Session 9 - Digging up Bones and a Potato

General Summary

The adventure began with the heroes methodically placing lit torches in lanterns around the cleverly disguised tomb. Their next challenge was the hurricane hallway, a notorious trap that had almost collected a body count the day before. Dav ascended with trepidation, only to find the trap thankfully deactivated. The ghoul Ulavant Graves had been right after all.   As the heroes continued into the tomb, they encountered a daunting obstacle: a long, dark room lacking a floor, with only a narrow beam of petrified wood serving as a path. Below, a sea of iron spheres seemed to offer a false promise of safety. The room's walls, adorned with intricate geometric patterns, and the featureless ceiling above added to the eerie atmosphere.   The party's combat skills were tested when the room's serpentine guardian attacked them from beneath the sea of iron spheres. After a tense and strategic battle, the heroes emerged victorious. This triumph was soon followed by a poignant encounter with Alastor Land, a young ghost cursed to haunt the room since his untimely death thirty years ago. His sole request was to have his remains buried with his family at their farm. In return, he would open the vault-like door and give the heroes access to the deeper tomb.   The journey to the Land homestead was marked by camaraderie and reflection. Battered but happy for being included in the adventure, Clover Brightfoot bid farewell, offering a parting gift of free show tickets the next time the party was at the Emporium.   The heroes' arrival at the farm revealed a disturbing scene: the family graves desecrated, and tracks hinting that the remains had been taken to Ravengro. The discovery of a branded arm linked to Kullen's gang and the sudden attack by an injured owlbear heightened the tension. The ensuing battle was fierce, but its aftermath brought a tender moment as Alfie adopted a baby owlbear, forming an unexpected bond.   As the party left the homestead, they were ambushed by Kullen and his goons. The ensuing skirmish was intense, but the heroes' prowess prevailed. Kullen's confession about being hired to loot graves for a necromancer named Filge added a new dimension to the story, hinting at larger, sinister forces.   Determined to bring the Land family peace, the heroes went to Filge's observatory. Their journey through the macabre setting was a mixture of horror and fascination, culminating in the recovery of the animated corpses of the Land family.   The final confrontation with Filge, the mad necromancer, was harrowing and revealing. Filge's confession about the Ebon Triad cult and the Age of Worms deepened the plot. Disgusted by Filge's actions, Dav dealt the final death blow to the necromancer.   The heroes found a peculiar item in the observatory – a green worm capable of creating undead known as the spawn of Desimos – and returned to the Land homestead to lay the family to rest. The emotional closure of Alastor's spirit reuniting with his family brought a bittersweet end to the quest.

Rewards Granted

From Kullen's dead goons at the Land farmstead:

• Studded leather armor, longsword, longbow with 20 arrows
• Spellbook: 2nd—scorching ray, mirror image; 1st—magic missile, shield, burning hands; 0 — light, read magic, prestidigitation; ring of protection +1

• Filge’s spellbook: 0—detect magic, disguise self, disrupt undead, ray of frost, read magic, touch of fatigue; 1st—cause fear, chill touch, identify, mage armor, magic missile, ray of enfeeblement; 2nd—command undead, magic mouth, scare, spectral hand, touch of idiocy.
• The silver tray held by the mummified sentry is worth 50 gp.
• A large rug of golden brown lamia fur is worth 200 gp.
• Most of the papers on Filge’s desk concern surgical procedures meant to enhance the potency of undead, while others contain only the meandering scribbles of a mind descending into madness. Buried in with the junk is a scroll of animate dead.
• There are brief notes regarding the green worm and the Spawn of Desimos. The spawn is named after Kyuss Desimos, a powerful wizard who appeared more than a thousand years ago in the Worldwound Canyon to the north. In a short time, he created dozens of new undead breeds and amassed a legion of creatures bound to his will. They say an undead dragon stood at his side as the general of this force. Now, only the green worms remain of his legacy. That and his title: Harbinger of the Age of Worms.

• Filge’s fine silver operating instruments are worth 500 gp as a set.
• A 20 gp emerald was lodged in the throat of the corpse on the operating table.

Missions/Quests Completed

Found among Filge's personal items, the heroes found a note from Boniface Halbert:    

Filge, I need you in Ravengro, my boy. The cult situation has grown worse. Deep within Dourstone Mine, they're studying things brought in from the southern hills. Green hills and unkillable zombies. I nicked one of the worms for you to study.   I'll put you up in the old observatory. Show this letter to the white half-orc at the Feral Dog. He'll help you get settled. I trust you'll find these coins sufficient to cover your travel from Caliphas City.   B.