The Restenford Journals #2 (27 FEB 2024)

    Well, it has been a rough couple weeks and I think I am falling into a  pattern of which games are gonna prosper and which ones I fear will wither. But this reimagining of the Secret of Bone Hill seems to be kicking and I added a temporary player for this session as another was unable to make it. The Ranger Tushaub and Davon the Magic-User fell back to Falco's Tavern after their unfortunate encounter with a Ghoul & Skeleton in the Hidden Complex beneath the Burnt Guard House.

   Adding the Elfin duo of Eldrin Stormcaster (Elfin Thief/Magic-User) & Finlo Cannell (Elfin Fighter/Cleric) that Tushaub discovers at the Inn of the Dying Minotaur while avoiding questions on what happened to the pair of Dwarf Adventurers he and Davon disappeared with but a few hours earlier that day while Davon retired to his rented room at Falco's Tavern to ponder over his spell books. Tushaub approaches the Elfin duo after overhearing their conversation with Geilcuff the Inn-Keeper about possible work in or around Restenford, particularly adventuring opportunities. Geilcuff mentions the rumors of the vast treasure beneath the old ruined castle ruins on Bone Hill but adds that it is just all rumor and fanciful talk but mayhap they could find some baubles. Talking to the Ranger Tushaub they all agree to seek out some fortune beneath the Burnt Guard House and rid it of the undead Tushaub and his Mage friend Davon discovered.

   They meet at the cross roads down the street from the old ruins and enter through the secret trap door. Searching the Skeleton at the bottom of the iron ladder  they find a rusty dagger, some rusty throwing daggers and a set of old Thieves Picks & Tools which is a boon since the PC Thief had not purchased any as he was focusing on Stealth over Locks & Traps. The Trio approach the stout door slammed shut by the fleeing pair and listen but only hear the sound of scratching within the walls nearby and nothing beyond the door so they enter and have great difficulty opening he door which after eventually getting the door open I attribute tot he half eaten corpse of a Dwarf blocking the door. As the push it open a trail of blood is seen upon the ground as they force the door open as blood flows into the Hall and upon their feet. Beyond in the shadowy edge of their torchlit a fiend's face lifts from within the body cavity of the other fallen Dwarf and greets them with an insane stair as its elongated jaw droops full of gore and mumbles " HaHaHa more gobbly bits come to fill my stomach HaHa hA"

   After the battle Tushaub spins a yawn about not knowing whom these other adventurers are which I find funny. He begins forming a plan to bury these poor unfortunate souls and it slips once or twice he may have more knowledge about these slain Dwarf. Among their possessions they do discover a steel scroll tube with multiple scrolls and maps leading to a "Lost Dwarf mine Northwest of Restenford" with geographical landmarks to find these lost mines. Adventure Hooks anyone ?

   Initiative favors the Trio and the Skeleton in the darkness and the Ghoul quickly dispatched. So, the one sided battle of last session is now flipped and the room cleared easily. Piles of Copper are collected from the gaming table and Throwing daggers found under the table and discarded vial under one of the chairs which upon inspection has the faint odor of a poison left to open air too long. The spilled earthenware mugs have stained the tables and although the bodies have turned to skeletal remains and one of the rooms occupants has become a ghoul they ascertain that someone poisoned their fellows here a very long ago. They rest and turn their attention to the door opposite this rooms entry in the hall.

   Another large curious room is beyond this stout door and their attention is drawn to a long table with high backed hexagonal chairs. Skeletal figures lay facedown upon the table and the eerie appearance of the spilled earthenware mugs again. They advance in as they only see the skeletal remains which do indeed lift their heads slowly and at the far end of the table and another ghoulish begins to raise slowly from beneath table from where I had lain upon the floor. Initiative does not favor the party and it gets sticky. Finlo placed himself ahead of the party and the other Elf slides behind him with his Pole Arm while the Ranger fell back to the rear of the room to hang a torch in a sconce. Calling upon the blessing of Mielikki Finlo attempts to Turn the Foul beasts but having failed Initiative is forced to Shatter his Shield but I rule is able to still attempt to Turn as Turning is not interruptible like a Spell event though it is even in the same phase it is a granted innate ability and not spell casting. It fails and Finlo is nearly slain in the first round but where Eldrin has Set for Charge with his Pole Arm a grievous wound is inflicted upon the ghoulish attacker. It is a back and  forth battle with Tushaub joining the Elf Duo in melee against the undead and after some minor confusion during melee ( I do wish you could customize color for the headers on the macros for each PC so it did not all blur together) but it ends up with the Party being triumphant but Finlo has but a single Hit Point. Investigating the chamber they find a chest which Eldrin dumps' upon the floor with his pole arm and opens to it to find a mixed assortment of contents. Small sack of silver, a fancy belt, a box and an expensive looking dagger. He pricks his finger attempting to open the lock but does not perish as it is very old but in the end they battered the chest open. Satisficed with the loot they return to the Inn of the Dying Minotaur and divide the spoils and stay a few days to recover from their wounds. In the down time they also go fishing in the Restin River and note its geographical features but catch nothing, they are terrible fishermen.

   After 3 days they return to the Hidden Complex and I check subtlety if they have been noticed returning to the ruins multiple times. Things have been noticed but mainly that the Dwarf pair never returned to their rooms. Advancing down the western corridor and leaving torches in the sconces as they go they find a secret door in the southern wall past the gaming room. Inspecting it they find it is sealed by an airtight means and opt to not open it at all and inspect for other devices only to discover another secret door with no airtight seal. They investigate and find a small room with chest and rotted travelling cloaks, again pulling the chest forward to crash to the floor I roll a d6 to check to see if the contents are damaged. 2 in 6 seemed reasonable. Opening it reveals labeled potion vials or some sort of emergency cache. They determine it is a form of Thieves Cant and so I allow the Thief to translate it revealing a variety of healing potions and invisibility which they quickly divide amongst themselves and continue down the Hall.

  Entering the next room they find an old bedroom which they cautiously inspect then trash before finding a secret door. This; another hidden cache, appears to connect to the gambling chamber and in it are stone benches, more travelling cloaks hanging on pegs and a chest on shelf. Rather than enter and inspect the chambers they lasso the chest and pull it to the bed chamber and physically open it using spikes and hammers. They find a find pair of boots and mixed coinage which they divide up for lightening carrying loads before inspecting further down the hall.

   Having had several players in this group previously in another Secret of Bone Hill game they are very cautious as I reworked the map and changed things around quite a bit but this has them intrigued and very curious about the ruins on Bone Hill ;) more to come on that. 

   They find a Stone set of double doors barred from this side at the end of the hall before it turns and decide to leave it as is before heading south. Finding a door on the way they discover a practice range for throwing daggers and a box full of darts. I am adding Darts to OSE as I believe they are not in the core rules actually and debating on expanding Magic-User weapons but they usually only gets folks shot in the back , shrug. They take the daggers, leave the darts and check the full length of the range for secret doors before leaving to continue south where at the end of the corridor as it turns find a small section of wall has given way. The smell of an animal den is definitely beyond and rat scat is present in the hall. They fall back and plan for their next foray.

   This was a after enjoyable session and allot of commentary in game was had. It spanned roughly a week in game and had RP in Inns, skulking at pre dawn hours to hide their adventuring spot and planning to bury the bodies of the missing Dwarf Adventurers. I need to work on the Dwarf Papers, flesh out the clergy and some more NPCs in Restenford as well the other Two Adventuring Options nearby. All very deadly for a smaller group. I am planning on reworking allot Leonard Lakfoka's stuff for Lendore Isle for Lenard Isle but I will share that as we go along for these reaps.

   Game Well, Game Often Y'all