The Twelve

Now that the player characters are in the Glacial rift it was time to go up against the twelve. They had heard of the twelve from a cultist of the White Worm in Phom Thult. The twelve most powerful magic users in the world. All under the sway of the White Worm. This made the party a little nervous. Lucky for them the White Worm consumes members of the twelve once per month to gain their powers. The Twelve are being continually replenished but right now only five of the twelve are in the Lair of the White Worm. As mentioned earlier this adventure is based on the Conqueror Worm written by Alphonso Warden and published by Expeditious Retreat Press. I changed the ice caves with a pillar of ice with similar chambers.

Session 120: The Pillar of Ice

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

The adventurers have entered the Glacial Rift of the Frost Giants in the Frozen Lands. Expecting to find it deserted after they watched a troop of Frost Giants march south, they instead found ice caves full of Frost Giants. After a long battle, they are victorious but badly injured.

Domago goes from companion to companion tending to wounds and using his Staff of Healing. Once everyone has been healed of most of their wounds they retrace their steps heading back down the giant stairs to the huge ice cavern. Fenris takes the lead and soon picks up their trail where they had battled two yetis. The tracks in the snow head north into the dimly lit cavern.

They trudge along through the ankle-deep snow on a floor of ice. Huge pillars of ice loom up out of the floor. Suddenly, four yeti leap out of nearby snowbanks with hungry roars. The company is surrounded. Lakima points his wand of fireballs at two of the yetis and blasts them with a blaze of fire. Fenris slips away into the darkness nearly disappearing. Domago blows the Silver Horn of Valhalla and summons four berserkers to their defense. The berserkers rush up to the yeti providing an immediate line of defense while Aldus, Eathwund, and Dusig follow and attack with swords and axe. Alrix uses his Sword of Dancing to attack a yeti from a distance. During the battle, both Aldus and Eathwund are clawed badly but the group kills the four yeti leaving them in a heap in the snow. Domago casts cure light wounds on all three fighters.

Fenris takes the lead again and the group continues to follow the tracks. Up ahead Fenris stops and points at an enormous pillar of ice 90 feet across and hundreds of feet tall. Steps have been carved into the side of the ice pillar. The tracks lead directly to it.

Fenris suggests that Eathwund or Aldus take the lead now but Lakima shakes his head telling Fenris that the stairs are a perfect place for a trap. Fenris walks up to the steps and starts climbing them checking for traps as he goes. The stairs circle 80 feet up the ice pillar before they end at a tunnel carved into the ice. Peering around the corner Fenris sees an iron portcullis barring the tunnel. Another iron portcullis can be seen twenty feet past the first. He tells everyone what he sees. Eathwund and Aldus come forward to try to lift the portcullis. Before grabbing it, Eathwund activates the strength enchantment on his sword. He yanks the iron portcullis up with a scream of breaking metal. The portcullis is jammed up permanently. In the tunnel, he spots a Frost Giant walking up to the next portcullis to investigate the noise. The Frost giant shouts something at them in its language.

“He said who goes there!” Domago tells them.

Lakima tells Domago to claim that they are members of the twelve. Domago tries that but the Frost Giant curses at him.

“Quick!” Lakima yells and points at the iron bars urging Eathwund, Aldus, and Dusig forward. He casts Aztazibar's Acrid Finger and begins to burn through the bars with acid. Domago blows the Silver Horn of Valhalla and six summoned berserkers appear on the other side of the bars and launch themselves at the Frost Giant. At this point they see two more Frost giants enter the chamber on the other side of the bars. While the berserkers keep the three giants busy, Lakima burns a hole through the portcullis big enough for the fighters to slip through. Aldus and Eathwund slip through one after another and attack the nearest frost giant. They see that there is a ballista in the center of the chamber pointed right at them. Against two walls are wooden barred cages each holding four angry, growling, and barking winter wolves.

Alrix moves up to the iron bars and uses his Sword of Dancing to attack a Frost Giant. He sees the ballista and conjures up an obscuring mist to fill the chamber centered on the ballista. Lakima uses the wand of fireballs and blasts all three Frost Giants but the wand is unable to conjure up a powerful enough fireball to greatly hurt the Giants. Fenris slips unnoticed into the chamber and slams the door to a wolf cage shut just as a Frost Giant was starting to open it. The giant spots Fenris and smashes him against the bars of the cage. Lakima uses the wand to cast another fireball and Eathwund and Aldus kill two of the Frost Giants. The third giant flees into the obscuring mists and they hear a metal door screech open. The combat is over but the chamber is still filled with the barking and growling coming from the wolves in the cages.

Domago uses his Staff of Healing on Fenris, Eathwund, and Aldus. The adventurers decide to immediately follow the trail of blood left by the fleeing frost giant. They descend 40 feet down a spiral staircase and arrive in a long hallway. The walls, ceiling, and floor of the hallway are built from blocks of ice. A rug rests on the floor and wood doors are set into the walls. At the far end of the hallway, they see the wounded Frost Giant limp around a corner into a large chamber. Eathwund runs after the fleeing giant and triggers a frost trap that blasts him with a painful, freezing mist. Fenris yells for him to keep still and Eathwund stops. After a short search, Fenris finds the trigger for the traps in the hallway and switches it off.

Eathwund, Aldus, and Dusig rush forward into a large chamber. There is a staircase leading down on one side of the room. To either side of it is a stone pedestal with the stone statue of an ugly bipedal form atop it. The frost giant steps out from behind one statue and attacks Aldus. Aldus and Eathwund move to attack just as both stone statues step down from their pedestals and move to attack the fighters. Aldus slashes open the side of the Frost Giant and Lakima calls out that they need him alive for questioning. Then he turns to Domago and asks if he has the speak with dead prayer. A confused Domago tells him that he does.

“You can kill him; we will question him when he is dead!” Lakima shouts.

The Frost Giant is soon killed but the two stone guardians are a much tougher fight. They pound Aldus and Eathwund with their stone fists repeatedly. Domago blows the Silver Horn of Valhalla and summons five berserkers to aid them. Aldus and Eathwund manage to bring down one guardian which crumbles into pebbles when it falls. The second one punches Eathwund repeatedly. Domago taps Eathwund with the Staff of Healing twice during the fight to keep him trading blows with the guardian. Finally, the last foe falls. Domago has to do more healing with the Staff.

Once a weary Domago sets the last bandage, Lakima points at the dead Frost Giant and tells Domago that they need to know the White Worm’s location. Domago prays and the spirit of the Frost Giant rises up from its corpse. It looks sullenly down on Domago.

“Where is the White Worm,” Domago asks. The Frost Giant points down beneath their feet. He then asks something which causes the spirit to nod its head in agreement (I cannot remember what this question was). Finally, he asks where the 12 are located and the Frost giant again points down. His final question asked the Frost Giant spirit vanishes.

The adventurers make their way over to the staircase and find that it is made of small blocks of ice and that it spirals down into darkness. At the bottom of the staircase, they enter a large chamber. Again, the walls, floors, and ceilings are carved from ice. They check a small chamber with a hammock and find an unlocked footlocker full of human clothing. They also find magical leather armor and an elven cloak like the one that Fenris wears. Opening the main door from the chamber they see a hallway of ice lit by a single torch burning above a wooden bench. Everything here is human-sized. Fenris slips quietly down the hallway and listens at the doors. He comes back and reports that he can see light under one door at the end of the hall and can hear the sounds of movement.

Expecting that they might run into one of the fabled 12 mages Lakima tells everyone to rush through the door and attack without mercy. Eathwund shoves the door inward and rushes into the room. They see a library carved from the ice. Wood shelves line the walls, and wood tables and chairs rest on the icy floor. A single black-garbed man sits at a table reading a book by candlelight. He looks up in surprise as Eathwund stabs him in the side. Aldus comes around from the other side and slashes the man in the hand as he tries to defend himself, while Dusig hurls a hammer hitting him in the chest and Lakima flings 3 darts into his chest. Finally, Alrix slices right through the man’s throat with his sword. The surprised man tumbles forward dead before he has a chance to utter a word. The entire attack takes only moments and has been accomplished quietly.

They shut the door to the library and Lakima casts Detect Magic. A staff leaning against the table glows as magical, as does the man’s dagger. Also glowing are all of the shelves. Lakima deduces that the shelves have some sort of protection magic on them to preserve the books. On the shelves are ancient tomes, scrolls, and even clay tablets. But there are also more recent items and even some scrolls that appear new. Lakima tips over a bookshelf with a loud crash and finds two scrolls with magic spells on them. Possibly, the noise attracts attention because Fenris, who is watching the door, calls for quiet and tells everyone he can hear voices. Fenris continues to listen and hears a door open and close. He motions with 2 fingers indicating two men talking. The voices cross the hall and then he hears a door open and close again. After a quiet pause, Fenris opens the door a crack and finds that the hallway is empty and quiet. He sneaks out into the hallway and soon reports back that he can hear two men talking behind one of the doors in the hallway.

Lakima tells everyone that they need to use the same quick, brutal strategy. They cannot afford to give these wizards a chance to cast a spell. Eathwund again shoves open a door that flies inward and slams against a bed. They see a room lit by a lantern that contains two more doors, several beds, and a table. An elf in the center of the room whirls about to confront them and levels a staff. He is wearing chainmail armor. At the far side of the room, in front of an open door, is a well-dressed man in bright clothes wearing a wide-brimmed hat. Before Eathwund can take three steps, that man casts a spell and everyone feels time seems to slow and their view go hazy. But all of the adventurers shake off the enchantment. The elf casts a spell and three identical elves appear and face the adventurers. Domago blows his horn and four berserkers appear and move to attack the elf. Both Lakima and Alrix strike the elf with magic missiles. Lakima’s missiles strike first and two illusionary elves vanish. Then Alrix’s magic missiles strike the elf. The elf moves forward and attacks Aldus who parries with the great sword. Lakima yells at Fenris to get into the chamber and the thief nimbly jumps up onto a table. He fires a crossbow bolt into the human mage. Alrix jumps up onto the beds and gets close enough to attack the mage with his Sword of Dancing. The mage then points at Aldus and speaks a single word. Aldus stops fighting the elf and his sword drops from his hand as he is stunned. Eathwund concentrates on his sword and casts Confusion on the mage to knock him senseless. He stands dumbly and does not move as the Sword of Dancing plunges into his chest killing him. Eathwund, Dusig, and several berserkers attack the elf. Seeing that he is surrounded and badly injured, the elf casts a fireball. This is a high-level fireball that explodes through the chamber and out into the hallway. Everyone is caught in the blast and badly burned.

As the fires subside, they find that most of the furniture in the chamber is badly burned. The elf lies in a blackened heap on the floor, a victim of his own spell. Lakima calls for Fenris to start searching the chamber. He finds two rings on the elf, a magic staff, and a magic dagger. Lakima tells Fenris to search a small bed chamber located off of the room. Domago uses his staff of healing on Eathwund who has been injured. As they are doing this, they hear footsteps, and a human guard in platemail appears at the door to the chamber. He attacks Eathwund. Another man, a mage in dark blue robes appears and casts a web spell. The sticky webs fall down over most of the adventurers, trapping Eathwund, Dusig, Lakima, and an unmoving Aldus. Alrix shouts in anger when he spots the wizard Ud Lux, his captor, and tormentor.

“You!”. Alrix yells. Then rolls the Figurine of Wondrous Power out into the hallway. It transforms into an enormous wholly mammoth. Ud Lux manages to take one step backward and scream before the mammoth tramples him to a pulp. Meanwhile, Lakima takes out the scroll he found in the library and uses it to summon a manticore. The manticore tears into the human guard. The guard turns from attacking the adventurers and tries to defend himself from the enraged manticore. He manages to injure it but it pierces him multiple times with tail spikes and savages him with its claws. A third man, another mage is injured by the manticore and vanishes through a dimension door. The guard fights back feebly before being crushed under the feet of the mammoth. The manticore vanishes.

After the battle, Domago gets out his staff and starts healing everyone. All of the adventurers are badly injured. Fenris returns to searching and finds a spellbook and some treasure in a chest. Lakima puts everything in the bag of holding.

The Glacial Rift of the Frost Giants

I have fallen a few weeks behind on these recaps of Swords & Wizardry sessions. Three sessions to be exact. These sessions were to be the culmination of the campaign with the face-off against the big bad enemy the White Worm. But the players have never really felt a strong connection with this enemy and they want to keep playing. I certainly have learned a lot about how to work a plot into a campaign. Next time I will lay the hooks much earlier. These were an uneven group of sessions for me as a game master. I had a couple of players leave the sessions (one temporarily) which felt like a comment on my ability as a game master. The players did not indicate that but that is what a game master feels when players leave. In this session, a fairly new player left because he felt he was not a match for this group. This is not something you experience in face-to-face play with friends. But with online play with people, you have just "met" this can be common.

Session 119: Glacial Rift of the Frost Giants

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

The adventurers are in the trading post of Phom Thult having freed the locals from the charm enchantment of the agents of the White Worm.

Now that the adventurers have a lead on the location of the White Worm they make plans. Lakima suggests that they leave after darkness falls so that they are not spotted approaching the glacial rift of the frost giants. The sun sets early this far north so they board the skyship and set out just over four hours after noon. The ship rises and sets out to the north-north-east over the Great wood. Below they can see a forest of conifers buried under feet of snow. Occasionally they see caribou or reindeer. In the distance, they see a plume of wood smoke but decide to ignore it.

After several hours they see the open snow fields of the Frozen Lands in the distance. An open expanse of snow leads north to the Wall of Ice. The wall of ice is the leading edge of an enormous glacier. As they get nearer they can tell this wall is at least 200 feet high. On the snowfields, they spot a column of dark dots moving south. As they get nearer they realize that this is a band of 40 or more frost giants and about double that number of enormous winter wolves. All headed south. Lakima casts phantasmal force to disguise the ship under the illusion of a white dragon.

“It looks like the forces of the white worm are headed south to raise the barbarian tribes and attack,” Lakima muses.

Domago asks if they shouldn’t turn around and warn the trading post or even Winterhaven. Lakima argues that killing the White Worm is more important and will put an end to the danger posed by the frost giants. Joe argues that they need to turn around immediately and head for Winterhaven. Dusig reasons that the gnomes have high walls and a protected High City that can withstand a band of frost giants. Joe argues that they must turn back.

Lakima calls for a vote of all members of the company. Only Joe and Domago vote to turn about. Domago accepts the will of the group reasoning that they can do best by killing the White Worm. Joe cannot be shaken from his belief that they must turn back even when Lakima argues that the White Worm’s lair might be unguarded with the frost giants leaving.

Joe insists on being allowed to leave and head south so the skyship (disguised as a dragon) drops down close to the snow to let him off. They wave goodbye as Joe runs south without looking back. The ship then ascends again and heads north leaving the frost giants behind.

As they approach the Ice Wall Lakima tells everyone to look for a safe ledge where the skyship can be moored. They see an enormous crack in the wall of ice almost big enough to park the skyship but decide it would not be safe. Instead, they descend the skyship down to park a few feet above the glacier. The adventurers scramble down to the ice and Fenris moves to the edge of the wall.

“It looks to be about 250 feet to the bottom!” Fenris yells.

Ropes are prepared and Fenris is the first to descend. The ropes quickly freeze and become stiff with ice making it more treacherous but Fenris makes it to the bottom. Lakima casts fly on himself and assures those looking nervously over the edge that he will help them get down. Alrix transforms into a serpent despite his hatred of the cold and flies down to also help if someone struggles.

Aldus volunteers to climb down next and he makes it. He is followed by Eathwund who also makes it without much trouble. By now the ropes are frozen solid. Dusig the dwarf goes next and he struggles to keep a grip on the ropes, falling when he is 30 feet down. Lakima is unable to help but Alrix lashes out and grabs Dusig with his tail constricting about the helpless dwarf. He sets Dusig down at the bottom in the snow a little worse for wear. Domago climbs down last and almost makes it but he loses his grip with 50 feet to go to the bottom. Alrix has to react quickly and he catches Domago but crushes his chest spraining some of Domago’s chest muscles. He sets Domago down on his face in the snow.

“Sorry, are you alright?” Alrix asks Domago.

The cleric nods and grimaces in pain as he gets to his feet and looks at the ominous crack in the ice wall.

Fenris lights and shutters his lantern to project just a narrow beam of light that he aims at the snow and ice. He takes the lead into the ice tunnel. The tunnel is huge but gradually begins to lower. The ceiling above is covered with icicles that tinkle like chimes as they pass. As he moves forward, he sees further progress blocked by a 30-foot-tall wall of smooth ice.

The full company of adventurers comes forward and looks at the wall. Lakima looks at Fenris and points to the top of the wall. Fenris examines the ice wall for a moment then begins scaling straight up the ice. Just as he reaches the top a Frost Giant appears above him looking down. Fenris slides down the ice to the bottom in surprise as the giant picks up an ice boulder and throws it at Fenris. The ice boulder slams into the stunned thief. Lakima immediately casts a lightning bolt spell at the frost giant which hits the giant but only injures it. Then an opening suddenly appears in the ice and two more frost giants advance through it to attack Eathwund and Aldus. Alrix launches his sword of dancing at the frost giant on top of the wall and also casts a magic missile hitting the giant. The giant retreats off the top of the wall and disappears. Domago runs forward and uses healing magic on Fenris. Lakima uses his pearl of power to recover his lightning bolt spell and then casts it again striking both frost giants in the doorway. Aldus is hit once with a giant wood hammer in the melee. Domago now steps back and blows the Silver Horn of Valhalla summoning eight berserkers who join the fight.

With the berserkers in the fight, the combat moves to the favor of the adventurers and soon one falls. Lakima casts passwall opening a passage through the wall and the berserkers flank the two remaining frost giants who try to retreat. Their retreat cut off the frost giants both fall under the rain of blows from swords.

The adventurers pause to take stock. Fenris searches the area and finds a giant horn resting on a table. Eathwund finds some giant-sized sandals in a sack on one giant. Nothing valuable is found.

The group presses forward until they emerge into an enormous rift in the ice. The ceiling is at least 200 feet above and shimmers with faint moonlight. Enormous stalagmites of ice thrust up through the snow. Eathwund checks around and notices giant-sized tracks heading off in all directions – but most head north. They decide to follow the tracks with Fenris in the lead.

Suddenly, there is a huge eruption from the snow, and two yeti roar challenges and leap to attack Eathwund and Fenris. Fenris is slashed open by a claw attack and is forced to defend himself with his longsword. Aldus and Eathwund attack the yeti killing one quickly. The second proves tougher and takes longer to take down. Aldus and Eathwund are aided by Alrix using his Sword of Dancing. Blood is splattered all over the snow after the fight.

Fenris now notices a giant stair carved into the wall of ice on one side of the cavern. He points at it and Lakima suggests they investigate. As they approach the stair, they see a trail of giant-sized footprints leading from the stair to the entrance to the cavern. Fenris takes the lead up the stair that leads up forty feet and then enters an ice cave. Fenris shutters his lantern and sneaks forward. He returns almost immediately to report that he can hear at least two frost giants talking up ahead.

“We should rush them,” Lakima says.

Aldus, Eathwund, and Dusig move to the front of the group and run forward. Followed by Fenris who unshutters his lantern revealing three Frost Giants sitting on wooden chairs in an ice cave. Behind them are another cave and the orange light of a fire. Domago blows the Silver Horn of Valhalla and six berserkers appear directly in front of the frost giants. There is a long fight with Aldus taking one dangerous blow from a frost giant war hammer. Alrix uses his last magic missile in the fight. Eathwund and Aldus take the brunt of the attacks before the frost giants are killed. As the last one begins to falter, three female frost giants rush into the chamber and attack. Alrix and then Lakima both hurl fireballs over the heads of the giants to explode behind them. The frost giants are heaved forward and burned by the flames. The fight begins in earnest. The frost giant fighting Aldus strikes the knight twice with mighty blows but leaves himself open to attacks. Lakima finds he has to use two charges from the wand of fireballs on the giants. Domago stops fighting and uses his staff of healing to rescue Aldus who was losing out to a giant. Finally, all of the giants are killed. Lakima rushes ahead to the next ice cave, while Domago bandages wounds. As Lakima enters the chamber he sees three more frost giants. Two were standing, blocking the entrance to their chief’s chamber, and the chief standing behind. Lakima casts Mirror image and three Lakima’s are standing in the cavern facing the giants. One giant reaches down and picks up a block of ice that he hurls at Lakima, striking the real Lakima and knocking him back into the cavern wall. Domago blows the horn again and four berserkers appear pushing the frost giants back and allowing a delay while Aldus and Eathwund rush up to join the fight. After a desperate, bloody exchange, all three frost giants are killed.

Looking about the wrecked, blood-strewn caves Lakima immediately spots a large wooden chest with a padlock on it. He points at it and nods to Fenris. Eathwund rummages about in a pile of furs with his sword finding only small, useless items. Fenris disarms a trap on the chest and unlocks it revealing a fortune in coins of all types – platinum, gold, silver, and copper. The adventurers take a breather while Domago mends wounds and Fenris transfers gold and platinum coins to the bag of holding.

Mystery at Phom Thult

Many years ago I used a Dungeon Magazine adventure in my B/X D&D campaign. The adventure was called Blood on the Snow written by Thomas M. Kane for Dungeon Magazine 03 (1987).  My D&D players were passing through the village of Pergen during the adventure and were not interested in the mystery so they left without solving the adventure.

Now a few weeks ago I used the adventure again. This time re-written for Swords & Wizardry I used it for my Conqueror Worm adventure and changed the maps but kept the rough outline. This time it went much better. At first, the players came and left but then they came back and solved the mystery. It was a different sort of adventure for this campaign but the players still seemed to enjoy it. It was also a good stretch for me as a gamemaster.

Session 118: Mystery at Phom Thult

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

The company of the Black Dragon is in Winterhaven trying to follow clues to the location of the White Worm. The wizard Erwin Truecase has suggested they talk to a barbarian wise woman who lives to the north in Phom Thult.

The group flies north into bitterly cold headwinds and they arrive at Phom Thult shortly after noon. The small trading post consists of a little more than a dozen wood buildings resting in a field of snow. The post is surrounded by a palisade but all of the gates are wide open and buried deep in snow. Though they see no one out in the cold they do see woodsmoke rising from chimneys above every building. The ship descends to a short distance above the snow outside the palisade. Rope ladders are tossed over the side and the party descends to the ground. They walk unchallenged into the village seeing only a single individual chopping wood. They head directly toward the largest building that Dusig tells them is the Guild Hall.

Inside they meet a pair of guards, Helm and Anja. Anja is the first Nahrok tribal warrior they have encountered. Anja tells them that the wise woman is not in the trading post. She says that she left a week ago for the great wood to the north.

“We are the Company of the Black Dragon and we are here to kill the great White Worm.” Lakima announces.

Garth suggests that they should speak with the Guild Master Baldwin. He leaves to get the guild master. Lakima asks Anja about problems in the area and she says she is not aware of any. She has never heard of this White Worm. Baldwin arrives and asks about the group and their mission. He also has never heard of the White Worm. But he suggests it might have something to do with a large White Dragon reputed to roam the Great Wood to the northwest. When Lakima mentions they will fly there to check, Baldwin learns of the skyship and is incredulous. Lakima bets the guild master that it does exist. Lakima suggests a bet of 500 gold but Baldwin counters with a free meal and a round of drinks. The group returns to the skyship with Baldwin and the two guards. Baldwin is amazed by the skyship and asks to buy it. He is disappointed when he is told it is not for sale. But Lakima suggests that he may make more ships in the future and Baldwin asks that the Merchant Adventurers Guild of Edgerton be allowed to corner the market on these wondrous ships.

Lakima tells Baldwin that they are going to head back to Winterhaven. Baldwin insists that they stay so he can honor their bet with a free drink. Lakima declines. The adventurers get back into the skyship and quickly fly back to Winterhaven with the wind at their back. They head immediately to Erwin Truecase’s wobbly shack. The magic user is surprised that the people in Phom Thult have not heard of the White Worm or the threat to the north. He agrees to review the information more.

The adventurers head to the Quiettop Inn and get rooms for the night. Over supper they listen to some conversation from the only other guests, a pair of merchants. The merchants talk about heading north to Phom Thult to investigate why the trading post has not been sending shipments of furs or sending messages. Lakima goes over to introduce himself and tells the merchants that they just came from Phom Thult this very day. The merchants are shocked to learn that they met Baldwin and were told there were no issues. Lakima offers to fly the merchants to Phom Thult the next morning, for an unspecified fee. The merchants learn that the company is the owner of the skyship that the entire town is talking about and they ask a lot of questions.

The next morning the two merchants, Toss Gloam and Hayden Brook arrive at the skyship accompanied by a guard (Tanil). They climb aboard and the ship sets out for Phom Thult. They arrive and settle the ship down in the same spot as before. The group heads directly for the Guild Hall. Alrix turns himself invisible and tells everyone he will follow along unseen. Once inside they meet the guard Anja, Garth, and the paymaster Domhnall. Domhnall is taken aback when he learns that Toss and Hayden represent their bosses back in Edgerton. He tells them that Baldwin is out on a trip to meet with a tribe to trade for furs. Toss questions Domhnall about what has been going on in Phom Thult and the paymaster makes a lot of excuses. Lakima loses patience with him and casts a charm person spell on him. The paymaster then agrees to tell his new friend about the cult of the White Worm which has taken over Phom Thult and will soon take over the north. Anja then stabs Domhnall in the back killing him. Anja and Garth draw swords and move to attack the party. Aldus blocks Anja from getting to Lakima and Eathwund kills Garth. A third guard arrives and moves to attack. Lakima casts charm person on Anja and she stops fighting to call for everyone to stop. This does not stop the guard who is killed by Aldus.

Now that the fighting has stopped, Toss, Hayden, and Tanil come out of hiding. They question Anja and learn about her fervent belief in the power of the White Worm. She tells them that soon all of the north will freeze. She also tells them that the cult in Phom Thult is led by Ale Pukki and offers to take them to see him at the Lost Shepherd Inn. Anja admits that she was told to lie to them about the wise woman. The woman is in Phom Thult but is not a member of the cult.

Most of the company heads out to go to the Inn. Dusig stays behind with the merchants to protect them. At the Inn, they meet the Innkeeper and his wife. Anja cheerfully tells the Innkeeper that her friends want to see Ale Pukki. The Innkeeper is further confused when they openly talk of killing the White Worm. The innkeeper tries to run for the stairs to warn Ale Pukki.

“Fenris, stop him!” Lakima shouts.

Fenris calmly turns and shoots the innkeeper in the back with his crossbow. The man falls unconscious to the floor. The innkeeper’s wife runs to her husband and starts wailing. Another woman comes down the stair and starts screaming. Alrix runs for the stairs (still invisible) and brushes past the woman. The innkeeper’s wife gets up and draws a knife and moves to attack. Fenris moves to draw his sword but Domago and Lakima both shout for him to stop. Joe steps forward and knocks the woman unconscious. He then does the same for the woman on the stairs. Just as it appears that things have settled down, a cook wielding a meat cleaver appears in the doorway to the kitchen and has to be knocked out by Joe.

Meanwhile, upstairs Alrix climbs up a ladder to the attic. Looking about he sees nothing interesting but hears some squeaking mice. He climbs back down just as Lakima, Eathwund and Aldus arrive. Lakima asks Aldus to check the bedrooms. The first bedroom proves to be empty. As Aldus moves to check the second room, two tribal warriors open the door and attack the group in the narrow hallway. There is a quick exchange of slashes and all combatants are cut badly. The door at the end of the hallway opens and a third tribesman emerges and casts a web spell. The web engulfs, Aldus, Eathwund, and Lakima. Alrix manages to remain clear. Aldus defends himself with difficulty while stuck in the webs while Eathwund steps into the ethereal plane and walks through the webs and the barbarians and returns to the material plane behind the combatants. Attacking from behind he kills one of the warriors. Lakima casts feeblemind successfully on the mage. Aldus, Eathwund, and Alrix (using the Dancing sword) gang up on the remaining warrior. He proves to be very tough and it takes several rounds to kill him. Lakima searches the body of the man he assumes must be Ale Pukki. He finds a magic dagger and a Staff of Striking. Joe arrives just as the fight is over. The entire group moves downstairs. They find that Domago has managed to heal and stabilize the innkeeper. All of the inn staff are tied up. The group then returns to the guild hall.

In the guild hall, they decide to seek out the wise woman. Anja (still under a charm) takes them to the wise woman’s home. On the way, they are attacked by more charmed locals. Joe knocks them out with quick attacks. He then tells them to go on while he drags the unconscious men into a building so they do not freeze to death. He pulls the men into a building that turns out to be a dog kennel. Lakima knocks on the door of the wise woman’s home. He sees a young woman peer out a window at them. With some urging, she opens the door. She examines the group on the doorstep and tells them that only Alrix, Lakima, and Eathwund can enter. She leads them into a central room where the wise woman sits on a wooden chair before a large fire. The wise woman turns out to be only in her early thirties. When Lakima asks how she came to the position she tells them that it is tradition to pick an orphan girl to train. The previous wise woman only passed away a few years ago.

She immediately understands why they have come. She has seen the strange things entering the great wood from the lands of ice to the north – yeti, frost giants, and remorhaz. She had a dream about the White Worm and can point them in the right direction. She draws a map on the sand floor. Lakima looks at the puzzling drawing and then pulls out the map of the north they bought in Winterhaven and asks her to mark the location. She tells them to head to the rift in the ice wall.

The wise woman, who tells them her name is Elsi Whitedrift asks if they will stay in Phom Thult long enough to remove the enchantments on the locals. Lakima shakes his head and tells her this will be very difficult. She tells him they can ask the local priest of Law for help. She is sure he is not part of the cult. Elsi leads the group to the local chapel where they find that Torsti, a cleric of Vikil, is not enchanted. But his assistant is and Lakima has to use deep freeze on the acolyte. Torsti is incredulous at first, not believing any cult could exist in the trading post, but eventually agrees to help. He can remove evil enchantments.

The adventurers remove the staff of the inn to the guildhall and take over possession of the Inn. They keep a watch that night but are not disturbed. The next day Lakima, Domago, and Torsti work at removing enchantments from townsfolk who have been charmed. In the guild hall, Lakima also removes the feeblemind spell on Ale Pukki. The man refuses to talk to them. Lakima casts charm person on him. Ale Pukki then tells them the story of how he learned of the legend of the White Worm and went to seek this legend out. He traveled to the frost giant rift and was captured. He managed to convince the giants that he was a true believer in the White Worm and he was taken before the twelve. To his disappointment, only the twelve were allowed to meet with the White Worm. He could feel its presence but could not come before it. The twelve told him that only they were able to behold the magnificent worm without being driven mad.

“Who are the twelve?” Lakima asked.

“The twelve, are the most powerful magic users in the world.”

Ale Pukki also tells them that the glacier rift is home to a small army of frost giants, yeti, and white dragons.

Lakima looks about at his companions with concern.

"Well, this is going to be difficult."

The Frozen Lands

Dozens of adventures later (slightly exaggerated) my players are finally biting on the clues leading to the epic battle against the major evil force in my game world. I adapted Advanced Adventures 11 by Alphonso Warden for this plot. I kept the rough plot outline and the antagonist (the White Worm) and changed everything else. I rewrote the adventure three times while I waited for my players to tackle it. Hopefully, I can do the ending justice. It is a question of striking the right balance. I want it to be dangerous, and deadly but not impossible. The first session of this chapter is a search for knowledge.

Session 117: The Frozen Lands

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

The Company of the Black Dragon is in Wolford having recently stormed the Cloud castle of the giants which looks down on the town. In an effort to learn more about the White Worm, Lakima has signed a contract with a demon to remove the flying castle in exchange for the soul of the evil mage Sazor Stratus.

The adventurers follow the path of the demon outside and do not see it anywhere. The cloud supporting or blocking the cloud castle from view still rests above the town. They notice a cloud front approaching from the northwest. About an hour after the incident with the demon, the cloud above the town begins moving with the wind to the west. Once this is noticed in the town the locals begin to rejoice. Lakima requests another meeting with Master Glint (the town master) to discuss what has happened. He claims that Sazor Stratus was in league with a demon. They tried to capture it but it fled. A concerned Glint asks where the demon might have fled. Not having an answer Lakima changes the subject and warns Glint that Wolford, the Earldom, and the entire duchy is in danger. He claims that the cloud giant attack was the first softening-up attack of a creature known as the White Worm. He expects that an army of creatures of unspecified type and origin will descend on Wolford. Glint is skeptical but agrees to send a report to Earl Uther. Lakima insists that Glint also send a report to the duke – but Glint is not convinced of the urgency.

Lakima asks that Sazor Stratus be carefully imprisoned but when the cell is investigated, they find that he has vanished. The adventurers note the smell of brimstone in the cell and Lakima notices scorches on the stone floor. Master Glint agrees to provide rooms for the company in the Palace for a few days. The skyship is anchored in the courtyard and a few guards are placed around it. After a restful night, Domago goes to where Haddon has placed Boffin’s corpse. He tried to raise Boffin from the dead but he is unsuccessful. Boffin’s spirit has moved on. The rest of the company spends the day gathering supplies for a few weeks in cold weather. The next day they board the skyship early in the day and set out for Gundamark, the city of the dwarves. Haddon has requested that they help him return Boffin’s body to the dwarf realm for proper burial. Haddon also suggests that the dwarves might have information on the location of the White Worm.

After two days they arrive in Gundamark. On the journey, the only incident was a curious hippogriff which Lakima charms and sends on its way. Most of the dwarven city is buried under the mountains. They moor the skyship in an open field beside a mountain lake near the entrance to the city. Haddon introduces the adventurers to Elder Thagnam of the dwarven council. Thagnam listens to their story about the White Worm and agrees to try to get them an audience with the full council. After a few hours wait they are taken before the council and get a chance to tell their story about the White Worm and Wormbane. A dwarven weapon crafter on the council asks to see the sword and states that it is of giant make but that the enchantments on it were cast by humans. The council has only heard vague rumors about the White Worm and they ask for a few days to deliberate. In the meantime, they are invited into the city and given a suite of rooms.

The adventurers wait for 2 days to get another invite to the council chambers. On the second day, they attend Boffin’s funeral deep in the mountain. They also visit some of the weapon, armor, and jewel crafting shops of the dwarves. Lakima buys a case of enchanted throwing darts. Fenris buys a magic sword and a magic crossbow. Aldus sees a magic great sword he wants but he cannot afford the price. Alrix purchases a magic shield. Lakima gives the additional funds needed to Aldus to allow him to purchase the sword. Lakima also buys a gem-encrusted gold ring of historical significance for 8,000 gold.

Finally, they meet the council of elders again. The dwarves tell them what information they know and suggest the adventurers head north to the gnomes of Winterhaven. They reason that since the gnomes trade with the northern human barbarians they should have more information. They give the adventurers tokens of friendship and offer the group the services of their greatest fighter. The adventurers are introduced to the dwarven warrior Dusig Greatstone.

That evening Domago agrees to commune with his god and asks three questions. He asks what kind of creature the White Worm is? He gets a vision of a vast worm with pale skin living deep under the group in the land of ice. As he gazes upon the creature it turns toward him and he realizes it has a vast, otherworldly intelligence. Domago is visibly shaken by the vision and needs time to rest before asking the second question. Can Wormbane truly destroy the White Worm? He gets a vision that the sword can pierce the worm and destroy it but he sees that the worm’s destruction will unleash a new danger. In his vision, he finds he is drowning in a dark, thick liquid. For the third question, he asks about this danger and learns that the White Worm’s interior is filled with an enormous supply of black ichor. Domago asks that they give him an evening of rest to recover.

The next day the group sets out on the skyship for Winterhaven. The temperatures drop even colder as they cross the Rainbow Hills and arrive at Winterhaven. The city of the gnomes is built on the slope of a mountain. The skyship parks just inside the town walls near a clearing. A contingent of gnomes asks to board the ship and question the adventurers on their business in Winterhaven. The gnomes charge the adventurers for silver tokens to allow them entry to the city and even find a proper charge for the skyship. The gnome customs agent agrees to speak with the gnome leadership about allowing the adventurers an audience once learning about their quest. The gnome does suggest they go to the shop of a local sage and map maker named Hestra Darkstamp if they want more information on the Frozen Lands to the north.

The group takes the gnome’s advice and walks the winding road up the mountainside to the sage’s shop. On the way there they pass a strange three-story cottage that is badly leaning to one side. The sage is a wizened gnome female who unfortunately does not know the location of the White Worm. She does show them a map of the Frozen Lands. They agree to purchase it. She also suggests they meet with Erwin Truecase, a human historian who lives in the strange cottage they passed earlier.

The adventurers walk back down the mountain slope to the leaning cottage. Knocking on the door they are greeted by a gnome. This gnome repeatedly gets their message wrong but he does let them in to meet his master, Erwin. Erwin Truecase is suspicious of the adventurers at first after hearing their story about the White Worm. He asks to see Wormbane. Once seeing the blade, he excitedly checks the pommel and finds the maker’s mark which matches the mark he has on a sketch in an old tome. He then begins to tell the company what he knows. He does not know the location of the White Worm but he is aware of it and its agents. He tells of Frost Giants under the White Worm’s influence gathering an army in the Frozen Lands. He shows them charts showing that the temperature in the area has been getting colder year after year. He tells of an attempt to make him a slave of the White Worm by a human wizard who tried to cast charm person on him. In fact, this incident led to his having a ring of charm resistance enchanted. He does offer to give the ring to Lakima in concern for his safety but Lakima confidently tells Erwin that he is protected by Medamellara (the goddess of magic). Erwin suggests they travel north to the land of the barbarian tribes and seek out a wise woman named Elsi Whitedrift in the trading post of Phom Thult.

Clearing the Cloud Giant Castle

When you have the players in your campaign fly to a Castle in the clouds you have to expect that they are going to want to keep it as their home base. With that in mind, I made sure that it was possible but very difficult to gain control of the castle. The players found that the magic controlling the castle was connected to the Elemental Plane of Air and was cloud giant magic. As such an identify spell was not enough to understand how to make things work. There is a metal band that clearly should fit on a Cloud Giant's head but it is much too big for a human-sized head. The players spent an hour trying things but did not manage to land on a solution.

Session 116: Control of the Sky Castle

Lakima (human magic-user), Eathwund (human fighter), Alrix (couatl sorcerer), Aldus (human cavalier), Fenris (human thief NPC), Domago (human cleric NPC), Haddon (dwarf fighter).

The members of the adventuring party entered the cloud giant castle in the middle of the night. A battle with the cloud giants has ended in victory.

Joe Boxer, who recently was knocked unconscious by a cloud giant tells the rest of the group that he needs to meditate and rest. Haddon stays with Joe to protect him. The rest of the group heads down one level in the castle and walks across the courtyard in the direction of the gatehouse where they know more bugbears are on guard. Aldus and Eathwund lift down the enormous beam used to bar the castle doors. They look out onto the wooden bridge leading to the gatehouse and see the doors to the gatehouse are closed. Lakima sends the four bugbear zombies he animated across the bridge to draw fire. They get about halfway across before crossbow bolts are fired from barred windows in the doors.

Lakima casts a fireball and throws it across the bridge and into the gatehouse. There is an explosion and dark smoke pours out of the gatehouse windows. Under the cover of the smoke, Aldus, Eathwund, and Fenris quickly run across the bridge to the doors. Fenris shouts that the doors are locked from the inside. Lakima turns and asks Alrix to send Deost across the bridge to open the doors. Alrix instructs Deost who is still wearing the cursed Helm of Free Action. Deost runs across and uses knock to open the doors. The doors swing open and Eathwund and Aldus then rushes inside. At this point, only one of the zombies is still standing. Inside there are eight bugbears many of them badly burned. Domago steps onto the bridge and blows the Silver Horn of Valhalla summoning 4 berserkers. The berserkers from Valhalla immediately launch themselves at the bugbears. As Aldus and Eathwund join the fray they see two Hill giants emerge from the darkness. One strikes Aldus knocking him to one side. Alrix now flies into the gatehouse above everyone’s head and constricts around a hill giant and bites him.

Eathwund and Aldus bear the brunt of the fighting but Alrix holds off one hill giant and bites him a second time and this time is able to inject venom. The hill giant stumbles and falls dead. The rest of the badly injured bugbears are soon dispatched. The last hill giant, injured by Lakima and Eathwund asks to parlay. Lakima demands that he surrender and the hill giant stops fighting. The two remaining berserkers run up a flight of steps to the next level chasing an injured bugbear.

On the next level, they find 3 bugbears who are quickly killed by Eathwund and the berserkers. The remaining berserkers vanish when the fight ends. Eathwund and Lakima climb the ladder to the battlements atop the gatehouse and find them deserted. In the distance, they spot a cloud giant in a small flying boat headed away from the castle. Lakima guesses that this is the cloud giant female that they let escape.

Lakima interrogates the Hill giant who tells them his name is Brutus. Brutus tells them that he and his friend were staying in guest corridors on the third level of the castle. They were invited to work for the cloud giants but had not yet accepted. Brutus knows very little about the layout of the castle but he does tell them that there are quarters for little people on the third floor. Lakima asks Brutus to lead the way. Brutus proves helpful on the walk to the rooms as he has little difficulty opening the giant-sized doors.

On the way, they gather Joe and Haddon. On the third level, they find a large chamber in a tower with seven human-sized beds. The group decides to rest and tend to their wounds. Alrix is sent to the skyship to get the crew and the ship is maneuvered over the castle courtyard. The Hill giant who obviously is too big for the beds says he will go sleep in the room he was staying in just down the hallway. Lakima agrees he can go. Fenris leaves saying he wants to keep an eye on the giant.

Watches are set and the adventurers settle down. At this point, the sun is just starting to rise above the mountains.

Six hours later Eathwund and Domago are on watch. Eathwund hears Fenris yelling.

“Alarm!, Alarm, ambush, awake!”

Eathwund quickly wakes everyone. They check the hallway outside the door to their room and in the distance they see a troop of 8 bugbears ascending the stairs. Lakima casts a fireball into the midst of the bugbears. Several of them go down dead. Then Alrix uses his lightning breath and blasts the few remaining bugbears who are standing. One badly injured bugbear runs away. A few moments later Brutus and Fenris join them. Fenris says he heard the bugbears coming up the stairs and gave the alarm.

The group finishes off their rest and eats some cold rations. Lakima tries convincing Brutus to join the group. The hill giant says he will come along if they find some humans for him to eat. Alrix and Domago recoil in disgust. Lakima tells Brutus that he cannot eat any humans they find. He does promise to get Brutus back down to the ground.

Lakima questions Deost about where they can find the controls for the castle. He wants to learn to make it move. Deost tells them that Sazor did not speak to him much about it. He understands that the control area is in the tallest tower. He tells them that Sazor was not able to get entry to the room. Looking out a window they see the tallest tower across the open space. But they do not see any clear way to get to it.

The adventurers head down the stairs to the courtyard again and there they are surprised to find a company of six gnolls. The gnolls back away chattering to each other. Domago tells everyone that the gnolls are calling them giant killers and that they seem afraid. Lakima sends Domago to parlay with the band of gnolls. In return for their lives, the gnolls offer to free human prisoners. They take the adventurers down to a lower dungeon level where they find eight human prisoners working in a kitchen. The gnolls hand them over in return for a promise that they will be taken down to the ground.

Brutus leads the group up to the western battlements below the tower but they find only giant pigeons and giant hawk roosts. There does not appear to be an entry to the tower. From the battlements below the tower, Lakima can see that the large windows are open so he suggests they fly the skyship up to a window.

Alrix is sent to pilot the skyship. He comes back aboard the ship and settles it over their position on the battlements. Everyone boards the ship and then it is moved next to a window. Lakima, followed by Fenris, Eathwund, and Alrix leap down from the ship through an open window and land in the chamber in the tallest tower.

They find a stone throne facing an open window. Beside the throne is a glowing orb on an iron pedestal. On the other side is a metal lever. In the middle of the room is a giant table. They are unable to see on top of the table which is 10 feet high. Two enormous suits of plate mail armor stand in alcoves. Eathwund uses detect magic and tells everyone that the armor, the orb, and the lever are magical.

Lakima asks Brutus for a lift up onto the stone chair. Once he is dropped on the chair he finds a giant-sized gold circlet that also detects as magical.

Lakima casts identify on the circlet and orb and he is able to discern that the circlet controls the orb which is connected to the elemental plane of air somehow. The magic is strange to him, and he is unable to understand how to control the castle. From the stone seat, he can see the top of the table and he notes paper, lanterns, and a chest. Lakima asks Brutus to carry him over and place him on the table. Here he finds an open log book, a map of Valnwall showing the route of the castle, a locked chest covered in dwarven runes, an enormous battle axe, and several sheets of parchment. Fenris is lifted up onto the table by Brutus and he examines the chest. Fenris tries to unlock the chest and succeeds but a poison needle pierces his hand. Fenris is protected by the periapt of proof against poison and only curses the cut in his hand. In the chest, he discovers a fortune in diamonds.

The group spends an hour trying to figure out how to make the castle change direction. Lakima suggests smashing the orb, but Domago and Alrix point out that the castle is parked directly over a town below. In the end, Lakima tells Brutus to take the circlet. The gold circlet is too big even for Brutus and hangs about his neck like a necklace. Brutus tries smashing the orb at Lakima’s direction once everyone else is aboard the longship but he is unable to damage it. Lakima tells everyone that they should head down to Wolford. He is concerned that more cloud giants will arrive to claim the castle. They know from Deost that a wedding was planned to occur in a few days and a lot of cloud giant guests were expected. They take the ship over to the wizard’s tower and pick up the wizard Sazor Stratus who is still under the effects of Lakima’s feeblemind spell.

The skyship is crowded with freed humans and a hill giant descends down from the cloud castle spiraling down into the courtyard before the town hall. At first, the local militia is called out to greet them but they quickly put them at ease. Once Lakima shouts down to the crowd that the cloud giants are dead there is much cheering. The seneschal Glint asks them into the town hall. The strange group climbs down from the skyship. A few of the rescued humans are locals who greet family members. The hill giant Brutus scares the locals but they relax when everyone realizes he is currently not dangerous.

Inside the town hall, Lakima asks if they can go to an interrogation room. Sazor is tied to a chair in the room so he cannot use his hands. Lakima then removes his gag and dispels the feeblemind. Sazor immediately tries to cast a spell but finds he cannot without the use of his hands. Lakima asks Sazor many questions about the cloud giants, the castle, and the White Worm. Sazor does not offer much to the questions and seems unintimidated by Lakima’s threats. Lakima finally asks everyone to leave the room. Domago refuses to go until Lakima swears that he will not be the one to harm Sazor. Once everyone is gone, Lakima takes out his Book of Demon Summoning and draws a pentagram on the floor. Sazor watches in amusement. Lakima then tells Sazor that he needs to answer his questions or he will summon a demon to take his soul. Sazor laughs at this. Lakima then uses his Pendant of Demon summoning and summons a demon. A Vrock demon appears in the pentagram in a flash of fire and brimstone. The Vrock angrily tries to attack but finds it cannot. Eventually, it asks what Lakima wishes from it.

Lakima offers Sazor in return for the demon flying up to the Cloud Castle and moving it away from Wolford and crashing it. The demon suddenly produces a contract on a piece of parchment and asks Lakima to sign it. Lakima reviews the contract and sees that it does not meet his requirements. The demon then reluctantly makes the changes. Lakima then signs the contract and breaks the pentagram around the demon. The demon moves to attack but finds that the pendant is protecting Lakima. It then agrees to the bargain and flies out of the room. There is much screaming and confusion as the demon flies through the hall and out a window.

The rest of the company rushes to the room to find Lakima and Sazor both unharmed and still in a standoff.

“What did I expect, when we leave two wizards alone in a room,” Alrix says.

Dungeon 23

I saw the original tweet for the Dungeon 23 challenge over the holidays and decided I wanted to try my hand at it. The idea as spelled out by Sean McCoy is to create a megadungeon by writing 1 room of the dungeon every day for 365 days. I have never created a megadungeon before. When I first started designing dungeons in the 1980s they were common for amateur dungeons. My first dungeon, a continuation of the Haunted Keep in the back of the Basic Rules was in the neighborhood of 100 rooms.

I want to do this using the B/X Moldvay rules that I first used when I started playing and I have decided to do something other than a simple megadungeon. I needed a plot. So I picked 2 of the suggested plots from the Basic Rules (pp B51), Destroying an Ancient Evil and Rescuing Prisoners. The initial hook will be the rescue of prisoners but later the players discover that the fate of the prisoners is to be sacrificed to awaken an ancient evil. I do not have everything plotted in advance. I just have some rough ideas. I do not even have a dungeon name yet. But I have an entire year to figure it out.

For the past twenty years, I have been writing all of my adventures digitally. But to stay true to this challenge I am writing it on paper with a pencil. I have a Journal I bought a year ago on a whim which has lined pages, graph paper, and hexagonal paper. It would make a great DM journal except it is perfect bound. So I found it to be useless and tossed it on a shelf. It should work well for this.

I have been at this for a week. First I wrote up a page of adventure background. The adventurers are hired by the Mayor of the village of East Hollow to rescue some locals who have been kidnapped by goblins. This seems outside the everyday habits of the usually cowardly goblins. The trail leads to the Troll Hills. Clues in the goblin lair (or the interrogation of the goblin chief) will lead the adventurers to a nearby hobgoblin lair. The hobgoblins have been intimidating the goblins into capturing humans and trading them for supplies (mainly food). There is also a side quest where the adventurers can discover that an unscrupulous local merchant has been trading supplies to the hobgoblins for coins the goblins have stolen. Eventually, in the hobgoblin lair, they should learn that the hobgoblins are also being manipulated. This time by the forgotten and mysterious race of thouls.

A goblin lair is the first level of the dungeon followed by a hobgoblin lair. Then the megadungeon truly begins with the lair of the thouls.

The Goblin (left) and Hobgoblin Lairs

I have a map of the surrounding area and the village of East Hollow but I have not really developed it beyond what is shown on the map. I guess to be more properly true to an OSR adventure I could have just left out the regional background. But this kind of background was not uncommon in old 1980s adventure modules. I do not have a name for the region yet. But I named a local large town and seat of the local ruler Thetherytwen (23).

The Region

Big Fight

 For our last session of Swords & Wizardry, we had a big fight with the Cloud Giants in the castle. The battle lasted most of the session. Coincidently, before the session, I had been talking to my players about how I did not like d20 because of how long it took to resolve fights. There was a fair amount of motion in this fight so it felt like things kept moving.

How long is too long a fight? At higher levels, some of these fights are going to last longer because everyone has more hit points. One Player character was knocked unconscious and two NPCs were killed in the battle. Several other player characters were near zero.

Session 115: Battle with the Cloud Giants

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

The heroes have entered the Cloud giant castle to put an end to the cloud giant's attack on the town of Wolford. After entering a tower, they captured the wizard Sazor Stratos and charmed his apprentice Deost.

The group decides to quickly and quietly cross the bridge to the platform on the side of the main castle. They all rush across. Joe and Fenris check the door to the castle which is unlocked. Lakima asks Deost whether the door is usually guarded.

“No. The lions are let out in the main hall at night so no one wanders there”

“Lions?”

Aldus tries to open the 26-foot high, 10-foot-wide door but finds he cannot budge it. Eathwund uses the power of his sword Wormbane to cast strength on himself. He grabs the edge of the door and swings it open. Inside they see a courtyard surrounded by a balcony. Moonlight shines down into the courtyard. Lakima spots movement and sees a lion slowly walking away from them.

Alrix volunteers to scout ahead while invisible. He turns invisible and has to assure Deost that he has not teleported away and left him. Alrix sneaks down a hallway and steps beneath the balconies. He sees three lions walking in his direction. One lion sniffs the air and growls menacingly. Then all three lions bound in his direction. Alrix retreats quickly down the corridor and yells that the lions have his scent and are right behind him.

Three lions spot Eathwund and Aldus on the platform and run forward to attack. Eathwund is able to block a lion’s attacks with his shield but Aldus is clawed and bitten before he can get his sword in the way to parry. Only Eathwund and Aldus are able to get at the lions but they are able to dispatch the beast with a few blows. Two more lions join the fight. As they are fighting them, they see three gnolls and two bugbears running across the courtyard to join the fight. The last, wounded lion flees the fight, and Eathwund and Aldus meet the gnolls and bugbears in the courtyard. Domago blows the silver horn of Valhalla and summons four berserkers to help them. The loud sound of the silver horn can be heard echoing throughout the castle alerting everyone in the area.

Fairfax enters the courtyard and tries to drop the fleeing lion with arrows but he misses. Aldus, Eathwund, and Alrix (who is using his Sword of dancing), down the gnolls but one bugbear escapes and flees across the courtyard to a pair of enormous double doors. Lakima shouts for them to stop him thinking he will alert others. Domago and Fairfax head to the left around a pool of water in the center of the courtyard. Everyone else heads right following the escaping bugbear. Lakima takes the time to raise 3 bugbears from the dead and then follows.

The bugbear opens a door and runs inside a protected area with everyone following Joe in the lead. As they pass through the door, they see the bugbear across a large chamber opening one door of another double door – this time to a bridge that is outside. Clearly the bridge to the gatehouse. Meanwhile, as they are running Domago and Fairfax come under fire from bugbears on the balcony above using crossbows. As they pass the wounded and bloody lion, Fairfax transforms into a werewolf and attacks. Domago keeps running.

Back in the chamber leading to the bridge, Lakima enters and sees the wounded bugbear rallying a large group of bugbears from the gatehouse. Lakima pulls out his wand of lightning bolts and casts a bolt of lightning that strikes and kills seven bugbears. Their blackened corpses litter the wooden bridge. Aldus runs out the door onto the bridge and kills a bugbear who was hiding behind the closed door. Then he comes back inside.

Lakima urges him to close the door to the outside. Aldus closes the door and he and Eathwund struggle to lift an enormous wooden bar onto the door to keep it closed. The door to the courtyard is still open and Eathwund hears pounding footsteps from across the courtyard. A pair of male cloud giants each more than 25 feet tall enter the courtyard from an entrance. One giant hurls a boulder that slams into the building near the doors.

Alrix and Lakima simultaneously cast fireball spells that blast into the two cloud giants. One giant is caught in the open and goes up like a torch collapsing to the stone floor. The bigger cloud giant, one they guess to be the leader because of his elaborate helmet ducks behind a stone pillar and avoids much of the blast. He retreats to the north through a passage.

There is a momentary pause in the fighting. Fairfax appears at the door covered in blood both his own and that of the lion he killed. Lakima tells Domago to heal him. Domago is reluctant to get close so he taps Fairfax with his staff of healing from a distance.

Lakima waves at Aldus, Eathwund, and Joe and tells them to check the doors to make sure the area is safe. Joe opens a door and finds a closet full of weapons. Aldus and Eathwund open two doors and find a weapons store and a sitting area with ogre-sized tables and chairs. They do not see any threats. Eathwund moves back to the door that leads out to the courtyard and scans the area. He sees more bugbears with crossbows taking up positions on the balcony above. Then he sees four cloud giants – two male and two female. They look down at him from the balcony.

Lakima tells everyone that they need to head for the next floor up and he will provide cover with a globe of darkness. Once the spell is cast, he tells them to use the cover and run for the exit that the cloud giant used. Lakima casts the spell and a globe of darkness provides some protection as everyone else runs across the open courtyard. Deost takes this opportunity to hide in the closet they found. Lakima stays behind protected by his three undead servants.

As they are running across the courtyard, they come under fire from the bugbears but none of the crossbow bolts hit them. Joe gets way out in the lead and enters the corridor which leads into a circular staircase heading up to the balcony. Once on the balcony, Joe hides in the shadows and sneaks into a nearby room as the cloud giants have their backs to them. Fairfax ascends next and charges directly into a male cloud giant from behind trying to claw and bite him without success. The giant turns around and crushes Fairfax to the ground with a single blow.

Down below Lakima uses the wand of fireballs and strikes all four giants on the balcony. Alrix transforms into his true couatl form and flies out into the courtyard. He uses his lightning breath to blast a female cloud giant. The rest of the company begins climbing the stairs. Lakima runs and hides in the globe of darkness. The cloud giant clan leader picks up a large stone and hurls it into the globe of darkness – it clips Lakima in the shoulder spinning him around and into the wall. Lakima hastily runs back into the shelter of the room behind his undead minions. He casts another fireball hitting a number of the bugbear crossbow wielders. He also tries to magic jar one of the female giants but he does not succeed.

Alrix flies up to the balcony and bites and constricts around the waist of a cloud-giant female. The woman bares her teeth at him and strikes him back. He injects poison but it does not seem to do anything to the giant. The leader of the giants a short distance away yells in anger as the female giant is bitten.

Aldus and Eathwund make it up the stair and see poor Fairfax lying crushed beneath the feet of a male giant. They both attack. Alrix is injured and decides to escape down to the lower level but first, he tries to pull the cloud giant over the railing. She is too strong for him and he is forced to let her go. Eathwund is punched with a huge fist by the cloud giant and he staggers back in pain. But Domago is there and casts cure serious wounds on him and he is back in the fight. Alrix flies into the circular staircase above the heads of his companions and flies out on the second level hovering above Eathwund and Aldus. He casts magic missiles at the giant who staggers backward and falls.

Joe fires arrows into the back of a young cloud giant woman out on the balcony. She turns and strides into the chamber but is unable to find Joe hiding under the bed. Joe fires again and hits her in the knee. She drops down to her knees and reaches under the bed looking for her attacker but Joe sneaks back into the darkness. With the cloud giant woman down at his level, Joe runs out from under the bed and tries to deliver a killing blow to her head. The cloud giant spots him and moves back and he only hits her arm. Then her other fist comes down on Joe’s head and he is knocked unconscious. 

The Cloud giant leader attacks Aldus and is kept at bay as Aldus expertly parries blows with his shield. Eathwund manages to stab the leader, then Alrix bites him and Aldus delivers the killing blow. At this time Eathwund sees a sixth cloud giant – a smaller male approaching to attack from the left leading a band of bugbears. The two dwarves enter the melee and Boffin is promptly crushed by the uninjured male cloud giant. Aldus and Lakima shout at Domago to blow the horn and Domago angrily curses at them telling them that he is busy fighting for his life. He does find a moment and blows the horn. Three berserkers appear behind the bugbears and attack.

Down below Lakima casts confusion on the bugbears. The spell works but the bugbears redouble their attacks on the company and even increase their ferocity overcome with madness. The two cloud-giant women attack Aldus and Eathwund. But Aldus kills one with his sword. The other runs into a nearby room where Joe lies on the floor. She slams the door shut behind her. Eathwund stabs and kills the last cloud giant on the balcony. Without their leader, the bugbears become disorganized but fight with a feral madness. They are all killed one by one. All of the summoned berserkers also fall. Lakima crosses the courtyard and joins everyone on the balcony.

Lakima goes over to the door and demands that the cloud giant female surrender. She asks to parlay telling them that she has their friend who is still alive. Lakima tells her that they are taking the castle for the white worm. She tells him that they must work for Sazor Stratos and that she never trusted him. She asks to speak to Sazor, not a mere underling. Lakima claims that they killed Sazor and are agents of the white worm. The cloud giant laughs and says that they are lying for the cloud giants were working at the white worms’ behest. Lakima congratulates her on telling them important information they did not know. The cloud giant eventually agrees to turn over Joe and depart. She opens the door holding Joe and demands that they keep their distance. She carefully sets Joe’s body down and then leaps over the balcony railing. Everyone rushes to the railing and sees her gently float down to land in the pool. The pool is only a wading pool for the giant and she strides through it to exit at the far end and walks out the doors in the direction of the gatehouse.

Domago runs to Joe and finds he is still breathing. He prays for healing and Joe is soon revived. Domago then moves to Fairfax and finds the werewolf is crushed and beyond healing. He finds the same for Boffin. Haddon cradles Boffin’s head in his lap and bemoans that he promised his sister he would look after her son. He says that his sister will be crushed when he breaks the news. Alrix tells him to cheer up, Domago can still bring Boffin back from the dead. Domago looks up from bandaging Eathwund and lets out a weary sigh.