The Cast of Characters
Adzeer Mattiu, Hunter of the Second Circle (Half Orc, Hunter): Tim (Gothridge Manor)
Breena Honey-Badger Warrick (Gnome, Barbarian): Joshua (Tales of the Rambling Bumblers)
Dante Rathburn (Human, Warlock): Chris (The Clash of Spear on Shield)
Luven Lightfinger (Human, Rogue): Rob (Bat in the Attic)
Nosphryc Azurecoat (Human, Fighter): Douglas (Gaming Ballistic)
13 Rescued Gnomes (Abel; Dilrod; Dwemmon; Ernst; Evinrude; Fern; Fernando; Gemflower; Happenstance; Homer; Priscilla; Rosepetal; Zelma Lynn)
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| Map A (1 square = 5 feet) |
The previous session had ended with the party having defeated a vampire spawn and her accompany guard of wights and zombies in Room 1 (Map A above). The brave adventurers were still on their way downward into the earth, seeking to deliver some deep living gnomes back to their homes. The gnomes had been rescued from captivity in Session 29 and Session 36.
The party continued south, with Luven moving quietly in the lead through a series of secret doors. They passed through an empty Room 2 (Map A) into Room 3. They found a small plain shrine in Room 3, with a simple black stone altar against the west wall and a heavy stone table against the east wall. The party did a lot of checking and determined, through careful examination, that the area had was a fake shrine. It was simply staged to look like an area of devotion. They broke the altar.
The party discovered a secret door behind the table on the east wall. The party moved into Room 4 (Map A above) and found a unadorned stone sarcophagus. Luven rushed to push the lid off, in a quick move for treasure. There was nothing in the sarcophagus except for a bucket's worth of topsoil which gave off a faint whiff of undead. The party did various things to the soil to de-undead it--which involved holy water and urine.
They examined the sarcophagus more carefully, looking for false compartments and secret doors. They did see that the lid of the sarcophagus had the name "Sebastian Baynard Finster" engraved on the lid. The party decided that Sebastian Baynard Finster is the SBF mentioned in two letters they found during the last session, both written by a Brother Kepler (here and here).
Finding nothing further, the party left the crypt area and moved west to Area 6 on Map A [the DM realizing after the fact that Map A has no Area 5...oops]. The party was into to continue downward by using the descending stairs at Area 7. However, Luven (with his magically enhanced hearing) heard the sound of voices coming from the north of Area 6 (from Area 8). He moved stealthily north to Area 8, noted that they were coming from the east. He moved east and, looking north, saw a few hobgoblins and boreal trolls in Room 9 (Map A).
He quietly moved back to the party, waiting for him in Area 6. His hand motions conveyed to the party that there was something up that way, but each party member drew their own conclusion. The party moved back north and this time did not escape the notice of the hobgoblins.
Now in Montporte, hobgoblins are trash talking fey of the Winter Court who have some limited teleporting ability as well as being tougher in combat. Despite being mean-spirited slavers, hobgoblins prefer to leave the fighting to their hired muscle.
Melee ensued with two of the hobgoblins teleporting next to Luven. The party moved in to help, but not before Luven got knocked about. The party and the hobgoblins fought a confused swirling battle around the corridor intersection at Area 8. Two more hobgoblins teleported into the hallway between Area 8 and Room 10, adding to the confusion. In the meantime, the trolls in Room 9 made their way down the corridor and began to press the attack from the east.
The party was able to dispatch the first two hobgoblins and, when turning to the north to take on the second two, the second wave of hobgoblins teleported away to parts unknown.
This left the trolls, who knocked Luven around some more. Fortunately for the party, the 10' wide corridor limited the trolls. The second troll couldn't get to the party to attack. The party could focus their combined melee and magic attack on one troll at a time, which reduced the impact of the troll's regeneration.
The first troll was knocked down, but began regenerating. Lots of oil was applied to the prone troll while most of the party engaged the second troll that had moved up, standing and fighting over the top of his fallen comrade.
Lots of damage was dealt to the second troll and, in a final two for one deal, magical flame ignited the oil. This killed the prone troll outright and did just enough damage to the second troll to count as the final death blow.
The party discovered that there were 5 large sacks in the Room 9, where the hobgoblins and boreal trolls recently been hanging out. The sacks contained 5 unconscious, but very alive, gnomes. The party now had 13 rescued gnomes.
The party took a short rest and this is where the session ended.
The Dungeon So Far
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| Level 1 (1 square = 5 feet) |
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| Level 2 (1 square = 5 feet) |
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| Level 3 (1 square = 5 feet) |
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| Mystery Level A (1 square = 5 feet) |
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| Mystery Level B (1 square = 5 feet) |
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| 21 Miles Below A (1 square = 5 feet) |
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| 21 Miles Below B (1 square = 5 feet) |
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| 28 Miles Below (1 square = 5 feet) |