Malcolmsfort #7 – Skewered by Skeletons

After tying up the hobgoblins, Novak led the team out to explore the grounds. They observed the pool and tested its steaming water, finding it to be uncomfortably hot. Beside the pool was a ruined bathhouse. The elf thief stumbled on giant centipedes which they destroyed with no casualties. Picking through the ruins, they found nothing of value.

Approaching the temple beyond ruined columns, they noted the demon depicted on its doors. Presently, their idea of the monastery changed to one of evil. Novak pushed against the creaking door and the elf held a torch aloft. A menacing statue leered. Twelve closed doors ringed the inner temple.

Novak directed the thief to pry out the gems of the statue. Suddenly, the doors burst open and skeletons emerged. Battled was engaged. Novak dropped his trident to the floor with a clang and whipped the heavy chain from around his waist. Bone splintered as he swung it wide.

A rusty sword in the hand of a skeleton crashed into the cleric’s helmet and he crumpled. Nicked by swords himself, the elf spellcaster turned to run. His skeletal opponent hacked his arm off at the elbow and blood sprayed in an arc as he toppled onto the cold stone. Novak continued to disassemble skeletons with his chain, taking a few blows in the process.

A skeleton stabbed the new fighter with the nice sword directly in the spine. He fell to the floor and cried out over paralyzed legs. Soon after a sword cut the elf thief deeply, spilling blood down his leg. He struggled helplessly to pull a healing salve from his bags. The half-elf rushed to his aid.

In the end, the cleric and the thief survived. Novak immediately ate of the berries in the dead elf’s bag as did the others and they were refreshed. Before leaving, they made a thorough search and they pulled the bloodstone eyes from the statue. The half-elf grabbed an obsidian dagger from one of the crypts. The living elf took the magic dagger from the dead elf. Novak slung the paralyzed fighter over his shoulder and they made ready to return to Malcolmsfort. Before leaving, they executed the hobgoblins and tossed them in the pool.

Back at the fort, they sold the bloodstones. Novak gave his share to the ruined fighter as a retirement but took his magic sword and chainmail. He put out word and hired a man at arms for a 1/3rd of his future treasure. The fighter Bolcox also wore the magic chainmail and held the magic longsword. Also while in town, they met Hacksaw the elf and allowed him to tag along.

Presently, they returned to the monastery. Hiding in brush, they waited three hours near the outer gates. An ogre plodded out. The new elf cast his voice in distraction and the rest of them fired arrows in the ogre’s back, quickly dropping him. They dragged his body in the brush. As the sun was setting, they returned to the graveyard for the night.

In the morning they began an exploration of the overgrown garden but quickly retreated when meeting an animated vine. Next, they started opening doors on the side of the main building. The first door revealed a large barracks. A search turned up a necklace that Novak stuffed in his sack. The next door lead to a matching barracks with nothing of interest. The third door opened to a hallway with an obvious path through yellowish mold, at the end of which were two doors, one well-used and the other seemingly undisturbed.

Beyond the unused door was a ruined kitchen and giant rats. Novak stepped in to stab at the rats. Those dispatched, the new elf crawled on his belly into a broken oven to come face to face with more giant rats. The thief yanked him from the oven and a battle was joined with six giant rats. The rats got a few bites in, but were eventually dispatched.

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