Tales from Sirac's Point, Session 9

We played Session 9 last night. Some interesting developments occurred but more on that in a few days...

Updated 3/23:

Solenus 22nd, 5231 A.C.

Moving back into the hallway the group discovered a nearby door on the left and another door father down the hall, also on the left. Rak’Shan listened at the near door and heard some sort of buzzing noise. He moved quietly to the farther door under the cover of archers and listened, but heard nothing. There was another door as well, quickly explored to reveal a partially collapsed room with a hole where part of the back wall once was. Now the group knew how the living creatures made their way into the tomb.

Attempting to open the nearby door, Rak’Shan succeeded and was face to face with an angry stirge. Autumn ran up and slammed the door and the group heard the sound of a bar being slammed into place. A quick tactical discussion followed and the group decided to retreat to the other side of the farther door to allow missile fire while Rak’Shan played ‘bait’.

A success, sort of, as bait happened. Six orcs flooded the hallway as Rak’Shan ran towards the group. Unfortunately, another orc opened the second door to peek out, right into Rak’Shan’s path of flight. Rak’Shan hit the door and dug his claws into it, hanging like a sad Garfield in a car window, but scaring the bejezus out of the orc. He slammed that door into the orc’s face as the rest of the group traded missile fire with the orcs (there was an eventual bar slammed into place during the combat, but the group was too busy to really do more than take note.

One orc escaped the slaughter in the hall and fled back into the other room, the group pursued, right into an angry swarm of stirges. That’s when they found out the orcs were using the stirges as pets (much like a human uses a war dog). As combat was joined, the orc’s leader and his two sub-commanders burst through an archway at the far end of the room.

Things got bad for the group quickly, with two members being successfully attacked and weakened by Stirges and the orc leader cutting down another. A few timely spells from Vendee (who until this point has used his magics sparingly, favoring his martial skills with the bow) helped bring down the stirges and the last of the orcs. A quick exploration revealed the stirge room and the room with the door farther down the hall were connected by a room in between them (the orc leader’s chamber). The other door was barred as well and the decision to hole up was made as most of the group had traded wounds with the orcs and stirges and several members were still critically wounded. The orc’s lair was sacked for its treasure (a small amount of coins) and the group rested as best it could.

Solenus 23rd - 24th, 5231 A.C.

The group rested, healed wounds and decided to stay put an additional day so the Clerics would be at full strength. Going over Vendee’s maps, the only place they hadn’t explored was beyond the large warded doors.

Solenus 25th, 5231 A.C.

Close to when the party was making ready to leave on the second rest period, Rak’Shan heard voices in the hallway outside. He quietly unbarred the door and peeked outside, seeing a group of humans, soaked and in tattered clothes. The group decided to let them in and Flambo made initial contact, nearly scaring them away. Vendee was unsure they should be trusted, as how could such pitiful humans be here…he felt something was amiss.

The humans, it turned out, were part of an orcish slave caravan. The weather turned and they were sheltered in a cave with minimal guards. The humans revolted, killing the guards and they explored deeper into the cave, finding themselves in a nearby room that had partially collapsed into the cavern, then encountering the party and being here and now. The group broke the chains holding the former slaves and armed them with the orcish gear. The group gave the humans the option of coming with them or braving things on their own. To Vendee’s dismay, the humans opted to travel with the group.

Going back to the great doors with the divine wards, several hours were spent in examination, both magically and physically. While the wards were still intact, they seemed in place to keep something in. Not seemingly dangerous to the opener, the true danger seemed to be implied in the warnings of horrible death and dark times for the openers. Undaunted they opened the doors, breaking the seals. The wards, having lasted for thousands of years, were set off and it was noted nothing seemed to happen.

Entering a huge crypt, complete with great statues of warriors in each corner, an ornate sarcophagus on a raised dais and a life-size statue of Haindrad and his frost dragon mount, torches around the room flared to life. Galeena started to complain of feeling ill and stayed back with the humans (to keep an eye on them mostly), while the group moved to investigate the chamber.

Flambo with some help removed the sarcophagus lid, revealing the remains of a mummified warrior, complete in his ancient armor, clutching his bastard sword to his breast and shield covering his legs. Muttering something about ‘this one not coming back’, Flambo dug out vials of oil and blessed them in the name of Vulknar. Vendee used his skills of prestidigitation to ignite the blessed oil magically after Flambo doused the body. Watching the flames burn down, the body seemed mostly intact, singed and blackened but not overly damaged. The rest of Flambo’s oil reserves were blessed and smashed into the stone coffin quickly and lit by Vendee, igniting into a conflagration.

Cregg and Rak’Shan were exploring the rest of the room while this was happening. Everyone took notice when Galeena had a seizure, fell to the ground and started retching violently.

The body, still on fire sat up and glared at Flambo and Vendee with its deep, red-glowing eyes. Galeena cried out and sat up as her belly exploded, revealing she had swallowed the black orb/pearl they had found weeks ago. It gave off an energy pulse and vaporized as Galeena slumped to the ground in a pool of blood and gore, freaking out the humans she was with.

Haindrad stood, bringing his blade to bear at the humans and uttered a word, sending crackling dark energy at them. The shadowy energy exploded around them and every human fell over, a look of agony and horror on their faces. Rak’Shan jumped onto the dragon, discovering it was not true stone but plaster and it was cracking and flaking off, revealing the rotting hulk of an actual dragon inside. Rak’Shan ran faster then he ever had before in his life, behind one of the statues in the nearby corner and fired arrows at the thing as combat was taking place between Haindrad, Vendee, Flambo, Cregg and Autumn.

Calling the dragon, Haindrad leapt up and swung onto the creature’s neck. Glaring at Flambo - “I will come for you” and then cast a Word of Recall.

The group was stunned for a moment, not sure what happened, then regrouped, checked the wounded and dead and looted the crypt, not finding much coinage, but several items of obvious magical power due to their age and new-looking condition as well as several personal effects of Haindrad’s.

Galeena was barely alive and it was ascertained that even if magically healed, she would need rest to fully recover. The humans were gone, their eyes telling a horrorific last moment of life...

This is where the session ended for the night...

Character	Sex/Race	XP Given	XP Total	Next Level
Vicar Flambo of Vulknar	Male Endu	3,715	9,265	12,600 (+10%)
Vendee, Arcane Guardian	Male Elf	3,615	9,534	16,200 (+10%)
Galeena the Warrioress	Female Halfling	1,795	4,210	7,600 (+5%)
Vicar Cregg of Tymira	Male Human	3,715	8,040	12,600 (+10%)
Brother Rak’Shan	Male Tigran	3,590	7,079	7,125 (+5%)
Autumn the Warrioress	Female Human	1,795	4,031	7,600 (+5%)

Everyone in the party has gained a level!