August 24, 1372
The
next morning you zoom back to the gate facing the cliff at the base of
the Tower. The doorway where you saw the trolls yesterday remains
closed and there is no sign of monsters.
"Trinity, please proceed with the
reducing and invisibility combinations. I would like to go to the
door furthest on the left."
Niko turns himself invisible with his ring.
Trinity complies.
"Yes, Lord Kadlian," the mage says.
"Thank you."
Soon you are all moved behind the bushes at the base of the cliff, apparently without being detected.
Behind the bushes is a stout iron braced wooden door, streaked with grime and dust.
You open the door, and it gives with a loud creak.
Before you is a 10' wide passage,
running north for about 50', where it dead ends at a blank wall. The
stonework is of high quality, it seems to you. The air in the passage
is dry and smells just a little musty.
"Niko, please go look for a secret door with that sword of yours."
Niko moves down the passage with
Dwarf's Envy. The sword does not tingle, but the elf spots a secret
door...right at the end in the north wall.
Kadlian nods, knowing it would be there. "Niko, check it for traps, if you would."
"Our new marching order is going to be..."
Niko
Kadlian Windul
Trinity Malvis
Ragnar Edelle
Dor Galil
Edelle winks at Ragnar.
Niko uses Dwarf's Envy to check for traps.
It does not tingle.
You move up to the end of the passage.
Dor unsheathes Bill. "Any shifting walls around here buddy, Or anything else of interest?"
"Just a secret door at the end, there," replies the sword.
"Okay, everyone in order? Niko, open the door and do a little scouting."
Niko complies and opens the door to explore, wary of anything jumping out.
The door is opened to reveal a
room (40' X 40': 30' east, 40' north; door in north wall west corner).
This is some sort of a store room. The place is filled with boxes and
crates. In typical adventurer fashion you go through it all, finding
lots of backpacks, spikes, shoes, boots, brassieres, leggings, ropes,
lanterns, torches, oil and paraffin wax.
When you are finished looting the place you open the door after doing the usual paranoid things.
You find yourselves at the corner
of a 10' wide passage which extends north before you, and also to the
east. To the north it runs for 60' and on. In the last section of the
right wall is a door. To the east the passage runs for 60' and on. Both
branches of the passage are lit at irregular intervals by guttering
candle lanterns hanging from hooks in the walls. The illumination is so
poor, however, that it is difficult to gauge distances beyond 60'.
What you do see coming down the passage from the north, though, are three ghouls. They are about 60' away.
As soon as they spot you they break into a shuffling run, hungry looks in their ruddy eyes.
Dor keeps his eyes on the east passage, since he is too far away to do anything about the ghouls.
Galil follows Dor's lead and keeps an eye out in the East passage and also anything that might come up from behind.
Ragnar presents his holy symbol and shouts, "Back into the Earth with ye, foul
creatures!"
"Ragnar, no! You are not powerful enough to destroy them and if they turn and run, then we have to hunt them down."
"Sorry, I got a bit carried away by their foul presence."
"You will get your chance to turn the undead, but wait next time until I ask for it."
The undead make faces at the cleric and continue their advance.
Kadlian smiles and draws his sinclair dagger in his other hand. "Okay, I guess I did not need to worry."
Trinity casts magic missiles at the ghouls.
Her spell blows one to bits and badly damages a second.
Niko grins invisibly. "Do we want to talk with them, Boss?"
He then attacks with cutlass and dagger when the ghouls come within range.
Kadlian smiles at the three ghouls. "Vastelle, Dor, guard the
eastern passage for reinforcements. Niko and I can handle
whatever is left over after Trinity's spell."
Kadlian draws the flametongue and walks with Niko towards the ghouls, intending to meet them in the northern passage.
Malvis draws a wand and backs up towards the rear of the party, and keeps watch in that direction.
The two elves meet the undead just past the corner. As the fight begins
they smell a sickening carrion stench. Niko sidesteps a grasping hand
from the injured ghast - which was apparently an orc when it lived -
and finishes off its miserable existence with a quick swing of his
cutlass.
Kadlian realises that he is confronting what was once Umboth, Sian's follower.
The undead rakes his claw down the breastplate of the ranger's new
armour, then Kadlian bounces his flame tongue off of Umboth's gleaming
plate mail. The ghast's next swing finds a chink in the elf's armour,
and Kadlian takes 3 hit points of damage. Kadlian misses with his
Sinclair weapon as he avoids Umboth's snapping teeth.
Niko moves over to help out, as Kadlian connects with his flame tongue
and fans again with the Sinclair weapon. His flame tongue is effective,
though, and Umboth drops.
"Oy, wot's going on 'ere?" says a voice from up the passage to the north.
Looking that way, you see that the door is now open, and a hobgoblin is
looking out at you, apparently attracted by the hullaballoo you have
made.
He shouts over his shoulder, "Elfs an' 'umans! Nice fat uns! Let's eat!"
He charges out through the door at you, followed by several more. Going
by the din that starts behind them, there are quite a few hobgoblins in
the room.
"Crap! Oh, well...the more, the merrier!"
"I knew we should have kept you with us," Kadlian remarks to the fallen Umboth.
Kadlian sheathes his shortsword and draws his frostbrand.
"Malvis, try a color-spray near that door. Trinity, you could
toss a magic missile or two, should you choose. Same with you,
Edelle. Or you could try a sleep at the door."
Dor keeps his eyes to the east, as ordered.
"Right, boss," says Malvis hurriedly, as his hands fan out into the color spray spell.
Niko turns invisible and casts lightning bolt down the corridor.
Trinity is going to wait to see the effect of Niko's spell before
casting anything herself. She does, however, put up her globe of
protection from her staff, as insurance.
A rainbow of clashing colours explodes just in front of the two elves,
and the three leading hobgoblins drop. At the same time six more fall
into a comatose slumber.
The hobgoblins behind trample over their fallen comrades, reaching
Kadlian and Niko long before the latter has time to complete his spell.
Niko is also sent sprawling and is stomped for 10 hit points, his spell
ruined, as the tide of hobgoblins surges by. Kadlian attacks but is
unable to cover the whole passage. With his frost brand he prods a
hobgoblin and it drops.
Windul jumps in, taking a hit for 2 hit points. He quickly dispatches with his attacker, but another takes his place.
Trinity finds herself confronting a hobgoblin, and more are pressing by.
Trinity turns invisible with her ring. She will then cast levitate with her staff and float to the ceiling.
As she turns invisible her foe swings his longsword at her and tears her robe for 2 hit points.
Niko draws his cutlass and wand.
The glowing cutlass gives away his location, and two hobgoblins jump at him.
He points the wand down the hallway at the horde of hobgoblins and says "Hoser."
As they attack the wand goes off, shooting out a jet of superheated steam.
Suddenly the passage before Niko is filled with the agonized shrieks of
dying hobgoblins, as they are cooked alive. Your vision down the hall
is blocked by the cloud of steam.
You do see, though, that the hobgoblins which had tried unsuccessfully
to attack Niko are dead, their skin scalded from their bones.
Somewhat belatedly, Kadlian gives orders.
"Dor, Galil, defend the mages. Niko, help me hold back the tide."
Niko, it seems, has already taken care of the tide...as no more hobgoblins are forthcoming.
Kadlian attacks the next hobgoblin, cutting him down without further ado.
"Yes Lord Kadlian," Galil responds, already having moved to protect Trinity and Malvis.
She confronts a hobgoblin wearing a fatalistic grin on his snout. He
bounces his rusty sword off of her armour, then looks a little more
hopeful as she swings her longsword wide.
"Malvis, get back here, quickly," Dor shouts. He steps in front of Malvis and attacks the next hobgoblin.
"Good work!" says Bill, as another hobgoblin bites it.
"Right," says Malvis, "But maybe they should fear us more," he
continues as he draws his wand of fear. The onrushing mob he had
intended to blast is no more, so he hesitates.
Windul, meanwhile, is struck by another hobgoblin for 8 hit points, as he fans with his blade.
Edelle steps out of the shadows and stabs at the hobgoblin on Windul, but misses.
Two monsters remain, as Galil tries again to dispatch one of them. This
time she connects, but still it lives. Kadlian helps out by missing
with his longsword, then connecting with his Sinclair blade,
decapitating the monster.
Close by, Windul also connects, and the last one drops.
The steam eventually clears.
The passageway to the north is now littered with the bodies of dead hobgoblins...29 of them in all.
You move north up the passage to the door. Beyond, the passage extends for 60' and on.
Looking through the door to your right, you see a large barracks hall
(90' X 50': 90' east, 40' south; door in south wall east corner, open
door in east wall north corner, door in north wall 30' - 40' section,
door in north wall east corner). This place is a pigsty, littered with
skins and dirty blankets, but you go in and search the place anyway.
You find 1000gp.
You look through the open door to the east, and see a smaller room (20'
X 30': 10' south, 30' east). This was where the apparently now deceased
leaders lived. There are four pallets in here, and each has a chest at
its foot.
You loot the place.
In the chests you find: 5000gp; 1000cp, 1000sp, 1000gp, 1 gem: 100gp; 1000gp; 5000gp, 1 jewelry: 900gp.
Kadlian looks at the bodies. "Um, Niko? Why did you not do that at the outset?"
Niko shrugs as he puts the wand away. "I hate to waste charges. I thought I could get my spell off in time."
"Ah."
"Good job everyone. No one panicked and everyone did what they had to."
"Anyone have a band aid? I could use some healing."
"Unless you are badly wounded, I suggest we wait on that. Only
Ragnar and I are capable of healing and neither of us are particularly
powerful in that area."
Niko appraises the gem and jewelry.
They look like the real thing.
"Shall we continue? Niko, try the north door adjacent to this
room. We will explore there next. Dor, Edelle, and Galil,
watch our backs, please."
Dor watches Kadlian's back for a minute. When nothing interesting
happens, he decides he'd better maintain a vigil for attacks from the
rear.
"Bill, let me know if you sense any secret doors."
"Right-o!"
Tower of Golgar -- Level 1
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Scale 1 character = 5'
D=door
$=Secret door
S=Stairs up
s=Stairs down
R=Ramp up
r=ramp down
t=trap
*=trap door
@=rubble
~=water
!=Iron Bars
#=Bridge
(=Partial Wall
%=Dead, mutilated body
A=Storage Room
B=Hobgoblin Barracks
C=Hobgoblin Leader Room
Niko checks with Dwarf's Envy to check for treasure and secret doors as he approaches the door.
The sword detects none of either.
Niko turns invisible and opens the door carefully. He has Dwarf's Envy drawn, but not lit.
Niko opens the door in the north wall, east corner. This reveals a
store room (20' X 40': 20' north, 30' east). It is empty but for three
barrels. Upon opening them you discover that they are filled with sand.
You open the other door in the north wall.
This leads into a mess hall (20' X 50': 20' north, 40' east). In here
are two long tables piled high with unsavoury looking foodstuffs, with
benches. Otherwise, the place is uninteresting.
You then go and open the last door leading from the barracks hall,
which is in the south wall. This opens out into the east - west passage
that you saw earlier. Looking west, you see that it runs back to the
corner with the door in the south wall which leads back to the entrance
to this area. Looking east, the passage runs for 60' and on.
"Why would someone need a barrel of sand?" Dor asks, going back and
inspecting the barrels again. He tries to move one, thinking that there
may be something hidden underneath.
With much ado and a little help from his friends, Dor manages to move one.
There is nothing hidden underneath it.
"I was thinking that there is something inside, protected by the sand,"
Galil remarks softly. "I'd rather not put my hands in there, but
perhaps if we used a stick to see if something is hidden within the
sand?"
"Why not break open the sides of the barrels and let the sand fall out? Then you could see if something is in them?"
Galil smiles, "And it if it volatile oil or poisonous scorpions?"
"Cool," says Trinity. "I'll do it."
Kadlian shrugs. "Everyone can stand outside the room, except the
person doing the breaking. Or, you can let Trinity do it via some
magical spell."
"Does charm person and asking Dor to break them count as a magical spell?" asks Trinity oh so sweetly.
Kadlian shrugs. "Works for me."
Trinity blinks at Kadlian, twice.
"Right-o."
Dor kicks in the side of one barrel, without any magical encouragement from Trinity.
"No fair, no fair," says Trinity, stomping her foot. "We were going to charm him first to do that."
Sand pours out of the barrel. Lots of sand.
Kadlian shrugs. "Maybe you can do it next time."
Kicking in the other barrels reveals more sand.
Kadlian updates the map. "We might as well continue east now that we are here."
Tower of Golgar -- Level 1
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Scale 1 character = 5'
D=door
$=Secret door
S=Stairs up
s=Stairs down
R=Ramp up
r=ramp down
t=trap
*=trap door
@=rubble
~=water
!=Iron Bars
#=Bridge
(=Partial Wall
%=Dead, mutilated body
A=Storage Room
B=Hobgoblin Barracks
C=Hobgoblin Leader Room
E=Mess Hall
As you exit through the south door Bill suddenly announces, "Secret door! Right across the hall!"
"Thank you, Bill. Niko, please check it out."
Niko turns invisible. With Dwarf's Envy drawn, but unlit, he locates and opens the secret door.
Eventually he finds the trick and the door opens with a grinding sound.
Through it you see a 10' square room. There is a stout wooden door in the south wall. A closed window is in the door.
What surprises you is the fact that there is a chimera in
here...staring you in the face with its three heads. Even Kadlian is
taken aback, though he recovers quickly.
The monster breathes on you with its dragon head.
Niko and Kadlian suffer 5 hit points of damage. The rest of you take 11 hit points.
Windul and Ragnar drop in flames.
Kadlian moves forward with his frostbrand and sinclair dagger.
"Niko, Edelle, get everyone back away from the door and try to
stabilize Windul and Ragnar until I can get to them."
Kadlian attacks the chimera.
Niko, however, turns invisible and attacks the dragon head with Dwarf's
Envy and his Sinclair dagger. He lights his cutlass up as he
makes his strike.
Edelle, badly burned and bleeding herself, retreats through the door to the north.
Niko bounces his flame tongue off of the scales of the dragon head, but
connects with the Sinclair weapon / knife. Kadlian, meanwhile, goes for
the goat head, almost severing it with his frost brand. He too connects
with his Sinclair weapon. The chimera, badly injured now, fights back,
but is unable to catch Niko with its claws. Kadlian, though, is bitten
for 3 hit points and butted for 5 more. Niko attacks again with his
cutlass, this time connecting, and the monster drops dead at their feet.
You turn about and quickly deliver first aid to Windul and Ragnar.
Windul and Ragnar regain consciousness to find that they have been
patched up. Both are at -1 hit points and will be out of action for a
day or so at least. The chimera lies dead nearby.
Edelle slinks back to join you.
Niko grins and wipes his blades off on the dead beast's hide.
"Nice fight, eh, Kad? Although, I thought for sure it would be a
tougher fight."
He then puts away his dagger and starts looking for treasure and secret doors with Dwarf's Envy.
He finds nothing.
Niko sheathes his cutlass, "Well, that sucks! Let's get out of here."
"Will the captains' quarters be good enough or did you have some where else in mind?"
Niko glances over to make sure Edelle is ok, but doesn't say anything.
Kadlian heals the worst of the wounded with his three cure light wound
spells. Windul is healed for 8 hit points, Ragnar for 1 and Galil
for 6.
"I suggest we head back to the hobgoblin captains' quarters and
recover. It will probably take a few days to get everyone healed
again, but I do not like the idea of trying to get back to the Inn with
the wounded we have. Too many opportunities for the bandits to
try and attack us."
"Worse comes to worse, we can spend a few days in Paradise. Hopefully, nothing else will be in the room when we return."
Ragnar groans.
"What is this Paradise you speak of?"
"Just a pocket dimension. It should be able to sustain our group for several days."
"I won't be able to relearn my spell," protests Edelle, as she leans limply against a wall, "My spell book is back at the inn."
"You may borrow mine," replies Trinity.
"Do you have sleep?"
"I do. I know that spell and a few others that I learned from Trinity's books. I even have a traveling spell book!"
You retreat to the hobgoblin leader's quarters, closing the door behind you. You put Windul and Ragnar to bed and settle in.
The afternoon and night pass uneventfully, as does the following day.