Session LXXXI: That Deaf, Dumb and Blind Orc

Continuing our ongoing Swords and Wizardry sandbox campaign...

Current Player Characters:

Torvin Fulvousmith (Dwarf)

Minimus (Cleric)

Thenus (Ranger)

Wang Du (Monk)
Centari (Elf)

Skwanky (Halfling)
Wolfheir (Viking)
Arg (Half-orc) 

NPCs
Fermina (fighter)

Biggs (Henchman)
Liedrada (Magic-user)
Veleda (Halfling)
Antiope (thief)

With the hulking half-orc, Arg, under the influence of the evil Red Wizard, Minimus the Cleric defended the narrow stairway allowing his companions to retreat and regroup on the second floor of the wizard's tower.  Minimus lead the charmed half-orc into the chamber where Centari was ready with another charm spell to try to win over his ally but in freeing Arg from the influence of the sorcerer, Arg's mind became fried due to it being the battleground for two magic-users and he fell into a useless state of being deaf, blind and dumb.

With one threat neutralized, the party turned their attention to the wizard, who, by this time, had buffed himself up pretty well.  Being invisible and undetectable, the wizard tossed a magical rope of entanglement at the party and ensnared the entire group! Now helpless before the wizard the party seemed doomed.

Centari, using his magic sword Mindshiv, tried to telepathically communicate with the deaf, blind and dumb half-orc and was able to get him to lash out at the wizard but to no avail.  After a second attempt at this, the wizard incapacitates the helpless Half-orc.

Moving in to make slaves of the party, the Red Wizard didn't notice that Biggs, Veleda and Antiope have made their way into the tower to aid their friends after having seen them fight with the wizard outside the tower and retreat back into the Wizard's sanctuary.

Again, telepathically speaking through Mindshiv, Centari tells the rescuers the potential whereabouts of the wizard and they attack.  The wizard used his magic staff to defend himself causing great bodily harm to the remaining party but, with everyone near death, Biggs finally slayed the wizard!

The very much relieved and battered party licked their wounds and rested and recovered from their ordeal.

After some well earned rest, the strongest members of the party continued to cautiously explore the wizard's tower.  They returned to the wizards bedroom and discovered his spellbook and some other trinkets and a locked wardrobe with the magical writing "Open to the Master.  Skwanky immediately tried to open the door and disappeared!

Minimus the cleric came up with the idea to take the wizard's severed arm and to try to use it to open the wardrobe, but in his attempt, he too disappears.

Leaving the halfling and cleric to their fate, the party continued up the stairs to another more darkly magical level of the tower.  The came into a chamber with three alcoves filled with crackling magical writing which had an unmistakable evil energy to it.  This they avoided and headed to another chamber with a large pool of water.  Within the water they spied a scene of gold and treasure and giant red scales which lead to an enormous Dragon head whose eye snapped open and spied the party observing him through the pool.  With a wrathful roar that filled the tower itself, the image in the pool disappeared!

Exploring one final chamber on this level they found three mirrors that swirled with smoke and appeared to be gateways to some otherworldly realm.

Freaked out by that entire level they made their way to the roof and discovered a telescope pointed to the smouldering mountains far to the north. The lair of the dragon, perhaps?

Heading back down to the main levels more rooms were explored and the wizard's laboratory was discovered along with his journal that uncovered his discontent being a slave to the dragon and having to do his bidding and that the dragon was planning on taking over the entire land.

In a library they found an Imp named Gimp who became Centari's servant.

Overall they were all weirded out by the magical and dangerous tower and they all thought it best to sleep outdoors.  Except for Centari.  He stayed inside studying in the library with Gimp the Imp.