In the dim light of a Tosasth morning, sky perpetually overcast, Aderian looked out from the second story window of the ancient Galmire estate. He squinted across the open field of ragged weeds to the other nearby mansion, the one from whence came the skeletal lady the previous night. Before resting, they resolved to leave Tosasth, but today, the pull of undiscovered treasure pulled at him.
“I know we agreed to leave, but there’s gold out there,” announced the former pirate. More than a year away from the seas, the winds of plunder still filled his sails. “We’ve fought vampires before,” he argued. And after some consideration, the rest agreed. They’d confront the supposed vampire lord in the other mansion under light of day.
Enter the Mansion
They made their way cautiously towards the crowd of building at the edge of the city. As before, a small group of undead emerged from a side street. They were quickly turned aside by Ghevont’s holy symbol. Presently, they stood before a two story estate offering double doors up short stairs. Walls protected a small area in the front, right and a larger area around back.
Ferris examined the doors and found them unlocked. They entered into a foyer with doors to either side and an opening into courtyard. The side doors revealed a small office and a storage. Stepping into the courtyard, they found shallow tiled pool filled with yellowish liquid. Aderian tossed a coin, making no wish. The water rippled and calmed, offering no other effect. The foul color dissuaded any recovery of the coin.
A colonnade divided the courtyard from a covered lounge area of equal size. Upon entering, ghouls sprung from cushions, but these unholy beasts were little challenge to Tienarth’s Raiders. The ghouls were cut down with little trouble. Between the foul ghouls, they gather a few handfuls of coins, likely kept by the ghouls out of some unconscious routine from before death, for blood was the only currency recognized in a city filled with the undying.
Returning to the courtyard, they entered a circular area open to the second story. An intricate mosaic of an oak tree decorated the floor. Stairs hugged the walls left and right. Through doors across the room strode the black knight, Lady Elmyra. Light from the courtyard shone on her ebony armor. Embers smoldered in the lifeless eye sockets of her blackened skull.
Battle the Black Knight
“So, you have come to join with me and crush the other lords of Tosasth!” she screeched.
“We will never join with you, monster!” countered Ghevont.
For a moment the brave adventurers exchanged uncertain glances. Time seemed to slow as plans and probabilities raced around their thoughts.
“Very well! Then die and rise again to serve me in the ranks of my zombie footmen!” Her arms raised, came together and let loose a raging ball of fire that exploded upon them. Ghevont and Aderian turned aside some of the fiery blast, gritted teeth and rushed forward. Longstream tumbled backwards, blown over by the rush of fire. Likewise, Tienarth stumbled under intense heat. Ferris Blood, was struck as if by molten iron most. His shoulder erupted, burning away armor and skin to expose bone. He collapsed.
As Aderian and Ghevont closed on Elmyra, six ghouls stepped up to fight beside her. Longstream scrambled to his feet, somewhat shaky. He rushed into battle with the ghouls. Tienarth produced a wand from his pack and passed it over himself, cooling some of the blistered skin.
Aderian and Ghevont landed heavy blows upon the black knight, pressing their advantage. The Fury of Zew, the ancient mace wielded by the cleric, cried out for vengeance. Tienarth traced arcane shapes and chanted the words slowed time to a crawl, effectively doubling their speed. With twice and many blows and with an advantage of initiative, they managed to cut her down before she loosed another fireball.
Meanwhile, ghouls clawed at them. Longstream whirled his fish-handled longsword in both hands, cutting into fetid ghoul flesh. But the two remaining ghouls overwhelmed the diminutive halfling, one biting savagely at his right knee, severing it. Bright lifeblood burst from the leg as the halfling went limp. Tienarth dragged him away as Ghevont turned his destructive power against the ghouls. A health application of healing ointment stopped Longstream’s bleeding, but nothing could restore his severed leg.
Search and Retreat
With the two injured members stabilized, the other three searched the mansion for the vast treasures they expected. They found the black knight’s lance and determined it to offer some minor magical advantage. They found a basin of magical liquid which Aderian tested and found to produce magical levitation. He filled one flask for future use.
While exploring a bedroom, a horde of zombies filled an adjoining room, a problem quickly solved by Tienarth a web spell. Unable to move, the zombies were easily disabled.
Upstairs they found two golden statues. Aderian knocked them off their pedestals, bending their elegant designs. Close examination revealed them to be pure gold and worth much even if melted down.
Satisfied with the search, they headed out to leave the city and were met by a gang of ghouls lead by a wight. Before they could get too close, Tienarth surrounded them in a wall of fire, utterly destroying them. From there, they met no more resistance, arriving by nightfall at the door they knew led back to dwarven village of Dinfaldir in the underdark.
Endnotes
- Treasure
- 2 statues worth 2,500 gp
- +1 Lance
- Kills – 4,627 xp
- 6 zombies
- 13 ghouls
- 3 ghasts
- 7 skeletons
- 6 gellybones
- 6 skeletal flayers
- 1 wight
- 1 black knight
- Characters
- Tienarth/Tre – used magic – 934 xp
- Ferris/Henry – 1,018 xp
- Right shoulder burned
- Lost 1 STR
- 7 weeks to heal
- Armor destroyed by fire
- Ghevont/Jeff – fights undead – 1,027 xp
- Longstream/Bob – fighting – 934 xp
- Right leg severed at knee
- Lost 1 DEX
- 11 weeks to heal
- Armor destroyed by fire
- Aderian/Jason – fighting – 1,027 xp
- Virtues: none
- Vices: none