Session 04

General Summary

Opening the door from the goblin adept's room the party took the only corridor and soon found the room which the gaseous Drakthar had drifted up to. There was no sign of the stealthy goblin sneak. He had either fled or was hiding. Theere was a door off this area which the group quickly opened to reveal a strange and hideous throne room including a throne made of bones and skins. It was quite disgusting. But more than that the back portion of the room opened up onto another of the natural tunnels which cut through this part of the extinct volcano and out in that tunnel Gotrek spotted what he thought was Drakthar's gaseous form drifting off. The party set to rush across the room to the ladder which they could see across the far side, but suddenly the throne of bones and skins animated and attacked them!   It didn't take much for the party, desperate to stop Drakthar escaping, from smashing the throne to pieces. Within a few seconds they had defeated it and got to the edge of the room where they could look out on the tunnel there. It was only a few seconds but it was all the time Drakthar had seemingly needed as he was now nowhere to be seen. Across the tunnel another ladder lead up a another ledge which appeared to be strewn with treasure. That was a nice sight but treasure was not their main concern at this time. The tunnel lead off to their right into the darkness. Deciding it was best to quickly search the room across the way before heading off down the tunnel the group descended the ladder on their side and began to cross the tunnel. At this stage, swooping noiselessly out of the darkness came a giant bat the size of a pony! But Gotrek was in the grove now and with Morgan they quickly made light work of it. The party then crossed the tunnel and climbed the ladder into a room piled high with treasure. This must be Drakthar's horde.   A quick search of this room revealed a secret compartment in the floor. Lifting the stone lid the party uncovered a five foot cubic area, filled with grave earth. And there, laid out on the earth, almost as if asleep, was the body of Drakthar the Bloodmonger, slowly regenerating before their very eyes. Harley wasted no time and jumped down into the coffin and plunged a stake right into the vampire's heart! Drakthar was slain. But Braken pointed out that this was not enough to permanently destroy the vampire. They would need to take him out into the sunlight and let nature dispose of him properly.   Collecting the portable treasures from his horde and Drakthar's body the party swiftly made their way back upstairs to the Bathhouse. They then surprised and amazed the guards stationed there by demonstrating how to kill a vampire. Taking his body out into sunlight the vampire Drakthar the Bloodmonger disolved into dust and blew away on the wind. The party, guards and a few passersby were amazed at this sight. But the party realised all was not finished down below. They had killed the main menace but they had not really determined what was going on down there, and nor had they searched the whole of Drakthar's lair. So they went straight back inside to further their search.   In the deeper parts of the tunnels the party came across a room wherein they found a human mage and a tiefling warrior in a deep arguement. Rushing in the party quickly overcame and knocked them unconscious. These were taking above for questioning, the party wondering what they were doing there. They were also in a room set out for three. Where was the third? That question was soon answered as deeper still in the tunnels the party came across a dwarven warrior talking to a half a dozen weary looking half orc mercenaries. They began to try and parley with them but as soon as the dwarf realised the party were working for the Church of St. Cuthbert he charged into them calling for the half orcs to back him up. The dwarf was quickly slain by Morgan and then Camero indimidated the half orcs into staying put and not joining their dead dwarven companion. This it seems the half orcs had no plans to do. It seems that they were all exhausted after a long march here from a camp out in the wilds. The half orcs were advised to leave and head back to their camp which they reluctantly agreed to do.   The party finished off searching the last of the tunnels which lead out into the side of the volcano hidden in some brush. They wandered back in and searched the whole of the complex from top to bottom finding nothing else of interest or significance. So they returned to the surface and set about interrogating the prisoners they had captured - a human mage and a tiefling warrior. These prisoners said that they, and the dwarf the party had killed with the half orcs, all worked for a famous local mercenary captain, an ogre magi called the Blue Duke. The Blue Duke was trying to smuggle his half orc mercenaries into the city to a noble who wanted more body guards but who wanted the actions kept under wraps and secret. He had found out about Drakthar's Way - the series of tunnels here - and had convinced Drakthar that he would let his men come through here. They had no idea which noble the mercenaries were supposed to be going to. And they weren't sure why it was that Drakthar suddenly decided to send his goblins out into town to advertise his presence, but suggested it was foolish as that was what had brought the party here and ruined their operation.   The prisoners were taken to the city barracks where they were held until their trials - the party were told they were almost certainly going to be executed for their crimes - and the party were thanked for sorting out the problems of the goblin vandals. They then spent some down time selling their treasures and getting their many new magical items identified. During the next few months the dwarves of the Dwarven Fastness also moved back into the complex below Orak's Bathhouse and began to make it habitable again. Orak, now freed from the domination of the vampire, thanked the party hugely and rewarded them with free baths and with a few small rubys.
Report Date
11 Apr 2024
Related Plots