In the morning, a dwarf riding a massive boar approached camp. He was Hevrik Gravelfoot, a bounty hunter looking for an escaped dwarf murderer named Thuvil. He refused an offer to join their continued raids into Tosasth, and he hoped his prey had not fled there. He described it as an ancient evil perpetrated by the elves who spitefully ruined the city rather than remain subjugated. Bidding them farewell, he rode east.
Having recovered some loot from the ghost, they agreed to travel back to the homestead, particularly so that Tienarth could study the new spells. So they marched back into the mountains. Before reaching the lake, they surprised a small band of orcs who they slaughtered with relish. After they made camp, Azrak spotted a mountain lion at which he fired an idle crossbow bolt. The lion charged to its great misfortune. They breakfasted on roasted meat, and Azrak skinned the lion.
Coming down out of the mountains, they met two hill giants. Azrak taunted them, a rude gesture they did not appreciate. They strode up to him and pummeled him with their clubs. With any sense, they would have knocked out Tienarth because the next moment he cast a haste spell. The giants could never survive the flurry of blows. Ferris wasted no time filling vials of giant blood.
They spent two weeks attending to a few projects. Azrak commissioned the creation of a cloak from the lion skin. He also hired a jeweler to convert the one intact giant skull into a goblet. Ferris worked for a week in his lab to learn the recipe for potions of growth. He then spent another week producing several vials.
Tienarth and Aderian traveled to Slateholm where they shopped at Benabil’s. Aderian purchased 9 magical arrows taken from the tomb of the vampire Fricima. Tienarth purchased a scroll containing three spells: Resistance, Detect Secret Doors, and Web.
While in Slatholm, Tienarth spent lavishly, commissioning new poetry and song. He also hosted a night of brawling which gathered a small crowd. He also gave generously to the the church and to the poor.
Meanwhile, Ghevont spent a week with Lah, praying for inspiration. He learned a new spell that protects from the undead.
Sometime during this week, Azrak realized he was missing his precious ring, Sheebalb’s Blessing. When Ghevont returned to the homestead, he used his mirror to locate it. They watched a burly gnoll standing among dwarf corpses. The monster reached down to rip a finger from the dwarf’s hand and remove the ring. The gnoll grinned with pleasure as the placed the ring on his finger. With little deliberation, Azrak stuffed his pack with provisions and headed south to find the gnoll.
So it was the four who set off for Tosasth once again: Aderian, Ghevont, Ferris and Tienarth. Tienarth marked the 23rd day of Cricket as they walked the ancient road, crossed the bridge where they drowned the vampire stone and then turned north towards the city. Presently, they were at the Morwenys Estate again where they entered through the front doors.
Aderian led them down a long corridor to the east that opened to a parlor, similar to the western end of the building. Three large, stuffed chairs were arranged in a semi-circle before a fireplace. Scattered about the the floor were parts of a suit of full plate armor and shredded clothing. Approaching carefully, they watched as three zombie minotaurs rose from the chairs to face them. Aderian and Ghevont both hurled bones of St. Jaludi, whose form appeared mid-air to smite two minotaurs. They retreated out of the room through a door in the north wall. The third minotaur was set upon with many blows, hacked to pieces.
They did not pursue the turned minotaur zombies, instead taking the time to sift through the debris in the room. The armor was ruined, but Ghevont found a fine silver holy symbol shaped like an oak leaf which he pocketed. Finding nothing more, they headed north and found themselves in a hallway next to where they previously met the cactus man.
Aderian tried a door on the eastern wall that opened to a closet containing a statue of Death, scythe in one hand and the other hand outstretched. He offered a coin and the statue slid aside to reveal a door. Aderian pushed the door open to face another zombie minotaur, this one weilding a giant axe.
After a short battle, this zombie minotaur was also destroyed. Aderian hefted the axe in both hand and studied for details. Its shaft was a leg bone larger than one ever grown by a man. The blades were bones from the shoulder of some larger humanoid, and though thin he knew from suffering blows from this axe that they were harder than steel. Atop the great axe sat a bird-like skull that stared with empty eye sockets.
Eager to test this new weapon, Aderian led the crew back to the kitchen they’d found earlier and then through a door into a storeroom. It contained nothing but empty boxes. Aderian pushed open a stuck door that opened to stairs going down. The chamber also contained zombies that Ghevont turned aside. They shuffled out of the room and into the kitchen.
Thick dust covered the stairs. A few old wine bottles remained in slots meant for many more. Another door opened to a barren chamber. One wall bore a passage now plugged with a massage slab mortared in place. Ghevont produced a hammer and a spike and worked the slab free after much labor. The slab crashed to the floor. A stale odor wafted up dark stairs.
End Notes
- Treasure
- Coins from the orcs and the giants (divided among the 5)
- Holy symbol in the shape of an oak leaf worth 500 gp
- Minotaur’s Greataxe
- Kills
- 13 Orcs
- Mountain Lion
- 2 Hill Giants
- 4 Zombie Minotaurs 2,000 xp
- 12 Zombies 975 xp
- Characters
- Aderian (lead, fight, strength) 841 xp
- Ferris 818 xp
- Ghevont (smite undead) 826 xp
- Tienarth (create art, avoid combat) 759 xp
- Azrak