Characters:
- Zarjaz the Zazzy - Magic-User 1 - Male
- Shanks Mcspindlewort - Thief 1 - Male
- Finbar son of Finwe - Elf 1 - Male
- Delast Elfenprincess - Elf 1 - Female
In the settlement of Ethanfeld on the north-east shores of the Smoking Bay and gateway to adventure in the Dragonbone Peaks.
Zarjaz and Shanks are in the local tavern (where else) taking a sabbatical from a commission to recover Dyson Logos, the missing eldest son of Caedwine Logos, Duke of Muncaester. When last heard of Dyson was on an expedition with some of his cronies to discover the whereabouts of the Crypt of Saint Ulther; rumoured to lie beneath a ruined tower somewhere in the Dragonbone Peaks. From their players we learn that Zarjaz and Shanks are not the most reputable of fellows and have only taken this commission to avoid a public hanging for an incident involving a Sleep spell in a Muncaester bordello. Their original companions having learnt of this reputation late in the day have recently abandoned them in Ethanfeld and Zarjaz and Shanks are either too cowardly or too smart to proceed into the Dragonbone Peaks alone.
Delast and Finbar are in Ethanfeld apparently searching for "lost elven artifacts" but at the moment seem to be down on their luck. Finbar in particular has only the clothes he stands up in and a chainmail shirt (he later obtains a big stick to use as a temporary weapon). The story behind this misfortune is unclear but may have involved a halfling thief. Another theory offered up by the players is that it involved Shanks Mcspindlewort wearing a pair of hairy slippers.
The two parties became acquainted in the usual manner (with sarcasm, jibes, GM rail-roading, etc.) and voted to join forces instead of fighting each other, though it was a close run thing. In what I suspect will become a running joke, Zarjaz and Shanks deliberately "mistook" the elves for a married couple with Delast being the male and Finbar the female. There were long negotiation about how any loot would be divided between party members. These concluded that the elves will get any elven artifacts but may or may not be entitled to anything else; the elves understood that they will get a 50% share of anything else, Zarjaz and Shanks did not have the same understanding.
The next morning, with the help of directions from the locals, the party set out on a riverside trail leading into the Dragonbone Peaks. They are all on foot except for Zarjaz who is riding his donkey "Kong" (groans from the audience); who is according to Shanks, "the brains of the operation." At about midday they come across the remains of a farmer's cart recently despoiled. The party speculated that the culprits were orcs, but if this is the case then they had unusually large feet. They consider following them off the trail but Kong refuses. By dusk the party has reached the foothills and located the tower ruin. They are disappointed to find that the standing ruins barely reach shoulder height and are heavily overgrown. After poking around ineffectively for an hour they camp down for the night.
The next morning the party split into two groups to scout the area. After a couple of hours, Shanks locates a trail leading into a gulley and ultimately a cave mouth in the hillside about 10 yards beneath the summit. With Zarjaz carrying a lantern behind them Finbar and Delast tale the lead down a cave passage that soon opens out into a large uneven floored limestone cave. Further passageways lead north, east and south.
Deciding to explore by always turning left the party follows the north passageway into a smaller cave. This contains a large nest of twigs, leaves, moss, small bones, and shredded paper. Finbar pokes it several times with his stick and a dozen giant rats erupt from within and swarm over the party. There are several rounds of sword swinging during which half the rats are slain at the expense of Delast being seriously mauled and some minor scratches to the rest of the party. Zarjaz decides enough is enough and uses his Sleep spell to deal with the remainder. A small purse of coins is recovered from the nest.
At Zarjaz and Delast's request the party agree to camp up, tend to their wounds and relearn spells. Rather than going back above ground they decide to hold up in the nest cave. They post watches and during the night two goblins pass through the large cave and are dealt with - I forget by whom. Finbar takes one of their short swords to replace his stick, likewise Shanks takes their knives to supplement his throwing daggers.
In the morning the party resume their exploration heading east from the large cave and following a twisting passage north-east further into the hill. Ignoring several side passages they reach a point where the rough cut passage breaks into a worked stone east-west corridor, presumably part of the tower's cellars. Turning left they follow the corridor to a closed door from behind which they discern firelight and the chit-chat of goblins.
Finbar bursts through the door with Delast (now using her bow) and Shanks (with throwing daggers) close behind. The room beyond is roughly square with exits in the north-west and south-west corners. They surprise 2 goblins sat around a fire-pit and one is killed before it even manages to stand. The second runs for the south-west exit. Delast wings it with an arrow before it disappears out of sight shouting an alarm. Shanks pursues the wounded goblin out of the room down a corridor and into a guard room containing 4 alerted goblins. He throws a dagger to finish off the injured one before scurrying back down the corridor with the others in pursuit. In the corridor Finbar intercepts and holds off Shank's pursuers with Delast providing missile support. The fight is ended by Zarjaz with a Sleep spell.
Having looted the goblins the party makes its way into the guard room in time to be surprised by a door in the west wall being thrown open by a large hobgoblin. With a battle-cry it charges into the room swinging its battleaxe at Shanks. He dodges deftly away and Finbar steps into the fray. Blows are traded and wounds taken on both sides before Finbar delivers the killing blow. He takes the battleaxe as a trophy pronouncing it to be a "lost elven artifact".
After resting for a few minutes the party head through the western door. They follow a corridor into a chamber that by goblin standards is lavishly decorated with a ruined four poster bed, table and chair. A search reveals a lock-box which Shanks manages to open (just before Delast discovers the key). Within are 500 sp in coins, gems and cheap jewellery.
The game session ended here.
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