Dwarf OSE+ Dark Citadel Session #6 (12 JULY 2023)

 

 Aight, this session was confusing so I might skip over a few things, or allot. They did however get allot of things completed this session so that's a positive. I misplaced notes or they were doodled on by grandkids, that's a negative. A cute negative but I am still missing my notes from last session so there is that to deal with ...

   As we had a player miss the last session I had to shoe horn in a reason they could join the party as they paused play in Dungeon. So, Redrum the Acolyte comes to the floor of the Silver Unicorn Inn and sees none of his compatriots but does spy upon Ergol Bronzefist in a heated argument with a group of four familiar merchants. Moe, Larrold, Shemp & Curly Joe with the humans laughing and rubbing elbows with a Towns Guardsman. This conversation is not apparently pleasant for Ergol and after a few minutes he leaves the table and addresses one of his Dwarf Bodyguards' how leaves immediately. As Ergol addresses Elias the Innkeeper apparently settling his debts to the Inn. He sees you and has a most irritable scowl upon his brow .

   How goes the day brother? Inquires Redrum Fighter/Acolyte of Thaneduhr

  Ergol grumbles not well. I am forced to leave Dragonspire without much profit as the local guild requires some coinage in their damned minted coin and not Dwarf forged Dur-Annis Crowns. You have missed leaving with your brethren but by an hour or so...
I am withdrawing from here to the runs to set up Tent while sending a few of guards to Dur-Annis to bring forth and reinforcement

  Damn. Hard telling the crooks from the merchants and tax men sometimes.  Hard to find someone who deals in fair prices. Actually hoping to try and catch up with my brothers. If you're leaving quick and headed that way, ill travel with you. If not, I've got to travel fast... Don't want to miss my chance at revenge of those damn goblins...

 They Travel to the Dark Citadel; a Half Day journey from DragonSpire but one of Ergol's Wagons & several of his Dwarf cohort head towards Dur-Annis, and set up camp in the Ruins. Redrum then accompanied by a pair of Dwarf head down an open Trap Door discovered in a building where the party had parked their wagon and sheltered their horses. I allow Redrum to follow the party's trail in the Dungeon and rejoin them while the Dwarf from Ergol's cohort remain in the former giant bat lair which is a mosaic of the Old Kings of the Citadel.

   Group Play Resumes …

  With several members of the Party still under the effects of a Potion of Heroism effect from a magical pool they push (rush) on. They have an encounter with some Wandering Monsters as they fall back from a Locked Door they prefer not to take the Time to try and pick atm, You know we have a potion duration ;0. They are quickly dispatched and they travel up the north passage to discover a side room with a dead goblin in it which they move past and investigate an old Forge. Shiny Battle-Axes are found leaning and the best one is claimed by Axios. A Smithing Hammer with no signs of age or rust is taken as well. They decline to search any further and travel further northward and discover another Hall bisecting it and a pair of ornately carved double doors with Dwarf Skeletons laying in front of them. The doors show minimal sign and although they resemble Oak they could be rare Bronze wood, the Doors depict the face of Vovoc II the last King of the Dark Citadel. A Pillaged stone throne lays beyond the Doors and the floor is littered with the skeletal remains of many Dwarf & Goblin. They decide to go up the smaller hall to the north and do not search.

   Heading northwards the Hall curves and they enter a large barracks which has been looted in the past. They do however take the time to walk about the room and lightly search the Chests for False bottoms. They find nothing and continue up the corridor to explore more.

{I allowed everyone to make a simple d6 drop for False Bottoms or hidden items and 3 of 4 roll a 6, I disallowed the Dwarf Stone Tricks Roll as these were wooden item. We have been fast and loose with the Stone Tricks and I apply it to rare Dwarf Knowledge rolls as well.]

   Another door is forced open and a battle ensues as goblins wait behind it. TWANG !

[I rolled for Surprise as the party forced the Door and the Goblins win. I surmise they had prolly been listening at the door as well and heard the Party approach, Free Round of Attacks and some serious damage inflicted upon Axios but while under the Potion effect has plenty of Hit Points]

  This battle passes quickly and the curse of low rolls has seemed to abated for now. They quickly pick through goblin pockets and discover a mix of silver coins and move on through the other door in the chamber and follow the corridor north again. They come to an end where the Hall ends in the running water of an underground river. There is Dwarf Script on the floor calling this the "Black Water" and a boat pulled up with arrows in its side as well as a single oar. They decide to go back and search all of the rooms they skilled as they have discovered not stairs down to the next level.

 The goblin barracks is searched and nothing found, they then return to the Throne room with so many skeletal remains and encounter Dwarf Skeletons as they attempt to search the Throne, Zebulon successfully turns the undead and they dispatch them easily. As the duration of their potion effects are fading they spend more time and discover a hidden compartment in the Throne revealing a Large Gold Signet Ring of Vovoc II as well as a Steel Scroll Tube containing a Protection from Magic scroll. They return to the locked door next.

   Closer inspection of the dead goblin found earlier they find he wears a fine Dwarven Leather Girdle and a silver Ring upon his Finger but is infested with Rot Grubs. Gad barely escapes with his life and lamp oil is dumped on the ground and the corpse immolated, the leather girdle is lost but the Ring is Recovered. 

[I normally do not allow Lamp Oil to be used as a Weapon but since these are grubs on the floor with but a single hit point I allow it. It depletes resources. Alchemist Fire is more expensive in my games and rarer. It reduces pyromania at your table and serves as a Resource mgt tool imo. Reduce the Meta encourage more OLD SCHOOL THINKING]

   Returning to the Forge they discover the Venting system for the bellows helps pull air from vents all around the upper parts of the Halls creating air flow. After investigating the fire pit they find a suit of Dwarf Chain Mail hidden many years ago. They add this to their very profitable venture so far and continue. They head towards the Locked Door near the grim trophy room.

   Picking the Lock easily as this one did not need a special key as many of the locked doors and hidden chambers do in this Dungeon they discover a Dwarf-Steel Anvil as well as several suits of useable Dwarf-Sized Armor. A suit of Brigandine, Several suits of Chain Mail, Half Plate Armor and a Silver Inlaid suit of Plate Mail obviously made for someone of great Status. They load up their donkey and the armor is temporarily donned by their Fighter Axios.

[We had to go over Encumbrance for a second but its just being nit-picky maximizing loot options. Donkey card needs made for if its carrying a bunch of stuff it could slow the party down, if the Dwarf members carry much treasure their exploration rate drops from 20 feet per round to 10 feet which is a slog and time muncher.]

  Exploring the Grim Trophy Hall they are startled by the head on a black pedestal opening its eyes and speaking to them ! "Seek Ye' My Body !" Its eyes glow and then shut. The Party gathers up the heads and returns to the Old Throne Rooms they had discovered earlier and upon being reunited to a headless skeleton  the head speaks again and is bathed in a glow "Here is Ye' Reward" and head as well as bones fade from existence. The Dwarf Brotherhood of Expendable Strangers hears the sounds of Hammers upon Anvils from all sides and in the seat of the old stone Throne lays a gleaming War Hammer which was not there before !

[+1000 XP QUEST REWARD which was in the Adventure and I have since been adding smaller Quests as part of my Persistent XP Mechanic. This would normally be a big story point but its pretty quiet on my players part honestly. I feel; I need to work on my oratory and theatrics as I though this would go over much more, well just more something outside of "I think we did a Big Thing" comment. MeH DM probz. Dwarf Reputation with Dur-Annis increased.]

  They return to exploring the stairs that lead up to the main area; confirming they are connected, they originally explore and discover another set of locked doors they cannot pick. A Copper Key and Brass Key in a series of side passages and this in turn opens an old Storage Room containing rotted food stuffs and Giant Rats. After dispatching the Rats they return to the lower level to try the Copper Key in the Mosaic in the Hall across from the Defiled Chapel. It does not work however. Another mystery or trick which confuses the Expendable Strangers...

  They cross the old stone bridge and inspect the statues and skeletal remains of a great battle in the long forgotten past. A Silvery Key is found in Rubble and an Keyhole in the Left Eye of the other statue. Inserting and turning the Silver Key the party hears a great rumbling to the south behind them. They inspect the old storage room and southern wall of this chambers and discover nothing at first. They begin a rotation of searching the Walls for Secret doors and discover a secret door after all but Zebulon who was on watch comes to to search and he, the last one to search finds a Secret door to a chamber of ornately carved pillars covered in Dwarf Script. Across the Hall a Passage is open where a MASSIVE stone block as moved revealing a Treasure Chamber of a Long Dead Dwarf King, Vovoc II personal hoard.... they casually inspect the contents noting Rugs rolled up as well as tapestries and coins and gems spilling from large ornate stone vases.

   Its late and we call it a night, I give Treasure XP as well even though they are still technically in the dungeon but they have cleared all connected Keyed encounters and plan to move into this region and claim it. Half of the entry dungeon is cleared and the other level has a pesky Gelatinous Cube which must be dealt with before it is considered Pacified or CONQUERED! With the sizable although uncategorized loot they have enough XP with Bonus and Quest to have everyone Level up. The OSE excess XP Rule is used and some XP is gone to the Aether so to speak. In Between Session tab in Discord will be busy in the evenings this week with RP for selling the Dwarf Art & hiring Hirelings to Dwarftain their Holdings. 

[I go over the Need for a small 500 GP Library for any of the Clerics, Acolytes or Recruited Loremasters to Attempt to ID magical items on a 2 in 6 chance. There is a Wizard in DragonSpire Hold who can do so for 150 GP per Item with no chance of Failure and this provides some more Role play opportunity which some players thrive on and others would rather handle with a Reaction Die Drop]

  Ergol Bronzefist has sent for more Dwarf to Join this venture and the Brotherhood of Expendable Strangers have reclaimed Dwarf Glory from the clutches of Goblin Scum for the moment ! A new home for themselves and possibly many of their clan and others seeking a Stronk Clan to Join ! Adventure Glory Gold and ALE for the Sons of Stone ! What is the disagreement between Ergol and the Four merchants ? Where is they Key to the Mosiac and what Secrets does it hold ?

#OSR #OSE #VintageGaming