On the sixth day of Octopus (10/6), the party chose to return to St. Orlan in order to sell the large quantity of silver extracted from the Doukreg tunnels. As they began walking towards the river camp, the druid Saul appeared with his two animal companions, a lion and a giant python. He related his time spent training his two charmed beasts to fight together, the lion waiting for the snake to attack first using only hand gestures. Although he intended to continue wandering, he agreed to come along with the party for a few days.
Before reaching the camp at the river, they were surprised by a group of lions apparently cooperating with two giant scorpions. The bugs were dealt with first, one killed and one driven off by injuries. That left the lions, who had closed the short distance quickly. Murder flamed in their eyes.
Saul responded with spell that produced innumerable entangling weeds that slowed the lions momentarily. The warriors stepped up to slash at the feline terrors. Next, Saul called down lightning from the sky, burning two lions. Despite facing significant danger, the brave lions continued to fight. Meanwhile, Saul used another spell to charm one of the lions. His longtime companion lion stayed by his side, but the giant python slid up to the enemy lions to engage in battle.
At the moment, Saul entertained a cold thought. One of these lions would be a stronger thrall than the snake. Yet, the bond between himself and the snake was fraternal, even if it was created by magic. He could not simply abandon his friend. He could only mistreat it in hopes of breaking the spell, or he could hope the snaked died in battle. As the battle raged, and the lions fought with the courage to which men aspire, it was clear the party would prevail and the snake would live.
When the last of the lions lay dead, oozing blood into the dry grass, the party began discussing how Saul might do away with the snake. Fortunately, the animal was unable to understand the heartless words traded, though Ollie protested at the cruelty considered. After several minutes, Saul agreed to force the charmed lion to fight the snake. Bets were made between Ferris, Aderian and Jerker. Just as the the charm spell on the lion dissipated, Saul ordered the snake to attack.
In less than a minute, the lion had torn up the snake. Before the lion could turn on the cheering humans, Jerker grappled it as Saul began a ritual to subdue the beast. It became docile as he chanted over the course of an hour. Eventually, the lion was charmed as the snake was before it, considered Saul a trusted companion.
The completed the journey to the river camp, then the ruined tower and finally arrived home on 10/8.
The next day, Aderian and Jerker went into town to sell the silver to Bremlai’s men. Along the way, they came upon a corpulent gentleman who walked too slowly for Jerker’s sensibilities, and he remarked as such. The man, obviously of noble class and dressed in finery, declared his taking offense. He demanded satisfaction. He warned Jerker that he was making a powerful enemy, and the young warrior quickly acknowledged his error. The fat priest accepted the apology with little grace, spending some time bragging of his own importance.
Aderian invited him to join them in the next dungeon delve which he refused. He explained he was merely a priest on an errand for his lord, not an adventurer. He said he was on an important mission and that a terrible catastrophe was bound to happen in the next year. The two warriors bid him farewell as they headed to the Iron Knight for ale. The popular story being told by the patrons was how lightning struck the spire at Bremlai’s mansion days before (10/3).
The wealth taken from Doukreg a week before was divided among the four who found it, and Nate promptly gave away his share to the church. Ferris busied himself with brewing potions, poisons and anti-toxin. Ollie buried his share (1,365 gp) somewhere near the homestead.
After a week had passed (10/9 – 10/15), they headed back to Doukreg. Along the road, they met explorers guarded by a small band of adventurers. One of them was a druid with a mountain lion companion named Foxglove. They told of a sandstone quarry, thinking it a fine discovery, but the party explained it was well-known in St. Orlan. Aderian shared ale, but the other party became nervous, particularly at open talk of whether they ought to be killed. They hurried off back towards St. Orlan.
That night at the river camp, the howl of wolves was heard while Jerker sat on watch. He could hardly rouse the group before the vicious wolves were upon them. The battle was short, even if the party suffered a few bites without their armor. After the sun rose, they walked to Doukreg. Jerker killed a giant bat that appeared by hitting with a bolder.
Aderian delivered beer the miners in Grubbycheek’s employ, and then the party re-entered the Doukreg tunnels.
After checking a few areas they’d visited before, they found themselves on Level 4 where they’d previously fought ankhegs. In a previously-unexplored chamber (4), they found giant bugs nesting among glass jars. Large, glowing orbs cast red light into the room. Ollie recognized them as fire beetles, and at the mention of fire, Jerker advised not disturbing them. They agreed to skirt the edge of the chamber, but this enraged the beetles. Jerker fled in fear while the rest of them commenced to squash the weak bugs. Saul gave the insects a command to flee, and all but one disappeared into the shadows.
Between the 23 jars were 1,200 cp, 400 sp, and a scroll. Otherwise, the jars contained strange, unidentifiable bits of soft material. Jerker took the scroll, and the coins were poured into Aderian’s bag.
They moved on toe explore a few other chambers on this level. One room (9) held loadstars what gently began drifting towards them. They quickly retreated. Another room (7) featured candlestick embedded in the sandstone wall. In yet another room (8), a cloth crossed an open pit that descended ten feet, traversed some short distance, then went up. Ferris briefly explored the tunnel and the chamber on the other side, but the party was wary of the time spent. They returned to the surface and the safety of the mine.
Tienarth, seemingly distracted by his books, reviewed the scroll Jerker recovered from the jar. He found it to contain several magic-user spells.
End Notes
- Days
- 9/30-10/5 Downtime in the mine
- 10/3 Lightning strikes Bremlai’s mansion
- 10/6 Travel home
- 10/9 – 10/15 Silver divided up. Nate trains. Ferris made healing, harming and poison, plus anti-toxin. Ollie buries gold.
- 10/16 – 10/18 To Doukreg
- Treasure
- 1,200 cp
- 400 sp
- Magic-User Scroll with the following spells: disintegrate, hold person, polymorph self, protection from evil
- Combat 3070 xp
- 6 Lions 360 xp each
- 2 Giant Scorpion 280 xp each
- 1 Giant Bat 75 xp
- 11 Giant Fire Beetles 25 xp each
- Characters
- Aderian (fight) 426 xp
- Ferris (thief skills) 426 xp
- Jerker (fight) 426 xp
- Nate (fight) 426 xp
- Ollie (underground, fight) 392 xp
- Saul and Two Lions (balance between good and evil) 426 xp