5e WNW: Citadels and Chained Coffins

5e WNW -
Session 17 of the weird new world campaign was played on Friday 6/26

The party consisted of the following:
Nessendra, Wood Elf Cleric 5 (Erindale)
Kethra, Human Fighter 5 (Nikki)
Bach, Dragonborn Warlock 5 (Erik)
Riia, Human Ranger 5 (Hanna - Absent, kindly played by Allison)
Guy Noir, ½ Elf Rogue 5 (Nadia)
Anya Bowen, Tiefling Ranger 5 (Allison)

Back in town, with the Alabaster Lady breathing down their necks, the party makes a quick investigation to determine the best fastest way to the citadel. While the land to the north, following the river becomes less swampy the further north it goes, it isn’t easy going, so they decide to hire a boat.

This proves easier said than done, as apparently the tale of the crazy adventurers from 2 centuries back still is told. The first boatman they find even turns out to be the great great grandson of the boatman they’d hired before, and with an awful lot of cajoling and begging finally relented and said he’d rent them his boat for 300gp. Annoyingly this was more than the party really had readily available, as the last time they were in town they’d spent the vast majority of their gold re-equipping.

Well, except for Veidt.

Veidt, who’d decided to stay in town and spend some time focusing on research…

Guy went begging. Riia and Bach appealed to him as a fellow nobles. Nessendra appealed to his (questionable) good side. Kethra and Anya simply looked on with their puppydog eyes (Yeah, right).

With a great show of annoyance, Veidt relented, and *loaned* the party the necessary cash, but insisted on delivering it himself. He wished them well, and a speedy return of the boat. Standing on the dock, the party once again realized that not one of them knew how to adequately operate a boat. With some muttering, they headed back into town toward the bars. Bach walks into the first open bar and loudly announces that they’re looking to hire for a dangerous mission to the citadel of chaos!

Riia and Nessendra drag him out and attempt to instil a sense of appropriateness of the situation, when a teen waves at them from around the corner of a building. He’s a young sailor, and is willing to captain their boat, as long as they’re willing to listen, and to pay. The party quickly agrees, and then he drops his final requirement - don’t tell his dad, the guy who rented them the boat…

The passage upriver was remarkable only for its ease.

The boat came to a rest against the side of the river. Ahead of them, thrusting from the generally low and flat land that they’d seen since arriving on this new continent stood the first in a chain of mountains. A great waterfall, the source of the river poured down, frothing the water below. Crouched over the every edge of the waterfall the citadel perched.

Guy summoned his crow familiar, and sent it scouting. The citadel was remarkably intact in spite of its abandoned appearance. The only damage to the structure seemed to be a hole in one of the towers. The crow also spotted a small cave with a circular stone covering the entrance. Deciding that going directly at the citadel may not be the wisest of decisions, they investigate the side cave.

They struggle to move the cover stone, until Nessendra pushes it the other way, then follow the dark path down into a large chamber. A scattering of bones surrounds a metal coffin, covered in blasphemous runes and adamantine chains. Moving in to investigate, the skeletons rise up to no one's surprise. The party recognizes the inhuman shapes of the single eyed beastmen skeletons they’d faced back 200 years ago. This time, they weren’t nearly the trouble they were before, as once again Nessendra saves the day, turning and destroying the skeletons.

“Hello?” a dry rasping voice called out from the coffin. “By Justica, is someone there? Finally?!?”

The party had found Zugun, the priest and brother of the man who became the Chaos Lord in the last great war. Unfortunately the victory wasn’t complete… While Zugun stopped his brother from becoming a true demon prince, he didn’t (or couldn’t) kill him, and during the final battle was wounded, captured, and imprisoned in the magical coffin. Worse still sometime soon, the stars would again align allowing the ritual to be attempted again.

Zugun needed their help… but he believed they could do it, with his help.

Skepticism abounded.

“We’re only just 5th level”
“We only have one magic item in the whole party”
“We don’t have a mage anymore!”
“You’re a crappy DM and we hate old school play!”
“Why do you keep pulling out DCC stuff? We’re supposed to be playing 5e!”

“Ah, but there was an armory here in the citadel. There may still be items of power within.”

“Items that could turn powerful beings to stone?”

“Yes, items just like that!”

“Do you know where”

“Well, no… not exactly.”

Grabbing the chains wrapped around the coffin, the party hauled it with them deeper into the cavern, and through a worked stone portal that continued on as a dungeon corridor. They passed by a store room, mostly empty, and a series of crypts. Guy couldn’t help himself, and began pilfering the coins left on the eyes of the dead.

As Guy defiled the dead, an audacity of gargoyles appeared at the far end of the hall, their stony visages craggy in anger. Not so easily defeated as the skeletons, they were tough opponents in every sense of the word, even resulting in Anya shattering her sword against one of them, and Riia breaking her bow trying to get enough draw to pierce their skin. When the last gargoyle stood against the bloody but still standing party, it turned and retreated, flying into the darkness…

Bach in hot pursuit!