Bruma the Tracker - Ghosts of Saltmarsh, Chapter 35

Bruma knelt and examined the tracks in the mud. There were five humanoids - the party he had been tracking since entering the Drowned Forest. The tracks led away from a nearby shrine and into a tunnel dug into the side of a low hill surrounded by trees and rocks - very uncommon for the swampy Drowned Forest.

Bruma was a swamp guide. He was a hunter and a tracker and he was very familiar with both the Hool Marsh and the Drowned Forest. For years he led smugglers from upriver and inland through the Drowned Forest to the base camp in the Hool Marsh and down to one of the several drop sites on the coast - either at the abandoned house, the old lizardfolk lair, or the sea caves beneath the Tower of Zenopus. Several months ago, the smugglers and bandits abandoned the base camp. All smuggling stopped.

The leaders of the Organization had learned that the smugglers and bandits had joined the growing army of someone named Sakatha. Sakatha was the name of a lizard-king who had united all the tribes of the Hool Marsh and, with the help of a black dragon named Aulicus, fought a war against the knights of Keoland over a hundred years ago. All they knew was that Sakatha had a secret base somewhere in the Drowned Forest.

The Organization hired Bruma to locate the secret base and kill Sakatha.

Bruma managed to find two former smugglers who now served Sakatha. They each had a pallid complexion and a glazed vacant look similar to someone suffering brain jellies. When interrogated about the location of Sakatha's lair, they offered to lead Bruma to a secret entrance.

They led Bruma down a spit of land. Right away Bruma noticed another group had traveled this same route ahead of him. There were five humanoids - four humans and a dwarf. He found a campsite - two days old - where they had fought off four animated trees. He passed through an area that had been scoured by a tidal wave the day before. He followed their tracks to a stone platform - a shrine to a black dragon - where they had camped the night previous. Now their tracks led into a tunnel and descended stone stairs. He dismissed his guides.

He descended the stairs into an underground grotto - a cave and waterfall. He heard fighting down a nearby passage. The passage descended sharply. He carefully climbed down the slope. He was in a stone room built by intelligent hands. The smell of rotting flesh and decay was oppressive. Bruma covered his nose with his gloved hand. He hid behind a nearby wall and covertly observed those who entered before him. The fighting was over. The party was discussing what to do next. He heard them open a door.

There was more fighting. Something was alive - or at least active - in these stone rooms. Bruma knew not if these people were potentially allies or enemies. He decided to watch for now.

CHAPTER 35

"BRUMA THE TRACKER"

The B-Team:

• Avastana "Aella" Kádár - Neutral, Half-Elf  Outlander and Storm Sorceress from Ket, daughter of the king of the sea elves, Deck Sorceress of the Sea Ghost.
• Alot Aname - Neutral Good Warforged Fighter, ancient sentinel of a wizard's fortress, spent several decades deactivated underwater, Bosun of the Sea Ghost.
• Captain Baylore - Neutral Human Pirate and Pugilist (Monk), Captain of the Sea Ghost.
• Brenna "The Sea Witch" Myrasdottir - Chaotic Good Human Sailor and Divine Soul Sorceress, long-lost daughter of Whaler, First Mate of the Sea Ghost.
• Bordar Graniteshaper - Lawful Good Dwarven Bearer of Grudges (Barbarian), exiled from his clan, Ballast of the Sea Ghost.

Introducing:

• Bruma - Neutral Good Human Swamp Guide (Ranger) for the smuggling cartel known as "the Organization", given a mission to find and kill Sakatha the Lizard King.

Ghouls in the Dark

The B-Team was standing in a subterranean room flooded shin-deep in fetid water. Three dead ghouls were piled in a corner. There were three ancient doors. The B-Team gathered in front of one of the doors and prepared to open it.

Baylore grabbed Alot, "Hold still." The pirate captain held his palm over the automaton's visual sensors. Suddenly Alot could see through the gloom of the chamber. Objects hidden within deep shadows were now dimly visible.  Baylore pointed at Alot's face, "Stop complaining about it being dark."

Alot turned back around and opened the door. He was immediately met with a slavering ghoul. Several more ghouls could be seen in the dark room beyond. Alot stabbed the ghoul and moved into the room followed by Bordar the dwarf and Baylore.

The room beyond was likewise flooded. It was small, fifteen feet by twenty feet at most, with a hallway in the far corner and two doors on the right wall. The left wall looked collapsed and the floor was covered in a pile of rubble, as if the ghouls had been digging through the walls.

One ghoul turned and fled down the short hall and around a corner, sloshing through the shallow water.

Bordar said, "It's running away! They can't do that! Can they do that?" He gave chase around the corner.

Baylore shouted, "Bordar, wait!" but it was too late.

Bordar followed the ghoul past some more collapsed rubble, across another smaller flooded chamber around the corner, and through a doorway. He was immediately attacked by two ghouls waiting on either side of the door as well as a larger humanoid, similar to the ghouls but whose skin was covered in fine tattoos. The creature emitted a foul odor that could curdle milk. Bordar held his arm before his nose and cursed.

Baylore and Alot arrived in the room behind Bordar. Baylore pointed into the room and caused a magical bonfire to appear under the feet of the tattooed creature.

Bordar dispatched a ghoul next to him and the pallid stench creature immediately moved out of the fire and stood atop his fallen comrade.

Bordar and Alot, fighting from the entrance to the small alcove, soon defeated both creatures. Baylore allowed the bonfire to disappear.

Bordar emerged victorious while Alot stopped to investigate the excavated wall. Baylore heard talking back in the original room. He heard an unknown voice.

He called out, "Everything okay back there?"

An Introduction
Aella and Brenna remained in the original room. They watched through the doorway as the others cut a viscous swatch through the ghouls and disappeared around the corner.

Bruma cautiously emerged from his hiding place behind the corner near the entrance, "Hello."

Aella looked confused by this new intruder. Brenna spun around. Upon seeing the human she stood straight and glowered, "Who the feck are yew?"

The intruder held up his hands and introduced himself, "I am Bruma."

Brenna said, "Aella, keep me covered." She pointed Hearthspoon at the newcomer, "YOU! You're here to kill the Lizard King?"

Bruma replied, "That's my plan. Why are you here?"

Brenna said, "We're here to do the same and avenge my fallen brothers, who were killed by an agent of the Lizard King. You know he might be a lich, correct?"

"Ye-ssss?" lied Bruma, unconvincingly.

Brenna walked uncomfortably close to Bruma, "If you're here to help, then move ahead and get in the fight." She pointed Hearthspoon in his face, "You make any sudden moves, I will burn you down!"

Bruma smiled, "As you wish, mi-lady."

One of the two other doors slowly opened behind them. A pale gaunt humanoid with sharpened teeth and skin covered in fine tattoos emerged and attacked! The humanoid emitted a foul stench that turned the stomach.

Baylore called out from the far room, "Everything okay back there?"

Aella replied that they were under attack.

Brenna and Aella immediately turned and cast their signature spells at their attacker - chill touch and chaos bolt! It lunged for Brenna and its smell caused her to dry heave but she quickly recovered.

Bruna swung a massive sword and cut down the pallid creature.

Brenna stood up and straightened her coat, "Well, I guess you're okay then."

Baylore came running around the corner only to see that the battle was already concluded. "Who's that?"

Brenna informed him, "That's Bruma. He's here to kill the Lizard King."

Baylore looked at Bruma, assessing him, "Huh. Okay. Come on. Quit farting around back here."

Siren Diabla
They opened the door and were met with a terrible stench, worse than that of the tattooed ghouls. Beyond the door was a short set of stairs that ascended into a dry room.  The chamber was fifteen feet wide and 35 feet long with an alcove on the left wall with an elevated platform like a kind of stage. The room had a tall vaulted ceiling supported by four columns. In the center of the stage was a throne made of human bones and skulls. Sitting on the throne was a gruesome female humanoid with waxy greenish skin. She had the gaunt body and bloated stomach of a victim of famine. Her face was covered in leathery wrinkles. Her yellow eyes bulged out. Her hair was like long white strands of corn silk. Her massive hands and feet ended in long bony fingers and toes with talon-like claws.  She smiled, revealing a mouth with jagged teeth, many missing. Black drool dripped from her mirthless grin.

She laughed a rasping dry laugh.

"Welcome. Come in, come in. You are guests of Siren Diabla. Might I offer you a meal? Or have you come for some of Siren Diabla's special elixir? Be not shy, there is plenty to share."

Alot walked forward slowly, cautiously, "Hello. We don't want any elixir, but thank you." The others entered the room behind him.

"Oh!" the creature rasped, "Then you were sent to me by the servants of Sakatha. A gift from the Lizard King. How nice of him. His servants send me so many tasty gifts. Please, come in. Are you hungry? I have a table prepared. Please, join me for dinner."

Alot paused, "May.. be? Listen, what do you mean by 'offerings'?"

Bruma said, "Enough talk!" and stormed the stage.

Siren Diabla smiled and disappeared!

Bruma stopped short, "Where'd she go?"

Everyone scanned the room carefully. Baylore closed his eyes and listened. He could feel the air disturbances of everyone in the room. "She's over there! She's by that stairway over there!"

Bordar and Alot swarmed that spot and swung wildly, hoping to hit the invisible target. Bordar felt one of his attacks strike flesh!

Baylore asked, "Did you get her?"

Bordar moved into the empty space, "Where'd she go?"

DM Note- 
Per ordinary rules, Baylore used an action to make a Perception check compared to the Hag's Stealth check made with Advantage. That allowed him to locate the space she occupied, so he pointed it out to the others. They attacked that space with Disadvantage. 

HOWEVER - I re-read the hag's invisibility and it says she can only be detected using magical means. I told this to the players and said "You got one round. From now on, she's totally invisible." I also boosted her hit points a smidge to make up for the mistake. 

Siren Diabla reappeared on the stage. She pointed her long bony clawed finger at Alot, "You! You should become a tiny mouse!" Alot's body began to warp and contort. Alot fought back and threw off her spell. She spat at him! "Curses!"

Aella cast a Witch Bolt spell at the hag and missed. The electric arc shot across the room and exploded against the wall.

Bordar stamped his magical boots and bounded across the room. He ricocheted from the wall and propelled himself onto the skeletal throne. He brought his axes down onto the hag. Baylore rushed over and pummeled her with a rapid fire assault of fists. Bruma charged at her with his greatsword. He ran her through, pinning her against the wall.

The hag gasped in pain. Her eyes closed and her face drooped. She then smiled and looked up at the three warriors surrounding her. She began to laugh.

"You- you are all fools! You think defeating me will lead you to the Lizard King. You are so mistaken! You will not find what you seek here. Only I knew the truth! Now you'll never find the Lizard King!" With a final laugh that trailed off into echo, she disintegrated into a mix of mud and dust and black ichor.

"Everybody okay?" asked Baylore, looking around at the others.

"I think so. What is that SMELL?" replied Bordar.

"It's coming from the room down those stairs. Alot, you take point. Everybody ready?"

DM Note-
In retrospect, I should have went with Lightning Bolt. For some reason, I thought Lightning Bolt was a ranged attack. It turned out that it's a Dexterity Save. I regret my choice.

The Catoblepas
Alot descended the short set of stairs into another flooded chamber. This chamber was supported by four columns. Another alcove on the left wall contained a raised stage. The stage was covered in coins, gems, and fancy art objects.

Baylore directed Alot to step back. Baylore created a minor illusion of Alot to walk across the room to the stage, hoping anyone hiding would attack the illusion. The illusion walked across the water and onto the stage without incident.

Alot reentered the room and walked a few feet through the flooded water before he felt his foot on the edge of a drop-off. He paused. The water was black and covered in floating detritus. He knelt down and looked under the water.

He saw a ten foot wide by fifteen foot long pit dug into the floor. Two thirds of the pit was occupied by a massive body like that of a hippo. A long tail ending in a heavy club was coiled against the body. The long whip-like neck terminated in a massive head of what looked like a gruesome wildebeest with curled tusks like a warthog.  The hideous head lay heavy on the floor of the pit, its  thin neck looked incapable of lifting it. The head struggled to turn over and cast a glowing eye at Alot.

Alot pulled his head out of the water and shouted, "NOPE!"

Baylore stood against the wall to let the others past, "Go! Go! Go! Get in there and surround it. I've got a plan!"

Baylore, Brenna, and Aella ran in and positioned themselves around the pit in the center of the room. The smell in the room was atrocious. They fought back the urge to vomit.

Baylore made a gesture with his hands and threw a ball of inky blackness into the room. The entire chamber was cast in darkness. Nothing could be seen!

DM Note-
I turned off everyone's vision in Roll20. All players were staring at a black screen. They players were actually impressed and said it added to the epic feel of the fight.

Alot shouted, "We can't see!"

"That's a catoblepas! If it looks at you you're toast! That thing's huge and can't move! You don't have to see it to attack it! Kill it while it can't see you!"

Everyone heard the water slosh as the catoblepas raised its heavy head from the water. Its long tail lifted the massive club and slammed it down next to Baylore.

Baylore shouted, "Did you hear that? You could hear that thing smash the stone! That barely  missed me!"

Bruma, still upstairs in the previous room, looked down the stairs, "What's going on? Why is it so dark?"

Baylore's voice called back, "Just get down here and kill this thing!"

Alot dropped to one knee and stabbed his short sword into the hippo-like torso in the water. He then used his shield to try to shove it back.

Bordar brought his axes Smite and Fury down onto the creature's neck.

Bruma fired his bow blindly into the center of all the thrashing water, hoping to hit - whatever it was. He never saw his target.

Brenna jumped onto the catoblepas' back, riding it like a bucking horse. She magically electrified her hands and tried to touch the creature but managed only to grasp at darkness.

Aella created a magical snowstorm of ice and pellets to batter the catoblepas. She heard Brenna cry in pain and annoyance. She had unknowingly included her teammate in the attack!

Baylore punched blindly into the water. Bordar chopped at what he hoped with either the tail or the neck.

The tail swung around again and slammed into Bordar, knocking him against the wall. Bordar grunted with an "oof!"

Bruma loosed more arrows. Two hit stone, one landed in flesh, "Did I hit it?"

Baylore unleashed several punched into the side of what he hoped was the creature's head. He heard bone crack and the head and tail fall heavily to the floor. The body slumped and the water ceased to froth.

Bruma asked, "Was it me? Did I kill it?"

Baylore dispelled his magical darkness. The catoblepas lay motionless in the middle of the room. "Sure. Why not."

The Treasure

To Baylore's horror, in the light of Brenna's torch the vast majority of the coins turned out to be copper. "Forget that crap here."

Aella said, "Yeah, but look!" She held up a coin of white metal, "There's platinum mixed in. We've got to separate it out."

Baylore groaned and rolled his eyes.

The party spent the next hour moving the treasure out of the flooded chamber and back up to the hag's throne room where it was dry and the horrid stench of dead catoblepas was less offensive.

They separated the platinum coins from the copper, dug out the gemstones, and assessed their other findings.

• In all they had acquired:
• 90 platinum coins
• an Alexandrite gemstone worth 800 gp
• a Jasper gemstone worth 70 gp
• a Jet  gemstone worth 110 gp
• a Moss Agate  worth 12 gp
• a Banded Agate Statue of a Chimera worth 1900 gp
• a decorative Silver Shield  worth 1000 gp
• a Magic Wand that looked like a small arrow

Baylore placed all the treasure within his magical bag of holding.

The Realization
Baylore returned to the treasure room. He searched the back wall of the raised platform for a secret door or false wall but found none.

Bruma pondered, "What did the hag mean when she said only she knew the truth and that we'd never find the Lizard King?"

Baylore replied, "I have no idea and I don't care. There's no secret entrance in here, lets try the next room. Everybody form up!"

Alot once again assumed his position on point. He opened the door that led into the next chamber.

The chamber beyond was another long flooded room with a high vaulted ceiling supported by four columns. There was a breach in the wall near the ceiling across the room to the left through which water poured. The far corner of the room was covered in rubble from a collapsed part of the ceiling.  The smell of death and decay was oppressive. Piled in the center of the room were the half-eaten remains of dozens of dead bodies - mostly human. Bits of cloth indicated the livery of the knights of the Kingdom of Keoland - specifically from the keep at Burle.

Baylore examined the remains, "Who are these guys?"

Alot said, "They're from an expeditionary force sent from Burle a few months ago."

Baylore found a journal that detailed the expedition. The journal revealed that they were sent to find the camp of the brigands that were raiding caravans on the road. They tracked the brigands to the town of Waycombe. They found a guide who said he knew where the brigands camped and offered to lead them through the Drowned Forest. The final entry said that the expedition followed a long strip of boggy land to a rocky island and found an entrance to a subterranean lair.

Upon hearing this Bruma pondered, "I don't think there is a secret entrance."

Baylore looked annoyed, "Why?"

Bruma explained, "I was led here by two guides also. I think its a misdirect. How did you find this place?"

Alot said, "I made myself a map. Aella and I found Sakatha's lair and defeated the dragon Aulicus. We were captured but escaped. I assume."

"You assume?"

"Well, I had pretty bad brain jellies at the time. I don't have any memory of escaping or drawing this map."

"The two guides who led me here had brain jellies. I think these so-called helpful maps and guides were actually leading people to the hag instead of the Lizard King! I don't think there IS a secret entrance!"

Baylore seemed perturbed, "Well, we're going to check every inch of this gods-damned place just in case!"

Baylore stepped into a shadow and reappeared through the breach in the chamber at the top of the waterfall. The chamber was tall  and natural, covered in stalactites and stalagmites. He looked around and saw a stream that flowed from a waterfall to the right to over another waterfall to the left and disappeared. He deduced that the water flowed from the chamber through which they had entered the catacombs. He returned and reported his findings.

Bruma climbed a steep bank near the rubble. The ceiling collapse exposed a hole through which the party crawled. They found themselves back in the cave entrance to the catacombs.

Aella said, "We've been here."  She consulted the map she'd been making, "There's still these two unexplored spaces which are probably rooms. Lets go back and check them out."

DM Note-
I said, "Wait, have you been mapping??"

Aella's player said "Yep" and quickly uploaded a picture of her map to Discord.

I said, "<<sniff>> I'm so proud of you!"

They returned to the room of half-eaten corpses and opened the door.

They entered into a room with a collapsed wall covered in fungi and lichen. As they entered one of the larger mushrooms began wailing like an injured child. The scream was deafening.

Baylore quickly shredded the mushroom and the wailing stopped. They passed through the door on the wall to the left and found themselves back in the second ghoul chamber.

Aella said, "Right. I think there's a room here and one here."

The first room was a small chamber from which emerged the tattooed ghoul. It was empty.

The next room contained some more trapped ghouls. The hideous creatures were quickly dispatched.

Baylore sighed with resignation, "I don't think there's a secret entrance. What do we do now?"

Bruma said, "The two guys who led me here can't be far. I say we track them down."

The Confirmation
While the rest of the party made a camp in the lair of the hag, Baylore and Bruma followed the tracks of the two guides.

They quickly found them only a quarter of a mile away burning an animal sacrifice to the altar of Aulicus.

Bruma and Baylore captured and interrogated them. Like the other human servants of Sakatha, they had the vacant look of someone with brain jellies. The prisoners could offered no information.

However, Bruma asked Baylore, "Why are they offering sacrifices to this shrine?"

Baylore replied, "Aella and Alot say they worship the black dragon as some kind of god. They said it guarded Sakatha's lair."

Bruma pondered this, "I know this swamp, and I think I know where this is. There's a big island near here where a black dragon lived. I always avoided that place because - you know - black dragon."

"Could you find it?"

"Absolutely. We'll need a boat or a raft."

To be Continued...

DM Note-
I retconned the ending from the original. In the actual game, the captured prisoners spilled the beans and revealed the location of the hideout. Bruma then cut the ham-strings of one of the prisoners and kept the other to lead them.

I looked at Bruma's character sheet and said, "Neutral GOOD? Mutilating a helpless captive is not the act of a good character!"
Bruma's player said, "It's justified if the enemy serves evil."

I called BS, but I try not to get into debates about the philosophy of D&D alignment DURING D&D, so I let it go.

The reason I retconned it had nothing to do with that however - I forgot the brigands had brain jellies and wouldn't be able to respond to interrogation even if they wanted.

Anyway, What do YOU think, Internet? The prisoner was a brigand who's being mind-controlled. Is it okay for a "Good" aligned character to assume he's evil and cut his hamstrings and leave him to die in a dangerous swamp?

"The Final Cube" - Tomb of Annihilation, Chapter 29

They team made their way back across Omu as the sun set behind the mountains in the west. They returned to their camp site in the gate house. Something was wrong.

They opened the gate and found carnage!

The mace-tail was dead and dismembered. Their equipment had been stolen.

Tony's body was  strung up on a wooden post like a scarecrow. He had been tortured and eventually killed with a dozen nagini arrows. His flayed skin was stretched flat and nailed to a nearby wall. On it was scrawled the message.

FACE ME COWARD!

Apparently covered her mouth in horror. Xoc-Wik's mouth hung open in shock. Thazma beamed behind her gag and hopped up and down in excitement.

Argent bared his draconic teeth, "I'll take care of this. Don't wait for me."

He left the camp and returned towards the city.

DM Note- Full disclosure, the illustration above greatly overstates the emotional impact Tony's death had upon the player characters. I'm not sure the players even noticed.

CHAPTER 29, "THE FINAL CUBE"

THE EXPEDITION

• Bramble Wolf - a theran barbarian wise-man (Wildhunt Shifter Druid) searching for the legendary origin of his tribe.
• Apparently Jones - a blue-skinned demijin caravan guide and animal trainer (Air Genasi Ranger) from Akasa, the land of sky mountains. Having failed to find work in Port Nyanzaru as an animal handler, she has joined the expedition to the interior as a scout.
• Chak'sa - Apparently's honker (parasaurolophus) companion.
• Xoc-Wik - a b'alam warrior (Tabaxi Fighter) from the jungles of Bres, searching for those responsible for the destruction of his tribe.
• Zeynap Shiravadakar - a Eusebean smuggler (Human Warlock) bearing the spirit of a celestial unicorn.
• Argent Truth-Sayer - a golden azi knight errant of Bhamut (Dragonborn Paladin) in the service of Bhamut, sent on a holy mission to join the expedition to destroy the Soul Monger. 

NPCs

• Eku - a mysterious shape-changing wise-woman from Chult, hired as a guide.
• Tony - rough and tumble dinosaur wrangler who wished to learn from Apparently, possibly from 19th century Boston on Earth. Killed by Sekelok the snake-man.
• Orvex Ocrammas - translator and guide for hire; rescued from the Fane of the Night Serpent.
• Thazma - a Crimson Necromancer in the service of Unglaub the Lich Queen, reportedly knows the location of the entrance to the Tomb of the Nine Gods. 

Change of Plans
A few seconds later Argent returned to the camp, "Wait! Better!"

He asked Bramble if he could summon an animal to take a message to Sekelok. Bramble summoned a small flying reptile to deliver the message. The message was, "Minions who failed their master are beneath concern.  I have greater evils to hunt but if we cross paths, we’ll duel." The reptile flew off into the night.

Fearing further reprisals from the Nagini, the party gathered what they could salvage and moved their camp. Apparently chose a spot in the south of the city, a place once known for its beautiful vista and marked with an ancient stone carved with the image of two lovers in an embrace. The mercenaries piled some rocks up into makeshift barriers which would hide the light from their camp fires.

With supplies running low Xoc-Wik left the new camp to go foraging for food and water. Zeynap decided to travel to the secondary camp at the Akasanal airship to warn them of possible Nagini attack. Eku flashed a grim smile and said she welcomed the attempt.

Back at the camp, Argent had loosened Thazma's bonds and removed her gag so that she could eat. Argent eyed the crimson necromancer warily. He did not trust her. He did not like her. He felt only regret that they relied on her to guide them to the secret entrance of the Tomb of the Nine Gods. As soon as she was done eating, he cut off any attempt she made to interact with others by restoring her gag and tightening her bonds.

It grew late. The party and the mercenaries prepared to bed down. Zeynap came into camp, weary from the three-hour hike to the second camp and back.

A wave of odor washed over the camp - the putrid smell of decomposition!  Gaunt figures came running up the hill, darting back and forth through the small trees. Ghouls were attacking the camp!

Xoc-Wik returned to the new campsite carrying a collection of small game and tubers. He saw the silhouettes of ghouls approaching the camp. He dropped the game and drew his bow and nocked an arrow.

A group of ghouls rounded some trees to the right. Another group approached up the middle and pounced upon Zeynap. Zeynap was paralyzed by their rending claws.

The mercenaries sprang up and grabbed their clubs. They moved to block the ghouls approaching from the right flank. Bramble summoned forth two spirit bears who raced forward with the honker named Chak'sa to defend Zeynap.

The leader, a more sophisticated ghoul known as a ghast, wore robes and was taller and stood more erect. It directed the two in the rear to turn around and charge Xoc-Wik.

Argent moved to the right and called upon Bhamut to banish these shambling anathema to true life! A flash of holy radiance caused several of the ghouls to cower and shield their faces. They turned to flee. With the mercenaries' help, Argent made short work of those who remained.

Meanwhile the bears ripped and tore the ghouls attacking Zeynap, rending them to tatters of putrid flesh. Zeynap in turn regained his senses and began zapping the remaining ghouls with eldritch bolts.

Xoc-Wik quickly eliminated the two ghouls attacking him and turned his arrows to the ghast. The ghast charged Xoc-Wik but was likewise soon destroyed.

The battle was ended. The campsite was secured and the entourage once more settled down to rest.

It began to rain.

Bag of Nails
The rain continued through the night, making for a miserable evening without tents or blankets. With the gray wet light of day the party gathered their equipment and set off once more into the ruined city of Omu. Fifty six nights had passed since they left Port Nyanzaru.

The party hiked east towards the lake of lava in the southeast quadrant of the city. They circled around the  massive pit towards the waterfall where the flooded city drained into the lava. They made their way up to the fallen log that crossed the draining water.

Bramble warned everyone to be on guard for the senile old hunter named Bag-of-Nails.

Argent held his shield up and moved forward onto the log shouting, "I'm here, Bag-of-Nails! Come and get me! I'm right here!"

Xoc-Wik, who had heretofore not met Bag-of-Nails, kept an arrow nocked and drawn, ready to loose at any target that made itself visible. He scanned the roof-tops looking for the hunter.

An arrow flew out of the sky and thudded into the fallen log with a "THOP-P-P-P!"

Xoc-Wik looked frantically about but could see no attacker!

Another arrow splashed into the water. Another arrow hit the log. Xoc-Wik saw him! An elderly b'alam moving into hiding on a rooftop over three hundred feet away! Xoc-Wik loosed an arrow into the old hunter. The arrow struck Bag-of-Nails and magically sprouted vines, ivy, and thorns which grabbed into the surrounding stone.

Bag-of-Nails responded with an arrow into Xoc-Wik. The younger b'alam grit his sharp teeth against the poison. The elder b'alam strained against the vines, scratching and tearing at his flesh! Xoc-Wik lost his target again.

Xoc-Wik scanned the rooftop. He found his quarry. Bag-of-Nails had dropped his bow and was frantically pulling at the vines and thorns.

Xoc-Wik loosed an arrow.

The arrow flew straight at its target. Time slowed down. Bag-of-Nails looked up and, for a brief second made eye contact with Xoc-Wik. The look of confusion, frustration, and fear on Bag-of-Nails face disappeared when he saw the younger b'alam. He saw Xoc-Wik and his fear was replaced with recognition and pride. He silently mouthed the word, "Son?"

DM Note- Bag-of-Nails rolled a 1 and dropped his bow. He bent down to pick it up. Xoc-Wik aimed and took another shot. His player rolled to hit. 17- a hit! 

Before he could roll damage, I said, "You loose your arrow. It flies straight and true. Before it hits, Bag-of-Nails looks up and, for a brief second, makes eye contact with you. He silently mouths the word - 'Son?'"

The player froze. The look on the player's face was PRICELESS! He said, "GODDAMMIT!"

I offered the player the option to spend an Inspiration for Disadvantage, re-roll and hope for a lower result. 

The player hemmed and hawed and had a tough time making up his mind. He eventually cursed aloud, "GODDAMMIT! GODDAMMIT! GODDAMMIT!" Before he could change his mind, he picked up the d8, and rolled damage. 

Bag-of-Nails had five hit points left.

The arrow struck Bag-of-Nails in the heart. The elderly hunter collapsed onto the roof, out of sight.

Xoc-Wik immediately regretted his action. He darted at full sprint across the log and towards the building. He threw himself up the sheer wall and dashed towards the rooftop where Bag-of-Nails fell.

Bag-of-Nails was gone.

In his place was a bowl of stew and a note- "Good shot, son! I'm proud of you! Have a bowl of stew, no poison! You've earned it!"

Xoc-Wik crumpled up the note and kicked over the bowl of stew, "Not a chance, old man."

DM Note- The player immediately regretted shooting Bag-of-Nails. He dashed at full speed to try to save him. While he did so, I rolled death saves in secret. I don't normally roll death saves for NPCs but I make an exception sometimes of the players request it. The difficulty is 15. I rolled 17, 18, and 20. Bag-of-Nails survived with 1 hit point and escaped. 

The other players were holding their breath during the entire sniper duel. It was amazingly tense. When I told them about the note and the stew, there were cheers and high fives. It was a fantastic encounter!

Jaculis
The party continued to the edge of the lake of lava. A large island of rock stood like a spire in the lake. A squat shrine stood atop the island. The remains of what looked like a land bridge lay in huge collapsed chunks in the lava below. Many were close together and could be climbed. The widest gap, however, was sixty feet - a seemingly insurmountable chasm. After discussing several options, Bramble transformed himself into a massive flying reptile as large as a giraffe. He picked up each member of the party and ferried them across one by one, depositing them at the entrance to the shrine compound. As he carried across the final mercenary a flock of crystal gargoyles began to converge on their location. He landed and transformed back into his theran form as the gargoyles circled in the sky above. "Well, guess I'm not doing that again anytime soon."

DM Note- Yeah, I totally forgot about the gargoyles attacking anything that flies until after I let them get across. I later remembered and said that the sky was now full of gargoyles which would make getting back across tough. 

Argent raised his shield and carefully advanced past the twin obelisks that formed the threshhold into the compound. There were dense trees and foliage flanking both sides of the overgrown paving stone that led to the shrine entrance. Argent signaled Zeynap to join him.

Suddenly a fifteen foot long snake shot out of the tree like an arrow! The snake slammed against Argent's shield and fell to the ground. The snake had metallic blue scales and a cobra-like hood made of several short spikes. The snake coiled up and quickly returned to the trees.

"WHAT - THE - HELL?" cried Zeynap!

More snakes launched themselves out of the trees at Argent.  Apparently, and Xoc-Wik launched ranged attacks at the creatures from outside the threshold. Each time the snakes would retreat to the trees. Zeynap and Argent managed to kill a few of the snakes and eventually the attacks ceased. Zeynap and Argent advanced to the entrance.

The Shrine of Moa

Ancient Omuan cuneiform adorned the entrance. Zeynap called back, "Orvex, you're up!"

Orvex ran forward to provide translation, "Moa teaches us that secrets hide the truth."

Ahead of them was a corridor. The walls were carved with bas relief serpents. There were three  narrow openings on each wall, each about a foot tall and a hands-width wide. The floor was covered in cobwebs. No one had entered this corridor in quite some time. There was a room behind with a mosaic on the floor and a pedestal illuminated by a single shaft of magical light. A hand-sized cube floated, suspended in the shaft of light.

Argent inhaled deeply and exhaled a blast of his draconic fire into the hallway, burning it clean of all cobwebs. He then got on his hands and knees and closely examined the floor. He gently pushed on the floor and saw that it moved ever so slightly but was stopped by a mechanical barrier. "It's trapped." was his assessment.

"You think?" was Bramble's sarcastic reply. "Can you disable it?"

Argent stood and shrugged, "I think it might already be disabled." He tested his theory by picking up a dead snake and tossing it into the corridor. It landed with a meaty thud. Nothing happened. He turned and looked at the others.

"Who's going first?" inquired Zeynap nervously.

Everyone looked at Xoc-Wik.

"Don't look at me!" said the jaguar-man.

"But you're the fighter! Isn't this your job?" asked Bramble.

Xoc-Wik held up his bow for emphasis, "Not that kind of fighter!" was his defensive retort.

After an awkward silence Argent took a deep breath, "I'll go."

Argent boldly strode down the corridor. Nothing happened.

The others soon joined him inside. The mercenaries, along with Chak'sa and Thazma, stayed outside the compound.

Aside from the mosaic and the pedestal, the room contained twelve statues of ancient Omuan archers with arrows nocked and drawn, ready to attack anyone who might take the hovering cube.

Argent, Orvex, Apparently, and Zeynap examined the mosaic on the floor. It depicted the serpentine god Moa in battle with the simian Wongo. Moss grew over some writing. Argent peeled away the moss and Orvex translated, "Death rewards a thief deceived. Truth comes from the serpent’s mouth."

Bramble examined the hovering cube, "Nobody take this. It's a trick!"

"Obviously," said Argent, "Everyone, look around for a 'serpent's mouth'.

None of the statues depicted anything like a serpent's mouth.

Argent borrowed a spear from one of the mercenaries. He used the spear to chip away the mosaic stones of the god Moa. He found nothing but concrete.

"Hey," said Apparently, "Maybe the corridor is the serpent and the entrance is the mouth!"

The party moved outside the shrine and closely examined the entrance but could find nothing.

Apparently looked in the corridor and remembered the openings. She looked into an opening and saw a hidden room on the other side of the wall. Within the room was a statue of a large serpent.

"Found it!"

She looked in the other windows just to be safe. It was the mirror image of the other room with a statue of a large serpent. However, its head had broken off and lay on the floor. A cube rested near the remnants of the head.

"Oh, wait!" she cautioned.

"Check both statues," said Bramble, "Look for a secret door."

Working in pairs, the party quickly found small hidden shafts concealed by false facades. Apparently entered one room while Zeynap entered the other. Apparently picked the cube up off the floor. Zeynap examined the serpent's mouth and found a second cube.

"Which is the real cube?" wondered Argent.

Apparently shrugged.

As they exited the shrine, Apparently's cube disappeared. Only Zeynap's cube remained. "I guess this one," he said.

The Judgement of Thazma

The party gathered outside the shrine. They stood on an island of rock a hundred feet above a lake of lava. The rain was pouring.

Argent ordered the mercenaries to produce Thazma. Argent removed her gag. Her eyes open wide. Her teeth were apart in a disturbing open-mouthed smile.

"We have all nine puzzle cubes. Are you prepared to show us the entrance to the Tomb of Nine Gods?"

Thazma hesitated before enthusiastically answer, "Yes! Yes, absolutely!"

Argent's green draconic eyes narrowed in a mixture of distrust and revulsion. He closed his eyes and called upon the power of his god, Bhamut, "You will speak only the truth!"

DM Note- Argent cast Zone of Truth. Zeynap's player said, "Wait, let me, let me test it. Thazma, who was the better Sherlock Holmes - Nigel Rathbone or Benedict Cumberbatch?"

I answered, "Trick question- the correct answer is Jeremy Brett!"

Zeynap gave the thumbs up, "It's working!"

Thazma was overcome by the compulsion of Argent's holy command, "I- I am pretty sure I almost definitely know where I think it is- might be- probably."

Argent was overcome with rage, "YOU DON'T KNOW???"

Thazma recoiled, "Zagmira was the only one who knew for certain. You killed her! When Yamoch refused to cooperate, you killed him! I was next! What would you expect me to say? Besides! I really think I know where the entrance probably is!

Argent screamed, "You are useless!" The dragon-man brandished his axe, "We should have executed you on the spot!"

Thazma flinched.

Xoc-Wik said, "Now wait a minute!"

Argent glowered at Xoc-Wik. Xoc-Wik backed down. He looked at Bramble for guidance. Bramble put up his hands, "Don't look at me. I don't care what happens to her."

Argent spun back to Thazma. His eyes flashing green hatred. "While you are my prisoner, I am honor bound to let you live."

Thazma relaxed just a little.

Argent cut her bonds, "Therefore I release you. You are no longer my prisoner."

Thazma's eyes grew wide in panic. She backed away and prepared to cast a spell of flight in order to escape.

Argent cut her down in one strike.

Lightning flashed and thunder rolled across the valley of Omu.

Regrets
"Well," said Zeynap, "That escalated quickly."

The mercenaries shuffled uneasily and whispered among themselves. Argent leveled his bloody axe at them as a silent warning. "She was evil. She deserved to die."

One of the mercenaries replied, "No question, she was evil. But did she really deserve it? Was she really threatening you? You may have cut her bonds but she was unarmed and trying to run away. What does your order say about killing enemies in retreat?"

Argent stared down at his bloody axe. What had he done? He immediately began to regret his actions. He had murdered her. He had violated his oath as a knight of Bhamut.

Argent whispered to himself, "I have made a mistake."

The mercenary interrupted his reverie, "So, um, what's your plan now for finding the entrance to the Tomb of Nine Gods?"

Argent continued to stare at his axe, wet with rain and blood.

Bramble replied, "Well, I can't fly you all back across because of the gargoyles. So we're kind of stuck. Our first priority is food." He looked in the direction of the ruined royal palace. Black leather-winged reptiles continued to orbit the tower. "I can transform into a small flying beast and go forage enough food for a few of us. The gargoyles seem to ignore small creatures. In the meantime, the rest of you use these rain-catchers to collect some fresh water. And maybe butcher some of those snakes we killed."

Zeynap said, "I have a good idea that the entrance to the tomb is located inside that tower."

Bramble nodded, "Possibly. Lots of snake-men in there. That could be trouble. In the meantime, rest, collect water, and eat. We'll figure out a way to get off this island tomorrow."

Argent silently walked away from the group. He knelt down at a spot overlooking the lake of lava, placed his axe on the ground in front of him, and began to pray for forgiveness.

The mercenaries picked up their former employer and tossed her into the lava.

To Be Continued...

DM Commentary- I have to admit, I did not see that coming.

Argent murdering Thazma came out of left field. I was all set to end the evening with Thazma leading them to the general area of the entrance to the tomb. She had become a plot device. 

But her murder was an emotional ending to a great session of high drama. The sniper-duel with Bag-of-Nails was riveting. The solving of the Shrine of Moa then ramped up frustrations even more. I can see how Argent's player might have been keyed up by that point.

I also got a little angry with Argent's player when he did that. But I took a deep breath. I told Argent's player I was getting frustrated with that course of action and apologized up front. I tried to calm down and let the player do his thing. I did warn him, however, that this course of action would lead to a violation of his oath as a paladin.

At first he objected. He argued that slaying an evil person is within his mandate. We then read the paladin's oath together, out loud. I also pointed out that, to a good-aligned paladin, there are only a few circumstances that warrant killing someone - 

1. They pose an imminent threat to your life.

2. They pose an imminent threat to someone else's life.

3. (optional, depending on order) Vengeance.

I pointed out that Thazma posed no imminent threat to his or anyone else's life. 

He asked "Has she killed anyone?"

I said, "Not that you know of." 

He agreed that he had violated his oath and agreed that his paladin should face some sort of repercussion for his rash action.

According to the player's handbook, there are two options.

1. If the paladin is unrepentant, then they can only take additional levels in Oathbreaker Paladin or another class.

2. If the paladin is repentant, then they can fast for a number of days to atone for their crime. That basically means taking on some levels of exhaustion. Now I need to decide how many levels is sufficient. 

Also, they're stuck on an island with no food and they have no idea where the entrance to the Tomb of Nine Gods is located.

I told the players - I have given you three, THREE, NPCs who have offered to help you find it. You have killed or have allowed to be killed each one. I'M DONE! From this point forward THERE ARE NO MORE BACK-UPS! YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN!  

They've just added one or two more sessions before entering the tomb, which is frustrating. I'm curious to see what they come up with. I'm curious to see what I come up with!!

"Not My Forte'!" Chapter 9 of the Lost Mines of Elder Flinch

In this episode, the team learn the value of having a healer and a defender in the party as they continue to explore the Lost Mine of Elder Flinch without the aid of Ser Valerius or a cleric. This week, they meet a deranged magical guardian, run away from a frightening apparition, eradicate a flock of bloodthirsty stirges, dismantle a troop of skeletons, barely defeat a pack of ghouls, lose one of their own against a room full of bugbears, bypass a glowing skull, and lose another of their own against the remaining ghouls.

Spoiler Warning! This is a florid retelling of the Lost Mine of Phandelver adventure included with the Dungeons and Dragons Fifth Edition Starter Set.

The party:


Aline, a Thaumaturge of half-Human/half-Sylvan parentage (Level 4 Half-Elf Wizard) 

Braxton Hicks, a Hillfolk Explorer and Trail Guide (Level 4 Halfling Ranger)

Syral, Sylvan Assassin (Level 4 Wood Elf Rogue)

The Starry Cavern
As they stood in the starry cavern, its high ceiling glittering like the night sky, Ser Valerius bade his temporary farewell to the party. He was taking his prisoner, the Black Spider, along with the rescued dwarven survivor, back to Wyvern Tor to leave with Balaton of Clan Brocktaw.

The remaining members of the party, Aline, Braxton, and Syral, stood before the ancient sigil-inlaid door of a small stone structure. Unlike the other architecture of the mine, this structure was built for human habitation. Recalling the story of how human wizards cohabited with dwarfs and gnomes within this mine, they suspected that this was once the domicile of a wizard long dead.

Hello!
They forced the door open and saw a large floating orb. The orb was a living creature. In the center of the orb was a giant single eye and a wide mouth filled with serrated teeth. Four tentacles sprouted from the orb. As the door was thrust wide the eye opened and the tentacles sprang to alert attention. A thought appeared in everyone's mind, "Hello!" 

"Hello!"

The party was momentarily taken aback. It was Braxton that first replied, "Hello?"

"Is the battle over? How did we fare?" inquired the orb.

The party tried to explain that the battle was over eighty years ago and that no one survived.

"Oh, that's quite impossible. My master, Noh-Nah-Meh, will be along to relieve me shortly. In the  meantime, I am tasked to guard this place until his return. Hello!"

The orb began again as if the previous ten seconds of conversation had never happened. And so it went for several minutes until Aline came upon an idea.

"Hello, I am your master."

"Oh! Have I been relieved of my duty?"

"Oh yes," replied Aline.

"Excellent! Is the battle over? How did we fare?" inquired the orb.

"Not well, I'm afraid." said Aline.

"Alas. That is not good. Well, if you need me, you know how to summon me!" and with that, the orb tore open a purple burning hole in reality and slipped back to its home dimension.

"Is the battle over? How did we fare?"

Within the room, the party found several old book filled with technical formulas and charts of the properties of various metals and materials, most of which were written in arcane code and far above the understanding of anyone in the party.

In addition, the found a mace with a head shaped like the sun and a suit of armor adorned and emblazoned with a serpentine golden dragon. Aline determined both to be magical, along with the gauntlets and wand both found earlier.

The party proceeded down some stairs cut into an escarpment that separated the large cave into an upper half and a lower half. Below, the found another square building, a domicile like the previous structure.

Mormesk the Bitter
The roof of the structure was sagging and in poor repair. As they forced open the broken doors, they found the remnants of a room that had been blasted by an explosion eighty years ago. Across the room they could see a treasure chest and a shelf of books, well preserved despite the destruction. Aline used a spell to manipulate the chest. She found it filled with coin and too heavy to lift.

As Braxton cautiously entered the room, alone, to retrieve the chest, a ghostly wraith materialized out of the floor next to him. "You dare violate the abode of Mormesk the Magician? You dare invade my domicile searching to steal my treasures? Fools!"

The party attempted to bargain with the wraith for its possessions. "You may have one treasure if you fulfill for me a single task. You must KILL that fucking spectator next door!"

"But, why?"

"Because it belonged to that asshole Noh-Nah-Meh! And I always hated Noh-Nah-Meh! I despised that asshole! What a dick!"

The party explained that the spectator has already been returned whom whence it came. Mormesk said, "Good! Well then, I guess you have nothing else to bargain with. Therefore, your life is forfeit, and your deaths belong to me!"

Not My Forte'!
Mormesk the wraith became a frightening visage of terror. The party bombarded Mormesk with attack spells and arrows. They shouted for Braxton to engage the wraith in melee. Braxton attacked with a weak, half-hearted strike. Sensing the disappointment of his companions, he defensively shouted, "Not my forte!" and turned to run.

As he turned to flee, the wraith reached into Braxton and grabbed his heart! Braxton froze as he felt his very life essence being pulled from his body. Suddenly, just as his soul was pulled nearly completely out of his body, he regained his composure and willed himself to live, pulling his soul back and throwing Mormesk away. Braxton scrambled and ran out of the room with his fellow companions not far behind.

They looked back to see Mormesk's gaunt skeletal face filling the entire doorway, his piercing scream blasting them with cold necrotic wind. The doors, once broken off their hinges, slammed back shut on their own accord, leaving the cavern in eerie silence.

Spores!
The party continued southwest and entered into a medium-sized cavern filled with giant mushrooms. The mushrooms were giving off an eerie green phosphorescence. There was little space to move through the room so they walked gingerly, careful to avoid stepping on a mushroom. It was Braxton who accidentally brushed against one of the massive fungi, causing it to release its spores. The event triggered a chain reaction. In a blink of the eye, every mushroom had discharged its spores, creating a thick choking miasma of glowing green motes.

The party ran from the cavern, covering their eyes and mouths and choking. Braxton barely made it out, but they ultimately escaped unharmed.

Stirges

They continued west, entering a four-way intersection of rough-hewn mine with a high dark ceiling. Suddenly, a flock of bat-winged creatures descended upon the party, hungry for blood. Aline, thinking quickly, waited for them to close and unleashed a clap of magical thunder. The shockwave instantly killed the entire flock! Ten rat-like bat-winged creatures with long blood-sucking proboscises fell dead to the mine floor like so many bags of wet clay.

Stirges!

Assay Office
Exploring a passage to the south, they entered a door to the right, finding a room with a long counter and a wall filled with several rows of small niches. Within each niche was an ancient piece of parchment covered in dwarfish runes. All papers that Braxton touched crumbled to aged flakes. Behind the counter Syral found a strong box. Without thief's tools, Syral was unable to open the box. They decided to take it with them, piling onto Braxton's already laden pack. 

Guard Room

Across the hall, they entered another room. A portion of the ceiling in this room had collapsed and the floor was littered with the bones of various victims, orcine and dwarven. When they entered the room, the bones began to assemble into makeshift skeletons of amalgam bones. The skeletons moved jerkily. They lurched forward towards the intruders. The party easily defeated the clattering horde with little trouble.

Lost in the Mines

The party found where they originally entered the mine. Having made a complete loop of the perimeter, they decided to head inward. Ignoring the door near the four-way intersection for now, they explored the passages to the northwest. They soon found the labyrinthine mines difficult to navigate and impossible to reconcile on their map. Ultimately, they found a set of rough hewn stairs headed north and climbed them.

Eaters of the Dead!
They found themselves in a vast cavern, over a hundred and fifty feet across and a hundred feet high in places, with a sunken rift in its center. Lurking near a large stalagmite and column were seven hunched humanoids, some dwarven and some orcine, with pale eyes that glowed in the darkness.

Wary, the party stayed near the exit. Suddenly, five of the figures burst forth, charging the party! They were ghouls, immortal Eaters of the dead! Syral fought a retreat, his elven blood immune to their potent paralyzation. Aline cast a spell that filled the entrance and the area beyond with magical spider webs, slowing the ghouls as they ran back into the complicated passages of the mine.

Defensive Position

After running blindly through the corridors, they found themselves having run a loop and in sight of the passage with the stairs. The sound of ghouls running down the passage could be heard. Aline and Braxton took position in a doorway and prepared ranged attacks in case any ghoul came their way. Syral guarded their rear. The ghouls emerged from the passage and took random paths. Two came towards them and were attacked by Aline's eldritch blasts and Braxton's deadly arrows. The rest, hearing the death screams of the others, came running. Aline, Braxton, and Syral were able to fight them two at a time and, in so doing, were able to defeat five ghouls. Two of the ghouls hung back, waiting around the corner. As the battle ended, they fled back up the stairs.

Two at a Time!

A Brief Reprieve
Wounded and frightened, the party retreated from the dungeon, climbing the rope out of the sink-hole and returning to Wyvern Tor. There they reunited with Ser Valerius and Balaton, along with the prisoner, the Black Spider, and the dwarf survivor. They studied the mace, armor, gauntlets, and wand, becoming familiar with the abilities and limitations of each. That night, they rested and recuperated.

Back Into the Mine
The next day, Ser Valerius and Balanton instead took the survivor and the prisoner back down the mountain to Flinch. Meanwhile, Syral, Aline, and Braxton donned their gear and descended the pit into the mine, hoping to complete their exploration.

They carefully retraced their steps back to the great hall, which they found empty. After thoroughly exploring it, they took a passage to the north. There they found a stout door covered in claw marks. Syral tried to open the door but met resistance. He shoved with all his weight and managed to burst the door open despite its being barricaded from within.

The Sad Demise of Syral the Assassin
Inside they found five bugbears, brutal agents of the Black Spider assigned to guard the door. They had been interrupted in the midst of an argument over what to do since they found several of their brethren killed with no sign of their leader. Faced with an immediate enemy, the bugbears rushed the intruders.

The fight in the doorway was brutal. A lucky shot took sent Syral to the floor. One of the bugbears dragged Syral's unconscious body into the room, separating him from his companions. Although many bugbears were killed, Braxton soon found himself at death's door as well. Finally, Aline was able to defeat the remaining two bugbears with a magical blast of thunder.

Acting quickly, she rushed to Syral's aid, but it was too late for the sylvan assassin. She quickly ran to Braxton and saved him with a healing potion. The pair laid their fallen companion on one of the stone slab beds, vowing to come back for him.

The party explored east and found a large chamber containing a complicated mechanical apparatus, a water-powered blast furnace used to smelt ore. The floor was littered in the long dead victims of that elder battle. Above the blast furnace hovered a floating skull, wreathed in green flame.

The pair carefully backed out of the room, unnoticed by the arcane sentry.

The party traveled back south, through the great hall, and down the southeast passage. There they found an old pantry, its goods long ago rotted into dust or evaporated into the air, leaving empty bags and casks.

The Gruesome Death of Braxton Hicks
The party came to the last unexplored room. They opened the door and spied five hunched orcine and dwarven humanoids with grey clammy skin and gaunt fanged faces. They were faced with five more ghouls!

The ghouls rushed the door. Braxton immediately ordered Aline to run, proclaiming that he had a plan!

Swarming the door. What's that fifth one doing?

The ghouls swarmed over the diminutive archer, clawing him, pulling him into the room, screaming.

Aline shouted, "Was that your plan?"

Braxton cried out, "No!"

The Gruesome Death of Braxton Hicks!

Before Aline turned the corner at the four-way intersection, she looked back. The last image she saw was Braxton being dragged into the room by three ghouls while a fourth slowly closed the door, watching her, holding his finger to his mouth as if to say "Shhhhh...". Braxton's muffled screams were all she could hear as Aline fled back to the sink-hole.

Aline Escapes

Meanwhile, the fifth ghoul had exited through a side door and was trying to sneak up on her. She ran for the rope and pulled it up behind her. The fifth ghoul ran out and jumped for it, but missed. It sat there watching her. She hurled a witchbolt at it and it ran away.

At the top of the sink hole, Aline realized. All the party treasure was now in that room.

TO BE CONTINUED!

After Thoughts

This is what happens when you try to take on an undead-themed dungeon without a fighter front line and without a cleric for healing and turning. Scott's paladin, Ser Valerius, is currently fulfilling both roles admirably. Unfortunately, Scott was in Florida this week and the rest of the party decided to carry on without him.

To their credit, they knew when they were in over their heads and fled when they could. Their goal was to scout the dungeon, eliminating the opposition when they could, noting it when they couldn't, and come back later with their paladin and cleric.

Speaking of cleric, we were really hoping Jeffy, who plays Balanton and has been absent from our group for many months, would be rejoining us tonight. He had signified his intent to join us. Every car that drove by outside got us excited, then ultimately disappointed. A large portion of the decision to continue was based on the hope that Jeffy's cleric would show up any minute now. Unfortunately, Jeffy was unable to make it.

The death of Braxton was brutal. Woobee really had a plan to save Braxton. He just wasn't counting on me to roll two critical hits in one turn. Ouch.

Aline is heading back to Flinch, hoping she'll be able to recruit more adventurers to clear the mine. The next time the party returns, Trevor is hoping to bring back Thaddeus the Urban Ranger and Woobee is still thinking about what he wants to play. He's leaning towards a dragonborn fighter.

We're not gaming next week. Our next game is scheduled for October 24th. Then a week off for Halloween. The week after that is November 7th.

Lucinda, who plays Aline, is pregnant and is due November 8th, so she may or may not be there and even if she is, it will be her last game for a few months.

However, about that same time, Dodd will return and he'll be able to play Gravy, once and for all!