We have a run this Sunday at Grey Tower. Game starts at 1 PM. The halfman community at Glimmerhaum may be the first event of the night. Snacks and drinks are much appreciated. Summary --------- 23 March 216B The party decided to sleep in the room with the hole in order to regain strength after fighting off the shadows. Tweedle was hauled off by Yusandrayal's cronies leaving the party a quiet, Kobold-free room in which to nap. Two interesting events occurred during that night's sequence of watches. First, Sheenan, Mel's cougar companion, assumed a human form. Presumably, he had been under the influence of a druidic ritual that transformed him into a cat. Second, a small contingent consisting of four goblins tried to scale the vines and take the party by surprise in the middle of the night. They were heard by the watchers and blasted by Essandri's color spray as they ascended the pit. After a series of dull thuds, Julia noticed the retreat of a giant frog back into darkness of the hole. The rest of the night continued without incident. 24 March 216B Since Katie was low on spells after expending a fair number of lesser restorations and some people were still left weak from shadows, dire rats, etc., the party once again decided to camp for a day in the pit-room. Mel and Sheenan's feline restlessness prompted them to explore the bottom of the pit while the others lounged about. They discovered that one of the "dead" goblins had apparently wandered off. Tracking it down, they encountered its now undead form and laid it to a more permanent rest. They then proceeded to hunt the giant frog and tracked it past a bugbear (quickly dispatched by Mel) back to the dragon statue room where they gave up pursuit and returned to the party. The rest of the day proceeded uneventfully. 25 March 216B At last the entire party descended the pit and proceeded to make a thorough search of the now shadow-free dragon statue room. Behind the statue was a small alcove containing two flasks of what was later determined to be alchemist's fire. Continuing on, the party came to a ruined library. A detect magic managed to locate a scroll of pyrotechnics and a scroll of acid arrow. Descending a short staircase led to another library room, this one filled with various weather almanacs and tomes of botanical lore as well as some interesting specimens of a novel species of albino Elm. Angling with detect magic yielded three trophies: a scroll of entangle, a scroll of slow poison, and a book entitled Treasures of the Fire Lords, which was protected by none other than a fire trap. A second stairway led down, then up again into a vast, cavernous expanse of brambles in the center of which stood the ruins of a fortress with a great tree growing out of it. So tall was the tree that its roots plunged into the floor while its trunk shot up into the ceiling and presumably beyond. After some discussion about how best to brave the briar patch, Moge began stealthily clearing a path and Essandri sent Julia into the air to scout for possible threats. Julia returned with the unsurprising news that the briar patch was full of twig blights and that the druid and his companions stood waiting within the fortress. Sheenan grabbed an ever-useful makeshift tower shield and the party began wading ever so slowly through the thorns toward the fortress. Some thirty feet from the walls, they were beset by a stream of twig blights, and, in a battle that can only be described as one-sided and monotonous, converted them into so much firewood. Upon drawing near to the wall of the fortress, however, the battle began in earnest. The druid, who had undoubtedly spied the party long ago, proceeded to ensnare the party with a zot from his wand of entangle. He then began a "Fools! You know not what you do..." tirade which Sheenan managed to draw out into a lengthy delaying tactic. Mel, under cover of melodrama, flanked the druid and his lackeys while the entangle spell was dispelled by parties unknown. The druid quickly renewed his entangle but Mel leapt upon him with claws and fangs bared. While the rest of the party engaged twig blights with ineffectual missile fire Mel, proceeded to tear through the druid and his fighter companion, savage the mage (who was soon downed by a crossbow bolt), and drive the giant frog back up the tree. With no threats left save the ever-present menace of the giant, evil tree, the party began to take stock of the situation. Detect magic revealed that the tree was magically protected with a high power protection from spell. (DM Note : It was not a hallow/unhallow as I said during the session. But a 24h duration protection from shadow spell. (I only had it listed as a 5th level alteration)) The tree was strongly Gain with a moderate degree of Shaddis-taint, and a magic item was lodged within it. Never ones to pass up a magic item, the party engaged in some deft tree chirurgery which revealed a magic stick of some kind. Unfortunately, removing the magic stick involved removing it from the heart of a vampire who returned to life and floated blissfully out of the newly dug hole in gaseous form, bent, no doubt, on finding something more fulfilling to do than slaying a party of low-level adventurers. The party of course, would not be so snubbed, and proceeded to pummel the vampire with all of the sticks +1 and holy symbols of Athena they could muster. The vampire retaliated with a fireball and a little domination before floating off again. At the verge of death, the party decided to camp for a while and Sheenan attempted to commune with the tree. After leaning on it for several hours, he was completely engulfed and spat out again with a fresh coat of barkskin. Sheenan urged Mel to go become similarly armored, but after engulfment Mel would have none of it. He began yowling and clawing about in cat form and making such a ruckus that Moge had to dig him out with Korvath's newly acquired shatterspike longsword. For better or worse, Moge's efforts killed the tree, and consequently Sheenan. As the tree died it became apparent that it had been a load bearing fixture of the citadel of Ashardalon; the entire structure began to heave violently, resulting in a mass exodus of adventurers and kobolds. Both parties safely returned to the surface where Tweedle was seen chained to Yusandrayal. In a last desperate act of revenge, he flung himself into the dust plume rising from the ruins of the Sunless Citadel, dragging the kobold queen with him. The party proceeded to return to the village of Wall. Mel had been taken ill by his experience with the tree and small woody growths now covered his body. Not wanting to waste the candle of disease curing on a single stricken comrade, the party gathered all of the afflicted members of the town of Wall together for some magic healing. Among those cured were: Edgral the hermit, Miss Parkenson (rheumatism), Shepard O'Keefe (flu?), and Creshner's prize milking cow. 10 April 216B After a few weeks of down time the party was rested and relaxed. Replacement gear had been acquired from New Towne. In an attempt to rid the peaceful town of Wall of the scourge of restless adventurers, Red Kate sent the party off in search of Dwarves or something. Who knows what the rest of the day will bring? ENDED (10th April 216B) NEXT TIME : The fate of the Dwarves? REWARDS ------- Items kept by party: (will be split up later) 3 potions of cure light wounds (1st level) longsword +1 (shatterspike) sealed flask from elven crypt (endure elements (fire)) bloody liquid from fountain (potion of fire breath) potion (goblin leader) cat's grace (4th level) 1 dragon headed clay flask (alchemist's fire) pyrotechnics scroll (draconic) melf's acid arrow scroll (fae) 1 entangle scroll (gaen) 1 delay poison scroll (gaen) wand (entangle) sickle (mw) wooden stake (magical) book (gaen) advanced plant studies (+1 to wilderness / nature checks) book (draconic) treasures of the fire lords (fire trapped?) money from this run: 423 gp (loot) 21 sp (loot) 3000 gp (animate dead whistle) 40 gp (4 20 gp gems) 10 gp (signet ring) 30 gp (3 smokesticks) 25 gp (scale mail) 15 gp (shortbow) (holy symbol of Pelor (returned to temple with news of Sir Braford's death)) total 3545.1 gp money from last run: 132 gp (loot) 9 sp (loot) 7 gp (longsword) 17 gp (bastard sword) 25 gp (scale mail) 5 gp (pearl on cord) 500 gp (manticore barding) 686.9 gp total total 4232 gp Expenses: - 180 (identify) = - 225 (+2 mighty composite shortbow for Korvath) Overall total: 3827 gp (handed out below) XP Summary ---------- (experience awards will be slightly lower until the group is the correct level for modules) 800 XP per character. Experience Rewards ------------------ +100 Mel (Soloing the final battle) +80 Charles' New Character (Summary) Session Notes ------------- Korvath took Shatterspike and a small share of treasure (to help buy a bow) then divided cash among the 4 surviving characters. (He didn't take a real share of the treasure since he is playing with the nice sword.) Moge, Katie, Mel, and Essandri each get the following: 956 gold 7 silver 5 copper