Session 55 Report

General Summary

Haymin’s Heroes decided to rest in the secret passage Galen Palos had come from. They gambled that perhaps only he knew of it and they’d be safe there from the undead and from the mind-controlled guards. At the other end of the long, secret corridor, they found another hidden door. Beyond that, Mogi Delvin sensed the presence of evil, three sources that moved about just the other side of the door. Auren Sylynn heard scratches upon the stone and they surmised that the undead sensed their presence when they were close. They settled in the middle of the passage, as far away as they could from both entrances. Ladigo Farthon and Mogi were exempt from watches as they needed a full night’s rest to recover their spells for the next day. Selia Roselyn Maxwell who had rested earlier that evening and already prepared spells, instead stayed awake and wrote scrolls using inks and paper found in Galen Palos’ room. The rest of the party took watch for the night, alternating between them for short naps. When Ladigo and Mogi awoke and prepared spells, Haymin’s Heroes was ready to go. Thankfully, nothing found them while they rested in the secret passageway. They chose the far door, where Mogi still sensed the evil presences. When they opened the hidden door, it opened up into a large room that might have been a chapel to the dwarves centuries ago. But now, it was inhabited by three ghasts, and a large creature stitched together by various human body parts. When their Truedeath Crystals did not work upon this creature, they realized it was not an undead, but probably a construct, a flesh golem. The party fought through the stench of the ghasts and shrugged off their paralyzing touch. Through a mix of magic and melee, the ghouls were defeated easily enough, while suffering only minor wounds. The flesh golem, however, seemed resistant to most magic and weapons. It took a greater effort to eventually bring that creature down. After the battle, they searched the ruined chapel and found a magic ring hidden in a secret compartment in the altar. It was a Ring of the Ram. While using Detect Magic, Mogi also sensed a psionic power at work on a small section of the west wall. Auren searched the area and found another secret door. Beyond this door, Mogi could sense the presence of evil, six separate sources. The party tried opening the door, but it would not budge. They guessed that whatever psionic power was at work, it was being used to keep the door closed. They then decided to continue exploring the complex. A door on the north side of the west wall opened to a short corridor that connected to the large chamber where Galen and his undead spellcasters had ambushed them the night before. The bodies of the undead were still to be found at the north entrance. This large chamber seemed like it had been a great dwarven forge some time ago. Now it seemed it was being used as a laboratory for necromantic experiments. Several magic item components could be found on some of the work tables, as well as various preserved body parts and cadavers. On one table was also a great leather bound tome, black with red accents that seemed to move on their own. When Mogi used Detect Evil on the tome, he was stunned by the overwhelming aura. He eventually came to and confirmed to the party the tomes powerful evil nature. Selia used Detect Magic and found the book had an overwhelming power. Using her Artificer’s Monocle, she learned it was the Grimoire of Lost Souls and that it could grant her anything her heart desired. Titta Morco looked at the book and the accents on the cover swirled and formed the title, Grimoire of Lost Souls. She then quickly grabbed it and tucked it in a Bag of Holding, away from sight, despite a feeling coming from the grimoire urging her to open it. They searched the laboratory further, but found nothing else of note. After not finding an alternative way into the area beyond the psionically sealed secret door, they continued exploring the complex. They returned to the first chamber and explored beyond the one door they had yet to open. This led to a room littered with bones. In the center of this room a skeletal figure wearing breastplate armor and wielding a bone staff awaited them. This skeletal figure, which they dubbed “Mr. Skeleton Bones,” was topped by three skulls. Mr. Skeleton Bones raised his staff and six skeletons arose from the bones. In addition, two larger skeleton abominations formed. These each were comprised of two skeletal torsos connected by an elongated spinal column. From their spines protruded rib bones that moved like pincers as well as legs. The party called them “skelepedes.” Titta rushed forward at the closest skelepede while Fisher smashed the closest skeleton with a grizzly bear paw, scattering its bones on the floor. Then Mr. Skeleton Bones chanted with one of its heads and the skeleton reformed and faced Fisher once again. Mogi cast Fireball, catching the majority of the skeletons in the room. One basic skeleton, Mr. Skeleton Bones, and the two skelepedes remained standing. The skelepede next to Titta attacked her, both halves working in unison, and grabbed her, wrestling her into its pincer ribs where they held her fast while continuing to “chew” on her. Pyzar Zim rushed past her and attacked Mr. Skeleton Bones. Auren did the same as they recognized the threat he posed with his ability to revive the fallen skeletons. Mr. Skeleton Bones fought them with his quarterstaff while simultaneously reviving a skeleton once more, this one next to Pyzar. But Pyzar smashed through the two skeletons near him with his greatsword and then focused on Mr. Skeleton Bones. Titta freed herself from the skelepede after Pennig knocked it down while gnawing on the bones. Then Ladigo summoned three other dire wolves to surround Mr. Skeleton Bones. Shortly afterwards, all the skeletons, skelepedes, and Mr. Skeleton Bones were destroyed, leaving piles of inanimate bones upon the floor. Haymin’s Heroes then recovered with enough healing to move on. They returned to the chapel and resolved to force their way through the secret door. Using Bull Strength on Fisher, Pyzar, and Titta, they worked at it until the stone doorway broke open despite the psionic barrier. A short corridor then led into a larger room with several tables around it. Upon these tables was various debris, including several body parts, some preserved in jars. Among these were five jars containing a brain floating in preservative fluid. They were scattered around the room upon some of the tables. There were also two empty human skins lying on the floor, the guts and bones that once occupied them, somehow, removed cleanly. Mogi thought about where the evil auras might have come from. He openly speculated, suggesting that the tables might be mimics, or that the skins upon the floor might be undead. But he had sensed six sources of evil before they had opened the door, and most of them were down at ground level. Titta moved in cautiously alongside Pyzar. But before she got too far, she sensed a strong impulse in her mind urging her to kill herself. It took every ounce of her willpower to shake that insane thought aside.

Campaign

The Heart of Embril

Protagonists