Highfell Journals Session #5 (21 OCTOBER 2024)

     We do tend to pick up right where we left off in the dungeon or nearby don't we ? Well we picked up and retconned a PC into the game as being under the rubble from the ill fated party from which Ravithor came from. or perhaps abandoned to their fates after being beset by Giant Crab Spiders ! It's not an optimum way to get a player into the game/party but it is efficient. I go over the information garnered at the end of last session and they just head on into Shandalar's Tower. There is some minor healing and the channeling of a Cure Light Wounds before entering as well.

    The Entry Chamber is casually inspected and no in-depth search is taken so they rotate around the chamber leaving Wolf-Crest to guard the bottom of the stair and the entry into the Tower. They split the party in the first action. Bold move Cotton.... A door on the other side of the chamber is discovered that is stuck and leads into another chamber with a door in the far wall, an exposed visible trap-door with stout iron run on the floor revealed by the tattered and rotted rug. Various kegs, barrels and crates are scattered about the room and the rudimentary forms of cooking hearths crumbled into the floor by the fall creates a hazardous looking mess of the place. The party filters in a nd spreads themselves out with Bristerhahn the Swordsman checking the ceiling as he enters, Hafr the Elfin Acolyte Channeler crossing the chamber to listen at the far door. Ravithor the Channeler stands in the doorway while the Postulant Alaric falls back behind him and Brawler Rork begins picking up the kegs, crates, barrels and odd large chunks of rubble to stack upon the trap-door to prevent opening from below. This however triggers the room's sole occupants, a large pack of Giant Rats numbering 10 but concealed within the various containers within the ruined room. I roll a quick Surprise Check, no Surprise and then just dive right into Initiative.

    This combat is rough but allows for a Ruling to be made on the use of Polearms and creatures passing through areas which it can Threaten, for lack of a better term we are using that for now. Reach having multiple useful effects for Attacks of Opportunity. Several creatures are slain and eventually the room is cleared of the rodents of unusual size. I went ahead and used Listen at Doors for characters not in the room proper to check and see if they hear sounds of combat, as well as a character falling back to relay that information to their sentry separated by stone wall and distance roughly 60 feet area but on the other side of the center support and lots of stone. I run into players interjecting as I am going through the Order of Action but it's going to be learning process for a bit I think before we get into the proper flow. Having new players and folks wanting to chat up is a time killer but it is at it's core a social game and is leading to allot of joking, commentary and rudimentary Role Play. During the end of the battle Rork the Brawler is fallen but makes his Saving Throw versus Death and recovers. The Bind Wounds mechanic is used and they decide to go into the lower depths of Shandalar's Tower. There is some discussion on how to open the Trap-Door with either a ten foot pole by a weaker toon but in the end the Barbarian Brawler Rork pulls it open using the Halberd as it grasps the Iron Rung easier as it has a hook using the Axe Head part.

    The trap-door open reveals iron rungs descending to a landing below. Several torches are tossed down the illumination provided reveals just a platform and stairs. A few party members descend and a few remain up top to secure the Donkey in the kitchen/larder area with all of the dead Giant Rats. There is some temporary rearrangement of the Marching Order but then it is reformed back up to its original layout. They descend into the halls below to find a small intersection with a doors on all three sides, the ones to the North & West being 10 feet short hallways in front of them and the East door being along the eastern wall of the intersection. Wolf-Crest moves forward and Listens at Door before Bristerhahn the Swordsman forces it open. Beyond is a roughly 20 x 30 room with slightly collapsed walls holding a wooden desk & chair, bookshelves are scattered and destroyed with their contents rotted upon the floor. Allot of Black Candles can be seen around the room as well as a silver plate and bone scroll tube laying upon the desk.

    The PCs opt to open the other doors before inspecting the old study further. The north door is rougher to open and takes several tries before revealing a more natural stone foyer that gives way to carved hall. They turn their attention towards the east door forcing it open as well. Beyond is a mess of a chamber that once served as a barracks. Bunks and bedding are tossed about the room and the rest of the room to the south is sunken and has water pooling in it obscuring view. Rork the Brawler enters and examines the southern extent of the room and it is obvious that the water is receding as the moisture collecting had more to do with its previous location as part of Highfell as to its current position as a pile of rock up the Great Salt Reach. As he observes he sees movement standing up from the water and the southern room is filled with the former guardsmen of the Tower in the form of Zombies. There is discussion concerning leaving but eventually they filter in after rolling Initiative and enter into combat with the undead. I turns into a general melee lasting several rounds the 8 zombies are dispatched but Bristerhahn is dropped to zero hit points and rendered unconscious before being rescued by the combined efforts of Wolf-Crest, Rork & Alaric. Several party members utilized the move and fire as well as fire and then move to remove themselves from direct sight of the undead a f ew  times during the combat. I foresee the party continuing to spread themselves out in larger areas in the future.

  The room is searched casually but a fine looking Elfin Long Sword is found with Elfin runes/script along its blade. It is picked up by Wolf-Crest who swings it about but finds it gets heavier with each swing who in turn hands it to the Barbarian Rork who swings it easily. A whispering is heard ... as the sword speaks to the Barbarian. It's voice is Elfish and tone demanding. Rork appears conflicted but wields the blade in his hand tossing aside his Halberd. The party is curiously ok with this turn of events and heads across the hall to the study.

    Wolf-Crest immediately begins to inspect the Desk and finds no general signs of danger but then focuses upon the locked door. unlocking it he finds it has a trap due to his earlier roll. Meanwhile Hafr picks up the bone scroll tube, inspects it, unscrews it and pulls out the scroll while Alaric picks up the black candles and secures them in one of his bags. Rork claims the first shiny thing  they have found, a Sliver Plate ! Bristerhahn & Ravithor remain in the hall observing the rest of the party from the doorway while maintain guard. Hafr reads the scroll to discern if its Clerical or Magic-User and discovers its Cursed. This adventure was originally written for like 8-12 but I down-powered the creatures in it but left the majority of treasure as is, removing more than down powering most of it, and that included leaving in some of the traps as written, Very High Risk and High Reward in places and this Cursed Scroll being one of the more deadly items. I call for a Saving Throw versus Death at -3, Hafr fails. 

    The unguarded scroll laying upon the table in plain view is a trap. No one is shocked but there is a bit of "oh shit" as I describe the words on the scroll twisting and becoming watery in his vision as he appears to begin to sweat and then transforms into water dissolving into a puddle in the floor before flowing away down into cracks disappearing from view. Postulant Alaric tries to soak up some of his form but it flows away. Wolf-Crest makes a few comments before turning back to his work and disarms the trap. I call for the PC to roll a new character and we can figure out how to insert shortly. Inside the drawer is a Steel Scroll Tub & Golden Ring of elegant Elfin scribe work. The ring goes into a pouch and Ravithor enters, takes the steel scroll tube in hand and looks at the floor before opening iot and observing the script upon the page. There is allot of here we go again but he sis unable to decipher the script and nothing happens so channels a spell into Read Magics and reads it discovering it is a scroll of Three Magic-User Spells. HE breathes a sigh of relief....

    We are at the end of our session and Wolf-Crest moves to quit the ruins and travel across the Great Salt Reach to return to town while the others adamantly wish to stay and search some more next session. They return to the Formerly spider infested armorury and set up camp further fortifying it. In the distance a lone figure stumbles across the plain, a Dwarf confused and lost separated by his party after an ambush by Giant Splitting Beetles. Tis Cheesy but Works ...

    We shall pick up after a day of rest, maybe more for our next exciting session of Highfell Journals.