Idalium Game 111: Welcome to My Nightmare

Session date: Monday, May 20, 2019
Game date: Saturday, July 2, 211

PCs:
Gulleck Stonefoot, Dwarf 7, hp 41, xp 72019/140000
Caryatid, Magic-user 5, hp 24, xp 21203/40000
Simon Sackwell, Halfling 4, hp 15, xp 10012/16000
Adrien, Fighter 4, hp 16, xp 10174/16000
Frosty Beans, Fighter 1, hp 5, xp 38/2000

Retainers:
Manley "Meat" Smythe, Fighter 5, hp 17, xp 17063/32000
Father Chase Pike, Cleric 3, hp 13, xp 4696/6000
Kevon, Fighter 2, hp 8, xp 2018/4000
Boe, Fighter 1, hp 5, xp 131/2000

In our last episode, the Infestation Managers had a skirmish with the Queen of Nightmares and her bugbear litter-bearers. Now, as the party descended into the undercity, they were confronted by a group of ten bugbears in the town square, next to the ruins of the fountain.

"We mean you no harm. We have been waiting for you," hooted the bugbear at the front, as the adventurers reached for their weapons. As they cautiously returned to ease, the bugbear continued. "We have been enslaved by the Queen of Nightmares. We are forced to do her bidding, for she has stolen from us the ability to sleep. Only in her palace can we get relief, and only at her forbearance. We are not strong enough to defeat her ourselves, but you are very powerful. Please help free us, and we will leave this dungeon and not return."

Gulleck reminded them that they were the adventurers who had slain the Goblin King, and no funny business! And so the adventurers took pity on these bugbears, and allowed the bugbears to escort them into the palace of the Queen of Nightmares.

(Oh, it hardly seems sporting when they just walk into the trap!)

On the way, in the Temple of Hedonism, they ran into Shorty "the Mouse" and her party of adventurers. Shorty was shocked to see her friend Gulleck consorting with monsters such as bugbears.

"How can you trust them, Gulleck! They're leading you into a trap!"
"Well, that's as may be, but it does seem the quickest way to the Queen of Nightmares, and we have unfinished business with her."

Shorty wished the adventurers good luck and watched nervously as they descended to the next level of the dungeon, led by the party of bugbears. They were led down to the third level, and then across to the west, where the bugbears unlocked a servant's entrance to the the walled palace. They brought them in through antechamber and then into a large audience hall lined with stone columns, and flanked by a railed balcony, in the center of which was a dark wooden throne. And sitting on the throne was the Queen of Nightmares in her frayed and ragged black robes.

"Excellent work, my servants," she said to the bugbears. Addressing the adventurers, she said, "Allow me to explain your situation. By stepping into my domain, all of you have given over your lives to me. Your lives are forfeit, except in my service. You are free to leave if you wish, but you will find no rest, no succor except in my service. There are bunks prepared for you here, when you are ready to accept your servitude and return to me."

"How about 'No'?" snapped Gulleck as she reached for her throwing axe.

"Cease your resistance!" boomed the Queen, pointing a finger at Gulleck, who felt a wave of magic wash through her, attempting to lock her body rigid, but she made her saving throw easily.

"Defend me, my slaves!" cried the Queen to the bugbears, and all of them attempted to grapple the adventurers into full nelson holds, but failed miserably except on Adrien.

Caryatid cast Magic Missile at the Queen, and a golden arrow shot forth, but the Queen raised a hand and light flashed from a ring she wore. The arrow vanished and then reappeared, shooting back at Caryatid who twisted out of the way and was merely seared by its energy. Then Gulleck threw her hand axe and rolled the Big Green d30 for damage, hitting the Queen for a whopping 24 points. Adrien wriggled out of the bugbear's grasp, while Father Chase took the creative choice of using his sling to fling an ineffectual vial of holy water at the Queen.

The Queen of Nightmare stumbled off her throne, one hand grasping the vicious wound in her side while the other hand reached into a pocket. She drew forth a twisted wand and pointed it at the adventurers. A wave of fearful magic swept over them, but it turned out to work mostly in their favor. Only Kevon, Frosty, and Marcel the monkey were affected by the magical fear, but ALL of the bugbears were. They all fled screaming out of the hall, while the Queen stumbled and limped her way through a door at the back of the balcony behind the throne.

The adventurers had passed stairs in the antechamber that led up to the balcony, and Adrien quickly ran to them to pursue the Queen. Adrien sent Norman the giant ferret charging up the stairs but they turned out to be coated with grease, and he slipped roughly back down. Back in the throne room, Simon used his levitating boots to float up to the balcony, and Caryatid ordered her magical rope to slither up to the balcony and tie itself to the railing. Adrien slipped on the stairs as well, but eventually everyone made it up to the balcony.

Beyond the balcony, stairs led back down into a large courtyard decorated with the heraldry of the Queen of Nightmares. Several slaves, some dwarves and some young children, were cowering the corners away from their work tables that contained partially sewn banners, clothing, etc. Across the courtyard was an open door. As Caryatid and Gulleck approached it, a strange, vaguely humanoid cloud of mist floated out of the door, over their heads, and out of the courtyard back towards the audience hall.

Through the door was the Queen of Nightmare's bedroom. An austere four poster bed was draped in tattered shrouds of funeral black. On a nightstand lay a pair of white leather gloves. In an untidy heap on the ground in front of the bed were what appeared to be the Queen's black robes and other possessions. Two rings and a sheathed dagger lay on the floor near the robes, along with the twisted wand she had been holding. An empty glass vial lay on the floor, a cork stopper next to it.

They gathered up these treasures, and then Caryatid picked up the gloves from the nightstand. Unfortunately, these were coated in poison and her strength vanished from her body and would not return for the next half hour. She used a burlap sack to carefully pick up the gloves the second time.

There was a door on the west wall, and Gulleck opened it, discovered that the doorknob must have been coated with the same poison as the gloves. Luckily for Gulleck, dwarves are very resistent to poison and she (barely) made her saving throw. She decided to smash the door down with her axe instead.

Past the splintered remains of the door was a small room. A door was on the opposite side, but between them and it was an enormous skeletal figure with four arms, each wielding a large curved sword. Frosty stepped towards it and it took a swipe at him that nearly took off his head. Caryatid cast Web, which fouled the creature's arms. While it struggled to free itself from the web, Gulleck and Simon rushed in and dispatched it. The room it was guarding turned out to be the treasure trove of the Queen of Nightmares. Chests of gleaming coins (1,400 electrum pieces in all) sat amidst many pieces of jewelry and artwork, as well a crystal ball wrapped in a black velvet cloth.

The group bundled all of this treasure up, and retreated back to the surface, in fear that the Queen of Nightmares would return and nervous of the strange curse she had placed upon them all.