Having cleaned their weapons of dead giant spiders, the party spreads out to search the ruined buildings. Finn fights his way way through the tangled webs to rescue Binky, his familiar. Binky is wrapped in spider silk but soon freed. It just so happened that he landed in the lap of some long-dead elf who was not so fortunate - his desiccated features preserving his terrified scream and final moments for perpetuity. Finn casually relieves the corpse of its belongings before rejoining the group. Pausing only to free the entangled Byron who had also entered the ruins to search for treasure albeit unsuccessfully.
Beef heads east to explore what had once been a herbalist's store. Amongst the sagging shelves and and broken vials of glass, he spots a wooden case containing an ornate gold necklace with a fine emerald. He quickly stashes it into his pack for safe-keeping.
Farraine continues down the path to the town square which is dominated by a leaning wooden statue. A tribute to a long-forgotten warrior wielding a spear and shield. It's strangely quiet there. He looks down at Wyrmsight to see if it's still glowing. Unfortunately it is, meaning that the Dragon is somewhere close. He disregards the warning from his magic blade and yells a request for the Druid to show himself.
Byron follows Farraine for a while but ducks into one of the buildings to the right of the path to the town square. He scans the ruins for treasure and it appears that there's nothing there, but wait... a glint of metal in the dirt. A copper coin. That can go in group treasure!
Meanwhile, Finn decides to explore an overgrown smithy to the south of the village. The door is warped and stuck, but with some effort, he forces it open and wriggles inside. The roof has collapsed and beams crisscross the overgrown interior. Motes of dust, disturbed by his entrance are caught in the shafts of sunlight penetrating the shattered roof. Just then he hears the creak of timbers and low groans as two rotting figures rise from the rubble. The Halfling hastily retreats and pulls the door closed behind him. The thud-thud of of their dead hands on the door mimicking the pounding of his heart. On catching his breath, he calls for Farraine.
Farraine heeds the calls for help, rushes back to their position and upon hearing the reason for the shouts is only too happy to oblige. He draws his blade and shoulder barges the door sending the undead staggering backwards a moment, crushing their grasping fingers and leaving bloody stumps where hands had once been.
Seeing an opening, Finn fires his crossbow at a zombie but his aim is off and the bolt slams into the door frame sending woodchips flying. Beef seizing the same opportunity fires his hand crossbow. Farraine was in the way and he fires wide to avoid hitting his companion and the bolt lands next to Finn's, quivering in the door frame.
With the Zombies hacked to pieces, the group proceeds through the ruins, making their way to the edge of town and a house which bears the signs of recent habitation. Someone tries the door handle and finds it to be unlocked. There are people in there, dressed in robes and wearing masks.
They are surprised to see you but they ask you to join them in a bit of dragon worship tomorrow evening. It all seems a bit creepy and the party make their excuses and leave. Finn considers watching from a distance, but no one else seems keen to stick around when a full sized dragon is less than 100 feet away and there are Dragon-worshiping cultists about to wake him from his slumber.
They move north to the town square which is dominated by the wooden statue of some long forgotten warrior. Sitting on the statue is a squirrel who turns out to be the Druid Reidoth. Reidoth warns them about the Dragon in the tower and of zombies in the north west building.
The Druid is only too happy to direct them to Cragmaw Castle, once he has established their intent.
The party travels southwards, back towards Phandalin, hugging the treeline of Neverwinter woods until they reach an ancient stone circle and then enter the forest as per Reidoth's instructions. The trees thin as they approach the ruins of Cragmaw and they approach somewhat cautiously.
The castle consists of seven crumbling towers of different sizes and heights, but the upper stories are all in varying states of collapse. A short flight of steps leads up to a terrace in front of the main entryway. Past the wreckage of a pair of sundered doors lies a shadowed hall. Round towers loom over the entrance-way, with dark arrow slits looking down on the terrace. All seems quiet. Doesn't appear to be anyone home.
Finn advances stealthily, checking for traps in the entrance-way where the heavy wooden doors lie shattered. Meanwhile, Byron walks past Finn and into the hallway oblivious to the Halfling's careful search. Finn confidently declares the area to be safe and the rest of the group moves up.
Finn decides to open a door leading to the south tower. Goblins! The Goblins are startled and scramble up the walls and draw their shortbows. Farraine hearing the warning shout from Finn moves down and his lantern illuminates a large hallway to the east which contains several more Goblins.
Beef upon hearing that there are Goblins, proclaims that we "Should fuck them up!" based on the Droop's betrayal and charges Leroooooy Jeeeeenkins style into the fray.
The battle is savage and protracted, with the group retreating into the entrance hall under a hail of arrows, several of which find their mark. A door opens to the north and four Hobgoblins spearhead an assault but they are met by Farraine who cuts them down with a flurry of brutal strikes and counter attacks. Everyone is bleeding and things are looking grim. Byron having bought no healing potions, due to spending his gold on accessories, decides to play dead to avoid further damage.
The Goblins, sensing victory, advance along the tops of the walls, still raining down arrows. Beef sees an opportunity where the Goblins are clustered and unleashes a thunderous blast of energy which sends several of the Goblins flying off the wall and to their death, their screams ending suddenly as they hit the rocks at the base of the castle.
The remaining enemies are quickly dealt with and the group advances through the ruins encountering only two more Hobgoblins who are also cut down. There are three doors unopened and as they are about to open the door to the west tower, Droop appears and warns them that danger lies ahead. "Big danger, don't go!" and "Monster in that room", he says pointing to the south tower.
Despite some efforts at magical healing, the group is still in a bad way and they heed the Goblin's warning... for now.
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