Session 09
General Summary
Our heroes were in the old stables in Quail Keep when Elijah had just spotted through the gloom a
wobbling mass of jelly slipping slowly through the straw towards them. Drax dropped back firing
a crossbow bolt into the jellied blob. Jaina called upon Pelor to lance the cube with holy fire.
Prince Lynott, also dropping back fired a ray of ice at it which seemed to partially solidify the
monster and slow it right down. With it thus disabled the party were able to keep out of its reach
and pepper it with missile fire until it basically dissolved. A few coins and a garnet from previous
victims no doubt, were recovered from the jellied remains.
The rest of the courtyard and upper floor of the keep was systematically searched but nothing else
of value was found so before descending into the dungeon the group took a long rest and ate a
meal with the kobold cooks. The kobolds seemed to warm to Lynott in his draconic form and
huddled around him to talk to him. He asked them how they came to be here. They told him that
they used to be working for Thuskamasker, son of Bezzalt, who lives in the Underdark under the
valley somewhere. He gave them to the Crushed Skull orcs as a present. They gave them to the
hobgoblins and hence they ended up here. Lynott noted the presence of a third dragon in the valley
with great interest, and after a pleasant meal (the kobolds were surprisingly good cooks!) they let
the draconic humanoids leave. They headed out planning to try and return to their master,
Thuskamasker, who they promised to tell all about Lynott and his friends.
Fed, rested and with a bit more information under the belts the group decided it was time to handle
the stairs. At this stage Fett, who had been off in the woods doing whatever it is wood elves do
returned. Now five strong the group dropped some fifty feet below the keep into the dungeon.
Here they would hear the unmistakable sounds of pick axes on stone. Elijah, scouting forward
could hear goblin voices behind a closed door � where the digging sound was coming from �
and could smell wet fur. Investigating two other doors in the area Elijah found a cell block which
had giant weasels locked up in it and a bedroom in which he found a letter, written in the ugly
scrawl of a goblin, that no one could read but which was pocketed, and a big chest full of dwarven
boots, clothes and weapon smithing tools. Sneaking forward Elijah prised open the door behind
which they could hear digging. Beyond was a big room. Two dwarves, chained at the ankles were
using pick axes to dig a fresh tunnel in the wall. They were guarded by two hobgoblins and a
couple more dire weasels. In the corner behind some boxes skulked a female goblin. In the
opposite corner was a well with a rope ladder curled up next to it. Getting close to the door
Demonbane began to glow � there was a demonologist nearby. The group collected themselves
by the door, kicked it open and charged in.
With surprise on their side the heroes made short work of the goblinoids. The hobgoblin guards
and one weasel were dead before they knew what had hit them, arrows, sling bullets and axes will
do that to you. Lynott had managed to get a weasel clamped onto his leg and was struggling to
detach it. Jaina was throwing holy fire into the fray. Drax jumped up onto the boxes the goblin
was hiding behind, dodging as she chanted a mystic word and a green crackling eldritch bolt flew
from her fingers at him. A bullet from Elijah�s sling smashed into her face as an arrow from
Fett�s bow pinned her to the wall. Drax took the opportunity to remove her head from her
shoulders with his axe. The glow from Demonbane then faded.
The team released the two dwarves and returned their kit to them. They introduced themselves as
Torbin and Korbin Frostfire, weaponsmiths of some renown. They were on their way to Pembrose
to set up a weaponsmithing shop when they were ambushed by hobgoblins and captured. They
have been here ever since. The goblin sorceress had tried and tried to get through a locked iron
door out of this room to no avail and so was working them trying to dig around it into the space
beyond where she assumed some great treasure must be stored. The Frostfire brothers thanked the
party greatly for their rescue and promised to make two swords for the group in thanks. They also
offered them a 25% discount when they got their store �Two Dwarves Fine Weapons� up and
running in the town. With that the dwarves picked up their belongings and left.
Elijah took one look at the locked iron door and found his fingers itching. He reached into his
toolkit and pulled out a slim implement which he slipped dextrously into the lock. A quick
twiddle, a slight poke and the lock clicked happily open. Bowing to his friends he stepped aside to
the let the armourer warriors take point. Drax pushed the iron door and it swung open on well
balanced hinges. Beyond was a treasure room with row upon row of chests. Sadly all appeared to
have been emptied. Perhaps this was once the garrison treasure vault but it had been emptied when
the garrison was disbanded. Elijah was not to be put off though and went to work tapping for
hidden sections in every chest. His patience was rewarded. In one of the chests he found a false
bottom and in that he discovered a gleaming golden symbol dedicated to Pelor. Smiling he lifted it
out and presented it gracefully to Jaina who accepted with glee. This must have been the relic of
Pelor hidden here by Gilda Waynethrop�s father when the garrison was disbanded. Slipping it
over her neck she beamed with pride.
The group decided to explore the well. They dropped the rope ladder into it and Elijah scampered
down. He came out into a wide long tunnel leading in two directions. At this point an underground
river split the tunnel. From the rope ladder he could easily jump into either passageway. This
looked like it might be the tunnels and river on the map they had found in the possession of the
hobgoblin chieftain. Deciding this was a place they did not want to explore further Elijah climbed
back up and the group pulled the rope ladder up after him.
There was still the cell block to explore though, so the group headed there and opened the next
door. Beyond was a grisly scene � which would only have once been a torture chamber but had
now been stripped of its tools. Was this a room used by the garrison in years gone by? Was the old
Lord Kyle complicit with torture? Searching this room Elijah found an area in one wall which did
not sound solid. Looking closer he saw a thin split in the wall and quickly located a button nearby
which he determined would release a spring to pop this section of the wall out � a cleverly
constructed secret door. Again allowing Drax and Lynott to the front Elijah pressed the button and
the door popped open.
Beyond was another square mortared room, this one containing only a locked cabinet. But locks
like these were only a mere inconvenience for Elijah and soon the cabinet was open. Elijah almost
wished he had not as he came face to face with six glass jars in which floated the heads of a half
dozen goblinoids, each immersed in a disgusting green liquid. A quickly unlocked strong box in
the cabinet was full of evil looking medicinal tools. Elijah poured these out and stuck the quality
lock box into his backpack as it looked useful. Who had performed these operations and why?
Another search of this room revealed an identical secret door on the opposite wall.
Opening this lead to a flight of steps and a further, normal door. Beyond this the mortared stone
stopped and a natural passage led on into the darkness. Lynott�s sword and Jaina�s mace were
both lit up with magical light by their owners so they could continue forward. Doing so Drax was
amazed to see piles and piles of bones stacked in the corner of a natural cavern. They were sorted
into bone types: skulls, arms, shoulders, knees and so on. Approaching carefully Drax picked up a
shin bone and examined it. Suddenly a wailing sound echoed from some distance away down the
natural caverns. A voice could vaguely be made out in the wail saying, �Who disturbs my bones?
�. Drax dropped the shinbone and the group retreated back to the steps. The voice came closer,
asking the same question and Drax decided to parlay with it.
Presently a figure appeared in the edge of their light. It was vaguely human, but the flesh was
falling off its face in lumps. It wore old leathers which looked like an ancient uniform. By its side
was a rusty longsword and over its shoulder an old bow. It was clearly dead. Or more accurately
undead. Jaina recognised it as a wight, a hideous, evil and very dangerous creature. When asked
who it was it replied that it was Vordek the old �information gatherer� for Lord Kyle. Putting
two and two together the team realised this must be the old torturer. Vordek explained that he had
been killed by hobgoblins in the tunnels down here some eleven years ago � which would be in
the height of the battles with the goblinoids before the garrison was disbanded. The group told
Vordek that the hobgoblins were all dead now and that men would soon be returning here. When
Vordek lipped his lips and muttered something about �fresh meat�, the group realized that he
might not be someone they could bargain with. So they retreated back and shut and barred the
door behind them. Vordek presumably returned to his bones.
Figuring this was all that they could do here the group took the long hike back to Pembrose
through the still falling rain. They reached the safely and went straight to the manor of Lord Kyle.
The guards on the gates recognised the party and looked shocked at the state of them � mostly
battered and bloodied and Lynott in particular who was looking almost half draconic. His heritage
as the scion of a white dragon was showing through vividly. The group were quickly escorted into
the parlour where they were fed and watered and offered lemon water to wash in before going into
the see Lord.
Lord Kyle was clearly taken aback by the state of the party when they saw him. Prince Lynott was
a half-dragon and the others were bloodied and battered. Drax still had goblin gore in his beard.
Only Fett, calm, unruffled and unflustered looked in anyway like this was an easy ride. Perhaps
that was his elven nature. The Lord asked them how they had got on and they told him all. He
seemed pleased that the keep had been retaken but perhaps less pleased than the group had
expected. But maybe that was because they demanded a further seventy five gold imperials to
return to the keep and deal with Vordek and anything else which might be lurking in the near
vicinity under the structure. He told them he would see about raising a new garrison to man the
keep and would send two of his men with the party to go and see how things lay now. He paid the
group their reward for their work � two hundred gold imperials each. He offered this money
either in gold or if required in platinum Lucars, the extremely rare coins which most people never
saw. The team asked about Vordek and Lord Kyle remembered him from his childhood � he said
he was a torturer based at Quail Keep who worked for his father. This pretty much confirmed what
the party had figured out. Apparently Vordek had disappeared a year or so before the garrison was
disbanded. Everyone assumed he had fled the garrison and run off. Turns out he had been killed
instead.
After dealing with Lord Kyle the party returned to the inn. Lynott went straight to his quarters to
reduce the amount of people who saw him in his semi-draconic state. The others had a few beers
and some food in the inn. The two dwarves Torbin and Korbin were in there talking to Ogder and
Culwert. Drax joined them. The party�s exploits at the keep were the talk of the tap room and
many questions were asked of them about what they had done and what they had seen. Drax took
centre stage, telling a long tale of an epic battle against hordes of orcs and goblins. The crowd
were clearly impressed. There were also some fearful mutterings about the return of goblinoids to
the valley again. Some of the Guild merchants huddled together and whispered darkly to each
other.
During these conversations Regis Baum called Elijah over to his table. His wife Winifred was
there, sporting her amazing diamond pendant, of course. Regis asked if Elijah was keen to do
business. Elijah said he was still putting wheels in motion but in theory he was. Regis said that he
had a proposition for the Halfling. He wanted to know how come Boris Stenker got the Lonesome
Drake Inn and Brewery so cheap two years ago when he bought it. Regis said that he was thinking
of expanding his wine business and was thinking of buying the inn. But to get a good price he
needed to find out how come Boris got a great price. If Elijah could find this out for him, Regis
said he would do a deal with Elijah and sell him his Pembrose Red at a cut price. Elijah began to
hatch his cunning plans.
The 4th of September dawned wet and cold. This was so far an unseasonably chilly start to
autumn. The group broke their fast in the common room together, talking about their plans for the
near future. Today they planned to go to Lord Kyle�s manor and pick up two guards. These they
would escort to the keep where they would find and defeat Vordek the wight and clear out any
other dangers immediately below the fortress. Then perhaps they would consider heading on to
Bostwick next. Drax wished to track down his clan mates Keli and Deli. Fett wanted to find
Elwynn the singer who was based there. Jaina thought she might visit Sister Jeffar the priestess of
Pelor who lived there too. Elijah didn�t mention any plans to do with Boris Stenker but no doubt
they were on his mind.
Over breakfast Jaina studdied the letter the group had found on the goblin sorceress. It was written
in goblin but using a holy ritual she was able to dicipher what it said. It was addressed to someone
called 'Kersux' and read: "We have been discovered . If we are to crush the humans, we must do it
soon. The Crushed Skull Orcs are mighty, and the humans are no match for what you face every
day in the Underdark. We are willing to split the plunder seven gold for you, three for us. Do you
accept? Please decide soon.". The group discussed what this meant. No one knew who Kersux
was.
The group shouldered their kit bags, tied on sword belts, clasped their cloaks tightly against them
and stepped out into the rain to face another day adventuring
Report Date
10 Apr 2024
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