Highfell Journals Session #2 (30 SEPTEMBER 2024)

     Picking up where we left off put's us in the unique situation of introducing a new player mid session. We are long in the tooth so no big deal really. Darkass Rubyman a CN Gnome Throat-Cutter will be joining the adventuring party of Galandar NG Elfin Channeler, Alaric LN Postulant of Arcanatryl, Bristerhahn CN Swordsman, Wolf-Crest LN Elfin Swordsman-Thug as well as Hurbert the N Man-at-Arms employed by Galandar. I inform Darkass; in general voice chat as our time constraints will not permit allot of private chat, he was employed by his guild to track down and deal with a Mage by the name of Oswald Kohl by his guild in Threshold. It has taken him to this far northern Principality of Brine and information was gathered in the Inn of the Wanton Wench that Oswald Kohl had been inquiring about Bartholmew Krimm. A mysterious Arch Mage who dwelled in the Fargonne Forest Northeast of Thatchum with his grand daughter and a trusted man-servant. Krimm has been missing for about two years but his Magnificent Cottage is rumored to be haunted; or enchanted, as there are unusual occurring's noticed by lumberjacks in the area on occasion such as opening and closing windows of their own and lights thus it is avoided. The trail leads him to see a goblin body being dragged by unseen forces to the back side of  the cottage so he follows the blood trail up the stairs to find our adventuring "heroes" in the act of looting the Apprentice Study. We have our group together in under 10 minutes awesome.

    Approaching the party from the rear he is spotted however by Hurbert who has been placed on watch duty in the Hall I give him a 5 in 6 chance of being spotted as is illuminated and Hurbert is actively on watch but only slightly distracted by the party's actions in the room. This is perfect for some RP in the beginning of the session. After a few rounds of banter they allow the unseen forces to drag the disrobed body of the Mage Oswald Kohl to be dragged down the hall towards the gnome who decapitates it at first opportunity to claim the head for his employers. Now the decapitated disrobed body of Oswald Kohl is dragged to the midden heap behind the house by the unseen forces to be piled on top of the others. With grisly trophy in hand the Gnome Darkass is invited to join the party in searching the cottage. You know, totally normal actions for adventuring groups. They advance back into the small bedroom partially inspected last session.

    The items about the room are looted and i add them to a party loot handout, I think next time I will use regular paper as this slowed down game play slightly but my hand writing is terrible as of late. There is discussion as to what is the next course of action and they open up the rear exit and load up the looted items on the top of the back stair and the majority of the party exits the back while the Postulant Alaric meets them at the front door. I think this made sense to them at the time as they then re-entered the cottage and headed down the wooden stairs to the basement. It is a tight narrow but very clean and tidy stairwell which enters into a pantry area, Broken pottery litters the floor, and the skeletal remains of several people lie in a heap near a rusty iron floor drain. At the far end of the cellar, a stream of water spews from the mouth of a wall stone shaped like a frog’s head into a stone basin below, and a rope is tied between a pillar and a door. Wolf-Crest decides to toss a grapple and pull the bones towards the party but as he does they animate and attack ! This is a long melee for just four skeletons and I describe it as more cramped quarters fighting and the pillars in the basement getting in the way of Bristerhahn swings with hanging items falling to the floor of which Wolf-Crest grabs up a bucket to attack the skeletons at one point as he carries no melee weapons relying on his bow mainly. Eventually these skeletons are dispatched and the Pcs begin inspecting the doors. One is a vault door of some sort and the northern and southern door simple wooden doors but the southern one is tied shut by a rope. They inspect he Northern door first.

    Bristerhahn opens the door after Alaric meekly opens it a crack. Beyond a servant's room tidy and neat, clean. Wolf-Crest advances to the bed finding it made with a suit of chain, shield , mace and back pack laying upon it. He inspects them finds a wooden holy symbol of Saint Ygg which is donned by the postulant. Wolf-Crest exits while Galandar & Alaric enter and continue searching while the others inspect the southern door. . A single tied up door remains and they form up outside and decide to inspect the water basin to see if it is poisoned, making room for water Darkass pours his wine into the drain spot and disturbs the real reason for the skeletons. Out swarms deadly venomous centipedes ! These rare Red & Black Venomous Centipedes variety are known to kill with their poisonous bite and swarm Darkass and Hurbert. A Save v Poison is forced at +4 bonus eventually but in the end the PCs slay all three of the creatures. 

    Opening the Southern door reveals a captive human with short beard who is familiar. Alaric recognizes him as the face from the gold locket purloined from the second floor. Brother Ambrose warns the party about the Mage who can put foes to sleep as is what happened to him the previous day. Darkass produces the severed head and the rest of the party describes how they interrupted the villains looting of the house. Brother Ambrose asks why they are here and gets the information that they were seeking Bartholomew Krimm for ways to access Highfell. Brother Ambrose shares his fear that the old man and his dear friend Ermelinda have been claimed by the dangerous ruins that drift across the Great Salt Reach. He then again asks what the party is doing in the cottage to which he gets a variety of evasive responses, allowing him to acquire his gear he departs the cottage and returns to Thatchum. 

    The vault door is inspected. It is locked and the variety of keys they have do not fit it, they can however view the room beyond via a barred window and see that there is a chest chained to the wall at the far end. Wolf-Crest laments he has not purchased Thieves Tools to attempt to pick the lock but Darkass has Thieves Tools he cannot use yet, dear reader you figure it out. The tools are loaned and the door is picked easily allowing them to inspect the chest which the keys from the secret niche in the book shelves fit as well as the key from the small bedroom. Inside they find a variety of coinage and stamped/embossed Gold & Silver Bars. A big haul indeed for a low level party. They return slowly to Thatchum carrying many large sacks filled with books and a small sack filled with monetary loot and jewelry. We end our session in Thatchum at the Inn of the Wanton Wench with the party sharing a room while Postulant Alaric returns to the Temple of the Blue Star to his latrine and general maintenance duties. 

    We are going to have an active Discord In Between Session tab I believe. There are several notes to be made such as a man-at-Arms corpse is left at the location atop the trash bin. It seems they missed items but are satisficed with their loot and focused on getting to Highfell to explore those ruins. Galandar voices his fear they will turn the villagers of Thatchum against them with this looting of a well respected neighbor. The clash of alignments is going to be a constant sub plot for the campaign. I am thinking I will be taking a nap on Mondays before game session as I was tired and missed a few details I could have riffed on fairly easily normally. Overall a fun and entertaining session though.

Game Well, Game Often Y'all