This is the forth journal entry for my Doom of Barrowmaze campaign using Old-School Essentials.
Session 4: Trapped Tombs and Strange Parlays
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| Barrowmaze |
This week the party consisted of...
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Francis, Thief 2. A shifty and lazy sort. Played by Stony. |
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Gwyn, Cleric 1. An acolyte of St. Ygg searching for answers. Played by Todd. |
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Kazrik, Dwarf 1. Dwarven shipwright of Clan Boatstone. Played by Ryan. |
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Narion, Elf 1. An unusual elven smith and tinkerer. Played by Andrew. |
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Psteve, Cleric 1. Enigmatic prophet haunted by eldritch whispers. Played by Andy. |
| Hirelings | |
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Harvey. Porter/Torch-bearer. |
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Ofilia. Porter/Torch-bearer. |
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Shep. Porter/Torch-bearer. |
Staircase Excavation
The session commenced with the party enjoying drinks at the Rogue Willow tavern. Brother Guthbrand and his group of six armed thugs arrived, accusing someone of spreading heretical teachings. After a tense confrontation, the thugs left. Brother Gwyn seemed bemused, while Psteve brushed off the accusations.
The party returned to the Barrow Fields to continue excavating the secondary entrance they had found. They hired five laborers and spent two days digging, briefly interrupted by a pack of zombies.
Expedition #3
Using the now-cleared staircase, the group descended into the Barrowmaze. They broke down a bricked-up northern wall, revealing an antechamber with yellow mold on the eastern wall. Exploring alcoves in the western wall, they found coins and a silver holy symbol of Nergal. They decided against using fire on the mold.
Proceeding through a north door, they encountered carnivorous flies, swiftly defeating them. Moving west, they had a short conversation with a group of twisted mutants and discovered a room with an unusual clock.
They deciphered the vault's combination puzzle, opening the locked tomb. Interred inside was the body of a dwarven prince in ornate plate mail holding a splended dwarven hammer. This was determined to be the remains of Bramdur, Son of King Thorrim Stoneborn, Blood of Thaneduhr, Prince of Dwarrow, a cousin of the current king of the dwarves, along with a splendid dwarven hammer and a steel box. They decided to help Kazrik return the prince to his proper resting place.
While attempting to move the body, a poison gas trap activated, killing Shep. Though he failed his save vs poison, Kazrik survived thanks to a poultice he had purchased from Barry. The group buried Shep in the prince's tomb. (Neither of the other hirelings had any problem with this, both rolling 3's on their 2d6 Morale checks.)
Kazrik immediately recognized the hammer as a War Hammer +2, Dwarven Thrower, and found a potion and a magical ring in the steel box.
Horned-One and Linger
Continuing west down the hallway, the group met mutants named Horned-One and Linger, temporary leaders of the mutant tribe. The mutants sought help in rescuing their kidnapped leaders, Crab Claw and Sayer of the Truth, from vile cultists in bone masks. After providing rations, the group agreed to help and formed a non-aggression pact with the mutants.
The mutants offred to share information about the western part of the dungeon, mentioning extensive knowledge of the "Forbidden Antechamber" and the "Haunted Tombs."
Satisfied with their activities, the group decided to head back to Tamhill, following the long corridor they now realized led directly to the stairs. They encountered a pack of seven zombies near the stairs (which had been attracted originally by Kazrik breaking down the brick wall), but the group was able to outrun the slow undead without issue.
The group returned to the village, and Kazrik declared that he would be traveling to Durnagald, the last town of the dwarves, in order to return the prince's body. The trip would take roughly 2 weeks, but the group agreed to wait for their companion before undertaking another delve. Kazrik was joined on his journey by a paladin named Thaddeus, a friend of Barry and former member of the Buff Bastards. Upon his return to Durnagald, Kazrik was greated to a hero's welcome and a grand feast for his glorious deed. Completing his personal quest granted him enough XP to level up and Thorgallin “Giant Bane” Stoneborn, Son of Thorrim, Blood of Thaneduhr, Lord of Gundgathol, King of Dwarrow, granted Kazrik the right to keep the prince's magic hammer as a reward for his heroics. Thaddeus enjoyed the (this time undeserved) accolades of a second feast.
Other party members went to Murkwater, gathered funds, and had Katarina Zoric identify their Ring of Fire Resistance. They learned that the potion was a Potion of Super Heroism, boosting combat prowess.
This concluded the session for the evening.
Final Thoughts
The absence of our usual mapper, Zi, this week was seamlessly filled by Ryan, allowing the group to maintain a smooth flow during the OSE session. At this point, the players have become well-versed in OSE, resulting in no significant rule queries or disruptions during the session.
The session began with Brother Guthbrand's visit to address Psteve's heretical preaching in the village. This encounter served to enrich the world and didn't lead to a hostile confrontation in the tavern. It remains to be seen if tensions among the religious characters will escalate.
Despite not straying far from the newly excavated staircase, the group achieved significant progress within the limited explored area. The discovery of the dwarven tomb marked a significant milestone as it concluded Kazrik's personal quest and provided him with a powerful item exclusive to his character. Hopefully, this accomplishment motivates other players to pursue their own character quests.
The group's interaction with the mutant tribe offered various potential outcomes, but it's gratifying to see that they chose peaceful engagement with one of the few neutral factions in the dungeon. Their acceptance of the mutants' offer to share knowledge about the western parts of the dungeon, in exchange for rations, adds an exciting new dimension to their adventures. This marks the first time the group has self-selected a quest in the dungeon. I look forward to future developments of this sort.
While the group didn't acquire substantial wealth in terms of coins or jewels during this dungeon delve, they obtained their most significant magical items to date. Kazrik now wields a +2 weapon and a +2 shield, elevating him to a formidable force. Additionally, Todd seems inclined to change things up, and will likely play his 3rd-Level Paladin, Ser Thaddeus in the coming sessions. By the Burning Roots!
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