Session 052 - Captives of the Woodcutters

General Summary

23 to 24 Peonu (2) (Spring) 721TR

 

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The story so far

Acheron and Sabertooth have been captured by a gang of Wood Cutters who at night are Thieves and Bandits. They are being held in their secret lair under the ruins of an old desecrated temple, near the Themeson.

Avon, having escaped the bandit's clutches, is planning a rescue.

Continuation of Session 51 - Unwanted Visitors.

Part 1 - Imprisonment.

The captives are dragged into the cellar of an old chapel by the woodcutters/bandits. This chapel was once dedicated to the peaceful Goddess Peoni but was desecrated and converted into a temple to Morgath the God of Chaos, Evil and the Undead. It was later sacked and destroyed in a rebellion over 100 years ago with only the underground cellar and some burial vaults remaining.

These are now used by the local thieves guild, lead by the Woodcutter Jaens Firin, and his three sons, to store their ill-gotten goods. As it turns out, they are also cultists of Morgath and plan to sacrifice Acheron and Sabertooth to their dark god.

The unconscious heroes are manacled and thrown into empty burial chambers. Sabretooth is the first to regain consciousness, noting a dark, oppressive environment filled with feelings of irrational fear and death, the evil taint of the God Morgath.

Part 2 - Acheron Test.

Acheron finds himself in an unexpected location, a barren rocky field. From the sky flies down the great crimson winged lion, Mendiz, his Warlock Patron. Mendiz demands that he prove himself worthy of the power he has been granted.

From eight magical gateways, small demons emerge, these are Vii, the least of the God Agrik's warriors. Although small in size, they make up for it with massive numbers, aggression, and a willingness to sacrifice themselves in battle. They mob Acheron, and although he was able to kill a few, he is eventually overwhelmed.

Mendiz tells him that he is not powerful enough and will be tested again when he is stronger. Acheron then wakes chained in his cell.

Part 3 - The Escape.

Sabretooth decides to test the strength of the manacles and calls on his inner reserves quickly and silently breaks free. Exploring, he sees the light from the adjoining cellar, and two of the bandits going through the party's belongings. He stays in the shadow, easily avoiding detection.

Acheron, sensing the evil taint in his cell, opens his Divine Senses and feels that the evil grows much stronger in the northern direction. He tests his bonds, and they are old and rusty and easily snap. Both heroes have freed themselves and wait for the opportunity to strike.

At midnight Avon stealthily approaches the ruins using his night-vision to navigate. Seeing Jaens Firin with one of his sons approaching, he shoots an arrow at the son first wounding him, then finishing him off with a second as he retreats. Jaens shouts a warning into the cellar calling on his remaining sons to come to his aid before closing on Avon. Hearing the commotion, Acheron starts screaming and drawing one of the sons into an ambush while the other son assists his father upstairs. Sabretooth and Achenon quickly dispatch their surprised prey.

Jaens attacks Avon and knocks him onto the ground, leaving him for dead, then moving to deal with the escape attempt. Acheron takes down the remaining son but is incapacitated, leaving Sabertooth to fight against the angry Jaens alone. Sabertooth is badly injured but wins. Avon is hurt but alive, and the heroes rest as best they can in the cold crypt.

Part 4 - The Dark Tunnel Passage.

The party finds a suspicious section of the north wall and behind it a concealed door. This has not been used for years, maybe centuries, and is walled up from the inside. Investigating, they find a series of tunnels all ending with an old Sarcophagus surrounded by canopic jars. One Sarcophagus contains a Wolf Pelt filled with human bones. This is identified as a Morivian Skin.

Sabretooth then walks on a magically trapped human skull on the floor. Life draining darkness envelops him, and as well as a curse. Until dawn, his healing is drastically slowed.

In the final chamber, they find a sealed Stone Sarcophagus from which they hear scraping sounds. The lid slides off, and a strange Skeleton with leather straps nailed onto its body, and overly long, sharp teeth emerges. It grapples Acheron but is unable to sink its fangs into him before being hacked into small pieces. In the Sarcophagus, the heroes find an Amulet of Defeating Portals, and Acheron notices one of the canopic jars as a being a device to store demonic entities.

Part 5 - Passage to the Mausoleum.

After some searching, Avon locates another false wall and evidence of recent usage. Opening it, they find a passage west leading in the direction of the old Mausoleum but are set on by three long-dead corpses. However, these Zombies are easily dispatched.

To be continued next week......