Session 9: “Up the stairs, down the stairs all around Axeholm…….” Or “It seemed like a good idea at the time!”

“Up the stairs, down the stairs all around Axeholm............” 

Or........ “It seemed like a good idea at the time!”

Heimund was loosing his patience with the Gnomes. They kept contradicting themselves as to what to do and how to do it. Some time after Lionel had departed Heimund told the Gnomes he was leaving to join his friends but that they would return, soon.

Heimund visited Umbrage Hill and was informed that Lionel had left there about 2 hours ago. Heimund walked faster. After a few hours walking he could see his friend a few miles ahead. Suddenly he saw Lionel head south towards the mountains. He could see, as he began to catch up, Eglath perched on a cliff face pulling Lionel upwards by ropes very quickly. As a dark shadow passed overhead, he could see Eglath and Lionel climbing faster and then the Shadow, which he could see clearly now was in fact the White Dragon, swooping down on his friends. The dragon blasted the cliff face with its icy breath. Heimund took cover in some bushes, hoping the Dragon had not seen him.

The dragon used its frosty breath to block a dark opening then it flew away to the south, over the mountains.

Heimund ran as fast as he could, he spotted the lower ropes and managed to pull himself halfway up the cliff face. He reasoned that were there was one opening there could be another. It took him over an hour, but he found one. He managed to slither his way down the soot filled chimney until he stood in a small room with one door, open. From the other side of the door he heard voices he recognised. Still covered in soot he entered a large chamber and spoke. Bron looked over and casually said, “Well you took your time getting here!”

(The group had retraced their steps back to the room with the 3 cauldrons. Healing and a quick stock of the situation on how to proceed took place. Enter Heimund.)

Bron, as tactical as ever, thought it suicidal to head back to the room were they fought the ghouls. Better to find another way. Bandur, Lionel and Hagnulf who was badly wounded and shaken from their encounter thought it best to scout below using the stairs in this chamber whilst leaving behind a covering group that could guard against the Ghouls coming through the tunnels.

Fargrim agreed. A short rest was called for, healing prayers were used to patch up wounds. The scouting group would consist of Fargrim, Gimli, Heimund, Eglath and Beorwulf. Bron, Hagnulf, Bandur and Lionel would guard the rear. Lionel sang a simple song, enthusing Eglath and Gimli with renewed vigour.

They descended the western set of steps and entered a lower guard room of sorts. Several ballistas were mounted covering several arrow slits. Some covering the Portcullis entrance way and others covering what they thought could be a passageway. Heimund and Eglath spotted a wheel set into the eastwall, roughly opposite where the portcullis was on the other side of the wall. The mechanism was rusted but there was a notch and hinged bracket piece that would lock into a corresponding notch below the wheel.

 Fargrim listened at the door and hearing nothing stepped into a corridor. Heading south they passed arrow slits which conformed their original thoughts. The corridor widened and another door was listened too then opened. Prodding things in case of another mimic attack it was quickly reasoned that there were no mimics and this was a small armoury. There were racks and hooks for approximately 30 suits of mail, and spears and swords, all empty but for dust.

Moving onwards, Fargrim setting the pace and some basic tactics as to how to progress safely, they entered a larger room. As soon as Fargrim moved into the room a group of Ghouls, gnawing at god knows what, leapt up and attacked him.

A furious fight ensued. Beorwulf all but blind in the dark stumbled forward into the attack and was beaten to the ground by a Ghoul for his effort. The myriad of telling blows nearly brought about his demise as Beorwulf crawled into what he thought was an alcove and safety. This move allowed others to join the fight. Eventually the small scouting group won through and 5 Ghouls lay still on the floor. Gimli gave Beorwulf much needed healing. Eventually he could stand but was still badly injured.

3 small doors and one double door led of this room. Fargrim explained how they would do it. One door at a time from right to left, leaving the double doors to last. The first door led into a very large, barrack type, room. Bare cots and two fireplaces were all that was found. They did find a simplified painted layout of Axeholm on a wooden board. This was given to Beorwulf, whom Fargrim had told to light a torch so he could see where he was going. The door was shut.

The 2^nd opened onto the privy of Axeholm. The 3^rd into what could only be the forge room of Axeholm. Eglath could hear fluttering in the southern chimney and thrust a lighted torch as far up as he could reach. A shriek was heard, and the fluttering got further away. What ever it was that made the noise had flown away. A door leading off this room led to where the Dwarven smiths kept their tools of work. The group retraced their steps back into the room with the Ghoul corpses and headed over to the large double doors.

They listened and nothing was heard so they opened the doors onto what, according to the painted layout, was the room with the void they saw from the cauldron room. 30ft or more above they could make out the arrow slits and the balcony. 4 large columns, one in each corner, supported the vaulted ceiling about 100ft above. The east door they knew opened into the room leading to their first combat with the Ghouls. The north doors were locked shut and could not be opened without forcing them someway. They tried the southern doors, a wide entrance passageway to the long room on the other side was covered by more arrow slits.

The door was opened, the group entered a long room with a hair on a raised set of steps in an alcove flanked by two statues of armoured Dwarves. The group could smell the rotting decay of Ghouls. None could be seen but Fargrim sensed they were close.

As Beorwulf approached the steps a large Ghoul leapt over the chair and assailed Beorwulf. For a 2^nd time Beorwulf was felled, close to death. The Ghoul shrieked loudly as the group closed around it. As they attacked so more Ghouls entered the chamber from the east fireplace chimney. Outnumbered it was a hard fight. Gimli used his power of prayer and the Ghoul leader and one other fled the room. The remainder fought to the death. Twice Beorwulf faced death in this chamber and twice he was saved. Eglath first then healed by Gimli.

The group retreated to the cauldron chamber and rested!

TBC