frp

• Third Age, Year 1108
• 11 August - Into the Crumbling Hall; Roderick KO'd; Pavo killed; the party flees

Not much to say here. Roderick got knocked out and Pavo was killed. Bigby teleported both to Sorgul's commune, along with Dru (since she's not as good at high-speed overland trips). Rod will recover soon (with Sorgul's assistance), and then he'll be able to raise Pavo. (See secret message to Pavo below).

This will all happen on 11 August. The next day, the group can opt to teleport back to Clangdun. Or, they might wait another day. It doesn't really matter.

Meanwhile, the overland group will hoof it towards the Keep on the Borderlands. However, it'll take more than the rest of the day to get there, so they'll either have to camp or walk through the night. Either way is negligible risk, however if they push it, they can make it back to Clangdun late on the 12th. Otherwise, they'll arrive mid-day on the 13th.

Continuing the session from #40 & #41 (the mini-dungeon called “The Crumbling Hall of the Frost Giant Jarl”).

How the party chooses to return (assuming they do choose to return) is anybody's guess. However, Gungir will be making preparations for their return. He is very perturbed that this group invaded his new home and killed several of his guards AND HIS MOTHER!

Gungir has made the following modifications:

One of the Ogres from area 14 was killed to set an example. This had the desired effect and the remaining Ogres (5 + their leader, Harashk) will obey Gungir in any coming battle.

The surviving Frost Giant from area 13 (the one trapped behind Bigby's Wall of Fire) has been stationed in area 1, along with 2 Ogres from area 14. The giant is highly motivated, and has strict instructions to send one of the Ogre servants running to the back to alert the others if any intruders show.

New Frost Giants will arrive to help Gungir on the following days: August 13th, 16th, 18th, and 19th. (And every 1d4 days thereafter). They will be stationed alternately up front and back in area 13.

On the 12th of August, he will cast a Desecrate spell on area 7, then follow it with an Animate Dead to turn the dead Cryohydra into a Zombie. He will then use Stone Shape to restore the chain to the wall, but will anchor it closer to area 15. Thus, the party cannot pass into area 15 without crossing it's threatened area. The resulting creature is as follows:

    7-headed Cryohydra Zombie
    HD: 14d12+3 (hp 70)
    Initiative: +0
    Speed: 20'
    AC: 20 (-2 Size, +0 Dex, +12 Natural)
    Base Attack/Grapple: +7
    Attack: 7 bites +7 melee (1d10+5) or
            Slam +7 melee (2d6+5)
    Full Attack: 7 bites +7 melee (1d10+5) or
            Slam +7 melee (2d6+5)
    Space/Reach: 15'/10'
    Special Attacks: --
    Special Qualities: Single action only, Damage Reduction 5/slashing,
       Darkvision 60', Undead traits
    Saves: Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +9
    Abilities: Str 21, Dex 10, Con --, Int --, Wis 10, Cha 1
    Skills: --
    Feats: Toughness
    CR: 4

On the 13th of August, he will cast a Glyph of Warding on the main entrance. This one is triggered by any medium-sized creature that does not speak the password. It will discharge a Dispel Magic, 20' radius burst targeted on the first person to trigger it. The dispel check roll is d20+5 and the DC for each spell is 11 + the caster level (21 for Bigby and Roderick, 16 for Ursa). Each person in the area with active spells is affected, but only one spell can be dispelled per person (start with the highest level spell first).

When the party arrives, Gungir will not be in area 15. Instead, he will be back in area 10. However, due to his precautions he will likely be encountered in area 15 or 7. He will have all the same protection spells up, unless the party arrives on August 13th or earlier (when he was busy casting his other spells).

Additional information about the dungeon:

Area 9 contains the “Crystal of Frost”, an artifact that is attuned to the para-elemental plane of Frost (at the junction of Air, Water, and Negative). Details for this item will be listed elsewhere. However, it's most obvious effect is that it will create ice when placed in conjunction with water. This means that it deals ice damage to anyone holding it. The cold from this room will be noticeable as the party moves down the hallway. Outside the door, each person will take 1 point of cold damage per round they remain there. The door is sealed shut with ice. If opened, everyone within 20' will take 3d6 ice damage immediately (Reflex save vs. DC 20 for half). From then on, everybody will take 1d6 damage per round until the crystal is retrieved.

The hallway to the south from Area 15 ends in a solid wall. Gungir attempted to open this wall by Stone Shaping through it, but found that it was specially enchanted by the dwarves to resist such attempts. Thus, he was unable to shape more than about 10 feet in (and even that was a fairly small hole: less than a foot across). A more skilled cleric might be able to extend that to around 20 feet, but the hallway is fully blocked for nearly 100 feet!

On the wall here a message was carved by the dwarves when they abandoned the city roughly 400 years ago:

                   In the year 706 of the third age, here
                   King Bagnar, closed the doors of Kalin
                   to seal in Qo'aycin, the usurper.  May
                   she remain entombed in this prison of
                   her own making for all eternity.

Gungir's stone shape obscures the words “of the” on the first line, but it can easily be figured out by context. “Qo'aycin”, by the way, is pronounced “KOH uh chin”.

To go beyond this point is outside the scope of this adventure…

Pavo,

You awake from a sleep that you do not remember. At first, you are numb and the world around you is silent and still. But slowly your senses return, starting with the feel of a stone floor below you. You are lying on your back, but your eyes refuse to focus. All you can see is a gray, swirling fog, lit by a pervasive, but diffuse light. After a few seconds (or more?), you realize your eyes are seeing clearly, but the fog blocks your view in all directions.

Gradually, your hearing returns as you discern the howl of a wind in the distance. Outside, a storm is raging. But where are you? How did you get here?

The questions scramble through your mind, not finding any answers in the chaos of your thoughts. You remember a wall. The detail of the stonework was faded and old. You remember others. Friends? Enemies?

“Get up!” A gravely voice commands from the fog.

Some of your senses and memory snap into place. You remember the underground hall. The icy cold. The giants. And the great axe with a single-minded fury behind it.

And then you remember the pain and the terror.

You recoil instinctively, before realizing it is only a memory. You reach your hand up to your shoulder, where you remember the great blade cutting deep. But instead of a wound, you feel only the metal of your armor. Your confusion remains, but the stillness of the fog around you and the warm, smooth, stone floor below combine to soothe your fears. A deep, inviting sleep beckons.

“I said, get up!” A metal boot nudges your side, jarring you from your reverie.

You roll your head to the side to see a dwarf standing over you. His face is vaguely familiar, but you can't quite place it. Your confusion has not fully faded, but after a frustrating pause, your mind finally realizes that he is waiting for you to respond.

You try to get up, but find your body does not react as it should. Eventually, after a few false starts, you manage to prop yourself up into a sitting position.

Your companion glowers at you. “Didn't bring my axe, I see.”

You see now that his armor is old and in desperate need of repair. He has no visible weapon, and the cloth of his outfit is in tatters. A thick layer of dust clings unnaturally to his beard and hair.

“Come on,” he continues. “Clangeddin's field is a long march. We'll need to get started if we're to make the next battle.”

A woman's voice rings from behind you, “Not today, Einerk.”

You turn to see a small, human woman in a sheer, white dress. Around her waist is a black belt emblazoned in silver with a glyph you do not recognize. Her skin is a deep, gold and glistens with moisture, causing it to cling to the fabric of her dress. The details of her perfect breasts are clear beneath the fabric and your body reacts quite suddenly and surprisingly to her form. She walks closer and you notice that she is pregnant, though she is just barely showing.

Her hair is black and slightly matted by water. She looks down at you with a gaze that is comforting and warm. She smiles ever so slightly and your heart races, as if her happiness is all that matters. When she speaks, her voice has a faint background hiss, like the sound of falling rain.

“Pavo will be returning home soon,” she continues. Though she is addressing Einerk, her eyes remain locked on yours.

You begin a greeting. Or a question. Or something. But the fog of confusion that you thought had faded seems to remain. Your thought sticks in your mind and refuses to leave your lips.

The gentle smile fades from her face. You feel a panic begin to crawl into your mind. Have you offended her somehow? Is she angry?

She reaches down to you and places a hand on your shoulder. The remembered pain fades, replaced with the sensation of warm water. Her voice, with its gentle hiss of rain, calms your anxiety as soon as the words reach your ears. “You and your comrades have a long, important quest ahead. Einerk's axe is but a small portion. More important are the crystals. The enemy believes they were lost in the first age, and that he is safe from them. And he is right. But these are their children, and I do not believe he knows of their existence.”

Her gaze drifts away for a moment, as if a distant memory distracted her. When she returns to you, her voice is stern. “His battle with Chaos has not gone as well for him as he wished. Therefore, his eyes are not on this world. If the crystals are reunited, though, he will become aware of them. Until that time, there is no urgency. Please take your time to make it right. The stakes are too high for failure.”

“The next one can be found in the crypt of Glali in the palace under Blanan. Your cousins on Thentao do not understand its role in their imprisonment. Once that is explained, I suspect they will be glad to be rid of it.”

Her gaze once again leaves yours. “Our time is nearly up. Roderick is preparing to call you back. Lie back and the transition will be smoother.”

Without hesitation, you do as she suggests. But was that your idea or hers? She kneels at your side and leans over you, placing one outstretched palm on your chest. Warm water drips from her hair and face, and still more from her hand. You feel it seep around your armor and through your clothing. Your muscles loosen and your eyelids droop. In the distance, you hear a man calling your name over and over.

In a flash, the pain returns. Your muscles tighten. The blood in your veins screams an agony for two heartbeats before your lungs have the energy to expel the scream they have had bottled up for what seems like an eternity. You find yourself lying on a cot in a small, unfamiliar room. Over you, Roderick stands, his holy symbol held high as he mutters a quiet prayer.

“Thanks be to Imhotep!” he says as he looks down at you. “Now, let's see what we can do about that wound.” The Loot:

This is a list of all treasure the party found in the dungeon, as well as a summary of the monsters killed and XP earned in this, the third installment…

1) 2 Giant Bags 18 Bloodstones (50 gp each) 2 Potions of Cure Serious Wounds 2) 1 Giant Bag 16 Bloodstones (50 gp each) Potion of Cure Serious Wounds 3) 95 gp 4) Shovels, Picks, Hammers, and the like 5) 81 gp 6) Food and Ale 7) 7 silver collars (200 gp each) 8) 5 Leather collars, 10×100 gp bloodstones each (5,000 gp total) 9) Crystal of Frost 10) Silver collar studded with small bloodstones (1,000 gp) 5,300 sp 1,150 gp 75 bloodstones (50 gp each) Crude map of the Long Deep 11) Skulls: Dire Bear, Frost Worm, Hound Archon, Large White Dragon, Several Dwarves 24 small art objects (137 gp total) Intricately carved mammoth tusk (350 gp) Jeweled Helm sized for a dwarf (750 gp) Solid platinum torc sized for a Gargantuan wearer (1,500 gp) Blue Steel Ring of Warmth (Endure Elements: Cold) Huge Black Iron Greatsword Huge Greatclub Gargantuan Morningstar +2 Warhammer Battered Crossbow 12) 2 Giant Bags 18 Bloodstones (50 gp each) 13) 2 Giant Bags 17 Bloodstones (50 gp each) 14) 166 gp +1 light fortification breastplate Huge greatclub Headband of Intellect, +2 Cloak of Resistance, +2 Potion of Cure Serious Wounds Silver Amulet (500 gp) 15) Huge +1 Greataxe Chain Shirt Boots of Speed 2 Potions of Cure Serious Wounds Circlet of Persuasion Platinum Bracers (500 gp) XX) 1 Giant Bag

Challenges Overcome in 3rd Session:

2 Ogres CR 3 133 83 1 Frost Giant CR 9 600 333 1 Hydra Zombie CR 4 100 63 5 Ogres CR 3 333 208 1 Ogre Leader CR 8 400 250 2 Frost Giants CR 9 1,200 667 1 F.G. Jarl (Gungir) CR 14 1,600 1,000 1 Dire Polar Bear CR 7 267 167 1 Frost Giant (Londra) CR 9 600 333 1 Poisoned Spear Trap CR 9 600 333 3 Glyph Traps CR 4 300 188

                             6,133  3,625

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