Stone-Hell on the Borderlands Session #19 (15 JAN 2024)

    Another rousing series of misadventures awaits us on the Borderlands. We picked up within Kendall Keep after a confrontation with Rufus the Corporal of the Guard. Gathering up supplies with Stonus taking up the convenience of the Iron Loan Bank to store his extra coin the party requests a meeting with the Guild-Master Basil. A Writ of Authority from the Guild; 25 GP application fee & a 5gp/month "Maintenance" fee, is sorted out for selling plundered goods from Stone-Hell within the confines of the Keep. Basil warns that there will be a Tax upon wagon/carts (5 SP apiece) in addition to the Road Tax (5 CP) normally collected by the Gate. An itemization of goods collected and a warning that there are a variety of things not allowed to pass through the gate such as unholy relics and dangerous animals or creatures. Normally such commerce is not bothered but the Coddiwomplers have gotten onto the bad side of Rufus whom has decided to make their lives uncomfortable within the Keep. Happy their feud with Rufus now has a powerful ally within the Lower Bailey Hierarchy the set out for Stone-Hell and  heads out after hearing a few additional rumors the Tavern.

   Now usually this group is blessed with an innocuous talent for not having wandering monsters bother them but along this stretch of road they encounter Lizardfolk again. Typically I roll indifferent and then a follow up roll they toddle off into the fens but today they are  5 "likely to attack", but the Party all roll 1 on a simple d6 drop so spot this group poised to attack, reaching for their weapons and assuming a defensive posture the follow up roll is 10 friendly and they are approached with inquiries about elf in the area. The Lizardman explains that recently a foul elf led a raid upon their mound and they ate him now they crave the flesh of elf meat, Have you seen any more of these elf raiders in the area the lizardman inquires. The party takes offense as that was their party that attacked them at their mound so they draw weapons and attack. This is a brief exchange and ends with a Sleep spell cast by Oscar the Odd. The party decides to tie up a pair of the lizardmen kill the others and take them back to the Keep. The only item of note they find is a golden armband from the leader type which depicts a serpentine theme and sigils and runes of the deity Set also called Yigg in the region. They opt to return to the Keep with these captives. Completely forgetting or dismissing what the Guild-Master had told them were totally prohibited things to try and bring in to the Keep.

    Approaching the Keep the party is hailed and told to step back from the cart where their lizardmen captives are bound. With a drop of his hand Rufus calls down over a dozen arrows which riddle the lizardmen killing them. There is some discussion with Rufus as he approaches the party and informs that no monsters are allowed to be brought into the Keep but is troubled at the sight of the lizardmen kicking one and spitting upon its corpse. Stonus clams up while Alberich continues his regular derision of the guard, afterwards Rufus tells them to kick the corpses over into the ravine which Alberich refuses to do and stats its their responsibility to take care of it. I make another reaction roll and drop the Coddiwomple Company status with Rufus and the Lower Bailey Guard another notch. 

   Ignoring what they have done at the Gate and having wounds from their encounter with the Lizardmen they head towards the Chapel and seek audience with The Curate, Bartholmew. He inspects the golden armband which is offered as payment for some healing but he refuses it. Alberich pitch falls on deaf ears while Benn makes an impassioned plea for aid to return to the wilds quickly sol they can deal with the creatures prowling the depths of the Fens. He succeeds and there is casting of Cure Light Wounds & Cure Serious Wounds  but the payment of the foul armband is refused. He wishes them well and heads off to research more on the deity Set/Yigg the scaly one. The Coddiwomplers head off and sell the armband to the banker for 50 GP and after spending a night in the Travelers Inn head back of towards Stone-Hell.

   The next trip is uneventful and the sound of Stonus' Toiling Dirge fills the air as they travel. Making their way down the old military road they see the flash of pink in the mist as flamingos take to the air and the sound of large frogs can be heard croaking in the distance. They continue to Snorri's Redoubt and arrange to pay the Dwarf Cohort 4 SP to watch their mules and cart then ascend up the slope checking where the switchback heads over the ridgeline. They search for air vents and find some crude rudimentary work that could be venting from the dungeon but nothing large and survey the view from the opposite side of the ridgeline seeing evergreen dotting a marshy region bordering the Trollscrag Mountains and the great forest beyond. They enter the old bandit caves and encounter some Orcs eating the left over supplies of the bandits just outside the Chain Room that descends into the Contested Halls section of Stone-Hell. The Party has surprise and the fight is brief with the pair of Orc slain, quick inspection reveals there are some old adventurers backpacks with gear behind the kegs of cheap wine the Orc were filling their skins with and some mouldy foodstuffs. They divide up some of the gear and descend by hand.

   After making his way to the bottom Alberich hollers up the chin and shines his lantern up for the human members to descend into the depths. They opt to go south of the mushroom forest and discover a cavern that drips a thick red goop and it is dubbed the Bleeding Cave. Making their way through some natural caverns Stonus leads them into an octagonal seasonal themed chamber of the desert. There is weather worn sphinx upon a pedestal and the portcullis to the east and west while the way south is clear. There is some inspection of the sphinx and magical script is discovered up on the dais. They head south.

   Entering another themed chamber they find a sea themed chamber and upon crossing the threshold of the chamber a group of giant rats emerge from a plainly visible hole in the wall. They sniff the air and do not attack the party and with that the Coddiwomplers walk on past them. Portcullis bar the way east and west as well.

   Entering another chamber themed chamber as they continue south they find it is a jungle theme with creatures peeking through the foliage and a big pile of detriment and refuse lays in the middle of the chamber. As they head past it to head eastwards they are startled by the emergence of giant centipedes who hiss and bite in the general direction. Stonus prepares to battle them and Benn steps forward wit his flaming sword waving it at them and they scuttle off to the west and south. They lift up the portcullis and hammer some spikes to keep it from falling. These portcullis are odd as they seem to be mainly just be an impediment to travel and there is no lever to lock or wench to raise them at all. But hen again not allot of things make sense in Stone-Hell. They head east and Alberich decides it is time to start searching for traps every 10 feet. After 3 turns and 30 feet they get a Wandering Monster check and coming around the corner ahead of them are a group of 5 Berserkers clad in leather armor made from the skins of humanoids and former adventurers. They shout and charge into melee with the party as Alberich flees behind the party and they clash in an intersection. The battle goes on for a bit and several party members are wounded but not gravely. The Berserkers are looted and their corpses mutilated by Stonus who leaves their genitals in the mouths and their corpses leaning against he wall. maybe Stone-Hell is having an effect upon him !

   Travelling east they pass some double doors and a hall that heads north but then have trouble lifting the portcullis to the Meadows Chamber so go south and circumvent it but hen are confronted by a group of skeletons. Now this battle goes on for quite a bit but Benn's Flaming sword is quite effective against the Undead so they vanquish them and it is a good spot to end it for the evening.

    I did not have a allot of DM Rulings to be made this session and they mainly only encountered Dungeon Restocks and Wandering Monsters but have vowed to return and check out the magical script on another day. All in All a fun little session and we should pick it up again in 2 weeks

Game Well, Game Often Y'all

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