Wednesday, July 8, 2020

Stonehell: The Trouble with Troglodytes

Session 136 was played on 4/16

Eiric, Mage 8 (Kat)
Big Red (dog)
Karl, Dwarf 8 (Julia)
Hobart (dog)
Kili, Cleric 6 (Matt)
Boris, Cleric 3 (Jeff)
Daton, Fighter 2 (Jay)
Morgana, Mage 2 (Robert)
Borumar, Thief 7 (Josh)
Koltic, NPC Cleric 6
Darryl, NPC Cleric 6


Stepping away from the stairs, and down onto the beach, the party can see to the south that the beach narrows to nothing as the stone wall of the cave continues into darkness. To the north the beach opens up, and the cave deepens. Moving carefully, they can see tracks of various creatures in the muddy ground away from the beach… and a stout door on the north wall, and another on the south wall, even deeper into the cave. Starting with the door closer to the beach, they head north.

An unpleasant smell lingers outside the door, but no one can identify it. Something looks at the party through the keyhole. Karl tries to stab whatever it is that’s looking at them, but the dagger gets stuck. The party then tries a few more diplomatic options:

“Avon calling!”
“Room Service!”
"Have you accepted the lord and destroyer Cthulhu into your nightmares?"

None of these are effective.

While the party is debating what to do, the doors burst open, and a blast of the most noxious air washes over the whole party. Just behind the smell are ugly crested lizardmen, some riding large 6 legged reptilian mounts. The mounted lizardmen plow through the party, knocking them aside and allowing the ones on foot to engage.

The battle is tense, as the party is outnumbered nearly 1.5:1, and even the wizards are forced into hand to hand combat. Lady Eiric manages to get far enough away from the danger to unleash a lightning bolt that takes out a few of the lizardmen, and crisps a wave of elite warriors who were charging toward the party. Only the biggest and meanest and stinkyest of them survive, and he charges into Daton.

One of the mounted lizardmen clubs Lady Eiric to the ground, and he then uses his mount to step on her. Karl and Boris charge in, taking down the best, and pouring healing magic into the broken wizard.

Daton and the trog king trade blows, but Daton’s blade sinks deep into the king’s charred chest, and he drops to the ground. Soon after the last of the trogs are dead, and the party spends a few moments catching their breath and downing some healing potions. The stink of the bodies, and the smell coming from the lair keeps most of the party out, but Daton, Borumar, Boris, Kili, and Karl master their gag reflexes and explore the lair.

While they're looting the trog halls, the water near the beach begins to splash, and emerging from the dark depths comes a massive crab, easily 12’ across, and standing nearly 8’ tall. The party keeps out of reach of it’s claws, and Eiric casts Snowden’s Icy Sphere under the crab. It recoils from the magical cold and runs back to the water. The sphere follows, turning the water at the beach into an icy slush.

In the Trog King’s throne room, the looters pull the plate armor off the wall. Daton, standing on the throne to reach the helmet off the wall, breaks open the back of the throne revealing a quiver of arrows and a fancy sword. Grabbing the (magical?) loot, and a small amount of coinage, they head back to the main cave.

Gains: Magical sword, arrows, and armor. Small haul of coins.
Kills: troglodytes
Losses:

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