Stone-Hell on the Borderlands Session #2, 8MAY2023

 

Well, for a few minutes it looked like it might be a non start for this weeks session of Stone-Hell on the Borderlands but everyone showed up. Real life can be hectic as we all know. Games and Distractions getting kicked down the list of what you can find time to do as this world pushes in on every edge. But we picked up where we left off last session in the Ruined Gatehouse at the entry to the Valley which reportedly holds the Dungeon of Stone-Hell. 

   Our experience players now currently playing inexperienced adventurers had forgotten to bring Torches or lanterns. Several had low starting gold so the funds were not available to be "Fully Equipped"  so illumination was sparse inside the old ruin. Fortunately the goblins recently defeated had a set of coals still burning low which illuminated their lair slightly and light filtered in to the passages so the Human Jeri and Halfling Daagon could navigate a bit but fine detail in the chamber was lost to the party. A Handful of Electrum (33 EP) and a Elaborate Coper Nose Ring were won from the Goblins who seemed to be lairing in the Ruined Gatehouse. There was some debate on returning to the Keep early since they had no torches but they decided to push on at least to clear the Gatehouse and possibly use it as a forward base for future explorations of the Valley.

   Returning to the Halls they decided on a side door over the southern door opposite the Ladder from the second floor that they ad used to gain access to the bottom level of the Gatehouse. It opened unto a ruined chamber with busted desk, splintered chair as well as a moldering old bed. The Dwarves Stonus & Gottri enter to explore using their infravision and the Elf Balmortis followed behind leaving Jeri & Daagon to stand in the shadowy light of the door unable to see what was in the room or what was happening with their adventuring companions. Oh for he want of a single torch !

   Hissing and movement was detected by Gottri as he approached the old dank remains of a bed and Giant Centipedes hustled forth angered at being disturbed ...

   [2 in 6 Chance on d6 for Surprise, a 3 so no free round of action for our multi-legged villains]

   Actions were declared and a short melee ensued with the Centipedes not being able to damage any of the Three Party members who engaged the Creepy Crawly Centipedes but Stonus did hit Gottri with a hurled Spear inflicting 6 damage. Hurling or Firing missile weapons into a melee is always at risk of hitting your own allies. We can blame this on low light spoiling the demi-humans infravision as well as he adventurers inexperience but the players always get riled up when someone is tossing/firing into melee.

   [Bubba's House Rules: In my games a miss of 4 or more while firing into melee requires another 'To Hit' roll against your allies. IF you are using magical ammunition or hurling a magical weapon this is waived as the magic is always beneficial but if it is Cursed you always roll against your own allies first. Magical ammunitions' are also one shot so there is that]

   The Dwarves fashion a makeshift torch of the ruined bed remains and it burns foully as they used the fetid animal fat of the rotting deer they goblins were eating as well as goblin fat from their defeated foes. Yo' Torches smell like Hell Fellas ! 

[Ruled they could fashion 2 torches of Half Duration from the kit bashed items]

   Searching the Room revealed ruined wooden book shelves on the walls and shattered furniture so they decided to try that southern door. This is where you see how meta your party is gonna treat you as there are a few in the game who have ventured into Stone-Hell before and did not press the matter on not finding a Secret Door. I was pleasantly surprised they did not do the rotating lets double check each others search but pressed on instead. The torches diminished 3 turn duration may have contributed to this but nevertheless they checked the southern door instead of pressing for a repeated search.

[Missed Secret doors or Failed pick locks can be re-attempted upon gaining a new level. Otherwise, inhabitants would ALWAYS know about that secret door they didn't know about and they Lived/Laired there !]

   An empty guard room was beyond that southern door and it had arrow slits to fire into the Main Hall the party opted not to enter originally. A quick cursory inspection found the source of the room's pungent smell and it appeared to have another corner used by the goblins. A pile of feces in one corner and loose arrows upon the floor near the arrow slits. The goblins did appear to ambush others going through the more obvious entry into the Valley. Not sure if anyone licked up some extra arrows as I was pretty tired yesterday and prolly should have grabbed a nap before my session. I'll ask in my in between session channel on Discord.

   Moving out the Hall they inspect the remains of a very Solid Door frame that opened into the Valley as there was an exit to the outside that had been allowing light into the halls. It appears that at one time large Iron Doors prevented access to the lower level from the rear. Now missing the party headed south noting Arched entrances to the Caves/Dungeons in the Valley behind the Ruined Gate House. A thick mist had obscured visibility and I had forgotten how much I played this up last session but a quick whisper from a player helped clarify this so I offered that they had been in the Ruins for a few house and as noon passed the mist decreased significantly. 

Knowing that they had limited torch usage they decided to press onward and finish exploring the Ruined Gatehouse. Entering the southern section they had several options and explored a southern hall over the two doors. This entry was gained by a missing Iron Door entry similar to the Northern section that was also missing. A joke was made about broom closets as they pass a door to find a set of stairs leading up to the second level. Backtracking they had issue gaining access to the room with the Halfling finally opening the door after the entire party failed. It was indeed an old looted mildewed supply closet. Water had been seeping from the upper levels and collecting upon the old wooden shelves, now spongy and strange looking, and pooling on the floor where an old mop has swollen and molded into a carictuture of itself. They opted to not search and entered the Northern door...

[Some 'Monsters' I find lack luster but Stone-Hells Phantasm offer opportunity for info or life lessons, dungeon dressing whatever]

   I described a scene of spectral adventurers settling into a sleeping camp within the old guardroom, laughing and joking with each other and the faint sound of laughing and sounds then they stir in their sleep as if attacked by unseen assailants and all begin to be murdered in their sleep. A spectral halfling crawling towards the party crying and reaching out to the exit even as he head is split by an unseen axe ! I was inspired to illuminate this ghostly scene as they party had been talking amongst themselves of resting in the Gatehouse and making it a base of some sorts but there is always the possibility of this sort of thing happening ot your party. A Turn attempt is made by the Elfin Magic-User/Cleric and the Dwarves debate just slamming the door shut while the Druid casts Shillelagh to have a magical weapon if the undead are resistant to mundane weapons !

Undead will always light a fire under your party's asses ....

   Nothing Happens and the scene continues then fades into sobbing and crying. I do allow the Elf Balmortis to make a Lore Roll (I allow 2nd level Clerics and Magic-Users including their variants  much like a Bard) even though I forgot he was but 1st level. Explaining the Nuances of a Phantasm versus regular undead. The party then searched and loots the chamber finding no treasure or coin but they do find a rusty lantern, flimsy rotten rope and a flask of oil as well as the bones of the dead adventuring party. Jeri gathers up and enlists aid form the others to secure the bones of the dead to inter at the Keep. Th Lantern is a key find for the party but it is not lit as they intend to use their stinky torches first. Stinky Tiki Torches ?

    The Southern door in the hall is searched and opened to discover a single splintered chair, the room however was dry and in better general shape than other sections of the Ruined Gatehouse. A cursory search was performed but nothing found, the party debates on returning to the Keep but decides to explore where the stairs lead to on the second floor.

   Ascending to the second floor where they originally entered the Gatehouse they find a chamber similar to the last room. Dryer and airy but with a bundle of clothing in the southeastern alcove and rotting moth eaten cloaks upon pegs in the chamber. At this point the party disperses into separate directions to maximize a quick search before returning to the Keep. Something stirs above however and they are beset by adventurers favorite pest the Stirge. Murderous Mosquitoes of Unusual Size and vile disposition ! 

   Its a quick battle and the party triumphs rather easily even though the Stirge on initiative and have their +2 to their Dive attack to initiate combat. The halfling is hoisted above to the rafters to search for treasure and none is found. Inspection of the bundle of clothes reveals a female skeleton in a dress with a broad leather girdle. Gottri decides to inspect the Leather Girdle and finds a coin pouch with 10 GP & a Garnet. He appraises it at 50 GP and it is quite the haul for these low level adventurers so they retire from the Ruins.

   With plenty of light left in the day the party falls back to retrieve their rope from the second story. They decide to pull on it as a group and tumble the crenellation to retrieve it startling something that was stalking them. The Druid and Elf observe a Mountain Lion fleeing along the steep valley side away from them. This would have been a very tough encounter for the party actually.

[ Monster Reaction 9 so not overtly hostile and a morale check when the party pulls down a piece of masonry which is also another 9 so it flees]

   The party rest at their previous camp site and at the edge before down encounter a Black Bear foraging for food. Again the Monster Reaction Chart is favorable to the Party and no combat is entered. Gottri still wounded from Stonus' Spear would probably not prevail against a large creature like a Bear so the dice smiled upon them kindly once again.

   No encounters the rest of the way back to the Keep. Failed Forage rolls for the Druid so Iron Rations had to be eaten. Curiously they did not explore the Ruined Tower they saw and spoke about at length before seeming more concerned with retiring to the Keep. Making good time they reenter Kendall Keep to hear a round of applause and cursing from Churral the Gate Guard who may have bet against their return. Causal inspection of them revealed they carried bones but little attention was paid to it and they hurried to the Inn.

   The Following morning they interred the Skeletal Remains of the unknown adventurers under the direction of the Curate in the Catacombs beneath the Chapel. A common niche to be filled with their bones but a good deed and treated as a Quest so 150 XP rewarded to each Party member. I had them roll a Reaction Roll to gain access to delivering remains and Balmortis got a 6 (indifferent0 but the Druid got a 12 (Whole Heartedly agrees). The Druid desires to empty out the Gibbets of their grim contents and give proper burial to all the dead but this could be considered a large task at least so we will see how this pans out. The Adventurers bones returned to the Keep in Sacks but the Skeletal remains in the Stirge room left laying, adventurers are frenetic lot.

#OSE #OSR #ttrpg #SHotB