Session 29: Into the Swamp

General Summary

Fried eel never tasted so good; never mind this was the first time any of our comanions had partaken of the delicacy. After dinner at Stephen's hut, the party set about making themselves secure. Brimble Knackles cast Leomund's Tiny Hut in the trees by their caravan and others set up a watch outside. The early night was peaceful next to the swamp, the sounds of frogs, crickets, and other denizens drifting on the breeze. While keeping watch, Mi'tsuru'gi saw a shadowy creature approach the hut and knock. A grumpy voice bade the figure inside and immediately screams and sounds of battle rang out from the building. Mitsu fired arrows through the window of the hut, while the others woke up and raced to the fight. Before much help could be offered, Stephen lay dying on the floor, his throat destroyed, while the creature ran off into the woods. Mitsu, Finn , and others close behind. They eventually ran down the creature in the woods, a vamprie spawn! Why would such craven undead kill Crazy Stephen?
The companions had just enoough hours of night left to rest before the dawn and in the morning with their guide to the swap killed, they discussed thier opitons. While several spoke of returning to Waycombe, Brynnwythlinmardcaladog  peered at the floorboards of the hut. His curiousity was rewarded as he uncovered a small hiding place where an Iuz amulet, amber gem in its centre, had been secreted. This amulet was the same as that recovered by Whastle Fletcher from the young black dragon hoard and emmanated a divination dweomer as the other.
With this new find occupying their thoughts the companions walked back up the path to Waycombe. Perhaps they would find something or someone to help them in their journey through the swamp? A few hours amongst the ruins uncovered little to help, only, strangely the tattered remnants of a rusty black robe, shot with streaks of red: a robe for priests of Iuz. With a look of distaste, Finn buried the Iuz amulets in the floor of the ruined blacksmithy.
After returning to the edge of the swamp the companions cast off in Stephen's boat. Right for a fight murmured Mitsu, so to the southwest they turned the boat. The heroes spent an hour so punting past trees, some with their buttress roots slipping down to water's edge. Long strands of moss covered others, and muck and muss seemed to suffice for ground, when it was visible.
Rivine notice a shape in the black water and a moment later a giant consrictor snake burst from the surface lashing out at the party. Brynn struck with sword and Finn, ever eager, lept to attack, but instead fell backwards off the boat, managing to grab the gunwale at the last moment. While the others kept up the attack on the snake, Brynn hauled the dwarf aboard.
Killed, the giant snake drifted off and down beneath the murky surface, its blood leaving an oily sheen on the water. Within an hour or so, the companions turned a bend in the waterway and were struck by the sight of a forgotten temple rising from a huge mound of muddy earth. The earthen mound formed the backdrop to an open platform, stairs leading to it from the water, and ancient pillars reaching skyward from its floor. Tying their boat at the base of the stairs, along with several others, the party ascended.
The rear of the large platform was hidden from view by a screen of shells hung from vines. Rivine aproached down the row of columns while her companions sought shelter behind broken stone and standing pillars. Within moments bolts shot out from the curtain and the battle yells of brigands rang above the murmurs of the swamp. A host of fighters assailed the companions, but arrows and bolts fired true from the heroes thinned the enemy ranks. Mitsu Fog Cloud and Brimble's Sleep and Fireball decimated their enemy. Cautiously the heroes made their way through the shell curtain to an inner sanctum, sky above, three pools and an altar in the centre of the space,  the floor reeking of the burned flesh and bone of the brigands. A bas relief statue of a crouching demon, maw agape, commanded their attention from the back wall and as Brynn approached, the section of wall swiveled wide -- a chimera road from the blackness beyond.

Rewards Granted

Combat:
1 x Vampire Spawn: 1800 1 x Giant Constrictor Snake: 450 10 x Bandits: 250
Exploration & Interaction:
Crazy Stephen, Iuzian robes and amulets, vampirism: 500 xp
Total XP per PC: 600

The heroes brave the Fetid Fens of Cullen Drae

by Patricia Pillary

Report Date

04 Jun 2023

Primary Location

Fetid Fens

Related Characters

• Brimble Knackles
• Brynnwythlinmardcaladog
• Finn
• Mi'tsuru'gi
• Rivine