Conquering the Barbarian Altanis: Session 176
Adventurers
| Character | Race | Class | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaric | Human | Paladin level 3 | Big, doe eyed country boy with wavy blond hair and willingness to do the right thing. Paladin of Tyr. |
| Ambros | Human | Cleric level 7 | Follower of Aniu, Lord of Time. |
| Ignaeus | Dwarf | Fighter level 4 / thief level 5 | Ashen hair, beard, and eyes. Left his own clan due to financial trouble. |
| Ignaeus | Elf | Fighter level 4 / magic-user level 5 | A slightly weathered looking elf with dull blonde hair and chiseled features. Seeks wealth and knowledge. |
| Kenso San | Human | Fighter level 4 | An arrogant and self-assured sellsword wandering Wilderlands to prove he can best anyone. |
| Tam o' Shanter | Human | Cleric level 4 | A boisterous wine-lover of Losborst on a Great Crusade of the Grape. |
Coldrain 1st, Airday
First day of winter brought some relief to Altanian heat. But not much. The days were now shorter, with only two watches of daylight.
Party of seven reached the ruins of Castle Yukanthur by mid-noon. Ambros, Ignaeus, Alaric, Thorm, Tam, Kenso, and Stag Beetle, Agathon's new moniker given to him by his master.
It's been nearly two months since they've been to the ruins. There were few traces of the Great Goblin Genocide left. Most of the corpses have rotted away; their flesh and bones consumed by the wildlife and carrion eaters.
Adventurers descended, led by Kenso. Stag Beetle was right next to him, serving as a dedicated doorbasher. They navigated through the first level, unopposed. Ignaeus and Ambros would sporadically explain various secret passages, traps, and similar, to Thorm, and Alaric, whom were here for the first time.
Once they reached the second level, party moved to their right, through secret sliding doors, then north, then left. They explored a chamber with barrels and crates filled with worthless junk. They passed stairs leading down and moved onwards to the T-junction.
Chamber to the left was lined with warped and bowing shelves spanning full width of west, south, and east wall. Ignaeus felt something was off. Alaric pulled on the brass candlestick on the west shelf. Doors opened behind. Stag Beetle was summoned once more, this time to break through the shelves so the passageway could be accessed.
Young bull happily obliged. He was still embarrassed by Kenso beating his ass back in Ironburg. Agathon was a rather slow learner.
Following the corridor led to another dead end. Ignaeus once more found the secret switch. This led them to a clean, twenty by twenty room. A bed, stool, and a locked chest were in the north-east corner.
Tam peeked under the bed. He took the chamber pot and put it on his head. He ignored a pair of slippers. Thorm spotted a lever to the left of the bed. Then he spent three hours disarming the needle trap in the lock and picking it open.
In the meantime Ambros and Ignaeus managed to activate a pit trap by the south-west exit. The fell down a ten feet deep pit and got impaled on several iron spikes. Alaric pulled both out.
“Take them all out! But with the tip of your blade!”
Tam advised Thorm. Thus the dwarf took out several robes, pointy hats, and blankets out of the chest. Few survived his handling. Casting Detect Magic only confirmed the mundane nature of items at hand. At least there were 300 gold pieces and one ivory comb at the bottom.
Adventurers left the same way they came in and returned to the chamber with many shelves. Agathon pulled the doors wide open. A swarm of fat stirges completely surprised the party, dive bombing them without mercy. Both Ambros and Agathon dropped their weapons.
Five out of twelve monsters hit their target. It took adventurers several tense rounds to get rid of the pests. Thorm dispatched three, Kenso two, and Tam one before Ignaeus retreated into the corner and put them all to sleep—including Agathon, Alaric, and Tam.
Party moved further north. Agathon broke through yet another doors. This time it was the monsters that were completely surprised! Six filthy-looking, lizard-like humanoids slept on foul straw-mats. They were slain with extreme prejudice. Given the overbearing stench of these foul creatures, adventurers promptly moved on.
They wandered the long corridors; they explored a natural cave adjoining one of the chamber with broken wall. This, they theorised, must be the cave with underground river some of them had fallen in months ago. Circular opening on the cave ceiling would certainly suggest so.
Having adventured for now nearly three watches non-stop, they could feel the weariness and tiredness kicking in. After brief discussion, they decided to retreat above ground, find a safe spot to rest, and then return the next day.
Indeed, they did so. Seven zombies they encountered were no threat. Ambros turned six to dust, while Tam turned the sole survivor.
Once out, they spent couple of hours looking for a perfect camping spot.
Coldrain 2nd, Waterday
It was way past midnight by the time adventurers had established the camp. Winter, even in Barbarian Altanis, means the days become shorter. Morning and noon watches are the only ones when there is sufficient daylight to travel the wilderness.
But our adventurers had to rest well. In other words, by the time they were ready for the second delve it was already night again.
“What does it matter? It is dark inside anyway.”
Kenso took the lead again. This time he was a bit less focused and led the party astray several times. He eventually got them to the second dungeon level. And then he led the party straight into ghoul ambush.
Being at the vanguard meant that he received the brunt of ghoul onslaught. Luckily for him, they failed to eviscerate him before Ambros made his holy presence known. Alaric watched the Cleric of Aniu and Forseti with great admiration. He was barely aware of Tam's existence. Ignaeus and Thorm each killed one ghoul as they fled.
Adventurers continued exploring the unknown. They went down the slanted corridor, through the chamber with an open pit, and then further north. This was yet another cave with underground river.
Ignaeus, Tam, and Ambros had recognised this peculiar cave. It was the one they had crawled out from after falling through the trap on the above floor. Ambros remembered that he had left behind hundreds of gold pieces on the small surface straight across the river.
“Who will swim across? I am happy to hold the rope?”
“I will go.” Agathon spoke up after deafening silence. “But I will keep half of the coin from that sack!”
“That is fair.”
Agathon approached the river bank, ready to dive in.
A wight broke through the water surface, grabbed Agathon's head, and drained him of his life.
Stag Beetle didn't even have time to scream.
Adventurers, on the other hand, were quite vocal.
“A wight?!”
“Quick, decapitate him before he rises!”
“Dispel Evil! Dispel Evil!”
Will they go quiet, too?
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