Dwarf OSE+ Dark Citadel Session #33 (20 NOVEMBER 2024)

        Well, it has been a long time since we got a full session in for this campaign. Technical issues and scheduling issues have plagued the Brotherhood of Expendable Strangers for a over a month. We had a short logistical session a week ago and they learned of some adventure hooks and have chosen those over delving deeper into the Dark Citadel or assaulting the Temple of Zuul who has contracted Assassins to kill them all. Several Retainers were hired after meeting at Skald and interviewing them individually, Redrum has used his Know Alignment ability on them and determined they are not agents of Chaos or possibly Assassins out for a quick bounty. The Warrior-Loremaster Geoff has sent out prospectors in the Trollscrag Mountains where the Emerald Keep's upper Tower resides and they have reported back on finding an old mine. A few days from the watch Tower.

     I had Geoff & Redrum dice off for the location of the mine in proximity to their Strongholds as both had surveyors and prospectors in their regions searching. I keep it as simple as 25% chance of Domain expansion by settlers and a 5% for Special Events on a Monthly check. Keep it quick, Keep it simple.

    Gathering up their four PCs as we have a player taken hiatus for personal reasons we begin play with Geoff Warrior-Loremaster carrying the Great Black Iron Spear & bringing three followers with crossbow, plate armor, shield and spear, Redrum Warrior-Acolyte of Thaneduhr bringing his retainer Barth the Blessed, Ryxxor Priest of Thaneduhr and his retainer Ulfgart the Stout, Gremmin Thief-Loremaster or as he prefers aggressive archeologist and researcher bring his Halfling retainer John Tallfellow which creates a party of 10. As they gather they notice and Redrum feels illness coming over him ( -1 to CHA, CON & DEX), as he is feverish and covered in a pox, seeping lesions. They forestall their departure and research the illness as he is confused because he possesses a Periapt of Good Health garnered from the victims of a Trapper killed a few weeks ag and believes he is immune to disease mundane and magical. They fall back to Axios Landing and engage in some research in their library discovering it is some sort of magical curse or mummy rot, Ryxxor begins to research as well and believes that the beneficial periapt is actually a cursed item. A Periapt of Foul Rotting. I allowed them to use their arcane research ability and were both successful. Ryxxor applies a Remove Curse and they sequester the Periapt in a box leaving it amongst their treasure locked away. They rest but one more evening and then gather again at the Emerald Keep.

    They spend two days travelling into the Trollscrag Mountains and find the entrance easily. Redrum still has the ability damage from the Rotting Disease but choses to force onward. Inspecting the entrance it is a boarded up entry wit rotted flinders and debris, spent torches and candle stubs are near the entrance and they enter though a rough hole kicked into or chopped through the wooden barriers, a high pitched eerie whistling is heard coming from the mines. Entering they spy upon a form further up in the passage laying on he ground, they approach cautiously but are Surprised by a large flock of Stirges emerging from the ceiling and rafters. A general melee is joined and a full 1/3 of the creatures are put into magical slumber by a runestone carried by Gremmin. When I upcycled this low level adventure I adjusted the Stirge numbers to 3 per PC/NPC and did not realize that they were going to take so many Retainers and Followers making it a much more deadlier encounter. John Tallfellow is nearly killed but they manage to kill 29 Stirge and put one to flight. Geoff notices the crevasse above and climbs up utilizing his Ring of Spiders & discovers a cache of gemstones and a valuable looking Dragon Themed Bracelet. Afterwards they inspect the body and discover it is a young human adventurer slain by the stirges, a potion vial is discovered in the contents of the backpack and taken as well as some rope. Drag marks are noticeable on the floor and lead of to a side cavern not far away. Redrum spends most of his Healing Touch ability.

    Following these marks they encounter a lone wolf in a cavern which once served as a sleeping area for miners. The wolf is dispatched by missile weapons' as it growls at the party and the form of another unrecognizable young adventurer searched. The contents of of the shredded back pack are searched and some sweet meats are taken as a bonus set of rations and other gear left with a rotting corpse. They explore further into the mines. They hear loud snoring up ahead from another side cavern and creep as best they can in armor peering in and seeing a large Cave Bear restlessly adjusting to hibernation. Ryxxor casts a Bless spell. They line up and fire away with missile weapons'. Waking it from its restless slumber the great beast charges and they manage to slay it before it can inflict any damage as it is impaled upon the Great Black Iron Spear wielded by Geoff. The Expendable Strangers find nothing of note in the cave and so press on discovering another side cavern filled with guano and bats. A ridiculous amount of bats and guano. The PCs decide to leave it alone against the protests of Geoff who wishes to clear the mines in entirety to claim it for his stronghold as a new set of resources. They have not noted any active veins yet though.

    At this intersection they chose to go south and explore that direction rather than towards the source of the whistling sound filling the caverns with a background noise that is constant and persistent. Another side cavern is found and it is a repository of old broken equipment, crates and rotting canvas nibbled upon by rats. The creatures avoid the party and seem indifferent but are put down by Geoff's Crossbowman. They spend a few Turns searching but find nothing of note but notice allot of the equipment are in need of repair and others seem to have been maliciously destroyed in the past. Exploring further south the find a ledge 10' above and the rotted remains of a destroyed wooden ladder. Geoff goes up using his Ring of Spiders while Gremmin easily navigates up using his Climb Walls ability, Redrum attempts to climb but is unable todo so in his Plate Armor. At the top they observer the hall Floor narrows a bit and is covered in a oily substance. It appears slick, Geoff looks up and discovers they are being observed by an odd pot bellied goblin like create with spindly arms and a bulbous nose looking for goblinoid and covered in a oily black substance. They are Surprised, it attacks and lands on Geoff scoring some damage and resulting in him a Failing a DEX check and landing on the floor with naked Boggle atop him. The next round the Boggle attempts to snatch an item and fails taking a heavy hit from the Black Iron Spear which I forgot to roll a Saving Throw versus Paralysis at -4 and a pair of magic missiles from Gremmin's Wand of Magics Missiles. IT then Dimension Doors away. They get to hammering an Iron Spike to secure a rope, using the rope taken from the dead human adventurer, after pulling up the rest of the party the traverse the 60 corridor and find another vertical ledge which is easier to ascend due to some handholds. Above the passage begins to decline, the halls here are pockmarked with mining efforts on the past and are depleted.

    After descending a few hundred feet they come out on the top of a ledge 30' above the floor of a large cavern. Below are several overturned mining carts, Of Dwarf manufacture as well as several tunnels exiting the chamber. A metal hook is secured at arms length from the ledge and Gremmin goes about securing another rope to descend into the chambers while Geoff walks over the ledge and travels over to the over turn mining carts nearly surprising the goblins lounging in their confines. HE is set upon as a lone Dwarf and is supported by his crossbowman and the fire down trying to pick off goblins assaulting him and enjoying a +1 bonus Height Advantage as well as Short Range but they roll very badly. I had decided to adopt the DragonslayerRPG rules for Firing into Melee instead of the lot of rolling method I had been doing. Geoff is nearly killed by his own followers as well as another PC. The PCs stop hurling sling stones or firing arrows and slide down the rope and try to join him in melee with Redrum using to use one of his Healing Touch on him. A good solid round for attacks however have 4 goblins laying slain upon the cold stone floor of the cavern. This is a good spot to stop, they discovered a Dungeon (The Lost Mine ) and second level in one session. AS the session ends I describe that Geoff looks 3 inches taller and a muted instead of his normal ruddy complexion as Redrum is feeling tired and feverish. There is quite discussion amongst the PCs initiated by Gremmin, Ryxxor has been a bi tquiet this session but inputs a few suggestions that something may need to be done about the Great Black Iron Spear wielded by Geoff, a few Boromir quotes later an we are having some laughs. Redrum also quietly covets the Great Spear as well.... next session should be interesting.

    Game Well, Game OFten Y'all