Session date: Monday, December 10, 2018
Game date: Saturday, January 22, 211
PCs:
Gulleck Stonefoot, Dwarf 7, hp 41, xp 71586/140000
Caryatid, Magic-user 5, hp 24, xp 20616/40000
Simon Sackwell, Halfling 4, hp 15, xp 9395/16000
Adrien, Fighter 4, hp 16, xp 8334/16000
Retainers:
Manley "Meat" Smythe, Fighter 5, hp 17, xp 16909/32000
Father Chase Pike, Cleric 3, hp 13, xp 4429/6000
Orin, Elf 1, hp 4, xp 2116/4000
Jack, Thief 3, hp 10, xp 2811/4800
We seemed to have lost momentum. It had been eighteen weeks since our last session. As is our custom, as much time had passed in the campaign world as in real life. But now we (and thus, the adventurers) managed to all be available on the same day, and another delve beneath Idalium was made.
In the Rusty Lantern tavern, the adventurers found that in their prolonged absence, the Brothers Fruthwood (a rival adventuring party composed of three hobbit brothers and a couple of hired hands) had leapfrogged ahead of them on the "scoreboard". Somewhat peeved to have lost their crown, the party descended and made their way through the Temple of Hedonism to the second level, where Adrien insisted they stop in the Temple of Chance and take a spin on the great wheel of fortune.
Adrien spun, and suddenly felt very ill, but instant death was averted by a saving throw. Her retainer Jack also went for a spin, but apart from a vague feeling of good fortune it was unclear what boon or bane had been bestowed upon him.
Down they went to the third level. In the Hall of Elder Gods, they were not greeted by "the Judge" as usual, but instead heard deep snores coming from the hallway leading to his chamber. Deciding not to wake him, they proceeded to explore the level and headed west.
At a door with an engraved insignia of a pentagram surrounding a goat's head, Simon used his mind-reading amulet to sense the presence of several minds in the room beyond. Reaching deeper into one of the minds, his head was filled with thoughts of studying esoteric prayers and rituals. They moved on, further to the west, coming to a long wall that ran north and south into the darkness. The wall was decorated and painted to give the impression of a single long building, like a palace wall. At the intersection was a door, fairly ornate and grand.
They listened and Simon used his amulet, and detected no one on the other side. Gulleck knocked, and received no response, so they entered, and found themselves in an empty antechamber. It had once been quite grand, with marble tiles on the floor and decorative plaster molding at the top of the walls. Now it was dusty and ragged, the tiles chipped and scratched and the plasterwork crumbling.
Two doors led out of this room and the party chose a plainer door to the south. This led to a small room that was a sort of widening of a long hall that led west into the dark. Across from them was a large cabinet. It was found to be locked, so Jack put his thieves' tools to work and successfully picked the lock. Inside they found a few burlap sacks containing several hundred gold and silver coins, as well as a large stock of arrows. They took the coins, and Simon filled his quiver with as many arrows as it would hold.
They went back into the antechamber and tried the other door. This led to a grand hall with several doors leading off it, and a wide passage leading north. This passage was decorated with old, faded banners and flags depicting some unfamiliar heraldry. It led to a door at the north end that was barricaded with numerous pieces of furniture: ornate chairs, cabinets, side tables, wardrobes, etc., all jumbled in a heap blocking the door.
The group decided to ignore this door for now, and explored further to the west, through another door. This turned out to be a plain bedroom, with several old and rickety bunk beds against the walls, most likely a former servants' quarters. But dominating their immediate attention were four statue-like creatures, with demonic faces and bat-like wings - gargoyles!
The adventurers were itching for a fight after so long, and uncharacteristically they charged into the room with weapons drawn, rather than bottlenecking the doorway as usual. Adrien drew the "disco sword" she had claimed from the Goblin King, and the room was filled with scintillating light of every color of the rainbow as she faced down one of the gargoyles.
Caryatid attempted to cast a Sleep spell, but this had no effect on the magical creatures. Before Adrien could land a blow, she was viciously rent by claws and fell to the ground in a bloody heap. Another gargoyle pounced on Gulleck and managed to roll a 20 on two of its three attacks! Gulleck stumbled and fell on her side and the gargoyle leaped on top of her and its stony teeth tore open her forehead. Blood was streaming into her eyes, obscuring her vision.
Father Chase rushed to Adrien's body and let the power of his Staff of Healing flow through her (rolling the Big Green d30 for extra hit points healed). Adrien gasped as she regained consciousness, finding all her wounds healed.
A second gargoyle crouched over Gulleck and tore at her prone body, while she was struggling to wipe the blood from her eyes and clear her vision. Meanwhile the last of the four gargoyles ripped at Simon. Father Chase hurried over to heal Simon, while Gulleck, still struggling with two gargoyles pinning her to the ground, managed to swing her magical axe right into the side of one of them. Gray mud, like wet cement, poured out of the wound, and the gargoyle fell off her.
Father Chase had healed Simon of some of his wounds, but alas, it was not enough to protect him from the onslaught of the gargoyle that was fighting him. With a scream, the hobbit fell beneath a flurry of claws and teeth. His plate armor hit the stone floor with a solid thump. And then Father Chase was facing the vicious claws of a gargoyle! He backed away, trying to defend himself, but he too was brought to his knees and then prone by the fangs and sharp claws of the cruel creature. With a gargling shriek, he fell still.
But the tide was turning. Adrien had slain her gargoyle, and Gulleck, having regained her feet, made quick work of the remaining two with her magical axe and gauntlets of ogre strength. Soon, all was still, and the party looked round to take stock of their comrades.
Simon and Father Chase lay still on the floor. Simon was feebly breathing but unconscious (at zero hit points) but Father Chase seemed worse off. I called for the customary 1d4-1 roll to regain hit points at the end of each battle, representing some portion of hit points that signify fatigue or combat luck. Simon did not roll a 1, and therefore gradually regained consciousness, feeling completely ragged and exhausted.
Caryatid's player chose to roll the Big Green d30 for this, and rolling a 20, Father Chase was found to be in pristine condition: a miracle!! Perhaps he had only been struck a series of glancing blows, or perhaps some divine intervention had averted his death, but either way, he regained consciousness to find he had narrowly escaped serious injury.
One of the gargoyles was found to have gemstones for its eyes: a round piece of carved jet and a deep blue spinel stone. They gouged out these "eyes" from the lifeless head, and pleased with this bit of treasure, the adventurers made their way back out of the dungeon and celebrated their success back in the Rusty Lantern with a round of drinks.
Father Chase, badly demoralized by his close brush with death, decided to take four weeks off from adventuring.
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