Keep on the Shadowfells – Session 7

Open the Gates!

It seems Winterhaven’s Heroes are in need of fresh supplies and a bit of rest before they venture into the graveyard. Sight of their weary arms and the setting sun persuades Lord Padraig to open the gates and let our heroes in. Once inside, our heroes find Winterhaven of two minds: full of people, yet queerly silent. As many as can have moved within the walls from the surrounding countryside, but the spectre of death reversed has silenced every tongue. Even old Eilian seems to be at a loss for words.

Wrafton’s is stuffed to the gills. and our adventurers find themselves relocated to a single room. Even the pub has been repurposed, with the tables and chairs pushed to one side and a make-shift barracks set up on the other. Fear over rules the curiosity, and our party consumes it’s meal in silence before retiring for some much needed sleep.

To the Graveyard

As first light peeks over the walls of Winterhaven, our heroes set out through the gates for the town’s cemetery. A dirt path leads through a grove to a slight clearing. A fence of wrought iron bars encloses the cemetery, though the the gate swings freely on its hinges. Within the graveyard, some of the soil around the densely packed tombstones seems disturbed. Three mausoleums sit amid the markers, and a sickly glow pulses from somewhere near the largest crypt.

Our heroes fan out. Ganak and Korbein approach the southern mausoleum; Lorik and Tallow move around the northern side of the cemetery toward the eerie light; and Cirlandir keeps a watchful post near the gate. Rounding the corner of the northern mausoleum, Lorik spies a stone circle marked out on the ground, and within the circle, an intricate pattern of runes glows with arcane power. As Lorik prepares to examine the circle more closely, the ground trembles and the dead burft from their graves!

A number of skeletons emerge from the ground, closing quickly on Ganak and Korbein, while others draw bows and take aim at Cirlandir. Two gravehounds emerge from the largest tomb, and charge. One pounces on Ganak, knocking him to the ground, and the other forces Lorik back. A finely crafted hunting arrow whizzes past the wizard’s ear, narrowly missing its mark. A curse flies from the lips of an elf, who might look more familiar if only she were better illuminated.

Korbein, makes quick work of the undead around him, and he steps forward allowing Ganak to scramble to his feet. Lorik summons a ball of fire to cover his retreat, slowing the gravehounds pursuit. Surrounded by blades and hammers, flame and sheild, the dead are inexorably returned to their grave. The elven hunter attempts to sneak between the party, but she mis-steps and finds herself quickly surrounded. Drawing her blade she attempts to fight her way free, but the weight of superior numbers quickly overwhelm her.

While Lorik undoes the dark magic, the elf’s lifeless body is searched. Within her purse, she carries a few gold coins and a letter:

I received your report on the adventurers. Next time you see them, put an end to their meddling. Mix the blood of ten people with the elixir my messenger brings. Then trace the following pattern on the ground of a graveyard and pour the liquid into the lines. That should supply you with a force to thwart them. I’m very close to completion; see that I’m not interrupted. As you already know, if you do come to the second level of the keep, the pass phrase is “From the ground, some magic was found.”

Returning to town, the tension is palpable. Everyone is keen to hear of our heroes success. A cheer goes up as our adventurers tell their tale. Winterhaven is safe for the moment, but our heroes must rest up again and prepare for a final assault on the Keep.

Back to the Keep

Returning to Shadowfell Keep the next morning, our party is of two minds, unsure which way to go. Eventually, ther return to the caves into which Fat Balgron disappeared. The cavern is quiet; it seems the vermin haven’t yet had time to repopulate. Moving around one corner, Cirlandir spies a fissure in a wall that it too uniform to have occured naturally. “Quiet,” he urges, pointing to the crack. Heavy breathing can be heard on the other side of the wall. Quickly our party lays a trap. At the signal, Korbein throws open the door. Within the small storeroom is none other than Fat Balgron. Cornered and unable to flee for a third time, the goblin is felled almost before he can react. With an air of satisfaction, Korbein takes his trophy and leaves him to rot along with his stores.

Our heroes continue into the cavern down a long corridor. A few dozen feet in, they spy the end of a rope, and following it they find the other end tied around the half-eaten corpse of a small goblin who lies broken at the bottom of a pit. Next to the greenskin lies the unmoving form of a broken, six-limbed reptile. “Kruthiks,” declares Cirlandir. “And a young one. There will be more. Best to leave them be.” But there was the smell of treasure in the air, his comrades could not be persuaded otherwise.

Continuing around the corner, on the lookout for additional pitfalls, our party stumbles upon the den where three adolescents and their mother guard a nest of shiny baubles. “Bah! It’s just a couple lizards,” declares Korbein as he and Tallow stride forward. Suddenly toxic spikes dart from the adult piercing our heroes and sending venom through their veins. Meanwhile a number of hatchlings emerge behind the party from small tunnels.

“I told you!” cries Cirlandir, as he fends off two of the reptiles. Korbein and Tallow make a hasty retreat only for Tallow to stumble into a previously undetected pit. The fall was a bit fortuitous, for the kruthiks attentions went elsewhere for a time. Eventually the hatchlings were dispatched, and the party could bring numbers to bear on the adolescents and their mother. As reward for their trouble they collected a pile of coin, three amethysts, and a couple potions.

Their curiosity sated, Winterhaven’s Heroes turn their attention to the lower level of the keep.

Treasure

XP: 300/PC (Level 3!)

Treasure: 59 gp; 216 sp; 5 amythyst gems (50gp value each); 2 healing potions