’s plans!”

Lakima dismisses the spell and elemental, and everyone, including nine rescued prisoners, boards the ship. Initially, The prisoners are fearful, but Domago’s words calm them down. Lakima suggests that they return to Irllendom at once. But the others wish to hear what Bacra has to say. He makes them promise they will let him go if he tells them everything. He tells them about the blight blades that the fire giant was forging. The ore for the blades is mined from the pit they call the maw. This raw ore is forged into blades, and the orcs of the Mountain King come to pick them up. In return, the orcs bring supplies.

“What is it all for, you ask?” Bacra says.

He explains that a powerful wizard called Barrugal has convinced Kyleth the Witch to help him overrun Irllendom. The Witch held sway over the goblins and hobgoblins of the swamp and brought them to the demon rock as labor and protection. Bacra also tells them that Barrugal’s apprentice, Maeve, is below the Keep.

“Eathwund,” Lakima says, pointing at Bacra, “Throw him overboard.”

“No!” Domago yells.

Eathwund grabs Bacra and tosses him over the side. Bacra falls silently several hundred feet to the swamp below. Domago is briefly angered but gets over it.

The group returns and enters the large building Bacra identifies as the Keep. Inside, they find the quarters of the fire giant and several scrolls detailing weapon smithing. Lakima is attacked by Maeve with a poisoned dagger. He casts a charm spell successfully on Maeve. Maeve then details more of her master Barrugal’s plans and the location of Barrugal’s current hide-out. He is on the run, hiding from the wizard Bryan Sturlaker.

From the interrogation of Maeve and the details of a letter they find, it becomes clear that the witch is not directly responsible for the blight. The group returns to Irllendom. Domago needs time to rest and pray so he can raise Ian back to life. In Irllendom, Lakima casts feeblemind on Maeve and turns her over to the guard.

The next day, Domago successfully raises Ian from the dead. As Ian opens his eyes, he looks at Aldus and whispers.

“Did I kill the fire giant?”

“You did indeed,” Aldus says, “Well done.”

Ian then falls asleep. Domago tells them that Ian will be fine but will need a few weeks of rest to recover. The group discusses what to do next. Lakima argues that their quest is complete with the witch driven off and the Black Dragon killed. They should return home. He immediately looks to Domago, who is shaking his head.

“What, Domago.”

“St. Aleena’s Quest is not complete,” Domago argues, “We need to find the source of the Blight, which threatens the realm, and we need to find the witch and finish it.”

“Well, St. Aleena has been wrong so far,” Lakima says, “She said the threat was orcs, and all we encountered with the witch was goblins and hobgoblins.”

“We encountered orcs earlier fighting the dragon,” Domago replies, “Perhaps we do not have the entire story.”

“Well, ask her then,” Lakima says in exasperation. Domago agrees, but it means staying in Irllendom for another day.

The next day Domago communes with St. Aleena. He asks if the lizardman's lair's fountain is the blight's source. He is told it is not. The source is a demon skull that must be thrown into the maw to end the blight.

“I think the lizardman's lair is in an ancient barbarian tomb,” Lakima says. We are going to have to go back and search it.”

The adventurers board the Cloudstealer and once more fly toward the swamps. This time short, one man.

The Demon Rock

The players are going through an adaption of the DCC adventure "Saga of the Witch Queen" by Harley Stroh. In this session, they managed to move forward even though they had completely missed the clues laid out for them. The Leader was sure the Undead Dragon was the crux of the mission when it was really a sideshow. They went straight to Demon Rock, and I thought all of the other adventure areas would be missed, but then they left the Demon Rock and wandered around elsewhere.

Session 162: The Demon Rock

The Company of the Black Dragon is in the Black Marsh, looking for clues about the Witch Queen’s plans and location. Also searching for the undead dragon Stygoth, they enter a lizard man lair beneath the Demon Rock.

“It looks like we are going to get wet,” Eathwund said. He then clambered down for the Luminous bridge Lakima had cast and entered the dirty swamp water. The water came up to his armpits. Eathwund headed down the tunnel slowly, careful not to splash water in his mouth. He gradually found the water in the tunnel shallowing.

“It looks like it shallows up ahead,” Eathwund called out.

The rest of the company members joined him and made their way down the tunnel. Ahead, they could see Eathwund was now in only a few inches of water. A broken stone wall at the end of the tunnel allowed entrance into a man-made chamber. Lakima’s staff and a light spell on Ian’s sword lit the chamber. They saw wide stone steps heading up into the darkness. Dark shapes moved about at the top of the steps. There was a loud croak, and a smelly liquid poured down the steps, followed by a flaming torch tossed into the stream. The liquid immediately burst into flames, rising to the ceiling.

Eathwund used the power of his armor to turn ethereal and make his way up the stairs, where he saw several lizardmen warriors waiting. Just as he reached the top step, all of the warriors cried out and fell dead to the stone floor.

“I got them with a death spell,” Lakima said. The fire on the steps burned away the fuel and was extinguished a few moments later. Everyone joined Eathwund in a large, ancient hall. Eathwund became corporeal again. The hall was decorated with old, faded murals of human barbarians. But the recent occupants were lizardmen. Pallets of reds lay on the floor near a cooking pit. A primitive woven reed curtain divided the chamber.

“Check behind the curtain,” Lakima said.

Eathwund sliced through the curtain with his sword, and it parted quickly. On the other side, he saw a fountain of clear water with a stone statue of a human warrior with a spear standing in the center of it.

“We should check that door before moving on,” Lakima said, pointing at a wooden door with a copper covering half-buried in rubble. Eathwund used his giant strength and shifted the stones to one side so Luna could open the door. Inside was a chamber with three human statues. The statues looked peculiar; each held a tray on which gold, silver, and gems were gathered.

“War, famine, and pestilence,” Domago said, looking at the statues.

The adventurers decided not to touch or approach the statues after hearing Domago describe what they represented.

Continuing, they immediately encountered another group of Lizardmen. Lakima cast a sleep spell at them, but it failed. Some of the lizardmen stopped and vainly tried to fight Eathwund, Aldus, and Ian while two ran further into the complex. Those who stayed to fight quickly fell under the swords of the fighters. Ian and Eathwund took off in pursuit of the fleeing lizardmen and chased them to a hole in a wall leading to a carved tunnel. They wisely decided to wait for everyone else to appear.

At that moment, they noticed a deep drumming sound coming from somewhere up ahead behind two enormous copper-covered doors.

“Luna, open the door,” Lakima shouted. Luna moved forward and used the Cursed Helm of Free Action to open one of the doors. They all saw an enormous hall strewn with trash and weeds. A lone lizardman sat on a pile of garbage, banging methodically on a large drum.

“Silence him,” Lakima said.

Luna fired some arrows at the Lizardman, who immediately stopped drumming. Aldus ran forward and killed the lizardman with a few sword strikes. Then, a snake of enormous proportions slithered into the chamber through a large hole in the stone wall. The snake was at least fifty feet long. Its vast weight pushes the debris to one side.

Eathwund and Ian went on the attack. Aldus blew the Silver Horn of Valhalla, summoning three berserkers to their aid. Ian was bitten but did not succumb to the poison. The snake was being hacked apart when a dozen lizardmen entered the chamber and attacked the group while they were occupied. The fight ended with all the adventurers standing, but some gravely wounded. Domago moved about bandaging wounds and praying for those injured. Lakima took the time to animate four of the lizardmen as zombies.

The adventurers headed south into a cave that looked to be dug out of the rock. Here, they found a steaming hot pool where smaller lizardmen stood defensively. Lakima reasoned they were females protecting their eggs, and the group moved on. Next, they encountered the Lizardman chief, his shaman, and four more Lizardman warriors. The shaman transformed into a giant crocodile to fight them. While the chieftain ran away and the warriors were quickly killed, the giant crocodile put up a long fight. When it finally fell, it transformed back into a lizardman. With a shock, they realized that the lizardman shaman was still alive.

Lakima spoke to the lizardman in draconic and found he was understood. After some negotiation, the lizardman agreed to lead them to the lair of Stygoth. In return, he got Lakima to agree that the adventurers would never enter the lizardman's lair again.

To their surprise, the Shaman led the group back out of the lair and into the swamps. He led them across the swamps to a pool at the base of the demon rock. Through gestures and speech, he told Lakima that the dragon had an entrance into the demon rock at the bottom of the pool. With that, the shaman left, returning to the lair.

“Domago, do you still have that magic book that grants water breathing?” Lakima asked.

Domago reached into a sack and pulled out a worn and waterlogged book. “I have pages left in the book.” Gathering everyone about him, Domago tore out a page and read it. The page was consumed by the spell. Eathwund and Aldus were the first to enter the pool and swim down to a small opening leading into a cave pool. The rest followed the fighters.

“Wow!” Ian said, looking about.

Their magical light illuminated heaps of gold and silver coins, gems, and weapons at one end of the cave. Lakima took out his magic lens and looked about. He saw a few glowing magic items hidden amongst the coins and gems. Climbing about the piles of treasure, Lakima picked up all the items glowing with magic first and put them into the bag of holding.

“Just grab the gold. We do not have room in the bag for silver,” Lakima said.

Lakima set Luna and the undead Lizardmen to guard the pool's edge in case Stygoth returned to his treasure horde.

“Over here, everyone,” Ian cried out. He pointed down at the corpse of a man in simple brown robes. In the man’s right hand, he clutched a dirty scroll. Lakima carefully removed the scroll and examined it. It did not give off a magical aura.

“He has not been dead for very long,” Domago said while examining the corpse, “Maybe as little as a few weeks.” Domago pulled a silver chain around the man’s neck, revealing a holy symbol.

“A priest of St. Clarrisa the wild,” he said.

Lakima read the scroll, which was written in the common tongue.

Many days now have passed since last I saw the dragon. I prayed for the dragon to die, and it seems, cruelly, my wish has been granted. Faith alone sustains me, along with the belief that my death shall not be in vain. This much our research has shown; the disease putrefies the living. There is something in the water, born from the mines bored into the earth to the east. But the swamp cannot produce such vile corruption on its own. The devil‐born lizard men, perhaps? The dragon has whispered ancient ballads in its sleep, songs of demons and savage kings. The demon and the profane taint – they must be related. My last regret is that I will not live to see them both destroyed.

“Interesting,” Lakima mused.

“What does it mean,” Eathwund asked.

“I think this demon rock came from the sky or another dimension. Somehow, the lizardmen disturbed that fountain we saw, which has poisoned the swamp.”

“Now what?” Aldus asked.

“We prepare for a visit from the dragon. We have his horde. He is bound to come calling,” Lakima said.

The adventurers settled in, careful to always have a few of the fighters on watch. After four hours in the damp cave, they began to have some second thoughts. Just as Lakima started thinking they should return to their ship, everyone saw a tremor in the pool or water. Moments later, Stygoth, the undead dragon, rose menacingly out of the pool.

Stygoth did not boast, threaten, or parlay. He immediately breathed a cloud of poisonous brown gas, filling the cave. Choking and gasping, the adventurers were briefly vulnerable, but the undead lizardmen Lakima raised were not affected, and they immediately tore into the dragon with teeth and claws. Large wounds on the dragon's sides were opened, revealing its rotting insides. Eathwund and Aldus attacked with their swords while Lakima summoned a Water Elemental from the swamp water. The undead dragon Stygoth was killed, and Eathwund delivered the final blow, chopping through its neck to decapitate it.

Lakima put the dragon’s head into the bag of holding.

“We will need this for the bounty,” he said, “Let’s head back to the ship.”

The journey back to the Cloudstealer was uneventful. Once they reached the ship, they hailed the crew, who threw down a ladder. They found that Dagmar was ill, and it was soon apparent that Ian and Luna were also sick.

“I think it is the Blight plague that they have,” Domago said, “It is fatal.”

Domago cast a cure disease spell on Ian, and the ship ascended into the fog. Lakima told everyone they were headed back to Irllendom to collect the bounty on the dragon.

“We were not sent here by St. Aleena to fight a dragon,” Domago said, “We need to put a stop to whatever schemes the Witch Queen has hatched. That is the true threat to the Realm.”

Domago was ready to be let off the ship to continue his quest. Lakima convinced him that it was just a short stop in Irllendom. They would be back to deal with the Witch Queen after a bit of rest. The Cloudstealer headed back through the fog south. After a few hours, the fog began to clear as they left the swamp. Below them, they saw fields and later farmland. Near the end of the day, the town of Irllendom could be seen ahead. The ship set down in the commons near the keep again, and the adventurers made their way to the castle. At the gates, they let the guards know they were coming to collect the reward for the dragon. Lakima drew the dragon’s rotting head from the bag of holding to show the guards. One of the guard captains was summoned.

“The dragon appears to have rotted away,” he said, “Did you slay the dragon or find his corpse lying in the swamp?”

Lakima told the captain that he was wrong. They slew the dragon, who was undead after being afflicted with the blight. They caused the captain and the guards to draw back, worried that the adventurers might have the blight. The captain retrieved their reward, handing them a small coffer full of gold coins.

“Under the circumstances, the Lady does not wish to meet with you,” he said. You understand, of course.”

That night, the adventurers went to a new tavern—the Inn of the Leaky Cask. Here, they regaled the locals with their stories. Lakima spoke to some of the Vanhurr elves. From his conversation with the elves, Lakima learned that only Stygoth stood between the orcs of the Mountain King and the lands of Solene. The news that the dragon was no more was very disturbing to them. He also learned that a hermit lived near the demon rock and hated the Witch.

The next day, Domago prayed for guidance in healing those inflicted with the blight. With his touch, he was able to use the divine energy of St. Aleena to cure Luna and Dagmar.

“I am concerned about the town,” Domago said, “They do not have any priests here capable of curing the plague,” Domago told them he had sent a message to Edgerton asking for aid.

The Cloudstealer and the adventurers set out north again for the Black Marsh. Arriving at midday, they plunged into the familiar thick mist. Soon, they could not see the ground. Lakima maneuvered the ship in the general direction of where he thought the demon rock was located. Soon, they began to hear a rhythmic banging of metal on metal echoing through the mist. Bringing the ship down lower, a watchtower and walls began to emerge from the mists.

Lakima signaled for everyone to be silent. Everyone leaned over the ship’s rails to see a walled compound. Goblins manned the watchtower and scurried about on the grounds. Lakima guided the ship silently back up into the mist.

“What now,” Aldus asked.

Lakima raised a hand and sat down. Concentrating, he cast the Wizard Eye spell. While the others watched, Lakima narrated what he saw: a camp with dozens of goblins and hobgoblins, slave pits full of humans, dwarves, and elves, and a forge run by a fire giant. He saw a deep maw in the earth. Descending, he saw goblins mining a grey stone deep in the earth. The goblins all looked to be deathly sick.

After a few minutes, Lakima dismissed the spell and looked at his companions. “We need to plan an attack on the compound.”