Doggerland Session 6:37 (Dungeon Level 1)

The Temple Guard (2^nd July 2014)

The Adventurers

Bow – Ranger

Cormac – Fighter

Johan – Cleric

Maximillian – Thief

Tarquin - Fighter

Theoderic - Fighter

Vox – Magic User

Dungeon Level 1 - after TSR/WotC Temple of Elemental Evil

Melee in the Processional Corridor - Tirsday 23rd Hextember (day 84) – late afternoon

Joahn, the priest of Balder, called upon divine aid and soothed the wounds of those that had fought the creatures from the Abyss. At the end of the corridor the dancing lights from the torches flickered, then grew in strength as the dark shapes that carried them formed up into a battle order only scant chains away from the adventurers. The Temple guards then let loose with their shafts and the party ducked for cover behind their shields as they awaited the inevitable charge.

However, Vox decided he would not take any chances as the numbers were certainly not in the party’s favour. He let loose with his most powerful dweomer; the Fireball raced down the corridor and exploded amongst the guards. It spread flame and confusion amongst the ranks of the men-at-arms, but the screams of the dying were quickly cut-off by the intensity of the magical heat.

After the screams and shouts had died down Bow, Tarquin and Theoderic advanced along the corridor to investigate if there were any survivors of the maelstrom of fire. As they arrived at the corner, they just caught sight of the heels of two of the Temple guardians retreating around another corner in the corridor.

The Stairs Down

The retreating guards were too far ahead of the three fighters to be caught easily, and they were also wary of a trap that might be sprung upon them around the next corner, so they decided to quickly explore the end of the corridor. A wide set of steps led down to what they believed would be the second level of the dungeon.

Bow, who had positioned himself slightly ahead of his colleagues, decided to look up the corridor that the escaping guards had run up. He had to retreat rapidly as the expected ambush was sprung upon him. A volley of crossbow bolts and a shower of javelins were swiftly followed by a tirade of magical cursing.

He retreated rapidly back to where he had come from, urgently yelling at his two comrades to join him in the headlong rush back to the safety of the rest of the party back down the corridor. The three fighters rounded the corner, turned and formed up a defensive shield in readiness for the arrival of the rest of the guards.

The Side Corridor

Whilst Bow, Tarquin and Theoderic prepared for the ensuing combat with the second set of guards, Cormac and Maximillian investigated the side corridor from which they knew, according to Johan, the bugbears had emerged.

Cormac thrust his lantern into the room on the left hand side of the corridor and swiftly followed it with his head. This room was indeed an abandoned guard room for something other than humans. He closed the door behind him without bothering to search the room fully.

At the same time, Maximillian investigated the door opposite. He checked the door over for traps, and finding none, he pushed the door open. The darkness beyond revealed nothing but a set of stairs down, so he threw a small lantern-oil bomb to both light the way and warn off any potential threats in the darkness. He heard no screams or shouts of pain when the flames erupted but he began to hear scrabbling and squeaking noises in the distance. He ignored the small noises and threw another oil bomb down the pit at the end of a second set of downward leading steps that were revealed by the first lantern oil missile. This only proved to increase the noises that he heard until suddenly a horde of giant rats burst out of the pit and launched themselves at him.

In his panic he flung a final, un-aimed fire bomb at the approaching wave of teeth and claws but he was rapidly overtaken by dozens of the very fast moving, and obviously very hungry, giant rodents. He was bitten several times during his escape but just managed to evade the bulk of the swarm and slammed the door on the vast horde of vermin. Unfortunately about a dozen of the critters got through the door with him, but Cormac was there to provide the thief with cover whilst he made his escape. Vox, who had been watching out for them at the end of the corridor cast a Magic Missile spell that destroyed half their number and Johan cast a Sticks to Snakes spell upon seven sticks he had collected for the purpose and the rats were swiftly dispatched by the snakes that were summoned.

The Guards Controlled

The black-cloaked Temple guards ran round the corner yelling war-cries to their beloved Zuggtmoy. They hoped to destroy the three fleeing fighters in combat but instead Johan, who had swiftly drunk a Potion of Human Control, ordered them to a halt. Confused, the guards stopped in their tracks but did not offer a fight to the waiting fighters of the party.

Johan then ordered the guards into a huddle and made them drop their weapons and begin to remove their armour. Bow, Tarquin and Theoderic used this opportunity to pass through the ranks of controlled guards and ran back to the ambush site round the corridor to find that half the compliment of guards that Bow had seen, along with their presumed clerical leaders, had gone.

The fighters set up another defensive cordon in expectation of their return whilst Johan spread some Keoghtom’s Ointment onto Maximillian’s wounds which not only healed them but removed any risk of disease.

The three fighters realised that no threat was to come from that direction, so they decided to see if they could chase down the clerics and their remaining guards. They ran round the corner to see if they could catch them in the rear but there was no-one in sight; they had delayed a bit too long. They decided to still pursue the Temple guards but a lantern lit side corridor stopped their advance. A quick dart into the side corridor revealed to Bow that there were two doors along its length, and a small table and chairs at the far end showed that this was obviously a guard’s position and most likely the site of some kind of barracks. They decided not to investigate any further at this juncture but carried on with the pursuit of their quarry along the corridor that they now assumed joined back up with the earth elemental chamber.

A Final Encounter

Whilst Vox, Maximillian and Cormac recovered from the encounter with the giant rats and discussed what they would do next, Johan lined up the guards and began to take their confessions to shrive them of their sins, whilst Maximillian did the same with their money pouches. Cormac and Vox then heard a muffled explosion in the distance; it seemed to come from the earth elemental room.

The Temple clerics and their guards had advanced through Maximillian’s fire-trapped curtain and had set off the muffled explosion which Vox and Cormac had heard. They then poked their heads around the corner to spy out the party. The adventurers were ready for them though and Vox spotted them straight away. He did not mess around and cast a second Fireball at the guards. After the screams had died down Vox, Cormac and Maximillian went to investigate and question any survivors.

Johan, now left alone with the remainder of the Temple Guards, told them to seek out their comrades and then left them to their own devices. The cleric re-joined his companions in the earth elemental chamber and the guards marched off back towards their barracks in search of their colleagues.

From the barrack rooms, the three fighters also heard the explosion and then the screams of the dying Temple guards so ran towards the glow at the end of the corridor. They passed through the burning curtain but only sustained minor injuries, and arrived in the chamber just in time to see the rest of their party enter the earth elemental chamber through the curtain on the other side of the chamber. The party searched over the scorched bodies but only found a couple of items, a suit of chain armour and a mace, upon the bodies of the assumed Temple priests that were not affected by the heat of the Fireball. They picked these up for later Identification.

Final Explorations – early evening

After the fight had concluded, Cormac and Johan gathered up the weapons and armour from the ensorcelled guards and stored them in the bugbears’ guard room. Whilst the rest of the party were busy collecting up and storing weapons and anything else useful they could find, Bow spotted the ensorcelled guards cross the earth elemental chamber. Just as they reached the exit, the guards jeered and ran from the party; the effects of Johan’s control had finally ceased to have an effect on them. Bow let them go – what could they achieve anyway? He used the opportunity to return to the barracks room and search it, but other than a few pouches of low denomination coins and guards’ weapons there was nothing to be found of any value from a brief search.

Once they had stowed away anything that they thought might be of any value, the party readied their own weapons and advanced upon the wide steps that led down to the second level of the dungeon beneath the Temple.

Doggerland Session 6:36 (Dungeon Level 1)

Return to Castleford (25^th June 2014)

The Adventurers

Bow – Ranger

Cormac – Fighter

Johan – Cleric

Maximillian – Thief

Tarquin - Fighter

Theoderic - Fighter

Vox – Magic User

The Return of Maximillian and the Arrival of Tarquin - Moonday 22nd Hextember (day 83) – late morning

The late summer morning sun swiftly burned off the morning mists from the Imeryds Run as the exhausted party headed out of Nulb on their new found steeds. Vox had finally recovered from his magical efforts and was ready to travel again.

The road back to Castleford was sparsely occupied so the party made good time, despite the fact that only the fighters knew how to ride. The destruction of the pirate gang masters and their accomplices from Nulb and Castleford had made the roads much safer for travellers and caravans to travel upon in recent weeks. The torrent of bandit raids just a short time ago had dried up to a trickle now that their main headquarters at the moat house in the fens had also been destroyed.

The sullen guard at the South Gate of Castleford nodded the party through after the party explained that they were there to return their fallen comrade to life. They led their horses to the stables at the Talehangers’ Inn where they were met with great enthusiasm; Bow had spent a fortune here over the last few weeks and the pot boys and ostlers were eager to earn more tips for their services.

Once the horses had been stabled, the party headed for the main tap room to wash the dust from their parched throats. The bar was quite packed for the time of day and several groups of merchants and other adventuring types were present all around. The inn-keeper spotted the party straight away and attended to their every need; reserving the best rooms for Bow and his comrades, whilst putting Gull’s body in a place of honour in a side room.

Just as the party settled down to a hearty lunch, they spotted the arrival of one of their old companions; the thief Maximillian. They called him over and they caught up on old times whilst they made introductions between party members who had not met before. He explained that he had become a little jaded with small town Guild matters and needed a short break away from the stuffy confines of Abiswick.

On the far side of the room, a well-armed and armoured individual rose from his seat and made his way across to the party’s table. He introduced himself as Tarquin and that he was a sword for hire looking for adventure and treasure. The party eyed him warily but invited him to join them none-the-less.

Each of the party members had errands to run, so this was a good time for them to carry them out before they left for the Temple again the following day; an extra sword would be useful if they encountered any more combat. Bow whistled for the inn keeper and booked a room for their two new companions.

After he had paid over the necessary coins, Bow left the inn, grabbed his horse from the stable and set about town in order to see what he could achieve on his personal list of things to do. He sold the horse to Ernest, the horse merchant whom they rescued from the moat house, at a good price and enquired after a variety of other artisans and merchants who may be able to help him with his list of items. Ernest offered him the best advice he could and Bow went upon his way. He found the wizard that Ernest proposed and was able to get a few more of the party’s magical items Identified. Once he had completed these tasks he headed back to the Talehanger’s Inn in time for supper, an evening of heavy drinking and, after a luxurious bath a nice comfortable bed.

Cormac spent most of the day trudging around the town in pursuit of a particular type of magical sword; unfortunately there were none of that type of rare weapon to be found in this town. One or two merchants offered to look out for this particular type of sword for him and said they would contact him at the inn if they came across one.

Johan, after he had finished his lunch, took the body of Gull to the Temple of Woden in the artisan’s quarter. He asked whether the high priest could raise his companion from the dead and he was told that this was indeed possible. The priest of Woden was able to bring Gull back from the netherworlds but the cost was most of the contents of his coin purse. However, the thief still had several trinkets worth many a year’s work left on his person. When he came round from his ordeal he thanked Johan for his concern and said that he wanted to spend some time with his family to contemplate his future. He had died or been close to death on several occasions and had come to realise, rather belatedly, that adventuring was a dangerous pursuit. He said that he may join the party at a later date if he rediscovered his zest for danger. The cleric and thief shook hands and parted their ways.

When Johan returned to the inn he was greeted by the sounds of challenge from Vox. As he entered the courtyard he saw the little mage ducking and weaving away from a great sword held by the new fellow that had joined their party earlier that day. As Vox caught sight of the cleric, his attention wavered and he was clouted by the flat of Tarquin’s blade. Vox grumbled under his breath that clerics always seemed to ruin everything but realised that he was bleeding quite profusely so he scampered into the inn and declared to Tarquin as he passed him that he was good enough to join the party in his humble opinion.

The Old Crone - Tirsday 23rd Hextember (day 84) – mid morning

The party rose late the following day and slowly ate a large breakfast as they loaded their packs for the next stage of the adventure. Vox nursed a big headache and sported a large scab from the cut he got from Tarquin’s blade the evening before. Johan’s offer of aid was rejected by the suspicious magic user.

After all of their preparations had been made, those that had horses mounted up and followed their companions on foot towards the town gates. Just before they reached the end of the road, an old lady stepped out from the shadows of a nearby building and called for them to halt.

Cormac recognised the old crone as the one whom he had met in Nulb. Bow and Vox chose to ignore her and carried on travelling towards the gates; the rest of the adventuring party trailed on after them. The doughty fighter, however, chose to stop and see what she wanted.

After she had thanked him for stopping, she proceeded to offer him information about their quest if their intention was to head back to the Temple. She had been informed by the High Priest of the Temple of Sol Invictus in Castleford that the amulet they had gathered from Lareth, who had commanded the moat house until the party’s timely arrival, and stored safely under magical glyphs had been stolen. It would take a mighty mage or superb thief to manage that task. If past disturbances were anything to go by, then that third amulet would be used to open the third set of magically locked Temple doors at the next new moon in just five days’ time.

She then went on to mention that the fourth amulet was to be found within the Temple confines three levels down in a crypt that was consecrated in honour of Sol Invictus and was protected by strong dweomers. She also mentioned that the Golden Orb was also on the third level down but in a small side section of the dungeon. This was well protected by elements of the Temple but may be easier to find as it was listed on the map that the party had found in the tower within the Temple grounds.

Finally, she advised that, in a few days’ time, the Castleford garrison would be called out again to strike the final blow against the Temple in the hope that the upper levels could be cleared and the third amulet reclaimed.

Cormac thanked her for the information and rode to catch up with the rest of his companions who were by then out of the gates and had travelled past the leper colony in the cluster of hovels just outside the town walls. When he passed on all that he had learned, the party decided to get in before the Thuringians raided the Temple in order that they did not miss out on any potential treasure.

Return to the Temple – early afternoon

The party passed through Nulb on their journey back to the Temple via Nulb. The five horses between them carried those who wanted to ride and their heavy packs, but Bow decided to walk with Max and Tarquin now that he had sold his.

They made good time and after a brief break in their journey to water the horses they debated what they should do next. Johan and Tarquin suggested that they should go to fetch the Golden Orb first as it was contained within just a small part of the dungeon and most likely easy to find, but Bow argued that maybe they should plough on through the rest of the dungeon to get the fourth amulet and pick up as much treasure as possible before the Thuringians got their hands on it. A show of hands decided that they would continue on with the rest of the dungeon to grab the fourth amulet.

Reanimated Dead – late afternoon

Once they arrived back at the overgrown entrance to the Temple grounds, the party retraced their steps back to the elemental room. All along the way they saw the after effects of their actions above ground but there did not seem to be any other signs of movement from anyone or anything else other than carrion eaters.

They cautiously re-entered the Temple building above ground but again noticed that there were no signs of anyone having been there other than themselves.

They descended the wide stone steps down to the pyramid dais room of the earth elementals in combat readiness but encountered no resistance. It was only when they had crossed the chamber and spread out that they noticed that the bodies of the bugbears and gnolls they had dispatched a few days earlier had gone; but the bloodstains in the earth remained.

This caused a ripple of fear to spread throughout the party, so they readjusted their weapons and made ready for an imminent attack. Bow, braver than the rest, strode to the curtain beyond which the bugbears initially came and twitched it aside. The movement he encountered when the curtain was moved made him pull the drapery back further to reveal the reanimated corpses of those humanoids that they had previously killed. A rough growl from one of the bugbears showed which one was in charge as the zombies stumbled forward to engage the interlopers.

Tarquin, eager to impress his new found compatriots, made a bee-line for the living bugbear commander whilst Johan called upon the mighty powers of Balder to destroy the minions of evil. Two or three of the shambling corpses dropped to the floor again, bereft of their controlling shades, whilst the other fighters engaged in combat.

Again, the fact that the party had encountered these types of beings previously held no fear for them and they soon dispatched the zombies and their living bugbear commander with only a few scratches between them. Johan checked those that were injured for grey ooze that may have invaded their wounds, but no-one seemed to be infected.

Meanwhile, Maximillian, who was always keen to explore but avoid trouble, headed over to the other curtain. He was closely followed by Vox, whose curiosity was piqued. Max flicked a small glass marble beyond the curtain but only heard it ricochet off the far wall and ping around like a normal marble would upon a flagstone floor. Unsure whether he should pass beyond the curtain, he instead decided to set a small firetrap on the curtain. He warned the young mage, who was now breathing down his neck in his keenness, to avoid the curtain if he did not want to get hurt.

Just as Johan finished checking over the wounds of the others he looked up from his handiwork and noticed at the far end of the dark corridor the approach of a torch. Somebody had heard the earlier commotion and was coming to investigate.

Doggerland Session 6:35 (Dungeon Level 1)

Dungeon Level One (18^th June 2014)

The Adventurers

Bow – Ranger

Cormac – Fighter

Johan – Cleric

Theoderic - Fighter

Vox – Magic User

 

Part of amended map to Dungeon Level 1 - copyright TSR/Wizards of the Coast

The Return of Theoderic

The villagers of the sleepy village of Steeplefell bade their heartfelt farewells to the doughty fighter as he shouldered his pack and headed off into the early morning mist. The recent successful missions by the party he had met only the day before had made travelling the roads a lot safer lately, and so he was able to make good time on his journey to Castleford.

He had decided not to wait upon the party’s return as it had been agreed that after he had safely delivered the captured village maidens to their home he could make his own way. He did briefly think about returning to the dungeon beneath the Pool of the Standing Stones to catch up with them again, but the pull of the big city and the reward of a hundred silver coins in his purse meant he decided to leave them to their own devices; and anyway, they may very well all be dead by now if rumours of the Bone Devil were true.

However, after a few days of carousing his interest in civilisation paled and he again sought adventure and more treasure. His first thoughts turned to the party he had met only a few days previously, and as he headed towards Nulb, rumours of the fabulous treasure that they had brought back with them from the dungeon only piqued his interest in them even more. They would be his meal ticket, and if he wound up saving the world in the process, all the better.

He managed to get directions to where they had headed from a few of the denizens of Nulb and followed the path that they had trod only a few days previously. He passed the remains of the burnt corpses of the trolls along the trail, so he knew that he must be on the right track.

Finally he arrived at the overgrown remains of the Temple. Again he saw the results of the party’s handiwork outside the main Temple building and just inside the vestibule he spotted the crushed remains of several stirges.

Just as he entered the nave, he caught the dim sounds of fighting from up ahead. He readjusted the straps on his armour, took a fresh grip upon his shield and readied his sword for combat. He approached the central stairwell and took a deep breath before he headed down into the twilight world beneath.

Johan’s Exit - Freyasday 19^th Hextember (Day 80) – afternoon

Johan was stranded alone on the opposite side of the pyramid dais from his companions. He still held within his hands the bronze casket that contained the sacrificial implements; he was determined to work out what they were for. The four elementals had stopped in their pursuit of the ranger and had turned their attention to him. He decided that he might best escape their clutches if he passed through the curtain he had seen Vox go through earlier.

Just as his thoughts turned to the young mage, he saw a bolt of lightning shoot forth from the diadem that he now continually wore upon his brow. This struck two of the elementals, but did not stop them in their stride towards the lone cleric. The earthen elementals stomped towards the cleric as he dithered at the base of the pyramid and then split up to entrap him between their two-pronged advance.

Johan spotted his chance and sprinted towards the curtain, casket under-arm. Vox again saw a chance to further his curiosity about the way the world worked, so he launched a Fireball at the elementals now that they were within optimal range. Two of the earthen beings were struck and one of them stumbled a little upon the impact of the magical fire. This gave Johan just enough time to get to the curtain.

As his feet struck the solid flagstones beyond the drapery, the elementals stopped their pursuit. They stood motionless for a few moments before they returned to their original points of emergence from the earthen floor. Once they had all reached their original point of entry, they slowly disseminated and flowed back into the ground without leaving a trace.

The rest of the party were intent on watching their companion’s escape, but a greeting from above made them momentarily forget him. Theoderic descended the stone steps into the chamber cautiously and re-joined his former companions at the bottom of the stairs.

Gnoll Attack

As the elementals returned to the world of their origins, Johan was left stumbling around in the dark; for he had brought no lantern with him in his flight from them.

Vox, as he knew about the darkness of the corridor beyond the curtain, went to look for him in order to confirm or dismiss his notion that the cleric had been killed by some hidden trap or monster in the darkness. He lit his lantern and proceeded cautiously across the floor, but avoided the entrance points that the elementals had come from. Nothing happened on his journey over, but when he arrived at the curtain and twitched it aside he realised, with disappointment, that he had got there just in time to save the cleric from wandering off and becoming lost in the darkness beyond.

Just as he stepped through the drapery, the rest of the party at the base of the steps on the opposite side of the room heard the shuffle of feet and the low rumble of otherworldly voices. The three fighters quickly halted their greetings and catch-up conversation and made ready to meet whatever threat that would come down the steps.

A few tense moments were dispelled when the four gnolls spotted the three warriors, howled their war cries, and sped into combat with weapons and teeth bared. The fight was over almost as soon as it began. The party now had the measure of these seven foot tall dog-headed humanoids, and the experience they had gained in fighting them previously meant that they were able to exploit the weaknesses in their attack plans.

Meanwhile, the lantern-aided Vox had caught up with Johan beyond the curtain and informed him that it was now safe to return to the main room as the elementals had been dispelled. However, Johan was determined to rest up and regain a few spells so he could study the evil casket and rid the world of the evil items. Vox shrugged his shoulders and returned to the rest of his companions just as they dispatched the last of the gnolls. Cormac made his way over to the second curtain and he found that beyond it was the mirror image of the one that the two magic wielders had passed through. Vox began to explain to Bow and Theoderic what Johan was up to.

Whilst Cormac confirmed what was beyond the second curtain, Bow explored the right hand room with the stones and barrels again. After he had prised off the lids of a few barrels he surmised that they were most likely all full of lantern oil, but little else of interest was to be found in the room. He replenished his own lantern oil stocks, lit a rag, and dropped it onto some of the spilled oil. He then swiftly left the room and closed the door after him with a wry grin upon his face. He then moved along the wall past a curious Vox and Theoderic to the other room that Johan could not see and picked up the few treasures in there that he found in a small cupboard.

A few minutes later the oil that had been lit in the side room had built up enough pressure that it exploded; it sent a shower of the stones mixed with shattered wooden door splinters over the earthen floor.

The Cleric and the Bugbears

Whilst all this was going on, Johan had made himself comfortable opposite the one side tunnel that the two companions had spotted with their lantern. He placed the evil casket beside him so that it did not get in the way of his divine preparations but could be picked up in a hurry should the need so arise. In the darkness, for Vox had taken his lantern with him again, he began to chant and pray to gain some divining spells from his god Balder.

After a few minutes of meditation he was disturbed by the explosion that Bow had set up. A few seconds after the low rumble had died away, he then heard a door open from some way down the side corridor that was now ahead of him. This roused him from his reverie; he then heard the swooshing sound of weapons being readied and the soft pad of several sets of footsteps approached him rapidly. He managed to pick up the casket and began to stumble back towards the main chamber using the side wall as his guide but he was struck from behind by a pursuer who could obviously see in the total darkness of the corridor.

Fear put speed into his steps and he burst into the main chamber with three bugbears in hot pursuit. The fighters spotted his hasty return and subsequent pursuit so ran to his aid. Theoderic and Bow passed the cleric in his headlong flight to the entrance steps and thus blocked the bugbears from their quarry. Cormac ran across from the other curtained corner and joined his belligerent companions in their attack on the bugbears, whilst Vox shouted encouragement from the safety of the steps.

Again, the fighters got the drop on their attackers as past experience of fighting these large, hairy beings came to the fore. It only took a few moments for the three fighters to dispatch their opponents.

Buried Treasure!

After the three fighters had wiped the dark blood from their blades they returned to the main entrance steps where they took stock of their current situation. Whilst they were discussing their options, Bow noticed that the shower of stones and wooden shards from the oil keg explosion had disturbed the soil where the nearest elemental to the door had ‘melted’ back into the ground. He tentatively poked the depression with the blade of his sword and after a few moments it hit something that yielded in a different way to the earth in the hole. He put his blade away and hauled the earth out of the hole using his hands to find a leather sack that contained a large amount of gold coins and a few other items of treasure. The rest of the party then joined him at the other three entrance holes and dug up further hoards of coins and curious items.

Return to Nulb - evening

The large sum of treasure and the beaten up countenance of each of the adventurers forced the companions to realise that they were in sore need of rest and a fresh plan on how to tackle this dungeon.

Johan then raised the issue of the return to life of their companion Gull. He argued that as they had done this for Hallan, they should do so for Gull – they had just found more than enough gold for this after all. His arguments convinced the rest of them, albeit grudgingly in a couple of instances, so the fighters picked up the body of their comrade and made their way out of the main Temple building.

Bow and Cormac were about to head off to make a sling for Gull’s corpse when they remembered that the barn with the six riding horses was just to the north outside the Temple grounds. The horses were beginning to get a bit restless due to a lack of fodder but they snickered their appreciation of a few apples from Vox’s pack. The party mounted up in readiness for a slow return to Nulb; Gull’s horse had to be led, but so did Vox’s and Johan’s as neither had any skill at riding a horse.

Rest and Recuperation - (days 81-82)

The light was fading from the sky as the party returned to Nulb. The horses clopped slowly into the village with their burdens and were halted outside the new motte and bailey fortification. Bow and Cormac dismounted and approached the gate guards.

They were told that there was still no tavern as such (but one was being built on the razed remains of the Boatmen’s Tavern up by the Pool), but with a few minutes’ negotiation, and the crossing of several gold coins into eager palms, they managed to set up a cot each within the confines of the new wooden castle.

They laid Gull’s body onto a trestle table and Johan Spoke with his Dead spirit. He asked him whether he was happy where he was and where his nearest family were to be found. Gull’s spirit replied that he was not happy where he was as he had been taken too early and that his family were in Castleford. This convinced Johan further that they must resurrect their companion.

Vox, a little wary due to the spell’s side effects, Identified the treasure haul from the elemental room, but this forced him to sleep a lot over the next two days to recover from the exertion required.

During this down time for the young wizard, Cormac asked around town after the old crone and her herb lore to see if they could get Gull resurrected. He found her at her herb shop with her equally craggy daughter. She responded politely to his questions but said that she did not know of anyone that had the skills outside of Castleford or Loidis.

Meanwhile, Johan spent most of the time resting and gaining as many healing spells as he was able to. Once a day he gained a full complement of healing spells in place of his usual offensive and defensive ones and was thus able to bring the rest of the party up to full health.

In between times he was also able to converse with the artisans who were busy constructing the new church dedicated to Sol Invictus, the new stone castle, and the numerous other new buildings in Nulb, which included the new tavern and a house for the local lord to be invested in. He wanted to find out how much it would cost, and how long it would take, for them to build a temple dedicated to the Old Gods. He was told that this could be done, but the artisans would need plans and so forth so that they could give him a quote for the work required. They also mentioned that it would most likely not be wise to build such an edifice within a Thuringian controlled township. He thanked them for their advice and went back to aiding his companions.

Whilst the two magic users went about their business of working out the party’s treasure and healing their wounds, the three warriors, after getting the nicks honed out of their sword blades and the rents repaired in their armour, managed to find a variety of places in which they could purchase drink and enjoy themselves – the local soldiers and a few other townsfolk had plenty of beer, ale and wine to sell them, as well as places to drink it.

Rest and Recuperation – Moonday 22nd Hextember (day 83)

Vox finally awoke from his the efforts of his second Identify spell, fully refreshed, and much to his chagrin healed up. He gathered the rest of his companions around him and asked them what they would like to do next. They had recovered the Sword of Solitude and one of the amulets (Bow still had not told them that he had the first amulet about his person too), but still needed to find the rest of the items in order to be able to dispel Zuggtmoy back to her own realm.

They concluded that as they would need to return to Castleford to get Gull resurrected anyway, they might as well go to the Baron Tancred to see if he had any more information for them. Surely Lareth from the moat house would have surrendered information on the whereabouts of some of these items?