Session Two: Midwinter 1474
Chapter One: Rivior’s Keep
Through the next six weeks, the snows continued, and temperatures hovered near zero but never above. Outdoors was a silent, white, frozen landscape. The head priest of the temple and his servants never returned; if because of bad weather, or perhaps they had met their death through the giants or dragons, who knew? Through the month of Nightall and into the month of Hammer in the new year, the seven inhabitants of the Nythiirian temple found many ways to while away the long winter weeks. Due to the supplies in the monastery, there was no need for additional food or drink. There were short forages into the nearby woods for fuel in the form of firewood, or ice to be melted for water, but there was no exploring more than a mile from the monastery due to the intense cold and snow. In their long time together, the seven shared their life stories and whatever else that might interest others; six weeks snowed in, in a confined space, is enough to make even the least talkative open up completely. Arcus spent the time teaching Runt and Korgaard the rudiments of reading and writing. Korgaard proved so adept, he began to learn the use of magic, slowly at first, but some unknown talent taking over until he had actually mastered the spells as a mage would! The brothers Argois and Vaerlon got to know one another, practicing sparring and their archery outside in the courtyard; Korgaard regaled the party with bardic tales of warriors and battles long ago. Angles studied the holy books of Nythiir, learning more of his chosen path. Perhaps only the druid Galgadayle kept apart from the others; all the time away from the forest where he had lived his entire life made him homesick, and he preferred open spaces to the interior of the monastery. He spent the time tending his wounded owl, and teaching it several commands. Meanwhile, Arcus also continued to study the history books of the high priest, and was able to pinpoint the location of Rivior’s Keep on an accurate map in the one book he had located.
Finally, during the week of Midwinter, the coldest part of the season, the temperature took a sudden upswing into the teens, and the snows stopped. Cabin fever had begun to set in; even a trek into the frigid mountains was preferable to sitting inside another day! Plans were made to head for the keep and possibly stay there while exploring it, but all depended on reaching it before the blizzard began again. Properly equipped against the cold with bearskin fur cloaks (and Angles with a magical cloak he had taken from his master’s study that kept the wearer warm in any cold weather), the small group left early in the day for Rivior’s Keep. Snowshoes kept the party members above the unpacked snow, which was several feet deep, and the party took enough rations and supplies for many days.
Although hidden well, the location of the bandit fortress was but a few miles into the nearby mountains, actually quite easy to find, and surprisingly little effort was used to reach it. A low overhang led to two entrances, one leading to a large door, the other to a dank smelly cavern. While the cavern side was being explored, a pair of hibernating owlbears was awakened and dealt with by the rangers, druid and halfling thief A small bit of treasure was found but no entrance….through the door seemed to be the only way in, so the party took it with much eagerness after noticing it was not locked….and looked recently breached. A short hallway led to a room with a pile of weapons in the center, and a locked metal gate. The most intriguing item was the presence of fresh tracks, not several days old, consisting of humans, an ogre, and possibly half ogres! Others had found the halls before the group, and might not be inclined to be friendly….! Due to the unexpected warmth inside the ruins (the temperatures hovered above freezing!) the bearskin cloaks were set aside for the duration of the adventure.
By the light of a torch held by Angles, the exploration began. Secret entrances around the rusty portcullis were found, and each led to guardrooms. In one was found the petrified form of a goblin; caution was taken in case some creature be found that could turn one to stone! Inside a privy, the bard Korgaard came upon a nicely forged and surely magical sword; he had to battle a hidden giant spider with the help of a fear stricken Angles, who managed to somehow help the bard dispatch the arachnid. In the other guardroom, tragedy was narrowly averted as a large Green Slime blob was burned off Runt by an alert Angles (Ephros did, however, lose half his hair in the incident…). In this privy, a small hidden treasure chamber held several useful potions and a deadly Lock Lurker.
Down a narrow hallway, a trap was triggered and several heavy crossbow bolts fired at the party from a device. Throwing caution to the winds, the party rushed a door, kicking it in to find several kobolds with hand crossbows manning a well-protected room with firing holes. Through this room, then another, then in a secret passage, the battle raged and 18 of the foul reptilian creatures were destroyed by Korgaard and Arcus’ spells, as well as the sword arms of the ranger brothers. Through one door, a long, dark shaft led upwards by a ladder….it was avoided for now. In another room, a recently half eaten mule showed that once again someone from the outside had entered the fortress.
Refusing to enter the shaft, the party returned to the main pathway, which led to a room with large statues that shot electric bolts from their hands. A secret door led to an intriguing mystery: a room with a recent sacrifice, a young woman laying on the floor with a dagger thrust in her mouth. Angles recognized both the dagger and the method of sacrifice as belonging to the priesthood of Taranthus, evil slavers who travel the world trading in human misery. More cautious now, the party entered the adjoining room and were set upon by a undead horror: A Baneguard, guardians summoned by evil priests to defend or guard their persons or treasures. A deadly battle ensued; the Baneguard had the power to fire magic missiles and blink; it used the first application to deadly result as a barrage of missiles caught Runt squarely and knocked him near death. The room cleared out leaving Korgaard, Argois and Vaerlon to battle the horror. Luck was with the trio, and after a hard fought battle the creature was destroyed. However, surprisingly the Baneguard was not watching over “treasure”, but a cart full of ale, potatoes, arrows and a lantern! Water dripping off the handcart meant it had been recently placed. Needing rest, the party took over the room to spend the night (it was the most easily defensible position they had found) as Angles wrapped the unfortunate sacrificial victim in cloths and said the prayers of Nythiir over her body, placing it in the cart and promising to retrieve it on the way out…..
Chapter Two: More Undead
The night spent in the cold, dark, dank fortress put everyone on edge for the next day. Explorations past the electricity throwing statues led to an empty room with a giant bat, and an abandoned bedroom with a trap that sent a flood of crawling claws down on the adventurer’s heads. Unwisely, the door to the next room was bashed down by the bard, and it was found to contain dozens and dozens of claws…then the door was secured before they could swarm the party! A trapdoor in the ceiling kept disgorging claws one by one, so that door was also sealed and the rooms abandoned, perhaps for later investigation.
The next room was a large throne room, but before it could be thoroughly searched, a secret passage was found that led to another part of the complex. A large dining hall was found, but seeing there were hibernating stirges in the high, darkened ceiling led the party in another direction. A hallway of many granite statues was found, they were barely examined before the party went off to another direction. A mysterious room with a red scarf on the floor that changed into a giant centipede when touched, which then turned out to be an illusion, frustrated the group as they began to wonder aloud what kind of deviltry was going on? In a further alcove, another secret door was found, leading to a corridor and another inexplicable riddle, a large chain hanging from the ceiling.
Exhausted and exasperated, the group turned to leave the dead end room. His curiosity getting the best of him, Vaerlon yanked the chain….which proceeded to open five secret doors. Out of four of them stepped giant Ogre skeletons, which mindlessly attacked!
Before the combat, the druid had wandered off, disgusted at the lack of progress and uneasy with the underground area that was lifeless of both plant and animals. Considering undead an abomination, he and Angles (who was guarding the end of the corridor) found themselves cut off from the party by the giant undead monsters. Suddenly, death seemed very likely as the party was overwhelmed….Angles wasn’t even powerful enough to attempt a turning of the creatures! A pitched battled ensued, which went back and forth. Desperate, Arcus cast a Stoneskin spell from a scroll upon himself, and began battering one skeleton with his staff. The others were overwhelmed….Vaerlon in particular found himself swinging clumsily and badly missing his foes. Whether through fear of undead, or guilt at being the one who had summoned their doom, Vaerlon was unable to do anything to stop the monsters. At the other end of the corridor, Angles and Galgadayle took turns bashing the giant skeleton then healing themselves, perilously close to disaster. For awhile, the survival of the party teetered in the balance.
However, as the battle wore on and both sides took hits, slowly the party began to one by one destroy the skeletons. Arcus’ spell allowed him to survive several strikes, and many vials of holy water and healing potions were used by everyone as the battle continued….the party would have to pull out all the stops to survive this encounter! Soon, Argois and Vaerlon battled side by side, with Argois asking his little brother if he required assistance as he appeared to be fighting like a virgin elf maiden instead of a warrior…bolstered by his brother’s presence, Vaerlon soon found his stride and began battling in earnest, scoring several telling blows on the undead. After a short period, the area was cleared of walking evil, and despite grave injuries all had survived and the skeletons lay in piles of bones throughout the room and corridor. A quick search of the rooms turned up a small amount of treasure, along with a carved horn wrapped in wolfskin. Examined, writing on it’s side revealed the horn would summon nearby wolves to help the owner….Vaerlon, as the summoner of the undead, was chosen to take the horn since it had been his recklessness that led to the prize! Once again in a defensible chamber, the group decided to spend the night and search further then the next day. Watch was set up, especially on the door to the secret passage that had discharged no skeleton and was yet unexplored….
Chapter One: Rivior’s Keep
Through the next six weeks, the snows continued, and temperatures hovered near zero but never above. Outdoors was a silent, white, frozen landscape. The head priest of the temple and his servants never returned; if because of bad weather, or perhaps they had met their death through the giants or dragons, who knew? Through the month of Nightall and into the month of Hammer in the new year, the seven inhabitants of the Nythiirian temple found many ways to while away the long winter weeks. Due to the supplies in the monastery, there was no need for additional food or drink. There were short forages into the nearby woods for fuel in the form of firewood, or ice to be melted for water, but there was no exploring more than a mile from the monastery due to the intense cold and snow. In their long time together, the seven shared their life stories and whatever else that might interest others; six weeks snowed in, in a confined space, is enough to make even the least talkative open up completely. Arcus spent the time teaching Runt and Korgaard the rudiments of reading and writing. Korgaard proved so adept, he began to learn the use of magic, slowly at first, but some unknown talent taking over until he had actually mastered the spells as a mage would! The brothers Argois and Vaerlon got to know one another, practicing sparring and their archery outside in the courtyard; Korgaard regaled the party with bardic tales of warriors and battles long ago. Angles studied the holy books of Nythiir, learning more of his chosen path. Perhaps only the druid Galgadayle kept apart from the others; all the time away from the forest where he had lived his entire life made him homesick, and he preferred open spaces to the interior of the monastery. He spent the time tending his wounded owl, and teaching it several commands. Meanwhile, Arcus also continued to study the history books of the high priest, and was able to pinpoint the location of Rivior’s Keep on an accurate map in the one book he had located.
Finally, during the week of Midwinter, the coldest part of the season, the temperature took a sudden upswing into the teens, and the snows stopped. Cabin fever had begun to set in; even a trek into the frigid mountains was preferable to sitting inside another day! Plans were made to head for the keep and possibly stay there while exploring it, but all depended on reaching it before the blizzard began again. Properly equipped against the cold with bearskin fur cloaks (and Angles with a magical cloak he had taken from his master’s study that kept the wearer warm in any cold weather), the small group left early in the day for Rivior’s Keep. Snowshoes kept the party members above the unpacked snow, which was several feet deep, and the party took enough rations and supplies for many days.
Although hidden well, the location of the bandit fortress was but a few miles into the nearby mountains, actually quite easy to find, and surprisingly little effort was used to reach it. A low overhang led to two entrances, one leading to a large door, the other to a dank smelly cavern. While the cavern side was being explored, a pair of hibernating owlbears was awakened and dealt with by the rangers, druid and halfling thief A small bit of treasure was found but no entrance….through the door seemed to be the only way in, so the party took it with much eagerness after noticing it was not locked….and looked recently breached. A short hallway led to a room with a pile of weapons in the center, and a locked metal gate. The most intriguing item was the presence of fresh tracks, not several days old, consisting of humans, an ogre, and possibly half ogres! Others had found the halls before the group, and might not be inclined to be friendly….! Due to the unexpected warmth inside the ruins (the temperatures hovered above freezing!) the bearskin cloaks were set aside for the duration of the adventure.
By the light of a torch held by Angles, the exploration began. Secret entrances around the rusty portcullis were found, and each led to guardrooms. In one was found the petrified form of a goblin; caution was taken in case some creature be found that could turn one to stone! Inside a privy, the bard Korgaard came upon a nicely forged and surely magical sword; he had to battle a hidden giant spider with the help of a fear stricken Angles, who managed to somehow help the bard dispatch the arachnid. In the other guardroom, tragedy was narrowly averted as a large Green Slime blob was burned off Runt by an alert Angles (Ephros did, however, lose half his hair in the incident…). In this privy, a small hidden treasure chamber held several useful potions and a deadly Lock Lurker.
Down a narrow hallway, a trap was triggered and several heavy crossbow bolts fired at the party from a device. Throwing caution to the winds, the party rushed a door, kicking it in to find several kobolds with hand crossbows manning a well-protected room with firing holes. Through this room, then another, then in a secret passage, the battle raged and 18 of the foul reptilian creatures were destroyed by Korgaard and Arcus’ spells, as well as the sword arms of the ranger brothers. Through one door, a long, dark shaft led upwards by a ladder….it was avoided for now. In another room, a recently half eaten mule showed that once again someone from the outside had entered the fortress.
Refusing to enter the shaft, the party returned to the main pathway, which led to a room with large statues that shot electric bolts from their hands. A secret door led to an intriguing mystery: a room with a recent sacrifice, a young woman laying on the floor with a dagger thrust in her mouth. Angles recognized both the dagger and the method of sacrifice as belonging to the priesthood of Taranthus, evil slavers who travel the world trading in human misery. More cautious now, the party entered the adjoining room and were set upon by a undead horror: A Baneguard, guardians summoned by evil priests to defend or guard their persons or treasures. A deadly battle ensued; the Baneguard had the power to fire magic missiles and blink; it used the first application to deadly result as a barrage of missiles caught Runt squarely and knocked him near death. The room cleared out leaving Korgaard, Argois and Vaerlon to battle the horror. Luck was with the trio, and after a hard fought battle the creature was destroyed. However, surprisingly the Baneguard was not watching over “treasure”, but a cart full of ale, potatoes, arrows and a lantern! Water dripping off the handcart meant it had been recently placed. Needing rest, the party took over the room to spend the night (it was the most easily defensible position they had found) as Angles wrapped the unfortunate sacrificial victim in cloths and said the prayers of Nythiir over her body, placing it in the cart and promising to retrieve it on the way out…..
Chapter Two: More Undead
The night spent in the cold, dark, dank fortress put everyone on edge for the next day. Explorations past the electricity throwing statues led to an empty room with a giant bat, and an abandoned bedroom with a trap that sent a flood of crawling claws down on the adventurer’s heads. Unwisely, the door to the next room was bashed down by the bard, and it was found to contain dozens and dozens of claws…then the door was secured before they could swarm the party! A trapdoor in the ceiling kept disgorging claws one by one, so that door was also sealed and the rooms abandoned, perhaps for later investigation.
The next room was a large throne room, but before it could be thoroughly searched, a secret passage was found that led to another part of the complex. A large dining hall was found, but seeing there were hibernating stirges in the high, darkened ceiling led the party in another direction. A hallway of many granite statues was found, they were barely examined before the party went off to another direction. A mysterious room with a red scarf on the floor that changed into a giant centipede when touched, which then turned out to be an illusion, frustrated the group as they began to wonder aloud what kind of deviltry was going on? In a further alcove, another secret door was found, leading to a corridor and another inexplicable riddle, a large chain hanging from the ceiling.
Exhausted and exasperated, the group turned to leave the dead end room. His curiosity getting the best of him, Vaerlon yanked the chain….which proceeded to open five secret doors. Out of four of them stepped giant Ogre skeletons, which mindlessly attacked!
Before the combat, the druid had wandered off, disgusted at the lack of progress and uneasy with the underground area that was lifeless of both plant and animals. Considering undead an abomination, he and Angles (who was guarding the end of the corridor) found themselves cut off from the party by the giant undead monsters. Suddenly, death seemed very likely as the party was overwhelmed….Angles wasn’t even powerful enough to attempt a turning of the creatures! A pitched battled ensued, which went back and forth. Desperate, Arcus cast a Stoneskin spell from a scroll upon himself, and began battering one skeleton with his staff. The others were overwhelmed….Vaerlon in particular found himself swinging clumsily and badly missing his foes. Whether through fear of undead, or guilt at being the one who had summoned their doom, Vaerlon was unable to do anything to stop the monsters. At the other end of the corridor, Angles and Galgadayle took turns bashing the giant skeleton then healing themselves, perilously close to disaster. For awhile, the survival of the party teetered in the balance.
However, as the battle wore on and both sides took hits, slowly the party began to one by one destroy the skeletons. Arcus’ spell allowed him to survive several strikes, and many vials of holy water and healing potions were used by everyone as the battle continued….the party would have to pull out all the stops to survive this encounter! Soon, Argois and Vaerlon battled side by side, with Argois asking his little brother if he required assistance as he appeared to be fighting like a virgin elf maiden instead of a warrior…bolstered by his brother’s presence, Vaerlon soon found his stride and began battling in earnest, scoring several telling blows on the undead. After a short period, the area was cleared of walking evil, and despite grave injuries all had survived and the skeletons lay in piles of bones throughout the room and corridor. A quick search of the rooms turned up a small amount of treasure, along with a carved horn wrapped in wolfskin. Examined, writing on it’s side revealed the horn would summon nearby wolves to help the owner….Vaerlon, as the summoner of the undead, was chosen to take the horn since it had been his recklessness that led to the prize! Once again in a defensible chamber, the group decided to spend the night and search further then the next day. Watch was set up, especially on the door to the secret passage that had discharged no skeleton and was yet unexplored….
The adventure hook was an exploration of Rivior's Keep ( a rewrite of Haunted Halls of Eveningstar), which was planned to be somewhat open-ended and give the party much needed experience to reach 2nd level or higher, alone with some much needed magic items, and a few mysteries or two that would linger into the campaign (discovery of White's Codicil, rescue of Miior, finding Chester, and leads to several other bandit hideouts including Raven's Keep). In practice, it appeared the players got a little frustrated at the lack of a solid goal and the many non-sequeters in the ruins. Ironically, pulling the chain and summoning the monster skeletons proved to be the encounter where the party finally "gelled"; the battle was desparate, life or death, and it got really hairy in a few places At the end it was a good solid combat situation where everyone's character got to play a part.
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