Dwarf OSE+ Dark Citadel Session #21 (9 MAY 2024)

    I forgot to recap the session before this so I will recap both I guess which will make this very long. But it is what it is and I am becoming quite forgetful as of late. And this will be sketchy as I do not remember the session before this one as clearly and I could summarize it but not sure if I would get many of the encounters accurately.

    Returning to possibly clear out of the area where they had encountered the Lagomorphs and allied tentatively with the Elfin Raiders under Tanila Glynra. Returning they come upon the entry to the dungeon area claimed by the Elfin forces and the Orcs vanquished. Inquiring as to what happened since their last meeting I have them roll a Reaction Roll and it is bad, like a 5 Bad so the Elfin Warriors are drinking in the Great Hall where they had fought the Giants Spider. All are quite drunk and take the inquiries and tone of The Brotherhood of Expendable Strangers as Insults and words are exchanged. The Elfin Warriors blame the Dwarf group for their losses against the Magic-User, Illusionist and Orcs and have many missing brethren who have disappeared while exploring further down the Dark River. The Dwarf PCs leave before things get physical and sail south, Gremmin making sure to keep his hands tucked in where he had looted his Gloves of Archery off of a dead elf the previous session. 

   Sailing into the area they had previously explored they find Death Fist Orc Guards upon the Bridge as they depart their ship firing upon them while they rush ashore in the old supply room where they had found Water Casks and Ale Casks before. I cannot remember if there were Death Fist Orcs upon the shore waiting or just behind the door. There is allot of Arrow fire from the Boat towards the Bridge and from the shadows after the Death Fist call for aid a Spell is cast and many of the party are put to a magical slumber. This reveals in the shadows at the area where the bridge meets the far side cavern is a Witch Doctor hurling spells at them ! Geoff has been induced to slumber and the non sleeping Dwarf begin waking the others as the door opens and they are attack by more Death Fist. This is a tense bit as I have ruled previously that any attack upon a defenseless sleeping or held opponent is instant death. They however win initiative and are rousting him as the door is opened. This next round the Witch Doctor is riddled with arrows and falls dead as he was preparing to cast another spell while waving a Wand around in his hand. The battle at the door is protracted and I roll for Wandering Monsters as they shout for Aid. Curiously the PCs have been here previously, the Map is open and they can see the northern door is there and would allow them to flank the Death Fist Orcs but no one does. They are however eventually triumphant and advance down the hall and check the door that lead to the stairs that had become a slide and it has not changed, nor have the Death Fist reset the Trap.

  Inspecting the body of the Witch Doctor they claim his magical Wand and are very ecstatic about that captured item but advance onward. Beyond the bridge is a mural room depicting the triumphs of the Dwarf Cohort of the Dark Citadel in ages past defaced with graffiti and feces. These Orc sure do love to smear crap on the walls ! There is a set of stairs leading down to the south and a door in the NE Corner of the room. The Pcs choose the door and being their climb upwards as these steps are steep but deigned for Dwarf. Returning to the Barracks they again surprise and assault the Death Fist Orc and are victorious forcing the last remaining ones to retreat down the hall away into the next chamber. They pursue knowing there are normally Two Death Fist stationed there and rush to melee them. One of the fleeing Death Fist stands with the fresh guards while the other exits through a door in the NE corner of the room. The melee is short as the Brotherhood are still under the effects of the magical waters of the Temples magical Fountain. At the end of this precious session the battle is joined by a VERY LARGE and FIERCE Death Fist Orc wearing an Eye of Gruumsh Amulet dual wielding an ancient Dwarf Battel-Axe and Elfin Long Sword, behind him come Four other Larger than average Death Fist as well and a female as large as these other burly Death Fist. The Orc roars a challenge and announces himself as Xolag Lord of the Death Fist Prepare to Die Dwarf Scum !

   This was a q=great Cliffhanger to leave this last session after such a big gap in play, when we picked up everyone was excited to have the battle but worried it could be very costly in the end. They are still under the effect of a Bless and I rule that the FTR Option Dwarf War-Chanter ability would stack in much the same way as a prayer and since it was a morale type of boost. They stack up and engage. The first Hold Person freezes Xolag, his mate and leaves the Brotherhood to only have to deal with the wounded Death Fist guards who fled here and the Guards. It is about 3 rounds of combat and the floor is covered with greenish black Death Fist Blood. The Retainer Thegnut BarrelBrew is slain however. Is it counter climatic ? Maybe a little but they chalk it up to being favored by Thaneduhr himself ! The search reveals lots of platinum and old Dwarf jewelry from the Fall of the Dark Citadel in the hands of the Death Fist so they gladly reclaim them.

   After the Battel they rest (OSE Core Rules stat after every battle you should rest for 1 turn in much the same as every 5 turns take a rest) search and plan their advance. Following the Great Hall that curved away from the scene of their recent battle they find aberrant and grotesque pictures decorating the Hall and Death Fist Banners which they tear down and stomp. Tribal Banners are ripped and then stored to be used as toiletry items. This brings chuckles from the party as we never outgrow bathroom humor. A door off of the Great Hall reveals the slide they triggered on the lower level and due to the True Sight of the Fountains Waters  allowing Gremmin finds a section of wall that was walled up and made to match the surrounding stone. possibly the reset mechanism is sealed behind this wall and would require much time and effort to access so they head up the great stairs to the next level.

   They have two options as the stairs split nd they take the right hand path and surprise but do not slay immediately two Death Fist Orc. As the battle progresses they since the last one will not flee and dies defending the door to the south of which they open revealing the progeny of the Death Fist. Female and child Orc which the Brotherhood of Expendable Strangers put to the blade allowing no survivors. I roll for the battle and the slaughter for there is a powerful entity down the hall but I roll 4 twice and he hears nothing. Advancing they find  that door and Surprise a large blue one horned ogre who was feasting upon an Elf Haunch while sitting on his bed. A different banner adorns the wall and a chest is upon the Dwarf height shelf in the room. They reduce this Ogre Magi to a 0 Hit Points and upon noticing he gasps for air the next round as he regenerates to a single hit point spend an entire round hacking the body before dousing him in oil and setting him alight as they open up the chest illuminated by his immolation. 

   I had envisioned an intense stand off originally and possibly some RP in allowing the Ogre Magi to leave as his Cone of Cold ability could in theory wipe out the Party in a single round. But, Surprise and winning initiative resulted in another encounter being absolutely steam rolled by the PCs this evening. Its kind of funny ...

   Feeling cocky they advance up and I had ruled the previous encounter that the potion durations had dissipated at the same time for sack of time keeping ease. There is discussion of returning to Axios Landing and the Temple but they decide to press on and possibly clear this section this session. They repeat this same surprise and murder in a round at the next allied encounter with a Bugbear. This breeds hubris and usually ends in a mistake that ends the party but they press on aware of their past over steps

  The stairs continue upwards becoming steeper while there is a large door at a landing past the Bugbears chambers. They do not surprise this pair of Death Fist guards but make short work of them as well. I interject that the Death Fist declare that they will never take the Treasure of the Death Fist ! The PCs are excited for a big payout but after the battle notice only one of the Large Iron Doors had a lock but both are obviously locked. I run over the notes of the adventure and find a flaw so retcon they indeed found an Emerald Key upon Xolag. The information on where and how to use the Emerald Key are in the adventure but not where you actually get the Key, I surmise t hat since it is labeled the Treasure of the Death Fists however they must have been the ones in the possession of said key. Reasonable imo. 

   The Emerald Key does indeed unlock the obvious Lock on one of the doors and Gremmin decides to drink his Potion of True Sight since the True Sight effect had faded. HE sees the traps in the room are all linked and all 6 chests are indeed trapped but they see no hidden keyholes or secret doors. Geoff and Ryxxor suggest to go upwards hoping to find the mechanism similar to earlier vaults in the Dark Citadel. The next level is empty but has a storage rom filled with old Dwarf Equipment. Geoff helps himself to a Dwarf Helm and they head upwards after finding a set of Iron Rungs which goes up out of their sight. Ascending the Iron Rungs they know due to their Dwarf Ability they are above ground as they get tot he Trap Door. Yet again they Surprise some Death Fist Guards and one actually surrenders. He warns them that there is strong captain above in the tower and when asked about how to open the vaults I allow a 5% chance he knows something and roll a 4, go figure. He knows only that Xolag has to go down to the first level by the river in order to open. They opt to climb up the tower and deal with the other Death Fist. A coarse voice can be heard shouting at the fleeing Death Fist from above and they wait for him to descend and fill him with arrows but they cant hit for nothing and have ot wait for him to descend the Iron Rungs and engage in melee then they slay the Captain of the Tower. Ascending to the top they engage and kill the last two remaining Death Fist. Claiming the tower for themselves they seal it with the large cross bow and descend to the bottom level in haste.

   With plenty enough time left on the Potion of True Sight's Duration they find the hidden niche in the Mural Room that conceals the keyhole. There is a set of stirs they decide to descend first and this is where we leave the session hanging. The Brotherhood of Expendable Strangers know that great wealth waits behind the Iron Door but the mystery of what lays beyond the Stairs down after ascending so high is intriguing so thy plan to settle that and then loot the Treasure of the Death Fist !

   IT was a fun session with lots of laughs and imo one sided combat in favor of the PCs but it was tense several times as well. Some ruling clarification over the course of the session which I know got several gears a grinding in those munchkin noggins lol DORF POWAH !

  Anyway, More recaps coming shortly