Session 65 & 66: "To boldly go back to..........." or "Are we safer here?" and "Row, row, row your boat......." or "How long can you tread water........."

25th Day of Snowmoot  

On their return to Riverguard Keep they informed the others of what they had found at the Sacred Stone Monastery.

The civilians, Tom, his wife, the 2 lads and the 2nd Woman had carried their load to the larger boat and where to say their goodbyes. Zindra didn't know whether to go with them or stay with the group, she was of 2 minds.

Bron and Bandur had noticed that morning a set of footprints, wet, boot shod, human sized, coming out of the secret door and upstairs to the library. They then headed back to the secret door. Bron and Bandur were gld the group had returned so they could investigate. As Bron said, 'Better not to leave enemy behind us'.

Fargrim led the way down the circular stone stairs leading downward. Roughly some 40ft below the room above, so Fargrim reckoned. Bron walked forward and down some steps. Produced the 10ft pole, activated it and slowly pushed it into the water. He held it right at the end so he could push it further. As his hand nearly touched the level of the water the pole was snatched out of his hand. Bron couldn't see by what or whome so quickly stepped back with the others.

                                   

                                  

Slowly heads, then bodies appeared. Slowly shambling out of the water. They reeked of death, decay and sea water. Battle was quickly joined and the group took some hits but dispatched the ghouls with ease.

                                    

Bron and Grog went back up the stairs and to the harbour landing. The larger boat had departed, Zindra was nowhere to be seen so they guessed she had gone with them to help with Jim and the remaining gang in Womford.

They clambered into the boat, it was a tight fit. The current was slow and against them but they quickly made headway down the narrow underground stream. 

                                   

The roof was irregular, the walls the same. As they paddled they could make out that the river walls at times became shallow landing areas. They didn't investigate but carried on.

                                   

Eventually they could make out the underground river tunnel opened out into a larger space. They cautiously continued. On their right they could make out a crumbling landing with a boat tied up alongside. 

They paddled closer and just as the boat touched the landing 2 human warriors, dressed the same as the ones upstairs appeared and demanded to know who they were and what they were doing. With an unsatisfactory answer battle was quickly joined. More warriors had joined in the fray and one, presumably the leader ran towards the group in their boat and dived through those standing on the boat before they could react and disappeared into the water on the other side.

Warriors charged the boat, some with spears, all intent on pushing the group into the water. Aerie took to wing and her assailant fell into the boat. Another hit Grog hard and both fell over the side with a splash and disappeared under the water. Bron stood ready to strike as other attacked Fagrim and Bandur at the front of the boat. Garet, unsteady on the back of the boat leapt over an attacker and landed ready to strike on the landing. His attacker grappled Bron and they both fell into the water off the back of the boat.

                                 

Fargrim managed to kill his attacker. Then leapt off the boat onto the landing. The boat not being tied fast moved away from the landing as Bandur charged the prone warrior in the back of the boat. Tripping over an oar he fell into the bottom of the boat. Aerie let fly an arrow into the warrior at the back of the boat.

Grog could sense something was in the water with him. Suddenly out of the gloom a hunter shark, with the leader astride darted in and struck then was gone again in the blink of an eye, or was it in the flick of a tail? Grog activated his mace Lightbringer and more of the murky water was illuminated. Bron killed his assailant and moved towards the light source. Bandur had got to his feet and dispatched the warrior still on the boat. Garet moved to cover the passageway the enemy had appeared from. Another stepped into view and 2 daggers flew towards Garet. Both missed. Garet moved with great speed and struck the cloaked enemy with a combination of staff and unarmed strikes, The cloaked assailant burst into a pool of water and splashed to the floor.

Bron managed to plunge his longsword, summoned into his hand, into the warrior who had fallen into the water with him. The weight of tower, shield, armour, weapons and other equipment made Bron sink to the murky floor of the cavern lake quickly.

Looking around he could see a dim glow in the water and he headed for it. Finding Grog in the same situation as he, underwater, holding breath, they watched and waited.

Bandur regaining his feet was shouting for someone to grab his large oar and pull it. Before loosing his footing and falling over the side.

It wasn't long before they could make out,2 barrels moving in unison on the surface above. Their on boat swung again as the barrels bumped into it. Another splash and they could make out Bandur sinking towards them quickly, The another splash and Bandur seemed to grab onto something, a rope! 

Above on the landing Aerie could see Bron and Grog were in trouble and shouted they needed a rope. Garet  still watching the corridor for more enemy, threw his backpack to Fargrim. Fargrim seeing the light rope with a grapple attached quickly untied and threw the grapple, keeping tight hold of the other end. Alas his throw hit the cavern roof and ended in the boat. Aere quickly landed and pushed the grapple over the side and could make out Bandur now holding the grapple, attached to the rope sinking downwards to join Grog and Bron. 

A short time later, dripping wet, soaked through, and nearly out of breath, Bron first, followed by Bandur and lastly Grog climbed up the rope. At this point tied off to a metal ring for tying up boats.

More to their surprise it was Zindra, who had decided to follow as the villagers left, arrived too late in the secret landing cave, made a make shift raft and paddle to join them.

Even more surprising Garet, who know one had noticed had moved further down the corridor arrived with a person dressed in red, wearing a grey travelling cloak. He carried a largish bag and proceeded to take items out of it. First a staff, to which he placed on top a golden frog. A dagger, small satchel and a ring followed. As he stood up he introduced himself to the group as Aramil, a Half Elf, travelling on the other side of the river, his party ambushed at night had quickly hid his gear in the bag, bandaged his leg and told his captors if he didn't use his stick as a crutch they would have to carry him, relented and dragged him off. He didn't know how many other enemy were in the caverns/tunnels as they had put a smelly sack over his head before dragging him down hear, he knew in a boat, and putting him in shackles in the room Garet found him.

The group, with Aramil at the rear with Bron, moved further into the complex. Bron insisted that the room Aramil was held in (C5) was searched for secret doors so no enemy could get behind them. In the west wall was a narrow window. Garet, sticking his head out could make out a bridge over the canal further to the north, the landing area with the boats now tied up to the south, a wall on the far side with a narrow window in like this one.

The group moved down to the bridge area and Fargrim, Bandur, Aramil searched a room (C7). All that was found were beds and 1 sack of food, enough to give them all one meal. They found that the doors were hinged top and bottom in the middle and when they swung open there was a narrow gap either side. The ceilings Grog found were high enough that he could walk upright (15ft high). Fargrim pointed out to Bandur the excellent stone work in the corridors and rooms they were moving through. This was old Dwarf masonry skill the like of which hadn't been seen in a long while.

Zindra moved over the bridge (C6)and scouted what she could see, Grog joined her. Bron covered Aerie who had moved back to the room and helped Aramil gather useful items. Really the bag of provisions which he put into the bag he carried on his belt. She noticed very similar to the one Grog had had. Aramil muttered to himself that he had upset the two Dwarves somehow. I must smell of fish, he thought to himself).

                                      

Garet moved on to cover another corridor, leading to the east the far end of which had partially collapsed.

Fargrim and Bandur moved out of the 'guardroom' (C7) and down the corridor Garet was watching. Zindra moved back across the bridge whilst Grog, thinking of something suddenly found himself 20ft away from where he stood. As he moved down the corridor with Fargrim and Bandur he kept 'jumping' forward, without actually moving 20ft.

Fargrim moved around the fallen masonry and into the corridor heading north. Coming to  door he opened it and found what was obviously, to him and Bandur, an old Dwarf granary. (C8) The pit in front of him was 30ft deep with a 2 ft wide walkway round the outside. In the next room another similar disused pit and a second door back into the corridor. Gathering the group in the first room Fargrim told them the room would make a safe haven to rest up and recover from the ordeal of the landing area.

Session 64: "When the going gets tough..........." or "Retreat, retreat, run away, run away............"

24th Day of Snowmoot: Continued  

The group split up and continued to search through Riverguard Keep. The hidden library perhaps gave up worrying news. Hagnulf had opened a locked small box, inside were a lot of letters. Reading through the letters they seemed to detail comings and goings in most of the major population centres. Triboar, Yartar, Westbridge, Red Larch, Beliard, Womford and Amphail. Worryingly it included detailed descriptions of the group, their activities in Beliard, who they talked to and the direction they left Beliard.

Tom and the other villagers from Womford decided to leave the next day. They would take 10 leather armour, 10 shields, 20 swords, 10 spears, 10 bows with full quivers.

The second secret door was opened but not investigated. The group, working off what Aerie observed when she flew into the harbour opening, thought the secret door might lead down to the landing.

25th Day of Snowmoot  

Aerie did another flying recce south towards Womford and north. Flying 1 hour in each direction. Looking to spot the missing large barge she saw nothing south along the river until she could see the smoke from Womford and Bargewright as early morning cooking fires were lit and smoke started to rise from chimneys.

Flying north it wasn't long before she spied a building hidden in a small valley just to the north of Riverguard Keep. She returned and told the others what she had seen.

The group split into two. Fargrim, Grog, Aerie and Hagnulf would scout out the building to the north. Zindra thought this might be Sacred Stone Monastery. She had heard rumours of a religious retreat hidden in a small valley along the river but nothing else. Bron, Garet, Zindra and Bandur would remain to secure the Riverguard Keep as a potential base of operations.

No sooner where the gates opened and the small party ready to depart that a lone fully armoured warrior was seen standing outside of the gates, head bowed. Aerie appraoched but was surprised when a voice spoke behind her. Turning she saw an old man in a grey, hooded cloak clutching a staff. He pointed at the armoured warrior and said again, "we can't hear." A confusing conversation ensued, during which the old man was ushered inside. He kept saying "They haven't left yet", "We can't hear", "Who isn't here", "I can't see". They took him to the river and again the conversation didn't make sense. However as the group turned away from the old man in grey to discuss possibilities, when they turned around he was gone. Fargrim had sensed the old man could have been celestial or fiend, it was unclear, Grog had sensed no evil. Shrugging off the encounter they opened the gates and departed, noticing the armoured warrior was now walking off into the distance to the west.

It didn't take the small group long to enter a gully that narrowed the further they travelled along it. Surprisingly free of any heavy snowfall but no tracks to indicate traffic of any sort. The walls closed in that they could touch both sides with outstretched arms. At last the gully opened into a small valley with steep, high ground enclosing the building.

Hagnulf activated his ring of invisibility and completed a lengthy recce around the building. He had observed a door in the south east wall that looked promising, an enclosed garden but the external door was locked and a likely servants entrance door to the north west.

Leaving the horses the small group headed for the north west door. As they climbed the steps Aerie talked over a distraction plan, she would head for the main entrance and distract those inside whilst the others gain entrance into the monastery. Off Aerie toddled.

Hagnulf, still invisible opened the door and entered what was now apparently a kitchen. he headed for the south east corner and watched as 4 humans dressed similarly to Garet Jax were preparing some kind of midday meal.

(Aerie continue to toddle)

Hagnulf decided to shoot the furthest monk with an arrow that would precipitate the assault by Fargrim and Grog. The arrow flew true and slammed into the Monk. A critical hit, felled the Monk, falling to the floor the pot he was carrying clattered to the floor. The other three distracted by the noise were surprised when Fargrim and Grog launched their assault and Hagnulf could now be seen in the corner.

(Aerie continue to toddle)

The 3 Monks survived the initial assault launched into their own attack. All failed miserably. They were quickly dispatched as the door in the south west corner opened and a Monk stepped into the kitchen. The monk seeing the intruders slammed the door shut and started yelling on the other side of the door.

(Aerie continue to toddle)

The group waited in the kitchen for Aeries distraction, they could hear large items being dragged and more shouting from the other side of the door,

(Aerie continue to toddle)

Grog would open the door, Hagnulf had moved into a position where he would shoot anyone he saw through the open door, Fargrim waited to one side in cover.

(Aerie continue to toddle)

The door was opened and Grog stepped out of the line of sight as a small missile was thrown into the kitchen as soon as the door was opened with 3 improvised missiles also flew through the open door, Hagnulf managed to block the flying disc of a heavy metal plate that would have done serious damage had it hit but was struck by the other 2 for minor damage. Hagnulf and Grog were hit slightly by a burning liquid for minor damage (acid). Hagnulf, distracted by the missiles and burning acid on his left hand lost his grip on the bow as he was about to let fly his deadly arrow. The wood part of the bow, now not gripped tightly flew backwards and struck Hagnulf on the bridge of his nose. Hagnulf had fluffed the shot and incapacitated himself. 

Grog stepped into the line of fire as Fargrim remained in cover, only to realise he couldn't cast a prayer but recognised that the enemy were more numerous than he thought and they had a spell caster. He stepped back and slammed the door shut.

(Aerie continue to toddle)

"There are a lot of monks and a spell caster next door, they've put a barricade of tables across the room". Grog shouted at Fargrim and Hagnulf. .

Fargrim shouted, "Block the door. I'll help Hagnulf out, where's Aerie?". Grog thought then grabbed a bolt from his case and jammed it under the door. He then moved to help Fargrim lead Hagnulf out of the kitchen.

Aerie now at the front door climbed the steps and knocked (KNOCK-KNOCK)

A small slit opened at eye level in the door and a voice shouted "What do you want, we're busy?"

"Oh, I'm just a traveller........" Aerie was cut off mid sentence. "No, we have too many of those, go away". Aerie continued, "But I just wanted to........." again cut off. "Clear off, we don't want anything, go away".

Aerie stepped back down the steps and took wing, flying over the building. She saw Fargrim, Grog and Hagnulf, now recovered, running back the way they had gone not  so long ago. They all headed for the horses, mounted and headed back to Riverguard keep. Grog estimated he had seen approximately 16 to 30 Monks and at lest 1 spell caster.

They arrived back at Riverguard Keep late in the afternoon, they had been gone less than 6 hours!