Session 17: Escaping the moathouse? Report

General Summary

The adventurers returned from the obelisk cavern to take some rest, strangely, in the ghast and ghoul crypt. Three hours into their rest, Midnight Snow's Dagger or Warning alerted her to hostile creatures approaching. Two gnoll archers attacked from the corridor along with a gnoll 'ranger' dual-wielding longswords. Dealing with this threat taxed some heavily, but after the gnolls were dispatched the adventurers decided to press on; a full rest must wait.   The adventurers moved away from the ancient obelisk and encountered an abandoned bunkroom, assumedly for the clerics they had previously dealt with. Amongst the beds, clothes and personal items, including some ochre coloured robes, Emmanuel Woodsmoke seized upon a locked strongbox and set to opening it with his thieves' tools. An unnoticed glyph of warding showered him with magical acid, burning his face and hands. Midnight standing nearby was also hurt in the blast. The strongbox contained a potion of water breathing, and two spell scrolls, one of animal messenger and one of stone shape. Several tinderboxes were also in the box, a curved ceremonial dagger with gold inlay and a sheaf of papers, part of the journal of Geynor Ton. Reading through the journal the party made some startling discoveries: Chatliron is a spy for whatever evil group is working from the moathouse; Geynor Ton and this group seem to work with or for the "Doomdreamers" who predicted the existence of the ancient black obelisk; appeasement of the Dark Lord or Dark God, perhaps his release from some confinement, appears to be a goal of Geynor Ton and his associates; Master Thaque was the leader of the clerics here until he was slain by the dragon several days before the arrival of the adventurers (this must have been the half-eaten corpse in the dragon's lair) ; a man or creature named Lareth in Moorsedge is also in league with the evil clerics. By putting this information together with the papers from the mill addressed to Master Dunrat, the details of a far-reaching nefarious plot begin to emerge.   In addition to these finds, the party rescued a captured adventurer from a nearby cell, Orlac, Wood Elf cleric of light. After gathering his possessions from amongst the bunkroom, Orlac also obtained a black robe with flaming eye symbol from a nearby chamber.   Continuing from the bunkroom, the party was ambushed by a lone gnoll archer who also alerted his comrades. A portcullis trap was sprung and the adventurers has no choice, but to confront the gnolls and a human cleric. The enemy was prepared with barricades and missile weapons (Chatliron's work!), but through some illusionary magic and Beaufort De Montague's beguiling speech, the party was able to subdue the gnolls and convince the cleric that the adventurers were sent to take command of the moathouse. Through Beaufort's charm the party further learned that the clerics had just excavated a series of relics from the obelisk chamber and were readying to return them to The Temple of All Consumption as part of some ritual of great importance. The relics, secreted within a cloth are a magical iron torch of revealing and three charcoal cones, a small magical black sphere, a black scepter with violet gems, and a black metal scroll tube. The cleric was but an acolyte, she claimed, and did not know much more than this. As Beaufort, Garadin, and Orlac walked away, Midnight Snow sent the cleric to her dark god.   Trying to leave the dungeon, the party happened upon a room of skeletons, perhaps in league with the evil clerics of the place, but Orlac's divine power oblitered several of the undead, Garadin's divine smite slew the mightiest of them, and multiple well-placed rays of frost, sneak attacks and bardic inspiration saw the party through.   After the undead the party realized they were back were it all began (running from the dragon): the stairs leading up to the moathouse, a secret door and stairs doing the same were found. However, all decided to go back to the crypt and explore the natural corridors leading south from there..   And still no Chatliron.

Rewards Granted

Gnoll 'Ranger' = 1100
Gnolls x 8 = 800
Female cleric = 450
Skeleton x6 = 300
Giant skeleton = 250
Quest progression = 4000

Total of 6900 exp for 1,380/PC