Post by Dead Greyhawk on Sept 22, 2004 17:35:59 GMT -5
The night passes uneventfully, and Winthrop is eventually brought back to consciousness. After several hours of further rest and recuperation, the party feels ready to travel back to the manor house. The farmer's son is convinced by the earnestness of the group, and a twenty silver legion bribe, that it would be fine for the group to leave some belongings in storage at the farmhouse at least for a few days. They leave a sack filled with many of the bulkier items from the previous day’s adventure. The party also finds out from talking with Pa that the previous owner of the manor house was named Millbrook.
The trip back to the manor house goes uneventfully, and the party strides confidently to the back of the house planning to investigate the basement. Screams and spooky sounds come from the basement as the party heads downstairs. In the dimly lit basement, a plate-mail clad body, with shield and sword beneath it, is seen to be face down on the floor. The room itself appears to be a former wine cellar. As the group investigates the body, hideous screams come from the body and burrowing worms climb out of the body. Although the corpse is released quickly, one worm is able to burrow into Rook’s arm. With much difficulty, torches are made from scrap wood and oil-soaked rags, and the worm is eventually burnt out of his arm.
The question of how to recover the plate-mail without encountering more worms is debated. The decision is made that the body will be pushed with a spear butt into the fireplace, and then burnt. Winthrop busily examines the room for other exits, and believes a door may be hidden by the fireplace. After pushing and prodding the clanging body over the stone floor into the fireplace, no one is surprised when the door discovered by Winthrop opens and the room fills with fog. Raven retreats to the base of the stairs with his bow, while the mage and monk run up the stairs, only to be faced by four armed gentlemen above.
Several armed men rush Raven, and a large dog-headed creature in chainmail assaults Rook with an axe. Up in the kitchen, Serrin is beset by two of the four men blocking the staircase. Raven is able to slay several men with his bow work. The sound of more spell casting in the fog filled room is heard, and Raven is faced by a large dog-headed creature himself. Winthrop attempts to ensorcel several of the men in the upstairs combat, but is only singularly successful, and eventually Serrin is knocked unconscious. Raven severely wounds the dog-headed creature he is in combat with. As the fog clears, and the amount of damage done by the party becomes apparent, several of the men upstairs run away, and the spell caster and his remaining minions retreat back through the secret door, closing it behind them.
Rook rushes to the secret door and opens it, only to be met by a wounded, dog-headed creature. The dog-headed creature strikes Rook with his axe, knocking him unconscious. Raven attempts to shoot the creature with his bow, but misses. The dog-headed creature knocks Raven unconscious as well. Finally, only Winthrop, lacking any spells, is left to face the axe-wielding, armored creature. At the last minute, the ensorcelled warrior from above comes to Winthrop’s aid, slaying the creature.
Winthrop attempts to drag the unconscious group into the attic, but can’t, even with the ensorcelled warrior’s assistance, determine how to get everyone into the attic. Finally, he drags everyone into the room where Ned was found and uses the key to lock the door. Winthrop and the ensorcelled warrior spend the rest of the day, and part of the night, anxiously concerned about being discovered and attacked. Since the floor is unsafe in some areas, it is a cramped stay. At least once during that time, noises are heard in the corridor outside the door.
Late that night the group awakens, weak and sore. Rook is able to use what little magic is available to him to heal the party, and then falls asleep, as does Winthrop. Raven and Serrin question the ensorcelled warrior and discover his name is Robert, also known as Big Bob, and that he came from Burle with some others to work for a guy named San in evading trade restrictions. There were ten of them, plus two “dogs,” working for San and they had been there a while, chasing off people who came and snooped around. The last time a supply ship came, it was late, since they are supposed to come at the new moon, which was two weeks ago, and the ship only came about a week ago. Big Bob also describes how there is a sea cave under the manor house, and that they use their boat to contact a ship called “the Ghost.” He provides a description of the sea cave, and of another trapdoor exit in the house.
After four hours of rest, Rook is awoken and prays to St. Cuthbert for guidance and healing. He heals the party as well as he can, then goes back to sleep. This sleep is broken when noises are heard in the hallway. As the whole party anxiously awaits an attack, the noises fade away, and the casters go back to sleep. Serrin spots something scouting around the outside of the manor house in the dark, and avoids attracting its attention. Following another four hours of sleep Rook awakens and prays to St. Cuthbert for guidance and healing. He heals the party as well as he can. The party is still wounded, and Rook meditates and prays to St. Cuthbert for more hours to regain healing magics. After curing the party, he continues his meditation, but feels his devotion to St. Cuthbert will likely not provide further magical aid, as several visions showing selflessness and wise acts are shown to him during his meditation.
Big Bob leads the group down to the trapdoor exit, which appears open still. It is located in the living room, where the unearthly cackling was heard before. They go down the trapdoor and find a much more modern and well-kept room spanning the basement of the decaying manor house. Searching this room, they find bolts of fine cloth, casks of brandy, dry goods, and personal items. Cots line the room, each with a footlocker. Of the lockers, only one is emptied, though the others lack coin. The leader’s room, found at the end of this room, appears to have been stripped clean, with a secret cubby under the bed open and emptied. Next to the leader’s room, a barred door marked DANGER remains undisturbed.
Big Bob shows the party the way down to the sea cave; a secret door opening into a rough natural passage in the rock. Big Bob points out passages that are not used, though he doesn’t know why they aren’t used. A storage cave with more bolts of fine cloth and casks of brandy is found, as is a haphazard pile of cloth bolts and casks in the tunnel to the sea cave. No boat is in the sea cave.
Big Bob is dismissed and told to go visit his mother in Burle. He takes his personal belongings from one of the footlockers and goes. The door marked DANGER is unbarred and opened. Animate skeletons are in the room beyond. They are pinned against the wall by the power of St. Cuthbert shown by Rook. One at a time the creatures are dispatched. A secret door is located by the remains of the skeletons.
Beyond the skeletons, through the secret door, is an alchemical laboratory with old glassware, dried compounds, and several gold items. A skeletal body is at a table reading an open book describing the Philosopher’s Stone. In the hand of the skeleton is a smooth, golden stone. Winthrop takes both the stone and book. Raven notices the odd shape of the table and deduces there are some inner compartments. While most of the compartments contain dried animal remains, a partially destroyed mage book is found in a middle compartment. Winthrop takes this book as well. A fist-sized hole surrounded by a large pile of yellowish powder is in the wall behind the table, but nothing can be seen in it.
The party decides to investigate the passages that Big Bob said were not used. The first passage leads to a cave that seems uninteresting. In passing into the second passage, Raven is covered by a green slime that drops directly on him from above. Winthrop makes torches again, Serrin tries to scrape slime off of Raven, and Raven shucks his equipment and armor. Winthrop and Rook burn the slime still on Raven while Serrin scrapes more slime off, but only due to Rook’s healing arts does Raven avoid unconsciousness. Most of Raven’s equipment is lost.
The party goes back to the scene of the battle in the wine cellar. In the hours since the battle, the bodies have begun to stink, and the worms in the plate-mail clad corpse have begun to migrate to the other corpses. After much effort, the plate-mail clad body is hauled up the stairs, through the trapdoor, and onto the patio of the manor, strewing corruption the whole way. A long discussion is had about whether to burn, reduce or simply heat the armor. In the end, Winthrop empties the remainder of his oil on the body and sets it ablaze.
Serrin runs back to the farmhouse and negotiates with Pa for the use of a cart and oxen to carry goods from the manor house to the farmhouse. Since Pa has the sack of their previous goods, and Serrin is relatively charismatic, he sends Tim, his most adventurous son, out with the cart and oxen team. The group loads up the cart with the bolts of cloth, casks of brandy, and other valuables, provides Tim with an open keg of beer, and heads back to the farm, heavily laden. Exhausted, the party camps to figure out what to do in the morning.
The trip back to the manor house goes uneventfully, and the party strides confidently to the back of the house planning to investigate the basement. Screams and spooky sounds come from the basement as the party heads downstairs. In the dimly lit basement, a plate-mail clad body, with shield and sword beneath it, is seen to be face down on the floor. The room itself appears to be a former wine cellar. As the group investigates the body, hideous screams come from the body and burrowing worms climb out of the body. Although the corpse is released quickly, one worm is able to burrow into Rook’s arm. With much difficulty, torches are made from scrap wood and oil-soaked rags, and the worm is eventually burnt out of his arm.
The question of how to recover the plate-mail without encountering more worms is debated. The decision is made that the body will be pushed with a spear butt into the fireplace, and then burnt. Winthrop busily examines the room for other exits, and believes a door may be hidden by the fireplace. After pushing and prodding the clanging body over the stone floor into the fireplace, no one is surprised when the door discovered by Winthrop opens and the room fills with fog. Raven retreats to the base of the stairs with his bow, while the mage and monk run up the stairs, only to be faced by four armed gentlemen above.
Several armed men rush Raven, and a large dog-headed creature in chainmail assaults Rook with an axe. Up in the kitchen, Serrin is beset by two of the four men blocking the staircase. Raven is able to slay several men with his bow work. The sound of more spell casting in the fog filled room is heard, and Raven is faced by a large dog-headed creature himself. Winthrop attempts to ensorcel several of the men in the upstairs combat, but is only singularly successful, and eventually Serrin is knocked unconscious. Raven severely wounds the dog-headed creature he is in combat with. As the fog clears, and the amount of damage done by the party becomes apparent, several of the men upstairs run away, and the spell caster and his remaining minions retreat back through the secret door, closing it behind them.
Rook rushes to the secret door and opens it, only to be met by a wounded, dog-headed creature. The dog-headed creature strikes Rook with his axe, knocking him unconscious. Raven attempts to shoot the creature with his bow, but misses. The dog-headed creature knocks Raven unconscious as well. Finally, only Winthrop, lacking any spells, is left to face the axe-wielding, armored creature. At the last minute, the ensorcelled warrior from above comes to Winthrop’s aid, slaying the creature.
Winthrop attempts to drag the unconscious group into the attic, but can’t, even with the ensorcelled warrior’s assistance, determine how to get everyone into the attic. Finally, he drags everyone into the room where Ned was found and uses the key to lock the door. Winthrop and the ensorcelled warrior spend the rest of the day, and part of the night, anxiously concerned about being discovered and attacked. Since the floor is unsafe in some areas, it is a cramped stay. At least once during that time, noises are heard in the corridor outside the door.
Late that night the group awakens, weak and sore. Rook is able to use what little magic is available to him to heal the party, and then falls asleep, as does Winthrop. Raven and Serrin question the ensorcelled warrior and discover his name is Robert, also known as Big Bob, and that he came from Burle with some others to work for a guy named San in evading trade restrictions. There were ten of them, plus two “dogs,” working for San and they had been there a while, chasing off people who came and snooped around. The last time a supply ship came, it was late, since they are supposed to come at the new moon, which was two weeks ago, and the ship only came about a week ago. Big Bob also describes how there is a sea cave under the manor house, and that they use their boat to contact a ship called “the Ghost.” He provides a description of the sea cave, and of another trapdoor exit in the house.
After four hours of rest, Rook is awoken and prays to St. Cuthbert for guidance and healing. He heals the party as well as he can, then goes back to sleep. This sleep is broken when noises are heard in the hallway. As the whole party anxiously awaits an attack, the noises fade away, and the casters go back to sleep. Serrin spots something scouting around the outside of the manor house in the dark, and avoids attracting its attention. Following another four hours of sleep Rook awakens and prays to St. Cuthbert for guidance and healing. He heals the party as well as he can. The party is still wounded, and Rook meditates and prays to St. Cuthbert for more hours to regain healing magics. After curing the party, he continues his meditation, but feels his devotion to St. Cuthbert will likely not provide further magical aid, as several visions showing selflessness and wise acts are shown to him during his meditation.
Big Bob leads the group down to the trapdoor exit, which appears open still. It is located in the living room, where the unearthly cackling was heard before. They go down the trapdoor and find a much more modern and well-kept room spanning the basement of the decaying manor house. Searching this room, they find bolts of fine cloth, casks of brandy, dry goods, and personal items. Cots line the room, each with a footlocker. Of the lockers, only one is emptied, though the others lack coin. The leader’s room, found at the end of this room, appears to have been stripped clean, with a secret cubby under the bed open and emptied. Next to the leader’s room, a barred door marked DANGER remains undisturbed.
Big Bob shows the party the way down to the sea cave; a secret door opening into a rough natural passage in the rock. Big Bob points out passages that are not used, though he doesn’t know why they aren’t used. A storage cave with more bolts of fine cloth and casks of brandy is found, as is a haphazard pile of cloth bolts and casks in the tunnel to the sea cave. No boat is in the sea cave.
Big Bob is dismissed and told to go visit his mother in Burle. He takes his personal belongings from one of the footlockers and goes. The door marked DANGER is unbarred and opened. Animate skeletons are in the room beyond. They are pinned against the wall by the power of St. Cuthbert shown by Rook. One at a time the creatures are dispatched. A secret door is located by the remains of the skeletons.
Beyond the skeletons, through the secret door, is an alchemical laboratory with old glassware, dried compounds, and several gold items. A skeletal body is at a table reading an open book describing the Philosopher’s Stone. In the hand of the skeleton is a smooth, golden stone. Winthrop takes both the stone and book. Raven notices the odd shape of the table and deduces there are some inner compartments. While most of the compartments contain dried animal remains, a partially destroyed mage book is found in a middle compartment. Winthrop takes this book as well. A fist-sized hole surrounded by a large pile of yellowish powder is in the wall behind the table, but nothing can be seen in it.
The party decides to investigate the passages that Big Bob said were not used. The first passage leads to a cave that seems uninteresting. In passing into the second passage, Raven is covered by a green slime that drops directly on him from above. Winthrop makes torches again, Serrin tries to scrape slime off of Raven, and Raven shucks his equipment and armor. Winthrop and Rook burn the slime still on Raven while Serrin scrapes more slime off, but only due to Rook’s healing arts does Raven avoid unconsciousness. Most of Raven’s equipment is lost.
The party goes back to the scene of the battle in the wine cellar. In the hours since the battle, the bodies have begun to stink, and the worms in the plate-mail clad corpse have begun to migrate to the other corpses. After much effort, the plate-mail clad body is hauled up the stairs, through the trapdoor, and onto the patio of the manor, strewing corruption the whole way. A long discussion is had about whether to burn, reduce or simply heat the armor. In the end, Winthrop empties the remainder of his oil on the body and sets it ablaze.
Serrin runs back to the farmhouse and negotiates with Pa for the use of a cart and oxen to carry goods from the manor house to the farmhouse. Since Pa has the sack of their previous goods, and Serrin is relatively charismatic, he sends Tim, his most adventurous son, out with the cart and oxen team. The group loads up the cart with the bolts of cloth, casks of brandy, and other valuables, provides Tim with an open keg of beer, and heads back to the farm, heavily laden. Exhausted, the party camps to figure out what to do in the morning.