409 - Jun 30
After a refreshing night's sleep and still flush with victory, the bold adventurers resumed their journey towards Eboracum and probable disciplinary action for being AWOL.
Their Elf guide had a prolonged chat to Hester and revealed that the way ahead consisted of scrubby forest heading generally downwards with increasing pockets of fen and bog. He said threats to the party might come from Picts, Centaurs, the occasional band of marauding Irish/Goths and, possibly, Hobgoblins/Orcs.
The Elf thought the party should reach the Antonine Wall in 2 and half to three days. Having imparted his wisdom the Elf bade the party farewell and buggered off.
The party moved at a leisurely pace with Aileil and Hester enjoying considerable success in foraging.
At around 2100 the party made camp.
Early the following morning while Aileil, Aralaicus and Taryyn were on watch, the Psion noticed a strange mist hovering at the edge of the camp. Bringing this to the Druid's attention, Aileil commented that it was definitely not a natural phenomenon.
The party quickly woke up and armed itself. Vincenzo and Aileil approached the mist and, suddenly, a ghostly host of around 30 figures manifested itself. They appeared to be clad in the armour of Roman Legionnairies. One of them was wearing the insignia of a Tribune. He introduced himself as Paulus and said he and his men were members of a detachment of the 6th Legion that had been sent on a mission to Caledonia in 402 AD.
They had been lured into a swamp by strange lights and had been attacked by mud monsters, a pair of spell casting evil women and some sort of terrible undead. The detachment had perished in the swamp and their standard (a gold plated dragon called a "Draco") had been captured.
Paulus added that the dead Legionnaries could not rest until their Draco had been returned to Eboracum.
Naturally the party accepted this heartrending appeal immediately.
Forming up the party moved out at 0800 on 1 July. The scene of the massacre was apparently 2 miles away. Sure enough the party came upon a dismal swamp after a short march.
Hester had little difficulty discerning a path through the bog though it looked treacherous.
The party entered the damp morass and it began to drizzle cutting visibility to about 100'.
Hester and Aradec then noticed lights floating about to the right. There then came the voice of frightened young woman pleading to be rescued from evil bandits. She claimed to be the daughter of a rich Senator and promised a rich reward for her rescue.
Showing a disappointing level of doubt about the veracity of this claim, the party decided to cautiously investigate. Vincenzo examined the lights and confidently announced that they were caused by a Dancing Lights Spell.
As the party started to explore the swamp they were suddenly assailed by three strange shaggy creatures that burst out of the mud as well as two ghastly tall women with straggly black hair, one with blue skin and one with green skin.
Battle ensued. Two of the shaggy creatures were despatched though not before one of them dealt the Druid a vicious blow. The remaining shaggy beast, after going still for a second, suddenly vanished in an explosion of mud.
Alaricus slew the blue female with a brutal Mind Thrust. The green-skinned hag engaged in battle with Hester, suddenly vanished. Vincenzo said she had cast an Invisibility Spell.
After doing some badly needed healing the party decided to press on. Searching the body of the blue woman they discovered her to be wearing five cheap bronze rings showing the symbol of the 6th Legion.
Hester detected footprints leading away from where the green woman vanished.
The party followed the trail, but had to move carefully in single file as the path was narrow and dangerous. Hester was able to follow the trail using his impressive tracking skills. Soon the party discerned a rickety looking two storey wooden tower in the distance. A green skinned woman and one of the shaggy creatures could be seen on the top. The woman made some sort of gesture then vanished. Hester snapped off a quick shot at the creature and hit it. It dropped out of sight.
The party advanced towards the tower.
Moving off the path Hester got stuck in the bog (not so impressive). While struggling to free himself, the green-skinned hag suddenly popped into view next to him and grabbed him cackling with delight. The Ranger was suddenly hit with an overwhelming sense of weakness and began to sink in the mud.
Aradec threw a rope to the stricken Ranger.
While this was happening, Taryyn advanced towards the tower. He noticed two pools of mud boiling to the left and right of the path. To his non-surprise two of the shaggy mud creatures erupted from the mud and attacked.
Donuk, showing great courage, waded into the mud to help restore Hester's strength with a Lesser Restoration Spell and, surprisingly, managed to find a way to reach the Ranger who was finding it hard to grab the rope Aradec had thrown him. Donuk got the spell off successfully and Hester's weakness improved somewhat.
Aileil waded into the mud and attacked the hag. He hit her and, losing interest in the battle she leapt backwards and plunged beneath the surface of the mud.
Donuk and Aradec managed to drag the feeble Ranger free of the mud.
Taryyn, displaying unsual competence managed to dispatch one of the mud beasts. As he took on the remaining creature the door of the tower suddenly opened.
A hideous bandaged monstrosity smeared with mud stepped forth. A sense of depair swept over the party as they caught sight of this apparition (except for Taryn who was busy hitting the mud beast).
Being annoying hero types the party was able to shrug off this feeling of dread except for Hester who became paralyzed with fear.
The party staggered forward though mud and drizzle to finish off their foes.
Alaricus summoned an Astral Construct to fight the bandaged monster (which Donuk indentified as some sort of Mummy).
Donuk, brandishing his holy symbol ordered the Mummy to fall back. Despite feeling inspired by Minerva and confident he could turn the horror, the Dwarf was dismayed to observe the Mummy give him a contemptuous look and proceed to take on the Druid that had raced up to fight him.
Taryyn, having dispatched the last of the mud beasts turned to face the Mummy and, like Hester, was paralyzed with despair.
A desperate melee ensued involving the Construct, Aileil and Wotan.
Wotan received a nasty wound and, in the process contracted some sort of illness (OOC - Bogrot).
The party found the Mummy a tough opponent, but Aileil's spells ensured he had a magic weapon to aid him and the Construct landed some good blows.
Eventually the Mummy fell under a rain of blows.
Hester and Taryyn, recovered from their terror, joined the rest of the party as they entered the tower.
Within they found a stone sarcophagus with helmets, swords and armour piled on the top (clearly the equipment of the slain Legionnairies).
Aradec carefully checked the sarcophagus and, deciding it was safe, pushed off the lid.
Within he found a fancy looking bag, an impressive looking gem, a wand and a ring in a box lined with blue felt. There was also 6,000gp and a metal casting of a dragon covered in gold plate (the lost Draco!) with the remnants of a pole attached.
Hester, by stuffing armour in the bag discovered it to be a Bag of Holding (OOC - Type 1).
Donuk cast Detect Magic on the remaining items and found the ring, wand, bag and gem to be magical.
Feeling dizzy with triumph while noting that the green hag was still out there somewhere, the party paused.
Time 1030 July 1.
ENDS
I'll resolve the disease stuff out of session. Donuk is aware that Mummy-inflicted diseases require a Remove Disease Spell to cure which is probably best obtained in Eboracum. Any creature that succumbs to Mummy Rot turns into a Mummy though whether this applies to a wolf is not clear. Continual casting of Restoration Spells should keep the wolf alive until it can be healed.
I note the party is developing an impressive list of enemies:
- Guilod (or whatever her name is - Gilligan?) - a witch with a mole and a grudge
- A male Warlock whose girlfriend you butchered
- A Cambion (dismissed back to his plane - I wonder if he'll come back)
- A Kobold Warlock and a High Elf Wizardess
- A Green Hag
I look forward to the reunion.
Their Elf guide had a prolonged chat to Hester and revealed that the way ahead consisted of scrubby forest heading generally downwards with increasing pockets of fen and bog. He said threats to the party might come from Picts, Centaurs, the occasional band of marauding Irish/Goths and, possibly, Hobgoblins/Orcs.
The Elf thought the party should reach the Antonine Wall in 2 and half to three days. Having imparted his wisdom the Elf bade the party farewell and buggered off.
The party moved at a leisurely pace with Aileil and Hester enjoying considerable success in foraging.
At around 2100 the party made camp.
Early the following morning while Aileil, Aralaicus and Taryyn were on watch, the Psion noticed a strange mist hovering at the edge of the camp. Bringing this to the Druid's attention, Aileil commented that it was definitely not a natural phenomenon.
The party quickly woke up and armed itself. Vincenzo and Aileil approached the mist and, suddenly, a ghostly host of around 30 figures manifested itself. They appeared to be clad in the armour of Roman Legionnairies. One of them was wearing the insignia of a Tribune. He introduced himself as Paulus and said he and his men were members of a detachment of the 6th Legion that had been sent on a mission to Caledonia in 402 AD.
They had been lured into a swamp by strange lights and had been attacked by mud monsters, a pair of spell casting evil women and some sort of terrible undead. The detachment had perished in the swamp and their standard (a gold plated dragon called a "Draco") had been captured.
Paulus added that the dead Legionnaries could not rest until their Draco had been returned to Eboracum.
Naturally the party accepted this heartrending appeal immediately.
Forming up the party moved out at 0800 on 1 July. The scene of the massacre was apparently 2 miles away. Sure enough the party came upon a dismal swamp after a short march.
Hester had little difficulty discerning a path through the bog though it looked treacherous.
The party entered the damp morass and it began to drizzle cutting visibility to about 100'.
Hester and Aradec then noticed lights floating about to the right. There then came the voice of frightened young woman pleading to be rescued from evil bandits. She claimed to be the daughter of a rich Senator and promised a rich reward for her rescue.
Showing a disappointing level of doubt about the veracity of this claim, the party decided to cautiously investigate. Vincenzo examined the lights and confidently announced that they were caused by a Dancing Lights Spell.
As the party started to explore the swamp they were suddenly assailed by three strange shaggy creatures that burst out of the mud as well as two ghastly tall women with straggly black hair, one with blue skin and one with green skin.
Battle ensued. Two of the shaggy creatures were despatched though not before one of them dealt the Druid a vicious blow. The remaining shaggy beast, after going still for a second, suddenly vanished in an explosion of mud.
Alaricus slew the blue female with a brutal Mind Thrust. The green-skinned hag engaged in battle with Hester, suddenly vanished. Vincenzo said she had cast an Invisibility Spell.
After doing some badly needed healing the party decided to press on. Searching the body of the blue woman they discovered her to be wearing five cheap bronze rings showing the symbol of the 6th Legion.
Hester detected footprints leading away from where the green woman vanished.
The party followed the trail, but had to move carefully in single file as the path was narrow and dangerous. Hester was able to follow the trail using his impressive tracking skills. Soon the party discerned a rickety looking two storey wooden tower in the distance. A green skinned woman and one of the shaggy creatures could be seen on the top. The woman made some sort of gesture then vanished. Hester snapped off a quick shot at the creature and hit it. It dropped out of sight.
The party advanced towards the tower.
Moving off the path Hester got stuck in the bog (not so impressive). While struggling to free himself, the green-skinned hag suddenly popped into view next to him and grabbed him cackling with delight. The Ranger was suddenly hit with an overwhelming sense of weakness and began to sink in the mud.
Aradec threw a rope to the stricken Ranger.
While this was happening, Taryyn advanced towards the tower. He noticed two pools of mud boiling to the left and right of the path. To his non-surprise two of the shaggy mud creatures erupted from the mud and attacked.
Donuk, showing great courage, waded into the mud to help restore Hester's strength with a Lesser Restoration Spell and, surprisingly, managed to find a way to reach the Ranger who was finding it hard to grab the rope Aradec had thrown him. Donuk got the spell off successfully and Hester's weakness improved somewhat.
Aileil waded into the mud and attacked the hag. He hit her and, losing interest in the battle she leapt backwards and plunged beneath the surface of the mud.
Donuk and Aradec managed to drag the feeble Ranger free of the mud.
Taryyn, displaying unsual competence managed to dispatch one of the mud beasts. As he took on the remaining creature the door of the tower suddenly opened.
A hideous bandaged monstrosity smeared with mud stepped forth. A sense of depair swept over the party as they caught sight of this apparition (except for Taryn who was busy hitting the mud beast).
Being annoying hero types the party was able to shrug off this feeling of dread except for Hester who became paralyzed with fear.
The party staggered forward though mud and drizzle to finish off their foes.
Alaricus summoned an Astral Construct to fight the bandaged monster (which Donuk indentified as some sort of Mummy).
Donuk, brandishing his holy symbol ordered the Mummy to fall back. Despite feeling inspired by Minerva and confident he could turn the horror, the Dwarf was dismayed to observe the Mummy give him a contemptuous look and proceed to take on the Druid that had raced up to fight him.
Taryyn, having dispatched the last of the mud beasts turned to face the Mummy and, like Hester, was paralyzed with despair.
A desperate melee ensued involving the Construct, Aileil and Wotan.
Wotan received a nasty wound and, in the process contracted some sort of illness (OOC - Bogrot).
The party found the Mummy a tough opponent, but Aileil's spells ensured he had a magic weapon to aid him and the Construct landed some good blows.
Eventually the Mummy fell under a rain of blows.
Hester and Taryyn, recovered from their terror, joined the rest of the party as they entered the tower.
Within they found a stone sarcophagus with helmets, swords and armour piled on the top (clearly the equipment of the slain Legionnairies).
Aradec carefully checked the sarcophagus and, deciding it was safe, pushed off the lid.
Within he found a fancy looking bag, an impressive looking gem, a wand and a ring in a box lined with blue felt. There was also 6,000gp and a metal casting of a dragon covered in gold plate (the lost Draco!) with the remnants of a pole attached.
Hester, by stuffing armour in the bag discovered it to be a Bag of Holding (OOC - Type 1).
Donuk cast Detect Magic on the remaining items and found the ring, wand, bag and gem to be magical.
Feeling dizzy with triumph while noting that the green hag was still out there somewhere, the party paused.
Time 1030 July 1.
ENDS
I'll resolve the disease stuff out of session. Donuk is aware that Mummy-inflicted diseases require a Remove Disease Spell to cure which is probably best obtained in Eboracum. Any creature that succumbs to Mummy Rot turns into a Mummy though whether this applies to a wolf is not clear. Continual casting of Restoration Spells should keep the wolf alive until it can be healed.
I note the party is developing an impressive list of enemies:
- Guilod (or whatever her name is - Gilligan?) - a witch with a mole and a grudge
- A male Warlock whose girlfriend you butchered
- A Cambion (dismissed back to his plane - I wonder if he'll come back)
- A Kobold Warlock and a High Elf Wizardess
- A Green Hag
I look forward to the reunion.