We awoke the next day Restmonth the 7th @ 7 AM. Some rain was falling outside and we discussed the fact that the pattern had been until now, crazy rain falling on RestDay – which was yesterday – and it didn’t happen. At least here. Being that Hommlet was about 2 hours through the swampy lands from here made us think that there was most likely similar weather at both locales.
The thought was that we would check out the west wing of the Moathouse this morning and then make our way to the pantry and most likely downstairs right after. So after prayers and studying, we gathered outside the main chamber and with Elmo and Ophelia taking point, proceeded our way west. The hall was dirty, grit covering the floors. 4 Doors, one on the right, 2 on the left, and 1 at the end of the hall.
We opted to hit them in order so came to the first door on the left first and while we were listening to it, we DID hear the sound of something soft falling down the hall a bit and behind the right door. Er…let’s go there first.
We listened to the door again, and heard nothing this time. But we opened it up and it was the Manor’s kitchen. Some old rot, spoiled signs of food stuff, dried out herbs, and a mess on the counters met us. 3 small casks (barely 2 gallons) were on the floor by the fireplace, one of them was on its side. Otherwise we didn’t see anything.
We waited a few seconds before shutting the door and heading back down the hall to the 1st chamber again. With care we opened it up and it was a trophy room. Animal heads and antlers, horns and the like. Most were ruined and twisted about. But Rowan and Aredhel gave it a further once over before announcing the chamber was clear.
We went on to the next door, also on the left. We did hear something fall again behind the right but chose to ignore it for now. The left door was opened at it was some domicile for the Manor’s original Castellan. Decent furnishings, clothes, bed, writing desk. We looked the room over with serious care until we came upon a small 2’ leather wrapped baton with a bulbous rounded metal end at each side. We each took turns trying to unscrew the metal but eventually Albert (to everyone’s surprise) got the end to pop off.
Inside was dust. Silver dust. Whoa! Pestle and Albert discussed it at length and did say the ground silver dust was used as a component in various glyphs, wards, and circle spells. Rowan kept it for now. We wanted to check out the door at the end of the hall and after a moment of forcing it, the portal opened up to reveal a large chamber. A barracks of some sort, most of the interior was in poor condition and the wall in the southwest corner had given way, spilling out to the rain soaked exterior.
But it was the giant 15’ long lizard curled around a bed and chest on the north end of the room that gave the group pause…long enough for it to burst from the area and lunge for Elmo, ripping into the ranger’s armor and biting him HARD on the left leg! It refused to let go and started to savage our giant when Rowan called to Frey and calmed the beast long enough for us to pull away and charge out of the room, slamming the door closed.
“How long does that last?” Pestle asked as we got to the end of the hall.
The sound of something hard smashing into the recently closed door resounded as the druid replied, “Not long at all.”
“That door is NOT going to hold,” Albert commented, Aredhel stepping vaguely in front of her brother, everyone getting spells and weapons out.
“I am getting a bit tired of being bit,” Elmo chuckled, flexing his wounded leg and readying his weapon.
The giant lizard continued to hit the door again and again, 500 plus pounds of angry cold blooded reptile. The wood splintered and it shoved its head through, one claw reaching down the hall as it hissed at us. Rocks flew and a crossbow bolt, even a sleep spell (which failed), but all it did was anger the beast until it busted free and raced to the party. Albert called up another summoned monster, getting an Orc to appear behind, armed with a halberd. “Carl” (as he called the porcine warrior) did his best as did we all, but the giant lizard flashed and bit and ripped around the group until enough blows finally landed to end the giant beast.
We cautiously went down the hall to check out the room while Pestle looked the animal over for signs of sorcery along with Albert, getting some of its blood for now. The room did result in finding a small smattering of copper coins, but also 3 giant lizard eggs the lizard had been caring for. We then made our way back to the last room, the door on the right to the kitchen.
Elmo once more went first and when we opened the door up, we could see that another cask had been dumped on its side. We approached slowly, when something burst from under the chimney and launched itself at the ranger. Elmo was driven back THROUGH the hall and to the other room, with a 60 lb giant tick in his chest…and it was beginning to swell up with an audible “SLUUUUURP” noise! “AHHH!!!!”
Using his dagger he tried stabbing at it while magic missiles and other weapons clanged against its toughened carapace. Another summon got Jimmy the kobold again, but the tough shell made most weapons bounce free – including Elmo breaking his dagger! The Ranger was pretty beat up before we managed to finally slay the beast a wave of healing and healing potions followed. “I don’t know what damned wizard is making a variety of giant animals around here,” Elmo growled, struggling to get up, “but I will have no problem feeding him his own hands.”
We wanted to rest a bit and Pestle tried to cook the giant lizard eggs we had found, burning them a bit but Elmo ate them with thanks. Some studying followed as well and then we figured at 12 noon, we should press on.
At the pantry we looked around the corner and saw stairs going down into the gloom…and lots of rats, including over a dozen giant ones. “Ares…Damn it!” Elmo was shaking his head. The ranger took out all 3 of his flasks of oil and ripping his shirt made Molotov cocktails. We lit them, looked around the corner, and let them fly. Two of them hit the mass of rodents setting them ablaze – the last sailed DOWN the steps and hit the ground below…and did not break!
With most of the rats burned up, we dispatched the last few without issue and then lit a torch, Ophelia holding it. We then went down the steps and saw a very sizable chamber. Columns supported the ceiling and to the left we could see piled up furniture, boxes, barrels, and chairs. Pestle, Albert, and Aredhel all could feel the power of burgeoning magic in the air. The thought was we might be close to a demonic force. Elmo was going to step into the room to grab the flask of oil when a mass of slime almost 3’ in diameter dropped from the ceiling and hit the ground just ahead of him!
He backed up onto the stairs as another one hit the area. Pestle had some dancing lights fly around and she picked up 2 more slimes on the ceiling. As for the ones here, we proceeded to burn one while the 2nd one tried to move to the wall. The one we burned gave forth a horrid smell and the gnome fell over, succumbing to the burnt vinegar odor. We grabbed her and went back up the stairs where Rowan and Ophelia said that Pestle would be out for 40 minutes. So we discussed what we would do next and going back down to the basement.
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