The Restenford Journals #17 ( 5 AUG 2024)

    I am very late to get to writing this recap so it may be sketchy and inaccurate. Life has been hectic and I am becoming more forgetful. Sheeesh, plus we have been cancelling this session more often. I may have to move the night and recruit an additional body, not sure.

    After having their collective booties spanked by a bunch of purple apes they fall back to Telvar's Tower. It has not since been renamed by the party so retains the previous occupants title discovered from reading his books. Upon returning from the Crystal Pedestal Chamber they decide to Search for Secret Doors every ten feet in the Hall lading back to where they came from. Every, Ten, Feet ...

   But,

   They eventually a pair of Secret Doors in the big bend of the Hall. WE had joked about Traps and Locks on Secret Doors which I have done in the past. And I once have done again. The Secret Door is Locked. Eldrin easily succeeds his Open Lock ability while Tushuab & Davon watch the Hall. It s opens easily and their light from Davon's Continual Light Enchanted Staff floods into the room revealing an ornate chest upon a carved shelf and a pair of chest below it in a clean room. Hovering in the air are a trio of odd looking creatures. A Trio of four foot diameter creatures with a large central eye and four eyestalks float silently in the room, which is twenty foot square. There is a large pause and I roll for Surprise. I roll a Monster Reaction Check discreetly. No one is Surprised but I ask for actions and describe that the floating aberrations observe them and their eyestalks atop their 'heads' look towards each other and then back to the party. The Secret Door is closed and they walk away slowly.

   This leads to a long pause and then they pick up on searching every ten feet again. In game this has ate up about an hour of play time and about four hours in game time. I am surprised they did not rush for the chests but after the Grape Ape Battle they are extra cautious. They eventually stop searching every ten feet as they get to the long 150' long hall. They return to the Telvar's Tower and begin using the Research Library there to possibly identify items and regain hit points. I point out they did not bring feed for their horses and grass does not grow on Bone Hill just stickily looking shrub and bushes with few to no leaves which the animals avoid eating. SO as they heal and recover and research is conducted (d3 days per item) Tushuab takes the horses down to the bottom of the Hill in the company of Davon's Retainer Draven the Cleric, several skeletons are turned in these forays. This is unnerving the PCs but they decide to explore the other ruins.

    Choosing to do an early morning survey as the grounds has undead walking about inside the walls at night The Jonkheers walk up along the Western Wall. At one of the breaches in the wall they discover a well preserved battering ram crafted from Bronzewood and its metal cap a Treant's Fist. It is slender but solidly built and made to be carried by six elf as it is of obvious Elfin design. It is cumbersome and heavy so it is left after removing some rubble from it. Several stain glass windows remain intact in the interior keep which is odd since the upper levels are open to the elements and many other windows are missing any sign of glass. It feels they are watched from the old Inner Keep but no discernable movement is seen. Buzzards and Crow fly overheard.

    Approaching the North West Tower the determine it is indeed in the worst condition of all of the Corner Towers of the Ruins. The morning light glints off of something inside and as they observe the interior note that above on the bottom of the third floor which is open to the sky above are dozens of bat like insectoid creatures which they recognize as STIRGES ! Davon curses himself for not memorizing Fireball this day. There is quiet discussion on what to do about these pests but heir sheer volume is disconcerting but it is daylight and they appear to be docile or sleeping. Careful observation see several amongst the Stirges that resemble the pale ones that attacked them in the Dead Forest at the bottom of Bone Hill. Stairs have been cleared of rubble and lead down into darkness before them. The notation in Telvar's Map of the Ruins called this the Tower of the Stirges. Eldrin creeps into the rubble and retrieves the glinting object, a crystal ball of sorts left in the rubble. As they get a comfortable distance from the Tower they discuss their plans as Eldrin attempts to use the Crystal Ball to scry into the ruins of the next closest tower, it is literally marked the Tower of the Undead on Telvar's Map. I make some rolls and have Eldrin make a Save v Spells discreetly, he fails. 

    The scene for his vision in the Crystal Ball is the skeletal and dusty remains of a the Old Watch Captain of the Tower laying net to a shining sword and wearing a bejeweled crown on his helm. Apparently unguarded treasure nearby as well. He relays the information and attempts to utilize the Crystal Ball and I call for another discrete Save v Spells which is passed successfully. I inform him he is compelled to go there, preferably later in the evening. 

    Davon argues to go to the Tower of Spiders as they are weak adversaries and he is curious as to what an Aranea is which is referenced in Telvar's Journals as an "ally". Tushuab is more keen on returning to town and resupplying but thinks a preliminary investigation of either tower is good, the nearest foreboding one labeled the Tower of the Undead is best investigated during daylight before they return to their nightly routine of patrolling the court yard. As they approach the Tower they note and inspect the scorched masonry of the inner courtyard where there are quite a few skeletal remains. Inspection reveals human, elfin, bugbear and the bones of large carnivorous apes. Pressing on they enter cautiously and inspect the upper works which shows signs of traffic. Tushuab notes skeletal footprints and shuffling boot marks upon the floors. There are arrow slits above with arrows laying about and no signs of life at all, a wide set of stairs leads down and the room shows the scars of past violence but nothing remains except old stains and cobwebs.

    The 35' descent opens into a vaulted chamber with murals and the scars of battle. Bones litter the floor and empty weapon racks are near the walls. Sconces for torches are empty cloaked in webs. The fresco or murals depict powerful looking Men at Arms in Purple Cloaks command Purple Apes as well Bugbear troops A long tunnel heads due south and the walls look damaged as if hammered by powerful spells in the past or perhaps the siege work above. Cautiously they explore only to be startled as the multitude of skeletal remains begin to stand and they are assailed from all sides. Further away the cackling and intonation of spell casting can be observed as a skeletal figure whose hands illuminate with eldritch energy is preparing to cast a spell some 150' away, nearby a similar robed figure which appears to be a zombie is casting as well it's hands alight by eldritch energy illuminating them in the far distance. To be honest I thought this was gonna be bad since they walked directly into the bottom of the Tower labeled "Here be Undead". The Jonkheers are not surprised, The Jonkheers win Initiative, and they start pounding the creatures all around them and send a lightning bolt careening off of the walls at the far end of the dilapidated tunnel intentionally, the Spells of their enemies are disrupted . OSE does not really make Turn Undead a single use for Encounter so my guys have their spiritual advisor retainer constantly Turning undead, albeit poorly. A  die roll is made for stability and I give it a 5% chance of bringing down the ceiling, I roll a 3 and large chunks of ceiling begin filling in the far end of the Hall where they have successfully killed the Skeltre* and Zombire*, minor spellcasting intelligent undead. It's a funs session and they are depleted on most of the big encounter tricks when I roll for others skulking nearby, out of sight and out of range. Powerful Intelligent Undead rarely engage first !

   Emerging from the fresh rubble effortlessly is a spectral figure of a Half-Elf clad in old chain and bearing a Crowned Helm begins approaching the PCs menacingly as we draw our session to a close. Its a cliffhanger and I love Cliffhangers. They are wounded and out of their most powerful spells and a described Wraith Lord is fast approaching them so we will see how tonight's session turns out. Do they bug out immediately or try and face down the Wraith ? I didn't assign XP last session so need to dig though my notes for creatures slain and treasure gained so after tonight's session they will have a fair amount of loot and XP. I foresee them heading to Restenford for supplies and possibly recruiting muscles but they'll have to traverse the Dead Wood and avoid the Worgs and Wolves they encountered at the base or Tri-Top as well.

Game Well, Game Often Y'all