Friday, May 22, 2015

Session LXXV: The Sad Final Fate of Fumark The Foul

Current Player Characters:
Torvin Fulvousmith (Dwarf)
Minimus (Cleric)
Skwanky (Halfling)
Thenus (Ranger)
Wang Du (Monk)
Centari (Elf) 

Hirelings and Henchmen
Biggs - Mercenary
Steak - Man-at-Arms
Werm - Man-at-Arms
Relford - Man-at-Arms

NPC's
Fumark the Foul
5 Men-at-arms
2 burly Bodyguards

With the entire party standing before the great pair of iron doors leading to the dragon's lair, our chivalrous party plots how to get Furmark and his men to walk through the doors to become victims of the dragon.  Centari, with his magic sword Mindshiv, telepathically communicated with the dragon beyond the door and told him that they had brought Fumark to meet justice for slaying the dragon's mother Medora.  The Dragon Gramath decided to hide down a hallway to ambush his victims while the party would open the doors and let Fumark's party carelessly enter the lair once they saw the  unguarded riches piled there.

With the plan set, Torvin and Minimus attempted to open the large doors and a couple of Fumark's men helped.  Once the doors were opened, Furmark's men spied the unguarded hoard and rushed in.  Fumark, wary of a trap, approached slower but it was useless as he had already fallen into the trap!  With Fumark and his men inside the dragon's lair, Minimus cast hold person on Fumark which froze him to his spot.  One of his body guards turned to see what was delaying Fumark but was shot in the face by an arrow from Thenus.  It was then that the dragon came out of hiding and the frighten men tried to retreat but Torvin and Minimus closed the doors upon them and left them to the fate of the fiery breath of the dragon.
In moments, Fumark's men were dead and the cautious party slowly opened the door to see the young Gramath lording over the enchanted and helpless Fumark.  The party took some time to parley with the dragon who was grateful for the party's help in bringing Fumark to him but, having let them live earlier, considered their transaction completed. Skwanky the halfling, in a quite characteristic manner, handed over the Soul Gem to the Dragon hoping that Gramath would study it and free his friends.  The dragon gladly accepted the "gift" and saw the party to the door, impatient to begin spending some 'quality time' with his mother's killer.

Outside the lair there was some debate whether to go back in and attack the dragon and steal the treasure but it is decided to wait and perhaps some other day return.   So the party headed back up to level three of the dungeon and continued their search for the Boomish Shield which they were hired to find.

Exploring some more halls and passageways they came upon an iron door beyond which was an armored knight sitting atop a throne.  The knight slowly stepped down and asked the party to leave for he did not want to harm them. The party, of course, didn't leave and instead tried to open the large pair of iron doors which were hopelessly magically locked.  The cursed knight engaged the party and reluctantly tried to slay them.  Eventually the knight was 'slain' and his sword taken from him.  They left the cursed knight and continued their exploration retracing their steps.

Coming upon a chamber with a large crack in the floor and millions of tiny crawling ants, the party tried to cross the room but soon stepped on the tiny insects which would turn into a pair of Ant-men.  As they battled the Ant-men more of the tiny insects would get stepped on which would bring forth more Ant-men and so on. It is here that the party's men-at-arms, Steak and Werm, fell. It was quickly found to be a loosing battle and the party began to retreat but they were separated from each other by the forming hoard of Ant-men.  The party split up and headed out two different doors and resorting to flaming oil to slow the Ant-men down.

With Ant-men burning and the doors to the chamber closed, the bloody and separated party soon found each other again and continued  their search...

The proper way to kill an Ant-man is through an unfulfilled life.





Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Session LXXIV: Big Bird and Resurrection

Current Player Characters:
Torvin Fulvousmith (Dwarf)
Minimus (Cleric)
Su (Cleric)
Thenus (Ranger)
Wang Du (Monk)
Centari (Elf) 

Hirelings and Henchmen
Biggs - Mercenary
Kray Rouis - Magic-user

Jumping right into the action, the giant Roc from the end of last session was swooping down upon our weary adventurers.  Arrows flew to slow down the beast but the over sized vicious bird grabbed the young Magic-user Kray Rouis and tried to carry him off.  However, a lucky arrow stunned the poor bird and he tumbled into the snow. The party unceremoniously hacked it to death.  Wang Du took the beak as a souvenir.

The party traveled back to Berkinstok in hopes of reviving their fallen comrade Torvin the dwarf who fell to poison gas busting open a chest.

In town they hurried through the onlookers surprised to see them return from the dungeon and proceed to the Temple of Mithra. After a hefty donation, the high priest raised the dwarf from the dead.

After the usual drinking and resting at the Hacky Shack inn, the party visited the wizard Mystor who was Kray Rouis' mentor.  They tell the master wizard the sad news of his apprentice's demise.  They then asked the wizard about the magic sword that they had left with him to research. Mystor told them that is was a very powerful blade called Mindshiv.  It had many magical powers the least of which was telepathy.  The sword was given to Centari the elf.

The party rested in town for a number of days preparing to, once again, journey into the underdark but only a few days after their return, another party that had forayed into the dungeon depths and haven't been heard from in over a year, walked into town lead by Sir Fumark the Foul!  The weary and beleaguered party regale tales of battling an entire city of Hobgoblins.  The party listened to their tale knowing that Fumark was lying but the townsfolk ate it up the tales of high adventure!  Torvin the dwarf called them out and Fumark and his weary men almost come to blows with the dwarf but Thenus stepped in and settled the argument.  Knowing that the brood of Medora, the slain dragon, is looking to reap vengeance upon Fumark, Thenus told Fumark that they too had explored only the first level on the dungeon and would be interested in a joint expedition to find the supposedly unguarded dragon treasure.  Fumark agreeed but Centari, using the sword Mindshiv, discovered that the shifty Fumark will betray them the first chance he would get.

Weeks went by as the group awaited spring to wash away the winter snow and cold.  With full provisions, fresh horses and new hired men, the large party set off to return to the dungeons beneath Xlarthan's ruins.

"Finding" the ladder that dropped the group to the 4th level where the dragons reside, Thenus lead the unsuspecting Fumark and his party to their doom.  They soon arrive at the entrance to the dragon's lair....