Second Age - Session 8

Onsday 29th Zeptambor, Year 599 (continued)
It didn't take long for the Fallcrest Dragonslayers to decide that all those goblins could potentially be a threat some day, and slaughter them. Having done that, they took a look at their options. Should they head back to Fallcrest and look for Mistress Adele? Should they investigate the rumours of mysterious murders in Miners' Gate? Should they follow up on the reports of bandits to the east and south of Fallcrest? Or should they check out the treasure map and the mysterious ruin. Since it was connected somehow with the full moon and that the full moon was only three nights away, it was quickly decided that they would head south and see what it was.

Heading south, they ran into a druid called Hoddar later the same day. He proved to be a friendly chap, although he didn't care much for civilization and the attacks on Fallcrest. He did however provide some info about the area towards which they were heading, including that it was the territory of a green dragon called Aglera. Kudes also convinced Hoddar to teach him how to brew simple potions of healing. Aside from the normal recipe, he was also told that certain ingredients (parts) of certain fantastic creatures could add potency to the potion when mixed with the usual brew.

Before the night, they also fought some rabid wild dogs, but they were no match for our now veteran heroes.


Torsday 30th Zeptambor, Year 599
The day through the forest was pretty uneventful. Kavaki led them straight towards the treasure map, and by night, they saw light. It turned out to be the hut of Zanex, a blind spellcaster who lives there with his books and his pet kobold, Guurak. The hut was definitely not normal, from the outside it looked as one room, but there were several once you got inside. Zanex however, seemed to be an amiable fellow, freely dispensing with advice and knowledge, even letting Kudes copy a map.

He also told that a small evil from another world was brewing in Miners' Gate, and it would be in their best interest to investigate and stop it at some point.

The Dragonslayers stayed the night, got fed (chicken and tea!) and went on their way the next morning

Freeday 1st Auktaubor, Year 599
Heading towards the X on the map, the Fallcrest Dragonslayers arrived during the afternoon. With little trouble, they found the Monolith with arcane runes inscribed upon. It told them that for 48 hours during the full moon (the night of the 30th, 1st and 2nd every month) a temple would appear here, before returning to the Shadowfell. The monolith also spoke of magical wardings, and ways to bypass them and be able to enter the temple.

While waiting for the ruins to appear, Kudes decided to test his new brew and make some potions for his comrades. While making the second one, they Fallcrest Dragonslayers were once again ambushed by phase spiders. But, it seems that ones does learn from ones past battles, because none of the Dragonslayers went unconscious from the spider toxin this time around, and the battle was much easier than the first time around.

Night came, and so did the ruined temple. Appearing out of nowhere, only announced by a ripple in reality, it was suddenly there. Kudes soon dismantled the magical wards ("it was just *that* easy) and the Dragonslayers entered the temple.

In the first room, the walls were full of small stone drawers, and the drawers full of some weird magical sand (not residuum), but otherwise, there was nothing to be seen.

In the second room, which was a big room with stairs going down in the middle of it, it was kinda hard to miss the 24 sarcophaguses, and the Dragonslayers, experienced as they are, expected something to jump up from the sarcophaguses and attack them. They were also right. Instead the ghosts came out of the walls and the floor.

A long and brutal fight followed, with the pressure being on the Dragonslayers. Kavaki went down, and in general, the horrible screaming of the ghosts almost proved devastating. But, after a long fight, the Dragonslayers stood victorious and the four ghosts were really dead. A quick search of the sarcophaguses, revealed they were full of mummified remains. One of them did wear a very nice magical robe, that Kudes immediately claimed for himself.

After searching the room, they went down the stairs. There they found another set of double stone doors, these locked. That didn't stop Paavu for many seconds, who kicked it once, then twice before it broke open. In front of the Dragonslayers was a dark omnious chamber with a big coffin. They suddenly decided that it might be a good idea to make some healing potions before venturing on, since they were pretty low on those.

Paavu stayed at the entrance to the room in order to guard against whatever might come, and the 3 others went back upstairs to start the brewing.

No sooner had Kudes started to brew, before 3 wraiths slipped out of the shadows and jumped Paavu. Before he even managed to blink, the proud warrior was already hovering on death's door, only being kept alive by his magical armor. A poor start of a very tough fight. The others rushed down to join the fight, and soon the Dragonslayers found themselves engaged in a fight for their lives in a tight corridor. The Wraiths passed in and out of the walls, making it very hard to pin them down. In the end, the heroes did win the day, but they were so badly hurt that they had no choice but to slip back up and out of the temple, without further investigation.