Undead and drained levels

I am 4 weeks behind in my session write-ups because it is summer and I took a vacation. I prefer to write this up shortly after we played so topics are fresh in my mind. So today I will just talk about Undead in the campaign.

But first, a recap that the player characters are exploring my adventure The Hydra's Heart that is original although the suggestion or plot hook came from ChatGPT.

In this session, the player characters encountered and fairly easily dispatched some wraiths. Undead that can drain levels have been very rare in this three-year campaign. I have never felt comfortable draining experience from player characters. The few times it happened the reaction of the player was hard to predict. Remember that I run an online game with people I never knew before they joined the game. One former player lost a level to a Velya with aplomb. Did not bother them in the slightest. Other players have made it known that they would not accept being drained a level feeling it unfair. Since the whole point of gaming is entertainment I am not going to use a mechanic that angers the players.

I have settled on making a level drain temporary. The drained level can be regained through bed rest. I can rationalize this by thinking that a character losing abilities does not make a lot of sense. I forget where I picked up this concept. It was on a blog post somewhere.

Session 133: Winter Elves

Lakima (human magic-user), Eathwund (human fighter), Alrix (couatl sorcerer), Aldus (human cavalier), Domago (human cleric NPC), Ian of Darkhollow (human cavalier NPC), Apprentice August (human magic-user NPC)

The Company of the Black Dragon has been asked to retrieve an artifact called the Heart of Radiance from a Hydra for the elves of Willowbrook. Accompanied by an elven guide named Elysia Silverwind they killed the Hydra but did not find the artifact. Clues led them to the Temple of Whispers deep in the Kingswood. In the Temple, they encountered the missing Loremaster Kaelin who attacked Elysia and appears to have gone mad.

“She’s gone mad – attack her!” Lakima shouts.

Eathwund and Aldus run into the altar chamber and approach Kaelin who stands on a raised platform. Kaelin chants a spell and flagstones on the floor are tossed aside as skeletons of the long dead drag themselves up from where they were buried beneath the church floor. A line of six skeletons stands between the adventurers and Kaelin.

Lakima casts Feeblemind at Kaelin but he feels a weakened version of the spell bounce back at him – he successfully withstands the enchantment and realizes that Kaelin has also withstood the spell. Eathwund quickly smashes three of the skeletons menacing him to bits. Aldus manages to knock down one. Domago chants a quick prayer to St. Aleena and attempts to cast Hold person on Kaelin but it also fails and he feels it reflected back upon himself – he successfully resists his own spell.

“Spells are reflecting off of her!” Domago warns.

Alrix fires two arrows striking the mad elf in the shoulder and arm. She backs away and tries to take cover behind the altar. Eathwund now moves forward following her. Before he can get closer – Kaelin summons a Lightning Bolt that strikes Domago, Ian, and Lakima. All three are badly injured. Then a mound of rotting vegetation near Aldus erupts and a humanoid form of weeds moves and attacks Aldus.

“It’s a Shambling Mound!” Alrix yells.

Domago knocks down one of the two remaining skeletons but Aldus is attacked by the mound and slashed at by the last skeleton. Eathwund advances grimly on the mad elven woman. Stepping up to her he stabs her in the side. She screams in anger and prepares another spell, just then an arrow launched by Alrix strikes her directly in the throat and she collapses in a dead heap.

The shambling mound and the skeleton continue to attack Aldus. Aldus dispatches the forest creature and Eathwund crushes the last skeleton.

“Check her body for the Heart,” Lakima shouts to Eathwund.

Eathwund checks the dead elf’s body but only finds a silver ring on her finger. She has no other possessions other than simple clothing. Lakima approaches and casts Detect Magic. The only magic item on the dead elf is the ring so he yanks it off of her hand and puts it in the pouch of holding.

“Looks’ like a wedding ring,” he says.

Elysia who is just getting to her feet aided by Domago tells the group that Kaelin was never married. Aldus walks over to Elysia and asks her if she is okay. Elysia tells the knight that she was just knocked out by whatever spell Kaelin cast upon her. Aldus sincerely pledges to protect Elysia from further harm and is rewarded with a smile from the elven ranger.

Unable to find the Heart of Radiance on Kaelin, Lakima asks for suggestions. He searches the altar but finds nothing. Brovin suggests searching some of the other rooms of the temple. They search through a small sleeping quarter that Kaelin was clearly using but find only clothes. The next room has a set of steps that must lead down into the crypt.

Elysia shivers and looks about at the adventurers. She claims to hear the whispers of the dead coming up from the crypt. No one else appears to be able to hear anything.

“It’s why we call this the Temple of Whispers,” Elysia says. She tells the group that she will stand watch above ground in the Temple. She does not wish to follow them below. Aldus assures her that she will be safe here.

With Elysia left above the group descends into a dark crypt. Lakima and August light the way with Light spells. They find some ancient wooden casks in the chamber and a door leading into more passages. Lakima tells Brovin to take the lead.

“It’s dark and I cannot see a thing,” Brovin complains.

Lakima casts light on Brovin’s longsword. Brovin waves the glowing weapon about and then reluctantly leads the way. Looking down at the floor Eathwund spots bootprints going back and forth across the chamber floor. Brovin leads them down a corridor and into a natural tunnel. He moves as quietly as he can but clearly does not come close to the skill of the previous trap finder. Brovin holds up his hand and motions to Eathwund. Telling the fighter that there are frogmen in the tunnel ahead. Eathwund notices how cold the tunnel has become as he sees his breath in the glowing light.

“Frogmen, Let’s attack!” Aldus says and readies his sword and shield. Alerted by the light and noise the frogmen look blankly toward the adventurers.

“Now hold on just a moment,” Alrix says just as Lakima hurls a fireball into the group of frogmen. There is a loud explosion and smoke and debris boil from the cave up the tunnel. As the smoke clears, they see one frogman limping away from them and several blackened corpses lying on the ground. Aldus and Eathwund rush in pursuit and are blocked by two more frogmen who ambush them from a side tunnel. Aldus gets bitten once by one of the frog creatures but he and Eathwund are able to dispatch both.

“Are we sure they were not friendly?” Alrix scolds.

Lakima shrugs and points out that they are not friendly now. He tells Brovin and Eathwund to follow the bloodstained tracks on the floor and hurry after the escaping creature before it warns others. Eathwund follows the prints to a small cave that has a deep spring pool of water. They decide to move on. Following natural tunnels to an intersection, Brovin leads them back into a dungeon chamber. In this chamber, there is a strange statue of a female god with wild hair and outstretched arms.

“That is Merriva, goddess of the west wind,” Domago tells them.

There are several doors from the chamber and they wait while Brovin carefully checks them for traps. Suddenly, a gust of almost hurricane-force winds blasts through the chamber – seemingly coming from the statue. They all brace themselves and soon the wind dies down and disappears.

“Clearly meant to blow out the torches and lanterns of tomb robbers,” Lakima says, “be on your guard.”

Aldus applies his shoulder to a wood door and forces it open revealing a long, dark chamber and four wooden coffins lying on the floor. The entire area appears undisturbed for years.

“It’s undisturbed so we won’t find the artifact here,” Lakima says and directs Brovin to another door.

“Wait, what about treasure,” Aldus says, “that’s part of our quest!”

Lakima shrugs and waves for Aldus to do as he likes. Eathwund also enters the chamber. Aldus moves the coffin nearest to him and pries up the lid. Inside is a skeleton wrapped in rotting green robes. There is no treasure but a wraith-like form rises up out of the coffin and swings a misty dark hand at Aldus and misses. Three more wraiths rise up from nearby coffins and Eathwund and Aldus duck and weave to miss their attacks. Domago says a quick prayer to St. Aleena and then presents his holy symbol. Divine light spills out over the wraiths and they move back cowering from the priest. Undeterred, Aldus attacks with his sword and dispatches two of the wraiths. Eathwund also dispatches two while avoiding their deadly touch.

“Facing wraiths in melee is not wise,” Alrix says to the pair of fighters.

Aldus searches all of the coffins but finds only skeletons wrapped in rotted clothing. Brovin finishes checking the other wooden door but finds it is stuck shut. Eathwund comes over and shoves it open. It swings into a dark corridor that ends in a dead end. Shining the light from his sword about Brovin reveals a small wooden chest with a scattering of gold coins lying on the floor about it. Lakima joins them.

“That is obviously a trap,” Lakima says and then turns to Brovin, “Open it.”

Brovin argues a little but then moves to check the chest. Once he is sure it is safe, he gets to work on the lock. With a loud click, he opens the chest and is flung backward. Lying on the floor with his arms and legs held tightly by invisible bonds, his mouth open but not making any sound – his eyes full of terror. Only Eathwund is able to see that ethereal bindings cover the thief’s hands, ankles, and mouth. He tells Lakima who casts Dispel Magic.

“Aaahhhh!” Brovin lets out a loud scream once the magic trap is dispelled.

The contents of the chest are disappointing. Only 23 gold coins which Brovin dutifully scoops up. The group decides to check the stone statue of the god Merriva. They find that it can be twisted at the middle which opens a secret panel in its back. Inside Aldus finds a fine steel and silver mace decorated with images of lightning and storm clouds. He offers it to Domago but the priest declines indicating that he carries a mace that once belonged to his patron saint.

The group moves on and heads back the way they came and heads down the natural tunnel once again until they reach a large cavern. Chilly air blows up from the cavern. A simple wood ladder leads down from the ledge they stand on six feet above the cavern floor. Patches of ice can be seen below. Aldus climbs down and moves forward. He is joined by Alrix who immediately spots a troop of hidden blue-skinned Elves perched on a far ledge twelve feet above the cavern floor. A pair of arrows are fired by the elves, one strikes the ground near Alrix, and another nicks Aldus on the forearm. But no further arrows are fired and Alrix has time to climb back up on the ledge with the others to let them know about the elves he calls winter elves.

“Parlay?” Lakima calls out in elvish.

The leader of the Winter elves responds asking them to leave their caves as they are trespassing. They realize that it was not intentional so they will allow the adventurers to go in peace. Lakima questions the leader about the Heart of Radiance. He claims to know nothing about it. When asked about Kaelin above in the temple he claims that they do not go above to the surface. Aldus angrily shouts out that he wishes to challenge the elf who fired the arrow that struck him. Alrix suggests they remain calm, there is no need to start a fight they will regret. But Lakima relays Aldus’ challenge in elvish. The elves are not amused and demand that they leave immediately or face death.

Just then Alrix spots a pack of winter wolves running toward Aldus on the cavern floor.

“Winter wolves, look out!” Alrix shouts and casts a fireball high in the air in the cavern near the ledge. An enormous ball of fire explodes in the cavern, blasting the elves on the ledge and the winter wolves. Several of the wolves fall and the remaining wolf retreats. The elves pull the ladder to their ledge up. Eathwund invokes the enchantment on his armor and steps into the ethereal. He flies across the chamber and materializes amongst the winter elves lashing out at them with his sword. Lakima shouts to Aldus and throws him a potion of levitation. Aldus drinks the potions and ascends into the air. He then drifts across the cavern and lands lightly on the far ledge to attack the winter elves. A tough melee ensues. Both Eathwund and Aldus are outnumbered and attacked on all sides.

The elven leader casts an ice storm spell enveloping Lakima and Ian on the ledge and Domago and Alrix who have climbed down into the cavern. The deadly ice pummels them for several seconds inflicting cuts and wounds. Alrix casts a magic missile hitting the elven leader. Lakima attempts to disintegrate the elven leader but the spell fails. More winter wolves emerge and attack Domago and Ian. Alrix then casts a magic missile again striking the leader a second time. The elven leader raises a fog cloud obscuring the far ledge so that Lakima and Alrix cannot hurl spells at him.

“You will have to do better than that!” Alrix shouts and with a mighty blow of hair from his lungs casts control winds blowing the fog away so they can see the fight again. The elven leader unleashes another ice storm. This one knocks down Ian unconscious and kills the remaining winter wolves.

Alrix shouts at Aldus to get away from the ledge and Aldus grabs Eathwund and the pair float away from the ledge. The elves sheath their swords and ready bows. Then Alrix waves his arms above his head until he has built up a swirling maelstrom of winds. With a single wave, the hurricane-force winds strike the elves on the ledge flinging them like rag dolls against the wall. All of the elves lie prone and unmoving. He also blows the ladder off of the ledge and down onto the floor.

Aldus climbs up the ladder onto the ledge to investigate and finds all of the elves but one is dead. The remaining live one angrily says a curse at him in elvish. Lakima climbs up and searches the body leader. When he removes the leader’s simple necklace of black stones an illusion is broken and he finds he is holding the necklace with the Heart of Radiance.

“Found it!” Lakima says excitedly.

Aldus takes the swords from the dead elves. Lakima casts detect magic and finds that none of the swords are magical but they are of fine quality and have a unique appearance. Lakima does take the time to tie up the elf. He pens a warning in elvish on a blank parchment and pins it to the elf’s chest. Eathwund searches a side chamber and finds what is clearly a magical portal with cold mist pouring from it. Lakima checks the portal and decides it must lead to the winter half of the feywild.

Deciding they have what they came for the group heads back to the surface and finds Elysia unguard and unharmed. Aldus tells her of his brave exploits. Elysia leads them back to the elven village. They arrive in the early evening having had to make a detour around a pack of wild boars. In the village, the Loremaster Alric greets them warmly and takes the Heart of Radiance to be returned to safekeeping. The village leader asks them to stay for a banquet in their honor. Lanterns full of fireflies are strung between the trees and large tables are brought out. Soon the tables are full of elven fare – vegetables, fruits, and even venison. Aldus sits next to Elysia and attempts to court her. When he gets her alone near her cottage, he asks her to join the Company and move to Edgerton. She smiles and declines telling him that her place is in the village. Then she says goodnight.

The following day the elves pack the company meals for their trip and say goodbye. Aldus leaves a jeweled necklace in a small sack at Elysia’s door for the elven woman is no where to be found. The group boards their flying ship and sets sail for Edgerton. The group arrives before noon. Landing they make their way into the Manor and everyone heads off to their rooms. Domago does take the time to heal Lakima and August. But he is out of healing spells and suggests Aldus go to the Church of St. Cuthbert. Lakima finds that his wife Alayna is in a particularly foul mood. She complains of a bad nightmare the night before. Other staff in the manor also complain of trouble sleeping.

Lakima tells Aldus he will join him on walking over to the Church of St. Cuthbert. They find the church busy with worshippers. Abbot Marta does make time for them and heals the wounds of Aldus and his squire Ian. Aldus makes a large donation to the coffers of the church. Lakima asks Marta about the nightmares townsfolk are having. Marta confirms that it is widespread in the human population of the town. He did commune with St. Cuthbert earlier in the day and had a vision of a gigantic shadow beneath the town reaching upward with clawed hands to threaten them.

Lakima and Marta discuss the nightmares and the prophecy that Marta has seen.

AI Assistance

With this latest session, we start into the 77th adventure of this Swords & Wizardry campaign. I just wanted to say a short word about how I find and prepare. At first, the campaign was about playing some classic dungeon. The first dungeon was In Search of the Unknown, and the second was the Ruined Abbey (Dungeon of the Fire Opal) from the 1st Edition DMG. In these cases, I re-wrote the adventures for the Swords & Wizardry rules and to account for my player's characters. Later I went through re-writes of a lot of Swords & Wizardry adventures published by Creations Edge Games. Recently, I have used the plot and bare bones of a number of Advanced Adventures from Expeditious Retreat Press. All were rewritten to fit our play style. A few adventures covered specific events in the campaign.

As the player characters get into higher levels (9-12) this has been a lot harder. I did run some adventures designed for high level and I modified some mid-level adventures to be high-level. Now I am running out of adventures that I think will work. For one thing, high-level adventures often have plots that involve "saving the world". I do not want to save the world to become blase for the players.

The latest adventure (and the next 2 I have written) were suggested by AI (ChatGPT). I do not mean that the AI wrote them. What I did is use a series of prompts like, "Suggest a plot for an adventure for my dungeons and dragons group involving a hydra". Then I refined the prompt until I had the basics of a plot in a few paragraphs. All that remains is to draw the maps and fill and write up the adventure. This is how "The Hydra's Heart" came into being.

Session 132: The Hydra’s Heart

Lakima (human magic-user), Eathwund (human fighter), Alrix (couatl sorcerer), Aldus (human cavalier), Domago (human cleric NPC), Brovin (human thief NPC), Ian of Darkhollow (human cavalier Alt-PC), Apprentice August (human magic-user Alt-PC)

The members of the Company of the Black Dragon are resting and recovering in the town of Edgerton their current home.

Lakima goes into the town’s artisan street looking for a skilled glassblower. He finds such an artisan in Marcel Kubik. Lakima explains that he needs ground and polished lenses of a certain size in a platinum setting. Marcel quotes a price of 1,200 gold which Lakima happily accepts. That night while sleeping in the manor Aldus, Eathwund, and Lakima have bad dreams. Eathwund awakens in the middle of the night from a dream in which he kept falling into a pit, Aldus dreams that a stone golem snaps his sword in two leaving him defenseless to its huge stone fists, and Lakima dreams he is in a room full of fine sand deep underground when he falls into a sandpit and is dragged under.

When the sun rises Lakima finds his wife Alayna in the water closet scrubbing her hands repeatedly. She complains of a bad dream in which she spilled acid on her hands. Lakima asks other companions over breakfast about their sleep and each tells him of troubling dreams. Only Alrix had an untroubled night. Even the staff at the manor tell their employers of troubling dreams.

Suspecting that the dreams might portent some evil threatening their home Lakima checks with some neighbors finding they also had bad dreams. He suggests going to the Dwarven or Elven embassies to check with them. Lakima, Eathwund, Alrix, Domago, and Brovin head over to the Elven Embassy. The elves tell them that they had just sent a messenger to the manor asking for a meeting. They immediately take them in to speak to Wynather, the elvish ambassador. Before Wynather can explain why he wanted to see them, Lakima asks if the elves were troubled by nightmares. Wynather is puzzled and professes to know nothing about troubled dreams.

Eventually, Wynather asks them if they would recover a magical artifact taken from a high elven village by a hydra. The village is in Haven (Kingswood) and is populated mainly by elves from the feywild who have come back to the area now that Princess Argenta has returned. The object stolen is called the Heart of Radiance. When questioned, Wynather explains some of the objects reported powers. These include warding from negative energy. Alrix wonders aloud if this artifact could have something to do with the nightmares people have reported.

Lakima tells Wynather that they will get back to him with an answer in a few days. He suggests checking with locals at a nearby village some miles from Edgerton. Aldus and Ian join them as they ride out to Easthollow. This is a small farming village. Arriving in the village they make their way toward what appears to be a tavern. The tavern keeper Clafin tells them no one has had bad dreams here.

“No bad dreams here – except for Bif” he says.

He points out the village drunk. But he admits Bif always has bad dreams. The company stops for some drinks and then rides back to Edgerton. Lakima and Alrix head over to see Wynather again and tell him they will try to recover the Heart of Radiance. Wynather re-introduces them to Sienna a wood elf ranger they had met a few times before. She will lead them to Willowbrook, the elven village that is difficult to find for non-elves.

The next day Sienna arrives with her horse ready to ride.

“We will be flying not riding,” Lakima tells Sienna, and then points out the flying ship hovering over the manor. Sienna’s horse is taken to a nearby stable. The entire company boards the flying ship and set out for the Kingswood. Sienna clearly enjoying the trip takes a position on the bow leaning out over the railings to direct them. At one point they see a golden eagle following them but when Alrix calls out to it in a few different languages it dives down out of sight. Soon they arrive in Willowbrook.

Sienna introduces the company to Alric, the village loremaster, and to Daemarin the town elder. They tell the company about the hydra attack two weeks earlier. The evidence is clear to see. One section of the wall of the village hall where the artifact was kept is torn open. There are large tracks leading into the woods and trees and undergrowth have been pushed aside or flattened. As her task is complete, Sienna says her goodbyes and leaves the village.

Lakima suggests Brovin (the party's new trap finder) lead the way following the tracks left by the hydra. Looking at the obvious trail Brovin states that anyone could follow this trail. They follow the trail for a mile until it reaches a swift-flowing wide stream. There is no indication of what direction the hydra went.

“Maybe it was a wizard that polymorphed or teleported away,” Alrix suggests.

Lakima says that Alrix’s suggestion might be the case but more likely it just headed into the stream to hide its tracks. Alrix suggests that all of this behavior does not sound like that of a hydra.

“Hydra are simple-minded beasts,” Alrix says.

Lakima uses the arrow of direction and asks for the location of the hydra they are tracking.

“We should have asked for the Heart of Radiance,” Alrix says.

The arrow points downstream so they follow the stream. After half a mile they see a clear, recent trail smashed through the underbrush on the other side of the stream. They cross the stream and pick up the new trail. After a few miles, they see a large circular cave mouth. The cave entrance has been recently widened and stones excavated from the cave are piled outside the opening.

Lakima waves at Brovin and tells him to lead the way. Brovin complains about the darkness so Lakima casts light on Brovin’s sword. He also casts light on the top of his staff. August has the continual flame staff that already casts light.

Brovin leads them down the wide tunnel checking the floor carefully. They pass three narrow side tunnels but decide to stick to the main tunnel. The tracks of the hydra clearly head down this central tunnel. As they near a bend in the tunnel Brovin signals for silence and hand signals a large cave ahead. The lights from the spells reveal the entrance to a cave full of animal bones and debris. Alrix whispers a warning that he can see an enormous hydra with many heads (he cannot tell how many) resting with some eyes open and some closed. It is far bigger than any hydra he has seen before.

“What do we do?” Alrix asks.

Lakima shrugs, and says “fireball?”

Alrix summons a ball of fire and directs it into the chamber to strike atop the surprised creature. There is an enormous blast of flame followed by a large cloud of smoke. They can see movement in the smoke and when it clears they see the hydra’s body thrashing about. They see a number of heads, perhaps all of them, have been burned off of the hydra. As they watch heads begin to grow out of the blackened stumps. This is all that Eathwund and Aldus need. They both rush forward to hack away at still-forming heads. Ian the squire joins them. Lakima throws some darts but they have little effect. Eathwund is bitten by a newly formed head, as is Lakima, and August. But the fighters manage to chop off the remaining heads and the creature finally ceases moving.

Domago casts healing on Lakima and August. Alrix tosses aside a bent shield he is standing near and discovers a cloth bag full of gems, and coins. Alrix suggests tipping the hydra over to look under it. The dead hydra is lying on a heap of animal bones. Brovin suggests looking in its stomach for the Heart of Radiance. He cuts open the hydra but finds only the remains of a deer in its stomach. After much effort, Eathwund and Aldus manage to move the enormous corpse of the hydra so that everyone can look underneath it but there is nothing to find.

“It's not here”, Lakima says. “Let me try the Arrow.”

Using the Arrow of Direction Lakima asks for the location of the Heart of Radiance. The arrow does not move. This has happened before when the thing they wanted to find either did not exist or was warded from detection. Lakima suggests checking another tunnel. Brovin leads that way down a narrow tunnel that circles back onto the main tunnel near the entrance. They try another tunnel that leads to a small cave where they find the remnants of a recent camp. Under an overturned empty crate, Eathwund stumbles upon a torn piece of parchment with part of a note written on it. He cannot make sense of the cursive script. Lakima examines it and sees it is written in Elvish. He reads it out to everyone:

“…retrieve the Heart of Radiance for me and then

we can be together my love. My heart cannot

rest until we are together again. I whisper

Kaelin the fair on the wind.”

Lakima asks if anyone knows a Kaelin. The name sounds elvish so they decide to return to Willowbrook to ask. As the sun begins to set, they arrive back in Willowbrook. Alric says that Kaelin was the former loremaster before him. She used to spend a lot of time in the forest for weeks at a time. Eventually, she wandered off and never returned. That was two years ago. He tells them that she used to spend a lot of time at the Temple of Whispers a few miles from the village. He suggests looking for clues there.

Since the night is approaching, the elves offer the company the hospitality of the village. They have a guest cottage well outside the center of the village. Inside is a small kitchen and plenty of beds for the company. Eathwund tells the crew of the flying ship that they are staying in a cottage for the night. The crew elects to stay on the ship.

The next day Alric introduces the company to a mature elven woman named Elysia Silverwind – the best ranger in the village. Elysia tells them that she can lead them quickly and safely to the temple. She tells them that it is a human-built temple that must have been raised during the years when the elves left Kingswood.

Elysia leads them quickly through the maze of animal trails in the woods. At one point they circle around an area when Elysia warns of an owlbear. After almost two hours they see the ruins of the temple rising above the trees. The temple is overgrown with vines and only the walls remain. The roofs have long since collapsed. Brovin carefully leads the way entering the temple. In the nave, they find a large statue of a woman with long, wild hair. Domago moves up to look at it more closely.

“I believe this is Merriva,” he says, “A goddess of the wind”.

As he is looking over the statue, a dead tree that appears to have grown up out of the stone floor suddenly shifts and lashes out at Domago. He is startled but gets his shield up in time to block the strike. Domago cries out in surprise. The other adventurers see what happened and run to help Domago. Eathwund and Aldus attack with their swords. Alrix uses the Sword of Dancing to chop off branches of the tree. The animated tree lashes out with multiple branches.

“It’s a Ygg!” Elysia shouts.

The adventurers hack away at the tree until Ian and Aldus coordinate their attacks and smash through the central trunk. The tree topples over in a heap on the stone floor.

“What did you call it, a Ygg?” Alrix asks Elysia. Elysia explains that a Ygg is a magical tree from the feywild. Usually encountered in the area controlled by Winter.

“I suspected that,” Lakima says.

Meanwhile, Brovin has been listening at a nearby wood door. He motions for silence and then whispers that he can hear a woman sobbing on the other side. Aldus shoves the door open and they look into a chapel. The roof is still intact over the altar. Kneeling before the altar is a white-haired elven woman.

“Kaelin!” Elysia exclaims and runs forward to the woman. The woman starts when the name is shouted and then stands up and turns towards them. Her eyes are red from crying. She reaches out and then chants a few words and there is a burst of light which strikes Elysia knocking her out cold.

“All is not lost,” she says, “Perhaps your death will win me his favor.” She looks over the company arrayed before her with a look of madness in her eyes.

Death of Fenris

 A beloved NPC thief who has been the party's trap finder for the past 46 adventures or 90 or so sessions died (permanently this time) in this session. Fenris (the filch) was meant to be a member of an opposing adventuring party but through circumstances ended up joining the player's party. Fenris tripped many traps over the years but the players had, in the past, been able to revive him. They also gave him every trap-avoiding magical item that they came across. In session 128 Fenris fell into a pit and was killed but his body was stuffed in a Bag of Holding until the party could find time to use Raise Dead upon him. Fenris had other plans (failed his raise dead roll) and his spirit did not return to his body.

In this session, the leader of the team once more showed incredible common sense and insisted the party leave the dungeon once the goal was accomplished. Leaving me with half a dungeon written up that never got explored. Once they returned home I had to wrap things up early because I had not expected this evening to end so quickly.

Session 131: Rescue

Lakima (human magic-user), Eathwund (human fighter), Alrix (couatl sorcerer), Aldus (human cavalier), Domago (human cleric NPC), Ian of Darkhollow (human cavalier NPC), Apprentice August (human magic-user NPC)

In their search for the missing explorers from Valnwall, the trail has led to the ruins of Muhatia on a desolate plane. The adventurers approach a 100-foot square black monolith rising out of the sand. Near its base, they spot a pair of tattered tents.

The company approaches the black monolith and stands in its shadow. A giant red glowing rune lights the side of the black stone looming over them. They move about the two abandoned tents and find crates of spoiled rations and an empty barrel. It is clear that the camp was set up by the missing explorers. A few traces of footprints are still visible in the sand leading about the camp and up to the stone wall. Lakima uses the wand of secret door detection and finds the outline of a massive 10-foot square doorway on the side of the monolith. A trigger is also visible. He triggers the door and a stone block moves to one side grinding sand out of the way. A dark passage leads down steps inside the monolith. After a brief discussion with Lakima, Alrix instructs the woolly mammoth to follow them into the monolith.

Ian the squire lights a lantern and Aldus and Eathwund lead the way down into the stone vault. Domago pauses to cast detect traps. As they near the bottom of the debris-covered steps Domago shouts out a warning of a pit trap at the bottom. Aldus and Eathwund step around the area Domago warns is a trap. They find themselves in a chamber of grey stone. There is a metal door in the wall before them flanked by two tall stone statues. One is of some forgotten lord or king and the other depicts the familiar camel-headed human god they have seen before. The statues have shining gold adornments on their heads and each holds gold items in their stony grasps. The king holds a golden rod while the statue of the god holds a golden ankh. Eathwund examines the door and finds that there are no locks, handles, or hinges. The rest of the group makes their way into the chamber avoiding the trapped floor. Alrix uses hand signals and pushes the mammoth until it is convinced to step around the trapped floor. Lakima instructs August, who is still wearing the Cursed Helm of Free Action, to use a knock spell on the door. The spell works and the door slides to one side revealing a narrow hallway leading to another metal door. Domago checks using his magically enhanced perception and declares the hallway safe.

The door at the end of the hall also proves to be locked. August uses another knock spell to open it. The door slides open revealing an octagonal chamber with no other exits. The chamber is empty. Aldus steps inside the chamber and Ian shines the lantern inside. The walls are covered with painted murals that are only slightly faded. Footprints are visible in the dust and sand on the floor. The adventurers all move through the doorway into the chamber. Domago is intrigued by the murals and examines them. The murals chronicle a war between two peoples. One is depicted as wise and noble and one is shown as primitive and brutish. Clearly, the architects of the structure have depicted themselves in the best light. The murals show the enemy people praying and receiving aid from an avatar of a god who is shown as a giant human with the head of a hippopotamus. The builders of this structure are shown trapping the avatar in a metal coffin that leads to their victory.

Lakima uses the wand of secret door detection and finds that each of the walls has a secret door – seven in all. There is no sign of a trigger to open the doors. Lakima steps up to one of the walls that the footprints lead to and he places his hand on the stone. Immediately a glowing portal opens in the wall showing a stone passage. An elderly woman dressed in robes stands in the passage not 15 feet away. She looks up startled and starts to back away.

“Windmaster!” she yells.

Lakima tries to calm the woman telling her that they are here to rescue her. A few seconds later Windmaster Bryan Sturlaker comes running around a corner and enters the hall at the far end.

“Lakima?” he says, “Quick, Meika jump through the portal!”

The woman (Meika) and Bryan quickly run forward and leap through the opening into the chamber. They stand panting. Bryan looks about puzzled as he spots the mammoth towering in the chamber. He greets Eathwund and Aldus. Once he has caught his breath, he tells them he has been trapped in the hallway for 3 days. He asks about the other explorers from Valnwall but is told they have not been found.

Lakima explains to Bryan that Ezmeralden and Nissa asked them to find him. Now that they have found them, he wishes to leave this realm as quickly as possible. It takes some convincing from Bryan to get Lakima to agree to look for the other explorers. Bryan explains that the corridor he was in led to a chamber where he had to destroy clay constructs. There was a door in the chamber but he could not get it open. The structure they are in is warded against dimensional magic. A knock spell also did not work on the door. When they went back to try another secret door, they found that the passage had closed behind them. He suspects that each of the seven doors leads to another challenge that must be overcome but he has not divined the purpose of the structure.

Now that they have decided to continue the search, they pick another door. Lakima opens it and they see another stone passage. This one has a stair leading down. To avoid getting trapped on the other side of the portal, Meika is left behind in the chamber to open the door if it closes. The mammoth is left behind with instructions to protect her. Domago casts Detect traps again.

With Domago in the lead warning of any dangers, they move down the stone steps and enter a hall that enters from the left. They see a metal door that is partially ajar with a dim flickering light shining through the gap.

“Baris?” Bryan calls out.

The door soon swings completely open and they meet six of the missing explorers from Valnwall. They appear hungry and thirsty and three of their number are injured. Domago moves forward and begins to tend to the injured. Bryan walks over to Baris and grabs him by the shoulders for a hug.

Baris explains that the explorers made their way to this structure which he calls “the god prison”. They explored three of the secret doors and two of their number were killed and two injured. He points to a pit in the center of the chamber. A pillar in the middle of the pit has a crown upon it. Four pillars extend from floor to ceiling. Baris tells them that the pit is blocked by an invisible barrier. Once they found they could not get past it they headed back to the octagonal chamber but found the door had closed behind them. This had not happened in the other two chambers they checked previously. The doors stayed open for several days. They found they were trapped and Baris was unable to pass the door because the structure is warded to prevent spells like dimension door or passwall from working.

“Do you know what this is, Windmaster!” Baris tells Bryan excitedly.

Bryan indicates he has not discerned the purpose of the structure. Baris tells them that from the writings he has deciphered the mages of Muhatia imprisoned the god Menepta here or at least its avatar. They then used the god's power to destroy their enemies. Baris tells Bryan that the knowledge and power in the structure must be immeasurable. He is eager to explore it more now that Bryan has brought more mercenaries.

“Hold on!”, Lakima exclaims, “we are not hired mercenaries.”

Lakima explains the interest of the Company of the Black Dragon in being here. They have only come on a rescue mission and they feel that they have accomplished their mission.

“You are welcome to stay, but we,” Lakima points to the company, “are leaving.”

Baris and Bryan try arguing with Lakima about the merits of exploring, promising magic knowledge and treasure but their arguments are not persuasive enough. Eventually, even Bryan agrees that they should head back to the portal to Valnwall. The group heads back to the chamber where Meika waits. Some of the explorers are startled by the presence of the mammoth in the chamber but Alrix sets them at ease. The entire group makes their way back outside into the desert. Baris and his company pack up the tents and they set out following the stone markers of the ancient road.

They pass the palace of the undead a few hours later. Baris tells them that his team decided to avoid it as they had heard it was populated by many of the undead. Lakima tells them of some of the company's adventures in the ruins. Later that evening they set up their camp with the mercenaries providing a watch. Despite this, the adventurers decide to set their own watch. Overnight a sandstorm buffets the camp for several hours before subsiding. They find that the winds have transformed the desert landmarks but the road markers are still visible. It takes another day for them to reach the village of Zentrium.

In Zentrium they are greeted warmly and again Jabari offers them the hospitality of his home. Over a meager dinner, Lakima tells his hosts about the Tomb of Zoser. Jabari tells him that Zoser was a legendary king who united their tribes. Lakima suggests that the destruction of Zoser’s mummy might bring water back to the land. His hosts are skeptical.

The next day the group reaches the bridge in the desert. Lakima explains that they left a crystal ball with Ezmeralden. As he is explaining this the bridgeway hums to life revealing a portal back to their world. They cross and arrive back in the Kings’ wood.

Lakima is eager to get back to Edgerton so they say their goodbyes. Bryan thanks each member of the company and promises to repay them someday. Lakima suggests that he find a good keeper for Nissa. 

The rotting corpse of Fenris is removed from the bag of holding and placed on a grass-covered hill. Domago attempts to raise Fenris from the dead. After a few hours of praying Domago gives up and admits defeat.

“I could not reach him,” he says dejectedly.

A grave is dug and Fenris is buried on the hillside near the bridge. A simple wood marker over the grave. The adventurers lift their flying ship and fly back to Edgerton.

In Edgerton, the group settles in at the Manor. Alayna learns of Fenris’ death. Lakima pays for flyers to be sent out advertising a new trap finder for the Company of the Black Dragon. Potential recruits to inquire at the Sign of the Purple Bugbear tavern. He and Eathwund go to a locksmith and purchase his most secure lock. The locksmith proudly shows them a lock worth 150 gold which he proclaims cannot be opened without the key. Lakima purchases it. They bring the lock to the tavern and ask applicants to pick the lock to show their skills. Over a dozen “locksmiths” try without success. Old Pete, the owner of the Bronze Key tavern, is able to open it. He requests the 500-gold prize that was offered. Lakima pays him but also asks if Pete would like to join the Company of the Black Dragon. Pete, who is a portly man in his fifties declines the offer. But he does recommend a “specialist” called Brovin Laughingman. He tells them that he will inform the Laughingman of the offer of employment. Later that day Lakima uses magic to identify the items they found in Zoser’s tomb. The scimitar that Zoser is found to be a foul device that steals souls. It is given to Domago so he can arrange for its safekeeping in the church vaults.

Aldus finds that he cannot approach any horses. Any horse he comes near to try to move away from him. Some horses kick out at him or try to bite him. He realizes he is suffering from a curse from the tomb of Zoser. Once he tells the others, Lakima casts remove curse on him and the issue is solved.

The next day a hooded man appears in the manor house main hall having bypassed the locks on the front door.

“Are you Brovin Laughingman?” Lakima asks him.

The man answers in a flat voice that he is Brovin. He does not answer to Laughingman. He is a man of few words and a taciturn manner. Lakima offers him Fenris’ former room and all of the gear Fenris had on him when he died to join the company. Brovin takes a little convincing but he agrees.

Stay the Path

In this session of my Swords & Wizardry campaign, the players actually continued hunting for the two groups of missing explorers in a strange desolate world with a red sun. It was a near thing. The leader of the group was all for returning to their own dimension and leaving the explorers. He reasoned that they had done enough. Other players stepped in and argued to continue.

This is an ongoing issue in a long campaign like this. The players make almost no suggestions on where they would like to go next or things they would like to do next. They expect me to present them with multiple options. Which I would do if I had the time to write a dozen extra adventures. It makes a hexcrawl campaign seem ideal. But I wonder if the players would not take any action - instead waiting for something to come to them.

Session 130: King Zoser

Lakima (human magic-user), Eathwund (human fighter), Alrix (couatl sorcerer), Aldus (human cavalier), Domago (human cleric NPC), Ian of Darkhollow (human cavalier NPC), Apprentice August (human magic-user NPC)

The adventurers have traveled by the bridgeway to a strange world in another dimension where a red sun beams down about desolate wastelands. They are searching for the two previous groups of explorers sent here who have not returned. They are raiding the tomb of King Zoser looking for any trace of the missing explorers.

Having gained a key shaped something like a sprocket after defeating the Magma elemental the adventurers traverse the hallway to the door to the chamber full of sand. Entering their light illuminates a stone throne against the far wall. A dust devil of sand sprays up onto the throne.

“Looks like a sand elemental,” Alrix says.

Eathwund and Aldus take the lead walking cautiously into the chamber. They find that the sand covering the floor is deep and difficult to walk through. Soon, the rest of the company follows. Domago tries using the Helm of Comprehend languages to address the creature in the language of air elementals. It does not respond and takes no aggressive action.

“Do we attack it?” Aldus asks, puzzled.

“I hate when creatures do not respond,” says Lakima.

Then Lakima unleashes a volley of magic missiles into the vortex of sand. The missiles strike something, and the sand elemental immediately moves forward over the sandy floor. They see sand from the floor flying up into the elemental renewing its form. Aldus and Eathwund attack with swords and see sprays of sand fly from the shape where their swords hit. Alrix fires several arrows at it and Domago strikes with his mace. A blast of sand sprays out from the elemental striking Lakima hard in the chest and pushing him back. The battle continues with several exchanges as the elemental renews itself from the sandy floor. Eathwund is stuck by a blast of sand. The sand elemental starts to get smaller and smaller until it finally peters out and dies. A metal disc falls to the sandy floor.

Eathwund grabs it up and hands it to Lakima. It is another metal disc but this one has three teeth on its outer edge.

“Three teeth, this is the one!” Lakima says.

The group heads back to the chamber with the two statues holding spheres of stone over their heads. Lakima inserts the metal disc into the back of one statue and it fits perfectly. After a few tries he finds he can turn the disc to the right. As he does the arms of the statue descend holding the sphere until the stone ball rolls out of the statue’s hands and across the floor. Everyone waits expectantly but nothing happens. Lakima then removes the key and tries it with the same results in the back of the second statue.

Eathwund finds he can move the stone balls despite their enormous mass. He carefully rolls them near the round door.

“The stones block the hole, maybe?” Eathwund says.

“I think there is another room, behind the door mimic,” Alrix says.

The group decide to go back and question the mimic again. Eathwund dutifully drags another troll corpse over as another offering. The mimic asks for the corpse but they withhold it asking the mimic to reveal what is on the wall behind it. The creature claims that it is a blank wall and that it cannot move. The builders placed an enchantment on it preventing it from moving. The adventurers debate killing the mimic while the creature begs for its life claiming it is not hiding anything.

“I have an idea,” Lakima says.

He casts passwall behind the mimic revealing that nothing is behind it but solid stone.

“There might still be writing behind it or a portal,” Domago says. But the group decides to leave the mimic in peace. Eathwund pushes the troll corpse closer to the mimic and it eagerly eats the offering.

Returning to the chamber of the stone balls, everyone takes positions while Eathwund grabs the lever controlling the door. The lever is triggered and the door rolls open. A huge blast of wind roars through the chamber and the two stones roll through the doorway dragged into the hole in the center of the chamber beyond. As soon as they fall into the hole the wind drops to nothing. All is quiet and peaceful again.

“That’s it?” Lakima asks.

The adventurers walk into the wind-scoured chamber beyond. There is not much in the room only a metal door in the far wall with no hinges or handle. In the center of the door is a circular depression. Lakima tries fitting the sprocket key that has four teeth and finds it fits perfectly. Turning it to the left slowly slides open the metal door. Beyond is a dark chamber lit only by the light from Ian’s lantern. They see two, tall, red-clay statues standing to either side of a gold door. To their right and left are two similar gold doors etched with the images of a woman with bird wings.

“I think those are clay golems,” Lakima says uneasily pointing at the two enormous statues, “Let’s be careful – head for the door on the right.”

The group quietly and slowly walks over to the door on the right. It looks like it is covered in solid gold plates. Eathwund reaches out to open the door, and both Clay golems step down from their platforms and move slowly toward them. They shout out a challenge in an unrecognizable language.

“They said No!” Domago yells.

"I figured that!" Lakima shouts, “Quick, everyone to me!” 

Lakima then casts Protection from Evil. The golems continue to advance but then stop, unable to get through the magical barrier Lakima has created. Eathwund opens the door and looks into a small chamber with an enormous stone coffin resting in it. The coffin is decorated with engraved images of a mighty warhorse. Aldus enters the chamber and moves to the stone coffin. Eathwund spots an ancient leather saddle encrusted with jewels. He directs Ian to pick it up and carry it.

“Should I open it?” Aldus asks. Lakima nods and Aldus shoves open the stone lid. He feels an uncomfortable feeling deep in his chest but it quickly passes (he has in fact been cursed). Inside is the corpse of a mummified horse. Aldus does not spot any treasure so he slides the lid closed again.

Struggling with the large saddle, Ian follows Eathwund and Aldus out of the tomb. Aldus advises his squire to toss the saddle aside should they get in a fight or have to run.

Lakima continues to keep the clay golems at bay as they cross the chamber to the main door. Approaching it they see it is inscribed with the image of a king holding a staff in one hand and a sword in the other. Aldus opens the door and they see a small chamber before them, the floor is covered in a pile of gold coins and small gold statues. A single stone coffin rests in the center of the room covered in carved symbols. The stone coffin is open and a mummy holding a sword waits for them patiently.

The creature says something in a dry voice. Seeing their confusion it speaks again, this time in halting common.

“Begone from my tomb, foolish mortals!”

Lakima speaks to the mummy and learns that it is the undying King Zoser, the first king of the Muhati tribe. He threatens them with death or curses and claims to be constantly renewed by the magic of the pyramid. Lakima asks about the explorers from his home world and Zoser claims he has lain undisturbed for centuries. Lakima tells Zoser that his kingdom is gone and is now a desolate wasteland. This greatly angers Zoser.

“Lies lies!” Zoser shouts and moves forward striking Eathwund with his sword. Blood splatters from the wound he opens. The fight does not take very long before Zoser is brought down. As he is falling, he laughs at them calling them fools and primitives, and promises to rise again.

Domago uses his staff of healing on Eathwund again. Eathwund searches the chamber. The stone coffin appears to be empty. He does find a locked chest he cannot open. Lakima checks it and finds it is not trapped with magic. August opens the chest using the knock spell from his cursed helm. Inside they find several magical weapons and a mysterious metal flask that appears to be empty. Eathwund picks up the sword the mummy was wielding. They have to remove some gold from the bag of holding to get the weapons into the bag. Lakima checks the ceiling above and sees a pattern with a blue gem at the center. The gem glows with weak magic. Using his staff, he casts telekinesis and pulls the gem toward his hand. Lakima examines the gem and he uses the last charge of the arrow of direction asking for the source of the life force sustaining Zoser. The arrow points at the gem. Lakima then asks Domago to smash it. Domago does so with his mace. There is a burst of blue light as he breaks the gem. A disembodied spirit howls in anguish screaming, “No!”

They look and see Zoser’s mummified corpse turn to powder. Outside the range of the protection spell the two clay golems cease their movements. The adventurers congratulate each other. Lakima checks the chamber carefully with his wand of secret door detection but he finds nothing. 

“Well- I guess we leave, the explorers we are looking for are not here.”

Before leaving the group moves across the chamber to the second gold door. Aldus opens the door and inside they see a small chamber with two normal-sized stone coffins. Each coffin lid is carved with a relief of a different woman. Lakima checks for magic and he sees that each stone lid is enchanted to discharge a lightning trap should they be disturbed. He checks with Domago and then working together they dispel the magic on both coffins. Eathwund moves to one coffin and Aldus to another. Aldus pushes the lid aside first and a mummy rises out of the coffin to attack. In front of Eathwund the stone lid on the other coffin slides to one side and another mummy attacks. Domago presents his holy symbol and forces both mummies back into their stone tombs. The adventurers quickly leave the chamber and close the door again.

The group decides to leave the tomb. They have no encounters as they are leaving and they are soon outside again. Lakima suggests returning home via Zentrium but Eathwund suggests that the arrow pointed north to find the explorers so they should continue following the road. The road heads northwest toward the mountains but at least it is heading somewhat in the right direction.

The group decides to continue following the road setting out again with the sun high overhead. They walk through the wasteland for a few hours before spotting the ruins of a city on the horizon. Still uncovered by the sand are the remains of a palace. A stone staircase leads up to a pair of wooden double doors. A pair of camel-headed human statues stand at the base of the steps.

“Let’s get inside before the sun sets,” Lakima says.

Aldus and Eathwund lead the way up the steps and come under fire from arrows coming from arrow slits in the wall facing them. Eathwund continues running up the steps and he smashes the wood doors open with his shield. Inside he finds a large number of animated skeletons armed with bows and swords. Eathwund smashes two apart before matching blades with the leader of the skeletons who is wearing rusted armor. Aldus soon joins Eathwund and smashes several more skeletons. Domago tosses his shield down on the steps, says a command word, and it transforms into a large lion. He points at the skeletons and the lion roars and leaps on the skeletons. Domago then lifts his holy symbol presenting it to the skeletons and several of them are blasted to pieces. Aldus and Eathwund dispatch all of the skeletons with the exception of the skeleton general who keeps fighting. It takes a number of blows to destroy it.

The group searches through a few empty chambers including a throne room finding nothing of interest. They decide to set up camp in what was once a barracks. Watches are set and the summoned lion is left pacing the hall outside the door to their room. As soon as the sun sets the lion increases its pacing and lets out the occasional roar. Eventually, since no one can get to sleep they open the door and find several wights and wraiths surrounding the lion. Several wights fall quickly as Domago uses his holy symbol to destroy them. Two remain and Lakima drinks a potion of wight control to take over their actions. Domago yells a warning that he can see several wraiths and a spectre moving toward them from the throne chamber. Alrix casts a fireball destroying some of the wraiths and the controlled wights. Lakima then uses the Staff of Power to cast another fireball and the remaining wraiths are destroyed. Domago enters the throne room and uses his faith to banish the spectre that was waiting there on the throne.

The group returns to the room and sleeps the rest of the night with two of their number on watch at all times. In the morning they pack up and leave. As they head out on the road Eathwund asks if they should not search the ruins but Lakima reminds him that their packs are already full of treasure.

The group sets out following the road through the desert until they see a black obelisk rising out of the desert. As they get closer it continues to get bigger and bigger. The ruined obelisk is fully one hundred feet square. In the lee of the obelisk, they see tattered tents and supplies, their first possible evidence of the explorers they seek.

Find the Key

This next session, number 129 we were without the party leader. Lakima the mage has become the leader of the group over the 3 years of playing. His job times changed so it looked like we might be without him for a few months. I told him I would play his PC as an NPC to the end of the current adventure and then have his character take a break to study magic. As it turned out he only missed one session. He found a way to make it with us moving the time slot forward slightly.

This session was a classic "find the keys to move the plot forward" session. Without Lakima's player gone the other players had to step up and without a clear leader, there was a lot of back and forth without a clear decision. But we got there and no one's character died.

Session 129: Puzzles

Lakima (human magic-user), Eathwund (human fighter), Alrix (couatl sorcerer), Aldus (human cavalier), Fenris the Filch (human thief NPC), Domago (human cleric NPC), Ian of Darkhollow (human cavalier NPC), Apprentice August (human magic-user NPC)

The adventurers have traveled by the bridgeway to a strange world in another dimension where a red sun beams down about desolate wastelands. They are searching for the two previous groups of explorers sent here who have not returned. Recently they have entered the tomb of King Zoser.

Eathwund opens the metal door at the far end of the chamber. It leads down a short hall to an intersection of two hallways. With his darkvision Alrix can see a chamber to the north where human-sized statues line the west and east walls. There are four doors down the west and east passages here. Eathwund heads to the left and notices that warm, dry air is blowing toward him from under the door at the end of the hallway.

“That door might lead back outside?” Alrix says.

Eathwund decides to open the door before him on the north wall but Alrix warns they should be cautious and suggests they use the periapt vs. poison that Fenris was wearing when he was killed. Lakima pulls Fenris partially out of the bag of holding and they remove the periapt. After some discussion, it is decided that Aldus should use it since he is bigger and stronger than Eathwund. Aldus puts on the periapt and opens the door. The door opens outward into the hallway and reveals a 20-foot-square room. Two large chests rest on the floor. Aldus steps across the threshold of the doorway and vanishes. The entrance also vanishes and is replaced with a stone wall. Eathwund examines the wall and realizes that the room was an illusion.

“Where has Master Aldus gone?” Ian the squire asks.

Since they have no idea where Aldus has gone the group decides to move on, figuring that Aldus is likely somewhere nearby and will soon find the group.

Meanwhile, Aldus finds that he steps through the doorway and then the room is instantly covered in darkness. His foot comes down on something that snaps and feels like wood. Reaching down he finds it is a human bone. Aldus calls out to his companions but they do not answer. Feeling behind himself for the doorway he finds only air. Aldus decides to carefully walk forward and after several steps, he encounters a stone wall. He follows the wall to the right until he comes to the corner of the room. Continuing on to the right Aldus traces out a 20-foot-square room with no exits. The floor is covered in piles of bones. He carefully searches the walls but cannot locate any doors or levers. Aldus decides to clear a space on the floor and get comfortable and wait.

Eathwund moves to the door from which warm air is blowing. Placing his hand on the door he finds that it is actually hot – like the other side is in direct sunlight. Eathwund opens the door and beholds a large, square chamber about 50 feet square. The near half of the chamber has a plain stone floor. The far half is a pool of bubbling magma almost to the height of the surrounding floor. Rising above the magma is a throne of black stone. Seated on the throne is a humanoid creature made of magma. Eathwund quickly closes the door again and tells his companions what he saw.

They decide to head down the eastern corridor instead. As they approach the door on the north wall, a large eye forms on the surface of the door. The eyelid lazily opens and peers at them. Then a large mouth forms on the surface of the door below the eye. The mouth speaks in a dry, loud voice. Only Domago (wearing the Helm of Comprehending Languages) can understand the words.

“It said, I am hungry, feed me one of your friends and I will move aside so you can get to the treasure I protect,” Domago says.

“We could feed it a dead troll,” Eathwund suggests.

Eathwund heads back to the large chamber with the sand pit and drags an eight-foot-tall troll carcass back to the hall. He tosses the carcass before the door. Two tentacles lash out from the door and the troll carcass is slowly eaten. Once the troll is gone the mouth says something else which Domago translates to “I am sleepy now.”

The eye and mouth close and then vanish from the surface of the door. Alrix yells at the door asking about the treasure but there is no response.

Eathwund moves to the door at the end of the hallway and opens it. He sees a chamber with a sand floor and not much else.

“We need to find Aldus!” Ian the squire asks.

“Okay, let me use the arrow,” Lakima says. He takes out the Arrow of direction and asks it to point to Aldus’ location. The arrow points back in the direction of the exit. Lakima tells everyone they must hurry; the arrow will only point for a few seconds. He rushes back toward where they entered. Eathwund closes the door to the sand chamber and follows everyone else as they head back up the stairs where the arrow points to one of the alcoves above the stair where the stone block trap came from.

Using the wand of secret door detection Lakima points at the back wall of the alcove and tells them there is a secret door there. Eathwund checks and is able to see the outline of a doorway but it does not budge when he pushes against it. Eathwund taps the wall with his shield and calls out to Aldus. There is no response (Aldus hears a tapping sound in the distance but it sounds far away).

Alrix then suggests the cursed Helm of Free Action. Lakima removes it from the bag of holding and hands it to his apprentice August. He instructs August to put it on. August questions what it is and Alrix explains how it works. Domago assures August that he can remove it from him with a spell. Reluctantly, August dons the helm and following directions casts a knock spell on the secret door. The door starts to move forward down the hallway and then slides into the north wall. They see an empty hallway now revealed. With the wand Lakima again is able to point out that there is a door ahead. August uses another knock spell from the helm on this doorway and it also opens. The light from Ian’s lantern falls open Aldus who is sitting on the edge of a pile of bones napping. Ian heads into the chamber and moves to awaken Aldus but Aldus immediately opens his eyes.

“About time,” Aldus says.

They cast their light about the chamber Aldus was in and find it full of bones, bits of broken metal, and rotted cloth. The group forms up again with Aldus in the lead and they head back to the intersection of passages. This time they decide to head north. The hallway leads to a large hallway with four statues of humans on the west and east walls, all facing inward. The statues are of different humans in different poses but all have looks of horror on their faces. The group all agree that this looks suspicious. Keeping a close eye on the statues, Eathwund carefully walks down the hallway to the far end where there is another grey metal door. Alrix then follows. Since nothing happens, the rest of the group follows but once they reach the mid-point of the chamber the floor is revealed to be a trapper that rolls up engulfing Aldus, Domago, Lakima, and Ian. Alrix and Ian who were on the edges of the trapper manage to leap clear. In the center of the room, a trapper had rolled up into a 10-square pile and is smothering their companions!

Eathwund attacks the outside of the trapper with his longsword slashing long gashes in its leathery hide. Alrix casts multiple magic missiles while August also casts magic missile. Inside the trapper the four victims struggle, unable to move. Domago is able to cast cause wounds, and Lakima manages to use his wand of shocking. But Eathwund and Alrix’s efforts are rewarded and the trapper dies releasing its victims onto the floor. The trapper lies in a pile of bleeding leathery skin. The area of the floor that was beneath it is revealed to be covered in gold and platinum coins. The group immediately starts scooping coins in the bag of holding.

“Get the platinum coins first!” Alrix tells them.

They also find a few items that Lakima detects as magical, a sword, a battered shield, a scroll, and a ring. There is also a copper flask with liquid in it that does not detect as magical. Everything is put into the bag of holding until the bag is full. Then they fill up the pouch of holding as well. With no more space to store treasure, they are forced to leave a lot of coins lying on the floor.

The door out of the room is opened and it leads into a square chamber containing a 20-foot-in diameter circular stone door and two statues. The statues are immense and each holds a stone sphere over its head. On the back of the statues, they find what appears to be the indentation for a clockwork key. Eathwund pulls a lever near the door and it rolls back revealing a large chamber beyond. Immediately, howling winds fill the chamber and everyone feels themselves buffeted and pulled toward the doorway. Eathwund sees that the source of the winds is a hole in the center of the chamber beyond. He quickly pulls the lever again closing the door and the winds subside.

The group spends time examining the statues but to Alrix it is clear they need to find a pair of keys.

“I know tombs like these,” Alrix says, “we need to find a pair of keys to operate these statues and block the wind tunnel.” Alrix goes on to say that he expects the keys will be in the two rooms they did not explore.

They decide to try the magma room first. Eathwund opens the door and tentatively advances into the chamber. Ian, Aldus, and Domago follow. Alrix and Lakima stand ready by the doorway. August is told to wait at the intersection of the halls. At first, the magma lord ignores them. Eathwund tries calling out to it but nothing happens. But as soon as Eathwund moves close to the magma the creature moves scooping up a fistful of magma and rearing back to throw it.

“Look out!” Eathwund yells.

Alrix fires magical arrows at the magma creature and Domago fires a pair of magical bullets from his sling. Lakima uses the Staff of Power to blast the creature with a cone of cold. One handful of magma strikes Eathwund in the chest burning him. But he is ready for the second throw and deflects it aside with his shield. By this time Alrix’s arrows finish off the creature. Its top half collapses into the pool of magma and a metal disc appears sitting precariously on the black stone throne.

“I have this,” Lakima says and uses the Staff of Power to cast telekinesis and bring the metal gear flying through the air to his hand.

Lakima examines the gear and notices that it has four sockets while the statues in the chamber of the door had three projections.

“This might not be the right key?” Lakima says.

The group head down the hallway toward the other door. The eye appears they pass on the north wall again and watches them. Then a mouth appears and says something. Domago translates that it is hungry again and will tell them a secret in return for food. Eathwund goes and grabs another troll corpse. Before feeding the corpse to the creature they demand the secret first. The creature tells them that a lord of fire and a lord of air hold the two keys they need to enter Zoser’s tomb.

“I knew that,” Alrix says.

Eathwund tosses the troll corpse to the door and it is consumed.

The Red Sun

 I have not posted in a month but I have kept busy. I am still managing to keep Dungeon 23 going although it is not as fun as it first was. My Swords & Wizardry campaign is still going strong. Still four players and we have had four sessions in the last month.

The next session I need to write about was Session 128. This was the start of a new adventure. I actually had planned to let the players rest before springing this one but I sort of forgot and dropped the hook on them. Then they had two projects ongoing at once. The magic user wanted to use the ritual he has found to create a flying ship and they had some old friends come by looking for help.

The new adventure is based on Advanced Adventures module 4: The Prison of Meneptah by Alphonso Warden published by Expeditious Retreat Press. It takes place in another world or dimension. A desolate planet with a red sun. A little reminiscent of Dark Sun. I reminded me how much I love this type of setting.

Session 128: The Red Sun

Lakima (human magic-user), Eathwund (human fighter), Alrix (couatl sorcerer), Aldus (human cavalier), Fenris the Filch (human thief NPC), Domago (human cleric NPC), Ian of Darkhollow (human cavalier NPC), Apprentice August (human magic-user NPC)

The adventurers are back in Edgerton after putting an end to the undead creator in the Red Mausoleum. They find they have no time to rest as word reaches them that Windmaster Sturlaker has failed to return from a journey to another world. Meanwhile, Lakima has a flying ship contract to fulfill for the Merchant Adventurers Guild.

Lakima spends some time at the Mages’ Guild and asks Rune Frost to bring him his best student. A young man is presented to Lakima. Lakima tells the man, whose name is August,  that he is his new apprentice. With August in tow, they head over to the Merchant Adventurers’ Guild. Rasmus Orbin tells Lakima that a ship has been picked out and is ready. He introduces them to the ship’s captain. The small group heads over to the docks and views the ship. Lakima goes back to the Manor house and picks up the Ship's Helm he and Malyn have created. He also bids Aldus and Ian to follow. Arriving back at the ship, Lakima delivers instructions to August and Aldus on what to do and then he gets down to work on the enchantment ritual.

The enchantment ritual takes four days to complete. During this time Aldus tries to deal with some angry longshoremen who gather on the docks. Lakima gives August the pipes of the sewers to chase the longshoremen off of the docks with a horde of rats. In the end, the enchantment works and the fly spell is settled over the ship. Lakima takes Rasmus Orbin and the merchant captain on a short flight over the town eliciting much excitement in the local population.

With the ship safely back in its berth, the company members return to the Manor House. Nissa is anxious to get underway to find her mentor but Ezmeralden preaches caution. Lakima tells everyone he will rest and they can leave tomorrow. Ezmeralden warns that they will need to gather a large supply of water as the world they will be going to appears to be a dry wasteland. Domago shows him the Jug of Alchemy which should cover all of their needs.

The next day the group packs up on the flying longship and heads to the bridgeway. The ship is set down in the dry valley under the bridge and Ezmeralden casts invisibility upon it. Ezmeralden shows them the view of the red world where the explorers from Dolmvay disappeared. It is a desolate wasteland under a red sun. Lakima gives Ezmeralden a crystal ball with clairaudience to use so he can watch for their return. He tells Ezmeralden he will also watch him with another crystal ball. They also arrange for a method of exchanging messages using a slate and chalk.

Once everyone is ready, they step over the bridgeway and arrive in a strange, dry desolation. The bridge on this world spans a dry gulch. In all directions, they see mostly flat terrain with few landmarks. In the distance, they can make out some low mountains. Tracks lead from the bridge to a small campsite and then disappear off into the desert. They search about the campsite and discover tracks from two groups of people and some hoof prints from draft animals. Lakima uses the arrow of direction and asks for the location of the Windmaster. The arrow points roughly towards a twin peak in the distant mountains. They set out in that direction trying to maintain their bearings in the flat featureless desert. The group makes continuous use of the jug of alchemy for water.

They spot an oasis in the distance but not in the direction the arrow had indicated. They head for the oasis for an hour before it disappears, only a mirage. As it is getting late, they decide to set up camp and pitch the tents. Lakima tells everyone that he is going to try something risky. Lakima takes out the scroll with astral spell on it and explains what he is going to do. He will be gone for no more than 2 hours and during this time the other adventurers must protect his body. He also tells them a password word to ensure his body has not been possessed by something else. Casting the spell, Lakima’s astral spirit steps from his resting body. He quickly moves across the strange astral plane of the landscape. He comes upon a walled stone town and searches it but does not find the Windmaster. He then heads towards the mountains but finds nothing. Soon he has to return to his body which he does and quickly announces the password.

Lakima tells the other adventurers about the nearby town. It is inhabited and is roughly on the path the arrow pointed. The next morning the group makes for the town. As they draw near they see signs of life, birds, insects, and small plants. Then they come upon fields of grain crops. They hear a bell toiling and see the walled town on the horizon. Small groups of humans appear to be running for the town. When they arrive, they find that the town gates are closed. The town is encircled by sandstone walls twenty feet high built from enormous stone blocks. The gates are much simpler and made of wood. Once they are within thirty feet of the town, they are challenged in a language they do not understand. Domago puts on the Helm of comprehending languages and manages to respond to the calls telling those in the town that they are travelers and that they mean no harm.

The town gates open and guards cautiously come out to greet the adventurers. The guards appear frightened of them and curious of these strange-looking travelers. Domago uses the jug of alchemy to gift the guards with some weak wine. Eventually, won over the guards allow the adventurers to enter and they send for one of the town elders to greet them. They learn from the elder Jabari that this town is called Zentrium. It is the northernmost settlement on the edge of an area called the Muhatian desolation. Jabari treats them hospitably once he learns they are looking for Sturlaker. Jabari tells them that Sturlaker was himself following the trail of a group of foreign travelers and that he left 3 weeks ago. A companion of Sturlaker’s, a woman called Meika cured a local boy of an ailment and earned the trust of the town. Jabari invites them to stay at his home for the night.

That night the adventurers eat dinner with Jabari’s family. Lakima uses a cantrip to tell them stories of his homeland (with Domago acting as interpreter). They learn some of the legends of this land. Once it was said to be a paradise of forests and grasslands with plentiful rain. Now it rains 2-3 times a year and that rain brings destruction. Their ancestors were involved in many wars in which great and powerful magic was used. The destruction of the land is attributed to their ancestors turning away from the gods and being punished. Magic is now almost unknown. The travelers they follow asked about great magical artifacts and were told of the Muhati ruins to the north. They set out in that direction. They are warned of the dangers of undead in the ruins. Alrix follows the conversations intently and by the end of the night has worked out enough of the Muhati language to be able to follow the conversation of the locals.

The next day the adventurers say goodbye to Jabari and his family. His children follow them to the edges of the farmland and then wave goodbye. Jabari had told them they could follow an ancient road north to the ruins. The road is built of white limestone but in most places, it has long since been covered with sand. Stone obelisks about six feet high jut out from the sand every few hundred feet marking the road. They follow these for the better part of a watch before they see a pyramid rising up out of the sand. Although it is slightly off the road the adventurers detour to investigate the pyramid. As they get close, they find it is fairly small, only 150 feet tall – but in this flat wasteland it is a prominent landmark.

The Tomb of Zoser

Lakima uses his wand to find a secret door at the base of the pyramid. A message written in Muhati warns that this is the tomb of Zoser, the first king of the Muhati, and that a curse will befall any who enter. They find that the door trigger is the cartouche of Zoser’s name. Stone slides to one side and they find a crumbling stair leading down under the pyramid. August uses the continual flame staff to light the way and Fenris takes the lead, carefully checking the stair. At the bottom of the stair, the passage enters a chamber. A metal door on the far side of the chamber is flanked by two ten-foot-tall statues. The one to the left of the door is a statue of a man with the bearing of a king. The other statue is of a powerfully built man with the head of a camel.

“Look at that statue,” Alrix exclaims.

“I suspect that was one of their gods,” Domago replies.

Fenris takes a cautious step forward into the chamber and falls through the floor. The illusion of a stone floor extending before the stair vanishes. A few seconds later they hear a large splash.

“Fenris! Fenris are you okay?” Lakima shouts in the direction of the pit.

Lakima shines a light down the pit but he is unable to see the bottom.

Lakima asks Alrix to investigate. Alrix changes form and flies down into the pit. About sixty feet down he finds Fenris floating face down in brackish water. Alrix carefully flips Fenris over and sees the man’s head roll too far to one side. Alrix constricts his tail about the corpse and flies back up into the chamber, setting the corpse down on the floor.

“His neck is broken,” Alrix says.

Domago checks Fenris and sadly shakes his head to the rest of the group, “he is dead.”

Aldus immediately asks Domago if he can heal Fenris. Domago explains how the raising of the dead works. Fenris will need a week to recover. Domago wraps up Fenris in a white blanket like a funeral shroud and the corpse is stuffed into the bag of holding.

“One of you two will have to become our new trap-finder,” Lakima says while looking at Eathwund and Aldus. “Which of you has a 10-foot pole?” Eathwund glances at his quarterstaff.

“Check the door Eathwund.” Lakima says.

Eathwund checks the metal door but there is a clear lock on it. A keyhole just below a handle. Then Lakima suggests to Domago that he use the jug of alchemy to produce a gallon of acid and dissolve the lock. Domago produces the acid and pours some on the lock, the metal hisses and burns and begins to dissolve.

Immediately, the two statues stir to life and ponderously step down from their pedestals. Eathwund and Aldus attack. Followed shortly by Ian and Domago. Alrix fires arrows at the stone statues. Lakima casts disintegrate but the spell fails to affect one of the statues. During the battle, Aldus is struck twice and Eathwund once but eventually they destroy the statues. As each statue is battered apart it eventually crumbles to a pile of boulders. Domago searches through the debris but finds no hidden gems.

“That myth is shattered,” Domago mutters.

Domago finishes off the lock on the door with acid and pulls out the lever to open it. A stair headed down stands before them. Domago takes the time to use the staff of healing on the injured fighters. Lakima tells Eathwund to take the lead. Eathwund works his way down the stair carefully thumping each step before him with his staff. At the ninth step, the staff strikes the stone, and the step clicks and descends. Eathwund hears the sound of sliding stone on stone and freezes alert for any traps. Two 3-foot square stone blocks slide out from the walls. An Illusion had disguised the openings. Large metal blades on the stones strike Eathwund as he is unable to get out of the way in time. Eathwund and the stone blocks tumble down the remaining steps.

Domago walks down the steps and heals Eathwund again. They find that the stair ends in front of another metal door. This one does not appear to be locked. Eathwund opens it. Before them is a large octagonal chamber. There is a door directly across from them. Across the middle of the chamber stretches a 10-foot-wide pit filled nearly to the top with sand.

The group cautiously makes its way into the chamber, spreading out to face the pit. As Eathwund pokes the sand with his staff, the sand begins to stir and three human-sized creatures grow up out of the sand and move to attack. Two of them attack Aldus and Ian and one attacks Eathwund and Domago. The creatures appear to be constructs made of sand but their arrows and swords pierce the creatures and they leak sand. After a brief flurry of blows those fighting the constructs feel overcome with sleepiness. Eathwund fights it off but Ian, Aldus, and Domago lie down in the sand and fall asleep. Luckily a lot of damage has already been done to the constructs. Alrix finishes one off with arrows. Lakima casts dispel magic on Aldus and Ian and the pair shake their heads and start to get to their feet. At that moment two walls of stone slide to one side and four brown, troll-like creatures emerge and rush to attack. The creatures look vaguely like trolls but their eyes appear lifeless like they are constructs. August uses the wand of webs and Lakima’s urging and traps two of the creatures behind a wall of webbing.

Two of the creatures reach the adventurers and attack with clawed hands and attempt to bite the adventurers as well. Aldus is struck once. After a few sword blows are exchanged, Lakima uses a fireball spell casting it into the chamber and one of the trolls falls. The web is also burned away and two more trolls join the fight. Eventually, all of the strange constructs are destroyed. The sandmen crumble into piles of sand and the strange trolls collapse.

The group rests and gets some more healing from Domago once he has been shaken awake. They approach the metal door which appears to be unlocked.

Gaheris the Lich

 The first adventure after the big bad of the campaign world was killed by the players went pretty well. I used Advanced Adventures Module #2, The Red Mausoleum by James C. Boney published by Expeditious Retreat Press. I made some changes to the maps, and the descriptions to fit my campaign but for the most part, I ran it as written. The big finish was a Lich named Gaheris and it worked okay but was not quite as challenging as I had hoped. He did get away so there is an opportunity for a return.

The problem with any single antagonist is that he will be facing multiple player characters. Never underestimate how much damage a balanced party of adventurers can do to a single monster. He used monster-summoning and repulsion to good effect but he still got smacked pretty badly.

Singular boss monsters just feel right. Likely because that is how it is done in the movies, but I think multiple monsters work best. Maybe I need a group of evil adventurers.

After this adventure, the players are off on some world-hopping adventures. One thing I have learned is that with high-level adventuring you do need to expand their reach. Every bad guy cannot show up in the 40-mile radius around their home base.

Session 127: Gaheris

Lakima (human magic-user), Eathwund (human fighter), Alrix (couatl sorcerer), Aldus (human cavalier), Thistle Walker (human ranger NPC), Fenris the Filch (human thief NPC), Domago (human cleric NPC), Ian of Darkhollow (human cavalier NPC).

The adventurers are somewhere deep in the earth searching the Red Mausoleum for Lich Gaheris, the source of the undead hordes attacking Edgerton. After closing the portal to the negative material plane, they entered a hallway that should lead to the lich’s lair.

“Fenris check that door for traps,” Lakima tells the thief.

Before Fenris can comply, Eathwund notices a slight disturbance in the hallway and feels a chill in the hallway. He turns and shouts a warning to all in the hallway just as some invisible force clamps a mouth down on Aldus’ shield arm. Aldus cries out but manages to push it back. Immediately, Alrix casts faerie fire on the area and a faerie glow outlines the shape of a humanoid creature slightly taller than Eathwund. Eathwund strikes it with his sword and Alrix fires two arrows into its mid-section. The creature falls to the stone floor. Aldus stamps on it once to be sure it does not move.

“Are we sure it is clear now?” Fenris asks.

He then moves up and checks the door declaring it unlocked and not trapped. Fenris immediately drops back behind the fighters. Aldus looks to Eathwund and the latter shrugs and points at the door. At that moment the hallway is again flooded with the sound of the screaming, moaning undead in the pit. The door to the pit chamber flies inward. Two skeleton warriors stride into the hallway. They are clad in ancient metal armor and hold glowing longswords. They fall immediately upon Alrix and Lakima and attack. Lakima is slashed by one of the skeletons but Alrix leaps back and avoids the attack. Lakima grips his staff of power in bloodied hands and casts telekinesis on the skeleton that attacked him hurling it far off into the darkness of the pit chamber. The squire Ian and Thistle the ranger come to the aid of Lakima and Alrix and attacks the remaining skeleton. Alrix fires arrows into the skeleton. Then Domago races up and strikes it with his mace. Finally, it is Alrix who finishes the creature with a swarm of magic missiles. Lakima tells Thistle to close the door again and to emphasize the closure he casts a wall of ice over it blocking the corridor. Thistle picks up the glowing sword of the skeleton and immediately tosses it down. He tells everyone that it contains the essence of a vampire who tried to enforce its will over his mind.

Eathwund forces the door open and they find the hall goes only another ten feet before ending in a wall of magical darkness. A male human voice speaks loudly in a language they do not understand.

“It is the speech of Mor,” Domago says, “he says welcome my newest servants. Come in and join my army.”

Both Alrix and Lakima shout angry retorts and the disembodied voice. The voice chuckles and continues to taunt them. Lakima casts dispel magic and the globe of magical darkness vanishes. They see a chamber cluttered with tables and shelves, stools, and workbenches. A stone throne faces them from the far wall. Standing beside it is a jovial-looking man clad in the outdated finery of a merchant of the age of the Three Cities. He waves them forward. Eathwund charges toward the man and a 10-foot-square pit trap opens up under his feet. Just as he feels the ground beneath his feet begin to drop away, he leaps forward and grasps the far end of the pit, and pulls himself up.

Fenris fires a crossbow bolt striking the man in the shoulder. Immediately the illusion of his visage changes. They see a skeletal figure in tattered rags. Green glowing orbs shine from hollow eye-sockets. 

The Lich spits a curse at Fenris.

“Sorry about that,” Fenris mutters.

Aldus leaps across the pit and joins Eathwund followed by Domago. Alrix waits on the other side and fires a pair of arrows at the Lich striking him. The Lich casts another spell with no apparent effect until Aldus and Eathwund realize they can move but not toward the Lich. The Lich grins at their bewilderment.

“It’s a repulsion spell!” both Lakima and Alrix shout at the same time.

Lakima moves to the edge of the pit and casts a lightning bolt at the Lich. The lich dodges out of the main path of the lightning but is still injured. He moves back out of the chamber toward the entrance to another chamber. Unable to get closer, Eathwund hurls his javelin of piercing at the lich but it misses. Domago blows the Silver Horn of Valhalla and three berserk fighters appear near the Lich, but they also cannot approach

.

The Lich then summons a Red Wraith which appears near Aldus and Eathwund. The lich then moves further away out of sight of Lakima and Alrix. The berserkers immediately attack the wraith as do Eathwund and Aldus. Two of the berserkers are killed. Unable to see the lich anymore, Domago uses the Prayer Book of St. Waldan on the Wraith and destroys it. Lakima and Alrix leap over the pit and move until they gain sight of the lich. They cannot move any closer. Alrix transforms into his true form and uses his lightning breath blasting a bolt of lightning at the lich. The lich again proves surprisingly nimble but it cannot escape the full force of the blast.

“Let’s talk, parlay!” the lich tells them.

Lakima speaks to the Lich and it tells them it is Gaheris the architect of the crypt. It offers to bribe them with gold and leave the area. Lakima accepts on a few conditions and the lich immediately drops out of sight around a corner. They see a flash of light. Lakima, Eathwund, and Aldus advance into the chamber around the corner and find a few pieces of furniture, an iron lockbox, and a mystical circle inscribed into the stone floor easily 20 feet in diameter.

“We have to follow it”, Lakima says and motions everyone in the company into the circle. 

Nothing happens. Thistle examines the runes and tells everyone that he thinks it is a summoning circle. The group turns to examine the contents of the lich’s lair. Fenris checks the lockbox and tells them it is magically trapped. Lakima uses the Staff to cast telekinesis and lift the box into a bag of holding. They also take several books and scrolls from the bookcases.

Eathwund and then Lakima leap back across the pit. Just as they do the wall of ice at the end of the corridor shatters and the skeletal warrior that Lakima earlier tossed with telekinesis enters the hallway followed by a horde of zombies, skeletons, and mummies. Lakima motions Eathwund back and he immediately leaps the pit. Lakima takes out a potion of slipperiness and pours it across the floor in front of the pit. He then also leaps across the pit.

The skeleton warrior loses his balance and slides into the pit, this is followed by several zombies, skeletons, and a few skeletons. Looking down then see a 40-foot-deep pit with a pile of corpses at the bottom. More undead continue to join the pile for the next hour. Eventually, the undead stopped entering the hallway.

Since they are tired and out of spells, they decide to rest for eight hours to recover. During the first watch, a few more undead add to the pile in the pit. Then everything gets quieter. Even the noise from the cradle of unlife is quieter.

Once everyone has rested, they pass over the pit one by one. The oil of slipperiness has now evaporated. As they near the end of the hallway, four mummies step out from cover and move to attack but Domago presents his holy symbol and drives them back out of the hallway. The heroes enter the chamber with the pit of death and move along the ledge, Domago in the lead driving undead before him. They find a doorway leading to a crypt with two open stone coffins. One coffin contains a crown and a clay jug (which detects as magical) and the other holds a magical shield and a phylactery. The items go into the bag of holding.

They exit and also find an old armory. Domago continues to destroy undead hordes with the force of his god. The group finally leaves the chamber the way they originally came and they close and spike shut the double doors. They continue along to the sunken hallway. Domago uses the Book of Water breathing to cast the spell over the group. One by one they walk down into the water. Soon the water is over their heads. In the gloom, they spot three ghouls swimming toward them but Domago is able to destroy them with the force of his beliefs. The tunnel leads up to a cave and outside into the moors. They emerge a few hundred feet from the red platform in the moors. About them they see a few undead stumbling about aimlessly. The sun has just started to rise on a new day but the moors are still covered in mist.

“I will lead you to the village of Hamlin,” Thistle tells them. “Then we shall part ways.”

The ranger leads them unerringly across the moors to the wood path across the stream. He then leads them west. Around noon they see flashes of light in the distance and the bang of explosions. Running toward the sound and light they rescue four adventurers surrounded by zombies and skeletons. The adventurers are led by Kenrae one of the missing teachers from the School of Magic. The group gratefully accepts the protection of the group as they continue on to Hamlin. In Hamlin, they find the village deserted. There are signs of Loxley the halfling and Multen in the inn (half-eaten food and jugs of ale) but the pair of adventurers have apparently moved on. Thistle the ranger says goodbye to the group in Hamlin. He tells them he will continue patrolling the moors slaying undead and looking for any clues as to where Gaheris fled.

The group continues on to Edgerton arriving in the early afternoon. They say goodbye to the four adventurers they rescued. Kenrae pays the mercenaries he hired (Suten and Thora) and then he and Ludella return to the Mages Guild. Lakima leads the rest of the group over to the Church of St. Cuthbert. They find Abbot Marta conversing with a parishioner in the nave. Lakima tells Marta about their most recent adventure and Marta agrees to commune with St. Cuthbert on the location of Gaheris. After a long, silent prayer before the altar, Marta comes back to them and says that he had a vision that Gaheris has teleported to the former capital of Mor far to the east in Calwell. He is still a threat to Dolmvay but no longer to Edgerton. He counsels that they should go after the lich as there are no others powerful enough to face it. But for now, there is no immediate threat.

The group heads over to the Manor House. Shortly after entering the main hall, they are greeted by the excited shouts of Nissa (the wayward apprentice they met in Dolmvay). She rushes to Aldus and Eathwund and hugs them and tells them that she needs their help finding her teacher Windmaster Bryan Sturlaker. A moment later Alayna appears with Ezmeralden, the custodian of the bridgeway. In the private meeting area, Ezmeralden tells them of the few secret rods of the bridgeway device that open portals to bridges located on other worlds. Windmaster Sturlaker had gained Ezmeralden’s confidence enough to show him some of these realms. The Windmaster was intrigued by the thrill of exploration and would occasionally send wizards of the Council of Winds through these portals accompanied by mercenaries. One such party went through to a desolate dimension with a red sun. They never returned. After 2 months of waiting, the Windmaster went through himself accompanied by the second senior mage of the Council. He left Nissa in the company of Ezmeralden promising to return in a week. Two weeks passed with no news. Ezmeralden contacted the Council but they had no other mages with the skills needed to search for the Windmaster. Ezmeralden suggested he reach out to a company of adventurers.

He had arrived in Egerton earlier in the day. Ezmeralden asks if they would go through the portal and look for the Windmaster. He does not what dangers might exist in this strange desolate dimension. He has not observed any life other than scrub plants. Lakima tells Ezmeralden that he is busy with a commission for the Merchant Adventurers Guild that will take a few weeks. Ezmeralden tells them that he understands. They will have to wait. Nissa is not so understanding but Ezmeralden quiets her. Lakima does promise to see if he can expedite matters. To that end, he goes over to see Malyn and asks if he can complete the commission for the Merchants (to enchant a ship to fly). Malyn shakes his head and tells Lakima that he does not have that kind of power. Only Lakima is powerful enough to enchant the ship.

Lakima returns and tells Ezmeralden to stay as their guest and he will try to complete the commission for the Merchant Adventurer’s Guild as soon as possible. Rasmus Orbin of the guild is contacted and they learn that the guild has a ship ready for the enchantment.