Conquering the Barbarian Altanis: Session 147
Adventurers
| Character | Race | Class | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dalkanarion | Human | Fighter level 6 | A youthful specimen in full strength, full of purpose, bluster, and eagerness to prove himself. |
| Heran Marod | Human | Cleric level 3 | Bearded, aging man with shaved head. Follower of Umannah, the Sun God, The Radiant Death. |
| Ludd Nuck | Human | Fighter level 1 | A lad from the farm, still wet behind the ears and smelling of dung whom became an adventurer to impress a village lass who jilted him. |
| Tikatu | Human | Druid level 3 | A dirty little ma with dark and dirty skin, wearing loincloth with no back. “What will be, will be” is his favourite aphorism. |
| Kho Rimbo | Human | Magic-User level 2 | A knife throwing wizard extraordinaire. Covered in ritual knife scars. Cuts himself whilst casting. Prone to being sarcastic. |
| Tobias Lindflags | Hobbit | Thief level 3 | A sixth-born son standing to gain nothing from inheritance, so he set out to make his own fortune in the world. |
| Somniel | Elf | fighter level 1 / Magic-User level 1 | An elf of ambivalent age suffering from mild amnesia. |
Meadowlark 14th, Fireday
“The Queen demands you and your men return to Hara. Today.”
Decarili, a large, barrel chested Altanian of blood red complexion said to Ambros. Cleric knew the man, for he was the Captain of Queen's Guard. Decarili arrived just before first rays of sun broke and marched straight into the cleric's tent.
“What is going on in Hara that requires the return?” Ambros inquired.
“Tsamar is missing. Aseti has been killed. Zenon has been killed. Tangay has been killed. Queen wants you and your men back. As far as I know, Dalkanarion's orders remain unchanged.” Decarili answered, straight to the point.
“I haven't a clue who any of these people are, but it sounds serious.” Ludd Nuck whispered.
“Tsamar is the castellan of Hara who gave me the thugs troops and was setting us up to fail. Zenon, I think, was the head of the Assassin’s guild. Did Tsamar pull a hit and run? Is there a new Assassin Guild Master in town cleaning up shop? Is the wizard we are after pulling strings in town? All of it serious and bad. This will also leave the Keep unguarded, along with all our treasure.” Dalkanarion explained to wondering Ludd.
Ambros discretely asked Dalkanarion to speak to Decarili as well. Grecian warrior had recently came in the possession of a necklace that allows him to hear thoughts of persons he focuses on. He did not hear anything that would indicate that Decarili was lying or presenting falsehoods. In fact, the Queen's Captain was genuinely surprised at the news that one of Hara's patrols was vanquished by beastmen.
“The Queen wants her Justice Supreme return to Hara today.”
Without any delay, Ambros commanded Marlon and Jace to disassemble camp and prepare to march to Hara. Dalkanarion and six chosen adventurers would remain at the Cedarwade Keep.
Thus, Heran Marod, Ludd Nuck, Kho Rimbo, Tobias Lindflags, Somniel, and Dalkanarion packed up their belongings, and selected a least filthy and devastated room in the keep as their new base of operations. Tikatu opted to remain in his tree hole several hundred yards away.
Dalkanarion spent rest of the day meditating with the Oathkeeper. He wished to learn how to purge the nexus of evil at Racoba's Redoubt. Three paladin spirits advised him of Three Steps of Total Purification: (i) destroy all evil objects, (ii) destroy all evil creatures, and (iii) consecrate the divine areas. If (iii) doesn't work, then destroy the whole building.
Meadowlark 15th, Spiritday
The chosen seven, plus Dalkanarion's linkboy Hue, rode northwest, forded the river, and reached the plateau around noon. They tied the horses nearby, assigning Ludd Nuck once more to guard duty. Then they descended into the underground complex once more.
Dalkanarion led at the front of the marching order, while others followed side-by-side behind him. The party elected to explore the eastern portion of the dungeon. Thus they descended into the antechamber, turned south into the improvised sleeping quarters, then east into the corpse and statue chamber. Pit trap connecting the chambers was closed shut.
Turning south, adventurers descended into a dust caked chamber reeking of death and rot. Three decayed corpses at the south side of the chamber were the source of stench. They had little in terms of usable equipment, but their coin pouches were not empty. Dalkanarion counted a total of four hundred and fifty electrum pieces, and ninety platinum pieces. Others spread out and searched the walls, seeking secret doors and passageways.
Finding nothing, the party backtracked to sleeping quarters, then headed west past the obelisk and into the kidney shaped chamber. Now they turned south-west, circumvented the teleportation trap, and revisited locked birch-tree doors. Tobias successfully picked the lock that defeated him weeks ago.
Stale air mixed with smell of dry soil assailed their nostrils. A dry fountain filled with dirt and rocks dominated the chamber. Besides doors to the southeast and southwest, there was nothing else of notice. Dalkanarion, Tikatu, Heran, and Somniel cleaned up the fountain. They dug nearly five feet deep before the water began gushing proper.
Tikatu, Druid of Second Mysteries, could smell that water was pure. Dalkanarion took a deep gulp. It was the best tasting water he ever had. Truly refreshing. He filled his waterskin with it.
Southeast doors led into a dead end chamber filled with destroyed furniture, and rotted rolled tapestries. There was also a chest with one thousand and two hundred copper pieces. Adventurers used it as a doorstopper. Southwest chamber was completely empty.
The party returned back to the kidney room. Now they went further west, down the stairs that pass by the X shaped chamber that leads to ghoul pool. They continued straight down until they reached an archway that was unlike any other they have encountered in this complex so far.
The archway had ornamental, twisting serpentine features running from top to bottom. Adventurers marched in. Before them was an elongated chamber, some twenty feet wide, and nearly hundred feet long. There were alcoves to left and right every ten feet or so. Dalkanarion led into the darkness. Tikatu and Kho Rimbo loitered by archway. Tobias followed right behind Dalkanarion. Heran investigated first west alcove while Somniel checked the east alcove.
“Run!” Heran yelled as he noticed a sickening green fog leaking from a tiny hole in the alcove. Everyone made a dash for the archway, and up the stairs. The fog quickly filled the chamber, but it did not go beyond the archway itself.
Dalkanarion heard sounds of stone hitting stone. Heavy thuds. He turned around and faced the direction of stairs leading up. Secret doors swung open and a marble statue wielding stone spear and shield stepped out. Combat that followed was brutal. Somniel used the opportunity to fire crossbow at the statue. Bolt shattered upon impact. Dalkanarion stepped forth to duel the statue. Kho Rimbo cast his Magic Missiles. Tikatu repeatedly missed with his spear. Marble was flying all around, but statue did not stop.
Tobias, with his Ring of Invisibility on, snuck around the statue, and then lunged at its knees from behind. Hitting with shortsword, he broke the statue's leg, sending it crumbling into thousand marble pieces. There was little time to celebrate, for Dalkanarion was nicked by stone spears twice. On the second hit he felt bone-chilling coldness spreading from his wound. He began shivering and chattering from the coldness.
Somniel joined the melee with second statue since there was now enough space for both Dalkanarion to wield his greatsword, and elf to attack with mace. It was much for naught, given that Somniel either missed or failed to do damage with his attacks.
Dalkanarion slowly worked the second statue, breaking it piece by piece. Tobias snuck once more, and once more delivered a great blow. Alas, this time it did have the same great outcome as before. This time the statue remained intact. In return, the hobbit was smacked by the stone spear. He learned his lesson and retreated from melee.
In the final exchange, the statue drove stone spear straight into Dalkanarion, hitting him with great might. The flesh made warrior retaliated by a powerful swing, finally bringing the statue down. Adventurers fled the dungeon complex, and rejoined Ludd “The Horse Whisperer” Nuck. He had a jolly good time with the horses.
It was evening. Heran and Tikatu healed those wounded. Adventurers discussed returning to Cedarwade Keep to rest and recover. But it was no longer a safe haven. But what now? They returned here to cleanse great evil sensed by the Oathkeeper. They did not achieve their mission. As night set the adventurers pondered their next move.
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