Side Quest [session 23]

Adventurers Present 
Bilbo - hobbit
Mossmullet - dwarfley tempest cleric
Orsek - dwarfley barbarian wizard
Red - elfish rogue
SMASH - dwarfley life cleric

 
Turns out that Cheddarbend is being terrorized by an evil necromancer (name unknown), which the party only belatedly discovered (the townsfolk must have some aversion to discussing it). The town’s cows are being rustled and slaughtered, the townsfolk are disappearing one by one, and the lands laying to the west across the river are nothing more than necrotic, desolate wastelands. Those long-distressed western plains are known as the Tomblands, and the evil necromancer’s tower was only a half-day west. Somehow, the party gets sucked into undertaking a side quest to resolve this problem for the Cheddarbenders (who they weren’t especially fond of previously). But, whatever. Killing necromancers is rarely bad. Unless they’re Orsek. Then it’s a bit problematic.

So, the five set off across the Tomblands, taking in the lovely sights of ashy-gray plains, dead trees, stunted vegetation of other various types and the occasional herd of jackalopes. With nothing to hide behind and little to describe, the trip was super-quick and eventless.

Arriving at the tower, the party found a couple of zombie guards patrolling the tower’s main gate. The zombies were dispatched without any fuss, and the group went inside. They found a 30’ entry hall with arrow slits on each side. The rogues successfully snuck across without incident, but the armor-heavy dwarves awoke the towers defenders and took some arrows as they rushed through to the other side.

Emerging into the 50’ semi-circular chamber beyond, the group began the first of 3 battles with skeletons. They killed the skeletons, more came from a couple of side-rooms adjacent to the arrow slits. They killed that group, and more came down the stairs from up in the tower. They killed those skeletons as well. What remained were lots of bones, rusted weapons, and the lingering screams of thousands of dead babies.

Finally finding the (inevitable) secret door leading to the stairs leading down into the cellars, the party decided that down was better than up where necromancy towers are concerned. So, they went downward and found a series of laboratories and supply rooms with little of interest. Proceeding further down, they found a supply room with 20+ stirges. It took some effort (and getting wounded), but the party managed to eradicate them without dying. The door on the other side of the storeroom proved interesting, in that it was barred from the outside (the side the party was on).

Opening it up and finding a room full of trash and waste, they naturally decided to go on in. Brave SMASH led the way, and was immediately attacked by a trash-tentacle monster (TTM)! The TTM grabbed SMASH and pulled him prone, but he was quickly rescued by the party’s attacks upon that tentacle. The monster seemed quite dangerous, so Orsek broke out the BIG guns: he made his first Overcast, and burned a second-level spell slot to cast Finger of Death! The spell misfired, but Orsek was able to control and cancel the magical energies before anything really bad/fatal happened. Orsek decided to try again, burning another second-level slot while attempting Finger of Death again. This time, the spell went off, immediately slaying the TTM! Unfortunately, it also blasted Orsek into near-death unconsciousness. The clerics managed to save him, and the session ended there.
 
Coming up: into the necromancer’s tombs.

Party Experience Gained
Combat: 135 each
Exploration: 148 each

To the Necromancer! [session 23]

Adventurers Present
Bilbo - hobbit
Mossmullet - dwarfley tempest cleric
Orsek - dwarfley barbarian wizard
Red - elfish rogue
SMASH - dwarfley life cleric

 
So last session Red got into a bit of trouble while "feasting" and the kindly church of Termas bailed him out.  Well, there was one tiny condition: that he destroy the dread Orb that the local necromancer was using to terrify the populace. Apparently, some of the locals had noticed disturbances in the graveyard AND a bunch of livestock had suddenly come up ill (this last had nothing to do with Orsek's magical research, honest).


So, off to the Necromancer's tower we headed. The trip was pretty uneventful. Jackalopes were encountered; but we didn't mess with them, and they didn't mess with us. Did we fight some orcs? Maybe. Honestly, I can't remember. Upon reaching the tower, we did battle some zombies, who were promptly sent back to their graves.


The front door was unlocked, and we managed to sneak past the guards into the entry room of the tower. Where we were promptly set upon by those same guards. Skeleton guards. We fought those off, and the second wave that came as well.


Ignoring the stairs up, we searched for, and found the secret door to the basement. On the first basement level we found a pool of black slime, some store rooms and a magic lab. Orsek took a book from the lab, but there was little else of note here. We continued down.


Looking for trouble, we pushed past the first door we saw. It was old and broken; not even closed all the way. Inside was another store room, but this one held a nasty surprise: a nest of stirges. Having faced these little scourges before, we knew just what to do and dispatched the blood-bats forthwith. The storeroom had one other door in it. And it was barred on this side, as if keeping something locked behind it.


It is said that discretion is the better part of valor. It has never been said that we are valorous. We unbarred the door and entered to find a pile of rubbish. Two tentacles sprang forth and attacked us. The battle was joined!


It should be noted here that in his magical studies, Orsek has unlocked the mysteries of several high-level spells. Mysteries and spells that he has no business knowing or trying to cast. And now back to the battle...


It wasn't going particularly well. Our attacks seemed to be only momentary setbacks to the hungry beast (of which we still had only seen two tentacles). So Orsek decided to cast Finger of Death on the thing. Unleashing this kind of power could have unexpected (and disastrous) results for our lowly wizard. But in this case, the result was ... nothing. No Finger of Death, no catastrophic failure, no warp in the space-time continuum, nothing. So, naturally, he tried again the first chance he got.


This time it worked! The beast was slain. Alas, the backlash from the powerful magicks reduced Orsek to death also.


Alas, poor Orsek! We knew him - a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy.


Or something like that. As it turns out, upon further inspection by the clerics, Orsek was only "mostly dead." Which, as you no doubt know, means he was also slightly alive. Our two miracle-workers brought him fully back to the land of the living (and delving).


(Our session was a bit shorter than usual; we ended right there, without any of the usual settling in for the night.)


Party Experience Gained
Combat: 135 each
Exploration: 148 each

An Updated Map

[click to embiggen]

We are expanding our little world.

Sorry the art is so crude.  And that i forgot which font i had originally used for the labels...

A Spooky Tower

[art originally by dyson logos - my apologies for mangling it]

Here is a spooky tower.  Perhaps a dread necromancer lives in it.  And perhaps our doughty (or at least doughy) heroes are headed here...