Barrowmaze Campaign Diary, Session 13 - Embers of Valor

This is part of my on-going diary series for my Doom of Barrowmaze campaign run using Old-School Essentials.

Session 11 - Embers of Valor

This week the Bastards of Bogtown consisted of...

	Barry, Barbarian 4. Duvari polymath and would-be warlord. Expedition leader. Played by Zi.
	Kazrik, Dwarf 3. Dwarven shipwright of Clan Boatstone. Played by Ryan.
	Narion, Elf 2. An unusual elven smith and tinkerer. Played by Andrew.
	Psteve, Cleric 4. Enigmatic prophet haunted by eldritch whispers. Played by Andy.
	Thaddeus, Paladin 4. Eccentric holy warrior in search of wisdom. Played by Todd.

Retainers

	Katlin, Necromancer 1. Thaddeus' retainer.
	Dollan, Thief 1. Thaddeus' retainer.
	Iren, Fighter 2. Psteve's acolyte.

Downtime and Rumors

The group decided to take a week's break before delving into the maze again. Narion constructed a pair of spring-loaded nail traps, Kazrik delved deeper into studying dwarven construction tricks, and Barry focused on mastering the art of crafting anti-venom. Thaddeus ventured to Murkwater, hiring a skilled thief to assist the party in unlocking sealed doors. Psteve scribed a Hold Person scroll and encountered an old acolyte named Iren, who possessed the fable sword known as Warmonger.

Back in Tamhill, amidst the ale-stained tables and clattering dice of the Rogue Willow, the Bastards of Bogtown prepared for another delve into the Barrowmaze. While strategizing for their upcoming venture, the group caught wind of two rumors:

• Scouts reported a significant presence of orcs on the moor north of Tamhill, beyond the Barrow Fields. Numerous campfires dotted the misty landscape, suggesting a potential encampment.
• The baron of Highmark and his forces fell victim to an ambush by rebels at the border of the Hartwood forest. The nobility of Fulst was shocked to learn that the rebels emerged victorious, capturing the baron's esteemed knight, Ser Eofald.

Scorpion Den

The Bastards of Bogtown returned to the Barrow Fields on the 9th of Summerwane. Upon revisiting the excavated entrance, the group discovered that three scorpions had made the barrow their surface den. After multiple attempts to lure them into an ambush, Kazrik forcefully threw his enchanted warhammer, Dasnast–Gisëk, dealing severe injuries to one of the horse-sized scorpions and forcing them into a hasty retreat.

Barry tracked the trail of scorpion blood to a modest chamber where six giant scorpions emerged to defend their lair. The party executed a strategic withdrawal into a ten-foot-wide passage, effectively funneling the monsters. During the skirmish, Kazrik suffered a scorpion sting that seemed to impede his mobility. Thaddeus attempted to use his magic portal cloth to draw in a scorpion, but none were fooled into entering some strange, shadowy nether realm.

The tide of battle turned when Narion produced the wand of cold, unleashing a blast of chilling energy that swiftly dispatched several scorpions. The group pursued the two remaining scorpions into their nest and overcame them without further issues. Afterward, they explored the alcoves in the scorpions' den, discovering a jade idol and a 500gp gemstone among the spoils.

The Reaver's Tomb

The group proceeded through a secret door and down the long corridor they had only partially investigated weeks ago. Along the western wall they discovered a dusty, looted room. Realizing that the sarcophagi within still held valuable gold filigree, they made a mental note to return later.

Continuing down the hall, Narion detected a secret door at the end. Inside, the group found a peculiar square chamber with a bricked wall. Breaking down the wall, they encountered another bricked barrier inscribed with "Vermingetrix the Reaver" in Ancient Thalorian. Despite Psteve's call for caution, the party decided to proceed.

Kazrik and Thaddeus broke down the wall, revealing a small crypt with a stone sacrophogus. The undead warrior within immediately threw off the heavy, stone lid of its tomb with a resounding thud. The seven feet tall undead warrior wore night-black plate armor and it gripped a long, rune-etched sword. As it advanced, its countenance burst into flames. Simultaneously, a bizarre alien horror, a large brain with a beak and ten barbed tentacles, rounded the eastern corner of the chamber.

While some urged a retreat, Thaddeus and Barry stood their ground, joined reluctantly by the rest of the group. The undead monster, Vermingetrix, maliciously attacked Thaddeus, while Kazrik and Iren faced the brain creature. Despite the brain monster's attempts to paralyze them, Kazrik and Iren persevered, inflicting significant damage in return.

Realizing the overwhelming odds, the party eventually decided to retreat. However, as they fled, Vermingetrix struck Thaddeus with his enchanted blade, severing the paladin's head in a single, brutal stroke. With Thaddeus dead and some party members barely holding on, the session concluded.

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Final Thoughts

Scorpions

The party finally decided to deal with their scorpion problem and managed to handle it rather well. While Kazrik was stung by a scorpion and failed his save, I have opted to use the alternative poison system proposed by Justin Alexander and decided that scorpion venom might cause the victim to become immobilized (DEX).

I thought the party did really well in their decision making to funnel the scorpions, fight defensively and use the wand of cold. The fight could have been very deadly and the party made full use of their new tools.

The Reaver

This was probably the first "real" fight of the whole campaign. Vermingetrix is extremely powerful, as Andy (Psteve) noted by the fact that the tomb was both hidden and sealed multiple times. Living up to his deadly visage, the Reaver had a +6 to hit and when I rolled randomly to decide which PC to attack, the dice seemed to seek Thaddeus. Every attack hit and rolled near max damage. During the fight, I was actually more concerned for Iren and Kazrik. They amazingly made 10 (TEN!) paralysis saves without failing a single one, which easy saved their lives.

Speaking of the Grell, I just want to note at how much more dangerous the OSE variant is compared to its 5E counterpart. 10 tentacle attacks that each can paralyze is incredibly deadly. The fact that both Iren and Kazrik survived its onslaught was truly remarkable.

The Death of Thaddeus

I am quite sad that Thaddeus finally met his end, even if it was against a powerful foe. He and Barry were the first two characters created when I suggested playing OSE last year. With his death, Barry officially becomes the last surviving member of the OG Buff Bastards. The group suggested they might attempt to find a way to raise Thad from the dead, but Todd has dismissed the idea. He feels this was a good death for the character. May Thaddeus's legacy echo among the Burning Roots.