The village is about 5 miles away in the woods and has way too many centaurs to trifle with.

He returns to the wagon train, and they move on. He will probably cast Attract Ghoul again at some point in time, but they are too conspicuous right now in travel.

A few days later and Alzar has moved the stealth with the +1 dagger to his belt, handle up, and lined it with the right things to keep it super tight. Using his Poison Use skill, he has taken some of the poison from a Poison Potion and added to the blade, and it will keep nice and neat. Alzar can draw it and swing, with one poisoned touch. He gets a major minus to attacking with a weapon he doesn’t know all too well, but just a hit should be enough to kill a creature in an important situation.


They keep going, and the road isn’t super hot, but it suffices

A few days later, they run into a band of orcs that are out raiding. There are 17 of them. Alzar is out in two rounds, as they are raiding the horses. He casts sleep and 6 fall. Aleigha is out and Estaish is by the horses stabbing at an orc while three more are trying to hammer him with warhammers. Another sleep spell puts 5 more to sleep, and now there are just six. Estaish makes it 5 with his sword, and the rest flee. The ones here are killed and:

XP – 25 to everyone


The following day, Alzar and crew swing by two groups of people in the road arguing and shouting at each other. They ignore the two groups and continue on.


Three days later, they pull into an inn and rest for the night. Nothing happens.

The following day, a pair of griffons are sighted on the wing, but they do not swoop down or attack or anything.

That night, however, the night before a full moon, Aleigha changes into her Werebear form. She is peaceful when she is in it, eating berries, or killing fish and squirrels - not a harm to humans. However, while she is in it, she apparently smells like a werebear. Because a quartet of red glowing eyes emerge from the woods. Aleigha roars Estaish and Alzar awake.

Alzar emerges and Estaish is too far asleep to help. The eyes soon become six sets, and then all of the sudden, they run out in one horde, 6 wererats, racing to attack Aleigha. Dryshik breathes a Mist Ball around the lead wererat, but it is immune to it (silver and magic weapons only).

Alzar summons a Searing Serpent to help Aleigha.

Searing Serpent: This serpent, from the Elemental Plane of Fire, strikes with Alzar’s THAC0 (19), causes 1d8 fire damage, sets fire to flammable things, Last 7 rounds, It has no hit points, but it can be extinguished like afire with water or earth and such – with Alzar’s AC – 6.

The first wererats are at Aleigha. They have AC 6, HP 12 for all of them except 15 for their leader, and deal 1d8 with scimitars. Aleigha roars and swings with her paws. She slashes one for 3 damage. The Seraing Serpent hits for 8 and ignites another. Azalr’s staff twirls and twacks the one Aleigha hit for 3 damage. They focus their attacks on Aleigha and hit her twice for 6 damage:

15/21

They go first this time and hit once for 5. 10/21. Her great AC, completemented by the Ring is helping her out a lot. She swing and bites. She misses three times (she rolls 1, 2, and 7). Alzar Smashes the injured one he hit before for 6 damage and kills it. The serpent misses.

Azlar’s crew go first and Aleigha Bites and slashes an untouched one for 8 damage. It is the leader. The serpent hits and finishes off the charred one for 5 damage. Alzar twirls his staff but misses. The four remaining wererats hits once, but for a crit, for 2 damage (the minimum)

8/21

Alzar orders Aleigha to fall back, but she won’t listen to him in her enraged werebear form. The rats for fits and roll 1 2, 2, and 8, and miss her. She doesn’t miss at all and kills the leader. The serpent misses and Alzar slaps one for 7 damage.

With their leader dead, and their number halves, they make a morale check. They break away. Alzar casts Blastbones as they flee and manages to deal 5 damage to them all. Another one dies. The other two make it out of the clearing.

Four wererats dead. Alzar inspects their items, casts Detect Magic, and finds nothing.


Alzar and Aleigha split 1080 to 540.


Alzar is at 22730

They are undisturbed for the rest of the night.

Aleigha sleeps during the day, but unfortunately, she will again be a werebear tonight and tomorrow. Fearing an attack with much more numbers, Alzar orders the wagons to press on as much as possible. During the night, they stop in a place with mostly meadow, with one group of trees nearby. Alzar casts Skulltrap in that area, in case the wererats attack again.

Smart plan. A few hours into the night, with Aleigha eating quietly and Estaish on guard with full armor, three wererats sneak in to spy on her, and one triggers the Skulltrap. They all take 18 damage, or save vs half. One makes the save and limps away, the other two die.

Alzar gains 200 XP for the trap and kill

XP 22950

They are not bothered on the third night.

Aleigha heals very quickly.

Two days later, when lunching, Estaish is grabbing some water when he collapses from weakness. He has apparently caught some sort of condition from the travel. Aleigha uses Cure Disease on him and he recovers instantly.

Alzar and group are slowly leaving the woods behind as the forest begins to make way for plains and meadow. The copses of trees are become fewer. The road is getting better and easier and they are making better time.

That day a rumbling can be heard from below. Alzar orders a full stop and it continues. Then, out from the ground comes a Thoqqua, a giant worm that is super hot and uses that heat to melt earth in order to move and find food. Alzars orders Dryshik to Mist Ball it and Estaish to take the horses and wagons and pull them back. He dismounts and moves in. Dryshik’s Mist Ball fails to affect the Thoqqua. Alzar runs to attack it first, and it leaps from the ground and hits Alzar. Normally it would deal 4d8 damage of heat, but Alzar takes -2 less per die (Gloves of Fire Resistance). Additionally, his items won’t be inflamed and damaged. He takes 11 total.







40/51

Alzar’s staff misses. The next round, Alzar swings and misses. Aleigha is there and stabs with her sword and misses. Dryshik breathes another ball and nothing. The mist is evaporating before it can hit the Thoqqua, so Alzar mentally orders it back. It nails Alzar for 4 heat damage. (which would have been 6 and damage his items, etc)

36/51

Alzar’s staff finally makes a connection for 6. Aleigha misses and Estaish is now here and adds a hit for 7. The Thoqqua misses. The next round, the worm wins init and hits Alzar again for 1 damage. Alzar fumbles his staff. Aleigha misses. Estaish does not and nails it for 8 more damage, killing it.

39/51

XP – 75 for all three
XP 23032 for Alzar


They all back up and wait for the corpse to cool down. Alzar has only read about these worms, and never fought one before. It cools, and Alzar checks but finds nothing around, or in its stomach of value.

They continue.

They arrive at a decently sized town of maybe, 1000 people Alzar guesses. It’s a trade town where the farmers from the plains meet to trade with goods from the forest like lumber and syrup. In fact, this entire town seems to love syrup and honey. They get both in droves here. There’s no sign, but Alzar asks and is told the name of this place is Faryth’s Foot. Faryth is the old name for the Goddess of Distance and Travel - Laima. Of all of the deities, she is the least venerated, so when Intaria became a new country about 50 years ago, the people could only agree to venerate Laima, as a compromise. They even named a new capital Faryth. They must have entered Intaria’s borders. They only skirt it for a few days, which is good because Intaria is notorious for having adventurers in it. It was formed by several allied adventuring companies who wanted to give a greater level protection for the cities towns and people of the area. Retired adventurers form the ruling council and there is a lot of adventurer gold and magic in Intaria.

They find little trouble in Faryth’s Foot. They easily find room for the night, with good food, although even the dinner was sweetened here. He mentions that the birch syrup they use was a bit too sweet for his dinner, and bring out a hickory syrup that was bitter. Not much of a fan of that either.



They leave after replenishing supplies and verifying direction info with the innkeeper, who of course was once an adventurer from the Chance Protectorate and knows travel in the whole side of the continent pretty well.

The area around Faryth’s Foot is pretty quiet and for three days, they come across no dangers at all. On the fourth day, they reach a fort that signifies the end of the Intaria border – back into the wilderness. The friendly guards tell Alzar that bandits have been attacking a few days south on this road and too watch out.

Two days later, Alzar and group come across a broken down cart over to the side of the road. Alzar calls a halt and has Megala and Dryshik fly around and scout, each going in a different direction. They find ten bandits crouching in a ditch some 30 yards from the cart, and can’t be seen from the road by shrubbery. Alzar informs his colleagues. He dismounts and moves to the cart, and then from the cart, without being able to see the bandits, but seeing them from behind by Megala, he casts Sleep and two gently fall asleep unnoticed by their colleagues because they were already crouching. Alazar casts another and 4 more fall asleep. This time, someone notices, and Alzar orders Megala and Dryshik to fly in and harass those still awake. He laughs at the remaining four run off, and Megela hits one for 2 damage and she falls asleep and Dryshik Mist Balls two more and blinds them, and just one manages to get away. All nine are killed.

XP for Alzar Only – 75

No items are magical. There is nothing in or around the cart of notice but some fruit, vegetables, and such.

The plains are much quieter. A week has passed with only a few bats and rats to deal with. This is not lie The Khoury, a plains area far to the east infamous for its raiding bands of monsters, warlords and low life expectancy. Other than bandits, the only creature they have come across was a worm from below ground.

Two days later, they reach a crossroads and have to go south, and this road is not as good of quality, so they slow a bit.

One day earlier, a nasty thunderstorm has forced them to stop for two days. They broke a wheel from a wagon in the mud and they have to make a new one. It’s not great, and it will slow them down even more.

Three days later, Alzar begins to make out the foothills of the next mountain chain. They will have to break off their southly direction in a day or two and move west. They are near the end of the mountains, and should have no problem getting around them.

The next day, they reach a small villa, and this marks the move to the west road. Alzar gets a better wheel and picks up a spare, and they stay in the decent hotel here for a night, and pick up new supplies.

They leave the next day, and that night, they run into a horde of insect swarms and have to go inside. The horses are bitten badly and Alzar decides to rest them for a day and they return to the villa and rest.

Two days later they are back on the road. One of Alzar’s best friends can be seen, and yes , it chooses to attack. This is a wyvern - another.

This time, Alzar know swhat to do, and as the wyvern is swooping down, he again casts Ray of Ondovir. However, this time, the Wyvern makes it saves. It does not fall down. Alzar orders Megala and Dryshik to hide. It flies for Estaish’s riding horse, and Alzar orders Estaish off and cut the saddle bags. Estaish manages to do both with a successful Riding proficiency and the wyvern flies off with the riding horse it its claws. Damn.

Alzar choose not to go back to town again and slow down. Instead, one person will ride a draft horse or wagon while two others are on riding horse, and they will rotate.

That night, Estaish comes across a dangerous Snapper-Saw plant, an plant that tries to cut and kill victims by quickly moving its large saw like plant leaves. It rebounds from Estaish’s armor, and he returns, grabs a brand, and kills it by burning it.

XP – 50 to Estaish

The next day, they see a surprising sight – a dragon in the distance, but it takes no notice. Alzar could tell it was a reddish or brownish color – but that could also mean bronze, ruby, brass, brown or red – or lots of others for that matter – there are a lot of dragons out there.

Using his Alchemy skill and the lab he has, Alzar makes a flask of acid and adds it to the Bag of Holding.

Four days later, nothing has crossed their path except a traveling group of monks, and they passed a corpse of a horse, but not their own. Then they spy a large beetle up in the hills. It’s very large, and starts moving towards them. Alzar doesn’t know the various large beetles from each other – except for Oil and Fire Beetles. It has no horns, just a long, thin body with nasty looking pincers.

The horses and wagons are secured as the beetle is moving closer. Without another obvious move, Alzar summons the Searing Serpent right in front of the beetle, but the beetle ignores it. Well, huh.

Alzar orders the serpent to attack. It misses. He moves in front and swings his staff. It misses. This not going to be easy. It slices into Alzar for 8 damage. Those are very sharp pincers. (It’s a Slicer Beetle for those who know and care)

43/51

The next turn, it goes first and tears into Alzar again for 8 more damage.

35/51

Alzar misses, The serpent misses, Aleigha misses and Estaish misses. Weapons are bouncing off this thing, and it appears to have a really tough chitin. A Mist Ball flies in from Dryshik and it makes it save.

Alzar backs up and tries a different tactic. He casts Ray of Ondovir on it. It fails its save. It is forced to attack exactly how it did before. That makes it much easier to hit and dodge. Aleigha pierces it for 7 damage. Estaish hits, barely, for 3. The serpent does not get a + to hit it since it does not know it will be making the same moves. It misses anyway. The Beetle totally misses. (It would have rolled a 19, which would have meant a lost arm or leg on Alzar, but since he cast Ray of Ondovir, he automatically dodged the piercing).

They win init. Alzar rolls a 14. +1 for the staff is 15, +2 for AC if 18, which is still not enough to hit. Aleigha rolls a 14, and +2 for her sword, +3 for AC, and a ThAC0 of 18 is a hit. 4 more damage. Estaish rolls a 12. +2 for sword, +3 for AC is 17, and his THAC0 is 20, so no go. The serpent rolled a 11, a wide miss. The beetle rolls a 9, and with Alzar’s AC of 6, and a THAC0 of 16, and is just a hit for 2d8 damage, Alzar takes 14.

22/51

The beetle wins init and hits again for 9 damage

13/51

Alzar hits for 5 damage. The serpent misses. Aleigha crits it for 6 damage and severely damages it. Everyone else misses. A Mist ball fails.

(If a Slicer Beetle attacks and rolls a 19 or 20, it slices off a leg or arm)

The beetle runs off at a movement way faster than them on the rocks. Alzar throws a dagger at it and misses. He orders his familiar to follow it. It goes into a cavern about 700 yards away. Alzar orders the group to follow it to the cave and leads them there. Megala guards the wagons in case someone comes across them.

They spend 20 minutes picking their way over rock and reach the cave where it lurks. They enter, with a torch tossed in so they can see. The Beetle is alone, and sees them, and backs into a corner, mandibles out. A third Mist Ball hits it, and this time is fails its save and takes some poison damage and it is blinded. They go in as one and stab at it, and two swords hit it for 9 more damage and it falls.

200 XP for all three

Inside the cave, they find some weapons, boots and gloves, and a gauntlet. Alzar casts Detect Magic and a magic boot. Alzar goes up to it and investigates it. He can’t identify it so he takes it back to the wagon for later.


(It’s a left Boot of Elvenkind)

Alzar needs some serious fixing. Two days later, Alzar is at 18/51 from Fast Healing, and they hit a large brook. They cross a bridge after checking and spying around and finding nothing.

The next night, Aleigha is on guard when a group of vampire bats fly by, but they do not appear to be interested in them.

The hills are fading and woods are getting close. Alzar believes that they are roughly 3 weeks from their goal, the first city of Fort Amber, where a large city has grown up around the only defensible city in the area, and along the River Storm.

A few days pass with only minor or close encounters. The hills are behind them and they turn south at crossroad the day after staying a night at the inn here.

About three days later, they arrive in the first village since the hills this way, or the last village from the south the other way. There are a cross roads at this quaints,, sleepy little village. The wagons pull into a this town in the woods and make for the inn. They are near a recently made ruin a few miles away. It’s a sleepy little town, but its closeness to the ruin of that temple have made it pretty hopping.

Welcome to Hommlet


Let’s do XP before we begin.

Alzar: 23,334
Estaish: 1745 (Level up at 2k)
Aleigha: 6635 (Level up at 8k)

T1 The Village of Hommlet





I wanted to get you a map of Hommlet, and in some ways, this may be the most famous and popular small town from AD&D. This module was widely produced and many have it. There was a follow up called The Temple of Elemental Evil that goes back to Hommlet. Then, there is Return to The Temple of Elemental Evil, another very popular module that again goes back to Hommlet. Finally, there is the video game that goes there. I can’t find my map, from the original module. This is a major module, and all three modules have had a lot of success. T1-4 The Temple of Elemental Evil was rated the 4th best module of all time, and Return the 8th. The firs tone is a classic Gary Gygax module with maps for everything and all characters listed including stats for the tailor and stuff, in case you want to turn Hommlet into your base of operations.


I found the map finally. It’s big though. Very big. Get ready:

In case you are wondering, these are the books I've used thus far:

1st Edition:

Fiend Folio
Monster Manual II


2nd Edition:


Monstrous Manual
The Complete Book of Necromancers
Player's Option: Skills and Powers
PO: Spells and Magic
Player's Handbook
DM's Guide
Mystara Monstrous Manual
Volo's Guide to All Things Magical
Wizard's Spell Compendium Vols 1-4


D&D:

Basic Rules


Plus the modules, obviously

Alzar and group are coming in from the north heading south, so the first thing they pass is the temple. Several people around wave hello at the north of the village. Alzar and crew decide to go straight to the Inn of the Welcome Wench, where the roads meet. They ford the brook with no problems.

The innkeeper, Ostler Gundigoot is in, and welcomes us. His stableboy and groom takes the wagons and horses and begins to rub them down. The wagons are locked and Alzar’s familiar and humonculous stay there to watch over them for the night. The animal skeletons are locked up in a wagon, 10 in each, as extra guards. Plus the purple moss is unlocked in Alzar’s lab/library wagon and a nice little trap.

The trio grab a seat for a nice midday meal. A serving wench brings food and Alzar pays for it, and their nicest room that is unrented. The food here is more expensive, because it is the only inn for miles in each direction. The choice meals are boiled crayfish in drawn butter and trout stuffed with specially prepared mixtures or steak and kidney pie with mushrooms. They order their foods and drink.

The serving wench apologizes, because they haven’t prepared their full menu yet, so items like goose and venison are not here. Alzar waves away the apologies when the delicious crayfish arrives. Estaish mentions that he really likes this place and both agree with him. Alzar agrees that they can stay here for two nights instead of one. It is not the first time they took an extra day in an inn or tavern, since they have been few and far between on their road.

They have rented a private suite at 5 gold a night. It comes with complementary breakfast. It comes with an entry room and parlor and sitting room, and then a very spacious bedroom with several beds, and finally a bath room to the rear with a lock, with a bath. The room and bath are heated.

With lunch in their bellies and a room theirs above, they decide to explore the town of Hommlet to see what is here.

At first, they decide to swing by the various traders. There are leather workers, blacksmith, traders, a miller, a cheese maker, a weaver, a money changer, a potter, a limner, a wheeler and wainwright, a stonemason, a teamster and a tailor. There is also…a mage in the tower (at 31).

The mage interests Alzar. They start by looking at the traders. This shop sells to locals, merchants, and travelers, so it has a large number of items, from farming implements and seed to small weapons and tools to shoes. They also have some animals for sale - dogs and horses. There’s not much here of interest to Alzar and his group, so they move on. The jeweler and money changer has doesn’t really have a lot on display. He makes jewelry, buys and sells gems, and can change money into other pieces, all at profit, of course.

They walk down and skip the tailor and weaver, and head to the blacksmith. The blacksmith can make typical stuff like horseshoes and nails, and he can do modest weapons like an axe or hammer head. He can’t do swords or armor.

Alzar notices the town symbol in a few places, acorns above a sheaf of grain. He inquires about it, and he is town that many in the town are of the druidical persuasion. Interesting. The church he passed was to Bathala, Goddess of Agriculture, Harvest and Fertility. There must be some adherents in here as well.

Alzar decides to try the mage, and the others keep looking at the leather worker’s place.

The tower is a two storied affair. On top are some men-at-arms guarding. It looks like a watchtower for military use, now grabbed by the mage, Burne, His Most Worshipful Mage of Hommlet. Some mages are so pretentious.

Alzar waves to the men at arms so they won’t think he is a bandit or some such, and climbs a round stepped ramp and curls around the tower. He then knocks on the door. (I roll a die). A fighter in chain and shield answers. He gruffly asks what Alzar wants. He asks if Burne is available. As a mage himself, he would like to talk with a fellow magic user. Rufus tells him to wait and asks Burne, and he says sure.

Alzar is let in and sits waiting in a main room of the watch tower. There are two fireplaces in here, a cooking area, and some seating. After a few minute, Burne arrives. They chat about the art for a while, and then Alzar mentions the classic device of trading spells. After an hour, they agree to a trade of spells. Burne will let Alzar try to learn Dimension Door from one of his spellbooks and Alzar will let Burne learn Teleport. Alzar succeeds and Burne does as well. Technically, Burne made out, because he traded a 4 for a 5, but both are common spells and have lesser values on the trade market as a result.

Burne is not interested in selling or trading magic items, however. Ah well, Alzar bids him adieu, and Burne mentions that he may swing by the Wench tonight.

He heads back to the Inn just as the evening is beginning. In the room is Estaish. Aleigha is apparently upstairs napping in their suite. There is a guy who looks very much like a professional soldier. As myrmidon himself, Alzar can always tell a solider from a commoner who knows how to use a weapon. The fighter is sitting by himself looking into the fire. There is also a merchant looking guy currently at the bar, but something seems a bit odd about the guy. A few mercenaries with lodging in the tower are here at a table, laughing about how a year ago, some guy did such and such and oh how that was funny. Coming down the stairs now are a fighter who is totally wearing a sword, and a robed guy, looks like a cleric.

The good wife Gundigoot is welcoming people now. Alzar and Estaish are at a table near the middle of the room and grabbed a chair for Aleigha when she wants to join them. The merchant looking character at the bar sees Alzar seating, and decides to come over. He asks for the seat, and then sits down without an answer. He introduces himself as Spugnoir, a trader and merchant travelling through. After a short introduction and conversation about the weather, Spugnoir asks Alzar if they plan on going there.

Going where?

A lot of strangers decide to visit the ruins of the Temple of Elemental Evil. But it’s not the temple itself, oh no. They had many towers and bases outside the temple. The Temple itself was destroyed and sealed against entrance. But there are others out there. Like the Moathouse. It’s just a mile away from the village and they say it’s becoming lively again, if you know what I mean. Most people who come here looking like you are going out that way.

Look like me?

A fighter still wearing chainmail and a mage? Oh yes.

Alzar turns to Estaish, Why are you still wearing it? “You never know when you need it.”

Alzar turns back to Spugnoir. Spugnoir tells him the story of how Hommlet was a peaceful town with goodly and kind folk, but then the Temple was built about 6 miles to the east and everything changed. For miles and miles around, crops withered, evil grew, and more. Then the Baron of Castle Amber sent an expeditionary force here and fought the evil troops in a battle, razed the temple, and sealed the ruins magically. This was about ten years or so. Then adventurers came here a lot and cleaned out the lingering evil in the area, and they stopped coming about five years ago, but since there, something more has risen at the Moathouse.

How do you know this?

I’ve been here for three days, and learning the local history is easy, they talk about it a lot once they start drinking. Anyway, are you going there?

Alzar looks at Estaish who shrugs his soldiers. Maybe, Alzar replies. Maybe. Spugnoir offers them luck, and offers to sell them some supplies. Alzar tells him no thanks.

Alzar orders more of the crayfish, Estaish grabs mutton and Aleigha joins them for goose. As they do, a few locals join the tavern for company and drink, having already eaten dinner. Burne and Rufus also arrive, and Burne nods at Alzar before heading to the bar.

After a half hour, with full bellies, Burne comes up, introduces himself to Aleigha and Estaish, and then says he heard Alzar will be heading out to the Moathouse tomorrow.

Alzar smiles, Is that what you heard?

That’s what they are saying, so good luck. Burne returns to Rufus.

As the night continues, the trio check on the horses and wagons, and then move to their suite.

(Unbeknowingst, their actions have been reported to the following people – the agents of the Temple, the druid, the priest of Bathala, the local lord thirty miles away in his keep, and the town elder).

The night is largely quiet, although someone in shadow does come by to look at the wagons, and then leaves. Nothing more though.

The following day, Alzar agrees to investigate the Moathouse. It’s been a while since they’ve done any adventuring, time to do it again.

They head east and past the tower, where Burne waves them over. They come over and he tells them all good luck, and watch your back. Okay then. The road east hit s path about a third of a mile away from Hommlet, they take it and head up a gentle incline about a half mile until they reach the abandoned moathouse.






There is a scrub of thorns and thistles on the track, and the recent rains have made this track a muddy. They bog a wagon down twice.

The track continues past the ruins for about 5 or 6 miles until it reached the abandoned and now magically sealed ruins of the Temple. There is no such seal on the Moathouse though.

The trail brings them to the moathouse, and in from of the moat, is a pond that leaks water into the moat at times of high rain. The moat around the buildings has become a bog or marsh. Alzar ties the horses and wagons down and they move in. As they get near the pond, 6 giant frogs leap out of the pond and the marsh and attack. The group are surprised.

One frog hits with a crit for 12 damage on Alzar. 39/51. Another swings a tongue at Estaish and tries to wrap him up and draw him in. It misses though.

Next turn, Alzar ,Aleigha and Estiash grab weapons and move to attack the giant frogs. The frogs win init and Three bite Alzar, Aleigha and Alzar for 6, 6, and 5. Estiash is wrapped up and drawn into the mouth of one over 150 pound frog. Alzar orders the 30 animals skeltons, newly arrived to attack the frog that is eating Estaish. Only about 5 can actually attack. One hits for 1 damage. Alzar throws his dagger at the one eating Estaish and misses. Aleigha can’t get there and instead stabs a nearby one for 8 damage and kills it.

Alzar is at 28/51
Aleigha at 15/21

The frogs win init, Another larger one swings its tongue out and misses. The other three bite Alzar for 6 and Aleigha for 2.

22/51
13/21


Alzar sends in Megala to try to stop the one eating Estaish. It misses. Alzar twacks the one in front but it just bounces harmlessly off. Aleigha got away and charges the one in the back and misses it. Five animal skeletons peck it for 2 more damage. Next turn, if that frog gets to attack while still alive, it will swallow Estiash and begin to severely damage him with its stomach acids.

Alzar’s team rolls a 4. The frogs roll a 5. Alzar’s group wins. Alzar cracks the one that has been biting him a lot for 6 damage. It dies. Aleigha misses and drops the Sword of Spartusia from a fumble. Megala misses. That leaves just the animal skeletons who hit once for a critical for 2 damage and hit another time for 1 damage. The frogs attack. Estiash is fully swallowed and takes 5 hp. 4/9. Any attack on the frog may damage Estiash inside. Another frog enwraps Alzar in its tongue and draws him in. He can no longer attack now either. Aleigha is nailed once for 1 damage

12/21
4/9


The next round arrives and the frogs go first. Alzar is drawn in. Estiash takes 3, 1/9. Aleigha is hit for 6 damage

6/21
1/91
22/51

Aleigha misses the frog yet again. She only needs a 9, and has missed a ton. Megala misses (needs a 13). The animal skeletons attack again and two hit for 5 damage. A Mist Ball flies in from Dryshik on the toad and…fails its save. It takes 5 poison damage and dies.

Estiash will take a round t ocut himself out, but no more acid damage.

The frogs go first. Alzar is now swallowed and takes 4 damageAleigha is hit aghain for 1 damage

18/51
5/21

Aleigha attacks the frog eating Alzar and finally hits (rolled a 10) for 7 damage. Megala swings in for a crit and it takes 6 and dies. The animal skeletons surround the other two frogs and attack. One is brought down and the other had taken no damage.

Aleigha stabs the last one for 8 damage and kills it.

That was way too hard. These guys were AC7, four of them had 1 HD and the other had 2 HD, they had 13, 10, 7, 6, 4, and 4 hit points and that’s it. Way too hard.

Those months away from adventuring made Alzar and his crew rusty. Good stuff though!

While the group is busy recuperating, suddenly, two figures fly from the road and attack!!!

These are two people seen at the inn last night, a fighter and cleric looking guy. The hulking fighter is already at them with a sword drawn. Combat is engaged. Alzar’s group goes first and Alzar casts sleep. The cleric looking guy drops. The others miss. Kobart nails Alzar for 10 damage.

8/51

Next turn, Kobart swings first and misses. Alzar swings hard for 6 damage. Aleigha crits him for 18 damage (max on a crit) and drops him.

Whew. That was tough.

Alzar uncaps and quaffs a pot of healing. 16/51. Just as he does that, and Estiash is done killing the monk guy, they are attacked YET AGAIN, this time by a sleep spell. Aleigha and Estaish are dozing. Alzar has his scouts fly around, and they find a mage that looks exactly like Spugnoir from last night at the bar. Dryshik breathes a Mist Ball on him. He fails his save and takes 2 poison damage and is blinded for 5 rounds. Alzar runs over and punches him twice, knocking him out. He is tied up.

Alzar punches him awake and casts ESP. What are you going here? He made his save.

What are you doing here? Spugnoir is a mage, and he needs more spells – he only knows three, so he came here to find scrolls, and when he saw Alzar was a mage, he thought he would follow up and wait until he was weak, and then attack and take his spellbook.

What about the moathouse? Everything he told Alzar was true. He didn’t want to lie in case Alzar had talked to others. There was also a mage rumored to have lived here once, so Spugnoir came to the village to begin with.

Alzar had searched Spugnoir but found nothing magic. He casts Detect Magic to see if anything the three had. Spugnoir said he didn’t know who those two were.

Alzar kills Spugnoir as well. He tears off some of his flesh to feed the purple moss.

Thanks!

From the corpses they have gained 11 pp, 21 gold, 12 silver, 40 copper. The group is pounded, so Alzar orders a retreat from the moathouse and back to the church.

They arrive and the cleric, Terjon, tends to their wounds. After a donation of 100 gold to the church, Terjon casts several curative spells. Alzar is at 32/51, Estaish fully healed, and Aleigha at 18/21

They decide to head back tomorrow.

XP Gains: 400 each, 440 for Alzar

Estaish - 2145 and level 2. He now has 16 hp.
Aleigha – 7035
Alzar – 23774

This night, the inn is a bit quieter, but a trader that just came into town is gambling in the back, and wants to gamble with Alzar and/or his comrades, but they skip it.

Next morning, refreshed, no nonsense with the wagons overnight.

They arrive back at the moathouse, tether the wagons and horses, and head up to the entrance. It is just before mid-morning. The drawbridge is down and weakened. Glad they are not taking horses over it. One of the gates is splinteres and holed and the other is barely handing on one hinge. There are bootprints in the ground.

Here is the map of the Moathouse from the game, only redone with Dundjinni for wargaming or playing with D&D figures to show where the monsters and characters are.






Here it is in full size. Look at that detail.

The Mad Mapper: Click image to close this window


The people move into that large courtyard area just inside the gate. There is rubble throughout and the place looks mostly deserted, but traffic has spread some mud around.

They decide to check the tower to the left of the gate. The upper portion has collapsed. Animal skeletons are ordered in, and nothing happens. Alzar steps in, and a huge wolf spider sees him and leaps down from the ruins of the tower. Alzar is surprised. The spider nails him for 4 damage and a poison save he makes it easily.


28/51

His staff is knocked to the side by the quick spider and Dryshik Mist Balls it for success as it takes no poison damage (it is immune) but it is blinded for 1 round. It lashes out in fury and Alzar easily evades.

It can see again and just misses Alzar (His Ring of Pro kept him from taking that damage). Alzar cracks it for 5 damage, and the others have arrived. Estaish lances his sword into it for 7 damage and Aleigha hit it as well for 5 and kills it.

XP – 90 each

Alzar has Megala fly up and check out the top to see if anything is up there. They see some copper and silver in a web up there, plus an ivory box worth maybe 50 gold that Megala flies back down.

They head back to the courtyard and move to the stairs. This will enter the house section of the building. The doors are sundered.

They enter a great hall with destroyed furniture, tattered banners and heaps of rotting cloth into the corners. This was probably a audience chamber once. A quick search reveals nothing. While they are searching, a group of human voice scan be heard coming up behind them, up the stairs. Alzar orders people to move to the sides, and awaits them. They see Alzar standing by himself, and immediately yell for help and attack. No parley, just an attack. Well let’s kill them. Alzar smiles, twirls the staff around his body, and orders Megala, Dryshik, and a horde of 30 animal skeletons towards the three men dressed in leather, two with shields and all with maces. They steel themselves. They go first and two manage to kill animal skeletons, 28 left. Three of them hit the first of these guys for 6 damage total and he dies. Suddenly, the doors to the back tower or room burst open, and more of these, about 9 more. Crossbow bolts fly out and one nails Alzar for 4 damage. Alzar kicks himself for allowing himself to be outflanked – he’s smarter than that.



24/51

Aleigha and Estiash swing from the corners of the room.

The next turn, Alzar goes first and casts sleep on the back group. Only four fall asleep. Megala and the animal skeletons kill another bandit in front. The leader orders the bandits in back to throw, and several heave spears while two more crossbowmen fire. Alzar takes 10 damage from a spear and bolt.

14/51

Alzar just wins init and he tries to throw his throwing dagger at one of the crossbowmen. It hits for 6 damage (the max) and kills an archer. Megala and the skeletons lose another skeleton (27) but kill the bandit in the front – the final one. Aleigha and Estiash have arrived to help. They both attack the one with a voulge, Estiash hits for 10 damage and kills her. With only three left, including the leader, they begin to back up. A crossbow bolt crits Alzar for 10 damage. The leader hacks at Aleigha for nothing, and the final one misses. After getting badly wounded. Alzar orders Dryshik to Mist Ball the leader, which he does. The leader fails the save, takes 5 poison damage and is blinded for 2 rounds.

4/51


Alzar pulls back and orders Megala in. Aleigha slices the other crossbowman for 6 and kills him. Estiash easily trounces the blind leader for 7 damage. The leader swings wildly and clangs his sword against Estaish’s armor but misses.

Aleigha kills the leader after hitting him for 7 damage.

5/51 for Alzar after resting for a bit, searching their items, and making a magic pile for later. They search the room and find a secret door going down.

XP – 100 each

They find, 145 silver, 10 gold ,30 electrum, 10 platinum, a 250 gold gem on the leader, and a chest in the rubble they find when they search. Alzar has the animal skeletons scratch and paw at it, but nothing happens. It’s not locked. It holds 2000 copper pieces, 2 bolts of fine cloth worth 60 each, a crystal flagon and 4 goblets with 80 total, an inlaid wooden box with ivory handle worth 45 and some arrows.

There are fires and bedrolls here. This has been their home for a while. Alzar and crew go south, but Alzar will be staying far in the back, hiding.

They pass a stairway up that is now destroyed. They search the rubble and find nothing.

They arrive at a door on the right and open it. Its empty and dirt and wreckage show no evidence of life. They search and find a broadsword wedged into the wall and added to the magic pile. They try the next door down and find a bed chamber. It is a total wreck, with a chopped up bed, and smashed furniture. A search here takes twice as long and still finds nothing. The next door across the hallway is opened and inside was a salon where furnishings were, and tatters that spoke of wealth. They search and scare some bats in the room, but find nothing else. They hear a squeaking and rustling from below as well.

They enter the wide open room at the end of a hall and see a giant 12’ long adder. Attack or leave?

Alzar knows this is a poisonous snake that can cause death in one round (Poison use gives him that info). Instead of risking the people who are alive, he sends it the animal skeletons. They rush in. The snake attacks first and misses. It is hit three times from the 8 that can get t it, for 5 damage. Alzar throws his dagger in for good measure. Miss. The animal skeletons go and crit once and hit twice more for 7 damage. The snake hits a skeleton for 1 damage. It hits again next turn for 2 and kills it – 26 left. Only one hits for 2 damage. Next turn, they hit for 5 damage. The serpent misses. They next turn they hit four times for 6 damage and kill it.

XP 30 each

They search and find a jeweled dagger in its nesting area.

They head back and move to the other section. They go into the open space next to the great hall and find a storeroom, and the stairs down. Inside are a horde of giant rats. Alzar orders his animal skeletons back, casts Blastbones on one, and has it rush in., It explodes and deals 5 damage to them all and kills them. Alzar is down to 25, but animates three to take him to 28.

They go to the hallway and take the first down on the left. This appears to be an empty trophy room except for broken antlers, ruined pelts, and so forth. Search finds nothing.

The next room on that side is totally empty. A search finds nothing. They cross the hall and find the kitchens. There are old and broken work tables and a wooden cask. There is a Giant Tick in here, and Alzar’s minions are dispatched again. It kills one and then dies to the 18 damage it takes from TWO crits and three more hits in 6 attacks. Rar!

XP – 20 each

27 skeletons left

A search finds nothing. They head to the end room. This appears to be the old barracks with ripped and rotted cots and a few chest a here and there. There is a giant lizard dozing up against the south wall. Alzar needs to search the room, because you never know, and that lizard may prevent him from doing anything. Alzar decides to be tricky and open with a Mist ball from Dryshik. It fails that save and takes 3 damage and is blinded for 3 rounds. Alzar orders everybody to charge it and kill it before it recovers. They do without taking any damage back.

XP – 50 each

A search of the room finds some weapons and armor, crossbow bolts, and an intact chest with 33 copper in it.

Go down, or go home? The cleric has used all of his curative magic this round, but that mysterious druid may have something to help. They arrive, dismount, and go into the grove and Alzar is asked to donate o the grove in order to make a request of Jaroo. He asks for healing so that he may go back and finish cleansing the moathouse. Jaroo looks at him, and agrees. No more money needed. He casts two cure spells on Alzar, and dismisses him.

Alzar is at 29/51

They return and it is just after 1 in the afternoon. Because they will be going down, Alzar keeps Megala with the wagons and horses.

When in question, Alzar always takes the secret doors down, not the normal ones.

Here are the dungeons in the same map style:

They come down into a small room at the top of the map, with no doors. Suspicious. Alzar orders a search and nothing. He draws and uses the Wand of Secret Door Location and finds one on the right, and one on the left. They open both. One is some steps down and then the corridor continues. And the other opens into a room with a small ogre, pillars, and immediate attention needed. Alzar sees her wield a nasty bardiche, and swing it around expertly. He orders everything and everyone back, casts Skulltrap on a head cut from a bandit upstairs, place sit at the door and runs. The ogre runs after them and right into the trap. It takes15 damage. Alzar throws a dagger while it is reeling. Miss. It enters the secret area and battle ensues. They win first and Aleigha fumbles her sword but Estaish nails the ogre for 9 and kills it.

XP – 50 each

The ogre’s weapons and armor are added to the magic pile. They search the room, and find nothing. There are two doors out., and they take the left one.

This is Lubush’s pantry, and inside at the remains of two humans were killed and began eating by the ogre. Alzar has his skeletons search and they find another pair of humans still alive underneath a pile of clothes. They are severely malnourish and thirsty. Alzar gives them water. They claim to be merchants, and an ESP spell verifies it. He has Dryshik show them out and they follow the Mist Mephit out. A search finds nothing else.

Dryshik returns. They go near the wagons and horses, but Megala scares them away.

They go to the other door and inside is a storeroom littered with filth and junk. There is a door on the left side of the room. A quick search turns up nothing.

The next door is opened, and they see some doors to the end, a few pillars, and to the south, some doors along a wall, and in a couple of seconds, zombies start coming out. Alzar looks very pleased. He tries to control some and total success. 4 are now his. A few more keep coming out of the rooms, slowly and surely. Alzar tries to control again and gains 6 more. That’s all of them. Alzar now has 10 zombies. He sends them into the room right next to them that is open.

There are no creatures inside though, but caution is dandy. This is a torture chamber with implements around. A search finds nothing. Alzar orders zombies into the small cells they came out of, nothing. A search there finds a loose stone in one with a 500 gp gem behind it.

Alzar got 100 XP for the zombie stealing too, btw.

They head up and find the stairs. While leading with zombies, two green slimes fall and attack the zombies. Alzar asks everyone to back up, drops oil from an oil flask on each, and then lights them on fire with a torch. They are both killed in two turns.The zombies have been largely disintegrated and are dead.

XP = 100 for Alzar
8 zombies left.


Alzar has the zombies try the doors at the end, but both of are locked. Perfect! They have nice neat new locks too. Alzar reaches into his bag of holding and grabs that acid flask he prepared. He uses half for each lock, and they dissolve. Each is an armory with weapons, shields, arrows, and such. All added to a giant magic pile.

They serach these rooms and come up with nothing else. While searching,3 gnolls come down the stairs, and Alzar orders the zombies to attack. They see 8 zombies and they turn back up and disappear. Megala didn’t see them come in, so they must have another entrance up top to the Moathouse. He orders Megala to fly up, and sees them run into the rocks at the northeast and across the marsh and out.

This section is cleared out, so they head back to the secret door and try the stairs.

As they go down, a zombie is killed in a pit trap with spikes.

7 left


Alzar grabs some boards from the moathouse drawbridge and places it over the pit and the zombies can walk across. This took twenty minute and nobody saw or heard anything in that time.

They arrive at a split in the corridor. East or south west? South west. (roll randomly). They head southish. They arrive at a large room with nothing in it, three doors at the far end, and a hallway to the right. They go right. In here are 9 gnolls. They grab their weapons, and Alzar and party grabs theirs. In seconds, zombies clash with gnolls. Alzar casts sleep and three fall asleep leaving 6. Estiash and Aleigha are behind the zombies and can’t get in. The gnolls kill a zombie for 11 damage. The 6 zombies hit twice for 12 damage and kill a gnoll. The next turn, the gnolls go first and dice one zombies for 9 and kill it, and hit a second for 2. Alzar throws his dagger and crits one for 6 damage. The zombies swing and One crits a gnoll for 10 damage and kills it. Two others kill another gnoll, just leaving three up. They cannot retreat, and get init the next turn. They dice two more zombie,s the injured one and another. They three zombie skill a gnoll, and Alzar’s staff beans one for 7 damage and kills it. Aleigha pierces another for 7 and kills it too. All dead after sleepers die.

Alzar searches and finds 100 silver, a 10 gold gem, 11 gold among the group. They head back.

3 zombies left.

Alzar orders the zombies to try the doors. One is nothing, another is a false door with wall that slides down and kills the zombie (2 lefT) and the last one enters into a hall that quickly goes south or south east.

South it is. The pathway veers off again, south or west. South seems to end in a few feet, so south. They hit a room with a natural pool of water, and this must be the water source for the Moathouse. It looks like spring from underground. They edge to it, and see a giant crayfish in the pool. There is also a glint of metal at the bottom. The Giant Crayfish gets close to the top, and they attack each other by mutual decision. Alzar sworps it for 8 damage and it reels. Aleigha drops her sword into the pool. Estiash cracks it for 3 damage. The crayfish snaps at Alzar and hits once for 8 damage

20/51

Estaish hits it for 4 and Alzar’s staff rebounds off its shell. Aleigha stabs it with a backup dagger for 2 damage. It snaps at Aleigha who just hit it for 4 damage

14/21

It wins init and cracks Aleigha once more for 7

7/21

Alzar misses, Estaish slices it for 10 damage and finally kills the thing.


XP -100 each

Alzar is now at 21/51

He jumps into the water. The Necklace of Adaptation creatres a bubble of fresh air around you that no gas can penetrate, and that allows you to breathe underwater. The Ring of Free Action give shim full movement.

He grabs Aleigha’s sword, and finds:

Platinum Pin with giant ruby in it – 2000 gold
19 gold, 30 silver, 17 copper
A bone tube.

Alzar opens the bone tube after emerging and drying off. and it was water tight and has magical writing on it. Stored for later. A search above found nothing.

They continue west, led by two zombies. The corridor goes for a bit and Alzar orders a search but nothing.

They continue and it ipoens into a delicious burial crypts, with four ghouls surprised and looking up. Alzar tries to gain some more undead. He easily succeeds and they join his squad.

XP – 150 for Alzar.

There are crypts to the left. Alzar searches the are here, but there were not a lot of years for this place to have a lot of buried dead, so they find nothing. With zombies and then ghouls in front, they head to the left and enter a natural area. The first grotto opens up and there are bones and skulls here. Alzar grabs some extra skull trap skulls, and they search, turning up vials of water (7), 800 silver, a potion and a scroll. They try to continue, but the ghouls point out there is nothing in these caves for miles and miles, so Alzar pulls everybody back. They retrace their steps and head right at the split off. They arrive at a door that a zombies opens. There is a passage here with a nice breeze, and a door ot the left. Alzar orders the door opened b a zombie. Inside are many humans. One is right by the door, and the undead instinctively attack. The guard yells for help, draws a morningstar and swings and misses. The zombies miss. Alzar orders zombies in front, ghouls to flank and be behind, and people behind them. There are two more guards rushing towards them. The hallway is just 10 feet wide and only four of them can fight at a time, but six in the hallway can attack anyone in the door, because they can go to the sides.

The ghouls completely kill the guardsman in this round. Alzar orders the undead to hold the line in case more come in. Two more arrive at the door form the hallway and several more are entering the hallway.

The two at the door go first and totally miss (a 2 and a 5). The zombies miss (a 2 and a3). The ghouls on just tear into both and one is dead and another paralyzed. An officer orders every to move, and aims a crossbow. The bolt misses a zombie. He then orders down four guardmen at a time in orderly fashion. Smart. Alzar waits until they have gotten close, and then casts Searing Serpent right in front of the officer.

The four guardsman win init and swing. A zombie falls from a Morningstar. A bolt thunks into the other one for 1 damage. The last zombie hits a random guard for 1 damage as well. One ghoul misses, another is too bothered with the parpalyzed guy and kills him. A thinrd crits and kills a guard. The fourth also cdcrits and kills a guard.

5 dead, one wounded, and one injured At the end of the turn, Alzar’s serpent attacks and misses.

In a second, eight more guards in rows of 4x2 arrive, and begin marching down the corridor. The ghouls go first and kill the two guards there, and the crossbowman officer ignores the serpent and fires a bolt a the zombie, hits it for 8 damage and kills it. No more zombies. The serpent misses.

At the end of this round, two more crossbowman arrive. Alzar casts charm person on a crossbowman. Success. Alzar tells him to try and get his buddies to stop firing arrows at him.

He starts to talk to the other officers.

The next turn, the guardsmen have arrived, and another set of four enter the hallway. Alzar’s group just gets the init (1 to 2) and the ghouls attack. Two guards die. The remaining two guards hit a ghoul for 6 damage and fumble her Morningstar. The serpent attacks and does 1 damage to a crossbowman not charmed. One bolt is fired at a ghoul and hits for 1 damage. The other one does not fire for interference into the charmed one.

At the beginning of the next round, a person unseen pours beer all over the searing serpent and put sit out. A cleric looking guy enters the hallway. The guards at the hallway now attack. Three miss but one hits and kills the injured ghoul. Another crossbow bolt flies down and misses. The three ghouls left Kill one guard. Another one moves up. The cleric casts Hold Person at Alzar, failure. Alzar draws his Wand of Paralyzation and fires it at the whole hallway. Cleric makes it, two crossbowmen fail and that includes the charmed one, One guard in the front line makes it, the others fail. All in the second rank make it, and both in the final one fail.

The next round, they go first. A big burly warrior enters the hallway and moves in front of the cleric. The cleric tries to wrest control of the ghouls from Alzar. Success. The crossbowman fire and totally misse,s and the one guard in front who can attack misses. Alzar orders Aleigha and Estiash in and tries to control the ghouls again. Success. Dryshik is ordered to Mist Ball the cleric and he makes his save. Animal skeletons move into the gap from the extra Ghoul and kill a paralyzed guard.

On th next turn, Alzar and group win init. He orders the ghouls to kill those in front and they kill three guards. Aleigha and Estiash kill two in the next row. Alzar throws a throwing dagger at the cleric and hits for 4 damage. The others counter attack. A crossbowman hits Alzar for 3 damage.

17/51

Two guards swing at Estaish and one hits for 6 damage. 10/16. The cleric tries to wrest control and success. This time the cleric’s team wins init and the ghouls attack. Alzar is hit for 9 damage and is immune to the paralysis. A bolt misses. The cleric casts Hold Person on Estiash and it succeed and he is held. Aleigha kills a guard for 8 damage. The fighters moves up. Alzar gains control again. Animal skeletosn peck and kill two paralyzed guards.

8/51

All that is left is the fighter, and three crossbowman and the cleric. The crossbowman are de-paralyzed this round. One is still charmed.

Alzar grins as they win init and the ghouls attack the fighter. He is only bitten once for 4 damage,but fail his paralysis save. Aleigha crits him and doles out 10. Crossbow bolt into the frozen Estaish for 5 damage Aniaml skeletons peck away for 1 damage. The cleric wrests control.. Alzar wins init. He wrests control back. Aleigha moves in and attacks a crossbowman but misses. Animal skeletons peck at the warrior for 3 damage. Dryshik breathes another Mist Ball at the cleric and he misses his save, takes 4 poison damage and is blinded for 2 rounds.

5/16

The crossbowman drops his crossbow and grabs a battle axe and tears 2 damage out of Aleigha/.

13/21

They win init. The cleric tries a random attack with a war hammer. He misses. A axeman misses. The other one final wrestles the charmed guy to the ground and ties him up to get him out of the way.

Aleigha crits the axeman for 10 damage. Animal skeletons finish off the warrior and Alzar orders the ghouls in to attack the cleric, the they hit five times for 12 damage. No paralysis though.

The ynext round, they go first. The cleric swings an dhits Aleigha for 4 damage. The two axemen hit once for 4 damage.

5/21

Aleigha’s sword misses and scrapes the side of the tunnel. Alzar’s ghouls finish the cleric and the wounded axeman. Dryshik breathes his final Mist Ball on the last one and failed save, 2 damage of poison and blind. Next turn he is finished off.

Dead: 1 5th level cleric, 1 4th level fighter, 3 3rd level fighter, 15 1st level fighters.


XP – 450 each

All of the weapons and items are brought into the magic pile. They check out the rooms back here and find chambers and bedrooms. Everything is pulled out.

They find (total for everything):

39 pp
90 gp
1275 sp
30 ep
Gold neckchain worth 50 goldx3
100 gp gems x29
10 gold gem
Gold Medallion with Topaz – 1000 gold
1000 g p gem
Silver Serving Set worth 4000 gp
Alabaster box worth 800
String of matched fire opals 15000k
ivory box worth maybe 50 gold
2050 copper pieces
250 gold gem
500 gp gem
2 bolts of fine cloth worth 60 each
a crystal flagon and 4 goblets with 80 total
an inlaid wooden box with ivory handle worth 45
Jeweled Dagger – 850 gold
Platinum Pin with giant ruby in it – 2000 gold



With the place cleaned out, a quick check finds everything else emptied. Some bugbears in the north chamber ran away and nothing was there. Various searches found nothing more.



Used one charge of each wand.


Magic Pile: 4 +1 arrows. Scroll of Push, Stinking Cloud, and Fly, potion of Undead Control, and scroll of protection from undead. Staff of Striking, Phylactery of Action, +1 plate armor

10 giant rat carcasses.


XP Gained:

Alzar: 1364
Estiash and Aleigha: 890

Total – Estiash 3035, Alzar 25138, Aleigha 7925 –that close to level 4

The group heads back to heal and regroup at the Inn of the Welcome Wench. Alzar keeps his three ghouls under his control and the additional 6 ghouls he gets when the people they killed rise from the dead that night. He may need them later before moving on, you never know.


Five days later, they prepare to leave Hommlet after healing and rest, and identification of items. Alzar gave all of the coins to Aleigha and Estiash to split and took the jewllry, gems, objet d’arts, and magic items.

It is the final night in the village, when Megala notices someone near the wagons. Alzar is immediately awake and seeing through its eyes. There is an individual there, lurking in the shadows, and observing. Alzar orders Megala to stay put, and pulls out his Crystal Ball.

Alzar grabs his stuff, weapons, Bag of Holding, and everything else. The downstairs door is opened by the stranger who sneaks in and disappears. Alzar activates the Crystal Ball before he does, and it automatically follows him. He cannot be seen, having melted away, but after a pause, the person is sneaking in through the darkness. Alzar’s two followers are asleep in the bedroom, so he shuts the door ot the antechamber and casts Skulltrap just inside the door to his anteroom. He then prepares a Blastbones to trigger if the Skulltrap triggers.

The figure is at the top of the stairs, and Alzar backs up, sits down, places the crystal ball on the floor out of the way, and pretends to have fallen asleep. Secretly, he orders Dryshik out of the window and then down into the now opened door and into the common room downstairs. Alzar’s suite is the first door up the stairs after about ten feet, with a locked door.

In just a second, the door to Alzar’s chamber opens, completely silently. The stranger managed to pick the lock and open it very quickly, and did it all without a sound., Alzar is impressed. Just soon as the door is opened enough, it touches the skull. It explodes, and triggers the Blastbones.

The Skulltrap does 15 and the Blastbones add 6. The assassin makes her save and takes 14.

Level 10 Assassin – 41, Dex 17, AC3, Wearing noise proof cat suit, poisoned daggers in each hand, Cloak of Displacement, save vs death. Dryshik silently casts Wall of Fog on the stairs behind the burglar, and Alzar opens his eyes. He throws his readied dagger at her. She jumps in. The dagger sails wide. She stabs Alzar twice, dealing just 3 damage but Alzar has to make two poison saves. He makes the first one, but would have failed without the Periapt. He fails the second one. In three rounds, he will die. He cannot attack and his muscles are contracting painfully.

Dryshik has flown back up and Mist Balls the assassin. She fails her save and takes 4 poison damage and is blinded. Megala is flying into their room and trying to awaken the others. Alzar uses his knowledge of Poison to identify the poison from the look, and feel and how it is acting – it’s scorpion venom – a common poison to acquire or make. It takes a bit to work, however. There are much deadlier ones.

Alzar knows that there is a chance to save himself. Dryshik flies in under Alzar’s suggestion and grabs the Extra Healing potion from his belt. He undoes the stopper and pours it in Alzar’s convulsing mouth and after a round, the pain has stopped. The potion does not heal Alzar, since it was used exclusively to kill the poison. The assassin has bounded up and trying to leave the inn. Several voices can be heard from upstairs as people are being woken up.

Estiash is the first one out and he sees the assassin flee, Alzar’s condition, and leans down to make sure Alzar is all right. Megala is ordered to fly back out and sees the Assassin flee the inn, and hut and lock the door behind her in about 15 seconds. Alzar orders Dryshik to also give chase. He waves Aleigha and Estiash on and gets up himself. He grabs his Crystal ball to spy on her again, and gives orders through Megala and Dryshik;’s connection. The mephit is just a round behind.

The assassin is moving into a plains area, and will soon spot Megala who will be able to hid in the trees. Alzar orders Megala in to attack and distract her until Dryshik can catch up and Mist Ball again and then perhaps everyone else can catch up. Megala swoops down and misses her. She sees Megala and throws a dagger at him. He takes 2 damage (no more poison). Megala is ordered in again, as Alzar sees her grab for a potion from her belt as well. Megala wins init and gets there first. He actually hits her (rolled a 17) and deals 1 damage. She…makes her save and is not put asleep. Dryshik is there (he flies) and Mist Balls her. She makes her save again. The potion puts her invisible. Dryshik and Megala can no longer see her, but the Crystal Ball follows her, even though it cannot reveal her. Using his knowledge of where she is and is going, he has Megala go and show Aleigha and Estiash where the Assassin is by pointing, while Dryshik stalks her. She slides over into some bush and scrub. In a moment, Estaish and Aleigha begin to be seen. Will she hide or will she ambush. Dryshik is ordered to Mist Ball the specific space the Crystal ball is pointing. There is a chance it will miss, so I roll. 13. I consider that to be enough of a hit, since no AC bonus applies due to armor or the cloak or invis. She fails her save and takes 5 poison damage and is blinded for 3 rounds. Dryshik and Megala fly in to where she is and start attacking. Aleigha and Estiash follow. Both of the flyer smiss.

The next round, Dryshik is ordered up and becomes the lookout. Megala misses. Estiash hits her for 9 damage and Aleigha nails her for 4. She runs, but she is easily followed by her noise and the Crystal Ball.

Megala misses. Estaish hits her on the run for 7 and she dies.

On her body is nothing but the knives, a vial of scorpion poison half used, and nothing magical but the cloak.

Alzar is able to identify it as a Cloak of Displacement right away. A Detect Magic spell shows nothing else.

Lost an Extra Healing pot.

XP – 600 each
660 for Alzar


Total – Estiash 3635, Alzar 25798, Aleigha 8525

Aleigha gains 7 hp and is now at 28, level 4.

Alzar switches to the Cloak of Displacement from the Ring of Protection +1. This will give him +2 to saves and AC, and drop his AC to 5. Also, the first melee or missile attack from someone will miss.


The morning dawns, and they wait another day in Hommlet, and will leave tomorrow. Burne heard about the assassination attempt, and says that the Temple doesn’t like those who interfere. Normally, the path south would be a good plan to get straight to Fort Amber, but perhaps in this case, Alzar should go down a few miles, and then take a less used westerly track to Ghiarathor, and then turn south from the village and skirt around the main round. It sounds like good advice. Burne also says, Besides, Ghiarathor is an interesting town, you may like it.



And with that, they decide to do that. They leave Hommlet bound for Fort Amber, and publicly state their destination along the main road, but then quickly veer off west for about 12 miles until they reach Ghiarathor.

A Hero’s Tale – At the Races

They pull into Ghiarathor and find that this really is a one of a kind town. At the end of a road that only goes to it from the south and east, this quiet town of a couple hundred has no tavern, no inn, no business at all. There ar e just several long wooden lodges in the town that everyone lives in. They are riding and caring for Giant Stag Beetles, which they call Ki’o.

Apparently, Ki’o are the only trade here. They raise them from larvae, use them as steeds, kill them for meat, carve and cut their chitin into tools and furniture, and there is a fungus that grows on them that is cultivated and eaten. The Ki’o are domesticated and largely docile.

That is interesting to see. However, there are other wagons and such here, because the monthly Ki’o races will be held tomorrow. As part of a religious festival, the people of the town race their Ki’o. The winners of the various races are venerated for the month until the next festival. There are some who have heard about the races and come to watch.




There are also those who come to place bets and gamble on the winner of the Ki’o races. There are special foods made for this celebration of the Ki’o. Ki’o stew, dumplings, and pudding are samples. There are arrows in a quiver that Alzar sees, and a Chitin helmet nearby. The food is free as the people here have no economy.

The place the ki’o race is about a half mile or so west of the town. It has a long, circuitous rout, around trees and rocks, and then back to the beginning. It can all be seen from the tops of trees in the center, where people go to see the races.

Over the last few years, Ruce and Rhet, two Flanson brothers, have been running the gambling operation here for a few years. The max bet is 50 gold, but most bet in the silvers or coppers. They determine odds based on past performance of the Ki’o and its rider. Ki’o are not owed by the people here and are all communal property, so various people could ride different Ki’o throughout the year.

Alzar decides to stay the night here and enjoy the races tomorrow. They stay in the wagons, eat the food of Ghiarathor and welcome the morning. More people have arrived in the night, and the place is starting to get a bit packed. As they eat, and then make their way to the races, the Flanson brothers are getting a lot of action and bets, and they look nervous. One of them sees Aleigha and Estiash in their armor and approaches. They’ve had a lot more people bet, and in some high numbers and max bets, and are a bit nervous, so they want to hire a couple of guards for 20 gold each, just to watch over things, make sure things go smoothly and to keep an eye on thieves. They agree and move to the table to help out.

Alzar takes a place in the bleachers and orders Megala and Dryshik to fly in close so he can see the action much closer.

There are seven races today. Many of the people getting ready to watch the races are normal looking people, but five well armed and armored people are in the front, not sitting, and watching excitedly

A few more join, and the bets are placed. It is a few minutes until the first race. There are six racers each time. And then, the first race is off. At first, a few Ki’o are in front, but quickly, the dark horse of the race, the third one in, pulls out and dominates the others. It had the longest odds of winning, and few one, but one of the soldiers heads over to collect winnings and gets a lot of gold at the winning table. The odds were ten to one, so he made out.

A few minutes pass and the second race begins. The riders are racing their beetles around the course, dodging rocks here and crawling under a fallen tree there. The favorite and the dark horse are challenging for the lead for the first half, but the dark horse pulls out in front for the second and wins easily. The odds were 8-1. Again, few people collect, but the same warrior walks over, and collects a pile of money.

A few minutes later the next race begins. Within seconds, the dark horse candidate pulls way out in front. People are talking about how this particular beetle has been racing for a year, and never gotten better than 5th, but now, at 12-1, it is just trouncing the others. It easily wins the third race . And once again, the warrior who has won twice already starts moving back over.

Well, this is just highly unlikely, so Alzar gets closer, and hides the somatic and material components of an ESP spell behind a viewer and his robe and cloak. He begins to check the mind of Vajj.

Vajj fails his save. He is thinking about how his plan to rig all of the races today will make him stinking rich. The next race, the beetle on the inside is supposed to win. He tells himself to play it cool. Alzar is walking to him. Dryshik and Megala have arrived, and Alzar points for Estiash and Aleigha to back his play.

He makes his next save, that round Vajj collects his winnings and starts to move back. He fails it the next turn, and Alzar can hear that Vajj has threatened the others with his surface thoughts. He taps Vajj on the shoulder with his staff and the man turns around and looks surprised and a bit upset. Easily angered, Alzar thinks.

“Excuse me, but since you have cheated and rigged these races, I would appreciate it if you would return your money to the Flansons.” Alzar smiles. He is also speaking quite loudly for everyone to hear. Vajj leans down and says “No one accuses me of cheating!”

“Oh, I’m not accusing you, I’m telling you.” Alzar can read Vajj’s mind during this final round (failed his save), ”I know you threatened all of these townsfolk, and that you told the one on the last beetle that you’d kill his mother, and the one on the middle one on the left that you’d kill the entire town, and that you would posion and kill all of the Ki’o. I know how you threatened each of them. I also know that you have three daggers hidden in your sleeve that you are thinking about killing me with, and trying to come up with a way of getting out of this. I’d recommend surrendering and turning over your gold, before this crowd gets a little too upset.”

Several shouts agree with Alzar. Of course, they come from Estiash and Aleigha. Vajj opens and clenches his fists a few times, and then moves to the table, and places the money that he won. He motions to his fighters to leave, and turns around to threaten Alzar. The next race begins and Alzar has Estiash and Aleigha go back to guarding. The Flansons want to award him, but he brushes them off and follows Vajj.

You see, Vajj shouldn’t have threatened him. They should have just left. Alzar orders Megala to follow and finds a perch. A few minutes later, they have found a place about a quarter of a mile away from the races and are talking about how to kill Alzar. He smiles at their stupidity. He can overhear their entire plan. He decides to end this now.

He activates Fly on his belt and flies into the air, high above the five fighters. He is directly above them, and there is no wind. He orders Dryshik to close and get ready to Mist Ball the leader if its needed. While they sit, close together, and talk about a conspiracy to kill him, Alzar pulls out a human skull, casts Skulltrap, and literally drops it on them.

It deals 21 damage, but Vajj and two fighters make the save, and take just 11. The other two took the full 21. The Mist Ball flies in on Vajj. He rolls a 1 and misses his save, and takes 3 damage and is blinded for 2 rounds.

Alzar flies down, and laughs as they have no missile weapons to fire at him. Stupid. He casts sleep as they try and run. One falls asleep. Megala claws the blinded Vajj and misses. The next turn, Alzar casts another sleep and another falls. Megala claws Vajj in the face for a crit for 2 damage and he fails is save and drops asleep. Dryshik Mist Balls one of the two fleeing. He makes the save. Alzar gets ahead of them with fly, and casts Searing Serpent while they close towards him.

They draw swords as the fiery serpent draws near They swing and of course miss. One is burnt for 3 damage. It is enough to kill him after the full damage from the Skulltrap. The other one drops her weapon in surrender Alzar accepts. The others are all killed, Alzar finds no magic with Detect Magic and turns her over to the Flansons.

Alzar gains 800 XP, 880 after the 10% bonus.

The dark horse won in every race except the last one, where a local named Maeris one. He was a 3-1 winner and managed an upset but most people thought it was the only real race, as there was real competition the entire way. That was not what was supposed to happen according to Vajj, but Alzar doesn’t mind someone standing up for himself.

Alzar gives the 320 gold from the corpses to Aleigha and Estiash. He keeps 3 100 gp gems

26678 for Alzar.

Used one charge on Belt of Flying



The town is upset at the deaths, but when explained that they had threatened the lives of the entire town and rigged one of their holy festivals, they accept the deaths

A Hero’s Tale – Web of Death

They stay the night with more free food and such, and then the festivities end and they leave the following morning on the south trail to eventually get to Fort Amber. They head south, and after around 20 miles or so, the trail starts to wind up the hills and mountains. The goings are getting a little harder. It forks twice, and Alzar was not informed of any branches, and both times, it does not go due south. Scouts by Megala and Dryshik are unhelpful.

He is not sure if they are on the right path when they comes to a gorge, with a stone path over it. The wagons won’t go over though. It is the right path or not? Alzar always chose the path closest to the south. They could go back and then return if another is not the right way. Of course, even if this is the right way, they can’t take the wagons over, but perhaps Alzar can see another way. Dryshik and Megala are sent up and scout ahead, and it looks even darker and rougher there than here.

Alzar orders everyone to stay here with the horses and wagons and moves forward, he has crossed natural bridge mostly before a trap is sprung. A giant web-net hidden with the natural bridge itself strikes and Alzar is lifted into the air as the net springs around him. The web-net grabs Alzar and throws him into a webbed area where all of the bridges and areas look like one giant web-maze.

Alzar looks around, and then makes an INT check. He lights two torches and then yells loudly. “I know something out there can hear me. I will drop this torch if you don’t come and talk to me!”

Alzar waits about twenty seconds, hears and sees nothing and gets ready to fling one of the lit torch on the ground when an Ettercap leaps up onto the web-bridge Alzar is currently on. It’s speech is Typic, but guttural. “We are above agorge, and the webs would burn you even if you could survive the fall. “





How do you talk as an Ettercap? I was turned into one by a Transmuter I offended somehow. I built this maze and gathered giant spiders to complete in it for food, and have trained them to be smarter and more cunning. They will find and kill you.

“No, we will not be playing your game today. This is a belt of flying, which will enable me to not take the falling damage, and these are gloves of fire resistance, which will save me from any damage this fire may do. So, you will escort me out, then leave after giving me the info to get back on the right path south.”

The Ettercap clicks, and then says, “No. I do not believe your bluff.”

Alzar smiles. “I never bluff”

He flings one torch to each side and the highly flammable web ignites quickly. Megala and Dryshik have been up with the other group and pushing them from the edge. Alzar casts Searing Serpent in front of the Ettercap and adds another source of fire.

The Ettercap has screamed and clicks at the same time and other spiders and Ettercaps are moving about. Alzar sees some move quickly. In just three rounds, half of the web is on fire, and of course, Alzar is immune to the fire. The spiders are not, and many are being crisped and attacked by the fire. Their home and maze and trap is completely going up.

The brides and walkways are beginning to collapse, and the Natural bridge above is actually hardened webbing and the flames are licking it too. Flaming webbing is falling into the gulley, and its stream, below. The walkway below Alzar loosens, and he activates the belt.

It falls, and spiders and ettercaps are dying, but a couple are fleeing up the gully side, and Alzar cannot have that. He flies up to a giant spider, and casts Skulltrap and kills it. Blastbones damage another one even more than the smoke did, and Alzar flies up and twacks it for 6 damage and kills it.

Then Alzar hears a tremendous screech and looks. There is a gargantuan spider much much larger than a Giant one. He’s never seen one that big. The fire has caused it to fall and its bulk is unable to stop the tremendous crash from it hitting the ground and dying.

The Ettercap that was once human is no where to be seen. Did it die? Did it survive? Alzar can’t tell, but there’s no more movement anywhere, and the web is destroyed or still burning on the ground. A few trees in the gully have caught on fire, but it won’t spread. Alzar has Dryshik and Megala and himself fly around and search for spider-y life or treasure that might have been on there. Alzar spies a metallic glint and swings down. It’s a silver rod. Alzar grabs it. He can tell is a Rod of Terror. Identify will be used later for the number of charges (8).

They fly back up, rejoin the group, and continue back and eventually find the right path to get out of this area.

Charge used in belt.

Now, how much XP to award to Alzar? Here are the XP combined from all of the creatures in the area. 6950. Should he get XP from them all? For just throwing some torches? So, we’re giving him full XP for the Skull trap and the one he twacked, and then rounding it up to a reasonable number.

2000 +200 for bonus.

2200

Alzar is now at 28878


Four days later, Alzar and company have arrived at a town called Hochoch. It’s about 1000 strong, and they stay at a local inn. About two days south of here, the road veers back to the right path at Fort Amber, and then is about a week away.

One day west of Hochoch is the town of Orlane, a farming community of around 300, but recently the travels from Orlane have been attacked or refused service. It’s pretty weird there right now. Alzar can choose to go south, and try to make it to Fort Amber within 10 days, or go west and check out Orlane.

Why not go ahead and see what’s up?

N1. Against the Cult of the Reptile God







This is easily Douglas Niles’s best module for the game. I’m sort of torn between Douglas Niles. He does great stuff like this and Skills and Options, and then he is an awful writer for the Darkwalker trilogy, and such. His other modules are just okay. This one was ranked 19 in the Top 30 article by dungeon about 6 or 7 years ago. I was considering not doing it, since it is for starters, but I will be increasing the numbers of bad guys and removing a key ally for the second half of the module. The final battle against the evil one is helped by an ally with Dispel Magic and a Globe of Invulnerability, etc. We won’t have that ally. I think it will be fine, then.

They make for Orlane and arrive after dark, and see no one on their way past houses. That’s not too unusual in a farming town, though, where people go to bed early and wake up early. They pass a few buildings, and then see an inn at a crossroads where the north path passes a bridge and this road continues on into the heart of the town. They dismount and arrive at the Golden Grain Inn.

It is a large wooden inn decorated with wooden golden sheaves, peeling whitewashed paint, and a corral and stable off the side – empty. They lead the wagons and horses in.


Here is Orlane:

They enter the inn and there are around 6 customers, who all appear to be locals. The place is subdued and they are all sitting by themselves except for a couple eating together. The proprietor moves to them and greets them warmly, and introduces himself as Bertram Beswill. He gets them food and tables. The prices are a bit steep, and they order dinner and drink. Bertram welcomes them to Orlane and asks their business. Alzar tells them they are traveling, and want to take a few days off the road. The innkeeper tells them that there are not many travelers these days, and offers them rooms at a discount. Why is that? Well, I’d best not say to strangers, so I keep my mouth shut and my inn clean, Betram replies. Alzar agrees to a room. Betram orders someone to take care of their horses and wagons, and then gets them a room. (Bertram successfully makes an INT roll of his own)

Alzar heads out to lock the doors and surreptiously has Dryshik and Megala take up posts to observe for him. They go check on the room, and it is a nice one for just 2 gold a night a pretty good deal for a nice room like this, but it’s no suite like they had at Hommlet. It’s longer, has a fireplace, a table with three chairs, cabinet, and just one bed, but big though. Alzar decides to call it a night since they got in late, and many have gone to bed in the town already. Beswill points out there is just one bed for all three of them, and offers to put Aleigha up in an empty room by herself (or vice versa) for just one gold more, since they have the empty beds and strangers are rare these days. Aleigha wants to, and Alzar agrees and Aleigha will stay in the very next room.

Four hours later, while Alzar, Aleigha and Estiash are sleeping, Derek Densleigh, a thief in another room uses a secret passage to sneak down towards their room, and moves to open a secret door in the back of Aleigha’s room. Bertram’s INT roll alerted him to Alzar’s quick question about the town, and led him to suspect that Alzar was planning to investigate. Therefore, Derek is moving to handle the situation. He is moving towards her.

Will he succeed in his Move Quietly check? Easily. A cleric casts silence on a stone, and then moves into the hallways and creeps along with five other people to the door of Aleigha’s room, and then they open it. Derek guards the back secret door, and the cleric and her group enter the front door and close it behind them and lock it.

Does Aleigha sense anything? It’s very dark, Derek made his move silently roll, and there is a silence spell going on. Unlikely, but let’s roll. 35 on a 100, not close. The first person attacks with a blackjack to Aleigha’s head. It automatically hits. She takes 2 damage and is knocked out in one blow (blackjacks have that chance). They grab her things, and take her out by the secret door, and away. Nothing of hers remains in the room.

Quite the nasty setup they have going there.

Alzar and Estiash greet the morning like any morning. They begin to get ready, and then after largely doing so, Alzar leaves and knocks on Aleigha;s door, and hears nothing. He knocks once more and leaves, thinking she may have gone down for breakfast. When the innkeeper’s son says that he hasn’t seen her that morning, Alzar goes back up, knocks a few more times, and then comes back down and asks to be let in her room. The son does so, and they find a room devoid of its occupant or her things. Alzar orders Estiash to get armored, and his weapons, and does so as well. In 15 minutes they are packed and ready to head out. Alzar confirms with Dryshik that he saw nothing last night anywhere near the wagons and stables, and he agrees. Alzar leaves the inn, unlocks wagon, and him and Estaish sit down and talk it over.

The stables can see the front door. Three options – she left magically, they left through an exit elsewhere, or they are still in the inn. Whatever the issue is, there is one blatantly obvious suspect. Who asked them to split up into separate rooms? They will go back into the Inn, demand to inspect the property to ensure she is not there, and Estiash will make a big fuss while Alzar casts ESP and reads Bertram’s mind.

They go back in and demand to see Bertram. In a minute he arrives, and tells them he is terribly sorry about what happened. He will do anything in his power to see her found and returned. He points out that many of those that go missing here come back in a few weeks or days after being pressed. Estaish begins to yell at him and demand they be able to search the entire inn from top to bottom and Alzar turns his back and casts ESP.

yeah, this is a good one, espeically nasty against 1sts. There are a few npcs you cna use as allies, acouple of elves, a 7th level mage, a ranger. We will be going it bare though.

They go back in and demand to see Bertram. In a minute he arrives, and tells them he is terribly sorry about what happened. He will do anything in his power to see her found and returned. He points out that many of those that go missing here come back in a few weeks or days after being pressed. Estiash begins to yell at him and demand they be able to search the entire inn from top to bottom and Alzar turns his back and casts ESP.

The innkeeper makes his save. Alzar moves in front and begins to ask the innkeeper questions about where he was last night to keep him talking.

The next round, the innkeeper fails. Alzar asks if the innkeeper knows where Aleigha is, and he says know. That’s a lie, she is here, in a secret underground chamber. Alzar asks if the innkeeper knows who abducted her, and he says no. That is also a lie. It was a cleric from the Temple of Bathala and a thief upstairs and 5 other locals.

Innkeeper makes the save.

Last round. Fails the save. Why are they taking Aleigha? I don’t know. A lie, to take her and others to The Reptile God and convert her to its service.

Alzar smiles and thanks the innkeeper for his service, and he looks a little confused. While I am sure that she is long gone, would you consent to allow us to search your inn, with you at our side of course, as we inspect the area for clues, and just to make sure. Surprised by his kindness and politeness when expecting a lot more, all the innkeeper can do is agree. Alzar orders Megala and Dryshik to guard the entrance to the inn and to see through several windows, and then they agree to start upstairs.

They double check her room for any items or clues and find none. They next door over is without a room, and the one beside it is also empty. The next over is their largest room and someone is renting it out. Alzar knocks and asks to enter. Derek introduces himself, and Alzar instantly recognizes him as the thief Bertram was thinking of. Alzar asks to inspect the room, and Derek looks at the innkeeper and then relents. They make a big show of checking under the bed, in the cabinet, etc. Then Alzar thanks him, and
they leave.

They also check a merchant’s room, a private dining room, and the dormitory room. They then move back to the first level, and check Bertram’s den and bedroom and make a nice show of looking everywhere. Bertram’s son and the cook are a bit puzzled when they enter the kitchen and look and check the whole place. They explain why they are there. Alzar and Bertram and Estaish head downstairs and check the large main cellar room, with tables, chairs, and such. They move to the wetgoods storage room with kegs, casks, and such. There is wines, beers and ales of various sorts in here. Nothing found in an inspection.

Then Alzar, Estaish and Bertram move into the final room. This is the drygoods storage room and inside is a wooden floor, upon which are stacked crates and boxes. They have plates, utensils, flour, grain and other such things., Alzar asks Bertrma to open up all of the ones large enough to hold Aleigha. While working on a particularly stubborn nail, Alzar casts Charm Person on him.

Succees! Sort of. Bertram turns to look at Alzar. “Who are you?”

“Wait, am I not your friend?” “No, I don’t know you, wait, you were a patron last night...” “I’m Alzar, and this is Estaish, we came to stay at your inn here last night, that’s true.” “Things are a little fuzzy. Why are we here in this room?”

This is interesting, Alzar thinks. Bertram was charmed! The combination of two charms means they each cancel each other out. Time for all of the cards on the table.

For the next fifteen minutes, Alzar tells Bertram everything they know, and points out that in Magecraft, one charm cancels another, and since Bertram was charmed by another, Alzar freed him accidentally, because he thought Bertram was their enemy. And everyone else in on it thinks you still are.

Bertram cannot remember everything. Apparently, he was charmed for over a year, and that’s pretty incredible for this spell. It will take him a few days, weeks, maybe a month or two to remember everything (If only this were Alzar at a later level, when he had the Hypnotism non-weapon proficiency)

Bertram does not remember where Aleigha is, but there is a secret room in the main cellar room, so they enter it, and it is a secret meeting room. There is a ladder going up to Bertram’s bedroom. Is has a couple of tables, and there is a door to the east. Bertram tells them that this was not there, and he doesn’t know where it came from. They agree to help out Bertram. Alzar punches Bertram and ties him up. He will pretend to have been knocked unconscious. Just play along, and pretend your memory is fuzzy from the punch. Then we can explore and you won’t get in trouble. Bertram is in.

The corridor beyond the door has been recently built and looks really shamble-y. There are heavy, rough hewn timbers keeping the ceiling aloft. They keep going, and soon the tunnel splits into three tunnels heading south, west, and south west. Alzar chooses south, the closest to their original orientation.

They head south and get close to a chamber on the left. They enter the chamber and see, behind a closed gate, three ghouls. Estaish tells Alzar how lucky he is, and he just smiles. One unsuccessful controlling attempt later and they decide to skip the ghouls. (rolled a freakin’ 2)

The corridor splits into threes again, west, north and north west. They continue west. They quickly arrive at a chamber with a giant statue of a giant snake like creature with a human head. It is worth 5000 gold easily but would be very heavy. It was carved out of ivory. They search and find nothing, heading back. They take the northwest passage. It goes for a bit (nobody finds anything). It continues, or another passage goes off west, so they go off, and it curls into a chamber. There is nothing here, and a search turns up nothing. They head back, continues, and find a corner chamber with a large pile of loose earth. They move around, and suddenly a mudviper is exposed from the earth and attacks. Without any undead foes, Alzar orders Estaish back. It ambushes Estiash but it’s fangs cannot penetrate his armor this time.

Alzar tosses his dagger at it. A hit (rolled an 18) for 6 damage. It’s fine though, this is a tougher snake, and poisonous for death. (Alzar recognizes poisonous and venomous animals and creatures with Poison Use). Estaish heads to the entrance, and Alzar is backing up. One Blastbones later, the snake has added 8 damage to its total. The room is cool and they are able to move faster than the cold-blooded creature. The blast wounded it badly, and Alzar orders Estaish to grab his sword, and they will both spring immediately….wait. Alzar just remembered.

He turns the short sword into the Fremlin, which he hasn’t done in a while. Are you damaged by a poison? The Gingwatzim tells him he isn’t. Then fight it. It jumps over and tries to claw the snake. It manages to hit for 2 damage. The snake hits back for 1 and no poison. The snake wins init and misses, as does the Fremlin. The Fremlin crits it for 6 damage and it dies.

300 XP for Alzar, 120 for Estaish.

They search the room and find nothing and Alzar turns the Gingwatzim back into a sword.

They continue and find them selves back to the beginning, so they wrap around and take the north branch this time.

The corridor gradually descends away from the there and there is a lot of headroom here. They find Derek here again. He must have snuck past them at some point in time. “She’s near, never you worry.”

Alzar and Estaish moves towards him, and he pulls on a cord on the ground, and a constrictor snake falls from the ceiling right on top of Estaish. It surprises, strikes for 4 damage and begins to squeeze Estaish. Alzar moves to cast Sleep and it fails. Derek sees the sand spell component, and smiles. “I’m immune to sleep and charm spells, mage. I’ve got elf blood in my veins from some long ago ancestor.”

Alzar files the fact that Derek is not charmed away for now and swings his staff at the snake. It misses and, does he hit Estaish? Yep, for 5 damage The snake constricts for 3 damage. Estaish tries to hack at the snake and manages to hit it for 4 damage.

Estaish is at 7/19.

Derek throws a dagger at Alzar and hits for 2 damage. The snake constricts for 2.

49/51
5/19

Estaish hacks the snake for another 10 damage. Alzar needs a get out of jail card to free Estaish. Unfortunately, he cannot think of any with his spells (Sleep, Animate Dead Animals, Detect Magic, Ray of Ondovir, Skulltrap, Searing Serpent.) His wand of paralyzation may not work on a snake, and may not work even if it does. Same with the Rod of Terror. No potion will work. So, all he can do is swing that staff. It hits and doles out 6 damage and kills the constrictor.

Derek smiles, and then runs. He knows Alzar needs to help Estaish for now.

85 XP each

The cavern moves a bit to the rear, like a corridor, and then stops. Since this whole place is built and not natural, that cannot be random. Alzar searches and finds nothing, and fire soff a charge of his wand, and it reveals a secret door.

He opens it, and sees a room with a low ceiling. Inside is a cell with Aleigha unconscious in the bottom. There are also three chest in it. Alzar has the fremlin check each of the chests and open then. Inside are Aleigha’s belongings, missing 100 gold. They do not have a key, but Alzar uses the acid to open it, but due to the toughness, has to use it all.

They grab her and awaken her. She has taken no damage, and she is quickly able to don her armor and grab her things.

They move to leave, and find that Bertram has disappeared from where he was knocked out and tied up. Suddenly, the inn door opens up, and Derek is handing Bertram to a cleric of Bathala, who takes him and escorts him away. Probably got found out that he wasn’t charmed anymore. Alzar orders Megala to follow flying above. They get close to the temple, and Bertram tries to make for it and is Held by a Hold Person spell probably and recaptured. No one is on the street.

Twice the clergy of Bathala have been seen or mentioned as in on the whole thing. Time to pay the temple a visit.

They emerge from the inn, and grab the wagons and horses and ride out. Megala has followed the folks to the temple. They pass by a lot of homes and houses to get there, on its hill on the outskirts of town.

The courtyard is open and they ride in, all the way up the double gates of the temple. Alzar orders Megala back and to guard the wagons. He leaves the 12 animal skeletons in each as further guardians. The purple moss has grown and is now in two urns – Alzar’s wagon and lab/library wagon. The wagons are locked.

They fling open the double doors like they are in a hurry and inside is a central sanctuary. Alzar has already told them the plan, and they head in. This is a very large room with a tile floor decorated with the picture of a sheaf of wheat crossed with a scythe. There is a statue to the goddess of gold, and looks to be worth about 5000 gold, but weighs at least double there. There are five pillars, and doors to the east, west, and two that flank the south from the entrance. Inside is a temple servant, who greets them and tells them that people not servants of Bathala are not allowed past this area. Alzar tells the servant that his man was injured by a snake and asks for healing. The servant bows, and apologizes. Only those who serve Bathala can be healed by the clergy here. Alzar looks at him oddly. How do you know I don’t serve Bathala? The servant has no answer to that, and Alzar looks back at his man and shows him the wounds. The servant leans in closer and dies when a +2 throwing dagger slides into his ribs and kills him.

Alzar orders the corpse removed outside, and taken into a wagon to hide it for now. They head back in, find no one has noticed them yet, and do a quick search. Nothing. East, west, or one of the souths? The south to their right. (random roll) They open a door into a antechamber with wooden benches and a few pieces of art. There is a door to the east. They open the door, and a female cleric looks up suddenly. This is the female cleric that took Aleigha. Alzar plays it straight. Thank Bathala I found you! My man here needs healing! You’ve just got to help him! She makes an INT check.

Instead, she begins to cast a spell. Alzar cannot get one off, and she has silenced him successfully. No spells may be cast, or orders given. Aleigha charges with the Sword of Spartusia’s ruby blade out. Alzar’s throwing dagger misses badly. Aleigha nails the cleric for 6. Estaish is entering the battle. The cleric misses with a mace. She doesn’t have her full armor, so there is a strong advantage to Alzar’s squad. Alzar nails her for 3 damage, Aleigha misses and Estaish deals10 damage ti her killing her.

XP – 150 each

They search and find a secret necklace with a snakeshead, with gems of rubies, worth 1000 gold. Alzar identifies her ring as Ring of Protection +1. Because he doesn’t have enough of those. Nothing else looks magical but the magic pile they go. They find nothing, but the silence of Alzar made the battle silent, so no one should know about it. There is a door to the north and Alzar opens it. This is a gleaming white tile floor with a series of alcoves along the east wall. In each are statues of plants that Bathala’s blessing helps to nurture – potatoes, wheat, oats, corn, parsnips, etc. They are made out of valuable materials. Alzar skips them and they walk down the corridor, passing the door from the grand chamber that was to the east. The hallway bends around and goes for a long time. A search find a secret door, and at the end is a regular door. They take the secret door and inside is a small meditation room. There is a door on the other side. Opening it shows them in a hallway lined with four other such doors and another at the end. They open the next one, and inside is a monk meditating. He springs up and attacks. As he does, two more doors open and two more jump out and attack. Alzar’s sleep spell puts down two of them. Aleigha and Estaish both hit for 14 damage and kill the third, and then Alzar has to make a tough decision and decides to just incarcerate the two sleeping ones. Normally he’d just kill, and he will kill any who stand against them, because he can’t know which are charmed and which are not, and he doesn’t care that much. But there’s real reason to kill these so he has them tied, and put back in a meditation room and the door is shut.

XP – 100 each

A search finds nothing on them, or their rooms, and they open the last one and find nothing either. The door at the end is opened into a large dining area, with tables and chairs. There is no one here, and the cabinet has nice wines, and local foods in it. This is the room the door from the central chamber opened into. They head south into the kitchens. Nothing here, even after a search. They head back to the chamber, check the final south door, and it’s just a meeting room with nothing found in a search. They go back to the hallway, hit the door at the end, and find stairs up. So they go up.

The hallway curves and they come to a door. Alzar opens the door and inside is a surprise. 8 skeletons standing around wooden benches, who move to attack, just before all of them join Alzar’s team.

XP 100 for just Alzar


You never know when you are going to find friends!

A search of the room finds nothing. There are two doors to the south. Alzar grabs the one farther away. Inside is a library with many shelves of books and two small tables with chairs. They are about agriculture, and the service of Bathala, with one sample book called A Most Worshipful Guide to Benign Bathala. A search finds nothing.

They head back out and the skeletons open the door to the next room. This appears to be a small meeting room with a table, chairs, and an unopened bottle of wine on a shelf with glasses. They open the door to the east and as they move into the small hallway between the two rooms, out come 15 goblins, five from a secret door in the meeting room, five from the hallway, and five more into a room in front of them and they all attack!

The skeletons are ordered to attack, while Alzar and crew have goblins in their rear and front.

The goblins win init because of their ambush. A skeleton takes 4 damage. (they have 6). Alzar takes 8 damage.

41/51

The ones in the back arrive. Alzar kills a gobby. Estaish does too. The skeles kill three. Alzar wins and misses. Aleigha kills a gob. The skeles finish off the other two. 7 left by the group. Alzar takes 6 and Estaish takes 2. Alzar orders tem to switch with the skeles. They do so.

Alzar 35/51
Estaish 3/19

The goblins attack the skels and kill two. They swing back and kill 3 gobs – 4 left. They win init and kill two more. A skel takes 1. The gobls win and miss. The skeles kill the last two.

6 skeletons left.

XP – 50 each

The secret doors are one ways and cannot be reentered, so they move into the big room with a rack and table, and a few other minor torture implements recently added. A search finds up nothing. They can go south or eash into the room the gobs came from. They go east and enter a large room with a giant table and 16 chairs, numerous bed rolls, and more. They search twice and find nothing. They head back out and go through the south door.

The walls of this chamber are scratches and stained. There is an exit to the southwest, and nothing in the room.

(Abramo casts Prayer, the party will be at -1 for their saves, and him at +1).

They move to the exit, and it bends 180 degrees and goes north. The undead in front, it has another bend in it.

(Abramo casts silence on a coin and leaves it at the entrance to his room and backs outside of the silence radius.)

They round the bend and it again curves with another exit from the south exit. The skeletons enter the room . Abramo uses Turn Undead and kills them all in one go.

Alzar and group draw weapons, and notice the silence in their area.

Init – the cleric casts Spiritual Hammer and attacks Alzar with it. Miss. Alzar throws the dagger miss. Dryshik Mist Balls him and he makes it easily. Aleigha and Estaish draw weapons, and Alzar holds back Estiash while Aleigha moves forward to engage.

Aleigha swings and just misses (rolled a 13, need a 14). Alzar moves forward and leaves the silence area behind, and Estaish comes with him.

Alzar takes 5 from the spiritual hammer.

30/51

Abramo casts Cause Blindness on Aleigha and she fails. It is permanent. She is at -4 to attack, +4 to AC. Aleigha swings and misses. Alzar summons a Searing Serpent. Dryshik, breathes in another Mist Ball and the cleric fails and takes 3 damage and is blinded for 3 rounds. Estaish arrives and misses.

The serpent deals 2 damage to the cleric. Alzar’s staff crits him for 8 damage. Aleigha misses. Estaish gets a 15 and hits for 4 damage. The cleric casts cure light wounds through the blindness somehow.

Alzar swings and hits for 6. Aleigha misses, Estiash misses. The cleric casts Curse and they all get -1 to their saves more.

The cleric is not blinded and sight is restored. He casts Cause Fear on Estaish. He fails his save and runs away. He will run for 2 rounds, and then take 2 rounds to return. Alzar misses and drops his staff. Aleigha hits for 9 damage. Thunk! Dryshik breathes again for 5 damage and the cleric falls!


XP – 250 each

They have no way to restore Aleigha’s sight, but any 3rd level cleric can cast Cure Blindness. With a blinded werebear, and a wounded warrior, and no undead, it’s not looking that great. Alzar searches the room. Estaish does as well. There is a chunk of the building floorplan missing in the corner, about 50 feet of room missing, so Alzar uses the wand. Door found.

The items Abramo had are added to the magic pile.

The next room is 50’ by 40’. There is a secret altar and shards of rock in here. In the southeast corner is a huge jade statue of a snake with a human head. It’s worth roughly 7500 gold and weighs a bunch. There is a jail cell in another corner with a teen girl in it, and Bertram on the floor unconscious. There are two brass bound chests on the east wall. She stands as she sees Alzar and crew enter. She shows them where the key for the jail cell is hidden, tells them about a secret door in the floor, and says her family was enspelled and now are much different. She tells Alzar that there is a hidden cavern to the west a few days and that is where they say they take the prisoners. Alzar orders her to hide away for a few days, keep Bertram safe and away, and then it should be safe to return, and she nods and leaves. He now knows the general direction where the trail to move on is located.

The trap door is opened and it leads the female cleric’s room.

They leave, grab the horses and wagons, and move east to hide away from the temple for a bit. Alzar spends some time in his lab/library wagon and Aleigha and Estaish wait, with Dryshik and Megala on lookout duty, and Alzar feeds the moss with the flesh of the dead servant whose corpse was left behind at the temple. Alzar casts detect magic on the magic pile before they leave, and the cleric’s chain glows. It’s grabbed. Everything is discarded.


After a few hours, Alzar has emerged. He tells Aleigha and Estaish about the Naga that they will be facing. These intelligent and evil creatures can cast mage and cleric spells, and one of them, a Spirit Naga, can charm with its gaze. Alzar suspects that is their final foe, a Spirit Naga. They are also very valuable, since their teeth, eyes and skin all have a lot of uses to mages.

They begin to rest for the night, and after an hour, two figures arrive boldly, and knock on a wagon door. They introduce themselves as Dorian and Llywillan, elves that were campaigners with the mayor years ago in the Trow Wars. He asked them to come and help him investigate, and after clearing out to dens of cultists, they are trusting him. They each give the other info, and they recommend that Aleigha be taken back to Hochoch to get healed at the Temple of Harkangi there, and then return in another day, and in just two days, their party’s strength is restored. Smart idea. They learn of the foe – a naga, and wish Alzar good luck, and they go to the girl and Bertram to help them for a while.

A few hours later, a shadow sneaks in, and Megala and Dryshik miss it. He picks the lock on Alzar’s Lab/Library and is totally shocked to see undead animals there who attack and the alarm is sounded. He shuts the door, locks it with his tools, and waits.

In a moment, Alzar and Estaish have joined the area, and see Derek Desleigh. He introduces himself and asks to come with them. He says he was picking a lock in order to hitch a ride, not to steal. His cover was blown when they found he had skimmed money from Aleigha’s capture. He was never charmed, but he pretended to be, in order to not be fed to the creature’s pets. Since there are scores of cultists, he kept up the shenanigans and stayed out of the light, just skimming off gold from the captures from himself, and dodging their attempts at doing anything else. He would aid captures by sneaking to the secret doors in the inn, and then turn over people to the temple, where they stay for 10-20 days until there are enough to head out.

Now, Alzar doesn’t trust Derek too much, but there is no question that Derek knows the path, knows the creatures, and knows the enemy. He has confirmed the bad guy is a spirit naga. Derek;s scar almost glows in the dim light. Alzar agrees for tonight, and has him watched.

They make for Hochoch at easy light, just as soon as Alzar studies his spells and casts ESP to confirm Derek’s story and agreement that he won’t steal from the wagons, or the other,s or run away once they get to Hochoch. He agrees and means it.


Derek Densleigh – Level 4 thief, 15 HP, AC 5, +1 leather armor, Dec 16. Pot of gaseous form, poison, healing. Short sword does 1d6 damage. Neutral Evil.

They arrive in Hochoch and Estaish and Alzar are healed while Aleigha is cured when they mention their quest, and what they have done so far. The clergy of Hochoch have been very suspicious. They head back out and the next night, they stay outside of town in the wagons.

We drive through town with Derek hidden. We arrive on the other side. Alzar will be changing his spells on the day that Derek says they will get there, but until then, he is sticking with the normal range.

The travel supposedly takes four days, and it is a road most of it, good for the wagons, but along a road that enters the fens of the local river, so there could be swampy creatures, weather, etc in the vicinity.

The first day is largely plains, and very quiet. The wagons roll steadily, the road is nice, and the travel quick. The second day they have entered the bogs and the swamp road is okay, but not great. Twice they have to get a wagon out of a muddy rut. Once, in mid afternoon, they encounter a group of 7 goblins who just out, and then 6 fall asleep and the7th looks confused on until a Mist Ball drops him. At night, during the first watch, Aleigha and Derek hear a wild boar tromp through the brush, but it avoids the big group.

The next day, the fens thicken but the road is better than the previous day. They run into a nasty creature. A loathsome, bizarre creature with a long neck, a heavy head, thick body and legs, and a large prehensile tail with a mace looking end is nearby. The swamp terror, or catoblepas, is looking onward, and not at them.




Alzar orders Dryshik to Mist Ball it immediately. It does so, before the catoblepas notices them. It failed its save, and it is blinded for 3 rounds and takes 2 damage. Alzar orders a full attack by everyone as fast as they can.

They take a turn getting there.

The next turn, Alzar drops his staff, Derek hits for 3 damage, Estaish cuts into it for 4 and Aleigha adds a crit for 4. It misses.

The final round while it is still blind sees Derek crit it for 12 damage, Estaish cuts out 7 and Alzar and Aleigha miss. Dryshik breathes again and it fails, taking 4 damage and it dies.


250 XP to everyone (Derek too)

Nothing disturbs them at night. The fourth day arrives. They will arrive tomorrow night. The bogs get bigger and the road smaller and smaller. Alzar knows that, eventually, they will have to abandon the wagons. Two times, then four times they have had to get a wagon out. Then dinner arrives and the goal is close. They run into some troglodytes, just three of them. 2 go asleep, and then the last one join after another is cast

They arrive, camp, and will go in tomorrow. The dungeon is hidden, but Derek knows its location.

Alzar’s spells:

Charm Personx2
Sleepx3
Dispel Magic
Searing Serpent
Ray of Ondovir x2
Blastbones

Going against someone magical means Dispel is good, and Charm is great vs a charmed person, in case they run into any here.

The morning arrives, they hide the horses and wagons to the side. Alzar unloads 36 animal skeletons, leaves behind Megala, and they move in.

There are a muddy set of stairs going down behind a rock. There is no other sign of anything here, and without Derek, they might have had a hard time finding it since the road ended a bit away.

The dungeons has been excavated in an area of soggy dirt. The walls are supported by massive and sometimes rotting timbers. It is wet and moist. There is an odor of rot, mold and swamp gas in the whole place. The floors are slippery and there are places with thick mud instead of wet ground.

The stairs down are made of wood and creak. It is very slippery and Alzar has the Rope of Climbing secure everybody to make sure no one falls. They descend 60’. The entry room at the bottom is much dryer than the stairs.

The chamber is unlit, but four human guards move to attack. This is what the undead are for, so Alzar sends 9 at each. They go first and kill two skeletons. One guard is hit 4 times for 8 damage – dead. Another once for 1 damage. A third and fourth are each hit for 7 damage and they die. Alzar tosses a dagger at the living one and misses badly.

He moves to run, but Alzar’s skeletons have surrounded him. They bring him down and kill him.

34 left.
XP 25 – each

Everything is checked by Alzar for magic while the other s search, and then added to the Magic Pile. All rooms will be inspected. I will mention if anything is found.

There are tunnels left, right, and forward. They go right. The corridor is long and ends at a door, with no traps according to Derek (he will always check doors for locks, chests for locks/traps, etc). There is a room almost completely filled with a murky brown water and swamp gas smell. There is a slime covered column in the middle of the room, and a shelf on the other side of the room.

Splashing can be heard, and two killer frogs are hopping over. Alzar orders the skeletons to stay back and out of the water. A dagger crits one for 10 damage and kills it. The other arrives. It attacks Estaish and misses. It it hit twice for 12 damage and dies.

XP 50- each

Alzar now orders the skeletons into the water to search and there is nothing down there. They found something else though, and Alzar can’t tell what it is, so as much as he doesn;t want to, he jumps into the water. It’s gross. He finds what they found – a plug underwater. After a couple of tugs, Alzar gets it (he has a16 str remember). He swims back out, and in a few turns, the pool has drained. There is a ledge to the other side, one hidden by the pool. He heads over, and they find a secret door here, and open it. This has 6 small chets in it. Derek finds no traps. Three are unlocked, and have 12000 copper in them combined. The fourth is locked – 4000 sp. The fifth is locked and Derek can’t get it. The 6th has 87 10 gold stones.

(The other has 450 ep and 17 25 gold gems)

They run them out the wagons just outside. Alzar dries off. They can go the same direction as forward from the first room. They head back to the first room and go left. The path goes forward or right, they go forward, and an animal skeleton is dissolved when it steps on a green slime that is covered in mud. Alzar uses a Flask of Oil to burn it off. There is a fake door at the end to force you into the slime. Smart.


33 skeletons left.

XP 50 - Alzar


They go right and there are four doors in quick succession. The first has four more cultists in here, all chicks. They yell and grab weapons. Alzar hears doors open and sees a bunch more. Maybe ten or twelve are here. He casts sleep. 8 fall sleep. Four more charge on, and the animal skeletons cut them to shreds. The other eight are tied up and tossed in a room with the door then locked. The rooms are all searched and weapons and such added ot the magic pile. They also find a storage area with foodstuffs and nothing else of note in the back of one of these rooms. The corridor bends around and then ends at a door or forks right twice. He goes forward. That door is locked, and Derek opens it. Inside are crates, barrels, cases and such, plus weapons. All are added to the magic pile. Hee comes back and takes the first right. It gets really muddy as it passes a shallow pool of clear water with nothing in it. They hit a door and It is locked. Derek. Cannot get it open. They come in on the south side of the empty hall, a large room with four pillars forward from the original room. There is a pool of mud in here. They search and find nothing.

The corridor continues on and bends to the right. There is a door at the end and they go to it. The door is heavily barred. Derek has nothing for this. Alzar grabs his axe and starts hewing at the bar. In a few turns, it is weaken, and then they punch through it. Inside is a room with four soft chairs and several tables, and a fire burning in a large fireplace with wood next to it. Three people in here are right inside the swing and they swing immediately.

They get surprise on Alzar and his group. Alzar is nailed for 9 damage. 42/51.

He backs up and orders his skeletons in. Two die in the attacks. Only four can attack each in the doorway, they have terrain on us. All miss the one in scale armor and a shield, Two hit the one in leather with a shield for 6 damage. He dies. Everybody misses the other.

31 left.


They win init and both kill two more. Then the one in leather dies from 7 damage while the armored one is again completely misses. Alzar’s dagger misses him. 8 can now attack him. Alzar’s skels won init. One crits him for 6 and another hits for 2. His longsword dices another. He wins init and fumbles his sword. He is hit twice for 3 damage. He is hit for 6 and then slices another. He finally dies to 5 more damage. Weapons and armor added to magic pile

27 left

Search find four bed rooms of nice ness in here and nothing else of much, except a chest in the bed. Derek finds the trap and fails to disarm it and is paralyzed for a half hour. It opens and inside is a scroll with cleric spells on it ,and another with a mage spell on it.

While waiting for Derek to unfreeze, a pair of hobgoblins swing by and are immediately eviscerated by the skeletons.

5 XP each

They move on and get back to the space below the drained pond and go forward. The enter a room where the roof got so wet it caved in. They find nothing in it. They head forward and find an empty pool with blind fish in it, nothing else. A little further is a door, and past that is an arched room with four pillars in it, and a large hallway at the other side. As they explore the room, they hear the singing of a harpy from the next room. Derek is immune. Aleigha makes her save, Alzar and Estaish fail. The harpy flies in, and Derek and Aleigha attack her. Dryshik panics and Mist Balls her. She fails her sails, takes 3 damage and is blinded for 5 rounds. Aleigha misses and Derek misses. The next turn, Derek sneaks around and backstabs the blind harpy for 10 damage. Aleigha Nails her for 4. It dies. The others are freed of her curse. They search her, this room and the next room. Alzar finds a Necklace of Adaptation, a ruby medallion with 800 gold, and jewelry worth 250 total, and a 100x2, 90, 75 and 50x4 gems. Dryshik flies up to its nest way up but nothing visible is up there.

They leave and take a left and arrive at the edge of a large underground pond/pool. This the only area left, they have searched everywhere else (so far). There is a stagnant smell to the area. Who knows how far it goes. It’s about 4’ deep. Alzar sends Dryshik to scoutit out to see where they need to go. It finds several interesting things:

1). There is a hidden boat on a jetty just inside on the other side, which they can walk around to get to
2). They need ot go forward from the entrance
3). There is a pack of crocodiles just lounging on a muddy beach area to the north.



They go around, grab the large rowboat which can hold 10 people, load it up with animal skeletons, and then row to the space to get off and they dismount. The corridor intersects – forward, right or left.

Forward. It’s muddy and dead ends. Nothing here. Right. It dead ends too, and a search turns up a very large and heavy belt pouch bursting with 300 gold and 800 silver.

They go left. The corridor goes for a long time and then ends at a door. Here are three troglodytes in here, and they bang on the walls and heft their stone axes They let off a stench and Alar’s squad coughs – except for him and his undead, which he orders to attack. Alzar’s dagger misses. The skeletons hit one three times in six attempts for 4 damage, hit another once for 1 damage, and hit the third 4 time sfor 5 damage. Two are smashed.

25 left.

Alzar’s staff connects with the most damaged one, and after taking 8, the trog dies. Three more round the bend and arrive. The skeletons kill one and miss the other. The other kills a skeleton

24

The trogs win init and three more arrive, Alzar has backed up. They kill three skeletons. 21 left. One takes 2, one is ,misse,s and the third takes 9 and dies. Three trogs left, the fourth is missed. They win init and miss all of the skeles (rolled a 1, 2, and 8). The skeles kill one. They win init and wound another for 3 damage. One trog smashes a skele. 20 lef.t The skeles finish off the trogs

XP – 50 each

20 skeletons left

They search this three room trog complex. It stinks, and they find 16 gold, 20 electrum, 57 silver, and 180 copper. Plus stairs down.

They head down.

The walls here are more winding, and there are fewer places that have tried to keep to traditional building principles, like straight walls. Instead, it looks like a natural cave by dimension, but it was carved and made. There ar stepping stones across deep mud, and you can go forward, left, and leftish-forwardish. Left. A few mud sections are passed and the stepping stones were left behind, when people appear at an empty, dirt filled chamber – a welcome respite to the mud in here. As the animal skeletons cross in, a Huge Spider leaps down and smashes it.

19 skeletons left.

It poisons, so Alzar lets the skeletons handle it. They go first and attack 8 times nad hit three for 5 damage/ The spider nails one for 1 damage and it survives The spider wins init and misses. The skeletons hit three times again for 9 damage. It dies.

XP – 30 each

A search finds nothing. They head back and go forward, and then east when the corridor forks. The fork again, left or right. Die says…right. They swing and down a bit, then open into more water. It’s about three feet here and goes around a bend to the left. Alzar sends Dryshik out and is gently bends 180 degrees after 50 feet into an alcove with chests. No baddies are seen. Alzar sends in the animal skeletons and they all make it to the alcove and back underwater – no issues. Alzar decides to come back. Maybe they can find a boat or something. They head back and go the other way and hit a door. It’s a bit swollen from the water, but Alazr is able to kick it open. In here is a large chamber roughly 50’ on each side with a huge pillar in the middle supporting the room. They enter and then a zombie looking creature comes out from behind the pillar. Alzar makes his Necrology check.

“Back up Derek, this is a Coffer Corpse – immune to normal weapons.” He tries to control it, knowing he will probably fail (needs a 16 on a d20). Yup, failure. The three with magic weapons get close and get ready. The Corpse wins init and swings. It misses. Alzar and Estaish hit for 8 damage and Aleigha misses. Next turn it wins init again and fastens it s fingers around Alzar’s throat for 3 damage. Alzar misses but the other two nail the corpse for 9 damage and it dies.


39/51

XP – 35 for Alzar, Estaish and Aleigha.

A search finds nothing. They open a door forward, and then enter a hallway with a door to the left. It’s locked. Derek opens it in 15 seconds. Piece of cake. They enter a room with several cells and behind two of them are a pair of kids of Orlane’s carpenter and another has a merchant ambushed outside of town. They were all brought here and taken to the Naga, where they successfully resisted its magic, and then brought o these cells for later use as food for its minions. They tell them that the naga is on a platform past a large lake that is around and a few caves. There is a boat on the shore that can be taken to get there. They leave up the same way, and Alzar has them wait by the wagons until they emerge. Megala flies down to show them the way.

A search of the jail finds nothing. They go forward and enter a bare room except for wooden benches. There is nothing else here. They take the door in front of them, and there is a long room with wooden panels on the walls. At the end is a wooden dais with a statue of the reptile god on it (the naga). Next to it is a cleric in brown robes with weapon in hand, expecting company. There is a shadowy form is a human in the shadows behind the statue.

The shadowy assistant attacks (it’s a Wight) while he destroys 6 Alzar’s animal skeletons by turning them. Alzar tries to control the Wight (needs a 10). Success. He orders the group to attack the cleric.

13 skeletons left. He wins init and casts Darkness at Alzar’s eyes to prevent him from successful control attempts. It works, Alzar fails his save. Alzar cannot cast spells or control while he is blinded, but he can see through Dryshik’s eyes and he can attack (Blind-Fighting nwp). Aleigha and Estaish and the Wight use this turn to get to the cleric.

The next turn, The cleric easily wins init and tries to get his wight back. Success. Aleigha hits him for 7 damage. Estaish misses. Alzar grabs his staff and moves forward. The cleric moves back, Alzar orders Aleigha and Estaish to move to the Wight. Alzar nails the wight for 6 damage. Derek concentrates on the cleric for a dropped sword. Aleigha and Estaish miss the wight. The cleric destroys 8 more skeletons. 5 left. The wight claws at Estaish and cannot puncture his armor.

Finally Alzar’s group wins init twice in a row. He slaps the wight for 3 damage. Derek misses the cleric. The wight takes 8 from a very motivated Estaish. The cleric casts Hold Person. Estaish stops moving. The wight attacks once and gets a 3. The next turn Alzar wins init. His staff cracks open the wights skull for 8 damage and kills it. Derek misses. The cleric destroys the remaining skeletons.

Alzar has moved his people to the cleric. Derek stabs him for 3 damage. It casts Cure Light Wounds on itself. He wins init and grabs his Warhammer with a snake head and misses. Alzar misses, Aleigha crits him for 10 damage, Derek add 5 and the cleric dies.

The darkness spell ends shortly thereafter and Alzar can see again. Estaish will be unparalyzed in a bit. Alzar searches the cleric to see if he had anything of magic. It doesn’t look like it, but they take the key chain. They search the room and find nothing. While they are doing so, attracted by the noise here 3 large spiders enter from the only door to the room. They easily dispatch the large spiders (only about 4 hp each, little guys).


XP from fights. 500 each.

They returns and go forward-left-ish. It moves into an area that is just chocked with mud, more than a foot deep. It’s a huge cavern. Alzar sends Dryshik to investigate it. There are multiple large centipedes in here along the sides of the room and moving on top of the mud easily. The room stretches for more than 60 or 70 feet, and at the end is another tunnel. The centipedes are poisonous. Alzar has them leave and hit a passage by the spider room they found earlier. They go around the centipede room and past an empty chamber (after searching it) and then enter a muddy tunnel. Right or left? They go right, and pass by the opening to the centipede room Alzar saw earlier. They take right branch at a fork and hit an odd room.

The corridor descends and the water from the dungeon all trickles to here. In here are a system of buckets, rope and pulleys that are being operated by 5 zombies. They are getting the water out of the area by winching the buckets up and out and then back down empty. Alzar and company search the room and find nothing. Alzar shrugs, controls the zombies, and orders them to lead him back.

Wait.

Alzar orders them into the centipede room. One takes 2 damage, another takes one, and all of the centipedes are killed.

XP – 100 for Alzar

They skirt it to avoid the mud, and return to the room with the water all over it. Alzar orders the zombies to enter this deep water and retrieve the chests on the other side. They do, and two chests return. The keys open them. Inside are300 pp, 600 gp, 1000 sp, 600ep, a 1000 gp jeweled bracelet, and 20 gems worth 25 gold each.

They take the two chests and they are just able to fit inside the Bag of Holding.

They head back to the zombie room and keep moving. Attracted by all this noise, they come across a Carrion Crawler, and the zombies automatically kill it.

They enter a long muddy tunnel that winds its way around and enters a dank and dingy, and there is a small chest on a raised wooden platform. The floor is very muddy. Alzar sends in the wounded zombie to wade into the foot deep mud and open the chest. The lid springs open, and there appears to be nothing inside. The ceiling supports suddenly fall and massive amounts of mud falls down and captures the zombie. 4 left.

They leave and head north into a giant cavern. It smells nasty. All of the sudden, a troglodyte is relieved and he throws a whicker cage at them with several mudvipers in it, but luckily it doesn’t break. Alzar pushes the cage aside and 12 more trogs un camouflage and charge in. A few make their stench. Alzar and the undead are unaffected. Derek makes his save, the others fail.

Alzar casts sleep. 3 fall asleep. 9 left. Derek slashes one for 6 damage. They attack and kill two zombies and Derek was missed twice. Alzar and crew win init. He casts Sleep again and 2 more go down. 7 left. Derek kills the wounded one. 6 left. The zombies all die, and there goes the cannon fodder.

Alzar casts Blastbones on the corpse of a zombie and orders everybody back. The trogs move into it and it explodes. They take 7 damage and Alzar was caught in the blast. 32/51 Dreek misses. The others recover next turn. The trogs swing. One drops a stone axe, and two more hit. Alzar takes 5 and Estiash takes 2.

34/51
17/19

Alzar’s team continues to win init and They kill three trogs after three hit. Only Derek misses. Alzar takes 9 from two hits. 25/51. The trogs win and begin to back away. Alzar and Derek throw daggers. Alzar misses, Derek hits and kills one for 4 damage. 2 left. Dryshik pursues them into a lair with a hundred or so trog eggs. This is what they are protecting. They search the current room and find a sack with 47 pp, 273 gp, 490 sp, 4 gems worth 350, 200, 110 and 80 gold.

XP – 100 each

25/51

They skip the hatchery and round a bend into a room with a loud Bonesnapper on a chain, a small t–rex looking guy who lives in swamps. It snaps and tries to get to the characters, but there is plenty of room to go around.

Alzar reminds everyone of the way to win. The naga has a gaze attack, so if Dryshik can blind it, it will be safe to attack. They need to rush it as soon as it is blinded. Otherwise, stay back and do not meet its gaze. It can bite to kill with poison. They have no cannon fodder to have survived this far. Alzar quaffs a healing pot. Alzar tries to get Dryshik to gate in some more mephitis, but he fails.

He is at 33/51.

They move into a giant cavern. There is a boat on the shore of a pool/pond/lake things. The boat can easily hold the party. There are eight columns that seem to glow, and there is a show in the distance. They get in, check their stuff, and move out.

As they get closer, the platform is wide, and on it is a large snakelike figure with a human head. The naga.



It is coiling around and on bones and treasure. As they boat, the naga casts Fireball at them. Alzar reacts quickly, pushing Derek out of the boat while ordering Dryshilk under the water too. The fireball hits while Derek and Dryshik are underwater. The fireball goes off. It will deal ten damage or 5 for save vs half, against the fire resistance of Estaish, Aleigha, and Alzar. Alzar takes ten.

Estaish – 12/19
Aleigha – 23/28
Alzar – 23/51

Derek and Dryshik take nothing. Derek is pissed off at beingin the very cold and very muddy water but he saw the flash of fire above, and knows Alzar might have saved his life. The naga casts Shield. They arrive at the beach and two people attack. Dryshik breathes the first Mist Ball, and the naga casts Sleep. The naga gets the spell off first and Estaish falls asleep. Alzar orders Derek to wake him up. The naga fails its save and takes no poison damage (immune) but does take blindness for two rounds. Alzar summons a Searing Serpent and Aleigha closes.

The next round, the serpent attacks and crits the naga for 4 damage. Aleigha hits the blinded naga for 8 damage. It tries to bite and fails. Alzar misses with a tossed dagger and Aleigha misses and drops her sword and the serpent hits for 2. The naga misses Aleigha. Estaish is awak and groggy, and the naga gest its sight back.

It wins init and stares at Aleigha. She is now charmed. Alzar casts Charm Person on her. It fails. The serpent hits the naga for 1 damage. Estaish and Derek close and Dryshik breathes. The naga makes its save.

The naga wins init and casts Web on Alzar and the area around him. Alzar is immune to Web! Derek and Estaish stab it and Derek hits for 3 damage. Alzar casts Charm on Aleigha again. It works, and she is freed . The serpent hits for 6 burn damage. The naga wins init and casts Cure Moderate Wounds on itself. The serpent misses. Estaish hits for 6 damage.

The next round, the naga STILL wins init. It casts Darkness at Aleigha’s eyes. Success, and once again, Aleigha is blinded. She misse.s the serpent hits for 4 damage. Alzar movs in. Estaish and Derek miss, Dryshik breathes and…the naga makes it save. No more Mist Balls left.

Alzar’s group finally wins init. He swings and misses. Derek’s weapon bounces off the nagas fine scales. The serpent torches it for 8 damage and it shrieks. They wounded it. Aleigha stabs wildly. The Naga tries to charm Alzar. Success.

The next turn, the naga wins init and charms Estaish successfully. That leaeves just Aleigha – blinded, and Derek and the sereaing serpent, which is almost out of rounds. Aleigha can’t connect, Derek misses, and the serpent misses.

The next round, they win init and Aleigha manages to hit the naga for 6 damage. Derek adds 2. The serpent misses and dissipates. The naga knows it cannot charm Derek, so its tries to bite him, but he dodges out of the way.

They win init again Derek stabs up and misses. Aleigha manages to hit again, for 9 damage and the naga falls.

Spirit Naga is worth 5000 XP, so that’s 1250 for each of them as 9 Hit Die creature. The charms leave, and Aleigha will be unblended in a few round. They pause and collect their thoughts.

Time for finding out what is here.

110 pp
890 gp
1302 sp
400 gp bracelet
Ruby ring – 800 gp
Bag of Holding – capacity half that of the one they already have 5000 coins.
Boots, Elven
Horn of Bubbles
Ring of Sustenance (only needs to sleep two hours daily, no need for food or water)
Ring of Free Action
Potions =- Gaseous Form, Invisibility, Clairvoyance, Philter of Love, Healingx2

There are also two ivory scroll tubes of brilliant white, sealed and elboraltely carved with leafy patterns that can be moved. Derek looks at it, exclaims it is a locking mechanism, and starts working on them.

He easily finds the pattern for the first one, and it pops open. The second one takes about twice the time, and it pops open. Scrolls in each.

Alzar hands Derek a +1 Ring of Protection from the temple as payment and thanks. He puts it on.

Alzar turns into a taxidermist, grabbing the naga’s teeth, eyes, and skin+scales. It takes a bit, and Derek happily helps with the grim work. The eyes are added to a jar Alzar prepared in Hochoch as a preservative, and the teeth are saved. The skins and scales will need to be cured, but they can be turned into a +2 set of armor.

On the way back, they run into a nasty wild trow who they kill after many blows, and Alzar ignites with oil after it is dead. They also grabbed the captured charmed ones from the room where they were tied up and tossed after Alzar put them to sleep. On their way out, Alzar saw that the entrance was below the level of the swap, so he had several people move rocks and such, so that the swamp and ponds began to flood the dungeon. Without anybody pumping it away, no problems.

125 XP for everyone


Magic Pile - +2 chainmail, +1 shield, short sword +1, +2 vs scaly creatures, Scroll of Cure Light Woundsx2, Scroll of Minor Globe of Invulnerability, Scroll of Heal, Cure Disease and Dispel Magic for clerics, and Scroll of Stinking Cloud, Haste and Proof against Teleportation.



Used two charges of Wand of Secret Door Detection.

When they get back to Orlane, everyone is back to normal, and the people are hailed as local heroes, and let those in their wagons from the trip out, and the town cheers as ten people they thought were dead emerge and rejoin them. They only killed a few cultists in Orlane – just those in the temple. They also killed all of those charmed underground –priest, and guards, and a few captains, but no more than 12 were actually killed everywhere since the others were ensleeped.

Of course, the cultists themselves killed many others for a while – whoever failed the saves vs charm was killed.

On the way back, Alzar failed to learn Haste, but did memorize Proof Against Teleportation.

Derek wishes the party well, and now that the Cult is dead, he is free to collect his things from the cultist that took them from his room, and no one is chasing him. Alzar offers him a spot with the group. And Derek ponders it for a moment. He then refuses. Time for him to move on, and he’s a solo kind of guy.

XP Gained: 3055 for everybody, and extra 175 for Estaish and 550 more for Alzar.


XP Totals:


Alzar is now at 33,118
Estaish is now at 7165 and 3rd level
Aleigha is now at 11580


Estaish gains 4 hp to 23. His THAC0 increases.

Gold Gained: 5883. Alzar gives 442 each to Estaish and Aleigha.

Snakeshead Necklace worth 1000 gold. Ruby Medallion 800gp, jewelry worth 250. Jeweled Bracelet – 1000, 400 gp bracelet, Ruby ring – 800 gp

Gems: 10 gp x87, 25x37, 100x7,75x2, 50x4,


Ring of Protection +1 – Given to Derek
Necklace of Adaptation – Given to Aleigha
Bag of Holding, half size – 5000 coins
Boots, Elven
Ring of Sustenance
Ring of Free Action
Potions =- Gaseous Form, Invisibility, Clairvoyance, Philter of Love, Healingx2
+2 chainmail, +1 shield, short sword +1, +2 vs scaly creature


Scroll of Cure Light Woundsx2, Scroll of Minor Globe of Invulnerability, Scroll of Heal, Cure Disease and Dispel Magic for clerics, and Scroll of Stinking Cloud, Haste

Alzar detects the curse on the Horn of Bubbles. He chunks it.

The boots would prevent any tracks from being left and allow you to move silently as far as boots are concerned. Of course, a lot of noise is made from the armor, clothes, weapon, etc. You aren’t compeltley silent. Alzar doesn’t relaly want them. He really can’t envision many times when he would want to go trackless.

The Ring of Sustenance he dons and puts on. That’s a nice little find.

Estaish has Ring of Pro +1, Ring of Fire Resist, Shield +1, Chain +2, Longsword +2. – AC of 0. Aleigha has Shield +1, The Sword of Spartusia, Necklace of Adaptation, Ring of Fire Resist and Ring of Pro +1. They each have been given 1500 gold

Gold Gained: 5883. Alzar gives 442 each to Estaish and Aleigha.

Snakeshead Necklace worth 1000 gold. Ruby Medallion 800gp, jewelry worth 250. Jeweled Bracelet – 1000, 400 gp bracelet, Ruby ring – 800 gp

Gems: 10 gp x87, 25x37, 100x7,75x2, 50x4,


Ring of Protection +1 – Given to Derek
Necklace of Adaptation – Given to Aleigha
Bag of Holding, half size – 5000 coins
Boots, Elven
Ring of Sustenance
Ring of Free Action
Potions =- Gaseous Form, Invisibility, Clairvoyance, Philter of Love, Healingx2
+2 chainmail, +1 shield, short sword +1, +2 vs scaly creature


Scroll of Cure Light Woundsx2, Scroll of Minor Globe of Invulnerability, Scroll of Heal, Cure Disease and Dispel Magic for clerics, and Scroll of Stinking Cloud, Haste

Alzar detects the curse on the Horn of Bubbles. He chunks it.

The boots would prevent any tracks from being left and allow you to move silently as far as boots are concerned. Of course, a lot of noise is made from the armor, clothes, weapon, etc. You aren’t compeltley silent. Alzar doesn’t relaly want them. He really can’t envision many times when he would want to go trackless.

The Ring of Sustenance he dons and puts on. That’s a nice little find.

Estaish has Ring of Pro +1, Ring of Fire Resist, Shield +1, Chain +2, Longsword +2. – AC of 0. Aleigha has Shield +1, The Sword of Spartusia, Necklace of Adaptation, Ring of Fire Resist and Ring of Pro +1. They each have been given 1500 gold

Alzar’s Stuff:

Gold:

Jewelry and Gems

Crowns: 5000x2 and 50x4, bracelets 600x2, necklace 1500, 700, 50x3;Tiara 200, wristbands 100x4,bracelets 10,000,500, 300; pearl necklaces, 400x2; Gold Medallion, 300; Jeweled Dagger 850, 300;Gold Statues – 2000 gold each; Gold Diamond Bracelet – 750 gold, Platinum and Ruby Pin – 2000, String of matched fire opals , 15000; Gold Medallion with Topaz – 1000 gold

Gems: 1000x2, 500x5, 300, 250, 200, 100x68, 50 x29, 10x5

Six pieces of jewelry worth 6000 gp total
Jewelery worth 3500
26 gems worth a total of 3100 gp
10,000 in jewelry
Silver Serving Set worth 4000 gp
Alabaster box worth 800
ivory box worth maybe 50 gold
2 bolts of fine cloth worth 60 each
a crystal flagon and 4 goblets with 80 total
an inlaid wooden box with ivory handle worth 45
China and Silverware – 600





Books:


1000 gold worth of texts from Tower in Rahasia
2000 gold worth of Castanamir’s own personal journals.
3 books on golems and repair – 500 gold.
5000 gold in books on summoning and conjuring.
10 alchemy texts, 100 coins heavy, 1000 gold value to a library.
15,000 specialized summoning and conjuring texts
2500 gold Gingwatzim information, and the five books and two manuscripts that show it.
1000 gold, 12 books, info on making portals
3000 necromatic tomes for research



Items:

Potion of Sweet Water, Diminutionx2, Gaseous Formx2, Poisonx2, Telekinesis, Healingx5, Levitationx2, Spider Climbing, ESP, Animal Control – Horses, Clairvoyance, Invisibility, Fire Resistance, Philter of Lovex2, Undead Control
Gauntlets of Ogre Power
Bag of Holding, 10000 coins, Bag of Holding, 5000 coins
+1 Scimitar, Short Swordx2, Daggerx3, Mace, Battle Axe, Longsword, Two-handed sword, +1 arrows x4
-1 Dagger
+2 Longsword, Throwing Dagger
+1 Plate Armorx2, Chain Mailx3, Shield
Ring of Protection +1
Ring of Free Actionx2 *
Ring of Sustenance *
Wand of Secret Door Detection – 1 charge
Wand of Paralyzation 4 charges
Rod of Terror – 8 charges
The Sword of the Rock
Longsword +1, +2 vs Undead, Short Sword +1, +2 vs Scaly Things
Crystal Ball
Necklace of Adaptation
Periapt of Proof Against Poison +2
Rod of Cancellation
Rope of Climbing
Scrolls of: Read Languages, Aganazzar’s Scorcher, Odeen’s Magic Cloud, Levitate, Ray of Fatigue, Tongues, Invisibility, 10’ Radius, Push, Stinking Cloudx2, Haste, Fly, Minor Globe of Invulnerability Scrolls of Protection from Acid, Demons, Undead
Bracers of Defense AC7
Amulet of the Planes (with command words)
Javelin of Lightning
Gloves of Fire Resistance (As the ring, but a pair of gloves)
Belt of Flying, 52 charges.
Cleric scroll – sanctuary, fire resistance, cure light x4;Heal, Cure Disease, Dispel Magic
Paperweight, Rary’s Mnemonic Enhancer – 2 charges
Left Boot, Elven
Pair of Boots, Elven
Cloak of Displacement
Staff of Striking 18 charges
Phylactery of Action



The Book of Years, Windscribe, 4 teleport jars, Mead Pitcher

Spellbook:

2nd level Darkness, 15’; Magic Mouth; Breath of Bewilderment; Bladeleap; Levitate; Flash
3rd level Icelance; Nystul’s Expeditious Fire Extinguisher; Item


Chest – 2 spellbooks for enchantment, 9 for evil, and 3 others, all trapped


5000 gold on a workshop/laboratory


Temporary Magic Items - Ring of Monster Summoning 1, Wand of Repulsion and Sphere of Otiluke’s Freezing Sphere – just waiting on Permanency to make them a real magic item.

These gingwatzim: Amulet +1 save vs spells, a Tim Gingwatzim. +1 staff technically a Pakim Gingwatzam. Short sword +2, technically a Graegzim Gingwatzim, and a multiform one too, can turn into Fremlin. Staff (+3, one of the Gingwatzim in bound animate form, and it talks a lot to its owner and complains)

They head back to Hochoch, where the clerics thank Alzar by handing him a small case of scrolls, and then travel south a few days until an inn marks the turn east back towards Fort Amber and the main road their circuitousness route has taken them from Hommlet. Just a week or so from here.

They head east, and the road is still off the beaten path. They run into some monster,s but nothing a sleep spell or two won’t handle, or the sight of 9 horses, three deteremined humans and two flying imp-ish creatures keep away. These evenings include Aleigha’s three nights of Werebear-ing, but not issues.

In a few more days, they move onto the main road for aday, and then arrive at Fort Amber.

Fort Amber is a frontier city of about 25,000, and known for its magic, strength and determination. A couple of centuries ago, the Amber family, a wealthy magic-inclined family, built a fort here along the River Storm, nine days sailing north of the major city of Chonae. Due to the fact it was the last majo settlement in the area before heading north, people began to settle in and around the Fort, until a sizeable city had grown up here.

Wanting to once again relocate for privacy reasons, the Amber family left Fort Amber and founded a Castle two and ahalf miles ot the north east, on a mount overlooking Fort Amber. Castle Amber can be seen from the city, andvice versa, and became the center of government for the area.

Alzar can stay here in Fort Amber, sail or travel the main road south to the almost 100,000 city of Chonae, or try and find other areas near here. The River Storm is very well settled in this area, and for a strip of land 3-4 days east and west, the area is very well settled, but get too far out of that, and the wilderness hits hard. The south foothills of the nearby mountains are sharp and harsh. The River Storm continues about ten days north where it starts at alarge large in the mountains. It is wide and navigable here, but as you get farther north, has much more difficutly with travel. The River flows strong and wide downstream past Chonae and will hit the ocean in about two weeks later. Therefore, there are sea/river vessels that sail up the River Storm, and comes as far north as Fort Amber, and will head out again.


This area also has a lot more racial diversity. Some of the Taurians, whose island kingdom was destroyed almost 150 years ago, can be found in this area. Dvergr from the Mountains of Eternity have stores and crafts in the larger cities. There are several peaceful Guzak tribes who brew a special brandy and sell it to the locals and in turn use it to purchase tools, weapons, and more that they cannot easily make. Even a few of the civilized trow can be seen in the larger cities here and are tolerated. The qwith are no where to be found. Their woods, home, and such simply aren’t anywhere nearby. Neither are the lizard-like Sis’Sharr anywhere to be seen. This is far and away from their homes.

Estaish is closer to home here, although he’s from the Chance Protectorate, which is about 500 miles along the coast east from where the River Storm hits the ocean.

Alzar’s group rolls into Fort Amber easily. The toll to enter is 5 silver and unlike Athaly, it all goes to the government instead of the guard pocketing some. Farmers get in free to sell their stock, but Alzar is not a a farmer. He pays the toll of 1 gold and they enter the city (Aleigha will not enter Fort Amber. She moves off in a different direction and will wait.)


They find lodging and lots of fun over the next few days in Fort Amber.

Alzar first starts trying to find spellcasters to trade spells with. Over the next week, he trades for Alarm, Wizard Mark, Sepia Snake Sigil and Empathic Control. Alzar particularly likes the 2nd level spell Empathic Control.

No material component, enchantment spell, dominate a creature of 6 hd or less and some other restrictions, and force it to do your bidding, but it can’t act against its nature. 25% of the damage it takes will be taken by Alzar. It will be controlled by Alzar until Alzar takes damage from another source, stops concentrating, or loses sight of the controlled creature. A save to prevent it, and then that’s it.

Alzar has found a few magical items of significance, and their money is more than at Athaly, but they are of much better quality:

Of those available, here are the ones that appeal to Alzar:

Manual of Golems, Flesh - 20k
Potion of Healingx2 - 600 total
Scroll of Protection vs Magic – 5000

Alzar has a real desire for the Manual. The Manual will skip the normal process needed to acquire exotic materials and to bind an elemental spriit, and with just a couple of months, and about 25000 of more basic parts and balms and such, he can have a Flesh Golem. Looks like a must purchase item.

He has 14k, and there are a ton of people here that will trade in stuff. Alzar trades in the following:


Six pieces of jewelry worth 6000 gp total
Jewelery worth 3500
26 gems worth a total of 3100 gp


For a total of 11,000, which gives him 25k. He swing sby the buyer, and verifies the item’s nature, and then pays the money and leaves.

He also picks up 2 healing pots and gives one eash to Estaish and Aleigha.

4400 left.

Add: Manual of Golems, Flesh, Scroll of Pro: Magic

Alzar convinces the owner of the Scroll to trade it for a Ring of Freeaction.

Lost: One Ring of Free Action

Okay, time for Alzar to do something he has been waiting for a long time. You see, everyday, when not adventuring, he has memorized Dispel Magic once and then, before retiring, he casts it on one of three of the spellbooks – 1st, 2nd and 3rd level evil books. He now unlocks the chest and reaches in and grasps the 1st level tome.

Did he dispel the protections? Yes. Alzar opens trhe book, casts Read Magic, and excitiedly looks over the contents. The following first level spells are in the book, classified by Castanamir as “evil.”

Charm Person
Hypnotism
Friends
Magic Missile
Nystul’s Magical Aura
Protection from Good
Sleep
Spook


Corpselight
Dance Macabre
Reflected Image
Spoil Holy Water
Wandbane

There are some goodies in here. Alzar grabs the next book, 2nd level evil spell. All dispelled.


2nd Level “Evil” Spells:


Darkness, 15’ Radius
Deafness
ESP
Fools’ Gold
Irritation
Ray of Enfeeblement
Stinking Cloud
Tasha’s Uncontrollable Hideous Laughter


Choke
Dark Mirror
Empathic Co ntrol
Ghost Pipes
Castanamir’s Magic Missile Reflection
Undead Mount
Wall of Gloom


Another score of some very useful, and some rare spells, and some Alzar is not familiar with. He grabs the third book, for 3rd level spells and…it is save too.


3rd Level “Evil” Spells:


Feign Death
Haste
Improved Magic Missile
Protection from Good, 10’ Radius
Suggestion
Vampiric Touch


Curse Tablet
Dire Charm
Minor Malison
Mummy Touch
Skulltrap
Watery Double
Whip of Pain


Again, some nice new spells here for Alzar to learn and use.

Let’s look at several of these spells.

3rd Level: Whip of Pain is an Evocation spell that Alzar can’t use, ditto Improved Magic Missile. Skulltrap, and Dire Charm he already has and he failed to learn Haste once. Minor Malison is simple – enemies get -1 to their saves. Protection from Good 10’s is just a reversed Protection from Evil, 10’. Feign Death just makes a person look dead, it’s an illusion spell and thus not accessible. Here are the interesting ones:

Vampiric Touch – Deal 1d6 per level to opponent, and gain that much in hit points. Nice, necromancy
Mummy Touch – Necro, can give mummy rot, which akes while to do anything, but is a disease
Suggestion – Force someone to do one thing – strong charm
Curse Tablet – Weird, awesome. Necro and artifice spell. Lasts 2 days per level, and each night, the target makes save. Failure, they wake up and lose half current hp rounding up. Make it three nights, and done with curse.
Watery Double – Conj, cast on body of liquid, 1st creature to csat reflection in it triggers the water to form a double of image maker. Animated for 1 rnd.level of caster. Attempts to touch caster, with Thaco andHP of creature it copies and AC6. Cannot use special abilities. If it manages to touch, it merges with the body, and covers body with film of water. Subject makes a save. Successful, the watery double dies. Failed? Take 1d8 suffocation per round autmaticlaly until it expires or someone dies. Striking it while it is around another does an equal amount of damage to the person.

Nice though, right?

2nd Level: Stinking Cloud cannot be gotten. ESP, Empathic Control already known. Darkness makes it dark, Deafness makes someone deaf, permanently, but can be dispelled. Save vs. to allow. Fool’s Gold illusion to make copper look like gold. Irritaion alteration to make creature itch badly, or have rash. The Ray makes a person weak, and can really hurt a major fighter in a combat, but not always worth it. The Ghost Pipes just waits to play a song on an instrument until someone touches it. The Reflection turns all magic missle back to source, for 2 rnds plus 1/rnd/level.


Interesting Stuff:

Tasha’s….Laughter – Enchantment/Charm spell, save to stop, Slowly begins to laugh a lot, eventually getting -2 to attacl and damage. 1 rnd/level. Save with Int modification. Affect one creature per 3 levels.
Wall of Gloom – Conj spell, lasts 2d4+1/lvl rounds. Barrier of shadow, dims sight almost completely through it, Scares creatures with 4 or less hs who roll save to pass or run away. 5-7 need to save to ente,r but no run.
Undead Mount – makes horse or pony or something animated into steed. Only lasts 2 hours +1 hour/level
Choke – Summons ghostly hands to attack a creature, lasts 1rnd/levl, save vs half each round, deals 1d4 damage from choking, cannot be attacked, victim at -2 to attack.
Dark Mirror – Can 1) Prevent Magic Darkness from forming around him, 2). Reflect darkness attack back, or 3). Allow caster to see perfectly in darkness.


1st Level Spells:

Alzar already knows Friends, Charm, Sleep and cannot cast Magic Missile or Spook or Nystul’s Magical Aura or Reflected Image. Pro Good is just reversed Pro Evil.


Interesting Spells

Hynotism allows the planting of a very small suggestion, such as drop your weapons or walk away. They will not do it that long, 1 rnd per level, and they will do nothing dangerous or complicated.
Corpselight – causes a corpse or part of a body to glow. Lasts 10 rnds.level. Looks spooky. Can affect 1 body per level. Can be cast on undead
Dance Macabre – Necro, causes dead body to animate and move according to caster’s wishes. Has 1d8 hp, and AC of armor. It cannot attack or perform delicate things.
Spoil Holy Water – Turns all holy water in 40 ft cube into normal water (only 50% chance of success if in font)
Wandbane – Bascially, a temporary Dispel Magic for wands, staffs and wands. Save or it cannot be used for 1 rnd/level.


Alzar smacks his chops and goes out and purchases a new spellbook to copy some spells into. (Down to 4000 gold)

He learns:

Spoil Holy Water
Hypnotism
Undead Mount
Tasha’s laughter
Choke
Wall of Gloom
Ray of Enfeeblement
Curse Tablet
Vampiric Touch
Watery Double
Suggestion



He Fails:

Protection from Good


He loves these 3rd level spells. Suggestion, Watery Double, Vampiric Touch, then he has Dire Charm, Skulltrap, Searing Serpent, and Undead Summoning I, so he’s got a lot of goods to play around with.

Alzar’s new spell book:

5/3/2

First Level:

Alarm
Alzar’s Undead Porter
Armor
Animate Dead Animals *
Cantrip
Charm Person *
Detect Magic *
Friends
Identify
Hypnotism *
Mount
Read Languages
Read Magic
Sleep *
Spoil Holy Water
Unseen Servant
Wizard Mark



Second Level:

Alzar’s Familiar
Attract Ghoul
Blastbones *
Choke
Continual Light
Empathic Control
ESP *
Forget
Locate Object
Ray of Enfeeblement
Ray of Ondovir *
Speak with Dead
Tasha’s Uncontrollable Hideous Laughter
Undead Mount
Wall of Gloom



Third Level:

Bone Knit
Curse Tablet
Dire Charm
Dispel Magic
Fly
Proof Against Teleportation
Searing Serpent *
Sepia Snake Sigil
Skulltrap *
Suggestion
Undead Summoning I
Vampiric Touch
Watery Double


Fourth Level:

Dimension Door
Mordenkainen’s Faithful Phantom Shield-Maidens
Vorthala’s Undead Turning Immunity


Fifth Level:

Teleport

Now Alzar starts working on the three books that were not touched by thieves and available to be taken.

Estaish found a guy good enough to wok on the naga skin and scales, and was paid 2500 to do so. In one month, +2 scale mail armor will be acquired. He started before Alzar went looking for items and spells.

1500 gold left.

Aleigha and the crew see each other daily. She is in the inn outside of the gates about an hour away. They send things back and forth in the teleport jars, and Alzar and Estaish have her with the wagons and horses because they cost too much to store in here at inns inside the city.

They open the scrolls, but they are blank and damp. Alzar has Estaish lay them by the fire so that they can dry and be used, but instead, writing becomes visible! Alzar grabs the scrolls and starts reading. In them, a sea captain and adventurer talks about discovering an isle far to the south in the ocean. There are comments about what town he was at, what sort of monsters were met, and so forth. Alzar will need to research the captain and such. For now, he will continue, but after his learned spells and stuff, the next thing is to see what’s up with the notes.

A few days later, after doing some research, when Fort Amber wakes up, an unhealthy looking grey mist has settled on the mountain above the Fort and it engulfs Castle Amber and the surrounding land. A day later, the mist is still there, and soldiers from the city that have visited the area have returned with dread news.

Castle Amber has completely disappeared!

X2. Castle Amber





This is another classic Tom Moldvay module, ranked in the Top 30 at slot 15. I probably wouldn’t put it there, but others do, and it’s definately a fun and interesting module of a different kind. It’s not the module I wanted to run right now, I wanted to slide into Isle of Dread, but I’m missing a module I ordered from eBay and hasn’t arrived yet, that I want to do with Isle of Dread. I was going to slide into UK1-4 and then X2 but UK1 is in the same order. So, X2 gets bumped up. I thought it would be cool that for a week Alzar is running around the area and doing adventures before Castle Amber disappeared, then it would be neat to see that incorporated into the campaign. So, I’m mentioning it!

Fort Amber mounts an expedition into the Castle to investigate its disappearance. Many local heroes of various stripes band together and enter the mists.

Two weeks later, no one has heard from them. The only member of the Amber family, Cousette, is trying to find more people to go, and yet, it appears like few are interested. If the Fort’s best heroes, banded together, failed, what chance does everyone else have?

Knowing she is desperate, Alzar approaches Cousette. She agrees to send three loyal men-at-arms to go with Alzar and whoever and whatever else he wants to take. They will go up the mountain, dismount, and then enter the grey mists, and try to find the Castle or what happened to it.


Each of the men at arms:

1st level fighter, 10 hp, crossbow, longsword shield, chain, 4 AC.

Their wagons are brought in, and she ensures them that she will do every thing she can to make sure it is guarded. Alzar takes a chunk of the purple moss and puts it into a smaller, airtight, chest he has made up. He has made two flasks of acid.

Time to go.


Alzar, Aleigha, Etaiash, Megala, Dryshik, and the three men-at-arms are heading up the mountain now. Alzar has slipped most of the magic items into a bag of holding, in case they need to outfit skeletons or need an odd potion or whatever.

They arrive near the top of the mountain, and the mists are thick above them. They plunge in.

They arrive at the top where the Castle was, and there is nothing here. They search and find no sign. It is as if the castle never were; no marks, no foundation, no steps leading up to it – nothing at all.

Castle Amber was a bit mansion-y for a castle. It became the home of the Amber family, in addition to the castle, and so it was a bit of a wealthy estate too. It wasn’t a traditional castle with towers and battlements and such. It didn’t need to be. With the amount of magic power said to be at the command of the Ambers, anyone would be foolish to attack them at their greatest strength.

Of course, it looks like someone may have done so. It appears to be night-ish, and they are tired from the hike up and searching, plus the mist has a bit of a draining effect. They camp for the night in the grey mist.

When the group awakens, they find that the scene has completely changed. Instead of on top of a mountain in the grey mists, there are in the foyer of an ornate mansion – Castle Amber. It appears that they are in the west wing of Castle Amber.





It looks like it may have returned in the night, but outside, the grey mist can still be seen. They turn and march to the door of the castle proper, from the foyer.

The door is unlocked, unbarred, and open a bit. They walk down a hallway, and then see a door on the right. Opening it, they see the Grand Salon. This is a luxuriously decorated room with plush chairs, wood tables, ornate rugs, and so forth. In the middle is an impromptu boxing ring. In one corner stands a man as still as a statue with hands raises as a boxing guard, wearing amber silk shorts. There are two men in armor standing guard quietly beside a man in colorful silks, fancy lace, and rich velvets. He has a rapier at his side and wavy black hair. There are several Wizard Eyes in the room watching what is going on.

The man introduces himself as Jean-Louis D’Amberville, and asks if the group would be willing to box his champion creation. Alzar perks up a bit at that, and he asks the terms. No weapons, no spells, just punching to knock out – so all damage comes back in a couple of hours. He asks about the creation, and Jean-Louis is proud to talk about his magen, a construct Alzar has never heard anything about. In order to learn more, he enters the ring. Each round lasts 6 combat rounds. If Alzar survives 5 rounds (And thus is not knocked out), he wins 1000 gold. If he wins, he instead gets 10000 gold.


Alzar’s AC is 6 with his cloak and bracers, but they cast Detect Magic and force him to remove them. He drops to AC 10. He will be fighting as a man and punching twice a turn and dealing 1d2+1 each punch, THAC0 is 19.

Round 1:

1 – Alzar hits for 2
2 – Alzar hits for 2, Demos for 3
3 – Misses
4 – Alzar hits for 2
5 – Alzar hits for 3
6 - Demos hits for 2

End of Round 1 – Winner Alzar, Alzar took 5, Demos took 9

Round 2:

1 – Misses
2 – Alzar hits for 2
3 – Misses
4 – Alzar hits for 2
5 – Demos hits for 3
6 - Alzar hits or 2, Demos hits for 1

End of Round 2 – Alzar wins, Alzar took 4, Demos took 6

Round 3:

1 – Misses
2 - Demos hits for 2
3 – Alzar hits for 3
4 – Misses
5 – Alzar hits for 2
6 – Misses

End of Round 3 – Alzar wins. Alzar took 2, Demos took 5


Round 4:

1 – Alzar hits for 2
2 – Demos hits for 3
3 – Misses
4 – Misses
5 – Demos hits for 3
6 – Demos hits for 3

End of Rounds 4 – Demos Wins. Alzar took 9, Demos took 2


Round 5:

1 – Demos hits for 2
2 – Alzar hits for 2, Demos hits for 2
3 – Misses
4 – Misses
5 – Alzar hits for 3 – DEMOS HAS BEEN KNOCKED OUT

Just before the end, Alzar finally dealt enough damage to the demos magen to knock him out (25).


Jean-Louis applauds Alzar, and reaches down into a large silver chest and orders his other two guard magen to count out the gold while they talk. Alzar asks about the Amberville name and Jean-Louis mentions that they haven’t used that surname since returning home, more than one hundred years ago. Amber was just the name they took when they were in Thorasia.

Jean-Louis thanks Alzar, lets him rest here for a while, and then gives him the gold pieces after they have been counted by the magen. Then he says, No chance for error and smiles.

There is a door at the other side of the grand salon or they can go back and continue along the hallway. They go into the door.

The room is paneled in polished mahogany with a large marble fireplace. The furniture was moved except for a chest and it has all been replaced with bedrolls and items. There are about 15 or 16 guzaks in the room. Guzaks are smaller, humanoid catlike creatures about 4 feet tall with a calico coloring. Like many humanoids, they are neither good nor evil, and just tend towards survival, with individual members of their species varying.

The guzaks are not moving at all, or grabbing weapons or anything. It’s obvious they’ve been here a while, and probably with the permission of the powers that be. Alzar moves in and tries to talk with one, but it doesn’t not know Typic.

There is a door to the left and one in front. The go forward and enter another large room, this time one with an obvious purpose as a dining room, but in an advanced state of decay. There are tables and chairs that have been here a long while. As they move into the room, 24 men and women in expensive clothes walk into the room by entering through the right wall. The room changes to a rich and opulent banquet with the furnishings losing their age in seconds. The guests are transparent. They sit down and begin to talk. There are place names at each setting, of that guest’s name. In front of several empty place settings are the names Alzar, Estaish, Aleigha, and the names of the three men-at-arms. Do they sit at the ghost banquet table? Alzar sits.

They first service is onion soup. It looks like normal onion soup, with croutons and melted cheese. Eat it or not? (I roll a die). Alzar checks it for poison, but finds nothing in it. He tastes it gently. It is very savory. Deciding to commit, he eats the Onion Soup;/

Save is made vs spells. Alzar makes the save, Nothing happens (in this case, that’s a bad thing, a failed save was good for the Onion Soup)

There is a mellow amber wine served. Alzar drinks. Any remaining bruising is completely healed from the fight. The next dish is a tossed salad. Again inspected, and again eaten.

Alzar fails his save. Here is what happens: He loses one Wisdom permanently and gains…2 points of...Charisma. He will not realize that until the end of the meal.

The Roast Beef is delicious, and not magical. The wheat bread is a save. He makes it easily. Alzar is immune to starvation. He will still want the food, but he cannot die to it, or take damage from it. The Green Beans are not magical, just tasty.

The Mushrooms in Wine Sauce are not eaten. They look like poisonous ones to Alzar. A red wine follows and Alzar is drunk for 9 rounds. The Apple Streudal is failed. Alzar can use ESP once a week just like the spell. Alzar finishes with Brandy. He makes it.

So, Alzar gets +2 Cha and -1 Wis, cannot die from starvation, and can use ESP once a week for free. And he’s drunk. He could also have had some permanent hit points, a permanent +4 save vs poison, or die, so he came out okay.


A necromancer needs a 16 Wis to be a specialist, but Alzar is no longer a necromancer so he doesn’t lose anything when his requirement changes. He now has:

Str: 16
Dex: 12
Con: 10
Wis: 15
Int: 18
Cha: 16

Alzar takes the left door up and into the hallway. While wandering around, they group encounters 9 hobgoblin servants running into the hallway with various brushes and such, and then they turn the corner and are gone from sight.

The hallway has exits to forward, right, and then forward left three times back the way they came. There are many mirrors here, large and small. Hundreds it looks like. They have different designs, and styles and shapes. There is a lush red carpet in the middle and white marble is revealed on the sides. There are polished brass candelabras hanging from the ceiling, unlit.

They go back to the beginning and start with the door across from the entrance. This opens into a short hallway with three doors on the right. The first one is opened. It’s covered with a slimy green goo. The only part not covered is a small four foot square stone platform 2’ off the floor in the east. Looks suspicious. Alzar grabs a flask of oil. He opens it and pours it all over the goo. He then tosses a light and it ignites, The green slime rustles in pain, and coalesces and moves toward them. Alzar orders everybody back to the hallway. It’s much, much larger than a normal green slime. He casts Searing Serpent and orders it to Attack the slime. While it does so, Alzar grabs another oil flask. It hits three time sin five rounds for 17 damage. The slime is still coming. It attacks twice more for 10 damage and then is gone from its summons. The green slime is still around. It took 13 from the flask, and 27 from the serpent, and it is still rocking. As it moves, another flask is poured on it by Megala flying above it. Then Alzar grabs a candle, lights it, and tosses it. 12 damage. It just dies. The stench is powerful and Alzar warns everyone to cover their noses.

Alzar solo’d it, and gets full XP – 1500

They enter the room and get close to the platform and chest, and Alzar pulls them back. Why is it wet? The floor isn’t, despite the slimes having been just on it. He raps the thing with his staff and there is a film, grey, that is beginning to gather as well. Grey slime? Nope, Grey ooze. Alzar prepares his last flask, tosses it out there., and lights it. But nothing. Must be immune to fire. It usually works on such creatures.

He orders the men-at-arms to fire at it. They load, and then fire. The Ooze is moving now. One bolt thunks into it and tears off a piece for two damage. He orders everyone to back up and bolts fired at it until it dies. It’s slow, so it doesn’t take too long.

None for the party except the men-at-arms – 90 each for them.

Back into the room and a search finds another creature on the ceiling, but it’s not attacking them. The chest has a heavy top, and it is easily opened b the men-at-arms working together. Alzar grabs the stiff inside:

3000 gold
1000 platinum
Staff of healing – unknown number of charges (10) – Priest only
Long Sword – Un’id

They leave quickly before running into the animal from above. The next room appears to have been quarters for Amber family servants a long time ago, but are now filled with spider webs, and soon, aranea move and attack!




These spider-like creatures have human hands and are quite intelligent, capable of speech, and can cast magic like a 3rd level mage. They are also poisonous, so Alzar knows a good deal about them. He orders the crossbows up and ready to fire. One of the Aranea casts sleep and the men-at-arms fall asleep.

Alzar orders weapons up, and to flank the doors in the hallway and wait for them. Out here, they have the advantage, away from the aranea webs. Seeing the strategy, all three burst through at the same time. One is hit by a weapon for two damage as it runs through. They turn around. Battle begins.

The Aranea go first. One casts Light at Alzar’s eyes. Failure. Another casts Continual Light at Alzar’s eyes – success – Alzar is permanently blinded by the Con Light on his eyes until it is dispelled. Aleigha’s Sword of Spartusia digs deep into an aranea for 8 damage. Everybody else misses.

Two magic missiles fly out and nail Aleigha for 8 damage. Two more aranea attack for two misses.

20/28

Alzar misses, Estaish swings for 5 damage on a damaged aranea. Aleigha nails it again with her ruby blade for 6 damage. It dies.

They miss again. Only Aleigha hits for 9. One Aranea bites into Estaish for 5 damage and he makes his save.

19/24

The wounded Aranea is killed by Alzar and Estaish for 14 damage. The last one misses. Alzar nails it for 4 damage. Alzar wins init and Estaish crits for 4 damage. Dead Aranea.

Alzar can see through Dryshik and Megala’s eyes, and has Blind-Fighting, so he is not fully without power. The men-at-arms are awakened and the aranea room’s webs burnt down. Inside, they find a box once in the webs. It is unlocked, and inside:

Gem – 100x2, 500, 10, 50; jewelry worth 1500 and 1400

They hit the third door and find shelves of supplies and linen, fresh. A search finds nothing. Moving forward, they come across a group of guzaks moving around from one room to another.

Back to the hallway, they hit the first door on their left. Inside is the master bedroom, with an ornate bedroom and a large four post bed, and curtains drawn on it. As they head in, they can tell that something large is on the bed. There is a rustle, and then a meaty hand pushes aside the curtain. An ogre wearing silken night clothes bursting at the seems emerges. She apologizes for her manners, and says that she was enchanted. She accidentally curses and then smacks herself for her rude manners. She says her name is Janette D’Amberville.

A little weird. Alzar moves forward and introduces himself and the ogre bows, then remembers it should curtsey, and curses at itself, and then remembers that ladies don’t curse, so she smacks herself again.

She tries to welcome them in, and Alzar, intrigued, accepts. They move in and she pulls out a chair, and then remembers that men are supposed to pull them out for her, and smacks herself again. Then she remembers that ladies don’t smack people, and curses. Frustrated at all of these violations of proper conduct, she is enraged, roars and charges!

Alzar orders the crossbows raised and to fire. One thunks the ogre for 4 damage. A dagger misses. They get close to it, and draw weapons. Alzar wins init and swings his staff – miss. Aleigha hits for 10. The ogre misses. Alzar nails it for 4, Estiash adds 9 and it dies.

XP – 50 each (inc men-at-arms)

They search the room. They find the corpse of Janette in the fireplace. Nothing else is found, and Alzaar has a problem. He heads back to the hallway and sees at least thirty feet between the end of the bedroom and the wall behind the three rooms down that middle hallway (its actually 40).

Where is this secret door? Thinking it may be in one of the small trio of rooms, they head back and search each again. Nothing They head back to the master and search again, all six of them. Nothing. Alzar grabs his wand and fires off his final charge and two secret doors are revealed, one on each side. The wand crumbles. “We didn’t find either of those?”

This is another bedroom, even more richly decorated. The bed is much longer than normal, and standing next to it, dressing, is an 8’ tall creature with the body of a human and the head of a guzak.. A jeweled crown rests above his head and he wears gold plate mail. He is Richard Coeur de Lion D’Amberville. He introduces himself as the leader of the Guzaks here. Nothing else to be found, so they leave. Waste of a wand.

The next secret door heads to a room with another bedroom with costly furniture, and two pale, manlike, transparent figures. Alzar orders people behind them. He immediately recognizes wraiths. He tries to control them. Failure (Needs a 16 or higher on d20). He orders the men at arms away and into the hallway, they’ve got nothing to harm these undead which, like Wights, can only be hit by silver and magic and they energy drain too.

Alzar grabs and quaffs the potion of Undead Control as they move towards him. He tries to charm them. One fails its save and…the other makes it. Alzar orders one to attack the other. Suddenly, it finds itself under assault. Alzar watches as they engage each other, and then wings in his dagger which misses.

They each hit for 6 and 2. One hits for 5. They both hit for 3 and 5. They both hit for 2 and 1. The first hits for 5. Alzar attacks the one not badly wounded, and not charmed, and hits for 5. Both miss, Alzar hits for 6. Both hit for 4 damage and both die.

4000 XP for just Alzar.

A search reveals a mirror with a stone chest behind it. Alzar checks it and a load of gas spores is triggered. He is immune, and lets it dissipate. Inside is:

5000 gold

The next room is a giant kitchen, with dozens of ghostlike hobgoblins preparing a large meal. For the dinner perhaps? Alzar orders a search, finds nothing, and then move on to the door at the end of the hallway.

Note that the Bags of Holding are now completely full with coins, so instead Alzar uses a few spares sack from various places, and has the men at arms carrying gold sacks, that they can drop at a moment’s notice to field weapons.

The next section of the castle is the octagonal center is a huge garden forest. There are many trees of various types, and some reaching nearly 80 feet tall. There is a path in front that goes off the right. Alzar orders the men-at-arms to return the gold to the bags for now, and load crossbows. Alzar can hear a stream in the distance. He sends up Megala and Dryshik to scout around. In front of them is a stream. There is a fountain in the center, a hill to the left, and several dark areas, and things moving in the water.

Alzar decides to stay on the path. They move forward. As the trail snakes off the to the right, suddenly, a Killer Tree attacks one of the men at arms. It gets surprise. It grabs the man with a woody tentacle and begins to drag him. Alzar’ orders the men to fire and the others to try and cut the tentacle. The tree is hit for 3 damage by a bolt. Aleigha severs the branch/tentacle with a mighty chomp. Alzar tosses a dagger and misses. Alzar orders everyone out of range, and then crossbows kill it.

XP -50 each

Megala retrieves the dagger and they continue.

As they continue, a lady in rich amber dressing walks down the path towards them. She pauses, and then snippily demands that they bow to Isodora D’Amberville. They do. She haughtily asks if they have seen Guillaume D’Amberville, and they have not. She then says that they should avoid him if they do, he’s rather arrogant towards visitors, and moves on.

They round a bend and Alzar orders an immediate halt and tells people to be quiet. He has his eyes move ahead. At a branch in the path is lying a sleeping unicorn and amber-skinned woman with long golden hair also sleeping. They are wrapped into each other, and the chick is sleeping holding a chest.

Alzar has waited his whole career for this. As a student of knowledge of poisons, he knows that the unicorn’s horn has massive power in fighting poison. Additionally, many sages have said that the alicorn is the most powerful natural item in the world. It’s power rivals some of the more powerful magic items. If Alzar can kill the unicorn and get it shorn, that would be a great find. He doesn’t know who the amber-skinned chick is. Maybe an Amber noble?

He gets everyone to back up. The men-at-arms are told to get their weapons ready and load their crossbows, but to hide way back. He tells Aleigha and Estaish to join them. This noble could get really pissy. Alzar does two things. Firstly, he quietly spends a few minutes fashioning the components of a Blastbones spell about 20 feet in front of them. He adds everything there is to add, including a few nails he pulls out of his pocket. He then grabs a skull from his bag and spends a charge to quietly sail above the two sleeping individuals.

He aims the skull with the eyes of his two aides, flying around him. He casts Skulltrap, and then drops the skull.

It lands, and deals 18 damage to both creatures. The Unicorn fails its save and dies. The maiden fails her save and well, and is pissed off

(650 XP from unicorn)

Alzar flies down in front of the blastbones to force the maiden to cross it to get to him, but instead, it does something very unexpected. It changes back into its normal shape. It is a gold dragon (young though). It has 18 hp left, an AC of -2, and many spells. It breathes chlorine gas at Alzar (immune). Dryshik Mist Balls it. It makes it save. Alzar reaches into the bag and pulls out an item he was hoping to save for another time.

The next round, Alzar wins init. He throws the javelin of lightning and it turns into lightning. It takes 26 lightning damage and there is no save for the target of a jav of lightning. The dragon drops dead.

XP – 7000 to Alzar

Alzar hacks off the unicorn horn, and orders the men at arms to skin the dragon. Aleigha is not happy with the death of a unicorn and tells Alzar. He points out that it is just a creature like any other, a pegasus or griffon or manticore – only with myth behind it, but she won’t listen, she is very upset.

Alzar tosses the skins and scales in a Bag, and straps the alicorn to his left leg, inside the pants. When touching his skin, Alzar gets +6 in saves vs poison.

The chest is nor locked, and inside is 4,000 platinum pieces. Alzar’s small bag is full of 5000 platinum, and he orders the chest filled with gold and carried.

They continue on the path. It bends, and they approach a bridge. A humanoid with the head and horns of a billygoat tells a troll under a bridge that his brothers are right behind and much bigger and fatter, so the troll allows him to pass. When the party arrives, the troll believes they are his brothers.

He charges them, and is slowed by the ascent up from the stream. Crossbow bolts hit it twice for 7 damage and a magical dagger buries itself in its shoulder for 3 damage as well. It regens 3.

Another crossbow bolt does 3 and keeps it from regen-ing basically. Alzar and the others arrive. A Mist Ball encompasses it for 5 damage and 4 blind turns.

Alzar drops his staff, Aleigha and Estaish both hit for 14 damage. It falls, dead-ish. Alzar orders all of the pieces to him, an sees them try to reassemble while he is doing that, but a flask of acid kills it.

XP – 110 each

Nothing here, so they cross and enter the middle area with a circular pool of water, fed by the stream It has three interlinked gargoyles that spray water from their mouths. In the fountain is a chest with a big padlock on it.

They approach cautiously, but the gargoyles do not animate. Alzar stabs into the pool, and at the bottom is a giant amoeba who shakes and moves out. Alzar managed to deal 8 damage to it. It can’t get out of the pool, so alzar tries something. He orders a crossbowman to thunk it, and it deals some damage, but the power is reduced by the water Bolts kill it, but they are running out.

200 XP for Alzar and soldiers.

The chest is retrieved and it cannot be opened. Alzar has it brought with them for now, as he doens;t want to use his last acid flask right now.

(It has 3000 gold and an ornate silver key worth 500 gold)

They continue and come across some amber colored squirrels. They touch a nut, and then it turns golden, and then eat the nut. Weird . Alzar skips them.

They come across a group of creatures – lupins (good aligned sylvan dog-creatures) a guzak, a sabre-tooth tiger, and Andre-David D’Amberville who approaches. They were going to let Alzar’s party through safely, because he had a werebear with them, and then they attacked the dragon and unicorn, so they rode to attack, but now they have let the gold acorns and squirrels pass. Thus, Andre-David who is on The Wild Hunt want to know why Alzar attacked those two, and yet stayed away. Alzar introduce shim and his party to Aleigha, who talks to them for a bit while Alzar casts ESP. Knowing what he needs to say, Alzar says it. He tells the truth – he though the maiden was a D’Amberville who attacked them earlier, etc. The truth is that Alzar absolutely did not know the maiden was a dragon. He focuses on her and not the unicorn since he doesn;t want to lie if he doesn’t have too. He point out that he was blinded earlier fighting off vermin aranea that had starting nesting in the Castle, and cannot see on his own. His face is shining bright after all. He gets through are pointed towards the double doors to the chapel, where he is asked to pray for atonement. The company he keeps and the decisions to skip the squirrels show he is redeemable.

They follow the path. It continues along the path to the east wing, but they move off and almost immediately reach two large double doors to the chapel. Alzar opens them. Just as he does, he hears a noise from the path behind him, and moves to look. There is a giant rattler snake that moves into the road, and then passes. Alzar orders everyone still until it is gone.

This huge room is the main chapel, easily more than one hundred feet long. It is garishly covered and colored. There are many statues along both walls, with a distinctive Amber family cast. As they walk past a few, they are distinctly different and yet quite detailed. Suddenly, the fifth one down comes alive. It bows to Alzar, and then moves around, stiffly at first and then with more mobility. It springs and leaps. “Long time I’ve been away” it yells, and it hops out of the chapel. They enter the chapel fully and see two doors at th end, and then one on each side. They search. They find nothing, Left.

There are nine zombies behind this door, in cleric vestments. They are not attacking, and not moving at all. Alzar tries to control them, but in this chapel, his energies to do so are tapped. They move ot the right door, and see 9 more. Back to the chapel, and the left forward door is taken and reveals a hallway that winds around a central area. They go down that area and in the back see three doors and the hallway continuing back ot the other door from the chapel.

The first of these three doors has a consultation room where skeletons dressed in amber monk robes are paused in consultation, but one moves up to attack, and its robes reveal many arms. Alzar senses this is not an undead and orders the men-at-arms back. Weapons are drawn and the bone golem engaged. Alzar goes first. He misses, Estaish hits for 7. The golem swings its weapons for a critical miss and 7 to Alzar.

44/51

The golem wins init and swings. One hits Alzar again for 5.

39/51

Alzar misses. Estaish and Aleigha both pierce it for 14 damage. They win init and Aleigha crits it for 8 and Estaish whacks it for 7 and it dies.


(200 each to Alzar, Estaish, Aleigha)

They search the room and find a ornate silver key on the necklace worth about 500 gold. There is a room to the left and forward. They go forward.

This appears to be a bedroom for a cleric, and is quite lavish., Nothing appears to be here, so they all search. They go back up and take the left door, into the same room that the second door in the back goes too.

This is the storage for various clerical items, like candelabras, aspergills, and so forth. There are four holes in the ceiling. Alzar shoves his staff up one and out fly some killer bees. A Mist Ball from Dryshik takes them all out easily. The next hole has a bunch of gold fall to the ground in a sack. The third just has water. The fourth has a nest of a cockatrice, and as soon as Alzar sees it, he orders Dryshik to Mist Ball it. It fails its save and it is blinded for 4 rounds and takes 4 damage. They attack and kill it easily the next round with more than 30 damage dealt to it.

1000 gold

XP – 100 each

They search and find nothing. There is a door forward they take.

This is a library, and as they enter, Charles D’A,mberville tells them to shush., He can’t stand loud noises. Every little vibration seems to set him off. He thinks his sister is trying to get him to go t her grave and kill her again. Alzar checks the library for useful books and finds a few, pulls them down, and sees that the Amber handwriting is completely illegible. These books are all written by various Ambers, but none are legible. He leaves them.

They move into the next room and as they do, a ghost of Madeline D’Amberville flits by, yells at Charles, and begins to attack him. He launches spells at her. Alzar decides to avoid the confrontation and shuts the door to the library. This room appears to be the old vestry, a place where robes and such fill the room. Alzar orders a search. They find a secret door to the right and it opens easily by sliding it.

They arrive in a room with a man dressed in richly gilded plate mail and amber colored robes, wearing a cross of carved amber around his neck, and is kneeling and praying at a gold plated altar. He looks up as they enter and asks if he can help them. Before they can answer, he rises, and decides to fight them. He begins to cast a spell. Alzar sees it, and begins to cast his own – Charm Person. Simon lets a Hold Person spell fly. The men-at-arms are paralyzed. Charm is cast and Simon makes the save. A Mist Ball flies in and Simon makes the save. Megala, Aleigha and Estaish have used the round to close.

Next round, he wins init and casts Finger of Death at Alzar. Alzar makes the save (if he would have died, that would have sucked). Alzar throws the dagger. It misses. Megala misses Estaish misses and Aleigha drops her sword.

Simon wins and casts Silence on Alzar - success. He grabs the poisoned dagger and runs in for next turn. Megala hits for 2 damage and Simon makes his save. Aleigha hits for 5 damage.

Alzar stabs out and…misses. Estaish manages a crit for 16 damage. Megala misses. The guy casts Cause Serious Wounds on Estaish and he takes 16.

8/24

Alzar slashes again and miss. A Mist Ball flies in and he makes the save. Aleigha hit for 6 damage. Megala misses. He casts cure serious wounds on himself and looks a lot better.

He wins init and casts Cause Fear on Aleigha but she makes her save. Alzar stabs him for 2 damage and the poison takes, so he rolls a save and…fails, rolling a one. Simon Amber falls dead immediately. Alzar cleans the blade off with the man’s tunic, and discards the messy scabbard.

They search him and the room. He has:

Potion
Staff - Snake Staff according to Alzar
Broom
Ring

Nothing else is found, and they return to the vestry, and then the library. Charles is dead and the ghost of Madelaine is gone. They search and find a chest under the table with:

5000 gold
10000 copper
Shield

XP each - 500

They head back and have finished the chapel area exploration. Back into the indoor forest they go, and they continue down the path, passing some flying wasps in the distance, until it reaches the door to the east wing. There is a vine arch that is dripping blood around the door. One cannot go through the door without blood landing on the person.

They use things to hold over their hands, open the door, and move into the next room quickly, but all six are hit with blood. Alzar makes his save, Aleigha does, One men-at-arms does. Estaish, and the other two are blessed. This blood is the atonement for all of the vil the Amber family has done. In the next room, they will more powerful.


The next room is the giant throne room of the Amber family. From here they would rule the area around Fort Amber with dignity and respect. Something must have happened to them, but what? The walls are covered with mosaics, the floor is still a polished marble. There are two exquisite thrones on a raised dais with a rich red carpet down the middle. There are skeletons in the two thrones. One holds a jeweled mace. There are twenty more skeleton guards, ten flanking the throne on each side. Their armor is rusting. There are another 13 courtiers beyond them, frozen in time with rotting clothes once very fine.

Alzar tries to control them, but they are not alive or moving. This was the court of Henry Amber, the lord of Castle Amber at the time of its disappearance, and this looks to be Henri D’Amberville, sitting here on the throne with his queen. There are double door exits on the other side, and a door on the right.

One of the men-at-arms creeps forward, and then he is attacked by a spell. He is one of those made lucky, so he gets a +3 bonus to this save. He makes it, just by the bonus itself. There was an attempt to take over his body b Catherine D’Amberville, in a Magic Jar container. He mentions what he just felt, and Alzar is unsure what it is, and orders everyone back. There are no further attempts. He asks the man what he felt, and he said a tearing a his soul, like someone was trying to get in. (Alzar makes an INT check). A common, powerful necromancy spell is called Magic Jar, and Alzar believes that may be it. It requires a place to be the focus on the wizard, so he orders Megala and Dryshik into the room to pick up every thing fragile and throw it down and break it. They break cups, pitchers, and more accoutrements of the court.

Alzar orders the same man-at-arms forward and he does so reluctantly. Another attempt is made, which he easily passes and Alzar orders him back. There is a focus item somewhere. Which person in the room is the mage?

Not the soldiers, they are all dressed inappropriately for it. The courtiers might be, but they are so far away, to thin they would have a focus all the way down here makes no sense. That leaves the king and queen. Alzar has the jeweled mace collected and taken away, that’s an obvious focus. They take it all the way to the other side. They then take all other items, like shows and such, from the thrones. There are no other obvious items left. Alzar tells the man to say “Gold Dragon” if he is not being controlled by another, and sends him back in again. One again he makes a save against control, and once again, it was by the bonus.

What is left? The bones themselves? Something hidden? He orders Megala and Dryshik to study the thrones carefully. He is looking through their eyes as they do so. (he is still blind afterall)

Within a bit, he has found something. Right…there. Dryshik pushes in a claw, and out pops a secret compartment with seven very expensive gems inside. (worth 12,000). Alzar has a small bag sent to Megala, who gathers the stones, puts them in the bag, and flies away with them. Alzar sends out the fighters again, and nothing. It looks like one of the gems was the culprit. Alzar orders the gems to be kept by Megala for now, flying above.

They take the right door. The walls and ceilings of this room are painted blue, and there is nothing in it. They take the door to their left. This has snow-white carpet, white walls, and a white lizard in the middle.




Crossbow bolts fly out at the Frost Salamander. One crits it for 10 damage. It creates and launches an icicle at one of the men and misses him barely. Alzar’s dagger sinks into it for 7 damage. K-thunk. The others arrive. It lashes with its frost trident and misses. Estaish nails it for 7. Alzar arrives. Alzar swings and deals 6 damage with his staff Aleigha crits it for 16 damage and it falls.

XP – 350 to all

They search the room and find:

6000 silver
8000 gold

In a snow pile.


The door in front leads to a green room with painted green walls, ceilings, carpet, etc. At the end, before a door, is a giant green skinned human, who says that in order to pass, you must behead him, and you can use his giant sword to do it, but he will attack you until you do. Alzar retreats back to the throne room.

They take the double doors of the throne room. They enter a hallway with double doors on the left, a door on the right, and it keeps going after a turn. It has mirrors and candlesticks again. They search and find a secret door at the end. They go into the double doors for now.

This is a giant ballroom with chandeliers, musical instruments playing themselves, and several small misshapen figures dressed in fine clothes dancing about. They are apes. One is speaking now. Alzar addresses him. He hates the Ambers, and asks Alzar to prove that none of them are Ambers. He shows the five fighters - just plain and simple, and none likely to be Ambers. The figures points out that is too reasoned to be an Amber and introduces himself. He was polymorphed by the Ambers, and then punished to live here in the castle, but he took his revenge when he learned some spells form the Amber’s books over the years, and polymorphed three of them into apes. However, he was then cursed and cannot leave the ballroom without dying. Alzar tells him of the death of several Ambers they have witnessed, and he is delighted. Alzar and the group leave after telling him goodbye.

They try the door across from it. This is a library for the castle. It’s walls are lined with shelves and books and scrolls abound. There is someone sitting in a leather covered chair in the center of the room and reading. He has the body of a human, is wearing amber colored robes, and has the head of a dog. He greets the party and welcomes them in. He apologizes if any of the other Ambers have been rude or attacked them, but they don’t always listen to him. He is Claude D’Amberville. Alzar asks if they can serach the library for any useful books or scrolls, and he agrees for a 5000 gold fee. Alzar asks if he can cast Detect Magic first to see if anything is triggered, and Claude assents. Three scrolls glows, and Alzar orders 5000 from a sack carried by a men at arm to be paid.

The books here have the same handwriting issues as before – they are not legible and they cannot be followed because of sentence writing issues. They scrolls are opened. Two are mage scrolls, and the third is very interesting. It tells about the ritual that must be performed in order to escape the grey mist.

Castle Amber is in a new place, away from Thorasia, but the mists are in both places, and can move you from one to another. The Ambers came from this place originally, and the castle is from Thorasia. While this world pulled on the Ambers, Alzar’s world is pulling on the castle, so that pull can be used to hijack the mists and return. In order to do it, they have to find items from Price Etienne’s tomb must be uncovered and used. They are listed in the scroll.

They thank Claude and continue. They take one of the three regular doors left. This is a small bedroom with normal furniture, nothing in it. As they walk back into the hallway, Guilliame D’Amberville enters and approaches. He draws an evil looking mace, and tells them that intruders will be killed on sight. Alzar orders everyone into the ballroom. Keeps the door open, and tells the apes to prepare for visitors. He comes in, and the ape casts Polymorph Other on Guilliame. Success. Alzar and the ape shake hands and they leave.

The next door has a card room, with wood paneled walls, a plush carpet, gaming tables with chairs, and a woman at a table with fortune telling accoutrements around her. She is Mere Camille D’Amberville, and she will read the characters future. Interested? Alzar says no. One of the men-at-arms is feeling adventurous and picks a card. He reveals La Roue de Fortune. Nothing happens though. Alzar orders people to knock it off, and search the room, finding nothing. The final room before the secret room is a bedroom with 8 humanoids of unknown ancestry, but they look canine, milling around. There is furniture in there. They are not attacking, and as Alzar’s people move around, they start growling, so he retreats, and opens the secret door.

This is a red room with red carpet, walls, ceiling, and furniture. In the middle is a large man with scarlet skin, yellow hair, and a shield that shines like the sun. He points out the other door and tells them they can go through it if they want. Alzar thanks him, and they do.

The next room is the black room, with dark and ebony everywhere. A search finds a secret trap door in the floor. They open the next door, and find the green giant there, so they close it, and lift the trap door.

They enter a staircase heading down, and find themselves at a door. It opens and they enter a room with a large square grid on the floor, with giant letters in Typic in each square. On the other side is a door. Here are what the letters say:

GOHEN
ORARE
HAZAH
ERARO
NEHOG


Dryshik flies over and has no problems. Obviously, there are three words in here – Gohen and backwards Nehog, Orare and backwards Eraro, and Hazah. Is the goal to try and avoid spelling a word? Or to try and spell it.

Alzar can use his Belt, fly over, and keep searching while everyone waits here. But this place is too dangerous. He asks a fighter – make a word or not, which do you want to do? The fighter wants too…avoid making a word, so he steps on NEAAH and leaves. He says nothing happened, and he is fine. Alzar orders another fighter to pick a row, and walk across, spelling out a name. He chooses ORARE and walks across fine.

Want to take the name, or take something else? The other fighter takes someone else. Want to try Orare or another name or mix it up? Estaish and Aleigha are waiting on him. He easily makes an INT check. He walks across Orare, and suggest to Estaish and Aleigha to do the same, and they do.

(The first time someone spells a word, they are affects by an ability. The first guy permanently gets +2 to his saves. The other choices are bonus to WIS, bonus to CHA, blind, transformed into a werewolf. By not spelling a name, they are give the Curse of Lunacy).

They check the door and move on.

The next room has a door on the left, a door at the end of a passageway, and four cells down that passageway. They are made of stone, with iron bars. In one cell is a long haired man holding a paint brush and paint bucket. He is huddled in the corner of a room staring at a painting on the ceiling. In another cell is a large Taurian. The other two appear to be empty.

Alzar has one of the men at arms check the locks, and they all appear to be open. They start with the one with a Taurian, but as the door is opened, the illusion of the bullman has disappeared. The next one is the one with Gaston D’Amberville, silently staring up at the moon he painted on the ceiling. He is not responding to any stimulus. They search the jail and find nothing. Forward or left?

Left. They have entered a long long room, with another door on the same side that they entered, just down about 60-80 feet or so. This room contains a large number of metal vats and cauldrons. Some contain frothy and loathsome liquids. Magical symbols are engraved on them. There are many shelves and tables holding flasks, and vials of various liquids. Standing in a silent row, naked, are four human-like beings, unmoving. They close, and suddenly, the beings move and spring to attack.

A crossbow hits one for 2 damage. A dagger misses. They arrive. Battle ensues. The magen go first. The first and last one miss,. The second one hits Aleigha and tries to charm her. She fails her safe, and drop her sword and removes herself from combat. Another one (a caldron) hit Alzar for 4 damage and wraps him in flexible arms, that secrete acid. Alzar orders them to concentrate on the charm one (a hypnos). Estaish hits it for 5 damage, and Dryshik breathes in and hits. For 4 poison damage and blindness damage.

The next round arrives. Estaish kills the charm one. Alzar cannot damage the one grabbing him, and the men-at-arms are freed to shoot another one not by Estaish and Alzar. The one on the far right sticks out its hand, and casts lightning bolt at Alzar for 11 damage and a failed save. The other one misses. Alzar takes 9 from the acid oozing. The crossbow bolts fly in and they hit the demos one for 1 damage.

18/51

Alzar orders a new target – the one squeezing him. Alzar is squeezed for 7. The Demos hits Estaish for 2.The other misses.


6/24
11/51

Estaish hits the caldron for 7 damage. A Mist Ball flies in for 3 damage and a blinded caldron. One crossbow bolt hits it for 6 damage and another rolls a 1 and hits Alzar for 2.

9/51

Aleigha has shaken off the charm from the dead guy and is back next round. Alzar orders Estaish to withdraw. They win init. Aleigha misses. Crossbows hit once for 5 damage, and it dies.

Aleigha takes 12 from a lightning bolt.The Demos misses.

16/28

Alzar stabs with his staff at the jaw of the galvan and cracks it for 6 damage. Aleigha adds 9. Everybody else misses. The Demos is running after Estaish and swings at him – hit for 3 damage. The galvan misses. The Demos falls from crossbow bolts. They are almost out of crossbow bolt s(5 shots left each) and Alzar orders them to hold their fire.

3/24

The galvan reaches out and lightning bolts Alzar for 12 damage, saved to 6. Alzar smashes him for 8 damage and it falls.

XP – 170 each of the six of them.

That was a bad battle. He orders the men-at-arms to search while he takes a breathers. They find a chest under a tank with:

5000 gold in platinum dust
2000 gold in a small case of gems
800 gold for a tiny human shaped figurine of onyx.

At this point, they are loaded with treasure, and very wounded, with no spells left but a few. Alzar wants to end it now. He can’t, but he wants to.

Alzar quaffs a healing pot and orders Estaish to do the same.

9/24
9/51

They rest for a bit, and allow Dryshik to recharge. Alzar looks at the vats but without books to tell him what the processes are for, he can’t make any of this stuff out. Alzar decides this is the proper time to unveil the true form of his Gingwatzim. He turns the sword into a Fremlin and talks with it. There are a few unused vats here, and Alzar has the people work on turning on into a mobile treasure chest. The men-at-arms remove the bottom half from the cart that transports various equipment in here. It’s too shabby for much treasure, and open, but with a enclosed vat on the wheels, the treasure can be safe from attack and hold a lot, and just has to be pushed.


They move to the next door. It opens into a sort hallway with a door on every side, including one back to the jails. They go forward and open the door. This long narrow room, almost the size of a passageway, is very cold. There are slabs of marble with five bodies, each of which is missing its brain, after an incision and opening has been placed in the corpse. Alzar orders a search, they find nothing. There is a door down, and it is opened.

Continuing to be a great read. Should be interesting to see how things go for the next little while given the current health factors going on right now. Going to be a lot of fun for Alzar once he clears this area out and can put some of those new found items to use.

Yup!