Session 18: Will the Moathouse ever end? Report
General Summary
The adventures had seemingly defeated all in the moathouse dungeons, but there were two areas left unexplored and all had an uneasy feeling about unturned stones. The adventures re-entered the ghoul crypt and took the rough earthen passage to the south. After many twists and turns, scraping the rough rock and dirt walls, they entered a cave cut at strange angles. A four-sided, floor to ceiling, carved column dominated the room with an altar made of porous stone at the column's base and sitting upon a slab of black stone speckled with violet. The cave was soul-numbingly cold. The sides of the column were carved similar to the statue the adventurer's found above the black obelisk. While searching the room Emmanuel Woodsmoke touched the altar and it transformed into a translucent amethyst with a cloudy black ball in the middle. Midnight Snow touched it as well and suffered a paralyzing shock through her body, but was otherwise unharmed. No one touched again. Garadin retrieved the torch of revealing, one of the relics obtained from an acolyte and lit it with charcoal. A cold and evil, hazy purple light shone from the torch and revealed small square sections, outlined in purple light on each pillar face: secret compartments! Within the adventures found a magical black stone, a small skin-covered black drum, a set of silver chimes, a small bronze brazier with three chunks of incense. Even though they know not what these evil artefacts could do, the party distributed them amongst themselves. The second area still to be explored: the newly walled off corridor at the dungeon's eastern extent. The party travelled here and after discussion, Beaufort De Montague unrolled his scroll of stone melding, cast the spell and pulled apart a narrow opening in the dead end. Triumph a passage was revealed beyond the dead end. After passing through, Spugnoir recognized this section of the dungeon--a branch of this corridor leads to the surface about 1 km from the moathouse. Before escaping to the surface, the adventurers took a side corridor and happened upon a thrice of cockatrice. A few saving throws against petrification aside, the cockatrice were destroyed. Finally, after two days of dungeon-delving, the party emerged on the surface, in cave, overlooking the Secomber to Mooresdge road. As the party walked back toward Secomber in the early afternoon light, fesh air filling their lungs, a familiar horn sounded behind them. Khusrov had returned from his extended puberty rituals on the High Moor. Blowing his horn in welcome, Khusrov also alerted the dragon, a young blue who had been plotting his revenge against the party since they had last escaped his clutches (see Session 15: Off to the Moathouse Report). The dragon hovered above the wooded trail while the party slung arrows, some hitting, some bouncing off his scaled hide. The dragon lanced in to use his lightening breath, catching Midnight Snow who leaped aside at the last minute, suffering much less damage than might be expected. After further arrow volleys, Beaufort cast reduce brining the dragon to the size of a pony enraging the dragon landed so he landed in their midst to deal his death blows. The adventures thought differently and through grit and well-timed sword blows, they killed the beast. Emmanuel Woodsmoke cut off the beast's head, while others took a claw or two. in triumph the adventurers regained their horses from the moathouse, made cursory examination of the upper level again and then road to Secomber in the twilight. Riding up to the Inn of the Welcome Wench felt like a return home. What next for the adventurers? Moorsedge, the old Temple, or perhaps Llorkh? A palaver with Elmo or Rufus may be in order...
Rewards Granted
Each PC earned 2000 XP for uncovering secrets and killing monsters.
Missions/Quests Completed
Utreshimon, the young blue dragon, is dead.
