Session 03
General Summary
Fully revitalised by Jaroo's ritual, Nex Pervenio eagerly headed back through the moathouse
dungeon. They returned to the scene of their last fight and had a look around. It was a smelly gnoll
barracks. Two locked doors, looked like they'd not been opened in ages, were yanked open to
reveal rubbish piled high - broken furniture, rags, junk.
The exploration continued north. Ahead was the flicker of firelight and boisterous goblinoid
chatter - bugbears! Shinobi charged in and got their attention. In fact the bugbears swarmed all
over him and dropped him in a bloody heap. Good job Valun was on hand to pick up the pieces.
The bugbear commander glimpsed a gap and hurled himself at Valun, grabbing him in a bearhug.
Luckily Mika was able to drag the commander back, allowing Dash to fill it full of arrows.
Meanwhile the other bugbears were being whittled down slowly and when there was only one left
it was game over. The bugbears had a few coins on them.
Three doors near the bugbears led to yet more rooms stuffed full of junk and detritus. A welltravelled corridor was followed south and ended at a blank wall. But it was suspected it should
join up with the ogre lair. Sure enough, a quick search revealed a hidden door connecting the
rooms as expected.
The exploration continued up to a door in a corridor to the north east. The corridor stretched on
into the darkness. The door opened to reveal a large series of rooms, packed full of cultists. A
shout went up and hordes of humans flooded the area. Argus and Shinobi formed a beach-head
while Dash began picking off victims further back. A large dragonborn warrior shouldered his
way through the crowd and caused some trouble with his halberd. Men with crossbows moved up
slowly, peppering shots as they advanced. But the main bulk of the cultists lay dead on the floor.
From a side room emerged a handsome human in luxurious robes, it could only be Lareth! He
rallied his troops to repel the intruders. Then spoke a word of death, immobilising Argus with
crippling pain. The dragonborn warrior dropped, though he was replaced by cult sergeants,
likewise equipped with halberds so they could harry Valun trying to shelter behind Argus. But
Mika and Dash were fairly unimpeded and continued to unleash arrows and druidic magic. Soon
only Lareth and one sergeant were left, with Lareth increasingly surrounded. In his desperation he
unleashed a massive burst of necrotic energy, severely wounding his foes but also killing his one
remaining ally. After that it was a formality to subdue and capture him.
The whole area was searched thoroughly. It was much more pleasant than any of the other rooms
in the complex, especially the side room which was very richly appointed with rugs, tapestries and
the like. Some magical treasures were appropriated. Sadly no notes or diaries were found, oh well
they would have to beat the information out of Lareth.
But first there was a little more exploring to do. The long tunnel was followed north, ending in
daylight, emerging in a concealed spot well away from the moathouse. The final area was
explored, down some stairs lay a subterranean pool. It seemed clear and safe. As the area was
being searched, a huge glob of blue goo detached itself from the ceiling and burst, showering
everyone in acid. It then formed into a slimy mass and began attacking anyone near it, burning
with acid. But it was soon dealt with and the acid slime cleaned off.
Weary but triumphant, Nex Pervenio went in search of Jaroo, ready to return to Hommlet. The
triumph turned sour as Jaroo pointed out that the captive was not, in fact, Lareth! Instead it was his
lieutenant. He was brought round, raving and frothing. He blurted that Lareth was actually at the
ruins of the temple of elemental evil, personally overseeing work there.
Now it was time to return to Hommlet. Nex Pervenio reported in to Sister Columba. She was very
impressed that the moathouse had been completely cleared out in less than a day, though
disappointed that Lareth had not been there. The stolen brandy was returned to the Welcome
Wench who expressed their gratitude with a cash reward. There would be a couple of days to
prepare and then it would be time to head for the temple ruins. It seemed that some Rodinian
legionnaires and the dwarf mercenaries might also head that way.
Report Date
10 Apr 2024
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