The Carrion Crown - Session VIII

Session 8: The Dungeon of Harrowstone (9^th January 2013)

After a break of around a month, we finally got back round the table to finish up the current adventure module for the Carrion Crown. There is still probbaly another one or two sessions to go that will allow us time to clear out the last level(s) of the dungeon below Harrowstone prison. Unfortunately we lost one of our regular players but we did get the opportunity for three new ones to join us - the club had a big influx of new players seeking games this week. One was able to get his character (Zirul, the cleric) rolled up and so he joined us in the dying minutes of the game, but another was still busy rolling as we completed the session. That said, he was party to all that was going on and was filled in with all the background story so far. A third player was due to turn up but got called away at the last minute - however, he should be rolling up a character during the week in readiness for joining our little band of brave adventurers as we complete the first adventure module.

The Pathfinders

Moebius – Elf Conjurer

Nicolai Alamrys – Human Rogue
Zef – Human Ranger
Zirul – Half-Elf Cleric

From the Diary of Nicolai Alamrys (Day 12 – morning)

Last night I had a good night’s sleep that helped me to fully recover from my wounds gained a couple of days ago. When I finally emerged from my bed I found that everyone else was up and had already broken their fasts. I was told by Moebius that Kazimir has left our company as he had other matters to attend to.

Zef and I quickly prepared ourselves and made our way to the hardware store to pick up a few items of equipment and to replenish our stocks of arrows and bolts. We met up again with Moebius on the road up to Harrowstone prison. Upon arrival at the outer walls we noticed that the level of noise here had abated since the last time we came. We stealthily passed through the gates and realised that we could no longer hear the rats in the watch tower. We investigated and found that they had completely gone! That meant one less thing for us to worry about; or was it a sign of something more dangerous arriving and scaring them away?

The Cold Room

We paid a quick visit to the warden’s room so that I could have another go at opening the safe. Unfortunately, even with the aid of my new set of Masterwork tools I was unable to do so. This was one tough lock.

We decided to head into the room that contained the ghost of the warden’s wife to see if she had any updates on the state of the prison for us. We found her floating several inches off the ground but looking a lot more solid than the last time we saw her. Upon asking her about the deathly quiet that we encountered on arriving at the prison, she mentioned that she was slowly regaining her strength and therefore control of the grounds. She confirmed that the two ghosts we slew a few days back were indeed truly gone but the other three still remained. We reiterated that we were going to help her clear out the dungeon level below, starting today.

We quickly said our goodbyes and headed towards the cold room and hopefully the entrance to the levels below. Zef was first through the door but the coldness wrapped its deadly embrace around him so that it slowed him considerably crossing the room. Once across he was able to easily open the door opposite. I crossed the room next, followed by Moebius, but neither of us was affected by the cold too much. We stepped through the door into a room that looked like it may have been an armoury and training room for the prison guards. We noticed that there was a large burnt area on the floor and a large hole descending to the depths below.

Descent into the Depths

Zef and I investigated the hole and realised from the light of our torches that it was around twenty feet deep. I sorted out my silken climbing rope, tied a few knots in it to aid the others climbing and made it fast against a secure beam across the room. Zef shimmied down rather rapidly and started to poke around in the debris in the room at the bottom of the hole.

There were several piles of junk and the remains of an elevator/lift contraption that most likely offered an easier way up and down between the levels. Poking around in the piles of junk though disturbed three more of those flaming skulls that we saw on the night of the Town Hall meeting. One flew directly at Zef but he managed to dodge its path. He then let fly with his arrows and downed one of the other two. Moebius launched one of his frosty spells at the other, but my crossbow bolt missed the mark. Quick as you like, Zef reloaded and shot down a second flaming skull whilst another of Moebius’ frost spells further slowed the remaining one. My second shot with the crossbow brought the final one down.

Moebius and I then proceeded to climb down the rope and join our comrade and took a better look around the room, which was remarkably free of dust. We spotted a partially hidden door at the far end of the room, so we made our way towards it. We had to cross a large puddle of water to get to the opening and just as we began to file through the opening we noticed that the surface of the water behind us began to ripple. Suddenly our ears were accosted by the sound of a thousand voices in torment and two frightful apparitions raised themselves from the water, dripping with malevolence and ectoplasm. Almost straight away, Moebius became enveloped by one of the beings and started screaming in pain as the ectoplasm began to eat away at his flesh. Zef was more than ready for the challenge and had loaded his bow and shot at the ghosts with two of the magical arrows we found in the tomb that the Professor had alluded to in his writings. The apparition not enveloping Moebius screamed and dissipated in a slosh of goo. I poured a vial of Holy Water over Moebius and his attacker, but Moebius was still unable to help himself. Another shot from Zef released the second ghost from its life of eternal torment.

A New Arrival

As we began to wash some of the ectoplasm from Moebius’clothes and equipment, we heard the sounds of movement coming from above. We saw a shape start to descend the rope behind us. I shouted for them to hold and the reply was a friendly greeting from a cleric of Iodemae who said he was here to help us in our quest. He explained that he too was a friend of Professor Lorimor but was held up in his travels and got here regrettably too late for his funeral. To prove his good faith he cast a healing spell over my two injured companions.

 

We all sighed with relief that we now had the aid of at least one of the gods on our side now and prepared ourselves to re-enter the partially blocked opening.