Daughter had a friend that she really wanted to join the group. So I gave him control of Elmo, the NPC for now. He liked the game and wanted to join us so having him roll up his own character to play along. 6 youths at the table - I use the term youths but they actually range from 19 to 21. Lol - that seems so young to me.
Follows:
We figured we’d go back down to the basement, knowing that we had 3 days to find Lareth and take care of him before the caravan returned, restocked the denizens here, and know what we’ve been doing and what we’ve done. This would then alert the agents in Hommlet and possibly (definitely!) explode the situation beyond our ability to affect any control and maybe (most likely!) cause undue hardships, attacks, and death in town.
We made our way back through the pantry, down to the basement, and then around again to the zombie and torture area. No dead bodies here. None. And at the column with the blown off secret door, we could see letters written on the inside of the metal, surrounding the opening. Trying to look at them made the party’s head spin, so a read magic followed where Albert let the group know it was a glyph and an alarm to something maybe 200’ south of here. Ok – not going that way.
We opted instead to go back through Lubash’s room, through the 2 secret doors, and down to the basement area again. The stairs were still clear and at the main split, we discussed options. With a few dissenters, we figured we’d go back to the bugbear area to check on two things: 1, were the bodies still there. And 2, the 3 doors we never checked out.
It took us a few minutes to walk slowly there to learn that indeed, the bodies were gone. Taken for now. Albert dropped a colored lights spell to help us out and we looked in the three doors on the east side of the room. The middle door was opened…and Ophelia took a spring loaded tree trunk to the chest, driving her backward and dropping her to the floor. As she regained her breath, we eyed the two remaining doors with care.
We opened the southern one first – finding the bugbear’s privy. Gagging and gasping, we slammed it closed, although there was a passing wonder if the goblinoids had hidden any treasure under all that feces? Didn’t matter – were NOT going to look. That left the northern door and Albert did that one, splashing water all over himself from a catch from the drip above. Pestle helped him out with a prestidigitation to dry off and the group sighed – nothing behind any one of them worth looking at. Ok, back down the hall for now.
It took us some time to make our way back to the split and then head south. The passage wove back and forth a bit but there was a torch lighting a large room and when we got close, saw it was shaped like the “E” room by the bugbears, except pointing south. A table and chairs was on the east well, a book shelf was on the north wall west of the door, and on the south wall at a blank space, besides 3 doors out of here, was a counter with a 6 count of pony kegs on a rack and some cabinets beneath. There was also an opening on the west wall – and we could hear gruff voices talking down there.
We went to look around quickly, Rowan going to the counter, Pestle, Aredhel, and Albert at the book shelf, Elmo and Opehlia looking over the table. The shelf had maybe 40 odd books on it, each was a copy of the one before it – “The glory of Lareth the Beautiful” – written in common, elvish, dwarvish, and goblinoid. Albert looked at one, read a few pages nodding, commented it seemed to be a primer for those who were new to Lareth’s service on how to behave and what to expect.
Voices carried and the gruff voices from down the west hall came closer to investigate. The group was able to find a common language, and gnolls came into view. Over 7’ tall, well over 300 lbs, armed and armored, they looked tall, imposing, and vicious. We did not want to risk fighting them as they could overpower us, and the sound of the battle might attract others. So we talked to them, and they seemed interested in talking to us.
We eventually came to a deal where (obscuring who we were) we were willing to pay them 5 crowns each if they just leave for now, both sides happy to see the other go. The gnolls got paid and left with smiles all around. We looked around. The table had a map of Hommlet on it, 3 areas checked off – The Church of St. Cuthbert, the Sword and Cheese Tradeshop, and Burne’s Tower. We suspected these were areas of import or already under the control of Lareth’s minions. Inside the Gnoll’s room, Aredhel did come across a fist sized blue quartz that was glowing a bit brighter than a torch. There was some talk about the book shelf and Pestle and Albert and the group was getting some heebie jeebies from the wizard and his newfound interest in Lareth and how he’s such a cool dude.
Say, why don’t you give us that book you took? Hey…HEY! Things got heated and there was some scuffling and Aredhel dropped a sleep spell right in the middle of the room, blasting her, Albert, and Rowan to sleep. The party quickly tied up Albert, woke the other two, and took the book – where a quick discussion had the thought to burn it.
After that book, Ophelia and Elmo burned a second and third book – but the shelf had so many books and it was going to take too long. And Albert was waking up and he was FURIOUS at the party and especially Aredhel. Yelling and arguing ensued and then…through the south and east door, strode a 6 count of armored warriors, a platemail clad knight, and a VERY attractive black haired man who tried to ask the party, “What was going on in here? Who are you and who is damaging MY property?!”
Fuck a duck, this was Lareth! And we were caught VERY unawares. Covering ears, we all decided to run. Albert was crying for Lareth, “Wait! I need you my lord! DADDY!!” Elmo held on tight and dragged and lifted him free as the party ran away. We could hear the sound of the portcullis ahead slam closed and we needed to hold off the charging foes as well as get the gates up. Pestle fired off a magic missile, blasting the first crossbowman who got too close. Elmo was at the gates with the struggling Albert who was trying to bite the ranger to get free. The rest of the party had the secret door open and was working the winch, rolling the chains up. Pestle took a bolt to the chest and the gnome staggered back but stayed up! She fired off ANOTHER magic missile, ripping into another crossbowman who came out – but she got pin cushioned again – barely standing, choking on her own blood.
Elmo had to slam Albert to the ground once to get the wizard to stop squirming before wiggling under and calling to the group to RUN!!. We all charged to the portcullis, Ophelia helping the aching Pestle as we ran up the stairs, through the secret doors, and then eventually across the basement. We could hear pursuit in the distance and we ran up to the main floor of the Moathouse. From here we wanted a place to defend ourselves and went down the western great hall to the bedroom where the lizard had been. Shutting the door, we had everyone try to relax as Ophelia ripped out the crossbow bolt – the pain blasting the gnome to unconsciousness. She quickly pulled out the other and then made to heal her while we could hear voices in the hall.
It was the armored and helmed one, Identified himself as “the Lieutenant.” He was talking on Lareth’s behalf. Right now the party has been a pain in the ass and Lareth finally knows about them. He will give them the chance to leave before sundown today and return to wherever they came from, or he’d destroy them. No second chances, no parley. Do this or expect to be destroyed. We made agreeing noises and the Lieutenant and the warriors all left.
We didn’t want to, but we figured we’d need to leave. Go back to Hommlet, maybe camp in the woods, while some went into town to get supplies, the healing potions that might be done, and figure out how the hell we could get to Lareth and take him out. So we took our horse, hooked it up to the cart, and left the Moathouse by 11 AM, discussing that maybe we all go into town and risk a council meeting. We needed to rest, Albert was still acting weird from reading the book, and we all needed to gather better supplies. But we would have to risk meeting the council again – and if they said “no” we could not go back to the Moathouse, do we risk doing it even though we might be branded outlaws? We’ll find out very soon.
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