Mother of Flies - Session 41: Walcourt Raid, Part IV

Dramatis Personae

Alfaren “Alfred” Eredel – Elf transmuter

Alizander Carmelizzia - Human (Varisian) sorcerer

Boecca – Half-orc inquisitor of Erastil

Carlos Santiago - Half-orc (Alkenstarian) evoker

Slavé/Jancen – Tiefling (in guise as a human) rogue/assassin

Tavo Dechirent - Human cleric of Pharasma

Starday, 30 Pharast, 4709 A.R.

The Returners continue searching Walcourt for the entrance to the basement, finally discovering a long, downward-spiralling staircase on the second floor near the opulent chambers reserved for Sandor the Strange. After pilfering the diviner’s effects, the party makes its way down the stairs, Slavé scouting ahead. The air becomes noticeably cooler and more humid as they decend down the long staircase. The air is reasonably fresh to most of the Returners, though Boecca notes the slight scent of sewer.

At the bottom of the stairs the Returners come to a stone landing overlooking a dark cavern pool. A flat-bottomed boat with a pole for pushing it is moored to the platform’s edge. Parts of the north and west walls are mortared stone, but the rest is a natural formation and extends eastward around a bend in the flooded tunnel. The ceiling soars twenty feet overhead through a maze of stalactites. To the north, a ten-foot-high water-filled tunnel exits past a set of rusty bars. Boecca indicates that the scent of sewer emanates from the northern tunnel.

The party begins to cross the pool – Tavo and Boecca in the boat, Alizander levitating just behind it, tethered with a rope, Carlos just out of the water atop the clay golem’s back as it wades through the pool, Slavé levitating and pulling himself across the ceiling, and Alfred flying in amongst the stalactites. About halfway across the pool, the group is ambushed by three 8-foot tall lobster-like monstrosities, tiny eyes gleaming above mouths full of writhing tentacles. One of the chuul’s grabs Tavo in its massive claw and feeds him into the tentacles mass. Tavo feels his muscles and joints seizing uncontrollably as he is coated in a glistening substance coating the tentacles, and just barely manages to fight off the paralysis. Boecca, too, is grabbed by one of the chuuls, but is dropped when the chuul is struck by a lightning bolt cast by Alfred. Carlos’ clay golem pulverizes one of the chuuls into chowder, and the other two are eventually dispatched by the other Returners.

Alizander sends a group of summoned water elementals ahead in the tunnel. As the elementals round the bend in the east, a horrible baying and howling reverberates through the cavern. The water elementals return and describe the pool ending in a pebbly beach around the bend in the east, which leads to a grotto featuring several chairs and tables. The Returners recognize the baying echoing through the chamber – shadow mastiffs. Rounding the bend, the group confronts the mastiffs from the shore, confident the beasts will not advance into the water. With spell and arrow they defeat the mastiffs, and head into the guard landing. The Returners realize that they need to regroup and recover after the last couple of hours exploring Walcourt, but are concerned that the mastiffs’ baying has alerted the rest of the dungeon’s denizens. Slavé decides to scout a little further and opens the door leading north from the landing. In the short hallway beyond, Slavé catches sight of a green, misty form just before it disappears through another doorway to the north. If there was any question about whether the dungeon’s denizens knew the Returners were here, there is no longer.

Treasure

· From D19. Abode of Sandor the Strange

o Scale model of Walcourt (false vision focus) (worth 2000 gp)

o Varisian Harrow deck of enameled wooden plaques (worth 500 gp)

o Silver mirror (worth 1000 gp)

o Brass orrery (worth 200 gp)

o Diamonds (5) (worth 2500 gp total)

o 880 gp

o Sandor’s spellbooks

· From D17. Stiglor’s Chamber

o Assorted gems (worth 5780 gp)

o +2 Shadow studded leather armour

· From F1. Hidden Grotto

o Sparkwake starknife (worth 10,824 gp)

Experience

· Spiked pit traps (3) – 7200 xp

· Lightning bolt trap – 2400 xp

· Chuuls (3) – 9600 xp

· Shadow mastiffs (4) – 6400 xp

· Total – 25,600 xp

· Per PC (6) – 4267 xp

Current XP Total per PC

· Carlos, Slavé – 112,969 xp

· Alfred – 110,414 xp

· Boecca – 110,394 xp

· Tavo – 106,324 xp

· Alizander – 104,984 xp

· Fame Points - 21