409 - May 13
The pace picked up and the bold
adventurers are deep in the dungeon of Guilod (AKA Gridlock).
13 May
While consuming a hearty dinner back at Fort Vitellus the party were alerted by the Legionary Archer guards that a man was approaching the fort's gate from the Roman side of the wall.
He turned out to be a well-spoken Romano-Briton named Atrivates, a self-proclaimed Druid in brown/grey robes with a staff. He said he was planning to cross over the north side of the wall in search a magic harp rumoured to be a treasure of the famous British hero Goddodin. Atrivates had come across some information about the harp in the library of a monastery in Kent and was on the hunt.
He proved to be a mine of information about the north and revealed the following:
Guilod's tower apparently has an underground complex under the tower and somewhere in there lives Guilod, a powerful Pictish witch. She works alongside the Picts and Hobgoblins to support their raids into Britain. Atrivates suspects that Guilod has a separate agenda to the Picts/Hobgoblins but is not sure what it is apart from wanting to acquire power and riches. Atlidoc commands the Hobgoblins who garrison the tower but seems to defer to Guilod. The Picts are a separate entity to the Hobgoblins and prefer to live and fight in the open. They team up with the Hobgoblins as required. The Scots (ie Irish) raid from across the sea. They also seem to have some sort of relationship with the Hobgoblins but they hate the Picts and fight them.
Atrivates revealed that a tunnel exists leading from the tower out to the west and is a sort of natural drain.
14 May
The party moved towards Hill One (the hill used as a lookout point by the Hobgoblins). Immediately on leaving the fort a horn was heard being sounded from the hill. The Ranger and Indago the Psicrystal, crept up to the Hill and took up an ambush point near the lookout position hoping to ambush a Hobgoblin. No look out appeared though the Ranger heard something moving about on the hill and had a sense of being watched. Waiting until dusk with no sign of Hobgoblins Indago and the Ranger met up with the rest of the party at the west side of the base of the hill. The party headed off west looking for the tunnel referred to by Atrivates.
After two and a half hours of blundering about in the dark the Ranger finally located a deep gully in which there was a cave entrance. Foul smelling liquid trickled from it and it appeared to be a natural sewer.
The party entered the cave and crept up a five foot wide natural tunnel for 300-400 yards climbing gradually and came to a doorway. The Wizard opened the door with a minor opening spell and revealed a 20' x 20' room in which four Hobgoblins were seated around a table playing cards. Caught by surprise the humanoids were felled by a Sleep Spell from the Wizard and promptly dispatched. 40sp were found on the bodies. The Elf pocketed the rather greasy set of playing cards.
Creeping up to a door in the room the party heard 2-3 creatures speaking some sort of unknown language. As the Elf Fighter prepared to open the door the speaking stopped. Flinging the door open revealed a laundry containing four Goblins. The Goblins were not surprised. One rushed at the Elf and smacked him with a morning star. The Elf riposted by taking its head off with a bastard sword. Two Goblins moved up to engage the party while the remaining one began screaming loudly and heading for an exit. The Psion hit two Goblins with energy bolts (fire attacks) but with limited effect.
In the ensuing melee two Goblins were felled by the Ranger and Elf and the Ranger sustained two wounds in the process. The screaming Goblin escaped. The Ranger received a Cure Light Wounds Spell from the Spirit Shaman.
The party moved into the next room which turned out to be a kitchen (with a sign on the door in Goblin saying "Kitchen").
Leading from the kitchen was a set of fancy looking double doors with a curious lock. The lock consisted of a circular metal plate (in two halves) with a smaller central plate with a hole in the centre. While approaching the door the party heard a bell ringing in the distance. They also heard a human voice saying "Go warn Duik, the door will hold them for a while". Another voice replied but the language was not understood.
The Wizard attempred to open the door by thrusting his staff into the hole. Some sort of mechanism tried to grip the staff and turn it and the mechanism clunked and clicked but the door didn't open. The Ranger and Elf then spent several rounds trying to force the door. It proved remarkably sturdy but finally gave a metallic groan and partly opened. As the Elf and Ranger peered in the room they saw a 40' x 40' chamber with a bed, table, three chairs, a chest and a stone work bench covered in bottles, alembics and beakers plus a book. In the middle of the room a tall human in a blue-grey robe cast a Colour Spray Spell and the Elf and Ranger fell unconscious. The Psion and Wizard dragged them to safety and, as they did so heard a sound of grinding stone and receding footsteps. When the Elf and Ranger finally recovered (after eight rounds) the party entered the room (now empty of any spellcasters).
The Elf sensed a secret door along the back wall next to the bed but had difficulty discovering how it was activated. The Wizard found a bottle with a foul looking green liquid which he guessed was probably a toxin of some sort. He also found a beaker of acid and pocketed the book which was titled "Poisonous Mushrooms - A Field Guide" by Drusus Magnentius). The Wizard examined the chest and triggered a poison needle while trying to open the latch over the lock. He sustained Constitution damage and drank a flask of amber coloured fluid which he found on the bench. The fluid cured a minor headache but did not appear to affect the poison. After enduring a wave of nausea the Wizard managed to fight off any more ill effects from the poison. The Wizard poured acid into the chest's lock which helped to weaken it. Opening the chest the party found a scroll case and a red velvet bag containing 350gp. The Wizard cast Detect Magic and determined that the scroll case was magic.
Meanwhile the Elf finally discovered a lever under the bed which presumably operated the secret door. Session ends.
Time - Around 2300 on the night of May 14.
13 May
While consuming a hearty dinner back at Fort Vitellus the party were alerted by the Legionary Archer guards that a man was approaching the fort's gate from the Roman side of the wall.
He turned out to be a well-spoken Romano-Briton named Atrivates, a self-proclaimed Druid in brown/grey robes with a staff. He said he was planning to cross over the north side of the wall in search a magic harp rumoured to be a treasure of the famous British hero Goddodin. Atrivates had come across some information about the harp in the library of a monastery in Kent and was on the hunt.
He proved to be a mine of information about the north and revealed the following:
Guilod's tower apparently has an underground complex under the tower and somewhere in there lives Guilod, a powerful Pictish witch. She works alongside the Picts and Hobgoblins to support their raids into Britain. Atrivates suspects that Guilod has a separate agenda to the Picts/Hobgoblins but is not sure what it is apart from wanting to acquire power and riches. Atlidoc commands the Hobgoblins who garrison the tower but seems to defer to Guilod. The Picts are a separate entity to the Hobgoblins and prefer to live and fight in the open. They team up with the Hobgoblins as required. The Scots (ie Irish) raid from across the sea. They also seem to have some sort of relationship with the Hobgoblins but they hate the Picts and fight them.
Atrivates revealed that a tunnel exists leading from the tower out to the west and is a sort of natural drain.
14 May
The party moved towards Hill One (the hill used as a lookout point by the Hobgoblins). Immediately on leaving the fort a horn was heard being sounded from the hill. The Ranger and Indago the Psicrystal, crept up to the Hill and took up an ambush point near the lookout position hoping to ambush a Hobgoblin. No look out appeared though the Ranger heard something moving about on the hill and had a sense of being watched. Waiting until dusk with no sign of Hobgoblins Indago and the Ranger met up with the rest of the party at the west side of the base of the hill. The party headed off west looking for the tunnel referred to by Atrivates.
After two and a half hours of blundering about in the dark the Ranger finally located a deep gully in which there was a cave entrance. Foul smelling liquid trickled from it and it appeared to be a natural sewer.
The party entered the cave and crept up a five foot wide natural tunnel for 300-400 yards climbing gradually and came to a doorway. The Wizard opened the door with a minor opening spell and revealed a 20' x 20' room in which four Hobgoblins were seated around a table playing cards. Caught by surprise the humanoids were felled by a Sleep Spell from the Wizard and promptly dispatched. 40sp were found on the bodies. The Elf pocketed the rather greasy set of playing cards.
Creeping up to a door in the room the party heard 2-3 creatures speaking some sort of unknown language. As the Elf Fighter prepared to open the door the speaking stopped. Flinging the door open revealed a laundry containing four Goblins. The Goblins were not surprised. One rushed at the Elf and smacked him with a morning star. The Elf riposted by taking its head off with a bastard sword. Two Goblins moved up to engage the party while the remaining one began screaming loudly and heading for an exit. The Psion hit two Goblins with energy bolts (fire attacks) but with limited effect.
In the ensuing melee two Goblins were felled by the Ranger and Elf and the Ranger sustained two wounds in the process. The screaming Goblin escaped. The Ranger received a Cure Light Wounds Spell from the Spirit Shaman.
The party moved into the next room which turned out to be a kitchen (with a sign on the door in Goblin saying "Kitchen").
Leading from the kitchen was a set of fancy looking double doors with a curious lock. The lock consisted of a circular metal plate (in two halves) with a smaller central plate with a hole in the centre. While approaching the door the party heard a bell ringing in the distance. They also heard a human voice saying "Go warn Duik, the door will hold them for a while". Another voice replied but the language was not understood.
The Wizard attempred to open the door by thrusting his staff into the hole. Some sort of mechanism tried to grip the staff and turn it and the mechanism clunked and clicked but the door didn't open. The Ranger and Elf then spent several rounds trying to force the door. It proved remarkably sturdy but finally gave a metallic groan and partly opened. As the Elf and Ranger peered in the room they saw a 40' x 40' chamber with a bed, table, three chairs, a chest and a stone work bench covered in bottles, alembics and beakers plus a book. In the middle of the room a tall human in a blue-grey robe cast a Colour Spray Spell and the Elf and Ranger fell unconscious. The Psion and Wizard dragged them to safety and, as they did so heard a sound of grinding stone and receding footsteps. When the Elf and Ranger finally recovered (after eight rounds) the party entered the room (now empty of any spellcasters).
The Elf sensed a secret door along the back wall next to the bed but had difficulty discovering how it was activated. The Wizard found a bottle with a foul looking green liquid which he guessed was probably a toxin of some sort. He also found a beaker of acid and pocketed the book which was titled "Poisonous Mushrooms - A Field Guide" by Drusus Magnentius). The Wizard examined the chest and triggered a poison needle while trying to open the latch over the lock. He sustained Constitution damage and drank a flask of amber coloured fluid which he found on the bench. The fluid cured a minor headache but did not appear to affect the poison. After enduring a wave of nausea the Wizard managed to fight off any more ill effects from the poison. The Wizard poured acid into the chest's lock which helped to weaken it. Opening the chest the party found a scroll case and a red velvet bag containing 350gp. The Wizard cast Detect Magic and determined that the scroll case was magic.
Meanwhile the Elf finally discovered a lever under the bed which presumably operated the secret door. Session ends.
Time - Around 2300 on the night of May 14.