Friday, April 7, 2017

Stonehell: What About Bob?

Session 31 was played on 3/31.

Wilhelm, drunk Dwarf 5 (Julia)
-Helmut, war dog
-Xerxes, Human Fighter 1 (Henchman)
-Yolanda, Human Fighter 1 (Henchman)
-2 torch bearers (Z, A.A.Ron)
-6 men at arms (O, T, U, BB8, CC, DD, EE)
Eiric, wizard 2 (Kat)

Stayed in town
(Matt)
Leroy, human fighter 3 (Mike)
Unnamed, Elf 1 (Nicole)
Sarin the Ugly, Human Fighter 1 (Josh)
Bisimwa, Human Fighter 1 (Jordan)
Menchi, Human Cleric 1 (Laural)
Karlaih, Human Thief 5 (Mollie)
Tink, a pretentious Elf (but I repeat myself) and former barkeep (Hanna)
Shelly, a vegetarian recovering alcoholic halfling Thief 3 (Nadia)
Frank, halfling 1 (Emily)
Yaqen, elf 1 (Shaun)

After properly disposing of Nilbog’s body and getting a good night’s rest, Wilhelm rounded up those who he could. Sadly his more experienced companions were all too hungover to get out of their beds, let alone into the dungeon. Checking in on the temple district, he managed to recruit Prior Vari’al of Kilooloogung the Lord of Arising Smoke.

As before, the jeweler was still closed, and per the info provided by a helpful passer by, has been closed for a while now, though it was an open secret that the thieves guild had been watching the store. After some poking around, Wilhelm finally decided that trying to break in at 10am was probably not the best choice, so off they went to the dungeon.

The party headed to visit Rocky first, again apologised for their lack of quartz, and asked their questions:

Q: Is the Wizard’s School in the Quiet Halls?
A: Yes (4)

Q: Where’s Bob?
A: In the shadow of the Lady Sorcha’s temple (6)

Q: Where is her shadow?
A: South of the temple (2)

THanking Rocky, they head out to the Quiet Halls, aiming for the room with the giant snake skeleton, labeled “snake nope” on the map. Prior Vari’al turned the regular skeletons that rose to meet them, but the snake skeleton was unimpressed, and with startling speed wrapped itself around BB8 and sunk its fangs into his skull. Wilhelm’s flaming dagger quickly ended the threat, but there was no saving BB8.

Double checking the map, WIlhelm remembered the lady statue with the 2 flails, and the party changed directions, going through the northern hall of crypts. With the prior’s help, the undead will little threat, and a few treasures were discovered, including a potion of levitation!

The temple chamber was pretty much as the party had left it all those weeks/months ago. The statue still stood at the far end of the room, shattered dusty skeletons littering the floor. Wilhelm located the secret door that he’d marked previously on the map, and opened it, revealing a short crooked hallway. There was another secret door at the end, and beyond, Bob and the rest of the remaining cultists!

Much to the shock of the party, the cultists were ready for them, not that it did them any good. Wilhelm and Eiric rushed straight for Bob, hitting him upside the head, and he dropped to the floor. Most of the rest of the cultists fell right after, and the last one in the back dropped his mace and begged for mercy. Bob and Daryl were both tied up. Eiric took Bob’s snake staff, and the 2 potions he had on him, and a clerical scroll was found tucked inside the altar.

Heading back to Malfreces Nul’s chamber, they check a few of the rooms they hadn’t explored before, collecting some herbs and liquids from an embalming chamber, and find a room with a giant iron furnace with shelves lined with urns. Wilhelm decides that the best thing to do here is smash the urns, but the furnace’s doors open after the first couple of urns are smashed, and shoots a blast of flame at Wilhelm, who bravely runs away. Another room held 3 ghouls who were feasting on what once was maybe human. Whoever it was had a fancy 2 handed warhammer that was given to O, now named Orpheus.

Moving on, they drop Bob and Daryl off in one of the empty crypts with Yolanda and a couple of hirelings, making sure they’re both secure. The rest of the party heads down to Nul’s room. They knock on his door, and let him know that they have Bob. Nul wanted him, but Wilhelm wanted to go over what they’d agreed first, so Nul told them that he’d tell them all he’d found out from his dead friends about the school once he had Bob. Wilhelm went and got Bob, and Nul told them all he knew!

The main points were:
The school was entered through a secret door in a chamber with a sacrificial pit
There are numerous secret doors within the school
Beware the mirrors, they magnify damage
There is a shrine to the god of magic within the school
The school is NOT within the Quiet Halls

Was Rocky wrong?

Checking over the map, the party decided that maybe the best place to check next would be the hall heading out from the Quiet Halls that they believe heads toward the area of the Korners that the kobolds wouldn’t let them visit.

Bob’s screams echoed down the hall as the party gathers Daryl and departs….

Another hall of crypts needed to be passed through before reaching their destination, and it looked like Nul had been busy repopulating his friends, and their treasures. More zombies, ghouls, and skeletons, but more importantly, more treasures! An amulet, ring, finger bone wand, and a potion.

After fighting their way down the hall, they decided that actually heading back to town now might be a good idea. They talk to the priests, who discover that the scroll will cause blindness to anyone that reads it.

Eiric tries to get the wizard’s guild to help, but they want nothing to do with him (bad reaction roll) because he’s not a member. Membership is 1,000gp, which he doesn’t have. They go visit the apothecary next to get the potions identified. 2 healing potions, 1 potion of longevity, and 1 potion of flight (actually swapped out for a potion of Luck that the apothecary decided to keep for himself). They decide to sell the potion of longevity, and Eiric eventually finds a rich old woman in the market who offers to buy it for 1,000gp. And when Eiric next goes to the guild to hand over the entrance fee, the rich old woman looks about a decade younger. Turns out she runs the local wizard’s guild!

With her dues paid up, the wizards are happy to identify the items. The amulet is one of hope, and the ring was a ring of swimming, the staff is a Snake Staff (shock) and the wand is a wand of light (red) which is donated to the guild in thanks.

Gains: Snake Staff, Amulet of Hope, Ring of Swimming, various potions,
Kills: Giant Snake Skeleton, 13 skeletons, 5 zombies, 2 ghouls
Losses: BB8

2 comments:

  1. A nice session, a lot of action and the party got a fat loot. And they got a hint that Rocky isn't always truthful. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for writing these. I enjoy keeping up with the PCs' progress through Stonehell.

    ReplyDelete

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