Real World Info
This session was played on March 10, 2010.
Cast of characters:
Gamgar Khazam with Milan Draganovich and Porfyrio Damaschii.
Dalamyr the Worshipper of Owls.
carter the Thief
Tardos the Dwarf
Warthog the Mulletacular, with 5 retainers
Summary:
The first probes into the mysteries of the Desecrated Church. The party ends the adventure trapped in the dungeon with some new Viking friends.
I. Robbing Vinyard of it's Sons
The adventurers advertise with a few rounds of drinks that they are leaving Vineyard to seek adventure in the town of Threshold. Gamgar hires two mercenaries with combat experience, while Warthog hires a total of five retainers, and makes sure to enhance their morale with "liquid courage". The party travels from Vineyard to Threshold without incident over two days.
II. The Winding Path to the Church.
The party proceeds up the switchback trail to the entrance of the Church, which is located in the upper section of Threshold, at the top of the waterfall. On the way, Dalamyr notices a cave entrance, and the party takes note. At the entrance of the Church, a group of Norsemen and halflings are camped out. Fjolnir greets the party and agrees to take care of Dalamyr's Horse, as well as Warthog's Mule, which he has propitiously named Beuller. In return, the party agrees to keep an eye out for the Norsemen's leader, Bjorn Ulsir of Glar, who made an expedition into the basement of the Church five days ago and was had not been seen since.
III. The Three Doors
The party descend beneath the ruins of the church, having been shown the way that the Norsemen entered. After many stairs, and past carvings of unholy gods and deeds, and many markings of Chaos, they proceed through a passage that leads them to three doors. One has a gorgon carved upon it, another some horned beast, while the third is decorated with serpents. carter, in a very un-thief moment, successfully discovers a deadly scything blade hidden in the floor in front of the serpent door. The party then opens and proceeds through the door, via a mechanical rod-and-lever set up behind a removable cover. Gamgar writes a barely-legible warning on the wall in chalk.
IV. Skeletons
After a brief exploration of the room beyond, and some adjoining rooms, the party is beset upon by nine skeleton. With perhaps rash over-confidence, the party engages in combat and loses two retainers to undead spear thrusts. Dalamyr waits, annoyed, as he can turn them with no chance of failure. Eventually Dalamyr turns the three remaining skeletons, and they flee back through the corridor they came through. During the combat, despite Carter's best efforts, the door they came through, actually an immense stone slab, slides shut and the party is trapped!
V. Snakes, Vikings, Pits and Whatnot
Tardos kicks in a door that leads to a room with a series of pits and unholy bas-reliefs on the walls. Some pits end in spiked death, while two in particular descend into a larger cavern below. Warthog notices an eye staring at him from behind a bas-relief of a gorgon, and stabs it. It turns out the eye belongs to a cowering Norseman, one of two in a secret room. Dalamyr heals the man's wounded eye with his magic staff, and while the party is questioning the fatigued and frightened Vikings, a giant white snake rises from one of the pits and attempts (unsuccessfully) to grab and swallow one of Wartog's retainers. The party moves in and pummels the snake with spear, arrow and polearm. The Northmen tell them that Bjorn went down the western passageway, past the smear of blood caused by the blade trap, and they have not seen him since. The party then explores a little more, finding an inky black darkness down the eastern passageway, before holing themselves up in the secret room, which has an altar of some sort. There are glowing multicoloured pyramids upon it, and a space on the top where it seems a crystal is missing. Gamgar makes some rubbings of the writing carved on the altar with pages from Bookish's book, now that he no longer needs it. Dalamyr touches the alter and is electrocuted and knocked unconscious.
Beuller, meanwhile, took the rest of the day off.
VI. Total losses/loot
Two retainers (Thug and Bookish) were stabbed to death by skeleton spears.
Overcome:
9 Skeletons 90 xp
1 Giant Albino Snake 300 xp
Treasure:
None :(
Each surviving PC earned 52xp and 0gp. Each surviving retainer earned 26xp.